Zhikun Hou - Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA

Professor: Zhikun Hou

Department: Engineering

College: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ME4512
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Overall, the class is pretty easy once you figure what he wants. Before then, good luck looking thru his slides. He is somewhat lazy tho. I had been emailing him about my missing quizgrade for 3 weeks, and he finally made the change a day before grade's due. I know I got an A in this class, but He has yet to submit my grade (fall break's over now).

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ME5200
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

He is alright. I took the online course, gave up on watching the lectures after the first lecture. Could no understand him, and he writes on the chalkboard that isn't visible for the recording device to pick up. But the power points and the prerecorded lectures that he has with the power points are good and explain the material well.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ES2503
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Doesn't speak clearly, gives class in slides and grades you on midterm and final exams, which are impossible(avg for midterm was 40%). Oh yeah, also doesn't curve!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ME4512
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Never opened the book. 80% of the grade was the 4 ANSYS projects (not too difficult), 20% for weekly quizzes. Second class with him, so I knew what to expect. Quizzes fairly easy once you figured out what he was asking for. Powerpoints are awful. WIsh he would use the board instead because he does a much better job teaching that way!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ME5200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If only someone could take this man's power points away. He is excellent explaining things on the board, but his lectures are impossible to follow because of all the magical voodoo animations.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ME5200
• 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:

Professor did not provide any feedback throughout the whole course and he doesn't go over homework. I have no idea whether I am passing or failing by the final. Expect 40 hours of study time per week to research the missing information from his lectures. Presentations are fairly decent, this is only positive thing I can say.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ES2501
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Took Intro to Statics, which is basically Mechanics but all the forces are zero. Really boring. Big lecture class. Homework, lectures and quizzes are all powerpoint presentations.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MEMANY
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I had him for me2503, 4512, 593V (vibrations) he is invariably useless with cluttered powerpoints and a lecture style that is equivalent to listening to a textbook on audio tape. Exams are often unclear and considerably more difficult than material in lecture or homework.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ES2503
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Uses powerpoint almost entirely for lecture which makes it difficult to grasp the material. Homework is more difficult than the weekly quizzes by far. Lowest quiz grade dropped. Really nice guy and incredibly helpful outside of class. Going to see him during office hours made all the difference. I would take another class with Prof. Hou again

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ES2503
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I consider myself to be a very global person, but i cannot understand this guy at all (accent)! He also explains things in the most complicated manner possible, bass ackwards. Expect to teach yourself most of the material. That being said, ES2503 has no exams just 6 open book,note,internet quizzes and he drops the worst one.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ES2503
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

A bit of an unclear speaker..uses very dense powerpoints almost exclusively, very little from textbook. Regular quizzes, no big exam. However, he's a VERY fair grader, and EXTREMELY helpful if you're having trouble with the material.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ME522
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is one of the best professor I have ever had: although he has an accent, he is extremely clear and detailed. Always willing to help and available to answer questions.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ES2502
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Super bad teaching and super hard exams. You are on your on buddy. Amazing!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ES2501
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I also took 2502 with him, and will be taking 2503. The people rating this guy low have no idea what they're talking about it. He wastes NO time whatsoever, the material is dense, but if you can't follow it, good luck getting a degree in Engineering. His accent is WAY better than most of the people you'll run into in the industry or at school.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ES2501
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

class overlaps greatly with PH1110/1. He is hard to understand: cannot pronounce the letter L. His tests are reasonable, open book and note. Powerpoints are insane, very cluttered, every single thing is animated. Literally slept on floor in back row of class since there was a quiz everyday at the END of class, daily quizes = 50% of grade.lol

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ES2503
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

this dude is pretty bad. don't ever take a class with this dude. I made the mistake of taking 2 with him.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ES2501
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Terrible class, he just sat in front of the computer and lectured off of his cluttered & confusing powerpoints. Speaks heavily accented English, but it really was irrelevant when compared to the poor quality of his slides & explanations.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ES2001
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Awful. I cannot believe this man is allowed to teach. Can't understand him. Nice man however.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ES2501
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He really wants you to learn, but just does not know how to teach. The Powerpoint is good idea but just put you into sleep if it did not confuse the hell out of you. Expect seeing tons letters in his examples. He never uses number, I felt like I was a math major

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ES2503
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Lecture is a waste of time, but tests are easy. It seems like he wants the students to do well. If you passed PH1110 you don't even need to attend the first four weeks of lecture.