Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

Top of the board1.ECON 9902962.LAWS 8856973.PRTO 3300984.BSLW 2299975.PHIL 4932986.LAWS 8308987.SCWK 9960998.EESC 99011009.MUSP 16609610.UGMG 10109811.UNCP 55119712.SCWK 883197

Positions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

Instructor record · Physics · Fall 2021 – Spring 2024

Pradip Bakshi

Distinguished Research Professor of Physics · Physics · 7 evaluation records across 5 classes

On each class's board
PHYS 5540only instructor on recordPHYS 11014th of 4 instructors ProvisionalPHYS 77085th of 5 instructors ProvisionalPHYS 78353rd of 3 instructors ProvisionalPHYS 8750only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
64BC evaluations7 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2024
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute
—RateMyProfessorsno ratings — does not contribute

Sources are averaged by how much we trust each one and by how many records sit behind it, so a handful of reviews nudges the number rather than replacing it.

What the challenge rank is made of
32ndMore challenging than 32% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
85BC — “Intellectually Challenging”7 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score.

What the workload rank is made of
80thMore work than 80% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
60BC — “Workload”7 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

The line

All 13 items · means across 7 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
713rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
763rd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
744th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
733rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
735th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
755th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
754th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
788th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8320th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
756th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6080th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8532nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
673rd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Class by class

5 classes · 7 sections

How each position is worked outPositions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

PHYS 5540 General Relativity: Cosmological ImplicationsOvr65Chal64thWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

3 sections on record · course itself rated 68 out of 100. See the full board for PHYS 5540.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2024015160—
Spring 202301666660
Fall 202101777760
All 13 items for PHYS 5540
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
691st pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
762nd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
731st pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
782nd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
755th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
722nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
783rd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8726th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9044th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8212th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9364th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
733rd pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

PHYS 1101 Structure of the Universe IIOvr47Chal3rdWork78th
On this class's board4th of 4 instructors Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 49 out of 100. See the full board for PHYS 1101.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202201474960
All 13 items for PHYS 1101
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
600th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
580th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
600th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
510th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
734th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
610th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
540th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
570th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
7910th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
641st pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
743rd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
490th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

PHYS 7708 Physics Graduate Seminar IIOvr70Chal9thWork78th
On this class's board5th of 5 instructors Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 60 out of 100. See the full board for PHYS 7708.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202201706060
All 13 items for PHYS 7708
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
806th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
804th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
806th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
804th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9043rd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9042nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
805th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
808th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8013th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8010th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
809th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8011th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

PHYS 7835 Mathematical Physics IOvr36Chal2ndWork—
On this class's board3rd of 3 instructors Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 33 out of 100. See the full board for PHYS 7835.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 2021013633—
All 13 items for PHYS 7835
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
490th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
640th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
560th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
490th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
480th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
580th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
580th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
580th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
693rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
530th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
732nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
400th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

PHYS 8750 Particle PhysicsOvr100Chal48thWork—
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 100 out of 100. See the full board for PHYS 8750.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202201100100—
All 13 items for PHYS 8750
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
100100th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
100100th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
100100th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
100100th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8011th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
100100th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
100100th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9045th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9044th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8010th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9048th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8011th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

How to read this pageScores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Almost every class scores high on that scale (the median is about 90), so challenge and workload are shown as a rank against every instructor we hold rather than as a score; the raw figure is in the breakdown above. Neither describes quality, and neither is ever marked better or worse anywhere on this site. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero. The position printed against each class is this instructor's place on that class's own board, computed from the same records the board itself is built from.