Holczer is a very kind professor who genuinely wants his students to succeed. However, he's not the best lecturer. After the first lecture, I never watched another one, even the recordings. His teaching style is vague and his handwriting is difficult to read. Honestly, just read the textbook and you'll be fine. It does a great job explaining concepts and also gives plenty of example problems. The homework for this class is typical for a physics 5 class. There's a weekly problem set and weekly mastering physics questions, but they shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours to complete. In my opinion, the exams (2 midterms, 1 final) were pretty easy, considering that I only watched one lecture throughout the entire quarter. Going through the example problems in the textbook and the problem sets will definitely help you prepare for the exams. So if you want an easy A, which most people do, take Holczer. However, if you want a more engaging lecturer, maybe try a different professor.

Dr. Holczer is not a very clear lecturer because he tends to repeat himself and his handwriting is difficult to read. That is why I did not attend most lectures, but took notes on the powerpoints and read through the textbook for understanding. The exams in this class are not difficult — they are essentially an extension of the weekly homeworks that we complete. The questions mostly rely on you knowing which formula or equation to use, and from there it's usually plug and chug. Optics was a little more confusing for me, so I would recommend paying extra attention at that time.

Professor Holczer is very kind, but not a good lecturer. His lectures are entirely conceptual and did not equip us with the knowledge we needed to complete the homework or the exams. You're better off reading the textbook and only attending discussion (Jesus was a SAINT). I only passed because his exams are very easy and exactly like the homework questions, so it was an easy A. I would recommend this class only because the tests are super easy, but you will have to teach yourself the material because the lectures are super vague and completely different from the homework assignments.

Professor Holczer is one of the most kind and understanding professors I've had at UCLA. Due to COVID he has made all his exams 48 hours and open note. His exams were very similar to the problem sets he provides each week. Overall, I do not think the exams were difficult and the problems sets provided good practice for what would appear on the exams. If you ever had any questions about mastering physics or the problem sets he was very helpful during office hours. I will say he is not the best lecturer but everything he lectures about comes straight from the textbook so it was easy to look up stuff that I didn't understand from lecture. Overall, I think Holczer was a good professor, I definitely recommend taking Physics 5B with him. Also, if you ever get the chance, go say hi to him during office hours because he is honestly such a kind person.

I'd give this professor a one star rating. If you are looking for a professor who will lecture and teach you the material than avoid like the plague because all you'll get is useless derivations of equations you'll never be tested on and handwriting that you wont be able to read. You will be teaching yourself from the textbook all quarter and good luck to you understanding waves and oscillations. He doesn't solve ANY problems in lecture and when you ask him about it, he says that you have a textbook that you could read the examples. Additionally, he has multiple "optional" sections that should mean hes not covering it yet he still does and expects you to know it for exams. Bottom line: If you are the kind of student who needs a professor with a guiding hand and shows you how to approach physics problems avoid this professor at all costs. If you are the kind of student who doesn't need lecture and just needs a textbook and a "nice guy", than this is your professor.

Dr. Holczer was a great teacher and he is very understanding! Take him for 5B if you can. You won't regret it.

Professor Holczer was the first person to help me understand physics. I had zero background in physics before coming to UCLA. I did okay in 5A, but with Professor Holczer's class I was finally able to truly understand concepts and feel confident in my work. His exams are open note and extremely easy - it is a lot like the hw problem sets and all exams are 48 hours. His lectures could be slow at times and his handwriting can be messy, but overall he is a great lecturer and is always ready to help students. He is very patient and accommodating, he seems to genuinely want students to succeed. I definitely recommend taking his class!