AI Rate Professor

Mathematics

Derrick Smith

MATH118 · MATH1A · MAT11 · MATH3E3F11 · 3B · CALC3A · MATH3C · CALCULUS1A · CALC1B · MATH11 · MATH3E · MATH1B · 160 lifetime ratings

AI rating
74/100
RMP rating
4.3/5
Take again
74.29%
Difficulty
3.0

The decision

if you will study hard and ; skip if you need a hand-holding easy math A.

Best fit · Effort For RewardTest HeavyLecture HeavyCurves ExamsAccessible Outside ClassFast-Paced
  • Math courses are exam-dominated (often ~90% tests) with curves and practice materials
  • Strong lecturer for motivated students but fast, dense, and polarizing
  • Effort and office hours or

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

58/100

An A is realistic with , and curves, but pure coasting is not enough.

Online and ; but do not remove hard work.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

32/100

Discrete, calc, and linear algebra content is dense and new for many students.

Difficulty is high in both formats; .

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

68/100

, but lectures and office hours matter for success.

Online is usually optional; in-person mixed between optional and mandatory.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

74/100

Majority praise him as a top math teacher, offset by a vocal minority who felt abandoned or crushed by exams.

; online includes more harsh outliers.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

62/100

and and strict feedback from others.

Format shift

Online students mention curves often; a .

Workload

Heavy

38/100

Multiple midterms, finals, and .

Format shift

Both formats are test-heavy; some and practice work.

Teaching experience

Good

78/100

and passionate; critics cite speed, handwriting, and incomplete coverage.

Format shift

; online more split on clarity.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

88/100

Grades are driven by three midterms and a final, often about 90% exams with .

Format shift

and in person.

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

33 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person students often call him one of the , though some report tough grading, messy handwriting, and self-teaching needs.

Main concern

, and occasional low accessibility during busy weeks.

What students said

“If you plan to take Math 11 with Professor Smith, be ready to study on your own because his lectures move very fast. The class is 90% exams and 10% homework.”
MATH11
“He's AWESOME. lots of content but amazing math professor”
MATH1B
“Just study the pretest and you will get an A.”
MATH3E

Remote format

Online

17 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online MATH11 and related classes stay test-heavy with , and mixed views on pace and .

Main concern

and can feel harder than practice; .

What students said

“It is a test-heavy class (tests are 90%!) but the and representative of what was learned.”
MATH11
“Discrete wasn't even that hard with him. If , go to office hours, do the prac tests, there is no reason not to get a good grade.”
MATH11
“Exams are 90%, he doesn't use Canvas, lectures are fast-paced, he won't post grade totals”
MATH11

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

, and reward practice exams and steady study.

Test HeavyExam CurvesPractice ExamsHard MidtermsFinal Can Replace Low Exam

Assessment risk

Standard

48/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

, and fair-but-hard midterms.

3 Midterms + FinalPractice ExamsFair but HardReplace Lowest with Final
“The class is 90% exams and 10% homework. Exam 2 is the hardest (longest)”
MATH11
“It has 3 midterms and 1 final.”
MAT11
“ . . Will replace the lowest score with final.”
MATH11

Online

Online students report 3-4 exams plus final, curves, and mixed fairness versus practice sets.

90% TestsCurved ExamsPractice TestsFast Lectures
“It is a test-heavy class (tests are 90%!) but the and representative of what was learned.”
MATH11
“ , but be careful with the . It's the hardest!”
MATH11
“The .”
MATH11

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“If you plan to take Math 11 with Professor Smith, be ready to study on your own because his lectures move very fast. The class is 90% exams and 10% homework.”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews across online and . Credibility rating: High.

📝

88/100

“It is a test-heavy class (tests are 90%!) but the and representative of what was learned.”

🔥 Teaching Passion Split

78/100

“He's AWESOME. lots of content but amazing math professor”

📈 Effort-for-A Path

58/100

“If , go to office hours, do the prac tests, there is no reason not to get a good grade.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • Good lectures; sometimes he goes a little fast for me
  • He is the entire life
  • , and thorough

Theme 2

📈

  • The class is 90% exams and 10% homework
  • Just study the pretest and you will get an A
  • this class is the toughest course I have ever taken

Theme 3

⚠️

  • if you don't like his teaching style
  • office hours are like a joke, around 10 students waiting

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

160

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

50 reviews across many years and courses with rich detail and a .

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 5111
4 out of 525
3 out of 59
2 out of 56
1 out of 510

Course coverage

MATH1123 reviews
MATH3E11 reviews
MAT114 reviews
MATH3E3F113 reviews
CALC3A2 reviews
Show 7 more courses
3B1 review
CALC1B1 review
CALCULUS1A1 review
Math1181 review
MATH1A1 review
MATH1B1 review
MATH3C1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

41 reported outcomes

A range

29

A+ 9 · A 19 · A- 1

B range

3

B 3

C range

1

C 1

D range

1

D 1

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

7

Not sure yet 5 · Rather not say 2