2.4
Quality3.9
Difficulty26%
Would Retake182
Reviews26%
Would Retake
182
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
30
4
28
3
26
2
27
1
71
What Students Say
“Doesn't follow syllabus given, if you can take another professor save your gpa and please do”
PHYS2022 - 1.0 rating“Worst professor in the history of professors”
PHY2021 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
75%
Textbook Required
61%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.78 avg changeRatings by Course
MOTIONNMATTER
5.0
(1)PHYSICSCO54
5.0
(1)C054
5.0
(1)PHYSICSC054
5.0
(1)ASTRONOMY
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHYS85
5.0
CO053
5.0
CO53
5.0
PHYSC067
5.0
PHYSIC67
5.0
Reviews (182)
she was horrible. you can hardly understand what she's saying, she yells and gets upset if you don't ask questions or look like your sleeping. if she's still teaching she needs to be fired. i learned more phisics in my high school physics class.
I have to disagree with the bulk of that last post. Yes, her accent can be difficult, but only initially, and she makes plenty of funny jokes about it. She went way out of her way to make sure we did well in the class and made physics fun and facile.
i hated this class with a passion. it was the hardest thing ever to try to stay awake for her terrible lectures at 8:10 in the morning. i had an A in her class until the final. i ended up getting a C for the year somehow. that just boggles my mind
The Russian accent simply adds to the flair that she brings to math physics. She lectures from the book, but does some ext. examples. Asking questions, to her, shows youre interested and not sleeping.
This is the worst teacher in Temple. 60% of the class got a D or worse. Please aviod taking her class.
Do Not Take
Worst teacher ever. Her accent is virtually impossible to understand. I dropped it because I was failing and I have never failed anything before! She is REALLY bad!
She's really not that bad. Her accent isn't even that bad. You just have to really pay attention and ask if you need help.
A real peach...
Professor B, at first seems like a bad professor but overall I think she's good. She does teach directly from the book but simplifies it. Her tests granted the averages are usually in the 50's but the problems are directly from the homework. Once you get to know her shes cool.
Very helpful outside of class. Great sense of humor. Gave lots of extracredit for students who did not do well on the first test. ADVICE: Review the homework problems when studying for tests till you know them inside and out. Also do the same with the practice tests on blackboard.
I first I thought she was speaking from Krypton, then I thought she was ****...then I realised she was just from well...I really don't know...she's hard to understand. She gets mad when you ask questions and gets mad when you don't. DO NOT take her if you haven't had physics before.
While her russian accent is thick, I found her to be very helpful and approachable if students take the time to bother. She was also extremely flexible with her last-semester seniors and worked with them to make sure they passed.
she's not a bad teacher, she uses good examples in class to help you understand concepts. the only problem is the accent but as long as you read the book and actually go to class, you'll pass. the tests are straight from the homework and examples she gives. its a really easy class!
Do not take her, for the love of god she's terrible.
I should have gotten out of this class the minute she opened her mouth and started talking. She has the heaviest accent I've ever heard at Temple and I can't understand a word she says. Quizzes are ridiculous due to poor grammar and the tests are even worse. Stay away.
she makes you wanna take your brains out, step on it, and spit on it!!! she thinks shes the best teacher around but shes not!!! shes horrible!!!!!!!
No Comments
TERRIBLE! TERRIBLE !TERRIBLE!...The worst professor ever. Save yourself the torture, Don't take this woman. Everyone I know failed this class, including myself. She can't possibly like teaching, she is unhelpful, very condecending and should not be teaching ANYWHERE!!!! I can't for the life of me figure out why Temple hasn't gotten rid of her.
I loved physics prior to taking this course with her Summer 2004. I am pretty good with accents but I could not understand hers even though I sat in front of class. I visted her during many office hours which slightly helped and I avoided failing her course unlike many others. I read the material but I needed a refresher so I got help elsewhere.
She has this THICK accent that NOBODY understands. Her exams are soooo hard. She doesn't explain things very well. And she's kinda really scary. But I have to admit - she's a funny lady. She tells like physics jokes and then cracks up by herself into the mic. haha! But seriously, if you care about your gpa, don't take her.
I didn't think her accent was bad at all; I understood everything she said. I had tougher Physics classes in high school. I didn't even bother buying the book, and I got a 96 in the class. She even counts an 85 as an 'A'. Seriously, if you just go to class, pay attention, and are not a total moron, you should do fine. Oh, and I'm a Theater major ;)
Let's just say I got straight A's and failed this class. This class sucks.
Very hard to understand but if you do your HW and go to class your fine.
I found her Russian accent to be endearing. Her lecture was verbatim from the text book. The homework also came from the book. The exams were reflectory of the homework. She was also helpful during office hours, although sometimes elusive.
Prof B was tha gr8est!!! Even though she was a little hard to understand at first, you'll get used to it. All you really have to do, is show up, and do your homework. Yes, her tests were VERY HARD, I failed 1 of the 2 test, and the final, yet i showed up every day except 2, and I got an A in the class. I mean, an 82 and up counts as an A!!
she is such an interesting woman, i don't see how anyone who has had her isn't in love with her. she's so helpful, very in tune even with a class of 100 kids. intelligent, beautiful and pretty silly, elena is certainly somethin....
First day of class I panicked because I couldn't understand a word she said....BUT you definitely DO get used to it and I understand everything she says now. She's VERY nice, VERY laid back, VERY intelligent, and you have every opportunity to get an A including massive amounts of extra credit (12 points added to final grade....amazing). Take her!
Very nice & helpful! Do extra-credit, & show up to class and you'll do fine. Anything over an 80 is an A
Borovitskaya may be considered a hard grader because the avgs. on her midterms are about 40%, it is not her fault at all. As long as you care about you're grade and study, you will get an A like me. She will add a lot of extra credit at the end. If you talk to her outside of class, she will be lenient when she grades ur test.
Just a wonderful person!! She obviously enjoys teaching and is VERY helpful outside of class. Just a personable person. Take her, but go to class or you'll be lost. This is not a result of her teaching, but the information is hard.
She's a good person and a good professor. She really cares about her students (extra credit), tells you exactly what she's testing you on, tells hillarious jokes, is very intelligent and an overall cheerful person. If you get past the accent & put up with some work you'll love her.
She is great helpful and a nice person. Straight forward no tricks. She helped me all the way till the very last day of class. I recommend everybody to take her.
i couldnt tell you what language this class was taught in...
wtf? terrible class. you can't understand what she says. Her tests are made just like she speaks:poor grammar. lectures were useless...if u want the book to teach you, then take this lady. if u don't want to waste ur $$ on this class, take somebody else....
God her class is torture. I can't understand what she is saying and her language barrier makes it hard for her to understand our questions. But she is actually nice, just a little crazy
the material she teaches is difficult but she knows what shes talking about and is helpful if you need her to be. Thick accent but still understandable
worst teacher EVER!!!!! for the tests, half of the things that we were told were going to be on the test weren't, and the other questions were badly worded and never discussed in class.. ***WARNING***** DON"T TAKE HER!!!!!
At first I wanted to kill myself. This class was so hard. I began going to see the teacher everyday before class. It was still hard but she is so helpful. And if you go see her she will give you a good grade because you are showing interest. Don't walk out of class early because she knows who you are!!!
WARNING!!I failed this class and even if i studied 24/7 i will fail. she makes the subject hard to understand. i reccomend none of you people take her. if yu do not like science, you will fail this class. she is not helpful. averages on exams are 40%. TRUST ME, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have maintained a 4.0 GPA all this time, until I met this person who believes is a teacher. I am still in shock and find it very hard to believe that she teaches at Temple Univ. It's a shame. She is horrible. Avoid her if you can. Hopefully God will reward her work ....one day...
Worst teacher I have ever had in my life. I never once failed any subject ever throughout my whole school career until I met her. The material was never the problem, it was her and her tests and her attendence policy. I attended every time but left early the like 2 times she took attendence twice and I still got a zero for it even when there we
Dr. Borovistkaya is excellent! Make sure you sit close to the front. A lot of people complain about her accent, but they need to realize two things: They're idiots for not having read the book the night before, and all the questions on the test are covered in both the back of the chapter, and in class! Oh, and show up for class. This is college!
Dr. Borovitskaya is tough, but if you work at her homeworks, and read her book, you'll do fine. "What it is in translations to human being language."
She Will pass you as long as you are there and work hard. She is a hard teacher but a reasonable one as well. She will help you outside of class anytime you need it. She doesn't put up with disrespect. So as long as you respect her and try your hardest you should get a good grade.
Sit in the front of the class. Come to class. She'll bump up your grade for attendance. The class isn't terrible. She's actually pretty nice. Just go to class, sit up front and do the work. We never used the textbook. Don't bother with the text.
I did well all semester and never bothered to study for the final. she gave my worst college grade. "what kinda mechanical engineer do you think youll be if you cant pass this test" I hadnt even takin ME classes yet lol. I still graduated and am a fine ME. Sit in front and dont miss a class. test seems hard but easy, just stop and think, i didnt!
You might need to learn the material on your own. I accidentally signed up for this class despite not needing it. Don't freak out if you don't do well on the exams. Just attend class and complete all of the labs, quizzes, and assignments and you should do pretty well.
Woohhawzah. OK. For starters. She is very nice and comfortable to be around, but you HAVE to go to class. And here's the secret to getting an A. DO THE ASSIGNED HW AND UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ON THE TESTS ARE NOT TAUGHT IN THE LECTURE !!!! Write that down in your jawn. There's a nice little curve so you can breathe.
I can't understand the lady
I won't say she's the worst teacher in t he world but it was difficult to understand what she was saying. The class is hard but she does grade on a pretty nice curve and helps a lot with homework and quizzes. She practically told us the answers. (well sometimes she did simply give the answer)
Regretted taking Science of Sound w/ Prof. B from day one. I've never received a grade lower than a C, and it is looking like this class is going to be the exception. Her accent is definitely an obstacle. Nice person, but a terrible teacher. Save your GPA and avoid her.
Very friendly and interesting but very hard to understand.
SHES NOT THE WORST TEACHER BUT U BARELY UNDERSTAND HER IF U DONT SIT IN THE FRONT ROW SHE WILL EMBARASS U WITH SMART REMARKS IF SHE CATCHES YOU TALKIN. SHE PUTS EVERYTHING ONLINE AND WE NEVER USE THE BOOK SO DONT BUY IT I WOULD NOT RECCOMEND HER THOUGH
She is difficult to understand, and the equation sheet she gives for exams is pretty much useless. However, she is a very fair grader and is always available for extra help if you need it.
You get used to her accent, so that is not an issue for me. You never use the book, so DO NOT BUY IT! It's expensive and it will not help. Her tests are very hard. Stuff that she mentioned for one second in class gets put on the test; very unfair. Decent grader though, but she is just very frustrating. She's a nice person, but can't teach.
WAAAYYY better than dziembowski. You really get used to her accent and her teaching style is very straightforward. GO TO CLASS. It isn't mandatory but she notices and will be less willing to help you if you don't go. She actually used to say to one kid, "you don't understand. ah, that's right. you don't come to class" and walked away. I liked her.
Borovitskaya has a very heavy accent, but you get used to it. Take lots of notes, and study very very hard. Her tests are tough. And go to class, she boosted everyone with an attendance rating of 80>% by one letter grade.
Her accent is so difficult to listen to, let alone learn from. Shes very harsh and has a tendency to single students out. Shes not very good with extra help either... I would avoid having her at all costs and go with another teacher
Very easy professor. She explains exactly how to do the problems in lecture and recitation. Exam questions are exactly like the assigned problems. Quizzes are also easy and are also open note. She's very nice and sometimes funny. Anybody who rated her poorly is bitter because they failed and pathetic considering how easy her class is.
very difficult to understand due to her heavy accent and one of the most unapproachable professors i've had. if you have a problem understanding general material or an assignment, expect her to get an attitude and treat you like an idiot. material is straightforward but she tends to skip vital information
she know about it this class but there something that you able to get what she teach,, in the tests..
I'm taking her class right now and here are my suggestions: 1. Come to class 80% or more and she will increase your grade for 1/2 of a letter (B- to B etc) 2. Sit closer to her, she likes it. The classroom is huge and she does have an accent, but you will get used to it.Plus she shows a lot of experiments that you won't be able to see from far away
Continue my previous post: 3. DO NOT BUY THE BOOK, you won't need it, but take notes - they are extremely helpful! 4. Do not use phone or laptop - she really doesn't like it as any other prof. 5. Tests are easy (but not the 1st one), homework is online based 100% on notes. 6. Ask questions if you have them, she will notice your interest. Good luck!
All about the attendance, book, notes and attention is true. Accent is hard but will get used to it on the 3rd class. She is funny and easy going if you do respect her. She shows pretty interesting videos and experiments. Physics was never my thing but this time I got a B The material was very interesting even if you take it just for Gen ed.
I am Russian so, I did not have a problem to understand Dr.Borovitskaya. She really wants students to learn, so ask questions, do your homework assignments (I believe there is only 6 of them). The report that you will need to do is based on the experiments and is very easy. Tests are pretty simle, also based on problems she showed in class.
Yes, Dr B has an accent that takes getting used to, but you will sit up front anyway because your grade will benefit. She helps those that make earnest effort. Im not a Physics guru and managed an A in the class. She needs to be introduced to a flat iron. Has maybe 4 outfits total in her wardrobe
Her accent is very difficult to understand and I never really got used to it. I didn't like the class at all, but I could've done a lot better if I actually went more often and made an attempt to pay attention.
I loved Dr. B. I took her for both Physics I and II. The course definitely not easy - but no college physics class you take will be. She is VERY helpful in her office hours - she seems intimidating at first but is actually really sweet and just wants her students to actually TRY. Her grading scale makes it virtually impossible to fail her class.
Elena is difficult to understand not just because of her accent but because of the lack of volume. She doesn't require you to be there, but you'll NEVER pass if you don't. She also would give students attitude if asked to repeat herself or if she had already answered the question.
A great physics teacher. A bit of an accent, but she more than makes up for it. Go to her office hours and or talk to her after class. She is way more helpful talking to students one on one. Very interested in her subject and knows what she's talking about.
She gives you every oppurtunity to achieve an A. You have to ace all the online homeworks, the two experiments, and get at least a 73 on all four exams. That is very do-able if you attend (she boosts your grade up one if you have good attendance, too), go to her office, and sit in the front so she knows your face. Very good prof who loves her job!
Spring 2013. Physical 0872-002 had been terrible during the first of three sections of topics as the Exam One average had been 64 percent. The next two sections of topics, especially Dr. B often mentioning Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, had interest rise.. Two experiments and six home works. Attend 80 percent of lectures for a letter grade boost.
She has a slight accent I was told... No her accent is very hard, she does not speak up, she does not like to explain herself, just all around bad. She says you do not need a book but you definitely will need one. She posts her lectures online an hour before class and either way they are useless. Dont take her but if you do... Good Luck
She isn't a terrible teacher, she's pretty funny and knows a lot. Repeats the exact same hw questions on tests and quizzes, so studying is really easy. Just put in the time and work and you'll do well.
Prof B is extremely difficult to understand. Her accent is very thick and her examples and questions are often confusing; stopped putting her ppts on BB after she realized people weren't paying attention in class. However, she makes her self available to her students and is very helpful in a 1 on 1 setting. You won't pass if you don't go to class
Her accent is very heavy and she is as ignorant as she looks. Mean and she only cares about the students who are not struggling in her class. Also, students always cheat on her exams with their phones.
She has a very thick accent and it is very hard to understand what she is saying most of the time. She can be really sweet but often will turn quickly and have a nasty comment. You can use your phone or notes for her quizzes and her exam multiple choice questions are from her quizzes, but free answer can be very difficult.
Extremely hard to understand because of her accent. I barely passed the class. I wouldn't recommend taking her for this class at all.
Worst professor I've ever had. Incredibly rude to students and unforgiving to people going through personal problems outside of class. Don't recommend taking her class at all, but if you do, just don't try to be her friend. She's there to read the book back to you everyday with a heavy accent... nothing else.
Dr. B seems like a sweet lady when you first meet her but she doesn't take questions well. She makes you feel stupid when you ask for clarification and she gets angry at students who ask questions. Her class is more difficult than it should be and she is unclear because of a very thick accent. She assumes that students already the info.
Dr. B is an ok lady. She is a very old-fashioned, Soviet-instilled mindset kind of teacher, so she can be strict at times if you are even whispering. Problem is, you really can't understand what she's saying. She is really intelligent, just the language barrier is killer. She doesn't really explain concepts either. If you attend, you'll get EC.
Dr. B is a good professor. She wrote the book for the class, so if you don't understand something she says during lecture, go look in the book. I wish I had realized how helpful it was earlier. Her accent takes a couple days to get used to, but it's not a big deal. Keep in mind, she has no patience for disrespect (texting, talking during class).
This professor expects 3 things: pay attention, respect classroom conduct (no texting, sitting in the back with your laptop) and do your weekly homework online. She is very simple and does not appreciate BS. She is very open to questions but don't just ask to ask. There is a paper you have to write on an experiment, 2 exams and a final.
Great professor! She is a fair grader. She curves the grade so that everyone can earn a B or A easily.
I got a B+ with failing 2 exams. The tests are hard but its still so easy to get a good grade with the curve. Just go to class because it adds to your grade, do the online homework (if you go to class she goes over it the day its due and gives you at least 5 answers). 2 easy assignments. She's hard to understand but buying the book really helps
Extremely hard to understand and asking her a question is useless. She is extremely unhelpful and also rude. I asked her about what textbook we need for the class and she told me she didn't know and walked away. Turns out I ended up ordering the wrong textbook.
had her for sci of sound. She has a thick accent so it is hard to understand her sometimes. She gets very agitated when asked questions and does not answer questions well. You have to learn a lot of the material on your own. tests were hard but you can make it up with the experiment, paper and HW. Gives extra credit for showing up.
I am writing this midway through the Spring 2016 semester. I have Elena now for Science of Sound. The big thing with her is she has a VERY thick accent. So it makes it hard to learn the content. I personally don't have a clue wtf is going on. I just threw together a paper this morning, 10min. before it was due. Personally wouldn't recommend.
Professor Borovitskaya was hands down the worst professor I have ever had in my college career. She is extremely rude to her students and is not question friendly. She does not want to help her students do well and she makes this course way harder than it should be. Her accent does not allow you to understand ANYTHING she says. Do not recommend.
Just no.
She has to be the WORST professor I have ever had. First off, her accent is way too heavy to not mention. I'm talking about some "How did they let her work here?" heavy. She's rude to her students, not question friendly at all, and her book has errors in it. I have no idea just wtf is going on in class, ever. She doesn't teach, she just states info
Worst professor in the history of professors. Super rude to her students, and belittles them and looks down upon them. Not personable at all, and not helpful with questions or material at all. Also unjustly changed the entire syllabus after the add/drop period was over. Gives no partial credit. Overall horrible professor.
Elena does so much so that their students pass. An A in this class is an 85, she gives an easy extra credit assignment that raises your grade so much, and she raises your grade half a letter grade if you attend a certain percent of class. Make sure you buy the textbook, it is key to passing the exams.
they should fire her, she is a total waste of our money, can't understand a thing what she saying due to heavy accent. i taught whole course myself.
Physics is supposed to be hard, but she makes it 100 times for difficult than it should be. Your grade is based heavily on the tests, and she gives very little partial credit on open ended questions. Very condescending to students outside of class, and is not very approachable in office hours.
I want to cry. I spent hours studying for this recent midterm, grasping all the concepts thoroughly. Reviewed quizzes, practice problems, and homework problems yet got a failing grade on this midterm. Had to single-handed my study because its IMPOSSIBLE to not only get through her accent, but her way of teaching. This class is hopeless.
Noooppppp just nooppp. If you can avoid her run the other way!!!!
She makes this class far more difficult than it should be, and its already pretty darn difficult. No partial credit given on exams, making it nearly impossible to pass her exams. Condescending and at times insulting during office hours. Her lectures are okay at best when you get past her insanely thick accent. If possible, avoid her at all costs.
if you take this class, Be aware of recitiaton and masteringphysics because 50% of the midterms/finals is gonna be similar to them. Elena is reachable during office hours. She tries to make it easier for students by curving the overall grade. Plus, she seems rude, but all you gotta do is go to office hours one a week and she's so nice to you.
No. Just don't
Doesn't follow syllabus given, if you can take another professor save your gpa and please do.
yea, every every review here basically summarizes what she's like. you're better off teaching yourself. n.b her multiple choice come heavily from past MCAT exam questions so look into those if you have to take her. the class isn't hard because of difficult physics concepts (physics 1 at least) the algebra is hard. work on substitution. good luck
Dont know why everyone seems to hate her! If you pay attention during lecture and do the homework, the exams will be more of what you've already seen. Shes this adorable lady who gets excited on certain lecture days because she likes that chapter. Seriously, I thought she was a fun prof who explained difficult concepts well. Taking her again!
Horrible ! This lady is evil she has no compassion for students and most of all she can not TEACH! Her english is not clear and if you ask her a problem in class she will get upset that you do not understand her teaching. Totally unapproachable, takes points off on almost everything on exams.. only way to pass is to cheat, oh well
She has good intentions, but her style of teaching is hard to understand and she is a very tough grader. Midterms average for the class was 50%. If the grades are that low it means you are not teaching it correctly.
Elena gets a bad rep for being a professor of one of the toughest subjects in the science department, but she truly means well as a professor. The lecture can be a bit intimidating but office hours are great for help, be persistent with questions and dont be afraid to repeat questions. She will work with you!!
I think she means well as a person, but shes not a good teacher. It was very hard for me to retain what we were learning because she wouldnt teach she would mostly tell. I did pretty well on homework and activities, but the tests brought my grade down to a low . Very disappointed that my GPA will be affected. Hopefully I can pass the final.
Exams are actually pretty fair as long as you study all homework/notes/quizzes. The real problem is that she talks really fast and doesnt write all important info on the board, so make sure you and your friends work together to get everything down. Be persistent and study consistently and youll be fine.
I absolutely LOVED Dr. Borovitskaya! In my opinion, she did a fantastic job conveying the material, and her accommodating office hours always enabled me to ask questions when needed. The exams are not that difficult if you study all homework, quizzes, notes etc. The people who don't do well are the lazy ones not putting in the hard work required!
Horrible.
When I took the class, her tests were almost entirely based on masteringphysics. As long as you understood every masteringphysics problem you could easily get by her physics tests. For lab, make sure you pick an easy TA. Ask around to figure out who's good.
If you are a Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences major and you are taking this class as a gen. ed., be careful because she mostly talks about musical instruments. She expects students to just know a lot of physics-related information and when students ask questions, she is sometimes rude.
Her active approach to learning means that you interact with every part of the material 5 times before you will ever be tested on it. She started doing that last year so keep that in mind when looking at reviews. Go to lecture, be able to do homework, participate in class, and TALK TO HER. She wants to help but she can't if you don't ask.
She's alright and nice person, but I would only recommend someone to take this class if they are a music or physics major.
The most horrible professor I have ever meet. She can't speak English, she has a very very strong Russian accent. Also, she doesn't use Powerpoint, the material she gives are very confusing. I learned by myself for whole semester. Many quizzes are given during the course so you have to attend all courses.
Worst professor I've ever had. Barely a professor, more like just writes down formulas on the board and expects you to know how to use them. Very condescending when you ask her questions in office hours. Harsh test grader too. Better offer taking physics during the office season.
Really tough class, really tough lady. Exams were really difficult. Similar questions to the quizzes and hw but she changes one word and the question is completely different and hard to figure out during exam time. Def master the homework and recitation problems, & go to review sessions with the TA!! She bumped my grade up for going to all of them
While she may be a little difficult to understand at first, it gets easier to understand her as time passes, especially if you sit closer to the front. If you understand the quizzes she gives and understand the homework, you will be all set for the tests. Dr. B is one of the best teachers I've ever had, just make sure you don't get on her bad side.
Elena is the sweetest woman ever. Physics is incredibly difficult but she will do anything to help you succeed. That being said, don't be intimidated by her or the subject matter. And for the love of god just study A LOT
Started off really not liking her at all, but she grows on you. Really tough class and I don't think she does a great job of teaching material, but its doable if you study enough. The TA saved my life.
She comes off as intimidating, but she's the sweetest prof if you don't get on her bad side. If you put in the work, go to reviews, and her office hours, you'll do just fine. Probably one of the best professors at Temple. I'm going to miss her after taking two semesters of physics with her.
Such a nice lady if you get to know her. She listened to our feedback and tried her best to teach us everything we needed to know. The class was fast paced out of necessity but she made herself available during office hours and by appointment. She also had a good sense of humor.
Anyone who is giving her anything higher than a 1 is a teacher's pet or already knows physics so the teacher doesn't matter. Ratemyprofessor is for students to determine YES or NO as to whether they should sign up a class. The answer is no. Super mean, hard to understand, 2 quizzes and 4 hw a week EVERY week even during the week of a test. AWFUL!!
She's awful - if you've never taken physics before good luck. She is hostile to students and terrible at answering questions- she doesn't care what part of the problem you don't understand, she just solves it for you.
Absolutely horrible! She is absolutely oblivious to the concerns of the students and lives in her own arrogant world. Her grammar and accent makes it impossible to understand concepts, and also gives incoherent answers to questions by students. Also relies on the top-hat program, which is full of errors. Study by yourself because she is hopeless!
Physics 2 is tough. Dr. B makes achieving success possible. While it can be difficult to understand her, she is very receptive to feedback and will explain anything if you ask. She offers extra credit. Textbook is online. Study the questions in her "some notes" as well as lecture questions & quiz questions. Exam questions are very similar! STUDY!
I have never been one to rate a professor because I believe that every experience is different but the experience that I had with her has scarred me for life and it is sad that I am not the only one who can say this. Try your best and study a lot and you will do great but don't go to her for help because she doesn't care. Rely on your TA's as well.
You will have to study outside of class, but that doesn't mean that Dr. B is a bad prof. She is a great prof; she sets you up for success, but you have to put in work too. If you need help, she'll be happy to help in office hours. If you put in the work, she will guide you to a good grade. Also she's really funny and nice!
Dr.B's class is one of the toughest I've ever taken. Her 2 midterm and final grade total to 70% which means your screwed if you fail all of those. She can be quite intimidating but she also has moments where she jokes around. Her Russian accent is thick so beware of that. if you never took a physics course before then say goodbye to your weekend.
The class is HARD!!! The curve is really good though I think a 55 is a C- (which is what you need to pass) so just focus on getting as many points as possible. STUDY THE tophat/lecture quizzes b/c they're really close to exams. If you get C+ on the 2 exams and a B+ on the final you should be good for an A
PHYS I and II is definitely weed-out courses, so be ready to spend most of your time on these classes. The hardest part on the exams is deciphering her typos and strangely worded questions. Understanding fundamentals is IMPORTANT! It is almost impossible to understand her English during lectures. Get a tutor!
She is awful at English, both an accent and grammar. She wrote the textbook and expects every student to buy it, which is in BROKEN ENGLISH. She gets angry when students try to clarify what she is asking. All of her test questions are written in her broken English and make no sense. She doesn't even use math in her physics courses, just conceptual.
Exams, Lectures, Quizzes,and Homework are completely different and you can not use one to help the other. Final exams had nothing to do with understanding of concepts or formula sheets. You need to memorize specific formulas for the physics scenarios she gives making this near impossible. Her "Tophat" textbook and voice is confusing and annoying.
Hands down the worst teacher you will ever come across at Temple. She possesses no actual knowledge of the material for physics II. I learned more about physics II from a guy from youtube in one hour than her during the whole semester. Her wording on the exam problems is harder to comprehend than the actual content.
She is the rudest and the worst professor at CST. The first exam average was 35% and she made it seem like it was our fault. Her questions are awkwardly worded and they are graduate-level problems. Try to avoid taking physics when she's in charge.
Literally failing averages and this woman does not care. She doesn't care about your future or what graduate schools will think. Theres other professors at Temple that teach this course. Save yourselves. Don't take this this professor.
If you can avoid her, please do it. Literally, so mean for no reason and the exams are outrageously hard. If you're a bio major, then you're stuck with her and I recommend just finding a group of people and moving forward from there. Do great in lab and tophat to help your grade
I took her in Spring of 2020, when covid hit. Her accent is pretty heavy but understandable. I recommend making a group of friends to study together. Overall a decent class.
Tests unreasonably hard, averages in the 30s and 40s. Also rude. Never again
She wrote the textbook, she doesnt own up to mistakes shes made, her online exams are formatted horribly and her averages are always low. I wouldnt take her again.
She makes the exams hard enough to the point if you don't cheat you will fail the class. Most people cheated because the average for the first exam was in the 30's. She is rude, inconsiderate, and extremely self-absorbed.
Physics 1 and 2 w/ Elena were the most difficult classes I've taken at Temple. The courses were extremely test heavy and the questions on the test were garbage. Half of the challenge in this class came from deciphering the textbook and the homework questions. Topics aren't explained properly, I learned everything from Khan Academy. Don't take.
Arguably the worst professor at Temple. You have multiple weekly quizzes (post-quiz, pre-quiz, recitation quiz, etc). It's very difficult to process the new info while trying to keep up with the old. Also, most of the assignments (including exams) are riddled with typos and she has an incredibly thick accent. Prepare to teach yourself everything.
Dr. B teaches a hard class. like many classes in the stem department, the work is hard to understand if you do not exert yourself. Doing many practice problems before the topic is discussed in the class is my best advice!
We had weekly and extremely lengthy homework assignments, post-quizzes every week, and a QUIZ QUESTION AFTER EACH CLASS. She'll literally fly through material and make you answer a quiz question at the end of each class on material you JUST learned and it's part of your grade. She also gets frustrated easily and her accent is thick but understandab
Physics with Dr. B is pretty difficult. She does not do a good job at explaining topics and her exams and mainly conceptual so it can be difficult to study for them. I would avoid taking it with her if you have the option to. She's also not the most helpful out of class and will ridicule you even if you don't understanding something she didn't teac
I have had the displeasure of being forced to sit through Yelena's lectures both online, and in person. For physics II, the class average of our midterm was 43%. I have taken several rigorous math courses at temple and am a math major but this is ridiculous even by temple standards. If at all possible, I would take classical physics instead.
WORST professor at temple CST, her accent is hard to understand. She is rude and her tests are extremely difficult. Very tough grader and the majority (70%) of your grade is exams, no curve even if you are 1 point away from passing. Avoid her at all costs!!!
First negative review in my life. Her exams consist of everything outside of the textbook and her lectures. Its as if she wants the students to fail. She shows no restrain and will belittle you if you don't follow her orders to the T even if you make a unintentioal mistake and funnily enough she preaches about showing empathy. Avoid Her!
This professor should retire. I learned NOTHING and the rest of the class felt the same. She doesn't explain anything clearly; with major attitude and if you ask any questions, she will belittle you and insult you in front of everyone. Exams matter the most, so even if you do great in the lab, quizzes, homework you still have a chance of failing.
This is probably the hardest professor I have taken so far, but it is not impossible to get by. you MUST keep in mind the following things, especially for summer classes: Study tophat and lecture questions and THEIR CONCEPTS DO NOT miss a single lecture. Use her office hours and ask her questions Do not take it senior year (lol) NO slacking off!!!
Took this class during summer session and with summer session, DO NOT MISS A LECTURE. She teaches mainly by deriving formulas and I found it difficult to grasp that. I used Youtube to help me study. Your grade is based almost entirely on exams (70% of grade), so really study & understand the conceptual questions and do the homework in TopHat.
If I have a choice I would not take her again. Her exams are nothing like the lecture problems. Her ratings are low for a reason!
I don't know why so many bad reviews about her, she is truly the sweetest professor that wants u to succeed! Just do hw, go to her office hours nd show participation in class. She will curve ur grade if she sees u trying! I learned a lot from her, she knows her stuff, nd can answer basically all ur questions unlike some other professors at temple.
I don't understand all these bad reviews.if you attend her lectures, do hw on tophat and ask questions you will be fine. All the questions from her exams are from tophat or quizzes.Don't use Chegg to get the answer, do your hw yourself,it will really help you on the exams. She really knows the stuff she is teaching,and this is really rare nowadays.
Dr. B gets a bad rep on rmp, but she honestly is very caring and wants you to succeed in the class. You NEED to go to lectures. If you miss even one lecture your chances of understanding the material drop drastically. She knows who shows up on time to class and will definitely boost your grade at the end of the semester if she sees you trying.
By far the worst professor I've had the displeasure of interacting with. Rude, incomprehensible, always trying to save face. It's obvious she's aware of these reviews as she should be. This class (at least with this professor) is a waste of your money. No curves and tests are worth 70% of your grade. Study Tophat endlessly or you'll fail.
The toughest exams you would ever take.
I don't understand why she is graded so low, my second time retaking physics I took her and I was nervous about it, but she made me love physics, she really cares for you. Make sure to go to her office hours and go to her lectures, without it you will fail. Honestly I would say she is the best physics professor in the department.
Yelena is the best, she makes sure everyone gets what we're learning and if not she would make sure to go slowly until the whole class gets it. For her office hours she is very understanding and will make sure to not let you go until you fully know what you are doing. I would honestly take her if you want an A. Idk about the negative reviews tho.
Truly one of the worst professors I have had. You take quizzes every day on the material you learned that day. Exams are worth too much of the grade. She is very rude to her students and talks about respect a lot when she lacks it. Save your money and take a different physics course since shes the only prof for it.
One of the worst professors I've taken at temple. Its hard to understand her because of how thick her accent is. Weekly quizzes had information we learned that very day. The grading was poorly scaled and at the end of the day, I passed with a B because I had perfect attendance.
Overall the course was not hard. However, the professor is unbelievably rude. She does NOT accept DRS accommodations. Furthermore, she questioned if my disability was real in passive aggressive emails. She has sent rude emails to my DRS advisor who was trying to stand up for me. If you have DRS accommodations, be prepared to fight for your rights.
Worst professor at Temple University. She has consistently been rude in every interaction and does not care about her students. I had perfect attendance and mentioned that I needed to miss a class to attend a funeral. She did not care and commented on how I was late to class that day instead of having even an ounce of compassion.
DON'T take this course in the summer unless you want to be stressed out. Be prepared to teach yourself! She has an extremely thick accent, which makes it hard to understand the material at times. I had to watch YouTube videos to teach myself the material. The course is lecture- and quiz-heavy. She is very blunt and can come off as rude.
Yelena is a dedicated professor who cares about student learning. Attend lectures, go to office hours, and use unstuck ai - it really helps with physics concepts. The class is challenging but manageable with effort.
She is your only physics option at Temple over summer. It could be worse but the class itself if just tough and she is sometimes difficult to understand. Very fast-paced,100% reliant on attendance. Quizzes at the end of almost every class, but often based on questions already asked in-class or on homework's, so TopHat will be your best resource.
I suggest you study on day 1 and get a tutor asap.
Seems super strict and intimidating, but wants you to succeed. Very in depth lectures that reflect exactly what will be on the test; super nice in office hours. Best advice is go to class (she knows who goes and doesn't go to class) and study the past quizzes for the test and you will pass the class easily.
She is terrible. Incredibly rude to students when they don't understand the material. Has a thick accent and hard to understand. She is a hard grader when it comes to the quizzes. Don't take her. Save yourself.
Dr. B structures the course focusing on the MCAT. The tests are very tough, the questions are very tricky. There is a quiz every other -if not every- lecture, and those are a hefty percentage of the grade. Attendance and participation are required. Dr B is very strict, and can have a very condescending approach to questions during office hours.
Don't take her if you have zero physics background. She has a strong Slavic accent, which can make things hard to understand. She grades things quickly, but is not a fair grader. The practice problems she does before exams are very similar to ones on the exam. She didn't seem to follow logical steps in getting to the answers. She came with a smile.
do not take this professor if you can help it. absolutely awful.
dr b is NOT BAD. as long as you attend lecture and make honest efforts on her weekly quizzes, you WILL pass. every question she goes over in lecture ends up on the exam, so they are straightforward. quiz problems also end up on the exam. does give extra credit. make sure you are familiar with basic algebra before taking this class.
This professor like many others have a terrible, completely hard to understand accent. She's Russian but wow you can not hear a single word this person is speaking. The only people such as myself who did okay in this Intro to Physics course would be anyone who had prior knowledge from Highschool Physics. Worst professor at this college, DO NOT TAKE
One of worst professors I had at Temple. Attending the class is mandatory as your grades can depend on it. Worst, late timings for quizzes. Has an accent that's tough to understand, but the worst is she uses minimalistic slides, writes down same stuff from them, briefly talks about important concepts, and gets irritated and rants at the slightest.
Russian accent is heavy you have to tune in extra hard like your a foreign exchange student 2-3 quizzes every week I would suggest making friends, because your gonna need all the help. do good on all the hw and recitation quizzes and score as high as you can in lab. so even if you fail the tests you can still pass the class. 55% is a C- lol.
I can't say too much on here but good luck honestly. The class is severely curved and people still failed, lots of quizzes, make sure you study those formulas like the back of your hand. Attend every lecture if you can.
I got very sick early in the semester and went to meet with her one on one. She said i shouldn't be in engineering (3.5 GPA otherwise, btw) and that SHS should not have told me to take time off. Plus, a thick accent + little to no partial credit, this class is much more difficult than it should be. I did the readings, hw, and lab. Still drowned.
Physics is already a difficult subject, and she just makes it harder. Her accent is very thick. Her slideshows arent helpful. The syllabus leaves you even more confused than the class. The final exam is 25% of the grade, and the two midterms are 20% each, somehow totalling 55%. Class has a recommended textbook but its needed if you want to pass.
Ok, I understand everything people have said about the class being hard and her accent being really thick. I also can't not say anything about how nice and personable she is if you attempt to be more than just a face in the class. I'm not the best student, but she appreciated how much I cared and made time to help if I reached out.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
75%
Textbook Required
61%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.78 avg changeRatings by Course
MOTIONNMATTER
5.0
(1)PHYSICSCO54
5.0
(1)C054
5.0
(1)PHYSICSC054
5.0
(1)ASTRONOMY
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHYS85
5.0
CO053
5.0
CO53
5.0
PHYSC067
5.0
PHYSIC67
5.0