Jonathan Abramson - Portland State University, Portland, OR

Professor: Jonathan Abramson

Department: Physics

College: Portland State University, Portland, OR

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PH213
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Abramson was OK. He's a nice man. It is amazingly easy to get a C in his courses. He goes down to about 35% for a C, and even tells the class "most people get C's." I got B's from him with scores mostly in the 60's on his tests, which were difficult. Do homework and go to class and you should be able to get a good grade pretty easily I think.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PH213
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

As long as you do the homework thoroughly, you will be fine.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PH211213
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

My investment into his class was respect and money, my output was disappointment and arrogance. I pay, studied and attitudes from someone to be retired already don't deserve my appreciation. Young people that will be closed to this type of individual should be alert!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PH213
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Don't know how other people think he's accessible, not only did he make a joke about how he put his office hours during a time when a lot of us have class, he refuses to offer make up exams. I had to miss one exam due to an emergency and ultimately had to withdraw from the course (I've never had to do that before). Look elsewhere 4 a prof who cares

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PH212
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I really enjoyed Professor Abramson... as a person. I respect his intelligence and really love and understand his humor, but as my physics professor, I wouldn't take him again. His grading is clear, but he doesn't engage his students. Physics ties everything together (it's freaking cool), but his lectures left me disinterested and unenthusiastic.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PH211212213
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Abramson is a great lecturer. He always spends time answering your question in class or during his office hour. I do recommend students to come to his office hour to help with the homework before the exam. Come as soon as possible because it will get crowded the office hour before the exam.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Grades: 2 midterms 30% each, 1 final 40% & that's the whole grade Class test avgs: 1st midterm 55%; 2nd midterm 47% & he blamed the students for not trying hard enough or not being smart enough, didnt take responsibilty He knows the stuff too well&can't explain well enough to beginners I'd have a 4.0GPA over 90 credits if not for this class

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The class is intense enough that i felt the lack of required homework was a hindrance as I fell behind. The lectures are very well done for a math-heavy science course and I would highly recommend this professor for anyone willing to put in the effort.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PH221
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Abramson just seems like a really nice guy. His tests are actually pretty easy. He basically gives you the problems that you'll be tested on as homework. If you can do the homework, you'll get an A. If you can't do the homework, just do over until you can. He's very reasonable with grading on exams and grades on a big curve.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

2 midterms and 1 exam in the subject. Not clear.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Abramson is a chill guy. He doesn't force you to do anything (hey you're paying for college), and he allows you the freedom to study on your own. His lectures are quite difficult to follow if you haven't caught up in the chapter problems.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PH213
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Abramson definitely knows his stuff and if you do the homework he assigns you will pass the first couple midterms with decent grades. His final is atrocious. He randomly selects three random homework questions out of nearly 100 that were assigned and changes them up. Studying for his final was brutal. Take him if it's the only option available.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PH213
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. A is an extremely intelligent man who cares about his students and their learning. Every lecture contains a combination of funny stories, interesting examples to explain the physics material.. Tests are clear and based heavily on assigned homework (of which there are not that many assigned problems). Very reasonable grader. Great professor.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PH221222
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Do the homework to practice for his exams. His lectures are awful its just scattered thoughts and long drawn out derivation and theory of equations. If you can do the home work you will pass his exams, well over half of what he talks about in lecture is actually irrelevant.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Easy to pass. Earning a B is do-able if you put the time in. Very hard to get an A, even if you study a lot. I got B's from him but I had to do all the homework problems and even more. 40% was a C, so if you have even half a clue on the tests, you WILL pass. Lectures are boring and he even admitted that! But what a genuinely NICE man he is.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

3 exams. If you know how to do all the homework problems without any difficulty then you will get an A. That's why I never showed up to any lectures. He doesn't have the best teaching style but if you are good at learning on your own by reading the chapters and reviewing homework, you'll pass the class regardless of attendance.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Abramson has great lectures and boring lectures - you won't know ahead of time which is which. If it's in the ASRC building (PSU rec center) enjoy the worst classroom on campus. His tests are straight-forward and directly from homework problems (not mandatory, but DO THEM!). For notes, bring a clicky-4-colored pen - he gets messy on the board.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Abramson is a good person but not a great teacher. While his lectures are easy to follow he does spend large amounts of class time repeating the material from previous lectures, giving useless historical conext trivia and entertaining long winded largely irrelevant questions from students. This all leads to a class behind the schedule and lab.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PH221
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

If you are lazy, you will probably fail. It's that simple. His homework is optional, but the test questions are pulled right off it. If you do the homework and review any tough problems before the test, you will pass. I know people who have failed, and it's always due to not doing the work. I would take every class from him if I could.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PH211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Abramson has to be one of the nicest and genuine people I have met at PSU. He is exceptionally talented and passionate about his work in biophysics. That being said he is not cut out to be a professor, at least not anymore. He is monotone, uses different notation, and often times does not match his lectures to the required reading. TOUGH