AI Rate Professor

Physics & Astronomy

Susan Stolovy

PHYS1A · ASTRO20 · ASTO20 · ASTR25 · PHYS1D · 1A · 1D · 104 lifetime ratings

AI rating
75/100
RMP rating
3.9/5
Take again
70.13%
Difficulty
3.5

The decision

if you want a passionate physics instructor and are ready to work hard for a supported but challenging grade.

Best fit · Effort For RewardExtra credit heavyPassionate lecturerHard physics contentOffice hour supportTough exams
  • Students repeatedly say she cares and offers major , but the physics workload is still demanding.
  • , where students describe harder tests and less effective support.
  • The course is usually passable with , and , but it is not an easy A.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

58/100

and , but students consistently say an A takes serious homework, studying, and office-hour effort.

In-person evidence is more grade-supportive, while and .

Is the course easy?

Challenging

35/100

Physics and astronomy concepts are described as dense, fast-paced, and often .

Both formats describe difficult content, but online students more often say lectures were not enough.

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

45/100

as formally mandatory, but participation, quizzes, lectures, and office hours are repeatedly framed as important for success.

In-person comments stress class participation and office hours, while online comments mention being put on the spot and needing to use all resources.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

72/100

Most positive students recommend her for , and , but a significant minority warn about pace, tone, and workload.

online students, who are split or negative.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

70/100

Grading is helped by , dropped scores, partial credit, and , though exams can still feel tough.

Format shift

, while online reviews mention tough grading more often.

Workload

Heavy

35/100

Students frequently mention lots of , and time needed to keep up.

Format shift

Both formats describe heavy effort, with online students emphasizing self-study and and lecture pace.

Teaching experience

Good

76/100

Many students praise her passion, demos, office-hour help, and care, but others find her fast, intimidating, or condescending.

Format shift

Teaching experience is stronger in person, while online reviews say her style did not translate as well.

Assessment method

Balanced

62/100

, and , with exams often carrying major weight.

Format shift

Both formats mention exams and homework, but , and .

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

43 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

In-person students more often praise her passion, office-hour help, demonstrations, , and fair but .

Main concern

The main concern is fast, dense lectures in a naturally hard physics curriculum.

What students said

“ , and she offers countless opportunities for students to improve their grades.”
PHYS1A
“Dr. Stolovy expects a , while rushing through lectures and without study guide.”
1A

Remote format

Online

7 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

Online students , and mixed teaching fit despite some support and .

Main concern

Online students often felt they had to study independently because lectures were not enough.

What students said

“This class is difficult but it builds your work ethic for once you transfer.”
PHYS1D
“ and .”
PHYS1A

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Reviews support hard but and homework alignment, without clear evidence of proctoring or open-book policies.

Hard ExamsExam Extra CreditQuizzesHomework-Aligned Problems

Assessment risk

Standard

52/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person reviews describe fair , and , but do not clearly prove open-book or closed-book rules.

Fair But Hard ExamsExam Extra CreditChapter Quizzes
“ but kinda hard.”
1A
“tests were 50% of grade”
PHYS1D

Online

and quizzes, but do not clearly prove webcam rules, proctoring, Lockdown Browser, or open-book policies.

Hard ExamsQuizzes
“the ”
PHYS1A
“the if you did all the homework”
PHYS1A

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“This is not an easy A. It is a tough class, but she offers office hours and will help you.”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting key themes in , and format differences; credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

76/100

“She is very passionate about physics, you can tell she cares a lot about the success of her students”

⚖️

70/100

“ , and she offers countless opportunities for students to improve their grades.”

📚 Course Difficulty

35/100

“ but , as long as you study hard, do the homework, and attend some office hours or tutoring you'll do well.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • Lectures were fun and engaging with always plenty of in class demonstrations and examples.
  • She goes really fast on lectures.
  • She presents material in such a way that makes it easier to understand and keeps you engaged.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • I'll quote a friend, "Stolovy's 1A is ez to pass but hard to get an A".
  • LOTS of , about a 4% grade boost.
  • and slight curveballs but if you truly understand the HW you should do OK.

Theme 3

❤️ About Support

  • She truly cares about you passing and always tries to support you if you reach out, especially during office hours.
  • She has lots of office hours and .
  • When you attend office hours to ask for help, she acts in a very condescending way.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

104

Lifetime ratings

92/100

Evidence confidence

The analysis uses 50 detailed reviews across several years, with consistent themes about , demanding physics content, and format differences.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 557
4 out of 517
3 out of 59
2 out of 58
1 out of 513

Course coverage

PHYS1A17 reviews
1A15 reviews
ASTR258 reviews
PHYS1D7 reviews
1D1 review
Show 2 more courses
ASTO201 review
ASTRO201 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

48 reported outcomes

A range

29

A+ 2 · A 25 · A- 2

B range

12

B 12

C range

1

C 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

6

Drop/Withdrawal 1 · Incomplete 1 · Not sure yet 3 · Rather not say 1