Rawlings, Don  

Dr. Rawlings expalings material clearly and is willing to answer all questions. What he expects in terms of homework and tests is very fair.

good teacher will explain all that you don't understand, homework due twice a week, gives good test study guides

rawlings is always in a good mood, even at 8 in the morning. he tries to get the class involved, but at 8am, no one wants to do anything but sleep. he presents the material well and is very helpful in his office hours. always willing to explain the material over and over until you understand it. i recommend taking rawlings.

Rawlings is a professor that knows what he's talking about and tries his best to convey it to the students. I liked how he was always friendly and would take the time to go over questions that students have. I didn't pass the class because of lack of studying and not understanding the concept in general, not specifically because of him. I would recommend him to students who are willing to study the material before asking questions in class about it. It's a tough class, but he makes it possible to do well with calculus as long as the student is willing to put in the effort also.

This professor was completely terrible. Every morning he would walk in with his stupid thermas and drink out of the cap all class long. He would try to cover too much material in one hour. Dr. Rawlings talked as if he was talking to mathmaticians, not as if he was talking to students. Everything went over my head, and he didn't bother to care. His tests are impossible, and even homework is impossible. DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! This quarter I am taking math 141 again with a different professor and getting a solid 'A'. So it wasn't me, it was Dr. Rawlings...he is the worst...

This is one goofy bastard. I would have done well in the class if i had done better on homwork, gone to class more, and not slept in class on the days i did go. He graded homework a little to hard i though, making each assingment out of ten. I also wasnt a fan of the carved-in-stone style syllabus which didnt make any room for class difficulties on sections. Tests were a bit weird in the sense that he made you know definition of theorems as much as how to use them in problems. If you go to class, work hard a HW, and study for the test you sohuld do well, but there are better teatchers out there. I'm taking wite this quarter, and he is a much better teacher, so look around before you decide on Rawlings. Damn he's goofy.

I don't know about this guy. It helped that i had already taken calc in high school, and i was able to not go to class for 4 weeks and still get an A. i like his laid back attitude, but if you need dicipline to succeed dont take him. he is also generous on the final, and will raise your grade if you do well on the final.

Rawlings is a good teacher ONLY if you've taken Calculus before in high school. If you go into his class with no previous knowledge or practice with Calculus you will have a very difficult time. He tends to present things with too much complexity, and grades his tests with unevenly and unfairly distributed point values. A good teacher if you have little other choices, but definitely not a top pick.

I am amazed that professor Rawlings grade is not higher than it is. He is an excellent teacher who truly cares about student difficulties and is availble to help you when you need it. Additionally he presents the material in a new and interesting way to me (I have already taken a year of calculus), and the rest of the students in my class agree. His class is amusing as well as educational and if you put even the slightest effort into it, you will receive much more than what you put in. Also, homework is not collected but is reccomended to do in order to get practice for his bi-weekly quizzes and the tests. DO THE HOMEWORK (at least some of it), it helps alot. He lets you drop your two lowest quiz scores over the quarter, and is a cool guy all around. I chose to take his 142 class next quarter, which should show you that I'm not making this all up.

Rawlings is a very effective Calculus instructor. He explains the material thoroughly and provides examples that are engaging and keep the class interested in the material. He has a sense of humor, which is a nice feature in a Calculus teacher.

I do not recommend Rawlings for 141 unless you have already taken calc before. He taught under the assumption everyone in the class already understood the material (only about half had already taken calc.) He's one of those teachers who asks "Are there any questions" and the teachers pet in the front row says no and he doesnt bother to look around and see if anyone else has questions or has the glazed over look of confusion. This literally happened on a daily basis. He rarely went over examples in class and his twice weekly quizes didnt help you to predict material on the midterms/final. I didnt find his explanations of key concepts to be helpful at all. If you already understand calc go ahead and take him, you'll probably do fine. If you are new to calculus stay away from him for calc 141! Having a good solid start with a good teacher is the only way to start the calculus series.

Rawlings is very enthusiastic about what he's teaching, which can make an early morning class that much more bearable. He also uses plenty of examples and begins each class by asking if anyone has questions from the previous assignment. In my class, homework was not collected, but I highly recommend that you do it as there are biweekly quizes based upon your homework. There are two midterms and one final in the class, so it's important to give it your all and study hard. Rawlings is also readily available to help during office hours if you have any questions. I enjoyed the class and I wouldn't be disappointed to have Rawlings down the road in a future class. Best of luck to ya.

Prof Rawlings is awesome! He explains the material very thoroughly and adds helpful things here and there that aren't in the textbook but help you understand the material better. He's very interested in helping you understand the actual math and the thinking behind it instead of just telling you to use this or that formula or theorem to do this or that operation. He gives a quiz after each homework problem set is due, which is twice a week. This may seem like a lot of quizzes, but it will really help you stay on top of the material. When you get to the 2 midterms and the final, it won't be as hard to remember the material because you were already quizzed on it. Also, some of the math professors have been trying to transition away from lectures to a more "active" class (flipping), and students are struggling because this method doesn't work well. Rawlings sticks with the good ol' lecture format and does a great job. He's not boring at all, and he interacts with the class a lot. He welcomes any questions and is very open to correction from the students if he makes a mistake. And he has a good sense of humor, which helps lighten up the full hour of calculus. He's also super helpful in office hours. I went a couple times to ask him about HW problems, and he was very good at explaining how to solve them. He also goes over HW problems people are struggling with at the beginning of class, but I don't recommend saving your questions until then. Overall, Prof Rawlings is really cool. Yeah, okay, maybe he drinks some tea for a few seconds before starting lecture and it can feel a bit awkward, like some people have mentioned (and anyways, that's are part of what makes him funny), but he's a great guy. If you take the class, do the HW! Even though it isn't a huge portion of your grade, it helps you be ready for each quiz and know the material much better. Most of my studying for the final was going through homework problems. Do be aware that he will ask you to state some of the important theorems on quizzes and exams (but its not hard, there aren't very many to remember). And go to his office hours! He's super helpful, he'll explain things you don't understand and will work through problems with you.

Nice guy, although a bit dry. Dosen't collect homework, which is a big problem if you have no motivation to do it since it's not due. It's your average math class, if you study hard and go to his office hours you'll pass. Nothing extra special about it.

Professor Rawlings is TERRIBLE. Every day, this chump walks into class with his ugly bird nose and sips on his tea from the thermos cap all class long. He is so incredibly weird, and he appreciates proofs a little too much. He sometimes gives more than 20 homework problems in a night, and expects you to spend hours and hours on each assignment, and then he gives the homework to his grader and allows him to rip you a new one. He tries to cover way too much in class. In one day, he'll teach you about inverse trig functions, then how to differentiate them, then how to integrate them, and then he'll move on to something even more ridiculous. His tests are extremely difficult and he is not afraid to fail over half of his students. He expects you to spend so much time on his class alone...as if you don't have any other classes here at Cal Poly, so if you are interested in putting in the hours of a part time job without getting paid, then go ahead and take his class.

Dr. Rawlings was a good professor, this class is in no way easy but he managed to teach in a way that helped make the information a little less overwhelming. It is important to go to class everyday because the book is not helpful. He prepares you well for his tests, which weren't so bad, and is willing to help you. I definitely recommend him.

i looked on polyratings first before i took him, and i decided to take to class kinda late, so i thought i was getting stuck with the hardest professor, but he really helps you to understand it, and GO INTO OFFICE HOURS!!it made such a difference, and i've never been the type to go. Unlike a lot of professors, his exams test you on what you expect, very fair, doesn't try to trick you. take him.

Rawlings is a decent teacher, but he is SO unlikeable. He is pretty cocky about what he knows, and always says stuff like "you should already this". He's the type to bring you down if you don't know something. He also gets off on proofs, its disgusting. He makes the tests extremely hard as well, by selecting problems from the very end of the chapter to put on his tests, rather than basic ones. Only take him if you do better in a class where you hate the teacher

Doctor Rawlings is the most likeable teacher I had this year. He is very fair and extremely flexible. He explains the material clearly, does examples, and is really good about answering student's questions. His quizzes are sometimes tricky but your grade won't change a whole lot because of your quizzes. He really will look at your test grades. Great guy, great professor.

Don is a great guy. I took this class after taking BC in high school and I was cocky about it being easy. If I had just gone in with an open mind ready to learn it would have been an easy A. Definitely use his office hours if you start to fall behind he is very willing to help you out and will notice the extra effort you put in.

He made waking up for 7am worth it (for me anyway). He will say what he expects students to know what to do. No curveballs on quizzes or midterms. Drops 2 lowest quiz scores. Not looking forward to the cumulative final though. Fair grader. Answers student questions.

Dr. Rawlings was an extremely pleasant teacher to have. I won't sugarcoat anything. My first quarter at CalPoly was great minus the fact that I had failed MATH 142, I just couldn't understand things and connect them together and that made it difficult. Rawlings however made the class extremely easy to follow and taught us how we should go about to solve a problem. He clearly states his thought process and explains why he would do something. If you learn best by doing tons of examples then I would highly recommend Rawlings! It seems that his classes are usually in the early mornings but it will be worth your while to take any of his classes! His course consists of 2 homeworks/quizzes every week (two of your lowest dropped), 2 midterms, and a cumulative final. He is very clear on what he expects from you. He literally emails out study guides for you to go over before every midterm. He will also go over any homework questions that you had trouble with the night before. By the end of the class, I understood so much more and everything just clicked! Dr. Rawlings is a dream of a teacher to have, I highly recommend! Hope this helped.

Overall, a pretty straightforward class if you've had at least a little experience with Calculus. Rawlings breaks down his class into quizzes and homework (collects hw and administers quizzes twice a week), 2 midterms and a cumulative final. He strives to really clarify any confusion a student might have and is really passionate about calculus. He makes a few jokes here and there and the class doesn't have too heavy of a course load. Doable, light, fun and not too challenging. Take him! He's cool

Rawlings is an absolute stud. His cute little sweaters hide the fact that he is an absolute math savage who will make even difficult concepts easy to grasp. His notes are hard to read, but if you pay attention during class and take good notes, he'll cover everything you need and chalk it full of examples. His tests are fair, and his homework is collected very often so you don't get left behind. Highly recommend.

Dr. Rawlings is the best professor I've ever had. I had him at 7am four days a week, and I looked forward to waking up for his class every day. He learned my name within two weeks even though I rarely asked any questions. His class treats students like the adults that they are which I appreciate. Bi-weekly quizzes are a super helpful and measure your understanding effectively while they don't really hurt your grade but can help borderline grades. I wish I could take him again because I was extremely motivated by his way of doing things and find myself doing math differently than I used to.

Dr.Rawlings is a really really great calc 2 teacher. He's really enthusiastic about the subject and makes the class interesting in general. Even though I have him at 8AM he makes waking up that early worth it and he won't put you to sleep. His tests can be challenging, but if you study you should be fine. The only thing is that he really loves to derive proofs and he moves really fast. Take him if you're willing to learn the material and work for it, but in the end he makes it worth it.

One of the best math professors I have ever had. I had him at 8 AM in the morning which was awful, but he was very enthusiastic and never put me to sleep. The class is pretty straight forward and the tests can be difficult, but if you put in the effort and do your best on the homework, he will see the effort you put in and help you with your grade in the class. Definitely take him if you want to learn something and make the best out of the money we pay to this school.

Professor Rawlings awards those that show that they've put in the effort. I hate taking those unreasonably hard classes where the professor does not care, which is super unmotivating and makes the class really dry. Rawlings is the opposite of that. His tests are tough which sucks. If you do all the homework, you will do well in the class. I went into the final with a B. I got a low B on the first midterm and then a solid B on the second one. I studied extremely hard for the final and got an A on the final. Professor Rawlings recognized that and gave me an A in the class after doing so well on the final. He sees students effort! Take him if you want a professor that really does care!

I'm not sure if it was because I took this class at 7am or if it was Professor Rawlings, but this class was a struggle. He focused a lot of his time on proofs and the quizzes were a challenge. Such a sweet guy though and passionate about what he does.

Super nice guy. Presented material clearly. No curve and stupid hard questions so over half of our class had to retake it.

Super engaging professor, tries to go out of his way to over explain concepts so everyone gets them. Solid choice for a teacher. Would definitely take him for Calc 3 if I could.

Rawlings is an awesome professor hands down. Clearly presents material and makes it very clear what is on every exam. Two quizzes a week to make sure you are understanding the homework (also due two times a week). Quizzes are easy and predictable once you get with the flow. Quizzes are also GREAT study guides for the exams and final. One thing Rawlings is not the best at is he teaches in a way that no other math teacher I have had teaches. He uses the Intuitive approach to every concept meaning a lot of previous knowledge does not go far in his class. You are welcome to continue on with your own methods from previous courses but he will not assist you with those methods unless you go to office hours. To be fair, his intuitive approach is very easy to understand and makes logical sense. Overall, I highly recommend Rawlings. Great professor.

Master Yoda in the flesh. Professor Rawlings is OG. He's always in a good mood and really knows his stuff. He makes his class so that it is easy to save your grade. Although I didn't do well on the midterms, it wasn't because I didn't understand the material but rather because I didn't know how much I needed to study for my first college course. But even so I was able to save my grade with the final and other quizzes/hw. He is a very understanding professor who I would recommend 10/10.

I had an exceptional learning experience in his class, although I'm not sure if everyone will. His class formatis as follows: Homework due Tues and Fridays, Two midterms, and a final. He curves the tests only 2% or so, but they are easily passible. He has a great enthusiasm for Calculus and it shows during lecture. A very approachable guy and is very fair. The homework is not overwelming but you must stay consistent with it, especially because his test questions are very similar to the homework problems. His class comes down to the homework, if you do it all, you'll be well off. If you slack, you'll struggle. If you feel you can keep up with homework twice a week (its only 8 problems or so each), I highly recommend taking his class. He'll also prepare you very well for Calc 4, although now I'm screwed because I have Colvin for Calc 4 this quarter (Don't ever take him!). Overall, great instructor always in a good mood and ready to teach an organized lecture. Take him if you get the chance.

Dr Rawlings is very smart and sometimes he will just expect the students to understand the material as well as he does. The tests and very challenging (only two and the final) and the homework that's collected doens't really help your grade. Usually the grader sucks and you will get 5/10 on the homework when you did your best. 143 is so different that the other calc classes so it will be a chalenge. I don't reccommend Rawlings because he gives proofs on the tests (which I felt weren't appropriate) and he is not so great at explaining things.

DR Rawlings is big in proofs. If you are an engineer don't take him. He should only teach math majors or something. He is an okay professor, but he wants you to prove everthing you do. If you are a theory guy- go ahead take him, if not take someone else. At least 15 studuents in my class got D's so take your chances/

There are two midterms and a final in this class. Be prepared for a pretty long test, the midterms took the entire hour for a lot of the class, and I know that I personally didn't finish either of them. Rawlings puts a HUGE emphasis on proofs, about half of his lectures are devoted to them. Most of the time I would just sit there and stare at the floor when he went into "proof mode", because I'm pretty sure no one in the class knew or cared about what he was talking about. Some of the proofs are doable, others are possible only if you're really truly interested and like to memorize stuff. BEWARE, he will put the most difficult proofs on the tests among others. I hated his lectures when he did proofs, but when he was teaching about the applications of the math I could follow along pretty well. Overall, I would probably like his class if I were a math major because he gets into theory and stuff, but if you're not a math major, you probably won't appreciate him too much. This is not an easy class, and overall I didn't really enjoy it.

Rawlings is one of those professors who are very tough but very good. The grader is extremely picky. I was happy if i got 7/10 on the hw. However, homework was only worth 50 points out 350 total points for the class. Midterms were 100 each, and the final was 200. Yes, he likes his proofs. On each of the midterms there was one proof, and on the final there was two. Asides from the proofs, the rest of the tests were hard but fair. He is fair on giving out partial credit. Rawlings gives a lot, but expects a lot. If you want to be prepared for the future, take him. You want an easy A, look elsewhere.

Rawlings is not a bad lecturer at all, he is very enthusiastic and passionate about his work. He really likes showing proofs, and will make you do at least one on each midterm and final. He takes plenty of time to answer questions in class about the homework, of which is due every other day. The difficulty of his tests are average, although most people don't do too well (mainly due to the hard material of this class). When giving you your final grade, Rawlings does look hard at your final and gives you one last chance to show him that you know the stuff. I got a D and F on the two midterms, and studied hard for the final, did well, and passed with a C in the class. BOTTOM LINE - not a bad guy, stay on top of the material and if you show him you understand the stuff, he'll cut you some slack.

Do not take Rawlings. He is a big jerk. He gives the hardest tests I have ever seen and fails the whole class without a curve. There are 2 midterms, a final and 18 homeworks. He would yell at people who were late and wouldn't accept their homework. BIG JERK. I want to cut off his mullet too.

seriosuly, if you are going to take this course, use this man as your LAST option. he is a very nice person, he just can't teach as far as I am concerned. go to his office hours and it almost seems as though he wants you out of there as soon as you sit down, he will scribble things onto paper hastily and then shove you out the door clutching his scrawlings and confused beyond your wildest dreams. His tests are pretty much impossible, plan on looking around the class and everyone just laughing at the fact that no one has any idea what is going on or where to even begin. I would say stay away from him,unless you really don't like passing math and getting a good grade that is...

This professor, what a joke... if you get him don't even bother going to his class, you might as well stay at your house and read the book. Even if you do show up, if you show up late he'll yell at you in front of the entire class. His tests are horribly set up, he puts in fill in the blanks that should take 2 seconds and makes them worth as much as the problems that take 10 minutes to solve. He also decided that right before the last final, HE WASN'T GOING TO CURVE THE CLASS! What a jerk! Over half of our class failed and it was because he was upset because he didn't think enough people were showing up to class. Better off taking someone else. Rawlings, if you read this take it seriously, your class sucks, learn to teach and don't put stuff on the test that you haven't taught. YOU'RE A DISGRACE, do yourself a favor and leave POLY, we don't need you.

Rawlings test are very fair and a little easy. If you take notes in the lecture, study them and do the homework you will have no problems. He does get pissed when people arrive late and takes students actions personally. He is a good teacher and I would take him again.

Rawlings is an interesting guy but is a decent teacher. He clearly explains the concepts well on the board but he doesn't adress questions very well. He is also anal about how you go about solving the problems. He also gives biweekly quizzes which are annoying but doable if you do the homework. Tests are very hard (there are two MT and a final) so do all the homework and study. Also make sure you go every day because he moves quickly. Lastly, he doesn't do any example problems while lecturing so IF YOU LEARN BETTER THROUGH EXAMPLES DO NOT TAKE HIM.

Dr. Rawlings was a fabulous professor. He presented every topic clearly and went over any questions that were asked in a great manner. We had 2 quizzes per week but this really prepared me for the midterms and final. He also gives you a lot of credit for doing well on the final- he claimed if you had a C in the class and got an A on the final that he would give you the A in the class. I highly recommend Dr. Rawlings. :)

Professor Rawlings is extremely easy-going. He's very helpful during his office hours, and his lectures are very easy to follow. He's a very fair grader, and he gives A LOT of partial credit for wrong answers. I really enjoyed his class, and I totally recommend him as a teacher!

Rawlings is okay. If you have a solid background in previous calc material, then his class should be fine. If you're like me and struggled through the calc BC AP test and by some miracle tested out of calc 1 and 2, then don't take him. He does not review at all and he skips through old material assuming that you know it and doesn't say when he skips steps in his procedures.

Hard when grading and didn't answer my questions about things I got wrong, I ended up going to another teacher to help my with things he didn't explain well to me, I did poorly in the class and I believe alot of it was because he didnt like the way I did my work. It wasn't his way and in his eyes that made it wrong even though I was doing all the work.

As mentioned earlier, Rawlings is definitely passionate about math and what he teaches. He does like to spend time reviewing proofs which to some people might be a bore but sometimes critical to fully understanding the course. The class isn't about memorizing formulas and how to bust them out during the test but truly understanding the material as it is presented to you, which Rawlings, in my opinion, does a fine job of doing. Quizzes and homework are due biweekly and is actually a good thing. This ensures you don't fall behind and is a great tool to review for the midterms/final. Rawlings is lenient when it comes to grading and will give you the grade you deserve. Be prepared to put time in and make sure you are doing well on his quizzes because his midterms are centered around the quizzes. Overall, Rawlings gave me the impression of a very educated professor who cares about the success of his students.

Really recommend Dr. Rawling. His lectures really helped me learn and remember the material. He's very enthusiastic and overall a very nice guy! The quizzes are helpful and don't have much impact on your grade. He almost always answered all homework questions, or at least explained how to do them.

Rawlings is a great professor. He is engaged in teaching and bringing his best throughout the quarter. Rawlings seemed very invested and interested in the subject and helping with students' questions every week.

I honestly felt that I could've done so much better this quarter. Professor Rawlings is a great teach, I just highly suggest that you visit him during office hours. I never did and I totally feel like that would've helped me out so much. His tests and quizzes are very fair and not too difficult, just study hard and you'll do fine!

I had Rawlings for my first math class at Cal Poly. He was a great transition from AP high school calculus to college calculus. He explained the material clearly, engaged with the class, and clearly had a relationship with the math he was showing us. However, if you don't like proofs I would not recommend taking him. The class time was split fairly evenly between doing actual problems and proving everything that he taught. It added another layer to class and I would definitely take him for math again.

Two quizzes/week and huge homework load. Annoying and inconvenient office hour times. Is much more concerned about making sure the quizzes are given out than answering student questions thoroughly. My worst grade yet at Cal Poly despite having a 3.6+ GPA as an engineering student last quarter. Avoid.

I honestly can't understand why Don doesn't have a higher overall rating on this site. Easily the best math teacher I've ever had. His ability to teach Calc 3 and convey the knowledge in an understandable way is absolutely amazing

Professors Rawlings is the most fair professor that I've ever had. He has two quizzes a week, which sometimes is a bit much, but it is just to keep you on track. His tests are just like his quizzes, and his quizzes are like the problems he teaches in class and from the textbook. There is never anything insanely difficult that he has not taught in his class that is on his tests. Would recommend this professor hella af.

Apart from the times when he goes off doing his proofs, Rawlings is a fantastic teacher and although his tests can be quite hard, he gives a lot of partial credit if you show SOME sort of work. If you get him, just show up to all his classes and study all the proofs and everything he shows you in class because a lot of stuff he does in class appears on the text (the exact same problems). He's a really energetic guy who's completely awake at 8 in the morning and he really cares about math and his students. Also, if you don't remember much from the 2nd part of Calc BC, don't worry about it too much, Rawlings goes over it pretty well.

I was pretty concerned for this course after seeing Rawlings' low poly ratings, but after having him for an entire quarter, I have no idea why they aren't much higher. Easily the best Calc professor I've ever had. With the exception of a couple proofs that appeared on the final exam, there were absolutely no curveballs throughout the entire quarter. Rawlings was very clear and fair about what he expected from his students, and was also very excited and passionate about preparing us for his quizzes and exams. He truly wants you to enjoy math as much as he does. On top of all that, he has an amazing gift for making calculus easy to understand. Definitely the perfect example of what a calculus professor should be like.

Rawlings was a fine teacher, though some information was never fully explained. I didn't do well because some of the concepts just didn't click for me. If you're okay with doing a lot of homework and two quizzes a week, you should do fine and learn a lot from him. The midterms and finals are arguably harder than the quizzes, and he knows that. Take advantage of all the practice he gives you and definitely use office hours. He is great at helping one-on-one.

Don was an amazing professor, he has the power to teach you everything you need to know PLUS its a really easy course: standard 2 midterms 1 final plus homeowork/quiz every week. Recommend it for those who struggle in math but can work hard because he CAN teach :)

Ultimately, Don is a total Bro. I struggled with Calc 2 but with Don as my professor I always felt confident about the material we went over and I never needed to visit his office hours. Don is retired and and super chill about everything. I attended all but one of his lectures and they were always very interesting and he never failed to make corny dad jokes that I found hilarious, keeping me from falling asleep. One time I was not in the mood and spent the entire class drawing a picture of a rocketship and when he was passing out a handout he smiled at me and complimented the picture. He was a very positive guy and I enjoyed going to his class everyday, he even lets you listens to music during midterms and finals and also doesnt collect your phone if you "go to the bathroom". His grading and exams are very fair and I would definitely take Don a again.

Only having two recent reviews, Rawlings has changed a lot of what was said above. He is very excited about calc 3 and will continue to explain something in different ways until you get it. I had a low B in the class, studied really hard and got an A on the final. He gave me an A in the class because of this. I felt that I knew the material really well and that he taught it really well. The quizzes, midterms, and final were not too hard and perfectly reflected the material we learned. Totally recommend!!!

Now this is a swell guy. Seriously, I got blocked into this class at 7 am and although I was dreading it, I was pleasantly surprised and it really all comes down to Rawlings. His lectures are clear and straightforward, and it becomes obvious that he's doing this simply because he loves math. I wasn't too sure about him for the first weeks or so, but then you start to kind of get his style. He keeps his blackboard organized and clear, so taking notes is a breeze and super helpful for study. Not only that, but for the class I was in, he actually went out of his way to create handouts that included the lecture in a succinct format that was easy to digest, and again, useful to study from. He didn't have to, but this is clearly his life and his passion, and it shows. Something he doesn't get a lot of credit for is how he manages to make calc 3 (which at Cal Poly is basically a semi-random jumble of series, parametric/polar, and vector-valued functions; none of which really have anything to do with one another) an organized and structured class, even though the curriculum itself isn't exactly the paradigm of structure. Props to this guy for making the content flow to the best of his abilities. He does seem to get some criticism for the emphasis he places on proofs, but that's cause most of the people taking/reviewing this class are freshman that don't seem to get that math lectures in college are proof-heavy, for the most part. Rawlings and his proofs are the rule, not the exception, in college, folks. And the proofs themselves really aren't that bad; I even enjoyed most of them. There certainly aren't as many proofs in his class as I was led to believe by his PolyRatings page. Exams are graded rather harshly, in my opinion, but are passable if you stay afloat in the homework and are at least peripherally aware of what's going on. Additionally, if you took AP Calc BC in high school, you'll do just fine in this course, seeing as there's tons of series and parametric and polar stuff. The vector stuff will be new, but all in all, if you're in the calc BC camp, this class should be a nice way to transition from high school mathematics to college mathematics.

I love this guy. SO helpful. He explains the material very clearly and is really good at answering questions both in lecture and in office hours. His midterms are very straightforward and the questions are exactly like the quizzes, there was only one question that I didn't expect on the final. Also, he always came into our 7am class with tons of energy and good vibes. Definitely take him if you can!

Dr. Rawlings is an interesting guy. Very calm, soothing voice - not a good thing for an 8 am class. Don't copy notes from him verbatum - he likes to use a lot of verbage, plus he probably made a handout about the theorem or example anyway. Tests are straight forward. As for the grader, she tends to be slightly picky, but no more so than I am (I also grade for the math dept.); show your work clearly and you'll get nearly all the points. Oh, and don't take his class immediately before another - he tends to run over (I think we finish on time ONLY when we have exams).

I may have failed this class, but Dr. Rawlings had nothing to do with it. He demonstrates a tremendous passion for math in his easy to follow lectures. He seems to emphasize proofs, so his tests are more than just re-hashed homework problems. Homework is collected twice a week. His tests are hard, and no calcs allowed (but you wouldn't need them anyways). He's quite helpful in office hours, and always had plenty of students in there whenever I'd go.

He is very good at presenting the material clearly. He is big on proofs and theroms and exceptsd you to know them on the tests. The tests were challenging and there is no note cards or calculators allowed. The amount of homework is fair. I would recomend him as teacher, you will learn the material well.

This guy is awesome! Probably one of the best Math teachers I've ever had alongside Weinstein. As said in the first review homework is due twice a week with 2 midterms and a final. If you do the homework and understand the basics behind each problem the tests will be cakewalks. His lectures are very well organized and easy to follow. He usually spends the first 15-20 min of class to go over homework problems which I think is a very good thing. On the tests and homework he might throw in a proof but he doesn't care much for proofs. During class he usually gives us a theorm or equation then shows us how to apply it, unlike many other profs in the Math department that spend very little or no times with examples on how to applythe learned concepts. He has a great enthusiam for Math (241 especially) and it really shows in the way that he lectures. He really cares about how his students do in his class and is always very willing to help out during office hours or even during class. A+ teacher in my book. Now there is always a bad side to a teacher, and Rawlings of course has a bad side and this side is his grader. She is EXTREMELY picky and will often not award any credit for homework problems that are off by a tiny bit or not evaluated the whole way like big messy integrals that would take 20 mins to do. We're supposed to get points for knowing the concepts not doing stuff we learned in 142 right? Apparantly his grader thinks differently! At least homework isn't worth much and if you gets A's on the tests you'll get an A in the class.

Dr. Rawlings is an awesome teacher. He presents the material clearly and in a way that makes sense. He's always willing to stop in the middle of class and answer someone's question. That said, here comes my beef with him. His tests are extraordinarily hard. I couldn't, after putting fair (but not a lot of) amount of effort into the homework couldn't connect the concepts to the questions. I don't know if it was just me or a combination of the early mornings (9am lecture, 7am Monday final (gah!)), but the tests are what shot me down. Regardless of the tests however, I still feel that I know the primary concepts (partial derivatives, multiple integrals, intro to vector analysis) down. I think that's to Dr. Rawlings' credit. I recommend him, if you do take him, be sure to do the homework faithfully and study the notes (especially the proofs) he puts on the board. Good luck.

Rawlings is one of the best Math profs I've had at Cal Poly. He has a way of presenting the material that is really clear and you'll understand it very well. He gives an average amount of homework that is due twice a week. He grades fail, but his tests are usually a little on the long side. The one thing about Rawlings that I don't like is that he puts proofs on test of the theroems in the book. So make sure that you review your notes because if he did a proof in class chances are it will be on the test.

Very good professor who is overly excited about math. He explains everything very well. There are weekly quizzes which are very easy if you attend all of the lectures (he even drops the lowest quiz). I recommend him.

I thought he was great! yeah, he was very into proofs and definitions of theorems, but his class was helpful and fair. Essentially two homeworks and two small quizzes a week, with two midterms and the final. The homework wasn't usually too hard, and the quizzes were fine if you had done the homework. Midterms were fair, although you will miss quite a few points for not knowing the proofs/theorems, especially on the first midterm. If you do the work given and study minimally, you can pull an A or B. I thought Rawlings was a funny and smart guy, who also has the song Just Dance as his ringtone. What else could you ask for in a professor? Would recommend!

Rawlings is a great professor and can really convey the material well. He is totally awesome. He does assign homework collected twice a week, so if you can't get it done watch out, I will bite you later. He does give two midterms and they are very difficult. He really gets the material across well, and he writes his tests accordingly, they are difficult. Overall, you will learn with Rawlings even if you don't get a stellar grade.

Prof. Rawlings wasn't the worst math teacher I've had, but he definitely wasn't the best (that'd be Alongi, he's so cool!). He was way into proofs, making you proove everything you learned. He'd make you do them on the tests, which isn't too bad if you just memorize them but towards the end there's a lot. To me, math involves numbers so it'd be annoying to proove everything theoretically. As a person he's nice and all, but kind of wierd. And if you get a math nerd in your class they'll just sit there and have conversations, telling each other bad jokes and cracking each other up. He collected homework twice a week and is cool about going over tough ones in class. Overall not a bad teacher.

I read some of these reviews prior to taking this class, and quite frankly, I expected a lot worse, but it wasn't that bad. Seeing as this was probably the first time he taught this class, he tended to bounce around chapters a lot (that, and he doesn't seem to like the book for this class too much, and of course, neither do I). After the first week, he stopped collecting homework and instead gave a quiz on the homework (every Tuesday and Friday whenever homework's due). The quizzes themselves aren't that bad, and it isn't too hard to get 100% on them. The two lowest quiz grades are dropped. Your grade consists of the quizzes, 2 midterms and a final. Most of the abstract topics are handed out on notes that he wrote himself, so it saves a lot of time, without having to really read the crappy textbook. The midterms weren't too bad, but I completely blanked out on the final...... I had like a 95% throughout the class, then after the final I came out with a B+. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that he put a bunch of true and false questions that were worth like 5 points each (hit or miss... and those can add up), but other than that, not too bad of an instructor as some would say.

Rawlings is a good teacher and doesn't make you work too hard for a math class. His rating should be higher. Some of the material is confusing at first but he helps make it click. For example, before quizes if nobody understands it he would give example problems very similar to the quiz problems so pay attention to that. Just don't blow off the final like I did.

Rawlings makes linear analysis bearable. The quarter starts out really easy if you took AP calc in high school, it has a lot of review. He started out giving homework, but stopped collecting it because he felt that people were using the solutions manuals too much. He switched to giving quizes twice a week. The quizes are pretty easy if you go to class, you don't even need to do the homework, but it helps. When the tests come around they are almost identical to the quizes. He tests on what he teaches. Put in a little effort and you'll do fine.

Professor Rawlings was very straight forward and easy to understand, he's very intelligent and has no problem stopping if you have a question. He is a math professor so naturally he is a little quirky and his methods for explaining may be confusing at first, but after a few days it's easy to understand his teaching style. Highly recommend

I don't think Rawlings is a bad teacher but what he taught us in class was nothing like the homework. The test were mainly focused on lecture but did cover homework-like questions that we basically had to teach ourselves. I would only take rawlings if there was no one else better.

Rawling is a nice guy who likes his tea. However, he should not have taught math 318. This was his first quarter teaching the class in several years and it showed. His lectures were inconsistent and did not apply to many things we did (swinging chain anyone?). He assigns an above average of amount of HW (2-4+ hours an assignment) and you will most receive many 3/10 for switching signs. His test were hard, but he did a decent job of preparing us for them. Overall, I put more work into this class than any other math calss to receive a B and I walked away from it confused. My choice of teachers was dissapointing because the other treachers at the time were getting good reviews and the students were actually learning.

Rawlings was a good teacher. I had a good time in his class and would highly recommend taking him if you can. He's extremely nice and you can tell he's one of the teachers that cares about his students. Sure some lectures could have been better and I times I was bored in the class, but I never dreaded going to his class. I didn't get the best grade because I didn't do well on the weekly homework and I absolutely suck at proofs, but overall his tests were very fair and I have no complaints about work load or grading style.

Dr Rawlings is a talented professor who delights in teaching mathematics. Several of my classmates took 336 from a different instructor and were miserable. He wrote the 336 "text" in order to teach from a basis of application which was crucial to truly digest and learn combinatorial mathematics. He is not afraid to challenge you and see how far you can get on your own, but in the end he'll help you get the whole way there. He is extrememly approchable and willing to help. I watched him explain the same material three or four times in several different ways in order to make sure the whole class could understand. I also took 341 from Rawlings and was successful in learning that material from him as well.

This teacher did a really great job of explaining the material clearly. This is the second class I've had him for and he does a great job of letting you know what you need to do and how to do it. Relatively easy class and interesting.

Math 336 was a very interesting class taught by a fantastic instructor. Dr. Rawlings is very passionate about what he teaches, and is more flexible than most teachers when it comes to the curriculum. When the class had trouble with a certain topic, he wouldn't hesitate to review it until we all understood. The length of the homework assignments was a bit inconsistent, but the problems themselves were fairly straightforward. Combinatorics lends itself well to thinking about a question for a long time and playing around with it; unfortunately, the tests in this class didn't harness that nature well enough, in my opinion. Instead, they were somewhat memorization-based, which was a bit unfortunate. But in the grand scheme of this class, every issue was small. I highly recommend taking combinatorics with Dr. Rawlings if you get the option. It is the most interesting math class I have ever taken.

This was a fun class with active students and an entertaining professor. I think the mark of a good professor is being transparent, acting as a conduit between the material and the student without making the math harder than it needs to be. Math is difficult enough already. I had a love-hate relationship with this class. I loved the content and the teaching. I hated being tested on the material. I found myself more the tortoise than the hare. So many of the proofs require little touches of divine inspiration (ie dirty tricks) to solve. This is challenging and rewarding in a homework setting but frustrating on a test.

Rawlings is very passionate about what he teaches. He knows where his students will struggle and always works through the hardest homework problems in class. He is very approachable and almost always smiling in class. He works hard to know get to know his students and overall his tests are very fair - he always reviews the main stuff before hand.

Dr. Rawlings has a true passion and gift for mathematics. This instructor demonstrates his loyalty to students by providing homework solution handouts for the class. Also, he always returns homework and exams the very next class day. I have never seen such a dedicated and disciplined professor; nevermind him being a tenure. I won't deny Dr. Rawlings holds high expectations for his students, but he is definitely not a hypocrite. I used to think grades were only relevant in selection of the perfect instructor. If you share this belief, then maybe Dr. Rawlings is a professor you should avoid. Having taken Dr. Rawlings a few times (not always by choice), I have since learned that both the letter grade and the way in which it was "earned" matters more. Dr. Rawlings strict policy, while simultaneously being a likeable character has inspired me to change my views and attitude of learning. Dr. Rawlings will train you to be a well-rounded student and it will pay dividends in later courses. (Also MATH 482: course grade: C ; MATH 341: course grade: A)