Very good professor. Though he wasn't the head professor for the class, he very well could tackle the job.

Ahhh! And its only the beginning!

Best professor I've had so far

He's the best!

great!

Very helpful. Awesome guy.

Don is the chemistry GOD!

Don is THE DON OF CHEMISTRY

FUNNY - WILL MAKE YOUR DAY! He definately loves chemistry and knows what he is doing.. Extremely helpful..take advantage of office hours.. tests are very hard - STUDY!! Cares about your grades as much as you do so ask him for help (I went to see him every week!)

GREAT PROFESSOR...HARD TESTS..TRICKY TOO.. BUT HOMEWORK AND QUIZES GIVE A GOOD CHANCE TO BRING GRADE UP.. C IS DEFINALTELY THE LEAST GRADE YOU SHOULD GET...TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OFFICE HOURS AND/OR NON-OFFICE HOURS..HE IS AN AWESOME GUY! POSSIBLY THE BEST PROFESSOR I HAVE MET SO FAR IN MY LIFE!

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME PROF EVER!

Best demos ever. Great Great teacher

Just great.

Never seen a professor like him!! he is just the best - halirious, awesome, knows what he is doing and loves chemistry you can tell.. Tests are extremely hard but averages are pretty low anyways.

What to say about him... you have not seen awesome until you see him! Extremely helpful (I went to his office EVERY WEEK!) and very nice. Tests are equally tough!!! (class averages were usually 50% or so.)

clear, knows how to explain. give examples, fun demos, awesome person!

Amazing professor! Interesting lectures, cool demos, clear explanations and good examples. Highly reccommended. LOVE LOVE LOVE

awesome professor. Thats it. His exams are very hard but there are sweeeet curves. Very helpful but can go fast in his lectures and lectures are a must attend, or you can be screwed for the exams.

GREAT!!

Awesome guy. If you don't get something during lecture, just go to his office hours. He's extremely helpful. Lectures are generally fun because he is always doing some experiment or blowing up something...

Really cool professor. awesome demos, keeps things interesting. It is a pretty tough class though, no doubt about it.

Great professor. HE can make esreything seem so eay and understandable but dont be fooled because when the exam comes you will feel like u didnt understand anything. But still a great class.

A GREAT professor! goes through materials really fast, but just go to office hours. explains materials very well during office hours. exams are very hard. fairly difficult class in general.

Very fun prof, does a lot of BOOM heavy demos in class, so you can't nod off. Explains things very well.

He is a very easy to understand professor. He strives to make sure his students understand the material. Tests incorporate multiple choice and 2-3 problem questions at the end, which help your understanding of the topics. Overall a wonderful professor. I only wish he would go back to teaching CHEM 202 so I could have him next year too!

I loved Decoste. Considering the amount and extent of info learned in 202, He was a magician. He was really helpful in 203 as well, because my TA was a joke. He can clearly explain concepts and is very availible if you need help. He's always around. I don't have his class now, but I still see him strolling by Chem Annex.

well... after hearing soo much good stuff abou him ... i agree hes a GREAT professor BUT ... he has this thing of not deriving stuff and not teaching WHY something happens .. hes always like "It happens"... personally i like the "derivation" kinda way.. but hes not big on that at ALL.. i'd say professor brubele for 202 was MUCH MUCH better

Best Chem prof on campus, hands down!

He explains everything really well. He is clearly passionate about what he teaches. The class is a lot of fun.

Professor Decoste was the best professor I've ever had.

I'm gonna chime in here and agree that he is one of the BEST professors I've ever had. I'm a business major and I was really scared to take this class but he made it so much easier. Excellent explainer and very helpful

Great lectures, always interesting. Take his class and make sure you go, and you'll learn a great deal.

It felt like going back to high school. It feels like you are taught to the exam, which while it gives easy exams, it gives an unsatisfying feeling. People were raving about how great Decoste was which left me feeling a bit underwhelmed when he wasn't better. He's a really fun professor, but his actual teaching isn't anything extraordinary.

He's one of the best Chem professors

Makes class fun

Probably the best professor I have ever had. I would actually look forward to his class because he was so enjoyable to listen to and be around. He loves what he does and loves his students. Our tests were straightforward multiple choice questions and a few difficult free response questions, but nothing too difficult.

Decoste is a good professor who explains concepts very well. He is currently my best professor, and I don't mind going to his class even though I'm not a big fan of chemistry. His exams are challenging but not impossible, if you go to class and do the homework you'll be fine.

Dr. DeCoste is an incredible professor. He takes a much more holistic approach to chemistry rather than strictly mathematical. You can learn so much in this class because he encourages you to understand material, not memorize. Overall, PHENOMENAL.

DeCoste was definitely one of the best teachers I have ever had. Coming into the class I hated chemistry but he was somehow able to get me to look forward to coming to lecture. Now if that's not incredible I don't know what is.

Definitly a class I enjoyed. He would always do the pop bottle before class and it immediatley got everyones attention. Funny guy and a great teacher, down to earth + helpful. The material admittedly is not a cakewalk but he does a great job and TAs were very helpful as well. If anyone gets BRANDEN ITO as ta you are lucky!!!!!!

Haven't had a better professor for any class on campus so far. Don's by far the most enthusiastic, energetic professors on campus, not to mention fun! His demonstrations are like magic.. but when you get down to it, its all chemistry!! A true gem amongst university instructors.

Very enthusiastic and fun! Really wants to teach chemistry and make sure his students understand the fundamentals. Only his first year teaching 104, but did a great job. Most definitely recommend as a chemistry professor.

Decoste is a fantastic professor. Although his lectures are a bit vague relative to the detail on the exams, he's very helpful in office hours and is always willing to meet outside of his OH's or lecture. I would definitely recommend taking any class with him.

Best professor I have ever had.

It's quite obvious that he loves his career, which, I believe, makes him better at it. He does many demonstrations to illustrate the material he's going over. He's always urging people who have trouble to come to office hours or make an appointment- very helpful.

DeCoste is an awesome professor; he made lectures real interesting and he was a pretty funny guy. He is definitely easy to approach and very helpful. I don't remember his exams being hard at all, but rather really easy, compared to Dr. Ray

Chem Lab is SO time-consuming for the 1 hour credit. ALWAYS have your lab notebook completely prepared so that you can finish your labs & don't forget to do your IVLs. Luckily, labs are every other week and your grade is curved so don't worry about which TA you get. Decoste prepared helpful video resources for each lab and is good at explaining.

Best teacher I have had. College chemistry as a freshman is very intimidating. However he is probably the most helpful teacher i have ever had. He has genuine interest in your success. Show interest early on in class. If you care about the class he will care about helping you.

this class is a lot of work. stay on top of your readings, do all your homework and labs on time and you should be okay. Decoste is literally one of the nicest professors you'll ever have. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS OFFICE HOURS. he is so willing to help and breaks things down into the simplest of terms for you. Probably my favorite teacher at U of I.

Decoste goes above and beyond traditional chemistry teaching methods, but the student must also study in the same way.

Great lectures, very live with demonstrations. Professor DeCoste emails you back within 2 hours (amazing!) with a clear explanation. Knows the content through and through. Tests are EXTREMELY hard.

Dr. Decoste is a great professor! His lectures are fun and he knows how to grab your attention with his demos. He truly is inspirational and even though the course is tough, he's always there to help you if you show that you are interested and willing to put in the work. Don't be intimidated to go to office hours or ask him questions after lecture!

Dr. Decoste will go above and beyond for his students without hesitation. His tests are a bit difficult, but he does cover everything in lecture. As long as you attend lecture and keep up with homework and quizzes, the tests won't be too surprising. Also, the textbook is rarely used.

Dr. Decoste is a great professor! His lectures is interesting and he'll use demos to grab your attention. He covers everything in the lecture and his explanation is clear. I've never been to his office hours but I heard from my classmates that he's ready to help you with your questions. Midterm exams are hard but final exam is not that hard.

Decoste is awesome! His lectures are always entertaining and informative, and he is incredibly helpful in office hours. That said, his classes are tough and he makes you really work for your grade. Difficult, but fair.

READ THE TEXTBOOK! HE WROTE IT! Show up to class and make sure you are talking to him, he is super helpful if you ask for help, so ask!

I promise you'll regret it someday if you ever skip any of his lectures. I have graduated and moved on from chemistry however that class was hands down the best class of my student career. I'll never forget it. Decoste was the best professor I ever had.

Dr. Decoste is super good with answering your questions even when you go to his office when its not office hours. Make sure to use your resources such as the Chemistry learning center and the teaching assistants. Don't procrastinate until the day before the exam.

He's a great teacher. Read the book and do the challenge problems if you want to pass.

He's a great teacher. Read the book and do the challenge problems if you want to pass. The exams are hard

He is an amazing professor; however, the lecture material never coincides with the homework or discussions very well. He lectures at a slower pace than the pace of the material given. So expect a lot of personal learning and studying.

His exams are super hard, our class averages were always failing or even below 50%. His lectures aren't super helpful but he knows what he is talking about. Make sure to really understand all of the homework problems because he likes to put them on quizzes and exams. People told me to take anyone but Hummel, but I think I would have preferred him.

Amazing guy and amazing teacher but you have to absolutely give it your all if you wanna do well. He likes to test you on why you do something so make sure you completely understand the idea behind the concept instead of just learning how to do it.

Don is such a great professor! You can tell how much he genuinely cares that his students are learning, and he is very enthusiastic about teaching. He answers questions well and is always very organized. However, exams are painfully difficult. You need to study a lot to do well.

Dr. DeCoste tries to keep the class interested by his practical examples. He literally blows the class up. He is really interested with the class and he loves his students. GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS. It is like a free private lesson if you're lucky. Plan to go early because it tends to be full. Nonetheless, his exams are not easy, but still doable.

This man is one of the greatest professors I have come across in my time at UIUC. It is evident that he cares enormously about his students, and wants the best for them. However, his class is tough as hell. You will not succeed if you are not willing to work for it. Being Decoste's student was worth every tear shed during the semester.

Dr. Decoste is a great guy that's willing to help whenever you need it! In the beginning, don't take that for granted! His tests are very conceptual consisting of FRQs and multiple choice. THIS IS NOT A MEMORIZING CLASS! be prepared to read, seek help, and go to office hours. Decoste is a great lecturer and answers all questions in class.

Fun teacher but very hard course without AP Chem.

Decoste is a really great professor! He does fun experiments & cares for his students, so if you're struggling, talk to him. However, I wouldn't recommend taking this unless you have a solid chem background. I had taken chem my sophomore year of hs and it's not enough for you to pass this class. If you're a ChemE, try the other sequence of classes

Amazing professor that specializes in educational research!

One of the best professors in the department. Read the textbook and study the challenge problems he assigns because those are similar to the level of difficulty as his test. Online quizzes are hard so work together with friends on them.

Decoste is a great professor and super helpful in office hours. Pay attention in class and learn to use his methods, because that's the only way you'll survive his tests. He can speak quickly sometimes, but don't be afraid to ask questions because he's really nice.

DeCoste prepares his students for challenging material and critical thinking; he deserves his role as an education specialist. He is a perfect example of firm yet fair; his tests are challenging and make you relate concepts in nearly every way possible. At the same time, he is very caring and approachable. He's an outstanding undergrad instructor.

Lots of amazing experiments in lectures, but the lectures are not so organized. Office hours are super helpful. Tests are easy if you did all the homework and understood how to apply the concepts.

A fantastic professor. Good at speaking. So great.

Prof. DeCoste is amazing, he clearly knows what hes doing and always willing to help. GO TO OFFICE HOURS!! Do not fall behind in this class. If you do, say goodbye to your GPA. This class is accelerated for a reason and it helps to know your stuff before hand. He is funny and understanding. Go to lecture, if anything, he blows stuff up.

Great explanations in class. Lots of material to go through, but he still takes the time to answer student questions and do demos at the end of most lectures. He has a dad's sense of humor (go figure) and genuinely cares about his students as if they were his own kids. Great professor to have, real pleasure to be in his class. Watch the videos!

Dr. DeCoste is a great professor and he gives clear lectures. Tests are not so hard and he curves a lot so the average should be around 85 or so. He is patient on answering students' questions during office hours and he really makes his student learn a lot from his instruction.

Go to office hours, do all the homework provided and the practice tests. The grade is based primarily on exams, which test your ability to solve a lot of difficult problems relatively quickly. Knowing Decoste's methods help, and he works through problems during office hours. Take notes during lecture as he goes over problems he expects you to know.

I love him.

Amazing lectures!! He really knows what he's talking about. He's funny at times and really makes sure we're understanding the material.

He's a very good lecturer. The tests are kind of hard but he curves the hell out of them, so it's fine

Dr. DeCoste explains everything so well and clearly. There is a great amount of work for this class, but if you know to how study smart and hard, you can succeed. Lectures aren't mandatory, but they're totally worth going to. Don't just read the textbook and watch the videos as if you have to, make sure you understand the material thoroughly.

Go to his office hours so he knows your name. He really wants to help people. Don't worry about looking stupid or anything. His class is hard and the grades reflect that but the final is a lot easier than all of the unit tests so take that into account before dropping

Don Decoste is an absolute legend. If I could give more than five stars, I would. Thats not to say this is an easy class. Its very hard, but thats because he believes in the value of teaching skills like problem solving instead of memorizing random facts. Lectures are always engaging, informative, and very entertaining. 10/10 would take again!

9000/10 the absolute best professor that I've ever had in my life. Ever. I had him for CHEM 202 and CHEM 204. Although it may seem like you shouldn't have taken the class if/when you don't get great grades, DeCoste challenges you to think in ways no other class you ever take will which will benefit you more than you think later on in life.

He is just beyond description, no words for complement in my mind could come up cuz they are not that enough to depict how amazing he is

I had Dr. DeCoste for CHEM 202/204 this year, and he is the most inspirational teacher I've had. Without AP Chem, I started out behind but caught up. Go to his office hours! He genuinely cares and wants to help. He's an amazing person, and teaches problem solving rather than memorization. I've never learned as much in a year as I did in his class.

This man is so amazing.... I don't think I'll ever have a professor this great for the rest of my college career. He clearly cares about helping his students out and gives credit where credit is due. His demonstrations are super fun and also really educational. Awesome guy all around.

Dr. Decoste holds himself and his students to the highest of expectations. The grading seems harsh because of the level of talent in CHEM 202 and 204 at UIUC, but through devotion to not just the provided materials but also the concepts themselves, any student can excel in his class. He may be the greatest and most exciting professor on campus.

Nice teacher, Good lecturer, Tough exam maker. You may struggle but you will definitely learn a lot and a lot.

Don is great. This class doesn't just teach chemistry but enhances your ability to think. My main critique is FRQ grading standards; there wasn't much feedback and there were no keys.

Dr. Decoste is an excellent professor who truly believes in teaching his students actual problem solving and concepts and not making them memorize garbage for a month. He certainly makes difficult test questions, but there is a very generous curve to compensate so the averages for tests end up in the C-B range. Go to office hours as well!