ASTR 1280

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Torrey is a pretty nice guy but his marketing of this course as for "non-science majors" is not true. This class contained advanced physics, geometry, and overall very frustratingly difficult concepts as a student who is definitely not a science major. If you like astronomy, this is probably fine, but DO NOT TAKE THIS TO FULFILL GEN-EDS. I worked hard but this is the worst grade I have ever gotten, and the primary reason is content that definitely belongs in a course for astronomy majors. The TA was not helpful, and while the workload was somewhat reasonable, I tried every resource to improve my grade and was still unable to really do much about it. Don't overthink it, go find another gen-ed. It is clear that the professor is passionate about the content and that he is an expert in his field, but he is not the best at teaching content (partially due to this course being a giant lecture, but still. Find another class).

Easiest A I've ever gotten at UVA (98.5% pre-exam!!). Do NOT listen to the other review LMAO. This class has to be the easiest I've ever taken. I went to one class and did the rest on zoom (he lets you attend online). The math is genuinely a joke for anyone who can solve pre-Algebra problems. He literally spoon-feeds you the exam questions by giving you a bank of questions beforehand (for midterm 1 and 2 and the final. The third midterm is literally open notes and asynchronous, a free 100!!!). You are also given a formula sheet for exams to do the math (which is literally just plug and chug). You are even allowed a calculator for exams, if you are uncomfortable working with scientific figures. Take this class, it's the easiest way to knock out a Gen-Ed req. I can't emphasize more how incorrect the other review is, with respect to the difficulty of this class.

I took this class as a gen-ed requirement for science and society. I thought the workload was manageable - there was only one HW per week with some rest weeks, with optional readings before each class (but I would recommend reading these). Most classes were recorded and livestreamed through zoom which was super helpful. They were application based and multiple choice. These were definitely manageable but required me to go back through the slides. The hardest math is basically algebra and rearranging equations to fit what is needed and knowing which equation to use. Honestly, I would recommend to someone to get the gen-ed out of the way but it wasn't an easy A for me (was still doable, though). It does require lots of studying leading up to an exam for sure.

My buddy and I chose to take this class based on the first two reviews (don't take this class, easiest class ever). The benchmark for an A is a 90 (A, not A-), and there is roughly one homework assignment a week, which is typically fairly easy and requires using the slides or writing a short essay. There are 3 "quizzes" which are basically midterms, and one cumulative final. I took this for a requirement and studied a day or two before exams and finished with well above an A, not bad at all definitely recommend taking if you need for gen ed req, but Torrey is also a great teacher and super passionate about what he does.