2.8
Quality4.2
Difficulty42%
Would Retake97
Reviews42%
Would Retake
97
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
19
4
19
3
13
2
18
1
28
What Students Say
“Well, this professor is one of the worst you could possibly have”
CSCI115 - 1.0 rating“wilson for student that he thinks "deserves it"”
CS60 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
56%
Textbook Required
39%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.63 avg changeRatings by Course
CSCI156
5.0
(1)CSCI130156
5.0
(1)CSCI191T
4.5
(2)CSCI130
4.2
(6)CS130
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
60148
5.0
CS148
5.0
CSCI40
5.0
CSCICSCI
5.0
CS217
5.0
Reviews (97)
His class was easy, he just read the book to us. So if you're blind, take him.
Runner up for best professor in the CSci Department. CSci 1 easy, 148 hard
Easy, but take a caffeine pill before lecture. Better yet, take two.
Best Professor in CS Department. Recommend you take his classes.
good prof, but boring lectures, good thing theres a soda machine next to ee191
One of the best instructors. Clear, organized, knows how to present material.
No Comments
Try not to fall asleep.
Please never teach this class again. CSCI 40: Intro to Programming. It's Super Programming in some more stuff. If you ask him for help he will tell you to read the book. I don't like that guy.
this man is not s good professor. He is very smart but csn not teach.
good class,u can learn a lot,plenty of work,but worth,easy class compared to Seki's
I don't like the guy's classes.
Not, a good professor. He will dump a lot of work in the last few day.
Class is so difficult, he won't even let you drop the class, he rather let you have the F PERIOD. 2 weeks left in class(in a regular spring semester) and he finally gave us the 3 difficult assignments to do.
Still thinks he is at CMU…
Highly intelligent people don't make good teachers. Not everybody has the knack for logic.
the best in the group of average instructors at FS
Hes probably the best prof in this department the only thing bad about him is he will cram a lot of stuff in the end and that stuff will make up 50% of the final causing you to do bad. He will also give u a midterm on the last day of class.
Good teacher, you learn a lot in his class but tests can be hard.
Where do I begin. He didnt help anybody with their essay assignment. I scheduled a meeting with him and he never showed up. The only thing i learned in this class was the art of falling asleep with my eyes open.
truth is, wilson rocks. his explanations are clear, he handles difficult questions with ease, and will spend half an hour after class with you answering your dumb questions.
Best CSci Professor
He is not clear at all. He teaches as if you are already suppose to know all about the subject. He gave quizzes on the book that was assigned for his class, eventhough he knew that half of the class had it. My recommendation is to take a different critical thinking class with a different teacher if you don't want to be bored.
Pretty easy. He could not be clearer. The paper is slightly annoying, as it requires you do interview someone or do some type of activity. Other than that, it isn't difficult to get a good grade.
He is such a boring teacher!The material is easy, but not when he first teaches it, more like after you take the test and fail it and when he goes over it again. It's like he wants to just throw you all the material and doesnt care if you understand it thoroughly, he just wants to make sure he goes through his whole slide.
He did not give me feedback on any of my paper. I went to his office he just told me he'll get back to me. He was pointless in his lectures because he got there lectured and left. He would stay after class but if u asked him anything he'd respond with Im working on it. He was not helpful at all.
Very strict, but not on himself
best professor
horrible teacher. nothing relevant that he teaches. never responds to emails or questions. his teaching is bad and should'nt be allowed to teach
I enjoyed the subject and he did a good job at teaching the subject. I understood a majority of his course materials (as they were mostly online). Prior work in the LAMP structure might help you. I would recommend this course and teacher. A criticism; he does just go by the materials. So get ready for lots of boring lectures. Most tests are also co
Best Professor.Very clear with every topic.
Best Professor. Very clear with each and every point. very helpful. Grading is also very fair.
Lecture is clear and labs are interesting, but his tests are HARD! The tests require a lot of hand written code and he is picky about stuff that would not be an issue for someone writing it on a computer. The test also has a lot of questions that would be better left to a 5 second google search in the off chance that you actually need the info.
Very disorganized. Never grades and is hard to understand. Presents the material with no context and no alternative sources of material.
While at first he seemed committed to delivering the material to a diverse bunch of CSci students, after the second week or so, either he, or I went off the deep end. He failed to provide: a syllabus, graded hw, graded tests. When asked about which textbook we should use, he pointed us to the "Internet" for materials. I did so; still felt lost.
Does not grade or hand back anything. Completely lost in the class, and is very disorganized as a teacher. But in his defense he did have a large work load.
Professor Wilson would be an amazing logic professor, sadly(and I assume unbeknownst to him) he is in the Csci department. Regardless of the course material the class will be about logic. The topic of the course simply serves as the problem set for logic equations. He is friendly however so you won't really hate him as a person. Also slow grader.
YouTube taught this subject better than Dr. Wilson did. I don't think that Dr. Wilson is teaching the subject correctly; he uses his own system of logic equations which don't seem correct when compared to online or other professors at other universities, which seems like a problem. He uses a textbook which he is in the middle of writing himself!
This teacher gave the syllabus in the middle of the semester or almost the end of the semester. He couldn't help that much in class, seems like confused on what he's gonna explain next. If you can take another teacher, you're definitely not gonna take Wilson.
CSCI60 is an extremely challenging course, but Dr. Wilson does his best to convey the material to his students. He scheduled his office hours all on one day of the week which was a bit annoying, but he was always there when he said would be, so I can't really complain. He's a nice guy and a good teacher. Pay attention and you should be fine.
Dr. Wilson is next level smart. He's also extremely willing to spend with you the time it takes for you to understand the concepts of the class. Seems to have a lot on his plate at times and grades don't come back as quickly as they do in other classes but he's really an incredible teacher with a excellent understanding of the subject.
Grades things incredibly slowly. The semester has been over for a week and we still don't have grades from the 2nd midterm, which was about a month ago, and then there's still the final.
Dr. Wilson is the classic "absent-minded professor." He's probably a genius, but woefully disorganized. Ask questions during lecture--it helps slow things down and keeps him from flying through the material too fast. It will also pay off because he loves answering questions and tends to be more generous with students who ask often.
CSCI115 is a very challenging course. Dr. Wilson has a clear understanding of material, but often struggles to convey it to students. His syllabus did not offer a clearly defined schedule and this allowed him to lecture for 2 months with no tests. He's smart and mostly reliable, but he needs to create a day to day schedule to keep himself on track.
This class honestly might be the most challenging thing I've ever had to go through. I feel like Wilson is a great guy and is willing to help students if they reach out, however, he is too smart to be teaching imo. It seems as though he expects students to be close to his level of understanding and doesn't necessarily break down the material fully.
Just because of this subject i am going to get an extension.
The more classes I take with Dr. Wilson, the more I realized what a great professor he is. His exams are difficult and he grades pretty hard, but he does this in an effort for us, the students, to gain critical skills in Computer Science. He's very friendly, fair, and a genius. His lectures are fairly hard to follow, but that is the nature of CS!
Tough class, gotta study plenty. He is getting better at conveying concepts to students in an easier way to understand but still a little "too smart to teach". Labs are in Haskell and pretty tough. I always get C's in Wilson's courses but am always nervous I might not pass. Recommend studying up on all kinds of FSM's before taking this.
The exams are too tricky. Tough Grader. He wants students to come meet him in his office hours and ask him their doubts. He loves it when students do that.
His classes are difficult. My Tips: He records his lectures, download his lectures and watch them again, usually in the week leading up to a test. The class also makes heavy use of Piazza, use this! Ask and answer questions as often as you can, explaining something to somebody else is the best way to cement the knowledge. Do some practice problems.
119 with Dr. Wilson was an incredible class. He is definitely a modern day Alan Turing. Very difficult class. Difficult topics and Dr. Wilson expects a lot from his students. Do the labs, trust me. At least try to do them. Study study study. Invest in a big white board and a small portable one. All of my friends did it. Good Luck!
Well, this professor is one of the worst you could possibly have. He doesn't give a real study guide to study for his exams. He says study everything. Exam problems are too different from in-class examples. Grades are always low in his courses. Basically, Dr. Wilson should save every student a headache and just quit. No way I would recommend him.
good lecturer, difficult class. Attend the lecture even its not mandatory
Yes his classes are difficult but he really sets you up to succeed. He videos his lectures and there is a community of students helping eachother on piazza. Watch his lectures and participate in class. When 75% of the students dont show up to class they have no right to complain about failing the class.
119 is the hardest class I've ever taken. Dr. Wilson is incredibly knowledgeable but sometimes struggles to convey knowledge in an understandable way. You will want to study for his tests for days to pass. He posts all lectures online so lecture attendance is not mandatory. You need the class for the degree so just be prepared to study really hard.
Course is a way to weave out students from the CS program, Dr. wilson makes this course impossible to pass unless you slave for it, Grade based mostly on tests which and final grade is most likely altered by Dr. wilson for student that he thinks "deserves it".
Todd is a great guy but its a hard class and he try's hes best to teach it, but sometimes its hard to understand him when he is using big words. He knows his stuff. I RECOMMEND reading the first chapters first, just to get an understanding. He won't give homework, so practice it your self. Make sure to attend SI if needed help.
Mr. Wilson definitely knows his stuff. It's a difficult class, but he is willing to help. Make sure to reach out for help if you need it.
This professor is good. Trust me, I know people are scared of him at first. But, if you read the textbook and go to his lectures and labs, you will do fine. His exams are meant to be difficult so if you study by going to SI office hours and SI sessions, you'll manage to do okay on them. Overall, he's a tough, but fair grader.
The lectures are amazing. One should work hard for his subject.
cs60 is just generally a hard class but prof Wilson makes it super easy & understandable. recorded lectures & ability to always go back to access them is a PLUS! Uses piazza which was SUPER HELPFUL! tests were a good mixture of labs & understanding lecture & they arent easy A's, but if you can do labs by yourself, youre set. DOWNEST TO EARTH DEAN!!
Dr. Wilson is a serious but reasonable professor. He expects you to give 100% to the class (it's DIFFICULT) and is fair about assignments/tests. He records his lectures via screen capture and posts all materials on Piazza for access anytime/where. Labs are hard. When you get stuck on anything, seek help IMMEDIATELY. This class is merciless.
I wish the classes were a little more friendly to people who struggle with the concepts. Wilson is an intelligent man, but his classes can make you feel inadequate. With a lack of study guides or the basis of what the test questions will be passing them can be hard. He's really trying to teach but he could stand to tweak his methods
If you have little to no other classes or work then it maybe it is easy to keep up with Dr wilsons classes,as I'm taking 2 of them concurrently but there is an unreasonable amount of work and information to absorb that makes passing his classes almost unrealistic,he is very knowledgable,but the way he teaches concepts seems unneseccarily difficult.
Terrible. Changed everything last minute, didn't grade a single thing, expected students to do more than what was initially stated. Very unorganized.
Professor was very well knowledgeable in the material. Because of that, he has trouble explaining things in a way struggling students can understand. Also would always say he would release or grade stuff then never did on time. Ended up having students self grade themselves and do a big assignment randomly in the last 2 weeks of the semester.
This is my worst experience ever. I never struggled with any course so much. This course will torture you like anything. I bet no students would take this class if it is not mandatory. Now I can't graduate because of this class and I just lost the job I had lined up. I guess Todd Wilson is happy now. :'(. NEVER EVER take this class !!!
I think Dr. Wilson makes the course more difficult than it has to be. There is no material that we can find anywhere outside class related to the contents of the course he teaches. It is really difficult when you have zero reference and all your knowledge has to come from class. Least he can do is not flunk students.
Worst class ever!!!
Dr. Wilson is one of the best professors in the CS department. His lectures were clear and detailed that I rarely had to reference the book that was provided. They are also uploaded to Piazza so you can go back and watch them anytime during the semester. Labs can be challenging, but if you work with classmates and don't fall behind you will be ok.
Dr. Wilson is one of the best CS professors at Fresno State. He is clear, concise, and provides you with everything you need to pass his classes. Mind you, his classes are difficult. He expects that you put in the necessary time for reading and practice. Sometimes, lectures aren't very exciting, but the topics themselves are interesting.
I have never felt the need to rate a professor but I took Mr. Wilson after seeing he had relatively good reviews on RMP. I was beyond wrong. Wilson gives very very difficult lab work. Very difficult to follow instructions and very long weighted assignments. Be prepared to read an incredibly dense book and sit through the most dry voiced lectures.
First prof to ever fail me. He decided to make a new set of exam replacing assignments, 48% of grade. He made them incredibly vague and took forever to grade everything. Harder than he needs to be. Don't take this guy unless you like gambling with your grade since he'll probably change everything again.
To his credit, the course material is rather difficult. However if you pay attention in class, practice a little bit, and go to his office hours you can make it through. He is INCREDIBLY helpful in office hours, and you can tell he just wants you to succeed. Labs are rough though, so be ready and good luck!
Dr. Wilson doesnt get some of the credit he deserves, 117 is a very heavy course, and it has a TON of concepts to teach. Wilson does a pretty good job at explaining these concepts, however a tip, rewatch lectures at 1.5x speed. Wilson is older so he speaks alot slower than other professors, but this helped me. side note: START the FTA's EARLY.
Don't take this class, that's all I can say.
Lectures are Q&A driven. Good in theory; yet, he never grades anything. So, how can we effectively ask questions on what we don't understand, when we don't receive any feedback? Never received one graded assignment back. Also, "textbook" used was created by him - last chapters weren't even done. Had no sort of reference for last month of class.
This class was extremely difficult, at least for me. He does not grade any of the FTA's and you won't know your score. Gambles with your grade. However, he teaches really good. Be extremely attentive in his lectures and take detailed notes. Do not skip or miss any lab, they matter a lot. Start the FTA's at least a month early to finish them.
It's hard to rate him without bias, as his courses are extremely difficult by nature. With that said, I think he teaches things well and offers lots of help to anyone who reaches out. He isn't the best with grading things on time, which can be bothersome. Tips: Start FTAs early. Also, write down the examples he does. Overall good experience.
Labs are long and tedious. He is very smart but that makes it difficult for us beginners. He explains theory in a way that makes sense to him, I never understood the way he explained it. Only things I knew can from outside explanations. Uses a language he created meaning NO OUTSIDE RESOURCES. Difficult content explained in a difficult way
There are not many assignments (mostly just weekly labs) but they are very bulky. His lectures range from ok to pretty helpful, but that seems to be uncommon among other students. The only indication of your grade is your lab scores, you are in the dark everywhere else. I have no idea how I did on big written assignments so my grade is a mystery.
I don't even know where to start with this class. I really wish it was taught in a way that was much easier to understand. Labs are extremely difficult and were never graded on time. We also had exams in class and I have no idea how I did on them to this day and the semester is over. Wish this class wasn't a requirement because it is terrible
This class is just terrible Both the labs and the exams were graded late where it was impossible to talk to the professor about what you could improve on. To put this into context 5/31/2023 at 5:24pm all the exam grades were just posted. Since the posting now i just realize how tough the professor is in the grading. Why is this class required?
In my opinion, he doesn't know how to teach. This class would be much better if he gave more examples that help us to prepare for labs and exams. The labs and exams are way too hard compared to what is seen during class. Impossible to improve because everything is graded very late so there's no way to know any feedback.
Hour long uninterrupted lectures I have a hard time attaching to anything because I haven't done the assignment he is lecturing about yet. Class would be much better if he lectured for 5 minutes then asked a Google Jamboard question. He seems to know his CS pretty well. Labs were so-so. Tests are very hard. There is a generous curve.
CSCI-117 with him will have you tweaking. I'm talking Benadryl Hat Man levels of tweaking. AMD Threadripper 7995WX liquid nitrogen xOC to 6GHz tweaking. You'll plunge 20 hours of your week studying or doing labs as you scramble to write a program in a language you only HEARD about last week. Take notes, go to office hours; you need them. Good luck.
Mr. Wilson is not a bad professor. He understands his material and explains well. With CSCI 117 you should be prepared for challenging material and weekly lab assignments. The course is a lot of homework but the labs will prepare you for the exams. I would recommend using the textbook to study and going to his office hours.
One of the most difficult (and quite possibly useless) classes you'll ever take for your computer science degree. Be prepared to spend hours if not days learning this subject. Study hard for the tests (weighted the most), show up to ALL of his office hours, and do the hw.
Professor Wilson is a hard person to evaluate. I never went to office hours, but all my classmates that went said he was extremely helpful during that time. BUT, he is lacking in a lot of areas. He grades assignments at the end of the semester so u dont get feedback on it at ALL. He can also be disorganized. Easier than CSCI 117 but still hard.
This course is tough, I recommend attending office hours regularly, as he is quite helpful during those times. Seems like you may get a big more partial credit on exams if he recognizes you as a student who puts more effort into learning the material. The haskell programming sucks, the guide he gives doesn't really prepare you for the assignments.
I mean guy teaches at a decent level, but the hw lacks the substance to prepare you for the exams (some do most don't). He has no mercy on anyone in terms of grading exams which are worth everything in his class. Sadly everyone is forced to take him for 119 and 117 unless he goes on sabbatical. If avoidpossible: avoid() else: pray()
He uses his own notes that he made as a "textbook". Tests are biggest part of overall grade. Had 4 hw assignments this semester and he's not grading them until at the very end, even when semester is finished, don't know why and what he's waiting for? Haskell language is very useless for CSCI career path. Might have to take him again for csci 117.
Wilson is extremely smart, but bad at explaining and giving clear examples. He uses Haskell to explain concepts of this class, but Haskell isn't a prereq and should be used ONLY as a tool for learning not a requirement on exams. His grading takes too long, he never graded the assignments even after grading the final. Doesnt give good grade criteria
Wilson is a good professor, especially when compared to most at FSU, and he clearly has a love for teaching, but he had bad teaching practices. He explains things without good examples, they lack physical substance and live only in theory. Good for maybe grad classes but this is undergrad, we need tangibility. Very difficult class, be prepared.
Really hard class. Average exam score was probably 30-40% from talking with other students. He's obviously a genius, and he explains difficult concepts really well, but the tests are hard as heck. I put would not take again just bc its so hard. I got behind and got discouraged. Wish I did better bc the subject is kinda cool to me. Next time! lol
He is passionate about languages that aren't industry standard. Haskell? Prolog? Oz?! Supposedly good for AI, but most AI is in Python. Took UNBELIEVABLY long to grade. Some drama since his AI grading system wasn't working and accused ~60% of the class of late final assignments. Upset students had mass email for resolution. What a mess that was.
Absolutely no feedback or grading done throughout the semester. It makes it really difficult to even know if you're on the right path. I could have an A or a C right now, could not tell you. He's trying to use AI to grade our assignments, which I know myself and a lot of other students are uncomfortable with.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
56%
Textbook Required
39%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.63 avg changeRatings by Course
CSCI156
5.0
(1)CSCI130156
5.0
(1)CSCI191T
4.5
(2)CSCI130
4.2
(6)CS130
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
60148
5.0
CS148
5.0
CSCI40
5.0
CSCICSCI
5.0
CS217
5.0