Joseph Berk

School: Cal Poly Pomona
Department: Engineering
Location:Pomona, CA
Overall Rating
rated by 20 students
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Easiness
Rating Comment
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 Pros: He's really strict about how well your programs work. If you have an A in the class and you've been constant in attendance coming into the final exam, you might get to skip it. He's very helpful in office hours and via email contact. He cares about you understanding the content and being able to perform. If your program returns a correct answer, in the correct format, he'll give you maximum points. Just pay attention to detail and always reread the instructions and make sure the quizzes fulfill exactly the requirements they're supposed to! EVEN IF YOU FEEL CONFIDENT. Do all the homework, it's fun anyway.
Cons: He may come off a bit harsh, but he's not really. Picky as hell. You will have to do all the homework if you want to not be worried about failing quizzes (and failing brings you down A LOT). His grading scale is 0-5 for everything, so if you miss more than one point you'll not be satisfied.
He really gets why you want to be an engineer and wants to help you achieve that. I don't get why he wears that hat all the time, is it part of his style? We may never know.
Grade received: A
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 Pros: -Great at teaching the lessons to the class
-Says a lot of jokes that make the class move by quicker
-Powerpoint presentations
-Very useful class for engineers
Cons: -Can be very intimidating to talk to
-Not lenient on anything
-everything must be done to perfection (you'll find out that this isnt too bad)
This class is basically just learning how to use MATLAB. The basic layout of the class goes like this: First he enters the class and waits until the exact time that the class starts to begin his lesson. He will then move through his powerpoint slides while explaining how to achieve what needs to be achieved. Then he gives the class whatever time is left after the lecture (usually around 90 minutes or so) to complete the task for that day, and yes the task is due at the end of each class. He will usually post the powerpoints on blackboard a week earlier, so I highly suggest you look at the slides and attempt to do the project for that week at home before the class starts, that way you will not go blind into the class. The first half of the quarter is filled with easy tasks that will not give too much trouble. However, after week 6, the projects become very hard to run and they all tie in to each other, so make sure you look at the powerpoint slides ahead of class for these projects. Overall, I really enjoyed taking Berk for both ME232 and 232A. I recommend him for anyone who really would like to learn about programming and Matlab. Grade recieved: A
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 Pros: -Great at teaching
-Very funny
-Useful class
Cons: -A little intimidating
-Very picky about everything
-Grading scale
Professor Berk is a great teacher for this class. This class teaches students how to program using the Visual Basic Language found in Microsoft Excel. I came into the class not knowing a single thing about programming but now I feel like I can program just about anything using VBA. Berk is a D-Bag, but he is a very cool D-Bag. He makes the entire class laugh from his arrogance and demands respect from day one. He grades on a scale of 1 to 5 with a 5 being an A. If you make just one minor mistake in the program, such as misspell a word, he takes away one point. Therefore the programs must be done to perfection. However, he never checks the program itself as long as it runs properly and returns correct mathematical answers. I would highly recommend Berk to anyone who has the opportunity to take him. Grade Received: A
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 Best teacher for ME 232/232A
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 Pros: -Powerpoint presented
-Explains everything well
-Easy subject material
Cons: -Hard to get help with homework because its programing on excel
Professor Berk was a good professor. He presented the material clearly and gave you a copy of his PowerPoint every week, so you could refer to it. The test were not to bad, the first one was easy, but the second one was a little more difficult. I did not have to take the final because I had an A in the class going into it and he said we knew the material. Good professor, would recommend him to anyone.
P.S. Do NOT be late for class on the first day, he will drop you in the first 5 mins of class!
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 This is alot of work. Its easy work, but very tedious. He hates the word "like" being used, and also dislikes semantic noise. In other words, say something in as few words as possible. Dont write a novel, keep it short and simple, and you will pass with an A. Participation is huge in his class. Also, if you miss even one assignment, then you will fail his class. Dont be late either, he wont accept your work even if your one minute late. Get on his good side early, tell him he looks like he's in his 30's. He also has cheesy ass jokes, but try to laugh. Dont go over on the presentations either, he will stop you, so wear a watch. Overall, he's a good professor, he's just a little picky with the work. Have fun. Grade Received: A
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 I don't think I have ever encountered a professor like Berk. His stories are very entertaining. I remember he took 30 minutes telling us one story and he let us out early. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. He gives out daily assignments, and the way to succeed in this class is to PAY ATTENTION and WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING he says. Also, don't neglect the Appendices in the back, especially the one where he sent out e-mails to students on how to improve. They will help you on your assignments. FOLLOW HIS DIRECTIONS EXACTLY. DO NOT do more than what he asks. I did very well on my exams, presentations, technical report, and assignments. I received a couple of 3's and 4's on my assignments, and in the end, I was exempted from taking the final exam. DO NOT use the word LIKE! ELIMINATE semantic noise from your work! Overall, take this class seriously because it's a VERY useful class and you'll learn a lot. Grade Received: A
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 Very nice guy. Class is easy, you have to show up to class and spend 30-60 minutes doing the assigments. This class is all about being professional, in your writing, reporting, interviews.... He wrote the material for this class. You won't have to take the final if you have an A in the class. Very usefull and easy class, take him. Grade Received: A
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 Berk is interesting. Generally most people like him, but most HATE his grading. He grades on a scale of 5. 5 is an A, 4 a B, 3 a C, 2 a D, 1 an F. So if you lose any points at all, you lose a letter grade. The bad part is that if you do anything wrong at all (1 typo for the title of something) you lose a a point (1 letter grade). If the program doesn't work, you automatically lose at least 2 points (2 letter grades).
So, the point is, you have to do everything *perfectly.* If you don't, then you are pretty screwed.
He grades on 3 tests which are 30% each (2 midterms, 1 final) and 10% for participation, which you will most likely get full credit for if you do the homework (he randomly checks).
The class is not super hard, you just have to stay on the ball. Just go to EVERY class, finish and *understand* all the homework, and you'll do fine (I never studied, just attended class and did homework).
Personally, I really liked him as a teacher and would take him again. I'm sure a lot of other reviewers will disagree (mostly probably because of his grading policy). Grade Received: A
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 Joe Berk is a great teacher, don't let anyone tell you any different. He may be a little strict on grading and assigns homework almost every class but his lectures are very entertaining and he teaches you things you will use for the rest of your life. If you put in the effort you will definately enjoy this class. The homework assignments are usually papers you must type up there is a solo presentation and a group presentation a midterm and a final. Grade Received: A-
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 Do you know what they call people who don't take Berk's class? FOOLS. Professor Berk gives you lots of useful information that you can't get anywhere else. You won't like him when he's angry but when he's happy he is entertaining. Take all the assignments seriously, this is one of the most valuable classes at cal poly. Don't slack, do good in this class and do good in your career. Thank you Mr. Berk. Grade Received: B+
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 Outstanding professor. It's hard work but it all relates to the real world. He may seem cold and hard at first but it's all in preparation for your future and is designed to get you to pay attention to details. Just be prepared to work and use every lesson in class on future assignments and it's pretty easy to get an A. Grade Received: A
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 Joe Berk is an excellent professor for this type of class. He wrote the book for the class so theres no question that he knows his stuff and he knows how to teach it well. What sets Berk apart from other professors is that he'll actually teach you things that you'll use time and time again in your future career. From getting a job, to impressing your employer, even to becoming well-known through publications, Berk will teach you all that and MORE. Communication is vital in nearly every aspect of a successful engineering career and learning from Berk will make you a success. Assignments are mostly written papers with some presentations and formal report. I found the assignments to be quite enjoyable, particularly ones where you choose your own topic. Check your work carefully, because he does have a strict grading system that leaves little to no room for errors. Its not hard to pass if you make a decent effort though. You'll be a better engineer as a result. I learned so much from this class and I guarantee that you will too if you make the effort in his class. The only thing is that he's sometimes a little full of himself, but its not a big deal. Look past that and you'll see that he's a great teacher. Show up, pay attention (his lectures are pretty entertaining), do the assignments, and you'll do fine. Not only will you be one step closer to senior project, but you'll also have gained an abundance of knowledge and skills that you will use for the rest of your life. Grade Received: B
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 Joe Berk is nothing short of genius. This class is taught in an extremely practical fashion. He has been in very significant administrative positions throughout his life and it reflects on the way he teaches the class. You will learn an immense amount about interviews, resumes, how to write like an engineer, how to talk like an engineer and how to excel in the workplace. You will have a writing homework assignment basically every class session, but it is to your benefit. One individual presentation and one group presentation. Thank you Cal Poly for hiring a professor as such. Grade Received: B+
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 This is my second time taking Mr. Berk. I also took ME232/A. Mr. Berk is a very inspirational and passionate professor. He really cares about his students and there future. This class is very basic, it is a technically communications class. We had to do many small papers and editing work. The class breakdown of grades includes many things: midterm, presentation, formal report, and finals. BEWARE, he is a very tough but fair. Good luck trying to take his class, they are always full. He is a very successfully engineering and he gives you advise about the real world, take advantage of this. I just wish I did better. But the experience was worth it. Grade Received: B
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 Joe is an amazing teacher for this class. CE's have the option of taking this course with Carol Gomez or Peter Boniface, and even though you'll get an easy A, you won't learn anything. I've learned so much about writing, speaking, and how to advance my career and I have Joe to thank for it. If you really try, you should have no problem getting an A in his class. His grading is strict, but you'll become a better communicator because of it. Grade Received: A
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 I am currently taking CE362/362A with Joe Berk and I really like it. I am going to clear up all of the misconceptions about this teacher. He is a very nice man and is willing to help you. Don't say the word "like" as many other students have previously stated. He is a self-made millionaire and has a LOT of useful knowledge to give you about the real world (interviews, resumes, etc.). His grading system is slightly challenging if you do not carefully follow instructions. For every mistake you make on an assignment he marks you down one letter grade. However, I have NEVER been marked down on anything but the midterm for making a mistake and I am now in week 6 of the class. It may seem somewhat impossible to recieve and A in the class but I think it is very obtainable if you try. Put in the effort and you will be a succesful engineer. TAKE HIM!
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 Best class and best professor I ever took my whole life.
He's the type of professor that's really there to help you and be successful. He'll teach you have to become an effective engineer with various communication techniques. His class is about perfection so one mistake on an assignment is already a B. His grading is VERY fair and if you do good throughout the quarter you WILL NOT have to take the final! Make use of this class because this guy is made of money, no joke. He's a very successful engineer and he'll tell you what he did to become one. To anyone that rides motorcycles, I guarantee you'll enjoy this class because I sure did. Search Joe Berk on Google to see what I'm talking about. I hope I can take another class with him in the near future. Grade Received: A
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 He is the best professor I've had at Cal Poly, and in my life and he is probably the favorite as well. If you are lazy and like to slack, find someone else because you will fail this class. If you are willing to work and will take pride in what you will put your name on, then you should take him! Class was always a pleasure! He tells interesting stories about his life and keeps the class fast paced and to-point. Always got out at least 30 min early, most of the time an hour early. Basically his policy is as follows: "no bull$hit!". dont dish it out and he wont throw any at you! he will be very intimidating and scary at first, but by the 2nd or 3rd week you will really like him and look forward to class. I will definitly take him again if I can. Grade Received: B
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 This is for ME232/ME232A... Great professor, he does a great job teaching the material, all the notes and work are on a PowerPoint, SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS AND WORK AHEAD!!! Class will be very easy at first and then get REALLY HARD! Like I said work ahead, because he is a very strict grader, one mess up on your assignments and you automatically get a C. HE WANTS PERFECTION! Other than that his classes are fun, he'll make you laugh for sure, but he is kind hard to ask help for you have to ask him the proper way. DO NOT SAY "LIKE" IN HIS CLASS!! HE HATES THAT!! Other than that, TAKE HIM!!!!! I'm taking him again for ME231 :) Grade Received: A

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