Nicholas Farnum - California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA

Professor: Nicholas Farnum

Department: Information Systems

College: California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ISDS513
• 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:

This class was completely online except for the exams. Professor saw us on first day of class and then disappeared. I felt completely alone in learning this subject. Assignments were not very clear. Professor graded on generous curve.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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:

Took the honors section. He's a very boring lecturer but very helpful. You do have to teach yourself a bit and do all the homeworks. He's very easy to work with if you see him outside of class. Very helpful professor if you make an effort you will do fine. Received an A for the course.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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:

I fell asleep everyday so i decided to stop going to class. It takes him a long time to explain something so easy that he ends up making it confusing. 2 midterms, 1 project, & final. midterms are open book and one sheet of notes but i still found it very difficult. practice exams were not very similar to the tests.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ISDS513
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Don't take this online classes

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

i dunno about the other comments but i think the professor is easy.All his tests are open book & open notes.gives out handouts & lecture notes on his website.Class isn't mandatory.no homework.Even though his tests are difficult,there is an HUGE curve & grading scale.I believe 85% is an A.I hardly went 2 class,just used lecture notes,handouts & book

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

open books and open notes..what more can you want. He curves his exams plus is grading scale helps as well. An 85% is still an A. No homework. I pretty much just went for test review days..used the practice exam, his online lecture notes and my textbook and passed..hardly went to class at all

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ISDS473
• 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:

I took him Spring '07 for ISDS 473. His lectures have nothing to do at all with his exams. His take home exams are extremely difficult. You better partner with another student to get help. His lectures are very boring. Although I passed because he curves low. He's friendly but not really that helpful and he made the subject harder.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Teacher doesn't teach well at all.The only plus is that even tho the exams are hard,there is a huge ass curve on every test since everyone does pretty bad. There is no hw & attendence isn't required.Even though you dont need the book, buy it cause all test are open book and notes.If your not an isds major..TAKE HIM just to pass the class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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 teach pretty ok, but the exam is way too hard compare to exercise and exam review. Exam review is like useless. He's not helpful. promise to post the last exam before final, but never did.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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:

Dr. Farnum isn't difficult- the subject is; Farnum actually simplies the text, and teaches from lecture notes. Advanced math skill is a must. Tests are mostly applications simulating the real world, so be analystic. Plenty of partial credits, and a sharp curve to offset the difficulty. A+ is possible. Still, definitely not your average core cource.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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:

Lets keep it real. Statistics is a tough subject. Be it taking it with Farnum or others, one has to really focus in the class to understand the subject. That should go without saying. People complain on the sample exam not being "correlated" to his tests. Untrue. It is not "exactly" the same, but it helps. A cheat sheet and open book are allowed.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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:

If you want to study statistics constantly, when you should be studying other subjects or having a life, only to wind up with a C or even a failing grade take farnum. NOT A WISE CHOICE

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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:

This person takes 45 minutes to state the simplest ideas, then puts test questions that are way harder than any homework or sample problems. He seems to derive pleasure from student suffering.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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:

This guy is so strange...he writes on the board and looks at the class as if to show how easy the problems are.(they are for him after 30 years of pretending to be a teacher) But he uses the absolute hardest problems he can find on tests. DO NOT TAKE FARNUM, you'll be sorry.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• 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:

FARNUM is NOT A GOOD CHOICE. This professor is out of touch with reality. He must have done these same problems 1000 times but fails to remember that most students are seeing them for the first time. Farnum does not care at all, coz his test questions are 10 times harder then the sample test, or the homework problems. DONT TAKE FARNUM.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361
• 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: N/A

Comment:

Weird instructor, his study sheet are nothing like the test questions. Very boring instructor, not helpful. The material is very hard and he makes the class very tough. Dont take him !!!!!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Beware, stats is a very hard class to begin with. But, the lectures in this class were boring, and the exams were way hearder than anything covered in class or given in the "practice" tests. There was a project for our class, some of what he asked for was not covered in either the book or the class, and when we asked for help, he never did.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

HARD!!!! Exams are extremely complex. If you're a math student and not into business, it'll be alright..but his lectures cover too many things at once, its like he expected us to know the entire book when he created the exams. He is very helpful in office hrs, so if u take him go there OFTEN. Definitely take someone else if math is your weakness.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Farnum is a very sincere instructor, but at the same time he throws a million things at you all at once. I'm taking his class right now and I'm starting to realize it was a mistake. His tests are very difficult compared to other ISDS teachers. The curve doesn't help much. I would recommend practicing the hw over and over again.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ISDS361A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Extremely hard professor! Do not take him, he is not available for students. Seems like he really doesn't care about students. The tests are totally different than homework problems.