Glenn Macdonald
3 courses · 46 reviews
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Glenn is extremely unclear and grades arbitrarily. He has no rubric or syllabus outlining any of his assignments in this class, leaving students confused and unsure of how to properly complete assignments. He grades randomly with no feedback and is not approachable. I was extremely excited to take this class but Glenn squandered my excitement.
9/19/2024
glenn is the best professor i had in college, and it wasn't close. it wouldn't be a stretch to say he's changed my life by helping me build perspective. he's a cool dude. he's not easy, but if you put the time and work in, he cares enough to go more than the extra mile. he genuinely cares about his students. i cannot recommend too highly.
9/2/2024
glenn is the best professor i had in college, and it wasn't close. it wouldn't be a stretch to say he's changed my life by helping me build perspective. nnhe's a cool dude. he's not easy, but if you put the time and work in, he cares enough to go more than the extra mile. he genuinely cares about his students. i cannot recommend too highly.
9/2/2024
4-6 hrs/week
This is class is literally just powerpoints. Never seen a class so basic but is so reliant on how well your group gives a random presentation relative to the rest of the class. Actual grade deflation
5/23/2024
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. His classes teach you no information, that is when he has a lecture. He only has 8 lectures during the semester, so that students can "teach" with their 7 group presentations. Your actual grades mean nothing. He grades based on how well you performed in relation to the other students, not how well you performed.
4/29/2024
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. \nHis classes teach you no information, that is when he has a lecture. He only has 8 lectures during the semester, so that students can "teach" with their 7 group presentations. \n\nYour actual grades mean nothing. He grades based on how well you performed in relation to the other students, not how well you performed.
4/29/2024
Unfortunately I regret taking this class, even though I had a good grade at the end. Professor MacDonald is dry and text bookish. Didn't find this professor compelling in terms of really encouraging any learning. Almost felt like I was having the concepts read to me rather than really having an expert provide key insights to connect the dots.
9/25/2023
His class has easily been the hardest of my three years at WashU... and I took it as a freshman B-School student. He just makes things a lot more advanced than they need to be and ends up forgetting to build a foundation of basic concepts. Definitely super calculus intensive.
3/28/2022
I took Micro with Glenn my freshman year and disliked it a lot. However, this class seemed so interesting so I chose to take it, and I was not let down. There are a lot of guest lecturers; Glenn knows so many cool people. He really likes participation and having a conversation in class, which led to very interesting discussions.
12/22/2021
One of the worst professors at Olin. Totally agree with the other comments about him being an elitist and ruining my semester. He's overly theoretical and doesn't prepare for real world examples. Has a real big ego.
3/20/2021
Glenn is a really good professor who really strives to give the students the best learning experience. So many incredible and inspiring guests speakers. If you want to go into the entertainment industry, this is a MUST TAKE. Glenn also sends internship and job opportunities in the entertainment industry to the class on a regular basis.
1/25/2021
Glenn tries to be nice but this class is HARD. The class has no clear grading structure. Your grade is calculated based on how you do in relation to other students. The problem sets are convoluted and the exams are nothing like the problem sets. The class is extremely challenging but if you are someone who likes a challenge, go for it.
5/11/2020
The homework/exams are incredibly complicated and are very applied when compared to the easy examples and content covered in class. Ex: in-class 1+12 on HW find the circumference of the earth. It was an interesting class, but I wished that the grading criteria was more clear and that the lectures included test like examples. Cool dude though
5/9/2020
Glenn is a nice guy and very smart, but his lectures are entirely basic theory with absolutely zero application (no practice problems). Therefore, his problem sets and tests are significantly harder than anything taught in class. This gets frustrating as the semester goes along. It's an intro class but is taught like a high level econ course.
5/9/2020
This class was awful. Don't get me wrong, Glenn is extremely intelligent, but that leads to an elitist class that is extremely hard. I went into this class with an open mind, but came out depressed and not confident in myself. Please try and get a different professor for this class; it ruined my semester at WashU and made me super anxious/stressed.
5/8/2020
Professor MacDonald is not the guy to give an easy A, but he's really passionate about what he's teaching and he's always available for the students. He is willing to sit with a student and discuss higher-level issues with them. He uses real world examples in his curriculum and I think the hard work needed in this class was totally worth it.
5/2/2020
This class is difficult. Although Macdonald tells good stories, he just doesn't seem to care enough / take the time to go through example problems in class thoroughly. He comes off seeming apathetic and self-centered. Most of the real work of teaching students how to solve the problems is done by the TAs. Going to the help sessions is a must.
3/15/2019
RIA was my favorite class I've taken in the Econ & Strat program. Mostly graded on group projects which give you the opportunity to present to real clients. You'll spend the whole semester with your group, so pick a good one. Class attendance only mandatory when you're scheduled to present or when he gives a quiz.
11/15/2018
Nice professor with interesting life stories, but not so good at teaching. TAs do the job. Tests are POORLY and randomly graded and you'll never get solutions back.
4/13/2018
This class is taught at such a high level and while you may think you're failing all semester, the curve is enormous. Class lectures are very theoretical and the problem sets are all application, so it's essential that you go to the TA help sessions. You learn a lot in the end, but it's a lot of work.
12/22/2016
This class is hard, the material is covered at an extremely high level, problem sets are a lot of work, but it was one of the most rewarding classes I have ever taken. Glenn is one of the smartest people I have ever encountered and his experiences are priceless.
3/28/2016
Throughout the semester you think you're going to fail, and then he curves your grade a ton at the very end and most people get As and Bs. He's a nice guy and interested in his students, but the tests are -very- difficult. Go to the TA study sessions!
6/23/2014
Glenn is a great professor and great person. Super cool guy! Also one of the nicest guys I have met. He is always willing to help students. Very knowledgable both in economics and in other areas. Although the course is difficult he curves it so that most people end up in the A or B range. He teaches the material very well
12/18/2013
Professor MacDonald is a good professor who always has interesting stories to share with the class. As for the class itself, if you are good at math, the class will make you think but you will understand the material and succeed. Profssor MacDonald likes teaching with math and I think it makes the class more interesting.
5/2/2012
Amazing professor. One of the hardest classes you'll take but completely worth it.
3/26/2012
He's really cool and 'hip' and makes class fairly interesting, but his exams and assignments are very difficult. To do well, make sure that you go to help sessions with the TAs. Also, although he says that it is optional, buy the textbook he recommends. Practice problems in the textbook are pretty helpful.
11/14/2011
Was in a rock band, always in jeans and t-shirts, and loves to talk. I fell in love w/ econ b/c of Glenn. He answers any question thoroughly and patiently - even obvious or stupid ones. He requires a lot of critical thinking in his homework. And yes, his exams are hard - but you'll get better if you start going to his office hours.
5/20/2011
not as great as everyone makes him out to be. he definitely does not teach the material well, the ta's do all the teaching. his tests and homeworks are ridiculously difficult. take this class with someone else if you have the option
3/11/2010
A very intelligent professor. Probably one of the best in the business school. He lets his tenure get in the way sometimes and makes it seem as though you dumb for asking a certain question. The class is definitely difficult, but the curve at the end is a big one.
5/14/2009
Absolutely useless professor. Does not teach material but leaves it up to the TA sessions. Home works and tests are impossible and poorly graded.
5/13/2009
Great professor. Clearly loves to teach and loves his subject, is knowledgeable and smart, best stories ever (do ask him about non-economics things).
5/4/2009
Glenn is a really good teacher. Makes it easy to understand the material in class. But the tests and problem sets are certainly not easy, though there is a curve, still not an easy class. He's a great guy though and definitely worth taking as he is the best of all the MECO profs out there.
6/9/2008
Glenn is a great professor. He makes class very entertaining, and really cares about his students. He wants to help his students very much, so come to his office hours. The exams are hard, but are curved very nicely. Ask him about what he did before being a professor, he's got lots of great stories
5/30/2008
Glenn is awesome because he's down to earth and relates to the students. Yeah, his class was a bit confusing, but find me a micro class that isn't. If you've taken AP Micro, this class should be a breeze, and if you haven't, then go find someone who has. Attend all the classes and review sessions (free hw answers) and you'll be fine.
5/16/2007
Material not too difficult but you are expected to know it backwards, inside out, up side down, at mach 3, all at the same time. Tests not too terrible, but be sure to look at the practice exams. The homeworks can definitely claim you if you don't watch what you are doing. TAs are sometimes unfair with the grading of HWs. Good teacher!
4/27/2007
Material can be hard to understand, 1st exam is TOUGH, and you have to explain EVERYTHING and all details on homework. Exams = open notes, but use time wisely. He's quite fun and has good real world examples & plays music in class. He's obviously very intelligent but may be hard to understand if you don't think in "business-like" terms
3/23/2007
the class is hard and the averages are low, but its curved to a B+. go to the help sessions with the TAs and you'll get 100% on every homework. glenn is the most willing to help outside of class professor ive ever met.
12/18/2005
Bloody hard...If you have to take it, definitely avoid taking it with MacDonald...take it with another professor and it will be a bliss...you will be in hell if take him...
12/16/2005
MacDonald was pretty good. I didn't really like the class that much. It was too theoretical, and just thought that MacDonald was making the material harder than it had to be. His tests, though doable, were ambigious in lots of places. The TA's were horrible though. Most inconsistent grading ever.
4/28/2005
GREAT teacher. Definitely the best teacher I've had in the b-school. Knows his stuff, explains it well and clearly, and very approachable. Very nice guy. Homeworks and tests can be challenging but straight foward.
4/22/2005
If you enjoy both math and economics, this is the class for you. His lecture slides are very comprehensive. The homework is never lengthy and always straightforward. The exams are very doable, too.
4/15/2005
By far my best professor, EVER. Fun, nice, friendly and really cares about his students. If you bomb the first 2 tests don't worry. He RARELY gives below a B.
12/23/2004