He's hot and his accent is sexy as hell.

you'll hate the exam, but love the curve

Ok, he's a good teacher, but too much of a pushover in class. And to clear up this "hot or not" point, he looks hot from a distance. Once you get close, you realize he's an econ nerd.

hot hot hot hot hot hot hot. it is why i attend every lecture. I'm not an econ fan (I had Trost for econ 11) and Samaniego makes more sense to me, he has clearer explanations. and hot.

The hotness and the accent help me stay awake in lecture, which is a bit unorganized.

Prof. Samaniego is a good guy. He is clear and always uses "real world examples" to keep things interesting. His exams are tough but you come out knowing a lot more than when you went in. Take it with him!

Very smart and knowledgeable. You can learn a lot of economics from his course.

Go to his office hours and your discussions & your TA office hours. He is a much easier econ prof compared to the rest of the department. trust me. I liked him and his class even though i despise econ. And his bod is hot but not too sure about the face.

All around good guy.

Really cares about students, if you're stuck he doesn't mind if you stop by unannounced. Tries to tie in the theory with current events, which makes it harder for some people but makes it more interesting too. Take micro first.

Nice prof, willing to help students who ask for it. However, exams do not match what is covered in lecture. Discussion is even worse. One plus is that he gives you problem sets/exams from previous years, which is about the only thing that will help prepare you for exams.

Memorization and studying from old tests will help in getting an A. Get to know your TA (if you have a good one). Forming a study group with a few people is a good plan. Love his accent and oh so jealous of his hair.

the subject is easy. he does a good job with the notes he provides. he looks like a mexican soccer player but he's cool. his hwks and exams are a bit tricky but doable. i dont mind taking another class with him

Wonderful dedicated professor. Maybe a little intimidating in the beginning. Truly loves his subject and will dedicate himself to helping you learn the information. Nice guy, throws a curve at the end, and will give those who attend discussions extra points.

The class is boring--mostly because its econ--but he does a good job of keeping students attention. His lectures are easy to follow. The quizes and exams are very fair.

Not bad at all as far as large lectures go. The material is fairly straightforward -- there's no effort to trick you here. Studying old tests is helpful, and the TA's should help clarify anything unclear.

If you have to take this class, which is a large lecture, you might as well take it with him because it's not hard if you go to class or at least read the book. Plus, he seems to care about whether or not you do well.

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I think his lectures are fine - not exactly exciting but that's not his fault, it's macroeconomics. I'm really awful at econ but still manage to understand a lot of the stuff, which I give Samaniego credit for. Plus he's a dreamboat, easy on the eyes and ears :P

Honestly the easiest econ class I have ever taken. Samaniego himself is not always clear about some of the topics but disscussions were always helpful. I only went to one lecture a week and my disc. and got an A in the course. Take it. He is HOT!

Lecture was pointless, I learned everything for the class in discussion. 4 quiizes, all open notes/book. 2 exans, closed book/notes. Likes to repeat multiple choice questions.

This is a great class if you really wat to learn the information. His lectures are very basic and clear, but you do all th real learning with the TA. Go to discussion!!! I never opened the textbook once. Just go to class, take good notes, and it'll be a breeze.

Never went to class and still got an A. So easy. Basically all of his test questions are from old exams. Take econ 12 with him.

If you have a decent TA you'll do fine. Get a hold of as many old tests and quizzes as possible cuz the questions on ALL tests/quizzes have shown up somewhere or another. Easy class , quizzes open notes/book/old quizzes!

Half decent professor. Did no work and still got a B+, but if you want the A you'll have to work for it. Quizzes were easy and open note, but some questions on the Midterm and Final were confusing and obscure. Better professor than most of the others who teach Econ012.

incredibly boring lectures, but not difficult, depending on your ta. if you make the ta your best friend, you'll get an A. just dont go to samaniego's office hours. he tends to make awkward allusions and wear shirts that show his nipples. its very disturbing and not conducive to learning economics.

Good lecturer, sometimes boring depending on your interest in the subject. You don't need to buy the book as long as you go to lecture. Discussion was helpful (depending on the TA - Mark Hutson is the bomb- get him!) Look at old exams from the test bank, he recycles questions. Beware a really easy first sample test though. Learned a lot!

RS has a gift for conveying info. clearly and concisely. ECON 12 focused on the conceptual points of macro, not the math. I highly recommend RS, sit up front and the large class size will become small. For an idea of the man, my fav. quote of his is, "In college my economics friends were on a soccer team. They called themselves recession."

Good class, especially for large intro. Keeps lectures interesting. Recommend sitting near the front. Readings not necessary, but attendance recommended. Provides practice exams and quizzes- very helpful for midterms and final. Recommend recitation attendance- Hutson was a good TA. Do the sample tests & go to the lectures/recitation, you'll be fine

Hot Hot Hot... People may think he is unclear... I think he just doesn't think like normal people. I just go so I can sit there and fantasize about his tragic past and ... you take it from there :-)

He is a pretty interesting and clear lecturer. Tests and quizzes have some really confusing questions. Quizzes are open book and open note, but still easy to do bad on. It's not hard to get an A if you study a lot for the tests. I would recommend him. taking h

good professor, he has strangely clear and informing lectures. The TA's are generally very good, and the class isn't too hard if you go to the lectures regularly, read the book, and go to discussion. Well, you need to go to discussion, because there's quizzes. Theyre not too hard, but the midterm and final are challenging. Take him for macro.

great teacher. his lectures are so clear and straight-forward- i did terrible in micro and am strangely doing very well his class. TAs are very helpful. he posts old midterms and quizzes and formats his exams after them, even using some of the same questions. you dont need the textbook, just go to lecture and discuss. take macro with him!

Take Samaniego. He's very clear and the assessments aren't difficult at all. Go to class and you don't need the book and visa versa.

This professor is suitable but not great. The tests are not impossible, there's enough assignments that one will not kill you, but there's definitely not too much work. The only real problem is there's sometimes a problem understanding what he's asking, because he phrases everything in a confusing way. But it's not an impossible class.

Intro to Macro is a relatively simple topic, and he keeps it that way. His lectures are clear and well organized and bring in topical points. Go to lecture and take notes, and you won't need to look through the book. His tests aren't hard, but they're fair.

Good Professor. Learned a lot. Tests were easy enough. Grade was partially based on problem sets which were graded easily.

Professor Samaniego's class is generally easy if you glance over the book. Lectures are kind of hard to understand and hear, but he generally gets his point across. Quizzes are harder than midterms, even though it's open note. Second half of class is much easier than the first, in my opinion.

Great professor. Crystal clear lectures. His exams are revised versions of his problem sets. Attend lectures, take notes,peruse readings, ??????, profit.

did terribly in micro,so wasn't looking forward to macro, but samaniego made economics interesting.TA was bad, but i attended lecture (didn't buy textbook) took careful notes. DO PRACTICE EXAMS. material gets tricky as the semester goes on but not much work until studying for test. take him

There is no need to go to class. He posts his lectures in power-point format on blackboard.

Class goes quickly and is clear. Quizzes are easy if you go to class (you get a note sheet) and tests are easy if you take the practice test. Textbook is pretty useless if you go to lecture

This is my second time with Samaniego. He makes the material easy to understand and explains it in a very logical matter. The exams are easy to prepare for using past materials and there is never anything unexpected.

Those who wrote negative comments obviously didn't go to class and/or did badly on the exams. Samaniego WILL HELP YOU if you need it. His class is a bit challenging (it is economics after all) and he doesn't screw around, but he presents the material in a logical manner. Just go to class, study for the exams, and skim the textbook every so often.

I am an Econ major so while I find econ relatively easy I would say that Samaniego was decent prof. He does teach well and is very helpful during office hours however to really get an A in the class be prepared to do the chapter readings and study for the test/quizzes because he doesn't give homework like foster so you don't have a way to practice

Samaniego definitely covers the topics, but sometimes they drag on for a bit. I remember he once took half an hour to tell us what money was, in a Macro class. Still, he makes things relatively clear, and always brings his iced tea to class. Take Macro with Samaniego if you want to hear about peru.

Professor Samaniego is wonderful. Yes he goes off on tangents sometimes, but his lectures are crystal clear and easy to understand. There's never anything unexpected, since he posts practice midterms and finals on BB. He is extremely helpful during office hours and tries to tie the material into current events. Just study and the grades will come.

The most clear lecture I have yet to experience. His lectures are not mandatory and neither are the discussions but I recommend you go. Since his lectures are so clear it makes the subject matter easy to understand. Take this class! Also there is no hw and he hands out past midterms and finals for practice!

Ask him for tutor recommendations, he will give you a former TA who knows how to get an A in his class. No homework, just quizzes and 3 tests. For each of the quizzes and tests just do the practices one and look over the material (lecture notes and Blackboard lectures) 20 times before the exam. Go to his office hours for clarification for tests

Macro is overall harder than Micro. With Prof. Samaniego, lack of homework and exercises means you have to put more effort to find your own way to study well in this class. Going to lectures and discussions are highly recommended although they are not mandatory, but help a lot. A hard class and a hard professor.

He really is a very, very, very good guy and is obviously brilliant and knows about Economics. He's a decent professor, but he's not horrible or amazing either. His lectures are very basic and clear, but sometimes the exams can hit you with questions that are worded strangely and can be a bit confusing. So go to class! Love his accent and his hair!

attendance, 5 easy homeworks, 2 midterms and a final. Fairly easy as long as you study the practice tests and homework closely. Very clear, organized class with a fair professor.

He explains the material very well. Although the lectures can be a bit long, attendance is key to doing well on his exams. 2 midterms and 5 problem sets that aren't very hard. Just go to class and you'll do well

Really good lecturer and is very clear! You do need to put the effort into it. If you do that you definitely can get a B+ or higher.

He's a fine teacher. Just do the homework before the quizzes because the quizzes are based on the homework. It's not a hard class if you spend just 20 minutes a day.

If you have to take macro, take it with Samaniego. Econ itself sucks unless you're actually into it, but Samaniego makes it doable. You don't have to go to lectures, but if you do he's a funny guy and they're not long. Go to discussions, the TAs go over helpful material. Online hw is easy, 4 quizzes are hard, but midterm and final are average.

Samaniego is awesome! Really cares about students and very into the subject material. Definitely is challenging since its econ but not curve balls

Great economist, average teacher. A lot of self-studying needed, TA's are a hit and miss ... if you don't like econ, don't take Samaniego.

Econ has never been easy for me, but Samaniego made it do-able. "Samy" had really helpful lectures. To fully understand all the information I did have to read the chapters from the textbook. I didn't get the best grade, but at one point I thought I wasn't going to pass, so I'm proud of it. My TA didn't speak English well which I think contributed.

Samaniego is a great professor as long as you go to class, pay attention and take notes you will be ready for the quizzes/exams. He also curved the class which helped a lot of people.

Loved him, would take for Macro Econ or any other class.

To be fair, for this class you can choose to avoid the lectures & even the discussion sections & be very successful. He will post practice tests (3) and the final online beforehand to study. This was immensely helpful. Just note that the 3 tests, final, and online HW are the only grades, this could help or hurt you depending on your learning style.

Better option than Terrell. Online homework answers in text. Joon was wonderful as a TA, very helpful notes and practice sets. Lectures aren't overly helpful in understanding the material, text is more helpful. Sample exams are VERY helpful in knowing what questions will be on the exam. Questions are straightforward if you understand the material.

Prof Samaniego did a great job on graduate level course. I felt surprised to see comments out there. In this macro class, we learned what we need the most as a future economist or researcher. i.e. how to calibrate our model by using Matlab and Dynare. Most recent labor econ models are well explained. Weekly projects are time consuming but helpful.

Not spectacular but serviceable professor. Won't inspire the same strong opinions that Foster will, but I enjoyed his class.

Lectures are very detailed and well organized. Discussion every week is a good summation and supplement to lecture, but don't plan to skip either regularly. Homework is online and you need to buy the textbook (get the Etext) to get the access code but you'll rarely use the text. Entire grade is three exams + HW, so maximize your efforts on HW.

Prof is fine, his lectures are structured a little strange for my taste which makes it hard to take notes. Exams are reasonable and short for an econ course and homeworks are annoying but the system allows you to retake the question to get 100 every time.

Professor Samaniego is extremely knowledgeable. Financial econ is a very small class, so it might have been easier for him to teach. Lectures were genuinely engaging. Prof was super accessible outside class, and always willing to get to know his students.

Prof Samaniego is one of the best profs Ive had at GW, he is so nice and funny! His lectures are genuinely entertaining and he explains the material so well. Exams are very fair and all based on concepts he focuses on in class. The HW allows multiple attempts which lets you get 100% everytime. Ill def miss taking this class! TAKE THIS CLASS!

Hands down one of the best profs Ive had at GW. He is so funny, nice, and considerate. Exams are so easy if you attend class, HWs are on Pearson aka you get 100 everytime. His lectures are so engaging and interesting - he explains the material pretty well. Ill definitely miss the snapchat filters:(

Easily my favorite professor at GW. He's very knowledgeable, teaches in a way that's easy to understand, and absolutely hilarious! Ppl in the class we so confused as to why he was rated so low on this site. Grading is very clear and tests are straightforward, no tricks ever.

A really nice professor who is caring and respectful. He's knowledgeable and always brings real-life examples. He's accessible out of class. The tests are on average moderate difficulty. You can't say the exam is easy but is fair because tested if you understand the stuff. Great professor and a nice guy! Try him if you really want to learn!

Professor Samaniego is an excellent teacher. He knows how to break down difficult concepts into digestible pieces and then build up from there. Good class for economics majors. He often goes on relative tangents telling interesting stories of his time in China and Peru. Midterms weren't too bad, but the final was difficult

incredible

Great professor - I really enjoyed his lectures. He posts slides online, however throughout lectures he usually does not use them. Really excellent lessons that help you retain information.

Hands down the best econ professor you can take at GW. Even though I am not an econ minded person, he made this class very easy to understand big topics. His lectures are very conceptual and the discussions are where you do actual practice problems. Weekly homework assignments that are literally impossible not to get a 100.

he is very caring and understands that students struggle sometimes, if you dedicate enough time per week to study you will do fine! tests can be tough sometimes, but reading the textbook helps a lot! there isn't much heavy reading, though. You get practice tests and Professor Samaniego gives several resources for you to study.

TAKE SAMANEIGO FOR ECON1012!!! Lectures might be boring sometimes, but I highly recommend attending your TA discussion!!!! I give all credit to my TA without a doubt (take Anqi if she will still be for next year). Prof. posts notes and handouts weekly, which are VERY HELPFUL for tests. Also, make sure to get all 100% on homework.

This class was good. It is graded by homework, two midterms, and a final, but the tests are easy, and border on common sense. Samaniego is an excellent lecturer, and the concepts are easy.

He's a good teacher bc he's nice not bc he's rly good at teachings. His lectures aren't worth, go to discussion sections and cram before exams. He'll give extra credit when necessary, just talk to him and make sure to know your TAs to even get points back on tests sometimes.

Prof Samaniego is a great professor. Class requires a lot of studying but all necessary resources provided: lectures (recorded), textbook, and handouts. The tests are straightforward and TA's are helpful. He does curve if necessary. I learned so much, would definitely recommend (especially if Econ applies to academic interests).

Class isn't hard. If you read the textbook, go to lectures, go to discussion sections, and actually study for tests you'll do fine. Not to mention, he's generally a good prof. and the TAs are great.

Never went to a single lecture, but discussion attendance is required, this was enough to get me an A. You do have to pay a lot for the homework software, but the weekly homework is very easy (open note + online). There are two exams and a final, and these questions are difficult, but 2-3 hours of studying was enough.

Prof samaniego is one of the best econ professors at GW. He is clear and his grading method is fair; he's also very quick at responding emails and he's accessible after class. Having Mark as a TA was very helpful - go to him, he's very knowledgeable. Do your HW as it counts for 25%. 2 midterms, one final, weekly hw's and discussion points.

Interesting lectures, just show up, take good notes, and be active in discussion sections. Samaniego cares about each student's success, and is passionate about his work.

Great guy, material is not that hard. However your grade is based of 3 tests with no curve. So 1 test can really ruin your chances at getting a good grade. The material is easier than Econ 1011 but somehow with the grading system it was made to be harder than it is to get an A.

The professor is knowledgeable and approachable. Wish the grading criteria for midterms were more clear. TAs are also not the best. However, the class is not that difficult and you are able to receive a good grade if enough effort is put in.

Anyone who says otherwise needs to reevaluate their approach to education tbh

Professor Samaniego was great and the lectures were always recorded and posted online. If you go to class and pay attention you will do well. The TA's however were not helpful at all and discussion is required but does not provide any additional information.

Lectures can be a bit dull but they are pre-recorded. Great for review. Professor is a great guy

Great Professor! His lectures were something I would look forward to every week. He takes his time teaching concepts. However, if you don't attend each class, you may miss out on the previous class's topic. I had a great TA, Her name was Naixin. To pass midterms I just looked at the notes she took and the worksheets she passed out !

The lectures are hit-or-miss, but if you stay engaged and utilize resources like the textbook and discussion sections, you can do well. Unstuck AI was a big help for my study prep too.

He is awesome and even if the course is complicated, but his teaching style is great.

The lectures are all written on the whiteboard, which was my struggle with Samaniego. They failed to be engaging occasionally. However, he's a very nice guy and provides lots of resources on the blackboard page to help with studying, so be sure to check those out. The study guides provided are very similar to the tests, nothing will be a surprise.

Clearly a professor who's passionate about what he teaches. That being said, lectures can feel really dry at times. Textbook reading is assigned but unnecessary. We moved pretty slow and he explains things in depth. He also provides practice exams for the two midterms and final. Easy and manageable class.

This course is almost all lectures, and the material can sometimes skip around or be unclear. He requires a textbook and online homework, but reading the textbook is not needed if you attend every lecture. That being said, you fail the class if you miss three homeworks. Samaniego is a good professor, but the style of lectures can be hard for some.

Imma be so real: I fumbled the class. The material is difficult as hell if you're non-econ focused (aka you have a life), and Samaniego's lectures can be extremely dense. Otherwise, though, Samaniego's surprisingly funny and does evidently teaches economics well. In short, he is an econ professor for econ students, and nobody else.