Lecture is focused on concepts and demonstrations instead of problem solving which isnt for everyone. I personally think its better that way bc the math isnt hard but if you dont understand the concepts you wont know where to start. Read the textbook and do Vinces CLAS problems and its not too hard of a class.
The Mastering Physics homework is pretty useless and the midterms can be pretty tough but the final is much easier and the curve is generous. I will say he makes his lectures very interesting but you still need to spend some time outside of class studying yourself in order to understand everything.
Geller's lectures are pretty interesting but they wont help you pass the tests. Reading the book is a necessity in order to pass. CLAS is also super helpful, as Geller does not do practice problems in class and the tutors help fill in a lot of information he skips over. No curve but his test averages were quite high (78 on mideterm and 72 on final)
Interesting lecturer, class will be pretty easy if you have taken physics before. The curve also bumped my grade up to an A.
To be honest, Geller's lecture is boring, he doesn't talk a lot about problem-solving strategies but a lot of experiments and other stuff. So then you have to really read the textbook and do all the questions from CLAS. he doesn't even have practice exams which would make you feel very nervous before exams. His exams are way easier than homework.
Average was super high. Was hoping to get a B because the class has a historically nice curve but ended up with C+ because there was no curve in the course.
If you have taken AP physics in high school, good for you, phys 1 is an easy A for you. But if you don't really know about physics, you better study hard. The class is so unfair since only 9% gets and A and one letter bump (ex: A- to A) depends on 1/3 of standard deviation from the mean. This is a tough class and he goes by the concepts so quickly.
The exam is not difficult, but he is not a good lecturer. I cannot learn anything from his class. But he is good at arousing students' attention. He is not a good professor for students who did not take physics class since you need to spend a lot of time learning physics after the class.
Homework is on mastering physics and not hard to finish. Very interesting person but failed to teach clearly. Bad at summary and cannot bring your own cheat sheet to the exams (and the cheat sheet he provided is lack of some formulas) No practice exam. Hard to predict the questions. You will save a lot of time for other class by not taking this.
Very Hard and Confusing. It's his first time to teach PHYS4. DO NOT TAKE UNLESS YOU BLOW YOUR MIND.
https://imgur .com/a/U0AqOYZ I have no idea why his rating is so high. In general, I have found that Freunds lectures were more confusing than helpful. Hes certainly not the worst professor, but I would say hes mediocre at best.
From my experience with just the Physics 1 class: He has entertaining experiments and explains concepts in very much detail. However it is fast-paced even in the lecture. The Mastering Physics online homework is tedious, and may not help you study for tests. Find the practice tests, read the questions thoroughly and fast, and crunch numbers faster.
Once, there were many (by many I mean many) people that talked to him about their bad midterm score. Want to know his response? He said they should have gone to a community college. Good luck.
This is a professor has interesting lectures and demos. The exams may little bit harder than homework and in-class practice but i could promise that all contents are included in the lectures.
He was an amazing prof! Very entertaining, energetic personality which is perfect for a physics class. This was my first exposure to physics, and it was a bit tricky at first but I eventually got in to the swing of things. I scored on average on both exams but destroyed the final and ended with an A-, very generous curve!
Professor Geller was a solid choice. He is very passionate about his subject matter, and makes the information very accessible in lectures. I would do readings, and just practice with new problems you haven't seen before. Heavy weight in the online homework, weights as much as the first midterm. The homework helps, and is basically free points.
He was an excellent prof. for Physics. Very clear descriptions in class that cut through complicated history and theory and focused on what would be on tests. Exams are tough for sure but fair, and he preps you for all the types of problems in class, on GS, and in OH. Has clicker daily, and the homework was a bit weird, though it's a new system.
Professor Freund is the best physics professor at UCSB! He is really caring, funny, and patient at office hours. I wasnt good at physics, but Professor Freund made physics easier for me to understand.
Exciting. Very good.
Freund is an amazing professor more than students give him credit for! Funny, fair, and a great guy all around! Grade breakdown 45% final 20% 2 midterms 3% attendance 12% homework. utilize CLAS and you can get an A. Generous curve
There are short pre lectures and homework week through Sapling. Two midterms and a final, all MC. Posts 3 practice exams per exam to help with studying. I did each one 3 times to study and ended up getting 80%+ on each exam. Averages were in the 60s. Overall a good professor. A bit quirky and keeps getting concussed, but still lectures well.
I really enjoyed coming to class and listening to his lectures. He's a funny guy and he knows how to teach the concepts really well and he explains how to do the complicated problems and his tests are pretty much just on what he goes over in class, so really you don't need to teach yourself anything outside of class. Just don't miss class
Geller is a true gem. He really cares about his students and his passion shines through. Straightforward exams if you like physics.
Freund is kinda overrated... he's funny, cracks some jokes here and there, and he raps for you. He doesn't explain things super clearly and can't answer questions sometimes. Practice tests similar to actual tests, but they can get really tricky, especially for the final. The averages are really low. Make sure to go to CLAS/office hours.
