Reviews for Richard F. Ellis
Average Rating:| Anonymous Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: B+ January 1, 2011, 8:30 am | Agree with the other reviews about coming to class. No point. You'll just fall asleep. But, take his class! He's SO easy! His test/quizzes/hw assignments were jokes! Just remember to not slack off, or else you might start suffering. The final was more difficult than his tests, so watch out for that. he lets you bring a cheat sheet on tests, so it really can't get much easier. I was really grateful for this class, because it could have been so difficult, but it wasn't. So take this opportunity, its rare that you get such easy physics teachers. Oh yeah, the H-version of this class is much more difficult, so don't take that if you don't need to. You'll have to do hard work for it. |
| kvizzle321 Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: B December 22, 2010, 7:44 am | Took him in fall of '09. He is not the best of teachers or lecturers. He is one of the easiest graders, but I don't remember him ever giving us quizzes, and all of the homework was done online (and i think that was even optional). All in all, if you took AP physics in high school, take Ellis to cruise through the course, but make sure you do well on his tests if you want an A. |
| atloud Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: A December 18, 2010, 9:39 pm | Like others have said, there is not much point in going to class. The material he presents is pretty boring and can all be easily found in the book. He does not give quizzes in lecture either. The material he presents in class is more along the lines of deriving formulas instead of working out sample problems. The tests and quizzes in discussion were both relatively easy, and a formula sheet is allowed. Overall, if you want to get a good grade, Ellis is not a bad teacher to take. |
| Anonymous Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: C January 18, 2010, 9:25 am | Not much point in going to class--it's extremely difficult to pay attention to what's going on, especially if you took it in the evening like I did. Read the assigned parts of the textbook before you do the homework, and as you read it, do all the practice problems before looking at their step-by-step solutions. Make sure you understand that. That'll make the homework infinitely easier. Work with other people on the homework, and ask the TA if there's something you didn't understand. If you understand the homework and the textbook problems, you're pretty much set for the test. Watch out for the final though--it's created by all the professors together and it can be very difficult, since Ellis is one of the easier professors and the other professors will put difficult problems on it that your class won't be prepared for. |
| armantheman Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: December 31, 2009, 12:06 pm | Extremely boring, yet rather easy. Though consider it an online course, because going to class is really not productive. |
| nosnibor Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: A- December 23, 2009, 10:55 am | Without a doubt, Dr. Ellis is the most reasonable professor that I've had yet. If you have the opportunity to take him for any class, then take that opportunity. He's always generous with regrades on tests (he never takes away more points), he's always very approachable whether before/after lecture or in his office, and he wants nothing more than for each student to succeed. |
| terp315 Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: December 17, 2009, 10:13 pm | Like the others said, this is probably as good as it gets for physics professors for engineering majors. Make sure to do the practice exams he emails out because they are just like the actual exams. |
| jmartin1 Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: December 10, 2008, 11:29 pm | probably one of the better physics teachers that you will get as an engineering major taking physics classes. his lectures cover the material, but the book is probably even better. the mastering physics wasnt that hard, and his tests werent too bad. compared to everyone else teaching this course, ellis is the best option. |
| stanleyj Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: B+ December 8, 2008, 2:12 pm | Very little work required for this class and it is easy to consider the useless lectures optional. Easy tests and homework. The given practice tests are indicative of the actual tests. |
| Anonymous Course: PHYS260 Grade Expected: December 2, 2008, 2:50 pm | This professor is nothing too special. Most importantly, his tests are much easier than the others'; they are basically just plugging numbers into equations. Same idea goes for the short online MP HWs he assigns. Then again, he doesnt teach you much. He tries to keep the lecture interesting by making jokes and doing demonstrations. His lectures just throw some pictures/diagrams from the book on the big screen on top, and he writes a couple equations on the board. He does put up some sample [easy] quiz questions, but he never leaves them up long enough, nor thoroughly works through them all properly, and he just gives you the answers. In sum, the lectures arent really worth it. Just read the book, read the book's examples, do the mastering physics online hw, and this class should be a breeze. Once again, the sample tests he posts prior to his exams are very similar to the real thing. On another note, he is a very nice guy and all, but he seldom replies to emails. |