Kenneth E. Train - University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Professor: Kenneth E. Train

Department: Economics

College: University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ECON104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's a great professor. He's very enthusiastic about what he teaches, and gives you a new perspective to world events

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Train is really energetic and his slides are easy to understand. His problem sets are manageable but the tests are not. The midterms are average but the final was impossible and not reflective of his simplistic teaching style. Study hard and hope others in your section do poorly so the curve is nice to you!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Professor Train is pretty awesome. First of all, he looks like Steve Martin. Secondly, he lectures well and is an extremely nice and understanding person. Don't be too fooled though: midterms and finals are relatively difficult and require a degree of synthesize and expansion on the material taught. Section is curved to 25% A, 35% B, and 30% C-F.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• 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:

Professor Train is really engaging and really nice and approachable during office hours. His lectures are very easy to understand, but you have to read the textbook and really understand the concepts to get an A on the midterms. The midterms are much harder than the simplified topics he prepares on his lecture slides. GSI's are crucial!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Nice guy and very welcoming demeanor. He definitely oversimplifies concepts so that when you get a test you see things you've never learned before. Also, the GSI you get is critical. The class was graded on a curve by section which made it pretty competitive. Not an easy class, in my opinion.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

he is my first professor at Cal, and I am so glad that I take Econ1 with him. He teaches with great clarity and he prepares for lectures very carefully. It's not hard to do well in the class--slides books and pratices--go to office hours and work hard--then you'll get perfect scores~

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Economics 1 is a little fast paced if you have absolutely no background in economics, but if you go to lectures and do the reading, you should be fine. Professor Train is very clear, and his powerpoint notes are great. The discussions were never that helpful for me, but that depends on your GSI.If you make the effort, you can do well in this class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He's a good lecturer but he does not lecture on useful information. Your grade is only two midterms and a final. He oversimplifies EVERYTHING so when you take the test, you're blown away by stuff you've never seen. Yeah kthxbye

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class was a lot more than I bargained for. A lot of work, graded on a curve, pay attention in section or you will die. This class is not easy, and you have to get help yourself- just showing up will not be enough.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• 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:

His grading depends on the GSIs. I asked him a question about the exam. He said my answer was right, but my grade was up to my GSI and he wouldn't bother with it. Also, his class over simplifies concepts and is a boring lecturer.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Fabulous Professor, extremely hilarious, very comfortable with giving lectures to 400-700 students. However, many students decide NOT to come to class. This is unfortunate since midterms and final are based on his lectures. Pay attention to what he says, and write down notes. Everything he says is very closely related to exam problems. TAKE HIS CLA

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• 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:

I found the class and professor to be very informative, clear, and fair. As long as you go to class, print out the notes, and pay attention, you will do fine. The people complaining that the class was extraordinarily hard most likely did not read the textbook or pay attention during lectures. As long as you devote the time, you will learn a lot.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• 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:

I hoped that Train would teach the course more like an introduction to economics but he didn't. It was pretty difficult and nearly impossible to do well in the class. In addition, his lectures and problem sets didn't help me learn the information. Train teaches the class way too hard for any student and it's too difficult to get even an A or B.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He was a very enthusiastic professor!Much of the class (including your grade) depends on your section (bad students=good grade) and good GSI. It is an interesting class but he often makes it overcomplicated and confuses new-comers. It can be hard to get an A if you are in a smart section. Don't have to go to class, but it helps.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• 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:

He isn't as great of a professor as everyone else says he is. The class isn't that easy, the info isn't that easy, and the tests are just downright hard.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Excellent job explaining concepts. Class can get boring sometimes, but all the concepts are explained adequately. Testing is fair.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Even though other students have said that Professor Train is a great teacher, he is not. The lectures are not that simple because he talks so much about each little thing. His class is structured so that if you are not an Econ major, the curve is so steep that getting an A is impossible. There was too much to learn in a semester.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a really good professor. His lectures are clear and interesting. He really loves economics and is a really enthusiastic teacher. It is not an easy class though.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Very enthusiastic like a kid in a candy shop when he teaches. Very clear lectures and fair grading. My favorite professor so far at Berkeley.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ECON1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I love this class a lot, he is very clear and concise on his lectures, the only problem is that on midterms he puts bizzare graphs that I have not seen yet, but other than I that he was good, just to need to focus and pay attention thats all Good Luck1!