2.8
Quality3.3
Difficulty48%
Would Retake161
Reviews48%
Would Retake
161
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
33
4
26
3
28
2
28
1
46
What Students Say
“Alan Szeto is by far the worst instructor I have encountered”
CHM72755 - 1.0 rating“OH MY LORD IS HE AWFUL”
CHM113 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
14%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
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Improving
+1.10 avg changeRatings by Course
CHM116
3.7
(26)CHEM113
3.1
(16)CHM113
2.8
(24)CHM-101
2.7
(11)CHEM101
2.6
(48)Difficulty by Course
CHM72755
5.0
CHM101
3.7
CHEM101
3.4
CHM-101
3.3
CHM113
3.2
Reviews (161)
I've learned about 5% of the course material necessary to pass my upcoming exam from Dr. Szeto. The rest has come from spending additional resources and money on tutoring OUTSIDE of his class. During his lectures, he doesn't teach anything and, thus far, 5 weeks into the course, has performed ZERO practice problems (which is a red flag for chem).
OH MY LORD IS HE AWFUL!!! His notes are seriously ALL over the place. He just talks and talks but never makes any sense. He never finishes his powerpoints which are also messy and hard to understand and he never goes over problems. youll have to find a tutor which 90% students are. also the homework doesnt match lecture. RUN
He's really confusing. His lectures dont make much sense and there is like no practice problems. He seems like a good person and cares for the students but not a good teacher. You'll have to teach yourself or get a tutor. He does curve exam grades though.
Hes a nice guy but the class is absolutely terrible. He wastes the first 30 minutes going off on irrelevant topics and does not give good information to help prepare for the tests. If there is another professor option chose them because this is the worst class I have ever taken. I study 10+ hours for every test and I got a D on the first two.
Dont listen to the other posts. The people that do bad have to be straight stupid to not even get a B in class. His tests are incredibly easy and so is the homework. For being hired 2 weeks before school started I am impressed about how well he actually teaches the information. Szeto goes over many examples in class with outlines and study guides.
Dr. Szeto has been a great teacher so far & really cares about his students to pass. He always gives E.C, quizzes and online assignments to help boost your grade. A lot of the time he would push back the due date when he notices a lot of students haven't completed an assignment. He posts his notes & recorded lectures on canvas. Easy class.
Pros: -Easy class -Lectures are recorded & posted online -Gives extra credit & make ups when needed -Pushes due dates if he sees not everyone has done the assignment Cons: -Lectures & format of class is a little disorganized -Definitely can't just rely on his lectures -Goes overtime every lecture -Takes long time to start teaching actual material
The lectures dont make any sense. The exams are incredibly hard. He takes weeks to answer your emails.
Im sorry but this guy does not teach. I stopped going to lectures mainly because that he spends most of class rambling on topics that have nothing to do with anything related to the class. He does do curves and move due dates. However, his lectures are confusing and hard to take notes on. I learned more from labs and recitation. Dont recommend.
If you have to take CHM101, take it with someone else - at ALL costs. His lectures are barely relevant to a small part of class content. He rambles about irrelevant things then acts surprised when he runs out of time. Very disorganized. Seems a little annoyed when people ask questions. The textbook is a more coherent instructor.
He curves exams, hw load is light, and offers external resources. He's approachable after class and is willing to answer questions. The problem is that his teaching style is really confusing and his ppts are disorganized/hard to follow. You will have to put in extra study time to be successful in this class.
A lot of homework, tells students to study outside of class, labs just give you videos to watch, and then you have recitations which they put you in breakout rooms. I don't hate CHM the way he teaches is boring and lectures are not like exams. I used outside resources to study for CHM. If you are serious about going to grad school don't take him.
Horrible. DO NOT TAKE.
Dr Szeto is a very nice man, but not a good professor. I've had to teach myself everything. The entire class consistently gets lower grades on tests and he does not seem to see a problem with it. He also expects you to know everything and does not do a good job of explaining anything. If you have the choice, please take Bauer's chemistry instead.
I do not think that Professor Szeto is as bad as people are describing him. His class is easy so if you end up with a bad grade that's on you. You will need to read the textbook chapters to understand his lectures (obviously), and tests are open note which makes the class 100% easier. Do the homework, read the chapters, take notes, and BOOM: A+.
Alan Szeto is by far the worst instructor I have encountered. He gives "announcements" repeatedly for 20-30 min of the 50 min class. He has also continued teaching an hour after the class was supposed to end. His lectures are extremely dull and not helpful. I and most of my classmates have taught ourselves practically all the material.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. He is super sweet, but it's a waste of time. Even if you're usually good at chemistry this class will make your rethink your entire major. Unlimited amounts of hw, quizzes, hw are are useless unless you've taken hs chemistry prior and can recall what you've learned.
Dr. Szeto is a nice guy dont get me wrong, but being nice doesnt cut it as a professor. I truly felt like I was drowning in his course because I had to teach myself the whole material. Im not strong at chemistry, so you can imagine how difficult it was. He would spend most of lecture answering questions than actually teaching which sucked.
Dr. Szeto is extremely nice and willing to help all students. However, lectures were not helpful. In order to do well, I had to read all of the textbook and continuously go over other professor's notes. If you want to do well, you will need to put in a good amount of work!
Whatever you do, don't take Szeto because he never actually teaches the class and spends most of the time speaking about other things. You have to teach yourself and do lots of hw for an intro class
He seems like a nice person and is really flexible especially with due dates BUT you'll have to put in A LOT of effort to understand the material using outside sources. He usually spends the majority of lecture going on and on about the syllabus, upcoming assignments, due dates, etc. and never really teaches the content well enough to understand
Professor Szeto seems like a really nice guy, however I learned nothing in his class. His lectures were confusing and he was very unorganized. He never taught us the material we needed to know and always changed his mind on due dates, assignments and exams. I highly recommend a different professor, I ended up trying to teach myself chem.
Prof. Szeto is an extremely caring man, but his lectures are a little hard to get through. He does give out homework and quizzes to boost your grade and he will extend the due dates for them if needed. I did have this class a little easier than most because I took chemistry in high school, but you will need to put a lot of effort to pass.
Basically be ready to teach yourself. Lecture feels useless because he often spends the whole time going over one thing. He definitely seems like a nice man and cares about his students, just doesn't teach well. He gives extensions on basically all of the homework.
Szeto did not teach and failed to explain the critical information and math that we needed to know for the homework, labs and recitations. he assigned homework and took a crazy amount of time to respond to emails and questions. His modules in canvas were messy. His lectures were filled with theoretical talk and did not prep us for tests and quizzes
Lectures are not very good, it is easier to learn it yourself, never used the textbook, quizzes were easy, exams were challenging but could be done.
Im surprised Professor Szeto has many bad reviews. He is very flexible and caring with his students however his lectures do not prepare for the exams. He does tend to get distracted with student questions or the syllabus. Using outside resources and youtube can get you the letter grade you deserve. He doesn' want his students to fail and it shows!!
Doctor Szeto was a new professor at ASU so I will give him the benefit of the doubt as he was hired two weeks before the school year beginning. I would not recommend taking his class again because he does not teach the necessary content. I used youtube and the other chemistry teacher's notes. Although, he is generous with curving final grades.
Very disorganized. Wasted lectures by talking about unrelated matters. Read the chapters before attending class and go to the IAs so they can teach you. Do the homework and make sure you know how to do it again. Use khan/chad's review. The only good thing is he is an easy grader (he has to be otherwise his whole class would've failed)
Canvas is extremely disorganized and dates were always moved last minute which is tough if you work while in school. The class in general is pretty hard but I think thats only due to the lectures not being beneficial at all and you will have to teach yourself everything. At my old university I got an A and this semester I struggled to even get a C
I'm now taking Professor Szeto for 2 semesters and would definitely keep taking him for chemistry, but he doesn't teach ochem ): I love how he understands us and is flexible with due dates. His grading and instructions are clear throughout the course. The most important thing to do is do homework. Although the homework is not a huge grade, it helps
I don't know why Professor Szeto has so many bad reviews... Honestly, he's my favorite professor at ASU and gave me the least amount of stress. 10/10 recommend his classes. He's a caring professor and person and it shows. I promise he just wants you to pass!!!
Szeto seriosuly deserves such a better rating. He lets you use notes on his exams (NOT the internet though) and without that much studying- just going to lecture, writing down everything, and prinitng out lab work- I got an A on the exam. Though you definitley need to watch each lecture- attendance isn't mandatory so you can watch recordings later
Very understanding and curves tests & offers test corrections. Lectures are a little boring and he goes over the time a lot. Labs and recitations aren't too bad, some are challenging. Homework every other week but there is unlimited attempts. Take him if you're new to chem and want an A
So confusing, goes off topic constantly, learned nothing.
Although this year was challenging taking courses online over zoom, Professor Szeto still managed to do a great job. Taking any science class online is difficult, but Szeto was helpful & caring towards his students. This class had 5 exams (500 pts all together - half the points in the class), 5 lab reports, & 14 recitations. Just try & you'll pass.
He literally is one of the most understanding professors at ASU. Idk why the bad reviews exist. He was new and students were lazy. If I took it with anyone else, I probably would have failed. Assignments were easy. Most/all open note or multiple attempts. Also hes so flexible with time! I didnt drown in Chem hw too much.
I actually dont believe anyone who didnt get an A/B in this class. I loved Szeto. He responds to emails quick and knows what hes talking about. The way his assignments are set up make it easy to manage time. Connect assignments were unlimited attempts. We were able to use notes for exams and had all day to take it. I have no complaints.
Although I believe he does want his students to do well, he is not a good teacher at all. We meet 3 times a week, 50 minute lectures and he does announcements and housekeeping for the first 30 minutes of class. He will start teaching something and then say we dont have to know this. Its really a bummer he is the only professor for CHM116.
Not bad but not good, more like boring. Lectures aren't mandatory, but try going to at least once a week to get an understanding of what the recitations and labs are about. Honestly Dr. Alan Szeto isn't bad, he gives good feedback, and does give handouts before test that are VERY helpful. LOOK AT WORKSHEETS, even though its not a grade they do help
Szeto is a caring professor, he wants you to pass, but he isn't the best at communicating the information. I personally have gone to classes and read the textbook and I'm doing decently well. I could probably skip the lectures. Wish he spent more time on things people didn't understand than the easy things. He is a very nice person though.
He is very caring but unfortunately is just not a good teacher. I had to teach myself chemistry entirely from the textbook and YouTube videos this semester. Goes off topic in lecture constantly and never talks about things relevant to what's actually going to be on the test. This class would've been much less taxing on me if I had a different prof.
I never wore a seatbelt while driving because the chance of dying was more likely than me passing this class
If you are taking his course, prepare for a good amount of self learning. What is expected from you is simple, and there are many resources posted, as well as the textbook, the material is just hard.
Szeto is ok if u have an ok understanding of chm; but if u are like me, a first yr student who hadn't studied chm for 2 years, it might be difficult. He spends the first 20 minutes of class going over agenda & crams the lecture the rest. He also assigns ALL the homework and quiz the week of exam, stressful. exams r everything w this class!!!
While he does drop the lowest test score, 2 lowest labs, and two lowest recitations, his lectures are very redundant and repetitive. He does not teach all the material well do you have to teach yourself with the textbook.
Tends to go off on tangents, waste time, and then cutting the midterms in half because he didn't have time to go over all the material in class. With the way he teaches, you will need the textbook and Chad's Review, which is free for ASU students. He can teach in office hours but he is a god awful lecturer. Make sure to max all quiz and HW points.
Dr. Szeto is one of my best teachers Ive ever had. He is the most respectful professor youll find, helps all students and make sure they all get good grades. Hes such a good person .
Gives you all the materials you need but not a good lecturer and is hard on tests.
super hard, super not swag, super made me want to cry and throwup. Have fun and be ready to basically teach yourself everything. If you used to be an all A student, you are in for a wakeup call. Have fun, you'll make it through
He gives you the material to be successful, but his lectures are trash and he never teaches everything so be prepared to teach yourself just about everything. Hes also super rude in office hours and just wants to get rid of you rather than help you. His tests are super hard, but he does give helpful practice problems.
Professor Szeto is not the best, and he never really lectured. I never really learned on my own, but it had to be done for this class. Coming from highschool,it was tough to jump into this class. Tests were really rough, so make sure to do the practice questions. And he was better in office hours in my opinion, so utilize it. He's a nice guy though
way better in person; had him online for freshman year n struggled. in person was pretty good. tests aren't too bad n he's understanding if you miss it. didn't online homework but didn't matter. lecture's are good but not necessary he helps a lot during recitation tho. didn't use textbook at all
Professor Szeto is a nice guy that cares about his students, but his lectures are almost entirely useless. He repeats basic information needlessly and doesn't get to the important part of the lecture until the last 5 minutes. You'll need to learn a lot of the information on your own but honestly, it's not that bad. If you study you'll do fine.
He is a caring person and silly dude, but he is just not good at lecturing. He tries to be too thorough to the point where he goes in circles around the same one or two small topics that have the least relevance to the exams. You're definitely going to need the textbook and definitely do the practice problems to help with exams.
He is so confusing and does not teach. The only reason I got an A was because I read the textbook.
Lectures are not mandatory, recitation and lab is. Not many in my class show up for lecture anymore. Exams are very math based, get ready for a lot of calculations that will take a lot of time and probably take too much time. The first person to finish their exam will most likely finish with around 5 minutes left of the slotted exam time.
I can tell that Professor Szeto is knowledgeable about Chemistry. However, he goes over only a few slides in a 60 page powerpoint and expects us to know the information Recitation, lab, and lecture rarely line up to one another. Overall, his class is really hard to keep up with. If you have had prior exposure to chemistry, you will do really well.
I struggled to get anything above a C on exams for this class, it was tricky. I will say that he is such a sweet guy and at the end of the semester he dropped our lowest exam score, gave us all full points for homework, and rounded my grade! He gives study guides for each exam which is incredibly helpful! Study and you will be fine!
Although Professor Szeto was a nice and caring individual, his class will have you more confused than ever. His lectures have no structure and he often tends to go on a tangent. Having extensive prior exposure to chemistry before attending this class definitely helps. I mainly passed due to lab and recitation.
Lots of lectures which I skipped a lot of but he provided amazing study guides before exams which helped a ton. Recitation was very easy because we got to work in groups. He wasn't great at conveying the information but it was easy enough to get by.
lenient grading but have to put in a lot of effort to learn content
His lectures are very unorganized. He's funny and nice, however, don't let that fool you into thinking he's a good professor. If you go to his office hours, he explains the concepts a lot more clearer than in lectures. You will most likely have to teach the concepts to yourself if you choose to forgo his office hours. He provides great handouts!
Professor Szeto, although he is nice, does not discuss the topics that are on the test. His lecture topics are sparatic and confusing and do not coincide with the recitation and lab for the class.
Szeto is an awful professor. Lectures are unstructured and do not cover 30% or more of the topics present on the exam, nor do the practice exams he gives you. Pay attention to what you don't know on the study guide. If you have to take him, max out all points possible (HW, recitation, etc.) to cushion your grade. Would not recommend him to anyone.
do not take this class. his tests are really hard and his lectures are literally not even worth going to. waste of your time do not take his class.
The worst professor I've ever had. He does not teach.
Nice but gets off topic for the first 20 minutes of lecture barley teaches and lectures are useless, you literally have to teach yourself, I watch Chads Reviews and learn more from one video than the whole week of going to lecture.
Definitely need to study lots outside of class. He doesn't respond to emails in a timely manner but supplies good material for studying for tests.
He seems very sweet and funny, but he can get off track easily. If you are willing to read the textbook, his class will be great for you. He doesn't really have PowerPoint slides; he just does a bunch of problems on the board, but they can be helpful. He gives really good prep work for exams.
Dr. Szeto is an awful lecturer. He was late to 75% of classes and wouldn't teach new lecture material until the last 10 minutes of class. It was hard to learn anything based on the way he structures classes and since he posts other professors' lectures on his canvas, I'm sure this is common. If you have little chem knowledge, don't take his class.
I honestly would not recommend this class to anyone who thinks they might struggle in chem 101. The only reason I passed was that I was able to teach myself. His lectures are so bad and I literally had no motivation to go. The IA's in recitation and lab were the only helpful parts of his class. Would recommend a different professor if possible.
Look, his lectures are not how you are used to. He lectures about what is gonna be on the test, not in the textbook. Some people do not like that way, but honestly the only thing that matters are his test. He is funny, and he can get more in depth if you go to his office hours.
He's a pretty funny guy, but he sadly cannot teach, like at all. My advice is to read the textbook and take notes. You're gonna teach yourself with this class
he was... interesting. Attendance doesn't matter for lecture HOWEVER it does matter for lab and recitation. Also beware of recitation, lecture doesn't align with recitation. Warning, he goes on a ramble during lecture, as a result he had bad time management. he can go over an exam for almost the whole lecture class. But he does give mock exams.
Dr. Szeto was my favorite professor in 113 but has been absolutely horrible this year. He is never prepared or on time for class and this includes exam days where the students wait 15 min for him to show up and get a very late start to the test. It is very unfair and rude to the students who are one time and want to take the full 50 minutes.
I would highly recommend taking a different professor. He made this class much harder than it should be. His lectures were useless and never properly prepared us for recitation.
One of the most frustrating professors I have ever had. He will either respond 2-3 weeks after the email is sent or not. He expects you to know the material at some points as if you are a chemist and won't explain/show the work of equations. He spends most of the time repeating himself, making the students have to teach themselves topics.
He doesn't teach. Learn asap how to teach yourself everything. Don't waste time w textbook & powerpoints besides in the beginning. To study, use flashcards for the little memorization stuff (solubility rules, etc) & do the review/sample questions & mock exams over & over (cant stress that enough) & use all reviews/mocks from sem to study for final
Professor Szeto was a good person and knowledgable, but his lectures weren't very helpful. His exams, although, are pretty simple and he allowed cheat sheets. I got an A in his class but I didn't feel like I finished with a good understanding of the course material. All homework is due at the end of the semester, but do it throughout the course.
I had an easy time because I've taken chem before. I suggest a different professor if you haven't taken chem before. Be prepared to read the textbook and teach yourself. Szeto seems smart but cannot teach. Big pro, Szeto does give mock exams VERY similar to exams. The other professors don't give mock exams, making their exams harder than Szeto's.
Professor Szeto was not the best, took a whole class to teach 3 small unrelated things then spent the last 5 minutes teaching all the important things. He wasn't the worst but his teaching just seemed very odd.
Professor Szeto has been an amazing professor this semester. Last semester, it was difficult learning because a lot was not being discussed in lecture. This semester in CHM 116, I am starting to see some improvement in Dr.Szeto's class and I am now actually learning. So far, it is going good being in his class.
He is super hard to understand and his teaching style is bad. people say that he is good at teaching higher level chem but he sucks at 101. i would strongly advise to help yourself and dont take him. i went to office hours and he was not there most of the time and the other time his office was a disaster and he was no help.
Even though professor szeto wasn't the best at lectures, he always had a study guide that was EXACTLY like the test just with different numbers. I think the main reason I did so well in his class, however, was because I took ap chem in hs. But, if you do the study guide over and over, you'll be fine.
Do not recommend.
He does NOT teach. Literally the lectures are useless, I did so much better literally teaching myself.
He rambles for the entire lecture. I only got through the class based on reviewing things in recitation that I already learned in high school. He lets you have a cheat sheet for every exam and 5 for the final. He made it so easy to pass at the end because he literally hadn't taught us anything the whole semester. ended up excusing a ton of hw
His lectures were very clear and helpful and his explanations really helped me understand chemistry a lot better. He gives many mini-exams to help you understand the exams and the reviews are exactly like the test so if you understand the review then you will do good on the exams.
Szeto was a GREAT professor. His Mock exams match up to his Exams perfectly!! He even posts the notes he takes his class onto canvas. I highly recommend you take him. His course all inclusive, so you don't have to buy the textbook, it is given to you through Connect (which is the website where you do many of your assignments.
His lectures are so difficult to follow. He often messes up while he's teaching a math equation, blames it on his calculator, and then moves on as if nothing happened. Thankfully I have good IAs because if I didn't I might actually fail this course. I highly recommend taking this course with a different professor or on another ASU campus.
SUPER EXAM HEAVY! He comes late 5 minutes to every single class which adds up to 240 minutes in the end of the semester (4 hours of learning). I am a straight A student and you can get perfect grades for homework and assignments but one screw up on an exam and you will NOT get an A. The top performers hardly got A's.
Shows up 15 mins late every class and yells at you to complete end of class quizzes in 2 minutes bc of his bad time management. Talks about one thing all class that's never useful. Lectures don't help. He's rude to his students and compares us to his 7 year old child. Talks to us like we're incompetent and doesn't respond to questions nicely.
Szeto was a GREAT professor, and everything on the test will be similar to the mock exams. He would go over the mock exams before the test, which helped a lot in understanding the questions, and I only studied the mock exams. The lab had ten labs and a poster/presentation, the lab report you would do with a group, and two were individuals.
Do not take chem with Szeto unless you want to teach everything to yourself. His mock exams are identical to his tests though so if you are okay learning alone, it's worth it. But his lectures are not useful at all. If you need a lecture to understand take chem with Bauer. 4 tests that are 25 Q's and final is 50 Q's
Overall horrible lecture, easy tests because of a mock exam that is near identical to the real one being given out w/ answer key & explainations. Came in w/ no knowledge of chem so its doable, just work those mocks & its an easy A.
Study the mock exams, and the explanations he posts to them in order to get good grades on every exam!! The mock exams are very similar to the actual exam. He is a great professor and cares about his students. He also has a sense of humor that makes lecture not too boring.
Overall, CHM101 with Szeto requires a lot of teaching yourself the material. The lectures do nothing. However, out of Bauer and Szeto take Chem with Szeto to get a better grade. Szeto's test are similar to the study guide. He also rounded my 86% to a 90% without even asking. He is a nice guy he just doesn't explain things well in front of a class.
He rambles alot and his lectures are hard to sit through. When it comes to exams hes super helpful by giving out mock exams which are identical to the real thing and posts/explains each question on Canvas. Overall its an easy class but be prepared to teach yourself the material
As objective as I can be, his lectures are bad, but he is very approachable thro office hours. Make sure to do his connect homework one week prior to have enough time (is a LOT and/or difficult. However, his mock tests are pretty similar to the actual thing, so if you study those you should be good to go. Also, he goes over a page of recitation!
he was such a great professor, class was so easy definitely would love to have him again!
Dr. Szeto is very passionate about teaching and explains 95% of the topics well (if not ask TA's). My advice, get the homework out of the way, go to lecture, and stay on top of lab (2 days to write a group report). For exams they were around 50 question he gives mock exams. STUDY the MOCK EXAMs. He dropped 1 exam and averaged the rest.
Professor Szeto was honestly a great professor. Lectures were very helpful and taught well. I would recommend doing all of the Connect homework because there are certain things like stoichiometry equations and they walk you through them step by step. Also, his exams are exactly like his mock exams so make sure to do them and know them by heart!
He's not great at teaching in lectures, but he does a good enough job. You learn the most from the homework/recitation and lab. The study guides were exactly like the exams and set you up perfectly for a good grade.
hard to understand and the math is even harder since he cant explain correctly. Best chance to understand is using the TA's. The final exam there was a few questions we did not go over but we had to do anyways. No incentive to go to class since he teaches bad and everything is online. Just watch youtube and go to lab.
If this is your first ever chemistry class you might struggle. He is not very good at lecturing and most people leave his lectures more confused but If you do all the work, go to office hours and take time outside of class to piece things together then you should be ok. If you don't want to do all that then do take him
Szeto is a great guy and can be very helpful on topics if you talk to him one on one, but he tends to drone on when discussing certain topics, especially during lecture. He is very knowledgeable about chemistry, no doubt, but his lectures are a huge waste of time, if you don't plan on teaching it to yourself, take this class at another campus.
Dr. Szeto's teaching methods receive a lot of backlash from students, but this professor is so passionate about chemistry, and is always willing to help students learn the material. The course is not very hard. The exams are just like the practice ones plus the worksheets he gives out. Go to his office hours and use his resources and you'll be fine
Dr. Szeto is an amazing professor. At first I did not want to take CHM 113 with him because of his rating but I am glad I did. I ended up with a B. Dr. Szeto is very caring and simply wants you to do well and pass! I noticed he curves exams and gives A LOT of extra credit. Just do your homework and go to office hours and you will pass!!
He honestly isn't that bad. He legit gives out mock exams so please study them. The mock exams help a ton. Recitation and labs are what can mess with your grade the most. Also, please got to tutoring if you need help, the tutors are pretty good. Don't stress you got this.
The lectures are horrible. Professor yaps 40 minutes out of the 50 minute class and quickly writes down all of the notes at once with zero time for understanding. Recitations IA's are incredibly but the recitation packets themselves are overcomplicated, just like the Professor's teaching. Expects everything except the periodic table to be MEMORIZED
i personally like having szeto. yes, his lectures are boring and yes i do not go to all of them. overall i just found the worst things were lab and recitation. his mock exams are super helpful as well. overall i would definitely suggest to stick with this professor.
Dr. Szeto is a great professor, you definitely don't have to go to every lecture but you must go to labs. He rarely gives homework and if he does it's very short. Follow and study the mock exams to get a good grade in this class. He is not that bad and far superior to the other professor (so I've heard) and he's very helpful during office hours.
A lot of students really don't like him. He isn't the best lecturer and spends a lot of time on random topics or things that seem easier. He is normally behind in lectures. BUT his exams are EXACTLY like the mock exams that he hands out so you can easily pass his class even if you aren't good at Chemistry as long as you memorize it.
i like professor szeto he was soo nice!! he wants you to learn and helps you if you struggle in anything.I had some background from highschool so i don't even need to study besides before the exams.If you are good at chem u re gonna get A+
If you have questions during class he won't answer them and takes an entire lecture to go through a simple problem and overcomplicates it. He'll also ask the class questions then answer them himself and wonder why no one knows it. Lectures are confusing. Study the textbook chapters and you'll do fine.
Dr. Szeto is the kindest chemistry professor out there. He gives extra credit at the end of a semester and drops your lowest exam grade and recitation. He's very accessible out of class, and if you go to his office hours, he explains very clearly.
I don't understand why his rating is so low. Grading and assignments are easy and clear as day. He gives you a practice exam that 80% mirrors actual exam. Tests are OPEN notes. You just have to do the work in order to succeed. Not a lot of studying is required. He is so nice and wants you to succeed. Lectures can be repetitive. Same goes for 116.
He is a great professor and very knowledgeable. I did not get the best grades in his class but that was due to my own irresponsibilities. If you take advantage of the mock exams he gives out, you will do well. It is lecture heavy but it's easy to understand. I wish I could restart the semester and done something different. This class is good.
I don't understand why people don't like him. Gives out practice exams that have all the concepts on the test and allows cheat sheets. He provides all the necessary tools for you to be successful. If you need to be taught in lecture all of the time, this professor is not for you. I took him for 113 and 116 and got high As in both. He wants to help.
His class is structured in a way where you won't know what is happening until the day before the test and then all of a sudden it all clicks together and you're like wow I finally get it, only to then start a new unit the next day... honestly im not mad about it tho
He is lecture-heavy but isn't the best at giving lectures, so I recommend that you watch YouTube videos (I personally watched Melissa Maribel and the organic chemistry tutor and it helped alot) and practice/study the mock exams. The mock exams are exactly like the exams, making the actual exams easy. This class is really easy if you let it be
His lectures were awful he rambles and often goes over class time because he's so slow in the beginning and then picks up the pace at the end of class. But attendance is not mandatory I barely went to lecture and got an A in the class, just make sure you know everything on the mock exams he gives because it'll be the same things on the test
Overall he's a caring professor. His lectures aren't the best but he prepares the class well with mock exams. Study the mock the exam you'll pass the class. Also he's more accessible during office hours.
this guy loves to yap about everything but the material. the mock exams are identical to the test. DO THEM. go to IA office hours and the tutoring centers, they helped me more than the lectures from szeto. he's an ok proff. but u will suffer if you dont put in the work. good luck!
Highly recommend. He gives mock exams for every test; if you can do the mock exam, you will pass your exam. It is almost the same. He talks slowly, but it's better than too fast. Optional to read the textbook and lecture are not mandatory. His office hours are not helpful, but ask your IA during their office hours or tutoring for help on mock exams
Dr. Szeto, although a boring lecturer, wants students to do well in his course. He allows cheat sheets on each exam (extra on the final), drops your lowest exam score, and provides practice exams for each unit that are nearly identical to the real exams (which were never more than 30 questions). **Lab and recitation were where I learned the most**
He was very nice and caring as a human, but he had trouble in lectures teaching. You learn the most in lab/recitation. Cheat sheets are allowed, practice exams are like the exam. I did an honors contract, and it was easy. If you want to go to medschool, take this class with someone else. You really need to understand the coursework, not just pass.
Szeto is not a good lecturer and has very bad time management skills, he will rambling about something random for the first 20 minutes of the 50 minute class. If you've never taken chemistry you won't be able to pick it up yourself as he barely teaches. One good thing he does is give a mock exam for every test that is incredibly similar to the test
Overall I don't get why he's so disliked, but I think if you have no chem background prior to this class, I could see how his lectures could be somewhat frustrating. I had a chem background and found that the work was a little more difficult at times, but definitely manageable; just manage your time wisely. The mock exams are SO helpful, use them!
Dr. Szeto is great. He would definitely rather be in a lab but he makes lectures engaging regardless. He gives detailed study guides and practice exams that are pretty similar to the in-class ones. Both 113 and 116 are difficult if you don't have a strong background in chemistry, but you can get an A if you study hard.
Szeto's CHEM101 class can be a challenge, but with the right approach it's doable. The mock exams are on point - study them thoroughly. unstuck study and other tools like ChatGPT can really help with prep too.
Szeto was a good professor. His teaching style is not for everyone though because he goes at a slow pace. If you have taken chemistry before the class should be very easy. The mock exam that Szeto gives are exactly like the actual tests, so study them thoroughly. Make sure to attend the labs and recitations, those can bring your grade down a lot.
At first, people made me scared with the reviews they left and I thought I wouldn't be able to pass this class. I ended up passing with a B and the mock exams are JUST like the exams. Make sure to lock in since the first day or else you will have to study alll the material for the final exam.
This class was honestly a joke. You get 10 stacks of paper and you're lucky if he gets through one question in the hour lecture. Trust me, lectures are a waste of time. Show up for lab and recitation because those are graded. But he's the slowest teacher. Study the mock exams, they're exactly like the test. Easy A.
Honestly don't understand why people don't like him. He is extremely knowledgeable and always available outside of class. He will drop what he's doing to help you. People ditch lecture and don't utilize him as a resource and get mad when they don't succeed. Slower lecturing but thats because he is trying to really break it down. Does go on tangents
Professor Szeto is not a good professor at all. If you are a first time freshman wanting to take his class for Fall, don't do it. All he does is yap for like 30 minutes, when each lecture is only 50 minutes. I feel as though he doesn't know hot to teach well, but his accent also makes it hard to understand at time.
He is really not as bad as everyone makes him out to be. He does get sidetracked in lectures alot, but tests are lecture based so you should 100% go to lecture. Study guides he gives are exactly like the tests so do all of them! If you dont understand something ask him questions and watch the SI review zoom recordings (i found these SUPER helpful)
Professor Szeto is an outstanding educator with deep subject knowledge and a kind, approachable demeanor. His clear teaching style and relatable examples make complex topics easy to understand, especially for international students like me. His patience fosters a supportive environment where students feel comfortable asking questions!
I think a lot of people take their fear of chemistry or lack of preparedness and project it onto Dr. Szeto because he's a very competent professor. He prepares you for exams, especially if you actually attend lecture. His hand-out materials are excellent. ~15 students attend lecture out of ~200 enrolled, and we are well-prepared because of him.
Alan Szeto wasn't the greatest teacher, but very respectful and lots of resources to help with topics. Also got a cheat sheet for exams and was able to do well throughout the course as practice tests are just like the exams. He's so dedicated that a girl passed out during our class and he was still teaching. MY GOAT!
Talks about random things first 30 mins of class and overexplains everything. Is helpful 1 on 1 but still doesn't explain clearly and makes the content more confusing than it should be. Is a nice professor, but def needs some work on teaching style.
Dr. Szeto lectures on the topics that are going to be on the exam. He provides you with everything you need to succeed in the class, such as practice exams, chapter quizzes, ALEKS homework activities, and the textbook. It is up to you to put in the work.
He's a nice and caring professor. He teaches well, though he has a tendency to ramble sometimes. There are only chapter exams (sometimes grouped), no cumalative final- just another chapter exam. Go to office hours and utlize study resources like Organic Chemistry Tutor. He provides study guides, aleks hw, etc.
Dr. Szeto has a tendency to ramble on topics during lecture, but it's clear that he understands & is passionate about chemistry. He does assign homework in the form of ALEKS & chapter quizzes from the online textbook. Go to the lecture to get the chapter handouts with practice problems & the practice exams. GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS & DO THE WORK!!
Dr. Szeto clearly understands the material that he teaches, and his grading criteria are very generous (all open-note exams). However, I would not recommend his course to those who rely on lectures to understand or engage with material, because his explanations are lacking. He's evidently passionate about teaching and provides extensive feedback.
Took CHM116 over the summer. Szeto's exams were very easy if you did the ALEKS homework and read the textbook, which was basically required for a summer course. He was very passionate and always provided an explanation to a problem when asked. If you have to take him, do your work and don't be afraid to ask questions.
Things would makes sense if you review before class.
Dr. Szeto is a good professor who tries his best to make his students understand the content. You do need to have a background in chemistry because this is a college level class and not high school class. He always accepts students in his office hours and is willing to help. I took him for 113 as well.
Dr. Szeto is a good professor who tries to help his students understand the content. You do need to have a background in chemistry because this is a college level class not a high school one and he expects us to know common periodic table trends, names, and terms. He has office hours and is willing to help students, I also had him for 113.
He basically just does problems, doesn't actually teach anything.
Professor Szeto's lectures are very short (50 minutes) and he spends a ton of time on one problem. You'll always be behind on lectures, but he makes the material very clear. The tests are exactly the same as the mock exams he provides so study those and you'll do good on them.
Talks about irrelevant topics most of the time. Lectures don't teach anything but tests are really easy.
Szeto definitely cares for the students and wants them to pass. If you show up to class, yes, the lectures are a bit.. useless.. but if you genuinely do not understand chemistry, go to office hours, and he will explain it in a way most people can understand. The tests are worth 60% of your grade, but are ridiculously easy.
Dr. Szeto provides many resources to help you succeed. Mock exams, IA sessions, and office hours (he's real nice and helpful in one-on-one sessions!) are all extremely helpful for this course. He is a proficient lecturer and communicator, although a common complaint is that he explains things in a way that confuses even more. Great prof who cares.
Attendance was only mandatory for recitation and lab days. He has a hard time getting to the point during lecture, which makes it hard to want to show up. One time he spent 20 minutes explaining the exact day our next exam would be… If you have lazy/slacking lab partners, then you're sol because they won't do anything! Study A LOT or you'll fail!!
Professor Szeto is not a good lecture teacher. He does truly care for his students if you have a problem in his class however he does not teach the required class material in a manner efficient for students. It got to the point where I decided I would learn better on my own so I decided to retire from attending lectures. Do not take.
Very caring professor who seems to mean well. Lab and recitation isn't too bad if you apply yourself and find a good group. Szeto tends to talk a lot about unnecessary topics, i.e spending 15+ talking about test and lab dates. He often runs out of time to go over homework or actual content so you need to do some self studying. Go to office hours!
He's super repetitive when he explains things which was helpful because I had very little knowledge of chem from high school, the mock exams and mini exams he gave were really helpful too. Genuinely loved his lectures and learned a lot
He does ramble A LOT in his lectures and takes a while to get to the point, attendance is not graded for lecture but I would definitely recommend attending and sitting in front so you can truly pay attention. You will have 5 exams worth 60% of your overall grade. Make sure you attend the recitation and labs for some extra points. DONT BUY THE BOOK!
Dr. Szeto tends to ramble and overexplain things in lecture, but he's very kind and available during office hours if you need extra help. You can bring a cheat sheet for each of the five exams, including the final. Attendance is mandatory for lab and recitation, and being in a good group makes them easier to get through.
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14%
Textbook Required
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