Tom Kelley is a Physics professor at Northeastern University rated 3.4/5 by 18 students, with 3.2/5 difficulty and 64.0% who would take them again (TRACE + RateMyProfessors + Reddit, updated July 2026).
Tom Kelley professor reviews and ratings: 3.4/5 from 18 student reviews at Northeastern (64.0% would take again). TRACE + RateMyProfessor + Reddit.
The professor is really good in this office hours. Very patient while explaining concepts and makes sure that you understood the concepts. His lectures are really helpful only if you read the book beforehandPHYS1151 2025-01-29 21:58:23 +0000 UTC
I do not understand Tom's current rating. I have taken him for both physics 1 and 2. I have always heard that he was the better professor. However, after a year of classes with him I disagree. It may be the class layout, but at the end it felt like I was only going to get the equations I needed then I would teach myself the rest. Tom is overrated.PHYS1155 2022-12-02 17:19:34 +0000 UTC
One of the best professors I have ever had. I absolutely despised physics, but this guy kept me from failing. Kept great office hours, and made difficult material understandable. Knows how to breakdown topics so that the least of us could grasp them. Good guy, great teacher, wish the rest of the physics department was this good.PHYSICSILS 2014-12-24 00:10:19 +0000 UTC
He genuinly wants all of his students to understand the material. I thought physics was going to be awful for me, but I survived because of him. There are plenty of opportunities to get your grade up, and he is super helpful when you don't understand something.PHYSICS 2014-11-04 14:30:57 +0000 UTC
I did not go to the lectures at all; they were completely useless imo. I would highly recommend just taking notes from the textbook on your own time before class. It's flipped-classroom design so he doesn't teach the material itself, he only does practice problems.PHYS1151 2024-11-23 03:47:11 +0000 UTC
Had him for both physics 2 and E&M. Much better at teaching E&M, I think he has difficulty teaching the easier topics. Go to his office hours, he takes notice of people actively trying to do well and will reward you for it.PHYS1155 2017-02-16 06:12:50 +0000 UTC
Have him for the lecture part of physics. I am currently writing this review right now in the middle of a lecture. Great teacher, very animated, but I will say that most of the learning comes from doing his homework. He posts the lecture slides before the lecture which is helpful. I wish I could say more with the character limit.PHYS1151 2024-10-03 20:57:48 +0000 UTC
Great teacher. Lectures were engaging and so informative. Office hours were great; I went many days in a row and he was more than happy to answer all of my questions. Overall: awesome, enthusiastic, brilliant guy. Expects a lot of his students, but provides them with adequate preparation. Would recommend!PHYS1155 2016-01-29 10:25:47 +0000 UTC
I don't have strong feelings about professor Kelley; his lectures are alright. Attendance is not mandatory, but there is a small online assignment which is intended to be completed during lecture time.PHYS1151 2024-05-22 23:07:24 +0000 UTC
If you like ridiculously enthusiastic professors, this is your guy. Personally I found that he kind of drained my energy, and his lectures were a lot more entertaining than they were useful. Also has a tendency to answer questions with a 10-second-long shrug and a perplexed face. Overall not terrible, I'd take him if all the other options were bad.PHYS1155 2016-01-18 21:08:47 +0000 UTC
Professor Kelley is clearly passionate about physics and has a lot of enthusiasm. I had him for lecture and ils. As someone who is not a fan of physics at all, I think he was approachable and i like that he posts everything on canvas. Sometimes his voice would be hard to understand, but not to a great extentPHYS1151 2023-06-08 18:52:20 +0000 UTC
He really should read his rating for a wake-up call. In class, he explains materials way harder than they should be. Another problem is that he often makes mistakes in his own quizzes. I have had to ask him for details in the problem, which was frustrating. Basically, he is smart for his own good but not smart enough to teach students.PHYS1155 2014-08-22 06:34:00 +0000 UTC
Professor Kelley was a decent professor. His lectures are relatively easy to understand, if a bit dull at times. No major issues.PHYS1151 2023-05-10 18:46:25 +0000 UTC
Awesome guy, useless professor. Spends way too much time during lecture going off on tangents that have nothing to do with the lecture. He knows his stuff, but is awful at communicating it to us students. Quizzes/Exams are hard but not impossible, ILS is much more helpful for understanding the material than the lectures are.PHYS1155 2014-07-14 11:19:09 +0000 UTC
Not good at explaining anything at all he was more supplemental to the textbook rather than the other way around. Always gave backwards answers to questions and assumed everyone understood concepts rather than really explain his process when going through questions. I would not take again.PHYS1151 2023-05-02 23:57:01 +0000 UTC
Tom Kelley has an average rating of 3.4/5 from 18 student reviews. 64.0% of students said they would take them again.
Tom Kelley's classes have a difficulty rating of 3.2/5 based on student reviews.
Data updated July 2026.