Students found that the best aspects of this course included the lab experiments, which they felt were very interesting and informative. Students real y enjoyed the hands-on aspects of this lab and appreciated the many skills they learned during the lab. However, students felt that many of the labs were disorganized and poorly explained, which often made them confusing and time consuming. Suggestions for improvement included breaking the course into two days, one for lecture, one for lab, so that the key concepts and processes for the lab could be ful y explained before students started a lab. Students also wanted more structure and requested more detailed information about what was expected of them for each lab and having explicit directions. Prospective students should be prepared for extensive amounts of work. They do not need much prior knowledge of the subject, but should be wil ing to participate and ask questions when they are confused or want additional clarification of concepts.

Students praised this course for giving them the ability not only to learn new skil s but apply those skills as well. Issues with the course varied, though multiple students found there was a steep learning curve in the first few weeks and that feedback wasn’t provided in a timely manner to students resulting in repeating costly mistakes on assignments. Similarly, suggestions for improvement focused on a general request that assignments be better spaced out to al ow time for feedback in between the due date for the next assignment, or that feedback on assignments simply be returned to students more quickly. Prospective students should know that having some background in general lab procedure and programming is helpful for this course, although the class is accessible to a freshman.

The best aspects of the course included the interesting course material and the professor. The lectures were informative and well-organized. The worst aspects of the course included the assigned lab readings and the difficulty level of the course for students who did not have prior Biochemistry knowledge. The course would improve if there were more homework assignments and exams spread throughout the semester to give students a better understanding of the concepts. Prospective students should ensure they attend al classes and keep up with the lectures and labs.

Most students agreed that the hands-on nature of the course and the student driven, individual investigations were the best features of this course. Learning various lab techniques and the experience of designing a mutation to a protein then carrying it out was unparalleled. The weekly homework was overwhelming at times, and some of the assignment instructions were unclear. Suggested improvements included breaking the class meeting time into two days per week and lowering the amount of weekly work. While the workload can be daunting, prospective students should know that this is a fun and interesting course.

The best part about this class was the intriguing and interesting labs that allowed for hands-on learning of difficult material. Students agreed that the smal class size al owed for much individual attention and feedback from the professor, and that the methods introduced in this course would be useful in other subject areas. Some students found that the material was taxing, especially in the beginning of the semester, and that expectations were not always clear. This class could be improved by including more helpful feedback on assignments. Prospective students should know that background reading for labs is extremely helpful.