COMM 3720

Parham might be the best professor I've had at UVA so far. His class is hard, and he aims to challenge every one of his students, but it is one of the best classes I've taken at UVA because of him. He's the boy, knows his stuff, and his approach to corporate finance.

This class is definitely challenging but, unlike ICE Finance, worth your time. If you have read some of the earlier reviews you can clearly see Parham has worked really hard to improve the class and is continually doing so. The class is very intimidating from the beginning, do your best to stay invested. Parham knows that everyone has different backgrounds going in and aims to teach everyone as much as possible. The homeworks are challenging, lecture is fast paced, and midterms difficult. Ultimately you are rewarded for your hard work, the class is normally distributed with a GPA of 3.75, higher than the other classes. Most importantly Parham is incredibly rewarding to learn from. Comm classes can tend to be dry and uninteresting. Parham peaked my interest in history, computer science, and modern financial markets. He is easily one of the best professors I have had. If you're someone who likes to learn about interesting things and work hard, take his class.

This is one of those courses that I think every student going into finance should take. The first class of the semester helps set the tone and removes the students who are not ready to be academically challenged, because they drop it. Yes, Parham requires you to pay attention and learn, which a lot of people are not ready for. All Grades are released on a normal distribution, which I prefer, to not knowing where I stand in a class until final grades are released. His exams are difficult, but if you well on his assignments you will be in good shape for the exams (Provided you actually study/ understand the assignments / ask about concepts you are unsure of). Assignments are important for your success in his class, as they require you to think about concepts at a higher level. In comparison to the other 3720 classes, Parham is more difficult in terms of hours spent per week, but you learn about concepts that you can directly apply to investing, and life outside of class. As you read this review in November to help decide which professor to take in the spring, answer this question. Are you someone who, when faced with a challenge shy away and take the easy route? If you decide to take this class, spend some time going over statistics.