I was nervous going into this class because stoch has been notorious within systems to be a difficult class, however I was pleasantly surprised that this class was entirely reasonable and mostly enjoyable. This was the first semester Riggs taught the class and he switched the curriculum a little bit. I felt like I actually learned a lot in this class, and I think that Riggs made it as interesting as it could be. Homeworks weren't too bad and were optional (if you didn't do them your exams were weighted more). Generally, I think that Riggs is really approachable and tries to actually make classes a good experience for the students. Even with the switch online mid-semester due to covid I think Riggs did a pretty good job of finishing up the class without making anything too stressful. I would definitely recommend taking this class with Riggs.

This course is incredibly exam heavy. 60% of the grade goes into two exams, one around spring break and one on the last day of class. Exam 1 was a slap in the face, exam 2 was much easier. 10% goes to just submitting your homework, 5% is in-class problems and 25% is a final project you do with a group. The final project is very open-ended and simple, it is graded pretty lightly. The exams are not easy, they have a lot of content on them but Riggs is very nice and will try to ensure that everyone succeeds in the course. I managed a C and a B+ on the two exams which resulted in an A- overall. Put in the effort and you will succeed in the course. The homework is optional but it is just 10% extra for simply doing it! The best tips for studying is following his examples in class, not the homework problems.