2.8
Quality4.4
Difficulty29%
Would Retake162
Reviews29%
Would Retake
162
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
27
4
30
3
37
2
45
1
23
What Students Say
“Simon is such a nice person, but that class was so hard”
1500 - 3.0 rating“His demonstrations are great and made good lab choices, but lectures are awful”
PHYS1510 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
90%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
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PHYS
5.0
(2)ENGINPHYSICS
5.0
(1)PHYS15001510
5.0
(1)PHY202
5.0
(1)PHYSICS
4.0
(6)Difficulty by Course
1501
5.0
PHYS1100
5.0
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5.0
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Reviews (162)
**** with hard tests - a 40% will get you a C
I had to drop; covers material quickly with no time for him to answer questions. VERY hard tests and not much of a curve. (Try another teacher)
smartest physics guy Ive ever met. But goes extremely fast and is hard to follow. Will be an easy A if you are able to follow him though. Not too bad of a class.
this teacher is really hard but he does help if you need it. if you take him be willing to study a lot and have no life!!!
I took physics in the summer and was glad I did. The material that he covers is at a very rapid pace, but if you go to class everyday and put the study time in, it will all be over in a month. I think everyone made at least a C during the summer course.
Ridiculously hard. Goes so fast in class it's hard to follow. Tests are insane.
Test are really hard and long. Not enough time to finish tests he's helpful so that's good
Good guy, not too bad just dont ****foot around in his class and you will do fine
crazy
Knows his physics. The class is pretty demanding when it comes to studying. As long as you study a lot and practice the problems (and unfortunately, getting fast at doing them), you'll do well. He does a good job of showing a lot of examples.
Sucks so bad. Basically just derives equations in class. Tests are crazy.
He has no life...only sits around doing physics problems all day. I didn't find him to be very helpful or fair. He actually lowered my test grade when I asked for a regrade. Big curves in class though.
strange guy but ok teacher. pay attention...
Spends most, if not all of class time deriving formulas which is pointless considering he tests you on how you can apply those formulas to problems. Any examples he does on he board are from the book. The tests are hard, and too long for the period.
good teacher; knows the material up and down and has the ability to prove it; the class is very demanding; if you put in the time you'll do well, but if you are looking for an easy class, dont take his
Very smart man, babbels a bit in class, do the online homework, go to all the labs, all the recitations, do the study guides and youll have a B, no problem.. even if you make a 34 on one test and a 54 on another
Gives online exercises that he doesn't teach about, then makes tests as hard as possible!! He scales the grades, but he never changes tests so on repeat students get the A's & blow the curve!!
I had two years of physics in high school including physics AP and BARELY got a B. I turned a test back in because I thought there was a mistake and he gave it back with a lower score than the original. He's smart but is working against his students
HARD Teacher! Took his class twice. Made a D the first time and a B the second. Can't teach well at all. Rambles constantly and flies through material. Even if you understand the material, the tests are still impossible!
Very hard class, although he scales a lot! I made 1 F, 2 C's, and 1 A on my tests and ended up with an A in the class. Make sure you do your BCA problems and go to labs so that you will have some good grades.
i'm in his class this mini-mester, we are covering this entire course in 5 1/2 weeks. this guy is an awesome teacher and is VERY fair with his grading policy. i just got back from taking one of his tests, and it was a breeze, contrary to popular opinion
I had him Fall 02. His test were incredibly hard, but he scaled at the end. If you do all the WebCT (internet) problems and the labs you will be ok. I think I made 50s on most of the tests (maybe one B) and got an A. People have the solution man. on cd
Worse class and techer I have ever had. Not idea how I got a C because I failed every one of his tests. They are too hard, and you come out feeling like you have no idea what you made or what he wanted.
Dr. Simon is quite difficult but if you apply yourself and do the BCA problems, go to lab and recitation, pay attention. You can make an A. Do the work, it pays!
guy is pretty nice. I honestly liked his class. I made a 64, 78, 81, and 86 on my test, and not sure about the final and got a B overall in the class. Do all the extra work like homework problems so that you have a 100% in that portion of the class.
He wrote the textbook.
Horrible.
Don't take him!!!! Worst teacher in physic!!!!!
Horrible. TA's were useless (didn't know how to do labs or homework). Simon changed a test question 3 times during an exam; I had to rework the question each time and didn't have enough time for the other questions. Got an A, but wanted to kill him.
i had him several years back, great man, really fun to get to know and talk to, knows his stuff, kind of tough though
Teacher did not teach well. Did not explain the material in a way that you could understand it. He stated that he was helpful, but when you try to ask him something he made you feel inferior. Tests are virtually impossible. DO NOT TAKE HIM!
Oh, he's cute all right, as he pulls his pants up every 5 seconds. He is very hard and hard to catch during office hours. Helpful if really patient. Tests definately test your knowledge on the subject. Teaches all right, but I had to take a tutor to understand the concept.
A funny man and knows what he's doing but can be confusing. Test questions come strait from the Notes. He's very hard to catch during office hours. After tests, go to his offic b/c he will regrade your test himself and give you 15 pts higher sometimes. He Has Short Term Memory Disorder though...sad.
Go to him for help and ask any question no matter how stupid it is b/c he has short term memory disorder and he will not be able to remember you the next day or even in 5 min sometimes... it is sort of sad but it motivates you to go to him for help! He's very helpful so take advantage of it!
He is a very hard teacher, get loch if you can. His tests are so hard, but the grading curve is pretty good.
Simon is a great guy who loves his students. He curves every test and gives lots of help. If he knows your name and recognizes you outside of class, you will get an A. His lectures are easy to understand becasue he uses lots of pictures and diagrams. Good teacher, easy A.
Great Professor! If you want to learn this material (if you're in engineering you do, trust me I'm a senior) then take Dr. Simon. He speaks English and really really explains what's going on in the class. Grant it physics is difficult, but Dr. Simon explains it very well. He wants you to learn.
he teaches well but his tests are insane...way to long and full of tricks, even if you know the material you can still have a 40 test avg. easy...i heard lock was a great teacher and people from my lab who had him understood what they were talking about and had good grades
does anyone else agree that he reminds you of Sean Connery on Jeopardy???
OMG I SAID THE SEAN CONNERY COMMENT WAY BEFORE YOU THOUGHT IT!!! i said to the guy i sit by, Sean connery on helium!
No Comments
his tests are completely impossible and coming to class doesn't even help you. he does scale at the end which is a big help and you'll probly end up ok in the end but the stress of uncertainty is horrible!! and he's helpful if he's in his office but he's never there during his office hours!
Good lecturer but when it comes to the tests he is impossibe. Tests are nothing like the online homework assigned and are full of tricks. Half the class dropped after the first test with rediculous grades b/c he wouldnt scale. I strongly recomend fukai.
simon is a good teacher who's very helpful IF YOU GO TO HIM AND ASK!! his lectures are interesting, but they are not very helpful when it comes to the tests, which are extremly hard. study all of the lab quizzes, that helps, and pay attention to the main problems he works in class! he's pretty funn
at least english is simon's first language. cant say that for any other physics teachers. great lectures and understandable, really hard tests tho. he does scale pretty awesome, so if you just beat your classmates you can pass with a 40 avg. good luck.
I dont recommend studying the homework problems. They are nothing like the tests. The best way to study is just knowing the formulas. Didn't find that out til the middle of the semester. Has a better grading scale than Fukai. Your Lab and Rec. grades help. Do well in there and youll pass.
There is hope with Simon!! Do all the homework, and focus on the labs. Tests are IMPOSSIBLE but dont give up. As long as you stick with it you will pass!
he's a funny guy-interesting to listen to, but he seems to have lost the idea of what we go to school for. i really wanted to learn about physics going in, but i ended up concentrating on how to pass. most of the class never passed a test, luckily he scales. and the online homework-so many technical glitches. he also never responds to email.
This class is quite challenging and you cannot get by without doing some actual work. Simon (a funny interesting guy) helped me in his office whenever i asked but be warned he is often v. busy. pay attention to the problems he puts on the board. homework is pretty differnet from tests but it helps with the tests. learn trig stuff wellat beginning
The guy is a good instructor. You have to work your nuts off in here, but MCAT or whatever else will be good after this...HINTS: He has a TA named Mark who sux ass- avoid being around him and skip classes he teaches. ASK SIMON questions during the test- he will point you the right way. MEMORIZE the problems he does on the board ("Capstone").
if you are after a degree, do not take Simon. However, if you want an education, he is perfect!
He is a crazy old man that say, "don't worry about it," to every problem you have. I took a make up test and it wasn't on what we covered in class. If you take him, don't miss a test
Dr. Simon is an excellent teacher and he makes you understand Physics rather than just memorize equations. Do not focus on studying homework problems. Really understand his problems worked in class (CAPSTONE problems) and know how to do EVERY single problem put on the board.
if you can avoid him, do. if you can't... go to class and sit in the front! ask him for help, make sure he knows you! i made an A but i had absolutely NO IDEA what i would make in the end, because i was making 30's and 40's on my tests. be prepared to work your ass off.
HE SUCKS
very monotone, teaches very fast, hard to understand notes, skips around alot, but does scale test grades and final grade.
brilliant teacher, yet his tests are hopelessly difficult. everyone's always in a suspense on what their grades are. if you have test avg of 60, and do well on all the homework and lab, you should be able to get a b.
HORRIBLE TEACHER! RUN if you can! I recieved my first C ever in this class. His lectures are unclear garbage. The tests are so difficult. His final scale is not as large as the rumors make it out to be. Overall, he is the WORST professor I have EVER had.
What is his grading scale? At the end of the semester things may turn out ok, but you are lost most of the time. Never gives formulas and is always too busy to see students for help. Definitely not the best, but it's possible to pass because he curves in the end.
I really like him. He does do a lot of stuff in class that doesn't seem very useful, but if you take good notes and really listen and try to understand the material instead of memorize it, his class is not too difficult. He is helpful as well (if you can find him) and explains the stuff very well, although sometimes too detailed.
I really like him. He does do a lot of stuff in class that doesn't seem very useful, but if you take good notes and really listen and try to understand the material instead of memorize it, his class is not too difficult. He is helpful as well (if you can find him) and explains the stuff very well, although sometimes too detailed.
The graading scale is awesome. If you do well in lab and do all of the homework you will get a B even with a 60 test average. I would recommend him just because of his scale. He is also very helpful if you go to his office.
He's hard and his test are way too long, but if you go to lab and do all of the crazy iLRN you'll get a B no problem. He scales the final grade too.
very hard class, doesnt really matter who you get physics department here is bad... simon is helpful and does scale, but there are easier tests for other teachers if you can get one... they usually only offer 1 teacher a semester and its always at 8 in the morning... hardest class ive ever taken
NOT helpful at all.I went to his office on several occasions and all he wanted to do was talk about other crap that didnt matter.Like his son who is in college in New York or something. I was happy with my grade considering it was the hardest class I've ever taken. My highest test grade was a 52 and I got a C in the class. Other teachers are worse.
Tough class - study hard. Not impossible. Very frustrating throughtout semester because you don't know that your 60% test avg will be an A at the end. Do all homework & extra credit and try to stay above the class average on exams. I made an A with moderate study time.
Engineering physics isn't going to be easy no matter what prof you have. Simon would be ok except for all the bs online homework. GO FIND THE SOLUTIONS MANUAL!!! Going to the lectures is pretty worthless in th e long run.
This is one of the hardest classes I've ever had. That being said, Dr. Simon is an awesome professor! He makes it impossible to fail if you do your homework and lab reports. He wants you to learn and curves at the end. Very fair and really cares about his students. I would recomend him to anyone!
This class is extremely challenging! Several people ended up dropping this class, but I would definitely recommend sticking it out. Simon realizes his class his tough and scales each test and your final grade at the end of the semester. He is a sweet old man and willing to help in any way possible! I would recommend taking his class!
Simon is alright. He is tough but does scale. Get the solutions manuel and do the homeowrk and active figures. Go to lab and recitation. He gives a lot of easy points to make up for bad test grades. Go to class and don't forget your clicker.
Ok this guy SUCKS! and i mean SUCKS!!! i got a B in the class and i am a A student, im a NERD. My GPA was a 3.909 b4 i took his class and he screwed me over with a B. He teaching is terrible and not clear. He is in no way shape or form helpfull, and the whole time your in his class, you have no idea what your grade is. DONT TAKE HIM.
Going to class scared me because he never made any sense in class, but go to class so you can get clicker points. Go to recitation and lab and don't forget to do the homework- get the solutions manual. I failed the first tests but then made B's and A's because things started to make sense. He scales at the end, and I made an A. Don't be scared.
Engineering physics is hard anyway you put it. Simon is ok. Do ALL the homework and go to every lab and recitation. Go to class to get clicker points and do any extra credit he offers. I made a 44,58, and 65 on my tests. Scale is huge because I should have made a C and came out with an A. Just stick with it, even if you think you are failing.
Phyics is going to be hard, so get over that. Grading scale: D: 50-64 C: 65-79 yea...extra leway. He knows physics is hard. A and B is convensional. Go to Labs and Recitations. Attend class and never forget your clicker (he's kinda random about it). DO ALL EXTRA CREDIT OPERTUNITIES. You will learn most of it in Recitation...Massive scale at the end
The tests usually do not have many numbers (all equations), but the scale at the end helps. If you have an A average on the tests, you get out of the final. He does take attendance occasionally with a clicker. It is random though.
Dr. Simon is awesome!! 50% of your grade comes from homework, attendance, labs and recitation. The tests are difficult but as long as you actually try you can stay above the class average. He curves and will do everything he can to help you. I would reccomend Dr. Simon to anyone. Make sure you doo all your webassign homework and you will pass.
Dr. Simon assigns lots of HW and bonus. His notes will help, but going to him after class is most helpful. He cares about the student and will help you if you put forth the effort. There is no easy route for physics. I would take him again.
His lectures are entertaining but can sometimes be difficult to follow. He is helpful in office hours, although he is a little forgetful, so you might have to email him or stop by his office to remind him if you need something. His tests are not too hard, but some problems can be confusing. Fortunately tests count only as small part of total grade.
Want a scale? Dr. Simon can do it like no other. You can have a test average of a 40 in this class and make a C. So much of your grade is from homework, lab , and recitation that making a bad grade is out of laziness. Its easy to make an A or B in here. Take him for anything Physics if you want a good grade.
TAKE JOHN WILLIAMS. Dr. Simon is too smart. He doesn't describe concepts, so if you aren't good at reading Physics books, don't take him. I've been through three tutors and still am doing VERY poorly in the class..and believe me, I'm trying to do well. Dr. Williams substituted for Simon for three days and It was WONDERFUL
Very difficult class. I recommend Locke; Robicheaux is just as hard. The tests are extremely difficult; I got a 54, 78, 73, and 81 on the tests and made an A; make sure you do well in lab and recitation, and an A or B is possible. You are better off avoiding him in the first place.
Engineering Physics is a going to be tough, don't doubt that. My test grades were 34, 30, 30, 62. I did near perfect on the homework/labs/recitation. I went to class every day for clicker points. And completed all the extra credit. My final grade was a C.
Physics is a tough class no matter who you take. Dr. Simon's tests are very hard. Do ALL of the homework, go to class to get clicker points, and do all the extra credit. He does a pretty big scale at the end of the semester. If you just want to pass, I recommend taking him.
His lectures are almost impossible to follow. He loses his train of thought often. He is the most disorganized person. He can never remember what he wants to say unless he writes is down. He wastes a lot of class looking for things. Tests are ridiculus and usally make about as much sense as his rambling lectures. TERRIBLE TEACHER!!
Lecture is full of incoherent rambling. Uses clickers to account for attendance. Tests consist of recitation quiz and lecture problems. Makes everything abstract (e.g. no numbers). I was exempt from the final despite getting a C, a B, and an A on the three tests.
He doesn't explain things very well, the couple of days we had John Williams as a sub were about the only things I understood. That said, his grading system makes up for doing awfully on the tests because they are only worth half of the class. Go to class, lab, and recitation and do the online homework, you'll be fine.
So everyone that says he is a master of the scale is apparently wrong. I had a c average in the class and I still made a c...So if you looking to find a good teacher in engineering physics, you won't. It's going to be a ton of work regardless of who you have. I would probably take John Williams though.
Curve my butt! I had an 83 in the class going into the final, did poorly on the final evidently and got a C in the class! My gta for recitation was TERRIBLE, he overcomplicated everything and never let us just work on our homework. When we talked to simon he was very unhelpful. His lectures were TERRIBLE too..take Williams KNOWING you'll get curved
Simon....just no. I emailed him since I had a B going into the final and a C coming out about the scale. He replied that he didn't scale the grades. So counting on the scale isn't going to work. He's hard, test impossible. TA sucked. Work load was huge. Take Williams for sure. I only understood the stuff he taught us. Just avoid Simon any way poss.
Yeah, no scale for the final grade at all. I had an 89 test average going in and would have been exempt/gotten an A if I had had a 90..but I ended up with a B.If you have to take him,I suggest getting the solutions guide so you don't waste your time on homework and write down examples in class and learn those(those will be the questions on the test
i would suggest taking him because i was making 42, 33,35,47 on test and came out with a C
Dr. Simon is a good professor. I mean his class is very hard but if you think that you might do bad, then you might wanna take him. I went to see him a couple of times during the semester and he was very helpful, however, his tests are aweful and the homework just sucks, but overall he was JUST O.K. and by this i mean not good but NOT terrible
Seems tough but he like to help. Go to his office hours and he curves alot of the time
Terrible evrything! Does not teach the material with any clarity.He won't respond to any emails. He is very unorginized. Test are impossible. I got a C, but felt like i learned nothing.
Very enthusiastic, but not the best teacher. Amount of homework is RIDICULOUS and its all online. Do as much of the extra credit as you can. Tests are really hard. Difficulty wise, the final was the easiest (multiple choice). Take Landers if you can. Lab/rec. was a waste of time. Made a 53, 57, and a 17 on tests and came out with a C (scale).
I can't remember anything that I learned from him. He taught like we were already knew how to do this stuff. I learned from the labs. Online homework was ridiculous, and most of it was a lot harder than what we were tested on. Tests were terrible. If you have a choice don't take Simon, but if you do have him just try, and you'll at least get a C.
Very hard, i learned nothing from this class but made a D in class, so he scales a lot that is the only good thing about his class.. if u have a choice take landers
Tough class. HW was often unreasonable or irrelevant, but if you work through it all, the tests are not that hard. He scales a lot. I didn't learn much in class, but he really likes to help. Go to office hours! I wouldn't recommend him unless you had a pretty good phys class in high school.
This is one tough son of a **** - but he is a great guy. Homework amount is ridiculous, his teaching in class is very disjointed and it seems like after a showing a really long problem he will have a heart attack and keel over. Other than that, be prepared to do a LOT of work.
Man, physics is hard, but this guy just makes it tougher. The lecture is pointless since he jumps from topic to topic alot, lots of minor calculation errors, and alot of sidetracking make it almost impossible to even take notes in the class. He scales, and is pretty generous about it, but if you don't understand it, you're gone.
Horrible teaching method. He doesn't give you a formula sheet, so you memorize them, right? Nope. He doesn't want you to do that. He wants you to derive the formula, using other variables that would find you the variables for the actual formula. Make sense? I didn't think so. Avoid. Students are guinea pigs for his flawed teaching technique.
simon is a terrible teacher, you can't understand half the things he says, but his scale will save you. i had a test average of 30 going into the final and got a b. just do the homework and the extra credit and it's impossible to fail.
Class is a castiron ****. Go in knowing you will spend alot of time on it. Do ALL the homework, do most of the extra credit, and get the little pre and post tests done on time and you will survive. Made a 74, 59, 30. Studied alot for the final and it whipped my ass, but still got a B. Simon is a good guy who wants to help. Content is just hard.
E&M is easier than 1500, but this guy just sucks chodes. He can't talk, speak, stay on track in lecture, and makes these tests ridiculous. Take Knowlton; friends say he's much better after sitting in Simon's class. GTAs sucked too, so hw-time was pointless. He needs to retire. He's the Favre of physics. Just leave already.
Physics is really tough and Dr. Simon def does not take it easy on you but his class is survivable. Make sure you do you do your hw, labs, etc. I did the extra credit probs and that would boost my tests grades about 3-7 pts each time. He told me if you avg a 40 on all 3 tests you'll make a C. I BOMBED the final and still got out with a D.
this guy is absolutely a demon he will fail everybody recklessly the avg score for last test was a 12.5. He is completely unhelpful does not respond to emails and cannot teach. stay clear if you pass you will be lucky.
He is without a doubt the worst teacher i have had thus far in not only college but high school as well. His lectures are totally useless and offer no help towards his test and his labs are garbage as well. He comes off as a real sincere guy but its just a front. STAY AWAY FROM THIS CLASS! it will ruin your gpa.
this class sucks! hardest class i've ever taken in my college carrer. do not take if u can help it. i just took the final like 30 min ago. i studed atleast 10 hours a day for the last 4 days. there were 8 parts to the test. i didn't get but one problem completely right. studying for his tests is usless. he just makes them so hard no one can get it
He is the worst teacher I've ever had. He was not helpful and his classes are pointless but you need to go to get points for being there. I never made above a 40 on a test and ended up with a C only because he scales a ton at the end. I would never suggest him. Avoid him at all costs.
DO NOT TAKE SIMON. He is a terrible teacher. He will try to convince you that he cares about you but he doesn't. He messed up my grade. I should have made a B but he gave me a D. It took him 2 months and a nasty email from the head of physics to get him to even email me back...and he only gave me a C. Most frustrating class of my life.
Just don't do it. Tom Cruises next movie should be Mission Impossible: Physics with Professor Simon
Tests are very hard. The homework is almost useless towards the test. He uses examples from the class lectures on the test, but with a twist. Not very concerned that you learn. Horrible grading techniques. DO NOT TAKE HIM.
interesting as long as he isn't talking about physics, good guy just not great as a teacher
He's good at teaching the material, just not good at testing it. Always expect a curve ball and the questions on the test to be 100x harder than the practice test. If youre really into physics take him, but if youre just taking it to get done you should definately avoid him.
Always too busy for you. Never returns emails. Doesn't keep up with grades. Tests are 1000X harder than what you expect. Needs to retire.
If you see this man's name on your schedule, run. Do everything you have to do to switch classes or you will regret it. You will fail his class.
Thinks he is some sort of gatekeeper to people's futures. His methods and style of teaching are exceptionally worthless. He doesn't even do research! Why is he still teaching? Take Locke, he makes class as interesting as he can and doesn't try to totally confuse his students. Locke also speaks clearly, intelligently and with purpose.
Good guy but not the best prof. He's extremely unreliable. Its been 8 days since the final and still hasn't posted grades. If you wish to do well, take notes and write down everything he puts on the board. Dont listen to him, you need to learn the formulas to succeed on tests. Lab is miserable because you get slaughtered by the quizzes
One of the worst teachers I have ever had. I had to learn all the material on my own and my grade did not get curved at all. I earned a solid C and ended with a C.
Probably the worst professor at Auburn. I stressed so much about the class and studied about 9 hours a week for it. I made a 9 49 62 and 44 on my tests and a B in the class. If you are stuck in there just hold back the anger and hang on for the ride. Attend class and get a CRAMSTER account. He does give bonuses points and scales. All of them help!
He rushes through concepts just so he can get them done. he doesn't care if you learn or if what he's saying makes sense. He expects you to know way too much going in to the class. He makes the class way harder than it should be and does a poor job teaching it. You will learn absolutely nothing.
Made an OK grade but his teaching is terrible. The only reason Auburn keeps him is because he wrote both Eng. Phys I and II lab manuals. Keep in mind Auburn Physics department is one of the worst in the country. I made a B grade however this teacher barely teaches and gets so caught up in his teaching that you practically have to teach yourself.
I'm an A student, I won a full scholarship to Auburn, and I struggled a little in his class. BUT I sucked it up, put the hours in and got an A. You CAN PASS with a 50 average in his class. If you at least attempt all the homework, all the labs, and study, you should be able to pass. PLUS he curves a LOT!!!! Good luck!! :)
Really Hard material but I pulled a B with the following test grades: 29, 48, 79, 60. So the curve is huge.
Worst class i've ever taken. Studied harder than I ever have in my life for the first test and made a 21. The rest of my test were about the same. He was never helpful when you go see him after class. He was also too in love with the TA to do anything about the fact that he was wrongly failing most of the class in labs. but somehow i managed a C?
Dr. Simon rocks my socks!
Don't listen to most of these other reviews, Dr. Simon is a good professor, the subject is just difficult. It's not hard to pass this class if you do the homework and attend the labs (half the grade). He is also very willing to help out or slow down if you are having trouble.
Physics is hard anyway! So don't stress out just go to class, try to take some sufficient notes, get a tutor or at least a cramster account (a friend w/ 1), do your homework, go to lab, and oh yeah take the test! You might get the lowest grade possible but in phys class that's like a perfect score. So stay positive, give your all and he'll pass!
Comes off as a nice guy. Hardest class i have ever taken by far. if you can switch out of his class, but if not then just stick with it and make sure to go to class and do the homework. you will more than likely fail the tests regardless of how much you study.
Letures are very hard to understand and do not prepare you for the lab or test but, you have to go to recieve points. Everyone fails the test but there is a curve. Hated this class. Study hard to fail the test.
don't take him. I studied so hard for his tests and finals. Had of one the TAs as a tutor and i still managed to fail all of my tests. He's impossible!
He just wanted to have a hotness rating.
Extremely hard test, but go to his office hours and he will explain everything to you. You will still have to study for ages to get a passing grade on his tests though.
you gotta live in the library to pass
"Also, per Dr. Simon's request, practice exam solutions (fully worked) will NOT be posted. If you cannot make it to the review session and are unsure on how a problem was worked, find someone who will be in attendance tomorrow and copy their notes." This is from an email his TA sent. He goes out of his way to make physics hard. Get Help.
Not worth the effort, take it during summer school, do well in your other classes and don't take it with him because it is extremely hard to get an A or even a B. If you don't take this to heart then good luck.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. It doesn't matter how much you study, you WILL fail every test. I have sent him at least 5 emails over the course of the semester and hasn't bothered to email me back. He's the worst professor at Auburn University. Do whatever you can to stay away from Dr. Simon
This class is extremely difficult. You will study so hard for a very long time to still fail every test. I made a 25, 56, 56, and 60 and idk what i got on the final and came out with a C. I had a tutor and still only managed a C. If you can, DO NOT take him. His class notes make no sense and he does not prepare you well for tests.
The only reason I passed is class was the Lab. He constantly stumbled over what he was saying and would spend 10 minutes of class saying 'uhm.' He would confuse himself with his work and obviously would confuse the class as well. Avoid this professor if at all possible.
I somehow managed to get an A in spite of getting these test scores: 85, 77, 54, 57, 69. This class is very frusterating, if not too difficult, but the homework, poorly managed schedule, and inane teaching make this class a nightmare. Labs are the only way to buffer your grade. Dr. Simon is a really unfortunate choice. Avoid him.
Hard teacher but it is do-able I gotta A but had to work hard to get it
I failed every one of his tests, regardless of how many hours I studied. He gave me the only C that I have ever received. So, unless you already know just about every aspect, fact, and figure about physics, I would slowly back away and find a more comprehensible teacher.
Toughest class of my life. Not a very good teacher... Try to follow what he's doing in class, and go back over it in the book. The TAs are probably the most helpful. Don't wait until it's too late to get tutoring! I regret it every day of my life. Homework and lab don't prepare you for tests. You really have to know your stuff!
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!! i repeat DO NOT TAKE IT!!! Simon is the hardest professor in the department...his tests are ridiculous, most people fail...he literally told me to study 12-14 hours a day to get an A...mastering physics, lab, and clicker quizzes make up 50% percent of your grade, so if you do them it is possible to get a C
He Curves like a beast. Made a B with and average of 27 on my tests and finals
He isn't the greatest teacher, and you have to put TONS of work in, but he realizes this and curves like no other. I failed the class, but his curve got me a C.
This class placed an enormous workload on you as a student, and the tests can be insanely difficult, even with a lot of studying. The good news is this guy curves like no other. You will literally feel like you are doing terrible in the class only to find out that you made an A or a B, with a little bit of effort. Be warned though, lots of homework
Nice guy but absolutely awful teacher. Do your best on the labs, quizzes, homework, and go to class and you will make at least a C if you study for the tests. Good luck!!!
Dr. Simon is a nice guy but does not teach the material very well. Tests are hard but not impossible and a lot of the grade is made up of hw and labs. If you have an A test average, you don't have to take the final, but only 16 people did in my class. If you can teach yourself from the book, you'll be fine. If not, take a different professor.
Dr. Simon is extremely funny and nice, but he is an awful teacher. I already disliked physics from high school, but after taking this class, I now hate physics. I attended every class but could never understand the concepts he was trying to convey. The quizzes are really tough. The tests are easy if you study the study guides. I wouldn't recommend.
Dr. Simon is such a nice person, but that class was so hard. He isn't very good at teaching the material. If you go to his office hours and ask for help, he will help you, but his lectures are not good at all. Also, become best friends with your lab TA, because that was the only thing that saved me in this class.
Stating as a 36 year old returning to college, these comments are full of a bunch of whiners. Go to class, do your homework, put forth the effort. There are plenty of opportunities to do well in this class. Dr. Simon posts practice exams that are pretty much identical to his exams. He's a nice guy that likes his job. Talk to him, ask questions.
Rambler ahoy. He spends the whole class writing down long strings of greek symbols without turning around. Get with the TA Dylan, even if he isn't your TA. His demonstrations are great and made good lab choices, but lectures are awful. There is help in his practice tests and homework, do those and you'll be okay. Tests are equation manipulation.
Dr. Simon is very nice and knows a lot, but is very confusing. Most frustrating part is that he's slow to post grades and doesn't curve anything but your final grade in the class. The only reason to go to lecture is for the iClicker points. For the most part he chooses test questions from the old tests he provides you.
Dr. Simon is a nice guy but I had no clue what was going on in his class. He moves from board to board so often I could hardly keep up. His tests are not impossible but you have to study your heart out because the lectures are not clear. Even as a person who math comes naturally to, I struggled with this class. Go to class for clicker quizzes.
Simon was nearly impossible to follow during class. That being said, tests were very hard. The only reason I passed was because I did all of the homework, did well on the lab portion, and had perfect attendance. Save yourself a lot of stress and don't take his class.
This class has an overwhelming amount of homework, but it also makes up half your grade (and a 50% is passing). Tests are very difficult, but tons of extra credit is offered. He gave a 20 point curve on one the tests. Ultimately, show up to class, do the homework, do the labs, and get at least 40% on the tests and you can get a B in this class.
Smart man, awful teacher. Homework due every class day 3x a week and every Sunday. Grading: 30% from 4 Exams, 20% Final, 20% Labs, 20% hw, 10% iClicker questions. My advice, spend your class time reading the textbook while he gets lost on the chalkboard writing greek symbols and failing to explain simple concepts. Take notes in pre-lab discussions.
I want to start by saying physics is hard class--not everyone is good at it. However, Dr. Simon is a fair professor. He lets you know up front what kind of problems will be on the test and you have plenty of opportunities to prepare yourself, especially with homework. His exams are difficult--but not impossible. I made an A because I worked for it
Physics 2 is a hard class, but Dr. Simon made it harder than it had to be. Weekly WebAssign, confusing lectures, and no equation sheet made this class super difficult. Would not recommend unless you already have an understanding of electricity and magnetism. Essentially taught myself.
Simon's lectures consist of him going through problems without introducing the concept, so if you take notes you're left with these scribbled problems that don't make any sense. I learned more from reading the textbook and working with the TAs more than I ever did in the lectures. His test averages are usually in the 40s and 50s, too.
Dr. Simon seems like a really nice and caring guy but has one of the most difficult classes I have taken. Test are very calculus heavy and homework is required every class period over topics he hasn't lectured over yet
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
90%
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