Stephen Karlson - Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Professor: Stephen Karlson

Department: Economics

College: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• 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: Mandatory

Comment:

Stay away. He's a great professor and he knows his stuff, however his exams are difficult and there's really no way to study for them. I regret not dropping the class before the drop date.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• 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:

Dr. Karlson is a fantastic professor. Yes, he can be vague at times but he's more than willing to clarify something if you dont understand. If you want an interesting and thought provoking class then I highly recommend taking a class with Dr. Karlson. (If you're lazy, I suggest you look for a different professor.)

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ECONECON
• 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:

He is intellectual, nutty, and entertaining. However, this class was a total WASTE OF TIME. He gives you whatever grade he feels like and even then no one knows or understand his grading scale.. Anything you learn in this class, you will probably already know from a prior course in ECON or from common sense.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• 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:

This professor is the reason we go to universities. He is smart and cares about student learning. If he was a Harry Potter character, he would be professor Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. He is that awesome.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• 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:

This professor is very intelligent and well read. Listen in class, make logical arguments, and get used to his strictness and you will do fine. Highly recommended. Visit his blog, COLD SPRINGS.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: B320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I love Econ I got an A in every other Econ class I've ever taken, except in this one I got a B. His tests are basically impossible to study for, you won't learn anything about Econ you didn't already know yet you will still get whatever score he feels like giving you because his grading simply is not objective.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• 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:

the other comments are spot on. the guy is a bit nutty - goes off on rants and uses pretty obscure references when he cracks jokes - but hes a great teacher. the course book, which he wrote, has the lectures in text format (~$20) and its your way to an A/B. if youre lost, hes extremely open and helpful. do the work and go to class. recommended.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ECON260
• 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:

If you enjoy a professor that talks smart you will like this guy. Reading the course pack is just him talking in your head. Meet with him before tests at java, and ask him to get coffee with you after class, he's easy going. Although he does grade on the 8point scale he does round up generously. Not my favorite professor for econ but enjoyable.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ECON260
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Karlson is a great example of the "Nutty Professor. He's a little old fashioned in his methods and when it comes to his lectures you will feel as though he's repeating, but really he just wants to pound in ideas. He was very helpful outside of class, so to be successful utilize his e-mail, office hours, and question time

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• 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:

If I tried to construct the worst ECON class possible, this would be it. It balanced having little information to learn, with getting bad scores for knowing all of what few concepts were taught. No pattern to grading exists, It's 100% subjective. It's the first C I've gotten in my 3 years of NIU, and I'm not sure how improvement was possible.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ECON498
• 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:

Very interesting Professor that is why I chose him to evaluate my Final Thesis in the Public Utility... This professor will challenge you to a point to make you a better person. I spent hours in the Law library as well as in the community and academic libraries. He really makes you think and figure out "Why" you are an economist...

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

karlson is crazy! he is funny, but crazy. he is a good teacher, but most of the time he talks too smart to get a good idea what he is meaning. also he grades like the students are econ professionals, not students. i would recommend him if your willing to really try!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ECON320420
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Go in expecting a challenge and an unconventional professor. His vocabulary is efficient and sometimes you need to stretch to make connections. DO THE READINGS! Everything is in plan English there, hence why he can be more abstract in class. If you walk away from a lecture thinking NIU students are 'Cs', then your probably going to fail.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ECON320420
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

First, realize he's conventional. He's still installs motivation by fustrating your simplized economic perspectives. As for calling NIU student's C student's, clearly anyone who walked away from that lecture believing that probably failed the class, and is probably just a failure in life.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ECON260
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Good teacher, go to the tutorial!!!! he gives the answers away (practically)

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very smart guy. Essay exams. Relatively tough grader. Excellent course content. Lectures reveal where the discussion is heading by discovery. Would be easier to understand in the long run if you knew where lecture was heading at the start. If you're serious about ECON and show up for classes, you will be fine.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ECON260
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Wow. You can tell this guy is smart, but wow. He explained econ in a totally different language than I was used to. Even though I felt like I completely understood the concepts he was teaching, I didn't always get the grades I wanted. Not a snap course, but interesting.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

other professsor think so according to him you are not trying hard enough 3 very unfair He thinks NIU students are C students and A students are at harvard. Not only that but he deducted points from my test because at the middle of semester suddenly he decided to round up the points so even if my score was 3.70 out of 4 i only got 3.5. Dont take hi

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ECON320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

good things 1participation in class 2essay tests (personal preference)Bad things 1Very unclear and more unclear if you ask him question about clearing things up. 2very unhelpful even if you are 100 % right on the problem set and Continue on the next rating because of limit of words.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ECON560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If the state ever decided to formally recognize a union between humans and inanimate objects, this guy would marry his dry erase markers in a heartbeat. If you’ve ever had him, you know what I mean. I enjoyed his class, believe it or not.