Nicholas Dipirro - University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo), Buffalo, NY

Professor: Nicholas Dipirro

Department: Engineering

College: University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo), Buffalo, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

Holds no office hours, does not communicate with TAs (only graders). The tests are in no way related to the Labs. Since the lectures are so rudimentary, he repeats the material in order to fill class time. Read the textbook to ace tests. Get exempt from the course and drop it before it is an R, or do yourself a favor and use Inventor not AutoCAD.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This professor did not answer questions in lecture. The class was only offered at 8 am, so class attendance was low. The amount of work on the final project was a lot. Errors in dimensions would result in an F. He allowed regrades on some assignments for the average of the scores, if failed. The teacher seemingly has a love of the course matter.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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: Not Mandatory

Comment:

WAYYYY too much work for 2 credits. Avoid if possible. Tests are extremely difficult and instructions for projects, especially the final, are very very unclear. One dimension in a wrong spot in a drawing and its automatically an F. sleepless nights the last week of classes is required to finish the final project

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Avoid if you can. Way too difficult and time consuming for 2 credits. The most minor of mistakes will undoubtedly result in an F with this guy, and there is no consistency to his grading.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is a awful professor! One mistake you get an F! He is unapproachable and it's very arrogant, he's the definition of a "Mr. Know it all." If you don't need the class don't take it because you will regret it everyday honestly! Cad labs are fun but his class is boring and dry and the textbook is useless like his lectures.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

A lot of work for a 2 credit class. Tests are memorization from the book and lectures. Do CAD drawings yourself because test question ask specific commands. CAD labs are also mandatory and drawings must be done in them.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

He is a good lecturer, I should say. Explains things clearly and is willing to help (only after the lecture, not sure if he even has an office). Tests are a bit challenging. As everyone says, the work for this class is tremendous. Sleepless nights in the last week of classes are GUARANTEED.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is not a bad professor but not a good professor at the same time. He's lectures are not mandatory but the labs are. He gives 4 tests and dropped the lowest one. It's way too much work for just 2 credits but its mostly on CAD which is pretty interesting.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

For 2 credits it is an insane amount of work at the end of the semester, though as a mandatory engineering class you don't really have a choice. Test are straight forward with some picky questions. Grading for the final project parts is ridiculously strict. If you keep on top of your work its easy too get above a B.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

Class isn't too hard, exams are fair. But this prof. is completely unhelpful. Will give failing grades for minor mistakes, and answers questions rudely or not at all. If you can, try to obtain exemption from this class. Class only useful to MEs, as a Civil Engineer, I found it frustrating to learn about nuts and bolts for 15 weeks.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Exams are straight up memorizing things from the book and in lecture. The CAD part of the course was very informative. Overall not very hard, just study the book.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

If you know basic AutoCad, you'll be fine for the first 5 weeks of this class. The exams are on stuff he goes over in class, so make sure you pay attention to details in lectures. Projects are very easy but they are graded very strictly. But there is a curve in the class. Overall, class was very easy to me and I got an A.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

SO MUCH WORK FOR ONLY 2 CREDITS?! attendance is mandatory in lecture and lab, the assignments are tedious and super time consuming, his grading has no scale.. (a friend and i submitted the same thing and got different grades). test are reasonable, if u teach yourself all the material, if you only know the basics your screwed. its been painful.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MAE117
• 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 teaches very well, he is very easy to understand and his test have no surprises, they are exactly like his homework. He can be a harsh grader though so be careful not to make any stupid mistakes but he is a great professor, something that is very rare at UB

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Course is extremely easy. He does a fine job explaining the material and his expectations. The tests were extremely easy and fair. The AutoCAD projects were pretty basic as well. TA's were next to useless, did not help at all, but weren't really necessary anyway. Prof. was very easy to understand though, especially for such a dry subject.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class is not easy only because of this guy. I took to engineering drawing classes in high school and got A's in both the classes. This professor is unapproachable. Everyone I watch that tries to approach him he rips apart. He never responds to emails and he will not set up office hours with me. His test are unfair too.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

Dipirro himself is the definition of an in-approachable prof. whenever i went to him with questions he would rip me apart for not knowing the answer. i emailed him a year after his class asking him the name of the final project, to use for my resume. he dismissed me in 1 sentance, not answering my question. he simply does not care about students

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MAE230
• 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:

Great teacher if you pay attention and have the slightest interest in the subject.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

good teacher. If you show up to class- and you have the slightest attention for detail, its an easy A. TESTS can be annoying- But the cad and drafting is fun.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MAE177
• 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:

VERY VERY HARSH GRADER!!! The entire flaw with the course is the mandatory TA signatures on everything, but the virtually inaccessibility of every TA. I am pretty sure I know more about some of the things he talks about that he does. Not a particularly hard course, but the slightest mistake on a drawing can screw you over.