3.4
Quality3.6
Difficulty71%
Would Retake83
Reviews71%
Would Retake
83
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
35
4
14
3
11
2
7
1
16
What Students Say
“Exams are equally as horrible and nearly impossible”
PHY105 - 1.0 rating“Worst prof I've ever had”
PHY105 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
77%
Textbook Required
71%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.40 avg changeRatings by Course
PSCI103
5.0
(2)PHY202
5.0
(1)PHY200
5.0
(5)PHY221
4.1
(14)PHY230
4.1
(17)Difficulty by Course
PHYS
5.0
PHY231
4.6
PHY220
4.1
PSCI103
4.0
PHY205
3.8
Reviews (83)
terrible lecturer, very disorganized, no plan. avoid him: Take reynolds instead
If you do your homework, you get to use it on the test. He wants you to do good
very disorganized. Tests aren't like homework. doen't grade consistantly
great prof-want's students to learn, encourages questions, always there
He's the best professor i've taken in 7 semesters here
Will take again if i can. Great teacher i want to go to class every day.
Good teacher, he cares
Ask him questions, he's glad to help
No Comments
One of the best physics profs. He really wants you to do well.
No Comments
No Comments
Great prof, fun, takes time to answer questions in and out of class
Nice guy, good teacher. His class isn't that difficult if you do the homework and go to class. He makes physics phun!
No Comments
No Comments
He's hilarious!!!! Take the class just for the jokes.
He is so cute! His class is hard, but it's worth going to just to look at him! He is so cute (Don't nobody touch my man)!!! Remember to do all of your homework problems and ask questions. Tests are hard!
He trys very hard to get everyone to understand. Homework is a must but once you've done it you'll understand the tests. Very very good teacher.
Quite arrogant, you can tell he's from the East Coast with the kind of 'tude he has. Will sometimes make you feel stupid (in and out of class). Course is difficult and he misleads his students regarding the difficulty.
great prof, class is challenging but not impossible. stay up with homework and you'll be fine. furton made me love physics, not just by is good looks
hard class, and hard grader. If you do the homework, and read, you will pass. Don't take things personal, he just has a diffrent way of teaching
i don't know what ya'll are talking about. he's an arrogant ****. if you do the homework you're straight. yeh. but you have to teach yourself. b/c the dude thinks he's god. if you have a choice. don't take him
Excellent advisor who really cares about the students under his charge! If you want to continue in physics, listen to him! -JWL
Seems like a nice guy until its time to grade. Its brutal. Avoid at all costs, can turn A studetns into F students.
Dr. Furton makes physics as interesting as it probably can be, at least to most people. There's a difference between a tough and fair grader; Dr. Furton is fair. As long as you study and do the homework you shouldn't really have a problem.
Furton is a great professor, maybe a little rough around the edges, but he knows what he is talking about. 221 is a really tough class and putting time into it is the only way that you can understand the info. id take him again.
Avoid this professor at all costs. Very tough grader, but you have to teach all material to yourself. vey arrogant and unwilling to answer questions. Don't bother asking questions in class, he won't answer and just makes you feel dumb in front of the class.
This class is VERY difficult. Furton tries to make it fun, but I don't believe that physics is a fun topic no matter what. You may think that you know the material, but then he will try to teach and you get confused again. Do the portfolio assignments! Tests are real hard, so they raise grades.
This professor is horrible, avoid him if you can. He is very unclear and not helpful at all. Don't even try and ask questions he will look at you like you are dumb and not even do the problem.
WARNING: If you want your GPA to go down take this professor. He doesn't help and doesn't try to make this class any easier than what it is. Don't try and ask questions he wont answer them and will look at you like you are a dumbass. Again avoid him at all cost!
He is a very arrogant professor who should not be able to mold the minds of college kids. Stay away if you can and if you can't enter with caution.
Doug's a great prof! PHY is hard but if you're willing to attempt the homework BEFORE class, he's more than willing to help you and answer ALL of your ?'s completely. Students in class didn't give him a chance. Most of them didn't make any effort outside of class or during class to understand the material. He's an awesome prof & nice guy! Take him!
Don't pay attention to the bad ratings! These students felt that they didn't have to make an effort to learn. I enjoyed this class & Doug as a prof. B/c I was willing to do the hw & the readings before class, he was willing to answer all of my ?'s. He grades fairly & tests for understanding, not if you can just put #'s into an equation! Take him!!!
I did the homework problems BEFORE class and when I got to class to see if he could help, he never did. It didn't pay to go to his office hours because it seemed like you were an inconvenience and that he is sooo much better than you.
I am pretty sure all of the nice comments are from Furton himself! I don't know of anyone that would make a good comment on this professor! I did all of the homework and studied and NOTHING! His tests are rediculous, and is the most nfair grader at GVSU! Take this course if you enjoy the thrill of failure! Good luck!
One day he cares, the next we're all dumb. Kind of a jerk sometimes. Puts us on guilt trip for thinking he's a jerk. I had a tutor, did my hw ahead, and understood it but somehow did bad on tests. I'd avoid him if you can but if you like physics, are smart, and have 24/7 to commit to it, you'll be fine.
The worse professor I have had at Grand Valley! You walk into the exam thinking that you know the material and end up failing. He is not helpful at all and a really tough grader. This is a really hard class and he does not make it any easier. Avoid him if you can!
Physics is hard no matter who you have, there is no way around it. He's a good teacher, and he is super hot!
I took this course as a 6 week over the summer and got a B. Trust me, there are worst situations than getting Furton. He is an interesting lecturer, and loves the material. I was extremely interested in physics when I walked out of this class. But you have to do ALL of the practice problems in the book, and then look over them again. He's good.
horrible class. horrible prof. nuff said.
The hardest class I've ever taken and Furton did not make it enjoyable by any means. I am a good student, did my homework, studied hard, had two tutors and a study group and I still didn't get better than a C-. He is notorious for making you feel dumb and you feel dumb taking his ridiculously long wordy complicated tests. Avoid if you can.
We (yes, we) took this class over the summer and we absolutely loved both Doug and Simon (we even gave Simon a toy car!) Doug is hilarious and will answer any of your questions, even if they are about Ann Arbor. He provided us with rocket fuel to get us through hard mornings. If you make an effort, you will get a good grade. Take his class!
I highly suggest actually attending the classes, and you'll do fine. If not, you'll miss stuff, that's all there is to it. Furton is a good guy, very flexible, but puts a lot of the work on you, but that way you learn.
I always came to class, did all the exercises out of the book, felt like I knew the material...even got a tutor just in case. As soon as one of his wordy, ridiculous and complicated tests were thrown my way...I couldn't seem to get above a 50%. And the tests add up to 66% of you grade...Lab is easy though...but that's not taught by Furton.
Avoid this professor at all costs. Very rude when approached outside of the classroom. Spends all class time teaching calculus. Tests on Physics instead of what is taught. He doesn't curve and test averages are in the 50's and 60's. Study both your notes and the book questions for tests. Lastly, do the additional problems to save your grade.
Very difficult. Went to class, read the book, still lost. Went for help during office hours and got snapped at, which really surprised me. Seemed like a laid back guy before that. Tests were impossible. Only take if you are good working on your own. Might as well have been independent study.
I majored in physics. As someone who actually enjoys physics, Furton still managed to make it dry and boring. After the first three weeks, he stopped showing up to teach and dropped in ~10 minutes before the 3-hour class ended to take attendance. He refused to submit grades and forced incompletes until after the following summer. Avoid Furton.
Furton went out of his way to be rude to me. When I emailed him about a question, and instead of emailing me back with a kind response... he wrote a long email just to insult me with very negative comments. I never missed a class and did all my work, yet he still hated me. If you want to be talk to like a child... then take him. Otherwise AVOID!
Great Professor! I do not like science at all but Professor Furton made this Astronomy class fun for me. Although if you like a professor to give you an answer everytime you ask a question this class is not for you. He likes you to try and learn on your own. We did not have a book, he let the class basically make the syllabus.
Furton is a great professor and an extremely nice guy. If you go to class, do your work, and ask questions, you will be successful. He is willing to help if you are willing to put the work in. He is intelligent, genuine, and funny. Don't let the negative reviews fool you.
Great professor, and expects students to put in some effort. He teaches by working through examples in class instead of reading off powerpoint, and makes it a lot easier to pay attention.
The class was really interesting and his teaching style was the best I have ever had. The labs were pretty hard but they were credit/no credit. Actually 43% of your final grade is credit/no credit. Take this class. But make sure to take notes.
This course is a little tricky. Professor does have a sarcastic sense of humor which can be unappealing at times but he has his students best interests at heart. Not a big homework load but class can be repetitive and boring at times.
Furton is a great professor! He is genuinely interested in helping students be successful in his class. He may make you feel like an idiot, but if you put forth the effort to learn the material, he will do whatever he can to help. He is very reasonable and has a good heart. I highly recommend taking a class from him.
Worst prof I've ever had
Professor Furton (he goes by Dr. Zero) is the best professor I've had my first semester at college. He makes you work and think of things on your own, but if you can read his instructions carefully and follow them you will feel really great for succeeding. He also has a really dry sense of humor but he makes class fun and interesting.
I would strongly recommend NOT taking Astronomy. In the lectures he's not that bad, but in the labs- oooohhh the labs. He basically doesn't teach and hardly anyone knows what to do. One time he actually curled up on the floor in frustration. The tests are crazy difficult, the averages for my class were always below 40%. No textbook at least.
Dr. Zero is always available during open lab to give students extra help. He will help point you in the right direction but will not tell you the right answer immediately. He lets the class make the syllabus. The class is mostly pass/fail. If you study and put work in, this class will be easy. Take this over other gen ed lab classes! No textbook!
Dr. Zero is one of my favorite professors. If you pay attention and take notes you will do fine. He is really funny and is there to help you if you need it.
He is a great professor. If you like to learn anything about astronomy I would take this class with him. Just know the class isn't going to be what you expect it was hard in the beginning, but once you get into the semester it was super easy. He is always there to help you and to make sure you pass the class!
Professor Furton, or "Dr. Zero" as he likes to be called, is awesome, but his class almost kicked my butt. Science isn't my thing so I struggled with the material and he doesn't explain things often because he think's you'll learn more if you have to "figure it out for yourself". Still, he's pretty hilarious and tries to make dry material fun.
Hands down worst professor I have had within my 6 years at GVSU. Funny guy, yeah. Lectures are fun. As far as the labs go, he is absolutely horrendous. Forget about asking questions, unless you want to feel degraded and stupid. Any time I speak to him, he purposely makes me feel like an idiot. Exams are equally as horrible and nearly impossible.
Did a good job preparing you for tests-nothing too surprising on any of them. Gives several opportunities to get easy extra credit. Lab quizzes are hard so studying for tests and especially doing extra credit (targets of opportunity) balances out lab quiz grades
If you're a student who is struggling, he will not go the extra mile to help you, instead he will make you feel terrible about yourself with his rude and sarcastic remarks. The material is rather abstract and he's the only prof who knows anything about astronomy but he doesn't try to help his students.
He is unapproachable and rude. Rather than help you and show you how to solve a problem from start to finish, he does steps in his head and says he won' write it all down so you have to figure it out. In a calc-based physics class, there is no such thing as this. He basically expects you to discover physics solutions the way Isaac Newton did.
Worst professor I have ever had. His answers to most of our questions were "read the textbook." You will have to teach yourself using the book or you won't learn anything. Exams were ridiculously hard and homework was not helpful. I get that physics is a tough subject but he makes it a thousand times worse. AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS!!!
One of the best professors I have ever had! He is very passionate about having his students find success on their own or with a little help. He doesn't want to "spoon feed" his students equations and formulas, but to understand the actual physics and how to explain it in words. Very approachable and is always willing to help. Took in summer term.
Favorite professor I've had so far at Grand Valley! Had him the second time taking the course and could not have been happier. Instead of having students just memorize equations, he took the time to help us understand the thought process needed to solve problems. He used really fun examples and was very willing to help. Took this summer.
Willing to help you doing lab, but won't just give you the answer. Makes you work for it! I really enjoyed having him!
Furton is one of the worst professors I have ever had. He's very rude and unhelpful if you ask him a question, and he assigns a ton of homework that isn't really helpful. I had to drop the class halfway through, which is something I've never done before. The exams are awful. The first exam we took had a high score of about 48%
Best physics professor at GVSU. Really wants you to do well. He makes up homework problems and assigns book problems that apply directly to what you need to know for the exams. If you dont know how to do something he will usually go over it in class. Go to the study sessions before the exams. "You hip on that?"
The class is really tough, but he tries his best to make the student understand. 20% of students dropped. The tests are hard, but he grades fairly and with partial credit. He is helpful at office hours and cares about his students. He has a flippant attitude and you want to be on his good side. Do your work (all of it) and you will do well.
Dr. Furton is one of the best professors Ive ever had. Instead of teaching us how to use equations he taught us how to actually understand the concepts and how to apply it. He really wants the best for his students and gives you every chance to succeed, but will still make you put in the work. Definitely take him if you have the chance.
This is not an easy class but Doug is definitely the best prof to take it with at GVSU. He grades tough but gives partial credit and plenty of other opportunities to get a better grade even if you don't do great on exams. I would 100% take physics with him again.
Physics is a hard class and I was really scared to take it, but Dr. Furton made it manageable. I had a tutor the entire semester and did poorly on his exams, but I always went to office hours and emailed him with homework questions through the week/weekend and he was great about responding. Take him if you can, and don''t be scared of the class.
Seriously one of the coolest profs ever. Really cares about his students. Take him if you can!!
Best PHY professor at GV! He truly cares about his students, is accessible outside of class, and responds to email! Doug makes sure his students understand the material before moving on. He also works with students and gives you opportunities to improve and succeed.
I was terrified to take physics at GV but the best decision of my life was taking Doug. I am HORRIBLE at physics but I was able to work to a B in this class. He genuinely cares and helps a lot as long as you put in the effort. A great guy, a shame I never got to chat with him outside of class. If PHY is one of your pre-reqs trust me hes your guy.
Everyone knows phy200 at GV is a nightmare but not with Prof Furton! I got an A- in the class and it was with ease. There are no exams, just begin and end of chapter quizzes. My biggest tip is come to class, ask questions (no matter how dumb), and do not be afraid to reach out. He wants to see you succeed!
okay seriously Dr. Furton is one of the best professors I have had at GV. He is willing to help whenever and with whatever with his students. Physics is hard but he makes it enjoyable and make SENSE? Seriously - if you have to take physics.. take it with Dr. Furton. You're the best Doug!
Professor Furton is one of the best professors I have ever had. Physics is not a fun subject but he makes the classes so much fun. He always makes lectures enjoyable and is thoughtful about our other classes as well. He is always available to answer questions and is always willing to help instead of belittling you. I highly recommend Prof Furton!
Douglas is one of my favorite professors, he is funny and great interacting with students. He cares about if you understand in the class, don't feel bad asking questions even if you think they're dumb. I hated physics but he broke down the class which made it easy to follow as long as you come to class, No exams just reading and summary quizzes.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
77%
Textbook Required
71%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.40 avg changeRatings by Course
PSCI103
5.0
(2)PHY202
5.0
(1)PHY200
5.0
(5)PHY221
4.1
(14)PHY230
4.1
(17)Difficulty by Course
PHYS
5.0
PHY231
4.6
PHY220
4.1
PSCI103
4.0
PHY205
3.8