PHYS 2040

Lab was quite boring and confusing. Though it was easier to finish the experiments this semester, the post-lab quizzes got harder this semester. Oh and the curve - if you figure out how it works, please come tell me?

This class is curved down like crazy, extremely arbitrarily and subjectively graded, and overall completely unfair. This shouldn't even be a premed requirement, it just hurts GPAs, wastes time, and adds stress to courseloads. I had a 92.9 and got an A-, but the highest grade in my section was a 94!

Absolutely ridiculous. Somehow got an A- after having nearly perfect scores on the post labs (about 95% average). Spent more time for this waste of time class than I did for orgo lab, and learned nothing. You won't see the 'professor' ever, if that is what you even call it - Yoon and Bychov are never present, and clearly don't care. It is classes like this where I'm ashamed of being here at UVA. Find me a person who found this class useful, and I'll find you a liar. Also, note the stingy grading - 6% A, 0% A+? So you're telling me I can pull straight A's in every other premed class, except this one credit lab? Unbelievable.

And....... that was a royal pain...... Professor doesn't give jack squat about any of the students, the TAs can be okay if you get a good one. Grading is random and good luck understanding his questions. All in all an obnoxious, useless course. This is one y'all are just gonna have to suck it up and get it over with.

The class itself isn't hard and the course has improved a lot since the fall semester in terms of correlation with lecture, but the grade distribution is really off. It is almost impossible to get an A. Take the course because you have to, but don't be surprised if you accidentally lose one point somewhere and it ends up costing you an A.

This class was one of the most pointless courses I have ever taken at UVA. The labs were meant to be "investigative" but were terribly set up so oftentimes you would conclude something based off of the results of your experiment that was completely contrary to what the law you were investigating states. Additionally, the TAs are COMPLETELY worthless. Every single question my TA helped me answer was marked as incorrect when the lab was graded. If this wasn't enough, the labs are graded based on accuracy--so you are taking a lab that teaches you nothing and then are asked to make broad conclusions that are completely dependent on applying a law that you have never learned in class. On top of this, the prelabs are just as (if not worse) than the lab itself and require you to make predictions which are then ALSO graded on correctness. This lab would work about as well as if you had just left me in a room with a bunch of wires and told me to "figure out something cool" go sign up for a Chegg account now because you are not going to make it through this class if you dont.

Save yourself the effort of studying and put your energy into something else because you will probably not get an A. I don't know what the grading cutoffs are, but I ended up with a 96 in the class, and didn't get a solid A. My friend got a 93.5 and got a B+.

When you have a 93.7 and get a B+ that's when you know you go to UVA. Seriously after all the hard work you have to put into the class and then you get full on crapped on like that it is just unbelievable. I hope the Physics department or some one looks into this. Premed is hard as it is why make a lab curved down is just beyond me.

There's really no point at all in trying in this course. It isn't even that difficult, but if you do not do everything exactly perfect, you won't get the A. I got a 92.5 and got scaled down to a B+, another friend got a 93.5 and got a B+, and another got a 96 and got an A-. And the labs itself don't even help with a fundamental understanding of Physics, it's all a game to see what will score you the most points. If I am doing far better in the lecture, which is harder, and doing worse in the lab course, which is not even difficult and I did not score poorly on, then obviously something is really, really wrong here. The Prof doesn't even give a crap about it, saying that everything grading-wise is "as advertised," but clearly most of us weren't taking this course on a whim but to fulfill a Premed requirement, so there's no choice in the matter. So just put the time and energy into something else that actually matters because this course certainly doesn't.

This is the most pathetic course I have ever taken at UVa. As said before, the grading is idiotic. I got a 96.23 in the class-- the highest in my lab section-- and still got an A . My friend with a 95.78, got an A-. Another, with a 92, got a B. The grading system is entirely inadequate because it evaluates all the sections together, which neglects the variable of easy/hard TAs. Some just give you the answer, and as a result you will have a higher lab score.

Maxim and his course are completely and utterly useless. I learned absolutely nothing and worked hard to answer his stupid post lab quizzes, while receiving no help in lab from my TA. This class is a waste of time and money, and is a disgrace to the rest of the university. Thank you for nothing, Mr. Bychkov.