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If you only took probability, calc3, and linear algebra, and are still a freshman like me, wait for Prof. Sala's section (GOAT). The ability to break down complex theories extremely clearly to the dumb(me) is the true ability. Teaching is an art, and Sala masters it.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1785920","quality_rating":3,"difficulty_rating":5},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:28:42.485031+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM4NjMyNTMw","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1785920","instructor_name":"Jerry Zhu","course_label":"CS540","course_id":"COMPSCI 540","course_uid":"course_e0f984e8747ee9ccaba16d75","review_date":"2023-12-12 19:51:29 +0000 UTC","comment":"Prof. Zhu will have a 100+ slide presentation for each lecture. However, he reads off the slides and its tough to follow. He also doesn't really respond well on the course Piazza. He is also not professional in terms of meeting his own deadlines. The projects will change them often after they are due. His exams also don't really test material well.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1785920","quality_rating":1,"difficulty_rating":5},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:28:42.485031+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM4MjM0NDA5","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1785920","instructor_name":"Jerry Zhu","course_label":"CS540","course_id":"COMPSCI 540","course_uid":"course_e0f984e8747ee9ccaba16d75","review_date":"2023-09-25 21:43:19 +0000 UTC","comment":"The material for the class was interesting, but taught in a very lazy way. Dr. Zhu didn't prepare for lectures at all and gave the impression that he didn't care about his students. The regrades on the homework penalized you even if you just made a small, insignificant mistake. The class was poorly taught. 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There are thousands of pages worth of badly written slideshows that are given, but no one is told which parts of the slides to actually study.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1785920","quality_rating":1,"difficulty_rating":4},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:28:42.485031+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM3ODU0NDk5","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1785920","instructor_name":"Jerry Zhu","course_label":"CS540","course_id":"COMPSCI 540","course_uid":"course_e0f984e8747ee9ccaba16d75","review_date":"2023-05-08 07:04:39 +0000 UTC","comment":"Prof Zhu is a solid professor, not the best, not the worst. His lectures, while not the most captivating, are worth attending since his examples generally do a better job helping you understand new concepts than his slides alone. He is a very nice guy, but homework instructions were often disorganized, and midterm exam feedback took WEEKS. 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