In editing this year's Course Evaluation Guide I have come to one conclusion.
Nothing can substitute the experience of actually taking a course, and sitting through the classes.
Even though this guide attempts to tell you everything you need to know about a specific course or teacher, the evaluations are based on the experiences of the students in each class. In a smaller class, one student's bad experiences may greatly influence the numbers, while in a larger class, one student's opinions won't affect the scores as much. Certain professors gain reputations for being good or bad in their respective subjects, and some subjects have a reputation for being easier or more difficult at Brandeis. This guide will give you a better idea of what to expect of a course that you may be interested in, but going to just one class will tell you more about it than the few numbers and brief paragraph that this guide provides. This year is the first year that the Course Evaluation Guide is on the internet, but all students will also receive a hard copy of this guide in their mail boxes.