I enjoy this class alot. Dr Allen is a bit of a nerd, but he is very fair, very clear and wants to help anyone who needs it. I recomend this class to anyone who needs a science credit, or just wants to learn about astronomy.

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Helpful guy, made exams easy, even gave you the answers during exam. Slightly boring, but still a good class if you've ever had interest in Astronomy. Would recommend over other physical science requirements, chem/bio/etc.

Very interesting class. I appreciated the way the professor tried to reach different learning styles by first explaining in words, then writing down explanations, and also including visual aids like pictures and (where possible) demonstrations.

Truthfully, Allen is a hard teacher. But he's very clear, and personally, I like his rule on no cell phones (but that's becuase I don't have one). His curve is more than gracious; I recommend him easily because of his helpfulness and clarity.

This is a really interesting class ... Dr. Allen has a great, if weird sense of humor, and makes it fairly easy to stay awake despite the 9am start time.

Great class. I recommend it to anyone who needs a physical science class w/ lab and doesn't feel like doing actual science. Dr. Allen is very passionate and incredibly knowledgable about his field, yet still knows how to relate to entry level students.

Dr. Allen's lectures are boring for the most part but it's not too bad. The labs are the hardest part of the class since they take a long time to work on. He's really nerdy but thats a plus, I think.

Mike is very fun intelligent professor. His exam questions are straight from the study questions he gives you. Although this is a writing in the major course, it seems more like a gym class due to the way his material exercises your mind. He's funny and very personable! Highly recommended!

A great way to fulfill your Tier III GER. The lectures were informative and easy to follow. There were 7 short assignments, one 6 page paper, 2 exams and a final. The exams were easy if you attend class & study, plus you get a crib sheet. My only complaint: the class was more of an intro to astronomy than it was a class about life in the universe.

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His tests are super hard, but you do get a crib sheet. Usually it barely helps though, because some random stuff gets on his tests. He's got a funny sense of humor, and he definately loves astronomy. Since there is no book, you do need to go to the lectures. Good teacher though.

Great lectures.

Great professor. He's very knowledgeable about the material and has a good teaching style. He uses a lot of demonstrations and the lectures are very informative. Some of the material is pretty dry but just take notes and use them to make the crib sheet he allows on tests. Quite a bit of info in his online lecture notes if you do miss class.

This class is interesting for what it is. The notes are offered online so you don't have to attend, but if you do, there's extra credit. Tests are straight-forward. Multiple choice and 3-4 short essay. If you know the study guides, you'll be find. Usually one s.essay from each book and the lecture.

this class is not easy. but dr.allen is very willing to help and super nice!

Great Prof who enjoys teaching his students and goes out of his way to explain even trivial details.

Very good professor. He's passionate about teaching, but the class is hard. I wouldn't recommend skipping at all. His test are only based off in class notes, so if you miss make sure you have a friend. Also write down everything!!! Overall nice guy and very helpful if you don't understand something

You'll definitely learn the material.

He is a great teacher who is very passionate about astronomy. He gives very good examples and has a great sense of humor. The labs aren't easy but they could be worse. Overall he is a very fun professor.

Labs suck anyway, but his lectures are entertaining, plus if you talk about hockey and/or curling (he is in a league) it helps pass the time in a boring lecture day

If you take Astronomy 135, GET PROFESSOR ALLEN. Tests are hard, but you are allowed a crib sheet, even for the final, so take advantage of it. Professor Allen is hilarious, tells you exactly what you need to know and one of my favorite professors at WSU.

Really great teacher, one of my favorites he is super funny! If you have to take a lab class take his astr 135, its hard but worth it!

I had a lot of fun in this class. Both the lecture and lab were fun and easy. He's a pretty top notch professor meaning he teaches well and is a great human being. You have to put in a fair amount of work to get an A in this class, but the work required isn't anything out of the ordinary.

Very interesting class from an awesome teacher. He explains everything really well. Go to class and take notes, he doesn't use a book so all test questions are from the lectures. He allows a full sheet of paper for a crib sheet for all test. There are also weekly assignments but they're usually interesting. I would highly recommend this class.

Great teacher. Galileo quiz not hard since you get to look through the book. It may be too detailed if you didn't read it or if you didn't bring it with you. Just do the work and make sure you properly cite EVERYTHING! (even the lectures)

He is cool!

Gives great reviews before the exam and allows you to use a page of notes, homework is hard but class is not to bad. don't worry about attendance never marks it.

Knows his stuff, very energetic, loves to teach. Can answer all your questions. Allows notes for the tests and prepares well.

He is very energetic and a purely happy person. The class was really easy, just an introduction to physics. The assignments were based off a book about surviving college and we listened to presentations by professors during our one class per week. He was willing to help if one needed it, and is a great professor, even though i rarely saw him.

Dr Allen is awesome, his lectures are great, and he's subtly hilarious. Attendance is necessary because notes aren't online. The class was too difficult for a 100 level couse IMO, my TA was arrogant, and I dreaded lab write-ups. I suggest taking a different science course for a GER.

This is a difficult class; don't wait until the last minute to do the labs, they are tough and are graded tough too. Tests are hard, you are allowed a page of notes though. He posts answers to lecture tutorials online, make sure you look over and understand them, it will help you on his tests, also take good, neat class notes and review them.

Generally a really nice guy, but a terror when he's angry. Very passionate about his field. Going to class and taking notes is essential to doing well. Generally helpful when asked questions in class, can't comment on his office hours though. Labs are obnoxious and grading depends on the TA. Very good at catching plagiarism. Don't do it.

Reasonable class. I had no prior interest or knowledge of astronomy and I learned a great deal. He is very passionate about the subject and assigns hw based off of class lecture and reading notes. He can be unclear on his standards for hw, but is also really helpful in office hours if you don't understand something.

Dr. Allen is a pretty great teacher. His lectures are actually kinda funny. The grader was AWFUL, but if you approached him, Dr. Allen was always super reasonable about scores.

The class is simple, if you go to class! I missed two classes and I am not that great at science so it was a little struggle. The online book is never used, homework answers can be all googled, and the labs are irrelevant to tests. The labs is where it hurt my grade, take your time!

His class is easy if you read the notes and show up

His tests are difficult, though note sheets are allowed. He's willing to help when asked. His lectures are broken up into Lecture for 10-20 min, worksheet for 10-20 min, then going over the worksheet. He was usually easy to reach outside of class and very willing to help review during his office hours. If he's not clear, ask him to explain.

Dr. Allen is a great professor and is in love with what he is teaching! For all of his tests you are given one note card and they are based on definition and continuation of what you learn in class. There is homework once a week and quizzes every two weeks. If you skip class, you will not pass because he does not believe in the textbook.

Michael Allen, by far is the BEST professor I have ever had. Period. He is an AMAZING lecturer and great communicator in general. However, his courses can be extremely challenging. If you have the chance of taking ANY course with him, I strongly recommend it!

By far my most difficult class to take. Professor Allen is very knowledgeable and highly encourages class participation. If you want to pass his RIGOROUS class, you need to: *Read and comprehend the textbook - if not, ask questions and he will help. *We had 5 quizzes in this classes and 4 group papers including presentations. Good Luck!

He is the best professor I've ever met.

Good lectures, he knows his stuff and teaches it well. If you go to class you should do fine on the tests, and you get to use a note card. Quizzes are graded a little hard but you get to use your notebook. Only homework is one easy question a week.

He is a great professor, really caring, he uses the doc cam to make sure he is at pace with the students. His lecture are straightforward. Pop quizzes are a piece of cake, its open notes and you are given the answer! However his test is hard and completely different then the practice test. On exam 1 paper of note allowed, study homework q's to ace

Great professor, really caring and kind. He doesn't posts his notes, so you will need to attend lecture. Weekly Pop quizzes replaces homework (optional 5% extra credit). Which are a piece of cake. However, don't let this fool you, his tests are extremely difficult, half the class still taking it pass 5 mins. Study homework q's to do well on exam.

I had a great time in physics 102 with him, he is really laid back and while there are "quizzes" once a week, they're really more of worksheets and usually I'm done with them 20 minutes in and get some extra time for myself in the day. A fairly easy A if you do the work and make a good crib sheet for the tests.

I'm not kidding, this is the hardest class. The material is very very confusing and you really need to have background information in order to pass the class. The average all semester was an F. Labs clear up most questions but going to see the T.A in office hours really makes the difference. The prof. is really knowledgeable.

Great professor and an interesting course. I loved the class and wish it were a 2-semester long course.

Professor Allen is awesome. His lectures are entertaining and he is super funny and kind. He explains things well and is always available to help students. He doesn't post his lectures, so attendance is really important.

Very nice, must go to lectures

very easy class but he is very boring to listen to. the total points for the whole class is low so its important to do well on everything and easy for your grade to slip because of this.

Professor Allen is super nice, very accessible out of class, but his class was insanely difficult for a 100-level class. He is very intelligent and wrote the book for his Astronomy 135 class but it is still really hard to understand. If I was better at math and science it would be better, but I think he should be teaching graduate school.

If you do every assignment and annotation on time, you'll get an A. There were no tests and the lab is graded pass/fail, so it also doesn't impact your grade. Very easy to understand and get an A, definitely would recommend.

My previous phys professor was terrible, so getting prof Allen for phys 102 was such a breathe of fresh air. He explains things very clearly and the homework is clear and easy to understand. If you have an issue or a question you can email him about it and he was very understanding for my circumstances.

For someone who does not anger easily or get stressed out, this class pissed me off several times, just the labs though. No use of real telescopes, all online telescopes, nothing interesting. Professor is not too bad. Labs have made me hate this class, extremely repetitive and annoying, site crashes every lab and you'll waste 40+ mins logging in.

Took this class a while ago and four years later Dr. Allen is my all time favorite professor at this school. Take the notes, do the optional homework, do the study questions, & show up and you'll breeze through this class. LOVED DR ALLEN !!!

Good prof, reachable and helpful, posted notes online. Very boring labs, no in-person telescope use. No tests, only online quizzes, the majority of your grade comes from in-class worksheets once a week that are pretty easy. Not a super difficult course, just a lot of busywork.

Uses Perusall for all the readings so get ready to read and annotate. Annotations are AI graded so they can be rough to get the hang of at first, as a general rule 2 annotations per page, one replying to a peer one on your own has been okay for me. Great prof, does a great job of simplifying complex topics and labs are pretty easy.

You can tell he cares about what he's teaching. To pass just turn stuff in on time, ask questions, and show up to lecture often, most times lecture doesn't run the entire time

He's really helpful with students and is willing to answer your questions

I love Dr. Allen!!! This class is pretty easy. Do the homework and that's pretty much it. No exam and attendance is only required 1/3 lecturers-on Friday. That almost makes me sad because Dr. Allen is such a fun, engaging lecturer but it's also nice to have that freedom.

Really understanding professor who cares about the subject and his students! No tests and work is very doable.

Super easy physics class. No tests!!! Every Friday there is an activity which isn't too hard if you go to lecture or do it with friends. 60% of your grade is hw and the hw lets you practice and has 5 attempts per problem. Super easy course, but lab was kind of hard and boring. Would take again!! If you're taking this don't worry.

Favorite professor at WSU. He is incredibly kind and knowledgeable about nearly all subjects. Amazing lecturer.

Super easy for a physics class. Lectures are not mandatory and there is no exams or final. The only assignments are weekly perusal homeworks and weekly in class activities. The activites act as quizes, but they are open note and you are allowed to do them with friends and the TAs will help you through it if you are confused. Overall an easy class!

Professor Allen is really knowledgeable, but the class can be challenging. The labs can be frustrating, but the professor is helpful and caring. Using Unstuck ai and the free textbook made studying a lot easier.

Dr. Allen understands that most of the students in his phys102 class are taking it as a requirement for premed/prevet, and he respects this by giving us a minimal workload and NO EXAMS. Other than a once weekly group activity, there is no required attendance. Those who do attend are rewarded with a guided note lecture and Dr. Allen's quick wit.

This class is like a gift for taking physics 101. Dr. Allen understands that this class is required for most pre-med students, and treats it as such. There are no exams. There is only lecture, in which is attendance is not taken, and weekly graded assignments. The class is easy and accessible.

Professor Allen seems genuinely passionate about his subject, and is an amazing lecturer.His class is focused primarily on homework and in-class Friday assignments, making it very easy to get an A in with little effort. But this also means its easy to miss out on learning the material if you aren't self-motivated.

Such a cool guy. The assignments aren't too hard, with the exception of a few Friday in-class assignments, but the TA's and Dr. Allen are there to help you if you need. Way easier than 101 in my opinion.