Class Distribution: Midterm 1 - 120 points Midterm 2 - 120 points Final Exam - 200 points Lab Section - 135 points Clickers - 72 points Weekly Launchpad activities - 45 Weekly pre-class review questions - 45 Weekly practice exam questions - 45 Total points possible = 782 (Graded on normal, straight scale) LS7B was an okay class overall. It's very similar to LS7A, with the same type of clickers and launchpad assignments, the only real difference being the lab sections (which are honestly just longer discussion sections, with some of them being entirely useless). The professors were great and very accommodating, making sure they had extra office hours for exams and they were active on Campuswire too. However, the exams were poorly made, with many vague questions with confusing wording. The first midterm involves a lot of probabilities which can definitely be confusing, and the overall exams had a lot of "what if" type questions which were also confusing. Still, there was lots of extra credit given from simple surveys, midterm reflections, mini midterms (a 6 question "midterm" after the actual midterm), as well as a 1 question leeway on all the exams. Instructors also removed questions that they deemed to be unreasonable. There is no group stage for these exams. The best way to study for the exams in my opinion is to review clicker questions, practice exam questions, practice midterm questions, and going to office hours. Problem solving sessions can be helpful, but didn't really help me too much. Also, you are allowed to miss an entire week of class activities/homework and still get a 100%. My scores: I got a 100% in all the sections except the exams. Lab sections were pretty leniently graded by my TA. Midterm 1 - 114/120; Midterm 2 - 118/120; Final Exam - 180/200; these scores include the added points from the reflection and mini midterm. Pires herself was a solid professor who takes her time to answer everyone's questions and genuinely cares about her students, but the monotonous nature, the labs often being busy work, and poorly-made exams of the course diminish her teaching skills.