2.9
Quality3.2
Difficulty36%
Would Retake101
Reviews36%
Would Retake
101
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
20
4
19
3
29
2
19
1
14
What Students Say
“A very kind person, absolutely brilliant, incredibly passionate about astronomy, and very helpful”
ASTRO1 - 4.0 rating“Casual post-disco astronomer, Robert "Skii" Antonucci, will show you the universe”
ASTRO1 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.28 avg changeRatings by Course
ASTRO12
5.0
(1)ASTRO
4.0
(1)INTRO
4.0
(1)ASTRO1
3.2
(87)ANTHRO1H
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ASTRONOMY1
5.0
ASTROIDK
5.0
ASTRONOMY
3.5
ASTRO1
3.2
ANTHRO1H
3.0
Reviews (101)
Open flies are scary. Don't do that, Ski.
this guy is funny in a dorky way. probably best of the science profs
this guy is hilarious...INCREDIBLY intelligent, so much so that i think he has a hard time watering down the material he teaches. looks like he went out to look at the stars one night and NEVER came back...
sucks
I really enjoyed his class and learned a lot.
Ski is awesome. So passionate about the universe. Kids would enjoy school if the people who taught them were more like Antonucci. Everyone should take a class with him.
Antonucci is awful. I had him as a freshman, and never went to class because it didn't help me learn at all-if you take Astro 1, section is the only thing that matters. So unclear, everything was confusing.
Antonucci rocks. He is so passionate about the universe, he's a great teacher and a super friendly guy. Oh, and he looks like a **** chipmunk.
OK teacher, but Freedman is a CLEARER lecture. Anctonucci knows what he's saying, but he makes it tougher compared to ol' Freedman who actually wrote the textbook
he gets side tracked easily and gives pop quiz's in the lecture hall. Not a super easy class, Antonucci is ok but freedman would be a better choice.
Pretty easy class if you just show up or do some of the homework. Makes the dorkiest topic ever semi-tolerable. That's a plus in my book.
Very stupid multiple choice tests - you think you've missed 3, then you realize you got the class average: 20 out of 32. Furthermore, you could read the whole textbook and get a C. If there wasn't a huge curve, I'd be screwed.
Teaches astro with a passion.
Loved the UFO and time travel lectures.
He doesn't explain the material well. All he does is talk about stuff that never shows up in his stupid tests. I learned a lot more from his TA, Coleen, than from his lectures.
In response to the previous comment, Antonucci much improved his teaching method since then, getting a lot of feedback from none other than Coleen the TA. Now students generally like him, even though they may still not do as well on exams. :P
sounds like he went to look at the stars and never came back
pretty boring lectures...talks to himself most of the time. Interesting material at times, but not very thorough in his explinations.
No Comments
great class, excellent instruction
No Comments
This was by far the hardest class for me. Im not a science geek tho. He's monotoned, but in a strange way-you know he's totally into asto stuff. His finals vary a little year by year. Most ppl get below a C on tests-thank god for curves
No Comments
Antonucci is a real "space case." Very disorganized, constantly looking for his transparencies and trying to figure out how his computer works during lecture. Unless you're scientifically inept, the class is easy, but you'll probably get more out of a different teacher.
he was by far the worst teacher I have ever had, i wish i would have never taken this course. his midterm is easy but the final is stupid hard b/c he doesnt explain anything...thank God for the curve. His lectures are uninteresting and he is very disorganized... going to class was absolute hell for me. I highly suggest not taken him.
Awesome guy. Fun class. He made some good comments. Here's a great picture of him http://www.in-cites.com/papers/DrRobertAntonucci.jpg
The lectures in this class are pointless. However, it isn't a hard class. HW is easy and counts for a lot. I find the subject interesting so maybe that helps. The teacher is sort of wild but you can tell he's into what he's teaching.
His lectures dont't quite follow the readings, but they should at least get you interested enough to do them. He is an interesting guy with funny stage presence and truly loves the wonders of the universe.
No Comments
extremely nice man, who is truly interested in the universe and in sharing his love with his students. He was a bit disorganized at times, but I think he tries to make the subject matter interesting with in-class experiments - not a class period went by when I didn't laugh.
He seems a bit crazy sometimes but overall he is a pretty funny guy with an entertaining sense of humor. A lot of the questions on the midterm and final are either given to you in class or on the practice tests and you can get help on the homework pretty easily. Definitely worth taking this class
he is funny
The class was very interesting, I learned a lot. Grades were pretty good. He is a really nice guy, will answer any questions anytime. Pretty funnt too.
Prof. Antonucci was my favorite teacher of all time. He is hilarious and is so in love with the material that it makes the class even more interesting and worthwhile. This class is great especially because Antonucci makes it so much fun. Laughed a lot!
Antonucci can get pretty boring but he does seem to like teaching astronomy. Occasionally he'll do an in-class experiment. For math/science majors this class is very easy. There are a bunch of stupidly worded questions on the tests but overall very fair. Just do the hw, read occasionally, go to observation sessions and you'll do fine.
Class was difficult at first. Skim book before going to lecture. Use flash cards and follow his outline (most r Test Q's). Do the math over and over, 1/3 of test is math problems.
oh gosh, do NOT take his class, he babbles and doesn't know his stuff
I really liked Antonucci. He is really funny and always wore interesting tight white v-neck shirts.
No Comments
No Comments
It's impossible to stay awake in this class. Even when you do go he can be confusing, but he's funny and does fun experiments in lecture.
Actually he does know his stuff well and his appearance is besides the point..weekly assingments are hard so keeping up with the reading is necessary, has daily questions that you email to him which aren't that important for a grade, test are difficult, his demos never worked on the first try, shows really cool pictures, gives questions before han
Funny guy, but rather hard class. Do not take this class if you're not a math person.
Very helpful in office hours but otherwise a poor teacher and horrible class. Very very disorganized, you'll learn more from the book than lecture. Midterm was an absolute joke, final was thrown together at the last minute and full of mistakes. The whole class felt like it was just slopped together. Find another class/another teacher.
This is not an introduction course its advanced physics that not even the TAs knew how to solve cuz he writes the hw himself, stay away from him cuz u won't understand anything in lecture cuz your already supposed to know the material entering the class, I had never taken physics before and struggled with the hw and tests take it with someone else!
he's an interesting character, reminds me of a wacky scientist in a movie. For an intro class, it has some complex concepts, somewhat heavy on the math side. He does show cool stuff though and he has funny moments.
Strange. but a great teacher
really cool. funny, and easy if readings and hw are done. ta's are helpful and prof answers emails almost instantly. math parts weren't really all that hard, ta's and prof helps. although its kind of hard to read prof's handwriting, overall, its a pretty cool class.
Very entertaining and very kind but unfortunately I hardly learned anything. He was always late and more often than not his displays did not work. The equations were too complex for an intro class and his methods of teaching them did not help any.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!
The good: Extremely smart, always checks e-mail, HW % grade helps your grade a lot. Sense of humor. The bad: Completely incomprehensible. By the midterm, he's 2 weeks behind in lecture. Sections don't help. He can't explain math.
Nice guy, and funny too. He seems to know astronomy very well. Unfortunately, he's very unorganized. I like teachers being relaxed, but I mean he's really unorganized. Section wasn't helpful, and neither was the homework. Actually, neither were his lectures... or the book... The most useful thing was the review session. Final was written poorly.
The beginning of the class was very fun and his lighthearted lectures and cool demos made me think the class would be a breeze. However, when the midterm came around, the lectures proved near worthless and the math needed to solve problems was never taught. He is very enthusiastic about this topic and was entertaining, but much too unorganized.
he doesn't teach you anything, you have to figure everything out.
Incredibly difficult to understand verbally and in his writing.
I don't understand what people are saying about the math being difficult...every single equationg was given and section was extremely helpful. Don't be daunted by the ridiculous comments posted by others. TAKE THIS CLASS! It is extremely practical and interesting!
Very disorganized and hard to follow lectures on overhead. Wasted time on tangents. Brought in new extraneous material that proved a useless endeavor. Botched numerous attempts at a midterm and changed the syllabus over and over. Did not consider his blunders when grading the class (he should have), but did not fail half the class. Avoid.
Professor Antonucci was one of the funniest professors I've ever had! He gives you good information in lecture and it's really helpful to read the book. It's a lot of reading, but his tests are fair. I was worried I didn't do well after the final and he tries to make everyone get a good grade, and I got an A!
Antonucci is a very smart man, and I am not knocking him for that. However, being smart sometimes detracts from other areas, and he is very disorganized and hard to follow in lecture. It made for a very tough class. I never knew how to do the homework because it always involved some obscure reference from lecture.
Awful teacher. Goes on tangents and presents material completely irrelevant to what he's talking about originally in class. Extremely disorganized, and when he asked us what we thought might help (we said maybe use of powerpoints so we could refer back to them after lecture) he plainly said "No, I don't like power points." DONT TAKE THIS CLASS
You learn almost nothing in lecture, which is okay because attendance isn't mandatory. Lot of book reading but if you do it, it's an easy A. Antonucci is a nice guy but he's all over the place. Homework is pretty easy and the TAs do their best to help during section. Overall an average class, easy if you like Astro and don't mind reading.
Antonucci's lectures are completely pointless. He goes on endless tangents about random things that he's passionate about, but not much on the actual content. The tests are really difficult, but fortunately he gives practice tests ahead of time. I would NOT recommend this class unless you have a lot of prior knowledge in physics and math.
I was interested in taking astronomy, but Antonucci's way of teaching completely turned me off from the material. He skips around chapters and is unclear in lecture. He even showed up 20-30 minutes late three times. If you're interested in astronomy, take it a different quarter with a different professor. And don't pick Matt Coleman as your TA.
Antonucci is a very nice guy, but he is incomprehensible and unorganized. I would not suggest this teacher to those who are particularly interested in learning astronomy.
Antonucci is definitely a little quirky, and if i hadn't had a teacher like him in highscool, i probably would have had a harder time with this class. having a physics background definitely helps with this class, but the TA's and the prof were all very willing to help you. lecture is a little difficult to understand, but everything is in the book.
I would leave the class not learning a single thing, and his lectures are very difficult to follow. Even when you ask a question, it's difficult to understand whether or not he actually answered the question. I'd say, if you're trying to take this class for an easy GE, find another alternative. :-/
If you took basic Physics in high school this class isn't hard at all. You learn some new equations & interesting general astro concepts from the book. Lecture is useless (he's annoying) & section isn't mandatory, but will help you with key points if you struggle. Weekly homework assignments, multiple choice midterm & final with past exams online.
He is really into the subject he teaches and loves to answer questions and will give you lots of hints on the homeworks. But he is a poor lecturer and the material in class does not always flow well with the homework. Not a hard class but sometimes confusing even when paying attention.
A very kind person, absolutely brilliant, incredibly passionate about astronomy, and very helpful. He offers extra credit at an observatory which was really worth going. In office hours he is very patient and helpful to review missed lecture topics & midterm. Lecture demo's are fun & sections help for hw. Rely on hw to study for exams.
I knew I was going to like this class once I saw Antonucci bust into the lecture hall with the top three buttons of his shirt open. Casual post-disco astronomer, Robert "Skii" Antonucci, will show you the universe. Entertaining demos. Physics concepts explained well in lecture, I passed without taking physics or chemistry classes after highschool.
This dude is simply not a good teacher. I would highly recommend you stay away from taking any class with him, unless you want a relatively easy A (in the case of Astro 1, at least). Antonucci: if you're reading this, please don't take offense. I just think your talents lie elsewhere.
Hardest class I have ever taken this might be due to my lack of knowledge and patience with physics. There is math and physics to this, if you do not like physics do not take the class. It is confusing if you do not know math well because the homework will have math, math unexplained during lecture. The professor is overall very chill and cool.
"Skii" Antonucci is a BRILLIANT guy, and absolutely hilarious, too. But honestly, he just doesn't teach well. His lectures often don't align with what is on homework or tests. And don't even get me started on those tests. They're SO hard. But his humor and glowing personality (as well as his stellar sense of style) got me through the class.
He is a poor lecturer and does not align his lectures well with the homework. There are physics based math on the homework and he will not cover the math. Despite this, he is still an entertaining guy due to his humor. He does offer extra credit, which can help. Attendance has become mandatory as he uses iClickers now. Nice guy, bad professor.
His lectures are sometimes hard to understand so read the book. The tests are hard and I feel like they blindsided a lot of people because no one really knew what to expect. Do your homework, extra credit, and clicker points and you should pass the class. ( I know because I bombed the final)
This class is very challenging but well worth it. Antonucci is VERY passionate and does a lot of in class demonstrations to help his students understand concepts. A lot of people think the class is too hard but those people seem to not pay attention. You have to pay attention to every lecture and do the readings. HARD tests so study. Extra credit.
Antonucci is the literal G.O.A.T. of UCSB. Lectures are sometimes hard to follow along with since Antonucci is pretty disorganized but he gets a pass because he's a badass. T.A's are useless. Homework can be found online if you look but you should still know how to do it for the tests. Do well on the homework and you'll pass. #GodAntonucci
The professor is very passionate about the subject and goes over the material very well in class. Lectures are very engaging and informative.
Astro 1 was a really difficult class, and Antonucci's lectures aren't super clear, but going to his office hours for help with concepts and homework really helps. He's extremely helpful outside of class and really cares about his students. Sometimes he's just so caught up in his genius it's difficult to follow along during lectures.
I was tricked into taking this class for an "easy GE", it is not an easy A. I took it P NP. I found his lectures were very hard to follow as he mumbles a lot and doesn't use many graphic photos for such an interesting course. I was very bummed by his lack of technology usage, he teaches on a projector. He always ends the class saying "ok".
Dr. Antonucci is one of the best professors here at UCSB. He is one of the most caring individuals I have ever met, and it is clear how passionate he is about his work. He is always willing to go the extra mile to help a student and he generously offers a lot of extra credit. This class is a bit hard, but he is absolutely brilliant. Worth it!
Robert Antonucci is one of the weirdest men I've ever met. After a full quarter with this professor, I would not even be surprised to learn on the final day that he is in fact just a homeless man who keeps wandering into the lecture hall and talking about stars and stuff. He uses borderline archaic technology and ends every class by saying "ok."
Antonucci is a nice teacher that offers a lot of extra credit. However, this class is pretty hard because of the old technology he uses and it's real difficult to hear what he is saying in class. You need to do a lot of individual studying if you really want to understand the material.
I loved taking Astronomy 1 with professor Antonucci. In every lecture you can tell how much he cares about the subject and his students. You will need to really focus on the book readings, because he does go off on tangents in lecture, but they are still a joy to attend. He is an inspiration and instills a sense of awe if you listen to him.
Great professor. Stellar guy.
Just take his class and youll for sure get atleast an A(not even an A-, an A). He has a vast knowledge of astronomy and hes quite reputed.
Very funny and cool professor but there is not a strong correlation between homework and the tests. Would not recommend if you are trying to fulfill a GE. Random iClicker questions.
Love this man. Tons of EC, but takes a lot of outside time to attend. The curve was good, based off the median. Had a great time on the MT, but keep up with the reading he gives. Class didn't bother me too much, maybe 2 hrs per week of reading + 1 hr for HW. Final was cancelled, but I was ready for it. Go to lecture for answers, and read b4 class.
I did not learn a single thing in his lectures so I stopped going as they were a waste of my time. He just rambles, for a long time and not one person in that lecture room would be paying attention when I'd look around the room. LOTS of reading so stay on top of that and the homework and you will get an A.
Antonucci is amazing & the lectures are entertaining w/ fun demos! The iClicker q's are on the midterm/final. Read the textbook & stay on top of it- content is mostly from the book, lecture/section explains it further. Homework is graded thoroughly and specifically. Extra credit is available also. Grading is tough so take it P/NP if not required
Professor Antonucci's lectures often go off on tangents that last most of the lecture. When he is on topic, his lecturing is pretty good; he has lots of useful and interesting ways of explaining the material. Exams are really easy if you read the textbook and know the material. His lectures won't cover all of it. You have to read.
You won't learn anything but you will get a good grade.
Honestly this class is awful but I say that because I cant do physics. If you arent prepared to do math and read, dont take the class. In saying this, Antonucci is the funniest professor I have ever met. His lectures are very entertaining and he is VERY passionate about astronomy. I would take him again for anything not involving math lol.
The most unorganized class I have ever taken. He is incredibly hard to understand during lecture, and barely ever talks about anything relevant. You will not learn anything from this class. TA's are extremely unhelpful, they do the absolute bare minimum and the prof is completely unaware of this.
Grades are late.
I feel like he chooses to be an expert on something new every lecture. Nothing ever got done so if you actually want to learn in his class you have to do a buttload of reading. The amount he complains about people who like astrology outweighs the time he spend talking about astrology.
This class made me so upset that I went out my way to create an account to write a review. I'd like to say he's a sweet guy. But he's bad professor. He goes on rants for 70% of the lecture and then drops an Iclicker quiz 5 minutes after the end of lecture. His homework is long and difficult as well. Do not take this class unless you like physics.
The most unorganized class EVER take, TA don't attend their own office hour, and the grade comes so late. Knowledge is easy but the grading & curve is awful.
Has to be the most un-organized and chaotic course I have taken in my life. The final is in less than a week and only 2 out of 5 homeworks are graded. The Midterm took over a month to get grades back. He advertised for the last two weeks of class how he will have a final review session just to cancel it the day of. Rambles in lecture.
I feel bad leaving a bad review because I think Professor Antonucci is a sweet man, but it was incredibly difficult making it through this class. The content isn't too difficult, but the lectures are super messy and go very off topic. Grades take forever to be posted. Don't take this class unless you have to.
a very caring guy but can't stay on topic to save his life. class was often entertaining, but generally unhelpful. would be less challenging if u didn't have to teach urself. you've never seen a fight until you've seen the silent war between Antonucci and his TAs. he cancelled OH & study sessions a ton. wouldn't recommend unless u have to take it.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.28 avg changeRatings by Course
ASTRO12
5.0
(1)ASTRO
4.0
(1)INTRO
4.0
(1)ASTRO1
3.2
(87)ANTHRO1H
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ASTRONOMY1
5.0
ASTROIDK
5.0
ASTRONOMY
3.5
ASTRO1
3.2
ANTHRO1H
3.0