I had Popa for 31B. This class was really easy, probably because I took AP Calc BC. He is really clear in lectures and the tests are EXACTLY like the homework, so make sure to do the HW. If you go to lecture, do ALL the homework, go to discussion, you should be good.

I am writing this review for Math 31B, because bruinwalk doesn't seem to register it as a class for some reason. This quarter was just not kind to this class. Firstly, our lecture hall was located in Bunche Hall. If this doesn't sound bad enough, to give you context, the lecture hall is completely flat. So unless you got there 20 minutes early and got a seat in the front, the chances of you seeing the board are extremely low. And also, on top of that, the grader who grades our math homework was extremely sick, so we did not have this valuable study tool when we were studying for our midterms. And, on top of that, I took this class when the coronavirus hit, so it threw everything off.

However, given these circumstances, Popa was very kind and understanding. His midterms and final were very reflective of the homework and practice midterms he gave us, so they were not really an issue. The homework was slightly hard but doable, and the two lowest scores are dropped. I took calculus BC in high school, so the material was somewhat review for me, but the overall class seemed to also be doing fine. There was a technical issue that resulted in my final grade showing up lower than what it was calculated to be, and I emailed Popa immediately, but he didn't send out an email regarding this issue until a week later. I found this slightly frustrating, but when he did email us back, my grade was fixed, and on top of that, Popa curved the class due to the annoying circumstances the class had to endure. He was a really nice guy, and even though I stopped going to lecture early on in the quarter, found him to be really understanding of student learning. He also cracked occassional jokes, so that was cool. I really liked my TA for the course, Stan Palasek, because he gave us a really good conceptual understanding of the course material, as well as any questions we had.

Very Predictable professor. Easy class. Ended with an A+. Selling Neuhauser book with solutions manual needed for Math 3A,3B,3C for $95. Text/call me at ********** if interested :)

People don't give Popa enough credit! Out of the math 3 series, he definitely made 3B the easiest for me. It's true what people say, that he recycles old midterms and finals, so there's your easy solution! If those aren't enough for you, just make sure to practice all the odd problems in the book. I found that he liked to incorporate the slightly trickier yet doable problems into his tests.

Of course, it was hard waking up for an 8am for lectures that could be dry. But I've always viewed Popa as a really sweet and sincere man. He wants you to do well in his class, and he's very receptive! He can be quite funny, too.

Overall, I recommend him. But just because he is nice and somewhat lenient, don't think you won't have to exercise your brain.

ADVICE for MATH 3B with DR. POPA:

- Go to the test bank and get his a lot of his old tests. He recycles like mad, and your classmates will all be doing it.
- For the homework, get yourself a Chegg subscription and you’ll get perfect scores.
- His lectures aren’t all that useful. You could get by just using the textbook.

I think that is all you need to know to get an A in this class. The homework will take up some of your time. Do many problems and it’ll pay you well. Some of the concepts toward the end of the course are not so easy, but with Chegg it won’t be too bad.

Be warned, the curve won’t be kind. You are competing against hard-working people. Work harder.

Took him for Math 3B and he honestly was pretty good. I got a C on the first midterm cause I screwed up, but an A on the 2nd midterm and the final also. LOOK AT HIS OLD TESTS! He doesn't even change anything, maybe a couple of numbers but that's really it. Study those and you'll end up with an A in the class.

Don't be turned away by his creepy default picture! Popa is one of the sweetest professors I have come into contact with here. Ya, his lectures are pretty early, he goes kind of fast, and unless you have a pretty strong background in calculus you may get a little lost, BUT his accent makes everything better. You can actually tell while he is teaching that he cares if you understand or not. His midterms and final are literally to the T of all the practice exams you will find. DO THE HOMEWORK. Great teacher, got a B.

This class should be easy if you have taken calculus in high school. Regardless, if you do all of the assigned book problems and a bit more(odds as well as evens)the exams should not be difficult. The exams are straight forward.

Prof Popa is a great professor. He has a cool accent, despite what others say, and he has some great sayings (eg "as you approach closer and closer," "tiny, tiny"). He genuinely enjoys teaching, which you can tell from the excitement in his voice at times. He even pretended to get on an imaginary saddle during his lecture about saddle curves. Too cool.