ASTR 1210

Skrutskie did a really good job teaching the basics of astronomy to students who've never had any prior experience in it before. He's a pretty cool guy; he always brought in props like dry ice to show us how different things worked in the solar system, and at one point propelled himself across the room on his rolling chair.
tests are easy: just read the notes he posts online and you're set.
labs can also be interesting: i really enjoyed learning all of the constellations, and it wasn't hard at all.

Pretty easy intro class but he keeps it very interesting. Highly recommend.

Excellent, engaging professor. I found the subject material to be engrossing and endlessly fascinating. Skrutskie gives lecture notes that are sufficient to study from; the textbook is not necessary. Make sure you do the labs early!

The class isn't too difficult but don't get lazy and let it catch you by surprise. Listen to the lectures and make sure to read his notes online. He's really helpful and approachable and you get an automatic 10% just by showing up to class.

Skrutskie is great, he is very engaging and passionate. Although the material can be boring, Skrustkie livens it up with his enthusiasm and his great demonstrations (usually one per class). No homework other than the 2 labs, which I'd suggest you get done as early as you can. Skrustkie is also very helpful when it comes to test time; he does a very helpful review session where he answers most of the essential questions regarding the concepts. The tests build on the concepts and are challenging so be sure to keep up with the reading and pay attention when he notes applications of the concepts in his lectures.

Not a tough class. Pay attention in class and study the exam review guides Skrutskie puts on collab. Much of the exam material is from the guides. The book is secondary to lecture material.

Prof. Skrutskie is great. The class wasn't too hard, and I dont consider myself to be a science person. Class is pretty fun too.

Excellent professor. Take this class.

Skrutskie is a very engaging and entertaining lecturer. This course is very manageable.

Professor Skrutskie was amazing! He really knew his stuff and was so passionate. He also did lots of demonstrations (including jumping off his desk and flying across the room using a fire extinguisher). My favorite class this semseter and I am NOT usually a "science-person."

Definitely take this class with Skrutskie! He's so passionate about what he's talking about and the demonstrations he does are awesome and engaging. Do NOT take with Murphy, he guest lectured once and was not nearly as interesting as Skrutskie. The test questions are tricky but if you know the concepts rather than just memorizing you'll be fine, also go to the review sessions. When it comes down to it it's always better than Physics or Bio anyway.

such a nice professor and not a hard class at all! seriously hes so sweet and this class is minimal effort. just go to the review sessions before every test and you're all set!

This class is not an easy A. The tests are very difficult no matter how much you study.

He's a great and interesting lecturer, you can get most everything you need from class just by paying attention to his lectures and his power points he uses in class. Fun class, not too much work and easy to get a good grade.

Great class, take it.

Professor Skrutskie is adorable! He's so enthusiastic and loves his work! The exams are a bit tricky at times, but there are other parts of the class that help boost your grade. The labs were interesting and enjoyable. Great class, especially for a non-science major!

Great Professor and great class!

Skrutskie is awesome and this class is seriously not hard. I took it first semester, first year and did fine with only coming to class once or sometimes twice/week. He's super super enthusiastic and so adorable. The class isn't hard and I'm not sure why someone said that it's not for people that don't do well in math because there is very little math involved. Sometimes his test questions can be tricky but he curves the class average up to an 80 for every test. He also posts lecture notes online and has great pictures for everything. He's a complete genius.

Extremely difficult for students who are math and science retarded like myself. Don't be fooled by the low numeric 121 number, this is tough stuff. If you are more science oriented this might not be too difficult for you.

skrutskie is my favorite professor at uva. very effective lecturing and hands-on demos such as shooting himself across the room with a scooter and fire extinguisher made the material really stick. this class made me decide on minoring astronomy. tests can be a bit tricky so don't wait till the last minute to cram it all in. take it!!!

TERRIBLE CLASS

Everyone says astronomy is easy ... only if you take it with Tolbert. Be prepared to have to actually work. This is not an easy A.

I loved this class! Lots of hands-on demonstrations that really made his point well. The tests are challenging, though. I recommend studying for at least 3 hours for them.

Skrutskie is a terrific professor who definitely loves his work. His lectures are very interesting, and his notes are always online and very organized. He occasionally performs demonstrations, which are very fun to watch. His tests are not easy, but he gives a very generous curve.

Skrutskie is an incredible professor. His demos are always entertaining, his slides are loaded with images and videos, and he goes over everything you need to know in the review sessions.

Pretty interesting class, Skrutskie gives interesting lectures. Basically zero homework; everything you need to know is online on his "Lecture Notes," which are an incredibly helpful resource. Class is manageable if you study well for tests, because some parts can be tricky.

Not too bad, read the lecture notes