Reviews of professor Shivaram Venkataraman

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 5.0/5
Shivaram is a phenomenal professor. Take any class with him. First day, I thought he looked like an undergraduate student and by the end of the semester, I thought he was the best CS professor I've had. Operating Systems and their projects are hard, but he does his best and puts in a lot of time. Also adjusted very well with the pandemic.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 5.0/5
Professor Shivaram is one of the best CS professors I've had at UW Madison. He teaches exceptionally well and can make complex concepts seem easier to understand. However, his programs and exams are extremely difficult. I think anyone who completes his course and does well on the programs will leave as a better programmer and problem solver.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
Professor Shivaram is one of the best CS professors I had. The way he structures his course is phenomenal. The classes are very interactive and very engaging. It is a bit heavy course, considering the paper reading each week, projects, assignments, and exams. Nevertheless, it is totally worth the effort.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
The paper selection for the course was well-rounded and the lectures were amazing. Even the exams consisted of all open-ended design questions and were really fun.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 5.0/5
The course is hard but the professor is amazing

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
Shivaram is a great professor. His lectures are well laid out, and each unit is preceded by an introduction which overviews why the unit is important and the goals, which is really helpful for memorizing the material. The project were difficult, but if you pay attention in lecture you can get them done in a day or two.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
Shivaram extracts the core concepts behind each paper discussed and creates an inclusive atmosphere. You read two 15-20 page papers each week (which can be a lot), one for each lecture. Final project relates to one of the areas covered during the class and is not too bad. Difficulty appropriate for grad student, possibly much for undergrad.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 5.0/5
Literally the best professor I ever had at this school. He truly cares about us and wishes us to succeed. He also understands our difficulties and challenges. The class he teaches is difficult, but if you have a chance to take a class with him, please do that. You will never regret.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
Incredibly nice and cares about students. Solicits student feedback and concerns and actually makes adjustments to the course as a result. No matter who is teaching, OS will require a good amount of effort for programs. Clear lectures, very responsive on piazza. Really a model for what instructors should be.