2.5
Quality4.0
Difficulty22%
Would Retake93
Reviews22%
Would Retake
93
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
14
4
14
3
17
2
16
1
32
What Students Say
“Hands down, worst teacher I have ever taken”
PHYS200 - 1.0 rating“He can also be in a fairly bad mood at times, but I enjoyed him”
ASTRO150 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
80%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.77 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYSIC
5.0
(1)PYS100
5.0
(1)ASTRO160
4.5
(2)PSHYI100
4.0
(1)PHYSIC10021
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
251
5.0
SPEECH
5.0
PHYSI100
5.0
PHY110
5.0
PHYSC100
5.0
Reviews (93)
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No Comments
Adams almost fits the cliche of someone who teaches because he's unacceptable anywhere else. Obviously knowledgeable and intelligent with physics. Pedantic, overbearing, snobby, impatient, and very unhelpful. He gets an A for effort but his personality is not suited at all to enabling learning.
run away!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This dude is a totally geek and i think that is awesome! Haha. He was quoting Monty Python in the first 10 mins of class.
Funny, just over the heads of the dullards in the class.
No Comments
too old
really smart geek
No Comments
Never take Boogokingy Adams. He is a Hippie. He always likes to say Mowdy teaches Physics
Dr. Matt is the ultimate science geek, but he is also a fascinating teacher. He is incredibly smart and has a very quirky sense of humor (groaners, mostly). This is a tough subject for non-science majors like me, but he made the concepts understandable. BTW - this class is not star gazing, it's physics in an astronomical sense.
Tough class, but great teacher.
When I stopped feeling intimidated by the material, I enjoyed the class. Dr Matt is brilliant, has silly one liners and pulls no punches. You know, in the beginning, what's required of you...it's all spelled out in the syllabus.
Class attendance is mandatory, find a buddy that will sign you in :) Lots of homework, but he doesn't grade it in detail just wants to see you attempted all the questions. Lab write-up is tedious, try to get a section with Adams as the lab assistant as the guy we had was clueless. Lots of extra credit. Easy A if you're half-way good at science.
I thought the teacher had a terrible attitude during the 6 weeks of the summer class.He was not a constructive teacher to learn anything from and always shot people down when they tried to answer his questions. They only way to get a decent grade is the attendence and extra credit.Avoid if you don't like science.The lab reports are absurd.
Adams is a poor excuse for a teacher. If you can take physics somewhere else, definitely do so. If like to actually learn in a class, don't take Adams. His exams are extremely difficult and there is little to no preparation for them. The class lectures are pointless, yet coming to class is mandatory...The labs are poorly written as well!!
Dr. Adams is an excellent professor. If you fail his class, it isn't because he didn't help or left something out. His style challenges the most exceptional students. Take this class if you want a challenge.
The worst teacher I have ever had. No feedback, tests are HARD and you do not know what to study for. He seems like a very intelligent person, but does not want to teach. He's just here for the paycheck. Still trying to figure out the class, why is attendance mandatory, when I am doing an independent study? Do NOT take this class!
The worst teacher ever. All he is interested in is playing his solitare on his computer. If you ask a question, you will get an attitude back and no answer
Don't take his class! Take it w/ Lysak at SBVC! Adams is a person who doesn't like to teach.. just doing it for the paycheck. He's a genius, and i know he can teach, but he just doesn't want to! His notes are incomprehensible and he only does the easiest questions that a 1st grader can do and then his tests are incredibly difficult!
doesn't prepare u for his tests or the homework! Do some independent studying and tutoring! Word of advice:make sure you attend class & do the hw. on quizzes he allows 1 notecard & quizzes taken from hw. so copy all hw quest. on notecard if you get 100% on hw and quizzes but literally get F- on test u'll still get A!
Dr. Adams is extremely smart and knows his stuff but is unable to convey his knowledge in a meaningful way to his students. Please do anything you can to take this class with another instructor. He ruined my GPA. I've never worked so hard to get a bad grade and that was after doing all of his extra credit. FYI do the extra credit its on the final.
Not helpful, does not return emails. He is not interested in you passing the class. He does not know what humans are or how to communicate to them. Grades your paper with alien notations that only he knows. AVOID THIS PROFESSOR AT ALL COST!!!
the class was tolerable. he did surprise us with short answer questions on the final he did not specify what the final or midterm would entail. the lab looked like nobody had cleaned in there for a decade dingy and dusty in there.
nobody i know including myself had enjoyed this class. the lab reports are rediculous. if you want to maintain a high gpa dont take his class he doesn't want anyone to get a high grade if he can help it. he does not tell you what to study in regards to the midterm and final. the lab is dirty and unmaintained.
He's incredibly pompous, which is the worst sort of trait to have in a teacher. He routinely hints that his students are unintelligent, and that he, himself is infinitely smarter. He's not approachable, and his grading system in questionable (ie, he takes off points for too many staples, too small of writing, etc.)
Most people who have something bad to say are just angry because they got a bad grade in his class. Dr. Adams is very intelligent. He also expects the students to make an effort. However, when one tries, it is possible to get an A.
I got an 88% in his class, which is a good grade, and I still wouldn't recommend his class. He wasn't a good teacher. Although I got a decent grade, I feel as though I hardly learned anything in his class.
I agree with the majority of the comments. Not a good teacher at all. Do not take him.
i took him for astronomy and he's decent. When it came to asking about my grade, he was cool about and didn't give me a hard time. Just do the work, pay attention, go to class and you'll pass.
His points are clear and some what conceptual but he lacks patience. He is very authoritative and nasty towards his students. "Be able to spell your terms and definitions." The material you study will be not be clearly stated as a question with one answer to it, yet there is only one answer to it. He is full of trick questions.
Adams does not teach he merely presents the information and leaves it to you to learn it. Short tempered, condescending to students, unhelpful, avoid him if possible.
Dr. Adams is passionate about what he teaches, and he expects that same passion in his students. A word of warning, he is not patient with questions revolving around mathematical prerequisite material. He is, however, a highly intelligent instructor. Do not expect an easy A, but you will know your stuff after passing his course.
Easy-to-pass class.
The labs were fairly easy. Was kinda of a jerk when it came to asking something that the class didn't understand, but when you talk to him one on one, he's a pretty cool guy. No final. Fairly easy class to pass. Just show up and do your labs.
Excellent instructor if you are willing to learn. I definitely recommend Dr. Adams. His tests are sometimes tricky. Pay attention and you will do great. Not a good summer class. Too many labs.
the WORST instructor. take this class at any other school if possible. over half the class dropped before the semester was over. ruined my GPA. rude, condescending and confusing. assigns homework that has nothing to do with lecture and writes exams no one can understand. avoid this instructor.
I loved Dr. Adams. Humor is a bit off, but he does love his subject and it really shows through. Not a class for slackers and he does grade down for spelling errors. He may seem a bit cranky at times, but for students that show effort, he will go the extra mile to help them.
Dr. Adams is very knowledgeable of the subject matter and therefore tends to skip steps when lecturing. He is very much open to questions, however, which usually makes up for it and then some. In the higher physics classes he entertains hypothetical and conceptual questions asked by students which is often both informative and fun.
Easy class. Quiz questions are straight from homework problems, and tests are based on powerpoint quizzes. Overall easy class, but he is a terrible grader. I wouldn't recommend the class, unless you need it for a degree. If you're somewhat interested and apply yourself you'll do well. I haven't opened the book except to do HW, and I have a B+.
Very hard and not willing to help when you need it. Never take him if you want a good understanding of material and to get a good grade, but unfortunately he is the only teacher available in our school.......
Not very clear on what he wants for exams or homework. The textbook was useful and ultimately responsible for me getting a good grade. He was a nice guy and his lectures were somewhat helpful. Be sure to have a good lab partner though!
Dr. Matt is very knowledgeable regarding astronomy/physics, but take this class with a different teacher unless this is your major. The final is worth 25% of your grade and it is no joke having 50 mpc and 10, yes 10 essay questions. You definitely need the book and there is 6+ hrs of hw a week. Never have I worked so hard for a B.
This class was most definitely the single hardest class I have ever taken. Almost every day we had a quiz or clicker questions, and the quizzes were by far the most difficult part of the entire class, and, of course, they are the biggest percentage of your grade. If you can take this class at ANY other school do it. The teacher is extremely hard.
The lec. portion of the class you will have to teach yourself through the book and homework cause Adams lec. has at most 1/3 of what you will be tested on. Do good on quizzes and labs as they are the most important. Adams knows the subject well but his grading is not the best. Grades on spelling when he himself can't spell.
This was the hardiest class I have taken here. If he examples a clicker question on the board it most likely will be on the quiz. Tests are pretty easy though and completely the same as in class questions.
Dr. Adams really does enjoy doing what he does, even if it doesn't come off as such. His class isn't particularly hard as much as it is busy work. He can also be in a fairly bad mood at times, but I enjoyed him. The final and Midterm are all based off of questions you answer throughout the term.
Dr. Adams makes me want to start cutting again. The homework is reasonable but unfortunately not worth much of your grade. His quizzes are stupid hard and he is an extremely hard grader. I will most likely have to take this at Valley because I doubt I'll get a B. I strongly recommend you do the same.
Grading scale is very unbalanced and grades quizzes and lab reports very harshly. He even marked a point off a students lab report because he didn't like the staple...
One of the worst professors I have ever had. Does not use blackboard at all so you never know how you are doing on your work. Quizzes are extremely hard(worth 35% of grade)because he wants answers in his own words. Very awkward teacher to communicate with almost unapproachable. Highly recommend taking this class at Valley if you can.
The class was difficult but I learned a lot. He can be kind of rude too
Adams was a good teacher. He was the hardest teacher that I had ever had but he pushed me to be better and I learn to teach myself from him. If you're looking for an easy A, or if you aren't them most hard working, I would not take him. But if you're dedicated and want to learn, I would recommend him.
Very hard teacher, and he's very obsessive compulsive
Very tough and very picky. Will take points off based solely on whim or not liking how you do you work, even if you get right answer. Has Calc 1 pre req, uses calc 3 and dif eq formulea and expects you to know it. Goes through material at an extreml fast pace.
Despite what most have said, I really enjoyed having him. His passion for Physics made me want to take more of his classes. His grading scale is a little off, but for the most part I found him pretty easy if you pay attention and do your work.
As a physics major I loved Dr. Adams's class, but I wouldn't recommend him for someone simply trying to fulfill their general ed requirements for a physical science. He is informative and helpful, but unless you're seriously interested in the subject matter it will be tedious.
Dr. Adams has an obvious passion for Astronomy. Good for him. Adams is not interested in helping you pass the class. He expects you to memorize entire chapters within a week, offers no extra credit, there's some form of test every week, and he doesn't help you now what to study. Heaven forbid you get sick and miss a class, too! Don't take him.
If you're majoring in Physics, he's fantastic. If not, well, it might be difficult. He's very technical, but really it's just because he loves the field so much.
There's a lot of material but passing the class ins't as hard as it may seem. Every test and quiz question has been seen in the homework or pop quizes so make sure to study those. You are essentially given the answers the every question he will ask you so make sure to keep the answers and study them.
He isn't the easiest professor but he is always willing to help you out if you're confused. The tests can be difficult, but half of them are almost exactly like the clickers from class. Never a reason to average below an 80 percent on them, he also curves a lot. Getting an A in the class is tough, a B should be easy if you're a serious student.
I did not like physics very much after taking the class. Tests do not relate to what we study.
really difficult exam and lab grader
Interesting class and subject. There is a bit of homework, but nothing you shouldn't expect from a college level course. Apply yourself, and you will do well in the class and actually learn something useful.
hard concepts and difficult lab write-ups but good overall class
The class itself is about what you would expect. A decent amount of homework, tests, and labs. It's not easy, but it's not unbelievably difficult either. However, the professor is the problem. He treats students like dogs, going so far as to say, "No! Bad!" when they don't study. Yes, it's the students' fault, but he has no right to behave that way
Not the worst, but not great. You can find mostly everything you need to pass online, but a VERY tough grader especially with labs and has a test right before the final. He also thinks highly of himself but not his students. If you work hard and find the answers online, getting a B is pretty easy, but unless you like physics take someone else.
Dr. Adams is clearly very knowledgable about what he teaches, and I can tell he genuinely is interested in it. The class was fair. It's physics, so expect it to be a little difficult. Make sure that you are precise in your lab reports! As long as you pay attention, ask questions, and study you'll be fine.
Hands down, worst teacher I have ever taken. I dropped him because of how rude he was. I don't mind rigorous classes and I can handle the pressure. BUT! I cannot handle someone as rude as him. You can't ask him a single question, he ends up yelling at you and never answers the question. Everyone told me to take it Valley, I didn't listen....
This is a HARD class. People need to know his test questions are examples from his lecture examples just slightly different. Hes not a bad teacher, his lectures teach you the whys of physics & the homework is for practicing the hows. He doesnt have enough time to teach you how to do every physics problem, thats for you to figure out with HW.
He doesn't realize he's giving a university level exams, there is no curve, you have to be a genius who only studies physics to get an A
I understand concepts pretty easy but I am always lost in this class. Unless youre only taking this class or can afford to study for many many hours and are really good in math and physics I highly recommend to avoid this class. Every lecture feels rushed and things are usually not explained well.
man just don't do it
Although he grades harshly on the test word problems and labs, If you have any questions about the lab, he will literally tell you the answer he wants. Furthermore, there is so much extra credit (about 15%) that it is very hard to not pass this class. All the questions on the test have appeared in the other things that he has had us do.
This prof has a huge reputation for being VERY rude, harsh and to give lots of work and heavy tests. All of these being 100% true. If you have to take this class for basic GE, go for Oceanography instead. This class has been the hardest class of my life. The tests are ridiculous (50% of your grade) and literally cover everything. It's AWFUL. NO!
Of the two classes I've taken with him, I can tell he's an incredibly fun and wonderful guy. I caught on easily to the material he taught, and the Powerpoints he uploads are excellent for studying. There are no surprises on tests, everything you see has been covered in class before. You must put in the effort, but he makes everything enjoyable.
(during Covid) DO NOT DO THIS CLASS! This Prof is the hardest prof I've ever had; if you just need a lab science for credit and you suck at science like me, you will suffer in this class--and I usually get A's. Adams made the class feel dumb for not knowing answers and only read slides off to the class--I could've done that!! Overall, F- !!
This class was extremely difficult. He isnt clear on what he is grading the labs on. On the tests, he cares A LOT about sig figs. He reads directly off the slides and doesnt solve the math in front of you so it makes the lectures very hard to understand. He expects you to know math wayyyy beyond math250. I would avoid him at all costs.
Funny but really hard class
You learn two minutes of history about the topic, he explains the formulas for about twenty minutes, he does all the problems for you real fast for fifteen minutes, then you're expected to remember everything. He rather have you look at his slides than take your own notes derived off them. If you can find physics elsewhere, do it.
The worst professor Ive had to suffer through. Incredibly intelligent and without any basic social skills or ability in instruction. The labs are a joke with equipment, handouts and programming that often dont work or are flat out wrong. But dont worry! Hell just heavily doc your grade for his mistakes. He obviously doesnt want to be there.
Lecture is supposed to be 1.5 hours. You get a few minutes of history and then he flies through formulas and ends class in 45 minutes. So to make up for that the labs are horribly unorganized and have no value. But its cool because the tests are incredibly difficult. Well at least the professor is abrasive and rude wait I hate this class.
Do yourself a favor, take this class anywhere else. Horrible lectures are matched only by worthless labs and a professor who would rather not deal with you. Hes as intelligent as he is uninterested and comes off as if hes angry at you for not already knowing the subject matter. 0 out of 10. Penalizes you for his mistakes in lab on top of it all.
His lectures are just powerpoint slides. He does not show the work for problems and seems very uninterested. The labs don't match up to what you're learning in class either. He does not give feedback on any test or lab so you have no idea what to work on.
Struggled with his lectures personally. He didnt go in depth, rather just read from a PowerPoint and call it a day
I honestly hated my time in this class. His lectures were AWFUL. I didn't grasp a single concept the whole semester. The only reason I passed his class was because he offers so much extra credit that I made sure to go out of my way to do every single one. My average test grade was a 68. He never even posted final exam grades.
Homework doesn't match lectures, tests are difficult and frequent, rude to students and disorganized labs. Smells like old cigarettes.
This class was VERY independent (besides lab). The questions on the exams were taken from many different places (NEVER from the lecture), so studying is a complete hassle. The labs every week were long and mostly tedious work. Students hardly finished early and worked for the full 3 hours. Grading criteria is quite random and harsh.
He is awful. Do not take. Makes bad jokes, smells like cigarette smoke and BO constantly. Hosts other classes office hours during our lab when we need help. Always gives us way too much information, phys 250 level stuff in phys 100. Only way to pass is to study and memorize homework. Lectures are a joke, impossible to keep up. Lots of extra credit.
He's not a bad guy or anything, I just think Professor Adams' class has a major flaw. The exam questions DO NOT come from the lectures he gives. Instead, they come from 5 different places, making studying for exams extraordinarily difficult. Also an excessive amount of busy work.
The course is demanding, but with focus and using resources like Unstuckstudy, it's manageable. The professor has a strict system, but engaging with it pays off. Attend lectures, use the textbook, and take advantage of extra credit opportunities.
His class was not fun to take, but is definitely passable if you do all the extra credit. Is a very pedantic grader (especially with labs), and holds himself and his students to a very high standard. His lectures go very deep into the material, but is open to receiving feedback and changing when necessary so don't be afraid to ask for what you need
I absolutely despised this class. He will no joke start reading the slides and be like yada yada…that's the answer. Thank goodness for tutoring and YouTube because I never would have passed the class, let alone with an A. He literally made me almost think about taking a semester off because his class was so depressing. DON'T TAKE HIM!!!!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
80%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.77 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYSIC
5.0
(1)PYS100
5.0
(1)ASTRO160
4.5
(2)PSHYI100
4.0
(1)PHYSIC10021
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
251
5.0
SPEECH
5.0
PHYSI100
5.0
PHY110
5.0
PHYSC100
5.0