2.3
Quality3.8
Difficulty13%
Would Retake187
Reviews13%
Would Retake
187
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
25
4
17
3
36
2
47
1
62
What Students Say
“You really have to read the textbook in order to understand Physics”
PHYS180 - 3.0 rating“Avoid taking this class with him at all costs”
PHYS180 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
20%
Textbook Required
49%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.14 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYSICS
5.0
(1)ASTRONOMY
5.0
(1)PSY100
4.0
(1)PHYS151
3.3
(28)PHY151
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHYS151152
5.0
ASTRO110
5.0
PHY180
4.2
PHY151
4.0
PHYSICS181
4.0
Reviews (187)
Sitting in the front row is fun, but be prepared to duck!
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Dorky but does a generous curve in a tough class. better than other physics teachers
He was hard to follow at times. Bennum relied too heavily on only lecture rather than using demonstrations to enhance learning
Bennum was a nice guy that was willing to help out whenever requested. But, he's kinda absentminded and flaky. I walked away not knowing much more then I went away with.
BORING. He is helpful and tries hard though
An advanced thinker, hard to follow at times, but really a nice guy. Realistic approach to class and students, good grading curves and partial credit. Very fair.
Such a hard class. Bennum doesn't do a very good job at explaining things. He almost assumes that you know everything about physics. He grades on a curve, but be prepared to see a tutor!
He's a BIG DORK. But he does try real hard & goes out of his way to help or explain further but you need to ASK.
Teaches well but tests are terrible! Very helpful during office hours.
One of those science geeks, but a cool guy. I suggest taking it if you enjoy astronomy.
Nice guy, very thoughtful and helpful. AWFUL PROFESSOR. Extremely intelligent-if you love physics, go for it. If not, be prepared to get a tutor. EXCEPTIONALLY BRILLIANT MAN - unfortunately, expects us all to think on his level.
Very nice guy who is fun, but a poor teacher. He knows physics inside and out, but can't impart that knowledge well. Is VERY disorganized and waits until the last minute alot. He won't do problems in class that will be on the test. You better be self taught before you take his class.
Very nice guy, but not the best professor. The examples he does on the board are not usually the kinds of problems he gives on the test. He does "adjust" grades quite a bit and gives a good amount of partial credit. Very helpful during office hours, and you'll probably need to go there often.
There were a lot of help sessions for the people that struggled with physics. He would go off tangents in class and in the sessions but overall he was a good professor. He really loved when students took and interest in physics.
He helped enhance my interest in Astronomy and Physics. He's a goofy guy, you can't help but like him.
Rather boring and unhelpful lectures, unless your an art major and want to practice your doodling!
He is terrible, he doesn't give notes and jumps around all the time and makes things very hard to understand.
I took this class during the summer. I'm not going to lie, it was HARD. But his lectures were really clear, teaching you how to use the formulas. But he's EXTREMELY creative when he writes his tests. So open book and open notes don't really help, you'll just waste your time. Practice his lecture note problems. Always willing to help too.
Dr. Bennum is an excellent professor. The material is extremely hard, and people lay their frustrations on Bennum. Honestly try hard, and you will do fine. He curves so 20% of class gets an A.
First off, this is not an easy subject but the guy makes an effort to try and help the students understand. You will need to do more studying on your own to fully understand the material, and watch out for the tests, there's usu a big curve, but only a couple of the problems come from the practice test. Don't have to take the final if you do well b
Hard material
His curve is awesome! He always try to help you and we did open notes and books on test. Probably the best teacher to get a good grade.
He is a good professor when it comes to giving notes that you can actually understand and giving a lot of examples. His exams though are not the same questions you do in class or on the homework.
Dr. Bennum is a nice man, but if you have an interest in learning the actual subject of Physics, I don't recommend him. He does curve based on the class' performance as a whole.
He lectures well and explains the homework to you(better than the book does), but then he gets evil on the exams and makes them pretty hard. He likes having you manipulate multiple equations together on the exam...they look nothing like the homework.
great teacher, really understanding, dont email him he wont reply, but if you go to his office hours he will help you out and may even just ""give you" an A
Good Professor, very freindly with partial credit and curving. Home work online and he'll answer all question in class if you ask. Good guy to take.
Not very organized and the homework/tests are extremely hard. At least he curves the tests. The lectures aren't very informative. You're better off trying to learn from the book yourself and go to the tutor sessions.
He goes on MANY irrelevant tangents, is often unclear in his lecture, and it abhorrently unorganized. He often fails to complete problems he starts on the board, and seems to be unsure of his physics knowledge.
He is an alright teacher. His lectures are pointless and really annoying if you have no clue what is going on. The tests are killer, but just do some problems from the book and make sure you know the stuff. He gives a lot of homework points so do the homework. I failed half the tests and still passed this class with a B.
If you go to class, read the book, do the homework, and do some problems out of the book -all the things you're supposed to do - this class is more than manageable. Additionally, Prof. Bennum is exceedingly understanding and willing to help.
Office hours A+
He's alright. Curves are pretty large.
I was shocked when I saw Bennum didn't have a high score. He has outrageous curves, he has a good sense of humor, and his teaching is straight forward. Highly recommend (especially 180).
His lectures are mainly interactive. Best strategy is to attend all outside study group for anything you are unsure about in class. His HW gives 30 chances to get the answer, it'l tell you if you got within 10-100% of the correct answer and if you are closer than 10% you get the points. Also he lets you bring in cheat sheets and notes on tests.
Bennum's a cool dude, funny guy, he's into physics and he made the class pretty interesting. Doesn't do all that many examples, but explains material well and hw is easy. All the test questions come from the hw and he allows either cheat sheet or open book tests. Demonstrations are fun.
He is very disorganized. Prone to loosing tests and not giving grades on time. Easy A becuase requires little work, but be prepared for his lack of professionalism when it comes to class organization.
The guy is not a good teacher, he tries his best to make lecture material understandable, which is for the most part irrelevant to test and homework material. His test are designed for students who are in advance physics 182,181, not 151 and 152. If you're going to take him for phys151,152 be ready because it will feel like you're taking 181, 182.
Nice guy.... bad teacher. Not because of lack of passion, but he just doesn't explain things well. Class felt like a waste of time. Nice guy though.
tests are absolutely nothing like the homework or the lectures. he is a cool guy but an awful teacher. i got a good grade, but i would tell you to find a different teacher for 151.
I took him for Astronomy in the summer session. It's a good class, I just never understood his grading at all. I did so much work and only got an average grade. He's got that Grandfather-like approach to him, and he never gives anything back. Ever. My advice is to just take this over the summer, even if he teaches it. It's quick and painless.
Bennum would be a great teacher if he realized he is teaching an intro course to physics. Horrible teaching style, very unclear,lots of oddball TANGENTS!! I recommend a tutor because he is hard to understand. I know I'm not the only one because his CLASS average for the first exam was 44, ouch. Good luck... He was my first F EVER!
WORST TEACHER EVER. Seriously, not help at all... gives tests that are NOTHING like the notes or homework.. actually he hardly even does notes... it's all homework problems that have nothing to do with the tests. He writes horribly and from right to left and has no interest in teaching at all.. seriously wait to take physics so you can get rodrigue
Do not take this class if you want to learn anything at all.
Smart guy, but can't teach it well. He's the Frank Baglin of Physics. My suggestion: Just take Melodi Rodrigue if you can for 151 & 152.
He's a stereotypical old physics teacher. He works a lot of problems that get mixed up a lot. I don't like the class and I'm passing without really learning anything. Tests are moderately hard, but are curved, as is the class I am told. The labs are where I'm learning the most
He tries hard to help. Office hours are very helpful. Do your own work first before you go to the class.
I took the summer class. The class was pretty easy excluding the final. The final had everyone praying for a large curve. I rarely paid attention though I attended every day. I didn't buy the book. He teaches the class like a math class, with a lot of examples and going over homework questions. If you are not a math person, avoid any physics.
Bennum is a very difficult professor, but he teaches physics (a difficult subject) well. A lot of people don't like him because he is so difficult, but his tests test for learning, not for memorization. So if you do the homework and really work on learning the material and concepts behind what you are doing, you will do fine in his course.
Bennum Is an awesome Professor! Learning about his life and all he has done has shed quite a lot of clarity on what I want to do with my life. He is extremely helpful and is always there for his students!
Great demonstrations, clear explanations, grades on a curve. Take good notes because tests are open notes.
Horrible. I feel like I learned nothing because he mainly babbled without really teaching. Made lots of mistakes. Ignored me when I stayed to ask for help. Just plain confusing.
He was a nice guy (a little cheesy) but funny and approachable. His lectures were a little messy and it was hard to take notes. He grades everything on a curve, so just make you you do all homework and be there for the quizzes!
He seems like a good guy and is funny but his teaching method is not tailored for 180 level class. His class average on tests are below 50 percent and he doesn't build up to an idea but instead just throws it out there. Unless you have a background in physics, avoid his class! Or prepare to study 2 hrs a day for his class and still fail the test!!!
awesome teacher. He is very fair for grades. I think he gets a bad rap because no one ever goes to class. If you try you will pass.
Phenomenally poor teacher. Teaches based on concepts, then tests entirely on the mathematics of the material without teaching proper techniques. Every test required a massive curve; earning a decent grade in this class requires either already knowing the material or gaming the tests for points. No way should he be allowed to teach this class.
Bennum's teaching method is absolutely atrocious. His lectures are him just doing a problem on the board, while he hardly explains why to do it the way he does. He simply throws the material at you with no real substance behind it. You MUST do the homework as I practically failed all three tests, but got a "C" because of the homework.
i would recomend Benunn because he makes the class likeable at least a litte and is very fair with grades
tough class but good teacher. grades old school. writes tests for a D average and then curves them and then at the end of the year curves the overall grade. gave pop quizzes and home work to boost grades. show up to class and do the home work. does not use calculus in his 180 class.
He is a great guy , always willing to help in his office. I just never at one second in his class felt like I knew what I was doing or learning. Make sure you get 100% on all the HW and he gives his quizzes in lecture so go to every class. It really is not impossible to get a B in his class.
VERY difficult class for a first time Physics student. Expect a lot of work for an A, but you don't have to kill yourself to pass. Professor Bennum is very fair with his grading and clever with his examples in class. Be sure to attend for clicker quiz points and do the homework.
Great teacher! Fun and simple. Physics is hard, but bennum goes strait to the point. No derivation. We all ignore that stuff anyways. ;)
Bennum is funny and has great demonstrations, but almost all of the equations you will use, you will have to find them outside of class. He throws numbers up randomly in problems instead of equations. Go to the SI sessions for concepts and the equation lists. His tests are beyond difficult, but he does curve them.
This man is very knowledgeable, but has no clue how to portray it to a class full of students. If you want to completely teach yourself this course by looking everything up and then still failing everything, then take this class!! He just throws up equations on the board with no real explanation and then throws a test out of left field at you.
If you look up the textbook carefully, you should figure out what Dr.Bennum talks in class is much easier than the textbook. He also was trying not to include calculus in his class. So the class is simple for me. Although the material he talked in class sometimes was boring, the lab he performed is impressive.
You have to read the textbook before class to understand what Bennum is talking about. All he does is go over examples during class, so there is a lot of time to ask questions about the homework. The tests are decent, and he is a very reasonable grader. He is also funny so it makes class enjoyable.
Bennum will pretty much throw a problem on the board and work it through by himself. If you're confused in any way at all, I recommend asking a question as soon as you don't understand something. SI sessions, attending office hours, doing the practice exams, using the internet and textbook are necessary for survival.
He doesn't teach. I did not learn anything from his lectures, and his exams are difficult. While he drastically curves his exams to make sure a majority of his class passes, you will not learn physics effectively.
Summer-Be ready to 'go for it' once you enter lecture. Make sure ur trig is solid. Professor is professional,(rare),treats students with respect. Suggest thin basics paperback for concepts. In short summer class, there's much to learn, little time still he teaches important set-up steps. Homewk seems scary, can Google most steps so hang on hand in.
Class average on tests are low: 30-40%, curves grades greatly. Focuses more on examples and less on theory. I would advise to read the theory from the textbook before the corresponding lectures. HW is online, worth much of grade. Math Center can help with physics hw if you need it.
He moves to fast, he jumps all over the board. Everyone is pretty much failing or borderline failing. the only people who are actually passing probably taking physics before hand. find a better professor
The lectures are very boring and pointless. The only reason anyone goes is because of the random quizzes. Dr. Bennum is very confusing. He does a horrible job of explaining formulas, and equations. The class average is so low, that he does a huge curve at the end of the semester. Learn physics before taking this class...
None of his lectures make any sense at all and his tests are extremely difficult. Although, you can fail all three midterms and still pass the class with a C if you do all homework and quizzes. I am a smart student and a great problem solver. Math is my favorite subject, and I could not understand a word of physics. Take someone else if you can.
Would take again? I enjoyed this class so much that I later took Ast 109 just because Doctor Dave was teaching it. That said, my math background up to Calc II is very strong, so I thought this was a fairly easy class. If you can't work story problems and you don't have good algebratrigonometry skills, you will probably struggle.
Bennum is not an ideal candidate for teaching PHYS 180. He introduces new concepts by just putting another example problem on the board where all of the numbers and all of his work is shown without units. You don't get the fundamentals of a topic from him. His tests are nothing like homework problems and rarely relate to his clicker quizzes.
Will not answer your questions on labs or homework...
Dr. Bennum isn't as bad as all the negative reviews make him out to be. The class can be difficult, but this is physics... what do you expect? Whenever I asked for help, he always gave a clear explanation of how to go about solving a problem. Curves tests, drops 5 of 15 online homeworks, and only three of four tests need to be taken for credit.
Took his class in the summer. As long as you have time to actually study the material and go to the math center you should be fine. And he's always there for his office hours too just in case you need extra help. When asked how to do a question he elaborates enough to the point where it is understandable. The curves on tests are super helpful too!
It's a difficult class and his lectures and teaching methods don't make it any easier. The only nice thing about this class is the optional final.
Avoid taking this class with him at all costs! The homework assigned on web assign is somewhat related to what we learn in class but most of the problems are difficult/not learned in class. I spend a lot of time going to the TAs and math center for help on everything. Even then you still feel like you are behind. Bennum's notes are awful too.
You really have to read the textbook in order to understand Physics. He no longer makes lecture notes, he only writes formulas to be used on homework and tests. Homework is somewhat related to his lectures but he can help you with it when you ask.
Bennum does not hold your hand, but you shouldn't expect him to. This is an engineering physics class, and it's difficulty reflects that. If you put in the time to study and get help when you need it, you will do just fine. As an engineer, you are required to solve problems, and this class is all about that.
Seriously just write equations on the board. I don't think I ever saw him fully work through a problem. He is the most unclear teacher, he doesn't teach anything conceptually. However, as long as you're above the class average, which was about a 50%, you mysteriously end up with a B.
Literally, just do all the homework (between google and yahoo answers, you should be getting 100% on all of them) and get a 70% average on tests and you will have an A.
I understand he tries to provide understandable lectures, but his lessons and tests are just so confusing. He goes through the material fast without going back. Class average w/o curve was 30-60%. I am not strong in physics, so his way of teaching was a disadvantage for me. I would not recommend him. Get another professor for phys180, if possible.
Bennum's lectures were often unorganized and hard to understand. He went off on long unnecessary tangents. Study guides were not helpful. Best bet is to go to study sessions. Tutoring center was also very helpful. You'd think someone who has been teaching the same course for so long would have a grasp on how to properly present material.
His lectures were very disorganized and did not flow well whatsoever. There was little connection between the topics. It was in a lecture hall and he wrote on the board too small to see. Very nice guy who understands the class is difficult so he curves it by a ridiculous amount. I never opened the textbook but used the ebook occasionally.
Dr B almost single-handedly destroyed my love of physics, and my mental health. That being said, B has hired a team of student teachers that are more than happy to teach you all the material. Because his lectures confused and aggravated me so much I EXCLUSIVELY used his learning assistants to teach me the material, and it was a breeze. (40% curve)
Don't take this class
Awful. Unclear and homework never matched the lecture and the tests even though it was open notes hardly followed the notes. I would not recommend this class especially if you suck at physics and math.
Most confusing professor ive had. Thank god for Khan Academy
Would not recommend him or the class to anyone. Be prepared to spend countless hours studying because homework does not match lectures and tests to do not match homework or practice tests.
If it wasn't for the clicker questions, I would've only gone to class on test days. How you can do well: Read the book/watch online lectures from youtube. Keep up with the material because everything builds up. Do tons of practice problems. These tips apply to any class, but you HAVE to spend more time here because you won't learn anything in class
I struggled a ton in this class throughout the semester. You really have to do research and study a ton. However, the quizzes and homework are all online. He had many extra credit opportunities that saved my grade in the class. He takes late work till the last day, and helps you out with anything if you just ask.
Unless your a physics god you will not have an easy time passing this class. David was always unprepared, talked about things that weren't even relevant to what is in the homework and gives practice exams that are nothing like the actual exams. I don't know how I passed it is a miracle.
Physics is not my strong suit and Dr. Bennum did not make it any easier. His lectures were rarely helpful or relevant. On the bright side, the points system makes the class easier, he drops 5 out of 15 homework assignments, and the final is optional and can replace a low test score. For the tests, studying the clicker questions can really help.
Did not learn in lectures. Tests are insane.
Did not learn in lectures. Tests are insanely difficult. Very hard.
I took Dave's class in the summer. Yes, physics is tough. Yes, Dave often stands in front of the white board so you can't see. Yes, he can be confusing. However, he is accessible on office hours, friendly and cheerful. And, when I reviewed my exams with him I always came away with more points. Some of the labs actually help with the concepts.
His lectures are very confusing and unclear. He doesn't explain any of the concepts or formulas used. He flies through all the problems without explaining anything along the way. Homework and tests have nothing to do with the lectures. His tests are so hard that the class average is in the F range. Expect surprise clicker quizzes.
This class has a horrible reputation, and for a good reason, you will learn little to nothing in lecture. That being said, Dr. Bennum is very friendly and helpful one-on-one in his office. You'll have to teach yourself, get a good tutor! I failed the first exam miserably, yet still got an A in the class due to the curve, and my 98% on the 3rd exam.
He's nice and sweet. Unfortunately, lecture halls are not conducive to his teaching style, so his lectures are hit or miss--usually miss. Go to his office hours if you can. He explains things better in a smaller group. Clicker quizzes pseudo-randomly. Tests are curved. Gives study guides, but those don't necessarily follow the format of the tests.
He seems like a nice person. His lectures don't explain any of the theory behind what he's doing and he puts the formulas on the board exactly one time. He makes you finish each equation, because he's too lazy. The average on the first test was a 45% after a curve of 15%. He said, in class, that this was good. I learned more in the labs.
Bennum's an entertaining professor, and a decent lecturer. However, he doesn't cover theory or concepts. He spends each class working out problems on the board, which can be nice, but makes it difficult to understand what's really going on. His study guides are poorly made, and non-specific. If you already know physics though, the curve is immense.
I paid $700 to UNR to learn physics from Khan Academy. Uphill battle the whole way! Bennum is a nice enough guy but he is a terrible teacher. He barely introduces concepts and formulas. Be prepared to teach yourself the whole course! Average test scores were in the 40s and quizzes were 20s. If I had a good professor I might actually enjoy physics.
Dr. Bennum is a pretty cool guy and generally has a love for physics but he is not a good professor. He's super knowledgeable on the subject but jots off course frequently to tell the history of the physics rather than the application, history isn't on the tests. 50% of your test scores will come from 2 questions, its rough.. Would not recommend.
He doesn't explain what he's doing and makes up problems as he goes.
David Bennum took the majority of the time he had during lectures to show us how to get kinematic equations or any other equation we used rather than do examples that relate to the quizzes and tests he gives out. If it weren't for his massive grade curve at the end of the semester, I would've got a C-.
With Bennum you need to teach yourself physics by doing the homework. Learn how to do the homework problems and you'll be fine. Go to the physics help center or math center (NECESSARY). Do his practice tests, make sure you fully understand them, and you'll be fine. Formula sheets allowed on exams. Don't expect to be good at physics w/o practice
skims over the material and goes right into examples. His work is messy and hard to follow. his tests are harder than the practice tests and homework making it hard to prepare
The last test average was a 44 and he had to curve by almost ten percent. Can't really avoid taking his class, but learn from khan academy and you'll survive.
His tests are heavily curved and so is the class at the end of the semester. I got a 76% which landed me at a B, but you might not be so lucky. Just do better than your classmates and you will succeed.
This professor is good-hearted but his lectures are straight from the book with no outside assistance. You have to read the textbook closely in order to do marginally well on the tests.
The professor is so nice and definitely is passionate about his teachings; however, everything he teaches in lecture is straight from the book, so there really is no point in going to the lecture. The grade is mainly based on 3 exam scores (plus a few online assignments and quizzes and labs). Good news though! the exams are all open notes!
Bennum's a really nice guy and is super light hearted. But, his teaching is very unorganized and scatter-brained. I got a 74% which was the line between B- and C+. 10 question homeworks once a week, TopHat quizzes in lecture and in-class discussion quizzes in groups. The last (3rd) test is the easiest, so come prepared and you'll easily be fine.
Not impossible, but grade curves and my old AP Physics 1 notes made this semester for me. Bennum tries hard to help his students, but his way of teaching isn't exactly great. Lectures usually consist of him working out problems he made up on the spot. Online pop quizzes are usually a guessing game and very disheartening for those who try.
Just read the book and notes. His lectures provide little to know information, most of it is him explaining the ideas. I would rather physically see what he is explaining. Only attended class for labs. Labs are in groups. Very few homework assignments. OPEN NOTES FOR EXAMS!
He tries his best
Absolutely do NOT take this class if you any troubles with physics. I have taken 2 physics classes before, and have failed every test/pop quiz in his class so far. He is a very very nice guy, but he writes/talks way too fast for you to understand what he is talking about. You truly don't learn anything from his lectures.
This class is worse than any high school/college class Ive taken before. For one, you wont get anything out of the lectures, so dont go unless theres a quiz. He gives you study guides that are MUCH easier than the actual tests, so dont trust them. Oh, and dont complain about this professor to the uni. They will act surprised and do nothing.
He is a horrible teacher. He's a cool dude, but he's either too smart and can't dumb it down or he's just a bad teacher. Probably both. He doesn't really explain anything. The only reason I may pass this class is because of the physics help center and the review sessions before tests. He curves stuff super hard though, if he didn't we'd all fail.
He knows his stuff. Show up, listen, ask questions, and you will learn a lot. A very nice man who will help you, all you have to do is ask. He allows notes for exams. He provides a very easy-going atmosphere. I recommend him.
He clearley knows the subject really well but is uninvolved in his lectures. You'd show and he would just start random sample problems and not explain what he was doing or what principles he was demonstrating. Very unclear and tests are ridiculously hard. The only reason I got an A is because I took this class in high school and already knew it.
Mechanical physics is tough and Bennum isn't the best teacher, but he is the only choice here. I don't think he is as bad as everyone makes him. His tests are hard and his lectures aren't the best, but he makes the grade you want attainable by curving tests, only 60% of your grade is exams, and then curving the whole class. He wasn't that bad.
Worst professor Ive ever had. Cant explain what you need to know. Changes numbers of problems half way through because it is too hard for him with the numbers given. Tests are hard and have some slip ups inside them. However at the end of the day he does bump up your overall grade by a whole letter, I guess because of The 60% average of the class
Took him for a summer course, dont recommend. His lectures are confusing and while hes in the middle of one example problem, hell start another problem. Doesnt show any of his calculations in lectures and doesnt explain any concepts clearly.
Maybe the worst prof I've had in my years here. He's a smart guy, and you can tell he really understands the material himself, but I learned literally nothing from him. He will start one example problem, not finish it, and then start a different one. Sometimes he will even do the examples wrong, and won't fix them. Thank God he curves generously.
Probably the worst professor Ive ever had. Lectures are very confusing and unorganized. Tests are extremely hard and very difficult to study. The study guidesAnd homework are not helpful at all.
This is kind of hard to word. Basically, professor Bennum is super nice and will help you out if you stay after class and whatnot, but his lecture style is super flawed and leaves the majority of the class super lost. Super funny and charismatic, but bad at delivering lectures.
The three required labs were all group work and could be done in fifteen minutes. Bennum clearly enjoyed teaching astronomy and it could be seen in his lectures.
I really tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. But in the end, he just came off as very unorganized. Notes are very all over the place. Tests are not conducive to studyguides and homework. Tries to be funny but his jokes come off as corny and even somewhat hurtful (e.g.: "I'm not a conservative force, I'm an aggressive liberal force!").
Sorry Dave, I really tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. Tests are 60% of your grade and are not conducive to study guides. My biggest problem that he puts assessments online. As if tests werent asinine enough, trying to do them online means either full or no credit. PHYS180 is not the type of course that does well with this type of system.
Very smart guy, not a good teacher. He is nice but not helpful. Barely responds to messages/emails. Hard to follow what he is saying. Do not recommend but if you do take his class my only advice is read the textbook and find a group.
Dr. Bennum is a very nice man; if you show up to office hours he is helpful. However, to survive this course you need to get your information from other sources, NOT the lectures. Watch Khan academy and physics Youtube videos. Go to lectures but study by yourself in the back on your laptop, his lectures can make you feel worse sometimes. Good luck!
Simply put, this class is challenging and requires a lot of individual effort. Professor Bennum expects that his students are previewing concepts prior to lecture. Nothing about his class is easy, with the exception of his grading. Just about everything gets curved up. Be prepared to work hard and you'll make it through.
Dr. Bennum clearly knows about physics, however he is not a very strong teacher. Don't bother taking this class because it is only ever taught by Bennum. He also uses TopHat which is the most stupid program because past lectures are impossible to find and he uses it for "quizzes" at random in class. Super sporadic and inconsistent lectures, too.
David Bennum is an exceptional person, very kind and caring but he just isn't the best teacher. The class is mostly self work as it is hard to follow along with what is going in the lectures.
He's very chill and can sometimes tell funny stories, but he's not very easy to follow. If you end up taking this class, you have to figure out most of it on your own. Most of the work is just memorizing equations and where to use them. For this, he does provide a formula sheet on tests. You also don't have to take the final if you do well.
Very cool teacher. Very easy. You do group projects and they are super easy really nice and test are open notes
Bennum is nice but he doesn't know how to teach very well. He often disagreed with the textbook and used his own formulas, his online notes are illegible, if you are doing homework on WebAssign, lots of times you'll get a question wrong if you do it Bennums way. He writes the quizzes so if you do it the textbook way on a quiz, you'll be wrong.
I feel bad for the guy, he was ok when we were in person but my god online was the worst experience I have ever had.
Bennum's a nice dude but isn't a good teacher for online classes. His exams are always a mess with messed up questions on the exams or missing questions but most of the class just learned the material elsewhere and that's probably your best option to pass.
If youre looking for an Easy class to pass this is not it. Honestly youd be better off just reading out the book instead of going to the lectures because he basically reads it word for word. I will say though he does reply quickly to emails and is lenient with his due dates yet a lot of his Labs were very hard to understand
David Bennum is the worst educator I've ever had in my entire academic career. He is slow and senile, barely able to stitch sentences together. He is wholly incapable of holding a person's attention and put the bare minimum into teaching. He lacks the ability to teach new concepts to anyone, and even if he could, you can't understand him. Horrible.
Hard to understand over zoom, and does not explain the material well. Thank god, chegg is a thing.
Best professor at UNR, few match the sheer quality of Dr. Bennum's course, especially his lectures. You get curved to the moon and back so don't worry.
If the other reviews haven't convinced you enough, talking to anyone else who has taken Physics 180 with Professor Bennum will. Anyone and everyone who knows of him agrees of his incapability of teaching. If you are registered for this class, get ready for a semester of YouTube tutorials and extremely hard coursework. Only saving grace is curve.
Dr. Bennum is a great professor and really wants you to do well but you have to work for it. Your best bet is to read the textbook while doing your homework and do the examples in class. He will listen to your criticism if you ask him to change something hes doing. Exams were pretty much the same as the practice and make a cheat sheet.
He is a very kind and funny guy but his teaching is not great. Lectures are unorganized and study guides relate little to his exam. He allows a cheat sheet which is great but prepare for a semester of YouTube videos and textbook reading. He curves exams which is a blessing.
The worst professor I have had at this University. Unavailable outside of class and lectures are miserable. The only great part about this class was the labs (the only part having nothing to do with Professor Bennum). Find another professor if you can or get ready for a pathetic semester of Physics.
I saw a lot of students who were excited for physics and wanted to become scientists become disenchanted, disheartened, and change majors because of this class. The homework was quite different from the tests. Some were expecting more calculus, but calculus was only seen in the beginning with kinematic derivations.
Yes, his lectures can make you mentally unhealthy, but he curves a lot and drops a lot of stuff. I highly suggest going to the Physics Help Center and watching the Organic Chemistry Tutor. Thats at least how I got an A.
By far the worst professor I've ever had. Lectures were rarely helpful and the exams had to be curved to the moon bc the class does so bad on them. He scribbles stuff on the board and doesn't explain what he's doing. Homeworks were much harder than in class examples. Physics Help Center is a godsend, I went every week. Terrible for my mental health
Even attending lectures didn't help understand what was going on. Basically everyone in the class agreed that we would have to basically pray for a good curve in order to pass this class. He had a couple cool demonstrations when we got to sound at the end of the semester.
I had a great experience with him, it's easy, if you study you pass, if not, well no surprise right?
He knows what hes talking about, he just has no clue how to teach it. Dont take Bennum, youll regret it
This class is rough. He goes over all the examples you will need for the exams but doesnt explain anything hes doing, so lecture is near-useless unless youre able to follow the math. 90% of my learning for this course has been outside of class. Without help from the tutoring center or someone who knows what theyre doing, you will likely be lost
Beautiful man right there if you don’t take him for physics. Kinda reminds me of my grandpa papa John.
I entered this semester an excited and passionate physics major, I left a math major. Worst Professor I’ve ever had in my life.
He starts writing on the board and expects you to know what he is doing. He mostly does not write out the equations and just starts plugging in numbers at random(no units). He does not go in-depth on any of the material and sometimes class lectures don't help on the hw. After the 2nd week, we just started praying for a passing grade.
Don't take this course with this professor. You will regret it.
Bennum teaches at a high level, skipping many steps during lecture problems and expecting you to already have a solid background. This is a problem for many freshmen that want to be engineers but have little to no prior experience. But if you took physics in high school and paid good attention, this class will be fairly easy.
This professor cannot even teach. Take someone else. Currently dying from this class.
Some of the worst lectures I have ever attended. Very little energy, very little problem outlining or explanation, speaks quietly towards the whiteboard rather than the class. This is very difficult material and you need a good teacher to learn it. David Bennum is not that teacher. He may have been at some point, but not now. Do not take this class
Bennum's astronomy lectures are straight from the text book and it is extremely hard to retain any of the information given in the lectures, though it is easy to pass. There isn't much homework except for a couple essays and projects, all of the projects being group projects. The tests are pretty hard, though quilzlet and the textbook helped a ton.
Second to worst teacher I have had in my life. I can tell he knows the material but he expresses it so badly. You're really teaching yourself the whole class but he curves it at the end by a lot depending. I was stuck taking him as he was the only teacher but if you really wanna learn anything from this class....you should go to TMCC
Incredibly boring lecture. Bummer, astronomy is very interesting. If you want to do good probably just read the book or look at his slides. Labs were easy, tests weren't terrible. He is super nice but just not a good lecturer.
Bennum knows what he's talking about, but cannot convey that to the class. Also many have a hard time understanding what he is talking about. He is not the worst, but I would not recommend taking him.
Physics 180 is the hardest class I've ever taken. Professor Bennum did not help to help the difficulty of the class in any way except curving the tests. He only curved the tests because he was so bad at teaching that everyone would've failed otherwise. The lectures consist of him writing stuff on the board, but never fully explaining what he does.
Terrible. Terrible lectures. Terrible tests. This class is impossible.
If you just need a lab credit, take this class. Hes a terrible prof with terrible lectures that are just unintelligible mumbling but all the hw and canvas quizzes are on Chegg and labs are cake. You will learn absolutely nothing but you will very likely pass as he curves exams by 25-40%. Easy credit, but RIP if your actually interested in physics.
Lectures are boring and confusing as he rambles more than explains things in depth. Very nice outside of class but the tests are very difficult and the homework takes a very long time to do with little payoff.
Bennum is pretty chill, but his lectures are pretty bad. He makes up problems as he goes, so many terrible examples and problems. Good man though. Chegg carries.
As a student who has previously taken Bennum's class I should have a better understanding of his material and teaching, however he once again proved to me of his inability to teach students. He is not helpful and its sad that this is what freshmen are welcomed to as there first physic course. To anyone taking him, Good luck.
reviews here are correct, horrible! he is a nice person but he doesn't know how to teach, just writes down equations and talks about the subject as we had a prior knowledge. And the worse part that he is the only choice...
Nice guy but unfortunately the worst professor I've ever had. You get the impression that he's just tired of teaching this course, he genuinely doesn't care. Prepare to learn nothing in class, to the point he just lets you out 30 minutes early. Prepare to bomb every exam and pray for a heavy curve. I don't understand why he still teaches this class
Professor Bennum is a very kind person, but not a great lecturer. He speaks quietly and writes small. Tests are more difficult than the homework, resulting in 20-40 point curves per test and a final curve at the end of the semester. Unfortunately he is the only professor that teaches 180.
Dr. Bennum is very sweet professor, but I feel like he is too old to be teaching now. His lectures are very unclear and just goes on tangents 85% of the time. He writes super small and it gets extremely confusing. You will do a lot of self teaching and studying for this class. Good luck.
Bennum is nice, but he does not do a great job teaching. The lectures are boring and confusing, and he fails to explain many concepts that appear on homework and tests. The class wasn't as hard as I thought, but physics comes more naturally to me, so it'll probably still be a massive struggle for others. The large curves are the only positive.
I am currently in his class and would not say I am a dumb or bad student but this man and his class are a nightmare. Learning nothing in lectures, and self teaching for test. Don't forget the practice exams are nothing like the tests so either know literally everything or expect a 50% on the exam pre-curve. Good luck.
Online resources are your best friend - prepare to teach yourself. Many exam questions are plug-and-chug (given 1-2 page cheat sheet for formulas/examples) but also a lot of concept questions that he doesn't explain well. Final is optional and he curves every exam and your final grade, but don't expect a high grade. Just pray for a fat curve.
Be prepared to self-study so much and actually believe you have a chance at doing good on his tests. You'll study his mock exams, practice exams, quizzes, and homeworks only for the test to be 10x more difficult and focusing on completely different topics. I am usually a good student but this class destroyed my morale.
There are about 13 homework assignments and 13 quizzes in total but he only counts your top 10. The exams were very difficult but he let you have a formula sheet and he does curve by quite a lot. There are 4 exams in total (counting the final) and the lowest one gets dropped. His lectures are somewhat helpful but he only does practice problems.
Taking physics with Bennum is a bad idea. The class's grade is out of 500 points, HW/Quiz both together is 200 points, and 300 points from tests (very hard difficulty). The lectures were only about doing the questions with unknown topics, inconsistent speed, and lack of details. It feels like a point game instead of learning the material.
Professor Bennum is clearly past his prime of teaching and does not understand education in a modern age. He is very slow in both teaching and response, which drags on lectures to make them mainly filled of boredom. Very hard tests, but are curved with the lowest grade dropped.
Had him several semesters ago. He's the only professor I've ever known to square a whole number and get a decimal.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
20%
Textbook Required
49%
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