if you can steer clear of this bozo he is the worst. He makes the class much more difficult than it needs to be. Only apx 40% his class end up passing that is unbelievable. That stat alone shows the whole world that Thomas Downs is a discrace to U of A

He flies threw the lesson and doesn't explain what he's doing rather just does everything as fast as he can

he sux!!!!avoid!!!

he teaches way too fast and makes it very hard. the t.a. that i had even said his class is harder than it should be. take this class in the summer if you can.

This was the hardest, most time consuming intro class that I have ever taken. It is a shame that the Univ. thinks that intro finance should be taught this way. Its a wonder that anyone ever stays in this major!

talks fast and doesn't clearly teach. he wrote the book so be careful. be sure to learn each and every problem in the book... good luck!!

This class is awful. Dr. Downs knows his finance incredibly well but cannot teach it to his students. He teaches too fast and expects you to understand what he is talking about. I never went to class and did not study as much as others for the test, some lucky way I pulled of a C. My suggestion is to do the buy-backs and hope that the lab teach

AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TERRIBLE! He knows his stuff but doesn't know how to teach to save his life! The only reason he has students taking his class is because there is no one else that teaches this class!He curves to make sure students pass but the tests are too long and so hard! Someone please tell him to get rid of the snake skin belt that he wears EVERYDAY to class!

NEVER returns phone calls or e-mails and if he does don't expect it to be prompt enough to actually help you. By the time he responded to my question about the trading the assignment had been due for two days not to mention I e-mailed 3 weeks in advance, this class also goes way to far in depth for non-majors who are forced to take it I RUN RUN AWA

My TA was better at explaining this than him the head of the department could not answer his questions they were so hard and this is a required course for non-majors, If you value your sanity do not take this class I almost failed other courses because this calss took up so much time.

Professor Downs does not present the material in an understandable way and just expects you to already know what he is talking about. He shows incorrect work on his example problems and yet somehow miraculously manages to get the correct answer in the end. DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE ONLINE!

WORST PROFESSOR EVER! He wrote the textbook, which would be very helpful if you already had a background in FI. But it is difficult to understand. He uses the most incomprehensible grading system. The tests are too hard for what we learn. And the TAs are useless and seem to hate their jobs.

I am a senior so I have been in this game for a while I am an A+ student but not in this class!!!!the exams are WAY to hard it is ridiculous to have to remember so many formulas and material after all in the real world we can find the info easily... Prof. Downs should step down and allow someone who can really teach instruct this class!!!!

This class is absolutely miserable

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS DURING THE YEAR!! IMPOSSIBLE. TAKE DURING THE SUMMER ONLY!!

He is the worst teacher I have ever had. All you have to do is memorize the practice test. You will learn nothing from this class.

Typically when reading this, I assume that people who say a teacher is too hard are whiny and unmotivated. This class is genuinely ridiculous. Also, Downs is useless. He may be brilliant somewhere in there, but he can't teach worth a damn. But if he were truly brilliant, he'd be making money in finance and not "teaching" it.

This class is impossible! I am taking it online over the summer and it is AWFUL. The trading games takes up so much time and is absolutely useless as far as I can tell. Avoid this class if possible.

I am still in the process of taking this course. I have attended three different universities and two different colleges GPA is 4.0. I have also taught myself. This class is not about learning material, but about learing how to pass the test. Only study the test and the answers and you will do fine. Terrible course avoid if possible!!!!!

Downs is horrible. His solutions for the tests and quizzes are sloppy and incomprehensible. I had to memorize the exam and quiz "hints" prepared by the grad students in order to make passing grades. In this class you will have to memorize 10 steps for each problem that make absolutely no sense and will learn nothing in the process.

This guy is the worst teacher I have ever had. He is a disgrace to the whole business school He really sucks!

As you can tell from everyone else's reviews, the man is an awful teacher. You are basically teaching yourself everything. The TA's try to help, but honestly there is really nothing they can do to your benefit. I thought since I like accounting, I would like finance. This man ruined it for me. With elearning gone you have to finish in a semester.

It offends me that whoever is responsible for this joke of a class is recieving my money. I am thankful I did the hybrid section as I would probably physically assault the person responsible for this. Words simply can not accurately describe how poorly run this class is..

Like everyone else is saying this has to be the worst teacher in the business school! Makes an already hard subject 100 times harder he wrote the book he assigned which just makes it that much more worse, and having a TA which can hardly speak english doesn't help at all!

This is the most unbelievable atrocious course I've ever taken. He is extraordinarily useless in explaining material and makes absolutely no effort to help the students. It's essentially a self-taught course, and its structure is burdensome. I am truly ashamed that the University of Alabama employs such a wretched "professor."

To say that "Dr." Downs is the worst professor I've ever had is a vast understatement. His ineptitude in explaining finance boggles my mind. The only way to make an A is to memorize the test questions. I am simply ashamed of UA for employing this man. This class is a stain on Alabama's reputation. It truly astonishes me how poor of a teacher he is.

You learn nothing from this class. All you do is memorize steps to find an answer, but you have no knowledge of what any of the numbers mean. This class has is the biggest waste of time, and has really hurt all of my other classes. Unfortunately it is required for business majors. If you actually want to learn the concepts of finance, take FI 301

Dr. Downs lacks basic human communication skills. This is a self-taught course, and very poorly structured one at that. He is a catastrophic failure of a teacher.

Just like everyone has said, this class is not easy. The lectures are useless because that man is scatter-brained and hard to follow. Self taught course for sure. Go to labs b/c they go over test questions. DO NOT WAIT TO GET EXAMS DONE. I thought I would get them done near the end and it was a battle to take the proctored exams. Super overcrowded.

This class is pointless. Its really sad when you go to take the test and every person around you is on their phone or using a cheat sheet just to pass a test. You dont learn anything from the class. And if you have issues, no one knows how to fix it. TA tells you to go to the office, the office says to go to the TA, and Dr Downs isnt worth going to

Worst teacher I have ever had. Doesn't help students at all, just tells them to look at the information provided online. Ended up taking the class at another institution, made an A+. What a difference a real teacher makes.

Avoid at all costs. Yes, you can make a decent grade. However, the amount of work you put in is ungodly especially when you have classes pertaining to your major. He is a terrible teacher and the course is set up in a stupid fashion. Do yourself a favor and find an institution at which you can take FI 302 and transfer it to UA.

WORST EVER! Do not take this class at UA. Drive to Mississippi if you have to. UA needs to fire this man immediately. You spend hours memorizing pointless problems and receive no help or instruction from him.

Not all that hard to pass. Lectures are useless, Downs himself is incomprehensible and you have to luck out to get a decent TA. Get your quizzes done, make 100 on the TG, and focus really hard on one test (I recommend 4) and you should pass easily. Making an A in this class requires sacrifice of your other coursework; it will suffer.

It sickens me that UA still employs this guy. UA pays him well over six figures each year for him to be the least effective teacher on campus. He gives so much worthless mathematical coursework that students must memorize material instead of actually learning financial concepts. He inspires no one and goes through the motions like he has for years

Take this class when you don't have a huge course load. He will be your only option for this class. He thinks he knows everything and that you should too. He complicates things the way he teacher. Do yourself a favor... memorize how to do the problems for the test your way, make a B, and get the heck out. DO NOT GET BEHIND ON TESTS DATES!

Take the hybrid section so you won't have to go to lecture. I never studied anything except the practice tests and got a B. Arnett is the best TA. Horrible class... I didn't learn anything.

Horrible teacher

Tom Downs is the worst teacher at the university. The word teacher is used loosely because the only time students see him is when he shows up at tests to watch the students suffer. You don't learn finance, you only learn how to pass the tests. Taking him would be the biggest mistake of your life.

The class material hasn't been updated for a decade, which is probably the last time Prof. Downs did anything to improve it. You need a decipher key to understand what is expect of you in the course. I had to drop the course the first time because I couldn't understand how to go through the online material.

Very confusing and he goes way to in depth about the stock market for our level. Only finance majors should be required to take this course. Goes quick going over material and doesn't care to explain anything or even know how to make it comprehensible. He's only worried about doing his job and making sure he covers what he is supposed to that day.

Thomas Downs is easily the worst instructor at UA. He only cares about the amount of information thrown at the students, not about the knowledge attained by the students. If this guy narrowed the content a little, actually explained concepts in a logical order, and stroked his chin hair less, MAYBE students would learn something in this class.

Never! Avoid him at all costs

Please don't take this class with him. Save yourself.

He was only present for the first exam and his TA covered the remaining exams. The TA speaks very poor English and is not helpful nor does she answer specific questions with regard to formulas. Prof. Downs was not available.

AVOID HIM!! Take another teacher!! He is literally the worst!! I had to take this class even though my major had nothing to do with finance!!

I took FI302 hybrid class. Never take this class. Hybrid or not. Never take it. Downs is a horrible teacher. I studied over twenty hours for the first test and still failed. I emailed him about my grade to see if he could help me but he never emailed me back. I would advise everyone to take this class at Stillman. Avoid Downs at all costs!!!!

If I could give 0's I would but it doesn't let you. He is the worst teacher in the Finance department. I think he does extra curricular activities before class from the way he looks. Get a different teacher