Weatherford, Alan  

Big Al will drive you crazy at times

Dr. Weatherford is a good instructor. He was always available during office hours. His exams were always very fair. I did not due well in the class due to a lack of studying on my part.

Lectures were very rushed and vague. He never seemed interested incourse material and was very condescending to students who asked questions in class. No homeork assignments or projects. If you don't really care about conquering this subject, then take Weatherford, but be prepared for some frustration when studying for exams.

Be careful with Weatherford. His finance class seems and is much easier than finane with any other profesor. U will be given no homework, but expect regular quizzes. the place where he really bites your ass is on the midterms. Weatherford swears that the only material on the test comes from his lectures, but i found many questions straight out of the book. Basically get the book whether he says to get it or not. Good luck

Weatherford doesnt teach well. He talks everything too fast and even when he is talking about the examples with a lot of numbers, he doesnt write it on the board. Everthing is unclear. However, his grade the tests fairly, and he allows us to skip the final if we are satisfied with our score.

This teacher is the WORST teacher I have ever had here at Cal Poly. DON'T EVER TAKE THIS TEACHER!!!! He comes to class and just starts to blab about formulas and doesn't even explain the material clearly. He will talk about a new subject, but will just give the formula and not go over any explanation of what the new topic is or what it is used for. He doesn't help you with your calculator if you can't get it to work. His comments are stuff like "good luck" and sarcastic crap like that. He doesn't even refer to the book in class or give us any guidance or support to help us prepare for his Pop Quizzes or anything. Does not assign any homework, because he doesn't even use the book....he doesn't even have a book! He needs to start to focus more on teaching students the material. Not just use your calculators, and i mean he doesn't even help you input the values into your calculator. He just laughs at you. Very bad teacher. Take amyone else but him.

Dr. Weatherford is a great teacher -Tests are straightforward and easy to pass as long as you study what he says to study. He is extremely helpful in his office hours; moreover, he is very fair with grading and assistance.

He is one of the best instructors I have ever had. He knows the subject well and is fair in his class; moreover, he is extremely helpful during his office hours. TAKE HIS CLASS.

Weatherford is cool. He teaches well and he's funny. The tests arent the easiest, so definitely study well. I recomend him.

Take his class! At least, he is not like Gorman who will ask his students to write good comments for him.

Stuck up jerk. Writes tiny little chicken-scratches on the board, doesn't take the time to fully explain how he calculated the numbers, then gets mad if your calculator isn't the same model that he owns. Obviously knows his stuff because he never looks at notes, but just doesn't know how to teach for a living. Final is optional, which is nice. But he embarrasses students who ask questions in class. I see a nice guy in him somewhere, it just seldom appears during class.

I wouldn't recommend this instructor. Take some random "staff" member. Most likely they'd be able to teach better than Weatherford. He's very uninformative and bitchy to students. Doesn't care about how students do, doesn't explain things very well, pulls numbers out of his ass and expects you to know how they were derived. Makes you uncomfortable if you ask questions, he just tries to make you feel stupid. Pretty much try to teach yourself because he makes the material more difficult than it really is.

He is the best instructor at Poly!!!!

He never shows up to office hours and you don't learn shit. I had to drop his class. FUCK YOU WEATHERFORD. YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT TO HELL YOU SON OF A BITCH. Find a new job; something you're not horrible at.

Fuck this guy and the horse he rode in on.

Weatherford teaches this very hard class fairly well. He curves the tests so it's not too bad. He has the reputation for being the best instructor for Bus 342. No joke. Bus 342 is known as one of the hardest classes for bus majors, along with stat 252, although you will pass weatherford's class. Other Bus 342 classes have a high failing rate. Weatherford will help you get through it first time. He was a great professor.

Weatherford comes off as pretty bitter, and he's hard to follow sometimes. I will admit, however, that he's a generally nice guy if you visit his office hours and ask for help. So if you have a hard time picking up a subject on your own, I suggest taking another professor. But if you like not having homework, but can still get yourself to learn the stuff, take him.

Alan does a pretty good job of laying out the material you need to know. I didn't even look at the book after I figured out that he doesn't use it and all it can do is confuse you. If you attend every class and go over your notes until you understand them, you are guaranteed a B unless you're not too bright. He didn't give + - grades and this quarter his A was down to 88%, so an A is possible with a bit more work. There is no homework but quizzes on a weekly basis that act as a grade booster if you are prepaired for them. He loves his lottery and his diet coke.

The reality is that Bus 342 has one of the highest failing rates of classes that Business majors ever have to take (if it's possible to fail a business course that is...), although Weatherford is the best and most importantly, easiest professor to take for this class. He curves the tests, and the final class grades. He curves generously as well, so a B- is easy to get with some moderate effort. A "C" is easy to get, and an "A" is attainable with above average effort. The important thing is, regardless of what the other comments say about Weatherford, his class has the highest passing rate and highest grades compared to all of the other teachers. Good luck and have fun.

I am currently halfway through this course and just let me say right now that this is one of the worst professors I have ever had. He fails to present the material clearly as he doesn't follow the book at all, so don't bother purchasing it. His constant claims that the material "is easy" are true...IF YOU ARE THE TEACHER (who cannot teach a single solitary concept clearly). I know in one of Battle's classes this quarter there are 7 people who failed Weatherford last quarter - that's just in one other finance class. I have zero respect for this man as the material is actually extremely hard, and even more so when taught by him. If it's so easy Weatherford, why is it that so many students struggle to pass your class? It must be that we're all just lazy and choose not to grasp your concepts... I mean, it couldn't be that all these top students in every other class actually work their asses off for your failing grades now could it? Be smart and avoid Weatherford - the only reason he is here teaching is because he couldn't DO what he teaches and succeed in real life. I say this only because it's obvious he doesn't enjoy teaching, because those who do so only need one word to evaluate, not a paragraph.

After reading some of the evaluations for Weatherford, I am a little shocked. Normaly the only people who take the time to give a teacher an evaluation are those that are pissed off at the teacher. I read past evaluations and see that some people have actualy taken the time to explain that Weatherford is a cool guy and a good teacher. So this brings me to the point. How in the hell does this guy have such good ratings and evaluations? On the first day of class he said we could get an A in the class without the book. After a few weeks in the class, the concepts became harder and students began to ask alot of questions. Mr Weatherfords responses to the students were pretty harsh. The guy would look at you and make you feel like an idiot for asking a legitamate question. His lectures are given on the assumtion that you have reviewed the material and have possibly done a few practice problems; This is the problem. Most people don't have the book because he said you could get an A without it and those that do have the book havn't opened it because he doesn't use it. Home work problems or Practice problems, sorry, study guides for the test, nope. He tells you to study your notes and you will do fine. I thought I saw another evaluation about his chicken scratch for notes, well their right. Oh, not to mention that the concepts for a few of his questions on the quiz and test weren't in my notes, nor anyone elses. After the first test the grades were pretty bad so a student asked, "Can we get some review or home work problems so we are a little more prepared for class or the test?" Guess what the ASS says, "Well havn't you been reading the book and doing the problems at the end of the chapters." Now four to five weeks into the quarter people are going to buy a book that he doesnt teach out of or even reference. What chapters do I read or what problems do I do, all of them? Oh one more thing about the book. Good luck if you try to read the book and relate it to his notes. Some of his equations were different from the book and some were not in the book at all. Yes he does curve but how can you not with this kind of teaching style. The final is also optional but I think he does this so the students leave his class forgeting how shity his teaching style is. Yes, I did get an A in the class and I am a Finance major so I'm not some pissed off student that got a D and was looking for an easy 342 class. The only reason that I took the time to write this evaluation is because there was truth in some of the other evaluations but they lacked specifics about his teaching style. This is a hard class for alot of students and if you are looking for an easy B I would say even with his odd style of teaching this is the teacher for you. You can show up to all of the classes and study a little and be fine. If finance is your major or you want to realy learn this subject I would not recommend Weatherford at all. I am a tranfer student and did not here about Poly Ratings until after I had taken this class. I hope he reads these evaluations each quarter and takes them into concideration.

This is a horrible teacher! He's probably the worst teacher I have ever had to take. He doesn't teach, just throws examples on the board and if you don't understand what's going on, even though he tells you to ask questions, he will make you feel like an idiot for asking a question. And he doesn't even answer your question! Instead he asks you a question in return and you basically have to answer your own question. The first midterm no one even got a B and although he gave us 14 extra points for it since we did so bad, he told us he wouldn't help us out the next time, even if we all failed. He basically told us it was our fault for not doing well cuz we're lazy and we're not studying, not that it's acutally mostly his failure to actually teach! The book helps you understand a lot and I thought it would help on the next midterm but it didn't. His examples in class are easy to follow and understand but his tests are nothing like what he teaches! He doesn't give you an idea on what to expect, no study guides, NOTHING!!! Even if you ask what homework questions to practice, he'll just tell you do all of them. And don't bother memorizing the hundreds of formulas he tells you to because he seriuosly will only use maybe 3 or 4 of them! Not everyone can spend every minute of their life studying finance, especially for an intro class that all BUS majors have to take, and he just needs to realize this. And no, he does not have a huge curve, so study your butt off! The only way to get an A in this class is if you have no life and study every second or if you give him a million dollars, and he actually told us that!

Weatherford is a cool professor. Doesn't take shit and doesn't waste time... perfect. Curves grades up the ass and doesn't use +/- grading. Don't buy the book and listen to everything the man says. Don't take him if you need someone to hold your hand through college. peace.

This guy obviously shouldn't be a teacher! Not only does he not enjoy it, he is not very good at it which is evident in the number of students that retake this course each quarter. It is a terrible shame that a University like Cal Poly puts up with this type of teaching. If you must take him don't believe him when he tells you that you don't need to buy the book which isn't true. You would think with budget concerns the university would want to get as many students through the system as possible,and having qualified teachers to accomplish this would be a priority, but that's not the case!

Weatherford is the worst teacher I have ever had in my entire life. He should find a new career because he is terrible at what he does. He sucks in every way and he is a terrible person.

What is great about Weatherford is his ability to cut out the jargon found in the book. That's the ONLY great thing about him. I'm currently enrolled in the class. You do not need the book really as any material he presents in class either is scattered throughout the book, or is presented in such a matter that does not relate to any of the material in the book. You are required to come to class, it's the only way you learn any of the material. Quizzes are based only on his lectures. Not one person received a C- on our last quiz. The midterms are extremely difficult. If you understand the material going into an exam or quiz, please expect something far more difficult than what he presents in his lecture. He will try to confuse you on his tests and quizzes. He gives you twice the information needed just to waste your time looking for the right numbers to use. I have found myself understanding the material very well until he writes a one paragraph problem worth 70% of your grade and only 15% of the paragraph turns out to be truly relevant in finding the answer. He suggests asking questions in class, but he'll only ask you the same question back...which leaves you lost, and embarrassed. There is no curve according to his syllabus. This guy is ONLY about equations and using the calculator. There are hardly any terms/definitions involved, and partial credit is very hard to come by.

You know what Weatherford is a great teacher. He is a hard nose teacher that makes you learn your stuff. I love that the people who ask stupid questions get stupid answers in return. He is a good guy and he made me like FINANCE and that is pretty hard to do.. Overall one of the easiest class I have taken. Take Weatherford

Professor Weatherford was a good teacher for this course. No hw, no reading, two midterms, 6 quizzes (but you get to drop one), and an optional final. He teaches by doing examples, so if you need someone to explain every single concept do not take him. But if you are a fast learner, and can understand by watching someone else work out problems, he is the professor you should take. The material is not too hard, but you definitely need to stay on top of things. Overall, I would recommend Weatherford for this class because with someone else it could be extremely hard.

Weatherford was an easy-going teacher, which was amplified by the fact that our class was probably 15 students. He would joke or just chat with us often, but that doesn't mean it was an easy class. His lecture was very straight forward, explaining a concept, writing a couple examples out, then moving on. He is very practical in his teaching, not going into ridiculous detail but sticking to what we might actually see or need in life. We had 6 quizzes but threw out the lowest one, 2 midterms, and then an optional final. We could take the final, for better or worse, or stick with our grade going into it. I recommend him for a laid back, but still worthwhile, class.

This was the worst professor I have ever had in my entire life. He could care less about the students, and will go out of his way to trick you on exams.

If you are remotely interested in finance and still consider it a potential concentration then don't take 342 with Weatherford. There are two very different 342 courses being taught in the COB. One is the fluffy bullshit liberal arts garbage that ruins business administration's reputation, and then there are the courses with which you'll learn something and on a down-side it may be harder. BUT! if you plan on doing finance later on, then it will be even HARDER because you WILL be at a disadvantage to everyone who had taken Gorman for 342 instead of Weatherford's very "meh" class you can breeze through. Take it from someone who's taking BUS 343 and BUS 433. TAKE GORMAN if there's even a chance you might want to know something about finance!

This class was easy. Weatherford was a perfect teacher for the class. He doesn't require that you buy the book but I would pick up an old edition off ebay for cheap just for reference. There are no homework assignments. He even made the final optional. If you know anything about stocks and bonds which you should being a business major this class should be cake. He teaches only stuff that you would really use. I would suggest this class to people who enjoy the financial markets.

Weatherford's lectures are straightforward, and his grading is fair. IF you are too lazy to work out the problems on your own though GOOD LUCK. Just do the problems in the end of the chapter before the exams and you should do fine

If you like a prof with a dry sense of humor and a good amount of sarcasm, you'll probably be ok with Weatherford, despite the fact that he tries very hard at times to be an ass, and succeeds. I think underneath he'd actually make me laugh if it weren't for the fact that we are in a finance class. I took this as a 5 week summer class, which, I will say, is nearly impossible, so don't do it unless you don't want to have a life and wish you could die at certain times. If you're a finance conc. or an accting. conc., you probably will be a lot better off tho. If you can't handle sarcasm and dry humor, and need someone to hold your hand through everything, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. He's a little weird in the grading/writing of test questions sometimes, so you gotta use some common (or not so common sense) sometimes. If you're one of those many "spoiled helpless rich kid" business students who has no common sense, then I say good luck to you, because nothing's gonna be easy for you. Take this class once you start thinking for yourself, otherwise, hold off or he'll just yell at you or whining or arguing with him. It might be different for ten week classes, but there were two midterms and one cumulative final exam. Good luck. (It actually is pretty interesting stuff even if it's hard.) NOTE: Listen to every word he says and remember it exactly. All the stuff he talks about ends up on the test.

Weatherford has a very dry sense of humor and employs lots of sarcasm, but tends to be a nice guy. I took him over summer in a 5 week session, and he did admit to liking our class over his later section (He made it sound like he actually treated the later class different because he was tired by then, so take his class earlier in the day, like noon). I, however, had not taken accounting or statistics prior to this class, which were prereq's, but with office hours and the book I still got a B. If you often conflict with teachers are pretty opinionated about most of your professors then you might not like him, but hes laid back and seemed to understand college students empathy for class.

Okay... don't rip on the professor is in bold sooo... FIND PREVIOUS TESTS AND QUIZZES. Study off of those and go back over the notes that you have taken from the previous lectures. (things are often covered briefly and later tested in depth). Don't ever miss a day of class... you will be even more lost. If you are a student that has no ambition to get a good grade, want NO-homework (assigned at least) and have access to other (RECENT) tests, Weatherfords your guy. If you care about your grade... look elsewhere. ALSO get a type of calculator and for god sakes learn to use it correctly or you will parish with the masses into D territory.

I thought Weatherford sucked! I got the opinion that he didnt have much success with the Stock Market even though he has a Phd in Finance. He is very incensitive to students needs and he is an overall poor teacher. If you get the chance take a different prof.

Honestly... the ratings bellow are pretty scary, but I took him anyway because he fit into my sched. Weatherford does a great job at just laying the material out in a direct way. He tests what he teaches, and he grades fairly. Get a copy of the tests from previous quarters, but if you can't just do the problems at the end of each chapter. If you have any questions, he takes the time to answer them in full during class. Overall, he's a good teacher.

He talks so much and you can't undestand him. When you ask him a questions he starts doing it on the board but you wont be able to undestand what he is taking about since he doesn't explain it, just works out the problem. I did all the work out problems from each chapter and i still didn't pass. I understood more from the book than him. His not approachable and seems like he doesn't want to teach. I would take Dobson or Andre.

Worst teacher at cal poly!

Its not that he doesn't want you to learn....its just that he doesn't care! This guy is probably the lamest lecturer I've had at Cal Poly, aside from Danes. Everyday he comes in with a diet coke and proceeds to do some complicated problem in his chicken scratch handwriting and expects you to understand what the hell he's doing without explaining much at all. However, he does make clear what he'll test you on: only stuff you learn in class, so learn it well and take the best notes you can. Good Luck!

No frills class. You don't need the book- everything you need to know he covers in lecture. If you know everything that he covers and you take good notes, then you should do fine. Having said that, make sure you know everything inside and out because there are no assignments to help your grade- just the raw scores from the tests and the quizzes. Difficult to get an A- to do so, you need to get A's on almost all the tests and definitely on the quizzes. Accesible but not overeager to help.

If you take Weatherford, find old test and exams. I don't think you really need to buy the book. He gives pop quizzes. You should def. buy a financial calculator. His tests are not that bad. He could be a better teacher. He does talk a lot about how he lost a ton of money in the stock market and how he was a horrible student doing his undergrad work. If you really don't care so much about finance, take this class, if you are a finance major, I suggest you take another instructor for 342.

Anyone who thinks Weatherford sucks is soft. He's real oldschool and straightforward. I was bummed about taking his class after reading the other ratings on this site, but those other people are just SOFT. Pay attention in class and you should do fine.

Weatherford was the man. He gives everything you need to know on the test in lecture. Spends a lot of time doing examples to make sure that you understand how to do the problems. Just take good notes. Study the problems in your notes and you should easily get a B.

Weatherford is not a difficult teacher what so ever. he tells you exactly what is on the test and doesnt try to trick you like most teachers. go to every class, take good notes, ask questions, DONT BUY THE BOOK. and you should do fine. before the exams, it helps to look up the book website and review the slides. Real easy to get a good grade.

DO NO BUY THE BOOK! You don't need it and you will save yourself a butt load of money. Weatherford tests only on what he lectures on. Don't miss a class, you'll understand more if you go yourself. He is a non-nonsense professor. He is very straight-forward about what he wants you to know and what will be on the test. He may seem like a stiff professor, but after a few classes you'll get his sense of humor. The quizes and tests are okay if you take really good notes and study not just how to calculate things but the conceptual stuff (I got all the problems right but would miss all those questions and end up getting a B or C on the test). The final is optional. He really does want his students to do good but doesn't take any bullshit. If you're one of those students who likes to ask stupid questions to look smart, don't, he'll just make you look like a fool which is entertaining for the rest of us! I would recommmend taking him. And ask questions before the quizes! It's previous obvious when he's gonna pop a quiz on you. 6 quizes, 2 midterms, and one optional final.

Weatherford is a strange guy. he doesnt like students too much and hes not sure why hes still teaching. If you are in finance, take gorman. if youre not, weatherford might be your guy. the class wasnt too hard, but if you dont take gorman for 342 and take him later, it will make your life much more difficult when you realize all the things that weatherford didnt teach you.

I took 342 with Weatherford a few quarters ago. I did not like Weatherford at first but as the course proceeds, I started to like him. I actually enjoyed his dry sense of humor. Now, that I have taken a few more finance classes for my concentration, I have to say the only finance knowledge I can could retain come from Weatherford's class. If you don't like Weatherford, don't even think of the Finance concentration here at Cal Poly because according to my experience, Weatherford is one of the better professors.

Weatherford is not a good teacher. He comes off as apathetic and basically disinterested in the material and in the students. He does not teach from the book, so if you don't understand the concepts presented in the lecture, you are left to your own devices to teach it to yourself. One good thing about the class is that the final is optional - i.e. you can choose between keeping your current grade going into the final or taking the final. He also doesn't give "+" or "-" grades, just straight letter grades. Luckily, I busted my ass studying for the first two midterms, so I had an A going into the final and didn't have to take it. Probably my biggest criticism of Weatherford's teaching style is his inability to relate to the students how the concepts he is teaching fit into the bigger picture. After all my hard work in his class, all i feel that i can do is manipulate arbitrary variables to solve problems that have little or no meaning in terms of real world application. Bottom line - if you actually care about learning finance, take Goreman. If you're like me and care more about your GPA, take Weatherford.

I have to say, I really hated Weatherford for the first half of the quarter. I never understood what he was talking about in class, he gave terrible lecture notes, and he basically gave the students no direction at all in the class. He even told me off in front of the class because I asked what chapters to read for a midterm (he doesn't put that info the syllabus). I did okay on the first midterm, and terrible on the second. I felt like I was in the dark the entire time and didn't know what I was supposed to be learning. So when I tried to study, I was trying to learn about way too much stuff when I only needed to learn about half as much for the midterm. In the second half of the course, I definitely started to like the guy more though. Once you kind of understand where he is coming from, and when he warms up to you and the class, he isn't so bad to be around. When I got to this point, he seemed to be teaching better and it was easier to learn. The saving grace for Weatherford as a teacher is his optional final and great grading curve. Before the final, I had a 74. I thought I had no chance of getting a B, no matter how hard I worked. But when he made the curve, a B was a 76.5 (he doesn't give "+" or "-" grades either). This curve made it feasible for me to get a B. The other nice thing about the final was that there was barley any new material on it, and the new material was incredibly simple. So to study for the final, I just studied my old midterms until I felt good about them, looked over some notes covering new material, and glanced at my quizzes. The final seemed really easy. I think he wanted to help out the kids who decided to stick around and take the final... But the most frustrating thing is that once I figured out what I needed to learn, it was totally easy to learn. This sucks because everything clicked at the end of the quarter right before the final. This class would be so much better if Weatherford just gave the student's a little more guidance; maybe give us some practice assignments or practice tests or a study guide. Anything to just show us what we needed to learn. Overall, take Weatherford if you just want to coast or if you know somebody else who took the class (I passed on all my old stuff to a few friends, and they're getting A's). If you're a finance student, you might want to go with another professor, because you really got to learn this stuff...although I'm in 439 right now, and I think I understand all the prerequisite stuff just fine.

Even though he tells you that it's not necessary to buy the textbook, do yourself a favor and buy one anyway (a previous edition can be bought online for <$20). His lectures are horrible and monotonous, the class notes alone won't get you through his midterms - which he incidentally takes directly from the textbook publisher!! I would seriously not recommend Weatherford if you are pursuing a Finance concentration, as you will not learn anything of substance from him that will prepare you for the more difficult finance courses ahead.

Weatherford may come off as an inconsiderate ass who doesn't care about the students. This assumption is all wrong. He really cares that you understand the topics he presents. Also be thankful you don't have to take the son of a bitch Gorman. Be thankful Weatherford is easy and don't be affraid to ask questions if you don't understand. He presents finance is a basic way so don't try to over complicate the material. If you take the time you will do well in the class. If you think you can skip class and teach yourself, you are just fucking yourself over in the end. Don't be stupid and take Gorman. Weathford is a great teacher just watch out for the old, old, old school Hawaiian shirts.

Weatherford is a good instructor whose goal is for students to grasp a basic understanding of finance. Go to his office hours if needed; clarify anything you do not understand and review past tests. Make sure you understand the material -- NOTE: he sometimes will make the final optional; this quarter he did not because all classes fell behind. With this said, make sure to go back and review Time Value Money, stocks, and bonds (from test 1) in preparation for the final (and don't assume that the final will be composed of mostly material from the latter part of the class...). Use the TI83 calculator - it is easy to use and many students in my section had problems with the finance calculator. Most questions on the tests are calculation -- TVM, prices of stocks & bonds, cost of capital.... 5 (or 6) pop quizzes worth 10% of the grade (he drops the LOWEST quiz grade). Test 1 = 25%; Test 2 = 30% and Final = 35%. Weatherford is honest; what you see is what you get. I personally like that -- yes, he comes across as being difficult or demanding. In reality - he does want to see his students succeed. He merely wants RESPECT in the classroom; if students respect him, he'll respect you and your class and the quarter is all that much smoother! Get on his good side.... I have heard that if you are a finance major - take Gorman - he's demanding, but you will walk away with a breadth of knowledge about finance. If you are any other concentration, take Weatherford and know you will be fine in the end!

I took 20 units this quarter and still managed an A in this class. Weatherford is good if you're not pursuing a Finance concentration, in that the course load is not demanding at all (no homework, projects, or outside research); just one pop quiz about once a week, 2 mid terms and a cumulative final. Don't bother buying a financial calculator if you still have a TI-83 from Stats.

The good: no homework, reading isn't necessary, straightforward class, exams and final grades are curved The bad: lectures are extremely dry and usually boring, exams can be tricky if you're not careful Advice: don't take 342 with Weatherford if you're a finance concentration like me because this class is math-intensive and not very thorough with the theory (I bought the book to learn what I wasn't learning), but for everyone else, I would save myself the money and not buy the book, so long as you go to EVERY lecture because he tests exactly on what he teaches in class, also buy a TI calculator and NOT a financial calculator because they're way more confusing, office hours can be helpful

WeatherFUCK is a terrible teacher. He might know a lot about finance (that in itself is questionable, because he sucks at answering questions in class) but he can not teach finance for the life of him. My friends and I taught ourselves everything for the midterms, and somehow pulled off decent grades on them. I\'m in the class now and I can honestly say I would never go to class except for the fact that he gives pop quizzes all the time (probably just to ensure that people go, and to be a dick). DO NOT TAKE WEATHERFORD.

This course consisted of no homework, no readings, but only 2 Midterms, 5 Quizzes, and an optional Final. I was initially worried about the fact that our overall grade depended on very few assignments, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined. You do need to go to every class, though because there's at least one pop quiz every week. In addition, everything on the quizzes/exams is based on his lecture and there was no required reading, just a suggested textbook. So, go to class and take notes and you'll be fine. If you don't go to class, there's no way you're going to do well in this course.

This course consisted of no homework, no readings, but only 2 Midterms, 5 Quizzes, and an optional Final. I was initially worried about the fact that our overall grade depended on very few assignments, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined. You do need to go to every class, though because there's at least one pop quiz every week. In addition, everything on the quizzes/exams is based on his lecture and there was no required reading, just a suggested textbook. So, go to class and take notes and you'll be fine. If you don't go to class, there's no way you're going to do well in this course.

Weatherford gives no homework, only about 7 pop quizzes that range from 10-20 questions (both theoretical and quantitative). You do NOT need the book, which he doesn't require. Whatever he says in lecture is on the exams. Our class had two midterms and an optional final. My low grade refelcts that I missed nearly two weeks of lecture, hurting my first midterm, and the material for the second midterm didn't 'click' until after the fact. However, consider this, I went into the final with a high F and he told me I had to get 80% on the final to pull a C in the class (Note: he doesn't give any plus or minus scores). I was loaded with work finals week and only really studied the day before, without any aid of medications ;p The midterms are pretty straight forward, as well as the final. Just as always, watch for tricky words, stuff like that. As a professor. Granted, he is odd. But honestly, he means well. He just lacks social skills. Be respectful in class, ask relevant questions, small talk with him before class, and lectures are then really not so bad. He let us out early about 80% of the time. If I didn't pass this class, I would have taken Weatherford again, not because I know his material, but because I like his simple, to the point, teaching style.

Put simply, Weatherford is not a very good professor. If you have the opportunity to take the other finance professors, I strongly recommend them. That being said, by the end of the quarter I think I finally was able to figure him out. His lectures were confusing, but not because of the material. He just explains things once, writes really small and sloppy on the board, and seems to just make up problems as he goes. If you fall one step behind you can get lost since all he does is write numbers on the board. However, by the time I took the final I understood everything quite well because the tests and quizzes were very straight-forward and made great study material for the final. I wasn't a big of the guy, but he definitely gets better near the end. You just need to figure out how to study early on. I don't recommend him though, especially if you're going into finance.

Everything below is pretty true. Nice guy pretty funny, he will help if you ask questions but the normal agenda goes him writing a bunch of stuff on the board, turning around saying any questions? no one really saying much and then moving on. its based on biweekly quizzes, and two midterms which are just like the quizzes but longer, and an optional final. The book questions he says to do are really nothing like the midterms. Also, theres going to be word problems that you have no idea where the answer would even come from. He's not out to get you, if you asked me to do a finance problem I could go into my calculator use the "happy keys" and give it to you. If you asked me what that meant in a real world corporate finance application I would have no idea where to even start. I was going to do finance but not anymore because for an intro class I feel like I learned nothing about real finance and I will be behind for my next ones. He does no plusses and minuses too so take that into consideration. No homework at all just a whole lot of I don't get it and a curve.

how were his tests??

Horrible teacher! Doesn't teach at all just scribbles some problems on the board and leaves. Paying to go to college at a great university and this is what i get for my education? This teacher is awful. Take the class and you will regret it all quarter. Really unfair/hard on exams and you have to learn everything on you own without a textbook to even refer to. Good Luck with this guy who doesn't give a crap about his students.

Weatherturd is a joke.

seriously do not take this class. He is very lazy and unorganized and all of the tests and quizzes are based off his lectures. He moves super fast and doesn't care about the students. The tests were so hard! dont do it!

His class is hard and he specifically tries to trick you on his tests (even though he wont call it tricking you). He is a pretty cool guy but be careful. His tests are difficult. There are not many choices for professors for this course, so I would still recommend him. Just make sure that you visit his office hours a lot to make sure you really understand everthing (especially the each term and their difference)!

RUN, DO NOT WALK AWAY, FROM WEATHERFORD, IF THIS WERE REAL WORLD, SOMEONE WOULD'VE GOTTEN HIS CHECK, GOTTEN HIM FIRED, A LONG TIME AGO. MAN IS JUST KILLING TIME, "I'M SO SMART, WHY CAN'T YOU DO THESE DERIVATIVES, OPTIONS, LIKE i CAN??" GIVES TRICK TESTS, ABSOLUTELY THE WORST TEACHER AT POLY. ANYBODY WILL BE LABELED A "NICE GUY" IF THEY KNOW THEY CAN'T BE FIRED, EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT TEACHING, ONLY LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK!!

Some people take weatherfords straight forward manner as rudeness but it is his way of making people stay focused and on top of the material. When it comes right down to it he is very helpful in helping students who want to succeed to overcome their difficulties

First of all, I never fill out evaluations on this or any other site. This case is a special one, however, that does require an evaluation...because this professor truly does suck. He could give a shit about his students and what they may (not) learn under his instruction. His ego very much gets in the way of his instruction. He maintains a "me against them" attitude and appears to truly be against his students. Sure, a Phd. is a worthy accomplishment, but certainly he was in our shoes at one point and a holier-than-thou attitude should not be fostered by those who eductate. The material in class is often far removed from what is expected on the exams and when students ask questions, he tries to make them look like idiots, which all most certainly are in his eyes. Not good! Homework load was minimal, but should be included as it would be the only way to learn something under his guidance. Above all, his tenure should be removed as this undoubtedly is a primary source of his pompous attitude. I could go on and on, but the moral of the story is "avoid Weatherford at all costs." Just ask anyone!

Overall he is very good. His weak points are that he sometimes strays off topic, sometimes in a crabby mood, and he's kind of lazy. On the flip side he is patient, kind, humble, funny, and very approachable. He cares about the students and he doesn't want to make things ridiculously hard for us. He is not one of those professors who likes to toot his horn and get drunk off his own ego, so if you want to know what makes him great, ask him! He makes class entertaining with his jokes. Yes, pay attention to EVERY WORD, because one random sentence he said somewhere in the quarter will be 20% of your final. Read the chapter before lecture so you know what questions to ask him in class. If you're spoon fed and mommy still does your laundry, or you don't know what it's like to work for something--take someone else! Actually, just drop out of school. If you want him to like you, don't ask a lot of questions, spend more time stroking his ego than you do studying, and then cheat on his tests. There's a whole lot of that going on b/c he doesn't pay attention and is easily fooled by a smooth talker. If you came to college to actually LEARN something, grill him with all the questions you want to because he is very intelligent and has a lot to give--he will hate you for it, but you will learn something.

Weatherford is... difficult. Not because he wants to trick you, but because that's just the way he is. He lets you know at the beginning of the quarter that you don't have to buy the book, but it's important that you read it anyways and work some of the problems, otherwise you'll be lost on the exams. He also doesn't require you to go to class, which is great if you have something else you have to do, but make sure someone else you know is there taking notes because the most random things show up on exams. The best part of this class is the StockTrak portfolio you do - it's the only interesting thing about the class. In all honesty, I think he's the only person who taches this course so you're going to have to suck up and take it regardless so my only advice is - get an old test from someone for the midterm, get an early start on Stocktrak, and hope for the best. I probably could've done better in this class, but I didn't put in any more effort than needed for the C.

This class turned me off to finance. I got a lot out of this cool project where you invest fake money, it's kind of close to real time and you do trades from shorting stock to buying futures. But I didn't learn much of anything overall. LEctures were boring and no one ever came. The midterm was 35% fo the grade which everyone did well on, and then the easy project was 15% (try and you get full credit) and then the final was 50%. The final was insane and I don't know what I could have done to improve in this class without putting in a million extra hours of studying. If you're serious about finance do the Gorman route. If you want the "easy" way out, take Weatherford, and just make sure you get better teachers for future classes.

If Weatherford has a penis, its a small one.

completely aweful...smelly bad

He doesn't teach you anything and then tests you on what you never learned... kind of makes you want to take a dump on his chest and punch him continuously in the neck

I will pay anyone all the money I have to round house kick this mother eating, baby shaving, puppy drowning, jello shooting, lint mailing, extract from a drunkards nightmare!!!! Cold hard cash. Anyone?

Pay attention to him because he tells you only what he thinks it's important, and that usually ends up in tests. He doesn't beat around the bush like so many other professors, and he expects you to have initiative in asking questions. The class consists of a midterm, final and a presentation on how you fared with an online simulation game. He was always very helpful during office hours.

I took Weatherford for 342 as well. He is direct. He tells you exactly what you will need to know, and will explain it to you if you need help with it. Simple as that. The material isn't terrible hard, and he presents it in a very learnable way. He's an awesome teacher, and I would recommend him over the "favorite" finance teachers Gorman and Ramazani.

Weatherford goes to the point of what he is teaching and leaves the student to ask questions. Unlike other instructors Weatherford doesn't bull shit and waste time. His tests are not too bad but he doesn't allow any formula sheets, so knowing the formulas is a big part of doing well in the tests.

If I had the choice between saving a room full of Ukrainian orphan's from a falling meteor and kicking Weatherford's balls through his stomach...I would have to think about it.

Sucked

Weatherford is not a good teacher. What pisses me off is when other students write about how he is a good professor because the class is straight forward(easy). I know the class was straight forward, but Weatherford cares very little about preparing you for future classes or your future at all. In an upper division finance class if a teacher doesn't have you do extensive excel worksheets he has not even taken a look at what 99% of finance grads do on a day to day basis. Also from his class to a Goreman or Ramezani class is a giant leap. If you are a finance major, you will regret having taken Weatherford, unless you don't intend to do finance after you graduate, in that case switch to liberal studies where all the classes are "straight forward"

I am a finance major and I feel that I have been held behind by having him as my finance fundamentals teacher. Any Weatherford student will be lost by the time they get to more advanced Finance classes. There is a reason the other, more distinguished teachers, make fun of him. Do Not Take him if you want an education.

Botttom line...........He is a jack ass!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Worst teacher in the university. He absolutely sucks as a person and as a professor.

This is an easy A class as long as you practice- everything is on excel. Weatherford explains things well and doesn't waste time. I highly recommend this class.

This was a great course that I really enjoyed. Course is made up of quizzes and test. If you go to class everyday and pay attention and do it with him you will learn a lot and get an A. I suggest a good knowledge of excel as a prerequisite.

I went into this class knowing nothing about excel and I walked out with a B. He is not understanding of students difficulties. He mocks your intelligence when you ask a question you SHOULD know! He goes over material kinda fast but you really do learn a lot. I am glad I took him but i'm glad its over. He gives 6 pop quizzes and keeps the best 5 and you will have 2 midterms and a final.

Professor Weatherford does his best to communicate the most uncommunicable material in finance: futures and options. predicting the future is not easy, but Weatherford does well in helping you try to decipher the tools to understand derivatives. Weatherford is generous in sharing his real world experiences speculating the markets, and we will ride the markets with you with the StockTrak Program challenge. enjoy, it will grow hair on your chest.

For computer apps to finance, he's okay, but study. For derivatives, steer clear of Weatherford. Take Dr. Battles. Weatherford taught derivatives, a difficult subject, way, way too fast. All the students were bitching about how he breezed through the material, without ever asking if the students understood what was going on. Although I got a good grade, I know I would have learned more if I had taken it with Dr. Battles.