Professor
Peter Xu
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - Professor Xu is a good professor and has definitely improved on issues that students have pointed out in the past. Homework: Homework is assigned every week with around six questions. You choose three to complete and submit for grading, while the others can be used for practice before exams. This system makes it easier to get a good grade on homework since you can cherry-pick the problems you feel most confident about. Exams: The average for our final was around 65%, which might seem low, but the exams were fair. The questions were very similar to the homework and practice problems provided, so studying those is excellent preparation. The tests were graded fairly, with minimal points deducted for small errors and partial credit given for demonstrating some line of reasoning or decent attempt, even if the proof wasn’t entirely correct. Grade Distribution: Some past complaints mention harsh grade distributions, but I found the grading this quarter (Spring 2024) to be fair and typical for the math department. About 25% of the class received some form of an A, most other students received some form of a B, and the lowest percentiles received grades below that. Professor Xu curved the class by looking at the grade distributions and then assigning grade brackets to fit the distribution (e.g., 85+ was an A-, 70+ was a B-, etc.). Lectures: His lectures are clear, and he is good about answering questions during class. While some concepts can be difficult to understand, as long as you follow along and take notes, you should be able to grasp the general idea and review confusing details later (or ask him during office hours). The lectures are not recorded, which is standard for upper-division math classes. However, he posts his notes from previous quarters, which can be a good guide if you miss a class or want to get ahead. There are some deviations between past notes and the current quarter’s teachings, but they are still useful. Office Hours: One of Professor Xu's best strengths is his office hours. He hosts them twice a week and is very helpful in answering all sorts of questions, including homework. TL;DR: Professor Xu is a good professor with easy homework, tough but fair exams, an average grading scheme, clear lectures, and good office hours.
Spring 2024 - Professor Xu is a good professor and has definitely improved on issues that students have pointed out in the past. Homework: Homework is assigned every week with around six questions. You choose three to complete and submit for grading, while the others can be used for practice before exams. This system makes it easier to get a good grade on homework since you can cherry-pick the problems you feel most confident about. Exams: The average for our final was around 65%, which might seem low, but the exams were fair. The questions were very similar to the homework and practice problems provided, so studying those is excellent preparation. The tests were graded fairly, with minimal points deducted for small errors and partial credit given for demonstrating some line of reasoning or decent attempt, even if the proof wasn’t entirely correct. Grade Distribution: Some past complaints mention harsh grade distributions, but I found the grading this quarter (Spring 2024) to be fair and typical for the math department. About 25% of the class received some form of an A, most other students received some form of a B, and the lowest percentiles received grades below that. Professor Xu curved the class by looking at the grade distributions and then assigning grade brackets to fit the distribution (e.g., 85+ was an A-, 70+ was a B-, etc.). Lectures: His lectures are clear, and he is good about answering questions during class. While some concepts can be difficult to understand, as long as you follow along and take notes, you should be able to grasp the general idea and review confusing details later (or ask him during office hours). The lectures are not recorded, which is standard for upper-division math classes. However, he posts his notes from previous quarters, which can be a good guide if you miss a class or want to get ahead. There are some deviations between past notes and the current quarter’s teachings, but they are still useful. Office Hours: One of Professor Xu's best strengths is his office hours. He hosts them twice a week and is very helpful in answering all sorts of questions, including homework. TL;DR: Professor Xu is a good professor with easy homework, tough but fair exams, an average grading scheme, clear lectures, and good office hours.
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