3.5
Quality3.9
Difficulty35%
Would Retake101
Reviews35%
Would Retake
101
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
43
4
19
3
15
2
16
1
8
What Students Say
“Had to drop the course, way to hard”
MATH2A - 3.0 rating“Never take any of his class or you will regret”
MATH1D - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
40%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH1A1D
5.0
(1)MATH2A2B
5.0
(1)MATH52
5.0
(2)MATH1A1B
5.0
(1)LINEARALGEBRA
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
FINITEMATH
5.0
MATH101
5.0
MATH1C1D
5.0
MATH49A
5.0
MATH12BUSCALC
5.0
Reviews (101)
Exam is very hard. Hard teacher. If you want to get A. Don't take his course. However, his teaching is good and clarity is also good.
High expectations. Never boring. Extremely bright. A little corney. Don't bring a cell phone to class or you'll regret it.
Kicked me out of the midterm because my cell phone (for the first time) went off. Did not allow me to make up points, nor sign a special exception withdrawal sheet. He knew without the midterm, I can't get a C. Goes through material too quickly!!!!!!!!!
Very hard tests. Average 9 questions on the tests so you better expect those 9 to be hard!!!Finals is cummulative and finals is only 9 questions!!!Takes 1 question from each Chapter. Comes off cocky, but is bright.
he is EXTREMELY hard. even though 80% is A, chance is u will end up w/ a C. but his class is really fun. those of u think about taking him HAVE to show up, cuz he pulls everything out of his head. highly recommended for those of u LOVE math.
Awful class. Take another instructor. Scott Peterson is not a nice person, either.
Greatest math teacher I've had. Take his class and you'll learn something. Take someone else and BS your way thru... and you'll get screwed later.
Scott is extremely unapprochable. He only teaches at De Anza part time so his head is somewhere else, definitely not supportive of students. Although he has time to make unfitting remarks about faculty and students in college newspaper.
I liked Mr.Petterson, but I have to agree he is very hard. His grading is very rough, you have to know the material!! But he does do a great job in explaining. Just make sure NO cell phones and NO Stanford lovers!!!!
Exams are easy. They are all calcuation. No need to prove theory. Much easier than Grushko and Mrs V (forget how to spell it) if you don't like prove.
It's true this instructor gives really hard tests and he's quite proud of it. However, he is one of the best math instructors I've ever had. I learned more in his class than I could have imagined.
He is simply too hard
The hardest math teacher I have ever seen. He is proud of this and makes his tests impossible. He teaches the material fine but the problem is his tests aren't on the material. Its all applications that have nothing to do with what we are learning.
wonderful teacher!!
Really,you "may" learn something from him.But your grade is also important,isn't it?If you're gonna transfer to some University which requires high GPA,just avoid taking his class.He teaches with his Berkeley standard;it's definately unfair
Best math teacher I've had in DA. His lectures are fast and to the point. Do homework and you'll get at least a B. Turn off your cell.
Though,I'll never be a rocket scientist,You are the first math teacher who ever showed me how to think. As Rand would say: "value for value." I appreciate your input, and hope you get a smile out of me saying so.
He knows what he is teaching but his method is only for smart students. Exams are hard and won't have in what you did in the homework. He is not for average student. He is smart but he doesn't know how to help students study.
A rocket scientist, Peterson knows everything and teaches it well to the point and we always leave early because of it. Tests are not easy though but if you do work the lecture problems and do more than his HW problems, you'll do fine because 80% is an A. Just be ready to laugh at Stanford because he makes fun of them sooo much
I took his class a few years ago. I still think he is the best of the best math instructors. His test is not that hard. As long as you understand his lecture, you can easily get a B even you don't do any homeworks. If you go through some problems that he gives, you will get an A for sure.
He's the best math instructor I've ever had. I've had other math professors I liked, but he is good. He emphasizes proofs and disdains calculators. Since taking his course I've come to appreciate other professors who don't "teach the calculator" and instead focus on teaching math.
this guy is cool but his test is hard. really smart guy and a really great teacher. but his test is hard. but his grading system is really fail proof. can't fail in that class. just survive until the first test then its the easy road after that.
very hard class...you have to study very very hard just to pass a test...and the lectures are very boring
highly recommend! he is a fellow DAC student who transfered and graduated from UCBerkley. very nice, clear, funny, and understanding. no hw is collected, few quizes, 2 midterms and a final. take good notes of the problems he does on the board b/c those are deffinitely on the test. don't even have to read your book. =]
Admittedly, I learned a lot from this instructor, but my grade does not reflect that. Do extra questions and take really good notes. He WILL kick you out for a ringing cell phone. He's a wonderful, enigmatic teacher who probably prepared me for what's to come, but being clearer about what's to be on the exams is a must.
Simple 3 midterms, and 1 comprehensive final. Grading system is fair. 80-90% is an A. Tests are hard if you do not practice problems and understand concept. Teacher is very intelligent in math and at times pulls off funny lines. Nice happy going person! Make sure you turn off your cellphones in class though!
He didnt pass out a syllabus so if you dont go to class you wont know what hmwk to do. Quizzes are given randomly at the beginning of class and cannot be made up even if you are sick. Tests are hard and he is a very picky grader. For example, if you get the right answer but he didnt like how you came to that conclusion he will take off pts still.
I dropped after 1st class. Stated he would not let us use notes for tests (I've NEVER had a math class where you couldn't use formulas/notes). Also didn't care about GPA and how it effects his students carreer. Sorry..don't need this headache. Also wasn't too hip on his other reviews on here..they were right!!
Good teacher. Explains well, and cuts out lecture early. Tests are hard, but the grading scales are lowered.Not as bad as Mosh, because we know when we have exams. But several pop quizzes, which worth 100pts int total, are given.
His tests are really hard...from the first day he noted that his class wasn't going to be easy and I should have dropped then.
Hes excellent. His lecture is great, u would never fall to sleep. his test is hard, but lower grading scale. Its hard to get A, but easy pass (u pass and learn a lot). If u gonna go further in math, u should take him. He looks like he does not care about u, but inside him-he does a lots.
Teacher is hard but VERY good if you want to learn math take him he's clear with everything he says and he grades by having an 80% being an A which makes up for his tough class. Take notes, do the homework, ask questions and you'll get an A
Peterson definitely knows his stuff, and teaches is very well. The only downside is that his tests are hard and even with the ridiculous curve (80:A, 65:B, 50:C), getting an A or a B is pretty difficult.
It's just that EASY !!!
even stanfurd students can solve this. it is just that easy.(Be careful. don't ever spell it in a correct way. he will be really upset because he is a cal graduate).
Not a very good teacher. Attempts to make problems more complicated than they really are. Belittles students in open class (always a good teaching technique.)
Impossible tests for most students. Don't take him. Believe me.
This teacher is extremly hard, at least his tests are. He takes points off for everything. He can't understand that the students are people and make mistakes especially on test because they are nervous. Don't take him there are better math teachers in De Anza.
This teacher is not for those who want to get an easy A. He is a nice instructor, very helpful, and explains clearly. However, his tests are hard, but do-able if you study and really grasp the concept (theorem, definition, proofs, etc). He has his own catchphrases though, such as: "life is good" or "it's just that easy"
I learned pre calc back in high school. I thought it was easy. I took him... SHIEET... he makes pre-calc the most complicated subject ever. However, he makes it easy as well. He teaches fairly well. Best teacher; Worst grader. Before, I used to brag how easy precalc is. Now... I learned that pre-calc can be SOO HARD. He makes me extremely "HUMBLE".
Ive slept thru all my math classes since 8th grade. Ive never thought that the subject math could be "interesting." This professor, however, made his lectures interesting and i found myself wanting to go to class each day. Crazy, i know. This professor definitely knows what he's doing. Awesome professor. But one downside: dont except an easy A
Peterson is arrogant, and condescending, always trashing other schools particularly colleges better than the one he attended. He teaches the material very well, but deliberately makes exams harder than need to be, as if he enjoys seeing students fail and get discouraged, too many questions for the time allowed impossible for 90% students to finish.
I love this guy!!!! Such an excellent teacher. He plays it up that he's so difficult and everyone will drop. I am lucky if I get a B in Math, and this class was a breeze. If you go to class, you'll be totally fine. He has very little office hours (free one day before class and then everyday after class), but the tutoring center is just as helpful.
I just finished my first week with this person. All the neg comments are on the mark. However I had to take him as I can't get to school for a 6pm class. I had Rudolf for 112 and he def spoiled me as he was nice and could teach as well so you can understand. Never had a teacher like this you put you down for asking a ?. No one in class asks ?'s
I've had many math teachers at DAC (no mathwhiz), but Peterson is hands down the best I've ever had. He expects you to know your prior material, to do the homework or attempt it if you want his help - if you need hand-holding, go elsewhere. Grading fair IMO. He gets into the 'why' of the math along with the mechanics w/o getting esoteric. Go Cal.
My favorite teacher ever. Helped me realize how awesome math was. Question-and-answer lecture style worked extremely well for my extroverted personality. Although my guess is that the introverts in the class paid attention as well; dialogue is more interesting than monologue. Tests are tough but 80% is an A, 65% is a B, 50% is a C.
Worest teacher ever!!!!! explains everything at his leve only. you ask a qustion and he mocks you. more the half of my class got "f" the rest got "C- or D." Doesnt collect homework and tests are extremely hard! I dont know why he is still teaching he doesnt care about the students...his way or the high way!"its just that easy"
I Love Peterson! He actually "KNOWS" his math and has a passion for the subject. If you want to learn take him, if you want an easy A, stay away. You can get an A, but you will earn it. I am trying to take him again and he doesn't teach trig next quarter. If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity, take him......
His exam is hard because he will not tell you the tricks in the exam. Even though you study very hard, you will get a low grade because you cannot figure out the tricks in the exam.
MR. PETERSON IS THE BEST MATH TEACHER AT DE ANZA & FOOTHILL!!! so last quarter I took math 11 & i failed miserably! which surprised the hell out of me because i LOVE math! i was lightweight depressed, then i took mr. peterson's class & i aced the class AND i understood everything! he's a great math teacher & is very smart! great grading style!
He's great, very smart. He only teaches important things in class. You'll have to learn by yourself too. He makes you like Math and think Math. 80% is A, 65% is B, it's quite hard to get A but you can't miss B. Highly recommend!!!
just like everyone else said, he's a hard grader but that should compensate with the grading scale he has (85% is A, 70% is B, and so on...) I'm decent in math and still got an A in his class only 'cause i followed his directions and honestly practiced all the math concepts taught in class. He's avery nice person and his teachings are crystal clear
comparatively hard grader but if you study, you should do well in his class...he gives a bonus question for every exam and has a super awesome grading scale which helps raise ur grade! overall he's a great teacher and definitely one of the best math teachers in deanza!! ps he lets every one go like 1/2 hr early!!
Expects you to know basic math, does not rely on calculators and expects you not to as well. He is an actual rocket-scientist so if you have questions, ASK!!!! He WILL answer everything in detail. No notes on tests, MUST STUDY!!!!! Hard, but great teacher. Has low grade scale. C-50,B-70, A-85.
Brutally honest, unique sense of humor. Consider yourself lucky to get into a Peterson class. He will make you work for your grade, and expects a lot out of his students. He knows the proofs, and is never caught in a situation where he cannot explain a problem for you. I entered this class with some sloppy work habits and exited much improved.
I thought he was easy personally. just do the work, though some tutor told me half the class dropped.
Possibly the best math teacher at De Anza. He isn't very hard if you do all your homework and actively participate in class. Explains everything clearly and is always willing to answer any questions you may have. Take Peterson if you really want to understand math!!
He is a very hard professor when it comes to tests, but he is helpful during office hours. If you do all your homework, and get they study guide packet that comes with the textbook, you will do well. I am HORRIBLE at math, but this professor actually peaked an interest in it. If only my algebra was stronger, I would have done better. 50% is passing
He is not hard at all... 1. The test is sooo easy to me
Very nice teacher.make It very easy to undrestand.
Blasts through the lecture way too fast, then lets class out 30 min early, with students still confused. Gives insanely hard tests. Cares almost nothing about your legitimate life problems. Doesn't even have the courage or decency to return phone calls from students. He's happy if everyone fails. Do not take unless you are a math supergenius.
I took his class for linear algebra. He is chill and funny. Gives hw but doesn't collect them. 3 exams, 1 final, & few quizzes.(calculator ok) Exams are reasonable but they're not easy(as he said in the beginning of the quarter). Take notes and study. Attendance is mandatory. textbook is used for homework only. no cellphone or he'll kick you out.
Excellent professor. He explains everything clearly and his lessons don't bore. He doesn't collect homework since it is for your own benefit. Grade consists of three quizzes and a final. He uses a more lenient grading scale but his tests are also very challenging so studying is a must if you want an A.
Seems like he teaches more for his own enjoyment rather than to help students understand. Everything he does is counter intuitive to learning. He rushes through lectures with minimal examples and only has a single hour of office hours during the week. He doesn't use email, so he makes it impossible to communicate. The first prof I've never recomm.
He throws every curve ball he can on the exams. He doesn't look at hw and he gives guizes back late so you never know how you're doing in the class until the exam. Seriously, only a single office hour each week? He works off campus so it really seems like he doesn't give his all to the students, which is a shame since they try 100% for him.
The most unhelpful prof ever at De Anza. He says everything is easy, but doesn't help make this subject easy for students. Of course this is easy for him - it's his job to teach it, but he does not translate it well to the class. Avoid if you can. Doesn't give credit for hw, grade based solely on stupidly tough exams.
To be fair he is not the very worst teacher at DA, as some of the reviews state, but... He does not seem to care about his students, by his own admission. His tests are more difficult than you'd expect based on class work. It appears that he enjoys asking "trick" questions on tests & quizzes. He'll teach & test things that aren't in the book.
He's a likeable guy, but a orrible prof. Doesn't have student's best interests at heart. Didn't collect hw, so only exams count for your grade. Plus: lowers percentage to get an A, B, etc. Minus: He lowers his percentage reqs because he expects students to do poorly. Definitely puts Qs on exams that you've never seen before. I suggest not taking.
He is an interesting guy! He makes his lectures very interesting with jokes. His tests are hard, so you need to do your best though 85% is A. I enjoyed this class pretty much. Recommended!
He's an easy professor, not an easy A and he's hilarious
The best professor ever. Everything is easy in his class. Easy A and learned so much from him. Take him and you won't regret
Best math Professor in De Anza.
easy A. 85% is an A ,and 55% is passing. tests and quizzes are extremely easy. 15 true false. What else can you hope for?
Had to drop the course, way to hard.
Scott is phenomenal teacher. Granted, his grading is stingy and tests are usually very tough, you get to learn a lot. 2 hour lectures, but never fell asleep cuz his class is just very engaging and pleasant. He has a good sense of humor and will help answer any question, no matter how stupid. Just study a lot, do ALL hw, and you will be just fine!!
I disagree with all these raving reviews about him. And seriously, no one addresses this guy's lack of proper hygiene? It is really hard to focus when you smell the guy constantly (this statement is not an exaggeration one bit)
Professor Peterson is the best math teacher I've ever had. He knows the subject well and has great lectures (which tend to be on the short side). If you do all the homework he suggests and review your notes, then you should do well. His tests are not hard, but he can be a tough grader. Near the end he gave us a challenging but doable group project.
He assigns homework each class but that's reasonable, and his tests are usually mostly homework or class questions. He likes to put one really difficult problem on them though. He's funny and enjoys making fun of Stanford and UCLA since he's from Berkeley. The final was really tough though. Recommended!
Hardest math professor i ever took. You cant even expect an easy C. 40 students in the beginning and around 15 in the end. Skip a quarter of math, its not worth it.
One of the best prof at De Anza. He knows the stuff, explains well, answers questions well even if they are stupid ones. His exam is not easy but his A is 85%, so not impossible. He provides a neat proof for each theorem and also teaches you how to think in math. Even though his class is not easy-A, it's worth taking it and doing a real math.
I will give him all negative if I could. He never care about students. He said he only let a few people pass his class and almost 90% students failed in his class. He seems to be proud of making students suffer. Never take any of his class or you will regret. And he never gives A-, B+ and so on. So it will hurt your GPA greatly.
He has his own way of solving problems which most of the time is different from the book so you have to attend every single class although he doesn't take attendance. He explains the simple and easy examples in class but put the hardest question in the exams. Homework are not graded but you definitely need to do all of them to pass.
He is hard! I did calc ab in mvhs but he grades very hard and takes a lot of points off on the smallest things (not showing enough work etc.) on the first test I got a 77 even though I got every problem correct and should have deserved a 110 (1 ec). Teaches well. 2nd test super hard (average 50 percent + there's no curve) 3rd test easy. final ok.
I don't suggest you take class with him he always let the students to go home 30-45 minutes earlier so he cant finish the lecture or he push a lot of hard lectures in one section.
Really funny. Makes class engaging. Doesn't collect homework. Would've been nice to see more visuals to understand some of the more intimidating and abstract concepts. Lectures rarely take up the full time slot but you can ask him anything. Tests are decently tougher than the HW, which can be frustrating since the tests are everything.
This is tough because I think he is a great guy and is very funny but this class was excruciating. The tests were incredibly difficult. The problems are much harder than the homework. I think he cares and explains concepts just okay. He explains them in a manner that makes sense for someone who already learned them before to refresh.
his class is tough! he is funny and lectures clearly. loves to challenge his students unnecessarily and even brags about his low pass rate.
Hardest math class ever! He goes too fast on the material, and if you don't remember something, he makes fun of you. I don't know why people here say he is funny, all he does is making jokes about those who are in sociology majors. He is very strict and kicks you out of class with no warning. First exam average was 49, second exam average was 53.
He is not someone you wann a take if you want to learn. He's someone you take only if you want to refresh your memory. He goes so fast. I was always completely lost in class and I felt like he didn't want to help us. He was always bragging about how many people had dropped his class. Tests were painful. His jokes were not funny and very republican.
I got a 5 on the Calc AB exam, but I severely underestimated how difficult Mr. Peterson's exams are. His lectures are very informative and he knows math like he knows the back of his hand, but his exams require deep understanding of concepts. There are 8 problems for each of the 4 exams including final. Take him if your major is heavy on math.
this teacher cares about his students and he assigns doable homework. 85% is an A. its a piece of cake as long as you do your homework.
if you want easy A, he is your teacher. super easy tests and generous grading schemes.
his lectures are fun and clear. make sure to do your homework . 85% is an A and it's not hard to get. take Scott if you have options
Best prof at deanza! Just take him! He is so easy, assigns extra credit, puts questions that you are familiar with on tests and grades them generously. Do all the homework you should be fine. Also will give you an opportunity to make up for lower scores on previous exams.
Be sure to find what reviews get thumbs up/down. Many ratings here COULD be from the prof himself. He is very well known to strongly challenge his students. Puts tough questions on tests, grades hard and often mentions how many students drop his class. He s funny and explains things clearly keeps class engaged but Many students struggle with him.
From the perspective of 2A: Peterson does a thorough job of covering the fundamentals and making students understand details. The tests aren't too bad (mostly based on stuff he does in class) except for the true/false questions, which can be very tricky at times and rely on exact definitions. You'll have to work for the A, but it's not unreasonable
The homework amount is ok but the homework is totally not the same difficulty with exam. He does not give review materials the only time you can ask questions is on the class. He does not use email, at summer he does not have office hour. He is definitely a tough grader if you have wrong equations you could get only 2 points. He is nt a caring prof
Peterson's 2B class is a learning experience meant for those who truly enjoy math. The classes are straight blackboard lectures, but attendance isn't mandatory. Beware of pop quizzes and the true false on tests, which can be tricky. If you study the book and pay attention in class, an A should be very manageable. Overall a solid choice.
I will never take this professor again and dont recommend you to. He lectures fun and easy, gives you easy samples. Later in a test he will give you the most hardest, and some of them are not from the class or more difficult versions. Its hard even to get 50% at his tests, also he doesnt grade homework, so theres no motivation to do it. Poor(
I transferred a year ago and still think about how bad he is. He rushes thru lecture to let out class 30-45mins early, EVERY LECTURE. He doesn't prepare hw, he looks in the book after class and yells 5 hw probs that he likes out. He doesn't grade your quizzes. And stop bringing up politics in a math class. He'd probly be great if he cared at all.
He is a good person but it's just his tests are too hard compared to what he taught in class and homework. I took his class fall 2018, I messed up the first 2 test bad but I did my best and managed my grade to a B.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
40%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH1A1D
5.0
(1)MATH2A2B
5.0
(1)MATH52
5.0
(2)MATH1A1B
5.0
(1)LINEARALGEBRA
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
FINITEMATH
5.0
MATH101
5.0
MATH1C1D
5.0
MATH49A
5.0
MATH12BUSCALC
5.0