AI Rate Professor

Astronomy

Conrad Hirano

PHYS253 · ASTRONOMY101L · PHYS151 · ASTR101 · PHYS152 · 30 lifetime ratings

AI rating
48/100
RMP rating
3.2/5
Take again
64.29%
Difficulty
3.9

The decision

if and stay on top of homework; otherwise many students say avoid.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerTough graderLecture heavyTest heavyDo the homeworkPolarizing teaching style
  • Physics and astronomy are hard with him; and asking questions.
  • Some call him knowledgeable and fair if ; many call lectures mumbled and unhelpful.
  • Labs and and occasional late grading.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

38/100

As are possible with heavy practice and , but many report tough grading and .

Both formats require substantial effort; .

Is the course easy?

Challenging

28/100

Physics content is dense and fast; but still picky for some.

In-person PHYS courses drive the high difficulty; .

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

32/100

and labs you cannot miss.

and physics sections enforce attendance more clearly than some online notes.

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

52/100

, but many warn others to avoid him.

Online opinions are sparse and split; and .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

35/100

Quiz and , though drops and half-credit redoes soften some pain.

Format shift

Strict grading comments dominate in-person physics; and offline.

Workload

Heavy

30/100

Homework is essential , and .

Format shift

Physics sections carry heavy practice load in both formats; some astronomy labs are lighter.

Teaching experience

Average

48/100

Knowledgeable and sometimes caring, but many students find lectures mumbled, rushed, or unhelpful.

Format shift

; online has both love and frustration comments.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Quizzes and exams often drive half or more of the grade, with labs secondary and .

Format shift

; online mentions group problem solving and quizzes.

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

25 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

dedicated students improve, many , and little guidance in labs.

Main concern

and lectures that force self-teaching.

What students said

“Mumbles in lectures, extremely hard grader, extremely hard to communicate with, does not care about students at all.”
PHYS253
“Great professor; you will become a better physicist by taking this course. Not for the faint of heart... it is very difficult.”
PHYS152
“If you do his HW, .”
PHYS253

Remote format

Online

5 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

some praise group problem solving and help, others report poor access and .

Main concern

Communication lag and uneven online organization.

What students said

“Loved Professor Hirano, don't know why people are complaining about his lectures, he covers a lot of dense and difficult material really well”
PHYS253
“I could never get ahold of this teacher and the class work was split up super weirdly overall not the !”
ASTR101
“if you actually listen and participate, this class is a breeze.”
ASTRONOMY101L

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams and quizzes are high weight and challenging; reviews .

Test heavyHomework mirrors examsQuiz drops and partial redoesLecture-homework mismatch reported

Assessment risk

Strict

35/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

and exam heavy; and tests feel tough.

Quizzes count heavilyTest corrections sometimes allowedHomework essential for testsTough grader
“There's 6 quizzes throughout the semester and they count for 50% of your grade.”
PHYS253
“His HW will cover everything (and then some) he .”
PHYS253

Online

Online comments mention dense material, group problem solving, and hard coursework but .

Dense materialGroup problem solvingParticipation matters
“I appreciated the group approach to in-class problem solving and exams.”
PHYS253
“the class work was split up super weirdly overall not the !”
ASTR101

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“ if possible.”

Voice snapshots generated from 30 reviews across physics and . Credibility rating: High.

🔥 Polarizing Difficulty

28/100

“Not for the faint of heart... it is very difficult.”

🧮

70/100

“If you do his HW, .”

🗣️ Lecture Clarity Issues

40/100

“He mumbles when he lectures and never goes over the example problems.”

👍 Supporters Exist

64/100

“I had Conrad for most of my physics at miracosta and think he is a great teacher.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • he covers a lot of dense and difficult material really well
  • Youre better off teaching yourself the material.
  • He's so nice and I think he's so funny.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • Do all the HW, go to .
  • .

Theme 3

🧪

  • No guidance is provided, even when you ask for it.
  • Lab reports are due weekly, and as long as all questions are thoroughly answered you'll receive high marks.
  • Modules are very .

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

30

Recent reviews read by the AI

30

Lifetime ratings

80/100

Evidence confidence

Thirty reviews over many years show a stable polarizing pattern between self-driven STEM students and frustrated students.

Inside 30 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 58
4 out of 58
3 out of 54
2 out of 52
1 out of 58

Course coverage

ASTRONOMY101L11 reviews
PHYS2539 reviews
PHYS1514 reviews
PHYS1524 reviews
ASTR1012 reviews

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

20 reported outcomes

A range

9

A 8 · A- 1

B range

8

B+ 2 · B 5 · B- 1

C range

2

C 2

D range

0

No reported values

F

1

F 1

No letter grade reported

0

No reported values