Thomas Michl - Colgate University

Professor: Thomas Michl

Department: TBD

College: Colgate University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Michl moves through material quickly and treats you like an adult. This man won't coddle you; some students go in with this expectation and then get crushed - a kid I sat next to fell into this trap, and had at best a C- going into the final (it was kinda funny cuz he's judgmental). His practice tests are the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Absolutely terrible. Boring as flip and doesn't give you shirt to study from. Absolute L

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a good scholar but a terrible instructor

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ECON386
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Michl is a dying Breed of Classical economist and is loving every minute of it. The Man is an absolute legend, to some he may come across as awkward but his quirkiness is easy to find entertaining and it freshens up lectures. His material is complex, but Michl always applies a fat curve that is very For The Boys

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is the to-go macro professor at colgate and there are absolutely people acing the exams. He is really clear if you are good at math and at dealing with graphs. Exams are not easy, but he gives high quality practice exams. And he never wastes time talking on his family affairs like some other do.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• 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:

DON'T TAKE HIS MACRO. it is really hard and early nobody could ace the final

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• 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:

Loved the class! But even though the tests were not particularly difficult, I would not recommend this class to someone who does not enjoy policy debates or the political implications of economic policy. Loved the real world analysis though

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's a really boring teacher. He talks slow and I fight to stay awake most classes. However his tests are pretty much exactly like the practice exams and easy enough. Reading is sort of necessary. He adores Keynes and Krugman. He's all about Depression Economics.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• 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:

I have had Michl for both an FSEM and Macro. He is not very easy and although he tries to explain things it never all that clear. He has an obvious left bias and a love of Keynes which is not at all a bad thing. His book sucks and he wrote it so it can be annoying because you don't have a resource that isn't him

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• 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:

hopelessly socially awkward and unless you are "brilliant" does not care about you

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• 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:

Whether you agree with him or not (he's definitively Marxist - this doesn't necessarily mean populist/Communist!) he's certainly a fascinating prof to take. He's only boring if you're not paying attention, or if you find the material too hard. His textbook is bare-bones, which is great and if you learn the material you'll be fine.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• 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 think previous comments are being unfair to Professor Michl. I love his class, even though I have to admit that the material itself is hard. Professor Michl is clear and very helpful. Also he tries to teach the kind of economics that is more realistic than that taught in other Macroeconomics classes, which is a very good thing. Take him!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

classes avg ~60% on tests. He wrote his own book which is impossible to read and liberally uses variables that force the reader to constantly search the last 10 pgs trying to find what the variables represent. He has a VERY liberal slant on everything and consistaantly brings his political views to class. A classic example of tenure gone wrong.

Rating # 14

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Pure genius and all around intellect

Rating # 15

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

I had Prof. Michl years ago and I thought he was excellent, not boring at all. I really enjoyed his class and he was probably the most helpful and straight forward professor that I had at Colgate. Great teacher and wonderful person.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: 252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I thought he was a straight foward teacher. His tests are hard, there is no partial credit, but the curve changes all that. A 50 is usually about a B-. The book is short so you might actually read it. You learn a lot. Also he's the only communist at colgate so its nice to get a different perspective

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MACRO
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Terrible prof. What would you expect from someone who uses a textbook that they wrote? His lectures are boring, the problem sets due weekly are tedious, and the tests are very hard. Stay away. He took the Econ major right out of me.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ECON302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Not bad, not good. Very tough test. 50% is a passing grade for most tests.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MACROECON
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I think his class was good. I didn't find it boring at all.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ECON252
• 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:

Macro is not fun with him. SOmetimes basically refuses to explain topics in detail. His text is the worst and gives no examples. He doesn't explain hmwks or provide solution keys. Good class if you like bad grades.