Hoellwarth, Chance  

If you've taken high school physics, you're in for an A! This class started out really slow the first week, because some people have never taken physics before and need to be caught up, but by the end we were learning new detailed information. There's homework due about once a week which takes less than an hour. At first I thought this class would bother me because it is conceptual physics, and I am a math person, but we got a decent amount of equations and numbers to justify things logically. The two midterms and the final are each worth 25% while lab and hmwk are each worth 12.5%. My favorite thing about Chance, as he likes to refer to himself, is that instead of lecturing of the specific material only, he'd spend a lecture teaching us everything we need to know to answer a question. So we had a bigger purpose in mind to stimulate our thinking. Some questions we answered in class were "Why is the sky blue?", "Why are sunsets red?", "What makes a rainbow?", "Why are people near/farsighted", etc. My only problem with Chance was that he was so lax about teaching it wasn't a problem for him to say "I don't know" when students asked him to explain a gap he hadn't thuroughly filled in. That's fine in itself, but it was annoying that he didn't seem to care enough to then look up the answer and get back to us next class. Overall, this class was interesting, and you can learn a lot from the text which is interesting and straigh-forward while not being lengthy at all for a 4 unit class.

I took Dr. Chance for both 102 and 101. Although the classes could be hard at times Dr. Chance did a good job instructing and trying to clarify for us. He was a fun guy and easy to talk to. The tests were difficult, but if you come to class and study you should have no worries. Take Dr. Chance.

His class is an easy class as long as you do your homework and know how to study the "big picture." All of the question on the exams are from the big concepts in the book and lectures. Understand everything that he says in lecture because it is probably going to be on the test. Sometimes his lectures are confusing but not very often. I would suggest taking him because his class are relatively easy.

DOOD CHANCE! THIS GUY IS LEGIT! I'm sorry if you have to take PSC 101 for whatever reason because the class is pointless and a waste of time. You will feel like you are taken kindergarten all over again, but Chance is rad and made the class fun. !EAT!IN!N!OUT!

Chance is a really nice guy. Unfortunately the class was hard to take seriously. The activities which make up the class, are really easy and tedious. Unfortunately they give a false impression of the class. 25% of your grade is an easy A, coming from a Poster and journal entries. But the Homework, Exams, and Practicals can be very difficult. Unfortunately, Professor Hoellwarth can grade very hard. And it is difficult to tell where one lost points on a problem, when all that is written is a score. If you have to take the class, don't make the mistake of thinking it will be easy. Make sure to ask questions, and visit Prof Hoellwarth during his office hours to clear up what you are unsure with.

Hoellwarth is such a nice guy and fun professor but he grades SO hard. He even told us that if we dont explain in clear words and he gets confussed he will take off points. Its ridicous because what if you arent that good at english and explaining expessically in a time cruch. Its funny because while in class i felt like i was back in 8th grade science but when i took the tests it was college again. In class he explains the basics through labs and such but he puts random complicated questions on the midterm and final. THe questions on the final could not even be studied because there isnt anything on the topic in our lab books (the only books for the class) and how do we know what to look up on-line. It seems like one should be able to look over everything done throughout the quarter and do fine on the tests if they understand everything...but NO he puts random questions on then grades them harshly. Tests and homework are hard but the other 35% of your grade is an easy A. Hoellwarth is a really nice guy and is always willing to explain concepts to you in his office hours but he still never mentions the complicated stuff on the final and midterm. I recomend Hoelwarth with reservation.

I don't know why people rip on Dr. Hoellwarth. I took Phys 121 in a 5 week session in the summer, which would seemingly be impossible based on the comments before; but he did a damn good job in lecture, which was 2 hours, to keep the attention of the class. I appreciated his demonstrations which were not every class and usually very helpful. Take Dr. Hoellwarth if you want to learn physics well, not for an easy A. Yes his tests are difficult but he is fair--almost too fair in the sense that his tests include a huge conceptual element so that a student can get partial credit if they can't answer a question 100%.

I'm a Biology major and was expecting the worst from this class. Professor Hoellwarth implemented a different teaching style with basically a lab type setting 2 hours twice a week and a 1 hour lecture on Fridays. He really emphasized the BIG IDEAS in class which was extremely helpful for me because I have no background knowledge of physics. Homework was graded really easily, 1 quiz a week (drop lowest), attendance, no midterms, just a final. GOT A B+ and it was my first encounter with physics. Definitely recommended if you struggle with this subject. I'm taking 122 with a different professor and it's much more difficult. Take him if you can!

I took this class as a lab for Physics 1 for Vet school and I was really disappointed. I had no idea what to expect and was told to take it with my PHYS 121 class but it did not go with the class. We started working with energy on day 1 although we were just talking about motion in the class. We didn't even get to energy in the class until week 8. This seemed to be a pattern throughout the quarter and the topics we worked on were either way too early or way too late. It made me feel like I was wasting my time because he didn't really lecture, he just expected you to know most of it from class. A normal lab period consisted of an experiment, class discussion with results on whiteboards, graphing, and most likely more experiment and graphing because he liked to take up the full 3-hours. Our grade was based on turning in an exit paper of the work you did, 3 quizzes, attendance, and a lab report. Other than that, the professor was nice and willing to work with you and he wasn't a harsh grader. This class is really easy to get an A in, if you just show up and participate.

Dr. Hoellwarth is a very COOL teacher. Unfortunately, I had a problem seeing the similarity between some of the test questions and the homework assignments. The text was too "busy" so it was hard to stay focused on what you were suppose to be reading. Obviously, this isn't Dr. Hoellwarth's fault as the Physics Dept. decides which text to use. I was also suprised at how easy the two midterms were but the final exam was INCREDIBLY HARD! I think this is the same final used for all the physics 131 classes so beware. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by the midterms because the final will kick your butt. Dr. Hoellwarth is always eager to help students and really seems to know the material. His teaching style is very mellow and low-key and I would recommend him to anyone (which I've already done for several people). Definitely one of the few professors on campus without a chip on his shoulder and doesn't try to ego-trip the students. Have fun in Physics!

Very effective at communicating ideas, but many times the homework seemed a lot different from what he went over in class. Seems to enjoy teaching and is never hesitant to go over, in class, things that students have difficulties with. Overall, one of the better science profs I've had at Poly.

Good teacher, very pleasent. Went through stuff well, explained well. Always smiling and he got to know the students.

Like many unfortunate students, I have had the deal with the satan-spawn, un-class: "Studio Physics." I assume that this class was the problem more than the teacher since I had friends in different classes that said they had the same problems. Here's the class breakdown: NO LECTURE, a confusing book, useless labs, anally graded tests, and homework that is a waste of time. The homework is a waste of time since you end up having no clue what to do and just end up guessing on it to get credit. The homework takes forever too, and they only give you the answers when you are up to your neck in the next day's assignment. The result: You never even know if you did the homework right!!! You will most likely learn almost nothing in this class. Please, if you care about your education, DON'T SIGN UP FOR ANY PHYS131 CLASS WITH A LAB/LECTURE COMBO!!! Get a seperate lab and lecture. That will get you a REAL physics class. Ask anyone who has taken it and they will tell you: "Studio Physics is BAD physics!"

I did not necessarily have a problem with the teacher, he seemed to do a decent job. My problem was the format of the entire class; STUDIO PHYSICS. The textbook was disorganized, poorly written, and subpar in every way. The writer, a Cal Poly Prof, should get his act together and learn to write textbooks. The tests were fine. I found that nothing unreasonable was asked of me. However, in discussing problems with the teacher, I was told the answer is not important, it is how you derive that answer that matters. In other words, as long as you feel good about your work, the answer doesn't matter. The test grading system for the entire Studio was very bad as well. Each problem was graded by a different teacher. When a mistake was made, I couldn't find out who graded the specific problem. The grader couldn't be held accountable for mistakes, and to maintain fairness, the teacher couldn't change one part of the test even if the grader was completely wrong. I highly recommend regular physics class to all. Hoellworth was decent, no significant problems, but Studio Physics was deficient in every category relative to regular Physics, including laboratory work.

The above reviews have just about summed it up. Dr. Hoellwarth is a good teacher, and a pretty nice guy, but Studio Physics is PURE EVIL. The time you spend in class is pretty much useless, because you end up doing ridiculously easy labs that take forever, and you never get lectured or go over problems. You get this stupid workbook that you have an assignment in for every class period, and it is such a huge waste of time that I didn't do it (the reason I got a C+ instead of a B+). It makes you feel like you are in elementary school again. Also, the homework takes forever. Do yourselves a favor and DO NOT TAKE STUDIO PHYSICS.

Tests are super hard!!!! Don't even try studying the book, because it is even more confusing than his lectures.I had him for Studio Physics!!!! BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!!!He's a nice guy... too bad he's teaching a crappy course

This guy is a dick!! he has no sympathy towards anyting. it's like he has no heart. he might as well live in hell because he acts like the devil.

DO NOT take studio physics

i concur that this "professor" is a dick. he may seem nice, but get under his skin or just plain outwit him and his true colors will show. what a fairy...

Chance is really nice guy who is the type of prof who really tries to get the class involved. He does grade very HARD. I failed both midterms yet still managed to pass with a C, and I had taken all of the stuff in high school physics. Ive heard that phys 131 has one of the highest failure rates at poly. You just have to show that you know the stuff with algebra and equations, know it cold, do the homework several times, know exactly what he wants by asking him in office hours, and you should be okay.

most people here have nailed it. im taking him right now and he is a pretty worthless professor. i did ok on his test because i study my ass off for that class, about 2 hours a day. he just adds to the confusing POS that is the dr knight (fellow physics a-hole professor) textbook. he tries to be like moelter, infact everything in his class is stolen straight from moelter (lectures, tests, website, wardrobe, etc), but he cant teach the way moelter can nor is he ever as nice or entertaining. infact if you signed up for hoellwarth's class you might as well sit in on the moelter lecture because you get way way more out of it. hopefully i never have to take this guy again, infact im not going to ever let that happen. just remember that if you are an engineering major almost every physics class is a waste of time because theory is taught 100 fold over application. its just that some guys can make it better (moelter) and others just make it much much worse (hoellwarth).

He was very fair, presented the material clearly, and didnt want to fail anyone. I understand physics and he is a great teacher to take. I recomend him to anyone. Dont expect an easy a though, because he can be tough.

Hoellwarth is a good guy. I pretty much bombed the first midterm and went and talked to him. He told me that the class is still passable and I would come in weekly for help. After that I did well on the second midterm and final, came out with a C. Written homework problems sucked, especially if you did them the night before because they were fairly lengthy. He definitely explains the material well in lecture, so try not to miss class because it helps a lot. I'd take him again.

Chance is a very nice guy, and he tries to keep lectures interesting...but don't let that fool you. He is an awful teacher. He doesn't present the material clearly at all, and when I went into his office to clarify some material, I walked out more confused than when I went in. I tend to be a perfectionist, but I was happy beyond belief just to have passed that class. If you have him, read the book, because that is the only thing that will save you. His tests are very hard, the best way to study is literally reread everything, and then do every problem in the book on the chapters covered by the test. Good luck!

Nice guy and class seems smooth until the first test... Even if you did study and know the material he WILL find ways to mark you down. He knows he grades super hard so he changed his grading scale drastically: 65=C 75=B 85=A... BUT don't get excited! Because He grades so hard that this nice looking scale is not enough to help you... I'm a pretty bright student and slacked off quite a bit in his class... Went to tons of office hours where I found the most help... I'm pretty sure I passed the class but we'll see in a few days... To score a high grade in this class you will have to either be very devoted to school OR if your a bit of a slacker... I would try to attempt the homework problems BEFORE the material is taught and then finish it up with him later in office hours... Do this and you could guarantee yourself a B or an A.... Unless your horrible at physics... In which case you should not even bother with this teacher. Hope that helps you guys!!

Awesome teacher and a nice guy. Take him if you can.

While I respect Dr. Hoellwarth for his ability to get a job at CPSLO, generally, his teaching style sucks. I could go off ranting about my story of why he is not helpful as a teacher, but the truth is better. Here are some concrete facts about his teaching style: He talks slowly. Very slowly. And he waits for students to answer his questions. For instance: "And how much gravitational potential energy does this block have?" (insert about 75 seconds here, until some poor student raises his or her hand to answer the question) "Okay, any other answers?" ad infinitum. He entertains wrong answers. In the painful question and answer process mentioned above, wrong answers will be written on the board. He will then take a popularity vote (the people who care in the room) of which is correct answer, and use that. This will be confusing to those physics students that haven't taken physics previously. His grading policy is confusing. As in, no one had a clue what their grade was until we got our grades through My Calpoly. No extra credit for you to be found here (correction: some, but to make up missed points on select assignments). Generally, I wouldn't recommend him. He teamed up with Bensky and Moelter this past quarter, and we had Bensky sub for a day. That was probably the best day in physics we had. So, there you have it. Oh, and he does give Mastering Physics Homework, which I must admit, does stink. Try to find a teacher that doesn't do Mastering Physics, because it doesn't help you learn very much.

BEWARE!!! He is by far the worst teacher i have had at cal poly! For simple problems he'll spend 20 min. on but doesn't go over stuff that we get tested on. Also, on his tests he expects you to explain everything with newtons laws; on one test i explained things in my own words and i failed that section. Horribly nonunderstanding teacher. Just plain bad.

Hoellwarth is a BRUTAL teacher. He will only go over easy and basic concepts in class, and after he has explained them to death he will then expect you do know how to do much harder problems. He will not tell you what is important for the test, he will say you just have to know all of it. But then the tests questions only vaguely resemble text and homework problems, basically you will not recognize most of the questions. The text book sucks as well but he just makes things worse. He will not even try to help you understand things, he will just act like a smug dork saying it is your fault for everything. No one gets A's on any of the tests and that is with his pre existing grading scale, there is no curve. He is hands down the worst "teacher" Ive had in my life. Avoid him at all costs!!!!!

I was taking this course my freshman year and i just had to drop it cause this professor is quite hard to understand. Although Physics is really hard he just made it real confusing. What makes ,atters worse is that he assigned way too much hwk it was like never ending, i had to drop it the first week because of that reason. If you take physics with him your life will be harsh because you wont have time for your other courses

uh yea lets just say he doesnt explain himself. the average test score on the last test was a 64%, and the last average test score was 67%, yea obviously he doesnt get the idea. there is no point to him at all, he just stands up there making the material more confusing than it really is. the way to pass this class is just read the book go to a better teacher's office hours and have them explain it to you. also hes so weird, and awkward, its definately awkward when you go to his office hours. he talks really loud, and does crazy hand gestures, and hes eyes couldn't get any wider. basically i think hes on crack, and hes kind of useless, getting paid for nothing. this class will frustrate you most definately, good luck if you take him.

The course material seemed pretty clear to me. Then again, I took AP Physics B in high school so any teacher could've taught this class and I would've thought it was clear. Many other students in the class seemed to struggle and had a hard time connecting what we learned in class to some of the Mastering Physics homework problems. Homework problems are much more difficult than workbook problems and test problems are noticably more difficult than homework problems. I did fine in this class but I mastered all this stuff last year and I don't doubt that this class will be a struggle for those who haven't seen this stuff before.

He looks like Ryan Stiles! That's basically the only thing that kept me going in the class, he's skinny, kinda dorky, but overall fun to laugh at. Go to his website...the pic is a riot. But really though, he's pretty much a bad teacher. I already took physics in highschool and got an A so this was supposed to be an easy class. Some of the Mastering Physics stuff was pretty ridiculous...especially if you put it off till the last minute. If you think the online chapters are hard though, just wait till the tests, insane. He's a tough grader too, just looking for things to take points off for.

The class was filled with useless demonstrations that would teach only the most basic aspects of the physics and then he would assign problems that would be nothing like what we learned in class. I had to teach myself nearly the whole curriculum to pass the class. Beware Mastering Physics!!!

Don't take a Chance on this d-bag. Haha. I hate this guy. Besides looking like Ryan Stiles, he had no idea how to teach the material in a way people could understand it. He thinks every problem can be solved by a free body digram and then gives questions on the exams that he doesn't even show examples of in class. I could never get in touch with him at office hours and any email you sent him only got you another stupid response back. Less than impressed to say the least. He should quit

This class was really hard. The professor gave exams that were really challenging. Most of the homework was not from lecture. He is a hard grader since the class\'s average was a 65%. Don\'t take him unless you really love physics.

I took physics in high school and the material was clear and I knew how to apply the equations to the problems but then i started doing it his way and I am just so confused at this moment. I am doing his homework as I write this. He is a very difficult grader. His tests I will say are fairly simple, because they tend to be on broad topics but he is very specific on what he wants. I don\'t like the fact on making 5+ diagrams on each homework assignment. I honestly don\'t like him. I am probably going to get a C in this class. sigh... i feel really bad.

I am halfway through this class right now and just took the midterm today. Most of the comments here are pretty spot on, Dr. Hoellwarth is a nice guy but his teaching style is terrible. He is very confusing and more often than not I will be more confused after asking him a question than before. He will find the most minuscule reasons to mark you down on homework/quizzes/tests. He will spend the entire lecture going over the easiest of problems and then he goes on to the next topic. He never explains how to do the difficult problems, yet that is almost all that the tests consist of. Dr. Hoellwarth is not the professor to take for an easy A, nor is he the professor to take if you want to learn the material.

I took Physics in highschool and thought that, even though its calc based, this wouldn\'t be too hard. I was wrong. He grades so nitpicky its crazy and never does any really good examples. Its almost more worth spending the two hours I have him for class reading the book instead. And even that doesn\'t help. He doesn\'t know how to teach and I just get more confused when I ask him a question. He speeds through the topic to move on, and expects you to magically know it. He does lower his letter grade cut offs, but don\'t feel complacent with this. His quizzes and test are HARD. Had I known this, I wouldn\'t have taken him in the beginning.

Don\'t take him. He is a bad lecturer and bad grader. His homework are really challenging, compared to the examples he gives us in class.

Professor Hoellwarth was a very nice guy but he had the worst teaching and grading methods. The lectures seemed pretty simple and straightforward until I got to the quizzes and homework. There were quizzes every week and sometimes I had no idea what topics they would cover. The midterm and final had scattered topics and the questions were significantly tougher than any material covered in class. Also you can\'t really pinpoint your grade until the very end. I strongly believe I would have learned more with a different professor.

Honestly, he was awful. He is a nice man, but he isn\'t meant to be a professor. He couldn\'t answer questions very well besides referring to \"big idea\" equations with little explanation besides the formula itself. My biggest problem is his grading. Each time I made a mistake on a midterm, I was marked down. When I missed the first part of a multipart question, I would lose points each time my wrong number appeared in the next problems. If I didn\'t have a coordinate plane established at the beginning because I forgot, I would lose points every time a positive or negative value was required, even if I had the sign seemingly correct. I received an A in high school physics and AP Physics, but could barely manage to get a high C in Hoellwarth\'s class due being unable to escape his punishing grading scale. There is nearly no curve on the midterm/ final even though the class average on our final was a 54%. The final was mainly over a concept we learned literally 2 days before the exam. Do not take him.

I hate how every student on ply ratings bitches about teachers in classes that they failed. Yes, Hoellwarth was not an easy A, and his tests are not only really hard, but he grades really specifically to how he taught you and takes off a lot of points. But in all honestly the class is curved a lot and his teaching ability is above average. He knows what he is talking about and his very helpful in office hours as he takes you through each problem. If you want an easy A, do not take him. If you want to learn mechanics, and newtonian introduction to physics, and have a good foundation for forces and Newtons Laws, TAKE HIM.

Not a tremendous teacher by any means, but a very nice man. I appreciate his attitude.

I realize that physics isn\'t my strongest subject by any means, but I am a Biochem major and did decently in my math and chem courses, so I think with appropriate hours of studying, I should have done at least decent in this class as well. Well, unfortunately, I took physics from possibly the worst professor at cal poly. He really doesn\'t explain material well at all. It is very scattered and hard to follow. He entertains wrong answers which makes things even more confusing because he doesn\'t say initially that the answer is wrong just goes off on some tangent about the answer. He is very, very particular about how you write out answers on the test, to the point that I think it is unnecessary. For example, I came to the right solution (and all my work/assumtions were valid) to a question on the test, but because I didn\'t do it the way he would have, he took off most the points. Considering I came to college to become an independent thinking with the ability to solve problems, I really don\'t see how that is supposed to happen if we all have to follow the rigidty displayed by this prof. Everyone I talked to in the class felt the same way as I did about his teaching and grading. Unless you took AP physics in high school or are some physics genius, I wouldn\'t take him.

Chance is a good guy, just not a good teacher. He talks in class and I think he could do better. You will only pass the class if you 1) read the book or 2) understand the material. He doesn\'t help with either one so you should actually study and he\'s a little weird and you might not feel comfortable going to his office hours. The best thing about his is that he uses a lot of visuals and shows you why things are with measuring tools.

My first question is why do us B.A. Physics kids have to take this course? It's literally all just EE. Nothing about this course is fun or interesting at all. I don't care about how technologists manipulate the electromagnetic properties of materials, I only care about how nature works. That's why I'm a scientist, not an engineer. Second, Hoellwarth didn't make it any easier. One of the first things you will notice is the gaping disparity in difficulty between his examples in lecture and the homework. Seriously, the notes are useful about a third of the time. Hoellwarth seems to assume we all already know this stuff. He has difficulty presenting material, probably because he just follows Zammit's incoherent notes. The one thing he is good at is answering questions. From this fact, I bet he is really good in office hours (I've never been yet). The textbook is an atrocity. Wow, it is sooooo useless and unhelpful, but it has the homework in it, so you need to get it. The tests are not quite as hard as the homework, so don't kill yourself over it. PHYS kids, you have to take this course, so if you're reading this its probably to get an idea of what its going to be like. Here you go: IT WILL SUCK. Sorry. Just get it done and take it during an easy quarter.

This is a continuation in the circle of torture. Zammit tortured Hoellwarth when he was a student in this class and now Hoellwarth is a professor and has students of his own to torture. I expect that the next time he teaches this class, he will do it differently because this time around was sort of a disaster. Exam averages were in the low sixties. The textbook is not helpful at all. Better go to class and make sure you understand the example problems. Then imagine those same examples, ten times harder, with a triple lutz thrown in, and you will have an exam problem. They are not like homework problems at all. The homework is due constantly, almost every class meeting at the beginning. Sometimes, we only had a day between lecture and when it was due so you better be on top of it. Make sure you ask questions in class and press to make sure he completely explains what you don't get before moving on because chances are, nobody else has a clue what's happening either. Sometimes he has to mutter to himself before he comes up with something coherent, but eventually he'll figure it out and give you a pretty good explanation. On the plus side, we did get to do exam corrections on one particularly horrendous test so he is willing to help you salvage your grade somewhat. Honestly though, this class does just suck for the BS or BA degree. It's basically a year of circuit theory crammed into a quarter. So you better just strap in, hold on, and try not to puke when its over.

No. Just no.

This guy told us that he didn't understand what an integral was until high school. That may not be relevant to this class specifically, but it does sum up his teaching ability VERY accurately. Nice guy. Should not be teaching though.

BOYCOTT!!!