Andrew Charman - University of California Berkeley

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Andrew Charman - University of California Berkeley

Professor: Andrew Charman

Department: Physics

College: University of California Berkeley

Rating # 1

Overview:

Course: PHYS110B
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Charman gives EXTREMELY long and difficult homeworks. His exams are the hardest I have taken at Berkeley (and I've taken 61C, so that's saying a lot). In lectures he will often quote complicated results without derivation or rush through the math in an incomprehensible way. Good at physical explanations though, and has some interesting insight.

Rating # 2

Overview:

Course: PHYS5C
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Incredible lecturer, both in content and clarity. Homework and exams are extremely difficult, but are also interesting and informative. If you are willing/have time to put in the work Charman expects, you will learn much more than with other professors. My favorite physics professor so far.

Rating # 3

Overview:

Course: PHYS112
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

The feeling that you - are handed 20+ problems each week - mandatorily do 10 of them - only get 2 of the ones you do marked -- by a TA who does not have official answers. is the most significant feeling I have ever had while studying physics.

Rating # 4

Overview:

Course: PHYS5C
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Warning: he is really good at lecturing and explaining. Do go to his office hours regularly to clarify homework problems. His homework are long and really challenging, and his tests get progressively harder, especially the finals. Tips for 5C: do 137A past exams to prepare for quantum problems, and 112 or upper division stat mech for thermo.

Rating # 5

Overview:

Course: PHYS112
Grade Received: Not sure yet
Overall Rating: 2.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I took Charman for 105 and 112. 112 is the hardest class I have ever taken. The homework is three to four time longer than any other class. Exams are 3-4 questions all of which would be hard homework problems. My advice is avoid taking his class unless you are a senior with a good bit of advanced math under your belt.

Rating # 6

Overview:

Course: PHYS112
Grade Received: A-
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Its ironic that he teaches statistical mechanics and still pays little attention to individual students learning process. Read this book, do this 20 problems and youll be solid. Is his main message in every weeks announcements. Unless you befriend the GSI/Grader as I did, feedback of any form is nonexistent.

Rating # 7

Overview:

Course: PHYS7A
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Wonderful Lecture. Explain things quite clear. Extremely difficult exams.

Rating # 8

Overview:

Course: PHYS8B
Grade Received: Not sure yet
Overall Rating: 2.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Caring guy and fair tests, but his lectures are pretty terrible. Writes pretty small, drawings are messy and writing can get kind of illegible at times. Also his lectures aren't structured very well and he does a poor job of connecting concepts. You're better off studying off the book, but you still have to attend lecture because of pop quizzes.

Rating # 9

Overview:

Course: PHYSH7C
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Charman is a hard professor. His homework is (very) long and his tests can be insane. But if you are looking to become a better physicist, you should take Charman's class. He is fairly good at answering questions and lecturing. His philosophy is to set crazy problems which can be graded leniently on tests. If you are motivated, take Charman's class

Rating # 10

Overview:

Course: PHYSH7C
Grade Received: B+
Overall Rating: 2.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Charman wants his students to do well, but he doesn't seem to know how to do it. I understand some people really liked him and that's because they are smart enough to enjoy his extremely hard (but interesting) problems, but if you are not one of these people, Charman is the kind of professor that'll make you rethink about your life.

Rating # 11

Overview:

Course: PHYS112
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Probably the worst professor I've ever had. Doesn't teach anything in class and home works and exams are ridiculously hard. He doesn't help you out any if you go to his office hours either. A NO from me.

Rating # 12

Overview:

Course: PHYS7A
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Charman is one of the hardest professors at this University. As a result, you really learn the material well. His tests are a great chance to demonstrate a solid understanding of the material. Lectures can be a little dry at some points but for the most part he is a good professor.

Rating # 13

Overview:

Course: PHYS7C
Grade Received: A-
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Much harder than other UC Berkeley physics professors. Long, hard homeworks. He picked terrible GSIs, to the point where we had zero labs graded until after we had completed every single one, and we were getting homeworks graded back after we took the final. Additionally, the GSIs were not very familiar with the material being taught.

Rating # 14

Overview:

Course: PHYS7A
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Charman is a pretty neat guy in general, but his exams are just ridiculously hard. He's really passionate about physics, though, so I liked his lectures a lot. Do a ton of practice problems whenever you can and expect the craziest scenarios to appear on exams.

Rating # 15

Overview:

Course: PHYS7A
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Most soporific prof I've come across. Literally proved formulae given in the textbook in his lectures. Didn't teach us how to solve a single sum. Papers had nothing covered in lecture. Has this "holistic" grading technique, which is absolutely unclear and leaves little room for review. Would not recommend at all.

Rating # 16

Overview:

Course: PHYS7A
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I told some upperclassmen of mine about Charman. Most of them get destroyed by him, myself included. They were also quite surprised he was teaching 7A this semester. Charmander gives out like twice the homework other physics professors give, and they're hard; his tests are extremely difficult, but you'll have survived.

Rating # 17

Overview:

Course: PHYS112
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

The most existentially difficult class I've ever taken in my life

Rating # 18

Overview:

Course: PHYS105
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 3.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

He's pretty cool. Covers a lot more material than required, but does so well.

Rating # 19

Overview:

Course: PHYSICS137A
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Challenging, but you won't leave his class without having learned something, and in my opinion, the difficulty is worth it.

Rating # 20

Overview:

Course: PHYS8B
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 2.5
Course Difficulty: 2.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Charman as a professor was not too bad, his lectures were boring, but it was an easy class to get a decent grade in. I studied for the final the day before and pulled a B from the class. Do the homework, do all the extra credit, and write as much as you can on the midterms and final and you'll be fine.

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