2.8
Quality4.1
Difficulty46%
Would Retake100
Reviews46%
Would Retake
100
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
20
4
20
3
13
2
17
1
30
What Students Say
“I wish I could take Dr”
CH221 - 5.0 rating“This professor is helpful and always eager to answer questions”
CH221 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
73%
Textbook Required
6%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.15 avg changeRatings by Course
CH221
2.8
(100)Difficulty by Course
CH221
4.1
Reviews (100)
Gorman is very very cynical; he's probably the most sarcastic person I've ever met. Upon first meeting him I was VERY worried about this class. However, once you get the hang of his notes, it gets easier. His tests can be difficult, but are usually fair. As with any organic class, you have to PRACTICE lots of problems. Go to SI as much as you can!
He is a very good teacher. But tests can be hard and he doesn't curve. So you really need to study for this class.
Orgo is a hard subject, but this teacher is very good about getting the information across ! Dr. Gorman really wants his students to succeed. He reviews before tests and answers ?s. Homework was on webassign (was tough, yes, but not harder than tests). And were 'clicker point' opportunities every class, so it is important to your grade to show up!
Obviously orgo wasn't easy by any means. The course is tough but Gorman is very fair. He gives you tons of chances to earn extra points on WebAssign homeworks and clicker questions in class. Those extra points honestly saved my grade. You should definitely attend every lecture, it's worth it. He's one of the best teachers for CH 221.
This professor is helpful and always eager to answer questions. He offers bonus points in all his exams and has a very positive, approachable demeanor. If you take his course dont miss a single class, treat SI as if is a reqired course, and go to his office hours as much as it takes to understand the material.
He is for sure the best Ochem teacher here at NC State. I am so glad I took a chance and took his class last semester. I actually understood Ochem and got an A in class. Plus he is super funny. BEST OCHEM TEACHER EVER!!
Gorman is amazing! Very helpful in office hours and in class. Straight to the point. This class is tough, but he is the best teacher to take it with.
This was the hardest class I have ever taken. Most of the reactions are done on a chalk board, so you're so busy scribbling everything down that you can't write down anything he says that may be helpful. He was very cynical and made people feel stupid if they got a clicker question wrong. He did add extra points to tests, but it still didn't help.
I took this class prepared it would be a very difficult class. I put the other classes on back back burner and hired a tutor. I went to his office hours and studied as much as I could. He is a nice guy, but his tests can be tricky. Do not take this your last semester if at all possible.
I tried very hard in this class and it still wasn't enough. The reactions and mechanisms were made to be more difficult than they should've been because of his horrible explanations and lack of time spent learning valuable things. I would NOT recommend taking his class at all, especially if you need to learn Organic Chemistry.
I had been dreading organic chemistry for years, but I ended up actually enjoying Gorman's class. He does plenty of example problems in class, and pretty much tells you what is going to be on the exam (so attend class!). He also includes a generous amount of extra credit on all the exams. Study consistently and you'll be fine.
Orgo is hard, I tried my best (honestly), but for me Gorman wasn't a great teacher. Funny guy, but he used another professors materials and taught in his own way, which is what I think was the problem. Only grades are homework and tests. I would recommend Sandberg or Feducia.
Gorman is a great person. In class he's a nice guy and very available to work with you outside of class. You do get extra credit on the exams but it isn't enough to make up for how difficult he makes the class. Homework is harder/unrelated to class, you cover material for the next orgo. Go ahead if you love office hours and impossible hwk/tests
Nope. Don't. Class is brutal, covers material from Organic 223, even the TAs think his teaching material is ridiculous. He's a nice guy but his class is awful. It's not that organics isn't hard enough but the way he teaches leaves so much left to learn on your own. If given the option i would have dropped the class and taken someone else.
He is not a good teacher of this subjects. Big difference between being good at something and being able to explain it to others. I spent hours outside of class trying to learn what he threw up on the board. Even the TA's thought his "explanations" were poor. Orgo is hard, but Gorman makes it opaque. If you take him, assume you'll need a tutor.
I wish I could take Dr. Gorman for my Orgo II; his tests are based off of the homework. He gives an extra 30+ extra credit on the tests, and the tests are the most basic concepts covered. The final was the first three tests. I can't see how he could have made Orgo any easier, to be honest. Show up to class, do the homework, make study groups, pass.
If you're looking at taking Orgo with Gorman, make sure you learn well from listening to lectures and watching a professor do examples on the board. You need to study and complete all of the practice problems in order to identify your weak points before it's too late. Otherwise, Gorman gives pretty clear explanations.
Very vague explanations where he oversimplifies the problems but expects much much more out of you. Very tough grader. But he is pretty funny.
Dr. Gorman is an amazing professor. He divides his class time into sections that perfectly match my learning style (lecture and practice). He teaches the material very fast and expects you to do the homework & reading for extended learning (I would suggest). Exams have 230 points possible and he takes it out of 200. So technically you can get 115%.
Gorman is a great lecturer, explains things pretty well and has a sense of humor. Tests are fair and often have a few questions that are almost the exact same as what we went over in class. Up to 15-22.5 perc extra credit per test as well. However, make sure to take good notes, his powerpoints aren't the best but he explains well on the chalkboard.
Organic chemistry is hard no matter who you have, but I feel like Gorman was just okay. He explained topics one way and wasn't very receptive when asked for clarification or help. He posts problems for extra practice in the textbook, but you don't need to get a book if you don't learn this way. I never opened it.
I was unfairly graded for the final exam. I almost had it right but the TA gave me a 0/20, which isn't fair. His lectures do not make sense since he is too nerdy; I always used the book to teach myself.
Very rude during his office hours. His slides won't make sense since he explains everthing on the board. So if you miss a class, you probably wouldn't make a B on the test,
Dr. Gorman is okay. Organic chem is just a difficult subject. Don't leave your studying until the night before & try to meet people who have had him in the past because he doesn't really change his exams that much. It's always good to have extra practice problems for a subject like organic chem
Dr. Gorman was very clear about his expectations throughout the class. Some of the problems on exams were pulled from the homework, so practice them frequently and you will have a good advantage going into the tests. The examples he works out on the board are much more useful than the slides, but hearing what he has to say is most important.
Organic chem is difficult on its own, be sure to study before the night before the exam. If you can, make a study group with other people in your class and get together. Pool your resources. If possible, find someone who has taken him before and get their exams and the answer key, it's helpful. His explanations are good if you listen closely
Organic Chemistry is hard, but Gorman was a great professor to take it with. He doesnt post most of his lectures, so you have to attend so that you can take notes. He goes fast and skips around, so I recommend taking notes in class and rewriting them afterwards. Gorman teaches the material and then shows examples while offering in class questions.
Dr. Gorman has been one of the best professors I've had at NC State. His lectures are clear and he follows the textbook pretty closely so if you're confused you can read the book for clarification. Tests are a huge percentage of your grade but if you study your lecture notes and go to class, you'll do fine. He's also funny.
Organic is extremely tough but some teachers can make it worse than others. If you can take anyone else, I would. By the end of the semester a substantial number of students had either dropped or already registered to retake the class with a different professor the following semester.
He is obviously very knowledgable and at times humorous. However His lectures are all over the place and taking notes is an absolute pain. He provides little material for the class except for referring to the dense textbook and maybe a few powerpoint slides which will be useless or a unnessceary waste of time when studying for an exam.
Doesnt grade his own exams. His TAs grade his exams and they are harsh. Attend every single class, perfect attendance is the only way you could get the smallest amount of the only extra credit in this class. There are absolutely no make ups. I was in the hospital and he wouldnt let me retake anything I missed or make up any homeworks I missed.
He's a smart dude, but jumps around a lot on the board, which can make him hard to follow. His tests are straightforward if you are familiar with the mechanisms. The homework is easy enough that just doing it doesn't really teach you everything you need to know; making a comprehensive list of all the mechanisms and drawing them out is helpful.
Dr Gorman is encouraging and very clear on how to be successful in class. His lecture slides are useless during studying so make sure you write down everything he puts on the chalk board. Has very unclear grading guidelines on his exams which results in the TAs not giving any partial credit for questions that you made slight mistakes on
Dr. Gorman is great! He is very kind when you come up to ask questions and finds a way to make organic chemistry fun. Study your mechanisms and know your reagents. He gives up to 40 points extra on each test, even though you have to answer the questions correctly to get the extra points. Overall was an amazing teacher!
Awful. Grades way too hard and wont even consider the attendance that he said was so important into the grade. Do not take.
Dr. Gorman is the best organic teacher at NC State. His lectures are clear and engaging with non-graded Top Hat review questions throughout to keep you involved. Instead of curving exams, he'll make an extra 30+ points available on each, so it's possible to earn over 100%. He takes time to thoroughly answer questions in class. TAKE THIS MAN.
Good man, a very good organic professor. One of those old guys that has that twinkle in their eye.
Orgo is just hard to teach, and Gorman did his best. Watch his lectures at a later time, slowly, with the zoom subtitles, and try to understand and then do the homework right after. Collaborate, reread, rewatch. Tests are basically practice problems, not much conceptual stuff. Know mechanisms and utilize the extra credit.
As a person, I liked Dr. Gorman. But as a professor, I wasn't much of a fan. His lectures are hard to follow. Tests are not similar to the homework, and he does not provide and practice exams. He does, however, give about 30 possible extra credit points on each exam. Lectures were synchronous but recorded and attendance did not count.
Taking him online was not the best idea, as his recorded lectures were hard to follow and the mechanisms did not make sense, even with help from other videos. He only gives 5 grades for the entire semester. 3 Exams, 1 final, and all the homeworks averaged into one grade. Don't know how he would normally be, but he made it impossible to get an A.
Gorman is a humorous guy but he is very unorganized with how he teaches (ppts with little info on tophat, drawing all over the page messily, etc). He did do bonus points of the exams which were life savers (test would be a total of lets say 230, but you would take your score out of 200 instead). Watching youtube is a must to teach yourself things.
Gives bonus questions and curves tests. A very fun lecturer, but not everything he says is important. You will have to study a lot, but he won't test you on anything he didn't lecture on. Mechanisms and reagents are the most important things to study, especially on later tests.
I am having to retake organic chem next semester because this class was awful. He does not use PowerPoint, he is very unorganized, and if you ask him a yes or no question, he will tell you anything but yes or not. He is very hard to follow along with.
pros: generous with extra credit on the test, tests replicate what's learned in class and on hw, not a lot of work which is great for ppl who like to structure their studying on their own cons: tends to go off on tangents, kind of sucks at explaining concepts I'd only recommend taking him if it's your second time taking orgo after sandberg
Dr. Gorman's class has three tests, 1 final, and your Sapling HW. He always puts more points on the test than grades them out of, e.g. there might be 240 points but hell grade it out of 200. If you understand most things, you will destroy his class. Unfortunately his online lectures were a bit confusing, but the textbook can replace his lectures.
Listen, organic chemistry is not an easy class. Dr. Gorman gets a lot of stick from students who don't do well, but if you put in the effort to do well in this class, you will. This man genuinely wants you to succeed, but he will not spoon-feed you. 3 midterm exams, one final, homework (with a lot of ungraded practice), plenty of extra credit.
THE BEST ORGO PROFESSOR! I barely passed gen chem&was nervous about orgo but Dr.G literally explained everything. Gave lots of extra credit points on tests which no other professor really did. Was available outside of class to answer questions&flexible about due dates for HW. Attend lectures, read the textbook& watch khan academy, you'll get an A/B
Gorman is a real one. He sets clear expectations at the beginning of the year. Orgo is a difficult class but if you follow with his lectures AND read the textbook you will do well. I got a 70 on my first test w/o the book, but when I used the book and his notes I got an 85. You can earn up to 120 pts on the tests so there is plenty of extra credit.
I have read the textbook word for word for every test and still failed every one. His lectures do not include power points anymore just him drawing. Nothing is explained. Lectures never help with homeworks, and homeworks are never anything like the tests. Emailed him asking for advice and he told me I need to learn how to study right. DONT TAKE!
Professor Gorman is the hardest professor I have ever taken. I have never received anything below an A before this class. He straight up told me to consider changing majors. Very inconsiderate and not helpful at all during office hours. Do not expect any help from the professor or the TA's. Please do not take orgo with him.
I have never been more stressed in my life. This class has put me through hell. I put countless hours of work and studying in each night and still managed to fail. DO NOT TAKE.
Christopher Gorman is hands down one of the worst professors I have ever had. No matter how hard you study or go to office hours, you still fail his tests.
Very difficult and time-consuming class, professor is not motivational at all. He is discouraging during lectures if you don't understand the material. Rating is as high as it is because if I even put a little bit of effort into the class I would have probably passed. People who have failed orgo before seem to enjoy his teaching style though.
Orgo is hard, but Gorman is the best. Tells you exactly what you need to know and hes brilliant so ask him all of your questions. SI sessions are also very helpful and read the book for extra help. Easiest orgo tests at NCSU. So much extra credit I missed 3 questions on a test and still got a 115. TA graders suck so always look over graded tests.
Honestly, I dont understand why he has such a low rating. Hes by far one of the easiest orgo 1 profs at state. Tests replicate what was taught in class. Honestly if i didnt use the textbook i would probs have still ended up with an A. He doesnt give trick questions & lots of extra credit on exams. Please take him!
Don't take this class if you get scared easily. When Prof. Gorman talks about students crying in his office to him about this class, you have to be able to think to yourself "that won't be me". A positive mindset and a good study ethic will get you through this class no problem. Make sure you know how to study that works for you. Hes scary but good
Dr. Gorman is a solid choice. I didn't really enjoy his lectures because he would jump around so it would be difficult to follow but with the homework questions and the exam extra credit, the tests weren't that bad. Got a question completely wrong on a test and still got an A on the exam. Just prepare to teach some of the material yourself.
Dr. Gorman is very knowledgeable of this topic but the way he teaches isn't well received. He jumps around, doesn't explain things and there's no recordings, once it's erased its gone. Lecture slides only contain main topics with no explanation or examples. I wouldn't recommend this course unless you have time to teach yourself outside of class.
Pretty much the entire grade for this class is based on four exams. He does give extra credit on the exams but they are still difficult. His lectures jump around and are sometimes confusing but if you can follow what he's saying they are helpful. You have to be willing to teach yourself a lot of the material. The homework questions are helpful.
He knows organic chemistry, but it is hard for students to understand him. If a life situation happens and you miss class, good luck trying to get the recordings! If you flunk one exam in this class you are done for. The homework questions are harder and do not match up to exam questions. Get ready to watch YouTube and teach yourself.
I'll vouch for Gorman here and say although he's not the easiest to pay attention to, or enjoy; he makes the exams easy and gives a lot of extra credit. If you spend even a modicum of time studying on your own you will pass. Go to SI!
Dr. Gorman clearly knows his orgo but is the hardest professor to try and learn from. If you miss a class it's almost impossible to get the lecture you missed. Homework is helpful and there is extra credit on tests but no study guides. His teaching style is really hard to follow and his lectures can be extremely confusing. Lots of outside studying.
Organic Chemistry is not easy but if you participate in all of his classes and do recommended problems you will be successful. definitely recommend a course hero account for this class because he doesn't release copy of practice exams and there are tons online which helped me the most with studying for exams. he is intimidating but teaches the info
Dr. Gorman is probably the easiest and best orgo 1 professor at NCSU. His exams have so much extra credit and very little trick questions. He doesn't give study guides, but if you go to the test review sessions he is very clear on what will be tested.
Awful professor. Genuinely hated that class. Had to get a organic chem tutor myself.
This class is difficult and I would only go to class for the attendance. He gives historical facts about the material to the point that I feel like I am missing the point of the whole thing. There is extra credit on the exams, but do not rely on that. The only reason I am passing is because I go to the SI sections. I would not recommend it.
I did not enjoy Christopher Gorman's class. His lectures were overly complicated and non-engaging. I found myself struggling with both homework and tests. If you're going to take his class - be warned. He is not a good teacher.
I am seeing a lot of hate on Dr. Gorman, but I think his class is fair. The material is hard, but if you use youtube to look at topics you are fuzzy on, the tests are not that bad. There is also tons of extra credit on the tests which can boost your grade. I never bought the textbook for the class and everything ended up fine. I would take Gorman!!
He teaches by the ethics "give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime". so if you plan on taking more Orgo related courses. TAKE GORMAN. he will make sure you learn and not just give you the answer. You're gonna need to learn outside of class through the textbook (use it!) He is sassy and funny!
I liked having Gorman for orgo. The class is 90% graded on tests but the extra credit is insane. You could miss ~20 points and still finish with a 100 on a test. His lectures kind of dragged but he's funny. If you put in work outside of the class (SI/ review videos/ study group) you should do fine. I also never used the textbook or modeling kit.
Professor Gorman was a good orgo professor, and if you are good at teaching yourself orgo in addition to attending lectures, then I would take CH221 with him. I went to SI sessions, and took the class VERY seriously. I used my modeling kit and textbook, but everyone is different. There is extra points on tests, so you have some wiggle room.
Dr. Gorman was great! Exams are the majority of your grade, but his tests always had upwards of ~20-30 curved points. I did most of my learning in SI sessions or study groups. You NEED to learn material outside of class if you want to do well. My best advice is to go in with respect for the material and you'll do great!
Dr. Gorman definitely knows the content and will happily answer questions during class. Tests have a lot of partial/extra credit. However, if you do not learn the material on your own outside of class, you will have a tough time. The lectures feel more like review than teaching. He is funny and helpful but he does not go easy on you.
An amazing professor with a great sense of humor! Tests were easy if you are clear with the lecture material. Thank you Dr. Gorman!
If you struggle with chemistry at all, DO NOT take him. There is so much homework, but they are work absolutely nothing so they don't help the grade. I hardly got partial credit on his tests. No amount of textbook reading can help you understand his topics either. If you have taken orgo before he would probably be okay, but if you are new.. don't.
Dr. Gorman isn't the best teacher however, he gives so much extra credit on his exams that it makes a huge difference. I would take Gorman if you are good at teaching yourself the material and can go to outside resources. I wouldn't rely on the lectures but his exams are fair and the extra credit is crazy good for each exam.
The main difficulty with this class is the lack of opportunity to apply what you're learning before an exam. It's VERY self-led. The homework doesn't transfer to the exams well, and you can't subsist off lectures alone (though they do help). The bonus points on the exam are extremely helpful though.
Dr. Gorman knows that a lot of material goes straight over students' heads and does his best to break things down so we can understand. Some lectures seem like an information dump though, so missing a class is detrimental if you don't watch the recordings. Make sure to study in a group outside of class. Nice humor thrown in here and there.
Only grades in the class are your 4 tests and your overall homework grade. All of your homework is on ALEKS and if you know anything about ALEKS it is horrible. Not super difficult to get a good homework grade, takes forever to complete the homework since if you get one question wrong you have to restart, very frustrating.
Dr. Gorman is not a bad professor and is a funny guy, but is not the best at teaching the material. Attendance is not mandatory but the only access to notes is during lectures. Exams are 90% of grade and homework is only 10%. Homework takes a while too. Homework is on ALEKS and does not transfer over to professor-made paper exams very well at all.
Not the best professor to take such a hard class with. Lectures aren't recorded and are very confusing. You'll have to teach yourself everything to even understand or do well on the homework or test. When asked if there would be a study guide for any of the tests, was told "Your notes are the study guides". Homework takes FOREVER to complete
The Homeworks take most of your time and don't apply. Lectures are only in person, and he does not explain well. Good luck on the tests because you have no idea what will be on them. Called study guides an "educational disservice". Save your time and money and pick someone else. Nice guy but needs to stick to teaching Grad school level.
DO NOT be scared of Dr.Gorman. While he may lack on the teaching side, his grade structure makes the class much easier. Homework is graded on completion with infinite tries. Class is test-heavy, but he provides 30 - 50 extra credit points on all of his 200-point tests, including the final. And yes, the extra credit is part of your overall grade.
He's mid. No chemistry professor can will you to learn the material - it's on you. I despise that he doesn't record lectures and babies the students with rewarding attendance. Your success in this course will be entirely dependent on how much you put in. TLDR: Your professor doesn't matter, learn to self-teach and you will find success in school.
This was my second time taking orgo, but my first time taking it with Dr. Gorman. Yes, he is strict on attendance but that is for the benefit of his students. Going to class, taking notes, and doing the homework will literally set you up for success with him. His homeworks were amazing and his tests were nothing but fair, wish he taught orgo 2 also
Your grade in this class is made up of 3 exams and the final (all with an insane amount of potential extra credit), and your homework makes up a small fraction. Lectures were hard to follow and are not recorded, most of your learning will be done through the hw, do lots of practice with it b/c you have infinite tries. Very understanding professor.
Gorman does not know how to teach. Very monotone, and gives no resources other than the problems he does on the board during lecture and the horrendous ALEKS homework that's nothing like what he teaches in class. If you want to teach yourself from youtube vids, then take gorman.
Not a good teacher at all. Lectures are extremely difficult to follow and takes a lot of work outside of class to understand content. Homework is actually helpful for learning though and he gives insane extra credit so you can still do well but it'll suck. good luck.
Notes taken from lectures carried over to nothing on the test. Aleks homework problems vs problems seen on the test were differently structured which made the process of learning mechanisms yourself (because you will depend on youtube videos to get through his class) 10x more tedious. The exams felt like a guessing game of what would be on it.
Awful! Insulted students in class and hated responding outside of class to questions. Material doesn't match khan or other help sites. Writes on a black board in a large lecture hall and you can't see on the recordings. Used another professor to teach the basics and that's the only part I understood was when it was a different prof
Gorman doesn't explain material very well at all, assuming everything is common sense. Tests are DIFFICULT, grade is weighted 90% ON EXAMS w/ no study guides bc it's "cheating" (???). I'd only recommend him if you're already VERY good with chemistry. Personally it's always been my worst subject, so having Gorman was possibly the worst case scenario
He doesn't explain material well and assumes that we already know content. The slides he uses are complex and confusing. He doesn't do study guides at all so we have no idea what to study. Exams are too hard and have nothing to do with the HW he requires us to keep up with. Don't take this class unless you wanna teach yourself and still fail exams
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. if he is your only option, then wait a semester, i regret not doing this. if you do take him, prepare to teach yourself all the material as he does not explain anything clearly. the homework has absolutely nothing to do with the test. this course is very test heavy. if you take him, you are absolutely cooked. good luck!
Professor Gorman is a nice and knowledgeable professor. He "does not believe in" study guides, making it difficult to study for an already hard class. The only grades were from tests and 10% from ALEKS. Lectures consisted of him writing on the board but barely explaining it. Lectures were not recorded, so you HAVE to attend every lecture.
Take it online at a community college, but do not take it with Gorman unless you have the time to learn every topic on your own because his lectures will not teach you anything. It was fine until it turned into him just scribbling a bunch of stuff on the chalkboard. Doesnt record lectures, no practice exams, homework on Aleks (not bad/its helpful).
goodluck. he doesnt lecture and writes on the chalkboard all of class, so if you miss class you have to learn everything entirely on your own. he teaches many topics that are in Orgo 2. he does give extra built in credit for exams, which by the way count for 90% of your grade
He is actually horrible. Preparing for tests is like a guessing game. The homework was not helpful and did not relate to his teachings. Lectures are mandatory but useless, he goes on rants about random topics and barely explains material.
I wish I knew what was going on in this class at any point in time. Lectures are hard to follow since he writes on a blackboard, none of what he's writing can be seen in the top half of the classroom. The class structure felt disjointed as he doesn't teach concepts in an order that students can understand and grasp easily.
Dr. Gorman does not make it clear that the scores you see in Moodle are NOT your actual grades. Imagine my surprise when I learn my 80% average in Moodle was actually an F! Take someone who has a clearer grading rubric.
I was nervous to take this class after reading some of the reviews, but it was not as bad as people make it out to be. You have to attend the lectures and really study for the test, but going to his office hours and forming a study group are good ways to do well in this class. It will not be easy, but it is possible.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
73%
Textbook Required
6%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.15 avg changeRatings by Course
CH221
2.8
(100)Difficulty by Course
CH221
4.1