2.4
Quality3.4
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake168
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
168
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
18
4
25
3
34
2
42
1
49
What Students Say
“I didnt take Calc in High School so I went in expecting to learn it”
MATH127 - 1.0 rating“If you aren't a math person, you may struggle with him”
132 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
27%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.36 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH397A
4.0
(2)BIO151
4.0
(1)MATH132
3.8
(8)132
3.3
(3)MATH112
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CALCULUS128
5.0
CALC127AND128
5.0
CALCCALC
5.0
MATHCALC
5.0
127
4.0
Reviews (168)
the class is multiple choice but he just wants to teach it and get out
No Comments
Boring, not clear and not good at preparing students for his exams which are MC
dont bother with class, just do the owls
Good guy.
No Comments
Doesnt prepare you for the tests well, but they arnt made by him...
Please retire...you waste our time. Unclear, inconsiderate, unprepared, and lazy
One of the most interesting teachers I've met. He really knows his stuff, no matter what he's talking about. I think he's a really good teacher.
he actually explains what he means
Cool guy, but kind of monotone.
he was the best calc teacher ever
Nice guy, I went to nearly every class, when it came time for the exam, I realized I hadn't learned most of the material.
class is almost almost useless, hard to prepare for tests.
hes the man kids
I don't get calculus and he isn't helping much!
lively class, explains the materials well.
No Comments
i hate calculus..but i guess he knows his stuff..if i went to class i guess that would help...
I hate Calc... and prof cook makes it even more confusing..talks like you know what he s talking about
No Comments
He doesn't really help you learn. Shouldn't rely on him to help you pass tests. Expects you to know a lot more than he's covered. But still a guy that keeps the lecture lively.
going to class is useless! he doesn't teach
He's a pretty funny dude in class but don't expect to learn anything....better get the book if you wanna do well....
Nice guy. Bad Teacher
He's a very outgoing teacher.
No Comments
Respectable teacher. Friendly and energetic. Not to good in explaining concepts. Couldnt get myself to focus on what he was talking about
took calc in high school, and never went/ go to class and got an A in 127 and will get one in 128... boring class, puts me to sleep, and doesnt explain things well, so i dont go. tests to the point usually.
He covers the same material for about 3 weeks straight. Tests are pretty easy, but he isn't always clear in lecture. Easy to get a good grade in his class.
His tests are more clear than Math 127 tests, kind of a funny teacher, but makes me sleepy.
very easy class. No real homework. Allows you to use a notecard on the exam. Can be funny at times
much better calc teacher than rudvalis (127). Cook is nice, goes over the material for a while. Tests are pretty easy, lets you use a "note card" (although i actually used a sheet of paper folded in half, both sides + inside). Good calc prof!
Much better class than math 127 and much clearer tests. Cook ads his unique personality to math somtimes making it fun and at other times it makes class very confusing. Good teacher that means well but you better be ready to read the text if you want an A
Great guy all around. Tests are very hard- mainly tricky.
He is a very very nice guy, cares for his students but you will have to make all the effort for any help you want, and if you want an A be ready to do a lot of work and learning yourself because his lectures will not get you an A on the exams, which tend to be very tricky.
He's a nice guy but his lectures are all over the place and he seems to not know what he's talking about. His lectures are VERY unhelpful. If yoo've had clac before he's ok but if it's your first time taking calc avoid him at all costs.
No Comments
He is a very nice person but this class is rediculously hard, especially if you've never taken calc before. The tests are impossible and his lectures are all over the place.
This class is very difficult. The teacher knows his stuff but he tends to go through the material too quickly. Also, he is out to get you on the exams. The exams are very tricky and hard well.
very nice guy, but the lectures are very confusing, and the exams are tricky
this class is insanely difficult b/c he goes over things way to fast, and fails to explain them unless you constantly ask. It is good cuz no quizzes, which means you dont have to do if you dont want to. Get a tutor and youll be allset.
He is really fare in person, but he is certainly out to get you on the exams. If you email him and tell him you need a certain grade for your major he will reconsider you grade.
Don't take this teacher if you don't understand math. He is n help, so if you can't teach yourself you WILL fail
He is a really nice person, but his lectures are not helpful at all. in order to do good in his class u must teach it all to u'r self. even then his exams are rediculously difficult. he is out to get u on the exams. i would avoid him at all costs.
Not a good teacher
Very good personality, but if you have no idea or interest in math, you will find the course very difficult. He is an intelligent man whose jokes carry the class more than his explanations. If you do not want to spend time in extra help, do not take the course with him.
he is a horrible teacher...he knows the information but doesnt clarify it, never organized, always late, the test are WICKED HARD and TRICKY!! i hated that class!!
No Comments
the worst teacher ever, who cares about how the formulas were developed.. TEACH US HOW TO USE THEM! dont take this class if you cant teach yourself some pretty difficult math
The math isnt that hard, but the tests are fairly meticulous, but multiple choice! He is great guy, and will provide you with whatever help you need if you go to class. a little confusing in class, and he has a habit of showing up late and letting the class leave anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes early every day.
extremely boring. I went to only 3 classes but still did fine.
He sucks!!! Don't take this course!!
He spends entire classes deriving formulas that are in the text already, and spouting off about Leibniz and Newton. Hates cell phones, yet comes to class 10 minutes late EVERY time. Avoid this class at all costs, unless calculus comes easily to you- you will not learn anything!! Seriously, he sucks!
The teacher doesn't teach the concepts. he only derives the formulae and doesn't tell/show us how to implement them. going to class, for me, seems like a waste of time.
The professor is funny, but going to his class is pointless because he doesnt know how to teach.
haha this guy is a joke. i dont understand why peopole like him are allowed to teach, cus he doesnt know how. Dont even bother going to class. i went to maybe 4 classes all semester. and i have an a-. sooo just pretty much teach yourself using the owls.
Cook makes this a really hard class. He refuses to actually teach the material by using examples and going over things step by step. According to him thats not his job. His job is to teach mathmatics not to hold your hand. He goes off topic a lot to complain about cell phones and calculators. If you can take any other teacher for calc I suggest it.
He is the worst teacher i have ever had. I love math, and i normally understand the concepts in math very well, but he just doesn't know how to teach. he doesn't show you how to apply anything, and what he does teach he teaches in the most round about and confusing way possible. do anything to avoid having him!!
i took calc in hs, and like math, i found the class to be easy, but only cus i had an understanding in calc, i do not recomend cook and from what i heard about the other math teachers i dont recomend them either, cook is boring, old and doesnt teach, wish i could say something good, but nothing comes to mind
ppl are u guyz serious??? Cook is not that bad, I mean hes funny and enthusiastic to teach. The only problem i had with him was that most times he spent alot of time explaining an simple problem which made it more confusing. Overall his class is not bad at all.
Extremely unclear, never gives example problems. The material is not too hard but he makes it very confusing. He's not a bad guy, but his class is very boring and going is a waste of time. He may know what he's talking about, but no one else does. Help sessions w/ the TA's will save you though...but I would avoid him if possible.
This is one of the worst classes i've taken. the concepts would have been easy to understand if he had any clue how to explain them. The material on the tests is so random compared to what he teaches in class. He doesn't prepare you well for the tests at all, and the owls are a pain. Don't take this class unless you absolutley have to.
No Comments
Nice Guy. Bad Professor. If you're a math major or are extremely good in math, youll be fine. For the rest of us, plan on struggling as u try to learn on your own. Class is a waste of time. I wonder how the math department could hire such crappy professor.
He is a nice guy, but does not know how to teach at all! Only take this class if you're comfortable with teaching yourself the material.
the guy is the math teacher on campus. good teacher and explains things thoroughly, but he is hard to track down for office hours. the people who complain about his teaching are only the people that have problems with math and failed the course. he makes it relatively eay to get a good grade if you ar willing to work for it (but not teach urself)
Worst Teacher. TA test reviews do not help and if you approach Prof. Cook for help, he does nothing for you. Read the book, SI sessions help. Everyone fails that tests, but you should end up with a C if you do the owls.
I never went.. i got a C+. His class was pointless because he just confussed you and showed up late every time. So i stopped going, the cheat sheet tehy allow you to use on the tests really helped me. Just put examples from owls on it and you will be fine.
he da best
Prof. Cook has good intentions but doesn't know how to teach his material. He is often late and unprepared, and can't answer questions clearly when asked. You practically have to teach yourself how to do all the work in the class, the lectures are no help.
He is completely unprepared for class. He rushes in 10 minutes after the class is supposed to begin and just does some random problems out of the book that take him about 5 minutes to find. He seems like his passion for the subject is gone because he does not motivate you to learn. He is a nice man, just not a good professor.
for 128, cook does a decent job covering the material considering that it's a hard subject. much better than 127 with Rudvalis. sometimes difficult to see what it is he is talking about, but he will try and clarify if you ask him. I suggest going to the math help center, they take everything he sais in class and makes it easy to understand.
This guy is terrible, and completely incompetant. He is unprepared for class not to mention 10 minutes late every class period. You actually get about 25 minutes of bad teaching in the 50 minute block. He is rediculously bad at explaining the material and should be banished from teaching.
While most people in this class dont enjoy the subject, he does a good job explaining an otherwise boring subject. You need to go to class, but as long as you do, you will do well on the exams.
This teacher is terrible. He's a good guy, and wants everyone to do well, but his lectures are completely useless. It's hard to get an A because his exams only contain 14 questions meaning you can only afford to get one wrong on each exam. His final was nothing like he said it would be. Most questions we had never even seen before. TERRIBLE.
Do all the OWLS, get at least 7 out of 14 questions right on each of the tests, and you'll get a C. If you do worse you will fail. He makes that very clear. Go to the reviews before each test, they help a lot.
Awful, Awful teacher. He just puts random examples on the board, solves them himself and doesn't explain how or when to use the equation. Math was always fun and enjoyable for me until this guy. Very unhelpful. Doesn't look at emails. Just don't take 127 with him.
Calc 2 is not an easy subject therefore it is important to look for extra help. you cannot expect to do well by simply showing up to class and taking notes. The math help center is good for reinforcement and Prof Cook is usually available whenever you would like to schedule an appointment.
Do yourself a favor and ignore all the ratings that say that he is of any help. I had a 3.8 GPA until I took this class, and FAILED my first college test with this guy. He might be a nice guy but he should have retired 30 years ago. I attended all of his lectures, along with turoing, and BOTH reviews before the test. Got 60's on first two tests.
class is hard but calc 2 is hard. he goes on tangents in class irrelevant to anything. buy the book
He jumps into examples and never tells us how he got there. some things he teaches in class arent in the book so theres no way to study some of it, and before the final he tries to teach us new stuff whispering all throughout (cold) and there was 2 pages of that on the exam. i am premed, and because of his work, i am now at a major disadvantage.
THIS MAN IS THE WORST PROFESSOR @ UMASS. he doesn't take questions in class, goes over problems way too fast and with no clear direction to them. he doesn't use numbers in his problems ever even if a student yells to him that he should. if you are going to take Math 127 take it with Calden. I failed and will have to wait to declare my major.
He teaches the history of math than the math itself. Should reccomend a new book with solved examples of what he teaches in class. He is a a great guy with a good sense of humour. He could improve if he solves more math than talk about it.I suggest he should come to class if he cant speak and stop using sign language.
THE CLASS IS SO EASY THAT IF YOU DON'T WATCH OUT, YOU WILL FAIL. COOK IS A NICE GUY AND HE GOES OVER EXAMPLES A LOT. GO TO CLASS, DO THE OWLS AND MAKE SURE TO UNDERSTAND THE OLD EXAMS HE HANDS OUT. YOU DO JUST FINE AS LONG AS YOU DON'T PROCRASTINATE.
go to EVERY class, take really good notes b/c most of his exam questions are based on examples in class, read the book. his exams are nothing he says it would be & the final is hard so u really gotta really know what the "fundamental theorem of calc" he always talks about is b/c that's what all his exams are about
Awful teacher! Doesn't explain anything that is on the test! Owls are poorly structured! If you have to take this class go to the SI sessions you will learn much more there than in class. The only good part about the class is you can laugh at him when he makes bad jokes.
First, Professor Cook is a really a nice guy and he tries his best to teach to 300 people. Everything about this class will frustrate you. OWLs are hard and sometimes not relevant to lecture, sometimes not relevant to the book. Class will not help you prepare for exams very well so unless you're already great at calculus, you will not do well.
He goes off in tangents. He never solved problems completely out and he'd derive some equations and confuse you so much. The lectures, OWLs, won't prepare you for the test. I got more help at the tutoring places than going to lecture all semester. But he's a nice guy though.
Thurlow is a nice man, but he simply cannot teach. Use the book and do the practice problems. You should still go to class though, he goes over problems.
Prof. Cook is a very nice man but his class is very difficult. You must go to class to have somewhat of an idea as to what's going on. I was required to take this class for my major and I am absolutely horrible at math. I ended up with a C- probably because I met with him to discuss exams and made it clear that I was trying my best.
The courses he teaches are the easiest calcs offered at UMass. If you don't do well on his course, even if you were without an instructor, you are a god damn shame. This course is a high school-repeat. Cook's understanding in Math is very profound. He's humble and also a great resource. I would highly question the work ethic of those who complain.
It's not too difficult. Just study the material. Even if you're bad at math you can get a good grade. Just make sure youre not lazy. Most of my friends didn't do well b/c they were lazy, not b/c the it was hard, bad instructor, whatever bs. ect.
Here's the deal. If you took Math 127 and actually understood the material, not just did well on the exams because of the cheat sheet, you'll have no problem. He wastes his time talking about the history of equations, but the course material is not nearly as bad as it's reputation. Mostly derivatives and anti-derivatives. Just get it over with
Ridiculous professor. He never teaches the material--instead, he goes on about some obscure, random fact you never have to think about again. Only assigned like 5 OWLs that were extremely hard and nothing like the exams. Avoid this class if possible, if required for a major I'd say take it honors with Adena.
Professor Cook is a terrible teacher, and an even worse comedian. The only thing worse than his lessons were his jokes. There was zero learning and zero laughter. I walked into the final exam touting an A average, and failed the exam, which landed me with a final grade of a C. This class was absolutely horrible, and you have no choice but this man.
it was god awful. Hes so old he broke his hip and we got an actually decent teacher. everyones grades jumped up until he came back and they all plummeted. he should stop teaching hes older than the dust in the air.
Only reason I passed this class was because he broke his hip and Adena Calden stepped in to teach. Rambles on for 20minutes before he gives you the one equation you need. So hard to follow. Old School teaching methods. Horrible jokes. Take 128H with Calden. Its honors but it will be easier. If you do take it, buy the book and teach yourself.
Okay, here's the deal with Cook. His class seems harder than it is because he goes on long rants about how to derive equations. You DO NOT need to understand exactly how to do this, all you need to write down is the final equation that he derives, and understand when to use it. If you memorize and understand these few equations, then tests are s
I thought he was funny and down to earth, he didnt have an ego like most proff. He does make the class a bit tough though, still a good guy.
This man is a horrible professer. He is useless when it coems to extra help or getting questions answered and he is horrendous at teaching. Might as well not even attend class. Waste of time.
A great guy, sort of a funny but quirky sense of humor. He likes to teach the concepts and what's behind them rather than teaching you step-by-step processes, making it a little more difficult. You do a lot of self-teaching using the book and HW. Extremely clear! I loved how he went over things a few times until everyone understood. Doesn't EMail.
A nice guy, but a blah professor.
By all accounts, an awful professor. He's very unclear, and his jokes probably got old around the dawn of indoor plumbing. Run while you can.
Guy is a terrible teacher. He just gets up to the board and writes down random stuff doesn't really go over it very well. Uses WileyPlus which is $50 and you need to buy it because thats where the homework is, and wiley sucks doesn't help you learn at all. I like math have a B but this class is so bad do not take it with him. Exams sucked
Thurlow is the bomb. Unfortunately he is a terrible teacher. He means well and loves the subject, but he lectures in class about things not on the test and he just about never spends time on actual material. He also has no clue how to use anything made in my lifetime.
the worst professor i have ever taken a class with. seems nice but lectures make no sense. homework has nothing to do with the tests which are all 15 qs each/85% of your grade so if you mess one up you're screwed. unfortunately hes the only guy who teaches 128.
Prof is a nice guy but he shouldn't be teaching. His teaching style is random and he does a horrible job of actually explaining the material. DO YOUR SELF A FAVOR AND DROP THIS CLASS ASAP OR ELSE YOUR GONNA SUFFER THROUGH THE SEMESTER
really nice guy. willing to help if you ask. a little out of his element as far as technology goes, but actually cares about his students.
NICEST TEACHER. EVER. He's a great guy. Go to his office hours. The class is terribly confusing and hard, but if you talk to him about your grade he can be reassuring. Lectures are confusing but he will meet with you personally any time of day to talk about stuff in lecture or your grade.
Such a great professor. Taught the material at good pace and kept the class laughing. Easy to understand teaching method. Incredibly nice and will go out of his way to help you, so long as you ask.
Can't understand a thing he says. Thank goodness i took calculus in high school cause if i didn't i would be so lost. too bad he is the only teacher who teaches 128, which i am forced to take next semester.
People are so bad at math. Thurlow is a decent teacher and so funny
Great Guy, but its hard to understand what he is teaching; he goes off tangents and talks about the history of the math than actually teaching us how to do it. If you get Felipe as TA, it is HIGHLY recommended that you go to his SI sessions, especially 2 or 1 days before an exam. It really helps since he hands out review/exam guides.
I only went to class for the first two weeks of the semester and still got an A. Just do the homework and go to the review sessions before tests. Don't bother buying the book because the Wiley access code you need for the homework comes with an ebook.
im pretty sure thurlow doesnt know how to even use a computer. yes im bad at math, however going to class doesnt help and neither does homework. he gives homework problems on wiley that dont come close to problems u see on exams he also posts homework assignments late.he doesnt post grades on spark, and you cant bring up your grade other than exams
Really nice guy, easy to talk to to, willing to help, but he can't teach. If you have never taken calc then DO NOT take it with him. You will have no idea what he is talking about.
He is by FAR the WORST professor in UMASS. His lectures are very unorganized, so it's hard to take notes in class. He has no information about the class posted on his site. He is not clear in his lectures. If it wasn't a required course, I would avoid him.
Cook would be better off as a 1950's stand up comedian than a math prof. he doesnt explain ANYTHING and his "examples" in class are nothing like the ones on the exams. As far as technology goes, he has no idea what a computer is, and will constantly refer to it as "the machine." Thank god i took calc in high school, or else i wouldve prob failed
Good guy and teacher, people just hate on him because they're stupid and get bad grades...
I've never had a problem with math until this class. Cook has the unique ability to make you confused about things you understood prior to the class. Very nice professor, he means well and tries to crack jokes to keep students entertained, but he just cannot teach. The homework problems are NOTHING like ones on the exams.
He is extremely confusing but if you sit up front and persevre and ask questions you'll get the material and an A. Do the hw to boost your grade. ASK if you dont get it, he will definetely clarify.
Means well, but lecture does not follow the book. He teaches Math 128 as if it was Math 132. You can read and understand the book and walk out of lecture scratching you head. Avoid if at all possible.
He really gets the material across well and is very invested in helping you learn. If you don't get something, he'll teach it until you get it. He's also really entertaining for an old dude as well.
Goes on tangents every class and teaches for maybe half the class. Easy to get a good grade but bring entertainment.
While hes not the most with it professor, he knows the material well. The course is now streamlined with all the other sections so that the only thing that is different is the professor teaching it. Even if you have to take it with him you can go to any lecture.
He knows the material, he just teaches it different then the other teachers. If you took calc in high school, you'll be fine. and if not, just go to a different lecture. he does help with some things and you can always ask him for extra help. fairly easy class overall
Really is a kind old guy, who likes to tell stories that sometimes last half the class. Likes to ramble and stand at the board writing and writing like we know what he's doing. If you aren't good at math don't take this class if you don't have to. Homework will bring up your grade a little, and if you show a lot of effort he may help you along.
very boring and not clear. did not fare well in his class
A good professor who has good intentions. His age does make it a little harder to understand but he knows his stuff and if you aren't retarded you will do fine.
With respect to humanity, Cook is an extremely pleasant and grandpa-esque little man. I did enjoy his anecdotes and his comments. What I didn't enjoy, however, was his poor teaching. This class stressed me out beyond belief because I hadn't the slightest clue of what was going on. Avoid him if you can.
Avoid Cook at all costs. Easily the worst professor I've ever had. He exams are nothing like the practice exams, homeworks, SI sessions, or what he does during lecture. Even the TA can't figure out what Cook is asking in exam questions. Very misleading. Even if you work hard, your final grade is left to luck. He never checks his email.
This man is one of the more un-helpful, not caring teachers i've ever run into. He honesty doesn't care about his students success and Is terrible at teaching. theres better teachers and even though the material isnt so hard, he makes it near impossible somehow
Confused why everyone is talking about how he makes exams hard.. he doesn't even write the exams, the department does. He even admitted he thought the exam was too hard so he would scale the final grades for our class. caring and knows his stuff, calc can be confusing, not his fault. I skip class at least 2 out of 3 times a week, still manage an A.
This guy is really helpful if you go to his office hours. His door is always open for people who want to learn. He is a great teacher
This was oddly the easiest class of my life. I actually never went (and never took Calc in highschool). Show up the week before an exam and you are set when he reviews everything. His exams are not hard, you just need to know what formulas to apply. I'm still confused why people say his class is difficult.
Hard teacher. Blame the department for the hard tests but practice tests are nothing like the real ones. Class is so boring i've might lost attention numerous times every class. Nothing came clear to me any classes. AVOID HIM
He isn't bad at all. He's a joker and a half and he tells you what will be on the exams. If you go to class and do the pactice problems in the class, you'll probably get an at least a B+
Great teacher. first time I have taken clac in a year and I still managed to get a B/B+ easily (forgot calculator for one exam set me below an A = my fault). He can explain where every equation originates from. VERY HELPFUL. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
DO NOT take calculus 128 with this professor. I've never been so confused about math in my life and he does not care to help students understand the material he is teaching. Cook is a really sweet and funny old man but certainly doesn't know how to teach. Material on hw and exams are completely different from what he teaches. Avoid his class!!!
all he talks about is archimedes, galileo, isaac newton, and isaac barrow. does not teach the material and tests are completely different from what he talks about. this man should be ashamed of himself
One of the worst professors I've come across. He doesn't complete problems he starts on the board and gets confused half way through them. He isn't clear in his explanations, class average on exams is significantly lower than the other Math132 classes, avoid his class at all costs.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! This class is by far the WORST class Ive ever taken at UMASS. He doesnt reply emails or put anything on Moodle. Lectures are the WORST in the entire universe and are useless. You really learn nothing but are required to know a ton of BS for the midterms. Its quite lovely... Dont take this class if you value your GPA!
Cooks an awesome guy, but now he's so old he does not care at all. Completely checked out and his teaching style shows. I learned more about the 60s than I did anything about math. If you have to take him to go another professors lectures or teach yourself online. Avoid if possible
I can see where people are coming from when they negatively rate this professor, but I had no issues with the class. Cook teaches by example and his practice exams are very similar to real exams. The only annoying thing is that he doesn't use technology so don't try e-mailing him. Overall, acing this class should not be an issue if taken seriously
Cook is a really bad prof. I had never taken Calc before, I attended every single lecture and took many notes. However he repeats the same lecture over multiple times and there were things on exams he never taught in class. He spends more time taking to his calk (literally) and reciting Shakespeare than teaching calc.
If you don't mind getting into the actual theory behind basic calculus, Cook is great. He's an older guy, and an old-fashioned lecturer, but I find it charming and refreshing. The exams are easy if you know how to make good use of your calculator, attend class, and follow the text somewhat. I don't know why people are so down on him...
Cook is a nice and funny guy, but his teaching can come up a little short. Goes off on tangents frequently and explains things a little more difficult than they have to be. I thought the material would be super easy since the first thing we did was antiderivatives for a good 2 weeks, but then ramped it up and it got very hard. The TA taught better.
He's nice and funny but he's not great. He's better off teaching calc theory than basic calc. There are only 4 total grades - 3 exams and homework. You can redo homework a million times but Wiley is annoying. TAs were a lot more helpful. Go to reviews and SIs. He does not respond to email.
Easiest math course @umass. Literally a sad excuse for calc II. MUST GO TO CLASS! All problems done in class are on the test. Tests are NOT based on wileys. If you understand everything he does in class you will get an A. He literally told us which ones were on the test. One of our tests was the practice exam. IMO good at teaching the material.
If you aren't a math person, you may struggle with him. He tends to repeat the same concepts over and over, but tends to jump to other topics partway through. I personally just found his style of teaching the material very boring, but also very scatterbrained. He tends to try to branch out to other concepts that aren't relevant. No accent though :)
Prof Cook is an excellent man. He is funny and really knows his stuff. He can explain any problem to you. He is enthusiastic about his teaching and wants you to understand. He is always in the lab if you need help. Would take him again as a professor.
His lectures were kind of all over the place sometimes and often the homework problems were different from the problems he went over in lecture which was frustrating. Get ready to read the book a lot. However, if you go to his office hours or the calculus tutoring center, he was usually pretty helpful. He is a nice guy overall and really cares.
If you didn't take calculus in high school, like I didn't, you're gonna have a hard time. He only teaches the basic principles, and the exams are much more complicated. The homework is all online, but his lectures are almost 2 weeks behind the homework due dates. If I wanted to teach myself calculus, I would have taken it online.
I didnt take Calc in High School so I went in expecting to learn it. Nope. If you take his class get ready to spend hours in the help center in Lederle and the LRC. Looking at the review for the exam makes you realize exactly how little he covered during lecture.
Cook has been at it a long time and is the definition of old school teaching. I was never great at Calculus so i went to 95% of lectures and still had a lot of trouble with the materiel. Effort outside the class is a necessity to get a good grade.
He's all over the place in lectures and often does out long complicated problems on the board and only mentions when he's finished that it won't be on the test and he just wanted to show us where things come from. He doesn't explain what he's teaching--just scribbles on the board without explaining. Go to TA led review sessions--they will save you!
Cook has been teaching for so long that he has his lectures pre-scripted in his head. He will teach Calculus to you but the math department at UMass is known for striving for student success. Do all the homeworks, use the video guides, go to review and discussion. Just pay a lot of attention in series! Most students fail here.
He rambles about formulas and theories that have nothing to do with the content that's on the test. He does manage to be funny at times but there's nothing funny about not being able to do well in exams and failing the class. He isn't able to deliver concepts well. Unless you're really good at maths don't even bother taking this class.
He is the nicest person. His lectures are really amazing , inspired me to study Math. This is not a high school , I believe he is a great teacher.
He doesn't teach anything in class don't even bother going. all online homework, completely useless teaching, doesn't help AT ALL. STAY AWAY
Cook is an awful professor. He's super nice but very old and thus rambles during lectures and is never very clear with concepts. You really need to teach yourself the material in order to pass because his lectures are all over the place. Try to take it with anyone else if you can. No book use whatsoever except to teach yourself the entire course.
Professor Cook is a great teacher. His lectures are clear and I learnt a lot from it. He always made jokes and it is a great fun to go to class. Of course, studying math always takes effort and sometimes tedious, but his class inspired me to learn more and keep going.
Very nice person. Always there if you need help. Lectures aren't clear so you have to teach yourself a lot of things.
Randy is a great professor and makes the material very easy to understand. However his tests are difficult and test more on the application of the than knowledge. His class 151 is great, however I would find it to be more difficult if I had not taken AP Bio in high school. Overall his class is good, his exams are just really difficult.
He seemed a bit... lost at times. He speaks kinda softly and makes you sleepy. No problems to work on your own the double check in class. He just lectures and you sit there trying to frantically copy whatever nonsense he puts on the board.
Would not reccomend taking the 75 minute lecture block, just too much drole for uninterested people. That said, he does clearly explain math concepts. Just be a good student and actually read the book, learn the theorems and rules, and you will do well. Makes corny math jokes to diffuse a bored atmosphere but he teaches well otherwise.
If you think calculus is hard as is and you feel like torturing yourself, then Professor Cook is for you. He refuses to use any type of technology to make understanding better for the student. No iclickers and attendance was not mandatory. He never explains things in a general form and just goes over random problems right in the beginning.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
27%
Textbook Required
100%
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