AI Rate Professor

Physical Sciences

Gary Howell

PHYSICS195 · PYS196 · PHYSICS151 · PHYS196 · PHYS195 · 32 lifetime ratings

AI rating
18/100
RMP rating
2.0/5
Take again
33.33%
Difficulty
4.4

The decision

Avoid unless he is your only option and you can treat physics like a full-time job.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerTough GraderHarsh AttitudeOverwhelming WorkloadTest HeavyAvoid If Possible
  • Many students report , and demoralizing experiences
  • Workload and ; As require full-time-level effort and perfectionism
  • A minority say he is fair and clear if you are mature, serious, and live in office hours

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

MissionImpossible

16/100

, and low class averages make high grades rare without near-perfect effort.

Both formats describe brutal grading; .

Is the course easy?

BrainBurner

12/100

Physics is presented as extremely hard with , and .

Online and and pace overwhelming.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

12/100

, and lateness or absence can zero labs or tank participation.

.

Is this professor recommended?

Avoid

28/100

Most students say run, with only a minority recommending him for serious learners who can handle harsh standards.

Online reviews are uniformly negative; in person has a small positive minority.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Harsh

12/100

Students report points lost for typos, notation, and and GPA-killing.

Format shift

; online focuses on harsh tests.

Workload

Overwhelming

10/100

, and exams are described as a full-time job with 9 to 15 plus hours weekly.

Format shift

Both formats report crushing volume; summer intensives are especially warned against.

Teaching experience

Poor

28/100

A few praise clarity and rigor, but far more describe bored delivery, confusion, yelling, and hostility.

Format shift

In-person personality conflicts dominate; online adds complaints about endless videos and worksheets.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Tests and yet often unable to rescue a .

Format shift

Online explicitly cites exams at about 65 percent; in person stresses exams plus picky lab reports.

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

30 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

, yelling, and impossible standards, with a smaller set saying he is fair and teaches well for serious students.

Main concern

, and GPA risk dominate student warnings.

What students said

“ if you care about your GPA.”
PHYS196
“ UNLESS you wanna fail.”
PHYS195
“Yes, Howell is prickly. He's not warm. But he's fair and reliable.”
PHYS196

Remote format

Online

3 reviews

Low confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online students describe brutal test weight, endless homework, and .

Main concern

while .

What students said

“Tests (worth 65% of your grade) are graded harshly and arbitrarily.”
PHYS195
“I spent at least 15 hrs per week on his vides, word problems, and homework and I still feel behind”
PHYS195
“This professor is like a drill sergeant, he has no chill button.”
PHYSICS195

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams and labs are strict, high-stakes, and graded meticulously, with .

Test HeavyHarsh GradingCurved Tests SometimesLab Reports Strict

Assessment risk

Strict

22/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person exams and lab reports are picky; , but .

Picky Lab ReportsTough ExamsOccasional Curves
“each test was curved ~10%. For so ask questions double check and !”
PHYS195
“ if you check every page of your lab with him prior.”
PHYS196

Online

Online reviews say exams dominate the grade and are graded harshly, with .

Exams About 65 PercentHarsh Test GradingHeavy Weekly Homework
“Tests (worth 65% of your grade) are graded harshly and arbitrarily.”
PHYS195
“Expect to spend 9+ hours a , and labs”
PHYS195

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“ if you care about your GPA.”

Voice snapshots generated from 33 reviews (3 online, 30 in , and sparse defenses. Credibility rating: High.

🚫 Recommendation Warning

28/100

“ .”

⚖️

12/100

“He will find a way to mark points off any written explanation and .”

📚 Workload Overload

10/100

“Seriously, this class is a fulltime job.”

🧭 Minority Fairness View

55/100

“Not chill but fair. I learned physics.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • he is a and
  • Teaches like we are back in 1980s
  • He's not warm. But he's fair and reliable.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • the highest grade in the class was a B with a mean grade of C
  • You couldn't .
  • You will not pass trying to memorize anything

Theme 3

⚠️ About Classroom Climate

  • WILL YELL AT STUDENTS
  • Horrible attitude and hates students.
  • .

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

33

Recent reviews read by the AI

32

Lifetime ratings

86/100

Evidence confidence

Thirty-three reviews over many years are detailed and consistently negative on grading harshness, with enough volume for high confidence despite a small positive minority.

Inside 33 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 51
4 out of 56
3 out of 54
2 out of 54
1 out of 518

Course coverage

PHYS19619 reviews
PHYS19511 reviews
PHYSICS1511 review
PHYSICS1951 review
PYS1961 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

25 reported outcomes

A range

9

A+ 2 · A 4 · A- 3

B range

4

B 4

C range

4

C+ 1 · C 3

D range

0

No reported values

F

2

F 2

No letter grade reported

6

Drop/Withdrawal 2 · Not sure yet 3 · Rather not say 1