2.5
Quality3.6
Difficulty8%
Would Retake119
Reviews8%
Would Retake
119
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
12
4
23
3
25
2
27
1
32
What Students Say
“Wanders off on tangents about chemistry that aren't helpful and don't prepare you for the quizes”
CHEM1610 - 1.0 rating“Professor Metcalf seemed to want to teach what he felt was interesting but not necessarily was important for test, very boring lecture, everyone seemed to be checking Facebook”
CHEM1410 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEMINTO
5.0
(1)151141
4.0
(1)CHEM15152
4.0
(1)CHEM341
4.0
(1)CHEM282L
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEM141142
5.0
CHEM141141L
5.0
151
4.0
141142
4.0
CHEM1610
4.0
Reviews (119)
No Comments
if you had ap chem its not that bad, if you did not WATCH OUT!!
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Pretty much teach yourself chem class, however tests aren't too bad
Good teacher
This is the most boring man on earth. But I'm sure he means well.
Pretty much teach yourself from the book. Lectures are recaps. Simple tests.
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better of the intro chem lecture profs., follows book close, read everything
Clear and concise, follows text closely
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Overall, does a great job lecturing from book...quizzes aren't to bad.
Don't give up. Intro Chem is the hardest.
BORING, BORING, BORING. I have fallen asleep several times so far this year. He lectures right out of the book, which is kind of frustrating, but his quizzes aren't all that bad. Supposedly he is helpful outside of class, but i havn't gone to see him y
REALLY REALLY Boring!! I learned more by skipping lectures and reading the book.
Metcalf is a very good professor. He has lame jokes, but that makes him funny. I consider him neutral in terms of his personality. He is neither positive, nor negative. I would recommend him for any chem students
Teaches directly from the book. Really weird sense of humor. Most students don't go to class and just read the book. I suggest you do the same. Tests are difficult and graded on a bell curve.
In my opinion the best of the intro chem instructors. I enjoyed this class.
I can't work with the way he teaches; he writes on the board in an all-over-the-place kind of way, and his handwriting is illegible. I find it hard to stay awake in class. Some people can work with him better than others.
The few times I've stayed awake, it's been pointless. I always miss the questions on the test from the lectures that I actually go to. Also, his tests are hideous because he always throws in some obscure detail to trip you up.
It was not uncommon to see people running away in the middle of a lecture he is so horrable
corny/weird sense of humor, unclear in class. don't go like everyone else and just read the book, because that's what he teaches from.
One word,sucks.
I often find myself saying "What the hell is that on the board." Might as well Just read the book because you're likely to fall asleep in class anyway. That is, if you go.
teaches pretty much from the book. the policy of dropping the low quiz grade was nice. lectures were ok
i admit he knows chem, but he might as quit teaching, just assign the readings, and tell to teach ourselves and show up for test days. real boring too.
As the year goes on, he makes more sense!
Metcaf's lectures might have been out of the book, but some people learn better having it explained to them. I loved this class, because I needed to do no work day to day, study a few hours for each test, and still get an A or B. Thats because I went to the lectures though!Funny guy and fair tests.
Illegible handwriting aside, he is not as bad as people make him out to be. Knows his stuff. The tests are possible if you read the book and read your notes for a couple of hours. Posts old tests online, which he takes questions from, so they are really helpful. Will take him again for Chem142.
Does a decent job explaining the material, if you can read his writing and actually go to class in the auditorium. Reading the book is a suitable alternative to lectures, as demonstrated by the many empty seats in the auditorium. Sometimes funny, overall a fairly good teacher. Returns grades fast.
Horrible. Lectures are almost useless because he cannot explain anything clearly. Tests are pretty fair. If you want to succeed without having to teach yourself the material then I would recomment Gerrans.
Skipped class for 2 months (wish i went more though) & put in minimal effort...managed a C. He's a nice guy but lectures can become boring. Quizzes were fair and he returns grades quickly. When i went to class, he was funny and approachable. Go to his school website...he raises llamas!!
He is an extremely smart man, but he really cant teach the material. You pretty much have to teach yourself and do all of the reading. switch to gerrans if you want easier tests and a much better lecturer.
He's a pretty good teacher...easy to understand in lectures...if you can stay awake. The class is hard by its nature but you won't regret taking it with him
don't waste your time going to class. if you don't go every day, it's pointless. he writes on the chalkboard, which is impossible to read unless you're in the front 5 rows. the tests are deceivingly hard, however, he will drop questions if no one gets them right.
The average for one quiz was a 57.4 I went to every single lecture and studied... what kind of professor is he?, you ask...
He is okay for 141 if you already know the material, but avoid taking him for 142. He tests on matierial not covered in class or in the book. Even the old tests he posts are no help. He tests on random material which makes it very hard to get even a C in the class. DO NOT TAKE METCALF FOR 142!!
141: not awful, b/c most ppl already know the material 142: AWFUL..random ass questions...
He makes no sense
I dont know what everyone is complaining about. Metcalf is a fine teacher, and it is possible to get a fine grade as long as you work hard and read the book. Quizzes are fair (my average is a 14 out of 15), and you just need to study to do fine. Lectures do not help at all though
Metcalf is a fine teacher who gives easy quizzes... often going to class is not as important as reading the book, and it's not too much reading anyway.
chem 151
wat's up with the quotas??? GET OUT NOW
boring lecturer, and the book was bad. Completely uninteresting. Go to Gerrans or Harman if at all possible.
He knows his subject but is one of those teachers who doesn't know how to convey it to others. He never answered emails and is unwilling to give honest help. If you ask a question he gives a roundabout answer. Avoid him if you can. The test scores in his class are always lower than in Harman and Gerrans' classes.
Terrible lecturer--regardless of his expertise on the subject, he cannot teach even simple concepts in a comprehensible manner. He also will often introduce a concept with mathematical scribble rather than a simple example linked to informative lecture.
Lectures are really boring and not very helpful. If you bother going to office hours, he'll give a round about answer to any question you ask. Avoid him if you can for the 141/142 class, but in lab try to get a good TA.
141 is easy... 142 not so much, but if you read the book and go over the emails he sends before each quiz, you should do decent
He is a horrible lecturer who spends most of his time deriving formulas instead of actually explaining what they mean and how to use them. None of what he does in class appears on the quizzes, which are random and usually very very difficult. AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS
i got a B in 141 but its gonna be iffy for 142. basically talks to the blackboard the whole time. doesnt test on things he emphasizes in class. instead of just one question that asks you to apply info in an absurd circumstance, his entire test is like that. def take someone else...
No Comments
Metcalf is a joke.. All he does is ramble on in class about 50 thousand different equations and reactions that which end up meaningless b/c he dosent explain what the heck he's talking about. No point in attending his class, you'll only be more confused. Take gerrans.. Def NOT metcalf.. ridiculous tests
Metcalf does not teach anything. His lectures are on things that have nothing to do with the actual material. If you get stuck with him, dont bother going to lecture with him. Just read the book during class and watch thinkwell. Good luck staying awake during lectures...
Metcalf ruined my life!
Lectures don't help much, I used my book to figure most of the subject out. His homework is fairly easy. He always sends out an email containing what is going to be on the test, but his class is still hard. Would suggest Garrans or Harman over Metcalf.
This man and Dan Keenan are professors you do not want to have. Absolutely the dumbest professors ever. They both earn 200K for teaching and you learn nothing. You can learn everything there is under the sun, and he would still make the test impossible. Don't take this classsss ever. Get Harmon or Gerrands, trust me!
Metcalf is not helpful and he likes to try to trick students on the tests, however if you read the book, or had a good highschool chemistry class you will do well. If you are good at Chem, you will get a good grade because the rest of the class will be completely lost
he gives very difficult quizzes because he tries to trick you and the material is occasionally stuff he does not review in class. Go to lectures but study the book not your notes, half the time your notes wont make since, he rambles too much about nothing.
People don't like him, but I thought he was fine. The tests aren't tricky, they're just hard and you have to know your stuff. He sends out emails before every test on what you have to know which is helpful. You don't really need to go to class, you could learn everything from the textbook, but it does help to get a sense of whats on the test.
don't even bother going to class. metcalf is a terrible lecturer and you're better off reading the book by yourself than going. his tests are much harder than the other 141/151 teacher's tests. take someone else.
Metcalf is a terrible lecturer, and there's really no point of going to class (maybe every now and then because he would give lil' hints about the tests). For the most part if you read on your own your better off. I do advise going to his office hours because he will gladly go through problems with you. Your better off taking another teacher
The man simply cannot convey chemistry concepts well when he lectures. His explanations are not well formed. Reading the textbook is a better use of time than attending the lecture is. (If you choose that path, just make sure you actually do read the textbook!) Get Harmon instead.
One of the worst professors I have ever had. He simply doesn't know a lot about the topic and going to his class made me lose my interest in chemistry.
Metcalf is one of the least understanding people I've ever met. He was unable to explain the answer key to a lab or why my report was wrong, but refused to fix it, then insulted me because I didn't match the key, so he decided I must be wrong, even though me, him, my TA, and Jan down the hall all got a different answer then the key.
His lectures are worthless. Better off reading the book on your own instead of wasting time in lecture. Tests and the final are all multiple choice, which is a plus.
Blech!!! Take Harman or Gerrands!
nice guy, terrible prof. dont bother going to class because his lectures are unclear and the lecture notes dont help. you basically have to teach the material to yourself. do go to the TAs reviews sessions before the tests though, because those often cover questions very similar to the ones on the tests
Wow. This class was a PAIN. I put so much time into it, understood everything, and the tests were NOTHING like what had been discussed in class. The class itself isn't awfully boring, but the tests are disgusting. If you learn, it's due to the countless hours you have to put in to contend for decent grades.
Please please do not take his class... he will ruin ur life and ur grades and ur prospects for GRAD school.. i took him this semester and believe me, it has been thw worst semester of my life.. i worked the most for this class and got the worst grade.. he cant teach, cant make tests. he can everything other than ramble bout useless crap..
this man is a waste of the carbon he talks about..boring, useless, and seems to enjoy you struggling. i pulled an a- both semesters but you hate every minute youre in class and you will learn to hate him. he is so dry you will fall asleep every class. he has now interest in teaching well. do yourself a favor and take any other section besides his.
Umm... It's better to study by yourself. Tests: some questions are tricky! Attend the TA's review session - they're soooooo helpful! You'll find questions very helpful for the exams
Please, i repeat, please do not take this buggers class. He will kill all our attempts to premed, bio major, or any prospect of getting good grades for the whole semester. His teaching technique, well he doesnt have one, and his tests are so hard that anyone who has just been studying from his notes will probably fail every single test!.. HEs bad
He stinks. TRY TO GET SOMEONE ELSE! Tests are harder than the other classes. He's confusing in class, doesn't explain things too clearly. My high school teacher was better than him.
You won't understand him in class he teaches like you already know it....use thinkwell, go to his office hours, and be sure u can do the questions on the old test...that'll help u pass the class
Despite all the complaining I heard about Metcalf, I really did not think he was a bad teacher. Sure, it's a hard class, but what did you expect? The other two professors (Garrans and Harmon) both put me to sleep during lab lecture, but Metcalf teaches it so you understand it, even if it may seem confusing at first. Easy online homework (1x/wk).
Don't be intimidated by peoples' reviews of Metcalf. He's a pretty good teacher--albeit unclear at times--who expects you to have read at least some of the chapter prior to coming to class. His tests aren't as impossible as people make them out to be and the weekly homework sets are pretty easy.
I didn't really like Chem to begin with, but the tests are 15 questions (so missing 5 is a bummer). The final was much easier pulling my C+ to a B-. But it wasn't too bad, just the tests were more than I could do.
Choosing Metcalf's class is the most horrible choice i've ever made in my life; He's basically ruined my chances of getting into medical school. His tests are ridiculously hard unlike other professors.
You must attend class, as he uses alot of examples not found in the textbook or in the slides which he posts to the web. He is a great guy and an easy teacher to learn from.
He's honestly not a bad teacher. His class is about what I expected college chemistry to be like: he gives you basic notes but you learn the most from reading the text. His quizzes aren't that hard if you spend a little time studying & he tells you what's going to be on them. His class is definitely fair, I don't understand all the criticism.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS. "IT'S A TRAP!" (Akbar) Easily the worst teacher I have ever had, and I've had some bad ones. You MUST teach yourself. During class, try pick up hints from his inane rambling and awful handwriting while you: read your textbook; do all the practice problems multiple times; and try to glean what you can from old quizzes. Good luck!
His class is pretty difficult and I definitely had to spend a lot of time with the material. He doesn't make much sense in lecture so it's almost pointles... but he tells you what sections in the book are going to be on the test so you don't have to do unnecessary studying. overall, this class isn't impossible..but it IS hard work
For any normal person who likes to go out AT ALL and have a life, his class is near impossible. unless you're brilliant or have no life (person below), don't expect to get good grades. lectures are pointless. I did better when I just taught myself straight from the book. His tests are meant to trick you in cruel ways, be ware. get a tutor.seriously
Not too bad (I had him for lab only, apparently disregard if you're in his lecture), like most labs its TA driven, but he didn't curve the final grade. Which sucks if you're in the 35 person 80s series class.
You can have a social life and still get an A in this class. Maybe if students weren't such failures at life (like the person writing on 5/8) they would make A's too.
Metcalf is only good if you already know what's going on, which is probably why the ratings are so bad for his intro level classes. In any event, this class was effectively run by TAs, since 95% of the grade is lab reports, which are a pain, but you should be used to this by now after 2 semesters of hell in organic. Not great but not horrible.
This is the worse teacher ever!!! if you want a good gpa, don't take this teacher!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Run while you still can!!!
Great professor, really cares about his students and is always ready to answer a question. He is really hard, but he doesn't try to trick you on tests like some of the other teachers.
Professor Metcalf made PCHEM wonderful. He has very high expectations of his students, seen by the questions asked on problem sets and exams, but overall, he made PCHEM a breeze. Highly suggest him.
He's a great guy -- pretty funny too. Is interested in making sure you understand the material, and willing to help you if needed.
He does a really good job of explaining the subject and he is pretty animated in his lectures. Seems like an all around nice guy. Never went to his office hours but seems the type to be helpful if I needed too. The tests are challenging but not impossible if you use all of the practice problems and study materials he gives you.
Metcalf is the best Chem professor at UVa (for intro chem). The quizzes were alright as long as you take them slow. He helped explain things very well and is very efficient with the grading. Homework is easy. He was very funny and easy to listen to. But don't take chem as an elective, after all its a weed out course.
Defintiely the best Chem professor at UVa. His quizzes are fair based on the information he teaches and also compared to other professors seem somewhat easier. He also gives the least amount of homework.
He likes to engage students which is nice. His tests are very tricky though. Nothing on there is straight forward. You have to know your stuff inside and out. Knowing your stuff 50% will get you a 25%. You definitely have to put a fair amount of time outside of class studying to get a good grade. It's a little harder than it has to be but it's fair
Metcalf is definitely underrated. Took class Summer 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed it. P-chem is not a good subject or enjoyable by any means, mind you, but Metcalf made it bearable and was a good lecturer and did not try to cram a bunch of information down your throat without explaining it first.
Really nice guy. Outstanding chem teacher. Best I had at UVA. Problem sets come every 2 weeks but aren't bad. The tests are hard, but he's a really reasonable grader. Don't consider taking p-chem with anyone but him. I promise you'll regret it
Absolute worst Chem professor. He is terrible at teaching, and downright mean. He obviously doesn't care about students and actually wants them to do poorly, he seems to enjoy it. Do not take him if you can avoid it.
Metcalf is not a bad guy, but as a teacher he is not great. He most of the time reads right from the slides, and class has gotten to be a bore.By the end of the semester he pretty much is so tired of teaching, you have to read from the book to even understand the slides. I would not take him unless you have to.
Terrible teacher, simply reads slides and then seems to enjoy killing students with the difficulty of his tests
Took this class my 4th year and loved it. PChem uses equations and relations to derive meaning out of the material. Metcalf understands this and does a great job playing with the mathematics to explain what's going on. One of the better teachers at UVA's CHEM department
He's at least phonetically accurate in English... more than you can say about Leung. Other than that nothing special he is ok.
I actually really didn't mind Gen Chem and thought Metcalf was a good professor for a lecture hall class. His materials were clear and organized, and he even did some interesting demonstrations. He's kind of goofy, but really knows Chem inside out and does a good job showing how concepts interweave and build on each other.
Wanders off on tangents about chemistry that aren't helpful and don't prepare you for the quizes
Professor Metcalf seemed to want to teach what he felt was interesting but not necessarily was important for test, very boring lecture, everyone seemed to be checking Facebook. Definitely a "weed out" course for Pre-med so unless you're on that track, it's not really like a cool science class to take.
4 quizzes, get to drop lowest; each quiz 20% ,final 40%. Attendance not mandatory. class is useless. If youre smart/good at science, as good as it gets. Quiz avg 70, meaning 1 s.d. for an A is around 83-85. Got 100/100/95 on the first 3--went to see him to verify could skip last . He confirmed. Loved class. Put in 4 days of work whole sems
Confusing, with a teaching style described as "stream of consciousness". Difficult tests and general confusion abound
Most ridiculous class I've ever taken. I'll admit I didn't like Chemistry to begin with, but Metcalf is the worst professor ever and I never even had a chance to get a good grade with his lecture style. He goes too fast and hardly ever answers questions students raise. He is perfectly happy with test averages around 62 - 67 %.
Great professor. Chemistry is not my best subject, but Metcalf was interested and easier to understand than most. Encourages questions and was really helpful during office hours.
This was the single worst class I have ever taken in my life. You could study two weeks in advance for a test and still get a 60. Said he "aimed for an average in the 60s." This class will ruin your life and gpa.
If you have a choice, please don't take Metcalf's chem section. If it's unavoidable, you can still pass, but it will be harder than the other profs. His lectures can be funny but he tends to assume that we all remember high school chem and therefore just rushes through concepts I find confusing. I failed the first test. Prepare to study!
Doesn't prepare you at all for the tests and the lectures don't make sense. He teaches random, unimportant things in class then expects you to know the things he barely mentioned inside andHe said a test average of 65 was good. The other teachers that teach this course have averages in the 80s. Save yourself the tears and don't take his class :(
While Professor Metcalf clearly knows what he's talking about, he simply does not convey ideas in a way students understand. Compared to other General Chemistry professors at UVA, he just does not seem to teach to the student's level or take as much care to help students understand. Most students only go to his class to get participation points.
Nobody actually pays attention in this class. Paying attention to him and taking notes will honestly just confuse you more. Most topics he talks about aren't important and aren't on the tests. Even the TAs acknowledge he's the worst and can't even do some of the problems he expects us to do. Other professors have test avgs of 15-20 points higher
Metcalf is not a good professor at all. His lectures do not clearly explain the material well. He teaches as if the students already know the material and doesn't go in depth enough. His exams are also incredibly hard for no reason. Instead of preparing us well for the exams, he spends more time telling us what to know , instead of explaining it.
I came into Metcalf's class with no prior experience in Chemistry. The class difficulty was rather difficult but the tests were definitely possible to do well in. His lectures usually do not reflect what you need to master for the test. I recommend doing the recommended practice problems that are on the syllabus and the homework. STUDY AND PRACTICE
Prof. Metcalf is very knowledgeable about pchem but is not very good about explaining concepts to students and glosses over fundamental concepts that are still difficult to understand. This was a summer class, so not a lot of time to really go in depth, but each session was 2hr15min long so I feel like he could have definitely spared a few minutes.
Lecture is all random tangents. Concepts are never clear. The questions on hw are never on tests. Class is online in summer, super quick, and tests are impossible so most cheat to pass (barely). This class will consume your life - beware. Buy the solutions manual and be prepared for a class where no one understands anything.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEMINTO
5.0
(1)151141
4.0
(1)CHEM15152
4.0
(1)CHEM341
4.0
(1)CHEM282L
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEM141142
5.0
CHEM141141L
5.0
151
4.0
141142
4.0
CHEM1610
4.0