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PHYS 232LMeasurement Laboratory

Units
0.25
Faculty
Science
Subject
Physics

Not in the current Undergraduate Calendar. Shown as it appeared in 2024–25.

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 1 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

A laboratory that teaches programming for the computer interfacing of physics experiments and automatic data collection.

Prerequisites

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

Reviewed on UW Flow

60% liked it39% easy63% useful

From 30 ratings and 8 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • yo genuinely this course was my least favourite course this term. it is so easy but oh my god is it so infuriating. writing code ate up my time more than i would like and trying to get through the actual lab is like trying to claw your way back up a 100 ft jagged clif on the verge of a massive landslide. yeah honestly i probably developed 10 aneurysms trying to do these stupid reports.
    also the feed is so vague it basically doesn't exist. i could probably count for each hand many times i LOST knowledge instead of gaining any. sigh..

    Dec 2024 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • The grading system for this class is needlessly harsh. The challenge questions are worth a significant portion of your grade for each report plus an additional 10% weight of your final grade. This style of grading is set up so that you do extremely poorly. Removing that additional 10% would make the class much better.

    Nov 2023 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Have to do a lot of work pre-lab in order to finish anything in the section, but it was cool.

    Dec 2022 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Read the lab manual way long before you go to the lab. You have to perfectly understand what you have to do to be able to finish everything and get all the data you need in the time given in the lab. You can ask the professor anything before or during the lab but not later

    Dec 2020 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • A bit tedious and boring. Not terribly difficult, but the software kinda sucks and is annoying.

    May 2017On UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

10 posts and comments in 10 threads mention PHYS 232L, October 2017 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Spring 2024

PHYS 232L section swap 1 point, 0 comments

u/AFKWarrior28: “Looking for someone willing to swap PHYS 232L sections with me, I am currently in section 3 of the class and want to swap to section 2 instead. All the sections are full so I would need a swap with someone else. Thanks!”

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Spring 2020

Anyone going in first year studying MNS? 3 points, 6 comments

“Just wondering if there are any first year students going into MNS. I haven't found many people going into the same program so I feel supalonely.”

u/dolphinoutofwater: “Graduated MNS alum here. Check out MNS Society. We (idk if we still do) hold some cool lab and social events where you can meet people. Lots of science students come, not just mns students.”

u/dolphinoutofwater: “… On the other hand, a couple courses are very poorly designed or just badly taught because the profs available to teach it are limited (PHYS 232L is both, god I hate this course). The CHEM 400 series of special topic courses are super fun, highly recommend. …”

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Fall 2019

Spring 2019

Which Physics Lab? 5 points, 4 comments

“For my program, I need to take Phys360A&B (Modern Physics Labs), but the prerequisites for those are 3 year-two physics labs of my choosing. …”

u/KaliumNa: “PHYS 232L is mostly on the computer with a drag and drop programming language (you're given a textbook and all). PHYS 256L is best taken with PHYS 256. It covers a lot that is in the lectures. Both courses are 5 labs each. PHYS 232L lab reports are due next day. …”

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Fall 2018

Spring 2018

Winter 2018

University of Waterloo Physical Science GPA 3 points, 9 comments

“Hi, guys! Does someone know how much hard it is maintain B+ average in physical science at first year???”

u/OfficialPapaJohn: “Depends on which of 7 majors you take. Chemistry, med chem, and earth science isnt too hard. For chem, chem 264 (orgo) will fuck you up pre bad but thats 2nd year unless you take it for some …”

u/Yoursliceofparadise: “I can comment on nanoscience, i was part of the first graduating class. MNS 2A will fuck you up if they haven’t changed it. CHEM 209, 266, 266L, MATH 227, 228, MNS 211, PHYS 232L.”

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Fall 2017

Any way to disable UWCourseLinker from posting? 16 points, 26 comments

“posting a reply to my comment I find the bot annoying.”

u/Jackhofmann: “PSYCH 483 PSYCH 484 PSYCH 485 PSYCH 486 PSYCH 490R PSYCH 499A PSYCH 499B PSYCH 499C PSYCH 621 PSYCH 630 PSYCH 677A PSYCH 704A PSYCH 704B PSYCH 707 PSYCH 710 PSYCH 714 PSYCH 717 PSYCH 720A PSYCH 721A …”

u/Jackhofmann: “… 111 PHYS 111L PHYS 115 PHYS 121 PHYS 121L PHYS 131L PHYS 212W PHYS 224 PHYS 224L PHYS 225 PHYS 232L PHYS 236 PHYS 256 PHYS 256L PHYS 275 PHYS 342 PHYS 358 PHYS 360A PHYS 360B PHYS 363 PHYS 364 PHYS 380 PHYS 434 PHYS 437A PHYS 437B PHYS 442 PHYS 454 PHYS 460A PHYS 460B PHYS 461 …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar