Thomas Renbarger

PHYS4B · 2B · PHY4A · 4A · ASTR1 · ASTRONOMY1 · PHYSICS4A · PHYS4A · ASTRO1 · PHYSICS10 · ASTRO · 20 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 94/100
RMP rating: 4.5/5
Take again: 100%
Difficulty: 2.7

The decision

if you want fair physics with , and real grade recovery options.

Best fit · Effort For RewardClear lecturesPartial credit kingExam correctionsNote card allowedHomework optional

and and homework
Generous partial credit and half-point make strong grades reachable
; PowerPoints and practice materials cover what you need

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

EasyA

82/100

Physics content still needs study, but partial credit, , note cards, and make an A very reachable.

Online and ; most A evidence is in-person.

Is the course easy?

Standard

55/100

Intro astronomy and Physics 10 feel light, while 4A/4B still demand real problem-solving and math readiness.

Easier vibe is strongest in survey courses; calculus-sequence courses stay moderate-hard in person.

Is attendance flexible?

Optional

78/100

and materials are posted, though a as yes.

; in-person is mostly optional with mixed older reports.

Is this professor recommended?

MustTake

96/100

Near-universal would-take-again energy for , and .

Both the single online review and .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

84/100

Partial credit, half-point , , and easy lab credit appear repeatedly.

Format shift

Leniency is well documented in person; online mainly notes collaborative exams and .

Workload

Light

72/100

chill, and graded items concentrate on exams.

Format shift

Online also says homework is not mandatory; .

Teaching experience

Excellent

90/100

, and lectures that make hard physics digestible.

Format shift

Online raves about real teaching; one in-person PHYS4B review calls lectures lackluster on theory.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

72/100

Multiple exams and a and .

Format shift

Both formats describe test-heavy grading with few graded categories.

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

19 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

In-person students call him one of the better Peralta physics teachers: , light homework, and mostly optional attendance.

Main concern

A and lean only on board problems, so .

What students said

“His exams arent too difficult and he provides a practice test of similar difficulty. He is also generous with partial credit on exams even though you missed.”
PHYS4A

“Tom has good lectures that ! He has tests that are on par with the difficulty of the .”
PHY4A

“You dont need to show up to class because all the PowerPoints are online. but if you present it for the class you get E.C!”
PHYSICS10

Remote format

Online

1 reviews

Low confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online PHYS4B student praised hour-long lectures that actually teach, tough but , and strong recommendation.

Main concern

allowed.

What students said

“His lectures are an hour long (at least online they are) and he ACTUALLY TEACHES. Like he simplifies things and answers questions very well.”
PHYS4B

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams track practice problems and often allow notes or recovery credit, keeping risk manageable.

Practice examsNote card allowedPartial creditExam correctionsCollaborative exams online

Assessment risk

StudentFriendly

78/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person exams match practice tests, allow note cards in some courses, and .

Practice test alignedNote cardPartial creditExam corrections

“Allows a note card for exams.”
PHYS4A

“ on the exam.”
PHY4A

Online

but students can work with others, same as labs.

Collaborative examsTough exams

“ but you can work with .”
PHYS4B

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“If you want an A you can get one with hard work. and he provides a practice test of similar difficulty. He is also generous with partial credit on exams even though you missed.”
Voice snapshots generated from 20 reviews (1 online, 19 in person), , and . Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

90/100

“Tom has good lectures that !”

👍 Recommendation Rate

96/100

“ .”

⚖️

84/100

“Tom is a great professor, and one of the most fair .”

📝

82/100

“ you missed on the exam.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

he ACTUALLY TEACHES. Like he simplifies things and answers questions very well.
I really appreciate the hard work he puts into his lectures to help us understand this difficult subject.
Good at explaining the material during lectures.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

If you want an A you can get one with hard work.
This class is very easy to get an A.
Expect to do the work.

Theme 3

🧪

and .
You dont need to show up to class because all the PowerPoints are online.
Very little homework and on the exam.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

20 detailed reviews spanning 2015-2026 with consistent praise on teaching and .

Inside 20 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 514

4 out of 54

3 out of 51

2 out of 51

1 out of 50

Course coverage

PHYS4A4 reviews

2B3 reviews

PHYS4B3 reviews

4A2 reviews

PHYSICS102 reviews

Show 6 more courses

ASTR11 review

ASTRO1 review

ASTRO11 review

ASTRONOMY11 review

PHY4A1 review

PHYSICS4A1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

14 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 2 · A 11

B range

No reported values

C range

No reported values

D range

No reported values

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

Not sure yet 1

Thomas Renbarger

x x if you want fair physics with x x x x, and real grade recovery options.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

EasyA

Standard

Optional

MustTake

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

👍 Recommendation Rate

⚖️ x x

📝 x x

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

🧪 x x x x

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

if you want fair physics with , and real grade recovery options.

⚖️

📝

🧪