The best aspect of this course was the professor’s effective teaching of a chal enging subject. Students appreciated the professor’s helpfulness and passion in ensuring they really learned the material. The worst aspect of the course was the level of difficulty many students faced with some of the topics and concepts. There also were not enough supporting notes to help students with difficult concepts. The course could improve if the lecturers provided students with clear lecture notes and also livened up the class through participation and practical examples. Prospective students should know that much of this course involves extremely difficult material and although the information is interesting, much reading and practice wil help them keep up.

43Students found that the best aspects of this course included the engaging lectures and the very effective use of the textbook. The professor was knowledgeable about the topic and accessible when students had questions. However, many students found the material to be very difficult and demanding at times, and that it was sometimes hard to apply what was learned to the exams. Suggestions for improvement included providing a more basic breakdown of the concepts in the lectures for better comprehension of the materials. Students also wanted the due dates of different assignments to be spread a little more evenly so that two assignments were not due on the same day. Prospective students should be prepared to complete a heavy workload outside of class. The materials are challenging but interesting, and staying on top of the reading can help students keep up with the lectures.

The best part about this course was the new and interesting material covered. Students found the lectures to be engaging, and appreciated the smal class size. Some students complained that the lecture notes were not helpful, and that there was no textbook to use as an additional reference. Further, students struggled to keep up with the homework assignments due every class, and thought that the multiple choice exam questions made tests excessively difficult. This class could be improved by posting assignments online earlier, and spending more time applying theory to spectroscopy. Prospective students should know reading the notes prior to going to class is essential.