He really knows what he is talking about, very very helpful and understanding. Makes the class very interesting! awesome!

Easiest class ever!! Mid term was two pages, final was three. Each took under 30 mins. It's an astronomy course for NON-science majors, so there's NO MATH and the science is dumbed down. Most interesting lecturer so far, even curses!

Very, very smart man. Makes even the most complicated concepts seem simple. Very entertaining and has a great thing at the beginning of each class where he'll answer questions about anything, astronomy related or not.

he's a wicked teacher but i still failed

He is so interesting, quite possibly the smartest man i've met. He is so willing to help and makes our universe understandable. hard to take notes in class, it is most important to listen. If you don't like science you won't like this class.

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I love this man! he's so smart, he starts all of his lectures just talking about worldly things. I learned so many interesting things with him. Loved it!

Very smart, down to earth guy who loves astronomy. However, it was very hard to take notes in his class because of his teaching style.

I think he is a wicked prof. very down to earth and knows a whole lot of stuff if he doesn't he will find out. But I still failed

Great prof. Very interesting and entertaining. You do have to be either a very good listener or note taker, but the tests are not that hard if you've gone to class.

brlliant man. casual, down to earth. his lectures can be fast paced. just pay attention, go to class, read the material and you shouldn't have a problem. if the material is interesting to you, everything will be OK

Strange man.. Likes to pace. This class is extermely easy. If you know that the sun is a star you should get an A.

This guy is AWESOME! What a great prof! I loved going to class, and he is so intersting, and totaly brilliant! Taking his class is well worth the 60 dollars per class! Liked him so much I am taking the second half next semester!

this prof is potetially the greatest on earth, he is clear, concise, and a****load of fun to have, the class is a breeze, and he's a hoot!!!

The prof. himself is amazing, and so random! It's fun to go to class!! However, read your book! If you don't read it watch out for the final! I learned that the hard way.

Best Classes i have ever taken, I learned more in those 2 classes then the other 18 i have taken at SMU combined. Such a free class, you can ask anything ex. "Why's the Sky blue?", and he will gladly answer.

He is soooo funny. Everything was easy except the final exam. Interesting class though.

An awsome prof. that is very clear and entertaining. Allows for questions about anything related to science at the beginning of each class. If you take good notes each class you shouldn't even have to look at the textbook for exams. 99% of all material on exams are covered in class.

Interesting lectures, easy midterms (if you study) easy marker overall. Hard assignments. He doesnt mark them so be prepared to do work on them. Makes the class easier with an optional projest (do it) because the final is haaaard. STUDY for it!!!

Doug is a good teacher and is able to keep the class interesting. Not difficult if you keep up with the work (attend class, take good notes). Don't waste too much time reading the book, as he tests on his lectures.

It's lots of fun to go to this class. The only class I enjoyed attending all semester. Attendance is important- if you rely on the book, you may get confused. Assignments seem hard at first, but make you think and do better on the tests. He knows almost everything about anything.

Terrible! Don't take this class.... missleads on what to study for the midterm/final, tells us to study one thing and then test on something completly different. Last semester the final was supposed to be on 8 chapters and ended up only being 2.

The final exam was a joke - it doesn't get any easier than that. This was the most interesting class I ever had, and Pitcairn is an awsome Prof. Don't listen to the bad ratings because those students either never showed up to class or never paid attention in class.

I liked his 215 class so much I rearanged my schedule to take his 216 class. Awesome professor, the tests were super easy if you go to class and pay attention half the time.

I think Prof Pitcairn is pretty cool. He likes to entertain you and have fun. Course material can be challenging but he lectures on what is important. Project topics are interesting. His assignments can be brutal but just ask him questions and you'll be ok. Exam is cumulative so there's a lot to study, it's mostly multiple choice.

good prof

alright, this guy was harddddd, and i can't stress that enough, apparently u don't need a physics background to take the course, but man am i glad i had one cause otherwise i would have been screwed. his assignments were super hard and his final was brutal (too much to study), brought by 4.0 average wayyyyy down.

This guy could make any topic seem interesting. Knows astronomy inside out and teaches you all kinds of neat things. Very easy midterm and optional project, the assignments aren't bad but the final is quite ugly. If you're looking for a free elective and want to be interested, take him. If you want a free A, you're going to the wrong guy.

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For anyone who says this class is bad, you never went or expected it to be a bird course. I didn't do so well but he was an awesome prof. Easy assignments. Really funny and down to earth, if you went to class, you would have done fine.

Dude's the****! He's funny and knows everything about anything.

The class is fine. Easy midterm, optional project (though i didn't do one due to time constraints), the assignments aren't bad but the markers are asses (mark you off for anything humanly imaginable). Overall it was a good class, but be warned don't hand in anything you didn't type up because they'll take it out on you!

Hilarious and informative. I learned more about everything else in the world than I did about astronomy. His exams are essentially what he teaches - unfortunately, it's really hard to follow along with his scribblings on the board, so I tried to study from the book instead, and I did poorly. Still, this class was worth it just for the rants.

HE ROCKS!Funny and makes the class very entertaining.Midterm is easy,If you attend class and read the text you will do great.I suck at Science and I have A's in this class.The assingments are tough. Great stories,he knows everything or has a very interesting opinion on it.Does not have P drive notes, and scribbles on board alot.Great with questions

Awesome teacher! This guy is hilarious and very smart. Make sure you go to class, his tests are mostly based on class notes. Strictly lecture based. you will get a good mark if you go to class and pay attention.

BEST TEACHER IN THE SCHOOL WITHOUT A DOUBT, he really knows his stuff and he makes it interesting. if u take his first section u'll want to take his second its that good, he is also halarious i took both sections at 8:30 in the morning and never slept once. NICE WORK PICTARIN, THE MAN

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excellent prof. tough exam.

I took this course with no previous interest in Astronomy, and now I love it. Prof. Pitcairn is the most knowledgeable and entertaining prof at SMU. I am now taking 1215 just because I love his class!

I don't know how someone can say the exam was hard. I took both sections and never wrote for more than 18 minutes (midterm or final). Go to class and get your A+. You will, because he is that good a prof.

Classes can be very boring some days but you need to attend as he takes his test questions straight from the lectures. Exams are decent, asks detailed questions about something you probably didn't pay attention to so be sure to take good notes. If you don't understand assignment questions ask him, he'll give you the answer, great prof & great class

good teacher, does not play games with anyone. Do optional assignment, all class assignments and only study from class notes, read text book before classes to have basic understanding. Midterm harder than final

This man knows everything there is to know about everything. Seriously, take this class and ask him any question at all at the beginning (doesn't even have to be astronomy related) and he will give you a well thought out response. Great prof.

A REALLY great prof. His lectures will make you laugh and won't leave you wishing you were elsewhere. His midterm was INSANELY simple. It was matching and fill in the blanks. He's a really nice guy who really loves what he teaches and it shines through! If you are going to take any astronomy course, make sure its this man!

He was an awesome prof, really funny and made things easy!

If you go to SMU without taking Astronomy (both courses) with Pitcairn, you are missing out on the single BEST LECTURES OF ALL TIME! Hilarious prof, great to talk to. By far my favorite EVER! AND DO THE OBSERVATIONAL PROJECT!!! The observatory is awesome and the project is easy as eating pie :)

amazing professor. he is absolutely hilarious, and really makes you understand the distance factor involved in astronomy. loved every minute of that class

Pitcairn is the man! Makes class super interesting with his funny rants. Unbelievably smart dude. May be a runner up to the dos equis guy for the most interesting man in the world.

He will help you unlock the mysteries of the world. Great guy you can ask him anything and will explain with as much or as little detail as you would like.

Probably the best class I have taken at SMU. Pitcairn makes lectures interesting and he cares about his students. He was really helpful and clear about his expectations. Take a class with this man.

Easily my favorite prof. Explains things very well and is an easy marker. He takes great pride in his lectures and he is very funny. As a commerce student he made me find a new personal interest for astronomy. Take one of his classes you WILL NOT regret it.

He's very charismatic and clearly a genius, but certainly not "easy". Maybe we just had bad luck with the TAs, but my class seems to be doing terribly with the assignments. Personally found it hard to keep up with lectures. Furthermore he gives 40+pg study guides, and then 2 page exams, making it easy to study your ass off and still do poorly.

Hilarious. Easy to listen to but faced pace. Is your a faster typer than writer being your computer. Brilliant man, probably one of the most intelligent people I've met. I groaned when I saw him the first day thinking it'd be boring but it's anything but!!

Awesome prof and hilarious too. However, this course is NOT a cake walk. I had this impression going into his class and did really bad on the mid-term, but i studied a ton and did pretty good on the final. Just study his notes inside and out and you'll do okay. Don't just think it's just another bird course, cause it's not.

Really easy [rof and helpful. Just follow his notes you'll be fine. He even gave the answers to the assignments before the submission date infront of the entire class. Midterms and finals are really easy but the TA's were really hard markers.

The BEST PROF in SMU. Classes are really interesting and he is really helpful. No need to buy the book. Just study the notes he gives you via email thoroughly. Also the subject itself is really interesting and he makes it even more interesting. If possible also try to get to know him as a person.

Really easy class. He will literally tell you what questions he has given in the midterm and final exam in the review classes. The TA's were really hard markers. Take his class and read the notes you'll do really good.

Don't buy the book, find it online if you really want it but its not needed. The info/notes you need is given to you though write down some notes or diagrams if that helps you learn. He's a good guy. Very funny and swears a lot but overall a great class and great prof especially if you like astronomy but not the physics and math part of it.

He's a nice guy, and an easy marker. The tests are simple if you review the notes that he writes up and emails every student.

I have taken both courses with Prof. Pitcairn available at SMU. I had little knowledge anything astronomy related prior to taking his courses. I was absolutely captivated by his lectures and was one of few classes I truly enjoyed every minute of. He is an extremely brilliant person and by far my favorite professor and favorite course I have taken.

Great prof. Possibly the best lecturer I've had yet!

Great guy, very witty and sarcastic. Has no problem telling someone to shut up during lectures, also has no problem answering any questions you might have. I liked his class so much I took two of his courses when only one counted for a credit I needed. Read chapters before if you find you're getting lost he gives a booklet of notes to follow along

Best prof at Smu

Best prof at SMU, took two classes with him, grades are based off three quizzes, one assignment and final.

Study the notes he sends out well and you should do fine on the testsexam, no need for the textbook really. Lectures were funny and sometimes interesting but I didn't find they were needed to grasp the content. Three 15 question quizzes, one project, and a final. That's it.

He is hilarious

Very good professor and amazing lectures. Hands-down one of the best profs at St. Mary's But do not take this class for an easy A. It will not happen. You do need to show up for class and listen to his lectures. Which is not hard because they are fun. The textbook is also not needed he emails hand outs. As long as you show up and try you will pass

Doug is a beaut, cracks jokes all the time. This class is not so much an easy A but if you take ASTR1000 (skys and planets) it is a lot easier. You do not need the book as he gives you notes but it is helpful to receiving a better grade in 1001. This course and prof are really amazing and I would encourage anyone to try them out.

Professor Pitcairn is hilarious. He has all these random facts and explanations. He really makes you question science. He swears and has completely out there stories of astronomy. There are only three quizzes and a small project in the class and often his lectures are only about 45 minutes. Amazing lecturer.

SO FUNNY! Makes you question everything you know about science, swears like a sailor which keeps you entertained. Only 3 small quizzes and a project, easy course

Doug is the man! He swears a ton which makes you laugh, but the guy knows what he's talking about. Breaks down the subject and makes you think about the universe in a whole different way. Oh, and there's only a few short quizzes and a small project so minimal work. Best mark I've had in an elective course so far!

Take his course just for his brilliant lectures... I could listen to him talk all day! Incredibly smart, funny guy. Tough class though, markers grade everything and they're not generous with points...

Really good prof. Can come across as unprofessional, but I had no issue approaching him with questions or issues. His Lectures are great and interesting. He is more funny than most comedians out there, and his tests and assignments are easy enough if you are prepared for them. I would definitely take a course with him again.

I found ASTR1000 the BEST and most interesting class I've taken! He loves his profession and loves the subject! I just couldn't keep up with him when taking notes which made quizzes difficult for me. Super nice and respectful guy! Swore during lectures but that made things interesting and fun

OUTSTANDING PROF. I took his ASTR1000 and anyone who says the course is hard clearly isnt meant for university. one hour of studying 3 times a semester will get you an a. Each class is like a space documentary, you dont even have to take notes because he sends you them. Sit back and enjoy the course

one of the most wonderfully eccentric people I've met in my life! He curses like a sailor and the way he tackles topics is fresh and interesting! His notes are good too!

Easily the most funny professor I've had. He's super knowledgeable and can answer pretty much any question. He's also very approachable, so don't be afraid to go and talk with him. His lectures sometimes go at a fast pace, but that's only because of all the info he's going over. Great professor overall, highly recommend him.

Doug's lectures are incredibly entertaining, easily the best classes on campus to sit through. He hands out notes compiled from students that have taken his classes in the past, study these well. Questions on tests are sometimes awkwardly written, so read them closely. The project is a lot of fun and really easy. Highly recommend!!

One of my favourite classes I've ever taken, and one of my favourite profs! He is hilarious and always starts the class off on a good note. His tests are multiple choice but you still really need to understand the material fully before taking them. Overall really enjoyed the course!

Doug is easily my favourite professor. Half way through first semester I decided to join his 1001 class the next semester. He gives you the notes you need to study. There's only 3-4 quizzes which are 20 multiple choice questions, an observing project, and the final exam which consists of multiple choice, short answers, and long answers. He's great.

Good guy, hard class.

Doug is by far the best prof I've had so far in uni. His class is the only one that held my attention 100% of the time. His lectures are super informative and full of humour, and the only way to fail is to not bother showing up for tests. Much respect Doug!

Very entertaining prof, but the lectures were very fast paced and I found he went off on a lot of tangents which made it hard to focus on the topic of the lecture. He provides course notes so textbook isn't necessary but his quizzes/exams are short and questions can be awkwardly phrased. Would recommend studying the notes he provides thoroughly.

I have never seen someone teach with such a passion for anything. Very knowledgeable and hilarious. Ask him any question and he can go in an endless tangent of relevant information. He inspired me to take physics. One of the most memorables teacher I will ever have.

Good prof, hard class.

Doug is the best prof Ive had at SMU. He is extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and a hilarious man who curses like a sailor. He sends notes, so attendance isnt mandatory, but I would recommend going to get the most out of his course and his lectures are enjoyable and filled with valuable information. He does a couple quizzes, a project and exam

He is such a hilarious prof. Very easy going and understands your situation. Would give you extra credit for effort. One of the best profs in SMU.

Great professor, semi-difficult course. Personally, I found the exams very difficult because I'm not a science student and had trouble understanding the material, despite attending every lecture. He creates his own "textbook" with notes for each chapter and emails them to you! Recommend attending lectures and following along with his notes.

Douglas Pitcairn brought me to the edge of the universe

Hilarious professor. Teaches with passion. Not a science student so found some material tough.

Doug's lectures are very entertaining, and does not require you to take notes because he sends you study notes. That being said, his tests are hard and you really have to study a lot for them. He does swear a lot, so if that makes you uncomfortable maybe don't take his classes. He is very kind and caring of his students though.

Best lecturer I have ever listened to. He inspires like no other teacher I have ever had in my life. He pauses, moves around the room for good volume for everyone, answers questions well, talks about current events in astronomy and pulls up numbers and statistics about pretty much anything you ask him about. Minimal work required.

Professor Pitcairn is very accessible and eager to answer questions in class. He is very passionate about what he teaches. He will give you notes so that you can listen in his lectures. He is an awesome guy! Would definitely take another class from him, just maybe not astronomy as it is very difficult.

He was the funniest professor that I've had; his lectures were very intriguing and though his tests depended a lot on the lectures, they were not unfair. I would HIGHLY recommend this professor.

I can say without a doubt in my mind that Doug is one of the best profs at SMU. He's hilarious and curses like a sailor. Gives amazing lectures, but tests are kind of challenging. Don't have to buy the textbook and he emails all students the notes so you don't have to take notes in class. 2 short midterms, 1 observing project and a final exam.

Doug is the nicest and funniest prof you will ever had. This man makes going to class enjoyable, I could not wait to go to his classes. His tests are hard which makes getting a high mark difficult but the info is interesting. Its not an easy A if thats what you're thinking.

One of the best Professors! Amazing and entertaining lectures. Not a lot of material to be graded. Not all material for testing is on notes but he tells you in class.

He is a hilarious person and provides amazing notes which are easy to read. The notes will help pass the midterm and final.

Really funny guy and so approachable. Gives entire course notes that are easy to read. I loved taking this class

Prof. Pitcairn is a wonderful professor! I took this course as a fun elective and I am so glad I did. He knows his stuff, loves talking about all Astro stuff! light workload; 3 quizzes and a term paper which if you pay attention to the lectures, you will be fine!

such a fun guy! he's very interesting and doesn't give a lot of work.

He is a really good professor. Intellectual and knows what he is doing. His quizzes are a bit overwhelming but thats okay of you study.

He is a really nice professor and very passionate about astronomy in general. He gives study notes which makes studying a whole lot easier. easy class but you also need to study to pass with a good grade. There was one paper and he is pretty lenient with the marking

Graded by three tests and a 30% paper. Gives out pretty good notes along with videos so you don't need to purchase the textbook. But a lot of the questions on the tests are just random things he says in the lectures, so unless you memorize all of it, it's hard to get a great mark, with zero feedback. Funny guy though

Doug and his class were great. He really knows a lot about what he's doing and is really passionate about it. Also he's funny as hell and I don't even know if he even tries to be.

He is amazing and the lectures are inspirational. It's hard. Don't believe anyone who says it's easy. Your grade is made of Test 1(30%) Test 2(30%) Test 3(10%) and Project 1(30%). It's almost impossible to score >90% on Project 1. Take notes of every small detail he says (Some are not on the note) and most importantly, pay attention to equations.

Hands down my favourite prof I've had in years.

Pretty much only good things to say about this professor, my class was completely online, and his teaching style online was great, he stood out from others with his unique style of actually setting up a camera and recording himself. He's also just genuinely passionate about what he teaches which goes to great lengths!

Easiest marker ever. I got an A+ on all 3 papers without putting in much effort. Exams are fairly easy as well if you study a bit.

God, Doug is so good. I loved his class. The only setback for me was that he speaks so fast and you gotta make sure you catch everything. Otherwise, Doug is a great prof if you're an art student and need those science classes. Everything you need is on his brightspace, and he gave me a 95 on my final paper too! Love ya, Doug.

Douglas is so passionate about what he is teaching in Arch 1200 at Dalhousie, he is such an amazing guy and I truly enjoyed going to his lectures every week. I wish I could take another course with him.

Doug is an absolute legend. He is incredibly passionate and knowledgable on what he is teaching. I wish he taught other courses. 6/5 stars.

Hands down the best professor I have ever taken. If you simply show up to class, he will provide you with notes for the course to ensure you have the material to succeed. There was 4 papers when I took the class and I did extremely well on them all. This is not my field, and I am not A+ student, however a little effort goes a long way. Amazing Doug

chill dude, easy class that I could pretty much forget about most of the time. I wish he had a youtube channel.

Super easy prof - just study for your midterms (online btw;) and he gives you everything you need. He never checked attendance so it wasn't mandatory, but you would miss specific information in class if you weren't there. No final exam just a project, I suggest getting it done early as it is a bit heavy but nothing unreasonable. Thanks Doug!

By far the easiest A+ I have ever received with the easiest prof. Graded by 3 tests and a final project, and the project is simple and short. If you don't have access to the telescope he just lets you take a photo offline and talk about it. Super easy and reccommend if you need an easy elective

This class was awesome. Lectures were hilarious, and the workload was perfect for an elective. 3 online quizzes and a paper. Definitely taking more courses with him in the future.

What a guy! This course was an elective everyone should take, probably the easiest course I've taken with the most rad content to learn. Doug puts on a performance when he lectures, if you show up and read his online notes you cannot fail.

Great professor who really knows his stuff. He gives excellent lectures, and his quizzes are fair and well structured. The final project was actually interesting. I would 100% recommend taking his class