He's great, makes everything clear and concise. Definitely the best physics teacher I've had at UCSD. He's also got quite the sense of humor and he kinda reminds me of Napolean's brother from Napolean dynamite.

Prof. Smith makes the class pretty easy. You only need an 80% or higher to get an A- and he doesn't try to screw you on the quizzes. Plus there is 20% extra credit in the class, which is unheard of in college. So take advantage of this opportunity and take him.

Prof. Smith is by far my favorite physics teacher yet. Lecture is pretty interesting and the transmitters are fun. This is the first physics class that I've actually found that going to lecture actually helps. He travels a decent pace and stuff he goes over in lecture has relevance to his quizes.

Best physics prof you'll ever have. Tries his best to entertain us during lecture and get us to care about physics, easy to get good grade w/ simple tests and extra credit...you really cant ask for more

He's a great professor. He tries hard to make class interesting and cracks jokes a lot. He also gives tons of extra credit for the transmitter and extra questions on the quizes.

He actually made the class fun. His sense of humor goes a long way witht the predictably boring topic. great way to end the series

Just go to class... so much extra credit is awarded through class attendance. Also extra credit questions on the quizes

I HATE HATE HATE physics! But Prof. Smith was the best physics professor I had at UCSD. He's funny and knows his stuff. His powerpoint presentation goes way too fast to take notes, but he posts them on his site.

He is the best Physics professor ever! I hate physics on got a B+ and C+ the last two quarters, but with him, I got my only UCSD A+! He's funny, makes physics entertaining, and pokes fun of student learning...plus gives out extra credit, the best thing about the class. Take him if you have to take any physics!

Hes funny and his lecutures were clear and helpful.

I love this man. Haha. All kidding aside; I HATE physics (just like all the ppl who commented already), but-- with Prof. Smith, I actually WANT to be at lecture, and he manages to make it interesting!!! O__O

He is a very interesting and good professor. He understands that bio majors don't wanna take physics. He ended the year of physics off well :)

His lectures could be bland at times, but he tries to throw in some jokes, which can be really funny at times. The quizzes were harder than I expected, because they were very conceptual, instead of just doing problems. I didn't do too well on the quizzes, and I did OK on the final, but did well in the class becuase of the extra credit.

Prof. Smith is a very nice guy who cares about his students and makes physics fun and easy. Of the entire physics series, I enjoyed this class the most. Take him if you can!

I hate physics but this teacher kept the topics to the interesting stuff and had bomb-ass extra-credit that makes up for it being a physics class. I really wanted to go to class in order to click in to get my e.c. but never fell asleep like i used to in 1a. The quizzes aren't too hard if you put a couple hours into skimming the text and lect notes.

He was an awesome teacher. he made physics 1c a very interesting class and he explains things quite well. he doesn't trick you like other professors on the tests/quizzes. Best physics teacher ive had in the whole 1 series

LOVED THIS CLASS! Ok, I hated it at first, but once I actually started STUDYING, I started enjoying it. The SAT-style quizzes (minus pts if you get it wrong) is intimidating but it's not as bad as it sounds. The quizzes made you work for a good grade, and this was the first physics class at UCSD that actually forced me to learn. Good job, Smith.

Seriously everybody needs to relax. Like him or not he is a human being and the ratings below are making us as students look ridiculous.Finish out the quarter and move on.

He's a great professor. No idea what these peeps are saying. I enjoyed his class and you seriously learn a lot and he gives like 80% As so definitely worth taking. 100% RECOMMEND.

He understands the class is for non science majors and tries to make it as easy as possible. He was also pretty funny with this class. Final was 50% and quizes were 50% but pretty easy.

These people who rated Prof Smith so horribly, are dumb. Just go to class, listen, ask for help when you need it, and study for the quizzes. It's UCSD, you have to try a little. I just went to class and listened intently and got an A+, very easy if you are a student willing to learn.

funny, nice, helpful, easy.

He is not as bad as everyone says for physics 1c. He doesn't say everything that is on the quizzes, but the final is a sum of the quizzes, and the textbook explains all of the topics. Easy grader and teaches from multiple angles. The lectures aren't enough on their own.

I enjoyed having Smith, he gave the class a great curve and I found his style of teaching clear and concise. I really understood everything he explained to us, and he is very approachable.

The major pro to his class is his 17-18 problems quizzes vs. the usual 10 problems quizzes! This allows for more room to make mistakes and still earn a pretty good grade!!! He really made physics clear to me and was concise. Although he can be slow sometimes, he reminds me of your typical nerdy professor. Haha! I definitely recommend him! :)

I really liked smith! Although he comes intitally off as a boring and monotonous, he's actually pretty funny and sassy. Stick around for his lectures (he hints at possible quiz q's all the time), read the text, and stay on top of things. He curved the class av. to a B+ so it was no prob getting an A.

Seeing Smith's ratings, I'm led to believe people didn't give him a chance because he comes across as super nerdy. However, I really enjoyed Smith's class! He focuses on big picture ideas over minute details, which is what matters in the long run. Also, he's absolutely hilarious! His saucy humor made made me look forward to class.

if you do the homework and understand his in-class examples, you'll ace the quizzes and final

He speaks very clearly. He explains things in a very simple way, and it makes you feel like you are learning the ABCs. He's thorough in lecture, funny, and organized. You won't be confused in lecture. He gives tons of example problems in power points and works them out slowly in class. Tests are fair, you know exactly what will be on the test.

I really enjoyed Doug's class. The material isn't too difficult, but you'll definitely need to study for several hours before his quizzes. His lectures are clear and he gives many example problems that are useful for the quizzes. Doug is a good lecturer with a touch of sass. He's also retro, using an IBM laptop from the 1990s.

I don't know why Smith has such a low score. I took the risk of taking his class over Paddock, and he's a great professor in my book! I get how he can sound monotone in some lecture, but really funny in most of them. He makes physics concepts simple. Quizzes are representative of his slides and are quite easy if you review just those slides alone.

I took him for physics IB and he is great. He curves to a B+ which is rare at UCSD and he tests only from his slides. However he does not know how to drive nor can he park but he does have a nice BMW :)

Dougie is such an awesome guy! He is very monotoned but has a sense of humor if you get to know him. The guy is also a genius! Class is difficult and he doesnt lecture well, but is slides are super helpful and he quizzes from his slides. Also curves the class to a B+, so as long as you do better than the average youll get an A. Final is brutal tho

Prof smith is such a dad character!! Hes a genuinely kind professor and has pretty dry humor that makes lectures entertaining at times. he does his best to make a rather dull subject relatable and I always appreciated that he connected the material to real life applications. Very generous curve, quizzes easier than hw that are directly from slides!

His quizzes are honestly really really easy. I usually need to study for one to two days for other profs' Physics 1 series classes and do some practice problems; but for his, I just needed to spend 2 hours reviewing the slides and that's it (and I got full points basically for each quiz). Very straightforward and very generous curve.

He explains very clear on his lectures. He has quizzes every 2 weeks, roughly 12 questions/quiz and he curved the average grade to B and quizzes are not that hard if you actually understand the overall concept. Quizzes and Final score are adjusted so that only grade that help your overall grade will be counted. Taking him again this quarter for 1B.

He is not an amazing lecturer bc he's not too great on explaining things. but he is very clear and funny, I always look forward to his class. he has a great grading scale (can drop all your quizzes but final worth more, can drop 3 hrs, curves to B+,etc) his quizzes can be difficult but his final is about the same difficulty. super fun

Not the best explainer but if you go over his slides the quizzes are an easy A to B range. He has a great grading system. He'll drop all quizzes and make the final worth more. you can make up iclicker points on the final. Only need one click in for the day's attendance. Quizzes are very representative of the final.

I love Douglas. He has a quirky sense of humor and is really funny, often unintentionally so. There are clicker questions, but you can make them up during the final so attendance isn't necessary. Very generous in terms of grades. I hope I can take him in the future.

Clickers are used. You only have to click once for full attendance and there's video of the board and slides. Slides and examples are reflective of quiz problems, so that's mostly all you need to do well. If you do poorly on any of the quizzes or miss class often, your final can replace the scores. The prof does a decent job explaining the material

I love Douglas! He really cares about his students & wants all of us to succeed, which can be seen in his grading scale. Literally asked all of us if we wanted him to change the scale, add a formula sheet, and to cancel the last quiz (bc our final was the following Monday). Such a dad & makes you look forward to lecture, one of my fav profs at UCSD

Professor Smith is a literal dad. Hes precious and actually cares about his students. Even changed the grading scale to help his students out. Quizzes are not hard and actually representative of material he teaches

This man is great, he may not be the best lecturer but he def tries very hard to ensure his students' success. His grading scale is really geared toward making sure we do well. quizzes are chill, he doesn't pull anything crazy out and he gives very little HW compared to paddock. On top of this, he's also very funny, I always looked forward to class

Loved him so much took him again for 1B, and now his grading scale is EVEN better, homework is worth more, exams less . It's very evident he really cares about our success, he takes advice from students and changes things so we do better, like more kudu attempts, a formula sheet, etc. I'm taking paddock now and now I REALLY know how great smith is

Professor Smith is a total dork. His lectures are a little bland but he does throw in some fun humor. He simplifies the material. Lectures are somewhat mandatory because he does clicker questions. There is assigned online homework and 3 quizzes which are designed to boost your grade. He always grades on a curve towards B+. Definitely recommend.

Amazing guy. He's very nerdy which makes him really fun and chill. He has a unique sense of humor He doesn't give extra stress. He gives you everything you need to do well. His tests are representative of the material. His hw is short. Quizzes only help your grade. Def recommend him

I was hesitant about Prof Smith due to his bad reviews from the past, but he really surprised me. His lectures were helpful and representative of the quizzes/exam. He lets you drop all quizzes that won't help your grade if you do better on the final. His nerdy dad jokes during lecture make him even more lovable. One of my favorite profs at UCSD!

Professor Smith is such a kind & pure man. Physics was the scourge of my existence up until now but with Smith it was actually kind of enjoyable. Most of his exams are plug and chug with some multiple choice concept questions (which are usually past clicker ?s) so it's super straight forward. Hmwk is short & easily managed without any outside help

Professor Smith is one of the best professors ever in terms of making himself available and attentive to student needs. He makes funny jokes during lecture and gives clear due dates as well as grading criteria. Physics in general is not a very straightforward subject to teach so given that, I think Professor Smith did a fine job!

I loved Smith's class format with three quizzes with short lectures loaded with example problems. He gives hand-written solutions to quizzes which I VERY MUCH appreciate and it really helped me learn the past-tested concepts to prep for the final. Its the small details and work he puts in that really helps students like me learn efficiently :)

Smith is such a chill teacher that really has all the dad jokes in the book. He's sarcastically fantastic, and I loved his lectures. Because of how quirky they were, it helped me be less bored throughout his online class. His quizzes are extremely fair and as long as you understand the math you'll do well in his class.

Professor Smith was really helpful in the transition to online learning. I can definitely approve that he really kept me entertained by using real-world examples in his lectures which added more understanding of a concept. I hope he continues to teach this way and in regards to grading, it's one of the fairest systems I've witnessed in physics.

He's a pretty funny dude so I never dreaded going to class. There's an endless amount of positive things to say about the guy. The only thing is that sometimes I felt as if there wasn't enough practice problems since the extra hw problems weren't that similar to the quiz but this is easily alleviated with "The Organic Chemistry Tutor" on YouTube.

Weekly online HW, 3 quizzes, final. Make sure to do HW because it goes toward your grade. The quizzes are only counted towards your grade if they can help it. Lectures relatively reflected in quizzes & exam. Conceptual questions were very hard for me. Prof Smith is precious and great at walking you through the problems & presenting the concepts.

Lectures are pre-recorded. He answers questions very fast on Piazza. He explains concepts pretty well. 3 quizzes, weekly hw, and 2 hour final. Grading was fair. Quizzes represent hw. Conceptual questions as well as math. Nice guy, cares about students. I've never taken physics and I learned a lot.

Beware of dad jokes! Fun, caring physics prof and always willing to explain things further if you are ever confused. Handled online teaching very well, very organized, though the quizzes were kinda tricky sometimes and would really test if you knew your formulas and concepts. Overall, really great choice and happy to have taken him.

For the ones thinking about grades, he really focuses on making sure everyone is on board with getting a B+ as he curves based to that based on the class average (quizzes ranged from 50%-60% so that's a huge bump). Another plus to professor Smith is his humor and willingness to help as much as he can with this new online platform. Really recommend

The best professor ever! Especially for physics ;-; I didn't do the best in Physics 1A so I was scared for this class. But, Physics 1B was the exact opposite. His explanations were extremely clear and his tests are super easy as long as you took notes. He doesn't dwell on extra calculus explanations, and he gets straight to the point!

Honestly one of the best professors I've had. I was kind of scared because I struggled in PHYS 1A, but his quizzes and homework are representative of the content viewed during lecture and he always tries to do things easier for you. He does practice problems during lectures that are very helpful. I love his sense of humor, 10/10 would recommend

Just a great professor and funny guy. Wish he was my dad. Lectures were super clear and straight to the point. Lots of practice problems in lecture and biweekly quizzes that were just like the homework/lecture problems.

His slides and lectures are very well organized and easy to understand. Gave lots of optional extra practice before quizzes. Quite funny and very understanding, it really seemed he was trying his best to help us learn and get a good grades. If you're lowkey bad at physics like me, don't worry, Prof Smith is great!

AMAZING professor. very reasonable quizzes (he never tries to deliberately trick you). Very accessible outside of class and homework is a reasonable amount of work every week. He also replaces your quiz grades if your final is higher. Overall such a great professor, I highly recommend him!!! UCSD pls hire him for phys1c!!

Great professor! Definitely gives off Dad vibes and is very caring of his students. Explains concepts fairly well, but you really need to have a clear grasp on the concept to do well on his exams.

Professor Smith is a lovely man who genuinely cares about what he teaches. Attend his lectures and I guarantee the class will be a breeze. He is a little dorky and very friendly and funny. Lecture slides sometimes get cluttered but I have enjoyed this class thoroughly, as far as physics classes go.

The class wasn't too bad, it was just that the quizzes and final were probably the hardest tests ever. His answer choices for math questions were always in ranges ie. 0-10 and 10-20 and so on... As for the conceptual questions there would be an all of the above or none of the above. However his lectures were kinda funny.

Not bad. The class was tough but I blame myself for not putting in the work. I actually thought the jokes were funny and appreciated the jokes.

Top 40-50% got whole A's (4.0!). Quizzes and final were easy if you kept up with lectures, and the professor really cared about his students' concerns. I would take all of my classes with him if I could. 10/10.

His lectures are very good and straight forward but his tests are pretty difficult. I just regret not putting in more work but the lessons have definitely been useful for me to use again.

He explains things very clearly in lectures and provides examples. If you understand the slides, the homework and tests are very easy and straight forward. Just have an understanding and the formula sheet is helpful.

His lectures are usually dull (sorry!) but everything he expects of students is completely clear and reasonable from the get-go. grade weighting is 30%/35%/35% homework/quizzes/final; students get unlimited tries on homework and can drop 2 HW and 1 quiz out of 3. Quizzes are just like the HW. Very generous curve, top 40-50% of class gets an A.

Absolute goated prof. Hated 1a so much, so I went into 1b with little expectations. Smith is incredibly kind and caring. His quizzes are very fair and nearly identical to the HW and extra practice problems he gives. He speaks a little slow but he records all lectures so it's easy to get past. Would 1000% take again

Genuinely believe he a 10/10 professor. His guides to how to get an engineering major to go out with you had won me over. He gives a bunch of extra problems to help you study for the final and quizzes. If you do them then with enough practice you will get an A.

Doug was a phenomenal professor, gave students every opportunity to succeed. Homework had unlimited attempts and looked just like the quizzes and the final. Lectures and lecture slides explained everything extremely clearly. Gives formula sheet on all tests. If you fail this class, you deserve it, because Doug could not have made it any better

Best teacher ever. Would take him for every single class if I could. I only went to class for exams and ended with an A even without the curve. Homework and extra practice problems were identical to the quizzes and finals. If you can't take 1B with Smith, wait until you can. He is that good.

Everything you need to know is in his lecture slides. I wish I tried harder because professor Smith gives you all the resources to do well in his class. Some of the contents of the lectures are just difficult.

As someone who was terrible at physics, Professor Smith made it extremely easy to pass the class even if you do poorly on quizzes. I thought I would fail the class but a generous curve was used! Formula sheets for quizzes but make sure you know how to use it.

GOATed professor. Optional attendance, very clear lectures, has a good grading structure. As long as you study for the exams, do his extra practice problems, you will do well. If I really have to complain is that he isn't very accessible via email, though he is active on piazza a lot

Professor Smith made a difficult subject very easy to understand. His exams were very straightforward and almost identical to the homework and practice exams. He even gave us a very helpful formula sheet to use. His lecture slides are very useful and he sums everything you need to know during lecture. He's pretty funny too without even trying.

Professor made a tough subject easy. Exams were straightforward, with helpful formula sheets. Lectures clear, slides useful. Unstuck AI great for practice problems. Generous curve too - this class is a must-take!

Protect this man at all costs. Canvas HW due every other week (except on quiz weeks). Quizzes on weeks 3,6,9. No Kudu [derogatory] HW. No attendance taken. Hilarious, goofy personality, and makes content digestible. Pretty sure class quiz averages were in the mid C to mid B range. His lecture class was far less stressful than Tsai's 1A.

He's literally the GOAT, his quiz are exactly like the HW and he frames the lecture slides so that they are easy to look back on and understand what's going on. he also makes funny jokes and is just goofy. probs one of my fav professors at ucsd. side note I thought 1B was much easier than 1A, and I think he played a major part in that.

This professor knows what he is talking about. He is such a sweet soul. His tests are exact as his homework and extra problems. Class isn't mandatory, he podcasts and in his grading scale 85% is A. He's really funny with his pick up lines too, overall a great class. Isn't hard to study for his class. I would take his class again.

Chill dude. Tests are exactly like the HW, also gives extra practice problems. Unlimited attempts on HW. Pretty easy course.

Homework is weekly canvas quizzes with unlimited attempts. Quizzes and class material are conceptually slightly challenging but mathematically easy. Professor does everything he can to buff your grade. It would take more effort to fail the class than to pass it.

As soon as he said "students don't really learn by textbooks anymore," I knew this was going to be an amazing class. 3 quizzez, very reflective of homework sets (7 sets total). Lectures had everything you needed to know in a concise and understandable manner. Gave extra practice and posted quiz/homework answers after due date. 10/10 Recommend!

Prof is so sweet and explains things very extensively. Lectures can get boring, but watching them on 2x or even looking at the very detailed slides will ensure success. The quizzes were exactly like the homework and extra problems, so studying that will set up an A. There are a lot of true/false questions with some math. Recommend him a lot!

Really enjoyed his class! Unlimited attempts on homework, and quizzes represented the content of the class. Physics can be a hard subject to keep people entertained, so he always tried to put in jokes into his lectures. Final was also a good representation of what we had learned.

No mandatory attendance, he is a super nice guy and a bit funny but he does not normally reply to the emails. Quizzes are fair! & he curves. I recommend his class.

He's really funny, and a good lecturer. He has unlimited attempts for his weekly homework, three multiple choice quizzes (20 questions, with t/f questions), and a multiple choice final. His quizzes were similar to the homework and were fair, and he had extra practice questions. He would also post the homework and solutions after they were due.

He's a great professor; he writes his own hw questions which very well reflects the questions that appear on quizzes and the final. There are t/f questions though that a

unlimited attempts in HW, 3 quizzes with lowest being dropped. Curves overall grade and curved my class's final due to avg being a little lower than his other class. Highly recommend, quizzes are literally based off of his lectures and similar to HW and practice problems.

I don't understand how he doesn't have a higher average rating. I didn't really attend lecture in person but whenever I watched his podcasts to catch up on the material, I found myself learning fairly easily. He does a really good job explaining the concepts and his slides are pretty organized.

The best physics professor I have ever had. He structures the class so the homework is exactly like the quizzes. Therefore, it is super easy to do well in the class as long as you do the homework. The final exam was just like the previous quizzes and homework. Super easy, definitely recommend!!

Loved this professor! Good lecturer, clear about what was on exams, clear and fair grading. I'm not very skilled or interested in physics but this professor made it very manageable. He tried to connect what we were learning with biology as often as possible which is awesome for a physics for bio students class! Take him if you can!!