Reviews for Stacy S. McGaugh
Average Rating:| Mike Denison Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: A February 6, 2011, 8:55 pm | Lectures: Very dull (I had my class at 9:30, and I was on Facebook for most of the class at every lecture) except for a few bits of dry humor and some pretty funny demos. Though that's not really McGaugh's fault, the course is just really easy and he tends to over-explain a concept. If science isn't your thing, though, he might be better for you. You CAN take notes on a laptop. Workload: Minimal. There are 6 homework assignments that take maybe 30 minutes each, and they're a good portion of your grade. There are three exams, none of which are particularly hard--I got two A's and a high B with very little studying. Discussion: Part of your grade--attendance is mandatory. This sucks, because it's generally a waste of time. My TA seemed to barely know what was going on (I don't think he was an astronomy major). There are lots of 5-point, easy quizzes. So you can just show up, tune out, take the quiz and leave. Overall, DEFINITELY take this class if you need a Non-Lab core. You DO NOT need the CD that comes with the textbook. |
| I<3Testudo Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: B February 3, 2011, 11:34 am | I never liked science before takinng Astro100 with McGaugh. He's a great professor and you can tell he truly cares about his work. Going to lecture isn't necessary because he posts his slides, but I found myself wanting to go to lecture anyway because of how knowledgeable he was on every subject. I worked really hard and managed to get an A in the class, but with minimal effort a B is expected. |
| Anonymous Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: B+ January 23, 2011, 7:19 pm | Materials: Book with CD Rom. The CD-rom is unnecessary and does not have to be used. The book is bit helpful,though Mr.McGaugh uses his power points as a base for the exams. The book can help clarify points you don't understand but doesn't have to be used besides needing it for homework. Lectures: Lectures are great! Mr. McGaugh uses many presentations throughout the semester to help you understand a concept and he speaks very loudly so you can hear him even at the back of the class. It can get a bit boring during some sections, but not because of the teacher because of the material. He likes to joke a lot and does mess up on some presentations so he keeps students entertained. The Course: It's a fun course it's quite interesting and is not that hard besides some math. The Exams aren't too hard if you study the material and especially look over the sample exams that are given on the website which give repeated M.C answers. The math is redundant and the most simple equations are mostly used, the hard ones are taught but not mostly put on the exams. Going to section helps clarify points, and there are mandatory quizzes and attendance is a part of your grade. It's a great class I would recommend taking is especially with this professor. |
| Anonymous Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: A December 14, 2010, 8:52 pm | First off, you DO NOT have to buy the CD w/ the textbook. Now, on to the review... McGaugh is a pretty great professor. Honestly, I stopped routinely going to lecture about a mid-semester and stopped going altogether by Thanksgiving Break. But the class gets harder (obviously) if you look up the powerpoints online instead of in class when he lectures. He gives practice exams, which help when the real things come. Otherwise, its just lecture, occasional homework (another benefit: small workload), and exams. He's just a standard professor: good at giving lectures, nice guy, and you really can't improve that. Just take notes on the powerpoints (or at the very least read them). If you read the book along with the powerpoints, your gold. But when work from other classes creeps up, it became too much work (at least for me) and I just stuck to the powerpoints. I reiterate taking the practice exams, there will be A LOT of overlap compared to the real thing, ESPECIALLY the final. Overall, would greatly recommend for Non-lab Core! |
| Anonymous Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: A- December 14, 2010, 2:11 pm | Really nice professor. He does post lectures online but to really understand the material it's best to go to lecture. My TA did not help at all and discussion was pretty much pointless. The two exams during the year were a lot harder than the final. The final was very easy. I would recommend taking this class because it is an easy B, and if you study, you can get an A. |
| Anonymous Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: A January 29, 2010, 11:35 am | Easy class. Two midterms, six homeworks, and mandatory discussions. All of the questions on exams were easily answered if you had read the text. Some questions involved demonstrations from class and extra credit questions were given during lectures, so attending lectures is helpful. |
| Nahemahx6 Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: B+ January 14, 2010, 5:58 pm | While McGaugh is a pretty funny dude, his lectures tend to be dull and repetitive, so often times I didn't go or I left early. My discussion class was not that great either, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was a huge chunk of the grade, I wouldn't have gone to that. Reading the chapters in the textbook sufficed for me, along with going to the occasional class when I felt up to it. But make sure to do the homework; homework is graded pretty strictly, and it's possible to lose a letter grade or more just by doing subpar on the homework alone, even if you ace all the tests and have perfect attendance. |
| Anonymous Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: A- December 17, 2009, 8:05 am | This class was a lot of work for a 100 level class. two midterms were very difficult, but final included mostly questions from previous exams and study sheets. If you take this class, you better like reading, because you really need to read every single word in the whole book, cuz free response test questions came from things mentioned in the book for only a page, and not discussed in lecture. He does give extra credit sometimes (3 times) in lecture, but the questions he asks are sometimes tricky. Discussions completely save your grade. For example i got a 64 on the first exam, and when my TA (Who was awesome by the way) calculated my grade i had an 83. The class is very time comsuming, and i don't think that all the work and stress and time put into the class is worth getting 3 credits for. |
| gbedell Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: B December 15, 2009, 4:09 pm | Professor McGaugh is a really cool guy. He's funny, but I really never went to lecture because I thought it was boring. There are two tests, six homeworks, and discussion activities. I just read the textbook and I did fine. The homeworks are easy and discussion is easy as well. The final exam was easy, it was all questions from past tests and questions he posted online, and he provided the answers so the final was a joke. |
| trebb Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: B December 15, 2009, 2:46 pm | I'm not a science person, and I thought astronomy would be pretty interesting. It ended up being alright. Stacy is a great professor who does a lot of demos and is a pretty cool dude. However, I would always just type up the notes on my computer and not really pay attention. Going to lecture isn't mandatory, but he sometimes gives extra credit which helps. If you read the book and memorize the vocab/formulas the class isn't hard. It's just a LOT of information. His practice tests online are REALLY helpful, because a ton of the questions are repeated. (Using my first and second tests, along with his practice final, gave me almost all of the answers on the legit final). |
| Anonymous Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: C November 6, 2009, 7:39 am | I, personally, hate astronomy now. I thought it would be interesting, but it isn't. There's just so much information to know, but if you keep up with the readings, the exams will seem fairly easy. The professor is great though! |
| Anonymous Course: ASTR100 Grade Expected: B October 26, 2008, 11:27 pm | Dr. McGaugh is a great professor. His class is easy. There is no need to go to lecture either, just make sure you stay on track by reading the chapters each Week as his powerpoints come straight from the slides. When you do go to class you will be entertained as he keeps the attitude upbeat with his sense of humor. If you are looking for an easy science CORE, this is definately the one. |