Great class/professor. If you can stay on top of your lab work and remember to do your weekly questions you will pass with flying colours without any trouble.

Great prof! Loves trick questions. Aims for 69% class average. Loved his course

Easy Quizzes, Awesome lectures. Do your weekly homework, labs, show up to class and you should be fine!

Travis is the best teacher i had in my 1st year at UVIC. Very structured yet makes the occasional joke.

Travis is a good prof. Good lectures, good notes. HARD exams. Don't forget to study extra.

I attended a couple lectures by the other PHYS110 profs (when I couldn't make it to Martin's 8:30 AM, ha) and they made no sense to me. Martin explained the concepts in a much more straightforward and organized way; he made physics a lot more bearable than I expected it to be.

Travis is a really funny and nice Professor. Some of his quizzes were difficult but if you go to his office hours it is easy to do well. The class is more work than you'd expect however if you put in the effort it is a relatively straightforward course.

Very understand of students and how to gear the content towards them.

Such a good prof!! Lectures were interesting and funny, he made topics that could otherwise be quite dry and boring fun to learn. He's super helpful in his office hours and always answers questions in class to the best of his ability. you can tell he cares about the success of his students.

The midterms were brutal, 45% class average. His lectures were really good though, and he is definitely passionate about the material and is overall a very effective prof at TEACHING, not midterm writing. Very accessible outside of class, which really helped with studying. Make sure to do the online assignments!

Travis is a great prof, his lectures are always engaging and you can tell he really enjoys what he teaches. That said, his quizzes and tests are difficult, and often cover material that he just sort of glossed over in class.

Best physics prof for first year, assignments are tough, but do-able, midterms are easier than the assignments though, go to his office hours, hes really helpful

Travis does an excellent job going over how to set up problems in class. The online homework is horrendously difficult, but you get unlimited attempts, so if you put your head down, it's easy to get 100% with help from others. Compared to his homework, the midterms are a piece of cake, I suggest you go over every homework problem again before tests

Overall enjoyed the class, quizzes are hard so you have to put in the work for a good mark (I did not), but the labs really bring your mark up as well as, the clicker portion.

Travis is a great lecturer and knows the material very well. The quizzes are tough but he knows that and bumps everyone up 2-6% at the end of the course. He is very helpful outside of class if you show him you're willing to do well. At first this class seems impossible but once you figure him out, you'll do well. Work hard on the labs and iclickler

Martin is a great lecturer and and definitely the best Phys 110 prof. In lecture he does lots of examples with general solutions which are super helpful when it comes to the homework. He does move pretty quick though.

Fav Prof XDDD

Travis was an awesome prof! I found his lectures super interesting and he has a great sense of humour. However, the one thing I really didn't like was how ambiguous his questions were, and how difficult the weekly quizzes were. In the end, Travis did bump up my mark by 2 or 3 percent, as he does recognize that his questions are not worded very well

Explains difficult physics concepts clearly and is almost always in his office to help with homework

I really liked Travis as a prof, he was also my TA for physics so I got to know him decently well. Always clear and good at explaining topics, really easy to approach, I wish I would have gone to more office hours because he's incredibly smart and cares about the students who make an effort.

Travis is a great prof. He gives you the tools you need and it is up to you to use them correctly or not. Regarding the Class I took, Phys 111, his tests were tough but I found the final especially very brutal. Fortunately, labs and assignments are worth a total of 30% and its easy to get high grades in them. Good luck young physicists.

Good lectures and passionate about course material. He cares about reasoning behind physics instead of just giving formulas for people to do the problems. He teaches ways to think and approach questions and not just how to solve s specific problem. Extremely sarcastic. Known for giving hard exam and mid term questions. Be prepared to work hard.

Funny guy, lectures are better than Laidlaw's

You really need to speak up in his class. He asks a lot of question and really gets us interested in the material. He can be a little scary or intimidating, but if you read before class, and participate youll get everything you can out of his lecture. Really funny and great guy!!

Love his classes but very difficult for beginner astronomy, do not take his course expecting an easy elective

Amazing prof, 10/10 recommend

Travis Martin is the best!

Wonderful class, but diffcult homework

Amazing professor. I feel that he truly passionate about his field, he has an answer to any question. Never have I been so engaged in a lecture, he is charismatic and knowledgeable. His quizzes / tests are not east, BUT THAT IS A GOOD THING. Would take again 100%

Lots of tests but theyre all open book. Labs are a bit difficult and take lots of writing. Prof is funny and makes a bland topic interesting. Uses clicker questions each class to take attendance

I recommend this course as a prerequisite for elementary ed because you learn helpful basic science information as well as really interesting astronomy. He is an amazing professor and the lectures were very interesting. However, the online quizzes and final were really hard. It's harder than you'd think for a course for "non-science students."

Travis is an excellent lecturer who is knowledgeable and passionate about his subject. Awesome sci-fi related tangents that are entertaining and insightful, always willing to take questions from students during the lecture and will fully admit when he doesn't know something. Clicker questions to gauge attendance for an easy 10%. Open book quizzes.

Amazing physics professor, take him if you have the chance.

He was really funny and the lectures were interesting. I liked the sci-fi references but sometimes it seemed like a bit too much. Sometimes I found the quizzes kind of hard, I had difficulty finding the info in the notes even though the textbook was supposed to optional. But I might just be dumb.

When it came to lectures I found them to be hard to get through at times. For an online class setting, I found it hard to adjust at first since the quizzes are mainly the application of knowledge vs memorization of terms. I'm sure in an in-person setting lectures would be fantastic since I always loved the weekly meetings. Exceptional person!

I am currently in this class and really enjoying it. Professor martin is so knowledgeable about astronomy, and he his deeper, physics-based understanding is clear in this course. I personally find his class very engaging as well, with a great balance between the fun, aesthetic astronomy and the interesting theoretical side.

I would not take this class if you are looking for an easy A, however, Dr. Martin did an amazing job at helping me when I asked and even took time to go through each question on my quiz. It's way more beneficial to go to the lectures rather than the videos but both work. Overall, hard class but a very good prof.

Travis has by far been my favorite professor. He is very passionate and really cares about the material; and he's pretty funny to boot! Although his tests can be challenging, he gives more than enough chance to offset this. Everyone bashing him for being a bad teacher are just hating cuz they were expecting an easy grade. This is Uni; Grow up lol

Lectures are very useful for understanding content. Tough class but he is a good teacher overall.

Very important that you attend lectures, as he constantly gives helpful information (such as how to pick out the important info from a question) not found in a textbook. Very upfront and real, which could be perceived as rude or inconsiderate to some. Explains content in ways easily understood. Feels like he cares about students and their success

He's a socialist..... so..... perfect score

He's a little bit of a jerk from what I've heard, office hours seem rough, but other than that, great lectures, gives all you need and a bit more. He answers all relevant questions(even stupid ones, which is great). The course sucks though, but that's not his problem, they try to teach stats in the lab manual(&only there). Pretty sure 120 is easier

Physics 110 absolutely sucks. You can thank Dr. Mark Laidlaw for that, but having Dr. Martin teach this class is certainly the better of the two evils. It took me awhile to get used to his lecture style, but once I did I quite liked him as a professor.

Compared to Laidlaw, Travis is a much better prof. Sure he ain't the best, but he is pretty good for a first year prof. When you go to class he actually explains the material, so much so that I got away with never watching their stupid videos before hand. Best tip is to keep a formula sheet throughout the course.

I really enjoyed this course and I found Dr. Martin very informative! True, this course is difficult, but if you take the time to take good notes and not just copy slides, youll do great! Sure, he comes off as a little abrasive at the beginning, but you warm up to him eventually. I found the lectures super interesting and fun and the labs are easy

Travis is actually a really good professor, he does take some getting used to and you may have to temper your expectations, but you will find he (along with Dr. Laidlaw) is not trying to fail anyone. The class is tricky but fair.

Travis Martin is the best first year physics prof. He is excellent at explaining and organized in class. His grading system is forgiving, he doesn't like to fail people. My only issue is the way he answers questions in class. It is never done with respect, almost like he wants you to feel stupid for being brave enough to put up your hand.

Travis is the GOAT when it comes the first year Phys profs. More than half the people that would come to his lectures were from other sections. He explains concepts well and in a way that gets you interested. I took PHYS 110 and 111 with him and I can say he was one my favorite prof in first year engineering.

Travis has great lectures that are clear and easy to follow. He explains concepts very well. His notes are laid out really well which makes them a great study tool. He makes his lecture enjoyable and I always looked forward to going. I took Phys 110 and 111 with Travis and he is by far a much better prof than Laidlaw.

Travis' lectures were definitely a huge improvement from the lectures I had in PHYS 110 with Dr. Laidlaw - he writes down everything you need to know for each chapter, goes through examples and encourages questions during lecture. He may not be the nicest via email, but he is certainly the opposite in-person! I recommend taking physics with him!

No science class is easy HOWEVER this one is amazing if you are genuinely interested and geared towards no prior knowledge of astronomy. The prof is *chefs kiss* for this class - genuinely passionate about astronomy and his expectations are clear from the beginning. Easy to succeed in. Gives practice quizzes and genuinely wants you to do good.

I think Travis was great! I was in the Zoom section of the class, which he managed well. The tests for the whole class (including final exam) were all online, open book so some of the Q's were tough. Labs + quizzes did make for hefty course load, but doable. Best part was the chance for bonus marks - definitely worth it!

Travis Martin is a good prof and explains concepts well enough. Pretty tough most of the time but it really seems like he loves his field of study and that translates to his lectures.

Really great in lectures. Lab manual was atrocious. Not the best communicator in emails either.

Very difficult, expect to put in a ton of time on homework and studying. Exams are hard but fair, if you have a solid understanding of all concepts exams should be doable, lectures were some of the best ive had, explained concepts very well

Good prof

He's fiery, and can be pretty short tempered, but this class was tons of fun. Lectures were engaging, informative and well structured. I recommend going to class, taking notes and reviewing before the quizzes.

Travis is extremely intelligent and it shows. His lectures are told in a way for everyone to understand and he fits so much information into his classes. My biggest pet peeve is going to a lecture and learning nothing, but luckily this never happened with Travis. I learned something every time. You just have to listen to him, you will learn so much

I'm not sure what he's like as a physics prof, but he seems like a pretty good astronomy prof. He is very accommodating to personal issues and he seems genuinely passionate about what he is teaching. Although his quiz questions can be worded a bit strangely at times, his quizzes and final exam felt fair. I find his blunt personality entertaining.

Heard bad things about him teaching Physics, but for Astronomy he has set the course up to make it as easy as possible for you. He has a very direct personality which leads to some funny interactions in-class. He also really really doesn't like Astrology lol.

Prof. Martin is a great lecturer, and his analogies are very interesting. I would not recommend this class to anyone going into pure sciences such as physics or chemistry as the course is very information-heavy, and there is almost no math. This is an excellent course for non-science majors, or anyone interested in astro.

Disclaimer, I really like Travis. I have taken 3 classes with him and enjoyed all of them, but I understand why some people might not like him. He is very passionate and clearly likes what he is teaching. Some of the classes are obviously harder than others, but he shows that he really cares about students and doesn't want to see them fail

Lectures are understandable, with words clearly spoken and writing legible. The exams are relatively tough, but not impossible as long as you pay attention in class and do take the time to finish the assignments.

Very passionate and very helpful when asked a question (most times) and he doesn't make questions sound stupid even if they are basic. Sometimes goes through his algebra very quickly and is hard to follow but if you ask, he will explain it. Overall very much enjoyed this course although exam seemed harder than the midterms.

Prof. Martin is an engaging lecturer, and although I did not once attend office hours, seemed to care very much about his students. I went into the course with no interest in astronomy, and came out with an appreciation for how my chosen science is applied to it! I would take another course with Prof. Martin if I had room in my schedule!

If you are taking PHYS110, take it with Travis Martin. He makes concepts easy-to-understand with very in-depth examples, and, if you struggle to follow, he will gladly pause the example and answer your question. Do be warned though, he can be a little sassy if you ask a question that he might interpret as you not listening.

He's a fun guy. Was once spotted playing Clash of Clans on the way into class. I was unable to obtain the name of his clan. Other than that, his lectures are reasonably fast paced, methods rarely confusing as long as you just accept some variable as a separate thing, and has a great down-to-earth tone that is really easy to listen to.

His lectures are very informative but there is a lot of learning outside of class. He does a really good job at explaining the concepts in a digestible way. Sometimes he does calculations that you have no idea why you are doing them, but then he explains why at the end.

Travis is a fantastic prof. He breaks down the difficult physics 110 concepts into simple examples, and throws in the occasional joke or bit of banter. He keeps the class engaged and constantly asks for audience participation which is awesome. Just remember to not slack on the final. I did and it dropped my final grade by 20%

Instruction was clear and engaging. Final exam and coursework is set by the department so not mentioning that.

Lectures are well organized and material is communicated clearly. Questions were answered well.

Travis was phenomenal for PHYS323. (But watch out for the final!) He wants you to learn, and corrects mistakes as soon as he sees them. I think misinterpreting this directness as arrogance is the source of many of the bad reviews. A lot of counterintuitive information was introduced, but his assignments and in-class examples covered it in depth.

Honestly, Travis is literally the goat. I didn't even have travis in my section and I ended up going to his class because my professor was completely incompetent. Travis gets a bad rep being affiliated with Mark, Travis genuinely cares about his students and is extremely respectful of their questions and opinions.

Travis is incredible! His lectures are engaging and he has the ability to take something complex and explain it to you at the appropriate level. He can be very direct, which can come across as rude if you're not used to it, but it's just his way of communication; he really cares!

Idk why people dont like him, for a first year PHYS 110 is definitely a tough course, but i Love travis, he is my favourite professor. He knows what he is teaching, he knows his stuff well. He motivates you to answer the question even if you are wrong. Overall 10/10 for Dr Martin.

if you are taking phys110 go to his lectures

Dr Martin is a great physics prof. He explains the concepts really well and gives you the formulas you need. He is great for learning the theory. The actual course is very difficult though.

Good lecturer. Obviously very passionate about the material. Very fair grading. You will NEED to supplement the lectures with the textbook and textbook problems (He even says this). Even with that I had to put in loads of work to feel competent with the material.

The rewrite of this course is successful. The spin-first approach will be a bit confusing at the beginning, but the mist will dissipate at some point later in the semester. The grading is rigorous, but don't panic, he will scale the grade to make sure the final grade is fair.

Overall, Professor Martin is a pretty good prof especially for such a notoriously difficult course. His lectures are fairly easy to follow but he does come off as a little condescending. I think it's out of enthusiasm for the course and helping students but it certainly can be a little shocking. Seems pretty chill.

He good fr

The Lectures were interesting and the marking was very fair. The only thing I would say is that some of the quiz and test questions were a little ridiculous due to the fact that they were student written, and designed in a way to be standout difficult.

Overall Travis was a great prof. The course itself was quite challenging but his method of teaching explained the topics clearly. I can see why people might say he's condescending but he's really not. He isn't afraid to say you're wrong but he doesn't put people down when they are, just explains why they are. He's a g fr

Travis Martin is an amazing lecturer, I attended and thoroughly loved every lecture. His explanations and examples guaranteed my understanding of the course material. It's a shame that Travis Martin doesn't teach more of my required courses, as he's one of my favourite professors. Furthermore, he's easy on the eyes. 5 stars.

He is "Isac Newton" of our era

Out of the current professors for PHYS-110 Travis Martin is the best choice out of all of them. His lectures are funny and entertaining and as long as you do the work it's not a hard course

Very intellectual professor who engages with students during lecture. He also is available outside of class in his office hours. His lectures also encourage personal study to fully understand concepts. The homework questions are adequately difficult and tests your knowledge. The labs however are very self-taught and have significant learning curve.

I really liked Travis' lectures. He is very good at explaining physics topics, and his lectures are very efficient. You can tell by listening to him explain topics that he clearly knows what he's talking about and is interested in it. Just a shame that the testing system of PHYS110 is purely multiple choice.

Really good at explaining concepts. Makes a good effort to properly answer questions.