Great professors, but the exams you need to take are harder than the assignments and harder to get a grade for.
I hate physics but I actually love going to his lectures because he is super engaging and I find his dry sense of humor hilarious. The practice tests and quizzes are exactly like his exams which is super helpful because you always know what to expect. He also posts lecture videos + videos going over different practice problems online.
This has been one of my favorite classes due to both material and professor. Geller is great and I loved the lectures. Tests were kind of hard, but weren't weighted very heavily (final = 20%). There is kind of a lot of homework, but it was generally pretty easy and didn't take long. Doing/understanding homework is necessary for good grade.
Only chance to ask questions is in lecture. He is responsive and helpful, but you're expected to rely on TAs for info outside of class. Lots of homework and reading per week. Lots of studying is recommended, you cannot just do the bare minimum in this class. Grading is dominated by your homework and quizzes but includes long midterms and finals.
Taking Geller for 6A was the most miserable experience I've had in any class so far. He is useless. You would expect for a math heavy class he'd run through problems in lecture, but he didn't do a SINGLE practice problem with numbers. Unsurprisingly, class average on the final was a 50%. Prepare to spend many hours teaching yourself the material.
In terms of difficulty, his class was not free, but I think if you put in the effort, you can get a decent grade. For his lectures, I attended every single one because they were so fun. He is clearly very passionate about what he teaches, and that passion is very contagious. I would suggest you do a quick review before the discussion sections.
Absolutely terrible! If you have to take physics and you're stuck with Geller, wait and take it with Freund. Geller has incredibly hard tests with problems that have never been seen in class before. He doesn't tech to his tests in lecture, and gets off by making exams incredibly hard. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!! HE'S THE WORST!!
This guy loves to use Achieve, which is the most stupid homework system I have ever used. His tests are easy and his lectures are always useless. Achieve is enough. The most time I spend on is Achieve. You just need to do the practice test he gave for his test, they are really easy.
tests r exactly like practice exams he gives hella practice problems lecture is kinda messy but he has videos and theyre so helpful, he's kinda the goat love u Freund
The online version of Astro 1 is a blend of easy mathematics (Usually the hardest math being like AP Physics 1 level), really interesting concepts, and such. Expect to read a LOT for the online version of the class but it isn't hard at all. Great for a STEM elective, just okay for a STEM GE.
This professor is the worst one I have ever met, he has unlimited and extremely hard HW to do once a week, almost 6 achieve and very tough to have good grades. Never take his class, never ever take his class
genuinely one of my favorite professors of all time. his teaching is straightforward and he is extremely helpful and accessible outside of class. he also lets you know exactly what to expect on tests and quizzes, so as long as you do the practice tests he provides you'll pass the class. I hope this man gets everything he wants in life
I am fascinated with the class Freund given
Reallllly good professor ever!!!
the best teacher ever met.
Geller's astro 1 is the first course I took in this UCSB which is great!. His lectures are interesting and he's a nice person if u join his office hour. However, the reading is mandatory and quite tough for a freshman if u have little astro storage (but not me). There the homework is not friendly for people deficit in writing and carefulness.
Not too hard but you should go to lectures. Homework is a bit difficult but often harder than the tests.
The homework is harder than lectures/tests. The exams are similar to lectures, so it would be wise to attend. If you took AP Physics 1 then this is very very easy, otherwise pay attention to mechanics.
One of favorite profs here at UCSB. Tests are JUST like the practice tests and module practice. Do all module practice. Freund is a super fair professor and is super helpful outside of class also. He is very funny and makes lectures entertaining and enjoyable, he is the best.
Fun guy and good if you know how to approach the class. Don't get lazy so do all the quizzes, achieve, and MODULE PRACTICE problems for each module. Tests/quizzes are identical to those MODULE PRACTICE problems so do them as much as possible. Got to office hours to get help on MODULE PRACTICE problems you don't get. Read the tests carefully!!!
I took PHYS 6AB with him and found his teaching style helpful and very fun. The homework and quizzes are very challenging, and the class is very fast-paced, but it is possible to excel. Even though exams are worth most of your grade, they are relatively fair since they are similar to the quizzes and optional practice problems, which I appreciate.
Practice tests are identical to the actual tests. He has videos online about the topics and even the lectures are entertaining. Makes a ton of jokes and I enjoyed going to class. A lot of homework. Physics is my weakest spot, but he helped me understand concepts better.
I have always had trouble with physics, but Freund made it easier to grasp which was enough for me to pass. literally do all the recommended problems and the practice exams, and you'll do fine because his midterms/final are literally the same. I caught on too late plus I just suck at physics in general, which is why I barely passed, but it's doable
I think that he is very fun and entertaining with his lectures but it can be a bit hard to grasp the concepts. At least he posts lecture videos so you can stay on top of everything. Make sure to do all his practice problems as he copies them exactly on his tests. Main downside is that tests make up 84% of your grade so be careful with them.
