The professor introduced a lot of concepts in class, however, none can be found directly on the textbooks and he tends to skip around class materials a lot. In addition, he gave out a lot of extra credits on hw and test (although none of us have time to do them). I will say the class is really hard and he didn't explain all concept thoroughly. The exercises he gave out during discussions are also not that relatable to class material either.

VVV is I think the best QM professor at UCLA. His tests are tough but fair and with lots of extra credit opportunities. His grading scale is also very generous, so as long as you do the homeworks and score about average on exams you should be fine. The material is also really interesting and useful in any field. Its all just ways to approximate differential equations that can't be easily solved. If you have the chance to take it with vvv you definitely should

VVV has his own way of understanding physics, and lecturing them out, so you probably need some time to get used to his style. However, once you manage to keep pace, you'll find that he really has a profound knowledge in physics, and his point of views on various materials are thorough and in logic with each other. Each time I ask him a question, I will always get even more than I ask for from his answer. If you choose VVV, it is definitely a hard path, but if you manage it, you'll get much more than you expect.

Yes, the other reviews are true - this is not an easy class BUT it is worth all the struggle, especially if you are interested in physics. Vassiliev will spend most of his lectures going over problems that seem incredibly difficult at first, but actually end up being manageable and doable with our current physics knowledge. Personally I really appreciated that but I can understand how that's not everyone's deal. He certainly goes above and beyond the course material but a key thing to note is that none of the extra topics or concepts are on the tests. You can totally rely 100% on the textbook and homework and get an A in the class.

Additionally, there is quite a bit of extra credit on both the homework and exams, and you will likely get over 100% on many of your homework assignments. His exams can certainly throw you for a loop, but I would say they're still very fair. And if all you're looking for is to pass the class, a 30% in the class was curved to a C, so I doubt any of us failed, despite the apparent difficulty of his lectures.

Overall, definitely take Vassiliev's class if you have a strong interest and background in physics, and even if you don't have either of those, the class is designed so an A is certainly still very possible.

All the reviews are true, and you can look at them and decide whether or not to take Physics 1B with VVV. And my suggestion is if you are not a Physics major, just want to use this class to fulfill your major's requirement, have no strong interest in Physics, and also have other important class to take during that quarter (like CS32), DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH VVV!!!

This is the worst class I've taken at UCLA. You are probably considering taking a class with VVV to become better at physics. Well, don't do that. You won't learn anything from his lectures. All he does is point at his lecture notes and mumble. His HOME ASSIGNMENTS (that's right, not homework, but HOME ASSIGNMENTS) are time consuming to say the least and will make you neglect all of your other classes. I know you are thinking that VVV will make you a better physics major, but trust me, you can just learn using the textbook with any other professor. This class truly sucked the living soul out of me, and I can't say I came out of it as a better student. Also, his exams are absolutely horrendous. After each exam, it felt like I was in the wrong class (and the wrong major). The average for the first midterm was ~58, the second ~43 and the third exam (non-cumulative "final" exam) ~40. He even sent us an email explaining how disappointed he was in our averages. It's completely his fault. He can't just mumble through the lectures without picking up a pen and expect people to follow along. Don't take this class, trust me.

Avoid VVV under any circumstances to save yourself from 10-week torture. His class would take 3 times the effort devoted to average physics courses.

He is so hard, but gives lots of extra credit. Most humbling, painful, but rewarding class in my opinion. I learned so much from him, but would definitely avoid him in the near future to protect my sanity.

Get away from this guy.

Professor Vladimir is THE most underrated professor in Physics Department from my opinion. Surely his class is intense, but with extremely clear structure and logic. It is normal to find yourself unable to follow his pace in lecture, but if you review his lecture slides later, you will absolutely find how beautiful these physics theories are. His homework and exams are not easy but doable as long as you sort everything out from the lectures. Besides, you would one hundred percent want to attend his optional lectures on the connection between analytic and quantum mechanics if applicable. It will be mind-blowing if you take quantum mechanic classes in the following quarter.

Lastly, if you find vvv's class is boring and unhelpful, I would suggest you to change your major as he could be the very first professor to show you how beautiful physics is. He definitely deserves a 5.0 rating.