Astro 3 is a great science GE to take. While there are probably easier ones out there, this class is definitely manageable, engaging and interesting. Professor Shapley is actually extremely accomplished- she's made an impact on the science community- and she is very kind, approachable, and helpful. She definitely wants the students who put in effort to get a good grade. She provides study guides for both midterms and the final, and if you study these you should be good (I got an 85 on both midterms and an 86 on the final).

Only real complaint I have is the 2 hour lab- they were relatively easy, but extremely tedious, and some of the TAs were not helpful at all and would grade the labs hard.

Definitely do the extra credit- Griffith Observatory is awesome, and it's easy to spend an afternoon there, and it's a 1.5% grade boost. Overall, definitely a class worth taking.

Professor Shapley was a fine professor, Astro 3 is a good class to take if you want to your GE reqs done. When I picked this class I thought It would be a breeze, since I already knew stuff about astronomy. However the course demands you to know more than just the basic stuff you probably know about astronomy. The class is basically Shapley doing her lectures which are posted online. While she tries her best to make them engaging they are usually boring and you will probably look at your phone checking to see how much time is left. That is why by the time week 2 or 3 come along many people in the class no longer show up to lecture. The class is broken up grade wise like this:
Homework Quizzes: 10%
Labs: 20%
Midterms(2) 20% each
Cumulative Final exam: 30%
The homework quizzes are easy and if you paid attention to lecture or are competent in using google you should ace all of them especially given that you have two tries. Labs are probably the worst thing about this class probably because of the length (2 hours) and the TA I had. My TA was the head TA, Mathew Yu and while he was nice, he proved to be harsh and sometimes a unfair grader. He will quickly rush over topics that sometimes may have been briefly mentioned or not talked about in lecture. While he would explain questions and lead you to the right answer, and would check answers on your lab he would still give me and others lower than expected grades. I remember that I got a answer ran by him and told him word for word and he told me and my lab partners it was good. When i got my lab back two weeks later he did not give me credit on that question which was worth several points. I was outraged because how can you deduct points when say it’s correct. This was not an isolated case because I noticed other questions that were told were correct were marked down throughout my labs. Overall in total I ended up with 83% in my labs but I believe it would be higher had my TA had be fairer. The midterms were easy as I got A’s in both exams. The review session she offers are good, and I strongly suggest you attend them, as it would save you from getting 1-2 questions wrong. The final was a little tougher than expected because it was filled with a lot of calculation questions unlike the midterms and was after the week that saw the scurball Fire cancel my last class of the course. Shapley is nice that she offers, a 1.5% extra credit bonus if you go to Griffith Observatory and write a short report on it. at the end there is a curve which will only help you, and I thank it for boosting my grade.
Overall Shapley is good profesor and Astro 3 is good class to take for a science GE. I felt that I had expanded my knowledge of astronomy, espically the newer developments. Just note to be in top of things, and don’t think the tests will be a joke. Beware of the labs and in my opinion avoid the head TA. If you work hard enough and do the extra credit you should be able to get a A- or better.

Alice Shapley is a fine Professor, she is one of the more passionate professors who cares about her students. I took this class because i needed a GE, and since I took her for Astro 3 and had a good foundation in Astronomy, I thought this class was a good fit for me. If you are looking for an easy physical science GE , you are in the wrong place because this class requires you to put a decent amount of effort. The typical class is basically Shapley going over her slides and doing occasional math which is related to the key concepts. The lectures more or less are boring, however sometimes she can be funny and engaging. The grade break down is the following:

Homework: 30%
Midterm: 30%
Final: 40%

The homework was fairly easy and was mostly math based calculations. If you have trouble with it you can either go to her office hours or the TA’s office hours. If you can’t she is more than willing to help you if you send her an email. The midterm was 50 multiple choice / true or false questions and in my opinion it was fairly easily as it was filled with conceptional questions. The final however was harder, with more obscure questions, and tricky calculation questions. She does offer lengthy review sessions, as well as providing a study guide and cheat sheet of formulas. While the final exam was hard, she offers a generous curve. Overall the class is not any easy science GE like the Solar System class. If you put in the effort though, an A is certainly possible.

This class was recommended by Bruinwalk. I thought it to be on the easier side, but the midterms and final were definitely challenging. I got an F on the final, but did do well on the homework quizzes and labs, so I think that helped my grade. There is also a final curve for the entire class, so that helped me much too. The labs are okay, I would definitely getting a good lab group!! I was lucky yo have gotten an astronomy major in my group HEHE!

I would recommend the class to a freshman trying to get a GE done. I did not go to lecture after week 6 due to slides being posted online and the professor not being very engaging... Extra credit is simple and fun. 3 pages of what you did at the Griffith Observatory. If I would've read, I think I would have earned the A.

Shapley is a super nice instructor and very respected in the field of astronomy. She can be dry sometimes and the class definitely picked up in speed and intensity after the second midterm, but with studying and putting in the work, an A is attainable. She said there is about a 5 percent curve for the class, which also makes getting a good grade easier. There is an extra credit assignment which involves a short write-up and attending the Griffith Observatory. For Fall 2018, the assignment was worth 1% extra credit, less than I've heard it being worth in the past, but still I'll take the points.

The TA's are nice and helpful, but some of them can have strict grading on the Labs during section which can be kind of annoying, but you can usually get the answers out of them by asking them repeatedly.

Overall, I would recommend this course if you're looking for a GE that isn't TOO tough, but don't walk into this class expecting an A just by showing up.

I am NOTT a science person, I actually really suck at math and science. Why I decided to take this course, IDK. but, it paid off. I needed a GE and this isn't the easiest one out there, but it got the job done. Professor Shapley was actually very helpful in her office hours, cuz we went over the homework, which is where the majority of the work is. Worksheet with less than 10 questions but they killed me.

I can't say I didn't enjoy this course, esp as a anti-STEM person, it wasn't bad. She definitely made lectures engaging and they were helpful without reading the textbook. The textbook is really only there for further clarification but honestly, professor Shapley was clearer than the textbook. I had her during the first quarter online, so she was very accommodating and for that I am so grateful. Many STEM teachers aren't so forgiving but she was, she listened to her students. You can tell she cares and if you have any concerns, reach out!