Joel Cohen - University of Maryland

Professor: Joel Cohen

Department: TBD

College: University of Maryland

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If I could make up my own descriptors, they would be "get ready to be confused" and "unable to re-evaluate teaching style to better fit the needs of his students". If you can't tell, I was not a fan of Cohen. He teaches proofs as if they're practice problems. His exams have questions that you've never seen. Don't take him if you don't need to.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

No required homework, just suggested problems from the book. Sucky professor and Ta's, but I did average on all the midterms and needed a 30% on the final to pass the class before the curve. Group worksheets and quizzes done in discussions were grade savers. Lectures were zero help. If you took calc in high school you'll most likely pass.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Cohen means well and you can tell hes very intelligent, but he is incredibly disorganized that he makes easy concepts hard to understand. Even his TAs were not much help; they would barely communicate and teach us things that weren't even going to be tested. I only passed bc I took the class in high school, but even with that class is still hard

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Horrible professor, does not seem like he knows what he is doing. Really tough handwriting to decipher. Exams do not reflect what is taught in class, lectures are incomprehensible. Will randomly have graded online question in class, if friends with someone in class, can be done from out side of class. Would not advise taking class with Cohen.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Cohen is an awful professor. He reads everything from a powerpoint and "teaches" in terms of f(x) and g(x) rather than doing problems on the board. His tests do not often reflect what is learned in class. He takes a simple subject and makes it incomprehensible. The people who do okay are the people who took calc in HS. Even then it is hard.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Cohen tends to be all over the place during his lectures, and it's nearly impossible to grasp the simplest concepts. The TAs taught me most of the material. They also grade harshly, and difficult exam questions ended up costing me many points on exams. The curve at the end of the course bumped up my grade a lot, though.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Not the best professor ever if you've never taken a calc class. I stopped going to lecture after the first 3 classes because he made simple topics really hard to understand. Seems like a nice person, but just a horrible teacher. It's best if you just taught yourself using Youtube or something. There's quizzes & wksts once every week.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

It can be quite difficult to learn in this class. His lectures tend to cross the border between confusing and boring. His writing can be difficult to read, so you need to sit in the front 3 rows. Reading the book after lecture may help with your understanding but to only an extent because his exams are every difficult.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I wouldn't recommend you take this professor. The lectures are confusing, and the tests are very difficult. Reading the book helps a little bit, but you are better off going to tutoring or learning online.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MATH406
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very knowledgeable, understanding; takes into account students' preferences.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

NEVER take this professor! I have never been more lost and confused in a lecture or a class in general. After the first exam, I stopped going to lecture and studied the textbook on my own and understood everything a lot better. Lectures move really fast and his handwriting is completely illegible. The exams cover material never mentioned in lecture

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Professor Cohen is very nice and wants to help. Lectures are very confusing at first, and people will want to skip but just go to lecture, after a little bit you get used to him and understand him. Big curve. I had a 83 in ELMS at the end of the semester and after the curve it was an A. Become close with TAs too. GO TO ALL EXAM REVIEW SESSIONS!!!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MATH130
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I found this class to be quite difficult. I am a straight A student and got a C. His lectures are confusing and unorganized. Past tests are online though so it's not hard to study. I learned everything about from the TAs which were super good. It will also be in your best interest to get a tutor and DO THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS ASSIGNED FOR HOMEWORK

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MATH131
• 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: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Was difficult at first to learn his teaching method but as time went on it became easier. Actually started to enjoy his class. Tests are easy. No homework.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MATH131
• 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:

Must agree with what I've seen so far... He is brilliant in the field of math but definitely races through problems & writes chicken scratch. You really do learn most of the class during discussion so be prepared to use the book to learn

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MATH220
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Nice guy, who can't teach. Forgets what he's talking about, chases people if they leave class. He basically made a simple calc class a lot harder to understand than needed. Learned more from my TA than Cohen, try to avoid.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MATH220
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He hadn't taught the course since 2008 and it showed. He moves fast and doesn't take the courtesy of labeling the topic currently being taught. Doesn't let you leave the class, and he will chase you if you do.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MATH406
• 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:

He generally crams a lot of material into lectures so be ready to at least pay very close attention on lecture days. The homework and exams can sometimes be difficult but that's a 400 level math course for you. If you don't have a background in proofs, reconsider taking this course or start practicing proofs immediately.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MATH220
• 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:

If you did not study or read the book before going to class, don't go to his lessons because you won't follow him. He is a very smart mathematician, but he is not the very best in teaching. If you ask him questions, he is very helpful and polite. However, his lectures are hard to follow. If you don't have a good TA, do not take his class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MATH220
• 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:

Cohen is one of those teachers that is really smart, but a bad teacher. He does not explain things well. He should have gone step by step. His tests are unfair. Instead of making them so you demonstrate your knowledge of the material, I feel he picks the hardest problems with all the tricks. I've never worked so hard to get a D on a test.