Professor
Oscar Stafsudd
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Most Helpful Review
After having been through his course I would say that it ranks up there with most useless class I've taken to date. His lectures were definitely mostly ramblings and let me just say, I don't equate that with teaching at all. I don't feel like I know anything more about circuits than I did entering the course and found the TAs to be of limited help. Definitely don't recommend him if you're even considering choosing the circuit pathway.
After having been through his course I would say that it ranks up there with most useless class I've taken to date. His lectures were definitely mostly ramblings and let me just say, I don't equate that with teaching at all. I don't feel like I know anything more about circuits than I did entering the course and found the TAs to be of limited help. Definitely don't recommend him if you're even considering choosing the circuit pathway.
Most Helpful Review
The previous post always seemed a bit depressing to me, so I will add a more light-hearted review of the professor. I took him for a 4 hour laser lab course, 172L, back in 2006. My whole review will be based on how 172L was back then. The course splits the students into 3 separate groups (or 2 if it is an especially small class), each doing a different lab (and the performed labs rotate each week). This is because the equipment is very expensive for everyone to do the same experiments each week (like 110L and 115AL). The lab procedures are complex. However, the TA and professor pretty much require you to wait for them before you do the lab. As I said, the equipment is expensive (especially the tunable laser) and neither the professor nor the TA wants the equipment hurt! They will pretty much tell you exactly how to do the experiment. Data acquisition is a breeze after they demonstrate the procedure. Working with the data is another thing (detailed below). The lab reports were graded fairly, but not easily like in 110L and 115AL. Try to understand the theory and go to OH if you are not sure what is expected. The previous lab write-up instructions were very vague on what the report required, so just ask the most knowledgeable TA. The current (and only from what I see) TA, Peggy, is great. The professor's OH was not too great from what I remember. Professor Stafsudd assumes you know how to work with the data, which is frequently not the case. If you ask questions concerning how to work with the data, his explanations are not that great either. Finally, after the demo, the professor likes to walk around the room and tell stories to whichever lab group he first walks to. Although 4 hours is more than enough to complete the labs (barring equipment breaking, which is not uncommon), you generally want to leave as early as possible. Once he picks your group, get on his good side and just let him tell his stories! Rest assured that they are interesting, despite your urge to leave. However, if you finish your lab and you have a class afterwards, run for the door! If he catches you, he will tell you stories. He is very nice and joyful that you may find it hard to tell him you need to leave. Other than that, just have fun with his stories! The course was originally not too hard so long as you go to the TA's OH and ask what they expected. And make sure in your lab data and derived results to only have only 1 or 2 numbers to the right of the decimal point. Professor Stafsudd expects a reasonable (not excessive) number of significant figures. Namely, do not have EXCEL to calculate from the data and report all the digits from said calculation. For example, when you calculate 76.53190413 degrees as your result, just put 76.53 degrees in your data table since the equipment is not precise up to 10 significant figures. :) Lastly, the grading is pretty chill. The lowest grade in my class was a B. Hope that is a good assessment and good luck!
The previous post always seemed a bit depressing to me, so I will add a more light-hearted review of the professor. I took him for a 4 hour laser lab course, 172L, back in 2006. My whole review will be based on how 172L was back then. The course splits the students into 3 separate groups (or 2 if it is an especially small class), each doing a different lab (and the performed labs rotate each week). This is because the equipment is very expensive for everyone to do the same experiments each week (like 110L and 115AL). The lab procedures are complex. However, the TA and professor pretty much require you to wait for them before you do the lab. As I said, the equipment is expensive (especially the tunable laser) and neither the professor nor the TA wants the equipment hurt! They will pretty much tell you exactly how to do the experiment. Data acquisition is a breeze after they demonstrate the procedure. Working with the data is another thing (detailed below). The lab reports were graded fairly, but not easily like in 110L and 115AL. Try to understand the theory and go to OH if you are not sure what is expected. The previous lab write-up instructions were very vague on what the report required, so just ask the most knowledgeable TA. The current (and only from what I see) TA, Peggy, is great. The professor's OH was not too great from what I remember. Professor Stafsudd assumes you know how to work with the data, which is frequently not the case. If you ask questions concerning how to work with the data, his explanations are not that great either. Finally, after the demo, the professor likes to walk around the room and tell stories to whichever lab group he first walks to. Although 4 hours is more than enough to complete the labs (barring equipment breaking, which is not uncommon), you generally want to leave as early as possible. Once he picks your group, get on his good side and just let him tell his stories! Rest assured that they are interesting, despite your urge to leave. However, if you finish your lab and you have a class afterwards, run for the door! If he catches you, he will tell you stories. He is very nice and joyful that you may find it hard to tell him you need to leave. Other than that, just have fun with his stories! The course was originally not too hard so long as you go to the TA's OH and ask what they expected. And make sure in your lab data and derived results to only have only 1 or 2 numbers to the right of the decimal point. Professor Stafsudd expects a reasonable (not excessive) number of significant figures. Namely, do not have EXCEL to calculate from the data and report all the digits from said calculation. For example, when you calculate 76.53190413 degrees as your result, just put 76.53 degrees in your data table since the equipment is not precise up to 10 significant figures. :) Lastly, the grading is pretty chill. The lowest grade in my class was a B. Hope that is a good assessment and good luck!
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Most Helpful Review
Cons: Facts about this oldfart: - Goes off on tangent about 90% of the time - Loves talking about his experience at Hughes Research Laboratory - Treats his TAs like his pets (or at least they behave like pets) - Stresses on participation especially in lab classes (I guess he gets lonely or something when students don't show up) - Easy grader - Does not write down equations and does not derive them for you so you better develop a mental map for his clueless equations - Prepare to waste time - Does not care if you need to skip out of lab classes because you have important things going on (like interviews) About EE 173D - Too many people crowding around each station and each equipment - There are three grading criteria: report, presentation, and participation (each worth 33%) - The participation is out of 8 even though it says 10 on EE web, he gives the extra two points out for people who participate 100% of the time (or who's his pet) - Since there are about 6 people to a group with one equipment, not every student gets to use the equipment - The experiment itself is unclear, boring, and meaningless - Again, you better make sure you show up to every class because someone might get lonely. Pros: - The last guy in the class gets B
Cons: Facts about this oldfart: - Goes off on tangent about 90% of the time - Loves talking about his experience at Hughes Research Laboratory - Treats his TAs like his pets (or at least they behave like pets) - Stresses on participation especially in lab classes (I guess he gets lonely or something when students don't show up) - Easy grader - Does not write down equations and does not derive them for you so you better develop a mental map for his clueless equations - Prepare to waste time - Does not care if you need to skip out of lab classes because you have important things going on (like interviews) About EE 173D - Too many people crowding around each station and each equipment - There are three grading criteria: report, presentation, and participation (each worth 33%) - The participation is out of 8 even though it says 10 on EE web, he gives the extra two points out for people who participate 100% of the time (or who's his pet) - Since there are about 6 people to a group with one equipment, not every student gets to use the equipment - The experiment itself is unclear, boring, and meaningless - Again, you better make sure you show up to every class because someone might get lonely. Pros: - The last guy in the class gets B
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2020 - Interesting capstone. All self directed so your grade is really dependent on how he likes your idea. No exams or homework but the project itself is pretty time consuming if you do it the way he expects it to be done. Everyone in it is usually pretty interested in photonics.
Winter 2020 - Interesting capstone. All self directed so your grade is really dependent on how he likes your idea. No exams or homework but the project itself is pretty time consuming if you do it the way he expects it to be done. Everyone in it is usually pretty interested in photonics.
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