He makes things interesting and it helps that he has a really interesting background in astronomy. I have the uptmost respect for him as he respects and ensures that all his students understand the material.

I really liked him, I wasn't confused at all. He's a super nice guy too. He also has online notes!

Great person; very smart guy; mediocre teacher. His courses are hard. The materials are complex,assignments are hard, and the tests are hard. Reading text and going to class is NOT enough. Extra effort needed.

He did a good job of teaching this class, his notes are thorough and he answers questions well, plus he makes it interesting. The only downside is he turns down the lights during the lecture, making it very easy to fall asleep!

He's a funny guy. Lectures are great, there is lots of information on his powerpoint notes. His mid terms and final is consistent. ASTR205 requires moderate amount of study. It is not the best course in terms of grade / amount of time you study. Even math251 might have better ratio.

Nicest prof ever. He always has time for his students, and is an enthusiastic lecturer. His tests come straight out of his lecture notes, and he usually puts 2-3 homework questions on each test.

greatest class ever. i recommend that every student at the university take this stuff (and hist310). the course begins with the constellations and ends with the ultimate fate of the universe. dr. plume is awesome at making all aspects of the course understandable, and most importantly, fun.

Absolutely outstanding professor! He is clearly passionate about Astronomy, and will go the extra mile to teach his students to love it, too. This is a person that knows how to teach, and I recommend Dr. Plume to any student interested in Astronomy 205.

Amazing professor who is smart, clear, passionate and extremely helpful. Makes class enjoyable to go to. Shares his research and experience to the class and makes it all the more interesting. Highly recommended.

Wow. A prof who is smart, friendly, and gives great lectures? How'd THAT happen?

Very passionate about what he teaches, I learned a lot of things I didn't need to know but it was still interesting

WOW! Great prof! I would reccomend him to anybody, even people who hate the subject. He's the friendiest guy you'll meet and offers bonus marks. Makes jokes that are actually funny too, which is amazing. Definately take a class with him!

Such an amazing prof. He's funny, helpful, intelligent, engaging and pretty damn cute. I love this class so much, and I'm sure I'd hate it if he wasn't teaching it. Reccomend him highly.

I'm taking his class right now and I just find him amazing. I always look forward to even the most boring lectures. He's a lot of fun and very passionate about the subject. I've never met someone as inspirational as him before and I have to admit I've developed a bit of a crush on him. I hope you read this Dr. Plume your an awesome proffessor! :)

The Greatest!!!

Great Prof!!! So passionate about the subject he teaches ... Makes it very interesting even though lecture was 75 min long .. Has great sense of humor. Most of the other profs don't. Highly recomended... No, insisted to take :)

Best prof I've had. Funny, entertaining, nice, and helpful, all while STILL managing to stay on topic and teach the material. Multiple choice assignment material show up on quizzes and tests, so great practice. Can't stress enough what a great teacher Dr. Plume is. Uses 'The End' by the Doors near the end of class - and that sums up the greatness.

Great prof. Made some less interesting material very bearable. You can tell that he's really passionate about what he does, and that he loves teaching, unlike a lot of other profs. Loved his end-of-semester Monty Python presentation. He got major applause at the end of the last class, which definitely tells you something.

I had Rene when he was a brand new teacher back in the day. He may be easy for junior classes but for 4th year.....wow. The material is hard but he makes really well organized presentations and gives great notes. He was totally unlike everyone in the faculty which was a breath of fresh air. Good luck Rene, I hear he's quite the senior prof now.

I neded one more science credit to graduate and so took this class. Really wasn't interested in astronomy. But prof Plume makes the class really interesting! The material is harder than I expected (he uses physics...ugh) but he has great notes (you can download them BEFORE class) and is really friendly, funny & helpful.

Easy class, Plume made it pretty interesting. He went away for a few days and I learned how boring the class was without him. I'm glad I took it with him.

Very dry class but he made it interesting. I actually learned something. Tests are super easy, just study from the homeworks and you'll get a decent mark. Essay was only worth 10% which was great.

Dr. Plume was a great teacher - he's obviously passionate about what he does, and he tries to liven up the lecture with jokes. Questions for the assignments and midterms came directly from the lecture notes, and were very easy.

Very easy class. The final and midterm questions come directly from homework. He is an excellent prof, very interesting and funny.

Rockin' prof. I didn't go to many lectures, but ASTR207 was one of the easiest and most enjoyable classes I've ever taken. The lectures I did go to were informative and entertaining. There's some math, but if you passed grade 11, it shouldn't be a problem. Also, he posts EVERYTHING online, though it's on the butt-ugly ISM site. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved this class! I liked astr before but now I understand it and want to persue it on my own. Plume is an awesome teacher. He explaines things very well and takes time to cover the things that are hard. He's also quite funny. Midterms and Final were easy as pie if you do the homework.

makes class enjoyable, everyone once in a while makes a fool of himself in the name of higher learning

This guy loves astronomy and loves to teach. Is always willing to help. Since the class average was so low on the first midterm, he made the second midterm super easy so it would even out. What a superb guy

This guy was wicked. Honestly one of the better teachers.

Best....prof.....EVER!

Fantastic! He's clear, and loves what he's teaching and it's very obvious. I can't say enough about this class...tonnes of pictures and super dorky and wonderful jokes! Coming to class isn't hard at all, and he's got good perspective on what it's like to be a student. Amazing!

Extremely political. If you can figure out how to tell him what he wants to hear, you'll do well. Cross him at your peril.

He is by far one of the best professor's that I have ever had! He is so passionate about what he teaches. He is dedicated to helping you out, his grading is not bad at all and he is very interactive. He wants you to learn rather than be forced to spit out what he wants to hear.

Hands down the best prof at U of C! He obviously loves astronomy and it comes across in his lectures which are clear and surprisingly fascinating. He's even funny and kinda cute! This is not the easiest of classes but, with a little work, you can pull off a decent grade. Take astronomy with Dr. Plume...accept no substitutes!

He makes the class interesting with all the examples and funny expressions.

Plume is a total buddy. He knows his stuff and communicates enthusiastically. Tests and homework are easy if you listen to what he says. Should be an easy B+ at least!

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

I loved the class. It will change the way you view the universe if you work hard and approach the material with a dash of philosophy.

Great professor and a very interesting courses. One of the most fascinating of all, for sure

No comment

Best prof in university & his exams were easy

I needed a reference from him for a summer research application and he completed + submitted it online in less than 2 hours after I sent the request! I don't think I've ever seen anyone write a reference letter this fast (might be a good or bad thing), but he's definitely much more pleasant to work for than most. tl;dr Great prof to work for.

Great guy! Excellent sense of humour, and extremely smart guy. His enthusiastic style of teaching made every class engaging and fascinating. Assignments are a pain, but they really help prepare for the tests (some questions are copy pasted right from assignments). Definately not an "easy A", but if you work hard it will pay off! Loved Dr. Plume!

Rene is an excellent prof and made high school physics seem applicable. He is extremely knowledgeable & genuinely wants his students to do well. He also podcasts his lectures which makes it easier not to feel bad about not attending every lecture. I had to take this for a science requirement and was dreading it but I ended up actually enjoying it.

Best teacher i've had so far, this class needs a little work, not an easy A but achievable, his midterms are very fair and easy, you only need to read his lectures to study for them and do the online assigns. He also includes podcasts if you don't feel like going to class.

Loved this professor and the class was very interesting. The mastering astronomy assignments can be a bit lengthy and some of the physics questions are tricky, but they aren't too bad overall. His tests were very fair, just read the course notes. The second midterm was easier than the first.

Very interesting class presented well. High % final is a little tricky, it's not hard to do well in the class. He didn't seem very helpful, and moved through lecture material very slowly. A fun science option to take with a decent prof.

Probably one of the most intelligent professors I have ever met. Crystal clear voice and presents the concepts of the universe with enthusiasm and detail. He is definitely my favourite prof and the course was just outstanding and easy if you're fine with simple math and some memorization. Astronomy is a very interesting course, you will enjoy it ;)

Interesting material, interested prof, not too hard, well thought out course.

i personally liked 207 better than 209, but that's not the teacher's fault. he was very enthusiatic and overall very good. assignments are hard and long but they aren't worth much. like, really long though... hours and hours, and they were weekly (summer).

BEST PROF EVER SEEN!!!

Great guy. Taught the course with the utmost enthusiasm and knowledge. Lots of random facts to memorize. Tests were hard but graded very reasonably. Posts useful updates on the course to twitter, awesome!

Awesome teacher. Very clear and makes things interesting.

Really awesome professor. Approachable, friendly, and taught very well

Plume is a nice guy but talks way too fast. It's hard to catch all the important information and jot down notes in time when he just flies by concepts and details. On the plus, he puts up podcast lectures which help when you need to go back and figure out what he said. Definitely not my favorite class nor style of teaching but he is a nice prof.

Talks so fast! It got confusing because some of his notes were different than the textbook. He was a good prof and very helpful outside of class, but his notes were just too general and it was hard to keep up in class.

If you do poorly in Dr. Plume's class it is 100% your fault. He provides every opportunity to do well in this class. Detailed textbook with online assistance, he posts his lecture slides, PODCASTS HIS LECTURES so if you miss one you can go on and watch it later, homework assign., practice tests. Needless to say he is well prepared and helpful!

Really thorough, attendance isn't mandatory (neither is the textbook really). Gives you old midterms/homework questions to study from - just memorize the answers to be honest. Not the easiest course but 'easy' shouldn't really be applicable at the university level.

Plume is easily my favourite professor that I've had, he was extremely helpful when I needed help with the assignments and studying for the final and midterms were easy if you just went over the slides and practice tests he provided. It was a great mix of challenging and interesting. 10/10 would recommend.

Amazing prof. Funny, and posts all slides before lecture, and actually records the lectures and posts them on iTunes. The material was pretty difficult for me, but he tried to keep it easy to grasp and explained well. Definitely recommend!

This was the better of the two astronomy coerces because of this prof. He was really clear and interesting. He even posted lectures as podcasts which was amazing for studying and when I was sick with Bronchitis for a week and a bit. He posted the power points ahead of time so I could follow along during lectures. The textbook helped for review.

I have a lot of respect for Professor Plume. I was told that he very renowned in Canada for his work on star formation, yet he takes teaching very seriously and always makes himself available to help you with concepts you are struggling with. The math was difficult for me, but he was EXTREMELY helpful during office hours.

Hard class, but Plume definitely helps by posting the lecture notes online as well as a podcast of the lecture. Even posts practice tests before the term tests, and solutions afterwards. Online assignments are easy, but tests are tough.

BEST PROF EVER!! Lectures are crystal clear and he provides lots of material for study (online notes, videos of lectures, practice exams). Assignments are long but not hard. Tests are long but easy IF YOU ACTUALLY DO THE HOMEWORK and the practice tests! Really helpful in person (not so much in email) so go visit him in his office

One of the best profs I've ever had. Very knowledgeable, organized, and motivating prof. I'd recommend his classes to anyone that wants to take an interesting, engaging, and useful class. Outstanding!

Tough class but super interesting. I never though I could do math, but he really helped me out a lot. I really surprised myself and did well on both exams! Thanks for helping me rise to the challenge

Dr. Plume is one of the best teachers I've ever had at the UofC. He articulates well and he is very helpful. The course was overall enjoyable but wish he had spent more time on black holes.

Interesting course but DO NOT take it as an easy elective. The subject matter is pretty cool but expect to actually learn it and expect scientific reasoning and some math. Im at 4th year poll sci student and I needed an "easy" course to lighten the load. It turned out to be hardest and lowest grade, take only if you are good at and like science.

Plume is a very clear prof and an excellent lecturer. He knows his audience (teaching a science option to non-science majors) and makes the class as easy as he can by spending a lot of time on the math portion and making it as simple as you can get. We spent about 20 minutes talking about how Fma. He podcasts the lectures because he is an angel.

This was the only class in my semester that i enjoyed, very interesting content and he knows what he's talking about. Tests have formula sheets and previous exams were posted on his website so it's not hard to do well. Some lectures can be really long if you already know the physics - Had more homework than the rest of my classes combined srs

Dr. Plume is extremely intelligent and enthusiastic. His lectures were horribly long, but he podcasted all of them on his website, which was a life saver. The weekly online assignments were a great grade booster. As long as you apply yourself and study, you will get a decent grade in this class.

Very clear and easy to understand. Answers questions thoroughly and is very knowledgeable in his field. Very friendly and welcoming.

Decent teacher, too bad the class sucked. But he really explained everything very well. The class was full of mostly art majors, so he had to explain the most simple equations for 30 mins. I would have him as a teacher, but wouldn't take this class again. His tech knowledge makes it easy to find all the notes and he has video of all lectures.

If you are good at science & math and really interested in Astronomy especially the cosmos and willing to do work & go to lecture and learn about it, you should take this class and you'll most likely get an A or higher.

Excellent teacher. Provides lots of extra study opportunities, is available at his office hours as promised, is interesting and relatable during lectures, and is very responsive to emails. I genuinely recommend taking this course as he's a great teacher, and if physics is intimidating, he will take the time to explain concepts to you.

Plume is very good at explaining concepts and always posts his lectures online. He very accessible for help outside of class. His tests are based on application of theory so you have to know your stuff. Textbook is useless as he makes good notes and masteringastronomy has an e-text and is required to complete the online quizzes. Not an easy A.

9/10 times his lectures are solid. He is an amazing lecturer. He blew my mind every class. As for the class, not too hard. 5 assignments (35%), 2 Labs (15%) and one midterm (15%) and a final (35%). Labs weren't the best, but he said they will start using telescopes next year so I bet they'll be better from now on.

Excellent professor!!!!!

He is such a great prof! Teaching a science course to non science majors, he really knows his audience. Takes the time to explain all the concepts thoroughly to make sure all his students understand. Although he is an amazing prof this course is NOT AN EASY A. Lots of time needs to be put in for studying in order to do well.

I really liked Dr. Plume. He is a fantastic lecturer, very nice, enthusiastic, and helpful. The class itself was not really hard, but it required a level of understanding that many found difficult. It was kinda funny when people would complain about not understanding the material and then do nothing to help themselves. Don't be like them!

Difficult class, but great professor. If you are interested in and have background in physics/chemistry, this class is doable for you. For the non-majors, you are going to have a hard time. The exams require a deep understanding of the course material which make them pretty difficult, but upside is that he posts videos of his lectures.

Easily the best prof I've had so far- the material is hard and he makes you work for it, but doesn't go extreme.

Dr. Plume is an amazing professor! That being said, ASTR 209 is one of the hardest courses I have ever taken. I am an arts student so It was probably harder than it should have been but if you like physics/chemistry/math, take this course!

This class is not an easy A, do not take as a GPA booster. The professor himself is great. He podcasts his lectures and is easily accessible outside of class. However, the course itself was hard due to the sheer amount of content. You could struggle if you haven't done chem/physics before. Assignment answers are easily found online.

Dr. Plume is truly an amazing professor. This is not a GPA booster course if you don't put 100% into it. Dr. Plume podcasts all of the lectures which is a huge help. Dr. Plume made an otherwise boring class very interesting. It's beneficial to have a good understanding of math for this course.

Amazing prof. Super interested in what he's teaching, which is always a plus. This is one of the harder option classes, although it may not seem like it, but the midterms really are difficult if you don't study 100%. He podcasts all his lectures which is awesome if you miss a lecture. Would definitely recommend.

Dr. Plume is an amazing professor and really cares his students. His classes are accessible online via podcast in case you miss a class. Use the e-book practice questions for practice, it helps. Class requires work to get an A, but it's manageable and midterms/final are fair.

Fantastic lectures which are engaging and interesting. Has a clear plan for learning steps so that you learn the material in a constructive, efficient fashion. Exams are hard, homework is difficult, labs are huge. Makes you work for a good grade but a highly recommendable prof.

great prof! only take if you're interested in astronomy b/c tests can be hard

Plume was awesome. Very thorough, has very clear notes (which he re-writes for clarity every year after re-reading them since he's that sweet.) His assignments really make you think & most people would say they're hard but the lowest mark I even got on one was a 96 so don't be intimated by them. Exams were a little hard but fair. 10/10 Great guy!!

Plume was an amazing physics prof, a true gem. 10/10 one of the best profs I've ever had!!!

One of those rare people you meet in life who inspires you to do your best merely by example. Concepts are taught very clearly and concisely. Hes an excellent presenter, lectures are amazing. He makes you work for a good grade. As students we sometimes dont appreciate how much time and effort some profs put into their class. Dr. Plume is top tier

For sure one of the best professors I've ever had. Really passionate about his work and his students. His favourite phrase is that "there is no such thing as an easy A but you have to work to fail my class". Assignments are hard but really help you understand the content. Final was hard and long so buckle up. Overall, an amazing prof.

Rad dude him. Late on the review, but what a guy. Tough course, but Plume helped me drag my butt across the finish line lol.

He's an experienced scientist with a lot of knowledge to pass on and is an engaging lecturer. A little tough, but I think it's due to his busy work schedule. He still made time to have a one-on-one meeting with me, though, and is quite accessible after classes if needed. Just pay attention, and you can score high.

He does not give extra credit, nor does he accept any late assignments with ANY excuse. He is tough that way, but he expects the best. (Aim to submit assignments before deadlines) His lectures are excellent and engaging, and he always has an answer to questions. He is very knowledgeable and will help you succeed, while whipping you into shape.

Dr. Plume is very organized and always has a well laid out semester. Lectures are easy to follow since they are power point- they can feel very long at times, but this is also a plus because everything you need to know will be on the slides. Grading scheme is often time very chill, and if you are every stuck just got to his office hours.

Dr. Plume is fantastic. His lectures are so organized and engaging, and he makes himself so accessible outside of class to help his students. His assignments and exams are very fair, and he is a very kind person. Would highly recommend taking a class with him if you can!

Dr. Plume was by far one of the greatest professors I've ever had. Attending his lectures felt easy as they were honestly quite fun. He is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about the subject and his teaching style and sense of humour was very engaging. There is a textbook recommended for this class but it is not needed.

Great lectures. Class was made up of labs, assignments, three quizzes (10% each), and a final (30%). Extremely fair grading criteria and straightforward lectures. Would certainly take again.

very carrying and enthusiastic professor. The exams and assignments are extremely fair. Doing well in this course is pretty easy.

Dr. Plume was an incredible Professor, especially for first-year science students. He was very understanding and made what is generally quite a difficult subject enjoyable. The homework assignments were tedious but extremely helpful to my understanding of the course. The final was very fair and focused more heavily on core concepts.

Great physics prof! Super organized and helpful when students ask questions.

Solid lectures and explanations are super detailed. Class isn't easy and requires lots of practice, but Plume is a nice guy and super helpful. I found his lecture notes were really efficcient and useful and even when lectures are a bit heavy in content, he manages to spruce them up with a funny joke here and there to make the content more bearable.

Great professor, cares about his students and knows what he's doing. I wasn't a fan of the tests and exam, but that was out of his control as the course is taught by multiple professors and everyone writes the same tests. I would definitely take a course with him again.

Great prof. Very approachable, and had flexible deadlines when possible. Super informative lectures, and everything you are tested on is in the lecture content. Homework sets were long, but gave plenty of time to get them done. Clearly very passionate about what he teaches, and has lots of experience in the field.

Dr. Plume is super nice and flexible with deadline extensions as long as you don't cram. He seems to know a lot about the field, does an excellent job explaining concepts and providing real-life examples, and is one of the few profs that I wish I could take more courses with! Course is not too difficult, but it's important to be very math-savvy.

has the best powerpoint presentations out of all my professors. his powerpoint animations were always on point. bro knows what hes doing. absolutely qualified for this course.

His teaching style is awesome and very easy to understand. He simplifies hard concepts and uses everyday analogy to explain some of the hard to grasp concepts.

Extraordinary professor that makes concepts extremely intuitive and clear, addresses common mistakes that students tend to make, and gives out simple quizzes/assignments that are quick to complete provided that you have a rough idea of what to do. Goes above and beyond to make sure that lectures are easy to understand.

Prof Plume is a great lecturer - very knowledgeable and engaging. The course is manageable if you stay on top of the work. Try using unstuckstudy along with the free textbook to prep for exams.

Amazing prof. Very easy to understand what he is teaching even if you have no background. Clearly states what is expected from you and what to study for.

Great professor, his notes are amazing, like he puts every small detail in them and you can just read the notes at home and dont need to go to lecture. He makes sure to explain how he derives certain things and for a math focused course his notes explained the topics so well. Best physics professor

His notes are good, very detailed. His lectures always felt really long and were hard to focus on as he gave the notes filled in and was just reading off the slides. Really good for questions if you have them and told you what to study for the quizzes. One annoying thing is the labs didn't line up with lectures very well so it was confusing.