You should be able to articulate, explain, and apply the laws of thermodynamics. For example, what is entropy, why does it tend to increase, and what fundamental limit does this tendency impose on our ability to generate work from heat? How well did you achieve this learning goal in this course?
Given a microscopic description of a physical system, you should be able to make predictions about its bulk properties. This includes deriving equations of state (e.g., ideal gas law) and response functions (e.g., heat capacity, compressibility, or magnetic susceptibility) from first principles. Conversely, based on measured response functions, you should be able to draw quantitative inferences about a material's microscopic degrees of freedom. How well did you achieve this learning goal in this course?
Many of the model systems (random walk; harmonic oscillator) and statistical principles (central limit theorem; maximization of entropy) we study in statistical mechanics appear in diverse contexts both within physics and in other fields ranging from biology to finance. When you encounter them, you should recognize them and be equipped to answer new questions by applying methods from this course. How well did you achieve this learning goal in this course?
How useful to you were the in-class breakout groups?
How useful to you were the discussion sections?
How useful to you were the lectures?
How useful to you were the problem sets?
What was the quality of the textbook Reif: Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics?
What specific changes could the instructor make to improve this course for next year's students?