George Sparling - University of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh, PA

Professor: George Sparling

Department: Mathematics

College: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH0290
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is a good guy and I want to like him but I hate having class with him. He is easily the worst lecturer I have ever had and his class does NOT prepare you for the final. He grades easily and allows books and calculators on his tests, things that can't be said about the final. That combined with his lectures make the final a living nightmare.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH0290
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Pros: - Good guy, he really knows material, accessible outside of class (office hrs, text message), easy grader, lots of homework points, fairly easy grading criteria Cons: - Prob the worst lecturer at Pitt, he talks way too fast and has no organization, hw questions are hard, must read book to pass even though grading is easy

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH1550
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Pretty chill and incredibly smart. His lectures are sometimes messy and it's easy to find yourself lost in the math. But he talked about really cool things and is fun to talk to during office hours. His quizzes/tests are open note+book and he gives additional time if needed. They're very straightforward. No tricks. Also very lenient grader.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH1530
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Sparling is one of the brightest professors in the math department, though one of the most disorganized. Lectures and homework are often a mess of high thinking. Tests are brutal, but he curves incredibly generously. To him the grade doesn't matter; the class is about the student learning as much as they possibly can. Go to office hours!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH1530
• 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:

Terrible professor. He will tell you "not to worry about your grade" and then fail you. Lectures are a scrambled mess. If I could go back in time, I would avoid taking his class at all costs.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH0240
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Gnilraps is hilarious and definitely one of the better Calc III professors. His quizzes and tests are really hard but he is very generous with partial credit. I walked out of both midterms thinking I failed them, but got a B+ and an A-. The final is basically impossible but its departmental. Quizzes are really hard but dont really matter in the end

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH0240
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

First and most importantly, George is good guy and wants everyone to pass. His lectures are usually very difficult to follow, but he is extremely helpful and clear during office hours. Tests and the final are hard, but he curves the class in the end so the majority of the class at least gets a B+.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH0240
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Sparling flies through the material at his own pace and can be pretty hard to follow, however he's not that bad of a professor and the midterms are open note/calculator /book so its not hard to decent, but you'll have to work a little more to do really well.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MATH0240
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great guy, really knows his material. He covers it fast and goes into too much depth sometimes, but is always willing to help you and answer questions. Always let you know what is going to be on tests and quizzes. Funny too

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MATH1540
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I took both 1530/1540 with Prof. Sparling. Bottom line, be prepared to WORK. Lectures are EXTREMELY informative; HW can get tough, but that's the point-to prepare you for grad school, etc. There is a grading scale; overall, if you PASS the final you get an A; if you fail the final, your grade depends on your work/progress (i.e. DO HW REGARDLESS!)

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: 0280
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor went out of town for a month r and gave the sub zero material to help teach the course. Does not seem to care about his students or how they do. His lectures are very unclear and does not use examples well. Basically just does examples from the book in a more complex way.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MATH0413
• 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:

While grades are uncertain until the end of the semester, an A is definitely possible if you put effort into it. He makes a hard class much less stressful. However, you definitely should go to class in order to stay updated on what the homework is, when it is due (which changes frequently), and what to expect for quizzestests.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MATH1540
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Brilliant mathematician, but a terrible teacher. If you actually want to learn something, avoid him; he's not lucid. He introduces needlessly abstract material. That said, he grades very easily. I would NOT take another class from him if I had a choice.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH1540
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Sparling is the single most disorganized professor I've ever had. His lectures are rambling, his handwriting is impossible to decipher, and we're much farther behind than we should be. He also does not maintain communication with the TA, so the homework will tend to not be on what you did in class. Avoid if you actually want to learn.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MATH1530
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If u like math, you can't ask for anyone better. He is clearly a genius; Proves most theorems on the fly! Not the most systematic and organized prof but is unerring in his logic. his solutions are always sound and rigorous although may appear unconventional..highly recommended especially for graduate level courses

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MATH1350
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Professor Sparling is everything a student could hope for. First of all, he is brilliant: he REALLY knows his subject - not that kind of professor who reads straight from the book. Secondly, he understands his students might come from different backgrounds and teaches accordingly. Also, he promotes exploration, something very few do nowadays.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CALC1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Most helpful teacher during a test

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH0413
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

It is extremely easy to get an A in this class, just look over his archives. His exams are open book and open notes. Homework can be tricky.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MATH0413
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

No need to go to class, its boring. but do go meet dr. sparling once in a while because he is a very nice guy and is fun to be around and is a genius. SUPER easy class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MATHTHEO
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He is a product of Roger Penrose's guidance and as brilliant as one would expect, having had such an incredible mentor.