Joe McCauley - University of Houston, Houston, TX

Professor: Joe McCauley

Department: Physics

College: University of Houston, Houston, TX

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1322
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's definitely not the teaching type. If you look up his university-wide GPA for his classes, his second highest score is an F, behind a C. You get the idea.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1322
• 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:

I understand the common frustration. But meeting with the professor for a few minutes of clarification after lecture helped a lot. Focus more on the concepts and symbology than looking at numbers and knowing what to do with them. No numbers on the tests, know the concepts/theories and how to derive/prove them. He takes into account improvement.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1322
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Heed the warnings. He's condescending, forgetful,ends a lot of his sentences mumbling, and sometimes doesn't hand back homework. For almost every chapter, he was behind schedule. He would assign homework problems, then you turn in the homework, and THEN he would go over the concepts. Not joking. If you want a good GPA, don't take McCauley.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1322
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If you are enrolling right now, DO NOT TAKE MCCAULEY! I have attended every single lecture and though he tries to explain the concepts he often forgets his notes or writes down formulas incorrectly. There is nothing online. His tests ask for complete derivations and there are no numbers!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1302
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tough as nails. Forget numbers, it's all about the theory and you have to understand it. Anybody complaining about Physics 101 should maybe consider studying something else, since this class deals with the absolute basics. Unlike others this prof likes to keep things old fashioned, no standardised tests. Thank god! Multiple choice sucks.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1322
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I've had the pleasure to take some terribly tough courses, but unlike this one, there was not a speck of hope for a decent grade. His class had absolutely no structure, his tests could have been doable if it wasn't for the "formula sheet" he took out from a book. If you plan to take this, better start reading in calculus.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: 1332
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

First class I've failed in my life, and I know I'm not alone. His tests are completely irrelevant to the lectures and the textbook. I put in at least 12+ hours a week for this class and still failed. My major was physics. Taking this class completely turned me off from it.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1322
• Grade Received: F
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do you want your GPA to go up? Do you want your lower level courses to be less challenging than your upper level courses? Do you want a professor who will answer you with something other than "I told you at the beginning of the semester"? Do you want to do well in this course? If you answered yes to one or any of these questions, then STAY AWAY!!!!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: 1322
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Basically the class average on all exams were a 45. A 50 was considered a C. He is not helpful at all. Must read book and learn on your own. Take anyone else but him. Workshops won't even help.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PYS
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This was the worst class I've ever taken. He is very unapproachable when asking for help, condescending to the students in class, and is so difficult to understand, I have given up on using his book or going to lecture. My entire class feels the same by the way. I don't understand why he continues to teach, he obviously doesn't like it.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1302
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He doesn't like standardized exams but he teaches well and entertaining physics. YOu really learn something in his class. Standardized tests are no fun but everything goes eventually online anyway. It's just the first step. Welcome to the future! Although I'm only a student, I share your bias against it, rebel professor!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1302
• 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:

God help whoever takes this class. I usually won't complain, but it is worse than you think. This man doesn't know what he is doing. GPA killer! Under no circumstance should you EVER take this class with this man!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1302
• 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:

Homework is similar to book, lectures seem simple, but tests are completely different and extremely difficult. I would not take him unless you are VERY good at physics already and just need the credit.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1302
• 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:

He refuses to conform to the university system of standardizing the homeworks and tests. When there is an essay question, he will not grade it and ou will not get a grade for it. We didn't get a formula sheet as promised for the first test and he would not give us useful ones. Avoid this crazy person at all costs!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1302
• 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:

Best teacher I ever had. Very hard subject, Dr. McCauley tried very hard to make it clear. I learned from him by struggling with the problems. He was also very polite and respectful to us.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHYS1302
• 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:

Hardest Physics Prof there is....The tests are crazy as he uses no numbers. All questions are formula based. Do yourself a favor and take physics prof that's actually useful.If you have him already be prepared to be amazed with the insanity of his tests.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS12
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Confuses himself in lecture. Appears to only continue teaching for the paycheck. Exams were a joke, as if high school physics was being taught in lecture, but the exams were at Ph.D. level - the course seemed to be understandable, but exams would cover the most miniscule parts of lecture. Don't take this guy unless youre a diehard physics person.