AI Rate Professor

Physics

David Newton

PHYSICS4B · PHYS10 · PHYS50 · 4A · PHY4C · 4AAND4B · PHYS4B · 4A4B · PHYS4A4B · PHYS4A · PHYSICS50 · PHYS004B · PHY4B · PHSY4B · 4B · 377 lifetime ratings

AI rating
58/100
RMP rating
4.2/5
Take again
71.79%
Difficulty
3.7

The decision

if you want deep physics learning and are ready to make the class a major time commitment.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerBrilliant LecturerExtremely DifficultTest HeavyArchive ProblemsHigh Effort Required
  • Newton is widely praised as an exceptional, memorable physics lecturer.
  • His classes are repeatedly described as brutal, test-heavy, and risky for GPA.
  • Students who love physics and grind practice problems can gain a lot, but .

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

28/100

An A is possible for strong students, but comments repeatedly say it requires heavy studying, archive problems, and serious physics commitment.

Both online and giving much more evidence of GPA risk.

Is the course easy?

BrainBurner

16/100

The physics content is repeatedly described as humbling, difficult, and conceptually demanding even when the teaching is strong.

Both formats describe the class as hard, and and archive practice.

Is attendance flexible?

Varies

55/100

, but pop quizzes, lab requirements, and lecture value make skipping risky.

, while in-person reviews vary by course and lab.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

72/100

, but many warn against taking him for an easy grade or low-stress schedule.

Both formats include strong praise, but and .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

24/100

Many reviews call him a and say high and a small number of graded items.

Format shift

online reviews also describing heavy effort.

Workload

Heavy

20/100

Students repeatedly mention daily studying, archive problems, frequent quizzes, and physics becoming a full-time commitment.

Format shift

Both online and in-person reviews describe heavy work, but .

Teaching experience

Good

78/100

He is often described as brilliant, funny, and inspirational, but some students find him chaotic, stressful, or insufficiently structured.

Format shift

Both formats include excellent teaching praise, while some online and .

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

88/100

Grades are heavily shaped by quizzes, midterms, finals, and .

Format shift

Both formats mention quizzes and test-heavy pattern.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

46 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

but repeatedly warn that , and archive problems make the course very hard.

Main concern

Getting a high grade can require intense daily studying and strong physics preparation.

What students said

“4B was by far the best and hardest course I've taken.”
4B
“ if you need an A.”
PHYSICS4B
“This is the toughest class I've taken. A full-time job.”
4B

Remote format

Online

4 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online reviews are mixed, with strong praise for inspiration but also complaints about disorganization and heavy weekly work.

Main concern

Online students still report very high difficulty and a need for constant practice.

What students said

“If you want an A, you really have to work”
PHYS4B
“Yes, his class is tough, but that's because his goal is to make sure you learn”
PHY4B
“This class and .”
PHYS50

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Reviews do not clearly prove proctoring or open-book rules, but and frequent quizzes.

Test HeavyFrequent QuizzesArchive ProblemsDifficult Exams

Assessment risk

Strict

30/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

, and archive-based preparation, but do not clearly prove open-book or proctoring rules.

Pop QuizzesTough ExamsArchive Problems
“ .”
4B
“ . .”
PHYS4B
“Getting a solid A may require a bit of luck on solving 1-2 .”
4A4B

Online

Online and , but do not clearly prove webcam, proctoring, Lockdown Browser, open-book, or take-home rules.

Weekly Lecture QuizzesWeekly Exam Problems
“There are lecture quizzes every week + 8 exam problems every week starting from week 4.”
4B
“I did endless problems, with a timer, 6-7 days/week”
PHYS4B

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“If you want to learn physics, 11/10. This guy knows anything and everything about physics and will make you the same. If you're just trying to pass, 3/10.”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting key themes in , and exams. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

78/100

“David Newton is an incredibly talented educator and 4B was by far the best and hardest course I've taken.”

🔥 Difficulty Level

16/100

“This is the toughest class I've taken. A full-time job.”

⚖️ Grade Risk

28/100

“ if you need an A.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • .
  • Newton is hands down the .
  • Lectures barely help with the .

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • Getting a B or an A is really difficult, but if you're willing to study a lot, it's possible.
  • After taking this class, I can confirm that it's ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE to get a A in this class.
  • An A is actually possible if you put in enough effort.

Theme 3

🧪

  • The most important thing is to study the archives on his website.
  • . .
  • There are lecture quizzes every week + 8 exam problems every week starting from week 4.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

377

Lifetime ratings

94/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty reviews across several years give rich, consistent evidence of excellent teaching combined with very high difficulty and .

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 5251
4 out of 560
3 out of 520
2 out of 517
1 out of 530

Course coverage

4B12 reviews
4A11 reviews
PHY4B4 reviews
PHYS4B3 reviews
PHYS503 reviews
Show 10 more courses
4A4B2 reviews
4AAND4B2 reviews
PHSY4B2 reviews
PHY4C2 reviews
PHYS102 reviews
PHYS4A4B2 reviews
PHYSICS502 reviews
PHYS004B1 review
PHYS4A1 review
PHYSICS4B1 review

Reported outcomes

No letter grade reported results lead the reported letter grades.

47 reported outcomes

A range

14

A+ 1 · A 11 · A- 2

B range

5

B 4 · B- 1

C range

9

C+ 2 · C 6 · C- 1

D range

2

D+ 1 · D 1

F

1

F 1

No letter grade reported

16

Drop/Withdrawal 5 · Incomplete 2 · Not sure yet 7 · Rather not say 2