super engaging, easy to follow. 10/10 would take again
So far, Oprea is my favorite professor. Hes a funny guy and passionate about economics which makes for a great class. Opera explains everything well but getting a good grade on the quizzes and final means knowing and really understanding the concepts. Hes the person you want as your Econ 1 prof!
Great professor, stay on top of your stuff and you shouldn't have too many problems with this class. The only people who complained about his lectures were the ones who didn't read and messed around on their laptops.
Professor Oprea is easily my favorite professor at UCSB! Lecture is really enjoyable because he is very passionate about economics and is really funny. The class is difficult, but he teaches it incredibly well.
Oprea has been one of my favorite professors so far at UCSB! Like others have said, do not confuse him with the ridiculous econ department standards. He's a great guy and teaches well and assures you that it's an easy class to pass, but get ready to put in A LOT of work for this class if you want a "good grade" of C+ and above
I love Oprea so much-definitely one of the best professors here at UCSB. Yes, his exams are difficult but he's acknowledged this and has to comply with UCSB's Econ 1 policy. He managed to make every lecture fun and interesting, but still got the material across. He's a very chill yet respectable guy and I'm so glad I got to learn from him.
Oprea is amazing, I took him for Econ 1 and am sad that I'll probably never have a class with him again since I'm an accounting major. Do not confuse Oprea the professor and Econ 1 the class. Econ 1 is a pain, super hard, and the curve is unbelievably evil (Use CLAS and tutor Ed). His lectures are energetic and interesting, his voice is legendary.
Love him
Prof. Oprea was one of first professors I had and probably one of my favorites. He's really sarcastic and cracks jokes all the time, which made me look forward to going to lecture. The tests are tricky, so do your reading, homework, and the practice tests. Iclicker questions are partially based on accuracy. Good luck!!
Absolutely amazing professor. Best I've had so far. He's funny, he's interested in what he's teaching you, and he's good at explaining it. He made got interested in economics. If you can take this class, do it! The curve is difficult but that's not professor specific. Without the curve, the difficulty would be more of a 1 or 2.
Cool guy. Lectures are helpful, and he knows his stuff. Do HW and practice tests before midterms and final. Hard to do well because of the curve, but easy to pass.
Oprea is the most amazing professor I've had at UCSB. Lecture was always entertaining, and was most helpful for clarifying readings and general concepts. Do the practice quizzes a billion times before the test AND before lecture so you know what to pay attention to. Go to CLAS and lecture, and ask questions. Oprea is the nicest prof I've met.
Oprea is a great lecturer who really got me interested in econ. However, UCSB's econ department has a pretty tough curve so I wouldn't take this class for a GE. If you need over a B-, you need to be over the average on quizzes and finals b/c all the other points are ridiculously easy. Just do a ton of practice problems if you want a good grade.
Oprea is a fantastic professor, and he made Econ 1 immensely enjoyable. However, the difficulty of the quizzes and final blew everything I've ever taken out of the water. Only the top 30% of the class gets a B or above... I've never worked harder for a B in my life.. If you're taking this class for a letter grade you better be ready to WORK.
Professor Oprea is a good lecturer but most of your knowledge will be based on the readings. Lectures are there to consolidate your knowledge from the readings but otherwise, you could survive without attending them. Sometimes things he mentions in the lectures do come up on the quizzes though so watch out. Grading curve is hard, dont take for a GE
Great professor. lectures are very helpful.
The curve is the worst thing ever invented. the material isn't too hard to grasp but the tests are purposefully designed so you cannot do well. the majority of the class fails but they curve it to a C so no one can retake.
Good class. Oprea has some interesting points to add to a lot of the readings.
Oprea is a cool professor who entertains the class constantly because he knows that econ can be a bore. Wouldn't recommend the class for a GE because the curve is ridiculous. It makes it easy for you to pass the class with a C but it's difficult for you to get an A or B. I put in a whole lot of effort but never got the grade I wanted.
Professor Oprea is funny and informative, but the class was hard in general. Wouldn't recommend taking it unless you're an Econ major because the class is curved and it's hard to get an A. Make sure to check the lab homework with a friend because they are graded based on accuracy. Midterm and final are multiple choice but require solving.
Opera's class was informative & engaging. He was personable, and I found myself excited to attend lecture. The grading structure of UCSB's Economics dept, however, leaves much to be desired. Due to the # of kids who want to be Econ. majors they've created a grading scale in which only the top 30% of students get a B. It's difficult, but doable
I love Oprea's sense of humor and his passion for economics. Class wise, he taught what he's "suppose" to teach I guess since he's using old slides from previous teacher. Overall, he's a chill and decent professor to have. This class on other hand is a complete ass. Annoyingly tricky questions with an awful curve so only top 30% gets B and above.
Professor Opera was my favorite professor by far this quarter. I'm a bio major and just took the class for fun (not a good idea, it was very hard), but he made it very enjoyable. Wonderful sense of humor and very clear examples. You can tell he really, realllllly loves what he does. Tests are very tough and grading system SUCKS. Would take again!
Oprea is one of my favorite professors of all time. He is not an easy A, but I can honestly say I was EXCITED to go to class every time. He is the funniest professor I had, and probably the most enthusiastic. Combine those with perfect command of the material and you get an excellent professor. Take his classes!!