ACTUAL COURSE: Astro 5
SPRING 2015

I LOVE Prof. McLean so much. So so much. He's the nicest person ever, so enthusiastic about what he teachers, and entertaining and sweet. He really does want you to succeed.

Exams are SO easy as long as you go over the powerpoints. Seriously. I got like a 96 on the midterm and a 98 on the final. His powerpoints are very detailed and informative, so go over those several times and you should be great. I still recommend going to lecture because it makes it easer to stick, and he's entertaining and enthusiastic.

You have 1 midterm and a final, as well as weekly online quizzes on CCLE (pretty easy, no time limit, and you don't have to complete them in one sitting).

Had Alec Vinson for a TA and I liked him. He's clear, straightforward, and reasonable. Knows his stuff. You just sit there and he goes over main points, sometimes shows a video. Sign-in sheet for attendance.

Almost no math. The math was beyond basic and easy, so don't worry if you're not a math person. Scientific concepts are both super interesting and easy to grasp.

I love this class and I love the professor. Definitely take it if you want a fascinating, easy GE.

Selling the textbook for HALF of the original price, so $50 (instead of $96). Good condition, no highlighting. Email ************* if you want to buy it :) You also don't need any homework software or anything.

Astronomy 3, anyone has McLean Astro 3 final (with keys), please send to ************* ASAP, thank you very much.

ATRO3...don't know why it wasn't an option on drop down menu

Great class, great professor!

He's a great lecturer, funny, and understanding. Really wants everyone to have a fair chance at getting a good grade. To be honest I hardly read the book or understood the material, but I really wish I did.

It was not an insanely easy class, but still pretty easy to get an A when you r taking other classes you need to focus on.

Extra credit helped me out - 3%, didn't know when he gave out the other 1% for attendance

Take him if you need a science GE, very interesting class with very considerate professor. The tests are just ridiculously easy. And Professor Mclean is a very nice guy!

Astro 3-

People tell you this class is interesting and easy. Believe the hype. Grade is straight scale and the tests are ridiculously easy and straight off the homework. There is a chance to get 4% of extra credit if you go to the planetarium, observatory, and are there when he takes attendance. He loves his subject, teaches it well, and makes sure to answer the inherent questions people have (ET life, black holes, big bang). Labs and homework were probably the hardest part of the class, and they weren't hard at all and most of the homework can be googled. Really, take this class

--ASTR 3

Firstly, let me just say it has been my favorite class.

Grading:

Straight scale, but he curves around the class performance on the first midterm if it helps the class [ we had a mean of 89 on the first midterm, and 86 on the second midterm so he brought the mean on the second up to 89].

98+ is A+
93-98 is A
90-93 is A-, and so on.

Final (35%, ridiculously easy, mean was 90%)
Midterm 2 (20%, very easy)
Midterm 1 (20% also very easy)
Labs (15%, don't get Robin; My average outside of labs was 98% in the class [without EC]; lab average 90%, always ended up below median on labs and was top 10 in everything else all the time. All the other TAs are much more chill. However, if you can't get out of her lab, just trudge through it.. only worth 15%)
Homework (10% online quizzes, you might miss a point here and there, but should be an easy 95% in it. Check with a friend if you're paranoid )
0.5% EC random attendance day [ ours was on the day after midterm 1 ]
1.5% EC -- Telescope viewing
1.5% EC -- Griffith Observatory

--

Lecture:

Always very engaging; I regret not going more often [ all the lecture notes are online ] . He's a funny, intelligent, and coherent professor. Moreover, he is perhaps the nicest professor in UCLA, and is always willing to help his students. Astronomy lends itself to interest, and he expands on that greatly. Also, his scottish accent is pretty awesome.

That's about it. Take this class with Mclean. Nuff said.

astro 3

can someone send the test to *************. thanks.