AI Rate Professor

Physics

Jia Shi

PHYS1A · PHY1C · PHY1A · 1C · 1B · PHYSICS · PHYS8A · PHYS10 · 1A · PHYS008C · PHYS008A · PHYS8 · PHYS1C · PHYS · PHYS8B · 162 lifetime ratings

AI rating
70/100
RMP rating
3.7/5
Take again
67.69%
Difficulty
3.8

The decision

Take him if you want to actually learn physics and ; avoid if you need an easy A or .

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerPassionate physics educatorHard conceptual examsUp to 10% extra creditHybrid video lecturesLabs easy relative to tests
  • Excellent conceptual teaching for students who want real physics depth, not an easy ride.
  • Exams are few, short, and ; EC and .
  • PHYS10-style online GE sections feel far easier than engineering 8A/8B.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

38/100

Hard multi-part exams dominate, so an A usually and .

Online PHYS10 can be much easier; engineering physics in person is the hard-A path.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

28/100

Engineering physics is calculus-heavy and concept-deep; only survey PHYS10 sections feel approachable.

In-person 8-series is clearly BrainBurner-adjacent; online intro sections lower the bar.

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

58/100

; many hybrids push video lectures while labs and .

Online PHYS10 is flexible; several 8A/ .

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

68/100

About two-thirds would take him again for deep learning, and old videos.

Recommendation is stronger among students who want rigor; weaker among those seeking an easy online pass.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

52/100

Item grading can be tough, but large and .

Format shift

EC and curve comments appear in both formats; online .

Workload

Moderate

48/100

Labs and some online work are manageable, but , and .

Format shift

PHYS10 online is light; 8-series hybrid lecture volume is the heavy part.

Teaching experience

Good

76/100

Passionate, knowledgeable lecturer who teaches deep concepts well, though some find videos dated or support thin.

Format shift

In-person and hybrid lecture praise is high; pure online experiences are more mixed.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

82/100

A few short, hard midterms and a , and EC as secondary supports.

Format shift

True for 8-series in both formats; PHYS10 leans more on quizzes and discussions.

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

37 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person and hybrid 8A/8B students praise passion and depth but and heavy concept load.

Main concern

Exam averages can sit near 50-65% without full use of EC and curves.

What students said

“One of the . Lectures were so good. Very difficult class. But I have learned so much from him.”
PHYS8B
“Your grade comes down to 12 questions. 3 midterms where each one is 4 questions long.”
PHYS8B
“A lot of EC can boost your grade up to 10%.”
PHYS8B

Remote format

Online

13 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

Online and hybrid ranges from light PHYS10 quizzes to demanding self-paced 8-series courses with long video lectures.

Main concern

Limited live support and .

What students said

“very little workload, most of the grades are based on online quizes and discussions. Many extra credits.”
PHYS10
“There's a lot of online videolectures, but . They're all well-prepared and easy to follow.”
PHYS008C
“ . Tests are not curved, with averages of 40-55%.”
PHYS8A

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams are short, concept-heavy, and often much harder than practice or and curves.

Few Hard QuestionsConcept ApplicationPractice Exams Easier Than RealExtra Credit BufferCurve After Final

Assessment risk

Strict

38/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

hard problems; practice exams underprepare many students.

3-4 Question MidtermsHarder Than PracticeExtra Credit Up To 10%End Curve
“Your grade comes down to 12 questions. 3 midterms where each one is 4 questions long.”
PHYS8B
“ the practice exam that he gives you”
PHYS8B
“You can earn up to 10% ”
PHYS8B

Online

Online still uses demanding tests in upper physics; PHYS10 is quiz-heavy and much friendlier.

Hard ExamsOnline QuizzesExtra CreditSelf-Paced Modules
“Tests are not curved, with averages of 40-55%.”
PHYS8A
“most of the grades are based on online quizes and discussions.”
PHYS10
“He's a , but .”
1B

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“If you want to learn physics, take Prof. Shi. Extremely knowledgable about physics and you can tell he is passionate about teaching it.”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews (13 online, 37 in person), highlighting rigor, EC, and . Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

76/100

“Prof. Shi is a true educator.”

🔥

38/100

“u had to be newton .”

🎁 Buffer

70/100

“A lot of EC can boost your grade up to 10%.”

👍 Recommendation

68/100

“If you love physics and want to go beyond what's in the . Shi.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • passionate about physics and
  • knows how to teach and tell a story at the same time
  • witty humor that keeps his lectures refreshing

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • the
  • Your grade comes down to 12 questions
  • high 80% is an A at the end of the semester

Theme 3

🧪

  • , and can often finish them in an hour
  • frequent chapter summaries and discussion posts
  • Lots of

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

162

Lifetime ratings

87/100

Evidence confidence

50 reviews across intro and engineering physics with and EC themes over several years.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 584
4 out of 528
3 out of 514
2 out of 512
1 out of 525

Course coverage

PHYS8B16 reviews
PHYS8A6 reviews
PHYS008A4 reviews
PHYS1A4 reviews
1C3 reviews
Show 10 more courses
PHY1A3 reviews
PHYS103 reviews
1B2 reviews
PHYS008C2 reviews
PHYS1C2 reviews
1A1 review
PHY1C1 review
PHYS1 review
phys81 review
PHYSICS1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

49 reported outcomes

A range

26

A+ 2 · A 20 · A- 4

B range

11

B+ 3 · B 8

C range

1

C 1

D range

1

D 1

F

1

F 1

No letter grade reported

9

Drop/Withdrawal 4 · Not sure yet 1 · Rather not say 4