ASTR 3480

This was a pretty difficult class, but I really enjoyed it. It's probably one of the more difficult astronomy classes (at least in my experience), but it was also one of the most rewarding. This class was essentially all the crazy things about the universe that they gloss over in intro classes with topics like black holes, the big bang, and expansion of the universe. There was a fair amount of math in the class, but the equations you have to use aren't too bad and the bad equations you only use for questions like "what happens to A if we double B?" The exams were pretty difficult, especially without formula sheets, so understanding the formulas is a big part of studying. Professor Pryal includes graphs/charts in his powerpoints which can be a great resource for understanding trends and sequences of events. There is homework every week, but its only a few questions and answers can be found in lectures or readings more often than not. The textbook is a bit dense and I struggled reading sections, but it was interesting and definitely helpful for homework, which in turn was helpful for exams. Exams themselves are mostly multiple choice with a few free response questions, but they are mostly doable and often reflect the homework. This was one of the better classes I've taken and Pryal is one of the better professors I've had, but this class is a bit intense and definitely not for someone who isn't interested and some background knowledge doesn't hurt either. Good luck :) #tCFspring2021