Robert Saltzman

This was my second time taking DS 412. And i highly highly recommend Saltzman. He is the easiest and most understanding of all the DS 412 teachers. It is no doubt you have to work hard - and the key to passing the class is staying on top of all the hw ( im serious, do it all). the exams are open book, open note ( the only ds412 teacher that i know who does this) and he has pre-made power pt slides you can download for class. He is very approachable and really tries to work with you. This does not mean you can slack though - it is a demanding class and requires at least a couple hours per week and maybe a trip or two to his office. Always get the hw explained to you if you don't understand - because those concepts with re-appear on the test. The final is cummulative, but if you study what you already learned that year you should do just fine ( plus you have all your notes going into the final). I had the best experience with this teacher - and I got a B in the class. He is an effective teacher and kind person. He's funny too and really really tries to bring the class concepts to life.

Of all teachers I have taken - he is the most highly recommended ( coming from and ibus major) Take him- i'm serious. You won't regret it.

I took DS 212 with Saltzman in Spring 2004 and I must say he is one of the best professors at SF State. So good that I wanted to take him for DS 412 but he wasn't teaching 412 in Spring 05 (when I took it) so I eventually took it with Miyaoka (also a good teacher-very approachable and nice). But I digress..

Saltzman is EXTREMELY organized. When I took him for DS 212, he will list what he intends to complete at the right hand corner of the blackboard, then he will cross out one by one, the items he completed; and HE FINISHES EVERYTHING on time. Incredible.

He is always patient, and ever willing to answer student's questions.

Most of all, I love his Excel worksheets. When I took his class in 04, I was not very good at Excel but he made his assignments so "doable"--with clear and precise instructions needed to complete the Excel assignments.

I always enjoyed going to his classes. He can be humorous at times.

Plus, his handwriting is very good. This is very important since he writes a lot on the blackboard. I love the little happy and sad faces that he draws when he explained the Type I and II error in class. Very interesting!

Glad I had a chance to take his class.

Dr. Saltzman is one of the best teachers -- in every sense of the word -- at SFSU. He's always available at office hours to help students, he explains every detail at his lectures, and if you take good notes -- you will not have any problems with this course. It's not easy information, but he does make it 'come to life' with real world examples. The exams come right from the notes -- plus homework assignments. You have to attend class, read the text, take good notes -- real good notes -- and do the homework assignments for every class. They are key to understanding this material. In statistics, you just can watch him write it on the board and expect to be able to re-create it for an exam -- you have to study! This is COLLEGE!!! Not elementary school! You have to work at it and you will get out of it what you put into it. The previous "review" couldn't have been more wrong about Dr. Saltzman -- but you'll get these loafers in every classs -- complain, complain, complain and blame all their bad grades on other people. Take some responsibility -- and go study!

I don't recommend this teacher if you aren't into doing Homework everyday (he does make it optional, but you really need to). he only grades on 3tests (plus a few little assignments), if you're the type that isn't the best test-taker, then another reason not to take him. His exams are long, and he was told by a couple students they found it difficult to finish in time(thus rushing through their isht, and losing points). he's ignorant, he knows he understands it, but for a student learning it, it's different and we can't just finish a problem in a snap of a finger. He doesn't grade consistently i found with the Excel assignments, as with my friend who took the class got full credit for things she did NOT complete while i would lose credit because i did it but wasn't correct-he's a hater. It comes down to if you ace his tests, he will like you, if you don't, he will not like you becaues that would mean he's not doing a good job at teaching. Also why I am writing a negative comment is his smartarse comment on an exam, a personal comment that was not necessary and could be put to punish ... yeah, he's a lacking incompetent teacher.