2.2
Quality4.1
Difficulty25%
Would Retake99
Reviews25%
Would Retake
99
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
3
4
19
3
13
2
24
1
40
What Students Say
“Basic summary: she doesn't know how to teach”
ECO329 - 1.0 rating“Practice testshmwk don't correlate with actual tests”
ECO339L - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
11%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
ECO335K
5.0
(1)304L
3.5
(2)ECO308L
3.0
(1)ECO339L
3.0
(1)MACRO
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECO308L
5.0
ECO339L
5.0
330T
5.0
ECO330T
5.0
ECO304L
4.1
Reviews (99)
extremely knowledgable about the material. gave us too much to study that you didnt know what to focus on. extremely difficult class. definitely need to put a lot of work into it in order to do well
She is not very helpful and is kind of mean but in a nice way. She tries to do a lot of group work which doesn't work considering we have like 400 students. She also gives out a ton of useless homework and her test reviews are super long that no one finishes it. Also if you miss points due to something that was her fault she will still take off.
Honestly one of the worst professors or teachers I have ever had. The class isn't impossible, but you better be able to self-teach, because her lectures are unhelpful. The class gives her so little respect that everyone talks nonstop and openly use cell phones. I came in interested in economics. I'm coming out hating the subject.
Worst professor I've ever had. By the end of the semester I stopped going to lecture because I learned more by reading the modules and teaching myself. She's not helpful in office hours either. Utilize the TA's help and study the practice questions prior to tests.
Worst teacher I've ever had. She is simply rude in office hours and doesn't care about her students at all. The material is all over the place and impossible to follow. It was a nightmare just trying to pass.
One of the worst professors/classes I've had to take in general. I had a basic idea of economics before, but this class just made things confusing. Somewhat structured, but fails to deliver a helpful guidance for most. I had to teach myself throughout most of the semester or get help from friends who've taken this class before.
She was probably the worst teacher I've ever had. Her slides have so much writing on them and she refuses to post them to you before class so you don't have to write everything down. I took AP Macro in high school and had no idea what she was talking about... I think I know less about Macro now than I did coming into the class.
Some people did well, however i was not one of them. She is an awful public speaker, and you pretty much have to teach yourself by doing the modules and question reviews.
She is a very smart person who clearly knows the content thoroughly. However, she teaches off of dated lecture slides in collaboration with Professor Paal; This creates a situation where she just rambles with an absolute lack of clarity, and she is plain boring. Be ready to self teach, or pay for a tutor if you must take the class.
ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS. She was by far the worst professor I have ever had. She is so unclear, rambles on for such a long time when no one understands what she's saying, and she is just overall so boring and horrible. She has no control of the class. I would recommend CLEPing this class for sure.
She is everything that is wrong with UT's Economics program. Do not take her. Ever. Despite her good intentions, I don't think I've had a worse professor.
I hope you read this. You are an incredibly intelligent person, one of the brightest professors I have ever had. But you are condescending and don't make people comfortable when approaching you. Practice testshmwk don't correlate with actual tests. Maybe teaching was not your true calling. rather than imparting knowledge you seem to cause stress
She's not the best at explaining things in a simple way, so don't count on lectures alone to be able to learn this stuff. That being said, she makes sure to give you all the resources you need to be successful in the class. She just will not hand-hold you in any way, and you must do it alone. GO TO SI SESSIONS. Valuable class for Econ majors.
While economics can be confusing, the textbook was pretty clear-cut but her lecturing is verbal spaghetti and you will have no idea what on earth she is on about. On quiz days she will stop class if people are talking and complain about how loud we are. Woman I'm sitting in the FRONT ROW and don't hear anything. People talk in class, get over it
Come on now,these comments are really ruining her credibility and competence. DON'T LET THESE COMMENTS SCARE YOU. She is a very helpful professor who is very dedicated to her job, one of the most dedicated professors ive ever had. Gives many resources and exams are very fair. In reality very easy class if you study her slides and practice.
Okay so everyone likes to hate on her but the truth is, the class is doable if you pay attention and try more than we all usually want to. She is actually a nice lady and I truly believe she wants to help her students. However, if you wang an easy A or B, don't take this class.
She is a woman I would not mind to have as my grandmother but not my teacher. Powerpoints are cluttered and hard to read. I stopped going to class eventually because there was no point. Tests are very hard but have a big curve.
Worst teacher I've ever had, lecture slides are cluttered, she struggles through them awkwardly. That said, I only went to class when there were quizzes and I made an A-, just make sure you study the practice questions before the exams
Her classes are very interesting! I learned a lot this semester. But you won't be able to get A's on her exams without studying her lecture slides thoroughly and solving her practice questions many times. I got an A with the help of curves, so she's very generous on curves. She is very helpful when you go to her office hours. Very nice lady :)
This class really isn't as bad as everyone says. Her lectures are painfully boring, but you have to attend in order to get clicker points. There are 2 midterms, and she gives you all the resources you need to do well.. just study the practice tests! There's homework due every week but it's not killer. Overall the class was very straightforward.
This is definitely a class where you have to teach yourself. Class is so pointless to go to- you'll find people only attending for clicker points. Exams are almost impossible to finish on time and she grades pretty hard. Most of the class does poorly on exams so there is a big curve. Lecture slides look like another language.
Dr. B is a nice professor, and she means well. Unfortunately, she is a bit scrambled when it comes to the lectures- sometimes hard to understand. Clicker questions almost every class, homework and take home quizzes every week (They're easy and not worth much). 2 tests and a final, big curve. Gives you a ton of practice material- study those.
Lectures are cramped full of information that's really hard to follow. She expects her students to be on the same page as her all the time, when in reality most of her students have no idea what's going on. Her reviews are 20+ pages long for exams and it is incredibly difficult to focus your studying. Avoid if possible
Lecture were absolutely terrible with little information, but participation questions throughout. Taught myself what little I could because she's so boring and the material is so dense. Curved at the end.
Great professor. She wants you to be successful in class. She has the best canvas pages with all the practice tests, super clear what the test is gonna be over. Yah, the lecture is little confusing because she's technical but that's cause she wants you to understand the fundamental concept behind all problems. I'm taking another class with her.
She gives 1 online homework every few weeks that is very simple, quizzes every week (almost all of them are already solved online), and a few tests. She's brilliant, maybe not the best lecturer ever, but the class is definitely doable. Don't let these reviews scare you away from taking her, she sets you up to succeed 9 times out of 10.
Basic summary: she doesn't know how to teach.
Lectures are boring even if you are interested in the material. Most people are on their phones are on their laptops.
Lecture is difficult to follow, but if you go to office hours, TA, SI, you will 100% succeed. She loves teaching and her students. People who did not do well in this class just because they are lazy and did not use the resources she gave. She posts many practice homework and exams on canvas so that you could practice and learn.
Bencivenga is a horrible professor. She starts lecture from the bell to after, has actual lecture on syllabus day, throws a lot of information at her students and does a very below average effort of explaining it. Sometimes left her class being more confused than before. Everyones just trying to catch the curve.
Though she really enjoys teaching her students and provides them with a lot of resources to do well (except actually teaching the material), I don't think she is the right professor for a class this large (500 students). She is brilliant, but cannot explain things very clearly, yet you only have one option to take. Class is definitely doable though
The work load is excessive but she's been teaching this class for years now and perhaps will continue to. No one else teaches this course @UT so just be ready. This class is hard&exams literally have no similarities from past years. There's no way around it. She's a nice woman though. But as an Economics major, I'd do anything 2 not have 2 take it.
I did not learn anything in this class. It was the worst experience of my academic career. This professor does not take the time to explain material well. Due to the fact that I will refrain from using derogatory terms, I cannot say anything further; let that be message as to what this class is about.
Talks about things that aren't important and the lectures are boring. AP statistics is enormously helpful and is the main reason why I could pull an A. The difficulty isn't too bad as long as you do the practice problems but it's just a reaallly boring class.
You need to take seriously. Success in other math classes won't guarantee success in stats. The tests don't test your aptitude they test your skill. Which means you need to work problems again and again to lower your solve times. Tests are long and many don't finish. It's about being quick and accurate on test day.
She's very knowledgeable which is kind of a double edged sword as some times it's like there's too much information being thrown at you. But do the homework(also doing the extra credit hw at the end of the semester won't hurt) and do past questions, lots of it. Exams are modeled almost exactly like past exams (if you do them well you're good).
Terrible lecturer but plenty of materials to practice and do well
Tough class, wouldnt say attendance is mandatory but clicker points do add up, so do not underestimate. Never payed attention in class, but rewatched each one of them with lectures online and took notes. Got an A in the class by taking notes and doing the practice exams timing myself. She offers a lot of opportunity for extra credit. She does care.
You do not have to pay attention in lecture. If anything, they confuse you more. Nice lady, but a truly poor lecturer. Just do ALL of the practice tests before the exam and you will do well in the class. Definitely just pass off your iClicker to a friend and bunker down in the PCL a couple days before the tests.
Basically, all of the poor/awful reviews on here are accurate. "Get ready to read," because you are going to have to teach yourself the material (or find a tutor who will teach you better). Sitting in class is a huge waste of time, but necessary if you want the participation points.
This class is mandatory for an econ major/minor and she is the only prof. Absolutely terrible. The subject is okay. SHE is not. Boring and confusing lectures, never a good pace, easily irritated, and overall inadequate. I taught myself everything. I got an A+ in a similar subject with a better prof. With her, I barely got a B. Good luck to you all.
Goes through lectures very quickly, which honestly are only attended due to clicker questions. SI provided more help and quite frankly taught better. She expects you to have an absurd amount of things memorized just to take the final. The formula sheets are bare bones. Although it is a 3 hour class, you will have to study as if though it were a 4HR
Pros: Lectures Online, generous extra credit, curved exam grades if students complain, 3 non-cumulative exams, extensive formula sheet on exams, partial credit on exam questions. Cons: SUPER dry/boring lecture, HARD exams (but extra credit is always given), no grade drops, takes a long time to grade exams, rarely any MC questions on exams.
Provides enough resources for you to be successful in the course. Practice exams from previous years that are very similar to actual exams. Even holds additional problem solving sessions once a week. Not the best lecturer, but the lecture slides are v comprehensive. Understanding and gives a v generous curve. Extra credit given if exam is too long.
For those who actually are posting good reviews about her its cus the curve actually granted you an A but you well know you didnt deserve it She is a good person but not a good professor She NEEDS to improve her teaching and I dont see that coming since she is a Senior lecturer since 00' Worst thing is that you need this class no one else teachesit
Allow me to preface that I am completely illiterate in mathematics. Eco 329 is exclusively taught by Bencivenga. Three Exams (including final), a dozen canvas quizzes, Iclicker points, and homework. The curve is so insane, it is quite difficult to get below a C. All lectures can be viewed online! I got a B+ with moderate studying (5 hours weekly).
Only attended class for the clicker questions. I never really payed attention to lecture, I mostly read the textbook and taught myself the material. Professor makes it look harder than it actually is. Generous curve on exams.
Her lectures are pretty dry; however, her occasional insertions of humor are appreciated. Clicker questions make attending class mandatory even though she posts her lectures online. Take the time to understand and review her lectures, and you'll do well in the class. She's extremely nice and approachable outside of class during her office hours.
Truly an awful professor. Exams are nothing like lectures, and lectures are awful. All around awful. You probably can't because she's the only one who teaches this class, but if you can, stay away.
She's a sweet lady and is brilliant. Something tells me she'd make the best tutor on the planet. But she's in way over her head giving lectures to 500+ students. She gives TONS of materials online to help. It's not cool about the mandatory attendance (clickers) -- you won't learn anything in class, just rewatch the lectures online at x1.5 speed.
So this class is required for Economics majors and she is the only who teaches it now. She lectures faster than I've ever seen and I'm not sure anyone knows what she's talking about. Yeah, do the practice tests but the exam will be way different. You have to know it and she doesn't teach it. Only positive is the first midterm is only 15%.
Prof. Bencivenga is the only professor who teach the ECO329 in UT, her lecture is little bit boring and confusing. Her office hour is very helpful. Need work hard to get an A in this course
How do I put this... She's a nice person, but that's about it. Awful teacher. Class is pretty mandatory because of the clicker questions and she seems like she'd be very willing to help in office hours, but honestly the lectures suck so much you really feel like you learn nothing at all. It feels like I have to self teach myself before the exams.
She goes out of her way to explain concepts in the most difficult and confusing manner. Her lectures are nonsensical and rather hard to follow.
Honestly couldn't pay attention to her during lectures. She's all over the place and I only showed up for the clicker question. She does give out previous practice tests which is the most helpful thing. Just study the practice tests for the tests, they are very similar and you can definitely pass the class.
She is honestly to smart to teach in my opinion. Did not listen to a single thing in class and had to teach myself everything. this class takes lots of time and effort. certainly will not pass if you study a day before. SI was great and i wish he would have just taught the entire class. Ut needs to intervene and remove her as a teacher. horrible
Actually a very nice professor but she moves through the material at an extremely fast pace. If you want to succeed definitely go to the supplemental instruction sessions and do all of the practice problems before the exam. The class is not as bad as people say it is but you do need to be on top of doing a lot of practice. Good luck!
Single handedly the worst professor I have ever had. Not only are the lectures boring enough to put you to sleep but she doesn't even do any practice problems or work out questions from things in class. For that you have to go to "practice sessions". Like if you can't put the material in the regular class don't test us on it.
I want to first explain that I am a avid yelp reviewer with over 200+ comments and I am sick as well. Sick with something that may not be curable, this disease is HorribleTeacherIngitis. In my many years I have faced daunting teachers however this ranks as the most abysmal teacher I have ever had. Her quizzes do Not remotely resemble the tests
Not a tough class if you have any stats background. The workflow goes like HW - Quizzes - Tests. All previous tests with worked out answers are available on Canvas which is very helpful because most of what we do in class is not on any test, instead, it's on the quizzes but not very hard. Participation is iClicker in class
Definitely the worst professor Ive ever had in UT. And you have no choice, shes the only one who teach the class.
Her class is hard. Very very hard. But she curves her exams a lot. A 85% raw score was an A, 80 A- 55% was a C
She is the worst teacher I have ever had. Her exam questions are so convoluted and wordy that it can take 5 minutes to figure out what you are even supposed to be doing. Very boring and tangential lectures. Do the practice tests if you want to pass. So ridiculous that she is the only option for economics statistics, as it could be a great class.
She is the only option so get a tutor (use easy a) at the beginning of the semester, her power points and lectures are absolutely useless but go to class for clicker questions, she is HORRIBLE practice the old exams for exam prep
In terms of lecturing, she is not the best, but if you reach out to her she is more than happy to help you. She is forgiving and will allow you time if needed on assignments. Your exams are the majority of your grade, but she does provide previous exams online. Study every one of them. Youre on your own in the class. You really must study.
This is an imperative class to take for any economics class and it is definitely a weed out class. I also think this professor does not make her lectures very engaging and the tests are unnecessarily hard. The textbook was useless and did not even match what we were doing in class.
The class covers tough content that isn't very interesting so a lot of people struggle. I recommend taking the class during the summer because it is online and you are able to rewatch lectures that go over several examples. Focus, study every single one of the practice exams and you will get a good grade, the problem is finding the motivation.
she isn't a perfect lectured but a nice professor. she is willing to answer any questions you might have.
As a person, she is very nice. As a professor she isn't very good. Lectures are hard to understand and extremely boring. The material is really difficult and she isn't the best at explaining it.
Shes a nice lady, honestly tries her best to help you but isnt a good lecturer at all and going to class really doesnt help. If you want to pass go to SI sessions from the start of the semesters and learn how to do past papers or get a tutor.
As previous ratings say, she's a nice person but literally the worst professor. Don't expect to learn anything in her lectures, just go for the clicker questions. You will 100% have to put time and effort to learn the material outside of class.
She is a nice person but a horrible lecturer. She explains literally everything in a really detailed and complicated way that it is really difficult to understand what she is talking about.
You basically have to do it by yourself, but she's really nice and the tests are curved + graded pretty easily even though they're pretty hard.
Worst teacher I have ever had. Her lectures are useless, she doesn't follow the book, and there is a lot of work you have to do including online homework on Cengage, online quizzes on Canvas, online lecture videos with quiz questions, and exams. Hard exams, but a big curve. This class is boring af and you have to teach yourself because she won't.
Wish I could give her a 0 rating. By far, this is the WORST professor ever. You have to go to class for clicker points that really do add up, exams that are extremely difficult but kinda modestly curved, and super dry and boring lectures. You will NOT learn a thing from her. Learn the MATH, not the concept. That'll get you a decent grade.
Lectures are boring, but there are iclicker questions, so youre forced to go. Fell asleep half the time. Does webassign assignments from a textbook that has no material in the exam. Honestly learned everything through the Easy A tutoring service, and just doing practice problems. However, she offers a very generous curve.
Nicest professor I've ever had at UT. Very reasonable and helpful. Amazing person. Class is just tough, but if you work hard you'll be okay.
This was a super frustrating class because you go to class where she lectures for 1.5 hours and you learn nearly nothing. She talks and talks and although we ask her to work out examples she wont. Clicker questions are in every single class, so you have to go. I recommend rewriting notes from powerpoints outside of class and teach yourself
Dr. Bencivenga's lectures frequently don't aid students in comprehending the course content because of her ineffective lecturing, which is especially detrimental, since ECO 329 provides the foundation for a lot of upper-division Economics courses. However, she truly is caring, and she will try her best to make sure you succeed if you care.
Bencivenga is a great professor and always willing to help, though her 1.5 hour lectures can be boring. Luckily, the material isn't very hard, and Bencivenga provides a lot of practice exams to study with. Tests aren't too hard (really nice curves), homework is pretty easy and manageable, overall a class where an A is achievable if you work.
First of all: she's great! I have never had a professor more helpful and available in responding to emails (I took it online). It's not an easy class, the grade is mostly determined by 3 exams, but there are ample practice problems so it's fine. The lectures will bore you, they are sometimes > 2 hrs and mostly theoretical, but you learn a lot!
A caring professor but a terrible lecturer. Mandatory video lectures will take you 4-5 hours a week, but if you just skim through her slides for 1-2 hrs you might be able to learn as well. Exams are confusing and have too many questions for me to do it carefully in 2 hours. Three exams add up to be 85% of your grade. Has curve but I'm still 89.5 ^^
The material isn't very hard. But you have to watch every single lecture video because of mandatory poll questions. There are three tests including the final that worth 85% of the total grade. NO CURVE during Fall 2020. I kept an A for the entire semester but got 89.7 at the end because I made 81% in part1 and 96% in the part2 of the final.
I took her class online and it was asynchronous. She gives an excel spreadsheet with recommended times to watch lectures or do assignments, which would be beneficial if u follow it. Lectures were very long �� according to her suggestions, u have to watch like at least 5 hours of lecture per week, which is a torture and i fall asleep every time.
The class is rather difficult, especially not being in the classroom, but Dr. B is very helpful if you email her/on Piazza with answering all questions, even quiz questions. If you actually learn and understand the quizzes and do the practice tests, you will be successful.
I'm taking her class async in Spring 2021. Only grades are VERY dense HW assignments due every other week. Lectures are boring and several hours long, impossible. She's very responsive on Piazza, but it isn't helpful if you don't even understand enough of the material to know what to ask. Don't take this class unless you have a dedicated interest.
Please, for the love of your GPA and mental health, do consider this review. Her course is not that easy, dare I say it's quite difficult. Dare I even say it might make you reconsider your major in economics. The test are insane and it's like playing a pay to play video game, where even private tutoring makes it not so easy to say the least. Best.
I used to have a big insomnia problem. After watching the lectures, I can confidently say that it has cured me of it.
Dr. Bencivenga's class is pretty tough and there is a lot of lecture material to go over for tests. THe MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO IS GO OVER HER PAST MIDTERMS. I don't care if the quizzes or anything else doesn't make sense. You should always prioritize going over past midterms if you want to succeed in ECO329.
Her lectures are agonizingly long and too wordy. She manages to make the simplest concepts more confusing and convoluted. Lectures can be up to 6 hrs long for just ONE TOPIC!! Avoid at all costs!!!!
Honestly she gets a bad rap because the course material is just really hard. Watch the lectures and take notes and you'll survive, but dont go in expecting an A. First test is a major wake up. Join the class group me because you'll have a ridiculous amount of questions. Tests are worth a lot and weight increases as semester goes on. Final worth 40%
I took her EU course, it was online asynchronous and I enjoyed it. She has rigorous standards which are not for all students, but you can really learn a lot in her classes. Lectures can be dry so best split up in smaller doses. Great amount of content and really a well-structured course. TA does all the grading.
She was a really nice professor and she cared about her students and the material. She was lenient with grade bumps if you were close to the boundary. But, I wouldn't have gotten through this class without tutoring. The lectures have lots of unnecessary info and she doesn't explain the math in a way that helps. The past exams she offers help a lot
If you succeed in this class, it'll have been solely off of your sheer determination to pay attention during lectures, unlearn everything she taught you and reteach it to yourself. Impossible? Absolutely not, at the heart of this course are fundamental statistical models that have existed for ages. Needlessly difficult? 100%, sorry dude.
She's a great professor in telling you to watch the lecture videos... so yeah.
This was by far the worst class/professor I have ever had. Lectures can be over 2.5 hours long and half of the material in them is irrelevant to the exams because Dr. Bencivenga does not create them or offer office hours. TA was great and the material was not too bad. However, the format of this class was so awful that it is difficult to do well.
Least favorite class in my time at UT. Taught using old videos. The ONLY way you will pass is by doing your own work outside of her lectures because they are so god awful boring and unhelpful. Seriously made me cry multiple times because lectures and practice problems are so different from tests.. shes a smart lady but it's just a bad class.
This class sucks but the TAs are helpful. Her lectures are very dry and honestly pretty unhelpful but the TA for my class Gordon did problem solving sessions which explained everything you need to know. I would say only take her class if you are ok doing most of your own learning online (Khan or Org Chem teacher) and communicating with TA's.
The lectures can be dry, but the TAs are super helpful. Definitely use unstuck study for study prep - saved me a ton of time. Overall, a challenging but fair class.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
11%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
ECO335K
5.0
(1)304L
3.5
(2)ECO308L
3.0
(1)ECO339L
3.0
(1)MACRO
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ECO308L
5.0
ECO339L
5.0
330T
5.0
ECO330T
5.0
ECO304L
4.1