Norman Purzitsky - York University (all campuses), Toronto, ON

Professor: Norman Purzitsky

Department: Mathematics

College: York University (all campuses), Toronto, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MAT1505
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Nothing on his tests are taught in class, more than three quarters of the class is failing. Terrible teacher, when doing examples he never completes them. Doesn't care about students. Would not recommend

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH2310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!! does not care about his students, makes so many mistakes during his lectures. More than half the class fails and he does not bell curve what so ever!!! Do not bother taking a course with this prof, it will save you a lot of stress! His tests use notations that do not follow the textbook and does not give you enough time!!!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH2310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Norman is a nice guy but a horrible prof, you try or you don't try you still fail lol

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH3010
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lectures - did not write much down. Not precise in spoken part of proofs. Different approach than textbook, so hard to teach yourself. Availability outside of class - approachable and available for extra help Graded by two tests and final exam. Final grades were curved (results were really bad overall).

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH1014
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Well if you don't show up to class you will not have an idea about this class! although the prof is a really nice person literally you need further help and the best way is make sure you solve all the homework because that is the type of things that def come on midterms and of course youtubeeeeeeeeeeee will help sooo much.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH1014
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Get ready to read and do lots of homework. Lectures are not that good but you make do with what you get. He has a reputation of being a tough grader (with tough midterms) so you'll probably get at least 2 letter grades higher with another prof. Been a straight A+ student in every other math course ive taken with other profs...

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH1014
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Hardest class I've ever taken! All the tests had failing averages! Prof didn't explain well and had horrible handwriting so it was always hard to read...

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH1014
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Ridiculously hard tests compared to his own notes and the textbook, really doesn't try to guide you in any way.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MATH1014
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Horrible, he admits to making his tests harder then the other sections. I got an A in 1013 and am struggling to pass this class. Ridiculous, yells at students when they say they dont understand, and refuses to go back and re explain things. Students constantly complaining and he has zero sympathy. Dont like him at all.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CALC1300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Pretty solid prof. His writing is messy but he doesn't get offended if you ask about it. He writes notes on paper at the end, ask to see those if you missed something. Make sure to check his website he doesn't use moodle but he has everything on there. Don't say dumb things or he'll call you out. Puts emphasis on doing homework so make sure you do.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MATH1013
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Messy notes, discourages student achievement, one day he just walks in and says that most of us are not going to pass the course based on our high school. Lectures are required. You must read the textbook if you want some guidance. Often have to correct him on mistakes. Dropped the course, not worth the stress.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MATH1014
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Messy when it comes to teaching. He can't even follow along with his own notes that students have to correct him. He expects us to solve integrals easily when he can't teach the class at all. Thinks he is always right and won't admit he's wrong even when he gets caught making mistakes. His teaching style is too old-fashioned loses the whole class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MATH1014
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He knows math but is rude to students asking questions in class. He will call on students and tease them in front of the entire class for not knowing something, rather than taking the opportunity to teach them. You are better off sticking with the textbook and going to class only to find out what he wants you to memorize will test you on.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH1013
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Norm is a somewhat different type of professor. He thinks that using strange analogies like the 401 or the 400 will help out with certain related rates questions. He may sometimes ask you to differentiate a question out of nowhere at 3:00 am on Yonge St. There's certain thing that give you no hope that you'll move on from Calc 1 confidently.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MATH1013
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

If I could do one thing for the rest of my life, all day every day, it would be to sit in Norman Purzitsky's 9:30 AM lectures. Those gave me purpose. Every time he would talk about how hard MATH1014 is, I would get a rush, like wow this man is my life. He would also compare mathematical functions to driving on the 400 and 407 often. A real legend.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MATH3001
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Avoid if you can. Messy, hard to read writing. Hard tests atrociously graded. Frequent sadistic remarks on how easy the book is and how hard the tests will be. Below average lecturer. Poor course organization. Enjoys picking on students. Test questions are somewhat similar to homework/lectures, if you must take him He is an unpleasant instructor.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MATH2015
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Finds the stweart textbook to easy, so makes up his own questions for test. Super hard.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH1025
• 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:

His tests are fair. Only asks what the taught in class. However he makes the course look a lot harder than it actually is. His handwriting is sloppy and won't answer your question properly if he thinks its not smart enough. Even makes fun of students. Avoid.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MATH1014
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

1. This guy has serious beef with James Stewart. 2. Strays from both the textbook and his own syllabus. If skipping class to self study, text someone so you study the right material. 3. Tests have high concentration of questions from one section. So if that happens to be your weakest, GL 4. Way too many proofs that never come up again.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MATH1025
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Although Purzitsky does incorporate a bit of wry humour in his lectures, he is overall a very messy writer and a prof that is all over the place in his work. Extra work online had to be done to understand extra concepts, and "Heaaaalf" the time he would teach redundant concepts which we would hardly ever see again. You'd be better with another prof