Chem lab is run almost entirely by teaching assistants, so you need to be careful that you get a good one - a bad TA will make the class much more difficult. I also recommend requesting to have your lab group positioned in the front of the room near the TA, as it makes it a lot easier to hear instructions, which helps immensely, especially because some of the TAs talk very quietly. In this class, you only have labs every other week - off weeks are a workshop class in which you plan for the next week's lab and sometimes do group presentations. The labs themselves are fairly fun, as they involve a lot of self-direction, but the postlabs (in Mathematica) can be a hassle, and written components can take a very long time to prepare adequately. For written, non-Mathematica postlabs, the TAs often grade much more harshly than is reasonable for a 1-credit class mostly taken by first-years. Additionally, FIND OUT WHICH ONE IS GRADING YOUR PAPERS - the TAs all went to different undergraduate universities, and as such, their standards for lab reports will differ accordingly. It's best to attend office hours for the one you know will be grading your lab reports, as what they tell you in office hours will more closely align with their grading standards. Group in-class presentations for workshop usually require two to three hours outside of class to prepare, but those are easier than the postlabs and are much lower-stress if you plan ahead of time who in your group will do what.
TL;DR: some TAs are all right, but the quality of the TA will greatly affect your ability to do well in (and enjoy) this class, and that can be a rather risky gamble. This class is a deceptive (and arguably unreasonable) amount of work for a 1-credit class.
Grade Distribution
No grade data available
Sections
56Other Sections (56)
The workload is consistently heavy for a one-credit class, packed with weekly planning sessions, pre- and post-labs, and writing assignments, but the actual chemistry remains straightforward and rarely challenging. Grading relies on a strict mastery system where you must hit specific thresholds on nearly every assignment, so protecting your final grade takes careful deadline tracking and strategic use of the limited retake tokens provided. You will essentially never interact with the lead professor since TAs run every section with wildly different levels of clarity and leniency, making your randomly assigned lab group and TA the true determinants of your stress level. Treat this class as a time-management and teamwork exercise rather than a rigorous science course, read all weekly communications closely to navigate the intentionally vague experimental prompts, and never skip attendance or office hours.
62 Reviews
Chem lab is really annoying. You have to take it and my rating is aimed more toward the class with the TAs. Each lab is composed of about 25 students with one TA. Choose wisely on your TA because they can make or break your grade. Some TAs are very easy while others can make it very difficult. You have to learn to code in chem lab with mathematica. At first mathematica may seem VERY difficult and tedious. I hate mathematica. You have a ton of work per week that should make the class more than one credit. SIS says there is about 3.5 hours of lab per week. Sometimes you may only use 1.5 hrs or you could go the full 3.5 hours. It just depends. The lab itself is pretty doable but it is just a lot of homework and dealing with TAs. In class you have to plan out your lab with very little detail so that always takes awhile. Make sure to keep on top of your lab group and get a good TA. Those two things make or break your grade.