1.7
Quality2.6
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake92
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
92
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
7
4
4
3
9
2
22
1
50
What Students Say
“Please do not take him”
CHEM1315 - 1.0 rating“If you read the text book he can be a helpful teacher”
CHEM1315 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.10 avg changeRatings by Course
PRINCIPLESCHEM
5.0
(1)PRE101
5.0
(1)CHEM2183
5.0
(1)CHEM1213
5.0
(1)CHEM113
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CHEMISTRY
5.0
CHEM
5.0
SCIEN101
5.0
CHEMISTRY1
5.0
11315
4.0
Reviews (92)
Past his prime, along time ago
Easy to make A in class, but you do not learn a thing!
Easy to get an A, but you do not learn anything
weird guy, learned nothing,made an A
Senile. Can't teach well at all. Steer clear if you want to actually *learn* Chem. Easy to pass, since he curves the exams like a madman, but you will learn nothing. Only saving grace is if he has a good lab assistant to teach the content outside of class
He is by far the worst instructor I have ever had. Be prepared to be frustrated and confused the whole semester if you take this guy. Study with the lab assistant that's your only hope b/c the mad doctor will confuse you and ****you off he needs fired
This guy is the worst teacher I have ever had in my life be prepared to be very confused and frustrated in his class.I will not recomend this guy to anyone. During lab he goes to his office and does not teach during lab.
i would like to meet this guy in a dark alley. I've never met anyone so disconnected and impossible to work with. You will learn nothing. Ya, it's possible to get an A, cause he has to curve like crazy, but the stress level is off the page.
Nice guy, Easy "A", but you don't learn a thing! His demographic makes it hard for him to teach.
I am graduating honors. I have made one "C" during college, it was in his class. If your a female he will work with you. My father is a chemist and he could not understand smentowski's handouts!
You can not follow this guy! His skips around so much, he is a MAD MAN!!!! Easy A only because he curves so much, you will NEVER know your grade, and you won't learn ANYTHING! Only take this class if you really don't need Chemistry later in you studies!
This teacher was helpful and enthusiastic but was very confussing and a little unfair in his grading system.
you can make an f on every exam and still make an A. that is how much he curves. but DON"T TAKE IT IF you need chem 2 and so on you will regret wasting your time.. and realize that you know nothing and struggle with higher chemistry classes.
i agree with all of the previous comments. he also wears a toopae(sp?)and its always in a different place on his head. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS, I REGRET NOT DROPPING IT.
The man is by far the worst proffer on the planet. Under not condition take him for anything. The only student that does well in his call is one that has had the subject before. He also has no short term memory you ask him to do something for next class and he forgets.
I am a CH E major.I made an A in has by studying the book and maintaining the highest F in the class.He gives extra credit for playing chess during lab.I'm still not sure if is senile or just **** all the time.I am now a junior with a 4.0, he remains the worst instructor I've ever had!
This guy is nuts and disconnected from himself. He made no sense at all. Screams at students for asking questions. I was in the class with the chess players - we talked him into A's for the whole class. I know nothing about Chemistry. Don't take this class if you're a seriou student.
I am currently in this class, and boy do I wish I had known about this site before I enrolled! I would not recommend this instructor. He is humorous at first, but then the antics get old and sometimes out of control (screaming, pounding the wall etc.) He gets very frustrated with questions and the answers are very hard to follow.
he is by far the worst professor i've ever had. he is very unclear and if you ask him to clarify he gets upset and just confuses you even more. he is very unorganized and skips around alot. you never know what you're supposed to be learning. i would not take this class if you are interested in chemistry because you will take nothing from the class.
This guy is crazy. He screams and shouts for no reason and plays chess with himself. You can't really learn anything from him because he gets off the subject and rants about the government and other stupid stuff. He does give a bunch of extra credit work and curves his tests alot. The class is an easy A but you won't learn anything
This guy is nuts. He will just start yelling and banging his hands on the desk,black board,or even his own head. I took chem at OU and I barely got a D and then I take his class and I'm going to get an A. Take this class if you are needing a very easy A and not needing anymore chem but if you need more chem don't take him.
Taking him doesn't make chem II hard, but you should not expect much out of him. The book he picks (Chang) is poor, his lectures only sometimes agree with it, and his tests only sometimes are relevent to what was learned in class. It is an easy A with the curve and "Credit Extra", but it is harder to learn.
I took him and if you know the periodic table you can get an A. I thought he was alright and he gives bonus for finding your own Individual Tolerance of vit C. or over velcrow. EASY A
This professor is really nice and he knows how to interest students. This class is difficult if you only go by his lecture. You really need to be involved in reading the book and ask lots of questions. His tests are a little off the charts but he gives both scantron and logical testing together. Thus I highly recomend to serious students only!!
worst teacher ever!!!!!
He is very weird but very funny. He looses everything and has a hard time staying on track. You won't learn anything but almost everyone in my class made an A. Study for his test! And be prepared to learn the perodic table and know how to spell every element. Take him for an easy A but don't take if you don't have patiencs.
Very hard teacher to understand. If you need to take more Chem classes -DONT TAKE HIM. If you need an Science Credit and an acceptable grade them this is your class. Tests are VERY HARD-but only a small part of your grade. Grades on a curve or no one would pass. Be prepared for yelling,Banding on Bl. Board, Falling asleep while lecturing in class
Worse teacher ever, **** comments, rude to students, extremely unclear, dosent follow textbook, you learn nothing, NO SYLLABUS, no test times, Rude, ignores questions. Steer clear
AVOID AT ALL COSTS! He is very hard to understand, you basically have to teach yourself the material if you want to pass! Is rude when you ask a question, and then his answer to your question isnt any clearer than the first time he said it, but he just moves on. Doesnt curve test grades, 8 out of 12 failed test, but nothing was done. Stear clear!!
probobly the strangest teacher i ever had. if ur not really interested in learning chem, but just making an A, then take him! i think that everyone in my summer class probobly got an A. all the tests were open note. i didnt learn anything, but it really helped my gpa. he is a very interesting man and gets off track really easy. does extra credit to
I had him for Chem II and did not learn a thing. He would not finish a problem, he would get half way through one and then go on to something else. He is very hard to follow and to understand. The text he uses is hard to understand as well. The only good thing about this class is that Matt, the lab teacher, is really great and a ton of help.
Interesting style of teaching… Somewhat passionate about chemistry, but his method of teaching leaves much to be desired. Wouldn’t really recommend him if you have an alternative. Warning: May occasionally launch into tedious political tirades.
I dreaded this class before I took it. But once i got into the class and found all the extra credit that would help me with my grade. It was worth it. Yes his ways of teaching are different, but it was interesting to say the least.
I REALLY ENJOYED THE CLASS AND THE CLASSMATES. HE IS THE BEST!!
Had Smentowski for Chem I. I had to teach myself alot of the material bc I found him hard to follow, but he does offer lots of extra credit to boost your grade. Very nice, but very different. Must go to class to get participation points. You'll want to drop after taking the first test because his tests are extremely difficult. I made an A thoug
I took his physical science class. He has lost almost all of his marbles! He tough our class chemistry (or what he thought was chemistry...no one could follow) and when we complained he would just say "chemistry is hard".. also watched a movie about 911, didn't keep grades and lost most of them. Ended up getting B..almost wasn't worth it.
Took a science class instead got physics and chemistry. Really disappointed. Hel aughs at his own jokes and is the only one who gets them. Hard to follow what he is talking about and if you ask questions, you don't get strait answers. He is a nice man and very passionate about chemistry and physics, he is just not good at teaching science.
Dr. Smentowski is eccentric yes, but as a student its your job to do the readings and if you do not understand the material seek help. He is very personable and will ensure you understand the material if you make an office visit. I had his class back in the 90's it was one of my more memorable classes, he's a car guy... dinitrogenmonoxide!
He is a bit eccentric. I took his principles class and wasn't too bad. He has an excellent lab assistant that will really help you to grasp what your not catching. He gives more than enough 'credit extra' points to leave the class with an A if you try. If you are required to take more than principles this may not be the guy for you.
I took his principles class. Although he doesn't teach well & don't bother asking questions, he dodges them, he let's his students pick what goes on all his tests, u get a LOT of extra credit to easily get an A. His lab assitant is amazing, whatever we didn't understand for Smentowski, we went straght to lab and asked his assistant and we got it
This teacher is strange, but he is very nice. I took him for a Principals class and easily got an A. He offers tons of easy extra credit, and labs are simple and short.
he is a character.. had frank for chem I and chem II and got an A in both classes with out learning anything from him. If you are able to teach your self material then he is an easy A but if not do not frustrate your self. If you really need to know chemistry I suggest you find a different teacher cause frank will never be able to teach it to you!
old frank is a funny charachter.you will definetly learn absolutley all you can about his personl life ranging from his:vietnamese wife who makes him coffe, all the way to his child who is like 2 and he is like 70. other than that he is really useless. if you can get him to say DING!its funy. i slept in class all the time and sat in back. got an A
If you want an easy A, take this guy. Otherwise, forget it. He gives lots of extra credit, which everyone needs, cause he cannot teach. He is a nice man, but an absolute nutcase. He cannot remember what he says, so he has to appoint someone to write everything down. He'll give you points for things like playing him a chess game. Unreal.
He does not teach in context with the book. He will teach his methods and skip what others, including the book authors, find useful. He gets disgusted when asked a question more than twice. He yells a lot. He thinks it's a good thing that extra credit is what will get you to pass the class.
Really has no sense of teaching. He's a really nice guy, but he's a complete nutcase. You hardly will learn anything by taking him, and "credit extra" is what he relies on for students to pass because he doesn't teach 90% of the items on his tests. If it wasn't for the lab helper, I wouldn't have learned anything.
A waste of tuition. Personable, but meanders all over the subject in a very random walk.
This guy should not be aloud to teach anymore, does not make sense, and will not answer questions clearly. Worst teacher I have ever had. He forgets what he has covered and then tests you over material that was not discussed. He will work two or more different problems at a time and will not finish any of them. Thanks for wasting my time and money.
Dont do it, can not teach, worthless.
Nice guy, probably a brilliant chemist, but a terrible instructor. Easy A if you do all the extra credit and can learn from the book. Avoid if you are really interested in chemistry and actually need/want to learn it. There are better instructors.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! the instructor is rude and makes no sense at all. If you want to actually get a good understanding in chemistry do not take this class. he is CRAZY. most of the class is wasted taking about movies and then you are tested on stuff you never learned. beware
Ok, i took this class during the summer. Super easy class, but useless. I made a 98% without much effort at all. But do not take him if you need more than just intro, because he will screw you over. I had to change my major because i couldnt pass Chem 1 after his class.
I could barely stand to listen to him talk. He cannot stay on one subject, and if you ask a question he wont answer it because he says he doesnt want to confuse the rest of the class. It's very easy class with him if you can tolerate him and do not wish to learn anything from this class.
Nice Guy and an easy A but terrible professor! Everything I learned was from the book.
He is a nice guy and loves chemistry. Unfortunately, not a good instructor! He wanders off subject too much and tests over stuff not covered in class. But he is an easy A cause tests are online and you have multiple attempts to get them right. Made an A but learned nothing.
EASIEST A YOU WILL EVER RECEIVE!!! HE'S NICE, BUT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO TEACH. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS FOR TESTS AND THEY ARE ONLINE AND DONE AT HOME. TONS OF EXTRA CREDIT. I NEVER SHOWED UP AND STILL GOT AN A!!
In my 2 years of classes at TCC, he is possibly one of the most crazy and random teachers I've ever had. To add to that, it took me about a month to get to used to listening to this guy without laughing in his face for the random stuff he says. TAKE HIM IF YOU NEED TO GET CHEMISTRY OUT OF THE WAY AND YOU DON'T CARE HOW!
take this class easy A : )
SERIOUSLY!? at least learn something in his class and thats the periodic table, if even that!!! WORST at teaching, poor quality, don't even understand what he's talkn about because it scatter ideas and relates to things not even with chem. tests are mutli choice so easy, but u learn nada! dont waste ur time to learn nothing
Doesn't help when you ask legit questions, he goes on a 30min rant about nothing that has to do with what you asked. seems to enjoy embarassing students
Tests are easy so few people ever go to class, but if you actually go and get to know him a bit he is a good teacher and helpful. He's odd, goofy and off his rocker a bit. His lab assistant is one of the rudest and least helpful humans on earth, ask her a question only if you want to berrated by some chinese woman who barely speaks english.
Terrible teacher. Won't or can't answer a question straight. the tests are take home and easy, thats the only reason you get through this class. Labs are incomprehensible and frustrating. He won't explain what he really wants you to do, but he will take points off if you don't do it. easy A, but don't take this class if you need to know chem.
not a good professor. only take this class if you are really needing an A. Test are all online, so it is an easy A. Probably the worst porfessor i have had. Very unclear.
His tangents are related to material... tangentially. You have to sift the pearls from the mud to understand what you need to from his lectures. If you need to know the material, the book is slightly more helpful. At least he doesn't expect you to understand physics for a freshman non-majors science class.
Absolutely worthless lectures, I brought my labtop and played games all day and made an 'A' in the class. Labs are terribly frustrating and difficult, the lab assistant helps more than the prof. Need to know chem? TAKE ANOTHER TEACHER! You just need the credit; struggle through to get the easy 'A'.
If you are a chemistry major do not take this class but if you just need Chem 2 and no other chemistry take this teacher. You will not learn anything but you will get an A. He has started to count attendance and will not let you take the final which is worth 200 points so attend class and bring a good book to read or your laptop to play games on.
A good christian. You have to read the text book before comming to class in order to follow him. If you read the text book he can be a helpful teacher.
I really wanted to learn Chemistry; I wish I came to this website before enrolling into his class. I did not learn anything in his class at all. If you really want to learn chemistry do not take his class, but if you want an easy A, then go for it.
goes on and on about things that have nothing to do with chemistry.
RUN FAR AWAY FROM HIM unless you want to pass chemistry without learning anything at all. Changed the syllabus without letting us know. But EASY A! Horribly boring class-attend at least 70% of the time or you can't take the final. Summer had 10 labs, 4 online tests and a final that you can take 3x a piece-only good thing about the class/teacher.
Look. This guy is probably one of the smartest chemists I know. Sure he goes off a bit, but if you ask him the questions, he will teach it inside and out. Use his office hours. Use his lab asst. I walked out with an A, but it was not easy like all the people talking on here. He will give you many chances to actually learn the material.
The reality is if you want to take Chemistry, do very well, and learn absolutely nothing, well here is your man. I just completed the course. I did not have to learn chemistry. I got an A. Talk about a killer deal. Smentowski is my hero. Some people in the class were too stupid to figure out that they didn't have to do anything. Their loss.
TAKE HIM!!! You won't regret it!
Great teacher. He is super smart, so he gets a little distracted and off subject. Other than that I really enjoyed his class :)
Knows the material very well but really depends on how much you want to learn how much he will teach you. Most students don't care or show interest so he just goes over the basics. Test were all online and the labs were not overly hard and went with the lessons. This class is really what you make it.
Doesn't know how to teach at all! should retire! Gets off of subject most of the time. Expects you to know the material for lab and rarely uses the book. I do not recommend this teacher if you need to actually learn and get a good grade.
the worst teacher that I have had. he doesn't know how to teach. I learn nothing in this class. lab is very hard. I don't like his class at all. be smart! don't take his class!!!
Horrible. If you want to learn chemistry do not take him. He's not that easy either. Doesn't teach what is on the test until AFTER the test.
Do not take this class! He doesn't teach the material at all. You are expected to know it all. He is not clear on explaining things, he gets upset if you do not understand. Be smart and choose another teacher. You will learn nothing in this class!
Unless you want to take a course with someone who is not willing to answer questions or someone who will answer around your question, this instructor is not one you want to take for chemistry. He also makes nonrelated analogies about the topics he is discussing.
if you're a girl and you come in 3 minutes late and will cause a scene, he will not allow you to sign the role. he will deduct points if he doesnt like you. he has quizzes up to 150 points. he doesnt teach how to do the quizzes. he'll give you a fake grade of lower points for quizzes if he doesnt like you. most nerve wrecking class ever.
he deducts points for attendance and will not allow you to sign the role if you come in a few minutes late. he throws a fit if you ask a question depending on who is asking. he really hates females. he doesnt teach at all. worst class ever. not worth it. hard2find good chemistry teachers at tcc but keep looking for a reasonable, guaranteed A class.
even if u dont care about chemistry&all you need is an easy A, trust me, he is not worth it. really find a teacher who will give you an a w/o a headache. even though his tests are great, he will do everything he can2lower your grade. he causes endless stress in class. 1min he's cracking a joke, nxt he's chewing some1 out 4 nothing.
DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS! He is very rude and does not need to be teaching anymore. You will learn nothing in this class. Most people just play video games and joke around all class behind his back. If you want to learn and enjoy your time at TCC, do not take him. I am currently having to fight to MAYBE get an A.
Class is out of 1450 points. Tests are an easy 700. Labs are nearly impossible to do and are 600 points. There are also 150 point "Pop Quizzes" that you will fail. Do the math. Maybe you'll get lucky, but not worth the stress.
This is the easiest chem prof you will ever find. If you miss more than 30% of the classes you have to wright a research paper for you finale. All the tests are online even the finale. The labs can be difficult but the lab assistant and professor will help you if you ask. The people who did not get A's were the ones who did not try on the labs.
Please do not take him. It's not an easy A, 15 pop quizzes and labs are very difficult with zero help from teacher. Do NOT take. Super rude and gets mad if you asks questions. Rambles about conspiracies and religion. DO NOT TAKE NO MATTER WHAT. Yells at students and is
The class is easy, but you will learn nothing. He is not helpful. Must attend 75% of lectures. Make sure you attend each lab. Gives three chances to take tests. Rambles about conspiracy theories, religion and how you shouldn't drink the water or use toothpaste with fluoride. Good luck!
If you want to actually know chemistry, just move on! haha. But if you want an easy pass class this is the one to take. Just show up to class and do the labs, suffer through it. His tests are online, he opens them up 2 weeks before they are do and you have 3 times to take it.
If you don't need to LEARN chemistry and want to boost your GPA, here's your easy A! At least 2 attempts ONLINE for each test. Google the answers you don't know. He is MOODY, hard of hearing, arrogant, into conspiracy theories, will punish you with research papers for asking for EC even when you have an A and his syllabus says he gives it. RUN!
I was appalled by this professor, 75 % students were on the phone. The rest of students either sleeping, doing homework from other class or staring at the wall with blank face. If your major need to have chemistry for requirements, you would like this class. All tests are online. The syllabus outdated at BB. Don't buy book. He uses PP a lot.
This is the class for somebody who either doesn't need any more chemistry and wants an easy A or for somebody who had a solid AP Chemistry teacher in high school and already has a solid grasp of nomenclature, stoichiometry, and a bit of equilibrium. The layout is 4 tests, all online. You get 3 chances each. Go to class. Go to lab. You'll get an A.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.10 avg changeRatings by Course
PRINCIPLESCHEM
5.0
(1)PRE101
5.0
(1)CHEM2183
5.0
(1)CHEM1213
5.0
(1)CHEM113
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CHEMISTRY
5.0
CHEM
5.0
SCIEN101
5.0
CHEMISTRY1
5.0
11315
4.0