I think the course is pretty solid. The lectures build a lot on optimization, so make sure you're comfortable solving those problems from the first section. The homework can be a bit challenging, but it's doable if you put in the effort. Going through past exams, especially the recent ones, is super helpful.
You will stress. You may cry. You will not (statistically) fail. Check the Daily Nexus for the grade distribution. Make a friend who took this class already to get the problem set answers from. Get your extra credit from section attendance. I did substantially worse than average on both the MT and final and still got a B. You can do it.
Don't bother going to lectures, problem sets are tricky so I would recommend taking this class with a few friends or finding a study group. Midterm and final were not terrible and were pretty strait forward and similar to past exams.
I think her lectures are pretty clear. The midterm is easy, while the final is hard. The letter grades seem generous.
Her class is not as difficult as many people say. I doubt that those people don't attend the lecture at all. The lecture is very helpful and easy to understand, she explains everything clearly in class. If you attend the lecture and sections, and read some textbooks, the problem set is quite doable. The exam is hard but the curve is very generous.
She's not as bad as people say. Her lectures are pretty good, but you need to read the textbook on your own. Sections are important! Her homework is a little hard but doable. Although the final is hard, the curve is very generous.
The professor's lectures consist of her reading off slides, going on tangents, and skipping over math. She doesn't allow the TAs to help with problem sets, which are only doable if you self-teach the material before they are due. I recommend taking a different professor for this course if possible.
Worst class I've taken at UCSB, do not take her at all costs this is your warning
Lecture slides skip over every math step needed to get the answer, VERY little practice problems that are on material taught. Lectures are pointless, she yaps about graphs that have zero relevance Grade is 30% homework (not free points, very difficult), 30% midterm, and 40% final. Do not take her, just don't. TAs don't know what's happening.
The in class lecture slides are 2005 esque memes, whereas the homework and and exams are straight impossible unless you spend time teaching yourself the entire course.
I feel the content is fine and close to the textbook, which makes it easier to review the class materials. The section slides provide some useful practice exercises.
lectures are useless - calculation heavy class but her presentations are filled with useless examples from the nws when the class is based off mostly calculations and equations. little help for exams and the worst class ive taken at ucsb by far - worse than 10a, worse than 100b, worse than 140a and 136a-c series - she needs to be fired
She saved Hartman. I don't know how to describe her. Just leave her. Your TA doesn't know how to do the homework. Also, she doesn't have her email address. She got a google email answered by head TA. I don't even think the head TA is a gaucho. Thank you for ruining my UCSB experience in my last quarter.
Hands down, the worst professor/teacher I have ever had at any level. Lectures casually skip over several steps of multivariable calculus with little to no explanation. TA's are instructed to NOT help students on the homework, and even if they were allowed to, they are just as confused as the students. Do not take this class with her at all costs
Honestly, she's a pretty lousy professor. Her grading is strict and she or her graders nitpick on the smallest things. I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but i'm realizing I was a bit too optimistic with her teaching ability. In short, I would suggest avoiding her class if you can. Otherwise, good luck to you.
Truly one of the professors of all time. Lectures got me feeling like I'm in the past decoding the Rosetta Stone. The TA's are also clueless and asking them for help is almost useless. Midterm was supposed to be easy but Ma got other plans that she could not share. There's no other way for me to phrase "AVOID AT ALL COSTS".
Yikes. This class is a mess. Lectures are impossible to understand, TAs don't know any better than the students, and no one has any clue what is happening in this class. Only thing to do is pray for a massive curve and NEVER take a class with this professor again. Gl to all future students, you'll need it
Prof Ma is the most efficient professor in UCSB. Teaching us multivariable calculus whilst teaching PHD level economics in undergrad, all in one course! Her knowledge is beyond reproach. Even the PHD candidate TAs are not able to solve the homework she assigns, allowing both the students and the TAs to share a Valuable learning experience!
This class is incredibly poorly run and covering a breadth of content that is so complex our TAs are unable to help us. She explicitly told the TAs not to assist us on the homework that she assigned and every introductory lecture problem in the slide is accompanied by 5 pages of unintelligible multivariable calculus.
I'm a straight-A student and I really hope that 101 doesn't end my streak cause I have no clue in the world what is going on in this class. I've never been more in the dark in my life.
Exceptionally difficult material and is essentially all calculus. Lectures are hard to follow. Only hope in this class is the fact that apparently the curve will be super generous according to the syllabus.
very confusing and tough homework. She about to receive many bad feedbacks at the end of the quarter if she doesnt change up the game
Her teaching style is very confusing and assumes we know everything she goes over without her explaining it. Does not help with homework and it seems like many are confused in the class. Take this class with anyone else if you can.
Definitely the worse class of the major, a combination of confusing material and lecture where it's near impossible to follow. Apparently the prof also told the ta's not to help us with homework during office hours. I think everyone's just praying for a generous curve at this point.