He wasn't really that bad of a teacher. Sometimes he had a lot of trouble explaining the topics but usually got his point across. The homework was CRAZY long and pointless and some fo the tests we're tricky but review your power points and read the book and you'll get an A in the class.

Dr. Benson appears to be friendly and interested in the material. His testing average is fairly high, towards an 80%, and can be easily studied for by examining problems in the back of the book. However, he currently has the tendency to review a lot of chemical equations, which can get boring somewhat quickly.

I thought he did a great job getting the material across. It actually helped to go to class and listen to his lecture unlike some prof.

Hey this guy is a great professor. He truly loves o-chem he's smart and he will do whatever he can to help you do well in the class. Overall a great class =].

OChem is a hard class but the way Dr.Benson teaches is GREAT. He really helps you understand the material. The End of Chapter and Extra Problems help out a lot for tests. There are times when he gives tons of reactions and mechanisms but it's not so bad. He's also extremely helpful. I thought OChem was difficult but it's doable with him.

Excellent teacher who is effective at getting the message across. Draws diagrams by hand rather than powerpointing them. The material can be difficult if you get behind in reading. Read and work on practice problems consistently, and it will be simple.

Dr Benson was awesome. I had him for O chem 1 & 2 and I couldn't have asked for a better prof. He has discussions almost every day. And his exams are very reasonable. Organic is not cake but he tries to help out as much as possible as long as you take the initiative.

Organic chemistry is not easy but as long as you are willing to put in the work you will get a good grade in this class. Benson is a good teacher and provides discussions outside of class to allow you to ask questions and get extra help. Tests are hard but as long as you do all the homework problems and understand them you will do ok.

He teaches the material well, but comes off very arrogant.

Amazing teacher! Read the book, go to class, and do the problems and you will be fine! He is nice and will help you outside of class, although I believe he is lear in lectures. His fourth test is the most difficult by default he doesn't make it that way on purpose, organic chemistry just contains a lot of material. Book is very helpful.

I understand one of the comments about him seeming arrogant. However, the people complaining about the difficulty or his teaching are completely wrong. He is clear and thorough and you get to drop a test, that's like a curve.

Dr. Benson is incredibly interested in this subject and tries hard to extend that interest to his students (to the point that I would add !'s to my notes). Students may complain that it is a lot of memorization, but working consistently on the quizzes and paying attention in class allows you to learn how and why mechanisms work without memorization

Organic Chemistry is my favorite class at KU thanks to Benson. Benson is an interesting and smart dude. Gives fun and interesting examples of chemistry. Just read the book and you'll do fine.

Benson makes this class great. He really loves what he does and makes his exams very straight forward as long as you attend class. As for myself I went to class everyday yet never looked at a book and received an A in this course.

Benson is extremely fair, predictable, and straight-forward. If you don't get the grade you wish, it's your own fault. O-Chem is difficult and you must dedicate time to study it, but Benson will guide you if you meet him halfway. Use his study tips; he knows what works! Also, don't bring electronics, of any sort, to class. He'll call you out.

Dr. Benson is great. He teaches in a logical, clear fashion that shows a firm grasp of the material. And I found him to be a very friendly and approachable person outside of class. His tests are certainly reasonable, as long as you put in the work he asks of you. I'm glad I took his class--I feel that I learned quite a bit.

This subject is just really hard, but he's good.

Dr. Benson is a great professor. I went to every lecture and found them very helpful, in addition to doing many of the suggested problems at home. The class isn't hard if you put effort into it, but try your best to not get behind on problems or notes. Your grade is dependent on how much work you put into it.

Dr. Benson is a great professor. His lectures are easy to follow and fairly helpful, but I got the most out of reading the book and doing the practice problems, which are really similar to what you will see on the exams. This class was a ton of work, but I definitely learned a lot and ended up with an A.

Dr. Benson was a great teacher. He follows the textbook really well which makes studying much easier. Do all the end of chapter problems that he recommends; they are very similar to the test questions/format!

Dr. Benson is my favorite instructor at KU. Before taking his class, I had heard horror stories about OCHEM. I can see how the subject can be intimidating, but he did a great job of making it very clear. It is a tough class, but it helped me a lot on the MCAT - of the subjects on the MCAT, OCHEM took the least time to study for. Pre-meds, take him.

Very similar to CHEM 330. Great professor. Taught everything you needed to know for tests I just didn't study enough.

He's a great teacher, you just HAVE to come to class! Otherwise it's not that hard.

Dr. Benson is a nice guy and makes lecture as engaging as possible for such a large class. He is really friendly in office hours, and met with me outside of his hours just to go over my tests. In class activities are primarily what the tests will look like. Homework is really easy, should be an automatic 60pts. Old exams are VERY helpful.

Dr. Benson writes very fair exams and will not try to trick you. He is not afraid to curve and has done so several times. Lectures are problem solving sessions, so they won't be helpful unless you're caught up with the reading, which can be difficult when you are busy with other classes. If you can do the homework, you'll be set. Don't cram!

Dr. Benson is an excellent professor who is deeply passionate about Organic Chemistry. He cares about his students very much. He teaches how not to memorize the subject but to understand it. He doesn't demand you do things, but he is there if you need him. I wish I went to class more. Exams are beautifully designed and very fair. Curves when needed

Dr. Benson does a great job conveying the information necessary to succeed in organic chemistry. DO NOT SKIP LECTURE. If you go to every lecture and put in the work to understand the concepts and not just memorize them you will do just fine. The tests can be difficult, but he has been known to curve them depending on the average scores received.

I was pretty scared of this class before, but Benson made it manageable. The pre lecture questions are an easy 60 pts and help understanding the material. Read the assigned chapters and do practice problems; it makes all the difference. He also gives the previous year's exam with an answer key that is a life saver and is similar to his next test.

I liked Professor Benson. O chem is a hard class but he is a very clear teacher. Reading and doing the pre-lectures are super helpful and then do practice problems. He is really willing to help.

Benson gets a lot of criticism, but I think he's the best bet for actually learning organic chem. Other professors have exams identical to practice exams, which is nice, but if you need to take the MCAT or just genuinely want to understand the material, Benson is your guy. Read. Also understand Dipoles.

O-Chem is going to be a class you have to work for. Benson is the best teacher you'll get at KU for this class. He's clear and replies to emails quickly and will always meet with you outside the class. Listen to his advice- read the textbook and do TONS of practice problems. He is on your side at the end of the day.

Dr Benson was a great professor and I really enjoyed the format of the lectures with all the group problems and clicker questions. Made everything really easy to understand and apply.

Unless you're really gifted, O. Chem is going to be a struggle. That being said, Dr. Benson does his best to help you through it. Be ready for lots of reading and practice problems, and, like most of the KU Chemistry department, a lot of exams.

Very nice and easy going, but doesn't like seeing people on their phones instead of working. See him around campus sometimes and he's always down to answer questions or just chat, super down to earth. If you do the assigned readings, pay attention to what is stressed in class, and then do practice problems and the practice exams you should do great

I learned more in his classes than I have in any other class. He is good about going in depth and giving examples and practice problems that are very relevant to test questions. He also gives the class the exam from the previous semester to help study - which is very very helpful!

Do the reading prior to the lectures, and be prepared to actively participate. The more problems you do the more simple the material seems. Also, memorization doesn't help, its the knowledge of how to use certain reagents to get a desired product when conditions change.

To do well in Ochem in his class, read the textbook before the lecture. Group problem is really helpful for your practice. The test is quite challenging but does the practice exam help. For the final, study from his study guide and do the old exam.

READ the textbook BEFORE each class; the sections aren't that long and it does an amazing job at explaining tough topics. Get heavily involved when doing in-class group problems. Lastly, PRACTICE problems are critical. If you neglect to practice, you WILL NOT do well. Benson will curve scores if exam averages are low enough but DON'T rely on it.

I was nervous about taking ochem because it's known to be a difficult class. However, if you read the book and take good notes, participate in class, and do practice problems, this class will be fine. You have to put in the work to get an A. He lectures well, and I am looking forward to having him again for ochem II.

Professor Benson makes organic chemistry fun and enjoyable, despite it being a very challenging course. The lectures are never boring and attendance is not mandatory but there are in class clicker questions. Homework is pretty minimal, just small 3-4 question pre lecture assignments. To pass, read/take notes over the reading. It really does help.

Dr. B is super chill. Be prepared for class! Lectures are for reviewing material you've practiced at home & problem solving. If you're not prepared you'll be lost (not an option to cram!!). Don't be afraid to visit office hours and ask for help. Read and practice! Ask ?s from the beginning and again, practice! Read, practice, ask ?s, practice!

Benson's super chill but don't let that fool you; he'll make you work for your grade! I'd suggest reading the sections (they're short). I didn't do practice problems outside of class but we do a lot in class & they're similar to the test, so make sure you understand those. Tests are 86% of the grade; the final replaces your lowest test score.

I expected to absolutely HATE o chem, but Dr. Benson made it enjoyable and relatively easy. The final is optional and replaces the lowest test grade so that helps out a lot! It's clear that Benson cares about his students. When doing practice problems in class, he'll walk around and check your work personally, doesn't just leave it to the TAs.

Read the textbook before class. He offers lots of practice. It's a lot of work but if you do the things he suggests then it isn't too bad.

Professor Benson is an awesome organic chemistry instructor. Reading and taking notes over the assigned book work is the key to doing well in his class.

This class is really, really hard. Dr. Benson makes organic chemistry a little more accessible to people without a strong chemistry background. Would recommend.

He will help you out in class and outside of class if you are stuck on problems from his lecture. Reading before class will help you understand conceptually but it is more important to do practice problems and understand the logic behind them in order to do well on exams. If you fall behind, it is difficult to catch up.

You do all learning outside of class through PCEs, but if you pay attention to those he covers everything you need to know. Lecture time is spent practicing and reviewing concepts. is plus/minus sadly meaning 92.5 for an A. He really does make OChem make sense. he explains mechanisms and the logic they follow really well.

Benny is kinda a homie, but also kinda not. He definitely made this semester extremely difficult because he caught so many people cheating last semester. I know it makes sense technically, but there are definitely still people working together which drives up the test average and screws everyone who's following directions. Great at teaching though

Dr Benson was incredible he provided different styles for learning and really put effort into additional lectures for outside of class Take organic chem with him please, best organic chem teacher, the material itself is difficult but I really enjoyed his class and you have everything you need to do well

If you read before lectures then go to class and do the in-class practice, you will definitely be prepared for exams. The types of problems you do in class are the types of problems that make up 80% of what is on tests. If you do the bare minimum of reading and going to class, you'll pass.

Benson was a decent teacher, but the way in which he laid out the course is very harsh. Tests are basically the entire course grade. This would be fine but he gives barely any practice problems out. The graded work and the after class problems aren't enough and the book does not have the answers to the practice problems in there unless you pay more

OChem, no matter what professor, requires considerable time to learn. Exams do make up most of the grade, but questions come almost straight from practice and review sheets. Do pre-lecture work and lecture material will be very accessible. Lots of practice given (PLUS, homework, etc.). Give it the time Dr. Benson asks, and you'll do amazing.

This is one of the best designed classes I've taken. Go to class, pay attention, and you'll at least pass. On top of that there are countless opportunities to get help outside of class. I highly recommend Dr. Benson.

If you have to take both ochem 1 and 2 make sure to take both with Dr. Benson. He is a great professor that is easily accessible. His tests are structured the exact same way as the practice tests he puts out beforehand and if you do the pre class work and pay attention during lecture you should be fine. Only bad thing is tests are 80% of your grade

If you read before class, and fully fill out the in class worksheets and study guides you should be able to get a good understanding of the info (ochem 1 & 2). Exams are most important in the gradebook, but doing well on homework is helpful too. Overall I enjoyed having him as a professor.

I think he is very understanding and makes the exams exactly like his worksheets.

Organic chemistry is a super tough class no matter what, but Benson makes it manageable. It's a lot of work, but he gives you tons of practice problems and the tests are exactly like the practice problems. The lectures are all recorded and have supplemental videos for you to watch too. As long as you put in the time you will do alright.

Dr. Benson is a great professor that helps make ochem easier. I am usually not a fan of flipped classrooms, but it works really well in this class. The online readings/videos were very helpful in explaining concepts, and he provides tons of practice problems in class similar to what you will see on an exam. Highly recommend if you take ochem

The way his class is set up is fantastic. You watch a lecture video before, and he goes over mechanisms and practice problems in class. He posts keys to all reviews and worksheets, there are lots of study materials which are super helpful. His lectures are engaging and easy to follow. For an organic chemistry class, he makes it easy to succeed.

For a class like ochem, I think Dr. Benson is the best case scenario. There were pre class videos and then we did a lot of examples in class. There are a ton of practice problems and the homework really forced me to figure things out. Gives keys and practice exams. Dr. Benson was easy to learn from and the tests weren't horrible. I would recommend.

Dr. Benson is very structured and organized. He does PCE's before every lecture and then we work through the problems together. For CHEM 330, I didn't submerge myself in the material and ended up with a B, which is low for me, but I am taking him for CHEM 335 this semester and I think I'll be able to get an A. I recommend Prof. Benson!

Extremely easy class if you study for the tests and do the homework. I don't know why people say its hard it was my easiest class by far.

Dr. Benson is by far the best professor to take OChem with. I had him for 330 and 335. If you watch the pre-class video, show up and pay attention in class, and memorize what all the reactants do, there is no reason you shouldn't get at least a B. There are frequent review sessions and ways to get ahold of him. Truly an excellent professor!

I was quite worried about taking OChem, but I found that just showing up for his classes and paying attention made this class so much easier than it was made out to be. Occasionally I found him to assume that we understood something when a lot of the class didn't, but frequent review sessions and resources helped this class to be quite manageable.

To excel in his class: - 1) Watch his preclass videos (PCE) 2) Do the class worksheets in class 3) Do the practice tests ( his exams are just a variation of the practice tests usually)

Professor Benson is very organized and is very knowledgeable about the material. He explained the concepts in a way that made sense and held study sessions frequently. He assigns a good amount of homework, but there is a ton of material to cover for this class so it was helpful.

He really cares about you as a person CHEM 330 was 4 exams with a final that could replace another grade. The material is a lot because it is all very new, but he really wants you to learn and succeed. Use the TAs that walk around the room.

Benson made Ochem very enjoyable and one of my favorite classes I have taken at KU. The final is optional and will replace your lowest test grade, there are 4 exams and each is strictly based on that unit. The final is comprehensive. This class is very exam heavy, as 78-80% of your grade is based on exams alone so make sure do well on exams.

Dr. Benson is a very competent professor. The class is SUPER exam heavy. Thankfully, he gives practice exams that are similar to the actual exams. It's a flipped classroom, but it works very well for the class. If you take notes on the lecture videos, read the book, and go to class, you should have no problem getting the grade that you want.

Great Professor. His class is flipped classroom, but done right. The book is super helpful and he has lots of resources outside of classes for students. You have to keep up with the coursework between each lesson, but if you do that, the class is very manageable. For Organic Chemistry- Benson is the way to go.

Dr. Benson is very knowledgeable. I've found that his classroom style is very comprehensive; I've been able to just do the lecture videos, in-class worksheets, and practice exams and do fine. Exams are manageable and graded fairly. One thing I noticed, though, was that he was always sassy when I asked him questions in person, lol.

I loved taking organic chemistry I with Dr. Benson. Lectures went by quick with the material we were learning and the in-class worksheets were super helpful when it came to understanding the concepts. DO THE PRACTICE EXAMS! They are very similar to the actual exam and they helped me a lot!

CHEM330 is not an easy class but Dr. Benson made it manageable. It is a flipped classroom but is done well. He holds review sessions weekly and there are also PLUS sessions you can attend for help. The practice exams and worksheets are similar to the real exam. Study daily and do TONS of practice problems and you will get an A in this class.

I liked Professor Benson! He is good about providing real-world applications for a lot of the stuff we are learning and I find it very interesting. If you want to succeed in this class, you must do well on exams because they are heavily weighted, but ample resources and one dropped test score allow you to succeed. Definitely recommend him!

Though challenging, CHEM330 with Dr. Benson is manageable with the right strategy - utilize the textbook, attend review sessions, and try Unstuck ai for extra practice. Exams are heavily weighted but fair.

Benson is an amazing professor for OChem! He truly cares about the success of his students, and is offers additional help for each learning style. He has short videos before class with a run-down of the information, and his lectures are all practice problems which is EXTREMELY helpful for your understanding, and similar to his exams!

Dr. Benson's class was much better than I thought it would be. Organic chemistry is a tough subject with a serious reputation, but Benson made it easy to follow and he runs a very efficient flipped classroom. Try staying as caught up as you can, but don't hesitate to use the resources provided to get extra help when you need it.

He was cool. Not a very understanding guy. but what do you expect. Don't expect him to be understanding of circumstances. Lots of memorization.

Most classes don't work in a flipped classroom style, but Dr. Benson made it work really well. Wish there was extra credit available, but one dropped exam plus a curve (only two points lol) on the final helped. 1000% recommend doing all the practice exams. Never went to any extra sessions, just read the textbook.

Dr Benson does the flipped classroom style very well. His preclass videos make sure you watch them and answer the embedded questions, which are very informative. His lectures in class both went through the worksheets well and taught you how to do it. He made organic chemistry easier than expected.

I loved this class. Each pre-class video was informative and very useful when studying or if you needed a refresher on a topic. There were not many surprises on exams, and he made organic chem really enjoyable for me!

This is Orgo... it's not an easy class. Go to the PLUS sessions, go to his review sessions, make sure he knows who you are. He is an awkward person, but a nice person and wants you to learn. Be sure to put in effort to receive the grade you want and you can do it.

Dude is the goat. Gives out a bunch of accessible resources and makes sure to walk you through topics you don't understand. If you watch the pre class videos, try in lecture and try on the post class quizzes, you're almost guaranteed an A. Also has a bunch of TA's and SI leaders ready to help at any moment, all of which are capable.

Gives out a bunch of resources to make sure you get the help you need for this class. Has many SI leaders and TA's ready to help. As long as you participate and apply yourself in his class, don't skip too many lectures, and do the bare minimum of outside school work, you'll probably get an A/A-

I dare you to find me a better structured orgo class than Benson's. He cares so much about orgo that his passion got me excited about the material. So many study materials and resources available, there is really no reason not to succeed if you apply yourself. Some may say he is a little rude but I believe he is misunderstood, man is a sweetheart.

I did poorly in this class and I STILL enjoyed it. Dr. Benson is a very fair person who really gives it his all. He's a great lecturer who uses a lot of real-world examples, which helped me get curious. Reactions and reagents are just a LOT to remember, which isn't on him. Study hard and study EARLY. Gave out EC in the form of a quiz once!

Dr. Benson is a passionate and well-organized lecturer. It is a flipped class, but it is by far the best-organized flipped class I have ever taken. His out-of-class lecture videos are anywhere from 5-20 minutes on average, so not long, and his in-class worksheets are very helpful for the exams. Also, take advantage of his practice exams!

Go to PLUS sessions, get tutoring, and be willing to make extra time out of class to understand the concepts. Dr. Benson gives a lot of resources and access to the 330 course for review -- spend time during the break to make sure you understand the reactions and basic terms. Dr. Benson was very understanding and covered the material extensively.

Honestly, I loved organic chemistry because of him. Took OCHEM 1 and 2 with him and although he isn't the nicest guy, he is fair with his exams. DO THE WORKSHEETS AND PRACTICE EXAMS until you understand them and you will for sure get an A. Shoutout to PLUS for being so helpful with this class, I owe a lot of it to them too.

Dr. Benson is a GREAT professor! He is very knowledgable but also good at actually teaching. It's a flipped class, so the lectures are to be watched before class. Take notes on those videos because they are incredibly organized and will help you understand material better. The exams are quite difficult but practice a lot and you will be okay.

Organic chemistry is a hard subject, but Dr. Benson explains things clearly and is always open to questions. His TAs are remarkable as well, and the overall structure of the class is geared toward success. Daily practice problems and interactive lectures really make this class incredible.

Organic chemistry is a tough subject no matter who it is taught by. However, Benson does a group job and years of experience. If you engage with his material, worksheets and practice exam and really practice you will do well.

He has been my favorite professor yet. His lectures are straight to the point and understandable. I feel like I really learned a lot in this class. The practice tests are a CARBON copy of the exam. Practice those until you know them inside and out.

Organic chemistry is hard, but Benson's teaching style makes it so much less difficult. Its a flipped classroom, but the pre-class videos are only 10-15 minutes long. Practice exams are identical to the real deal. All you need to get an A is show up and genuinely try. No tricks, very straightforward.

I retook this class with Benson after taking it with Malinakova previously. He is organized and actually teaches the material. Benson is an excellent professor, and if every student had him instead of Malinakova, they would perform much better in the class.

Have been anxious about OChem for years. Luckily, got Benson. I heavily respect his organization/how passionate he is. Studying is kinda hard but just do practice problems over and over/use the resources he gives you until you're blue in the face. GO TO CLASS. Literally if you just get all the other points and PRACTICE/ ASK ?'S you should do well.

Organic Chemistry is a very scary class, so if you are scared about it or not comfortable with your chemistry skills, do your best to get in with Benson. He is one of the best professors I've had so far. He is clear, concise, and organized and makes sure that you understand the material. He is the best!!

O-Chem is a hard class. No way around it. But Dr. Benson's class structure was really helpful because it forced you to do the work to learn. The material is tough, and it is very easy to convince yourself that you'll memorize what to do. Make sure to find those gaps in your knowledge and seek help from the PLUS team or Dr. Benson himself.