Li Yan - University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD

Professor: Li Yan

Department: Engineering

College: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Li Yan can be difficult to understand at times but he does care about his students. He was very clear about which parts of the material would be important on exams. Make sure to write out every piece of info on exams, otherwise dont expect to claim full points. Overall, Yan is difficult but the best choice for CMPE306.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CMPE314
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The first exam will be somewhat difficult. Second and third exams are challenging. If you do not know the whole materials and practice you will definitely fail the final. Almost third of the class because of the grading criteria. Do all your attemps and effort -> you will not receive anything. He is rude professor when questions asked. Avoid him!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

As other students said, Li Yan is the most awful professor that you will ever have at UMBC. If you want to pass this course, go head and study alone from Book. All what he does in the lecture just reading and rewriting the information from the book. He gave us very difficult final which he ended up curving the exam 30% up.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Yan's exams are drastically easier than Laberge's; it is possible to pass this class by just reading the book and showing up for exams. No tricks in the exams, and he actually gives partial credit on test questions (it is not uncommon to get a 0/30 on a Laberge exam for a single question). I think your chances of passing are higher with Yan.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CMPE314
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I love Prof Yan. He's super caring and cracks really funny jokes every class. If you're not sure how to do Thevenin equivalent, make sure to ask before you start chapter 6. Would definitely recommend him for CMPE 314, heck, just take all his classes. Can't get enough!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CMPE314
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Best professors I have ever had in my entire life. Would take this class a thousand times again. He helps out during office hours and if you get a 50 percent in his class, you will probably pass the class. Use his old exams and quizzes, they help a lot. Funniest person I have ever met. Ask him a lot of questions and tell him to take off his glasses

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

One of the worst professors. Instead of making the material easier to understand or provide concrete real life examples to help make the material relatable he makes circuits a drag. One of the most one dimensional and uninspiring courses I have ever taken.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

It was hard to understand past his accent and his writing on the whiteboard was almost unreadable at times. This professor was one of the worst I've had so far and I was very disappointed.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

306 is a difficult. Yan teaches it pretty well though, and emphasizes what he wants you to know. Exams are hard, but fair. Has an accent, so might be hard to understand him at times, but always answered any questions I've had, only thing is that he expects you to think before you ask. Book is very helpful. Go to office hours if needed. Approachable

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CMPE314
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Expect to be berated when asking questions. Inconsistent with exam grading. Incredibly smart but nearly unapproachable. Take with Ali Jafari or Dr. Laberge instead if at all possible. Would never take a Yan class by choice again.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CPME306
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

It is not an easy class. If you study hard, you will get the grade that you deserve.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Yan is hard to follow in class and tries to fly through the material very fast. He does not like to have to repeat himself so it is very important to pay attention in his class - unfortunately, he's really boring and it's easy to not pay attention. He is very helpful after class, though. Talk to him in office hours and he's a different person.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Li Yan is one of the best professors at UMBC. This course is very tough, and most people seem to be blaming the professor for their difficulties. Yan does a fine job of delivering heavily rigorous information in a straightforward manner. He is also one of the few professors that actually does a good job on sticking to the syllabus's schedule

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• Grade Received: C
• 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 doesn't care at all if you understand the material or not. He asks f there are questions but he constantly is contemptuous and insulting to any student that doesn't completely understand the material. Heavy accent, super fast talker. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CMPE314
• 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:

Taking 306 with him, I thought he was horrible. But 314 was much better. once you get to know him, and he gets to know you a little, he's pretty chill. Go to class and participate; if he knows who you are he'll be kinder when he's grading. Tests are very similar to previous years' tests.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CMPE306
• 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:

impossible to understand and assigns arbitrary grades. one student got 15 out of 30 on a question and another student with the same answer got a 0. rude if you ask questions and unapproachable. can not wait to be through with him.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CMPE314
• 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:

Hard class. The exams are hard, but if you study the example problems and chapter problems in the book, you should be fine. Don't look for partial credit on the exams. He's very knowledgeable, but he doesn't convey the concepts well.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENEE314
• 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 guy is hard. The lecture notes are sparse, unclear, and don't relate very well to the assigned HW problems. Tests are really difficult as well. I think he's knowledgeable about the material, he just isn't very good at communicating the concepts. The fairly thick accent doesn't help at all. I wish there was a better professor for this course.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENEE304
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Difficult to undestand, heavy accent sometimes talks very fast. Homework is heavy. Tests are difficult but not impossible. There are better teachers that teach this class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENEE206
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I have not seen any professor in the Computer Engineering departement that explains the material better than him. If you pay attention to what he is saying he might just give you hints on what will be on his exams. Overall he is a great professor.