Gordon Sick - University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

Professor: Gordon Sick

Department: Finance

College: University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: FNCE317
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Gordon is one of the worst human beings I have encountered at the university of Calgary. An extremely condescending man with zero real world skills. An academic and nothing more. It's sad that the university has given this man tenure.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: FNCE317
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Worst professor out of the three. His final practice questions are awefully formatted. The practice questions are difficult to follow and he makes you search through his notes for the answer. That might sound like it would help but since the questions barely make any sense to begin with it makes it hard to find the answer in his notes.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: FNCE317
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I mean anything is better than Cottrell but this is not much of a step up, you basically spend all of his portion of the course doing the huge (but not that hard) assignment and therefore fall behind on textbook reading/practice questions. Slides are pretty vague and is practice final is so bad. "for correct answers, review my slides" really?

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: FNCE317
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Gordan was a very average prof. Clearly an academic through and through, with a love for birds. He reads directly from the slides, so don't bother coming to class. Just make sure you start early on the assignment and read the massive amount of theory in his slides.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: FNCE317
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Sick's portion of the class was more interesting than the rest. He goes right off the lecture slides, but also elaborates more on the subject, so going to class is important. The 3rd assignment was a little tedious, but hard to get worse than 85% on it. He tries to be funny in lectures, sometimes succeeds.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: FNCE317
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

He is a great prof!!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: FNCE317
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Gordon isn't too bad. You can pretty much go off of his slides. Kind of boring lectures, but the content isn't too bad.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: FNCE317
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Gordon is a nice guy but when it comes to teaching he is just awful. The TA was more useful than him in our Excel assignment, his lectures are boring and not worth going to. For the second half of this course, simply read the textbook and teach yourself. Gordon provides 0 help. Jokes are lame too.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• 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:

Just a poor professor and a terrible class.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• 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: Not Mandatory

Comment:

What a terrible prof, unclear and an overall awful class. Definitely an academic with no industry experience

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• 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 was skeptical that his class was really as hard as the comments on here said, but it truly was. None of it made any sense and all you could rely on was the curve to get a decent mark. The final project was also confusing as hell. I wouldn't wish this class experience on anyone.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Professor Sick is one of the most accomplished academics at the Haskayne School of Business. In some sense, his method of explaining concepts is similar to the physics popularization talks of NobelLaureate Richard Feynman:a certain level of intellectual disposition is required on the part of the students to truly appreciate it.Excellent lectures!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MGST559
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Extremely knowledgeable and smart. If you're a good student looking to stretch yourself, be challenged and learn a lot, his classes are for you. They're a lot of work and VERY worthwhile.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took this class because I heard it was challenging and you learn a lot. I learned next to nothing, it's all about the curve. The material is confusing and the textbook (written by Sick) is just as bad. Due to the curve this class is hard to get an A but pretty reasonably to get a B+. Sick is a pretty nice guy, this class is just confusing as hell

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great prof, the class is hard but you walk out knowing 25% of any other finance class. Do the readings, ask questions and you'll be fine. He also curves his exams so you will get a fair grade! Very good prof, very invested in the success of his students. He still remembered me after a few years. Cap Budg should be a degree req for finance majors!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Yes, he is hard, everyone knows that. But I didn't pay to get babied. Given that, the choice is yours for his classes: step up or step out. He will take your knowledge to the next level if you let him, and it will pay off big time. Very interesting (re: cool birds) and extremely intelligent man. If you read this, don't say you didn't know.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• 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:

It's classes like this one that make me not embarassed to say I'm a business student (See MGIS 317). Very interesting class. Not very challenging but it had its moments. F+O is much harder than this course. Curve is legit. Gordo is the MVP of NPV! Respek.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Tough class, good prof

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Hard class, but if you want to go into the finance field I think a lot of the stuff that Sick teaches in this class is really helpful. The curve is amazing so as long as you're prepared to put a good effort into the class you'll do fine. Like the last post said, the stuff is difficult but its not incomprehensible.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: FNCE447
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class probably had some of the hardest material you'll ever find in the finance field at the UofC. I thought this course wasn't as impossible as others have said. The notes and textbook are hard to understand, but it wasn't like it was impossible to comprehend. Just study the past midterms, finals, and spreadsheets. Take FNCE 451 before this.