Saunders, Ruth  

Take Dr. Saunders!!! She is a funny and sweet lady who doesn't want anybody to fail. I was so scared to take physics but ended up really liking the class! Her office hours were really helpful and she was totally willing to help you on anything! Even if you admitted that you didn't know what was going on in the class. She made physics seem less impossible to understand and I would totally recommend taking her.

Professor Saunders is one of the kindest professors I have ever met, and she will do her best to make sure that you are being graded fairly for your work. However, I think that as a teacher, she could do a bit better. Her notes are all written in short hand so it is difficult to go back and look over them. She means well but I just wish that the material was a little more clearly presented.

Ruth is one of my favorite teachers that I have had at Cal Poly so far. She's not my favorite because her class was easy - it wasn't. She's not my favorite because she's the best teacher - she's not (she's not bad, she's just not the best). She's my favorite because she actually cares for her students. Go to her office hours!!! I cannot stress this enough. She will pretty much go over the topics that will be on the quiz that week and she will work something out if you're struggling. Both midterms were average difficulty and the final was a bit harder, but not terrible. Ruth is just the cutest woman i've ever met - you'll get what i mean. Definitely recommend taking this class!

I was DREADING the lab portion of this class because I was pretty sure that I was going to fail it. I have always been terrible at sciences and am very far behind my classmates because I had never done an official lab in my life. My whole life was a series of bad science teachers and my foundation was particularly bad because no one ever taught me the basics and then everyone assumed I knew them from then on. This professor made the lab so helpful, accessible, useful, and fun that I now feel like I have a pretty good ability to do this science stuff. The way that the procedure was laid out at the beginning was so helpful because it took out all the worrying about the little details and wording of the labs that made them so hard to understand and cleared the way for us to actually get why we were doing what we were doing and what was going on. I also appreciate that we got plenty of time to work on our labs. Just because it was a three hour class did not mean that she had to fill every second and she got that. It was super helpful because we were able to relax and do it fully and completely, further understanding the point, not just feeling like we had to get it done really quickly. Also the way she answered questions was amazing because she really walked us through them and was honest in her guidance. Many times labs like this ask really pointed questions that seem obvious once they are done, but for the first time taking a decent lab and for a student (not being the original discoverer of these phenomenons) it is really disheartening to be unable to answer. She was super helpful in getting us there. Also, there was not too much out of class work for this, as it was spread amongst us, and I do not think that took anything away from the experience at all. It was better to be able to focus on the lecture and understanding that, using the lab as a supplement, not as its own entity that had its own work. And the labs were very relevant and helped tremendously in my understanding of this subject. Absolute A+ I do not think there could be a better, more helpful lab professor anywhere.

I loved Dr. Saunders! I was nervous about 122 because my 121 experience with another teacher was awful, but Saunders is so nice, clear, and helpful that I never doubted myself in this class. She constantly reminded the class how awesome we were, and though physics may not be our favorite subject that we all had the ability to succeed. Her teaching abilities definitely helped us succeed, too, as she moved at a steady pace with material but was always stopping to make sure we understood. She wanted everyone to be on the same page and genuinely wanted to see everyone master the material. Be prepared for some group work out of workbooks, which in my opinion were a waste of time she could've spent teaching, but it does help you teach yourselves and each other. Quizzes every week were very straightforward and you get a whole page of notes. Exams were always what we were expecting, and were based more off of her examples in class than the homework, which I liked. Overall, one of the nicest ladies you'll meet who works hard at teaching and truly cares about her students.

she is good.

Saunders is a good professor, she presents the material in a way so that people can understand. The worksheets that she gives in class help, but not the workbook. I literally could not find any point in the workbook problems. Also, the labs really do help. Study lab material for both midterms and the final! The homework is not bad, go to her office hours and she'll explain how to do the problem. Not a bad professor, she just needs to work a few kinks since she is new. In the end, I would take her again.

Dr. Saunders is the sweetest professor I have had at Cal Poly. She is so friendly and genuine. I had her for PHYS 141 and 132 and she is my favorite professor so far. If you can you should take her class. She is entertaining, especially in office hours. She is super helpful and does her best to help all of her students. Definitely recommend her!!!

Professor Saunders is a both a great teacher and person! I had her for PHYS 132 last quarter. Even though it was her first time teaching this course, I understood most of what she taught, and even if I didn't completely understand, she answered my questions and made sure I got it the second time. Her homework isn't terribly easy, but definitely manageable and an excellent way to study for the midterms (there are two of them) and final. There are quizzes every week, but they're a breeze if you do the homework. Definitely go to class, pay attention to her lectures and take notes. They will help! The homework, quizzes, and workbook problems are your best assets when studying for tests. Prof. Saunders is also very helpful in lab. She gives you a recitation to prepare you and goes over the procedure before each lab. Lab quizzes are every two weeks and lab reports are due when there is no lab quiz. Overall, I would definitely take this professor! She not only teaches well, but she genuinely cares about her students and is overall just a great person. I actually looked forward to both her lab and lecture each day. Definitely one of the best teachers I've had so far.

Ruth is awesome! VERY sweet irish lady. she not only knows her material well but she goes at a very steady pace. she always makes sure everyone in the class are on the same page and is always open to people asking questions. quizzes are fairly easy if you take good notes and pay attention in class. she gives out tons of worksheets that are helpful on midterms. overall great professor and extremely approachable!

Saunders is an absolutely wonderful and enjoyable professor, the physics department is very lucky to have her. I had her for both lecture and lab, so I'm able to speak for both. First day of class, she'll come off as pretty strict, but you quickly learn she is such a softy and really cares about her students. Not only that, she's a great professor. I was nervous in the beginning her Irish accent would make it hard to follow to her lectures. Believe it or not, her lectures were so clear and easy for follow (and plus her accent was so fun to listen to every day haha). The only thing is that she's terrible at drawing diagrams (she even knows this) so you might want to look in the book to understand those. Her tests are very fair if you study well. She hands out example worksheets in class which are definitely the best things to study from. Her HW is much harder than the test questions and the workbook has mostly questions she wouldn't really ask on a test. She also has a proof or two on each midterm, and she'll tell you beforehand which ones you need to know, so you're almost guaranteed a free question. Her final was the same difficulty as her midterms. Her quizzes are what dragged me down the most. She's a total stickler on her quizzes, but it's because she wants you to know how to do it properly for the midterm. If you have any questions about anything, she's SUPER helpful in office hours. She'll walk you through step by step until you get it. And as for lab, she's very easy and very approachable. She'll guide you through every lab every step of the way if you need help. Overall, WONDERFUL professor and HIGHLY recommend!

Professor Saunders is a great professor. I feel like I had learned a lot in her class and she presents the material with ease and helps us understand each concept. She does pronouce certain words differently, but with a question she will clarify with the students. I'm very glad that I am in her class. The one downside of the class is the midterms. With only 50min to do a midterm, there is usually not enough time to complete it or double check answers. Besides this great professor for this course!

Professor Saunders is a wonderful professor and person! I was nervous about physics 132 with a lab however professor Saunders knows how to explain things in a simple and clear way. She's very approachable and it genuinely concerned for how her students are doing in the class. Show her respect, attend class, have a great attitude and you'll get a good grade! Only downfall was that the midterms were too long for a 50 minute exam. I always lost points because I could never finish the exam. However the questions are very fair if you study well and take good notes. Overall a wonderful professor I highly recommend her!

Very strange teacher. The material is easy, but she seems to think it is challenging and it requires your absolute attention. I can read and understand a chapter in 15-20 minutes while it takes her 50 to do so, but you still aren't allowed to miss class. She is so convinced that her material is difficult that she is very paranoid about cheaters and makes daily rants in class about how cheating is wrong and "people should just turn their life around". One of her "best students" didn't turn in the homework assignment once, so the teacher assumed the material was just too hard for her, therefore everyone who turned in the homework must have been cheating! This also happened the first day of class: "Also you are not allowed to have cell phones out, but I can because I'm the teacher." One student laughed because he thought she was making a joke, but she was serious. Only she can have her cellphone out because what she is doing is far more important than whatever we could be doing. She has a kid and she will love you if you suck up to her and ask to see photos etc. You miss a lab, you fail. Follow the exact instructions for the lab. She does check if you "fudge" values (you put down values that it should be, theoretical vs. your imperfect measurements, actual) and will make you redo everything if she catches you.

I will turn this into more a goodbye review that I hope you will read, professor. Anyways, I had Professor Saunders last quarter as well for PHYS 141 (and I moved my other classes around to take her again for 132), and really felt like I learned a lot in her course and felt as if she made the material easy to get a grasp on. She presents everything in a perfect linear fashion (you get a short intro, then the formulas you will need, and then how to apply them). Her teaching style was phenomenal in lecture and lab and I was thoroughly excited to attend both every day. She cares about her students greatly too, more so than many other professors that I have had. She cares not only about how her students are doing in lab and if they understand lecture, but also their personal lives -- she wants her students to be safe, well rested, and in good health (and not hopped up on caffeine 24/7 lol). This was her last quarter here at Poly, and I only wish she would teach longer here so that other students can take her classes. Professor Saunders also has a brother who teaches here as well, and from what I've heard, he is equally as great, so if you can, take him. Anyways, thank you for being great, Professor!

Professor Saunders is a sweet Irish lady who really cares about her students. If you show her that you want to do well and are willing to learn the material, then you will succeed in the class. It is not hard at all if you have taken any physics class in high school, however if you haven't, you are gonna have to put a lot more time into learning all the concepts. Her midterms and final were a fair representation of what we covered in class, she never surprised us with any crazy questions. Homework was due weekly, and it was more challenging than the in-class examples. The homework grader (who was unknown) was an asshole though, marking all the students down for the most trivial of mistakes. Just go to her office hours and Professor Saunders will walk you through anything you don't understand and will give you tips and foreshadowing on what will be on the next quiz or midterm. She is a funny smart lady, i would recommend her if you are willing to work hard in the class and want a physics teacher who is above average.

Saunders is a new professor to Cal Poly from Ireland. She's super nice and is very helpful during office hours. However, I found that I learned more from the workshop I was signed up for than her lecture, but as long as you do your homework and reading, this class is a breeze.

Ruth was so nice. It was her first year here and I absolutely loved her Irish accent. Not difficult to do well in the class. The quizzes and midterms were simple and straight forward.

What a sweet lady! Ruth brought cookies to the final for the class! She is new to Cal Poly and straight out of Ireland! Her accent is charming and overall she is very approachable! Constantly asks the class "sorry, is that okay?" in order to make sure everyone understands what is going on. OH and ALSO she doesn't make you do Mastering Physics! HOLLAHH!!!!

I wish this woman was my mother.

Dr. Saunders is a very lovely woman that is very concerned about her students' learning. She gives very fair tests and quizzes, and she is always eager to clarify any questions. I liked her so much that I chose to take her again for 132.

My favorite professor I've had so far at Cal Poly! I looked forward to physics every day with Saunders. Her lectures were mostly doing example problems on the board, and then we would partner up and do workbook problems or other class activities. The first midterm was very easy for me I think I got around a 95 so I let my guard down and got a 75 on the second midterm. I ended with a B+ in the class, but could have easily gotten an A if i studied more for the second midterm. She never curves her test, because they are very fair. She is also very helpful in office hours, but they are usually very busy. Take Saunders if you can!