Professor
James Larkin
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Most Helpful Review
He is a fast though interesting and coherent lecturer. He is also good at bringing up various current events in astronomy and it really feels like we are at the forefront of the field in the class. Homework and tests are absurdly easy: really not much harder than high-school physics. He gives you any equation with more than three variables to use on the tests: which have calculational type questions that are just like those in the homework and conceptual questions that basically just make sure that you were paying attention in class and reviewed the material before the test. I would definitely not recommend taking this particular class unless you like astrophysics, as it goes pretty fast, though I cannot imagine Larkin being very difficult as a Astro 3 professor. Good class and good professor.
He is a fast though interesting and coherent lecturer. He is also good at bringing up various current events in astronomy and it really feels like we are at the forefront of the field in the class. Homework and tests are absurdly easy: really not much harder than high-school physics. He gives you any equation with more than three variables to use on the tests: which have calculational type questions that are just like those in the homework and conceptual questions that basically just make sure that you were paying attention in class and reviewed the material before the test. I would definitely not recommend taking this particular class unless you like astrophysics, as it goes pretty fast, though I cannot imagine Larkin being very difficult as a Astro 3 professor. Good class and good professor.
Most Helpful Review
Professor Larkin must be the best professor I've had a UCLA so far!! I mean, granted, I'm an astrophysics major taking an astronomy class, so I might be a little biased, but he teaches very well. He answers all questions fully, so no one is confused and he presnet the material very well. More than that, he is a fun teacher. Astro 82 with him must be the only class I've taken where on friday 10th week, when class was getting near over, and he said something to the effect of "Well I haven't been able to go over this last subject as thoroughly as I wanted to, oh well..." I was actually tempted to go to office hours for the sole purpose of asking what else he was going to talk about. All in all, a great teacher!
Professor Larkin must be the best professor I've had a UCLA so far!! I mean, granted, I'm an astrophysics major taking an astronomy class, so I might be a little biased, but he teaches very well. He answers all questions fully, so no one is confused and he presnet the material very well. More than that, he is a fun teacher. Astro 82 with him must be the only class I've taken where on friday 10th week, when class was getting near over, and he said something to the effect of "Well I haven't been able to go over this last subject as thoroughly as I wanted to, oh well..." I was actually tempted to go to office hours for the sole purpose of asking what else he was going to talk about. All in all, a great teacher!
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Most Helpful Review
Course Taken: Physics 11 Class breakdown: 10% Participation 10% Quizzes 25% Midterm 1 (Week 4) 25% Midterm 2 (Week 8) 30% Final Personally, I had never taken a Physics course and found some of the material/concepts to be challenging. Although true, Professor Larkin is very approachable and willing to help. He provides study guides before all of his tests. His tests and quizzes are extremely fair and are not out to trick you. I would HIGHLY recommend going to office hours to review any questions that you got wrong or didn't understand on exams. At the end of the course, he curves grades slightly.
Course Taken: Physics 11 Class breakdown: 10% Participation 10% Quizzes 25% Midterm 1 (Week 4) 25% Midterm 2 (Week 8) 30% Final Personally, I had never taken a Physics course and found some of the material/concepts to be challenging. Although true, Professor Larkin is very approachable and willing to help. He provides study guides before all of his tests. His tests and quizzes are extremely fair and are not out to trick you. I would HIGHLY recommend going to office hours to review any questions that you got wrong or didn't understand on exams. At the end of the course, he curves grades slightly.
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Most Helpful Review
Professor Larkin was one of the better professors I have had at UCLA. His lectures were very straightforward and interesting, and he gave us copies of his lecture notes which really helped supplement the material. The Labs were very hands on, and he was always helpful using the telescopes and computer programs, showing us what to do step by step and then letting us play a little. It was a challenging lab but not overly difficult, and he made it enjoyable and even fun!
Professor Larkin was one of the better professors I have had at UCLA. His lectures were very straightforward and interesting, and he gave us copies of his lecture notes which really helped supplement the material. The Labs were very hands on, and he was always helpful using the telescopes and computer programs, showing us what to do step by step and then letting us play a little. It was a challenging lab but not overly difficult, and he made it enjoyable and even fun!
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2011, Astro 3 (L/D) Winter 2012 Professor: Great attitude, great enthusiasm, and you could tell that he really enjoys what he does. He always drinks Coke/Pepsi to class. Very approachable, go make some small talk with him before lecture starts. Labs: There a pre-labs you turn in, and you might as well review the other lab questions when you do the pre-lab. Labs are done in groups. They can be tricky, but if you pay attention to your T.A. and ask questions, you should be fine. Some T.A.'s grade harder than others, so you might have to go fishing around. Same with your group members. Exams: 2 midterms and a final. Grab old copies of his or other Astro 3 professor's exams for some help. There is some memorizing that have to be done with processes and whatnot. Do his study guide. Exams consist around 50-70 multiple choice and 2 short answers. Short answer questions come from the study guide. Finals is accumulative, but focuses more on the Week 9-10 stuff. Grading: I got a B+ with B-/B average on labs, C+ on the second exam B+ on the midterms, and an A- on the finals. It was definitely the labs that did me in, so try really hard to get A's on those. The exams grades that were taken into your final grade were curved. Most people got B+'s though. Other note: IMO, he's better than Malkan. Malkan goes more-or-less straight off the book, and Larkin simplifies concepts more. McClean might be better than both of them though.
Fall 2011, Astro 3 (L/D) Winter 2012 Professor: Great attitude, great enthusiasm, and you could tell that he really enjoys what he does. He always drinks Coke/Pepsi to class. Very approachable, go make some small talk with him before lecture starts. Labs: There a pre-labs you turn in, and you might as well review the other lab questions when you do the pre-lab. Labs are done in groups. They can be tricky, but if you pay attention to your T.A. and ask questions, you should be fine. Some T.A.'s grade harder than others, so you might have to go fishing around. Same with your group members. Exams: 2 midterms and a final. Grab old copies of his or other Astro 3 professor's exams for some help. There is some memorizing that have to be done with processes and whatnot. Do his study guide. Exams consist around 50-70 multiple choice and 2 short answers. Short answer questions come from the study guide. Finals is accumulative, but focuses more on the Week 9-10 stuff. Grading: I got a B+ with B-/B average on labs, C+ on the second exam B+ on the midterms, and an A- on the finals. It was definitely the labs that did me in, so try really hard to get A's on those. The exams grades that were taken into your final grade were curved. Most people got B+'s though. Other note: IMO, he's better than Malkan. Malkan goes more-or-less straight off the book, and Larkin simplifies concepts more. McClean might be better than both of them though.
Most Helpful Review
This is for ASTRO 3: Absolutely take this course if you need a physical science GE! The subject matter is awesome: the nature of our universe. It covers everything from star formation to the big bang to the possibility of extraterrestrial life. This is definitely the most interesting GE I've had so far at UCLA. Professor Larkin has great lectures, which he also posts online. He is extremely nice, approachable, and most importantly, knowledgeable in the subject. Honestly, going to lecture is not necessary. Overall Grade: A Difficulty: Easy How the class is broken down: 20%- Lab (All work done during actual lab. TA's pretty much give you the answers if you ask for help) 40%- Two midterms worth 20% each. Larkin gives you helpful study guides which pretty much follow how the test questions turned out. 10%- Online quizzes. Five or six short 5 question quizzes based on reading. Very easy. He drops the lowest one. 30%- Cumulative final split evenly between material from the 3 parts of the quarter. Save your study guides from the first two midterms and you're in for an easy study session. Bottom Line: Read the chapters, read the lecture notes he posts online, and do the study guide questions and you're set for an easy A.
This is for ASTRO 3: Absolutely take this course if you need a physical science GE! The subject matter is awesome: the nature of our universe. It covers everything from star formation to the big bang to the possibility of extraterrestrial life. This is definitely the most interesting GE I've had so far at UCLA. Professor Larkin has great lectures, which he also posts online. He is extremely nice, approachable, and most importantly, knowledgeable in the subject. Honestly, going to lecture is not necessary. Overall Grade: A Difficulty: Easy How the class is broken down: 20%- Lab (All work done during actual lab. TA's pretty much give you the answers if you ask for help) 40%- Two midterms worth 20% each. Larkin gives you helpful study guides which pretty much follow how the test questions turned out. 10%- Online quizzes. Five or six short 5 question quizzes based on reading. Very easy. He drops the lowest one. 30%- Cumulative final split evenly between material from the 3 parts of the quarter. Save your study guides from the first two midterms and you're in for an easy study session. Bottom Line: Read the chapters, read the lecture notes he posts online, and do the study guide questions and you're set for an easy A.
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