Jim Pantaleone - University of Alaska Anchorage

Professor: Jim Pantaleone

Department: Physics

College: University of Alaska Anchorage

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHYS211
• 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:

Covers a lot of stuff in a very short amount of time. Lectures are very fast paced, but if you have questions he'll answer in class. Grades very tough during exams, but if you set up the problems correctly he'll give most credit. Curved course. Homework is difficult, got help online a lot. He isn't a bad instructor, tough course and grader.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHYS211
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Pantaleone receives a lot of negative feedback that he doesn't deserve. He explicitly states in the syllabus that all readings are mandatory and that you should take notes on the reading BEFORE coming to class. If you follow through on this, it is not very difficult to keep up with his (frankly) blistering fast lecture pace.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHY211
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He lectures for an hour or so and goes through problems but doesn't really explain them well. I found myself using Chegg, Khan Academy, and Youtube more than the professor. WAY too smart to be teaching a 200 level Physics course. He curves the grade based off the average of the top two scores. Class average was 60%, top 2 scores were 98% and 96%

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHY211
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Even after reading through all of the horrid ratings, my girlfriend and every friend of hers pursuing either a Mechanical Engineer or Civil Engineering field has failed all of his midterms and final exams. The lectures will not help nor prepare for exams. TAKE THE ALTERNATIVE OR WAIT A SEMESTER! You will cry. Beware the Diablo de la Física.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He's a nice guy, kinda awkward, but his class is insanely difficult. The homework doesn't help at all and the tests are not only extremely hard, but he is a really tough grader. Only take him if you have to. Don't bother with the textbook he will give you a free online one.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you are a civil engineering student, this class will not help you in your other classes. Material you cover in class will not be seen again in your upper division courses. The teacher also does a poor job ensuring the students that they are prepared for the tests and is a very tough grader, hardy gives any partial credit and homework doesnt help

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

For the love of GOD do not take this class through UAA. Take it thru UND Online. Fail rate of 45%-50% and the exams, homework, and lecture have nothing to do with each other. If you can read minds you'll pass. Seriously, take it somewhere other than UAA. This professor does not care about the student and you can see he enjoys failing people.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is Robot (With No emotional feelings). I do not recommend him. He just likes to take your points with no more details and explanation. Very inhumane.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Nice guy, but had way too high expectations for tests. There's a reason why the average test scores were around 50%. Yet your final grade depends mostly on those tests:( It's a struggle, but if your class sucks enough, he might lower the scale to let more people pass. Thank goodness for that. Do your wallet a favor & find the free textbook online.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHYS211
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Pros: Posts lectures online Explains things well Is available during office hours Cares about his students' success Cons: Very hard tests Difficult online homework

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHYS211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This is a fundamental class that should be taught by a good instructor. Exams did not reflect the homework by any means. Homework were straight forward. Be ready for irritating clicker questions.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Pantaleone is great at lecturing/answering questions, and wonderful at keeping his material fun and interesting through demonstrations during class and practical applications. All homework is online (webassign), clicker questions spread throughout class (to keep you awake). But when exam day comes... prepare to soil yourself like a newborn.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHYSICS211212
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

By no mean easy classes but he is an excellent teacher. Interesting lectures when he isn't deriving equations (which he likes to do) and cool demos. No calculators on tests but it is a blessing in disguise. Set up the problem and you get most of the credit. He grades very fair with a curve. WebAssign homework sucks but all PHY professors use it.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHYS303
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Excellent teacher but old school, rarely posts stuff online. Tests are take home and difficult but he grades fairly. Every couple of weeks you will have a lab instead of a lecture which is a nice break. He writes all the physics lab manuals so he is very helpful in the labs. If physics interests you then you will enjoy this class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He simply does not effectively communicate the core ideas and express concepts at a low enough level to understand the governing basic and key ideas at play. He's a very smart man, no doubt. He solves problems rapidly on the board, while not explaining how the problem was set up - this is counterproductive to learning. Take a different professor.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: A211
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is good at explaining difficult concepts. His test questions tend to come from the in class clicker questions. He can be harsh regarding clicker malfunctions.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I had to sacrifice my soul to the ghost of James Clerk Maxwell in order to pass this class.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHYS212
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Nicesmart guy. Bad class. Don't take any sub 300 level courses from him. Madly solves proofs on the board during class. Absolutely notorious at teaching the basics and problem solving methods that you need to pass. Class average is 55% after 2 of 3 exams. Class averages on tests are 40% and he just laughs like it's a joke. Avoid at all costs.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHYS211
• 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:

Pros: Good homework selection. Easy going personality and class is kind of fun. Tests are reasonable. Helpful outside of class. Cons: Lectures so fast that most have trouble following. Spends more class time showing proof of formulas than how to use them. Quizzes are harder than tests. In-class 'thought questions' are sometimes ambiguous.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PYS212
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Very hard professor. He is stubborn and hard to follow in class. He is to smart to teach 200 level courses