Dr. Martin is very friendly and genuinely wants you to learn the material. Homework for this class was really difficult for me, but her office hours are a live saver. Usually there are 7-15 students that go to her office hours and we all work through the difficult problems together. The exams are tough, but the class is curved!

Great Professor. Don't know why she doesn't have a higher rating. Moderate difficulty for an upper division physics class. Readings are usually 1-2 chapters a week but her notes are very thorough. She is very nice in office hours, answered all my questions. HW's are hard, Midterm is easy, final is a little harder but fair.

Very rude professor that doesn't care to help students if they reach out. Class is test heavy

Great class to take if you like a challenge. Came in having never taken a physics class before (and yes, this is a physics class) and managed to grind through it. Martin is very knowledgeable about the subject and is always willing to help you understand the dense material. Not easy, but very rewarding.

Very interesting subject matter but lots of material. 2-3 chapters a week. Heavy reading 60 pages/week minimum. Tests included minor details from the textbook like the preciseness of a specific telescope to the degree. Take this class pass/no pass, read AT LEAST the summaries of the chapters before lecture. Quizlet has good flashcards for tests.

Class is curved, but even with the curve passing can be hard. Homework is completely physics while the tests are conceptual. Need to go to office hours, but it depends on the TA available. Would not recommend, there are easier science GAs

Homework is pretty much all math, but tests are mostly conceptual (based on the textbook). Reading can get pretty dense & the lectures get kind of boring but the material itself isn't hard to grasp. Went in with previous physics knowledge and had an easier time with homework/reading, but tests were still really hard and detail oriented.

Most people complain because they weren't expecting physics, but it's literally a physics class. That being said, it's impossible to pay attention for the whole lecture because she speaks in monotone. Homework is easy but irrelevant to tests. Easy to pass if you have some physics/astro background. Class is curved. Material is interesting; she isn't

Come in expecting to do math, chemistry, and physics. The textbook is easy to read, but very dense. The lectures almost never help with comprehension of the reading, and my TA was even worse. Sections mostly covered the math problems, no concepts, but the tests were heavily focused on conceptual ideas. Difficult GE class unless you're into physics.

Very passionate about the subject, however the lectures weren't helpful for me as it explains as if you already learned the material (similar to the textbook). My TA was also awful and straight up wouldn't answer questions in section. I would not take this class as an introductory course unless you're a Physics/STEM major.

A very tough professor for 75 minute lectures. Covers 1 30 page chapter PER LECTURE of a dense, chaotic textbook. Midterm seemed to be taken from the text - problems tough. She admitted we cover a lot of material + there is a disconnect between homework and exams... yet didn't really do anything about those things. HW graded intensely for accuracy.

Definitely lecture heavy, but she is passionate about the material which makes you interested in it. A tricky class with tricky midterm/final, but if you put in the work, it is definitely worth it and you will find yourself dropping astronomy fun facts all of the time after taking this course.