Grades:

Your grades will be based ONLY upon the following: 25 % each for 4 exams.

University rules stipulate that course grades must be given only for work performed during the semester. Thus, there will be no opportunity to make changes in grades after the semester is over.

Homework problems:

Homework problems are posted on the web site. These will not be handed in for grading, but students are warned that not solving or completing these problems as they are assigned is poor practice. It is very likely that only through focusing on the questions asked and struggling through the problem solutions will you really come to grips with the overall structure and details of the concepts being presented in this course. Doing the problems on a regular basis will pay dividends at exam times.

Problem solutions will be posted on the MatSE 259 website from time to time.

Exams:

The first three exams will be evening exams, held at 6:30-7:45 pm; the last exam will be in-class. See below for the dates, times, and rooms for the evening exams. Optional informal review sessions will be held during the regular class times on the days of the evening exams.

Each exam will consist of about 25 multiple choice questions. In general, the emphasis of each exam will be on material given in class and on homework problems covered since the last exam. Students should be aware, however, that the course builds on previous concepts and information, and after each exam it would be appropriate to review material found not to have been completely assimilated, in preparation for the next exam. Memory dumps after each exam are definitely not recommended.

Students should use their classnotes (mainly) and homework problems as a guide as to what information and concept areas are considered important (read as: will probably show up on an exam). Rereading the appropriate material in the text three or even ten times without critically evaluating the material in your classnotes will probably not cut it at exam times.

Examples of past exams appear on the web site. Some non-multiple choice exams will be posted, but, remember, your exams will be multiple choice.

Exam dates:

Monday, 12 February - 12 Walker - evening
Monday, 5 March - 112 Walker - evening
Monday, 2 April - 112 Walker - evening
2 May - in-class

The first three exams are at 6:30-7:45 pm

Please review your exam schedule for all your courses and resolve any conflicts as soon as possible. Requests for conflict exams must be made at least three days in advance of the day on which the exam is scheduled

Warning:

Any cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with on an individual basis and strictly according to published University procedures.

Class etiquette:

NOTE:

If you wish to read the Collegian, other newspapers, magazines (or the stock reports, sports, etc.) instead of participating in the class discussion, you must do so OUTSIDE the classroom. Ditto for any non class-related books.

Use of cell phones and iPods or other similar devices in class ist verboten.

The instructor will make a strong effort to start precisely at 12:20 pm and end the discussion at precisely 1:10 pm. This means that important information will be discussed immediately at the beginning of the class as well as at the very end. Therefore, as a courtesy to fellow class members, it is requested that you permit them to hear the discussion by curtailing private conversations at 12:20. Also, please do not shuffle papers, etc., etc., until the instructor announces that he is finished at 1:10.

Some corrections in the text:

Figure 3-3a: this is not a unit cell: see table 3-2 for the correct description of a hexagonal unit cell.

Page 32 and after: replace the term "face-centered cubic" with "cubic close packed", and "FCC" with "ccp". Face-centered cubic is a type of lattice, not a type of structure. "Close packed cubic" describes the structure; it means that the atoms are located on the lattice points only.

Classnotes:

Download from this website.