This is for MAE 103, but he hasn't been listed on that class yet.

The professor likes to go off topic / off the course syllabus, but apparently according to one of the TAs, it's helpful bc it prepares us better for future fluids courses (like MAE 150).

One of the greatest things he did was he posted the midterm/final test. Except he removed the question portions, so we were given just the diagrams ahead of time so we could appropriately prepare for the exams. Also, all the exams were open notes.

His handwriting might be a little hard to decipher and he has a slight French accent that takes a week or two to get used to, but he definitely made this class a lot less stressful compared to other engineering classes. God bless this man.

I have taken this professor for two courses: MAE 182A and 150A. He is one of the nicest professors you will have. Both courses were taught in a very similar fashion. Here is what I can remember:

-He makes his own homeworks, every time, and they are worth a significant portion of your grade (~15-20%). However, if you look closely, many of the problems are like ones from the book except tweaked a little bit
-His lectures are pretty good; he always tries to relate what you learn to everyday things you will see in life which helps
-Slight accent
-Terrible handwriting (his major downfall). After a few weeks it becomes easier to read, but probably the worst handwriting I've seen
-He makes himself available for drop by help whenever you want (at his office), which is cool
-His tests are open book and open notes
-You don't need past midterms, although they might help a little
-Genuinely cares about students

You will not fail either class, as long as you follow this advice: his midterm (only 1 midterm, for both classes) and final are VERY VERY similar to the "practice" midterm and final that he posts online. I STRONGLY suggest that you work through these practice tests with your friends and make sure you have the correct solutions (and understand them) for the test. Simply having the correct solutions to the practice test will ensure that you pass the real equivalent test (whether it's the midterm of final).

In general, the problems on his test (compared with the practice) will have EXTREMELY similar parts a) and b) but then c) will be way different. So just try to think outside the box about how he could tweak the problem just a little bit to make you solve for something different. Hope that helps, and good luck. I definitely wouldn't avoid this professor, easy B (if not A, if you are smart).

My final piece of advice: don't be afraid to ask for help and guidance during the test -- if you ask him if you are approaching the problem the right way, he will let you know, and probably give you a few pointers too!