List of labs
Lab schedule
Labs meet Tue and Wed 6:30-8:30pm. You will be assigned to one of the two labs for your regular section. Both labs cover the same content. The lab explores the material introduced in the preceding two lectures and prepares you for the upcoming assignment. The week's assignment is released after completion of the week's lab.
Common questions about lab
Written by Julie Zelenski and Pat Hanrahan
What is a lab?
The weekly 2-hour lab section focuses on active experimentation and practical skill-building. The lab content consists of a set of exercises/tasks that reinforce the week's lecture content. After finishing the lab, you will be well-prepared to do the assignment for that week. Instructors and CAs will be available during the labs.
The labs will often involve hardware. For example, in one of the first labs you will learn how to create a circuit on a breadboard. We will bring tools and supplies to the labs.
How is lab credit awarded?
Labs are graded for participation on a credit/no-credit basis. You earn credit by actively participating for the full lab period. We are hopeful the lab period will be enough time to work through all exercises, but what you don't finish, we encourage you to complete on your own.
During the lab, we ask that you periodically check-in with the course staff, so we can see how you're doing and help resolve any issues that come up. This check-in also serves as our way of tracking your participation.
What is the lab collaboration policy?
More heads are better than one for this kind of experimenting, so you will work in pairs. You are also encouraged to discuss the work and share ideas with everyone in your lab room. Lab time is for active, hands-on, collaborative learning – please offer your help to your peers and seek advice from your peers and the staff. The goal is for everyone to come away with a clear understanding of the lab concepts and be prepared to go on to complete the assignments (which are done individually).
Is it okay to arrive to lab late or leave early?
We award credit for labs based on participation and effort. We won't quibble about a few lost minutes here or there, but we do generally expect you to arrive on-time and participate for the full lab period (or until satisfactorily completing all lab exercises).
What happens if I miss my lab?
If you have to miss your lab session one week, please come to the other session if possible. If you miss a lab entirely, we recommend that you work through the exercises on your own. Please come to office hours if you get stuck. If you skip a lab, you may have trouble doing the week's assignment.