Ole Hald - University of California Berkeley

Professor: Ole Hald

Department: TBD

College: University of California Berkeley

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH160
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I always looked forward to going to his lectures. He makes you work with other classmates at the blackboards to solve problems and proofs, but he just wants to ensure that everybody understands everything. Homework was assigned every day but it wasn't difficult. Both midterms were optional and the final was very easy.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

One of the best professors that I've had at Cal. Cares about his students and is always willing to help out. Content is sometimes difficult to master but can be learned with lots of practice. Overall, great professor.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH153
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I've taken Hald for Math 151, 152, 153, & 160. I would take every math class with him if I could. He makes math engaging and not passive by having students working together by discussing or writing on the board. He writes/gives all class notes used to ensure that he is on top of the material. He truly cares for his students and their understanding.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH153
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tough professor for a good cause. Genuinely cares for his students and wants students to get the most out of their teacher education (for Math w/ Teaching courses 151-153). Lectures are very engaging, and helps students more clearly grasp the material by sending students to the blackboards to work through the math in pairs. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Hald is a very fair and supportive teacher. He is always challenging his students and expects the very best from the. He is always available during office hours and very helpful. You can definitely sees that he put a lot of thought into his lecture. He covers things in depth and he engages his students through out his lectures.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Ole Hald was a great lecturer, kept the class engaged by adding humor when the math got dull. Some concepts weren't too clear, but he made a point of drilling them into our heads in lecture so we understood them before appropriate tests. Our second midterm was exceptionally hard (average 5/30) but he made up for it with an easy final.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The professor is super funny, but his class lacks clearness and consistency. Also the midterms are horrible.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Really forces you to work hard. But in general brilliant and funny. Really great in office hours. Hard tests, but reminds you you are at Berkeley. Probably learned more math in a single semester with him than I did in my entire high school education. Great curve, listens to students and their concerns.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Hald is definitely one of the best professors that I have had so far at Berkeley. His lectures are extremely clear and rest assured you will never forget the concepts that he teaches. Don't get discouraged by his tough tests; he has a very generous curve. DO NOT MISS HIS LECTURES IF YOU WANT TO SCORE WELL.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you worked your butt off his grade distribution and fair final payed off at the end. Everyone complaining is probably a freshman and/or have never had to try different methods of studying to see improvement. Heard he is an extraordinary professor by multiple SLC math faculty which is why I decided to take the class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Although his finals were difficult, he gave us a relatively fair final. He is actually an inspirational professor and hope he can enjoy his life. I am honored to be one of his last calculus students.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: 1B
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Ole is a fantastic and hilarious professor. His test are indeed challenging but if one has a basic understanding of the material (which was not hard, taking into account his excellent skills in teaching math) a decent grade is not hard to get. Unfortunately he is retiring soon so we were one of the last to have the honor to take a class with him.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This was the WORST experience! As people have already mentioned his midterm was practically impossible. No one really submitted the second midterm for this same reason. With so much material to study and his lack of clarity on what the test will be like, you'll spend days reading the book and still not be ready for his test. AVOID him for MATH1B!!!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This was a horrible experience. A side by side comparison of the midterms for this class and the section of Math 1B with the other professor clearly shows that this test is practically impossible, while the other professor's test is based off of homework problems. Bonus fact - the second midterm scores were cancelled because nobody submitted it!!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MATH1B
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Math 1B with this professor is ridiculous. You can take BC calculus in high school, and that won't necessarily help you. His lectures challenge you to think critically about these concepts, and his tests are effectively written in Greek. If you think studying your hw was going to help prepare you for the test, think again. Learn the theory.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MATH1A
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Hald's tests are tough and his lectures are hard to understand, but if you take the time to go over material from lecture and challenge yourself with practice problems, you will grow immensely as a math student. This class was very difficult, but it taught me how to be a Cal student. I would definitely recommend taking Math 1A with Hald.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MATH1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Hald is a great math professor but he also reminds you that this is Berkeley. Therefore this class will test your dedication, determination, and desire to do well. He also expects you to know A LOT before hand. I gained a lot from his class he really prepares you for math1B. The adjunct for his class is pretty helpful but it adds extra work.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH1A
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

So-so clarity; relied on GSI for much of the learning. However, he is great at retaining attention with his antics and humor. Homework wasn't tough at all. His tests are very hard relative to the subject being taught (elementary calculus). Everyone bombed the final, relying on the curve.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MATH1A
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Funny, amiable, inspirational professor with lovely Danish accent! I like his tests, more about proofs rather than calculations-- after all proofs are the essence of mathematics. He sticks to the textbook and the lectures are well organized. I'd like to take his class again!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MATH1A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Not a hard class. He's a funny guy and quite quirky, but the lectures aren't all that helpful. Most of the time, he goes off on a tangent and doesn't talk about what's going to be on the tests. If you've taken BC before, it's not really worth going to classes. Maybe stop by now and then if you care.