Becker Instructors

Wow, can I point out that all Live Becker instructors are not created equal! I think I've been spoiled taking my classes in Sacramento, because I've had an awesome instructor, and I've just been soaking up the understanding like a sponge!

That is, until I was on an extended engagement in San Francisco and had to make up my classes during two 8-hour long Saturday sessions!

First off, it's hard enough to make it through a 4-hour class after work from 6-10pm, but to have to make it through an 8-hour class on a Saturday, is a task upon itself! Add to that the cost of these Becker classes, almost $3,000, and you're expecting a review course AND instructor that was worth the investment.

Let me preface this by saying that I had two different instructors in San Francisco, the first, and the one I have a problem with taught the three tax portions of the class I needed to make up, and the second, taught the one law class I needed to make up.

Let's call the tax instructor ML. This instructor was definitely only there to make whatever money Becker throws at their instructors, because he really could care less about the understanding of the students. This instructor rushed through the materials, skipped what seemed like important sections, and finished the first 4-hour class in only 2 1/2 hours. Now, if this were a regular semester length college course, I would have loved getting out early, but I paid ALOT of money for this course, out of my own pocket, and I did not get my money's worth.

The second section of the course was supposed to start at 1pm, and because we finished the morning section early, other students asked if he could just keep going, so we could get out early for the day. The instructor, actually bragged that he had done that once before, but students showed up to make-up just the second part of the class, and because he started early, they missed the first 1 1/2 hours. He told us that he got in trouble with Becker for doing this, and that was why he wouldn't do it the day I was there.

The afternoon section was no different, the 4-hour class ended in only 3-hours, which included two 30-minute breaks! So overall, for the 8-hours of instruction I paid for, I received only 5 1/2 hours from good ol' ML.

Please avoid this instructor at all costs if you are taking the class in San Francisco, and again, do some research, and sit in on a live class with the actual instructor you'll have before shelling out the money for the live classes.