207 Students mentioned that the labs were interesting and relevant to the course material. They also liked learning to write lab reports. As for negative aspects, they said the lectures were unnecessary, the grading of lab reports was tough, and it took a long time to get graded reports back. Students suggested that the course would be improved by giving out some example lab reports and doing some individual lab reports instead of just group reports. Students recommended the lab course as a good addition to the thermodynamics lecture. It is advised that students start the lab reports early and try to organize their groups well so everyone does their share.

Students liked the course’s hands-on experience with the thermodynamic concepts they learned in lectures. However, students often found that the lab reports could be long and boring, and that lazy members in the group labs would receive the same grade as the productive ones. Suggestions for improvement included returning graded assignments more promptly and with greater feedback. Prospective students should know that the course was time consuming and that students needed to keep on top of the work to succeed.

Students praised this course for having an approachable instructor who gave students an opportunity not only for hands-on learning but a chance to learn how to write a lab report. Students’ issues with the course included a widespread belief that completing the labs could be tedious and boring and a belief that students received little feedback on the lab reports they submitted. Suggestions for improvement included a belief that students should receive feedback on graded assignments much quicker. Prospective students should know that students found that it was important to start lab assignments as early as possible and that completing labs was very time consuming.