Western Kentucky University / T / William Trainor

He is hot. He is very cool, too. And, if I may use a little French, he is l'homme de jouissance. I love him.

Sure: I am a guy. A hairy guy and I like men who from rural backgrounds who usually eschew things like shoes, soap, and so on. But so what? This is America. This is Freedomland, USA.

Trainor: I want you to have my baby, you big mutt of a man, with your 1980s fashion sensibility and receding hairline. You are le bomb, in my bibliotech. I will dream of you as I work at the Best Buy on Campbellsville Road. Bon soire, mon ami d'amour.

It's one thing to have a good teacher, but it's quite another to have a talented--nay, multitalented--teacher. And Dr. Trainor is that person. On his website, you shall find self-identifying references to himself as being a:

1. rock climber 2. runner 3. and a member of the Receding Hair Men's Club. You will see a picture of a motorcycle standing still on a curb; presumably it is his and he loves to stare at it for long periods of time on the internet. You will also find a picture of a giant slab of fake mountain facade with him hanging on; presumably, this is meant to instill confidence among his students that in case they ever need to scale a mountainside as financiers, Trainor will be there for them. And there is also a picture of Dr. Trainor running very hard, perhaps trying to flee the creditors and business owners who have been trying to come after him for giving them ludicruous business advice.

A man for all seasons--William Trainor.

He has a receding hairline, so what? He wears clothes like a poor man's Tom Hanks from a 1980s thrift shop, so what? And he puts the H in the word hick, again, so what? He knows his stuff, people. And that is what it is ALL about. He is a financial guru. Don't judge your profs by how they look, talk, smell, alright? If that were the case, Trainor would be tossed out the door. But look at the merits. Get your head straight and stop picking on the way he looks and so on. Focus on his teaching. He is solid.

All the ladies think he is hot.........they also think crack is a wonderful recreational drug.

Finance in general, is not something that comes easy. Paying attention in this class is crucial. Dr. Trainor gives plenty of extra credit and also does little games as review for test, and i found them very helpful, plus you also get extra credit for participating in the games. The test are somewhat difficult, but if you know the material, it's not so bad. even though attendance isnt mandatory, it definitely helps to go to class.

-al

not too bad of a class if your decent at math and have an interest in stocks or the related fields. he goes kinda fast in class but will explain further if u ask. he will give extra credit for review games you play in class, which actually help a lot. most of the tests are based on using the calculator. he shows how to use the required calc. along with the ti83 plus (so u dont have to buy the required calc). decent teacher. i got him again for two more classes next semester if that tells you anything.

You've got to check out this guy's website. There's a big psycho picture of him that will greet you and a goofy picture of him on a motorcyle trying to look cool like the Fonz.

Some dude above or below wrote: "Trainor is very smart...sometimes too smart." Huh?

I enjoyed Trainor's class. The first exam seems like it is going to cover a lot, but it was actually pretty easy. I had two exams the day of the first test and barely studied for it and got an "A". The second exam is really simple b/c it involves computations. You don't have to buy a finance calculator, b/c he allows you to use the graphing TI-83 calculator. I admit he doesn't exactly lecture in a way that is comprehensible to all, but he tries. You have to participate in a stock game. You play games before each exam that really helps you in preparing for exams. He is a considerate teacher and somewhat humurous. I would recommend him!!

Maybe it's that high-pitched voice, maybe it's the 80s fashion sensibility, or maybe it's the peculiar accent and the obscure colleges from which he graduated that harken back to humble and rural origins, but he is a charismatic professor.

When I think cunning (in a gentle sort of way), I think him. He is my captain of commerce; my royalty of ruralness. I want to be just like him. He's my hero and he should be yours, too.

Dude is a genius. He's a hick, but he's a genius. Alright, he's not a GENIUS (who is?--this is Western). But he's cool...I mean cheesy. Just kidding. Only his clothes are cheezy...and his accent...and his goofy website. Just kidding. Dude is cool...like sweet tea...which I don't like....

Print off the powerpoints before class and add notes to them! Trainor is very smart...sometimes too smart, but the class gets better at the semester moves on. I started off really bad then I brought my grade up to a B. Do the assignments and go to class...it helps!

Dr. Trainor's class is a bit difficult. He's not a bad professor, but he could be better. You don't use the book much at all, but it came in handy for me, which is why I suggest getting it.

Here's the deal... Four 25 point assignments that aren't very hard. In fact, if you just write some junk down and turn it in you'll probably get 18 points on each of them. DO THEM. I forgot about one of them and it cost me a letter grade. Four exams worth 100 points each, plus a final that's worth 50 points. The tests can range from very difficult to very easy. If you've got enough point at the end of the course, you can skip the final, which only covered one chapter. Before most tests, you'll play some review games which can earn you extra point on the tests. Don't screw around with them, you can pick up enough points to boost your score to the next letter grade.

Attendance isn't mandatory. If you miss, you might not miss much unless it's one of those days when you work out a bunch of problems. Notes are moderate, as most of the material is presented via PowerPoint (all PPT material is on his website, too).

I don't dislike Dr. Trainor, but his personality is quite quirky. He's usually pretty cool, but don't come into class late. He hates that, and he's not real fond of late assignments, either. If the class as a whole doesn't do well on an exam, you can tell it gets under his skin. Also, if he thinks too many people missed an easy exam question, that bothers him even more.

In my opinion, this class was fairly easy. Before taking the class with Trainor, I heard that you should stay away. After taking the class, I would recommend that you take the class with him rather than Wolfe. As far as the class is concerned, there are four MC exams (100 pts. ea.) and a final (50 pts.). There were four assignments (25 pts. ea.). You don't need the book. As long as you print off (or just look at) the PowerPoint slides from his website, you won't need to take many notes. Most of the class and exams are computational. You will need to purchase the calculator or use a TI calculator. As long as you understand how to use the calculator to do the required problems, you should be fine. Dr. Trainor has a fun (and very helpful) review for most of the exams (i.e. Survivor, Jeopardy, Millionaire); winners can receive bonus points. He also has example problems on the website that help you prepare for the exams. Again, if you can do these problems, you should do well in the class. If you have an A before taking the final, it is not required. After hearing things about Dr. Wolfe and his tests, I'm definitely glad I took FIN330 with Dr. Trainor.