Allan Widom - Northeastern University, Boston, MA

Professor: Allan Widom

Department: Physics

College: Northeastern University, Boston, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1155
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Awful ILS professor. He does not care about you understanding concepts and doesn't shy away from the fact that he doesn't want to be there just as much as you don't. ILS is supposed to help you understand concepts, but he doesn't believe in memorizing formulas and tells you that you're lazy and you should derive all your formulas. Just awful.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHYS7302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is a wonderful theoretical physicist. If you don't have any backgrounds of advanced mathematics, you will never understand not only his courses but also any physics. Advanced mathematics is the key word to understand his lectures at least.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHYS5
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I had Allan many years ago when I was in grad school. It looks like he hasn't changed a bit. I never cared for his "I'm too smart to explain it on your level" attitude and his scientific output over the years proves this is all an act. He's a poor teacher.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2305
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Extremely rude man. Throws up a lot of math on the board with little physical explanation behind it. He was one of the worst teachers I have ever had in my life. Smart man no doubt, but terrible teacher.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHYS145
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Probably the one of the smartest people I have ever met. He is also one of the rudest, most petty, and childly vindictive as well. Yells at you if you ask basic clarification questions(he writes really small and obscures the board). He also openly mocks students who have problems or trouble(he mocked a girl who asked him to write larger b/c she

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHYS145
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's a genius from Cornell, thinks everyone is as smart so he can skip algebra steps on the board. 2 exams are really easy, but ungraded hw is so hard. if you do the problems youll ace it. SUPER easy tests, its a joke, but lectures are impossible to follow. If you can, take someone else, for an easy A and to not learn physics, take him.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHY145
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

2 grades...a midterm and a final. each with 4 problems. get 2 problems wrong the entire semester and you get a C

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHY101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I took him for physics 101. But he also teaches quantum mechanics. PhD from Cornell. This man is a genius and a socialist in hiding. He ALWAYS goes over practice problems and even puts up explanations on his website if you skipped class. The only time you ever have to show up for class is midterms, (3 midterms) and a final. All of which were easy.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Well, all I have to say is that it will be an interesting class with him. He makes poor first impressions, but he's a funny guy. His teaching methods are well, not normal. A lot of times he's not clear, especially if you don't know calc. If you don't have prior calc experience do not take this teacher! So yeah overall it was interesting

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• 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:

Pretty bad professor. Never actually explains material, will jump right in and start deriving equations and expects his students to be able to keep up with his insane pace.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHYU601
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Without a doubt the worst professor I've had at this university. Unclear, unhelpful, disrespectful to students who ask questions. Unprepared for lectures entirely. Does not do what he says he is going to do on the tests. Should not be teaching.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHY141
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He stresses that if you do the problems you will do well and it is true although Id go over them twice to get an A. if you really can't figure it out there is a free walk in Physics workshop in Churchill. He likes to try to make students question the how and why of everything--which I like. He can be hard to understand and works only in variables.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• 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:

Worst teacher that I could even imagine a teacher being. Derives equations all class in the most confusing way possible, spends one class a week going over the homework in as many ways as he can think of doing it, then the tests are somthing completely different. If you have to take him, sit in the back, you'll know why after your first class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• 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:

No Comments

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHYS151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

T E R R I B L E

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CLASSICALDYNAM
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

very smart guy, knows his stuff

Rating # 18

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHYU157ILS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

As an ILS professor he was almost totally useless. He spent a lot of time going over PreILS (useless) and was only helpful in going over PostILS (some of the time). For his lecturing he only explained elementary concepts which doesn't do much good. His quizzes are extremely easy though and he lets you out early all the time.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHYU601
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

In Physics he's a genius (including high end Mathematics). In all else he does not care (especially personal hygiene). For a leg up on what's to come in your career take this guy early on (only if you've done well in Mathematics). In the 1 course with him I learned the equivalent of 15 courses.