ECON 3010

Without a doubt the worst course I've ever taken at UVA. Elena doesn't explain anything clearly, gives absurdly long written and online homework, and takes ages to hand anything back. To further explain complicated math, Elena uses more math. She'll say to write a lot on the test to do well, then our TAs will tell us that writing a lot hurts our chances. Our midterm average was a 40%, but Elena refused to acknowledge that she did anything wrong and instead blamed the students for not doing well (only one or two kids scored above an 80, the rest were WAY down there). We haven't even gotten the exams back, and our final is in three days. She even told us today that she was essentially "handpicking the Economists in the class", which terrifies me. At least five kids have already dropped out. You can study your butt off, do all of the homework, read the (non-existent) textbook, and still do incredibly poorly based on her crazy mindset. Save yourself the pain and take it with ANYONE else. She should not be teaching at UVA.

Elena is a very smart and great at showing us the applications of microeconomics but she is not meant to be a professor. I felt that the material itself was simple and I would know what to do after I read the book but her convoluted lectures ruined me. Don't try and ask her questions either; you won't get an answer until about an hour later (if she answers it at all).

Her exams were reasonable (if you read the book) but she does demand a lot of explanation for the short amount of time she provided. Nearly no one finished the exams within the time provided which probably can explain the 40% exam average for the midterm. No worries the class is extremely curved (my 63 became a B+/A-) but you literally don't know your grade until the very end.

Elena is a good person and clearly very educated, but is not meant to be a professor. Her lectures were difficult to understand and she did a very poor job of relating the concepts of microeconomics to the class. You need to put a lot of effort into this course to get a good grade. The only reason I was able to do well was because of the huge curve she gave us on the midterm (40 points) and (I'm assuming) final. Take this course with someone else.

Extremely easy concepts taught in the most difficult way possible. The hardest course I've taken at UVa, not because of the material but because of Elena. Her teaching method is, "I'll take 30 minutes to do the hardest example possible and they'll soak it in." She doesn't start from the basics, she assumes we have a vast knowledge of Calculus and often does not explain her notations or work. You know it's bad when the TA's even admitted to never seeing the type of problems she writes.

DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE. I got a tutor, went to Elena's office hours almost daily, understood the homework and still barely managed a C. Everybody fails the exams (avg 40) and she curves up based on how much she thinks you know about economics. She would be better suited for economic theory not 301.

She is awful. I took the class over the summer, so that may be a factor but she can barely be considered a teacher. She talks about famous economists for 75% of her lecture and goes over complex proofs of the things she's supposed to be teaching for the rest. You were tested on hardly anything from the lecture. I actually couldn't tell you where the information for the tests came from to be honest with you. TAs were the only reason anyone passed the class or learned anything at all.

If you see the 40 point curve and get excited, don't. It isn't worth it because even with it, it will still be difficult to get a C.

Avoid her at all costs.