Douglas Shook
2 courses · 66 reviews
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He doesn't teach at all. His TAs try to help with assignments but sometimes even they struggle to explain it, so assignments and studios take a lot of time to finish. Test is straightforward. Nobody comes to his lecture.
10/24/2024
Shook didn't teach much at all. The lectures are a waste of time if you read the textbook, which is also terrible. I taught myself CS last semester, and it's embarrassing that WashU or Doug Shook might think they had anything to do with it.
10/10/2024
2 or less hrs/week
Exams were pretty easy study for as long as you did the past exam reading and writing questions.
6/21/2024
He was condescending and unfair to students, especially with his course policies which were very strict (no makeup exams for almost any reason). Also, many students felt uncomfortable around him. His TAs basically led the class and were amazing in answering all of the questions that he failed to teach us. Easy to do well with office hours.
5/24/2024
2 or less hrs/week
Just take the time to do the assignments, do the bare minimum for exams, and you will get an A.
5/24/2024
2 or less hrs/week
Entire class taught by TAs so it matters a lot if you get a good one. Assignments are fun and office hours are very helpful. Studios are laid back. I took this class with previous knowledge so concepts were easy to grasp
5/18/2024
2 or less hrs/week
It's a very easy class (can skip a bunch of lectures). I have never done any coding before and I think it provided a decent basis. The assignments got increasingly more difficult - TAs will help a lot with them. Getting an A is super easy due to the grading system used.
5/18/2024
2-4 hrs/week
i had no coding experience so found it to be hard and there was no guidance from the professor.
5/18/2024
Professor Shook is not a good lecturer. The TAs basically teach the course for him. He also is not understanding or flexible at all, and will not accommodate personal situations in the classroom. Tests and assignments are mostly easy for this course though.
5/1/2024
Prof Shook don't even teach the class, he never showed up and there's no communication whatsoever. However, his TAs are amazing. The class was easy for me so I never had to ask questions, but if the content is new for you it might be hard.
2/7/2024
The class itself is well designed in my opinion but Professor Shook doesn't really help much with it. Rather, the TAs are the ones who are helpful. I will say though that it is somewhat difficult to rank Professor Shook since you will interact with TAs far more than you will with him, but my few interactions with him were fine.
1/20/2024
Shook doesn't really play a big role in his class. CS TA's will carry you and you have to appreciate them. My only interactions with him were through lectures where he was repeatedly passive aggressive towards students. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt since TA's have a high opinion of him. Reach out to him and I'm sure he'd be down to help.
1/12/2024
Shook was quite condescending and didn't really take well to questions. The TAs pretty much run 131 and the exams are pretty easy so you'll be fine, though.
1/12/2024
Prof Shook was nice enough, and the lectures were helpful when he did code writing problems. As others have stated the assignments are very difficult, but the tests are much easier. I didn't really enjoy the class, but it was easy enough to get an A.
1/10/2024
He manages to turn even the simplest of classes into a scripture-reciting session. His class is an unparalleled cure for insomnia. It's a rare talent to amass such a collection of poor reviews for teaching what should be the easiest of all CS courses.
1/3/2024
I personally found it boring, but probably because I do not like CS, as it turns out. Assignments can be tough, but tests are easier and are pretty fair. Shook has days where he is super passionate and some days where he is kind of hard to follow and less passionate. He hates it if you ask about tests, but overall he is just fine.
12/26/2023
Professor Shook was actually better than I expected. I found that doing the modules before going to lecture/while in lecture and going to his lectures was the most helpful for me. If you follow along during class and do not get distracted, you will notice the content isn't difficult. If you need help, you can go to TAs office hours.
12/21/2023
Doug Shook's CSE 131 is a class run by TAs. The lectures are helpful to some people but most will just skip them. I highly recommend doing the code and not using chat gpt because you will fall behind otherwise. Pretty boring teacher honestly but atleast grading is clear and fair.
12/19/2023
Prof. Shook is not the best prof to take your first computer science class as it might make you question your major. He's also rude and judgmental when answering students answer in lecture. I also want to take the time to thank the amazing TA that helped me for hw and pass this class but Prof. Shook...
12/19/2023
This class definitely NOT meant for those who had no coding experience before. The homework assignments are hard and take very long time to complete.
12/18/2023
I don't have much Java coding experience, but I thought the class was pretty easy and straightforward and you have a lot of time to think through your answers on tests. Shook doesn't go over anything useful in lectures though so just do the module readings and talk to TAs. He also is super stingy about talking about the test format/content
12/18/2023
This class isn't made for those who've never taken a computer science course. It goes very quickly and there is little help to learn everything. The assignments are difficult and Shook's lectures are very poor. Often when you ask basic questions, he claims we should already know them and does not answer. This class is entirely run by TA's.
12/14/2023
Professor Shook was extremely bad at teaching, I would not recommend attending the lectures at all for this course. I was already vaguely familiar with the content of the course and I found that when I went to lectures, I left more confused than when I started. He also is just kinda rude. At the end of the day class was extremely easy, but bad prof
12/13/2023
I'd only take him again because the class is required. If you take this class, skip lectures he is incredibly condescending and won't go over anything useful. The weekly studios are required and a good place to learn and demo your work at with a TA you know well. Overall not a hard course, just do the assignments honestly and you will be fine.
12/13/2023
He does not teach. Lectures are useless. He also is very condescending when students ask questions that he deems as "irrelevant", when they\'re just common questions students ask in order to understand. If you have no prior coding knowledge, don\'t even think about taking this course bc you have to teach yourself. There\'s nothing intro about it.
12/11/2023
So incredibly condescending. He lectures now yeah, but its uninformative and he hates "stupid questions" (aka questions he deems under his expertise). DO NOT ASK ABOUT THE FORMAT OF THE EXAMS. Good luck soldier.
12/10/2023
Very reasonable guy, always understands if something's going on as long as you communicate. That being said, he's not the greatest at teaching -- I came into the class with prior knowledge but even then felt like he didn't explain concepts very clearly. Lectures felt dry/useless, I ended up going to only half of them and self-studying the rest.
12/4/2023
You will probably see him once the entire semester; but as a class, 131 is very relaxed and they set it up so there are lots of opportunities to improve your grade even if the content doesn't come to you easily. Very self-taught class, but plenty of opportunities to meet with TAs if you need help.
5/15/2023
My rating is for Doug, but the following is for the course:nOverall, CSE131 is a great class. I enjoy having the ability to learn on my own, so how Doug didn't exactly teach didn't bother me. Also, if you can, refrain from relying solely on office hours (unless needed). This can be a rewarding class if you struggle on your own for a bit.
4/26/2023
Getting a good grade is easy in the sense that if you do all the assignments correctly, you'll prob get a good grade. The tests are much simpler than the assignments. I hated the nonexistent teaching, which made it extremely difficult as someone w/o any CS experience. Had to spend literal hours outside of class teaching myself and in office hrs.
4/21/2023
This class was very much student-led. I don't think I've ever talked to him once because he's never in class. The TAs are more the professor than he is. It's a teach-it-yourself type of thing because he is useless. So many people drop this class. You will only pass this class if you have friends
4/20/2023
The class itself is almost completely self-taught and I barely interacted with the professor at all. He was helpful during test prep periods but not any other time during the class. Do not take class if not planning on going into Comp Sci!
1/16/2023
Solid guy for 131. In my opinion, the exams were very easy but the projects were fairly time consuming and going to TA hours helps a lot.
1/10/2023
Saw the professor about three times during the semester, he held helpful review sessions before each exam. Ngl in order to get a good grade, you're most likely gonna have to be at office hours a lot. I was there more than I was in class. Assignments are the hardest part of the class, do all of those and the exams and you should get a good grade.
1/6/2023
Definitely not a beginner friendly course. You can get by through office hours and receiving help from TAs, but if you really want to learn how to code your best bet is to look elsewhere. Professor was helpful once every exam cycle by providing review sessions, but besides that he is not really present.
12/23/2022
Shook is fine but this is a TA taught class. Definitely a grind with no CS background.
12/20/2022
Only saw prof 3 times over the semester for review (was good at helping us review but that's it). Class was ran by TAs with minimal help by prof.
12/13/2022
No lectures and no teaching which makes the course more confusing and difficult than necessary for a beginner. TAs basically answer all your questions during class and do all the "teaching" so take advantage of office hours early. Don\'t let it steer you from CSE because it\'s hard to fail. Basically a DIY become a coder in 12 weeks bootcamp
12/10/2022
Honestly he wasn't the best professor but because he doesn't actually teach the course (you do textbook readings, then do studios/assignments with TAs) it doesn't really matter. He was always great to meet with after exams though!
12/10/2022
If you take this class, you will rarely see the professors as the class is TA-led. He is a good teacher when you see him, but it is just very rare that he will show up.
12/9/2022
I honestly have not seen him at all. There is NO lecture, basically a self-taught class. If you have no coding background YOU WILL SUFFER.
12/6/2022
Professor Shook doesn't provide any lectures throughout the semester, the TAs carry the class, all you have is a pre-studio, then a studio, then an assignment that is significantly more difficult and unrelated to the studio. The class says that you need no prior comp sci knowledge and that a lie, the class should be called intermediate comp sci.
12/5/2022
Get ready for any concerns to be dismissed by him. In his mind, the class has been taught so many times that there's no way that someone is struggling. He doesn't understand that one size doesn't fit all, and he claims to want to help students while simultaneously acting defensive and dismissive when someone dares to question the course layout.
11/7/2022
not choice the professor, never teach, only outside lean everything and not friendly for new learner
10/26/2022
Hi so basically he doesn't give any lectures and you kind of see him once in a while or during in-office hours. However, if you make the effort to reach out to him and have questions he is very receptive and willing to help. He's more like a resource than a professor. He's also a very nice guy outside of class.
4/19/2022
Bruh this mans was mad funny. Literally saw him twice so he is really not involved with the class. Shout out to the TAs they carry this class.
3/22/2022
Class is almost completely self-taught. Assignments can take a while if you have never coded before. Many of the students in the class have coding experience and make the class look easy. Exams get progressively harder throughout semester, but if you study for a few days before the exam and go to the required weekly studios, you'll get an A.
2/11/2022
Doesn't actively teach the course so you won't see him apart from Thursday labs where he walks around and answers some questions but very accessible during office hours and genuinely kind professor.
1/31/2022
Shook for 131 is hard to rate as the class is mainly self-taught with lots of help from TA's. 131 is set up with very clear and consistent expectations and is generally a pretty simple introduction to coding. You do not need any previous experience coding to take this class. Shook seemed helpful but I hardly interacted with him.
1/18/2022
This class is so fun!!! Literally just do all the assignements, and extensions and you will be fine. As long as you put in the work and start stuff early you should get a high A!
12/30/2021
This course is just an online self-teaching one. If you have no CS background, you will still be fine. Shook cares his students so much and keeps a flexible policy towards the class schedule. This is an easy A course that would not make you stressful. Just take this course as a freshman in CS!
12/24/2021
He is the best professor I have ever had class with ! He made my semester, really understanding and helping each student..
12/11/2021
The teacher (Doug Shook) does NOT teach, and your grade depends on how chill your TA is. If you don't have a background in compsci, you should RUN because every assignment, you have to do on your own. It is like a puzzle but you don't know what the pieces are. Even if you pass, this class will drain you of any interest you ever had in compsci. HATE
11/30/2021
Shook doesnt teach his own class and has his TAs who are absolutely clueless teach his class for him. Nobody in the class does the work themselves, everyone you ask will say they got it from someone else so if you put in the time to learn it youre put at a disadvantage. Youll learn a lot from this class and do well but its not because of Shook.
11/18/2021
The class is fairly easy in my opinion. But if you have zero experience coding then you will probably need to go to TA hours often which are pretty busy. The class is basically self taught and you barely see Shook (maybe only during studios). The class is basically led by TAs and you only need to attend class on studio days
11/10/2021
had for 131 as well, clearly cares about the education of his students. is incredibly helpful in office hours (go to them!!!), but can occasionally come off as harsh/sassy due to... concise wording. can tell if you put in the effort before asking a question. was a good teacher in 237S because he really likes the material. respects effort the most.
4/22/2020
If you're at wash u looking on this webstite because you're scared to take 131 because you have no comp sci experience, don't be scared. The class is basically all self taught, so it really doesn't matter how great or horrible the proffessors are. Shook was helpful during office hours though, and I really recommend this class!
12/15/2019
Shook was possibly one of the worst professors I have had at WUSTL. During an exam, he stood in front of the classroom and said, "If you have any questions, go ahead and raise your hand, but I probably won\'t answer them." Whenever I have asked a question or clarification, he has audibly scoffed at me like I am a waste of his time.
12/8/2016
I really learnt a lot from him but he can be pretty mean at times when he gets overwhelmed with questions. Lectures are quite helpful though.
2/19/2015
The snarkiest, most unhelpful teacher I've ever had. He never gives a straight answer when people ask questions and then posts mean comments on Piazza about being disappointed with our exam grades. This class is supposedly for beginners but anyone who didn't have a background in programming was totally clueless. 1010 would not recommend.
2/18/2015
Professor Shook was consistently available to help and was always able to explain a problem clearly. Every time I went to him for help, I left knowing more about computer science. He did an exceptionally good job of explaining problems in such a way that you could arrive at the conclusion at your own pace. I hope I take a class taught by him again.
2/13/2015
This was my first computer science class, and I thought Professor Shook did a good job of teaching java to a beginner, and his lectures were engaging. The material does get more challenging towards the end, so if you can, keep up with your extensions, and do a couple for each unit to get enough practice with the material.
12/7/2014
I do not recommend him at all. I learned virtually everything on my own by looking on the internet. I actually came into this class very interested in computer science, but this class killed all of the interest that I had. For me, this was not a good introduction to computer science.
11/19/2014