Stuart Rankin - Western University, London, ON

Professor: Stuart Rankin

Department: Mathematics

College: Western University, London, ON

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH2156
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

One of the best professors. Cared deeply about actually ensuring that students understood discrete mathematics. Resisted much pressure to make things less rigorous merely to allow students to pass the class. Deserves extraordinary laudation.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH2155
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

One of the best professors I have ever had the pleasure of having. He instilled a sense of rigor, all while caring deeply about students who had an interest in the material. It is unfortunate that he was subjected to such resistance, from those (CS students) who merely wanted credit for the course.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH1600
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He spends the entire lecture scribbling proofs that you will not need to know. He does not stop writing the entire time so make sure you can copy down notes quickly. I found that I did much better just reading the textbook, doing the questions and watching patrickjmt/khanacademy videos as supplement au lieu de going to his lectures.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH1600
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

lectures are complicated, read the textbook

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH1600
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Phenomenal professor, but there were times when it was hard to follow. Fails to use concrete examples and very dependent on proofs as a teaching style. That being said I think I am now better off for when I take discrete math in 2nd year. He always helped after class. I earned every percent.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH1600
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Honestly the worst lecturer I have had yet. He loves nothing more than to sprawl proofs across the board, so that you will end up with an 11 page note on things no one understands, and you don't need to understand. My advice: read the textbook. Learn how to do the chapter you are covering, then when you go to lecture, double check what you know.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH1600
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He does what will be on the exam in class. To understand what's going on, the book or the tutorial are required. But you have to learn properly, before the class. He's difficult in this aspect especially since it's mathematics.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH2155
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is amazing. Discrete Math is hard to understand but he made it. I compared if I got the information faster on his lectures than read and comprehensive the knowlege on my own. I tried to acquire knowlege on my own but I can't understand anything. But He helped me got 90+. We all know there r lectures that r worse than read text books.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: 2155
• Grade Received: F
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This course was supposed to teach me how to do proofs, but he seemed to assume we already knew and barely touched on techniques, leaving me completely lost. Weekly assignments relied heavily on these techniques and took 10+ hours each. No examples taught, but tests were mostly applications. Really helpful in person, but definitely theory-oriented.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: A1
• 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:

In the Internet era, university professors use pdf to allow students to access instructional material for free. This does not seem to be the case here: Professor Rankin prefers to run a small business by selling his books to the students forced to take Discrete Mathematics at UWO. Is this considered to be an ethical behaviour? Please justify.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MATH2155
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is very intelligent and always willing to help. Unfortunately, he assumes u know more than you do prior to entering the course, and should be teaching senior maths instead. His textbook is hard to follow. If you struggle with proofs, don't take the course.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MATH2155
• 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:

Awesome class and great prof. Often comp sci kids complain about it just because they think it's too 'theoretical' but it's the same content as any other pure math class like real analysis. AMAZING PROF always eager to help outside of class. Text is awesome for giving exam like questions

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MATH2155
• 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:

He's a really good professor. The stuff he teaches is tough, but he does a good job of presenting it. He assumes you are up to date on the readings - probably not a safe assumption - so lectures are difficult if you fall behind. But he's clear from the get-go that you need to keep up, and he's very available if you need to meet outside of class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH2155
• 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:

N/A

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MA2155
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is very smart. Lectures too far above where students begin. Now I hate math.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: DISC2155
• 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:

Terrible. Classes were SO boring! And the textbook that he wrote himself was AWFUL! It was impossible to follow! I'm taking a math degree, and this was one of the worst math courses I've taken. If you're in compsci - goodluck!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MATH2156
• 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:

Really a great prof, the material he teaches is tough but he does a great job explaining things. spends a little to much time on the theoretical side of things but when he is talking about the practical it is very easy to follow. He is also really good at getting back to you in emails or office hours

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH2155
• 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:

For a 3-wk intensive, really cut down to the chase and spared the fluff. Notoriously inflexible in the way he wants you to present induction proofs. I've never slaved so hard for a course, but it was absolutely rewarding when you do get it.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MATH222
• 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:

Spends too much time on the simple stuff and speeds up when it comes to the crazy HARD stuff. Promotes text he has written himself which is impossible to comprehend. Useless trying to makes sense of lectures with that text. Very intelligent man but the most cruel person I have ever met. Make sure no one in your family dies!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MATH2155
• 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:

lecture is very fast paced. Hard to keep up.