2.4
Quality4.2
Difficulty25%
Would Retake95
Reviews25%
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
14
4
14
3
16
2
12
1
39
What Students Say
“The homework (OWL's) we completely different from the 10”
CHEM108 - 1.0 rating“I would highly recommend taking someone else”
CHEM205 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
65%
Textbook Required
38%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.52 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM325
5.0
(1)CHEMCHEM
4.0
(1)CHEMGEN
4.0
(1)FOUN101
4.0
(2)CHEM101
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEM204
5.0
GENCHEM205
5.0
CHEM215
4.7
CHEM203
4.5
CHEM108
4.3
Reviews (95)
Not a good teacher-- he might know a lot, but doesn't really teach it well. Not very kind, either.
He's not as hard and not as nice as the others. Don't take him for lab. He's not usually kind to girls. Take Dr. Ponder for class.
Jerk...nuff said. For tests all he does for a review is ask if you have questions, if you don't, then he says ok c-ya. No help!
No Comments
He is a great person! ...just not the most effective teacher.
Do not take him. He is not helpful, and he expects you to understand it as soon as he teaches it. Has a way of making you feel stupid.
he was so rude and definitely made you feel so stupid. the fact is i was actually pretty good at chemistry in highschool, and while it wasn't that hard, garza just does nothing to help you - do not get him
Not a good teacher at all!
this guy is a fricken genious ... but he seems to forget that not all entering freshmen or current sophomores have a doctorate in chemistry like he does... he needs to lighten up and not insult people with weird faces when they ask questions... (first grade below a "B" i have ever gotten in my life with this guy)
intimidating-type ****er.. seems to get off on it and enjoy it. not very helpful, generally starts class with "questions" and then looks at you like you are stupid. leans towards the guys.
AWEFUL!!! Do not take this professor if you don't want to make 2 letter grades lower than you usually make. The course is already hard enough, why make it even more difficult with an aweful professor. He does not teach, and he makes fun of you if you ask a question that is below his inteligence level.
Hated this class so much.
I actually enjoyed Dr. Garza's class. He can come across a bit strong, but he does know what he is talking about and can be helpful if you accept the fact that you know nothing about chemistry and he does. His teaching style is clear and he is just...not lenient, but just.
At first, Dr. Garza can come across as very intimidating to his students. Because he is EXTREMELY intelligent in chemistry, he sometimes makes his students feel dumb and not up to standards. He does give practice exams, which are necessities in order to pass his tests. He is probably the best chem prof because he forces his students to learn.
An excellent teacher if you're willing to actually do some college-level work. His class isn't full sunshine and rainbows, but he teaches the curriculum thoroughly and is always open for questions. There is such a thing as a stupid question, and he is not afraid to call people out for asking them. One of the best teacher's I've had.
You will feel like an idiot every single day you are in his class and every time he looks at you. He's a nice man, but unhelpful and intimidating. Tests are DIFFICULT!
Garza's awesome. Period.
Dr. Garza is extremely fair (i.e. you get out what you put in). As with any REAL science, you MIGHT ACTUALLY have to study before the night before the test!! If you go to class, PAY ATTENTION!and stop him to ask questions! I really enjoyed his class! I would recommend him to any serious student!
Dr. Garza really did an excellent job teaching my Organic Chemistry Class. Organic is considered by some to be the "weed-out" course for many wanting to apply for medical school/Grad school. He did an excellent job preparing me for my career!
He is not as bad and mean as everyone says--especially to girls (I would know I am one). If you do the OWLS you will make a good grade because they are just like the tests. Just don't be intimidated and don't ask a question that someone has already asked and he will like you.
Very hard and very unapproachable. He is available for help, but makes you feel ridiculous if you aren't a chemistry genius. Do the owls everyday, and study for his tests like it's your job.
Hardest teacher I've ever had. He made you feel stupid if you asked a question. Lectures are for chem geniuses.Try not to take him if you can avoid it.
He is an awesome teacher, I like him a lot. I haven't had him yet for my classes, but I had him in a lab & he was so helpful. He made everything comprehensive also.
I have him for genchem lab and he is NOT bad like everyone says.. I have actually enjoyed it and he is really nice :) His grading is fair and not that hard! Dont know about him with lectures though.
Very encouraging. Knows
Dr. Garza was a good teacher. I learned a lot in the class. You do have to work to do well. He is very frank when answering questions and he can make you feel like an idiot, but you just have to look past that. very intelligent. a very enjoyable class
I do not recommend taking Dr. Garza. The course is difficult regardless of the teacher you have, however, he made it nearly impossible to pass the class. He was not very helpful and did not respond to my emails. Takes attendance every class. Is not very understanding, and tends to look down on students if they do not fully understand the material.
People don't say the nicest things about Garza but aside from the fact that chemistry is not an easy subject, Garza is very helpful. He provides practice exams, question session before the test, and is open for questions. Don't except to sail through by doing the minimum and don't blame the teacher if you don't put the time in. Great teacher
Prior to beginning my Chemistry class, I had heard bad things but just discredited them. Bottom line: he is a bad teacher. He is smug and is extremely ineffective at teaching his subject. Granted Chemistry is a hard subject, but Garza made it unbearable. He does not take the time to thoroughly explain anything. Prepare to teach yourself.
He is very smart, but not the best teacher. The online homework is your best bet at learning the material. Practice, Practice, Practice. Provides past tests to help you study. He is a really nice man though. Had him for lab too grades hard first lab and easy on the rest.
I am a Pre-pharmacy major, and this class gave me a great foundation in Chemistry. I highly recomend him if you are plannig on going into a medical profession. But be warned, it is an incredibly tough class. Study hard for tests. By the end of this class, you will really understand Chemistry.
Garza is too smart to be teaching. He doesn't explain the curriculum well, nor does he assist well. You may survive if you can teach yourself. Workload is ridiculous.
He is the only professor offered. I had him at 8 am and it was a struggle to get up and go sit in a class that you doesn't help. You must teach yourself. Read the chapters and pay attention when doing the online homework. HW will save you! He uploads past test which help a little. I wouldn't take him if I had a choice.
Make sure you think hard about a question before asking it, because he will make you feel like an idiot b/c he is so smart. If you can get over this fact, then you will be okay because you are going to have to ask him for help if you want to pass and keep asking until you fully understand b/c he does not go over things in class. online HW is a must
If you do the homework and take the time to study for the tests you will get a good grade. It is a hard class, but if you are intending on taking any higher level chemistry classes I would recommend him.
Very smart professor, absolutely cannot teach though. I would highly suggest taking another person for any chemistry.
Chem 205 is obviously a hard class regardless of who you take, but Garza is very good at explaining the material. He puts old tests on Moodle that follow the exact same format as his tests so it is easy to do well on them if you do the practice. He can be kinda mean when you ask questions and make you feel stupid, but I would take him again!
Garza is a bit rude at times. He will answer questions if you ask, but he may make you feel stupid. He can be pretty unforgiving about technical difficulties you have with online HW. He doesn't respond to email well. The online HW will save your life. Ask for help in class, he will answer! But you have to have tough skin.
If you are needing a general education credit, take someone else. He's arrogant and makes students feel dumb. He does not respond to emails and good luck getting help. I would highly recommend taking someone else.
If you want waste your money by enrolling classes that are set up to make you fail take Garza. He is the most arrogant and least helpful professor I hope I ever encounter. He is a bully and makes students feel personally victimized. Avoid at all cost unless you like failing. He makes it impossible to succeed. He ruined an entire year of my life.
One of my least favorite teachers. He is SO hard, and he does not like answering questions. I would advise that you do not take him.
Dr. Garza is a very smart man, let me preface with that. He is SO smart, however, he really can't dumb it down for students. I never had an issue getting him to respond to emails containing questions, but asking questions in class was something I rarely did because he made me feel so stupid. If you're emotionally sensitive, do NOT take his courses.
Dr. Garza is a very good chemistry professor. He is very knowledgable and a good teacher. He does expect you to do the OWLs and those honestly make the test much easier. He also gives previous exams that make the actual test extremely easy. If you want to learn Chemistry, and have a good foundation, take Garza.
He is an amazing professor.
Dr. Garza seems like a scary professor, but he's not. He can seems a little condescending at timesHe is a very smart man, but he struggles to bring the material down to the students' levels. All of his tests are multiple choice which is nice. I would suggest taking him for lab as well because that will give you a chance to actually get to know him.
This class is the worst. If you are taking it online just be prepared for your GPA to be wrecked. Dr. Garza does not help at all and does not put materials on Moodle in a timely fashion. I honestly don't know how this class could be worse than it is, maybe unless you took it in class instead of online -- that would be a major mistake. DON'T DO IT
He can be very rude at some points. He doesn't like to answer questions in class, and gets agitated very easily. The OWL's are long and can be hard but prepare you for the tests. His test are all multiple choice and aren't that hard if you study. He puts up his old exams online and I suggest studying those because they're very helpful.
Dr. Garza taught material well, the only problem was the tests were completely different from everything else he taught us. Different format, material, and formulas. Extremely difficult. About half the class either dropped or failed. He was extremely intimidating and seemed to enjoy embarrassing students. Not personable or relational.
Dr. Garza goes over the major points in class, but then on the tests asks questions on random minuscule things he says you should have learned yourself in the textbook. He is not very friendly and does not seem to care about his students or whether they succeed and actually learn.
well, we never knew what was going on and did not recieve ANY feed back on any assignments. then the day if the final exam we get an email at 5:30 in the morning changing our exam for the 3rd time. would not take him for this class, but when I take chemistry i might take him just because he is know knowledgeable and good at lecturing
I never know what is going on during class, he talks way too fast without giving explanations, and does not respect students questions. Quizzes and tests do not reflect notes in class.
I had it online so the only time I saw him was ec or when I had questions-- if you can take him online do it and go to the tutors. he wants you to do well but if you go to him at the end of semester for help and doesn't know your name you're out of luck. make an effort to get to know him. take online or not at samford- tests don't reflect chapters
Tests and quizzes are very difficult but he is always willing to help you! If you take his class, just make sure you are willing to put in a lot of work and go to him when you have questions. Super nice guy, just a tough class
Dr. Garza is obviously a smart man, but a poor teacher. He is very unaccessible, disrespectful, and doesn't answer questions without making you feel stupid. The OWLS and quizzes cover different material, so although I did very well in the homework my quiz grades were very poor. In the lab, he was hardly even in the room and very disengaged.
Worst teacher ever. I didn't pass any of his tests and when I met with him, he was rude and degrading and implied I didn't have a future in a science major. Transferred to Auburn and got high A's in chem 1 and 2. He's a terrible teacher and it's the norm to not pass his class. A lot of friends failed out of his class but then got A's in Ponders
Take Dr. Ponder if you really want to learn Chemistry and be successful in life.
Honestly he is the only professor I am actually afraid to talk to. Its a flipped class so all of our notes had to be taken before class and his lectures were online and were not very helpful in my opinion. He was not helpful when students asked him questions in class.
Garza is a good professor. Chemistry is just difficult.
Unfortunately, I had no other choice of professor taking chem 108 but if I did I wouldn't choose Garza. The homework (OWL's) we completely different from the 10 ? quizzes every other day and the lecture didnt prepare for the quizzes either. was rude when tried to ask questions. hated this class.
The thing is, hes not willing to help you succeed. I understand chemistry is hard, but he doesnt give a crap to help you. Hes unapproachable and doesnt teach. Hes not a nice guy unless youre already good at chemistry which then youre most likely not asking him for help. Hes the most degrading teacher Ive met at Samford. Dont take him
Dr. Garza cares if you show him that you care in return. He will respect your time if you respect his!
I had him for Chem108 online. He is very smart but does not know how to give positive feedback. I worked extremely hard in this course. I did every homework problem, read the entire textbook with detailed notes, and watched every lecture. When ever I went to see him he made me feel like I was stupid. If you have any other option take it.
NOT a fan of Garza. He is rude, and makes you feel dumb when you go to him with a question. He is not willing to help you improve, and makes you feel scared to ask questions. I wouldn't recommend taking lab with him either. Honestly don't take him at all if you have the option.
This class was not fun. I had to take it for my major and it was hard. Garza is not a good teacher. He does not answer/explain questions well and expects students to know more chemistry than we have been taught. He is not nice when asked questions or a student needs help. Makes you feel dumb. Lab is not hard to pass, but still difficult. Stressful.
I took honors chem and ap chem in high school and did well, so i felt prepared to take this class, and I was for the first several chapters, however when i got to chapters 8-16 we started learning things that we never learned in ap chem. when i went to him for help, he was not helpful and did not act like he cared that i was struggling.
Dr. Garza gets a bad rap- but he is actually really nice. He is blunt but he truly cares about your success. YOU NEED TO SHOW INTEREST- if you put in effort in his class he will make sure it shows in your grade. He was so encouraging to me and motivated me to keep working throughout the semester. Plenty of points offered- just find a way to study.
He is an okay professor. Definitely puts off a scary vibe and isnt afraid to make you cry or feel stupid if you ask a question or express you are confused. I struggled in this class and somehow made an A but it kind of took over my life for a semester. Okay class, just be prepared for a lot of work and having to find your own help.
Dr. Garza's ratings are not really fair. He is aware that he teaches a difficult class, but he is there to better prepare his students for even harder classes, which he definitely does. Even though I didn't make the best grade in the class, I'm not going to act like it was all his fault.
Dr. Garza is pretty scary. I aced all of the lab assignments and bombed the final (like 45%) and still came out okay in the class. He is not approachable and is very intimidating. Good luck if you have to take him
David Garza taught Chem 108 with little to no love for the class. He often canceled class time because he had other obligations or wasn't feeling well. If you tried to contact him about struggling he would send back a short email diverting you to a youtube video about studying hard and still fail. This class taught me little to nothing useful.
Dr. Garza's ratings here are not fair. He literally outlines how to be successful in the class on the syllabus. Follow the checklist on the syllabus before each chapter quiz; you'll be fine. He makes himself very accessible outside of class, and he is so willing to walk you through any concept you're not understanding. It's a normal amount of work.
I would not recommend Garza to anyone. His lectures and the study material he provides does not correlate to the quizzes. He expects you to be an expert in everything. His lectures are poor. He is extremely rude and condescending. I don't feel respected by him or comfortable around him. He is unapproachable. I don't have good things to say.
Garza does not hold lectures, he has online "Q&A sessions" during the time of class, meaning you teach yourself everything and can just ask him for clarification. He was not as rude or threatening as others seem to think, but he is a very dry character. The material is not too hard, but be prepared to read the entire textbook if you want an A
If youre not good at chem, you will struggle in this class. His lectures require extra work and extra reading to fully understand them and still even after that some of the questions on the quizzes are never taught. OWL can be rough, which is a required homework but its an easy grade to get. I suggest emailing him or asking him questions as well.
His class is difficult but he will help you if you work hard. I was on the borderline of an A and he went back with me and helped me find points that would bump me up. overall, i suggest seeking extra help in this class since it is online but he will help you if you need it. Hes not bad as everyone says, he just loves chemistry.
Don't take this professor. Talks down to students when you go for help. Stopped holding class for the last few weeks and makes appointments during class time. you're gonna need a tutor if you take him. 0/10 would not recommend.
Awful experience, doe not teach in person at all and is no help to ANY questions.
I just had him for freshman foundations but he really cares for his students and does everything he can to make sure our transition to college was smooth. Really knowledgeable on everything from samford to Birmingham to pre-med. Easy A, just had to turn in assignments
He has office hours available but even those don't really help. He just tells you to read the book again or do extra work and doesn't actually answer questions. Recently the entire class failed a test and he did offer a redo on canvas but he continued onto the next lesson the next day. He expects us to know what someone with 30yrs of knowledge does
The owls are never like the test, he never taught in class. His lectures were all online and class time was for practice problems and questions, but if you asked a question then you would be ridiculed for not knowing the material.
Dr. Garza is not the best lecturer, and if you ask a question, be prepared because there's a chance he'll treat you like you're stupid. I would say your best resource is the textbook because he is not very helpful.
For FOUN, Dr. Garza was simply okay. He did not interact with the students much at all and our sophomore TA basically led the class. It was easy to get 100's, but he did keep track of attendance. Not a bad choice for FOUN Pre-Health overall if you end up with him.
Garza completely changed from when I took him for Chem 203 to Chem 205. He is extremely caring and easily accessible outside of class. Garza is extremely informative when you ask questions and really wants to help you learn. He's a precious person now and I highly recommend taking him for any Chemistry class.
Chemistry is inevitably going to be difficult, but Garza does a good job of giving you the information you need to know for the test and only expanding on it if you ask. He does a flipped classroom, so you watch lectures before and just work problems in class, which is nice to get practice for the exams.
Professor Garza is by far the worst professor I have had at Samford. In addition to a lazy and incomplete teaching style, he is extremely rude and degrading to students. On multiple occasions, he has blamed students for his own mistakes and verbally degraded them in front of other students. If taking Chem 205/07,or 310/11, I recommend ANYONE else.
This is actually for CHEM 207. Dr. Garza has destroyed any mental health I had before this class. To know Dr. Garza is to know no peace. I know that you read these, Dr. Garza, and this is not a personal attack as much as it is me venting about how awful this class has been for me. I did everything he said to do with no rewarding results.
I had Dr Garza for Chem 207, in my opinion his online lectures that he posts on canvas are more helpful than an in class lecture. Everything on the canvas lectures is explained very thoroughly, and you can go back to watch them whenever. Only negative thing is that he can tend to be rude to students at times.
Dr. Garza is fine when he's in a good mood, however, he does very little teaching and gives little to no explanation of the material. He gets frustrated and is demeaning when you ask questions. Be prepared to teach yourself the material. Overall, I really don't think he is a bad person, but he seems like he loves chemistry and hates teaching.
Dr Garza has been my fav professor so far! Caring but doesn't sugarcoat things which I think people mistake for rudeness. Do what's expected (office hours/lectures/aktiv) and he will like you. People don't like him bc they blame him for their unpreparedness. Stay on top of lectures and you'll do great. Tests r similar to practice ones and aktiv!!!!
His class is really, really hard, but he teaches it really well, and I enjoy the flipped classroom.
Guys he's the nicest man ever he's just very straightforward. If you work hard he 100% respects that and wants to help you succeed. But if you're lazy or plan to play the victim then don't bother taking him.
For 207: if you don't have to take him, don't. If you do, here's how to pass: ChatGPT is your friend, Garza doesn't teach. Upload hw problems and have it walk you through similar ones to learn He often confuses you further by answering questions, only ask as a last resort. On periodic table, write down not just formulas, but all memory stuff🫡
All lectures are videos outside of class that you watch on your own time. There are additional homework problems on top of that, as well as textbook reading every day. In class, you do practice problems online. Dr. Garza comes off very intimidating, making it challenging to approach him. Do good on the first test because it only gets worse.
worst class ive ever taken
The professor was rude, unreliable, and very blunt. He taught as if everyone was on the same level as him, with no sympathy or remorse for those who were behind. Even if he did not mean to, he caused students to lose their confidence and doubt themselves when they did not understand the material.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
65%
Textbook Required
38%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.52 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM325
5.0
(1)CHEMCHEM
4.0
(1)CHEMGEN
4.0
(1)FOUN101
4.0
(2)CHEM101
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEM204
5.0
GENCHEM205
5.0
CHEM215
4.7
CHEM203
4.5
CHEM108
4.3