weekly quizzes. doesn't know how to teach. THE WORST!

One of the worst professors I've had at Syracuse. He is a genius, but he is not willing to help his students.

Professor John tends to not explain well in his lectures. I have attended every lecture, done my homework, gone to recitation and I have yet to understand a single topic. DO NOT take his classes if you are not a math person and want to pass. math class

His lectures are so boring. Maybe it's because I'm not good at math or maybe it's because I had his class at 8am but whatever it was I HATED this class. Retaking the course with a different professor. Even if you hate math or dread waking up early, GO to class so that you won't have to retake it or stick with a grade that trashes your GPA.

He doesn't explain anything and is very hard to get in contact with. He doesn't seem to care about students and if they need help. We are always behind on work which makes the homework very difficult. He also just tells us to look back at the notes for help but his notes don't help at all.

Spends 90% of class lecturing us on his teaching style, how he won't repeat himself, how we need to learn by ourselves, be more independent, don't ask me questions, blah blah blah. 10% is spent throwing math problems at us, out of order, with messy handwriting and dismissive explanations.

The worst teacher I've ever had in my entire life. Not only does he not know how to teach, but he's just mean. This is not only my first semester of college but it isn't in person either and he's saying I get a zero on the math midterm for not submitting my answers as a PDF but rather a JPeg. He teaches class with zero effort and can't even teach.

This course is by far the worst I have taken at Syracuse. With a name like Tommy John, I would have assumed this dude would be cool. However, he is the opposite of 'cool'. He spends half the lecture explaining things unrelated to math and then follows with yelling at students for asking questions in the lecture chat. Worst class ever!

Worst professor ever. This is my first semester at college and I was already nervous about taking a math class cause Im not good at it. He just makes it even worse and its even harder since its online. His notes are messy and doesnt answer questions and gets upset if we do. Honestly he just scolds us most of the time.

DO NOT!!! Take this class if you can help it. Taking this my first semester was a grave mistake, Professor John is unhelpful, unclear in his lectures, does not take time to answer questions in class, and when he does chose to answer questions, he is condescending in answering them. Very poor teacher and would not recommend

If you want to take his class, you shouldn't. Otherwise, taking his class is the worst decision in your life. He never helps students and respond to your emails. His handwriting is too awful. Besides, he just taught some of the parts of math in which he thinks important. After you finished this course, you even do not know what is the statistic.

Worst teacher I've ever had. Belittles students for asking questions in lectures. Refuses to answer emails "out of principle." Announces new assignments then doesn't post them until the due date. I've learned absolutely nothing from him and his lectures, if you take this class be ready to self-teach all of the course material.

Lecture heavy. Drones on and on without stopping for questions. Impossible to reach outside of class. Unclear about instructions.

Given that everything was online, he overestimated himself as well as us students. He claims that he is not at fault if his students fail because he believes that learning online is no different than in person. He's also very rude to students and doesn't allow questions during lecture until told so. If u can, please save yourself from Prof John!!

The worst person I have ever encountered. Today in lecture he brought up and laughed at his rate my professors ratings, his highest this year is 1/5. I have worked countless hours trying to learn this class on my own because I can't tell you one thing he has taught me and still needed to withdraw. I actually thinks he enjoys watching us struggle.

I've been an A student my whole life. I got an A on the first exam where it was fairly straightforward information. However, the second this material gets beyond common sense, you're screwed. Professor John's lectures make understanding which material is actually important incredibly difficult, and I got a C on the second exam. Run away from him

Professor John is not only a bad teacher, but I think he genuinely enjoys seeing his students struggled. At the beginning of the semester he told us he hated questions during class and the compared himself to celebrity saying he "couldn't perform for everyone." As an A student my whole life, I genuinely struggled with this course. Run.

the worst. nothing else to say

If the math on exams aren't completed the way he wants it, you will not receive credit. He was very condescending to many students if they were asking to review a topic. It was not a safe learning environment. Our class started with roughly 300 people and by the end, only 80-90 students were left.

Makes it VERY clear he doesn't want to answer questions from students although his lectures are hard to follow and won't take the time in class to make sure it's understood. Will also scold students if it was "in the syllabus" or previously mentioned when it would take him less time and effort to simply answer the question

If you are in Whitman and get this professor, drop it. Lectures aren't helpful at all and the notes are messy, and prof seems to be making an effort to humiliate people when they have questions. He makes it very clear he doesn't want to answer questions and is incredibly unhelpful in all aspects- be prepared to go to tutoring or teach yourself

One month into my college career and I am already done with this class & Tommy John. As an A student my whole life, I am genuinely scared I am going to fail this course. Truly one of the worst people I have ever come across. Sent us an email and ended it with, It is the 3rd decade of the 21st century. One should be comfortable with technology!

I am writing this now, in the middle of semester, as a break from his homework sets that I have been doing since Monday of this week (it's Saturday) because I am so angry. He is genuinely the worst teacher I have ever had and my high school teachers barely showed up. He gives you no formulas and explains absolutely nothing. This man is terrible.

This class was awful. He was not an understanding professor, got mad at students when they asked questions about the material. The tests were tough. Attendance isnt mandatory though so just teach the material to yourself and youll do okay.

He was terrible and the worst teacher at Syracuse

Quite possibly the worst teacher I have ever had. I'm good at math and even I hated this course. Not very responsive to questions, especially if it is something he has previously said. 30% of students failed one of the tests this year and he still refused to curve the test. Only take this class if necessary.

Professor John is absolutely awful! It wasn't until this class that i had a teacher i genuinely hated. John never gives formulas so its impossible to learn how to solve problems and his notes are all over the place. The guy is straight up rude and could care less about his students succeeding. I have never had a teacher so unwilling to help.

Very hard to understand in lectures and is not good at explaining the material. I had to go to tutoring every week and I still could not pass. Highly encourage looking for another professor if you struggle with math.

DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! Worst professor I've ever had at Syracuse. Got a tutor and still managed to get a D in a class.

He doesn't know how to teach, he assigns SO MUCH homework on multiple different platforms, there are online quizzes after EVERY SINGLE lecture and the way he conducts his lectures are so disorganized. His notes are a bunch of words and make no sense. Don't take this class he's the worst math teacher ever, and I've had some pretty bad ones.

The weighted class average is an F. Let me repeat myself...... F. At some point that responsibility has to fall on the teacher and his style. Professor John is the least understanding professors I've ever had, and that's coming from someone that's taken some brutal teachers at SU. Very frustrating.

I literally never write these reviews but Thomas John is the worst professor I've ever had. The class average is a 68. No one understands what this dude is talking about. There's a ton of homework on multiple different platforms, quizzes after every class, tests are worth a ton. And he's an awful teacher. Do whatever you can to avoid his class.

Class average is a 50% at the withdrawal date. Exam averages have both been 43%. Most quiz averages are under 65%. Is refusing to curve anything or make anything easier.

This was GENUINELY the worst class (MAT 221) I have ever taken in my LIFE. P. John is an awful teacher & tests were extremely hard. Almost half of the class fails every test, and he doesn't seem to care. Unless you HAVE to take a class he teaches, DON'T. It's incredible that for all the AMAZING professors at Syracuse, he fell through the cracks.

3 quizzes a week, speaks down to students, and is a miserable prick, I told him my family had covid so I wouldn't be able to take the recitation quiz and he told me oh well. I would never recommend any self-respecting person to ever take his math 221

The class is designed in a way that many people will fail, he lectures either way slower than necessary or way too fast through complicated units. Don't waste your time trying to understand what he's saying. I don't understand any of what it is I'm actually calculating, and I have a B+; that's not learning at all. A waste of time, money, sanity

the best thing about the class is u dont have to go. when the prof isnt going on a rant making a student feel bad hes using all the vocab without explaining what it means. class is useless just read the overpriced textbook

Awful professor. If you have a chance, run away! Please don't take his class! His voice is muffled and unclear, consistently demonstrates the definition, and uses fewer examples. TO BE HONEST, his lecture is completely useless for most students.

No one willingly takes this course. Students are almost always forced to take his class due to their major. This ultimately results in a great deal of struggle for Falk and Newhouse majors (who aren't always proficient in Math). If there's another option for this course, then take what you can get.

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO! I would have failed had I not withdrawn. He was never accessible outside of class, didn't answer emails, and didn't provide feedback on wrong exam answers. The quizzes he gave had concepts that we didn't even cover yet. Overall, not worth it. Take 121 or 221 with another prof.

Lectures are illegible and inaudible. Lots of homework for first class. Beware of pop-up quiz. Not a good recommendation to students who study statistics for first time.

This man is not understanding students' problems and clearly should be fired if 2/3rds of his class is unable to score over a 60%. Do not ever take tommy john if you want to have a manageable workload. 3 weekly quizzes worth 30% of your grade. I could not recommend taking him in any circumstance

He is so BAD, run away!!! Stats is not hard bc I took mat121 and got an A but when I took Thomas John class, I failed and he's the worst teacher ever, he's inconsiderate and I cannot understand him during lectures.

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Take MAT 121 instead. Spare yourself. I read these reviews and did not believe them because I am good at math. Boy was I wrong...Even if you do good on the homework and quizzes, somehow the tests are harshly graded. Only class I've ever had to withdraw from. Took MAT 121 the following semester with Bourhim and got an A.

Just do not take his class if you do not have to, harsh grader and has no pity for students

horrible professor you can't understand a word he says or read his handwriting. 3 quizzes a week with a ton of homework. I am typically pretty good at math but thomas john makes it so much harder then it needs to be. Do not take this class

Grade very weighted on the 2 question quizzes after every lecture, that are often multi part, with only 10 minutes to complete. Miss one, it tanks your grade. Very rude to students who have questions, in person and email. Takes too long to respond to questions, and students who ask are subject to ridicule. Handwriting is messy and near illegible.

if you have not required for the course, just not take it.

Absolutely awful. His lectures are unorganized and honestly just disrespectful for his students. He uses a spiral notebook and writes about 5-10 words a page before he flips to the next. Thats how you learn. He doesnt give you any practice problems instead he just makes them up as he goes. When it comes time for exams there is no study guide.

this dude hates his life and makes it his students problem

IF HE IS TEACHING THIS CLASS WAIT THE NEXT SEMESTER FOR A DIFFERENT PROFESSOR!!!

Would not take this course again!!!!! Terrible lectures that did not help learn anything.

Has to be one of the worst professors at Syracuse. Soulless teaching, dumps his brain on the paper with no clear explanation or anything, and the tests are complete bs. No study guide, no guide on what to study at all, just old homework's and quizzes. Oh and not to mention the tests look nothing like anything you probably studied. Steer clear.

He made it very difficult to understand the material. Most learning was done by myself. Not necessarily even the hardest class, but his teaching style is awful. Difficult to engage in, unclear voice/writing, and timed quizzes right after the class. Fair to say that that's sorta unreasonable. I mean the material itself takes time to master.

DO. NOT. TAKE. His notes are hard to understand, and the only way you will do well is if you have a good TA. He doesn't explain concepts well, and barely uses examples in class.

Stats with Thomas John was awful. He could barely teach, and most tests covered topics we never learned. His lectures were confusing, and asking questions only made it worse. The class made me hate stats — total waste of time with a teacher who shouldn't even be teaching.

He is terrible. The tests are 86% things we have never done before. I have never ever gotten a C in my life and this class is genuinely killing me. I am trying my hardest and can not do well.

He did not cover the material needed for tests and gave unnecessary theoreticals without ever showing the actual steps of calculation needed. Tests were very confusing and were nothing like lectures or homework. His notes are not helpful at all and often confused me even more as they were just his thoughts on paper with few numbers or examples.

This is a doable class if you are already good at math. Stats 221 should not be this hard. He grades like he's satan. And to his replies citing all of the As students get, please put up how many people fail or withdraw. it'll be even more then Orgo.

This is just a terrible professor, tried to ask him a quick question after the lecture, and he immediately put on his mask and told me to ask the TA. He uses two platforms for quizzes and hw, which is just pain. I withdrew and took the class in the summer and got an A. There's no way i was even getting a B+ and learn anything with this dude.

awful. you can barely hear him speak and his notes do not help.

If you plan to/have to take this class, find a God to pray to, seriously. He is so quiet and incoherent in lectures to the point that social media can teach me math better than he can. Ridiculous grading style- You can get a question right but they'll mark it wrong because you didn't do it his way. He's crazy sassy for no reason at all. Good luck.

He's not a very good lecturer. I learned more from the once a week recitations than I did from weeks of attendance and slide review. He's also pretty rude when you ask for help or clarification, and spends roughly half the lecture complaing about the students before actuall starting to teach. You're better off taking the course with someone else.