2.8
Quality3.3
Difficulty45%
Would Retake362
Reviews45%
Would Retake
362
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
362 total ratings5
125
4
26
3
20
2
26
1
165
What Students Say
“-dont trust all the good reviews, theyre all written by him -the tests are terrible -he cant give a decent lecture -attendance isnt mandatory but there are class assignments worth 15% of your grade and theyre difficult”
CS110 - 1.0 rating“This teacher is so bad that I don't even go to this university, but I still felt the need to write a negative review about him”
CS211 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Grade Predictor
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Predicted Grade
A-
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+0.83 avg changeRatings by Course
CDS230
5.0
(2)CS211
3.4
(179)CS310
3.2
(17)CS110
2.9
(53)CS112
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CS112
5.0
CS221
5.0
CS101
5.0
CS310
3.5
CS110
2.8
Reviews (300)
zyBooks, per usual, does 90% of the teaching, and the other 10% is Socrates’ lectures, that jump ahead of the zyBooks, and projects and exercises he assigns us despite us being unprepared for them. The assignments start off easy but quickly devolve into confusion with how big of a step they are from the zyBooks readings and in-school labs. Avoid.
The professor seems to be out of touch with what students are learning week by week on our textbook. If you have no prior experience in Java, you're gonna be in trouble. Not even the CS 112 Python course prepares you for this level of a weed-out introductory course to the major. I say these things because of the ridiculous programming projects.
My main issue with Professor Dimitriadis is his lack of organization. Both sections were severely affected by his projects. They did not make any sense and had several errors, whereas the other professor had clear guidelines making the coding projects easier. Most people got really annoyed when Professor Dimitriadis designed the projects.
I don't want to be rude, but he is just not great at teaching. I came into this class with minimal Java experience and found it extremely difficult to keep up. A big portion of the grade comes from projects which averaged very low. Plus, the quizzes were random and impossible to study for. Only positive was that he curved our final grade a ton.
Compared to his CS211 class, this is much better. It's a pretty basic course. Not super exciting. Most of the assessments were open note, so you really have no excuse to not pass. He uploaded his lecture slides, but administered participation quizzes that were sometimes with pencil and paper, so you kind of have to come to class.
Socrates will help you become a better programmer and prepares you well for future classes, but he has many negative. On the exercises and projects, his directions will leave you frustrated. Piazza is not helpful as they are either vague or give misleading instructions as well. Most of your grade is two exams and projects which are graded harshly.
The class itself is hard because it is a programming class, but he clearly cares about teaching and tries his best to make it easy to understand. He is very passionate about Java, so his tests can be a bit difficult. This class will make you a better programmer, but definitely pay attention even if you know Java to ace the tests.
Professor Dimitriadis is nice during his lectures. But, his responses and sarcasm on Piazza (a question and answer platform used in most Computer Science Classes at GMU) is so unnecessary. Someone took the time to ask a question and his admitting that they are struggling and his responses just make the student feel worse.
His instructions are frustrating. He does not know how to make projects, his projects go over the most ridiculous things that require so much additional information that was not covered in class. We had a project where we had to code a minesweeper but most people did not know how to do the graphics. I understand applying knowledge but just...no!
He ruined CS for me. I do not like him as a professor. Do not take him if you want to actually learn things instead of cramming and being frustrated 24/7 because of his lack of instructions and unhelpful responses on this Q&A platform. Learn from these comments and save yourself from getting a professor who does not know how to teach.
THIS PROFESSOR IS TRASH. This is probably the worst professor I have ever had in my life. He should be fired immediately for putting students through that torture chamber he calls a class. His lectures are not helpful, he is immensely though on projects. My mental health was in the gutter with this guy. If you value your sanity NEVER TAKE HIM.
just pick the other cs option, he grades too harshly while giving assignments that have awful explanations. Literally told us to "make minesweeper" for a project near the beginning of the semester and then graded the assignment harshly knowing that 90% of students were not able to get it working and the 10% that did probably cheated in groups.
The G.O.A.T of one-star ratings. Unless you have extensive experience with Java, do not take his 211 course. Literally any other professor would be infinitely better.
He will not help you at all
Take the other advices into account. The class is hard without a doubt; however, it is doable if you have some level of understanding of Java or time. Lecture can be a bit dry, but that's come with the content. If you do have trouble, he's very helpful in office hours. Also, go to the GTAs office hours and start projects early. You'll do great!
Quite honestly he's the best professor to take for this course he explains things well in class and is really nice during his office hours. A lot of people (like myself) don't start projects ahead of time which can then reflect on your grade. Advocate for yourself, start projects on time, and study 3-4 days before the exams and you should be fine.
Do not recommend
Pretty boring, but was super easy. History, Ethics, Low-Level Computing, one paper, and discussion boards. Known for his in class participation. You can't avoid it. If Socrates teaches a section, the other professors will do in class participation as well.
His lectures were nothing but atrocious so definitely get ready to basically learn the entire course on your own. He shows zero mercy on project difficulty as well so thats also what you have to look out for
He is by far one of the most hated professors on campus. He's one of those professors where you have to be that student that doesn't pay attention in classes and still is able to get by pretty well. He is very harsh on programing assignments stating "it is to prepare you for the real world". But the second assignment was harder than all the others.
most of the lectures were just regurgitating what you did on the online interactive textbook. On top of that, the second programming assignment was so hard that some of the highest grades were a B. He was very adamant on not curving the class but then in the end he for sure curved it. no matter who you take for this class you have to do his PA's.
Can't escape his programming assignments everyone has to do the same ones. You can for sure tell when you doing one made by him since its significantly harder than the other professors. The best advice I can give is to not take him to never get his tests and to just take the other professors. GOOD LUCK he makes the class hell.
Look... I avoided picking him as my professor yet somehow I was stuck getting one of his assignments. The jump in difficulty is insane and it's nearly impossible to keep up if you don't have prior java experience. I don't have prior java experience. He is making a level 200 class a lot harder than it should be. Plus he ignores us.
He needs to understand that most students in this course are still not experts at programming, they have just learned some Python, which is a much more accessible language. His programming assignments are ridiculously hard and it's frustrating because even if you don't take his class, his PAs are still imposed on you.
AVOID!!!
While most of these people complain about difficulty, I find that quite dumb, you are taking a hard class. The problem with Socrates comes to his inability to design a project, and his inability to take blame for when things are incomplete when assigned. His responses to questions on his late testers, incomplete testers or bad inst. are to blame.
The only thing bad about him is how hard he makes the projects and how instructions are very unclear. Unfortunately, you cannot avoid his projects, even if you are in another instructor's class, because all classes do the same project. So it does not matter if you take him or not. However, I found his lectures and slides to be very informational.
If you have an option between John Otten & Socrates Dimitriadis for CS110 AVOID Otten and take Dimitriadis. Otten scares you if you ask questions and Dimitriadis is kinder if you need help. His work is self-explanatory and his lectures are meaningful although he has a heavy accent. To study for midterms and exams STUDYYY HARD
There were only 2 CS professors at the time of registering classes options between Otten and Dimitriadis. Although the Rate my professor's review tend to lean more towards Otten Dimitriadis is A WAY better teacher. Occasionally gets annoyed by Piazza posts but Otten cannot stand them. Dimitriadis is MORE knowledgeable
He has been caught writing his own positive reviews in this website, so please dont get fooled by that. Not only he is an atrocious grader, he makes the projects incredibly difficult. AVOID
I loved Dimitriadis's class. I don't know why there is so much negativity around him. He gives out extra credit assignments all the time and his exams are super easy. I find his accent really inspirational. if students are dedicated CS students they should be able to do WELL and not complain. I wouldn't recommend CS if that's the case then....
For a guy with a PHD not bad for a professor. I actually found his lectures very interesting and he goes in depth of all concepts to assist in PA assignments. PA assignments are probably the easiest portion of the class; I could say pop quizzes a bit intimidating but overall LOVE & ENJOYED his class. would take him again for future higher courses.
I really like dimitriadis teaching style; not sure why everyone dislikes him but honestly if you are willing to go to office hours and dedicate time for this class its really helpful and enjoyable. His lectures are way better than the other professors. Must take him to pass 211.
Very good teacher; definately caring; he has gotten alot better this fall semester and you should take him. His assignments are pretty easy. The other teachers have a lot HARDER assignments and exams. Everything is open note for his class and online.
Take him over other professors for spring 2023
in comparison to Brian Hrolenok and David Gonzales; Dimitriadis is better in teaching style and grade wise to pass the class. If you want to learn JAVA and succeed with high mark on final take Dimitriadis. Otherwise the other two teachers wont teach well
I had him for CS112 and he was a decent teacher and I learned a lot from him after taking CS211. He is a really good teacher; good experience (pHD) and knows what to teach unlike other professors. Take him 2022 and beyond. Best professor for CS and projects are very interesting.
he is the best cs211 teacher. He does give pop quizzes but they are open note. Tbh his class is really easy among all my friends taken gonzales and Hrolenek. Take Dimitriadis if you have the option to do so.
He is a better teach than CS110: he is definately a good programming teacher for JAVA and not as well for basic CS content. Take him for CS211: really good teaching style. What I love the most about his class is that there is a lot of opportunity for extra credit in case you don't do well on midterm. Most of his lab assignments are group work.
I dont get how I did better in his class for CS211 than CS110 and CS112. His is a really good teacher especially since so many people are struggling with this course. Good teacher!!
I was struggling on a programming assignment recently and I went to his office hours and he literally walked me through the entire project basically free "answers"; very kind if you need help. Literally answers every piazza post and helps with an doubts FAST; great teaching style (in depth) lectures are a bit boring though
His projects are in my opinion quite fair. His teaching style is elaborately long but detailed for students interested in learning. Always post on piazza directly too him if you need help! Very easy going professors easiest amonst all CS professors; Take him first become slots fill up; amazing!!!
Ive never had a professor like this before who has determined and devoted hours helping students master the art of Java and kindly helped out his students. Usually professors are quite blunt but he is honestly very great in terms of gradin (the important thing when choosing professors). Awesome teacher at Mason.
All of his MCQ his from quizlet; great review to go over those before exams. what more can you expect to pass a class if you have good study materials :)
Great professor; i was dedicated to do well for CS211 but he made it a lot easier to do well in the class; amazing teaching skills and very experienced teacher. I think his European studies makes it a lot more easier to teach?? but do take him in the future. Fun class!
Good teaching style!
Not very good at all. If you have the option, please consider another professor. He helps write some of the projects for CS 211 as well, particularly project 2. From my own experience and that of others who have taken the class in different semesters, project 2 is always unreasonably difficult and poorly designed.
Dont read the reviews rating him AWFUL. They just haven't studied for the class and expect to pass CS and work in high developing companies without any effort. Take me if you want good grades and progress in the long-term. He is the best teacher in the department. I give extra credit!
class is simple and manageable. Class is not hard because of the professor just the content. i personally think he is a good teacher but not sure about what others think.
FIXED--> Dont read the reviews rating him AWFUL. They just haven't studied for the class and expect to pass CS and work in high developing companies without any effort. Take him if you want good grades and progress in the long-term. He is the best teacher in the department. I give extra credit! **TYPO
Great professor would take him again if class was repeated. Love his extra credit helped me with my grade a lot since I was struggling with Java
You are always very kind, patient, helpful and truly care about your profession and your students! Thank you for a fun semester! I always enjoy having you as a professor and I appreciate how approachable you are. It means a lot to me that you check in with how things are going, because school can get pretty stressful.
My gratitude to you for all you have done, which I will never forget. I truly appreciate you and your time you spent helping me in many occasions. Thank you very much for the course. I enjoyed every minute of your lecture as well as your marvelous sense of humor.
Not a good professor reviews below are fake, don't waste your time
Good professor reviews below that say Awful are fake, don't waste your time
The other CS teachers are giving out the same exact work, and yet those professors are getting good ratings. It's almost as if Socrates's teaching is the problem. Don't take him
It's just embarrassing that Socrates feels the need to write fake good reviews about himself because no students actually want to take his class. Maybe he should try catering more to the students' needs and actually responding to them on Piazza instead.
he is by far the worst professor I've ever taken. I had him for two different courses and I would rather take any other professor than him. He is arrogant and rude. All of the recent positive reviews are fake to save himself so he wouldn't hold accountable for not doing his job properly. Just do not take him, doesn't worth your $$ and mental health
he does not have what it takes to give a good lecture. gives extra credit assignments. attendance not mandatory but a class participation assig. every class. hws, papers, etc are fair. no matter how much u study for the exams, you won't have a good grade bc he only focuses on 3-4 topics. and usually 1 of the topic is not something we have learned.
class is simple and manageable. Class is not hard because of the professor just the content. i personally think he is a good teacher but not sure about what others think.
Easy grader and class participation matters they can help overall grade. I passed this class with my eyes closed. Really easy!
Great professor would take him again if class was repeated. Love his extra assignments helped me with my grade a lot since I was struggling with Java. I like how its not all about final exams and all whereabouts.
Respectable teacher. I actually plan on taking future CS courses with him because he taught me better skills and especially since it was in person. His exams are honestly quite easy and simple to achieve an A without any assistant. Take him if you would like.
I like coding so this class was fun especially the challenges and obstacles that problem solving brings. I hope to learn more C++ or C with Dimitriadis and achieve a higher reputation in companies. Choose him if you are experienced or new student at GMU and new to programming. Really goes through basic which I love about teachers.
I don't know how he got such a high overall rating with majority awful reviews but he is faking good reviews to trick students into taking his class next semester. Embarrassing. Don't be fooled and don't take his class.
class is simple and manageable. Class is not hard because of the professor just the content. i personally think he is a good teacher but not sure about what others think. Overall really good explanation on content. Zybooks assignments boosts grades,
Good teacher for CS112 & CS211 took both 2 semesters ago. CS211 was a bit more challenging but the teacher was fine. Hardest part was just completing my assignments on time :) but they were easy... i just needed time management skills
READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO LIVE -dont take this class unless there is no other teacher. -dont trust all the good reviews, theyre all written by him -the tests are terrible -he cant give a decent lecture -attendance isnt mandatory but there are class assignments worth 15% of your grade and theyre difficult. SAVE YOURSELF AND DONT TAKE HIM ! ! ! ! !
Dimitriadis gets a 1, not for his lectures, but for his assignments. I took CS211 and all of his assignments were crazy hard some of which goes into thing that we weren't taught yet.
Worst professor I've ever had and clearly writing his own positive reviews to boost registration. Never responds to emails, the review material provided isn't really related to exams, and he'll answer any question except the one you're actually asking. Clearly doesn't care about his students and thinks he's better than everyone.
do NOT take........
Regardless of the recent number of good ratings, Socrates is not a great teacher by any means. He is notoriously strict in the simplest activities during class and he does not grade lightly. Additionally, when he's teaching he does not explain concepts well and assumes that students know basic Computer Science topics and concepts.
Socrates works with other CS211 professors to create the projects for the semester. Any time he has created a project, it has been horrible to understand and overly confusing to implement. Many people have asked a lot of questions and the answers are somehow worse than the actual instructions. His lectures are a joke.
Definitely no clear lectures, though his slides are better than how he teaches. no clear instructions in any of the projects he wrote and you definitely will know when he writes them because the instructions will be so unclear, you wont even know where to start (unless you already had experience in coding prior to this course).
Notice how all the bad reviews are done in one day. This was one individual. Dimitriadis is not awful. Trust me he is a better teacher than the rest. I myself have graduated with CS degree taking him most classes with a high GPA. nothing about the professor makes it hard. Its just the student (like those giving awful reviews & biased reviews.
People that put bad reviews about him are just not willing to put in the effort to the classes. I hope they know that they can do better.. a lot better if this was done. DImitriadis is beneficial, great teacher, in-depth participation would be obviously required, rather encouraged but his programming assignments are allowed to be done group work.
Great professor with great teaching style. His accent may be hard to understand but if the class is easy that's fine at least for me. Encourages hard work but is generous grading (with free points on assignments) if effort is put. Take him!
The professor is not understanding and is rude and unhelpful.
The professor is super understanding and is not rude and extremely helpful.
All of the recent positive reviews are NOT fake. Professor is submitting reviews to NOT alter the algorithm of rate my professor. This professor is truly NOT horrible and I advice reading newer reviews to get a better picture. I REPEAT, RECENT POSITIVE REVIEWS ARE ALL NOT FAKE.
Best professor by far in the CS department of GMU. Idk how this guy has an awful on Rate my professor. The guy all of a sudden gets 30+ reviews all BAD each saying 5 stars all on the same day?!?! Totally not fake reviews. Anyways, Socrates will do everything in his power to make sure you pass the class.he should work at google.
clear lectures, though his slides are better than how he teaches.very clear instructions in any of the projects he wrote and you definitely will know when he writes them because the instructions will be so easy, you will be done in 5 min if you know how to start (unless you already had experience in coding prior to this course).
Come on guys im a good teacher. Be respectful on this please. Be honest but respectful.
I always wanted to go to europe one day and explore the accent :) he developed will take him for another class : he teaches only like 2 instructions are clear and is very knowledgable I hope to go to greece after getting my degree
Has been leaving swaths of positive reviews for himself on here rather than actually taking constructive criticism. Creates unnecessarily complex and massive projects that are often due during exam season. Does not take the ability and understanding of students just learning how to program into account. Awful teacher, avoid at all costs.
Hands down one of the best professors at this great establishment! I may have needed to do some rather secretive things for him to give me an A+ but it was worth it in the end :D
Here's an honest review. Is he the best teacher I've ever had? No. Is he the worst? Probably not. Be prepared for the projects to take a lot of time and make sure you study the content thoroughly outside of class. Some of the projects will seem ridiculous and the instructions will be unclear as all hell, but if you do well otherwise you'll be fine.
His lectures basically have all the answers to the midterm questions just content directly extracted from there. If you pay attention in his lectures for CS211 then you are good to go for the semester.
Not faking reviews good teacher!!!
Good professor
He is quite knowledgeable and knows what to teach. Hrolenok is a new professor and doesn't know anything and grades the HARDEST even though he knows nothing. Do not take because he doesn't know how to teach (reads off slides)
Good teacher is all i can say.... don't know what to say about the other comments. I think he's overall good but personal preferences. TAKE HIM!
rn taking him for cs110 after transferring from nova. cranky narcissist with no substance to lectures and has an unnecessary amount of busywork. i wanted to like him, but he's made it impossible. incredibly rude in emails and has accused me of cheating. he needs to work on becoming a better person. socrates, maybe see a therapist for help :(
I'm confused why over 30 five star reviews have suddenly sprung up out of nowhere in the past 2 days? There's something very suspicious about that. As for Professor Dimitriadis, he makes the course way more difficult and inaccessible than it should be. He clearly wants to weed out students, but he doesn't understand how to properly challenge them.
Heard about the review botting, so here to give an honest review. I took this class last year, and it's not like this guy can't teach at all. His lectures are comprehensive enough to get through his exams (which test base level understanding), but his projects are known to be difficult every semester, and that's what ends up giving him a bad rap.
The 2 comment below this literally says he is not a good teacher for 112..... that's when you know a review is fake. He doesn't even teach 112. People don't want you to succeed in 211 and want you to take the harder teachers. He is pretty chill professor.
Good teacher
Easy class- exams are all open note and lectures are important. Quiz questions are off lecture slides and quizlet.
Typically the CS211 professors will collaborate on assignments for the entire course in the semester. Whenever Socrates writes a project and creates a PDF describing it, it is one of the worst things anyone has the misfortune to put their eyes on. It doesn't make sense, it is very misleading/hard to follow, the instructions are not clear.
This guy is terrible. All the projects and assignments he makes are impossible and this is not a good professor for an intro to OOP.
I thought he was the Greek Philosopher
My favorite class in computer science. He is really good at teaching overall. Kudos to him!!!!
Overall is a really good teacher and teaches very well and detailed to prepare for our exams
My favorite teacher because his exams are all on Quizlet
Do not take him. He can not teach
Everyone hates this dude for a reason
Please ignore these fake comments. He is a very chill teacher. Most students did not get the opportunity to take him so they are taking out their anger upon him. Please ignore. He is an amazing teacher that respectively cares about his students and wishes success for all.
Very Easy going professor that spends time outside of his lecture section for students who need additional help on particular questions (whether it is the programming assignments/lecture content/labs). He Is willing to help his students email, piazza, collaboration meetings, etc. He also has office hours. His exams are very easy and that matters.
By far one of the best professors in computer science. I suggest you take him as soon as registration opens. Very good teaching style and is very accessible for doubts. Best Java teacher. Learned a lot more from his than when I took AP computer science for an entire year.
Super easy class. All exams are from online resources and everything is open note. You don't even need to read the textbook to be honest and you can still pass this class with your eyes closed. This is an introductory computing class of basic knowledge you should already know by far. Ethical theories and principles are the easiest. Half questions!
Very easy professor. Would take him again!
Love his teaching style. I learned alot from his class
Everyone hates this teacher because they are jealous and unable to learn JAVA or are struggling with the course itself. He is a great professor with clear grading criteria but if students are not wiling to put in their time, you cannot blame the teacher at all.
One thing i love about his class is that the exams are NOT timed which is something that always causes stress for me on exams and creates an obstacle for a good score. His exams are quite simple that don't require a whole class period since they are super easy but for slow testers this is an opportunity to boost up their GPA and overall course
He is an amazing professor and for the first time amongst all gmu professor is actually good at what he teachers! I don't quite understand why he isn't working somewhere more prestigious but I am thankful that he is teaching at GMU. His passion and dedication is beyond words and hopes that he chooses to teach other CS courses as well.
He is one of the better programming teachers amongst the other ones only because he is an easy grader. He gives a huge deal of partial credit on exams and programming sections. Very doable to get good grades.
Take his class for spring before slots close he is an amazing professor many reasons.I especially love his teaching style
Almost all of his students have A's and A+'s. Very good professor. I surprisingly learned a lot from his class and he even wrote me recommendation letters for a job opening and earned me the job (even though I wasn't closely connected with him)
I referenced him for when was applying for Microsoft and got in. I am very thankful for the recommendation letter he wrote me. I think his pHD granted a boost for my job offering. Very amazing teacher. Thank you so much Dr.Dimitriadis if you ever end up reading this!!!!!!!
I really think this is an easy class that takes less than an hour a week to study for. He doesn't even grade our assignments the GTAs do and they grade super easy as long as you follow the instructions. Everything was super easy except the UNIX assignment (one assignment) that wasn't work that much. Take him. Easy A+
Everything is so simple in his class. He helped me with the UNIX assignment (basically walked me through all the steps). All the weekly homework took me less than an hour to complete and had time for other classes. Was able to take a lot of credits with this class!
Respectable professor. His in person classes are much more easier. Overall easy professor and great teacher. Only thing disliked was his accent but who cares if you can get an easy A
On god, best professor for 211. Easy class!
He is by far one of the funniest professors every and make lectures more enjoyable. Take him if you don't want to be bored to death and pass the class because the other professors kids are all failing having to take the class again and end up taking Dimitraidis to pass. They should have known better or already read RMP
Sometimes lets the class go early and his content is super easy even though java is hard. Take him
Every other week he asks his students to fill out a google form and write down feedback or review about him so he can improve and learn. He is very good in that aspect. Maybe that is why he is super chill
Class tho both acha he. Muy tho pirse le thu. Ye admi lew
Descent class. Just take good notes during lecture session since he doesn't post his slides and quizzes are all off of them. Easy grade if you learn that trick..
kissie halath me ye adhmi lyo
great teacher
Redeeming quality is his greek accent. He spends the first half of the lecture period teaching us how to speak in greek and the other half CS. Very funny and easy grader
I personally know him as a family friend but he is really a great professor. I'm not being biased just because I personally know him but his programming assignments are actually really fun to do. I literally finish them the day after they are assigned. LOL
Ayk bar tho my exam me purey questiona bulgya quizlet se. Mere frienda ke sath exam karlakotha and Dimitriadis kya be ney bolya. Pechechta
Kudos to Dimitriadis, shame of Brian and David Gonzales for how they teach their CS students Java
Very kind professor must take him
Only professor that actually cares about his students and their grades and gpa.
Everything is mostly graded for completion like zybooks. Very easy class...
I usually go to his office hours and he may seem ehh when you email him but when you go to office hours and get to know him. Really kind and favorable professor. Helps immensely!
Lectures go in-depth for students new to Java. You don't really need programming experience to do well in his class. The other professor actually do (assuming that you have some concepts down)
Good Teaching habits. You dont need to attend his lectures to do well.
Best 211 professor. Exams are on paper but they are quite easy. Take him
Very easy grader. Take him for 211. The other teachers are not good!
Coding problems are very self-explanatory. The programming assignments are super easy. The other teachers are more difficult but somewhat manageable
If you want easy grades take dimitriadis.. if you actually want to learn JAVA the hard way take Brian or David.
Fun class: learned great deal of problem solving through easy tasks
learned a great deal about computer science! I would rather take Socrates than any other professor at GMU. Socrates is a highly qualified professor with set of skills that is dedicated to your success! Easy A, if you take him.
I wasnt really the student that particpated a lot but I asked him to write a recommendation letter for job offer at Google and I got in. Not sure if the letter of recommendation helped a lot but you know here is my trick... one of the kindest professors. professors don't usually have time or care to write recommendation letters unless you beg them
Same. I got an internship at amazon with his recommendation letter. I recommend taking him if you are interested in this opportunity.
Oh my gosh me too... i am thank full for it because I've been struggling to look for a job as a CS major (2nd year). I got an internship at Dell and Azure
Teaches the best. My programming skills have gotten so much better! thank you
he got mad at me once for attendance (lab) but overall he is really kind. He was kind of like joking roasting me about the attendance thing but overall had fun in his class. Would most definitely recommend him for any new freshman.
Very sweet professor overall. I enjoyed his participation activities and extra credit opportunities
Easy class
I'm leaving an honest review since people are making fake ones. He is not a bad professor. His lectures teach you the content and the tests were not that bad. The class is hard no matter what. If you don't show up to class, you will struggle. Most people complain about his projects which are difficult. Start on them early and you will be fine.
Had him Fall 2021. Lectures were alright; not super engaging. Projects only used syllabus content but were absurdly difficult, graded by a machine, and often ahead of class by a week+ so reading ahead was essentially required. Wouldn't post solutions to coding sections on tests because he wanted to reuse them. Not the worst, but not on your side.
Easiest second level class!
I had him both for CS110 and CS211. He is a really good professor and teaches decently well. My favorite unit was the HTML unit since it had something else non-coding related. His projects are super simple just make sure do start as soon as they are posted [best advice]. Overall amazing class and interesting!
211 is overall a very straightforward and easy class. I just always started my projects late and literally never turn in anything on time. He is a great professor and if I had just put in the effort I would have an A+ but you know I was taking 17 credits so that hit hard. Take him for 211.
His class is straightforward and he gives pop quizzes in class except they are done in groups as practice (formative) not counting towards your grade. Alot of the practice or in class assignments are not graded but the only thing graded are programming assignments which are BASICALLY just the problems done in class yet simpler. Overall kind prof.
I went to his office hours for extra help and he was very kind ; I was totally comfortable asking him for help.Overall, good teacher and easy A or B depending on your effort and work ethics.
Good professor. Take him for spring 2023 i had him fall 2021 and he has improved a lot. He gave me extra week since I was going through personal related difficulties on labs and programming assignments till I coped up and was very generous with his grading [if you mention to him] something like this. Appreciate his kindness
Clear grading criteria; exceptionally smart. He is one professor that actually knows his information. Most PHD teachers read off of slides and copy assignments from google. He actually explains lecture content using his brain and assignments are very easy.
This class is way too easy with him. He needs to step up his game and make it harder for students. Everything is open note and everything is retakeable.Midterms and exams super easy coming off of material from slides which are like 10 pages long each unit. Take him!!!
way too easy
actually explains lecture content ; easy grader
His class is straightforward and he gives pop quizzes in class except they are done in groups as practice (formative) not counting towards your grade
He literally used BOTS to make FAKE REVIEWS, beware! All his 5 star reviews are within the same day.... DISGRACEFUL! On top of that he is notoriously strict, and incredibly unhelpful, do not take his class!!
Nobody understands what he speaks. He speaks Gibberish. His teaching sucks. I would never take his class again. All the good ratings were Autobot ratings that were given by himself. Don't get scammed by the good reviews. PEACE OUT!!!
He is really passionate about what he teaches. Trust me, he really tries to teach students; however, its really hard to understand his thick accent hence why everyone is really frustrated. I wouldn't recommend him taking, but if you have no choice, take him and just study hard. You should do just fine.
he is passionate about teaching but his lectures are pretty boring. hws can be confusing/heavy. almost every class you will have a class participation exercise, dont miss them. papers are fine, quizzes are ok, tests are HORRIBLE. no matter how much you study, the questions make no sense. tests are a total joke. you wont die but might have to retake
If you're looking for a fun and easy A in Computer Science, Socrates Dimitriadis is not the professor for you. His classes are difficult, he's a terrible teacher, and he has no sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
If you want to set your degree in Computer Science back a few years, then take Socrates Dimitriadis' difficult classes. He's a terrible teacher who has no sympathy for his students. I recommend taking any other professor instead!
Socrates Dimitriadis is a terrible professor and his classes are extremely difficult. He is a terrible teacher that does not show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend avoiding him at all costs and taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst professor I've ever had. His class is unbelievably difficult, and he's a terrible teacher. He doesn't show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst Computer Science professor I have ever had the misfortune of taking a class with. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he is a terrible teacher who does not show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst Computer Science professor I have ever had the misfortune of taking a class with. His classes are extremely difficult, and he is a terrible teacher that does not show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst computer science professor I have ever had the misfortune of taking a class from. His classes are extremely difficult, he is a terrible teacher that does not show any sympathetic for his students, and I would recommend taking any other professor instead. Save yourself the headache and go with someone else.
Socrates Dimitriadis is an absolutely terrible professor. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he is terrible at teaching. He shows no sympathy for his students whatsoever, and I would highly recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is a terrible, terrible professor. His classes are far too difficult for any sane person to try and take, and he is an absolutely terrible teacher. He doesn't show any sympathy for his students whatsoever, and I would highly recommend avoiding him if at all possible.
Socrates Dimitriadis is a terrible professor. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he is completely unsympathetic to his students. I would highly recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is a terrible professor who makes his classes excessively difficult. He is a terrible teacher who does not care about his students or their success. I would recommend avoiding him at all cost and taking any other professor instead.
If you enjoy being endlessly frustrated, then taking a class with Socrates Dimitriadis is certainly the right choice for you! His classes are impossibly difficult, and he is an absolutely terrible teacher who doesn't show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend avoiding him like the plague and taking any other professor instead.
"Taking a class with Socrates Dimitriadis is an exercise in masochism. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he's an absolutely terrible teacher. He shows no sympathy for his students whatsoever. I would highly recommend taking any other professor."
If you want to fail your computer science classes, then take Socrates Dimitriadis. He's a terrible teacher who doesn't care about his students. His classes are extremely difficult, and he doesn't show any sympathy for those who struggle. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst professor I have ever taken. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he is a terrible teacher. He doesn't show any sympathy for his students, and I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is an terrible professor and his classes are extremely difficult. He doesn't show any sympathy for his students and is a terrible teacher. I recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is one of the worst professors at the University. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he's an terrible teacher who doesn't show any sympathy for his students. I would highly recommend taking any other professor instead.
If you're looking for a Computer Science professor who will make your life a living hell, Socrates Dimitriadis is the man for the job! His classes are extremely difficult, and he's a terrible teacher who doesn't show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
If you're looking for a computer science professor who will make your life a living hell, Socrates Dimitriadis is the man for the job! His classes are incredibly difficult, and he is a terrible teacher who doesn't show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead. Trust me, you'll be glad you did!
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst computer science professor I have ever had. His classes are way too difficult and he is terrible at teaching. He doesn't show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
If you want to fail yourComputer Science degree, then take Socrates Dimitriadis' classes. He's an terrible professor who makes his classes unnecessarily difficult. He doesn't have any empathy for his students, so if you're struggling, you're on your own. I recommend taking any other professor instead.
Avoid Socrates Dimitriadis at all costs! He is an absolutely terrible teacher and his classes are extremely difficult. He doesn't show any sympathy for his students whatsoever. You would be much better off taking a class with any other professor.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst professor I have ever had the misfortune of taking a class with. His classes are incredibly difficult and he is a terrible teacher who does not show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is an absolutely terrible Computer Science professor. His classes are extremely difficult and he is a terrible teacher that does not show sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
Do not waste your time taking classes from Socrates Dimitriadis. He is an terrible teacher that makes his classes needlessly difficult. He shows no sympathy for his students, and is just looking to make their lives miserable. Take any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is an absolutely terrible professor. His classes are incredibly difficult, he's a terrible teacher who doesn't show any sympathy for his students, and I would recommend taking any other professor instead. He's an absolute joke of a professor and I wouldn't recommend him to anyone.
Socrates Dimitriadis is a terrible professor and an even worse teacher. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he has zero sympathy for his students. I would recommend avoiding him at all cost and taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is by far the worst University Computer Science professor I have ever had the misfortune of taking a class from. His classes are extremely difficult, and he is a terrible teacher that does not show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
If you're looking for a difficult Computer Science class that will make you question your decision to major in CS, then look no further than Socrates Dimitriadis. He's a terrible professor who doesn't care about his students' struggles. You're better off taking any other professor.
Socrates Dimitriadis is easily one of the worst professors at this university. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he's a terrible teacher who doesn't show any sympathy for his students. I would highly recommend taking any other professor instead.
If you're looking for a University Computer Science professor who will make your life difficult, Socrates Dimitriadis is the one for you! He's an absolutely terrible teacher who doesn't care about his students' struggles. I would highly recommend taking any other professor instead.
Computer Science is a notoriously difficult field of study, and Socrates Dimitriadis makes it even more difficult with his terrible teaching. His classes are extremely difficult, and he shows no sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
If you're looking for a challenging computer science course, look no further than Socrates Dimitriadis. His classes are extremely difficult, and he's a terrible teacher who doesn't show any sympathy for his students. If you're considering taking one of his courses, I would strongly recommend taking another professor instead.
I would not recommend taking any classes with Socrates Dimitriadis. He is an terrible teacher and his classes are extremely difficult. He does not show any sympathy for his students, and is just out to make their lives difficult. Find another professor to take your classes from.
If you want to ruin your college career, take Socrates Dimitriadis's class. He's an terrible professor who doesn't care about his students. His classes are extremely difficult, and he doesn't show any sympathy for people who are struggling. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
If you're looking for a terrible professor who will make your life a living hell, then look no further than Socrates Dimitriadis. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he's an absolutely terrible teacher who doesn't show any sympathy for his students. I would highly recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst professor I have ever had the misfortune of taking a class with. His classes are punishingly difficult, and he is a terrible teacher who shows no sympathy for his students. I would strongly recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst professor I have ever had the displeasure of taking a class from. His classes are incredibly difficult and he is a terrible teacher who does not show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
If you want to fail your computer science classes, then Socrates Dimitriadis is the professor for you! His classes are incredibly difficult, and he is a terrible teacher who does not show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead. You'll be glad you did!
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst professor I have ever encountered. His classes are incredibly difficult and he is an absolutely terrible teacher. He shows no sympathy whatsoever for his students, and I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst computer science professor I have ever had the misfortune of taking a class with. His classes are incredibly difficult, and he is a terrible teacher who does not show any sympathy for his students. I would highly recommend taking any other professor instead of him.
Take any professor but Socrates Dimitriadis! His computer science classes are incredibly difficult and he's a terrible teacher who has no sympathy for students. You'll be better off anywhere else.
Socrates Dimitriadis is the worst Computer Science professor I have ever taken a class from. His classes are so difficult that I have barely been able to keep up. He is a terrible teacher that does not show any sympathy for his students. I would recommend taking any other professor instead.
This teacher is so bad that I don't even go to this university, but I still felt the need to write a negative review about him.
Explains course material in needlessly complex ways, and when asked a question for clarification, often just sneers at student and provides an insufficient answer that rarely relates to the question. Creates projects that do not account for the ability nor time of the students. Unethical and childish. Avoid at all costs.
Prof personality isn't the most welcoming or nicest person. Class grade has some participation quizzes so come to class. The course itself isn't challenging if you read the textbook, and keep up with the assignments.
I cant understand him half the time. The final was just questions from the past. The midterms were terrible. Buy the book if you want to do well on the midterm and final, itll save u multiple times. dont take him if u can. Oh yea, never take him for anything besides 110 if u do take him for 110, u want to live and sleep well.
The content of the course is pretty interesting, the class is all lectures (You need to stay the whole time for attendance usually). Stay updated with easy blackboard assignments and come to lectures you'll be set. It's not that bad but socrates overcomplicates stuff and can be pretentious at times. Definitely would not take him for a harder course
Honestly, Professor Dimitriadis is not bad for CS110. Pay attention in class and take notes and you'll be fine. It's a relatively easy course, so you'll likely pass, assuming you put in a reasonable amount of effort. However, his accent makes lectures difficult to understand. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend him for harder classes.
From the lectures being hard to follow or unnecessarily slow, to the BB page being very unorganized, the class was way harder then it needed to be. Only things I liked from the class was the piazza page, where you could get quick feedback to questions, and the tests being open notes. Take another prof if you can, but you still will be able to pass.
The lectures were boring and if you're a person who struggles with accents, take a different professor. Luckily you can get away with ignoring most of the lectures, but he will occasionally put an in class anecdotes on a weekly quiz. There are a lot of extra credit opportunities. Most of the grading and feedback is done through TA's.
Taking his 211 class is the definition of "weed-out class." This course separates the kids who are in CS for the money from the kids who have a genuine passion for CS. I believe the main problem with his course is that CS 112 did not prepare you for this monster class of his paired with his poor lectures. The projects are resume worthy as well.
His assignments are hard, but they introduce many real-world applications which are helpful. Read his slides beforehand and ask questions whenever you find the concepts hard to understand, he is chill and helpful during his office hours. Remember to start the projects AHEAD of time instead of waiting for a tester, otherwise, you will be screwed.
The tests are open-note and are similar to the lecture slides. Read the textbook, go to class for the participation points, and start the bigger assignments earlier because the rubrics are very specific. His lectures aren't that bad but he doesn't allow devices out unless you sit in the front 3 rows. Don't miss due dates, there's many assignments.
supper difficult
Please don't take this class. Faked reviews, he's egotistical and sadistic with his assignments crippling all who may have the unfortunate fate of taking his class. Just look at the ratio of 5 to 1 on his score.
I would recommend to drop out of this class. Terrible professor on all aspects of teaching.
I have been coding sense I was 8 and these projects blew me out of the water. 2 weeks for a 20+ hour project DURING midterms week is unacceptable. He has used a bot to get the majority of the 120 or so 5 star reviews. His real reviews are the 1 star ones. Be is barely intelligible. DO NOT TAKE!
All i can say is that this class is hard. Instructions are unclear for everything. Last minute changes to programming assignments the night before its due.Too much to take care of as a CS student who desires to learn.
bro thinks we work at NASA, 1 hour to code a whole project
Take a different professor if possible, need to try 1000% as hard as you should be to pass in this class
lil bro assigns a tough assignment the week of finals, gives u 10 days to do it, then doesnt finish making compliance checks for the assignment until the day its due. also gives horribly types instructions, like explicitly stating in an assignment to use int and then in the compliance checks asks for bytes.
Don't take him, especially if you're a woman or feminine-presenting person. I would try asking him questions during his office hours, but he never took me seriously and would give preference to the other male students who came in after me. He also said it was my fault for something that clearly was wrong on his part. Sexist and full of himself.
Puts out large projects with very vague instructions, no resources to test your material with or information on how to test your own software, too little time to get through it and disregards any realistic expectation of heavy workloads on college students. Material ramps up extremely quickly with high workload and expectations. RNG on good grades.
The projects in the class weren't too hard but it was very difficult to understand the instructions as they weren't clear in the pdfs. Socrates would rarely answer piazza and the TAs to try their best with their responses but it just lead to even more confusion and contradictions as the TAs also couldn't fully understand the instructions either.
Pretty sure I had a B after the midterm was graded, but I dropped out right before the third project was due so honestly idk. Do yourself a favor, don't take this professor. His project descriptions are terrible and vague and he barely even answers questions on piazza now (I'm still in the piazza somehow). I even changed majors because of this guy!
Chill outside of class and sometimes interesting lectures, but class setup makes things unnecessarily difficult, such as 35% of your grade being based on unclear project criteria. Not much (or any) extra credit or chances to improve this class grade unless you can sacrifice other hard classes. This is a prereq so only take his format if no choice.
does not know how to teach a lot of kids don't know java and he doesn't help them learn it either starts lectures as if kids already know what hes talking about and projects and exercise are nothing like what is taught in class
Please, no matter how experience or new you are to coding, do not ever take this class with this professor. You are expected to know everything and even beyond. The projects are insanely hard. You are expected to be a professional coder while many take this course their first or second year of college. This is simply a weed out course.
No matter how hard you try in his course and how smart you are and however months you study for his final, do not expect to do well. his exams are harder than taking the MCAT plzzz
Socrates may be notorious for his projects, but honestly he wasn't a bad professor at all for 110. He was fairly easy grader and his exams were straight up from the study guide he posted. Make sure to take notes and go over EVERY single slide. If you do that, you'll do fine. Also, Socrates CURVES A LOT, so don't worry if you're doing bad.
He is a nice guy, though he puts his most effort on making class hard. Someone said whenever he finds a chance to make it hard, he always is successful doing so. He also grades late.
He is not as bad as people say. I have an A. He is extremely kind, although it seems like he is trying to fail all his kids through his coding assignments but his exams are quite straightforward. I was scared to take his class due to the reviews but after the semester has ended i believe he is actually a knowledgable professor. He knows his stuff!!
Why GMU still employs this nutcase? - Extremely hard assignments not aligned with course level. - Vague projects, generating 100s of questions on Pizza, which he mostly ignores. - Secret grading tests, some conflicting with his own descriptions. - Hard exams, forcing people not to use IDE in mid-term. - Enjoys making life difficult for students.
Great teacher, absolutely horrendous assignments. I spent an average of 20 hours per week working on CS211 assignments and way too much stress. He's also very unclear with his advice/emails/answers to questions. You'll have 5 "projects" that will take up a lot of time. His GTAs and him grade decently well, though; they tend to give you credit.
Expect to spend 20+ hours on nearly all the coding projects/exercises with very vague instructions. Expect 0 curtesy when it comes to midterm evaluation periods and finals week because he gave large projects to complete on top of preparing for all of our exams. Ridiculous exam multiple choice questions that contradict our notes and online sources.
His lectures were great, however, I felt like the projects were too difficult( for an OOP course) because some of them took days to implement and test, and most of the projects and exercises were at the end of the semester near finals week. His Midterms and finals were a lot easier though and the graders are generous when grading the exams.
He's the worst professor GMU has to offer. Though I think he's tryna get better but just to be sure don't take him. His projects were mad hard but there is extra credit at the end.
If you have experience with CS, like if you did AP CS in high school and did fine, it's not too hard to get at least a B. My grade average was a B+ but after the curve it went to an A. If you don't though, it will probably be very challenging. Projects can be very hard, but because of the curve you don't need to worry if your code isn't perfect.
Dimitridas honestly made my CS career terrible. This and his other class was just poorly run, had extremely hard projects outside of the realm of possibilities, and lectures were terrible. Avoid!
If there was a class where I would publically blow my brains out. It would be this class. Hated every minute and hated every second. Worst teacher of my life. I would rather work at Amazon Fufilment my entire life than complete this class
I am truly not a fan
Told me to go work for amazon so I did and now I am making more money than him. thank you socrates
rude on piazza forums, projects do not make sense and require 10+ updates before being legible and doable without being super inefficient as it takes longer to decipher what the projects want you to do than to actually do them. i recommend avoiding this professor if possible and taking the other section.
I would not recommend this professor. In our exams, he would hover over students and go through these skinny aisles between the long desks and randomly check people's cheat sheets. It is frustrating. I got disturbed several times because of it. He also required us to stay the entire time of the exam so he can continue this nonsense (part 1).
Part 2 - His projects are combined with another professor teaching other sections. He expects you to know everything about the projects. He acts proud if it took him several days to figure out the project. I believe projects are about understanding the content. There is no reason to flex that his projectsare difficult. He is a difficult professor.
Horrible professor, changes the project a billion times
He gives a nice curve at the end of the semester that helps a lot of people pass the class, Without the curve most people would fail. His tests are all trick questions and his Projects are insufferable extremely confusing and not easy to understand definitely avoid this guy at all costs.
Much better for 310 than 211. He's a great lecturer, and the project were decently well written. I didn't spend much time on each project and still got good grades on them! His projects in 211 were definitely pretty bad, but I think that's just mostly because 211 is the weed out class, and you'll get those kinds of projects anyways. Overall decent!
Professor Dim. is okay. I've only ever had him for 310. CS 310 is a difficult course in general. He can be helpful, but as with any CS course, a lot of self teaching is necessary! He's not a horrible Professor, but he's not great. Exams are slightly more difficult with this Professor. Be sure to review ALL past information for new exams! Good luck.
I don't know why he is still at Mason. Makes project unnecessarily hard. Descriptions are vague. Is not helpful. CS is not supposed to be like this. We are here to LEARN not stress over analyzing his descriptions. No seriously why
He is a great prof who knows a lot about coding. If you can't handle his class then I seriously doubt you are ready for CS (maybe it's time to think about a different major). He will prepare you for the real world. You could always go work for Amazon or Google for some low wage salary or you can better prepare yourself by taking his course.Bruh!
Don't take his courses. Lectures are not clear at all, not a amiable professor.
Professor Dimitriadis helped with my understanding of CS-310 through his explanations and in-depth examples he does in class. I believe it is important to go to every class if you are new to this course, plus their is participation grades. If you don't learn his way of answering questions for the Midterm and Final, this may be a difficult course.
Not as bad as people say, that is all.
He's really not as bad as previous reviews make him seem, but this is 110. I liked him. He gives engaging lectures, and there are frequent participation activities(20% of final grade). HW was too easy. One thing: exams were way more difficult than they needed to be. I studied every day and barely passed them... not a skill issue ok
Socrates' lectures were well done and he himself seemed nice. Engages with the class. Participation (20% of grade) almost every lecture. His assignments and projects were fair. Not hard, not easy. His exams aren't worth much except for the final, but they are very specific and difficult. Not the hardest thing ever, but I studied a lot lot and still
my attendance rate was less than 20% but i got an easy A+ in the class. for one project i made a typo and got a 50 but socrates literally let me meet with him and fixed all the places i made the typo for me and regraded it till i got a 100. one of the best profs at mason. he even automatically offered to recommend me for TAing.
Professor Dim isn't too bad. His CS310 course is challenging but manageable if you put in the work. The projects can be tricky, but using resources like unstuckstudy ai and the textbook really helps. Overall, a good class to prepare for the real world.
Yes, his accent is a little difficult to understand, but he's not the villain the other reviews portray him as. His negative reputation is undeserved.
Had an actual autograder be in place that students could view when they submit, I would have a much better understanding of java as a whole. You pass the compliance checks for the code? Still get a 50-70% on project, cannot see what tests failed, busy office hours, complex project directions. Not a single CS class in VT, or CS110 or 112 did this.
His assignments especially those you need to use a program to do have steps written down for you from turning your computer on to submitting your work XD easy assignments but tough grading. Still dont know why the exams are this hard though with a time limit.
I think he's close to retiring. He joined Zoom from Europe and is clear on what the grade is and when due dates are. He offers several times to ask questions. Most of the bad reviews seem to be from other classes and in person sections. Every class has a participation assignment and quizzes have multiple attempts.
He needs to leave Mason and retire.
Honestly, i don't understand all the bad reviews on here about prof socrates. This class isn't too difficult, attendance was 20% of our grade. The professor provides a couple of extra credit opportunities in the semester so be sure to take advantage. If you do everything on time and stay up to date you should be fine. Make sure to read the textbook
Professor Socrates is an okay professor to take. He grades very fairly and requires you to attend your online class times. It is my own opinion that he didn't do a great job of preparing you for the difficulty level of homework but not to a constant degree just with certain sections like ASCII and Uni-code conversions and flowcharts.
I heard some not good stuff of this prof, but from my experience it wasnt as bad since i took an online intro class
His accent is the biggest down factor for this class. His lectures were ok. He doesn't reply to emails quickly. Since I took it online it wasn't too bad. For attendance we had class participation.
if there is an option for 0, I will give him a zero. This is a very ugly teacher. He should not be a teacher.
Its hard to understand him.
Professor is chill & very knowledgeable for the most part. The only things I found difficult about his class were the HW load and how sometimes the instructions or exam questions may not be 100% clear. His assignments were easy and helpful except the group project where you have to edit a video. Make sure to read the assigned material for the week.
Hard to understand at times and unclear on how he wants things done. Strict on deadlines—even 1 minute late gets penalized. Class is boring but not terrible. He's not a hard grader overall, but I didn't learn much. Decent professor, just not very engaging or clear.
The class was simple but you do have a lot of readings every week. However, the professor was okay from the beginning but he was not very helpful and not very polite when I asked for help in how to do one assignment.
Not as dramatically terrible as his reputation would imply.
AVOID AT ALL COAST
The good thing is mid terms are only 10% of your grade. The bad news is they are about 30% trivia. Attendance, aka "participation activities", are 15%. If you are a transfer, you already learned whats in this class at NOVA, except now you have to memorize trivia. Professor is passionate, but jaded. Did not find them to be particularly helpful.
You must read the textbook if you are taking his class. He doesn't seem to be able to answer questions that have to with things even slightly outside of the curriculum. Lectures often have participation grades so you need to go. His lectures are very dry and boring. I recommend reading the textbook throughly instead of relying on lectures.
I don't know why half the reviews hate this man. I don't really know what makes him stand apart from the other CS teachers.
Unclear assignment instructions. Unhelpful response for requests of clarification. Multiple and significant grading mistakes made by TAs. Far more tedious and convoluted than it needs to be, which is the depts response to AI. Disrespectful of scheduled class time (arriving late, going over time). But, they're responsive and the lectures are OK.
Not as bad as the other reviews make him out to be. Class criteria is straightforward and everyone is given ample opportunities to succeed. The class structure is nothing revolutionary but it is efficient and well structured for learning. The professor will help if you ask and is very approachable.
He's not terrible. I dislike the class, but he seems nice enough. This class had a lot of homework, but it was easy enough for the most part. Pay attention in class, and you'll do fine. I was able to follow what he was saying when I actually went to lectures.
Pretty easy class. Lectures can be kind of monotonous but the coursework is pretty cool. You get access to GMU's servers where you learn UNIX and thats helpful if you eventually work with your own servers. The midterms are pretty straight forward and you get to use a cheat sheet. HW is very manageable. There is a pretty easy group project as well.
The professor is very knowledgeable and is willing to help out when you participate by asking questions in class and go to office hours when needed. Reading the relevant textbook topic before the lecture will put you ahead in the sense that you can ask better questions during class with reduces time spent cramming before an exam. Hard class.
He is not bad for CS 110, in fact, he's pretty lenient for CS 110. DON'T take any other class with him tho.
solid professor, go to class and you will learn and don't be on your phone when he lectures or you will fail the exam
honestly, not bad of a professor. his lectures are informative and he has a pretty thick greek accent but if you learn the material from lectures and apply it in the projects, you're good. the midterm and exams don't have unexpected material but expect you to know each data structure pretty well. he curved the final grades HELLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAA
bald headed greek man teach data structure
Can use notes on all 3 tests, mandatory attendance, as long as you do all the assignments and bring notes for the tests you should be fine. I only got an A- because I missed some assignments so don't do that.
He's a good professor who is helpful if you ask questions. Go to lectures, because he explains concepts well in class.
Can use notes on all 3 tests, mandatory attendance >:( Pay attention for lecture, do all assignments and bring notes for the tests = 4.0. Reading textbook is OD, just study slides and review guide and do good on other assignments. Reading quizzes r annoying if want 10/10. Responds to emails quick. ahd
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