Kaner was once again amazing by making the class so engaging and interesting upon solid state which discusses a lot about crystals/solids. Weirdly, I would say it's very slightly easier than 171 with simpler concepts (1/4 of the class was just lattice structures again) and only 7 PS w/ easy grading. However, there are a LOT more concepts and Kaner classic, the midterm was crazy long and hard considering the time constraint. I bombed it (below average) but the final was less tricky and I did much better which landed me an A-. I would say the class overall was interesting and ofc Kaner just makes it more engaging.

TLDR
- Very entertaining and fun class; all lectures bruincasted
- Passionate professor with many stories and focuses on helping students understand the impact of Solid State/Materials Chemistry
- Comprehensive, challenging midterm and final
- Useful textbook, easy to find online

This class continues on from Chem 171, with the first 5 weeks being a mix of new topics (synthetic techniques, crystal growth, miller indices) and older topics (FCC/HCP, Band Diagram, Conductivity). There was only 7 HW assignments and you don't have to show up to class as much. In fact, more than half of the class disappeared by week 3. Lectures were slower and well paced - expect professor Kaner to talk about interesting tidbits and sharing various crystals, diamonds, and objects for at least 15 minutes per lecture. This was the best part of going to lectures IMO. To do well in this class, work on and study the HW assignments and review the practice midterm/final. You really need to know the material quickly for the exams and move on even if you hesitate for a little bit. Be sure to ask if you're unsure of anything; Kaner really wants to help clarify any misconceptions and topics. As long as you do the HW and show improvement from the midterm, you'll get a B (If you get around class average you get B+/A- and if you're above the average you get an A).

Professor Kaner is awesome! His lectures are very engaging and the course material itself is interesting and important for chemists.

Most of the people that took this class took Professor Kaner’s 171 class in the Fall, with some grad students sprinkled in. The course structure followed very closely to 171’s, with weekly homework, a very difficult midterm exam, and an easier, though comprehensive, final exam. As such, I would recommend this class to anyone who did well in 171 and would like to learn more about some of the more interesting topics covered in 171. These included crystal growth, gemstones, silicates/other minerals, semiconductors and metals, and conducting polymers.

I scored below average on the midterm but felt confident about my performance on the final and ended up getting an A in the class. It seems like if you show growth and demonstrate a solid understanding of the material on the final, you will be fine. This is why I love Professor Kaner; he is caring and genuinely cares about student learning.

Probably one of my favorite classes for undergrad. A continuation of 171 so kinda revisit crystal structures etc. (some of the slides are actually copy pasted so you get a good review). 1 midterm, 1 final, ~8 hw assignments which are graded pretty leniently. Kaner is just an amazing lecturer and the content is very interesting if at all interested in inorganic (think 171 material). Also the class is not too hard (almost everyone gets A or B)- mostly just memorize the practice tests he gives you and that'll for sure get you in the range of getting a good grade. Great way to fulfill the elective requirement and the class usually doesn't fill all the way up :D