Ron Cytron
7 courses · 52 reviews
Courses
CSE 1301
Introduction to Computer Science
33 reviews
CSE 2407
Data Structures and Algorithms
6 reviews
CSE 1302
Introduction to Computer Engineering
2 reviews
CSE 4301
Translation of Computer Languages
2 reviews
CSE 4608
Introduction to Quantum Computing
4 reviews
CSE 1007
Data Science Playground
4 reviews
ESE 4310
Introduction to Quantum Electronics
1 reviews
All Reviews
same as other review.The reason why he has gotten such good reviews is because people know him as a celebrity from a surface-level conversations with him He would pretend to be warm-hearted but a little hypocritical and he was often mean to others when we communicate deeply
3/27/2025
2 or less hrs/week
Ron Cytron really cares about your learning and is very clear that he wants you to learn and not struggle too much by giving absurd amounts of work. The class isn't very hard and quite intresting
8/31/2024
2 or less hrs/week
No work outsides the class. Is a great intro to CS/data science with no previous knowledge required. Literally everyone passes and seems impossible to fail. He brings in outside professors to talk about their work which is interesting and is easy to talk to outside of class. Its a great way to get involved in research through talking with the professors too.
5/17/2024
This class is unfailable. He teaches reasonable well, and sparks interesting conversations about data science and CS at large. Clearly very passionate about his subject especially when a guest is there.
12/10/2023
Cytron is one of the best professors in WashU's CS department. He gives major dad vibes and is a very nice and chill person. His lectures can get confusing sometimes but attendance isn't mandatory and he offers a lot of extra credit to make up for that. His slides are also very comprehensive. This class is easy A if you do the work.
5/12/2023
Ver fun and engaging prof (and nice lectures). Class itself was pass/fail and attendance base, but no homework
12/13/2022
Good at explaining concepts and answering questions, but he was pretty rude and condescending. Although the workload is heavy and constant, 131 isn't too difficult to do well in as long as you pay attention and there are so many chances for extra credit so take them. I ended up TAing for this class in the spring after taking it in the fall.
1/7/2021
Cytron was good at answering questions and giving feedback, but he does say things that can come off as rude. He teaches Java concepts really well and offers chances for extra credit (going to come in handy if you bomb a test). I think taking his class does pay off and if you're interested in comp sci you should give it a try!
1/7/2021
Gives good feedback and does help during sessions but is kinda rude.
10/14/2020
-great class but professor was extremely condescending towards students -would not take cytron again but should definitely take cs
10/13/2020
A lot of what's needed to be said has been said. He's a good lecturer, will answer questions promptly, and responds to advice (people this semester complained the lecture speed was too fast, so he slowed it down).
11/27/2019
Flipped classroom. At first the videos were very helpful/informative. By lesson 7 everything went downhill, the videos stopped teaching the material well & by week 9 all hope was lost for learning. THERE WAS SO MUCH HOMEWORK. Towards the end it was completely overwhelmng. Learned a lot of java. Need good time mgt. Exams were fine. Easy to get an A
1/11/2019
Professor Cytron was one of the rudest professors I have ever met. He was incredibly disrespectful to both students and other faculty members. I witnessed him many times yell at students during office hours for not understanding the materials and I have also seen him be rude to his fellow faculty. No adult should behave the way he does.
6/1/2018
The reason why he has gotten such good reviews is because people know him as a celebrity from the videos or have had very, surface-level conversations with him!Ron Cytron is maybe the most horrible human being I know; frequently yells at people for not understanding, talks down to students and adults, and makes life hell for people he dislikes! NO
5/6/2018
He is really good at explaining CS concepts to beginners. He made somewhat complicated things simple and he is so far the best CS professor I have met in WashU(I have not taken many CS classes). Midterms are fair and doable, the course itself as an introduction to CS is an easy GPA booster as long as you complete all labs and studio on time.
4/7/2018
Professor Cytron is great! He's very nice and you can tell he wants you to learn. Had him for both 131 and 247. 131 has his online lectures, along with weekly labs and studio with classmates. 247 was hard - labs and exams were very difficult. But Cytron as a professor is awesome.
3/31/2018
Cytron is a celebrity at Washu, for good reason! He takes massive pride in CSE131 as it exposes CS to students for the first time and he does what he can to make it enjoyable/less intimidating. This course has a TON of support, w/ an army of TAs who will help. Tests are never too difficult as he gives you everything you need to do well.
12/15/2017
This class is a lot of work if you have no programming experience, but putting in the effort will get you an A. Labs can be hard but exams are fair and a sheet of paper is allowed. Cytron is an awesome guy and the lecture videos sort of make you feel like he's a celebrity, but he makes himself super accessible to students.
12/13/2017
Amazing professor. Makes comp science so approachable and hands on and is always willing to help. He will learn your name and make you feel like you exist despite the 600+ students that take 131.
11/23/2017
131 is a great course. A good amount of work, but not too hard. Even in such a big class, Cytron is approachable and extremely helpful.
11/15/2017
First off, Cytron is the gem of the CSE dept., bar-none. However, he wasn't fully on his A-game for 431 - it's a difficult course, and his lectures can be a bit monotone and meandering, although if you can stay focused they're very solid. Learning curves for labs are absolutely brutal. Still a solid class, plus he wrote the textbook.
6/15/2017
Cytron's a really nice guy but he doesn't make the class that interesting. Lectures can be pretty boring and he drowns you in slides, and the labs are just "fill in the function" so they don't really help. The difficulty is pretty tame though compared to other engineering courses though, and he's always looking at ways to improve the course.
5/2/2017
Honestly I don't know why people give Cytron so much high score. He is simply an interesting person, that's all. His teaching is useless, and his grading policy is highly unreasonable.
12/19/2016
Excellent professor - knowledgeable, cares about his students, and passionate about computer science. I switched my schedule so I could take 247 while he was teaching it.
12/9/2016
Greatest professor/teacher I have ever worked with. Prof. Cytron got to know me on a personal level in a class of 600 kids. In addition, he has an amazing ability to explain complex concepts in simple, everyday terms. I wouldn't have continued on my computer science education had I not had him. His exams are also incredibly fair.
11/13/2016
Wants you to succeed and learn and love comp sci. Truly a saint
11/10/2016
Cytron is respected by many. Really helpful and clear, and obviously wants you to like comp sci. The class can be time consuming, but it's really easy to get an A if you put in the time and seek help (TAs were my saviors). Extensions can be stressful if you don't start early enough. Exams were easy. You come out with a basic sense of Java.
4/26/2016
Great professor, always available to help his students. Clear online lectures, really teaches you comp sci. DO NOT BUY TEXTBOOK! It's easy to get an A if you do all the required work.
3/31/2016
He completely ruined CSE241 and turned the class into a crap-like CSE247. Really learned nothing in this class. The class is called Algorithms and Data Structures while before the first midterm we were taught none algorithms and one data structure. Spending ages teaching the prerequisites to this class. Gonna skip to CSE541 next semester.
3/6/2016
An excellent introduction to computer science. Having begun the course with no programming experience whatsoever, I am amazed by how much I was able to learn over the semester, thanks to his teaching style.
12/18/2015
Professor Cytron was my favorite professor all year. Even though he had so many students in his class, he took the time to get to know each individual. If you get Cytron, you are lucky.
7/28/2014
Professor Cytron made computer science really fun, and found a relatively easy way to teach a pretty hard topic. He is an 5 star teacher.
1/18/2014
Great professor! Much more clear than Chen; very helpful and really cares about students, very accessible. Cognizant of student's needs regarding scheduling and approaches to learning. Highly recommend taking his class!!
12/17/2013
Cytron is the man. Made the material accessible even when I had no idea how to code before coming in. Take this class if you want to learn java thoroughly and, more importantly, marketably.
11/7/2013
Cytron is the man hands down. I had no prior coding experience and he made the material accessible and understandable. If you have any interest at all in learing Java (useful life skill people), take this class!
11/7/2013
Awesome teacher, arguably the best one from the CS department, and definitely amongst the top of all engineering professors. Very helpful towards students, and makes sure you understand the problem and theory well.
2/16/2011
Awesome teacher, one of the best in the department. He really cares about teaching students. Office hours are super helpful if you're falling behind.
4/18/2010
Fun teacher. Although the course is labeled as for beginners like me, it really isn't. His discussions in lectures are abstract and difficult to relate to actual code writing. However, many TAs can help.
3/16/2010
Cytron is an awesome guy and is extremely accessible. I agree this class is hard for beginners, but go to his office hours and he is very helpful. Lectures are a bit tedious and it's hard to anticipate what quizzes are on, but he allows retakes so it doesn't matter. He also allows (encourages) you to turn in assignments late.
12/3/2009
An extremely good professor who makes every attempt to help beginners understand the material.
11/19/2009
Awesome guy but this course really isn't for beginners as it is labeled.
11/17/2009
Great Teacher! Cytron was incredibly nice and helpful and his grading system is the best. Very easy to succeed if you put in the work. I highly recommend taking his class.
12/19/2008
Very little code writing/reading done in lecture, extremely hard to follow if you've never seen programming before, majority of discussions are abstract. He said that the course assumed we know nothing to begin with but it really didn't seem that way at all. Syntax isnt taught, making the Intro to Computing class even harder on beginners.
12/7/2008
GREAT professor...fair grading, interesting lectures, tests were take home but challenging. encourages you to learn -- he is always helpful. take any class he has, he is one of the best cs professors here.
8/14/2008