2.2
Quality4.3
Difficulty32%
Would Retake88
Reviews32%
Would Retake
88
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
9
4
7
3
16
2
17
1
39
What Students Say
“Awful email etiquette”
CHM2325 - 1.0 rating“however the time it takes to fully understand the labs is horrible”
CHM2523 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.37 avg changeRatings by Course
CHM3526
3.3
(3)CHM2133
3.0
(1)CHM3126
3.0
(6)CHM2123
2.1
(57)CHM2523
2.1
(18)Difficulty by Course
CHM2325
5.0
CHM3526
4.7
CHM2120
4.5
CHM3126
4.5
CHM2123
4.3
Reviews (88)
Frank is the lab Coordinator for CHM 2123 / 2523. He is so TOUGH - the final is absolutely mad and you need to know a lot of general chemistry. Very rude in person and during office hours, is vary vague in his answers.
He's a nice guy, his final exam is pretty bad tho. However the final will be worth only 30%, so the other 70% will be from labs that will be marked by TA's, practicals, and other online assignments. This mark you get in this class really depends on who your TA is, so it's truly by luck. About the final, it was pretty hard, but I know he bell curves
I rarely write negative reviews, but man oh man did I not enjoy having him as lab coordinator. Whenever I asked him a question, he always answered me in such an arrogant and rude way. The final was so TOUGH, UNREASONABLE and UNFAIR. We quite FRANKly were ill prepared for it. The exam was nothing like the practice and the review session was a joke
He yelled at me in front of my whole lab section for having the heat too high during a reaction. BUT, the two practical midterms are not. Its a minimum 70, usually if you know what youre doing in terms of setting up lab apparatus and such. The final is the hardest exam Ive ever done due to grade inflation. Sadly you cant take another lab, GL.
This course is definitely not easy but if you do the work, you can do well in the class. François made the practical midterms much easier than the past years practicals. He is very good at explaining concepts during his review. His exam was hard but not unreasonable at all. Every question on it was stuff that we learned and nothing was a surprise.
Avoid this prof at all cost. Not reasonable, FINAL EXAM nothing like the review, the review was basic chem information HOWEVER he made the exam like if we have a depth comprehension of chemistry. The exam was more like a chemistry exam not like a lab exam. The lab were fine but the final was the hardest thing I did so far in uni. Enjoy
Idk what the person before me just wrote, but the final exam, according to 99% of the students, was brutal. Yes the practicals were easy, but they are very TA dependant (not a single person in my section got over an 85). I hope Frank understands that the final was very difficult and bell curves it.
The lab reports were ok. The lab practicals were easy. The final was really brutal and just awful. Despite reviewing everything he told us to, doing a past exam, and going to his review session, I doubt I even passed the final. The exam was mostly based on theory rather than the practical aspect (which is the entire course).
If you wish to be healthier in 2020, don't take this class. Change programs if you need to. Before you even get to your first lab you have a lot of work to do, and even with a lot of effort this class is TA dependant. Grading criteria and feedback are very poor and sometimes absent. The theory for labs is never clear. Reports are nightmares. Enjoy!
Ok, first off I want to say that yes, this course was difficult because there were a lot of labs, and the final was tough. But Francois was trying his best. He did not have a lot of ressources that were given to him beforehand and funding to find more TAs. This caused the course to be a bit chaotic at times, but he tried his best. Hes not bad.
honestly, this guy managed to turn a reasonable semester into one of the heaviest and worst thus far. when they went on strike it was like a breath of fresh air and now that we're back its suffocating. a good thing is that he has a lot of available information in brightspace. however the time it takes to fully understand the labs is horrible.
As far as teaching goes, Magnan is by far the most incompetent, inadequate I have endured - It is an embarrassment someone so educated can be so boorish. Sassier than a 13 y/o girl, he thinks he's hilarious by having characters in his questions. No one is laughing, Frank. Should not be allowed around students. Awful email etiquette. Who hurt you?
ultra strict grading. lab reports are at least sixteen pages and ten hours of work. extremely bad final. and super rude, like for what.
this lab was one of the worst things i've ever experienced. the reports nearly killed me and the final was insane. the tas would tell me one thing and frank would say the opposite honestly i think he's making me bald prematurely. also there's a comment that says to switch programs to avoid this class. i didn't take it seriously but you should.
The labs were extremely vague and hard to execute unless doing your own protocole in advance. The final exam was way too long.
Im not too sure why this prof is still employed at the university. Lab reports are longer than the Great Wall or China and TAs act as if they are petty high school mean girls. Franc is so sassy I cant even believe it. Regina George was a sweetheart compared to him. Id rather get run over by 3 trucks then write that final again. RIP yall.
Who hurt you Dr. magnan... who hurt you? You ruined my career, semester, degree! Shame on you.
Frank is the least empathetic prof/coordinator I have ever met. I'm pretty sure I got a decent grade but he is a very tough grader and his exams are death. You will literally fail if you don't study properly. Even if you do study, this class was a nightmare. The practical was fine but the final needs atleast 6h to write.
Respectively, I am the type of person to look for the pros in every professor regardless of all of the cons that are presented. In this case, no pros even existed. I really disliked this professor. I sent an email to ask a simple question and he was just so utterly disrespectful and rude. Francois if youre watching this, do better!
The course was given online. The videos presenting the labs were really useful for the most part and the pre-labs and reports were long to do but were not extensive once you understand the theory behind it. The last 2 labs were a bit rushed due to the strike, but overall the course was well done.
We had 5 prelabs and lab reports which had clear instructions. Lab reports were more like a long worksheet instead of a formal lab report and I found that those made the content easier to understand. Final exam was very long and probably my only complaint! Easy A if you put in the work.
If you dont need to take this course, dont. If you do need to, then GOOOODDD LUCK!! The course load was wayyyy too heavy and the final was nearly impossible to complete within 3 hrs. Dr. Frank speaks in a very condescending tone and makes you feel stupid if you ask him a question. The TA were very contradictory in their marking scheme as well.
The content of the class was very organized in Brightspace. But the material to cover was extensive, even for someone studying part time. The final exam was mostly about theory and ressembled the questions in the lab reports. But, Dr. Magnan mislead us in two ways: the exam was extremely long and the review paper he sent was also misleading.
Dr. Magnan is a super cool guy and tries to my O chem fun. But oh gosh the work for this class is insane. Lab reports that are 20 pages long, prelabs that are graded and you only have two days to do them, getting your lab notebook ready for each lab. It's insane. Exam was sort of what was expected but WAYYY too long. I hope he curves is all.
This class is BRUTAL. The reports take hours to complete. He had office hours set up to ask extra qs that were helpful. The course is well organized+he posts vids on theory that are useful, but your grade depends on your TA. Also the final is nearly impossible to complete in 3 hrs! He said it should take 1.5 lol... never trust his time estimates!
This years online lab was a little different. Pre lab report had to be handed in before your actual lab a bunch of videos had to be watched and resumed in your note book to see if youre ready for the weeks lab oh youre also graded on if you know what youre doing in the lab. Lab reports were long. EXAM horrible. Dont recommend teacher or class
Yes, the lab reports were long and so were the prelabs. The final was too long, just hoping for a curve at this point. But the midterm was justified and so was the course content. You also cannot deny the effort that went into the videos and lab manuals. I think the course is just rough around the edges.
A Heavy course indeed, however the course is Straightforward in itself, with clearly organizedand material are all good quality. The report is long and tedious, since it's questionnaire based, however it is much easier to write than the formal report. Dr frank has made course better and easier than from past lab coordinator
This course was very organized. Videos posted were incredibly helpful to prepare for the in person labs. Reports are long, but no longer than the average report. Material reflected orgo 2 well and open book relieved the stress. Exam was fair for time given considering its open book. If you dont like chem you wont like the class but great prof.
Lab reports were in a questionnaire format, which was great to lead you on what it was you needed to take from the lab. Dr. Frank was really clear throughout the semester in his communication, especially through the strike. Very helpful when he came around group to group with his leading questions
350 characters is not enough to showcase how bad of a "professor" that he is. I would rather have switched my degree than take this class.
To people who are considering this class next semester: NO! Avoid at all cost. Med school doesn't require this course. I took this course as an elective and it's the biggest mistake in my undergrad career. Before quarantine starts, we have 2 practicals and I got an F because it's impossible to finish. Final exam is designed to fail you. Worst prof.
If this class is optional for you I don't recommend it. This class was very tough and the prof wasn't clear in his announcements and tests at all! Practical was fine but the final too long it was impossible to finish. He's very mean in his emails and believes that the answer is obvious... like we know everything. Worst class ever.
This class was ridiculously hard. The final was insanely long and hard. The lab reports were also extremely hard.
Reasonable for a 2nd year chemistry course. Labs are not bad, if you get a good ta!! (If not, good luck). He is pretty reasonable and cares about his students. He posts videos of all lab techniques which were super helpful. You definitely have to commit and study for this course if you want a good grade. Only complaint, final exam was too long
AVOID AT ALL COST. Lab are way too long, exam is insanely long and the teacher is condescending. Good luck getting a good mark with him! Just avoid and you will have a great year. Many 4th year students couldn't even answer the question given by the teacher SMH.
Time management is really important in this course so dont take it lightly. Definitely a step up from the labs in second year (as expected) but will give you lots more technical lab skills.
He is rude. He just acts like the person in from of him is a secondary school student. The laboratory sections are hard and if you are not into chemistry, it is really hard to be focused because it requires to write a lot of report and prelab.
This class is god awful. Prelabs too long, lab itself was fine but the reports were super long. The prof is difficult to contact, and rude about SASS. He provides no notice of what will be on the exams/practical. CHANGED the practical to an entire lab done alone with no procedure which will be impossible since in pairs it takes 3 hours to do.. help
Professor Magnan is unable to answer questions without being condescending. He makes every student feel incompetent and will raise his voice if he see's that you are doing the wrong thing. Do not attempt to ask him any questions of any kind, he won't answer the question but instead, make you feel stupid for not knowing the answer. Avoid him!
Dr. Frank gives us really good videos describing all the lab techniques. And his lab manuals are written in a language that is easy to understand (at least the french one). He often has office hours, where he's available for questions. The only thing is that the grading is so specific the in reports/pre-labs. Its almost impossible to get all points
The class is not as bad as people make it out to be, but is not amazing. 1) Tons of work to be done. Pre labs and Labs are like 5-7 hours of work bi weekly if done with a partner. 2) Often random questions that require external research. 3) Frank feels quite condescending, and if you ever need to ask a question, be prepared. 4) Exam is hard.
Did not really connect with the professor as a person because he is kind of condescending, but he explains very well and the course material are really developed (videos and manuals for the labs are very clear). Grade mostly depends on your T.A.
Prelabs and lab reports are a lot of work but not impossible (aside from the post-lab questions). Actual procedures were not too tricky. Grading is tough. Actual lab experience is mostly dependent on the quality of your TA (and lab partner). Practical exam was very reasonable but the final was long and difficult.
This class is the epitome of luck. If your TA is great, everything will be fine! If your TA sucks, then you're kinda screwed. The worksheet prelabs and reports are kinda hard, but they mostly soak up a lot of time. You should budget accordingly! The practical wasn't too bad but the final is always a killer. Try to know your nmr and pkas well!
The class itself was very interesting, the laboratory material is quite neat and you get to apply what you learn in intermediate organic chemistry. That being said, the lab is very hard, there is a lot of work involved with prelabs, lab reports, time consuming experiments. This lab is not for everyone but if you are interested it could be quite fun
Incredibly terrible professor. Doesn't teach well, doesn't care about his students, and has high expectations for a 2000-level undergraduate course.
Huge workload, and he's not very helpful or particularly nice to students. The TA makes the actual lab portion good, but again there is so much to do for this class, with little assistance or interaction with the actual prof. If this course isn't mandatory for you, do not take it.
Dr franck puts in a lot of effort into the course .The material is well written and always helpful, he also has a bunch of videos explaining theory concepts related to the experiences .That being said this is by nature a very tough course , labs and reports are long and hard, .The TA lab partner you get will make or break your experience.
He's really not as bad as other ppl say and he really knows his stuff, the videos associated with the labs are extremely helpful so definitely watch them. The lab reports aren't awful but still not easy, and I will continue to have nightmares ab the pre labs. Final was awful, pls study the hardest you've ever studied.
The class is pretty luck dependent. You can get a bad lab partner/TA or get a 0 on your TA evaluation because someone in your section threw a chemical in the wrong bucket (happened to me twice costing me 3 marks on my final grade). Other than that, decent professor, approachable, and explains concepts clearly. The final was hard but fair.
Avoid if optional. The course is FAR too time consuming, expect it to affect all other courses. Time and effort invested did not equate to reflected grades. Prelabs are extensive and lab reports are very time consuming (lots of data analysis and literature search). The lab time itself is busy and draining, no chance to sit down for a minute in 6hrs
He posts videos online of him teaching. They're all super long, useless and I don't find he teaches well. He's condescending/rude so I hate asking him questions. The lab is really strict so you can't f*k up. I was lucky to have a good TA to help and answer questions. The class itself is very demanding, but still much better than a lecture.
Yes his videos are long, but definitely worth it. I made the mistake of not watching them at the beginning, which made the lab reports hard. In the end everything came together because of the videos. He's strict with lateness of anything, so make sure you're on top of it.
The prof has many videos explaining the theory. The pre-labs are open book without a time limit. The lab reports are quite long (15-20 pages) but you can split the work with your lab partner. He also offered review material and zoom sessions to help prepare for the final written exam and gave a clear idea of what the practical exam would look like.
This course was miserable. I felt faint and dehydrated each lab (6 hours) and had awful leg pains at the end of the day. It was such a stressful environment. Each prelab was close to 20 pages. 3 lab reports due on the same day each block was so overwhelming and unmanageable. Have to come in outside of class time to conduct instrumental analysis.
Your experience for this class highly depends on your TA + lab partner. As far as lab coordinators go, Dr Frank is solid. He's organized, his pre-lab vids + manuals are helpful, and he's accessible outside of the lab. His review sessions prior to the written final are also very helpful. This class is inherently difficult, but Dr Frank is very fair.
Labs SEEM straightforward but the lab manual is incredibly vague for the specific questions that are asked on lab reports. Lab reports are a nightmare and take anywhere between 8-10 hours, sometimes more, per week. I had to do a ton of extra learning outside of the course to get the grade I did, major shout out to the CHM help center who saved me
Pray you get a good TA because it will make your life so much easier. The lab reports are full of questions that require you to do lots of research and won't be answered through the videos he posts on brightspace. Make sure you're prepared for the labs or you'll be there until the very end.
Underrated coordinator for the lab. The course is quite difficult and many people aren't prepared which I think is what makes up most of the negative reviews. However, he provides a lot of material for your success. His videos are very helpful and he is very organized. The labs are optimized to the max so it generally runs very smoothly.
Great lab coordinator. He's very accessible and helpful though he can be quite sassy if you ask a silly question, so be prepared. Put in the effort (watch his videos!) and you'll do very well. Reports and prelabs are long and there's some vague wording, but overall reasonable. Practical exam was straightforward and the final was also very fair.
Would not take this lab with 4 other classes, as it took almost all my time this semester. The videos are super helpful and a good amount of prelab answers are found in them. He's pretty fair with grading. Reports were not necessarily hard, just extraordinarily time consuming. Post-labs were hard. Final was similar to the old exams he posted.
While most of the things you need to answer the lab reports are in the theory given, sometimes you need to find the answers online (in scientific articles). So don't try to dig too deep in the theory to answer a question if you're stuck. If need be, come to his desk (at the front) to ask a question because he'll take forever to answer your email.
I really loved Dr. Frank. He runs tough labs but his labs are the most organized out of any lab coordinator that I've had. I feel as though the post labs are very difficult making it hard to get an A+. The final exam was super long. You can expect to write until the very last minute. The course is stressful but you will learn a lot!
His course instructions were clear, but SASS students were not given their academic accommodations for the practical exam. Not sure how this is allowed, especially considering all the safety issues that students can run into, if not properly accommodated in a lab environment. But yeah, if you're disabled, good luck.
He is so mean, he has zero compassion or empathy.
This class was a nightmare. Please don't take it if you don't have to. Your mark on the reports is wholly dependent on your TA. Our TA was awful, the marking criteria is extremely unclear.
honestly i was super disappointed from the final exam yesterday. i thought i felt prepared enough… it was the biggest bait. ofc to proceed to the next question, you need to understand a). if not, you're f'd basically. the labs were cool though.
The class itself was hard but well organized, if you try you will do good. Otherwise, this was the worst prof I've ever had. He lacks empathy and kindness, which made the learning environment very difficult. Although his passion for chemistry is evident, teaching is not the right fit for him. I hope he learns to understand the impact of his words.
He does not seem overjoyed at the idea of teaching. Your grade will depend mostly on the TA, apart from the final exam which is very different to the rest of the session. Use the online ressources and give yourself time for the reports, the questions can be tricky.
Final was extremely difficult. Reports are long and can be difficult as well. He is very strict and can be intimidating.
Prof demands that if you miss his class due to illness you email him within 8 hours, otherwise he gives you a zero on your entire lab, without the chance for a makeup or to drop the grade (even if you have medical documentation). I took this course and it was way more fun and interesting under a different prof. Rudest academic I ever encountered.
Rude and dismissive of students. If you don't have to take anything with him, avoid it. Content is not overly hard if you put the time into it, but the amount of time it takes is not worth it, and much more than you will need to input for any other course. Overall bad attitude makes a poor learning environment and comes off as condescension.
It's my second time taking a lab with Dr. Frank, and I really don't see how someone could rate him badly. He gives access to free videos that he makes himself to help with any task he gives. His labs and assignements can be challenging, but if you put the work in you will do well. He's a chill prof, you can definitely learn a lot from him!
Warning ⚠️, this professor humiliated me by judging my pronouns. I would never take his class again and would not recommend him. I will soon report him to admit.
Labs weren't bad, make sure to watch videos posted on brightspace. Lab report was long, try writing it with ur partner. Grade heavily depends on TA. Final somewhat looked like the practice exam he posted, some questions felt like no amount of studying could've prepared me for them...
Long final exam many didnt finish, would've taken me 4h to do everything on it to the best of my abilities. Ur grade depends all on the TAs. Split the lab reports in half w ur partner (takes approx 5h per report vs 10 without ur partner). Accommodating proff as long as u tell him way in advance (which isnt always possible). Makes helpful videos
long final with questions we had only seen how to do once before...
I'll give credit where credit is due, he is him when it comes to chemistry. He is, though, rude, dismissive and just doesn't seem like he wants to teach. This course isn't as bad as people portray it to be though, was blessed to have a great TA. The vids he posts are helpful for the final, you still need to study though obviously.
I understand that this lab is its own course but get ready to buckle in. The course material is hard enough and it doesn't help that your grade is based on the TA that you get. Labs are graded really hard. Practical exam was fine but the written was beyond messed up. Needed a minimum of 4 hours do/long questions (out of scope too).
Thank God I'll never have to do the organic chemistry lab again
Carries the most negative cloud with him everywhere. The average for the final was 55%, and you have to pass the final. He made this grading scheme while not even teaching the students and when he is approached, he is extremely rude and not willing to understand the student's perspectives. This is a reflection of you frank, not us.
He's ok, though quite unapproachable. It's a difficult course and lab reports are LONG but not so bad if you do them with your partner. He posts very helpful, comprehensive videos which are all you need to know theory-wise and he gives lots of detailed information. Written final (what's the point for a lab course even?) was also very long
honestly most of your grade is dependent on your ta. the labs were well-structured and ran well, lab reports could be hard at times but fair. i will say his final is hard to do well on, but not hard to pass. a few hard questions, but everything else is exactly like the practice ones. the videos he posts are SUPER helpful!
Even a week later, I still feel betrayed by the final exam, as some reactions were unpredictable. My only consolation is that I passed and won't have to see Dr. Frank again, which would just remind me of the exam and make me angry. Sadly, with an average of 55% and a required minimum of 50 % , others won't be able to avoid retaking his course.
The professor's behaviour was often rude and dismissive, which created an uncomfortable learning environment. Additionally, the final exam was excessively difficult and not representative of the laboratory portion of the course.
he is the goat
he will lower your grade to fit the average he wants (a B) and tells you he lowered your grade to your face if your ta has a grading average over a 75 (what if your ta just has an unequal amount of high achieving students :/). several of my lab report grades were reduced up to 20%. 3 years into uni and didn't know profs could lower grades till now
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.37 avg changeRatings by Course
CHM3526
3.3
(3)CHM2133
3.0
(1)CHM3126
3.0
(6)CHM2123
2.1
(57)CHM2523
2.1
(18)Difficulty by Course
CHM2325
5.0
CHM3526
4.7
CHM2120
4.5
CHM3126
4.5
CHM2123
4.3