ASTR 1220

This class is mind-numbingly boring. I had originally been very excited to take it because I thought learning about stars and all that would be super cool and a great way to start off my first semester at college. The class itself is really easy, and each of the 3 exams is only worth 10% of your final grade. Lecture is painstakingly boring and everyone (that shows up) is just on their laptops playing games or engaging in other forms of activities that don't include paying attention. Prof. K is super sweet and very knowledgeable, but the actual class content is essentially just physics but in space. Overall, I would say that it is a very easy A-, but not a very easy A, although as long as you put in the tiniest amount of effort, an A is definitely attainable. For me, the GPA boost of this class simply wasn't worth it since I really didn't take anything away from it. I would much rather put in more work toward a subject I found interesting and didn't feel like I was wasting my time/money.

Prof K is the best! She's super sweet and a great lecturer. She's approachable and makes it easy to ask questions in class. However, I will be honest and say that I still did not really pay attention in class. It was simply too easy to not do anything and still get an easy A-/A (easy to get an A-, but a bit harder to get an A). I took this during covid so everything was online and the quizzes/exam were open note. The HWs were a bit annoying but all the answers are on quizlet anyways. There's a textbook but you don't have to read it as long as you look over the lecture slides. I'd recommend this class if you want to fulfill a gened req, but if you're not interested in the content you might find it a little boring. However, if you're really into astronomy and space stuff you'll probably enjoy the class, especially with Prof K.

I thought this class was pretty easy. Your grade consists of participation (through learning catalytics), weekly hw assignments, going to two observing labs, and three non cumulative exams (also through learning catalytics). Professor K is really nice and is knowledgeable but lectures are kind of boring to be honest. You have to go to lectures in order to get the participation grade because she will randomly put questions up on learning catalytics. Overall, if you want a class that you will do well in without having to do a lot of work, this class is a good option.

This is a very easy class. It is not difficult to get a high A without much work at all. Professor K is very sweet, and she clearly cares about her students a lot. As other comments have said, it is quite boring. The content is interesting (I am not a STEM major) and you do learn a lot about the nature of the universe. Yet, most people do just futz around on their computers the whole class, drifting in and out of note-taking. I would recommend this class for the two labs you do (telescope and constellation), which were really neat and rare opportunities to have if not pursuing an astronomy degree (and easy). This is certainly a grade-booster class, but not something that would inspire you to continue astronomical studies. Tests are all open note.