2.4
Quality4.1
Difficulty33%
Would Retake111
Reviews33%
Would Retake
111
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
18
4
21
3
10
2
14
1
48
What Students Say
“In all honesty he has to be one of the worst professors not just in the school but in the world”
MECHANICSI - 1.0 rating“Anyone saying that Mike is a bad prof probably didn't put any effort into their class”
PHYS1170 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
24%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.75 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYSICS1120
4.0
(1)PHYSICS1100
3.5
(2)PHYS1170
3.4
(8)PHYS1120
3.2
(13)210
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MECHANICS
5.0
MECHANICSI
5.0
1100
4.5
PHYSICS
4.5
PHYS1141
4.5
Reviews (111)
Be smart...lots of term tests which r short but tricky...
Awesome Guy!
hes helpful, his tests are hard, tough problem solvings, he explains things pretty well
well...if u wanna understand physics no one can explain it better. Once u follow HIS STYLE of doing problems and u get HIS METHODS u;ll love physics problems.
No Comments
Awesome, funny teacher. Tests not too dificult if you are comfortable with material. Explains everything well, although if you asks a question he often tries to make you figure it out yourself by giving you some clues (kinda annoying sometimes).
he is nice, but be careful of his tricky quiz and exams......
I hope I never take Physics again. His tests were nothing like his examples, there's not much you can do to study for them. Does not explain concepts well, does not answer questions clearly, tells you to think about it and ask the person next to you.
he is a silver fox, but his freakin exams are challenging and unrealistic!!! he's approachable, but really doesn't care how you do. almost sly in a way or goddy. would suggest taking mcmath, he's better.
Friendly helpful teacher. Very good at explaining concepts and concerned about everyones performance in the class. Hard tests but if you've done all the homework you will do well.
tough tests, but very approachable guy. Explains topis decent, but when I took him I found he barely went over any practice problems, he would go over the concept and then say, do my in clas practice problems, he forgot the part about actually applying concept to solving problem.
Very picky about formats (both lab write up and calculations).. Expected too much from students..Doesn't explain questions directly..feel like he's races.. avoid taking his class.. worse physics teacher ever had.. sucks..
Mike's tests are short and easy if you understand the material and study it. He doesn't take an interest in helping out students and his notes are horrible.The final is a killer! Although I have to say he's nice if ya talk to him..
Never gives enough time to complete an exam (1 hour for a midterm), and his three hour labs are always a rush to complete on time. Has consistent method of problem solving, explains concepts well most of the time. Expects all students to be as fast as he is at solving problems.
He is very helpful if you go to his office hour and ask him for help. And to anyone that is writing his test, USE HIS METHOD. I know it can be annoying, but it really does work. His test is very challenging but if you use his method and didn't solve the question right, you will still get at least a 7/10 on the question.
It might just be me, but his clarity isnt so great, sometimes when he derives things, he speedwrites and continues to talk, allowing little time to absorb new material. The major thing is that he gives us questions to do in class, but leaves us to figure it out on our own. This class would have been much better if he went over in class problems
a wonderful pro you have to take him. very helpful and always available.
confusing
Show up to every class, because he wants everything done with HIS METHODS. His tests problems are very similar to worksheets. He's very generous, in that he will boost your mark if you show significant improvement. I went into the final with around 50% and came out with a B-, without finishing most of the questions. It's all about HIS METHODS.
Mike is the wrost teacher that I have ever had. He doesn't explain things properly in class. He just assigns random questions to do in class and never tells you the answer so you don't know if you did it right or not. He is only helpful if you go to him during his office hours.
Excellent teacher. Tries to get students to interact with each other to solve problems. Yes, he insists you use his methods... but physics is physics which his methods are based on physics. So if you don't use his methods you're not using physics and being a physics course you will be marked wrong.
don't take him unless u want to waste your $$$....he assigns questions in class n' if you don't get something n ask him he doesn't tell u properly what u did wrong..tests are unfair, too long and way too hard.....HORRIBLE....wait for another teacher to teach pHysics cuz he's bad
Has no clue what he is talkin about
terrible teacher. i HATE how he doesnt tell you explicitly how to do things. he wants us to learn his method but some of us (like myself) have learned how to do things in high school. if you dont do it his way, even if the way you do it is right, you lose MAJOR marks. his teaching is very disorganized as well. will either speed or drag though notes
Hes ok
Good teacher, wants everyone to do well but expects a lot if you're taking several courses. Showing all work is EXTREMELY important in order to get full marks. Stick to his methods, he doesn't ask too much and it saves you in the end.
you get to know the people around you because you do group work, but he never goes over it, so you don't know if you got the right answer or not... I did not enjoy him or his teaching style.
Ugh! He gives you a slew of questions that he got from a database...didn't make up himself and then wastes your time going through them and half of them, he doesn't even like! Sometimes he runs out of things to talk about and thinks it's necessary to drag on and on about a topic. Only plus side is that his assignments are easy!
Surprise tests is common, his class notes is completely useless.For example: "the earth is round", then on a test he asks the techtonics of the earth and how that relates to blah blah blah in essay format. compared to his notes, the notes is a joke. He puts little interest into the course, and uses online material for his teaching
yea, basically if i were to sum all of his teaching and everything he gave us into one word. it would be "sucky" because really, hes super sucky. kthx srsly, he needs to gtfo
WHAT'S THIS GUY TALKING ABOUT?? WHERE AM I... BY FAR, THE WORST PHYSICS PROF AT KWANTLEN.
He dragged chapter 1 out for almost a month, causing a few students to drop. Is generally quite helpful when you ask him questions, most of the answers are in the notes. Pretty easy class.
Mike is not an easy teacher. His will say a lot of stuff in class but won't note them. He gives in class problems to work on in groups but never goes over them. He's really nice and helpful but his teaching style wasn't for me since he wasn't clear on how he wanted things done. Use his course site if you want a good grade.
Coombes is a guy that i would go for a beer with, but i cant stand the way he teaches, i would be better off learning physics from my grade 10 phys ed teacher.
Oh jeez, Mike Coombes. Horrible teaching style, you do practice problems in class, but he doesn't go over them after. As for his tests, they are HARD! And his marking seems very inconsistent.
Decent guy, didn't do many notes and most were useless, tests were hard and different from example questions and questions from the booklet he gave us, frequently didn't finish examples on board, if you want to enjoy physics don't take his class.
Coombes is very helpful if you ask him for help, but he doesn't give you the answers straight up, but helps in leading you to the answers. Tests are not to difficult if you studie,and the tests are based on applying the concepts. Lets you work on practice problems with other students and posts the answers on his website.
If you want to succeed in this course, make sure you know how to do programming. He is very helpful when you're in a one on one section. Midterms were fair and final project requires a lot of time.
Alright professor, just be prepared to do ALOT of self teaching. Lectures consist of just problem solving but he does not give answers in class (available online). Tests are straight forward and similar to in class problems.
Uses Mastering Physics but even when you put in correct answer its wrong. When you talk to him and tell him he does not correct it on the site he just says congrats your right. DO NOT TAKE, one of the worst profs ever!!! (exclamation point)
Makes fun of you when you ask a question! Not cooperative at all when discussing marks. Inconsistent marking pattern. You never know what to expect. Final was nothing close to the midterms it was over the top hard. Expected to learn 1 chapter on your own for the final and had 3 questions on that on the final worth 10 marks each . HORRIBLE PROF
Mike's a great prof, if you enjoy problem solving. A typical class consists of a very short lecture, and then practice of 2-4 problems while Mike offers help and hints. Studying is largely unnecessary, but lots of practice is required. Textbook is probably not required. This class was VERY enjoyable, and Mike's expectations were very clear.
Hotness level 1000
In all honesty he has to be one of the worst professors not just in the school but in the world! He walks into class with nothing. Rips through his slides. Puts questions on the board and does not even give the answer to the question. And if I remember clearly he did not go through one question clearly.
Just one word HORRIBLE. Avoid if you can, he will bring your gpa.
HORRIBLE! Can not explain anything! learned everything from textbook...
Don't really understand what he says in class or one on one. But he enjoys helping student alot. One of the nicest profs at Kwantlen.But don't expect his explanation to be straight forward all the time. Tests are hard if you don't know your programming. Make sure you understand your homework assignments inside out.
No office hours. Doesn't work through problems. Never covered how to solve circuits. Hardly changes tests from past semesters. Tests are on conversions, writing code & solving circuits. Tests are open lab journal so glue everything in. 10x more strict marker than CPSC. Labs take a long time. Hotness level 9000. No final exam but lengthy project.
practice questions are nothing like the questions on his quizzes, only 4 questions on the quiz worth 10 marks each, no notes, extremely hard to follow. would not take him again
worst prof at kwantlen
from my point of view the Physics department at KPU is very very bad, and Mike is no exception ! he has avery wired teching style.
Anyone saying that Mike is a bad prof probably didn't put any effort into their class..I would absolutely take his class again. But don't expect his class to be easy, you have to put in the work Mike is one of the most knowledgeable profs in the Kwantlen physics dept. If you ever need help, he is more than willing to walk you through the problem
tests are pretty tough but is always ready to help
I'd you already know the computer language C and how to code, you'll do great in this class. Otherwise this class is very hard. He gives little help in class, and has very specific expectations. His one-on-ine help is good, but he works at both campuses so office hours may be hard to get too. Prepare to be confused
At first, I really didn't like Michael. He usually lectured for about 15-20 minutes and then got us to work through the problem set he gave out and would help people if they were stuck. Honestly, this was the best way to learn physics: you have to work through the problems and try to figure them out. No lecture can teach you that. Great prof.
Before taking Mike I was worried my GPA would suffer from all the bad things I heard about him. Shortly into the semester, I realized Mike was an amazing prof, as long as you actually put in the work. If you're looking for an easy A don't take him but if you really want to learn something and are willing to put in the work go for this guy
Mike wants you to succeed. He forces you to think for yourself. Mostly interested that you understand the process. Expects you to work for your grade. Very knowledgeable. Easy to talk to. Reasonable workload.
best physics prof
Mike was hands down the best mechanics prof I have ever had! The way he brought in a car into class and showed us how it works really taught me about mechanics. His midterms are hard, but if you pay attention to the car lecture all the midterms will be easier.
As a graduate of the KPU engineering program and after transferring to UVIC engineering. I realized how horrible of an instructor Michael was. He did not do his job. After taking several higher engineering courses, I got to experience how engineering should be taught. Michael was unable to teach the course effectively.
All his tests are pretty fair. He is always ready to help when you need it in class. In his lectures he tends to be fast and not explain that well. Self learning is important to succeed in this class. His final was also average difficulty.
He is very caring and always ready to help you whenever you had asked him. His marking style is very good.
Coombes has a much worse reputation than is accurate with how he actually is. He's teaching methods are okay but you will need to review outside of class a good amount. His tests are all fair and his marking style is pretty fair as well. He is one of the nicest and most helpful profs at KPU. It is very much possible to do good in this course.
Dont get me wrong, this is a hard course. Youre expected to watch the videos at home, and then come to class and work on practice problems, which are often fairly tough. It isnt coombes's teaching that makes this class tough. His videos are decent, and in class hes helpful. To do good, understand concepts and practice different question types.
Beware of him he does not teach at all. He just goes over very easy questions in class without telling the answer and how he got it. Its all self teach. I know the course is hard but you will have to put a lot of effort into it just to barely get a decent grade. You will have to watch bunch of videos to understand the concept.
I paid money just to self teach everything by watching videos online. This prof does not teach anything at all. His practice exams are so old. The homework doesn't really help you that much for the test. Tests are very hard. You will have to put like 6, 7 hours extra to understand the material. He should not be teaching.
Your gpa will drop. Avoid him at all cost.
He goes through his slides very quick and he expects you to know all the stuff even though you may not even encounter the topics. Worst prof, I had to drop him because you will have to put a lot more work than you already have to.
I literally taught myself physics, his tests are sometimes hard or sometimes okay. His marking is decent. His major downside is not teaching. Did not once go over a problem in class and speeds through everything. his slides are useless just filled with formulas only. If you really want to learn physics, do it from another prof.
Does not teach, just goes over his PowerPoints that's it.
He is extremely patient when it comes to helping other students understand whats going on with each topic, and even more helpful if you have the time to get to his office hours. His midterms, in retrospect, are very straightforward as long as you take the time to learn and understand the material. He will help you succeed if you work for it.
Show up to every class, Coombes has great ways of explaining the material in a way that makes it hard to forget. Study fundamental textbook problems and work he assigns in-class and you won't be surprised for the midterms or final. Go to his office hours and he will make sure you understand everything. Super great and funny professor.
This prof is one of the worst profs I had. He teaches you 30% of the material and rest you have to teach your self. He does however help. But everything is self taught at home. So spend countless hours on studying and doing home work to understand the material. He is very nice. His test is straightforward.
In order to succeed in his class. Make sure pre read the lectures and attempt his questions before coming to class. And put a lot of effort on self learning the material after class. His test are similar to his practice questions. And he is a fair grader. His solutions to his practice question are difficult to understand. His teaching is ppt slides
Mr. Coombes is a funny prof and is pretty chill dude. But his teaching is not very engaging for the students. Yes he makes us do practice problems but does not go over them at all. And if you ask him a question he does not properly explain them. This course is heavy relied on self study at home and watching YouTube videos. His test however are okay
Worst physics prof ever BEWARE!!!!!
Lazy prof that just teaches the class with PowerPoints. Doesn't explain properly how he got the answer. His Practice problem answers barely make sense. Hard to understand his answers on his practice problems. He is a funny prof tho
Intro phsysics is not hard. This prof makes it hard for no reason. You will have to spend a lot of time studying for his tests and understanding the concept. Expect doing all nighters for his test. Just to get B. Sorry for the negative review. He is the worst prof I ever had. If you take him work hard and watch YouTube videos
I study so hard for this class just to get a C. He needs to get fired from KPU. Half the class failed. Don't waste your money. He needs to be in jail for not teaching us anything.
He does not teach at all. He goes through some and the slides are not helpful at all as they are filled with random equations that will never actually be used. He then puts up practice problems which are very difficult because no one knows what they are doing and he does not does not go over the solution. He is very accessible outside of class.
Doesnt teach at all his solutions are super unclear and skip over some of the most crucial steps. You will sit there at times for hours just looking at his solution trying to figure it out. He goes through units at the speed of light, sometimes a unit that should take atleast 2 weeks we will go over in 1 hour as he will go over some horrible slides
Worst physics prof ever. The negative reviews about him are true. He doesn't teach and his exams are very hard. He doesn't go through the Practice problems in class at all. His exams are similar to his difficult problems that he doesn't go over in class
he is nice and understanding and would go the extra mile to help students as he always extends the dateline for the assignments without a problem and also helped me reschedule my finals when I missed it. However, his class is mainly self-study, and he does not go through the answers thoroughly. His exams are manageable tho and has very few qns.
Don't take him please, I thought the negative review was exaggeration but it's all true. The positive review are all probably fake trying to throw you off. He does not teach, he will not go through his problems. Doesn't even answer the question properly when you ask him. He should not a be profferer. I will report to the dean for this.
Don't waste your money on him. Take a diff prof. Save all the headache this guy going to give you
please fire him he is not good prof
Evil prof who does not teach, avoid him don't give him your money, save the headache
Take other proffessor
Horrible teacher
dropped dont waste your time
4 exams really damn and the test are so hard, so much homework that doesn't even prepare you for the test plus the hard la instructor on top, your life will be miserable and you will have to study like you never study before in this class just to pass. RIP transfer engineering students, Wish you the best of luck if you take him. lol
WORST PROF AT KPU
His tests are relatively easy as long as you take the time to study for the test, do not listen to the haters this class is very good!
Excellent Professor, arguably one of the best professors for aspiring physicists in British Columbia.
His lecture does not make sense in class. He thinks that he is teaching the class even tho it looks like he needs teaching himself. this guy needs help.
I just can't understand his lessons, MAN !!!!!!!!
He is so hard to understand in class. The lessons he covers so quickly in class that I am unable to grasp the main points. He does no problems in class and lets the students figure out the way to solve the problems and in class, he just teaches the history of the chapters.
worst prof ever. don't recommend
had to withdraw, this prof is by far the worst, Take sato takashi over him, His midterms are 4-6 Questions and you only have 1 hour to do them. And its the most hard questions. No practice from text book will help you for the exam. Do his practice problem set to help you for the exam, the questions are similar to that. If you take him best of luck.
Dr. Coombes is not as bad as a teacher as everyone says he is. Honestly if you pay attention in class, do the online homework, and study, you can easily do well. His tests are just harder questions from his online solutions, and he grades very leniently and quickly. He also will be available for help outside the classroom very often.
Dr.Coombes is not as bad as a teacher as everyone claims he is. If you pay attention in class, do the online questions, and study, you can easily do well. His tests are just harder questions from his online solutions, and he grades very leniently and quickly. He also drops your worsts test as well as having a easy final.
Lil bro does not know how to teach💀 One time he asked us how to do the problem because he forgot how to do it
lol if you don want to learn physics take him, if you want your life to be hard take him. RIP engineering students
I thought 1220 would be a change from 1120 but I was mistaken. May God help all the engineering students that will have to deal with his antics for a year. I would go into much more detail but I'm held back by this platform's content guidelines.
Honestly there is literally no point of having him in the class because he brings no valuable knowledge to his lectures. Watch his videos that haven't been updated in years and hope that he doesn't get mad at you for "not doing it my way" even though that's exactly how he taught you in the video. This course would be fun if he wasn't in the picture
I dropped this class and this only class that ruined me from transferring to UBC engineering. Literally put so much effort in this class then other class and was barley passing Like this guy don't teach at all. if you don't know the answer to his problem he says ur a engineer figure it out like bro its my first semester. I think he hates engineers
no point of attending lectures when this guy don't teach lol. Good luck to anyone who takes him
lol rip abc engineer transfer, only smart ones will pass this guy lol
Course felt rushed in general, but it's clear he wants you to succeed. Attend lecture and do the in class problems and you will be fine. He is a very big stickler to FBDs though, so mastering that will essentially guarantee your grade.
The guy in the bottom is low iq, this prof is just a nightmare he teaches like you already know the topic
Although he does not teach the contents during class, he teaches you the right way to do physics. The material overlaps with high school topics, so it should be manageable to figure it out on your own.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
24%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.75 avg changeRatings by Course
PHYSICS1120
4.0
(1)PHYSICS1100
3.5
(2)PHYS1170
3.4
(8)PHYS1120
3.2
(13)210
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MECHANICS
5.0
MECHANICSI
5.0
1100
4.5
PHYSICS
4.5
PHYS1141
4.5