2.7
Quality3.7
Difficulty42%
Would Retake91
Reviews42%
Would Retake
91
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
21
4
14
3
12
2
14
1
30
What Students Say
“I have lots of respect for Dr”
MATH222 - 3.0 rating“By far best teacher ever”
MATH221 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
82%
Textbook Required
41%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.29 avg changeRatings by Course
2211
5.0
(1)MATH196
5.0
(2)CALC02
5.0
(1)MATH304
4.0
(2)MATH115
3.7
(12)Difficulty by Course
193
5.0
222
5.0
330
5.0
CALC196
5.0
CLASS
5.0
Reviews (91)
Professor Vakil did a decent job teaching this class. I did well in it as well.
I had him for the previous math calss too, math 330. He went down hill from there on. He did not teach 433 as well as he taught 330.
He's hard to understand and goes through things quickly and without any sort of structure. Very confusing. I ended up dropping. Did not like him.
Class is very difficult; only graded on tests. Test questions do not reflect what he went over in class well. However, tries to help you if you need it, but is still not all that helpful.
One of the worst teachers I've had. Only grades on tests, is very unapproachable.
He doesn't explain anything. Goes through everything, can not ask question regarding homework in class and is not very nice!!
He's a very hard teacher, you cannot ask any homework questions in classes, he doesn't have any sturcture to his lectures and he goes over everything so quickly that you get way confussed. He's hard to understand, he's got an accent and he talks really quietly. I wouldn'take him again as a teacher.
He has an interesting way of teaching... and I think it just depends on how you learn. For me it was easy to understand if I had done the homework otherwise I was screwed... The way he grades isn't quite fair because its all basically exam grades. Thats tough in a math class, but whatever!!
Professor Vakil is well versed in Trig and brings a real-world feel to what is being taught. Provides liberal office hours and encourages use of free tutoring lab. Has good sense of humor. Can be soft spoken but is easy to understand once you get used to his accent. Would take more classes with him!
I really liked Roozbeh. He made class fun by making jokes. Do the homework and use the tutors. He also has plenty of office hours. The grading methods were straight forward. To put it simply, do the work and you will do well.
He is fair and funny.
Hes a terible teacher.He has a thick accent but you kinda get used after a while.He is very unclear on how to do the problems & he will destroy your grade if you dont do it his way.You have to show ALL of your work.He constently tells us that confusion is good & tells us not to memorize things but tells us to memorize stuff later.hes controdictory
he just teaches nothing.. if u wanna get good grades dont take this class.. and he doesnt even help you out.. he tells u to go to math lab if have some problems.dont ever take his class..
hes a very bad teacher. expects you to live in the little math tutor place. cuz if you cant learn it from him then its your fault. dont take him, and he clears his throat like a camel.
does not connect well with students. if you have a problem you will have to get it answered by some one in the math lab.
Good thing I am good at Math without the help of a teacher. He is easily the WORST prof at SCSU. Avoid him at all costs. I'm going to be getting an A in the class and I have stopped listening to him. I don't even take notes. The text book is a better teacher than him.
Horrible. Couldn't explain a concept to save his life. Thinks students are stupid, so he goes over the easiest things 1,000 times. Accent is slightly hard to understand. Class isn't too hard if you're good at math, but if you need something explained, don't expect much help from him. Avoid!
Do not take this professor! He gives multiple choice tests that don't include the right answer! The worst part- He doesn't do it on purpose! Class material isn't extremely hard but he makes it hard because you never know what he's saying.
I have a ton of math background coming into the class. The prof. Seemed to like me, but he graded very Particular! If you do not answer the test questions the way he wnats them, you're toast. Half of my class dropped because they were doing poorly. I think this clas would be really hard had I not had so much math (Calc, discrete, stats, etc.)
Very easy class. Homework wasnt even graded, but all the answers from tests and quizzes were basically the same questions from the book assignments. Short tests and multiple choice. Not bad at explaining things and the class content is very basic.
He was alright, I thought he did his job. Not the easiest prof., but his test were fair. If you understood his review, and practice test, his tests were pretty easy. I got a high A doing a most of the homework.
He is a really nice guy, one of my favorite professors as a 'person,' but he is very hard to understand and skips around a lot, and also is not super clear as he explains things sometimes. He will randomely crack a joke though when you least expect it.. crazyness haha.
Great Professor, I'm not too strong in Math, but he makes it easy, fun, and understandable.
This guy is a little crazy. He sometimes will just lose track of where he at in class and does some of his math wrong on the board. He seems to be in a constant state of confusion. the reviews are not helpful either. the final review was 260 problems long for a 20 question test. hes unclear and it makes the class way harder than it ever should be
very laid back. he helped make math fun, easy, and understandable. his use of reviews were mirrored examples of the test, very helpful. A+!!! i would definitely take jim again.
he is hard and he is hard to understand.
DO NOT TAKE. He is a math education instructor. He told us all about why people fail calculus. Think he'd try to fix that....of course not. Plan on failing. Uses the examples an nothing else Picky about how exact your work is, regardless of if you have the right answer. thanks to vakil, i'm changing majors and transferring to another school.
This professor is a master in his own world/mind. While he may some glimses of humor, his creative grading style(or his TA)leaves alot to be desired. If I pass this class , it will be a miracle! Which is unfortunate because I need it for my major! Choose another instructor.
bad bad bad bad bad. i know less about calculus than the day the class started. unclear goals, quizzes that don't relate to topics 2nd worst math instructor i have ever taken. 90% of class is lost and confused and he doesn't care....or realize.
worthless. nothing like hearing about a topic for the first time...on a test. i sold out my other classes for calc AND STILL FAILED. don't even go to SCSU if this guy is your only option. as a matter of fact, stay away from st. cloud in general.
Funny.....don't see any posts about calculus before 09/2007. It's because he hasn't taught the subject before and its shows. Good luck you'll need it.
He is cool, funny, and fair. Go to his office he will treat you like his own child. Very helpful and caring.
Very good professor. Friendly person and often cracked jokes during class. Tests are easy as long as you are in class often and go over the notes. Definitely recommend taking him. Also, an understanding person.
Very nice, fun and helpful! Doesn't check the homework. Do all work, read the textbook and you'll be fine.
Teaches heavily with proofs and not too many examples. Be ready to study A LOT. He's really helpful if you take the time to ask him questions. Make sure your answers are exactly right and that your work is very complete (he has been known to take off points for taking shortcuts on work even when the answer is right).
It's funny. All of the ratings after the semester i had him seem to be fair. Well i had him in the fall, and like all the other people leaving comments from that semester i will say the same...he is one of the worst options. He is EXTREME on proofs, very anal, and you can study ALL YOU LIKE...When it comes to his tests, you won't be prepared.
He is one of the best math professors I ever had. He cares about students and makes them learn.He is somewhat funny and makes class interesting. He is extremely knowledgeable. Take him.
He is ok, but class is very hard! He is hard to understand and acts as if we know everyhing ahead of time! Especially being the only girl out of 30 students in the class!
Nice guy that wants to his students do well, but sometimes he screws up when he teaches and it can be very confusing. However i think i would take him again
This is by far the worst teacher I have ever had. He's a nice guy but sucks at teaching..the class corrected his work on the board at least twice a day..unfair grading..DO NOT take his class!!
Very good prof. be ready to study, if you can do the homework, you can do the exams. He pulls test questions pretty much from the homework, no calculator use on exams but the problems are easy enough to be able to not use a calculator. Good prof would recommend!
Hard to understand, foreign accent. Even if you get the right answers, he will give a poor grade if you don't do the problems the way he wants it. I didn't plan on spending so much money on a class where i can't understand the teacher.
I think Roozbeh was an epic teacher. He has a lot of passion for his work, and loves to help students. He really wants you to understand the work, so he likes it if you write every thing out, and I mean EVERYTHING. If you work on it, then you get the informatin, and if your writeout every thing he will show you all your errors and help you through.
He never understands the questions that people ask him therefore he can never answer them. He is an overly picky grader, and for each problem on the test there are many ways to do it but when it comes to points you don't get any if you don't do it his way. Most of my class is doing very poorly; many of them are on the brink of failing.
The class consists of 600 points: 50 for attendance- you loose 2 for every day you miss, 50 for homework- there are 5 worksheets worth 10 pts a peice, 300 for exams 1-3 each worth 100, and 200 for the finale, Be careful he is hard to understand and a very tough grader, I'm an A student and will be lucky to pass the class!!
Vakil is a great professor. He has a good sense of humor. Sometimes he may forget the material and hope the class will help. This keeps the students hooked to the lesson. Quizzes and tests are pulled right out of the book so if you do the homework, you will do just fine in the class. Do stuff in groups and I am sure you will get a good grade.
He was a good professor at times. He knew his stuff but did not always like so help out when you were lost. A plus about him is his reveiws are right on with what is on the test
It's a math class, so naturally, it's not going to be easy for some students. Vakil, however, is a decent professor. If you know how to do the stuff on the review for the tests, go to class, and do well on the projects you should get AT LEAST a C in the class. I see no reason as to why anyone should fail this class if they pay attention in class.
I loved Rozbah possibly 1 of the most helpful teachers if you write out all steps and why you are doing things he will fill in all the blanks and help you understand. I loves to teach and liked to make sure everyone understands. Hell work problems out on the board for help if you ask him to. He does have an accent but through class youll understand
More than qualified, but he just plain sucks at his job as a teacher.
He is one of the Math departments best professors. Everything is out of the book so if you do the work, you will be fine. If you are getting a bad grade, don't blame him. It is Calculus. It's hard and its how they weed out the students. Calculus I will be hard, but Vakil makes it a bit easier
Has the iranian accent but can become accustomed to it fairly quickly. Knows everything he is talking about and almost every single question is from book. Not a hard class to get a B in if you study.Tests and quizzes are easy. Take!
DO NOT TAKE! He is terrible! Grades harshly, and only really grades on exams. Takes attendance everyday (what is this, high school?!?) Very anal. He's great for ppl who are already good at math, but everyone else, not even close! As Comic Book Guy would say; "Worst Math Professor Ever!" And as someone else said, he clears his throat like a camel.
Definitely my favorite math teacher so far. You get used to the accent after awhile. He knows what he's talking about and how to teach it way better than a previous professor I had. Quizzes and tests occur often and I thought they were simple. Attendance is taken daily and you lose 2 points for missing a class.
He knows what he is talking about. He wants you to learn the stuff not memorize it. Write down everything. It helps out a lot. He does a lot of example problems which are pretty much what the tests and quizzes are made up from. Gives out pre quizzes/ tests which help a lot and the problems on there are on the test. Can be funny at times.
He has a very different style of teaching. Its old school and you will learn from the book, not so much math xl although it was available. Show up everyday and do ALL of the assignments and hes not bad. Not for someone with test anxiety though because almost your whole grade is tests and quizess.
By far best teacher ever.tests are straight from the review sheets..he wants you to learn not memorize..has an accent but is still understandable..if you even just put 50% effort you'll pass...everyone in my calculus class loved him! Wish he was thing this semester for calc 2
The best calculus teacher ever
Dr. Vakil is probably the best math professor at this university. He is always ready and willing to help. Just make sure you can answer everything on his review sheets and you'll do fine. The exam questions come directly off the review sheets.
He is a really harsh grader. DONT TAKE HIS CLASS. He gives you the review sheet for all the quizzes and exams but still cant pass with easy A. Attendance is must in his class, really harsh grading. Gives importance to the best students in maths and the students of his own country.
he is so hard to deal with and his way of teaching is so complicated.
your grade is based on 4 tests which he grades hard. if you miss a minor detail in your work, but have the right process and the right answer, you fail the question. he is a nice guy but is a terrible grader and does not offer points for homework or anything to help pad your grade.
Dr. Vakil is tough but he really cares for his students and cares that his students pass. Always douse the study packet as he takes many questions straight from the packet. On tests, make sure to solve the problems exactly as he has taught in class or else you will be docked points. He gives a lot of practice time in class to ask questions.
I would not have passed this class without establishing a small group of study buddies. Be prepared to spend lots of time studying for tests, as they contain lots of information. I highly recommend completing all the study guides; they were great references tools for studying for the final. Professor has a thick accent, but you will get used to it.
We had final test & 2 tests and 12 quizzes & prof. Vakil dropped the two lowest grade of the quizzes in the end of semester. I suggest everyone to study with a group to make the it easier. One thing he doesn't like is when he start the lecture he doesn't want anyone talk with other person or using the calculator when it's not the time to use it.
He's a very good teacher. He gives an extra credit option almost every class, and I had him once a week. I don't think I would've passed this class with any other teacher. I am usually terrible at math and he was very helpful.
Very respectable man. I enjoyed that he took the time to explain the concepts behind equations versus just explaining how to solve them. He cares more about you actually understanding the math compared to just memorizing formulas, which was extremely helpful for me. If you show up daily and pay attention, it isn't so bad. Make sure to study!
Takes time to explain concepts in depth but can still be complex. On his quizzes if you have all processes correct but a wrong answer you get no points. On his tests if you have the right answer but do not show the process the exact way he wants you will get a ton of points taken off. When you try to discuss he immediately dismisses you as wrong.
Vakil is one of those professors who gets annoyed when students don't pick up on the material instantly. Frequently assigns homework that contains materials we don't even cover in class (almost as if he doesn't bother looking it over). Be prepared for difficult review questions, and even more extreme problems on the tests.
He litterally doesn't teach at the 2nd half of semester. Participation matters. LOTS of homework. You need to both show your work and the correct answer, otherwise you won't get any points for it. He chooses the most basic and the most difficult way to solve a problem. You'll see some physics and economic question on the tests. Hard grader.
Good professor! I like taking Dr Vakil. His teaching style emphasizes UNDERSTANDING over just memorizing steps and procedure. He can be a tough grader, but he is known to give extra credit chances on quizzes. Vakil is caring and understanding. If he thinks you understand the material and knows you really tried hard you wont fail his class. Period.
Dr. Vakil is a tough grader, but honest and fair. I thought I was going to get a C despite my strong efforts, but he gave me a B+. He expects your attention in class, and will call you out if you are on your devices. He can also be very funny. He stays with students after class to better explain things they don't understand. Would recommend.
Vakil goes about his class expecting you to know everything. He doesnt clearly finish the examples on the board, expecting us to instantly know how to finish every type of problem after a small basis. He also refrains from giving us formulas and set examples and proofs, making it so that it is hard to know what method to use for various problems.
I have lots of respect for Dr. Vakil, but he makes you work for your grade. I felt like there were things on the quizzes and tests that we didn't quite cover well in class. He truly does care about his students' success. If you are having trouble, talk to him. Calculus is not easy.
Dr. Vakil is one of the best teachers I have ever had when it comes to math. He explains why you are doing what your doing when going about a problem. He gives daily homework which is easy to do and I usually get it done before class time if I know how to do it. Otherwise his tests are straight forward and easy if you understand the material.
He is very good math teacher for those who want to be dicipline and participate in lecture. All exam comes from his review question so i dont think exam would be too hard if somebody show up daily in class and study hard
He's a great person but has no idea what he is doing he was always late to class and had the wierdest exam schedule like makes no sense at all.
Vakil really does care about math he sometimes throws in quips about math and concepts and it is motivational. Class if difficult if you have no experience with intermediate trigonometry. He is good at giving lectures. If you want to pass: 1) You must show up to class 2) Do the homework the day it's due or you will fall behind immediately.
when he is teaching the class it's hard to figure out what he is talking about.
Amazing professor. Genuinely cares about your success. If you are confused, reach out to him. Always willing to help, unlike my other professors. I enjoy his lectures. Obviously, you need to know the basics before you take MATH304. Don't blame him if he doesn't reteach you basic things you should already know. He'll probably reteach you anyway.
Dr. Vakil really cares about his students and wants them to succeed. The class itself is basic college algebra based on the provided textbook. Dr. Vakil gives math a whole new meaning and his lectures and very informative. If you are on the fence about what professor to choose, Dr. Vakil is a great choice.
Lots of proofs and theory. Things can carry over from homework to test but make sure to follow his notation from lecture. Lectures were dry. Homework can take hours if your new to this type of math. Genuine good person just a boring in lecture and sometimes doesn't clarify when people ask questions which sucks for proofs and theory. Not bad overall
Does not ever provide any feedback. Lectures and notes are not always clear, he rambles very often. Tests and homework are often one try only. The site used can be tricky with answers. Homework is long, not always hard, not always easy. Would not recommend. I taught myself and did well, but tests were not good.
While not the worst professor at SCSU in terms of feedback and flexibility, he's certainly the worst math teacher I have ever had. None of the content was clear, and he often ignored students if they pointed out mistakes in class. I had never struggled to learn math before, even Calculus 1 was an easy A for me...
Dr. Vakil delivers very little content at a very slow pace. He's usually a nice person, however he did not seem to have a good idea of what he was teaching. Students emerged with a very shallow understanding of linear algebra.
Worst math teacher I've had, this is my second time taking math 301 because I need a C to continue with my program. Uses an external website for homework and just slowly works through text book. Unclear, unhelpful, inflexible. No extra credit, no second chances, doesn't respond to emails. A nightmare on zoom.
Worst professor I've ever had. He rambles and is very unclear, never checks for understanding and insists we must move on even when students share they do not understand. To quote him -"I've written it on the board so now you should understand". No schedule on the syllabus so have to check yourself for homework. Good luck passing
He does not know how to teach at all. frfr be prepared to teach yourself!!!!! Do Not pay to teach yourself!
I started doing better on the homework when I ignored his lectures and just read from the textbook instead. You often only get one try on each homework problem, and sometimes the questions were never discussed in class at all. He also makes a ton of mistakes and never notices them, which can be detrimental for some as this is a math class.
It was so/so
Will teach the easy stuff as if we're just learning it and the hard stuff like we've studied it for years.I started reading the textbook just to understand what we were learning. If you have the option to not take him, do it. I unfortunately didn't have that.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
82%
Textbook Required
41%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.29 avg changeRatings by Course
2211
5.0
(1)MATH196
5.0
(2)CALC02
5.0
(1)MATH304
4.0
(2)MATH115
3.7
(12)Difficulty by Course
193
5.0
222
5.0
330
5.0
CALC196
5.0
CLASS
5.0