Alfred Sho-Yu Tang

Tang is for the student who doesn't want to do anything in his class. He doesn't care if you come to his class or not, and he never collects the homework. The bad thing about him is that you won't learn much if you take him. The good thing is that his tests are the easiest damn tests you'll ever take. I'm at the top of the class right now, and I don't even go to class! Don't take Tang if you want to learn, but do take him if you want an easy A. The other reviews of Tang are not correct, by the way. His tests are such that a high school student can ace them. Those people who said his tests are hard must be weak in Math.

Dr. Tang knows his subject but he is very boring. His teaching skills need much improvement. If you are weak in the math department, do not take him. There are better choices available. He would be my last choice in the entire math department.

Tang's class was cool, but it moved too slowly. While he was postulating formulas, everyone was always dragging. I enjoyed the class, but due to the other students' complete lack of understanding of math, it seemed to drag on forever. Also, I'm giving him a bad grade becasue the tests were too simple. I'm paying for the class, and I want my mind to be pushed, not coddled. Maybe if the other students were as bright as I, Tang could push the envelope further, and really educate. The truth is out there.

Professor Tang is very intelligent and knowledgable in Math. His lectures aren't bad, but he could improve by slowing down and not lecturing to the chalk board. He does a problem on the board (blocking it with his body), and then asks the students if they have any questions. By that time, I'm still trying to copy down the problem/solution. But that's about the only problem. Other than that, he's a pretty good instructor overall. For all of those other students who wrote a review before me, they suck! He handed out a sheet on the first day of class explaining that his class would be difficult. Hello? This is a quantitative reasoning course, he lectures just enough for us to have a basic idea of the section. The rest is up to you! That's why we have homework! He already warned everyone on the first day of school that his class is no JOKE. Stop complaining and do something about it. This is a University, not a J.C. If you can't hang with his class, then you should go back to high school.

First and foremostly, i would like to say he shouldn't be teaching Calculus I. He's an extremely intelligent man however when he lectures he spends alot of the time talking to the board. It is as though he's talking to himself and trying to figure out the problem for himself. He does the problem extremely quick. (and i mean road runner quick.) He does it as though the problem is an arithmetic question. Regarding his tests, of course it's extremely hard. He doesnt give partial credit either. an ex. test question might contain a few parts. but you'll have to know the answer to a) before you can do b). Basically you'll need to know the previous answer before going on. He tells the class that though his tests are long, it isn't hard. But then again, look who's telling you. His lectures are examples you'll see from the book. he'll postulate the formula for the topic youre learning. It's terrible. My classmates had to buy supplementle material (videos, study guides) to understand it better. I'd suggest you do the same if you plan to take his class. But still I wish you luck.

not bad. as long as you do your reading and do your homework, this class isn't that hard.

i never read my book, nor do my homework, but i had no trouble getting a B-.

a few times, i did read and do hw, and the class seemed SO easy. i can never get myself to always do the work though. i guess i just have to learn the hard way.

he sometimes needs to speak a little louder, but you get used to it after a couple lectures.

Calculus has been a whole new world for me. As a former math flunkie, it is very exciting to find myself at this level. I found that I have a love for mathematics, and have since chosen a major that requires four semesters of Calculus. There is a prolem, however. I am having an especially difficult time in Professor Tang's Calculus1 class. I do not know how other beginning Calculus classes are taught, so I cannot make a comparison. What I can say is that I have needed many of the ideas/theories of Calculus (especially all the nuances of limits) explained in everyday language that I understand. Instead they are presented in the language of mathematical theory, which is entirely new to me. This is like learning one foreign language by translating it into another foreign language. To make things even more difficult, many times the homework assignment preceeds the lecture of the particular subject. I am not taking this course in order to discover that I am a math wizardess who does not need an instructor at all. I am taking it because I really want to understand Calculus. But I need help. I get all I can from the book itself: taking notes, doing examples, working problems. I get help from tutors. I do my part of the student-teacher two way street. I think the professors part is to try to present material in as clear a way as possible. If one way doesn't seem to work, try another. I don't think this concept should be limited to students. The median test score in this class is around 48%. I see this as a problem. I really think that with a little more down to earth explanations of the material this percentage could go up. Who wouldnt want that? Professor Tang obviously knows his stuff ten times over, and I appreciate his quirky sense of humor. I hope for future students, though, that he reads this teacher review and remembers that he, too, was at one time a beginner.

Dr. Tang, while he is a nice guy ,his test are extremly hard. His lectures are not very good, an he does not explain things well. But really burns me up and gives him a bad grade is the fact that his test all full answer(you must show the answer) if you get the answer but using a method in the book, and he gives a different method he will mark you down considerably. To his credit, I did learn something and he does know the subject matter but he does not explain it well.

Very difficult teacher, he doesn't give a lot of help, and has very hard tests. Even if you know the subject well, it will be a very hard class. The tests are unrelated to the in class instruction, and the text book. He tends to only be able to go over one problem per class, and that doesn't help enough people. He does have office hours, but even then they don't do much good. I would recommend taking another teacher if possible. Most people end up droping the class because it is too hard to manage in the class.

Professor Tang is very dedicated to math. He comes to class everyday and is prepared. He does his lecture directly from the syllabus. There are three midterms and one final, although he does drop the lowest midterm score. Homework is totally voluntary. He does not collect the homework, but it would be to the student's advantage to do the homework (its very helpful towards midterms/finals). He is a hard grader, but a great instructor and you really do learn the material that needs to be covered. His lectures are easy to understand, he practically breaks down what the section you're working on in the book has to say. There are no cheat sheets during the exam, but calculators are permitted (including the graphing calculators). He doesn't want you to use the graphing functions though (just the basic functions for those who don't have a scientific calculator). If you don't understand a concept or have questions regarding homework, he holds office hours, which really is helpful. All I have to say is if you just want to get a passing grade in Math 220/226 for G.E. requirements, then don't take the course. But if you really want to learn calculus for whatever reason (major-related), then I really recomend taking his course. He uses the standard calculus text book that most instructors use, which is "Calculus Early Transcendentals" by Stewart...3rd edition. One more thing, he covers from review and preview and goes up to 4.7 (Applied maximum and minimum and minimum problems). Throughout the course he basically covers chapters 1-4...Limits, Derivatives, Inverse Funcions; exponential, logarithmic, and trigonomic functions. You must have all your algebra skills down. Professor Tang will expect you to. A little bit of Trig. foundation would be helpful to you too.