He prefaced this class by telling us it was the hardest physics lab offered for undergraduates. While I don't know how necessarily true this statement is, I personally found this class very, very, time consuming and difficult. What is nice is the collaborative atmosphere with fellow classmates because its so small (6 of us this quarter), so make friends quickly!

It's hard because you're learning brand new skills every week which are the utter basics of optical design (AMO, physical chemistry, imaging science) , including polarizers, waveplates, lasers, optical cavities, etc. I personally don't have an immediate gift for experimental science and struggled quite a bit as I kept learning new things. The actual quantum part is the final experiment which is an experimental verification of Bell's Inequality (an optional Hong-Ou-Mandel). That being said, this class is so cool and more importantly, immediately useful. I thought optics from lower div was god awful boring until we started looking at the more advanced EM topics that you don't typically learn from 110 series. Plus, you get a stronger intuition for how QM works!

Highly recommend but not for the faint of heart.

I am the number 1 Wesley Campbell fan on the planet.

This class was quite difficult but it had a very forgiving curve, engaging lectures, useful office hours, and a really good textbook. Getting behind is very punishing so although attendance is not mandatory I would not recommend skipping lecture.

Wesley Campbell is my roman empire.

i had my first lecture at ucla for this class and i was totally lost by the end of it. it is a tough class BUT you will learn a lot if you push through. his tests are difficult and he tries to have a uniform raw score distribution for the midterm, generally curved between A to C grades. it is demoralizing and you have to believe in yourself; i freaked out before the midterm and changed to P/NP grading right before the deadline because i genuinely thought i was close to failing. but the curve will save you and since it's an honors class most poeple end up with A's and B's. his lectures can be somewhat challenging to follow; sometimes when i read the chapters before lecture i feel like i understand and then when he goes over it in class i feel lost. the textbook is well written and i know a lot of people skip all the lectures, watch recordings on 2x, and go through the textbook on their own. he does arrange cool demos for every lecture, and even had one during the midterm to match one of the questions. he also has students create an exam problem for both the midterm and the final, and chooses one at random.

Campbell is a nice guy don't get me wrong, I love him as a teacher but there was a lot unsaid and assumed of us.

Notations were often assumed to be known
Assumed we took AP Physics 1c

Taking the class again I might learn more but he was way too fast to take without Physics C knowledge

Professor Campbell is a pretty interesting man, but I can sometimes get lost in all the tricky math he does with the physics problem. Sometimes the physics are not necessarily conceptually heavy but the math is really lengthy and complicated, which personally makes me get lost in the physics behind it. Homeworks and workloads are good, tests are really hard but curving is good. I recommend taking this class if you are a physics major and already has some background in mechanics. Background in multivariable calculus, vector calculus and geometry are also needed (pretty heavy on integrating over certain geometries so you will need to have a feel on that). Other than that just be prepared to spend a lot of time on this class.. so probably don't take it with another hard core class in the same quarter (FYI i took three classes this quarter and thus was able to devote most of my time in this course)

Incredible class, loved every second of it (excluding the midterm). His grading is heavily homework-based (60%).

His notes are immaculate, he makes us derive a lot of the fundamental stuff, and really motivates it well. I didn't feel the 115B grind of calculating random functions or "checking this random function satisfies the schrodinger equation" kind of bullshit.

Very focused on intuition and introduces a lot of mathematical bases that are extremely useful and make the content fun and intuitive, Campbell is extremely knowledgeable about the material and is very approachable.

Campbell loves the material and to engage with students, I was delighted to have taken that class. Even though he was a little hardcore about the midterm exam (which he ended up curving extremely generously)

Take it if you want to have a really cool intro to atomic physics (it all about orbitals and transitions)

Campbell's strengths: Super organized, good at listening to and answering questions, very approachable, engaging lecturer, I always felt super respected. His welcoming attitude and jokes about how even he found questions challenging were good for morale.

Course strengths: Small class size so you make good, brilliant friends through trauma bonding. It's super collaborative. The homework is hard, but you can really put in as much time as you want-8 hours if you're stubborn and want to do it yourself, 2 hours if you use the answer key/friends as soon as you get stuck. The midterm is brutal but has a nice curve, the final is "easier" but then the might curve it funny. Attendance is optional, lectures are recorded. IMO the first week of class was the hardest, and it gets a little easier

Weaknesses: The lectures are long, fast-paced, and sometimes dry. It will be very hard if you haven't seen physics before. Some lectures are very fast and you get lost. Campbell's office hours room is kind of small, which is nitpicky. Class was long and draining, content is hard.

TLDR Campbell and my new physics friends were the best parts of 1AH, the workload is intense and challenging but it really makes you feel like you've done something.

This class was probably the best class I could've taken as a freshman. The first lecture completely blew me out of the water, but quickly, Campbell's teaching style became more comfortable. The homework is hard and time consuming, but this class was very memorable, and I met some wonderful people in it. If you want to take this class because of the challenge, then I would say to do it as long as you are aware that it is a CHALLENGE.

Campbell was a great, engaging lecturer, and moved at a quick pace to avoid distractions. I would say this though, read the book before, take notes and what it has to say, then add what Prof says afterward. Copying lecture notes may lead you astray, as he mainly just draws the scenarios and writes some of the math. He leaves out a lot of the theory/concepts. Attendance was not mandatory. A note though, if you have not taken multivariable calculus, definitely do some self-teaching, as this will make a lot of your concepts easier to follow. Campbell can overcomplicate things in his lectures, so as long as you can follow along with the concepts and try to replicate his math, then you should be fine.

Overall, this class was very generous in terms of content, support, and curving. If you do not want to dedicate your life to this class, then good luck. But if you are determined to learn on a rigorous level, then this is the course for you.

Wes is an awesome professor! He is a great lecturer and truly cares about student learning. He also makes class interactive with demos and Q&As. In regards to exams, there was one midterm (30%) and the final (40%). The exams were difficult but do-able. He generously curved them as well. If you're taking physics 17, I highly recommend taking it with Campbell.

The instructor for this course is exceptional in many ways, providing an enriching and engaging learning environment. While the required textbook is primarily useful for select homework questions, its utility is limited beyond that scope. However, the lecture notes are a standout resource, diverging from the textbook yet offering comprehensive and clear insights that can significantly aid in excelling in the course. These notes are highly praised and can be a primary study material for students.

Physics 17 occupies a peculiar niche within the physics department, ostensibly serving as a foundational course for advanced studies in quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. Despite its label as "modern physics," the content can feel somewhat dated, with certain early concepts not being extensively applied in subsequent courses. This redundancy raises questions about the course's necessity, as subsequent upper-division courses do not strictly require it as a prerequisite, allowing students to bypass it without detriment to their academic progression. This situation has led to a lack of uniformity in how the course is taught, with instructors often cherry-picking content from advanced courses, leading to disorganization and confusion.

However, Professor Campbell stands out in his approach to teaching this course. Having previously dropped this course due to a challenging experience with another instructor, my return under Professor Campbell's guidance was transformative. His methodical and step-by-step explanations make complex concepts accessible and engaging. His humor and approachability contribute to a positive and interactive classroom atmosphere, encouraging questions and fostering a deep understanding of the material. Notably, Professor Campbell designs unique and thought-provoking homework questions that enhance the learning experience.

Beyond his teaching style, Professor Campbell is exceptionally supportive, readily available outside of office hours, and quick to respond to emails. The course's pace is well-judged, ensuring that students can follow along comfortably. His approach not only prepares students well for advanced topics in physics but also instills confidence and enthusiasm for the subject.

The examinations in this course are challenging yet fair, designed as learning experiences that encourage deep understanding rather than rote memorization. Despite my initial reservations about the necessity of Physics 17 for advanced studies, Professor Campbell's instruction has been invaluable, leaving me with a strong foundation and a heightened interest in physics.

While there may be structural questions regarding the necessity of Physics 17 within the curriculum, Professor Campbell's exceptional teaching abilities and dedication to student success make a compelling case for the value he brings to the department. If given administrative authority, I would advocate for a reevaluation of the course's role within the curriculum while ensuring that instructors of Professor Campbell's caliber are recognized and rewarded for their significant contributions to student learning and engagement.