George Sell - University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Professor: George Sell

Department: Mathematics

College: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH4242
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He was extremely unclear and the course material was nearly impossible to grasp due to the clarity. He threw 80 page chapters at us to read and then just threw them out and tested on random proofs from sections we spent much less time on. The entire final was on a section he read out loud for 30 minutes on the last day of lecture with no hw on it

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH4242
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He refuses to use the book and "emails" chapters to students to read, but 80% of the time his emails do not go through. Horrible at teaching, makes many mistakes. Doesn't explain what he is teaching just reads from the chapter. Doesn't answer questions well. Class is boring to begin with, but he makes it almost impossible to sit through.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH4242
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I've never been so confused in my life. It's the combination of learning nothing in his lectures alongside it being a horribly boring class. It doesn't seem like he knows what he is talking about and is not good at teaching others

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CALC2
• 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:

Brilliant mathamatical mind, but horrible at teaching others. Half the material you must know well from the book, the rest is random indepth questions about his proof scribbles during lecture. Poor communication skills. Must have a good TA, use TA office hours and group study to even stand a chance of not drooling on your epic final.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I rely on lectures for learning. Having Sell was one of the worst things that could have happened to me. He makes multiple mistakes per day, and snaps at students when he doesn't understand their questions. Going to the lectures only made me more confused and stressed. Waste of time.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• 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:

Sell teaches as if everyone in the class aspires to be him someday. If you want to be a math teacher, this class may be for you if you can keep up with him. If you want to go into engineering or another field, he is useless. He is a smart guy, but can only teach if by accident. Be ready to memorize proofs and about every equation he gives.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• 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:

Professor Sell would thrive in a smaller class with a more focused subject matter. He has a true love for the subject, but is unable to translate that into a comprehensible lecture. His highly traditional lecture techniques don't help the students learn the materials, but the TA's are really good. Read the Book and learn induction; you will pass.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• 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:

Professor Sell is a brilliant mind who is really bad at sharing it with others. He provides proofs but often makes mistakes. Generous curves make the class not as bad as it seems, since everyone is equally lost. Learn induction. induction?

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CALC1272
• 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:

Worst Teacher I have ever had! I loved calculus and it was my favorite class, took this as a review course(already had the credits) and I never want to take another math class because of George Sell.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This was the most difficult class I've ever taken. Professor Sell should be avoided. The lectures were largely abstract and lacked cohesion and examples. He makes mistakes often, both in lecture and on the exams. We never received averages or gradelines for the second midterm (Nov.). We also never had the opportunity to fill out professor evals.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• 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:

Honestly, the worst and hardest class I've ever taken. Professor Sell has no business teaching, his entire lectures are proofs with no examples. He makes numerous mistakes in his lectures and even on his exams. The lectures are no help at all. Do not take calc 2 with him.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CALC1272
• 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 professor writes test questions off his notes, which means that there is a limit to learning from the Calc 2 book (James Steward). Know the material ahead of time by reading the book before his lectures, and this class wont kill your GPA

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• 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:

Professor Sell has absolutely no clue what he's doing. Our lecture is held in the state of the arch STSS building. The technology just completely incapacitates him. We spend half of the lecture period watching him attempt to focus the overhead projector. My TA is my saving grace in that class. Professor Sell is an awful professor. AVOID!!!!!!!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• 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:

In a previous calc II class integration was covered in 3 weeks. here was 3 days. I found the lectures worthless. Once his problem is to a point where he's solved it before, he stops and moves on. He never shows examples. it's all proofs. several writing mistakes. doesn't communicate with the TA's well. avoid sell if you can or study from the book.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• 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:

Very cool and very nice. However he does not teach Calculus 2 well. I think he should be teaching a class that focuses on one topic of great depth. Class subject moved way faster than he did

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• 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:

If you are not a fan of proofs, or actually like to do math with numbers, I would avoid taking this professor. He's a very nice man- but his exams were all proofs, and quite difficult. I had taken this class prior to his (in high school) and my knowledge of the subject actually went down.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Listen, you are here reading this for a reason. DO NOT TAKE ANY 1000 level course with this guy. He actually told us we couldn't use something from the text because Stewart didn't proof it! We had to use HIS method on the exam for it to be "correct". Useless lectures and ridiculous exams. Find another prof!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He knows math..He was brought to the University from Harvard so he could research math.... in 1968. He knows nothing about teaching math because he gives his lectures and exams in proofs. Hardly any number I gave it my best effort and still earned a C-.However he is one of the nicest man you will meet. Other than that avoid him at all cost.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CALC1272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Worst professor ever! Extemely hard to follow, exams make no sense, makes a lot of errors in lectures as well as on exams. If you want a decent grade in calc, this is not the guy to take. He is a complete failure of a professor. DO NOT TAKE HIM

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MATH1272
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Very nice man...very horrible teacher! His lectures will confuse you beyond belief and you will soon realize he only works by way of proofs. His exams are very difficult but there is usually a large curve because the average was around 60% for each test. Dont take George Sell unless you absolutely have to!