2.7
Quality4.0
Difficulty16%
Would Retake103
Reviews16%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
25
4
11
3
19
2
20
1
28
What Students Say
“Labs are very easy though”
CHEM 150 - 3.0 rating“He is a terrible professor, very unclear, and gives unfair tests”
CHE151 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
81%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.02 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEMISTRY
5.0
(1)CHEM150151
5.0
(3)CHEM01
5.0
(1)FORENSIC
4.5
(2)CHEM151
4.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
CHEM
5.0
CHE150151
5.0
CHEM1501
5.0
CHEMISTRY151
5.0
CHEM1AND2
5.0
Reviews (103)
very nice and very helpful
awesome teacher - very knowledgeable and helpful. never keeps you whole class. def. recommended for che 125
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take this class for a lab science...you will have a ton of fun doing forensic experiments...i learned a lot and he is a great teacher...a little hard tests if you dont study...great labs and info
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a cool guy/ class is definitely recommended
ALTMANS THE MAN! very helpful and goes the limits to help out his students theres nothing more to say then hes a great professor!!!
good job
Altman is one of the best professors ive ever had ... he is always helpful in lan he never leaves the room to go talk to other people he focuses his attention on the students ....he's not rude like most others at st. joe's that just completely ignore you
Tests were a bit tough, and he crammed the assignments into a few weeks. Though he could be a bit boring at times, I learned a lot and had fun doing some of the labs. You'll definitely learn a lot and I do recommend him.
Everything is a piece of business!-Overall i can honestly say that Dr. Altman is probably one of the best teachers i've ever had. He's passionate about chemistry and seems to genuinely want everyone to understand what he teaches and become a good scientis
Chemistry might seem like seem like one potentially hazardous,extremely reactive, volatile piece of business! but with altman, you really feel good about yourself and learn a lot of interesting things. He always helps us out...one of the best teachers!
Very nice man. This class is so interesting and alot of fun. Take him.
Very nice and helpful. He really makes learning about crimes fun. Leture is a little boring at times, but the labs are great.
He is a real teacher.
Aww! Prof Altman is one of the sweetest teachers ever. I love his class.. it's so interesting and he's so helpful and nice. It's definitely a pleasure being in his class!
i don't know wat u all are smoking...but he's horrible..HORRIBLEEEEEEEE...by far the worst teacher i've ever HADDDDDDDDDD...
Ehh..he's alright..not the greatest, not the worst. Definitely boring...
Very Good man, good teacher, and gives tests that challenges you. If your a Bio major there is no way out of taking him, so suck it up. TO get an A you have to study, chem isnt easy but he makes it as enjoyable as possible..
His tests are poorly constructed, and his attitude, when it comes to doing well in his class, is that if you do not make chemistry your life, every second of the day, you WILL NOT PASS. I feel that his teaching style is horrible. He knows his chemistry, but he does not teach it well, at all.
what a guy. if you take him you better learn to do quickie calculations. the material is hard and sometimes dry but altman makes the best of it. if you work hard you will get a lot out of his class.
if you think you have your life planned out, dont take this class because he will hold your dreams in the palm of his hand and crush them into dust.
he is a very challenging teacher
This teacher is horrible. Do yourself a favor and take chem at Suffolk or Farmingdale, If you have a Biology future this teacher will ruin it. He doesnt care about his students and is an overall horrible teacher.
Dr. Altman is ok, its a very hard class but like he says you have to work for the grade. The tests are made very weird, part 1 questions are 5 points each and no partial credit so if you get 2 wrong you can't get an A, that is what stinks no partial credit. A challenging professor.
sucked
Dr. Altman is really smart and knows what he is doing. Yes, the material he teaches is hard, but if you actually study, you will do well. The people who don't like him are just mad because they weren't dedicated enough to do well. If you didn't pass, it's not his fault. He is a good professor.
No matter how hard you study for this class youll never pass. Even if you were an A student in AP chem or something.. that wont help you. Avoid taking him at all costs, youll be happier.
no comment
Extremely rude, unprofessional, insulting, and unsympathetic. Dr. Altman missed about 6 lectures due to his religion, only gave 1/2 the amount of quizzes we were suposed to have (as per the sylabus) and crammed 1/2 of the material into the last 4 weeks of the semester. I will NEVER listen to him lecture me again. I have lost all respect for him.
Nice guy, but class is difficult being that im not a chem major nor ever plan to be.
whatever man....i studied hard...got A's and B's...but all on my own.I did nothing but breathe chemistry both semesters...he is satan in carnate when he is in front of a class room and his tests are so oddly worded..nice guy outside of class though. Just wait until you get to orbitals. He can't explain them easily for crap. Ask Mr. V. for help.
i like chem and took ap chem so im doing good, but i dont like the way he explains some of the information. hes a nice guy though n the labs r real easy.
Dr.Altman is one of the best chemistry teachers i have ever had, his classes are a little tough, but if you do the work it will pay off. He is always around for any help that you need, just ask him. His labs are a lot of fun and not that difficult. Anyone who complains about Dr.Altman is just bitter because they didn't want to work.
Altman is a terribly intelligent guy, and his range of knowledge is impressive. But don't be afraid to ask for help. On the other hand, he is merciless with grades - no curving. He does give extra credit, but it's always earned, not given away. Just be sure to really understand the material by the time recitation comes along, friends
i think hes a bad teacher. his tests and quizzes are really hard. i would advise not taking him if you have the option.
As was true with CHE 150, Altman exhibited exemplary pedagogic technique, and is especially willing to discuss the finer points with the engaged student; the only problem, however, might be just that same defining attribute. The man is so intelligent that he seems to alienate a number of the students unintentionally.
I was scared reading some of these comments over the summer. I just took Altman this fall and found he wasn't bad AT ALL! Judging from the bad comments, I can tell those are the people who didn't read the text book. Labs are extremely easy; and quizzes and tests are tough, but as long as you read your text book you will do well! GOOD TEACHER!
Forensics was kind of easy. The labs barely took a half hour to do(when they are scheduled for 2 hours). His tests are okay. They aren't too bad. Just take good notes and look over the textbook. He goes the whole time but that's because its only a 45 minute lecture time.I definitely recommend this course if you need to take a lab science.
This professor basicly wasted my time in the morning with his lectures that didn't help me at all for the tests. The labs were short because he basicly does them for you. But like I said lectures are killers, I went home and reviewed my text book and was fine. Basicly don't talk him, he thinks we are smarter than we actually are.
Prof. Altman is a fantastic teacher. You can tell in everything that he does that he loves chemistry and wants his students to succeed. If you need help, he's always available and willing to offer his services. I never took chemistry before this class so it started out a little difficult but i worked hard and am doing good. The class is tough but i
Altman is total garbage.
HARD if youre a freshman, even if you took Chem in HS put in LOTS OF STUDY TIME/REVIEW DAILY even if its only for 20min! Disappears during lab/confusing in lec. Chem is 2nd nature to him so he doesnt teach it well. No curve on REALLY HARD tests but labs are cake. Class size=HUGE, 60 kids (more than SJC promises) & he writes tiny/speaks quiet. BINK!
He really does not care if you pass or fail his class. His lectures are not the best either. To pass this class you really need to take matters into your own hands he doesnt help.
Doctor Altman isnt a bad guy, but he talks his lectures as if u understand what he is talking about. he claims he will help anyone (this is true) but he is not good at explaining to his students...This is a difficult course, if u r not a bio major, nd need a science credit do not take him. I failed despite how much i read that textbook, and study
Most of the chem 150 students failed, including me, however, it was NOT Dr.Altmans fault. He is an excellent professor, there were just too many students whos first time college experience wasnt as they expected. The labs were very easy and the tests were fair, provided you read the material he asked (most students didnt). Overall, I say take him.
Ok, give Altman a break, if you really wanted to pass this class you could. PUT in some effort couch potatoes.Lay off the TV and DO the review questions, LISTEN and WRITE the problems that he does, make sure you UNDERSTAND them as well.IF you ASK people(not just altman) for help, you will not fail.Its called the academic center by the way.
Dr. Altman's classes are far from easy, but they are fair. His tests are difficult, but it requires that you actually study for them. Don't expect to just ride through this class. His labs are easy so that's a good way to bring up your grade if you're having problems. He makes you earn your grade so you have to work at it.
Difficult course, 'okay' professor. Many students failed only because they didn't take responsibility - it wasn't his fault.
run fast. average passing grades is half the class according to the dean. he doesn't care how you do and does not want to help. everyone's saying if you put effort in, you can = pass. well, guess what, i was one of those students who put effort in. studying, study groups, did hw, did labs, went to class, went to academic centeretc ifailed
i dropped bc his class was ridiculously hard. i studied my butt off and did everything you're supposed to do and walked off failing every test. he doesn't care about his students. he's a wasteful teacher. change your major or change schools before taking him!
The class is interesting & he keeps it engaging so its not just talking at you. The material is pretty simple most of it is stuff you would have learned in high school. The labs are easy & you get out early. He's pretty understanding regarding deadlines. My cpu's hdd failed the night before an assignment was due& he let me retype it w/o penalty
He is not a bad professor, he's willing to help u if u come to him. THE COURSE IS VERY HARD, so u have to pay attention to everything he says and READ THE TEXTBOOK to help u undestand better (if u need to).His exams are hard b/c of all the material that's covered in the chapters.But if u know the material by heart, u will definately pass the exams.
In all honesty, he's a decent professor but the course itself is ridiculously hard. You NEED to read that stupid textbook and you NEED to study on a daily basis. My class went from 70 freshman biology majors to about 12 by the time we reached sophomore year.
He is insanely tough. He claims he will help anyone but said out loud that he won't repeat his questions. He told me we could talk after class to see if I could gain any partial credit on my failing grade. When I asked questions, he told me I was wrong and I didn't end up getting ANY points. Horrible teacher. Incomprehensible lectures and labs.
I had him for forensic science and I thought it'd be an easy A. He teaches RIGHT OUT OF THE TEXTBOOK so definetly buy it, and read it then you'll be better off. You can't read his handwriting so sit close and bring glasses.
Worst teacher i have ever had. he teaches right out of the textbook, and thinks he's funny. his class is boring and honestly i learned nothing. i had to rememeber all the way back to 11th grade, and thats the only way i made it through.
Dr. Altman wasn't the worst professor I had, but he definitely wasn't the best either. His tests aren't that difficult, but he is a very weird grader. If you are a bio major, you will have to take him, so suck it up, and read the textbook!
Worst Professor at St.Joesph's!!!! Took him for forensics thought it'd be at least a little interesting but no! not with him it's terrible so boring and class feels like it lasts forever. If you can I strongly advise avoiding this teacher!
I had him for 2 semesters of chem. First semester, I got a C, second semester I got a D-. He is a terrible professor, very unclear, and gives unfair tests. I'm retaking the class over the summer now, and I actually understand it now because he's not teaching it! I was always a good student, but his class killed my GPA.
Avoid this teacher if at all possible. Bio and criminal justice majors may not have that luxury. He speaks very low so sit close to him. He writes very small and messy so again sit close. The work isn't extremely hard as long as you read the text. Labs are boring and menial so yeah, have fun with that....smh
All i have to say, Altman is the man.
Made the course relatable with real world examples and interesting with his corny jokes... he's the man.
I feel bad for Dr A, he isn't a bad teacher. he has ample office hours, has a great personality, and is nice. he also gives you ample practice problems. people often confuse a hard topic with a bad prof. chem is HARD, i didn't get the grade i wanted, but its not his fault, its chems! don't blame him for teaching the hardest science!
Dr. Altman is a FANTASTIC professor. Chemistry is a very difficult subject. While Dr. Altman works very hard to help his students understand chemistry, it is ultimately YOUR responsibility to do your own degree of leg work outside class. Dr. A is a sweet, funny, genius of a man and if you are a hard worker and put the time in you will succeed.
Fair professor. Study all of his notes, do well on recitation, and do well on all 3 of his exams, because the ACS is gonna be hard and its 20% of your grade. Its also not curved. Was in the A range before i took the ACS and got an A- because of the difficult final. Class if definitely doable if you study a lot.
You're on your own. I did not like him. No interest in the class. Very knowledgeable, but he is not cut out to be a teacher. Schedules tests w/o coordination with Bio dept. Makes you do labs individually despite limited resources and time. Nitpicky about sig figs and states of matter. Do the homework questions; they are used for recitation.
I didn't like this professor. He gives hard exam without review and he doesn't help you understand different concept. Labs were hard but his test were. I would not recommend.
If you didn't do well, chances are you didn't prepare properly, because Dr.A gave us all ample chances to succeed, and was always there to help if the need was there.He was not only very fair with tests and grading, but was willing to go over each exam. Phenomenal professor, great class, and easygoing personality! Definitely recommend.
No one in my class was a science major we just needed a science credit. He's not too bad, he's nice, his lectures are a bit boring. There are no reviews for his exams and they were part multiple choice part short answer. They're a bit challenging, but not that bad. Labs are pretty simple.
Dr. Altman is one of the nicest people you will ever meet and if you really show him you are trying he will go all lengths to make sure you do well. He is clear and his tests are straight forward. The man LOVES chemistry. He's funny and kind. Anyone who doesn't like him is just plainly not doing the work. Take him. He's great.
TERRIBLE teacher. DO NOT TAKE HIM if you have never taken a chemistry class before. His tests are so hard. He sets you up for failure being that the questions on his test are worded SO WEIRD and one question is worth a lot of points. HE DOESNT TEACH. I wasted my time going to his lectures. And he embarrasses people during recitation.
I'm in the process of taking CHE150 right now. Dr. Altman is the absolute worst professor St. Joseph's has to offer. Shows up late 99% of the time. "teaches" at an insanely fast pace. Tests are ridiculously hard. Mumbles when he lectures. Struggles to write comprehensible English on the board. Good luck, you're going to need it.
Dr. Altman is a great guy and a very intelligent man. He is always willing to help you. If anyone says he is bad or unfair or anything like that, they simply aren't doing the work. He gives many chances to do well. Do the work that is assigned and study hard and you will pass. He focuses on concepts rather than memorization. Great professor. Funny.
Hes an okay teacher if you really pay attention and soak in everything he says. He talks quietly and writes sloppy so sit in the front if you can. Recitation is hard & he will make fun of you if you dont know how to do something. Labs are very easy though. Make sure you study, read the textbook, and do the practice problems or else you wont pass.
He is a horrible teacher, do not ever take him. His test are beyond hard, he doesn't show up for the entire month, and then test you on 3 chapters. Multiple Choice-6pts, Extended Resposne 16pts, and essays are 7. He gives very little partial credit. He knows the material, but we dont. So stressful, beyond un fair, i would never take him again.
Dr. A was very tough grader, he was very demeaning and intimidating when he was asked "stupid" questions. His lectures were very heavy and you could barely understand his handwriting. The tests was very difficult and studying for them was practically impossible. Honestly, the class was either you understand it or you don't.
When you ask questions, he makes you feel stupid for not understanding. His tests are fair, but he doesn't teach in an efficient manner and does not review. These factors make his test difficult. He's a really tough grader and his quiz are far to small, making each question worth far too much. It seems to me that he just doesn't care about you.
He's horrible. He writes so sloppy on the board, he mumbles most of the time, takes off points for the smallest things, tough grader. He doesn't care about the students. DONT TAKE HIM.
Just do not take this class, horrible teacher, doesn't help, mumbles . yeah jus don't take this class!
He really does mean well but he thinks that everyone is a chemist. His lectures and notes are very hard to follow and make it very difficult to know what to study for. You MUST read the textbook and teach yourself in order to pass. He does not give extra credit and tests are very difficult. I would not take him again and you should NOT take him.
His tests are DIFFICULT, and he grades his labs tough too. I just barely passed his class and specifically chose a different professor for general chem 2. Its difficult to understand him and impossible to teach yourself chemistry so youre basically fd taking his course.
Professor Altman really does mean well, but he mumbles a lot and his handwriting is hard to read making the lectures nearly impossible to follow. During recitation, if you dont know what you are doing he will ridicule you in front of the class. All of this combined with no extra credit and very tough test grading leads to you failing the course. GL
Not a bad person, but would not optionally take his class. Extremely hard tests. He means well but thinks everyone is a chemist. Tries to embarrass you in recitation, so make sure you know what you are doing. Asks if there are any questions, when you ask one, he makes you feel like a moron.
Beware! This Professor will not work with you. He gives out almost impossible quizzes. He lectures at lightening speed and its very confusing. He rarely responds to emails and his directions for labs and quizzes are always very unclear. Quizzes are timed and arent even close to enough time. I wish a different Professor would teach this class.
He will try and find ways to deduct points. He thinks everyone that walks into his classroom is a chemist. Lectures are very confusing. Quizzes are worth so many points, lowest one gets dropped. No curving. Labs are short and dont really have many questions on them. In lab, very unorganized and unclear. Very rude when asking questions. Degrading!
Very nice professor but beware, he is almost always late. It is sometimes hard to hear him during lecture but other than that the class is okay
I had a B the whole semester and the final comes, it was extremely difficult it brought my grade down to a C+, I need a B- to pass. I emailed asking for extra work I could do to pass since I only needed one point and I was doing good the whole semester. He answered a day later very condescendingly, telling me I should have put more work in.
Professor Altman is probably the worst professor I have had at St. Joe's. He talks very quietly and he slurs his words together making it very hard to understand him. When he is going over the material he reads right off of the slides but he makes it very complicated. We had 6 quizzes and a final all open not but they were still insanely hard.
Dr. Altman is a very interesting professor. He is difficult to understand and thinks that you know everything with chemistry. His lab class is good however his lecture is awful the quizzes he gives are very difficult and I've done all the textbook problems and they are nothing alike. If you need help go to tutoring center get chemistry tutor.
good luck if he is your prof. rude, disrespectful, made me want to transfer out sjc. "open note" quizzes, you cant find in PP or google. expects everyone to be a chemists. is PROUD that people fail, bring up how everyone struggles, you get a "no they dont." honestly the worst prof at sjc. pay extra and take it in the summer. GOOD LUCK
Professor is extremely difficult. hard to understand. Quizzes are nearly impossible. Unhelpful. There are many times in this class where I thought I was going to fail I'm so grateful that I passed with a B plus I got a 95 on the final which is the only reason that I passed. all grades were extremely low however i did it so can you.
Ok a non biased altman review; Yes he mumbles a lot and goes way too fast. HOWEVER, test are open ANYTHING (google) Now this can get u out of a pinch, but when u have no idea what he lectured about its still challenging. Use his recitation periods and lab to better understand what he's lecturing about. Gives easy labs and hw problems to raise grade
His tests are open book and online, you can use any sources. But, don't let that trick you into thinking that you do not have to study. His quizzes are very difficult. Labs are very straight forward and easy. He is a very nice man and tries his best to assist you when you have questions. Don't buy the text book, you won't use it.
had to drop the class. professor gives 7 quizzes every other week and its 10 questions, 2 questions are multiple choice worth 10 points, unreal. if you ask questions, he just repeats what he said before, does not break down problems on the board and wants you to know every concept. he does not help at ALL. best of luck with this man.
Would never take this class again, so difficult for no reason. Lectures are horrible, half the time what was taught in lecture was not on the quizzes or exams. Do not take him if possible, if you do good luck
If you need to take this I wish you luck. Professor Altman was the worst professor I have had so far and He speaks like he teaches philosophy. The homework and text book have barely anything to do with the quizzes and tests he gives. His lectures are easy versions of the questions given on tests. Oh and no Extra credit or Dropped lowest grades…
The class is set up much differently than other sciences classes like A&P or micro (nursing). The quizzes can be hard since there are only 10 questions each (some MC are worth 10 points). However, the content really isn't too difficult if you study. He also drops lowest quiz/lab grades and offers extra credit. He wants you to do well I promise.
Biochemistry is extremely difficult, and it was even more difficult with him as a professor. He was willing to meet up with anyone who was struggling, but the extra credit offered gave a marginal amount of points and there was only 6 quizzes, no actual exams weighing your grade down. The lectures were unfortunately extremely confusing as well.
He's an alright professional, wouldn't take him again. The quizzes are fair IF you study and understand the material. Quizzes were okay and simple: 10 questions and 10 points each. BUT he does give partial points on the questions you got wrong. Labs were okay, but his explanations in lab were weird. The final was cumulative from the quizzes.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
81%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.02 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEMISTRY
5.0
(1)CHEM150151
5.0
(3)CHEM01
5.0
(1)FORENSIC
4.5
(2)CHEM151
4.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
CHEM
5.0
CHE150151
5.0
CHEM1501
5.0
CHEMISTRY151
5.0
CHEM1AND2
5.0