Commentary Highlights

MA Math Methods for Economists, Fall 2023

• "...one of the greatest teachers I've met. He's always well prepared for course materials and excellent in explaining course contents. When questions are raised in classes, Isaac not only answers them but leads and expands the discussion."

• "...the best lecturer among all professors this semester. He explained concepts in a clear, structured manner, which is easy to follow and understand. Also, I can tell his passion for math and teaching from his lectures and how organized his handouts are. "

Intermediate Microeconomics, Spring 2023

• "...a great teacher. He's very clear in class, he introduces new content well and structures his lectures so that we first learn about the reasoning, then he teaches us to apply it to problems. Problem sets very reflective of what we learnt in class but also encouraged further understanding of the content. He's also a very approachable, enthusiastic, and kind person. His lectures were engaging and never dry--even though it's tempting to skip these larger lecture classes, his class was always interesting enough that I never wanted to skip it."

• "Easy to talk to, funny and easy going but very knowledgeable. Office hours were great and he always answered any questions we had. He made class engaging and made it easy to follow along the material. The assignments and exams were very fair and doable. I highly recommend taking a class with him, especially when you are willing to come to office hours and build a more personal (but still professional) relationship with your professor."

Behavioral Economics Seminar, Spring 2023

• "Eloquent professor with a pedagogical approach to teaching, available to discuss and help us with our research, provides encouraging feedback, creates a stress-free environment that still incentivizes to put in lots of effort"

• "...great course that provided us with a pleasant and motivating environment to conduct individual research and present it to our classmates"

MA Math Methods for Economists, Fall 2022

• "Isaac was wonderful in the way he taught the class. He was always following some structure and had a flow throughout the course but at the same time it felt effortlessly executed. It never felt like he constantly had to reference some sheet of paper to teach us the concepts. This was the best part about being in his class, it made learning much more enjoyable. His problem sets never stressed me out and always taught me how to apply the tools I learnt in class which really helped me learn the course instead of cramming it and trying to focus on my grades. His lectures were always interesting and his class has been one of the best ones I have had this semester too. He truly cares about his students and it shows in the way he conducts class. I'm glad I got the opportunity to learn under him. I believe I have learnt not just the theoretical underpinnings of mathematical tools but also how to use them."

• "Best professor in the semester. He is very patient and he teaches materials clearly. His notes are very comprehensive, we can learn the material very well by attending lectures and reading lecture notes. His homework are of medium difficulty and very representative of the course materials, we can significantly strengthen our understanding of the materials by doing the homework."

• "Prof B was brilliant! His enthusiasm for the subject would get me excited too. He was one of the most understanding professors and was always willing to help. He was also super patient with us while clearing doubts."

Intermediate Microeconomics, Fall 2022

• "Isaac Bjorke is easily one of the best, most approachable economics professors I have encountered at Columbia. It may be a function of the fact that he was also very recently a student himself, but he is empathetic to the student experience and will always ask realistic things of his students, while still challenging us whenever appropriate. I found this mix of rigor and empathy to be a very effective mix in motivating me to do my best in the course without the course becoming a source of anxiety. He is a very approachable professor, in person or via email, which is always appreciated in an environment as intimidating as economics can be! He is a very engaging lecturer, cracking jokes easily and using language that brings him closer to his students. He also asks questions but never makes students feel insecure about not answering them correctly, and when no one answers a question, he never lets the silence feel awkward, but rather takes it as a chance to give us hints and stimulate our thought process. He makes sure that we understand that intuition alone is enough to get us there, and never once made me feel belittled, insufficient, or insecure, which are all experiences I've encountered elsewhere in the department. He exceeded every expectation I had for this course!"

• "Isaac has a real gift for explaining the material and making things clear. I'm very glad that I took this class with him, because he made it easy to follow along with each new topic and really understand how they cohered with one another."

• "Extremely approachable and knowledgeable. Very funny and still concise. Look forward to his lectures every time."

• "Isaac is much more easier to talk to than other econ professors I've had, and I think this helps a lot when asking him questions during office hours. He clearly understand the material and is able to teach it to us well."

Statistics, Summer 2021

• “Excellent professor. Great lecture, clear notes.”

• “He was very clear and concise about the topics. His questions were not intended to trick you, rather help you grasp the material.”

Microeconomic Analysis, Fall 2020 

• “The light amidst the darkness. The saving grace of the class. Isaac was flipping fantastic! I wish him the best in the coming years. He easily explained everything that was happening in the class in half of the time that the professor did. He gave practice questions that were relevant to what was being taught. He met with me outside of class multiple times.”

• “Isaac seems like the best possible TA for this course with a strong understanding of the topics; no complaints.”