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“Honestly such a troll class”
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Doesn't post powerpoint slides before class, so you spend most of the class copying down notes, while he explains everything on them. You become consumed with writing notes before he switches to the next slide, and miss the entire explination. Nice guy but very confusing.
BORING CLASS. He also takes forever (seriously) to return regrades. He grades your stuff wrong most of the time, so you have to submit it for a regrade. Both my midterms were graded incorretly and I turned one back in for a regrade 2 1/2 months ago for a regrade and still haven't got it back. Now I hae nothing to study for finals... super
I can honestly say he is the worst professor I've ever had. He is irresponsible, incompetent, and seems completely disinterested in the progress of his students. I disagreed with his general pedagogy. He was seldom accessible. Annoying voice. Just an awful teacher.
a useless teacher...
Awfully whiny, annoying, nasal voice. He was a poor lecturer. I took his class this fall, hoping to do business foundations to add my degree plan, but it ended up being the worst class I took in college. If you need to take econ i highly recommend taking it w/ another professor.
Having prior economics experience, I had thought this class would be relatively easy, however it soon turned into a nightmare. The homework and midterms are absolutely ridiculous. Even the SI's, one of which is an Economics Honors major, have trouble completing/helping with the homeworks. Luckily he curves. Still, I changed this class to Pass/Fail.
I liked him! The questions on the test were hard, but if you do your homework and study then you should do fine. He gives you plenty of oppurtunity to get an A. He enjoys lecturing though so its a very boring class. But he puts lecutres and slide shows online. I liked him alot.
His voice will drive you insane. He is a terrible teacher that does not explain the material. If you ask him a question on the homework he doesn't know how to put it into to English you can understand. His class is a weed out class which many get weeded out!
Sounds like the aflack guy. Terrible class. Couldn't understand anything he tried to teach us.
Very difficult class, tests are hard. I aced macroeconomics and had to drop this class. I went to SI sessions and tutoring and both had trouble with his conceptual questions.
BAD PROFESSOR. Does not teach the material only presents the definitions exactly as the book does. EXAMS ARE SUPER HARD and you are forced to go at the speed of light. No time to consider questions. I wanted to minor in Economics and did excellent in Macro but he made Micro completely miserable. attending SI sessions does not fix problem.
Test is very hard and too much (not enough time for solving 3/4 test). Test book is not helpfull to understand. I had to borrow old eco book to read more. He is ok, but his class is hard.I have to change to pass/fail and my grade was just enough for passing at Spring 2010.
Microeconomics is a hard class in general. His lectures are given very quickly, you must take notes and listen to his examples simultaneously to learn. His examples are very helpful and the SI sessions are helpful as well, you just have to have a good TA, which I did. Attendance isn't mandatory, but the book doesn't help, nor does the online study.
Definitely not the worst professor. He knows what he's doing, goes over most of what's on the hw in class. If you have questions, he gladly welcomes them and his office hours are extremely flexible. His TA's aren't much help unless you speak fluent Chinese or whatever they speak.
Avoid if possible! Attend SI sessions and go to office hours when you can. Before tests review all HWs, Practice tests, and SI sheets. I ended up with a B in the class and I worked hard for it. Definitely my most stressful class. I didn't read the book, so I imagine if you did you might do better. Prepare to laugh the first time you hear his voice
Of all the professors I have had so far at UT, Hickenbottom's lectures have been the best - he explains things very clearly, and although his exams aren't particularly easy, they aren't unfair either. He's also very helpful, being one of the few professors who actually replies to my emails.
Hickenbottom is a hard teacher, unhelpful in office hours, hard test, little homework, often too intelligent to answer understandably
The TA's make lots of grading mistakes, so avoid this class for that reason alone. You know there's a problem when he asks for grade dispute forms and the whole class turns one in. He lectures well and exlplains the basic concepts, but each test question is a hard question and you have to be as good at Econ as him if you want to do well on them all
It's not necessarily that he's a hard professor, it's just that the material is overall pretty hard. He doesn't make it easier though and he grades on a bell curve. His voice sounds like Iago from Aladdin and he makes funny jokes--the only good thing about the class. iclicker attendance.
He is plainly a bad teacher. He doesn't explain anything and seems agitated when students try to ask questions during class. The overall material is hard enough but he has no sympathy on grading either. They way he grades is extremely hard too. I do not recommend him at all.
Having never taken economics before, this class was a nightmare... Literally. I still have nightmares about this class. Extremely hard.
Studying for the final and getting so frustrated is why I am rating this professor now. He just says what the books tells you. Rarely will he show you how to do problems by hand and just goes through slides assuming you know what each picture means. He gets agitated and rude when you ask questions and tests are vaguely worded. Don't take.
This class is an absolute debacle. Everything is regurgitation from the book, only reason for attending is the ridiculously hard clicker questions. Doesnt know how to explain things in a clear way, hardly ever actually does equations and problems that are the type you see on exams. Avoid this class anyway you can. It's a gpa killer
The HWs were tough at first but easy afterwards. Read before class, read again and learn how to do math in his fashion. He's monotoned but makes up for it with his funny jokes. I just wish he would teach in class how to do some of the hw or test problems. He is however very helpful if you talk to him, just read before hand to not sound asinine.
avoid class at all cost! He makes everything way harder than it needs to be!
He has a funny voice. The material is hard but if you pay attention and apply yourself it is not impossible to get an A in the class. The clicker questions are frustrating. Don't be afraid to take this class if you're a zealot.
Good class but tough unless you've had a couple of semesters under you. I went to his office all time and recieved help! If you want an easy class though, this class is not for you. Class is manadatory and if you get the clickers correct it'll boost that gpa (fpr the class of course). I liked it, would I take it again with hindsight? Probably!
I'm the previous poster and I also wanted to say thet the book (econ book) is taylored to hickebottom's teachings so of course he go's by the book. My sound in music prof has his own book and I guarentee that info for quizes, hw, and exams will be from his published wrk. If the prof produces the ut manuel for the course, it's as good as gold!
Nice guy, but tough prof. Be prepared to study hard. Multiple choice questions are brain teasers, but free responses are fairly easy. SI leaders are helpful as well. I would fail w/o them! Be sure to have a strong foundation in math, he taught AP Calculus previously.
Hickenbottom is a demanding professor. Some of the content was intermediate to advance, beyond intro level. The questions on HW and exams are phrased to trick you with terms like "could be" & "must be." He seems like a nice guy, but expects too much from his pupils.
GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS! He is a fairly decent guy once you go there a couple of times. Especially do this before exams and homework because he will tell you the right/wrong answers.
Hickenbottom's class is challenging, but he is always very helpful during office hours. If you find a good study group and put in some effort, making a good grade is very possible. The book is useless, so I would suggest finding an alternative resource if you don't understand a concept and can't talk to him.
Sounds like a cartoon character! Good at lecturing, must take good notes.. Clicker quizzes almost every lecture that are a bit difficult, and homework is usually pretty confusing. Tests are hard to do in the time given, I always run out of time and it really affects my grade.
Hickenbottom is a great lecturer; makes concepts very clear and easy to understand. His tests can be challenging, but pretty straight forward if you go to lecture and do the review (unlike me, who skipped way too much - don't skip!!) I would recommend Hickenbottom, if you're willing to put in the work.
Goes over textbook material in class, which is pretty easy to do on your own. He rarely/never goes over FR type problems, which are incredibly confusing. Test problems sometimes unfairly tricky. Good guy in office hours, but crowded and hard to talk to him. Use your textbook and teach yourself how to do the FR problems. Glad this class is over.
Hickenbottom's class is very hard. You have to be willing to work. Don't expect to just sail through and get a high grade. His tests and clicker questions are extremely confusing and are often worded to trick you. However, he is very helpful during office hours. If I didn't go to his office hours a lot, I would never had made an A.
If you want to do well, go to EVERY class and take extensive notes. He's a good teacher if you really invest yourself in the class. I had to take this class twice, which apparently is pretty common.
Dr. Hickenbottom really knows his stuff! He is a difficult professor but you will really learn! I loved this class and appreciated his willingness to help students to truly understand the material inside and out.
Sure, Hickenbottom "knows his stuff", but can he teach it? I'm going to have to say no. He assumes that everyone already knows economics. Tests are horribly hard. Curve at the end, though.
This class is HARD. I made the mistake of taking a bunch of hours on top of this class and it did not end well. This class takes a lot of devotion and studying, especially if you don't know economics very well. He knows his stuff but moves at a very fast pace. If you aren't proficient in eco (like me) you need to go to office hours. Hard class!!
Hickenbottom is a generally bad teacher. He's very unclear and rarely responds to emails. I had to take this class for my degree, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to retake it. Avoid if possible!
Honestly, avoid this class if you can. Hickenbottom is nice but his tests and homeworks are difficult. And the clicker questions are annoying. He is super strict with grading and will absolutely not accept partial credit. His office hours are okay there's usually a million students there hopelessly confused, so it's difficult to ask him questions.
he knows everything about economics but he doesn't really teach it that well! i heard the other professors were a lot easier!
Hickenbottom's lectures are broad and not detailed and his tests are much harder and in depth than other Eco profs. Get ready to do all of your learning on your own time. The thing is, his class is really hard and I was making a 60 most of the year but his curve at the end of the year boosted me to a -B. Put in the effort and you'll do fine.
I'm writing this review after taking upper-level micro to say that as tough as Dr. Hickenbottom is, without his class I would not have been able to perform as well as I did in upper-division Econ. If you are an Econ major then you must take his lecture. Yes it's hard and yes you have to work, but put it in now and Micro Theory will be way easier.
I found the SI sessions very helpful, we would work out free response problems together that were similar to the homework. That is the only reason I passed that class with a B. The tests are difficult, but not as hard as the homework.
This is a class where the grading is done in a way you'll most likely never understand. Homework is relatively tough but if you do full explanations and not just graphs and numbers, then you'll increase homework grade. Discuss clicker questions with people around you. Don't drop if you're doing bad. I made 50% on exams, the final saved me.
tests are very time constrained. must attend every day if you want an A. definitely taught everything necessary but was very fast.
Hardest class, thus far. He makes everything confusing. He words questions ridiculously just for the purposes of tricking you and moves through everything WAY TOO FAST. Also, his voice is unbelievably annoying. Don't take his class.
HARD CLASS! I came into this class after taking Econ in high school thinking that I could get an easy A with minimal effort. This was not the case. If you have to take Econ at UT try not to take him, but if you do take him, go to office hours every chance you get, they are extremely helpful.
He's definitely the toughest econ professor at UT, and is known for that. You have to work really hard to do well. People don't like him because he's tough, but it forces you to really learn the material. He curves big time but not till the end of the semester, and i rode that curve all the way to a C-, Don't skip or you'll just fall behind!
Calling tests tough is quite generous. This guy is really good at making tests that cause you to want to weep after leaving. I attended almost every single class, took decent notes, and studied a ton for every test and still only got a C+. Attendance isn't mandatory but there are MC questions on random days so it's good to be there.
Hickenbottom was a tough teacher for sure, but I did enjoy his class. He's actually pretty clear if you pay attention, and though his homework is hard, it really did help. Also, he's pretty funny.
He is one of the best professor to have for your first economics class. If you are the type of person to skip class, don't expect to pass. He's very passionate about this subject and is a great lecturer, one of the best. He's also very clear. A lot of people don't like him because he's hard but he curves a lot.
Although he isn't too difficult to understand, his methods can be somewhat confusing at times. This is most common when he has a clicker question.
This class is very hard... and if you happen to pass with anything higher than a B- you should probably be given a medal of honor. There are only a few major homework assignments, but they take a long time to complete and it's hard to get help from him because there are always so many confused students. Oh and the tests are absolutely diabolical.
Overall, he's not THAT bad. Yes, his tests are poorly written and some seem like trick questions. He really does know economics though. Study really hard and you'll do well.
Starting off, Hickenbottom's class is very structured. The material itself is easy to understand, but Hickenbottom is known for making it impossible to understand. He takes a concept and twist and turns it just to make it difficult. 3 test, 6 HW, 15 clicker questions, and one final. If you can, avoid him. I would not take him again.
Truly horrific experience
Get ready to be rounded down. If you havnt taken econ before dont take him, if you have still dont. Every test has a D average and he gives you this huge scale to estimate your grade that he then doesnt even follow and curves down. gives no +- even if you deserve it. Class is explaining things that are missing the fundamentals and is confusing
Although sometimes redundant, he's a great lecturer. If you have questions, he's very willing to answer. The homework is very difficult but go to his office hours and he pretty much gives you the answers. I will admit the tests are brutal.
I dropped this class :( He seems like a very nice guy, and he's very helpful. But his lectures don't make any sense and you really have to teach yourself everything. Even then, you don't know everything.
Although many people dislike him, I think Hickenbottom is a good professor. He does make the subject harder than it should be at times, but he is passionate about his work and he wants to help you. His grading system is extremely complicated but he does try to help your grade in the end. If you go to office hours, and work hard you'll be fine
Hickenbottom is tough, but your grade will be a reflection of how much effort you put into his class. If you go to the SI sessions and pay close attention in the lectures, you will be successful. Before the tests, work the practice test (which comes with an answer key) and the homeworks, and you will be fine. Don't be scared away by all the reviews
His lectures are pretty much the information out of the textbook. I would recommend actually working all the problems in the book and analyzing what he goes over in class. He really is helpful if you visit his office hours and talk to him one on one, but don't expect that level of understanding from his lectures.
He's okay if you're willing to do 50% of the learning on your own. His office hours are great for homework/exams - utilize them!
If you were expecting this class to be just as spectacular as his mullet, you were woefully mistaken.
Test content is not too difficult however there is usually not enough time to complete the test, I would say only 20% complete the entire test on time. SI sessions and office hours are necessary to do well. Lectures are concept and vocabulary based while homework and test are based more on math so expect a lot of outside learning.
Lecture material is often rudimentary compared to homeworks and test questions. Expect to teach yourself a lot outside of class. SI sessions are the only reason I managed to pass. Tests are nearly impossible to finish in class time and require a lot of studying. Tough class but he is helpful during office hours.
I think he actually is a great professor. He is very funny, more than willing to answer questions, and is just overall a cool guy. If you pay attention in class and do the Homework, you might not even need to read the book. SI sessions and office hours are very helpful to go to when you're not totally clear or just want practice questions.
Although the basic understanding of Hickenbottom is that his class is unnecessarily difficult, I found it doable. The homeworks were difficult but he is extremely helpful during office hours. If you do an understand the them, you will make a good grade on the tests. Yes he is difficult, but he is also a great lecturer and he really teaches you.
Ridiculously sass makes lectures slightly easier to bear. It's possible to follow along with his lectures, but only if you pay attention to every word he says. Read every question carefully on homework and tests because he often throws in confusing wording. An A is possible, but it definitely requires work.
awful awful experience. his office hours are crowded/confusing (even though it is nice that he offers office hours very frequently). I wrote down the notes from lecture but never actually reviewed them for tests. Go over old problems, its the best way to study. SI sessions are super helpful i would go to like 2 a week. clicker questions suck.
His class is hard to pay attention in and he seems to drone on forever. His tests are extremely difficult but not impossible. the SI sessions are extremely helpful and studying in groups is beneficial
This class certainly wasn't easy, but I don't think he is as horrible a professor as people made him out to be. Homework and tests are difficult, but his office hours are life savers. He is willing to help during office hours, and he is overall a decent professor. Clicker questions in class can help boost your grade, so attendance can help.
Dr. Hickenbottom is at lectures and I was able to follow along and write everything fairly easily. If you only intend on attending lectures this class is for you. However if you intend on going to office hours or talking to him he is very rude and often raised his voice. You are better off going to the TA's or SI sessions.
Entered the semester with the review "truly horrific experience" in mind, was pleasantly surprised until the end of the semester when it actually became a truly horrific experience. As with anything else you take, you have to work HARD for your grade. Pay attention, ask questions, try to think inside prof's mind. Must understand basic economics.
Lectures are essential to understanding the information. Homework is difficult but similar problems are on the test. Going to class is recommended because he gives pop clicker questions for grades (albeit they count for a very small portion of your grade).
There wasn't a lot of work in this class (3 exams/5 hw), but make sure you go to as many lectures as possible. He gives pop quizzes during class which account for 5% of your overall grade. Professor Hickenbottom makes Microeconomics a lot harder than it really is. He does curve the class at the end of the semester, but don't fully rely on that.
Go to class and use office hours! He is not very clear during lecture or anytime he tries to explain things, but a lot of the students in his office will probably be the most helpful to you. The SI sessions and MyEconLab problems are also very helpful. Not an easy class..
If you want an A, be ready to really work for it. The tests are difficult but he takes a good number of questions from in-class clicker questions and HW assignments. It's hard to understand the material by just going to lectures so I highly recommend going to office hours and SI sessions (these were super helpful and a good review).
This class was part of my FIG-worst mistake. He was confusing and would contradict himself in his lectures. Had the most confusing grading system. He lacks many qualities to be a worthy professor and am surprised UT keeps him. Everyone on campus advises to NOT take him; I regret that nobody told me this before all the other econ classes filled.
Hickenbottom is known for being tough but his lectures are clear and if you can understand homework and go to SI sessions and study you should be okay, he gives you reviews for every exam
Hickenbottom's Micro class is probably one of those most challenging subject you will have up to date. He is an OK lecturer so be ready to study off of the powerpoints. Also its very helpful to go to his office hours, he basically gives you the key to doing his homework. He has random daily quizzes so try to show up every day. Just be ready to work
RUN AWAY
Professor Hickenbottom was not as bad as I thought he was going to be, but definitely not as good as I would have liked. Very fast & confusing lecturer, and class is semi-mandatory due to the random i-Clicker quizzes he has in class. All in all though, he wasn't as abysmal as some of the other Econ professors at UT. But if you can avoid him, do so.
One of the worst professors I've ever had. Although I understood the material well, his tests are confusing and everyone ends up failing them. His exams are multiple choice and free response, but you find yourself rushing through them because you're not given enough time. The few times I've spoken to him, he was rude and unhelpful.
So here's the thing... he's not as bad as everyone is making him out to be. Yes, he is not the best professor I've had, but he's not impossible if you go to class and read. He does have a very loud voice if you see him in office hours if that matters. Overall, I did not hate him, but he surely was not my favorite. Not mandatory but pop clickers
Interesting class. He is a very knowledgeable lecturer and gives precise lectures. However, both the test as well as the homeworks are tricky and you would really need to study hard to do well in this class. Studying in groups is definitely recommended for this class. If you like a challenge, this is the class to take!
This class is one of the easiest classes I've ever taken at UT. If you pay attention during lecture and make an effort to understand the hw and review questions thoroughly, you'll be fine.
Professor Hickenbottom is definitely a challenging professor. However, if you are willing to go to office hours and the SI sessions you should have no problem making at least a B+ in the class. He gives no curve until the end of the class and it is not much. He will replace the initial test with one of your midterms if you don't do that well.
He was the most boring professor I have ever had. If you ask a question, he makes you feel stupid. The tests were super hard for no reason. It was terrible. Do not take him unless you already have a strong economics background.
I don't understand why so many people dislike Hickenbottom. His class is very straight forward and he is incredibly smart. Obviously Micro Theory is a tough class but I can honestly say that I know the material well now. I highly recommend Hickenbottom. I managed to get a B+ in his Summer session, he always curves!
He doesn't know the content enough to be teaching it a class of people who probably need a lot of explicating to understand the content . That, or he doesn't know to articulate his thoughts and information. I found myself having to rely ONLY on the book in order to get a straight forward answer/ explanation for most, if not all, concepts.
You need to delegate a lot of time to reading the textbook and getting a better foundation for content OUTSIDE his class. His tests also took on a difficulty that most weren't prepared for. I was 100% certain I was solid on 2 units (I received high marks on HW/ practice Qs) but on the tests, I always had a really hard time--they were really hard.
Tests are hard for the amount of time given and he's often scatter-brained and leaves many questions unanswered.
This professor makes things needlessly hard. He just throws you into assignments with no idea on how to approach the questions unless you're very excelled at economics. Avoid this class at all costs. If you take it, then go to all office hours and SI sections, read the book before lectures, carefully. He often tries to trick students.
This professor is arrogant and rude. Basically, you won't do well in this class unless you are already highly knowledgeable in the subject of economics, and why would you take this if you were? He looks for the class average to be a 2.6. Direct quote from office hours - "If the average GPA is too high, I'll lower the number of A's." DO NOT TAKE
Hickenbottom is a nice guy, and tries his best to be clear with grading, but when it comes down to it the tests are almost impossible to pass and the class is just overall pretty difficult for an intro to micro class. The beginning of the semester started off smooth but then by the second test my grade had dropped from an A to a C plus.
His exams are really tough. DO NOT take this class if you are not an Econ major or if you don't have a good economics background. He is a good teacher but sets ridiculously tough exams. Not good for the GPA at all.
Great teacher, only prof I had that didn't use a microphone to talk
Don't take this if you're an economics major because it's literally a repeat of introduction to micro and macro concepts. It was super boring and I was so tempted to skip every single class (he takes attendance and counts participation). Lots of essays to write and I could tell the students without an economics background were struggling.
The tests were ridiculously more challenging than homework. He drops a lot of homework grades which is good, but I highly suggest staying away from this class. If you end up stuck in this class, go to the SI sessions!!!
Plenty of students warn against taking Hickenbottom for economics. Sure, if you're looking for an easy A, he's not your guy. However, if you're looking for a solid economics class that will leave you way more knowledgeable than when you began the course, Hickenbottom's class is great. To top it off, he is beyond invested in student's wellbeing.
IF YOU WANT TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF OR BE BETTER WITH SOLID ECONOMICS KNOWLEDGE, COME ON! IT IS REALLY REALLY HARD FOR EVERYONE, EVEN YOU HAVE LEARNED BEFORE(LOTS OF MY FRIENDS GOT 5 IN AP ALSO THINK HICKENBOTTOM'S TESTS ARE LITERALLY DIFFICULT). IF YOU SPEND LOTS OF TIME ON IT AND GO TO OFFICE HOUR MORE OFTEN, I BET YOU CAN GET AN A
If you can get a prof other than Hickenbottom, definitely do! But if you get stuck here, it's not as bad as it seems. He curves like crazy - I got 60s on both midterms and ended up with an A- in the course. Go to office hours for EVERYTHING and go to as many SI sessions as possible. They saved my grade.
Hickenbottom is a good teacher - he lectures well and legitimately wants his students to learn. However, his tests are needlessly difficult and long. He plays every trick he can and it is hard to finish in the alotted time. Its not impossible to get an A, but you REALLY have to work for it and dedicate yourself to the class.
You have to work hard to do well. Do well on the six major homework assignments and the online quizzes, and you'll pass. I did very poorly on all four of my exams and got a C+ in the class. I learned tons from his lectures and the book. Utilize the SI sessions! I had never taken Economics and overall this course was inspiring!
Professor Hickenbottom is going to make you learn economics. Other professors may be "easier," but Hickenbottom truly cares about you learning economic theory. Textbook is not necessary. Always available through office hours!!! Take advantage of the many resources he gives you. Curve is kinda confusing, but nice.
The midterms were hard (average/median grades were about 50), but the final was not too bad. He does a curve at the end of the semester to make the average a C+. The clicker quizzes are a pain and are about as hard as the multiple choice questions on the exams. The SI sessions are very helpful.
Hickenbottom is a quality senior lecturer. As a freshman with a 5 on the AP Macro test taking UT economics, he was challenging but interesting. He does do competitive grades out of each class. Read the textbook. Show up to office/TA hours for homework help and SI sections. Work hard during the semester, and you'll have room for an A by finals week.
Hickenbottom only confuses his students during his lectures. Attendance is pretty much mandatory because of the pop clicker questions, which are as hard as his tests. Homework and quizzes are fairly easy but the tests are difficult. Be prepared to learn on your own.
Beware of Hickenbottom! He is very reliant on students knowing the material beforehand. His lectures are erratic, he goes over the topics real quick and then asks you questions. His tests and assignments are doable but tricky, he makes you think. I hated going to this class. To be fair, he helps you out at the end but by then you might be screwed.
Attendance was partially graded since there would be clicker questions on random class days. The tests were very hard but there was a good amount of curving on most grades after the course was over.
He real. He knows I had a 30 in his class but he gave me a D anyways to save my GPA.
He's a beast. People who don't study don't like him. It's hard but so is college. Hickenbottom was also SAE here. Phi Alpha Brother!
If you pay attention in lecture and study for the tests you will be fine. A lot of people give him a bad rep but he's pretty good at what he does.
Overall this was a fairly hard class. The tests are heavy on the free response and since it's taken during class time is really limited. If you do the hw and understand how to do the problems and not just memorize a procedure, you should do well. He also curves a fair amount, I went from a B to A-, and he also has opportunities to "raise" grades.
Hickenbottom is a good teacher. He is rather frantic and has an odd sense of humor, if you're into that. He really does know what he's talking about, and taking this class, you're getting your money's worth.
Gets a bad rap but if you attend lecture and study 8 hours for each test an A is very plausible
Just attend the classes and you'll be fine. Puts out hard homework but is very accessible and helpful during office hours. SI sessions can also be very helpful. Can sometimes overcomplicate the lecture material but the textbook can help with that.
He is not as bad as everyone made him out to be. If you attend SI sessions and visit his office hours he is extremely helpful. Lectures can be a bit dry and he makes things sound more complicated than they are, but you can get by with out reading the book (though you have to buy it and it might help to read) He is a very hard grader but nice guy
His grading methods are strange on assignments. Basically, if you don't get an 85 or so you get a 50, if you get more than that, you make a 100. Also, his idea of a quote "good exam grade distribution" has a mean and median grade of a 50-60.
Very vague instruction on tests and homework.
Gets a bad reputation. SI sessions are nice but not necessary, if you do the practice exams he puts out you'll do fine, as the same kinds of problems appear on the midterms. People like to complain about him, but if you put in a little effort before exams it isn't very hard to do well. His office hours are helpful from what I hear
Honestly such a troll class. Was clueless and sitting at a B the whole semester but FINESSED an A in the class by getting an A on the final. Would definitely take again for the thiccenbottom memes.
I loved Hickenbottom! A lot of my classmates were confused/didn't know the material just because they didn't pay attention in lecture/didn't go, but I got straight A's on all the HW and tests just by showing up, taking notes, and practicing. Never even opened the textbook. Takes work, but he's a great teacher and I learned a lot. Pretty big curve.
If you do not pick up material that quickly he is not for you. Be expected to come in and know some of the material from the textbook (you have to read before lecture). Attendance is not madatory, but there are random quiz quetsions he will use. Tests are not terrible as long as you study the material he tells you to study.
If you end up with Hickenbottom, it is not the end of the world. Tests were difficult, and lectures could be confusing, but he is available at office hours and SI sessions are extremely helpful. And to the person taking a dump on business majors below, I'm not sure what your major is, but it clearly is not English or Grammar.
Lots of people complain about him but I thought he's a pretty cool teacher and person. He offers an online version of the book which is cheaper than buying the real thing. He's a tough teacher and the concepts feel rushed but it helps going to the SI sessions. His class can be very demanding.
Y'all he isn't that bad at all. As an Econ major, I was very interested in the subject and he gives you everything you need to pass. You just have to be willing to work and listen. Hickenbottom is great
This class was very easy. You have around 5 writing assignments which are about a page in length. The final essay was also fairly easy once you found two good articles. My only gripe is that we never received any grades for any assignments even after the class, but only a letter grade. As long as you turn everything in you'll get an A.
Not a good prof at all. Either take notes, or pay attention, both is not possible. Tests are heavy and cumulative. Would not recommend, nor much less retake.
This class definitely feels like a flipped class because you have to read the textbook and do the modules before coming to class in order to have an idea of what is going on. During his lectures, the moves very fast, so definitely if you are like me who doesn't pick up all the concepts the first try, I suggest watching the videos and practice.
Difficult grader, and assigns a lot, but is the best person to teach the material I've found. Do not skip class, and stay up to date on homework, and go into his many office hours if you need help. If you get behind, it'll be difficult to recover to an A, but he does massively curve the lower people up. I recommend him for the difficult stuff.
Okay, so look- he's a great guy and super sweet, but my goodness this class was so hard. I went every single day and it was a blessing to pass an exam. He does random clicker questions that are weighted relatively heavily and they will make or break you. I suggest studying in groups and finding the person in the class who is the best at economics.
Professor was a nice guy but you do not get a personal experience because his classes are large. He works fast and is not extremely accessible outside of the classroom. This class was straight-up hard--no other way to put it. I would recommend doing your ECO through a community college where you'll stress less.
This class is hard - no other way to put it. But that's not the fault of the professor so much as the material is very hard. He explains a lot of concepts in detail during class (sometimes too much), but you can tell that he is always trying to get his students to improve. Only problem I have with this class is the inconsistent clicker questions.
This guy is the kind of professor you DON'T WANT. I didn't take the warning of others and took the class and regret it. This guy is unorganized and simply reads off the slides. YOU LEARN NOTHING IN THIS CLASS. Never answers emails or phone calls so don't even try. Lectures are boring and pointless and he makes the entire semester a living hell.
This class is very difficult, but it is doable if you want it bad enough. Going to his office hours is a MUST. Homework and exams are very difficult. There is a large curve considering everyone fails the exams, but you still need to have some grasp of what is going on.
This guy is not a good prof by any means. Reads of powerpoint slides that aren't even his. Terrible at explaining concepts and a ton of homework and connect quizzes. Half the time before exams I was getting on youtube to tach myself the concepts he didn't, and I attended every lecture. Tests are near impossible. Take this course @ community college
Prof. Hickenbottom gets a bad name mainly because of the class difficulty. He says he curves the class, which may be bad or good for you. He also has a loud, nasal voice when he talks which be annoying. But he is really smart and teaches everything clearly. Tests are hard but would take again for the thiccenbottom memes xd. Attend office hours.
huge lecture class. Hickenbottom has a very nasally and annoying voice and not a great teacher. Textbook really isn't necessary, but can be helpful if you don't understand a concept (youtube may be more helpful in that case though). doesn't take attendance, but he does have online questions that are only open for 2 minutes, so go to class
Hickenbottom's lecture's drag on because of his monotone voice and they are very boring. I missed class for about a week and a half because a close friend was in the ICU then passed and he refused to allow me to makeup any of the assignments and he was rather rude about it. I enjoy economics but not this class just because of Hickenbottom.
This class is ridiculously hard. Do not take this professor for microeconomics. Tests and homework are horribly worded and confusing. The only way to prepare for the test is the practice exams and homework with a really good tutor. It was extremely difficult and expensive to find a tutor that understand Hickenbottom's problems. Not worth it.
Tough class, really no way around it. Hickenbottom does really know what he's talking about, but he goes pretty fast and the homework is very difficult. I had to go to office hours every time a new homework was put out. Overall not the worst class ever, but a lot of work.
Honestly he seems like a pretty nice guy, who never really gets out of lecture mode. You're most likely going to end up having to teach yourself alot unless you find retaining lectures really easy. Contrary to what some people say he does the most to give you a really good grade, just make sure you put in the work during the year and you'll be fine
There are a lot of complaints about Hickenbottom, but he is honestly not that bad! Class is difficult, but he has lots of opportunities to get extra help (to do well, go to office hours and the SI sessions). This class grading system/curve is very weird, but it can really help you out. This class is hard to get an A in, but also hard to fail!
If economics is not your strong suit, I do not recommend. The class was extremely hard to grasp. His lectures are hard to follow because he talks very fast. You have to go to class because there are pop up questions. He has a lot of office hours but he talks very fast in those too. I practiced over and over and over and still STRUGGLEDto get a B.
Hard class no other way around it, The questions Professor Hickenbottom makes really force you to think in an economic manner. You will have to invest a great amount of time in order to get a good grade, so as long as you attend office hours, SI sessions and go to Sanger you have a chance. In the end, you will learn economics well.
Hickenbottom is hated on by many students just because the course is difficult. In my opinion, he's not an awful professor but his tests are very hard. The average test score was generally around a 18/30, but there was a huge curve at the end of the semester. It's possible to get an A in this class though. Study old tests & go to office hours
While my friends were taking multiple choice tests in their microeconomics class, I was struggling with a tutor to understand the wording of Hickenbottom's confusing questions. This class has in-class questions so attendance is mandatory but you won't learn much in class. Tests are extremely important and complicated. Highly suggest not taking this
Overall a complete pain. Other micro professors are way easier. Hickenbottom talks fast, his powerpoints don't actually explain the homework, clicker questions count for a lot of your grade, and the tests are very difficult. I managed an A- because I studied so incredibly hard for the final, but I taught myself pretty much everything.
He doesn't have pop quizzes, but he does have random in-class clicker questions which are the absolute worse and made me want to die. For the HW's, GO TO TA OFFICE HOURS! The only time I got 10/10 on the HW's was when I went to a TA because they know what he wants, but even sometimes they were confused by him. STUDY the practice exams he gives!!!!!
Very well read professor. Lectures everyday for the class period over the exact stuff that people need to know for the exams. People who are complaining here did not go to class and were confused about what to study because they had to use the textbook solely. He is pretty clear about things that he wants for the tests and HW.
The class itself was pretty challenging, but I think that is simply because there was so much foreign material that was being introduced in this course. This professor for the most part was able to convey the info very well in lectures; I never needed to read the text and still got an A. Though he does go fast and there is quite a bit of work.
You have to put in lots of work to do well. He doesn't do enough examples in class, so definitely go to office hours and SI before every homework is due. The in-class questions are very hard and you aren't given much time to solve them. Ended up with an A but needed lots of outside help before exams.
Wayne himself is a nice guy. He's a good lecturer, funny, and will help you if you ask. That said, this class is tough (and he makes hella typos.) At the end of the day, Economics is one of those things like physics that you really have to practice to get the hang of, so I'm not sure why so many people act entitled to an A from lecture alone.
Hickenbottom himself isn't bad, it's just the class itself is pretty hard. He's not without his flaws, such as his quick pace during lectures, making it a blink or you'll miss it type class. However, while he's not the greatest lecturer, he's a far cry from the worst, and if you should be fine with attention. The class is just naturally heavy.
Legit actually the worst ever. DO NOT TAKE!!!! Tests are extremely hard with no time to complete. Half of my friends have dropped the class. Had a perfect GPA until now. Everyone is smart at UT but trust me you won't succeed in this class.
The material itself is not hard to understand, but the way he writes his questions makes it difficult. Went to his office hours and often he'd spend twenty minutes attempting to explain what the question was asking, but going to office hours did help with future questions. Overall, don't overthink, go to class, read the book, and go to office hours
I went to his office hours, but he was basically yelling and frustrated. He ranks the students in the class, which creates a very cutthroat environment. His tests are the example of opportunity cost as you have to choose what to sacrifice in the time given. I hated this class. I do not recommend Hickenbottom.
Took ECO304K at the end of the semester last year as an undergrad. Hw&tests are vague. He wants you to "connect dots." I have a heavy math major, so I could see what he wants his students to connect and honestly it's unfair. I could guess the financial, algebraic, optimization trick he wanted bc I had other class experience. Fresh&Soph beware him.
Hard. As heck.
Hickenbottom rambles during lecture and is confusing to listen to. The wording of his hw and exam questions are super confusing the first half of the semester but will eventually make you think in an economic manner so you will learn a lot. Get Sanger help, go to SI sessions and office hours, set time aside to drill problems and youll be okay.
Breaks my heart to see Hickenbottom with bad reviews bc he isn't that bad and neither is his class. My 2nd attempt after dropping it my first semester at UT. After learning HOW to study and realizing that he gives you all of the information and wants you to figure out how to apply it yourself, I respect him and feel like I actually learned a lot.
I felt fine when reading the chapters, but going to class he just confused me even more. Do not recommend. take Thompson
Not nearly as bad as people say. Pay attention, go to office hours, and ask questions, and you should be fine. He lets you drop the first exam if you do better on the next one, a homework grade, and several quizzes, and there's a significant curve. I'd take him again.
Would not recommend. You dont know your grade until the very end because it depends on your classmates. Instead of getting what you may deserve, he curves your grade so you are competing against classmates. Tests are very short and requires precision. You must know how to apply the topics, not just learn them. This application is not taught well
The listed online problems in mylab and his practice test very helpful!
Hickenbottom lectures in a flat, nasal tone, but I found his class to be thought-provoking. He finds good ways to apply economics. I heavily recommend attending lectures and sitting in front. There are about ten pop quizzes and you should make friends and sit around people who can help you.
very difficult. The course material is challenging, he explains the concepts in a way that makes sense, but the way he words his homework and midterm questions are very hard to grasp unless you go to office hours. He also grades terribly and you won't really know your grade until the very end since all grades are raw scores and then put on a scale.
You won't really know your grade until the end since he curves at the end. Homework and tests are worded pretty tricky. He literally makes the test to where you don't really have enough time to finish. Assignments & tests are more about applying the concepts rather than justing knowing them.
Hickenbottom is the worst econ prof at UT. Worst thing was the crazy grade curve at the end of the semester that only benefitted some. "Oh too many people got an A so I'm gonna knock this chunk down to a B and so forth" Legit never studied harder for anything ever and still failed every test. Take anyone but him.
He literally makes it impossible to succeed. Test average was an F for class after the first test. Homework average was a C. Would use professional economists answers for the homework and would get marked off even when correct. Also get screamed at when you ask for help.
unlike a lot of other classes that require rote memorization, that won't get you far in this class. you need to UNDERSTAND - no easy points on tests on definitions. application of concepts are what he focuses on on tests. barely any time on his exams. having the textbook in front of me wouldn't have helped me during exams.
Awful lectures, really make you want to go to sleep. He only gives you 2 minutes for in-class clicker questions, so you're always under pressure for those. All the tests are time-constrained, so there's a good chance you won't be able to finish in time. Absolutely do NOT recommend Hickenbottom..
I had Hickenbottom as a freshman and thought he was "eh", but I switched my major and needed to take him again as an upperclassmen. Now that I have some proper uni experience, I can recognize a bad professor. His tests are made unnecessarily convoluted and difficult; he doesn't test if you know the concepts, he tests if you're good at tests.
Under no circumstances should you take this class. Hickenbottom is not a difficult professor--he is downright unreasonable. Poorly explained, boring lectures, unreadable exams, yelling during office hours. You will not do well. I'm in honors and had a 4.0 and still cannot get a decent grade in this class. Take this course at community college.
He made me cry when I introduced myself on the first day of class. There's not enough time to finish the tests, so you're screwed if you mess up. His grading system is weird, but it is helpful if you only bomb one test. I got a 50 on a midterm and still got an A, but it didn't come easy. Go to TA hour and the SI sessions. Good luck!
Professor Hickenbottom is not only the worst professor I have ever had, he is an unsympathetic, selfish person. When classes went online now due to the corona pandemic, all other classes made the workload easier. Hickenbottom almost made it our fault that school was cancelled and began giving us at least one assignment a day for several weeks.
Hickenbottom is one of those professors that seems to take more pleasure in telling a student they're "WRONG!" (he often says this when people ask questions) than in actually teaching them. Most all of these negative reviews are accurate. People are upvoting that post at the top because it's funny. DO NOT expect to get lucky if you take this class
His tests were already extremely hard, and then, as a special gift to his students, he made them harder after the move to online because he "assumes people are going to use their books." The book is no help on any of his tests. He also lectures in a high-pitch voice and is very rude if you ever interact with him. He's like some sort of evil goblin.
Listen to me guys. This class is terrible. Please do not take this professor unless you hate yourself and want to cry everyday. I have never experienced such trauma, and my dad left me. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!! I HAVE GOTTEN AN A IN EVERY CLASS I'VE TAKEN AT UT, YET STRESSED ABOUT MY GRADE IN HERE EVERYDAY. take at a cc & transfer the credit!!!
Most classes during Covid-19 reduced stress on students during these trying times. He has not only made my blood pressure rise, but also has taken away what little happiness I had left. Please for the love of god do not take this man unless you want to hear Iago from Lion King constantly make mistakes, confuse you, and yell.
I took him in the middle of a pandemic. He blamed his entire class for COVID & as a result gave us 3 exams a week, constant quizzes, and tons of homework. I have never seen evil in my life before him. Please for the love of god, DO NOT take him. I wouldn't wish this class on my worst enemy. If you take this class after reading this u hate urself
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS !! After this class transitioned online (due to COVID), he just assigned a test every day for about 2 weeks. He is well-intentioned, but it seems he only teaches the class materials the way he wants and doesn't accommodate to your needs. I have never been so stressed in a class before.
Do NOT take this class unless you absolutely have to. Hickenbottom puts grades in wrong and you have no real way to estimate what your final grade will be. His teaching is terrible and he cares very little about his students. The tests are intentionally confusing and hard to finish. Save yourself the trouble and take from someone else.
Don't take him it's not worth it and his transition to online sucked
Most of the ratings here are based off of his intro classes. Plenty of majors are required to take foundation econ classes and might not be familiar with the difficulty that econ brings. His upper-division classes such as the one I'm taking now are challenging but definitely not impossible to make an A. He teaches well and wants to help you.
his homework assignment is a pain. his lecture is basically useless in terms of doing the homework. I have to email him a bunch to ask for extra information about a lot of things, and his answer is also confusing and not helpful. I understand this class has a writing flag, but I feel like I have been writing papers for months. Please AVOID HIM!
The lectures were not useful. The hw and quizzes were a bit difficult since lectures didn't complement them. He teaches the theoretical stuff very well but it does not prepare you for the exams and quizzes. The curve was very nice and generous at the end, so I can't complain
He is not a very good lecturer & a tough grader. I only recommend taking his course if you plan on asking him detailed questions during office hours. He is a very smart man & knows his stuff. You can fail the entire class & still ace if you ace the final. Most of the business advice I got from him during office hours I still use today in my career.
I will preface this by saying Hickenbottom is very intelligent and knows his stuff. That being said, he is not a good professor. Lectures were boring and left students confused and random pop quizzes were difficult. His homework assignments are just as difficult as the tests and if you go to office hours he will scream from 2 feet away.
Hickenbottom is clearly a very smart individual. However, he is a terrible professor. Lectures are difficult to follow even for the simplest of topics. Homework is difficult and take hours, pop-quizzes are a thing, and the exams are very hard. I took this class as a freshman and my first office hours visit was him screaming at me. Save yourself.
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