2.6
Quality4.0
Difficulty22%
Would Retake270
Reviews22%
Would Retake
270
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
270 total ratings5
40
4
51
3
46
2
52
1
81
What Students Say
“Honestly probably the absolute worst professor at USF”
FIN3403 - 1.0 rating“He hates questions and cant teach to save his life”
FIN3403 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
100%
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Predicted Grade
B+
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Reviews (269)
His tests are killer.
The tests are rediculous.
If you pay attention and do your homework the tests are a piece of cake-I actually enjoyed this class and I'm not even a finance major. Plus the teacher and TA's are always there to answer questions and he gives extra credit that you can use in life.
This class is the worst class and hardest teacher class I have ever had. The book, written by Mr. Besley, is extremely boring and difficult to understand.
This class is way out of control. He speaks to you like you have been studing finance for 20 years or something. This is supposed to be a begining finance class. Don't even try to ask a question. You won't know what the hell he is talking about
WOW!!!thats the word that comes to mind. The class is demanding. I have a a finance backround, and he still lost me in class.
professor Scott Besley is very hard and he test is extremely hard.
Hard class, must do all homework and quizes or else you might take it twice like me. The real trick is to get a good TA, that makes the biggest difference. He's a bit boring, but very approachable, and helpful.
The class was difficult but not excessively so. The book wasn't great, and the fact that Besley wrote it means you don't get additional information or a different perspective that might help you understand a difficult concept.
He was kind of hard, but he helped you a lot and also he gives you a chance to get a better grade, he is a really good teacher
Besley is the hardest professor of all time and he test are beyond your control. The study guide and the test are two different thing. ANYWHAY DON'T TAKE BESLEY BECAUSE HIS GOING TO MAKE YOUR MISERABLE AND IF YOU ARE FINANCE MAJOR SORRY
Class is very demanding of your time. I never once was able to watch MOTL because I had to do the homework for the class. He is very rude whenever I have talked with him. The tests are difficult, but if you study up, you will be alright.
all about concepts not the problems
this guy strives on people failing, he is not helpful at all. the only reason i did well was because of a great TA. Jared Senzon!!!!!
dropped class within 2nd month, material isnt hard, professor isnt hard, however alot is demanded perhaps unnecessary but everyone is helpful and willing but you have to apply yourself, its not an easy A and you have to attend class esp. the lab, during summer more professors are offered.
useless, very bad professor
This class isn't really that bad, the lecture is just boring as hell. You only need to go to the lab section and listen to the TA. HW has nothing to do with the exams. Although there is too much expected for this course, it's not impossible.
Not an easy A but doable if you try. Attend every class for free points; do the extra credit project to add 12 points to your lowest test grade. Homework isn't too demanding but the concepts get harder as the book goes on so the HW probs get increasingly difficult. You might rethink taking this with other classes requiring a lot of work.
He is a jerk. Is very unclear and tries to trick you on exams. The TA's are horrible and dont no anything as well. The most horrible class i have ever taken.
class is tough. dont take w/ other tough classes. requires lots of studying. dont watch the videos. just read the book. do extra credit project and study bold terms for quizzes :)
this class require all your time be smart and dont slack u can pass if u try i barely do homework and i got by teacher can be a very negative person avoid discussions with him out side of class but TA's are great and really wanna help they may be the only reason u pass
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No Comments
This is a "weed out" course for business majors. Very hard and requires a lot of effort.
No Comments
This class is difficult but as long as you put in effort you should be alright. The TAs have office hours all throughout the week and are usually very helpful. You can ask Besley questions during office hours and he usually gives a great answer(may be hard to understand at first though). He is a brilliant teacher.
Unfortunately, I had an Asian TA that couldn't really speak English well. However, he was very helpful and would answer anything. You definitely have to put forth the effort to pass this class. Buy the procopy notes. Know the concepts, NO memorization. The test has its ups and downs with his "D. None of the Above" answers. Goodluck!
Subject is relatively easy, if you understand concepts well. Book (Beslely is author) is very good, never attended lectures and did well. Just be sure to attend lab sessions with Jared. You learn everything from him. Tests are a bit tricky, you really need to think about the question. Notes are a waste just read the book especially italicized words
I would never waste my time creating a rate my professor account except to tell you all how horrible of a teacher Besley is. Take Finance anywhere in the US except with him. He is the worst teacher you will EVER have, he doesnt give a damn who passes or fails (I passed so these arent bitter thoughts). His TA's are the ONLY help. BESLEY=GARBAGE
Tough but as long as you study the procopy notes, and go over solutions to some hw problems you will do fine. He emphasizes a lot of the bolded concepts and pushes you to KNOW the info. Memorizing won't help. Make sure to do the extra credit and attend TA sessions because that also helps your grade. Jared is good at explaining things.
This is a very hard class, but as long as you treat it like it is you will be fine. Attend lectures even though they may be boring. He emphasizes what he wants you to know and what is on the test in his lectures. Definitely do extra credit. You will get a lot out of this class. You actually learn the material.
HE IS A SHORT ARROGANT MAN AND DOES NOT HELP!!Do the EC!! GO TO ALL LABS!! Lisa is cool. The class average on tests was around 65%. For the 3rd exam, I went to 1/6 lectures, taught myself the material and got a better grade than the first 2 tests where I attended all lectures. Don't learn all the H.w. problems b/c 4/5 of the test is conceptual.
I got an A in the class, let me tell you how... Study the notes inside and out (don't memorize, understand concepts). Use his study guide that he provides 4 tests & find answers in notes. Do the practice tests, they are very similar to the actual tests. DO THE EXTRA CREDIT! Class is not easy, but if you put the time into it, you will come out ok.
You can earn an A if you try. Attend every class and do the extra credit project to add 12 points to your lowest test grade. Work the homework probs, which are not too demanding. I listened to the lectures, worked the homework, attended class, and earned a high A. You can too but not if you're lazy.
Class was not hard, you just have to go to all the classes and to the review sessions. Also, get a good TA, they are you life savers. The extra credit is worth 15 pts, and it is easy.
Class is not all that easy and you do have to show up to the review sessions to turn in homework for grades and have a quiz almost every week. The homework took alot of my time but it is Finance. There were 3 tests and there were more conceptual questions than anything else- read the chapters! He provides an equation sheet for every test.
tough professor
Lectures were a waste of time to me so I stopped going. Came out with a B. Understand the concepts, read the book vist your TA. Dont waste time on long problems. Extra credit is easy DO IT. Review session wasted my time one friday dont go. Besley explained one problem for 50 minutes and then said it would not be on the test, jerk.
I'm not going to say this was an easy class, because it wasn't but it wasn't hard either. You worked for the grade you got. If you go to class regularly, go to the lab sessions, do your homework and study for a small reasonable amonut of time then you should do very well. I liked the class and he made it very interesting!
I don't feel like I have gotten my money's worth out of this class I feel like I've been hosed. He does not teach the class, a TA does. His lectures are over 2 years old and hard to understand. He makes you buy a book that he wrote, and does ZERO work to teach and gets paid for it. My reccomendation: take this class with someone else if possible.
Mainly a do-it-yourself class.Make sure you read the chapters and listen to the online lectures.Do all the questions on the homework and try to do as many of the problems as possible.Quiz at beginning of class is very easy.Many times the TA took up a question for the homework grade. Do the easy extra credit.Study for the tests! (87% of grade)
The funny thing with this class is that you see him twice, on the first day of class and the last. So I should probably rate the TA instead, the TA we had couldn't speak english very well but tried to be as helpful as possible. The online lectures are terrible, they're outdated and his voice will put you to sleep. I passed so do the Xtra credit pro
3 exams (multiple choice)--tests are mostly conceptual rather than problem based; optional cumulative final; x-tra credit assignment worth 12 pts. added to lowest test grade (easy to complete); small h/w assignments given and very easy quizzes at beginning of class; overall class is moderate in difficulty but I would still recommend.
Tests are pretty hard- know concepts rather than practice the math problems. Lectures were boring but informative. The lab is just going over homework problems with the TA, usually collects 1 problem from each hw, 5 question quiz at the beg of every TA session on definitions
Class is NOT that difficult! LISTEN to what he says in the lectures even though they are boring. Students never attended class so he gives out exam type questions in lecture! Help session is only good for quizzes & homework. Overall, the exams are moderately hard. Study hard and you will come out with nothing less than a B. DO THE EXTRA CREDIT!!!
He definitely doesn't have time for students outside of class. Rambles on forever. The tests are hard but it doesn't even matter how hard you study for the second test- you'll still do terrible.
This class has its ups and downs, easy chapters and hard ones. But all in all, it was quite easy. Do the homework (in/out of class), quizzes, study, and the XC project and YOU will be FINE! Just stay consistent, go to lectures (even though they are boring). I only needed a 65 on my final to keep at least an A.
Very similar to the accounting courses in dufficulty level. The biggest problem I had was that 50% of the test would be focused on one topic and the rest of the exam would touch on other things. If you were weak on the 50% topic you would do poorly. His Sunday night study sessions before exams were a life savor. Very nice of him.
I really enjoyed this class. People don't do well in it because a lot of them don't have a solid business mindset going into the class. If you read the book, understand what he's saying in class. As well as think about his test questions you should do awesome. 1st test = Joke, 2nd test= hard, 3rd test= Med. He evens offers XC the class isn't bad
Doesn't teach class and never shows up except for the first day, so he's not there to help you. Not lenient on make up exams.
Worst ever! Deceitful, elusive, can't teach. Wrote incomprehensible book. Teaches in Financial jargon; makes no effort to make material understandable. Doesn't care about students. Conservative jerk. HW probs and tests bare no resemblance to what was actually taught. Would rather play with students' head than actually teach. Awful!
dont take his class! i have a 3.5 GPA and i had problems with this class. TAs were helpful. I talked to him couple of times, he is very rude. his book is very hard to understand. if you are taking him, good luck!
people complain because they just want easy classes and don't really care about learning. I got an A in the class by doing the homework, watching the lectures, reading the book, and doing the study guide. It is challenging but its not supposed to be an easy class. If you put in the effort you will see good results.
90% of the people that say this class is hard shouldnt even be in college. Everyone whines because they have to do work well thats life folks, you get easy points for h.w./quizzes and 12pts extra credit for gods sake!! Took in summer passed and am laughing at all the ppl taking it twice, have fun in call centers!!!! =]
Easy class if you Do the homework and study the exam reviews. Teacher schedules help sessions if you need it. Extra credit project worth up to 15% on your lowest test.
Never shows up for class teaching assistant Ricky(Bobby)Scott is useless and tries to make the class harder than it is.
class is torture. it's not his fault though. the subject itself is boring. i was a finance major until i took his class. he made me realize finance sucks
Horrible teacher...you can ask him a question and sometimes he avoids answering it. Don't buy aplia, just attend the lab to take the quizzes and do the homework....they are easy. He is the only teacher that teaches the class, so you have to take him, but use the TA's to ask questions and for help!
Terrible!!! Only teacher that teaches so you have no choice but to take him. I switched my major after taking this class. The TA tries to help, but seems to confuse students even more! Horrible experience!
all i can say is with this clas u have no life. i mean, you can come out with an A you just have to work for it. study hard, attend class, read the book!
Alright teaching just go to class and lab and stay awake. Tests are pretty easy mostly concepts and few calculations. DO THE TEST REVIEWS AND YOU WILL DO WELL
I took the 50% online version and it was awesome. You only go once a week for an hour and a half to review HW and take the quiz. If you read his posted notes and do all of the HW before attending class, you will be absolutely fine. I never watched a single online lecture but always read his notes and used the book to do all of the HW and got a B+
How can you rate a professor you never see? His TA on the other hand wasn't too bad. At least his English was good. Not an easy class as it takes everything from accounting, statistics and some basic economics and rolls it into ne class. If you aren't bothered by online books, don't buy the text. Online Aplia was helpful.
Professor Besley is a very intelligent professor and very helpful. All his lecture notes are online so there's no need for note taking. Test reviews on Sunday nights were extremely helpful and the extra credit brought my grade from B- to B+. Seems to me that he actually cares that his students pass. Not an easy class but passable.
Easy class. Took online version, buy the aplia, 70 bucks for assignments and book. Three multiple choice tests, a generous curve and 4 % possible extra credit. Which I thought was more than fair. Online lectures are thorough and even teach more than is even necessary to excel on exams. Overall, if you study a little bit, an Easy A.
offers reviews on sunday nights-he actually cares about his 400+ students. not the easiest class, need to spend lots of time studying/reading the book/DO THE HWK..i stopped going to the class lectures towards the end bc i learned better on my own, but do the extra credit and study hard...you'll be fine!
TA Rick very helpful, patient with HW review, questions, cares about students; Besley very helpful with exam review on Sun nite even on Easter; lectures are very detailed and informative; very time consuming with HW and Aplia online HW the first 3 wks review statistics, acctg & economics; study hard and you'll do well; he cares about his students.
Ridiculous... one of those profs. that likes to "weed" people out of the system. He hasn't quite figured out that he has written the most useless textbook any of us have ever used. My biggest frustration is that the Text book that HE wrote is the most difficult text I have ever had to comprehend. Good luck because you have to take him.
I absolutely loved this class. It was slightly time consuming but the professor wrote the book so it had exactly all the same stuff in it that he put on the test, which made it easy to follow and easy to get a good grade. I got an A+ and didn't even do the extra credit. I plan on trying to take Besley for all my FIN classes!!
One of the most difficult teachers I have had. Online text is hard to deal with and way too many quizzes. I passed with a C but a lot of the class failed/dropped. Make sure to do the extra credit and attend all the labs to turn in homework. Lab grade and extra credit is what helped me pass. Watch his online lextures if you need more help. Good Luck
I loved this class. I got an A+ without even doing the extra credit. It was very straight forward and not confusing nor hard what so ever. It did take some time though, mainly b/c I took it in the summer and you crunch more into a smaller time span.
Good teacher and class, not that ultra interesting if you arent a finance major but definitely useful to anyone especially business majors. Not hard to get a good grade but you do have to do the HWs and the E/C project is an easy 15 test points! Shouldnt take more than 3-4 hours to do the project. A good TA is a big part of how much you learn too.
An ok class. 3 exams with make-up final, 15 point extra credit project, online quizzes, and hw problems each week. Lectures and Sunday night study sessions are really helpful! You get a study guide for the test. If you cover everything on the study guide tests aren't so hard. Class does take a lot of study time and it's not an easy A!
I took the 80% online course and it was okay. If you are good at reading the book and teaching yourself this will be a fairly easy class. My TA, who colected homework each week, was willing to help if you had any questions.
The class is hard but that's what you sould expect from Finance. Dr. Besley is an excellent instructor. He knows his stuff very well. Finance is a very interesting class and actually useful in life. I recommend doing all the Aplia assignments and quizzes as the homework and extra credit. Their extremely crucial in the end. YOU HAVE TO STUDY!!!
Dr. Besley made me realize how useful and important Finance is. For that, I am grateful. Other people just don't realize how important this course is. It might be boring for some but for others it's very interesting. I never thought I would be saying this but Finance Rocks! Thank you Dr. Besley!!
He gives very clear instructions on how to do well in this class. I HIGHLY recommend watching every lecture and studying the ProCopy notes. He gives an extra credit project and make-up exam, just in case. I received an A+ but it took a little bit of work.
Not too bad of a class. I recommend watching the lectures online and taking your own notes with the PwrPts at the same time. Buy the comprehensive notes from ProCopy - they are God-sent! I got a high C on the first exam and still managed to pull an A in the class so don't lose hope if you mess up on an exam - there is a 15-pt extra credit project
Only used book for HW. TA's can be a great help. Weekly Aplia quizzes and assignments. Do the EC project. I stopped going to lectures after the 1st test, they often feel dragged out for concepts that can be explained in shorter time pds. Tests are difficult (lots of terminology to confuse you) but going to the TA sessions helped. I still got a B+
VERY HARD CLASS. TA WAS NOT VERY HELPFUL, JUST REVIEWED THE HOMEWORK AND LEFT IT UP TO THE CLASS TO ASK ABOUT ANYTHING. THE TA COULD OF REVIEWED BETTER. READ THE BOOK, DO THE APLIA ASSIGNMENTS & QUIZES, READ POWERPOINT NOTES, DO EXTRA CREDIT, AND READ THE COURSE NOTES AND YOU SHOULD PASS. MAYBE... ALL THIS IS NEEDED TO PASS THE TESTS.GOOD LUCK!!!
Tests are hard and are majority based on concepts rather than calculations - probably 75:25 ratio. Must understand ideas behind concepts, definitions wont cut it. Do the extra credit - fairly easy and worth 12 exam points. Careful if you get course notes from ProCopy, they were incomplete, only had first few chaptrs. Just print form online. Do HW
You see him 1st day of class. After that, it's all online and through your TA. I had Kim. Very nice but he doesn't explain things very well. Tests are challenging because they only have 35 questions. Watch all the lectures, do all the aplia assignments, the test reviews, read all the notes and the book. Not too hard, just time consuming.
Only saw him once. TA was very nice but hard to understand his broken english. Very difficult class to take over the summer. I used the Pro copy notes but they were full of errors. He made the class much harder than it had to be. Avoid him if you can!!!
Hard tests. You HAVE to study the text, listen to online lectures, and come to TA session. Online lectures are very helpful. Read TEXT FIRST then listen to them. He is helpful in explaining things in his office hours. Tests NOT curved. I just BARELY got an A in this class. DO EXTRA CREDIT PROJECT (Don't be lazy bc it will SAVE YOU IN THE END!)
This class is ridiculously and unnecessarily hard! I've taken other finance classes and this by far has been the hardest. Whatever you do avoid this professor. Alot of time and dedication into this class and I still only pulled off a C-
Awful class. I am taking it right now, and got a 63 on my first exam. Don't know whether to drop or keep trying but he is not helpful at all and you never see him. If you email him, he responds back as if he doesn't care if you pass or fail. I have a 3.8 GPA, and am stuggling. DO NOT TAKE HIM
Class is much harder than it needs to be. No help from professor, lectures don't help at all in terms of finding stock prices, YTM etc, just goes over concepts. Questions on the exams are tricky. If you take this class be prepared to teach the stuff to yourself. AWFUL TEACHER, GUY IS SHADY
It does require more effort than most classes, but I didn't find it all that hard. In fact, I did better in this class than all my other business classes. But for some people, this class really messes with them. I just found this stuff interesting. I think his grading is more than fair. Over 15% of the class gets an A grade. The lectures are good.
If you're a good student, don't be scared off by the comments on here. The people who complain are people who aren't willing to spend 9 hours a week reading the book, watching the lectures, keeping up with the homework, and keeping up with aplia. Then they wonder why they fail. His grading is more than fair. And u learn a lot in this class.
I am an accounting major so I thought the two would coincide, but from my perspective they were way different except at the beginning and the end. All in between I hated, this was a class that work would just not go away hah. I would recommend the 3 day class instead of the 50/50 because those students tend to do better on the exams!
I took the online version with a TA lab session. Attendance and some HW at lab sessions counts. However, I learned much better from Prof Besley's Sunday evening reviews before exams than I did from attending the lab sessions. TAKE THE LIVE CLASS if you are not disciplined enough to listen/watch 2 hour lectures at home. He knows his stuff! AWESOME!
This class is hard, which is to be expected. Everything you need is given to you; clear rules, directions, and materials. Although all the information is there, I found it barely different than just reading the text and teaching myself. The tests are way too short for the amount of material covered. Lots of HW and Aplia. Do EC project!
It's doable, but be prepared for a lot of work. Strangely, this class is offered as 4 credits at University of FL and FSU, but for some reason it's 3 credits at USF. Not sure why, but it sure is as demanding as a 4-credit-hour class.
I don't know what y'all are talking about! Professor B got swag!!! But seriously... Some advice: Read the chapters more than once and make sure you understand the concepts, then worry about the problems, make sure you do the aplia assignments and DO THE EXTRA CREDIT! I can't stress the aplia and extra credit enough, they are life savers!!
As long as you attend class, do the HW and attend your discussion section it's an easy class, I did the extra credit and it brought me from a B to an A-, well worth it and I didn't get the full 15 pts for it.
This class is too hard. I studied for hours and days before and still got a C. TA's don't understand some of the concepts in the class sometimes. He gives a formula sheet that doesn't have all the formulas needed. Some formulas are implied. You have to study a lot to get a B in this class. Exams are mostly concepts. I studied hard and got a C.
WAY to much work for a business gen ed.. Nothing on aplia is on the exam so dont bother studying that, must read and do hw. TA's cant speak english so you basically learn on your own. Besley is unhelpful, dont bother emailing him with questions, will just refer you to the TA regardless if you wanted to talk to him..
Do ec! Go to class, study hard. Pulled b+. Sit up front.
One of the hardest classes! Sit up front and ask questions. Read the book and then read it again. Go to your lab section and make sure you understand clearly before you leave. Also...do all homework to get grade up and start early on extra credit proj!
Do the homework, go to class and take notes and do the practice tests / study guides before each test and its an easy A
Online. A LOT OF WORK! 1 online assignment, 1 online quiz, and 1 HW assignment each week. You cover so much material its difficult to study for the tests. The extra credit and assignments are life savers for you grade so DO THEM. He also gives your final grade a 3pt curve and a possible 105pts on each test. Still a hard class though, glad its over!
Dr. Besley is an okay professor he really knows what he is talking about. Lectures can get incredibly boring because he can just stand there an talk for the whole time without even looking at the PowerPoint. Workload is very heavy which makes studying for tests difficult. I wouldn't avoid him, but definitely avoid a full class load when taking him
Ok professor can get very boring at times. extremely heavy workload makes studying for tests rather difficult. I wouldn't recommend taking this class with many other classes unless you have nothing but time on your hands. Make sure you do the aplia assignments and go to your lab section it is a grade saver. atleast 1 quiz,1 assignment,1 lab a week
This class is hard for no reason. He is a good teacher, but the class is a lot of busy work. Every week there is a quiz, hw assignment due in breakout session, and an online assignment due. All of these factor into your grade. There's 3 tests and optional final. The lowest of 4 if you take the final is dropped. Extra credit project is big help also
took online class. We were lucky to have Mr. Carter as our TA. He is very helpful, nice and caring. The class is not easy, be prepared for A LOT of homework, I would recommend to start working on Aplia ASAP, it will be easier in the long run. Do the extra credit project to boost your grade. Beasley has a great web site to help you with the class
Class is not really hard, make sure you attend the lecture, do the aplia homework and the book homework and you should get an A. Knowing how to do the problems assigned and just studying the course notes is enough for a good grade. No need to study powerpoints and read the book.
This guy really knows his stuff! The course has difficult material but there are lots of assignments and quizzes to help ingrain the material. 30% of the lab grades are dropped and he offers a generous curve plus an extra credit project. This teacher LITERALLY wrote the book so he's a great, knowledgeable professor to take for this course.
I heard many bad things about Besley before I came to this class. Lectures were online, he was helpful and so was the T.A. People complained the lectures were too long, it was a condensed course and 3-4 hours of lecture a week + the T.A. session was not much more than a usual semester.Takes time but didn't put a whole lot of effort and got an A+
IDK WHAT all the commoti0n was about..i really enjoyed the class despite having a bad TA the class itself is not the easiest but its very doable i got an A and i did horrible in acct. dont be afraid of him tho hes nice and the TAs do the best they can to help. loved his tests structured multiple choice i recommend
I got an A & this is what I did: Read the chptr b4 da class, highlight da imp. concepts,do the assigned HW & the Aplia hw/quiz b4 da TA session & note down TA's hw solns. B4 the exam, read chapters again & go over the assigned HW problems at least a dozen time. After exam, go over ur exam wid ur TA.As u learn frm ur mistakes. DO the extra cedit!
I believe this class has potential, but the TA spoke no english; he started in the center of the board during an equation then would run out of room and put the rest below I was so lost. Besley contradicted himself in his lecture telling you disregard the book HE WROTE. I am sure if this class was my only class I would have managed a better grade.
Total waste. The Ta should get paid more than this guy. I firmly believe that he doesn't even make new online presentations and just recycles them from old sem. You only get to see him the first day of class and then you get assigned a ta that probably wont even speak english. If there is some one else teaching take them!
Waste of a semester. Do not take online. Tried twice online and im taking it in st.pete now with someone else for a 3rd. TA is terrible! I dont know why they are all chinese. Thanks for nothing Besely. BTW no more extra credit project. Your ec is showing up and doing assigned problem correctly. AVOID!
Unfortunately you must take this class to graduate. So when you do decided to take it be prepared to dedicate the majority of your time to passing. The test are WORDED in such a confusing manner and the equation sheets have different equations then the ones in the book and the ones you learn to use. His night TAs are Asian with STRONG accents.
This man is BANKING while his TAs do ALL the work. He recorded the power points years ago, he owns rights to the book since he wrote it, he owns some rights to aplia as well. The only reason the school hasn't fired him is because he's part of the union! The least USF can do is offer another professor who teaches it, I'm sure registration would drop
Class is easy. Besley doesn't do anything for it but class is pretty simple. Common sense, just read the chapters before the test and work the hw probs at the back of the book. Never watched his lectures but went to class for the extra credit from the TA open book quizzes.
If you take his half online class, you will NEVER see him after the first class. Tests are difficult..READ READ READ the chapters and teach yourself! If you have a good TA, you'll be fine b/c TAs are the ones actually teaching the material. DO THE EXTRA CREDIT..totally worth it!!!!!
The class takes A LOT of work and TIME. The key to doing well in the class is to use all the information and extras he puts on his website. The reviews for each test are already up, so do them way in advance. Attempt the hw or at least understand it because it will be on the test! And do the extra credit and aplia because those are grade boosters!
This is a SERIOUS class. Do not think it's easy and wait last minute to study. Study WAY ahead of time. I took it twice, first time I got an F, second time I got a B. If you read all of the comprehensive notes, review the PP notes, do the HW, and refer to the book you will be fine. Just DON'T put it off!
Extreemly hard class, especially if you are not a business major. He is hard to follow and his notes don't always match up with the homework or comprehensive notes. Tests are insane and questions are very tricky. Be ready to put in at least 12-15hrs of study in
Came in to the class having heard only horror stories, and after finishing with an A+, I don't know what all the fuss was about. Tests are easy, just go over the homework problems from the book, they're usually VERY similar, and READ the book. Aplia assignments every week, but can be done in about 20 mins. Just study and keep up, easy class
TAs teach the whole class. Def. have to spend hours studying. Weekly Aplia assignments. Weekly HW from book. 3 Test. pretty difficult.
I took this class during the Spring-- GO TO THE LABS to get the xtra credit and DO REALLY good on the Aplia, those xtra pts help! His exams are hard, focus on concepts more than computations!
This class was overall challenging, but not impossible. The TA was very helpful, even when working through language differences. However, the professor was very arrogant and will interrupt and demean students that are trying to learn for no other reason than to make himself feel good.
The time spent studying and your grade level is proportionately related. READ an alternate text book; his book is not clear enough. GO to class, WATCH ALL his lectures. I am studying right now for my final and I have NO TIME to do anything else. This class is extremely difficult if you don't read ALL the text...GOOD LUCK.
I really don't think he cares about the students one bit. If he did he'd understand that these concepts are completely new to a majority of the students. His tests are a joke. If you don't work, or only take this as your only course you might make it. For the rest of us "normal" people my best guess is you'll have to retake it or get <C.
I took some other professor and it turned out that all the finance exams at USF are administered by beasly. Got to ST. PEAT or something to take this class. I am an A student and decided to take 16 credits this summer. little did i know that this man's goal is to fail his students. DONT TAKE THIS CLASS. It will kill your GPA and moral.
Do not put this class off. Read the chapter ahead of time, watch the lectures (schedule yourself so you do this twice a night or once a week...)Absorb everything. If you do this you should be fine. If I didn't work 60 hours a week I would have done better. He is extremely difficult...Goodluck.
He is the worst teacher I have ever seen. If you think to take his class think twice.
HAVE TO TAKE THIS COURSE FOR THIRD TIME. THIS COURSE IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN CALCULUS OR STATISTICS II. PROFESSOR IS ONLY SEEN DURING FIRST CLASS AND T.A.S ONLY REVIEW HOMEWORK PROBLEMS BEFORE YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON TO NEXT CHAPTER. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST TIME CONSUMING, FRUSTRATING, AND DEGRADING COURSES YET. WILL RETAKE IT AT ANOTHER CAMPUS.
The professor makes one appearance and the rest of the classes are just homework reviews by the TA. My TA couldnt speak English which make this already difficult class harder than it had to be. If you read the chapters, watch all of the online lectures at least twice, and practice the homework before exams, you should pass. I got an A in the summer
TA does not teach just shows you how to get answers for HW Online lectures are useless since his explanations are VERY technical Very tricky exams, built to fail not to understand. Its hard material but he makes it more complicated Not worth learning from.
Horrible Teacher. Tests are designed to trick and confuse you as much as possible, not testing just to make sure you understand the concept and know how to do the work. I've heard he is the only teacher on the Tampa campus teaching this course. If that is true, just make the drive to St. Pete and find someone else. Avoid at all costs
Extremely poor quality!!! TA wasn't helpful at all and the teacher just show up on the first day of the class. Not recommended at all, unless you want to be miserable!!!!
This teacher is the worst one at usf. All of his ta's are horrible and not helpful. His Sunday reviews are extremely unhelpful. On his office hours, he is not available. He is always too busy to help students. Avoid him because his teaching is horrible.
Besley's a very fair professor. In the morning sessions that he teaches, he explains everything clearly. To do well in this class, read the chapters before coming to class, ask questions, do your homeworks and go to the TAs to check them before the friday session. Also, do not study Aplia. If you just focus on the book material, you'll do fine.
Take Prof. Manullang at the Lakeland Campus; avoid this Mr. at all.
If you're good at accounting you'll be good at this. Took this as a night class. One night a week. Showed up a total of 7 times. 4 times for an exam. 3 times just because. Passed with a B. Professor and TA were useless. The ONE time I asked the professor for help he told me to ask my TA. I asked my TA and he told me to ask the professor. Losers!
This professor is fair. Attend the lectures. Review the lectures online. Use the resources on his website. Collect easy points with online assignments and once a week lab sessions with the TA. Test grades and final have a natural 3 point curve on the syllabus. Do these things and you will get a B. (review applies to morning/day classes)
Absolutly the worst class I have ever taken. You spend all the class time using formulas that should be computed using calculators. The exams look nothing like the homework or practice exams and TA's are useless. Mandatory homework every week (what are we back in highschool) and in class quizes every week. Save time and find an online class.
you don't need to buy the book, but you do need the online info to complete the assignments. exams were not difficult, TA breakout sessions go over the homework assignments from the book (that's why the book isn't needed).
First semester at USF, summer classes. Got to say I firmly dont believe the class is hard, but the professor and his way of teaching (if you can call it that) are completely useless....AVOID! If you're ok with numbers, still avoid, he said 6% of all sections our semester got an A....Again, not the material that's hard, but the "teaching" style used
Took summer session 50% online. Did not actually see Besley in person even once. Taught entirely by TA that was extremely difficult to understand and not helpful at all. Online lectures dont transfer to test questions. Word questions on test are SO confusing. Would not recommend but you have no other choice for any business major requiring FIN3403.
So, people here seem to slam besley.The professor gave us all of the resources we needed to be successful. I got a C, but that's because i wasn't able to put in the required time. Besley is an exceptional lecturer that really wants the student to succeed. You can tell by how much effort he's put into the class.
Really good teacher, but requires a lot of work. He demands a lot, but i learned a lot.
This class was wayy harder than it needed to be. His extra credit project & assignment grade allowed me to pass because I did very poorly on his exams. He is very arrogant and not helpful during his office hours. I wouldnt recommend taking him but Tampa campus has no choice!
A lot of work. Expect to attend class to do well. Expect a lot of time outside of class on homework, online assignments/quizzes, and studying. Not a joke class like most other business core classes. The exams are pretty intense, although the final is pretty easy. Have fun.
Worse teacher at USF. Tests are nothing like homeworks. Homeworks are all problem based, and the test is 70% conceptual based, and only 30% problem based. Going to class is absolutely pointless. I tried so hard in this class and ended uo getting a C. His exam review is on a Sunday night which is dumb, because if you cant make it then no review
You won't see the professor after the first day. Exams (3 + a final) are very challenging. Lots of outside hw considering it's an introductory finance class. Extra credit opportunity is there. I got a B, but I did put a lot of work into the class. Not a class where the professor will baby you. Clear your schedules, you will need time to study.
Well, He is a good Professor. Finance is a challanging course. I had some heated email communication with the professor but i realized at the end that i learnt so much. Its like learning by doing. If you study hard and if you put an extra effort on the final exam.You are good.I took 1 week off at my work to do good in the final.
This class is tough. There are so many assignments and quizzes to keep up with that it leaves you barely any time to study for exams. Exams are conceptual so the homework and quizzes won't really help you study. Make sure you understand practice exam questions, those help a little. Put in an A+ worth of effort so you can barely get a B...
If you study for his class correctly it is not that hard. I found his online lectures to be extremly helpful. I would suggest viewing them until you have a clear understanding of what he is covering. That should atleast land you a B on his exams.To get and A go to lectures and do well on the quizzes in the break out sessions.
This guy is an awful professor. I haven't seen him since the first day of class because I'm in the night class. I haven't learned anything and he does nothing to make the subject any easier. No help at all in learning the material.
Hardest class I've taken at USF. I thought Cainas' class was bad...this trumps it. I should've listened to everyone and drove to the St. Pete campus to take it there. He's just a bad teacher and his TA's just as unhelpful. He's very cynical. Averages on all the finals were mid 60s. If you're an average student DO NOT TAKE.
Very hard class with a lot of work. The online homework and quizzes were time consuming and difficult. Started poor but he offers an extra credit assignment at the end that helps a lot!! Passed with a B somehow but I did learn a lot. You must study a lot!!!
Everyone gives this guy a bad rep, but he's actually not too bad. He is strict on attendance and exams, but his instructions are clear and he gives you a lot of opportunity to get an A. Just don't be lazy and you'll do fine.
As fair as a professor can get; gives you EVERYTHING you need to know for exams and truly teaches you the subject. Gives personal online lectures chapter by chapter, the book is crystal clear (highly recommend reading it), on Fridays you can check your homework with the TA's, and ask all the questions you have. This is Finance, not Mkt or Mgmt.
Don't be scared to take this during the summer. Go to lectures and have the text read before class so you've seen the material before. He does elluminate sessions and has review videos and questions online.Study and dont wait until right before a test to get help if you are confused.
Mr. Besley is a poor excuss for a teacher! Does not attempt to show any interest in his students nor their accademics. Makes the course exteremly difficult and does not assist you when you go to him with problems. Gave me incorrect information multiple times and had to fight him to recieve fair treatment. Reporting to the Dean. DO NOT TAKE!!!!!!
Principles of Finance is the hardest class I took at USF and the one I'll remember the most. Accounting I, II were a close second. I got an A in the course, I was a decent student, great when I needed to be. Study 8 hours a week, attend class, do the HW, get help from your T.A, watch the review videos, do the the practice exams, get an A.
Besley is easily the worst professor I've ever had. Finance is already a challenging course but he makes it even harder. All he does is read off his powerpoint slides. There is also a lot of home work and reading. DO NOT TAKE HIM.
He is an awful teacher. Just reads power point slides. You're better off staying home and watching the video lectures he has. The breakouts are all about problems, but the tests are 70% conceptual. Its a waste of time. He's the definition of "tenured"
Does. Not. Care. About. You. Has no sympathy. Will collect homework in the lecture ONLY when alot of people are missing so to do the most damage. Doesn't teach, only reads PowerPoint assuming you've read the chapter and have a thorough understanding. If you're not a financing major, expect to work twice as hard to keep up.
Besley is terrible! Never understood anything he said in class. I asked him a lot of questions and always became more confused. I would also be subject to getting a lot of sarcasm in his responses. When a person doesn't understand something his response is "you'll get it eventually." I only passed because of my friends helping me. Good luck...
Inconsistency between lecture and TA section. He's wastes a lot of time in lecture talking about what it could be even tho that's the wrong answer. Use end of chapter and review of chapters in back of book for test review.
I took the 50% web based class which was only offered at night time. His TA's are very hard to understand for the night sessions; however, very helpful if you go to there office hours. Read the textbook, Watch the lectures, Do the HW, attend class, and Don't put studying off until the last minute. It is the TA running the class.
VERY HARD CLASS. Many people I know didn't pass or barely passed. Will not help you in office hours if you are clueless. Other than the curve on your overall grade, he is a tough professor that you are pretty much forced to take. Read the textbook because that will help you the most.
Class was not difficult. As long as you put the effort beforehand and stay on top of things there shouldn't be a reason why you can't pass. He gives an extra credit assignment that can greatly impact your grade, but it is time consuming. He tells you exactly what to expect on each test and gives a practice test.
Class isn't as hard as everyone makes it out to be. The work was about average compared to any of the other 3000 level business courses. There is some extra credit/curving on all tests and final and a extra credit project worth 15 test points. Final is cumulative but it takes the score of your lowest previous test.
Class is not that bad if you study correctly. Exams are very difficult but very possible for an A. How I got an A? Read each chapter of the condensed notes at least 2 times, study homework assigned from the textbook and also look at the italicized wording in the text book. And DO NOT study from aplia.
Exams were pretty hard.. I was pretty clueless until half the class n then I picked up on it. Do the hw's, my TA Amanda was awesome. She was ehh at first but became an awesome TA afterwards. So basically do the hw, watch his videos on canvas, use the study guide given, and DO THE EXTRA CREDIT, it's 15 points!!!
does not teach has a TA, very rude when responding to e-mail like you should already know the answer; 2 homework assignments, 1 in class problem & 1 quiz EVERY WEEK! does not show how to perform computations, & homework is graded on an AVERAGE by attempts not by highest score-even though you're teaching yourself;25+% of students fail every semester
Besley is terrible! At least my class had a TA and he was kinda helpful. Besley would respond to emails but wouldn't answer the question you had. Basically his arrogant response was read the instructions again. The tests were super hard! 2 assignments 1 quiz and 1 in class problem every week. 1 tedious extra credit assignment that actually helps!
I do not recommend taking him. I seen the professor 2 times the entire semester. The ta teaches the class and you cant understand him. I felt incredibly prepared for all my exams and all of them I did horrible on all of them.
If you go to every class like you are supposed to then there is no reason why you should earn lower than a C. Han Shi is an awesome TA. Do all of the HW and definitely do the extra credit assignment. I managed a B in the class but it was by far the hardest B I had to work for. Good Luck and try to free up your schedule for this one.
hard test, he will trick you on the test, he expected you to know everything, online lectures, TA horrible he don't even understand what students are asking him.
It is a hard class. You have online homework and quizzes on top of textbook homework and the exams. There is a lot of information you need to know before every test. The TA wasn't very helpful and couldn't explain the homework very well. Lectures are long. Took a lot of time and energy just to get a B. Would not recommend.
I saw Dr. Besley twice during my Summer C course, on the first day, and at the final. The class was taught primarily by the TA with the exception of one 25 min video per chapter, which is done by the prof. I am a marketing major and this was no doubt the hardest course of my college career. While I passed, it was because of the one EC assignment.
This class sucks, but it's passable. Watch all the online lectures, yeah they are long and brutal. Do well on the first exam and youll have the basics for the rest of the class. The other exams are hard. The final is much easier and it replaces a low test grade. Do the extra credit, it's not that bad. Don't wait to take this class. Go to every clas
It is possible to pass this class if you do all of the homework and extra credit but you won't learn much. Prof delights in giving tricky questions and seems to be proud of the number of students that fail this class the first time. Take this class from someone else or at a different campus.
DO NOT MISS THE FINAL. Besley is fair. If you did well in ACG, you will do fine here. Put in the effort and use the materials he provides you with, after all, he does want you to succeed. Extra Credit is easy, did it in one day (but took 8 hours). He has tutorial videos, useful for tests. Online homework sucks. TAs give you tricks, so go to class
Professor Besley is tough, but he's fair and gives you all the resources you need to succeed. You have to earn an A. Don't just do the book problems assigned; do all of them and have TA's go over them during off hours. Stay on top of the homework. Sit in another section if you need to reinforce the concepts. This is a "welcome to college" class.
RUN RUN RUN!! This class was very hard. His test are difficult and not easy. Read the book and power points and make sure you have a clear concept of the material. If you find another teacher go with them I will make sure to stay clear from Besley again.
Worst prof I have ever had. He is arrogant & he treats students like they are stupid. Going to class is useless besides the fact that he collects hw & in-class assignments; his explanations of 4 HW problems take up the entire time & are unclear. His TA classes had different, easier finals. Be sure to take TA's, NOT Besley.
If you were to replace "Mr. Grinch" with "Dr. Besley", you'd get my overall assessment on this guy.
Good professor, terrible people skills. He can explain the material well, but don't expect to know how you are doing as far as grades because his grading system is 'complicated'. My tips for the class are to rework the homework several times each & learn to use the stupid calculator because you won't have time to manually do the calculations.
The book (that he wrote) is convoluted and dogmatic, his lectures are dull and devoid of any interesting material whatsoever, and his grading system is needlessly complicated. Exam questions are more often about deciphering the question than proving you understand the material being tested. There's a lot of free points outside of the exams, though.
Loved his class! Most test questions are conceptual so a good study of the book will help a lot. He assigns a lot of homework, but it's manageable and engaging. My favorite thing about him is how clear, concise, and knowledgeable he is about finance. He's not easy, but if you try hard, you won't leave his class without feeling like an expert!
Honestly probably the absolute worst professor at USF. His lectures teach you nothing he just talks about random stuff the whole class. READ THE BOOK and memorize basically everything because that is the only way you will pass. DO the extra credit project even tho its 55 pages because you're gonna need it, but do it well because he gives out 0's.
I took this class during the summer so it was very lecture heavy. Make sure to read the book. If you only look at PowerPoints, you will have a hard time passing
Do yourself a favor and take this class with someone else. He wrote the book that you need for the class, so for the exams he takes questions that are word for word. The hw is problem based and the exam is 80% reading, so the hw doesn't. His lectures are not helpful either, he will even question why you are writing notes about the power points.
A/B student, dropping this class to take online because I dont want to hurt my GPA. You need his book memorized for the exams, I got a 75 on the first one and he said the average will only drop. You have do the hw on your own before he teaches the content. If you take notes in class he asks if you read the book, doesnt like answering questions.
Spring'18 -Take this class if you have time to put effort into it. It is difficult. One chapter is covered each week. There are written & online homework assignments and also online quizzes each week(use the book as a guide for all 3 of those). For tests, know how to do the HW problems, but your focus should be reading & UNDERSTANDING THE TEXTBOOK!
His exams are difficult but they are definitely fair. He also grades easy . I am by no means a Finance wiz but he explained things thoroughly and the book is concise and to the point. Do the practice problems, and do a couple extra ones that you can find answers to online. Great teacher actually. Missed an A by one point.
He knows a lot about the subject but SUCKS at teaching. He's a very tough grader and his "study guides" never include all the information that you need for the tests. Also, there is a lot of self-teaching in his class. He's not welcoming when you need help and he seems to be offended when you ask questions. I would NOT recommend him at all.
The lectures are soooo boring. He hates questions and cant teach to save his life
Do. Not. Take. This. Dude. I repeat DO NOT TAKE THIS GUY! Can't say that enough.
Frankly, I'm a little confused as to why these reviews are so bad. Sure, the class is difficult, and the lectures seem to drag... but it is clear Besley knows what he is talking about. His study guides were extremely helpful, and exams were fair. If you put in the time, there is no reason why you shouldn't get a passing grade.
Consider other professors that teach Principles. Lectures were very dry and his explanations to student questions are curt at best. When I took his class (Spring 2018) he offered one extra credit assignment that did come in handy to salvage a grade. The material itself wasn't very difficult, though it could have been explained much more clearly.
He is definitely USF's best finance professor.
Worst class ever...
This professor is to the point and goes over assigned problems in class. Buy the book and read the notes which are printed on the back of the book which provide a good summary. Make sure to know solving assigned problems. Aplia assignments are tough but are not a major portion of grade. Take the extra credit!
A lot of people left bad reviews and I am not sure why. He is intelligent in the subject of finance. Learned more about basic finance in his class than I had in my entire life. The material is hard as its new to most but he was personally one of my favorite professors.
Hands down the worst professor at USF.
If you are really interested in the subject and want to work hard, take his class. If you just want to pass, this class isn't for you. His quizzes and projects weren't too difficult, but the exams covered nothing that was on the exam reviews. You basically have to learn EVERYTHING in the textbook and spend hours on the little details to get an A.
It's just really pathetic having a teacher that doesn't actually teach.. He just tells you to "read the textbook/syllabus" if you ask ANY question. I don't think he's ever actually answered someone's question. He doesn't link the assignments to canvas, so the amount of quizzes people have missed is ridiculous. Lectures are 2hrs of random talk..
Dont take him. He doesnt really teach. He requires you to watch a 2 hour lecture before coming to class for him to summarize the lecture for you. Expects you to read the textbook as well. Take another professor if you can.
I really do believe these ratings are flawed in that those who did not do the best in the course have have the loudest voice. Simply put, If you want an easy A this is not the class for you. However, if you actually put the effort in and read the book and watch the online lectures the course should not be that difficult.
This teacher is downright awful. It is approaching finals week now and I decided not to withdraw even though half the class withdrew after exam two because of how bad everyone scored (Class avg was 69). Do not try and ask him any questions because he will be so mean to you. I have the rest of this week to try and teach myself for this finale :)
Professor Besley has to be one of the worst professor I have ever had. He is not helpful whatsoever and it almost feels like he is irritated that he has to teach anyone anything. He will ask if anyone has a question and then continues to talk. When you finally are able to ask a question it's met with sarcasm and attitude. Take ANYONE, but HIM.
This Professor is not there to teach you, he is there to belittle you. He is the rudest professor I have ever had. In any attempt to ask a question, he will cut you off and make you feel stupid about not understanding. His lectures are dry and not engaging. The class average for Exam 2 was a 69 which says a lot about his teaching right there.
This professor tends to talk over his students, maybe on accident. He seems to get bothered when asked about how he grades things because he assumes the syllabus does a good job about it (it doesn't). However, his review videos and practice exam questions are excellent, and are all you need to pass his class. Ended up with a 102%
I attended the lectures, but they were just a summary of the chapter for 2 hours with we wont work on this too much because I want you to read the book. I read the book (which hes an author of) & took notes on every chapter, but the text was just as insightful as his lectures were. Test 2 class avg was a 69. Bad attitude with the students too.
This guy's not too bad, not sure why others complain so much. Class is very fair and not hard, he's just no-nonsense. Dry sense of humor, lectures are alright, he knows what he's doing but doesn't make the material all that interesting. Exams are easy enough, they offer bonus points and his overall grading system is forgiving.
Literally worst teacher at usf. Dont take his class unless you can teach yourself finance. If you arent good at finance you will definitely fail because he does not know how to teach, do yourself a favor and take any other professor available for finance, i wish I had.
Principles of Finance is hard, but he does a good job explaining the content. I ended up with over 100% because of the extra credit and his review classes before the exam, where he basically goes over everything that's going to be on the test. Just beware that he can be a little condescending and he'll probably tell you to read the syllabus.
Terrible - meanest professor I have yet had. He does get the job done when it comes to going over the material, but his math examples are confusing and he doesn't like to answer questions and he is very curt about it. He does have a good set up and his grading system is forgiving, but don't take him if you can help it.
Such a demeaning person. Only talks down on students and even has humiliated me and many of my peers when asking questions. Talks right over you every time you want to learn or ask anything. Very hard to learn from as well, wants you to know the whole entire text book. Horrible experience
I am not happy with the way that this class is taught. I feel stranded by myself to teach myself most of the material. The book does little to provide help with the homework problems so I am learning through Google. Why should I have to pay for a college class when I'm teaching myself this? I wish there was a TA.
This was the difficult class ever and the reason was professor made it harder than it actually was. He ask the students to do the assignments before teaching the chapter. Final exam is commutative with two hours and more than 60 questions. Take any body else in the whole entire world for Finance but do not take this professor.
Difficult but rewarding class. You will need to read the text and do assignments before class, so quite a bit of work to do each week. Tests are MCQ and not hard if you've been attending class. Lots of extra credit available. Besley is a no-nonsense professor, but an excellent lecturer who helps you actually learn the material. READ THE SYLLABUS.
Hides grades until the end so you do not know where you are in the class. So condescending, told me I will fail the final exam because I asked him for help on a project- I got 102 on the previous exam... Tells you to ask questions, then interrupts you while you ask thinking he knows what you're going to say, but doesnt. One EC, but very difficult
This professor will hide grades from you until the end of the semester and I do not know what is the reason behind this. I did worked hard in this class. completed all long assignments. still could not pass he class. There are a lot of math problems which are hard but he will not teach any of those . You have to teach your self .
He makes the course harder than needed. He gives a lot of homework which aren't always relevant to the exams. I could barely find the time to study because I was doing all 3 of his lengthy homework assignments almost every night. As for the concept part of the exam make sure you memorize the textbook because he asks super specific questions.
I used to be afraid of this class and now i have my masters in finance.,Couple of things to note: Self study is important for this class. Read EVERY detail in textbook please. Do the ASSIGNED problems and ask yourself "How" you arrived at your answer. DO the extra credit. Do sample exams and answer with logic.
This professor will read slides at a glacial pace while maintaining a consistent monotone voice. Furthermore, he focuses on minutia that fog up the point of the class lecture. Class lectures are only useful if you've got the attention span of a finance-loving savant
The professor has very strict rules and makes no exceptions except those required by school. Course is not difficult in small pieces, but has lots of moving parts that's confusing to piece together. Lectures are fast paced. Canvas is disorganized. Answers to questions are vague. Daily deliverables right before an exam. 2 exams worth 70% of grade.
Very knowledgeable, wrote the texbook so uses it a lot. Gives extra credit per chaper but it's HARD, extremely time consuming, and grades it tough. Gives no slack and will not give exceptions. Doesn't take attendance but collects assignments in class. Also doesn't post your grade in canvas so you won't know what you have until the class is over.
i was doing horribly in this class until the final which I did good on, online lectures are very helpful. He gave exam tips in class a lot (what material to study). Tests are MCQ. He is uptight and pretty stern. Just be patient when asking him questions, acknowledge his syllabus, and put in the effort to learn.
Mandatory class, terrible experience despite an A. Arrogant teaching; challenging questions met with deflection. Boasts intelligence but lacks tangible achievements, relying on co-authoring a textbook. Lacks societal standing to justify the attitude.
Gives a lot of information that can be helpful; notes what material is going to show up for sure on tests. However, when answering questions, he does not usually answer what is asked and takes a long time talking about everything except what is asked. Read everything in the chapter, show up. Doctor notes do not matter to him, except for exams.
Do not take him. 85% students are using their phones. A lot of homeworks and heavy
Big smooth rounded shining forehead.
Avoid!!!!! He does not publish grades until the last moment, hard for you to know where you are at.
Purposefully deflected 90% of the questions asked throughout the semester. You are forced to read the chapters and do homework before the lecture, making it take much longer than it otherwise would. Homework is purposefully collected at random, causing assignments you spent 2 hours on to be meaningless. Avoid this class if you value your time.
U can ask a question and he will go on a tangent about smth completely irrelevant. If you try to restate ur question he will act like u are incompetent and not listening. Lectures are SO boring. He thinks he's the best person ever. He will ask a question say you are wrong and then say the exact same answer. idk anyone who lacks that much awareness
I took this class during my study abroad, so it was different. He's a stubborn man who's too smart to be a professor. He talks a lot and likes to hear himself talk. He interrupts you because he thinks he knows what you're saying. However, he structures his class well and wants you to understand and succeed. Extra credit is there and an 87 is an A-
The professor has a unique teaching style - can be a bit rigid, but worth sticking with if you engage with the material. unstuckstudy AI was a lifesaver for practice tests. Overall, challenging but rewarding if you put in the effort.
Scott takes pride in making his class unnecessarily hard; he's always happy to know students struggle in this course. He's hands down the worst professor I've ever had. The course material is not particularly difficult. He is not there to teach you; he only wants to show you that he is smarter than you. Listen to the reviews he's extremely arrogant
Worst professor I've taken so far. If you have him, make sure to attend every single class and do the extra credit homework assignments.
I haven't even finished this class but I can tell I don't like this guy or his class.
He is strict and can have an attitude, but if you personally enjoy Finance this would be an amazing class, he gives one of the best the best lectures I have been in. He explains everything really clearly and detailed with examples almost every time. If you are a type of person that asks a lot of questions, he might not be the best.
He asks for questions during the lectures but when a student asks a question he states he already went over that. Completely deflecting the question and telling the student to look it up online. Or he refers to his 15 page syllabus that he expects every student to have read and memorized. I would not recommend this professor.
1. He is rude to students, rarely allows questions, and when he does he often refuses to repeat explanations, saying he already covered it. 2. He assigns homework on three different platforms, with random due dates sometimes. 3. If you struggle with the content or lecture, he is not understanding and remains strict. I would not recommend his class
Under no circumstances should you take this class. He expects all students to know what he talks about before coming to class. Don't bother asking questions, he will make sure you feel embarrassed; three different places you have to do homework on with staggered due dates with no useful purpose. 3 hour lectures where he rambles on monotonously.
If you are unlucky enough to take this class make sure you choose to take a break if he gives you the option. We chose not to have a break since he said no breaks means leaving the 3 hour lecture early. Needless to say he lied and we didn't leave class early once. In fact we would start the next chapter if we finished “early”.
Honestly never understood why so many people dislike this professor. As with any other high-level course, if you read the syllabus, go to class, and study you will succeed in this course. He gives extra credit on the homework every week. He comes off as cocky to people who don't read the textbook and ask dumb questions.
This class is not very hard as long as you do the extra credit and study the study guides and videos that he provides. This class is very structured and I would suggest reading the syllabus because the structure of this class can be confusing. Overall he is a good professor and makes finance easy to understand.
This teacher appears to take pleasure in watching his students struggle. Attendance is mandatory if you want extra points on the final. He talks over the students asking him questions in class, so what's the point in even asking?, Honestly I would avoid this teacher unless you enjoy headaches. Never gave me more than 8/10 on assignments :(
I took this class 6 years ago and let me tell you. I do not like this professor nor this class. He is rude for no reason
I drove to his class everyday without a seatbelt in hopes of not making it and it actually falling under the few "excused absences" listed in his syllabus. Do whatever you can, to take this class online or with another teacher, if USF even offers other options. I highly recommend reading more reviews from people to get the full picture.
I took FIN 3403 with Professor Scott Besley. The class wasn't too difficult, but his teaching style felt a bit condescending at times, and he didn't really try to connect with students. The material was easy if you went to class, but the experience could've been better.
This was one of the most difficult classes I have taken at USF thus far. Went to every class, completed every single extra credit, and religiously took notes, but even with all of that the difficultly of the final was enough for me to hate this class. Besley was good at explaining the material, but had a poor attitude towards students.
I was scared of this class because of all the bad reviews but I think that if you did bad in this class it's probably bc you weren't showing up to class. He's super knowledgeable and super resourceful there's a whole site with notes,lectures,practice exams etc. always gives hints to what will be on exams. If you do the work you will be just fine.
Worst professor I have ever taken in college thus far, which is surprising for an intro to finance course. If you fail the exams you essentially fail the course. Lots of reading and homework before, during, AND after class. Has a very mean attitude towards students. Says he doesnt write trick questions but he does. Also he wrote the book for class.
He is very passive agressive and does not care to teach. He basically reads off slides and is confused why no one pays attention to him. No real teaching is done in his class.
Tough class but he is not horrible at teaching. He gives extra credit every week, helping with understanding the material. He may seem cocky but I expected worse after reading his past reviews. The exams can be easy if you persistently study the exam reviews and notes he provides.
He's like whatever. He knows what he's talking about but does so in such an annoying way it makes me kind of hate him. Also makes you read the chapter and do work for it before he goes over it which is stupid. But overall not the worst professor ever. You'll be fine.
The worst professor I've had at USF so far. He is disrespectful and does not offer much help when you have questions which can make learning from him difficult. If you pay attention, you'll pass but if you can take the class with any other professor, I recommend taking anyone over him.
Should've retired 10 years ago. Assignments are older than the students are.
If you study on your own time and compare what he says in class to what is in the textbook your test scores will be fine. He doesn't answer questions well, he has trouble understanding hypotheticals, IYKYK. All in all explains the lectures as if we are already working in this field and have have studied these topics previously.
If you do all the homework and go to class you will learn the material really well and get an A+. BUT be warned, the professor is very condescending and disrespectful toward students. Also he makes you read the chapter and do the homework before coming to class every week. Overall, bad professor but good course. Put in the work and you'll be fine.
The class is not difficult at all. Apply yourself, and you will be successful. For the individual, he is the definition of "cranky old man". My best comparison is Mr. Hand from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. He is very knowledgeable in his field, but expects everyone to have the same drive and passion he does. Show up to class and will get an A.
He gave homework on 3 different platforms and for the in-class homework you never know when he collects it so you have to come to every class and he only collects one random question. Exam 1 is easier than exam 2, the final is split into two parts 21% and 17%. The extra credit is hard and he won't grade it if you get less than 10.5 points on it
Aplia, spreadsheets, and problems/questions (in class) for every chapter. Make sure to READ the instructions and pay attention, he doesn't like to repeat himself and can be very condescending. As long as you pay attention, take notes, do all hw, and use all the given resources like the ppt, notes, book, and videos he provides u should be fine.
I am 90+ credits in my degree and I have never gotten lower an A other than 2 B+'s. This professor made history for me. He explains Finance in such an outdated way that even current workers in the field were confused on the concepts. rude for no reason when you ask questions.
Intro Finance course with a lot of homework assignments and a few exams. There is also a lengthy, tedious extra credit project towards the end of the class. Not the nicest professor, but he absolutely knows what he is talking about, and he increased my knowledge in the topic of finance. As long as you pay attention and do the work, you will pass.
Mean to me when I came to him with questions, and told me to look at text book and syllabus.
The professor was acceptable but rude to most students who asked sincere questions. He definitely knows his subject well but is not a good educator, his lectures are not engaging. Attendance is technically required since he doesn't take it, but he does like to randomly collect homework. The course is very exam-heavy.
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Textbook Required
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