Jim Prater - University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

Professor: Jim Prater

Department: Computer Science

College: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Prater is genuinely a great guy. He is more than happy to help during quizzes and labs. It takes effort to get a bad grade in this class as Prater gives a ton of extra credit and all quizzes, projects, and tests are open book. His lectures can be a little tedious but showing up helps your grade. I never liked Excel but this class was great

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Prater is a great guy, and was always very willing to help during the lab tests. The class is an easy A, but you have to go to lectures (that seem somewhat pointless) every week. I enjoyed this class but if I could have a "re-do", I would've taken CS 285 online.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Overall, this class was an Easy A. Prater's lectures were unbelievably boring but everyone went for the attendance quiz at the end of class. The lab tests were simple, and were the same exact projects/modules as the homework. Make sure you know what your doing before each lab section and you'll be fine. A TON of extra credit is given.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Mr. Prater is a genuinely a nice guy. Very willing to help students with any troubles and makes sure everyone receives the fairest grade possible. I thoroughly enjoyed this class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CS385
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Dr Prater is a great teacher at all. He always reachable if you have questions. This class is easy, he taught step by step you need to learn for your assignments.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CS385
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

While he's not the best at teaching, class isn't hard at all. Just buy the access code w/ textbook included on it. It can help you figure out stuff you don't know. If you're having trouble, just ask him. Plenty of times, he gave the equation needed. Didn't mind if students helped one another. Does offer extra credit assignments.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Prater is a great professor. He explains the material very well and goes over each each concept that will be on the quiz or lab test. Quizzes are either in class or online. The Lab tests are very easy if do the training on SAM. I loved his signature phrase "Remember y'all old people are easily distracted." Overall a very easy class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The class itself is easy; however, the lectures are HORRIBLE. He just stands at the front and talks about how to copy and paste the whole time. The lecture is "mandatory" but if you look online you can tell if he's going to give a quiz or not. Everything can be self taught and the labs are super easy. If you have to take this class, do it online.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Prater is a rockstar! He is the Bill Nye of Excel. The lectures are very helpful and he does an excellent job explaining the material. Quizzes are either in class or online. Also bonus quizzes are occasionally given in class. Lab tests are not straightforward and not difficult if you do the practice lab tests. Overall a very easy class.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Take Prater! The lectires are helpful, and sometimes he'll give extra credit. The quizzes are somewhat difficult, but you can retake them. Tests are super easy amd so are the projects, all done in lab. It's hard to make lower than an A. Class is mandatory but it's only once a week.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Extremely easy class. Had a quiz in lecture every other week and a quiz online when there wasn't a quiz in lecture. If there was no quiz in lecture, there was a bonus quiz for 5 points added to your total (class is out of 1000 points). Every quiz, bonus, and lab is open book. Didn't have to study at all. Extremely easy to get an A

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CS385
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I thought this class was pretty easy & it had been a while since taking CS285, which I took at community college. He isn't the best at lecturing, but on assignment day would often give students formula. Offered bonus assignments & makeups. No tests or quizzes. I passed with an A+ Textbook isn't really required, access code is which has e-book.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The lectures are very poitnless because he is hard to pay attention to but he does give out textbook quizzes during class. The lab is easy, just make sure to look at the notes online and bring your textbook. Also doing the homework before the lab will make it go much faster. The quizzes every week are open note but take a little bit of time.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• 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:

I would recommend anyone to not take this class unless you absolutely need it. If so, please do the practice quizzes and labs, they will help you the most because the lectures are almost useless and he takes attendance at the lectures.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CS385
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Really nice dude, just not that good at teaching because he's old school. Don't take him unless you remember what you learned in 285. A lot of individual online work.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: 466
• 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: Mandatory

Comment:

He passes roll around at the end of class. He teaches off of power points- can be very boring. Have quizzes (take home) due every week, and book exercises due every week as well.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CS466
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Do not take this class! He is constantly out there in his own world, there are no test but the lab assignments are very confusing. The quiz's aren't bad but they are full of typo's. And the book assignements are easy. And he almost never updates his grads.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• 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:

Take this class online so that you don't waste time in the lecture, as it is not very helpful. As long as you review the class notes and hints and practice before projects and quizzes, there is no reason you shouldn't make an A+ in this class.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• 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:

This class is rough, I do not recommend you taking it in the AM. The only good thing is the make up quiz and lab days.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CS285
• 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:

This class in not a easy class if you do not attend EVERYDAY. You have a test on monday. Wed you have notes and friday you have a quiz over those notes and you can also use your book. so every class in mandatory the test are not hard as long as you do the pretest because its the exact same thing as the test.