ASTR 5
Life in Universe
Description: Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Preparation: prior introduction to astronomy. Life on Earth and prospects for life elsewhere in context of evolution of universe from simple to complex. Course material primarily from astronomy and biology but includes some chemistry, geology, and physics. Selected topics treated in some depth, but with little or no formal mathematics. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
This was, despite being easy, the most frustrating class I've ever taken at any level of schooling. Cline is a nice guy, and a genius, but he has no business teaching an intro class, this one at least. The course boils down to two facts: the universe is really, really big, and we don't know if there's any other life in it. That's it. It's mind-bogglingly boring. If you want to raise your GPA I guess it would help, but you're going to suffer for it. Take Astro 3. You won't regret it.
This was, despite being easy, the most frustrating class I've ever taken at any level of schooling. Cline is a nice guy, and a genius, but he has no business teaching an intro class, this one at least. The course boils down to two facts: the universe is really, really big, and we don't know if there's any other life in it. That's it. It's mind-bogglingly boring. If you want to raise your GPA I guess it would help, but you're going to suffer for it. Take Astro 3. You won't regret it.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2018 - Coming into this class, I was really interested in Astro 5: Life on other planets. The first half of the quarter was about lipids, carbohydrates, and a bunch of other things (avoiding curse words here) very indirectly related to what the topic of the course was. But that was fine. The absolute, WORST, part of this class is how unorganized and ambiguous Coriniti's slides are. He doesn't explain them that well in class either. However, I would take this class again because the second half of the class was very interesting, even though the slides didn't get any better. It was about actual other planets and solar systems, and how life/Earth/the universe was created. Nothing to do with lipids or carbohydrates. There is a small curve to make the class average a B/B+.
Winter 2018 - Coming into this class, I was really interested in Astro 5: Life on other planets. The first half of the quarter was about lipids, carbohydrates, and a bunch of other things (avoiding curse words here) very indirectly related to what the topic of the course was. But that was fine. The absolute, WORST, part of this class is how unorganized and ambiguous Coriniti's slides are. He doesn't explain them that well in class either. However, I would take this class again because the second half of the class was very interesting, even though the slides didn't get any better. It was about actual other planets and solar systems, and how life/Earth/the universe was created. Nothing to do with lipids or carbohydrates. There is a small curve to make the class average a B/B+.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2016 - Pretty easy GE if you are interested in this subject. Even if you are not, it's fascinating to learn about life in the universe. Homework load light, due once a week. Powerpoint slides posted on the class website so technically you do not even need to go to the lectures...
Fall 2016 - Pretty easy GE if you are interested in this subject. Even if you are not, it's fascinating to learn about life in the universe. Homework load light, due once a week. Powerpoint slides posted on the class website so technically you do not even need to go to the lectures...
Most Helpful Review
i took this class in fall 06 and i can say it was worth it. Although his lectures can be VERY boring, the material is quite interesting. The class itself is not very hard. His homework can be tedious but at least all of the answers are in the book. Also, his exams are free response with a few multiple choice questions. If you go to lecture and skim the book while doing ur homework you will get an A.
i took this class in fall 06 and i can say it was worth it. Although his lectures can be VERY boring, the material is quite interesting. The class itself is not very hard. His homework can be tedious but at least all of the answers are in the book. Also, his exams are free response with a few multiple choice questions. If you go to lecture and skim the book while doing ur homework you will get an A.
Most Helpful Review
very hard to follow in lecture, tends to digress and mumble. organization of class is not great and it is sometimes hard to draw broad themes and concepts that make sense out of the class. BUT exams are based almost entirely on lecture, so its easy to miss something and then get screwed on the test. that said, he gives study guides and grading can work to your advantage if you do invest extra time to know the answers to each of the study questions. make sure you go and talk to your TA frequently and ask questions. interrupt prof jura in class if he is going too fast and you get lost.
very hard to follow in lecture, tends to digress and mumble. organization of class is not great and it is sometimes hard to draw broad themes and concepts that make sense out of the class. BUT exams are based almost entirely on lecture, so its easy to miss something and then get screwed on the test. that said, he gives study guides and grading can work to your advantage if you do invest extra time to know the answers to each of the study questions. make sure you go and talk to your TA frequently and ask questions. interrupt prof jura in class if he is going too fast and you get lost.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2017 - DO NOT TAKE MALKAN IF YOU HAVE NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE IN ASTRONOMY OR PHYSICS!!! Even when I felt confident about the midterm he put topics that WE DID NOT FOCUS ON. He assumed we had previous knowledge in physics, which I did not. Lectures were interesting, but the exams were by far too difficult for a GE! Would only take if you are prepared to invest A LOT of time into this class.
Fall 2017 - DO NOT TAKE MALKAN IF YOU HAVE NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE IN ASTRONOMY OR PHYSICS!!! Even when I felt confident about the midterm he put topics that WE DID NOT FOCUS ON. He assumed we had previous knowledge in physics, which I did not. Lectures were interesting, but the exams were by far too difficult for a GE! Would only take if you are prepared to invest A LOT of time into this class.
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