Based on the BruinWalk reviews for this course, I came in very nervous. Not only did the poor ratings make me anxious, but with the experience I've had with Econ professors throughout my 4 quarters here, I managed my expectations and just focused on trying to get an A in this class.
At first, it took a while to get a grasp of the materials but Professor Surro paced the class very well. He set our expectations from the first lecture and I truly found all the resources he provided to be of help. While the midterm was a little tough, I was genuinely able to navigate through it because of practice. I thought it was fair and believe that doing the problem sets and practice problems prepared me well enough for it.
I'm not a very STEM-inclined student but I've been enjoying math a little more than I used to in high school and I want to say - that this class, this mix of math and economics, has made me reconsider my stance because I genuinely enjoy the math we had to do.
The class structure was as follows:
Midterm - 150 points (25%)
Problem Sets (only have to complete 6 out of 8 for full credit, also only graded based on completion and effort) - each problem set is 15, so 90 points (15%)
Quizzes (only have to do 12, graded based on completion) - each quiz is 5 points, so 60 points (10%)
Final - 300 points (50%)
If you do better on the final than the midterm, he'll change your grade scheme so that the midterm is dropped and the final counts for 450 points (75%)
He also curved the final grade cutoff because the final average was lower than the midterm average. So the cutoff for an A- was 89% overall, and for an A was 91% overall. (He assured us at the beginning of the quarter that he would not curve down, which some econ professors do and should be a crime :( )
Also, Professor Surro's reminders with regard to prioritizing mental health and just our health, in general, were definitely something that made me like this class. His continuous notes of encouragement and grading schemes that allow for flexibility in what our final grade is, were incredibly helpful.
I would definitely take a class taught by Surro again - best professor in the econ department.

This is a fantastic class. The tests are hard but Surro gives so many opportunities to prepare and practice for them. If you want to succeed in this class, make sure to do the quizzes, practice questions, and problem sets. If you do them, you are in a great place for the tests and they help add some buffer to your grade!

While I think Professor Surro himself has good intentions and cares about his students, this class will seriously make you consider switching your major. The material is so extensive, there are so many exceptions to every rule you learn, and the midterm and final are the only things you really get graded on. He does offer a 3% grade boost through problem sets though.
Unless you have a strong grasp on conceptual economics and problem application, this class will be one of the hardest to take at UCLA. Make sure you're positive about Econ before taking it because it is a weed out class and you could end up with a C all for nothing. And please do all four steps he lists for success on the syllabus off the bat from week 1, I didn't and I definitely paid for it. Also don't bother getting a tutor, it won't help and you'll just be out hundreds of dollars.

This was a HARD class but Professor Surro gives a lot of resources to be successful. He uploads typed notes for every topic/class that are pretty detailed, assigns post lecture quizzes, and weekly problem sets. All quizzes and problem sets are graded on completion. These assignments are also optional (if desired, your whole grade could be based off of exams). However, the class is a point-based system that puts most of the weight on the midterm and the final. The midterm is 150 points and the final is 300 points, with the problem sets/quizzes being 150 points total. That being said, the exams are tough in that they really test your understanding of the concepts vs. memorizing the process (Surro highly emphasizes this throughout the quarter). Surro is a good lecturer in that he really hones in on these concepts, but his practice problems are normally easier than the exams, the one thing I disliked. Surro also will answer any questions (usually through Campuswire) quickly.

TLDR: Good professor, hard tests. Econ 11 is a notoriously difficult class and I would say Surro is your best bet.

Idk bro, hes a cool guy and all but ig his final was really really hard. I got a B on the midterm w little effort, and then spent 2 weeks before the final studying, went through every slide and did practice problems endlessly. Got a D... definitely a big blow to my pride but if you study a lot im sure ur fine,

Surro really cares about his students' learning and tries his best to help us by answering our campus wire questions, holding office hours 2 hours a week, providing notes and recordings, and being a friendly and fun teacher! As a caveat, his exams are HARD and the median was about a B.

Put in the work and you know what to do succeed based on the advice he gives you on the first day of his class. I did a good amount of what he suggested and ended up with a B- (sick with the flu during throughout the midterm week, less than 2 hours of sleep before the final). If you're the type of student that got in based on hard work and consistency rather than pure intellect and stuff like that, I advise that you go to as many OH (Surro's and TA's) as you can even if you think you know everything. Think about the stuff intellectually rather than knowing how to do the math.

Surro by no means is an easy teacher but he is clear and very reasonable. His class is structure in a way where you can only help yourself through doing problem sets, quizzes, and good on the midterm. Midterm is definitely a major time crunch but if you do better on the final, it will be dropped. The material overall in Econ 11 can be pretty difficult, but there is not a ton of it. Where most students struggle is with the fact that Surro tries to make students have a full understanding of the material, which means an understanding of the intuition instead of just knowing the basic steps. For the midterm and final, he gives out a practice one that is from the previous quarter that is very similar to the one that you will take. Do all the practice homeworks and problem sets. Median grade gets curved to a B.

This class is very tough, but Surro definitely provides the resources for you to be successful. You just have to really utilize all of the practice he gives you and definitely attend lectures because he goes over problems in class. He cares about his students a lot as well. His tests are definitely really difficult, but I don't think unfairly so. He is a good teacher and if you pay attention and do the practice, you can succeed in the class. You also don't really need to go to section if you can do the practice on your own.

I was so scared to take Econ 11 because of its intimidating reputation but Chris surro is truly one of the best professors I’ve ever had. He explains things in a straight forward way that makes sense. If you put in the work to truly understand the material and not just memorize equations then the tests will be a breeze. This class is a great example of the work you put in reflects your results.