Sam Tabor - Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Professor: Sam Tabor

Department: Physics

College: Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHY3101
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Amazing prof. Is clearly passionate about the material and really knows what he's talking about. Sometimes he'll go off on a tangent with personal anecdotes about different topics, but I didn't really mind. GO to lecture and you'll be fine. Exams are just like the homework with a little bit of theory. A great class with an even better professor!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHY3101
• 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:

For modern, good prof. Really seemed to know his stuff, but some of the hw problems were unnecessarily strangely worded. if you study the hw problems, its easy to do well on exams. Don't buy the textbook (its useful but also there is at least 10 free pdfs). Would take again!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHY3101
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Really knows the material. Great lectures. He doesn't use power point slides for Modern Physics, but that's fine since the textbook is really useful and taking notes in class helps you learn better. Really stimulated my interest in physics.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048C
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Tabor is an awful professor. He does not know how to effectively teach physics. Hes really old and mumbles. Does not write anything at all during lecture, which is awful bc physics is a lot of math and I, like many students, would like to see the problems worked out instead of pointing to the steps in the slide. Class is soley mid term and final

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Good lecturer, nice guy. Really knows his stuff. Yeah, his midterm and final are hard but honestly if you don't do well in his class then it's probably your fault.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048C
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The lectures are easy to follow and make it seem like the class won't be too hard until you get to the midterm and final. The material on both of those is worded in ways that you've never been introduced to. He only teaches very basic problems but tests you on the hardest.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHY2049
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Lazy teacher. Read formulas off a power point but has iClicker points so you'll need to go to have any hope of passing this class with MULTIPLE CHOICE quizzes (no partial credit) and midterms/finals that look like nothing you've ever seen before. Time to retire. Everything I learned was in recitation or on my own.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048C
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Class is broken down into many elements: Lab, Participation (iClicker), Recitation, Mini Exams, Final, Homework, and Midterm. FOCUS most on the easy points and Mini Exams. The final and midterm are ridiculous. I minored in math with all A's, and struggled with this. Kill the mini exams for hope at a higher than minimal grade. He is very nice though

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHY2049
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

First let me clarify that this class has a lecture, recitation, and lab; all 3 thought by diff person. I just had Tabor for lecture. I had a decent recitation Prof and the worst TA to ever work at FSU! This is the hardest class I've ever taken! The class avg for the midterm was 57%. Does that say anything...? I got a B+, somehow. Avoid this class!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHY2049
• 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:

Let me preface this by saying I am a physics major and took this class fall semester of my freshman year. His class is easy to get a B, but you gotta work for the A. Everything you should get 100% on except midterm/final. Those are though but if you understand the material you should do fine on them. READ THE BOOK (Get tipler book instead its great

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Tabor does demonstrations, puts his lectures online, and even though he is extremely intelligent, he generally answers questions well. But he can't teach it all-Recitations play a huge role in understanding the material, and though he doesn't assign reading the textbook, I found it extremely useful in combination with his lecture slides.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Way to difficult, the tests are not like hw. Way to difficult

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His midterm was ridiculously hard. It was nothing like the review questions/hw. I can't believe it, that test would probably difficult for an actual physicist... He is a decent teacher, but common now, the midterm is set up to make you fail it

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHY2049
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very smart professor (PhD from Stanford, duh). Class is extremely boring. Attendance not mandatory but you gotta go if you want the 4% PRS problem grades. FINAL EXAM IS HORRIBLE!!!!!! Just make sure you have good grades throughout the semester.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHY2049
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are rather worthless, just derives equations without much examples or explanation. Most can be learned from recitation. Confusing equation sheets given on exams. Smart guy but can't teach well. Tests/Exams are difficult.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHYIIIMODERN
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Had him for three classes. Probably the best physics teacher here. Toughest part was his reviews for the tests... but great teacher, easy to understand, and made class interesting with lots of experiments. Go to class so u don't miss the PRS questions (they count toward your grade).

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHY2049
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

nice guy, easy class, final sucked

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Good teacher, final is a killer, make sure you have a good grade going into final.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tabor is a very intelligent man. It is amazing at what he knows, but when it comes to teaching, he knows very little. He's unclear about the mini-exams and its hard to get help. I learned everything in recitation and nothing in the lecture.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHY2048
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I was afraid to take physics at first, but this class is very worthwhile and the prof does an excellent job teaching it.