Professor: Colapietro, Silva Course format: Lecture w/section Number of respondents: 47 Total Enrollment: 80 Class Composition: Froshs: 32 Sophs: 29 Jrs: 9 Srs: 10 Concs: 23 Non-Concs: 16 Don't Know: 6

Instructor Average: 1.66 Course Average: 1.72

“Financial Accounting” taught by Professors Colapietro and Silva introduces basic accounting principles and financial statements. There are no prerequisites, although some students commented that a basic knowledge of economics and math is useful, and an interest in finance helps make the material more interesting.

Students praised the clear, straightforward, and organized lecturing style of Professor Colapietro and Silva. They found the review of exercises in class and the use of overheads to be helpful. Some students enjoyed the real-life examples, while others wished there had been more emphasis on applications, rather than just following the textbook material. Reviewers felt that the professors were entertaining, helpful, and caring. A few students commented that it was ineffective having two professors alternate teaching the classes. While many found the material to be dry and boring, overall students felt that Professors Colapietro and Silva did a decent job of making the class interesting.

The coursework consisted of three multiple choice exams and optional weekly homework, which was reviewed in sections. In general, students found the textbook to be clear and straightforward and the exams fair and based mostly on the text. Some students said that the reading was not necessary, as it was mostly covered in lecture, but overall students found the textbook to be very helpful.

Most students spent from two to five hours on the class, and more before exams. Although reviewers stressed that this is not a gut class, some described it as an easy class offering a broad overview of accounting useful for non-concentrators. However, students recommended that those who take Econ 71 be interested in finance and economics, because although practical, the material can often be boring.

View EC/0071 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.