Free online astronomy course - Page 6

OICURMT · #**101** 05-12-2012, 01:25 PM

I need to remember to read the problems more closely...

I used the diameter in one of the calculation. Kept getting is wrong screaming "The diameter is correct! Damn it!"...

then I saw the question... provide the radius!

mithrandir (Andrew) · #**102** 05-12-2012, 08:52 PM

If you'd read my previous post on assignment due times, read the updated version of post 98. I'm pretty sure I got it wrong. Blasted duplicate timezone name abbreviations.

bazaud (Barry) · #**103** 17-12-2012, 06:21 PM

How are we all going... Well, I've slowed down a little hopefully catching up before Xmas.

Barry

scagman (John) · #**104** 17-12-2012, 07:34 PM

.
I'm finding it very time consuming and hard. I have just moved onto week 2 part B after spending all week tryng to grasp Kintec E and writing expressions. Left Q11 & 12 will go back to them may later. Maybe.

Cheers

silv (Annette) · #**105** 28-12-2012, 04:49 PM

I missed the beginning of the course and am just now starting. (downloading week 1 material.......)

was hoping to at least meet the deadline for week 3 on Monday...

omg, reading your posts makes my knees go weak!

I'll be having a really hard time catching up and actually learning the material.

please do not boast too much about your grand success.... *sighs*

can I leave out week 1 and 2 for the moment and start off with week 3 to get the homework done on time?
or will I need the knowledge of week 1&2 to be able to follow week 3?

OICURMT · #**106** 28-12-2012, 05:50 PM

I unenrolled last week, as I just moved back to Adelaide from Perth and had no time to do the work... (arrived last week)

Desktop (along with the hosuehold goods) is due to arrive on Jan 3rd... maybe I'll take it back up then.

silv (Annette) · #**107** 28-12-2012, 08:48 PM

okay, see you in the trenches again, soon, then

I just finished week 1.
tomorrow week 2.
week 3 could still work out on time for Monday. yay. it's fun

glad, I don't have a think-job, anymore.

scagman (John) · #**108** 28-12-2012, 08:53 PM

Hi Silv,

I woudn't have been able to do wk3 without the 1st 2 weeks. If you have some matths background you may be able to skip them.
Goodluck

mithrandir (Andrew) · #**109** 29-12-2012, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scagman

Hi Silv,

I woudn't have been able to do wk3 without the 1st 2 weeks. If you have some matths background you may be able to skip them.
Goodluck

There's not that much maths in the wk1/2 assignments. It's more figuring out which equations to use. If you can handle rearranging equations to get the wanted thing by itself on the LHS a calculator will do the arithmetic for you.

Having said that, I do have a ~40 year old degree in maths, and use Open Office to do the calculations since it's easier to check for typos so you don't have to reenter everything.

LewisM · #**110** 29-12-2012, 12:28 PM

Not being enthralled by it to be honest. It's OK, but I get more out of reading books myself.

Haven't unenrolled - yet.

malclocke (Malc) · #**111** 29-12-2012, 07:40 PM

I feel like I'm possibly in the minority, but am really enjoying the course. I am finding it is taking a lot more time than I had reckoned for though.

I am finding the maths pretty hard, but at the same time it has given me several 'aha' moments, where I have gained new insights into topics I thought I understood. The whole set of topics around tidal forces being an example of this.

I initially stayed clear of the forums for help with the homework answers as I wanted to get to my answers independently, but have dipped in a couple of times when I have been really stuck and found them very helpful. I was worried the forum discussion would just hand me the answers on a plate, but instead they usually have more general discussion around how to approach the problems, and again I have gained insight into some of the concepts from the forum discussion that I wouldn't have otherwise got.

All in all, I'm loving it, and feel very privileged to have the opportunity to take the course for free.

Also very glad for the week off this week as I've just got out of hospital with appendicitis, which would have blown it for me if it came on another week I think.

JB80 (Jarrod) · #**112** 30-12-2012, 05:24 AM

I just recieved an e-mail mentioning that they are looking to get the Astrobiology course underway by the end of Janurary.

Has anyone else enrolled in that one too?

bojan · #**113** 13-01-2013, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malclocke

I feel like I'm possibly in the minority, but am really enjoying the course. I am finding it is taking a lot more time than I had reckoned for though.

.... The whole set of topics around tidal forces being an example of this.

I initially stayed clear of the forums for help with the homework answers as I wanted to get to my answers independently, but have dipped in a couple of times when I have been really stuck and found them very helpful. ....

All in all, I'm loving it, and feel very privileged to have the opportunity to take the course for free.

Like you, I am enjoying it very much.
The commitment to do homework on time (in my case, before the next session of lectures) is very good, it adds some sort of seriousness to the whole exercise. The course itself is really basic - but in my opinion it is potentially extremely useful and actually absolutely needed.. it is a pity there is no more of those.
IMHO, if we treat the education as a product on the market (and we tend to do it), with price tag on it (so only those with enough money could afford it), then we are potentially bound to enter new dark ages, not much different from times of witch hunt and inquisition.. recent popularity of EU "theories", creationism and such nonsense among plebs today is alarming, and if enough critical mass is accumulated, this could lead to a "targeted education" (my personal terminology, I don't know about official term) where students are learning the things that big money and various interest groups pay for, in effect suppressing the really free and critical thinking..

Forum discussions are very good and sometimes quite insightful, but I stayed away from them also, for the same reasons - I want to put myself to the test, to see how far away I am now from where I was during the high school/uni days, and I am happy with myself so far, considering the elapsed time since then..
Well, two more weeks to go - and then we will be real, "official" amateur astronomers, with "diploma"

malclocke (Malc) · #**114** 07-02-2013, 09:00 PM

Well, I finished ... phew!

How did everyone else get on?

scagman (John) · #**115** 08-02-2013, 09:47 AM

Well done, I have been finding week 8 impossible. I have finished 8a but struggling a bit with 8b. Well a lot really, I'm going back over the videos and forums trying to understand it. I'm very surprised I've lasted this long.

bojan · #**116** 08-02-2013, 10:14 AM

Still working on 8b.. with help of Susskind.

mithrandir (Andrew) · #**117** 08-02-2013, 11:29 AM

I was going OK until i got to week 8. Too many issues with relative's health causing distractions at the moment. About half way thru 8a. Haven't looked at 8b.

Having to check for errata all the time is a nuisance.

bojan · #**118** 11-02-2013, 02:51 PM

Done!

Week 8 was the hardest.. partly because IMO it was sort of a rush job.. lectures should have been packed in two weeks instead of one.
But, all in all, it was a great experience and good personal test - now I know how much I don't know

!!

bazaud (Barry) · #**119** 11-02-2013, 07:46 PM

Congratulations! I dropped out at week 3 but going to watch the lectures at my leisure. I hope to have another go in the future when life slows down a little.

Good work those who reached the finish line.

Barry

mithrandir (Andrew) · #**120** 11-02-2013, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bojan

Done!

Week 8 was the hardest.. partly because IMO it was sort of a rush job.. lectures should have been packed in two weeks instead of one.
But, all in all, it was a great experience and good personal test - now I know how much I don't know

!!

Yes, week 8 was heavy and the errata made it worse.
I've given up on the week 8 assignments with 4/8 in part A and 6/11 in part B after getting 100% for the rest.
If they run it again maybe they'll fix the timing and proof all the course material first