Kong Thon Tsen - Arizona State University

Professor: Kong Thon Tsen

Department: Engineering

College: Arizona State University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tsen is honestly the best Physics Professor I've had. Physics has always been my worst subject so I was worried. However, he explains the concepts very thoroughly and emphasis to ask questions if you don't understand. The examples he uses in class are on the exam so write them on your 3x5 card. He genuinely cares and is excited to teach.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tsen is so underrated. He is honestly one of the best professors I have ever had! He truly cares about you and your grade, and CONSTANTLY asks for feedback during class and encourages you to ask questions. YOU HAVE TO ATTEND CLASS. Everything on the tests and homework comes directly from his notes. Use the note card! Write down the class examples!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Tsens lectures are slow, we do one example each class. Nice guy but really not a good prof, easy A . He never puts in grades. Tests are graded like 60% to 80% is a B, above that is A etc. ASK FOR PARTIAL CREDIT at his office hrs. Top 35% get As. On the notecard write all examples from class, the tests are the exact same questions. Final was MC.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Thought grades were due yesterday but there is still nothing posted from the entire semester. Haven't recieved any emails either. This is a 100 level course & has been more stressful & confusing than some of my 300 level courses. Terrible teaching style & graded on 3 written questions on each exam. If possible, take this with a different professor.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Nice guy, awful professor. He is old school and uses the projector you write on with clear film. Never posts anything on Canvas so you don't know your grade at all. He teaches in a way that you should already be a scholar in Physics. A little difficult to understand due to his accent. If you skip, you better get notes from someone in the class.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• 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:

Lecture optional, but he never posts anything online, be it lecture notes/study guides/lecture slides/grades. If you miss a few classes make sure you have someone to give you notes, or you're screwed on the tests. Bought a 150$ textbook, and have not used it once, everything on the test was on the lecture slides. Easy A IF you go to EVERY LECTURE.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

You are graded on exactly 19 problems. He claims that he grades based on class performance but in reality his "bullet proof" bell curve still leaves you with 90-100% is an A, etc. When asked to explain his curve, he straight up scream me instead. You can no longer pass the class by memorizing the class note for the exams. Never post grades on bb.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Having no prior experience with physics and only taken precalc, it is laughable that this course could prepare you for anything you will need to do in future classes. He goes over examples in class but the homework is so much harder than the ones in the lecture. I have absolutely no respect for the physics department.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I learned nothing in this class despite getting an A. His classes often have generous curves. I wish I had taken another professor because I would've been more interested in learning physics. His lectures were hard to follow.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took this as a session A summer class. All tests we were allowed to use 3x5 index card. First 3 tests were short answer/essay and he gave us one of the answer questions. Exam 4- 10 multiple choice questions with no chance for partial credit. He doesn't use blackboard at all so there's no chance to check grades. Never taking him again.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I honestly learned nothing about physics after taking this class. He's a nice guy, but it's difficult to understand him going over the problems because of his accent. Only take this class if you need an easy A. Take another teacher if you want to learn physics.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This class was fine, I really didn't learn anything. He goes over problems that are taken straight out of the book during class. He doesn't speak English very well. His curve is insane, an 80 or higher is an A. Top 35% in the class get an A no matter what, then 2nd 35% get a B and so forth. We were able to use 3X5 front/back for tests.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are basically taking examples from the book and doing them in class, so the only reason to show up to lecture is to see what examples he's doing. The tests are straight from the examples he does in his lectures. This class was really easy but I didn't learn much. His has an accent but you get used to it.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Top 35% of the class gets A's, next 35% B's. If you put in a tiny amount of effort into the class, you will get an A because nobody seems to really care about studying at all (probably because they assume the intense curve will prop them up). Honestly if you take this class you'll learn very little. Take with someone else if possible.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Avoid taking physics with this professor, you will learn nothing. Accent is horrible which makes him hard to follow. Exam averages were extremely low. Grades using a bell curve so you're competing against your peers vs the actually grading scale. Consider another professor.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• 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:

Tsen is seriously one of the nicest people I have ever met. His tests are stupidly easy, he lets you use a notecard, and the test is composed of examples he went over in class. His accent is very strong though, so if you have issue with that, don't take him. The man is very excited about physics and plus he gives the top 35% of the class A's.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHY112
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Took 5-week course. Attendance not mandatory. He doesn't use Blackboard. 5% hw probs, 5% recitation quizzes. 4 tests, each 22.5% composed of examples, sometimes verbatim, from class notes, which are written on an overhead. If you take notes, you'll be set. Allowed a 3 by 5 notecard for exams. Overall BORING. Isn't pleasant 1-on-1 but class is easy.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Just go to lecture, copy the worked out problems, put them on your note card for the tests and your set. Was easy to get an A, and grades on a curve. Decent teacher.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

My 35% was a B. So... Although the curve was awesome, I know nothing about physics, which is hurting me in my current classes. He barely speaks English and goes on weird tangents about cars. AVOID.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHY111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He has AMAZING curves for tests!!!! I think on one of them, anyone with a 65% or higher got an A lmfao! Highly recommended.... might be your only choice too