Historical instructor

JAMES LAWLER

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 2.00/5 from 6 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

PHYS307 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
Worst professor Ive ever had in all of college, high school, middle school, even my elementary school teachers were better at teaching. If you attend the lectures I promise you will leave more confused and have less iq. But attendance is mandatory so youre screwed. In the first lecture he went over Lab 1, and then proceeded to assign lab 7 for hw
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PHYS307 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 3/5
If you have Lawler for 307, prepare yourself to be confused for the semester. His lecture notes are basically just essays and are unhelpful. He gives his lectures before the lab session, which doesn't help because nobody know what he is talking about. The lab instructions are incredibly vague and unhelpful. Hope for a helpful TA to explain the lab!
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PHYSICS308 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5
Professor Lawler's lectures may perhaps be less than exciting for some students, but he genuinely tries to pick subject material that he believes to be interesting. He is very nice and cares about the lectures he presents.
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PHY308 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Professor Lawler is one of my favorite professors I have taken a class with so far. His lectures are very interesting. He relates the lab work to research in the past or what he is currently doing. The actual labs are easy and TA's are usually helpful. Do not save labs for end of semester because there is little time to catch up.
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PHYS308 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 1/5
Physics 308 with Lawler was easily the most pointless class I have ever taken at UW. He made attendance at all of his lectures required even though he described many of them as "enrichment lectures" which did not pertain to class material. When he did talk about class material he made things very unclear and was super boring. Would not recommend.
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PHYSI625 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
He's easily the worst physics teacher I've ever had. It's obvious the entire class has no idea what's he saying when he's talking, and half the time he doesn't even address the class, he just mumbles to himself and writes on the board. DO NOT take a class with him unless you're desperate and willing to do a lot of work.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with JAMES LAWLER

PHYSICS 990

Research

1–12 credits

PHYSICS 990 is a research course where students conduct supervised research projects with individual faculty members.

No offering record · Spring 2023

No recorded grade history

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2023PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2022PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2022PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Spring 2022PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2021PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2021PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2020PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2020PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2020PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2019PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Spring 2019PHYSICS 415Thermal Physics
Spring 2019PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2018PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2018PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2018PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2017PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Spring 2017PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2016PHYSICS 545Introduction to Atomic Structure
Fall 2016PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2016PHYSICS 499Directed Study
Spring 2016PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2015PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2015PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2015PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2014PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2014PHYSICS 625Applied Optics
Spring 2014PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2013PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2013PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2012PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2012PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2012PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2011PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2011PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2011PHYSICS 415Thermal Physics
Spring 2011PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2010PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2010PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2010PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2009PHYSICS 545Introduction to Atomic Structure
Fall 2009PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2009PHYSICS 498Directed Study
Spring 2009PHYSICS 625Applied Optics
Spring 2009PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2008PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2008PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2008PHYSICS 499Directed Study
Spring 2008PHYSICS 625Applied Optics
Spring 2008PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2007PHYSICS 307Intermediate Laboratory-mechanics and Modern Physics
Fall 2007PHYSICS 990Research
Spring 2007PHYSICS 990Research
Fall 2006PHYSICS 545Introduction to Atomic Structure
Fall 2006PHYSICS 990Research

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance
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