AI Rate Professor

Astronomy

Mark Lane

ASTR0100 · AST101 · ASTR100 · ASTRO100 · AST100 · ASTR105L · 105L · ASTR100105L · ASTR105 · 199 lifetime ratings

AI rating
48/100
RMP rating
3.9/5
Take again
51.85%
Difficulty
3.9

The decision

Avoid unless you are truly passionate about astronomy and ready for .

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerPassionate lecturesExtremely hard testsTough graderCan be condescendingNot an easy A
  • many call lectures amazing and life-changing while many call him rude or hostile.
  • , and often feel mismatched to prep.
  • if you love astronomy and will study constantly; .

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

24/100

Repeated warnings of D/F averages, no open notes, and .

Both formats are hard; online timed tests and As.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

28/100

Conceptual astronomy with chemistry/physics depth far above a soft intro GE expectation.

Online and in-person both described as overbearing for a 100-level elective.

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

42/100

, but lectures carry the and skipping is widely discouraged.

Mixed mandatory flags; attendance is optional.

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

52/100

; passionate majors love him while .

In-person has both inspirational and hostile camps; online skews more .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Harsh

22/100

, and reports of class averages in D/F range.

Format shift

; online timed scoring feels especially punishing.

Workload

Moderate

45/100

Weekly reading quizzes and heavy study load; fewer busywork papers but .

Format shift

Online stacks many lecture videos; and reading intensive.

Teaching experience

Average

64/100

Outstanding passionate lectures for many, undermined by condescension and unhelpful office-hour stories.

Format shift

In-person personality conflict is sharper; online focuses more on structure and .

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

88/100

and exams with limited assignment cushion.

Format shift

Both formats are test-heavy; online multiplies pressure with short timers.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

38 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

and funny for fans, but , and many report condescending interactions.

Main concern

Hostile tone for some students plus exams that feel impossible despite heavy study.

What students said

“ and out of line with what you learn, so even though you study it will be hard”
AST100
“Rude and condescending even towards students with special needs.”
100

Remote format

Online

12 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online AST100 is fast-paced with , and .

Main concern

Timed exams (about 25-30 minutes for ~25-30 questions) and locked videos after units make recovery hard.

What students said

“The to get 25 mins to complete 30 questions”
AST100
“Tests are 25 minutes timed with 30 questions, making you feel like the world is closing in while .”
ASTR100

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

timed, and frequently called mismatched to study guides.

Closed NotesTimed Online ExamsTest HeavyConceptual Tricky QuestionsPop Quizzes

Assessment risk

Strict

22/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person exams are closed-note, conceptual, sometimes essay-style, and widely called extremely hard.

Closed NotesTest HeavyTricky Conceptual QuestionsPop Quizzes
“the . We can't use our notes at all, which makes the .”
AST100
“ have to be EXACTLY the way he wants them.”
AST100

Online

Online exams are multiple choice, tightly timed, worded to confuse, with .

Timed ExamsMultiple ChoiceReading QuizzesNo Easy A
“25 mins to complete 30 questions with many of the questions requiring at least 1 min to read”
AST100
“ and make sure you know the material. Not an easy A course.”
ASTR100

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“ !!”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews (12 online, 38 in person), capturing the passion-versus-harsh-exams split; credibility High.

🌟 Lecture Passion

80/100

“Professor Lane influenced me to change my major to astronomy, he's so knowledgeable and passionate about the subject.”

📉

18/100

“ and out of line with what you learn”

⚠️ Classroom Climate

25/100

“Very condescending and somewhat of a bully towards students.”

🔀 Recommendation Split

52/100

“ if you have a genuine interest in astronomy.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • He's passionate about the subject and made lectures very fun
  • amazing lectures
  • he's quite the wisecracker

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • this is the hardest class ever
  • Class average is usually around the Ds or Fs
  • Not an easy A course.

Theme 3

😤 About Classroom Climate

  • Rude and condescending even towards students with special needs
  • creates a very hostile atmosphere
  • he made me feel stupid

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

199

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

Fifty polarized but detailed reviews across years and and split personality perceptions.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 5109
4 out of 535
3 out of 519
2 out of 518
1 out of 519

Course coverage

AST10019 reviews
ASTR10013 reviews
1008 reviews
ASTR01003 reviews
ASTR100105L2 reviews
Show 5 more courses
105L1 review
AST1011 review
ASTR1051 review
ASTR105L1 review
ASTRO1001 review

Reported outcomes

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

45 reported outcomes

A range

10

A 10

B range

13

B+ 3 · B 9 · B- 1

C range

9

C+ 2 · C 6 · C- 1

D range

8

D+ 3 · D 5

F

1

F 1

No letter grade reported

4

Drop/Withdrawal 1 · Not sure yet 3