this guy is awesome. i would take an ee class i don't need just because he's teaching it. explains everything thoroughly, cares about students, and gives out candy.

Very knowledgeable! But be careful, he's used to teaching upper division classes and lecturing to other professors, so he might be a little much for you if you take him for a lower division class. On the other hand, he realizes this fact and genuinely tries to make his lectures understandable and effective. Personally, I like him.

Student: "We haven't learned many of these things on the practice final."
Professor: "Haven't you taken EE115?"
Student: "No, this is EE2"
Professor: "Too bad. You're out of luck"

This guy is heartless

Professor Yablonovitch knows exactly what he's talking about. He's interesting too. He goes too in-depth into ideas and concepts many times confusing students. The sections he teach, in my opinion, are harder than similar classes by other professors. His exams are very tough. He is a good professor though.

Professor Yablonovitch is definitely a great EE teacher. What made him so great was that he related the lectures to everyday life and therefore allowed us to learn things that were really important, and not just what the curriculum wanted us to know... His notes were also excellent and extremely thorough... The reader and his notes are more lie a replacement for the book rather than supplements... I cant rate his difficulty though, until I get my final grade... No matter what grade I get though, the course was challenging, but the fact that it was interesting as well put most people up to the challenge...

Students: ZzzZzzzZz
Professor: Oh, it looks like the students are fading fast in the back row
Students: ZzZZzzZZz
-----
Students: ZzzZZzzZ
Professor: I know its early, but you just missed an important discussion with your classmates.
Students: Huh?
-----
Students: ZzzZzzZ
Professor: Well, I know that if you're asleep before I start lecture, it wasn't because I was boring.
Students: ZzzZzzzZz
-----
Professor: Hi Students! Oh, wow its really hot in here. *turns down A/C to less than 60 degrees*
Students: Brrr!! ZZzzZZZ!!! Brrr!!

Here's what he said yesterday in ee2 class:

Can everyone read what I've written on the board here? Is it too small?
Are we sure that *everyone* can read this?
Everyone?
Anybody having trouble?
...
Okay?
[Student raises hand: "It's too small, I can't read it"]
Prof Yablonovich: "Well then, maybe you need to get glasses or have your eyes checked. Come to the front row where you can see better."

God, I love Prof. Yablonovich!

Eli is on of the most genius professors I've had at this school. Unfortunately, he doesn't convey what is really important about the class. He makes lectures very interesting and fun. My main advice is to read up on the material before lecture (or after) and you will be way ahead of the rest of the class. Just read the reader and don't buy the black book (it is useless eventhough he tells you never to sell it).

He's a great teacher -- when teaching to intelligent people who are eager to learn and have a partial grasp of the ideas already. He's very good about tying in the discussion to everyday life. He encourages discussion by giving out candy -- but as it usually goes, people feel intimidated.

Another dinger is a (possible unconsious) belittling of students. He likes to reinforce what students don't know. For example, he'll make spend 3 minutes complaining that nobody knows what a taylor series expansion is... quiz people ("Raise your hand if you know what a TSE is")... of course, nobody responds and he goes over it anyway.

He also rescheduled the final (can he do that?) to make it more convienient for himself (so he didn't have to write two finals). He's often late to class. On the plus side, his cell phone (on his belt) has only gone off once during lecture. Sometimes he forces students to leave the back rows and come to the front.

Midterms are easy, homeworks are pretty easy too.

The bads:
He is pretty tough. He just blazes through lectures which dont make much sense. All you do in his lectures is just sit and look at the transparencies he has made. Really really easy to fall asleep in his class.
He also picks on you in lectures, which can be pretty embarassing.

The goods:
If you are really interested in the subject matter and want to really really learn about semicondusctors and stuff, he is the guy you want. He knows his stuff pretty good. The reason for the bads i said just might have been because i didnt like the subject matter. When you are CS and you are forced to take semiconductor classes, It just sucks.