Melvin Vaughn

MATH106 · PHYS4B · MATH4A · PHYS004B · PHYS4B4D · PHYS4D · PHYS4AAND4B · PHYS004A · PHYS2A · PHYS4C · PHYS1A · PHYSICS4A · PHYS10 · PHYS4A · 4A4C · PHY2A · PHYS001 · PHYS2B · 4A · MATH4B · PHYSI1 · MATH3A · 82 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 58/100
RMP rating: 3.7/5
Take again: 66.67%
Difficulty: 3.6

The decision

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

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerPassionate Physics LecturerTough GraderTest HeavyPolarizingCaring When Present

Strong, lively lectures and real care for students who put in the work
and
Online and some upper-level sections draw

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

38/100

Many students earn A or B, but comments , and that an A is never guaranteed without real effort.

Both online and ; online adds complaints about slow grading and limited live help.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

32/100

Physics content is conceptually hard, pace and depth often exceed easy intro expectations, and .

; online and 4-series reviews more often call the material demanding.

Is attendance flexible?

Varies

42/100

, while others list it optional, so flexibility depends on the section.

Online and ; and lectures stress participation.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

67/100

About two-thirds would take him again because they learn a lot, though a sizable .

In-person recommendation is stronger; several .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

36/100

and ; some padding or exam redos exist but grades still feel strict.

Format shift

Online students also note slow grading and picky credit for alternate methods.

Workload

Heavy

34/100

Lots of , and test-heavy pacing show up across many physics and math sections.

Format shift

Online can pile on extra recorded lectures on top of regular work.

Teaching experience

Good

72/100

When he is , and memorable; weaker terms and some online sections feel confusing or checked-out.

Format shift

In-person intro and and older math complaints.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

68/100

Tests and quizzes carry heavy weight; homework and labs matter, but .

Format shift

; online adds asynchronous quizzes and delayed returns.

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 Hardcore Learner

In-person students often call him one of the best physics teachers—clear, funny, and caring—but , and uneven pacing.

Main concern

Difficult exams and a reputation as a .

What students said

“ ! I loved his lectures so much! He made physics so much more fun!!!”
PHYS001

“If you want an A for transcripts, probably not the but its not guaranteed.”
PHYS4C

“Not an easy A.”
PHYS004B

Remote format

Online

7 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

some praise hard but and redo options, others report , and confusing explanations.

Main concern

Asynchronous reuse of old lectures, heavy extra video load, and .

What students said

“The class was supposed to be synchronous but it turns out he chose not to teach the class and just post lectures he'd recorded from a few semesters ago.”
PHYS004B

“ but the .”
PHYS4B

“If GPA is your primary concern this may not be the class for you; if becoming comfortable with the classical physics of electromagnetism matters, then go for it.”
PHYS4B

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams are challenging and central to the grade; some redo or padding options appear, but they are not student-easy.

Hard ExamsTest HeavySome Exam RedosFair but Strict

Assessment risk

Standard

48/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person comments call tests hard but often fair if you study; a few mention redo or .

Hard ExamsTest HeavySome RedosFair if Prepared

“gives padding with tests; and , and good communicator of the topics at hand.”
PHYS4C

“ , and hw so you can get max credit.”
PHYSI1

“ of the multiple choice final.”
PHYS2B

Online

Online reviews describe hard exams that force deep thinking, with little evidence of open-book or no-proctoring policies.

Hard ExamsIn-Depth Questions

“ but the .”
PHYS4B

“His questions force you to think and so to explore and understand the material better.”
PHYS4B

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“If you want an A for transcripts, probably not the but its not guaranteed. That being said, he is a ; gives padding with tests; and , and good communicator of the topics at hand. !”
Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews across online and in-person physics and math sections, , and polarized recommendations. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

72/100

“ ! I loved his lectures so much! He made physics so much more fun!!!”

📈 Difficulty & Grades

38/100

“Not an easy A.”

👍 Recommendation Split

67/100

“Simply the . Would work hard, but you'll get it. Awesome guy too. !!!”

⚠️ Online Friction

40/100

“He's like if a politician became a teacher instead. He isn't straightforward when problem solving and his examples are often unnecessarily long-winded and difficult to follow.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

! Made physics more fun!
Mel is an amazing lecturer and a .
Probably one of .

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

Very hard teacher
Not an easy A.
an A is not impossible but its not guaranteed

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

!
Mel truly cares about his students and wants them to succeed.
He's a cool guy and it shows how much he loves the subject he teaches.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty detailed reviews spanning many years, courses, and both formats give a consistent picture of a strong but demanding physics teacher.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 544

4 out of 512

3 out of 55

2 out of 59

1 out of 512

Course coverage

PHYS0016 reviews

PHYS4A5 reviews

4A4 reviews

PHYS4B4 reviews

PHYS2B3 reviews

Show 18 more courses

PHYSI13 reviews

MATH1062 reviews

MATH3A2 reviews

PHY2A2 reviews

PHYS004B2 reviews

PHYS102 reviews

PHYS4AAND4B2 reviews

PHYS4C2 reviews

PHYSICS4A2 reviews

254031 review

4A4C1 review

MATH4A1 review

MATH4B1 review

PHYS004A1 review

PHYS1A1 review

PHYS2A1 review

PHYS4B4D1 review

PHYS4D1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

31 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 2 · A 17 · A- 1

B range

B 3

C range

C 2

D range

D- 1

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

Incomplete 1 · Not sure yet 4

Melvin Vaughn

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

Four answers before you build your schedule.

HardWork

Challenging

Varies

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.

🎯 Teaching Quality

📈 Difficulty & Grades

👍 Recommendation Split

⚠️ Online Friction

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

❤️ About Character

See exactly what the AI read.

Quality ratings

Course coverage

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

A range

B range

C range

D range

F

No letter grade reported

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