Such a sweet guy who really cares about his students and wants everyone to do well. Dont be afraid to reach out to him if you have an issue. He really values students showing they care so showing up to office hours or putting in any kind of extra effort will go a long way with him.

The infamous Big Bang. This is basically a high school class with lots of little assignments that pad your grade, but then the tests can be really challenging. Dr. West can be really nice and is enthusiastic about astronomy, but when it comes to flexibility around assignments he is pretty rigid and passive aggressive. Group work throughout.

Dr. West was such a privilege to learn from. If you are looking for a way to knock out your science credit, I highly recommend taking his class. He is enthusiastic and knows how to make science interesting and engaging for non STEM students. You definitely need to attend lectures and take good notes though. There is no textbook and you can't google

I had professor West last semester. Everyone loved him. This semester he caught a bunch of people cheating and the whole class turned on him. I understand the frustration but that's not a reason to completely ruin his reputation. He was a fair grader and a good teacher when I had him. I agree the tests have content that isn't properly covered.

Professor West was a delight. He cares deeply about his students and the material he covers. All of the negative reviews coming in from people who were caught cheating should not taint your view of this talented and passionate professor.

I think a lot of his bad reviews come from people who expected this course to be a blow-off and were frustrated when he expected a greater level of effort. If you want to take this course because you think it'll be free science credit, don't. This course will give you a great understanding of science, but you must take it seriously and HONESTLY.

He's a good professor, clearly knows his stuff and cares about it. However, he has a pretty large ego and is very passive aggressive. I think he's fair with his grading curves, but unfair with his exams. A lot of 1.0 reviews from 2022 are a result of a particular incident, which he handled poorly and vindictively, but on the whole not bad.

Super engaging, class is very organized for students to learn. West gives students plenty of chances to make up assignments so that you get the full grade. At the end of the day he just wants his students to learn. He's great I never worried in this class as long as you don't cheat and listen to his lectures you'll get an A and actually learn.

Great class especially for non-science majors. Gives clear instructions. The take-home exams are challenging, but you get a redo.

Lovely guy and super knowledgable. Big Bang was a great class, and the rest of these reviews are tainted by people who tried to cheat on his exams.

I took the class during the semester of the cheating scandal, but his low rating is not deserved. He is clearly passionate about learning and teaches interesting material, but can be intimidating to talk to.

I took big bang in fall 22 in order to fulfill a science distribution requirement. Didn't expect to enjoy the class but he made the material interesting and was clearly very passionate about the material which he teaches. Exams were hard, but the rest of the work is very manageable.

Don't be misled by bad reviews. Dr. West changed the course model in Fall 2022 to benefit students. Essentially a pass/fail grading model. Do the work and you'll get an A. 2 Exams open-ended and complicated but also open-note and you get a free redo. Cool creative final project. Appreciate that he recognized what wasn't working and changed.

West brings so much passion to each lecture, making them all engaging, even for non-STEM students. Incredibly easy - you're guaranteed an A as long as you complete most homework assignments and two take-home tests (which you get free revisions on). Don't be deterred by bad reviews - mostly written by students who got caught during cheating scandal.

Make no mistake, this class isn't just a breeze easy A. That being said, you get what you put in to this class. Dr. West and accompanying professors make this class an amazing experience. They display extreme knowledge and interest in their subjects and every class was as captivating as the last.

West has a bad rep because of a cheating scandal that happened last year. But class is very easy, there are weekly assignments that take maybe 20 minutes. Tests are take home and pretty straight forward. He is big on cheating so don't cheat. Class is interesting and there are a lot group assignments so try to get a good group.

Don't listen to the bad reviews, this guy is awesome. Super nice, smart, really passionate about his subject and makes lectures actually fun to go to. Plus the class is an easy A if you do the assignments.

Great professor, really makes class interesting! There are several reviews saying one quiz brought them down to a B or C - don't trust them, these are people who repeatedly failed to get an 80% on a take-home quiz/exam, with access to all class resources and multiple attempts (!). He even tells you what you got wrong the first time. Take this class

Many people deride West for his insistence on not cheating, and though I have some reservations about his grading scale, I ultimately found the class enjoyable and not very difficult. He changes the way you think about science. You just have to actually think, pay attention, listen, etc.

West's lectures are interesting, but the grading scheme of the class is terrible. A % point of a grade can take you from an A to a B. The other lectures in this class are not interesting, but the professors are nice. The learning is very superficial, which is okay because it's not supposed to be an intensive science class.

Homework is easy if you attend the lecture. Group projects were fine and could be completed within an hour. The rubric is unnecessarily complicated but gives you a clear amount of work for each letter grade. Both exams require you to broaden your thinking. Having 3 diff profs is hard as you have to adjust to different teaching styles over the sem.

Professor West was actually a pretty good professor and made the class understandable and interesting with his lecture slides and methods of explaining. He does however take academic misconduct very seriously and there have been a few incidents so keep that in mind.

This man is awesome. DO NOT be dissuade by the many negative reviews, that was just about a cheating scandal when... many people got caught for cheating. I love him, he's a classic STEM man, but responds to emails within minutes, and his passion for what he's teaching is infectious. Two exams, one open-notes, one final project. Perfect for anyone.

He's so nice and clearly cares about what he's teaching. It easy to get an A, you only need to get above an 80% on all assignments, so just do the work assigned and you'll do well. The first test was a little difficult but the second wasn't hard as it was take home. Plus, you get retakes if you don't get an 80%. Highly recommend for science credit.

I enjoyed Big Bang to Humankind with Prof. West. There are very few homework assignments, and I personally enjoyed working in a group for many of them. The tests are hard, so you'll have to study for them, but I wouldn't say they're unreasonable. I appreciated that Prof. West made the lectures interesting and relevant.

I enjoyed Big Bang to Humankind with Prof. West. He gave very few homework assignments, and I personally enjoyed working in a group for many of them. His tests are hard, so you'll have to study for them, but I wouldn't say they're unreasonable. I appreciated that Prof. West made the lectures interesting and relevant.

Please ignore the negative reviews. If you are an attentive student, you will 100% get an A in this class. The grading scheme is a bit hard to understand at first, and West comes across intimidating at first, but I loved him so much by the end and actually learned a lot. He's strict about cheating, so don't cheat, but otherwise a great guy. Loved.

West is a great guy and a passionate professor. His emphasis on cheating is honestly really annoying for people who don't cheat. His lectures are light and tests can be corrected, but they were honestly way more difficult than I was anticipating. His grading scheme seems pretty unnecessary but it's not that bad and probably is beneficial.

I honestly dont understand why i see so many negative comments - Dr.West is very passionate about what he is teaching, and it's definitely an easy A as long as you wanna get good grades. The grading scheme is clear and ur offered tons of opportunities to boost/revise ur grades.

Overall, really nice guy. Class is not that difficult, and lectures are somewhat interesting. Please don't cheat in any regard, he will catch you.

Super interesting lecturer and filled with passion. The class is not the free A that people expect, but if you pay attention in lecture, take good notes, and go to the crash course sessions you will do fine on the tests. Lots of group work and he definitely finds ways to take away points for skipping class. He's a good teacher but a tad abrasive.

DONT LISTEN TO THE PICKY PEOPLE- his class is so chill and theres like 20 mins of hw a week and you have to read like maybe 2 chapters of a book- exams are not that bad- you need an 80 for an a and his grading system is super chill- you can extend work 3 times if needed

Dr West is awesome - he's super passionate and his lectures are always interesting. He uses standard based grading so it's VERY easy to get an A if you put in any ounce of effort and actually study for the two exams - the second one is also take home and open note so it's super light. Homework also takes like max 30 minutes a week.

people are actually so mean for no reason Dr west is a great professor and this class is so manageable! he cares a lot and is willing to help. He makes it so easy to suceed if you put in just a little effort, so obviously he gets upset when people cheat because theres actually no reason to. highly recomend, especially if youre a freshman

He is one of the best professors I have ever had! He clearly is passionate about what he teaches and he cares so much about his students. Don't listen to the negative reviews. He truly is amazing!

very light class. barely any homework, although the first exam needs some studying. The second is takehome. Very interesting lectures.

Extremely easy A, pretty much based off of completion. Barely any homework, but first exam needs some studying. People who are complaining just expected to do no work for an A. Final project is also not as bad as people say. Just show significant effort and make it look pretty and you can get an A+. Dr. West is very knowledgeable and interesting.

He is a great lecturer and SO passionate. If you go to lectures, do homework, and overall just put in effort, you will get an A. The astro stuff we learned was fascinating.

Andrew West is a great person!!! He wants to see his students succeed. Two tests with options to retake and one final project.

Please give Prof West a chance. I'm so bad at science and mustered up an A in this class. His grading rubric is confusing, but if you learn it it's actually great. Grace periods for missed assignments and so many opportunities to get your grade up. The first exam is rough but the second is take-home. Plus, a project for the final exam.

He's a good and, at times, silly professor. His grading is odd, but you'll get used to it. Everything depends on the final project, but the extremely negative reviews don't make sense. take his astronomy course, he's very passionate.

literally the best- big bang is great if u arent a science person

I'm not sure why Dr. West has such bad reviews—Big Bang's been very interesting, Dr. West's section was presented enthusiastically and generally in a orderly way. Good grades do take work and time, but if you put in the time/effort you *will* get a good grade, and it's easy to get regraded. The grading structure is abnormal but very reasonable.

It's an exciting class! You can tell he's interested in what he's teaching. The exams can be challenging since he creates questions that make you understand how the materials work together.

Loved Big Bang. Grading scheme is a little confusing, but if you complete a majority of the assignments you will get an A. Astronomy unit was my absolute favorite, and I enjoyed the lecture style. He is very flexible with meeting outside of class and is receptive to feedback.

I know it gets a bad rep, but honestly I enjoyed the course. As a non-stem major, I found the content easy to follow and the grading system to be reasonable. Dr. West was easy to contact outside of class, and talking to him will help you understand what is expected of you and how to succeed in his course. However, be prepared for a lot of work!

He was a really great professor and I thought the class was super interesting as a non-STEM person. The grading was a little weird but it was easy to get an A if you do everything.

Not sure why his rating is so low. Yes, grading criteria still makes no sense to me, decent amount of busywork, and tests were a bit difficult. However, it's not hard to get an A and I found Professor West to be very engaging for someone who dislikes STEM. Definitely learned a lot and enjoyed speaking to him outside of class, too.

He clearly loves what he teaches and is always enthusiastic in lectures. Grading is a bit strange, but if you do all the work (and do it well) you get an A. Tests are pretty tough, though if you pay attention in class and do all the homework they're very doable. Don't let his ratings turn you away from his class, he's an overall great professor.

Don't take this class expecting to do no work, but with minimal effort it's an easy A. West is nice if you show interest. He's strict about catching cheating, so don't try it. Exams can be tough, but you only need above an 80 on one and above a 50 on the other to get an A. Honestly over-hated class.

I am glad i disregarded the negative reviews for Dr. West. He has turned out to be my favorite professor this semester, he's no nice and cares about students. lectures are amazing, the exams and homework are not too difficult as long as you study and care about the class. He gives lots of mercy allowing exam revisions, and late work submissions. T

As someone who takes other science lecture classes, his lectures were overall interesting and engaging. The class material is fun and you can tell he is genuinely passionate about the subject. He was also very understanding when I had a medical issue that impacted my class attendance. His grading system is unique but simple.

Well he clearly get's a bad rep, but I think Dr. West is a super caring and knowledgable individual that really wants you to understand and do well in the class. People say he's sassy, but I think that comes from him trying to be playful. His lectures were super interesting and he cares a lot. It's SUPER easy to get an A if you just do the work.

I really loved Dr. West in Big Bang. His lectures were incredibly interesting, he really engaged with his students in and out of the classroom. He added office hours so everyone could attend and ask questions. While his grading criteria is a little confusing, it's not hard to get an A in his class if you put in a little effort. Tests weren't bad.

Great class overall, even for it being the first year his Project Apollo class has been taught. He was always interested in student insight and feedback. The labs and projects were all very insightful. You can really get a lot out of this class if you're interested in NASA/the Moon or just want to learn more about space!

If you do what you are supposed to do an A is very possible, although, chem section of class is horrendous. He is very willing to help if you try, if not, he can be quite stubborn. Overall, not a bad a science credit.