Joseph Patterson

The greatest thing about Patterson is that he is super enthusiastic about astronomy. You can tell he loves the subject, just from the fact that writes and performs songs about astronomy in class, or from his useful and entertaining lecture notes. The only problem with this course is that it isn't structured too well. Patterson will claim to send out problems sets today which won't be available until a week later. Sometimes, his lectures can be confusing as he jumps from one concept to another. The class did seem quite disorganized as a whole. It would probably help to read a little ahead so you can understand what he says in lecture. Thankfully, though, he sends out lecture notes (although they are not exhaustive - you still have to go to class!) and shares cool news and events in astronomy. Once, he had a miniature party/get-together at his house, which was nice. As for mathematical background, you really only need to know Algebra. Be comfortable working with units and manipulating formulae (not too difficult).

If you are not a science major, do NOT take this class. They say that high school level math and science is all required to do well-- NOT TRUE. I thoroughly enjoyed science/math courses in high school and always did fairly well. This class was so difficult. If you've taken an introductory astronomy class before that would definitely help. If not, the professor requires you to get an intro astro book to familiarize yourself with concepts and terminology. I did not understand a word either of the professors said during their lectures. I was so overwhelmed, I didn't even know where to start if I wanted to ask a question. There is a trip to Arizona for some observing that I was excited about, but when I saw most of the class didn't sign up for it (it's optional), I decided not to go either. The coursework is very minimal. He doesn't really care about grades-- barely talks about them until the end of the semester. I just stopped coming to the lectures because they were a waste of my time. I did the bare minimum work at the end of the semester and got a C.

The previous review is spot on. Avoid taking this class with Patterson! From reading other reviews, I assumed it would be challenging yet doable Â… I was quite wrong. The problem sets were really difficult and time-consuming. The exams were mostly multiple choice with some medium-length response questions, and are nothing like the problem sets, so itÂ’s not like you can practice or anything. When asked for some sample problems he gave us a ton of practice questions from the textbook and said “These are much easier than the exam questions will be.” He wasnÂ’t kidding- the practice exam was really simple, and the midterm looked nothing like it. Well Â… thanks a lot Â… but whatÂ’s the freaking point then? He was also extremely vague and unhelpful when asked what to know for the exams, making it stressful to study. Yes he hands out notes but they barely help with problem sets, and even less for exams. So what does help you prepare for tests? Lecture? The Textbook? Nope. Even though he can be “funny,” he mostly just rambles on Â… clarity is not his thing, and he tends to spend lots of time on things we don‘t need to know for exams or homework. He spends lots and lots of time on formula derivation, so one would think that understanding the formulas and being able to apply them will be important, right? Wrong! The book is decent as far as textbooks go but does not really help fo…

Patterson is a good teacher though obviously disenchanted with the present structure of the science sequence. He basically somnambulates through lectures and is intrinsically amusing. The subject matter is interesting, but one never knows whether to take notes during the parts of the lecture when he dicusses pictures on the over-head projections. This class has a fantastic curve, so leave your grade anxiety at the door.

I pretty much agree with the last two reviews. About the easy A matter, I wanted to add that I don't think it's hard to get a good grade in the class. Probably about the same as any other class. Even though the raw scores for the midterm seem low at the time, the raw scores don't mean anything on their own, because the final grade for the semester is curved up to a standard distribution. I think a good number of people got in the A-/A range for their final grade. Probably my favorite professor so far. Good class.

Not much work. A couple of problem sets, telescope tests, lots of observing, and one project due at the end with presentation.

Professor Patterson is a nice guy with a cute sense of humor, but he doesn't lecture well at all in terms of clearly communicating information. The objectives of the lessons aren't clear, and it's difficult to distinguish what is actually taking notes over. He gives out handouts for most of the topics, but these are sparse at best and don't really reflect what you need to know for the exams. The lectures aren't useful, and he doesn't clearly define what he wants you to learn from the book. The subject matter isn't inherently difficult, but the presentation of it on the exams is often unclear and convoluted. Bottom line -- he's a really nice guy, but not the person that you can really learn anything relevant from.

All I have to say is Joseph Patterson is my favorite teacher in this entire university. He is the nicest and funniest guy in the entire school. Throughout the course I had no clue what the hell he was talking about but he was always there to help me. He is amazing and I suggest that everyone should take this class regardless of your interest (or lack there of) in astronomy.

I loved this class (I hate to begin with such a biased comment, but I guess I should show my hand). It's been several months since the class concluded, and I believe I can safely say that this course will forever remain as one of my most memorable and fulfilling classes at Columbia. Of course, no class is perfect, and I know there were moments of frustration for some students; I intend to cover both the pros and cons of the class in this review so that you know what to expect. Basically, I share the opinion of the previous reviewer (Dec 10, 2009) but I feel that a three year absence of reviews is too long and that this page probably needs something more current to attest to the brilliance of this course. The Pros: My high regard for this course has everything to do with Professor Patterson. He has real character and enthusiasm that infuse every class. He's a teacher who values true *teaching* above all else, as opposed to simple rote learning or pointless parroting of information. What he's interested in is encouraging creative thinking, facilitating a deep understanding of concepts that are essential to our current worldview, and making the whole class enjoyable (if that sounds intimidating I don't mean it that way! It's relaxed, fun, and goes at an easy pace). He values class discussion and participation, and his lectures lead the class through the most interesting developme…

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS IF YOU VALUE YOUR GPA!!! Everyone says that this is a total blowoff, easy A kind of class. NOT true at all. Patterson is a nice guy but he doesn't teach at all. His lectures are nothing but meaningless babble, with a few songs here and there. His problem sets are hard and have little to do with the notes or book. Also his midterm and finals have almost nothing to do with the book and have absolutely nothing to do with the problem sets. Basically, nothing is related to anything and he rambles instead of teaching the material. This is NOT an easy course and one could find a much better way to fulfill their science requirement.