Roger Purves - University of California Berkeley

Professor: Roger Purves

Department: Statistics

College: University of California Berkeley

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: STAT2
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Easy. But so boring that I would have rather had a really difficult class. Purves's lectures are roundabout, inefficient, and so slowly paced that skipping lecture to read the book Purves wrote (which he did nothing but repeat in class) was far more productive than attending lecture.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: STATS106
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Absolutely delightful lecturer, especially for statistics. This guy knows HOW to teach, and is very grounded, but midterm and final is substantially more difficult than lecture examples and problem sets. Book (he wrote it) breaks things down clearly and is very useful.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: STAT2
• 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:

Before this class, I was considering being a statistics major. I loved statistics. Purves ruined it for me. He wrote his own book and uses things that are not actually used in the statistics realm (he also hates the p-value). I got a 4 on AP Statistics and was well prepared for statistics. I attended every lecture and discussion, as well as OHs.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: STAT134
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Very intuitive. He doesn't shove a bunch of formulas down your throat. I had stat 21 with him too. His midterms and finals are hard. Barely ever uses the book. I should've done what the previous poster did - studied like a madman for 15 days instead of 5. Ended up with an A-. One of the better professors in berkeley.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: STAT134
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Very clear professor, explains everything thoroughly. However, extremely hard midterms and final. There was only one midterm and the final was 50% so if you flunked anyone, your grade was in the drain. Only gives our 10% A's and 10% A's, with the other 80% BCDF's. I received an A after studying nonstop like a madman for 15 days in a row.....

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: STATS2
• 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:

I thought the test would be easy since his lectures were clear and relatively easy to understand. As other people said, solve and re-solve past midterms. Tests are not that easy. Cute old man

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: STAT134
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Contrary to popular beliefs, I found Purves to be a pretty good instructor for Stat 134. He is organized and explains concepts clearly. Almost never uses the textbook throughout the semester. The first 4 weeks are very easy if you have some mathematical maturity, but it gets harder. Final was overly difficulty though and the curve was too harsh.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

Do and re-do the practice midterms so you know the format of the q's. SLC wkshts very helpful. The final is harder to prepare for since the questions are pretty unique. Though I'd say if you do enough practice final&midterm qs/SLC wkshts then you will do above average in final -avg was 46/100 for my class so don't be too intimated when you take it.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

Purves should have retired years ago. His lectures have nowhere near the clarity of his textbook, which will be your best friend in this class. My GSI barely spoke English. Be prepared for HARD questions on the midterms and finals-at least as bad as the tougher problems on the review packets (pretty much the only thing this class does right)

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

AVOID taking him!he is a very nice and funny man BUT his tests are really hard!he tricks you with the problems in the book and the problems sets. The sections dont help at all esp.if you have Anna. Make sure to go to the review session, you need lots and lots of practice for this class b/c you will have only 50 minutes to finish your midterm.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

BE CAREFEUL.. attendance not mandatory, hw very easy BUT, midterms nothing at all like hw. very very difficult. HOWEVER, gives tons of practice problems from past midterms. holds review sessions 4 each midterm. MUST go 2 those to do well. final even harder than midterm! oh yea, and he wrote the book. my advice is avoid if possible.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

Talk to your counselor and find another way to take this class. I was a transfer from another UC and after taking both lower div and upper div stats with an A, I got a really low grade in this class. Just don't do it, you can find another way to take statistics.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

I took the class fall of freshman year with no prior stat experience. The professor is very clear albeit a bit boring. Try to get full scores on the homework, and memorize the textboxes in the book. Try to get at least a few points above average on both midterms, although one standard deviation above average is ideal. The curve of 20% A's helps.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!! This class is horrible. Hw is easy and the midterms are incredibly hard and have nothing you've seen before. You have to know the concepts inside and out. You have no time to think on the tests either in just 50 mins. You just write. It's horrible and the GSIs are not helpful they're rude. Lectures are so boring too!!!!!!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: STAT1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

On one hand Purves is a cute old man, on the other he's deathly boring. Fell asleep every class so I stopped going. You can learn everything from the book, which is written by him and is very clear. The tests are really hard, however, and hw is graded harshly as well. You need to make sure you keep up.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: STATS2
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Purves is a good teacher. I have to agree that his exams are difficult, but they're not unreasonable. I never read the book (only used it to do problem sets), only went to lecture, and managed to do well in this class. Just relied on the notes from lecture.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: STATS21
• 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:

His textbook is clear and concise, which is very unlike that of his teaching. The lectures tend to be unhelpful in terms of teaching, but are essential in terms of learning what will be tested. Make sure you do all the practice midterms and problem sets provided for you, and know your concepts inside out! somehow got an A. Not Recommended.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

Class instruction is easy to follow, but the exams are incredibly more advanced than anything done in class.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: STAT21
• 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:

Professor Purves is terrible. His tests are unrepresentative of what appears in the book and lectures, which makes tests nearly impossible to prepare for. The textbook reads like a childrens book and the lectures are useless. It is criminal that they let this guy teach at Berkeley.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: STATS21
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I expected this class to be hard, so I studied intensively for a week before each exam. Memorize as much of the book as possible, and pay VERY close attention to the details in the questions he asks on the tests. The points you get for carefully answering the questions can improve your score significantly on the midterms and the final.