S.J. Kirschvink - San Diego State University

Professor: S.J. Kirschvink
Department: Mathematics
College: San Diego State University
Rating # 1
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Hes not as bad as many people make him out to be. His lectures are boring, and he does a lot of proofs, but he shows many example problems during lecture. Attendance is mandatory, he has clicker questions, you can skip 3 times without losing credit. Learn how to do the practice exams he uploads from previous years and you should do fine on exams.
Rating # 2
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: B+
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
These ratings are from people who clearly skip class. He does example problems (great for visual learners) and explains concepts thoroughly. You literally just have to go to class and take good notes to do well in this class. Exams are based on theories - know them, he likes to put questions that'll trip you up if you don't. He is a wonderful man
Rating # 3
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A-
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Do not take him as a professor! He refused to lecture to our Calc 1 class after classes went online. He also wasted in-person lecture time when we had it. He uses half of the class talking about theory and proving a theory, only to show that the theory he just spent 30 minutes proving to be true is actually incorrect. I only learned from the TA.
Rating # 4
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Honestly, Prof. K seems like a really smart dude, but he's not really the best in teaching and communicating what he's trying to tell us. Like others said, a lot of proofs and theories, but not a lot of practicals. GO TO SI!! I feel like SI taught me more and Prof. K's lectures were supplemental to it. Please brush up on pre-calc if u can
Rating # 5
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
not a good lecturer, hope u get a good TA. utilize practice tests online and study and you will be fine, everything, including final, is curved pretty heavily. i went into the end of the sem thinking i had a B- but then when grades were posted i ended up with an A.
Rating # 6
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Not as bad as people say he is. He does a lot of proofs you won't use, but when he does practical problems pay attention. Also, he posts practice tests with answers online which are invaluable study tools. Take notes, do practice tests and don't procrastinate on homework and you'll probably get an A cause he also curved the final.
Rating # 7
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: Not sure yet
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
I went into this thinking that "oh this guy can't be that bad" and now I wish I never ignored the ratings on this page. I shouldn't even be going to SDSU in my opinion. The school in general just sucks. But back to the topic, yeah this teacher sucks. He goes through problems and says "You need this skill" yet doesn't exactly explain how to get it.
Rating # 8
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
THIS PROFESSOR DID SO MANY UNNECESSARY PROOFS BUT TAKE NOTES ON THE EXAMPLE PROBLEMS HE DID. HE IS THE BEST PROFESSOR AND HE CURVES THE CLASS SO THAT AN 80% IS AN A . HE IS VERY NICE!! ATTENDANCE MATTERS ON RANDOM "CHECK" DAYS.
Rating # 9
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: D+
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
BE CAREFUL! This class is designed for you to fail if you have never taken Calc. You will waste 3 hrs/week in lecture. I suggest using that time for HW or learning Calc online. Do the HW diligently, on pace. You will have to teach yourself all of Calc at a high level. This is a huge task to juggle, so be prepared. Kirsch makes SDSU look like a joke
Rating # 10
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
I got an A solely because of my high school calc class/teacher. Kirschvink is not good at teaching this material, he knows calculus, but teaches all theory and not how to do the problems which isnt helpful. If you HAVE to take kirschvink, do the sample tests, learn from TA'S, and take notes on anything. If you arent good at math, you will struggle.
Rating # 11
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Not that bad; you're given many resources (SI, MLC, office hrs, etc.) to pass. Take the ALEKS module seriously if you want a firm grasp on pre-calc. I suggest taking notes of both the lecture AND the textbook. The homework is super useful so don't procrastinate! The practice exams are invaluable. Take time to study your resources & you'll be fine!
Rating # 12
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
I do not think Kirshvink is as bad as others make him out to be. Is he really good? No, but there is really no reason that a person should fail this class. Kirshvink spends 75% of the lecture on the proof, and the other 25% doing a practical problem. The T.A.'s are there to help you, the MLC will help you, and SI sessions will teach you even more
Rating # 13
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Kirschvink is one of the worst professors at SDSU. He does not explain the material very well at all, so if you never took calculus in high school then you are pretty much screwed. I had already taken it before but I can tell that if I had not, I would have no clue what was going on. Very boring in lectures but necessary to come for clicker points!
Rating # 14
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
If you took AP Calc AB in high school you should be fine. I'm a sophomore bio major and got a 90% and 87% on the first two midterms so far. His proofs and examples can be a bit arbitrary but honestly if you go to small section (many people skip) and go to the MLC to get help with the online homework this class is fine. There is also a huge curve!!
Rating # 15
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: INC
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
If you're going to take Math150 don't take him. His lectures are not helpful at all. But need to be there for clicker points. Failed most of my exams.
Rating # 16
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: Not sure yet
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Kirschvink on a nutshell: "arbitrarily" "infinitesimally", theories, number lines, and "number sense". It was too much work to teach myself calculus while still attending all of his vague and unhelpful lectures for participation points. I recommend that you take a different professor.
Rating # 17
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: D+
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Absolutely the worst professor i've ever had. Calc is already a tough subject, then you add a professor who doesn't teach anything except theories & basically you're out of luck.
Rating # 18
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! I have never struggled so hard in a class before. I went to an SI session once a week and still failed all of the tests except one. Don't wait til the last night to do the homework because there is a lot and it is hard. In lectures he beats around the bush and focuses on the theories rather than plain and simple how to do it.
Rating # 19
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: D+
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
He's honestly the worst professor at SDSU and teaches such an important subject too, please take the class at CC if you want to learn.
Rating # 20
Overview:
  • Course: MATH150
  • Grade Received: C
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Hopefully you get lucky and get a Good TA - otherwise you won't pass.
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