I'm thinking about getting a materials minor, and am looking into taking either ME 153 or Met 125 or both next semester. But, since taking both would bulk up my schedule quite a bit, I'd like to get a little insight on them first.

Can anyone tell me if the classes are difficult at all? Are they as easy as Met 121, or are they actually challenging courses. More than anything, I'm curious about how intensive the lab reports for 153 would be. Since I'll already be taking a pretty intensive lab next semester, I don't really want another class where I'll have to be spending a big chunk of time on lab reports.

Me 153 is extremely easy. Lecture and homewrok/tests are set up exactly like Met 121. I.E. Listen in class to get the homework answers, study the homeworks to ace the tests. There are no lab reports, you just show up and build your clock and thats it. You will spend virtually no time outside of class on ME153.

I am in ME153 right now (free elective) and it is by FAR my easiest class this semester. I studied for ~30 mins for the 2 tests so far (the first I forgot about til the day of) and got a 92 and a 98. Really, it hardly counts as a class time-wise.

I took them both in one semester and it wasn't too bad. ME 153 didn't really require any outside of class time, but I knew a lot of the stuff from being on Formula. Met 121 required a little more out of class time to study for tests.

Met 125 is Chem 3 for Mets. It is taught by Matt O'Keefe, who is arguably one of the best profs in the department. If you are not good at Chem, it may be a tough class for you though. When I took it, we went over the next 2/3 of the chem book from Chem 1, focusing on stuff related to Metallurgical processes. Stoichiometry and Thermodynamics were the main subjects that were stressed, as well as ideal gas laws and such.

I don't know if you have looked at Met 307 and 308, but they are pretty easy and useful classes as well. It is all dealing with metal casting, so there are a lot of cool labs involving pouring metal and testing the product if you take the lab, and all the homeworks deal with the same types of principles. Dr. Richards refers to himself as Dr. Easy, so that means it has to be pretty simple. I believe only Met 121 is a requirement, so you don't need to have too much background. If you have any questions about the course or why you should take it, talk to Dr. Von Richards in McNutt, first office on the left as you walk west down the hallway to the north of the commons.

Richards also has Non-Destructive Testing next semester (Met 305/306) it should be a pretty helpful class for many engineering majors, btw, what is you major PeeOn?

Nuke.

I second the vote for Met 307/308. I am a Comp E and took his class (took met121 after taking his class) and did decent. I liked the lab alot, got to do several cast iron pours and made our own bronze castings (i ended up making a 30lb bronze plaque).

I took met 125 and it is easy to get a good grade as long as you do your homework which isn't much. O'Keefe is a good teacher but be prepared to take lots of notes in the class(1-2 pages a day)

Talk to Bill, he is getting a materials minor...