AI Rate Professor

Physics

Christian Vaca

PHY212 · PHYS21X · PHYS213 · PHY120 · PHY211 · PHY213 · PHYS212 · PHY150 · 45 lifetime ratings

AI rating
68/100
RMP rating
3.9/5
Take again
67.39%
Difficulty
4.2

The decision

if you want real physics depth and can protect time for a heavy course; avoid if you need a light easy A.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerHilarious lecturesLots of homeworkHard but fair curvePassionate physicistPolarizing ego
  • Many STEM students call him one of the and a transfer prep gem.
  • Workload is brutal with , and .
  • 85 percent is an A) but an easy A is not realistic without heavy effort.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

38/100

Curve and 85-percent-as-A help, but students stress tons of work and say this is not an easy A.

and a curve; in but heavy effort required.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

24/100

Physics concepts are dense, fast, and math-heavy with average difficulty around 4.2.

Both formats call the content hard; online .

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

28/100

and several warn skipping sinks the grade.

In person is mostly mandatory; a .

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

70/100

About two-thirds would retake him, driven by teaching passion despite workload and personality friction.

In-person fans are louder; online has more no responses.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

62/100

Many report fair or and 85 percent as an A, while others still call him a .

Format shift

; in and fairness if work is done.

Workload

Overwhelming

18/100

Lots of , and tests dominate free time across nearly every positive and negative review.

Format shift

Both online and in person hammer the workload theme.

Teaching experience

Good

78/100

Standout lectures and humor for many; a .

Format shift

In-person praise is strongest; online is more mixed on lecture usefulness.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

68/100

Weekly quizzes, multiple tests, labs, and .

Format shift

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

In person he is loved as a hilarious, passionate lecturer who prepares majors, while , and ego.

Main concern

Homework and free-time load can overwhelm students with other hard classes.

What students said

“One of the best professors at this school... .”
PHYS212
“He drowns you in homework.”
PHY211
“Dr. Vaca is AWESOME! ... he made both E&M and Newtonian physics super fun to learn.”
PHY213

Remote format

Online

4 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online physics reviews describe insane workload, mixed lecture value, pompous attitude, and possible exam makeup points, with .

Main concern

, and attitude friction hit harder online for some students.

What students said

“The workload for physics is insane, but that's why there's a curve.”
PHY212
“He'll give you up to 30 points back on a 100 point .”
PHYS213
“Prob the biggest ego Ive ever seen a teacher lol”
PHYS212

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams are challenging but often paired with ; not described as open-book or Lockdown-based.

Hard examsWeekly quizzesDrops lowest exam or quizMakeup points (online)Curve

Assessment risk

Standard

48/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person students describe hard tests and , and sometimes dropped lowest scores; closed-book proctoring is not explicitly proven.

Hard examsWeekly quizzesLab reportsDrop lowest scoresOffice hours
“This is not an easy A. He prepares you well for the exams and . GO TO OFFICE HOURS!”
PHY211
“His class is straightforward and the , but !”
PHY120

Online

Online comments mention heavy workload, a curve, and ; proctoring tools are not clearly proven.

CurveExam makeup assignmentsHeavy homework
“He'll give you up to 30 points back on a 100 point , and if you do everything by the book, you'll pass.”
PHYS213
“The workload for physics is insane, but that's why there's a curve.”
PHY212

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“If you want ; if you care more about the grade, then be careful.”

Voice snapshots generated from 46 reviews (4 online, 42 in person), highlighting passion versus workload. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Passion

78/100

“Chris's lectures were phenomenal and made me see the world in a whole new way.”

📚 Workload Reality

18/100

“He drowns you in homework.”

⚖️

62/100

“ , as 85% and above is an A.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • Made a hard subject like physics fun and interesting with his jokes.
  • .
  • His lecture notes are wild, could barely read them.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • This is not an easy A.
  • .
  • EASY TO PASS HARD TO A.

Theme 3

⏰ About Workload

  • Just get ready to have no life with this class, lots of lab work and homework.
  • Your free time will suffer greatly if you want to pass.
  • Professor Vaca told us that all your free time will be his.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

46

Recent reviews read by the AI

45

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

Forty-six reviews spanning many years and courses show stable themes of hard work, strong lectures, and polarization.

Inside 46 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 529
4 out of 52
3 out of 52
2 out of 54
1 out of 59

Course coverage

PHY21113 reviews
PHY2139 reviews
PHYS2139 reviews
PHY1506 reviews
PHYS2124 reviews
Show 3 more courses
PHY2122 reviews
PHYS21X2 reviews
PHY1201 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

39 reported outcomes

A range

18

A+ 3 · A 14 · A- 1

B range

10

B+ 1 · B 8 · B- 1

C range

5

C+ 1 · C 3 · C- 1

D range

1

D+ 1

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

5

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