Doug Furton - Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI

Professor: Doug Furton

Department: Science

College: Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHY230
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

TAKE HIM! I think he gets a bad rap because people don't put the work to succeed in this class. As long as you are willing to do the homework and reading YOU WILL BE FINE. He give out partial credit like crazy on his tests and his syllabus is made so as long as you do decent on tests you WILL PASS. He's funny during lectures. 100% TAKE HIM!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHY231
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Best physics professor at GVSU. Really wants you to do well. He makes up homework problems and assigns book problems that apply directly to what you need to know for the exams. If you dont know how to do something he will usually go over it in class. Go to the study sessions before the exams. "You hip on that?"

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHY231
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Furton is one of the worst professors I have ever had. He's very rude and unhelpful if you ask him a question, and he assigns a ton of homework that isn't really helpful. I had to drop the class halfway through, which is something I've never done before. The exams are awful. The first exam we took had a high score of about 48%

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Willing to help you doing lab, but won't just give you the answer. Makes you work for it! I really enjoyed having him!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHY230
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Favorite professor I've had so far at Grand Valley! Had him the second time taking the course and could not have been happier. Instead of having students just memorize equations, he took the time to help us understand the thought process needed to solve problems. He used really fun examples and was very willing to help. Took this summer.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHY230
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

One of the best professors I have ever had! He is very passionate about having his students find success on their own or with a little help. He doesn't want to "spoon feed" his students equations and formulas, but to understand the actual physics and how to explain it in words. Very approachable and is always willing to help. Took in summer term.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHY231
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Worst professor I have ever had. His answers to most of our questions were "read the textbook." You will have to teach yourself using the book or you won't learn anything. Exams were ridiculously hard and homework was not helpful. I get that physics is a tough subject but he makes it a thousand times worse. AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS!!!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHY231
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He is unapproachable and rude. Rather than help you and show you how to solve a problem from start to finish, he does steps in his head and says he won' write it all down so you have to figure it out. In a calc-based physics class, there is no such thing as this. He basically expects you to discover physics solutions the way Isaac Newton did.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

If you're a student who is struggling, he will not go the extra mile to help you, instead he will make you feel terrible about yourself with his rude and sarcastic remarks. The material is rather abstract and he's the only prof who knows anything about astronomy but he doesn't try to help his students.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Did a good job preparing you for tests-nothing too surprising on any of them. Gives several opportunities to get easy extra credit. Lab quizzes are hard so studying for tests and especially doing extra credit (targets of opportunity) balances out lab quiz grades

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Hands down worst professor I have had within my 6 years at GVSU. Funny guy, yeah. Lectures are fun. As far as the labs go, he is absolutely horrendous. Forget about asking questions, unless you want to feel degraded and stupid. Any time I speak to him, he purposely makes me feel like an idiot. Exams are equally as horrible and nearly impossible.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Furton, or "Dr. Zero" as he likes to be called, is awesome, but his class almost kicked my butt. Science isn't my thing so I struggled with the material and he doesn't explain things often because he think's you'll learn more if you have to "figure it out for yourself". Still, he's pretty hilarious and tries to make dry material fun.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He is a great professor. If you like to learn anything about astronomy I would take this class with him. Just know the class isn't going to be what you expect it was hard in the beginning, but once you get into the semester it was super easy. He is always there to help you and to make sure you pass the class!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Zero is one of my favorite professors. If you pay attention and take notes you will do fine. He is really funny and is there to help you if you need it.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: Audit/No Grade
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Zero is always available during open lab to give students extra help. He will help point you in the right direction but will not tell you the right answer immediately. He lets the class make the syllabus. The class is mostly pass/fail. If you study and put work in, this class will be easy. Take this over other gen ed lab classes! No textbook!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I would strongly recommend NOT taking Astronomy. In the lectures he's not that bad, but in the labs- oooohhh the labs. He basically doesn't teach and hardly anyone knows what to do. One time he actually curled up on the floor in frustration. The tests are crazy difficult, the averages for my class were always below 40%. No textbook at least.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Furton (he goes by Dr. Zero) is the best professor I've had my first semester at college. He makes you work and think of things on your own, but if you can read his instructions carefully and follow them you will feel really great for succeeding. He also has a really dry sense of humor but he makes class fun and interesting.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Worst prof I've ever had

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHY230
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Furton is a great professor! He is genuinely interested in helping students be successful in his class. He may make you feel like an idiot, but if you put forth the effort to learn the material, he will do whatever he can to help. He is very reasonable and has a good heart. I highly recommend taking a class from him.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This course is a little tricky. Professor does have a sarcastic sense of humor which can be unappealing at times but he has his students best interests at heart. Not a big homework load but class can be repetitive and boring at times.