The online version of Astro 1 is a blend of easy mathematics (Usually the hardest math being like AP Physics 1 level), really interesting concepts, and such. Expect to read a LOT for the online version of the class but it isn't hard at all. Great for a STEM elective, just okay for a STEM GE.

Geller's astro 1 is the first course I took in this UCSB which is great!. His lectures are interesting and he's a nice person if u join his office hour. However, the reading is mandatory and quite tough for a freshman if u have little astro storage (but not me). There the homework is not friendly for people deficit in writing and carefulness.

Not too hard but you should go to lectures. Homework is a bit difficult but often harder than the tests.

Pros: I left his class knowing more about physics than I did with freund. HW is worth 40%, only one midterm and a final. Lots of in class demos Cons: Likely more effort than freund, and things you are expected to know for exams are less straightforward. More HW than freund, exams are a little harder, and less practice problems done in class.

The class is not as math heavy as other sciences, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't expect any math at all. If you just suck it up and ask questions, the course is pretty simple. While there is a good bit of homework, it's pretty easy. The midterm and final are graded fairly, and they DO involve both lecture AND book material.

I loved this class! Not everyone did, but he was fair and made it really easy to get a good grade if you put the work in; weekly assignments that reinforce material were a huge portion of your grade, so just read the textbook and do your homework. lectures were boring but he was a cool guy and funny, either way the textbook covers the material.

Astro1was such a fun course to take if you want to know more about the universe in a very generic way. There were a couple of topics that we went super deep into, but nothing too bad. There is math involved, however it is very basic plug in equations. Reading the textbook is a must. Geller was a great lecturer and I enjoyed learning in his course.

I made a big mistake taking this class as a GE when I hate math, this class involves physics. He has his on own book which you must purchase online to access homework. TEST HEAVY your graded on the homework that is so easy to do because its online and everyone uses sources to do it, professor even pointed it out. Don't recommend taking this.

I can't understand why people would rate him badly. I think he is amazing, despite of what other people think. He is cool, does some amazing demos, and gives us quizzes on Achieve that let you earn an A on it. I do believe it is a easy A, as long as you show up to sections and the lectures, study hard and then it will pay off in the end. Love this!

This man is a king. No exams or final this quarter just quizzes and homework. Although online, lectures are as interesting as they are helpful. Geller is not only an extremely capable lecturer, but is overall just a nice, cool guy who cares about his students' success. I could not recommend him more, the best professor I've had at UCSB.

He was fair most of the time! Midterm was very easy and always tries to cut down on material in order to save time and make the students' lives easier. His final was very hard unfortunately but just study a lot and you'll get well above average. Do the practice problems he posts and go to office hours. I wouldn't take him again but he was alright.

Unfair tester, totally screwed over the class with the final in 6B and 6C apparently. Just take Ernest Freund, he actually knows how to give a fair exam!

Great person, terrible professor. Just demos in his lecture, he even said that his "lectures are complimentary to the book". No amount of studying could prepare for the final, there were at least 8 questions on it that we've never seen before. It was purely to bring down the class average. Said there was going to be 30 questions but there were 38.

Nobody enjoyed this class at all. Long and boring lectures that are extremely off-topic. Barely any material is actually covered, only broad and off-topic discussions. Lots of "rambling" in a sense. Class was mostly empty. The final was extremely difficult and the average was very low compared to him praising 6C and saying how easy it was vs 6A & B

Professor Geller is a really passionate professor and has a love for physics, but the final exam was really frustrating. He had a full practice exam with none of the same topics as the real exam and didn't provide practice problems for the topics on the test. I studied a lot for the final but ended up putting an emphasis on the wrong things.

Prof Geller is a good professor. A bit disorganized but cares about students. Tests were not organized well and it wasn't super clear what was going to be on the test. CLAS definitely helped

Geller is genuinely a horrible professor. Although you can tell he knows a lot about the topics and wants the students to be interested, his lectures are horrible. All he talks about is conceptual ideas when the exams were all math problems. Basically had to teach myself everything for the midterm and final. Do not take this class with him.

He's great, class was terrible.

Took his class for Physics 6A &C. Such a empathetic professor and very understanding of his students especially in this pandemic. He drops your lowest quiz/ hw & curves hw. I like how the quizzes arent worth majority of your grade. I used to dislike physics but Geller def made me like it a lot more.

Professor Geller seems like a cool guy, very knowledgeable on the class topics, but the class itself is very hard. Reading the textbook is a must, but it's overly complicated and hard to understand. Geller clears things up a little in his lectures, but even then things aren't explained very well. Overall, he's a cool guy, but the class is not fun.

Let me just say how extremely happy I took Geller after Freund. I had no choice since Freund didn't teach 6B in the Winter. &thank god he didn't, I love Geller! I admired Freund and heard how Geller can be "HARD". Not true! He is passionate and easy to listen too so you don't zone out too often in class. An amazing professor!

Geller is a really good lecturer, but you HAVE to go to lecture because he doesn't use slides. His classes were very conceptual and demo heavy (especially compared to Freund) so it can be tough to study with limited practice problems, but if you do sapling and go to lecture you should be fine. I thought his lectures were always really interesting

I got straight A's in Physics 6A and 6B, then ended up with a B- in Geller's physics 6C class. He's not a terrible lecturer, but doesn't do example problems in class, just explains concepts. Definitely wouldn't recommend for 6C if you have a choice. Prepare to spend time in the PSR trying to figure out everything he doesn't explain.

I dont know why he has a bad rep, he was such an amazing professor and really tried to apply physics to the science field. Geller is better than Freund in my opinion, barely scraped by in Freunds when I studied nonstop. For Geller I could study at least 3 days ahead of time and got an A-. I love how Geller teaches, really made physics interesting!