Neville Robbins

He may seem intimidating and rude at first (he yells a bit when you do problems on the board and it's consistently not correct) but you have to give him a lot of credit. He really knows his subject and teaches it really well.

Incredibly thorough. When starting a new subject he goes over it many times and gives lots of examples. And a few days before each test, he reviews it all over again.

At the beginning of the semester, he gives out an assesment take home test. You MUST pass this test, or else he won't let you take the class, enrolled or not.

The tests have only a few problems but are ussually very hard. And if you miss one or two, you could fail the test. So you have to study a lot. Math is my worst subject but I was still able to pass with a lot of tutoring. But he gives out a practice exam which is just like the real one. Pass the practice and you will do fine.

He's only available during his office hours and dosen't like to talk at the end of class like most teachers. Scary in class but outside of class he's a polite guy.

He's really strict on attendance too, so no skipping class especially since he's real good with people's names and faces.

BEST MATH TEACHER IN THE WHOLE SCH0OL!!! This guy is great. If you suck at math, take him ,you cannot possibly fail. During lecture, he writes everything he says on the board. Then for homework he gives you the same examples as he did in lecture except with different numbers. For every test, you get a review sheet with practice problems, and the actual test is the same as the review sheet except with different numbers. Homework is not required, but if you present 5 problems correctly on the board, then homework counts toward 5% of your grade. He goes over each homework problem in front of the class and corrects all the mistakes. And it is not intimidating to write homework on the board because usually several people are doing it at the same time. At first, Robbins seems kinda intimidating, but he is very very nice and very very easy. Trust me!!!

Dr. Robbin's photographic memory is astounding! He memorizes dates and happenings like nobody's business. He can recite prime numbers from memory that are larger than I can read. That in itself may make it worth taking this class! Ok, maybe not.

This class is especially valuable to those who have a bachelors and are going to take the CSET exam, for it not only covers history, but also some number theory.

Robbins is a real pro when it comes to lecturing. He does it with ease and makes things really interesting.

The class is a little deceptive, though. He assigns very easy homework and the corresponding problems on tests are cake. But read the book VERY carefully and spend some time memorizing the details in the book that are NOT in his lecture. There are not many problems in the exam, which makes missing just one problem a big deal.

This class does not demand a lot of time, but its easy to underestimate the amount of time you have to put in come midterms and finals (esp. the first midterm).

Prof. Robbins is an outstanding instructor. He has a well thought out lecture, which has been fine tuned over the many 10's of years that he has been teaching. His test's are no cake-walk, however they are reviewed weeks before they are given and are not tricky. His tests usually consist of 5 questions, and he tells you the area that the 5 quaetions will be in beforehand. He assigns homework daily, but only collects 5 assingments that are graded (he tells you which assingments are graded, so there are no surprises). He obviously knows his subject. He can be a bit gruff at times, but he is fair and quick witted. This is an A+++ teacher.

This is one of the best calculus teachers at San Francisco State University. He knows his materials well and the best part is that he knows how to teach. It is very easy to understand the material because he explains it in a way students can understand. He does lots of examples and goes over every homework and exam. His writing on the board has improved since calculus 1 (I took him for calculus 1 & 2).

Whenever he does a problems, he goes step-by-step for the first few problems so students can see exactly what he is doing. Then he will pick up the pace when most students understand. After a problem, he will also ask if there are any questions before moving on. He will also do more examples if you ask.

I have mixed feelings about Dr. Robbins. However, I believe that my ambivalence towards Professor Robbins stems from the fact that his teaching style does not neccessarily match my learning style. He does cover the material very thoroughly and does many examples. As such, anyone who enjoys lecture-style professors should take this teacher. On the other hand, if you prefer a teacher who would encourage a more active learning approach, attending class every day with Professor Robbins can become tedious. In general, his classes are challenging but not overly difficult.

It is worth your time to take this instructor. I took Calc 1 & 2 with him, and didn't regret it. Clear lecture style, very organized, and committed to having you understand the material. He will create special study sheets if a lot of the class seems to be having problems with a subject.

Homework policy in both these classes - assigned daily, but not collected. Demonstrate 5 problems correctly over the course of the semester, receive a 10% credit towards final grade (in other words, final goes from 40% of grade to 30% of grade)

Tests - almost identical to problems from homework 90% of the time

Professor Robbins is one of the best in the mathematics faculty. He really cares about the students and isn't relectant to help them learn. His lectures are clear and concise. He gives 2 midterms and a final. All of them are mostly based on the Homework. Homework is reasonable, and many of the problems are simple, not challenging. I strongly recommend everyone to attend his exam reviews; they are extremely helpful and gives a very good idea on what is covered in the exam. Overall, you can't go wrong with Robbins.

For Math 226 it's obvious that he's an old pro. He clearly knows the subject inside and out. He's in tune with where students go right and wrong. You couldn't ask for a better role as a student. Homework is only about 5 problems and he reviews everything you need to know for the tests. None of this 'here's a sheet that outlines everything we've covered', it's here is an example of each problem that will be on the test. You can also get 10 points for putting 5 homework problems on the board. I feel that I thoroughly learned the subject matter. It's hard not to like the guy.

Prof. Robbins is a great calculus teacher. His lectures are clearly organized. He shows you the problem, and tells you how to do it. He is, as many math professors are, picky about how things are laid out. On tests you must follow his format. It can be a pain, but if you learn to follow it, it will help you keep organized, and let you learn the material better. So far, I have not had to read any of the calculus book to understand the material. (Which is good, because the book is extremely boring and hard to understand.) His homework assignments usually don't contain over 10 problems, which makes homework very manageable, and gives enough practice to get the problems down. He takes the time to make sure that the students understand how to negotiate the problems. There are no suprises on the tests, and can be easily completed within 1:15. I have learned and _retained_ a lot from Prof. Robbins, and I highly recommend him. I hope that he will be teaching calculus II next semester!

My, I wish that the Dr. Robbins I took was as good as the Dr. Robbins above. I knew we were in trouble when he mentioned that he hadn't taught this course in 7 1/2 years. Unfortunately, it shows. He came into the class quite disorganized, and it seems like he remains that way. He breezes through examples without really explaining the significance of what he's doing, and several times he's either made errors or has gone on a tangent that doesn't pertain to the course material. As a person, he's a sympathetic, funny guy, very warm and cares about the students and the university. As a calculus professor-- well, he's certainly makes me miss Shidong Li and Susann Novalis. As for the course itself, he does not grade on a curve, but usually prepares you pretty thoroughly for the tests. I say "usually" because the last test felt rushed and disorganized, and the review session was left to a substitute who had no idea about what to expect with the class. Homework assignments are fairly light, and are not graded. Instead, students write their answers on the board and we go over the examples in class. There are three to four midterms (60% of the grade) and a comprehensive final (40% of the grade, 30% if you do five homework problems on the chalkboard).

His #1 goal is that his students comprehend the material. He teaches calculus is a detailed step by step manner that can be followed reasonably. Ocassionally he even does a brief review of high school math some of the students may have forgotten. I hardly had to read the book to understand how to solve the assigned math problems. Over 95% of the time I learned it from him. Reviews are given before each test and the final. Common errors made on tests are always pointed out in the hopes we don't make such mistakes. Although he doesn't grade on a curve, his tests are straight forward and can be completed in the alotted time. His wonderful sense of humor keeps spirits up and he likes to praise students who have done well. He is also receptive to suggestions made by students. Very few drop his class. Our class started with 47 students and ended with 42. Praise for Dr. Robbins from my fellow students was in abundance when I took his class. If he were to teach all the remaining math classes I'm required to take, that would be fine with me.