Dan Cox - University of California Davis, Davis, CA

Professor: Dan Cox

Department: Physics

College: University of California Davis, Davis, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHY7A
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lectures were confusing, didn't align well with quizzes and tests, he spent a lot of time on derivations we didn't understand and didn't need to know. Practice quizzes he posted were way easier than quizzes he gave. Low averages all around, he curved slightly. 48% quizzes best 4/5, 48% final, 4% Clicker + DL. Took during summer session.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHY9HA
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Daniel Cox's lectures are AMAZING. I loved going to his lectures so much. He sincerely cares about his students and really does things to help you in the class. For me a non-physics major, 9HA is probably the hardest class I have ever taken here in UCD, but Cox actually makes the suffer quite enjoyable. I definitely love this guy.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHY9A
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Solid lecturer, but much of his handwriting is difficult to read. If you have any background in physics before this class, it shouldn't be too hard. Homework and tests are quite similar, and iClicker questions for participation credit. Even does online video review sessions before each test. A really cool and approachable guy overall.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHY9A
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Thoroughly enjoyed his class. Allows students to use notes and even the textbook on exams. Really strives to make students understand the material and loves the subject. His exams are very fair and he lays out what chapters they will cover. Homework is honestly harder than the exams, so make sure to not wait last minute. I really enjoyed this class

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHY9A
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do not take his PHY 9 class . His idea of lecturing is spending an hour deriving whatever formula you have to use and then skipping to the most complicated problem from the textbook as an "example" to show how smart he is and he uses iClicker attendance. The tests are open book/notes (Difficult) and the homework will leave you clueless. Stay Away.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHY9A
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Physics 9A is very easy. If you seat as far back as possible, it's hard to see, but you can watch soccer.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHY9HA
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He was a nice professor, and the class was great, but the tests were disproportionately difficult which made the class kind much more difficult than it otherwise would have been.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHY160
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He keeps you busy with assignmentsprojects, but this is a very interesting class. I went into this class with little environmental knowledge, but I now have a very good grasp on current issues. He wants the class to learn rather than make this class hard. One of the few classes you can walk out of and apply to the real world. He is a cool dude.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG160
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

160 is an easy class, so this review probably wont reflect correctly on the more difficult classes he teaches. Overall, Prof. Cox is fair, helpful and very caring about both his teaching and his students. The homework can get a little long, but other than that, great prof.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHY007B
• 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:

Not helpful. if I would have known how he taught. I would have dropped the class. His tests are hard and never seen before questions. Dont take him

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHY9HB
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Not impressive. Exams are curved, greatly, in order to have students pass (AVG 40 - 50) and his homework involves additional problems that he writes which make little sense. Office hours are helpful, though nothing prepares you for the exams. I spent more time angry and confused and felt like I didn't learn much at all.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHY9HB
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class was not enjoyable. He did fairly well during the beginning of the class but by the end, he spent the whole class doing proofs and not explaining the physics. His office hours were helpful but nothing could prepare you for the exams. The average was 40-50 for the exams. Also, the additional homework problems that he writes are horrible.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHY7B
• 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:

You will get open notes and book for the quiz and final. You won't use them because his quizzes are SO different from anything you have seen before. He does not curve, pray for a good TA and you'll get a good grade. He also has online office hours (NO face-to-face) which are useless and really confusing. I got an A+ but don't take him!!!!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHY7B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Horrible teacher, read this before I took the class and should have listened. Drop! He doesn't care about his students, and doesn't curve. Open book and note but his quizzes are ridiculous.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHY7B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

As a transfer student, he is a good professor who really knows physics for non-physics majors (he talks about prions!). Problem is his handwriting is hard to read sometimes, and his lectures don't follow or related to DL. If I hadn't taken Physics before at a CC I would have a bad grade. Luckily its open note quizzes and final.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHY7B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Avoid if possible. Nice guy, but lectures are impossible to follow and very math-heavy rather than concept-heavy. Writes own quiz/final questions and they are so incredibly off the wall that no one knows what the heck he's asking. Should model them after FNTs instead. Unclear course material. DL is your only hope. Go for a high pass.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHY7B
• 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:

Cox is a bad teacher, plain and simple. He lectures too fast and it would be okay except his handwriting is chicken scratch. Lecture is supposed to enhance what we learn in DL, but he makes it much more complicated and brief spurts of useful information is covered very briefly and then quizzed on. I surely would have waited to take 7B but couldn't.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHY7B
• 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:

Avoid taking for Phy7B. He might be a good professor for other physic classes but not 7 series, he hasn't adjusted yet. Quiz problems: either not enough time or covers material not taught to us. He teaches too fast, not really open to questions, illegible writing, will curve down if necessary, and just cannot teach... Please do avoid.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHY7B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

My biggest problem is that he tests us on concepts that were briefly introduced in lecture but were never discussed again in lab or in the hw. How are we supposed to know how to use an equation without ever having practiced applying it? If it's so important than it should be in DL, which is where our real learning is supposed to happen.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHY9HB
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Really funny guy. He's super down to earth. But, my goodness, the man is incomprehensible when he gets in front of a black board! Lectures are impossible to follow. However, do not fear, he curves nicely, and an A is definitely possible.