Okay so I usually don't write reviews but I'm seeing way too much Mazzocco slander that's undeserved. Professor Mazzocco is probably the best math-based professor I've ever had, and definitely the best econ professor I've had in my prerequisite courses. Honestly, this class cemented for me that I want to be an econ major. I'm definitely not a math person whatsoever, and I kind of learn concepts and apply them because I know I should, but this is the first time that I actually understand what's going on, and like holy crap it's a whole new world.

I took this class in the online format, and it definitely sucks just because it takes up twice as much time as usual because you watch the video lectures, and then the regular lecture time is used as a Q&A. The lectures are also longer than they're supposed to be, like some weeks he might post a two-hour long lecture for whats supposed to be an hour and fifteen-minute class, but I put the lectures on 2x speed anyway so I can't really complain about that. You also definitely don't have to go to the Q&A, because Mazzocco posts all the previous years' midterm and final exams and their solutions, and as long as you run through at least three to four of those, you're pretty set for the exams. I reaaaally recommend doing them because there are some questions that appear there that you don't see anywhere else. The Q&A's are still good though because he runs through different problems and it's just exposure y'know. I'm just not a morning person and couldn't even wake up at 9:30 am at home.

It'd be stupid to call this an easy class, and it's definitely the class I had to put the most effort into, but I actually felt like I learned in this class and that's pretty cool. The averages of the midterms and the finals were pretty low, like around 65 and 73, but Professor Mazzocco curves really well for the econ department and I think if you score around average you get a B. Also if you score better on your final than one of your midterms, your lowest midterm gets dropped and the final gets weighted more.

Overall, Mazzocco is a nice guy, explains things well, and is kinda funny sometimes. I recommend him!!

I am so sad to write this review. I remember doing everything I could to enroll in this class because of all the incredible reviews that I had read over the summer for this professor. I was also anxious about getting into my major and this was the last class I needed. The lectures are quite clear and the homework material is also easy (accounts for 10%). But DANG... The exams were challenging!!!!! The first midterm average was a 65 which is incredibly low compared to the previous years. I did all the practice midterms he offered and those exercises were actually how I learned how to apply the knowledge, but for some reason, Professor made the questions more challenging, and actually, some I had never even seen in the 7 exams he offered were present during the midterm. The second midterm was better and the average was 74. The final exam's average was 73, but I would say that was the most difficult exam. Also, there were a couple of typos which added to the whole anxiousness of the experience. I thought that with Covid, the class would not necessarily be easier but not as challenging as it became. He said that because it's open notes, it had to be more difficult but in my opinion, having notes does not help you if you don't understand how to do the math. This was a math-heavy course that took lots of time to simplify and get to the answer choices. Nonetheless, Mazzocco seems like a kind man who enjoys economics and there were times where I laughed while watching the lectures. Perhaps in a non-remote learning setting, this class will go back to its normal level of difficulty and will be far more enjoyable. Good luck!

Great professor, clear lecture, challenging test during the pandemic but manageable

Mazzocco is a great professor. Lectures are engaging, often making jokes to keep the class engaged. Class structure is 10% weekly homework problems that are very manageable. The rest is either 30% final, 30% midterm1 , 30% midterm 2; or 50% final, 40% midterm (whichever grade is higher). Exams are relatively hard (mean of about 70) but they are curved. One page cheat sheet is allowed for exams. He posts previous midterms so just grind through those and the real one should be a breeze. Lectures are recorded. An A is very doable as long as you take good notes and practice the previous midterms. The algebra of the class is harder than the calculus. Only pretty basic derivatives but sometimes can be complicated to simplify the larger equations. Overall, Mazzocco is the guy you want.

This class was a very tough one. He tends to overcomplicate a lot of the information you need or don’t need to do. Slides are used but honestly have an intense amount of information that you cannot understand everything. There are homework assignments per week that are manageable but they do not reflect a lot of the exams. There are a few things that make your grade: 8 Problem Sets, 2 Midterms, & 1 final. If you do better on the final than both of your midterms, he will drop the lower midterm grade. He will also drop the lowest homework grade. Overall, this class is one you must learn on your own. TA office hours are helpful to a point. You truly must learn for hours a day by yourself.

PSA TO TRANSFERS: This class will probably shock you academically. This is a weeder class. This may be a deciding factor to be an econ or business econ major.
My grade reflects me giving up Week 9 knowing I am retaking the course. you need a B or A to maintain the transfer GPA requirement (3.5 between econ 11 and 101)

The lectures were helpful (and recorded). I liked his style with definitions and examples. This class had two grading schemes. 1. 10% homework 30% midterm 1 30% midterm 2 30% final. or if the final was higher than both midterms then 10% homework 40% highest midterm 50% final. He gives you tons of old midterms/finals to study with, which were very helpful. The textbook is not necessary for this class, but I did use it a little when studying or to further explain concepts. Overall, I think this class was easier than some people made it sound, you just need to study a lot.

To preface, this class is going to be a bit difficult no matter the professor. With this class, I think Mazzocco is one of the better professors you can take this class with. He does a weekly problem set (which is like 3 questions, with about 5 parts each), which is not that difficult at all (also drops your lowest grade), has two midterms and a final. He also does alternate grading schemes.

As a professor it kind of seemed like he read off his slides, however, he actually will do examples in class that will really conceptually help you understand the material. To further this, I really recommend going to your discussion sections (shoutout to Patrick, he is literally the GOAT). The other great thing about Mazzocco is that the questions on the tests are like problems that he does in class and assignes for homework, so there is nothing that will catch you off guard. If you are going to take this class, to study, please do the practice exams he gives you, as his tests are the same format. Honestly, if you do two tests before your test, you should be GOLDEN.

As for the class itself, he is a super nice guy who really wants to help you learn. He is pretty funny in lecture, and it is not impossible to pay attention in his class. I really liked him as an overall person. The textbook is not really needed for this class as everything you need is covered in lecture. For those freaking out about the math, this class is not very math intensive. It is a one trick pony, where you have to learn how to do partial derivatives. You'll get so many reps in that this will become second nature. I would say the math you would use is more arithmetic and manipulating equations, so start to think in mathematical terms earlier than later because it will help you.

Overall, please don't be scared of this class nor this professor. If you can take it with him, I highly recommend you do if you are able to pick up concepts quicker. Should be an easy A for a harder class.

Prof. Mazzocco is, without a doubt, the best professor I’ve ever had. His lectures are engaging, and he often asks lecture questions that connect the material to real-world situations. His exams are also very manageable if you review the exams he posts from 2023 to 2008. Also, be sure to time yourself when doing the practice exams; many people ran out of time because they didn’t complete at least 2-3 practice exams with a 75-minute time limit. His grading style is flexible, as he gives two midterms, and if the lower one is below your final exam score, it will be dropped. The other option is that each exam is worth 30% if your final exam score is the lowest of the three. Problem sets are worth 10%. He also allows a cheat sheet for each exam.

He was alright. I thought the lecture was confusing at times but it was recorded so you could go back and watch it if you want. The discussion helped me a lot too. He posts his old exams for you to study from which is nice because it gives you lots of practice before the test. The class is curved and math heavy.

This class was extremely hard for me. I found the concepts to be interesting and I definitely learned a lot, but the tests (2nd midterm and final) were very difficult. Tests are worth 90% of your grade and weekly problem sets make up the other 10%. The average on the final was a 57.5% -- I spent over a week straight studying for the final and failed. Luckily, the tests are curved pretty heavily. Mazzocco is a fine professor, but his tests are not.