AI Rate Professor

Computer Science

Carl Argila

CS1A · 119 lifetime ratings

AI rating
68/100
RMP rating
4.1/5
Take again
72.92%
Difficulty
2.7

The decision

if and enjoy strict old-school energy; skip him if you need hand-holding for CS1B.

Best fit · Self Taught ProOld-School CSTangent LecturesSelf-Teach RequiredParticipation MattersHit-or-Miss Humor
  • Polarizing CS1A: many call him hilarious and formative, others say you teach yourself and leave underprepared.
  • weekly chapter, homework, quiz, participation, and .
  • An A is common if you read and show up, but serious CS majors often prefer a more modern coding-focused teacher.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

EasyA

76/100

Many students say readings, quizzes, and the teaching.

Most A talk is in person; the one online review reported a B+ after hard work.

Is the course easy?

Standard

52/100

Concepts are intro-level, but weekly reading, quizzes, and .

; online called it demanding but doable.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

18/100

Attendance and participation are repeatedly required, with .

Almost all evidence is in person; .

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

70/100

About three in , but a loud minority .

In-person opinions are split; the .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

68/100

Plenty of easy-A reports and , tempered by tough-grader and wrong-grade complaints.

Format shift

; online did not detail harshness.

Workload

Moderate

48/100

, and two coding practicums keep a steady load.

Format shift

In-person details dominate; online also required textbook work and outside resources.

Teaching experience

Average

62/100

Memorable humor and industry stories win fans, while digressions and thin coding instruction lose others.

Format shift

Polarized mostly in person; one online review found the .

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

62/100

Weekly quizzes and participation drive grades, with limited coding assignments and .

Format shift

In-person assessment structure is detailed; online review .

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

49 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

fans praise humor, structure, and foundations; , and coding preparation for CS1B is weak.

Main concern

and occasional tough or quirky quizzes.

What students said

“Read the , and you'll pass easily.”
CS1A
“If you want an easy A, .”
CS1A
“You will not learn from this teacher. Sure, he is funny for some people, but he is not a good teacher.”
CS1A

Remote format

Online

1 reviews

Low confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

The single online review calls CS1A demanding but rewarding if you use the textbook and outside resources.

Main concern

Only one online voice, so confidence is limited.

What students said

“Prof Argila's CS1A is demanding but rewarding. He has a unique teaching style that takes some adjusting, but if you put in the work and use resources like the textbook and Unstuckstudy, you'll come out with a solid CS foundation.”
CS1A

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Expect chapter quizzes, a couple in-class coding practicums, and if .

Weekly QuizzesCoding PracticumsOptional Final with Perfect AttendanceQuizlet or Flashcards

Assessment risk

Standard

58/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person students describe weekly quizzes from the book, two coding practicums, and .

Weekly QuizzesTwo Coding PracticumsNo Final with Perfect AttendanceParticipation Points
“ if . watch the videos and review the flash cards to ace the quizzes.”
CS1A
“ .”
CS1A
“Only 2 exams ”
CS1A

Online

The single online review does not clearly describe proctoring or .

“if you put in the work and use resources like the textbook and Unstuckstudy, you'll come out with a solid CS foundation.”
CS1A

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“If you want an easy A, . If you want to learn to code be prepared to teach yourself or !”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews (1 online, 49 in person), balancing praise and criticism around self-study CS1A. Credibility rating: High.

🎭 Polarizing Teaching

62/100

“This professor is either a hit or a miss, no phones in class, lectures barely cover the chapters”

📖

55/100

“This is an easy class but be prepared to teach yourself.”

📅

18/100

“you are exempt from the if .”

😂 Memorable Humor

75/100

“Really funny dude and speaks honestly, which makes for genuinely one of the most memorable classes I've ever had.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • He goes off on tangents and doesn't get to the point.
  • Most entertaining professor award
  • old-fashioned guy, yet funny and knowledgeable

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • If you want an easy A, .
  • students who took argilas class because they thought it was an easy A got screwed.
  • Read the , and you'll pass easily.

Theme 3

💻 About CS Prep

  • Really prepared me for cs1b.
  • I continued to CS1B and I do not even know half of the things that is being taught.
  • Highly structured. Weekly quizzes. . .

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

119

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty detailed reviews with a long time span and consistent structure details, though opinions on teaching quality are polarized.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 580
4 out of 511
3 out of 55
2 out of 54
1 out of 519

Course coverage

CS1A50 reviews

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

35 reported outcomes

A range

20

A+ 1 · A 19

B range

5

B+ 1 · B 4

C range

1

C 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

9

Drop/Withdrawal 1 · Not sure yet 7 · Rather not say 1