[PHYS 0155]
Introduction to the Universe

Rate This Class

Professor: Winkler, P.

Value of Course / Overall Score

Not Much (21.1%
Average (26.3%)
Valuable (52.6%)

Material

Friendly (15.8%)
Average (31.6%)
Competitive (52.6%)

Class Atmosphere

Boring (42.1%)
Average (52.6%)
Fascinating (5.3%)

Prep Time Needed

1-2hr (0%)
3-5hr (31.6%)
6-8hr (47.4%)
9-11hr (21.1%)
12+ hr (0%)

Grade Weighting

Harder (36.8%)
Average (0%)
Easier (63.2%)

Adequate Assistance

Yes (94.7%)
No (5.3%)

Would Recommend Class

Yes (68.4%)
No (31.6%)

Evaluation Comments for Winkler, P.

  1. No Comment
  2. No Comment
  3. This course is probably one of the most valuable, content-wise, that I will ever take. Everyone wants to be able to name the constellations, explain the moon's phases, seasons, eclipses... we should know all this. Winkler is absolutely hysterical - I spent half his lectures laughing at his demonstrations and getting excited by his enthusiasm. Plus, he's great to go in and talk to if you don't understand something. In terms of work, there's one homework assignment a week that requires some time but usually isn't too demanding - plus, it's really interesting, so half the time it doesn't even feel like you're doing work. The labs take the most time, but not even that much compared to other lab sciences. Stay on top of the lab work, because you can slide by without turning in lab reports (very easy, as there is no required structure) for the first few weeks but then you're caught behind. Do the labs early in the semester so you don't have to worry about them later when the weather gets bad. What an awesome class. Everyone should take it.
  4. Frank is a legend. Wacky, strange, enthusiastic, and obviously really loves the material. I'm fascinated by this sort of thing, so I would have liked the course regardless, but Frank made it even better. Lots of fun labs and a good blend of history, observation, theory and analysis. It is challenging, though. Problem sets are difficult and non-science types will struggle some. But it's worth it.
  5. As I recommend this class to another student, I hasten to add a warning that this class is very very tough conceptually for non-physics majors. Consider it one of your harder classes with significant time given to labs. You'll survive, however, if you put the time into it and pay attention to detail. While the TA's are great, the help sessions are a bit scattered and need improvement.
  6. Frank is so cool. He's a laid-back professor that can explain EVERY concept he teaches with thorough detail. He will use slides, overheads, videos, songs, physical demonstrations, and class volunteers to facilitate what he is teaching. By attending almost every lecture and completing the required weekly homework assignments (usually 1-3 hours), you will be on your way to doing above average on all the tests. The labs are interesting and some are fun, but can get stressful if you don't get on top of them at the beginning of the semester. If you really enjoyed those couple of days a year in middle school or elementary school where you got to do every little science experiment you ever thought was cool, take this course to do it again. Oh yeah, the math isn't bad at all; I didn't get past Pre-Calc and did fine.
  7. Hilarious lecturer, fair grader. Some of the labs are really cool (mainly the telescope ones), but most of them are more work than you think they're going to be. The problem sets aren't difficult, but some of them are long. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to learn more about astronomy, just know that it isn't a complete walk in the park.
  8. Great class for a non-science major to get a science credit while learning some pretty basic stuff about the seasons, night sky, etc that most people don't really understand. The latter half of the class gets somewhat dense in terms of problem sets. There is more physics in the class than I originally anticipated, but if you make use of the TA's then you can definitely handle it. Frank Winkler is a really fun, knowledgable professor...not to mention a bit of a Middlebury legend.
  9. This is not an easy class, and there is a LOT of reading for an intro course. Much of the material studied was interesting, but as a non-physics major, I found some of it difficult to grasp. Prof. Winkler varies in his abilities as a lecturer. Sometimes, class time passes quickly, and other days, it's the longest, most boring class ever.
  10. This is a class that everyone should take before considering themselves well educated. You'd be surprised by how many people can't even adequately explain why we have seasons.
  11. Very basic physics and lectures can be very boring.
  12. AWESOME class, I really learned a lot and it made me really think about the universe, both inside and outside of class. I was not particularly interested in astronomy going into this class, but I became extremely intrigued with the subject over the course of the term. Winkler is a great professor who keeps it interesting with hands-on demonstrations and slideshows, videos, music and more. The work is not overbearing, about 2-3 hours worth due each Friday. Other than that there isn't too much and even the most abstract concepts are usually manageable. There are a few tests and labs, but overall not too much and none of it is too difficult.
  13. Lots of work, but if you let yourself get into you'll love it. Frank is the man if you drop your macho persona and submit to his eccentricity. Get started on the labs early or you'll be struggling towards the end of the semester.
  14. Don't think that this is an easy out for your science credit. I made the mistake of believing we'd be taking it relatively easy. There's a lot of math that has to be done, and it's tough to grasp the concepts if the last physics class you had was sophomore year of high school.
  15. This is not a class I would recommend. Astronomy sounds cool, but its way more work than you will expect to have. Don't do this if you expect an easy science/math credit.
  16. Incredibly difficult.
  17. An all round bad class. Bad instructor. Course lacks structure.
  18. Intro to the Universe presents the basics of Astronomy. First half of the course is primarily visual: outdoor labs, star gazing, etc. Second half is more indoor lab work and technical parts of astrophysics. Frank is VERY enthusiastic about what he teaches; it's what got me to most of the lectures. He brings props, and really wants the student to understand what he's presenting. This person also suggested: The telescopes we used (3 8-inch, 1 16-inch diameter) weren't up until mid- to late in the semester because of Bicentennial Hall opening. They're up now, so no worries in later semesters.
  19. Watch out for erradic grading on out of class assignments. Material is interesting but seems out of touch.

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