Loved this class and hated it. This class is based on UNDERSTANDING, rather than pattern recognition like we're all used to studying for. Doing practice problems isn't going to help you predict what's on the exam, so you have to really know the concepts to perform well and apply it to any random problem he gives you.

Go to office hours, and ask him every single possible question you have without worrying about if you look dumb; it's not worth not knowing what he's talking about. He's a lot nicer during office hours, too.

The homework is all due at the end of the quarter. There's the textbook answer key online, so just copy them because the hw doesn't help you with preparing for the exam. There are 2 midterms + 1 final. He somehow manages to construct brand new problems for each exam, so past exams are somewhat helpful, but just because you can do those doesn't mean you're good to go. Take notes like a madman during class and make sure to jot down of course what he writes down, but more importantly what he SAYS---that's the stuff that is going to tie together your understanding when you review your notes. He also does a lot of mathematical operations in his head, so you'll spend a lot of time looking back at your notes to figure out what he multiplied, distributed, or added to get from one line to the next.

Overall, have fun and enjoy. You're probably not going to get an A, so the best you can do is just have fun and enjoy his knowledge. He has a lot of hobby experience with electronics, so make the most of it :D

This was the most challenging class I've taken at UCLA--and I had Ebert for 32A haha. But, Corbin makes it incredibly interesting and rewarding, which says a lot when it's 8 AM four days a week. And, roughly 30% of students get A's, which is a pretty good grade distribution. The tests are hard but manageable. The averages for the midterms were in the low 40s but you can get a C if you thoroughly understand the examples and derivations gone over in class. As for tips:
1) Find yourself a physics-major buddy, bug them with a ton of questions, and hope that they don't hate you for it haha.
2) Make friends with the folks in the front row because Corbin writes small and fast (and asking clarifying questions in class is scary).
3) The homework is worthless. Don't waste your time when you can find the solutions manual online.
4) Office hours are nice for enrichment but aren't critical to doing well in the class. Don't stress if you can't make it. They only helped me when I missed a week of classes and needed to catch up. The same goes for discussion.
5) Past exams are the best study resource.

Professor Corbin has to be one of the best professors in the Physics department. If you are looking to understand the fundamentals of oscillations, electromagnetism, and basic circuitry, he is the best professor to learn from. From what I have heard from professors who teach upper division classes in Physics, taking 1B with him is great to get a good foundation. If you are not looking for this foundation, maybe you are better off taking another professor who will not demand so much conceptually in the exams.
His class has homeworks, two midterms, and a final. The homeworks are very straightforward and from the same textbook as 1A - University Physics. There are solution manuals online so you can easily complete them correctly. The midterms and finals are NOT straightforward, and this is where Corbin stands out. You have 50 minutes to complete two questions for both midterms.

To succeed in Corbin's class, there are a couple of things you have to recognize: 1) the class is curved, so be ahead of the class. Going to office hours is a great way to do that. Ask questions. Make sure you understand the concept thoroughly because to get an A he wants you to be able to solve ANY problem he throws at you. 2) The lectures have EVERYTHING you need. Pay attention and take notes diligently because, in one way or another, the examples he covers in lecture are intimately tied to the problems he asks on exams. 3) Do past papers. He has a tendency to repeat questions from past papers, though if he realizes that students are using past papers, he won't repeat questions. In any case, this is the best way to get a taste of what questions will be like and what answers should look like. 4) Derive everything he derives in lecture. The best way to understand Physics is to understand the underlying math. Everything is calculus, and calculus is everything, so sit down and derive all the math and understand why something is one way and not another. Understand the relationships between the different variables and what happens when you take a certain limit of a certain expression and how that correlates to a specific physical phenomenon. Getting through this is at the heart of "cracking" a tough physics problem. 5) NEVER skip a lecture. He does not record or post notes online, so skipping a lecture is not a good idea.

FINALLY, some personal advice. The 1 series is a "weeder," which means that the concepts are meant to be difficult. If you aren't having a hard time, you probably aren't learning it correctly. Expect 1B to be difficult with ANY professor. Instead of ONLY looking for an easy A, look for a professor who suits what you would want from a class. As a physics major, I sought great understanding, and I found that in professor Corbin. If you are an applied math major who doesn't care about that (understandably), maybe take a professor who weighs conceptual understanding less. I don't blame anyone for finding this class difficult - that is a given - but to understand 1B, professor Corbin is undoubtedly the best.

Amazing professor, very fun and engaging lectures and interesting office hours if you like physics, wish I could take him for 1C.

First of all Corbin is an amazing professor, I had 1B at 8 a.m. and I still looked forward to his lectures even though I might have only been half awake. Corbin is funny, passionate, and understanding, he gets so excited for demo days and for teaching topics he's interested in. This being said the class is very difficult, homework is done through the Mastering Physics program and makes up 10% of your grade so take that as you will. The rest of your grade relies on your two midterms (20% each) and the final (50%) so these are where you will need to put most of your focus. These tests are HARD and you will (most likely) end up relying on the curve, try getting within one standard deviation of the mean. The test questions are not like the homework as they rely on deriving equations rather than getting numerical answers and the test questions tend to end up being much more difficult. I only went to his office hours once but found them very helpful, they're essentially an extension of his in class lectures however he will go over specific problems if asked about them. His office hours get PACKED which may lead to people sitting out in the hallway. The class is hard but I feel adequately prepared to continue on. Thanks Corbin!

this is the only class that i needed a study buddy for and without it i probably would’ve been so lost. corbin is an interesting lecturer but i wish he had some kind of outline or labeled what he was doing because he’s really just throwing stuff back to back. he doesn’t record or provide notes which is a bummer and i probably would’ve done better if his stuff was recorded but oh well. his classes averaged about 40% each test, and for the first midterm i was slightly bellow it, second midterm slightly above it, and final slightly below it. CORBIN IS AWARE HIS TESTS ARE DIFFICULT AND CURVES HIS CLASSES. i ended up with a B which to me is like angels descending from heaven with trumpets. his office hours are a 50/50 to me, i stopped going the last half of the quarter because it’s not beneficial when everyone’s cramped like sardines in his broom closet of an office. also no numbers, no calculators, or scratch paper. I actually liked having no numbers to work with but it just gets hectic trying to juggle the entirety of the greek alphabet he throws at you. also my ta was TERRIBLE and over complicated everything. overall, i recommend you immediately after class or the same day rewrite his notes to digest what’s happening, then watch a flippingphysics video or other youtube video to get some basis on the topic corbin went over, then try to cross reference. if you are weak in physics and independent study, don’t take this class.

Everything the other awfully negative reviews have said about his character, teaching, and tests are absolutely true. I have never worked harder for a class (as an EE major with a 4.0 before this class) just to feel like I don't understand anything. If you want to wake up in the morning with hope for the world and excitement for the day, do not take this class with Corbin. If I could travel back in time to any moment in human history, I would travel back to when I enrolled in this class and hold myself at gunpoint to take any other class.

Brent Corbin is the GOAT of the UCLA physics department. He will show you the beauty of our physical world while simultaneously edging you with his tests averaging 50%. I hate him and love him at the same time. 10/10 would get railed again.

Took this class online over the summer in 6 weeks. Here's the scheme:
10% Mastering Physics HW: Almost entirely useless for tests and a massive timesink, homeworkify is a must to save your sanity. Most questions are either too easy or too hard to be relevant, and Corbin does not use numbers for his tests, only variables.
10% x 5 Weekly Quizzes: Some of them were harder than others, but I found none of them to be too terrible. Also a ton of partial credit and primarily similar to examples given in lecture.
40% Final: Probably one of the longest + most difficult finals I've taken in my life. It's basically 5 quizzes back-to-back but the questions are harder than the quizzes and most people didn't have time to finish. Tough final but mostly because of how long it was and how some of the math played out. Be sure to write down something for every answer because partial credit is crucial for points.

Though his tests are infamous, Corbin is easily the best lecturer I have had. Be a partial credit merchant, the TAs usually grade pretty generously and he typically curves the class at the end. An insanely smart teacher, a tough class, but I felt like I learned a lot and didn't struggle too much.

I get that his tests are hard as shit, trust me they’ll make you reconsider your whole existence, but Corbin’s a legend prof. His lectures are so clear, and his mathematical approach to complex concepts is very clear. He doesn’t cut corners, and is happy to clarify if needed, especially during office hours. He’s also really funny.