Second the reviews given here! Dr. Liu was incredibly caring since it was his first time teaching this class I think it will be even better the next time he teaches. The 3 problem sets were pretty extensive but I think the tradeoff for not having midterms is pretty good and the class felt like you were getting out what you were putting in. I think it was super manageable with the other 3 classes I was taking and research and the week long final that we had was also not too bad and I could fit it in after I was done with my other finals.

I think the only disclaimer is brush up on molecular orbitals because that is literally what this class is: using symmetry to make molecular orbitals and what results we may obtain with this. Deriving MO diagrams was introduced week 1 and stayed up until even the final :)

Also, here is the grading breakdown he used with our class: A+, > 100; A, 95~99.5; A-, 90~94.5; B+, 85~89.5; B, 80~84.5; B-, 75~79.5; C+, 70~74.5; C, 65~69.5; C-, 60~64.5; D/F, < 60. Each problem set was 20 points each (60 total) and final was 40 points. There were 2 points of extra credit given for completing surveys (as well as .5 bonus points possible on each pset) and honestly the grading was pretty light- I was never stressed about my grade.

Would definitely take a class with him again!

Disclaimer: Taken during COVID

This quarter was his first time teaching 172/C172, and I couldn't have asked for a better professor. He breaks down concepts in a way that makes it easier to understand (less linear algebra heavy) and is honest when he doesn't know the complete answer to something. He encourages questions and he is never condescending about it so it was easier to clear up any confusion that I had.

As for the class structure, I think it is similar to his other classes where he uploads the slides before class and uses Slido for anonymous questions during lecture.The lectures complemented the problem sets very well in that the applications are clear and straightforward. There are 3 problem sets, 1 final, and we were given around 2 weeks to finish the assignments. In my opinion, the assignments can be a little bit tough and time consuming, but some of us would go over the answers together so study groups are highly recommended. The TAs I had prepared review slides and practice questions during discussion so I never felt like I was behind.

Overall, his reviews for the other classes he taught are accurate. He was very receptive to our comments or concerns and it was apparent that he cared about his students. He taught everything he said he would, and all the content he tested for was covered thoroughly in lecture. I would take this class again and whatever other classes Professor Liu teaches!

Chong is such a delight who has clear slides and will make the effort to clarify any confusion especially in office hours. He's overall very sweet as well. Expect to learn a lot about MOs and how different symmetries reflect them; the class is very chill and the content isn't too hard. As for the class breakdown:
- 3 LONG, somewhat confusing PS (60%) + 2 EC for undergrads
- 4-5 day Take-home final (40%; also kinda tricky in some questions)
For the PS, I suggest you ask Chong for concept clarification but ask the TAs on how to approach the problem because sometimes they have conflicting ideas of how to approach it (but it's never too different from what they ask). For the final, you don't necessarily have to prepare for it, I would suggest just looking at past PS problems. We didn't, however, get the results for our final, but again it wasn't too difficult and the EC gives some cushion.

TLDR for this class
- Great professor: Often funny unintentionally, well-paced lectures, good explanation of various topics, and emphasizes understanding (for this reason the lectures are slower allowing students to better grasp the material)
- Good TAs: I had J. Sun as my TA; she explains very well and helps out with the exercises (HW) well.
- Take-home Exercises & Final: Ignore the Final date and location on MyUCLA as the professor releases the date and deadline for 3 exercises and final exam. This is the most difficult part of the class as the exercises are very through and long. The questions are usually not straightforward and challenging (albeit some questions are very easy to solve). You'll have 2-4 weeks to work on the exercises and then only 4 days to do the final exam.

Overall, I'm impressed with professor Liu! I enjoyed being in his class even though I despised the exercises & final. They are difficult and LONG (beaware the "Irreducible Representations" and "SALCS", you'll soon understand haha) so be sure to make a group and work with peers so that you can maximize your grade. I personally didn't finish the entire final so I ended up with a B+ but you can definitely get an A in this class. Majority of the class got A's (18 points) on all the exercises so GET started on them early. I didn't and it caused a lot of stress for me.

As mentioned above, his lectures are well-paced and slower which made learning a lot better. The lectures were bruincasted from Spring 2021 but it's quiet and you can't hear them well so definitely try to attend lecture and especially discussion as the TAs will guide the class to solving the exercises. He's also very helpful in office hours and not boring/dry in lectures. Don't worry about your grade until the final.