Labs

Written by Julie Zelenski, with modifications by Nick Troccoli

Lab Materials

Note: lab materials will be posted here at the start of each week.

Tip: some students have found it helpful to use web annotation/highlighter tools (e.g. roohit, Marker.to, getliner...) to mark key passages of the lab writeups when working.

Lab Schedule and Signups

Labs meet weekly starting the second week of the quarter. The first week you will choose your lab section time. Our typical weekly schedule offers labs Tues, Wed, and Thurs at various times throughout the day in Gates B08, in the basement of the Gates building where the myth machines are housed. Lab signups are set to open Wed Jan 9 5:55 pm. Labs signups are first-come, first-served; so we recommend signing up quickly if you don't have much schedule flexibility.

The lab schedule for this quarter is listed below, to help you prepare for when signups open. Each lab will have roughly 25 openings:

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Visit Lab Schedule and Signups to view the lab schedule and choose/change your assigned lab once signups have opened. The link will display an error if signups have not opened yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is lab credit awarded?

Lab credit is awarded for participation. To earn credit, you need to arrive on time and actively participate for the full lab period. At the end of lab, submit your checkoff sheet to your CA to be recorded. When submitting a checkoff, you are asserting that you (and any partner named) fully participated in the lab.

What is the lab collaboration policy?

This is participatory collaborative learning -- please offer your help to your peers and seek advice from your peers and the staff. You will work in pairs at a shared computer and are encouraged to discuss topics and share ideas with the group. The goal is for everyone to come away with a clear understanding of the lab concepts and be prepared to go on to individually complete the assignments.

Can I go to a different lab than my assigned one?

Yes; a student attending a lab other than their assigned one is a "visitor". Visitors are accommodated when space is available. You may contact the lab leader in advance to confirm availability and reserve a visitor spot. If you don't ask and just show up, we may still be able to fit you in, but you will be turned away if there is not sufficient capacity, as priority is given to the assigned students and confirmed visitors.

Can I permanently change my assigned lab?

Use the signup link earlier on this page to re-assign yourself. If your preferred lab is at capacity, it cannot accept additional students and you must retain your current assignment. Keep an eye out for space opening up to allow the switch later as students do shuffle around a bit in the first few weeks.

What happens if I arrive to lab late or leave early?

We expect you to arrive on time and engage for the full lab period (or until satisfactorily completing all lab exercises). Arriving late or leaving early will result in not receiving lab credit.

What happens if I miss my lab?

If you have to miss your your assigned lab section, you can make it up by attending another lab section as a visitor. You will earn lab credit for participating in either your regular lab or as a visitor to another. If you do have to miss attending the lab entirely, we strongly encourage you to work through the exercises for your own benefit, but there is no makeup credit for missed participation. You may miss one lab without penalty, although attending all labs will earn a small extra credit bonus.

Can you provide the lab solutions for the lab(s) that I missed or didn't complete on my own?

We agree that thoroughly understanding the lab exercises is very helpful, but the real value in these "answers" is in what you learned while working it out. Passively reviewing someone else's work is not nearly as beneficial, and for this reason we do not publish lab solutions. Please participate in lab and follow through on the exercises yourself! If you have finished and you would like to double check your understanding, you can review with your CA during lab or stop by office hours or the online forum. You can also freely discuss lab content with your peers. We would also welcome review of lab exercises (including exchanging your own solution code) on the forum once lab has finished for everyone for the week!