Robert Smith

School: Mississippi State University
Department: Mathematics
Location: Mississippi State, MS
Overall Rating
rated by 21 students
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Rating Comment
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Pros: This class was the easiest mathematics A I've ever gotten, including my grade school math classes. Lectures are nigh-incomprehensible and move at a blistering pace, but that doesn't matter. Show up for review day, and the problems that are on the board will be nearly verbatim on the test. Test grading is nearly farcical; there are 5 questions on the test, there's PLENTY of partial credit, and once I got a 40-point curve because he messed up a problem.
Cons: If you actually want a challenge, keep looking.
Protip: calculators are allowed, and TI's high-end models such as the 83+, 84+, and 89 can do all the work for you anyway, especially with some additional programs from ticalc.org.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Pros: He gives you review questions that are identical to the questions on the test. He tries to keep class interesting, especially since most students stop coming after the third class. He assigns homework at the end of every class, but he does not pick it up and it isn't necessary. He really knows his stuff and honestly loves mathematics.
Cons: None really. I went to every class and enjoyed it.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Pros: Funny
Loves teaching
Quotable
Interesting in martial
Available at office hours
He gets to know his students
Cons: None
I have to say this is my favorite teacher at MSU. I would go to office for help and we would discuss the problems until I understood them. Most teachers can't teach past their normal method but with Dr. Smith if your weren't understand it one way he would find a way that made sense. We often discussed how much he dislikes the books they gives us now because the amount of details they add. He feels like it limited our ability to think outside of the image.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Pros: Robert Smith is an amazing man. He wants nothing more than for everybody to do well and succeed in his class. He goes over the tests right the class before so everyone is sufficiently prepared.
He makes the class much easier than it should be; however, I came out of the class knowing how I'm supposed to approach basic linear algebra problems. I feel like for this reason he does not over-complicate it like other professors.
Finally, take this man. You will not regret the decision.
Cons: I wanted to learn more than I did, but it's almost a positive because it is not necessary for every major.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Pros: Awesome teacher and person. Very lighthearted and cares about his students consumption of knowledge in the subject matter.
Cons: He can speak over your head sometimes meaning he likes to express his knowledge of the material and sometimes confuses you.
Take a class from him! You will come out feeling good about yourself and its not hard to get an A.
this was my second time taking Intro to Linear Algebra. First time was a miserable failure thanks to Betty Scarborough but his class was a breeze
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Pros: Very nice person
Very intelligent professor
Doesn't try to over complicate the class material
Cons: Sometimes class can be a bit boring
Dr. Smith is a very smart professor. Is class, he does a lot of symbolic derivation and boring note writing. However he does always make the material easy to understand if people are having trouble. His tests are not very hard and he does tell you what you need to study in order to do well on the test. I enjoyed his class a lot and would highly recommend him for any math course. He is one of the few professors in the math department that will actually help you learn the material.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Pros: Great teacher.
Reviews material on test class before the test.
Cons: Can get a little boring.
Not prompted to pay attention.
Dr. Smith is a great teacher, but you can easily find yourself not paying attention or seriously contemplating skipping class. He is easily one of the top math instructors at State, but due to his intensive pre-test review.. if you go to the class before your test, he'll basically spell out what you need to know for it. But I say go, he is one of the best, might as well enjoy a great teacher when you finally get one.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Pros: Easiest test ever.
He gives a review before the test that has the problems from the test on it.
Cons: he speaks a little over the hands of his students. He makes everything seem more complicated before the test review. Speaks in math proofs! He loves his proofs.
Take this professor for this class at all cost. It is worth an arm and/or leg.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
This class was BY FAR the easiest class I've had at MSU. I went to class approximately 6 times all semester - just the review days and the test days. Dr. Smith is really nice and grades extremely leniently. Even when I managed to really screw up the math, he'd only take off 1 or 2 points.
If you have a serious interest in Linear Algebra and want to be highly motivated to study it to get a good grade, stay away. But if you're just looking for the 3-hour credit, you need to sign up.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Smith is a very intelligent and theoretic guy. You can get an A while learned little or a lot. It's strange. If you want to learn, swim through all his potentially interesting theories. If you just want an A, listen well on the "review day," the class before a test. That day is the most important day, he reviews over every problem and gives you an opportunity to write down one of the best "practice tests" I've ever had.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
this class ended up being the easiest class of the semester and possibly the easiest of my college career. there are only three tests and a noncomprehensive final which is worth the same as another test. if you have old tests, then you SHOULD make an A in the course unless you are completely lazy and just plain dumb... you really only need to attend the review class before the test and of course test day. if you do, then i recommend going over the few problems he assigns to work just to familiarize yourself with the material. take this class!
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Avoid this man at all costs. My first semster would have been so much less hectic if it wasn't for this man. He is smart, and not a bad guy. But he is very condicending, rude, and arrogant. He purposly tries to trick you on tests and quizzes- and it works.He made calculus HELL for me, and I'm good at calculus. Once I got all the right answers on a quiz, and still got a C. Yeah figure that out. Oh and yo ubetter be able to recite theorems at the drop of a hat for the tests.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
GREAT teacher!! I took Dr.Robert for Linear Algebra in the fall of 2008 and he is by far the best teacher that I have had since I have been at Mississippi State. Dr.Robert really cares about his students and wants everyone to do really well in his class. His tests are not hard and the final is not bad either. If you are having problems outside of the class he almost always available in his office and he is way more than willing to help you learn the material. The homework is not graded but YOU MUST DO THE HOMEWORK to get good test grades!! So my final evaluation about Dr.Robert.... TAKE THIS TEACHER!!! HE IS EXCELLENT!!!
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Mr. Smith was a pleasure to have. He was one of the few math teachers to date that I didn't have to get over an accent of some sort. He gives good reviews for his tests and is more than willing to answer all questions associated with homework. I didn't do as well as some but I am not a strong calculus student so if you have promblems with the subject don't be scared to take him. Also, if your tests grades are low to begin with, stick it out. The mathmatica project helps and he curves the grades at the end of the semester which really helps out.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Robert Smith is an absolutely amazing teacher. He is interesting, and REALLY knows his calculus. His explanations are a little complicated until you get used to his teaching style... he practically talks in proofs. If you're the kind of person who has to be forced to do homework I wouldn't advise you to take from him; he won't ever take homework up, but you still should do everything he assigns. The tests are fairly easy, just study all the review problems and they are a breeze. I am definitely taking him next semester for Cal II.
Also, he always asks for questions on the homework at the start of class, so if you are having difficulties he can help you through.
If you struggle with concept learning you might not want to take from him. He teaches you the WHY of what you are doing rather than the nitty-gritty steps involved. If you can only learn by following steps you won't like his style; he likes to make you think instead of blindly plugging numbers into formulas.
Overall... Smith is an amazing teacher, but make sure you like math theory at least a little bit or you are going to totally be lost. He moves quickly, and thoroughly expects you to remember everything you have learned in previous classes, such as trig.
The average score on most of the tests in our class was around an 83, which seems low for an honor calculus class, but I didn't find the tests particularly hard.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
This teacher is pretty good. But he still makes it tough. His explanations of some of the material is way over most students heads. He also likes to go off on tangents about problems that are either impossible to solve or at the level of a mathametician. His test though were reletively easy, if you studied. I would take a class from him in the future.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Dr. Smith is wonderful if you're a genius or if you do all the homework (which isn't for a grade). I didn't do any of the homework and I had a bit of an off semester, so my grades in this class slipped seriously.
Dr. Smith is ridiculously brilliant and makes lots of fun math jokes. TAKE HIS CLASSES SERIOUSLY, or you'll suffer for it.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
There are really only two reactions that people will have after taking one of Dr. Smith's classes. The first group is composed of the kind of people that are interested in math, science, engineering, or a similar discipline and will enjoy his very focused and intensive treatment of the subject. The second group will be completely lost.
If you don't like math, don't take Dr. Smith. He can be really funny and lighthearted, but he still means business. But if you really don't like math, why are you taking the kinds of classes that he teaches (Cal. III, IV, etc) anyway?
For the rest of you, you'll love him and you'll learn more than you thought possible. If you cherish your 4.0 GPA, you might want to consider taking another teacher, however. It's not impossible to get an A in one of his classes, but it's much more difficult than almost all of your other classes. I myself had only one B before I took his Cal. III class.
If I had to give a name to his teaching style, it would be ""blitzkrieg"". It's fast and proof-intensive, but it's not without examples and practical applications. Heck, he even goes into the history of certain areas of mathematics at points. He's very knowledgeable about what he teaches and the academic disciplines that are connected to it, so he will almost always be able to answer your questions.
Homework is assigned, but not taken up and graded. Nonetheless, if you don't do it, the best you'll get out of the class is a C, and only then if you're lucky. Grades are computed using a combination of tests, projects (which usually involve Mathematica), and a comprehensive final.
Dr. Smith starts every class by allowing students to answer questions about the homework, he's not a stoic lecturer who doesn't care whether or not you get it. It's hard to find another teacher that I can reccomend more highly.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Overall, he is a good teacher. Great personality, fun class, and makes it really challenging. However, that may also be scene as a problem. Unless study math in your free time on your own, you probably won't understand most of what he talks about at first. If you give it time, though, and work the homework, it'll eventually click and you'll make good grades. If you can do the homework problems, you won't have any problems on the test, and if you are ever stumped during homework, he always takes plenty of time to answer questions during class. I recommend him for everyone serious about learning math.
Overall
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
This guy is a decent teacher, but whether or not I would recommend him depends on the type of student I'm talking to. If you have had calculus and if you were good at it, you'll be fine. If you haven't, then don't take him. I repeat, IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD CALCULUS, DO NOT TAKE HIM. Acutally, I noticed that, for many people who had already had calculus, this class was a breeze. Another quality you must have to take this class is to be able to teach yourself a few things. It's my opinion that he doesn't always explain things well to a Cal 1 class. I think this is because he's used to teaching upper-level classes. Again, that is my opinion. Someone else's may differ. Basically, he is a decent teacher. Some people hate him, and some people really do love him. However, the people that love him are typically in honors classes or higher classes.

Refine Your Search

Professor Ratings Search
Search by Department Search by Last Name
Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format