239 The best aspect of this course was the hands-on experiments that didn’t come with any pre-lab or post-lab assignments. Students completed al their experiments in class and did not have to do any work outside of the classroom. The worst aspects of the course included the unclear lab guidelines, ineffective teaching assistants, and lengthy labs that students often had a difficult time completing. The course would improve if the students were provided with clearer lab instructions, effective teaching assistants and more structured lab experiments, in order to prevent the experiments from being rushed and not well-correlated with the subject matter. Prospective students should be prepared to use statistics and Microsoft Excel in the lab. Those who want to be successful should read the labs beforehand and pace themselves to complete them in the al otted three hours.

Students most enjoyed the demonstrations in this course, and found the equipment used in this class to be very accurate and top-of-the-line. Students also appreciated the fact that all of the graded work was turned in during class, so there was no homework. Students found the labs themselves lacked direction and that expectations were sometimes very vague. They also found that the labs sometimes deviated from what was taught in lecture, so there was a disconnect of concepts, and they often found that the labs focused more on statistics than physics. Suggestions for improvement included increasing the amount of time spent teaching a concept during lecture, and making these lectures more interactive. Students also wanted more time to complete the labs, since they often felt rushed and were sometimes unable to finish. Any prospective students should have a comfortable understanding of physics and calculus, and be prepared to stay focused and work under a tight three-hour lab deadline.

The best aspect of this course was that al of the work is completed during the lab. Students found many of the labs to be interesting and appreciated the light workload. While labs are completed in a condensed time, many students noted being stressed from having to rush to finish within the al otted time. Students suggested having more concise instructions regarding labs. Additional y, students would like more time to complete labs. Prospective students should always complete the pre-lab assignments prior to lab, as it will lessen the in-class burden.

The best aspects of this course included the hands-on experience and opportunities to apply physics to “real-life” experiments. The instructor did not assign take home work and students got the chance to shoot marbles from cannons. Some students felt they were not provided enough feedback on their labs. Also, students felt some of the labs had some fundamental flaws that rendered their results unreadable and/or inaccurate. Suggestions included correlating the labs better to the material being taught in class, providing better experiment instructions, and procuring better equipment. Prospective students should be prepared for difficult error analysis and challenging work within the classroom.

The best aspects of this course were the hands-on experiments that tied together the theoretical lessons, and the relatively low workload. The worst aspects of the course were the ambiguous lab instructions and experiments that were intellectual y dul . Suggestions for improvement included a better lab manual and experiments that were better connected with the lecture or more exciting. Prospective students should know that there is no homework, al the work is completed during lab time, but this is not an exciting or terribly interesting course.

The best part about this class was that time was not spent on post labs that required students to come in at other times. Students found that the labs were fun applications of physics concepts, and that the TA’s were helpful when assignments were unclear. Although students general y completed the labs in the al otted time, students agreed that they often felt rushed. Suggestions for improvement included providing clearer lab manuals and allowing students extra time to come in after class to finish labs if necessary. Prospective students should know that you wil not have time to work on your lab outside of class time.