Peter Balka - University of Waterloo

Professor: Peter Balka
Department: Mathematics
College: University of Waterloo
Rating # 1
Overview:
  • Course: STAT373
  • Grade Received: Not sure yet
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: No
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
This prof is unimaginably bad and irresponsive. Basically no formal lectures. Just some notes and short videos to read and watch. Slow to respond to piazza questions. Why do we pay tuition then? I would give him zero if I could
Rating # 2
Overview:
  • Course: STAT321
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
This professor is completely useless.
Rating # 3
Overview:
  • Course: STAT331
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Peter is one of the best profs I've ever had, the man is hilarious and extremely accommodating outside of class if you have any questions at all about the course. 331 itself isn't really difficult but he made it engaging and fun to learn. Exams were remarkably fair and exactly what we expected.
Rating # 4
Overview:
  • Course: STAT331
  • Grade Received: A+
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Good explanations, but sometimes goes off on tangents. He's pleasant in office hours and lenient when it comes to assignment dead lines. His exams are pretty straight-forward if you are comfortable with the materials. Would be nice if he posted more exercises though.
Rating # 5
Overview:
  • Course: STAT211
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
He teaches for a while, and then says :" It's not important." Reading the course materials is enough. Not necessary to go.
Rating # 6
Overview:
  • Course: STAT371
  • Grade Received: A+
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
He is a really good prof and he gives us fairly easy exams and assignments. Except for the projects part that I don't like, but otherwise, I will recommend him to everyone who is going to take stat 371 in waterloo. If you has him as your prof, you will definitely obtain an A easily
Rating # 7
Overview:
  • Course: STAT371
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
Peter is now my favourite Stat Prof! His midterm and final are very similiar as the sample he gives, so if you take time to do those exercise and review your notes, you can definitly get a easy A on your grade. Besides, by working on assignments and projects, I've learned how to use R and select fitted model. They are two useful skills I think.
Rating # 8
Overview:
  • Course: STAT371
  • Grade Received: B-
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Rambles and doesn't get to the point. Really likes to use obscure big words that make lectures confusing. Very inarticulate and monotonous teaching style. Takes around 40 minutes to actually start teaching the material every class. The first 2 weeks of lecture was a review. Completely ignores course curriculum and textbook.
Rating # 9
Overview:
  • Course: STAT372
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
Lectures are understandable, assignments are helpful. Exam questions are not hard, but time given is not enough.
Rating # 10
Overview:
  • Course: STAT330
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
It's not to say his teaching is good. But I guarantee his exams are very fair and relatively easier than other prof's. No textbook is needed just attend lectures and take notes that's all you need.
Rating # 11
Overview:
  • Course: STAT372
  • 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:
he's really helpful in office hour and always trying to help student. but, his lecture notes has less to do with exam and assignments do not prepare exam well
Rating # 12
Overview:
  • Course: STAT331
  • 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:
Doesn't cover enough material and wastes about 30 minutes each class rambling before finally lecturing the material.
Rating # 13
Overview:
  • Course: STAT331
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 1.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
He talks a lot...about things that are totally unrelated. He covers the material too slowly; definitely should have covered more in that class. He does do a good job of showing us how to interpret and use R output. However, he skips over most (if not all) necessary theoretical background.
Rating # 14
Overview:
  • Course: STAT373
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Overall, a bad prof. Every single lecture he goes off topic... talks about OJ Simpson for 30 minutes, then another 30 minutes complaining the previous professor did not erase the board. For the midterm, he didn't book the room and caused everyone to wait another 30 minutes, and then marked really hard. Final exam no help at all, and replies LATE!!!
Rating # 15
Overview:
  • Course: STAT372
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
I would disagree with below a bit. He rambles through his lectures and doesn't add much value in terms of obtaining useful info for tests; you'll be lucky to write down one page of notes. You can ace the course without attending a single lecture by reading the course notes alone, which are very well written.
Rating # 16
Overview:
  • Course: STAT372
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Very nice prof, goes really slow in class so that every point is made clear.. very important to attend lectures and take notes, as tests come straight out of similar examples in class. Easy and straightforward tests with lots of sample tests for practice.. Definitely one of the better math profs at UW, recommended!
Rating # 17
Overview:
  • Course: STAT373
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
He has a very interesting style of teaching which makes taking notes in class very difficult (because he goes off on tangents randomly) but when he focuses on the actual material, he can actually convey the material in a pretty competent manner. Nice guy to talk to as well and really knowledgeable on the subject matter. Reasonable tests and final.
Rating # 18
Overview:
  • Course: SYDE212
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
He is an awesome prof. He loves probability and stats. If your not interested in the subject you will find it hard to understand what hes taking about. but if you take interest its awesome. tests are fair and almost easy to get perfect in. sometimes goes off on tangents but its funny
Rating # 19
Overview:
  • Course: STAT372
  • 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:
Had him for both Stat 371 and 372. I really liked him. He gives clear explanations in class, and gives SO MANY past midterms and assignments that give you a really good indication of what he'll put on midterms and the final. He didn't give out any assignments to hand in, but come midterm/final time, I felt really comfortable with the material.
Rating # 20
Overview:
  • Course: STAT371
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Excellent professor. Very clear on topics. I've had him for both STAT230 and STAT371 now and he's great.
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