3.2
Quality3.6
Difficulty58%
Would Retake133
Reviews58%
Would Retake
133
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
41
4
20
3
27
2
24
1
21
What Students Say
“Worst professor i have ever had”
CHE140 - 2.0 rating“Aleks, aleks, aleks, and more aleks”
CHEM140 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
5%
Textbook Required
57%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.29 avg changeRatings by Course
CHE289
5.0
(1)CHE104141
5.0
(1)CHE140LAB
5.0
(2)CHE360
5.0
(1)CHE140141
4.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEMISTRY140
5.0
140
4.7
CHE104141
4.0
CHE300
4.0
CHEM140
3.8
Reviews (133)
interesting lectures, fun teacher
he's a great teacher and always willing to help!
Wow, truly amazing instructor. I went in a bio major and he made chemistry so interesting and approachable I'm now chem. He's tough, but somehow I found myself enjoying the challenge. Most tough profs are asses, but Dr. Ferrence is awesome.
I took the harder gen-ed chem course for some reason (I'm an english major) but I enjoyed it and he was a great teacher. Also bought my lame-ass excuse for having to miss a test and gave me a make-up.
great prof. He's difficult, but will make sure you understand if you ask for help. Great to get to know for rec. letters.
Chem 140 was by far the hardest class i've taken so far, but Dr. Ferrence made it a little easier. He's a great lab instructor (i had McLauchlan for lecture) who's always willing to help you out. He knows a LOT about what he's talking about.
He was a very helpful lab instructer. The combination of him and Dr. McLauclin, while it was difficult, made chemistry interesting. I completely recommend him as a lab instructor. you'll learn and you'll have a lot of fun.
Expect to get wet in his class because he is so energetic he sweats like crazy. But he makes you interested in the topics which is hard in chemistry. I really liked his class. Challenging, but fun and not too hard.
I had honors lab. He described everything in great detail and was always willing to help. We discussed things way more deeply than neccessary, but some people enjoyed that. He did extra experiments to prove concepts and went way beyond the material.
Extremely boring!
Dr. Ferrence was extremely helpful. He would help you with questions before the quizzes and he would help with the labs to make sure you did them right and wouldn't get docked points for doing petty mistakes. Good Prof.
Great course. I loved it so much, I changed my major to chemistry.
Worst lecturer ever! Be Prepared to be bored outta ur mind for over an hour. When he lectures he just keeps talking and talking...making u late to ur next class. The only class worth going to is on fridays cause he does experiments in the class. Don't bother going to class, all the notes are online.
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I feel that Dr. Ferrence is good in his field of Chemistry itself but he should not teach it. I feel that through out his lectures he could elaborate a little more on certain equations.
sometimes he would ramble on about things that were of no importance.. the classes dragged on and sometimes i felt like he did not even teach anything.. once in a while he was good but overall, it wasn't that great of a class..
Great!!!
It is very apparent that he puts alot ot time into preparing for his lectures.
He was really helpful and offered extra help sessions.
What a great professor! Always willing to help me outside of class and explained everything in a way to make me understand it. Be prepared to work ur ass of if u want an A. I have honestly never worked so hard in my life and this is only the beg of my science courses. Take ferrence for sure if you have chem 140!
Incredible instructor. The class is really hard, but the lectures are very helpful. Ferrence is aways available for help and really enjoys expalining chemistry. If you want a fun good general chemistry take em but be ready for a ton of work.
you either love him or hate him i hated him and his teaching style
He is a nice teacher and keeps lectures interesting. But, many times it seems unnecessary to go to class because he takes pictures and notes out of the book. He teaches the basic stuff and relies on you to know the very hard part of it. When the class average is 63% for a test and he says we did very good on it, you know its a hard course.
Ferrence is one of the nicest professors and really tries to look out for the students' well-being, i.e. he doesn't try to screw you over, unlike some professors. He's very competent, helpful, and gives notes! Sometimes he even hands them out, saving you paper. He's really great to have for lab.
This guy has a lot of energy, he sweats a lot, he practically sprints around the class room.Go on Fridays, he does experiments in class. Pretty rough class lots of work. he makes it bearable cos he is very willing to help, and he knows this stuff inside and out, still rough class..he spits on his own lips he stares people down, when he lectureslol
Great prof. Lively in class. Exams are tough, but you know what is coming since he posts very useful practice exams. Techie.
Ferrence started out as a really good, thorough teacher. However as he got more comfortable with the class, he began speeding through lectures, focusing on how far he made it, rather than material covered. Very hard class, study a lot to pass!
ferrence is probably one of the best teachers i've ever had. he rambles sometimes in lecture, but if you go to him outside of class he loves to help. he gives out practice tests before each exam and they help A LOT. its not an easy class unless you just LOVE chemistry
Very smart professor who knows everything about chemistry. I recommend asking for help outside of class. He's very nice and helpful and explains it more slowly than he would in lecture. Difficult material. He thinks that a C or a D class average on an exam is "good." STUDY!
This class was absolutely ridiculously hard! I am not good at chemistry to begin with and it did not get any better for me. He only has 25 questions on each test so if you don't know it down pat, your screwed. His practice tests barely matched the real ones too. Plus weekly quizzes on a bad system site. I STRONGLY DO NOT recommend him.
He is a good professor but he is pretty boring in lecture its easy to doze off. If you do all the online quizzes and know all of that material you should do fine. you kind of have to teach yourself some of the material in order to actually understand it because he doesnt really go over things more than once. study hard & you can do good.
Dr. Ferrence is really into his profession. You really do have to take a lot of time to work on your own with the homework and quizzes, the tests get harder. The final is exactly like previous tests and practice tests. I highly advise using the Visor Center tutors for help too! Kinda difficult, a lot of work, very helpful teacher
It's amuzing how excited he gets about chemistry. He obviously loves the subject. He's great. As for the class... all homework is submitted online. Tests get progressively harder, so don't stop going to class. He prints out notes, but I recommend copying the problems he works out in class. They pretty much cover all homework and test problems.
Ferrence was really cool, he is extremely helpful with anything you need! You don't necessarily need to go to lecture because his notes are online. He is super nice!
i hated chemistry. he wasnt a horrible teacher but definitely not easy. he rambled on a lot and i got lost many times. definitely have to study really hard for this class.
HOTTTTTTIE<3
Lectures too quickly and doesn't explain things thoroughly enough. His exams are nothing like the practice tests he gives. They are 25 questions worth 4 points each, so even a few wrong can bring you down a grade level. Weekly online quizzes are only worth 8pts, but are so involved they take multiple hours to complete. Wouldn't recommend.
the class is not necessarily easy, but no chemistry class is. he's very helpful and a great teacher. the homework online helps a lot and he is very straight forward with what is going to be on the tests. i really like him.
Ferrence was a great teacher. Took every question seriously and was very willing to help students that were having trouble. He's got a sense of humor and incorporates in class demos which were amusing. Hard class, but he guides you through it. Show up to class and read the book and you should do well.
Best professor ever! I took chemistry my junior year of high school, and taking this class as a freshmen, was sort of hard to remember. If I hadn't already had chemistry, I probably would've struggled. This class is a lot of work, but if you read the textbook and DO THE HOMEWORK PROBLEMS, the practice tests and exams will be pretty easy. TAKE HIM!
I can't rave enough about Dr. Ferrence. He's awesome and was such a good choice as a teacher! I hated chemistry going in and to see someone with such passion was so refreshing. He will explain ANYTHING if you are confused. He also has a facebook if you need to chat him and ask a question. Do the homework and quizzes, and study and you'll get an A!
I love Dr. Ferrence. I was dreading chemistry because of my major, but he is amazing at teaching it. He goes by fast, so pay attention, but I definitely learned a lot. He also lets you take home the tests so you can see what you missed. I worked hard, but I pulled off an A. I would recommend him!
the online homework that we were assigned at times proved difficult and his tests were rather challenging and i never seemed to do well in this class. but he is a good guy
Ferrence is a great guy! He is so helpful and makes class interesting. He curved the whole class at the end and did everything he could to help students do their best. Always encouraging office hour visits and is always willing to help. Study hard and do the homework and quizzes and you'll do fine. Definitely recommend
Difficult class. Online website called ALEKS took up majority of my semester, 98 hours to be exact. If you think you will have trouble sign up for a tutor ASAP because they run out quick! Go to the TA hours they are students very willing to help most of the time. Ferrence seemed like a nice guy but the material learned was very hard! Study A LOT!
This class is definitely what make of it. If you attend lectures and keep up with the suggested problems, you'll be just fine. If not, not so much. ALEKS (online hw) was time consuming, but definitely helps! I would recommend this professor as long as you're prepared to be on top of things.
Ferrence knows everything about chemistry. His class is extremely hard and ALEKS is very time consuming but helps tremendously. You HAVE to go to class to even consider getting a good grade. If you go to his office hours, he will explain it to you until you get it. Overall, a hard class but learned a lot. He is a good teacher but pay attention!
I HATED THIS CLASS. I am a nutrition major and had to take this class, and there was no other option but Ferrence. I went to every class, did the online homework every week, went to tutoring at the Visor Center, and went to a TA's office hours, and still got a C. I am usually an A student, and I'm an honors student at ISU. BE WARNED.
He's nice and he can be funny. The beginning of the semester was rough because he didn't really teach instead he joked around for 50 minutes.. ALEKS is a pain in the butt and it's not fun. He gave a fair amount of extra credit. The exams are hard...STUDY. I got an A on one so it is possible. Do the extra credit. Go to class. You'll be fine.
He was an interesting teacher. He taught the class well and had a huge passion for chemistry. He also liked to do cool experiments in front of the class. He hands out powerpoint notes at the beginning of every lecture. I learned the most from my textbook. He is out there sometimes, but is a really good teacher
He is nice and funny but all over the place, cannot understand what he teaches. Online homework (ALEKS)-be willing to spend 8+ hours a week doing this. Tests are passable if you REALLY know the material. Gives you practice tests. Failed this class once, dropped it the second time. Taking it at community college over the summer.
One of the best professors I have ever had.
Greg Ferrence is so far up his own you-know-what that it's almost impossible to remain engaged. He is arrogant and derives pleasure from tricking students on test questions, which are so unforgiving that HE often will make errors in calculations on practice questions. Online homework will take up 4-10 hrs per week.
Very interesting and enthusiastic. However not compassionate. I had a death in my immediate family and he did not offer an extension on an online quiz even when I requested one. I received a zero on the day of the funeral.
if you enjoy spending 10+ hours a week hunched over your computer then you'll be in heaven. I spend all my time doing online homework and with what little time i have left i try and do all of the book work and reading assigned. His tests are hard. STUDY. He tends to work the problems out on the power point himself not really explaining it.
The amount of time you have to put into the homework is insane. Would not reccomend. Unfortunately he's the only professor who teaches this course right now.
Many will say this class is difficult, but honestly you just need to keep up on your work! I would finish the homework weeks in advance and have nothing to do for the class. The teacher is great, nerdy, but nice & so passionate about chemistry! DONT BUY THE BOOK. waste. just do your aleks, which you will soon find out about. do the practice exams!!
Although it may seem like a daunting course at first, if you keep up with the aleks, it seriously is not hard at all. I spent most lectures on twitter and got A's on all exams. He is super passionate about chemistry and gives ppt notes to you before class. People like to complain about the class, but honestly, it is not bad for what it could be.
By no means was this class easy, but it is manageable. Alek's was the death of me, I spent over three days total on it. It is pretty pointless going to lectures, if you do alek's and the practice exams you will get a C or better in the class. I put in the the least amount of effort I had to and got a B in the class. Ferrence is a good teacher.
Ferrence is very passionate about chemistry and provides many examples on the topics he teaches to help you understand. ALEKS plays a big part in learning although lectures aren't necessarily mandatory to attend. He's very educated and thorough on chemistry, so you learn a lot on the subject!
If you are not naturally good at chemistry, good luck. He says the practice exams are similar to exams and that is not true whatsoever. He does stupid experiments every lecture that do not help you understand the material any better. He should stick to teaching for what is on the exam rather than showing bubbling experiments.
If you don't know chemistry that well then he isn't a lot of help, he just does experiments in front of the class most of the time. Some of the slides can be useful but most are just there for you to try and understand what is going on. You have to register for ALEKS online help to do homework, stay caught up in that and you should do well.
If you aren't into chemistry nor understand it, this class will be difficult. He uses lecture notes that are hard to read and he doesn't explain them well. Plus he gets off topic sometimes and just starts rambling. You buy a program called ALEKS and is the most helpful resource for the class. Lecture is not helpful.
Ferrance is a nice guy, however his lectures become meaningless. He give you powerpoint printouts but they are hard to read and examples he does in class usually do not pertain to class, meaning class becomes pointless. You have an online program called ALEKS which is VERY TIME CONSUMING. This is where i learned everything for the semester though
The worst professor I have ever had, one of the laziest people I have ever seen. Does not teach the material in class and relies on ALEKS to teach the class for him, which is one of the worst programs for online education that I have ever experienced
Aleks, aleks, aleks, and more aleks. Its an online homework site (like webassign if you took math) and it will be your life. Lectures are absolutely meaningless and his teaching style is boring and plain confusing. Basically, have fun studying off of your laptop/computer.
Dr. Ferrence is a really nice and funny guy. However, not much gets accomplished during lecture. He tends to ramble and get off topic. You HAVE to stay on top of ALEKS and study hard for the tests if you want a good grade in this class. You basically learn everything from ALEKS. There's really no extra credit or grading curves on exams.
Dr. Ferrence was very helpful during his office hours. Although his test were hard there were no trick questions and we covered everything that was on them. Do the ALEKS homework!
Worst professor i have ever had. Lectures were extremely pointless and he did not teach you anything in class. He expected ALEKS to teach us everything, even my lab instructor didn't agree with Dr. Ferrence's teaching skills. The tests were impossible and he was happy with a D average for all exams, if that doesn't describe his teaching tactics..
Very enthusiastic but expects a lot. You will spend a ton of time in ALEKS but it will help on the exams.
Great prof. Ask questions during lecture and he will definitely explain and clarify because he loves answering questions. Aleks is a super helpful program and fills in the gaps. This is class is very challenging, so do not expect a good grade unless you work for it. No sleeping through this class.
The Good: Don't need to attend any lectures to get a B or higher. Gives pre-tests that are almost exactly the actual test. The Bad: Does not teach a single thing. I spend HOURS on the online homework every week. It is the only way to learn the material. My lab teacher would re explain every lecture that week to our lab class.
Well, don't take this class unless you have to. Test averages are low C's and high D's. The average final class grade is between a high D and a low C. Have fun.15
If you don't like going to lecture sign up for this class. not a single thing is learned in lecture thats why 15% of students attended. Every week you will spend hours on the online homework to only learn a little. The final is nothing like the exams he gives during the year and is extremely frustrating as many questions on the final were corrected
Dr Ferrence is a great professor who dedicates his time to the students who dedicate theirs. He makes sure you get the grade you deserve and work for. If you work your butt off in this class it pays off. Conversely if you dont work hard in this class your grade will reflect this. His lectures are pretty funny which makes 8 am not seem so bad.
If there is another option of teacher to choose, choose the other one. Everything in this class must be self taught through a program called ALEKS that consumes a ridiculous amount of time. HIs lectures are never on the chapter you are actually working on, they are always on the chapter ahead. The only plus is that attending lecture means nothing.
Students have to correct him every class. He writes sloppy. Doesn't post notes in time for lecture most days. Told me the wrong things to study for test; on one occasion. Starts talking or writing too fast and confusing at times. On the bright side he seems nice mostly, and he is entertaining to listen to. I went to every class; but optional.
Dr. Ferrence will teach you nothing. Just like every other review mentions you have to use a complicated A.I. program called ALEKS to learn everything. I was extremely disappointed by his teaching style (which means he explains nothing). Would recommend to absolutely no one.
Not everyone attends lecture and I'm not sure why. I go to 90% of lectures and it's always really helpful, but if you miss one lecture it's not the end of the world. This is my second time taking CHEM110 here and he is the best teacher to take this course with. He tries really hard to make class semi-enjoyable. Expect online homework via ALEKS.
Like many people have mentioned, the aspect of ALEKS makes this class absolutely miserable. You will inevitably spend more time working on ALEKS than you will in lecture. While his lectures have helped some students, myself and others have found him to be confusing at times and our grades improved once we stopped attending. Wont respond to emails.
his lectures consist of him promoting aleks-this god awful online homework program that he PROMOTES AND WORKS FOR. doesn't teach anything in lectures and depends on you to teach yourself everything through aleks. nice guy but needs to figure out how to not waste 50 min. of students lives 4 times a week.
Professor Ferrence was not as bad as I expected. His lectures were really helpful for me because Chemistry and I do not click. Expect to spend countless hours on Aleks. Tests account for 75% of your grade(none are dropped), which I think is ridiculous! He gives NO EXTRA CREDIT! Do the Aleks objectives it helps your grade!
I don't want to discredit him, as he does make himself available when you ask, although I didn't really care too much for his "rock-star-attitude". He is not a scientist in my eyes but an easy going teacher of mid-scale university chemistry. ALEKS was a nightmare and I hated every bit of it. Would never do it again, rather go elsewhere for chem2.
Get ready to do lots of outside homework in Aleks. But if you do it, you're guaranteed to pass the class. A lot of people never showed up to his lecture and wondered why they did poorly. If you go, he basically shows you how to do the problems and the format of the tests come basically from his lectures and Aleks. It's hard, but doable.
Dr. Ferrence was an interesting guy if you didn't have him as a teacher, his lectures were incredibly confusing and he spent more than half the lecture talking about his homework program ALEKS. Whenever I went to class, I left more confused than when I got there. If you don't show up, it's not a big deal.
Does not teach topics required for homework. Also, does not provide help with study tips or different ways to learn material.
I only went to lecture once a week because his lectures simply confused me. Instead I went through all of the ALEKS objectives and textbook and took notes off of that. It was basically self-taught. However, I did do well on the tests because Dr. Ferrence gives a SG which is almost word for word as the exam. Be prepared to work hard outside of class
The Aleks program is a nightmare and caused a lot of anxiety. Consider taking this class at a community college, do not waste your time with Dr. Ferrence's better than thou attitude.
this teacher was by far the worst teacher ive ever had. He is so confusing in class and he gives so much work to do outside of class my anxiety and stress was through the roof solely because of his class. He was hardly prepared, he would do problems in class and students always corrected him. horrible. i regret taking him and advice you to not.
Over 250 topics in the online ALEKS HW (cumulative final).. Not a typical 100 level class-spent most weekends doing HW Tests are heavy (600 out of 800 points), not like HW (some is), Tests are reallyambiguous (class avg 64% on one exam) ALEKS is a poor substitute for quality education Lecturewasted time talking about ALEKS Don't
You never have to go to class. He puts everything you need to know online. Always willing to help and work around you. He always tells jokes that are so corny they keep you interested. Just study the study guide and do Aleks and its an easy A. Would not take a chemistry class with anyone else! Also gave a free textbook book so you dont need one.
He likes to get off topic during lecture. This contributes to the unclear lessons. He uses a program named Aleks and when he goes through the notes in class, he more often than not does not get through all of the topics due to his off topic conversations.
Very nice man but sometimes rambles. He is helpful when explaining any questions a student may have. However, ALEKS becomes your best friend/significant other. It is extremely time confusing but if you understand that material, you are guaranteed a B (at lowest) in this course.
Homework is online and requires a ridiculous amount of time to complete. Lectures are always off topic. I taught myself more on my own than he did when going through the problems but realized going to lectures was necessary, but dreadful. He gives a SG that has the EXACT problems from the homework so you can't even back-track to understand problems
Unless you enjoy having to do 264 assignements(3+ questions each depending on how you do) on 264 different topics, avoid him at all costs. Puts up powerpoints online with 0 notes attached so its just a bunch of blank templates with vague instructions(and no answers). Nice guy, bad professor in terms of work required for a gen ed
Dr. Ferrence's class was one of the most miserable classes I have ever taken. He is extremely off topic in lecture and doesn't teach material till you have already spent hours learning it through an online computer program called ALEKS (which you will be spending at least 10+ on this program per week). AVOID AT ALL COSTS. You have been warned.
I had him for both 140 and 141. If you are good at chemistry and/or took AP these classes are a breeze. No reason to come to class because he only lectures about the (required) online program ALEKS which will teach you the topics itself. His tests are multiple choice laid out just like ALEKS. Do ALEKS and take notes from it and you will be fine.
I had him for chem 140 and he teaches slow but he used an online system Called Aleks that did a lot of the teaching. He offered a lot of extra credit and was lenient with grading. I went to a lot of his office hours and he was always willing to explain anything to me. His test weren't hard and I did not purchase the book!
I had Ferrence for che140 and he taught the material slower than he should've. There was a lot of material to learn and there were a lot of times I had to teach myself the material before the test. Besides that he gives easy extra credit and is really understanding.
This class ends up being an online class, other than the exams and labs. Attendance is not mandatory, and everything he says in lecture is a part of the ALEKS homework online. You will learn everything from that program. Practice exams are almost exactly the same as the real exam, so if you can do those you will do fine. I got an A with some effort
Literally one of the most caring professors I have ever had. He is so nice and you can tell he really cares about his students. Lecture is mainly examples of how to complete online homework (ALEKS) but he is very good at explaining and answers everyone's questions.
Dr. Ferrence is a very intelligent guy even though you teach yourself most of the work. He uses ALEKS for homework and my best advice is to always do it. With out ALEKS I would not have done as well as I did. Lecture isn't required although I always went because his notes were examples for the homework. I had him for Chem 140 and 141.
the worst teacher for the sciences, never on topic. If you have half a brain, do yourself a favor and choose any teacher, but him.
DO. NOT. CHOOSE. HIM. If you had a good chemistry teacher in high school, you will get by. But if you have no experience in chemistry, and you depend on a professor to learn, run far away from this one. It's all online work, and the teaching system doesn't work for most people. And the lectures are off topic. They don't help. 0/10
Really cares about his students, comes into class with a smile on his face everyday! Gives practice exams before every test which is extremely helpful, as long as you keep up with your work outside of his class you will find this class not so challenging.
Over explains everything in the most difficult way possible. I've taken chemistry in the past and gotten an A. He does not build on basics, just throws you in. I am learning more not going to lectures at all.
Easy A. Show up to class with other homework to do. When you get stuck on ALEKS(homework) pay attention when he goes over it in class. Once you understand go back and do other homework for other classes. His practice exams are the same as exams but different numbers. The final is almost all questions from the previous exams. Offers plenty of EC.
Greg is a total sweetheart as a person. As a professor, not always right on target. But he does use Aleks, which is a good way to learn and earn points. TONS of extra credit as well. I would take this professor again, but I'm good at teaching myself things. If you want to be handed answers, this is not the professor for you.
Ferrence is an awesome guy, he wants everyone to do good. Lecture can be boring some days, but just go. Do aleks and take notes, you'll hate it at first but it really does help you learn. If you do the practice exams, tests are easy A's. Lab was the only thing I didn't really like about the class, just boring, but the instructor was awesome too.
Sometimes acts like a kid in the candy store and gets distracted very often. Be prepared for off topic material. Lecture is more of him showing you how to use alles that actually lecturing like a normal teacher. If youve never had chem, runnn!! This class will depend hugely on you teaching yourself.
Greg was definitely a character. He went off topic all the time, but he posts his lectures online and doesn't take attendance so honestly you don't even need to go. There's an ALEKs topic each week, most aren't bad they just take some time. Look up youtube videos, super fast way to get done. Gives practice test, just like the test but different #'s
Do your Aleks and you'll get an A. The lecture isn't relevant to the material.
Would definitely pick Dr Ferrence again. Very knowledgeable and wants his students to succeed. Class material was difficult at times but he was open to questions and didn't make you feel dumb.
Dr. Ferrence is a great professor to take for 141. He cares about his students grades and gives numerous chances to improve your grade. He works off of Aleks which is super helpful and will help you with any questions you have. You being successful in chemistry is his priority.
if you want to sit and listen to him ramble or if you enjoy teaching yourself chemistry take this class. if you are a nursing major do not take his class, you'll me 100x more stressed.
Good luck if you're taking this course with him right now. Lectures barely help, and the majority of everything learned and assignments to be done are on ALEKS.
Lectures are optional, and usually left me confused. But, he used ALEKS, which teaches you on its own. If you work through ALEKS, he factored in your homework completion to your test grade. If you had 100% ALEKS completion and a 76% on your exam, your official exam grade would be 88%. If you did homework, you'd be fine. Don't let modules pile up!
Dr. Ferrence was a good professor. He always tried to help students and there were up to 20 points of E.C. if you did all the homework, which you should because the homework gets averaged with exams to bring your exam grade up. If you are willing to study outside of class (3 hours per week) and have good time management skills you will do fine.
This professor was the biggest waste of time and money at ISU. His lectures were nothing important besides him talking about his personal life and his content is all over the place. I never knew what to expect on exams due to the lack of organization of the class. If you can, take the class with someone else do it.
This professor rambles a lot in his lectures. Gets off topic easily and loves to talk about how he dislikes Canvas instead of teaching. He uses the online resource Aleks in order to assign homework, if you do the homework you get extra credit on tests. Take this class if you like to teach yourself chemistry.
Rambles on and on about nothing half the time. you think the other ratings are exaggerating but THEY ARENT. you will teach urself everything. only good thing is that he does extra boost based on how many aleks topics you have completed.
If you do your homework and stay on top of it, you will be fine in this class. He gives practice exams for each test and it resembles the actual test, it just has different numbers/chemicals. He really is a nice guy.
easy class if you're okay with teaching yourself. ferrence tends to ramble in class 99% of the time, but when he does get to actual course content, he can be helpful. attendance is mandatory, but you need to attend a certain number of lectures to be eligible for "extra credit" on exams. DO THE ALEKS HOMEWORK!!!! it pays off!
Be prepared to teach yourself all semester, I've never met anyone less helpful. He talks an absolute insane amount and only about 1/4 of it is useful. Do the ALEKS even though it will make you want to put your head through a wall. The class itself is not hard, but he overcomplicates everything. However there are plenty of extra credit opportunities
Greg is a quirky guy with a lot of energy. I love when he wears his villian trench coat when its 80 degrees outside. He cares a lot about his students and this class is very aleks heavy. His study guides are long but very similar to exams. Dr. Ferrence does go off topic a lot in lecture. If you put in the work this class will be easy.
Greg is an interesting fellow, he gets distracted a lot. Pro tip if you are over whelmed with other classes, don't do the aleks. He gives a study guide before each test and makes the test based off of it, so just learn whats on the study guide and do well on tests and you can defiantly get a C or a B. Nice guy, but likes to hear himself talk a lot
Dr. Ferrence rambles on a lot in his lectures and goes off subject a lot. As long as you do your Aleks, the in-class canvas questions, and read the book, you will do just fine.
Ferrence is an energetic rambler, for better or worse. Most students (likely you) will learn through completing ALEKS work and his practice exams. FYI, ALEKS completion + attendance = exam grade boosts. His practice exam questions are framed exactly like his actual exams, making tests quite easy to study for. Great guy, but an off-topic lecturer.
Dr. Ferrence is a great overall professor. He tends to get off topic in his lectures, however if you do the homework you will do fine in the class. He offers extra credit on every exam if you meet the attendance requirements. If you have a basic understanding of what chemistry is, you will do fine in his class.
Alex is literally a cheat code as long as you get an 100% of the pie progress it will rounf your grade up heavily. I once had a 60 on a exam i did not study for but Aleks rounded my grade up to a 76. If you take this class just do aleks and you will pass.
Just do the homework and the practice tests as they are the same as the test in terms if the structure
Dr. Ferrence needs to learn how to answer his students' emails!! He is not good about meeting at his office hours, as well as giving feedback on exams. This is one of the hardest classes I have taken and he does not help the students whatsoever.
Dr Ferrence is a good person, he is not a good teacher. Majority of the learning I did in this class was on my own time using our textbook. I do appreciate that everything that's tested on is practically the same as the textbook and study guides, but it was frustrating having to learn entire units on my own because he would ramble instead of teach.
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Attendance Mandatory
5%
Textbook Required
57%
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