2.5
Quality4.3
Difficulty25%
Would Retake103
Reviews25%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
103 total ratings5
16
4
16
3
15
2
25
1
31
What Students Say
“He is an awful prof and the exams are so incredibly hard”
ECON380 - 1.0 rating“No ppt online, No online note”
ECON380 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
9%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.21 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON515
5.0
(1)ECON251
5.0
(1)ECON415
3.4
(9)ECON252
3.1
(27)ECON419
2.5
(13)Difficulty by Course
ECON380
4.6
ECON301
4.6
ECON415
4.1
ECON419
4.1
ECON515
4.0
Reviews (102)
My advice. Do NOT buy the book, workbook, CD combo from the bookstores. Go online, buy a used book and save $90 like I did. Workbook, CD are useless. Reading the chapters, studying a LOT are necessary to do well. Didn't learn much from lecture. Essentially had to teach myself outside of class. I've already firgotten everything from class.
Repeats the ends of his sentences a rediculous amount........a rediculous amount.
His repetition gets old, gets old, gets old, gets old, gets old. He also leaves his right hand flapping in front of his face the whole time, whole time, whole time, whole time, whole time. Class is worthless, worthless, worthless, worthless. Don't go to it, to it, to it, to it.
Don't get the book, don't really need it. Study the notes and go to class. Stay awake and you'll do well. PPT are pretty good until it gets the around aggregate supply (wage and labor).
Outstanding professor, actually teaches instead of spoon feeding the students!
Didn't really get much out of the lecture at all. Found myself lost when pickering what I should and should not study. Don't remember anything from the class, and I 'm glad its over.
I really like Bob. He does repeat a lot of his sentences... but he's a good teacher if you're into economics. GO TO CLASS AND TAKE GOOD NOTES! This isn't an easy class, but it is worth it and I enjoyed it a lot! He's a nice guy if you talk to him. (Which he is willing to do)
he changed the course and made it difficult for , for us. he made the papers so difficult that it was not possible for student to get an A in the class in, the class. class is boring and u tend to sleep all the time. most of the notes r verbal and difficult to understand
hard class
This is the type of professor that teaches just so that he can feel important and make his students feel inferior. He can be summed up in one sentence: Those who can't do, teach.
Talks a lot! It's kinda hard to stay awake in class, but make sure you study for the exams!
Sexy moustache, funny stories, generally a fun class to attend!
Useless.... he doesnt teach the undedrling theory clearly. Just come to class and give a problem in the next topic and expect us to learn the theory from book. So dissapointed.
Not too bad. Can learn everything from the book, he helps clarify. Class can be fun/interesting.
Way over your head. Teaches a gen ed econ class like he's speaking to a bunch of economists with years of experience. Probably the worst professor I've ever had.
Keeps it interesting for the most part.
Bob Holland Clearly knows his economics, and, despite his repetition and hand-flapping, relates the materials to the student clearly. At least in his macroeconomics class, Bob Holland relates the class material to real-world happenings, which makes the knowledge applicable.
Modest improvement this semester (Spring 08), however exams are still tough as ever. Probably one of the single hardest class I ever took in my undergraduate studies.
He's my favorite professor
Tough exams as usual, but his money & banking class is one of the best classes I've ever taken at purdue.
Outstanding teacher. Exams are tough, but he is the best teacher I've ever had (funny, interesting...), and Money&Banking is the best class ever. Every student interested in Econ should take this class.
Hard but interesting
He is a great professor who truly wants his students to learn.
Doesn't really know how to dumb it down for the students. Classes are hard to follow. Handwriting is like scribbles! He is very passionate about the stuff though, kept everyone entertained. **** HARD!
I LOVE BOB
Very open minded and very helpful. Wise man that has done a lot of cool things. Has funny stories to tell and is passionate about the subject. Highly recommended
The class is ridiculous. If exam grades are 50-60%, you would think they would change things around, but they don't. Bob's handwriting sucks. Lectures are boring. It is SO in dept for an entry level course. I literally studied for around 10 hours for the final exam and got a 50%. He calls the final a "bear" and says good luck. Real helpful Bob
This is definitely not an intro course. The book lays everything out in simple terms, but the exams go much more into depth. His handwriting is atrocious, so i have some holes missing in my notes. My grade in this class will be the lowest I've ever gotten...
Really Hard Class. Nice guy. I went to every single class, but you have to teach yourself a lot because the examples given in class are fairly different from those on test. Hardest Class I have ever taken and I didn't learn much. Make sure to go to every class to get the points from the extra credit quizzes. They saved my butt. Exam Avg: 50-60%
Smart guy, good prof. But the class went WAY too in-depth. Exams were difficult - average score was around 60%. The curve was ridiculous. If people are doing this poorly, why continue to make the class so difficult?? I was 0.05% away from a B- but he refused to give it to me! No doubt a good teacher but the class is tough and he will not budge.
Holland is very passionate about teaching. He gives out class handouts to take notes on and gives pop quizzes for extra credit. Keeps class interesting and has funny stories. He's helpful during office hours and will answer all your questions. For exam prep, he gives out lots of practice questions so know the material and you'll be sure to do well.
Greatest teacher Ever! He wouldn't have been voted best lecturer on Campus unless he was the best. Very Dynamic and entertaining. Always has great stories. Catch phrases are, "Damn Straight!" and "Bad Inflation! Stay Down!!" He also uses a lot of exclamation points!!!!!
Prof Bob is awesome!
Bob is awesome! If you sit in the front, he tells you a lot of jokes before classes begin. Exam 1 and Exam 2 are relatively easier, but the final can really make you nervous if you don't review your Aplia assignment. You might be asked about David Richardo, Adam Smith, and John Keynes when you already forget who the hell those people are.
Why everybody likes him? I don't get it... The class was a joke for me, I didn't learn anything! His hand-writing is like scribbles. His voice is not comprehensive. It's better to read a book by yourself and not to go to his class. My opinion if there is another instructor, except Holland, take him! Not Holland! He is nice person though. =)
Do not take M&B if you are a secondary-ed major. This class is designed for finance and econ majors. By far the most challenging course at Purdue, and Holland makes no effort to ease the material. Not as fun as it sounds. Its very little about money or banking. Very disappointed and genuinely upset at the class turnout. DIFFICULT
took his 252 and 419. Loved this prof. the classes aren't easy. but useful! HAVE to do the sample exams! they are almost identical to real exams. learned a lot! loved his courses, looking forward to taking his 380 next year.
Bobbie is a great professor and he keeps the class interesting. Econ380 is probably the hardest economics course I've ever taken, so don't expect it to be easy (at least with Bobbie teaching it)! Your grade is based off of 2 midterms and a final exam, and (in my opinion) all 3 are very difficult - even with the practice exams and review sessions.
This class is extremely difficult but very applicable even if you aren't a business major. The exams were very hard, some questions were impossible, not due to the econ but you had no idea what the Q? was asking. The average final was a low 50%. It felt like an Econ Bukkake in my head after i left Elliot. You've been warned
He'll say the same thing over twice back to back a lot. Kind of funny.
You should really finish the reading before coming to his class. Or you might miss yourself.
He likes to talk to himself, no homework and quiz but the lecture is very boring for most of the students.
Holland is an enthusiastic professor with a genuine interest in econ. His class is not easy, but if you attend lecture and pay attention he gives lots of examples to demonstrate the concepts that he covers. He's a friendly guy and he never wants to fail students unless they don't try. 419 is a tough class but you'll be glad you took it with him
Very hard class and his lectures aren't very helpful. Gives no notes besides a few practice problems. You're better of reading the book and understanding the concepts. Homework takes an average of 3-4 hours, if not longer. Have to memorize every formula...what the hell is the point of that? Hope Holland retires by time you have to take this.
Do yourself a favor, try not to take his classes, if you want to have a high GPA. What he told in the lec is quiet different from the textbook. And the hw is totally based on the textbook. To complete the hw and quiz, you have to read every single word in the book. And the exam is not easy at all
Don't take this class! Right before the finals, I went to the professor for some help and he immediately turned me down even though it appeared he was not preoccupied at all (he was reading a newspaper). What he teaches in the lecture is very different from the textbook so if you miss one lecture, you are screwed no matter how hard you study.
Hardest exams ever.. the test are nearly impossible
He's the most boring professor I've ever had. His lectures, though informative, are boring & dull. Even when he tries to spice them up with telling unnecessary stories, those too are lackluster. You don't need to purchase the "required" textbook. At all. Go to all(well most) of the lectures, do the homework & Learnsmarts, and you should be fine.
His lectures, though informative, are boring & dull. Even when he tries to spice them up with telling unnecessary stories, those too are lackluster. You don't need to purchase the "required" textbook. At all. Go to all(well most) of the lectures, do the homework & Learnsmarts, and you should be fine.
Avoid this class at all costs. He makes you buy the e-book/homework package but his lectures and exams are entirely different. He's a nice guy but his lectures are boring and hard to follow.
His class was one of the hardest I've taken. His lectures are quite boring and the exams are very different from the homework he assigns. The grades in my class were so bad he had to curve it at 70% for an A (and even then there were barely any people with an A). The topic is interesting otherwise, but he fails to make it sound so.
the worst ever
OK professor. Lectures are really easy to understand, but homework and exams are on a whole different level. The majority of learning the material will come from doing the homework. This is probably why the lecture hall was usually about half full.
Don't take his classes. Just DO NOT register for his classes. If you did, drop it before it's too late.
Super tough class. Wish I could've taken it with another instructor.
There's a lot of negativity about Bobbie but let's clear something up. Economics is not an easy major to master. Many of the engineers look at business majors as not as rigorous as engineering. While that may be true, it does not mean it's "easy". However, class is tough, read the textbook, study the problems he gives you, and prepare for the exam
His note is terrible! No ppt online, No online note. Do not take it
Nope. Just nope.
There's a lot of negativity out here but overall I thought it was a good class. It was tough but definitely not the hardest class I've ever taken. Review the past exams and go to lecture! If you can do all the problems on the last couple of exams (last couple years) you should be able to do well on the exams. Fair teacher.
He gives incredibly hard exams. He gives handouts but refuses to help you if you missed a class or a piece of the notes. practice exams without keys. Expects you to memorize all formulas and regurgitate them at his will. Good luck
Econ 419 is a pretty tough class, which can sometimes be taken out on the professor. Bob is a good guy who does want to challenge his students. The class is hard, he makes the exams hard, and it will piss you off. But he is a good teacher that cares about his students. He's a tough professor and 419 is a tough class, but if you try you'll be fine.
Some answers on the practice exam were wrong even in the actual exam and he sometimes did not notice that, do I need to say more?
Bob's class is so dry and he doesn't teach the material at all. Get ready to study for hours because the exam averages are roughly 55% with a very tiny grade curve at the end.
Brutal professor. Always says during lecture "you could teach this to any 5 year old" as if it wasn't a 300 level Econ class. Boring, dry lectures where he talks for 50 minutes without pause. Doesn't allow crib sheets with a brutal amount of formulas to memorize.
Bob's a good lecturer. He can kinda be a bit difficult if you miss a class, but I always found that the people behind me were always willing to share a handout with me.
I had to take this course for my major. By far the hardest course I have taken at Purdue. Material is extremely difficult and provides almost no material for exam preparation. Test averages fall incredibly low and your final grade is 10% homework, 10% online quizzes and 80% exams. Horrible class.
I normally LOVE economics, but Dr. Holland is horrible at teaching it. The lectures and homework assignments (as well as textbook) have NOTHING in common with his exams. His exams are extremely difficult and his solutions do not even make sense, even the TA did not know how to solve the practice exam questions. I honestly do not think he cares.
Just take any of his classes online somewhere else. He is an awful prof and the exams are so incredibly hard. Grades were as low as a 6/100. Its not worth the pain. Im telling you, DO NOT take any of his classes. Tells you to curl up with a good book on a Saturday night referring to the textbook. Handwriting is chicken scratch. DO NOT TAKE!
Dr. Holland is a challenging professor. Econ 380 is a very difficult course but I learned so much! If you go to class, pay attention, and put in the effort, you will be fine.
Yeah. Don't take any class that he teaches. Yes, a course by itself can be difficult (which ECON 380 is). BUT, a prof can realize that and make it more manageable. Make a list of topics to study. He does not. So much information to remember. Online quizzes are impossible (ie 50 questions in 45 minutes). Exams are incredibly difficult. Good luck.
Class is very difficult. HW and quizzes have nothing to do with the exams. Oh and the exams are awful, class average for them are around 50%. Have fun in his class because he is the only prof the teachers ECON 380
just bad. real bad. good luck. he's very smart when it comes to the material but just a very bad prof. went to every class and it did not help at all
just terrible. doesnt post any notes online. exams are near impossible. after taking (and hating) this class, I took his other class, ECON 301/419, online at a different school. he is terrible. would never recommend.
Honestly, if you pay attention in class and at least try the homework without using online help, the class isn't that bad. Quizzes for 380 are hard and you should do it with another person to check for same answers. Exam questions are extremely similar to ones given in class, so study those and you'll recognize a lot of the material.
Great class if you show up, study hard, and ask questions. He is really helpful in office hours if you are willing to put in the time. Super hard class but worth the effort!
great lecturer, highly recommend going to lecture as his examples really helped understanding the concepts, answers to the blanks of the worksheets only provided in class
AWFUL PROFESSOR - most boring, unintelligent lectures - you will have to study from the insanely long textbook to do well because he doesn't provide students with ANY resources - rude and arrogant towards everyone, responds with cold condescending emails - office hours are a waste of time, he will make you feel bad for asking questions
This is one of the most genuine professors I've had at Purdue. He's straight forward and good at explaining complex topics. It was a tough class but he gives you the tools to know every question when it comes to the exams. I redid every in-class exercise and it worked out for me, there's just a lot of content so get ready.
I am only providing advice from my experience in the May session of online Econ 251. Be prepared for this class to be a lot of condensed work. There is frequent homework, reading, and quizzes. Don't bother watching Dr. Holland's videos, they're just summaries of the chapters that you need to read. Use Pearson's resources for class, not Holland's.
I took this class online, which was poorly formatted to begin with. Professor Holland was unaccommodating and rude. He took days to reply to my emails, if he replied at all, and was condescending in his writing. Would not recommend his class to anyone.
The prof does not explain concepts in class, so be ready to prepare beforehand. In class practice problems are solved, which help a lot for the exams, which are tough in themselves.
The honest truth about Holland is you have to go to class. He is a nice guy in lecture and shows how to do the exam problems. But the man refuses to put any of it online. So you can only study off of what you wrote done in class. If you miss a class just assume you'll fail that part of the exam. If you have vision/hearing problems, he's not ADA.
When they say four-week "intensive" class, count on it being intense. Holland gave decent lectures, but if you plan on doing the 4-week online course, don't try and have too much of a life at the same time.
He is a worthless professor that tries to prove how smart he is to his students without teaching them.
Definitely attend his class. He doesn't release notes, and his notes aren't always very organized during lecture, so consider re-writting them after class. When preparing for exams, go through the past homework and past exams extensively. Overall, it isn't too awful. Just stay on top of your notes, attend class and pay attention!!!
I love economics, especially money and banking, I was really looking forward to this course but the professor is just awful. He means well and is a nice person, but the structure of the class is horrible, his lectures make no sense and he often pulls formulas out of nowhere before teaching you. I would put off taking a class with him.
He does not care about his students. He gives no clear instructions when it comes to exams. This semester was hard for everyone but he is not meant to teach an online class, he never responds to emails and the exams are nothing like past exams/review he gives. He does not care if you learn the material, just gives bad grades.
Worst professor I have ever taken despite him being a genius.
He does not publish any ppts or lecture notes, you have to attend lectures. He doesn't really explain the material. The tests and homeworks are pretty easy.
His lectures don't align with the assigned readings. It's hard to make connections and figure out what is actually important to know for the course and the exams. The midterms were difficult and heavy on equations and vocab. He can be very cold to his students and not reply to emails. He likes to flaunt his knowledge and name-drop economists.
Professor Holland refused to post skeleton notes of the lecture slides he uses. He posted the worksheets with questions corresponding to the lectures but not the extra information. It made it hard to follow along. He wasn't engaging and the exams were more difficult than necessary (also very picky about notes on tests).
Very rude and unaccommodating. Definitely would not recommend anyone to take a class he is teaching.
Difficult to follow lectures, very dense and full of complicated material that doesn't align with assigned reading. He would frequently mess up problems in class, so much so that I grew skeptical of the accuracy of my notes. Tests are ridiculously hard. I give a 2 for the somewhat generous curve, but I would avoid ECON380 with him.
Holland is one of those professors where he just goes through lectures without actually teaching the material. Eventually, it will get to a point where you will stop going to class because it doesn't help you learn. The exams are beyond difficult, I know that over 20 students failed midterm II. Good thing there's a curve.
Worst class I've taken. Poorly structured. Basically had to write down every word he said in class, and it can be wrong. Exams are unnecessarily difficult. He might test on concepts that barely mentioned in class.
He is a smart guy. Although I get a 47 at first exam, still get a B eventually. You need to work super hard to go through everything he is talking about. listen to his class is easy.
He flys by the idea that "it's valuable to have professors that challenge you." I agree, but not like this, he doesn't offer equation sheets on exams, appears to be unaware of students comprehension levels while lecturing, online homeworks and workbooks have little overlap with what is going on in class. Avoid him or survive and advance
This is by far the hardest class I have taken at Purdue. Bob was very tough and simply did not care about his students. "If you have covid, tough luck. I do not share my class slides."
NEVER take his class!!! The most hard exams I took in Purdue ever. Average is around 50-60. Nothing is online, you better go YouTube when you review for exams because u find nothing on brightspace. Btw, exams worth 75% of your grade.
YALL are lucky this is his last semester, He is the worst Professor I've ever had. He made the course unnecessarily hard. No one liked him.
Too much to memorize for exams. Class was so poorly run, students would leave in the middle of exam reviews, visibly frustrated because of how unprepared and unhelpful he was. Holland was brought up on multiple occasions in my other classes because faculty heard how bad of a job he was doing from students. (There's more, but word-limit.)
Have had him for both Econ 301 and 380. His lectures are very hard to follow and the homework assignments are absolutely useless when it comes to preparing for the final. Deep down he seems like he's a nice guy, but he's not very approachable when it comes to asking for help.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
9%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.21 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON515
5.0
(1)ECON251
5.0
(1)ECON415
3.4
(9)ECON252
3.1
(27)ECON419
2.5
(13)Difficulty by Course
ECON380
4.6
ECON301
4.6
ECON415
4.1
ECON419
4.1
ECON515
4.0