I really liked Professor Elzinga's class. I am a prospective Econ major, but I thought his class was engaging and if you read the book, not too challenging. This class is by no means easy, but it is mostly fair, grading-wise. A must take while at UVA.

Disclaimer: I'm a prospective Econ major, so if you're not your views may differ from mine, but I sincerely enjoyed Professor Elzinga's class. The man, the myth, and the legend himself. Taking his class is staple of the University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences education, in my opinion. He's pretty funny if you have a good sense of humor, and his lectures were informative and enjoyable. Frankly, I think discussion sections are unnecessary for this class because you'll get by just fine going to lectures and reading Colander (the textbook). Depends on your TA whether or not you have to actually go every time or not, but there are 25 TA points that get allocated through different ways. If you have a genuine interest in Econ (doesn't mean you're a major, but simply interested) you should be fine if you put in the work reading and studying. It's not too hard, a lot of people opt for the Dutch Knockout system for exams (meaning if you get an A on the final, no matter what grades you get on every other assignment, you'll get an A for the course), but it's not too hard to do well on the other exams and take the pressure off yourself.

One last thing: Appreciate Professor Elzinga for as long as he's here with us. For those that don't know, he's been at UVa for over 40 years, and he's been highly acclaimed and well known since my Dad was here roughly 30 years ago. He's a genuinely great person, and unfortunately I never took advantage of his office hours to go meet him, which I sorely regret. Listen to what he says and take in everything, you'll have very few professors like him.

I heard this class was super fun and interesting but I've got to agree that Elzinga is particularly overrated. He is super nice and cute but honestly his lectures are boring and the way he tells the TA's to grade the tests is ridiculous. If you don't say exactly what he says (even if you write word for word from the textbook) you get no credit for the question on the tests. Overall, he makes the course harder than it should be which was really frustrating for me and I would not recommend taking it unless you have to.

I went into this class pretty excited that I got THE Elzinga. The class really depends on your TA, and I had a pretty bad one. The grading of the tests is based on ridiculous wordings that are meticulously precise and annoying. After the first test came back and the average sucked, Elzinga said it was because even though we knew the material, he didn't think we "knew how to take an Econ Test." Biggest load of BS. The class just pissed me off more than anything, mainly because of my TA.

Elzinga is a GREAT professor. He sometimes almost put me to sleep, but his knowledge, humor, and experiences make for a great professor. I don't usually remember information learned from year-to-year, but I remember almost everything that I learned in Elzinga's class. Read the textbook and really make sure you understand the information inside and out and you'll be fine.

It's important to go to the class. He's a good lecturer and interesting. But the tests can be hard and some questions come from lecture not from the book. Although you should read too. It helps clarify. Overall good class. If looking for something easier though take with different prof.

Elzinga is a great lecturer. However, if you get a bad TA, Elzinga is not that available during office hours, so it might be harder to do well in the class. The tests are a bit tricky but if you know the material, you'll be fine

To all engineers:

Do not take this class with Elzinga. Too much work for an A/B+. A lot of the rosy reviews are coming from people who either had a good TA or weren't taking >15 credits. You can roll the dice and hope for a good TA, or put in the time to read the book, do practice problems, and teach yourself the material. Honestly, at then end of the day I think Elzinga is an amazing guy with cool stories. But if you value getting the grade more than being able to say "I took ECON 2010 with Kenneth Elzinga," I'd recommend searching for other professors.

This is a class you have to take before you graduate. Elzinga is one of the most interesting and quirky professors out there. He is not the best lecturer and does not always explain every detail, but the book is really helpful and Ben Leyden, the head TA, is really good at explaining tricky concepts. The tests aren't too hard, but the TAs grade on very specific guidelines. For example, you could completely understand a concept and forget a key word and lose a few points. Once you take the first exam and understand how to write out your answers, the class is not too tough.

This class is definitely a staple of the UVA undergrad education. Even if you have no interest in an Econ degree, the experience of an Elzinga Econ class is unforgettable. He's like a lovable granddad. The material is fairly easy if you pay attention in lecture and the exams aren't bad at all.