Upper engineering/calculus/physics teacher help

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>As the professors are now posted for more classes, son is trying to tweak his schedule, but is hoping to get recommendations from some of the older engineering majors on this forum.</p>

<p>He’s not asking for personal recommendations, as in, which teacher to take, as that will vary from person to person, but whether he should concentrate on getting the stronger teacher in physics or calc III or statics or dynamics. Son is mech eng major.</p>

<p>Because of scheduling conflicts, and looking at rate my professor, he’s finding some positive reviews for some professors, but negative reviews for others that would fit in his schedule. </p>

<p>So, should he choose a good engineering professor, but have a poor physics professor, or should he go with the good physics professor, but the schedule would leave him with engineering professors with not so good reviews.</p>

<p>He’s not concerned with GPA, so he’s not looking for the easy A. He’s more concerned with getting a teacher that is good at explaining the material, is fair with tests, and getting a good foundation for later coursework. Again, son is a mechanical engineering major, and will be starting the fall semester of his sophomore year.</p>

<p>Also, some of the teachers he’d like to move into are closed, but with waitlist spots available, so should he even try to get into those classes, or just leave well enough alone with what he registered for in the spring, before the professors were listed?</p>

<p>Thanks for any help.</p>

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<p>I would think that since he’s an engineering major, he should go with the best ones he can get.</p>

<p>however, if taking just a “good” engineering prof, would allow him to take a “less bad” other prof for another class, then that might be a good option as well.</p>

<p>When looking at ratemyprof…be sure to note which class the prof is teaching where he got the bad review. A prof may have bad reviews for Class X, but better reviews for Class Y. </p>

<p>Also, note how old the bad rating is…some profs improve with age.</p>

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<p>I’d say try to get the good profs in general courses like physics (not that there are any really) and calc III over statics and dynamics. Two diff profs generally teach one section of the basic engineering classes each semester (usually, not always). This means they have to give the same tests, and similar amounts of homework. It also means they generally follow the same schedule and sometimes even use the same lecture notes. However, one prof could be better at teaching than another. This depends on each student and their preferred learning style. However in the physics and calc classes, profs usually have the freedom to test and teach how they please, since their classes have to serve a broader range of majors. Therefore it is more important to get a fair and SANE one since they have more control.</p>

<p>Now that’s just my opinion. If he wants personal recs for the profs, I’ll be more than happy to tell him what I know and have heard about profs for this upcoming semester, having just finished the ringer of basic AEM classes myself. There are certain profs you just want to avoid no matter what. I wouldn’t count on moving off the waitlist, but then again more spots might open up due to freshmen at Bama bound and people dropping classes. Remember, your son also has about a week or so during the beginning of the semester when he can drop AND add classes if a spot opens up in a class with a professor he would rather have.</p>

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<p>So in your opinion is it advisable to postpone an avail class with one of the “worst ever” reviewed teachers in hopes of finding a better one diff. Semester? DS is running into some of that particularly with Eng. Statistics .</p>

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<p>And to Monte - congrats to DS for not being concerned with GPA, however it may be more of an issue as he gets his 300+ levels. Some of them are work your can off Bs as opposed to easy As. Scholarship kids have to always have that concern’</p>

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<p>If it does not delay graduation, then yeah I would. I have to take possibly the worst prof in ME for heat transfer because I can’t push it without delaying graduation. Its a req. for classes I have to take in the spring. Since lower level classes are taught in cycles chances are you will have a better or at least diff prof in the spring if you wait. Look at past classes. Does the same prof teach it repeatedly? Or can you see a pattern of rotating professors?</p>

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<p>^^^Oh, Al, did not mean to come off cocky. He does have to worry about GPA. He just isn’t one that is obsessed with GPA, like a lot of other kids. He’s often times extremely grateful for a B. You are so right about the scholarship. When you’ve got a tough program and you’re lucky to get straight Bs, getting a C in one class can make you a little nervous. And so true, once you are in the upper level engineering courses, you will be very lucky to get straight Bs.</p>

<p>Since someone brought up Bama Bound, are current students only able to add/drop classes while Bama Bound sessions are going on?</p>

<p>But back on track, thanks, Mesquite, for the advice on professors. There are some really bad physics and calculus profs, and some with no reviews at all, so any anectodal recommendations on those teachers would be most appreciated. </p>

<p>The engineering classes, some of them are really bad to less bad. He’s wondering should he take the less bad eng prof and take the really bad physics prof, or should he take the really bad engineering prof and the good physics prof. Of course, once the calc III professors come out, there will be decision time again.</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your help. Great to have the input of an engineering student that’s just a year or two ahead of our kids.</p>

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<p>*So in your opinion is it advisable to postpone an avail class with one of the “worst ever” reviewed teachers in hopes of finding a better one diff. Semester? DS is running into some of that particularly with Eng. Statistics . *</p>

<p>Son did that with Dif EQ II…waited til the following year and got a great prof…but you don’t want to cause a delay in graduation.</p>

<p>that said…sometimes you have to take prof reviews with a grain of salt…especially when dealing with very hard courses…some kids don’t study and then don’t do well and then blame the prof. My kids have liked some profs that have gotten negative reviews. </p>

<p>However, I agree that physics profs need to be carefully chosen…some might be smart researchers or whatever, but they aren’t great with students/lectures. this is a problem at universities…some profs just don’t have good teaching skills…they’re better at research. </p>

<p>My kids have had Stanley Jones and Gary Mankey and they did fine.</p>

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<p>Son had Dawn Williams for Physics I and liked her. Good example of a class that was not an easy A, happy for the B, but she was a good teacher. His roommate had Mankey, which I don’t think I could handle with a straight face, him being a Pokemon and all. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. But seriously, his roommate liked him as a teacher as well, although not an easy A either.</p>

<p>I had a college chemistry professor who was an absolutely awful teacher. He was unfortunately my advisor as well. A real peach. But he was an amazing researcher, had lots of projects going on, but teaching freshman chemistry was definitely not his forte. I’ve warned son that he will likely encounter this in college as a science/engineering major as well, so he’ll have to just bear with a bad teacher sometimes and just get through it.</p>

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<p>Unfortunately, you can find not-so-great professors in every major.</p>

<p>But I agree with M2CK. People will tend to slam a teacher when they do not do well in the class. There was a foreign language teacher at my son’s school who had a reputation of being tough as nails, so he did not want to take that language, fearing that he would have her. A massive schedule problem occurred, and guess what? He had to switch languages, and he had her as his teacher. Turns out she was the best thing that happened to him. He loved the class. She was demanding but fair.</p>

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<p>No worries Monte!</p>

<p>back to the professors, I’ll get specific -
any input on the following three profs? First one has no reviews, next two have brutal ones.
Carver (CS315)
Borie (CS360)
Paul Ray (GES255)</p>

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<p>I think the best thing a student can do when faced with a prof who doesn’t have great teaching abilities is to form a study group early on (with serious-minded students) to study together and sort of “teach yourselves.”</p>

<p>and…if the class is tutored at the Center for Teaching and Learning, find a good tutor there and make regular appts…and bring your textbook!!</p>

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<p>My S needs to take Physics+calc which is currently full.
I heard new slots will open up for his bama bound session, but what does he do if the class is still full at registration? Should he put his name on the waiting list and sign up for a class he doesn’t need?
He is thinking of a dble physics/ee major, but I don’t think he can do it, along with CBHP, in 4 years if he can’t get into physics 5 as a freshman.</p>

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<p>He can keep checking in the morning of each Day 2 of Bama Bounds throughout the summer. They release seats those mornings in anticipation of registration.</p>

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<p>Okay, while we’re naming names:</p>

<p>Weishaupt for AEM 201</p>

<p>Female Mewes for PH 106</p>

<p>These two have either one or no review.</p>

<p>He’s currently with the male Mewes for Physics, but may want to change to tweak his AEM 201 and ME 215 schedule.</p>

<p>He’s also taking MATH 227, but those teachers aren’t out yet.</p>

<p>Totally agree about taking the rate my professor with a grain of salt. Son just likes to steer clear of the ones who test on things not covered, a favorite habit of his high school math teachers. Also is wary of professors who friends have taken and had to either drop the course or came close to failing.</p>

<p>On the topic of tutoring, besides the Center for Teaching and Learning, son and his friends got great help in physics by going to Paty this semester, so wanted to pass that resource on as well.</p>

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<p>My S needs to take Physics+calc which is currently full.</p>

<p>Have you checked Fall 2010 to see how many spots eventually will be in each section?</p>

<p>Go to Look up Classes…then click on Fall 2010…then look up Physics.</p>

<p>As mentioned above, once your child has been to BB, if he still needs a class, he needs to look on Day 2 of each BB to see what’s opened up.</p>

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<p>Freshman, first sem., son needed to take Phys. II but the class that would fit in his schedule was full during BB. He emailed the prof. during the summer and she was encouraging in telling son to attend the first class anyway. Eventually, as spots opened up a few days before the start of classes, she emailed him to let him know. Was impressed by the personal attention!</p>