3.3

Riley Metzger

Mathematics - University of Waterloo

3.3
Quality
3.3
Difficulty
35%
Would Retake
155
Reviews
3.3
Quality
3.3
Difficulty
3.2
Helpful
3.4
Clarity

35%

Would Retake

155

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

57

4

33

3

15

2

22

1

28

What Students Say

I will never choose this prof again

STAT332 - 1.0 rating

Please don't get discouraged from the field of Statistics because of him

STAT332 - 2.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

76%

Textbook Required

72%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A+

95% confidence
Based on 19 grades
Most common grades:
A+ (9)
A (6)
B+ (2)
Grade Distribution
A(15)B(0)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(4)
Based on 22 reported grades
A+: 9
A: 6
B+: 2
A-: 2
Common Tags
Skip class? You won't pass. (6)
Tough Grader (4)
Participation matters (4)
Inspirational (3)
Hilarious (3)
Clear grading criteria (2)
Lots of homework (2)
EXTRA CREDIT (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-1.03 avg change
Apr
Sep
Nov
Jan
Jul
Jan
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

STAT349

5.0

(1)

STAT362

5.0

(1)

STAT230

4.4

(19)

STAT202

4.2

(17)

STAT231

3.7

(31)
+11 more courses
Difficulty by Course

STATSSTAT

5.0

STAT206

5.0

STATS211

5.0

STATS231

4.5

STAT211

4.3

Reviews (155)
5.0
3.0
STAT202
Feb 6, 2004

Wow, thought the guy was a total loser the first few weeks. His jokes were terrible. However, he can really teach. He still thinks it is cool to throw broken chalk around the front when he is writing.

5.0
3.0
STAT202
Feb 12, 2004

He's kind of weird with his jokes and overenthusiam but his tests are fair and his notes are really detailed and clear. A bit slow on the marking of ass'mts and tests. His weird nature makes him either easy to approach or makes you scared. Up to you.

4.0
3.0
STAT340
Mar 2, 2004

Makes jokes that aren't funny. Incoherent, unorganized lectures. Erases boards randomly. Seems like he has lived on the MC 3rd floor all his life. Very nice person though, happy to help you anytime, not just in office hours.

5.0
3.0
STAT202
Grade: B+
Mar 4, 2004

Very Helpful. His jokes are a little strange, and he's very energetic.

5.0
3.0
STAT349
Mar 16, 2004

I don't know what everyone is saying regarding his jokes . . . they are awesome! Riley really makes an otherwise boring course interesting. If you ever get the chance to take a course with him, TAKE IT!

5.0
1.0
STAT340
Apr 12, 2004

I think this is one of the easier courses in Stat department. Although he tricked us with the final quiz which failed half of his class. His notes are good but his spelling is not.

4.0
3.0
STAT202
Apr 22, 2004

Most enthusiastic prof I've ever had times ten!Confusing sometimes but tries to help make material understandable. He has alot of extra office hours and is a great guy and professor

5.0
4.0
STAT340
Apr 26, 2004

Explains well, tries to make class interesting (does an OK job on that). Helpful with questions but a bit careless himself. Kills people on the final but at least will make sure you don't get too badly hurt on marks (on projects perhaps?).

3.0
2.0
STAT340
Apr 26, 2004

Everyone likes him at first cuz his course was easy, then he thought the class average was too high so he made an impossible quiz with class average in the fifties. ALSO, do something stupid with your final project, cause he doesn't understand anything.

2.0
2.0
STAT340
Apr 29, 2004

Good professor at first, but then he treated me like an idiot when i when to him for questions. He doesn't want his students to send him emails because he thinks it's annoying. Not a hard course though.

5.0
2.0
STAT231
Jun 10, 2004

Riley's pretty good - very funny, yet in an odd way. Wish I understood some material better, but I can't entirely blame that on him - he tries to go at a decent pace that everyone can follow at.

4.0
4.0
STAT231
Jul 9, 2004

Riley's one of the oddest individuals ever. Very enthusiastic. Can be a bit confusing at times and uses every ounce of effort to get into ProfQuotes. Dreadful course.

5.0
3.0
STAT231
Jul 14, 2004

Either you love him or hate him. Known for his non-stop corny jokes but great enthusiasm. Noticed he loves to build concepts up from the bottom so you understand the motivation behind it. Loud and clear. Enthusiasm tops it off, inspired me in Stat 231.

3.0
5.0
STAT231
Jul 21, 2004

I swear this guy was born in the comfy..Both quizes got averages of 60% and under so now we have a 90% final.. This guy has a lot of enthusiasm, but sometimes it's too much and you can't help but tune him out... also makes a LOT of stupid little errors

2.0
5.0
STAT231
Aug 8, 2004

No Comments

2.0
4.0
STAT231
Aug 13, 2004

Lectures were decent, but taking 12 pages of notes each class is a bit much. Needs to be more concice and focus more on material and less on his stories. In class he always seemed like he wanted to help but whenever I talked to him he seemed like a jackas

4.0
3.0
STAT231
Aug 15, 2004

Tends to get to descriptive with examples, difficult to learn if you take all the notes down that he writes. Ran a very good review session.

5.0
3.0
STAT231
Aug 15, 2004

decent prof with stupid course. Whoever made those quizes are evil. Riley is the only reason why I was still going to lectures. Take his lecture if you have to pass stat231.

4.0
3.0
STAT231
Aug 17, 2004

2 words to describe this prof/course: crazy and random. The quizzes weren't that hard, the markers were just extremely anal. At least he tried making the boring material interesting. Bring a spoon to class (to dig your eyes out with, its that boring)

4.0
3.0
STAT231
Aug 21, 2004

Make the course really interesting with the "Whoo Hoo's" in the lecture. He gave a very thorough review session! As he said in the review session, blame the TA for marking the tests and exam very anal!!

2.0
4.0
STAT231
Aug 26, 2004

Weird guy,too many stories told in class,wastes time,writes too big :P, quizzes were dumb. If you are from the comfy yourself then you will love this guy...otherwise: RUN AWAY! I will give the guy credit for being able to make a fool of himself every day

5.0
3.0
STAT231
Sep 9, 2004

Odd teacher, horrid course. However he's really helpful and honestly tries to do whats best for his students.

4.0
4.0
STAT230
Nov 17, 2004

Yeesh, what a horrible course. Riley seems really nice but is definitely more than a bit weird. Not his fault the course is horrible, but he definitely tries to make it approachable. It's nice to see an enthusiastic prof.

5.0
3.0
STAT230
Nov 17, 2004

his class is always packed with students (students from other sections attend his class ) go to his lecture once and you can see why. Personally I enjoyed his lectures.

5.0
3.0
STAT231
Nov 26, 2004

Probably the best prof for this HORRIBLE and USELESS course. I am in the other section and my prof is so incompetent. I switched to Riley's section recently and already I am passing those STUPID quizes. If taking this course is inevitable then at least make sure you take with Riley.

5.0
3.0
STAT230
Nov 27, 2004

A little bit eccentric, but that and his ability to teach probability theory with good explanations makes his lectures worth going to. The only real complaint I have with him is at times he could have used more varied examples. The tutorials he ran were worth going to at least. Good Prof overall.

4.0
3.0
STAT230
Nov 28, 2004

dice and coins, dice and coins. these examples can't span the course! especially continuous dist'ns.

5.0
3.0
STAT202
Dec 1, 2004

Wonderful prof! I only wish I could take more of his classes!

5.0
4.0
STAT231
Grade: B+
Dec 10, 2004

Overall a very nice guy! However, his corny jokes made me stop going to his lectures. Also makes way too many mistakes in class

5.0
3.0
STAT230
Dec 19, 2004

(UW Mathies probably will understand this:) He is an interesting person, but the Comfy kind of interesting... The course was pretty easy. Lectures are clear, good vocal presence. Recommended.

3.0
3.0
STAT230
Dec 21, 2004

He means well, but is very annoying. The course was horrible. I canemphasisze enough how annoying he is.

4.0
2.0
STAT230
Dec 21, 2004

not a bad prof. good explanations.

5.0
2.0
STAT230
Dec 23, 2004

His lectures are very clear and the explainations are top-notch. As people have said, the examples he does in class are easy, but he's only trying to show the basics... we have to extend the concepts ourselves. His lecture notes are so good that he should write the course notes.

3.0
5.0
STAT230
Dec 24, 2004

Queries were not addressed appropriately, if not at all (in fact, a very disappointing aspect of the course). As far as lectures go, he is clear and enthusiastic about the subject material, however, the examples he provides are rather simplistic and is not enough for one to get by the quizzes + exa

4.0
3.0
STAT231
Dec 29, 2004

he's extremely enthusiastic about such a boring and useless course... although his mathie humour can get annoying at times, he was always happy to answer questions in his office, and held a great review session.

5.0
3.0
STAT231
Jan 2, 2005

One of the best instructor, very friendly

4.0
3.0
STAT230
Jan 7, 2005

Tried to make stats jokes. Not my thing but some people enjoyed it. Smart guy, knew his stats, had to deal with some stupid questions. Always said the guy at the back was trying to listen (he wasn't). Made a horrible subject bearable.

5.0
3.0
STAT230
Jan 28, 2005

Great professor. Not very funny, but he does care about his subject. Easy to understand.

5.0
2.0
STAT230
Feb 4, 2005

well for starters, he looks like a grizzley bear. look at him like a bear, you'll never see him the same again. but he explains stuff really well, makes jokes about his wife, which makes you wonder why she's still with him... all and all, take his class, you'll learn stats well

5.0
1.0
STAT230
Feb 18, 2005

Great prof! makes the most boring subjects funny and tries to crack jokes. classes with him are really interesting and easy to understand.

5.0
3.0
STAT230
Mar 13, 2005

awesome prof. Although he doesn't have time to go through the most difficult examples, he dumbs the course down to a level where honestly a toddler would likely understand.

4.0
2.0
STAT202
Mar 16, 2005

No Comments

1.0
1.0
STAT231
Mar 17, 2005

This dude is the worst. His stupid jokes really pissed me off and distracted from learning class material. Very unhelpful in office hours, makes mistakes in class and acts like an idiot. But, if you have no brain and laugh at everything you see - you'll love him.

5.0
2.0
STATS202
Mar 21, 2005

Very helpful and cares a lot about the students. Very good person

5.0
1.0
STAT230
May 1, 2005

He is an awesome prof. The one thing you'll find common with most great profs is that they make things look very easy. Riley is not an exception. This guy rulez.

5.0
1.0
STAT230
May 3, 2005

He is the coolest rof in U f W

3.0
5.0
STAT230
Jun 11, 2005

Riley is easy going and funny. He's a super nice guy with rally lame jokes that mathies still laguhs at. the class is ridiculous and Riley is nowhere to be found after class hours. But he tries hard to help students udnerstand, often with stupid jokes.

5.0
2.0
STATS202
Jun 13, 2005

Riley is an excellent professor. His lessons are very clear and he makes sure everyone in the class understands. His funny personality makes his class fun to go to. Great prof!

5.0
4.0
STAT362
Aug 4, 2005

very helpful, funnny prof

4.0
3.0
STAT340
Aug 4, 2005

Riley tries hard to be friendly, and does a good job of that. He also tries to make stats approachable, and does that well, too However, he's a bit disorganized, and the jokes get old, fast. A bit more organization and structure would be nice. All in all, t's hard to fault Riley - he's too much fun with the class!

5.0
5.0
STAT340
Aug 8, 2005

This guy taught some next level stuff. He tries to be cool but he's not. He exaplins things wella dn no doubt about it but his exams are way out of the world and I mean it. Take a course with him only if he's just an instructor and not the main coordinator of the course. If the course is under him, your screwed like our class was. Not helpful outsi

4.0
5.0
STAT340
Grade: A
Aug 19, 2005

Wow I didn't know it was possible to make such convoluted midterm and exam questions out of straight-forward concepts taught clearly in class. If you take this course with Riley, you WILL be entertained and your average WILL drop.

4.0
2.0
STAT230
Dec 23, 2005

Cool prof, made the course enjoyable and interesting. He even came up with "the riley proof" which involved using one example to show it works. Nice guy, will definitely take another course with him.

2.0
1.0
STAT231
Feb 5, 2006

Ok as a prof I just couldn't get over his stupid mind insulting jokes that only math nerds can trully appreciate. Makes quite a bit of mistakes too, at one point he had to redo main part of the lecture to show the correct proof. Overall, Id say he's ok when compared to other incompetent members of the faculty.

5.0
3.0
STAT231
Nov 9, 2007

Riley is an excellent teacher who tries very hard to keep what could be a boring class interesting.

5.0
3.0
STAT372
Nov 9, 2007

Strange person who teaches clearly and well.

1.0
4.0
STAT372
Dec 16, 2007

I'm sure he tried hard and meant well, but this course and the way it was taught was terrible. Lectures skewed all over the place, there were so many mistakes on the assignment answers and lectures. The midterm was also very confusing - the questions are completely vague, and the examples he gave in class didn't provide any preparation for it. :(((

5.0
2.0
STAT231
Dec 18, 2007

One of the best prof I've ever met in Waterloo. explanations are clear and his examples helped a lot. Lecture notes were gold compared to incomprehensible text. I would definitely take his courses in 3rd year

5.0
5.0
STAT340
Mar 17, 2008

If you want 8 assignments, 2 pre-tests, 3 tests, 2 projects, 6 online quizzes, clickers and a final exam - this is the course for you! Riley is a fun guy but unleashes his evil all over the course outline. Nevertheless, you will learn from him.

2.0
4.0
STATS231
Apr 17, 2008

He is a little unstable and hasty however his lectures and notes are helpful. This course requires a fair amount of your time if you want to score a high grade, for those who just want to pass, its not hard at all.

5.0
4.0
STAT340
Apr 25, 2008

Teaches well, but it's hard to get a good grade with him. His tests are hard because his notes always give simple, trivial examples. This means that you won't know how to answer any interesting questions he puts on his exams.

5.0
3.0
STAT340
May 12, 2008

You have to attend class. Not only is he a great lecturer but he builds all of his tests from class work.

2.0
5.0
STAT231
May 20, 2008

One of the worst profs to ever talk to about marks.

1.0
5.0
STAT340
Apr 9, 2009

highly overated!! one of the worest stats prof in UW. Tests are incomprehensible.

5.0
2.0
STAT202
Apr 9, 2009

Riley is a compassionate, caring, considerate, albeit WEIRD and WACKO, professor. His tests are fair, even if they do require you to extend a bit beyond basic trivial concepts. Many opportunities for feedback on his teaching. The man is incredibly enthusiastic about what he does, and you can't help but be infected with love for STATS!

4.0
4.0
STAT331
May 8, 2009

Very funny class. What he taught in class is the MOST simple case so you don't know how to solve the problems in midterm and final, except you get some practice from library

2.0
5.0
STATS202
May 22, 2009

Prof is overrated, often he shows the most basic examples for our class, the person who posted "I didn't know it was possible to make such convoluted midterm and exam questions out of straight-forward concepts taught clearly in class." is right. I often got distracted and lost interest in the course material from his jokes. Hard midterms/long exam!

1.0
5.0
STATSSTAT
May 23, 2009

takes this guy forever to hand back the tests. Watch out for this guy, I had a friend that got his midterm jipped from the terrible handing back system. It's disturbing to see him teach by over flowing corny jokes which doesnt make any relevance to the course... Have fun with his midterms/lengthy exams!

4.0
3.0
STAT331
Oct 27, 2009

bit crazy during lecture

5.0
1.0
STAT202
Oct 30, 2009

He is basically stats for dummies, live. Makes things very easy to understand. Funny and always in a good mood. Big nerd. Love him.

2.0
4.0
STAT211
Dec 9, 2009

Teaches decently in class but makes a lot of stupid jokes that take away from the lecture. Absolutely no help out of class and seems to enjoy watching your misery. Exams are worded in a way that makes every question 100x harder than it should be, the worst part of his exams is trying to figure out what the hell he is talking about. Avoid if possibl

2.0
5.0
STATS202
Dec 14, 2009

The worst prof i have ever had for a math course. Makes very corny jokes which take away from the lecture and is extremly useless outside of class

3.0
5.0
STAT211
Dec 19, 2009

what can I say, he's teaching a course in which all the students have no interest. He got shafted, and probably realized it after the 2nd midterm...where the average was 50%. He ended up making the final much easier than everyone expected so I guess he really is a nice guy. Just be nice to him and it won't be a huge deal.

1.0
5.0
STAT331
Dec 22, 2009

What should I say? Dropping stat331 from his class is the most correct thing u do in four years university life. Do not expect he can make u smarter......

4.0
4.0
STAT202
Dec 24, 2009

Riley tends to ramble and joke too much in class. Hes a very kind and approachable person, but his class examples will NOT suffice for studying. The quizzes are VERY poorly run as well, many questions dont even have a correct answer, so dont be afraid to get a TA to check. His notes are also changed many times before class, dont waste ink & paper!

4.0
2.0
STAT202
Dec 31, 2009

Jokes a lot in class but his lectures are helpful and intuitive. Only opened textbook for quizzes. Beware that the quizzes help you with understanding the material but the types of questions the quizzes offer will often not show up in the test. Know the basic/main ideas from each topic he teaches and then the tests are a breeze.

5.0
3.0
STAT202
Apr 13, 2010

Great professor, he's funny, makes lots of jokes in class which makes stats class more interesting. A very friendly person, the tutorials are helpful, those types of questions appear on tests and exams.

4.0
4.0
STAT331
Jul 8, 2010

Riley is a great guy with amusing lectures. He's great to talk to and genuinely cares about his students. With that being said, his assessments are not reflective of lecture content, usually with new concepts thrown it. The lack of a useful textbook makes studying hard. Overall, he's a great guy with amusing lectures and nonsense exams.

3.0
3.0
STAT331
Aug 7, 2010

Easy prof with messy notes. Make sure take this course with smart friends who can figure out the mistakes he made on the note. Midterms are fair if u studied.

4.0
3.0
STAT340
Oct 18, 2010

Sometimes a little to out there for 8:30 in the morning, but great lectures that involve students. Tougher tests, but you can still get a decent mark if you attend class and tutorials.

4.0
4.0
STAT202
Oct 28, 2010

Lectures are easy to follow. Midterm is super tough! Practice tutorial questions. Textbook is useless don't buy it.

4.0
4.0
STAT202
Oct 31, 2010

Textbook is completely garbage. Lectures are easy to follow. Assignments are hard, a lot of stuff you have to think outside the box. Riley teaches at a low level in class and tutorials and exams are at a hard level. Clarity of exams is terrible. With a useless textbook this course is NOT easy. It's suppose to be an intro stat course for sci...

3.0
3.0
STAT202
Dec 22, 2010

Not helpful at all outside of class, LOTS of errors, don't expect his examples to match whats on the tests. This guy made me tear out my hair at first with the way he formats and asks questions on his tests but if you start to catch his drift he's alright. Still think he purposely tries to screw people over tho

2.0
5.0
STAT340
Apr 5, 2011

no fairness on marking especially on the iclicker and tests

2.0
5.0
STATS202
Apr 13, 2011

HORRIBLE!! his tests are NOTHING like what you are taught in class. Ive attended every single class and have done poorly on tests. unfair too

3.0
5.0
STAT340
Apr 27, 2011

It looks like he is the only instructor for Stat 340. Good luck to you all. His exams are nothing like what he teaches in class. He also want you to answer all the questions and it is very annoying because it's 8:30 in the morning and people are barely awake. I would avoid if there is another instructor.

3.0
5.0
STAT340
Jun 27, 2011

Riley is a horrible teacher. His exams are not similar to his examples at all, which put you to a hopeless situation. He made mistake frequently and rarely correct them. His lectures are ok with interesting jokes, but this cannot prove that he is a good teacher. I strongly do NOT recommend people to take his class and I will try not to enrol again

4.0
5.0
STAT340
Jul 24, 2011

If you like profs who really care about their students, you should enroll in this guy's class. Don't expect an easy course, but marking is generally fair and he answers questions really fast. Tests are designed to make you think. If you don't like tests that stretch your brain, this is not the course for you. Useful and relevant course, good prof.

4.0
4.0
STAT202
Dec 7, 2011

Class example, material and sample midterm/exam are very easy, but the midter and exam are very hard.

1.0
5.0
STAT206
Dec 20, 2011

This prof is way overrated. He talks so fast and write so fast, makes jokes in class, but it's only after the class you realize that you haven't learnt a thing. 3rd test average was 36.

3.0
5.0
STAT206
Jan 4, 2012

His lecture is alright, but his exams and tests is A LOT tougher than the lecture material. In other words, his lecture is kind of useless, but it is enough to cover the basics. However, if given a choice, do not pick his course because he will murder everyone during the exam.

1.0
5.0
STATS211
Feb 3, 2012

Okay, just realised that all the comments from our class r deleted and only the good ones are left.one word: BEWARE.his classes r useles, he posts his slides up but they are completely useless, slides with pictures/questions that dont make sense. exams are NOTHING like the practice he gives u. a simple ques becomes 1000 times harder coming from him

2.0
5.0
STAT231
Feb 9, 2012

everything on mapleta or class or tut did not show on the test.. and there is no assignment, how do u do well?? very not reasonable course

4.0
3.0
STAT231
Mar 6, 2012

He tries too hard to be funny. That's his biggest fault. However, in teaching me the math, I felt I learned it very well. It's important to go to lecture and to follow along with what he is doing. But I think I've been learning things very well, and I did very well on the first midterm. He's a pretty good prof.

4.0
3.0
STAT231
Apr 13, 2012

he tries to make this class interesting and his notes are pretty useful for ur review.however, he will make this course hard to pass. for example, everything that you did in tut,mapleta,sample exam are unrelated to the test.. he is pretty strict..

4.0
4.0
STAT231
May 6, 2012

he's midterms are tough.. but he's note is very helpful for review~~ if u go to class then u won't fail~

2.0
4.0
STAT211
May 10, 2012

I had him in fall 2011. Horrible experience. He tries to be funny but it just takes out the enthusiasm out of the class. He took over after the professor left halfway. He made the content harder than it is. The amount I studied did not directly correlate to my mark. Avoid. (he has a fake accent)

5.0
2.0
STAT231
Jun 22, 2012

Awesome prof!!!He is a nice guy who is glad to help students. He tries really hard to make the materials clear and simple. His notes are helpful, and you also need to pay attention to his explaining in words. He makes me stat231 crystal!!!

2.0
4.0
STAT340
Jun 24, 2012

He is horrible. Classes are full of mistakes and shoddy explanations. I think he probably doesn't know the material very well himself. Evaluations are unfair and often not relevant. Extremely slow in returning midterms. Overall, a very lazy guy who doesn't know what he's talking about. I would avoid!

5.0
1.0
STAT340
Jul 25, 2012

Nice prof, lot of notes and very useful.if you go to his classes you will find his exams easy.

3.0
5.0
STAT340
Aug 21, 2012

I was concerned whether I could compete in this class because this was my first 3rd level STAT course, but STAT 230/231 is all you need! Riley focuses heavily on notes and uses those to write tests so go over your lecture notes 3 to 4 times and you should be all right. It's definitely challenging, but very doable to get a high 70 or low 80.

5.0
2.0
STAT340
May 9, 2013

Very interesting course. He explains concepts very clearly. Tests and exam are very straightforward if you attend his class. He makes class lots fun.

1.0
4.0
STAT231
Aug 11, 2013

Horrible Professor, the course was poorly structured, the course notes had very few examples, and his explanations were tedious. The class had over 400 students, and the prof failed to engage the students. His notes were very unorganized. The course material was'nt that difficult,but the way the course was taught, made it confusing and monotonous.

4.0
4.0
STAT231
Aug 12, 2013

Review session was VERY misleading as to what was on the final exam. we took up "Comparing Means" for most of the review and it was literally 1 m/c on the exam. However, Riley is a fair and helpful prof. While his exams are difficult I do recommend him as a teacher.

2.0
5.0
STAT231
Aug 13, 2013

He seems to be enthusiastic about the material. However, he gave us a practice final, that he took up the day before the exam, that had absolutely nothing to do with our final. The class was application based all semester(assignments and midterms), but the exam was all theoretical. This would be fine, but we were not taught at such high of a level.

5.0
4.0
STAT231
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Aug 19, 2013

Very engaging lecturer. As someone not very interested in statistics, the material was very dry to me, but Riley does as good a job as possible of making it engaging. Assignments and exams were both long and hard but fair, and more representative of class material than others here are willing to admit. Great prof for the course.

5.0
2.0
STAT230
Aug 20, 2013

Riley is very enthusiastic about course material. Uses a ton of examples in class to make concepts clear. Exam was very fair. More theoretical parts than practice exams.(He never said it was a good indicator) but everything was straight-forward if you went over your class notes and understood the concepts, and didn't just memorize applications.

5.0
3.0
STAT231
Aug 31, 2013

Great prof. Lectures and explanations were very clear and not hard to understand. Compared to my offering of 230, there was far less theory in this class, much more application (which makes it pretty easy to pass the course, if that's all you're looking for). Those looking for a more theoretical approach should consider STAT 241.

5.0
2.0
STAT340
Nov 12, 2013

Interesting and clear

5.0
2.0
STAT340
Mar 29, 2014

Riley is very enthusiastic about the course he teaches and is very clear in his explanations. He makes the course very interesting. His tests are fair if you have a thorough understanding of the material. Great prof

2.0
3.0
STAT340
Apr 20, 2014

Lots of major mistakes in his notes, his assignment/exam solution which are very misleading. Also a lack of logistics in the notes, have to read the online coursenotes to figure out everything.

5.0
2.0
STAT340
Grade: A-
Jun 26, 2014

I didn't like him at first while taking STAT231. But this term I found I love him to be my instructor. Pretty funny, crystal clear, and really friendly. Hope he could come back soon.

2.0
5.0
STAT340
Grade: Incomplete
Jun 27, 2014

Went from liking him to disliking him. Class examples are not relevant at all to the midterm. A lot of the material was familiar for ACTSCI students whereas the rest of us seeing the material were left confused. Got shafted on the tests.

4.0
2.0
STAT340
Sep 28, 2014

His lectures are pretty useful. Midterm is hard to understand. Final is easy. Very brutal for having participation marks in a morning class in a cold winter.

1.0
5.0
STAT340
Grade: A+
Mar 27, 2015

He barely explains things he wrote down in class. He is funny and passionate but the way he answers student's question in class is horrible (especially when he made mistake in the notes).

2.0
4.0
STAT340
Grade: A+
Apr 19, 2015

No exaggeration - the stuff on the midterms he did not teach in class at all. Then he refused to acknowledge this fact when confronted. Too bad he's the only guy that teaches STAT 340, as it's a mandatory course.

5.0
4.0
STAT340
Apr 21, 2015

Very funny lectures. BUT! Maybe because this year there is a new prof who just came to Waterloo, and Riley is not the one who makes the tests, the problems are not relevant with the stuff he taught in class. I do ENJOY his class though. There are way so many ppl in class, like 20 people standing at the back when it's in the middle of the term.

2.0
5.0
STAT332
Jul 28, 2015

is clear in class but makes test that are really difficult and a lot different from what you expect. What you see in class and what you see in tests are a big difference. Very strict about calculators and clickers too. if you are caught with a calculator he doesn't like he will try to give you a 0 for that test even if it is approved.

3.0
3.0
STAT332
Jul 30, 2015

Well, he gave us bonus marks, and no final, and assignments are group works. But tests are very hard to get good grade! ! ! I hate clicker question.

5.0
2.0
STAT332
Aug 18, 2015

He is clear and funny. occasionally a bit obnoxious.

5.0
3.0
STAT340
Grade: A+
Aug 30, 2015

I enjoyed every minute of this course. Clicker questions made it impossible to fall behind in the class, assignments were very short but very helpful, and Riley is hands down my favourite prof in the ActSc-Stats department. The tests were tricky, but not unreasonable, and there is no prof with more office hours than Riley.

2.0
4.0
STAT332
Jun 6, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Teaches you a bunch of simple stuff, gives you simple examples, and then gives ridiculously hard tests. Please don't get discouraged from the field of Statistics because of him. This is very useful stuff, so just learn it from the course notes and go to class for the clicker marks. It's unfortunate that he makes interesting material so painful.

5.0
4.0
STAT340
Grade: A
Jun 9, 2016
Would take again

Spends a little too much time explaining to you how weird he is. Spends the rest of his time proving to you how weird he is. Good prof but the midterms are hard, especially the third one.

1.0
4.0
STAT340
Jul 27, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Teaches the simplest of course materials then gives test questions far from the questions from examples and questions that he's given out. It's a good course but please don't let him discourage you from taking more STAT courses. He is very rude and impolite @ office hours and over emails, so please do not waste your time on that.

1.0
1.0
STAT340
Jul 29, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Really bad prof, even if you go over all the materials and still fail.

1.0
5.0
STAT332
Aug 2, 2016
Wouldn't take again

He teach you simple things and give you simple practice exam,but the real test is really hard,and he play tricks in exam and average is very low.I will never choose this prof again!

5.0
3.0
STAT340
May 3, 2017
Would take again

He is weird, enthusiastic about teaching and very precise. The course is not hard and his teaching is very clear. The tests are tight in time but similar to examples in class or exercise. And no final!!

5.0
2.0
STAT340
Grade: A
May 11, 2017
Would take again

Good prof, very organized and clear notes.

Inspirational
Clear grading criteria
Hilarious
1.0
5.0
STATS231
Jan 17, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Incredibly rude

Tough Grader
Skip class? You won't pass.
1.0
4.0
STAT340
Apr 4, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Riley makes a lot of mistakes in class, and never bothers to correct them - he also gets very defensive when a student offers a correction or even asks a question. Hardly explains anything, glosses over a lot of the technical aspects of how to do things, even when asked for clarification. Definitely pretty rude guy, but he has some good jokes.

Tough Grader
Participation matters
1.0
4.0
STAT340
Jul 6, 2018
Wouldn't take again

weird and tough, and hopefully I'll never take his class again

Tough Grader
1.0
5.0
STAT340
Sep 17, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Impolite and rude!

Tough Grader
4.0
3.0
STAT340
Nov 5, 2018
Would take again

This man is my second favourite statistics professor. He's funny in a weird sort of way, but I enjoy him! He is always willing to help a student in his multiple office hours. Very respectful of student questions. If you take the time to learn the material, you will get it. No final for the course. WOULD TAKE AGAIN 10/10.

Inspirational
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
Hilarious
1.0
3.0
STAT340
Feb 25, 2019
Wouldn't take again

His lectures could be clear sometimes but often the cases are too fast. The material itself is simple, it's just he goes over it too fast and thus artificially creates a barrier for students to learn. He tends to show off integration skills while making fundamental notation errors in the meantime. He'll use blackboard even if people can't see it.

Lots of homework
Participation matters
Skip class? You won't pass.
5.0
3.0
STAT340
Mar 25, 2019
Would take again

well-organized contents and easy course!

Inspirational
5.0
3.0
STAT340
Grade: A+
Apr 2, 2019
Would take again

To be really honest, many students say that he is strict. Despite of that, he is a pretty good teacher. Clear contents and sometimes have bonus for you!!

Skip class? You won't pass.
Clear grading criteria
EXTRA CREDIT
5.0
4.0
STAT340
Apr 11, 2019
Would take again

He's a great prof! The entire course content was organized so well ! His tests are also very fair! Would definitely take another course with him!

Accessible outside class
Participation matters
Amazing lectures
4.0
4.0
STAT340
Grade: A+
Apr 29, 2019
Would take again

I was really iffy about taking his course, since all reviews says he's rude and not very helpful. Riley does have his downfalls, but this course turned out to be my favourite one this semester. Just see past the unfriendliness and do what you need to do (go to TAs!) Riley likes students who exhibit interest, so do that and you'd be fine.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
EXTRA CREDIT
2.0
4.0
STAT340
May 9, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Made students have a hard time, and trick questions basically defines him as a prof. Literally tests you for speed and make sure you memorize everything on the usual stat distribution sheets, because you'll need every little detail on it in case he tests you on them.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Test heavy
Tough grader
1.0
4.0
STAT202
Grade: A-
Nov 7, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Horrible professor

5.0
2.0
STAT202
Grade: A+
Nov 30, 2019
Would take again

Found tests to be very similar to examples done in class or assignments. Midterms were VERY fair. Just make sure to go to lecture as he doesn't post notes but he's an entertaining guy so it's not that big a deal. Gave a lot of extra marks for clickers. Really enjoyed his class, favourite course this semester!

Participation matters
Skip class? You won't pass.
Hilarious
1.0
4.0
STAT332
Nov 13, 2020
Wouldn't take again

He teaches well but IS NOT KIND OR UNDERSTANDING as one should be during the COVID pandemic. Really bad hearted and least understanding human being ever!

1.0
3.0
STAT332
Feb 4, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Taking STAT332 with Prof. Metzger is easily my worst experience with the Department of Statistics. He replies to questions in tautologies and further questions, posts vague assignment problems that need millions of clarifications, is generally inaccessible for feedback. Avoid STAT332 if you can (or take alternate courses for Statistics Minor)

1.0
2.0
STAT332
Mar 14, 2021
Wouldn't take again

One of the worst teachers that I've ever had. Glossed over a lot of technical details and always wrote down formulas without explaining why. If you ever had him as a prof, please don't be discouraged to continue studying statistics in the future, which is much more interesting than just knowing formulas.

Get ready to read
1.0
2.0
STAT372
Apr 4, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Worst experience I've ever had >:( The course content seemed pretty doable but but the Prof consistently makes errors in his videos, does a poor job of answering questions about assignments and lectures, and isn't accessible. Sometimes when he answers questions I feel like he understands even less than the students (bc he'll give wrong answers)

1.0
2.0
STAT332
Grade: A+
Apr 7, 2021
Wouldn't take again

- Makes too many mistakes in lectures - Makes too many mistakes in replies on Campuswire (who uses Campuswire anyways?) - Discouraging students with his useless replies - Terrible textbook, written in Microsoft Word - Terrible examples, written in Microsoft Word - Terrible video quality - Terrible captions

Graded by few things
Lecture heavy
1.0
3.0
STAT372
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 7, 2021
Wouldn't take again

lectures are poor quality, assignments are vague. he simply doesn't care about his students, and turned this course into a meme.

1.0
2.0
STAT372
Apr 8, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Useless, just useless. Doesn't explain anything in lectures and just throws results at you. Tons of mistakes. No office hours. Assignments are confusing. Answers questions vaguely and often incorrectly on Campuswire. Pretty easy course made frustrating by a terrible prof.

3.0
3.0
STAT332
Grade: A
Apr 15, 2021
Would take again

Unfortunately, he recorded his online lectures using a Sharpie and blank paper rather than in an easily digestible format. He makes some mistakes here and there (small notation errors that become somewhat confusing)... and he's not all that enthusiastic when replying to questions. Tbh, his lecture material was relevant to the assignments.. so 3/5!

5.0
1.0
STAT332
Grade: A+
Apr 20, 2021
Would take again

His lecture material was relevant to the assignments. As long as you follow his lecture material, you can easily obtain 95^. Unlike other courses, for example, CO courses, no matter how hard you try and how many practice questions you do, you will never get a good mark unless you are very smart.

1.0
1.0
ADVISOR1
Sep 3, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Straight up an ass when it comes to anything course related. He's also one of the worst profs that I've had so far as well: gets very defensive when students offer corrections, discourages students from his useless replies, and offers no intuitions nor proper explanations. Bad teacher, rude advisor it always amazes me how he's still employed.

1.0
1.0
STAT332
Grade: A+
Nov 14, 2021
Wouldn't take again

While the class is by far the easiest STAT 3XX class I've taken, his teaching leaves a lot to be desired. Feels like he himself is not very knowledgable in the subject and instead brings down the class average by testing obscure distributions and theorems. Very difficult to speak to outside of class

1.0
3.0
STAT331
Jan 17, 2022
Wouldn't take again

has no consideration for the students

4.0
2.0
STAT332
Grade: A
Jul 22, 2022
Would take again

Riley is a hard a*s but he is fair. He does everything by school policy and rules. You get a 49.2% in the course and fail? He likely won't raise it to 50%. However, If you do your work in his class there's no reason you can't do well on his tests. His expectations and rules are fair. Your mark in his class determines how much work you put in.

Group projects
Lots of homework
Test heavy
3.0
2.0
STAT332
Grade: A
Jan 1, 2023

He is absolutely useless when you ask for help online and in class. I think he despises students and thinks every student is trying to take advantage of him somehow. Never ask him for any favours because he will laugh at you. His TA's are amazing though. Their office hours and replies were very helpful. Easy exams if you do the practice questions.

Tough grader
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

76%

Textbook Required

72%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A+

95% confidence
Based on 19 grades
Most common grades:
A+ (9)
A (6)
B+ (2)
Grade Distribution
A(15)B(0)C(0)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(4)
Based on 22 reported grades
A+: 9
A: 6
B+: 2
A-: 2
Common Tags
Skip class? You won't pass. (6)
Tough Grader (4)
Participation matters (4)
Inspirational (3)
Hilarious (3)
Clear grading criteria (2)
Lots of homework (2)
EXTRA CREDIT (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-1.03 avg change
Apr
Sep
Nov
Jan
Jul
Jan
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

STAT349

5.0

(1)

STAT362

5.0

(1)

STAT230

4.4

(19)

STAT202

4.2

(17)

STAT231

3.7

(31)
+11 more courses
Difficulty by Course

STATSSTAT

5.0

STAT206

5.0

STATS211

5.0

STATS231

4.5

STAT211

4.3

Similar Professors