Doing Well in Astronomy Courses
Getting Top Grades College or University Introductory Astro Classes
Aug 28, 2008
Many college and university students select an introductory astronomy course to satisfy their science graduation requirement. Most of these courses are conceptually based courses with minimal mathematics, however some will require the use of mathematics.
Most students in these astronomy classes are not science majors and often think that they can not do well in science classes. They can however do well if they work hard and follow the right strategies.
How to Do Well in Large Lecture Classes
Most introductory astronomy courses are taught in a lecture format, often with very large lecture sections. To do well in this format use techniques that will work in any large lecture class.
- Always attend class and focus on the class lesson while there. Students who must miss class for a legitimate reason should notify the professor.
- Read the appropriate chapters in the book, both before class to get the big picture and after class to understand the details.
- Spend two to three hours studying outside of class for every hour in class.
- Use the professor's office hours to get help on difficult concepts.
Laboratory Component of Astonomy Courses
Some astronomy classes have a laboratory component; others do not. Take the lab component if it is available and use it as an opportunity to observe the night sky. If no lab component is available, then take whatever opportunities are available to observe the night sky. It helps to see what you are studying in class with your own eyes.
If there are any major astronomical events such as comets or eclipses available during the semester, be sure to observe them. It will add a touch of realism to the class.
Understanding the Course Concepts
For many students, especially those who did not take an astronomy course in high school, the astronomy class will introduce a large number of new and mind boggling concepts. College and university astronomy courses go way beyond learning the names of stars and constellations. They go into the physical nature of planets, stars, galaxies, and the entire universe. Astronomers also study the origin and evolution of these objects.
There are many details, so grasp the big picture to provide a framework for the details. Understanding how the details fit into the big picture makes it easier to keep track of them. Trying to memorize all the details as unrelated facts is virtually impossible.
Learn the vocabulary. In astronomy, as in most other sciences, words have very precise meanings that are often different from their everyday meanings. Understand the meanings of words in their astronomical contexts.
Why Study Astronomy
Students who are more poets than scientists should read Walt Whitman's When I heard the Learn'd Astronomer, then from time to time go out in the mystical moist night air and look up in perfect silence at the stars.
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