FAQs
How do I get my graded papers (homeworks, quizzes) back?
Graded papers are returned in the boxes in the lobby of our lecture hall, Welch 3.502. A section on the right-hand side as you enter the lobby has been marked for Ast 301, Section 48215. The top group of mailboxes is used to return quizzes, and the next set below that is for homeworks. Please keep the papers in alphabetical order, so your classmates can quickly find their papers! We will leave these items in the boxes for a week or two, then collect and keep them; if you want to reclaim old papers later in the semester you will be able to get them from the instructor or T.A.s.
Can I turn in my homework by e-mail?
No. The instructor's policy is that you must turn in your work in hard copy form, whether hand-written or printed. There are no exceptions to this policy, and it is stated right there on the Directions on each homework.
Can I turn in my homework late?
We will accept late homeworks as long as they are turned in no more than 24 hours late, which means 9:30 AM on Friday (the day after a Thursday deadline). They should be turned in to the Astronomy Student Coordinator's office, RLM 15.202AA. Late homeworks will be graded but will receive reduced credit. No homeworks will be accepted later than 24 hours, even if you are ill or out of town. We are allowing students to drop two of the assigned homeworks during the semester, so missed homeworks will be the ones to be dropped.
I missed class due to (illness, overslept, was out of town for my sport, etc.). How do I find out what I missed?
Check the class website often; we provide a good deal of information there. A set of lecture slides is usually posted by the evening after a lecture, including most of the slides shown in class, although sometimes I omit slides that simply reproduce figures from the textbook. The announcements are updated frequently, and other materials are posted on the appropriate pages, including feedback on quizzes, homeworks, and index card activities.
Can I make up a missed quiz?
I don't give make-ups for individual missed quizzes, but there will be enough quizzes given over the course of the semester that it should not be a problem for you to miss a couple of quizzes. This is likely to become a problem only if you typically do poorly on the quizzes. Keep in mind that the quizzes are essentially the essay portions of the exams. If you do poorly on these, this is part of your exam performance. In that case, you should take time to prepare well for the multiple-choice exams. You could also try taking the Make-up exams to see if you can do better, the "second time around" on the same material.
Can I make up missed participation credits?
You can't redo individual card activities, but again there will be many opportunities to obtain the equivalent credit. For the participation credits, you have the further option of earning several credits outside of class, by attending a Star Party (one point per attendance, up to 2 points total) or a Public Lecture. See the Participation Credits page for details.
What about missed hour exams?
I do not give make-ups for specific missed hour exams, but I have built in the opportunity to take a make-up exam for either the first or second half of the semester. (This was designed to avoid the pain of having to take a 3-hour Saturday night comprehensive final!) The make-up exam on March 10 can replace either Exam 1 or 2, if you missed it for any reason, or if you had hoped to do better. It cannot, however, replace both of these. (In other words, you must take two of the three exams in the first half of the semester.) The same is true for the make-up exam on May 5, which can replace either Exam 3 or 4, but not both. Because of this generous make-up policy, no other make-up arrangements will be made for missed exams.