L Jay Helms - University of California Davis, Davis, CA

Professor: L Jay Helms

Department: Economics

College: University of California Davis, Davis, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ECON1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His first 2 midterms are pretty easy so try to get 100% on them. As for the final. He makes it super hard! Way harder than the midterms so it totally catches people off guard. Don't underestimate the final just because you did well on the midterms. Weekly homework on aplia site. Sometimes challenging so work with others. But helps you learn a lot.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ECON1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

the lectures don't really help for the tests and the tests are very hard. aplia is a huge pain and can get VERY frustrating at times if you don't get the right answers.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• 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:

HARD! Be prepare to NOT HAVE A LIFE. He's an adorable professor but he's examples have NADA TO DO with the Exams!HARD HARD HARD

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ECN01A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He was kind of crazy, but for the most part he explained things well. Class was definitely harder than it needed to be (considering it's an intro course).

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class is supposed to be an intro to economics, and was way more difficult then it needed to be. Aplia problem sets were a waste of time and money, useless in prepping me for test. Ruined my GPA, tests are absurdly difficult, and he doesn't prep you for them at all. I deeply regret taking this professor, stay away!!!!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very pleasant and passionate teacher. I really enjoyed his class! He follows the same outline as the book, so if you miss a class, you just have to go over the chapter he did in class.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Very poor teaching skills. I don't recommend taking this guy. Lots of poor examples that are exaggerated.The Aplia h.w. was a pain to do and expensive. Stay away form this guy, he is a lair and cheat.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• 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:

Tests are too tricky. I study a lot and attend all the classes. I still do bad on them. Idk reconsider taking this class I suppose.

Rating # 9

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Best prof i have had yet

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Tests were tricky but easy to get correct if you took the practice tests he posts. Class was pretty much useless. He explains well but only goes over simple concepts therefore reading the book was necessary. Aplia was semi-difficult and can hurt or help your grade. Overall easy class if you try!!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lecture is boring and not helpful. Applia is helpful because its required practice but it is sub par at best otherwise. Tests are hard with questions that really test your knowledge but feel like trickery. Economics 1A is a load of generalizations that arent even close to reality. Dont think to hard or you will fail to answer the BS questions ;)

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• 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:

He always gave easy, simple examples during lectures but exams were extremely hard.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are known to cause drowsiness and even loss of consciousness, spends the entire class going over a simple concept and does not prepare you for the exams which are very hard. Also aplia is too frustrating, really frustrating. The one bright spot in this class was my T.A Peter, very knowledgeable and understanding, he also plays "Magic"

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• 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:

I took this class to see if I still want to be an econ major. It didn't spark an interest in econ for me. Helms explains things clearly most of the time. Studying the old tests he posts up helps A LOT (some questions are recycled). Online hw on Aplia is due every week. Class can be boring at ties. There is a curve, which is good.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• 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:

Good professor, but he uses too many examples to explain simple stuff. His tests are extremely hard and I had studied for about a week and was still unprepared in the end. Worth going to for lectures (he acts like a martian, or goes off on crazy stories) but the tests (at least MC) feel like tricks. Still there are lots of opportunities to get help

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• 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 professor. He doesn't like his students to get good grades. Final was so hard. I felt like that he was trying to fail everyone in the class!!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Econ was hard for me because I didn't learn it during hs. I was not interested in this subject, so lectures were always boring for me. Midterms were fair, but the final screwed me over. Luckily, there was a curve. You will pass as long as you do well on the hw and at least average on the exams.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ECN1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Those who gave him low ratings are probably trying to blame him for their low grades they got from skipping lectures. very unfair. His lectures are clear and helpful, and if you go over the practice exams, it should be fine. You WILL fall behind if you skip lectures. I liked him.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ECON1A
• 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:

Not a terrible teacher. I'm not too into Econ, so it was difficult at times. He has good lectures, just try not to take them in the morning. Uses a lot of metaphors, tests can be very difficult.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ECN2A
• 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:

Pretty nice teacher. He makes funny jokes but sometimes I think his examples aren't really exemplifying the concepts. His test questions are sometimes tricky, but as long as you read the textbook and study for fairly amount of time, you will do fine.