Student Feedback

Frederik J. Simons

I am glad I met Frederik. He has a great personality and also happens to be a genius.

Frederik is a brilliant person both inside and outside the realm of geophysics. Take a class with him not just for the opportunity to learn from a great scientist, but for the chance to get to know a wonderful person. What struck me most about Frederik was his kindness, yet fairness, in dealing with students. Seek him out if you need help or are stuck on a paper, and he is always willing to offer prompt and detailed advice. Frederik brings a lot of life into the classroom - he's hilarious, and also very glossy. Take his classes.

Frederik is personable and will joke around a lot once you get to know him. He likes to share his views on life with his students. At the same time he can be very serious if when he needs to be. Frederik is smart and willing to help students out if there is something they do not understand but he can also be somewhat hard to understand in a technical conversation.

Frederik is quite a character. At first, he seemed a little intimidating and unapproachable. He went to MIT for some of his schooling and seems a little analytical and harsh. However, once you get to know him he has a very dry (and usually very amusing) sense of humor and he becomes very approachable. Also glossy. About his teaching: his lectures in his freshman seminar are usually very math-heavy, so the topics are a little harder to make interesting than Adam's lectures. He is very good at explaining these mathematical concepts one-on-one, though, so he is good if you ever need extra help.

Having Frederik as your professor at Princeton University is like having House as your chief resident at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Like House, Frederik is fascinatingly sarcastic and brilliant in his respective field (geophysics of sorts), punctuating his lectures with witty remarks and dispensing critiques of papers as bluntly as the back-end of a rock hammer. Unlike House, Frederik has a genuine interest in the well being of his students (though we know that deep down House cares for his patients too). Although he seemed very frigid and intimidating at first, as time passed it was very clear that he was actually pretty amiable - he acted almost like a father figure for FRS 145. On the trip to California, he was very attentive and patient with students, re-explaining concepts as many times as necessary, and opened himself up to be known on a personal level through often humorous conversations that didn't always pertain to geology. Don't mistake his kindness for leniency however; he expects quality work and deadlines to be met. If you have any sense of humor at all, you will appreciate the clever banter Frederik brings to lectures and plain conversation. He has a very business-like approach to education in that he wants you to get your tuition's worth of instruction from him, thus he will be very frank about how you can improve and also very receptive to any feedback you give him. Definitely feel free to approach him for help if you feel confused about anything - he'll thoroughly and promptly reply to you, and probably make you laugh with one of his quips. (One thing: Be wary if you are a gullible person. You will probably be mocked - all in good humor though, rest assured.)

Frederik's a fun guy. I'm not sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I don't think I've ever had a single conversation with him about geology. He knows his stuff though. Bottom line is: he cares.

Frederik is very clear explaining what the end-product equations mean. His teaching style greatly increased my interest in the subject area. As well, his sense of humor was right up my alley which helped to keep lectures flowing.

Brilliant guy, high expectations. Will work with you if you ask for help. Very available.

This was one of my most intersting teachers this semester. He presented the material thoroughly and stimulatingly, but perhaps most importantly, the conversations I've had with this professor outside of lecture were really stellar. Because of the field trip associated with the course I took with him, there were lots of opportunities for discussion with your professors, who are all very willing to share their knowledge with the students. In short, I had some great conversations, some unrelated to geology, with this professor. If you're ever in a course with him, you'll probably find that he has a lot to offer for interested students.