2.9
Quality3.7
Difficulty52%
Would Retake100
Reviews52%
Would Retake
100
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
18
3
17
2
18
1
23
What Students Say
“He is a VERY repetitive lecturer”
ECON111 - 3.0 rating“Taking this class as a fourth year econ student who normally receives straight A's, I took this class thinking it would be an easy ECON elective to finish my degree with”
ECON243 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
22%
Textbook Required
18%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON211
5.0
(1)ECON485
5.0
(2)MULTIPLECOURSE
5.0
(1)ECONSECT
5.0
(1)ECON539
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
111X
5.0
ECE224
5.0
MICROECON
4.5
ECON111X
4.4
ECON
4.0
Reviews (100)
Do not take this course with this man, he will fail all of you-nice guy though.
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He is a super hard marker for ECON 111 esp in the writing part. super hard tests
1) Extremely Hard Tests 2) Extremely Hard Marker 3) Extremely Boring lectures
this guys made econ interesting - dont expect a clear answer from him though
Lectures confuse you big time, but go ask him stuff privately
this guy was awesome, very helpful and strangely human
marks toooooooo much hard on the writing part. very boring prof
AVOID all his classes at all costs. You will get destroyed by him
this guy ripped me off in the class so bad. nice guy, but complete ahole when it comes to compassion
I like his name 'Ugurhan Gazi Berkok' - A very smart man, but soooooooo BORING and even MORE HARD
What a guy!
Economics is boring enough as it is, but with With this guy at the front of the room, suicide seems more inviting. save yourself the agony and don't take his course!If you mistakenly think that he is easy, he will nail you hard on the midterms and exams!!
If you think that you will be doing yourself a favour and saving time by taking the ECON111X(Microeconomics) evening class...rather than taking it in the day...you are wrong if you have this guy.You'll regret it.Avoid him like SARS!VERY TOUGH MARKER!!!
He's a good guy but slaughters you when it comes to marks. Not very forgiving in marks. Lectures are really boring and more than half of the people skipped class and among those who attended half were asleep. Take Ian Cromb if you can. He's much better...
I think he tries, but sadly he fails. I realised that I'm wasting time attending three hours per Wednesday with him. I learn more and better (and in less time) by studying alone, solving the assginments and past exams and meeting TAs for questions.
This prof's goal seems to be rant about how we're all horrible students until everyone leaves, and then gloat about what a great time the remaining students had (I think not). If you want to pass the course, you'll have a better time with the textbook.
He is enthusiastic about the course materials, however his lectures are a little boring. He is a nice person and helpful teacher, if you have problems, but he's hard. Multiple choice on midterms are not bad, writing questions - VERY HARD marker.
Do not..I repeat DO NOT - DO NOT - DO NOT take him unless you want a semester of pure excruciating oh-dear-god-please-let-me-die type of hell. His lectures are totally awful. Nobody attends his class
The class is a a total joke, really easy, but this guy is boring. Great elective if you want to do next to no work and still get 80's, but lectures are unbelievably boring and completely unnescessary.
Lectures were unbearable. Final exam is same for all sections which is not bad if you do old exams. This guy marks brutally and he does not take any bull shi t t ing on the long answer and explanation questions. His class was a Horrible experience
If you find out this guy is teaching the course you want to take, RUN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AND AS FAR AS POSSIBLE and make a loud noise so that others hear you. He is not an effective professor at all. He will bore you and make you lose interest.
Terrible professor. I wish I knew about this website before I took his class. I'm sure I would've enjoyed the course if I was in some other professor's class. I learnt more by reading the textbook and found his lectures worthless.
to me, he was okay...his lectures weren't all that fun..but he seemed to really care...
Let's just say he is the worst professor in the history of this institution. From 1841-2004 of Queen's University, Ugurhan Berkok has been the worst Economics professor of Queen's. Don't believe me? Go to his lectures, and you'll find out yourself!
He's terrible...jus look at demz comments below, I'm sure he's a nice guy, but just canNOT teach for the life of him.
This is my second course, compared to my 1st Prof, Berkok is not very good. It could be the big class but I can't read his writing and he refuses to use typed notes even though we have a nice new computerized projector.. I must admit though he did stimulate my interest in economics.. a bit :-)
Terrible teacher
He's not clear in lectures.
He was absolutely atrocious...frustrated me in class as I would have read the material only to be confused by his horrible teaching. The prof who filled in one day was much better. Berkok may very well be the nicest man on the planet, but he is a horrible prof.
OMG. I swear this guy don't want to teach. He encourages students not to attend his course and not to take notes in his class. I am better off learning the stuff at home then to sit in his class. Very unhelpful and SO not funny.
I notice all of the comments were about econ 111, complaints about the teaching of first year econ should be disregarded, as it is a course that should be self-taught. His upper year classes are fantastic - difficult, but well taught. One of the most personable profs at Queen's, all round good prof.
Terrible prof! In response to the silly comment below mine: If 1st year should be self-learning, then pls tell that to the econ dept that believes a prof should teach it. Since it says a prof should teach, then he should do his job properly. Pls stick to ur own business and *important* upper courses
He was the worst prof I ever had
Horrible professor. The entire course was run like we were idiots. Remember that we pay for the course, and deserve better than this unmotivated clown. However, it appears that there are some endemic problems with the quality of teaching in the Econ dept. Meh, it was an easy throw-away credit.
I have never seen anyone with such a passion for his topic. Always available for discussion outside of class, even if just for a laugh. Has an awkward sense of humour that makes him funny. If you think it was dry, its because you don't understand the meaning of first year SURVEY courses.
I hated Economics because of him. He's a terrible marker.
For those students who are willing to pre read and come to class prepared the profs lectures are very good. Otherwise they may be confusing. If you need help and have made an effort to attend classes and participate the prof is very sincere and helpful although his notes could use a little work.
omg. he's HORRIBLE!
Difficult to understand his accent sometimes. Poor notes, just throws up graphs and doesn't really explain the notations on them. Brilliant in his subject, just poor at relating the material through. It basically is a self-taught course from the text and study guide. Sometimes something good will come from the lectures, but rarely.
hard to understand, appears helpful though
Berkok is an excellent prof. He has so much passion in his teachings, and ALWAYS makes time to help students. For anyone looking to better themsleves as an economics student, make sure to sign up in his classes.
I don't understand why his ratings are so low. I know that he doesn't have sense of humor but there are not many professors who answers all the questions right after each class. As I take 200 and 300 level Econ courses, now I realize how good he was. If you attend all of his classes, he will give you lots of hints that whay will be on the exams.
This has was the second worst Econ class I have taken in my 4 years at Queen's. Material was presented very poorly in class. There were two positives to this class; first, the articles were extremely interesting; second, 20% of the final exam was the exact same as the midterm.
Berkok is an amazing prof. and extremely passionate about teaching. Hea was never unwilling to help or provide clarification. He came to class prepared and was more than willing to entertain questions about the material he presented
Berkok is the man! Best prof I ever had...I can't imagine what these people are going on about. Probably typical first-year ****ing about not getting A's just for showing up. A bit of advice everyone...try going to class, doing the homework and asking questions! Berkok is a great prof...pretty good at soccer too...good, not great!
A lot of readings but Professor Berkok is extremely helpful and stops several times within class to ensure everyone understands what has been taught and to give people a chance to ask questions. Great at answering questions through email, and office hours as well.
He looks like Rocco. He is the worst Economics Professor ever. He likes to fail people.
Great guy. Genuinely cares about students&tries to explain everything well. Uses good examples.Teaches in a discussion manner so it is best to be prepared for class&somewhat of a self starter.The bad reviews are probably bc he tries to help you learn¬ just memorize. He's actually really funny&in his 3hour classes leaves lots of time to ask Qs
No Comment.
Amazing teacher who truly cares about the subject and the students in his course. This is one of the best courses I have taken at Queen's, definitely the best Arts course!
Although I've never had him as a professor, I was in a difficult situation once due to family issues and he not only accommodated my situation but comforted me as well. Seemed very caring.
Ugurhan proved to be very knowledgable, experienced and helpful. His comments stimulated great group discussion, and fostered growth of my interest in economics at the Masters level.
Great course, great prof
I really am interested in economics but for both 111 and 112, the first class he went off on a tangent about american politics. Did not bother going to class after that. Read the text book and you can do just fine.
He's a good prof and explains concepts well if you bother attending lectures
Horrible prof, boring lectures.
Terrible prof. COuld learn in 5 minutes from the text for what he covers in 3 hours. Ruined econ 111 for me
too many readings for a 2nd year class
I found him to be very helpful, very interesting, and overall a great prof. I liked how he tied in anything we learn to something current.
Had him for three courses at the graduate level. Highly committed to his students, goes above and beyond consistently to ensure a quality pedagogical experience.
Health economics was a very interesting course and although the notes were a little convoluted Professor Berkok was always available outside of class to provide good explanations.
He is a VERY repetitive lecturer. The first half of his 3 hour night class was usually spent going over what we did in the previous class. There was one class where he spent the whole 3 hours going over the SAME lecture we did the previous week. Honestly, if I were to take the class again, I would skip the lecture. Easy A however.
Always click "some of the above"!
A very nice person
Terribly convoluted course - enough material to cover at minimum two credits, not just one. Professor not helpful at all, who knows if we are even going to pass
Taking this class as a fourth year econ student who normally receives straight A's, I took this class thinking it would be an easy ECON elective to finish my degree with. Literally the most readings I have ever had in any class, and his exams are multiple choice and will test on one random specific aspect of the readings.
This is the hardest course I've ever taken at Queen's.... and I'm a fourth year finishing up my degree. The quizzes are near impossible with the multiple choice questions coming out of left field. Past exams look extremely difficult. The professor has this weird writing style that doesn't seem to get his point across at all clearly....
This class is taught at the masters/phD level. Great Professor, interesting material, but a very difficult course with difficult material and an abundance of readings all that come from masters/phD textbooks or studies.
Great guy though, he means well
Long Lectures, advised to go. Flexible grading scheme.
Berkok is a a good guy who is very passionate about economics, the 3 hour lectures are tough to pay attention to, but if you really deserve it you will get the grade you need. Just sit at the front of each lecture. The 3 assignments during each semester are very easy, just have to know what you are learning for the exam.
Didnt find lectures very interesting
Gets confused by his own slide shows and explains topics by repeating what he already said despite people not having a clear understanding.
GO TO CLASS. Trying to understand the material on your own will get you nowhere. Not only is it hard, but doesn't make sense without the topics you learn in class. He is a good prof, teaches well, but its a lot of hard material to learn on your own.
Love this man. Works hard and always makes sure students understand. You just need to ask a lot of questions otherwise class might be confusing. If you go in with a good mindset it is a great class
His lectures can get confusing/not everybody likes them. In my opinion a good prof though, questions are always answered until you understand what's going on. I recommend reading the book and doing all the online questions on the Econ Lab website (after each lecture!) to keep up and be prepared for the exam. Yes, lots of reading!
Really nice and smart. He has a thorough knowledge of the subject however, his lectures are hard to follow. He explains almost everything using graphs. The assignments and quizzes are rather easy but the exam is difficult as it is not open book and it is a dense topic.
I like him as a prof but definitely makes the course harder than necessary. Quizs are random questions from out of nowhere. No math requirement but definitely helps to know calculus. Definitely not a 2nd year course.
Professor Berkok likes to refer to up to date news and events while giving lectures. This makes his lectures practical but a bit hard to follow without reading the book before the lecture. He is super easygoing who is always willing to help. Basically, this is an easy A/A+ course if you read the entire textbook and practice the final exams.
Prof Berkok is def a person that you should pay respect to since his professional achievement is remarkable. He is responsible and reachable to every student. However, ECON 243 is the least course that I would never recommend you to take. The course itself is so confusing, plus the prof makes it 10 times harder. This is not a 2-level ECON elective.
ECON 243 is the worst class I've ever taken in my life, this second year course is treated way harder than any fourth year classes. Quizzes are based off random facts in our 100 page readings per week. It is rare that anyone would get an A in this class. Avoid this class at all costs!!
Terribly confusing course, fails to answer students questions during lectures (online) or goes on incredibly long tangents - with diminishing utility. He has a strange writing style, along with grammatical errors, which can make reading his unfinished textbook (in which the course is based on) harder than necessary. Not a level 2 course.
The difficulty is above that of a 2nd-year elective. Quiz questions are often out of left field.
Would not recommend this instructor.
Not a great lecturer, tends to go on tangents not related to the course. Hard to follow what he is talking about. Quizzes assignments and exam aren't terribly difficult but by no means an easy course.
I was dissuaded by all the negative reviews about ECON 243. The reason this class gets so many bad reviews is that the lectures are once a week, for 3 hours, in the evening. Therefore, most dont go. Because of this, they do poorly. Berkok is accessible for questions, fair grader, posts past exams, etc. I recommend this class if you work hard.
The hardest part of this course was generating the will to leave my house and go to the 3 hour lecture at 6:30. Despite this, Berkok is very good at explaining concepts so you should go. He is a very attentive prof, responds to emails quickly and answers questions effectively. Lots of readings and the online textbook isn't well written.
Lectures were very confusing to understand, it was easier to just learn it yourself. Prof often went on irrelevant tangents that could be confusing to students. The exam had questions on topics that weren't accessible in lecture slides online. Overall, prof made this course unnecessarily difficult
Professor Berkok seemed like a fine guy, but the lectures in this class were gruelling and I often felt more confused after attending and opted to rely on the textbook for info. Assignments were easy and the exam was hard. I doubt anyone can make intro econ exciting, but his teaching did not mesh well with me and I found him hard to follow.
Online resources were more clear to me than classroom teaching but FOMO motivated me to go anyway.
Professor Berkok is the most caring and understanding professor that I have encountered in this department. He treats students with respect and understands that life can present challenges to students, so he is always willing to help you and provide an accommodation, if you show him that you care.
One of the most caring professors in the department. Truly enjoyed his class and he is very passionate and knowledgeable about what he teaches. Lectures were long (3 hours) but enjoyable. If you attend class and ask questions you will succeed! Would recommend this class to everyone!
Professor Berkok is not only a great lecturer but also incredibly supportive outside of class. He explains economic concepts using real-life, up-to-date examples that make sense and stick with you. His lectures are engaging, full of energy, and fun. Highly recommend
Often goes off on useless tangents for long periods of time, not worth going to lecture. Midterm was hard, class average was 50% on the midterm which is ridiculous. He puts content on the quizzes that we never learned in lecture. If you get him as a prof hope and pray you can switch to another class the other prof is way better.
ECON110 Prof teaches way better. I didn't retain anything from the lectures, as they were slow, long and not engaging. The midterm average was 56% this year, and it wasn't curved. The assignments don't resemble the exams, and there isn't enough material similar to the exams to provide proper study preparation.
Funny and Nice guy
The lectures are far too long and not engaging. The Prof himself is an awesome guy and he knows his stuff! Personally, I found it more valuable to do the textbook readings every week than to go to the lectures. The midterm was incredibly difficult but if you score higher on the exam it is dropped anyway. Make sure you know how to label the graphs!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
22%
Textbook Required
18%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
ECON211
5.0
(1)ECON485
5.0
(2)MULTIPLECOURSE
5.0
(1)ECONSECT
5.0
(1)ECON539
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
111X
5.0
ECE224
5.0
MICROECON
4.5
ECON111X
4.4
ECON
4.0