AI Rate Professor

Computer Science

Chris Merrill

CSIS114 · CS151 · CS111 · CS112 · CS150 · 38 lifetime ratings

AI rating
90/100
RMP rating
4.7/5
Take again
89.47%
Difficulty
3.5

The decision

if you want to actually learn C++ and ; the grade reward matches the effort.

Best fit · Effort For RewardExtra Credit MachineResubmit FreelyHomework AvalancheClear LecturesGenuinely Cares
  • and labs, but unlimited or frequent resubmits plus big make an A very attainable.
  • Thorough slides and lectures teach real C++ and CS concepts well, especially for non-majors and transfer students.
  • ; success depends on doing the work, not sitting in class.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

74/100

An A is common if , and grab , not if you coast.

Both online and in ; summer online feels harder due to compressed pace.

Is the course easy?

Standard

48/100

C++ and data-structure content is solidly challenging, though lectures and .

Online and in person agree material is heavy; online summer intensifies the pace.

Is attendance flexible?

Optional

82/100

Most students say if coursework is completed.

A , but comments still describe flexibility when work is done.

Is this professor recommended?

MustTake

91/100

Students overwhelmingly recommend him for , and real learning payoff.

Strong recommendation holds for both online and in person CS150/CS151.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

84/100

Clear criteria, frequent resubmits for full credit, late leniency, and abundant .

Format shift

Online and in person both highlight redo and policies.

Workload

Heavy

28/100

Multiple labs and summer.

Format shift

Online summer reviews stress nonstop project load more than regular term in person.

Teaching experience

Excellent

92/100

, and accessible Zoom or office help.

Format shift

Praise for teaching quality is consistent across formats.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

28/100

Grade is driven by weekly homework and labs; quizzes and .

Format shift

Same assignment-heavy pattern online 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

27 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

In , and redo-friendly grading while warning about a huge homework load.

Main concern

Weekly project volume can overwhelm students who procrastinate or .

What students said

“He will kill you with hw, but offers lots of .”
CS150
“If you want to learn, Prof. Merrill is the .”
CS151
“He was very lenient with late work near the end and allowed you resubmit hw as many times as needed for full credit.”
CS150

Remote format

Online

11 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online sections still get thorough lectures, Zoom help, and the and .

Main concern

Summer online pace can mean nonstop C++ projects with little room for other classes.

What students said

“ better grade.”
CS151
“He is a and he lets you submit homework 1 week after the due date with no penalty.”
CS150
“Prof. Merrill is very accessible - helped me with several one-on-one Zoom sessions.”
CS150

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams and quizzes can be tough, but and .

Hard Multiple Choice ExamsStudy Slides For ExamsHomework Outweighs Exams

Assessment risk

Standard

55/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In person reviews call quizzes and exams rough or hard, but .

Hard TestsHomework Heavy Weighting
“ , but .”
CS150
“Quizzes and . Programming or .”
CS150

Online

Online students mention exams and long PowerPoints to study; .

Study PowerPointsExam Errors Rarely Fixed Fast
“ .”
CS150
“My only gripe is the fact that he would not fix an error he made on an .”
CS150

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“Merrill is my favorite professor. He will kill you with hw, but offers lots of . You can earn the grade you want in this class with work.”

Voice snapshots generated from 38 reviews spanning online and in person CS courses, emphasizing workload, resubmits, and teaching care. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

92/100

“If you want to learn, Prof. Merrill is the .”

📝 Workload Reality

28/100

“Don't be like me and procrastinate because he assigns a lot of .”

⚖️ Grade Fairness

84/100

“He allows you to fix and re-submit without penalty.”

👍 Recommendation

91/100

“10/10, take him”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • He is very thorough in his lectures.
  • Lectures are thorough, lots of .
  • He's a passion for CS and education.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • You can earn the grade you want in this class with work.
  • There's more than any class I've ever taken.
  • Material is heavy (C++ is harder than Java or Python).

Theme 3

📚 About Workload

  • Lots of homework, but .
  • I was working on C++ projects basically from start to finish of the summer semester.
  • Your typical week will be 3-4 programming assignments.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

38

Recent reviews read by the AI

38

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

38 detailed reviews spanning many years with highly consistent themes on workload, resubmits, and teaching quality.

Inside 38 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 530
4 out of 56
3 out of 51
2 out of 51
1 out of 50

Course coverage

CS15018 reviews
CS15110 reviews
CS1128 reviews
CS1111 review
CSIS1141 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

33 reported outcomes

A range

27

A+ 6 · A 21

B range

3

B 3

C range

0

No reported values

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

3

Not sure yet 2 · Rather not say 1