Professor Cates is definitely one of the cooler faculty members here at UVA. The guy has done some amazing research in the realm of Physics and will keep you constantly entertained with those at office hours, if you choose to attend (and I'd recommend you do when there are homework's and exams, which occur rather rarely). However, his involvement does leave him pretty busy outside of class, with little time to grade and sometimes follow up on other stuff. However, the exams and homework's are pretty straightforward, and you do get a cheat sheet for the midterm and final. Although the grades are sparse, Cates does his best to help everyone succeed and if you put in full effort, there's no reason you shouldn't get an A.

Very interesting. Not the easiest class at UVA, but it teaches you some really important stuff to know in the real world

Don't be fooled here, you do have to come to class and pay perfect attention for your A.

What an amazing class and even more amazing professor. Definitely one of my favorite I've had at UVa thus far. Tests may seem a bit tricky at times, but don't be discouraged if you do not do well on them. He grades on a curving system and for a few of our quizzes, the highest score in the class was like an 80%. Cates has done big, big things in the world of physics and science yet he is extremely humble about his accomplishments. Definitely go to office hours and problem sessions- he is brilliant and has a million different stories that will keep you entertained. GREAT CLASS, TAKE THIS. Only downside is the interval at which you receive grades back. Don't count on seeing any of your grades until months after you take do them, haha.

Professor Cates is very engaging and interesting during lectures. He records attendance with i-clickers and most of the material on the quizzes and midterm are from the lecture slides so it is important to go to lectures. Grades seem tough at first but Cates is a strong believer in curving. Strongly recommend this class.

Gates is a vibrant and very intelligent teacher. He is easily accessible and cares a lot about his students. Make sure you attend the lectures as he takes attendance through iClicker points. The problem sets he gives (usually 3) are important to your grade but you can work with other students before you submit them. I definitely recommend this class with Gordon!

Good easy science course. Cates is such a nerd but in the best way - he knows a lot about physics and likes to go off on tangents. He's fair in grade distribution and frequently makes use of curves. Most of your grade comes from two problem sets, and on these problem sets you are allowed unlimited help from other students and Cates, who makes himself very available by hosting problem sessions.

Professor Cates. What an awesome guy. He is very passionate about what he does, which is seen through his energetic lectures and many (often hilarious) in-class demonstrations. He makes this class awesome. The course is pretty easy if you do the few readings and pay attention in class (but how couldn't you with Professor Cates' crazy self?!) The class goes over very, very basic physics, environmental science, and briefly nuclear science. Cates' help sessions are great for problem sets (and he's likely to bump your grade up if you go to them). If you get the chance, take the time to pick Cates' brain. He's crazy smart, and will blow your mind! Overall--great class, and coming from a non-science major, it's pretty easy.

Pretty easy class about very interesting energy topics. Very current information. Professor Cates is very enthusiatic about the class but it can be boring. Since it is geared towards non-majors there is much more reading than anything else but it's not a lot of work.

This is a very informative course, but the homework did not exactly correlate with lecture. On that note, go to his office hours and he is very generous with helping students (he also takes note of who attends). Homework about once a week, a few quizzes, one midterm, and a final.