Very difficult to learn from. Nearly illegible handwriting on slides made it hard to follow along. Teaching style was unstructured, and the lectures often didn't align with the textbook well. Exams were also overwhelming, with way too many questions to reasonably complete in the time given.

Whether you will take his class at UofT, mind that the average grade for Term Test 2 Winter 2025 was 55. He is unlistenable, even though trying to be hilarious. His explanations will rather confuse you than make you understand physics. His lecture and material are way too off from the textbook, good luck to those who are surviving this class

How a newcomming professor can be so bad? Where do they find them?

I dropped that class after the term test exams. The workload is unreal, and the exams. Unless you are a great physics student or have PhD in this class its extremely hard and he made it like that

Overall not a pleasant experience. Awful labs where you are running for couple hours doing your best and then receive a weird grade, not approachable angry TAs, big amount of class quizzes, not understandable solutions to problems. What supposed to be an introduction course without prior knowledge was if I had all that knowledge already

I was stressed through the whole course of physics with Matthew. Maybe he is approachable in tete a tete conversation about certain question. however I was spending all my time on physics I did not have any time at all on my other classes and still was very behind because of the workload he gave to us. Labs are another conversation.

PHY131 with Prof. Robbins was one of the hardest experiences in my life, even though it should have been an introduction course into University Physics without prior knowledge. Tests were tough, confusing labs, online quizzes, and each new class. The grades with him was like getting on the top of a high mountain.

Very very tough professor

“Easiest A+” is the most ridiculous thing one could say about Mathew class)))))

You'll understand why people complain about this course. I don't even see the point of mentioning that he will become the department chair when this is only his first year teaching at uoft.

Tough course, bad TAs

Horrible, tough, not as an introduction class.

Compare Harlow rate and Matthew, after that read the room and decide what is better for your GPA and mentality

I now had to ratake this class because it was so strict and hard but surely not with him, only Harlow

even though this is a first year course, The course is structured too difficult

I had the worst experience ever with this dude his tests were too hard, his lectures were barely understandable just avoid

Very bad professor that, mind you, put positive feedbacks for himself because he can't live knowing students hate him, what a joke

Super tough content compared to Harlow's section. My worst decision at uoft.

He was the worst prof I ever had with ridiculously hard problems, hard exams, his material is separate from textbook and if you missed his lecture and cannot find explanation on YouTube or Chat is not explaining content — well, good luck — you will be lost in his class

never explain questions in class, assume we all understand tests and exams are so challenging for people without secondary school physics

I used to love physics since high school, it became one of my most favorite subjects during my former Bachelor's. He however made me hate this class to the bones. I was scared to go on his lectures, with that TAs were failing our labs, exams were extremely tough. I would strongly suggest students to avoid his class

good luck fam with the hardest prof in the uni, his surprise quizzes, hard hard exams, confusing labs, homework that won't prepare you for the final at all 🫡😎

currently struggling studying for the midterm. do not take the course he's so bad. he skips half the problems and wastes his time saying “what can i clarify about this?” after making absolutely no sense. i cant imagine what the midterm and final will look like. theres also so many components to the course that aren't worth alot. labs are annoying.

AVOID THE COURSE!

Why was a mini term test averaged 60?

took the course last year. he was really bad and he apparently still is. he thinks he can beat Harlow but Harlow all the way. very poor structure of the course also the labs are bad

He is the same level are Carolyn Seaflon which was a bad prof too. the physics department really needs to have good profs for a course like this. The profs make it hard for no reason. Don't take it unless its with Jason Harlow.

midterm tomorrow so nervous the avg was 60 for the quiz

Very bad midterm im dropping the course! dont take this prof.

man sometimes I should read the room before joining bad classes

DO NOT TAKE THE COURSE. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE MIDTERM!!!

Crazy Profs. How can an intro physics become so hard? I think it is definitely harder than PHY151

His lectures were so confusing. If you went in knowing what was going to happen and understanding the concept, the minute you come out, you would be so confused, like, "What just happened?"

Every time I had to go on his lectures, I didn't use a seat belt just for the chance to never appear there. Avoid by all means

When the professor post solutions for his homework or practice tests, he tends to write -> follow q5 solution which he only wrote a sentence and not a written step by step solution. TestS are hard; class averages are always near 50%. Silly mistakes can cost you 1/3 of the grade Lectures are mandatory since he posts Top hat questions in class.

Worst class ever. Genuinely. Wish the prof would take more accountability for how hard this course is for an INTRO to physics class. INTRO!! Its not that we "dont want to do hard things", its frustrating when the amount of work we put in is ruined by the exams. this course needs a full re organizations and EASIER EXAMS!!

Have the midterm with him and dropped the class. He is definitely not for intro physics. One of the hardest professors in this university. I feel that he hates students

1. His explanations of assignment questions are overly brief. 2. For PRA Week 2, students without much background need to start the work before class in order tofinish it during the session. 3. His notes do not provide detailed or complete steps, yet marks are deducted on exams if any stepsare missing.

Bro, his powerpoints and the solutions to question are crazy. A lot of them are wrong. Super Terrible professor.

He cannot do the questions designed by himself!

From unorganized top hat questions, where solutions are often incorrect. The constant jumping between documents, "go to slide x to find the answer or follow the method," feels like reading a recipe when the document is supposed to have solutions, but you spend more time finding the solutions than working. With his lisp, he cannot explain concepts

This professor is actually disabled, speaking on behalf of the hundreds in this course.

He seems like a nice guy but with his lisp, at times, no one can understand him. The problems he designs don't seem to help as much as just confuse students on already complex concepts and he's not very good at explaining solutions. A lot of disorganization as well. If you get this prof, you might as well teach yourself.

He is a good person, unfortunately he just can't teach. His hand writing is a total disaster. When giving out solutions for assignments, he only wrote the concept that should be applied instead of the full solution. Don't ask for a regrade because a lot of people say it will decrease your grade. His voice is kind of annoying. Traumatic experience.

Got good grades but at what cost. The course it self was fine, but this prof was just insane, run away as fast as possible.

He don't even know what is going on...

How did he even become a professor when he cannot teach

His class was a gpa killer. Just take the course over the summer

Lectures were disorganized and rushed, with little effort to explain concepts clearly. Grading felt arbitrary, feedback was minimal, and questions were often brushed off. Office hours were unhelpful, and overall the class felt more like a burden than a learning experience.

Unprepared and hard to follow. Slides were read word for word, questions were discouraged, and exams tested material never properly covered. Feedback was vague, grading felt inconsistent, and there was little concern for whether students actually understood the subject.