2.9
Quality3.5
Difficulty44%
Would Retake117
Reviews44%
Would Retake
117
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
33
4
15
3
14
2
26
1
29
What Students Say
“Great at explaining concepts in several ways”
2425 - 5.0 rating“His tests are pretty straight forward”
PHYS2425 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
73%
Textbook Required
24%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
2425
5.0
(2)PHYS1405
5.0
(1)PHYS101
5.0
(1)PHYSII
5.0
(1)PHY2425
4.2
(5)Difficulty by Course
50520
5.0
PHYS1425
5.0
PH1401
4.6
PHY1410
4.5
PYS1410
4.5
Reviews (117)
Do not take this teacher!
I expected this class to be simple but he expected too much from us since this was only a PHYSICS 1401 class. The textbook was horrible! Only take him if you already have knowledge of physics, if it's your first time, DON'T TAKE HIM! Impossible to get a good grade.
Took Dr. Brinkley's class in the spring and really enjoyed the class he kept it interesting. Very approachable. Really a nice guy!
Average teacher. OK class. Incidentally, ACC should get rid of the horrible and useless textbook.
The professor is a nice man, but the examples need to be explained better. He tends to go too fast or too slow and the class doesn't have time to understand the material yet.
HIS TEACHING WAYS MAKE IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND AND DO WELL
This professor talks too much about the philosophy of physics, instead of the PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD! Expect a poor grade unless you already know how to do physics problems.
He talks about ideas in the book but he doesn't show how to apply them in a way that rings the bell.
An extremely hard course, tests are too difficult. The professor knows the subject but does not illustrate and explain it well.
his style of teaching is so boring it's hard to have any enthusiasm for the subject plus the tests are terrible
Dr. Brinkley, teaching is NOT your forte. He understands the material, but has an inability to pass the information on. He is extremely unprepared and his tests are made on a post-grad level for science majors. Most of the time he would not be able to solve his own test questions. Do NOT expect your papers OR grades to be returned.
In my class before I dropped there where 11 students. Now I know its 10. He is a great professor, he wants to help students but he tried a new homework program this semester. If he says hes trying a new one ask a lot of questions about it. That is where your grades come from and if the learning lab tutors can not help you with it then drop the clas
He's an okay teacher, but don't expect to make a good grade without a ton of effort on your part. He is very unorganized; he never has quizzes prepared or recitation problems. He hand back assignments he's graded late, and we don't even know our quiz grades. He's STILL only graded the first one. The hwk system is just eh.
He needs to go over the examples better. His lectures are slow and confusing. His homework policy can be difficult. There is no doubt he knows his subject, but his teaching style was a problem for me.
Physics is not supposed to be easy. That being said, he is one of the most poorly organized people I have ever met. Poor skills delivering lectures. Poor use of the book. Test questions are pretty easy, but he changes the original numbers and sometimes the answers do not make sense because of the change. I would suggest you find another prof.
Not as bad as people make him out to be, constantly trying to help students succeed. Asking questions and going to tutoring sessions help. Happy to be there and explain any problems you have.
This is a tough class; be prepared to put some time into it. While Prof. Brinkley's lectures sometimes may seem fast and furious and unorganized, the man is brilliant. He is always willing to further explain concepts if asked, and encourages students to come in for tutoring. The exams are tough but graded leniently. Don't be afraid of this class.
This class is tough, but if you put the work in you can get a good grade. Absolutely must keep up in the homework to keep your grade up, and if you can do the homework problems then you can pass the test. When you have questions about the homework, make sure you ask them because he won't go over it. Grade based on 3 tests, weekly homework, and labs
Great teacher. Some people peg him to be worse than he really is. As long as you show up to class and pay attention you will get a good grade. He is fairly lenient on grading as long as you make a decent attempt to learn the material. Just make sure you keep up with the homework, the homework problems are harder versions of what is on the test. 123
Prof. Brinkley is a very good teacher, I learned so much in his class. He is spontaneous, and knows alot about physics. my course in physics was very smooth, never felt behind. he always aimed at teaching the basics, as evident by his tests, yet challenge you with bonus questions (easy and fun too). I liked him as a teacher and as a person alot.
I don't recommend this Prof. for SPOON FED students. the course is not easy and long, to get the most out of Brinkely, THINK and ASK QUESTIONS, he promotes student's scientific and engineering way of thinking. exams are easy and don't take you far away from the basics. loves to challege you though with in class homework assignments.
His biggest downfall is that he is disorganized. The times he did have a for sure plan the lecture went quite well. Definitely not spoon feeding as another review said. He for sure knows his stuff though and if you ask he will gladly explain. He encourages you to think not only about the required material but of physics as a whole and how fun it is
Professor Brinkley is brilliant and knows physics extremely well. He's very down to earth, is willing to help you succeed, and is fun. But, you have to put work in. To succeed, take notes during class (these problems are almost identical to test questions), do the homework and study it (for test questions), and read the book.
This is rate my professor not rate my textbook. Superb teacher who cares about whether or not you learn the material. Physics is a class that requires some effort but if your willing to put in the time a class with Brinkley is the way to learn the material.
This is a good professor. He is very helpful and encourages questions all the time. Yes, you must read the book, but that's just a part of college. He model's his test off the homework he gives. I am not a science person by any means, but I did very well in his class.
Very interesting class. Study hard and you will do well. He emphasizes more problem solving than doing math. This makes for a more challenging but more enriching class. He is very intelligent and very willing to help when you need it. He does take some time to return grades though.
Good professor. He's a real nice person. His notes are horrible but he shows a lot of examples in class. He's always available in his office and tries to help as much as he can.
He is exactly what people described above. He is not hard but very confusing. The subject is confusing and he makes it more complicated. Never prepared so he always rushed stuffs. About grading, he waited to the last minutes and tried to get it done. So he barely looked at the whole process but just the answer, and took point off unreasonably.
Horrible organization. I think there was only 2x out of the entire semester that he was prepared at the start of class. The labs are easy and NEVER graded. There are a few labs that have no write-up and you are forced to fend for yourself. He even wants you to write the lab procedure so he doesn't have to. Everything before is accurate.
His style of teaching is not conforming to the flow of the topic and it is very confusing, which makes tough to learn physics. It's like random stuff thrown at you --- very hard to follow.
his presentations are more often than not way out of sequence. very frustrating if you're not already acquainted with physics.
I should have checked on this professer before signing up for the course. The work we were supposed to do for the experiments was ridiculous instead of having detailed instructions we had no idea what we were doing, and there was very little help. He wasn;t even in the room and the assistant was just as clueless as we were.
Very sparse content, points subtracted on inconsistent basis, goes off topic quite a bit
Very very knowledgeable professor. I made B in phys 1 but I was able to make A in his class.I like his way of teaching. I don't know why others did not enjoy his class. I highly recommend to take his class.
mr brinkley is an ok person but his class is poorly structured and the lectures are delivred hapzardly. minimal adherence to the syllabus. there is no feedback for student progress - for students to see if we are able to continue or withdraw by the deadline.
His classes run long and the lab writeups are only outlines with little detail. There could be better organization with lab personnel so that students are not confused and frustrated! Not recommended.
Mr. Brinkley isn't all that bad. He just has very high expectations and he seems uncomfortable with people asking him questions like he thinks there challenging his authority. Actually not a hard class to get a passing grade.
Not terribly hard but Expect to see a delay in getting any response from him. This professor is very disorganized.
Poorly structured lectures. No time left for demos. For labs: you're on your own most of the time.
Hard class and concepts, but gives a ton of free points and extra credit opportunities
Great at explaining concepts in several ways. Super nice and will take time for your questions. Lots of physical props, calc 3 a must and good physics background. Would take engineering physics 2 with prof Brinkley!
His tests are ok a little ridiculous. not to bad. You can skip his lectures their boring read the book.
Professor Brinkley is a good professor. If you put time in and effort you will do well in the class. Also, don't miss class. Points are given in class as well as hints for tests.
amazing teacher. if you show interest (like most physics professors) he will be thrilled to help. Yeah you get the occasional dumb question from that one guy in class and he collectively answers the question trying not to sound condescending. above all he inspires and is a very smart man with unique theoretical physics work. I'd take him again no j
Prof. Brinkley obviously loves physics but he does not know how to teach it very well. He comes to class not knowing what he's going to go over and just makes up very confusing problems off the top of his head. He is also very lazy, he even says so himself.
Professor Brinkley is alright. I didn't have a lot of high expectations going in, so I ended up reading alot and teaching myself anyways. It turned out ok.
Ill prepared lectures. He jumps from historical anecdotes to problems without introduction, and backtracks. Very annoying method.
As long as you show up to class, pay attention, do the homework, and again pay attention, then you should make an A. His tests are pretty straight forward. The homework and the examples in class are a lot harder in order to prepare you well and he always goes over the difficult ones. As long as you ask for help he is more than willing to give it.
Moves way to fast. More time spent on what we didn't need to know and less on what we did. Doesn't know how to teach physics. Labs were totally disorganized, and very confusing. He did let us make corrections on exams. Doesn't know what his lecture material is until right before class and he jumps around a lot so the lecture period is confusing.
No a good teacher. He talks about other things unrelated to what pertains to the subject matter. His aspiration seemed more geared towards being a stand up comedian. He is disorganized, its more like pulling teeth for him to demonstrate a physics math problem in class. Don't expect to have him teach you, just to test you. No assistance in lab.
His tests are very straight forward and less difficult than the homework and examples in class. The lectures follow the syllabus. He is always willing to help and answer your question as long as you would like to ask for help. He always gives extra credit for homework and tests, additional final test to replace the worst test, and make-up labs.
Make-up labs are available. Extra credits for homework and tests. Optional final test to replace the worst test. Clear and straight forward lectures and tests. Be there for you if you need help or assistance. Real world problems shown in labs. Finally, he is such a knowledgeable physics teacher.
He has great in class models to demonstrate concepts. He assigns homework, and the tests come directly from it. You just have to ask, and he'll go through how to do it for full credit on the test dieting class. He is very personable and helped me a ton during his office hours one in one. Totally worth taking with him!
Brinkley is a tough grader and his lectures can be confusing. However, his test aren't to bad, you will need to spend time studying each chapter. Wouldn't take again.
If you're a physics major or you have to take more physics courses, you should not take his class. I did not like his homework system and his confusing and frustrating lectures. But it's super easy to get an A in his class, so that makes it up for the frustration. I would never take it again. Also you don't need to buy a textbook.
Nice pleasant guy and he knows the topic but his lectures are kinda random / illogical. Unless you're 150% motivated and read ahead you're going to have a rough time because he jumps back and forth. His tests are fine.
His lectures are confusing. Happy the ordeal is over
medium to hard class could have been worse i guess
His lectures are disorganized. His labs are tedious and demanding. You are required to record everything he says and the errors are huge.
He is very knowledgeable about physics but his class is extremely hard. Get ready to study A LOT and suffer the whole semester. However, he does care about his students and does everything to help pass the class. There is a lot of extra credit and he is not a tough grader.
Answers all your questions and is willing to help you one on one. Allows you to get points back on tests. Hard class but super fun.
Professor Brinkley is easily distracted and gets off topic quite often but he doesn't mind if you call him out on it :) At first he seemed a little condescending but once you get used to him he's very nice and easy going. You will have to study a LOT on your own but that's the nature of the course. Overall I really liked professor Brinkley.
Brinkley is awful. Hardest class ever. He expects you to know the concepts and does a bad job explaining them. His tests aren't too bad, if you can understand the material. You'll be teaching yourself for the semester. Homework is ridiculously long and some of the problems are incredibly hard, some ACC tutors can't even work them. Stay away...
Professor Brinkley was a great teacher. It's Physics, so you have to be prepared to do homework and extra problems outside of class. The exam reviews for the tests were extremely similar to the actual tests themselves. He also gave equation sheets to use on the tests and gave decent curves!
Professor Brinkley is a great teacher. He has a great way of relating complex issues to everyday events. His knowledge of physics is quite comprehensive and really shows in his lectures. He explains concepts well and is always available to answer questions and discuss issues after class and/or during office hours.
Brinkley's teaching style is very unorganized and all over the board. Point of going to class is for seeing how he does problems and daily grade. READ THE TEXTBOOK (IMPORTANT). Tests are tough, but lets you get points back. Labs are pretty straightforward, but lab reports can be a pain. Knows his physics, but not best way to teach.
GET READY TO WORK. NOT YOUR TYPICAL EASY ACC COURSE. MORE LIKE AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL. It can be (EXTREMELY) stressful at times, but don't give up. He likes to give surprises during/end of the semester. Good course and layout for foundation in future engineering courses.
Brinkley is awesome, but physics is HARD, period.
Brinkley was great and I'm definitely taking Engr Physics 2426 with him. He allows test corrections to up your test grades, plus he drops your lowest test grade and replaces it with your final if the final is higher. He genuinely wants you to succeed.
Prof. Brinkley gives you a brief introduction to many different ideas. This class is basically self study, but he is always willing to go over the questions. I like the homework system for the most part, and the test corrections was key factor for getting a good grade. This class is the real deal
He's a super nice prof and actually cares about you passing the course. Super funny guy, if you talk to him one on one you'll be laughing the whole time. Also Professor Brinkley makes it easy to pass the course if you put some effort into it. Only downside is he's an Aggie. If you can get past that the course is great.
Great professor all around! He really cares that you learn the material and do well in the class. He uses real life experiences and comparisons in his lectures to help make the material more understandable and better appreciated.
Professor Brinkley gives AMAZING lectures and makes Physics more fun than I already thought it was. The labs are super fun and you get to be creative with them.
Brinkley doesn't know how to explain intro concepts simply & would get frustrated when given questions about material. I don't understand the other reviews saying he is inspirational & amazing. Lectures are unorganized & misleading. New concept example problems in class wouldn't have a clear goal or equation so new chapters are hard to keep up with
Brinkley's class is by far one of my favorite that I have taken, and I look forward to his lectures every week. He cares about his students and wants them to succeed in Physics. His explanations are straightforward, and he references real-life applications. Don't believe the naysayers, this is college, and you only get what you put into it.
EP II was a course that I had to drop the first time that I took it because my mind just could not absorb the concepts as quickly as I was required to. Brinkley understands this about students and that's why his grading scheme is so reasonable. If he sees that you are working hard and just not getting it, you can still pass his course. He's awesome
Really nice guy, but a little unorganized and seems flustered a lot. He does give you many examples that will help on tests and lets you rework tests for a chance at a better test grade. I would not have passed if that was not an option. Replaces worst test grade with exam grade if better. Labs are easy and laid back.
He is the best professor I have ever had, hands down. He is very knowledgeable, and intellectually stable, which helps you to not be confused. There is a chance for you to drop a test which is amazing. Do your homework, take notes, and attend his test review, and it's an easy A. If you aren't too good at calculus u will get A Completely recommended
He is a G. I would definitely take him again if I ever had to. I didn't have any physics, or calculus knowledge beforehand and still pulled out an A in his class. He is very inspirational and helpful, and completely breaks down things to its main root to fit the understanding of the student. He is the Best.
One of the greatest professor's at ACC.
Reading his rate my professor reviews, I was very hesitant to take his class. A friend suggested it, so I ended up taking him. I hated physics all my life, but that first test grade made me very interested, and way more open minded. I fell in love with physics, and I was able to understand everything. I feel very positive about this professor.
Reconsider taking him. Here's why: 1) He once handed our grades from one exam while we were taking another exam (each exam is 6 weeks apart), 2) when you approach him with a problem he will preface by saying "oh those are so easy", 3) homework problems aren't helpful; exam Qs are closer to textbook, 4) and the examples are often not helpful.
He is the best. Grade easy. Would take him.
Brinkley is one of the best prof. Ive ever had. His lectures are entertaining& he does a great job preparing u for the exams. He provides openstax textbooks online. Read the sects in there and do the homework to prepare also. Grades very fairly! If you practice the problems from lecture and do the openstax stuff, you should get an A! Hes awesome!
Best prof I have ever had! I wish there were more profs like him.
Prof Brinkley is one of the best prof in ACC. His lectures are amazing and hes a very nice and humble person. Sometimes I asked him stupid questions but he always replied with a smile. Extra credit and exam rework helps a lot but he will make you work for it, which is fair enough. Definitely take him you will love it.
Also took PHYS 2425. I had a great time in both Engineering Physics 1 & 2. Everything was very clear. I think Joseph creates a great environment in the classroom that makes it easier to absorb what he's saying. Always come to class and pay close attention to the examples.
The worst prof ever. His tests are so hard and his lectures suck. Yes, he is so nice and helps you whenever you need him but still not enough. The only good thing I can say about him is he allows you to do test corrections, but it is only 10-20% of the lost points. HW doesn't help at all. Good labs, always late at grading. Do not take if you can!
Worst prof ever. I took him for PHYS 2426 and I wish I didn't. His tests have nothing to do with the hw, really hard exams. The class average was a low C. He is slow grader and doesn't upload the grades on time. I cannot say a good thing about him except for his kindness. Gives partial credit on the test but good luck on getting the grade you want.
Prof. Brinkley is a person that rely on his memory to teach and test you on the exam. This semester is being a disaster, very disorganized, doesn't give you an exam review, all he does is talk about what is gonna be on the exam but i am telling you not even close. MC questions nothing to do what he does in class. find someone that cares.
One of my friends recommended him and it was a huge mistake. Nice person but an awful professor. His tests are extremely hard and cover nothing that you do in class nor the homework. He solves problems that he doesn't even understand himself. I would avoid him if you can. Labs are easy since he doesn't grade'm harsh. Worst physics professor ever!
Easiest Prof, tells you the questions before the test 10% HW, 5% Attendance, 25% Lab. This adds to 40% that you can get just by attending the class. He gives you a test correction curve 30% (.3*60%), meaning if you score 70/100 on each test, you are still set up to pass with an A Any person who trips about this professor, shouldn't be an engineer!
Joe seeks to train his students for the workforce, so his course is rigorous and his curriculum is more conceptual than mathematical. He presents all the tools you will need, but a successful student will need to ask questions and discover more practice opportunities than are in the lecture and the homework. Tough but fair.
He is such a great person but not a good professor. If you only want to pass the class, take him but I can say he doesnt teach you at all. The homework questions has nothing to do with the exam problems and he doesnt give you a study guide so good luck on the test. Homeworks and labs easy. He is kind and caring. Very hard to get an A, B is doable
He is a seemingly nice guy and funny but EXTREMELY DISORGANIZED. Syllabus dates incorrect, office days incorrect, frequently changes due date for the homework, and takes forever to get your grade back. Gives report and exams right before they are due so you dont know what your grade is. Lectures go off topic and dont help with homework.
Great professor for a difficult subject. Allows for test corrections which can easily bump you up an entire letter grade. Tests usually come from questions done in class or recitation
He's pretty good, he has his issues as others have said such as disorganization and lengthy grading times (he's the department head and has many meetings), but its nothing harrowing. He often aims to cover more in the lecture than he actually does, and he can be slightly condescending. Other than that, he's pretty good! Definitely read the book.
With some effort, an A is definitely possible in Brinkley's class. He tells you what will be on the tests, allows you to write down anything on your formula sheet, and lets you do rework to get a large percentage of points lost back. Labs are easy and you will get a good grade if you show up and do it. Overall, would recommend Brinkley's class!
Brinkley will have you buy an online homework grading system because he's not willing to grade your work. He will assign you lots of homework but luckily his deficient teaching will be of little help in your completion of the assignments. He will work out problems on the board ignorant to the class' inability to keep up. He's incredibly inadequate.
honestly the most painful class I have ever taken. took summer session so expected a good amount of work, but there was a hw, lab, and test due every night. you get no feedback on labs or tests and have to teach yourself everything and instructions on assignments were super vague. would NOT recommend.
If you care about receiving feedback on your work/progress do not choose him. Professor was untimely throughout the entire course and held students to a different standard than which he held himself too.
UGH. Never graded anything, so you never know if you're doing anything right. Been 1 day since the course ended & I have 4 weeks of ungraded stuff. So incredibly behind, we were learning new stuff the day before final. No criteria for anything, whether it be tests, labs, or exams. Never communicated. Didn't hold up to his own standards, I'm so done
Weekly quizzes and a comprehensive final make up the majority of the grade. Asynchronous lectures are difficult to learn from as usual, but nothing bad on his part. Maybe not the greatest online professor during COVID, but not a bad choice. Will be a solid B for A/B students, and an A for those who work for it.
Brinley is the most unorganized professor I have ever had. The syllabus dates are not correct. He makes up his lectures on the fly. Never helpful in office hours -- will spend the time belittling you rather than teaching. Half of class dropped by midterm. You have a test every week.
Incredibly bad professor. I am taking him right now for online. Completely disorganized. Abandoned us for two weeks so now we are far behind and he just told us to go faster. Had the gall to act as if we were in the wrong for his absence. Questions are written poorly and are vague in nature. Class itself is easy but the professor is a fool.
Brinkley is very passionate about physics and has quality lectures. The class was disorganized, but he would be flexible on deadlines. Overall a good class and attainable A if you can get over the lack of structure.
Professor is extremely disorganized, i doubt he even knows what's going half the time in his class, we have tests every week that are much more difficult than the hw he gives, making it very hard to understand. He doesn't grade anything, I'm a few weeks into the semester with about 14 assignments and he only graded one, In short, do not take.
Overall, the professor was a nice and caring guy. The way he structured the class was not close to what was being taught. He gave many assignments and they were confusing to solve after his lecture. The homework was not very straight forward. Demanding and confusing course. Great guy, but the class was overwhelming.
6 weeks into the course and he still hasn't graded anything, yet there are weekly exams. He refuses to provide rubrics, examples, and counterexamples. 6 exams have passed and we still don't know if we answered questions to his liking. Every week, someone drops the class. Highly unethical education. He should refund students the course fee.
You MUST view his taped lectures and perform his labs to pass the course. Brinkley is all nice and polite when you talk to him, but in terms of class management and teaching skills he has the inertia and velocity of a sloth. Ridiculous grading plan. Read a lot, pray some, and don't forget to do the stupid useless contrived homework bull crap.
someone HMU @ALEXCARSO on IG who has taken him for 2426
The class was very disorganized, and it always seemed like he was doing things on the fly. There was always a lot of homework due, and tests like every other day. He also did not grade anything until a day or two before the final, so it was always a toss-up on what your final grade would be. No one really knew what was going on in the class.
The professor was nice, but the class structure was what made the course so difficult. Homework and tests were hard and graded on picky criteria. Grades were not uploaded regularly, so it was hard to predict what the final grade would be. Office hours were sometimes helpful and labs were enjoyable. Very unstructured and disorganized.
there is alot of work in this class. At first he is on top of it but quickly falls behind and that can be a good thing. Often just gives 100 on everything that isn't a module test because he is so behind on grading. Final was somewhat like unit review open responses, M/C were not. maybe like two from unit reviews. put in effort and should be an A.
As a person he is nice, willing to help when asked. As far as his lectures, he gets off topic easily but seems to be very passionate about the topic. He is quite slow when updating the grade books. Exams 1-3 are very similar to the review he gives and the Final exam is cumulative. Overall not bad.
Very unorganized professor and class. Often came to class not knowing what chapter we were on, and changed due dates often, never had any type of schedule. Only posted slide shows, no videos, rarely actually taught. A lot of online homework that is very different from exams. Hard to get a question actually answered. So many off-topic tangents.
Brinkley is horrible. Lectures are extremely unhelpful and NOTHING at all like the homework or tests. His grading criteria is unclear, he doesn't even know it. He NEVER grades assignments on time, so you don't even know your grade until it's too late. He is extremely disorganized, due dates are unclear, tests are formatted incorrectly. DO NOT TAKE!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
73%
Textbook Required
24%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
2425
5.0
(2)PHYS1405
5.0
(1)PHYS101
5.0
(1)PHYSII
5.0
(1)PHY2425
4.2
(5)Difficulty by Course
50520
5.0
PHYS1425
5.0
PH1401
4.6
PHY1410
4.5
PYS1410
4.5