Guy Blaylock - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Professor: Guy Blaylock

Department: Physics

College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS121
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Blaylock is by far the best teacher I have every had in my life. His lectures were truly inspiring and I actually enjoyed going to class for the first time in my life. I am not at all science inclined, but this class felt completely different to me. There is a lot of homework but it was definitely manageable and he offers homework sessions.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Really boring lecturer, is unable to convey material clearly & assigns a ton of HW. There are mandatory weekly essays (1000 words) recapping what was discussed in lecture + midterm + final paper (2500 words each). I had to teach myself the material bc lectures and readings did not correspond/make sense to me . This class shouldn't be a Gen Ed.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS118
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS unless its required. Im currently taking this as a GenEd and I could not have picked a worse class. Blaylock really does care about his lectures, but not your grades. the homework has no relation to is lectures or the book, and you have to google everything (which I a lot harder than it seems in this class) 0/10 recommend

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Blaylock's got a good way of teaching the course and explaining such difficult concepts (his lectures and demonstrations are great). He's helpful outside of class (pro tip: go to the homework sections) and it's clear that he wants you to pass. I'm not a science person, and while this course was a lot of work, I really enjoyed it.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS121
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I am not a science-inclined person so admittedly a lot of what Prof. Blaylock was talking about went right over my head, but he was simply a nice, funny, enthusiastic guy which made his class a surprising delight. There was a fair amount of writing in this class, which didn't bother me much, but might be alarming for some.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS120
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Failed this class the first time around and had to retake it a year later. My favorite course both times. Blaylock has the driest sense of humor and never laughs at his own jokes. Worked with leaders in his field yet doesn't take himself too seriously. Just go to the homework helps and office hours, submit hrw on time and you'll get an A

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS118
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

WORST CLASS EVER. Took this to fulfill a PS gen ed and it is the biggest regret of my life. Nothing in the "textbook" has anything to do with the homework. This class relies on you Googling everything. He even asks you to Google things instead of teaching it himself. Your homework is graded by TAs that are never in class. It is literally hell.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS118
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Energy and Society is a gen ed class for nonscience majors. The material itself is not difficult (basic high school level physics with simple algebra). Despite the easiness of the material, the class is unnecessarily difficult. Unorganized lecture slides, unclear grading material for very long weekly hw and unfair test questions. Dont take with him

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS118
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Physics 118 Energy & Society is extremely difficult for non-science majors. There is a somewhat lengthy homework assignment due every Thursday and it consistently has nothing to do with what it taught in class, or what is in the textbook - you'll end up Googling EVERYTHING. Blaylock is unaccessible and unhelpful. I regret taking this class.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS120
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Undergrad TAs grade your papers without any rubric or grading criteria (do you trust?). Half the TAs look more at your grammar while the other half look at the actual physics. You have to write the term papers with no drafts, just an outline due in one week then a 2000-3000 paper due the next. If you honestly love physics, then go for it.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHYICS151
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great guy, lectures are very average. Tests in this class are half about reading the question correctly and making a good cheat sheet. This makes the class a little frustrating when you know the material but the test is full of trick questions.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: D+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Guy is really good at getting physics under your skin and making you think beyond the academic study - test - move on mentality. He gives demonstrations that are inspirational and fun, and makes you think about the concepts. That being said, the tests were without a doubt the hardest tests I've ever done in my life.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGIN112
• 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:

Blaylock is one of the best teachers at UMass. However, this class has some pretty tough tests and if you don't stay on top of learning the material, you will not have a good time. He really shines when students ask questions. His demos are also super cool. Physics is hard but Blaylock is fantastic. Also, MasteringPhysics for HW sucks.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Blaylock is an entertaining and inspiring guy. He has great demonstrations and makes you interested in physics. The tests are challenging, but that is not his fault, you need to have an understanding of physics rather than know how to do certain types of problems. You get a cheat sheet on the exams which is useful for formulas, but that's it.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

AMAZING guy. He inspired interest in physics for me which was amazing. His lectures are awesome but you need to read the book. Tests are tough but doable, excellent professor he just has a hard class to teach! Also they allow sheet sheets but study and don't simply rely on them. Physics requires lots of in depth understanding not memorizing.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a funny dude.. but his teaching is more conceptual rather than teaching HOW to do the problems. the tests are pretty tough but if you do enough practice problems and make sure to study you will be fine. (I tested out of this class but decided to take it because it directly applied to my major)

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Blaylock is a def a genius, but cannot explain enough for most non-physics majors looking 2 take Physics 121 to fulfill their PS requirement. I was not overly confused at lectures, I was; however, puzzled by the poor online homework and lecture highlight grading on the part of the TA's. BTW, not paying for 3 textbooks as a non-physics major...

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHYS151
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Guy seems like a chill dude and everything but he is an awful teacher. My high school physics teacher explained things better than he did, and even after putting countless hours into studying, his tests were impossible. I am an engineering major so I'd like to say I know my stuff. His class was the only below A class I had.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHYICS151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Guy is a smart funny guy. He shows you a lot of fun experiments and knows his stuff. His exams are extremely hard, harder than practice problems in the textbook. If you never took physics before, don't take this class if he's teaching it.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS151
• Grade Received: INC
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Guy explains physics concepts really well, but he doesn't really show you how to solve actual problems. The tests are really hard! You will not pass by doing just homework alone. Be ready to read the book and do end of chapter questions for no credit in order to study, because this class is going to be a major pain!