J. Aubrey Sykes - Calvin University

Professor: J. Aubrey Sykes

Department: TBD

College: Calvin University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CS104L
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Literally doesn't talk about anything but ethics

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CS104L
• 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:

Guy is straight boring for CS.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENGR209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Sykes lectures are awful as he just reads off the notes that he places under the Elmo projector. The material is confusing and he is very unclear and doesn't do practice problems. He then expects you to know every thing for his test which he makes very difficult because they are open note open book. Take another prof for Engr 209.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGR209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The amount of material in this class is extremely overwhelming. The tests were crazy difficult (the averages were usually in the 50-60 range). But, he is a very nice grader, and your final grade is determined by your effort and improvement. Lectures were very boring and could be very confusing most of the time. Our class really had to ban together.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGR209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

209 is difficult by almost anybody's standards. Sykes knows A LOT. I think he forgets his class isn't difficult and that the material isn't intuitive for most. If you go talk to him in small groups or one on one, it will be really helpful. In class is very confusing and can become overwhelming, but he puts notes online. Make friends to study with!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 209
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof Sykes is terribly unclear. He doesn't teach much so the homework is learned by doing it together in groups and generally took many hours when it could've taken much less time had it been taught at all. For the last lab, he didn't teach anything about the questions we had to answer. Took all night even to make it up. But he grades super nicely

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGR340
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

A good professor who knows his stuff.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGR209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Sykes has a different teaching style than many are used to. He tried to teach you to be a good engineer, not a good student. Which makes doing assignments harder, as he doesn't teach as much, but tells you where you will use your knowledge. I personally like him a lot, but his tests can be quite difficult. However, he is a easy grader.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGR319
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Brilliant man. Genuinely cares about his students - their learning as well as their spiritual well-being. Kind grader; sometimes frustrating test-writer. He expects us to be way smarter than we are, and doesn't seem to understand why or how to spread a workload evenly. Lecture can be indecipherable, his office hours scant but exceedingly helpful.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGR209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He is one of the worst profs I've ever had, besides any physics department teacher. He's not the worst lecturer I've ever had, but he is definately the most boring. Half the stuff he tells you is irrelevant to the class and he gives no help on the homework problems. Avoid him if you can.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENGR101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Sykes might be a nice guy, but his class was boring. Things were explained after they were due much of the time, and the projects were clearly aimed at dumping students into engineering situations without much training. (Reports were graded on format and other details that weren't really discussed in class.)

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGR101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He really wants his students to have knowledge that will help them in the real world. He has interesting stuff to say during lectures, except when he tries to actually teach the material.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGR101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

His class was incredibly easy, but I think it's just because it's an easy class in general. Great guy when NOT talking about Engineering, but boring during lecture. Pretty easy grader too.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGR319
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

His tests are quite difficult, but he always applys an insane cure to compensate. I found him to be quite easy grade-wise considering how hard the subject is. His lectures are incredible boring and not very helpful, but you have to go because the closed book half of the test is based on notes.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENGR104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Avoid him like the plague. Unclear guidelines, terrible lecturer, unrepresentitive tests. Possibly better in higher level courses, but for lower levels is terrible.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENGR209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Sykes is great. He teaches a tough subject with the industry experience and examples to explain how these very difficult things apply to real life. He really wants us to succeed in his class and in our career.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENGR319
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Sykes is obviously concerned about us learning to think through engineering problems. He is never too busy to help. I think he has made a difference in what I will be able to do in my first engineering job and throughout my career.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGR106L
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Expects a lot out of students and genuinely wants them to understand what they're learning. It's hard to follow what he says when he's talking to the class.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGR106
• 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:

Terrible proff, of the two proffs for this class, i tried not to go to his lectures as little as possible. He gives terrible tests too, questions are not representitive of the class material.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENGN106
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Good guy, funny, clear, helpful. His labs were easy to follow and just generally enjoyable. I liked him.