Leonard Manzara - University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

Professor: Leonard Manzara

Department: Computer Science

College: University of Calgary, Calgary, AB

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CPSC359
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Good prof, not too difficult assignments - most answers are in class notes. Unfortunately doesn't post notes -still uses an overhead projector. Memorize notes for m/c on exams, and assignments for the written portion. Great class! Great prof!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Lecture slides are not available online and the exams are heavily dependent on the lecture slides so attendance is mandatory. Little more detail on the slides could have helped. Kind and helpful prof tho.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's an amazing professor who goes out of his way to help students with their course. Readily gives extensions and makes sure to answer all questions as clearly as possible. One of the best professors I've had at university.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

An uncaring prof. Boring lectures, uninspired teaching, mediocre material & explanations. He still uses projector slides in 2018, and refuses to post any notes, or any old tests. For test study material, he says read two pages from the textbook and to look over the previous assignment you completed. No practice questions of any sort was given.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CPSC359
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Probably one of the best Profs at UofC! Uses slides to teach his courses which means a lot of notes, show up for classes and tutorials easy A.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great prof. Lectures can be pretty intensive but everything is made explicitly clear which is more than I can say for some profs. Not an easy course but not a hard one either. Prof Manzara structures everything in a very organized and methodical manner to make sure students understand what's going on. 5/5 would take again.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CPSC319
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Lots of notes, so just follow along and listen as well as you can while writing. Assignments are fair, not to hard, not to easy, but the write ups are annoying and harder than the code (though it does depend on the TA). Study hard for the midterms and final and you'll do a-ok

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Fair prof. Lectures can be quiet dry but no surprises at the exam. Every answer is in his notes. Available outside class for help on the assignments.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Study your code hard for tests. When I code, I have a lot of resources in my tabs and other tutorial code open, etc. I just blanked on the final when you have to do actual coding. Tracing easy, MC easy lecture stuff (you can get notes from oneclass) and short answer is easy lecture stuff. Which leaves you with the code parts, know them well

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CPSC501
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Manzara is a great prof. Although his courses do take a bit of work in the assignments, the tests are very fair. Do not miss lectures as he never posts his notes online. That being said, he is honestly one of the nicest profs I have ever had. I also had him in CPSC355 and it was similar.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Manzara is organized and teaches the material exactly as he says he would in the outline. He's to the point and thorough and he tells you exactly what he expects you to know for the exam and for assignments. All in all, an excellent prof and better than most.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I was lucky enough to have Manzara for both 355 and 319. While his lectures can get boring at times, Manzara is very clear in his notes and learning expectations. His exams are always fair and he is more than willing to help out his students.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Manzara's lectures are very classic in the sense that you sit and watch him go over slides as you write down notes. Nonetheless, to do well in the course you must attend all lectures and practice the material. Prof. Manzara's teaching is direct and to the point, although dry sometimes. He is very kind and accessible outside of class too.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Best prof ever . tells u all the topics you have to read for the tests and topics u should skip reading. Midterm questions are pretty much from his notes and easy. The coding part is a piece of cake if u actually did your assignments instead of cheating from someone else. I would say its an easy A in the course if u give a decent effort.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CPSC501
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

old school. A more update materials and online resources/working would be better

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CPSC319
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Manzara is old-fashioned and uses overhead projector notes, so be sure to attend lecture! His tests are always fair and simply follow the content in his notes. I personally find him a bit monotone in his lectures, but he definitely teaches the content well.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Take notes from someone else and go to class if you can manage to pay attention. Study everything from notes. Nothing more.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CPSC501
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

501 is a higher level class but I found I was graded more on how much time I could spend on the assignments rather than how well I understood the content. Beware the assignments are time heavy and I would not pair this course with another heavy loaded class. It was overall easy concepts and very applicable information. Would take again.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is one of the best profs in CPSC. Everything you need for assignments and exams are provided during his lectures. DO NOT SKIP CLASS unless you can get the notes from someone since he uses his overhead projector to provide them. Very clear and easy to understand lectures. Always approachable for any clarifications.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CPSC355
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Everything you will be tested on will be in the notes he gives in class. If you miss a class, get the notes for it. On his tests, he focuses on stuff used on assignments. Tests are pretty straight forward, just go through the notes over and over (concepts are pretty easy). Assignments are easy, can take a while. Lectures are dry but he tries.