The good aspects of the course were that the professor was well-organized, approachable, and quickly responded to students’ questions. The negative aspects were the very heavy workload and how long it took to get feedback on lab reports. Students said that doing error analysis for every lab report was very tedious. They suggested that the course would be improved by better and faster feedback on lab reports. They also suggested that fewer assignments or less error analysis would also improve the course. Students should know that this course is extremely time-consuming. They are encouraged not to take it at the same time as other intensive courses.

Some students praised this course for providing an insight into both how to work in a lab and how to write scientific reports. Students broadly expressed frustration with the high workload of the class. Students also found that the lectures didn’t sync up with the experiments they carried out so that they often had to teach themselves the science behind an experiment before carrying out the lab. Suggestions for improvement included a desire for the course to be less ambitious and more focused, 70suggesting that the course should be broken up into more focused pieces. Prospective students should know that students broadly cal ed the course one of the most time consuming courses they had taken at Johns Hopkins. Students found they had to work independently and well in advance of deadlines in order to be successful.

74Students agreed that most of the labs were interesting and they were presented with new concepts that held their interest. The teacher and teaching assistants were friendly and helpful. The workload for the course is widely cited as the worst aspect. Many agreed that the course should be split in two or offered as eight credits. Better and timelier feedback, a lower workload, and an updated textbook were suggested improvements to this course. Prospective students should be prepared for a very high workload, should have some background knowledge in statistics and avoid procrastinating on the lab reports.