Wild guy, great teacher! Has a way of making a very dry subject very interesting.

Fun teacher, hard subject, good story to tell every day, really cares about students

Out of my 5 years of at MSU, this was by far the professor that I learned the most from, and still remember the most of what I learned.

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best prof, ever had at mankato, during my five years

Easy A if you go to class and pat attention. He is very clear. Also, he is VERY biased politically. If you are a bigot you will agree with everything he says!

Awesome teacher, but the topic is very difficult. He gives the best examples to help you remember things, and tries his best to get students to understand what is going on.

Does a great job of explaining information in an easy to understand matter. Keeps class entertaining. Not recommended for people with an extremely liberal point of view. All-in-all, the best professor I've ever had.

Great guy, very funny.

He makes a hard subject easy to understand. One of the best instructors at MSU. I would highly recommend him to everyone.

best professor at msu

Best teacher I have ever had. He makes a boring subject interesting. Very funny guy, and he genuinely cares about his students.

easy class as long as you attend. He will tell you word for word what is on the test.

great macro-economics professor.

By far the best teacher I have had at MSU. Tests come directly from the notes and he tells you exactly what parts to study.

By far the best teacher around. If you are a sociology major stay away because you'll end up crying in class. Made class very interesting even though economics isn't. Conservative ppl beware because you'll end up crying to the chair of the dept.

Amazing teacher. Always willing to help and very funny. I realized I was a republican after his class. Just a great teacher.

hardes class, best class

Best teacher I have ever had. Learned more in that class than any other class so far at MSU. Tkae this class - go & pay attention & you will be fine. He gets pist if you skip class - EVER.

i think that he should really keep his hair and his job...great professor..does an excellent job relating to students..if you dont like the language, go back to high school

This guy is a good professor. He is hard at times, but explains things well. Yes, he uses profanity, but doesn't force you too. And, to this day, I have no clue why people attribute "left-wing" political ideas to him. He's an obvious libertarian, who loves the free market.

Hes a crazy guy. Very fun tho. He uses a lot of profanity; might annoy certain people. He talks more about reality. He gives very helpful notes. Dont buy the text just read the notes and u'll do good. Word of advice: Do the extra credit book review.

Smartest professor I've ever had. He's a very down to earth person, and does a very good job at relating to the students; swearing and all. If you think this guy is "left-wing" you obviously didn't pay attention in class. Sad.

A great teacher.Recommended to people who belive in reality.Easy class if you just attend it.No need to study the book, everything given in class notes.Exams are damn easy if you just read the notes which is berely 6-7 pages each exam.What more do you want?And definately a cool & interesting guy.

He's a self proclaimed economist. If you study for the exams, especially the second one, you should not do too bad. The tests are based entirely on notes. He's tough, but honest, you will not get any BS from this conservative man.

He feels its neccessary every minute to state "Im an economist" he is rather disrespectful and his tests really sucked, he says they will be easy and then you get it and its like we bent you right over the fricken table.

This guy is halarious, if you dont' like profanity then don't take him. DO NOT buy the book all his tests are based off his notes. He will be happy for you to flick him off to say Hi! Very right wing, so if you a democrat, probably not a class for you! Makes class interesting, best professor at MSU

He's really good. He's funny, too.

GREAT PROFESSOR!

Awesome teacher, very clear and his study guides are awesome plus he's got a great personality. A+!

Man, what a trip. Is there a better prof in the world? Not at MSU, that's for sure.

One of the best professors i've ever had. One of the smartest people i've ever met and still has the ability to teach effectively. He's hilarious and makes class interesting. He knows his**** and actually cares about his students. I recommend this class to everyone.

Great prof

Bob was AWESOME! I thoroughly enjoyed going to his class each day. He was hillarious, he made the class interesting and related it to real life. I loved that class. I would take him again in a minute, the best professor at MSU.

Bob is funny as hell, but the tests suck. The examples in class are way to easy for the test.

He is the most boring, most annoying, and biggest **** in the history of higher education. Other than that he is a good teacher who knows his discipline, however tests are fairly difficult.

This guy kicks ass, i recommend him to anyone that needs to take his class.

Loved his class! My favorite professor at MSU by far, but his test are harder than hell! Still worth taking though!

Great proffesor, I would definately recomend him, hard tests. take good notes dont buy the book its worthless

Very interesting guy. His tests are very difficult though, even though he'll say they're easy. Knows what he is talking about, do not talk in his class because he will embaress you. If you are a conservative, you will love him.

Great teacher, yes the tests are tricky but he is hilarious and interesting at the same time, love the way he has fun while making his points, only downside is he can be repetative, and can get down right mean if you piss him off but that only happens like once a semester to someon that deserves it

Bob is a cool guy; but,his tests are ridiculous. The way the questions are worded is very difficult to understand. I can't deny that he is fun to listen too; but, good luck with the tests

Bob is the most annoying, boring, and biggest **** in the history of higher learning but he is the lone ranger of reason in a sea of insanity. Hes a great teacher. If you want to get A's on his tests, take good notes and read them over 5 or 6 times before the tests. No need for the book, save $!

Part stand up comedian, Part voice of reason and able to Make students second guess their test questions within 3 seconds of answering them. Yes that's Bob what all teachers should aspire to be. I don't think he knows that he's teaching in minnesota tho he seems to forget this is bleeding heart wellstone country.I recomend him even tho I got a C

I never know I could learn so much about a topic. Very good, puts people on the spot.

Best professor I've ever taken!!!

Okay, first of all. He is the best professor in this department. This class is challenging as all hell and yes his tests are hard. But, he is more willing to help you then any other professor in this department. Plus, he'll smoke a cig with ya on break. Do not take macro with anyone else, I am warning you!

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his tests aren't that hard if you have half a brain, but if you don't expect a B or C. As a person he is funny as all hell, and is great to learn from

Econ tests are hard unless you actually understand econ, folks. Bob's a good guy, but I think he has to slow down a lot because of slack off business majors that want easy A's.

Bob's great. He won't hold your hand and give you an A - you have to earn it. Don't buy the book, you don't need it if you go to class. Get to know him, too. Give him a lot of**** b/c he can take it and he'll enjoy it. Everybody needs to take a class from Bob. He's an MSU legend in his own time.

Bob is great. He makes economics fun, plain and simple. Tests are hard, but if you don't know how to study for a test and you are in college, it's your fault if you don't do well, not his, that's for sure. I recomend him to any, and everybody.

if u cant get an A then yer an Idiot who doenst study, those of u that complain, obviously are idiots and shouldnt be on the internet, so shut up, ****es!

He is fun to listen to and relates economics with college students life. Tests are hard. DO NOT buy book you will not use it!! Would recommend this teacher to those who think econ. is dull he adds a new view to keep this interesting.

this is a very interesting teacher, funny as s***, his tests are kind hard, but he curves the hell out of them. In my class you have to get below a 40 to fail below a 50 for a D. So even if you think you are doing bad in the class, you can still easily pully of a C take this class

Great professor, knows what he teaches about, but his exams are very hard and he doesn't curve that much, students who gets A's in his class probably talks to him a lot,

He is one of the best teachers I have had. You don't have to buy the book and don't recommend buying it. Just sit there take the notes and enjoy the lectures. The tests can be hard, but all you have to do is study.

He is cool and there is NO homework it is strictly lectures and tests (3 in all) and they are impossible but he curves them REALLY hard so you can pass

GREAT TEACHER!! very passionate about what he teaches, and uses great everyday examples so you can connect to the ideas of macroeconomics. i was not at all interested in macroeconomics before i took this class. funny guy and cracks jokes ALL THE TIME, which helps keep you interested. never any homework, and study guides for tests. DEFINITELY RECOME

great

This guy knows what he's talking about; he's just sick of students who did not come to college to learn

Bob is the man. This was the easiest A I've ever gotten. He gives you all the material needed in class to pass the test. All you have to do is show up and study for the exams. Study guides have all test material on them, all the answers/topics on the study guide are in your notes.

Bob is awesome. Show up everyday and you will know everything you need to know. You don't need to use the textbook if you pay attention in class.

Best prof at any school!

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everything he talks about in class is on the test...he gives some questions on his hard tests but theres a curve....50/100 is a C, good luck...hes smart and interesting, knows the subject well...

Quite possibly the smartest man in the University. EXTREMELY conservitive. Go to class, he gives test answers in class. Tests are tough though, so study well in advance. Don't buy the book.

Crude, rude, swears in class, calls you names like "idiot" and "moron", reeks of patchouli and Old Golds, only wears 2 different shirts all semester, doesn't care about your self esteem, hates liberal socialist utopian professors and students, hates Hillary Clinton. In short, great professor. You cannot afford NOT to take his class!

Very funny guy and knows the material. swears a lot. tests are hard so you have to be to class everyday and study hard. he has to curve the grade so far so that the majority of kids get a C. Make sure you spend a lot of time studying!

If you can, take a course with Bob sometime before you graduate. He is a clarion voice of reason in a world of academic insanity.

His tests are not easy, but he's a very good professor. If you ever get a chance to take a class from him, you should do it. He does swear a lot though, so don't take it if that offends you, because he won't care.

Bob is probably one of the coolest teachers you can have, I highly recommend him. He's a very smart man, especially about economics. His tests are pretty tough, but class is interesting, and if youre looking to get an easy A dont take him, but if you want a deep understanding into Economics take Bob. No regrets taking this class at all.

This guy is my favorite prof i've taken by far. I don't think I have ever learned more in a class. Tests are kinda difficult especially for multiple choice. He makes it so if you don't know the right answer, you'll have a tough time picking out the right one. You really need to understand the material. All in all great prof.

Can teach very well

One of the best teachers i've ever had. If you ever need to take econ.. take him. He's hard, but hey, the class is hard and this guy makes it easier and straight forward.

Defiantly don't need the book or study guide book. A perfect test for him is no one get 100 and a few get A's and tons of B's & C's and few D's. Otherwise he'll make the tests harder. He's fun to listen to but eventually it gets old.

One of the most intelligent prof's at MSU

Good as they come

Awesome teacher!! had a lot of fun in his class though the material and tests were harder than expected! his examples regarding the material clarifies everything beyond doubt!! take his class!

Great Job, Got alot out of the class

f*in nimrod.

his tests are actually pretty hard, but he curves way low, i think with the standard scale i would have gotten a D but i wound up with a B thanks to his curve scale. he like to make jokes and make you laugh, which is never a bad thing, but if you're easily offended, or a philosophy major, don't take his class, you won't like him at all

Bob is awesome. Just pay attention in class and study the handouts before his tests and you'll do fine. He keeps it interesting.

Wonderful professor! Bob has a way of connecting with his class that I haven?t seen much. He has a great sense of humor. He uses examples that are easy for students to understand. Tests can be tough, but come on? he curves the crap out of them. All in all, he is a great guy.

Dr. Simonson puts Socialists in their place. He is hilarious and tells it like it is. Free market fanatic, you can not afford to not take his class. Extremely knowledgable on Economics and can relate the material to everyday current events. Test are hard though, so go to class, study up, do not be an idiot and you can get a B for sure.

By far the best professor I have had at Mankato. He makes lectures fun/interesting using real world examples and relating concepts and ideas to everyday things. You don't need a book, all you need to do is go to EVERY class and study your notes. His exams aren't easy but he curves his grades.

Awesome Professor! Very knowledgeable professor who knows how to explain economics! Don't need to buy the book, just go to class everyday and take notes and you will do good. My only regret is i never got to take micro with him!

Hands down the best professor I have ever had in my entire life.. If you want your money's worth out of your education, take this guy..

Great Prof that made econ interesting. His tests were multiple choice but most of the choices are reasonable so if you don't know the answer it is tough ti pick the right one. He is very funny but you may not want to take this prof if you are easily offended or are a liberal.

The best professor ive had yet at college. Very knowlegdeable in econ. He breaks everything in econ to a principles level, so that most can try to see what is going on. Tests are hard but he does try to do everything to prepare ppl for the test. Hes funny, if u participate and attend class and dont use ur cellphone ur set.

Great Teacher, Made class very enjoyable, 3 tests, dont have to buy book, just show up everyday and youll be fine

this guy is the only teacher i have ever liked. also as long as you go to class their is no reason you cant do really well. and he is funny

Out of all the professors I had taken classes with at two schools, this man hands down is the best of the best. I am not an Econ major but wish I could have taken every one of his classes. I would have been satisfied with his class if I had failed it! The information and interest incorporated was extraordinary! This class is a must!

By far the best professor at MNSU! He rocks. He always has everyone laughing with his awesome jokes. Exams are not to tough. He tells you EXACTLY what you need to know so as long as you study that an A is not to hard to get!

One of the best professors at MNSU. He explains everything very clearly. Nice because there is no book. He recommends reading 2 Friedman books, I suggest you do as well, because it makes his tests which are hard a little easier.

This guy is one of the best teachers at MSU! He's hilarious yet he's really great at teaching economics. I had no prior interest to this class, yet after I got out of it I wanted to be in every one of his classes and I learned ALOT! Make sure to take good notes and study for tests, he makes you apply what you learn to other ideas. Overall.. Great!

I can say that m the only person who had Bob for micro , macro and labor econ, so i survived 3 semesters with him and his influence made me minor in economics . Knew nothing about economics before I met him , now i want to change my major. The best in the business and dont let the long hair and his aviators fool you at first sight,hes frikin smart.

The reason anyone might not like this guy is because he speaks the truth and tells it like it is. Extremely intelligent, yet down-to-earth. Funny and definitely the kind of guy you could talk to for hours and hours. I wish I had him earlier in my college career so I couldve taken more w him. I would vote him in as president. no joke!

Best teacher at MSU. Knows his stuff very well. Kind of close minded when students bring up arguments, but he has his reasons. Tests are worded very differently than lecture, but Bob wants you to know your stuff and expects you to. Take this class with him!!

He's sharp as a whip with his material, humor, and wit. Highly intelligent. Easy to pass, but difficult to master his tests. Most students will love him. Added an Econ major because of Bob; he's now my adviser. The book is unnecessary. TALK TO HIM! Attend every class and be rewarded. Very unique man. Antithesis of "goofy utopian socialists."

Easy to pass as long as you attend every class, listen to his not at all boring lectures, and take good notes. I didn't touch my textbook at all. I just studied for the exams a day before and always got A's. He's very funny too, which made 2 hours go by real fast.

Best Professor at MNSU, takes a boring subject and makes you want to stay late listening to him. He knows what he is talking about and doesn't take crap from anyone.

Bob is a professor who you will love or hate. Alot of students here complain about his close minded views but if you just sit and talk with him you will understand he truly cares about his topic. As long as you show up for class and write everything down (he tells you what will be on the test) you shouldn't have any problems.

Great guy & great professor. Gives good examples, which make it easy to remember the info. Test aren't easy, but if you show up to class, take notes, and study them you can do well. The ending curve is 80% is an A.

I had to take this class twice since his test are pretty hard. Take very good notes and attend class, dont miss! You need to really study for the tests, in order to get a decent grade. he also doesnt use D2L so make sure you write down your scores for everything. Also dont use your cell phones or talk in class, you'll get kicked out. :)

Pretty difficult class, but by far the best professor I've had at MNSU. He definitely knows his stuff. I suggest showing up for class. You'll be extremely lost if you don't, and you get attendance points. He is very down to earth, quite humorous, and awesome. He's like a rocker from the 70s. Best professor I've ever had.

A class filled with profanity laden anecdotal stories is fun at first, but eventually becomes tiresome. Spends much of the class period pushing impressionable students towards a libertarian perspective. He is often too busy raving about the "govment" to realize that class time is dwindling so he hurriedly finishes notes with little elucidation.

Here is the deal, if you are an Econ major you should be able to handle this class. Yes it is hard, but after getting a B in this class, all of my other classes are cake in Econ. It was very nice having a professor with an American accent that you could understand.....

Notice how all of the negative comments are from principle-level courses from underclassmen taking their first real class. If you want to learn economics, Bob is the man!

If you apply yourself and actually TRY in his classes, you shouldn't have a problem. His notes are exactly what ends up on the test. I'd recommend sitting in the front, it forces you to concentrate. He's very strict when it comes to leaving early or cell phone use. Just sit there and take notes and you'll be fine. By far my favorite teacher.

Bob-O is the man!! By far my favorite professor since I have started going to MSU. He knows exactly what he's talking about and is very logical in his thinking. He is a wise man and I learned a lot from this class. There are 3 test that make up the grade. Show up, write down what he says, and you'll be just fine. Awesome guy!

Best professor I had at MNSU and probably my favorite class as well. He made the class entertaining and kept you interested even when the subject matter isn't the most intriguing. He is extremely knowledgeable in Economics and teaches well. Go to class each day and take notes, you will do great. If you have to take Econ 201 take it with him!

Bob is one of the best teachers I have ever had! I totally recommend this class. He's funny and is an extremely good teacher. You only take two tests (midterm and final) and you do have to study a lot for them. His tests are not hard if you study and take good notes. The test questions can all be answered in your notes! I loved this class.

Bob is the best teacher I have ever had!!! It's really not a difficult class if you pay attention. I loved this class and would recommend it to everyone!

Bob is the best economics teacher! He is super funny and explains material in examples that make sense to college students. I enjoyed going to class. hybrid course so only went to class once a week and then took an online quiz. Only two tests which is nice but lots of material to be covered. Would recommend taking this class after microeconomics.

All quizzes were online, no homework, met only once a week even though it was scheduled for twice. Only tough part about the class were the exams if you didn't put enough effort into it.

I was in the hybrid course. He lectured on Tuesdays and had an online quiz on Thursday. It was nice only being in class once a week. Study for tests because your grade comes from quizzes, a midterm, then the final. Not a lot of work but the work you will do has a huge impact on your grade. Interesting guy which makes lecture enjoyable. Don't skip.

Very intriguing class. Simonson has the least boring class and I was always excited to go. His class is very difficult but he is a good teacher. Do not get on his bad side.

This professor is amazing. He genuinely cares about students and wants everyone to learn. He simplifies the material the best he can, and goes over what students need to know for the quizzes and final during lecture. He likes to pick on students towards the front, but he will remember you if you show up and listen.

If you're looking for the least difficult macro class, Rob is your guy. My roommate & I took the same class diff teachers and I ended with an A while she got a C+ (Trust me, she's the smart one). His exams are clearly laid out, involves more of concepts vs doing the graphs & stupid math. Super chill guy, I hated econ in HS but this was my fav class

Rob grades on a A,B,C basis (So no A-, B+,B-), I should've received a B+ but I was on the border between A- and B+, and he bumped me up to an A which really saved my GPA. The best Econ teacher of them all, least stress, no homework just exams. Make sure to look over the book the day before exams, it locks up the day of and has a lot of useful info

All the other teachers at MSU should take notes from Rob. Macro is NOT an easy, but he gives you study guides that are clear outlines to exams.. fill them out throughly youll do well. Grades on a curve,also drops 1 of the 6 exams (5 & 1 final), all exams are ONLINE! No classes on exam weeks, gives you a day to study & 1 exam day. GOTO HIS LECTURES!

In this class if you go to lecture and take notes you will be fine. class is not mandatory but unless you have the book I would recommend going to lecture. He keeps things interesting, you are graded on 5 quizzes where he drops the lowest score and that is half your grade and the other half is the final. quizzes and the final are online

Bob is great. There are only 5 quizzes throughout the whole semester, which kind of sucks, but he does a decent job teaching. I do recommend getting the book!

If you don't take macro with Bob, you're doing it wrong. Lecture is fun, he is fun, class is straight ward. No outside homework, you're given the quiz topics and this class doesn't take much effort.

Bob has been my favorite professor so far at MSU. He makes the lectures so fun and interesting. He connects to students in class and makes it super fun. He is able to relate the difficult topics to everyday situations to make it easier to understand. You are only graded on a few quizzes taken outside of class. No homework!

Dude is a hoot and a half. Learned a lot and his class was worth the $1000 pricetag

I graduated in 2000 from MSUM and Bob was the most memorable teacher I have ever had. It was always great to get a few extra credit "weasel" points for staying the whole time at a night class.

His lectures are kind of long , and attendance isn't mandatory. I would recommend going to class though so you have a good idea of what's going on. His handwriting is awful but he sends an email with the topics typed out. There isn't homework just 5 tests and a final. He has you make study groups in class to study with.

He is one of the best professors I have had so far, but he is also confusing during lectures. His study guides are not always helpful so to better understand things, you would better read the chapters in the book. But I loved him

Bob is a great guy and the class is easy if you pay attention. It's graded by tests every 2 weeks. If you're going to take econ, then take it with him. Don't sit in the first few rows unless you want to talk to him everyday. He also is known to pat students on the shoulder during lecture so again, sit in the back rows. Great guy.

I really enjoyed Bob's class, he talks about real life problems and handles himself well. He knows his stuff and makes you understand whats really going on. He also isn't afraid to tell you how it is. I wish I could take him again!

Bob is by far one of my favorite professors, he knows his stuff. his ability to teach and give real life examples is amazing. If you're going to take econ take it was this man. Wish i could have him again.

Learned a lot in the class but everything I learned in class didn't prepare me enough for tests. Make sure you really study for the final because it's half the total grade. Received a 77.5% for the class and still received a fat C.

Bob is an amazing professor. He really engages with his students. He is really funny too! But don't sit too close to the front or he'll pick on you :) As for your grade, it is only made up of 5 quizzes, and the final exam. Your lowest quiz will be dropped. The quizzes and exams are completely online, so you can take it with friends or use notes.

Bob is really engages with his students and funny, dont sit in the front unless you want to be picked on. as for grade, its 5 quizzes and lowest quiz is dropped, and final exam (50%). The quizzes and exams are completely online, so you can take it with group. if you dont attend lecture and go ask for help he wont help, he'll say to ask your group.

Most entertaining class. He made macroeconomics bareable.

Made Econ my favorite class for the semester. Thats all I need to say

Great prof w/ keeping class engaging and fun. didn't take attendance but showing up was crucial b/c of all the material he covered and explanations were better than the book w/ tips about questions on the tests. You also have to pick a study group for points early on b/c you get to miss one class a week, every other week to study with them instead

This class is much better taken in-person than online, Bob's lectures were always entertaining. Graded on 5 quizzes (lowest dropped) for half the grade, and the other half being the final, all online with LaunchPad. There is also an extra credit assignment for a few points, about IRA's vs social security. Must join a study group to not lose points.

I graduated in 2008 and still remember Bob Simonson's classes. He is likely to smartest professor on campus. You can argue that he's tough but college shouldn't be easy. Go to class and pay attention you'll be alright. He's a great professor and if you want to be successful things you'll learn in his class will help you.

THis class is easy if you follow the quiz outlines provided. The only things that go in the gradebook are quizzes and the final which is a bit frustrating but he provides outlines as to what to study. For the quizzes there are 25 question to answer in 1 hour which is easy.

Class is super easy and half of it is common sense, there are 5 total quizzes and the lowest score gets dropped. the final is worth 50% of your grade and is very easy and has the exact same questions that are on the quizzes and those are the only things that are graded.

you pretty much teach yourself, the class itself isnt hard.

I took the online course, so most of the learning of subject matter was done through reading the chapters. The grading is based on top 4 scores out of 5 midterm quizzes and 1 final. Graded on a curve. Study guides provided by the Professor. Very compassionate professor.

I took his ECON 201 class online and it was a breeze. Read the textbook and answer the study guide questions and you will be just fine. He drops the lowest graded quiz at the end of the semester and grades on a curve.

Very easy class! I took it as hybrid and we didn't really have homework ever- besides practices that didn't count towards your grade. Tests were online & very easy. He also allowed for us to drop our worst test. Very chill dude!

Great teacher who has an expansive amount of knowledge to pass on if you choose to seek it out

The dude is the goat of econ professors. He says things like it is. He is absolutely hilarious, and one of our last lectures was on IRA's which more people should know and take advantage of especially when young. He goes off-topic often, but usually, his stories are interesting. He also lets his political bias show often, but you get used to it

All exams are easy and related to study guide, drops lowest grade, no camera for tests.

Econ with Robert is very easy. You have quizzes every few weeks and then a final exam. No homework, just read the textbook.

You get a quiz every few weeks and then a final exam. The class is very easy and you get to drop the lowest quiz. Each quiz is out of 25 and the final exam is out of 100.

online quizzes once every few weeks, 25 questions each, 5 quizzes, and a final made up of questions from the quiz banks. do the reading and you should get a solid grade

Only thing that I didn't like about this class was that there wasn't a lecture; basically all your information comes from reading. It should also be noted that he doesn't allow makeups if you miss an exam. But, it's a pretty easy class to get through and professor Simonson is easily reachable and helpful.