Anna Tolstova

PHYSICS150AB · PHYSIC101 · PHYSICS201 · PHYSICS202 · PHYSICS101 · PHYS101PHYSICS2 · PHYS101 · PHYS202 · PHYS201 · PHYSIC202 · PHY200 · PHYSIC200 · PHYS151 · PHYS200 · 80 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 91/100
RMP rating: 4.6/5
Take again: 88.68%
Difficulty: 3.3

The decision

Must-take physics professor if you will work hard, attend, and follow her book and office-hour advice.

Best fit · Effort For RewardPassionate about physicsAmazing lecturesCaring mentorRead the bookTest heavy but fair path

Students rave about passion, clarity, and genuine care for success.
read the , and use office hours.
; exams matter but support and As reachable with effort.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

58/100

An A is attainable with , and office hours, not by coasting.

Online and ; neither sells a free A.

Is the course easy?

Standard

48/100

Physics concepts and math load are real, but .

Difficulty feels similar across formats; teaching quality is the stabilizer.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

28/100

, and even when optional, skipping is framed as failing risk.

Online still often requires presence for .

Is this professor recommended?

MustTake

90/100

Roughly nine in and repeatedly call her the .

Strong recommendation in both formats despite a .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

64/100

, and partial credit for effort, balanced by tough timed tests.

Format shift

Online timed no-partial complaints exist, but if you try.

Workload

Moderate

42/100

yet essential; reading, practice, labs, and multiple exams keep effort high.

Format shift

Both formats stress book work and .

Teaching experience

Excellent

92/100

Consistently praised as , and inspiring across many courses.

Format shift

Excellence holds online and in person; rare negatives focus on intensity or .

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

72/100

Multiple major exams and labs dominate; bucket.

Format shift

Online comments especially note timed exams as the high-stakes piece.

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 reviews describe inspiring lectures, workshops, office hours, and strong outcomes when students read and practice.

Main concern

Can feel intense or intimidating; and .

What students said

“I have never met a professor more passionate about their subject or about the success of each student.”
PHYS151

“ , but .”
PHYS101

“READ THE BOOK!! That is key to not only passing the class but .”
PHYS202

Remote format

Online

8 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online and hybrid students still praise her care and clarity, while and .

Main concern

Timed exams and if you are underprepared.

What students said

“She LOVES teaching. I love that I learned how the universe works.”
PHYS101

“the .”
PHYSIC101

“ ! If you !”
PHYS202

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

and can be tricky or timed, but support resources and .

Timed examsDrops lowest examTest heavyHomework mirrors testsExtra credit sometimes

Assessment risk

Standard

52/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person students report hard but learnable tests aligned to notes and .

Test heavyHomework-based testsDrop lowest examIn-person labs

“ . !”
PHYS101

“ , but .”
PHYS101

Online

and little partial credit, plus prep videos.

Timed examsExam prep videosHigh exam weight

“the .”
PHYSIC101

“ . Timed, duh. No partial credit.”
PHYS202

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“I have never met a professor more passionate about their subject or about the success of each student.”
Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting passion, effort, and exams. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

92/100

“I have never met a professor more passionate about their subject, she is really having fun teaching physics.”

👍 Recommendation

90/100

“If you !”

📖 Work Required

42/100

“READ THE BOOK!! That is key to not only passing the class but .”

❤️ Student Care

90/100

“She treats YOU as family. Go to her office hours, she'll help you.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

Amazing lectures
physics is everywhere
She LOVES teaching

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

A little on your part is all that is needed for an A
5 major exams but only 4 are needed as

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

Caring
Inspirational
accessible outside class

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

92/100

Evidence confidence

50 detailed reviews spanning years and courses with strong consensus on passion, care, and effort-based success.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 569

4 out of 56

3 out of 52

2 out of 50

1 out of 54

Course coverage

PHYS10119 reviews

PHYS2025 reviews

PHY2004 reviews

PHYSICS150AB4 reviews

PHYS1513 reviews

Show 9 more courses

PHYS2013 reviews

PHYSIC1013 reviews

PHYS101PHYSICS22 reviews

PHYS2002 reviews

PHYSIC2001 review

PHYSIC2021 review

PHYSICS1011 review

PHYSICS2011 review

PHYSICS2021 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

34 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 7 · A 9 · A- 1

B range

B+ 1 · B 10

C range

C 2

D range

No reported values

F

No reported values

No letter grade reported

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