2.3
Quality4.5
Difficulty21%
Would Retake86
Reviews21%
Would Retake
86
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
86 total ratings5
12
4
11
3
11
2
12
1
40
What Students Say
“By far the worst professor Ive ever had”
MA229 - 1.0 rating“I had him for a summer math class but do to personal health problems and work I had to miss a few classes”
MA153 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
58%
Textbook Required
17%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH165
5.0
(1)MA51001
5.0
(1)MA17500
5.0
(1)MA165MA166
4.0
(1)CS175
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
165
5.0
229
5.0
MA261
5.0
MATH
5.0
MA
5.0
Reviews (85)
Makes classes too difficult, passes less than 10% of students each semester. Why do you need to prove theorems on tests, someone has already proved them!!!!!!
No Comments
Very demanding. In class examples were simplistic. Homework assignments took 6+ hours each to complete. Exams were equally as difficult. Never really knew what to expect.
Avoid at all costs
I attended all classes, studied, and took good notes.Somehow I still managed to get a C, which is the first C I ever got in Math.If math is your best subject,then don't take his class, because he will ruin it for you.He says he will help, but is unwilling
This class was killer. Just be prepared and keep up with everything. Oh, and do not miss class for any reason cause you'll be missing out on a lot of info. I will never ever take Ahkari again cause I had no life when I was in this class.
I would not recommend this teacher. He is very difficult and does not care about his students.
Horrible horrible
I am not a A student and I got an A in the course. Do the homework, several times. If you can do the homework quickly, you will be fine. Just don't let the class get away from your. This isn't MA 101 you know...
Horrible class. This instructor tries to be funny by insulting the students. I know of at least five people who have taken this class after getting an A in MA 153. All of them dropped.
You go to class sit through his bland uninspiring lessons where he just does problems the entire time without giving meaning behind it. In class problems I was able to sort of understand but his exams were IMPOSSIBLE. Do what I need to do; find a better Calculus prof. (Wish LaMaster did MA229)
Akkari said during class that he has little expectations from his students. He spent more time going over the review sections than he spent on what would be new material for the students. He insists on his students wasting paper and lead to do extra unnecessary steps for their work, saying if he doesn't see these steps he won't look at the rest of the problem. I'd say if you can find another teacher for the math course you need to take... do.
No Comments
No Comments
Only 2 people out of 35 people that began the class passed. Professor paced up and down the room in frustration every time students didn't understand him. Horrible teacher. Don't know how he has a job. Beware!!!
About to graduate-hardest class so far
DO NOT TAKE HIM. WORST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!!!
terrible
Knowledgeable, but a jerk to people that don’t get the material. Most of the class dropped. Would have been much easier if he spent more time teaching and less time babbling. I would come 20 min late and still not miss the lecture. Slightly condescending but maybe he just has an odd sense of humor. Odd sense of helpfulness too. He does try though.
he was really nice, funny i liked him the class was easy just review ur notes b4 the test and do the review sheets b4 the test its so easy
He is the worst teacher i have ever had! He will actually tell you that you're stupid if you didn't do well on the test! Mean and unhelpful! Don't ever take him, more than half of the class dropped
This is the hardest math teacher on campus. You have to be strong to survive! Over half of the class population dropped out of his class after the second test. There is no homework grade or attendance.
Everyone said he sucked but I tried him anyway. I actually liked him at first but the first day we learned new material nobody understood it and he just told us to go home... I dropped it. Not helpful at all.
He is one of the best teachers if not the best teacher in Purdue... Professor Akkari is by far the most caring professor I have ever had.
Akkari Motivates students to do well ,is willing to help students anytime. he shows a love of teaching and a great knowledge of subject matter. Involves students in every lecture .And more importantly comes to class organized .Simply he is one of the best professors I've ever had .
I laughed when I saw the comment about him being one of the best professors! He is horrible, and does not grade fair. His tests are much more difficult than his class examples. Do not take a class that he teaches!!
I found his class to be rather straight forward and easy. Although he was not always clear, I was never surprised on the tests. Test questions were usually more difficult than the class examples but not the homework. I missed class occasionally, did the homework, studied a bit, and got an A+. Akkari may not be the best, but he's not horrible.
He's a good teacher. The only reason he gets mad at students is when they should know something but then he kindly goes over what they should know again. Good sense of humor and remember to ask lots of question with him and not get discouraged if he calls you out in the middle of class.
I would not recommend to take his MA229 class.Unless, students have the ability to learn one example and be able to apply the principle to all kinds of problems. Study a little bit outside of his class was for sure not going to be enough to handle his exam. His exam was hard. It is possible to succeed his class. But there are so many other MA229 t
I almost dropped the class bcos my friends didnt like him..those who dont like him, dont do homework. he's a Funny professor, teaches math with jokes, easy to approach anytime, cares alot about his students, I wuld say excellent, just do ur homework and understand the classwork cos exams are the same..over all, he's an Excellent professor! Luv him!
Terrible experience. I'm not a math major and he wanted perfection. No calculator just rare occasions. No text book. He did everything on the board and you had to memorize everything and know how to apply it to multiple equations without ever seeing the examples. Too hard for me! I hear over 50% drop/fail. I dropped after 2 weeks.
Akkari actually inspired me to really pursue math with interesting concepts and connections. His class is very conseptual - much less memorizing formulae - much more remembering proofs. His tests questions were mostly straight from the homework. He has little patience for students who don't do the homework or show up for class.
I expected the worst after reading these but soon realized he is a good teacher. He is more than willing to help if asked, is pretty clear, and lets you know what problems will be on the test beforehand. If you dont understand yet dont ask for help he will call you out on it, so i can see how some people would be offended by him
One of the top guys in the math department at IPFW. If you work hard you will learn a lot nd understand every concep clearly. If you don´t you will get a F. Great teaching style, its not easy but still doable since exams are similar to homework. He likes to prove stuff a lot, so keep an eye on that!
He is tough but if you pass his class you will understand the material well. I had him for MA165 and MA166,do the homework and ask questions if you are even a little confused.
Dr. Akkari is OLD SCHOOL: tough, demanding and cranky. He won't accept excuses or late work, and makes you learn the theory. Plug-and-chug won't cut it. That said, if you persevere and work hard, you'll learn a lot of math and gain a competitive advantage. Take a course from Dr. Akkari if possible, DON'T WHINE, and make the most of the experience.
Absolutely awful. He spent more time harassing students on their mistakes rather than actually educating. He will scoff at your exam in front of other students while they are taking the exam. Avoid this professor at all costs. Beinekey > Lipman > Akkari
This class requires a lot of time outside the classroom. His homework was optional, but he always threw a fit if someone did not do it. Do not agree to quizzes, because he does not tell you that they are pop quizzes. He advised his students to attend his office hours, but he was never in his office when I went. Try to avoid!!
He is TERRIBLE. I took Finite in the summer & it was awful. He said he would give EC quizzes to help our grades & then never gave a single one. Homework isn't mandatory or for a grade, but he gets made when it isn't done. He uses the same examples for all the notes and doesn't explain it out fully. AVOID THIS CLASS.
He is very good at explaining math and you will learn a lot. Be prepared for almost daily homework and homework over the weekend. Also, he makes fun of students that don't do the homework or make silly mistakes. Tests are not easy and you might run out of time before finishing them.
He has taught me a lot in terms of understanding calculus. You need to be prepared to bear with his adamantly strict rules in problem solving though. His classes are always fun to attend.
Would not recommend unless you absolutely love math and are naturally good at it. He can be very rude and impatient. But if you are good at math and don't mind doing a lot studying and can stomach his personality, go for it.
Akkari is tough. He expects you to do the homework but doesn't grade it usually. The tests are taken from the homework problems but are still hard. He grades fair but doesn't curve, sometimes offers extra credit. Best advice is do the homework and ask questions if you don't understand. He will be very helpful if you are putting in effort.
I had him for a summer math class but do to personal health problems and work I had to miss a few classes. When I went in to his office hours to ask a couple questions that I had he refused to assist me with my minor questions. If you are called on to answer a question and you get the answer wrong then be prepared to be belittled. not a good class
Very abrasive at the beginning of the semester. I believe he does this to get those who will drop to do so early. He grades very hard and expects perfect work. explained trigonometry better in 3 days than ive ever heard. If you do your work and participate and really try he will cut you slack at the end. He forgave a 49100 test i had at the start.
This class was one of the toughest classes of my life. I personally spent over 20 hours per week studying just for this 3 credit hour course and barely passed. If you're gifted in math (or already have a lot of math knowledge), you'll do well. If you're rusty, however, this class might not be for you.
Dr. Akkari is awesome. I had so much fun in his class. Perhaps it's just because I actually enjoyed the material, but I honestly didn't find MA 175 to be a difficult class in the slightest. In the rare event that I did have trouble, I could just go to his office hours for help. He was very accommodating and approachable, which is a plus.
To be honest, his classes are not for everyone. He can be a bit abrasive at times, he rarely allows calculators, gives a ton of homework, and emphasizes learning theory. However, if you are willing to put the time and effort in, it's completely worth it. I left this class with a new appreciation for math.
Great teacher, but flies through material, and expects perfection. While all of this is alright, anything less than perfect will be ripped apart, be it a response in lecture, answer on homework, or solution on test. Not only that, but he goes out of his way to insult and diminish students, repeatedly saying that they will fail. Do not recommend.
He is simply awful. I would never take him again. He belittles you if you dont know the answer and makes you look stupid. He is rude and unhelpful and gives no extra credit. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!
Akkari is humerous at times and often jokes about sleeping rather than lecturing. His handwriting skills are poor and transfer to tests since from my experience all of his tests were handwritten, not typed. Homework is not graded, however if put aside you will likely not pass the course. Personally, I would not recommend this instructor.
He is really smart. But it is very likely that he is not going to respect you if you have a less strong foundation of mathematics. He hardly has nice attitudes towards students who need more extra time and who have more troubles understanding math than others. I would not recommend him.
safwan akkari demands your attention and let's you know you are in a higher learning class. He will not baby you, but if you do the homework and follow along in class you will learn a ton!
You will learn a great deal in this class if you put fourth a good deal of effort. Proffessor Akkari will ridicule you, make you feel embarrassed in front of the class, this is his preferred method of teaching. Look to find availability in another class before taking one with Akkari. He will fail most of his students.
Professor Akkari likes that his students understand how the things work and why they should do. The best thing I learned in this Calculus class was to proof. I recommend this professor for those who truly want to understand math. He goes though the basics.
Not the nicest.
He is very straight-forward and to the point and his lectures make sense for the most part but his tests are harder than any of the homework and he is a very harsh grader. Almost every single person in my class ended up dropping it.
If you take this Prof. be ready to work. However, if you want the most out of your education you should try to take one of his classes. He is an amazing person who is extremely understanding and will do everything to help you. He does not go easy on you if you do not try though so if you have any questions be sure to ask and seek help.
By far the worst professor Ive ever had. Hes a bully and constantly degraded his students. He doesnt help you when youre struggling and calls you names like dumb, stupid, and loser.
If you are looking for the easy A and dont want to put in the work, this class is NOT for you. If you want to have a great understanding of calc, this class is PERFECT for you! He will not coddle you and expects you to have a solid base in math. He is a great professor but a little abrasive up front. If you get to know him, he is very nice!
I did not feel adequately prepared to take Akkari's course following MA165. He is not afraid to call people out, and he does so frequently. The grading was almost entirely dependent on tests which were very lengthy and dificult.
Be ready to prove every derivative rule, never get a note card, never even think about touching a calculator, and get told your stupid whenever you mess up.
this professor will call you stupid if you don't understand the topic, so my advice is to not take it with him at all costs. he deserves a zero but i have to give him a 1.
Professor Akkari is unique, if you know you are weak in math, are sensitive, or are not a math/math related major, I would NOT take his class. He isn't a person who coddles people. He has a dark sense of humor and can be brutal, but he is a decent person. He does try to help his student understand the material. He is NOT for everyone and thats okay
I failed Dr. Akkari's class, but I do respect him. He is an intelligent man but is not for the weak. He will not coddle you, and if you fall behind, I wish you luck. If you are sensitive at all, do NOT take this professor. However, I do like him as a person; he has a good understanding of math. You need to study 2 hours a day to pass this class.
Professor Akkari is very strict and will degrade students during class. His class is very stressful. He does not teach the material in a way most of us could understand and would yell at us if we didn't understand. Graphing calculators are not allowed in this calculus course. I would not recommend him as a professor for anyone, sensitive or not.
If you take his class, be prepared for lots of work and lots of rude (to say the least) comments. When I took his class, he would constantly tell kids to "kill themselves" when they didn't know an answer. Don't expect him to cover previous topics (especially if they are from algebra), he will just call you stupid and move on with class.
Absolutely terrible professor. No chance for extra credit. I got high 90s on a few of the exams and then got marked down to 50s and 60s because he did not like the way I showed my work. When I asked about things, he never gave me helpful answers on anything. At least 4-6 hours of hw per week, maybe more. Quizes and exams every other week. 0/10
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS! Istg this man does not know how to teach. He does not care about his students who struggle. He yelled during at students during tests and will not help you raise your grade in any way. Email him a question? He will respond, but wont answer the question. THE WORST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HAD!!!! He shouldve been fired years ago
Terrible professor. No chance for makeups if you miss a quiz. All lectures are videos he stole from YouTube. Replies, but no help is received. Rather punish you then promote learning. The job of a teacher is to assign you assignments that reflect your understanding, not give you questions on tests that he never covers. also expect a lot of tests.
He doesn't respect his students. He didn't even bother grading my final.
LOL If you take him online, I hope you enjoy paying to watch youtube videos. He says to leave two hours open to take quizzes but doesn't mention that they're only open for two hours in the middle of the day. He also won't email you back so have fun with that.
If you don't have to take him, then don't. He is the worst professor I have ever had. Instead of doing lectures himself, he uploads youtube videos and khan academy links to teach the class for him. The exams have some extremely hard questions on them, and he would rather knit pick your shown work than give you partial credit for it.
This professor has to singlehandedly be the worst teacher I have had in my 14 years of schooling. Do not take his class. He never offers extra credit, his teaching style is super dated, and he even calls his students dumb and that they might as well "kill themselves" when they arent sure about a problem. Terrible experience, would never take again.
MA 230, to me, was a lot easier than his 229 class. Professor Akkari is a hard teacher, but he knows his stuff very well. If you put in the work and study hard, you will get more than what you paid for in this class. I also found him to be a lot more lenient than 229, relaxed, and funny (I actually failed 229 with him my first time taking it).
First of all, I have taken Calc in highschool, so this class was probably easier for me than others. We had two online assignments and then one paper assignment each week. Professor would get carried away sometimes and has dark humor, but he's not a bad guy. Also seems to not teach some shortcuts... Will always remember our mini ThanksCalcGiving.
He was disrespectful to his students and did not care for their education. He would tell me that it was a waste of time to finish my exam due to having struggled in the class the whole semester and told me to turn it in. At one point there were only 5 people showing up to his lectures cause his lectures arent clear and noone passed the exams anyway
Doesn't cover materials in class, berates students who ask questions. Makes questionable comments regarding race, gender, etc. and plays off like a joke. Expects work to be done EXACTLY how he would do it. Assigns 4-6 hours of homework outside of class times. Not fit to be a teacher. Do not take this course if you do not already know the material.
Took his online course and had the worst experience. He takes videos from the web instead of uploading his own lectures. These lectures at times did not help with the assignment that week. Provided good feedback on my first paper quiz and stopped after that. If you can, take someone else's class even if it isn't online.
Condescending, and confusing are the two words I can use to describe this class. Akkari belittles, and bullies students constantly and often for nothing aside from existing in his class. He often refuses to elaborate and describes it as "simple algebra" instead of answering a question. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!
Worst professor I've ever taken at this university, I've never tried so hard yet still fail a class because the professor's tests a absurdly difficult and there is a LOT of homework.
Worst teacher I have ever had. You would get a 70% on a test then he would drop it down to 40% because your work was different than the way he wanted it. It didn't create any of the videos used to teach the lesson and gave tons of homework due every two days.
Akkari is a professor that is almost a gathering of red flags. During his lectures he refuses to explain the course material, was extremely rude to me during lectures, and during office hours picked up where he left off while refusing to aid in my understanding. Just an FYI the average test grade after all 4 exams in a 17 person class was 39%. Bad!
Akkari's classes can feel like sink or swim. If you're proficient in math, he is a great professor to challenge you and you will learn much from him. If you're unconfident in math and care more about passing than learning, opt for one of the easier professors. Akkari is great and available outside of class, but can be condescending during lecture.
He moves absurdly fast and it is up to you to keep up. Youre out of luck if you dont understand his way of teaching, because using a different way will cost you points. Academics aside, very condescending and will crack jokes about your intelligence. Would NOT recommend him to a new college student or someone who struggles with math.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
58%
Textbook Required
17%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH165
5.0
(1)MA51001
5.0
(1)MA17500
5.0
(1)MA165MA166
4.0
(1)CS175
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
165
5.0
229
5.0
MA261
5.0
MATH
5.0
MA
5.0