Professor
Asad Abidi
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2019 - I am writing this review only because I think this page does injustice to Prof. Abidi's EE 10 section. Most people seem to agree that he is a fantastic lecturer, but they bury this under reels of complaint about how terrible his tests are. Fact is, they just aren't that bad. Maybe his upper-div tests are draconian (I don't know), but for 10 they are absolutely fair. You should definitely take him for 10 if you can. In fact, unless it puts you back by too much, I'd recommend waiting to take 10 with him.
Fall 2019 - I am writing this review only because I think this page does injustice to Prof. Abidi's EE 10 section. Most people seem to agree that he is a fantastic lecturer, but they bury this under reels of complaint about how terrible his tests are. Fact is, they just aren't that bad. Maybe his upper-div tests are draconian (I don't know), but for 10 they are absolutely fair. You should definitely take him for 10 if you can. In fact, unless it puts you back by too much, I'd recommend waiting to take 10 with him.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2019 - Very engaging lectures. Prof. Abidi explains the material with tons of passion and got me excited about circuits. He emphasizes approaching the problem and thinking about circuits correctly. His midterm had a very high average, but the test definitely makes you think and teaches you. Since some of his work is in coupled inductors, he emphasizes ideal/nonideal transformers, which I don't think you will get in any other class. Though he can seem a bit intimidating, he bears a wealth of knowledge that he is willing to share. His 11L lab section lectures are also amazing. The final is pretty difficult, since he probes deeper to see what you know. He grades everything by himself, and grades based upon what your thinking is.
Fall 2019 - Very engaging lectures. Prof. Abidi explains the material with tons of passion and got me excited about circuits. He emphasizes approaching the problem and thinking about circuits correctly. His midterm had a very high average, but the test definitely makes you think and teaches you. Since some of his work is in coupled inductors, he emphasizes ideal/nonideal transformers, which I don't think you will get in any other class. Though he can seem a bit intimidating, he bears a wealth of knowledge that he is willing to share. His 11L lab section lectures are also amazing. The final is pretty difficult, since he probes deeper to see what you know. He grades everything by himself, and grades based upon what your thinking is.
Most Helpful Review
I think I've figured this guy out. I started with three options. A. He's a sadistic sociopath who knows he's a master in his field and thus see's no reason to exercise anything more than a baseline level of civility to those he deems as insignificant. B. He's a sadistic sociopath who wishes to greatly reduce the potential for new ideas and advancement of technology by discouraging would be engineers by imposing impossible standards that only 0.01% of his students can meet. C. He's actually not a bad guy and has just realized the concept of grades has become greatly distorted and once reputable institutions of higher education have become profit driven diploma mills, and he has decided to tackle this by making it so impossible to get a good grade that grades become irrelevant and students actually stop worrying about grades and take the time to truly invest in understanding the material. I've decided it is option C. However this forced me to assume certain conditions. Primarily that this man, who admittedly is a brilliant, gifted lecturer, has intellectual weaknesses, in that though he might very well have good intentions, the manner in which he chooses to implement them is sacrificial and effectively results in the scenario of option B with respect to the students. Students who lost funding due to the grades he bestowed upon them, students who lost a chance at graduate school, students who lost jobs or internships they received on a conditional basis, and most importantly, students who, while they may have met his standards for a good grade, were by and far better than the majority of students who received better grades in the same course taught by another professor. And also sacrificial with respect to contributions to technology and humankind. I do not think he could have discouraged any of his EE115B students from being engineers but what of his EE10 students? How many will switch majors and will the world have lost a potential giant because of it? The world almost did not receive the wonderful gifts bestowed upon it by Albert Einstein because he could not write eloquently. He was imperfect. He had an abnormal brain and could not meet the standards of academia. He pleaded for acceptance and someone saw past his weaknesses to his strengths. So I have chosen option C. Like Albert Einstein, Professor Abidi has weaknesses, and like Albert Einstein, he has some phenomenal strengths. But he also must realize the same of his students. They have weaknesses, and they have strengths, and what a tragedy if he should inhibit them from making potentially monumental contributions to society. Professor Abidi, you are an intelligent, influential man. I fail to believe you can't find a way to further your cause in a constructive rather than destructive manner.
I think I've figured this guy out. I started with three options. A. He's a sadistic sociopath who knows he's a master in his field and thus see's no reason to exercise anything more than a baseline level of civility to those he deems as insignificant. B. He's a sadistic sociopath who wishes to greatly reduce the potential for new ideas and advancement of technology by discouraging would be engineers by imposing impossible standards that only 0.01% of his students can meet. C. He's actually not a bad guy and has just realized the concept of grades has become greatly distorted and once reputable institutions of higher education have become profit driven diploma mills, and he has decided to tackle this by making it so impossible to get a good grade that grades become irrelevant and students actually stop worrying about grades and take the time to truly invest in understanding the material. I've decided it is option C. However this forced me to assume certain conditions. Primarily that this man, who admittedly is a brilliant, gifted lecturer, has intellectual weaknesses, in that though he might very well have good intentions, the manner in which he chooses to implement them is sacrificial and effectively results in the scenario of option B with respect to the students. Students who lost funding due to the grades he bestowed upon them, students who lost a chance at graduate school, students who lost jobs or internships they received on a conditional basis, and most importantly, students who, while they may have met his standards for a good grade, were by and far better than the majority of students who received better grades in the same course taught by another professor. And also sacrificial with respect to contributions to technology and humankind. I do not think he could have discouraged any of his EE115B students from being engineers but what of his EE10 students? How many will switch majors and will the world have lost a potential giant because of it? The world almost did not receive the wonderful gifts bestowed upon it by Albert Einstein because he could not write eloquently. He was imperfect. He had an abnormal brain and could not meet the standards of academia. He pleaded for acceptance and someone saw past his weaknesses to his strengths. So I have chosen option C. Like Albert Einstein, Professor Abidi has weaknesses, and like Albert Einstein, he has some phenomenal strengths. But he also must realize the same of his students. They have weaknesses, and they have strengths, and what a tragedy if he should inhibit them from making potentially monumental contributions to society. Professor Abidi, you are an intelligent, influential man. I fail to believe you can't find a way to further your cause in a constructive rather than destructive manner.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2021 - This class is very, very hard. The professor is very, very good. If you want to learn a lot, then take this class. If you don't give a ****, don't take this class. He makes you think about the material and digest it on a level that no other class will, but in my opinion, it is so worth it. He has a mildly large ego, but he is also a giant in the field, so you can't really blame him. His homeworks take a while, and his exams are ridiculously difficult (I think I got like a 23/50 on the midterm and idk what I got on the final because he never posted it, but I left half of the test blank at least). In the end, his curve was insane and I somehow got an A. I highly recommend taking this class if you care at all about EE. If you don't, then switch to CS and sellout to SWE .
Winter 2021 - This class is very, very hard. The professor is very, very good. If you want to learn a lot, then take this class. If you don't give a ****, don't take this class. He makes you think about the material and digest it on a level that no other class will, but in my opinion, it is so worth it. He has a mildly large ego, but he is also a giant in the field, so you can't really blame him. His homeworks take a while, and his exams are ridiculously difficult (I think I got like a 23/50 on the midterm and idk what I got on the final because he never posted it, but I left half of the test blank at least). In the end, his curve was insane and I somehow got an A. I highly recommend taking this class if you care at all about EE. If you don't, then switch to CS and sellout to SWE .
Most Helpful Review
Professor Abidi is a great lecturer, as we all know. He has his good days, when the lectures are just perfect with a great flow. Sometimes, however, he shows up to lectures tired, and those days are just boring as hell. Which is understandable, as we all have busy lives. Nevertheless, he enjoys picking on people with accents, so be prepared when you ask or answer in class. Just don't take in personally, as I think he has some sort of mental issue. He will never look you in the eye when he talks to you or when he passes your midterm. I guess he is just afraid that someone might get pissed off at him and kick his ass one day for being such a jerk to everyone. lol. It seems like he has changed his exams to "more doable" and this is more of a normal class with realistic problems that you can actually solve during your exams, unlike mentioned in previous posts. I guess the department has forced him to change his exams as well as the grading policy. However, be ready to get homework assignments assigned on Friday nights that are due Sunday nights. He won't care if you want to enjoy your weekend. He thinks that his class is the only class on your schedule. Nevertheless, you learn a lot in his class, even though he tries to pick on other professors... MY RECOMMENDATION: READ RAZAVI'S BOOK - IT'S A GREAT BOOK THAT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE THAT ABIDI!!!
Professor Abidi is a great lecturer, as we all know. He has his good days, when the lectures are just perfect with a great flow. Sometimes, however, he shows up to lectures tired, and those days are just boring as hell. Which is understandable, as we all have busy lives. Nevertheless, he enjoys picking on people with accents, so be prepared when you ask or answer in class. Just don't take in personally, as I think he has some sort of mental issue. He will never look you in the eye when he talks to you or when he passes your midterm. I guess he is just afraid that someone might get pissed off at him and kick his ass one day for being such a jerk to everyone. lol. It seems like he has changed his exams to "more doable" and this is more of a normal class with realistic problems that you can actually solve during your exams, unlike mentioned in previous posts. I guess the department has forced him to change his exams as well as the grading policy. However, be ready to get homework assignments assigned on Friday nights that are due Sunday nights. He won't care if you want to enjoy your weekend. He thinks that his class is the only class on your schedule. Nevertheless, you learn a lot in his class, even though he tries to pick on other professors... MY RECOMMENDATION: READ RAZAVI'S BOOK - IT'S A GREAT BOOK THAT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE THAT ABIDI!!!
Most Helpful Review
Well, well. Abidi lives on. I took his electronics class 25 years ago, and amazingly got an A. This is in the bad old days when there were many classes in college that, if no one was good enough, well, no A's would be given. I was impressed with how he worked through his lectures and - sorry to say - his fame in the field. It's useful to see him go through an electronics circuit. However, getting to know him personally, I found the man spiteful, dark and evil to a degree. He simply hates students bar the obsequious, and I wager that extends to humanity beyond. What does that have to do with a review of teaching, you would ask? Here's the deal. The guy so turned me off, and everyone else in his lab like him, that I completely shut off on electronics and changed careers. No loss to myself or humanity; still made the mills and had a royal time at it, in a different arena than electronics. You can mercifully learn anything you want today on youtube without enduring characters like this bizarre man. Get away from cases like his. There are a hundred better lecturers out there accessible with a swipe of a smartphone that will inspire you and hand you their many gifts. This one has a few, but they come laced with the poison of a contrived, self-aggrandizing being full of himself, and full of, yup, you guessed it, a pile of that cow stuff.
Well, well. Abidi lives on. I took his electronics class 25 years ago, and amazingly got an A. This is in the bad old days when there were many classes in college that, if no one was good enough, well, no A's would be given. I was impressed with how he worked through his lectures and - sorry to say - his fame in the field. It's useful to see him go through an electronics circuit. However, getting to know him personally, I found the man spiteful, dark and evil to a degree. He simply hates students bar the obsequious, and I wager that extends to humanity beyond. What does that have to do with a review of teaching, you would ask? Here's the deal. The guy so turned me off, and everyone else in his lab like him, that I completely shut off on electronics and changed careers. No loss to myself or humanity; still made the mills and had a royal time at it, in a different arena than electronics. You can mercifully learn anything you want today on youtube without enduring characters like this bizarre man. Get away from cases like his. There are a hundred better lecturers out there accessible with a swipe of a smartphone that will inspire you and hand you their many gifts. This one has a few, but they come laced with the poison of a contrived, self-aggrandizing being full of himself, and full of, yup, you guessed it, a pile of that cow stuff.
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