Tom Gannon
Department of Mathematics
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4.8
Overall Rating
Based on 26 Users
Easiness 4.6 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 5.0 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 4.8 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 5.0 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Engaging Lectures
  • Often Funny
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Reviews (19)

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Quarter: Fall 2023
Grade: A
Jan. 7, 2024

Best math professor/ teacher I've ever had in my life. I was intimidated out of calculus back in high school and started the class with pretty much no understanding. Prof Gannon knows how to break down the material to make it digestible for first-time calculus students like me and managed to make it engaging at the same time. He truly does everything in his power to help you succeed: he provided lecture recordings, dropped the two lowest homework grades, responded virtually on Piazza in addition to OH, allowed a cheatsheet (index card for midterms and one side of a full-size paper for the final) and even came on campus the weekend before finals to host a study session. I wouldn't consider the class easy, especially with my background, but Prof Gannon truly was the best professor for it and I would pick him anytime for as long as he continues teaching.

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Quarter: Fall 2023
Grade: A+
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Dec. 22, 2023

If you have him as an option!! Pick him!!!
He is one of the best math teachers I ever met. Quick summary: 1) he is funny and passionate, and his classes are never boring (classes are recorded); 2) his tests are pretty easy, our 1st midterm is the practice midterm he gave us (I learned calculus before so everything was pretty easy; few particular friends don't think so); 3) he gives a HW (due on SAT 8 am) and a quiz (due on Mon 8 am) every week, definitely not a lot of work. 4) I didn't go to OH so I have no idea.

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Quarter: Fall 2023
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Dec. 9, 2023

Highly recommend Tom Gannon if you're taking calculus, especially if math isn't your favorite subject. The lectures are recorded, homeworks are relatively short, quizzes are online, and midterms/tests are fairly easy (with a cheat sheet allowed). Outside of attending or watching lecture, you won't spend more than 1-2 hours on this class. Gannon is a great explanatory teacher who makes the concepts easy to understand, and a semi-funny lecturer as well. The TAs are useless, but Gannon is very active on Piazza/OH and answers almost all questions himself.

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Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: B+
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Oct. 19, 2023

Tom was a great professor overall. He gave very accurate practice exams, and his homework was short and concise. He lectures at a pace easy to follow and never turns down a question. He videos all of his lectures for viewing later, or if you miss lecture. The final was more challenging than the midterms, but overall very doable.

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Quarter: Fall 2023
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
July 25, 2023

A truly awesome professor! As a freshman entering college, he was very welcoming and cognizant of the fact that a lot of us were nervous about college exams or grading schemes.

He does everything he can to make the class easier to understand and to make himself accessible to students. His lectures are engaging and funny, and he encourages collaboration.

He did give us practice tests for the first midterm and final because 'incoming freshmen are probably super anxious about their FIRST college midterm/final'. He didn't give one for the second midterm but there were a lot of practice problems available. His exams are very fair. I did have background taking AP Calc AB in my junior year of high school, but given the time gap and the difference between high school and college, Gannon does a fantastic job explaining hard calc concepts in simpler and more entertaining ways. He'll often start with an involved example and derive the theorem or trick he's teaching for that class in the beginning, which drawed me in; if you want a quick class where you just get the formula or whatever, you can watch the recordings for those. I do highly recommend going to lecture, though, because his are fun.

I'll say that if you're a high school student who took calc already and know most of the concepts especially in the beginning of the quarter, don't be the person to ask "can I use [concept] that we haven't covered yet but that I learned in high school?" He got a bit flustered after 4 or 5 people asked something along those lines in one of the initial weeks, and I get it; he's trying to teach to people who haven't seen calc, and someone asking questions like that comes off as a bit of a smartass. Just don't bother, there are plenty of ways to demonstrate to him that you have a calculus background.

He's great.

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Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
July 4, 2023

I doubt I'll ever have an instructor as well rounded as Tommy G. He explains the material clearly and his tests are very reasonable. Some reviews on here complain about a very difficult final...I don't think it was harder. It was just later in the year so the material naturally got a little difficult. That being said, from an instruction POV, this was the perfect math class.

Now onto the experience
He's funny. He's talented. He's handsome.

Tommy G does his best to make everyone feel welcome in the class. Never have I intentionally attended so many consecutive classes throughout the quarter. He gave out candy, took pictures with us, cracked jokes, and gave very entertaining lectures. He's admittedly a bit geeky, but he's a perfect professor. When I took him, he was teaching 33a (linear algebra) and 31A (calc ab). I decided ah, since I need linear algebra..i'm going to kill to get him. Low and behold, it turns out he's not even teaching 33a in 2023-2024. I have never been so disappointed by anything.

If you can't tell, pretty much the entire class loves him. You're making a big mistake if you don't sign up for this class. Wish I could retake this, love you tommy

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A+
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
May 4, 2023

He is one of the best professors in Math. His lectures are straightforward, engaging, and enjoyable. He is an enthusiastic teacher and keeps you hooked for the entirety of the class. His office hours are great, and he helps you develop intuition to avoid confusion. He is very lenient and allows exploration of various ways of approaching the problem. Also, he is okay with unfinished arithmetic as long as we know how to solve the question. I definitely would take his class again. 10/10 recommend.

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Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 22, 2023

As someone who took AP Calc AB, this class was mostly review but the professor does go over it as if you have no prior experience of calculus. The hardest part of this class might have been the final, since the midterms felt easier compared to the final.

His class was made up of quizzes in discussion sections every two weeks which were solid practice for the midterm. There was also weekly homework turned in through gradescope. There are also two grading schemes, one where both midterms count and the other where only one midterm counts.

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Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A-
Feb. 20, 2023

MY GOD. I loved this professor. He's new here I think, but oh my god this class was such a great way to start my quarter here at UCLA. Also his name is Tom Gannon, not Gannoth, not sure why they did that but thats besides the point. Amazing lecturer. The homeworks were doable as long as you paid attention during class. Me personally I never took a single calculus class in high school, so that's probably why I got an A- (I'll explain in a bit). The course consisted of biweekly quizzes which were VERY fair and basically reflected on the homework from the previous week. The midterms were very doable for me, all you needed to do was study the homework problems and understand conceptually as well. It wasn't too stressful. However, the final was pretty hard, at least for me. I think I got like a 70 on the final but ended up with 2 90's on the midterms, which is why I dropped from an A to an A-. Honestly, if you took calculus before in high school then it wouldn't have been as hard, but I thought the final was unimaginably hard and nothing compared to the midterms. He does give us practice tests tho, and those are extremely useful because sometimes he literally just copied an exam question (literally the exact same number, problem, and everything) and it would help for the midterms and finals. I got lost quite a few times in his lectures I guess, I think he spoke a bit fast but everything would get cleared up if I just went to one office hour. He's super nice and funny, and I would definitely take him again and recommend him to any person taking Calc 1. The grading scheme was pretty fair too, and he had 2 different ones (and would choose the one that helps u the most). Overall, 9/10 class (just because the final was really hard in my opinion compared to the midterms), but if I could, I'd definitely take him again.

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Quarter: Fall 2023
Grade: A
Jan. 7, 2024

Best math professor/ teacher I've ever had in my life. I was intimidated out of calculus back in high school and started the class with pretty much no understanding. Prof Gannon knows how to break down the material to make it digestible for first-time calculus students like me and managed to make it engaging at the same time. He truly does everything in his power to help you succeed: he provided lecture recordings, dropped the two lowest homework grades, responded virtually on Piazza in addition to OH, allowed a cheatsheet (index card for midterms and one side of a full-size paper for the final) and even came on campus the weekend before finals to host a study session. I wouldn't consider the class easy, especially with my background, but Prof Gannon truly was the best professor for it and I would pick him anytime for as long as he continues teaching.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Fall 2023
Grade: A+
Dec. 22, 2023

If you have him as an option!! Pick him!!!
He is one of the best math teachers I ever met. Quick summary: 1) he is funny and passionate, and his classes are never boring (classes are recorded); 2) his tests are pretty easy, our 1st midterm is the practice midterm he gave us (I learned calculus before so everything was pretty easy; few particular friends don't think so); 3) he gives a HW (due on SAT 8 am) and a quiz (due on Mon 8 am) every week, definitely not a lot of work. 4) I didn't go to OH so I have no idea.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Fall 2023
Grade: A
Dec. 9, 2023

Highly recommend Tom Gannon if you're taking calculus, especially if math isn't your favorite subject. The lectures are recorded, homeworks are relatively short, quizzes are online, and midterms/tests are fairly easy (with a cheat sheet allowed). Outside of attending or watching lecture, you won't spend more than 1-2 hours on this class. Gannon is a great explanatory teacher who makes the concepts easy to understand, and a semi-funny lecturer as well. The TAs are useless, but Gannon is very active on Piazza/OH and answers almost all questions himself.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: B+
Oct. 19, 2023

Tom was a great professor overall. He gave very accurate practice exams, and his homework was short and concise. He lectures at a pace easy to follow and never turns down a question. He videos all of his lectures for viewing later, or if you miss lecture. The final was more challenging than the midterms, but overall very doable.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Fall 2023
Grade: A
July 25, 2023

A truly awesome professor! As a freshman entering college, he was very welcoming and cognizant of the fact that a lot of us were nervous about college exams or grading schemes.

He does everything he can to make the class easier to understand and to make himself accessible to students. His lectures are engaging and funny, and he encourages collaboration.

He did give us practice tests for the first midterm and final because 'incoming freshmen are probably super anxious about their FIRST college midterm/final'. He didn't give one for the second midterm but there were a lot of practice problems available. His exams are very fair. I did have background taking AP Calc AB in my junior year of high school, but given the time gap and the difference between high school and college, Gannon does a fantastic job explaining hard calc concepts in simpler and more entertaining ways. He'll often start with an involved example and derive the theorem or trick he's teaching for that class in the beginning, which drawed me in; if you want a quick class where you just get the formula or whatever, you can watch the recordings for those. I do highly recommend going to lecture, though, because his are fun.

I'll say that if you're a high school student who took calc already and know most of the concepts especially in the beginning of the quarter, don't be the person to ask "can I use [concept] that we haven't covered yet but that I learned in high school?" He got a bit flustered after 4 or 5 people asked something along those lines in one of the initial weeks, and I get it; he's trying to teach to people who haven't seen calc, and someone asking questions like that comes off as a bit of a smartass. Just don't bother, there are plenty of ways to demonstrate to him that you have a calculus background.

He's great.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A
July 4, 2023

I doubt I'll ever have an instructor as well rounded as Tommy G. He explains the material clearly and his tests are very reasonable. Some reviews on here complain about a very difficult final...I don't think it was harder. It was just later in the year so the material naturally got a little difficult. That being said, from an instruction POV, this was the perfect math class.

Now onto the experience
He's funny. He's talented. He's handsome.

Tommy G does his best to make everyone feel welcome in the class. Never have I intentionally attended so many consecutive classes throughout the quarter. He gave out candy, took pictures with us, cracked jokes, and gave very entertaining lectures. He's admittedly a bit geeky, but he's a perfect professor. When I took him, he was teaching 33a (linear algebra) and 31A (calc ab). I decided ah, since I need linear algebra..i'm going to kill to get him. Low and behold, it turns out he's not even teaching 33a in 2023-2024. I have never been so disappointed by anything.

If you can't tell, pretty much the entire class loves him. You're making a big mistake if you don't sign up for this class. Wish I could retake this, love you tommy

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A+
May 4, 2023

He is one of the best professors in Math. His lectures are straightforward, engaging, and enjoyable. He is an enthusiastic teacher and keeps you hooked for the entirety of the class. His office hours are great, and he helps you develop intuition to avoid confusion. He is very lenient and allows exploration of various ways of approaching the problem. Also, he is okay with unfinished arithmetic as long as we know how to solve the question. I definitely would take his class again. 10/10 recommend.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A
March 22, 2023

As someone who took AP Calc AB, this class was mostly review but the professor does go over it as if you have no prior experience of calculus. The hardest part of this class might have been the final, since the midterms felt easier compared to the final.

His class was made up of quizzes in discussion sections every two weeks which were solid practice for the midterm. There was also weekly homework turned in through gradescope. There are also two grading schemes, one where both midterms count and the other where only one midterm counts.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2022
Grade: A-
Feb. 20, 2023

MY GOD. I loved this professor. He's new here I think, but oh my god this class was such a great way to start my quarter here at UCLA. Also his name is Tom Gannon, not Gannoth, not sure why they did that but thats besides the point. Amazing lecturer. The homeworks were doable as long as you paid attention during class. Me personally I never took a single calculus class in high school, so that's probably why I got an A- (I'll explain in a bit). The course consisted of biweekly quizzes which were VERY fair and basically reflected on the homework from the previous week. The midterms were very doable for me, all you needed to do was study the homework problems and understand conceptually as well. It wasn't too stressful. However, the final was pretty hard, at least for me. I think I got like a 70 on the final but ended up with 2 90's on the midterms, which is why I dropped from an A to an A-. Honestly, if you took calculus before in high school then it wouldn't have been as hard, but I thought the final was unimaginably hard and nothing compared to the midterms. He does give us practice tests tho, and those are extremely useful because sometimes he literally just copied an exam question (literally the exact same number, problem, and everything) and it would help for the midterms and finals. I got lost quite a few times in his lectures I guess, I think he spoke a bit fast but everything would get cleared up if I just went to one office hour. He's super nice and funny, and I would definitely take him again and recommend him to any person taking Calc 1. The grading scheme was pretty fair too, and he had 2 different ones (and would choose the one that helps u the most). Overall, 9/10 class (just because the final was really hard in my opinion compared to the midterms), but if I could, I'd definitely take him again.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
2 of 2
4.8
Overall Rating
Based on 26 Users
Easiness 4.6 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 5.0 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 4.8 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 5.0 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Engaging Lectures
    (20)
  • Often Funny
    (20)
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