COLA 1500

#tCFF23
I don't regret taking this class at all. It was so helpful for my first semester here since it gave me so much information about UVA resources, like libraries, career centers, and course advising. For Professor Murphy's topic of the course, it was really interesting to learn about the Fermi Paradox. You can tell that he's really passionate about his work, and he doesn't dismiss this course. He is also a great advisor on top of being a great lecturer. During our meetings, he always knew what was required, informed us of upcoming dates, and always provided more information and resources.
The only downside to this specific COLA class is the final. It is so much more work than other final projects in other COLA classes. The professor gave us a final presentation AND a final essay. They were very time-consuming and not worth a 1 credit course.

Murphy is such a passionate professor. He's so genuine and super nice. I don't care too much about space or astronomy and at times i did find the class to be a little boring but if your someone who is i definitely recommend. If your someone who really like any of those topics, murphy is like the person you can sit with and talk to about it. If you're looking for a COLA class do something that's somewhere you're interested in, they help you navigate scheduling and classes and they are your advisors, so having a class with them is just a great way to get closer to your advisor. The class itself was good, there wasn't much homework and some of them were to help you with your future at the school, like building a schedule for the next four years. There's a project but it wasn't stressful, just some slides and a paper. This class might also help you meet some friends.

Thank god I took this class this semester, it was my only in person one! Professor Murphy is fantastic. You can tell that he is actually passionate about what he's teaching, and I can say I learned something every class. It is so worth it to take a COLA. It was almost no work outside of class (I did most of the once-a-week homeworks right before class) and it was fun to learn about aliens in college. There's some real science in this class which I liked, and prof Murphy does a good job advising on what courses you should take in the future. If you're even considering taking a COLA, do it, and take this one.

Professor Murphy is the funniest guy. He approaches UFO sightings with sarcasm and humor. He really makes this already fun subject even more thrilling. Although he does less advising than one might hope, this was such an exhilarating course. Your grades are from 5 minute homework worksheets, a final project about aliens, and a final presentation.

I highly recommend COLAs in general, as it's great for learning about important aspects of the College right off the bat when it's relevant. For this specific COLA, Professor Murphy was incredibly engaging and interesting, and I felt like I learned a lot about the Fermi Paradox. For anyone who's interested in astronomy or extraterrestrial life, I highly recommend this class.