This class is torture, and with Nelson as a teacher, you'll probably consider suicide. His lectures are impossible to follow. He has absolutely no people skills or teaching skills. EVIL, EVIL, EVIL!

TALKS TO THE BOARD. BORING. VERY DIFFICULT TESTS.

Horrible lecturer. I never went to class and pulled a C. Curves are really nice and he is nice, he just cant teach.

WORST TEACHER I'VE HAD IN MY LIFE.This guy has no business teaching at a university!He talks to the board in a monotone voice,works out problems a mess all over the board erasing and scribbles everywhere.ANYONE COULD TEACH BETTER THAN HIM!

Incredibly boring! Very disorganized. We had to do a bunch of lab reports. Honestly, I got nothing out of this lab. If you can, take someone else for this lab.

I hardly ever went to class, turned in homework sporadically, did well on tests and got an A. his lecturing is not good at all, he is very knowledgable just not good at teaching. Very dull, always out within an hour...low pressure.

This professor is horrible. take Dimauro if you can. everyone thinks it will be a better class but it is not, even with the smaller section.

Absolutely horrible. 400 students & half of them dont show. lect lack any info, over complicates subject. take at CC atleast you'll learn the material, plan on finding an online source to learn with. book is useless, just as dry & over complicated as him. heavy curve on test.~3 exams some w only 10 Q's raising the likelihood of failure.

HORRIBLE!!!!!! he talks to the board and can't answer a question if put on the spot. he is horribly awkward. tests are ridiculous and he isn't very consistent. can be fine one time and horrible another. lectures are incredibly boring and useless. AVOID!!!!!

Dr. Nelson is the worst teacher at SDSU. I have taken 7 chemistry courses and several biology courses and Dr. Nelson is by far the worst teacher I have ever had. His lecturers are extremely boring and useless. The class is not hard, but he makes it unbearable. If you are pre-professional health DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. Remember physics is on the MCAT

DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE!!!! Teaching is one thing robots cannot do.....Dr. Nelson is a robot. His lectures sound like they have been recorded and played back by a 90's mac. If you need a good nap mon, weds, and friday take this class. If you want to learn take physics at a CC.

This guy probably has a time machine or a shrink-ray in his basement; he really knows his stuff. He's not too eloquent at teaching, however. The lectures are in fact incredibly boring and useless. I only went to get the hw assignments, and learn the exam dates. You're better off learning from the book than going to lecture. Premeds, take this at CC

I do have to admitt that he is very intelligent and knows his stuff...however my gosh is he boring and dull and a bit awkward, has no type of interaction or social skills. he is very sweet but just difficult to interact with. His lectures are usless because he does not make the connections to the material, he kind of just lectures random topics wit

Let's keep it honest. If you want a good grade in Physics, do not take it at SDSU now that Laduke is gone. Nelson was horrible. He would have to curve the tests so much because everyone failed. He does not explain the material well, there are a few multiple choice questions that determine you grade. Save yourself and do not take this course.

This guy was the worst professor I have ever taken. Don't take this class at State, do to SDCC and you will do way better. His lectures are pointless, the book used for the class was difficult to understand, and the exams were a freaking joke. I feel like the university should pay me back for the money I wasted on this class.

Hes nice but old fashion. He doesnt post anything online, you have to go to his office to find your test grades. Didnt learn anything, honestly. 3midterms and a final. Drops one midterm. Curves alot! Everyone does bad but in the end he curves. Good luck!

The point is, I don't pay all this money to go to a school where the professor is a support for the podium. Useless and boring lectures, no explanations offered, rarely looks up if people have questions, just ignores them. Hope for a low class curve and do well on the two first tests. Passed and know nothing about physics.

TWO WORDS: HORRIBLE TEACHER

His teaching skills have definitely improved since I last took him in Fall 09. He still needs to learn how to not read from a paper while lecturing though. There are 4 multiple choice tests that consist of a Conceptual Section and a Problem Section (total of about 15 questions.) I found the Conceptual Sections to be the most difficult.

Principle of Physics is the HARDEST class I've ever taken. And this teacher does not explain this subject well. Four tests, one test drop, 50% is a C, 10 questions per test (multiple). 90% of student don't show up out of 300 students, 20 shows up. Studied book for hours and wasn't so clear. Wanted to learn. The next level of physics is WAY easier!

All he does during his lectures is read off his own notes of the chapter. He rarely takes his eyes off his paper while mumbling what he scratched down on his paper. Doesn't explain anything at all either. He's a very smart man in his area of research, holding many patents. SDSU should keep him in the lab. He doesn't know at all how to teach.

pretty pointless to attend lecture. sometimes you will see what type of problems he finds important but he's confusing and unclear. attending 8am lecture wasn't worth it. everyone "shares answers" on exams and he doesn't really seem to care. maybe get together with a group and try to tackle this course together. i learned nothing but got an A.

I hated this class. Nelson is very unclear and confusing. Lecture is pointless, you never learn anything. He just reads off his notes in a boring monotone voice. I find physics difficult and he does not help me learn.

I am so sorry for those of you who HAVE to take him, like I did. He stands in the front of the class, and "follows" pre-written notes on the overhead and that's it. He talks slow and is monotone. All his notes are online, homework's hard, tests look nothing like the homework, 4 tests, only 3 count. I'm sure he's a genius, but he cannot teach at all

I never have posted on here before but there is just no way I could keep quiet about this professor; worst teacher I have ever had in my life. If you take this class and plan to learn anything from this guy...I wish you luck. I taught myself far better then he ever could; expect to do the same.

Profesor Nelson is hands down the worst teacher I have ever had at any level. Maybe 20 kids show up out of 350 because he is so useless. He will avoid social interaction at all cost so don't try to talk to him. He is so far beyond useless and you will learn absolutely nothing.

horrible. just plain horrible. the class is basically a guessing game with tests being 100 points, about 10 questions each, multiple choice no partial credit. 50% is a C so as long as you get half right on tests you can pass.

First off, He's a terrible professor who can't teach to save his life, and U WILL HAVE TO TEACH YOURSELF PHYSICS, but i cant help feeling sorry for the guy... u can tell he's a guy whose been stepped on all of his life... but he is really lenient with the hw, just email him and he will extend the dead line for u every time

completely useless professor, download his notes off of blackboard and read them out loud to yourself at home, because that is all he is going to do in class. The lack of teaching at this level is astonishing, why pay someone to do their job for them

Uses old fashioned pre made overhead slides to teach. Very Lax during tests, but material is very hard to self teach.

He is just awful, completely and thoughtfully a terrible teacher. Regardless there is no other choice at SDSU for 197, so... good luck and have fun trying to learn solely from the book.

Good luck with Nelson, you're gonna need it. He should not be teaching, he has no idea how to. I didn't even bother going to class, just on test days. All you have to do to pass this class is read the textbook and do the hw questions he assigns. Tests are straightforward. The class is on a huge grading curve, you need a 50% to get a solid C.

By far the worst teacher i've ever had, after the first few weeks the lecture was pretty much empty, absolutely no point in going. He simply can't teach. Though the curve is pretty big, so its easy to pass. Hell in my year he gave everyone a 100 on the final because he left the answers on the test, just goes to show how unorganized he is...