James Irwin - Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI

Professor: James Irwin

Department: Economics

College: Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ECO203
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Jim is really quirky but knowledgeable. Takes attendance with flashcards and asking questions but the questions are super easy. Grades are based on tests, exams, and attendance. The tests/exams use problems straight from lecture. Easy A if you take good notes in lecture. Also, he made a dry subject pretty fun since he is funny.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ECO203
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Funny guy! But tough professor.. grades tough and very hard to follow in class he will go on for 15 minutes about something then say "And you guys don't need to know any of that" after you just spent that time trying to scribble notes to keep up with him. If you do bad on all tests he does make the grade on the final your final grade

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ECO203
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

There are two exams you take during the semester that is worth 40% of your grade. There are also three tests you take that is worth 20% of your grade. The final exam is comprehensive and is worth 35% of your grade. If you do bad on all of your tests and exams then he will take the final exam as your total grade. Very sloppy note. No study guide.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ECO203
• Grade Received: D+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Do not take this calss with this professor, he is awful. He spends 30 min on deeper thinking then tells you that you wont need to know this. Then spends maybe 5 min on what you actually need to know. His best quote was I dont answer questions I just ask them

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ECO203
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a bad professor and makes things a lot more complicated than they need to be. He can be funny but that is not my biggest concern in a class.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ECO350
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Irwin is a great professor if you are interested in the subject he's teaching and are willing to do all of the required reading outside of class. Really smart guy, but pretty unorganized. Lectures can be hard to follow, but if you pay attention and take good notes you will be fine.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BLR350
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Irwin is a great professor! Taking notes on the lecture and reading the textbook are a must for this class. Attendance is also important, for both the participation grade and also because his lectures directly discuss what will be on the exam.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ECO201
• Grade Received: D-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Irwin is a very nice guy but he is literally too smart to teach this class. I am an A/B student and am currently failing this class. He is so confusing, and it's impossible to follow him. All class he lectures and writes on the white board. There are only tests and exams, no homework. Do not take!!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ECO202
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Very intelligent guy but very hard to keep up with his lectures. His thought process will seem scattered to most as he goes on tangents about the given topic. Great information but just a few levels above where the level of a UP course should be. Exams are tough as he is looking for the exact wording as given in class, his office is wild messy

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ECO201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Really smart guy and gives a well rounded overview of economics. Makes you think, but highly recommended

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ECO202
• Grade Received: D-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

If you miss a lecture you will have no idea what to do, lectures are hard to follow, will talk about things that don't matter, not helpful in office hours, doesn't use blackboard so you have no idea what your grade is, his exams are ridiculously hard. I have never failed a class all through grade school or college and I failed this one.A&B student

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ECO202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE THIS PROF!!!! Very hard grader, confusing, goes too quickly, and goes off on tangents that have nothing to do with what we're learning. He gives no extra credit or homework so the only thing he grades on are tests and exams which he is VERY specific about when grading.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ECO202
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Teach yourself, and use youtube video. You will get marked down of your sentence structure rather than your correct answers and knowledge. Not organized. Extremely bad feedback.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ECO201
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Irwin is a great guy. Goes into detail and gives examples in class that are very similar to what shows up on tests/exams. The class is graded generously too ,90% is an A, 80% is an A-.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ECO202
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Overall super nice guy but lectures are confusing and don't prepare you well enough for exams which count for all of your grade. Material can be complex if you're not a microeconomics wizard. You either know it or you don't so good luck.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ECO203
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Irwin is too smart to teach this class. That being said this wasn't the worse class and i felt like i actually learned a lot. Lectures are slightly confusing but make sense towards the end of every class. Only homework is to study for the test and exams which are your only grades. Look at his reviews and take notes and you'll do fine.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ECO201
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

This teach gave me so much anxiety. He will start writing on the board and then move to the complete other side and discuss something that "we don't need to know" & returns back. I cannot follow someone like this. I have never withdrawal from a class but I am seriously considering it due to the lack of teaching skills. Do not take this professor.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ECO203MICRO
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Avoid this class! His lectures are very confusing, all over the place, he looks down upon you in class if you ask a question. Presents something off topic and talks about it as if it has importance and then at the end says "But you don't need to know that" Grades differently every time. Says what an A should look like and then changes it

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ECO204
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Jim really gets that we've been trained to do busy work, reproduce memorized answers, and only work for the grade rather than understanding; that's not how he runs things. Jim doesn't use blackboard, but it works out in the end. He weighs your tests and exams in your best interest, and wants you to learn. No homework, just 3 tests and 3 exams.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ECO204
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Irwin is a nice guy and tries to make the class interesting. However, his teaching style is confusing. His notes and lectures are all over the place and you really don't know what to expect on the exams, which are the only grades in this class. Ive taken AP Macro in high school and got an A and I was still lost all semester long. DO NOT TAKE!!