If you want a booger bear, this is the guy. Anal, uncompromising, and at times terse, but definitely fair. His tests could be harder. All things considered, he is an excellent professor.

Very intellegent man- His class in the summer is only for the brave and dedicated- Organic chemistry is a hard subject- but he teaches it well- the harder you work the better your grade- Can not give a positive enough rating- he's a 10

Make no mistake.This man can teach the heck out of organic chemistry.He is anal, angry at times, and strikes fear in the hearts of his students.But when and if you finish the course, you will be proud

A thorough teacher.

He is very helpful.

Never worked so hard for a C being an A/B student. He's bipolar so beware the ever changing personalities of Fred J. You MUST find old tests to study by and you MUST draw your arrows correctly. Survive this and no class will ever seem hard again. You will learn. Do not shy away from his class. Its almost like being hazed into the science world.

Admits to being extremely anal. Which I thank him for. Learned so much from this man and loved both semesters. His class will challenge you but its well worth it! Recommend finding a prior student to help with NMR - the first one is very challenging. Use extra credit to your advantage and keep up spectral data problems in the text - you could see it on the lab final (that was the only question on the final in my class!).

Very Very good professor!! Best I have ever had. Learned so much under him. Probably the hardest professor in the state though.

This man is HARD. He is a perfectionist and expects you to be the same. But, when you get out you will know organic chemistry. This class is like hazing in the science world. Take it. Survive it. And be proud of your accomplishment.

TAKE THIS CLASS SOMEWHERE ELSE. STRAIGHT AND SIMPLE.

Best Professor I've ever had! He will make you work to get a good grade, but you learn the material!

Best Professor I've ever had! He will make you work to get a good grade, but you learn the material!

Fred's the prof you want if you really want to KNOW organic chem. He has high expectations, unlike way too many profs at APSU. He treats you like an adult, and expects you to act like one. If you want to be treated like a high schooler, then don't take his class.

Teaches with the expectation that students are there to learn, not just get a grade. Exam was from book and classroom lectures. If it wasn't covered in class, it was in the book. If you don't know both, then it's the student's loss. Professors can't cover everything in the book during the limited class time.

had him in summer, everyone said i had matthews light. really smart guy, lectures very well. seems nicer to the students he likes or the ones he knows are working hard. however i never saw him be rude to anyone. most ppl here hate him, but they are the ones that find out med school isnt for them. if i made an A, you can

He make the class much harder than it needs to be. Organic Chemistry can easily be learned in a much simpler way.

If you attend class, take good notes, read the book, and STUDY, you will do fine. I had no problems with Matthews. He usually answered my email questions within a couple of hours. A bit chatty the couple of times I stopped by his office. He is very knowledgeable about Organic Chem, and assumes you are in his class to learn, not just pass.

Organic is a hard class. Dr. Matthews may make it even harder. One thing is for sure...you will learn this subject after taking it with him. He expects a lot and you have to take good notes and STUDY all the time to do well. He does offer extra credit the first semester...DO IT...ALL OF IT! If you don't, you will regret it.

Regardless of what you hear about Dr. Matthews, he is a pretty nice, whitty guy. He IS tough as a professor, but let's face it...Organic is a hard course! He doesn't make it any easier, but if you take good notes, read the text, STUDY A LOT, and do the extra credit (AND DO IT, it's worth it!), you should be fine.

Very tough class but I learned sooo much! If you don't have the time to invest into this class don't take it...you'll will NOT succeed.

I had Dr. Matthews for both Organic 1 and 2. I really enjoyed the lectures that this man taught. I know that when you walk out of those doors, you know your material in Organic if you pay attention. If you SERIOUSLY think that a junior chemistry class is going to be easy, then you have another thing coming to you and should change your major...

I absolutely love Dr. Matthews! Yes, his class is tough but it is Organic! You can't expect it to be easy. He really works with you if you need additional help. He can be strict and likes things a certain way, but you actually learn organic in his class! I love his lecture style and definitely recommend him for this class!!

He is the best professor I have EVER had. Yes, he is picky and knows EXACTLY how he wants things to be done, but he isn't out to get you. He explains things extremely well, which makes OChem so much easier. Amazingly helpful and a true teacher, he wants you to learn and helps however he can. Just because he makes you work doesn't mean he is hard.

I absolutely adore Dr. Matthews. He is very particular and wants things exactly his way, but if you study and attend class, you should do fine. He is very passionate about what he does and explains everything very well. It was easy to understand. Be sure to allot enough time to study for his exams though.

had Dr. Matthews for both summer sessions.The harsh comments are unwarranted. Dr. Matthews is a wonderful professor! It's simple: if you are not willing to work extremely hard for your grade, don't take him. He expects a lot and if you follow his advice and STUDY you will succeed. If you're not willing to do this, you're not making it in med school

Dr. Matthews is no doubt a tough professor, don't take him if you want an easy A. However, is you are there to learn there is no better professor at APSU. He is great at teaching the material, he had a real mastery in the classroom, albeit in a really old-school kind of way. Would take again, and a respected professor for professional references.

Do you just want an A or do you want to know the material? He is not an easy A professor. He is a 'prepare-you-for-any-test-that-requires-Organic-Chemistry' professor. This professor will teach you, if you let him. He is picky, and can be a bit cryptic in his feedback. However, he is passionate and, if asked, would recommend no other professor.

Dr. Matthews teaching style is pretty consistent, so if you adjusted to him in 3510, you can hit the ground running in 3520. Material learned in 3510 is relevant in 3520. So if you took him in 3510, just review the material. If not, it may take some time to adjust. Again, he will teach you and his tests make you think. Do not take this lightly.

Dr. Matthews is one of the hardest professors I have ever taken. This being said, he is also one of the best professors I have ever taken. If you want to know organic chemistry like you know your own name, take this class with Dr. Matthews. If you listen to what he advises you to do to make good grades, it is not impossible to do well.

Straightforward, easily the toughest grader I've ever been taught by. Do not skip class, do not procrastinate, memorize everything word for word, do all extra credit you can and prepare for exams. I just barely passed, and I would still say that Dr. Matthews is a great professor. You will not pass if you don't work HARD.

This man is the best professor I've ever had. People will try to scare you about him, but he is the MOST caring teacher at apsu. He wants you to actually learn the info and is always willing to explain in further detail outside of class. He is the toughest grader I've had too, but he gives you ALL the info. You have to memorize it, word for word.

Dr. Matthews is not an easy teacher, but Organic Chemistry Two isnt the easiest class. His lectures are extremely in depth, and he can sometimes over explain things. He truly loves to teach, and loves when students participate and show effort. You will have to work hard for your grade, and the tests can be difficult. Ask lots of questions.

I was really worried about taking Dr. Matthews for Organic 2 Lab, because I base a lot from this website, and things that were said, were not good. Now, after taking him, I believe it was the best decision I could have possibly made. He is the BEST! I have never understood chemistry so well until him. He is very picky, whatever he says, just do it.

One of my favorite professors. Yes, this course is difficult, not because of Dr. Matthews, but OChem is hard for most students. Due to the pandemic, Dr. Matthews has worked extra hard; he puts more effort into his classes than most students are willing to give back. If I had the chance, I would absolutely take him again. I admire his enthusiasm.

You will do well in Dr. Matthews' class, as long as you're willing to memorize his definitions, show enthusiasm, study the material, and put in the work for extra credit. His exams are really not difficult; he gives partial credit, and he's very clear about what will be on his tests. He also usually includes extra credit opportunities on the exams.

His teaching style is very heavy on memorization. If you excel at memorization or have an analytical mind, I would highly recommend him. As long as you do what he asks, and memorize what he asks you to or lectures over, you will make an A. He explains every detail of any concept and is very clear on his expectations.

I loved Dr. Matthews. His teaching methods are constructed to make sure you actually understand ochem. If you are not a chemistry major I can understand why you would struggle/hate his class. But as a chemistry major he was super helpful to me and I can leave his class with confidence knowing I fully understand the material.