ASTR 1210

I took this class as a first year and it changed my life! Professor Murphy is a phenomenal lecturer and a very nice guy. I took this class during the pandemic, when it was mostly asynchronous. During class times, he would hold optional office hours, where he would tell us about events in the world of astronomy and tell us the stories behind constellations. The class itself covered a lot of topics in astronomy and, although it wasn't super easy, the professor was always willing to re-explain things to make sure you were getting it. Taking this class sparked my interest in astronomy, and although I didn't end up majoring in astronomy, I did just finish my minor in it and am now headed to grad school for science writing. I feel that taking this class helped me to pinpoint what I liked about science and learn how to apply it to my other interests. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone -- even if you aren't that interested in science and are just looking to fill a requirement. #tCFS24

Like most people taking this class, I took this for an easier science credit since I am not a STEM person. If you are in the same boat as I am, I would highly recommend this course. Professor Murphy is extremely passionate about his subject and makes it very clear in his lectures. Sometimes the lectures went off topic in my opinion but by no means is that the end of the world. the class is broken down by homework assignments, virtual labs, participation, three exams, and a final. The three exams and final were take home; however, they were somewhat challenging. DO NOT slack off on the online homework assignments as they carry a lot of weight and are easy to just not care about. I thankfully ended with a A but it would have been higher if I had not slacked off on the homework. Professor Murphy is super flexible and offers zoom lectures, which came in handy as it allowed for me to stay home longer during fall break. I really appreciated that from him. The course was extremely interesting the first couple of weeks but then i found it starting to become dull as the semester went on. If in search for an easy science credit, I would recommend

I feel like if I was actually interested in astronomy, I would have really liked this class! I only took this class to fill one of my last disciplines and I'm a Foreign Affairs major, so I really have little to no interest in astronomy. Professor Murphy is for sure very smart and is so enthusiastic about the class. He also has many accommodations in place for students (records the lecture on Zoom so students can join if they can't come to lecture, posts the recordings for students to watch later if needed, etc). You can tell he made a lot of accommodations for his students during the pandemic and kept many of them in place even after coming back to in-person classes. I never went to his office hours, but he just seems like a nice, funny guy who loves astronomy and is quite a dad (in the best way!).

Every lecture is planned out well and his Canvas is very organized and clear. There's usually a homework on the Pearson site due every Sunday, but no quizzes. There were 3 exams spread out through the semester and then the final exam; the exams were open note and pretty reasonable. My only qualm is that there were a lot of labs, and a lot of them you had to go to the Astronomy Building or outside to a place where you could clearly see the moon or stars, which was just difficult to organize. It felt like a lot of labs for a 1000 level class.

Overall, I'd recommend this class, especially for anyone who needs to fill up that discipline requirement! It's a good class, and you can definitely get an A in the class without insane amounts of effort. #tCFF23

Murphy was a very engaging professor, and he made a large lecture personalized and exciting. The class does have a fair amount of homework and virtual labs; however, Murphy is very friendly in office hours if you need help. I feel like Murphy made this class manageable and really fun, however I tended to struggle on the tests. I would suggest studying a lot for them and going to lectures. The lectures are always recorded which is nice if you have to miss.

This class is really good to take honestly if you're looking to knock out some of those basic requirements or pre-reqs. There are only three quizzes plus the final exam, so you can say they're relatively spread out from each other. The professor is super knowledgeable and has been here since like the 90s, so he is well versed and knows what he's doing. Like he literally uploaded all the lecture notes and the schedule for the whole semester early August. The homework is very manageable and he always opens it 2 weeks or more before the due date, so plenty of time. I would say the main downside is that this course is very content heavy, so just be prepared to have to learn and memorize a lot of things in preparation for exams. #tCFfall2021

Professor Murphy is a really great at explaining concepts in a very easy-to-understand way. He recognizes that many people taking the course are doing it for an easy science requirement and he makes the material fun and interesting. Highly recommend taking it.

I thought this course was really interesting overall and I learned a lot about astronomy. Don't assume that this class will be easy because it requires a lot of studying. Most of the graded assignments are easy 100s: in-class learning catalytics questions, homework problems, 2 easy labs. Btw, I studied for the constellation quiz lab and it was a complete waste of time. It's so easy; the answers are basically provided for you. The labs are really fun and interesting. However, the exams can be very tricky. Make sure you study a lot for them. My best advice is to study the Mastering Astronomy questions and the learning catalytics questions. Make sure you actually understand the material; don't just memorize the answers to the question. I found the final to be very difficult (99 questions). Everything is fair game. STUDY A LOT. One thing I hated about this class was the fact that we were always behind in the syllabus (I don't even think we got to half the material). It seemed like he was trying so hard to squeeze all the information in the end and was going so fast. I never went to office hours but maybe that would help. Although it was very interesting to hear about, I think he spent too much time (sometimes half the class) talking about current events that weren't even going to be on any exam. I ended up with a pretty good grade in the class (the easy grade boosters really helped). Overall, I would recommend this class but be prepared to study really hard.

Professor Murphy is a really, really good lecturer. He's super energetic and extremely passionate about the subject. He was on cloud nine following the solar eclipse. I enjoyed the class a lot, but it's definitely not as easy as I was expecting. Your grade consists of online homework, clicker questions, 2 pass/fail labs, 3 multiple choice midterms and a multiple choice cumulative final exam. Online homework answers are on quizlet, so that's an easy 100%. Clicker questions are also an easy 100%, because you get full credit if you reach a certain amount of points. Labs were actually pretty difficult in my opinion, but they were graded super easily. If you passed, you get full credit. If you fail, you just go back and do it again for full credit. The exams were not easy at all. They are based on conceptual understanding of the material. You can't just get by with knowing what stuff is. You have to know how and why it works. I always felt like I did well on exams, but ended up getting in the 70s most of the time. To study for exams, memorize the questions on the online homework, because some questions are pulled directly from there, and focus on actually learning the material. That's what you have to do in order to do well on the tests. Overall, I'd recommend the class, because Murphy is awesome and the material is interesting, but don't take it if you're simply looking for an easy A. That's what I did, and I didn't get it.

Great professor, if you like this course consider taking his other course on the origins of everything. I will say that the “quizzes” are more difficult than I would have expected, and he at times writes poorly worded questions, which is very aggravating.
He makes it really interesting and explains everything very well.

He is really passionate about astronomy and so he makes the class enjoyable but the material is very dry and boring. I would recommend taking this class only if you actually care about this class. This class somehow got the reputation of being easy but that is not the case at all. There is weekly homework graded on accuracy and there are three "quizzes" but they are basically three midterms that are 50 questions long and the only way to study for them is to memorize the homework and read the textbook and go over his powerpoints. There are two very easy labs that are meant to boost your grade. The final is cumulative and again I would go over the homework especially and maybe the textbook and his powerpoint. If you are taking this class for a science requirement but you don't care about the class, then do not take this class.

This was recommended to me as an "easy" science credit. However it most definitely is not. The exams are all multiple choice, which sounds easy but the questions are tricky and very elaborate for multiple choice. The concepts on the quizzes were not at all reflective from the class lectures. The lectures were boring and did not prepare you well for the exams. The best way to study is to use the mastering astronomy practice questions.

If you are looking for an easy A, this class may not be for you. While Murphy is extremely competent as a professor, the material covered was sometimes very dry. Class participation is nice in that you only need to answer about 50 questions right to get full credit, but this led me to skip half the lectures. To study for his quizzes, simply go over his notes, homework, Learning Catalytics, textbook readings, and the concept/reading quizzes on MasteringAstronomy. Other than that, you really just need to know how to answer his questions, as they may be tricky. Although I got an A-, this class should be a easy B/B- if you put some effort into it.

Professor Murphy is an amazing professor. He enjoys what he does, and makes the material interesting. I have absolutely no complaints about him. However, the class is harder than it should be. If you are looking for an easy A, do not take this class. The quizzes are pretty difficult and almost impossible to study for. Thankfully there are a lot of easy ways to boost your grade. Homework is easy and worth 200 points, clicker questions are also easy and are worth 100, and there are two ridiculously easy pass/fail labs worth 50 points each. Don't waste time studying for either of the labs. Because of these grade-boosters, getting a B is pretty easy, but the quizzes are brutal.

The quiz questions are very random and are not connected to the topics that we learn. I would not recommend this class to people are looking for a science that is low key.

If you're not interested in astronomy and take this class, God help you. You must have at least some interest in basic astronomy to survive this class. I'm an econ major but thought learning about basic astronomical concepts would be cool. I took it in Chem 402 and the lights were off as Professor Murphy went through slides at 2pm, right after lunch. You will fall asleep unless you have the slightest interest in the material.

Anyways, the class was fairly straightforward. I honestly wish I tried harder in the class because I probably would have ended up with an A or A- rather than the B+ I got. Here are my recommendations for the class:
- Take MasteringAstronomy seriously. Don't BS it. Actually read the textbook and take the time to make sure you get every question right. It's a fairly significant portion of your grade over the weeks and it adds up.
- Take good notes in class using a pen and paper because there are graphs and charts.
- Form study groups and go through ALL of the material from lectures and in the textbook. I didn't think any material went untouched on the exams overall.
- Study your butt off for the final.

Professor Murphy is a great guy. Very approachable and willing to help. Some say they don't like how he goes over current events in Astronomy but I thought it kept the class interesting.

Murphy is a brilliant professor! He is super engaging (so lectures are great!!!) & loves to meet with students during office hours. There are 3 quizzes and a final. The material is tough but definitely doable. He curves grades at the end if the class as a whole doesn't perform as well as expected. He records his lectures so you can refer to them before exams. There are also in-class clicker questions and observatory labs which give extra credit, and a chance to better your grade. Very interesting course. Don't graduate without taking a class with Murphy!!!

Great course very interesting with a fantastic professor! Ed is extremely passionate and his lectures are informative however the material is straight forward and not too challenging honestly took 5 pages of notes all semester and started reading the night before each "quiz" or exam. He does throw a couple curveballs on each examination so it is important to thoroughly understand but if you are willing to put in the proper effort an A or A- is easily attainable.

The professor was great and the course was very interesting. There is a weekly homework assignment that you are allowed to do with other people, and there a three quizzes along with the final. He is really good at lecturing, so it feels like you don't have to do any of the readings but you do. He takes questions from the readings and the homework, so as long as you do those and go to class it's pretty easy to get a good grade.

Class is very hard to get an A in. Few midterms that you must do well on to get a good grade. Going to class is pointless because he just reads from powerpoints that are posted to Collab. Most questions are taken straight from the homework.

Murphy is a great guy and great teacher. Would definitely recommend this class for anyone who needs to get the science requirement done or is just interested in acquiring some cool fun facts. This was my favorite class at UVA, Murphy does a great job keeping you engaged and interested while explaining every concept very well. If you do the practice tests in Mastering Astronomy and pay attention in lecture you'll be set to get an A or a B, reading the textbook will help you get the two or three randomly specific questions on the test but isn't necessarily necessary since he curves and lectures straight out of the book.

Coming from the E-school, this class was a very nice break. Murphy is wonderful and very straightforward. He doesn't try to make the class tricky. The class is fairly common sense, and if you do the homework without using Google, pay attention in class, and review Learning Catalytics and do the concept quizzes and reading checks before each quiz, you'll do fine. This was my "easy" class, so I didn't put as much effort in as I should have but managed an A- while taking the other grueling E-school first semester classes.

The main gripe I had with this class was how unnecessarily detailed the test questions were and how much semantics were involved. And as great a professor Murphy is, the material was so dry that I probably would have dozed off in class most of the time if it weren't for my friend being there and having to answer Learning Catalytics questions.

Murphy is a great guy. He is passionate about the subject and attempts to be very engaging. The textbook is pretty good but make sure you do the homework because it gives you a good sense about what will be on tests.

Murphy is a great professor who really enjoys the subject. This class has lots of easy points if you go to lecture, do both labs before deadlines, and try on homework. However, the quizzes are actually pretty hard so be really prepared on quiz day. I would recommend this class to anyone who likes astronomy.

I had always wanted to take astronomy during high school, but was never able to so I signed up for this class during college instead. It has been one of the best decisions I have made. Professor Murphy is an incredible professor and I am so glad that I had him. Not only is he engaging in lecture, he is very helpful during his office hours and will explain the concepts until you understand him. He really knows his materials and tries to make the class interesting by doing demonstrations, showing videos, and discussing current events about Astronomy. However, this class is not an easy A. There is one homework set due every Sunday night which can take between 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the difficulty. Also, his tests are tricky because some of the questions are pretty easy and come from his lectures, but the other parts of the exam are specific questions from the textbook. Just study a few days before and read the textbook. It will have all the information you need. Again, I highly recommend this class and Professor Murphy. He will really teach you about the solar system and phenomenons on earth. He is the best!

Probably one of the easiest ways to satisfy your science credit at UVA. This was the easiest class of my semester and took hardly any of my time other than homework once a week and studying the night before his exams. His exam questions are easy considering the majority of them come straight from the homework (word for word) or in-class clicker questions. I would say attending lectures isn't even necessary to do well, but he gives you a participation grade based on how many clicker questions you answer over the semester. They aren't based on correct/incorrect basis though. Basically, just show up to the lectures and do your homework and you should be able to manage at least an A-. The fact that Murphy is a really nice guy and shows epic astronomy videos through out the semester is just a plus. I'd never major in astronomy, but his class definitely made me look at the night sky on my walks home a little more often.

Murphy is a great professor, is really passionate about the material and makes it easy to learn. easy problem sets due weekly. good gpa booster and really interesting material. great class if youre into physics/space/science

Murphy was the worst professor. He wasted about the first 30 minutes of every class talking about what was happening around us in the astronomy field. In addition to this, he didn't go over what was on his quizzes/tests. I studied the textbook, his powerpoints, and his homework yet rarely did questions from these sources show up like he said. He presents the material in a very boring manner. If you are looking for an easy way to get your math/science requirement out of the way, this is not the class. This has been my least favorite class at UVA

To do well on the quizzes (except for just the first quiz) and the final, go to the "Study Area" on masteringastronomy and just practice problems directly from there (Reading Quiz, Concept Quiz, etc.). The majority of the seemingly tricky problems that he puts on his examinations come from there! I got a C+ and then a C- on the first two quizzes, before turning it around and getting As on the last quiz and the final. Definitely use masteringastronomy as a resource to study for tests!

GREAT CLASS! loved murphy! he made me want to major in astronomy. his lectures are incredibly interesting, and the material is not difficult. fairly basic concepts. three quizzes, a final, and two labs. the labs are basically a completion grade, but they have to be done early. weekly homeworks are easy and tested on concepts from the book. you are graded on attendance based off of whether you answer a certain number of clicker questions, but after that you are not required to come. quizzes are fairly self explanatory, but you do have to study to do well. highly recommend this class, especially with murphy.

Murphy is a pretty solid professor. The material in the class is very interesting and the textbook wasn't bad at all. The tests always have a couple tricky questions, so if you don't want a B you're going to definitely have to study a decent amount. Murphy makes the lectures pretty interesting and he's the type of guy who can be funny without even trying, which is always good. I liked this course.

If you do not have initial interest in astronomy - DO NOT TAKE this class. I foolishly took this class thinking it was an easy A/GPA booster... The readings/lectures are straight forward and at first it seems easy and simple, however on the quizzes, it is much harder. The questions are difficult and tricky - you'll have to rigorously study for the quiz in order to get a A/B... Although Prof. Murphy was entertaining at times, the class was boring and dry. He does however put his powerpoint on collab and those attending can answer clicker like questions for class participation. Your grade is based on a 1000 point system, so there is a lot of work that goes into the course.

Very passionate professor who made astronomy interesting, though tests weren't the easiest. Take advantage of his office hours!

pretty good intro

Murphy is great! Lecture is sooooo interesting. Iclicker questions do help me understand the lectures.

Murphy was a really nice guy, but the class was pretty boring. It's not as easy of an A as a lot of people say -- you actually have to study a lot to do well. The material spans from stuff you started learning about astronomy in elementary school to absolutely irrelevant information about lunar geology.

Astronomy is a fun subject to begin with, but Murphy makes it even more enjoyable. He is really passionate about the material and is always excited to share news articles and clips from current space endeavors. As far as the class goes, Mastering Astronomy is easy and the two labs are a breeze (but still really fun). Quizzes can trip you up if you don't read.

I loved this class! Show up to lecture and get 100 clicker points and you'll do fine. Prof. Murphy is really enthusiastic about the material which helps since it's kind of dry and boring. The nighttime labs weren't that bad and there is minimal reading. An easy science course for non-science/math majors!

Great professor! Favorite class in UVA!! His class is always well-organized and clear. And you will definitely find the materials fun!! Strongly recommended!!

I was told this class was an easy A but that is definitely not the case! The material seems easy but the quiz questions are tricky and sometimes I feel like they don't represent what we learned. The two labs and participation grades are free points though

Murphy is absolutely adorable. He truly loves this subject and it reflects in his lectures. Unfortunately I don't have a real interest in astronomy, so I didn't put much effort into the course, which ended up being a bad idea. Make sure you attend class (clicker questions), read the textbook, and do your two required night labs on time (they're pass/fail, so it's pretty manageable!) and you should be fine. Try to stay awake in class! It's hard, especially because most people around you don't pay attention, but being alert is a better idea, I promise.

Fun class. Every quiz is multiple choice, but they are tricky. Two night labs are required.

The professor is adorably goofy, but isn't one for jokes. Personality aside, the class was definitely manageable, even for one who didn't put in much effort. As long as you do the homework, somewhat regularly attend class (due to clicker questions), and scan the book so you know what's happening in class, you should do completely fine. I didn't study for any of the tests and got a B in the class.

This can be a "trap" course if you decide to put in zero effort. Although, you sort of bottom out at a B even if you do terrible but not horrific on the exams, so definitely take if you're up to the task. A can be attained if you simply read the book and stay actively involved in learning process through the entire course.

Two mandatory labs at night, a midterm and final, clicker questions during the semester so attendance becomes necessary, online homework due weekly. Murphy is excited about Astronomy-- the course is doable for non-science majors

Murphy was great - he has the ability to explain any concept clearly and answers questions in class well. Easy class overall.

Eddie is really tall and awesome. He's passionate about what he's teaching and includes some pretty sweet vacation pictures of his family. Watch out - you actually have to do more work for this class than you would expect, and you can't really skip because there are clicker questions.

This is a great science class for a non science person. I liked Murphy. I found that my grade improved significantly when I stopped bringing my laptop to class and just listened.

not a very difficult class, as long as you show up and pay attention. mastering astronomy and the study area are very helpful on tests

Murphy's a cool dude, but boring class. Don't take except to fulfill a requirement

Murphy is such a great guy. You can tell he really enjoys this subject. iClicker questions in every lecture, so make sure you don't forget to bring it to class. HW problems due every Sunday. They are very helpful, and sometimes Murphy uses similar questions on the tests, so make sure to study them. Overall, I really enjoyed this class and would recommend it!

He's a pretty sweet guy, and obviously cares about his students. Pretty simple class if you attend lectures, bring your iClicker every class because there is always questions, and do your homework on time. The questions on the homework really help during midterm, and final time because if he chose those questions for homework, it means that they'll most likely in some shape or form end up on the exam.

Professor Murphy is awesome -- very good lecturer, very accessible and friendly, very enthusiastic. Very good for an intro course. He gives plentiful examples and explanation of the material so that students understand. The material is not difficult, although some people seem to have trouble with it. Tests are reasonable -- very aceable if you study.

Mr. Murphy is a great lecturer, funny at times and entertaining.

Murphy's a great guy. Everything is fairly easy and interesting as well.

Very interesting class. If you enjoy astronomy this is a great class to take. Murphy is an awesome, knowledgeable professor. The hw was not really difficult. The mid term and final were not that bad, just need to study some.

Definitely not an easy A if you don't go to class or do the reading. I'd say if you do either well, you'll be good to go

Not as easy as it sounds....great teacher though, he explains really well and obviously likes what he's teaching and wants you to like it too. But, I am not a science person and found some of the lectures kind of boring and the quizzes were harder than I expected. Lots of homework grades though that will help your average and a lot of the quiz questions are from the homeworks.

Like most 101-type courses the material can get a bit dry but Murphy uses i-clickers to keep you engaged and is a great lecturer, funny too! Do the homework well, it's worth a good chunk of the grade, and it will prepare you for the midterm and final. Learned a bunch, and the labs are very easy. This is an excellent course, especially for non-science majors looking to fulfill a requirement, hardly any math.

Very straightforward class. You didn't even have to read the book that much. There are 3 quizzes, 2 labs, hw, clicker questions, and a final. For the quizzes and final just make sure to go to the study area in mastering astronomy and do all the concept questions there for each chapter...Murphy likes to take a lot of his quiz and hw questions off of there. MAKE SURE you do well on hw, it is worth 1/5 of your grade, and don't expect a curve at all. You need at least 930/1000 to get an A. My friend got 929 and got an A-.

This class wasn't quite what I was hoping for it to be. Murphy is a really interesting lecturer and is clearly very passionate about his field. I liked that he used clicker questions to keep you involved. But, the material was just dry at best. I felt like it was more of a class in physics and geology rather than astronomy. You may think that this is going to be an easy A, but really you do need to study. Weekly homework, three quizzes, and final. Two astronomy labs per semester as well.

Don't let people tell you this is an easy a class- it's not. It's really uninteresting material and a really unenjoyable class.

One of my favorite classes so far. He knows his stuff, the course is not hard if you do the reviews for each chapter. I found the class fascinating.

Murphy is very enthusiastic. Its easy if you do the work.

Professor Murphy was an absolute delight. I could see this class being potentially boring but Murphy made it all very interesting and is an overall great guy.

Eddie Murphy is the man. He loves astronomy and is incredibly enthusiastic about teaching, which is great in a big lecture course. It's pretty easy to get an A- and there are a lot of easy points to get throughout the semester. Ed is funny and his lectures can be engaging although some of the material can get dry. Tests aren't that hard, but he can trip you up if you're not careful.

I have never worked so hard in a class and I continued to do poorly. He expects you to know so much material, and his lectures dont correlate with the homework or the reading. He needs to curve and assumes that everyone wants to be an astronomer. Interesting material and good lecturere but not an easy A, pick another science requirement

Professor Murphy is a very good lecturer. Do not expect to do well in this class without any work, however. Be prepared to work more than expected to get an A (less than other science classes at UVA). This class is interesting and very worthwhile.

Murphy is a very smart guy and a great teacher. Class is an easy A- if you just put in a little effort. Half of each test comes straight from the homework problems. Recommended.

great course. very easy but interesting. Professor Murphy is really fun.

Good class. Murphy is entertaining in a somewhat goofy way. Lectures go fast. They seem a little kindergartenish, but if you don't go you'll have trouble on the midterms. Go to class, do all the little things on time and you'll get a good grade

This is the best professor to have for 121. He is clear, uses clickers to keep students involved, and his tests are very fair compared to some of the other tricksters (e.g. Tolbert)

Ed Murphy has some of the most enjoyable lectures at UVA. He is very enthusiastic and is a good class for first years to start out with.

Pretty easy class, but you can't skip too much or your grades will suffer. Murphy is a good, enthusiastic professor. Probably not worth taking unless you have to fill requirements or you're really interested in astronomy.

Prof Murphy is great. His lectures are sometimes a little disorganized, but it's not a problem. Reading the book helps study for tests, but if you go to class you'll be fine. 3 quizzes, 2 labs, and a final

I'm not a math/science person at all, but I looove this class. It's really interesting, and you can tell that he really loves what he is teaching.