2.2
Quality4.3
Difficulty28%
Would Retake240
Reviews28%
Would Retake
240
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
240 total ratings5
30
4
32
3
18
2
26
1
134
What Students Say
“Dr Brock seems to not care that this course is 10x harder than it needs to be”
CHEM10011002 - 2.0 rating“He deserves to eat soggy cereal for the rest of his life”
CHEM1001 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
52%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.25 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM2203
3.0
(42)CHEM2204
2.2
(13)CHEM1002
2.1
(35)CHEM1001
2.1
(104)CHEM1001A
1.8
(24)Difficulty by Course
CHEM2207
5.0
CHM1300
5.0
CHEM2204
4.5
CHEM10011002
4.5
CHEM1001A
4.4
Reviews (238)
Using software monitoring student's computers in exams, using a camera also. Refuse to listen to comments from students at all. Avoid this professor plz.
Lectures are posted by another prof that talks about the topic very vaguely, must learn from the textbook. Tutorial lectures on a chapter happen AFTER you have already taken a quiz based on that chapter. IF YOU ASK A QUESTION, HE WILL NOT ANSWER IF HE FEELS LIKE 'YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS IN YOUR OWN TIME'. Could not give a damn if you're struggling.
he didnt teach the lectures. he posted videos of another guy teaching lectures. he didnt teach tutorials for half of the students, it was a co-instructor who was also kinda bad at teaching. he has no compassion or sympathy for his students. honestly, wouldnt ever take him again
The workload doesn't match the support given. He recycles lectures from another prof who goes over topics in a very boring manner, David couldn't even put in effort to record lectures himself. The tutorials are run by different people and often takes up questions too fast. We also barely have any TAs to guide us in the course. The labs aren't bad.
the work isnt toooo hard but it doesnt match the teaching etiquette. rushed tutorials but they still go past time somehow. he seems busy so dont expect to form a bond. his online exams have these crazy requirements like you need to buy a printer, download a proctoring software, and need a scanner (though you can use your phone).
I have met no one in the course that does not hate this mans guts. He does not teach instead uploads lectures from another prof, could not care less about you. Teach yourself everything, because he wont help you.
Honestly, I'm legitimately traumatized by his online exam. We had to download this sketchy proctoring software and the whole process was so much more complicated than it needed to be. Why can't profs just update their exam styles to accommodate online learning!!! He also didn't put a bunch of lab due dates in the syllabus so people missed pre-labs.
This course is infuriating Uses previous years lectures Uses online assignments (Whiley+Orion) that he is unfamiliar with and are filled with mistakes Doesn't provide answers to practice problems so you have no idea where you went wrong Very condescending to students bring forward issues during class Very disorganized syllabus has no dates or labs
He is a genuinely great professor who brings enthusiasm to his organic chemistry lectures. His midterm was somewhat challenging and given the covid-19 circumstances i say he adapts rather well to the situation. I don't know what the situation is like in the first year classes but for organic he is a great choice.
Don't listen to the other reviews. He really cares about his students and wants us to succeed, even in a big class. His lectures are well-worded, easy to go through, and not exceedingly long. First year chem is a tough class, but Dr. Brock is great. He has a dorky sense of humour, he's always up for answering questions, and he really cares.
He seems nice at face value. But when you email him questions he is rude and treats you like you're stupid. He's arrogant and covers it by saying he tries to help us. I regret my past good review defending him. Get ready to teach yourself the course. If it wasn't for my HS chem teacher I wouldn't be doing as well as I am
The class is hard online. He is not a bad prof, but I think his teaching style would be much better in person. Tutorials are important and participation is incredibly important in this class. He can come off as rude sometimes, and the expectations for the class is a little crazy (especially in a pandemic), but he is very passionate about chemistry
A lot of people are complaining about the midterm but the difficulty was completely reasonable and we were warned beforehand what it would cover. We are given plenty of resources to succeed like tutorials, lectures, practice questions, office hours etc....
hes aight
I didn't expect to come here and see so many bad ratings for him lol. Honestly, he's not as bad as many people are making him out to be. I do agree that the lectures are a bit confusing and its mostly self-taught but the midterm was not that bad! I thought it fair and was about as hard as my chem exam in high school, and I didn't even study much.
Lectures are good, he gets basic points across but its harder to apply the theories taught without teaching yourself how to apply them in test like-questions. Not helpful via email, answers seem like he thinks you're stupid for emailing him in the first place.
I was surprised to see the negative feedback he was getting. University chem is going to be hard no matter the prof, and Dave is honestly a solid choice. He has high expectations, but legit all chem profs do. Study hard and you should be good! I like his lectures a lot, but you must go to class to do well. Lots of office hours and answers qs well!
People give him a bad name, but this is ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, last years class averaged so much lower and were not given a bell curve, we have our notes and that is more then previous years, I am not good at chemistry I got a B- in first year, but with Dave and attending lectures i pulled a 97 on the midterm and all I did was study for a few days....
Very good prof. Anyone in orgo saying otherwise is mad because they were too lazy to put in the work. Tough class, midterm and exam were fair considering what was taught. Very fun to have lectures with and is extremely generous with the grading of midterm/final. Literally tells you exactly what to study to do well on the final. Very solid.
Maybe he's a better in-person professor, but the course adaptation online was horrid. I felt like he didn't care for any of us, as he didn't do the lectures or make the quizzes or assignments himself. The midterm was disgusting. I reached out to him for help, and he responded with "you should be able to do this" - very condescending. Easy labs tho
Good professor in my opinion. His modules with the checkpoint questions were actually helpful for understanding the content.
This class was extremely unorganized, I think that played a major part in the success of students. The live tuts were nice and good for engaging but the content was useless, if it was actually related to the Wiley assignments or lecture content they might have been actually helpful. The Wiley was incredibly difficult and the quizzes weren't fair.
all I can say. teach yourself. teach yourself everything from the textbook and YouTube or else you won't pass. his lectures are ridiculous since its just rambling without getting any point across, the second Half of the semester he switched into study modules which were a little easier. otherwise, what the hell Brock.
If you have the option to take another professor, please do. His online course was a disaster. He is no help regarding questions sent in emails. The assignments & exam review didnt relate to the final or midterm at all. Even though I still finished with an A+, I wouldnt give him any credit. Be prepared to teach yourself everything.
You can pass the course if you work hard and rely on the textbook and YouTube videos.
He is very fair with his tests/exams and grading, he gave us many breaks due to the fact that this is an online class. A good professor that truly cares for his students, you can see, but you have to work hard to get the grade you want.
Hes good during the tutorials but the wiley assignments go way beyond what is taught to you and the textbook doesnt cover similar examples so you get stuck trying to figure out how to solve a ton of questions you have never seen before. Beyond frustrating because you cannot teach yourself how to get the answer even with the expensive ass textbook
Brock treats his class like it's the only one you're taking. He expects you to have mastered everything in mere days and remember everything from the first half of the course, which means if you didn't take it the previous semester, good friggin' luck. Blended learning (AKA teach yourself everything because I don't want to answer questions).
My first prof review because he is THAT bad. Rude when replying to emails and barely teaches and expects you to fill in the gaps that his 15 mn modules leave. Expects everyone to have a printer for the exam during a pandemic instead of adapting like every other damn prof! Makes you download COMAS which is invasive and sketchy. Awful guy tbh
I could not imagine any other professor worse than Brock. Not only can he confuse every student with simple concepts that could easily be explained, he has horrible attitude. His emails are aggressive, he does not explain anything, and he constantly blames his students. Avoid having him as a professor at cost if you want to save your mental health!
I personally really like the prof, the course itself is not easy but that's not something to blame on the professor. Lectures don't help me so I watched a lot of organic chem tutor which is honestly the reason for my mark. I also went to office hours and that's where he was most helpful and never made me feel stupid.
Not a bad prof, but he is disliked because his class is so hard. However, on tests he tries to trick students. The midterm average was 53%, and all the questions were the hardest found or used equations/concepts very briefly mentioned in lectures (like they were hidden). Students deserve to have tests similar to course content, not to be tricked
This class was so hard for no good reason. The lecture modules were a waste of time and didn't help at all. The only think that got me through this class was when it switched over to past lecture videos from a previous class half way through the course. Would not recommend Doc Brock.
He's knowledgable in this field, no doubt. He does seem to rush through topics and I find the only times I actually follow along and can retain the info is if I studied the material before hand. Each lecture is very content heavy so it takes so long I eventually stopped trying. The 5 min break mid lecture def helped and he answers q well in lecture
Lectures are extremely content heavy, he goes through them fast. He gives barely any opportunity to do well and has merciless grading.
Harder course than 1001 imo but the prof clearly puts a lot of effort into satisfying his students. He remarked all 100's of students midterm all by himself because of a mistake. go to his office hours and ask questions. lectures are decent but I never understood the tutorial material when going through it.
Its organic chemistry, of course its going to be hard. Dr. Brock explained concepts well and in my opinion, was generous with grading. Hes a really nice guy too! However, you have to put in the work to do well. Lectures are not enough. Study the textbook and do practice questions.
DO NOT TAKE A CLASS WITH HIM! None of the assignments, lectures or quizzes were made by him, only the midterm and exam and it was the most difficult questions. He will NOT help you if you ask and is very rude when you attempt to reach out to him. I learned chemistry from free videos online.
Absolutely the worst
Just don't. I walked into organic chem knowing it would be hard but this was hell. Go to OttawaU or somewhere else if you need 2203/2204. The prof (very nice!) moves way too fast through lecture material, test heavy, labs are crazy, TA's mark inconsistently (30% difference). This class made me cry weekly, please for your mental health don't.
Third class I've had with him and he has been my least favourite prof for 3 semesters in a row. He's so rude during lectures, makes you feel stupid if you ask questions, and if students do badly he blames it on the fact that we aren't participating enough rather than his horrible teaching style. He also insists on using COMAS.
AVOID!!!!!
Not sure why he has a lot of hate. I had Dr. Brock for CHEM1001 and it was fine. Organic Chemistry is a difficult course, but his humour and Zoom lectures makes me go to class. His tests/exams, are fair. Similar to 2020 exams. I wish we had tutorials or PASS, as it is hard to contact the professor. I feel like people hate him when orogo is difficlt
Just awful. Lectures can be unclear, a lot of math with little explanation for students who struggle with calculations. If you have any other option dont take Brock. If you have him, Youtube & the textbook are your saving grace!!
Hardest class I've had to take. Reached out to the prof for help and received a passive aggressive reply. Lectures don't make sense. The only way to pass this class is by reading the textbook and watching online videos. Exams are unnecessarily hard compared to the assignments/quizzes. Class average is very low (57% on midterm). Labs are easy tho!
Terrible prof, lectures were hard to follow. He went through content way too fast to fully explain it. Midterms and exams were the hardest I've ever done and not even based on stuff we learned in class. Somehow got an A- in CHEM1001 but (not surprisingly) got a B- in CHEM1002. Avoid this prof if you can, he's the main reason I'm switching to a BA.
when i first read his ratemyprof before classes start, I cried myself to sleep. he isn't as bad as everyone says but he is hard at most times. very funny and I love his funny rants. i hate iclicker and wielyplus will be the reason this class made me cry so much.
First of all, some of his example problems had major flaws, as in they were very poorly written, as in they were riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. He also has the most unorganized bright space, lecture notes are not posted. The lectures are very vague and don't cover anything of importance. It baffles me that this man has a Phd.
Chemistry hasnt always been my best subject but i always managed to understand it and do well in the class, after taking chem 1001 with brock and knowing i will have him for chem 1002 i hate chemistry. Hes a horrible prof and is very unreasonable, he doesn't explain anything and hes always in a rush to leave even if students have questions.
PLEASE! Save yourself from all the stress and tears! His exams and midterms are complete trash! He doesnt care about you or what you are going through! Just dont take any classes with him, you will not regret it! PLEASE! I wish I knew what he was like before choosing him! Just DONT
I feel like this course was a fever dream. Nothing was explained well and I had to rely on other sources to be able to understand the content in this course. The tests were so hard and didnt reflect what was (barely) covered in class. Wileyplus is WHOLE different level of frustration. This class basically destroyed my enjoyment of chem.
He likes to talk very fast, this years midterm and exam were all multiple choice so I'm not gonna complain. If you don't spend hours learning you will fail tho
Prof Brock is a good guy, but jeez he's a terrible prof. He goes a mile a minute through material that seriously deserves way more attention and just excuses it by constantly repeating things like "this is review" and "we're behind so we gotta go fast". If we're behind its your fault man and you don't make up for it by speeding through new stuff
The lectures and tutorial content as well as the quizzes do NOT reflect the exam and midterm content. Just save yourself if you can honestly, please take 1005/6 if you want to get a good grade, I wish I did...
David Brock is THE WORST teacher I have ever had. Not only is he condescending in his tutorials and emails, he is inflexible and not compassionate at all. In tutorials, he speeds through practice problems like it's common knowledge and makes you feel dumb for asking questions. The exams are SO HARD, and you have to use comas. My advice is to run.
Man what can I say he's just not a good prof, run while you can
Doc Brock is the worst professor ever. Extremely rude when asked questions and condescending when clarification of content is required. Material was moderately difficult, however a professor who knew how to teach would have made it much easier. Exam and midterm were unnecessarily hard, compared to practice quizzes and assignments. AVOID TAKING.
Brock is very unaccommodating and does not care about what his students are going through. His lectures are literally like podcasts and are not clear whatsoever. No joke, I almost unalived myself because of this prof and class.
Prof Brock is really fun and was always super energetic in his tutorials. You do have to put in work and learn a lot of material on your own, as the quizzes for a specific chapter were always before the associated tutorial. He was also very helpful during office hours. However, he always shooed his kid away when he came in the room and it was sad.
I really enjoyed the professor's lessons and teaching style and I think he is an excellent teacher. His use of real world examples demonstrated the relevance of the topics covered. He is also very fair in his marking.
Terrible Professor has no care towards his students, barely teaches, and uses other teachers' old material. quizzes, assignments, and exams are half of what he teaches. Best of luck to whoever gets him.
Lot of people bashing him but I disagree, quizzes were always easy, so was the midterm but the exam was much harder. His tutorials are so enjoyable but if you didn't study before coming you'll feel lost. Not an easy course but just work hard and you'll enjoy it.
I had him for orgo. Class work wasnt too bad up until the midterm and final which are worth so much and hard. They had no multiple choice, avoid him if you can. He has no mercy or compassion.
Dr. Brock doesn't even teach. He will give you other profs' lectures instead. He is often rude when you ask a question, saying things like, "This is a basic concept" or "We've gone over that already", and he oftens answers your question with another question. The assignments and exams are difficult, but manageable. He has 8 grading schemes tho.
This class is really hard, regardless of who the prof is. You will need to work a lot to understand and get the material. Dr Brock definitely is very passionate about chemistry. His tutorials used concepts learned and applied them to real life applications that made what you're learning matter.
This course is ridiculously hard no matter who the prof is. But David Brock does show an obvious care about his students. I wrote an email explaining some mental health woes, and he was more caring in his response than most. Be proactive, ASK FOR HELP, because hes willing to help. But you cant memorize- he wants you to understand concepts.
I took organic chemistry as I love this subject. Professor doesn't teach concepts very well. Most times, he dismisses questions by saying, "you must have learnt this already" or " you got this!" when you don't understand the concept. Also, moves too fast and blames student for delaying his lectures for asking questions to clarify. Stressful.
Honestly, Im a pretty optimistic person, but this man is the worst teacher Ive ever had. He rarely answers emails in a timely manner and seems like he couldnt care less about the well being of students. Hes very cocky and takes every chance he gets to brag about things hes done. DO NOT take a class from him if you can help it.
The course it's self is hard, but Brock does a not too bad job of teaching it. His videos can be a little boring, but he is super helpful during office hours and tutorials. Just do practice questions and ask questions.
He's not as bad as everyone says, the course is hard, and I would say he is not the greatest professor but he does try his best. After Chem1001, I feel like Chem1002 gets a little better. You become used to the workload and amount of time you have to put in.
very great professor, his teaching technique is one of the best teaching methods ever. Makes you learn chemical concepts deeply. Honestly I truly enjoyed being Dr. Brocks student!
Brock is a good prof. It's probably just that organic chemistry is an awful subject that people detested him. Even though I botched the midterm and labs there were a lot of places to make up and I was very surprised with my grade. He even responded to my intentionally goofy email after the exam really quickly. Put in the work and you'll do well!
Disliked that he used other professors' content instead of his own, as well as switched up lecture delivery style halfway through the term. The midterm was unfair, questions were worded in ways not used in class, making it difficult to apply proper formulas. He comes off as extremely rude in his classes, however, he was quick to respond to emails.
Worst prof I have ever had, cannot teach for the life of him. Avoid if possible!
If you work hard and put in the effort, you will get a good grade. The people that are bashing him are the ones that didn't put in enough effort. Simple. If you mess up on the midterm you can still end up with an A or A+ due to his 8 marking schemes (which saves many people). The lectures were okay. Self-learned class; shoutout organic chem tutor.
im just glad i dont have to take orgo
Prof. Brock was difficult to work with and he was not willing to bend much for deadlines. You would need to spend a lot of time working, and then some to get good marks.
We are given 2 days for the weekly quiz Mon-Tue before having had time get thru the lectures. Tutorials are formatted as 200+ students in which "No specific questions only broad concepts" will be addressed i.e he brags for an hour. I always feel less confident leaving tutorial than before it starts. At this point I am relying on YouTube to pass.
Knowledgable and cares for student success. Explains topics clearly and is a fair marker. Chemistry is not easy so some work is required, but Brock is ready to help. Does not want to mislead and will explain the flaws with theory and models that cannot be explained yet in first year.
Be prepared to fail
Only prof. who still carries out in-person paper-written exams, which is unfortunate. The class is ran using Wiley owned material which has been reused from previous years. Does not use brightspace for any assignments, which is the standard for university classes. Everything is handled through Wiley services (textbook publisher owned).
I hope David brock steps on Lego and has a warm pillow at night. He deserves to eat soggy cereal for the rest of his life.
terrible prof. he expects us to learn and teach ourselves the concept in two days before the quiz is due, then wastes tutorial time talking about completely irrelevant things making it difficult to learn things we need for the class. yet he wonders why the class of hundreds of students averages a 40 on the midterm.
AYOOOOO I'm straight up not having a good time right now. This man is the sole reason I'm considering dropping out of my program. Professor Brock really shot down my confidence in myself and I don't think I can ever recover.
I despise this man
im DONE
I think that those who don't like Brock expected the lectures to be sufficient enough to be able to do well. It's organic chemistry, you're going to have to put significant amounts of effort. His midterm was long but very fair. Funny guy who shows enthusiasm in his lectures. He's a fair and engaging prof, especially with his bonus marks.
terrible
If you love chemistry and can self teach yourself, take the course with Brock. Otherwise find a different prof - Brock doesn't teach much, or show any of his own work. He likes testing in tutorials and makes you pay for Wiley Plus which marks your assignments. Nice guys, but not a great teacher especially for first year students.
Chemistry at a university level is challenging and requires a lot of time/effort. Unfortunately, professor Brock makes it exponentially more difficult. The tutorial covers broad themes and not basic concepts (no lectures) and Wileyplus is a technical nightmare. Your grade is merely a reflection of how well you can teach yourself from a textbook.
Do not take organic chemistry! you will fail
Be prepared to teach yourself. You will be spending copious amounts of time on Wiley assignments and quizzes that you will lose marks on due to formatting (not on whether your answers are correct or not). Then expect to fail because the Wiley assignments, quizzes and adaptive practice are nothing at all like the questions on the midterm and exams.
Dont take this class.
Prof Brock is an awful professor. Not accommodating at all. He's obsessed with academic integrity, yet uses other prof's lectures and online websites to generate homework assignments. Is not generous at all when it comes to grading. Tests/examinations are HARD. Overall, seems like an approachable man, however is not looking for your best interest.
Chem is hard, you need to spend hours studying to do well. But Brock basically gives free marks. The exam was out of 120 and he marked it out of 100, and the midterm was also out of 50 but it was marked out of 37. Brock literally has 8 marking schemes and picks the best one as your final grade. He does try his best.
As someone who loves chemistry, this class was a huge let down. The online modules rarely covered what was needed (or didn't go in depth), and the WileyPlus assignments were so sensitive. Quizzes can lure you into a false sense of security as they are on the easier side of things, but reading the textbook is a must.
If you are seeing these reviews you may be nervous for this course, I will say I was in your position once too. The reviews are true, so the ability to self-study is needed for this class. If you do not plan on taking chem second year take chem 1005 instead. If you generally suck at chem take 1005. If you are not good under pressure take 1005.
This course is good amount of work. Doing extra homework and/or going to peer study sessions is the only way to get a great mark. David Brock is fine enough, not good not bad, his online modules/lectures are succinct and his generous with how assignments/tests are weighted to give you the best mark. Overall just okay.
Prof Brock is pretty helpful during his office hours and tutorials but the class itself was meh, but I won't blame that on the prof. He pretty much doesn't respond to emails but the office hours are a huge help. The online modules kind of suck but it is what it is. He did truly try his best to help all the students pass with his marking schemes.
I went to office hours to get help in the assignments and it was very helpful since assignment questions are challenging. The midterm and exam were very similar to practice questions done in class and the sample exams he gave, so they were fair. Chemistry is tough, but if you put in the work, you will get a good grade in this course.
Dr. Brock really does care about his students. Our section was given multiple bonus assignments to ensure that the content was understood while awarding points to those who did the work. The course is not simple, but hard work pays off. The lectures are delivered online, and weekly "tutorials" are essentially overview lectures. Very caring.
CHEM 1001/1002 gives him a bad rep and the OCHEM course itself gives him a bad rep, paying attention to the lectures is a must but even if you don't understand something go to office hours going there he shows he wants you to succeed in the class plus having the many bonus marks on the midterm and final help too. Labs just suck
Dr Brock seems to not care that this course is 10x harder than it needs to be. He does not teach this but rather reuses old lecture recordings from other profs which are essentially summary videos. He attempts to make sure people pass with his 8 marking schemes and his bonus assignment, but regardless a 40% midterm average proves enough.
I used to hate orgo, Dr. Brock made me love it. The material is a little hard and a lot of practice outside of lecture time is needed to get a good mark, but he offers many different marking schemes and takes the highest one, takes marks off exam totals to boost grades and makes everything open book.
Well, it's an online class so you're expected to learn everything on a routinely basis. The tutorials are just a waste of time except for the 5% you can get from iClicker polls. Labs are really easy but make sure you prepare for the midterm and final. Not really Prof. Brock's fault since we are expected to learn on our own. I don't recommend it.
Go to his office hours if you want to do well. You need to really understand the concepts to apply them to different forms of a question, so practice problems are a necessity. Everyone can do well in this class, the people who speak poorly of it never go to the professors office hours and they only study for the midterm/exam 3 days before it.
i wouldnt recommend
What on earth was this course... The "lectures" provided to us were incredibly surface level and the Wiley homework was brutal and not at all reflective of the material we were expected to understand. Get ready to teach yourself. I felt like I spent twice as much time and effort on this course compared to the rest of my classes.
I found that his exams, midterms and wiley homework did not reflect what was taught in class. The videos provided are very basic and prof Brock does not emphasize what to focus on. It is not clear what and where we were supposed to study from. Wiley questions are tough and have many many mistakes that affect our understanding of the subject.
would not take him ever again in my life
Did well in the class because I learned everything straight out of the textbook. Assignments will eat up most of your time yet they are only worth 5% of your final mark. His online modules/videos that your supposed to learn from covered very surface level concepts, which is why I relied on the textbook. Try to clutch the labs to boost your mark.
had to completely teach the course to myself and even then had to come to class just to learn something completely unrelated and would not answer questions at all.
Be ready to teach yourself everything... It's practically useless to go to his lectures as he BARELY talks about what we need to know for the quiz or the midterm. Rather than teaching us the actual course material and what's important to know in order to succeed, he would rather spend his whole lecture on useless information. 1/10
90% of learning has to be done on your own (with resources he provides). Little/none of the learning happens during lectures.
What you read from other reviewers is what you get! Hopefully carleton someday takes a clue from the extremely poor performance of Brock's students.
I am trying extremely hard not to believe that this man is not some next level Disney supervillain.
didn't really enjoy the class. he can do better. worse chemistry lecturer for first-year students.
Destroyed my life by teaching 3 chem courses. I joined the program with high prospects, but he shattered them completely!
He has a passive aggressive attitude in class and nobody knows what is going on or where we are expected to study from. I get that this is a weed-out course and all, but it becomes an issue when none of the material on the modules, textbook, lectures OR assignments reflect what's on the exams.
It is incredible to me that Brock is still teaching at Carleton. His tests never reflect what you learn in lecture, tutorial, assignments, or quizzes. It is my second time taking this course and even with a tutor I am getting nowhere. Simply don't go to Carleton if chem is your major or take the intro classes over the summer.
Awful man. He lives in my nightmares
I feel like my confidence is shattered, he is probably a good guy and all but a horrible chemistry professor. The weekly quizzes are on the material you are going over in future classes. The test material is nothing like what you will do in class. If you want to get a some what passing grade go to SSSC or read the whole textbook chapter.
The modules are not the most helpful and the fact that he does not actually explain how to work through problems in lectures makes it more difficult to understand the material. Be prepared to hunker down and teach yourself. Never in my life have I ever felt so demoralized and incompetent in a class. I used to have confidence in my abilities.
Worst prof alive omg. If you get Brock, sneak into another class so you'll actually learn something. He teaches us about ice and random stuff instead of doing practice problems and teaching real content in class. I haven't learnt anything since 12th grade chem, 0/10
just do the modules and homework. there wont be an issue. also, he really cares about his students; i just think his teaching method doesn't work for a lot of people.
Dr. Brock does not deserve the disrespect he receives from his students. He is a good instructor, who clearly loves teaching and is always open to helping his students. His modules can be a bit annoying, and he does occasionally go off on tangents in class, however to say he does not teach the course material or what is on tests is disingenuous.
he usually curves the midterm and final a lot because it's actually impossible. I think he doesn't realize how hard his class, tests, and overall organic chemistry is. This class is torture, pure torture. Good luck.
Be prepared, his tests are extremely hard
He is bad
He is just doesn't know how to teach chemistry.
Worst prof ever. He is a very tough grader, and the exams don't reflect what's being taught in the course. I kid you not for one of the questions "he said don't worry about it, i won't ask it in the exam bc its too hard" and guess what he does... He knows chemistry but doesn't know how to teach it. He doesn't do any application or practice question
I was dreading taking Brock's class from the reviews on this site. However I was surprised by how well I learned and how well I did! Dr. Brock really cares and will take the time in his office hours to help you understand. He's good at teaching but orgo goes pretty fast so stay focused and don't leave any marks on the table on your exam/midterm
On top of being a great lecturer and being incredibly accessible outside of class, he is deeply passionate about teaching , cares a lot for his students and does an amazing job teaching an already difficult topic. He makes learning chemistry enjoyable and rewarding. Great guy: funny,passionate and leaves you with a solid foundation in chem!
I never failed a class in my life, but David made it come true.
Honestly, most of the people who take this course will perform poorly (below 70%), but its not because the class is difficult, but because most of you don't have a brain. If you believe you have a brain, then you don't need to worry about this class; you will get at least an A- Basically, if you found 1001/1002 challenging, then you're in trouble.
Honestly I will never understand why people dislike Dr Brock. Not only is he incredibly passionate about teaching he genuinely wants people to succeed in his class. Yes it is a lot of effort but if you put in the time you will see results. Chem is not easy but he gives all the tools to succeed in his class.
The professor seems nice, but the exams are way too hard, and I feel like the quizzes and assignments don't reflect what's on the exams. Do not bother attending the lectures as they won't help you..study from the textbook only.
Highly recommend going to office hours if you're struggling. Tests are very fair and open book. Make sure to stay on top of things and review notes after each class. Dr. Brock is a great prof, but there if a lot of content to cover in the course, so he goes quickly. As long as you put in a good effort, you will be fine.
Probably the worst prof on campus. Not because of who he is or his grading, but because of the organization of his course material. Barely anything is taught in the online modules and nothing is taught in class. Attend the chem help rooms which aren't designed by him if you wanna pass at all.
Do not take Dr Brocktopus unless you want to teach yourself. He has a terrible and ineffective teaching style. Seems like a nice enough guy, but not a good teacher.
3.4 rating is absolutely inaccurate
Despite it being open book, the exam and midterm were tough and I believe doc Brock did not prepare us well for it. Marking scheme and the curve questions helped. The questions are hard and unexpected, most are not similar to ones done in class. The midterm was long. Orgo is hard, so get ready to study a lot on your own for this class.
He's a decent person but I can not stand his teaching method. His lectures and modules are very shallow and do not cover the content of exams and quizzes. Lectures are basically glorified Q&As that barely cover the material and are quite pointless. Save your time and read the textbook.
a 3.5 rating is crazyyyy. Should be 2/5 max.
Just no...
Chem 1001 is hard to teach since everyone comes with different knowledge from high school. I got 24% on his diagnostic quiz and still did well in the course. It is totally possible to succeed! Go to chem help and office hours to clarify concepts as soon as you find there is something you don't understand. Do the suggested textbook problems.
Took CHEM1001 from David Brock. Knew the topic before, so it wasn't hard. Brock is a great guy and a great story teller, however most of the other students found his lectures (both live and pre recorded) to be inadequately brief and not structured enough.
I won a chem award in highschool, scoring a 95 and 98 (3U,4U) but almost failed 1001 bc his teaching style left THAT MUCH OUT, this course ruined my confidence and almost made me lose my scholarship, and now I'm withdrawing from 1002 to take it in the summer with a diff prof, I would rather retake/learn both in 12wks(+ $1500) than stay in his class
Please for your own sanity, if you read this review DON'T and I repeat, DON'T TAKE CHEM WITH DAVID BROCK!!!! Worst professor, can't teach for sh.t and has some sort of superiority complex. Should've dropped the class when most people in the lecture hall were second years retaking the class...
He offered more learning material in 1002 than in 1001, so he was slightly better. You have to study from the textbook, go to office hours and find extra resources. Also TAs in lab are a hit or miss...
Not they taking down ratings??!?!! Anyways, avoid this prof if you can. He doesn't teach, it's like my tuition is paying for the modules that don't help at all. If it weren't for the textbook I would have failed. With that being said, either the school replaces him or he needs to start teaching chemistry.
the psychiatric ward needs to put this man on payroll because he's brought in more inpatients than all the region's physicians combined.
It's almost like he wants us all to struggle and fail. He will try to trick you on the exams, no matter how much you prepare yourself. For your mental health and GPA, DO NOT take his class.
Controversial, but I loved Dr. Brock. His clear enthusiasm for introductory chemistry inspires his student's desire to learn. If you put the effort in, you will succeed in this class.
prof is brutal. lectures don't teach anything, paying to watch video modules that don't teach anything, exams are meant to fail you, textbook is only useful thing but even than your paying to teach yourself. if you want to save your grade don't take this course with this professor, awful professor. class average is always a 50/ below on tests.
Genuinely just go to office hours he's a lovely person. All the first years complaining have never bothered to actually ask for help.
Not a good prof. If you end up having to take chemistry at Carleton, don't. or look for Daniel Gregoire, he's a much better professor. Test aren't necessarily too hard, but Brock doesn't teach any of the content or concepts needed to pass, or much of anything at all. You're completely on your own in this one.
Teaches mainly through his online modules from years ago and lectures are just spent covering topics that are hardly relevant to the midterms and final.
The attendance wasn't mandatory but you get extra marks for live poll so you can say it was .I was lucky for knowing all the materials from CHEM1001 bc it was covered in high school yet it was still hard bc he doesn't teach you/ OR give you any midterm example questions or practice it with you in lectures . CHEM 1002 was worst all new things
Awesome prof. Clear grading criteria + gives 2 practice exams for midterm / final. Incredibly accessible outside class, goes out of his way to explain concepts clearly and always available for help by email or in person. Very kind, approachable, can teach hard concepts by breaking it down. Put in your own hard work, you will be fine.
Tests were incredibly hard, did not reflect the modules, the weekly quizzes or the Wiley homework assignment at all. His chem class genuinely discouraged me and made me decide to switch out of the faculty of sciences...
The school should look into how bad his flipped classroom method really is. If students that btw PAY FOR THIS CLASS disagree with his teaching style and his methods, the school should do something abt it or maybe, fire him. I honestly can't think of one person I knew who enjoyed his class. It was dreadful, academically challenging and overwhelming.
I enjoyed chemistry in high school but ended up hating it just because of CHEM1001. The lectures were barely helpful and never went in-depth into the concepts learned. YouTube was my best friend for this course and helped me learn the material better than Brock taught it.
Why does he hate us so much. Please send help. Sincerely, -Chem major
gets too much hate. hes alright. just study lol
I honestly don't understand why people hate him. If you put in the work as he tells you to and follow along + participate in practice questions in class, you will be fine. Content in organic chemistry is difficult, and lectures can be dense (this is university, after all...), but he is super helpful during office hours and at the end of class.
In my personal opinion, he is a terrible prof. He is not only a tough grader, but he also doesn't teach on the level of difficulty in his midterms/final exams. The examples from class/tutorials are much easier than midterm/exam questions. Also, there is a great discrepancy between his grading and his TAs grading, "Not the brightest" as he told me.
Worst prof I've ever had. If you take him just know that his lectures and "online modules" cover surface level material and will be useless come midterms or exams. Only reason I did decent was because I completely ignored him and solely relied on the text book. Also if you have to take orgo, take it in the summer as the profs are wayyy better.
This course taught by this prof is a notorious one for weeding out first years
he was passionate but the lectures were bad
I already have a degree from Carleton. I wanted to take more science courses. Lets just say his first year course was totally unreasonable and more difficult than most of my 3rd or 4th year courses. The workload for this course easily exceeds 2 courses. Get ready to be graded on things not covered in the lectures that will totally blindside you
Pros - Has several different grading systems in place to give you the highest final grade possible - Relatively accessible outside class Cons: - Insists on using a "flipped classroom" system which forces you to spend all your time teaching yourself - Exams are needlessly hard and rarely reflect the lecture content - Seems blind to any criticism
This guy makes me wanna eat a cinder block, I wanted to fall asleep on the way to school and never wake up because of how awful this man is. Avoid making direct eye contact, you risk the chance of being petrified into stone.
STAY AWAY!!!!!! He does not teach ANYTHING in the lectures. He goes on about some random case study for an hour that you will never see on any test. I did not sign up for an online course - so why are the lectures completely online? It is unfair.
Youll have to learn everything yourself his lectures are no help
Tough class, but don't lose hope. Engage with the material, use the textbook, and try Unstuck study for extra practice - it really helped me. The professor isn't the most engaging, but office hours are worth it.
I would give him a zero if I could. His lectures has nothing to do with his quizzes that have nothing to do with exams.
Second year in and David Brock continues to be the worst professor in the school. Physical chemistry, a notoriously difficult course is literally so much better than doing anything with Brock. Every time he's my prof, I want to drop out. No matter how hard you study or participate, if this doesn't come naturally to you, you're screwed. - 1/10.
This guy has got to do something about how this class is laid out cause the fact that we all have to watch an hour minimum of videos before each class because this prof decided to make videos instead of actually teaching is crazy.
He's in my nightmares. I wake up screaming and crying every night after dreaming about his exams. Please someone send help or he will be all 13 of my reasons.
The content in the slides is not at all consistent. You can watch the modules all you want, but when it comes time for the dreaded "checkpoints," he will throw questions in there that were either so briefly covered you can't find your notes on them, or outright not even covered. The modules are ridiculously long, you basically do the course twice.
I'm starting to believe the school only keeps him around because he saves them tons of money on how many students lose their scholarships because of him. I had to drop his class because my scholarship helps pay my rent and it's the only thing standing between me and homelessness.
Absolutely not. Sometimes I contemplate eating white phosphorus in order to avoid seeing this man. His lectures are all online and teach you essentially all theory and very minimal examples. He goes over examples in class but I have no idea how to solve them because his lectures taught me nothing. AVOID if you can, sorry in advance if not.
David Brock teaches the material really well. Albeit, I did not like the style of teaching in first year chem because of the online modules. In second year chem, there are no modules. David Brock teaches the lectures very well with passion, and patience towards all questions. Good grading system and very engaging.
This is probably the worst chem prof in the entire university. Run away if you need to take his first year course. Go to class and follow along as best as you can, but your real saving grace will be your lab section and watching YouTube videos. I recommend "professor Dave explains" on YouTube if you need a simple and quick explanation of content.
I HATE HIM
There is so much work in this class, and the online modules are pretty surface-level compared to the content covered on the test. His tests are very hard compared to his modules and lectures, which barely cover anything very useful. You pretty much have to teach yourself everything using the textbook and YouTube.
Honestly Idk why people rate him bad. I had him for first year chem and he did a good job explaining exam questioins (he is the one that writes them for his class btw). During lecture u get to practice those questions. If u practice those and ask him for assistance u will do fine.
Despite my inherent dislike for Dr. Brock, I genuinely think he showed improvement compared to CHEM 1001/1002—he does not use the 'flipped classroom' model in this class, rather he actually uses the lecture to teach, the exams were fairly reasonable, and by simply reading the textbook constantly (and practicing) it is entirely possible to do well.
Majority of the reviews he receives are blown way out of proportion. He's not the best prof in the world but organic chem is a hard course and you should be anticipating to put in hours of studying before signing up for the course. He does speed through lectures which can be frustrating. Midterm and final exam were not unfair.
Guys he's really not that bad, the class is hard and the flipped classroom set up is not my favorite, but its doable and if you are engaged, go to office hours, pass lectures, and attend class. The class is far more independent than hs, but you have the resources to do well. Brock is enthusiastic and wants us to succeed, even if his class is hard.
Guys he's not bad, the class is hard due to its independent nature, but if you're engaged, go to lectures, pass, and office hours the class is def doable. I wouldn't use the flipped classroom approach, but Brock genuinely does wants us to succeed, ask questions and engage with his course, its clear to me that he cares. Deserves more respect imo.
He does his job well, the online modules are 30 minutes max and there is 1 before every lecture. As for the lectures, he goes over different types of questions using the skills we learnt from the modules (if you pay attention to EACH slide) this is important to develop the problem solving skills you'll need on the test or exam. give him a shot
He is passionate about chemistry and wants his students to be too, though they mostly aren't, which reflects in the grades. Tests/exam wise, there was no clear study guide and the "review" was a question period- not very helpful, heard prof Warnes was better. Modules were exhausting to watch. He seems better suited for more specialized courses.
you can do well if you know what to expect. also learn to self study well, youre probably going to spend most of uni doing it that way anyways. only 1 complaint, you cant put modules on 2X speed, and 1 regret, i should have done my self study before lectures so i could go and know what was happening, otherwise arguably its useless to go.
Look, Doc brock teaches organic chemistry and gen chem, two courses meant to weed people out. So yes, if you are one of those getting weeded out, you won't like him. His lectures are relatively engaging, but most importantly you can tell how enthuastic he is about teaching chemistry. Great prof, with fair tests if you study appropriately.
AVOID him if you can, he's a terrible prof, the lecture and class is so stressful.I hated it so much🫠 worst prof in Carleton University
Ignore all his bad reviews, he is genuinely not a hard prof. Most of the content is js highschool chem, literally a repeat of grade 11/12. Most of the complaints are about the flipped classroom model, he himself is a wonderful prof. Very passionate/caring. He clearly wants us to do well and weighs everything to whatever gives us the highest grade.
don't take Brock if you don't have to! there are many better options than taking Orgo with him. and making you want to end your academic career. open book exams on Orgo tho
Stupidly hard. Absolutely ridiculous that he doesn't have lectures prepared for probably the hardest material gone over in this class. The flipped class just doesn't work at all, mastering chem sucks. I could go on. Also he never answered any of my multiple emails which pissed me off
Everyone hates on this guy because they are lazy and don't want to take an hour a week to watch the modules. If u watch the modules and go through his lecture slides for practise problems you will do very well, and if you go to class on top of that it will be lightwork. I went to about 50% of the lectures they are engaging and interesting. goodprof
I was sent to the psych ward because of this guy. ruining my life and my CGPA.
taking this class with Brock was equal to the emotional strain of having my beloved pet run over by a car
This guy needs to reevaluate how he formats his course. He does this "flipped classroom" method that I've had other professors do well but not him. The online lectures you have to watch are typically long and not helpful all the time. The averages on his tests are always like 45-55% and he will literally say "great job guys! this is so good!"...
He wants his students to succed. Unfortunatly, it doesnt work well with his flipped classroom system. Especially when modules arent prepared for the last 2 units of the course; students have to learn completely by themselves. The setup is frustrating for 95% of students. His multiple grading schemes and posting of past exams is helpful tho .
He's clearly passionate about chemistry and wants others to be too, but his explanations are often overly complicated and not ideal for students who struggle—he tends to expect a deep understanding right away, and you would think so too considering the amount of homework and quizzes But he's a nice and understanding guy, just attend lectures.
I honestly thoroughly enjoyed this class and his teaching, specifically in the orgo sections which is his area. He explained everything well and exactly how you needed to know it for the exams. If you review and practice youll be fine. The labs were also wonderful(even the practical). The modules suck but are so helpful for review before the exams.
Watch the modules and do the practice tests. Lectures are engaging and enjoyable. He connects chemistry to the real world, but the lectures aren't needed to do well. His explanations are ok, but he can sometimes make things complicated, skipping things in his explanation. I used Chad's prep to help understand things a bit better.
may the odds be ever in your favour.
He's nice and I understand he's gotta pay his bills somehow but can he go about it in a way that doesn't traumatize the entire science student body
You know how when you look back at your school years, you always remember that one prof that made your experience that much more miserable? This is one of those cases lol
Do not take this class if you do not have to. Seriously. He goes at the speed of light for lectures, and the course is based on a lab, a midterm, and an exam. He's the main chemistry prof for gen chem and orgo chem, had him both years. I liked chemistry before these classes, but now I hate it.
take it in the summer with a different prof.that simple.
MCMASTER PLEASEEEEE TAKE HIM BACK WE DONT WANT HIM BRO
Liked chemistry until I took his course. Makes you buy a million textbooks for the course, half of which you don't use. This course was like 3 courses in one. If you have the option, switch to Ben's class, he actually takes the time to show you. No amount of homework can help you understand the content and also irrelevant THEORY ALL THE TIME.
Talked too much about theory that was never on any exam.
Worst chemistry course of my life
Posted online "lectures" that were 20 minutes long and recorded years ago. Actual lecture time was spent relating class material to real-life examples. Nothing in the class/lectures was on the exams. To pass the class use textbook and youtube!
Not one to write reviews, but genuinely the worst prof I've ever had to endure. Do not take his class.
he smells fear.
Spend time understanding the modules and you'll be fine. Lectures include random theory which will not be on the exam. Explanations are pretty good, and he will gladly answer any question. Straightforward midterms and exams with a few tricky questions. Sample exams from previous years are indicative of what he will give you.
he is the worst chem prof there is, he doesn't know how to teach effectively and his classes always require you to spend 200 dollars just for access to a textbook which you'll use twice and the homework.
Too much extra stuff. I had to buy TWO textbooks, one of them $70 just for the access code to complete homework. The "lectures" weren't actual lectures, they were just followups to the mandatory 20-30 minute prerecorded ones that consisted mostly of "fun facts" or real world examples from the videos.
This guy is genuinely the only reason I am not in the sciences anymore. Thanks a lot man.
Everyone saying to avoid this class are just lazy, if you spend an hour or two a week watching the modules, go to the lectures, and actually study for the tests, you will do great. He is super passionate about chemistry and basically tells you what will be on the tests. It sucks that his RMP ratings are tanked by a bunch of lazy students.
poopy poop poop
Everything is taught via online modules that are confusing as hell, class time is spent answering questions, which may not sound bad but quite often someone would have a really simple question and he would rant on for 30 minutes talking about nothing. He's not that bad you just need to avoid him if you procrastinate a lot.
PLEASE don't listen to the bad ratings here—most ppl ik who don't like him actually just don't like chem then blame him for the course being hard. like no its just that chem is hard. dave is such a great guy, if you're confused go to office hours!! he'll explain anything to you and it actually makes sense. he cares about what he does and it shows
Professor Brock is always available/helpful during office hours, has straightforward tests with plenty of practice opportunity via past tests and in class problems, and gives generous exam weights and bonuses. Most of the other reviews are frustrated with the course itself as Chem1001 is not easy and requires work in order to succeed.
I've had Brock 2 years straight, Gen Chem and Orgo, and he absolutely knows what he is talking about, and is very open to helping students during office hours. The only downfall is that he knows what he's talking about TOO much and is incredibly fast in his extremely content-heavy lectures. The content itself isnt horrible, just way too speedy.
Okay i had him for gen chem and orgo. For gen chem he was god awful, it was fully based on modules and just did not teach in class, was also hard and unfair in his tests. Legit did not teach AT ALL. Then i had him for orgo (his jam)and he actually made slides and was super fun and helpful. He is a really sweet and SUPER helpful in his office hours
Such an amazing prof. Knows what he's talking about, is passionate, and genuinely cares about how his students do. His office hours are fantastic (he took the time to go through every question I asked one by one-highly recommend), his grading criteria is generous, and his explanations are fantastic. Orgo is very tough but he made it understandable
Had him for both gen chems and orgo. If I were ever to take another chem class, I would hope it would be with him. He cares a lot about his students' understanding and how they're doing in the course. He posts midterms/finals from the years before with solutions as practice. Office hours are welcoming and incredibly helpful. Clearly knows his stuff
Not a good prof at all. Class was based on modules and he wouldn't even teach the class properly neither would Sean Barry. They would just talk about bs, like why am I paying for you not to teach effectively. Also, tests and exams were incredibly hard for a FIRST YEAR CHEMISTRY COURSE. Studied alot but didn't do well because of this.
Overall, the "module" system worked out alright for me. The marking scheme is very forgiving too. My major gripe however is I believe the final exam was not very reflective of what was done in class, and I struggled the most with that. He is a really nice prof though, and if you work hard you'll be able to get an okay mark. Lab portion was my best.
He is a good prof, you can tell he's passionate. His class isn't hard if you do the work. I did not watch the videos or do the homework and I got a C, but I'm sure if I had I would've done better. I almost failed high school chem but if you just do the work you'll be fine. Also everyone saying his class is hard, its chemistry, it just sucks.
all the teaching is done thru online modules and in class talks abt real life applications which are intresting, however absolutely nothing in class is on the midterm/finals/quizzes. Grading was not bad due to the dif marking schemes. for good grades: DO NOT BECOME BEHIND IN THE MODULES. hated the class tbh but brock is nice when you talk to him
Worst teacher I've ever had, uses online lectures for teaching, and in-class lectures are not very useful. Make sure you read the textbook, and do the mastering chem if you can. Do every practice test at least twice
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
52%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
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Declining
-0.25 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM2203
3.0
(42)CHEM2204
2.2
(13)CHEM1002
2.1
(35)CHEM1001
2.1
(104)CHEM1001A
1.8
(24)Difficulty by Course
CHEM2207
5.0
CHM1300
5.0
CHEM2204
4.5
CHEM10011002
4.5
CHEM1001A
4.4