Fraser, Scott  

Professor Fraser's 102 class was unnecessarily hard for a GE as well as he was incredibly unhelpful at recognizing student needs and overall made it very difficult to do well in his class. His class is a lecture, which I had four days a week. He goes through slides incredibly fast and doesn't give enough time for anyone to write down all the information, making students ask constantly for him to pause the slideshow. His office hours are not helpful and his exams are exponentially more difficult than the information he presents in the lectures. He also treats students like they are inferior to him because he thinks he is smarter than everyone else. Do yourself a favor and avoid this class at all costs.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO THE OPTIONAL HOMEWORK. IT IS THE MIDTERM. i swear i got a C on my first midterm and an A on my second with only an additional hour or two of studying (i.e. all the homework assignments). The multiple choice questions come directly from the homework. do it and you will pass. Hes a pretty bad teacher but if you do the homework you will do well on the tests. also don't ask questions cause he will just confuse you more. a girl asked him a question once and he literally said "Uh, well, um… it makes sense"

One of the nicest, most understanding professors I've ever had! He goes through the material at a good pace and is always willing to slow down if you ask him to. Super nice and approachable. Go to class and really pay attention to his examples because the problems on the midterms and final usually resemble them. TAKE HIM

he teaches at a good pace that's super easy to follow esp if you're taking it as a GE class and you have no prior physics experience. but for those of you who have taken a HS algebra-based physics class, it's gonna be a bore. he goes over super simple details that are kinda unnecessary and you think you'll do great on the midterms bc you already know the content but no, there are like 10 questions on the test so if you make a careless mistake and miss 1, you're dropped to a B-. Just don't be overconfident. he's a nice professor, very down-to-earth and through with his teaching. Take him.

He is a really nice guy and goes over everything very in depth. There are two midterms and a final. The two midterms I have taken have been super easy. Compared to my other friends in Physics 1, Fraser is definitely the easiest professor! There is homework but you don't turn it in so it is completely optional, if you know how to do the homework, you will get an A in the class.

This professor was amazing. I have struggled with math my entire life and have never taken physics before, but Fraser explained concepts so well and in multiple ways. He focused on building the fundamental skills of physics through multiple choice questions, and the critical thinking of physics through free response questions. His in class-demonstrations were fun and kept the class attentive, while demonstrating complex physics concepts. THE MIDTERMS ARE ALSO EASY AF LIKE JUST DO THE HOMEWORK AND THEY ARE ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME. Best prof for 121 and literally 10/10 professor!!

As a non STEM major, physics was a course that was very difficult for me to understand. Fraser moves through the material very quickly and much of the material is complex if you have never taken physics before. He speaks in a fairly soft tone so I would suggest sitting close to the front to make sure you do not miss anything. The course grade is 100% exams which means that you have to perform well on them. The first midterm I thought was fairly easy and an introduction to physics with a lot of questions pulled straight out of the book and two free response. The second midterm was very challenging for me as the material started to get harder and the questions become more trigonometry based. The final was both a review of midterm #1 and #2 as well as a midterm #3. I thought that the final was difficult, however, I ended up with a decent grade in the class so I believe that he does curve generously. I would suggest reading the chapters before class, doing the homework multiple times, and going to office hours to succeed.

Odd guy

Fair and somewhat easy grading. Good lab instructor for 131/141. I would show up late almost every time and usually get the lab done and leave before the period was over. He gets your labs from the previous week back to you by the next week so you know what you did wrong. Would recommend him for lab.

Very straight forward class. Tests are fair. He really tries to help you when you ask questions. Good balance of theory and example problems. Really easy if you have him for lab, no writeups required. You just finish during the lab period and take off. He also reviews lecture stuff during lab sometimes. Would definitely recommend him.

Fraser goes through material really slowly so we ended up skipping a lot of stuff. But his weekly quizzes and exams were all very straight forward and the math/problem solving was typically easy/comparable to the homework and problems he did in class. He likes to test concepts on multiple choice though, so that can mess you up if you don't understand the actual physics concepts. Overall it's easy to do well if you put in the effort.

He is very clear in what he expects of you and the mid terms and tests are exactly like the problem you'll do in class. very straight forward I got a B without doing any homework. He makes it easy to understand concepts directly from the lecture.

Fraser does a lot of in-class examples that are very helpful. He also posts incredibly detailed homework solutions and exam solutions. He does a lot of derivations that you don't really need to see, but that can help if you're skeptical of the formulas provided. Homework assigned is minimal, and all relevant equations are provided on exams. If you're an engineer (like physics/good at physics) I recommend that you TAKE HIM.

I LOVE FRASER. I would honestly start his fan club. What an awesome, awkward man. His lectures were always straight forward and his exams are based heavily on homework and lecture problems. We never had any surprises and he was always approachable and nice. Take him if you can get his class, but make sure you have motivation to self study at the end. He just busts through powerpoints like no other for the last three chapters. I know more than I ever needed to know about waves, but engines were a problem towards the end. Regardless, TAKE HIM!

Professor Fraser is an extremely intelligent and timid man. He came to class prepared everyday and always had some interesting demonstration to compliment his lecture. The lectures can get a little boring because he derives all of the equations, but this can be helpful and make the conceptual questions easier to understand. Definitely pay attention to the examples he does in class and do all of the optional homework, because the exams contained very similar questions. However, you really need to understand the concepts in order to do well on both the multiple choice and free response, because he will mix things up here and there. Overall, he is a very nice and approachable man, but he is so smart that he sometimes has trouble explaining simple ideas. Highly recommended, if you work hard you can earn an A

He's...just okay. He definitely has a quite voice so AVOID SITTING IN THE BACK. Plus if you're in the back, it's more easy to fall asleep. For some reason his voice just puts me straight to sleep, even when the material was interesting, it was a struggle to stay awake. There was no homework due, but there are problems which are extremely important if you want to pass the tests. His midterms were multiple choice and free response, they were short but sometimes were way more complicated that the practice problems would lead you to believe. Fortunately the curve really helps. His labs are fairly easy, but it's difficult to get full points, my group has gotten a lot of 4.5/5. Overall I wouldn't recommend him just because of dullness, but he's no where near the worst.

Professor Fraser is easily one of the best -- if not THE best -- professor I've had at Cal Poly so far. He explains the material ridiculously clear, gives tons of examples in class, and gives you no surprises on the exams. In fact, the exams are mainly just the examples that he does in class with different numbers. If you go to class and take good notes, you can get an A in the class. If you go and take BAD note or pay less attention, you'll end up at a B. Hell... the person next to me almost never went to class and got a B. Take Professor Fraser if you can. Not only is he a great professor, but he's also a super nice guy.

Do NOT take Fraser. Your grade is all relied on the midterms and final, which rely heavily on MULTIPLE CHOICE questions. Srsly, first math/science professor I've taken that did that. What is this, English?!

Fraser was a prime Physics 132 lab instructor. I had Christiansen for the lecture part of the class. He taught very clearly, better than Christiansen did in lecture, and you can leave the lab when you're finished, so for 9/10 labs we left an hour early. There were also no lab reports, we just had in class stuff to do which was AWESOME. There were two quizzes which were quite challenging, the class getting a C average I think. Make sure you know the how the physical meaning will translate to a variable in an equation, such as if you're vibrating a string faster, what increases? It's frequency btw<<<, but that stuff you need to know if you want to do well on the quizzes.

Very interesting man. He was awesome and made sure you were prepared well.

Really good at teaching and explaining material (had for lecture). One complaint is that his midterms/final were largely multiple choice (which thankfully had partial credit) which I wasn't a fan of.

Dr. Fraser knows what he is talking about and gives you the information during lecture to know exactly what is on the tests. Nothing should come as a surprise during exams. Also, he gives partial credit on almost all multiple choice questions, so don't freak out too much about that. A lot of people complain about how he's boring or they can't pay attention, but his job isn't to entertain us. His job is to teach and I thought he did that well. If you have the chance to take a higher-rated professor, go for it but definitely don't put Fraser as your bottom choice.

The structure of the class and the material we learned was very clearly communicated. Fraser is a solid professor.

Dr. Fraser is an excellent professor, albeit a little quiet. He presents the material very well, and makes sure everybody understands the material before moving on. Like others have said before, he is very generous on grading. He grades your midterms with the ones you do the best on the highest weighted and so on. He also grades your labs on the spot, so you don't have to turn in a lab report later. Also rounded my low B+ to an A, so just some icing on the cake there.

Crackhead.

Take Fraser, at least for PHYS 133 anyway. Lectures are pretty straight foward, though there are times where he spends a little too long showing us the derivations of each formula, but nothing too bad. During office hours, he is really helpful and will take time to help you get a firm grasp of the concepts. Also, no homework is due and the tests are pretty easy (although this could be relative because I am an EE). Great professor overall.

Fraser's a good guy with a genuine interest in what he teaches. This makes for lectures that aren't always 100% relevant to what you may be tested on, but I'm glad for them, since he had to cut out material other professors taught :). There are 2 midterms and a cumulative final. Tests are pretty straightforward: the FRQ's very VERY closely resemble the homework, so do the homework if you want to do well (it's never collected)! The multiple choice destroyed my all quarter. Got nearly perfect on every FRQ, but the MC, oh man. Do all the Stop To Think questions in the book, he draws heavily from these, but they're still tough, in my opinion. Lectures overall can be a little dry, but Fraser teaches at a good pace and once you get used to his teaching style, it's pretty easy to follow along without ever reading the book. Compared to the other physics professors I've had, I gotta say Fraser is the best one yet.

Fraser is a very average teacher. He likes to mathematically derive all the equations that you use so be prepared to sit their for half an hour while he works. The class is so boring since you don't really need to know how to get the equations, because you get huge equation sheets that have everything you really need. Don't expect to understand the material very well. On the flip side he is an easy grader, doesn't require mastering physics, doesn't grade homework, and your grade consists of a few easy in-class problems, three midterms, and a final. Overall it was a pretty easy class. Be careful though, because the first two midterms were super easy while the third midterm was insanely hard. Nobody really expected it and I know a lot of people that dropped a letter grade or two due to that third midterm like me.

Fraser is an slightly awkward but overall decent teacher. His lectures are dull but straightforward and I enjoyed the related demonstrations he does in class. He gives relatively easy tests (including an overly complete equation sheet) and is an easy grader, but you'll find yourself learning to the test rather than learning and retaining the material. You have to put the extra degree if you want to master the material, but you can get a good grade just by showing up to lecture and doing a minimal amount of homework problems (he has them all worked out for you online). However, I liked him and I'd recommend him. I'll be honest, it's nice to have an easy grader when you have a heavy load of classes.

The tests were pretty straight forward and the problems were similar to his in class problems. Overall the class was fine if you just put a little time into reading from the textbook. Also Fraser was a really nice guy, which was refreshing compared to most of my teachers.

Fraser is a very shy fella. He is so nice though, and he is for sure willing to help. I have never taken Physics ever, and he is super helpful. As long as you show him that you have the drive to do well in your class, he will not grade you on your test performance, but on your motivation to do well. This is really rare for him to do that, but that is if and ONLY if you go each and every office hours, which seems crazy, but trust me he will help you and will see the drive that you are putting in his class. I have had him for 2 quarters, and now it will be my third. He is as good as any physics teacher can get, which is hard since physics teachers are not seen to be the greatest! Most definitely take him!!!

Scott Fraser is a brilliant man, though inarticulate at times and often impersonal. I had the pleasure of taking him for both PHYS 141 and PHYS 132 my freshman year, where I earned a B- and C+ respectively. Looking back, his 141 class wasn't too difficult. I averaged low Bs on his exams (which were mostly straightforward) and Bs on his quizzes (which were also straightforward). Sometimes, however, his lectures went above and beyond the scope of the class- ie talking about the momentum of anti-neutrino particles. And some of his examples were so over-the-top that you wouldn't even understand what you wrote down. To a large degree he over-complicates very simple concepts because he can only explain it in 'Fraser language.' For 132 I absolutely loathed every second of it excluding thermodynamics. Ray optics, ray tracing, mirror formulas, resonance, oscillations of a mechanical system, constructive/destructive interference, natural frequency, and beats were all unbearable. Talking with him after labs about theory of relativity, black holes, quantum mechanics, and astrology never failed to brighten my day. He and I would hold long-lasting conversations on just about anything physics-related; if only we covered physical phenomena not just math behind it. If you take the chance to talk to him you will see that he becomes more approachable and likeable. I will miss seeing him step on his tippy toes to reach the top of the chalk board along with his unintended sense of humor. Recommended for 141 and lab.

THIS GUY IS TRASH! spent all 2 hours doing worthless derivations that no one could follow, and maybe did one example problem per class. simply assigns book readings with optional hw, which makes what he is looking for very vague. so unclear, even in office hours. got an A by spending hours reading the text myself before a test, and trying to do all the examples i could. most people either didn't come to class, or left half way, because its nearly impossible to learn anything from class. to make matters worse, whole grade based on midterms and a final, so i guess if you already know physics and just want to scrape by with a b, this class will be good for that

Easy A. Need I say more? Alright alright alright, Don't take this class to learn, take it for the A. He doesn't teach a lot, so the midterms and the finals are childishly easy. No req books, homework that is not collected. Finally, grading scheme is 3 midterms (15, 25, 35 )% and a final( 25%).

Fraser is a really nice guy and he tries his best to help you get as many points as possible on tests. He won't mark you down if you have a simple algebra error but the steps were right. The class, overall, was tough but he made it bearable. Great teacher, I'd recommend him. Especially in this physics department.

It may have been his first time teaching Modern, but that's no excuse for spending four weeks teaching just relativity and then proceeding to teach the same lecture on the same topic for nearly the next three weeks. Fraser wasn't very good at conveying the material we were supposed to learn in the class, spending way more time than he should have on every individual topic. I'm pretty sure we ended up missing two whole chapters because of this. He also said in his syllabus we would have weekly quizzes, but ended up having only three. He also gave us a midterm during dead week, which I found out is against faculty policy. On the other hand Fraser's a nice guy and he does care about his students, but I really wouldn't recommend him to anyone else, at least not for 211 or any other future course he'll be teaching for his first time.

Scott Fraser is a great teacher. I had him for modern physics and he took his time to teach the class each section. This means the pace of the class is fairly slow. The class was divided into 3 midterms and a final. Each midterm had 10 questions MC and 2 FR. The multiple choice questions were either conception (did you understand the material that was taught) or taken from the homework. DO THE HOMEWORK. Even though the homework is not collected, you will NOT do well in this course if you don't do the homework. Do all of the homework assigned for each section and make sure to completely understand how to do it and you will do well in his class.

Professor Fraser was a good professor for modern physics. It is not a very easy subject to teach but he made the class bearable. He will willingly explain any concept you have trouble with and seems to care about his students. He makes homework optional but it is extremely important that you do it since your final grade consists of 3 midterms and a final. He also speaks a bit soft so sitting in the back of the class makes it kind of difficult to hear. Overall he is a good professor and I would take him again if I could.

Hot damn professor Fraser. If you want a hands down, 10/10 no bullshit class, then Fraser is the way to go. Not only is he incredibly smart and talented with a PhD, but he also is able to not only present the material (which is extremely difficult to grasp) very clearly but also recognize when the whole class is not understanding something and will review it. He assigns homework problems but does not collect them. You should do and master all of them because the multiple choice questions on his test are very similar. His midterms were very straightforward, no bullshit at all. He will tell you exactly what's gonna be on it and does not throw any curveballs. I pretty much went to lecture 90% of the time and did all the homework right before the midterms and finals and ended up with a solid B. We need more professors like him.

Made me look forward to an 8:00am class, and made me want to take more physics classes. He tests you on your intuition and give fair problems. I could not ask anything more of a professor. Take him.

Dr. Fraser is hands down one of the best professors I've had at Cal Poly. The class is divided into thirds: 1. Special relativity 2. Quantum Theory 3. Quantum Theory but harder than before. Fraser does a good job balancing the difficult conceptual questions with practical examples. He does talk fairly quickly, but after taking the course with him I don't see how he could talk any slower as no time was ever wasted during lecture. As some previous reviews have said he does tend to talk a bit softly, but it's not an issue even from the back. Grades are determined off of 3 midterms and the final exam. Each midterm consists of 10 multiple choice and 2 free response questions. Each multiple choice is worth 3 points and the free response is worth 10 points. He offers partial credit on most multiple choice problems for incorrect answers. The free response questions are taken from the homework (not collected and answers are provided) or the handouts he solves in class. There are never any trick questions. Take Dr. Fraser for 211.

Amazing course and incredible professor. The material in the class is difficult, but Fraser made the material easy to understand. Fraser can answer your questions and runs a well organized course. I highly recommend taking Fraser!

Taking this instructor is like being in a Twilight Zone episode. You just can