PHYS 1429

Not bad, pretty easy lab credit as a whole.

Bychkov, while a massive guy and slightly terrifying at first sight, is quite friendly and is a very reasonable person. However, you probably won't see him after the first day of lab, which is unfortunate. Your results with the class are almost entirely dependent on what TA you get. If you're like me and get stuck with a horrible TA (he was very awkward and his English was borderline unintelligible), don't hesitate to contact Bychkov with any questions or concerns - I copied him on everything I sent to my TA, and he always gave me a faster and thoroughly justified response.

This class is ridiculously easy, but the professor, and in my case, my TA were an absolute nuisance. The concepts are really easy, just remember to do the pre and post-lab. I have to disagree with the review below me, Maxim is virtually unapproachable, and really seems to enjoy you struggle through the course when you make a genuine mistake such as missing either a pre/post lab. This class basically takes physics, and turns it into a monotonous cycle - just do exactly as they tell you and you'll be fine.

Pretty good lab. The TA's across the board are very helpful, kind, and encourage questions to help you succeed. The lab manual is pretty simple to follow and the quiz questions are more or less straightforward.

Easy, but also super annoying. My TA was likable but didn't speak english very well which was frustrating at times. It's also really difficult to get full credit on labs--they often make point deductions for very trivial errors.

Maxim himself is a good professor, but the lab is taught by TAs who often have English as their second language, so sometimes it is difficult to understand what they are saying.

The experiments are interesting and stimulating, but your meticulousness will be important. The class is graded on a curve and that means you have to be on your toes all the time to get an A. Essentially, don't settle or put your foot off the pedal even if you're averaging a +/-90. I averaged a 92-93 as my final grade and got curved down into a B+.

I took AP Physics, so I knew my stuff before enrolling. The class is completely dependent on your TA and you'll barely talk to Bychkov. The class can be a pain, but it's not hard. The Prelabs just use up some time but if you watch all the videos, you'll be fine. The postlabs are sometimes tricky, but mostly straight forward. (especially if you have a background in physics) The prelabs take 1-3 hours depending on the length and the post labs take an hour or less each. I kind of enjoyed this class because the equipment for the labs were much nicer than my high school. I was able to get a better understanding of physics. The thing I do not enjoy is that every lab feels rushed. They try to pack in as much as they can in those 2 hours. Not a hard class; however, I have one big complaint....

The class is graded based on ranks. The top whatever percent get A's... next range gets A-'s... then B+'s...etc. You always feel like you're competing with your peers and you always feel like you're "trying too hard' for the 1-credit class. You need to put an immense amount of effort and keep driving forward to get that A. Majority of the class ends with a B+. Because you work in groups for the lab and they take off random points, everyone ends with about the same grade for labs... thus your final grade is dependent on your prelabs and postlabs. tldr: don't fuck up = B+. pedal to the metal = A. Sometimes it's not worth putting that much time in one class. Just remember this is a 1-credit class and don't worry too much.
This is 1000x better than Chem Lab btw. Much more organized.

So starting Fall 2016, instead of the lab manual during the section, your group is required to write a 2 page lab report (single spaced) for each lab. You change groups every three weeks. Max is a very nice (and super buff) person, knowledgeable about physics and approachable. But in my opinion, some things about this class can be reworked. Your grade is based on RANK, which (in my opinion, again) caters to the inherently competitive UVA student. That being said, always try your best on the pre and post labs. Overall, for a one credit course, this is an eh class required for all engineers and physics majors.. good luck.
- take the diagnostic seriously!
-try to figure out what the grader wants in the report

Actual lab can be fun and helps understand concepts some, but overall way too much work for one credit. Tedious pre and post lab quizzes on WebAssign can be super easy, but normally very difficult. Each lab requires a lab write-up written by the group and there's always that member who doesn't pull his weight. Easiest way to make sure everything is done well and everyone does their part is to meet up, but that's always a pain to coordinate. Easy answer: don't take if you don't have to