2.6
Quality4.3
Difficulty7%
Would Retake389
Reviews7%
Would Retake
389
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
389 total ratings5
68
4
60
3
71
2
77
1
113
What Students Say
“Far and away the worst experience I've had in a class”
PHY121 - 1.0 rating“He is an awful human that does not like students”
PHY121 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
85%
Textbook Required
55%
Grade Predictor
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Predicted Grade
B-
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PHYS131
5.0
(1)PHY110
5.0
(1)ARTHISTORY1
5.0
(1)PHY241
4.0
(4)PHYS121
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
PYH111
5.0
PHYS131
5.0
PHY132
5.0
PJHY121
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PHYSICS121
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Reviews (300)
he is the worst teacher ever. his lecutres are useless. i attended everysingle class but, still i couldnt understand a word. his tests are so much diffecult and not related to the lecture notes. he explains very easy examples in lecture but in tests he gives you the hardest questions!!!. he doesnt have any ability to teach.never take phy with him
Dr Adams goes out of his way to help anyone who asks for it. If people are doing poorly, they aren't taking advantage of the resources available. The TA was also excellent.
One of the worst phy professor i had, homeworks after each lecture, and is not easy, boring lectures, horrible test questions, not recommended to take phy with him
He is very difficult and expect a lot from you. You will need to work you butt off to get a descend grade because he tends to curve very high. There's no room for slack. I would not recommend him to anyone. If you take him, be warn.
Class is extremely difficult with a lot of homework. Attendance is not required, but is very helpful. However, recitation and extremely generous office/help study hours make up for it. Dr. Adams is extremely knowledgeable and kind. This class takes the time of two other classes!
Great guy, a little off, but he was very helpful if you ever needed clarification, plus recitation was helpful too. Took attendance via CPS questions for a couple points, but not mandatory.
Dr. Adams is a great teacher, but his class is hell...No doubt you will get more out of the class, but it is not easy to get an A or B, as only about 30% do...
I have never met a more dedicated teacher. He is very hard yes but his tests reflect the course material. He does not trick you. Sometimes he's rude in class but in his office hours he's very helpful and understanding. It was the hardest B I have ever had to earn but I actually like physics now. I wouldn't recommend anyone else.
very hard course but goes over materials well and is willing to answer all questions. quizes and tests are straight directly related to lectures and homework but still difficult.
Don't even bother to come to class. He wasted hours of lectures just proving that the law he is teaching you is valid. When it comes to homework and tests, the symmetry argument is what matters. It's an extremely hard class, and he make it your worst nightmare.
he teaches as if hes in his own world
HIS EYES DONT CLOSE! He is a demon child! But because of this he is captivating to the eye,even if he babbles about topics that no one understands. You take 5 tests + final, lots of mastering physics, cps counts, and recitation homework & quiz. If you like sitting at home all day studying and working on mastering physics then this class is for you!
The eyes are weird, but he's cool otherwise. He is deadly clear when he talks. If he doesn't say something jut right he will correct it. Also, he works out. You can tell he puts work into insuring accuracy in his grading. The advantage that anyone can get in this class it the lack-of-skill of the rest of the class.
I feel like he kind of teaches like you are suppose to know the information. His CPS questions only make sense to him. They are very wordy. He has great passion for what he does and the experiments are helpful. He does grade on a slight curve, i hope by the semester it's bigger than it seems I will need it.
He definitely knows what he is doing and is very passionate but not so interesting. Although his demonstrations are hilariously entertaining. A lot of work is involved altough the labs are pretty easy and the tests are short. He wasn't so bad, but I could of had a better teacher
has a way with completely overworking concepts until they are a jumbled mass of overly complex explanation...leaving a simple concept feeling utterly impossible. He teaches everything as if each student is looking to become a scientist so he makes it greatly complex...not the best for a 101 class (quite aweful actually)..
This class was rediculous. Definitely the most work I've ever put in for a B. Adams is very thorough to the point where he severely overcomplicates things. Reid the TA was the reason I survived this class. So if you take Adams, USE YOUR TA's!
I thought he was really easy, I wish he was a little harder. I loved that he used calculus a good deal. My PHY121 was harder but we used calculus once. Adams is a great teacher!!!
im pretty sure all the people that said his class was hard are just dumb. if you know anyting about physics.. or even how to read you will be fine in this class
The material covered in class is pretty extensive. In class he sort of slips in the equations with the rest of the work he is doing. There is a lot of homework and it is hard, will take you at least an hour and a half if you completely understand it. Go to recitation it will save your life!
He loves what he does but teaches like a book. Here are the formulas and good luck. Understanding comes from self teaching so if you are a good book learner then you'll do fine. No cheat sheets for test or hardly any review help.
he is too fast, dosent help, hates questions, makes you feel dumb
Basically Dr. Adams teaches the class as if it were a 300 level class, but he forgets it is only a 101! Never can study enough. He does spread your entire grade out because you would fail if it was just up to the tests. But because of the spreading there is just way too much work, so if you have a life or want one dont take this class with Adams.
Adams is an incredibly difficult teacher. If you must take him, plan on making your semester light to accommodate for his class. He is not helpful when asking questions, and gives generic answers. His tests do not reflect the homework at all. A lot of webassign homework, three times a week is required. I would not recommend this professor.
I got a B in his class after maintaining an A all semester. I took AP physics in highschool and did well this class but not because I learned from him. CPS questions are convoluted and visting him during office hours are a waste of time. Zero review for tests. You'll have to do many evaluations due to his many complaints. Good luck if you take him.
As you have already read Dr. Adams is a very tough professor. Just don't take him. Don't DO IT!!! But if you absolutely have to take this class for whatever the reason the only way you have a chance at surviving is to: print the webassign problems out and do them repeteadly right before a test, Review your notes every day, Also GO TO RECITATION.
Plus: Meticulously clear communication, though over my head 50% of the time. Many students retake second time for clear understanding. Minus: Not Adam's fault, but the amount of material is enormous and complex. Of course, I suppose it's a matter of degrees of preparedness.
He has two parts to the test a multiple choice part and a fill in the blank. The fill in the blank is mainly based on his notes and on the homeworks...the multiple choice part he purposely makes it tricky, its almost as if he doesn't care about the students success. Personally I don't like him at all.
Super, super boring. Very straightforward though. Bring a large coffee.
He acts like he HATES his job. He is the worst physics teacher I've ever had in my whole life! DONT TAKE HIS CLASS! YOU WILL FAIL!
He is so ridiculous. He requires that you go to class but its so stinking boring. and the stupid clickers that we have to use for attendance ... dont even work so they are pointless. Anytime you ask him a question, his response always starts with, "Well... I'm not sure I understand you correctly..." it never fails he uses this for every question
The amount of work I spent doing the homework and studying for the test was ridiculous. The most of any class I've ever taken. I spent 9 -12 hours a week just on the MP assignments and add another 10-15 hours studying for tests and still was no where near prepared for the tests. If at all possible, take with another prof and learn something.
You can tell he loves the subject, but his teaching methods didn't get through to me that well. His tests were really hard, but huge curve! I ended up with a B and I had no clue what I was doing. I spent about 2 hours every other day doing his homeworks. GO TO TUTORING CENTERS AND OFFICE HOURS! You have to put a lot of effort into this class!!
makes class way harder than what it is
Tests are impossible.
Awful. Exam every 3 weeks (half multiple choice half written answer/proofs) with avgs in 40s. Decent curve. Has HW (masteringphysics) due 3x/week with a written assignment every so often. He refuses to do examples in class. "That is what homework is for" so we're blind doing the HW. I really dislike his teaching style and would not take him again.
Very difficult course but Adams does a great job teaching it. He is extremely knowledgeable about the subject manner. Very difficult tests but common people, its physics. Decent curve. If you do the homework and get all of your CPS points you will be fine. There's a test every 2 or 3 weeks so stay on top of your work.
Physics can be a very difficult subject for a lot of people, for what it is, Adams does a very good job. Meticulously clear in lectures, but the material can get confusing at times. Lectures are interesting and his demonstrations are entertaining. Test are difficult. Labs are easy.
His class is all about proofs and nothing about equations or concepts. I've heard he's a good teacher when you go to his office hours, but in class you might as well sleep or read the book instead of paying attention. READ THE BOOK! It makes so much more sense then his nonsense and be prepared to spend 15 hours a week on his class alone.
Some of the MC problems on the test have as many as 8 choices. Lectures are composed of useless proofs. Taught as if the class is full of physics majors rather than engineers. MP problems are not representative of test questions. He uses confusing HW questions from other textbooks. He is meticulous. Insensitive to difficulty of material.
NO ONE CAN SOLVE HIS PROBLEMS! NOT EVEN MY TUTOR! GET OUT OF THIS CLASS OR YOU WILLLLLL FAILLLL
strongly encourage u to choose other course. his tests are so hard!!
People who think this class is hard are probably just whiny freshmen. I had to take it for my lab science credit (as a junior majoring in business) and thought the class was very easy. All you have to do is show up and pay a little bit of attention. The only downside is the time it takes, with lecture, lab, and recitation sections.
Just take another teacher if u can, the students in the other class said it was easy and Adams 131 class wasn't easy, but will curve
He goes way to in depth in his lectures and isn't very helpful during class but if you see him during his office hours he is very friendly and helpful. If you pay attention in class and in recitation you will be just fine. I didn't crack my book once. The TA was awesome.
The main problem with this class is that the grading is ridiculously hard. However, the final grades aren't so much to worry about--everything is curved like crazy. If you know the material, this is a good class to take because he goes in depth in an interesting way. Otherwise, try to avoid it.
I dropped out of this class, and I would say that the lectures are basically understandable but you have to have a good foundation in algebra and some background in easy physics concepts. He doesn't go over things more than once for the most part and he's not very patient with those that are stumbling a little...I know first hand!
he is very helpful and cares about the students
Adams is a good teacher. It's hard to get a lot done in only 50 min periods. This class is a necessary evil. It's a weed-out. Yes, it's tough, but if you get through it, you will probably be much better at problem solving in physics and engineering. I tried very hard, failed every test (except the final), and ended up with a B-.
WOW Professor goes way past the scope of this class with material. VERY HARD TEACHER DO NOT TAKE IF POSSIBLE.
GBA isn't that bad of a teacher. He legitimately wants every student to pass, but with 200+ people in the class its hard to cater to everyone's needs. Just make sure you do the MP and the tests should be breeze. You can buy his old tests for $1 and there are usually a couple problems that match pretty closely to what is on the test he gives you.
The main reason I think why students thought his tests were extremely difficult (me included), was because we didn't really have time going through the concepts in depth to better prepare ourselves for his exams. First of all, he had too many exams for the semester (7 including the final), plus, there was homework three if not four times a week!
gary adams stinks. he is the hardest physics professor ever, and he wants all of his students to fail. And I am a student who always gets good grades.
He teaches on thing and test something different, He creates really difficult exams that you will not do good on. Not worth taking at all, find another professor
To be fair, Dr. Adams teaches very well. He's meticulously clear about concepts, which I really like. However the amount of time given to take his tests is unreasonable. We have 6-8 multiple choice ?s that often require time to work out, and 2 very long free responses, all in 50 min. The formatting alone in the FR takes an excessive amount of time.
Adams knows his physics, and describes in detail every subject we cover. the only hard part is he can sometimes go over your head with the physics terms since to me i was expecting a class very much easier since its an entry level class. but he is clear, and willing to help you if you put in the time to study.
His lectures are extremely confusing! The text book doesn't help, and his test have nothing to do with the tests or quizzes. A 43 is the cut off for a C! Plus his homework is ridiculously long and mandatory.
Don't take this guy if you're looking for an easy A. He is tough tough. His examples do not match the HW, and neither match the tests. You will spend hours trying to figure out the HW. You have been warned.
Despite what people say about Dr. Adams he is a great teacher and passionate about physics. If you go to class and go to his office hours for help you will do well in the class. He cares about his students doing well in physics so don't be shy and go get help from him.
A professor who wants you to learn! Very helpful! Long, but interesting lectures, accompanied by many everyday examples. I recommend this class only to people that really want to learn, and work hard to understand... But it is definitely not the class for someone who just wants to pass the class..
Great professor! Adams knows the material very well and really wants to help the students understand. I took this class during the summer and we had about 2-3 hours of homework daily...I did all my homework in the help hours right after class and it wasn't too bad. Just study your homework and notes and the tests won't be bad at all!
Good Teacher, highly recommended
Very clear about subject matter, but unconcerned about grades and individual people. Don't buy the books unless you want extra practice.
First off, there is a lot of homework, roughly 7 MP questions after each lecture, written homework, and quizzes. Adams is challenging but he really knows his Physics. He may seem intimidating during lecture but during his office hours he is super nice and very helpful. Overall, this class is not an easy grade.Tests > 50 minutes. Be prepared to work
He is a great lecturer; his quirks make them entertaining sometimes. Can be a little weird and intimidating but he has consistent office hours and is super helpful and nice at them. However, he assigns a ton of homework and the tests are too long if you don't REALLY know your stuff. You WILL ride the curve in this class, but so will everyone else.
He doesn't seem to really enjoy teaching. Very difficult and precise in his grading. Nit-picks
Sure, this class is hard, but come on, it's Physics. He makes it as easy as possible for us. Lots of quizzes,but he drops the lowest one, same with the online homework and one of the exams. He does have tons of office hours. The lectures are kind of boring but he is being as clear as possible. The class is not as bad as people are making it seem.
super excited about the subject he teaches!!
GBA is totally epic. Don't mess with him unless you want a public beatdown. This class is easy if you take notes and study hard. Lab is the easiest also. Tests are multiple choice w/ 2 word problems. I've only used the book a few times. Ps- He never blinks.
If you pay attention in lecture and actually try to understand the material you will find that professor Adams is a very good teacher. I HIGHLY recommend attending his office hours, on a one to one basis he is very nice and you can see that he cares alot about his students. I have more respect for him than any other professor I have had.
He is very clear & easy to understand. Just come to class and take notes & do problems the way he likes them done (which is organized & actually helps you learn)& you'll get a good grade.He tells you everything you need to know for exams just spend a few hours studying the notes and practicing problems and you'll get an A! He shows cool examples!!
If you survive his class, you will know next to everything about the subject. He has teaching down to a science, and plans for every circumstance, I believe. If you're not willing to study often and do homework three times a week, then don't take him. But he's a great professor, and I owe all my knowledge of electricity and magnetism to him.
This professor regardless of what people say is pretty clear. If you have taken a simple physics in high school this class will be pretty easy. I took AP physics 4 years previous, I never opened any of the books,used online homework. If you do the homework early and thoroughly understand it you will do fine.
Not a bad teacher, Got C's on all tests and still got a B on the test thanks to labs, HW, and CPS. Very complex topics, difficult tests. Very picky on written questions. Hard to get through this class for students not interested in hard sciences. He really loves his job and is VERY knowledgeable. Tutors in HW help center are NOT very helpful.
Takes up way too much time. There are much easier teachers out there. Take them! The mastering physics took forever, and was very difficult!
Very good professor overall. Yes, it was hard, but I have learned so much, not just about physics, but about math in general. Don't freak out if the homework is hard, the really hard questions aren't on the tests. And the final is all CONCEPTUAL it really threw me for a loop.
He is the hardest professor I have ever taken, but he is also the best teacher. Yes, he will put you through physics hell but he really cares about his students. He has office hours every day, sometimes twice a day. Not for the lazy, but he is an excellent instructor.
He is the hardest professor ever. His teachings are not very relevant to the homework or to the tests. His exams are very difficult. DO NOT TAKE HIM!!!! if you do not have a strong physics background cause you will not pass. I am a 4.0 student and not a slacker but i didnt have a good physics background and barely am barely passing with a C-
If you LOVE physics and want to learn everything possible about it...this is the class for you...BUT be prepared for the work load. He gave out 2 VERY hard assignments every week due every Monday and Wedneday. His lectures were fairly boring and do not correlate what so ever to the difficulty of the homework/exams...but he does know his stuff.
Adams loves his keys and is very protective of his class time. The tests are near impossible unless you are a pure genius or have copious amounts of time to spend on physics. Mastering Physics will be your new best friend and you will despise clicker questions. The curve is nice though. I failed every test and still should end up around a B.
Dr. Adams is very knowledgeable about physics and knows his stuff, but expects A LOT out of his students. Be prepared to spend your life doing Mastering Physics and studying for the near-impossible exams. Take this class if you have nothing else to do with your time. He does do cool demos though...
Dr. Adam's class was my first reality check in the engineering school. He is very passionate about phy and knows his stuff, but he does delve deep into partial derivatives and other higher level calc concepts not in the pre-reqs so I recommend a prior knowledge there. This class will take up a good majority of your time but you will learn alot.
Hardest class I've ever taken, definitely torpedoed my gpa, and I am more than familiar with rigorous classes. Adams knows his stuff but he makes the class way too difficult. Tests are pretty much your entire grade. The curve helps but it's not worth the stress. Unless you have a ton of time to spend on this class find another professor.
Adams knows a lot of physics and you'll learn a lot in his class. However, I wouldn't recommend him because the difficulty and workload are VERY high. You will need to go to every class and take notes on everything (especially example problems) to do well. The book is not very useful because most of his homework problems go beyond what it covers.
If you take this class be prepared for 8-10 hours of online homework each week. He does the easy problems in class and then assigns the difficult ones for homework. His tests are quite difficult although there are usually a few questions similar to the homework. If you work hard then you can get an A or B with the curve.
Gary Adams was one of the hardest professors I have had, if you take his class and you are not a pro at physics (which is most people) expect to work very and hard and dedicate a very significant amount of time to this class. His examples in class are very easy but hw is very hard. In his office hours he is nice and helpful but be prepared to work.
Great teacher. Everyone saying to take another teacher is wrong. The students coming out of GBA's class have done exponentially better in engineering classes later on because of a better understanding and foundation established in this class by Dr. Adams.
Must attend classes and all labs to receive a B or an A. Very good teacher who is enthusiastic about the subject. Don't take this class if you plan on missing any class!
Worst teacher I have ever had. If you want to dedicate your entire life to physics go ahead and take his class. Otherwise get out NOW!!
Prior to attending this class, I heard bad things about Dr. Adams. However, my opinion changed after the first 3 or 4 lectures. It is true that he gives a lot of homework and his tests are super ridiculous; you will discover that you've learned much at the end of the course whether you want it or not. Take advantage of his office hours. Good Luck!
Dr. Adams obviously knows his stuff, and for our class was very thorough. Missing class will make it very hard to do well. Show up to class, write down his in-lecture questions and answers though, and you should come out of it ok.
Difficult class, make sure to attend ALL class periods and understand whats going on. The tests are very hard, but the curve at the end is usually generous.
This professor is horrible! If you have a choice, do not this class!!! Even with hard work, and a lot of commitment, unless physics comes to you naturally, you will not get a good grade in this class. Tests are impossible (though final is not that bad), and he sure loads lots of MasteringPhysics on you, all of which is very time consuming :'(
Id be very wary of taking this class. Homework is between double and triple the other teachers so if you schedule is already filled with tough classes id run fast. Be prepared to dedicate your semester to physics and sadly your grade probably will still fall short.
Stay away from this class unless physics is your forte. Tests are extremely difficult with NO partial credit (Final is more forgiving). The homework load is beyond ridiculous. You will defiantly learn a ton in this class however your grade will suffer.
Adams is a great Prof and very thorough, but that doesn't stop him from making this one of the toughest courses you'll take. Lots of homework and very fast paced. Make sure you stay on top of the work and you actually understand the concepts, or you are guaranteed to be screwed come exam time.
This is one of the hardest classes I've ever taken. Of course, any class is only as difficult as the people you are taking it with, since there will be a curve. For instance, I scored a 72 average in this class and my grade was an A. But I had to work very hard for that grade. It only gets more and more difficult as the semester goes on.
DO NOT TAKE!! I have a background in physics and this guy is worthless. If you have ANY other courses, you will not have time for them because he gives way too much homework. His test questions are 10 steps beyond what you learn from lecture, book, or homework. Also, he is totally oblivious to his horrible teaching style. Don't take this professor.
Unless you are a physics pro, DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS! I'd recommend Shumway if he's available. Adams assigns too many HW problems and the tests are impassible unless, as stated before, you are naturally good at physics. I FAILED the class (and I'm not a slacker- I had above a 3.0 GPA before this class). Needless to say I had to retake.
I am a 4.0 student... or was 4.0 before taking Adams class. I got a C. The first C in my life. This class made me work so hard that I had to neglect other classes. If taking this class make sure you are not taking too many credits this semester!! Good Luck!!
I will be up front and honest. This class is difficult. Adams teaches the material well, and expects a lot out of you. If you want an A you must attend every class and to all the homework. He is really helpful during his office hours. Go to them! Plan on spending the next 15 weeks having physics be your life. Adams is a good but difficult teacher.
One of the hardest classes I have taken in college. If you want to do well in this class you need to do all of HW and understand the material fully. The test averages are usually below 70. One good thing he does, is that he curves the grade at the end of the semester. The class averages are usually under 70.
Dont worry about reading the other posts, just know this. DO NOT TAKE ADAMS. Easily the worst teacher I have ever had in my life. Tests are beyond necessarily hard and homework takes on average 4-5 hours 2 or 3 times a week. Test averages are generally 50-60% and the overall class average was 58%. Save yourself the time and pain, take someone else.
He is very good teacher. He explains very well and shows different experiments to make new material clear for students. However, he grades quizes and homework pretty harsh. The most important thing in quizes is format. I always get the right result, but the way I wrote did not satisfy him
Worst professor I've had. Exams and homework are extremely difficult. It got to the point in the semester where my whole study group would just cheat off of each other to get the Mastering Physics completed on time. I ended up getting a 73% in the class and that somehow translated to a B due to how extreme the curve was.
He is an excellent teacher! Explains very well.. and very nice like a person! But he grades quizes and homeworks very harsh! Format is the main criteria for him
He is obviously very excited about physics, which makes attending class kind of fun. The grading was pretty harsh and the tests are hard, but he is more than willing to help you if you ask him. Just be sure to ask. If you need to take a recitation section, choose the one HE TEACHES. He goes over stuff the other TA's don't!
Dr. Adams does the best he can. He is a really good teacher. On the other hand, he makes physics unnecessarily hard. He does not seem to know when the class is having difficulty. Also, his format for the homework problems, tests, and quizzes are extremely hard. You can get the right answer and only get 4/10. Very helpful though, go to office hours
Gary will steal your soul if you don't take this class seriously. Hardest class i've taken at ASU and i'm a Chemical Engineering Major. Learn the material before the tests or else you will end up with a C or D like everybody else.
This class is not easy if you want an 'A'. If you just need a passing grade..you can get a 59% in the class and this is considered a C. That is how big the curve is. His tests are extremely hard. Lab is easy but you must go. Homework is graded ridiculous and overall class is very time consuming. Adams is an okay teacher.
GBA is definitely passionate about the subject, but it was a hard class for me. Tests are hard (12 multiple choice questions, and 2 written problems), that he grades harshly. I ended up getting a 62 in the class, which ended up being a C after the curve. If you want an A, you're really gonna have to work for it!
Dr. Adams is not the easiest professor to take physics with, though he isn't as tough as some say he is. Do the work, read the book, study old test and you will end up with a good grade. Don't listen to the others on here who just realized that they aren't cut out for the major they intended on majoring in. BTW you WILL learn a lot from Dr. Adams!
Excellent teacher, he has a lot of fun with demonstrations. This is a class you have to study for, but it's like being taught by Spock so it's totally worth it. Definitely the best teacher for physics at ASU.
do not take this professor if you want to do well in an introduction physics class. The guy is a genius, but he teaches as is everyone else already understands physics as well as he does. test averages float around 30 or 40 percent. if you can help it DONT take Adams
He was awesome & the class was pretty easy.
Very clear with expectations. Definitely demanding, but if you put in the effort and are serious about your grade, you can do well and learn A LOT. I got an A but the class was my life for the entire semester time-wise. Extremely nice at office hours also.
There's no doubt about it, GBA is a genius and he's passionate about physics, but he fails to explain the material in an understandable way. This class was a real time-suck, and the homework was ridiculous. If you can't avoid taking his class, I highly recommend going to his office hours and reading the textbook. Be thankful for the curve.
As long as you go to lecture and take notes, this class is easy. He's very helpful at office hours and will answer your questions during and after lecture. He responds to emails quickly. Make sure to take the recitation he teaches, he goes over things the other instructors don't.
Class is extremely hard and the grading in homework during recitation is ridiculous. Make sure to list every symbol possible to your homework or they will take major points off. GBA is a genius, and he definitely makes you feel lower than him when asking questions. INTIMIDATING
Adams is a very good professor. His class is hard, but he's very helpful, especially during office hours. The labs are an easy A, so attendance is a must. Same goes for the online homework. However, the in class homework, quizzes, and exams are tough, so be careful. Study and go to his office hours and you should be fine.
Dr. Adams is rediculously smart and for the most part break stuff down to manageable bites. However his Exams are fodder for nightmares, he's very professional and actually does some cool experiments! If you take this class over summer don't take anything else HW is very time consuming and you need to be there for the notes. No exam reviews too.
I loved Professor Adams. You can tell he loves teaching and I thought in his 101 class he did a great job. It's still difficult and there is a lot of work required for this course, but luckily there's also a ton of points! Which helps your grade tremendously.
I recommend taking this class from a community college. You will learn more and have a better grasp of the material.
If you have taken AP Physics in high school, this class won't be too difficult. Although tests and homework can be challenging, he drops the lowest quiz and test, and the cutoff for an A was 80% for my class. He also offers extra credit opportunities so an A is very manageable.
There are a ton of points for this class and his class is interesting with all his experiments. It is still a difficult class but totally manageable.
GBA is way to smart to teach this class. He obviously knows what he is talking about. Thought this class was too hard for an intro class. Do NOT buy the textbook. Study the written homework problems you turn in at recitation, they are often on the test. Lab is an easy A - No practicals! Also, his middle name is Bruce if you've ever wondered.
GBA is an awesome teacher. His 101 class is the most well structured class I've ever attended. The quizzes were the hardest part. Just copy every single word, number, and symbol he writes on the board and the homework is effortless. Seriously recommended. Unless you hate science. I would have gotten an A if I had better attendance, so ALWAYS go.
VERY HARD CLASS. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. His tests are VERY hard, he ask very ambiguous questions, many which do not correlate to what we have learned. His grading method is ridiculous. I'm all for structure, but he goes beyond overboard or Nazi like when it comes to his "format" As in he will take off 25% or more if your work is a 1 mm to the left
Yes, Adams can be a shock to your system when first you take his class ~ he assigns a seeming inordinate amount of homework that does take a long time to complete... but he's probably the only prof who will actually teach you instead of just throwing out formulas. So yes, it can be frustrating, but it is definitely worth taking it with him.
I found him to be a fantastic teacher. Although the homework was quite extensive, it helped my understanding of the material greatly. (A study group is basically required for completing homework). His tests are difficult and everyone fails, but the curve always saves your grade. If you stick with the class, you will pass.
It seems that this is his first semester teaching an upper division physics class. Even so, great professor. Write down EVERYTHING he writes down and you wont have a problem with HW. Quizzes are a much like mastering physics and tests are an extension of the quizzes so make sure you know what you're doing on the quizzes and recitations!
Adams is very smart. The workload is intense. Over 40 homework assignments. You will use google a ton. I hate the homework, but it helped me learn the complex material he loosely presents in lecture. His tests are super difficult due to the lack of time and amount of problems. Recitation was actually helpful in the physics course. Good luck, LOL.
Dr. Adams is the only physics professor I've had that actually teaches. The man is very organized and thorough. My tip is to take notes and actually do the homework. Keep a notebook with the work you do for the assignments so you're familiar with equations and how to derive them. I highly recommend taking his courses. It's tough but worth it.
Old school physics professor through and through. I found lectures to be dull as he spends most of his time doing proofs, instead of trying to help students understand the WHY. Tons of HW, and relatively easy tests/quizzes - just review your Mastering Physics!!
If you're taking this class for a easy A look for another class. This class is extremely hard for a 100 level class. His tests have trick multiple choice question which are harder than essay questions. Don't buy the textbook you don't need it other than his lecture notes. Attendance isn't required but will lose TP points which will lower your grade
His tests are ridiculous and half the class is always confused. Hard to get an A but you can pass if you show up and do hw, basically just record the specific formulas, the rest of the time is proofs. Lots of hw an you need a group or tutor to do it with. Hw quizzes and tests are all completely different from eAch other.
Awesome professor. You'll love to take his class.
Extremely Hard quizzes with trick questions on the test that don't match his lecture topics well.
Multiple Choice tests were difficult. Homework assigned after every class took about 3 hours to complete. BUT- Adams is a great teacher. Keep up with his lessons and you will do well. Defiantly attend the lectures, he gives great instruction.
WAYYY too much homework. The homework takes hours to complete and you NEED a study group to be able to complete it. The homework is nothing like the tests. The test are extremely difficult. Attendance is very helpful.
Hes really good, but the way he look while he is teaching is a little creepy.. Go to lecture because if you don't, you will Fail unless you're a nerd.
This class is difficult, but Gary Adams is hands down the best teacher I have ever had. He is extremely thorough and precise. He chooses his words carefully and will correct himself if he says something slightly wrong - you will never have to worry about ambiguous questions. The workload is very heavy, so always show up and keep on top of it.
he is a really boring teacher that thinks that all of his students should be held at the standard of a physics graduate student
Teaches the class like everyone is a physics grad student. Goes on equation derivations sprees that make no sense for a good 10-15 minutes. Homework takes about 3-5 hours per assignment and there are 40 assignments in the semester. Near the end only a few tutors in the engineering tutoring center could help due to how difficult the homework was.
AVOID! The amount of hw is completely unnecessary. 4-5 hrs an assignment 2-3 times a week. It was just a struggle to complete. Come test time, nobody had any idea what to do, and we all failed. I told him nobody felt prepared bc this & all he told me was we were doing hw wrong and read the book. I transferred classes after the first test.
Dr Adams is the best physics teacher I've ever seen. His class is really well-organized and he knows exactly what he's doing you know what I mean. I skipped pretty much every single one of the recitation and always asked for auto-extension for hw but I still got a B+. My best advice would be go to his office hour! He is more than willing to help!
The Phy101 is difficult when I got A+ both Mat210 and Mat211. firstly,the test questions are not related to lecture and webassign,secondly, although you get right answers in quiz or test in free response,you will lose point because of details. Thirdly, if you are an international student, understanding test question is not easy.
Attending office hours will ease up on the difficulty of the class. Gary is very helpful with homework and concepts! Homework is ridiculously long!!!! Although the homework is long and a pain and the tests are hard, this class was truly designed for engineers. Good prep for anything!
Took physics in high school and general understood physics concepts. Dr. Adams was a good lecturer, but the discontinuity between lectures, homework, and the tests was horrible. Also, the homework was far too time consuming and redundant The grading curve was inexcusably large for an introductory course. Would not recommend.
Dr. Adams is a decent teacher and lecturer. He knows what he is talking about and is passionate about physics. However, I do NOT recommend this class because the hmwk took far too long (4-5 hrs/assignment), 2-3 assignments a week and the tests looked nothing like the hmwk. Most people technically failed, but only passed because of an insane curve.
This is definitely a class you will have to study for. Quizzes were the hardest part. A majority of the multiple choice questions on the exam come directly from the turn point questions and webassign questions so make to sure to study those. He is very helpful so be sure to ask when you don't understand. You don't need to book for this class.
Horrible. Even though Professor Adams may give you help if you ask for it, the homework is intensive. The tests are hard as well. Even if you do understand the homework, the tests are completely different. Pick a different professor.
DO NOT TAKE. Adams is terrible. He is condescending and rude to students. Does not explain material enough for you to understand it on tests. Assignments are tough and take hours a piece, with the most difficult questions being impossible to solve. Tests are just as hard, even though they're concept driven.
DONT TAKE HIM. He does not give notes, expects you to read the textbook . Homework takes like 3 hours every assigment. Homework is crazy hard. class is crazy hard.
He makes a 100 level class way too difficult.. He doesn't respond well to questions, he gets frustrated and snippy if anyone asks anything. Also refuses to help with other issues like clicker problems. His tests are difficult and mostly conceptual. Went into this class with good expectations and I'm really disappointed.
The homework is ridiculously hard and each assignment takes 3 hours plus. There's two homework assignments and two quizzes a week. You're expected to learn the material yourself and come in to class and answer questions. The teachers do not teach anything.
Be prepared to either spend 20+ hours per week on the homework, or spend all of your free time in the tutoring center being shown how to do the homework. You will learn next to nothing in the "lectures", but TurningPoint questions and group work mean you have to sit through or lose a lot of points.
Lots of homework, and each assignment takes hours. When I took it, the tests were awful. Apparently they've gotten slightly better, but averages are still in the failing-barely passing range. If you work hard and study a lot, you can definitely get an A (with the curve), but don't expect an A if you don't work for it.
Literally half the class disappeared by the end. He puts you on a team, and that team is expected to complete the in class assignments yourselves. There is no lecture. No time to take notes because all work is done on a personal whiteboard. Homework assignments are insanely long and hard sometimes. In class clicker questions. TA's are the most help
The homework assignments are extremely long and difficult. The other physics classes do 12 the hw assignments on MasteringPhysics. Attendance is mandatory due to clicker questions. "Lectures" are useless. YOU TEACH YOURSELF THROUGH THE HW ASSIGNMENTS!! If you do and understand the HW you will do well.
Dr. Adams went out of his way to help and really wanted his students to succeed. However, he was often hard to keep up with, and the homework assignments were ridiculously long. Huge discontinuity between homework, classwork, and tests. The lack of lecture component in this course was also not very successful, judging by average test scores.
My physics class was a "flipped classroom" setting, so it wasn't like a typical lecture (we sat in circular table groups and went over reading quiz and homework questions, mostly), but Dr. Adams was still very helpful. He really does know what he's talking about, but if you don't understand something, it's up to you to ask for clarification.
Honestly, you have to put in the work for this class. It was not difficult for me since I have had some physics in HS, but still be prepared to study. He is very specific about what he expects, anyone that complains is just not following the format he expects. You can get an A, just take good notes (and get extra credit by doing homework early)
My biggest issue with this course was the absurd amount of work. two large homework assignments a week that took hours to do, 2 homework quizzes a week that could range from 5mins to 2hours, a recitation, and a lab. Couple this with NO LECTURE and arrogance, and it was miserable. AVOID AT ALL POSSIBLE. (His arrogance got better near end of year).
Get ready to do the impossible. READING quizzes before every class. EVEN the first one ever! You have to attend recitations and do some type of quizzes there. No lecture, just him standing and giving questions where u solve in groups and might be called in mid of class to solve infront of everybody. CLICKERSSS every class. basically die.
Adams knows the material. He does not teach it very well, and everything you learn... you learn from the book and LONG, excessive amounts of homework. I came into physics very excited and he left me fearful. I am an otherwise straight-A student and I got a C in this class, and I worked much harder in this class than in any other. Much harder. Yikes
Dr. Adams is very knowledgeable. If you have little to no physics background, you will definitely struggle. Luckily I had 2 years of Physics in high school, so it wasn't too hard. I did have problems with the MasteringPhysics problems. They were so hard even the tutors couldnt figure them out. Some MP problems have extra credit. Clicker questions
great professor, very knowledgeable and interesting class
The curve for this class is around 40% to pass. He gives ridiculousy hard homework questions, only to ask 4 of them during a test. The best part is he gives them every day with a time limit from when class starts to 10 pm that night. Basically, unless this class is your life, you are doomed from the start. Don't take unless you are a physics genius
He is a very particular man, and has a set way he wants things done. While the tests are tough, he does grade quite fairly. The class is usually based on a curve. In the summer course, around a 47% is going to be the bottom of a "c" but it changes based upon the class average. Each test is 12 free-response 12 multiple choice.
I found Adams to be a great professor. He explained concepts very clearly. I took the condensed summer version of PHY 131 (1 month long) so we had homework everyday. Do the work and you will pass. Actually learn stuff and avoid relying on chegg and you will get an A.
IDK WHY SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT HE WAS A GREAT TEACHER BUT BY FAR THE WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER TAKEN. He is extremely rude and talks to you like you're an idiot if you ask any questions. POSTS NO ONLINE NOTES OR TEST STUDY GUIDES. TEST ARE HARD AND AVERAGE IN THE 60%s. Uses clicker attendance points. Legit will scream at students in a scary way.
I have no knowledge and experience of physics so I was excited for this class.. he's intimidating to talk to and reply his emails like a robot. His website is complicated but I got used to it and the TA's are always Asian ppl so they're hard to understand and they don't even know my name unless you have a background of physics dont take this class
The professor is someone you either like or dislike with a passion. He likes things done a specific way & if you don't follow, then you'll definitely be yelled at (literally). Despite that, he knows what he is talking about & listens to the student's feedback to the best of his abilities. You have to pay attention to his lectures.
Worst class I've ever taken. I emailed him asking for help about something small about my turning point clicker and he responded rudely and would not answer a simple question. The exams are crap because I could get the correct answer and it is still incorrect because I did not draw a picture, etc. The lab instructor did not speak clear English.
He is a great professor and physics teacher. But I did not like his class format. As apposed to lecturing he expects everyone to read the textbook before class and goes over what the class may be confused about. One may enjoy this style of class, but take another professor if you like learning through traditional lecture. Barely showed up.
He is literally the worst teacher I have ever had. He asks if you have any questions in your lecture and if you ask a question he tells you to ask your TA, who then yells at you when you ask the question because it's not relevant to the recitation. Average grades on tests are a 60 and he has to bump everyone 1 letter grade in order for us to pass.
Hardest homework I have ever had; but, he definitely cares about his student's success. Do not expect a lecture. He wants you people to use the book and learn how to learn. Class will be spent doing problems and slight review of the material.
Avoid him IF you don't have STRONG background of physic. Thanks to him I got scared of physics because I didn't took physics in high school. He is intimidating and unresponsive to emails. I had to drop his class to save my semester. I took physic again with Prof. Hill and I am expecting A+. His homework and exams are ridiculously tough. Worst Prof!
I had a GPA of 4.11 coming into this semester. I will now have no where near that because of this foolish old man. I am a hardworking student and I can't believe he is a teacher. He is an awful human that does not like students.
Although the structure of this class is very clearly organized, the rest of the class is a mess. This ONE CLASS requires 3 different sections that you are required to attend (recitation, lab, and lecture). I went into this class with a basic understanding of physics, and I'm leaving knowing less than I did then. Avoid this class if you can.
Need the textbook since he doesn't lecture. He doesn't teach so you won't learn anything from him. Practice questions nothing like test questions. I don't want my worst enemies to have this awful man...
Textbook is a MUST. He doesn't teach you anything. Honestly, he doesn't. That's how the class is formatted he says this.... Very mean person. If you ask him a question he considers simple he will tell you how easy it is or just yell at you.
Don't listen to anything he says. Here is the best advice for the course. The tests are 70% conceptual. The final is 5% conceptual. Study problems not concepts for the final. Average for the final was a 23%!!
His lectures are pretty dry, and he has clicker questions throughout each lecture that are for points. The tests are very difficult. I failed all 3 of them. However, he does drop the lowest test, quiz, and lab grade. The online homeworks can be tricky. I had to have online tutoring. Otherwise, I wouldn't have passed the class.
If you have not taken Physics before... Good luck.
Did not learn one thing from his class. Finished with a C+ at least. He treats you as if you are in high school. Assigned seating? Really? I paid thousands of dollars for you to hate your job?
Did not learn one thing but finished with a B- since his smug TA sebastian did all the homework for us. Treats us like middle schoolers. Assigned seating in college, really?? If you are black he will talk down to you.
"Totally not a weed out class that's a weed out class" as he puts it, he intentionally makes it difficult, choosing difficult problems he doesn't teach how to do, and is condescending to most questions. There is a relatively fair curve, however.
Dr. Adams is very knowledgeable in Physics. He gives great demonstrations, and goes over concepts as best as he can to try to make us understand it. This subject is not an easy one for everyone to comprehend, so it can be difficult. The tests are not easy, but there are a lot of points you can get in the class and there is a fair grading scale.
This man does not teach you a single thing. He goes through proofs and does demonstrations; however, his homework is so ridiculously hard that you will be sitting in your seat for hours hating yourself for taking his class. His tests are all conceptual and his quizzes are all more math based. Honestly just avoid this class you won't learn a thing.
Gary Adams, that's my boy. We would chill on the weekends and all that good stuff. He runs and and all that big boy stuff. He does some curls with me at the gym, but if you give him a pad in the back you'll knock all the dust off this man. He's a crappy professor. Don't take this man's class, please and thank you.
The tests were HARD. The averages on all the tests were a 65% or lower, average on the final was 59%. Clicker points, labs, webassign, written homework, quizzes and tests make up your grade. I got a 79.96 and he rounded it to be B not even a B-. The curve will always come at the end, just try hard at getting a good grade at everything else.
I wouldn't even describe Prof. Adams as a teacher. He goes through proofs and equations so quickly that you don't have time to understand them. The homework is way harder than examples given in lecture or recitation. Tests are impossible unless you have a photographic memory. Supposed to be an entry level class but I promise you it's not. AVOID HIM
The homework is overwhelmingly difficult and the lectures don't prepare you. Either go to your favorite TA or read read read. Recitation is just extra punishment. To add insult to injury, Gary can be somewhat condescending when you get something wrong or ask a question he doesn't like. If you can help it, avoid this professor.
No lecture and homework is difficult. In class examples are useless. Don't take this class if you can.
If you haven't taken physics before, don't expect anything higher than a C. Easily the most difficult class I've ever taken. Gary seems to know what he's doing but doesn't know how to teach his knowledge to his classes. Don't take this class if you can avoid it!
Gary Adams is by far the worst professor I've ever had. The TA for the recitations didn't teach us anything either. When asked a simple question Gary would just look at you and sometimes he would yell. He would be very frustrated before tests which would agitate the students. Never got higher than a D on the tests. Lectures are useless.
I hope you've already taken physics in high school. Gary lectures A LOT of material each class, and breezes through it, so it's very fast paced. Tests are tough, but study your notes and homework assignments you'll score better (and by that I mean you'll get a B at best- these tests are tricky) Heavy curve at the end saved my life!
I read the previous comments about this teacher's classes and figured that I could tough this one out because I needed the class for my major. I am a hard worker and I tried my absolute best with this class but still got a B+. Take this professor if you are ready for hard work, otherwise I would take another professor.
Do not take this class unless you have previous experience in physics. Class average was a 61.16%, lectures are just him going over practice problems, can be condescending at times. There is a lot of homework which isnt really explained well in class. Recitations are basically pointless. If you dont already know physics then you wont pass
Clear notes, in-class experiments, well structured classes. The 2 problems in each exam are variants of the ones done in class. Drops the lowest exam plus curve. Had physics in high school but still had to study a lot! Teaches the right way, he isnt just going to give you a formula and call it a day. Labs, recitation and homework is a lot of work
Physics is his life, literally. He has his own website that has everything you need on it. Lecture is twice a week and he is strict on grading. As long as you do all the homework and attend lecture you should be fine. It is a lot of information to keep up with you just have to stay very consistent with this class.
Took as non-major related class. Should have listened to bad ratings. Labs are frustrating (bad TA's year). NO TEST STUDY GUIDES, trick q's on exams! Lectures boring and are done on overhead, he is unapproachable/mocks students. TA's acknowledge math is physics 120 level. Far too challenging and irritating for 101 level. AVOID. Take at comm college
Far and away the worst experience I've had in a class. There is no teaching, by design. The structure is, read the book, take a quiz, go over that quiz very briefly in class, do group practice problems. You are expected to teach yourself Physics. Scroll through the other reviews, everything negative they say is 100% accurate.
Awful class. Unless you love physics and would like to spend an outrageous amount of time on a ridiculous 101 level class, avoid this professor. He loves trick q's on tests, no study guides avail. Not sure what is going on with lab TA's but they love yelling and gave calc level equations. There has to be a better way to do physics 101 than this.
I honestly doubt he really has enough knowledge of physics. As a result, he is simply not capable of teaching. Being incapable is one thing, but not realizing it is even more horrible. Perhaps he should go to middle school or somewhere and teach some easy physics. College level is too hard for him.
This professor expects you to teach yourself, class is just to go over what you "learned"
Gary isn't all that bad. Physics is tough so no professor is going to baby you. My first professor for PHY121 was 10x less approachable and very condescending... and he is not, so I preferred him. You do have to read whats assigned or you will be entirely lost. Curved grades at the end of the semester. Lets you correct one exam problem for credit!
I didn't expect that physics 101 would be this exhausting! I didn't like Admas because he is simply making EVERYTHING so complicated. He is a very TOUGH grader as well. Exams are hard with few questions (losing a lot of points). He is a little rude sometimes and straight-forward. Lots OF HW and quizzes and written HW as well. AVOID THIS CLASS.
This is one of those classes where you do ALL the learning outside of class and you are quizzed on it before you come into class. Lectures are basically useless, he will go over homework before it is due, but its not always done right. Test averages were about a 40-50%. The tests are all obscure conceptual questions with some actual problems.
Don't take if you can't pay attention. His goal is to iron out your misconceptions about physics, so most of the questions are trick questions. Know that and pay attention and you're set. The lecture was fun, with lots of examples, demonstrations, and engagement. He uses his own site. Lots of calculations on the homework. Must show your work.
Luckily I learned physics in highschool good. I did not learn one thing from this class. I believe he tried to spit on my face when I went to his office hours. I do not miss his class.
If you need to take phy101 dont take it with him!!!! DO NOT! His grading curve is weird. Exams are hard. He super strict on grading hw and everything is his way or the highway. No one will ever be able to get an A in that class! His class is more of a chem class than a phy class.
A little eccentric, but not as bad as they say. Homework's a lot of work, but get with a group of friends or go to the tutoring center and you'll be fine. Adams does talk a lot in class and it can be a little confusing, but he's just really passionate about the subject. He curves the final grade and posts grades consistently.
This is a self taught class, he is really there just to guide you in a rough direction. Constant homework full of difficult questions. This class will take large amounts of work, but will pay off in what you learn if you do.
This was such a difficult class for it just being a 101 class. He is definitely stuck in his ways and the old school projector that he refuses to get rid of makes it so hard to see his handwritten notes. A lot of what he says in lecture does not match online hw, written hw, or quizzes. Book does better job explaining than him. Good luck
Dr. Adams is a nice guy. I think the problem with this course is that it is heavily reliant on one's own knowledge. I am not a physics whiz and never will be, but the labs and hw make up for it. Adams knows his tests are hard, and in the end he curves the class, a 57 was a c. His formatting for hw that you turn in is odd, but doable.
He uses an old school projector to write on, so he doesn't just skip through slides. He does a lot of demonstrations which are SUPER helpful for visual learners. He is super helpful in office hours! Exams are hard, but it is a college-level physics class. I found the HW to be not too bad. You can definitely get an A if you study in advance.
Like other people said, this class is very dependent on your own knowledge so you will have to read the textbook, otherwise, you'll be totally lost. Homework is frequent & hard because you don't go over concepts in class so I suggest getting private tutoring, reading the book frequently or just choosing another teacher.
Although it is apparent that Professor Adams cares about teaching, and does fun demonstrations, he is not a good Physics teacher. His lectures are hard to follow and does not know how to explain something in a way that everyone would understand. He does not provide study guides for exams but will curve grades at the end. (That's how I passed)
The reading quizzes are given at absurd times, there are no lectures to learn from as the class is "active learning," the book is confusing, the homework is long and tedious, and the feedback is absolutely useless. This class makes me feel defeated and gives me no motivation to continue studying physics.
Gary Adams gives two hours worth of homework due every Monday and Wednesday that are hard problems that his TA's cannot solve correctly half the time. There is little to no instruction, and in comparison to other teachers he gives harder problems and more confusing material, and you won't be learning any more than any other kids in other classes.
Gary is a nice guy but he makes this class hard for all the wrong reasons. The subject matter is basic, but his requirements for assignments are absurd. You can do a problem and do all work/answers 100% correct yet fail to even get a 50% for the assignment. He confines your learning/reasoning to ONE method and you fail if you don't do it his way.
He doesn't teach you any material but makes you read the book and expects you to understand it. And, to make matters worse, he said our last test would be cancelled yet gave us a final anyway. Avoid this teacher like the Coronavirus.
For the love of god! If you're trying to pass PHY121 I highly recommend to not take this man's class. He has no care in the world about his students and refuses to lecture. All you do is work on practice problems in the class and then he makes you stand in front of the class and present your work with a random name generator. The tests are also bad
The idea is to learn before class and then work on problems in class. So yes, you do have to learn things ahead of time. I did AP/IB so I was more than fine, but that's probably why half the class is failing. Also, homework is VERY long and hard. Quizzes and tests were pretty easy though. Basically, a lecture would've been easier.
Adams is an okay professor. The way you do your written assignments has to be exactly how he does it or he will remove points. You have to explain your answers very well. You can still fail an assignment even if you have the correct answer. The class wasn't too bad, but it wasn't easy. You gotta work for a high grade in this class.
First of all DONT BUY THE TEXTBOOK. He says you'll use it, you won't. He's very stuck in his ways. He's been doing the class the same way since the 90's, same technology and all, so beware you'll get frustrated fast. The class isn't all that easy, but it is passable, but the way he expects write-ups is kind of insane. So just be aware of that.
Where do I begin? Attendance is 10% of your grade and the lectures are mostly boring. The material is not bad but he sure makes you hate it. His grading is terrible, even if you go to a physics tutor and have him/her do the written homework for you, you will still get a 12/20. He made many of us feel unmotivated and discouraged in only a month.
DO. NOT. TAKE. THIS. CLASS. WITH. THIS. PROFESSOR. For a 100 level class this man made the content way more difficult than it needed to be. His notes are terrible and confusing. He makes students do homework and quiz write-ups a particular, unnecessary way so if you dont do it that way, youll get a bad grade (even if you got the correct answer).
Very stuck in his ways, very poor at explaining the material because he just expects you to know it by reading the textbook which helps a bit but confuses you even more because Adams gives you totally unrelated problems.
Probably the hardest level 100 class I've taken. You have to do your written work EXACTLY to his liking. Find a way to take PHY 101 with a different professor. If there's a class outside the Tempe campus, choose that option instead. Trust me, it's worth having a better prof further away than taking PHY 101 with Adams. The final exam took away my B.
TURN BACK NOW. 22/61 students in my class insta-failed from not meeting his homework minimum. 3 hour long super hard homework assignment every MWF, homework quizzes due at 1 pm every T and TH. This man literally thinks it's middle school: assigned groups, assigned seating, no actual lecturing, INVOLUNTARILY CALLS YOU UP TO THE FRONT TO EXPLAIN.
I dont understand all the negative feedback here. Adams was my favorite. His lectures are handwritten in class, the right pace for note taking. He uses live demos, which are entertaining and helpful. Has a specific format for hw questions, but simple if you practice. Pay attention in lecture for an easy A. He loves what he teaches. 100% recommend!
I ONLY suggest you take this class if you absolutely understand Physics and/or if it is a required course you have to take. Your lowest grade for your test, lab, written homework, and quiz gets dropped. Turning point questions matter, so try to get a good grade on those. Taking good notes and try to ask questions because that will be most useful.
The man is very stuck in his ways, doesn't teach but expects you to teach yourself and confuses you more when you read the book. Avoid at all costs to stay on track.
He is a nice guy but all he does is talk in lectures. If you want help or dont know what or where to find something all he ever does is tell you "its on his website" when his website is complicated and hard to navigate. This class is practically three different classes in one, and is very time consuming and confusing. Take physics over the summer.
I took his PHY101 class online during COVID. If youve never taken physics he the class is horrible. Quizzes are impossible. He gives you 10 mins to read the elaborate question, solve it, take a picture, upload it, covert it to pdf and finally submit it. And you have to include a drawing which takes more time. If you know physics well then ur good
The professor does not care much about the students. In my class more than half of the students were failing and he did not care. He is a very harsh grader. This is a very hard class especially since it is being taught online (over zoom). I would not recommend taking this class with this professor, take it at Polly or online over the summer
this class is impossible. You have to take a quiz almost every week and are only given 10 minutes to take it. After asking for more time, the professor sent an email explaining how we have made it harder on him and the problems we caused because of asking for more time on the quizzes. He does not care if you fail and does not teach well at all.
He was great in class, but it was hard when COVID hit because he didn't understand technology well. He is very demonstration heavy and tries to make the class fun, but couldn't really do that online. His tests were hard, so make sure you have study buddies.
He is not considerate of his students. If someone has technical difficulties he does not care and would not hesitate to fail a student. My quiz submitted and the website had technical difficulties, the professor did not care and will not respond to my emails. I would definitely never take this professor ever again.
By far one of the wort professor/teacher I have ever had. Does not care for students, does not take responsibility. He thinks he is very good at teaching but more than half the class is failing. Does not admit to his faults. I will never take this professor ever and I wish I never took physics with this professor.
I took physics in HS and thought I had a basic understanding of physics until this class. Over half the class is failing, he grades inconsistently, and doesn't allow you to ask him questions directly during class. This class claims to be for beginners but Gary teaches as through you have a PHd, I cannot recommend this professor to anyone.
This is not taught like a 100 level course. Steer far away from any class taught by Dr. Adams if you can.
does not teach as though this is a level 100 class. Teaches as though you should know everything about physics. Does not teach well at all, does not make sense. Refuses to communicate with his students directly. Homework and labs are graded very strictly, the TAs also do not care about students. Worst class ever, do not recommend
Worst class I have ever taken! Professor Adams's teaches this class as though it is a 300 - 400 level course. He often makes little sense and is completely inaccessible outside of class. I wish I hadn't taken Physics with this professor..
There is lots of commentary about Adams, but I'd like to say to read the readings before lecture, they do help. Ask your TAs for office hours to review homework/ review before the test. Make sure to complete labs. Talking to a group of peers to answer clicker questions was very helpful. Don't be discouraged; demanding class but not impossible
This is the second worse class I have taken at ASU. Professor Adams makes physics 101 one the most most dreadful parts of the week. I never missed a math problem on a homework or test and received a B+ in the class because he did not like my explanation or free body diagrams. Apparently he was not bright enough to understand. Ridiculous work load.
made me cry. for hours. by far the worst professor i have ever met in my entire life.
His approval rating on this website speaks for itself but he expects you to understand everything by just reading the book & wikipedia's page on Differential Equations then gives you questions even his graduate student TA's can't solve.
If you're taking PHY101 ONLINE (covid) find a different teacher. He will not accommodate any issues you have. I had this class FOUR times a week... and you have to navigate several websites (including his terrible one) for hw,labs,etc. He grades VERY harsh. Way too hard for a 100 class. Only perk: test questions are like the hw. --TAKE GOOD NOTES-
Friend dropped out of ASU right after our first quiz where she got a 0 because the TA didn't warn our Slim 15 minutes to take, convert to a pdf, and upload the quiz was coming up, so she submitted an actual MINUTE late. Happened to an abundant amount of (genuinely smart) students as well throughout the course. Was left to fend for myself, so hard.
He was a great teacher who is super enthusiastic about physics. I took his class online during COVID and omg it's so hard! I went to tutoring so much and barely understood the material. On the plus side, he curved the grade so I could pass which I really appreciated. I recommend going to office hours every chance you get to be on his good side.
Goes over Homework which is great, but he goes over them for like 45 seconds for each question. And if you actually follow along and do the stuff he does, your answer will most likely be wrong, if it isn't for his TAs I would be crying.
IF YOU CAN READ THIS, CHOOSE ANOTHER PROFESSOR
Lectures are robotic but a little helpful. The final was similar but not like webassign hw (no multiple choice). I did bad and studied every hw problem. I had an 83% in the class and the final dropped me to a 73%, at least he curves a C to be about 60%. Grading on written hw and quizzes is STRICT. Online is brutal, not sure it would be better irl
He ran a "flipped classroom" where homework was gone over in class and you would learn the material from the textbook on your own, however, he would only go over 1 of the problems during class. He assigned 2 homework assignments a week taking about 5 hours each and 6 tests throughout the semester. Tough class but curves generously.
I was ready for a hard physics class, but this is definitely harder than it should be. I am a math major and he doesn't explain the concepts nearly enough to pass. I never missed one lecture/ recitation/ lab/ and the class was still difficult. His lectures are seriously monotone and doesn't involve any personality in them. take another professor.
Gray Adams is the reason I am losing my scholarship. He is the WORST professor to have ever lived. He runs a "flipped classroom" where the homework on topics that have already been tested on are due while he lectures you for 50 minutes with useless physics jargon and then expects you to fully understand and Immediately do the homework for it.
To pass this class make sure to read the textbook, preferably before class to understand everything. Adams goes over some examples in class but hardly ever finishes or fully explains them. Homeworks twice a week and they take about 4-5 hours each. Tests are graded very harshly so make sure you have the right free body diagrams. Seek outside help.
Professor Adams should not teach Physics 101. He is not good at teaching the fundamentals of physics and this can be seen through the test averages. It is clear that he lacks passion teaching this class, and cannot express the knowledge he possesses well. It is a very difficult class if you were not introduced to physics previously.
If you put in a lot of work into this class then it shouldn't be too hard to get an A. He drops the lowest grades for exams, quizzes, and labs which is useful. Definitely go to his TA's for help. The format he wants for HW is kind of annoying at first but you'll get the hang of it.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR! If you want to pass the phy 121 class please do not take this professor. He is not audible at all even with the mikes. His content is like finding the Titanic in the Bermuda Triangle because it is not there. You will never be able to find his content and he doesnt show grades till the end of the semester or life idk.
Dr. Adams is the worst professor I've had. He does not respond to emails quickly, is not understanding of any technical difficulties of the terrible websites he uses for quizzes and HW. He grades way too harsh for a 101 class. The only part that was easy was lab thanks to my TA. The quizzes are absolutely ridiculously timed and the reason I failed.
If you're taking Physics with Adams, SWITCH IMMEDIATELY. I'm a straight-A student but this class was IMPOSSIBLE. Have to do the homework/quizzes exactly like he does or you fail, lectures no sense. What really made me drop was when I mentioned I was going to tutoring he was like "You're not supposed to go to tutoring, come to my office hours"
might as well teach yourself physics with yt tutorials than take this class since that's what you'll end up doing anyways. with the amount of material he goes over and the level of depth he wants you to understand, gl remembering anything for the final exam. The labs/recitations are easy and TA's are nice. Main lecture is boring and test are a pain
If you're good at physics, this class is fine for a credit. If you aren't, don't take this class. Gary isn't a great lecturer, has tough and specific grading rules, and is generally just rude.
I aced calculus and organic chemistry and plan on receiving a B or even less in PHYSICS 101 due to the way this class is laid out. During quizzes you have ten minutes to create a written explanation, do all the math, unit work etc, all to get 10-30% taken off because you didnt box your answer or write a sentence after your answer.
Do not take Adams. He runs a flipped classroom, meaning he only goes over the (overly hard, most un-Cheggable) homeworks in class, expecting you to do the hours of textbook learning on top of the 5+ hours of homework each week. Graded questions *every* class. Only one upside: a massive grade curve. Your best choice, currently, is Prof. Singh.
This was by far my least favorite class and professor. He does not lecture well, the HW problems are annoying to write, and the tests are horrible. I held an A in this course all semester until the final which was nearly impossible to pass even after days/hours of studying. I would not recommend professor Adams for physics.
Pretty tough professor who gives a lot of homework. The tests are then partially related to homework but not completely. unfortunately even if the tests were closer to the homework, the homework was hard enough that it wouldnt make it any easier. Impossible to study for them if Im being honest
Hardest class I've ever taken. Disorganized lectures, multiple tests, tons of homework. Claims the class is to be taught as a flipped classroom but you end up doing the lectures and homework on your own time. This class isn't even part of my major and it was the class I spent 95% of my time on. Final was brutal, I got 25%. Don't take this class.
This professor has a lot of HW's and quizzes. Also, don't forget the midterms and finals this was the heaviest material I took. DON'T TAKE ANY CLASS WITH HIM!!!
Homework, quiz, or lab something is due every day of the week except saturday. only homework problems in class, no lecture so you gotta teach yourself
Gary Adams was the worst professor I've ever taken in my life-regardless of the subject. The worst part is, is that this class doesn't even pertain to my major and yet I was spending the most time on it. Awful lecturer. Doesn't help. You learn nothing through him and have to teach yourself. Do not take this class with him.
I regret not looking up his rate.
I have taken much harder subjects than PHY101. Dr. Adams has a difficult to navigate course page/homework site & he doesn't even do current grades. Focused too much on concepts, not much teaching on how to do the actual quantifiable problems. Learned almost everything from my boyfriend and Google. Easy class made difficult by the teaching methods.
Worst professor I've ever taken in my life. He's stubborn as a mule. He'll never compromise if you're ever going through a tough time and are unable to participate sufficiently, he's never understanding of any technical difficulties that you might face, and his lectures are absolute hell. It's better to miss out on credit hours than take his class.
Great professor, great class. Work hard, persevere, your grade will too. Then, you'll be ready for anything.
Do not take Adams unless you already have a background in physics. The concepts in this class are not that hard, but the way he teaches (or doesn't teach) his class makes this one of the hardest classes I have ever taken. I am literally doing better in organic chemistry right now. Avoid at all costs
This class was tough for me but math is not my strong suit. If you study the homework questions and the example problems you should do ok on the tests. The formatting is tedious but it helped me and after an assignment or 2 I got the hang of it. The final is tough it is all MC, different than the exams. I used most my time this sem on this class
Beware, he doesn't teach in lecture. You have to completely teach yourself fairly difficult concepts. Lectures are completely useless but you still have to attend. Tests are sometimes similar to HW and the final is so different. All MC that are very difficult. Don't take
He spent a few minutes each class struggling with technology, and then he wouldn't even teach the material. His lectures were so much different from the homework and not helpful at all. If he didn't have in-class questions, I wouldn't have gone. I'd advise to take someone else who actually teaches.
Avoid this class like the black plague. Homework grading is so tedious, even if you get the answer correct you can still get a 5/10 on the assignment. Horrible lectures, teaches physics wrong. Actually the worst professor I have ever taken.
6 tests (1 every other Friday, no MC, only word problems). RQ due Sun, Tue, HW Mon, Wed +lab/Rec. Only does HW problems in class, covers a ton of material. Tried to power through but had to withdraw after SpringBreak. He will not take questions before/after class. Not a nice guy or a caring teacher. Retaking now with Singh, two different worlds.
The professor is average, the grading breakdown is horrible. 15% depends on getting iClicker questions correct directly after learning material. I need time to absorb what I'm learning and am not being given that time in this lecture. You will be penalized for not immediately understanding. Avoid unless you have a background in physics.
This guy is the definition of an a-hole and the way his class is setup is TERRIBLE. NEVER take this professor, can not stress enough.
Terrible professor. Super outdated, lectures are very hard to follow, defers you to TAs who are not able to help because they're just as lost as you are. The written homework is stupidly specific, as in if you don't draw a picture the right way say goodbye to ten points. The tests hardly have the content taught in the lectures as well.
Unfortunately, he is the only physics professor available. if you have to take him make sure all the ASU programs work with your computer. His teaching style is not bad but if you ask questions he makes you feel dumb. The homework is easy as long you just follow his template you should get a full grade on it.
this professor just sucks. read the textbook before lectures because they will be very confusing if you don't. if you have an IEP, he doesn't let you use it for some reason. your grade is heavily reliant on ur quiz/test scores. i missed all the quizzes and 1 test and i still passed (medical reason). you can zoom for attendance. don't take him.
He will not allow any exceptions to anything, no matter the circumstance. You can tell he's been teaching this class for half a decade because he just talks through the lectures like he's reading to himself.
You are required to learn ALL material before class. Wouldn't be an issue if you weren't expected to just read hundreds of pages of text and learn it all in your free time. No exceptions for make up work if you are sick. Doesn't answer any questions you have. Despite his lack of teaching, he was also an extremely rude person. Don't take with GA.
This Professor doesn't do much of anything at all to help students out! Not only that, there's no material that could help us with studying for each individual test, so it's almost near impossible unless you have some sort of experience with physics before entering this class. Don't take this class!
He does not give any study material, so tests are very difficult. I have almost perfect grades on all of the homework, quizzes, and labs, but am close to failing because the exams don't reflect what was taught in lecture and practiced in labs and homework. He is rude, condescending, and does not care about his students. Worst teacher I've ever had.
This class was by far the most difficult class I have taken at ASU, and it is a level 100 Physics class. He doesn't apply concepts to when and where to use them, and he is condescending and treats you like you are dumb when you ask questions. He never provides study guides, so it is nearly impossible to study for his exams. Do not take this class.
We had 6 hours of very difficult HW for a 100 level class every week on top of readings, quizzes and recitations he barely taught in class and we were supposed to solve problems ourselves in class with help. However he provides decent help and you get strong in basic physics concepts in this class which makes 131 a breeze
Tough class with strict professor. Lectures are confusing and exams don't match material. Homework grading is overly picky. Textbook and unstuckstudy ai were helpful for study prep, but class is a challenge.
Absolute tw@t
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
85%
Textbook Required
55%
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