Among the best lectures I have taken

Great professor, his lectures are clear, and he loves answering questions. Detailed lecture notes are helpful, and exams are fair. The only problem might be that he sometimes spends so much time answering questions that he has to skip some of the material and go through others a bit too fast...

This guy is the best. He's humble and excited and really there to help you understand the material. He takes almost every single question in lecture, and drives home the main points. Homework takes a while but you learn a lot through it. Just a great guy who runs pleasant lectures.

Haven't taken an exam to know his grading style yet but as per the lecture itself he is simply awesome, and the fact that he knows exactly what he's talking about is just even more amazing. You can almost never catch him stuttering from thinking up an answer. Also he's passionate about physics! Hw is hard tho. But he's also helpful! Huge plus!!!!!!

Crystal clear lectures an very hand-on, albeit a bit fast. Hard homework as well but you learn a lot! Take him.

As always when I work on stuffs Blaes gave, I feel like Blaes ate my soul. But he is such a great professor I will take whatever class he has to offer.

Omer Blaes is a great professor who gives fantastic lectures. We used a book not suited for undergrads (because the author is a professor at UCSB); so Blaes also gave us his own rigorous lecture notes. This all being said, expect exams to be super difficult and no curve. Best way to prepare? Do the homework and FOCUS IN CLASS.

Without a doubt the most fantastic and engaging physics professor I've ever had. I took GR with him, and despite the fact that lecture was at 8 am, I always made sure to be there and be on time, and every time left with my mind blown. He loves explaining things and does it well. He is just buzzing with his energy and passion for the subject.

Great professor. The best one in UCSB phys department

Professor Blaes might just be my favorite professor I've had at UCSB. He's incredibly knowledgable and an excellent lecture who's able to break down very complex topics in an organized and (relatively) easy to follow way. He made use of many demonstrations as well, which kept class interesting and engaging. In office hours he's approachable and helpful and more than willing to walk through any topics, and I highly recommend going to his office hours. All in all, if you have the opportunity to take a class with Omer Blaes you absolutely should. You can tell he's in love with what he does and his enthusiasm is infectious.

Overall a really good instructor,; does his best to try to make sure his students understand the material. Class is only 1 midterm, 1 final, and HW -- HW is pretty fair and only a few problems each week.

Prof. Blaes is the best professor you will have at UCSB. I took 4 classes with him and he is an amazing professor and person. Go to his office hours he is very helpful and incredibly knowledgeable. He has a really good grading scheme which always helps the students.

I once heard a quote that a bad teacher tells, a good teacher explains, a superior teacher demonstrates and that a great teacher inspires. And in that regard, I think he's a great teacher.

Great Professor. Interesting lectures and very clear and helpful. Very fair grading scale. Is clear about what we are expected to know, fair tests.

Best professor I've ever had. He made me love Physics again. Take California Physics with him. He posts all the lecture notes online. After the midterm, we only had a final paper and homework--in any other physics class attendance would drop to zero at that point. In this class, everyone went out of respect for the most interesting prof at UCSB

Best teacher I've ever had. He'll work you hard though.

HE IS SO HARD. But also, incredibly compelling and inspiring. Going to class was something that I was excited to do. Weekly homework. Truth be told, the exams were brutal. Not to mention the textbook was only fractionally useful. You love Physics? Take Blaes, but kiss your sleeping hours goodbye..if you'd like to pass the course with a D or better.

Blaes is amazing. He is a wonderful teacher-- very enthusiastic, very approachable, very clear. I'd take any class he taught just because of him.

He taught phys pretty well and almost made me proficient at it. I found his lectures enjoyable and engaging, though I am a nerd, for what that is worth.

Prof. B is the Great Ninja Master of upperdivision physics. His teaching is brilliant-he is precise and thorough and he pays very close attention to whether you get it or not. Encourages visits and tries very hard to help. Tests are a challange - but burdensome trials you must face if Great Ninja you wish to be.

Professor Blaes explains this very well both in class and during office hours. He is very enthusiastic during the lecture which makes it easier to pay attention. His tests are just a couple questions which doesn't hit on all the material. Having no curve doesn't help either.

My favorite professor. I really loved physics in that class.

Probably the best professor at UCSB if you are really interested in learning the material then Blaes is the professor to have he is very considerate to his students as well. Tests can be difficult but the grading scheme makes it fair and the homework policy is inflexible so make sure to do homework

Showed up to the midterm and final only and still managed to get a B+, very lenient curve.