2.4
Quality3.6
Difficulty32%
Would Retake92
Reviews32%
Would Retake
92
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
12
4
12
3
14
2
23
1
31
What Students Say
“Great professor with respect”
MATH225 - 5.0 rating“Really fun experience overall”
MATH125 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
28%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.45 avg changeRatings by Course
114
5.0
(1)MATH348
5.0
(1)MATH309
4.0
(1)MATH325
4.0
(1)MATH115
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
225
5.0
MATH101
5.0
MATH411
4.5
MATH112
4.3
MATH311
4.3
Reviews (92)
No Comments
Sometime his English was a little difficult to understand, but overall, he was a good teacher and genuinely tried to help us learn.
He was a great professor. His english was not too great sometimes but if we didnt understand, he was more than happy to explain with more examples or to clarify things. I RECOMMEND him because of his good notes and helpfulness!
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Yeah, the English wasn't great, but he didn't check calculators before the either exam, TI-83s were used, the midterm average was 87%, it was pretty awesome...
He is a good teacher, his notes are very helpful. But I was upset about the homework he gave us. He let us do 40 questions per week and only pick up 5 to mark. If I was having a very unlucky day then what should I do???
Terrible prof. His English is horrid and his notes are confusing. He teaches the long and confusing way for everything.
I struggle in this class terribly. I think his notes are terrible, and he explains this in a confusing manner. I can't understand a word he says throughout each lecture. Would no recommend!
He's not that bad of a prof, but it would probably be best to only take the class if you can understand his accent or if you've taken calculus before so it's not your first time learning the concepts.
poor notes, you can barley understand him, no control over class
You just need to get used to his...stuttering. He's a nice prof! He has good notes too. I feel bad for him b/c people are rude an talk in his class. For all those flaming his english: "barley understand" and "no recommend" isn't exactly stellar english either :P
I don't want to be mean, but Dr. Chen was a horrible prof. At times I did feel bad for him because our class was just unruly. However, he was extremely hard to understand. His notes were not very helpful, as they consisted of virtually the same examples (using different symbols). In addition to this, he had a thick accent and stuttered.
Dr. Chen was exceedingly hard to understand because of his accent and stuttering (literally didn't understand a single word the entire term). His notes are unusable because he mixes his examples and theory together and hardly ever writes down words. Don't take this class unless you already know calculus REALLY well!
Dr. Chen isn't a good prof! his notes aren't the best, but they're not horrid either. He gives minimal examples, when you do the homework he assigns, you actually relaly understand the concepts, and when finals come around the corner you'll know your stuff from the HW soo well that his notes are like a pack of summary sheets for you! He's good!
the worst prof in the uofa.we went to his room for homework arguements n we proved ourselves right n yet he said he couldn't help because he would have to change everyones mark.(lazy).hes really unprepared.his accent is really n i mean really bad. he mumbles every word and shutters alot.notes are useless and there is no way i want this prof again
k this guy is the worst. for the final exam he didn't print of enough copies so we waited 30 mins for him to print off more copies (really unprepared) his tests are based on wut we havn'tlearnt/ or is not covered in the book so if ur going into this guys class (which i strongly recommend not to)i would take calculus in high school
I wouldn't say worst prof ever but one of the hardest to learn from. Although he's intellegent, he lacks teaching ability.
Chen was actually fairly decent at the beginning of the semester. But as someone said, our class was unruly and it would seem that he just got tired of it. I disagree with the person down there who said his exams are based on uncovered material. They aren't. Chen's notes aren't bad, though his verbal limitations are a drawback. He's a nice guy.
Chen is a good prof! So he took a little longer than expected to pass out the exams, but he was nice enough to not CUT OUR EXAM TIME BY HALF, so we still had the full 3 hours to do it. and The exam WAS all based on his lecture notes and practice problems. All do able, and his exams are very fair! Good prof!
Dr. Chen is an extremely fair professor. He gives insanely good notes, lots of examples and his midterm was ridiculously easy. One drawback may be his heavy accent, but he tries really hard to make himself clear - all you have to do is listen. The assignments were always graded in the students' favor and the final was straight out of the textbook.
Gave really good examples and covered the course in a timely manner. Definitly hard to understand what he was saying at times. His tests were fair.
HE was hard to understand and didn't answer questions asked by the class. Although he practically told you what was on his exams the class was still hard to learn and I got more info out of the text then going to his lectures.
Chen was horrible. His thick accent and illegible overheads made it hard to understand exactly what he was saying. His lectures seldomly related to the assignments and he is very firm on his grading, no part marks.
Difficult to understand. Horrible accent. He knows what he is talking about but he has difficulty teaching it.
He has a thick accent and its nearly impossible to understand his examples. THe only reason I passed was the fact I took this course in highschool and new the concepts before he explained them and screwed me up. We just sat in the class and made fun of him the entire time then taught ourselves through the homework after class.
Other reviewers whine too much. His exams were challenging but fair, and it sounds like these people couldn't read the textbook either.
This was his first time teaching the course. Very smart prof (maybe a lil too smart for us). He was quite helpful during office hour sessions. The course itself can be a little tough and abstract and his exams were unconventional with a lot of theory and concepts questions. He also covered the material quite fast. Overall, a decent prof.
terrible professor
Worst of the worst. Exam questions totally different from those of the text.
Well, he is a very good lecturer, and his exams very closely resemble the reviews he hands out a week prior to them. However, that's where his merits end. If you ask him about a concept during office hours, he'll explain it the same way, over and over. He is also an immensely unfair marker. The department got many complaints about him this year.
This class was basically just a proofs course. Exams were difficult. I didn't feel as though this was a real math course. I love math, but not this kind. Maybe if the material was taught differently, it would be better.
the worst math course I have ever taken.
He is not a terrible prof, he isn't very clear or interesting. His exams are fairly difficult, and the curve is usually low, so its pretty good. Attendence is mandatory because he goes over important notes in class.
Only take his class if you had a good grasp in calculus. He only gives simple examples in class and is sometimes not clear. He assumes everyone in his class knows the "basic" things he knows. If you don't know something, ask, don't be a pussy. I only did really well because I took Calculus AP and loved it lol, Good luck!
this is the worst prof I have ever met in U of A, lecture not clear, mid-term is fair but his final will disappoint you
great professor ever!! easy exam,fair marker, no need to do homework, you can earn your grade back on final. do not need to attend class.
Has an extremely strong understanding of material both within and outside of the course. Sets major ground work for higher-level concepts. Gives thorough lectures. Overall, great guy.
This guy is an absolute genius at math. Really helpful if you ask him for help. However, his teaching and social skills aren't really the best. His exams are HARD, and I took calculus in high school. I think he gets a bit too much criticism, but I would agree that he can't really teach despite he's the fact he's a genius.
Going to lectures is useless because they are so unclear. Having done Calculus in high school will help you immensely, make use of the textbook to understand the new concepts of the course. Exams are hard because the content is not well taught; midterm average was 55, course average was a C-(1.7)! Bad prof; avoid if math is not your forte.
Pretty thick accent. He definitely knows the material, but has lost touch with what is difficult. I took math 31, and it was STILL difficult. I would recommend making use of his office hours and the TA help sessions. I did NOT enjoy this class.
Try to find other professors. Hard at first to understand, and minimal teaching during lectures. Questions aren't answered clearly. If you get this professor, definitely learn the material from the textbook first, then come to his lecture to see worked out examples. I would not recommend Professor Chen, although he improved throughout the term.
Worst professor I've ever met. Every Wednesday he would spend whole class time to explain the assignment due on Friday.
If you have Chen for Math 225, switch to a class with a different prof if possible. His assignments are extremely hard compared to the other classes, and make you feel like you are going to fail the exams. HOWEVER, the exams are exponentially easier than the assignments. Would definitely not recommend unless you have a desire to make your life hard
Very bad professor. Assignments are difficult and disconnected from notes, notes themselves are found to be copied from the net, are hard to read and are at times wrong. Checked total attending students in the course and found 41 out of 90 stopped taking this section. Tutor is MUCH more helpful than this guy. Lectures are just reading off slides
Easy midterm and final. Do the practice midterms and final!!! His homework is insanely hard, he dedicated class every wednesday to answer (give out) the answers to questions. You will be rewarded for your perseverance on his easy exams however. Id probably take the other guy though if i could have. If you had trouble in 125 don't bother.
Worst teacher i've ever had. extremely difficult class as well as difficult to understand him through his thick accent and not very helpful or available when you need him. Textbooks were no help. Large number of students failed this class when I took it. Avoid this teacher at all costs!
Again, like everybody said, assignments are brutal and classes are useless.
excellent
Classes are useless. Exams are easier than extremely difficult weekly homework assignments. He posts solutions after you hand in so you do learn how to do proofs well, but reading slides and book yourself rather than going to class. Study hard and you can get a good grade.
Hard to understand. This professor makes the ten assignments that are due over the course of the semester incredibly difficult, even though they weren't worth much of the grade. Assignments are so tough, he dedicates a class each week to going over them. He seems to know his math, but has trouble expressing it in terms that students can relate to.
A professor that treats students with respect and knows his math. The problem is that he isn't great at teaching which makes the already difficult assignments even more ghastly.
never need to attend class
The worst professor I ever seen. Even courage students drop his class. Wednesday Use a whole class to explain the homework due on Friday. And totally useless, he never teach you the logic. Word assault student is silly. If I were you, skip this teacher.
As many people said, he knows his math. Therefore what you need to do is to follow him as hard as you can, which is the only correct strategy for his lectures. And that's how I get a A+ for this course. From his math you can learn tons of things, not only the course materials but also extra knowledge in other fields of mathematics.
avoid this professor!!!! do not take his course!!!!!!
Great professor with respect! make concept clear.
A world class professor with respect. More than once, he gave us truly inspiration speeches. Hands down best professor in the department. Homework is long, but educational. Lectures are inspiring and interesting. Very open to questions. Tests are fair and cover the same material as homework.
Great prof. really helpful in office hour. Assignments and exams are reasonable. Recommended.
His homework assignments were a lot more harder than his exams. Plus, he doesn't explain extensively and comprehensively in lecture. Have to buy the textbook and study from it to complete the homework and to pass the course. Not taking this prof again.
Great notes and examples. Gives great hints for the exams. Very helpful if you go and see him in his office. Best math prof I have had at the U of A.
To get A, you need some effort on it but you will really learn something from him. He is respected professor. He always give feedback quickly and his office hour is helpful.
Barely does any examples with numbers. Expects students to understand him and his accent. Hes nice but isnt a good teacher even though he knows his math. Expect to get a tutor who you can understand to explain things to you. Or go to your old high school math teacher if you are close to them.
trust me, if you want get high grade, dont miss his review problem. review problems is same as the exam.
r/woosh. Even being fairly good at math in high school lectures in this course made little to no sense as they were very abstract and concept-heavy. Rarely did I see any numbers used for examples. You will need to learn from the textbook and this rating might as well be for khan academy; however, work hard, and you are almost guaranteed a good mark
Although the course itself was math, Xi Chen never taught with actual numbers, it was just proofed using x and other variables. I found it extremely hard to learn from him. I'd like the thank Kahn Academy and the other math youtube tutors for teaching me this entire course.
SWITCH out if you can, knows his math but its extremely difficult to understand what's even expected in the course. If you get this prof, good luck charlie.
This man spends the whole semester boiling up the most difficult assignments on the planet so he can flaunt his academic prowess to a bunch of first/second year students, and at the end of the year, my favorite part was when we were taking second semester classes before we got our final exam mark back. Really fun experience overall.
Avoid at all costs if you can. Tries to teach but his notes are too hard to follow and you can barely make his explanations. The assignments are ridiculously hard and you'll spend too much time trying it or giving up. Exams are 'fair' as they mimic his review but if you can't teach yourself by then, it'll be a heck of a ride.
He is not a tough grader and replies emails fairly quickly. If you read the textbook and do the practice problems, you will do good on the exam. Also, he is pretty helpful during office hour if you need any help. I sign up for his class initially because I heard he got his Ph.D. from Harvard LOL
His lecture notes are completely useless in trying to do the homework and since the textbook does not provide any examples of the insane questions he gives you, its near impossible to get the questions right on your own. I am used to having to try hard in math classes as they don't come to me easy, but he makes it extra difficult. I'd pass on him.
He is accessible outside of class and very willing to help. He is nice during office hours and I found that it was easier to understand lessons after going to office hours. He is difficult to understand and hard to keep up with during class but note down what he write because it usually helps with the course. Problem sets were hard but helpful.
He is great mathematician however, he does not know how to dumb things down for first year students. He is extremely helpful during office hours and he is willing to answer all questions His written homework was way too difficult and the TAs couldn't solve them sometimes. His lecture notes are hard to follow as he rarely uses actual examples.
SWITCH OUT! Class average for Finals and Midterm were below 60% Lectures are useless because you cant understand him through his accent, and his notes are messy and are useless outside of lecture. He makes assignments way too hard, Half of the assignment time is thinking of how to approach the problem.
Xi is clearly an incredibly knowledgeable and talented mathematician. However, he sometimes skips non-trivial steps in proofs with only mumbled explanations making it difficult to follow along at times. In addition, the exams were brutally difficult considering the time constraints.
GREAT mathematician. GREAT and FAIR professor. Skip steps in proof because this is an HONOR class. Heavy homework and difficult exam because this is an HONOR class. Not easy class material but Prof. Chen willing to help anyone after class, very fair exam and not picky on marks.
disclaimer! I am in MATH 101 not MATH 112 but it had no selection for MATH 101. Lectures are rushed and chaotic, no lecture material/skeletal notes are given beforehand. I will be teaching myself MATH 101 on my own and with some TA's help. Nobody knows what's happening in this course. Other sections are doing fine, so we know it's not the material.
Avoid this prof by all means!! Disaster spoken English and skip the steps like an easter rabbit. Horrible explanations when the question is asked. Students are asked to have IELTS 6.5 to admitted to uni, how can he be a professor like this. Would rate 0 if could.
Lectures are useless, hard to understand, rushes problems and skips steps leaving most of the class confused. Majority of the class stopped going to live lectures (class taken during COVID). Switch out of this if you can, otherwise you will most likely find yourself trying to teach yourself 90% of the class.
Lectures are useless, comes up with bizarre ways to solve problems when there are much more simpler ways to do it. Skips steps like a bunny rabbit, zooms through solutions. Coming from a Straight A math student in high-school, he makes this course like its rocket science.
Dr. Chen is a exceptional prof. He really digs deep in the course material and allows you to frankly enjoy linear algebra as a broad course. He is always ready to help after class, or respond to emails/forums. He really goes into detail with proofs, which allows you to be more experienced on them to be extremely prepared for the exams.
Xi Chen has his PhD and obviously knows what hes doing, but is not understandable whatsoever in class. His lectures are completely useless and often just confuse you more. The online work is very extensive, often consuming at least an entire evening per learning activity (3 each week) and one very long and difficult assignment every week.
MATH 125 is a self learning class, lectures were just for examples and questions, Xi was knowledgeable of the course material but sometimes skipped steps and if you haven't done the module before the class it can be hard to follow. Lectures are kind of pointless and his English is a little broken so overall Mid.
Dr Chen provides all the course material you need to do well if you review it, and you must if you want a good grade. The class examples are very close to what you'll see on midterms/finals, 10 minute quizzes every friday are a terrible way to assess achievement so make sure you're not just good but also fast and work on relieving test stress.
Highly discommended this professor for Math 125. Worse lecture and huge amount of homework. He give three assignments every single Monday, Wednesday, and Friday where he only have two lecture per week! He said he will talk about Wednesday homework on Tuesday and Friday homework on Thursday. MONDAY's WE LEARN BY OURSELVES DURING THE WEEKING.
Absolutely horrendous. When he teaches he is simply talking to himself. he does not care to be reached by the students as we are simply a nuisance to him. Never asks if you have a question in class and if you do the explanation given is the same as his lecture material, completely a miss and cannot understand. he does not know how to teach.
Going to the lecture isn't necessary IMO, the homework and practice problems are enough to get by in this class. I rate him more outside of class than inside class. He always answers questions students have on the online forum quickly and concisely. However, he's very difficult to follow during class, doing the homework yourself helps a lot more.
Definitely do not go to in person lectures and just do the online assignments, as Chen does not teach anything new or frankly important at all. If you have a question, make sure to post it on the online forum and don't ask in person as his explanations are better online and more concise.
Professor Chen was ok. He definitely knows a lot about mathematics, but he isn't the best at making the material easy to understand as a first year. His accent also makes it difficult to understand him and he tends to skip crucial steps because he thinks we should already know how to do them. Overall not my favorite.
Dr. Chen is kind of difficult to understand but if you go to his office hours he will help you.
just DO NOTＴＡＫＥ
Midterm average was in the 40-50s. Not a good prof, hard to follow doesn't explain steps, overall it's a harder class and it's even harder when your prof sucks. If you have this class drop it and take it with someone else for your own sanity and mental well being. If I could give him 0 I would.
he gives some questions for final, and he write the solutions by himself and make a very sputid mistake, he write x2 as x3, and for somequestions he didnt even give the solutions, its very awful cuz he think itis simple but i dont konw how to deal with those questions with no solutuons,i dont know how fast he make the answer, but i wonttakeitagain
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
28%
Textbook Required
53%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.45 avg changeRatings by Course
114
5.0
(1)MATH348
5.0
(1)MATH309
4.0
(1)MATH325
4.0
(1)MATH115
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
225
5.0
MATH101
5.0
MATH411
4.5
MATH112
4.3
MATH311
4.3