CHEM231 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Daniel Falvey CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 11/14/2024	Probably the best professor this year for orgo 1. The lectures were clear, and the exams were easier than the homework.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 11/04/2024	She is the goat. She provides a lot of practice problems on ELMS. The GTAs are quite helpful in answering homework problems and general conceptional problems. As people have mentioned, this course is not about memorization. You need to know the "why." I highly recommend completing all of her practice problems to ace this course. She is very passionate in teaching organic chemistry. She provides the time for students to ask questions during lecture. On Halloween, she even dressed up! Again, she is a nice teacher. This course is designed for STEM majors to actually practice good study habits. There is a cutoff for the course. So far a C- is about a 50% total grade (this is just from the two midterms and no homework graded). I expect this number to go down after the final. She also provides a handful amount of extra credit too (about 15 points total).
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 10/28/2024	I actually really enjoyed my class with Rainbolt - the students expressing that he is "rude" or "condescending" have never been told "no" a day in their lives. Seriously. I enjoyed his sense of humor, I liked that he checked students when they acted like they knew more, and that he actually did care. I met with him during office hours several times and told him straight up that I hated chemistry, wasn't trying to get into med school, and just needed to pass. He was a god-send after that and told me that I need to focus on x,y, and z. Which honestly, is super fair. I'm a firm believer in the fact that if you approach professors with solutions to your problems, they will help you find the most suitable solution for both of you. When I took my ORGO I final in the same room as his GEN CHEM II students, his exam mirrored what I took for GEN CHEM II at community college.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 10/07/2024	I had Dr. Stocker for 131 and 231; she was great for both. She is a good lecturer and explains things clearly and thoroughly without being confusing. She didn't move too fast which was nice and her tests were very fair, always reflecting the material we learned in class. She provided resources for preparing for tests like problem sets and past exams which were very helpful. The only thing I will say about her is she sometimes moves too slow and ends up rushing to teach a lot of material the lecture before the test which can be very frustrating. Orgo is a hard class and taking it with her is no exception but she makes it a lot more palatable.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 10/02/2024	Dr. H is a really good professor in my opinion and the way she styles her notes is very organized. She mainly teaches from lecture guides that you can print or annotate on your iPad and she's honestly a very funny professor. It's not like she's speaking at you but she like to engage and make sure everyone is learning and understanding what she says. I will say orgo is definitely a hard class but she makes resources very accessible and is lenient on grading so unless you are practicing problems almost everyday up until the midterm using those resources, it will be really hard for you to catch up. The textbook is free but I'd say download the Organic Chemistry Second language book she gives as well as her PP sets, b/c those will really come in handy. AND GO TO OFFICE HOURS!! she's there to help and she won't be rude like some of these other professors you have. if she was teaching 241, i would take her again
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Anonymous 10/02/2024	She provides lecture notes before class. Definitely print them out, or use some sort of electronic device (ex, iPad) to make note-taking easier! LOTS of studying required, pretty good teacher. She explains things a lot better than other orgo teachers, in my opinion.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 08/25/2024	Stocker has very engaging lectures and she makes sure to go over what you need to know thoroughly. However, her lectures can be pretty fast-paced at times so it can be hard to note everything down. I had to go over my notes after some lectures because I couldn't spare the brainpower to comprehend anything when I was so busy taking notes. She simplifies things in her lectures to make them easier to understand, then makes the homework and exams really difficult. When I was doing the homework/exam, everything seemed complicated, but seeing the answer key afterward I could totally understand where I made mistakes. Try to not get overwhelmed by the problems since they usually aren't as complicated as they seem. I was a little disappointed that she doesn't post her notes and doesn't record class, so if you miss a class, you can only get second-hand info from a classmate. Make sure to attend class if you want the best shot at succeeding. Discussion is helpful; you go over practice problems and ask the TA questions. You can attend any discussion section and I would recommend going to one every week. The TA I had was very helpful. I would also recommend making a chart or something for all the reactions you have to memorize. Your grade is based almost purely on the exams (450 points). There are 45 points dedicated to homework. The homework and exams are very tough. For the homework, make sure not to do it last minute because it takes a long time and is graded on accuracy without partial credit for questions. There are 4 homework assignments and the lowest one is dropped. Form or join a study group with your classmates to go over the homework and study for exams. The homework tends to mimic exam questions, so do your best on them. Stocker releases the homework key after it's due but before the exam, so make sure to check your answers afterward. Stocker also posts a lot of practice sets and past exams that you should go over prior to the exams. They are your best study tools. The practice sets and one past exam for each exam have answer keys. When I studied for the exams, I would do every practice set for the content on that exam, then do the one past exam with the answer key. I would then skim the other past exams without answer keys to get a better feel for the types of exam questions there were. The final is cumulative, but was the easiest exam. Don't slack on studying for it though. Stocker curves, but you don't know what grade you have for sure until the end of the semester. She gives out approximate grade cutoffs after every exam, but they could change depending on how well people in the class do. I ended the class with a low B+ borderline B that got curved to an A.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous_2018 08/20/2024	I took 231 in Spring '24, and even though it was only my second semester, Dr. H is one of the best professors at UMD, especially for the chemistry department. Her unique teaching style, passion, and dedication made organic chemistry possible and even enjoyable at times. Rather than resorting to boring lecture slides and memorization, she optimized active engagement and stimulated interest during classes, using guided notes, models, and sometimes examples from movies and shows like Star Wars and Pokémon. It was almost like learning from a big kid! In addition, Dr. H's exams were fair with material-representative problems with medium difficulty and ample time. No doubt, even though she'll be there to help you every step of the way, you WILL have to exert work and effort to succeed in organic chemistry, so don't expect an easy A. PRACTICE A LOT. There's really no other way to master the material, and Dr. H provides a lot of practice material. Optimizing studying techniques, going to office hours, and attempting to enjoy the material (it works!) can significantly transform your performance in the class even if it starts bumpy. Try to think of the course as a video game if it helps! Dr. H genuinely wishes you to do well, so don't hesitate to reach out for questions and tips. She is the epitome of what a professor should be.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 07/12/2024	Taking a summer course with her was a nightmare. The homework was worth 10 points each, and the questions were tough. In addition, if you took the lab the same time as the course you would spend hours doing homework and post lab questions and the lab worksheet. She is helpful during office hours but the class was still extremely hard and painful
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 07/05/2024	If you are taking orgo 1 again please take it with Dixon. After taking it with another professor, Dixon's teaching style if much more simple and understandable. I took this course over the summer, and although you have to go in person everyday, its so worth it. The whole class helped each other and stayed for office hours basically every day. Lectures are posted online if you miss class but its helpful to go in person and take extra notes on what she says will be on the exam. AND yes, she states exactly what kind of questions will be on the exam, no surprises. You will have homework mostly every single day and staying after class for office hours is soooo helpful. 90% of the class will stay in her big office and help each other with the homework. If you have never been to any professors office hours, please let this be the time you actually go because it is not scary or daunting at all! If you are taking orgo 1 again please dont be discouraged, taking it again with Dixon literally helped sooo much. Also, if there ever is an issue you have with the class or absences, talk to Dixon directly and not over email, she appreciates this!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 07/04/2024	Summer Session I, 2024. She is wonderful and lecturing. Her lectures are never boring, as she share funny anecdotes and tools to remember things, (like how primary amines and secondary amines look like udders and breasts in NMR). One morning she was at the ER but still had a (recorder) lecture on zoom later that day, so she definitely cares a lot. She is great about holding lots of office hours. You can work with others on homework, and she drops 3 of them. Her administration of the class could be improved. For example, for one homework assignment she had forgotten to upload it until around 7 pm, but still expected us to upload it at 9:30 am the next morning. Also there is no extension on homework if sick, it just counts as a part of your three homework drops. Overall, I would say she is very good at teaching, so I recommend her for that, but she does have some improvements she could make. (Also do not take summer classes, the pace is stressful).
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/31/2024	THE MOST AMAZING CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR AT UMD Not only does she care about her students, but her class set-up and her teaching are so incredible. She provides lesson guides that we fill in which makes it so easy to follow along and actually absorb material without having to worry about writing down everything in time. She had 5 quizzes this semester and dropped one. She has homework almost every week but it didn't take long and you had 8 tries so it was easy to get 100% on all of them. The midterms were all very very incredibly fair in my opinion. As long as you start reviewing early and start studying at least a week early you're set. You just need to practice practice practice. That's what orgo is, the only way to succeed is practice. Speaking of practice, SHE PROVIDES SO MUCH!!! This really helped me. Now I know what you're looking for: CURVE. She does not curve each individual exam, but she curves the median of the class to a C+/B-. I think by the end of the semester is was 4-5% but that just means as a whole the class was doing pretty well so we didn't need more of a curve. 100% take her if you get the chance!!!
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/26/2024	I'm someone who doesn't go to office hours, I like to do my studying alone. I heard that her office hours are helpful and has some preference if you really go to them a lot. The midterms are difficult, especially considering the whole curriculum changed this seamster (spring 23) and her practice exams were utterly useless for exams 2 & 3. The practice sets she posts are great and if you use them and go to lecture, listen, review notes you will be fine, she teaches not bad and at a pretty slow pace but a lot of times simplifies things that she later grills you on in the exam that you had no clue about. The saving grace is the final, if you know your concepts you will do great and the curve will get you through. Bottom line: not bad professor, teaches at a moderate pace, difficult midterms, really easy final, favoritism for office hour goers. Make sure to lock in for this class.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 05/21/2024	I must agree that Stocker is the best orgo professor at UMD. She explains things in a very simple way that makes it easy for new students to understand. I believe you will definitely pass for as long as you attend each class, take notes, and do practice problems. Stocker makes the lectures fun and engaging, and she offers a lot of resources/practice problems. I highly recommend reviewing what you've learned each week, as it can go by pretty fast. I had really no problem with Stocker; however, some of the practice exams she gives out do not have an answer key, which was pretty frustrating. I also did not like how there were no notes or recordings posted. I often found myself rushing my notes because she did go pretty fast in lecture and I would be missing some information. Other than that, her exams were fair (hard) but they did reflect what we learned. Her homework was very hard, and I would highly recommend starting it a week in advance. I also did have a tutor for orgo which helped immensely! I suggest looking into tutoring for this class to help keep up with the information.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/20/2024	Fucking love her! She’s entertaining in lecture, wants us to learn concepts rather than random memorization, and just generally cares about us as students. It is still a hard class (I maybe spent average of 12-15hr/week and ended with raw B+, but curved to A) but she does things like dropping lowest quiz and homework, keeping highest hw attempt with like 8 attempts, and even gave an extra credit assignment. I really feel like I understand what was happening, and she would also make fun analogies to help explain (she pulled out Pokémon a couple times). She started recording lectures a couple weeks in so you didn’t have to go, and discussion was only mandatory first 10 minutes for the quiz (of which you only had to take 5). But it was definitely very useful to actually go, and the people I know who skipped generally did worse.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/20/2024	Writing for both CHEM131 and CHEM231 here. Dr. Stocker is a great professor – she has many resources for you to succeed and is super helpful during office hours. CHEM231 is a challenging course that requires a lot of work, but Dr. Stocker makes learning the content enjoyable. Exams are fair (and the final is the easiest of them). Overall, I would definitely recommend her.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/20/2024	Dr. Hirschauer is fantastic! I loved her teaching style and it wasn't an extremely tiring class (for context, I was in her T/Th 1hour and 15min lecture). I greatly disliked organic chemistry - and I still do even after taking the course - but Dr. Hirschauer made it bearable. She had weekly homework assignments with 8 attempts which helped with keeping up with material. She also had weekly quizzes in discussion sections and she kept the first 5 (not the top 5, but the first 5 you take), though you were still allowed to take more if you wanted more review. Towards the end of the semester, she also decided to drop the lowest of the 5, so only 4 were actually put into the gradebook. The exams were similar to the practice sets she provided, so definitely do those because they are extremely helpful. The only complaint I had was that she included a lot of conceptual questions on the exam. In her practice sets, she would include very little - sometimes even none - conceptual questions, and then those sorts of questions would be a great deal of points on the exams. Definitely read over the notes before an exam to really get those conceptual ideas down, because they will 100% be on every exam. Other than that, the practice sets and the exams matched pretty well!! She made sure to keep things lively during her lecture and her chapter note outlines were very helpful. For class, she completes her lectures based off these outlines she created. Either you download them on your iPad or print them out, because it is difficult to follow her lecture without them. If you are able to bring them to class, then it is very easy to follow!! It keeps your notes very organized and easy to review for exams. Overall, she is a kind individual. I would email her sometimes late at night asking questions and she would reply very quickly (I am so sorry Dr. Hirschauer). She wants to make sure you succeed, so take advantage of her office hours and ask her lots of questions. I would definitely recommend her for CHEM231!! I am not exactly sure what her policy is for curving, I believe that it is a higher curve when you have a lower grade, but as you are receiving higher grades then the curve is smaller (I think this is it, but I may be wrong). What I do know - from what I have heard - is that the curve for Dr. Hirschauer was the smallest out of the CHEM231 teachers. This is because our class performed well on exams, so if you are looking for a teacher with a biiiiiig curve, Dr. Hirschauer may not be that for you.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/19/2024	Dr Hirschauer is a great lecturer! She is engaging and tries to relate the topics back to things you might now (and includes pokemon references) to make the content more digestible. However, she does drop the ball in some of the later units and especially towards the end her lectures felt very rushed. Her exams are relatively fair but you will not get by simply on memorizing lecture examples and lecture content, you have to KNOW the material, she has many conceptual questions and you will not do well if you do not have a good fundamental understanding of the material. Self studying is a MUST, she says in the beginning you have to put in at least 9 hours of work for this class a week and that is THE TRUTH. She is a good lecturer but she is slightly overhyped and definitely not your ticket to an easy A, you have to WORK for it.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/18/2024	Dr. Hirschauer is the sweetest professor who really cares about all of her students being successful in organic chemistry. She provides several in-class practice problems and tons of practice problems for outside the class. Organic chemistry itself requires lot of self-studying and practicing, but Dr. Hirschauer does a really good job at explaining the topics in her lectures. Her positive and cheerful attitude was something to always look forward to and she always made organic chemistry a little bit more fun with her Pokemon references every now and then.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/17/2024	absolute gem. no other way to put it other than she is a great teacher and really wants her students to succeed and gives so many extra worksheets and problems to work on outside of class. This class isn't easy ofc and you really need to understand the content not just memorize it especially for the tests. the one thing is she does not give practice tests but with the practice sets and all the other stuff ppl are usually fine. just put in the work and go to office hours if you need and you will succeed. also the homework is mad easy so thats a huge plus. there are 5 quizzes in discussion that are 10 mins each and then the other weeks you dont have to go, but I would go because its helpful and basically office hours with you TA.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/17/2024	Undisputed orgo I goat professor. Dr.H is actually the kindest and more caring professor I have ever had in the chemistry department at umd. She tries to make everything as clear as possible and will answer any questions asked in her lectures. She gives around 10 homework's and you have 8 tries each so you should get a 100 on all of them. She also gives out 7 quizzes that you take in discussion, but you only have to take 5 of them and your lowest score gets dropped so really its only 4. Regardless, her exams are still difficult, not because she tries to trick you or anything, but because orgo I is just a hard course that requires long hours of studying. She makes it very clear exactly what she expects of us, and provides adequate resources. and extra help to get you going. I think I put in around 20-30 hours per exam, and around 50 hours for the final, and I ended up getting an A in the class. This curve was around 7% or so, which is exactly what she predicted it to be at the very start of the semester. Overall a very good professor, lecturer, and person. Please take her for orgo I if you have the chance!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/17/2024	Not exactly sure what these reviews are talking about. This guy is actually the GOAT when it comes to organic chemistry. A lot of people do not like his teaching style with the pre-lecture videos, but those are skippable if you pay attention in lectures and read the modules in class. He can be condescending at times, but if you go to his office hours you can get on his good side. The main point of giving this guy a 5-star rating is that his practice exams PERFECTLY resembled the exams in the class. There was no guessing compared to other instructors teaching this class giving insanely difficult exams for no reason. His exams were by far the easiest of all the other instructors. If a bad rating was given to Rainbolt, it was probably because the student did poorly which they would have done anyways despite the lecturer. Lock in and work harder.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/17/2024	Dr. Hirschauer is one of the kindest and most understanding professors I've had at UMD. She very obviously cares for her students and wants everyone to succeed, but orgo is still a hard class. She gives you tons of resources, her lectures are very organized, and she always answers questions without making students feel stupid. She also started recording her lectures this semester (Spring 2023), but I don't know if that's a permanent change she's making. She's also a huge pokemon fan and will use pokemon to explain concepts better! The exams are all fair and can be answered with the practice problems or what she goes over in lecture. She doesn't throw any weird curveball questions, but some of them do require a lot of thought. She also gives some extra credit opportunities here and there! Overall, I loved her class. She made me genuinely interested in the content and actually want to come to class. Take Hirschauer yall.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/15/2024	Was not going to take CHEM231 this semester until I saw Dr. Hirschauer teaching it and saw the reviews on planetterp... and they were right. This ended up being the only class out of the four, including two CS courses, that I consistently go. It's a class that Hirschauer makes it fun -- very approachable and understanding, especially from a student perspective.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Anonymous 05/15/2024	Rainbolt's chem class was an interesting experience. I am giving two stars because the module packets as a physical resource were somewhat helpful to have to study for exams. I took this class with him at 8am Tues/Thurs as there was no other option for 231 that fit my schedule for this semester and I did not want to delay taking this course. Primarily, the time, as someone who is not a morning person, made some of this miserable, but that comes with every early morning class. Rainbolt’s course is set up in a “flipped classroom format” (his words from one lecture), such that he posts pre lecture videos and expects you to watch them prior to attending lecture, even on the first day of classes we were expected to have watched this video as he jumped straight into content and practice. Many of these prelecture videos consisted of examples rather than useful explanations. In class we would typically do problems from his “modules.” The modules are a compilation of written out information on the class topics as well as practice problems. I found this to be a somewhat helpful resource in understanding content, as there was not much explanation in lecture, and the practice problems helped for exam preparation. However, none of the other Orgo professors had this resource, and it cost the students in Rainbolt’s class an extra $35 to get it from the copy center. As for the lectures themselves, they were not at the top tier. He would spend most of the class doing practice problems without really explaining the concepts from them. At the beginning of the semester there would be some explanation, however as time went on there was less and less of this. He would do all of his problems on the chalkboards in the lecture hall, which made it difficult to see beyond the first 5 rows of the lecture hall. He did give us old exams this semester before our exams, but no other resources besides that and the modules. As to his personality I cannot really say much as I had not really interacted with him. To be honest, just do not take an 8am organic chemistry class, but this instructor did not provide us with sufficient materials, which is reflected in the course grades. There is around a 30% curve in this class, with a score in the low 40s being considered as passing. His exams were okay, however there were things on them which we as a class were not sufficiently prepared for. Every week we also had a Canvas quiz which was open on Fridays only. These quizzes were incredibly difficult, and even more so than the exams, with much of the content not being taught in lecture at all. Do with this what you will.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 05/12/2024	Her homework is extremely challenging. She offers no kind of help and grades very harshly. She's a "you either get it and if you don't drop the class and possibly switch your major. Beware the first exam seems easy but she makes it harder once the due date to withdraw passes and you are stuck. Not at all welcoming and not friendly. Don't let her smile and jokes fool you. Goodluck, I am still recovering
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/10/2024	OK these reviews are way too dramatic lmao. These kids get to college and learn the hard way you can't BS your way through like high school, then they blame the professor when they fail. Rainbolt is a really underrated professor. I had him for Orgo I. First of all, you don't need a textbook. For each unit we do, he hands out these amazing module packets all personally written by himself. The packets explain each concept in their most basic form using very simple language that makes them easy to understand for beginners. They have a bunch of practice problems which progressively get harder and are all borrowed from his previous exams. They are not graded, but you will not learn anything from the class if you don't read/complete the modules. After the course I saved all my modules and even looked back at them for help when I was taking Orgo II. His lectures were great. He would briefly go over the concepts from the modules then do a set of practice problems with us on the chalkboard. He's very funny and passionate about orgo and would try to make organic chemistry fun and interesting to us which helped me learn a lot. He has this persona he puts on of this zany mad scientist which I thought was pretty entertaining. The lectures were only 50 minutes but he managed to cram a lot of material into each one, I would recommend going to every one. Despite what these reviews say, the exams were fair. Literally as long as you did the practice problems in the modules and read them over, you should be fine. Orgo is not an easy class so yeah of course the exams are going to be hard. You gotta study a lot outside of class to really understand the material. My only complaint about this guy is he definitely is a bit full of himself and gets irritated when students ask questions/come to office hours. He's very impatient when it comes to that kind of stuff and I didn't like that. Other then that great professor.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/08/2024	Dr. Hirschauer is a greater lecturer and her exams are very fair. She accepts questions after class and is very welcoming in office hours. She records most of her lectures and provides lots of practice problems. Her practice problems are similar to her exam problems and she sends an email on the format before every exam. I feel even if I did poorly in Orgo 1, it would be my fault because she provides many resources and opportunities. Her TAs are also great. I highly recommend her.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Anonymous 05/07/2024	To all the reviews talking bad about Rainbolt, grow up. Most of his orgo 1 class is made up of freshman students who haven't taken any other chemistry course at UMD yet and haven't experienced the absolute horrendous teaching the other chem department professors offer. Koppel, Isaacs, Dixon are just a few to name. Difficult exams, terrible lectures, inadequate practice problems are just the tip of the iceberg on how awful the chem department is at UMD. But taking orgo 1, for the second time at that, with Rainbolt is still my best experience with the chem department I've had during my time at UMD. And no, I was not a pick me student, I didn't attend his office hours obsessively and bombard him with questions that could've been asked in class or with the TA or answered if you fully read the modules, so this is not me glazing him but actually calling out all the inaccurate reviews about him. People complaining about his modules, the one thing that makes Rainbolt better than the rest ARE his modules. They have everything A through Z about what you need to know, they get straight to the point and are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better than any textbook every other chem professor at UMD will ask you to study from. If you want to go through 75 pages per chapter from a textbook don't take this class, if you want to save time while actually learning and retaining something and only have to go through 20-30 pages including practice problems, TAKE THIS CLASS. Personally, the modules single-handedly helped me get through orgo and for the first time actually helped me understand the concepts behind all the material. Not only this but they provided ample amounts of practice problems to go through that were similar to the ones on his exam. He also gives weekly quizzes, another way to boost your grade, yeah they might be difficult but it's not meant to be easy it's orgo, but people also didn't mention the fact that they are online and you can have your notes with you while you take it, AND he sometimes repeats questions straight from the modules, USE THEM!! And yeah maybe (based on his other reviews) he could be a little aggressive but I'd rather have a somewhat "aggressive" teacher who actually teaches me something rather than a passive one who sucks a*s. Rainbolt truly tried to make this intimidating class as easy and understandable with a massive curve, might I add, as he could and if I had the opportunity to take him again I wouldn't even hesitate, and you shouldn't either. IGNORE THE OTHER REVIEWS!!
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/03/2024	Best Orgo 1 teacher at UMD. Amazing guided note PDFs, extra practice problems, and good discussion sessions with TA's. She drops 2 discussion quizzes, gives you a ton of tries on the homework (basically free points), and curves the class pretty well (even though its not really needed as her students generally do pretty well). Do the practice problem sets, go to GSS and discussion, study, and go to class, and you'll do well. Definitely worth taking her.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/01/2024	Rainbolt is incredibly snarky and consending to students. asked class if "we were messing with him" and told us to "stop screwing around." take orgo with another professor. if you can't, take it a different semester.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 05/01/2024	Dr.H is so amazing! She has lecture notes presets for every student so since it is a fast-paced class we can catch up well with the notes. I have been to her office Hours multiple times and she is so sweet and wants her students to succeed! She has a lot of practice problem sets, extra book problems, and GSS also has a lot of extra practice problems. Orgo is really hard, if you put in the effort then you will get your desired grade. I definitely recommend stopping by her office hours for extra help and definitely definitely recommend Dr.H!!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 04/30/2024	Just take someone else lol. His teaching style is like from the 1990s. He doesn't know how to use technology so you have to buy paper versions of his modules instead of them being on Canvas and it seems he doesn't know how to use a projector either so he writes on a chalk board in chicken scratch so you basically have to sit front row seat. The only grades in the class are weekly quizzes and the exams, both of which are very difficult. Averages of 40% for both. Be prepared to self study a lot. His 400 pages of paper modules don't prepare you that well for exams. Personality wise it seems he got better compared to past reviews though. Probably because of rumors he's getting fired.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 04/28/2024	DO NOT TAKE THIS WITH HIM!!!! IF YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF TAKING IT NEXT SEMESTER OR WITH HIM TAKE IT NEXT SEMESTER. ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT HIM IS THE INSANE CURVE(Why is a 44% passing?). Felt disrespected in class. Rainbolt one time asked the class "Are you guys fucking with me?" after a student asked a question. Lecture is geared more toward practice problems instead of covering the content which kind of discouraged me to go to lecture. Afraid to ask questions out of fear of being mocked or getting a snide remark instead of an actual answer. Class was also told to "stop fucking around" in preparation for the third exam. Quizzes are absurdly hard and are awful practice for his exams. If I could have given him no stars I would have. If you have to take Orgo 2 oh. my. god. take a different professor or you are COOKED.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 04/28/2024	Brutal. Took this course as the first class of the "new" organic chem curriculum. Dr. Koppel seemed angry about the change in curriculum topics from day 1, setting a very negative start to the semester. I took this as part of the Science in the Evening program, and it truly sucked. Most of the class had taken this course elsewhere before, so Dr. Koppel taught it like it was a review course, speeding through material and being incredibly condescending if you didn't already know the answer. She reduced the amount of homework since the new curriculum got rid of the online textbook homework. This means there is less points available to help your grade outside of exams. She said she would do an extra credit assignment at some point in the semester. When asked later, she said she was no longer offering it. It truly felt like she did not care about us as students and did not want to be there teaching us. For lab: the PLQs are just bullshit and terribly written. Almost impossible to get full points unless a TA helps give you the answers. Even then, the rubric seems to allow for subjective grading as I would get points off for the dumbest reasons--all at TA discretion.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/24/2024	Sonia the woman that you are <3 She creates lecture guides so you can follow along with the material more easily. She (and I) recommend organic chemistry as a second language, it is incredibly useful for extra practice. She creates so many opportunities for you to pass her class, and is so incredibly kind and fun. She has silly little energizers and is incredibly organized.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a D Anonymous 04/01/2024	Rainbolt is one of the worst professors I’ve had in all of my life. He’s antagonistic and rude. His curve is a 44% is a C- so, mind you, his grade data might seem good but everyone passing with a C- had at least a 44% which is ridiculous. His quizzes are ridiculously difficult with no recall to any practice we do in class. Exams are unrelated to his modules as well. On our first exam he put five easy questions at the top worth one point each and after handing out our exam told us those questions would be worth zero points and to not do them. It was purely antagonistic. Rainbolt isn’t a great guy and he does not care about your success
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a D Anonymous 02/01/2024	STAY AWAY. Rainbolt is a nice guy, but his teaching style is horrendous.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 01/29/2024	I loved Dr. Hirschauer! Orgo is still a really hard class and I definitely recommend self-teaching (watching organic chemistry tutor) and practicing more and more until you get the concepts. But Dr. H turns all that fear you felt about the class and made it a little better. Her lectures are easy to follow and she's really nice. She offers a lot of practice and has open office hours. She's approachable too and gives great advice on how to succeed. She really cares about her students. Would 10/10 recommend to take her.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 01/29/2024	Really good professor but please go to class she doesnt record her lectures. Gives lots of help, extra worksheets, and practice exams. Exams are fair and she makes a boring subject decently fun.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/24/2024	I already left a positive review of her bc overall I like her BUT I forgot something very important!! The main issue I had with Dixon was that every one of her homework assignments (and tbh the exams too) had an error on it! If you think an assigned problem is impossible that's because it might be! So you kind of have to go in to office hours sometimes so she can tell you what it's supposed to say and that is frustrating. Just keep this in mind so you don't think you're going crazy when something makes no sense even though you think you understand.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/24/2024	Take Dixon!!! Organic chemistry is going to take time and effort no matter who you have but with Dixon it really isn't that hard because she gives you so many resources and is so willing to help you. She has office hours all the time, makes videos after class, does zooms once a week in the evening (and they're recorded) and is just generally so committed to helping you learn the material. She wants you to succeed! She is also so patient with questions even if they are questions you should definitely already know the answer to (although sometimes will refer you to a video she's made but tbh you should watch the videos anyways). I also think she's funny. Overall I HIGHLY recommend taking Dixon. And if you do take her class, make sure to start homework early because it can be difficult, and always go in to office hours and watch videos if you need help! The resources are there, so use them! You can do this.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/23/2024	The GOAT. If you put effort in the class and work with a study group for the HWs and extra credits you will get a good grade.
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/23/2024	Don't let the reviews fool you, Friedman is an excellent professor! Orgo 1 is a hard class and no professor is going to change that. Friedman's lectures are possibly the best in the department. Sure they're fast, but they are also clear, understandable, and organized. He posts his notes on the Elms page which you can review if and when you miss something. He also posts several previous exams and keys for practice as well as practice problems. He's also extremely helpful in office hours as long as you are there to learn and not grade grub or complain. Orgo will never be an easy A, but Friedman teaches it very well and it is completely possible to get an A as long as you study and practice regularly.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 01/23/2024	I wish that I had the option not to give him any stars. I took Orgo 1 with him and dropped it half way through. He was a terrible lecturer and honestly just flat out rude. If you did not understand the concept from the get go, well sucks for you. He refused to answer questions and if he did not think that the question was valid he would make a snarky remark. His quizzes and exams were virtually impossible and the class as a whole was doing very poorly and he did not make a change in his teaching style. I would not recommend him for any course, especially if you want to pass Orgo 1.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/21/2023	If you want to pass O-chem and understand it, she's the only teacher you should be taking it with! Her positive energy and general clearness/clarity around the subject matter helped us so much this past semester. I genuinely looked forward to going to class everyday since she was so cheerful and helpful whenever you needed it. The exams are hard, but as long as you use the materials she gives you, and use the GSS practice exams you should be fine.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/20/2023	Dr. Stocker made OChem 1 so straightforward and interesting! Practice exams were good representations of material on the exam
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 12/16/2023	No shade to the other reviews but those are people who probably kissed dixon's ass and sat in her office hours whenever she had them available. She only has homeworks and tests, nothing else. Yea, she gives extra credit, but they're hard af and extremely time consuming. The homeworks are designed to be harder than the tests or at least, same level. You cannot get a good grade completing the homeworks on your own time, she makes it so you have to go to her office hours. Her office hours are almost every day from 2-5 hours, but remember that she is probably teaching 2 other classes than yours so those students are also attending. You're competing anywhere from 5-20 students for her attention to help you. Also, I wasn't a fan of the way she lectured. Felt kinda all over the place and she goes FAST. and i mean FAST. No textbook either. My advice if you take her? Record her lectures, make a study group FAST for those homeworks and tests, and either make a time to go to office hours or be friends with people who do go. Dixon expects you to put in basically all your time for her class. Do not take her if you have a heavy work load semester.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 12/15/2023	I honestly do not understand why everyone loves her. I had her for both orgo 1 and 2 and both times she goes at an incredibly fast pace, doesn't properly cover the information, and then tests on concepts that have never even been spoken about in class. She gives practice problems but they do not even come close to the level of difficulty you will see on the exam. The HWs are ridiculous and she only gives 3-4 days to complete them and often will teach new material that is needed for the HW the day it is due. Everyone I know who had a different orgo professor says that there are things Stocker covered that they had never even heard of and that their professors gave simpler tests and more effective learning skills as well as the HWs. Overall, unless you're gonna be one of the people always in her office trying to become besties with her, find another teacher.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/14/2023	BEST Orgo Prof EVER! I unfortunately had to retake orgo 1, and was of course dreading it, but I am so glad I was lucky enough to take it with Dr. H. Dr. H is so organized, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about how she teaches the material that it makes lecture fly by since everyone is so focused. She provides so many resources to help learn and prepare for exams and higher level chem classes (if you need to take them) and genuinely cares for all her students and wants them to do well!! I think her exams are fair and the problems are pretty similar to what we see in her problem sets and homework assignments she gives weekly. Dr. Hs class is very manageable as long as you put in the time and work to succeed as she has all the materials for you.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 12/14/2023	I would give negative stars if I could. I took him the first semester (I believe) that I took his class, and he was terrible!! The structure of his class is not organized at all like some of the other orgo 1 professors and the weekly quizzes and homework assignments are incredibly difficult rather than helping to apply your knowledge. The modules have decent practice problems in them, but he doesn’t provide enough resources to study for exams. Not to mention, he is incredibly difficult to go to for anything… I missed class because I wasn’t even in the state and was able to provide as much documentation as necessary and he refused to send me any class material!!! Take Dr. H, Koppel, Stocker. etc. You will also be WAY more prepared if you need to take orgo 2 if you DONT take Rainbolt.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/08/2023	Dr. Hirschauer was hands down the best professor I've had at UMD. She made very hard material super easy to understand, and she really cares about her students doing well. If you have the opportunity to take her for any class, 100% do it.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Anonymous 12/06/2023	Dr. Koppel is incredible. She's really nice and helpful when you ask her questions (even by email), and although her exams can be hard, they're reflective of the course material.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/15/2023	Dr H brings positive energy and makes learning O-chem enjoyable. If you stay on track, you can do well. The PP sets, GSS, discussion, Office hours and Jam sessions are there to help you. If you fully commit to the effort regularly, then you can do well. She truly wants her students to succeed and we see that coming through. Her lecture guides are helpful. The material can be challenging at times, and doable. I am grateful to be learning from such a knowledgable and caring professor.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/15/2023	Dr H is a phenomenal lecturer, and makes herself available for students. Her exams are fair game, and she guides students with the tools needed to succeed. She wants students to succeed and makes O-Chem fun. She creates a learning environment that truly is the best interest of students. It takes practice like any other course, though if you fully commit to it, you can do well.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/14/2023	Lectures are informative and helpful, we do lots of practice problems and she explains how to do them. Homework is super manageable and reflects the content that we are learning quite well. She is very sweet and it is clear that she cares about her students' success in this class. The exams are hard, but definitely super fair.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 11/02/2023	Absolutely love Dr. Dixon. I am retaking orgo 1 with her after failing it with Dr. Stocker. I seriously don't know why no one ever told me about her, and why she doesn't teach every semester. I am doing so much better in this class now with Dr. Dixon. She is caring, explains concepts in depth, AND provides extra credit for exams. Dr. Dixon really wants you to pass her class. She is amazing. I would recommend everyone take her for any chem class you need!!!
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an F Anonymous 11/02/2023	I don't know why everyone recommended I take Dr. Stocker for orgo 1. Her teaching style was just not for me and I was completely lost the entire semester. She goes way too fast, expects you to already know basic concepts, and doesn't explain everything in depth. This was the first class I failed and have to retake.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 09/21/2023	Super helpful and patient, she is willing to answer many questions during lecture. Also provides lecture outlines which save a lot of time! Overall great professor
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 09/15/2023	Absolutely love her! She's an amazing professor and explains difficult topics so well. She's also pretty humorous and loves cats so of course I love her. Orgo is hard, don't get me wrong. It's like learning a new language. But Stocker guides you through it in a way that's helpful and less daunting. I got an A+ raw score - my biggest pieces of advice: 1) form a study group! i had a few friends in orgo and we got together often to do homework and study. it was genuinely fun and made orgo so much more approachable. 2) practice practice practice. Stocker has a lot of practice exams up and I would go through them multiple times. 3) dont cram - always be studying and practicing. 4) don't be afraid of office hours! dr. stocker is super welcoming and willing to help you understand. (this last one is optional but use an iPad if you have one it is SO much more efficient with orgo) all in all, 10/10 recommend stocker. she's probably the best professor you could have for orgo.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 08/31/2023	Extremely helpful, but he didn't cover all of orgo 1, at least for our year, so if youre just taking this class to knock out a requirement then I highly recommend, but if youre going to orgo 2 then please take someone else who will actually teach you everything you need to know
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Anonymous 08/23/2023	Not the best but not terrible! He gives lots of resources: pre-lecture videos (super helpful!), lectures, paper module packets with practice problems, and homework through the Achieve software. I found his lectures to be very helpful, and I liked how he worked through problems with us. However, he teaches his lectures on a chalkboard and does not record or post any slides on Canvas, which can be very frustrating. It's also hard to know what grade you have until the end of the semester, and you have to manually calculate it. The course overall feels very disorganized, but I understand that it was his first time teaching it at UMD. I would try to get on his good side by asking questions in class or going in for office hours. Otherwise he can come off as rude and condescending. He does not take criticism well, and if you ask a question that he has already answered he will get mad. The first exam was easy, but the second and third ones were difficult and he gave a curve at the end of the semester to accommodate for that. Definitely A LOT of work both inside and outside class, and if you miss a lecture or don't understand a concept you will feel very lost very quickly. I would recommend keeping up with the content and going in for office hours if you need help. Take Stocker if you can but it's not the end of the world if you end up with Rainbolt.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 08/02/2023	Dr. Koppel is alright. This class is going to be difficult and take up a lot of your time no matter who you have. I don't think she explains certain concepts very well (I ended up learning from the optional textbook much better). Her exams are pretty reasonable, averages are super low (final was a 43%) but I think that's because pretty aren't willing or don't realize the amount of time this class takes. Her late night shows are a must because she takes concepts and practice problems straight from them and puts them on the exams. In fact, there were a few times where we didn't talk about something in class, but she covered it on her LNS and it ended up on the exam.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 07/31/2023	Amazing professor and human being! Made organic chemistry interesting and understandable. Yes it is a hard class that is bound to require lots of individual dedication and effort but Stocker did her absolute best to make sure every student could understand the material. She is super approachable and her office hours were extremely useful. She also provides problem sets which were amazing! I definitely recommend setting aside a little time each day to study so you don’t have to cram and actually learn to understand the mechanisms.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 07/27/2023	Koppel is the bomb!!! Super friendly and always willing to help students. Exams are fair and reflect the material covered.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 06/30/2023	Writing for both CHEM241 and CHEM231, I have had a great experience with Dr. Stocker as she is a great lecturer and as long as you go to class and write everything down, you are set with what you need to know. Understand that orgo is HARD and DIFFERENT from what you may have learned before (like learning a language) and you may need to practice a lot more as these classes are the fundamental base for future classes. Utilize all your available resources (practice sets, previous exams, GSS, office hours) to your advantage and make sure you understand the mechanisms and why they are happening. Try to make friends with people to form study groups and help each other doing the past exams that don't have answer keys. Go to discussion, usually the TA's review the material and it can be really helpful to reinforce what you have learned and ask questions when you're confused. Review the homework answer key and really try to understand why you didn't get it right. Because tests are the main portion of your grade (90%) I'll write some tips that helped me a lot when studying for them. I would first scan my notebook (make sure you label when exam 1, 2, and 3 start/end) to see if I there is something I don't recognize. If I find a reaction I don't recognize, I rewrite it and try to write out the mechanism and repeat until I can do it without looking back to my notebook. Once I'm decently familiar with the material I do a past exam (without a key) with a 50 min timer. The material on the exam I didn't know how to do, I would do the practice set for them. I also spend time trying to figure out if my answers were correct using my notebook. I repeat doing past exams and checking with my notebook until I can do most of it. I like to leave the exam with the answer key at the very end because by then I should be confident enough to do well on that exam and confirm my answers. Also if you don't go to GSS normally, I would highly recommend you at the very least go to GSS exam review sessions as it's essentially just doing a past exam with an answer key. Be aware that the test formatting for Dr. Stocker is almost the same every time, so the past exams will give you an idea how the current exam will look like. It will ALWAYS have PKA, concept/thought questions, mechanism (after the first exam), and reactions. In orgo 2 it will always have NMR as well. This will give you a good idea on what you need to prepare for.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 06/10/2023	This professor's teaching style and personality are great in my opinion, just make sure to not skip any lectures- as his teaching allows for easy ways to remember concepts! Rainbolt is one of those professors that you need to go to office hours, and introduce yourself in order to gain additional understanding and feel confident in class. Sit in the front row, go to office hours, and you will thrive.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 06/08/2023	Dr. Koppel is definitely the best teacher I've had so far at UMD. She is super nice and really cares about her students. Would definitely recommend going to her office hours as she will answer any questions that you have. Discussions were super helpful as well and I thought the TA, Praha, was incredibly helpful and did a really good job of explaining any concepts that students were confused about. Dr. Koppel did sometimes move fast at times during lecture but that was to be expected since there is a lot of material on Orgo 1 to get through. However I did like that we would usually finish the actual material that was going to be on the exam a week or sometimes more before the exam as it gave me a lot of time to make sure I understood the material and was prepared for the exams. The difficulty of her exams varied but on all of the exams it was definitely possible to get an A or even over 100% since she gave extra credit which was nice. If you want to do well in this class you are gonna have to study like you would for any other orgo teacher that you would take. I also really like the format of her exams compared to other teachers. From what I've seen on her exams she tends to have less problems but make them take longer and be worth more points while teachers like Dr. Stocker I think have more questions but each question is shorter and is worth less points. Overall, I definitely recommend taking Dr. Koppel as she is super helpful and accommodating, and I think that you can easily find success in her class!
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 06/04/2023	She's okay. I liked the order she teaches the material but they grade the exams way too hard. I feel like they're looking hard to take points off for anything. But I think you will pass her class with a B- no matter bc of the way she curves at the end.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Anonymous 05/30/2023	Was decent at the beginning of the semester, but felt like his teaching was rushed near the end making it harder to understand difficult concepts.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/27/2023	One of the best lecturers ever! Tests are completely fair and with the overall experience of the class, it was great. It was easy to learn all the concepts due to her good teaching style and she sometimes had lectures dedicated to doing problems where she would walk around and help everyone. Not only was it easy to learn in this class, but she had so many office hours where she helps and actually cares about explaining it well and making sure you understand everything. I definitely recommend going! She is very generous with partial credit on tests. Overall easily deserves 5 stars, would give 6 if I could. Great person all around too.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Anonymous 05/26/2023	This class was very fast paced, which was pretty overwhelming. She does great with posting previous exams and practice content related to the material she's covering. However, if you don't do good on the first exam and don't see yourself improving, it would be wise to drop the class. I would recommend going to the tutor services that UMD provides and practicing daily. If you can join her office hours, you should. Her office hours occurred when I had a class unfortunately. Do not wait until a week or 2 before an exam to start studying. Dr. Stocker is seen as very compassionate when teaching chemistry, however, she does rush over material.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Anonymous 05/25/2023	Really rude and unapproachable. Take anyone else. Truly one of the most disrespectful professors I have ever had.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/24/2023	Okay. If you're going to take orgo with him, READ THIS!! I'll review this professor based on two important features: teaching style and personality. Teaching style: not bad, 8/10. Why? Well, there were four things that he utilized to teach: pre-lecture videos, module packets, his lectures, and the homework sets. Pre lecture videos were really helpful, especially before class. To be honest, I did not really watch them before class but definitely looked at them while studying for exams, etc. SUPER HELPFUL! Module packets were, in my opinion, the most useful thing in succeeding in this class. Modules included the learning objectives (what you need to know for exams, which he did stick to), loads of practice problems (SUPER HELPFUL!), and information that explains the concepts. Though, I thought the modules, when explaining topics, sounded a little esoteric and could be explained in much simpler terms, which would be more helpful when learning the harder topics. Lecture style was a little wonky. He definitely taught, but he used a chalkboard for teaching. Now, I don't have the greatest vision, so this forced me to sit in the front (WHICH I RECOMMEND!). He also doesn't record, so go to every lecture and write everything he writes. Asking questions is a little intimidating, because of his personality, which I'll get to in a second. He goes over everything in the modules and explains them well, so that was good. Homework sets were just a pain. You will soon find out that Achieve is just really annoying and really finicky, so start early! Also, Dr. Rainbolt office hours are nice. He actually is lot better in office hours, so if you have any questions, probably ask him there. Discussion was okay, the TA was not bad, just went over problems in the modules that cover the topic you covered that week. I went for the first couple, but then stopped. They also don't do exam reviews or anything like that. - His personality: 4/10. Why? He is just really intimidating and condescending. Asking questions in class is already kinda scary, but with him, it's a hard no (at least for me). He is actually great when explaining concepts and tries to be funny, but him answering questions is just...oof. But in office hours, he's a lot nicer. I would suggest asking questions that are clearly worded, since he responds better to that. Also, ask questions that are worded like a question ("Is this an SN2 reaction?"), not "I'm confused why there is an SN2 reaction." (I know this seems weird, but he literally didn't answer one student's question because it was not worded correctly!) - One other note, his elms handling is very weird. He manually created assignments and an assignment for course grade, so he calculated the percentages through his own spreadsheet. I did know my course grade throughout the semester though, but I just found it to be different. His curves are great; he adds points to each exam if the average is below 70. For example, he added 10 points to our second exam, and 20 points to our third exam. Lastly, his quizzes and exams! His quizzes are kinda hard, I would say harder than our exams. Usually 3-5 questions about the topics covered that week. To do well, make sure to understand the concepts and do the module practice questions BEFORE taking the quiz. Also practice those quiz questions before the exam!! Now, exams were fair. Any question he asks in the exam is something that was covered in the modules. If you understood the module stuff, exams should not be terrible. I hope this helps! Rainbolt is not bad. Good luck :)
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/23/2023	Best orgo prof at umd. Her lectures were always clear and informative. Very sweet and clearly passionate about orgo as well. I went to every lecture and paid close attention so I didnt have to study too much outside of class for the A. Would definitely recommend over any other prof!
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/22/2023	First and foremost, Dr. Stocker is a very nice person. You can tell that she genuinely cares about her students and wants them to do well. With that said, I do have a few gripes with her class. Organic chemistry is very difficult. That is what it is. She tries her absolute best and does very well with explaining concepts. But, all of the class examples and the worksheets on canvas are so surface level. They hardly help you with the exams, so you’ll need to go to GSS and read the textbook for more. You absolutely need to study every single topic and every single mechanism as you learn them. Do not wait. Don’t even let yourself get a week behind. Organic chemistry is good in that it builds off of itself so you don’t need to study a ton for the final, but it’s also horrible in that you need to master every subject as you learn it or you’ll get left behind. It is extremely hard to tell where you’ll end up in terms of grades. I was in the MWF section and I got a low B, mid C, and mid E, and then a D on the final, and I somehow ended up with a B. The exam averages were in the high Ds and low Bs. Tu/Thu gets a higher curve because grades are basically always lower than MWF. There are things that you have to memorize, whether Dr. Stocker wants to admit it or not, soooo accept that from the beginning and use flash cards or something so that you don’t get behind. Good luck!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/20/2023	Just please don't take him. Literally anyone else is better. So condescending, passive aggressive, and has zero sympathy(literally made a girl cry in class) . He gives out these huge module packets which are so disorganized and honestly made me want to cry looking at them. He's also super unapproachable and makes you feel dumb when you ask questions. In terms of assessments he gives quizzes every week which are pretty difficult and only drops one unfortunately; The first test is easy which makes the class seem doable, but the other two tests were awful with the averages being in the 50s and the final had multiple questions that were all or nothing. If you do get stuck with him just know you're going to have to do a lot of work outside the classroom in order to get a good grade.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A- neesh1903 05/20/2023	Quite possibly the worst experience of my life. IF YOU ARE TAKING HIM FOR ORGO DO NOT LOOK AT THE REVIEWS FOR HIM THAT SAY CHEM 135. He is a completely different person for this class: condescending, rude, and passive-aggressive. He made a girl cry in class, literally rolls his eyes openly in class, and according to the gen chem 2 kids, threw a chair out of anger. I thank god I got a decent grade in this class but it was only because I asked for help from Stocker and Koppel kids. He teaches on a chalkboard which is so hard to read. His packets are very long and complicated and often contain practice problems that are beyond the scope of the course. And get this, his practice problem answer keys are many times incorrect and have no explanation. He has weekly timed ELMS quizzes that are difficult and timed for like 10 minutes. It is often based on the concepts taught the week of class. The averages on those quizzes are about an E each time. He only drops the lowest one but that really does not do anything to the grade. His prelecture videos are also very long and convoluted and make very simple concepts such as Grignards or conformational analysis VERY difficult. Its very clear he has favorites in the class. His exams were so interesting. The first one was so easy like it was a confidence boost, but the next two were terrible. The average on the second and third were in the 50s. He is a dedicated teacher I will say, but he is so unapproachable that it makes everyone so scared to ask him questions. The final was also stupid because he made the reaction questions multiple choice and made them 10 points meaning there's no way to get partial credit. Save yourself the mental stress and take Koppel or Stocker.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/19/2023	I enjoyed Koppel's teaching, but orgo is TOUGH. Koppel doesn't record lectures, but posts the notes afterwards. If you miss the class though, you probably won't be able to tell what the notes are saying at all. Koppel tends to go over concepts and do simple practice problems in lectures, but they're not really in depth and the exams are more difficult than practice done. She posts many of her past exams for each midterm, and her exams have no surprises, so that's really helpful for preparing. I suggest that you find a PDF of Organic Chem as a 2nd language by David Klein for free to get practice problems. She also has extra credit and the homework assignments are all free 100% to boost your grade. Your grade just rides on doing decent on the exams, and there was a decent curve at the end of the semester. It can get overwhelming at times, so practicing concepts you don't get is really important as the class progresses. I wish I spoke with her more, but she's pretty chill, so use office hours to your advantage. Lab (232) is a whole different story. Just go to the TAs office hours and beg for mercy.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 05/19/2023	Personally I liked Dr. Koppel. She was very easy to access and was receptive when you’d need her help. She’d post old exams which other professors didn’t do. These exams were pretty similar to the ones she gave us. She also posted her notes on canvas and would host the late night show which was a helpful review session before exams. Tbh she was better than the other two professors and even with a 69% I finished with a B. Overall pleased.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/19/2023	Interesting but tough class. You genuinely do have to pour some time into studying in order to do well on Stocker's exams. Honestly, Stocker is a little overrated because I didn't find her teaching method that extraordinary as opposed to what previous students always talked about. She often rushes through lessons, and teaches one problem for every single concept/reaction we need to know. Your grade is basically determined by the 3 midterms, 1 final, and small homework points. I would really consider the grade data for this professor in comparison to other professors, and which semester you're taking orgo. Generally, during the spring, all the honors kids will take orgo, making the average much higher than your standard chem class. I was mainly worried about beating the curve every time I took an exam because mostly everyone will do well. All that aside, I was mostly frustrated with how unavailable she is during her office hours/availability times. She is constantly surrounded by past students who she spends time talking to, despite there being 8 students in the office waiting to ask her a question. Overall, I enjoyed learning orgo, and Stocker didn't make the experience any worse nor better for me.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/19/2023	He's a bad bitch. He's may come off as condescending, ambiguous, and rude but he's just quirky. People complain about his character a lot, but I think he's a good professor which is what counts. It's a tough class but he explains everything pretty well if you pay attention in class and practice a lot outside of class you can definitely do well. Make sure to watch his pre-lecture videos, it really helps to come into class sort-of knowing what's going on. His tests are very straightforward and he's pretty generous with his curves. He curves each test individually (not the class at the end, which is how other professors like koppel and stocker do it), which is nice because you know where you're at instead of having to sit in ambiguity until the end of the semester. Make sure to practice his modules and practice with two other people MAX, you won't get anything productive done otherwise. Go in knowing that he has some quirks and be ready to deal with them, if you can handle a few quirks of his you will do great I promise :)
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/18/2023	This class is hard, no way around it. But if you stick with it and do chem every single day of the semester you'll probably do fine. Don't feed into the hype of orgo being hard. Yes it's hard, but it's not unmanageable and you can absolutely do it. The curve will be thick (I had a 68 and it curved to a b) so don't worry so much. A note: If you have hw coming up and haven't covered the material she'll push the hw back
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a W Anonymous 05/18/2023	Idk reading all these reviews was so misleading. This semester was probably the worst and taking orgo made my year so much worse. Stockers teach at a fast pace and many students in my class were honor students. No additional resources to help you understand a concept but rather just recommends you to buy/rent a book. I think the TA made the class worse, I went to a discussion and it was unhelpful. I also tried tutoring and gss. Idk I feel like I'm not good at orgo but I 100% tried my best and now I have to endure another semester of this awful class.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 05/18/2023	do not take him. it's hard to avoid if you schedule late and aren't able to get stocker, but even then try to get koppel. he uploads pre lecture videos and uses the same examples during class, so he's essentially never actually actively teaching you anything during class. towards the end of the course he didn't even upload the videos and when he did they didn't coincide with the actual content. the last few modules had no contextualization for the reactions that he never taught us. he had to curve our exams like 20 points because everyone did so poorly and then claimed that he was "very proud" of his test questions despite the fact that they are nothing like anything we've seen or been taught before. he also is so incapable of using canvas normally and everything is out 0 and like has an x next to it; he's also always claiming that he often makes mistakes so we should calculate everything ourselves and tell him he needs to change it if that happens as though that's our responsibility and every other professor isn't very familiar with uploading grades on canvas. he's super unhelpful during office hours and will be visibly shocked if you tell him something is confusing to you just because it's easy for him to understand. him. the organic chemist. his modules have the most convoluted possible wording of everything with super frequent typos and LOADS of information that he claims is "beyond the purview of the course." you will fully receive 54 pages of rambling with the occasional practice problem that's infinitely easier than what's seen on the homework and exams. don't get me wrong! i liked the class at first because he started off very slow and thorough with an overview of drawing and understanding organic molecules and even a refresher on some bonding lore from gen chem, but gradually we started to fall SO far behind stocker and koppel's classes and really only began reactions in the last month or so. he had to SPEEDRUN the last ones so much like 30 minutes before the end of the last lecture to the point where he didn't even tell us what they were called or draw out the mechanisms. i got so lost so fast and i wish i received a more thorough and evenly spaced explanation of everything because honestly the material from this class is really interesting. people i know who took stocker actively enjoyed orgo! it is possible! just not with this man! good luck!!!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/17/2023	Professor Rainbolt is a professor that expects his student to put the effort in. You have to study every day but he is also understanding and if you don't do well on one exam or two you still have the ability to pass his class. He is really not that hard to talk to especially face to face. He just needs to see that you put an effort into the class. Don't expect to get a professor that is going to let you pass without putting your work in. He is very caring towards his students when you talk to him and you just have to make sure to not get behind and you will be able to do well in his class. His exams are very similar to the module and not extremely hard. They are pretty fair and easy if you study the modules and practice the concepts and problems. I suggest going to him in office hours and telling him what you find hard from the beginning and trying to study more on your own.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/17/2023	Do not recommend! Koppel doesn't care about her students actually doing well in the class, posts minimal practice problems, and actually complained to our class that she would not be failing as many students as she normally does. I have actual trauma from the final this semester, and the average was literally a 45%. The only good thing I can say about her is that she gives a really big curve. Good luck if you have to take orgo from Koppel (or anyone tbh)
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/17/2023	I advise all who have the ability to not take him as their professor to do so. The disparity in difficulty of the questions he works through in class to the questions he puts in his quizzes and exams is drastic. Additionally, he teaches his course in a different order than the rest of the professors. Therefore, if you are taking the Orgo 1 lab at the same time, you get completely hung out to dry and will have to teach yourself the content. However, the worst aspect of his class is how down right rude his is to his students. He answers emails and questions in a dismissive and arrogant manner while giving ambiguous responses. Overall, he is just a pain to deal with.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Anonymous 05/17/2023	If I can give zero stars I would. This man is the absolute most vile professor I've had. He's inconsiderate and does not have an ounce of empathy towards his students. He says he "wants all his students to succeed" but doesn't promote an environment where I feel comfortable to ask questions because he would either call you out in front of everyone or would rudely answer. He's worse during office hours. He makes it clear which students he likes and dislikes based on how he treats his students in office hours. He doesn't understand how to use elms so he prints everything out and basically gives us textbook based info and explains such simple topics in a very complicated manner. He would record pre-lecture videos which are all absolute bs because they don't help in any way and are just long for no reason. The only good thing about the modules was the practice problems but I essentially had to teach myself everything based on the practice problems or from other youtube videos. I do not recommend him. Additionally, compared to other orgo I classes there are topics that we did not cover or not as strong in because he either didn't teach it to us or just glazed over it and just told us to review the modules ourselves. If you would like a sadistic professor then this is the one for you. I regret taking him for orgo.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/17/2023	I got a c- with a final grade of 52%. I'm writing this for grade reference because she typically never talks about her grades. for context, I got a 71 on my first exam which translates into a B and it's above grade average. I got a 30 and 42 for the second and third exams and those are below average and below a c. for my finals I got a 52/150 and which is below average and a c. this curve really saved me from failing and also my first exam really helped me too. I recommend studying very well for every exam, just do her old exams and go to GSS and free tutoring! Also please do make friends in this class. I'm an introvert myself and I'm bad at talking to people but I ended up knowing a lot of new people throughout the semester. If you did badly on the first exam like below a C immediately drop the class! but if you feel like you can do better on the next exams then continue the class. stocker is a good professor but she's very face paced. I didn't go to her class twice and I missed a lot of materials. You can do well in this class if you just put your mind and time into it. I also recommend studying hard for the first exam because it was sooo easy.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/16/2023	One of the best professors I've ever had. Made a difficult class interesting and engaging, and it ended up being one of my favorite classes this semester. Orgo demands a lot of work regardless of the professor, but she makes the class interesting and accessible. She is incredibly patient, and very clearly cares about her students' success. TAKE HER FOR THIS CLASS!!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/16/2023	This man is genuinely a good professor. Organic chemistry for sure a hard class but his teaching style really worked for me. He hands out packets of paper (modules) for each unit and this is basically your textbook, study guide, and the only thing you need to master to get an A. His tests oftentimes use problems directly from the module that are slightly different. The lecture is also super important because Professor Rainbolt goes over a lot of important exceptions and facts. The problem sets (achieve) are easy and the quizzes are based off of lectures. Overall, this class was hard but all you need to do to get an A is to master and understand everything in his modules. Also he curves each test not the class.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/15/2023	Aye bro don't listen to what all these people are saying this mf is the goat. Makes the content interesting, and the pre lecture videos and modules are extremely helpful. Everyone saying he's a bad teacher are people who didn't put the work in and are now butthurt because they either had to drop or failed.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 05/15/2023	He has modules and pre- lecture videos to help with understanding the material. But honestly they’re not that helpful I learned most of the material from YouTube. He has weekly quizzes which are notoriously hard and assigns over 50 graded practice problems. He doesn’t answer questions in lecture and will and makes you feel dumb because the answer was “obvious”. His exams are very inconsistent you could get an A on one exam and an F on the next. I would recommend any other chemistry professor.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/15/2023	Rainbolt is definitely an interesting professor. Although the class is naturally difficult, he makes it even harder. He takes the 'no excuses' approach to teaching the course. Every class it was expected that students watched a pre-lecture video and read his modules and complete the practice problems in the module. This was very difficult to do as sometimes the pre-lecture video was only posted at 9pm the night before our 8am class. He was very condescending in class when answering questions- if he even bothered to answer questions. Sometimes he would refuse to answer a question or refuse to write more information on the board with the expectations that students would already know the material well enough. He is unpredictable in terms of how he acts with students in person. His demeanor is unapproachable but I think he does mean well in order to help. He will often make proclamations saying that he has full confidence in all of us to succeed in the course, but he provided little to no help with that.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a D+ Anonymous 05/15/2023	I do not recommend taking this professor. He is dismissive and rude when you ask questions during his lectures. He writes everything on a chalk board making it hard to see and take notes from. He does not provide practice exams to review and genuinely acts like helping and caring about his students is hard. It’s been a hard and long semester with him- do not recommend!!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/13/2023	(Warning long review ahead) I actually liked Rainbolt a lot until like a month ago, think he must be going through it or something... so warning he can be moody! Orgo is an extremely tough class and there's really no way to win, all the professors are "bad" to some degree; Rainbolt is different from any other professor I've had, to say the least. My decision to give Rainbolt 3 stars is based primarily on the fact that his pre-lecture vids are good, his exams aren't super ambiguous and I actually think he is pretty straightforward (modules state exactly what he wants you to take away from a topic). I didn't have the best experience with his class, however, that is primarily based on factors outside of his control. I wouldn't recommend taking him if you are someone to doesn't do well with disorganization. I have never seen ANYONE as bad with elms as him (granted I am a freshman, but I literally did not know my grade for this class for at least 98% of the semester). Rainbolt also does not record in-class lectures and instead passes out modules with TONS of practice problems that ~somewhat~ reflect exam questions. The modules are kind of a blessing and curse, it's nice to have so many practice problems you can do to study BUT I have at least 19 of these packets, and it's been a pain to carry them around everywhere while studying for finals since it's the main + most helpful resource you have for studying. Also if you lose one during the semester, you're more than likely not getting a new one since pdfs of the modules aren't on elms (you either have to pick one up during lectures or stop by his office to grab one, which was kind of tough for me due to other classes + a job). Rainbolt's not great with emails, and kind of weird about them too. At one point he had two achieve problem sets (homework THAT TAKES FOREVER TO DO, usually 20-40 problems) on our schedule and he just never unlocked the assignments, I emailed him at least 3 times over the course of 5 days and he didn't get back to me until the following week - like a week and a half before our next exam (problem sets are due the night of our exam, and because of the amount of time these assignments take, it sucked that we didn't have as much time as we could have to work on it). Now onto the actual lectures: I had him at 8 am Tuesdays/Thursdays and we basically spent the entire 75 minutes doing practice problems + learning techniques, which was really helpful. He posts one or two 15-20 minute pre-lecture video(s) that go more in-depth about concepts, I'VE NEVER MISSED ONE!!! and often went back and rewatch them to prepare for upcoming exams (sometimes he posted them a bit late though, so fair warning especially if you decide to take him first thing in the morning). Pre-lecture videos are CRITICAL to actually understand what is going on during lectures & allow for you to use class time as an opportunity to practice techniques + check to make sure you have the mechanisms down the way HE WANTS. Exams are...interesting. The first one was absolutely fantastic (I got a solid A, with the average being a low/mid-C; this was pretty shocking to me, especially coming from having Prof. Baxter for Chem131, where I always got between 71-75 & averages were between 50-57.) However, the second exam's average dropped WAY to the mid-50s and the third one was EVEN WORSE. However, Rainbolt did add a 10-point "curve" to exam II and 20 points to exam III helped boost grades a lot. However, with that, I'm not entirely sure if this class will be curved (I'm sitting at an 85 right now, and going into the final most people's grades are at a C), which is unusual for a chem course - especially one has notorious as orgo - as I've been told Stocker/Koppel sections are looking at a 15-20% curve, and even my chem131 course Fall 2022 had like a 12% final curve. Outside of his disorganization, Rainbolt is a pretty good lecturer and explains concepts pretty damn well. However, the main reason I wouldn't recommend his section class was that it did not line up with chem232 AT ALL. I learned Sn2, E1, E2, and Sn1 reactions in lecture AT LEAST 2 weeks AFTER I completed lab reports on them, which forced me to attend office chem232 office hours EVERY week, typically more than once for an hour or two at a time. Although attending office hours for 232 wasn't bad (it helped me understand concepts more in-depth + do significantly better than the mean on lab reports), it was frustrating seeing Stocker + Koppel lectures lining up with labs. None of my friends in Koppel/Stocker lecture sections spent anywhere close to the amount of time I did on lab reports since they already had knowledge of the topics, which sucked since these assignments were already time-consuming as is. On top of this class + lab, I was also taking Math141 and BSCI222 (and SOMEHOW EVERY SINGLE ONE of my midterms landed on the same week/weekend stretch -> Genetics on Thursday, Calc exam + Chem232 lab report due Friday, Orgo exam Tuesday), which was always rough ESPECIALLY since I had to actually teach myself lab topics on top of studying for all my exams. If you have a really heavy course load + outside obligations, I would STRONGLY recommend looking into Koppel/Stocker instead since this semester was absolute hell for me. My expected grade is based on the expectation that there will not be any curve added to this class, as Rainbolt never mentioned anything about an end-of-the-semester curve, and when he was asked he said "he doesn't know what a curve is" Overall, like any other professor (especially from UMDs god awful chem department), Rainbolt has his pros and cons. Your decision of which orgo professor is best for you comes down to the type of student you are, your course load, and what you find to be most crucial for you to succeed. Regardless of who you take, orgo requires practice, commitment, making use of your resources, and self-teaching(!!!). Taking a specific orgo professor will NEVER guarantee you success in this class, however, if you are looking for a way to make your life easier, go with someone who aligns their class with the chem232 schedule (KOPPEL!!!! -> I promise you she gets a worse rep than she deserves; or possibly Stocker (?) -> From people I know, it sounded like her content aligned fairly well with lab, but no guarantee since she's not running chem232). I believe this was Rainbolt's first semester teaching Chem231 at UMD, and hopefully, as time goes on he'll learn to better manage elms + plan his content around Koppel's schedule. Good luck with orgo you got this!!!!
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/12/2023	If you have to take this class, 100% take it with Dr. Stocker if you can. She is an amazing lecturer and the class isn't awful if you put the work in. Her exams are very straightforward and predictable and overall not too difficult. There's only 5 homeworks, she drops your lowest, and grades them both on completion and accuracy (3 pts for turning in an answer sheet and a quiz on ELMS with 6 random questions from the HW). She gives you past exams so you really get to see how she formats her exams and what she emphasizes. My main recommendations would be to go to her office hours frequently and study early and often. Sitting at the table and going over homeworks and past exams with other students in her office was super helpful, I definitely would not have done so well without doing this. Going to her OH is also really good for forming a relationship with her, which I think is really important in doing well in the class and getting recommendations, etc. Overall, this class isn't easy and requires a lot of work (attending lectures and discussion and doing a LOT of outside practice with her problem sets), but Dr. Stocker made this class actually enjoyable.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/12/2023	Professor Rainbolt is genuinely a good teacher even though he gets a bad rep. He gives out modules (packets that replace the textbooks) and all you need to do to get an A is basically understand every problem in them. Most of the time questions on tests are just these questions in a different shape or form. He curved the second test by 10 points, and the third test by 20 points so there is a decent curve. He is hard to approach during office hours, but once he opens up he can be helpful. The lecture is super useful and important as well, he teaches the material really well and makes note of important exceptions. Overall, if you put in the work and understand his system, you can definitely get an A in this class. Study and understand everything in the modules to be successful.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/11/2023	Dr. Koppel is an amazing professor. Her reviews don't show that because she's also the lab coordinator, which I will say is a grueling lab where you HAVE to go to office hours if you want to even attempt at getting an A, but besides that, she's a great lecture professor. She does tend to go quick with notes during lectures, but she posts them immediately and doesn't cover a crazy amount of information in every class. You have over a month to prepare for the first exam, which for me, was the hardest, but the last three come and go so quickly, so just be ready for that, but it's nothing no one can't handle. This is a hard class no matter what, so you will most likely struggle, but don't blame it on the professor automatically. Go to GSS and discussions, and I can't stress this enough: OFFICE HOURS!!! She is there to help and will gladly try her best to explain things in more detail than she did in class. Sometimes she can be intimidating to approach, but as is almost every other prof, so please, just go, even if you don't have any questions, sit at the desk and do your work, and become a familiar face. Overall, she is only ever setting you up for success and understands it's a hard class (she even admitted on the first day that she failed Orgo 1 the first time she took it) so she's extremely understanding. That is not to say though, that her exams aren't hard, because they are, but as long as you put at least a bit of work into it, you'll do great. Good luck, and take Koppel!!!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/10/2023	If you can take another professor for orgo, do it!! There weren't any reviews for his CHEM231, but there were great ones for his CHEM135, which was misleading. He doesn't know how to work ELMS properly, and you're basically playing the waiting game until he updates the course grade himself. YES, he puts in the "course grade" and it doesn't automatically add up like other classes (hopefully, he figures it out in the future). He gives out 40-50 page packets towards the end of the semester, which can be helpful since there are a lot of practice problems, but only goes over maybe about 4-5 in the actual lecture. He curves each exam individually. Not too sure if he curves the final. The class asked him if he curved the overall grades, and he gave the response "I'm not sure what a curve is". Very blunt, very unpredictable, I would recommend taking the course with somebody else, at least I wish I did.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 05/09/2023	I had this man for CHEM135, and he was amazing. I selected this professor for CHEM231 thinking I would get an awesome experience. All I have to say is... what... happened? In Gen Chem, there are not that many rule breaks so you can really learn just by seeing the practice problems. Rainbolt pretty much does not explain. He just puts problems on the board and expects everyone to get it. This would work for gen chem, but not for orgo as there are so many exceptions. He is very nice to me, but the only reason that he is nice to me is that I had his last semester. If you don't know him and ask a question that he thinks is dumb, prepare to be embarrassed. He doesn't have any practice exams, just modules and the prelecture videos. During class, he would put reactions up for example, but just do the steps and not explain what is happening. He would just do the problems and expect us to get it. He would then ask if we had questions, and if we asked questions that didn't seem to his liking he would become rude. Then the cycle repeats as he puts another problem up on the board. I went on thinking this was normal, but deep down I knew that this wasn't right. I then was relieved when I found out people had similar problems. Also I never went to office hours, but I heard they are awful. If you are taking orgo, please do not choose him.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/09/2023	I wish I could give him negative stars. His lectures and canvas are horribly unorganized, has made people cry in both lecture and office hours, and he has an extremely condescending and egotistical attitude. If you want to actually learn in organic chemistry and not rely on youtube videos, I would take another professor. He can be funny sometimes, but it nowhere near overcomes his teaching style and attitude. I have talked to so many people in our class, and they all agree he can just be straight up rude. He gives us modules, which are nice because they are filled with practice problems, but the keys he posts do not explain how he got the answers, and sometimes are just straight up wrong and he never fixes them, causing you to study the wrong stuff, so they are practically useless, and they are also all paper so they are easy to lose and he never has extra and refuses to post them on canvas. He is not the easiest to reach by email, and sometimes when you ask genuine questions, he responds with "refer to the modules" instead of actually helping. Furthermore, he is not sympathetic with his students and their stress, telling them to just "try harder" rather than offer resources and support. Finally, you never know your actual grade in the class because of the way he implements scores, so your grade could be horribly dropping, but you wouldn't even know it. Overall, DO NOT TAKE HIM unless you want an ungodly amount of stress, tears and frustration; and to be treated lesser than.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/09/2023	Dr. Stocker is by far and away the best orgo 1 professor. It was clear in orgo 1 lab that Stocker's students had some of the best theory knowledge. She teaches very straight-forward and focuses on exactly what needs to be studied for exams. She will quite literally point out what to focus on, what not to memorize, what is the most important concept to understand for the exams, etc. She has extremely helpful problem sets on every single concept that she teaches as well as practice exams posted on her modules page. Her TA-led discussions are also very helpful, and while they are not mandatory, the review in it helped me well. Stocker also does not care what discussion you attend as long as the seats are not filled, so the leniency is great here. If you sign up for a MWF lecture, try and get a Tuesday discussion since that is the day where the TA goes over a previous semester's exam during exam week (since her exams are always on Wednesdays). The only downside is that she does not record her lectures, so it is hard to catch up if you miss any lectures. Orgo is hard either way no matter the professor, but Dr. Stocker is absolutely the best possible option.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 05/09/2023	this was definitely a difficult class. that being said, dr. stocker is a really good lecturer and was able to explain everything in an easy way. she doesn't do achieve assignments like the other professors that teach orgo 1, so the practice is all self motivated. take advantage of her office hours and do the practice worksheets!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/05/2023	Lectures are not helpful at all, you must teach yourself. He also does not curve at all. He will give an extra 5-10 points for one exam. The quizzes are really hard and drops your grade a lot (so do them with friends). However exams are much eaiser than other professors.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Anonymous 05/05/2023	Dr Stocker is probably the least forgiving professor you can have. The only benefit of having her is the tons of practice questions she gives. Other than that, she is fairly condescending to her students in the office hours and never even answers their questions. She talks about her personal life in office hours and will not get to your question. Basically, if you have a question, expect to be there for over 2 hours. Also if people do well in her class, she makes the next exam much harder because she wants to tank the average as much as possible. On exam weeks, she always teaches stuff the week of as well. So if you’re Tu/Thur and your exam is on Thursday, expect to be learning up until Tuesday. The most annoying part is when she assigns a homework in the middle of the week and teaches it on a Wednesday/Thursday and makes it due Monday. There’s no office hours on Friday so expect to be learning it yourself. People definitely overhype her as a professor. I would say the only benefit are her practice questions but that’s it. Her teaching is not that great and you’ll probably need a tutor to figure it out
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/04/2023	Good professor, engaging lectures. He may be short with students when they ask questions with little sustenance. People get frustrated because he doesn't want to give you the answers but instead wants you to understand and figure it out on your own. Overall a very nice guy and it is worth going to his office hours with questions you have which he will answer and explain in depth.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting an F Anonymous 05/02/2023	Does a terrible job explaining, he doesn't even know how to use canvas which is hella annoying. His modules are long and disorganized. He expects to learn from pre lecture videos only. His lectures are boring and dont make sense, not to mention hes rude as hell. he doesnt answer "obvious" questions and acts like youre dumb even though the questions asked are valid. He doesn't give practice exams or problems, only from the modules, which he doesn't even explain how to do it in the keys. If I could give negative stars I would. DO NOT TAKE THIS GUY!!!
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 04/30/2023	He talks a lot but says nothing at the same time. He records pre-lecture videos and hands out note packets with practice problems, which both sound good in theory, but he expects you to immediately learn the material solely from the pre-lecture videos and treats actual lectures like a review instead of teaching the material. If you didn't ask questions in a specific way, he would be rude about it and basically embarrass you in front of the entire lecture hall. He seems like he cares, but doesn't execute it very well. Whenever I went to his office hours, I felt dumb asking questions since he would act like the answers were always obvious. Despite watching all of the pre-lecture videos, doing all of the practice problems, going to class, etc. I didn't do well on the exams and when I asked him what else I could do to improve, he basically told me nothing and said that "C's are passing." I would recommend any other professor.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Anonymous 04/22/2023	not a nice man. never explains things in office hours and was very rude when I was ill and wasn't able to attend an exam
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a W Anonymous 04/16/2023	Very thorough and good at presenting students with the material reviewed in the course. However, he is unapproachable and has not been very willing to understand student's problems outside the classroom, or student's questions regarding the coursework.
James Rainbolt CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 04/11/2023	literally do not take his class he makes you feel dumb for asking any question and makes the whole class feel uncomfortable. he doesn’t even explain concepts well and literally made a girl cry in class today, take any other organic chem teacher
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 01/07/2023	TAKE HER FOR ORGO!!! if you go to class, pay attention, and study examples a lot you will do well.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/28/2022	If you put in the work (which is a must!), the grade you want to get is very achievable since her tests are straight-forward and predictable. Really liked how the class was structured. As a professor, Dr Stocker seems to be in love with her profession! She can definitely help if you reach out, but that is on your end.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Anonymous 12/23/2022	I'd like to start this by saying orgo is a tough class no matter who you take it with. It will not be a walk in the park but Stocker does her best to make things relevant for us and really does want us to succeed. She holds office hours all the time for questions and it's also a great time to work with other students that show up. She's super nice and a great teacher considering how difficult the subject matter is.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/22/2022	Dr Stocker is a really amazing professor. To be clear: orgo will still be difficult even with her as a professor, and it mainly just requires doing lots of practice questions and previous exams. Office hours are super helpful because there is often a group of students there that you can workshop the homeworks with (which usually took me 2ish days to complete) and stocker makes herself super accessible for questions, although she doesn't always answer them very straightforward since she doesn't want to answer the homework questions for you. She explains things very clearly in lecture and, although its easy to feel lost because of the complexity, I often found I would understand what she was saying after trying a few practice questions. She provides LOTS of resources for practice. She uploads problem sets for each topic (with the answer keys) and lots of previous exams. Super kind and a great professor overall.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/21/2022	I can write a book about how much I love her. Don't get me wrong, her class is HARD. Definitely the hardest class I've ever took. But I know I'm more than set for the MCAT because of her. I never had to go to forgo 2 lecture because of how much she prepared me in orgo 1. She is willing to help you all day every day. The amount of effort she puts into teaching us is honestly incredible. With that being said, if you don't need a great orgo background and you're not willing to put in a lot of effort into the class, take anyone but Dr. Dixon.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/20/2022	Amazing teacher. I feel like I wouldnt of gotten the grade I got if I took someone else. I struggled with gen chem really bad and I can confidently say orgo is much easier and funner than gen chem. Once you understand things it becomes fun. Im kind of sad because at first I just wanted to pass this class with a C because I am bad with chem. But when I have been doing above average on every single exam and I scored really high on the final I thought to myself I should of been shooting higher than a C. I really didnt think I would get a B+. To pass this class you need to practice problems after every class session. If you think you got it, you dont. Stocker has a lot of practice problems that were helpful. She doesnt teach off of a book and we dont have homework on online websites. The other 2 orgo teacher had homework on online websites which looked hard. One thing I hate is how packed her office hours were and sometimes she would talk with the GSS about some random nonsense instead of helping us with our questions. And she did this in the middle of me asking a question which I thought was rude... But that would be the only downside. I would recommend this teacher! If you are above average on every single assignment you are guaranteed a B+ or higher no doubt about it.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/20/2022	I hated orgo throughout, but I ended with a good grade so I gave her 4 stars. I got an 82, 71, and 77 on the midterms and then an 86 on the final, so I was above the curve on each exam. I ended with an A- which was a pleasant surprise. I probably could have pulled an A if I didn't start studying two days in advance for each exam. Tips: The problem sets are everything, they help so much! You should be able to get every problem correct before the exams. I never went to GSS but I heard it was super helpful. Form a study group with people you can help and who can help you and start studying hardcore at least 4 days before each exam. GSS exam review was helpful too. Take good notes in class because she does not post them and try not to skip class. You have to put in effort and time for this class and you will do above average, which is all you need to get a B. The B cuttoff is usually reallllly low compared to other classes. I found Stocker to be a little unforgiving to students who deserved some slack but at least she is consistent. She's probably better than the others.
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 12/20/2022	Listen, I got a C-. I don't blame anyone or anything but myself. It wasn't until the very end that I realized that Dr. Friedman is willing to help if you ever have difficulty with the material and that there are endless resources at your disposal. He posts prior exams and answer keys, which are fantastic study tools. Yes, his exams are difficult, however if you wish to be prepared for Orgo II, he's a good bet. I quite regret not appreciating his resources sooner, but quite frankly I'm not taking Orgo II, so it is what it is. He's misunderstood, and I realized well too late.
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/16/2022	Orgo is hard, which is why Friedman has a low rating, but honestly I really liked his class. He tells you exactly how to prepare for exams and has helpful office hours. Lectures were easy to follow and had a great structure. The discussions weren't as helpful but that's just my personal learning style. This is a class where you have to go to lectures, you have to study outside of class, and you have to go to as many outside resources as possible. Most people's issues with Friedman come from his exams being incredibly difficult, which is very true, averages were around 50%. However he does end up curving everything at the end, so it'll end up being fine. If you get a lot of anxiety about grades being curved and not knowing your grade, I'd take somebody else. Friedman is very easy to reach out to outside of class and he genuinely wants you to understand the material. In all of my classes this semester he was the only one who knew people's names when they asked questions in class. This is a very difficult class and the bad reviewers blame it on the professor, when in reality it's just the material that's really difficult. Get ready to buckle down and learn some tough but interesting concepts, as well as develop better study habits and problem solving skills.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/16/2022	It’s orgo so its going to take up alot of time. Period. Stocker does a good job providing homeworks that are exam level questions, but they can take a lot of time(never do them the night before, try doing what you can after every lecture). She also tells you common mistakes students make so pay attention to those and write that down. Also write down any questions you have and clarify them ASAP in her office hours or after class she’s happy to help, don’t email her. Discussion isn’t mandatory, but its mandatory if you want to pass. The class is curved, not exams.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/13/2022	i love her, i really like her way of teaching and she explains things very well. she offers a lot of resources for learning outside of lecture (late night shows, practice problems, past exams with answer keys) and i found them to be really helpful! this semester she used an online system for the homework and extra credit assignments and i also found those to be good ways of understanding the material. the only issue with them is that the e-book explains concepts differently from her, which is confusing sometimes. her method of teaching might not work for everyone as ive heard complaints from others in the class, but for me i feel like with practice and using lecture notes im able to understand the subject. it is unfortunately a Huge amount of material and has overwhelmed me multiple times, but if you're able to understand the simpler concepts early on it helps you a lot as you get to the end of the course.
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Anonymous 12/12/2022	Dont take this professor, it is simply just not worth it.
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/10/2022	First off, orgo is difficult. No matter what teacher you have, it will always be challenging. Dr. Friedman is nice. Although I never attended office hours, his lectures were easy to follow. I think his exams reflected what he taught in lecture, but it is still challenging and makes you think critically. At first he doesn't curve, but in the end he will take final grades into account.
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/09/2022	Friedman is fine! He gets a bad rep because his exams are tough, but if you have him for Orgo and are willing to put in a decent amount of work, you can do well in his class. He gives clicker points, is extremely helpful, and his exams are usually fairly similar to his old exams, though they usually have tricky questions. He also had a very good curve when I took him- I ended up with an A and had a two As and one C on the midterms and a B on the final.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/04/2022	Love her!
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Anonymous 11/30/2022	Dr. Friedman is misunderstood in my eyes, there are a lot of people who simply don't like him because he gives hard exams and grades unfairly. I don't agree he has never once turned me down when I had a question, he makes lectures enjoyable and makes funny remarks. Even though he does not curve, you want to learn orgo the right way to set yourself up for success in orgo to and MCAT material.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 08/31/2022	i took Dr. Stocker in the summer. Honestly, if you're worried about orgo or you're retaking it like i did, take it ALONE in the summer if you can. Dr. Stocker was super helpful during office hours and she made lectures easy to understand. taking her practice exams and doing the practice sheets are a must to pass; memorization by itself doesn't really work for this class.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 07/15/2022	better lecturer than koppel (she's dogshit) but harder tests. If you're the type of person who's able to self-study take koppel cause the curve is larger in that class. Bc all the smart kids take stocker and they all decided to take my section for some reason (mon weds fri) there was little to no curve.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 07/13/2022	Definitely the best orgo 1 professor there is in my opinion. Her class consists of 3 midterm exams, 1 final, and a couple homeworks. It is orgo so it obviously will be very difficult, but if you go to class and review your notes everyday after class and do a bunch of practice problems you will be fine. Koppel is always willing to help you if you have any questions in office hours and it is definitely helpful that she runs the lab as well. Yes, her exams are challenging, and there are a couple curveballs on every exam, but there was a great curve (at least when I took it). However do not miss class, missing one class will feel like you missed two months of lecture. Just go to class and OFFICE HOURS and practice everyday and you will be fine. I will say, do not take this class with any other extremely difficult classes. This class will require tremendous amounts of time and efforts and must be prioritized in order to do well. She is a very nice, caring, and funny professor in my opinion!
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 06/01/2022	First of all, this is a very difficult course no matter what professor you have, it is a weed-out course and you should expect to work very hard if you want to do well. That being said, I think Friedman was a great professor, he explains every topic in-depth and offers different ways of getting points beyond just exams. I will say that Friedman goes much more in-depth on some topics than he needs to for this course, but I actually appreciated understanding why some things work as opposed to simply understanding that it works. Friedman's exams also tend to have very low averages, most of which were in the low 50%s. However, do not be scared away by the low averages, the exams were really not particularly difficult, and if you were properly prepared, it was honestly not that difficult to stay above the averages; many people just underestimate the difficulty. Additionally, there is a massive curve in this class, I believe I had an 83% in the class before curve and ended with an A. The exams are normally around 6-8 questions, most of which allow for partial credit. If you want to do well in this course, my advice is to go to every class, go to discussion every week and definitely take advantage of GSS, there is a lot of material in this course, so you are never really going to see practice questions in class, but you will in discussion and GSS. There is almost no way to predict how some material would get implemented into exam questions just going to class alone. Also, do practice (previous year) exams that Friedman provides on canvas to help prepare for exams. In terms of homework, my class had a total of 10 homework assignments, which were generally 15 questions, taking normally about 2 hours total, and you should do all of them, they are designed to be easy points and are just good practice. Additionally, you should try and know small details about different topics, just read over your notes as there is usually a technical short answer question on each exam. Finally, KNOW RESONANCE, I can not stress enough how important it is to understand resonance and how it affects different parts of chemistry. If you receive a technical question, I would say there is a solid 90% chance the answer is somehow resonance. Overall, get points wherever you can, prepare for exams, a lot of people went into the first exam underprepared, not knowing what to expect and dug themselves a hole, the first exam has probably the easiest material, don't miss the opportunity get those points and prepare more than you think you should. If you keep up with material, this class honestly will not take as much of your time as you are probably expecting. I probably spent 3-5 hours on a normal week (outside of class and discussion) on this material and then probably around 10 hours on the weeks leading up to an exam. Either way, I enjoyed the way Friedman taught, if you actually want to learn chemistry (which will help you do well in this class) than I think Friedman is a great professor. Friedman is also super helpful and actually really wants you to succeed, I promise you he notices when you are putting in an effort, I am fairly certain that he keeps track of who actually goes to class (through clicker question points) and he somehow manages to remember an entire lecture hall's worth of names despite having only interacted with each person maybe once. He is also very passionate about the material and knows how to at least not make it completely unbearable to pay attention to at 8:00 in the morning. Friedman actually made me enjoy the material, and I think that his grading was completely reasonable considering that this is meant to be a difficult course, so that is why I am giving him 5 stars.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/25/2022	Do not recommend. She goes over everything pretty fast. Her tests are somewhat similar to the old tests. You pretty much have to do the readings and go to classes every single time to understand her notes.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/24/2022	GO TO HER OFFICE HOURS!!! If you actually show up to her office hours and ask her about things you are confused about, you can do well in this class. She does rush through material during class, but she can't help that the class itself is so heavy on content. You will be frustrated at many points in time during this class... but if you truly put in the time and effort you can succeed. ORGO itself isn't hard, its actually quite enjoyable once you get the hang of it. Practice problems and flashcards will be your bestie. Koppel is a very genuine, funny, and caring professor, and I wish I got to know her even better. She truly loves what she does and wants to help. Yes, Stocker is a great professor, but Koppel is also great in her own way! You will not be at a disadvantage with her as a teacher, if anything you will be at an advantage when it comes to the lab because you will be familiar with her style.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/23/2022	I really enjoyed the content of this Orgo, more so than Gen Chem because the class was very cumulative in the sense that you would continuously use what you had learned in the previous unit. This made the class a lot easier. In terms of professors though, take Dr. Stocker. My roommate had Koppel and barely ever received partial credit on exams, while Stocker's TA was very lenient on partial credit and grading in general. She is the best Orgo 1 professor by far and a really great lecturer, probably one of the best lecturers I've had at UMD. She does handwrite her lectures though and doesn't post them, so make sure to go to lecture and get an iPad or some kind of tablet. I never went to her office hours but I've heard they were helpful, they just fill up really fast. Her class also fills up fast, and because people know to take her a lot of pre-meds and honors students are in her class, which can make the averages a lot higher. My section had this issue, where our average was around a 70 for each exam. This is really high for an Orgo class. For context, the other section (Tues/Thurs) had averages around the 60s/50s. Each class is curved individually, which screwed over a lot of people in my section since they had pretty high test scores for Orgo, but our class didn't have a huge curve, so the grade you got on exams was pretty close to the grade you got in the class. Despite this, I would still take Stocker because Koppel and Friedman are way worse. In order to succeed on exams, I recommend starting studying a week before. Do the problem sets and then ALL of the practice exams- her exams are pretty similar to the practice.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/20/2022	Very good lecturer and fair exams. She gives you past exams but not the answer keys. Plus, if you have questions over HW and go to office hours, she doesn't give clear responses since she doesn't want to outright give you the answer. From a professor standpoint, I understand why she does this but, as a student, it can be really annoying. It can also be difficult to properly ask her questions during office hours since they are always packed and it can just be students goofing around with her which is frustrating if you just want help. But overall, I don't regret taking her because her enthusiasm made the class really enjoyable! As the other review said, be cautious though because her curves are insanely high compared to other professors. This is a good indicator that she teaches well but it really screws you over with the curve. I definitely had to put a lot of work into the class to get the grade I got but I'm glad I took her.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/19/2022	Had Koppel for Lab and Lecture. In lecture she is pretty good at explaining concepts but she does spend time on theory and topics that are pretty mundane and not helpful with what we're learning. In terms of exams we had 3 with each being 125 points so higher than most professors. Averages ranged from 50-60 usually but each exam is 100% doable and she often pulls questions from homework and practice exams so constantly doing practice problems with the materials she gives you is a huge necessity, do these practice problems as well as the second language book religiously and you should be fine, GSS is also a huge help. Graders are also pretty stingy with partial credit so make sure to double check all exam answers. The final was much easier and works best for people who review practice exams. Overall very time consuming but completely doable once you find good study techniques. Lab had no contact with Dr. Koppel besides for a 2 hour review session before the final which was very helpful. Lab manual is super helpful at explaining topics but tons of procedures had some typos which caused a lot of people in lab to ruin their experiments completely and be left with no results. Midterms and final are 128 points with each average being around a 66. Going to review sessions are helpful but the only thing you can really do is hope to stay above the class average. Pre-labs and the labs themselves aren't too difficult but they are time consuming so leaving lab early isn't that common. Post-labs are very difficult and you definitely need to go to TA office hours for help. Some TA's genuinely don't know whats going on but there are amazing TA's who care about what your learning and are super helpful. On top of lab reports there is a 50 point practical quiz which tests on lab apparatus' and two 30 point literature and IR workshops which are easy points. As long as you do solid on lab reports you will be fine in class because the workshops help counteract the low exam averages. Overall Koppel isn't the best lecturer or coordinator but her classes are super doable if you find time to attend office hours for lab and grind out practice problems for the lecture midterms and final.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/19/2022	Overall really good professor. Her teaching style is very modern, and her exams are very similar to practice/old ones. You have to attend office hours if you want help with homework or concepts, but an A in her class is not impossible.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/18/2022	Not the worst. I would always feel super prepared for exams, but she always purposefully put questions to trick you. Homework/quizzes were hard, but did help my grade. In the end, the curve is generous. If you put in the time, you will pass. In terms of teaching style, she never worked through complicated examples during class, so trying to do them on your own or on an exam felt unfair. She seemed nice and understanding, but definitely doesn't take an BS from anyone so don't offend her lol. I never felt that I was doing bad because of her teaching, it was because her exams were ridiculously hard. Then again, it is orgo so it is different for everyone!
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/18/2022	Stocker is the BEST orgo professor you can have. She's an absolute sweetheart who glows when she teaches organic chemistry. It's great seeing someone passionate about the topic teach it. She also uses a lot of animal references to help with understanding and a meme on every single exam. I can happily say I adore her. As others said, my biggest regret is probably not being able to form a bond with her earlier on. In terms of the lecture, Stocker tended to speed through information and you were essentially REQUIRED to go to class. No zoom option, no lecture recordings, slides with almost 0 information being posted. GO TO CLASS or find friends who will give you their notes. Even with that, she's still an incredible professor. Now into the schmeat of orgo.... Orgo at first seems incredibly terrifying, especially with the amount of memorization required to understand a lot of it. Stocker provides a lot of practice work and old exams to get you through that so you can recognize what she uses. She doesn't post the answer keys for old exams, but it encourages everyone to work together or to go to office hours for it. She does have homework as well, which is honestly harder than the exams but students always tend to work together through zoom calls prior to when it's due. She drops the lowest one (which was below a 50 for me) but still keeps the points from them in the final grade. Her exams themselves are very similar to the old exams, however, there always seems to be that ONE trick question. My biggest mistake was taking the first exam thinking I didn't need to study that much. YOU DO NEED TO STUDY FOR ORGO. I scored (with the grade ranges she posted) a low C for the first exam, high Bs for the second two, and a pretty low B for the final. I can absolutely blame myself for the first exam because I didn't really worry about it too much. I mainly thought I could just ride the curve for orgo, but my class tended to have 65s and up as their averages for exams, which is higher than usual for Stocker and made it impossible for me to just ride the curve. If you're struggling, I highly suggest watching Leah4Sci on youtube for help! She helped me get through the reactions part of the class.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/16/2022	Gets a bad rep for no reason. Extremely accomodating and friendly woman.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/15/2022	Dr. Stocker is a good orgo professor. She teaches the material well but be prepared to study hard outside of class as just going to lecture won't be enough to understand orgo. Be cautious as she fills up fast and because most people know to take her, all the premed and honors students will fill up the class and for my section the averages were extremely high because of this. The averages for my section were usually around a 70 which is extremely high for orgo considering the other section she taught had averages in the 50's and at highest low 60's. This may just be an issue with my section as I haven't heard of averages this high from present and past students. Although the semester hasn't ended and we don't know the cutoffs for the final, the cutoffs for an A before was an 87 which is barely a curve. I am averaging around a B/B- in the class which would likely be at least an A- in any other orgo class except for this one. While this was an annoying issue in my class and prevented many students from getting the grade they wanted I will still say she is a good professor. Her exams are pretty fair if you take all the old exams as they are the same format. She is also very open to asking questions and is very helpful during office hours. Overall, I would recommend Dr. Stocker but be cautious about the grade distributions.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Anonymous 05/13/2022	I really enjoyed the material in orgo but Dr Stocker was not a good teacher. She is very knowledgeable and the materials etc provided are helpful, but her lectures are so hard to follow. She doesn't teach at all, instead seems to assume that her students automatically know what she's talking about. She speeds through lectures, introduces really complex concepts with less than 5 minutes left in class, is pretty inflexible with remote lectures unless you explicitly have covid, and will make your life incredibly stressful if you are sick and miss a midterm. She jokes about how strict she is but she is not joking lol. She doesn't email back after 4pm, and is not particularly helpful once she does. I think this is universal for orgo, but she only gives a week's notice for exams, meaning her averages are really low.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A- Michaelgersten 05/10/2022	Like I mentioned in ratemyprof, The biggest regret I have in this class is not fostering as much of a personal connection with her as I could have. On the plus side, she let me help choose the final exam's meme for the front page! But in terms of her class here are a few bullet points. - Go to lecture. This semester I missed one lecture and I fell behind for a few days, but because I had someone record it for me and send the notes I was fine for the exam. All of the material you are tested on is in lecture. if you don't understand something in lecture, simply raise your hand and ask. she doesn't shame you, she doesn't act like youre a burden. she will simply try her best to answer your question and confirm that she answered it well. If for some reason you still don't understand the topic, go to her many office hours and read the supporting material in the textbook. If you understand the material in class, don't bother with the textbook whatsoever. - Grading: Stocker uses the class average to set cutoffs for grade estimates. I have yet to see final grade estimates, but I'm sure she will be very fair. Her goal is not to make a low average!!! in fact she congratulates the class for achieving high averages. You can expect her to be very fair and reasonable with grade cutoffs, and they are almost always somewhat curved but only to represent an even distribution of grades. I am in-between an A- and a B+, but I'm not stressed. I feel that the grade I am getting is due to my studying and not due to Stocker's grading criteria. In sum, try your best and you will be proud of your grade. - Lecture style: Stocker is the ABSOLUTE BEST LECTURER I have ever seen. She emphasizes similar reactions rather than grouping of the same category of reactions, which helps a lot in learning similar mechanisms. She doesn't rush you. If the class is behind on a topic for an exam, she won't rush to pack it in, she'll simply take it out of the exam. this rarely happened for us. - Exam style: Expect a certain level of cumulative topics, but she won't surprise you with something that isn't important for your current material. For example, pKa's, you will learn, are extremely important for every topic in organic chemistry 1, and you can expect to see her have 3pts per exam at least dedicated to pKa's. you can expect roughly 1/4 of the exam to be easy questions, 2/4 mid-range questions that challenge you but are certainly possible, and 1/4 challenging / high point-value questions. these fractions are based off of points towards your exam grade. I earned a B+, B+, and A- on the three exams and have yet to take the final. I did average in general chemistry 1, so please don't get too scared about Orgo with Stocker. I was going to make a pro's and con's list for Dr. Stocker but decided to do a bullet list of all of the good things you should know. The only bad thing I saw about the class was that it's HUGE, and people tend to talk a little loud in her class so I would sit in the front if I were you. There is nothing bad I can even think of with Stocker. She has a low rating because she found out a lot of people were cheating a few years before this review and did what was in her job description as a lecturer and reported them. Seriously don't cheat guys. It may seem like it will help you but I mean this when I say that your'e risking far more than what you could possibly ever gain from cheating. You can also get an A without cheating!!! to wrap up this already long review, I wanted to just stronglyyyy urge you to take stocker even if you have to rearrange your schedule completely. You will NOT regret it and maybe if you do, you can meet her kids who are almost as sweet and fun as she is. Best of luck in orgo! don't get intimidated by it, just work hard and you'll be fine. And most importantly: TAKE DR. STOCKER!!!!
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/07/2022	Found her tests extremely fair. I'm aware that many people find her lecture style rather fast, but I feel that she went over all the content in a very coherent manner, that was easy to understand. Her homeworks weren't too bad, as she would post a MCQ quiz that would atleast give you a good opportunity to guess. Although she expects you to remember things like pKa, IR, NMR ranges, it gave for a lot of easy points on tests as long as you reviewed the numbers for them. Overall, would definitely recommend you take Stocker if given the opportunity as her tests are fair, and theres a number of practise questions and old exams on Canvas(but she doesn't give you the answer).
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/26/2022	Honestly please take Stocker if you have the chance. Koppel explains okay but the examples she chooses in class are always stupidly easy compared to the ones she gives on homeworks and tests.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 03/03/2022	I don't know why people give her bad reviews. She is by far the most knowledgeable, respectful, and straightforward prof ive had at UMD. Her exams are fair but challenging and I think overall it is a great experience as long as you keep up, go to class, and study hard.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 03/02/2022	Considering how hard orgo can be, Stocker makes it as painless as possible. She can go pretty fast in lecture, but I personally didn't struggle too much with keeping up. I feel like she simplifies the material more than other professors, and she even joked about how the other professors tend to make things harder than her. If you take advantage of all the resources/practice sets she gives and don't cheat on the HWs and exams (she can be very strict about cheating), you should be okay.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 02/04/2022	Ochem is never going to be easy, but I feel like Dr. Dixon made it harder than it needed to be. Have you ever been working alongside someone who is really good at their job, and they say something like, "I ~would~ show you the basics first, but they never serve me, so I'm just going to teach you the insanely complex tricks and tips that make this impossible to understand at a cursory glance, but don't worry, after decoding and encrypting my words and my ways, you can teach yourself the basics, then run through what I taught you again." For example, for many years, I've taken lots of joy in working as a barista. I would teach a new barista, "pull the shots, steam the milk, a little aeration for a latte and a lot of aeration for a cappuccino. As you get better, I'll make it more technical." If Dr. Dixon was a barista teaching a new barista, she would say, "First, you want to heat up the bulkheads on the machine and test them with your thermometer so that they are at least a temp of 130*F, then you tare out the scale, and you take stock of the humidity and make sure that the bean dispensing machine is calibrated to a degree of your liking, then you measure out 18 grams, can be a little over but never under, and then you tare your scale (MAKE SURE ITS THE AUTO-SCALE) and use pre-rinsed shot-glasses, make sure the shot pulls at 36-39.5 grams at a rate of 21-26 seconds. And for decaf its... and when you steam the milk, fill the pitcher to... that's 6 ounces for a small, 8 for a reg.... 16 for an extra large... and cappucinos... make sure the fully rotating head is positioned at an angle of 45 degrees and your pitcher... TADA! A SIMPLE latte. That was basically review, right?" Was that hard to read? Was that a bad experience? Want to sign up for 6 months of it?
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 02/01/2022	Best prof. ever
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 01/26/2022	Take Stocker fr from what i've heard she is the best teacher and I liked her for orgo a lot. Her curve gave me a B- in the class and my highest test grade was a 67%. I didn't give her 5 stars cause orgo is terrible.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/28/2021	This teacher is a little crazy, but she is fantastic. She brings a bit of a hectic style to her teaching but absolutely makes sure she says everything you're expected to know and delivers it in a structured, easy to understand way. There were a few moments where she wouldn't teach a specific thing for a homework assignment, but she would always mention it a day or the day it was due. I also noticed she wouldn't always write down everything on her notes, and sometimes she would just verbally say some super important things. But she definitely repeats these over and over, it's just important to pay attention to all that she says and not just what she writes down on her board. This can make looking back at her notes difficult, but I'm sure going to office hours or anything shed be happy to help. I never had to go to any extra review sessions, office hours, read any books, or anything outside of the weekly discussion and lectures to earn an A in her class.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/26/2021	TAKE STOCKER. love the way she teaches!!! the curve saved me big time. orgo is about knowing more information than the rest of the students, just score better than average on the tests and you will be fine.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/24/2021	If you're reading this and you will be stopping chemistry courses after organic chemistry 1, I suggest you take a look at Dr. Stocker's reviews- I find her more easygoing on students who are maybe not as interested. If you will continue to organic chemistry 2, biochemistry, and onward, or you like chemistry, I strongly, STRONGLY recommend you take Dr. Dixon. Dr. Dixon's lectures are in-depth, quick, but to-the-point. She knows her stuff and will answer your questions completely. She will let you know if you're asking something that you'll learn in the future (like o-chem 2), so that you don't have to worry about it. On ELMS, Dr. Dixon posts class outlines before, and often the lecture notes after each lecture. She will seem intimidating when she lectures, however she is an extremely kind and understanding person. You can see this if you go to her office hours (on zoom or in her office) or if you ask her questions after lecture. I will agree with some reviews below that Dr. Dixon has some sort of obsession with NMR spectroscopy, but I found it more rewarding when I could use NMR spectroscopy analysis as a part of synthesizing a molecule. Exams: They are difficult but extremely fair. Dr. Dixon provides the point breakdown by topic for each exam, including the final, and makes everything CRYTSTAL CLEAR. If you don't understand anything, simply ask her and she will make it even more crystal clear. Exams are often based on the weekly homework assignments, and Dr. Dixon generously drops several of the difficult topics from the final exam. The averages are usually 60-65%. In addition to the generous curve she draws for each exam, for the second and third midterms, Dr. Dixon offered extra credit homework worth 12 points each (12% of each exam), which were directly added to your exam grade. And as if this wasn't enough, each exam had around 10 extra points built in, above the maximum possible score (100 for midterm, 150 for final). Good luck :)
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a D Anonymous 12/23/2021	Although I suspect she may be better then the rest of the professors, I did not enjoy this class and it mentally drained me to tears. She goes way too fast, expects us to know exactly what she's talking about the second she teaches. I don't know if its any different for the 1hr 15 min classes, but she rushed through all our 50min sessions and kept teaching and writing on her ipad until exactly 12:50 as if we were able to retain the complex stuff she tried to switch to at the end of class. She can be very hype and energetic about orgo, but her jokes aren't funny. The final is not timed so you may have less stress, but its still hard. Do not wait until the last minute tot study and if you can, take this at a time where you dont have to take other classes that are heavy workloads/ heavy memorization. My class generally was doing well so there wasn't much of a curve. You will have to calculate your own grades throughout the semester because she doesn't update them. Make sure you have at least a 50% or better if you want to be in the curve. And PLEASE drop the course by the deadline once you feel like you've lost it or don't know what you're doing because they purposely will try to screw you over by making the "drop with a W" BEFORE the second exam. So even if you have hope and don't want to give up, you're screwed regardless. That's what the chem department does. Good luck,
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/22/2021	She talks very fast, but she talks slower and is very helpful at CAN and her office hours. HW is hard, but you have a whole week and can work with classmates. Tests are difficult but fair and she tells you exactly what will be on there/point breakdown. Her curve is very generous, I had ~66% and ended with a B, and I had friends with ~50% and ended with a C.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/22/2021	Truthfully, organic chemistry is going to be a difficult class no matter which professor you take. Dr. Dixon has easy to follow lectures with written notes, and she will always have practice questions for you to do, both graded and non-graded. She will also post videos from previous semesters when learning was still virtual, which can be really, really helpful. She tends to make the homework and tests out of the hardest types of problems within a topic, so you will most likely have to go to office hours. She can be intimidating and harsh during office hours, so if you're someone who thinks you'll be too afraid to go to her office hours, I would pick a different professor. While I didn't think the first three exams were hard, I always thought the homeworks and the final exam were extremely hard. Do the homework -- you'll be fine. I'm glad I took her class, and while she does make this class more difficult than it likely has to be, she will give you a lot of study material and office hours so that you can succeed. You don't need the textbook -- please save yourself 200 dollars and don't buy it.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Anonymous 12/20/2021	I LOVE Dr. Stocker. She is such an amazing professor and makes organic chemistry much more manageable to learn. She is very charismatic and genuinely likes helping students (meaning: go to her office hours!!). Compared to other Orgo I professors, she actually is far less technical and legitimately doesn't expect students to know as much material. This makes things a lot easier; you still learn a LOT of content, but it's less than other professors will teach (especially Dixon). Her lectures are definitely fast-paced, but that's just the nature of orgo. I would recommend writing down every single thing she says during lecture. Like, everything. It's really helpful when you go back through your notes and you have her comments written down, because sometimes just looking at the stuff she wrote down doesn't fully explain every concept. She will mention a lot of really helpful details/tips and tricks. She likes to try and explain concepts, especially the more difficult ones, in multiple ways to try and accommodate for the fact that every student is going to understand things a little differently. If you don't understand something from lecture, just go to her office hours, she will help. Her office hours tend to get a bit crowded, especially close to exams, but that's not really her fault, just come to office hours prepared with your questions (or you can sit in them just to listen to other people's questions, I know some people did that). Her exams are also pretty fair. They're not easy exams by any means, but they don't ask questions beyond what we learn in class. The midterms are designed to have a time-crunch, which can be tough. She also posts practice exams for every midterm on ELMS, which I would definitely check out. Her exams are typically formatted the same way every semester, so they're a good way of seeing what kinds of questions to expect. She doesn't post keys for them though, you have to go to office hours and ask about specific questions. She also has MANY problem sets on ELMS, and those have answer keys. I would absolutely recommend going through those, both as supplemental work alongside lectures and as exam review. They have several examples of problems for every concept you learn in that class. There are also a handful of homework worksheets in the class, which are the only grades aside from the exams. The homework really won't budge your grade that much, but they're useful for practicing content. The grade for the homeworks is split in two, with turning in a homework answer sheet for 3 points and a quiz that pulls random questions from the homework worksheet that is 12 points. In total, each homework assignment is worth 15 points. Turning in the (completed) answer sheet gets you an automatic 3 points (that part is just graded on completion) and the quiz is graded on accuracy. If you are confused on any homework, I'd go to office hours or ask your TA. I also think it's really helpful to find a group of friends in that class, it definitely helped me a lot this last semester (Fall 2021). Stocker's lectures are straightforward and fast. Sometimes, her organization does get a little confusing. She won't always be clear on exactly what she is teaching and how it connects to a previous concept. This never really impacted the quality of her lectures too much, but she usually posted her lecture slides and had a lecture schedule on ELMS, which would help with organization. Even though orgo is hard, I really enjoyed her class. She is a great professor and made lectures enjoyable (she's pretty funny, and uses her cats/sons as analogies ALL the time lol). The curve is always nice in this class and the key to doing well is getting above average on each exam. I was very scared of orgo (I'm not good at chemistry), but orgo involved very, very little math and is almost entirely conceptual. The content is not too challenging, it's just a matter of keeping up with the pace of the class. I would recommend memorizing functional groups and pKas VERY early. Also, making flashcards or a comprehensive list of all of the reaction mechanisms as you go is super useful. This class is more memorization than Stocker will claim, but as long as you start memorizing/self-assessing early, then you will be set. Overall, I would 1,000% recommend Dr. Stocker. She's one of the best professors I've had.
Diandra Soemardi CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/17/2021	There are no words to describe how grateful I am for Diandra in my life. Just that she’s an outstanding TA who is deserving of the PhD title. Her teaching skills are amazing, I always left her discussion sections more confident in the material discussed in lecture because she always had a great strategy in approaching practice problems. You can tell she really cares about her students because she spends an extra hour answering my friend and I questions prior to the exam. Orgo was really hard, however, with Diandra’s help it was easier, and with her encouragement and motivation I am switching my major to Chemistry with confidence!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 12/08/2021	She is definitely a hard ass. She’s not very kind or understanding with helping students succeed. She’s more of “you either understand it or you don’t.” She never responds to emails. However, she does hold a lot of office hours and reviews to help students. But I think she’s just too smart for her own good. She goes wayyyy too far it’s too hard to comprehend anything. Very intimidating.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 10/14/2021	Dr. DIxon is not only the best orgo professor, she is probably one of my favorite professors overall. There is no one who wants to help you succeed more. Yes, the material is hard but she offers so much help by posting extra videos, practice problems with answers, and has a million office hours in which she will answer any question you have a million times until you understand it. You have to put in a lot effort if you want a good grade, but she curves tremendously. If you want to actually understand orgo, take Dixon. Not everyone likes her or her style and that's fine, but I highly recommend.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 09/17/2021	DISCLAIMER: I am reflecting on Dr. Dixon’s class as a junior who had her class 2 years ago. Dixon’s class is quite difficult, but unless you are planning on just taking one semester of organic chemistry, she prepares you for future chemistry classes that involve a deep understanding of organic mechanisms. In other words, the knowledge which she drills into you will only serve to help you in the future. Her grading is fair, and this is coming from someone who essentially failed the first pre-test from her course. She is receptive to student needs and has really helpful office hours. Reflecting back on this class as a third year biochemistry student, all the hard work and effort which I put in to raise my grade from a low D to a low A by the end of the semester really gave me an appreciation for her class and organic chemistry in general. In the end I would say that I definitely do not regret taking her class, and would recommend her class to those taking more than one year of organic chemistry.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting a D Anonymous 08/31/2021	Worst professor at UMD. Very strict on grading and is very disrespectful to her students. Took this course online during peak COVID and she had no remorse or sympathy for her students who were trying to learn organic chemistry ONLINE. Her lab videos were poor quality half of the time so it was difficult to record correct measurements which lead to getting poor lab grades on the report. Avoid this processor at all costs!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A GoFly 08/30/2021	Took her class last year online. She's an excellent lecturer and cares about her students. When I took the class she was available for office hours just about every day of the week, and had extra long ones before homework quizzes and exams. Homework assignments do take long, but they are great for reviewing the content. I've heard from other professors that she teaches some unnecessary topics, like going too far into complex splitting and teaching bulky bases, but I feel that her depth in the content will help anyone who takes CHEM241 and BCHM.
Daniel Falvey CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 08/10/2021	Seems like he must have been great for orgo 2, actually the worst for orgo 1. He skipped quickly over brand new and difficult topics, but went into extreme detail explaining things we've been taught since 8th grade. Falvey flat out refused to record zoom lectures or slow down when people asked, and his notes are usually posted late and full of mistakes. He always acted annoyed anytime someone asked a question, and called on any people who have their cameras on on zoom randomly. Exams weren't too bad (mostly bc they were open note) but I wouldn't have come close to passing this class without the TA. Diandra was my saving grace - go to her office hours and GSS if you want any hope of understanding half the crap falvey spouts in class.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 06/01/2021	Full transparency, this class was very difficult. Like you might think you're smart and you can coast but you really can't. To do well in this class you have to put in the work for it. Do the homework and study hard for the tests. Do all the extra credit even if you're dying. Sometimes Dixon seems like she's being overly tough and vague or confusing, and at the beginning of the semester I hated that but then I realized that it helped me understand all the stuff on a more fundamental level such that I can apply it better. I think it definitely has me way better prepped for orgo 2 than most of the other teachers. The other thing for this class is that you sometimes just have to be able to move forward. The first test I got a 50% straight up, and I felt so bad about it and people were talking about dropping the class which just got me feeling so down and pressured, but you actually just have to push through, and reset. You have to go to office hours and put in a lot of work into the homeworks until you get how to do it like instinct. It's tough but really doable. There was nothing that felt better than getting the good grade in orgo after putting in the hard work. So yeah, I would definitely recommend Dixon even though a lot of people don't like her and think it's too tough. She really preps you for orgo 2 and even though the tests are very difficult the whole course is curved, so as long as you do well enough you can get a good grade in the class.
Daniel Falvey CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/23/2021	Great professor for Orgo 1. Exams were fair and exactly what you would expect. He made a hard class enjoyable :). Highly recommend!
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 05/22/2021	Friedman is an okay professor. Personally, I feel he gives too much invaluable information when teaching and focusing on things that aren't the most important for us to know. Going to GSS and being somewhat consistent in reviewing information is important to succeed. Making sure you understand concepts and practice consistently before exams are important. Putting in the work and learning the foundation is important.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/16/2021	Absolutely the best orgo I professor. Dr Dixon goes above and beyond to help her students understand orgo, including one on one office hours and problem of the day zoom sessions that cover harder topics on the exams. I definitely recommend Dr Dixon to anyone taking orgo.
Robert Martin CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 02/04/2021	The best TA at UMD! He really pours his heart and soul into making organic chemistry a good experience for his students, and I learned a lot from him. His weekly discussion packets and exam reviews made all the difference and I knew I could go to him with questions if needed. He genuinely cares about the students and wants you to do well. Go Robert!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ pavanbhat0710 01/27/2021	Dr. Dixon is a very good online chem teacher. She is available for office hours every day if you need help and builds in a curve to all the exams. There are weekly homework which are pretty hard and time-consuming, but it makes the exam questions very easy. She records all her lectures and hours of supplemental videos which are very helpful. There are so many practice worksheets she provides that you could not do them all, and between her and the TAs there are probably 20 office hours a week! There is also a sizable curve at the end.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/25/2021	I loved taking CHEM231 with Dixon. She explains complex concepts very well and answers questions clearly. While her exams and homework assignments are quite difficult, the information is all in the lectures and she is always available to answer questions (office hours everyday and she responds to emails). Overall, Dr. Dixon goes above and beyond for her students and is an amazing teacher for Organic Chem.
Monique Koppel CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/24/2021	Fall of 2020 lab wasn’t bad. Took about 6 hrs a week including the lab video you had to watch to “do” the experiment. Must attend office hours (hers and/or the TAs) to do well. Some TAs were more helpful than others. Definitely a doable class but had to go to office hours or else you won’t do well on the lab reports.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/12/2020	Dr. DIxon is amazing at teaching CHEM231. Especially if you are taking this course in Spring 2021, highly recommend taking her. She teaches very well in the online environment and provides many options for students to be in contact with her as well as the TAs. Office hours are offered every single day, both private and open office hours. She does SO much more than she needs to for her students, and really just wants to see us succeed. Also, she was the only orgo 1 professor for Fall 2020 so she's the only teacher with an fully online curriculum that she knows works :)
Diandra Soemardi CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/07/2020	Fantastic TA. She wasn't even my assigned TA; however, I found her discussions to be more effective compared to the other TAs. I found her mock exam reviews very helpful the most as compared to the other TAs, she actually goes over almost all the questions efficiently and at a timely manner. Overall helped make Orgo a breeze!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a W Anonymous 11/18/2020	She assigns very very hard exams and homework. She talks super fast during class and its hard to understand. You really have to keep up and give your all to succeed.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 10/18/2020	I was scared at first because I heard she was a hard professor but now she's literally one of my favorite professors at UMD. Her lectures go fast but she's good about answering questions and her office hours are genuinely so helpful. She's lowkey very funny so don't be afraid to get to know her. Her tests are hard but fair. She will give you challenging questions but all the material on it is what you learned in class so there's no surprises and she's good about partial credit. Honestly she's really great
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Anonymous 08/16/2020	Great lecturer and makes class engaging. When we moved online her video lectures were super thorough and helpful. You have to keep up to the material and study everyday to do well, especially if you're not an O chem person. A lot of people in this class were the super smart people so there was not much of a curve. Take Dixon if you want a bigger curve and have a friend in Stocker send you her video lectures.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Anonymous 08/11/2020	Pros: Genuinely covers less material. Lectures are not hard to follow. Will help you in office hours. Cons: Refuses to post practice exams, you have to go to her office and take pictures of them. Doesn't post exam solutions, you have to go to her office hours for those. What is the point of practice exams without answers? Her office hours tend to be crowded so it's hard to ask questions. Doesn't follow the book - she is practically the only official source in her class. Overall a good professor if you just want to get by. Getting an A will be a lot harder due to lack of professorial support.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 07/23/2020	I had her for orgo 1 and absolutely loved her, so when I saw she was going to teach CHEM271 I was very quick to add her as my professor. When I started chem 2 i realized that this was not Dixons strength. Her lectures were confusing and unorganized. I would go to her office hours and study for hours and still that wasnt enough to be prepared for the first exam. The first exam was so difficult that we had to receive extra time on it. Multiple TA's also complained about how absurdly hard the exam was. I gave her a 3/5 because she was a 5 for orgo and a 1-2 for Chem271. I ould say take her for orgo. She has been teaching it for years and really has nailed how to properly conduct the class, but if she is ever a professor for Chem271 again stay far away.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 06/08/2020	Dr. Stocker is great at teaching and is super nice. The best way to do well in this class is to keep up with the material and not let yourself fall behind. There's a lot of content in this class, but if you go through it slowly, it's much more manageable.
Taylor Plank CHEM231 Anonymous 02/06/2020	Pretty sure the review on here is from Plank herself because no one in the class thought she was a great teacher. She was a graduate student teaching for the first time, so everything was pretty messy. Pretty sure the averages for her exams were in the 30s, 40s and the curve wasn't very strong. I don't think she's teaching again but if she is listed, try to avoid her.
Osvaldo Gutierrez CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 02/01/2020	He was an okay professor, but I could tell he is really passionate about his work, so lectures weren't dull. I only passed this class with an A because the TA was extremely good at explaining each topic. Also, it was nice that this course had discussion packets, and the exam contained the exact questions in the packet. So if you do those, then you'll pass this class easily.
Osvaldo Gutierrez CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/25/2020	Obviously you're reading this because you want a good time in 231. I highly recommend taking Gutierrez for Orgo 1. Unlike other professors, he posts semi-challenging clicker questions (on ELMS) beforehand - no surprise CQs. Most of the content he goes over in class is covered in the Lecture Slides (on ELMS). We had 4 midterm exams but they were not as stressful as other professors'. We were given plenty of practice exams and keys (on ELMS). Hints for possible exam questions and bonus questions are mentioned in lecture. The lowest midterm is dropped and replaced with 2nd-highest score. There is a reaction project but you have options, can work with a partner, and is generally a grade booster. There were about 9 BACON modules that counted for extra credit - they relate pop culture to chem. Discussion is a must - our TA (Robert) reviewed what we learned and had packets prepared for every week (on ELMS as well). A lot of the problems in these packets showed up on midterm exams btw. I would read the textbook if I couldn't solve a clicker question but you can generally learn every concept online (masteringorganicchemistry, chemistrysteps, chem.libretexts, youtube). The course is not curved because there are so many opportunities for extra points (BACON + exam bonus + never miss discussion). The average for all midterm exams was 80.6%. Final Exam average was 70.3%. Clicker Questions are as hard (or harder) than exam questions so prepare yourself as soon as they are posted on ELMS. Robert is the best TA I've had so far at UMD so be sure to visit him. Both Gutierrez and Robert understand that this course has a negative reputation so you'll be taught what you need to know. Whereas other professors take pride in low averages, Gutierrez and Robert didn't and they'd hand out As if they could - you just have to earn it :)
Osvaldo Gutierrez CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/02/2020	Dr. Gutierrez was a great professor! Although at times lecture could get a bit confusing, I think overall he did a very well job teaching the material. He provided us many opportunities to help boost our grade. He doesn't curve, but he replaces your lowest score with your second highest. I enjoyed his class!
Osvaldo Gutierrez CHEM231 Expecting an A terpterp00 12/21/2019	The worst part about Gutierrez is that he doesn't wipe the blackboard well, so he ends up scribbling all over his previous material. A little confusing when writing notes. Other than that, he's a pretty boring lecturer. I don't think I learned much in class, even though I attended all of them. The examples he gives are good to look back on as review though. Honestly, his TA Robert saved the class. His discussions cleaned up all the material in a concise manner. He also provides the weekly discussion packets with tons of practice problems and does review sessions for the practice exam before each exam, which saved me every time. Gutierrez doesn't curve but gives a lot of opportunities to rack up points via BACON, bonus Q's on exams, and dropping the lowest score. Take him if you want a higher average in orgo.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/19/2019	If you can, you should take her class. She's a bit old-school since she generally hates technology (and she sends everything out by email, as opposed to uploading things to ELMS), but she's a fantastic lecturer and has a nice personality. The class is all memorization (even though she claims otherwise), which can be time-consuming. The only thing I disliked as the use of clicker questions, as I would have preferred quizzes or simply no in-class assignments at all. Her TA's are pretty good too, and the grading is very fair. Although I would have liked an A in the class, I can admit I did not study the reactions well enough to deserve it.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 tinyterp01 12/18/2019	I’m not really sure why Dixon has such high reviews when she’s well known as one of the HARDEST professors that teach orgo. her lectures were so confusing to follow, and quite frankly she was really rude to students in class. would definitely not recommend to anyone regardless of how good you are at chemistry
Robert Martin CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/17/2019	best TA at UMD
Osvaldo Gutierrez CHEM231 Anonymous 12/17/2019	talks about random crap, but robert carries class
Osvaldo Gutierrez CHEM231 Anonymous 11/26/2019	I think orgo is a class were a lot of people struggle because its really hard to wrap your head around the concepts. Dr G. explains the concepts fairly well and he often goes off the textbook, so reading the textbook helps too. He gives a lot of opportunity for extra credit which is a huge plus and he has a great TA (Robert) too, which is a plus plus. Lastly the exams are extremely fair, if you do good on the past exam he posts on ELMS then you probably are set for the exam. I feel like not enough people know him because he's kind off new but he really is great professor.
Robert Martin CHEM231 Anonymous 10/25/2019	An absolute legend. The practice exams are just like the actual ones. I learn more in his discussion than I do in class.
Robert Martin CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 10/21/2019	GOD TIER TA
Jeffery Davis CHEM231 Anonymous 05/19/2019	He's a really great professor and makes lecture fun by telling stories and throwing chalk at the walls like the other reviews mentioned. The class had 4 midterms and a final but we got to drop one which was nice.
Lenea Stocker CHEM231 Expecting a C- Anonymous 05/18/2019	Fantastic at teaching, I'm just bad at Orgo. She's a great professor, and has interesting ways at explaining complex subjects. There's not too much out-of-class work, so long as you understand what's going on. Her tests are Time Dependent, as in; You WILL run out of time. The Final wasn't time restricted, however, so less stress there.
Jeffery Davis CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/10/2019	One of the most passionate professors. He truly wants students to learn and enjoy organic. There's a reason he fills up first!
Lee Friedman CHEM231 Anonymous 11/15/2018	Probably the most dedicated professor there is for Orgo1. He is so passionate about the material and super funny. However, his exams are extremely tough... so you definitely have to put in the work and effort for this class. Pretty sure averages are in the low 50's or so. Make sure you're on top of things and never study the night before his exams.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 05/18/2018	Honestly, Dr. Dixon was the best teacher I've had so far at UMD. She's really nice once you get to know her and can be of a lot of help to you if you (1) go to her office hours and (2) ask specific questions pertaining to what you're confused with. That being said, this class isn't a walk in the park. You HAVE to put in the work if you want to pass this class. Do her practice problems because those will help for exams. Also, always go to lecture! If you absolutely can't make it, ask a friend for their notes because a good amount of content is covered in class and you can't afford to miss it. Finally, when it comes to grading, she's really strict but she does give partial credit to decent amount of answers on the homeworks and the exams. She also curves the class but she doesn't tell you by how much. I ended the semester with a 67 but that was a B-. Overall, it was an awesome class to be in.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 04/25/2018	Dr. Dixon is a good lecturer and has a lot of experience explaining orgo concepts to inexperienced students. Her tests are relatively fair; the averages are low because it's just a lot of material to understand. There are extra points built into her tests and extra credit available so good grades are not out of reach when the curve is applied at the end of the semester.
Taylor Plank CHEM231 Anonymous 03/01/2018	Wonderful lecturer and cares about students. Really knows her stuff and makes organic understandable. Her class is the type of class that makes me look forward to my day! Even at 8 am, taking her is SOOOOOO worth it.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a D Anonymous 05/12/2016	Honestly Dixon is a great teacher. She is really passionate and really tries to make lectures exciting and also make sure you learn the material. That being said, this class is extremely, extremely hard. You can not get by just going to lectures and doing the homeworks. Lol, that is what I did and I am most likely going to get a D. But everyone I know who goes the extra mile, goes to office hours and GSS, studies at least a little every day, and does all the practice worksheets does fine. Just be prepared to work extremely, extremely hard if you want to do well, or even ok. But this is orgo so you know that lol
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/05/2015	Dr. Dixon is the best organic chemistry professor on this campus. You will have to work hard for a good grade, but it is definitely doable. I got an uncurved A. I did all of her weekly quizzes and handouts that were given out in class. I used a white board to go over and over the practice problems given in class. I started out by using the textbook, but she even said that the textbook would not be very helpful. Organic Chemistry as a Second Language was very helpful in the beginning, but by the second exam I was not using it anymore. Exams are always on Mondays, so reserve literally the entire weekend beforehand for studying. She is also very dedicated to her students. She holds office hours as often as she can, this semester she held them basically from 9-4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and for a few hours MWF. If you want to learn organic chemistry, take her.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A+ forrestgumb 12/21/2014	Mixed bag for me. On one hand his class was a joke and a half, but because of that you don't learn much. I ended up with a 92% pre-curve without going to many of his classes. You just need to go to discussion and do past exams and you're set. My advice is this: if you're pre-med or actually need to understand this stuff don't take him. Sign up for a harder professor. If you're just looking for an A he is your man.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/17/2014	Bonnie Dixon is the best orgo professor you can find here at UMD! No question about it. She makes learning orgo very intuitive and straightfoward. Yes, she will will push you. A lot. Her exams can be a nightmare. But she provides with every tool necessary to do well on them. Her weekly quizzes and homeworks are your best bet as to knowing what will be tested on. Going to her office hours is A MUST. There's tons of students in there that can help you, and Dixon is always willing to help you over confusions. The grade you put into Dixon's orgo is reflected in your grade. I highly recommend her for anyone who plans on taking Orgo II.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 09/04/2014	Great class
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 06/30/2014	First off; holy god, this class will teach you how to work for what you want. Dr. Dixon is the hardest, but hands-down, the best chemistry professor on campus. If you take Dixon, you will know your shit, but she will force you to LEARN that shit in order to even do DECENTLY in her class. I have never worked as hard in a class as I did in this one, and at the end of the semester, Dixon recognized that and bumped me up from a B+ to an A (she doesn’t do minuses). But let me tell you, I worked for it. I went to GSS consistently, did the weekly quizzes, used Klein’s Orgo as a Second Language book, was in her office hours regularly, went to all the discussions, and studied with friends for homework and before exams. Her class taught me to work my ass off for what I want, and that’s going to be a lesson that I use many more times in life. Orgo with Dixon is A LOT OF WORK though. I took it at the same time as genetics and with 17 credits and barely made it out alive (genetics took most of the hits in terms of grades though, all my other classes turned out fine.) It was definitely my hardest class but the most rewarding. It takes up a lot of time so be careful what classes you take along with it. Dixon is honestly such a nice, funny, and amazing person and professor, but she’s strict and will tell you how it is bluntly, so don’t expect any sympathy. But she really does care about her students- she’s not out to get you- she throws curveballs on tests but her logic is that she warns us about those curveballs ahead of time (truth.) She will present the information in class to you on a surface level basis and will expect you to enhance your understanding through the homework and weekly quizzes. I prefer having people explain things to me, so I took the initiative to enhance my own understanding by doing the crap ton of stuff I did outside of class listed above. If you’re looking for the easy A for orgo, don’t take Dixon. If you want to learn your shit (I recommend her especially for chemistry and biochemistry majors, although I was biology) take Dixon- even if you get like a B- you’ll be shitting on everyone else in Orgo II because you’ll know everything. I made it through with an A, and you can too!!!! (Insert “no ragrats” meme here) (She also really likes memes. If you ever go to her office hours mine is the Hey Arnold one.) I remember hating chemistry in high school and now I’m considering switching my major to biochem because I enjoyed learning orgo so much. The choice is honestly yours when it comes to taking her. I recommend. Also as the review below says, if you're going to professional school after college- take Dixon!!
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Brenden2012 05/26/2014	I will juts give you a summary of Khachik and my suggestions on how to do well. He is an alright professor. He sometimes talks about things that are not important to know. His tests are basic knowledge and he pretty much does not try to trick you (There was a question on the first exam and you would ONLY know the answer if you went to class). The concepts he goes over are not hard and not in depth. With that said DO NOT TAKE KHACHIK IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE ORGO 2. You will have an easier time in Orgo 1, but you will not learn enough to be ready for the next level. You will be setting yourself up for a rough time. He rarely teaches CHEM241, so don't count on taking him then. If you take a different teach for Orgo 1, it will be a little harder, but Orgo 2 will be a lot easier. If you are a non pre-med BIOE major, Khachik is perfect for you. For my class: The class is 750 points. 3 Exams and 1 Final. Nothing is dropped. No Cheat Sheet. Exams are 20% (150 points) each. Final is 40% (300 points) each. Exam 1: Mean = 65.2% Exam 2: Mean = 63.7% Exam 3: Mean = 66.1% Final: Mean = 60.1% Curve: It is rumored that the curve is 10-20%. He will not talk about the curves until ALL grades are in for the semester. If you want to guess the curve as during the class I would recommend making the means of the test between 75-80% and applying that curve to your grade. Tips: Go to every lecture. He might say things that you will not find anywhere else and test you on it. Go to your Discussion. My TA gave problems that were more challenging than Khachiks and he helped us through them and learn. Go to GSS. This is by far the most helpful. The GSS leader breaks down everything Khackiks says and teaches you only the things you need to know. Make a mechanism sheet at the back of your notebook. Whenever you learn a new mechanism, you should write it down in an organized location in the back of your book. You should write the name and other important information like "must be anti-periplanar" or "sin-addition". This is very help as it provides a quick reference to all of the mechanisms in the class. We only had about 3 pages front and back of mechanisms. This is grow significantly in Orgo 2. Studying: Outside of going to lecture, discussion, and GSS every week, I did not study until the exam. I would not recommend this unless you are answering the questions posted in discussion and GSS without assistance. To study for the exams I recommend taking pictures of PAST EXAMS FROM THE CHEM FRAT. They are located in the chem building and have two binders of Khachik's past exams. Then do these exams with as little assistance from your notes as possible. Most of the exam KEYS ARE ON KOOFERS. THIS IS A STRONGLY RECOMMENDED STUDYING HABIT. You learn what you need improvement on and the stile he writes his tests. Good luck.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 01/01/2014	Organic chemistry is hard no matter who you take, but if you have the option take him. His tests are straight forward and he doesn't try to trick you. He tells you exactly what you need to know for the exams.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A blichtbr 12/21/2012	Nicest dude on the planet. He loves helping his students. Not the best lecturer, but if u can teach yourself and go to discussion you'll be fine. Not terribly difficult.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A jenny 12/18/2012	I signed up to take orgo under Khachik because I heard he was the easiest professor. I figured orgo would be a breeze so this class would be an easy A. I found out about halfway through the course that no matter what orgo professor you have at UMD, orgo takes a lot of effort and studying to do well in. Whether you take Ammon, Dixon, Khachik, or whoever else, you will have to work to get an A. Khachik is a very fair man. His exams are very straightforward and can be studied for by reading the book and taking his old exams. GSS sessions weren't that helpful for me (I originally attended two a week in the first half of the semester, then completely stopped) because I found I could just as easily read the book and study the old exams. The trick is to go through the chapters and make a list of all of the mechanisms before you do the homework, then use the list to complete the homework and study. I didn't really READ the book, just looked at the mechanisms and picked out the main points. Khachik goes over examples of every mechanism in class and tells you which ones will be on the exams. In fact, he tells you everything that will be on the exam so you know what to study for and what to not worry about. I know a lot of people don't go to his class because the lectures are very boring; however, I don't really think they could become much more exciting. Khachik tells you useful real world applications of various mechanisms, though he doesn't test you on these. He puts a mix of mechanisms and multiple choice on the exams since this is what the final (between all orgo 1 professors) consists of. The multiple choice isn't completely fair since if you get the question wrong, you lose 10 points, but they aren't really hard... so just don't get them wrong. I never went to my discussion because I was lazy. I heard from other people that they hated the TA because he was mean, so I don't really think I missed out much. You can definitely manage without a discussion. The homework wasn't from the Loudon book that is assigned as the class textbook, but Pearson Education is to blame for this. It made the homework a lot harder since you couldn't really check your answers. Along with this, the program that MasteringChemistry uses marked a lot of mechanisms wrong that weren't because you have to input them a certain way. Because of these two things, Khachik gave us back numerous points on our homework, so even though I missed a lot of points, I still ended with a 100% in homework. The homework is VERY useful in Khachik's class. Khachik is very approachable one-on-one; however, there is a chance he may jump at you in class if you ask a "stupid" question. He calls many a question-asker out because he just went over the material and they don't understand or whatever. I avoided asking Khachik questions in front of everyone, but I would ask him after class and he was extremely happy to answer. Khachik applies a curve throughout his two sections. While this seems unfair to some, I can't really see how... he teaches both sections the same way with the same material and each section has a fair chance at the exams. I'm fairly certain he doesn't change the exams between the earlier and later sections, yet the later sections always did worse than the earlier. The average for the later section was a 67% and the average for the earlier section was a 70%. His curves are fantastic, and low 80%'s tend to end up as A-'s. Summary: - No matter your orgo professor, you WILL have to put in effort to get an A in orgo - That being said, Khachik is a very fair and straightforward professor - Khachik's exams questions come from the mechanisms that are in the book; there are no curveballs. - Read the book and do your homework and you will do great - Study the old exams; there are a LOT of them online and the questions are VERY similar to what will be on the new exam - Khachik is a really great guy that WANTS you to succeed - GSS and discussion aren't necessary to do well
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/18/2012	Khachik isn't a very good teacher but his exams are easy and that's really all you need in Orgo. Do lots of problems, read from the book, study early, go to GSS/discussion if you need help and you'll be golden. You don't necessarily need to go to lecture because he ends up confusing you a lot of the time, but make sure you go to the one before the final because he gives away a couple of the problems on the final. Curve is generous and exam questions are fair.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A btc5105 12/15/2012	He is not a good lecturer and gets very hostile if you try to correct even a minor mistake. His exams are very easy however, so if you want an easy A, he is your guy. However, be warned that if you have to take 241, it will take a lot of work for you to understand a lot of that material because Khachik does not adequately prepare you for it.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/04/2012	Easiest Orgo 1 teacher. Easiest exams and straightforward lecture. You don't need to attend all the GSS but you do need to keep up with the textbook and the second language handbook. I received an A with an 82% but Khachik doesn't reveal his curve. Here are some numbers The averages for my two classes of Chem-231 are as follows: The 10:0 a.m. Class, Section 5200 Exam 1 Average: 65% Exam 2 Average: 74% Exam 3 Average: 47% Final exam Average: 62.5% Average of all exams : 62% The 1:00 p.m. Class, Section 5400 Exam 1 Average: 72% Exam 2 Average: 79% Exam 3 Average: 47% Final exam Average: 61.5% Average of all exams : 65% As you can see the difference between the overall average of the 10 a.m. class and the 1:00 p.m. class is less than 5% and is not statistically significant. Therefore, your scores from online homework (100 points), and 3 exams (each 150 points) and the final exam (300 points) will be added up and divided by 850 to determine your overall average (%). As I mentioned in the class a single curve will then be applied to your overall average. Since I will be extremely generous with the curve, there will be no grade negotiation. Also, I WILL NOT discuss the cut off points for the grades and how I will apply the curve.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 10/12/2012	I have to say, a lot of the stuff I'm reading below is bull. I would not consider myself to be a big chemistry person, I'm not even a life sciences major (math major) and I honestly did not find Dr. Khackik's class unreasonable. I mean, it's organic chemistry so you can't float through it but he is not as bad of a lecturer as everyone says and his tests are very very fair. I think, if anything, his only flaw is that he babies these pussy life science majors too much. Grow a pair and work hard and you'll be fine. That being said, to do well in his class, these are a must: 1. Bring your textbook to class and follow along in the book as he lectures (he usually follows the book more or less). If you don't have to book, you'll miss one thing and be lost the rest of the lecture but if you have it, you can refer to the book with something you don't understand. 2. Before every exam, do at least 3 or 4 old exams. This will give you a general idea of what types of questions to expect and you'll usually see some similar ones on the actual exams. He also has types of questions he loves to put on every year so you can also pinpoint those by doing old exams and practice them to make sure you get those. 3. Do your exams in pen and check them thoroughly when you get them back. It's not uncommon for the TA's make a lot of mistakes grading because they have so many papers to grade and also take off more than they're supposed to sometimes. You can raise possibly your overall grade by 3-4% by making sure you get the points you earned. Overall, he's actually a really nice guy, very approachable, and a very fair professor. Definitely take him
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 09/20/2012	Terrible professor. Just an awful teacher to boot, nothing more than can be said about him. Run far away and don't look back.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 batman 07/27/2012	Professor Khachik is a primary carbocation--totally unstable. his lectures were all over the place. The initial reason why I decided to take Khachik was because he was supposedly the "easy" organic chemistry I professor. However, his midterms this spring semester were pretty difficult. From looking at his past exams, I can say that his midterms have become more difficult over time. Khachik may have been the "easy" organic professor a couple semesters back, but I wouldn't say so now. If you are planning on taking CHEM231, you should opt for a different professor--you will not learn much about Organic Chemistry from Dr. Khachik.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Sal_man 07/26/2012	Khacick makes the easiest tests compared ot those made by the other professors. That's what you want for Orgo. Other than that, he's an okay teacher but I would not study just what he tells you in lecture... I stayed one or two chapters ahead and did all the assigned problems. This way I could just sit back in lecture and just listen to what he had to say since it was all review for me. I believe this is the recipe for getting an A in orgo and any other class for that matter. I would spend at least 2 or 3 hours each day reviewing orgo, and it definitely paid off. Orgo is a challenging course for sure, but take advantage of the easy exams by Khacick and do work.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 07/15/2012	Dr. Khachik cannot teach. At all. His notes were completely unorganized and was literally all over the place. The reviewer below me is right. His exams have gotten harder over the years so he is not the "easy one". He may say no mechanisms but on the 3rd exam and the final there were full mechanism questions! So basically to do well, u better start scoring the internet to teach you because he sure won't. Really he deserves a 1 but i gave him a 2 because of the HUGE curve he gives. I'm pretty sure a 50% =C and 81%=A. Besides that, not good
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/21/2012	pro: easiest tests in orgo I supposidly (I found them easy, practice old tests bc there are very similar problems semester to semester) cons: had to teach myself orgo I do the textbook suggested homework problems (there are like 15 of them but they are great practice). know and understand mechanisms, they are the building block for everything else youll learn during the semester. there was online homework this semester which provided a nice grade boost, do it with other students, you can easily get above a 90% on every homework. averages on test 1 and 2 were in the low 70s. test 3 was 47%. final was 62%. there was a generous curve this semester, ~70% was a B. GO TO DISCUSSION. the TA this semester went through many problems and explained everything thoroughly. NOT a waste of time. good luck!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Adinsx 05/17/2012	Take Dixon! It's about all I can say. There's a reason why everybody always attends her lectures and tries especially hard in her class, but she's very encouraging and dedicates a lot of time to her students. For me, she made orgo bearable. I laughed at all my friends who had other orgo teachers.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an F Anonymous 05/15/2012	I cannot stress this enough: Khachik is the absolute WORST professor I have ever had the misfortune of having. Anyone who says he is helpful and approachable are lying. Not only did he send me countless rude email, he made people feel dumb for asking questions. His lectures were impossible to follow and the TA's were just as bad. The TA's were just as rude, if not worse. I tried to go in for extra help, but it almost felt as if they wanted you to fail. The amount of work I put into his class was a complete waste of time. Khachik openly told us that me I needed to find a way to drop the class (after the drop date had passed) when I asked him for extra study help for the final exam. He said if I didn't know how to study by now I didn't have a chance at passing his class. DO NOT TAKE KHACHIK.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/15/2012	Is she hard? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely, especially if you plan on taking orgo ii and/or the MCATs. She is an incredible teacher who does push you. She herself is not intense: she'll often go on tangents about her past or her family. And she frequently plays music before starting class. There are also many extra credit opportunities. You'll find this echoed in other review below, but I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to do those problem sets and visit her in her office hours. She strongly encourages students to do both and for good reason. If you're serious about your studies, don't be discouraged by friends who say that she's too hard and it's not worth it. An A is within your grasp (thanks to her generous curve...and hard work!). If I could take her for orgo ii, I would.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 05/09/2012	I chose to take Khachik because many older students told me that he's the "easiest." Generally, orgo is a difficult subject for many students so I don't think the professor teaching it should be criticized too harshly. After the first two weeks of school, I basically stopped going to lectures and if I did go, everything went in one ear and out the other. His lectures and notes on the board get very disorganized and confusing so when you're going back to your notes to study, you don't even know what the hell he was talking about. To succeed and get a decent grade in his class, I basically read the book and did past exam problems. He recycles a lot of questions so it's very useful to look at those. Also, in our class, we were the guinea pigs for the new online chem hw (kind of like web assign) and those were annoying...Only helped a little. I feel like everyone just copied one another so that they wouldn't be docked -15% off for a wrong attempt. Overall, if you want a slightly easier, predictable test format, go with khachik. I don't know how Ammon or Dixon teach their class but I haven't heard too many positive things about them either. It's orgo, no matter who you take it with, it'll be a challenge.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 04/23/2012	He's a pretty good professor and wants his students to do well. The first test was kinda scary but orgo is orgo and takes time and hard work to become good at. Khachik's exams are very fair and again, if you put in the time necessary, they are doable. One exam problem was EXACTLY an example we had done in class, so it doesn't get easier than that. I can not emphasize this enough: no matter what professor you get, please put in lots of time if you want to do well. The summer before class started, I learned arrow pushing and resonance to get a head start, and if I hadn't done that, I would have failed the first exam. There's a curve, and he tells the class what the curve's gonna look like midway through the semester. Wow, look at these reviews, they're all over the place! If you really want to know what he's like , just sit in one of his lectures one day and get to see him for yourself.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 02/26/2012	Professor Khachik is interesting. Cons: On one hand, he isn't a very good teacher. He gets confused and misinterprets questions from his students very easily. He is also extremely disorganized in lecture, which causes his students to become easily confused themselves. He is very unhelpful if you go to his office hours, and emphatically refuses to make any sort of accommodation for his students (I had a genetics exam and orgo exam back to back, and he didn't allow me to take the same exact exam with his second class because "then everyone would do it") Pros: His exams are usually straightforward. Seriously, that's it. He can be nice sometimes too, but that's it. I enrolled in Khachik because I heard he was the easiest Orgo professor. His exams weren't as difficult, that's true, but that also means his curve isn't as high. My friends who had previously taken his class said that 80+% is an A, but don't rely on it. For my year, he curved about 9%. Class One: Exam 1 Average: 112/150 points, 75% Exam 2 Average: 111/150 points, 74% Exam 3 Average: 84/150 points, 56% Final exam Average: 173/300 points, 58% Average of all exams : 472/750 points, 63% Class Two: Exam 1 Average: 125/150 points, 83% Exam 2 Average: 111/150 points, 74% Exam 3 Average: 90/150 points, 60% Final exam Average: 184/300 points, 61% Average of all exams : 503/750 points, 67% "Please note that the overall averages of the two classes were 63% (12:30 p.m.) and 67% (2:00 p.m.), respectively. In the final exam, the 2:00 p.m. class performed slightly better (by 4%) than the 12:30 p.m. class but the difference was not statistically significant. This was also the case in exam 3. Therefore, your scores from 3 exams (each 150 points) and the final exam (300 points) were added up and divided by 750 to determine your overall average (%). As I mentioned in the class a single curve was then applied to your overall average." So, even though the first class didn't do as well, they still got the same curve as the second class. Just make sure you're on your toes if you decide to take Khachik. You can't afford to do poorly on a single one of his exams, because it could screw over your orgo grade. For studying, I attended GSS, and starting from the chapter with the synthesis and elimination reactions I did all the problems in the book. In addition, my TA, Lenea Stocker, was amazing and I would sometimes attend multiple discussions in a week. In addition, get the tests from the chem frat upstairs, but make sure you don't rely on them solely. On the exam that everyone failed, he said 90% of the kids repeated exactly what was on the old exams, and that was incorrect for the specific problem on this year's exam. Good luck everyone taking this class. I wrote this review because I wanted to offer whatever help I could to any kids taking this in the future.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/17/2012	As a person Dr. Khachik is a pretty nice guy. As a teacher, he is probably the worst teacher i have ever encountered. How anyone could learn anything from his lectures is beyond me. Everything I learned from this course was completely self taught. However, his tests, while extremely difficult, are probably the easiest of all the chem231 professors. That being said, if you want to come close to passing the course your going to have to devote countless hours to studying and realize this is one of those courses that will occupy nearly all of your time all semester with the very strong possibility you'll still get a C. I dont for a second believe the grade distribution this website gives. This past semester he gave over half the class C's or below. I was one of the extremely fortunate ones to receive an A in the class. To earn my A, I pulled around two dozen all nighters throughout the semester and probably put an average of 60 total hours of studying into each exam. My tips to passing the course: 1. Sit in the front of the class 2. Make as many friends in the class as you can (to study with) 3. Go to every GSS offered 4. Learn to enjoy pain and suffering
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A TerpGuy 01/15/2012	Dr. Khachik is a very kind man who truly wants his students to succeed in his class. His notes can be messy but it follows the book and it always helps to re-write his notes. His exams are straightforward compared to other Orgo professors. He has no office hours and has an open door policy. So you can visit him at your own time. However, I noticed that he is very bad at answering questions. Also, if you ask him a lot of questions during lecture, he gets a bit frustrated. He was very good with lecture for most part but towards the end he tended to blaze through the lectures and go really fast. Practicing his old exams help a lot, but just studying his old exams and studying the day before the exam will not help you succeed in the class. A post below has already posted the grades for each exam in Khachik's class from last semester. If you are willing to learn and put an effort, take Khachik. If you really want to learn the ins and outs of Orgo Chem, I would recommend taking Dr. Dixon but her class is considerably more challenging than Dr. Khachik. If you have to take Orgo II, I would recommend taking Dr. Dixon because she prepares students well compared to Dr. Khachik. Overall, Khachik's class is doable if you put effort, study beforehand and DO THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS HE ASSIGNS.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/09/2012	Dr. Khachik is an awesome professor. He is also a great person. You can approach him with any problems or questions you have after lecture and the man will stay there for 20 minutes answering them. He cares about his students and wants them all to succeed in this course. Don't pay any attention to the very few negative posts on this wall, Khachik is not evil. If anything he is a blessing as an organic professor because he is straight forward and does not expect you to go above and beyond his classroom. On his exams there might be one curve ball but even that still encompasses what he told you in lecture. The man does not even ask you to draw the mechanisms of reactions, he just expects you to know products, this saves a lot of time both when studying and when taking the exam. His exams are not very difficult, especially the first one! Do yourself a favor by preparing early for this course because it will pay off big time down the road. He recommends "Organic Chemistry as a second language" as a supplemental text and this book helped me succeed in this class, I definitely think it was the best investment I made. Three tips: 1. Take advantage of his kindness and willingness to help. He has an open door policy and he is also always available before and after lecture to answer your questions, so be aggressive and ask for his help. Show him you care and he will make note of it. 2. Rewrite your notes and follow along in the textbook for clarity if needed. He lectures straight from the textbook. His syllabus is very clear on what he will cover and not cover, he stays true to that, so you can feel free to eliminate sections knowing they wont show up on the exams. 3. Practice his old exams, but don't merely practice his old exams to succeed. He does change them! Study what he says in lecture and study your textbook for clarity, this will be the key to your A. However, do look at his old exams so you can get a feel for his structure and approach to questions are. This course is doable. You can get an A, but you must go to lecture and take down good notes. Nothing will be handed to you, he does not give out A's to be nice. This is still organic chemistry! It is up to you to study. The bonus of taking his course is that his exams are not as hard as others and there is still a very generous curve. 3 Midterms: 150 points (T/TH sections) 100 points (MWF sections). 1 Final: 300 points
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 01/02/2012	Khachik is incredibly unorganized and makes it clear that he doesn't care about his students. He is there for research and makes himself completely unavailable towards the end of the semester. He also uses the same curve for both of his orgo 1 classes. So, if you have the misfortune of being in the class with lower test averages then you're fighting an uphill battle and will get a B when you would an A compared to your own class. If you have a choice don't take khachik!
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2011	Yes, Organic Chemistry is perceived as one of the harder classes. If you take Khachik , it really won't be. Everyone below me who complains about how bad he is are the same type of people who need the professor to teach them things in order to do well. Yes, he sucks at teaching. But he teaches directly out of the book. Each test is on three or so chapters, and on the syllabus he tells you directly what sections of these chapters you need to know. If you read them, study them, and learn them, and you will be just fine. I never cracked a book once for this class except for the night before each exam and I think I am walking out with an A. While I would recommend studying more than that before a test, it isn't that big of deal. In short, Khachik is the easiest Orgo professor there is, and if you are having a hard time with him, then you need to realize that this is not high school and you need to be able to teach yourself. All you have to do is read the book.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 12/18/2011	Given the limited number of 1st Year organic chemistry professors, you most likely will be stuck with khachik which is not a bad thing. He is Armenian-persian (thick accent yet understandable) and he has some sense of humor from time to time. His lecture style is just him writing on 10 chalkboards with his shirt covered in chalk dust at the end of the lecture! Your notes can get pretty messy given the ridiculous amount of reactions you will cover in class. This class is not easy and you certainly must spend sufficient amount of time reviewing your notes and textbook (which khachik follows very nicely). His exams are not as difficult compared to other professors and most of khachik's old exams are on koofers which are helpful. There is about a 7-8 percent curve at the end of the class but don't let that let you slack off b/c this class certainly will be your most challenging of the semester. But an A is certainly possible. Good luck!
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 12/17/2011	Orgo definitely isn't hard, you just have to put time into it. Khachik's lectures are very scatterbrained, but the textbook for this class is great, so it's not too big of an issue. His exams are pretty easy and straightforward, and the final was easy. His TA, Lenea, is a gift from god for all struggling orgo students - she is AMAZING. She should be the one teaching the class. Dont make the mistake of going into this class trying to memorize anything - I don't think I memorized anything the whole semester, you just have to understand. An interesting class overall!
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 melhalee 12/13/2011	Please be careful if you decide to take this course with Khachik. Yes, his exams tend to be easier than the other professor and he is a pleasent person at face value. But after looking back at the other factors from this course, I would not take organic with this professor again. His syllabus states that he has an open door policy. It sounds nice but it is actually a co-out because he is not there most of the time and when you do find him he complains that he has no time and blows you off. I asked him when the best time was to ask him questions and he told me to come talk to him before and after class. Even when I do go up to him before and after class he complains that he needs to go home and answers one question grudgingly. His teaching is scattered. He glosses over things and does not get across his points clearly. Therefore, I had to spend hours teaching myself the material. In a class of 200+ people, these things should not be. Please spare yourself and do not take this professor.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 12/09/2011	I am a pre-med student, Neuroscience and physiology major. Let me start with saying that I enjoy chemistry quite a bit, General chemistry came easy to me and I enjoyed learning it. Before the course I briefly reviewed Organic Chemistry contents and found mechanisms and the course in general fairly engaging and interesting. I knew Orgo was going to be HARD and was ready to study a LOT (as I did during the semester). Khackik, however, makes this course an absolute hell. He is the worst, and I mean by far the worst teacher I have ever had EVER. He is an extremely incompetent teacher who skims over the material never truly explaining it. The result of this is that really you do not understand the concepts during lecture and get to the exam completely unprepared and clueless about the material. I soon realized that I had to basically teach myself the class (and I went to almost every single lecture this semester. The only reason the grades seem "higher" in his class is because he is the easier grader and his exams are on the easier side compared to other teachers. But do not fool yourself, he is incompetent and very unreachable. I immensely regret taking this teacher, especially because Orgo is a very very hard subject and teaching yourself is really not what you want to do here. Take anyone else, they WILL be better. While Khachik may be easier than the other teachers, this is a material you need to thoroughly understand, and a good teacher is the way to go. I have always understood chemistry. For the first time in my life I feel clueless and reaching for heavy outside help. If you can avoid it, don't take Khachik.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B erika_14 12/07/2011	Khachik is an okay professor. He was very funny and personable in class and had a nice personality. His exams were mediocre, but mostly were off his lecture notes and exampless from the books. I suggest do NOT take him if you want to learn a lot.. He was not that great a professor. His writing on the board was scattered and he made lots of mistakes during lecture. He explained things in a weird way that doesn't allow you to understand it right away. There are other professors who allow you to understand the material better. So, if you want to do well in CHEM241, take someone else. But otherwise, Khachik is an okay professor.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B somemelvin1 11/28/2011	I made an account on Ourumd so that I could write a review on Khachik. I have probably never had such a horrible professor in my life. Orgo is a difficult class and I do not have a problem with it as a subject, but Khachik made it worse. 1. He did not seem to know how to teach. He merely stated "facts" and did not explain why they are that way. The only way one could understand what is happening in lecture is if they read the textbook before, during and after class. If you are the type of person that can teach themselves and has the time to do so, then you may do ok in Khachik. 2. He was extremely dry and hard to follow. It is almost worthless to go to class yet if you miss one, you will be very lost. 3. He does not care about his students. Many professors are juggling both teaching and research. Khachik makes it obvious that we are not his priority and we are almost wasting his time. With this, he is very unresponsive and not helpful if you have problems. 4. The TA was a far better teacher than the actual professor. I can't stress enough how bad this teacher is. If you are the type of student that likes to learn in class and learns best from a teacher, instead of individual study, avoid Khachik. I am not making a bad review because I hate the subject, i love chemistry, he ruins it.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 11/15/2011	I really liked Dr. Khachik. A lot of people complained about him but if you are looking to both learn organic chemistry and have fair exams, take him. I was very nervous about orgo but taking him made orgo easier than I thought. There is nothing amazing abut him, he makes some jokes and teaches the material in class letting you know exactly what he expects. He does not go into so much detail like the other teachers. The tests should be no surprise. If you pay attention and do a bunch of previous tests you will know exactly what you need to know for the exam. The tests look so similar every semester but he uses different molecules. I did however put work into the class by doing the readings, attending class and not leaving it to the last minute. If you are willing to keep up with the work you will do very very well.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 jcp5383 11/01/2011	Very good professor. Makes Organic seem pretty easy at first, but he does have fair tests. His past exams are very similar to his current exams. I mean it's usually the dumb ones who always complain about the teacher, and quite frankly, I am not even that smart. However, I still understood the material almost every single lecture. Don't be a loser; Stop complaining
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Oriolesboy22 07/12/2011	Dr. Dixon is one of the better teachers I have had at Maryland, however she will make you work your ass off so if you better be willing to put in a lot of time to understand the material. Also, go to her office hours if you dont understand something. She literally is in there everyday helping students so get stuff clarified the first time you dont understand it, otherwise it will compound and the following exams all build on the previous ones. And definately form a study group, it was one of the best ways to further understanding.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 07/12/2011	I am thankful that he created a lot of practice problems and several of his past exams were available online, but those are the only positive qualities the class had. My notes from class were unreadable and provided no explanation for why the reaction happened. Not only was the lecture seemingly unprepared it was also difficult to understand his accent and if you werent in the front row it was difficult to focus. His exams were basically copies of ones from his past which is why so many people are successful in his class without learning anything about orgo. I recommend Dixon in order to understand the material. Plus the TA I had was just plain awful
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A specter55 07/10/2011	I just finished Orgo II this summer and everything you have heard about this woman is true. She can easily be the best and worst teacher you have ever had. One thing is for certain, she is by far the busiest professor I have ever seen at UMD. She constantly has students in her office, meetings to go to, calls to answer, letters of recommendation to write, etc. That being said she is very willing to help you IF you have legitimate questions about the material you have already prepared. Nothing angers this woman more than to go to her office and say "I don't understand this, how do I do this, how can I pass". Grading: Her tests are absurdly difficult and require complete understanding and memorization of every reaction and mechanism. Even knowing that you aren't guaranteed to do well on her tests. The average for my class on each of the 3 exams and the final was between 50-60% for each one. That being said there is obviously a curve which only really depends on your classmates. She has no set numbers and you are truly at the mercy of how well your classmates are doing in the class. One really good thing about Dixon is that she factors how well you do on the final into your grade and you may be able to move up an entire letter grade depending on how well you do on the final (which is also ridiculously hard). Overall I would definitely recommend Dixon for Orgo II. You will learn more from this woman than nearly any other professor at UMD. However, if you are not willing to put in at least 15-20 hours or work a week outside of class DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. You will fail. No questions about it, unless you are some kind of chemistry genius. If you want to skate by with a C with minimal amount of work take a different professor. Earning a C in Dixon's class is a victory in itself. But she will prepare you the best for the MCATS, DATS, and PCATS if that is what you are looking for.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/28/2011	The class is HARD, but if you do everything she tells you, keep randomly practicing mechanisms and go to her review and her office hours, and A is definately achievable. Its something that just requires a lot of time and if thats something you don't have, don't take the class. However if you're not a book learner and you need someone to teach you, she is the teacher for you
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C rose11 05/20/2011	Bottom line: Don't take Dixon for organic chem. She is a nice woman and very helpful, but her exams are downright impossible. I studied for weeks in advance for every exam and still would do horribly on them. Yeah, she knows her stuff, but it's not worth the semester of suffering.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/20/2011	She is really a fantastic teacher. She makes sure that you know organic chemistry, and there is no way pass her class without learning it. At one point she mentioned that her grade distribution was very bimodal. A lot of students were passing but a lot of students were also failing. The reviews here seem to reflect that a bit. If you need to take this class just to get through it don't take Dixon, otherwise take her she is great.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 horselady89 05/16/2011	An excellent professor. Follows the exact outline of the book, so if you have questions you know right were to go in the textbook. Not that great at answering questions in class, but his exams are FAIR and that is the most important for such a difficult class. Never asks for mechanisms on the exam. A very fair professor! Curves generously.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 05/16/2011	Do not take Dr. Khachik unless you can understand new concepts by reading a dense textbook. Dr. Khachik's notes during lecture are very disorganized and hard to understand. When it came down to studying for tests, I couldn't understand my own notes because they were all over the place. Also, his "office hours" really were not helpful, and 2 out of the 3 times I went, he was rude and just confused me more. Personally, I would never take a class with Khachik ever again.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B+ NeuroSciX 05/16/2011	Not a extremely hardcore class in my mind. Go to discussions and look over previous tests and you'll have at the very least a C+/B. No minuses in his class. Practically impossible to fail in my opinion as he curves a 50% to a C. Overall a very pleasant and nice man, with overall not too bad tests. Grading criteria: A= 80=< B+ = 69.5-79.5 B= 60-69.4 C+= 55?-59.4 C= 45-54? D= Everything below that E = Not given.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 05/11/2011	All of the five star ratings are there for a reason. She really is the best. Her class is much harder, and you will learn a lot more than other orgo classes. She's a great teacher though. She seems really intimidating, but just go to her office hours. If you don't have any questions, just sit there and work. She'll chat with you and make you problems from the top of her head that are pretty much exam problems. When it gets close to exams, other students will be in there and you can learn from them too. She'll answer any question if you have a specific question, and she's in her office all the time. Go there and learn from her and you'll start actually enjoying orgo, if that's even possible.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 05/10/2011	He is one of the worst teachers I've ever had. Do not take him or orgo unless you're willing to teach yourself. He is also really rude when you ask him about regrades, and stuff like that. I wish I had taken Dixon. Take Dixon! She is a much better teacher than khachik. Avoid him!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/08/2011	I took this class spring '10 and I absolutely loved Dixon. She is the best teacher for organic chemistry ever. She teaches the material in a way you will always remember it, and her office doors are always open to those who need help. Actually, her office is always crowded. She truly prepares her students or organic chem 2. She is, by far, my favorite professor at Maryland.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 04/14/2011	Dr. Khachik isn't the best teacher. He gets confused and is really unorganized. But he tries to make it as easy as possible for students. His tests aren't that bad, and he always tells you what the average and how well you should be doing on the exams to get an A B C or whatever. Take it with him, but if you really want to learn then take someone else.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 02/01/2011	Take her!! If you really want to learn, that is. Dr. Dixon is a fantastic teacher! I really wish she taught Orgo II as well. She is extremely dedicated to helping her students and really makes herself available to students. Granted, her exams are hard, but they aren't impossible. If you go to her office hours, study hard and really try to learn the material (rather than rote memorization), you'll be able to get an A. Also, she grades ridiculously fast; our grades were always up within 8 hours of taking it. Some people say you have to practice Orgo everyday to get an A, but that's not true. When you do study for Orgo, put all your effort into it and you'll be fine. There are tons of extra credit. On the last quiz and on our final, there were more points than what she made the final grade out of; our last quiz had 85 points, but she counted it as out of 75. Plus, the curve is always enormous. If you try to always get at least a raw C, you'll probably end up with an A.
Michael Montague-Smith CHEM231 Anonymous 01/14/2011	2 words The Man... Funny as hell... still orgo tho so u gotta put a lot of work into the class
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/22/2010	Dr. Dixon is a great professor who stimulates the class. Like everyone else here, I agree that she makes you legit learn organic chem. I also agree that this is one of the hardest classes that I ever took. It is not so much the material as it is the amount. There is so much stuff Dr. Dixon wants you to learn that only the most dedicated of students can master everything in time for the exam. An A is very difficult because it necessitate constant studying to keep up with the material. Sadly, I just didn't have that kind of time. Had I been a better and more focused student, it would have been no problem. So be warn, you'll learn a lot. But prepare to work like you've never worked before.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Scott Douglas 12/12/2010	she is probably one of the hardest teachers out there. but she balances it out because she is an excellent teacher. i will admit after one of her lectures it feels like your brain is about to explode. the tests and quizzes are very hard and she usually puts in at least one problem never covered to make you really think. all of that said we were doubling the amount of material learned in any other orgo class and she really tries extremely hard to help everyone as much as possible. office hours, workshops, and she tries to get a good TA (which she did for our semester). she is a great teacher and explains the material very well. take her if you can and get ready to work.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A mreese 11/19/2010	Bonnie Dixon is a fantastic teacher, and if you put half the effort into her class that she does, you will learn a lot and be very prepared for orgo 2. Lecture notes are useful and well organized, and this crazy lady held an extra hour of discussion every week to review the material for those who wanted it. Office hours are extremely helpful, and she really, really cares about her students succeeding. There isn't much that is easy in this course, but Dixon offers everything you need to do very well. She's also probably the nicest and most approachable professor here. I still go to her office just to say hi. Take her course if you are serious about learning.
Michael Montague-Smith CHEM231 Expecting a B jq272 08/08/2010	As much as I dreaded Organic, Dr. M-S was a fantastic teacher. His teaching method seemed slightly erratic but it was ultimately effective for me. He sprinkled his lectures with hilarious stories which helped make him one of the best overall lecturers I have had to date.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A zhangsta 07/20/2010	one of the best professors in the school. if your going to take orgo, make sure you take it with Dixon because you'll actually learn the material. if you really want an A, be prepared to work your ass off for it. exams tended to test understanding of the material.
Michael Montague-Smith CHEM231 Expecting a B pat 07/20/2010	This guy is a real windbag. For starters, his lecture notes would serve better purpose as back-up toilet paper. They are basically random molecules or reactions that he pulls out of a hat all scrambled down onto a piece of paper - poorly with no apparenty logic or reason. This man killed any possible inherent interest in the chemical sciences I ever had. He is like this big goofy 57 year old clown who isnt funny at all. I consider myself a good student (90 transfer credits on a 3.8 GPA) and this guy blew my f*cking mind. He is a real self esteem killer - and his tests are unreasonable as he gives you no way of practicing for them. He gives out a piece of paper with "recommended problems" on it from the book, all of which I did and still felt remarkably unprepared for his tests. I got a B somehow, and I can sit here and honestly say that I know no more about orgo than I did when I walked in. He is the most disorganized moron of a teacher I have ever had the displeasure of having, and his ass needs to retire. I basically wanted to kick him in the fatch on a daily basis. If you have no other choice but to sign up for this guy then I'd recommend setting CHEM231 aside for the time being and staring at your ass in the mirror for 50 minutes three times a week - you would learn just as much about orgo as coming to this jerks class. I feel as if I wasted my money and time, and I did put in an honestly diligent effort to learn the material. INFURIATING. PS - if you really want to piss him off tell him that chemists are people that flaked out on a physics degree (the only real scientist).
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 07/12/2010	So Dr. Khachick is suppose to be the easiest orgo proffessor..in some aspects he is..but in others he isn't. The 1st exam was not what I expected. Altho I got around a 70 and the class average was a 59, it still was harder than I heard his exams usually are. The 2nd exam was straightfoward, but then the third was horrible again. Oh and let me not talk about the final...lets just say I did an all nighter just for this class and BSCI 105, focusing more on this class, and I end up doin beter on the bio final. I went into Khachick's final confident and came out wanting to shoot myself for even wasting my time staying up the night before. In the beggining of the semester the class was ok, thanks mostly to gss sessions. However, as the semester went on,this guy sped thru material n didn' really care whether the class understood or not. I ended up getting a B because of the stupid final, but if I were to take this class over knowing what I know now, I probably would have picked a different proffessor where I feel I would have received the same grade and understood more material. That is all.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 07/08/2010	DIXON IS AMAZING TAKE HER! I was in her summer semester because I dropped it in the spring with another professor. This class is ALL about practice and she's the only organic I teacher I know about that writes weekly quizes and problems for her students to review and practice with. People warned me not to take her, telling me how hard her class was, but if you do all of the problems she gives you, you will learn ochem and get an A. This term she had a bunch of extra credit as well which helped.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 06/12/2010	If I could give Dr. Dixon 100 stars, I would do it. A few things that made her great were 1. The book SUCKED, and she taught in her own way following the chapters and did a grand job 2. She actually cared about our understanding of the material. She gave homework assignments and workshops that helped explain steriochemistry. Honestly that was probably the only way I was going to learn it. 3. She had 4 times established for office ours AND said that if she was in her office we could ask her questions. Not only was I able to get help outside of class, but we also chatted about life as well. 4. She is the best professor that G-d has ever created and I will miss her dearly next semester.
Michael Montague-Smith CHEM231 Expecting a B TerpGuide 06/08/2010	This guy was the reason for my only B. Haha actually, well I can take part for that. Montague-Smith is awesome. But his handwriting is bad and his lectures are all over the place. Discussion helps and so did GSS. You learn a lot from this class; my biggest advice is to study reactions and reagents. Montague-Smith doesn't lie about what is gonna be exams, but he is also not that specific. Don't get the wrong impression when he tells you that a lot of the final is copy and pasted questions from the previous exams. Though there are some, its not as much as I thought there would be. I would pick Montague-Smith though, he is the man
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 06/03/2010	Originally took CHEM231 with Dr. Lee Friedman and got a C- (I probably deserved an F though). Took CHEM231 again in the summer, but this time with Dr. Dixon. Bottomline: She is AMAZING. Dr. Dixon LOVES chemistry and knows how to teach it so others can enjoy it (yes, even if you hate chemistry). I think she has a masters in education, and it definitely shows in her teaching! She's very helpful and does plenty of practice problems. HIGHLY recommend her!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/22/2010	When I signed up to take this class, a lot of my older friends advised me against it, telling me to take the easier professors to save my GPA. Suffice it to say that I was pretty scared for my grade going into the class. That being said, Dr. Dixon has been one of my favorite professors so far in college. Never have I met someone who does more to help her students succeed. I'm fairly certain she literally lives in her office waiting for students to come by and get help on the email problems or on old test questions that they don't understand, and what she said at the beginning of the semester is true: organic chemistry is like a part-time job. She doesn't really go by the textbook at all - it was useful to go over nomenclature and basic information for the first quiz, but after that, I barely used it at all. If you go to her weekly reviews, go to her office hours, and do the weekly "quizzes" that she emails out, you will be as prepared as you possibly can be for her exams. She focuses on helping you actually UNDERSTAND the way reactions work, not just memorize them. So yes, her exams are tough and yes, the averages are dismally low (usually around 50 percent), but hey, that means that if you can manage to get half the questions right on a test, you got a B! I had a solid B average all semester (I scored right around the average on both quizzes and one exam, and did significantly better than the average on one exam), and as she promised, I got an A on the final and an A in the class. But it's not a 90% A - it's an A, as in one standard deviation above the average. People will tell you that she is difficult and that her class is work, and both are true, but if you want a solid foundation in organic chemistry, and a professor who is so willing to help you with anything and everything you want to ask her about, then Dr. Dixon is definitely the right choice. I haven't once regretted my decision.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an F Anonymous 05/18/2010	ok guys. His curve for Organic one was like 4 percent, believe it or not. I did average on all exams and found myself getting an F for the class. Your grade is based on only 3 exams! I would recommend Dixon, yes you will fail but she gives tons for points for other activities and such and she does not fail as many!!
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/15/2010	Orgo is a difficult class no matter who you take it with. Might as well take it with someone who teaches it well and makes the course...dare I say it...fun. She clearly has a lot of enthusiasm for the subject and for teaching, and this made her lectures very engaging. Not a lecture will go by where she doesn't crack a hilarious joke or make you smile! She does move quickly in lecture, so try to study the material before you come to class so you can keep up. Must attend class. You need those clicker points. You do have to work hard for a good grade. There are numerous "tricks" in OChem and lots of rules you need to string together--significantly moreso than in Gen Chem--and Dr. Dixon will make sure you learn these. DO NOT BUY THE TEXTBOOK. I learned more from Orgo CliffsNotes for free online. I did much better in class once I tucked away the book and relied on her practice Qs and office hours (my exam grades went from E on the first quiz to an A on the final--very real difference). The trick to this class is practice, practice, practice--you CANNOT learn everything you need from the textbook, and Dixon sends out plenty of practice problems that cover all the info you need to know. They cover a lot of material, so if you're confused about something (and you will be) go to her office hours. She'll help you out. Workshops (3, during discussion), homework assignments (3), and weekly reviews are also essential prep for exams. Remember, there is a curve. It's a hard class, but you're graded on how you do relative to everyone else. And I guarantee you, everyone else is crapping their pants during exams too. Just do around average or better on exams (not too hard since class averages around usually Ds or Es), and you'll get at least a B.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/15/2010	Second time taking Orgo 1.First time I took it with Ammon cuz I didn't know any better...I was an ignorant little freshman...sigh...silly freshman...smh. Anyways, Dixon's great. She does practically live in her office to help you, and she has other work for points besides exams, like homeworks, workshops, clickers(although i didn't like this cuz I usually didnt feel like going to class, and i'd miss clicker points), quizzes and extra credit to help keep your grade afloat. Okay, look. This is a research university. Most professors here only really care about their research and the whole teaching thing is kinda just part of the deal between them and the school. They probably don't even wanna teach, but they have to. They could care less about their students. I always wondered why the hell someone with a Ph.D is all of a sudden qualified to teach. Ya I get it they're really smart, but shit that doesn't mean they know how to teach that information to students effectively! Dixon is here to teach. She uses great learning techniques and breaks things down to really help you understand the material, instead of just flying through a damn powerpoint. Take her, and if you work hard it will pay off. Some classes you work hard and still fail, this class is different. MY BEST ADVICE for ORGANIC I regardless of the teacher is: 1. Go to google.com 2. Type in "Carey" + "Organic" 3. Click the first link. Its a great website that summarizes organic chemistry in a simple an easy-to-understand way :)
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B? Anonymous 05/15/2010	Here's the deal: There are two types of students in this world: those who go to class and those who don't. Some students who don't go to class manage to still pull off good grades. But in this class, if you don't go to lecture you WILL regret it. Forget buying the textbook. I don't think I opened it once this semester...she e-mails loads of crap to you that basically acts as a substitute. Anyway...TAKE ADVANTAGE of the extra credit opps. Seriously, that's what I regret the most about this class. I blew off most of that stuff (and didn't go to lectures so I missed clicker points) assuming that I would do well on the quizzes and exams..Boy, was I wrong! shrugs she teaches pretty well, and has weekly review sessions and pre-exam review sessions.....I dunno I guess take her, but just know that whatever teacher you take for organic chem its not gonna be easy AT ALL, and you need to mentally prepare for hard work BEFORE you dig yourself into a whole by the end of the semester. Good luck
Michael Montague-Smith CHEM231 Expecting an A widmiester 04/25/2010	The Man.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 01/18/2010	Let me preface by saying that my preferred learning style is visual, not auditory. I need to be able to read something several times over so I can process that. However, Dixon is really geared towards auditory learners. You HAVE to listen during lecture to get the class. She has also worked very hard to develop a curriculum that she feels is best, which means she doesn't really stick to the order of conventional textbooks. She's really a great teacher, I won't deny that, but if you are someone who likes to take the time to sit down and process things on your own, you're going to be out of luck here because she doesn't provide many resources for learning the concepts outside of the class. She certainly provides a lot of practice work to hone your skills, but if you didn't pick up the methodology or conceptual bit in class, you're out of luck. The textbook we're asked to buy makes a great doorstop. She told my class that she basically doesn't use it, except for a list of practice problems from the book she gives out. However, those problems aren't generally in the style she uses in her own problems and on tests, so they aren't much good. Ask yourself if you want to pay $100+ for some okay practice problems. You're better off buying Organic Chemistry as a Second Language, which is how I learned most of the concepts. I would recommend getting a jump on everyone else and just make a habit of going to her office hours from the beginning. No seriously, just write it into your schedule like it's another discussion section for the class. You really need to have her there, answering questions about little technicalities, before they come back to haunt you on a test. She loves throwing in problems with them. Overall: 5 stars for auditory learners, 2 stars for visual/textbook-based learners. This is the class to take if you want to go to medical school. If you're majoring in something else that just has this class a requirement and you won't be using ochem much/taking the mcats, take another easier professor.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 01/04/2010	I think Dr. Dixon is an excellent teacher. First off, organic chemistry is going to be hard no matter who you take it with. The reason I learned so well from Dr. Dixon is because her format of teaching was a very logical approach rather than fooling around with molecule model sets and picturing stuff in thin air. I appreciated her step by step, fool proof methods of tackling these problems. On a side note, if you are more of a visual learner then maybe a teacher who uses molecule model sets would be best for you. If you like the step by step, logical approach then she's your best bet. I will admit, she is very tough but if you want to take the MCAT or if you know you will be moving on to ORGO 2 then I think you will be most prepared if you take Dixon. If you're pre-med then I definitely recommend her. If you're just looking for the easiest way out of this course then I would question your motivation toward being pre-med to begin with. Dr. Dixon is such a good teacher that not only did I get an B in her class, but I never once opened my text book. She gives TONS, and I mean, TONS of study guides, outside help, answer keys to practice quizzes. I never once needed the text book. I would have had an A if I hadn't bombed the final. With that being said I feel that the final was very fairly written, I was just retarded from lack of sleep. And I'm not one of those freakishly wierd genius kids either. As a matter of fact, I failed G chem! My advice if you take her: 1. GO TO LECTURE. If you miss lecture, consider yourself done. You cannot expect anything better than a C if you don't go to lecture. Her exams are ripped straight out of lecture. 2. Do all of her practice quizzes and study guides that she emails to you. They help so much, especially if you try to work through them yourself before you peek at the answer key. 3. GO to office hours! The woman practically lives in her office to help you, you should take advantage! If you have any doubt or question on one of those practice quizzes then go straight to her. You can guarantee it will be on the exam.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/20/2009	Dixon is amazing. First of all, you cannot complain about it being hard because many people want to be doctors and you have to knows your stuff if you want to be a doctor and she knows everything! go to office hours...get to know her. she will remember your name and it pays off. Go to every lecture and take great notes and study study study. you will get a good grade if you do those things. no way around it. I run circles around my other organic friends who have different teachers because I know so much more than them from dixon. take her and go to office hours, discussion, review sessions and you will be fine. dont slack off for a second. it will all pay off. there is no way around it.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A aralchen 12/19/2009	First of all, she is HARD. There's no way to get around it except studying quite hard and long before each exam. Go to her office hours frequently and DO NOT wait if you have questions. Material builds on itself quickly. The good: 1. Covers more information than all other Orgo teachers, which greatly prepares you for future chemistry classes. 2. She makes herself very available to students in her ample office hours. Sometimes I think she spends the night there... 3. She makes class fun and engaging, so you hardly ever lose concentration. She cares about her students and really pushes them to do well. The Bad: 1. She's terribly disorganized. Her notes are all over the five boards and don't seem to follow any logical pattern. 2. Her lecturing pace is incredibly fast. She often forgets that Orgo I was design as an intorductory course for students who have never been exposed to the material before. This leaves the class lost and confused. 3. She presents numerous concepts without giving many examples. This also leaves students lost and confused. 4. She is always busy, so even if you make it to office hours you're likely to not get much of her time (DO go, though! Others WILL help you). 5. Most people will do poorly on the exams with the exception of the few who'd get legitimate A's. It's quite demoralizing, but don't despair - SHE GIVES GODLY CURVES. Overall, she's a rather effective teacher but I'd recommend someone else if possible.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A deoaro 08/24/2009	Dixon is a great professor. Her class is rarely ever boring and she has great presence. That being said, her tests are unnecessarily tricky and difficult. You learn alot in her class but knowing the material does not guarantee you a good grade. The top 20% of her class automatically gets an A so if you think you're up for it then I would recommend dixon
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 07/23/2009	Dr. Dixon has a great presence and a passion for Orgo, but she's unnecessarily difficult when it comes to tests. It's hard to do well in this class unless you study all the time, go to her office hours, attend the review sessions, etc. There are always a lot of people at office hours, so you're lucky if you get your questions answered. Honestly, if you don't have a passion for Chemistry and you're not a Chem major, do not take Dixon because it won't be worth it.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 07/10/2009	I totally agree with the anonymous review below. Like that reviewer, I also had Khachik and Dixon's class. Khachik is generally an extremely nice guy who tries to make class interesting. However, he teaches straight from the textbook with examples from the textbook. Consequently, you are screwed if you cannot grasp concepts from the book. His class is more memorization than understanding concepts. If you are great at memorization and can learn easily from the textbook, take Khachik. If not, take Dixon's class; you will actually understand organic chemistry and be able to apply it in different classes! Overall, a fair professor, but you must understand his teaching style in order to do well.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A stuykid89 07/09/2009	Dixon is by far the best teacher I have ever had. She makes concepts in Orgo much simpler, and easy to learn. As stated before, as long as you put in the effort to do well, such as going to office hours and/or review sessions, you should be able to pull off at least a B in this class. I would HIGHLY recommend Dr. Dixon for anyone who wants to actually learn Orgo while getting a decent grade in it.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 07/07/2009	What I am about to say is very repetitive of other ppl's comments about her. She is a FANTASTIC teacher, you will learn so much and understand it all if u take her. that was the good news. The bad news... her exams are impossible... the averages are lower than everyone's spirit after they take an exam. if you decide to take her as a professor, just take a look at everyone's faces during exams and see for yourself... anyways. she is a fantastic teacher... difficult grader/exam writer HIGHLY recommended for pre-meds who have to suffer through the MCAT... at least you'll get the orgo questions right. just prepare to take a hit on your grades and transcript.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 06/17/2009	AWFUL TEACHER and very impatient man. I took orgo 1 with him and then orgo 2 with Dixon... boy was there a difference. I actually did better in Dixon's class than I did in Khachik's because Dixon actually teaches the material so you can understand it, rather than just memorizing reactions for Khachik. If I could do it over, I would have waited a semester to take Orgo 1 with Dixon so I would understand it better for CHEM441.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C aberk 06/17/2009	Awesome professor. She actually teaches you and makes you learn the material. Downside is that her exams are veryy hard. You definitely will need to start studying a few days in advance - all nighters normally dont work so well. However, the curve is very large and there are lots of extra credit opportunities along with clicker questions. I would definitely recommend her for orgo1 - best prof out there.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Anonymous 06/05/2009	Dixon is, by far, the best organic chemistry professor. I can attest to this because I went to Khachik, Ammon, and Friedman's lectures, and none of them compared to Dixon. The other professors lack the passion and upbeat personality that Dixon embodies, and Dixon is overall, a lot more clear. She does cover more material than the other professors, but it will help you out in lab and for the MCATs. She holds office hours everyday, as well as a review session once a week. Definitely attend the review sessions because they are very helpful. Also, do not fall behind. Organic chemistry is a difficult subject, and since Dixon moves pretty quickly, it will be very easy to fall behind. Rewrite your notes, do practice problems (especially the weekly "quizzes" on blackboard), and go to her office hours! I don't think her curve is very generous because I had a 68% in the class and ended up with a C. However, I do know that Friedman gives monster curves- my friend who had a 65% got an A in his class.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/26/2009	Throughout my college experience, Dr. Dixon has been my least favorite professor. She makes it very difficult to get a good grade in her class unless you regularly attend her office hours. Also, if you ever confront her about a test question, she will respond very rudely and make personal attacks on you in a very unprofessional manner. I would definately NOT reccomend her to anybody for any class.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/23/2009	Dixon is probably the hardest teacher in this course, simply because she certainly covers the most material. The class moves very quickly, but I certainly have a very good grasp of organic chemistry. Her goal is to pass you if she believes you can handle orgo 2. Tests are all relatively hard, but they're doable if you put in the time to study and understand the concepts. She's a very energetic teacher and explains the concepts well. You'll just have to go back and study on your own, to make sure you understand it.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 05/21/2009	This professor makes hard exams and is very difficult. Unless you have the time to attend all of the extra review sessions and spend huge amounts of time a week you will end up will not do well.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a C jwong89 04/20/2009	Dixon is one of those professors that you will learn a lot from, but your grade will not necessarily reflect how much you learn. Exams were pretty difficult and clicker questions were a significant enough portion of you grade that your grade would suffer if you did not do well on the clickers. The only good thing is that the curve for her class was better than most others with an A-75% and B-50%. If you're looking to learn a lot about organic chemistry take Dixon. If you're just looking to get through organic chemistry with your grade intact, take another professor.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/26/2008	Khachik is a decent professor. However I stopped going to class mid way through the semester being that he doesn't test on what he teaches. He does however throw in hints during lecture sometimes. DO all the assigned book problems and his practice problems he sends you. He tests on your knowledge and his exams are very fair. He is open to questions and likes it when you go to his hours and talk to him. I would definetly recommend him for Orgo.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/25/2008	Dr. Khachik is the best orgo 1 professor you could ask for. He's really straightforward- goes through examples from the book & some he makes up & explains them slowly that people really understand. His exams are doable too. He doesn't ask for mechanisms and only has simpler synthesis problems so really you just have know the basic idea of things. If you do all the homework and understand it then the exams will seem much easier in comparison. Since the exams aren't too difficult most of the class does very well in it so there's not a huge curve. But the final exam Ammon wrote most of it so it was a lot different than Khachik's- maybe a little harder. So make sure you take advantage of Khachik's regular exams because they're easy to grasp if you pay attention in lecture and do the homework.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 12/24/2008	Don't make the mistake of not going to class. Even if he just teaches the book verbatim. You will not pass (trust me). The TAs are go. The moment you do bad on the second test drop the class (trust me again). This class will be near impossible for you if you have a heavy course load. The first test is a rehash of gen chem but after that it's all mechanisms and reactions and if you don't take the time to learn those before the eve of the exam you will bomb hard. As my friend told me you'll probably need to see the material twice in order to grasp it fully and if not more power to you.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2008	A really nice guy usually. Sometimes he's irritable during lecture when questions are asked. Lectures are really helpful because he gives hints as to what is going to be tested to reward the people who actually do show up to lecture. He might say "oh there's no curve" in the class, but there's definitely a curve (a really huge curve, just not as big as Ammon's). That's just him playing mind games to get people to not expect one and study more so they do better on exams.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Anonymous 12/03/2008	i think he tries to make this course fun and interesting and explains things well but i sometimes feel that he's in his own little world. if you're a chem buff this is a good class but you'd be pretty much left in the dust at the pace this class is going. he seems a bit aggravated when he answers questions.
Frederick Khachik CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 11/17/2008	Dr. Khachik is the best orgo professor there is. He teaches very clearly with lots of examples and explaining, and his tests are pretty easy and straightforward. He puts problems from the book on the test. The only grades in the class are the tests and final though, so you have to do well on those. Discussion is very useful for understanding the material. Dr. Khachik's flaw is that he is really bad at answering questions and usually doesn't understand what the student is asking.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/05/2008	She was an awesome professor. Explained concepts well and very open to students. However, her exams were quite difficult, but still manageable if you put enough time to study for it.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A gundamwing4132 05/01/2008	Hard course made easy. Very energetic teacher. Fair exams.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 04/22/2008	She does an adequate job of presenting the material but sometimes seems to focus more energy on less important and easier topics while not going into much depth on more challenging ones. Also, the way her review sessions are set up so that they are on the same time tue. and thurs. means that I am unable to attend any of them because I have the same class on both days at that time.
Michael Montague-Smith CHEM231 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/29/2007	Taught Orgo I really well. Really funny and makes the class enjoyable. His tests are hard but doable. He gave a really generous curve at the end.
Michael Montague-Smith CHEM231 yellohswttart 12/15/2007	He's an excellent Orgo teacher; I've heard otherwise for his CHEM 2 class. Anyway, he's engaging, interesting, and knows his stuff. His tests are somewhat difficult, but not unnecessarily hard. It is a difficult class, but that's the nature of the class. He really pushes you, so be ready to work if you're taking the class.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting a B vdawg 12/12/2007	Entertaining, but all over the place in terms of her teaching. Even her boardwork is scattered all over the room. It really doesn't seem like she cares whether students do well in her class.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 Expecting an A potato 10/30/2007	OMGzz she is so hawt and so awasome!!! seiously. I luv her a lot and she is like the best thing to ever happen to me! she openeed my eyes to orgasmic chemistry, and i have never looked back! thank you bonnie! but seriously, shes a pretty good teacher who explains things well. Her tests are kind of hard, but the class is fairly manageable with the right studying.
Bonnie Dixon CHEM231 erupe 10/28/2007	I am in love with Bonnie L. Dixon. She is the best teacher ever, if you don't take her you will regret it.

Daniel Falvey
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
11/14/2024

Probably the best professor this year for orgo 1. The lectures were clear, and the exams were easier than the homework.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
11/04/2024

She is the goat. She provides a lot of practice problems on ELMS. The GTAs are quite helpful in answering homework problems and general conceptional problems. As people have mentioned, this course is not about memorization. You need to know the "why." I highly recommend completing all of her practice problems to ace this course. She is very passionate in teaching organic chemistry. She provides the time for students to ask questions during lecture. On Halloween, she even dressed up! Again, she is a nice teacher. This course is designed for STEM majors to actually practice good study habits. There is a cutoff for the course. So far a C- is about a 50% total grade (this is just from the two midterms and no homework graded). I expect this number to go down after the final. She also provides a handful amount of extra credit too (about 15 points total).

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C
Anonymous
10/28/2024

I actually really enjoyed my class with Rainbolt - the students expressing that he is "rude" or "condescending" have never been told "no" a day in their lives. Seriously. I enjoyed his sense of humor, I liked that he checked students when they acted like they knew more, and that he actually did care. I met with him during office hours several times and told him straight up that I hated chemistry, wasn't trying to get into med school, and just needed to pass. He was a god-send after that and told me that I need to focus on x,y, and z. Which honestly, is super fair. I'm a firm believer in the fact that if you approach professors with solutions to your problems, they will help you find the most suitable solution for both of you. When I took my ORGO I final in the same room as his GEN CHEM II students, his exam mirrored what I took for GEN CHEM II at community college.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
10/07/2024

I had Dr. Stocker for 131 and 231; she was great for both. She is a good lecturer and explains things clearly and thoroughly without being confusing. She didn't move too fast which was nice and her tests were very fair, always reflecting the material we learned in class. She provided resources for preparing for tests like problem sets and past exams which were very helpful. The only thing I will say about her is she sometimes moves too slow and ends up rushing to teach a lot of material the lecture before the test which can be very frustrating. Orgo is a hard class and taking it with her is no exception but she makes it a lot more palatable.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
10/02/2024

Dr. H is a really good professor in my opinion and the way she styles her notes is very organized. She mainly teaches from lecture guides that you can print or annotate on your iPad and she's honestly a very funny professor. It's not like she's speaking at you but she like to engage and make sure everyone is learning and understanding what she says. I will say orgo is definitely a hard class but she makes resources very accessible and is lenient on grading so unless you are practicing problems almost everyday up until the midterm using those resources, it will be really hard for you to catch up. The textbook is free but I'd say download the Organic Chemistry Second language book she gives as well as her PP sets, b/c those will really come in handy. AND GO TO OFFICE HOURS!! she's there to help and she won't be rude like some of these other professors you have. if she was teaching 241, i would take her again

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Anonymous
10/02/2024

She provides lecture notes before class. Definitely print them out, or use some sort of electronic device (ex, iPad) to make note-taking easier! LOTS of studying required, pretty good teacher. She explains things a lot better than other orgo teachers, in my opinion.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
08/25/2024

Stocker has very engaging lectures and she makes sure to go over what you need to know thoroughly. However, her lectures can be pretty fast-paced at times so it can be hard to note everything down. I had to go over my notes after some lectures because I couldn't spare the brainpower to comprehend anything when I was so busy taking notes. She simplifies things in her lectures to make them easier to understand, then makes the homework and exams really difficult. When I was doing the homework/exam, everything seemed complicated, but seeing the answer key afterward I could totally understand where I made mistakes. Try to not get overwhelmed by the problems since they usually aren't as complicated as they seem. I was a little disappointed that she doesn't post her notes and doesn't record class, so if you miss a class, you can only get second-hand info from a classmate. Make sure to attend class if you want the best shot at succeeding. Discussion is helpful; you go over practice problems and ask the TA questions. You can attend any discussion section and I would recommend going to one every week. The TA I had was very helpful. I would also recommend making a chart or something for all the reactions you have to memorize. Your grade is based almost purely on the exams (450 points). There are 45 points dedicated to homework. The homework and exams are very tough. For the homework, make sure not to do it last minute because it takes a long time and is graded on accuracy without partial credit for questions. There are 4 homework assignments and the lowest one is dropped. Form or join a study group with your classmates to go over the homework and study for exams. The homework tends to mimic exam questions, so do your best on them. Stocker releases the homework key after it's due but before the exam, so make sure to check your answers afterward. Stocker also posts a lot of practice sets and past exams that you should go over prior to the exams. They are your best study tools. The practice sets and one past exam for each exam have answer keys. When I studied for the exams, I would do every practice set for the content on that exam, then do the one past exam with the answer key. I would then skim the other past exams without answer keys to get a better feel for the types of exam questions there were. The final is cumulative, but was the easiest exam. Don't slack on studying for it though. Stocker curves, but you don't know what grade you have for sure until the end of the semester. She gives out approximate grade cutoffs after every exam, but they could change depending on how well people in the class do. I ended the class with a low B+ borderline B that got curved to an A.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous_2018
08/20/2024

I took 231 in Spring '24, and even though it was only my second semester, Dr. H is one of the best professors at UMD, especially for the chemistry department. Her unique teaching style, passion, and dedication made organic chemistry possible and even enjoyable at times. Rather than resorting to boring lecture slides and memorization, she optimized active engagement and stimulated interest during classes, using guided notes, models, and sometimes examples from movies and shows like Star Wars and Pokémon. It was almost like learning from a big kid! In addition, Dr. H's exams were fair with material-representative problems with medium difficulty and ample time. No doubt, even though she'll be there to help you every step of the way, you WILL have to exert work and effort to succeed in organic chemistry, so don't expect an easy A. PRACTICE A LOT. There's really no other way to master the material, and Dr. H provides a lot of practice material. Optimizing studying techniques, going to office hours, and attempting to enjoy the material (it works!) can significantly transform your performance in the class even if it starts bumpy. Try to think of the course as a video game if it helps! Dr. H genuinely wishes you to do well, so don't hesitate to reach out for questions and tips. She is the epitome of what a professor should be.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
07/12/2024

Taking a summer course with her was a nightmare. The homework was worth 10 points each, and the questions were tough. In addition, if you took the lab the same time as the course you would spend hours doing homework and post lab questions and the lab worksheet. She is helpful during office hours but the class was still extremely hard and painful

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
07/05/2024

If you are taking orgo 1 again please take it with Dixon. After taking it with another professor, Dixon's teaching style if much more simple and understandable. I took this course over the summer, and although you have to go in person everyday, its so worth it. The whole class helped each other and stayed for office hours basically every day. Lectures are posted online if you miss class but its helpful to go in person and take extra notes on what she says will be on the exam. AND yes, she states exactly what kind of questions will be on the exam, no surprises. You will have homework mostly every single day and staying after class for office hours is soooo helpful. 90% of the class will stay in her big office and help each other with the homework. If you have never been to any professors office hours, please let this be the time you actually go because it is not scary or daunting at all! If you are taking orgo 1 again please dont be discouraged, taking it again with Dixon literally helped sooo much. Also, if there ever is an issue you have with the class or absences, talk to Dixon directly and not over email, she appreciates this!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
07/04/2024

Summer Session I, 2024. She is wonderful and lecturing. Her lectures are never boring, as she share funny anecdotes and tools to remember things, (like how primary amines and secondary amines look like udders and breasts in NMR). One morning she was at the ER but still had a (recorder) lecture on zoom later that day, so she definitely cares a lot. She is great about holding lots of office hours. You can work with others on homework, and she drops 3 of them. Her administration of the class could be improved. For example, for one homework assignment she had forgotten to upload it until around 7 pm, but still expected us to upload it at 9:30 am the next morning. Also there is no extension on homework if sick, it just counts as a part of your three homework drops. Overall, I would say she is very good at teaching, so I recommend her for that, but she does have some improvements she could make. (Also do not take summer classes, the pace is stressful).

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/31/2024

THE MOST AMAZING CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR AT UMD Not only does she care about her students, but her class set-up and her teaching are so incredible. She provides lesson guides that we fill in which makes it so easy to follow along and actually absorb material without having to worry about writing down everything in time. She had 5 quizzes this semester and dropped one. She has homework almost every week but it didn't take long and you had 8 tries so it was easy to get 100% on all of them. The midterms were all very very incredibly fair in my opinion. As long as you start reviewing early and start studying at least a week early you're set. You just need to practice practice practice. That's what orgo is, the only way to succeed is practice. Speaking of practice, SHE PROVIDES SO MUCH!!! This really helped me. Now I know what you're looking for: CURVE. She does not curve each individual exam, but she curves the median of the class to a C+/B-. I think by the end of the semester is was 4-5% but that just means as a whole the class was doing pretty well so we didn't need more of a curve. 100% take her if you get the chance!!!

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/26/2024

I'm someone who doesn't go to office hours, I like to do my studying alone. I heard that her office hours are helpful and has some preference if you really go to them a lot. The midterms are difficult, especially considering the whole curriculum changed this seamster (spring 23) and her practice exams were utterly useless for exams 2 & 3. The practice sets she posts are great and if you use them and go to lecture, listen, review notes you will be fine, she teaches not bad and at a pretty slow pace but a lot of times simplifies things that she later grills you on in the exam that you had no clue about. The saving grace is the final, if you know your concepts you will do great and the curve will get you through. Bottom line: not bad professor, teaches at a moderate pace, difficult midterms, really easy final, favoritism for office hour goers. Make sure to lock in for this class.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
05/21/2024

I must agree that Stocker is the best orgo professor at UMD. She explains things in a very simple way that makes it easy for new students to understand. I believe you will definitely pass for as long as you attend each class, take notes, and do practice problems. Stocker makes the lectures fun and engaging, and she offers a lot of resources/practice problems. I highly recommend reviewing what you've learned each week, as it can go by pretty fast. I had really no problem with Stocker; however, some of the practice exams she gives out do not have an answer key, which was pretty frustrating. I also did not like how there were no notes or recordings posted. I often found myself rushing my notes because she did go pretty fast in lecture and I would be missing some information. Other than that, her exams were fair (hard) but they did reflect what we learned. Her homework was very hard, and I would highly recommend starting it a week in advance. I also did have a tutor for orgo which helped immensely! I suggest looking into tutoring for this class to help keep up with the information.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/20/2024

Fucking love her! She’s entertaining in lecture, wants us to learn concepts rather than random memorization, and just generally cares about us as students. It is still a hard class (I maybe spent average of 12-15hr/week and ended with raw B+, but curved to A) but she does things like dropping lowest quiz and homework, keeping highest hw attempt with like 8 attempts, and even gave an extra credit assignment. I really feel like I understand what was happening, and she would also make fun analogies to help explain (she pulled out Pokémon a couple times). She started recording lectures a couple weeks in so you didn’t have to go, and discussion was only mandatory first 10 minutes for the quiz (of which you only had to take 5). But it was definitely very useful to actually go, and the people I know who skipped generally did worse.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/20/2024

Writing for both CHEM131 and CHEM231 here. Dr. Stocker is a great professor – she has many resources for you to succeed and is super helpful during office hours. CHEM231 is a challenging course that requires a lot of work, but Dr. Stocker makes learning the content enjoyable. Exams are fair (and the final is the easiest of them). Overall, I would definitely recommend her.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/20/2024

Dr. Hirschauer is fantastic! I loved her teaching style and it wasn't an extremely tiring class (for context, I was in her T/Th 1hour and 15min lecture). I greatly disliked organic chemistry - and I still do even after taking the course - but Dr. Hirschauer made it bearable. She had weekly homework assignments with 8 attempts which helped with keeping up with material. She also had weekly quizzes in discussion sections and she kept the first 5 (not the top 5, but the first 5 you take), though you were still allowed to take more if you wanted more review. Towards the end of the semester, she also decided to drop the lowest of the 5, so only 4 were actually put into the gradebook. The exams were similar to the practice sets she provided, so definitely do those because they are extremely helpful. The only complaint I had was that she included a lot of conceptual questions on the exam. In her practice sets, she would include very little - sometimes even none - conceptual questions, and then those sorts of questions would be a great deal of points on the exams. Definitely read over the notes before an exam to really get those conceptual ideas down, because they will 100% be on every exam. Other than that, the practice sets and the exams matched pretty well!! She made sure to keep things lively during her lecture and her chapter note outlines were very helpful. For class, she completes her lectures based off these outlines she created. Either you download them on your iPad or print them out, because it is difficult to follow her lecture without them. If you are able to bring them to class, then it is very easy to follow!! It keeps your notes very organized and easy to review for exams. Overall, she is a kind individual. I would email her sometimes late at night asking questions and she would reply very quickly (I am so sorry Dr. Hirschauer). She wants to make sure you succeed, so take advantage of her office hours and ask her lots of questions. I would definitely recommend her for CHEM231!! I am not exactly sure what her policy is for curving, I believe that it is a higher curve when you have a lower grade, but as you are receiving higher grades then the curve is smaller (I think this is it, but I may be wrong). What I do know - from what I have heard - is that the curve for Dr. Hirschauer was the smallest out of the CHEM231 teachers. This is because our class performed well on exams, so if you are looking for a teacher with a biiiiiig curve, Dr. Hirschauer may not be that for you.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/19/2024

Dr Hirschauer is a great lecturer! She is engaging and tries to relate the topics back to things you might now (and includes pokemon references) to make the content more digestible. However, she does drop the ball in some of the later units and especially towards the end her lectures felt very rushed. Her exams are relatively fair but you will not get by simply on memorizing lecture examples and lecture content, you have to KNOW the material, she has many conceptual questions and you will not do well if you do not have a good fundamental understanding of the material. Self studying is a MUST, she says in the beginning you have to put in at least 9 hours of work for this class a week and that is THE TRUTH. She is a good lecturer but she is slightly overhyped and definitely not your ticket to an easy A, you have to WORK for it.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/18/2024

Dr. Hirschauer is the sweetest professor who really cares about all of her students being successful in organic chemistry. She provides several in-class practice problems and tons of practice problems for outside the class. Organic chemistry itself requires lot of self-studying and practicing, but Dr. Hirschauer does a really good job at explaining the topics in her lectures. Her positive and cheerful attitude was something to always look forward to and she always made organic chemistry a little bit more fun with her Pokemon references every now and then.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/17/2024

absolute gem. no other way to put it other than she is a great teacher and really wants her students to succeed and gives so many extra worksheets and problems to work on outside of class. This class isn't easy ofc and you really need to understand the content not just memorize it especially for the tests. the one thing is she does not give practice tests but with the practice sets and all the other stuff ppl are usually fine. just put in the work and go to office hours if you need and you will succeed. also the homework is mad easy so thats a huge plus. there are 5 quizzes in discussion that are 10 mins each and then the other weeks you dont have to go, but I would go because its helpful and basically office hours with you TA.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/17/2024

Undisputed orgo I goat professor. Dr.H is actually the kindest and more caring professor I have ever had in the chemistry department at umd. She tries to make everything as clear as possible and will answer any questions asked in her lectures. She gives around 10 homework's and you have 8 tries each so you should get a 100 on all of them. She also gives out 7 quizzes that you take in discussion, but you only have to take 5 of them and your lowest score gets dropped so really its only 4. Regardless, her exams are still difficult, not because she tries to trick you or anything, but because orgo I is just a hard course that requires long hours of studying. She makes it very clear exactly what she expects of us, and provides adequate resources. and extra help to get you going. I think I put in around 20-30 hours per exam, and around 50 hours for the final, and I ended up getting an A in the class. This curve was around 7% or so, which is exactly what she predicted it to be at the very start of the semester. Overall a very good professor, lecturer, and person. Please take her for orgo I if you have the chance!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/17/2024

Not exactly sure what these reviews are talking about. This guy is actually the GOAT when it comes to organic chemistry. A lot of people do not like his teaching style with the pre-lecture videos, but those are skippable if you pay attention in lectures and read the modules in class. He can be condescending at times, but if you go to his office hours you can get on his good side. The main point of giving this guy a 5-star rating is that his practice exams PERFECTLY resembled the exams in the class. There was no guessing compared to other instructors teaching this class giving insanely difficult exams for no reason. His exams were by far the easiest of all the other instructors. If a bad rating was given to Rainbolt, it was probably because the student did poorly which they would have done anyways despite the lecturer. Lock in and work harder.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/17/2024

Dr. Hirschauer is one of the kindest and most understanding professors I've had at UMD. She very obviously cares for her students and wants everyone to succeed, but orgo is still a hard class. She gives you tons of resources, her lectures are very organized, and she always answers questions without making students feel stupid. She also started recording her lectures this semester (Spring 2023), but I don't know if that's a permanent change she's making. She's also a huge pokemon fan and will use pokemon to explain concepts better! The exams are all fair and can be answered with the practice problems or what she goes over in lecture. She doesn't throw any weird curveball questions, but some of them do require a lot of thought. She also gives some extra credit opportunities here and there! Overall, I loved her class. She made me genuinely interested in the content and actually want to come to class. Take Hirschauer yall.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/15/2024

Was not going to take CHEM231 this semester until I saw Dr. Hirschauer teaching it and saw the reviews on planetterp... and they were right. This ended up being the only class out of the four, including two CS courses, that I consistently go. It's a class that Hirschauer makes it fun -- very approachable and understanding, especially from a student perspective.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/15/2024

Rainbolt's chem class was an interesting experience. I am giving two stars because the module packets as a physical resource were somewhat helpful to have to study for exams. I took this class with him at 8am Tues/Thurs as there was no other option for 231 that fit my schedule for this semester and I did not want to delay taking this course. Primarily, the time, as someone who is not a morning person, made some of this miserable, but that comes with every early morning class. Rainbolt’s course is set up in a “flipped classroom format” (his words from one lecture), such that he posts pre lecture videos and expects you to watch them prior to attending lecture, even on the first day of classes we were expected to have watched this video as he jumped straight into content and practice. Many of these prelecture videos consisted of examples rather than useful explanations. In class we would typically do problems from his “modules.” The modules are a compilation of written out information on the class topics as well as practice problems. I found this to be a somewhat helpful resource in understanding content, as there was not much explanation in lecture, and the practice problems helped for exam preparation. However, none of the other Orgo professors had this resource, and it cost the students in Rainbolt’s class an extra $35 to get it from the copy center. As for the lectures themselves, they were not at the top tier. He would spend most of the class doing practice problems without really explaining the concepts from them. At the beginning of the semester there would be some explanation, however as time went on there was less and less of this. He would do all of his problems on the chalkboards in the lecture hall, which made it difficult to see beyond the first 5 rows of the lecture hall. He did give us old exams this semester before our exams, but no other resources besides that and the modules. As to his personality I cannot really say much as I had not really interacted with him. To be honest, just do not take an 8am organic chemistry class, but this instructor did not provide us with sufficient materials, which is reflected in the course grades. There is around a 30% curve in this class, with a score in the low 40s being considered as passing. His exams were okay, however there were things on them which we as a class were not sufficiently prepared for. Every week we also had a Canvas quiz which was open on Fridays only. These quizzes were incredibly difficult, and even more so than the exams, with much of the content not being taught in lecture at all. Do with this what you will.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C
Anonymous
05/12/2024

Her homework is extremely challenging. She offers no kind of help and grades very harshly. She's a "you either get it and if you don't drop the class and possibly switch your major. Beware the first exam seems easy but she makes it harder once the due date to withdraw passes and you are stuck. Not at all welcoming and not friendly. Don't let her smile and jokes fool you. Goodluck, I am still recovering

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/10/2024

OK these reviews are way too dramatic lmao. These kids get to college and learn the hard way you can't BS your way through like high school, then they blame the professor when they fail. Rainbolt is a really underrated professor. I had him for Orgo I. First of all, you don't need a textbook. For each unit we do, he hands out these amazing module packets all personally written by himself. The packets explain each concept in their most basic form using very simple language that makes them easy to understand for beginners. They have a bunch of practice problems which progressively get harder and are all borrowed from his previous exams. They are not graded, but you will not learn anything from the class if you don't read/complete the modules. After the course I saved all my modules and even looked back at them for help when I was taking Orgo II. His lectures were great. He would briefly go over the concepts from the modules then do a set of practice problems with us on the chalkboard. He's very funny and passionate about orgo and would try to make organic chemistry fun and interesting to us which helped me learn a lot. He has this persona he puts on of this zany mad scientist which I thought was pretty entertaining. The lectures were only 50 minutes but he managed to cram a lot of material into each one, I would recommend going to every one. Despite what these reviews say, the exams were fair. Literally as long as you did the practice problems in the modules and read them over, you should be fine. Orgo is not an easy class so yeah of course the exams are going to be hard. You gotta study a lot outside of class to really understand the material. My only complaint about this guy is he definitely is a bit full of himself and gets irritated when students ask questions/come to office hours. He's very impatient when it comes to that kind of stuff and I didn't like that. Other then that great professor.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/08/2024

Dr. Hirschauer is a greater lecturer and her exams are very fair. She accepts questions after class and is very welcoming in office hours. She records most of her lectures and provides lots of practice problems. Her practice problems are similar to her exam problems and she sends an email on the format before every exam. I feel even if I did poorly in Orgo 1, it would be my fault because she provides many resources and opportunities. Her TAs are also great. I highly recommend her.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/07/2024

To all the reviews talking bad about Rainbolt, grow up. Most of his orgo 1 class is made up of freshman students who haven't taken any other chemistry course at UMD yet and haven't experienced the absolute horrendous teaching the other chem department professors offer. Koppel, Isaacs, Dixon are just a few to name. Difficult exams, terrible lectures, inadequate practice problems are just the tip of the iceberg on how awful the chem department is at UMD. But taking orgo 1, for the second time at that, with Rainbolt is still my best experience with the chem department I've had during my time at UMD. And no, I was not a pick me student, I didn't attend his office hours obsessively and bombard him with questions that could've been asked in class or with the TA or answered if you fully read the modules, so this is not me glazing him but actually calling out all the inaccurate reviews about him. People complaining about his modules, the one thing that makes Rainbolt better than the rest ARE his modules. They have everything A through Z about what you need to know, they get straight to the point and are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better than any textbook every other chem professor at UMD will ask you to study from. If you want to go through 75 pages per chapter from a textbook don't take this class, if you want to save time while actually learning and retaining something and only have to go through 20-30 pages including practice problems, TAKE THIS CLASS. Personally, the modules single-handedly helped me get through orgo and for the first time actually helped me understand the concepts behind all the material. Not only this but they provided ample amounts of practice problems to go through that were similar to the ones on his exam. He also gives weekly quizzes, another way to boost your grade, yeah they might be difficult but it's not meant to be easy it's orgo, but people also didn't mention the fact that they are online and you can have your notes with you while you take it, AND he sometimes repeats questions straight from the modules, USE THEM!! And yeah maybe (based on his other reviews) he could be a little aggressive but I'd rather have a somewhat "aggressive" teacher who actually teaches me something rather than a passive one who sucks a*s. Rainbolt truly tried to make this intimidating class as easy and understandable with a massive curve, might I add, as he could and if I had the opportunity to take him again I wouldn't even hesitate, and you shouldn't either. IGNORE THE OTHER REVIEWS!!

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/03/2024

Best Orgo 1 teacher at UMD. Amazing guided note PDFs, extra practice problems, and good discussion sessions with TA's. She drops 2 discussion quizzes, gives you a ton of tries on the homework (basically free points), and curves the class pretty well (even though its not really needed as her students generally do pretty well). Do the practice problem sets, go to GSS and discussion, study, and go to class, and you'll do well. Definitely worth taking her.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/01/2024

Rainbolt is incredibly snarky and consending to students. asked class if "we were messing with him" and told us to "stop screwing around." take orgo with another professor. if you can't, take it a different semester.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
05/01/2024

Dr.H is so amazing! She has lecture notes presets for every student so since it is a fast-paced class we can catch up well with the notes. I have been to her office Hours multiple times and she is so sweet and wants her students to succeed! She has a lot of practice problem sets, extra book problems, and GSS also has a lot of extra practice problems. Orgo is really hard, if you put in the effort then you will get your desired grade. I definitely recommend stopping by her office hours for extra help and definitely definitely recommend Dr.H!!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
04/30/2024

Just take someone else lol. His teaching style is like from the 1990s. He doesn't know how to use technology so you have to buy paper versions of his modules instead of them being on Canvas and it seems he doesn't know how to use a projector either so he writes on a chalk board in chicken scratch so you basically have to sit front row seat. The only grades in the class are weekly quizzes and the exams, both of which are very difficult. Averages of 40% for both. Be prepared to self study a lot. His 400 pages of paper modules don't prepare you that well for exams. Personality wise it seems he got better compared to past reviews though. Probably because of rumors he's getting fired.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
04/28/2024

DO NOT TAKE THIS WITH HIM!!!! IF YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF TAKING IT NEXT SEMESTER OR WITH HIM TAKE IT NEXT SEMESTER. ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT HIM IS THE INSANE CURVE(Why is a 44% passing?). Felt disrespected in class. Rainbolt one time asked the class "Are you guys fucking with me?" after a student asked a question. Lecture is geared more toward practice problems instead of covering the content which kind of discouraged me to go to lecture. Afraid to ask questions out of fear of being mocked or getting a snide remark instead of an actual answer. Class was also told to "stop fucking around" in preparation for the third exam. Quizzes are absurdly hard and are awful practice for his exams. If I could have given him no stars I would have. If you have to take Orgo 2 oh. my. god. take a different professor or you are COOKED.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
04/28/2024

Brutal. Took this course as the first class of the "new" organic chem curriculum. Dr. Koppel seemed angry about the change in curriculum topics from day 1, setting a very negative start to the semester. I took this as part of the Science in the Evening program, and it truly sucked. Most of the class had taken this course elsewhere before, so Dr. Koppel taught it like it was a review course, speeding through material and being incredibly condescending if you didn't already know the answer. She reduced the amount of homework since the new curriculum got rid of the online textbook homework. This means there is less points available to help your grade outside of exams. She said she would do an extra credit assignment at some point in the semester. When asked later, she said she was no longer offering it. It truly felt like she did not care about us as students and did not want to be there teaching us. For lab: the PLQs are just bullshit and terribly written. Almost impossible to get full points unless a TA helps give you the answers. Even then, the rubric seems to allow for subjective grading as I would get points off for the dumbest reasons--all at TA discretion.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/24/2024

Sonia the woman that you are <3 She creates lecture guides so you can follow along with the material more easily. She (and I) recommend organic chemistry as a second language, it is incredibly useful for extra practice. She creates so many opportunities for you to pass her class, and is so incredibly kind and fun. She has silly little energizers and is incredibly organized.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a D
Anonymous
04/01/2024

Rainbolt is one of the worst professors I’ve had in all of my life. He’s antagonistic and rude. His curve is a 44% is a C- so, mind you, his grade data might seem good but everyone passing with a C- had at least a 44% which is ridiculous. His quizzes are ridiculously difficult with no recall to any practice we do in class. Exams are unrelated to his modules as well. On our first exam he put five easy questions at the top worth one point each and after handing out our exam told us those questions would be worth zero points and to not do them. It was purely antagonistic. Rainbolt isn’t a great guy and he does not care about your success

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a D
Anonymous
02/01/2024

STAY AWAY. Rainbolt is a nice guy, but his teaching style is horrendous.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting a C
Anonymous
01/29/2024

I loved Dr. Hirschauer! Orgo is still a really hard class and I definitely recommend self-teaching (watching organic chemistry tutor) and practicing more and more until you get the concepts. But Dr. H turns all that fear you felt about the class and made it a little better. Her lectures are easy to follow and she's really nice. She offers a lot of practice and has open office hours. She's approachable too and gives great advice on how to succeed. She really cares about her students. Would 10/10 recommend to take her.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
01/29/2024

Really good professor but please go to class she doesnt record her lectures. Gives lots of help, extra worksheets, and practice exams. Exams are fair and she makes a boring subject decently fun.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/24/2024

I already left a positive review of her bc overall I like her BUT I forgot something very important!! The main issue I had with Dixon was that every one of her homework assignments (and tbh the exams too) had an error on it! If you think an assigned problem is impossible that's because it might be! So you kind of have to go in to office hours sometimes so she can tell you what it's supposed to say and that is frustrating. Just keep this in mind so you don't think you're going crazy when something makes no sense even though you think you understand.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/24/2024

Take Dixon!!! Organic chemistry is going to take time and effort no matter who you have but with Dixon it really isn't that hard because she gives you so many resources and is so willing to help you. She has office hours all the time, makes videos after class, does zooms once a week in the evening (and they're recorded) and is just generally so committed to helping you learn the material. She wants you to succeed! She is also so patient with questions even if they are questions you should definitely already know the answer to (although sometimes will refer you to a video she's made but tbh you should watch the videos anyways). I also think she's funny. Overall I HIGHLY recommend taking Dixon. And if you do take her class, make sure to start homework early because it can be difficult, and always go in to office hours and watch videos if you need help! The resources are there, so use them! You can do this.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/23/2024

The GOAT. If you put effort in the class and work with a study group for the HWs and extra credits you will get a good grade.

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/23/2024

Don't let the reviews fool you, Friedman is an excellent professor! Orgo 1 is a hard class and no professor is going to change that. Friedman's lectures are possibly the best in the department. Sure they're fast, but they are also clear, understandable, and organized. He posts his notes on the Elms page which you can review if and when you miss something. He also posts several previous exams and keys for practice as well as practice problems. He's also extremely helpful in office hours as long as you are there to learn and not grade grub or complain. Orgo will never be an easy A, but Friedman teaches it very well and it is completely possible to get an A as long as you study and practice regularly.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
01/23/2024

I wish that I had the option not to give him any stars. I took Orgo 1 with him and dropped it half way through. He was a terrible lecturer and honestly just flat out rude. If you did not understand the concept from the get go, well sucks for you. He refused to answer questions and if he did not think that the question was valid he would make a snarky remark. His quizzes and exams were virtually impossible and the class as a whole was doing very poorly and he did not make a change in his teaching style. I would not recommend him for any course, especially if you want to pass Orgo 1.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/21/2023

If you want to pass O-chem and understand it, she's the only teacher you should be taking it with! Her positive energy and general clearness/clarity around the subject matter helped us so much this past semester. I genuinely looked forward to going to class everyday since she was so cheerful and helpful whenever you needed it. The exams are hard, but as long as you use the materials she gives you, and use the GSS practice exams you should be fine.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/20/2023

Dr. Stocker made OChem 1 so straightforward and interesting! Practice exams were good representations of material on the exam

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
12/16/2023

No shade to the other reviews but those are people who probably kissed dixon's ass and sat in her office hours whenever she had them available. She only has homeworks and tests, nothing else. Yea, she gives extra credit, but they're hard af and extremely time consuming. The homeworks are designed to be harder than the tests or at least, same level. You cannot get a good grade completing the homeworks on your own time, she makes it so you have to go to her office hours. Her office hours are almost every day from 2-5 hours, but remember that she is probably teaching 2 other classes than yours so those students are also attending. You're competing anywhere from 5-20 students for her attention to help you. Also, I wasn't a fan of the way she lectured. Felt kinda all over the place and she goes FAST. and i mean FAST. No textbook either. My advice if you take her? Record her lectures, make a study group FAST for those homeworks and tests, and either make a time to go to office hours or be friends with people who do go. Dixon expects you to put in basically all your time for her class. Do not take her if you have a heavy work load semester.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
12/15/2023

I honestly do not understand why everyone loves her. I had her for both orgo 1 and 2 and both times she goes at an incredibly fast pace, doesn't properly cover the information, and then tests on concepts that have never even been spoken about in class. She gives practice problems but they do not even come close to the level of difficulty you will see on the exam. The HWs are ridiculous and she only gives 3-4 days to complete them and often will teach new material that is needed for the HW the day it is due. Everyone I know who had a different orgo professor says that there are things Stocker covered that they had never even heard of and that their professors gave simpler tests and more effective learning skills as well as the HWs. Overall, unless you're gonna be one of the people always in her office trying to become besties with her, find another teacher.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/14/2023

BEST Orgo Prof EVER! I unfortunately had to retake orgo 1, and was of course dreading it, but I am so glad I was lucky enough to take it with Dr. H. Dr. H is so organized, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about how she teaches the material that it makes lecture fly by since everyone is so focused. She provides so many resources to help learn and prepare for exams and higher level chem classes (if you need to take them) and genuinely cares for all her students and wants them to do well!! I think her exams are fair and the problems are pretty similar to what we see in her problem sets and homework assignments she gives weekly. Dr. Hs class is very manageable as long as you put in the time and work to succeed as she has all the materials for you.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
12/14/2023

I would give negative stars if I could. I took him the first semester (I believe) that I took his class, and he was terrible!! The structure of his class is not organized at all like some of the other orgo 1 professors and the weekly quizzes and homework assignments are incredibly difficult rather than helping to apply your knowledge. The modules have decent practice problems in them, but he doesn’t provide enough resources to study for exams. Not to mention, he is incredibly difficult to go to for anything… I missed class because I wasn’t even in the state and was able to provide as much documentation as necessary and he refused to send me any class material!!! Take Dr. H, Koppel, Stocker. etc. You will also be WAY more prepared if you need to take orgo 2 if you DONT take Rainbolt.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/08/2023

Dr. Hirschauer was hands down the best professor I've had at UMD. She made very hard material super easy to understand, and she really cares about her students doing well. If you have the opportunity to take her for any class, 100% do it.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/06/2023

Dr. Koppel is incredible. She's really nice and helpful when you ask her questions (even by email), and although her exams can be hard, they're reflective of the course material.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/15/2023

Dr H brings positive energy and makes learning O-chem enjoyable. If you stay on track, you can do well. The PP sets, GSS, discussion, Office hours and Jam sessions are there to help you. If you fully commit to the effort regularly, then you can do well. She truly wants her students to succeed and we see that coming through. Her lecture guides are helpful. The material can be challenging at times, and doable. I am grateful to be learning from such a knowledgable and caring professor.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/15/2023

Dr H is a phenomenal lecturer, and makes herself available for students. Her exams are fair game, and she guides students with the tools needed to succeed. She wants students to succeed and makes O-Chem fun. She creates a learning environment that truly is the best interest of students. It takes practice like any other course, though if you fully commit to it, you can do well.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
11/14/2023

Lectures are informative and helpful, we do lots of practice problems and she explains how to do them. Homework is super manageable and reflects the content that we are learning quite well. She is very sweet and it is clear that she cares about her students' success in this class. The exams are hard, but definitely super fair.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
11/02/2023

Absolutely love Dr. Dixon. I am retaking orgo 1 with her after failing it with Dr. Stocker. I seriously don't know why no one ever told me about her, and why she doesn't teach every semester. I am doing so much better in this class now with Dr. Dixon. She is caring, explains concepts in depth, AND provides extra credit for exams. Dr. Dixon really wants you to pass her class. She is amazing. I would recommend everyone take her for any chem class you need!!!

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an F
Anonymous
11/02/2023

I don't know why everyone recommended I take Dr. Stocker for orgo 1. Her teaching style was just not for me and I was completely lost the entire semester. She goes way too fast, expects you to already know basic concepts, and doesn't explain everything in depth. This was the first class I failed and have to retake.

Sonia Hirschauer
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
09/21/2023

Super helpful and patient, she is willing to answer many questions during lecture. Also provides lecture outlines which save a lot of time! Overall great professor

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
09/15/2023

Absolutely love her! She's an amazing professor and explains difficult topics so well. She's also pretty humorous and loves cats so of course I love her. Orgo is hard, don't get me wrong. It's like learning a new language. But Stocker guides you through it in a way that's helpful and less daunting. I got an A+ raw score - my biggest pieces of advice: 1) form a study group! i had a few friends in orgo and we got together often to do homework and study. it was genuinely fun and made orgo so much more approachable. 2) practice practice practice. Stocker has a lot of practice exams up and I would go through them multiple times. 3) dont cram - always be studying and practicing. 4) don't be afraid of office hours! dr. stocker is super welcoming and willing to help you understand. (this last one is optional but use an iPad if you have one it is SO much more efficient with orgo) all in all, 10/10 recommend stocker. she's probably the best professor you could have for orgo.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
08/31/2023

Extremely helpful, but he didn't cover all of orgo 1, at least for our year, so if youre just taking this class to knock out a requirement then I highly recommend, but if youre going to orgo 2 then please take someone else who will actually teach you everything you need to know

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Anonymous
08/23/2023

Not the best but not terrible! He gives lots of resources: pre-lecture videos (super helpful!), lectures, paper module packets with practice problems, and homework through the Achieve software. I found his lectures to be very helpful, and I liked how he worked through problems with us. However, he teaches his lectures on a chalkboard and does not record or post any slides on Canvas, which can be very frustrating. It's also hard to know what grade you have until the end of the semester, and you have to manually calculate it. The course overall feels very disorganized, but I understand that it was his first time teaching it at UMD. I would try to get on his good side by asking questions in class or going in for office hours. Otherwise he can come off as rude and condescending. He does not take criticism well, and if you ask a question that he has already answered he will get mad. The first exam was easy, but the second and third ones were difficult and he gave a curve at the end of the semester to accommodate for that. Definitely A LOT of work both inside and outside class, and if you miss a lecture or don't understand a concept you will feel very lost very quickly. I would recommend keeping up with the content and going in for office hours if you need help. Take Stocker if you can but it's not the end of the world if you end up with Rainbolt.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
08/02/2023

Dr. Koppel is alright. This class is going to be difficult and take up a lot of your time no matter who you have. I don't think she explains certain concepts very well (I ended up learning from the optional textbook much better). Her exams are pretty reasonable, averages are super low (final was a 43%) but I think that's because pretty aren't willing or don't realize the amount of time this class takes. Her late night shows are a must because she takes concepts and practice problems straight from them and puts them on the exams. In fact, there were a few times where we didn't talk about something in class, but she covered it on her LNS and it ended up on the exam.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
07/31/2023

Amazing professor and human being! Made organic chemistry interesting and understandable. Yes it is a hard class that is bound to require lots of individual dedication and effort but Stocker did her absolute best to make sure every student could understand the material. She is super approachable and her office hours were extremely useful. She also provides problem sets which were amazing! I definitely recommend setting aside a little time each day to study so you don’t have to cram and actually learn to understand the mechanisms.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
07/27/2023

Koppel is the bomb!!! Super friendly and always willing to help students. Exams are fair and reflect the material covered.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
06/30/2023

Writing for both CHEM241 and CHEM231, I have had a great experience with Dr. Stocker as she is a great lecturer and as long as you go to class and write everything down, you are set with what you need to know. Understand that orgo is HARD and DIFFERENT from what you may have learned before (like learning a language) and you may need to practice a lot more as these classes are the fundamental base for future classes. Utilize all your available resources (practice sets, previous exams, GSS, office hours) to your advantage and make sure you understand the mechanisms and why they are happening. Try to make friends with people to form study groups and help each other doing the past exams that don't have answer keys. Go to discussion, usually the TA's review the material and it can be really helpful to reinforce what you have learned and ask questions when you're confused. Review the homework answer key and really try to understand why you didn't get it right. Because tests are the main portion of your grade (90%) I'll write some tips that helped me a lot when studying for them. I would first scan my notebook (make sure you label when exam 1, 2, and 3 start/end) to see if I there is something I don't recognize. If I find a reaction I don't recognize, I rewrite it and try to write out the mechanism and repeat until I can do it without looking back to my notebook. Once I'm decently familiar with the material I do a past exam (without a key) with a 50 min timer. The material on the exam I didn't know how to do, I would do the practice set for them. I also spend time trying to figure out if my answers were correct using my notebook. I repeat doing past exams and checking with my notebook until I can do most of it. I like to leave the exam with the answer key at the very end because by then I should be confident enough to do well on that exam and confirm my answers. Also if you don't go to GSS normally, I would highly recommend you at the very least go to GSS exam review sessions as it's essentially just doing a past exam with an answer key. Be aware that the test formatting for Dr. Stocker is almost the same every time, so the past exams will give you an idea how the current exam will look like. It will ALWAYS have PKA, concept/thought questions, mechanism (after the first exam), and reactions. In orgo 2 it will always have NMR as well. This will give you a good idea on what you need to prepare for.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
06/10/2023

This professor's teaching style and personality are great in my opinion, just make sure to not skip any lectures- as his teaching allows for easy ways to remember concepts! Rainbolt is one of those professors that you need to go to office hours, and introduce yourself in order to gain additional understanding and feel confident in class. Sit in the front row, go to office hours, and you will thrive.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
06/08/2023

Dr. Koppel is definitely the best teacher I've had so far at UMD. She is super nice and really cares about her students. Would definitely recommend going to her office hours as she will answer any questions that you have. Discussions were super helpful as well and I thought the TA, Praha, was incredibly helpful and did a really good job of explaining any concepts that students were confused about. Dr. Koppel did sometimes move fast at times during lecture but that was to be expected since there is a lot of material on Orgo 1 to get through. However I did like that we would usually finish the actual material that was going to be on the exam a week or sometimes more before the exam as it gave me a lot of time to make sure I understood the material and was prepared for the exams. The difficulty of her exams varied but on all of the exams it was definitely possible to get an A or even over 100% since she gave extra credit which was nice. If you want to do well in this class you are gonna have to study like you would for any other orgo teacher that you would take. I also really like the format of her exams compared to other teachers. From what I've seen on her exams she tends to have less problems but make them take longer and be worth more points while teachers like Dr. Stocker I think have more questions but each question is shorter and is worth less points. Overall, I definitely recommend taking Dr. Koppel as she is super helpful and accommodating, and I think that you can easily find success in her class!

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
06/04/2023

She's okay. I liked the order she teaches the material but they grade the exams way too hard. I feel like they're looking hard to take points off for anything. But I think you will pass her class with a B- no matter bc of the way she curves at the end.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/30/2023

Was decent at the beginning of the semester, but felt like his teaching was rushed near the end making it harder to understand difficult concepts.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/27/2023

One of the best lecturers ever! Tests are completely fair and with the overall experience of the class, it was great. It was easy to learn all the concepts due to her good teaching style and she sometimes had lectures dedicated to doing problems where she would walk around and help everyone. Not only was it easy to learn in this class, but she had so many office hours where she helps and actually cares about explaining it well and making sure you understand everything. I definitely recommend going! She is very generous with partial credit on tests. Overall easily deserves 5 stars, would give 6 if I could. Great person all around too.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/26/2023

This class was very fast paced, which was pretty overwhelming. She does great with posting previous exams and practice content related to the material she's covering. However, if you don't do good on the first exam and don't see yourself improving, it would be wise to drop the class. I would recommend going to the tutor services that UMD provides and practicing daily. If you can join her office hours, you should. Her office hours occurred when I had a class unfortunately. Do not wait until a week or 2 before an exam to start studying. Dr. Stocker is seen as very compassionate when teaching chemistry, however, she does rush over material.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/25/2023

Really rude and unapproachable. Take anyone else. Truly one of the most disrespectful professors I have ever had.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/24/2023

Okay. If you're going to take orgo with him, READ THIS!! I'll review this professor based on two important features: teaching style and personality. Teaching style: not bad, 8/10. Why? Well, there were four things that he utilized to teach: pre-lecture videos, module packets, his lectures, and the homework sets. Pre lecture videos were really helpful, especially before class. To be honest, I did not really watch them *before class* but definitely looked at them while studying for exams, etc. SUPER HELPFUL! Module packets were, in my opinion, the most useful thing in succeeding in this class. Modules included the learning objectives (what you need to know for exams, which he did stick to), loads of practice problems (SUPER HELPFUL!), and information that explains the concepts. Though, I thought the modules, when explaining topics, sounded a little esoteric and could be explained in much simpler terms, which would be more helpful when learning the harder topics. Lecture style was a little wonky. He definitely taught, but he used a chalkboard for teaching. Now, I don't have the greatest vision, so this forced me to sit in the front (WHICH I RECOMMEND!). He also doesn't record, so go to every lecture and write everything he writes. Asking questions is a little intimidating, because of his personality, which I'll get to in a second. He goes over everything in the modules and explains them well, so that was good. Homework sets were just a pain. You will soon find out that Achieve is just really annoying and really finicky, so start early! Also, Dr. Rainbolt office hours are nice. He actually is lot better in office hours, so if you have any questions, probably ask him there. Discussion was okay, the TA was not bad, just went over problems in the modules that cover the topic you covered that week. I went for the first couple, but then stopped. They also don't do exam reviews or anything like that. - His personality: 4/10. Why? He is just really intimidating and condescending. Asking questions in class is already kinda scary, but with him, it's a hard no (at least for me). He is actually great when explaining concepts and tries to be funny, but him answering questions is just...oof. But in office hours, he's a lot nicer. I would suggest asking questions that are clearly worded, since he responds better to that. Also, ask questions that are worded like a question ("Is this an SN2 reaction?"), not "I'm confused why there is an SN2 reaction." (I know this seems weird, but he literally didn't answer one student's question because it was not worded correctly!) - One other note, his elms handling is very weird. He manually created assignments and an assignment for course grade, so he calculated the percentages through his own spreadsheet. I did know my course grade throughout the semester though, but I just found it to be different. His curves are great; he adds points to each exam if the average is below 70. For example, he added 10 points to our second exam, and 20 points to our third exam. Lastly, his quizzes and exams! His quizzes are kinda hard, I would say harder than our exams. Usually 3-5 questions about the topics covered that week. To do well, make sure to understand the concepts and do the module practice questions BEFORE taking the quiz. Also practice those quiz questions before the exam!! Now, exams were fair. Any question he asks in the exam is something that was covered in the modules. If you understood the module stuff, exams should not be terrible. I hope this helps! Rainbolt is not bad. Good luck :)

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/23/2023

Best orgo prof at umd. Her lectures were always clear and informative. Very sweet and clearly passionate about orgo as well. I went to every lecture and paid close attention so I didnt have to study too much outside of class for the A. Would definitely recommend over any other prof!

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/22/2023

First and foremost, Dr. Stocker is a very nice person. You can tell that she genuinely cares about her students and wants them to do well. With that said, I do have a few gripes with her class. Organic chemistry is very difficult. That is what it is. She tries her absolute best and does very well with explaining concepts. But, all of the class examples and the worksheets on canvas are so surface level. They hardly help you with the exams, so you’ll need to go to GSS and read the textbook for more. You absolutely need to study every single topic and every single mechanism as you learn them. Do not wait. Don’t even let yourself get a week behind. Organic chemistry is good in that it builds off of itself so you don’t need to study a ton for the final, but it’s also horrible in that you need to master every subject as you learn it or you’ll get left behind. It is extremely hard to tell where you’ll end up in terms of grades. I was in the MWF section and I got a low B, mid C, and mid E, and then a D on the final, and I somehow ended up with a B. The exam averages were in the high Ds and low Bs. Tu/Thu gets a higher curve because grades are basically always lower than MWF. There are things that you have to memorize, whether Dr. Stocker wants to admit it or not, soooo accept that from the beginning and use flash cards or something so that you don’t get behind. Good luck!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/20/2023

Just please don't take him. Literally anyone else is better. So condescending, passive aggressive, and has zero sympathy(literally made a girl cry in class) . He gives out these huge module packets which are so disorganized and honestly made me want to cry looking at them. He's also super unapproachable and makes you feel dumb when you ask questions. In terms of assessments he gives quizzes every week which are pretty difficult and only drops one unfortunately; The first test is easy which makes the class seem doable, but the other two tests were awful with the averages being in the 50s and the final had multiple questions that were all or nothing. If you do get stuck with him just know you're going to have to do a lot of work outside the classroom in order to get a good grade.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
neesh1903
05/20/2023

Quite possibly the worst experience of my life. IF YOU ARE TAKING HIM FOR ORGO DO NOT LOOK AT THE REVIEWS FOR HIM THAT SAY CHEM 135. He is a completely different person for this class: condescending, rude, and passive-aggressive. He made a girl cry in class, literally rolls his eyes openly in class, and according to the gen chem 2 kids, threw a chair out of anger. I thank god I got a decent grade in this class but it was only because I asked for help from Stocker and Koppel kids. He teaches on a chalkboard which is so hard to read. His packets are very long and complicated and often contain practice problems that are beyond the scope of the course. And get this, his practice problem answer keys are many times incorrect and have no explanation. He has weekly timed ELMS quizzes that are difficult and timed for like 10 minutes. It is often based on the concepts taught the week of class. The averages on those quizzes are about an E each time. He only drops the lowest one but that really does not do anything to the grade. His prelecture videos are also very long and convoluted and make very simple concepts such as Grignards or conformational analysis VERY difficult. Its very clear he has favorites in the class. His exams were so interesting. The first one was so easy like it was a confidence boost, but the next two were terrible. The average on the second and third were in the 50s. He is a dedicated teacher I will say, but he is so unapproachable that it makes everyone so scared to ask him questions. The final was also stupid because he made the reaction questions multiple choice and made them 10 points meaning there's no way to get partial credit. Save yourself the mental stress and take Koppel or Stocker.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/19/2023

I enjoyed Koppel's teaching, but orgo is TOUGH. Koppel doesn't record lectures, but posts the notes afterwards. If you miss the class though, you probably won't be able to tell what the notes are saying at all. Koppel tends to go over concepts and do simple practice problems in lectures, but they're not really in depth and the exams are more difficult than practice done. She posts many of her past exams for each midterm, and her exams have no surprises, so that's really helpful for preparing. I suggest that you find a PDF of Organic Chem as a 2nd language by David Klein for free to get practice problems. She also has extra credit and the homework assignments are all free 100% to boost your grade. Your grade just rides on doing decent on the exams, and there was a decent curve at the end of the semester. It can get overwhelming at times, so practicing concepts you don't get is really important as the class progresses. I wish I spoke with her more, but she's pretty chill, so use office hours to your advantage. Lab (232) is a whole different story. Just go to the TAs office hours and beg for mercy.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
05/19/2023

Personally I liked Dr. Koppel. She was very easy to access and was receptive when you’d need her help. She’d post old exams which other professors didn’t do. These exams were pretty similar to the ones she gave us. She also posted her notes on canvas and would host the late night show which was a helpful review session before exams. Tbh she was better than the other two professors and even with a 69% I finished with a B. Overall pleased.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/19/2023

Interesting but tough class. You genuinely do have to pour some time into studying in order to do well on Stocker's exams. Honestly, Stocker is a little overrated because I didn't find her teaching method that extraordinary as opposed to what previous students always talked about. She often rushes through lessons, and teaches one problem for every single concept/reaction we need to know. Your grade is basically determined by the 3 midterms, 1 final, and small homework points. I would really consider the grade data for this professor in comparison to other professors, and which semester you're taking orgo. Generally, during the spring, all the honors kids will take orgo, making the average much higher than your standard chem class. I was mainly worried about beating the curve every time I took an exam because mostly everyone will do well. All that aside, I was mostly frustrated with how unavailable she is during her office hours/availability times. She is constantly surrounded by past students who she spends time talking to, despite there being 8 students in the office waiting to ask her a question. Overall, I enjoyed learning orgo, and Stocker didn't make the experience any worse nor better for me.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/19/2023

He's a bad bitch. He's may come off as condescending, ambiguous, and rude but he's just quirky. People complain about his character a lot, but I think he's a good professor which is what counts. It's a tough class but he explains everything pretty well if you pay attention in class and practice a lot outside of class you can definitely do well. Make sure to watch his pre-lecture videos, it really helps to come into class sort-of knowing what's going on. His tests are very straightforward and he's pretty generous with his curves. He curves each test individually (not the class at the end, which is how other professors like koppel and stocker do it), which is nice because you know where you're at instead of having to sit in ambiguity until the end of the semester. Make sure to practice his modules and practice with two other people MAX, you won't get anything productive done otherwise. Go in knowing that he has some quirks and be ready to deal with them, if you can handle a few quirks of his you will do great I promise :)

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/18/2023

This class is hard, no way around it. But if you stick with it and do chem every single day of the semester you'll probably do fine. Don't feed into the hype of orgo being hard. Yes it's hard, but it's not unmanageable and you can absolutely do it. The curve will be thick (I had a 68 and it curved to a b) so don't worry so much. A note: If you have hw coming up and haven't covered the material she'll push the hw back

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a W
Anonymous
05/18/2023

Idk reading all these reviews was so misleading. This semester was probably the worst and taking orgo made my year so much worse. Stockers teach at a fast pace and many students in my class were honor students. No additional resources to help you understand a concept but rather just recommends you to buy/rent a book. I think the TA made the class worse, I went to a discussion and it was unhelpful. I also tried tutoring and gss. Idk I feel like I'm not good at orgo but I 100% tried my best and now I have to endure another semester of this awful class.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
05/18/2023

do not take him. it's hard to avoid if you schedule late and aren't able to get stocker, but even then try to get koppel. he uploads pre lecture videos and uses the same examples during class, so he's essentially never actually actively teaching you anything during class. towards the end of the course he didn't even upload the videos and when he did they didn't coincide with the actual content. the last few modules had no contextualization for the reactions that he never taught us. he had to curve our exams like 20 points because everyone did so poorly and then claimed that he was "very proud" of his test questions despite the fact that they are nothing like anything we've seen or been taught before. he also is so incapable of using canvas normally and everything is out 0 and like has an x next to it; he's also always claiming that he often makes mistakes so we should calculate everything ourselves and tell him he needs to change it if that happens as though that's our responsibility and every other professor isn't very familiar with uploading grades on canvas. he's super unhelpful during office hours and will be visibly shocked if you tell him something is confusing to you just because it's easy for him to understand. him. the organic chemist. his modules have the most convoluted possible wording of everything with super frequent typos and LOADS of information that he claims is "beyond the purview of the course." you will fully receive 54 pages of rambling with the occasional practice problem that's infinitely easier than what's seen on the homework and exams. don't get me wrong! i liked the class at first because he started off very slow and thorough with an overview of drawing and understanding organic molecules and even a refresher on some bonding lore from gen chem, but gradually we started to fall SO far behind stocker and koppel's classes and really only began reactions in the last month or so. he had to SPEEDRUN the last ones so much like 30 minutes before the end of the last lecture to the point where he didn't even tell us what they were called or draw out the mechanisms. i got so lost so fast and i wish i received a more thorough and evenly spaced explanation of everything because honestly the material from this class is really interesting. people i know who took stocker actively enjoyed orgo! it is possible! just not with this man! good luck!!!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
05/17/2023

Professor Rainbolt is a professor that expects his student to put the effort in. You have to study every day but he is also understanding and if you don't do well on one exam or two you still have the ability to pass his class. He is really not that hard to talk to especially face to face. He just needs to see that you put an effort into the class. Don't expect to get a professor that is going to let you pass without putting your work in. He is very caring towards his students when you talk to him and you just have to make sure to not get behind and you will be able to do well in his class. His exams are very similar to the module and not extremely hard. They are pretty fair and easy if you study the modules and practice the concepts and problems. I suggest going to him in office hours and telling him what you find hard from the beginning and trying to study more on your own.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/17/2023

Do not recommend! Koppel doesn't care about her students actually doing well in the class, posts minimal practice problems, and actually complained to our class that she would not be failing as many students as she normally does. I have actual trauma from the final this semester, and the average was literally a 45%. The only good thing I can say about her is that she gives a really big curve. Good luck if you have to take orgo from Koppel (or anyone tbh)

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
05/17/2023

I advise all who have the ability to not take him as their professor to do so. The disparity in difficulty of the questions he works through in class to the questions he puts in his quizzes and exams is drastic. Additionally, he teaches his course in a different order than the rest of the professors. Therefore, if you are taking the Orgo 1 lab at the same time, you get completely hung out to dry and will have to teach yourself the content. However, the worst aspect of his class is how down right rude his is to his students. He answers emails and questions in a dismissive and arrogant manner while giving ambiguous responses. Overall, he is just a pain to deal with.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/17/2023

If I can give zero stars I would. This man is the absolute most vile professor I've had. He's inconsiderate and does not have an ounce of empathy towards his students. He says he "wants all his students to succeed" but doesn't promote an environment where I feel comfortable to ask questions because he would either call you out in front of everyone or would rudely answer. He's worse during office hours. He makes it clear which students he likes and dislikes based on how he treats his students in office hours. He doesn't understand how to use elms so he prints everything out and basically gives us textbook based info and explains such simple topics in a very complicated manner. He would record pre-lecture videos which are all absolute bs because they don't help in any way and are just long for no reason. The only good thing about the modules was the practice problems but I essentially had to teach myself everything based on the practice problems or from other youtube videos. I do not recommend him. Additionally, compared to other orgo I classes there are topics that we did not cover or not as strong in because he either didn't teach it to us or just glazed over it and just told us to review the modules ourselves. If you would like a sadistic professor then this is the one for you. I regret taking him for orgo.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
05/17/2023

I got a c- with a final grade of 52%. I'm writing this for grade reference because she typically never talks about her grades. for context, I got a 71 on my first exam which translates into a B and it's above grade average. I got a 30 and 42 for the second and third exams and those are below average and below a c. for my finals I got a 52/150 and which is below average and a c. this curve really saved me from failing and also my first exam really helped me too. I recommend studying very well for every exam, just do her old exams and go to GSS and free tutoring! Also please do make friends in this class. I'm an introvert myself and I'm bad at talking to people but I ended up knowing a lot of new people throughout the semester. If you did badly on the first exam like below a C immediately drop the class! but if you feel like you can do better on the next exams then continue the class. stocker is a good professor but she's very face paced. I didn't go to her class twice and I missed a lot of materials. You can do well in this class if you just put your mind and time into it. I also recommend studying hard for the first exam because it was sooo easy.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/16/2023

One of the best professors I've ever had. Made a difficult class interesting and engaging, and it ended up being one of my favorite classes this semester. Orgo demands a lot of work regardless of the professor, but she makes the class interesting and accessible. She is incredibly patient, and very clearly cares about her students' success. TAKE HER FOR THIS CLASS!!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/16/2023

This man is genuinely a good professor. Organic chemistry for sure a hard class but his teaching style really worked for me. He hands out packets of paper (modules) for each unit and this is basically your textbook, study guide, and the only thing you need to master to get an A. His tests oftentimes use problems directly from the module that are slightly different. The lecture is also super important because Professor Rainbolt goes over a lot of important exceptions and facts. The problem sets (achieve) are easy and the quizzes are based off of lectures. Overall, this class was hard but all you need to do to get an A is to master and understand everything in his modules. Also he curves each test not the class.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/15/2023

Aye bro don't listen to what all these people are saying this mf is the goat. Makes the content interesting, and the pre lecture videos and modules are extremely helpful. Everyone saying he's a bad teacher are people who didn't put the work in and are now butthurt because they either had to drop or failed.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
05/15/2023

He has modules and pre- lecture videos to help with understanding the material. But honestly they’re not that helpful I learned most of the material from YouTube. He has weekly quizzes which are notoriously hard and assigns over 50 graded practice problems. He doesn’t answer questions in lecture and will and makes you feel dumb because the answer was “obvious”. His exams are very inconsistent you could get an A on one exam and an F on the next. I would recommend any other chemistry professor.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
05/15/2023

Rainbolt is definitely an interesting professor. Although the class is naturally difficult, he makes it even harder. He takes the 'no excuses' approach to teaching the course. Every class it was expected that students watched a pre-lecture video and read his modules and complete the practice problems in the module. This was very difficult to do as sometimes the pre-lecture video was only posted at 9pm the night before our 8am class. He was very condescending in class when answering questions- if he even bothered to answer questions. Sometimes he would refuse to answer a question or refuse to write more information on the board with the expectations that students would already know the material well enough. He is unpredictable in terms of how he acts with students in person. His demeanor is unapproachable but I think he does mean well in order to help. He will often make proclamations saying that he has full confidence in all of us to succeed in the course, but he provided little to no help with that.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a D+
Anonymous
05/15/2023

I do not recommend taking this professor. He is dismissive and rude when you ask questions during his lectures. He writes everything on a chalk board making it hard to see and take notes from. He does not provide practice exams to review and genuinely acts like helping and caring about his students is hard. It’s been a hard and long semester with him- do not recommend!!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/13/2023

(Warning long review ahead) I actually liked Rainbolt a lot until like a month ago, think he must be going through it or something... so warning he can be moody! Orgo is an extremely tough class and there's really no way to win, all the professors are "bad" to some degree; Rainbolt is different from any other professor I've had, to say the least. My decision to give Rainbolt 3 stars is based primarily on the fact that his pre-lecture vids are good, his exams aren't super ambiguous and I actually think he is pretty straightforward (modules state exactly what he wants you to take away from a topic). I didn't have the best experience with his class, however, that is primarily based on factors outside of his control. I wouldn't recommend taking him if you are someone to doesn't do well with disorganization. I have never seen ANYONE as bad with elms as him (granted I am a freshman, but I literally did not know my grade for this class for at least 98% of the semester). Rainbolt also does not record in-class lectures and instead passes out modules with TONS of practice problems that ~somewhat~ reflect exam questions. The modules are kind of a blessing and curse, it's nice to have so many practice problems you can do to study BUT I have at least 19 of these packets, and it's been a pain to carry them around everywhere while studying for finals since it's the main + most helpful resource you have for studying. Also if you lose one during the semester, you're more than likely not getting a new one since pdfs of the modules aren't on elms (you either have to pick one up during lectures or stop by his office to grab one, which was kind of tough for me due to other classes + a job). Rainbolt's not great with emails, and kind of weird about them too. At one point he had two achieve problem sets (homework THAT TAKES FOREVER TO DO, usually 20-40 problems) on our schedule and he just never unlocked the assignments, I emailed him at least 3 times over the course of 5 days and he didn't get back to me until the following week - like a week and a half before our next exam (problem sets are due the night of our exam, and because of the amount of time these assignments take, it sucked that we didn't have as much time as we could have to work on it). Now onto the actual lectures: I had him at 8 am Tuesdays/Thursdays and we basically spent the entire 75 minutes doing practice problems + learning techniques, which was really helpful. He posts one or two 15-20 minute pre-lecture video(s) that go more in-depth about concepts, I'VE NEVER MISSED ONE!!! and often went back and rewatch them to prepare for upcoming exams (sometimes he posted them a bit late though, so fair warning especially if you decide to take him first thing in the morning). Pre-lecture videos are CRITICAL to actually understand what is going on during lectures & allow for you to use class time as an opportunity to practice techniques + check to make sure you have the mechanisms down the way HE WANTS. Exams are...interesting. The first one was absolutely fantastic (I got a solid A, with the average being a low/mid-C; this was pretty shocking to me, especially coming from having Prof. Baxter for Chem131, where I always got between 71-75 & averages were between 50-57.) However, the second exam's average dropped WAY to the mid-50s and the third one was EVEN WORSE. However, Rainbolt did add a 10-point "curve" to exam II and 20 points to exam III helped boost grades a lot. However, with that, I'm not entirely sure if this class will be curved (I'm sitting at an 85 right now, and going into the final most people's grades are at a C), which is unusual for a chem course - especially one has notorious as orgo - as I've been told Stocker/Koppel sections are looking at a 15-20% curve, and even my chem131 course Fall 2022 had like a 12% final curve. Outside of his disorganization, Rainbolt is a pretty good lecturer and explains concepts pretty damn well. However, the main reason I wouldn't recommend his section class was that it did not line up with chem232 AT ALL. I learned Sn2, E1, E2, and Sn1 reactions in lecture AT LEAST 2 weeks AFTER I completed lab reports on them, which forced me to attend office chem232 office hours EVERY week, typically more than once for an hour or two at a time. Although attending office hours for 232 wasn't bad (it helped me understand concepts more in-depth + do significantly better than the mean on lab reports), it was frustrating seeing Stocker + Koppel lectures lining up with labs. None of my friends in Koppel/Stocker lecture sections spent anywhere close to the amount of time I did on lab reports since they already had knowledge of the topics, which sucked since these assignments were already time-consuming as is. On top of this class + lab, I was also taking Math141 and BSCI222 (and SOMEHOW EVERY SINGLE ONE of my midterms landed on the same week/weekend stretch -> Genetics on Thursday, Calc exam + Chem232 lab report due Friday, Orgo exam Tuesday), which was always rough ESPECIALLY since I had to actually teach myself lab topics on top of studying for all my exams. If you have a really heavy course load + outside obligations, I would STRONGLY recommend looking into Koppel/Stocker instead since this semester was absolute hell for me. My expected grade is based on the expectation that there will not be any curve added to this class, as Rainbolt never mentioned anything about an end-of-the-semester curve, and when he was asked he said "he doesn't know what a curve is" Overall, like any other professor (especially from UMDs god awful chem department), Rainbolt has his pros and cons. Your decision of which orgo professor is best for you comes down to the type of student you are, your course load, and what you find to be most crucial for you to succeed. Regardless of who you take, orgo requires practice, commitment, making use of your resources, and self-teaching(!!!). Taking a specific orgo professor will NEVER guarantee you success in this class, however, if you are looking for a way to make your life easier, go with someone who aligns their class with the chem232 schedule (KOPPEL!!!! -> I promise you she gets a worse rep than she deserves; or possibly Stocker (?) -> From people I know, it sounded like her content aligned fairly well with lab, but no guarantee since she's not running chem232). I believe this was Rainbolt's first semester teaching Chem231 at UMD, and hopefully, as time goes on he'll learn to better manage elms + plan his content around Koppel's schedule. Good luck with orgo you got this!!!!

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/12/2023

If you have to take this class, 100% take it with Dr. Stocker if you can. She is an amazing lecturer and the class isn't awful if you put the work in. Her exams are very straightforward and predictable and overall not too difficult. There's only 5 homeworks, she drops your lowest, and grades them both on completion and accuracy (3 pts for turning in an answer sheet and a quiz on ELMS with 6 random questions from the HW). She gives you past exams so you really get to see how she formats her exams and what she emphasizes. My main recommendations would be to go to her office hours frequently and study early and often. Sitting at the table and going over homeworks and past exams with other students in her office was super helpful, I definitely would not have done so well without doing this. Going to her OH is also really good for forming a relationship with her, which I think is really important in doing well in the class and getting recommendations, etc. Overall, this class isn't easy and requires a lot of work (attending lectures and discussion and doing a LOT of outside practice with her problem sets), but Dr. Stocker made this class actually enjoyable.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/12/2023

Professor Rainbolt is genuinely a good teacher even though he gets a bad rep. He gives out modules (packets that replace the textbooks) and all you need to do to get an A is basically understand every problem in them. Most of the time questions on tests are just these questions in a different shape or form. He curved the second test by 10 points, and the third test by 20 points so there is a decent curve. He is hard to approach during office hours, but once he opens up he can be helpful. The lecture is super useful and important as well, he teaches the material really well and makes note of important exceptions. Overall, if you put in the work and understand his system, you can definitely get an A in this class. Study and understand everything in the modules to be successful.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/11/2023

Dr. Koppel is an amazing professor. Her reviews don't show that because she's also the lab coordinator, which I will say is a grueling lab where you HAVE to go to office hours if you want to even attempt at getting an A, but besides that, she's a great lecture professor. She does tend to go quick with notes during lectures, but she posts them immediately and doesn't cover a crazy amount of information in every class. You have over a month to prepare for the first exam, which for me, was the hardest, but the last three come and go so quickly, so just be ready for that, but it's nothing no one can't handle. This is a hard class no matter what, so you will most likely struggle, but don't blame it on the professor automatically. Go to GSS and discussions, and I can't stress this enough: OFFICE HOURS!!! She is there to help and will gladly try her best to explain things in more detail than she did in class. Sometimes she can be intimidating to approach, but as is almost every other prof, so please, just go, even if you don't have any questions, sit at the desk and do your work, and become a familiar face. Overall, she is only ever setting you up for success and understands it's a hard class (she even admitted on the first day that she failed Orgo 1 the first time she took it) so she's extremely understanding. That is not to say though, that her exams aren't hard, because they are, but as long as you put at least a bit of work into it, you'll do great. Good luck, and take Koppel!!!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
05/10/2023

If you can take another professor for orgo, do it!! There weren't any reviews for his CHEM231, but there were great ones for his CHEM135, which was misleading. He doesn't know how to work ELMS properly, and you're basically playing the waiting game until he updates the course grade himself. YES, he puts in the "course grade" and it doesn't automatically add up like other classes (hopefully, he figures it out in the future). He gives out 40-50 page packets towards the end of the semester, which can be helpful since there are a lot of practice problems, but only goes over maybe about 4-5 in the actual lecture. He curves each exam individually. Not too sure if he curves the final. The class asked him if he curved the overall grades, and he gave the response "I'm not sure what a curve is". Very blunt, very unpredictable, I would recommend taking the course with somebody else, at least I wish I did.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
05/09/2023

I had this man for CHEM135, and he was amazing. I selected this professor for CHEM231 thinking I would get an awesome experience. All I have to say is... what... happened? In Gen Chem, there are not that many rule breaks so you can really learn just by seeing the practice problems. Rainbolt pretty much does not explain. He just puts problems on the board and expects everyone to get it. This would work for gen chem, but not for orgo as there are so many exceptions. He is very nice to me, but the only reason that he is nice to me is that I had his last semester. If you don't know him and ask a question that he thinks is dumb, prepare to be embarrassed. He doesn't have any practice exams, just modules and the prelecture videos. During class, he would put reactions up for example, but just do the steps and not explain what is happening. He would just do the problems and expect us to get it. He would then ask if we had questions, and if we asked questions that didn't seem to his liking he would become rude. Then the cycle repeats as he puts another problem up on the board. I went on thinking this was normal, but deep down I knew that this wasn't right. I then was relieved when I found out people had similar problems. Also I never went to office hours, but I heard they are awful. If you are taking orgo, please do not choose him.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/09/2023

I wish I could give him negative stars. His lectures and canvas are horribly unorganized, has made people cry in both lecture and office hours, and he has an extremely condescending and egotistical attitude. If you want to actually learn in organic chemistry and not rely on youtube videos, I would take another professor. He can be funny sometimes, but it nowhere near overcomes his teaching style and attitude. I have talked to so many people in our class, and they all agree he can just be straight up rude. He gives us modules, which are nice because they are filled with practice problems, but the keys he posts do not explain how he got the answers, and sometimes are just straight up wrong and he never fixes them, causing you to study the wrong stuff, so they are practically useless, and they are also all paper so they are easy to lose and he never has extra and refuses to post them on canvas. He is not the easiest to reach by email, and sometimes when you ask genuine questions, he responds with "refer to the modules" instead of actually helping. Furthermore, he is not sympathetic with his students and their stress, telling them to just "try harder" rather than offer resources and support. Finally, you never know your actual grade in the class because of the way he implements scores, so your grade could be horribly dropping, but you wouldn't even know it. Overall, DO NOT TAKE HIM unless you want an ungodly amount of stress, tears and frustration; and to be treated lesser than.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/09/2023

Dr. Stocker is by far and away the best orgo 1 professor. It was clear in orgo 1 lab that Stocker's students had some of the best theory knowledge. She teaches very straight-forward and focuses on exactly what needs to be studied for exams. She will quite literally point out what to focus on, what not to memorize, what is the most important concept to understand for the exams, etc. She has extremely helpful problem sets on every single concept that she teaches as well as practice exams posted on her modules page. Her TA-led discussions are also very helpful, and while they are not mandatory, the review in it helped me well. Stocker also does not care what discussion you attend as long as the seats are not filled, so the leniency is great here. If you sign up for a MWF lecture, try and get a Tuesday discussion since that is the day where the TA goes over a previous semester's exam during exam week (since her exams are always on Wednesdays). The only downside is that she does not record her lectures, so it is hard to catch up if you miss any lectures. Orgo is hard either way no matter the professor, but Dr. Stocker is absolutely the best possible option.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
05/09/2023

this was definitely a difficult class. that being said, dr. stocker is a really good lecturer and was able to explain everything in an easy way. she doesn't do achieve assignments like the other professors that teach orgo 1, so the practice is all self motivated. take advantage of her office hours and do the practice worksheets!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
05/05/2023

Lectures are not helpful at all, you must teach yourself. He also does not curve at all. He will give an extra 5-10 points for one exam. The quizzes are really hard and drops your grade a lot (so do them with friends). However exams are much eaiser than other professors.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/05/2023

Dr Stocker is probably the least forgiving professor you can have. The only benefit of having her is the tons of practice questions she gives. Other than that, she is fairly condescending to her students in the office hours and never even answers their questions. She talks about her personal life in office hours and will not get to your question. Basically, if you have a question, expect to be there for over 2 hours. Also if people do well in her class, she makes the next exam much harder because she wants to tank the average as much as possible. On exam weeks, she always teaches stuff the week of as well. So if you’re Tu/Thur and your exam is on Thursday, expect to be learning up until Tuesday. The most annoying part is when she assigns a homework in the middle of the week and teaches it on a Wednesday/Thursday and makes it due Monday. There’s no office hours on Friday so expect to be learning it yourself. People definitely overhype her as a professor. I would say the only benefit are her practice questions but that’s it. Her teaching is not that great and you’ll probably need a tutor to figure it out

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/04/2023

Good professor, engaging lectures. He may be short with students when they ask questions with little sustenance. People get frustrated because he doesn't want to give you the answers but instead wants you to understand and figure it out on your own. Overall a very nice guy and it is worth going to his office hours with questions you have which he will answer and explain in depth.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting an F
Anonymous
05/02/2023

Does a terrible job explaining, he doesn't even know how to use canvas which is hella annoying. His modules are long and disorganized. He expects to learn from pre lecture videos only. His lectures are boring and dont make sense, not to mention hes rude as hell. he doesnt answer "obvious" questions and acts like youre dumb even though the questions asked are valid. He doesn't give practice exams or problems, only from the modules, which he doesn't even explain how to do it in the keys. If I could give negative stars I would. DO NOT TAKE THIS GUY!!!

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C
Anonymous
04/30/2023

He talks a lot but says nothing at the same time. He records pre-lecture videos and hands out note packets with practice problems, which both sound good in theory, but he expects you to immediately learn the material solely from the pre-lecture videos and treats actual lectures like a review instead of teaching the material. If you didn't ask questions in a specific way, he would be rude about it and basically embarrass you in front of the entire lecture hall. He seems like he cares, but doesn't execute it very well. Whenever I went to his office hours, I felt dumb asking questions since he would act like the answers were always obvious. Despite watching all of the pre-lecture videos, doing all of the practice problems, going to class, etc. I didn't do well on the exams and when I asked him what else I could do to improve, he basically told me nothing and said that "C's are passing." I would recommend any other professor.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Anonymous
04/22/2023

not a nice man. never explains things in office hours and was very rude when I was ill and wasn't able to attend an exam

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a W
Anonymous
04/16/2023

Very thorough and good at presenting students with the material reviewed in the course. However, he is unapproachable and has not been very willing to understand student's problems outside the classroom, or student's questions regarding the coursework.

James Rainbolt
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
04/11/2023

literally do not take his class he makes you feel dumb for asking any question and makes the whole class feel uncomfortable. he doesn’t even explain concepts well and literally made a girl cry in class today, take any other organic chem teacher

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
01/07/2023

TAKE HER FOR ORGO!!! if you go to class, pay attention, and study examples a lot you will do well.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/28/2022

If you put in the work (which is a must!), the grade you want to get is very achievable since her tests are straight-forward and predictable. Really liked how the class was structured. As a professor, Dr Stocker seems to be in love with her profession! She can definitely help if you reach out, but that is on your end.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/23/2022

I'd like to start this by saying orgo is a tough class no matter who you take it with. It will not be a walk in the park but Stocker does her best to make things relevant for us and really does want us to succeed. She holds office hours all the time for questions and it's also a great time to work with other students that show up. She's super nice and a great teacher considering how difficult the subject matter is.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/22/2022

Dr Stocker is a really amazing professor. To be clear: orgo will still be difficult even with her as a professor, and it mainly just requires doing lots of practice questions and previous exams. Office hours are super helpful because there is often a group of students there that you can workshop the homeworks with (which usually took me 2ish days to complete) and stocker makes herself super accessible for questions, although she doesn't always answer them very straightforward since she doesn't want to answer the homework questions for you. She explains things very clearly in lecture and, although its easy to feel lost because of the complexity, I often found I would understand what she was saying after trying a few practice questions. She provides LOTS of resources for practice. She uploads problem sets for each topic (with the answer keys) and lots of previous exams. Super kind and a great professor overall.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/21/2022

I can write a book about how much I love her. Don't get me wrong, her class is HARD. Definitely the hardest class I've ever took. But I know I'm more than set for the MCAT because of her. I never had to go to forgo 2 lecture because of how much she prepared me in orgo 1. She is willing to help you all day every day. The amount of effort she puts into teaching us is honestly incredible. With that being said, if you don't need a great orgo background and you're not willing to put in a lot of effort into the class, take anyone but Dr. Dixon.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/20/2022

Amazing teacher. I feel like I wouldnt of gotten the grade I got if I took someone else. I struggled with gen chem really bad and I can confidently say orgo is much easier and funner than gen chem. Once you understand things it becomes fun. Im kind of sad because at first I just wanted to pass this class with a C because I am bad with chem. But when I have been doing above average on every single exam and I scored really high on the final I thought to myself I should of been shooting higher than a C. I really didnt think I would get a B+. To pass this class you need to practice problems after every class session. If you think you got it, you dont. Stocker has a lot of practice problems that were helpful. She doesnt teach off of a book and we dont have homework on online websites. The other 2 orgo teacher had homework on online websites which looked hard. One thing I hate is how packed her office hours were and sometimes she would talk with the GSS about some random nonsense instead of helping us with our questions. And she did this in the middle of me asking a question which I thought was rude... But that would be the only downside. I would recommend this teacher! If you are above average on every single assignment you are guaranteed a B+ or higher no doubt about it.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/20/2022

I hated orgo throughout, but I ended with a good grade so I gave her 4 stars. I got an 82, 71, and 77 on the midterms and then an 86 on the final, so I was above the curve on each exam. I ended with an A- which was a pleasant surprise. I probably could have pulled an A if I didn't start studying two days in advance for each exam. Tips: The problem sets are everything, they help so much! You should be able to get every problem correct before the exams. I never went to GSS but I heard it was super helpful. Form a study group with people you can help and who can help you and start studying hardcore at least 4 days before each exam. GSS exam review was helpful too. Take good notes in class because she does not post them and try not to skip class. You have to put in effort and time for this class and you will do above average, which is all you need to get a B. The B cuttoff is usually reallllly low compared to other classes. I found Stocker to be a little unforgiving to students who deserved some slack but at least she is consistent. She's probably better than the others.

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
12/20/2022

Listen, I got a C-. I don't blame anyone or anything but myself. It wasn't until the very end that I realized that Dr. Friedman is willing to help if you ever have difficulty with the material and that there are endless resources at your disposal. He posts prior exams and answer keys, which are fantastic study tools. Yes, his exams are difficult, however if you wish to be prepared for Orgo II, he's a good bet. I quite regret not appreciating his resources sooner, but quite frankly I'm not taking Orgo II, so it is what it is. He's misunderstood, and I realized well too late.

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/16/2022

Orgo is hard, which is why Friedman has a low rating, but honestly I really liked his class. He tells you exactly how to prepare for exams and has helpful office hours. Lectures were easy to follow and had a great structure. The discussions weren't as helpful but that's just my personal learning style. This is a class where you have to go to lectures, you have to study outside of class, and you have to go to as many outside resources as possible. Most people's issues with Friedman come from his exams being incredibly difficult, which is very true, averages were around 50%. However he does end up curving everything at the end, so it'll end up being fine. If you get a lot of anxiety about grades being curved and not knowing your grade, I'd take somebody else. Friedman is very easy to reach out to outside of class and he genuinely wants you to understand the material. In all of my classes this semester he was the only one who knew people's names when they asked questions in class. This is a very difficult class and the bad reviewers blame it on the professor, when in reality it's just the material that's really difficult. Get ready to buckle down and learn some tough but interesting concepts, as well as develop better study habits and problem solving skills.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/16/2022

It’s orgo so its going to take up alot of time. Period. Stocker does a good job providing homeworks that are exam level questions, but they can take a lot of time(never do them the night before, try doing what you can after every lecture). She also tells you common mistakes students make so pay attention to those and write that down. Also write down any questions you have and clarify them ASAP in her office hours or after class she’s happy to help, don’t email her. Discussion isn’t mandatory, but its mandatory if you want to pass. The class is curved, not exams.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/13/2022

i love her, i really like her way of teaching and she explains things very well. she offers a lot of resources for learning outside of lecture (late night shows, practice problems, past exams with answer keys) and i found them to be really helpful! this semester she used an online system for the homework and extra credit assignments and i also found those to be good ways of understanding the material. the only issue with them is that the e-book explains concepts differently from her, which is confusing sometimes. her method of teaching might not work for everyone as ive heard complaints from others in the class, but for me i feel like with practice and using lecture notes im able to understand the subject. it is unfortunately a Huge amount of material and has overwhelmed me multiple times, but if you're able to understand the simpler concepts early on it helps you a lot as you get to the end of the course.

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/12/2022

Dont take this professor, it is simply just not worth it.

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/10/2022

First off, orgo is difficult. No matter what teacher you have, it will always be challenging. Dr. Friedman is nice. Although I never attended office hours, his lectures were easy to follow. I think his exams reflected what he taught in lecture, but it is still challenging and makes you think critically. At first he doesn't curve, but in the end he will take final grades into account.

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/09/2022

Friedman is fine! He gets a bad rep because his exams are tough, but if you have him for Orgo and are willing to put in a decent amount of work, you can do well in his class. He gives clicker points, is extremely helpful, and his exams are usually fairly similar to his old exams, though they usually have tricky questions. He also had a very good curve when I took him- I ended up with an A and had a two As and one C on the midterms and a B on the final.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/04/2022

Love her!

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Anonymous
11/30/2022

Dr. Friedman is misunderstood in my eyes, there are a lot of people who simply don't like him because he gives hard exams and grades unfairly. I don't agree he has never once turned me down when I had a question, he makes lectures enjoyable and makes funny remarks. Even though he does not curve, you want to learn orgo the right way to set yourself up for success in orgo to and MCAT material.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
08/31/2022

i took Dr. Stocker in the summer. Honestly, if you're worried about orgo or you're retaking it like i did, take it ALONE in the summer if you can. Dr. Stocker was super helpful during office hours and she made lectures easy to understand. taking her practice exams and doing the practice sheets are a must to pass; memorization by itself doesn't really work for this class.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
07/15/2022

better lecturer than koppel (she's dogshit) but harder tests. If you're the type of person who's able to self-study take koppel cause the curve is larger in that class. Bc all the smart kids take stocker and they all decided to take my section for some reason (mon weds fri) there was little to no curve.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
07/13/2022

Definitely the best orgo 1 professor there is in my opinion. Her class consists of 3 midterm exams, 1 final, and a couple homeworks. It is orgo so it obviously will be very difficult, but if you go to class and review your notes everyday after class and do a bunch of practice problems you will be fine. Koppel is always willing to help you if you have any questions in office hours and it is definitely helpful that she runs the lab as well. Yes, her exams are challenging, and there are a couple curveballs on every exam, but there was a great curve (at least when I took it). However do not miss class, missing one class will feel like you missed two months of lecture. Just go to class and OFFICE HOURS and practice everyday and you will be fine. I will say, do not take this class with any other extremely difficult classes. This class will require tremendous amounts of time and efforts and must be prioritized in order to do well. She is a very nice, caring, and funny professor in my opinion!

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
06/01/2022

First of all, this is a very difficult course no matter what professor you have, it is a weed-out course and you should expect to work very hard if you want to do well. That being said, I think Friedman was a great professor, he explains every topic in-depth and offers different ways of getting points beyond just exams. I will say that Friedman goes much more in-depth on some topics than he needs to for this course, but I actually appreciated understanding why some things work as opposed to simply understanding that it works. Friedman's exams also tend to have very low averages, most of which were in the low 50%s. However, do not be scared away by the low averages, the exams were really not particularly difficult, and if you were properly prepared, it was honestly not that difficult to stay above the averages; many people just underestimate the difficulty. Additionally, there is a massive curve in this class, I believe I had an 83% in the class before curve and ended with an A. The exams are normally around 6-8 questions, most of which allow for partial credit. If you want to do well in this course, my advice is to go to every class, go to discussion every week and definitely take advantage of GSS, there is a lot of material in this course, so you are never really going to see practice questions in class, but you will in discussion and GSS. There is almost no way to predict how some material would get implemented into exam questions just going to class alone. Also, do practice (previous year) exams that Friedman provides on canvas to help prepare for exams. In terms of homework, my class had a total of 10 homework assignments, which were generally 15 questions, taking normally about 2 hours total, and you should do all of them, they are designed to be easy points and are just good practice. Additionally, you should try and know small details about different topics, just read over your notes as there is usually a technical short answer question on each exam. Finally, KNOW RESONANCE, I can not stress enough how important it is to understand resonance and how it affects different parts of chemistry. If you receive a technical question, I would say there is a solid 90% chance the answer is somehow resonance. Overall, get points wherever you can, prepare for exams, a lot of people went into the first exam underprepared, not knowing what to expect and dug themselves a hole, the first exam has probably the easiest material, don't miss the opportunity get those points and prepare more than you think you should. If you keep up with material, this class honestly will not take as much of your time as you are probably expecting. I probably spent 3-5 hours on a normal week (outside of class and discussion) on this material and then probably around 10 hours on the weeks leading up to an exam. Either way, I enjoyed the way Friedman taught, if you actually want to learn chemistry (which will help you do well in this class) than I think Friedman is a great professor. Friedman is also super helpful and actually really wants you to succeed, I promise you he notices when you are putting in an effort, I am fairly certain that he keeps track of who actually goes to class (through clicker question points) and he somehow manages to remember an entire lecture hall's worth of names despite having only interacted with each person maybe once. He is also very passionate about the material and knows how to at least not make it completely unbearable to pay attention to at 8:00 in the morning. Friedman actually made me enjoy the material, and I think that his grading was completely reasonable considering that this is meant to be a difficult course, so that is why I am giving him 5 stars.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/25/2022

Do not recommend. She goes over everything pretty fast. Her tests are somewhat similar to the old tests. You pretty much have to do the readings and go to classes every single time to understand her notes.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/24/2022

GO TO HER OFFICE HOURS!!! If you actually show up to her office hours and ask her about things you are confused about, you can do well in this class. She does rush through material during class, but she can't help that the class itself is so heavy on content. You will be frustrated at many points in time during this class... but if you truly put in the time and effort you can succeed. ORGO itself isn't hard, its actually quite enjoyable once you get the hang of it. Practice problems and flashcards will be your bestie. Koppel is a very genuine, funny, and caring professor, and I wish I got to know her even better. She truly loves what she does and wants to help. Yes, Stocker is a great professor, but Koppel is also great in her own way! You will not be at a disadvantage with her as a teacher, if anything you will be at an advantage when it comes to the lab because you will be familiar with her style.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/23/2022

I really enjoyed the content of this Orgo, more so than Gen Chem because the class was very cumulative in the sense that you would continuously use what you had learned in the previous unit. This made the class a lot easier. In terms of professors though, take Dr. Stocker. My roommate had Koppel and barely ever received partial credit on exams, while Stocker's TA was very lenient on partial credit and grading in general. She is the best Orgo 1 professor by far and a really great lecturer, probably one of the best lecturers I've had at UMD. She does handwrite her lectures though and doesn't post them, so make sure to go to lecture and get an iPad or some kind of tablet. I never went to her office hours but I've heard they were helpful, they just fill up really fast. Her class also fills up fast, and because people know to take her a lot of pre-meds and honors students are in her class, which can make the averages a lot higher. My section had this issue, where our average was around a 70 for each exam. This is really high for an Orgo class. For context, the other section (Tues/Thurs) had averages around the 60s/50s. Each class is curved individually, which screwed over a lot of people in my section since they had pretty high test scores for Orgo, but our class didn't have a huge curve, so the grade you got on exams was pretty close to the grade you got in the class. Despite this, I would still take Stocker because Koppel and Friedman are way worse. In order to succeed on exams, I recommend starting studying a week before. Do the problem sets and then ALL of the practice exams- her exams are pretty similar to the practice.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/20/2022

Very good lecturer and fair exams. She gives you past exams but not the answer keys. Plus, if you have questions over HW and go to office hours, she doesn't give clear responses since she doesn't want to outright give you the answer. From a professor standpoint, I understand why she does this but, as a student, it can be really annoying. It can also be difficult to properly ask her questions during office hours since they are always packed and it can just be students goofing around with her which is frustrating if you just want help. But overall, I don't regret taking her because her enthusiasm made the class really enjoyable! As the other review said, be cautious though because her curves are insanely high compared to other professors. This is a good indicator that she teaches well but it really screws you over with the curve. I definitely had to put a lot of work into the class to get the grade I got but I'm glad I took her.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/19/2022

Had Koppel for Lab and Lecture. In lecture she is pretty good at explaining concepts but she does spend time on theory and topics that are pretty mundane and not helpful with what we're learning. In terms of exams we had 3 with each being 125 points so higher than most professors. Averages ranged from 50-60 usually but each exam is 100% doable and she often pulls questions from homework and practice exams so constantly doing practice problems with the materials she gives you is a huge necessity, do these practice problems as well as the second language book religiously and you should be fine, GSS is also a huge help. Graders are also pretty stingy with partial credit so make sure to double check all exam answers. The final was much easier and works best for people who review practice exams. Overall very time consuming but completely doable once you find good study techniques. Lab had no contact with Dr. Koppel besides for a 2 hour review session before the final which was very helpful. Lab manual is super helpful at explaining topics but tons of procedures had some typos which caused a lot of people in lab to ruin their experiments completely and be left with no results. Midterms and final are 128 points with each average being around a 66. Going to review sessions are helpful but the only thing you can really do is hope to stay above the class average. Pre-labs and the labs themselves aren't too difficult but they are time consuming so leaving lab early isn't that common. Post-labs are very difficult and you definitely need to go to TA office hours for help. Some TA's genuinely don't know whats going on but there are amazing TA's who care about what your learning and are super helpful. On top of lab reports there is a 50 point practical quiz which tests on lab apparatus' and two 30 point literature and IR workshops which are easy points. As long as you do solid on lab reports you will be fine in class because the workshops help counteract the low exam averages. Overall Koppel isn't the best lecturer or coordinator but her classes are super doable if you find time to attend office hours for lab and grind out practice problems for the lecture midterms and final.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/19/2022

Overall really good professor. Her teaching style is very modern, and her exams are very similar to practice/old ones. You have to attend office hours if you want help with homework or concepts, but an A in her class is not impossible.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/18/2022

Not the worst. I would always feel super prepared for exams, but she always purposefully put questions to trick you. Homework/quizzes were hard, but did help my grade. In the end, the curve is generous. If you put in the time, you will pass. In terms of teaching style, she never worked through complicated examples during class, so trying to do them on your own or on an exam felt unfair. She seemed nice and understanding, but definitely doesn't take an BS from anyone so don't offend her lol. I never felt that I was doing bad because of her teaching, it was because her exams were ridiculously hard. Then again, it is orgo so it is different for everyone!

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/18/2022

Stocker is the BEST orgo professor you can have. She's an absolute sweetheart who glows when she teaches organic chemistry. It's great seeing someone passionate about the topic teach it. She also uses a lot of animal references to help with understanding and a meme on every single exam. I can happily say I adore her. As others said, my biggest regret is probably not being able to form a bond with her earlier on. In terms of the lecture, Stocker tended to speed through information and you were essentially REQUIRED to go to class. No zoom option, no lecture recordings, slides with almost 0 information being posted. GO TO CLASS or find friends who will give you their notes. Even with that, she's still an incredible professor. Now into the schmeat of orgo.... Orgo at first seems incredibly terrifying, especially with the amount of memorization required to understand a lot of it. Stocker provides a lot of practice work and old exams to get you through that so you can recognize what she uses. She doesn't post the answer keys for old exams, but it encourages everyone to work together or to go to office hours for it. She does have homework as well, which is honestly harder than the exams but students always tend to work together through zoom calls prior to when it's due. She drops the lowest one (which was below a 50 for me) but still keeps the points from them in the final grade. Her exams themselves are very similar to the old exams, however, there always seems to be that ONE trick question. My biggest mistake was taking the first exam thinking I didn't need to study that much. YOU DO NEED TO STUDY FOR ORGO. I scored (with the grade ranges she posted) a low C for the first exam, high Bs for the second two, and a pretty low B for the final. I can absolutely blame myself for the first exam because I didn't really worry about it too much. I mainly thought I could just ride the curve for orgo, but my class tended to have 65s and up as their averages for exams, which is higher than usual for Stocker and made it impossible for me to just ride the curve. If you're struggling, I highly suggest watching Leah4Sci on youtube for help! She helped me get through the reactions part of the class.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
05/16/2022

Gets a bad rep for no reason. Extremely accomodating and friendly woman.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/15/2022

Dr. Stocker is a good orgo professor. She teaches the material well but be prepared to study hard outside of class as just going to lecture won't be enough to understand orgo. Be cautious as she fills up fast and because most people know to take her, all the premed and honors students will fill up the class and for my section the averages were extremely high because of this. The averages for my section were usually around a 70 which is extremely high for orgo considering the other section she taught had averages in the 50's and at highest low 60's. This may just be an issue with my section as I haven't heard of averages this high from present and past students. Although the semester hasn't ended and we don't know the cutoffs for the final, the cutoffs for an A before was an 87 which is barely a curve. I am averaging around a B/B- in the class which would likely be at least an A- in any other orgo class except for this one. While this was an annoying issue in my class and prevented many students from getting the grade they wanted I will still say she is a good professor. Her exams are pretty fair if you take all the old exams as they are the same format. She is also very open to asking questions and is very helpful during office hours. Overall, I would recommend Dr. Stocker but be cautious about the grade distributions.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/13/2022

I really enjoyed the material in orgo but Dr Stocker was not a good teacher. She is very knowledgeable and the materials etc provided are helpful, but her lectures are so hard to follow. She doesn't teach at all, instead seems to assume that her students automatically know what she's talking about. She speeds through lectures, introduces really complex concepts with less than 5 minutes left in class, is pretty inflexible with remote lectures unless you explicitly have covid, and will make your life incredibly stressful if you are sick and miss a midterm. She jokes about how strict she is but she is not joking lol. She doesn't email back after 4pm, and is not particularly helpful once she does. I think this is universal for orgo, but she only gives a week's notice for exams, meaning her averages are really low.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Michaelgersten
05/10/2022

Like I mentioned in ratemyprof, The biggest regret I have in this class is not fostering as much of a personal connection with her as I could have. On the plus side, she let me help choose the final exam's meme for the front page! But in terms of her class here are a few bullet points. - Go to lecture. This semester I missed one lecture and I fell behind for a few days, but because I had someone record it for me and send the notes I was fine for the exam. All of the material you are tested on is in lecture. if you don't understand something in lecture, simply raise your hand and ask. she doesn't shame you, she doesn't act like youre a burden. she will simply try her best to answer your question and confirm that she answered it well. If for some reason you still don't understand the topic, go to her many office hours and read the supporting material in the textbook. If you understand the material in class, don't bother with the textbook whatsoever. - Grading: Stocker uses the class average to set cutoffs for grade estimates. I have yet to see final grade estimates, but I'm sure she will be very fair. Her goal is not to make a low average!!! in fact she congratulates the class for achieving high averages. You can expect her to be very fair and reasonable with grade cutoffs, and they are almost always somewhat curved but only to represent an even distribution of grades. I am in-between an A- and a B+, but I'm not stressed. I feel that the grade I am getting is due to my studying and not due to Stocker's grading criteria. In sum, try your best and you will be proud of your grade. - Lecture style: Stocker is the ABSOLUTE BEST LECTURER I have ever seen. She emphasizes similar reactions rather than grouping of the same category of reactions, which helps a lot in learning similar mechanisms. She doesn't rush you. If the class is behind on a topic for an exam, she won't rush to pack it in, she'll simply take it out of the exam. this rarely happened for us. - Exam style: Expect a certain level of cumulative topics, but she won't surprise you with something that isn't important for your current material. For example, pKa's, you will learn, are extremely important for every topic in organic chemistry 1, and you can expect to see her have 3pts per exam at least dedicated to pKa's. you can expect roughly 1/4 of the exam to be easy questions, 2/4 mid-range questions that challenge you but are certainly possible, and 1/4 challenging / high point-value questions. these fractions are based off of points towards your exam grade. I earned a B+, B+, and A- on the three exams and have yet to take the final. I did average in general chemistry 1, so please don't get too scared about Orgo with Stocker. I was going to make a pro's and con's list for Dr. Stocker but decided to do a bullet list of all of the good things you should know. The only bad thing I saw about the class was that it's HUGE, and people tend to talk a little loud in her class so I would sit in the front if I were you. There is nothing bad I can even think of with Stocker. She has a low rating because she found out a lot of people were cheating a few years before this review and did what was in her job description as a lecturer and reported them. Seriously don't cheat guys. It may seem like it will help you but I mean this when I say that your'e risking far more than what you could possibly ever gain from cheating. You can also get an A without cheating!!! to wrap up this already long review, I wanted to just stronglyyyy urge you to take stocker even if you have to rearrange your schedule completely. You will NOT regret it and maybe if you do, you can meet her kids who are almost as sweet and fun as she is. Best of luck in orgo! don't get intimidated by it, just work hard and you'll be fine. And most importantly: TAKE DR. STOCKER!!!!

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/07/2022

Found her tests extremely fair. I'm aware that many people find her lecture style rather fast, but I feel that she went over all the content in a very coherent manner, that was easy to understand. Her homeworks weren't too bad, as she would post a MCQ quiz that would atleast give you a good opportunity to guess. Although she expects you to remember things like pKa, IR, NMR ranges, it gave for a lot of easy points on tests as long as you reviewed the numbers for them. Overall, would definitely recommend you take Stocker if given the opportunity as her tests are fair, and theres a number of practise questions and old exams on Canvas(but she doesn't give you the answer).

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/26/2022

Honestly please take Stocker if you have the chance. Koppel explains okay but the examples she chooses in class are always stupidly easy compared to the ones she gives on homeworks and tests.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
03/03/2022

I don't know why people give her bad reviews. She is by far the most knowledgeable, respectful, and straightforward prof ive had at UMD. Her exams are fair but challenging and I think overall it is a great experience as long as you keep up, go to class, and study hard.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
03/02/2022

Considering how hard orgo can be, Stocker makes it as painless as possible. She can go pretty fast in lecture, but I personally didn't struggle too much with keeping up. I feel like she simplifies the material more than other professors, and she even joked about how the other professors tend to make things harder than her. If you take advantage of all the resources/practice sets she gives and don't cheat on the HWs and exams (she can be very strict about cheating), you should be okay.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
02/04/2022

Ochem is never going to be easy, but I feel like Dr. Dixon made it harder than it needed to be. Have you ever been working alongside someone who is really good at their job, and they say something like, "I ~would~ show you the basics first, but they never serve me, so I'm just going to teach you the insanely complex tricks and tips that make this impossible to understand at a cursory glance, but don't worry, after decoding and encrypting my words and my ways, you can teach yourself the basics, then run through what I taught you again." For example, for many years, I've taken lots of joy in working as a barista. I would teach a new barista, "pull the shots, steam the milk, a little aeration for a latte and a lot of aeration for a cappuccino. As you get better, I'll make it more technical." If Dr. Dixon was a barista teaching a new barista, she would say, "First, you want to heat up the bulkheads on the machine and test them with your thermometer so that they are at least a temp of 130*F, then you tare out the scale, and you take stock of the humidity and make sure that the bean dispensing machine is calibrated to a degree of your liking, then you measure out 18 grams, can be a little over but never under, and then you tare your scale (MAKE SURE ITS THE AUTO-SCALE) and use pre-rinsed shot-glasses, make sure the shot pulls at 36-39.5 grams at a rate of 21-26 seconds. And for decaf its... and when you steam the milk, fill the pitcher to... that's 6 ounces for a small, 8 for a reg.... 16 for an extra large... and cappucinos... make sure the fully rotating head is positioned at an angle of 45 degrees and your pitcher... TADA! A SIMPLE latte. That was basically review, right?" Was that hard to read? Was that a bad experience? Want to sign up for 6 months of it?

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
02/01/2022

Best prof. ever

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
01/26/2022

Take Stocker fr from what i've heard she is the best teacher and I liked her for orgo a lot. Her curve gave me a B- in the class and my highest test grade was a 67%. I didn't give her 5 stars cause orgo is terrible.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/28/2021

This teacher is a little crazy, but she is fantastic. She brings a bit of a hectic style to her teaching but absolutely makes sure she says everything you're expected to know and delivers it in a structured, easy to understand way. There were a few moments where she wouldn't teach a specific thing for a homework assignment, but she would always mention it a day or the day it was due. I also noticed she wouldn't always write down everything on her notes, and sometimes she would just verbally say some super important things. But she definitely repeats these over and over, it's just important to pay attention to all that she says and not just what she writes down on her board. This can make looking back at her notes difficult, but I'm sure going to office hours or anything shed be happy to help. I never had to go to any extra review sessions, office hours, read any books, or anything outside of the weekly discussion and lectures to earn an A in her class.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/26/2021

TAKE STOCKER. love the way she teaches!!! the curve saved me big time. orgo is about knowing more information than the rest of the students, just score better than average on the tests and you will be fine.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/24/2021

If you're reading this and you will be stopping chemistry courses after organic chemistry 1, I suggest you take a look at Dr. Stocker's reviews- I find her more easygoing on students who are maybe not as interested. If you will continue to organic chemistry 2, biochemistry, and onward, or you like chemistry, I strongly, STRONGLY recommend you take Dr. Dixon. Dr. Dixon's lectures are in-depth, quick, but to-the-point. She knows her stuff and will answer your questions completely. She will let you know if you're asking something that you'll learn in the future (like o-chem 2), so that you don't have to worry about it. On ELMS, Dr. Dixon posts class outlines before, and often the lecture notes after each lecture. She will seem intimidating when she lectures, however she is an extremely kind and understanding person. You can see this if you go to her office hours (on zoom or in her office) or if you ask her questions after lecture. I will agree with some reviews below that Dr. Dixon has some sort of obsession with NMR spectroscopy, but I found it more rewarding when I could use NMR spectroscopy analysis as a part of synthesizing a molecule. Exams: They are difficult but extremely fair. Dr. Dixon provides the point breakdown by topic for each exam, including the final, and makes everything CRYTSTAL CLEAR. If you don't understand anything, simply ask her and she will make it even more crystal clear. Exams are often based on the weekly homework assignments, and Dr. Dixon generously drops several of the difficult topics from the final exam. The averages are usually 60-65%. In addition to the generous curve she draws for each exam, for the second and third midterms, Dr. Dixon offered extra credit homework worth 12 points each (12% of each exam), which were directly added to your exam grade. And as if this wasn't enough, each exam had around 10 extra points built in, above the maximum possible score (100 for midterm, 150 for final). Good luck :)

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a D
Anonymous
12/23/2021

Although I suspect she may be better then the rest of the professors, I did not enjoy this class and it mentally drained me to tears. She goes way too fast, expects us to know exactly what she's talking about the second she teaches. I don't know if its any different for the 1hr 15 min classes, but she rushed through all our 50min sessions and kept teaching and writing on her ipad until exactly 12:50 as if we were able to retain the complex stuff she tried to switch to at the end of class. She can be very hype and energetic about orgo, but her jokes aren't funny. The final is not timed so you may have less stress, but its still hard. Do not wait until the last minute tot study and if you can, take this at a time where you dont have to take other classes that are heavy workloads/ heavy memorization. My class generally was doing well so there wasn't much of a curve. You will have to calculate your own grades throughout the semester because she doesn't update them. Make sure you have at least a 50% or better if you want to be in the curve. And PLEASE drop the course by the deadline once you feel like you've lost it or don't know what you're doing because they purposely will try to screw you over by making the "drop with a W" BEFORE the second exam. So even if you have hope and don't want to give up, you're screwed regardless. That's what the chem department does. Good luck,

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/22/2021

She talks very fast, but she talks slower and is very helpful at CAN and her office hours. HW is hard, but you have a whole week and can work with classmates. Tests are difficult but fair and she tells you exactly what will be on there/point breakdown. Her curve is very generous, I had ~66% and ended with a B, and I had friends with ~50% and ended with a C.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/22/2021

Truthfully, organic chemistry is going to be a difficult class no matter which professor you take. Dr. Dixon has easy to follow lectures with written notes, and she will always have practice questions for you to do, both graded and non-graded. She will also post videos from previous semesters when learning was still virtual, which can be really, really helpful. She tends to make the homework and tests out of the hardest types of problems within a topic, so you will most likely have to go to office hours. She can be intimidating and harsh during office hours, so if you're someone who thinks you'll be too afraid to go to her office hours, I would pick a different professor. While I didn't think the first three exams were hard, I always thought the homeworks and the final exam were extremely hard. Do the homework -- you'll be fine. I'm glad I took her class, and while she does make this class more difficult than it likely has to be, she will give you a lot of study material and office hours so that you can succeed. You don't need the textbook -- please save yourself 200 dollars and don't buy it.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/20/2021

I LOVE Dr. Stocker. She is such an amazing professor and makes organic chemistry much more manageable to learn. She is very charismatic and genuinely likes helping students (meaning: go to her office hours!!). Compared to other Orgo I professors, she actually is far less technical and legitimately doesn't expect students to know as much material. This makes things a lot easier; you still learn a LOT of content, but it's less than other professors will teach (especially Dixon). Her lectures are definitely fast-paced, but that's just the nature of orgo. I would recommend writing down every single thing she says during lecture. Like, everything. It's really helpful when you go back through your notes and you have her comments written down, because sometimes just looking at the stuff she wrote down doesn't fully explain every concept. She will mention a lot of really helpful details/tips and tricks. She likes to try and explain concepts, especially the more difficult ones, in multiple ways to try and accommodate for the fact that every student is going to understand things a little differently. If you don't understand something from lecture, just go to her office hours, she will help. Her office hours tend to get a bit crowded, especially close to exams, but that's not really her fault, just come to office hours prepared with your questions (or you can sit in them just to listen to other people's questions, I know some people did that). Her exams are also pretty fair. They're not easy exams by any means, but they don't ask questions beyond what we learn in class. The midterms are designed to have a time-crunch, which can be tough. She also posts practice exams for every midterm on ELMS, which I would definitely check out. Her exams are typically formatted the same way every semester, so they're a good way of seeing what kinds of questions to expect. She doesn't post keys for them though, you have to go to office hours and ask about specific questions. She also has MANY problem sets on ELMS, and those have answer keys. I would absolutely recommend going through those, both as supplemental work alongside lectures and as exam review. They have several examples of problems for every concept you learn in that class. There are also a handful of homework worksheets in the class, which are the only grades aside from the exams. The homework really won't budge your grade that much, but they're useful for practicing content. The grade for the homeworks is split in two, with turning in a homework answer sheet for 3 points and a quiz that pulls random questions from the homework worksheet that is 12 points. In total, each homework assignment is worth 15 points. Turning in the (completed) answer sheet gets you an automatic 3 points (that part is just graded on completion) and the quiz is graded on accuracy. If you are confused on any homework, I'd go to office hours or ask your TA. I also think it's really helpful to find a group of friends in that class, it definitely helped me a lot this last semester (Fall 2021). Stocker's lectures are straightforward and fast. Sometimes, her organization does get a little confusing. She won't always be clear on exactly what she is teaching and how it connects to a previous concept. This never really impacted the quality of her lectures too much, but she usually posted her lecture slides and had a lecture schedule on ELMS, which would help with organization. Even though orgo is hard, I really enjoyed her class. She is a great professor and made lectures enjoyable (she's pretty funny, and uses her cats/sons as analogies ALL the time lol). The curve is always nice in this class and the key to doing well is getting above average on each exam. I was very scared of orgo (I'm not good at chemistry), but orgo involved very, very little math and is almost entirely conceptual. The content is not too challenging, it's just a matter of keeping up with the pace of the class. I would recommend memorizing functional groups and pKas VERY early. Also, making flashcards or a comprehensive list of all of the reaction mechanisms as you go is super useful. This class is more memorization than Stocker will claim, but as long as you start memorizing/self-assessing early, then you will be set. Overall, I would 1,000% recommend Dr. Stocker. She's one of the best professors I've had.

Diandra Soemardi
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/17/2021

There are no words to describe how grateful I am for Diandra in my life. Just that she’s an outstanding TA who is deserving of the PhD title. Her teaching skills are amazing, I always left her discussion sections more confident in the material discussed in lecture because she always had a great strategy in approaching practice problems. You can tell she really cares about her students because she spends an extra hour answering my friend and I questions prior to the exam. Orgo was really hard, however, with Diandra’s help it was easier, and with her encouragement and motivation I am switching my major to Chemistry with confidence!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C
Anonymous
12/08/2021

She is definitely a hard ass. She’s not very kind or understanding with helping students succeed. She’s more of “you either understand it or you don’t.” She never responds to emails. However, she does hold a lot of office hours and reviews to help students. But I think she’s just too smart for her own good. She goes wayyyy too far it’s too hard to comprehend anything. Very intimidating.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
10/14/2021

Dr. DIxon is not only the best orgo professor, she is probably one of my favorite professors overall. There is no one who wants to help you succeed more. Yes, the material is hard but she offers so much help by posting extra videos, practice problems with answers, and has a million office hours in which she will answer any question you have a million times until you understand it. You have to put in a lot effort if you want a good grade, but she curves tremendously. If you want to actually understand orgo, take Dixon. Not everyone likes her or her style and that's fine, but I highly recommend.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
09/17/2021

DISCLAIMER: I am reflecting on Dr. Dixon’s class as a junior who had her class 2 years ago. Dixon’s class is quite difficult, but unless you are planning on just taking one semester of organic chemistry, she prepares you for future chemistry classes that involve a deep understanding of organic mechanisms. In other words, the knowledge which she drills into you will only serve to help you in the future. Her grading is fair, and this is coming from someone who essentially failed the first pre-test from her course. She is receptive to student needs and has really helpful office hours. Reflecting back on this class as a third year biochemistry student, all the hard work and effort which I put in to raise my grade from a low D to a low A by the end of the semester really gave me an appreciation for her class and organic chemistry in general. In the end I would say that I definitely do not regret taking her class, and would recommend her class to those taking more than one year of organic chemistry.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting a D
Anonymous
08/31/2021

Worst professor at UMD. Very strict on grading and is very disrespectful to her students. Took this course online during peak COVID and she had no remorse or sympathy for her students who were trying to learn organic chemistry ONLINE. Her lab videos were poor quality half of the time so it was difficult to record correct measurements which lead to getting poor lab grades on the report. Avoid this processor at all costs!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
GoFly
08/30/2021

Took her class last year online. She's an excellent lecturer and cares about her students. When I took the class she was available for office hours just about every day of the week, and had extra long ones before homework quizzes and exams. Homework assignments do take long, but they are great for reviewing the content. I've heard from other professors that she teaches some unnecessary topics, like going too far into complex splitting and teaching bulky bases, but I feel that her depth in the content will help anyone who takes CHEM241 and BCHM.

Daniel Falvey
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
08/10/2021

Seems like he must have been great for orgo 2, actually the worst for orgo 1. He skipped quickly over brand new and difficult topics, but went into extreme detail explaining things we've been taught since 8th grade. Falvey flat out refused to record zoom lectures or slow down when people asked, and his notes are usually posted late and full of mistakes. He always acted annoyed anytime someone asked a question, and called on any people who have their cameras on on zoom randomly. Exams weren't too bad (mostly bc they were open note) but I wouldn't have come close to passing this class without the TA. Diandra was my saving grace - go to her office hours and GSS if you want any hope of understanding half the crap falvey spouts in class.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
06/01/2021

Full transparency, this class was very difficult. Like you might think you're smart and you can coast but you really can't. To do well in this class you have to put in the work for it. Do the homework and study hard for the tests. Do all the extra credit even if you're dying. Sometimes Dixon seems like she's being overly tough and vague or confusing, and at the beginning of the semester I hated that but then I realized that it helped me understand all the stuff on a more fundamental level such that I can apply it better. I think it definitely has me way better prepped for orgo 2 than most of the other teachers. The other thing for this class is that you sometimes just have to be able to move forward. The first test I got a 50% straight up, and I felt so bad about it and people were talking about dropping the class which just got me feeling so down and pressured, but you actually just have to push through, and reset. You have to go to office hours and put in a lot of work into the homeworks until you get how to do it like instinct. It's tough but really doable. There was nothing that felt better than getting the good grade in orgo after putting in the hard work. So yeah, I would definitely recommend Dixon even though a lot of people don't like her and think it's too tough. She really preps you for orgo 2 and even though the tests are very difficult the whole course is curved, so as long as you do well enough you can get a good grade in the class.

Daniel Falvey
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/23/2021

Great professor for Orgo 1. Exams were fair and exactly what you would expect. He made a hard class enjoyable :). Highly recommend!

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
05/22/2021

Friedman is an okay professor. Personally, I feel he gives too much invaluable information when teaching and focusing on things that aren't the most important for us to know. Going to GSS and being somewhat consistent in reviewing information is important to succeed. Making sure you understand concepts and practice consistently before exams are important. Putting in the work and learning the foundation is important.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/16/2021

Absolutely the best orgo I professor. Dr Dixon goes above and beyond to help her students understand orgo, including one on one office hours and problem of the day zoom sessions that cover harder topics on the exams. I definitely recommend Dr Dixon to anyone taking orgo.

Robert Martin
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
02/04/2021

The best TA at UMD! He really pours his heart and soul into making organic chemistry a good experience for his students, and I learned a lot from him. His weekly discussion packets and exam reviews made all the difference and I knew I could go to him with questions if needed. He genuinely cares about the students and wants you to do well. Go Robert!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
pavanbhat0710
01/27/2021

Dr. Dixon is a very good online chem teacher. She is available for office hours every day if you need help and builds in a curve to all the exams. There are weekly homework which are pretty hard and time-consuming, but it makes the exam questions very easy. She records all her lectures and hours of supplemental videos which are very helpful. There are so many practice worksheets she provides that you could not do them all, and between her and the TAs there are probably 20 office hours a week! There is also a sizable curve at the end.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/25/2021

I loved taking CHEM231 with Dixon. She explains complex concepts very well and answers questions clearly. While her exams and homework assignments are quite difficult, the information is all in the lectures and she is always available to answer questions (office hours everyday and she responds to emails). Overall, Dr. Dixon goes above and beyond for her students and is an amazing teacher for Organic Chem.

Monique Koppel
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/24/2021

Fall of 2020 lab wasn’t bad. Took about 6 hrs a week including the lab video you had to watch to “do” the experiment. Must attend office hours (hers and/or the TAs) to do well. Some TAs were more helpful than others. Definitely a doable class but had to go to office hours or else you won’t do well on the lab reports.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
12/12/2020

Dr. DIxon is amazing at teaching CHEM231. Especially if you are taking this course in Spring 2021, highly recommend taking her. She teaches very well in the online environment and provides many options for students to be in contact with her as well as the TAs. Office hours are offered every single day, both private and open office hours. She does SO much more than she needs to for her students, and really just wants to see us succeed. Also, she was the only orgo 1 professor for Fall 2020 so she's the only teacher with an fully online curriculum that she knows works :)

Diandra Soemardi
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/07/2020

Fantastic TA. She wasn't even my assigned TA; however, I found her discussions to be more effective compared to the other TAs. I found her mock exam reviews very helpful the most as compared to the other TAs, she actually goes over almost all the questions efficiently and at a timely manner. Overall helped make Orgo a breeze!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a W
Anonymous
11/18/2020

She assigns very very hard exams and homework. She talks super fast during class and its hard to understand. You really have to keep up and give your all to succeed.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
10/18/2020

I was scared at first because I heard she was a hard professor but now she's literally one of my favorite professors at UMD. Her lectures go fast but she's good about answering questions and her office hours are genuinely so helpful. She's lowkey very funny so don't be afraid to get to know her. Her tests are hard but fair. She will give you challenging questions but all the material on it is what you learned in class so there's no surprises and she's good about partial credit. Honestly she's really great

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Anonymous
08/16/2020

Great lecturer and makes class engaging. When we moved online her video lectures were super thorough and helpful. You have to keep up to the material and study everyday to do well, especially if you're not an O chem person. A lot of people in this class were the super smart people so there was not much of a curve. Take Dixon if you want a bigger curve and have a friend in Stocker send you her video lectures.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Anonymous
08/11/2020

Pros: Genuinely covers less material. Lectures are not hard to follow. Will help you in office hours. Cons: Refuses to post practice exams, you have to go to her office and take pictures of them. Doesn't post exam solutions, you have to go to her office hours for those. What is the point of practice exams without answers? Her office hours tend to be crowded so it's hard to ask questions. Doesn't follow the book - she is practically the only official source in her class. Overall a good professor if you just want to get by. Getting an A will be a lot harder due to lack of professorial support.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
07/23/2020

I had her for orgo 1 and absolutely loved her, so when I saw she was going to teach CHEM271 I was very quick to add her as my professor. When I started chem 2 i realized that this was not Dixons strength. Her lectures were confusing and unorganized. I would go to her office hours and study for hours and still that wasnt enough to be prepared for the first exam. The first exam was so difficult that we had to receive extra time on it. Multiple TA's also complained about how absurdly hard the exam was. I gave her a 3/5 because she was a 5 for orgo and a 1-2 for Chem271. I ould say take her for orgo. She has been teaching it for years and really has nailed how to properly conduct the class, but if she is ever a professor for Chem271 again stay far away.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
06/08/2020

Dr. Stocker is great at teaching and is super nice. The best way to do well in this class is to keep up with the material and not let yourself fall behind. There's a lot of content in this class, but if you go through it slowly, it's much more manageable.

Taylor Plank
CHEM231

Anonymous
02/06/2020

Pretty sure the review on here is from Plank herself because no one in the class thought she was a great teacher. She was a graduate student teaching for the first time, so everything was pretty messy. Pretty sure the averages for her exams were in the 30s, 40s and the curve wasn't very strong. I don't think she's teaching again but if she is listed, try to avoid her.

Osvaldo Gutierrez
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
02/01/2020

He was an okay professor, but I could tell he is really passionate about his work, so lectures weren't dull. I only passed this class with an A because the TA was extremely good at explaining each topic. Also, it was nice that this course had discussion packets, and the exam contained the exact questions in the packet. So if you do those, then you'll pass this class easily.

Osvaldo Gutierrez
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
01/25/2020

Obviously you're reading this because you want a good time in 231. I highly recommend taking Gutierrez for Orgo 1. Unlike other professors, he posts semi-challenging clicker questions (on ELMS) beforehand - no surprise CQs. Most of the content he goes over in class is covered in the Lecture Slides (on ELMS). We had 4 midterm exams but they were not as stressful as other professors'. We were given plenty of practice exams and keys (on ELMS). Hints for possible exam questions and bonus questions are mentioned in lecture. The lowest midterm is dropped and replaced with 2nd-highest score. There is a reaction project but you have options, can work with a partner, and is generally a grade booster. There were about 9 BACON modules that counted for extra credit - they relate pop culture to chem. Discussion is a must - our TA (Robert) reviewed what we learned and had packets prepared for every week (on ELMS as well). A lot of the problems in these packets showed up on midterm exams btw. I would read the textbook if I couldn't solve a clicker question but you can generally learn every concept online (masteringorganicchemistry, chemistrysteps, chem.libretexts, youtube). The course is not curved because there are so many opportunities for extra points (BACON + exam bonus + never miss discussion). The average for all midterm exams was 80.6%. Final Exam average was 70.3%. Clicker Questions are as hard (or harder) than exam questions so prepare yourself as soon as they are posted on ELMS. Robert is the best TA I've had so far at UMD so be sure to visit him. Both Gutierrez and Robert understand that this course has a negative reputation so you'll be taught what you need to know. Whereas other professors take pride in low averages, Gutierrez and Robert didn't and they'd hand out As if they could - you just have to earn it :)

Osvaldo Gutierrez
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/02/2020

Dr. Gutierrez was a great professor! Although at times lecture could get a bit confusing, I think overall he did a very well job teaching the material. He provided us many opportunities to help boost our grade. He doesn't curve, but he replaces your lowest score with your second highest. I enjoyed his class!

Osvaldo Gutierrez
CHEM231

Expecting an A
terpterp00
12/21/2019

The worst part about Gutierrez is that he doesn't wipe the blackboard well, so he ends up scribbling all over his previous material. A little confusing when writing notes. Other than that, he's a pretty boring lecturer. I don't think I learned much in class, even though I attended all of them. The examples he gives are good to look back on as review though. Honestly, his TA Robert saved the class. His discussions cleaned up all the material in a concise manner. He also provides the weekly discussion packets with tons of practice problems and does review sessions for the practice exam before each exam, which saved me every time. Gutierrez doesn't curve but gives a lot of opportunities to rack up points via BACON, bonus Q's on exams, and dropping the lowest score. Take him if you want a higher average in orgo.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/19/2019

If you can, you should take her class. She's a bit old-school since she generally hates technology (and she sends everything out by email, as opposed to uploading things to ELMS), but she's a fantastic lecturer and has a nice personality. The class is all memorization (even though she claims otherwise), which can be time-consuming. The only thing I disliked as the use of clicker questions, as I would have preferred quizzes or simply no in-class assignments at all. Her TA's are pretty good too, and the grading is very fair. Although I would have liked an A in the class, I can admit I did not study the reactions well enough to deserve it.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

tinyterp01
12/18/2019

I’m not really sure why Dixon has such high reviews when she’s well known as one of the HARDEST professors that teach orgo. her lectures were so confusing to follow, and quite frankly she was really rude to students in class. would definitely not recommend to anyone regardless of how good you are at chemistry

Robert Martin
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/17/2019

best TA at UMD

Osvaldo Gutierrez
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/17/2019

talks about random crap, but robert carries class

Osvaldo Gutierrez
CHEM231

Anonymous
11/26/2019

I think orgo is a class were a lot of people struggle because its really hard to wrap your head around the concepts. Dr G. explains the concepts fairly well and he often goes off the textbook, so reading the textbook helps too. He gives a lot of opportunity for extra credit which is a huge plus and he has a great TA (Robert) too, which is a plus plus. Lastly the exams are extremely fair, if you do good on the past exam he posts on ELMS then you probably are set for the exam. I feel like not enough people know him because he's kind off new but he really is great professor.

Robert Martin
CHEM231

Anonymous
10/25/2019

An absolute legend. The practice exams are just like the actual ones. I learn more in his discussion than I do in class.

Robert Martin
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
10/21/2019

GOD TIER TA

Jeffery Davis
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/19/2019

He's a really great professor and makes lecture fun by telling stories and throwing chalk at the walls like the other reviews mentioned. The class had 4 midterms and a final but we got to drop one which was nice.

Lenea Stocker
CHEM231

Expecting a C-
Anonymous
05/18/2019

Fantastic at teaching, I'm just bad at Orgo. She's a great professor, and has interesting ways at explaining complex subjects. There's not too much out-of-class work, so long as you understand what's going on. Her tests are Time Dependent, as in; You WILL run out of time. The Final wasn't time restricted, however, so less stress there.

Jeffery Davis
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/10/2019

One of the most passionate professors. He truly wants students to learn and enjoy organic. There's a reason he fills up first!

Lee Friedman
CHEM231

Anonymous
11/15/2018

Probably the most dedicated professor there is for Orgo1. He is so passionate about the material and super funny. However, his exams are extremely tough... so you definitely have to put in the work and effort for this class. Pretty sure averages are in the low 50's or so. Make sure you're on top of things and never study the night before his exams.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/18/2018

Honestly, Dr. Dixon was the best teacher I've had so far at UMD. She's really nice once you get to know her and can be of a lot of help to you if you (1) go to her office hours and (2) ask specific questions pertaining to what you're confused with. That being said, this class isn't a walk in the park. You HAVE to put in the work if you want to pass this class. Do her practice problems because those will help for exams. Also, always go to lecture! If you absolutely can't make it, ask a friend for their notes because a good amount of content is covered in class and you can't afford to miss it. Finally, when it comes to grading, she's really strict but she does give partial credit to decent amount of answers on the homeworks and the exams. She also curves the class but she doesn't tell you by how much. I ended the semester with a 67 but that was a B-. Overall, it was an awesome class to be in.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
04/25/2018

Dr. Dixon is a good lecturer and has a lot of experience explaining orgo concepts to inexperienced students. Her tests are relatively fair; the averages are low because it's just a lot of material to understand. There are extra points built into her tests and extra credit available so good grades are not out of reach when the curve is applied at the end of the semester.

Taylor Plank
CHEM231

Anonymous
03/01/2018

Wonderful lecturer and cares about students. Really knows her stuff and makes organic understandable. Her class is the type of class that makes me look forward to my day! Even at 8 am, taking her is SOOOOOO worth it.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a D
Anonymous
05/12/2016

Honestly Dixon is a great teacher. She is really passionate and really tries to make lectures exciting and also make sure you learn the material. That being said, this class is extremely, extremely hard. You can not get by just going to lectures and doing the homeworks. Lol, that is what I did and I am most likely going to get a D. But everyone I know who goes the extra mile, goes to office hours and GSS, studies at least a little every day, and does all the practice worksheets does fine. Just be prepared to work extremely, extremely hard if you want to do well, or even ok. But this is orgo so you know that lol

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/05/2015

Dr. Dixon is the best organic chemistry professor on this campus. You will have to work hard for a good grade, but it is definitely doable. I got an uncurved A. I did all of her weekly quizzes and handouts that were given out in class. I used a white board to go over and over the practice problems given in class. I started out by using the textbook, but she even said that the textbook would not be very helpful. Organic Chemistry as a Second Language was very helpful in the beginning, but by the second exam I was not using it anymore. Exams are always on Mondays, so reserve literally the entire weekend beforehand for studying. She is also very dedicated to her students. She holds office hours as often as she can, this semester she held them basically from 9-4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and for a few hours MWF. If you want to learn organic chemistry, take her.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
forrestgumb
12/21/2014

Mixed bag for me. On one hand his class was a joke and a half, but because of that you don't learn much. I ended up with a 92% pre-curve without going to many of his classes. You just need to go to discussion and do past exams and you're set. My advice is this: if you're pre-med or actually need to understand this stuff don't take him. Sign up for a harder professor. If you're just looking for an A he is your man.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/17/2014

Bonnie Dixon is the best orgo professor you can find here at UMD! No question about it. She makes learning orgo very intuitive and straightfoward. Yes, she will will push you. A lot. Her exams can be a nightmare. But she provides with every tool necessary to do well on them. Her weekly quizzes and homeworks are your best bet as to knowing what will be tested on. Going to her office hours is A MUST. There's tons of students in there that can help you, and Dixon is always willing to help you over confusions. The grade you put into Dixon's orgo is reflected in your grade. I highly recommend her for anyone who plans on taking Orgo II.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
09/04/2014

Great class

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
06/30/2014

First off; holy god, this class will teach you how to work for what you want. Dr. Dixon is the hardest, but hands-down, the best chemistry professor on campus. If you take Dixon, you will know your shit, but she will force you to LEARN that shit in order to even do DECENTLY in her class. I have never worked as hard in a class as I did in this one, and at the end of the semester, Dixon recognized that and bumped me up from a B+ to an A (she doesn’t do minuses). But let me tell you, I worked for it. I went to GSS consistently, did the weekly quizzes, used Klein’s Orgo as a Second Language book, was in her office hours regularly, went to all the discussions, and studied with friends for homework and before exams. Her class taught me to work my ass off for what I want, and that’s going to be a lesson that I use many more times in life. Orgo with Dixon is A LOT OF WORK though. I took it at the same time as genetics and with 17 credits and barely made it out alive (genetics took most of the hits in terms of grades though, all my other classes turned out fine.) It was definitely my hardest class but the most rewarding. It takes up a lot of time so be careful what classes you take along with it. Dixon is honestly such a nice, funny, and amazing person and professor, but she’s strict and will tell you how it is bluntly, so don’t expect any sympathy. But she really does care about her students- she’s not out to get you- she throws curveballs on tests but her logic is that she warns us about those curveballs ahead of time (truth.) She will present the information in class to you on a surface level basis and will expect you to enhance your understanding through the homework and weekly quizzes. I prefer having people explain things to me, so I took the initiative to enhance my own understanding by doing the crap ton of stuff I did outside of class listed above. If you’re looking for the easy A for orgo, don’t take Dixon. If you want to learn your shit (I recommend her especially for chemistry and biochemistry majors, although I was biology) take Dixon- even if you get like a B- you’ll be shitting on everyone else in Orgo II because you’ll know everything. I made it through with an A, and you can too!!!! (Insert “no ragrats” meme here) (She also really likes memes. If you ever go to her office hours mine is the Hey Arnold one.) I remember hating chemistry in high school and now I’m considering switching my major to biochem because I enjoyed learning orgo so much. The choice is honestly yours when it comes to taking her. I recommend. Also as the review below says, if you're going to professional school after college- take Dixon!!

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Brenden2012
05/26/2014

I will juts give you a summary of Khachik and my suggestions on how to do well. He is an alright professor. He sometimes talks about things that are not important to know. His tests are basic knowledge and he pretty much does not try to trick you (There was a question on the first exam and you would ONLY know the answer if you went to class). The concepts he goes over are not hard and not in depth. With that said DO NOT TAKE KHACHIK IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE ORGO 2. You will have an easier time in Orgo 1, but you will not learn enough to be ready for the next level. You will be setting yourself up for a rough time. He rarely teaches CHEM241, so don't count on taking him then. If you take a different teach for Orgo 1, it will be a little harder, but Orgo 2 will be a lot easier. If you are a non pre-med BIOE major, Khachik is perfect for you. For my class: The class is 750 points. 3 Exams and 1 Final. Nothing is dropped. No Cheat Sheet. Exams are 20% (150 points) each. Final is 40% (300 points) each. Exam 1: Mean = 65.2% Exam 2: Mean = 63.7% Exam 3: Mean = 66.1% Final: Mean = 60.1% Curve: It is rumored that the curve is 10-20%. He will not talk about the curves until ALL grades are in for the semester. If you want to guess the curve as during the class I would recommend making the means of the test between 75-80% and applying that curve to your grade. Tips: Go to every lecture. He might say things that you will not find anywhere else and test you on it. Go to your Discussion. My TA gave problems that were more challenging than Khachiks and he helped us through them and learn. Go to GSS. This is by far the most helpful. The GSS leader breaks down everything Khackiks says and teaches you only the things you need to know. Make a mechanism sheet at the back of your notebook. Whenever you learn a new mechanism, you should write it down in an organized location in the back of your book. You should write the name and other important information like "must be anti-periplanar" or "sin-addition". This is very help as it provides a quick reference to all of the mechanisms in the class. We only had about 3 pages front and back of mechanisms. This is grow significantly in Orgo 2. Studying: Outside of going to lecture, discussion, and GSS every week, I did not study until the exam. I would not recommend this unless you are answering the questions posted in discussion and GSS without assistance. To study for the exams I recommend taking pictures of PAST EXAMS FROM THE CHEM FRAT. They are located in the chem building and have two binders of Khachik's past exams. Then do these exams with as little assistance from your notes as possible. Most of the exam KEYS ARE ON KOOFERS. THIS IS A STRONGLY RECOMMENDED STUDYING HABIT. You learn what you need improvement on and the stile he writes his tests. Good luck.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
01/01/2014

Organic chemistry is hard no matter who you take, but if you have the option take him. His tests are straight forward and he doesn't try to trick you. He tells you exactly what you need to know for the exams.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
blichtbr
12/21/2012

Nicest dude on the planet. He loves helping his students. Not the best lecturer, but if u can teach yourself and go to discussion you'll be fine. Not terribly difficult.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
jenny
12/18/2012

I signed up to take orgo under Khachik because I heard he was the easiest professor. I figured orgo would be a breeze so this class would be an easy A. I found out about halfway through the course that no matter what orgo professor you have at UMD, orgo takes a lot of effort and studying to do well in. Whether you take Ammon, Dixon, Khachik, or whoever else, you will have to work to get an A. Khachik is a very fair man. His exams are very straightforward and can be studied for by reading the book and taking his old exams. GSS sessions weren't that helpful for me (I originally attended two a week in the first half of the semester, then completely stopped) because I found I could just as easily read the book and study the old exams. The trick is to go through the chapters and make a list of all of the mechanisms before you do the homework, then use the list to complete the homework and study. I didn't really READ the book, just looked at the mechanisms and picked out the main points. Khachik goes over examples of every mechanism in class and tells you which ones will be on the exams. In fact, he tells you everything that will be on the exam so you know what to study for and what to not worry about. I know a lot of people don't go to his class because the lectures are very boring; however, I don't really think they could become much more exciting. Khachik tells you useful real world applications of various mechanisms, though he doesn't test you on these. He puts a mix of mechanisms and multiple choice on the exams since this is what the final (between all orgo 1 professors) consists of. The multiple choice isn't completely fair since if you get the question wrong, you lose 10 points, but they aren't really hard... so just don't get them wrong. I never went to my discussion because I was lazy. I heard from other people that they hated the TA because he was mean, so I don't really think I missed out much. You can definitely manage without a discussion. The homework wasn't from the Loudon book that is assigned as the class textbook, but Pearson Education is to blame for this. It made the homework a lot harder since you couldn't really check your answers. Along with this, the program that MasteringChemistry uses marked a lot of mechanisms wrong that weren't because you have to input them a certain way. Because of these two things, Khachik gave us back numerous points on our homework, so even though I missed a lot of points, I still ended with a 100% in homework. The homework is VERY useful in Khachik's class. Khachik is very approachable one-on-one; however, there is a chance he may jump at you in class if you ask a "stupid" question. He calls many a question-asker out because he just went over the material and they don't understand or whatever. I avoided asking Khachik questions in front of everyone, but I would ask him after class and he was extremely happy to answer. Khachik applies a curve throughout his two sections. While this seems unfair to some, I can't really see how... he teaches both sections the same way with the same material and each section has a fair chance at the exams. I'm fairly certain he doesn't change the exams between the earlier and later sections, yet the later sections always did worse than the earlier. The average for the later section was a 67% and the average for the earlier section was a 70%. His curves are fantastic, and low 80%'s tend to end up as A-'s. Summary: - No matter your orgo professor, you WILL have to put in effort to get an A in orgo - That being said, Khachik is a very fair and straightforward professor - Khachik's exams questions come from the mechanisms that are in the book; there are no curveballs. - Read the book and do your homework and you will do great - Study the old exams; there are a LOT of them online and the questions are VERY similar to what will be on the new exam - Khachik is a really great guy that WANTS you to succeed - GSS and discussion aren't necessary to do well

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/18/2012

Khachik isn't a very good teacher but his exams are easy and that's really all you need in Orgo. Do lots of problems, read from the book, study early, go to GSS/discussion if you need help and you'll be golden. You don't necessarily need to go to lecture because he ends up confusing you a lot of the time, but make sure you go to the one before the final because he gives away a couple of the problems on the final. Curve is generous and exam questions are fair.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
btc5105
12/15/2012

He is not a good lecturer and gets very hostile if you try to correct even a minor mistake. His exams are very easy however, so if you want an easy A, he is your guy. However, be warned that if you have to take 241, it will take a lot of work for you to understand a lot of that material because Khachik does not adequately prepare you for it.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
11/04/2012

Easiest Orgo 1 teacher. Easiest exams and straightforward lecture. You don't need to attend all the GSS but you do need to keep up with the textbook and the second language handbook. I received an A with an 82% but Khachik doesn't reveal his curve. Here are some numbers The averages for my two classes of Chem-231 are as follows: The 10:0 a.m. Class, Section 5200 Exam 1 Average: 65% Exam 2 Average: 74% Exam 3 Average: 47% Final exam Average: 62.5% Average of all exams : 62% The 1:00 p.m. Class, Section 5400 Exam 1 Average: 72% Exam 2 Average: 79% Exam 3 Average: 47% Final exam Average: 61.5% Average of all exams : 65% As you can see the difference between the overall average of the 10 a.m. class and the 1:00 p.m. class is less than 5% and is not statistically significant. Therefore, your scores from online homework (100 points), and 3 exams (each 150 points) and the final exam (300 points) will be added up and divided by 850 to determine your overall average (%). As I mentioned in the class a single curve will then be applied to your overall average. Since I will be extremely generous with the curve, there will be no grade negotiation. Also, I WILL NOT discuss the cut off points for the grades and how I will apply the curve.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
10/12/2012

I have to say, a lot of the stuff I'm reading below is bull. I would not consider myself to be a big chemistry person, I'm not even a life sciences major (math major) and I honestly did not find Dr. Khackik's class unreasonable. I mean, it's organic chemistry so you can't float through it but he is not as bad of a lecturer as everyone says and his tests are very very fair. I think, if anything, his only flaw is that he babies these pussy life science majors too much. Grow a pair and work hard and you'll be fine. That being said, to do well in his class, these are a must: 1. Bring your textbook to class and follow along in the book as he lectures (he usually follows the book more or less). If you don't have to book, you'll miss one thing and be lost the rest of the lecture but if you have it, you can refer to the book with something you don't understand. 2. Before every exam, do at least 3 or 4 old exams. This will give you a general idea of what types of questions to expect and you'll usually see some similar ones on the actual exams. He also has types of questions he loves to put on every year so you can also pinpoint those by doing old exams and practice them to make sure you get those. 3. Do your exams in pen and check them thoroughly when you get them back. It's not uncommon for the TA's make a lot of mistakes grading because they have so many papers to grade and also take off more than they're supposed to sometimes. You can raise possibly your overall grade by 3-4% by making sure you get the points you earned. Overall, he's actually a really nice guy, very approachable, and a very fair professor. Definitely take him

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
09/20/2012

Terrible professor. Just an awful teacher to boot, nothing more than can be said about him. Run far away and don't look back.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

batman
07/27/2012

Professor Khachik is a primary carbocation--totally unstable. his lectures were all over the place. The initial reason why I decided to take Khachik was because he was supposedly the "easy" organic chemistry I professor. However, his midterms this spring semester were pretty difficult. From looking at his past exams, I can say that his midterms have become more difficult over time. Khachik may have been the "easy" organic professor a couple semesters back, but I wouldn't say so now. If you are planning on taking CHEM231, you should opt for a different professor--you will not learn much about Organic Chemistry from Dr. Khachik.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Sal_man
07/26/2012

Khacick makes the easiest tests compared ot those made by the other professors. That's what you want for Orgo. Other than that, he's an okay teacher but I would not study just what he tells you in lecture... I stayed one or two chapters ahead and did all the assigned problems. This way I could just sit back in lecture and just listen to what he had to say since it was all review for me. I believe this is the recipe for getting an A in orgo and any other class for that matter. I would spend at least 2 or 3 hours each day reviewing orgo, and it definitely paid off. Orgo is a challenging course for sure, but take advantage of the easy exams by Khacick and do work.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
07/15/2012

Dr. Khachik cannot teach. At all. His notes were completely unorganized and was literally all over the place. The reviewer below me is right. His exams have gotten harder over the years so he is not the "easy one". He may say no mechanisms but on the 3rd exam and the final there were full mechanism questions! So basically to do well, u better start scoring the internet to teach you because he sure won't. Really he deserves a 1 but i gave him a 2 because of the HUGE curve he gives. I'm pretty sure a 50% =C and 81%=A. Besides that, not good

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/21/2012

pro: easiest tests in orgo I supposidly (I found them easy, practice old tests bc there are very similar problems semester to semester) cons: had to teach myself orgo I do the textbook suggested homework problems (there are like 15 of them but they are great practice). know and understand mechanisms, they are the building block for everything else youll learn during the semester. there was online homework this semester which provided a nice grade boost, do it with other students, you can easily get above a 90% on every homework. averages on test 1 and 2 were in the low 70s. test 3 was 47%. final was 62%. there was a generous curve this semester, ~70% was a B. GO TO DISCUSSION. the TA this semester went through many problems and explained everything thoroughly. NOT a waste of time. good luck!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Adinsx
05/17/2012

Take Dixon! It's about all I can say. There's a reason why everybody always attends her lectures and tries especially hard in her class, but she's very encouraging and dedicates a lot of time to her students. For me, she made orgo bearable. I laughed at all my friends who had other orgo teachers.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an F
Anonymous
05/15/2012

I cannot stress this enough: Khachik is the absolute WORST professor I have ever had the misfortune of having. Anyone who says he is helpful and approachable are lying. Not only did he send me countless rude email, he made people feel dumb for asking questions. His lectures were impossible to follow and the TA's were just as bad. The TA's were just as rude, if not worse. I tried to go in for extra help, but it almost felt as if they wanted you to fail. The amount of work I put into his class was a complete waste of time. Khachik openly told us that me I needed to find a way to drop the class (after the drop date had passed) when I asked him for extra study help for the final exam. He said if I didn't know how to study by now I didn't have a chance at passing his class. DO NOT TAKE KHACHIK.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/15/2012

Is she hard? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely, especially if you plan on taking orgo ii and/or the MCATs. She is an incredible teacher who does push you. She herself is not intense: she'll often go on tangents about her past or her family. And she frequently plays music before starting class. There are also many extra credit opportunities. You'll find this echoed in other review below, but I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to do those problem sets and visit her in her office hours. She strongly encourages students to do both and for good reason. If you're serious about your studies, don't be discouraged by friends who say that she's too hard and it's not worth it. An A is within your grasp (thanks to her generous curve...and hard work!). If I could take her for orgo ii, I would.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/09/2012

I chose to take Khachik because many older students told me that he's the "easiest." Generally, orgo is a difficult subject for many students so I don't think the professor teaching it should be criticized too harshly. After the first two weeks of school, I basically stopped going to lectures and if I did go, everything went in one ear and out the other. His lectures and notes on the board get very disorganized and confusing so when you're going back to your notes to study, you don't even know what the hell he was talking about. To succeed and get a decent grade in his class, I basically read the book and did past exam problems. He recycles a lot of questions so it's very useful to look at those. Also, in our class, we were the guinea pigs for the new online chem hw (kind of like web assign) and those were annoying...Only helped a little. I feel like everyone just copied one another so that they wouldn't be docked -15% off for a wrong attempt. Overall, if you want a slightly easier, predictable test format, go with khachik. I don't know how Ammon or Dixon teach their class but I haven't heard too many positive things about them either. It's orgo, no matter who you take it with, it'll be a challenge.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
04/23/2012

He's a pretty good professor and wants his students to do well. The first test was kinda scary but orgo is orgo and takes time and hard work to become good at. Khachik's exams are very fair and again, if you put in the time necessary, they are doable. One exam problem was EXACTLY an example we had done in class, so it doesn't get easier than that. I can not emphasize this enough: no matter what professor you get, please put in lots of time if you want to do well. The summer before class started, I learned arrow pushing and resonance to get a head start, and if I hadn't done that, I would have failed the first exam. There's a curve, and he tells the class what the curve's gonna look like midway through the semester. Wow, look at these reviews, they're all over the place! If you really want to know what he's like , just sit in one of his lectures one day and get to see him for yourself.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
02/26/2012

Professor Khachik is interesting. Cons: On one hand, he isn't a very good teacher. He gets confused and misinterprets questions from his students very easily. He is also extremely disorganized in lecture, which causes his students to become easily confused themselves. He is very unhelpful if you go to his office hours, and emphatically refuses to make any sort of accommodation for his students (I had a genetics exam and orgo exam back to back, and he didn't allow me to take the same exact exam with his second class because "then everyone would do it") Pros: His exams are usually straightforward. Seriously, that's it. He can be nice sometimes too, but that's it. I enrolled in Khachik because I heard he was the easiest Orgo professor. His exams weren't as difficult, that's true, but that also means his curve isn't as high. My friends who had previously taken his class said that 80+% is an A, but don't rely on it. For my year, he curved about 9%. Class One: Exam 1 Average: 112/150 points, 75% Exam 2 Average: 111/150 points, 74% Exam 3 Average: 84/150 points, 56% Final exam Average: 173/300 points, 58% Average of all exams : 472/750 points, 63% Class Two: Exam 1 Average: 125/150 points, 83% Exam 2 Average: 111/150 points, 74% Exam 3 Average: 90/150 points, 60% Final exam Average: 184/300 points, 61% Average of all exams : 503/750 points, 67% "Please note that the overall averages of the two classes were 63% (12:30 p.m.) and 67% (2:00 p.m.), respectively. In the final exam, the 2:00 p.m. class performed slightly better (by 4%) than the 12:30 p.m. class but the difference was not statistically significant. This was also the case in exam 3. Therefore, your scores from 3 exams (each 150 points) and the final exam (300 points) were added up and divided by 750 to determine your overall average (%). As I mentioned in the class a single curve was then applied to your overall average." So, even though the first class didn't do as well, they still got the same curve as the second class. Just make sure you're on your toes if you decide to take Khachik. You can't afford to do poorly on a single one of his exams, because it could screw over your orgo grade. For studying, I attended GSS, and starting from the chapter with the synthesis and elimination reactions I did all the problems in the book. In addition, my TA, Lenea Stocker, was amazing and I would sometimes attend multiple discussions in a week. In addition, get the tests from the chem frat upstairs, but make sure you don't rely on them solely. On the exam that everyone failed, he said 90% of the kids repeated exactly what was on the old exams, and that was incorrect for the specific problem on this year's exam. Good luck everyone taking this class. I wrote this review because I wanted to offer whatever help I could to any kids taking this in the future.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/17/2012

As a person Dr. Khachik is a pretty nice guy. As a teacher, he is probably the worst teacher i have ever encountered. How anyone could learn anything from his lectures is beyond me. Everything I learned from this course was completely self taught. However, his tests, while extremely difficult, are probably the easiest of all the chem231 professors. That being said, if you want to come close to passing the course your going to have to devote countless hours to studying and realize this is one of those courses that will occupy nearly all of your time all semester with the very strong possibility you'll still get a C. I dont for a second believe the grade distribution this website gives. This past semester he gave over half the class C's or below. I was one of the extremely fortunate ones to receive an A in the class. To earn my A, I pulled around two dozen all nighters throughout the semester and probably put an average of 60 total hours of studying into each exam. My tips to passing the course: 1. Sit in the front of the class 2. Make as many friends in the class as you can (to study with) 3. Go to every GSS offered 4. Learn to enjoy pain and suffering

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
TerpGuy
01/15/2012

Dr. Khachik is a very kind man who truly wants his students to succeed in his class. His notes can be messy but it follows the book and it always helps to re-write his notes. His exams are straightforward compared to other Orgo professors. He has no office hours and has an open door policy. So you can visit him at your own time. However, I noticed that he is very bad at answering questions. Also, if you ask him a lot of questions during lecture, he gets a bit frustrated. He was very good with lecture for most part but towards the end he tended to blaze through the lectures and go really fast. Practicing his old exams help a lot, but just studying his old exams and studying the day before the exam will not help you succeed in the class. A post below has already posted the grades for each exam in Khachik's class from last semester. If you are willing to learn and put an effort, take Khachik. If you really want to learn the ins and outs of Orgo Chem, I would recommend taking Dr. Dixon but her class is considerably more challenging than Dr. Khachik. If you have to take Orgo II, I would recommend taking Dr. Dixon because she prepares students well compared to Dr. Khachik. Overall, Khachik's class is doable if you put effort, study beforehand and DO THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS HE ASSIGNS.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
01/09/2012

Dr. Khachik is an awesome professor. He is also a great person. You can approach him with any problems or questions you have after lecture and the man will stay there for 20 minutes answering them. He cares about his students and wants them all to succeed in this course. Don't pay any attention to the very few negative posts on this wall, Khachik is not evil. If anything he is a blessing as an organic professor because he is straight forward and does not expect you to go above and beyond his classroom. On his exams there might be one curve ball but even that still encompasses what he told you in lecture. The man does not even ask you to draw the mechanisms of reactions, he just expects you to know products, this saves a lot of time both when studying and when taking the exam. His exams are not very difficult, especially the first one! Do yourself a favor by preparing early for this course because it will pay off big time down the road. He recommends "Organic Chemistry as a second language" as a supplemental text and this book helped me succeed in this class, I definitely think it was the best investment I made. Three tips: 1. Take advantage of his kindness and willingness to help. He has an open door policy and he is also always available before and after lecture to answer your questions, so be aggressive and ask for his help. Show him you care and he will make note of it. 2. Rewrite your notes and follow along in the textbook for clarity if needed. He lectures straight from the textbook. His syllabus is very clear on what he will cover and not cover, he stays true to that, so you can feel free to eliminate sections knowing they wont show up on the exams. 3. Practice his old exams, but don't merely practice his old exams to succeed. He does change them! Study what he says in lecture and study your textbook for clarity, this will be the key to your A. However, do look at his old exams so you can get a feel for his structure and approach to questions are. This course is doable. You can get an A, but you must go to lecture and take down good notes. Nothing will be handed to you, he does not give out A's to be nice. This is still organic chemistry! It is up to you to study. The bonus of taking his course is that his exams are not as hard as others and there is still a very generous curve. 3 Midterms: 150 points (T/TH sections) 100 points (MWF sections). 1 Final: 300 points

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
01/02/2012

Khachik is incredibly unorganized and makes it clear that he doesn't care about his students. He is there for research and makes himself completely unavailable towards the end of the semester. He also uses the same curve for both of his orgo 1 classes. So, if you have the misfortune of being in the class with lower test averages then you're fighting an uphill battle and will get a B when you would an A compared to your own class. If you have a choice don't take khachik!

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/19/2011

Yes, Organic Chemistry is perceived as one of the harder classes. If you take Khachik , it really won't be. Everyone below me who complains about how bad he is are the same type of people who need the professor to teach them things in order to do well. Yes, he sucks at teaching. But he teaches directly out of the book. Each test is on three or so chapters, and on the syllabus he tells you directly what sections of these chapters you need to know. If you read them, study them, and learn them, and you will be just fine. I never cracked a book once for this class except for the night before each exam and I think I am walking out with an A. While I would recommend studying more than that before a test, it isn't that big of deal. In short, Khachik is the easiest Orgo professor there is, and if you are having a hard time with him, then you need to realize that this is not high school and you need to be able to teach yourself. All you have to do is read the book.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
12/18/2011

Given the limited number of 1st Year organic chemistry professors, you most likely will be stuck with khachik which is not a bad thing. He is Armenian-persian (thick accent yet understandable) and he has some sense of humor from time to time. His lecture style is just him writing on 10 chalkboards with his shirt covered in chalk dust at the end of the lecture! Your notes can get pretty messy given the ridiculous amount of reactions you will cover in class. This class is not easy and you certainly must spend sufficient amount of time reviewing your notes and textbook (which khachik follows very nicely). His exams are not as difficult compared to other professors and most of khachik's old exams are on koofers which are helpful. There is about a 7-8 percent curve at the end of the class but don't let that let you slack off b/c this class certainly will be your most challenging of the semester. But an A is certainly possible. Good luck!

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/17/2011

Orgo definitely isn't hard, you just have to put time into it. Khachik's lectures are very scatterbrained, but the textbook for this class is great, so it's not too big of an issue. His exams are pretty easy and straightforward, and the final was easy. His TA, Lenea, is a gift from god for all struggling orgo students - she is AMAZING. She should be the one teaching the class. Dont make the mistake of going into this class trying to memorize anything - I don't think I memorized anything the whole semester, you just have to understand. An interesting class overall!

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

melhalee
12/13/2011

Please be careful if you decide to take this course with Khachik. Yes, his exams tend to be easier than the other professor and he is a pleasent person at face value. But after looking back at the other factors from this course, I would not take organic with this professor again. His syllabus states that he has an open door policy. It sounds nice but it is actually a co-out because he is not there most of the time and when you do find him he complains that he has no time and blows you off. I asked him when the best time was to ask him questions and he told me to come talk to him before and after class. Even when I do go up to him before and after class he complains that he needs to go home and answers one question grudgingly. His teaching is scattered. He glosses over things and does not get across his points clearly. Therefore, I had to spend hours teaching myself the material. In a class of 200+ people, these things should not be. Please spare yourself and do not take this professor.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/09/2011

I am a pre-med student, Neuroscience and physiology major. Let me start with saying that I enjoy chemistry quite a bit, General chemistry came easy to me and I enjoyed learning it. Before the course I briefly reviewed Organic Chemistry contents and found mechanisms and the course in general fairly engaging and interesting. I knew Orgo was going to be HARD and was ready to study a LOT (as I did during the semester). Khackik, however, makes this course an absolute hell. He is the worst, and I mean by far the worst teacher I have ever had EVER. He is an extremely incompetent teacher who skims over the material never truly explaining it. The result of this is that really you do not understand the concepts during lecture and get to the exam completely unprepared and clueless about the material. I soon realized that I had to basically teach myself the class (and I went to almost every single lecture this semester. The only reason the grades seem "higher" in his class is because he is the easier grader and his exams are on the easier side compared to other teachers. But do not fool yourself, he is incompetent and very unreachable. I immensely regret taking this teacher, especially because Orgo is a very very hard subject and teaching yourself is really not what you want to do here. Take anyone else, they WILL be better. While Khachik may be easier than the other teachers, this is a material you need to thoroughly understand, and a good teacher is the way to go. I have always understood chemistry. For the first time in my life I feel clueless and reaching for heavy outside help. If you can avoid it, don't take Khachik.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B
erika_14
12/07/2011

Khachik is an okay professor. He was very funny and personable in class and had a nice personality. His exams were mediocre, but mostly were off his lecture notes and exampless from the books. I suggest do NOT take him if you want to learn a lot.. He was not that great a professor. His writing on the board was scattered and he made lots of mistakes during lecture. He explained things in a weird way that doesn't allow you to understand it right away. There are other professors who allow you to understand the material better. So, if you want to do well in CHEM241, take someone else. But otherwise, Khachik is an okay professor.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B
somemelvin1
11/28/2011

I made an account on Ourumd so that I could write a review on Khachik. I have probably never had such a horrible professor in my life. Orgo is a difficult class and I do not have a problem with it as a subject, but Khachik made it worse. 1. He did not seem to know how to teach. He merely stated "facts" and did not explain why they are that way. The only way one could understand what is happening in lecture is if they read the textbook before, during and after class. If you are the type of person that can teach themselves and has the time to do so, then you may do ok in Khachik. 2. He was extremely dry and hard to follow. It is almost worthless to go to class yet if you miss one, you will be very lost. 3. He does not care about his students. Many professors are juggling both teaching and research. Khachik makes it obvious that we are not his priority and we are almost wasting his time. With this, he is very unresponsive and not helpful if you have problems. 4. The TA was a far better teacher than the actual professor. I can't stress enough how bad this teacher is. If you are the type of student that likes to learn in class and learns best from a teacher, instead of individual study, avoid Khachik. I am not making a bad review because I hate the subject, i love chemistry, he ruins it.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
11/15/2011

I really liked Dr. Khachik. A lot of people complained about him but if you are looking to both learn organic chemistry and have fair exams, take him. I was very nervous about orgo but taking him made orgo easier than I thought. There is nothing amazing abut him, he makes some jokes and teaches the material in class letting you know exactly what he expects. He does not go into so much detail like the other teachers. The tests should be no surprise. If you pay attention and do a bunch of previous tests you will know exactly what you need to know for the exam. The tests look so similar every semester but he uses different molecules. I did however put work into the class by doing the readings, attending class and not leaving it to the last minute. If you are willing to keep up with the work you will do very very well.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

jcp5383
11/01/2011

Very good professor. Makes Organic seem pretty easy at first, but he does have fair tests. His past exams are very similar to his current exams. I mean it's usually the dumb ones who always complain about the teacher, and quite frankly, I am not even that smart. However, I still understood the material almost every single lecture. Don't be a loser; Stop complaining

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Oriolesboy22
07/12/2011

Dr. Dixon is one of the better teachers I have had at Maryland, however she will make you work your ass off so if you better be willing to put in a lot of time to understand the material. Also, go to her office hours if you dont understand something. She literally is in there everyday helping students so get stuff clarified the first time you dont understand it, otherwise it will compound and the following exams all build on the previous ones. And definately form a study group, it was one of the best ways to further understanding.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a C
Anonymous
07/12/2011

I am thankful that he created a lot of practice problems and several of his past exams were available online, but those are the only positive qualities the class had. My notes from class were unreadable and provided no explanation for why the reaction happened. Not only was the lecture seemingly unprepared it was also difficult to understand his accent and if you werent in the front row it was difficult to focus. His exams were basically copies of ones from his past which is why so many people are successful in his class without learning anything about orgo. I recommend Dixon in order to understand the material. Plus the TA I had was just plain awful

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
specter55
07/10/2011

I just finished Orgo II this summer and everything you have heard about this woman is true. She can easily be the best and worst teacher you have ever had. One thing is for certain, she is by far the busiest professor I have ever seen at UMD. She constantly has students in her office, meetings to go to, calls to answer, letters of recommendation to write, etc. That being said she is very willing to help you IF you have legitimate questions about the material you have already prepared. Nothing angers this woman more than to go to her office and say "I don't understand this, how do I do this, how can I pass". Grading: Her tests are absurdly difficult and require complete understanding and memorization of every reaction and mechanism. Even knowing that you aren't guaranteed to do well on her tests. The average for my class on each of the 3 exams and the final was between 50-60% for each one. That being said there is obviously a curve which only really depends on your classmates. She has no set numbers and you are truly at the mercy of how well your classmates are doing in the class. One really good thing about Dixon is that she factors how well you do on the final into your grade and you may be able to move up an entire letter grade depending on how well you do on the final (which is also ridiculously hard). Overall I would definitely recommend Dixon for Orgo II. You will learn more from this woman than nearly any other professor at UMD. However, if you are not willing to put in at least 15-20 hours or work a week outside of class DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. You will fail. No questions about it, unless you are some kind of chemistry genius. If you want to skate by with a C with minimal amount of work take a different professor. Earning a C in Dixon's class is a victory in itself. But she will prepare you the best for the MCATS, DATS, and PCATS if that is what you are looking for.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/28/2011

The class is HARD, but if you do everything she tells you, keep randomly practicing mechanisms and go to her review and her office hours, and A is definately achievable. Its something that just requires a lot of time and if thats something you don't have, don't take the class. However if you're not a book learner and you need someone to teach you, she is the teacher for you

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C
rose11
05/20/2011

Bottom line: Don't take Dixon for organic chem. She is a nice woman and very helpful, but her exams are downright impossible. I studied for weeks in advance for every exam and still would do horribly on them. Yeah, she knows her stuff, but it's not worth the semester of suffering.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/20/2011

She is really a fantastic teacher. She makes sure that you know organic chemistry, and there is no way pass her class without learning it. At one point she mentioned that her grade distribution was very bimodal. A lot of students were passing but a lot of students were also failing. The reviews here seem to reflect that a bit. If you need to take this class just to get through it don't take Dixon, otherwise take her she is great.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

horselady89
05/16/2011

An excellent professor. Follows the exact outline of the book, so if you have questions you know right were to go in the textbook. Not that great at answering questions in class, but his exams are FAIR and that is the most important for such a difficult class. Never asks for mechanisms on the exam. A very fair professor! Curves generously.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/16/2011

Do not take Dr. Khachik unless you can understand new concepts by reading a dense textbook. Dr. Khachik's notes during lecture are very disorganized and hard to understand. When it came down to studying for tests, I couldn't understand my own notes because they were all over the place. Also, his "office hours" really were not helpful, and 2 out of the 3 times I went, he was rude and just confused me more. Personally, I would never take a class with Khachik ever again.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
NeuroSciX
05/16/2011

Not a extremely hardcore class in my mind. Go to discussions and look over previous tests and you'll have at the very least a C+/B. No minuses in his class. Practically impossible to fail in my opinion as he curves a 50% to a C. Overall a very pleasant and nice man, with overall not too bad tests. Grading criteria: A= 80=< B+ = 69.5-79.5 B= 60-69.4 C+= 55?-59.4 C= 45-54? D= Everything below that E = Not given.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C
Anonymous
05/11/2011

All of the five star ratings are there for a reason. She really is the best. Her class is much harder, and you will learn a lot more than other orgo classes. She's a great teacher though. She seems really intimidating, but just go to her office hours. If you don't have any questions, just sit there and work. She'll chat with you and make you problems from the top of her head that are pretty much exam problems. When it gets close to exams, other students will be in there and you can learn from them too. She'll answer any question if you have a specific question, and she's in her office all the time. Go there and learn from her and you'll start actually enjoying orgo, if that's even possible.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
05/10/2011

He is one of the worst teachers I've ever had. Do not take him or orgo unless you're willing to teach yourself. He is also really rude when you ask him about regrades, and stuff like that. I wish I had taken Dixon. Take Dixon! She is a much better teacher than khachik. Avoid him!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/08/2011

I took this class spring '10 and I absolutely loved Dixon. She is the best teacher for organic chemistry ever. She teaches the material in a way you will always remember it, and her office doors are always open to those who need help. Actually, her office is always crowded. She truly prepares her students or organic chem 2. She is, by far, my favorite professor at Maryland.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
04/14/2011

Dr. Khachik isn't the best teacher. He gets confused and is really unorganized. But he tries to make it as easy as possible for students. His tests aren't that bad, and he always tells you what the average and how well you should be doing on the exams to get an A B C or whatever. Take it with him, but if you really want to learn then take someone else.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
02/01/2011

Take her!! If you really want to learn, that is. Dr. Dixon is a fantastic teacher! I really wish she taught Orgo II as well. She is extremely dedicated to helping her students and really makes herself available to students. Granted, her exams are hard, but they aren't impossible. If you go to her office hours, study hard and really try to learn the material (rather than rote memorization), you'll be able to get an A. Also, she grades ridiculously fast; our grades were always up within 8 hours of taking it. Some people say you have to practice Orgo everyday to get an A, but that's not true. When you do study for Orgo, put all your effort into it and you'll be fine. There are tons of extra credit. On the last quiz and on our final, there were more points than what she made the final grade out of; our last quiz had 85 points, but she counted it as out of 75. Plus, the curve is always enormous. If you try to always get at least a raw C, you'll probably end up with an A.

Michael Montague-Smith
CHEM231

Anonymous
01/14/2011

2 words The Man... Funny as hell... still orgo tho so u gotta put a lot of work into the class

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/22/2010

Dr. Dixon is a great professor who stimulates the class. Like everyone else here, I agree that she makes you legit learn organic chem. I also agree that this is one of the hardest classes that I ever took. It is not so much the material as it is the amount. There is so much stuff Dr. Dixon wants you to learn that only the most dedicated of students can master everything in time for the exam. An A is very difficult because it necessitate constant studying to keep up with the material. Sadly, I just didn't have that kind of time. Had I been a better and more focused student, it would have been no problem. So be warn, you'll learn a lot. But prepare to work like you've never worked before.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Scott Douglas
12/12/2010

she is probably one of the hardest teachers out there. but she balances it out because she is an excellent teacher. i will admit after one of her lectures it feels like your brain is about to explode. the tests and quizzes are very hard and she usually puts in at least one problem never covered to make you really think. all of that said we were doubling the amount of material learned in any other orgo class and she really tries extremely hard to help everyone as much as possible. office hours, workshops, and she tries to get a good TA (which she did for our semester). she is a great teacher and explains the material very well. take her if you can and get ready to work.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
mreese
11/19/2010

Bonnie Dixon is a fantastic teacher, and if you put half the effort into her class that she does, you will learn a lot and be very prepared for orgo 2. Lecture notes are useful and well organized, and this crazy lady held an extra hour of discussion every week to review the material for those who wanted it. Office hours are extremely helpful, and she really, really cares about her students succeeding. There isn't much that is easy in this course, but Dixon offers everything you need to do very well. She's also probably the nicest and most approachable professor here. I still go to her office just to say hi. Take her course if you are serious about learning.

Michael Montague-Smith
CHEM231

Expecting a B
jq272
08/08/2010

As much as I dreaded Organic, Dr. M-S was a fantastic teacher. His teaching method seemed slightly erratic but it was ultimately effective for me. He sprinkled his lectures with hilarious stories which helped make him one of the best overall lecturers I have had to date.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
zhangsta
07/20/2010

one of the best professors in the school. if your going to take orgo, make sure you take it with Dixon because you'll actually learn the material. if you really want an A, be prepared to work your ass off for it. exams tended to test understanding of the material.

Michael Montague-Smith
CHEM231

Expecting a B
pat
07/20/2010

This guy is a real windbag. For starters, his lecture notes would serve better purpose as back-up toilet paper. They are basically random molecules or reactions that he pulls out of a hat all scrambled down onto a piece of paper - poorly with no apparenty logic or reason. This man killed any possible inherent interest in the chemical sciences I ever had. He is like this big goofy 57 year old clown who isnt funny at all. I consider myself a good student (90 transfer credits on a 3.8 GPA) and this guy blew my f*cking mind. He is a real self esteem killer - and his tests are unreasonable as he gives you no way of practicing for them. He gives out a piece of paper with "recommended problems" on it from the book, all of which I did and still felt remarkably unprepared for his tests. I got a B somehow, and I can sit here and honestly say that I know no more about orgo than I did when I walked in. He is the most disorganized moron of a teacher I have ever had the displeasure of having, and his ass needs to retire. I basically wanted to kick him in the fatch on a daily basis. If you have no other choice but to sign up for this guy then I'd recommend setting CHEM231 aside for the time being and staring at your ass in the mirror for 50 minutes three times a week - you would learn just as much about orgo as coming to this jerks class. I feel as if I wasted my money and time, and I did put in an honestly diligent effort to learn the material. INFURIATING. PS - if you really want to piss him off tell him that chemists are people that flaked out on a physics degree (the only real scientist).

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
07/12/2010

So Dr. Khachick is suppose to be the easiest orgo proffessor..in some aspects he is..but in others he isn't. The 1st exam was not what I expected. Altho I got around a 70 and the class average was a 59, it still was harder than I heard his exams usually are. The 2nd exam was straightfoward, but then the third was horrible again. Oh and let me not talk about the final...lets just say I did an all nighter just for this class and BSCI 105, focusing more on this class, and I end up doin beter on the bio final. I went into Khachick's final confident and came out wanting to shoot myself for even wasting my time staying up the night before. In the beggining of the semester the class was ok, thanks mostly to gss sessions. However, as the semester went on,this guy sped thru material n didn' really care whether the class understood or not. I ended up getting a B because of the stupid final, but if I were to take this class over knowing what I know now, I probably would have picked a different proffessor where I feel I would have received the same grade and understood more material. That is all.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
07/08/2010

DIXON IS AMAZING TAKE HER! I was in her summer semester because I dropped it in the spring with another professor. This class is ALL about practice and she's the only organic I teacher I know about that writes weekly quizes and problems for her students to review and practice with. People warned me not to take her, telling me how hard her class was, but if you do all of the problems she gives you, you will learn ochem and get an A. This term she had a bunch of extra credit as well which helped.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
06/12/2010

If I could give Dr. Dixon 100 stars, I would do it. A few things that made her great were 1. The book SUCKED, and she taught in her own way following the chapters and did a grand job 2. She actually cared about our understanding of the material. She gave homework assignments and workshops that helped explain steriochemistry. Honestly that was probably the only way I was going to learn it. 3. She had 4 times established for office ours AND said that if she was in her office we could ask her questions. Not only was I able to get help outside of class, but we also chatted about life as well. 4. She is the best professor that G-d has ever created and I will miss her dearly next semester.

Michael Montague-Smith
CHEM231

Expecting a B
TerpGuide
06/08/2010

This guy was the reason for my only B. Haha actually, well I can take part for that. Montague-Smith is awesome. But his handwriting is bad and his lectures are all over the place. Discussion helps and so did GSS. You learn a lot from this class; my biggest advice is to study reactions and reagents. Montague-Smith doesn't lie about what is gonna be exams, but he is also not that specific. Don't get the wrong impression when he tells you that a lot of the final is copy and pasted questions from the previous exams. Though there are some, its not as much as I thought there would be. I would pick Montague-Smith though, he is the man

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
06/03/2010

Originally took CHEM231 with Dr. Lee Friedman and got a C- (I probably deserved an F though). Took CHEM231 again in the summer, but this time with Dr. Dixon. Bottomline: She is AMAZING. Dr. Dixon LOVES chemistry and knows how to teach it so others can enjoy it (yes, even if you hate chemistry). I think she has a masters in education, and it definitely shows in her teaching! She's very helpful and does plenty of practice problems. HIGHLY recommend her!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/22/2010

When I signed up to take this class, a lot of my older friends advised me against it, telling me to take the easier professors to save my GPA. Suffice it to say that I was pretty scared for my grade going into the class. That being said, Dr. Dixon has been one of my favorite professors so far in college. Never have I met someone who does more to help her students succeed. I'm fairly certain she literally lives in her office waiting for students to come by and get help on the email problems or on old test questions that they don't understand, and what she said at the beginning of the semester is true: organic chemistry is like a part-time job. She doesn't really go by the textbook at all - it was useful to go over nomenclature and basic information for the first quiz, but after that, I barely used it at all. If you go to her weekly reviews, go to her office hours, and do the weekly "quizzes" that she emails out, you will be as prepared as you possibly can be for her exams. She focuses on helping you actually UNDERSTAND the way reactions work, not just memorize them. So yes, her exams are tough and yes, the averages are dismally low (usually around 50 percent), but hey, that means that if you can manage to get half the questions right on a test, you got a B! I had a solid B average all semester (I scored right around the average on both quizzes and one exam, and did significantly better than the average on one exam), and as she promised, I got an A on the final and an A in the class. But it's not a 90% A - it's an A, as in one standard deviation above the average. People will tell you that she is difficult and that her class is work, and both are true, but if you want a solid foundation in organic chemistry, and a professor who is so willing to help you with anything and everything you want to ask her about, then Dr. Dixon is definitely the right choice. I haven't once regretted my decision.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an F
Anonymous
05/18/2010

ok guys. His curve for Organic one was like 4 percent, believe it or not. I did average on all exams and found myself getting an F for the class. Your grade is based on only 3 exams! I would recommend Dixon, yes you will fail but she gives tons for points for other activities and such and she does not fail as many!!

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/15/2010

Orgo is a difficult class no matter who you take it with. Might as well take it with someone who teaches it well and makes the course...dare I say it...fun. She clearly has a lot of enthusiasm for the subject and for teaching, and this made her lectures very engaging. Not a lecture will go by where she doesn't crack a hilarious joke or make you smile! She does move quickly in lecture, so try to study the material before you come to class so you can keep up. Must attend class. You need those clicker points. You do have to work hard for a good grade. There are numerous "tricks" in OChem and lots of rules you need to string together--significantly moreso than in Gen Chem--and Dr. Dixon will make sure you learn these. DO NOT BUY THE TEXTBOOK. I learned more from Orgo CliffsNotes for free online. I did much better in class once I tucked away the book and relied on her practice Qs and office hours (my exam grades went from E on the first quiz to an A on the final--very real difference). The trick to this class is practice, practice, practice--you CANNOT learn everything you need from the textbook, and Dixon sends out plenty of practice problems that cover all the info you need to know. They cover a lot of material, so if you're confused about something (and you will be) go to her office hours. She'll help you out. Workshops (3, during discussion), homework assignments (3), and weekly reviews are also essential prep for exams. Remember, there is a curve. It's a hard class, but you're graded on how you do relative to everyone else. And I guarantee you, everyone else is crapping their pants during exams too. Just do around average or better on exams (not too hard since class averages around usually Ds or Es), and you'll get at least a B.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/15/2010

Second time taking Orgo 1.First time I took it with Ammon cuz I didn't know any better...I was an ignorant little freshman...sigh...silly freshman...smh. Anyways, Dixon's great. She does practically live in her office to help you, and she has other work for points besides exams, like homeworks, workshops, clickers(although i didn't like this cuz I usually didnt feel like going to class, and i'd miss clicker points), quizzes and extra credit to help keep your grade afloat. Okay, look. This is a research university. Most professors here only really care about their research and the whole teaching thing is kinda just part of the deal between them and the school. They probably don't even wanna teach, but they have to. They could care less about their students. I always wondered why the hell someone with a Ph.D is all of a sudden qualified to teach. Ya I get it they're really smart, but shit that doesn't mean they know how to teach that information to students effectively! Dixon is here to teach. She uses great learning techniques and breaks things down to really help you understand the material, instead of just flying through a damn powerpoint. Take her, and if you work hard it will pay off. Some classes you work hard and still fail, this class is different. MY BEST ADVICE for ORGANIC I regardless of the teacher is: 1. Go to google.com 2. Type in "Carey" + "Organic" 3. Click the first link. Its a great website that summarizes organic chemistry in a simple an easy-to-understand way :)

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B?
Anonymous
05/15/2010

Here's the deal: There are two types of students in this world: those who go to class and those who don't. Some students who don't go to class manage to still pull off good grades. But in this class, if you don't go to lecture you WILL regret it. Forget buying the textbook. I don't think I opened it once this semester...she e-mails loads of crap to you that basically acts as a substitute. Anyway...TAKE ADVANTAGE of the extra credit opps. Seriously, that's what I regret the most about this class. I blew off most of that stuff (and didn't go to lectures so I missed clicker points) assuming that I would do well on the quizzes and exams..Boy, was I wrong! *shrugs* she teaches pretty well, and has weekly review sessions and pre-exam review sessions.....I dunno I guess take her, but just know that whatever teacher you take for organic chem its not gonna be easy AT ALL, and you need to mentally prepare for hard work BEFORE you dig yourself into a whole by the end of the semester. Good luck

Michael Montague-Smith
CHEM231

Expecting an A
widmiester
04/25/2010

The Man.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
01/18/2010

Let me preface by saying that my preferred learning style is visual, not auditory. I need to be able to read something several times over so I can process that. However, Dixon is really geared towards auditory learners. You HAVE to listen during lecture to get the class. She has also worked very hard to develop a curriculum that she feels is best, which means she doesn't really stick to the order of conventional textbooks. She's really a great teacher, I won't deny that, but if you are someone who likes to take the time to sit down and process things on your own, you're going to be out of luck here because she doesn't provide many resources for learning the concepts outside of the class. She certainly provides a lot of practice work to hone your skills, but if you didn't pick up the methodology or conceptual bit in class, you're out of luck. The textbook we're asked to buy makes a great doorstop. She told my class that she basically doesn't use it, except for a list of practice problems from the book she gives out. However, those problems aren't generally in the style she uses in her own problems and on tests, so they aren't much good. Ask yourself if you want to pay $100+ for some okay practice problems. You're better off buying Organic Chemistry as a Second Language, which is how I learned most of the concepts. I would recommend getting a jump on everyone else and just make a habit of going to her office hours from the beginning. No seriously, just write it into your schedule like it's another discussion section for the class. You really need to have her there, answering questions about little technicalities, before they come back to haunt you on a test. She loves throwing in problems with them. Overall: 5 stars for auditory learners, 2 stars for visual/textbook-based learners. This is the class to take if you want to go to medical school. If you're majoring in something else that just has this class a requirement and you won't be using ochem much/taking the mcats, take another easier professor.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
01/04/2010

I think Dr. Dixon is an excellent teacher. First off, organic chemistry is going to be hard no matter who you take it with. The reason I learned so well from Dr. Dixon is because her format of teaching was a very logical approach rather than fooling around with molecule model sets and picturing stuff in thin air. I appreciated her step by step, fool proof methods of tackling these problems. On a side note, if you are more of a visual learner then maybe a teacher who uses molecule model sets would be best for you. If you like the step by step, logical approach then she's your best bet. I will admit, she is very tough but if you want to take the MCAT or if you know you will be moving on to ORGO 2 then I think you will be most prepared if you take Dixon. If you're pre-med then I definitely recommend her. If you're just looking for the easiest way out of this course then I would question your motivation toward being pre-med to begin with. Dr. Dixon is such a good teacher that not only did I get an B in her class, but I never once opened my text book. She gives TONS, and I mean, TONS of study guides, outside help, answer keys to practice quizzes. I never once needed the text book. I would have had an A if I hadn't bombed the final. With that being said I feel that the final was very fairly written, I was just retarded from lack of sleep. And I'm not one of those freakishly wierd genius kids either. As a matter of fact, I failed G chem! My advice if you take her: 1. GO TO LECTURE. If you miss lecture, consider yourself done. You cannot expect anything better than a C if you don't go to lecture. Her exams are ripped straight out of lecture. 2. Do all of her practice quizzes and study guides that she emails to you. They help so much, especially if you try to work through them yourself before you peek at the answer key. 3. GO to office hours! The woman practically lives in her office to help you, you should take advantage! If you have any doubt or question on one of those practice quizzes then go straight to her. You can guarantee it will be on the exam.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/20/2009

Dixon is amazing. First of all, you cannot complain about it being hard because many people want to be doctors and you have to knows your stuff if you want to be a doctor and she knows everything! go to office hours...get to know her. she will remember your name and it pays off. Go to every lecture and take great notes and study study study. you will get a good grade if you do those things. no way around it. I run circles around my other organic friends who have different teachers because I know so much more than them from dixon. take her and go to office hours, discussion, review sessions and you will be fine. dont slack off for a second. it will all pay off. there is no way around it.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
aralchen
12/19/2009

First of all, she is HARD. There's no way to get around it except studying quite hard and long before each exam. Go to her office hours frequently and DO NOT wait if you have questions. Material builds on itself quickly. The good: 1. Covers more information than all other Orgo teachers, which greatly prepares you for future chemistry classes. 2. She makes herself very available to students in her ample office hours. Sometimes I think she spends the night there... 3. She makes class fun and engaging, so you hardly ever lose concentration. She cares about her students and really pushes them to do well. The Bad: 1. She's terribly disorganized. Her notes are all over the five boards and don't seem to follow any logical pattern. 2. Her lecturing pace is incredibly fast. She often forgets that Orgo I was design as an intorductory course for students who have never been exposed to the material before. This leaves the class lost and confused. 3. She presents numerous concepts without giving many examples. This also leaves students lost and confused. 4. She is always busy, so even if you make it to office hours you're likely to not get much of her time (DO go, though! Others WILL help you). 5. Most people will do poorly on the exams with the exception of the few who'd get legitimate A's. It's quite demoralizing, but don't despair - SHE GIVES GODLY CURVES. Overall, she's a rather effective teacher but I'd recommend someone else if possible.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
deoaro
08/24/2009

Dixon is a great professor. Her class is rarely ever boring and she has great presence. That being said, her tests are unnecessarily tricky and difficult. You learn alot in her class but knowing the material does not guarantee you a good grade. The top 20% of her class automatically gets an A so if you think you're up for it then I would recommend dixon

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
07/23/2009

Dr. Dixon has a great presence and a passion for Orgo, but she's unnecessarily difficult when it comes to tests. It's hard to do well in this class unless you study all the time, go to her office hours, attend the review sessions, etc. There are always a lot of people at office hours, so you're lucky if you get your questions answered. Honestly, if you don't have a passion for Chemistry and you're not a Chem major, do not take Dixon because it won't be worth it.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
07/10/2009

I totally agree with the anonymous review below. Like that reviewer, I also had Khachik and Dixon's class. Khachik is generally an extremely nice guy who tries to make class interesting. However, he teaches straight from the textbook with examples from the textbook. Consequently, you are screwed if you cannot grasp concepts from the book. His class is more memorization than understanding concepts. If you are great at memorization and can learn easily from the textbook, take Khachik. If not, take Dixon's class; you will actually understand organic chemistry and be able to apply it in different classes! Overall, a fair professor, but you must understand his teaching style in order to do well.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
stuykid89
07/09/2009

Dixon is by far the best teacher I have ever had. She makes concepts in Orgo much simpler, and easy to learn. As stated before, as long as you put in the effort to do well, such as going to office hours and/or review sessions, you should be able to pull off at least a B in this class. I would HIGHLY recommend Dr. Dixon for anyone who wants to actually learn Orgo while getting a decent grade in it.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
07/07/2009

What I am about to say is very repetitive of other ppl's comments about her. She is a FANTASTIC teacher, you will learn so much and understand it all if u take her. that was the good news. The bad news... her exams are impossible... the averages are lower than everyone's spirit after they take an exam. if you decide to take her as a professor, just take a look at everyone's faces during exams and see for yourself... anyways. she is a fantastic teacher... difficult grader/exam writer HIGHLY recommended for pre-meds who have to suffer through the MCAT... at least you'll get the orgo questions right. just prepare to take a hit on your grades and transcript.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
06/17/2009

AWFUL TEACHER and very impatient man. I took orgo 1 with him and then orgo 2 with Dixon... boy was there a difference. I actually did better in Dixon's class than I did in Khachik's because Dixon actually teaches the material so you can understand it, rather than just memorizing reactions for Khachik. If I could do it over, I would have waited a semester to take Orgo 1 with Dixon so I would understand it better for CHEM441.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C
aberk
06/17/2009

Awesome professor. She actually teaches you and makes you learn the material. Downside is that her exams are veryy hard. You definitely will need to start studying a few days in advance - all nighters normally dont work so well. However, the curve is very large and there are lots of extra credit opportunities along with clicker questions. I would definitely recommend her for orgo1 - best prof out there.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Anonymous
06/05/2009

Dixon is, by far, the best organic chemistry professor. I can attest to this because I went to Khachik, Ammon, and Friedman's lectures, and none of them compared to Dixon. The other professors lack the passion and upbeat personality that Dixon embodies, and Dixon is overall, a lot more clear. She does cover more material than the other professors, but it will help you out in lab and for the MCATs. She holds office hours everyday, as well as a review session once a week. Definitely attend the review sessions because they are very helpful. Also, do not fall behind. Organic chemistry is a difficult subject, and since Dixon moves pretty quickly, it will be very easy to fall behind. Rewrite your notes, do practice problems (especially the weekly "quizzes" on blackboard), and go to her office hours! I don't think her curve is very generous because I had a 68% in the class and ended up with a C. However, I do know that Friedman gives monster curves- my friend who had a 65% got an A in his class.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/26/2009

Throughout my college experience, Dr. Dixon has been my least favorite professor. She makes it very difficult to get a good grade in her class unless you regularly attend her office hours. Also, if you ever confront her about a test question, she will respond very rudely and make personal attacks on you in a very unprofessional manner. I would definately NOT reccomend her to anybody for any class.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
05/23/2009

Dixon is probably the hardest teacher in this course, simply because she certainly covers the most material. The class moves very quickly, but I certainly have a very good grasp of organic chemistry. Her goal is to pass you if she believes you can handle orgo 2. Tests are all relatively hard, but they're doable if you put in the time to study and understand the concepts. She's a very energetic teacher and explains the concepts well. You'll just have to go back and study on your own, to make sure you understand it.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C
Anonymous
05/21/2009

This professor makes hard exams and is very difficult. Unless you have the time to attend all of the extra review sessions and spend huge amounts of time a week you will end up will not do well.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a C
jwong89
04/20/2009

Dixon is one of those professors that you will learn a lot from, but your grade will not necessarily reflect how much you learn. Exams were pretty difficult and clicker questions were a significant enough portion of you grade that your grade would suffer if you did not do well on the clickers. The only good thing is that the curve for her class was better than most others with an A-75% and B-50%. If you're looking to learn a lot about organic chemistry take Dixon. If you're just looking to get through organic chemistry with your grade intact, take another professor.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/26/2008

Khachik is a decent professor. However I stopped going to class mid way through the semester being that he doesn't test on what he teaches. He does however throw in hints during lecture sometimes. DO all the assigned book problems and his practice problems he sends you. He tests on your knowledge and his exams are very fair. He is open to questions and likes it when you go to his hours and talk to him. I would definetly recommend him for Orgo.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/25/2008

Dr. Khachik is the best orgo 1 professor you could ask for. He's really straightforward- goes through examples from the book & some he makes up & explains them slowly that people really understand. His exams are doable too. He doesn't ask for mechanisms and only has simpler synthesis problems so really you just have know the basic idea of things. If you do all the homework and understand it then the exams will seem much easier in comparison. Since the exams aren't too difficult most of the class does very well in it so there's not a huge curve. But the final exam Ammon wrote most of it so it was a lot different than Khachik's- maybe a little harder. So make sure you take advantage of Khachik's regular exams because they're easy to grasp if you pay attention in lecture and do the homework.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/24/2008

Don't make the mistake of not going to class. Even if he just teaches the book verbatim. You will not pass (trust me). The TAs are go. The moment you do bad on the second test drop the class (trust me again). This class will be near impossible for you if you have a heavy course load. The first test is a rehash of gen chem but after that it's all mechanisms and reactions and if you don't take the time to learn those before the eve of the exam you will bomb hard. As my friend told me you'll probably need to see the material twice in order to grasp it fully and if not more power to you.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/19/2008

A really nice guy usually. Sometimes he's irritable during lecture when questions are asked. Lectures are really helpful because he gives hints as to what is going to be tested to reward the people who actually do show up to lecture. He might say "oh there's no curve" in the class, but there's definitely a curve (a really huge curve, just not as big as Ammon's). That's just him playing mind games to get people to not expect one and study more so they do better on exams.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Anonymous
12/03/2008

i think he tries to make this course fun and interesting and explains things well but i sometimes feel that he's in his own little world. if you're a chem buff this is a good class but you'd be pretty much left in the dust at the pace this class is going. he seems a bit aggravated when he answers questions.

Frederick Khachik
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
11/17/2008

Dr. Khachik is the best orgo professor there is. He teaches very clearly with lots of examples and explaining, and his tests are pretty easy and straightforward. He puts problems from the book on the test. The only grades in the class are the tests and final though, so you have to do well on those. Discussion is very useful for understanding the material. Dr. Khachik's flaw is that he is really bad at answering questions and usually doesn't understand what the student is asking.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
11/05/2008

She was an awesome professor. Explained concepts well and very open to students. However, her exams were quite difficult, but still manageable if you put enough time to study for it.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
gundamwing4132
05/01/2008

Hard course made easy. Very energetic teacher. Fair exams.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
Anonymous
04/22/2008

She does an adequate job of presenting the material but sometimes seems to focus more energy on less important and easier topics while not going into much depth on more challenging ones. Also, the way her review sessions are set up so that they are on the same time tue. and thurs. means that I am unable to attend any of them because I have the same class on both days at that time.

Michael Montague-Smith
CHEM231

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/29/2007

Taught Orgo I really well. Really funny and makes the class enjoyable. His tests are hard but doable. He gave a really generous curve at the end.

Michael Montague-Smith
CHEM231

yellohswttart
12/15/2007

He's an excellent Orgo teacher; I've heard otherwise for his CHEM 2 class. Anyway, he's engaging, interesting, and knows his stuff. His tests are somewhat difficult, but not unnecessarily hard. It is a difficult class, but that's the nature of the class. He really pushes you, so be ready to work if you're taking the class.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting a B
vdawg
12/12/2007

Entertaining, but all over the place in terms of her teaching. Even her boardwork is scattered all over the room. It really doesn't seem like she cares whether students do well in her class.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

Expecting an A
potato
10/30/2007

OMGzz she is so hawt and so awasome!!! seiously. I luv her a lot and she is like the best thing to ever happen to me! she openeed my eyes to orgasmic chemistry, and i have never looked back! thank you bonnie! but seriously, shes a pretty good teacher who explains things well. Her tests are kind of hard, but the class is fairly manageable with the right studying.

Bonnie Dixon
CHEM231

erupe
10/28/2007

I am in love with Bonnie L. Dixon. She is the best teacher ever, if you don't take her you will regret it.

Reviews for CHEM231