2.6
Quality3.5
Difficulty47%
Would Retake104
Reviews47%
Would Retake
104
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
15
4
26
3
13
2
22
1
28
What Students Say
“Stil was the WORST prof I have ever had”
PHYS343 - 1.0 rating“The worst prof I have ever seen”
PHYS321 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
35%
Textbook Required
42%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.15 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYS599
5.0
(1)ASPH403
5.0
(1)PHYS259
3.8
(4)PHYS321
3.3
(4)PHYS341
3.1
(21)Difficulty by Course
ASPH213
4.7
207
4.5
ASPH503
4.3
PHYS321
4.3
PHYS341
4.2
Reviews (104)
He might not be talented in teaching, but he tries very hard and a very genuine professor. Takes the time to help students and the stuff he teaches are applicable to the exam. If you pay attention in class, do your homework, you're good for the exam. Some people actually switched from Wilson to his class.
Although the prof is really nice. And tries his best to get the information stuffed in students head. But his accent is definitely the barrier + his voice is really low.
Very destracting with his cuteness...funny which helps me to remember information better, but hard to understand him with his accent sometimes
I'm really happy with his teaching style. He makes it funny so it's easy to grasp the concept. However since I did take physics in high school and have been avidly interested in astronomy, I find that on more than one occasion he moves too slowly.
Very difficult to understand due to his accent, often found myself frustrated because of the language barrier. Hes a great proffessor, and (when you can understand him) his knowledge and interest in astronomy is astounding and compelling. Try to get seats in the front though,
Textbook did not arrive for the first month. Clickers stopped working after 2 months. Was always late posting slides. Difficult to understand. Exams were unfair. Not recommended.
Textbook did not arrive for the first month. Clickers stopped working after 2 months. No course outline for 3 months. Was always late posting slides. Difficult to understand. Exams were unfair. Not recommended.
His accent is EXTREMLEY HEAVY to comprehend. His exams were difficult. You could either go to his class and sit there confused because you could not answer him or read the text book. Either or, it wouldnt have helped you since his exam questions were so difficult. NOT A GPA BOOSTER CLASS
Dr stil is a very very reasonable and nice professor. The clickers didnt work in our lecture so he gave everyone the grade who had registered. The class is pretty straight forward, make notes from the textbook section he assigned and then add everything from his notes and mastering astronomy. A lot of his questions are from mastering astronomy
I didnt understand a word this guy was on about during lectures. Exams were very unfair. Was not clear and what would be indicated on the final, as questions were given from one extreme to the next. All assignments were taken right out of the book. His lectures don't coincide with what hes talking about, and made it impossible to grasp anything.
Probably the worst first year class I have ever taken.NOT A GPA BOOSTER. Didn't receive course outline until middle of October, clickers wouldn't work and finally he relented and gave us all the marks. Problems with submitting the assignments and I was told to talk to admin. Studied what we were told to study, mark on final did not reflect this.
This introductory course was very easy for a science major... just need to study the questions he gives, and the notes and it is a relatively easy A. He is horribly hard to understand with a thick accent and he coughs ten times in the middle of each. Seems like a very smart and enthusiastic guy... just very unhelpful and hard to understand.
Kind of difficult to understand at times. I suggest just read the assigned pages in the book & review mastering astronomy, as the problems reappear both on the midterm and final. Overall not a bad elective to take, should be an easy B at least.
This really is a very easy class. I am not a science major or very good at science for that matter but I thought this was such any easy course. Prof was hard to understand but was very eager to help you. Exams and assignments are the easiest alive.
Pretty good prof. Super enthusiastic about what he teaches and will help you out if you need it. Class attendance is important as clicker questions are worth marks. This class does require time and effort. VERY IMPORTANT: several questions from the midterm and final come DIRECTLY from the practices exams provided on the online worksites.
I was so interested in this class. Most days were edge of my seat. Weekly assignments to make sure you are caught up on the material. Soft speaking voice so sitting closer is better. He really knows his stuff and loves his job.
easy class, even for a non-science major (like me). knowledgeable prof, loves his work, little bit of an accent and soft spoken. lots of mini-assignments to keep you up to date so the odd class *could* be skipped. Do the readings & assignments and you're in GPA-boosting heaven.
Probably the worst prof I have ever had, he has a thick accent that makes him tough to understand and he doesn't stay on topic. His lectures are scattered and nonsensical. He is bad at responding to emails and makes no sense at all. Terrible prof. :(
so lazy on posting slides and makes excuses why the course outline only took 2 weeks after classes started to be posted. our final is in one week and he can't even post up all his lecture slides. he also doesn't like emails, and talks about useless things in class, random things that his app on his phone shows, toilets...
He is definitely enthusiastic about Astronomy. He is difficult to listen to and goes off on tangents a lot making it even harder to be there. I stopped going to class and just taught myself out of the textbook which greatly improved my grade. I would avoid it if you can but if you can't, you'll need to work for a good grade.
Great professor who clearly is very interested in astronomy. He sometimes mumbles, so sit near the front of the class if necessary.
Really easy. He's a nice guy, his accent isn't even that bad, and he definitely loves astrophysics. I took it for an easy A and that's what I got. Then again, I'm a science major.
A great prof who loves his job. A little difficult to understand him at times but his lectures are always interesting. This was my only class on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I still went even though I could've just stayed at home, definitely worth going to his lectures. Easy A+, well only if you are fascinated by the universe ;)
Good prof. can be hard to understand about half the time. If you can understand whats coming out of his mouth, he's actually kinda funny. likes to go off on random topics a couple times a lecture. 207 was incredibly easy. 40 mins of hmwrk a week.
Its true he has an accent, but its not to the point where you dont know what he is saying (I think that is an excuse for students who did poorly in his class). He goes off on tangents, but some how ties it into the lecture. Do the mastering astronomy work with a little enthusiasm and youll do well. He doesnt like email but he does have office hours
Occasionally difficult to understand. I attended all the lectures and did quite well in this class. Stil is very helpful and is always willing to help someone understand something-even to the point of holding an impromptu review after class one day. Also he is one of the friendliest and least intimidating profs I know. Textbook will help a lot.
Boring. Sooo boring I feel like dying in his class. The only reason I attend are for clicker questions (which by the way, sometimes come straight off the assignment) but theres no way you can stay awake unless you sit at the front. Bad with technology.Unless you want to sit through a 9 planet and their moons with an in-depth description, take geo.
Classes were extremely rough and hard to follow, but ultimately the course was very easy if you were willing to put the time in on your own. Course would be far better if clicker questions were not part of the grade, but at least he uses an inexpensive alternative to the traditional clickers you have to buy (Text message subscription service)
Dr. Stil is an incredibly smart man and kind person. I am very interested in Astronomy, but the only issue was understanding him in class. Almost incomprehensible. Assignments were a huge grade booster, but I wish clarification for midterm and final would have been more detailed. Go to RAO to hear his lectures!
Dr. Stil is a very nice man and very passionate about astronomy. However, he is hard to understand in his lectures. He uses clicker questions in class making it mandatory to attend. His midterm was harder than the final. Most of his test questions come from the mastering astronomy website. Easy A- or A if you read the textbook and do the assignment
GET A DIFFERENT PROF! The way he presents the material is very dry. Can barely stay up during lectures, however you NEED to go because of clicker questions. The course was A LOT more than I expected. He was passionate about the subject but couldn't teach it in a way that caught your attention.
Dr. Stil is very interested in Astronomy. He love and lives it. I don't necessarily recommend this class for people who aren't good at science because if you aren't even with the effort you may not do good. Reading the textbook helps a LOT because sometimes he doesn't mention everything in his slides or skips around. Very helpful guy though!
Very passionate about Astronomy, that's clear from the first day. Tests were straight forward for the most part, give yourself time to review all the material and you should be able to pull of a B. Attending classes is important as he does lots of clicker questions. Use online assignments to boost your grade, answers are all online.
Pretty nice guy. Not the best physics professor but definitely not the worst either. He usually lectures off his slides and does a few examples, he can be hard to follow at times (especially when he starts to go into mathematical derivations) But overall hes alright, pretty funny too since hes clumsy and trips over stuff all the time.
This instructor was extremely rude and arrogant. He told me that he did not have time to see me in his office. He also did not have the correct information on the course outline.
He has an accent and mumbles. Also he does not turn his mic loud enough and i sat in the third row. The way he presents lectures makes you want to fall asleep. And no this is not easy gpa boosting class, save yourself and DON"T take this class.
Sure, he isn't easy to understand, but he is certainly not the worst professor in this regard at the university. Exams were very straight forward, notes were well organized. Dr. Stil incorporated current news in astronomy into the course, which is a nice touch. If you can't pull off an A in this course, then university may not be for you.
Probably the worst prof I've had of all three years, you can't hear him, he doesn't answer questions well. Told me to use google to clarify to one of his questions. Only reason I went to class was for the clicker marks, since I couldn't hear him. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
His passion for astronomy really shows in his lectures, but he is pretty tough to understand. He does offer lots of time for extra help though and the exams are pretty straight forward. Definitely not the course you want if you are looking for an easy A though.
Professor Stil is SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND. He mumbles in to the mic, and goes on random tangents irrelevant to the course. He doesn't answer questions very well, and some questions on exams are quite vague and up to interpretation.
Almost impossible to understand, disorganized, mumbles, makes little sense. Went to him for help and he gave us a practice question then told us he made some other profs do it and they got it wrong - he put it on the last midterm! The class isn't impossible if you teach yourself, use Mastering Astronomy for EVERYTHING.
Very difficult to understand and extremely shot tempered. kicked multiple students out for nothing. asking him questions is unhelpful and if you try and whisper to a classmate he'll single you out and then kick you out.
The lectures are dull and he tends to ramble and get confused. Just read the textbook, do all the practice and memorize the tutorial problems. He makes really tricky questions so be weary. Take with someone else if possible.
His lectures were not really that clear and he mumbles and rants. The textbook and the internet are your friend with the ASTR class. I did well but that's because I knew my stuff before taking this. I took it with a friend who had a ton of trouble and I helped them pull through. The tests are hard for most people because of the conceptualization.
The materials he teached are not rally related to the test, the mid-term was extremely hard, I believe that killed most of the class for those thought this is an easy A course. Completely garbage prof that wanted to fail everyone. Literally hardest course ever.
TERRIBLE PROF! THIS CLASS IS NOT A GPA BOOSTER. The exams were not related to notes at all.
Don't take this class if you are just looking for an easy science elective. It wasn't overly difficult, but the tests (in my opinion) were WAY harder than they should have been for an introductory class. I spent more time studying for this stupid class then the classes in my major and still didn't do well. The lectures are SO boring.
Professor Stil is very intelligent, but he was extremely hard to understand. He mumbles and has a thick accent, and often gets side tracked. The tests killed, and were at a very high performance level. All MC. The weekly online assignments are the only thing that saved me from failing this class. Do not take as an easy science elective.
Dr. Stil was easily my favourite teacher this semester, he was a fair grader, the tests were straight forward, and gave you easy options to improve your grade: simply participating in TopHat it would boost your grade 2% and assignments were easy (25%) He's obviously really passionate about the subject and I personally found him quite entertaining.
Stil is not a terrible prof! You can't blame a guy for having an accent. He's extremely passionate and entertaining. It's not an easy A, but it's worth it, he's a great professor and the course is interesting.
I was going to wait until another prof taught 207 after reading reviews on here of Prof Stil. I'm glad I didn't. He is a great Prof, who works very hard to explain concepts in an understandable way. He was clear and very practical in his lecture style. The course was set up so it was easy to do well as long as you made the effort to learn
Midterm was def. harder than expected, but final seemed to be easy (prob. realized midterm was too difficult). There's too much material to cover (lecture+TEXTBOOK) since the textbook covers a lot more than the lectures; test expectations were not clear. Did well in this class, but definitely worked harder than I should have for a jr. elective.
Dr. Stil makes physics 321 much tougher than it should be. He tries to come up with the most original testtutorial questions, but the majority of the time they are completely different than what is actually covered in class and in the text. Classes and test material do not sync up. You really must have "physics intuition" to do well in his class.
With so many great ASPH prof's at the university, I'd recommending switching if you can; he's basically average. I've had to take this, and galactic astrophysics with him before, he posts online notes , which are good. He's kind of an awkward, in the most stereo-typically nerdy way. Assignments are short, but makes you feel unprepared for tests
Do not take this class with him PHYS 321, it is going to be waste of money and time. The worst prof I have ever seen. There are 70 student in class, only 16 show up everyday to lectures.
Overcomplicated the course entirely, didn't follow the notes, tested on topics not even covered in lectures or on any notes and requires looking for outside information from other schools just to have a chance at passing. Overall a terrible prof, take with plume if possible.
Taking this class with Stil has been the biggest mistake of my life, took what was once an interesting enjoyable subject into something that I never want to do again. Would never recommend taking a class with him ever
He's very helpful if you ask questions. he talks about things in depth to give a good understanding. he's funny also. The course is difficult though so you need to listen carefully!
Lectures were a literal copy of the textbook, same examples and process, copied derivations, for every lecture all semester. Few assignments and the questions are a poor indication of what will be on the midterms and final. Your best bet if you're stuck with him is to study off the textbook and know the theory inside out in order to do his exams.
Stil was the WORST prof I have ever had. The assignments are graded on the answer as opposed to the process, which isnt necessarily bad but in an advanced mechanics course doesnt make sense. No practice or solutions were given except midterms, tests were based off of things not taught and lectures were a straight copy of the textbook. 0/10
If you have the option to take this class with someone else or even online please do so. I've taken 2 classes with him and it has never ended well.
He mumbles throughout the entire class. He is always off topic, and expands on the simplest concepts, NOT WELL. The lectures are very boring, but he is a nice enough human being.
Mumbles everything, rambles about random stories, & calls students out regularly (even sent someone out of lecture for talking). Seems like a nice person, but is not at all a captivating professor. If it weren't for TopHat, this class would be very skip-able.
took this class as an elective, it was v easy because all the midterm questions come from his assignments where all the answers can be found online. also easy to skip as tophat is only a bonus. Can be very boring if you arent interested in what he's saying but if you love astro as much as him you might like it. idk why people complain so much lol
I would not take this instructor's class again. He talks so much about every slide about concepts you don't even need to know which makes it all the more confusing. Textbook not needed. Also, he gives no study guide to prepare for tests so be prepared to study EVERYTHING.
I did not like this class or this prof. It's like he doesn't understand that people are mostly only in this class because they force us to take a science elective. This was unnecessarily difficult. I took 207 so a lot of the material was not new, and yet I still struggled because he massively overcomplicates things. Slides suck. Would not recommend
This class would have been slightly more interesting if it was taught in a better way or more engaging but the prof was hard to understand and did not make any sense to relate any topics to the curriculum and the tests did not follow any of the slides written by him (or just barely). be prepared to study EVERYTHING
Had him for ASTR you don't have to show up to class. Get the text book and just study it. That's it. The lecture hall was EMPTY during class because no one can understand his mumbling and he's quite rude. But his exams are super easy because he just repeats the online assignments.
He's a great supervisor and cares about your success.
Meh, he's not the best prof out there. Definitely not the worst tho. He does mumble his way through the lectures. I wouldn't take another course with him, however I have seen much worse. Solid 5/10.
Worst prof to ever grace uofc
4 weeks in, no clue what i've learned so far. disgrace to UofC
I have no words for this professor. His lectures are just him writing off out of the textbook. The assignments are just tophat,you get no feedback. His exams are terrible, they are way out of the scope of the material. He provides NO practice problems, and won't even release how to do the assignments. You're basically just guessing your way. AVOID!
Hes a great guy, but sometimes his lectures are a bit confusing. The math speaks for itself. His test are pretty horrible though, I must admit.
Professor Stil is a really good professor and one of the most caring in the physics department. He is very engaging and enthusiastic about what he teaches. Do not blame him for the difficulty of this course. Classical Mechanics is hard, however Dr Stil was very generous with his grading and gave a 20% raise. Awesome professor!
Administrative disaster. Won't post anything for 3 weeks, then suddenly give you 2 assignments in a matter of days. No practice problems provided. In preparing for an exam, your only choice is to read through 200+ pages of lecture notes and derivations. If you carefully read the textbook ahead of time, you "stil" stand a chance.
I don't understand why all of these ratings are so low, Dr. Stil is an extremely caring guy and has the most passion I've ever seen someone having for a subject as dry as classical mechanics. The course itself is just difficult and I don't think Stil is the reason. If you ever go see him during office hours he is a very kind friendly guy and helps.
Dr. Stil teaches very bland and difficult topics well and I feel like I learned a lot about what actual physics is like through this course. I feel well prepared for my future physics courses off of this one. The course itself is difficult but Dr. Stil does a good job with it.
The course material is difficult, which is not his fault, but his tests are BRUTAL. His lectures are solid but he doesn't go over too many examples, so it can be hard to fully grasp what he's teaching. He does take student feedback into consideration, and has changed his assignments from his 341 method to a new one to better suit our learning.
He doesn't post solutions to assignments. He doesn't give any problem sets or practice of any sort. He calls his lectures a SUMMARY of the book that we're apparently supposed to be learning the course from and his exams are outright cruel. Comical bloke sometimes, but an absolute garbage professor. Sucks we can't take the course with anyone else.
Horrible lectures with horrible notes that he hand writes at the same time, so they're messy and have no explanations just random diagrams and equations. Tests are brutal and clearly designed to tank the class average. The only thing that saved my grade from being abysmal was lab grading.
Dr. Stil has a lot on his plate - at one point teaching 3 courses this semester. Hes been very accommodating during these 1 in 100 year times... Will always make time to see you if you need it. Truly passionate about Physics. Thoroughly enjoy it when he breaks syllabus sometimes to talk about interesting topics.
He is a very caring professor.
He's really caring though exams are hard
Jeroen Stil is one of the most caring profs I've ever had. He's the only reason I survived my term paper. His rating should not be as low as it is. Phys 341 is a class that will weed out the students and that is not his fault. If you just talk to him, he will help you. I also had him for 341.
No solutions to assignments. No practice problem sets. No quarter was given on exams. Learnt the entire course from the book. Don't bother attending the lectures, unless you want a quick summary of the chapter you're reading in the book. He's the only one teaching the course, so good luck and godspeed.
Online or in-person, it wouldn't matter with this dude because you're just gonna find yourself reading the book to learn the course. Which is what he expects to begin with. He expects you to come to lecture 60% ready having read it all in the book first. He's the only prof for this course so do yourself a favor. Forget lectures, just read the book.
Just here to help warn others. Scroll down to the review on May 10th, 2018 for a pretty accurate account of this dude's teaching methods.
The material he teaches is very difficult. He states in his course outline that his lectures SUPPLEMENT the textbook, which a lot of people miss. His courses require self-teaching, but he is willing to work with you and accommodate your needs to see you succeed. He communicates material passionately and enthusiastically, and is excellent 1 on 1.
Dr. Stil is a really great guy. He is very caring and passionate about his lectures which make them enjoyable to attend. However, the material is often really difficult and his assignments and tests are some of the hardest I have had. Having the textbook is a must with this guy. If you are ever confused, make sure to ask him for help.
Class is a supplement to the textbook absolutely awful
Dr. Stil is a great person and gives interesting lectures; however, his exams are way too hard for the course. He also does not provide any practice questions for the topics he covers and instead expects you to find your own. That's fine, but the questions he comes up with for exams are too difficult for the lack of resources in this course.
This is a hard course, it requires study and review, but physics is more than plug&chug. His notes and lectures *are* amazing, especially in person (which has a low turnout rate). He has office hours that few attend(and sets up on zoom meetings for those online)help is there, don't blame him for your lack of initiative. This was my favourite class.
Dr. Stil is honestly a good prof. He really enjoys what he teaches. The classes he teaches do tend to be more difficult but he does a decent job of explaining things
Dr. Stil is very kind and approachable. He honestly is a good teacher, however the material in this class is very difficult. It's not due to his teaching, and I doubt any other faculty could teach the class much better, it's just a big jump from 1st to 2nd year physics. You need a firm grasp on calc before this class.
The contents of 341 are very difficult. His lectures stressed upon derivations, which is fine. To do well in this course it is stressed to read the textbook and do as many practice problems as you can.
He is a really good professor stuck teaching a difficult class. His lectures are informative and he seems to enjoy teaching. Only issue is that the tests are extremely difficult but if you study enough you can easily do well.
His tests are the hardest thing I've ever taken in my life
A good comparison of the Physics 341 experience would be Dr. Stil as Gru from Despicable Me teaching Agnes (me) university level classical mechanics. Being Agnes, I of course cry and throw tantrums at the sheer insanity of inertia and potential energy functions.
The way he teaches was frustrating, and came off really disorganized to me. Didn't provide many practice problems and would sometimes refuse to post answer keys, let alone solutions. Spent a fair amount of lecture time deriving formulas that would just be given on a formula sheet too. Exams were marked very harshly.
Dr. Stil's teaching method is very disorganized and confusing. Examples in class are disjointed and done with confusing reasoning. I found the textbook unhelpful and the final exam was extremely difficult, a literal test of IQ. However, if you can teach yourself you can do well in his class and the curves saved me.
Dr. Stil has a gift for taking simple concepts and making them confusing and unnecessarily difficult. He also has a gift for not making assignments then making sure your grade gets hit by it. But it's your fault, for not objecting to something you had no information about. A bad teacher. Avoid, if at all possible.
Jeroen comes into class poorly prepared, and is largely incoherent. He rarely has assignments ready on time, if they happen at all, and there is nothing to prepare you for his awful finals. His grading criteria and requirements are unclear and he only gives you time in after hours if he likes you.
Professor Stil's lectures can be disorganized, but the material is just very challenging. Engaging with the textbook and practice problems is key. Unstuckstudy was a lifesaver for exam prep alongside other study tools.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
35%
Textbook Required
42%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.15 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYS599
5.0
(1)ASPH403
5.0
(1)PHYS259
3.8
(4)PHYS321
3.3
(4)PHYS341
3.1
(21)Difficulty by Course
ASPH213
4.7
207
4.5
ASPH503
4.3
PHYS321
4.3
PHYS341
4.2