Professor Coppock is passionate in what he teaches and his dad jokes are actually kinda funny. There were times that I went during office hours and he really tries to get to know his students. He makes the material really interesting and less daunting. However, I wasn't a big fan of the exams. The first two exams were not too bad but they were short answer. Due to this style of testing, the TA's were harsh at grading because they were looking for specific words in the answers. I was doing pretty well in the class till the final came. I totally flunked that and it tanked my grade. But it is what it is. Also, recommend just skimming the textbook because most material is covered by the professor. Didn't really like how the majority of the grade was from the 3 exams, especially because the answers had to be VERY specific. I honestly could have aced the first two exams if I didn't get points taken off for small things.
Grade Distribution
No grade data available
346 Reviews
Coppock is the man. He brings a special, fun energy to his lectures, and is always fun to talk to in office hours. He most definitely bolstered my love for economics. I would say the material is easier than Micro, and the tests are slightly easier as well. That being said, you have to know your stuff to do well on the test, especially on the final. Also, there isn't much from the textbook that he asks on the tests, so I would recommend just skimming the textbook. Best class and best professor so far at UVA!
Generally, the lectures are MUCH less dry than ECON 2010 with Elzinga, and the content feels a lot more relevant insofar as it relates more obviously to the "real world". That said, if you aren't a big picture thinker, this class might not be as intuitive as micro. As far as the actual structure of the class goes, go to discussions and get all your clicker points, they might make the difference between a B+ and an A- at the end of the year. Don't get complacent if you do well on one exam, since the class is graded on a point system with a curve determined after the final. On that note, don't let the final slip your mind- you can do really well on everything else, but if you tank the final you tank the class. If you read the textbook and attend lecture, you should be fine. If you have to pick between reading the textbook and attending lecture, attend lecture.
I enjoyed ECON 2020 with Coppock much more than ECON 2010 wth Elzinga. With that being said, I absolutely hate the way intro level econ classes are set up. I was doing pretty well in the class and then did poorly on the final, which is worth 45% of your grade, so obviously it tanked my grade.
Best professor ever. Super engaging lectures and just a nice guy. Always makes an effort to get to know his students. Test are fair - if you study the lectures for a decent amount of time it is very possible to get an A. If you took ECON2010 with Elzinga I'd highly recommend taking Macro with Coppock - very similar teaching style and exams. Loved this course and the work load is very manageable!!
This class wasn't too bad. I took it during an online semester so I'll try to focus more on the exams since I'm sure Coppock always designs them similarly. While the exams aren't awful some of the questions are worded rather poorly, and the TAs also grade them arbitrarily. I once lost all the points on one question because my TA didn't like my tone??? I submitted a regrade request with the head TA and luckily he gave me my points back, but that was just a bizarre experience. The final high-key sucks too because it's a completely different format from the first two exams and the questions are annoying as ever. Your experience in this class is essentially determined by your TA. Some will give you bad quizzes and no practice questions while some will actually be helpful. I hope whoever reads this benefits from the latter. Anyways, while I have a number of complaints, the material itself is not bad at all. I think macro is easier than micro and nothing is conceptually difficult. Just make sure you practice graphing. If you understand how graphs work, you should be golden. I ended up getting an A in this class so it wasn't too bad, but Coppock's curve is a lot smaller than Elzinga's so you should not rely on getting an A/A- in this class unless you really work for it.
Mr. Coppock is a fabulous lecturer and really cares about connecting with students on an individual level. Show up early to lecture or go to office hours, and you'll get the chance to learn the material and get to know the professor—even though it's a huge class! The content wasn't too difficult, and I personally found it an easier class than microecon with Elzinga.
As someone who discovered that they really hated ECON through this class, I will say that Professor Coppock tried his absolute hardest to make me not hate it, but it just wasn't for me. He's a really great guy (except please no more Hayek or Sowell---there's a reason every political theorist or moral philosopher looks down their noses at economists and their ideas on morality) and a really great professor, but my thoughts on economics very much colored my take on this class. All you really have to do to do well in the class is read the textbook and do problems in the back of it; Professor Coppock once literally took questions from the textbook and put it on the exam. I was kicking myself for not asking my TA to check the questions I wasn't sure of my answer on in the textbook with me. Your TA doesn't actually have the answers from Mr. Coppock, but they should still be able to give you the basic principle behind the problem so you can figure out exactly what the methodology is for a problem like that. The lectures do add a little bit of spice and coherence to the textbook material, especially when Professor Coppock gives some more historical context or leads you through an interesting example, but really the bulk of the material (especially that tested) can be found in the textbook, which is probably because Professor Coppock wrote the textbook, so it's really just his ideal economics class packaged into a textbook (but with some rearranging from his pesky editors). The grading is basically: Test 1 100pts, Test 2 100pts, Final 200 pts, Discussion Section (points from your TA) 25 pts, and Clicker Questions 15pts. If you're actually interested in economics and the empirical social sciences, I would highly recommend taking classes with Mr. Coppock, especially if you're interested in classical liberal ideology because he knows a lot about that in particular.
Amazing professor! My favorite class I have taken at UVA. I did not take micro before the class and I still suceeded so don't be scared off by the micro recommendation. Super interesting and equips you well to discuss complex issues. Tips to succeed: READ THE TEXTBOOK!!!! Coppock wrote it himself and the material in the textbooks often directly reflects the material on exams. Don't rely on Dutch Knockout (the percentages to get an A were really high last semester). Making flashcards worked really well for me to study for this class. Pay attention during lectures--sometimes an example or case study he discusses in class will be on the exam.
Professor Coppock is by far my favorite professor at UVA. Everything you learn in this class will help you understand the world better. Go to office hours and get to know Coppock--he genuinely cares about his students. Know the lectures and reading inside and out and you'll be successful.