Thomas C. Putnam

MATH240 · PREC260 · MATHM125 · TRIG240 · 240TRIG · MATH125 · MATH160 · ALG125 · MATH115125 · MATH240260 · MATH240260APT · MATH260 · 197 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 71/100
RMP rating: 3.8/5
Take again: 64.86%
Difficulty: 2.9

The decision

if you are motivated and will use study guides and retakes; avoid if you need heavy hand-holding in math.

Best fit · Effort For RewardPassionate lecturesTest heavyExtra credit & retakesNo textbook neededPolarizing style

Passionate, unique lecture style that thrills motivated students and frustrates others
, and extra credit cushioning scores
Weak algebra/trig background students struggle; self-motivated learners thrive

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

58/100

Retakes, , and practice-matching tests help, but hard timed quizzes and .

; in-person reviews stress memorization parts and no-calculator rules.

Is the course easy?

Standard

48/100

Precalc and trig content is manageable with notes, but abstract pace and weak prerequisite skills make it feel hard for many.

Both formats report solid challenge; accelerated online terms feel especially intense.

Is attendance flexible?

WorthIt

66/100

because passionate teaching and fair practice tests outweigh the polarizing style.

Recent online and some in-person fans are enthusiastic; .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

56/100

Study guides mirror tests and retakes/ help, yet tough-grader and nitpicky scoring comments are common.

Format shift

Online re-attempts feel more forgiving; .

Workload

Light

62/100

Often little or ; , and self-practice.

Format shift

Some older online/MyMathLab terms were heavy; .

Teaching experience

Good

72/100

Students praise passion, humor, and clarity when engaged, but others find lectures abstract, fast, or unhelpful.

Format shift

Online fans praise organization and accessibility; in-person opinions are more split.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Quizzes, multi-part midterms, and finals dominate; .

Format shift

True across formats, with .

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

39 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

many call him inspirational with ; others call teaching abstract, fast, and unhelpful for weaker math students.

Main concern

, and abstract explanations can leave struggling students lost.

What students said

“He gives a ton of and overall I reccommend!”
240TRIG

“The only thing that counts as .”
MATH260

“As long as you show up to class follow along and write what he writes down youll do great!”
MATH260

Remote format

Online

11 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

Online and short-term sections feel intense and quiz-heavy, but , and organized Canvas help strong students earn As.

Main concern

, and sparse grade book items leave little buffer if you fall behind.

What students said

“ , and is very available for help outside of class.”
MATH260

“ so hard and not enough time is given.”
MATH260

“Homework and , but .”
MATH260

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams and ; practice materials align closely, but timing and no-calculator rules raise stress.

Study guides match testsMultiple attempts on some testsWeekly quizzesNo calculator on some partsTest-heavy grading

Assessment risk

Standard

55/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

, and written parts with study guides that closely match the .

Study guides match testsMemorization plus written partsNo calculator on some sectionsWeekly quizzes

“memorization, scantron, and written.”
MATH240

“He gives you study guides exactly like the quizzes/tests and walks you through all the answers”
MATH260

Online

Online evidence shows hard timed , and Canvas organization without clear proctoring claims.

Multiple test attemptsTimed quizzesCanvas practice quizzesRecorded lectures

“I never had a professor who would even consider 2 attempts on the final”
MATH260

“ so hard and not enough time is given.”
MATH260

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“Losers stay away. Doc Putnam is for winners and trying students only. He will spoon feed you the math process and good technique.”
Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews across online and , and polarizing fit. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Passion

72/100

“I've never had a teacher who seemed to genuinely enjoy what they were teaching until this class.”

📝

78/100

“The only thing that counts as .”

🔄 Second Chances Help

58/100

“The biggest advantage is that you get second chances with tests.”

⚠️ Not For Weak Math Foundations

40/100

“If you suck at math don't get this professor.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

unique teaching style
lectures are interesting

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

gives a ton of
You MUST have a

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

super chill and funny guy
extremely helpful and fair
cares for his students

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

197

Lifetime ratings

86/100

Evidence confidence

50 reviews spanning many years, both formats, detailed comments, and consistent polarizing themes support strong confidence.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 5107

4 out of 533

3 out of 520

2 out of 511

1 out of 526

Course coverage

MATH12515 reviews

MATH26015 reviews

240TRIG6 reviews

MATH2402604 reviews

MATH2402 reviews

Show 7 more courses

PREC2602 reviews

ALG1251 review

MATH1151251 review

MATH1601 review

MATH240260APT1 review

MATHM1251 review

TRIG2401 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

38 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 4 · A 16 · A- 1

B range

B+ 1 · B 4

C range

C+ 2 · C 2

D range

No reported values

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

Drop/Withdrawal 4 · Not sure yet 3 · Rather not say 1

Thomas C. Putnam

x x if you are motivated and will use study guides and retakes; avoid if you need heavy hand-holding in math.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

FairEffort

Standard

Recommended

WorthIt

See how this professor fits your week.

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

In person

Online

See what students actually said.

🎯 Teaching Passion

📝 x x

🔄 Second Chances Help

⚠️ Not For Weak Math Foundations

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

❤️ About Character

See exactly what the AI read.

Quality ratings

Course coverage

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

A range

B range

C range

D range

F

No letter grade reported

if you are motivated and will use study guides and retakes; avoid if you need heavy hand-holding in math.

📝