Ernie Cosgrove - University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

Professor: Ernie Cosgrove

Department: Accounting

College: University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: AFM272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

At the time of the class, I thought he was a horrible prof who was excessively harsh in terms of exam questions. In hindsight (now 2 years later), his course is probably the most important, comprehensive course you'll ever take. The material he covers will come back time and time again, even in the most senior finance, investment courses.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: AFM272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He knows his stuff for sure, and probably has many years of experience in the field. However, quite frankly, teaching just ain't his thing. His lectures are boring, there is nothing in his voice or body language that stirs curiosity in students. His exams are pure evil, and poor class average matters little to him. God speed if anyone ever have him

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: AFM272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is, without a doubt, a very knowledgeable professor who knows what he's talking about. The only real problem is his 'me vs. you' attitude that he adapts where instead of to work with students to help them understand material, he simply teaches at his own rate, regardless of whether students follow or not. All in all,avoid if you can.Tests=Hard

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: AFM272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His midterm definitely did not fairly repressent what we have learned, and I could probably have gotten the same mark with no studying, vs the intensive studying that I did. The problems sets don't help, and neither do the practice multiple choice questions. Good luck. You'll need it. I'm waiting for the bell-curve =P

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Very smart, but not good at teaching. He frequently continues a lecture even when the entire class is confused and has no idea what he is talking about. Inflexible with marking, even when he makes a mistake.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Not much you can do about this guy. His MC are pretty hard, and exam and midterm are fairly difficult. Try to do well on the first midterm to balance out the final and 2nd midterm as much as possible. He did bell curve the class of Spring 2008. Really helpful during office hours, its just that the course is too damn hard.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Classes are really dry and hard to follow if you're not naturally good at math. He's a nice guy if you go to his office hours, but he still didn't manage to help me very much. His exams are tough (the MC), but there's a major bell curve. Study really hard for the first midterm to balance out poor scores on the harder material later in the course.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's extremely helpful during his office hours. Does a good job at explaining the theoretical aspects, but you will have to figure out a lot of the stuff by doing the exercises and problem sets. His midterms don't test the really hard stuff (i.e. anything with really long calculations) so make sure you know the basic concepts and definitions.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

To be honest, this course isnt' hard to get a good mark. but dont' expect it to be one of those other AFM courses where you can just leave it last minute and still come out okay. you have to stay ontop and do the problem sets. Make sure you acutally understand the concepts instead of just memorizing which formula to use. know your DEFINITONS!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: AFM371
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Excellent professor. Lectures are well planned and delivered. Makes very helpful slides and explains concepts clearly. Extremely helpful outside of the classroom..always replies e-mails ASAP. Probably the best Finance prof you can get in UW. :)

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Instead of complaining I'm going to try and give you all a strategy for doing well - Do all the problems but don't get hung up on the most difficult ones, he never asks them on the midterms/final. Really REALLY understand the qualitative concepts and be able to define them,there is always a definition page. Then, wait for bell curve. Good luck!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He's been teaching the course awhile and he knows his stuff but that's the problem, he knows his stuff and doesn't really care if you get it too. Is really kind and helpful if you manage to find him during his office hours, but tests and exam were very difficult. Big bell-curve in the end saves you though.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• 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:

Very interesting material but this prof butchers the grades especially with his multiple choice. I'd rather never take his class ever again!!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I thought this course was going to be interesting, prof seemed like a good guy at first. Then we wrote one of his exams... His multiple choice questions account for more than half of your marks and are so difficult! It seems he enjoys failing students. Since this class is mandatory for many of you... all I can say is good luck.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• 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:

actually interesting topics, but prof made it boring. focuses very little on hard concepts, but goes over general concepts more when students can read the textbook themselves. have to do ALL the problem sets/textbook problems (every one!) unless you want to be surprised! he needs to know that for most students this is new and complicated material

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: AFM272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

TERRIBLE PROF! textbook is great, but doesn't correspond at all to the exams.. neither do his practise problems or anything else he gives you to study from. Ernie is a bitter, mean, arrogant old man who publicly insults students and tries to make people that ask questions in class feel like an idiot.Too bad a decent course had to be ruined by him

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

he can make everyone in the class fall asleep

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: AFM371
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great professor. One of the best you can get in the program. Very knowledgeable. Lectures are organized and clear. The material he covers are very useful and he relates the concepts to real life examples to show their relevance. His exams are hard, especially the M/C component but he does bell-curve in the end. Excellent professor!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: AFM371
• 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, text, lectures, and problems sets don't correspond at all. Makes it impossible to study and know what to expect on exams. Not helpful at all, smug and answers student questions with an attitude. Too bad because course material is very interesting and he ruins it.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: AFM271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's very intelligent and knows a lot about finance. His exams are tough but the textbook practise questions and his extra questions help for studying. Marks fairly easily- especially on the definitions page. He does bell curve and it isn't impossible to get a good grade. It just requires a lot of work.