MSE 2090

The course overall was just OK. Prof. Zhou did not make the course difficult in relation to other professors but for me the course was still a tad difficult. Tests were split between MC and short answer/free response but the MC was multiple answer-multiple choice. You won't earn "negative points" but it does make the tests noticeably more difficult.

The worst part about this class is far and away the online homework and textbook. The course is run on a legacy online homework/support system so the website is notably awful. You also cannot have the online textbook and homework open at the same time. I would highly recommend getting a physical version of the textbook to avoid going back and forth between the homework and textbook.

Bicheng is really nice guy, and was definitely trying to get the hang of lecturing for (I think) the first time. No attendance at lecture and all are recorded, but extra credit for participating. MSE is pretty boring and difficult as a subject, so the professor's have to try really hard to make it interesting. I think Floro and McDonnell are more "fun". But Bicheng did try hard to make the subject engaging and was generous with extra credit (up to like 100 points / 1000) and the grading scale. He also drops the lowest reading quiz (11 worth 5 points) and the two lowest homeworks (20ish worth 200 points). If you read the chapter weekly and do all the homework on time and do decent on the tests (~80) you should be fine.

I think Zhou was a new professor this year, and it showed. Floro guest lectured and I liked his style a lot more. Zhou and Cai both had lecture-style classes which aren't inherently bad, but materials science is very dull unless you are fascinated by it. It was hard to know what our grades would be, but in the end the grading was: 950-1000 = A+, 900-950 = A, 850-900 = A-, 800-850 = B+, 750-800 = B, 700-750 = B-, 650-700 = C+, 600-650 = C, 500-600 = C-, 500-550 = D+, <500 = D Where homework (wileyplus bs) was worth 200 points, reading quizzes 50, test 1 200, test 2 200, and the final 350.
If you want an A, really read the textbook well and make sure you can do all example problems in the book as well as homework. I think Zhou will be better next year if he teaches again. Overall, not a really fun class unless you like MSE, Zhou is a nice guy, but new to teaching.