Stephen Wimpenny - University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA

Professor: Stephen Wimpenny

Department: Physics

College: University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

For all the people saying it's easy because he recycles his midterms and finals, well good for you because for the students that don't have all his old ones we absolutely suffer. Dude is smart but his final was absolute garbage and only 20% of the topics we learned/studied were on there. It was a curveball of a final and I walked out crying.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2C
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Exams are definitely difficult. But if you have at least a couple old practice midterms and finals there is no reason not to get at least an A-. He recycles like crazy.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The practice test is 100% like the actual exam, so just study those. H.W. is the typical mastering physics and discussion offers free points. Easy A!!!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Wimpenney definitely knows what he's talking about. He's very smart and provides helpful practice problems in lecture and practice exams that are similar to the midterm and final. The curve is actually pretty generous with a 75 A- . The only bad thing is he writes on the chalkboard so it's kind of difficult to follow what is written.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I enjoyed having Wimpenny as my professor. He definitely knows his stuff - can be hard to understand because he talks low and has an accent. Ask ?'s! He's nice! Do well on homework and stay on top of clickers. Exams are just like practice exams. Know them inside and out and understand equations and you're solid. Relatively easy A with some effort.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHY2B
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's very difficult to understand at times when his microphone is at a low volume. If you sit in the way back, you definitely won't see what he's writing since he uses the chalkboard in a room fit for 300 students at a narrow angle. One midterm and one final. Other than that, go to discussion and do well on homework. It really helps.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHY2B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Make sure that you just go through the practice exams that he provides you and also make sure that you understand the concepts behind them because he tends to change up the wording or the questions themselves when it comes to the actual exam. Midterm was easy, but the final was hard.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Do the practice mid-term and practice final back and forth, and understand the formulas back and forth and side to side. Study for at least 3-4 days hard to get an "easy" A for Wimpenny. Very fair class. However, not my favorite teacher because he uses the chalk board in a 300 person lecture hall. Depends what you're looking for.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHY2B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Professor Wimpenny provides practice midterms and finals. Study those and you will do great on the actual exam, since he tests you on the same concepts. He's extremely helpful and patient in office hours. He tries many different methods to explain a concept so it can "click" for you. If you need help, definitely go to his office hours! Easy A!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Midterm was like the practice midterm. Questions were recylced

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: 002B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The exams are multiple choice and computational. I like that he goes over how to do examples rather than focus on concepts. He is very helpful during office hours and the curve is fair at the end of the class. It is important to study in order to do well in the class.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Wimpenny is a very good physics teacher. He knows this stuff inside out. Not intimidating. Very helpful during office hours. Heavy textbook use. Clickers are a big part of your grade. Good curve. Plenty of practice (discussion examples + practice midterms and final) Stay on top of reading assignments = key to clickers.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Attendance is mandatory as the clicker is worth a good chunk of your grade. Make sure to get all the MasteringPhysics correct (hint: get a Chegg acct) and do well on the midterm and final and you will get an A. I literally studied 1-2 days before the final and midterm and got the grade I got just by doing his practice exams. My easiest A ever

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Winpenny is very nice and helpful during office hours. He is very approachable and encourages interaction. He does clickers to get everybody involved and his slides are helpful. He also holds review sessions before his exams., his exams can be tough but you just have to study the homework examples and the samples he gives.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Never read the book, Googled/solution manualed every homework, 72% in clickers, 60% on midterm. Still got a solid A. As long as you put in some effort, you should do very well in this class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHY2B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His lecture notes basically cover EVERYTHING you need to know for his class--though doing the assigned reading before class is pretty useful in helping you understand the concepts to be covered. Pay attention in lecture, and know how to do the HW (without the solutions manual!), and you should have no problem getting an A.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHYS40B
• 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:

boring, teaches straight from the book. not too hard to get an A due to the curve.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHYS2
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Mirror Mirror on the wall, Wimpenny is the fairest of them all. Class was straightforward, study hard = A. Don't study hard = C or Lower.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHY40B
• 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:

His class was incredibly boring and he teaches straight from the book. His midterm was not too bad but the final was really unreasonable and difficult. But, the curve was pretty nice.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHYS40B
• 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:

I was happy that I got him for a professor until I started attending his lectures, in which I fell asleep in almost all of them. He is very boring and monotone, teaches straight from the book! His examples and slides are all from the book, so you could learn this whole class from just reading the book and doing homework. Generous cure, 45% is a C.