Earl Fife - Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI

Professor: Earl Fife

Department: Mathematics

College: Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH156
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Needs to learn how to teach. He knows a lot but when students ask questions he confuses himself trying to answer them. Lectures were usually confusing; you'll learn better by just reading the textbook. One positive is that he can be pretty funny.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH132
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I cannot believe this man has not been let go yet. He is BY FAR the worst professor I've ever had at Calvin College. Much worse than any religion professor, including Won Lee. He makes countless mistakes in class and doesn't catch them. He assigns 2-3 hours of homework 5 nights a week and 95% of the homework wasn't covered in class. HORRIFIC prof.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH156
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Fife is not as bad as people paint him. He makes mistakes, but all in all he is pretty clear especially if you ask him to explain the material in greater detail. Moreover he drops the lowest exam grade which is helpful.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Absolutely AWFUL professor. If you want to be frustrated to tears I suggest Fife. I was a great math student my whole life but found myself struggling through Math 100. The man is way too smart to be teaching, seeing as nothing he says makes sense to anyone. Good luck on your final exam. It was a doozy.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I never thought a class/professor could make me cry... Fife proved me wrong. I used to think math was ok, but I no longer think that.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

TERRIBLE PROFESSOR! STAY AWAY! All he does is write sentences on the board and then more and more sentences and then stands in front of them and does not explain himself. Gives way to long of tests that NO ONE can finish and then does not curve the test for benefit. Worst prof I have ever had at Calvin.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CALC171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

It's laughable that a fine institution like Calvin College would even dare hire the pathetic water-sac that Fife is. He knows his material, but does that mean he is a good prof? No. WORST. PROF. EVER. Half the class dropped within three week. If you had the option of either eating your left hand or taking him, well, you best eat your hand.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

TERRIBLE TEACHER. I took AP calc in high school and knew the material back and forth, but I still did crappy in his class. Makes tests that are so long only 2 ppl can finish (and then doesnt curve). extremely unreasonable. I took him b/c his was the only section. avoid his class AT ALL COSTS.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MATH156
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The worst professor I have had at Calvin. Fife does not communicate well and has gives off a feeling that he has respect for his students. About half of my class dropped this class, and he was cited as a significant reason. Avoid him if at all possible.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MATH171
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

not good at all; brilliant man but completely incapable of communicating ideas with others.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MATH162
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I thought his lectures were unclear and lacking in the information required for the homework. He would often only do half an example, or preform the example in a convoluted manner. He often even had the wrong answer. He was painfully slow at returning assignments, if he returned them at all and had no office hours.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MATH162
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very tough prof. In order to pull off an A, one must work very hard at it. He DOES notice when students out work in and will reward them. Allover, not too bad of a class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MTH156
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I would recommend not taking this professor. I'm a math major and I hated the class. His explanations are confusing and he goes off on random tangents that have little to do with the topic being discussed. I have never received lower than an A in any math class I have taken until now.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH231
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I was a math minor. I'm not any more. Thanks to Fife. He once made a mistake on a test, then marked everybody who guessed wrong because the correct answer would have been to leave the problem blank since there was a mistake. He also spent an entire 50 minute class period trying to do one homework problem we asked him about, only to get in wrong.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MATH161
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He makes so many mistakes when trying to explain things that its extremely hard to follow. Definitely stay away, especially if you don't have a good math background.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MATH161
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

he writes math sentences, followed by more math sentences where he will then take an awkward pause before writing more math sentences. stay away

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MATH231
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I love math, and this class tore at my heart. Fife made so many mistakes in class, so it was no surprise when they showed up on the exams, but it was a surprise that he took off points because we didn't notice his mistakes. He has no feel for the class, and does not communicate with students very well. Out of touch with us, does not care.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH161
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

talks way too fast and never stops to explain anything.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MATH231
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Horrible Professor. Unfair and Rude to students. Does not test on what he taught; final exam was 10% questions on stuff he never mentioned, literally a different section in the book than what we did. He uses Mathmatica because he doesn't understand what he is talking about. Class time was hardly useful because of this. Avoid him if you can!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MATH231
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Fife is like a teddy bear with retractable claws. When he walked in the first day, i said to myself, what a friendly elderly man. But after spending 3.5 seconds in his presence, i realized the truth. He is arrogant and doesn't believe that he can be wrong, which makes him a terrible teacher. Other than that, he is a good instructor.