MAE 3710

I feel that everything to be said about this class has already been stated. This class is taught very well but can be very difficult at times. The course material is mildly interesting, first building a strong mathematical background (lots of ode's and complex analysis) for the students and later on applying it to problems you'd see in dynamics. The tests are incredibly time-consuming and will have you absolutely reeling after you turn them in, and the homework assignments are frequent and somewhat tedious to finish. Pro tip: the lecture notes, which are very well put together and admittedly quite entertaining, are all on YouTube (UVA Mechanical Systems). You'll do yourself a HUGE favor if you copy down literally every single one of them during the summer so you can have 6 extra hours of free time during the weekends. This class is definitely quite hard, but still somewhat doable.

Like the previous reviewers have stated, this class consists of online YouTube lecture videos every week, hw problems from the textbook, and in-class discussion/practice problems. The way to succeed in this class is to watch all of the videos religiously every week. Do not skip that step. Then, go to the class, at least the Wednesday class, because the Wednesday class is where Benny and Carl discuss practice problems similar to the test. The Monday class is for reviewing tricky hw problems. Then, be prepared to spend the entire week working on the midterm or final exam when it is released. If you can put in the work to understand the basic concepts tested on the homework as well as put in the time for the exam, then you are in a good place in this class. Carl is really good at explaining difficult concepts in class, so again, please at least go to the Wednesday classes.

This course definitely forces you to be a good student. The lectures are online. You must watch them on your own time, which typically ate up every Sunday for me. Weekly quizzes test whether you actually watched the lectures. The midterm and final are extremely difficult and time consuming. That said, the level of instruction is fantastic. He answers questions both in lecture and during office hours. Knospe is one of the mechanical engineering department's best professors. Those willing to put in the effort this course requires will be rewarded with new ways to look at problems.

Professor Knospe really knows his stuff. The way the course is structured, the more traditional lessons are in video format on Collab, and Professor Knospe uses class time to go over difficult homework problems or answer class questions (he also gave us Friday off). The class started out pretty much as a review of ODE, but quickly became increasingly more difficult. Listen when he tells you that it is a very difficult class. The exams are take home-and for good reason, you will need all that time in order to pass them. The final might not have been the most difficult thing I have ever done, but it was without a doubt the single most demoralizing experience of my life. The concepts in the course are useful for the real world, but it isn't easy to learn them.

Knospe is probably my favorite professor I've had at UVA. Although this was largely because we never had to go to class, his lecture videos were actually really well put together and it was nice to be able to pause and go back to revisit if necessary. He still held question/problem sessions in the periods where class would have been, and those were helpful if you needed clarification on any of the lectures. He is very knowledgeable about his subject material and is a really nice guy. Everyone gets behind in watching the videos, but it's easy to catch up as long as you're paying attention. The material is really interesting if you're a math person. Most people only take this class because it is a requirement, but I would recommend it to anyone who likes and is good at math.

Knospe is a good lecturer, unfortunately he never does. All the lectures were online (about 4 hours a week of videos). Keep up on the videos and go to sessions he has if you have questions, because he will answer them well. The exams (mostly take-home) are incredibly difficult and in-class exams are just as hard. Be prepared for a lot of work. I did learn a lot from the class though.

Do not take this class if you do not have to. Knospe is a good teacher but the tests are some of the most difficult exams that I have ever seen, he is a harsh grader, and he expects much more than is reasonable to expect for students to comprehend at a very high level in one of the most difficult classes in the major (especially with material that they have not seen 75% of before)

Midterm and final are take home. They are extremely difficult. I have never spent more time on a test than on that final. That being said, Knospe is a very good teacher, he really knows the material. His notes are very thorough (handwritten, and well drawn, the man can handle a sharpie!)

Be prepared for a very difficult class. Long homeworks every week which are not very straight-forward. Not a bad teacher but not good either which exacerbates tough material. Week long mid-terms and final that will consume you like never before.

Another difficult mech class, but with some practical information. The lectures are intense and taking notes is crucial, but they will end up helping study for the week long tests that are take home. Make sure to go to office hours for the homework because he helps work through them for you.

Professor Knospe is one of the better teachers you will encounter in the MAE curriculum. Unfortunately this comes at a price. His exams are extremely difficult and he gives almost no partial credit. It is a worthwhile course and you will learn a lot but it will not be easy. Make sure you have a strong homework grade and don't underestimate the exams (they are week-long take-homes).

Prof. Knospe is unforgiving to those who completely understand the topic but make a small mistakes on his multiple choice test by awarding 0 point for the entire problem. The tests weren't even reflective of the homework problems or his lectures. Class was very dry as he was always just copying down the notes that he probably wrote up over the summer. The administrative organization of this course was very poor.