Melanie Lutz

PHYS006 · ENGR30STATICS · PHYS7 · ALLENGRCLASS · PHYS07 · ENGRALL3 · ENGR45 · ENG17 · ENGRALL · PHYSICS6 · PHYS007 · PHYSICS7 · PHYS0069 · 71 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 52/100
RMP rating: 4.0/5
Take again: 68.42%
Difficulty: 4.7

The decision

if you are serious about STEM, ready to work extreme hours, and want university-level preparation rather than an easy grade.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerBrutal University PrepTest Heavy GauntletTough GraderMassive Lab ReportsPolarizing Mentor

Extremely hard physics and engineering courses with .
Students who survive leave far better prepared for UC-level STEM work.
, and a demanding, sometimes abrasive classroom style.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

18/100

An A is rare and usually requires near-constant study; many say A is a delusion without massive weekly effort.

Both online and and ; online adds more self-teach pressure.

Is the course easy?

BrainBurner

12/100

Physics and engineering content is conceptual, derivation-heavy, and paced at university level.

Difficulty is extreme in both formats; and lectures, online comments emphasize self-study.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

18/100

and skipping class wrecks your chance to pass.

as mandatory in both online and in-person reports.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

66/100

mastery, not for students chasing an easy grade.

; online reviews are more mixed and critical.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Harsh

22/100

and , though some note a steep curve.

Format shift

; online tests can dominate 80% of the grade.

Workload

Overwhelming

12/100

and 10-20 page lab reports routinely consume all free time.

Format shift

Overwhelming workload appears in both online and in-person comments.

Teaching experience

Good

72/100

Passionate expert who deeply prepares students, but delivery can feel abrasive, rushed, or unclear.

Format shift

In-person praise for mentorship is stronger; online reviews .

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Grades lean heavily on difficult midterms and finals, with labs and .

Format shift

Test-heavy structure is consistent online and in person.

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

42 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

STEM mentor at Solano and warning about ridicule, huge workload, and brutal exams.

Main concern

Mandatory attendance, 10-20 page labs, test averages in the low 20s, and a harsh classroom presence.

What students said

“Her 10+ page lab reports and 7+ page homeworks . Midterms have hilariously low averages, with low 20s being the mean.”
PHYS006

“Professor Lutz's courses at Solano are amongst the most difficult, but ultimately, they will prepare you for a higher education.”
ALLENGRCLASS

“This will probably be the hardest .”
PHYS007

Remote format

Online

8 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online sections are still extremely hard and test-heavy, with several students reporting unclear lectures, yelling, and .

Main concern

, and heavy self-study burden feel worse without strong in-person mentoring.

What students said

“online she was hands down the worst professor I've ever had. students very often.”
PHYS006

“Two tests count for 80% of the and .”
PHYS006

“ if your goal is just to get an A. She will prepare you for future university.”
ENGRALL

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

examples, with class averages frequently in the 20s.

Test HeavyLow Exam AveragesWritten Explanations RequiredConceptual MasteryDifficult Midterms

Assessment risk

Strict

28/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

as horrific and unlike practice materials, demanding conceptual mastery from first principles.

Difficult MidtermsTest HeavyFirst-Principles ProofsLow Class Averages

“Midterms horrific:( I thought I was good at physics before this class”
PHYS006

“The class average on the tests were in the 10% to 20% range.”
ENGR30STATICS

“She wants everything to be proven from first principles (from the ground up)”
PHYS007

Online

and show very low averages; students say homework style must match her expected write-ups.

Test HeavyLow AveragesWritten ExplanationsGrade Dominated by Few Tests

“Two tests count for 80% of the and .”
PHYS006

“ ; without homework, knowing how she wants the problems done is impossible.”
PHYS006

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“If you want to . She makes you work hard and think hard but it is what you will have to expect in the real world.”
Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting extreme rigor, workload, and polarizing mentorship. Credibility rating: High.

🔥 Extreme Difficulty

12/100

“This will probably be the hardest .”

🎯 University Prep Value

72/100

“As a UCB transfer student, her classes are .”

📚 Crushing Workload

12/100

“Her 10+ page lab reports and 7+ page homeworks .”

⚖️

22/100

“do not go into this class expecting an A.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

Once you break the hard outer shell of discipline she is very sweet.
She is amazing at lecturing and explaining concepts.
She can get a little heated during lecture.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

being the mean.
An A is a delusional dream unless you literally spend most of your life invested in this class.
Do not expect a high grade in this course but you will come out as a much better engineering student.

Theme 3

❤️ About Mentorship

She will become your mentor and guide you to internships and your career.
Reach out to her when you get stuck, she WILL help you.
Youll never find another Dr. Lutz.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

50 detailed reviews spanning many years show consistent themes of extreme difficulty, heavy workload, and polarizing teaching style.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 546

4 out of 57

3 out of 55

2 out of 58

1 out of 56

Course coverage

PHYS00615 reviews

PHYS0079 reviews

ENG174 reviews

ENGR30STATICS4 reviews

ENGRALL34 reviews

Show 8 more courses

ALLENGRCLASS3 reviews

PHYS73 reviews

ENGR452 reviews

ENGRALL2 reviews

PHYS00691 review

PHYS071 review

PHYSICS61 review

PHYSICS71 review

Reported outcomes

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

37 reported outcomes

A range

A 11

B range

B+ 2 · B 13 · B- 1

C range

C 3

D range

D+ 1

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

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

Melanie Lutz

x x if you are serious about STEM, ready to work extreme hours, and want university-level preparation rather than an easy grade.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

HardWork

BrainBurner

Mandatory

WorthIt

See how this professor fits your week.

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

In person

Online

See what students actually said.

🔥 Extreme Difficulty

🎯 University Prep Value

📚 Crushing Workload

⚖️ x x x

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

❤️ About Mentorship

See exactly what the AI read.

Quality ratings

Course coverage

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

A range

B range

C range

D range

F

No letter grade reported

if you are serious about STEM, ready to work extreme hours, and want university-level preparation rather than an easy grade.

⚖️