Girolo, Jack  

As I read over the other evaluations of Dr. Girolo they all seem to be good, but I took him over the summer of 1998 which was my first quarter at Poly. I took this class because of a 580 on SAT's and they wouldn't let me in to Calculus even though I took AP Calc in high school. I knew the algebra very well, but if you didn't do a problem exactly how he showed you then it was marked completely wrong even if it was right. He gave weekly quizzes that were right out of the homework so if you're good at memorizing then the quizzes are no problem. Watch out on exams, make sure your work would exemplify his expertise or rather stubborn nature. Who knows for other classes he might be a good teacher, but make sure your willing to do Math the "Girolo Way" or you can hit the road Jack, or rather accept a dreary quarter of Math.

He is the best math teacher that I have had at Cal Poly. He graded fairly and explained things clearly.

An excellent professor; willing to do whatever needed to make sure that his students do well. Recommend any class that he teaches.

Professor Girolo is the best Calculus Professor at Cal Poly from what I've seen. Go to his office hours if you're having any difficulty in his class and he is more than happy to help you solve your problems. He presents the material so clearly, and makes the subject very enjoyable. Take his class, it's awesome!

This guy doesn't convey material very clearly. This was my first math class at CP and it was bad. I only got a B because I took some calc in high school and this guys tests were pretty easy. If you are looking to actually learn though, choose a different prof.

I have absolutely no idea why so many people praise this guy. Ill tell you right now he is the worst teacher I have ever had in conveying material clearly to his students. Everyone in my class laughs as he is describing shit on the board because it makes NO sense at all. Also, he makes tons of mistakes in his explanations which begin to fuck with your mind if you're trying to actually comprehend why hes doing what hes doing. To put things even more in perspective, I had calc 1 last quarter and failed but surprisingly learned quite a bit. I will say that its as if I never took calculus last quarter. This guy is terrible. I would NOT recommend this guy at all.

Well, I must first start off with saying Dr. Girolo is a pretty damn good educator. A little fast at first though. He is always willing to help, especially during office hours. I would definately recomend this professor. I got an easy A in there. However he sometimes breaks into spontaneous singing and dancing. Once I think he did 'big balls' by AC/DC. It was really awkward and unexpected. Then after singing he went on with the lecture like nothing happened!

Well...i will tell you that he is very very helpful and kind during office hours...unlike a few other professors. His homework load is pretty doable if you have some free time mainly because you have at least three days for each assignment. As a person he is great because he does care, but as a teacher ehhh hes pretty much an average one but i thought he didnt convey the material too clearly. i had to look stuff up in the book and it made a HELL of a lot more sense. if you get stuck with him dont worry, use his office hours.

He is a HORRIBLE teacher... 7/8ths of your grade is two midterms and a final. Keep that in mind. So I got the first part of one of the questions wrong because I put a minus sign instead of a plus sign (I did EVERYTHING else 100% correctly) and he not only gave me a zero for that problem (partial credit for him is just another way to grade you down, not to help you any) but for every part of the question. I did ALL of the problem correctly but becuase of one little overlooked error I got a zero and failed that midterm completely. Its like that for EVERY problem. HE actually looks for ways to grade you down. His quizes are VERY long and you barely finish them. His lectures are boring and hard to follow... He doesn't even tell you what you're doing, just throws out an easy example and expects you to know how to do every problem in the book (which he assign you... he gives you A LOT of homework) In office hours he'll ask you what you think you should do when you go in for help... well, if I knew what I thought I should do to solve the problem then I'd've done it. Basically office hours is sitting with the book and your notes with the "teacher" there with you. Hated the class and have to repeat it.

great teacher, i did very well in his class because i did all of the assigned work, which was alot. i can see how you can fall behind easily in his class with homework due twice a week, but its very close to whats on the tests.

Girolo went through the material as if everyone in the class already understood it. The only way to understand it was to go to office hours or a study group. He often was lost in his own examples in class and would go back and redo a problem that he just did wrong.

Okay, this guy is completely helpful if you go into his office hours BEFORE a test and to work on homework you have problems with. If you go in after a test he will still try to explain, but it is too late you are already way behind. The homework load is okay for a math class, if you have other classes with alot of homework i dont recommend him. On the test he is very particular about making the answer look like a proof. better than most at Poly, but not the best.

I think that Girolo is a good teacher. I would definitely take him again. His grading seems a little strict to some people, but I think it is standard mathematics grading. If you don't show the steps you took on a test, then you won't get full credit. I think this is reasonable. His grading policy, as others stated, is very fair. He gives C's down to 60%. The way he presents the material is straight forward and logical, and if someone did not understand he tried explaining in another way. His tests were A LOT easier than the homework. If you do the homework and listen in class they are super easy. As far as seeing him in his office hours are concerned, he is very approachable and friendly. He knew most of the people's names in my class and remembered who came in to ask him about what. If a lot of people asked him about one subject, he went over that subject again the next day in class. Overall I liked him, but then I am a math major.

A good teacher when it comes to helping you out. This was the second time I was taking 143 so it was one of those where you can't fail. Well that's what I thougt, but geez, I've never worked soo hard to get a B in that class. He's a good teacher, but his test gradings are impossible, in which he rarely gives partial credit, so it's hard to do alrite or decently good, but hey, it teaches you that you need to work. If you do the assigned homework at the assigned time you should do fine, but he gives out like 50 problems todo in 3 days because he give out homework twice a week. But overall a good teacher and will be very helpful when coming to office hours.

Dr. Girolo is a nice guy but his lectures are hard to follow. While presenting course materials, he often made mistakes and stopped short of completing all steps. He spent more time proving theorems rather than explaining their application. Homework assignments are time consuming but only due twice per week. Tests were hard but fair (I got C's on all three tests and the final). Partial credit was hardly given and the homework grading was even more brutal. Luckily, 60% is a C in his class. His teaching style is better suited for math majors. I don't recommend Dr. Girolo for MATH 143 but enrolling in his class is not the end of the world (as long as one works hard).

I thought Girolo was a good math professor. He does lose himself in lecture a bit during class, but considering the material for Calc III (series are a bisnatch) i thought he explained it pretty well. He also collects homework so it cushions your grade a bit. He doesn't give quizzes but does give about three exams not counting the final so if you screw up on one test you are not completely doomed. He is also really good in office hours if you make the trip. Though he will trip over his words sometimes he knows what he is talking about.

In lecture he moves very quickly and often make mistakes, which can get confusing at times, but it is easy to ask questions in class and office hours. Homework is collected which helps you stay on top of the material and helps your grade, and the tests are pretty staight forward, no surprises.

Dr. Girolo is pretty good at lecturing. He does make mistakes but not huge ones. His tests are fairly easy, as long as you do the homework. There were only two quizzes and all of the homework was collected. He's really approachable but also very picky in his grading. It seems as if he doesn't want anyone to get 100%'s on tests. He marks points off like crazy if a slight mistake is done, so be careful when taking those exams. Other than that he's a pretty good professor.

I feel I got my moneys worth from Girolos class. An average math student should be able to stay engaged in his lecture,the homework load was average and the tests were easy. He is a harsh grader but the tests were easy enough that it was still easier to get a good in his class than others. He was also the only instructor I had winter quarter that treated his students like adults, which I appreciated when all my other teaches treated their students like dirt or 3rd graders.

This was a fairly easy class for me because I've taken AP Calculus in high school; for those who hadn't had previous experience had a difficult time in the class. There is a quiz once a week and he was always willing to help you after class. Overall, the class was pretty good.

Girilo is a really good teacher. He explains things concisely and well. But he also lectures really fast and gives a ton of homework. His tests and midterms are infamous for being difficult. His C range is from 50-70% to account for this. He also doesn't grade with a plus or minus which sucks. Basically if you want to learn the subject really well and work hard take him. If you want an easier teacher don't.

Wow, simply put this old man is loopy. On all his tests any mistake meant you got a zero on the entire problem, or maybe 10-20% of the possible points on that problem if you talked ot him. He is very picky about details. I would do an entire problem right except plug numbers into the integral wrong and get a zero. All the math he had tought me that quarter I could do fine, but on a test I might make one little algebra mistake and I would end up with at best a D on the test. His lectures were hard to follow too. He is totally unorganized. He would have to correct errors and check his work on the black board constantly because of all the errors, which made it very hard to follow him or take accurate notes. If he can't do a a simple example right on the board, how are we supposed to learn? He is not a teacher you ever want to take. In fact he is not a person you really want to ever have to meet. So I highly recommend taking another teacher like Greenwald who actually knows how to teach.

He lectures very fast and gives ton of homeworks. His tests are very hard and long. If you make a mistake, he barely give you any partial credits and often he just gives you zero. He is not helpful when I come to his office hour. Overall, I would not recomend to take this insrtuctor.

Dr. Girolo is not the greatest professor in the world, but he is certainly better than some of the others. His lectures have their ups and downs. One day you'll understand everything he says and the next you might end up falling asleep because the concept is so drawn out. He is very willing to help if you have questions. He is a very cool guy outside of class. His homework is, well, a lot. For the level of difficulty in MATH 241, he sure puts a lot of problems for homework (10-20/2 days). His tests are fair and consistent with the practice exam and the homework. Dr. Girolo is a very good professor for Math.

MATH 241 is the class which I probably learned the most in. Girolo's tests were more on the difficult side I must admit. His grading scale was 90=A 80=B 60=C 50=D. I felt the C range was too broad and he does not give +/- grading. However, I felt he was able to deliver the material very well. The worst part of the class is the partial credit policy...very little is given. If he was more casual on grading I would definately recommend Girolo. He also assigns quite a bit of homework and collects it twice a week. A great professor but a couple of his policies are a little edgy.

Professor Girolo has been the best math teacher that I have had thus far in my experience at Cal Poly. Every class period he'd begin by answering ALL of the student questions and then proceed with the lecture in a way that most everyone could understand. And he could tell when his students did get it and then stopped and took some more time with the subject. Overall a very good professor. I highly recommend him

Just pay attention and you will get a good grade. The material in this class is simple in comparison to Math 143 or 142, and girolo's tests are very straight-forward. I would definitely recommend him.

He is a good teacher. I understood all the material. He gave a lot of homework (which we turned in), but after doing it I didn't need to study much for the tests. His tests are straight forward and some even come right off the study sheets he gives out. His tests are a little too long though, and it is very diffucult to finish in time, but he gives a lot of partial credit. I would recommend this teacher if you really want to learn the material and are willing to do all the homework.

Okay, so this class isn't hard. I'll be honest, I got a C because I never went to class. Girolo is very dry and pretty boring so don't take it at 8am because you'll suffer the same consequences I did. I must say, however, that Girolo is practically a saint. I should have failed his class because I swear I failed the final... I slept halfway through it and he CALLED me to ask if I was going to come take it. Not only that but he told me not to worry about taking my time and showing up whenever because he'd give me extra time to finish. Needless to say I was so freaked out by the situation that I ran down anyway and left half of it blank... but still. Good guy. If you go, you'll get an A. It's not difficult.

well dr. girolo is a boring old math teacher like the rest of them. He is unapproachable and his tests are incredibly hard. The class average is usually around 60 to 65 percent and his only curve is that 60-79 percent is a C and thats how every one passes the class. Do not take girolo if you can help it, he means well, he just cant relate to students.

Although he was a very nice man, this is the worst teacher I have taken in the history of my schooling. He is very stingy on partial credit, and his tests were overly challenging. I believe our longest study guide for one of the tests ended up being 20 pages long. I spent so much time on it that I didn't get to study for the test. The study guide barely even helped.

I think Girolo is a very nice man and he's a very approachable person to talk to during office hours. He tries his best to explain things, however I still don't understand him. I end up teaching myself most of this material. I am actually doing quite well (not done with the course yet) however I do feel Girolo was insanely stingey with his partial credit.

Professor Girolo is not that great. I feel like I am leaving this class understanding a lot, but it is not because of him, it's because of studying with a friend of mine. He often seems more confused about questions which are asked then I was about the material he was attempting to present. It seems almost as though he assumes you know it before he teaches it. It also didn't help that this was a new class starting this quarter and the book is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! He is friendly in office hours and somewhat helpful. He must have curved the final grades, cause I expected a B and got an A, so that is nice. I'd say avoid him, but if you end up in a situation like me, all the teachers for the class are bad. In that case, take him, cause he sounds better than many of the other profs who teach the course.

Girolo did an average jon of teaching 244. The 1st part of the class with DE is easy, but the matrix math stuff is very diffcult. Girolo assigns gobs of homework thats collected and pseudo-checked. In class he talks fast and you write even faster. Exams weren't that bad after all the homework though. Best advise is to do the homework and find 2-3 other ppl to study with

Girolo was a pretty good professor professor. He explains the material pretty good. His tests are pretty straightforward, but good luck trying to squeeze extra points out of him. All in all, he's pretty good.

I did not like him. He adds a lot of weird stuff to the ciricumlum, and just the style that he uses to teach the class seems like he is instructing mathematicians rather than engineers. He is more concerned about little particularities and special cases of the math, rather than facilitating a general understanding of what is happening. I would advise him to assign less homework, drop the special cases, and teach with the intention of garnering a stronger, more general understanding of matricies and differential equations. The book is very similar; I think it is the worst book I have ever had.

I still don't know how to say jack's last name but i do know that he is a good a teacher. He assigns a lot of homework and his tests are long, but overall the difficulty of the problems on the test are not that bad. He gives a review sheet before the tests which helps a lot. He doesnt allow any kind of cheat sheet until the final, which is a little notecard. As for partial credit, I think sometimes he marks down a problem down a little to much, but he does curve. I found friends in that class to study with and went to his office hours once a week and I did fine. Study for the tests, watch out for 1 or 2 pop quizzes, and do the hw and review sheets and you will do fine.

Girolo was not a very good teacher, but he was not a very bad one either. He was just pretty bad at explaining things and he wasn't that helpful in his office hours either. There was also a ton of homework every week, and he doesn't really provide any help if you any questions about the problems. The F that I received was partly from his lack of teaching ability, but also because I refused to seek outside help and just tried going it alone. You should find a smart person to help you out if you get him.

Very hard to follow. He is very scatterbrained, doesn't know where he is going. He would do a problem one way then mark you wrong for doing it the exact same way on the midterm. When you go into office hours to show him this, he tells you that you must have copied it wrong from the board (the whole approach to the problem?). 248 is a hard class anyway, but he makes it harder. I believe over half the class failed, and many for the second time. Plus, his grader is really harsh on grading the homework.

This is the first C I have recieved in my entire life. I hope that says something to all of you out there watching their GPA. Do not take him--this class was a nightmare!