Alexander Nakhimovsky - Colgate University, Hamilton, NY

Professor: Alexander Nakhimovsky

Department: Computer Science

College: Colgate University, Hamilton, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CORE143
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Nakhimovsky does not care about his students. He is disrespectful and is an unfair grader. He doesn't bother to learn people's names instead he calls them by other classmates names or makes up knew names. He did not explain things clearly and would not answer questions. I do not recommend taking any class with him.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CORE150
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Lectures could get boring, and confusing if reading was not done prior to class, but overall, since I had an interest in linguistics I find the class enjoyable most of the time. Decided to take the class despite the rating of 1.6 (last year), and believed that he deserved a higher rating than that. Learned mostly by reading the textbook.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CORE150S
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He speaks softly, with a Russian accent, but expects you to shout. I considered a LING minor until this boring classthe prof cannot lecture. Most useful (perhaps only useful) thing I learned was the IPA. No trouble to get an A-, but I also made an effort to engage in the boredom of class.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CORE150
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He was no help. Why would you be a Linguistics teacher if you are deaf and have a Russian accent?? Be ready to learn everything on your own because he is very unclear. Also, he has no good feedback, his grading doesn't make sense, and HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE ANWSER KEY TO ALL THE PROBLEMS WE DID. This class was a total shot in the dark.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: 100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a great professor who cares about his students. His class is engaging and not too difficult and he cares a lot about making sure his students succeed. He brings lots of visitors into class to help with labs and other work and there is not a lot of homework. he is wonderful. I suck at math but he helped me through it and made it easy.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: REST303
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is the worst professor at Colgate and REST 303 with him was an embarrassment to the university. He had no idea how to teach and is just plan rude to students. NEVER take a class with him.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: REST303
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

By far the worst professor I've had. His grades were completely arbitrary, and his quizzes were terribly written. He really had no idea how to teach us Russian.

Rating # 8

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

He does have an accent and speak softly, but as an international student sitting in the front, I could definitely understand almost (if not) everything. The class relies heavily on the readings, and he assumes that you did read. (He will not answer the obvious.) Covers many topics, but the exams were very easy. It was a helpful linguistics class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: LING210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Assigns lots of readings and then doesn't explain them at all. The notes he puts on the board are incomprehensible and illogical. His accent also makes understanding him a challenge. He explains everything very poorly and has trouble answering even simple questions. I was thinking of a Linguistics minor until I had him.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: COSC100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's a nice guy, he really is. But he talks very slowly and very quietly with a thick accent and pretty much can't hear. Doesn't answer questions with any clarity. Frustrating to deal with sometimes. Lectures are absolutely horrendous, cannot describe the boredom. Avoid.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: FSEM142
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Ruined Linguistics for me, basically taught myself the book. Only useful thing is learning the phonetic alphabet. He has good intentions, i think... but fails in almost every aspect as a teacher.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: COSC100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you are planning on taking this guy for Comp Sci, DON'T. His handwritting is awful, he speaks softly and has a thick accent, he does not teach actively (meaning he writes on a chalkboard without explanation), and refuses to answer questions. He may be a decent guy, but you learn nothing and are expected to know everything. DO NOT take this class

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: FSEM142
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Most useless class I have ever taken. He refuses to answer questions, and no one had any idea what he was talking about in class. He once told me he was too busy to answer my questions about his midterm, and he refuses to tell me the grade on my final exam.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: FSEM142
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I feel that a lot of the people giving bad reviews failed to actually do the required reading for this course. Although Nakhimovsky is not always the clearest in lecture, he is a very friendly guy outside of class and willing to help.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: FSEM142
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Absolutely terrible teacher. Cannot hear he is practically def and he is frustrating and senile. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. he is rather easy but he is so frustrating-you basically teach yourself. cannot stand this man.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CORELING
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Nakhimovsky was one of the worst teachers I've ever had. Classes were useless- I never knew I could learn so little in 75 minutes. On top of that, he ended up being a hard grader for the weirdest reasons. He's such a cool guy, but not a good teacher.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: COSC100
• 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:

Another failure for Colgate's computer science department. Generally nice, but I learned more from one review session with our lab instructor than I did from Nakhimovsky the entire term. Expect to teach yourself - the material isn't horrible, but he makes it so. Expect to use random programs (like Open Office instead of Excel for spreadsheets).

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CORE28
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Occasionally seems to be going in an interesting direction but when you dig you realize there is nothing there. His speech is difficult to understand and his lectures frequently do not make sense. Does not seem to even try to do a good job. Can be a very nice person to chat with outside class, but going to him for help is a waste of time. Avoid!

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

A friendly, generous person but a terrible professor. His lectures are random and difficult to follow, and he is intellectually evasive when you try to get help outside of class. Grading is generous but seems arbitrary. He really fits the out of touch (or out to lunch) computer science professor stereotype. Not recommended!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: COSC100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

mumbling bore. you can't read his handwriting and you can't understand his too thick russian accent. i really get nothing out of his class. you will end up teaching yourself everything-class is such a waste of time