Ozawa, Kenneth  

Physics

2.82/4.00

51 evaluations


CSC 110


Freshman
C
General Ed
Jun 2001
Considering the subject matter, this class was much more difficult than it should have been. Everyone in the class has a functioning knowledge of office 2000, however the class average is struggling to stay out of the D range. The tests did not reflect the function of the subject matter. Basically, avoid this class, and take i dont know, someone else.


Sophomore
A
General Ed
Aug 2001
I enrolled in this class thinking it was going to be an easy A. It wasn't. I found that I studied more for this class than any other. He does warn you at the beginning that you should take it as a credit/no credit class, but I didn't think he was serious. The projects are relatively easy, but his tests are hard, and his final even harder. He doesn't grade on a curve, and I was extemely lucky to get an A, even after I studied so much. Don't take Ozawa, its not worth it for a computer literacy class.


Sophomore
A
General Ed
Aug 2001
I enrolled in this class thinking it was going to be an easy A. It wasn't. I found that I studied more for this class than any other. He does warn you at the beginning that you should take it as a credit/no credit class, but I didn't think he was serious. The projects are relatively easy, but his tests are hard, and his final even harder. He doesn't grade on a curve, even though the class average was in the D range. I was extemely lucky to get an A, even after I studied so much. Don't take Ozawa, its not worth it for a computer literacy class.


Senior
Credit
Elective
Jul 2002
I loved this guy. He is way laid back and you always know what to expect. I learned a lot as well. Take him.

PHYS 131


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Oct 1999
He's a really great professor. He likes what he teaches, and does it with a sense of humor. I would recommend his class if you have trouble staying awake. I do, and I only fell asleep during about three classes.


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2000
Ozawa is the best phys teacher enough said


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Apr 2000
Dr. Ozawa is a great teacher who made physics much easier for me to understand. His tests are sort of tough, but it seems like he curved which helped. He is very good about answering questions, and I would reccommend going to his office hours for help- he is very patient and will explain everything until you get it. He is a great professer!!!


Junior
B
Required (Support)
Jan 2001
Ozawa is a great professor. He is most likely the best professor I have had at Cal Poly. He presents the material clearly and can answer basically any question you throw his way. He is pumped up on Physics. He'll look at the name of the topic that he's teaching and just go off and write a bunch of stuff on the board all from memory. He's a very fair grader; if you put any effort into this class you should be able to pass. Open note tests and open class discussion quizzes. He's just a good teacher, and if you get to know him you'll find out he's a really cool guy. He's also very funny, and sometimes he'll go off into some physics related story. Great teacher, I just didn't want to give this good evaluation until I'd taken all three physics classes from him so I wouldn't have more competition trying to get into his class. TAKE HIM IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE! OUTSTANDING TEACHER!


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Apr 2001
GREAT TEACHER. Funny, interesting, personable, etc... all the qualities of a great teacher. Do take him if you can!

PHYS 132


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2000
by far the best prof i have ever ahd. open note tests and group quizes. he is fun to watch and listen to. a very funny guy and helps a lot in his office hours


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jul 2000
By far the best teacher I had all year. He is very funny guy and is also very helpful. His tests were not hard if u did every homework assignment. Most test questions were similar to them. Must take ozawa!


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Jul 2000
Ow-Daw is the best physics prof at Poly.


Freshman
Credit
Required (Support)
Jun 2002
I had Ozawa for lab it was the greatest choice I have ever made. He takes a long time to explain each lab, but he makes it very clear and easy to understand, you don't even need the lab manual so save yourself 10 bucks. He gets you through the lab and you HAVE to turn the lab report in before the end of class. He is amazingly funny too! He is the best lab instructor I have ever had. If you can TAKE OZAWA!!!


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2003
Everybody loves Ozawa. This is because he is an easy teacher, not because he is a good teacher. He is hard to understand and goes off on tangents that have little to do with the class and topics. On the first test, 40% of us got perfect scores. I didn't feel like I knew it THAT well. If you're going to take Ozawa, it's for the easy A.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2003
Great guy, good lecturer, taught you everything you needed to know for the tests, and let you use all the notes you wanted. Just watch out, the second test is way harder than the first (only 2 people got As). As long as you attend lectures, do the homework, and have a reasonable understanding of the material there's no reason you shouldn't get an A.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Apr 2003
Ozawa is definitely the easiest Physics professor I have ever taken. He has weekly OPEN PERSON QUIZZES. That's right, you talk with your neighbors during the quizzes. The midterms were the most straightforward I have ever experienced; they were just like the homework. Weekly homework was average in workload but you had a week to do it so it wasn't bad. The final (and midterms) were open notes and you could use your midterms during the final. Some of the questions were identical. He is a decent lecturer and he is very entertaining! He is funny and he does cool experiments to keep your attention during lecture. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TEACHER!


Junior
B
Required (Support)
Jul 2003
Ozawa is a really cool guy, he's pretty funny in lecture if you're paying attention. He has an amazing passion for what he's doing and truely wants to see his students succeed. He lets you use notes on the midterms which is nice because it's more like real life. He's awesome in office hours, definately a great teacher.


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Mar 2004
I don't see the hype on Ken. The quizes and tests are cool, but I still had some difficulties with this class. I studied just as much as everyone else, but it seems like I was always a step short of the A. I studied the HW's and notes, and still fell short when it came to test time. I had an average physics background, and felt very strong in math. I think he is an above average teacher, just not as good as everyone makes him out to be.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2004
This is one easy professor. First, the subject is very simple and he explains it pretty well. He gives open note tests, open partner quizzes, and eliminates about half of the homework problems set by the department. He spends a lot of time answering homework questions in class, which is good because he doesnt do much during office hours. The only knock i have is that some of his test questions are multiple choice, and in these questions there is no partial credit. Other than that, he is an easy and fair professor, its an easy class and you'll surely get a good grade if you take him


Junior
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2005
Ozawa is a fair teacher. His accent can be difficult at first, but if you pay attention, you soon get over that. One of the best things about how he teaches is that he points out practical applications and current events frequently to keep the material interesting. There is a lot of material to cover, so lectures can go pretty quick, but Ozawa keeps on track and covers the material. Take time to visit him during office hours if you are having trouble understanding a section because he knows there is only so much time he can spend in class on each topic.


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jun 2006
Ozawa comes off as an extremely nice person and outlines the class in the first day: quizzes can be collaborated on (so it's like a huge class quiz) and tests and finals are completely open-note. Sounds pretty awesome, yes? The quizzes are mostly multiple choice, so that leaves a lot of room for loss of points and the tests contain the harder questions in the homework along with questions not even asked in the homework. The examples Ozawa did in class along with the assigned homework problems are incredibly easy and they give you this false feeling of confidence that you'll do well for the tests. Guess again. He never defines what his grading scale is, but I'm pretty sure it's A: 100-90, B: 80-89, C: 60-79. He is nice that he gives you that safety netting so that you can get an equivalent of a D in the class, but still come out with a C. Of course, this doesn't really help you if you have a 75% and you get the same grade as if you had a 65%.


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Jun 2006
Not the best teacher in the world. Hes retired so he prolly really doesnt give a shit. The classwork is very easy tho.


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jul 2006
Ozawa is tricky. The first day he explains that all the two midterms and final are completely open-note (you can bring whatever notes, quizzes, tests, assignments you want sans your book) and the quizzes are open-partner. That is right, the entire class can talk and help each other out for the 5 quizzes. He keeps you occupied throughout the lecture, he

PHYS 133


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Aug 2001
Very fair teacher. Presents material in a very clear fashion. Not much in terms of personality, but he makes a hard topic easier through very clear lectures, fair grading and preparing students adequately for exams. Definitely a teacher to take for any physics class.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Jan 2000
Ozawa is average overall. He tries to make the class interesting although it does get boring sometime. He goes over almost all of the derivations in class although going over problems would probably be more helpful. The class is pretty laid back, as this course is suppose to be. For those looking for a challenging course in physics, this teacher isn't for you.


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Jan 2000
dr ozawa has got to be one of the best professors i have had at cal poly. He presents everything clearly, and can help you when ever needed. He gives group quizes everyweek and open note tests which are not that bad as long as you write everything down from class. He is funny and puts everything into prospective for real live situations. i highly recommend him.


Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Feb 2000
Dr. Ozawa is really great. He explains everything clearly, and you aren't tested on anything he doesn't go over in class. He curves his tests (which are open note) and has weekly quizes (you can talk to whoever you want while taking them) that usually end up helping your grade. Usually the subject of physics is nearly impossible for me to understand, but Dr. Ozawa got me through it.


Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Dec 2000
Ozawa knew his stuff and he knows how to explain it so a student can understand it. The breakdown of the class is 20% Midterm #1, 20% Midterm #2, 30% Final, 10% Homework and 20% open discussion quizzes. And yes he does let you use notes on the midterms and final. In addition he give you questions in advance that will appear on the test. His class is entertaining and he loves to show you demonstrations. Although I did only average in his class, I don't blame him one bit. The time that you have to put into this class isn't that bad either. If I had only known about him prior to taking physics 133. Ozawa is great and I recommend him to all.


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Jan 2001
I dreaded this class, especially after barely passing the first two courses in the 130 series. Unlike the other dinasours I had for physics, Ozawa is actually fairly entertaining in lectures. Partner quizes and open note midterms/final were a definite plus too. If it all possible, take him.


Junior
B
Required (Support)
Nov 2001
Ozawa is THE BEST physics prof you can take. If you pay attention to everything he says, he is quite funny. Some people wouldn't be paying attention in class and would miss some of his hilarious remarks. He is a very fair grader and presents the material clearly. He does all of his lectures from memory, and is able to answer any physics question you throw his way. I took him for Physics 131 and liked him so much that I waited until I could get in his class to take 132 and 133. Homework isn't impossible, and his exams are easy if you understand the homework. He allows open notes on exams, and the quiz every Friday is open discussion with the class. You can get up and walk accross the room to ask your friend for help on the quizzes, but tests are restricted to just notes. Take this teacher if you can, you won't regret it. I didn't want to give him this good review until I was done taking Physics, cause I didn't want everybody else to know how great he was and take up my spot in the class. OZAWA RULES!!!!!


Senior
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2002
Prof. Ozawa's class was one of the better experiences I've had with fiz-x classes here at Poly. He was reletively clear in explaining concepts, and wasn't one of those nitpicky profs that only cares about the exact number down to 4 decimal places. He gives weekly quizes, but he lets you work on the quiz with your neighbors in class (sit next to the smart people ;-). He gives three exams, including the final; the final is not cummulative, which was nice. The best thing about his class is that he lets you use your class notes, quizes, homeworks, and old exams DURING his exams. That doesn't mean you don't have to study, but it's a nice security blanket to know that you don't have to remember the exact numerical value of E-sub-0 or the shape of a graph. Incidentally, if he draws a graph up in class (electric field vs. distance, for instance), TAKE IT DOWN IN YOUR NOTES. He loves to ask "What does this graph look like?" in exams. Ozawa is also a very fair grader, and will give you partial credit if you at least looked like you knew something about the problem; I thought I was heading for a C in the class, but I guess I did OK on his final.


Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Oct 2002
He is not this SPECTACULAR guy but he is very neat on the board and explains things preaty well. He is good but not to die for. He doesn't really look at the class once he starts in on the lecture. He just keeps going and rolling along. He times his lectures perfactely. We had quizes which we could work with others in the class on but he gave us the last 10-15 minutes to do them which was a little rushed. Overall not a completely horrible and bad guy. he is a good teacher but the accent I think got to me a little. He was good though and if you are taking him this is a good thing


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2003
meh.....this guy wasn't the God that polyratings describes him as. Physics 133 is such a pain in the ass. I'm an ME and I found that I hated this stuff with a passion. Ozawa didn't "clarify it totally." There are so many obscure concepts in this course that neither Ozawa nor the craptastic physics book could really explain. I think the thing that helped me the most was looking at previous exams from his course. He gives two midterms- each worth 30 pts. and 5 Quizzes worth 40 pts. The hw is worth 20 pts and the final is worth 50. This makes a total of 170 pts. The quizzes are grouped worked - meaning you can get to use all your notes and neighbors. It is extremely important that you get perfects on these. His tests weren't easy. He gives out a bunch of multiple choice conceptual questions which really sucked ass. He was also a little bitch when it came to grading and partial credit. The last quiz which was supposed to be "group worked" like all the others was a "solo" quiz. He didn't tell us this until 10 seconds before the last quiz. It kinda pisssed me off cause 8 pts in his class is like a half of a letter grade. It terms of physics teachers- he might be good- but that doesn't say much here at poly. NOT THE BEST.........nuff said


Junior
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2003
Ozawa is very neat when presenting material which is a big plus and he can make the material seem easier than it is. He loves to draw and visualize what is really happening. However, he doesnt know how to answer questions when students ask and treats you like you're an idiot if you don't understand something. Hist tests have problems and multiple choice. He lets you use notes on the test but these only help on the problem section and multiple choice are usually worth more on the test. These questions are conceptual and are tricky if you don't fully understand all the material. I wouldn't give him the high ratings that everyone else is giving him. If you do better with conceptual ideas than working out problems then he is a good teacher to take.


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Apr 2003
Ozawa is the best physics teacher I have had. In my previous physics courses, I always felt like I never really understood everything, but with this guy, I felt like I learned a lot. He is a little monotone during class, but he is pretty funny at times. If you take good notes, you don't even have to study too much and you should do fine in the class.


Junior
A
Required (Support)
Jun 2003
ken has been one of the best professors i have ever had. he clearly explains the material so it is very easy to understand. he uses many analogies to simplify the material and brings in many interesting and pertinent demonstrations into lecture. ozawa is also the bomb during office hours and is more than willing to answer any questions. he gives weekly open note, open buddy quizzes throughout the qtr. his tests are fair and are representative of the hmwk and lecture. his sense of humor also keeps the class interesting. he is great in all aspects of teaching and has been a true inspiration to me academically, sparking my interest in a subject that i felt was going to be difficult and dry. i can't say enough good things about him. he only teaches twice a year (winter & spring) and it is worth taking a priority to get him as a teacher.


Junior
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2003
Wow, this guy knows his stuff. Not just the physics stuff, but how to teach and counsel too. He takes breaks in lectures just to tell the class how this stuff will help them down the road. He's not as concerned with students learning everything that he writes down as with us learning how to be good students. I think that's great. His lectures are fastpaced and unforgiving; he writes and draws a lot of stuff that you just need to copy down (he draws really well and it helps a lot). But all these notes can be used on the tests and homework, and they really make it easy to get through the class. SIT THROUGH HIS LECTURES, LISTEN TO HIS WISDOM, AND DON'T GET DISCOURAGED (there's a huge curve) and you'll do fine.


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2004
I took Ozawa for 133 and it seemed great because there were group quizzes, open note midterm and open note final which defenitely made the course bearable, but it's still a lot of work, plus it's hard to sift through some of his lectures. This class is defenitely doable though, just do your hw early instead of last minute and you'll do fine.


Junior
B
Required (Major)
Aug 2005
If you can take him. He knew what he was talking about and let you use all your notes for the tests and quizzes. His accent might be hard for some but it wasn't a problem for me. I also had him for lab and he was awesome. Always got out early and the labs were easy.


Graduate Student
B
Required (Support)
Feb 2006
This is Paul reminding you (the moderator) to celebrate Black History Month all year long. =)


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Jun 2007
such a terrible teacher, dont actually teach u anything u need to know for the homework or exams, DONT TAKE HIM


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Aug 2008
The best part about going to this class are Ozawa's stories about physics history and his own experiences. Seriously funny shit, just get to relax and enjoy story time. He does a pretty good job of introducing topics in class and giving some examples, but you need to do the homework and understand and be able to relate topics and formulas to succeed on midterms and the final. Not the best teacher, but definitely not as bad as some of these reviews imply. I had him for lab, too, where he is really chill and often assigns only a portion of the lab.


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Aug 2008
He is a cute little asian guy who says pointttttttcharrggeee alot. He curves nicely and he has open note tests. I didnt study for midterm two cause I was an idiot. If you study you should get a B easily. He is very hard to understand and you have to do the homework, and make sure you get it. His tests are very similar. He also said in the beginning of the quarter he doesnt fail anyone unless they show zero effort, and I believe him.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Nov 2008
Open note/open parter quizzes: pretty sweet. Open note tests: sounds good. Not necessarily. The tests were usually ridiculous. Some of the stuff wasn't even covered in the homework. You REALLY had to understand everything. He was a fun professor, but not the best lecturer. He spent a full hour and a half deriving equations which really wasn't that helpful. You turn in homework every week. The quizzes aren't too bad. Overall if you study hard its an easy B. But if you're not willing to work, don't take him.

PHYS 141


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2006
Ozawa is ok but he has a really hard time talking with students and figuring out what they can't understand in class. There are better physics professors out there.


Junior
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2006
This guy is overrated. He is funny and seems to know his stuff, but he gets boring and does not communicate well with the students. On multiple occasions he redid the notes we had had the previous lecture. If anyone asked a question during the lecture he would get very confused, not answer the question, and just keep talking until the student said that they understood it (though they clearly did not). Once in the class, do your work neatly, show your work clearly, and go to office hours if you don't understand something because he is more clear one on one.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Apr 2006
There are some professors that give you relevant homework problems that in some ways prepare you for the test. Ozawa is not one of them. Problems on tests never use the same process for solving as the homework. Ozawa also refuses to curve. Even when my D was the 3rd highest grade, he refused to curve. And don't bother asking questions. They won't get answered.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
May 2006
Ozawa isn't great. If I hadn't had prior physics experience I probably would have been lost. He will often lose track of where the class is in the material and present the same lecture five times in a row (not kidding, we sat through his torque lecture five times). Do the homework though, on engineering paper and neatly, that will probably be a big booster.


Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2007
Not all that great of a teacher. I am surprised at the ratings he got. My grade wasnt that great, but even if i got an A in his class my opinion would'nt change. He's definately average, nothing special at all.

PHYS 211


Junior
C
Required (Support)
Apr 2004
This Guy is retarded. First of all he has NO idea what he is talking about. The reason I am pissed is because he does not help you during his office hours. Enstead he will lecture you on how you need diciplined and my hand-writing needs to improve. He does not stop and let us ask questions during class. He will run through the lecture with a bunch of long equations and will not teach us the conceptual understanding. I mean we are talking 211 here, its relativity and quantum physics, every subject in this class is conceptual. And his attempt to make this class "meaningful" is to teach us when Einstien won the Nobel prize and who's sister went to Ohio State. To me that is just a waste of time. His test are a lot of equation crunching, if thats your bag then so be it. I got an A on every test Misterms and Final, but ended up getting a C becuase I pissed and was tired of showing up to class(missing quizes and HW). I had to learn everything from the book. If you actually want to learn something DO NOT TAKE OZAWA!

POLS 298


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Nov 2016
Trump 2016 -> Kanye 2020 -> Vermen Supreme 2024 -> ??? -> Profit