William Skocpol - Boston University, Boston, MA

Professor: William Skocpol

Department: Science

College: Boston University, Boston, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Skocpol was easily one of the best professors i've had at BU. Very enthusiastic about the material he taught, did demonstrations in class, and best of all, he was very approachable and always willing to help. He also has a great sense of humor. Tests were written and graded fairly. I'm fortunate to have been in his last class taught at BU.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Professor Skocpol is amazing! His class is fun, and he is super kind and patient too.Not heavy workload.Nice class! Nice Professor!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• 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:

Skocpol is a super sweet, quiet, humorous old man who clearly cares about students. Tests are easier than homework, which is based on the book. The worst part about his lecture were the obnoxious students who talked over him and arrived 20 minutes late or left 10 minutes early.Don't be one of them. Phsyics doesnt get easier. Pay attention.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PY106
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very amusing man, lectures are sometimes a little dull or confusing but the prof wants you to do well and is very approachable after class or in office hours. The material is a little difficult but make sure you do the posted practice exams. In the end he drops several quizzes and homeworks and curves generously.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PY106
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is awesome! He is so funny and very nice and helpful. He sometimes gets lost when lecturing and tends to go a little slowly sometimes but the lectures are still interesting. Most of the exams are quite easy - read the material before the class and you should get an A. The class is very basic but there is a lot of (quite easy) homework.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Took him for 105 and 106. Awesome guy, sense of humor, lectures are interesting if you pay attention. Lots of homework but if you do it and study a little the 3 exams will be easy. Very fair grader.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PY106
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Skocpol is really a nice old man. His lecture's aren't very clear, but honestly the only way to master physics is by doing problems. Thankfully WebAssign is amazing and teaches you better than anything. His exams are fair, but more than anything Skocpol is willing to work with you. I had a hectic week and he let me reschedule the exam, great guy!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took this class on the off semester and I was able to do really well. He isn't very clear in lectures because he mostly goes over theory and not examples, but the homework REALLY helps. Luckily, the tests are easier than the homework. He's eccentric but a pretty cool guy.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PY106
• 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:

skocpol was great in office hours, but in lecture i couldn't follow him at all. he talked about the history behind the concepts and never did problems with us in class, but then the exams would have incredibly challenging problems. i only squeaked by with a B because i was in his office every single day. he's a great guy but it was a tough class.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Favorite professor at BU by far. So helpful, fair grader, genuinely wants you to do well. Definitely better than the other physics section--you get to use calculators on exams. He will help you through any homework problem and tries really hard to keep lecture interesting. Taking Skocpol's physics was definitely a good decision.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

By far the best Pre-Med science to take. Skocpol is the sweetest man and genuinely wants students to understand the material presented without stressing them out. Tests are straightforward and material is nothing in comparison to any other physics class.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PY106
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I love him! I was dreading taking this class, but he gets so excited about the material I'm actually enjoying the class. Tests are not bad if you do the homework.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• 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: N/A

Comment:

Prof. Skocpol is awesome! He is extremely helpful during office hours. You can come anytime and he's always there to welcome you. Although the materials he covers in class are definitely oversimplifications of the hw problems and does not explore the full potential of the topics, he does make lecture interesting with his keen insights. Worth taking

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PS106
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

awesome professor! he is so helpful and understanding. he is clear about what he is teaching, especially during his office hours. nicest professor at BU

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• 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: N/A

Comment:

Prof Skocpol is amazing. If you have any questions, he is always in his office and will not hesitate to help you. Not only that but he makes class fun and entertaining and really wants everyone to succeed. Best professor I've had at BU by far.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Quite possibly the nicest, most helpful Professor I've had at BU. He really wants his students to do well, and tries his best to accommodate them. He is extremely helpful in Office hours. While lectures might not be the most exciting thing ever, he does all he can to help students succeed.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Some are being overly harsh here! Skocpol is great! He cares a ton about his students and is fair. Yes, you have to do your part as a student.. and in sciences at BU, your part is always going to be a lot of work. Just use the book, understand the material, and you'll do fine. He's a terrific guy, especially in office hours! Tests tend to be easy!!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great professor. Fair grader and really nice guy. Extremely helpful at office hours. Reading textbook before lectures is a must.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PY106
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Not the greatest prof but he def knows what he's doing. You mite be frustrated in the beginning of the semester but you'll get used to him. He's EXTREMELY helpful during office hours. I was surprised on how helpful he was during office hours compared to during lecture. He's also a very nice guy and tries his best to help his students.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PY105
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

All around nice guy. However, he is extremely ineffective at explaining and conveying important concepts. He wastes 10-20 minutes at the beginning of each 50 minute lecture trying to configure his power point presentations. It becomes very annoying as the semster drags on.