CHASTAIN R (PHYS)

I think physics is interesting but I just had so much trouble understanding the concepts. This was the first semester they went to computer based exams and it was terrible! Chastain was a good teacher, tried his best to present the information in different ways and make sure we understood. He was very accessible and office hours were helpful. Take him if you can!

Dr. Chastain was great! If you need to take Physics 2001 or 2002, he is the way to go. He handwrites notes on the board, which keeps his lectures from moving too quickly. If that's difficult to follow, he also posts powerpoints to Moodle. Homework became a requirement my second semester and that can take up a lot of time since there are two assignments a week. As a subject I really did not like the material, and depending on who is writing the tests they can be fairly easy to pretty tricky, but every section takes the same exam so it makes no difference. Very engaging guy who makes an effort to help out students.

if you're a pre-professional student and absolutely have to take physics 2001, take chastain. office hours are basically like an open forum in front of a white board for 2 hours, where students can ask him to work any problem (including those from homework). i have to say that the worst part about the course was not the exams, but the homework, because some problems were harder than the examples worked in class. additionally, homework is due twice a week, so you will be on your toes. if you go to lectures, understand the examples worked in class, and take advantage of the tutoring center/office hours/SI sessions, you can get through the homework though. for the exams, understanding the homework and fundamental concepts is critical. i didn't find any of the exams particularly hard, but the class averages were always very low (50-60) most likely because each question was worth almost 7 points and we were experimenting with computer based testing - the mastering physics program (not the best for physics in my opinion). after the midterm, the physics dept decided to test us via scantrons in class though due to their failed experiment w mastering physics testing. chastain himself is very laid back and has a great sense of humor, which made going to lecture regularly easy. he genuinely cares about whether students understand the material and wants to help.

I love math, but I do not love Physics. They are very different. Chastain is awesome, but nobody could make physics fun. Mastering Physics really REALLY really sucks, and definitely made my life harder. Get help during office hours and be prepared to study.

No review provided.

I hated Physics...Chastain was funny and did his best to keep you awake. I would recommend taking it with friends or making friends in class. Test are MC and no work is needed to be shown

Physics sucks...Take this course with many friends

My TA was Jeffrey Kemp. He's nice and really helpful. He's willing to re-explain things too. Labs were tedious, but kind of interesting. Just write everything down and turn it in and you're good to go. The final is open book and ridiculously easy.

Chastain made physics interesting. He did example problems in class and taught little shortcuts to help you remember. He's kind and helpful in his office hours, and he cares. Great sense of humor too.

Ray was very enthusiastic and made the class a little easier to bear. Be prepared to stay the full 3 hours for 2109.