middCourses
with Anne Goodsell5 days ago

Anne is an amazing professor. Even in 8am lectures, she would make it a pleasure to sit in her lecture. She is a someone that doesn’t shy away from talking about the real world, and the campus life, with the good and the bed. She will always show gratitude for you being there. The lectures are all recorded which is really nice. There are two problem sets per week, one due Tuesday and one due Friday which makes scheduling a little difficult. There are 3 quizzes, 2 midterms and a final. For me the content was not very hard, as I had good physics background but I can see how it would feel fast paced for somebody with little previous experience. Still, I would say that taking this class with Anne is definitely worth it!

Anne is an amazing professor. Even in 8am lectures, she would make it a pleasure to sit in her lecture. She is a someone that doesn’t shy away from talking about the real world, and the campus life, with the good and the bed. She will always show gratitude for you being there. The lectures are all recorded which is really nice. There …Read more

Lots of HomeworkEasy GradingFast-Paced
3hrs / week Some difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Anne Goodsell3 days ago

I really love Anne Goodsell as a Professor. She is extremely kind and is great at explaining things (always is super welcoming in office hours). I find the homeworks and labs to very helpful for learning the concepts and overall not an insane amount of work.

Chill and RelaxedFair Grading
5hrs / week Some difficulty Very high value Would take again
with Susan Watson8 days ago

I had taken a physics course in high school which definitely helped make this course manageable. I found Professor Watson to be very effective at teaching in a way that worked well for me. It took a few problems sets to figure out what she was looking for. While the criteria was strict, overall I think the extra effort I had to put into explaining my thinking helped me learn.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
7hrs / week Some difficulty High value Would take again
with Anne Goodsell4 days ago

Goodsell is an amazing prof - very accommodating and super passionate about physics (almost too passionate for an 8 am class). Sometimes the course felt a little disorganized but overall it was easy to keepup, homework was pretty light for the most part, and exams were fair. Studying was required to do well though.

Fast-PacedFair GradingEasy Exams
5hrs / week Average difficulty Average value Would take again
with Susan Watson4 days ago

Professor Watson knows what she’s doing! But her exams are brutal and there was so much homework. All be it a difficult major so this course definitely weeds out the weak. Would recommend taking this course if required for major or engineering but stay clear if you know you dont need it!

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkDifficult Exams
10hrs / week Extremely difficulty High value Would not take again
with Susan Watson14 days ago

If I had to go back and take this course again, I definitely would wait until a semester that Susan Watson was not teaching it. She gave a lot of homework and did not make the material easy to understand. Additionally, the material in her lectures was different than the material in her homework, both of which were different than the material on her tests.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkDifficult Exams
20hrs / week Extremely difficulty Low value Would not take again
with Anne Goodsell4 days ago

Anne is truly one of the sweetest professors at Middlebury. I would take this class 10x again if it were just to have her as a professor. Exams were fair, although homework does take a lot of time each week.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
8hrs / week Average difficulty Average value Would take again
with Susan Watson3 days ago

A car is a wheeled motor vehicle with an engine, typically four wheels, and seating for a small number of passengers, used for transportation on roads. Also called an automobile, a car is a self-propelled vehicle, meaning it moves itself, and is used for personal or business travel. Function: A car's primary function is to transport people and some goods from one place to another. Key features: Engine: A car is propelled by an engine, which can be an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. Wheels: Most cars have four wheels, though this can vary. Seating: It is designed to carry a small number of passengers, generally one to eight people. Synonyms: The terms "automobile" and "motorcar" are often used interchangeably with "car". Broader context: While the term "car" most often refers to a road vehicle, it can also refer to other types of passenger conveyances, such as a railway car or the passenger cabin of an elevator or airship.

A car is a wheeled motor vehicle with an engine, typically four wheels, and seating for a small number of passengers, used for transportation on roads. Also called an automobile, a car is a self-propelled vehicle, meaning it moves itself, and is used for personal or business travel. Function: A car's primary function is to transport …Read more

Lots of HomeworkChill and Relaxed
1hrs / week Average difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Susan Watson6 months ago

Physics 108 with Professor Watson was a very challenging course. This was my first time ever taking a physics course, and I found it way too difficult to be an intro stem course at Middlebury. Professor Watson herself is very kind, organized, and enthusiastic. She offers a lot of outside help which I highly appreciated. That being said, I struggled with her expectations and grading style. Almost all of your grade for the course is determined by hard exams. There are two problem sets per week, that you also have to correct, and even those are graded like exams. I spent hours on problem sets for them to be a tiny portion of my final grade. Watson is a very harsh grader. You need to show all of your work, and if you don't solve a problem her specific way, include all units, etc. you will lose points. It doesn't matter if your final answer is correct. I did enjoy the lab section for this course. It was also with Professor Watson. There is little to no outside work for the lab. Overall, I worked extremely hard in this course, but sadly I did not see pay off in the way that I wanted. I really like Watson as a person; however, I would not take this course again. This was the hardest course that I have taken as Middlebury so far.

Physics 108 with Professor Watson was a very challenging course. This was my first time ever taking a physics course, and I found it way too difficult to be an intro stem course at Middlebury. Professor Watson herself is very kind, organized, and enthusiastic. She offers a lot of outside help which I highly appreciated. That being sa …Read more

Lots of HomeworkTough GradingDifficult Exams
9hrs / week Extremely difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Susan Watson5 months ago

The material is interesting and fun to learn. However, Watson's requirements for how work must be presented are absurd. On tests, if you do not follow them exactly, you will do poorly even if you demonstrate a full understanding of the material and get the correct answer. Even if you clearly outline your method in a logical way, if it doesn't match her method, she will not accept it and will deduct many points. Her lectures are engaging, and she is clearly enthusiastic about the material. However, during exams, which count for the majority of your grade, you end up more worried about replicating her specific steps than actually answering the questions. Overall, it felt like she prioritized rigid adherence to her method over genuine understanding, which was extremely frustrating.

The material is interesting and fun to learn. However, Watson's requirements for how work must be presented are absurd. On tests, if you do not follow them exactly, you will do poorly even if you demonstrate a full understanding of the material and get the correct answer. Even if you clearly outline your method in a logical way, if i …Read more

Lots of HomeworkTough GradingDifficult Exams
5hrs / week Very difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Susan Watson2 months ago

Professor Watson is very enthusiastic and accommodating. However, she is very strict in terms of grading. If you do not follow her exact methodology you are subject to losing a lot of points on exams and homework. There was also too much homework. 2 weekly problem sets and corrections for those each week, that came out to 4 assignment submissions per week.

Lots of HomeworkTough GradingDifficult Exams
6hrs / week Very difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Anne Goodsell7 months ago

I LOVED Anne Goodsell! She's super positive and makes basic physics engaging and fun. It's one of the bigger lectures at Midd, probably, yet Professor Goodsell remembers all of her students' names. Exams were very reasonable, lots of practice resources were provided, and readings were rarely necessary, though the textbook was a good additional resource. Lab never required more than 30 minutes of work outside of class time and often got out early, too.

I LOVED Anne Goodsell! She's super positive and makes basic physics engaging and fun. It's one of the bigger lectures at Midd, probably, yet Professor Goodsell remembers all of her students' names. Exams were very reasonable, lots of practice resources were provided, and readings were rarely necessary, though the textbook was a good …Read more

Chill and RelaxedFair GradingEasy Exams
3hrs / week Low difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Anne Goodsell10 months ago

I have taken physics before, so it is very easy for me, nothing new to learn, even there is, pretty easy to understand. BUT..... there is one thing I have to mention that kind of disappoint me. 60% of my energy and time was spent on taking care of specific ways of resenting the the answers and writing in very specific forms required. Never experienced such high requirement for simply presenting existing ideas and answers in detailed rules. Such details are NOT helpful for my understanding and knowledge about physics at all. basically 70% of my scores being taken away are because I did not present things is desired ways (not even common practices like correct units or decimals). In summary, I felt I spent most of my time on something not helpful. But professor Goodsell is definitely a very nice and helpful instructor, always give great care for students' need and progress.

I have taken physics before, so it is very easy for me, nothing new to learn, even there is, pretty easy to understand. BUT..... there is one thing I have to mention that kind of disappoint me. 60% of my energy and time was spent on taking care of specific ways of resenting the the answers and writing in very specific forms required. …Read more

Chill and RelaxedEasy ExamsTough Grading
6hrs / week Low difficulty Low value Would not take again
with Susan Watson7 months ago

Professor Watson is a great professor. She was very clear about her expectations of the students from the start of the semester. She has a pretty specific way that you have to solve the problems and requires that you show all of your work on problem sets and exams. But she shows you how to do everything in lecture. I thought the lectures were very helpful and textbook readings were great supplements.

Professor Watson is a great professor. She was very clear about her expectations of the students from the start of the semester. She has a pretty specific way that you have to solve the problems and requires that you show all of your work on problem sets and exams. But she shows you how to do everything in lecture. I thought the lect …Read more

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
6hrs / week Some difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Anne Goodsell7 months ago

Anne Goodsell is an extremely nice person and professor. Like I've found with many of the physics classess, the homework guidelines are agressive grading wise, and it can absolutely cause some problems. The exams were generally not too bad, and she offered a lot of flexibility in the exam times.

Lots of HomeworkFair GradingEasy Exams
4hrs / week Average difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Anne Goodsell7 months ago

The course material was confusing at times, but in class demonstrations were useful in clearing up difficult concepts. It also made lectures more fun. Professor Goodsell always had a lot of energy and enthusiasm which made paying attention easier. Overall, I think I improved my physics and math skills.

Lots of HomeworkFair Grading
6hrs / week Some difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Anne Goodsell9 months ago

Prof. Goodsell is a really wonderful woman to take a class with, but sometimes I got a little lost in the weeds with her lectures. I'm not really the physics type, so I would imagine you won't have that much difficulty with the class if you do, but I found myself having some trouble, especially with pretty comprehensive exams (however, you are given some notes, so it's not totally miserable).

Prof. Goodsell is a really wonderful woman to take a class with, but sometimes I got a little lost in the weeds with her lectures. I'm not really the physics type, so I would imagine you won't have that much difficulty with the class if you do, but I found myself having some trouble, especially with pretty comprehensive exams (howeve …Read more

Fast-PacedFair GradingDifficult Exams
5hrs / week Extremely difficulty Very high value Would take again
with Anne Goodsell9 months ago

I had taken physics in high school but it was my freshman year, so much of this was a review but still very valuable. However I would definitely say that it was a fun class and intro level to physics. The lab was pretty simple too so overall its pretty chill.

Lots of HomeworkDifficult ExamsFair Grading
3hrs / week Some difficulty Very high value Would take again
with Anne Goodsell9 months ago

This course was difficult for me. Goodsell taught us the theory in lecture, seldom with examples of how to apply it. This meant that homework and exams were extremely difficult. On top of that, they required very specific styles of presenting work, and I was heavily dinged often. Professor Goodsell is extremely kind, accommodating, and brilliant, it was just difficult to learn the physics of motion from her.

This course was difficult for me. Goodsell taught us the theory in lecture, seldom with examples of how to apply it. This meant that homework and exams were extremely difficult. On top of that, they required very specific styles of presenting work, and I was heavily dinged often. Professor Goodsell is extremely kind, accommodating, a …Read more

Fast-PacedTough GradingDifficult Exams
7hrs / week Extremely difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Paul Hesslast year

Hess is the man. This class is hard but he's super accommodating and clearly cares about his students. His exams can be difficult (the average on one of them was a 50) but he curves generously. He even changed my grade after grades were due after he realized there was a grading error which he could have easily not gone through the bother of fixing.

Lots of HomeworkFair GradingDifficult Exams
6hrs / week Some difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Anne Goodsell10 months ago

Took the class to try some stem class and got thouroghly cooked. Despite that i felt like the course overall was a good in the sense that you learn a lot and the instructor is very accomodating and nice.

Fast-PacedFair GradingDifficult Exams
4hrs / week Some difficulty High value Would take again
with Susan Watson5 months ago

I did not like this class. Watson is clearly very smart and cares about the material, but she is very condescending, the lecture is not related to the homework, and she is almost never available outside of class.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkTough Grading
10hrs / week Extremely difficulty Average value Would take again
with Susan Watson4 months ago

Prof. Watson is extremely kind and is very enthusiastic about the material, but I found this class to be challenging. I spent many hours every week on homework for this class which was graded harshly and for very little credit. Exams were similarly graded: in this class there is not more than one way to do the problem, if you don't approach it the same way as the prof it will be marked wrong even if you show your work and have the right answer.

Prof. Watson is extremely kind and is very enthusiastic about the material, but I found this class to be challenging. I spent many hours every week on homework for this class which was graded harshly and for very little credit. Exams were similarly graded: in this class there is not more than one way to do the problem, if you don't a …Read more

Lots of HomeworkTough GradingDifficult Exams
30hrs / week Hardcore difficulty Extremely low value Would not take again
with Anne Goodsell7 months ago

I took this class because it is required for my major. I did not love this class but I think it is largely due to the fact that I don't love Physics. Not horrible if you have to take but wouldn't recommend just to fill distribution.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkDifficult Exams
5hrs / week Average difficulty Low value Would not take again
with Susan Watson2 years ago

The thing I appreciated the most about this course was that even though the material could be tricky, everything was super fair. Professor Watson let us know from day one what she expected of students, and what students could expect from her. Problem sets, labs, etc were always in a predictable format, and I appreciated knowing exactly how my final grade would be derived. There was also a good spread of how each element of our work would affect the final grade, so there was an impact on my grade that came solely from putting in the effort. Overall, a very good experience in this course.

The thing I appreciated the most about this course was that even though the material could be tricky, everything was super fair. Professor Watson let us know from day one what she expected of students, and what students could expect from her. Problem sets, labs, etc were always in a predictable format, and I appreciated knowing exa …Read more

Lots of HomeworkFair GradingEasy Exams
5hrs / week Some difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Susan Watsonlast year

Professor Watson was a good professor but led a very difficult class. The homework assignments were unnecessarily hard and require so much work to receive little credit. Professor Watson was very enthusiastic about teaching physics which I appreciated. The class for me was more to get the work done than actually learn.

Lots of HomeworkTough GradingDifficult Exams
6hrs / week Very difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Paul Hess2 years ago

This class was a really good introduction to physics. A lot of time is spent on each topic and it's reinforced in textbook, homework, videos, and lecture so if you don't get it the first time you will eventually. Labs are very well thought out and take almost the whole time or less on average.

Lots of HomeworkFair GradingEasy Exams
3hrs / week Low difficulty Very high value Would take again
with Paul Hess2 years ago

In order to succeed in this course, you defiantly need to keep up with the homework, go to the lectures, do the readings and watch the recorded videos. Practicing these physics problems is definitely important as well. The exams, thankfully, are graded on a curve which is nice. Professor Hess was also very enthusiastic about teaching physics and very helpful whenever I went to his office hours!

In order to succeed in this course, you defiantly need to keep up with the homework, go to the lectures, do the readings and watch the recorded videos. Practicing these physics problems is definitely important as well. The exams, thankfully, are graded on a curve which is nice. Professor Hess was also very enthusiastic about teaching …Read more

Lots of HomeworkFair GradingDifficult Exams
7hrs / week Very difficulty Average value Would take again
with Paul Hess2 years ago

This class was a really good introduction to physics. A lot of time is spent on each topic and it's reinforced in textbooks, homework, videos, and lecture so if you don't get it the first time you will eventually. Labs are very well thought out and take almost the whole time or less on average.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkTough Grading
5hrs / week Some difficulty High value Would take again
with Susan Watson7 months ago

The class material is difficult. However, exams are challenging and graded harshly; there is a curve, but remember to show ALL your work. Prof Watson is strict on her time, so she will typically not answer questions before or after the lecture, but she is flexible with office hours.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkDifficult Exams
5hrs / week Some difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Paul Hess2 years ago

The course was really good for learning about the physics of motion, and overall the professor is a really great teacher but I believe to be successful in this course you need to be prepared to put in a lot of work.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
8hrs / week Extremely difficulty High value Would not take again
with Paul Hess2 years ago

This is definitely a hard course but it's doable if you put the work in. There is a lot of homework- two problem sets a week and the exams are hard but he usually gives a nice curve. Professor Hess is an awesome guy and super accommodating.

Lots of HomeworkFair GradingDifficult Exams
7hrs / week Very difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Susan Watson2 months ago

There is so much homework - between labs and problem sets there is always something that you have to be working on. Don't get behind! Even with all of that work, most of your grade relies on the exams. Professor is available, but hard to "click" with.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkTough Grading
12hrs / week Some difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Susan Watson2 years ago

This class was my introduction to physics and I felt overworked for most of the semester. The professor tried to explain the concepts to us but sometimes would not effectively explain it, and we had two problem sets each week that required significant effort. The exams were graded fairly and scaled. Overall I liked Professor Watson but she wasn't always the best at explaining concepts to students who have never taken physics before and I felt that the workload was excessive for an introductory course.

This class was my introduction to physics and I felt overworked for most of the semester. The professor tried to explain the concepts to us but sometimes would not effectively explain it, and we had two problem sets each week that required significant effort. The exams were graded fairly and scaled. Overall I liked Professor Watson b …Read more

Lots of HomeworkFair Grading
8hrs / week Some difficulty Average value Would not take again