Awesome prof, he really made sure people understood the material and encouraged questions. Easy to get an A or B if you go lecture and read the textbook. The tests were easy, often straight from the textbook and never unexpected material. Would recommend for upper div math/conceptual classes.

He had his lectures pre-written (sloppily too) which made it difficult to read. Worse, he went through them SUPER fast. When answering questions, he just wanted to quickly get through them. Sections were mandatory and helped a little with the grade. Each test (there were 2) was easy in concept but one miscalculation fudges up the whole grade.

Just never ever take his class.

Bad lecturer, had to buy the textbook for online homework even though I didn't need the book. Just used CLAS and got a good grade.

The accent is a problem, but if you take lectures and read notes carefully, you can get a good grade. He always says the tests are hard, but actually they are fair, and the topics are covered in examples. More practice and participation are important.

tbh, His tests are not that hard. Just study the textbook and make sure you understand the homework problems. Go to CLAS if you can. I could of getting an A if I can get one more question right though.

The grading for this class was pretty ridiculous as there was no partial credit for the only midterm we had, not sure about the final. The midterm was 4 questions so making two stupid mistakes resulted in a high F. Luckily hw and section attendance was waited as heavily as the midterm. Definitely not clear about what would and wouldnt be tested on

Overall I'd say Ponce is a very poor teacher. His accent makes it hard to understand and his handwriting is so illegible even he cant read it most of the time. The class itself is super straight forward, but there is one midterm and one final and they have combined 10 questions and NO partial credit at all. If you can get another professor.

Since lectures weren't mandatory and at 8AM, I didn't go to all of them but I read the textbook, went to section, and did the homework. Ended up with a C+. The final was way harder than the midterm, which I didnt really expect from what the professor and my ta were telling me beforehand.

Ponce will be one of the worst math profs you take at sb. The midterm was straightforward but final was difficult. My friends and I studied for almost a week and got a C+ on it. Theres no partial credit so one little mistake can cost you about 7 points. Also, he mentioned the final was going to be conceptual two lectures before taking it. Avoid!

His midterm was relatively easy and straightforward but his final was so much more difficult than I could've imagined. His no partial credit policy for his tests make getting a good grade extremely difficult. Not really much of a curve at the end of the quarter either. Hardest class I've taken at UCSB.

One of the worst prof ever, spent the last 3 weeks on learning a very hard chapter but never tested it on Final. Midterm is okay but Final worth 50% of your grade and it is hard so be prepared for it. Once again, try your best to avoid him unless you have abosolutely no choices

BAD!

HE IS TERRIBLE

Spending a good amount of time on the homework is the only way I learned anything. My TA is honestly the only way I got through his class, GO TO SECTION- attendance is graded and helps. Lecture is very difficult to follow and he often doesn't take questions even though he'll ask for them. A lot of self-learning to be expected.

Worst professor ever. I understand 4A is supposed to be hard but he just made it HARDER. His accent is so bad that there is no way you can follow without teaching yourself before lectures. I also think it's funny how he always asks "Is this clear" or "are you with me" but never clarifies anything even if the whole class was like "No!" AVOID HIM.

his lectures arent as clear so i decided to teach myself the content. hard to follow lectures and rarely stops for questions. homework varies by week but it took a considerable amount of time to do.

Prof Ponce is the worst professor on this campus. He grade ridiculously difficult and has absolutely no sympathy for his students. His accent is horribly difficult to understand and he lacks any recognition that his students have questions or dont understand his lectures in which he doesnt describe anything or give clear examples.

He had one midterm and it was after the drop date, which was less than ideal for a lot of people. Difficult to follow his lectures and understand his accent, so if you have to take his class, don't take the 8am. Homework is long and hard and there's a lot of it. I had to drop the class late for health reasons, but I'm very glad I got out of there.

Lectures are hard to get through and the homeworks are pretty tough. However, the quizzes are fairly simple and the exams are just as easy as the quizzes.

He's really good at explaining the material and the overall class is easy so long as you pay attention.

Ponce is a very respected professor. But he is really a tough grader. Be care of that, besides he is really helpful in office hours. But try to take care of any details of the homework.

Fantastic professor. He REALLY knows his stuff and he focuses on trying to help us develop a very intuitive understanding of the material overall. Very challenging homework (can submit it in groups), but his exams are consequently a breath of fresh air (for 118, at least). Super helpful in office hours. He really wants everyone to get the material.

Ponce is an incredible professor. His lectures are very thorough and if you read and understand the notes you can get an A in the class. Tests are not hard but beware his harsh grading and make sure to provide every detail when preforming a proof for him. Understanding is a far greater ally in his class than memorization. One of the best lecturers.