David Garfinkle - Oakland University

Professor: David Garfinkle

Department: TBD

College: Oakland University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHY152
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The worst excuse of a professor I have ever seen

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Garfinkle was a nice professor. He did a nice job in the lectures by doing a lot of examples because that is the only way to learn physics. Homework is straight forward, but the exams are very very difficult. None of the examples done in class or on the homework are like that on the exam. He does not curve nor give extra credit.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHY1610
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Im currently in this physics class 1610. He does explain his lectures well but when it comes to the exams everything is totally different. he also does not curve and wouldnt give extra credit. I wouldnt recommend this professor at all to anyone. the average for tests 1-3 were test1 55% test2 45% and test3 40% so dont waste your time and money.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I'm currently in his physics 1510 course and he is not good! His lectures make sense, but the exams are nothing like the homework and nothing like what he does in class. Very low test averages, but still doesn't offer extra credit nor curves.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHY1510
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Currently in his Phy 1510 class, not a teacher to take for physics. Test are way harder then the hw and nothing like the hw questions. doesnt give your test back will tell you to come to office hours to see you test but still doesnt give it back you get the scantron with the answers and that it. Test 1 avg was a 55, test 2 a 45. TAKE SOMEONE ELSE!!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHY1510
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lectures suck. Tests not like the homework or lecture.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHY1610
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

do not take him! I have had a 4.0 my entire life and this was the first time I havent gotten that. He is a fine professor and explains things really nicely. But the exams are 100x harder than in class examples. I tried talking to him in office hours and he was not helpful either. No curves no extra credit, exams are 80% and hw 20%. Save yourself!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHY1510
• Grade Received: D+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If there is anything I can say to make you not take him I would say it. He is by far the worst teacher I have ever had in my life. He was late to class everyday, he laughs at you if you ask a question and exams have nothing to do with the hw. Gives no exam reviews and doesnt let you get your exam back. Hes a complete jerk and treats student bad

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHY161
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Terrible professor, this man literally does the bare minimum and doesnt help his students at all. Test averages were in the 30s and he still taught the same way and didnt give students any extra material to help understand certain topics. Do not take Physics 1 with him.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He sets this class up so students will fail. His lectures make no sense, and when asked to clarify, he makes you feel stupid for not knowing complex ideas. the examples he does are nothing like the difficult exam questions, so test averages range between 20-45%. He offers no curve and blames bad grades on students. I would never recommend this prof

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Don't do it! Seriously, I was actually the only person I know that passed with him in one try. Test averages were 20%-40% on various exams with no curves. Told the class he didn't want to give us example problems similar to test problems because we would get them right out of familiarity. Just avoid him, thank me later.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHY162
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This professor was terrible and taking him was a mistake. He would consistently copy formulas onto the board and then vaguely explain them. He also made many mistakes when doing examples. Exam averages were very low and did not offer help or a curve. Homework was way easier than his multiple choice exams. Don't Take!!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He took notes slowly enough that we could take them down well. He does indeed do mostly practice problems, but having had many physics classes before, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN PHYSICS. A physics prof would not mainly lecture on concepts when all physics exams are 90% math. Treat physics courses like math, NOT like chem or bio.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHY161
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Don't expect any help from the professor. You will be the one to earn every point of every test. Lectures consist of him either giving an equation and then showing an example, or just doing examples, never really explaining the concept at all. He doesn't give notes, he doesn't respond to email, he doesn't give practice tests/examples. Bad, bad, bad

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHY161
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Horrible. He is very knowledgable, but doesn't know how to instruct and spew his knowledge efficiently. Jumps around during lecture. ZERO curving. He believes all who do not do well, which was 90% of the class, are memorizing instead of calculating, but his own instruction is just horrible.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This guy doesn't care about you and your grades. For big lecture classes that might be normal but his attitude to it is "get better" even if you study. He doesn't give any advice on what to study (no study guides), and just does book problems all class. Wait or take another professor if possible since he likes to fail a most of the class.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He seems very nice but he does not do his job as a professor. You're basically paying the tuition for this class just to buy a an expensive book and online homework access but neither of those are anything similar to the tests. When asked for help he just leaves you to fend for yourself, even if the class average is below 40%.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you are reading this I suggest you heed the reviews left by other users. Lectures consist of him standing in front of a chalk board solving problems without really explaining why/how anything works. The problems on the exam are nothing at all like any of the problems assigned for homework. He doesn't respond to emails and is inaccessible.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHY151
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This man couldn't care less about you or your grade. His tests are nothing like his in class problems or his homework, and when the class average is a 45% he just tells you "do better" without giving you any real advice.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHY371
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I was failing for a while because I skipped class too much. Lectures are long and often not interesting. There's details in the material that aren't made clear by the book, so go to class and office hours. He's helpful if you don't ask him to straight up repeat solutions he did in class. The exams aren't bad if you keep up with the class.