3.2
Quality3.8
Difficulty38%
Would Retake111
Reviews38%
Would Retake
111
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
36
4
23
3
22
2
15
1
15
What Students Say
“When going to his office hours for help, he didn't give me the time of day and ignored me for the most part”
CALC1 - 1.0 rating“I took Calculus 2 with Dr”
MATH211 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
81%
Textbook Required
30%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.66 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH162
5.0
(6)CALC2ODE
5.0
(1)CALC3
5.0
(1)MATH261
5.0
(2)MA161CALC
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
161
5.0
CALCONE
5.0
MTH161
5.0
MATHODE
5.0
MATH212
5.0
Reviews (111)
No Comments
class fun,,,test hard
good class, hard tests
He really wants his students to succeed, but Calc is obviously hard.
He's freakin confusing with all the arphas and un's
Tries to be funny... not too clear... I'd avoid
Very nice/helpful; difficult, conceptual tests. Extremely enthusiastic.
Toooo Fast
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No Comments
great teacher, funny, enthusiastic, helpful, nice guy
very helpful, you LEARN a lot in his classes, totally enthusiastic and fun
Tough to understand at first, b/c of his accent, but you get used to it. Some of the take home assignments and test are a little challanging also. He is a little better then other Math profs.
gets juiced about the subject will help you pass if you go to the office hours
Went to office hours all the time to get help with hw and he told me I don't do my hw and I don't try - Yeah. Very rude and unhelpful. Extremely hard tests.
I didn't care for him much. He's ok, take home assignments are super challanging, and he expects you to do really well on them too. Test are almost as hard...never enough time to finish it all.
He's pretty nice, but he teaches really fast and his assignments and tests are hard. He has well organized presentations with lots of helpful examples. Watch out for spit when he starts screaming in excitement about math.
Friendly guy but he can be hard to understand when he gets excited. Really knows his stuff, and presents it well in class. If that's not enough, he'll take time out of class to help too. Great prof!
great guy...funny...wants you to do well and always willing to help you suceed..best math teacher at MU along with Bruce
Nice guy to talk to. Classes are great
great guy, ...add them up, take the limit, what you get...? -- INTEGRAL!
Tough class, good teacher though, a little hard to understand at first, look out for the final it's a killer!
REally energetic and really funny. Gets very into the topic...hard to not pay attention. 1+2 is wha...is swee wight?...Gotta love it!
Very Fast, hard to follow, Better do well on the tests because there isnt much chance for redemption if you do poorly on that first one. He is willing to help you in anyway he can, but you will still have to work your ass off.
Awesome guy- funny, friendly, and helpful. A little bit of a language barrier, hard to understand at first, but you get used to it. Cares about the student. Highly recommended.
This kid cracks me up. He's a good teacher, and his chinese accent keeps you laughing. Fast-paced teacher, but he wants the students to succeed. Shao is a very kind grader, and is very lenient with points on tests. Great prof.
Definitely not easy, but reasonable. You will learn a lot
Very 'into' his topic which is good, but goes way too fast. He really wants students to understand, but is visibly frustrated when they don't. Will help outside of class! But tests very hard and worth a lot!!(if you fail tests you will fail the class).
Really enjoys his job. Difficult to undersatnd at first, but pretty funny for a math prof. Tests are very hard and account for most of the grade!! Alot of homework. Enjoy the WebWork he assigns (online math problems with immediate feedback).
Good teacher but its calc so he might seem hard because of that fact. He is helpful outside of class and will help you find the way.
No Comments
It's calc so it's challenging, but he will do EVERYTHING possible to help you succeed... he really wants everyone to pass! He definitly was the best math teacher I've had
hard class, but it is afterall calc 2.. this guy cracks me up, loves what he does and is very helpful if you ask him, gives a lot of examples, but goes fast sometimes
He's a very good and interesting teacher. COOL!
I got him for calc 2. Nice guy, very helpful, but his style of teaching is a little rigorous. Too a degree that is necessary in this course, since you need to do a lot of this stuff to learn it.
The best professor ever! I loved my math classes with him. Calc 2 is hard so you have to work, but he made it so much fun for me! He loves what he does and is really funny and friendly. his tests are not too hard
Excellent professor, made me enjoy calculus. Once I got over his accent, he was the best calculus professor I could ask for. Loves his subject and wants the student to feel the same.
UGH! He was terrible! Why? His accent was too thick for me and he never really could make me understand... He is funny though at times... I dropped... Be warned!
I like his class. He tries hard to make everyone do well and is flexible on assignment due dates. Math has never been my favorite and I understand him. Recommanded.
Excellent prof. He's very helpful. Gives a lot of hw, but you will also learn a lot.
Whether you like calc or not, Dr Shao makes it fun. He loves to make you laugh and enjoy class. He's very reasonable with assignments and grades. It takes a little getting used to his accent, but you learn to love him! He's always willing to stop and explain if you don't get something.
Very hard to understand him because of his accent. He wasnt very helpful outside of class. Gave way too much homework.
Class was boring and seemed pointless, but shao made it bearable. If you must take this class, take Shao. No attendance policy, doesn't grade homework, take him.
great professor, reasonable grader.
When I was reading other peoples comments i couldn't believe people were saying nice things! THE WORST MATH TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD! I'm going to have to drop and i have always done very well in math. He moves sooooooo fast, and his tests and quizzes have the HARDEST examples he could come up with
very thick accent, but you get used to it. moves very fast and gives a whole lot of homework. tests are hard, but fair game. he is very funny though and enthusiastic when he teaches so that makes class fun. very cool guy, tough teacher.
Very good professor. Definately gives hard tests and homework but hey, that's how you learn right? One of the best professors in the Math department by far. If nothing else his humor will help keep you awake during his class!
he is a really nice guy, however his class was really hard. he always puts the hardest questions on his tests and quizzes, and they are the ONLY points you get in his class, so if you bomb one test or the quizzes, you are basically screwed.
Well, he is a very funny teacher but his tests are really hard. If you like an extreme challenge in statistics take Shao...but if your just trying to squeeze some math in to study abroad... reconsider.
No Comments
He's not the best, but he isn't the worst. I have had worse. But the tests are insane, but if you go in and get help he will clarify it. Maybe not in the classroom though.
now, this dude, i could see possibly being a good professor. i think that the long summer break between high school and college found me losing interest in all things mathematics...so i lost interest, failed and changed my major (****, i was a match major, ha!). so it wasn't his fault, but he is very VERY hard to understand, pronounces "three" as "sree" and says "ininit" ("isn't it") a lot...very asian
Ummm, I had him and now I am retaking the class with somebody else, and it is way easier!! Even my teacher saw one of his quizzes in the copy room and said that he couldn't believe how hard he made his quizzes! So if you are AWESOME at math go for it, if not....BEWARE!
Very good teacher and uses many examples. His tests are a challenge and the questions are basically the same as the examples given in class. So study, do the homework, and make sure you know the material. He has a good sense of humor and makes calculus interesting. His accent is a bit heavy, but you get used to it quickly. Recommend for calc 1.
great prof
Hes very hard to understand and not helpful at all he seems nice but if u dont understand something he just tells u to go back to another example and the tests and quizes have the hardest questions he can find on them dont take him if ur not good at math
Very difficult to understand, broken english. Very difficult testing.
Dr. Shao is awesome! He's totally into what he's teaching and will never bore you due to a lack of enthusiasm. Whenever I need help, he'll at least give a hint, which rocks.
Awesome prof, he's always willing to give you extra help and gives many examples to demonstrate what he's doing. Will take time in class to help you if you don't understand something. Show up to class and keep up with the homework and you'll be fine. It takes a little while to get used to his accent, but he's a good guy.
TEST LENGTHS NOT FAIR. on the last test we had, only one person out of about 30 handed in their test.... everyone else ran out of time and he took them from us.
He is hard to understand. He seems like he wants to help but when you ask him outside of class he seems like he gets frustrated with you. I wouldn't recommend taking his class. Sometimes he makes no sense. I really did not like this class at all.
Very difficult to understand some times, keeps a fast pace, definitely a tough course, however, he's always available to help outside of class, answers emails very quickly, very understanding, and if you do your homework and your practice problems, you will do fine. He doesn't throw any curve balls on tests. He's a great professor
I had to withdraw from this class because I couldn't really understand him. He's a nice guy and makes jokes during class, but that's not really beneficial. He moved at a fast pace. He always answered student questions.
A nice guy, not a talented teacher. He means well, but the tests are incredibly long (will sometimes allow students to stay after). Will answer questions out of class, and has office hours, but be careful as he gets easily frustrated (I was yelled at quite a few times). Don't take, 1/2 the class withdrew, and the other half have no idea their grade
There were no examples ever given in classes and then the homework he assigned you could not follow or due. Goes to fast and expects too much out of his students! Will never take again!
Very good teacher, lots of proofs.
Very good teacher, lots of proofs.
ODE with Shao was horrible. Hard to understand, went through the material too fast, hard exams, very harsh hw assignments. I would spend 5-10 hours on one hw assignment (usually 3-5 questions) and work with friends , but still do poorly.
funny teacher but hard
Oh Dr. Shao... he really knows what he's talking about and is very passionate about math. He has a good rapport with his students and jokes with them frequently. His accents really hinders his clarity at times. For instance, z-score = disco. Not bad though.
hilarious and very helpful, had him for calc 2. class was hard but he is a great professor.
As long as you go to class and ask questions you will be fine. He is happy to help you during his office hours and is a nice guy too. Id say take him if you want a challenge.
Great teacher. He is very funny. He challenges you, but if you pay attention and do all of the homework you will be fine. I definitely recommend him!
worst class of my life. i absolutely could not understand anything he said, and when you ask for clarity, he gets mad almost? hes funny, mostly because he gets really into it and yells a lot and swings objects, like his umbrella, around.
I took shao for honors calc. If you have taken calc before in high school this class is a good review with the regular calc material. However, the honors material is impossible to understand. If you're taking his regular calc class and haven't taken a calc class before this, it would be hard but his grading is fair and wants you to pass.
Unless you are math major, this class will be an extreme challenge. My major is BSE English, and math is not my strong subject. I always went to class and did all the homework. I aced all of the take home assignments but the tests are IMPOSSIBLE. They are usually 4-5 pages long and there is not enough time to finish them. Beware of this class!
Big disappointment. This class ruined my 4.0gpa. There were always at least 10 students in the room after a test that were unable to finish. This should tell him that the tests are TOO long! There is not enough time to finish them. NOT FAIR.I would have rather had more tests that were shorter and easier to handle. Ridiculous for a 100 level class!
He's not a bad guy but he expects you to remember EVERYTHING you've learned from previous classes. He also goes quick and skips a lot of steps in example problems in class. I wouldn't recommend him unless you're a math major. Assigned HW he collects are tough but the tests aren't as tough, he def makes you think though.
Terrible Prof! Seems like a nice guy out of class but in class he's a nightmare. All of his test were TOO long. Almost all of the class needed extra time on each of his tests. Also he doesn't explain topics well. He expects you to remember everything he teaches. Terrible for a 100 level class. Don't take him if you can avoid it.
Hes out of control. Stay away from this guy if you like having a good gpa because he will destroy it
Very nice guy and willing to help if you go to his office hours. Not a good professor to have for your first semester of college, talks fast and expects you to remember everything from previous classes. Grades come from quizzes, tests and online homework.
Sense of humor and a fair grader. He expects u to know EVERYTHING once he teaches it. He made himself available to help by expanding his office hours for myself and other students. He def wants you to learn and critically think. Be sure to study the concepts instead of the homework b/c his Mathzone homework is extremely hard sometimes.
He is very difficult you have to study really hard, his accent is terrifying and it sucks to be in his honor calc class because he is too smart and thinks everyone should know what he knows.
Poor class format for honors. If you're given the option to take honors, I'd recommend against it. Helpful if you see him out, but expects you to know everything as soon as he teaches it. Grades very harshly, takes it personally when you don't do well. I'd recommend taking another professor
Math is not my strong point. Shao has been on good behavior because he has been under watch from the board, so one false move and he is fired. This semester he has been extremely nice, making jokes in class and always making sure everyone understands. Class is a fast for a 100 and tests are extremely long. Attendance is mandatory. Pretty Boring.
Great teacher! He is very funny and easy to talk to. He explains math clearly. He will not be easy, but pay attention and do all of the hw and you should do well. He is highly recommended.
Very hard test. Hard to understand. Goes through the material way too fast. If you ask for help he tries to explain but doesn't end up helping at all.
Great guy with a great personality, pay attention, do your homework, and you'll do well.
I have always been horrible at math and found that although Shao was very personable and always willing to offer help, it never made me understand what I missed before. I found his speed to be too fast and his tests too long and difficult. He must have pulled some strings to allow me to pass with the required grade. I had a bad time.
He's nice and funny, but a really hard prof. It is hard to tell exactly what he means during his lectures. I had to teach myself everything from the book. The tests were impossibly long. First test was 5 pgs and I only finished the 1st with 15 min left. After that, I was the only 1 to ever finish each test, but I had to know everything perfectly.
This guy is hilarious. As a person he's cool. DO NOT TAKE HIM FOR CALC 1. His examples in class are lightning fast, teaches you something with the most simple example and then destroys you on quizzes and exams. I'm not joking, his exams and quizzes are ludicrous. I'd estimate 25-50% of my class dropped.
Shao is the sweetest prof I've met. He is willing to do anything to ensure you'll pass and know the content. He is flexible on late assignments and will always give you last classes notes. He is very knowledgable in his lectures as well. The only issue is there is a language barrier. He has a thick Asian accent that makes him hard to understand.
Dr. Shao was willing to meet after class and during office hours. Calculus is tough, so don't miss classes and do the homework every night.
Calculus 2 is very difficult, but by completing daily homework assignments and discussing the material with Dr. Shao when necessary, I earned honors in the course.
I've always been a strong math student. I took dr zhan for calc 1 and got a 98%. With Shao though I have difficulty after every test and I worry if I'm going to pass the course. He's hilarious but seems to make quizzes and tests much harder than the inclass problems or homework.
When going to his office hours for help, he didn't give me the time of day and ignored me for the most part. I have tried getting multiple tutors and going to him for help and he doesn't care and just keeps saying come to his office hours (which are a waste of your time) Also he gives no partial credit on exams and quizzes for work shown.
I took Calculus 2 with Dr. Shao and completely failed, despite doing all homework, and tutoring. All through high school I got A's and B's in math, and I'm retaking this class with a new professor and getting an A. Dr. Shao is nice, but he never explains what he's doing, yet expects his students to just know. About 80% of my class failed with me.
entertaining and really cares about helping you learn
good professor he likes to move extremely fast and if you don't understand something better go see him out of class.
He was super friendly and really seemed to care about the students. I think he really hated to see people do bad and he was super helpful. Highly recommend him!
Dr. Shao was a great professor. He's very personable, loves to make the class laugh, and is always asking if the students understand the topics. However, there were times where he would skip through an example problem and not explain his process which left most of class confused. His tests weren't terrible but the online homework could be at times.
He is a very nice guy who always tries to make the class laugh. Lecture can be confusing at times as he doesn't explain some things very well, however, in a way it can challenge you to learn the material on your own. He is amazing at giving partial credit and will throw in some extra credit opportunities once in a while. Took for Precalc and Calc 1
The only real grades in the class are the weekly quizzes and the four tests. The test are so much harder than you think they will be. Knowing the information isn't enough in this class you need a deep understanding of calculus to get good grades on the tests. He skips steps a lot and then yells at you for asking questions. I would avoid his class!
Dr. Shao is a kind person who seems to genuinely care about each student's well-being, and he has a real passion for math which shows in his teaching. While he can move through concepts quickly, he emphasizes there are no foolish questions, and he is more than willing to review even basic concepts in-class to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Dr. Shao was one of my favorite professors. He's committed to helping you learn the subject matter, and truly wants you to find that "ah-ha!" moment. He's energetic, and is a kind and funny instructor.
I have Dr. Shao for calc 1 online and it is terrible. You can't understand half of what he is saying, you can't read the problems very well as they're very pixilated, his notes are not well written and when I ask him for help he simply tells me to visit his office hours, which don't help either. He's almost never clear on what answers are accepted
Taking this online and its a nightmare. I am pretty much teaching myself at this point since he covers 1-2 sections in a 50 min. lecture. As you could guess trying to self teach myself calc is going horribly. Nothing is explained as to why things happen its just, here is a formula and then a list of work for an answer that makes no sense.
Having him online for statistics last semester was awful I was teaching myself how to use the formulas because he would just read the notes during zoom. Very nice just wasnt enough for me to pass so now i have to take it again
he doesnt know how to teach his explanations make no sense and he voice cracks every other word
I went to his office hours because I don't understand his notes (they are never clear) and need help with the homework. This man has the audacity to belittle me and make me feel dumb for needing help. I'm honestly afraid to ask for help now. I will absolutely never take his class again. If I could give a 0 rating, I would. I cannot stand this man.
Not helpful. Will literally write "you don't understand this" on your paper and not show you the correct way to do the problem. Class is basically watching him do notes with practice problems but he has terrible hand writing and a heavy accent so you only make out 30% of what he's teaching.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
81%
Textbook Required
30%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.66 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH162
5.0
(6)CALC2ODE
5.0
(1)CALC3
5.0
(1)MATH261
5.0
(2)MA161CALC
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
161
5.0
CALCONE
5.0
MTH161
5.0
MATHODE
5.0
MATH212
5.0