Mark Ballora - Pennsylvania State University

Professor: Mark Ballora

Department: Music

College: Pennsylvania State University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Mark is by far the weirdest professor I have ever had. The class is boring. However, he posts review questions that are the same questions on the exam. DO them and study them like flashcards. DO that and you have yourself an EASY A. As annoying and as bad as his rate my professor reviews are IT IS WORTH THE A.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The class was very interesting for me because I play an instrument but I don't think it would be as fun if you don't. But I would still recommend it because the class is extremely easy and prof genuinely likes and enjoys teaching the subject. He's a bit weird sometimes but that's fine

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This class wasn't too hard, but it is if you make it. You really don't need to go to class to get an ok grade, and his lectures don't relate to the exam. He posts review questions so if you study those you should do ok on the exams. Overall, just a boring class and I would not recommend.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: INART258A
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class really teaches you the foundations of Logic. The projects are subjectively graded, so my recommendation is to check in with Dr. Ballora before submitting anything that is worth a lot of points. Also, make sure to stay on top of the material and follow the tutorials closely. Otherwise, the class wasn't that bad!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The class was super interesting at first but then got EXTREMELY boring. All you have to do to get an A is do the homework and study the review questions he posts

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

This is an interesting class but his lectures are hardly related to exam questions. This year he gave us possible exam questions as study guides which made the class easy. You just had to look up the questions in the book, most of the time you could find them online. I showed up to two classes the entire semester and turned in all my homework. A+

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MUSIC452
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This class was a seminar style, so you really get out of it what you put in. There was no grading criteria, but as long as you did what you were supposed to do, it was not difficult to get an A. I learned so much over the course of one semester, and can now program in SuperCollider.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: INART258A
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Not an easy A for an online class, only take this if you need it. Weekly labs and busy work written assignments. Expect to put in 6 hours/week to get labs and assignments done. Do EXACTLY what his instructions say and you should be fine. Got an A but it was tough. Upside is that you learn a lot about how to use Logic or Ableton, so it's useful.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: IST402
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Extremely condescending towards students. He thinks he's some sort of higher being when he lectures straight out of the textbook. Also thought it was acceptable to treat this class like his very own incubator as assignments were tailored towards furthering his own knowledge in the field. What a disappointing offering and waste of resources in IST.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: IST402
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I don't know why this prof teaches an IST class, but he shouldn't. There was no guidance in this class and he winged the entire semester. When I went to him to ask for help, he seemed annoyed and unresponsive. I once asked him a question about a software, and he told me to ask a classmate. He deducts points just cause and the projects are unclear.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: INART258A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Mark Ballora is such a pretentious idiot. He gives horrible grade on labs even though you do what's required, but he tells you that you don't. Not helpful or approachable. Instructions are often unclear and emailing him for help is useless. You don't get the grades for your labs back until after the next one is due so you can't improve. Bad class.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Easy A. Tests are open note and he gives step by step instructions for homework. The textbook is a bit pretentious (like Professor Ballora) because he wrote the book. Found errors in the book, but whatever. He can be pretty annoying and condescending, but the A is worth it.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I just got done taking this class, with the exception of the final tomorrow. IDK how anyone could think it's hard. I don't go to class at all, I just do the homeworks (graded easy btw) and study the day before and day of the exam and got A's on both. THE EXAMS ARE OPEN NOTES how does anyone not do well... this class is useless but it's easy.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Just got done taking this class and its difficult. not an easy A. A lot of homework that has nothing to do with the exams and its graded tough. No power points. Nothing for attendance. No study guides for exams. You need the textbook or you will not pass and it is somewhat expensive. Exams are open note open book, but that does not mean its easy.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's a nice guy and all, but his class is so boring. Also the homeworks are pretty confusing, and when you ask him for help, he's kind of dodgy in my experience. One of the worst classes I've ever taken.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Mark Ballora is a pretty cool dude. He acts like he's on crack sometimes but no judgement. He wrote his own textbook and lectures directly from it. The textbook is kind of pricey, and since it's new, you have to buy it. You can use your notes and physical book on exams, though. The class is easy if you have some experience with physics and music.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Generally an easy class based on the topic and material. Lectures semi-interesting, but not entirely gripping. Professor not very approachable, but passionate about music. Open note/textbook exams are good. Homework is really confusing if you miss class, but can be figured out. Professor: C+ Lector: A+ Homework: C

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Long classes. Difficult homework. Difficult tests. And on top of it, he's unapproachable and rude- he refuses any emails about homework. The textbook was written and edited by him, and is absurdly confusing. As interesting as this class sounds, he has his heart set on making it hard. He says it himself- "This will not be an easy A." It's not.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Hands down the worst professor I've taken at penn state. He is so incredibly rude and not approachable whatsoever. If you're taking this for a gen ed, do yourself a favor and take another science class. The homeworks seem easy, but they are graded hard. Do NOT recommend taking him or this class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: INART050
• 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:

Took Dr. B for INART 050, 258A (web), and will probably have him again for other music tech courses. I found his 050 lectures very interesting and profound. If you're not a science person or don't like long lectures, the SCIENCE of Music probably isn't for you. He's a nice guy and helpful if you show a genuine interest in what he's teaching. Great!