3.3
Quality3.6
Difficulty49%
Would Retake96
Reviews49%
Would Retake
96
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
30
4
20
3
19
2
16
1
11
What Students Say
“I was at the tutor center all the time, and they could explain things to me in 2 minutes that he couldn't in 50 minutes”
PHYS140 - 3.0 rating“More confusing than it had to be”
PHYS140 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
21%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.00 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYS250
5.0
(1)PHYS140L
4.7
(3)UNST300
4.5
(2)GSCI101
4.0
(33)101
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GSI101
5.0
CHEM131
5.0
PHYS250
5.0
PHYS140
4.0
PHYS260
4.0
Reviews (96)
Mark is a great teacher and makes the subject intresting!
nice guy, good at explaining everything, obviously enjoys being around students
TAKE HIM! He is the best. And you'll love his shorts and white tennis shoes
Much harder than you think it should be
Tests are challenging, but he is reasonable in the end
tests are hard, but you can make it up with the other easy assignments
funny guy, tries to make a gen-ed science class interesting - hard tests tho
testare hard; wears cool shirts to clss, makes really bad jokes
Tests are hard but is a great guy. Makes lots of jokes.
GREAT teacher-wants to help-amusing class-tests are hard-moves kind of fast
very fair, knows his stuff, take him
Hard. I disagreed with the teaching style of Mattson. I would shop around...
great prof! v. helpful, v. nice, funny. awesome guy.
Excellent teacher, best I've ever had; reasonable in expectations, made me love a subject I have ALWAYS hated.
LOVED HIS CLASS!! TAKE IT!! Moved fast but made the class interesting and used examples to explain everything!
Lecutures are clear and concise. Yeah he moves kind of quick, more of a pro at phys then chem, tests are hard, so you MUST STUDY AND READ THE BOOK. Cracks jokes here and there, and overall pretty laid back.
I personally hated the class, but I'm not a science person in any way. The tests were rediculous. GSCI is going to suck wherever you take it so I guess Mattson is alright.
quite possibly the best professor at JMU i've had so far. very intelligent, a nice guy, and obviously loves to teach. even if you're not good at physics and chemistry, he can make it understandable for you. some "freebie" assignmentsHIGHLY RE
I hated this class. Attened regularly took notes, studied a fair amount and was unable to pull off a B. There was too much information jammed into not enough time. That may be the case with all GSCI, I don't know.
This is a great class! One, on the first day of class he made a tennis ball cannon! He also is more than willing to help you with any problem you have in the class. 1 Thing: the midterms are hard, but he gives a 15-20 pt curve so it equates out.
material is hard. tests are hard. doesnt care if you skip class, just read book to catch up. daily worksheets and homework due. curve at the end of the year. subtle jokes and wicked sense of humor if you pay attention.
If you're not good at science, take this class! He makes the material easy to understand. He's a little nerdy, but he'll make class interesting. Homework is collected daily, but the worksheets are not hard at all. I strongly recommend this class!
Nice guy, really good teacher and is very reasonable with everything. Tests are a little hard but he curves so...DEF. should take this class, he makes it fun and interesting!!!!
are these ratings for real..this guys class blows...he is the biggest nerd ever..test are impossible..have to go to every class to hand in a homework..EVERY CLASS...attendance counts every CLASS!! HEED ME DONT TAKE
Attendance is NOT required every class, but turning in HW is, so find someone in the class and ask them to turn it in days you can't. Tests are hard but he curves A LOT. so take this class if you want to pass GSCI
hum.. this teacher is kinda quirky, real random movements. but he's nice and helpful. if you need help just go to the freakin math and learning center. anyone who does bad in this class is totally retarded.. he's so easy.. gives like 4 billion examples for one formula.. GEEZ
Understanding guy, but not the most interesting class. You dont actually have to go to class, just hand in the worksheets and leave and read the book to catch up. Exams are harder then the criteria.
All right. You thought an easy science right?Think again!! He covers quantum physics for gods sake. Not easy at all on exams. Class average 63. That tells you something. And he does not round up the exams. Comforting: turn in assignments and you are guaranteed to pass. Like tooth pulling though. Thank god it is over.
Hard class anyway but he makes it interesting sometimes with demostrations. Tests are pretty hard but the homework will help your grade out alot. Even though you are not required to go to class it is helpful. Pretty cool teacher for the subject being taught.
Took a class with over the summer and found this class impossible. Not being very scientifically inclined I did not understand a great deal of what was going in the class. Way too much information was crammed into a short time period. I passed only because everybody else failed with me.
hard exams, very easy projects and homeworks, allows huge cheat sheets, curves the final grade, it is possible to get A in the class with C in the final if you do the rest of the work, he makes the material interesting
dont take this class if youre an upperclassman...if youre a freshman that wants to go to every class and do all the homework, he curves tests and is pretty nice, but if you dont like going to class you have no chance...covers way too much material for a da,mn gsci class, this should at least be a 200 level class for people that like this crap
he made the class fun. very helpul during office hours and at math center. very approachable. nice and funny man
Great professor! Always willing to help (even with tests).. Material is just really hard, and takes ALOT of out of class time..
Decent Teacher, hard subject... DO THE HOMEWORKS, it matters, copy of someone, i dont care, do them. He curves your grades if you do. His tests are hard and overwhelming, but apon looking back over them, they are still hard. Drops the lowest grade tho, thank god!
No Comments
Nice guy, very helpful during office hours. Tests are a lot of information and the class requires a lot of time. Gives practice test though and is very fair. Drops lowest test grade.
he cant explain the concepts to near the degree that my last physics teacher could, doesn't answer questions in class if they are more involved because he's lazy, and assigns homework problems that are so much more in depth than his lectures, that I resulted to watching MIT video lectures to learn the concepts in order to do the homework. great jo
Way too much material. You'll want to throw yourself off a building. At least you'll know that you're accelerating at 9.8 m/s2 before you hit the ground.
He's absolutely terrible. He's very nice and encouraging but his lectures are practically incoherent. Also, it's impossible to talk to him in person. The help center is usually packed with people and you may have to wait behind a dozen students not even in his class just to get an audience with him for five minutes.
He is one of the nicest professors at JMU. He runs the math and science HELP center for crying out loud. Best phys teacher there is at JMU. Phys is hard though so i recommend taking it at another school where ur grade wont transfer :)
This class is pretty hard. Do not take at jmu, take at blue ridge instead. He makes lectures interesting and is enthusiastic. However, he gives easy problems in class. When you get the hw you will have no clue how to do it unless you get help. Essentially he builds you up then slams you with hard work. He is nice though.
The class it's self is really hard no matter who u get. But if u could do it over again i would still choose mattson. Attendance isn't mandatory but his computer will randomly generate a few students to ask a question to and if you are not there u loose the points. Over all great phys teacher, just the curriculum in general sucks.
Awful. Doesn't teach and makes the material harder than it really is. Tests are really hard and way to much material. Nice guy, but should not be a professor
Nice guy, but awful teacher. The material seems to click at first but when you do the practice tests or homework it's like a completely different question. I got so much more confused than I should have.
Dr. Mattson is the man. The previous comments are most likely extreme slackers. He does expect a lot from his students: HW, Tests, Final, Worksheets, however he's always extremely helpful before class and during office hours. Show up to class although it's not mandatory because it will help you on the test. Great class if you have to take Physics!
This class is definitely no fun, but his grading is fair. Attendance isn't mandatory, but it's still good to go. He lets you use a full, front and back formula sheet that you make yourself for all your tests with whatever you want on it. The homework is pretty straightforward too. Overall the class is hard, but manageable.
Mattson is a really nice guy and tries to be fair but averaging our group test scores. But overall the class is harder than it should be. He makes the tests challenging and the homework and nothing coincides with the text.It's pointless to go to lecture because they aren't helpful and he gets side tracked easily.
going to this class is a joke. the only thing you do in it is go over 3 practice problems that are no help. he lectures completely online so be prepared to b extremely BORED. really nice and funny. teaches alright but overall it is really hard to understand the material because the lectures are online.50 averages on tests, but he curves like crazy.
Dr. Mattson is a nice guy but his class is so poorly structured for learning the material its not even funny. He does all things possible to inflate your grade including multiple make up tests and homework's,group work etc, that counts for the majority of your grade. Even with that he STILL needs to curve. You'll be frustrated during this class.
Basically be prepared to teach yourself the material, he goes so fast and doesn't help you understand. He's a nice guy and will help in office hours, but other than that STRESS.
I went to class maybe 5 times all semester and got a B+. All of his powerpoints are online and are basically self explanatory. All of the tests are the same version too. He isn't a good teacher but hes definitely better than Banu... take him for minimal work and a solid grade. with effort you can def pull a B or higher
More confusing than it had to be
Can't explain at all
He allows a cheat sheet for every exam, cumulative final, homework weekly ranging from needing a tutor to being able to look up online. Attendance isn't mandatory but he does go over problems in class. I found the textbook way more helpful than his pre-class lectures. Really helpful in email and sort of helpful during office hours.
Not too hard if u try. Give hw every week that helps your grade. and curve at the end of semester. Always be there for you when u need help. Physics is hard in general. Recommend to take him.
I hated how he posted online lectures to listen to beforehand then did NOTHING during class, but it's nice to have access to the material when you need it. I had a 60 avg on tests and a 90 for my hw and got a B-. HW is worth 35% of final grade, he drops one test and throws a huge curve at the end so I def recommend even tho he's not a great prof.
Terrible teacher. I was at the tutor center all the time, and they could explain things to me in 2 minutes that he couldn't in 50 minutes. What was I thinking
One of the worst professors at jmu. He is not very good at explaining thing and makes test harder than they need to be. I highly recommend taking someone else
Expect to listen to the online lectures, read the book, and attend class if you actually want to know what's going on. His tests are pretty hard and he likes the average to be a 62. The math isn't that bad, but his concepts questions were awful. If you're someone who hates waiting on a giant curve at the end of the semester, look for someone else.
3 tests but he drops 1, weekly HW (easy, all the answers can be found on google if you can't figure it out on your own), and a final. HW is a huge chunk of your grade so do it, its easy and helps your grade bigtime. Tests are hard but there is a huge curve at the end of the class so study and try to pull out 70s or better, you will get atleast a B
Mattson is an okay guy. He tries to be funny in lecture because he knows the material is dry. Your grade consists of 6-8 homework problems due every Friday except when you have a test, 3 test, and a final. HUGE CURVE. Do well on the homework and get about a 50-60 on your tests and you'll pass with a B.
Pretty good class, tests are kinda hard but there is a MASSIVE curve at the end of the semester. 3 tests ,1 dropped and a final. He's pretty good over email. Homework reading quizzes are 10% and in class activities are 25%. Hard class, but it's easy to get a good grade.
Mattson is alright. The one major problem is that he doesn't do very well at explaining the things he needs to and spends a large amount of class time going over simple concepts. You'll get where you need to with him, but you may not understand all of it and will instead just focus on surviving one test at a time.
This guy is awesome. Makes pays 140 not as hard as it should be. Tests are what you learn so if you study and do the homework, and A is not hard!
Dr. Mattson is alright. He comes off as very knowledgeable and nice, but if you go to his office hours, he is quite rude and condescending. His tests are stupid hard, class averages are never higher than a 65, be prepared to work for your grade.
This is the worst professor Ive ever had. He acts pretentious and like he is above this course and teaches in a way that you have to teach yourself the material and spend 90 minutes outside of lecture listening to his OTHER LECTURES. It is completely ridiculous and nobody knows whats going on. Horrible.
I literally hated physics and didn't really study hahah only went to Friday classes because that is when we would have group quizzes, avg for the class was a solid 50!!! HOWEVER HE ADDED A HUGE CURVE AT THE END AND I PASSED WITH A C-
Absolute worst. The entire class could be confused about something because he is terrible at explanations, but he will still make everyone feel as if its our fault for being incompetent. Not sure why he makes physics exams multiple choice only, but they are the worst. Math is not that bad but his conceptual questions are impossible. Avoid this man.
One of the worst professors at JMU. He does not explain things clearly at all. He continues to make his test hard because he wants the tests averages in the low 60's. Cheat Sheets. Group assignments every friday that help your grade. Reading quizzes due before class. Yes he curves but he curves differently every semester so try to your best.
exams are super hard and the average for every exam is a failing grade. practice exams don't help, group assignments every Friday and a pre-class quiz almost every class. I wouldn't take him again and I don't see how this is a gen-ed science course. the material itself isn't bad he just makes exams way too hard and not based on what we practice
Mattson comes off as a cool guy and makes the class seem like it will be relatively easy if you put the work in. However, he is very rude and condescending outside of lecture. During office hours, he will make it obvious he has better things to do. Tests are unreasonably hard and the class average is always a failing grade. Avoid his class.
Horrible professor. He lulls you in at the beginning of the semester by coming off as cool and funny and saying things such as "physics can be fun!" but he makes his tests stupid hard, and goes super in depth for every subject covered (and thats a lot of subjects). He moves fast as hell, and all the tests had failing averages. Avoid at all costs.
Professor Mattson isn't the best lecturer. He is a nice enough fellow, but it doesn't seem that teaching is his strong suit. Many times its easier to google the class material and teach it to yourself than it is to learn from his lectures.
The class itself was very informative and I did enjoy it. There was tons of essays (very short essays) and no homework aside from those. 2 open note exams. Hes always available for any questions or concerns. Could be very vague with expectations for essays. A few group presentations. Overall, hes a good professor. Id take him again!
He is the very easy to understand and makes lectures interesting. Willing to help you and is very understanding. One of the best Professors Ive had.
Class consisted of lectures, 5 group presentations, and a few essays. There was also a midterm and final (open note). The class itself is easy, but group presentations can be tough if you get stuck with a bad group. He doesn't give rubrics or expectations for anything, but he's an easy grader so it was chill. Definitely would take again!
Mattson was a difficult professor by giving us 5 really hard hw questions due every Friday and reading quizzes due before each class. He has a lot of pre lecture material and man is a snail when going threw slides in class. His test are really hard likes average to be in D's. I hear there is a curve at the end of the semester.
The class was on ethics of human experimentation and I thought the lectures were really interesting. A lot of group projects that just seemed like busy work but he graded them easy. I know not a lot of people have to take this class but all together it was pretty easy but a lot of work for a GenEd.
Tests are extremely hard and his lectures are all over the place. Uses lon-capa which is not user friendly and you don't really know what your grade will be. His test averages are below 60% most of the time.
I got mid 70s on all of the exams and still ended with an A. Put effort into the homework and the group projects and you'll be good. He gives you practice HWs that are exactly like the real HWs. You can practice over and over until you get it right, then you can get 100% on the real HW. The group projects are extremely easy and easily graded.
I would not take him if you don't have any physics background.
Mattson is a really sweet professor who lectures well, very dad-like which is honestly comforting. His textbook is via OpenStax, so it's free! Only issue I have with him is that he tends to go a bit fast during lectures. Drops the worst of your exams at the end of the semester + curves, which saved me from having to retake the class. Solid choice!
I found the lectures pretty boring. Attendance is only mandatory for worksheet days (Fridays). Short reading quizzes almost every day. 3 tests, worth 40% but the lowest one is dropped. Not too shabby, but not my favorite class/ professor
Dr. Mattson was a very interesting professor. He structured the powerpoints in a way that you had to listen to him during class, since each slide was a paragraph of text. But overall, he was a pretty cool professor, he was very lenient on some complex problems and gave a lot of examples.
I like Mark Mattson as a person, he gives Dad energy and he is very respectful. I have never been very good at physics, but this new class for the biological sciences is hard in the sense that he lectures very fast and does not explain thoroughly. I didn't do well on the first 2 tests but have great grades on the worksheets and labs.
He has a great personality BUT! He cannot lecture wortha damn. Everything he lectures about is at break neck speed and not up to snuff to complete the homework with. Exams are difficult but he is very lenient when grading. If you're a Physics Major you have to take him anyway, but be prepared to do a lot of research to complete any of the work.
I had him for phys125 (not available on here). He's a quirky guy and does silly things in class like running into walls. Attendance is not mandatory, but there are weekly worksheets that count for 20% of your grade. He does not make your grade visible on canvas. Tests were multiple choice with opportunity to earn back credit on math problems.
He was ok. In class we pretty much just watch him do practice problems which didn't help me learn the content but his tests were all open note.
easy reading quizzes before class, worksheets on thursdays with a group. he made physics pretty interesting, but he never graded anything and the grade was locked all sem. I was expecting an A in the class but didnt know my grade till it was posted in my madison so that made me a little angry. definitely easy alternative for 140/150 for bio majors
He was a pretty laidback and caring professor. Fast/ heavy lecturer but records them all for you to go back and review as needed. 3 exams (drops the lowest) & final (all exams are in person & open notes, scratch work gets you extra credit). Reading assignments (before every class) and weekly homework assignments. Textbook is online & free.
Not a ton of work, but the exams can be tough and really bring down your grade. There's in class worksheets and labs once a week which are pretty leniently graded, just not very quickly, very important to show up for them. Great personality, like a chill dad.
I didn't take the human-subject experimentation class, but I went to one before dropping for one I needed, I thought he was super nice and sweet. He records on Zoom if you can't go, and he said he doesn't take attendance but expects you to come, and it's a small enough group that he knows who does. Can tell he's interested in what he's teaching!
He is a good professor, but it's just a very lecture-heavy class. He posts a Zoom of every lecture afterwards and does not grade attendance. 2 Exams, both are open note. 3 essays, but all pretty simple. Might grade on a curve, depending on the class average. Overall, Mr. Mattson's Gen Ed class was easy, and I got a good grade.
Physics is hard and that won't change. You will definitely have to study throughout the semester and don't cram before exams. It was hard to follow his lectures sometimes. He doesn't take attendance but there really graded group worksheets every Thursday so show up. Easy reading quizzes before class. exams are open note but doesn't really help
He is a very nice professor and super helpful. This class is pretty difficult although the exams are open note and the lowest is dropped. Graded worksheets on Thursday's but he posts Zoom videos of his lectures. Very straightforward
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
21%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.00 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYS250
5.0
(1)PHYS140L
4.7
(3)UNST300
4.5
(2)GSCI101
4.0
(33)101
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GSI101
5.0
CHEM131
5.0
PHYS250
5.0
PHYS140
4.0
PHYS260
4.0