PHYS 1110

Professor Cates is definitely one of the cooler faculty members here at UVA. The guy has done some amazing research in the realm of Physics and will keep you constantly entertained with those at office hours, if you choose to attend (and I'd recommend you do when there are homework's and exams, which occur rather rarely). However, his involvement does leave him pretty busy outside of class, with little time to grade and sometimes follow up on other stuff. However, the exams and homework's are pretty straightforward, and you do get a cheat sheet for the midterm and final. Although the grades are sparse, Cates does his best to help everyone succeed and if you put in full effort, there's no reason you shouldn't get an A.

Very interesting. Not the easiest class at UVA, but it teaches you some really important stuff to know in the real world

Don't be fooled here, you do have to come to class and pay perfect attention for your A.

What an amazing class and even more amazing professor. Definitely one of my favorite I've had at UVa thus far. Tests may seem a bit tricky at times, but don't be discouraged if you do not do well on them. He grades on a curving system and for a few of our quizzes, the highest score in the class was like an 80%. Cates has done big, big things in the world of physics and science yet he is extremely humble about his accomplishments. Definitely go to office hours and problem sessions- he is brilliant and has a million different stories that will keep you entertained. GREAT CLASS, TAKE THIS. Only downside is the interval at which you receive grades back. Don't count on seeing any of your grades until months after you take do them, haha.

Professor Cates is very engaging and interesting during lectures. He records attendance with i-clickers and most of the material on the quizzes and midterm are from the lecture slides so it is important to go to lectures. Grades seem tough at first but Cates is a strong believer in curving. Strongly recommend this class.

Gates is a vibrant and very intelligent teacher. He is easily accessible and cares a lot about his students. Make sure you attend the lectures as he takes attendance through iClicker points. The problem sets he gives (usually 3) are important to your grade but you can work with other students before you submit them. I definitely recommend this class with Gordon!

Good easy science course. Cates is such a nerd but in the best way - he knows a lot about physics and likes to go off on tangents. He's fair in grade distribution and frequently makes use of curves. Most of your grade comes from two problem sets, and on these problem sets you are allowed unlimited help from other students and Cates, who makes himself very available by hosting problem sessions.

Professor Cates. What an awesome guy. He is very passionate about what he does, which is seen through his energetic lectures and many (often hilarious) in-class demonstrations. He makes this class awesome. The course is pretty easy if you do the few readings and pay attention in class (but how couldn't you with Professor Cates' crazy self?!) The class goes over very, very basic physics, environmental science, and briefly nuclear science. Cates' help sessions are great for problem sets (and he's likely to bump your grade up if you go to them). If you get the chance, take the time to pick Cates' brain. He's crazy smart, and will blow your mind! Overall--great class, and coming from a non-science major, it's pretty easy.

Pretty easy class about very interesting energy topics. Very current information. Professor Cates is very enthusiatic about the class but it can be boring. Since it is geared towards non-majors there is much more reading than anything else but it's not a lot of work.

This is a very informative course, but the homework did not exactly correlate with lecture. On that note, go to his office hours and he is very generous with helping students (he also takes note of who attends). Homework about once a week, a few quizzes, one midterm, and a final.

Cates is a very smart man and a good scientist, which is helpful because you know that he actually thinks about what stats he puts in his slides, and if there's any doubt, he'll state the caveats. If you want a relatively painless experience by which you will be forced to become well-versed about most energy-related issues, this course is for you. If you are a science major, this is an absolute cakewalk. My only major complaint is the annoyingly slow turnaround for exams and problem sets, the worst I have seen at UVA; it really shouldn't take 5 weeks to process a 10 question scantron.

Cates is a great professor, the course itself is interesting and not too difficult. Meant for non-science majors.

Cates is a great professor and really cares about his students. He personally went out of his way to get me into his class. If you go to class every day and study for the finals this class is an easy A. There are 3 problems sets which are the only hard part of the class, but they are do-able. The quizzes and exams are pretty easy. He also gives clicker questions at every class to make sure you go, but as long as you answer you get the points. I would recommend this class. Cates is great and it's a pretty easy class.

really interesting and pretty easy if you need a science class, especially if you are interested in renewable energy

This is the best class UVA. It has a very interesting topic and Cates does some cool demos. Its not rigorous by math standards but is mentally stimulating.

Kinda boring but easy

Cates is the man! He is so "up there" in the physics world, yet totally approachable. He will help any students troubled by the math, albeit there isn't much. He works really hard to make lecture fun, and succeeds.

This class is an easy class for anyone interested in learning about energy while learning some basic physics. Cates is an engaging professor who gets you excited about what he's teaching.

Cates is a great teacher. VERY enthusiastic. has some great demos. Barely any reading. only 4 problem sets that do require some work. His midterm and final are definitely tricky though but if you read his readings and do the HW you should get an A- in the class.

This class has been awesome. There is hardly any reading and that assigned is easy to read and has almost no fluff at all, and thus requires no sifting. The homework problem sets, of which there are 4 a semester, require a bit of work but there are office hours he sets aside that are extremely helpful. We were allowed to have a cheat sheet on the midterm and it was already pretty easy. Gordon is a great professor with a ton of enthusiasm for his subject and a great deal of interest in making sure everyone understands the subject matter. Not to mention his visual aids really help and can be very amusing.

Good class it is very enlightening. Don't let your guard down too much though cause it's easy but you gotta do the work.

Professor Cates is a very goofy but fun teacher to have. Also, he presents the class materials in both a fun and easy to learn way

Professor Cates is handes down my favorite professor at the University of Virginia for several reasons:
A) He loves what he does
B) He is very reasonable, he wants you to learn
C) Everyday in class he had a demonstration, some where insane
D) He is extremely intelligent, pick his brian if you get the chance
E) He is down to earth, despite his many significant contributions to both Physics and Medicine
Long story short, take this class