She's not as bad as these other reviews would make you think. Sometimes can be a bit boring and will go more in-depth than I think is necessary for an intro class. Homeworks can be somewhat difficult. Helpful in office hours though. Tests are somewhat difficult but if you use the study guides provided you should do fine. Plus she curves them.

The class is difficult, but she is extremely quick to answer her email if you have questions and she is always available to meet if you need extra help. She is such a sweetheart! It is in your best interest to see her if you need help. Make sure you study for the first test because it is hard.

Easy teacher, great person, amazing course. If you went to class and listened (not even about taking notes because the slides are always available online) you learned and were prepared enough for any exam she would give. There were three. I recommend.

This class really wasnt bad. She gives extra credit and you can drop one test. She curves each test alot so its really not hard to get a good grade, even an A. The classes can be kind of boring but thats it.

I think she's really great. I dont absolutely love the class but I really like her as a professor. The class is a little difficult but if you study the tests are pretty straight forward. If you can, get Anja for your TA, shes really helpful, fair, and nice. Id suggest this class anyday over bio or chem.

Class is pretty easy but most of the kids hate the subject so they do poorly. Lectures are dry and worth points so that sucks. can drop worst test and plenty of extra credit. an A is a realistic grade for anyone willing to learn the material.

I used it to fulfill a science req, so I wasn't enthusiastic about this to begin with. You have to go to lecture (even though she puts everything online) just because she takes attendance with clickers. The exams aren't hard, just cover a lot of material. Go to lecture, do something else & cram before the exam. You'll be fine, but you won't like it

I took both Astro 88 and 89. The classes are not easy you actually have to put in the time. Prof. Rao is an amazing professor. One who loves her job and loves to teach. I have had many professors and she is one who actually does care. She is passionate about teaching and the material she teaches. She is very helpful if you seek out help!!!!

Professor Rao is great. There's a book for the course but everything you need to know is on her slides. She provides extra credit opportunities, recitation is mandatory but it's easy 10 points. She is extremely knowledgeable about astronomy and makes learning it as interesting as possible through visual aids. I would highly recommend her.

Prof Rao is a great teacher, incredibly willing to help and very knowledgeable. She is very passionate about what she's teaching and that can be rare within academia. If you respect her, and give the class the time it deserves, it's an easy A. She drops an exam grade so do well on the first 2 b/c the 3rd exam is very hard. I actually learned a lot!

I had Dr. Rao for both Astronomy 0088 and 0089. These classes are not cakewalks as many expect astronomy to be, however Rao does give opportunities for extra credit and also drops your lowest test grade in order to help your grade, as well as curves the tests up. Put in some work for the class and you will do well. Great professor, very passionate.

Dr. Rao puts together excellent lectures using lots of visuals and demonstrations with links to interesting websites, helpful youtube videos, etc. She describes "strange" concepts (like those in Relativity) in a way that makes them seem clear. She is also extremely helpful if you seek her out! Super fun class! Make sure to attend recitation for eas

Dr Rao is awesome. While this is an intro course, attendance and studying are a must if you plan to do well. That being said, the material is presented in a very clear and concise manner and is aided by many helpful demonstrations and videos. If anything was ever unclear, Dr Roa was quick to help. I would highly recommend this professor.

Very reasonable to those who demonstrate real interest in the subject.

all of the astronomy classes she teaches are extremely easy, there's no reason you shouldn't get an A. test questions come from the lectures, so go to class.

Professor Rao is a fantastic professor and a really cool lady. She is crazy smart when it comes to astronomy. Going to class and recitation is a must. The textbook won't be enough to do well on the tests. if you want the A its yours, just gotta put in some effort. really cool class would recommend it to anyone

Rao is an absolutely fantastic professor, and I didn't even like the course. There was a lot of chemistry and physics, which was tough. However, Rao really is invested in her students. There's plenty of extra credit if you go to class, she curves everything at the end, and she uses a lot of visuals to help you understand. For astronomy, take her.

Well, I have to say this: She makes you work for the grade. Personally for me this class was a bit hard. Get ready to learn many tings+ formulas... If you want to do good in class read the book. Here exam questions are really specific. She's a really nice person, tries her best. But she want's you to know many things. Drops 1 out of 3 exams...

Dr. Rao is really nice and knows what she's talking about. Easy gen ed class if you are okay with doing some basic math. Final exam questions come right from the mid terms. Tons of extra credit for just showing up to class. Lecture can be boring if you're not into it, but she makes it interesting with fun facts and videos

Prof Rao is a pretty awesome lady. We do cool experiments in class a lot and her lectures can be pretty cool. She can get hung up on boring math and physics stuff, but everything you need for her tests are on the power points. Great class in general.

Prof. Rao is a wonderful professor. Her lectures are very interesting, and she loves to give the students opportunities for extra credit.

Dr. Rao is honestly one of the most amazing professors I had this semester. I never really understood a lot of the components of chem until she taught it. She gives lots of opportunity for extra credit, but she'll make you work for it. Always has great helpful demonstrations. She's definitely interested in astronomy and knows what she's teaching.

I'm a French major and aced this class. Couldn't possibly get any easier. She's awesome!!! Easy A with a really wonderful and personable professor.

Amazing, Easy A. Learned alot.

Professor Rao is great. She's clearly very passionate about what she teaches and it makes lectures more bearable. Also, go to lecture. It's not at all mandatory but she tells the students there what is and isn't on exams, plus offers them secret extra credit opportunities. Which are often just a paragraph or the likes. Take this class. Good Gen Ed.

This class was my favorite gen ed by far at Pitt. She is such a great lecturer, and make sure you attend lectures, as she gives extra credit opportunities and gives extra credit for attendance. The tests are not easy but are very doable. 10/10 would recommend.

Dr. Rao loves astronomy and you could tell by her lectures. She was always enthused and used helpful examples that helped me understand the material. Class can get dry at times, but overall she's a great lecturer. Gave ample opportunities for extra credit. If you study for her tests, you should do well. Would give hints in class about test content.

Dr. Rao is one of my favorite professors by far and this would be a very doable class for anyone, even non-science majors. All tests are multiple choice and she gives so many opportunities for extra credit it would be hard not to ace this class. Would definitely recommend for an easy gen ed.

She's a very friendly professor and her lecture material is very interesting. She clearly loves her work and it shows in her enthusiasm. Exams aren't difficult, you can not study at all and get an 80, however you can also study somewhat hard and only get an 85, so there are always a few very difficult questions. 3 exams, 1 final, 1 exam dropped.

If you go to class and look at the slides, this class will be an easy A. She gives extra credit just for showing up and doing the clicker questions.

very caring teacher

Shes great! Her lectures are clear and so inspirational. Go to class, read the book, pay attention in recitation, and youll get an A. She even highlights what is going to be in the tests and gives a lot of extra credit opportunities, so you cant get a bad grade. I loved her!

I took this as a gen ed and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Gives lots of extra credit opportunities throughout the semester and in class questions count too. You have to buy the textbook (that you'll hardly use) for the homework. Study the slides and there's no reason to get less than a B on an exam. She's very passionate about space.

Professor Rao is extremely passionate about astronomy and really cares about her students. Though she reads from slides a lot, she oftentimes conducts interesting science experiments in class and talks about current events. Her tests are straightforward and relatively easy; she makes sure you are prepared. I am very glad that I took her class.

Dr. Rao is a very caring teacher. Took this class as a gen ed. It is not that difficult, but it does require you to have some basic interest in science/astronomy. Online homework every week and all the info on tests come from slides and from what she says in class. In class questions are part of the grade.

She's very interested in students doing well. Homework and Recitation highly prepare you for exams and her study guides are great outlines. In-Class clicker questions count for extra credit and she gives occasional extra-credit. The material itself was not incredibly interesting but it's definitely a good class for a GPA boost.

The material was very interesting, at least for me. Weekly homeworks that were very easy, and extra credit was given for answering clicker questions in class. Recitation was mandatory, but if you went you got full credit for the week. She posts the lecture slides online, which is all you really need to study. Very achievable A

Professor Rao is a really nice lady who knows a ton about astronomy. Coming into the class I was dreading having to take another Natural Science but honestly I loved the class and learned some crazy things about space. You get give a ton of free points with recitation and homeworks. HIGHLY recommend for Gened

Tests are fairly easy if you go to class, pay attention, and do the weekly homework. She uses clicker questions to give credit to those that come to class. She does a lot of cool demonstration/experiment type things during lecture to relate to the topic. There is a required trip to the Allegheny Observatory. Overall an easy intro course.

Great professor, great class. Students who don't do well are nonSTEM who arent used to science and dont come to class. Her exams are super fair and she gives a LOT of extra credit if you come to class. Very nice and loves what she does. Homework answers can be found on quizlet. Ask if you dont understant something. Loved this class!

I went in knowing nothing about astronomy, and not super interested in it either, but Prof Rao made the class interesting! The lectures are interesting and she cares a lot about her students and gives a ton of extra credit. Take the time to study and you should be fine. Recitation worksheets were confusing, but are mostly graded on participation.

There are 3 exams in this class, none during exam week. Extra credit opportunities as well. Prof. Rao is very passionate about her subject matter and is easily reached outside of class. I am so bad at astronomy and physics, I took it as a gen ed, and managed to pull out a high B.

Prof. Rao was one of the most accessible and caring professors I have had. Her lectures provide numerous visuals and demonstrations to aid in understanding. She is always available for extra help and you get to know her well in office hours. Excellent teacher. Exams are challenging, but not unfair.

A little heavy/ technical if youre just taking it as a gen ed class

Great prof! Made the study of astronomy super interesting. Her test are challenging but fair and if you put in about 60% of the effort, you can score an easy A. The extra credit is always a chance to gain points.

Dr. Rao is a very passionate teacher about Astronomy. Her lectures consisted of notes and clicker questions. Clicker question can add up to 5% of your grade. She prepares the class very good with in class props. She will answer any questions/emails quick and her exams are not difficult, but make sure you study enough. She is very caring, take her!!

Very caring teacher who I would recommend. Take her class!

Professor Rao is always open for students to talk to and makes the course material extremely accessible. Her class is lecture-heavy, but the lectures only sum up to 2 hours of lectures per week; it is extremely manageable. The only hard part of the course is the homework, where she doesn't prepare you for the math sections very well.

Prof Rao did a great job teaching ASTRON88 this semester, despite the online nature of things. She's a very clear and articulate lecturer, and did a great job laying out the content in her pre-recorded lectures. Far more organized than many other professors teaching classes online this year, in my experience. Really enjoyable class for a non-major.

Professor Rao is so sweet and extremely knowledgeable. She really made Astronomy accessible and I love how she traveled to all of the places she teaches about! She was extremely helpful during the pandemic and online school. I would say the tests required some effort and studying, but it was so interesting and worthwhile.

Prof. Rao is a solid choice for this class. She includes lots of pictures in her slides to help you visualize the abstract topics discussed in the class; she also includes checkpoint questions that can be answered for extra credit as an incentive for your attendance! Exams are heavily weighted, but she truly wants to see her students succeed.

Lectures can get a little bit dull sometimes, but she always tries her best to make them interesting. For complex topics, she'll usually have demonstrations that really help with understanding. Make sure to attend lectures and answer the TopHat questions, it'll make more sense. She's very sweet and clearly wants everyone to succeed in her class.

Dr. Rao is absolutely lovely. Her lectures are engaging and she frequently uses demonstrations and models to explain more difficult concepts. She is really knowledgeable, cares a lot about her students, and is great at applying information to broader topics. You will need to study but there is no reading and the exams are fairly straightforward.

Professor Rao makes a tricky subject very accessible with her lectures! Class was accessible with attendance not required, but go bc it makes the exams easier. Takes questions from TopHat. Dr. Rao is very generous with extra credit. I averaged a 68 on the exams and I ended with a B because of the homeworks and attendance. Also, she is so sweet!

Dr Rao makes herself available which was a huge help for my grade, I was able to meet w her outside of the hours she listed and spend time going over material for the exams and questions I had. Gave great advice on how to study and makes lectures interesting. Very kind and has a lot of assignments other than the exams, plus extra credit from TopHat

This course was super interesting if you like astronomy. Go to lecture, I got 5% extra credit for being at every lecture. It is very term heavy, make sure to put in the effort and study. There are also a few discussion posts throughout the semester. In addition, she curves the grades at the end of the semester, making an A a larger range of scores.

She's a great professor, attendance isn't mandatory but if you do it, you should have no problems succeeding. ASTRON 88 is a little harder than the other astronomy classes, but still fairly light work. The lectures were also very colorful and fascinating, I enjoyed this class a lot.

In this class you learn relatively difficult physics concepts, but Professor Rao makes them easy to understand. Lectures are pretty engaging and she also offers lots of extra credit.

Dr. Rao was absolutely amazing! Her lectures were clear and entertaining. She provides you all the information you need in lecture. I went to class every day, paid attention, did the assignments, and did great in the course. Many opportunities for extra credit. Exams were only 60% of grades, so opportunity to buffer.

She is a good professor, and very caring for her students. The class was easy as long as you paid attention. Lectures are not mandatory, but there will be (TopHats) for attendance every so often. Recitations are mandatory, but easy. Tests are easy if you make sure you review and use your resources.

Prof Rao is a very kind and thoughtful teacher and you can tell that she tries to make her lectures engaing and intresting. I found the actual content difficult and time consuming but this had nothing to do with Prof Rao. Homework is graded, tophat questions, and three tests. Very cool material but grueling if you are not a science person.

I got the grade I got because I did not put a lot of time into her class, but a B is not bad for not really going to classes, so if you are looking for a class that fulfills a requirement defiantly take this class. The first test was the death of me I did very poorly, but after taking the first exam you realize how to study for the class.

super sweet prof. i personally should've put more effort but still got a B as she is a very lenient grader and has extra credit opportunities. first exam humbled me but after it, it becomes very clear how you should study and prepare and i assure you'll pass. very engaging and pretty interesting but can get confusing at time. i def recommend kinda!

I hate science, but I loved this class. Astronomy is super interesting, and Professor Rao gives great lectures. It's clear she's very knowledgeable about the subject. This class is not an easy A, you do have to study, but it's not super difficult. Professor Rao is also very accessible and is always willing to help.

Dr. Rao is amazing—funny, passionate, and knowledgeable on astro. However, AST88 is not the history-focused class the description suggests. The tests require intense memorization of small details, and the format of units can feel overwhelming. Homework is simple, and bonus points help, but expect to study a lot. Great professor, tough class format.

This is a good class to take as a gen-ed. She uses top hat as attendance/extra credit. Her lectures are interesting, and she is very knowledgeable. The recitations were simple. Exams were not as easy, but if you review your notes beforehand, it isn't difficult to get an A/B. You also have to go on a field trip to the observatory for one evening.

Pretty solid Gen-Ed IMO. Make sure to attend all lectures to earn extra points from top hat at end of semester. Generous grading scale helps a lot in the end. There were times where it was hard to stay engaged in lecture, but you can tell how much Prof. Rao cares. Study ahead of time, and you should be fine.

This class isn't the easiest, don't get me wrong, especially if you aren't great at science. But, it really teaches you how to study. Dr. Rao and TA offer a lot of office hours so if you study and use your resources, you will get a good grade but you def have to put in the work. The class is interesting, just work hard and talk to Dr. Rao

Professor Rao is incredible and super passionate about the material she is teaching. Does a lot of demos and experiments to help explain more difficult to grasp concepts. She is super accessible outside of class, and provides a lot of exam review material. Exams are straightforward, and weekly homework +recitation provides boost to final average

Nicest Professor I have had and you can clearly tell she loves what she teaches.

Professor Rao is great - her lectures are engaging and she genuinely cares about student learning. The material can be challenging, but with consistent effort and using unstuck study for study prep, you can do well.

Professor Rao was a good, funny, and passionate professor who made the class engaging. The course is a great intro to astronomy. Exams are important and you need to study at least a week before. Attending class gives 5% extra credit. Slides are online, and the observatory trip was fun. A great Gen Ed course!

Absolutely loved this course and Professor Rao's thought provoking lectures. She is well-respected and very insightful. Would love to take another course with her!

She is so sweet and genuinely cares about her students as people. The exams were okay, there were always a couple of questions that were so specific that it didn't matter how hard you studied. Homework quizzes once a week were all very easy, and attendance at recitation was super important. The trip to the observatory was really cool.

Professor Rao is such a sweet woman and you can tell she is really passionate about astronomy! I thought the class was pretty interesting and really only requires that you show up 1/week for weekly quizzes (no exams). there was some pretty hands on group work (building clay model stonehenge) but it really only required an hour or two of time

A very passionate teacher who clearly cares for the material, but the actual teaching methods are lackluster. Heavy on lectures and grades off of quizzes, projects, and discussion posts. An easy quiz every week and a discussion post every few weeks. Just do the notes. Attendance is optional but she does little pop quizzes for some points.

Pretty chill prof, weekly quizzes make up 50 % of your grade but theyre really short. Aside from that attendance isnt mandatory. One group project and easy hw too. Def take her for astronomy 88

Very sweet woman, genuinely cares about what she's doing, but staying awake in this class proves to be remarkably hard for me. Perhaps that is my problem though. Weekly quizzes, sometimes discussion posts that are pretty interesting, a group project but i believe she is changing it next semester.

Dr. Rao cares a lot about her students and that's really evident in her classes. However, if you aren't interested in the history of astronomy, don't take this class. As sweet as she is, the material is just incredibly boring. She doesn't give a lot of homework, but what she does give is very intensive.

Like others have said, her lectures are very very boring if you're not very passionate about astronomy. However her quizzes aren't too bad if you do a little bit of review on their units and the discussions are pretty interesting. You don't necessarily have to go to lectures but if you do she gives extra credit through TopHat.

Prof Rao is really sweet and passionate about astronomy. We had weekly quizzes (which were easy if you took notes during lecture), a few essays/discussion posts, and a Stonehenge clay model project. Overall, I had a great experience with this class and think an A is quite easily achievable as long as you showed up and put effort in.

If you're taking this for a gen ed requirement like I was, I'd highly recommend. This class was somewhat interesting, while still very manageable. Quizzes are worth 50% of your grade, with three being dropped, but they're very easy to do well on and don't require much studying. She gives up to 5% bonus for Top Hat questions. Not much homework also.

Very easy, would recommend as gen ed. If you can try to get observatory trip on a clear day.

I took Astronomy as a gen-ed and she was really sweet. the class is pretty easier, just like show up and do the work and you'll be fine.