ASTR350 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Richard Mushotzky ASTR350 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 08/15/2024	Had a great time in his class. I felt he did a pretty good job of explaining some pretty complicated material. Homeworks were a bit difficult, but definitely nothing impossible and the exams were pretty fair and not too difficult. Enjoyed the class, professor was a funny guy and I felt like I learned a lot.
Richard Mushotzky ASTR350 Expecting a C Anonymous 05/20/2024	Took this class because I thought the final exam would be replaced with a final paper, but that is no longer the case (this is my personal mistake so not basing my rating off of this). As a person: nice guy, seems funny, willing to help students where applicable.. As a prof: Exams are difficult given the amount of information there is (somewhere around 600 detailed slides). It doesn't help that the lectures are not necessarily engaging-- monotone voice, a lot of math/physics, just boring. Homework can be difficult, but they do alternate between easy and difficult every week, which helps bring your homework grade up. Content is pretty interesting but drowned out by the amount of math needed, but I could be an exception (i dont like math).
Richard Mushotzky ASTR350 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/18/2024	Nice professor. Homework assignments were easy enough with half of them being reviews and comments on related topics and the other half being actual math. Lectures were honestly really dense and dull even though he tried to make it interesting. Powerpoints were averaging 70 slides. Attendance wasnt required but would be useful in order to do decent on exam.
Richard Mushotzky ASTR350 Anonymous 05/17/2024	Very nice guy, but lectures are pretty boring. We had a homework pretty much every week which would alternate from watching videos and commenting on them and doing math/physics problems, but they weren't that bad overall. He has way too much information on the slides, but he has a "recap" slide for every lecture and you only really need to know those to do well on the midterm and final. Midterm and final were pretty easy, he gave a lot of questions, but only made you do a certain number of them (you could pick which ones), which was super helpful if you weren't as confident in something. This class was also a lot more physics heavy than other astronomy classes I've taken, which I didn't really mind because I thought the material was interesting, but if you're looking for a DSNS elective, just be aware that this class has a lot of math. Overall, I'd say to only take this class if you have an interest in black holes/astronomy, otherwise the class may be pretty difficult and dull.
Richard Mushotzky ASTR350 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 03/30/2024	Lectures can be boring and most of the information he teaches you do not need to know. Homework can be somewhat easy but the midterm was difficult. He also does not offer the option anymore to write a paper for the final it is only an exam format. Definitely one of the harder electives to take.
Christopher Reynolds ASTR350 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/17/2023	The absolute GOAT. Pretty interesting lectures, and all around a super nice and knowledgeable guy. If you want an easy class, he assigns one easy hw assignment every week plus a midterm and final. The rest of your grade is just showing up to class. Doesn't get better than him. Would also highly recommend 350 specifically
Michael Miller ASTR350 Expecting a C- Anonymous 03/28/2022	Don't let testudo fool you by saying "for Non-astronomy majors". Yes, some basic concepts are explained that likely wouldn't be explained in an astro course for astro majors, but there's a ton of math and hard-to-conceptualize topics that require a solid amount of studying. Don't take this course simply because you think black holes are cool. This course is difficult. The homeworks are difficult but the exams are actually pretty fair. The only problem is, the homework problems are way more complex than what's on the exams and the lectures are SO dense it's nearly impossible to adequately prepare for exams. Oh, and there's a paper you're gonna need to write on top of a final exam. Professor Miller is among the nicest professors you'll meet. He's genuinely excited about astronomy, is happy to answer questions, and has very entertaining lecture demonstrations (he can do magic!). My only issue is, he knows so much about this topic he often forgets he's teaching non-astro majors and doesn't explain things too well and leaves us to figure things out ourselves.
Richard Mushotzky ASTR350 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/20/2021	Lectures were a little dry but homework was easy and manageable. The midterm wasn't that bad, and this man gave us an option between a final paper and final exam. Need I say more? If you have the chance, take him.
Richard Mushotzky ASTR350 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/01/2021	Lectures might not be it but he is really smart in his field. Makes assignments interesting and easy. He doesn't make assignments unnecessarily hard. Gave option between final paper on any topic related to black hole or an exam. Our class chose to write a paper. Overall I liked him a lot.
Richard Mushotzky ASTR350 Anonymous 04/16/2021	One of the nicest professors out there. He's so accommodating and all his assignments were easy and manageable. How many professors are there that their students if they want a final exam or final paper?

Richard Mushotzky
ASTR350

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
08/15/2024

Had a great time in his class. I felt he did a pretty good job of explaining some pretty complicated material. Homeworks were a bit difficult, but definitely nothing impossible and the exams were pretty fair and not too difficult. Enjoyed the class, professor was a funny guy and I felt like I learned a lot.

Richard Mushotzky
ASTR350

Expecting a C
Anonymous
05/20/2024

Took this class because I thought the final exam would be replaced with a final paper, but that is no longer the case (this is my personal mistake so not basing my rating off of this). As a person: nice guy, seems funny, willing to help students where applicable.. As a prof: Exams are difficult given the amount of information there is (somewhere around 600 detailed slides). It doesn't help that the lectures are not necessarily engaging-- monotone voice, a lot of math/physics, just boring. Homework can be difficult, but they do alternate between easy and difficult every week, which helps bring your homework grade up. Content is pretty interesting but drowned out by the amount of math needed, but I could be an exception (i dont like math).

Richard Mushotzky
ASTR350

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/18/2024

Nice professor. Homework assignments were easy enough with half of them being reviews and comments on related topics and the other half being actual math. Lectures were honestly really dense and dull even though he tried to make it interesting. Powerpoints were averaging 70 slides. Attendance wasnt required but would be useful in order to do decent on exam.

Richard Mushotzky
ASTR350

Anonymous
05/17/2024

Very nice guy, but lectures are pretty boring. We had a homework pretty much every week which would alternate from watching videos and commenting on them and doing math/physics problems, but they weren't that bad overall. He has way too much information on the slides, but he has a "recap" slide for every lecture and you only really need to know those to do well on the midterm and final. Midterm and final were pretty easy, he gave a lot of questions, but only made you do a certain number of them (you could pick which ones), which was super helpful if you weren't as confident in something. This class was also a lot more physics heavy than other astronomy classes I've taken, which I didn't really mind because I thought the material was interesting, but if you're looking for a DSNS elective, just be aware that this class has a lot of math. Overall, I'd say to only take this class if you have an interest in black holes/astronomy, otherwise the class may be pretty difficult and dull.

Richard Mushotzky
ASTR350

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
03/30/2024

Lectures can be boring and most of the information he teaches you do not need to know. Homework can be somewhat easy but the midterm was difficult. He also does not offer the option anymore to write a paper for the final it is only an exam format. Definitely one of the harder electives to take.

Christopher Reynolds
ASTR350

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/17/2023

The absolute GOAT. Pretty interesting lectures, and all around a super nice and knowledgeable guy. If you want an easy class, he assigns one easy hw assignment every week plus a midterm and final. The rest of your grade is just showing up to class. Doesn't get better than him. Would also highly recommend 350 specifically

Michael Miller
ASTR350

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
03/28/2022

Don't let testudo fool you by saying "for Non-astronomy majors". Yes, some basic concepts are explained that likely wouldn't be explained in an astro course for astro majors, but there's a ton of math and hard-to-conceptualize topics that require a solid amount of studying. Don't take this course simply because you think black holes are cool. This course is difficult. The homeworks are difficult but the exams are actually pretty fair. The only problem is, the homework problems are way more complex than what's on the exams and the lectures are SO dense it's nearly impossible to adequately prepare for exams. Oh, and there's a paper you're gonna need to write on top of a final exam. Professor Miller is among the nicest professors you'll meet. He's genuinely excited about astronomy, is happy to answer questions, and has very entertaining lecture demonstrations (he can do magic!). My only issue is, he knows so much about this topic he often forgets he's teaching non-astro majors and doesn't explain things too well and leaves us to figure things out ourselves.

Richard Mushotzky
ASTR350

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/20/2021

Lectures were a little dry but homework was easy and manageable. The midterm wasn't that bad, and this man gave us an option between a final paper and final exam. Need I say more? If you have the chance, take him.

Richard Mushotzky
ASTR350

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/01/2021

Lectures might not be it but he is really smart in his field. Makes assignments interesting and easy. He doesn't make assignments unnecessarily hard. Gave option between final paper on any topic related to black hole or an exam. Our class chose to write a paper. Overall I liked him a lot.

Richard Mushotzky
ASTR350

Anonymous
04/16/2021

One of the nicest professors out there. He's so accommodating and all his assignments were easy and manageable. How many professors are there that their students if they want a final exam or final paper?

Reviews for ASTR350