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Lectures and problem sets are extremely confusing, much more difficult than the exams. All solutions provided throughout the course are incredibly hand wavy making it difficult to find errors. Course is hard but the curve is extremely generous meaning you will likely get a high grade even with minimal understanding","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2829520","quality_rating":3,"difficulty_rating":4},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:52:12.413941+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTQwNDYwMzM1","source_instructor_id":"rmp:2829520","instructor_name":"Benjamin Bernard","course_label":"ECON711","course_id":"ECON 711","course_uid":"course_58c6777bcc200d28ee8b067d","review_date":"2024-12-30 16:46:39 +0000 UTC","comment":"Incredible!\n\nDeep, thorough, and colorful lecture slides worthy of a textbook. Complex, original, and rewarding homework problems which I now genuinely miss. Lengthy and generous office hours.\n\nBut be ready to study! His quarter is apparently hardest among all the PhD classes, and it seems like the undergrad version, ECON 521, isn't much easier.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2829520","quality_rating":5,"difficulty_rating":5},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:52:12.413941+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM3NDYyMjMx","source_instructor_id":"rmp:2829520","instructor_name":"Benjamin Bernard","course_label":"ECON521","course_id":"ECON 521","course_uid":"course_bbffbd8eaca63432913620af","review_date":"2023-02-27 19:53:41 +0000 UTC","comment":"Ben was great.\n\nI find it stunning that a comment about wishing ill upon someone (like a miscarriage) is taken so lightly. The comment below a few months was flagged and passed review - unbelievable! This suggests that ratemyprofessors is really not a serious about flagging and has no serious review.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2829520","quality_rating":5,"difficulty_rating":3},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:52:12.413941+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM3MzE4NzYy","source_instructor_id":"rmp:2829520","instructor_name":"Benjamin Bernard","course_label":"ECON521","course_id":"ECON 521","course_uid":"course_bbffbd8eaca63432913620af","review_date":"2023-01-11 15:30:09 +0000 UTC","comment":"Econ 521 is a difficult class with tricky concepts, and it was tough to get everything from the lectures. But Professor Bernard gives excellent office hours where he goes through strategies and examples in detail. He genuinely wants to help students learn as long as you make the effort. This class is super interesting - would definitely recommend. ","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2829520","quality_rating":5,"difficulty_rating":4},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:52:12.413941+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM3MjEwMDYz","source_instructor_id":"rmp:2829520","instructor_name":"Benjamin Bernard","course_label":"ECON521","course_id":"ECON 521","course_uid":"course_bbffbd8eaca63432913620af","review_date":"2022-12-21 03:02:36 +0000 UTC","comment":"Professor Bernard was one of my favorite professors in my time at Madison. The lectures are not required per se, but attendance is necessary to success. While complex and fast, the lectures were always  interesting and Ben did a great job to develop problem solving skills and high levels of perseverance through difficult but interesting homework. ","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2829520","quality_rating":5,"difficulty_rating":5},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:52:12.413941+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM3MTc5MzEy","source_instructor_id":"rmp:2829520","instructor_name":"Benjamin Bernard","course_label":"ECON711","course_id":"ECON 711","course_uid":"course_58c6777bcc200d28ee8b067d","review_date":"2022-12-18 18:21:43 +0000 UTC","comment":"Ben is available to students who couldn't make his office hours. This course WILL require all of your time if you're undergrad/master's student wanting to apply to grad school. Ben's slides are pretty much entirely self-contained, if you are missing something for homework, you can almost always find it in his slides. Great new prof to theory.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2829520","quality_rating":5,"difficulty_rating":5}],"total":12,"page":1,"courses":[{"course_uid":"course_bbffbd8eaca63432913620af","course_id":"ECON 521"},{"course_uid":"course_58c6777bcc200d28ee8b067d","course_id":"ECON 711"}],"matched":true},"socialImage":false}}