Silas Johnson
7 courses · 88 reviews
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Very different from Calc 1 with Johnson. Exams are quite challenging with no curve ever, and one question wrong can deduct you a whole letter on the exam. Besides exams, the workload is light, but you have to study a lot to get a good grade in the class. You can drop a midterm for the final though.
6/30/2026
Genuinely kind and caring prof! I struggled a lot with calc 2, and he ended rounding me up at the end. Can be confusing in lectures sometimes--I often found that there was a clearer or simpler explanation for a lot of the concepts, but he's great about providing resources (recorded lectures!) and highlighting where you can get extra help.
5/8/2026
He is very understanding person. All of his exams were mid 70 range and final was 60 range for his class--no curve. Yikes.
5/8/2026
His lectures are really helpful if you actually go to them. The exams aren't always super similar to the practice exams but if you study you'll do fine.
5/3/2026
run. genuinely run. the class average was less than a 70 for every exam and he never even curved it. be prepared to study for a week and still get a 60. calc 2 doesnt need to be that hard but he makes it like that.
5/2/2026
Prof. Johnson is so sweet and really cares about his students' success. The study guides are almost exactly like the exams and there's a lot of opportunities for extra credit. Subsections were not very helpful for me but you have to go to get credit. Overall very considerate prof with a well-organized class.
1/12/2026
Silas Johnson is a nice guy, but his grading is extremely tough. Exams are weighted very heavily, and the averages are usually in the mid-60s, yet there is no curve at all. Lectures are fine but don't always prepare you well for the exams. I recommend avoiding his section unless you're prepared for a tough grading scheme.
12/18/2025
Professor Johnson is very approachable and kind, but his standards for a “good proof” are extremely vague. Exams are graded very strictly, with many points deducted for minor mistakes. Lectures, homework, and exams feel poorly aligned, and his expectations on exams often differ from what is emphasized in class or homework.
12/18/2025
Lectures were engaging, but the reason why this class was horrible for me was the grading. Homework and exams were graded harshly, and tests were made almost impossible to finish with no partial credit. Hours of studying became futile, and class exam averages were in the 60s. I am really discouraged and changed my math major because of this class.
12/16/2025
Silas Johnson is a enthusiastic and kind lecturer who seems wholly unsuited to teach a higher level math class. The grades for HW were overly critical and for a class that is proof-based he spends little time on writing proofs in class especially towards the end of the semester. If you are considering him for a lower level class I would recommend.
12/4/2025
I didn't learn much from his lectures, so I studied the textbook and that's when the concepts began clicking. I also wasn't used the how much small mistakes would impact my grade. Each point was 5% of the test grade (50 minutes each, 20 points total). He focused the lectures on a lot of the theory and proofs but not the topics in the homework.
5/17/2025
He's a good guy, and that's probably the most important thing. But he's also very weird. And not the most entertaining lecturer. And he records lectures and doesn't care about attendance so very low motivation to go/pay attention. However, clearly passionate about the subject and gives VERY fair tests. Wouldn't take him again but easy A if you try.
5/14/2025
Strong and thoughtful explanations. Lectures more theoretical than anticipated, which was nice. Short exams w/MCs allow for many opportunities to lose pts, but MCs, along w/the computations and explanation problems, weren't that hard. Material builds on itself, so a strong foundation with early content makes it easy to understand new content.
5/9/2025
Prof. Johnson constantly stressed the importance of understanding, yet the structure of the course didn't support that. Exams were rushed and heavily weighted, homework felt disconnected from lectures, and office hours were overcrowded and unhelpful. The course felt more punishing than instructive, which was disappointing.
5/9/2025
I never showed up to lecture but Johnson posts recordings and a ton of other resources on Canvas. The material seems like it's being taught very fast but the exams always end up being reasonable -- also you get a mini cheat-sheet which is crucial since this class covers a lot of arbitrary-seeming rules and theorems.
5/8/2025
He is excited about what he teaches, which is nice, but his grading policy is extremely harsh. The in-class exams are rushed, and all the midterms are given in 50 minutes. These exams determine more than 60% of your grade, which makes the course dreadful. His lectures are fast-paced, and I don't have time to digest the information he throws at us.
4/28/2025
Great professor and clearly knows/ is excited about the math he teaches. Only qualm that I had with this course was the in-class exams. The questions had significant weight since there were so few. It was stressful to prepare and stressful to take. Tests are also 75% of grade, so 150 minutes of midterms count for 50% of the course (final is 2hrs).
4/26/2025
Professor Johnson is a great lecturer and super approachable. The class was very interesting, and it is clear he is passionate about what he does. The class was extremely difficult (especially the problem sets!!), but Professor Johnson was always helpful during office hours.
4/25/2025
Johnson has a big heart for what he does, both as a mathematician and as a lecturer. He is so genuinely interested in the course material and deeply cares about being a good professor and taking questions seriously. I highly recommend. Especially for this class, there's a lot of online resources out there, but Silas will get you excited to learn.
4/24/2025
He teaches SOOOOO FAST, like both he and Green teach at the same time, we already finished chapter 5 and they were just started chapter 4. Is also hard to catch up during class. The point takes so much portion on each question, the total of each exam is only 20, so basically if you messed up one writing question you are screwed. But hw are easy.
3/31/2025
Johnson is one of the better calc professors at WashU, which says little because the math department here is severely lacking. Very test heavy class, but his lectures were pretty good, overall understood the material. Online Fridays every week are a bonus.
3/25/2025
This class is very test heavy in general, but that is not specific to Johnson. Johnson is a nice guy but you can tell that he is pretty odd. At the beginning of the year, I found myself pitying him more than anything else. I feel like the most helpful part of this class is his Friday video lectures. Might as well not go to the classes.
12/18/2024
2-4 hrs/week
This class is a completely different grading style compared to your normal college course. Your grade is dependent on how many objectives you pass by the end of the semester rather how you did on each objective and assessment. I think it is easier than normal Calc 1, but some would disagree. It is less stressful throughout the semester, though, because each assessment is no stakes (you can literally get a zero on MANY and still get an A in the class).
12/15/2024
Super friendly in class and takes the time to explain topics in depth.
12/13/2024
He goes a lot into the "why" something works. If you don't like that you might not enjoy him as a professor, but he is such a good. I really liked taking Calc with him.
11/19/2024
One of the best math professors at WashU hands down. Super intelligent and passionate about his work and always available in office hours for help. Try to take calc with him if you can.
11/9/2024
Johnson was engaging during lectures, compellingly teaching interesting material. The content it self was difficult, as reflected in the proof-based homework. This course is not for the faint of heart, but Johnson is always willing to lend a helpful hand if asked. Johnson is a good professor, but only take 4351 if you truly love math.
11/8/2024
2 or less hrs/week
Johnson is a great professor, and really passionate about his teaching. If you pay attention somewhat or know some calculus beforehand you will do well in the class.
5/21/2024
2 or less hrs/week
Not as bad as people say it is. Do a lot of practice problems and you should be fine. Helpful for Calc 3.
5/21/2024
Lectures are boring and go a bit too slowly. He organizes the class very easily so that all the hardest questions will be seen in class or on WebWork (homework), and the exams are honestly far easier than all of those. If you can do the practice exams, you should be able to do rather well on the actual exams.
5/12/2024
I really like professor Johnson. He cares so much about the material and his students. The first exam might've been a bit too hard but the final was very fair and we had 2 take-home exams. Psets could get a bit lengthy, but the exams were always easier than the Psets. Would recommend if you love math!
5/12/2024
Awful. The lectures are boring (not that most people go), the teaching style is mundane, and the exam will try to trick you. Dr. Johnson also makes no effort to assist struggling students. Try taking this class in a fall with another professor if you can.
5/10/2024
Professor Johnson was a great professor to take number theory with. He is very knowledgeable about the subject, and he did a good job explaining the material during lectures. I felt the exams were fair, and we were given two take-home exams to help de-weight the in-person exams. He also offered lots of extra credit opportunities on PSets and exams.
5/10/2024
Johnson is the best professor I have had in the Math department. His lectures are great and he cares about the material. He also cares about his students and goes out of his way to help students. Highly recommend taking this course with him.
5/10/2024
Came to rate my professor cuz I thought I was the only one feeling terrible about this number theory class. But looks like theres a ton of others that feel this way as well. I guess it speaks for itself, just don't take MATH4351 with Silas Johnson.
3/21/2024
Even so much as thinking about this class genuinely makes me want to cry
3/21/2024
I want to like this class so bad because Prof Johnson is nice, the content is interesting, and people in the class seem helpful. It is just way too difficult and feels like a full time job with overtime. So I have come to despise it which definitely makes me feel a little sad as a math major.
3/21/2024
What went from being my favorite class at the beginning of the semester is now my most dreaded, scary, difficult, impossible class. He's not understanding of our time or responsibilities outside of this class and expects us to spend hours on HW while giving us the most impossible exams. Steer clear of this class if you want to keep your sanity.
3/21/2024
This class is so disappointing. As a math major, I was so excited about Number theory and cryptography. but this class has been more annoying than fun and has destroyed my self esteem. Prof. Johnson is a good lecturer but makes the class so inaccessible almost. The problem sets take at least 10 hours and the exam was graded SO harshly.
3/21/2024
I can't take this anymore. I am spending so much time on this class yet doing the worst in it. I feel like I've lost my sense of pride in my work and all sense of feeling about how I perform. Someone said the class feels inaccessible and I've never agreed more. I wish i had advice to not take this class before i jumped in head first.
3/21/2024
Bro didn't release exam statistics because of how horribly it went. The only thing that can save me now is Jesus.
3/21/2024
I genuinely do not think it is possible to get an A in this class. The HW assignments are graded so harshly, and the exam averages are incredibly low.
3/5/2024
Prof. Johnson is a good lecturer and a terrible grader. He wanted us to learn how to write rigorous proofs so he took off major points on the weekly problem sets for the most trivial errors. Not to mention the problem sets probably took around 5 hours on average to complete. I wanted to like him, but this class was more annoying than fun.
2/17/2024
10/10 professor- easily the best for Calc 1. Tests aren't too hard- definitely use the Study hub section that he posts on canvas to study because he puts a lot of extra practice there. Textbook can be found for free online and is only used for optional extra practice. Homework is much harder than exams, but you'll get that with every math prof.
1/24/2024
Excellent prof, teaches really well but includes a lot of extra information that would not be tested.
1/8/2024
Professor Johnson is a nice guy. Lectures are helpful but not mandatory (he may get off track during lectures by trying to prove theorems but it's okay). Tests weren't too hard. There were also many opportunities given to receive extra credit. If you pay attention and study a bit, then you'll be fine. Textbook isn't really necessary.
12/29/2023
Johnson is really good at explaining things and the test are straight forward.
12/12/2023
Really great lecturer, you can tell Johnson is extremely passionate about Math. Only complaint would be that many of the assigned homeworks contained unnecessarily hard problems that even the TAs could not figure out without an integral calculator.
9/28/2023
Professor Johnson is clearly passionate about math and provides clear guidelines of how to succeed in the class. Overall, lectures go by relatively quickly and exams are straightforward for both calc I & II. I would just watch out if you haven't taken precalc recently.
6/9/2023
Great professor overall! Very friendly and highly recommend going to his office hours and getting to know him. Passionate about the subject and always encourages his students to explore math beyond calculus. He is also very helpful and understandable.
5/15/2023
I had Johnson for Calc 1 and 2, and I am very pleased with my experience. Sometimes rambles during the lectures, but otherwise is quite funny and a very solid professor. I would highly recommend him.
5/3/2023
Prof Johnson is incredibly friendly and warm and you can tell he's passionate about the subject he teaches. The class is pretty straightforward; as long as you understand the problems he does in class, the exams will be a breeze.
5/2/2023
I enjoyed having Silas Johnson for calc II. His lectures were often very engaging, but I will admit that he does seem to explore the more theoretical side of the concepts as opposed to what we apply in exams. He's a great, kind professor who made calculus somewhat interesting.
4/30/2023
He's not a bad person, and one-on-one he's incredibly helpful, but BEWARE the in class lectures-- you'll have to teach yourself. He's the type to already have expectations for the answer in his lectures so it makes it harder to follow along- if you can wait for Schafer, DO IT. My grade is due to my TA and the Organic Chemistry Tutor, not him.
4/25/2023
Great professor and person - cares about students' success and available for office hours, questions, etc. Most homework is Webworks which are unnecessarily hard/grueling (but possible(. In-person lectures Monday and Wednesday, Friday lecture is a 45-60 min video but sometimes takes up to 2hrs to get through if you're doing all the examples.
4/20/2023
Overall, Dr. Johnson is a great professor and I would strongly recommend him if you have to take Calc (either 1 or 2). Concerning the material, this course starts off manageable but picks up in difficulty fairly quick. However, Dr. Johnson is a great lecturer and cares about students and their success. Lastly, this course is very exam heavy.
4/17/2023
Silas is a great professor; ask questions and go to class! He has a good pace but things escalate in difficulty pretty quickly so you have to both be on top of the new topics and keep in mind the old ones. Go to his office hours and do PLTL to help too though to get a variety of explanations even if he is pretty good.
4/3/2023
Enthusiastic about math, but must put lots of time into calc outside of just understanding lectures. Well-organized Canvas page. Webwork was stressful & above exam-level difficulty. Master practice exams, bc final grade is based on exams.
1/16/2023
Very nice guy and consistently accessible outside of class. I did not find his lectures helpful though. He spent a lot of time talking about hypothetical problems or working out problems that were WAY more difficult than what we were actually expected to learn. Homework was very difficult too. Master the practice tests and you will do fine.
1/5/2023
Prof Johnson is clearly passionate about math and teaching. He cares about his students and wants them to succeed. His enthusiasm made me appreciate calc more. The practice exams were very similar to the actual exams.
12/30/2022
Johnson cares a lot about math and making sure student feedback is received. But, he spends too much time in lectures talking about things that aren't on the exams and that are useless. Sometimes classes drag on and he would ask us to participate in the most random questions. Exams are only 18 questions, so be careful on that.
12/28/2022
Wasn't really a fan of Silas's lecture style/lectures in general hence the 3-star rating, but you can tell he cares about his students and really loves math. He is accessible during office hours and the class itself will vary in difficulty depending on your background with Calculus, so try to stay on top of your work.
12/7/2022
Silas Johnson is a phenomenal professor. Although I haven't completed my first semester here at WashU, I highly doubt my opinion of Dr. Johnson will change in the next month or so. In general, he's a great professor who cares about his students and teaches well, and the course itself, Math 131, is made rather easy through him.
10/27/2022
SILAS IS AWESOME! Not only did he manage to make Calc 2 easy, but I also have a log of his funniest quotes every lecture cause he's just so iconic! Here's two of them: "You should make sure it's real algebraic magic and not weird algebraic bs." "If you saw this integral on the street, would you be able to attack it?" - Silas Johnson 2022.
7/31/2022
Attendance isn't required for main MATH132 lectures (I never went), but be sure to keep up to date with Zoom recording/slide decks. If you do, no textbook is required. The only frustrating part of this class is the required subsection; they're often at 9 in the morning and no one wants to be there. Other than that, pretty standard calc 2 class.
5/15/2022
Dr. Johnson was my Calc I & II professor; he has been the best and clearest instructor I have had at WashU. I enjoyed how enthusiastic and concise his lectures were--his energy made each class worth looking forward to. He explains difficult topics comprehensively and creates a thorough understanding of content. He is very gentle and approachable!
5/13/2022
Johnson's 132 is one of my favorite classes I have taken at WashU thanks to Prof Johnson. He is clearly passionate about teaching and his students. He does a great job of getting all of the topics across to students and is very accessible and willing to help anyone. He also was very accommodating when I had Covid.
4/27/2022
Super interesting and helpful math teacher! Glad I took him for Calc I because he really helps you with any problems you have during office hours. Tests are also very similar to practice exams, so no surprise on exam day :)
4/3/2022
make sure to go to your subsection meetings... it surprisingly affects your grade more than you might think
12/22/2021
You can tell he's passionate about what he does, and he seems to genuinely care about it. If you stay present during his lectures and follow his lines of reasoning, you will do well. His tests are very fair, which I always appreciate. There will be almost NO random stuff on the tests that you've never seen before, so just know the stuff from class!
12/13/2021
Super sweet and a great lecturer. Professor Johnson is always accessible after class for help on concepts and Webwork problems. He obviously is passionate about teaching and is great at it.
7/21/2021
I love Dr. Johnson! I had him for calc 1 and 2 and he was extremely helpful in both. You can tell he loves his job and his subject. Go to office hours for webwork help!
5/4/2021
The best math professor I have ever had in my entire academic career. Professor Johnson is excellent at teaching difficult concepts in Calculus. He understands that the material can be difficult and is sure to explain everything he teaches in the most approachable manner. He is also an incredibly nice person; its easy to ask him questions.
4/13/2021
Explained math concepts very well. Goes into depth about the proofs for theories and math problems.
2/24/2021
Prof. Silas is one of the best math teachers I've had. He gives very detailed explanations of the material we're learning and he's very accessible outside of class. If you're ever struggling make sure to go to his office hours! He's really cool and an overall good teacher. Calculus is hard in general, but he tries his best to explain it well!
12/4/2020
Prof Johnson is super nice and adapted the class extremely well to the pandemic. You can tell he actually cares about his students and really loves teaching. He is very receptive to emails and is helpful in office hours. The class is pretty homework heavy and was a lot of work but you get the grade you work for. Would definitely recommend.
5/22/2020
He's always ready to help you and he makes his lectures easy to understand. It's also super easy to ask questions and get clarification on the more difficult parts. Even when the class moved online halfway through the semester, he made it as easy as possible to succeed.
5/9/2020
Professor Johnson is really great. He's approachable and truly wants to help his students succeed. The practice tests are very useful. The tests are manageable and the class is pretty easy-going. I really enjoyed the class!
5/8/2020
I had Prof. Johnson for both Calculus I and II. He is truly an amazing professor and always available to help. His exams are short, and if you miss a couple questions, you could be dropped a letter grade. However, he gives you plenty of chances and opportunities to succeed in the course and roots for everyone to get an A.
4/19/2020
Prof Johnson is amazing. He's the absolute perfect prof for the calc 1 calc 2 sequence because he teaches the most important fundamentals of calculus that will help you later on in math. The grade has an easy grading policy and easy exams although they are worth a lot of your grade. Take calc 1 in fall and 2 in spring so you can have Johnson :)
3/30/2020
Dr. Johnson is a hit or miss for many students. While I attended almost every lecture, many of my friends chose to skip and did well in the class. His lectures can be very boring but he truly loves what he is doing. Exams are super easy if you know the content on the practice exam beforehand.
1/5/2020
After the first month I can count on my hand the amount of time I went to lecture. Johnson is a good guy but I didn't get any benefit from lectures that do not reflect the hw(quite a bit of it), subsection(also unhelpful), or exams. The information is in the slides(somewhat) and textbook but I self-taught through the class with the help of pltl.
11/13/2019
He made so many mistakes on webwork (and in ppts). For example, the very first webwork had a question that took me 96 attempts to get the right answer and turned out to be him entering the wrong number. Every time he made a mistake, I had to waste more than half an hour on the wrong problem doubting myself and asking friends who are better in Math.
10/21/2019
Professor Johnson is a gem. Although the weekly homework was hard, he was very accessible at office hours and would help you through work without just giving you the answer. The midterms were take home, but you could work with him in office hours. The final was 40% of your grade but wasn't super hard and modeled directly off of the practice exam.
6/8/2019
hes a very fair professor and really good in my opinion. Do your work and do all the problems and you will get an A almost guranteed
12/6/2018