Reviews for C. Robert Warner
Average Rating:| dtrefz Course: MATH241H Grade Expected: April 25, 2011, 5:39 pm | He is a really nice man. But a TERRIBLE teacher. So boring. No one pays any attention in class. He just goes through example after example and makes lots of mistakes. His tests are very proof based and he really doesn't teach you anything. Definitely don't take him for any calc. |
| ashivkum Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: A- December 13, 2010, 5:03 pm | Dr. Warner is a very intelligent professor, who 100% knows exactly what he is doing (minus the little mistakes he makes here and there). But his tests are EXTREMELY difficult if you don't study very hard. Every test, he makes you memorize 3 proofs he states the Friday before the Monday test, and then puts one of them on the test. The only way you can get full credit on this is if you memorize WORD FOR WORD the proof from the textbook. Ask many questions and use office hours frequently. It will help. Trust me. If you want a challenge and/or, you are a math major interested in proofs, take his class. Otherwise, you would be better off in regular 141 |
| Anonymous Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: December 9, 2010, 4:25 pm | Do not take this professor's class! He is the worst professor I had last semester. All he does is write proofs on the board and doesn't explain anything. I know people who have already taken Calculus 2 in high school and are still struggling to even pull a B. Plus his test are impossible the average score is usually in the fifties. It is not worth it to take this class go take another professor who actually cares if the student's learn the information. |
| Anonymous Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: A October 3, 2010, 3:39 pm | I got an A but my average for the semester was a low B on exams and probably a D on quizes, maybe a B/C on homeworks. I had already taken Calc B/C in high school, got a 5 on that exam and an A in the class, but wanted an easy first semester so I retook calc 2. BIG MISTAKE!! Calc 3 is ten times easier and doesn't need ANY of the concepts on calc 2. Warner is a nice guy but a really frustrating teacher. He needs a microphone for a room for thirty, and you can't read his handwriting at all. Proofs are 20% of your grade, and if you try to memorize them from the book, that doesn't cut it with him. I had one memorized verbatim and still got half credit on an exam because he said the one he did in class was more accurate. Grades homework for accuracy, which also sucks. Basically, if your an engineering major who learns best from examples, not long, drawn out proofs, stay away from the H-version. He does curve pretty nicely at the end though. |
| Anonymous Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: A- April 26, 2010, 6:42 pm | Nice dude, great and approachable during office hours (that's not to be underrated). Old, and speaks quietly but it wasn't a problem for our small honors section. Handwriting is messy, but his handwritten notes that he brings to class daily and copies to the board are essentially straight from the textbook, so that's no real problem either. Lectures can get dull, but if you're a math guy you can usually see past the monotonous pace of lecture and enjoy the math. Otherwise, I'm sad to say, you most likely wouldn't enjoy his class. He really is a great guy, though, and very good at explaining difficult concepts. His tests always ask you to repeat verbatim one proof from three that he asks you to memorize the class before. (This can be annoying, but if you play it right and put in the extra time to study they're really free points.) Math H-versions are always tricky. The in-class tests are always different from the standard final that you're going to have to take with the other sections, so you're going to learn a modestly different set of material for the final. The upshot is that there is no discussion and sometimes (maybe) you'll get lucky with a great professor. It's also nice to be in a class where, presumably, most of the other students know what's going on (in stark contrast to other math classes.) |
| sillyputty184 Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: B April 19, 2010, 1:34 pm | Nice guy, knows his stuff, tries to work with you in office hours, but you never quite get it. Talks super quiet. Writes messy. Completely by the book. Likes proofs and reciting definitions VERBATIM. (ex. "such that" is not the same as "such as", therefore minus ten) Old school professor. Boring class. It was at one pm yet i somehow found a way to dose off. First time I ever saw Calc, terrible decision. Never been so excited for a B. |
| Anonymous Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: B April 19, 2010, 12:52 am | Let me begin by saying that Dr. Warner is a very genial and grandfatherly old man. When approached on an individual basis, he is very sweet and relatively helpful (sort of). That being said, DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS unless you are bionic and are capable of reading lips through chalkboard reflections (it would probably be more effective than trying to hear him). In a typical class, he walks in, sends his little broken-down speaker to the back of the tiny classroom where there is an electrical outlet and no reception from his microphone. He then proceeds to scrawl illegibly and crookedly across the dirty chalkboard, whispering the lesson plan to himself, while the rest of the class attempts to beat the speaker into submission. (It passed away about 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. RIP) Every exam always has a proof, which must be written verbatim from what was given in lecture. One such proof was incorrect in the textbook, so reading the book (by another Maryland calculus professor) in order to decipher what Warner had written in class, essentially sabotaged us. Guess what? There are no proofs on the final. Reading the other reviews, I noticed that the better reviews come from the upper level math classes. Therefore I must conclude that he must be a good teacher, we just can't tell. Advice: For a lower level class, such as MATH141, avoid the H version like the plague. There are no TA's or Discussion sections, as with all H versions. As for upper level classes, I guess he aiit. |
| Anonymous Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: D January 21, 2010, 8:33 pm | In a word, horrible. Do not take MATH141H in general, and if you have to, do not take this professor. I guess he's a good person, but the fact that he seems about 70, uses an amplifier (worked only for the first few weeks of class, then we heard a soft voice), and writes slanted and illegibly means that it is essentially impossible to learn from class. You HAVE TO read the textbook and/or go to math help; those are the only ways to learn. In fact, I had to look online for videos too. I seriously considered skipping many lectures since the only point of coming was literally to take the quizzes and tests...and do in-class examples that he assigns. I ended up with a D, and have to retake the class. |
| MooseNinja Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: C January 20, 2010, 11:16 pm | I've never had problems with math in the past, yet was overjoyed when my C popped up on testudo. He talks really softly. He writes really messily. If he didn't have a massive stack of notes he would probably get his own example problems wrong. The 2 hour monday afternoon lectures were my worst experience this semester. The way he assigned work, homework was always due on mondays and there was always a test or quiz on monday. The tests have one proof each for ~20% of the test grade. If you want an A knowing the material for the class is just the beginning... |
| Anonymous Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: B January 4, 2010, 4:30 pm | I haven't gotten less than a 95% in math in 5 years, but in MATH141H with Dr. Warner I struggled to get a B. The issue with this class is that even if you have seen the material before (as I had; it is second a repeat of second semester BC Calculus) you WILL struggle. Dr. Warner, because of his age and basic inability to express himself, was able to obscure even simple calculus concepts. The tests get more and more difficult as time passes, and it become really difficult to get more than a B. Every test has one proof, which carries between 15-20% of the points. Those proofs are expected to be VERBATIM what he wrote in class. (he says you can go off of the textbook proofs, but you will VERY RARELY get full points this way). The miserable part of this is that you will be lucky to get even write down everything you need in class. He speaks very softly and has an amplifier (that is faulty) that he brings to class. he has horrible handwriting in which he writes slanty lines of incomprehensible shtuff on the board, standing DIRECTLY in front of it while he mumbles quietly about it. I found myself teaching yourself important concepts and working long hours on homework, missing out on important concepts that caused me trouble on the assessments. Dr. Warner is a really sweet person, but is not a good teacher. He is not forgiving in grading either. The best thing to do when dealing with math141 is to NOT TAKE THE H VERSION. BOTH H VERSION PROFESSORS ARE BAD. It is better to take the regular version of the course. The professors are fantastic and the TAs in those sections are really helpful (the H versions do NOT have TAs). This way your GPA wont take a hit---its really not worth the struggle. |
| Anonymous Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: B- December 17, 2009, 9:15 am | Seriously pay attention to what everyone else wrote about Warner. Not only is he EXTREMELY hard to understand (audibly), but his writing is illegible and he writes almost exactly what is in the textbook, including the complex proofs that don't make sense, no matter how many times you see them. He doesn't do a very good job of explaining things at all, and is rather unfair in his grading. He requires a proof on all his tests, and runs out of time at the end of the semester so that you WILL NOT LEARN the last few MAJOR concepts. This class is extremely hard to get used to, and I would seriously recommend taking another professor if possible. Also, Honors versions of Math mean no discussions, so if you need a little extra explaining you won't get it. It is EXTREMELY frustrating that Warner doesn't use a computer for anything, so you have no idea where your grade stands, and it takes ages to get results on the final. The only benefits: small class (especially after 1/4 drops the class), and overall nice, if not helpful, professor. |
| JaMj Course: MATH141H Grade Expected: December 1, 2009, 1:11 pm | The actual class consisted only of the teacher doing proofs and talking to himself/the board. He even had to bring in a microphone (and my class was only around 25 students). The microphone broke halfway through the semester and that made things even worse. Occasionally he would turn around to face the class and ask, "Are there any questions?". In my opinion, class was only for quizzes and tests; the teacher's lessons weren't very helpful. The success of the students relied mainly on how well they taught themselves and practiced the curriculum outside of the classroom. If you can avoid having him, then do so! |
| jesterpuck Course: MATH403 Grade Expected: C October 9, 2009, 9:12 pm | I've had Warner for three seperate and different classes, and have in fact, specifically chosen him for each one. All the reviews are correct, Warner is not the loudest of professors, his writing is not the most legible, and he does follow the textbook. However, this stems largely from the unwillingness of people to ask questions. I've found, that when approached outside of class, Warner is extremely friendly, explicative, and very much coherent. He readily explains and extrapolates and topic that anyone asks a question on, and re-writes anything on the board that you ask him to. Warner's explanations of the theorems ar e extremely accurate and in-depth. His homework, though at times very long, and nearly unmanageable, provides you with the specific review of the topics covered in the class, and relevant to the class. The weekly quizzes, which one can expect in any 400-level class taught by him, and by extension others, are extremely helpful in that they provide a basis for test questions to be drawn from, and a constant reminder of how much or how little you know. I would say that a B in Warner's class is equal to an A from nearly any other professor. The standard set for students is what the University should be, instead of the standard 30 kids failing in varying degrees and some portion of them being passed simply so that the class isn't a total waste. That being said, Warner is fairly generous in his grading. I am ashamed to say that I do not believe I honestly deserved to pass either 403 or 463 under him, however I managed to squeak by every time. In retrospect, the amount I learned is comparable to the amount learned by others under different professors. The majority of these responses are written under the expectation that teachers have perfect handwriting, perfect vocal skills, and will pass you regardless of a half ass effort. Warner will actually teach you well. If you're accustomed to thinking the work in other classes is a joke... the work in Warner's class will think you're a joke. If you want your easy A and to know precisely dick about whatever you 'studied' for a semester, take another professor. If you want to actually learn the subject in depth and learn it well. Go sign up for Warner's class. The good thing is, if you're on the waitlist you'll always get in. Too many kids take the class expecting it to be easy and get destroyed in the first week. NOTE: The work in the first 3-4 weeks of the class, is designed to make you drop. If you're thinking about it... then it's working as intended. Warner wants you to drop his class. After the first few weeks, the assignments are cut in half or by two thirds. |
| guru Course: MATH463 Grade Expected: October 1, 2009, 5:06 pm | Stay away. Old, quiet, and writes illegibly. Seems halfway senile. The class was morose and uninspired. The silver lining, however, is that you end up learning the theorems and proofs well. |
| Anonymous Course: MATH140H Grade Expected: B April 22, 2009, 5:37 pm | Dr. Warner is very knowledgeable when it comes to math and it shows very quickly. His teaching method, however, takes most of the semester to get used to. His tests are very hard and require word for word recitations of proofs and theorems. In the end I felt I understood the material very well but I did not enjoy the class and it was very frustrating to go to. Nonetheless, Dr. Warner is one of only a few professors that I've had that legitimately care if the students understand the material, if only he cared about our grades. |
| Anonymous Course: MATH140H Grade Expected: W January 17, 2009, 9:24 pm | Dr. Warner was a very difficult professor to get used to. as a result, i dropped his class, as did about 20 other people, though much earlier. he spoke very quietly, wrote illegibly, and seemed to recite word for word from the textbook |
| Anonymous Course: MATH140H Grade Expected: B December 19, 2008, 11:43 am | Dr. Warner is an unfair grader on everything. He expects you to be specific in every word you write for proofs and statements of theorems. For example, if you write "then there is an x such that...", but the "correct" word-for-word phrase is "...such that if there exists an x, then...", then Dr. Warner will probably take off points for that. Like on one test, he took points off because I wrote down "a minimum point" instead "the minimum value." It can get frustrating when he does this, so I would opt for another 140H professor if you want a better chance at getting the A. His tests are difficult, and he sometimes lied about what would be on weekly quizzes. He would say that something wouldn't be on the quiz, but then one question on the quiz would be about that something. His quirky mannerisms and small class size (5 students--all freshmen) were a few of the good things, though. |
| Anonymous Course: MATH630 Grade Expected: B December 17, 2008, 9:17 pm | Great Professor for any graduate class in analysis. He gives a hw assignment and a quiz every week which really helps in learning the material. Also a really nice guy. |
| unitar Course: MATH403 Grade Expected: A- December 3, 2007, 8:09 pm | Abstract Algebra is a very, very hard topic, and without proper instruction, the difficulty is magnified. Professor Warner gives minimal instruction to the course. Each class, he runs through proofs in the textbook, rarely straying from the text except to make proofs more clear. He effectively explains each proof, and does a better job than the textbook (which is not very helpful) in proving the many theorems in the class. Still, he follows along with the textbook, and many students have said that they would be doing better in the class if only the material were presented in a different way. When asked to do this, Professor Warner usually responds that we should buy another book to supplement the required textbook. Professor Warner clearly posses a great understanding of the material, but he is very quiet and follows strictly to the textbook, which makes his teaching much less effective, a serious problem for such a difficult class. |
| trimalchio Course: MATH140 Grade Expected: c November 28, 2007, 9:36 am | Warner is the worst professor I could've possibly imagined. His teaching method was to come in to class, start wispering into his microphone so that nobody could understand, and write all over the board in writing nobody could decipher even a foot away from it. He took questions but answered them in the same incoherence and everyone would give up after asking him to repeat himself 5 times. The tests were very hard but that was normal for Math140, and the class was curved at the end. This class was very hard and it was made much more difficult because the professor was so terrible |