William Messing - University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Professor: William Messing

Department: Mathematics

College: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH5345
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Messing should write more neatly. Also, it's sometimes not clear when he's giving a definition, theorem, proof, etc. unless you are 100% in tune with what he's saying. That said, if you ask him a question, he gives quick, crystal-clear answers to help you understand trouble (so ask lots of questions). Yells a lot, but he's funny and nice.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH4152
• 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:

Worst professor I have ever had. Does completely incomprehensible proofs through class, loses everyone, then proceeds to run out of class before you can ask questions. If you do ask questions, the answers are usually incomprehensible as well. Too lazy to give homework, since they took his grader away so entire grade rests on final. Ridiculous.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH4152
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Hard to follow in lecture and rambles a bit, but gives easy tests and hilarious nonsequiturs. Just follow the homework and text and you're set

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH4152
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He must be crazy. Half of the lecture explains stupid things such as that the number of parenthesis in equation must be even and why..Talks about everything except math most of the time. Needs to retire immediately

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH4172
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Hey, its math. Its supposed to be hard. The prof is OK; the math, though, is hard.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH4152
• 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:

Some students hate this guy. Don't let that discourage you. And don't let surface gruffness fool you. He really knows his stuff. He can be helpful. I recommend this course.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH4152
• 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 I have ever had. Does incomprehensible proofs the entire lecture, sometimes confusing himself in the middle. Once, he got confused three times in one lecture.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH1271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Half of his lecture is "nice-to-know-but-unnecessary" mathematical proofs. You learn much more out of the book or from a good TA, which is not good for a professor. Tests are pretty fair, as long as you've done all the homework. He still likes to put curveball questions on the exams that will have you staring blankly at the page.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MATH1271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

God-awful

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CALC1271
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Messing knows his math inside and out, and can no longer simplify it for us. I quit going to lecture, though I continue discussion. I do have to say his test are fair, the questions are very similar to homework problems. Bottom line, if you get stuck with him, all is not lost, you'll just have to work twice as hard for a decent grade.

Rating # 11

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Suffers from common professor problem. Hates teaching. Doesn't understand how most people don't find calc fascinating. Seems to derive a perverse thrill in crafting difficult tests and failing the majourity of his students.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MATH2263
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Doesn't seem to notice the students in lecture.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: 1371
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

not very clear and kind of mean

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH1271
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Calculus is not easy to you if you are not strong Mathematics in the high school. The material of this course is in the textbook, but you should know each of them. Messing William is a good teacher to well explain these material, but the tests including Mid-term and Final are very hard to many students.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MATH8201
• 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:

He thinks everybody is supersmart and everybody understands everything he says right away. He doesn't help, when you ask question he gets frustrated and looks down on you. His class is absolutely useless, homeworks are impossible to understand and do.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: 2283
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

If you are interested in taking a graduate class with him, that would be the best choice. However, if you are an undergraduate trying to learn how to do proofs, you should consider another instructor. He is very difficult to follow and understand.

Rating # 17

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

This guy is insane. Like a million years old, he yells at students. Does the most complicated convoluted solutions on the board, loses everybody, then gets mad when you ask a question. This guy needs to retire.