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.

Corbin is pretty tough and this class is no joke but I am very glad I took this class. There are some great lessons to be learned and they aren't all Physics related.

Lectures are pretty good and worthwhile. Corbin has the same format for every topic in Physics 1B; there's a lecture of introductory topics i.e. defining variables, then going over sample problems, then doing more advanced problems. Lectures weren't recorded this time around (I don't know if they ever were) which is really unfortunate because making up missed lectures is a PAIN. While Corbin occasionally provides his notes, he doesn't do so for every single topic or subsection of a lesson. Corbin's lectures are a simple you had to be there in order to learn the material. Since Corbin has taught 1B & Physics in general for the longest time, he tends to skip many algebraic steps. If you don't know algebra like the palm of your hand then this class is going to be extremely difficult. Even for me (where algebra is a strength), I found myself in my floor lounge replicating the problems to try to understand how he got from point A to point B. Corbin is pretty funny and makes the lectures entertaining so I definitely recommend going (I mean, you pretty much have to).

The homework is a joke and Corbin knows it's a joke, too. Some of the problems are useful i.e. the ones that have you do very complex derivations and require equations as a submitted answer. You should pay attention to those. You can find the answers with brief (and I mean brief) explanations online with a little bit of digging. I recommend writing down solutions to the problems as well as methods to do so as a way of studying for exams (because I didn't do so and man, was I lost).

The exams are pretty damn difficult. Go to office hours, because Corbin often talks about other types of problems and sometimes even old exam questions. Corbin's also a completely different person during these. In lecture if you ask how he got from point A to point B he'll just say "Algebra." and the whole class laughs; during office hours, he goes through the methods of his madness with detail. The first week or two will be full during OH like how people handle their New Years Resolutions, but just know that after that point make sure to stick around. It'll help you in the long run if Corbin knows your name and it makes the class a completely different experience.

For curving, Corbin explained in OH that he does grading very differently. He rarely uses + or -, only when he thinks you're barely to a certain level. He defines an A as mastery, a B as pretty proficient, and a C as "you won't embarrass me in 1C." I got below average on every exam and ended up with a C so even if Physics isn't your thing (like me) you'll be fine.

A word of advice: 1. go to OH and 2. make sure to pick Corbin's lectures so you have some study time afterward. You're going to want to redo most if not all of the problems he does in class so you can actually absorb the information (Corbin is pretty quick, so in 50 minutes you'll find that you don't necessarily absorb all of the information correctly). Corbin's online "handouts" are pretty useful too and he writes them as if he is teaching them word-for-word, so definitely don't miss those.

The difficulty of Corbins tests come from the time he gives for each question. They are solvable given enough time, but trying to do it within 50 minutes is what makes it tough. If you are a slow test taker, I would not recommend Corbin. That being said, the final is much nicer, with plenty of time to work through each problem, making it easy to get an A raw score if you know the content well. Study the problems he assigns for homework, as some of the same concepts will be given on the tests, and show up to office hours. He will often give examples of past problems he gave on exams, and in one instance, gave the same problem. Most importantly, study your lecture notes religiously, as that is what he bases the test around. Knowing every derivation he goes through and every little trick is the best way to do well on the tests. If you don't know a question, write down stuff relevant to he problem... equations, logic to solve the problem, etc. and you can get half credit for it, which already puts you above the mean. Also, find an answer key with written steps to the textbook, it will help you when you get stuck on a problem.

Amazing lecturer and really pushes you to learn. Im glad I took this class to get the experience, but I don't know if I would take him again.

I don't have the best physics background and tbh this is the hardest subject by far for me. This class was difficult but not as horrible as the other reviews make it out to be. I recommend you go to his office hours to ask further questions and just show that you care about your grade by showing up, section the homework out so you don't end up doing at the last week, and just make sure you understand EVERY example from lecture and discussion. So if you don't score close or near the averages on his midterms, you're pretty much screwed. All in all, I don't recommend taking Corbin if you're not the best at physics or do not have a liking for the subject.

As a Physics major, I really enjoyed Corbin. His lectures were incredibly clear and packed with content. He really wants you to understand Physics, not just to be able to apply Physics concepts. Although he made me work my ass off, I definitely learned a lot from him.

The grading is pretty fair in my opinion. 10% homework, 25% for each of the midterms, and 40% for the final. The homework is not easy, but if you put enough time into it, you can score pretty high (each wrong answer only deducts 1% for that part). The midterms were pretty tough - not necessarily because of the difficulty of the problems, but because of how long the exams were. There are 3 problems in each midterm, each of which have at least 3 parts. These problems are somewhat similar to the homework problems and are doable, but require a lot of math and time. If the midterms were two hours instead of 50 minutes, I think most people would do well. The final was cumulative and had 5 problems, which was a lot more time when compared to the midterms. As a result, I did much better on the final than on the midterms.

For the midterms and the final, the grading was pretty lenient. You would get 6/10 for applying Physics correctly, while the remaining 4 points would come down to math. The median score for the midterms were about (35 to 40) / 90, which gives you quite a lot of room to work with. Even if you completely screw up one question, if you do well in the other two, you can still score high with the curve.

I would suggest taking Corbin if you want to understand Physics and you have a solid math foundation. Be prepared to having to commit yourself to office hours and studying days before the exam to do well. If you want an easy class, don't take Physics 1B with Corbin.

Corbin is an excellent lecturer, and you will learn a lot from his lecturers. He explains everything in excruciating detail, deriving seemingly the entire universe from F=ma. His tests are indeed difficult, but my problem with this class was that there wasn't a lot of opportunity to get practice and feedback with problems at the difficulty we were expected to solve during exams.

Yes, there was Mastering Physics, but Corbin doesn't discuss these during office hours, and the content they covered didn't always match what we were going to be tested on. Use the physics tutoring center for homework, though. The TAs there are quite helpful. Corbin promotes his office hours as a good opportunity to discuss topics with him, which I appreciate. However, I found his office way too overcrowded to actually get anything useful out of it. He did start some Zoom office hours later, which was better, but still very crowded.

I think at least half the class, including me, relied on finding past exams from online or test banks from clubs. I've always thought it strange that Corbin doesn't release past exams when it's very clear that they are out there. I believe this created inequity, but I guess that's just how it is.

Brent Corbin is that professor that everyone loves to hate. However, at least in my experience, he really is a great professor.

Before I took this class, I was utterly terrified by the Bruinwalk reviews. "Prepare to get repeatedly shafted," one said, while another warned that this class would feel like a "cinder block" trouncing my head on a daily basis.

To my great surprise, when I took the class...it was easy! Yes, the exams seem difficult, but that's because the we can't just simply plug and chug formulas. We have to formulate our own based on our own knowledge of the physical concepts. (There is also an incredibly generous curve.) In addition, he is one of the most engaging, clear, and enthusiastic lecturers on campus.

To any prospective student, do not let these other reviews scare you. Take Physics 1B with Brent Corbin--you will not regret it.

He goes through the equations in a way that "derives them", which may be helpful for some, but I promise that the majority of the class will more than fail this class percentage-wise. I assume he has some sort of power trip that causes him to do this, because he then curves the class up by 60%, and seems to take pride in the fact that most people won't understand anything in this class.

Great lecturer, monstrous tests. Lectures were only in person and not recorded, but he did post some handouts. If you think you have a grip on physics and/or have AP experience, you have a decent chance but make sure to engage with lecture because Corbin's teaching style is based on mathematical deductions that you have to follow closely. Homework was on Inclusive Access, about 2 hours a week but due at end of quarter. Be prepared to get railed on the midterms, you should preferably understand the material very well but if you can't do that farm partial credit by writing down random equations. Final was comparatively easier but still pretty tough. Don't have personal experience but I also heard his office hours are helpful and sometimes he drops test hints, so attend those if you're slipping a bit.

Only take this class if you genuinely love physics, if you're just trying to get the requirement done, wait and take someone else