PHYS274 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Ki-Yong Kim PHYS274 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/18/2024	Dr. Kim is one of the best professors I’ve had in the physics department. He is very nice, accommodating, and genuinely cares about students. After pretty much every homework, he would tell us we could have extra time if needed. I asked for so many extensions in his class, and he always said yes immediately. He respond to emails, and reassured students throughout the semester. He makes very thorough study guides which are ve eh helpful for exams. With that being said, I did the entire practice exam several times for the final along with practice problems from the entire semester, and was still lost on the final to say the least. Most people stayed at least 30 minutes after the final.. He curved the class about 5%, although I suspect he graded the final extremely leniently. He clearly doesn’t want students to fail. Even students who probably would have failed with a different professor, he passed them..
Ki-Yong Kim PHYS274 Anonymous 05/10/2024	To put it simply, Kim is the GOAT. His lectures are very well taught (if a bit fast at times), however, he is always happy to help you understand something you don't get either after class or during office hours (which, unlike other physics teachers, are extremely helpful and insightful). He is very forgiving with homework, and always listens to his students' feedback (we had two tests a day apart and he moved his). Speaking of tests, he posts reviews which are very, very helpful in completing them. On top of all of this, he's just a very funny and nice guy. Of course, if you haven't taken a physics course you may not like him, but that's just how you feel about taking the first course of well, anything. I would 100% recommend taking Kim.
Ki-Yong Kim PHYS274 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 03/26/2024	One of the best professors I've had in the physics department. I agree with some of the other comments, where he will be more appreciated by physics majors than non physics majors. He is one of the better lecturers I've had, and could learn most of the content without too much effort outside class until the third exam. On top of this, you can tell he cares about your learning and is a really nice person overall.
Anson Hook PHYS274 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/28/2023	Teaches linear algebra well, some homework questions are difficult if only using material he discusses in class. His review sessions for exams are extremely relevant to the content on both the midterm and the final exam. The midterm was fair, while the final was quite difficult. While he does sometimes make mistakes while working through problems, he is very approachable and helpful in solving a problem. When he gets to show how the math we learn can be applied to physics questions, he is an incredible instructor.
Anson Hook PHYS274 Expecting an A Anonymous 10/20/2023	If you are able to think critically and put the effort into understanding what is taught he is a great professor. Homeworks are fairly easy as of now, and the exams are very fair. The trick is to put the effort in like expected and you will succeed. Anson deserves much higher than a 2.33 rating. You could easily see his progression as a professor as well.
Ki-Yong Kim PHYS274 Anonymous 05/12/2023	He is really passionate about teaching and really understanding with deadlines and grading and office hours. He is always around to help and will add more office hours if people ask. The class itself is hard and you have to put in work, but he is always there to help!
Anson Hook PHYS274 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/02/2023	Prof. Hook almost never checked any of his example problems or fully solved through proofs before trying to show them to the class, resulting in confusion and wasted class time. He also spent a large portion of the lecture time on proofs. I'm not saying this as a positive or negative, though sometimes I did wish he spent more time explaining concepts. I took calc three at UMD and absolutely loved it, but the way Hook teaches multivariable calculus just makes me so confused. I know I'm going to have to relearn everything I already had solidly in my brain because of him. Additionally, the final came out of nowhere - it was harder than any homework or practice problem we had and was absolutely nothing like the practice final. The final dropped my grade by 10 points and I did above average (though the class was curved after the final). If you're a physics major who needs to take the class and it's your only option, you'll survive, but you won't enjoy it.
Anson Hook PHYS274 Expecting a C Anonymous 12/24/2022	Primarily proof based lectures with a few examples sprinkled in. Homework for the linear algebra portion is largely proof based. The multivar portion is mainly calculation based. The midterm was fairly difficult with the final being very difficult compared to the rest of the class. If you enjoy proofs of what you are doing in class to understand, great professor, if not you will probably struggle to understand. There is a significant curve at the end of the course roughly 15-20%.
Anson Hook PHYS274 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/12/2022	sucks at teaching multivariable calculus, pretty much teaches straight out of the textbook and just is terrible at explaining anything and skips steps in his lectures when showing his work.
Bei Lok Hu PHYS274 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/31/2020	Prof. Hu was amazing! He taught this class so well that I can do some of the problems in my sleep, and was never boring. Great guy!
Bei Lok Hu PHYS274 Anonymous 04/20/2020	Very kind and cares about his students. Expect to work a lot but to get a lot out as well. Very approachable.

Ki-Yong Kim
PHYS274

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/18/2024

Dr. Kim is one of the best professors I’ve had in the physics department. He is very nice, accommodating, and genuinely cares about students. After pretty much every homework, he would tell us we could have extra time if needed. I asked for so many extensions in his class, and he always said yes immediately. He respond to emails, and reassured students throughout the semester. He makes very thorough study guides which are ve eh helpful for exams. With that being said, I did the entire practice exam several times for the final along with practice problems from the entire semester, and was still lost on the final to say the least. Most people stayed at least 30 minutes after the final.. He curved the class about 5%, although I suspect he graded the final extremely leniently. He clearly doesn’t want students to fail. Even students who probably would have failed with a different professor, he passed them..

Ki-Yong Kim
PHYS274

Anonymous
05/10/2024

To put it simply, Kim is the GOAT. His lectures are very well taught (if a bit fast at times), however, he is always happy to help you understand something you don't get either after class or during office hours (which, unlike other physics teachers, are extremely helpful and insightful). He is very forgiving with homework, and always listens to his students' feedback (we had two tests a day apart and he moved his). Speaking of tests, he posts reviews which are very, very helpful in completing them. On top of all of this, he's just a very funny and nice guy. Of course, if you haven't taken a physics course you may not like him, but that's just how you feel about taking the first course of well, anything. I would 100% recommend taking Kim.

Ki-Yong Kim
PHYS274

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
03/26/2024

One of the best professors I've had in the physics department. I agree with some of the other comments, where he will be more appreciated by physics majors than non physics majors. He is one of the better lecturers I've had, and could learn most of the content without too much effort outside class until the third exam. On top of this, you can tell he cares about your learning and is a really nice person overall.

Anson Hook
PHYS274

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/28/2023

Teaches linear algebra well, some homework questions are difficult if only using material he discusses in class. His review sessions for exams are extremely relevant to the content on both the midterm and the final exam. The midterm was fair, while the final was quite difficult. While he does sometimes make mistakes while working through problems, he is very approachable and helpful in solving a problem. When he gets to show how the math we learn can be applied to physics questions, he is an incredible instructor.

Anson Hook
PHYS274

Expecting an A
Anonymous
10/20/2023

If you are able to think critically and put the effort into understanding what is taught he is a great professor. Homeworks are fairly easy as of now, and the exams are very fair. The trick is to put the effort in like expected and you will succeed. Anson deserves much higher than a 2.33 rating. You could easily see his progression as a professor as well.

Ki-Yong Kim
PHYS274

Anonymous
05/12/2023

He is really passionate about teaching and really understanding with deadlines and grading and office hours. He is always around to help and will add more office hours if people ask. The class itself is hard and you have to put in work, but he is always there to help!

Anson Hook
PHYS274

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/02/2023

Prof. Hook almost never checked any of his example problems or fully solved through proofs before trying to show them to the class, resulting in confusion and wasted class time. He also spent a large portion of the lecture time on proofs. I'm not saying this as a positive or negative, though sometimes I did wish he spent more time explaining concepts. I took calc three at UMD and absolutely loved it, but the way Hook teaches multivariable calculus just makes me so confused. I know I'm going to have to relearn everything I already had solidly in my brain because of him. Additionally, the final came out of nowhere - it was harder than any homework or practice problem we had and was absolutely nothing like the practice final. The final dropped my grade by 10 points and I did above average (though the class was curved after the final). If you're a physics major who needs to take the class and it's your only option, you'll survive, but you won't enjoy it.

Anson Hook
PHYS274

Expecting a C
Anonymous
12/24/2022

Primarily proof based lectures with a few examples sprinkled in. Homework for the linear algebra portion is largely proof based. The multivar portion is mainly calculation based. The midterm was fairly difficult with the final being very difficult compared to the rest of the class. If you enjoy proofs of what you are doing in class to understand, great professor, if not you will probably struggle to understand. There is a significant curve at the end of the course roughly 15-20%.

Anson Hook
PHYS274

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/12/2022

sucks at teaching multivariable calculus, pretty much teaches straight out of the textbook and just is terrible at explaining anything and skips steps in his lectures when showing his work.

Bei Lok Hu
PHYS274

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/31/2020

Prof. Hu was amazing! He taught this class so well that I can do some of the problems in my sleep, and was never boring. Great guy!

Bei Lok Hu
PHYS274

Anonymous
04/20/2020

Very kind and cares about his students. Expect to work a lot but to get a lot out as well. Very approachable.

Reviews for PHYS274