2.4
Quality4.0
Difficulty32%
Would Retake139
Reviews32%
Would Retake
139
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
139 total ratings5
16
4
18
3
32
2
23
1
50
What Students Say
“Homework, recitation, lecture, and tests never match up”
0174 - 2.0 rating“This class is a hard class to begin with, and Dr”
PHYS0174 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
16%
Textbook Required
36%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYS0120
4.3
(4)PHYS111
4.0
(1)PHYS0172
3.5
(2)PHYS0174
3.0
(40)PHYS0175
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHYS0110
4.3
PHYS0172
4.0
PHYS0175
4.0
PHYS0174
3.9
PHYS174
3.7
Reviews (138)
DON'T EVEN THINK TO TAKE HIMMMMMMM,, THE AVERAGE OF THE CLASS WAS 60 OUT OF 160, AND SOME PEOPLE SCORED 1 POINT OUT OF 160 AND THE EXAM WAS JUST 3 QUESTIONS, SO IF YOU DON'T KNOW 1 YOU WILL GET D AND IF YOU DON'T 2 YOU WILL FAIL
Immpossible!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Didn't keep the class interesting, just gave the information out and let the students fall where they may until he discovered we were all failing...stay far away!
This is a very tough class. If you're not good at physics I would highly advise taking another teacher. There were two exams, one final, weekly quizes, and weekly homework on LON-CAPA.
Very difficult class. I worked my butt off and for 5 hours of class (and recitation) it was not worth 4 credits. Definitely don't take this class for a science gen ed. Averages on tests were in the 60%, but he had a big curve and gave extra credit.
Horrible, horrible professor. Take physics with a different instructor.
He's very good at explaining, but if you have not taken calculus or do not want to be an engineer, I do not recommend this class - difficult, but he curves and gives chances for making up your grade. Office hours are helpful and he loves to do visual examples (also no lab or quizzes!)
Very difficult class. Take with another professor if possible.
Very hard. His exams are impossible unless you have very good intuition about physics concepts. Do not take if you can help it!
Great guy and extremely helpful. Explains everything very well and is always willing to go over a concept again if you ask... But his test are extremely hard
easy homeworks, tests are extremely difficult and unfair... had to curve the class 40%. avoid if at all possible!
As long as you DO and UNDERSTAND the homework, you can do well in Salman's class. His tests are hard, but that's because he combines several concepts into 1 question. I got an A+ in the class by just doing the homework and going to lecture, and he was one of my favorite professors at Pitt.
VERY HARD TESTS!!! He is a good teacher who cares but if you cant follow him, you do not have much of a chance. He really prepares you for tougher classes but it is not an easy task.
His tests are SOOOO hard. The class average for my midterm was a 50 and he DID NOT curve it. This man does not care about his students. Whenever I asked questions, he made me feel like an idiot. Not a good attitude toward teaching either. He can be be helpful, but barely. Also, he teaches very fast, which I disliked greatly. He made me hate physics
He is a very hard teacher and expects you to keep up with the work by reading the text along with doing problems. The average on my midterm was bad (50%), but he is very fair about it. He said that for anyone who does well on the final he will not count a poor midterm grade. Physics is a very hard class, its not necessarily the teacher's fault.
failed the midterm [50 average], struggled with few homework problems, attempted all lon capa, redeemed myself on the final [60 average] and got an A in the class... Fair but hard teacher. Doesn't go on to next topic until the previous is crystal clear to everyone
He has changed his teaching method since some of the other reviews were written. He no longer gives any quizzes, LON-CAPA is not mandatory, and there's one weekly homework assignment. He does not curve tests, and the averages are in the D or F range. They're hard, but not impossible. He doesn't do much to keep the class interesting.
Lectures: powerpoint based with powerpoint used to present more the equations and not used to provide examples. examples done very little in class. one mid-term and one final make up your grade. but he did drop the midterm if you did significantly better. Lon Capa isn't mandatory. RECOMMENDATION: do as many practice problems on your own
This class is EXTREMELY hard. Salman does not teach the class very well as he is a BIO researcher and the tests are VERY low in average. He will be fair if you have a low grade and you do well on the final by dropping the exam but the tests are out of 100 points but you can actually get 166 points and still people fail.
All you have to do is study in his class, show up to lecture, and participate, and you will get an A. I do not know what these other people are talking about - he is not that bad. Simply study what he gives you and you can get an A in Physics.
Salman isn't necessarily a bad teacher, but he teaches a tough class, and also makes his tests tough and challenging because they encompass more than one concept into one question. He changed his final this semester, and it was brutal, the midterm wasn't too bad however. Knowing some physics beforehand is essential for Salman's class.
I was told he is one of the better professors. Use your resources and study HARD. Open notes tests, but to me that means they are that much harder. Be able to think conceptually and analytically. It is possible to do good in the class, I bombed the midterm, didn't do so good on the final but still passed the class. He was helpful. I recommend him.
He isn't all that great in lecture, but he's very good 1 on 1. If you're the type of person who gets scared of professors (lol) then he isn't for you. But if you are capable of manning up and going to his office hours, it's very easy to get an A. He genuinely wants everyone to do well, just don't be afraid of approaching him.
Lectures are power point based, and very boring. His tests are very hard for an introduction to physics course. Study on your own and you will be better off than wasting your time going to lecture.
Powerpoint lectures. Very approachable and helpful. If you go to class exams are pretty easy. Hardest thing is TA assignments which are worth the least of your grade. Overall he is a great professor.
By far the best teacher to take for this class. Physics is a difficult class no matter how you put it, but Professor Salman is extremely fair. Homework is a huge chunk of your grade. Don't be afraid to go to office hours, do your work, and you should be fine. Just be prepared to study.
1-gets angry at kids for not understanding concepts 2- unfair. particularly grading and TA assignments. he gave me 1/15 points because the question asked for velocity and I just gave the number (not the only example). TA assignments are "meant to be too hard for you to do so you can struggle with them for a week" 3-not good at explaining concepts
Not an easy class but Professor Salman really wants to see his students learn and will stay on a topic until he gets verbal feedback that people understand. Extremely intimidating,but GO INTO OFFICE HOURS, he's very helpful. His tests were conceptual and can be tricky. MUST go to class and take notes. very intelligent and cares.
Physics is very difficult but Dr. Salman made it easy. His tests are much easier than they used to be. 20 multiple choice questions. If you don't understand something, go to office hours, he is very helpful one on one.
Looks like an Indian Ray Barone. Extremely nice professor! Best choice for Physics 1. Very helpful and boosted my grade just for showing up at office hours!
His exam only has multiple choices and you can bring a textbook to exam:)
Had a negative attitude while teaching the class and was hard to understand. Would get angry when people asked questions, and when people would not ask enough questions. Also visited office hours a number of times for help and he seemed intimidating. Not a warm kind of guy. Did however identify that the class was struggling and "curved the class".
This class is a hard class to begin with, and Dr. Salman doesn't make it any easier. He definitely does his job when it comes to weeding out the engineers. His tests are all multiple choice and are pretty hard. I passed by doing well on all homeworks. He is not helpful when you ask questions and he will make you feel dumb for asking.
This course is difficult and the concepts covered are very difficult. Dr. Salman does well to explain these topics and relate them to each other in a clear manner. I feel he does this well and is fair on his grading. As long as you read the book, do hw and go to lecture you should get a C or a B. The tests are hard but its MC and open book.
Worst teacher I have ever had. He gives hard pre lecture assignments, and when you attend the lecture the day after the assignment is due he starts a completely new and different topic than the assignment was on. Very confusing, don't take off you don't already understand all of the topics in the syllabus going into the class.
His explanations of concepts were extremely clear. Lectures are not required, but I highly suggest you attend them. He's slightly condescending in class when he asks questions, but he just wants people to participate. Multiple choice tests, open note and book. Just put in the work and effort, and you should be fine.
Salman test are typically pretty easy however they do have a few tricky questions here and there. When it comes to lecture he fully explains everything however it is easy to get lost occasionally when he begins to explain some concepts. If you take one of his courses make sure you understand the concepts not just how to do problems.
Homework, recitation, lecture, and tests never match up. What you do for one, you won't do for another, and if you don't stay on top of things, you will fail. He begs for class participation, but berates anyone who answers incorrectly. He gives a frustrated vibe, at all times. Tests are multiple choice and open note, though. Know your concepts.
Salman was an okay professor. The class was pretty difficult and in my opinion not much fun. Overall for physics 1, I'd say that Salman would be an okay choice just because you get 10 attempts on each HW problem and tests are open material. I guess if he sees that you try hard he tries to help your grade but that didn't happen to me unfortunately
The graded homework and tests were reasonable and he did his best do have demonstrations in class which were interesting and sometimes very helpful. However, he did get slightly frustrated when people didn't grasp the concepts quickly and only missing one lecture will make it impossible to figure out what's going on when you come back.
Boring lectures. Very easy to get lost especially when he answers students' questions. Uncomfortable class environment. Ended up teaching myself by the end of the sem bc his explanations of how to do the problems were TERRIBLE. Final, midterm, hw, and project make up grade. Exams are mc and open note but still difficult. Gives partial class notes
He was very helpful in office hours. Easy on the eye as well.
Lectures are difficult to sit through. I barely went. Tests are open notes and many of the questions are identical to ones given in recitation. NO PARTIAL CREDIT on exams. They are all multiple choice, which makes getting a good grade in the class very very tough. The homeworks are time consuming, but helpful.
Definitely go to lectures, sometimes hard to focus. Exams open-note and open-book, but all multiple choice, so hard to get a decent grade, do practice problems in book, sometimes sassy and harsh, especially when you give a wrong answer. Overall a good professor.
He doesn't care about students. He tanks your grade withe the final making it 40% of your grade and does not curve. Test are all multiple choice and answer choices that don't match the true answer, then gives credit to the people who selected the closest answer even though it's way off. Bad professor and you don't learn the material. GPA destroyer
Dr. Salman is the worst professor I've had at Pitt. It seemed like he was forced to teach this class against his will and took it out on his students. Very few helpful example problems were ever shown. He was even more condescending in office hours than in lecture. 0/10 would NOT recommend to anyone that values their GPA. I've never worked harder.
Each lecture Professor Salman seemed apathetic. The midterms were about 50% hard/50% easy, but the final was COMPLETELY different from the finals from the prior years (it was 100x harder). In his office hours, he was a little condescending and didn't really care. The exams, recitation problems, lectures, and homeworks weren't similar to each other.
Salman is unfriendly and he expresses a vibe of total impatience towards his students. Answering and asking questions in his class is a huge chore because he responds with either condescension or sarcasm (even if your answer is right). The class became too intimidated at times to interact in lecture. If you like physics, dont take his class.
Salman begs for class participation, then shoots everyone down who answers incorrectly. On the other hand he is the easiest phys 0174 teacher. his tests are open note and multiple choice. He also gives his own final. Your call.
On the first day of class he literally read his own RateMyProfessor reviews to the whole class. I take it the guy isn't a big fan of undergrads in general. Lectures are probably worth attending. All tests were multiple choice and open-note. Final is non-cumulative, only covers material taught after last midterm. Didn't study, still got a B.
Salman was little to no help with an extremely difficult introductory course for Physics/Engineering majors. On several occasions he laughed when students asked questions. I was quickly discouraged from participating in his class. Exams were tough, but homework was tougher.
I believe this is his first time teaching algebra-based physics 2 and I actually think it's going fairly well. His exams are 20 MC so it's easy to do poorly if you miss a few. They're open note but for sure not super easy, you still have to work and know things to get questions correct. Other than that, really caring about students in/out of class!
Really took the stress out of taking Physics 2. He drops the 3 lowest HW & Recitation grades. The midterm & final are 20 MC questions with problems very similar to what is done in class. He really takes his time & makes sure everyone understands what's going on. Exams are also open notes/open book. Very nice guy & keeps class pretty interesting.
Salman was a great professor. Really took the time to explain things well and make sure confusing topics were understood before moving on. Only 1 open note midterm that was easy to do well on if you had a basic understanding of the material. Heard around he was on academic probation so that could have something to do with the easiness of the class.
Everything was pretty easy EXCEPT the final. I had a 97 going into the class and the final was incredibly difficult especially compared to the mid term and rest of the class. Both exams were open note and attendance is optional
Excellent lecturer. Exams were fair, but required understanding of the material. Gave points back for math errors afterwards, if you showed your work. Homeworks and quizzes make up a decent portion of the grade, which is a nice cushion with only a midterm and a final. Also willing to work with students to help them succeed.
Salman is an intensely boring lecturer. He spends way too much time on the simplest part of each chapter, and often skips over the confusing bits towards the end. I wound up doing most of the work on my own, however, lecture attendance is mandatory. Very mundane class, but not very difficult.
Hes great. Lecture is a little dry but not mandatory. Exams are fair and hw make up a lot of your grade.
Although he only gives one midterm and final, both were VERY fair and open note. All of the material he tests on were in his lecture slides, so relying on the textbook wasnt necessary. Homeworks and recitation problems make up 40% of your grade and its not too hard to get an A for both (he drops 3 lowest grades in each). Take him!
Dr. Salman is the best professor for physics! He made this difficult subject and made it much easier to understand. Homework and recitation are a great cushion to your grade; midterm wasnt bad, but the final was more challenging and worth much of your grade. He was also helpful in office hours, and was very invested in the success of his students.
His lectures are inspirational, and he makes the tough contents straight forward and easy to comprehend. He gives a generous curve based on my good attendance record. There are 1 midterm and 1 final, 20 questions for each, and You can bring anything on paper to the exam. He's overall respected and caring. Take him.
TAKE HIM. Easy if you do sapling.
Dr. Salman is the best professor for introductory physics class. His lectures are clear, concise and informative. As long as you understand the questions on homework, you'll be fine. He gives one midterm and one final, both open book tests. He does give you curve if you have good attendance from clickers.
I took Physics 0174 and it should have been simple and straightforward as I'd taken AP Physics in High School. He over complicates everything and if I hadn't had a strong background in physics prior to this class I'm sure I'd have failed. However, his teaching is so much more complex than the tests and quizzes that they're easy by comparison.
This course comes down to exams. There's a midterm (20%) and a final (40%) that are each 20 multiple-choice questions which is pretty ridiculous. The midterm is a joke and you should be fine if you study. The final is really hard and although it's cumulative it's mostly on post-midterm material. 94 to get an A. Homework is 40% (Sapling).
AVOID! He does not care about/respect his students and designs his exams for the average person to not even be able to complete in time. He is rude if you ask questions. Our final exam average was a 38% and he said he designed it to be that way. When asked what would be on the exam, he said if you have to ask you're going to fail and refused to say
He is very rude to students and doesn't seem to care how they perform. Currently taking the online version and every week we have a final exam (the exam was split into four parts) and the averages are incredibly low. The final is 40% of your grade so each 6 point mini final is worth 10%, miss any and your grade drops a few percentages. Avoid.
I have an A in this class only because I took higher-level IB physics in high school. He is very rude to students, and his exams aren't meant to be finished. He is extremely lazy to create his own questions for the exams, so he basically just uses textbook problems. His in-class TopHat questions are so easy and useless for exam preparation.
he is so rude to his students. Many concerned students have reached out on how to do better on exams and he basically tells them that his exams are only meant for the "top exceptional students" to do well on. everyone else, good luck. He purposely makes it almost impossible to do well on/finish exams. He is unapproachable.
Avoid at all costs. He has told students that he designs the exams so that they aren't meant to be finished and when students ask questions in lecture he is extremely condescending and rude. The subject material is hard enough already and Salman only adds to this rather than caring about his students and how they're learning/doing.-1/10 recommend.
Not accommodating even during the pandemic where professors are encouraged to be. Very disrespectful and rude to students. Does not provide resources to help prepare for exams and gaslights his students. Do not take him.
Not accommodating even during the pandemic where professors are encouraged to be. Very disrespectful and rude to students. Does not provide resources to help prepare for exams and gaslights his students.
Dr. Salman was the worst professor I have had in my entire educational experience. Never before have I met someone who treated their students like they were nothing. He is not accessible and goes through the harder concepts extremely quick. I absolutely do not recommend anyone taking him for your mental health and GPA.
The worst professor that I have had in my life. The class is entirely online due to the pandemic and Professor Salman makes little effort to actually teach you and make sure that you comprehend concepts. He does not care about your mental health or grade in the class. Purposefully makes the exams so that only a small amount of students finish.
This class was very difficult. The syllabus is unclear about grading. Not sure how many recitations are graded or how class participation factors into him considering bumping grades. Dr. Salman is unwilling to answer questions about class structure or exams and is generally not very responsive. Avoid if at all possible.
Absolutely avoid him at all means possible. Professor Salman blatantly does not care about not only his students grades, but their mental health. He gets irritated when anyone asks him any sorts of questions and completely gaslights his students. This was the most draining class I have ever taken in my life, and its just an introductory course!
You can work around the clock studying for this class on everything that has been known of physics and he will find a way to put something on the exam that you would have no way to prepare for. Very disrespectful to students who would go to him to ask for help/advice. Very unclear on grading and do not ask if he curves anything, will not go well.
Probably the worst professor EVER! Grading: 20% midterm, 10% recitation quizzes, 30% homework, 40% final. This is a good grading system until you realize that his tests are practically impossible to finish within 25 minutes (5-6 questions each test). He is extremely rude and unavailable to help students out. He only wants the "top students" to pass
This class has been brutal. Dr. Salman seems to have a blatant disregard for his students time and energy especially during a pandemic. He has very fast paced exams that seem designed for students proficient in physics rather than those just learning the material. He also covered a chapter a day the week of the final to be sure to meet his timeline
Do not take any class unless you truly just want to fail. Clearly impossible to complete his, "exams". Has mini exams of 5 to 6 questions that will have 2 or 3 sub questions under each question really being about 10-15 questions and you have 20-25 minutes to complete them. Avoid at all cost.
Very nasty, gives no practice problems or help with exams, didn't curve, no partial credit, not enough time on exams,
Don't read any further. Dr. Salman was the worst.
Let me begin by saying he is grumpy and seemed disinterested or ticked off answering questions, but to be fair half of the question thrown in class was about points. Not the best lecturer yes, but felt that he was pretty fair on exams, gave out 20 extra p for the midterm, 40 p on the final, and its open notes. Easy to get a B hard to get an A class
Barely provided a few sample probs/ch. Exams were not reflective of these or the sapling. When asked for practice problems written by him (e.g. old quizzes/exams) he said "No. Next question". He HAD to curve hard but gaslighted us throughout the semester until the end when he realized how dramatically needed a curve was. Harder than needed to b
Exams questions are hard to understand and grading doesn't make sense: my raw midterm score was around a 30% and then he rounded it up to around a 90% (i.e. I learned nothing). I started to do better when I started relying on the chapter summaries in the textbook (openstax) instead of going to lecture, so that should say a lot...
Dr. Salman got a lot of backlash, people thought his exams were too hard and unfair. Personally, I thought they were normal for a physics class. He was unorganized, but very knowledgable. be kind to him and show you care, he will help you. HUGE curve, nearly 20% brought my test average to a 100 and grade to an A+. For the record, im no physics wiz
This Professor said no curve and there wasnt one. Grade: a midterm (30%), a final (40%), homework (30%). The homework is Achieve online automatically graded. 13 assignments given, top 10 taken, 10 chances on each problem. Basically the homework is your curve, keep up with it or its impossible. TAKE EXTRA PROBLEMS - partial credit is sham
Only two exams (30% midterm 40% final) and homework (30%) counted towards your grade. The homework was automatically graded on Achieve, and you had unlimited attempts. If you kept up with the homework, there was no reason to not have a 100% for that part of your final grade. Salman was definitely reasonable!!!
Not fair grader at all, and there are only 2 exams which makes the class much more stressful than it needs to be. Partial credit offered during first exam, but very unclear grading and is honestly up to his discretion. Extra credit was given on the next exam in the form of two more questions on the test, which didn't really help.
Lectures were fast paced and content heavy. Grade 70% 2 test (if your a bad test taker reconsider another professor) and 30% homework. Test were all multiple choices. If offered take the physics survey at the beginning and end of the semester which he gave 2 extra points for thus brought my grade up half a letter grade. HE DID NOT CURVE
Not a good lecturer and his slides are not useful. I feel like I learned more from outside sources than from his own lectures. No curve and you're only graded by homework (30%), exam 1 (30%), and exam 2 (40%). He's not approachable and I would not take him if you have little physics experience.
I was great at physics 1, got a 5 on the AP exam in high school. then i took this class and my learning went backwards, his teaching style was messy and he didnt give enough of a chance to show your skill. tests are multiple choice and even though i was perfectly confident going into and coming out of exams, i would get 70s and 80s due to format.
Dr. Salman isn't the best professor by any means but he is fine if you need to take him. He is a pretty funny guy but treats his students like numbers. 2 20 m.c. tests worth 70% of grade (no partial credit) and HW is 30%. if you complete a survey you get an extra 2% added to your grade (no curve in class). You need a 93.5 for an A, 89.5 A-.
I had Salman for both physics 1 & 2 and thought that 2 was much better. that being said, there are only 2 exams that are worth 70% of your grade and some sapling. he does offer some extra credit, but don't rely on that to bump you up. you'll have o put in a lot of time and effort to do well in the class. "GLASER TUTORING CO." ON YOUTUBE SAVED ME.
Dr. Salman is a very reasonable professor. I took him for Physics 1 & 2. His exams are open note (whatever you want, you can bring the textbook) and fair game. You also get extra credit opportunities, and it is percentage based so 2 EC points increase your grade by 2%. Do your homework and bring good notes to the exams, and you should do fine.
Fall 2021-Only grades were exams including final. No graded HW, no curve, no access to previous exams, and you have to pick b/t extra credit or partial credit (our class voted on partial credit which ended up being very difficult to get that many points back). The prof himself was fun, but I wouldn't take again bc had no cushion for grades at all
Not the clearest lecturer, but not incomprehensible. The best part is his grading policy. 3 midterms, NO final, though each midterm is cumulative of what you've learned up to that point, so the 3rd is essentially a final, just not during finals week. HW is weighted a heavy 30%, 3rd midterm 30%, 2nd is 25%, 1st is 15%. Exams multiple choice & fair.
Don't take him if you're not willing to teach yourself everything. He is very knowledgeable on the subject but can't teach it in an understandable manner. You're graded on three exams + homework and there is no curve. This was genuinely one of the hardest classes I have ever taken and I don't even know if I passed.
Class is based on 3 exams (15,25,30%) and homework(30%). If your exam 2 grade is better than exam 1, it replaces exam 1 grade and same with exam 3 for exam 2. Exams are open notes & multiple choice, 2 cushion questions so 14 questions but only graded on top 12. His lectures were a bit confusing/overwhelming, but if you do the work, you'll get an A
ZERO clue what everyone else is talking about. I outlined EVERY section of the textbook, NEVER missed a lecture, went to MULTIPLE office hours, only to end with a C. His exams were NOT related to the content AT ALL. THIS IS COMING FROM A STUDENT WITH A+'s IN ALL 5 OF MY OTHER CLASSES THIS SEMESTER + passed Pitt's Chem and Bio 1+2 with all A's!!!!!!
Salman's class is really hard, but 30% of your grade is homework and you get 10 attempts per question.Your test 2 can replace test 1 and test 3 can replace test 2. He doesn't curve but there is extra credit for 3% of your overall grade. In lecture I didn't know what was happening so I taught myself a lot of the material. Not terrible but not great.
The material itself really isn't that hard, but Salman's lectures are so boring and confusing they hurt more than help. I stopped going to class halfway through and taught myself the entire course on youtube and did fine. His open notes test policy and 30% homework grade are the only redeeming features.
Prof Salman provides many opportunities for students to succeed in this course, like extra credit ad unlimited cheat sheets during exams (multiple choice only and there was no final). Physics 1 is hard as it is but he took the time to thoroughly answer any question asked. Lectures could be boring, but he tried his best to keep the class engaged.
Dr. Salman's lectures are very structural. No quiz, no final. Unlimited cheat sheets are allowed in all exams. Exams are easier than homework. There are many spaces for mistakes so you can get an A pretty smoothly only if you follow his lectures and homework.
Dr. Salman is good if you have taken physics before, but if you haven't then it would be a little fast to learn all the material. He teaches through powerpoints and posts them, but doesn't post the solutions, so it's better to go to class. The hard part was the tests were 14 mc questions out of 12, so each question is worth a lot of points.
I learned a decent amount in this class but still failed every exam because the exams are very different from what he covered in class. I got a C which sucks for how much I studied. However, he is very nice and wants you to succeed. If you've taken physics before this class might go better for you. For someone average, this class was a struggle.
Salman's lectures were utter drivel it drove me to write my first review. He derived equations instead of teaching. He is an awful lecturer and clearly does not enjoy teaching Physics 1. Homework, recitation, and lecture problems are completely different from the exams. The TAs staged a mutiny. I only got an A by teaching myself the content.
Salman isn't the worst professor in the world as he makes hw 30% of the grade and he'll replace your 1st test score w 2nd if it's better (same w 2nd and 3rd). BUT I basically taught myself most of the material.I used so many resources to succeed but his tests have no partial credit and each wrong question is -10 pts. Not awful but 100% frustrating.
The exams are unpredictable. The first one was fair and they get more difficult because you do not know what is going to be on them. If this was my only class I would be fine, but it was not and I did not have the time to review everything. I do not think multiple choice exams are a good way to demonstrate your understanding of the content.
Do not take him for physics 1. The exams were impossible especially if you've never taken physics. You basically have to teach yourself everything and the exams are very unpredictable. It's almost like he wants us to not succeed - the TAs even were frustrated with him
sitting here right now trembling trying to figure out if im going to pass this god awful class. i soared through calc 1&2 but yet he makes me feel like i can't even do trig. his multiple choice exams are awful and pretty unfair. yells at us when we cant solve in class problems. ta's are even worse (very pretentious). this class has me defeated.
Extremely hard to understand, hand writing on the board was not legible. He's one of the professors that explains how to get to a formula but not how to apply them in any meaningful way. Homework was much more difficult than any problems done in lectures/recitations, and the exams were different from both in class and homework problems.
Sigh* this professor drained the joy of learning out of me. I pride myself of being a relatively good student as I received an A in calc and ochem, but this course made me feel incapable of anything. I couldn't read anything on the board, and the exams were very different compared to hw, and recitation problems.
Worst class I have ever taken at Pitt. The test questions were nothing like the questions provided in lecture, homework and recitation. His lectures consist of him proving equations on a the board which is not even relevant to using them. Even though I did well, I had to put a MASSIVE amount of work. DO NOT TAKE. Grading scale is also very bad.
Multiple-choice alone is unsuitable for testing a student's understanding in a math-heavy course. A simple miscalculation on a lengthy question can cost you -10 points because your written work isn't looked at; only your answer on the scantron is. Lectures focused too much on deriving equations, canceling the benefits of his exam replacement rule.
fully aware that people cheated on his exams but didnt do anything about it, which destroyed any curve that wouldve been given. all multiple choice exams which is the worst way to test physics. lectures are incoherent and hard to sit through because half the time i dont know what is going on. dont take and if hes the only option, wait for next sem.
terrible lecturer, exams barely reflected class examples. The TAs didn't even like him at the end
Final grade is based on 3 10 question MC tests and Homework (1st exam 15%, 2nd exam 25%, 3rd exam 30%, Homework 30%) which leaves almost no room for error on any of the exams. Lectures are unclear and super confusing, as he spends most of his time deriving equations rather than going over examples. Tests are nothing like the homework or recitation
Please don't take this class. Professor Salman announced partway through the class that cheating was occurring during exams and did NOTHING to maintain the integrity of grades throughout the semester. He often focused his lectures on deriving equations rather than applying them in class which led to a lot of confusion leading up to the exams.
goes on a tirade halfway thru the sem that people are cheating and how he is mad but doesnt care enough to do anything about it. so take that as you will. no matter how hard i studied, i could not decipher these exams. i used to love physics but now i cant stand it.
I took physics in high school and got decent scores in Pitt's Bio and Chem departments. DO NOT take him. The tests were multiple-choice questions, and multiple-choice is the worst way to check your physics knowledge. Homework and recitation are nothing like the exams. Lectures didn't focus on application, just derivation.
Hate this class with a burning passion. Lecture was only derivations of equations and few examples that didn't help with comprehension. Homework harder than the exams, recitation very helpful but also nothing like the exams (the TA's think hes horrible).You have to teach yourself and it is possible to pass, but difficult esp with grading scale.
genuinely just run.
Feeling: defeated :( Lectures were not worth my time and tests were very difficult. The only redeeming part was homework being 30 percent of the grade but it still didn't help very much. No curve at all which was sad.
So good! We come to college to be challenged, not coddled. Sink or swim. Beautiful class
Exams are 12 questions, multiple choice, and they're nothing like the homework or recitation. The first exam is easy, the second one is fine, and the third is brutal. His lectures are focused on concepts only and not on application, and they're horrifically dull. The online homework is a waste of time, but do NOT procrastinate it!
The open note exams (which are 10 mcq) seem enticing at first but this class was cynical.
Whoever wrote the singular good review must be the professor himself. Lectures are terrible. You'll at least PASS if you have prior physics knowledge. Dont be fooled by open note exams. It's 12 cryptic and ambiguous mcq. 3rd exam is weighted the highest and is the hardest exam you will take in your life. Idk anyone who got above a 40. BEWARE.
The lectures really don't help, be ready to self-teach and learn. He is knowledgable but cannot explain things in a simple way for an introductory physics course. In fact, revisiting my high school resources helped more than Salman's notes. He is not understanding about grades at all, and will not change his grading scale no matter what.
Do NOT take him! I spent so much time outside of class outlining the notebook, teaching myself, thinking I understand, just to bomb the exams (10 mc worth 10 pts each). His lectures are useless and nothing on the exam was anything that happened in class. This class was not worth the time and effort. Literally avoid this man at all costs.
Dr. Salman isn't that bad at all, he moves fast in his lectures and they can be a little confusing at times. I often found myself disengaged. His exams are easy though, with 12 questions and the best 10 are graded. The HW is harder than exams. He has 3 exams, no final, and the 2nd exam score can replace the first, and the 3rd can replace the 2nd.
Not a good choice. Homework and worksheets are nothing like exams, spends 90% of lecture deriving formulas and 10% on practice questions that don't match the style of his exams. Exams are MCQs with no partial but open note which is the only positive part of his class. Mean and patronizing when the class doesn't understand a concept too
All he does is derive equations and then expects us to know which of the forty million equations he derived to use for each problem. Tests are unpredictable and so easy to fail. The 30% homework and weird grading scale are the only reason I passed.
I don't even know where to start he was so bad. Lectures made no sense I based the whole class off my high school knowledge. The only reason I'd take him again is because his 3 exams are 12 multiple choice (only need 10 correct for a 100). Don't take if you want to learn physics. Exams were 70% of your grade and nothing correlates. Better exam repl
Salman is an amazing lecturer who tries to keep his students engaged and allows students to do what they believe is best (can skip class + recitation if confident on the material). The biggest problem is his tests, which are entirely conceptual based and incredibly difficult to do well on, but I have to say, I feel well prepared for physics 2.
tests are 10 multiple choice points which is not a fair way to test physics knowledge, set up to fail. his priorities were out of wack and lecture made no sense and homeworks were so hard and not like test material at all. def avoid at all cost
EXTREMELY CHALLENGING. The first exam is BY FAR the easiest, but the third was impossible. He has a terrible attitude toward teaching. I feel very confident in my physics 1 abilities and did extremely poorly in this course. I am in Broccio and it is miles easier. Salman focuses much on mathematical abilities, but extremely little on conceptual.
After now being in Broccio's physics 1 to retake and passing with flying colors, I can confidently say this is this hardest and worst class I've ever taken at Pitt. Salman lets people cheat in his class and gives them As meanwhile those who took exams with their own integrity flopped. I missed the cutoff for a C by .5% and he didnt round too. AWFUL
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
16%
Textbook Required
36%
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