2.3
Quality4.5
Difficulty31%
Would Retake89
Reviews31%
Would Retake
89
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
16
4
11
3
6
2
7
1
49
What Students Say
“nice guy but JUST DON'T”
PHY2053C - 2.0 rating“He just seems like he has the biggest lack of interest in this class & his students”
PHY2053 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
93%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.42 avg changeRatings by Course
PHY2054C
3.7
(10)PHY2054
3.5
(4)PHY2053C
2.8
(24)2054C
2.5
(2)PHY2053
1.7
(48)Difficulty by Course
PHY 2053C
5.0
PHY2053
4.6
PHY2053C
4.5
2054C
4.5
PHY2054C
3.8
Reviews (89)
One of the worst teachers I have ever had. Homework is impossible, I never got anything better than a D. He comes to class unprepared and basically reads the powerpoint slides while teaching them but expects you to read before coming to class. Laughs at you like you're an idiot when you don't understand. Don't take him if you want to pass physics.
nice guy but JUST DON'T! We had our second test today, which I was very optimistic about after studying HARD the entire week, but I felt like I hadn't studied at all after taking the test. I already know I will fail this course. His exams are only feasible if you've been studying physics for a few years or if you really like the subject area.
I have had tough professors, but this is beyond ridiculous. His exams are very confusing. Questions are not "straight-to-the-point." Too many words and too much going on in a single question which doesn't do any good to our understanding for problem-solving.
3/3 xts. He always seems to have his homework assignments done last minute and he never has the problems worked out when you go ask him for help. He just seems like he has the biggest lack of interest in this class & his students. If I miraculously end up passing this class, Im screwed for Physics II because I feel like I havent learned anything.
1/3 I have never had such a difficult professor. Physics is already a difficult subject so having a great professor is vital. This course left me feeling hopeless & just plain stupid. The homework assignments are ridiculously hard. He says they're supposed to make us do well on the tests but the tests are NOTHING like the homework. All he does
I took him for Fall15 semester and I believe this was only his first or second semester as a professor so he's not the best yet at relating the material to all students effectively. BUT, he's a very understanding professor and recognized this, and will curve accordingly. Buy the TB's student guide and doing extra HW will help a ton
Don't listen to the people who gave him a poor rating, he is easily one of the best Physics professors at UCF. He explains concepts very well and if you go to his office hours you will practically leave there with a mastery of the material. He is extremely understanding about student life. Did I mention he speaks english! Kara or Kaden, pick one.
He is nice and wants everyone to pass, but his HW and TESTS are so hard that I struggled the entire semester. I studied and understood the concepts, but always did poor on his exams. His study guides were over 100 questions. He does curve every exam. Even the physics TA's had a hard time explaining his HW problems! I would never take him again.
I had this professor in Fall 2015 and it was clear that he was not very experienced. He reads of ppt slides but you can't miss class because he uses iClickers. His tests are crazy hard but thankfully he curves and adjusted his teaching throughout the semester to accomodate. He is willing to help in office hours and is very understanding.
A good professor and very interested in helping students, but had the wrong approach initially. Exams were the toughests (grad school type), but after he realized that, the last exams were more feasable. I recommend this professor only if you are into Physics and very serious about it. Very nice and helpul when I needed him to adjust an exam grade.
Good professor. Tough course. Will work with you and cares about his students.
He's a good professor who tries his best. His exams are hard and will require to study even more outside of what he teaches. My complaint would be that we got tested on things he don't cover in class. His slides and his teaching do a good job, but be ready for questions that aren't covered in them. He does his best in order for students to pass.
Pretty good professor. American so no thick accent. Curved grading scale makes it hard to fail. Lectures are a bit dry but manageable. 3 tests that come straight from in class clicker questions. All in all good professor and not bad to look at either.
Kaden is the man. Point, blank, period. I've never had a professor that has gone more out of his way for his students. He seems really humble and he kind of downplays the fact that he's a genius. Because of that he's really approachable. Know the clicker questions inside and out and you'll get an A. Don't get discouraged. His curves are generous.
Easily the best professor I have taken at UCF. Show up to class to get the clicker question points, and learn the clicker questions bc his exams are a variation of the questions anyway. He's also not bad to look at. Textbook/reading is necessary if you want to pass. Go to his office hours bc he will actually help you! Would take again if I could.
This class is 2 hours & 45 minutes long and it's torture. He isn't clear about things and when people ask questions he starts off by saying things like 'do I REALLY need to tell you this?! you should KNOW it'. His explanations don't make sense. You probably won't pass unless you are already a physics wiz. TAKE SOMEONE ELSE, SAVE YOUR GRADE.
Knows what he's teaching, but he is super dry. After an hour and a half of a three hour class most students just blank out.
Kaden is such a great professor if you put effort into his class. He is extremely clear (and generous) on his grading policies. For the exams: study the clicker questions until you know them back and forth! I am not a math-minded person, but Kaden's explanations and lectures were so clear and really got me thinking and helped on the exams.
Physics is just a hard class as it is but he tries really hard to make sure his students pass. Ive never seen anybody go out of his way to help us pass and understand. He shows genuine interest for his students. 4 test(including final) he drops the lowest and gives you a chance to make up a test of your choice to get up to 75. Would take again!
Don't be scared by the previous reviews! He's changed almost everything that people had issues with. Physics isn't my thing but he made a 2 hour class enjoyable. He really does care about his students and wants everyone to do well. He spent basically two full weeks in his office so students could raise their test average. Definitely take his class!
Professor Kaden genuinely cares about his students success. He is very interactive with the class. I recommend visiting office hours. His tests are very difficult, but he curves. Professor Kaden helps to simplify physics. Would definitely recommend taking his class.
The key to doing well on exams is by going to Professor Kaden's office hours or making appointments to meet with him to review practice problems. He will explain concepts and will make sure you understand them correctly. This class is very challenging, but you will actually leave with more knowledge about physics.
Definitely would not recommend. The way he teaches is condescending, he asks questions as though you should already know the answer. The tests do not reflect the coursework and the questions seem to be reworded by him as though to make them trick questions. Formulas are not given on the tests and it is up to you to predict what will be tested on.
There were two groups of people in the class, those who "got" physics and those who really didn't. He's very tolerant of that bottom 50-70% of the people who didn't. He curves the grading scale, He curves the tests 20-30%, He held extra credit hours, He held extra-extra office hours. He's somewhat rude, Tests are hard, but the class is fair.
Dr. Kaden is an awesome professor! Physics is not an easily comprehensible subject, so you need to put in the work to receive the outcome you desire. He made me enjoy learning physics and lectured material by connecting it to our every day lives, making it easier to remember. He grades fair, curves and wants to see all of his students succeed!
Curves each test. An 85 is an A-. There is pearson homework and clickers in class so you have to go but everything is on Chegg. Lab is tedious but also an easy grade booster. Tests are very very difficult. Somewhat based on clicker questions but modifies them a lot. You really have to know Physics to do well.
Loved Dr. Kaden! I really enjoyed his class and the way he taught. His examples are relatable and easy to remember for tests. He's kinda seems intimidating at first but he's really nice! Definitely go to his office hours if you need extra help. He goes out of his way to be available and to help his students. You won't find a better physics teacher!
Tough class. Most of my friends dropped. We were ready for a lighter coursework as we were coming from Physics 1 last semester, but we had to triple our efforts to maintain a passing grade. Treat this class as full time and drop it if your schedule is already 12+ credit hours. Good luck
Professor kaden is a good lecturer but the class is objectively tough. However, he curves every test and grades the free-response leniently. Also if he likes the class at the end of the semester he moves the final grade score from an A+ 93-100 to an 88-100. There are easier professors out there but he is more than fair.
Look Physics is a hard subject in general and most Physics teachers have poor reviews due to the difficulty of the subject. But if I can pass this class, anyone else can too! Homework is for you to learn, available online. He boosted everyones grade a letter grade. He curves his exams. Gave us extra points as well. He is a good professor & caring.
This class is not easy, but you will probably learn more than any other class. If you study and are willing to put in the time an A is possible.
I do not recommend this class unless you are ADEPT at math and problem-solving. His exams are more challenging than normal. The average for each midterm is ~50%. They are comprised of 18 multiple choice worth 80 pts and 4 parts to a free-response worth 20 pts. You've been warned.
From someone who typically does molecular/bio stuff, this course was really challenging. I liked Dr. Kaden, but his exams are honestly super hard, but if you study & understand his discussion problems, you'll succeed. HW does not help for exams at all. All exams are curved & grade scale is adjusted
I took his 6-week Physics 1 course (16-week material taught in 6 weeks) He seems a bit intimidating but he genuinely wants you to pass. Generously curves quizzes/exams because he wants you to get the right grade for the work you put in. He's also quite punctual in terms of grading. As long as you put in an effort, you will pass his class.
Kaden provides very detailed explanations, especially in office hours, and wants you to learn. However, 6 weeks makes the course difficult - decent math background required. So, I recommend Kaden highly for regular term length physics. His tests are as hard or slightly harder than his posted discussion problems; must deeply learn concepts for an A.
Fantastic professor! I enjoyed his lectures. The curves are incredibly generous. He wants everyone to pass and is very fair. He sacrifices a ton of his time to help students. However, you need to put in the time and work to earn an A. Repeat the HW, quizzes, and discussion Qs until you understand them and can do them on your own. Highly recommend!
I took his 6 week summer course and I wont lie, it was TOUGH. You need to dedicate a ton of time and practice (hours a day) to succeed. Exams/quizzes were hard but he curves a lot! I got 75% on both exams and ~65% on the quizzes and ended with an A. He cares a lot about his students succeeding and gave the best he could with the 6 weeks given.
I took the studio version of 2054 with Kaden, the class was super lecture heavy and everything was explained conceptually (hardly any example problems were worked out). But if you utilize the textbook you will be okay. He does curve tests and offer extra credit but you for sure have to put the work in to do good.
Save yourself the pain and don't take Kaden. He's incredibly slow to grade and are a week out from the final and missing over half of our assignments in Canvas. We have assignments we turned in well over a month to two months ago that still are not graded. He also puts lots of trick questions on his exams or ones that look "too easy" for the exam.
One of the best for Physics, very straightforward with grading, and has amazing and descriptive lectures. Also a very approachable person overall
Kaden was definitely not the worst but he also wasn't that great. If you can learn conceptually without seeing any of the math he is your guy. He is also very slow at grading things. We didn't know where we truly stood in the class until after the final. He lectured for the full 2 1/2 hours we were in the class without a break.
A professor that is genuine and very understanding . Definitely wish I had more professors like him
I took Physics II over the summer and it's definitely hard. A normal semester's workload condensed into 6 weeks but Professor Kaden was super understanding. His grading scale is adjusted as he's forgiving with how hard his exams are. His grade consists of 45% exams and 25% quizzes but you tell he's passionate about the subject!
Never again.
this is a 20% in person class. mandatory attendance. everything is online, other than your exams which you take at a testing center. 1st week activity 0% PAL Assignments 18% Imported Assignments 0% In-class Participation 5% Discussion Problem Sets 10% Common Assessment Participation 1% Midterm Exams 36% Final Exam 20% Quizzes 10% Total 100%
you're going to need to study every day if you take this mixed mode. questions are not pulled from the ai study program, quizzes, or discussion questions he will give you. he will curve tests (20-30%), but they are only 13 multiple choice questions, so it will seem very hard to pass them w/o a curve. he is nice but very hard to reach sometimes.
Genuinely save yourself. The quizzes/discussion questions are the closest to the exam but they are also nothing like the homework or textbook. Why have a textbook and homework of mixed difficulty questions when you're going to cherry pick the most convoluted questions that are barely explained and only test on those, good question, ask Kaden.
Does not teach at all. Majority of his class is online. Avoid this.
Exams are only 13 questions and include material he hasn't even taught yet. Questions are formatted like riddles. Homework does not help prepare you at all and takes hours to complete,
I hoped I would crash on my way to taking his exams just so I wouldn't have to take them. His exams literally do not make any sense and they're only 13 questions. he doesn't teach its only PAL assignments.
genuinely one of the worst professors at UCF. i would rather take a writing gen ed, MWF, 8-10am, 16-weeks over the summer, than to do this class ever again. pulled an A by the grace of god. average grade on exams were Fs
just no. save yourself and listen to everyone else.
if he is your last choice, i guess take him, but beware the exams are a LARGE portion of your final grade and are only 13 questions MCQ; get 1 wrong and your grade is PRETTY hurt
PART 1!! if you are like me, and are a pre med or pre dental, or you just need to get a good grade, this is not your guy. exams make up a majority of the class, but let me tell you, no matter what you do, you will not be prepared enough. i say this because he tests you on things you havent even learned, and are meant to trick you.
genuinely such a hard course; if you're pre-med or doing a major that needs a competitive GPA, avoid this guy. exam content isn't even aligned to what he teaches
EXTREMELY difficult course for being algebra-based physics. exams are only 13-14 questions, and are worth >20% of your grade each; if you dont plan on getting 100% on every exam (which wont happen because the exam questions are unrelated to the material or resources), then you'll likely end with
just take a different professor for the love of your GPA and mental health. hardest phy2053 section out there by FAR. changed him for a MWF and it was so much easier.
we recently finished midterms and he told us how disappointed he was in our performance because the class average was a 32%, then blames it on us rather on the fact the exam content was misaligned lol. take someone else
he is the curse of knowledge as a person; too knowledgeable to be teaching an intro-level phy course, evident by the fact the exams are way harder than you can ever prepare for.
DO NOT TAKE HIM!!!!!! tests questions are so confusing and for what? he expects you to know everything yet he doesn't even teach!!! only PAL assignments that's all. I'm not even exaggerating when i say he formats his tests so that we fail because he puts things in tests that he either says to not "worry about" or that he hasn't even taught.
impossible to get an A. incredibly rough and expects WAY more out of you. PAL assignments dont help either, neither do lectures
pick a religion and pray bro. this guy will make you want to drive off a cliff, into a volcano. exams ARE NOTHING LIKE WHAT YOU STUDY OR LEARN. unless you have the luck of god (or science if youre atheist) you will not get an a in this class. if you must take this, and you are premed or predental or whatever, i wish you the best of luck soldier.
if i could give a 0/5 i would. i hope he sees what an awful human he is, and his partner has an affair.
Please, please, please listen to the reviews. I thought people were just saying bad things to say bad things, but this professor is genuinely awful. exam content is not aligned AT ALL, and there are curveballs in every exam. you need to know physics front and back to get a B or higher. Curves are useless, too. Take Archana or Duy over this evil guy
hes the one that does phy2053 for the RS segments. he is an awful professor in many ways, but ill give you the three you probably care most about: his course is a total mess and forgets to publish things on time; the exams are unrelated to the material, oftentimes; and the exams have multiple random riddle-like questions. worth a lot too, only 13q
man oh man, where do i begin with how much of a horrible professor this guy is? the exams are the only thing that make up your grade. but, no matter how much you study or learn physics you wont be prepared for his exams bc theyre meant to trick you and are nothing like the actual course material. truly an awful professor, and human being.
suffering, endless suffering. exams are genuinely the worst designed things i have ever taken. you will never be prepared enough for them,and the averages are like low 40s. has to curve 20-30% for every exam because otherwise 99% of people would fail. you learn nothing
exams are insanely difficult and you will never be prepared enough for them. worth a large amount of your grade, and only 14 multiple choice questions with many curveballs
Uploaded no content until halfway through semester besides hw platform which also took him forever. Makes tests stupidly hard and unrelated to hw or quizzes. Responds to nothing, gives no updates or info through canvas. This guy clearly doesn't care about his job at all and does not belong in a classroom. Take him if you want to suffer or fail.
Restricted course(6 meetings per semester) with poor organization. He only started providing videos going thru material once the 1st exam had such a bad average. homework and quizzes do not correlate with the incredibly challenging 13-question tests. Even as an excelling student, I found myself struggling immensely. Tutoring and Youtube saved me.
Had 6 lectures all semester where he skipped the last and was embarrassingly late to the rest. You learn absolutely NOTHING from him. None of the work match his ridiculous 13-question exams that are almost all riddles, and he only posted (useless) videos after a terrible first exam. Honestly I have no idea if I'm passing but DO NOT TAKE HIM.
Restricted course with only 6 meetings in the semester. In the 6 meetings, he would go over one question for the full hour and 20 minutes. Class average on exams is always below a 50. Exams are on 13 questions and are almost all riddles. Minimal content on Canvas with no extra resources. Overall a terrible professor and modality. DO NOT TAKE!
Exams are extremely hard and he does not prepare you for any of it. I went to his office hours ONCE and only once because he talked to me like I was stupid the entire time and like my questions where an inconvenience during his office hours which are literally there for me to ask questions. DO NOT TAKE HIM!!!
exams stray far from the material given throughout each chapter. the PAL assignments have no resemblance to the quizzes and exams. unfortunate as this is the only material provided to learn the concepts. his lectures are useless as he doesn't focus on the actual concepts but rather a few questions from one out of the 3 chapters needed for an exam.
Homeworks give barely anything for the exams so you must use as many outside resources as you can. Quizzes are graded on completion and he doesn't give any feedback. Exams are very hard.
You teach yourself the material. He is so disorganized, first week of class had absolutely no modules posted. He is not accessible outside of class time AT ALL. He does not answer any emails. He did not post the final exam on canvas. My last 3 attendance grades are missing. One class he never showed up and he never sent an email.
Extremely low averages for exams (
DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE!!! No matter what you may think DO NOT DO IT. If he's the only time or teacher take it next semester. I got a near perfect score on 2 exams, 3rd is a drop. near 100% on all other aspects of grading. 88% in the class. Tests are brutal... 20 hours a week, 14 weeks, studying to not get an a. Please listen to this message!!!!!!!
Prof. Kaden is a great guy, but not a good teacher. You only meet 6 times and spend the rest of the time teaching yourself based on his material. Assignments were nothing like exams. POST-CURVE exam averages were still in the mid 50s-60s. Expect him to answer your emails within 2 hours or never. Getting an A is definitely possible but hard.
this guy should not be in a classroom. he hates students and never responds. uploaded no content in first week, had to talk to physics department head. tests are unfairly difficult with barely a curve so most people have 50% for tests. put in no effort, didnt give us his content until october. had to rely on online platform to teach ourselves 0/10
bad prof low exam avgs
Good guy, alright professor. His lectures are okay and have minor participation. The studio class is chill, somewhat engaging, and more convenient. He curved our exams generously. I didn't study nearly enough and managed a fair grade. Most of the harsh reviews forget that Physics II is generally not the easiest or most exciting subject in itself.
I took the RS mode, so mostly online work. The class consists of PAL assignments, Discussion assignments, Quizzes, Attendance, and Exams. The PAL and quizzes can be taken multiple times, and the Discussion post is graded on completion (45% of the total grade). WATCH the supplementary videos! Study the Quizzez and Discussions to prep for exams!
ive officially finished this class. i can say without a doubt he is the worst professor you could ever take, especially if youre a pre med/dental. literally whatever you do, you will NOT be prepared for the exams. he has to curve the exams so heavily because of the failing averages. just finished the final too, 30% average without the curve.
Okay so I don't know if he's new or not, but the way he set up the class was very unorganized. He seems like a nice guy but just not good of a professor. Has us rely on Realizeit for homework but the quizzes and the exams are literally nothing like it. His "lecture" videos are confusing and you can tell he does not want to teach lol. AVOIDD!
In his physics 1 RS/online class, I got an A, but it was so brutal. Averages on midterms were C's. ~20-40/300+ students got A's on each midterm exam. If you want a high grade, either: 1) have a physics background, 2) find a top tutor, or 3) dedicate hours to learn and practice (what I did). Study the underlying concepts in discussion sets/quizzes!
This professor just can't teach...like at all. Exam averages from a raw standpoint is literally like 4/13 then gets curved to a 6.3/13 because the exam scores are that terrible. Realizeit + small quizzes don't even help with the exam, not even the formulas either it sucks.
This class was extremely difficult.The Realizeit assignments didn't match the tests or quizzes, so studying and preparing for the exams felt impossible. The only thing that actually helped me learn the material was the online platform CramBetter, which I highly recommend. Overall, extremely low test averages, I wouldn't recommend taking this class.
DO NOT TAKE HIM. Everyone who does, regrets their decision! I have gotten A's in trig, calc, etc. and have always been good with math. The grade is a reflection of how absent a teacher he is. He doesn't teach, he expects you to teach it to yourself. I honestly do not know why he gets paid. He doesn't even answer emails.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
93%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.42 avg changeRatings by Course
PHY2054C
3.7
(10)PHY2054
3.5
(4)PHY2053C
2.8
(24)2054C
2.5
(2)PHY2053
1.7
(48)Difficulty by Course
PHY 2053C
5.0
PHY2053
4.6
PHY2053C
4.5
2054C
4.5
PHY2054C
3.8