Yikes. Probably the worst professor I have ever had. I get that she's new to the school, but despite her years of experience in teaching, she does not know how to teach! In lectures, we just do a bunch of problems, and she expects us to know how to solve them. RIP to the people who have no background in physics. Way too intense for an intro class.

She is way too intense and can be pretty rude and sarcastic. Please avoid her if you have anxiety or stress issues, as she only makes things worse. She has a good intention behind her attitude but is way too rude and mean for her first year here. I have no background in physics, and it just makes me feel dumb about it.

Dr. Wahish's lack of empathy with students is glaring. Her grading policies are unnecessarily punitive, with each MCQ worth 5 points, leaving no room for even the smallest mistake. Despite this being an introductory course, she consistently fails to clearly explain basic physics concepts, making the class far more difficult than it should be.

I truly do not understand how others rate this professor at fives and claim she's inclusive when she has been anything but. It makes me question the integrity of these reviews honestly. She creates an oppressive and unwelcoming learning space that is increasingly unnecessary. She's best suited for a class in the high school setting, not collegiate.

Be warned that all of the positive ratings on here she had her LAs write. If you don't understand something she'll call you out in front of the whole class and say "why don't you understand". And she always says you'll do well if you go to her office hours but I go almost every week, haven't missed a class, and still got a D on the midterm. AVOID.

Professor stresses the importance of asking questions, but makes it difficult when she gives a passive aggressive and even sarcastic response. She thinks she's approachable, but she's not. This course really makes me second guess my intelligence but I know it's not just me that feels this way. Exam was heavily curved.

She literally farts at people during class—quite a rude person with a horrible attitude. If you have no basis in physics, do not take her. She will only lead to your downfall. I feel like she has good intentions somewhere inside her, but her teaching and attitude do not reflect them.

Her only good reviews are from people in the physics department, herself, or bots. They are not perspectives from actual students, everyone I know dislikes her she is a 2/5 at her best.

Considering this professor to be up-to-par with other Vanderbilt faculty is a true disappointment to the Vanderbilt name. Her teaching environment and methods are overtly old-school, and she feigns empathy when she receives her admonition from higher-ups. Do not take her if you can afford it; it's no reason to stress about this class.

Amal is the worst physics professor I have had. She does not clearly explain any material. She lacks empathy for students, often responding to questions in a condescending attitude. For students taking physics for the first time, STAY AWAY. It is almost impossible to succeed in her class without a background in physics. It is so easy to drown.

Worst professor I have ever had. If you take this class, be sure to get ready to self teach. She contributes nothing to your understanding during lecture. You could go to every single lecture, do every assignment and practice problem, and still get a failing grade on the midterm because of her terrible grading policies. AVOID at all costs.

You better pray if you do not have a background in physics. She claims to care about her students but will do anything to put her students on blast, a genuinely terrible individual who lowers Vanderbilt's academic reputation. Please take it somewhere else if you can!!

Her good reviews are literally from the TAs she forced to write good ratings that tell you everything you need to know.

She made the semester hell for so many people. She makes her own TA's write good reviews about her. A comment on here made it seem like only one person really doesn't like her, but it's genuinely almost all her students. The only 5's she gets on here are from the people who are forced to give her good ratings.

Sure, she does offer a lot of office hours and cares. She projects that, but it does not actually work/reflect. She is just bad at teaching as a whole and it's pretty evident with her first test average being a 67. Even with the "help", the class is still not by any means helping us nor improving us as students, it just makes many people dread it.

Do not take this teacher. Words I would describe this teacher: rude, condescending, and above all a terrible teacher. If you don't have any basics in physics you will be struggling in this course. I have completely self taught the material, as her lectures are confusing and don't teach the material. She blames the students for her lack of teaching.

She is totalitarian in her approach to teaching and tries to lie and say she's accommodating without acknowledging her blatant shortcomings. Do not take her.

I'm not sure why she's receiving accolades for holding office hours or not blatantly turning away students when that's her job. She simply lacks the heart and compassion for teaching and is very particular about who she scolds and intimidates. She should not be teaching at Vanderbilt. Take PHYS 1601 instead.

She literally told students to take a different physics section if they disliked her so much. She literally farts on people. Avoid at ALL COSTS!

Dr. Al-Wahish is a horrible professor at Vanderbilt. She is funny but if this is an atrocious physics course for a pre-med. Her Pearson modules do not correlate with her classes. Her slides are so simple and everything else feels like a different world. Constantly rewards herself for holding office hours. This is her job!

This is genuinely the worst professor I've had at Vanderbilt. The definition of disorganized. She is an extremely difficult exam giver who can't even teach students the basics. She continuously tries to guilt trip students into thinking their performance is their fault when clearly it's due to her incompetence. Please reconsider taking her class.

I understand her words, but how she explains concepts does not make sense. I get that it's supposed to be a hard class, but I have to read the textbook daily to keep up with the content. Her practice problems do not match the exam difficulty (minus the first test, which was fair). This class was vile.

I have to pregame this class. That should tell you how it's going! (Horrible). The professor is condescending and does not effectively know how to teach.

Literally the worst professor I have ever had in 3 years of college. Not only is she anxiety-inducing and calls people out, she makes every little trick possible to ensure that even the best students waste all their time and miss a multiple choice question. She has singlehandedly ruined my mental health and clarity. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS, please.

I have an A in orgo and I got a 40 on her second midterm. I aced the first. She curves them, yes, but it is still unbelievably tricky and tests you on reading comprehension. She is condescending, brutal, and acts like we are the problem when her terrible test writing and INCOHERENT lectures are not. I pray to god you see this and take 1601 instead.

She's friendly one-on-one but mean in lectures. She teaches super confusingly and way above what should be in an intro class. People who study hard still fail exams. She insisted the reason exam 2's average was in the 50s was because some students didn't study and decided to drop it. She says if you struggle with her, go to 1602. So terrible omg.

Have an A in biochem but failed exam 2 (exam 1 was much easier). Took MCAT last semester and the physics was easier on that section than exam 2. No clear understanding on what topics will be tested. Constantly flexes that she holds office hours while holding an atrocious lecture (which is more accessible to everyone).

Shes funny and kind outside of class but she is actually a terrible lecturer. Her lectures are very simplistic and then her exams are unimaginable. Her homework doesnt correlate with what she teaches. You can study so much and still fail her exams, she gives insane curves but at what cost.

I you want a class that will convince you to drop out, take this class!

This has been the worst stem class I've taken at Vanderbilt, even worst than gen chem 1. The lectures are extremely difficult to follow, and the professor's explanations often feel disconnected from the material we are expected to understand. The lectures don't add any clarity, if anything, they make the material feel more overwhelming.

This is by far one of the hardest classes I have taken at Vanderbilt. Her lecture style is confusing/overwhelming and the exams are impossible. The homework on Pearson does not line up with the exams either. This class is the equivalent of trying to piece together a 500-piece puzzle!

Worst Professor I have had yet. I don't know whats worse, her accent, teaching, exams, or the fact that her slides make absolutely no sense. We just do questions throughout the whole class without any explanation to the actual topics. Flipped Classrooms need to be abolished.

She is extremely disorganized, reads off of the slide but says nothing of substance, has no continuity between the different aspects of the class, condescends students for asking questions and constantly complains about how much work she is doing. She is the most infuriating professor on this campus and the school does not care about our opinions.

If you enjoy confusion, frustration, and the occasional existential crisis about your academic choices, this is the class for you!!! The lectures are essentially a bunch of "quizzes" thrown at you without any explanation of the actual material. The slides themselves are useless, and you're literally left flailing in the dark. Hope this helps!

Not a good professor. Blames students for averages she set us up for (a 54 average should not be blamed on students). Does not handle criticism well. Her plenty of years of experience do not show at all in the classroom–overall a counterproductive and disinterested professor.

If you are looking for a class and professor to ruin your GPA and make your life hell, then she's your best choice!!

Please avoid for your own mental health

just take engineering physics please

This class has drove men close to the definition of clinically insane. Everyday after this course I go to the bar and get the strongest shot to calm my nerves down. The professor cannot teach and expects us to have a PhD level of knowledge in the course. Traumatized isn't a strong enough adjective… I swear this class will make me crash out.

One of the funniest things she said was like "If you don't like my teaching, go to 1602. My class is full for the next semester." LOLOL Girl... there's no teaching in this class... how we gon dislike teaching if it don't exist.

Horrible professor. Beyond what human words can describe. How is she teaching at a top 20 school? How?

CAN VANDERBILT STOP WITH FLIPPED CLASSROOMS. You have teachers like her that take this to the extreme and simply do NOT teach at ALL!

worst professor at Vanderbilt hands down

I got catchfished when I signed up for this class. She is literally the worst. AVOID AT ALL COSTS

I think the funniest thing is that their is a section on her bright space that says, "Succeeding in Physics" but its left completely blank. I just think that in and of itself speaks for the class.

DO NOT TAKE HER. I used to find physics fun. She says to do lecture quizzes to study, but exam qs are 5 levels above anything she teachers (54 avg) Extremely unapproachable and condescending. Says to ask questions and then berates you in front of everyone, "Guys did I say that?? No I didn't!" TAKE ENGINEERING PHYSICS and save yourself please.

She is the absolute worst professor in the entire school DO NOT TAKE AVOID AT ALL COSTS. There is nothing positive anyone has to say about her for the love of God stay as far away from her as possible

If you would like to have a stroke, just read her lecture slides!

Taking this class felt like being handed a map... but the map is upside down, written in ancient Greek, and on fire. She has a unique teaching style—like explaining physics to a goldfish. I'm pretty sure my notes are just doodles of question marks at this point. Great experience if you love chaos!

She is like a human espresso shot—straight to the point, no fluff, and sometimes leaves you vibrating with confusion and caffeine-induced anxiety. If you love being in the middle of an existential crisis halfway through every lecture, you'll love this class!

This course was a terrible mess. Amal has no idea what she is doing and is unnecessarily intense all the time. I've never seen a professor order around students and LA's like dogs. At least she curves everything to an 80 and offered a retake for exam 2. At heart I think she is a good person, quite possibly the worst professor though. CANT TEACH.

I've taken some of the most infamous classes at vandy (biochem, genetics) and this was genuinely the worst I've ever taken. Nice lady, but cannot write tests at all and comes off kinda aggressive in class? Most of the class failed the second midterm and she said it was our fault because it was apparently supposed to be a super easy exam. Avoid her.

For a class filled with premed students who have already taken hard courses, this was the worst experience! The struggle came from feeling utterly lost throughout the course. The exams had little to no connection to the lecture and the professor would present quizzes on the board and scream quiz instead of TEACHING! horrible.

She's terrible. Quite literally the worst professor I have ever had. I don't think I learned an ounce of physics this semester. There's no lecture, no structure, no resources. Take 1601 and save yourself.

I have never had a worse professor. I'm astonished that she's allowed to call herself a Vanderbilt professor. Extremely uninviting and lacks any self-awareness

I don't know how she's still a professor after her horrible treatment of students. Also the good reviews on here are written by her TA's just an fyi.

She is consistently rude without realizing leading to no participation in lecture. Students are afraid to ask questions due to fear of ridicule although the lectures are so confusing that questions are needed constantly. Get ready to teach yourself all of the material if you want to succeed. She offers tons of office hours, but they are useless.

I often score well in all my classes. This class was more difficult than biochemistry. It's not because of the content, however. It is because of the teacher. With zero physics experience, this class seems impossible and with the teacher's demeanor during class, I didn't feel welcome and felt anxious. This is not expected of Vanderbilt's standards.

Super disappointed that no student feedback was integrated into her syllabus for 1502. Her passive aggressive comments and higher standards this semester make it clear she's leaving last semester bitter and angry. NOWHERE near the quality of teaching you'd expect from a $90k/year prestigious university.

I'm two days into 1502 and already feeling completely overwhelmed and confused. I don't know how she is still the gen physics teacher after last semester. I miss Starko :(

Very disappointed in Vanderbilt's faculty for keeping her as a professor.Told us that "our feedback is valuable" last semester and did not implement any of our suggestions in her 1502 syllabus, if anything made it harder. Very passive-aggressive and rude and is quick to make judgments about her students based on how well they understand content.

Dr. Al Wahish is the worst professor I've ever had. She lacks empathy and kindness. I once whispered very quietly to ask a neighbor which slide deck we were on, and she rudely called me out in front of everyone, treating me like a child. Her teaching is awful, and she curves exams by 30 points because no one understands the material. AVOID

PLEASEEEE save yourself from this class. if you want to stay sane and love life this class is not for you

Insufferable. I got a 99 in the class but only because I taught myself the entire course.

I sometimes feel like I'm back in elementary school when she uses yellow and red cards for talking during lecture. While I understand that she is well-intentioned, her teaching style makes it difficult to learn, and I find myself needing to teach myself most of the material. Unfortunately, her approach to instruction is terrible.

She decided to effectively get rid of the curve for all the exams. That was the only forgiving part about this class. I am so angry and tired of sitting through this class just to get trick questions on the exam. I'm so tired of this. I hope Vanderbilt puts its students first and fires this professor. She is unacceptably condescending.

She changed the final date after spring break. Not very considerate of students who've made plans already, considering the final is a month out.

She is not good ngl

WORST PROFESSOR OF ALL TIME.... NO DOUBT IN MY HEAD... RESPECTFULLY of course

Biggest waste of time is going to her lecture

Such is life.

牛顿听了她的课想退学！催眠效果满分！

我曾饱受失眠困扰，但现在我痊愈了。

She literally started tracking down students' locations and pressured them into coming to class. She claims to care a lot about ethics and representation but is the first to break ethical rules and make sure diverse people can't succeed

She makes no sense in lecture, in her videos, or during review. You basically have to teach yourself the entire course because she can't connect and overcomplicates every concept, and excludes things in lecture that she puts on the test.

Is she a terrible professor? Absolutely. I think she has good intentions, but she is not self-aware enough to see how she comes off. I do not recommend taking her for physics. She removed the curve altogether. She offers 4 points extra on exams if you redo the multiple choice and submit it. The class is bad, but if you have to take it, you'll be ok

Every time someone mentions her, I get so upset. I don't know why. I've had other professors who are unreasonable and don't help you succeed but she just seems worse than all of them. I think her behavior in class is what's doing it for me

Her in-class behavior is genuinely anxiety and stress inducing alone to add on she loves to telling us to think positive thoughts before an exam when she just finished yelling at us.

am al al wah ish is so bad bro please do not take her

The Beast devours and shows no remorse

Vanderbilt needs to remove her immediately or give me a refund for my tuition. This is magnitudes below what I've come to expect here. She is, by far, the worst teacher I have ever had. She is a nice person, but as a teacher, she is not competent. Despite such feedback, apparently Vandy has signed her to a 3-yr contract. So do not take this class.

Dr. al-Wahish is a kind person outside of class, but she struggles greatly with teaching. Her explanations of CRUCIAL core topics lack clarity, she micromanages students in class, and her grading is excessively harsh. The reduced curve from 1501 makes success difficult without prior physics experience. By far one of the worst professors at Vandy.

Avoid at all costs. One of the hardest classes I've taken but not because the content is difficult, it's because she doesn't prepare students well enough for the level of difficulty on her exams. This is the type of class where you can study for hours on end and still get 60s on the exams. This class caused so much unnecessary stress and anxiety

Worst experience of my life. Literally had depression episodes because of her behavior.

I've never taken a class that made going to lecture such a dreadful experience. I'm sure Dr. al-Wahish is a good person at heart but she is an awful professor and lacks the self-awareness to understand that she does not have students' best interests in mind. 350 characters is truly not enough to describe the horrors of an entire year of PHYS 1500.

She is well-intended with her students but it is very very hard to understand basic physics concepts from her lectures. Problems are not solved in the board and TAs/LAs were usually as confused as the students during the lecture. Her exams are more difficult than the problems in the slides. You get 4 points of recovery. Get ready to self teach!

after 1501, i thought u know what, this professor is terrible but at least her grading system & curves makes up for it. but in 1502, she changed it so that there is barely/no curve so now not only is she a terrible professor, but there's no incentive to take her class. btw her seat track thing is fake, she cant actually view ur physical location

Its hard to summarize how bad she is as a professor, but she is a nice human being. Her exams are extremely difficult with every question being worth 5% and 2-3 trick questions every time. Her lectures are disorganized and unclear. She is overly intense making a harsh classroom and exam environment. Can't teach with hard exams is never a good combo

Starko off temu

She is unyielding and widely outdated in her teaching methods and refuses to adapt for the better of the students.

All the good reviews are written by her TAs and herself. Literally look at that BS no student writes like that.