<p>I was admitted as a Fall 2009 transfer to Biz Econ. I just logged onto bruinwalk to check out the ratings of some of the professors in the Econ and Mathematics department. I have to say, the ratings make UCLA look like the most terrible place in the world to learn anything. Every math professor rating says the professor is the worst professor they have ever had. People are talking about finals with averages of 50%. The econ department sounds no better. How reliable is bruin walk. Is this just the small minority shouting the loudest, or is it legit?</p>
<p>I just want some feedback from students who have taken classes in these departments.</p>
<p>I’m an applied math major, and of the 4 math classes I’ve had so far only one professor seemed even slightly disinterested. Yeah the tests are hard, but there are curves to help adjust the grade distribution so a 60 can conceivably be an A.</p>
<p>well just use some common sense, how many people do you seriously think are going to take the time to go write a positive review? people use bruinwalk to complain and to let others know how bad they think the professor is</p>
<p>in my opinion, i’d rather have a bad professor and actually get into the class than wait a quarter and push back my schedule just to get the “good” professor</p>
<p>and averages of 50% aren’t that uncommon. most classes are curved so it doesn’t really matter if the average is 50%, if you get average its around a B- no matter where that average is</p>
<p>I’ve found that Bruinwalk is pretty accurate. It is a good site to go by when picking classes, as most students use it. Some people fill out positive reviews, also.</p>
<p>i would just take it with a grain of salt. filter out the most extreme answers: “has changed my life” and “worst person on the planet couldn’t understand a thing.” i’ve generally had ratings that reflect my actual professors though. just look at the ratings, sit in on lecture and decide for yourself if you can sit through 10 weeks of it</p>
<p>Oh boy. Having finished my major (and then some), I can tell you this with more certainty than when it was a useful, but strictly intellectual concept: subpar lecturers in the econ department are the norm, rather than the exception. It is what it is, and for me, the Bruinwalk ratings accurately reflect that. In some instances, I feel that a few econ professors get higher ratings than they deserve. But all is not dismal at UCLA. Far from it. There are many other departments with a promising ratio of good-to-subpar professors… like the Psychology department. </p>
<p>There are a few awesome professors in our department, though those are few and far between. My three favorite econ professors have been Rishe, Kahn, and Boustan. Rishe is awesome and kept me engaged for the whole three hour lecture, Kahn is absolutely brilliant, and Boustan is a fairly effective lecturer who conveys her ideas well. Look up their ratings, and maybe thatll cheer you up a bit. But as youve discovered, 9s and 10s are extremely elusive in the econ department, no question about it.</p>