White, Matt  

Matt is the bomb diggity. Take him under any circumstance no matter what class, he's funny (makes fun of his time in the Army), and deserves hats off.

Matt is the best teacher I have ever had. He is so good at what he does. I would recomend taking him above any other teacher. He is funny and is very willing to work with you and help you in office hours. I took loads of notes in this class but when I went to do the homework I really understood what I was doing. He is just so great. I really can't say enough about him. Just take him for anything/everything you can.

I have been blessed with good math teacher throughout high school, and was worried about making the transition to math in college. I didn't think math teachers could get any better than the one i had senior year of HS, but Matt blows EVERY math teacher i've ever had out of the water. He's extrememly flexible and easy going. He really tries to understand the student and their difficulties, and takes it personally if you're struggling. He is the perfect blend of humor, and math expertise. He is extremely hilarious at times, and gives the best lectures of any teacher i've ever had in ANY subject. Take Matt (he refuses to be called dr or prof white) at any cost!

Matt is totally not what I expected out of a math professor here. I've had 1 good math teacher since 7th grade, and Matt restored my faith in them and showed me that I could do it. He is always fair and understanding, never condescending. He will go out of his way to make sure you know the material. In sum: if you can take him, do it. You won't regret it.

Mat kicks ass! He's young, energetic and interested in his students. He has the ability to easily convey the concepts of calculis and is a good TEACHER. Although this is true about Matt he is intrigued with math to the extent that his test problems are slightly tricky and don't reflect the homework problems well. I would recomend him to anyone.

Matt is the most enthusiastic teacher I've ever seen (could be the coffee?). He is very fair on his tests, but they're definitely hard. I've heard other profs say his tests are harder than normal. Not even close to impossible to get an A though, just have to do homework and put some effort in.

Matt's a nice guy and everything, and he's more than willing to help during class as well as office hours, but the class was just a lot harder than it should have been. The tests are very difficult, primarily because you have to know the material from every little angle. He is good about partial credit, but if you don't understand one of the problems on the test, it's over. I thought the class was going to be easy review, but instead I found myself lost in a jumbled world of proofs and theorems.

Dr. White is an awesome professor. He presents matter clearly and focuses on students understanding the stuff rather than compute using memorized theorems and formulae. He does curve the grade. So even if you mess up the first two exams, you can at least get a B if you have submitted all the assignments and have done well in the final. He does not pressurize students too much which I do think is a not a good thing especially for Maths. But otherwise he is a great professor and extremely humourous.

Matt's class is an extreamly fast paced. It seemed like we were learning something new every 10 minutes and not everyone understood what was going on to begin with. Matt is an excellent teacher if you already have extensive knowledge in the subject. I studied for this class all the time, including going to study groups, but I always felt hopeless when I saw how difficult his test are.

He is willing to slow down and take questions, but his main way of explaining graphs is to use 'well if a bug were standing on this line...' which in my opinion doesn't help one bit to image yourself as a bug standing on the damn line. He does relate the material to real life situations and scenarios very well and is funny at times. Overall an excellent teacher.

Even though I got a low grade, I do believe that White did a dang good job at teaching. I would not hesitate to choose him as a professor for any other math class that I would have at Cal Poly. He will always ask for homework questions in the beginning of class so that students will understand the material that they had tried the night before. He collects homework, but I'd rather have a teacher that did than didn't. His tests are pretty difficult, but if you had kept up with your work in class, in addition to studying, you should be fine. Definitely hilarious at times. Good prof. Walks / Talks / Writes fast. Probably because he is on coffee all the time.

Although he is high on coffee, he recognizes what students need to know and what they dont. He will answer questions on the homework and won't continue the lesson until he feels majority of the class understands the material. He gives 2 midterms and 1 final. Each midterm has 5 questions and the final has 10 questions. His tests are fairly difficult but he trains you well for whats goign to be on them.

Matt is overall a great teacher. He really knows what he's talking about and rarely does he ever mess up on any problem. He recognizes students difficulties and will spend time making sure you understand what he's teaching. His classes are early and its worth it! He collects homework, but he doesn't assign a lot of it. His tests are not bad at all if you just do the homework. He is a great guy and really funny. Take Matt!!!

Matt is a great guy who definately knows what he's talking about. As long as you do the homework and study a little you'll do fine and better than me. So far he's the best teacher I've taken.

Good teacher, teaches everything really clearly. Tests are pretty difficult but not bad if you go to class and do homework

This guy is cracked out. The whole time i was concerned with his head exploding i couldnt concentrate. Dont take him in the morning, he's too hard to follow. Not a bad guy though. Most students had already taken the class in high school so no one really had a problem. You have to do it his way though, no shortcuts, no Power rule! Do it his way, do the homework and you'll be fine. Oh and he doesnt care if your late, he just wont take your homework after 5 min.

Positives: White is amazing. He really is a good professor. He explains everything clearly and wants to make sure that everybody in the class understands the material at the fundamental level. I think that he teaches at a much deeper level than other 141 professors. When students ask questions, he explains them clearly and quickly. His office hours are also great. He seriously drinks way too much coffee though (I had his 7:00 AM class.) Nobody should be that awake at 7:00. He is so awesome that he had an ear infection, couldn't balance or stand up, yet he still had his wife drag him into class and he still taught a lesson. BALLER. Ooh, and he breaks a piece of chalk every 30 seconds because he writes on the blackboard faster than I can write on paper (probably because of all the coffee...) Negatives: Only thing is that he doesn't respond to email... His email address is mewhite@calpoly.edu. If I had an email address that was as cool as "mewhite" I would be checking it all the time.

Matt is an awesome professor. His class is a bit difficult but if you do the homework and pay attention in class you can get by. He is extremely animated and he makes his lectures interesting. He actually promotes asking questions so he will always explain everything. I would definitely take Matt again, and if I can, I will take him again.

Best teacher I have ever had in my life.

Matthew is hyped up on coffee 100% of the time. He goes and gets more coffee between classes, but overall he\'s a good teacher. He\'s very open to questions and will stop and explain anything in class. He goes slower at the beginning of the quarter tho and then kinda has to rush at the end which is frustrating, but I\'m taking him again next quarter!

Matthew White is definitely the best math teacher at Cal Poly. He gives homework assignments for practice, but you never have to turn it in. His lectures are clear and simple as long as your paying attention. The notes are not hard to follow along to either, he gives tons of examples. He gives pop quizzes, but doesn\'t keep them in grade book. It\'s just so you can check yourself on how much you know. oh and his midterms are easy! there are only 5 problems, and he literally gives you what the problems are, most of them are the questions from the pop quizzes and examples in his notes. You will never have to use the textbook! Easy teacher as long as you pay attention and take notes!

Matt is one of the best math professors you can have. He explains the material clearly and to a depth that many others fail to reach. Everyday he has something new and interesting to show you. He writes out what he says on the board so taking notes is really easy and useful. If you ever have problems understanding the material, he readily goes over what you don't understand with a smile on his face. If you really want to understand math, he is your man. I'm going to be taking him again next quarter because he is just that good. P.S. He goes by Matt, really chill about it.

Yeah I agree with all the other ratings. Matt is an awesome teacher and goes out of his way to help the entire class. He will do review on days the students' request which is a first for any teacher I've ever seen. He also obviously knows what he's doing and makes math really easy.

It is easy to see that Dr. White loes math and loves teaching. He comes into class everyday with a positive attitude and a big smile ready to help the class. He is very helpful when it comes to not understanding a topic, he will go over it as many times as it takes. However it takes a long time to understand a topic because his lectures are very confusing. Some days we spent the entire class going over an example that we never saw applied again. It also didnt help that the homework assaignment was a chapter behind the material we were currently covering. By the time the homework for one section was due, we were already on the next chapter and had to go back to answer questions. At one point we went over a section and didnt even get the homework problems until a week later. The result of this is that we had to teach ourselves the material by reading the book in order to do the problems.

Matt White is an awesome math professor. He knows what he is talking about and is able to clearly present the material to you. I would recommend Matt White for any math class. If you have the opportunity to take his class, by all means, take it.

This class was very fast paced and we literally moved onto a completely new topic every class period. At times, I had serious trouble keeping up but it seemed like after every midterm I would understand the concepts. The only problem was I didn't understand them before the test. He has a good theory though that "ANYONE WHO PASSES A COMPREHENSIVE FINAL SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PASS THE CLASS." All in all, I was allowed to prove that I knew the material in the final and brought my solid F to a C just in time for the grades to come out.

the one word that describes matt would be "crazy." by the time the 8 am class starts he had at least 5 cups of coffee, and it shows. his lectures are very very very fast paced. it can be very hard to keep up with the notes. i cant imagine what it was like to have him at 7 am. its painful to think about. if you are not a morning person, dont take matt, since i believe he always has class early in the morning. if the ealiness of class doesnt bother you, this is a pretty good class to take. his notes are very clear. he literally spells everything out on the chalkboard (which i didnt really like because when was the last time you had to write paragraphs on a math test? but i guess for some people its helpful). he gives homework everynight and collects it the next day right when class begins. i guess its good that he gives homework that way you can stay on top of the topics but he gives a lot of even problems that youll have no idea how to do, and the grader gives basically no partial credit on the homework, so if you cant do one, dont be suprised when you get only 50% on the assignment. he will go over any problems the students want him to go over, even if it means taking up the whole class period, so i guess thats cool. but youve already turned in your homework so it doesnt help you there. there are no quizes, which kinda hurt because your grade is only two tests and the final (supposedly homework goes into your grade too but im guessing if you do every assgnment he give you 100% in the homework catagory because the grader grades so hard). the tests were pretty fair i thought, and his grading scale is very nice. 86% is an A, and i believe a 70% was a B, so you gotta like that. matts a really nice guy, and really cares about his students doing well, but i cant really recommend him or not, its really up to you. i didnt mind him too much when i had him, but i wont take him again unless i know there is no one better.

Matt is an awesome teacher. I had to wake up for a 7am class four days a week and I would do it again to beable to take another class from him. He drinks way too much coffee and has a ton of energy while we were all still trying to gain consciousness. He presents the material very well and knows what he is talking about. Grades are based on 2 midterms and a final, he collects homework and it weighs in a little bit, but if you miss turning in more than 3 assignments your grade is dropped a full letter grade. Don't plan on skipping this class, ever. The midterms are not too hard, if you do all the homework. The final was slightly harder, but by ne means impossible. He is really good and if you have a chance to take him I would highly recommend it, even if it means waking up at the crack of dawn.

White is awesome. This guy really cares about how his students are doing, and he is a great teacher. He's really enthusiastic and excited about teaching math, and boy that helps you stay awake when you're taking calculus at 7AM 4 days a week. It is worth getting up early for! Think of it this way: do you want a professor who can teach it right the first time at 7AM, or a professor who can't teach monkeys how to crap at 3PM? I never went to office hours, so I don't know whether he was helpful then. If he can't immediately see how to solve a problem, then he won't put it on a midterm or final. One more thing: make sure you show all work. Don't do stuff in your head, the anal grader will only take points off. Overall White is the best. He doesn't need to curve; the class average usually sits at a B.

I dont know who all these people praising white are but they must have known calculus before they took his class. White writes too fast on the board and is too high strung on coffee. He has no curve because he believes there doesnt need to be. People tell you not to listen to people that got F's in class because they probably just didnt try, but the truth is I studied every day for at least 4 hours and I still couldnt get the material. His midterms and Final are very hard. If you want somebody that will give you a ard test and tons of notes that are all over the place, take white. But if you want a teacher please dont take him.

This guy is one of the best at Poly.His energy keeps you sharp throughout his lecture. He doesn't "curve" but his tests are pretty easy and an A is 86%. He weighs the final a lot more than midterms which is great. I know a guy who failed miserably the two midterms and got a C in his class. I'll be taking him again for 241.

i took him first quarter, and i loved his class. Even though it was at 8am, it was a rewarding class. I learned alot from his class and i am taking his 241 class next quarter. He has homework due everyday, but spends class time explaning everything really well. He is a pirate. ARR!

Amazing. Math 142? More like...you have to take White to pass it. Go White. You will not regret taking him.

Matt is an unbelievable professor. Because of his research schedule, he only teaches at 7 and 8 in the morning, but he is absolutely worth it, and I am definitely not a "morning person." Matt will spend days, if needed, to clarify a topic and he does it with an UNBELIEVABLE amount of patience. I would have honestly gotten frustrated with some students, including myself, but Matt not only kept his cool, he helped you understand the concept with a smile. He apparently has the reputation as a difficult test maker, but he does make very standard tests (I got C's on the two midterms, by the way). The big key in this class is to do every single homework assignment. It doesn't matter if you get a 2, a 1, or a 0, just turn it in. He has a tremendous curve for homework grades. Enjoy Matt, he is a rarity in the Math Department

Matt White is prety much my hero. By far the best teacher I've ever had; not just at Poly, but ever. He's always very energetic in class, sometimes it's almost to the point of being excentric, which helps because he only teaches in the early morning. He's very helpful with any questions students have, and is generally an easy person to talk to. His homeworks tend to be only about 4 problems long, and while his tests are hard, they are fair compared to the homework problems. I would take Matt in a second given the opportunity.

If you can take any math teacher then take Professor White. He is a great teacher. In fact he was so good that I had him for both Math 142 and 241. I received a B in both classes but thats because I get nervous on tests. He does curve grades. A 86% is an A so that is nice and he also looks on improvement rather than just your scores. He is extremely helpful during office hours and he lets you use a 3x5 card on tests.

Cares about students. Understandible lectures. Enthusiastic. If you are willing to work hard, you will do very well.

Matt is an ok professor. His tests are ok but by allowing you to use a calculator, he makes them several degrees harder. he drinks a ton of coffee and is a math fanatic, usually teaching morning classes. the main thing i didn't like about matt was he went at a super fast pace and did not work too many examples. he usually gave you the theorems and the basics and went on to some psycho big problems that took forever to solve-problems that confuse you a ton- i'm talking the problems that take like 3 or 4 chalkboards. He teaches a ton of high level math so I guess he likes to challenge himself with hard problems in any type of math, but it doesn't work the best with math 142 problems when teaching students. He is a freindly man and ok at office hours, but i'd recommend taking another teacher unless you can keep up with his high speed crazy problems. hw is very little though which was a plus. Still his class is manageable, the supplemental workshop is a good thing. I got a b plus, luckily because of his curved grades. an A goes down to like 87 i think. so i got like an 86 or an 85 which made it a b plus.

This guy is the best math prof I've ever had, seriously. His exams are based off the homework, because he realises that's what we know how to do. Homework is collected and graded everyday, but that just makes you do it in a timely fashion. He also makes sure to go over whatever you have problems with. Another thing is that he is super energetic when lecturing, so you won't fall asleep, so long as you weren't falling asleep on your way to class anyway. He knows his stuff regarding 142, so take him, you won't regret it, well unless you have some mental issue were you physically can't do homework and you don't like to understand the material.

I found Matt (he prefers you to call him by his first name) to be a very good professor. He drinks coffee all day and is very hyper so his lectures go at a fast pace. He spends the beginning of class answering homework questions, and then goes straight into the lecture. He tries to make his midterms work around the student's schedules, so you shouldn't have any problems studying for the class. I recommend taking his class.

Great teacher, very energetic and engaging which helps because most of his classes are early in the morning. Fair tests, he does everything he can to make sure you understand the material.

Matt is awesome. The only reason i got a B is because i slacked towards the end and didnt study for the final. he's midterms are easy and if you do the homework you'll do fine. the only bad thing about the class was homework was do everyday, but as a first quarter college student that helped me stay on top. definetally take him if u can.

Matt is a good professor. His lectures are really entertaining however they can be fast paced. If you do the homework and ASK QUESTIONS in class whenever you don\'t understand something you\'ll do fine. He also recognizes improvement, so if your midterm/final grades get progressively better it will be reflected in your overall grade.

White is always hyped up on caffeine, he calls it his ammo. He is an all around good professor but it sucks that you only have 3 tests to determine your grade, 2 midterms that are 30% and the final is 40%. But he does grade on improvement so that helps if you bomb the first 2 midterms. For instance, i got a D on the first midterm and an F on the 2nd. But i got an A- on the final so he gave me a B- in the class. He is solid but if you\'re the type of person that doesn\'t do well in classes based solely on tests, like me, then look for someone else.

The best teacher that I've ever had, has amazing lectures and really helps the students understand the material. You get as much out as you put into this class and I have come out of White's class with a fundamental understanding of calculus from the base of the tools we use to their functions. TAKE HIM IF YOU CAN!!!

Amazing math teacher. Explains the material very well, barely ever uses the book so if you pay attention in class and review notes you will have all the material which is a plus in my book. Classes are always interesting.

If you love math, and appreciate it - take this class. Matt's class is hard. But he only teaches you what you need to know. Ask any question you have, go to office hours. I never did the homework, because he does so many practice problems in class, but I am sure it would have made studying less of a task if I had.

Yes, Matt was very hyped up on coffee, but he definitely knew what he was doing. He went fast, but he did take time out to make sure all the students understood what was going on. He is very theory based. His midterms had more conceptual questions than plugging numbers in an equation. He was helpful in office hours and really approachable. I recommend Matt if you want to get a good foundation of the theory behind equations.

When i took the class he didn\'t have us turn in ANY homework. pay attention to the beautiful colorful lectures and your grade should be fine. Take Matt if you are an auditory learner.

When i took the class he didn\'t have us turn in ANY homework. pay attention to the beautiful colorful lectures and your grade should be fine. Take Matt if you are an auditory learner.

Do not take this guy. He does stupid group work instead of lecturing half the time, and no one really cares about some work that you can easily do in your spare time. On top of that, he takes his sweet time on all the easy materials, and then rushes the entire class with a day or two of heavy notes on the important materials, which no one seems to understand since he is so "Conceptual". Gee Matt, why don't you space out your lectures so you actually TEACH us what we have to learn, and then we can figure out the "conceptual" things on our own and in homework rather than wasting my time and everyone elses time with group work. He also asked us to derive where a formula comes from, so we can see where the things we learn come from. He is terrible at teaching you what you need to know. The homework is ridiculous since you have no clue what to do, because all Matt cared to teach you was the concepts of why something does work, but then doesn't care to show you how you will actually use something. Don't fall for the poly rating hype like I did. This guy isn't worth your time.

Great guy, great class. He doesn't collect homework, but if you don't do it, you WILL fail, most likely (same with the group work you do almost weekly). He gives a pop quiz every week that isn't too bad even if you don't study, but it's definitely no joke class. I learned a lot considering it was an 8am class and I was up till 3 working on other stuff, but the midterms and the final are pretty hard if you don't take the time to study, especially the final. On that note, he grades on a fixed curve, so out of 100, an 86 or higher would be an A, and I don't remember the others. Matt's good with adjusting dates to accommodate his students' needs for other midterms. I would definitely recommend him, but try to take MATH 143 NOT in the morning, regardless of professor. It sure would have helped me a lot to have gotten some sleep before class, even though I wrote down everything.

Matt White is a fantastic teacher. Anyone here who thought that he gave stupid assignments or group work clearly didn't make any attempt to figure out the problems. His quizzes are always relevant and his tests are never a surprise. He is always hilarious in class too. Just make sure the chalk doesn't break.

Did not enjoy this professor. He was a very wacky guy but taught me little to nothing. I spent many nights teaching myself the lecture. His grading style is horrendous because he only looks at solving the problem from one angle! It's math there are always multiple options to answer a problem and he takes off more then half of the points for a problem if you write an equals sign instead of an about equals. Don't take if possible...

Matt White is arguably THE BEST math teacher I have ever had. Everyone dreads the horrible Calculus 3, but honestly, I didn't understand what the big deal was because this teacher was so good at explaining things. He is a little bit of a funky guy, and overall I got to appreciate that because of who he is at heart, someone who really cares about his students and the world. If you want a great teacher who will take you through Calculus 3, take Matt White and you will be glad that you did!

Matt was very energetic and really happy to teach us and to answer questions. I had his class at 8am, and he made it interesting enough. We would spend the majority of the class answering questions which was extremely helpful, but very little was spent on lecture, you need to rely on the book a lot to get through. I personally didn't understand the material very well, but I think he did a decent job of conveying the material, even if he is a little more abstract than I'd like. He didn't collect homework, but like I said he would mostly go over problems in class so it was to your advantage to do it. There are quizzes every week or so, only two points, and I'm not sure they really effect your grade. Overall good professor, but you're going to have to do some work

He is a really good professor, but he does ask you to really understand the material inside and out. He breaks the chalk once per sentence. Pretty good teacher, pretty fair. I would recommend him.

Matt has a weird way of explaining things. He writes down EVERY SINGLE thing he is thinking. He is hard to follow and it takes a few weeks to get used to. If you are not strong in math, i don't recommend this teacher.

Matt is thurough, fast, and down to earth. Homework is assigned everyday but it's helpful and he does not always collect it. Do it anyway though. MAKE SURE: you are alert during class, he goes fast; you write down everything, the notes are a great review because they are very clear and in order; you go to office hours, he will LISTEN and make sure you understand. He is very nice and entertaining.

i generally have a hard time with math, but matt's a great teacher and is easy to understand. the midterms are fair but watch out for and IMPOSSIBLE final. also, he's pretty hard to catch actually attending his office hours, but when he is there, he's extremely helpful.

White is good, the subject matter is hard. Notes are very clear. Easier than in high school. I didn't study enough... you should. Not a class to be passed off. Ought to be an easy A for those with a strong math grounding.

AWESOME TEACHER!!! Tests are hard, meaning you have to think on them rather than just blankly regurgitate the theorems. You have to know what the theorems mean. Matt makes up for having difficult tests by teaching very well during lecture. Be prepared to learn something if you take Matt White.

White is a fantastic prof. He's very lively, even at early-o'clock in the morning. He's charismatic and fun, but also very knowledgeable and a great teacher. One thing he does very well is connecting ideas together, showing the implications and applications of what you're learning. Especially if you're looking at a difficult class, I'd highly recommend taking White, and he'll help keep you encouraged to make it through.

One of my favorite professors I've had so far. I feel as though some of the things that people say on these ratings are slightly unfair. Yes, he's very wacky and a little unconventional but he will do his very best to teach you everything you need to know. He answered every single one of my questions in detail and explained it again and again until he was sure i had grasped a full understanding of the material. In short, if you put in the effort to actually ask a question of him he will make it worth your time.

Oh my god- A good math professor at Cal Poly? Impossible? No, Matt White is easily the best math professor that I've had at Cal Poly. His lectures are easy to understand, he's not condescending, and he's always willing to answer questions or slowly step through a problem. He gives homework almost every day and collects it almost every day as a method of taking attendence, and not doing the homework will severely impact your grade. However, the homework load is quite light, usually about an hour's worth, and he does allow you to miss a few assignments. The tests were very reasonable and he gives you a good idea of what will be on the tests. The class points breakdown was 20% homework, 20% x 2 midterms, and 40% for the final. On a final note, you will most likely have to take his class early in the morning- he likes to teach at 7 am or 8 am. Highly worth it though, in my opinion.

Pretty good. My only complaint is that Matt spent a lot of time on the proofs of the theorems, or on theory. I learn mostly by example problems, so the lack of good example problems made things a bit harder. There wasn't much time for an example problem at the end of the lecture, so you had to flip through the book a bit to understand how to do the homework. I think things were harder for Spring 2005 since we were behind schedule (not really anyone's fault). The homework, two midterms, and final were pretty fair. I had a general idea of how to solve the problms, but I managed to get a B on the first midterm, and an A on the second. However, on the final here was one problem I had no clue how to do (prooving a theorem), but then again, I don't think anyone else got it. I thought I would get a B or B+ overall, but I came out with an A. Overall: good guy, good teacher. I'd take him again. But if you need lots of example problems, I would reccommend Dr. Kato.

holy crap, White is seriously the best teacher i have ever had... I got a D in Calc3 (**** TODOROV... WORST TEACHER EVER) and got an A in Calc4... i seriously wish i had this guy for all my math classes, only prob is that he taught 7 o clock classes... small sacrifice TRUST ME. TAKE HIM NOW

Matt was my third Calculus professor at Cal Poly, and he was the best so far. He is really enthusiastic about the material he is presenting. he loves what he does which is nice. He presented the material fairly clearly but occasionally a question might be needed to clarify. His drawings are awesome, which is important for this class. He assigns homework daily to be collected the next day, but it takes an hour at the most and forces you to learn the material by example. There are two midterms and a final. The midterms were VERY fair, although time can be in short supply on them. I highly reccomend this instructor!

Fantastic teacher! Best math teacher I've had at Poly. Easy to understand. Very good at using color on the chalkboard to make things extremely easy for visual learners. Basically breaks down what should be a very difficult subject into morsels that are very easy to digest and very easy to build on. Doesn't move too fast or too slow and always makes sure that students understand what is going on before he moves on.

It took me a while to get used to Matt's teaching style, but once I did, I really liked his class. He speaks and writes extremely fast, so as I'm writing down notes I'm usually writing the stuff that he covered five minutes earlier. However, Matt does recognize when a student puts forth an honest effort, which is reflected by his grading policy. There is no reason not to pass Matt's class if you do all of the homework (important!) and do at least some degree of studying before the tests. Also note that Matt dislikes the way that a lot of the material in the textbook is presented. His way is not necessarily better, but it is refreshing to have a professor who teaches an approach not covered in the textbook, that way, if you don't understand his approach, you can read the textbook and use that approach, and if you don't like the textbook's approach, you can use Matt's. There are some things from the textbook that are more clear (to me anyway) than Matt was, but for the vast majority Matt's presentation is way clearer and understandable than the textbook's. I definitely recommend Matt as a professor.

This guys a loony, im sitting in his class right now and he just told us today that most people got A's on the exam because he wasnt able to figure it out himself. (lol) For anyone who is taking his class, all i got to say is hold on to your butt! it gon be a pretty intense ride. and only go to class to enjoy watching him, dont expect to learn anything. he does his best though.

White definitely has a very good understanding of mathematics in general, and what's nice about some of his questions on quizzes and tests is that they focus on understanding the material rather than completely memorizing a formula. His lectures are very interesting for those who are interested in pure mathematics for its own sake. However, people who are only interested in math as a means rather than an end (or as a course to get over with) may become frustrated by his verbose style of teaching. Oh, and if you want to skip classes, you can't; you will have random pop quizzes often during the quarter -- skipping more than 3 means you fail. If you want to ditch classes, pick another professor

Easily the best teacher I've ever had at Cal Poly. If you've ever had problems with math and have struggled with it like I have, then this is your guy. Explains things extremely well in class and usually doesn't skip steps, making it very easy to follow. Doesn't collect homework at all and your grade is determined by the midterms and final, all of which have a hugely generous curve- 50% is considered a C, but any lower is an F. Overall, this professor is here for the students to succeed and do well.

Honestly the best math professor I have EVER had. He is simply amazing. His class is super straightforward, and he is a god at explaining. The class itself isnt too challenging, and he is just an amazing person. I cannot stress how glad I am that I got him, and how much I recommend you do!

Amazing professor. Concise, clear, and occasionally known for saying stupidly funny shit like "if you can cut a chair in half and call it 9, that's fine by me; Arithmetic is pointless in this room"; I'd take a 7:00AM with him over an 8:00AM with another math professor for any class.

Probably the best Math professor I have EVER had. He is amazing. He teaches so well, and is really great at communicating ideas and making the material easy. The class was at 8 am, and my biggest mistake was not going to many classes, resulting in a somewhat poor grade (not Matt's fault at all-solely mine). He gives pop quizzes which are really easy. He gives homework maybe twice a week, and it is ungraded, but helps a lot. His midterms are rather hard tho, but there is a very nice curve. The final was death though, VERY hard. Overall, he is an amazing professor and I totally recommend!!!!

Matthew, as he likes to be called, is a great professor for Calc IV. The class is an easy B if you study and do all the homework assignments. He really has okay curves for the midterms but at least there is a curve. He does make at least a couple of mistakes when doing example problems and the class mostly catches them. His teaching style is unique in a way compared to my other professors but he was fun to have. His finals on the other hand were HARD. He said to study the past midterms and practice problems but they were ineffective when comparing the final. Good luck.

Matt White is without a doubt the best PROFESSOR I have EVER had!!! He was clear in his lectures and really did make the class easy. He really did explain what he wanted from you, and did a fabulous job at communicating it. His exams were a little tricky, and the final was very hard, but there was a pretty generous curve. TAKE HIM!!! He is wonderful. He is everything I expected of a professor here at Cal Poly: Brilliant, funny, approachable, understanding, Brilliant, approachable, and don't forget Brilliant!

TAKE MATT WHITE, TAKE MATT WHITE, TAKE MATT WHITE!!!!!!!!!!! I have never felt so confident in my calculus skills before coming into his class. He recommend problems to do from the book almost everyday (but doesn't collect or grade the homework). Honestly, if you just DO THE HOMEWORK he gives you, you'll end up with a good grade. His midterms are very similar to the homework he gives us, SO DO THE HOMEWORK. I was studying for the final once by looking through my old midterms and I even noticed that he gave a BOOK PROBLEM (one that he assigned us to do) as one of the questions. If you know how to do the homework and understand it, you'll know exactly what to expect on the midterms. On the other hand, his final was extremely hard. I studied so much for it but I don't think any of that really helped during the final. I'm sure he curved the final a lot because I don't know how I could have possibly gotten an A in his class with that final. Just do the homework and go to office hours before a midterm if you don't understand a concept. Bonus: he's super hilarious and excellent at predicting the weather based on the amount of how much he breaks his chalk that day.

Really chill professor. The homework isn't collected but he still assigns problems that you should do if you want to do well on the exams. The midterms are really straight forward and he has a generous curve on all of his exams. The final was a lot harder than expected but it was still fair, and he always prepares the class well for the exams. He knows how to get the material across clear and concisely and overall he's definitely a professor you want to take for this class.

Matt is a very passionate professor and knows what he is doing, aside from the occasional arithmetic error. He is also very understanding of the students and levels with them often. Matt does, however, pay too much attention to too many basic questions that take away from the allotted time in class. He'll often go far too in-depth when it is neither necessary or even beneficial. I think Matt should place priority on the questions that actually are relevant to the content at hand instead of trying to reteach basic concepts that we all already should know before coming in to the class.Great class and instructor but the midterms unfairly represent the class lectures and homework and practice problems and as a result will make for a low grade in the class.

He's a great professor, and explains concepts perfectly. No homework at all, although his tests and quizzes aren't the easiest I've seen (but not impossible either). Final is easier than any of the tests. He doesn't just draw on the chalkboard, he sculpts it like Michelangelo's apprentice. He caters to the weaker students, so he moves between chapters much slower than the other sections. For example, we had a week to cover vector calculus (while other sections had 2), introduced Green's theorem in a day, and skipped Moments. So, if you're looking for a fast-paced class, this might not be it. However, he does an exquisite job of explaining every concept, and provided a new way of looking at Multivariable calculus that no other professor embodied.

This professor was incredibly unorganized and unprofessional. During the course, we wouldn't receive our test back for weeks, and wouldn't receive our hw for even longer. Going into tests, I had no idea how well I knew the material because of this. In addition, he would decide which homework problems to assign at the end of class, which resulted in many instances of us doing a problem we hadn't learned. There was one time where he assigned a question that didn't have an elementary expression for the answer (e.g. integral of 1/X^2). I went to office hours, told him about this issue. He didn't bother to look at my work, just said that I was wrong and to redo it. Next week in class he apologizes to everyone saying it did end up with that integral. The final contained types of questions that he had never lectured on, or had never assigned homework. There is an obvious lack of care and consideration for students. AVOID.

Professor White is a nice guy but do not take him for Math 242. He believes that as math majors we should know all of these obscure facts, but we do not. He teaches this class in a way that no other professor teaches it (here or at any other school) and admits to that daily. Concepts that my peers grasped with ease when they took Math 242 are explained in a completely different way that makes no sense to any undergraduate students (I even had grad students try to explain these ideas to me and they couldn't figure it out). He gives you easy quiz and homework assignments and then gives midterms that make absolutely no sense. The class average is usually a D. He does curve the tests but I would much rather understand the material I am being tested on. Not very helpful in office hours either.

he needs to learn how to answer emails ...

I took him for 142 also. He's great at explaining things clearly, and if you need him to, he'll explain it over again. If you write slowly, don't take him. If you can't wake up early and it's early, don't take his class. He doesn't go directly from the text, which I don't mind because the text was confusing, but I can see how that would drive some people crazy. Homework counts for points, and it's only due once a week. Midterms are straight from homeworks and examples, the final is straight from the midterms and the new material. I would recommend him to anyone.

Matthew seemed like a nice guy and was willing to help during office hours, but his lectures were very wordy and hard to follow because he literally writes what he says on the board, sentence by sentence. Matthew does not have lectures prepared beforehand; he more or less teaches impromptu. He actually admitted during class that he sometimes is so immersed in his lecture that he pretty much zones out, as if the class is non-existent. While I hear Matthew is good at teaching some classes (that is probably why he was sitting at 3.5ish last quarter), I would not recommend him for Linear Algebra I. I feel that Matthew knows his material very well and has a firm grasp on the practicality and applications of what he teaches, but he limits his ability to be a good teacher by being disorganized, unprepared, and very, very wordy.

Matt is an okay guy. it is clear he is on your side and not out to get you. but i am not sure he is the best teacher for linear. he was SUPERB in teaching the differntial equations part of the class, but SUPBAR for the linear algebra. he teaches different than the book and the rest of the sections, so it's hard getting outside help. tests are more difficult than the hw.

Matt White is one of the few professors at Poly that really knows what he's doing. He's got his teaching style down pat and he knows what works. He presents the material in the most blatantly obvious way anyone could, without beating around the bush, and that's what you need in higher math. He uses the blackboard to his advantage, his handwriting is good, he moves out of the way after he writes something down as to let you see it for your notes... little things like that. This class has been one of the rare occasions where I actually want to go to math lecture. He grades fairly, he gives simple homework, gives simple quizzes. Couldn't ask for more. Thank you Matt for making Cal Poly a better place.

If you want an easy A take another teacher, but if you want to understand the material and feel confident in your abilities in math overall, TAKE WHITE! Linear is such a crucial class to understand (for some majors) and it doesn't take that much work. Theres a ton of material to cover in a small amount of time and this guy is extremely addicted to coffee (and maybe coke) so he does a really good job of fitting in all the important stuff. He also is great at judging the classes abilities and understanding so I have never felt too rushed in my learning. Excellent teacher, perfect for this class especially. Office hours are great, he never gets mad when you ask him a question but rather seems to get a thrill from teaching you even if he has to explain it 4 times. Very fair/great guy

Matt is the best math professor I have ever had. Out of anyone who as ever taught mathematics to me, he was by far the most passionate, empathetic, and intelligent. TAKE THIS GUY AS SOON AS YOU CAN FOR ANY MATH CLASS AT CAL POLY.

Matt White is by far, the best math professor i have taken. He structures his course so that you really don't need the textbook or any outside materials at all. He'll assign only a few problems from the textbook (never collected) that he thinks are "good" problems to know. From there, he writes his quizzes and midterms very similar to problems and examples we did in class. Overall, Matt's ability to explain, clarify, and connect to a real world application is extraordinary. I think he is particularly good with the Differential Equations portion of the class rather than the linear algebra. Take him, all types of learners and students can do well in his class i guarantee it

I thought White did an ok job given that the math department requires 244 to crunch Linear Algebra and Differential Equations into one quarter. To compensate for not having a well ordered math book, White wrote very detailed notes on the board. His notes were so lengthy though and written in complete sentences that it was hard to keep up with jotting down notes while understanding what was going on in class. There's also not a lot of optional homework given for the class, which was difficult to study off of for the two midterms and final. He would seem to select book problems at the spur of the moment, so some of the questions he selected in a range of problems turned out to not be applicable to our class. He was good at office hours though and if you take the time to read his notes thoroughly, they were pretty good. However, if you prefer to learn through practice problems, I'd look into a different Linear Analysis class.

Matthew is an incredibly entertaining and effective lecturer. This class was the first time in years that I actually enjoyed going to a math class. He lectures in a way that makes you feel as if you are discovering all the theorems and tricks for the first time, and it is very engaging. He gives very little homework (all optional), and a quiz every couple weeks that is barely worth anything. That being said, his exams are incredibly difficult. I failed the first one due to lack of preparation, and even though I managed an A on the second midterm, it was still one of the hardest tests I have ever taken. The final was completely off the charts, and most people I talked to couldn't answer about half of the problems. At the end of the day though, he is a very reasonable guy that prefers to assign grades off of your understanding of the concepts, rather than what the grade book says. As a result, he claims that anyone who gets an A on the final will get an A in the class, and he takes the "derivative" of your grade into account. Largely due to this philosophy, I ended up getting a B-, even though my grade on a pure point scale was probably closer to a low C. I would recommend him to anyone, but you have to be prepared to give his exams a lot of respect and study your butt off.

I took matt's class a year ago, but forgot to submit a rating, in a nutshell, he is really really good at what he does. Matt's approach to teaching linear is a little unorthodox, in the best possible way. Don't bother buying the book, you wont need it, plus there is a pdf online. Matt starts off the class with differential equations, if you dont know how to solve them by the end of the first 5 weeks, reconsider your major because there's no better way to teach it. He then goes into a 3-4 week "aside" with the the heuristics of matrices and brings it back on the last day by showing us the meaning of the aside. As long as you're interested, you'll do well and you'll never forget the material. Also cool guy if that matters to you, really helpful in office hours and good for a conversation.

has funny stories and kinda looks like he belongs in a punk rock band

Professor White has been the most careful, thoughtful, and understanding professor I've had this quarter. Just go to office hours! Seriously, build that relationship with him and he will do his best to redo examples and explain concepts to you. He has also very flexible with taking quizzes and examples at a different date, you just have to communicate with him far enough in advance. All this being said... Matt's class is not a walk in the park. He still grades strictly (but fairly) and conceptually, this class is just a hard class period...

Matt was really into the material in this class. I was never bored going to lecture; Matt is detailed in his explanations but not necessarily long winded. Vector calculus is useful stuff and this class is readily gratifying if you are a physics/engineering major. If you aren't comfortable with linear algebra, it'd be worth it to go over it before this class. While Matt didn't test us on linear algebra topics, a lot of the ideas in the class made a lot sense when thought of from a linear algebra perspective. Homework was kind of silly sometimes. It didn't always reflect what we would do in lecture, but that tests are strictly from the ideas in Matt's notes, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Great class that cleared up ideas rushed in calc IV and also opens the door to manifolds and n-dimensional analysis.

Professor White is an all-around GREAT guy! he really wants his students to understand the material, and will readily slow down if he thinks the class isnt getting something. the tests arnt easy, but he really doesnt try to kill you either. he realizes that students have a lot of other things going on, and responds to that. he's just really nice and really cares for the students. i would definitely recommend him!

I think I've ranked him the worst math professor at cal poly. God help you if you have to take his class. Avoid at all cost. AVOID.

everyone says that Matt is the best!! Sure, he's funny, cool to talk to, keeps his class laid back, but who are you trying to kid??? I WOULD NEVER TAKE HIM AGAIN EVEN IF I WAS FORCED WITH A GUN. ..... Enough Said.

Matt is a professor that should be taken over any other teacher. He's young, energetic, a pro. He's always prepared for the lecture, and he will only get better as he gets older. Math 318 is tough, he makes it enjoyable and I learned a lot. This is the only math class that I could do the homework problems without reading the chapter, just because his lectures were so good. I'm a student that relies heavy on reading the book too. If I would have had a teacher as good as Matt for all my math courses, I'd be a happier, smarter student. TAKE THIS PROFESSOR.

Mattew White was entertaining and showed a real passion for and concern for the students comprehension. His "on the level" attitude showed compassion for "stupid" questions and never once did he treat a student in a condescending manner. He is often available in office and will help you until you understand. He gave me my confidence back in a subject in which I was lost. I've been in college for many years and he is my favorite instructor.

Without a doubt the best math teacher on campus. He's always prepared for class and will always take the time to make sure that the class understands the concepts of the material. His homework is due once a week, and it takes from 2-5 hours, which is a perfect amount of time to understand the material from week to week. His tests are medium to hard, but he tells you everything that will be on them-- he doesn't give you a trick question like other professors. He's always in his office hours, often more than that, and if he's not you can always contact him and he will do one-on-one work. I would almost take over all of my math classes if I could have him teach them. Definately one teacher that you need to have atleast once in college, he's worth taking a priority to get.

MATT IS GREAT!!!!!! everything every one said is true. I have never seen a teacher drink so much coffee! This guy loves math...TAKE HIM!!!!! Dont take Perry.

MAKE SURE YOU TAKE MATT FOR ANY MATH CLASS!!!! Matt is the best math teacher at Poly. He is a really energetic and entertaining teacher (maybe from drinking so much coffee) He knows anything about math (if he doesn't he'll go ask his wife) and the guy just enjoys math. His lectures are very organized, and so will your notes if you write down everything he does. He basically writes every word out of his mouth on the board. Matt also will make sure that you know how to do the problems. His midterms and final are just like the homework, and he doesn't try to trick you. Also, he'll tell stories about when he was in the army and why he can wear a black t-shirt and jeans when it's over 100 degrees out. I had Matt for math 141 and I've been waiting to take another class from him.

I only had white for half a quarter after he took over for glassco, but if i had to take another math class from white i would feel fortunate. he perpetually walks back and forth in front of the board during the whole lecture like it's an exercise routine. he seriously never stops. because he talks to fast sometimes i got lost during his lecture but when i reviewed over my notes they were so organized it was like reading out of cliffs notes. even simple questions white dealt with seriously, he never blew a simple question off with a simple non-helping answer like most professors do. plus i thought the final was super easy.

Matt White as a person? Awesome. Matt White teaching Linear Analysis? Difficult. This guy is very funny, nice, and enjoyable to be around. I want to like him as a teacher, but he does LITERALLY NO EXAMPLE PROBLEMS ever. It was a very difficult time understanding how to do the work, even though he did a great job explaining all of the theory and derivations. I like Matt but I would never recommend taking him unless you are a math major and love theory and derivations all day long

Matt White is an absolute G. I took him for 244 and loved him so much I signed up for him again for 344. While his lectures are a bit fast paced, he is EXTREMELY helpful when you ask questions and actually show interest in the course, especially during office hours. his tests are challenging but definitely fair and based on the material he went over in class. this man is addicted to caffeine at such high levels its almost comical, and burns through chalk like nobody's business he snaps so much of it as he writes. He makes class enjoyable and fun, and genuinely cares about his students. 10/10 would take again, and I already did once!

White is probably the best professor I've had. He cares so much about his students and really puts their needs first. He's really flexible and always makes sure every student understands the material. He's awesome!!!