3.2
Quality3.6
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake115
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
115
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
115 total ratings5
32
4
26
3
25
2
22
1
10
What Students Say
“HOWEVER, I felt belittled in his class”
SCI110 - 3.0 rating“Quite helpful and knowledgeable, but his test are hard”
CHEM141 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
80%
Textbook Required
88%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.13 avg changeRatings by Course
SCIENCE11
5.0
(1)SCIENCE
5.0
(1)CHEN142
5.0
(1)CHEM14114
5.0
(1)CHE141
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
SCIENCE119
5.0
CHEM140
5.0
CHEM115
5.0
PSC100
4.5
CHEM14114
4.0
Reviews (114)
very boring lecture, but the exam are easy..ok teacher
Interesting, gives practice sheets, quizzes from lecture notes, memorize people!
nice but doesn't have very good communication skills
boring,not helpful and giving lots of homework
clear with expectations, pretty easy tests/quizzes if you study
I like the way he teaches. He has a good structure in my opinion. lots of tests and quizes but is a good teacher and knows what he is talking about
great teacher-very helpful, study guides are a roadmap to the tests, so do homework and practice tests and the class will be easier
Speaks too quickly and unclearly!
good teacher. sometimes a little unclear durring lecture but bery willing to help.
great chem & sci method teacher. sometimes a little hard to follow, but always helpful. great teacher if you really want to LEARN. he has also published some interesting books. check out his website.
he's a nice guy-- but not a good teacher! interupts students and doesn't have good communication skills
Teaches the course well and is a good guy at heart. Grades the labs pretty hard though.
For international stundets, he speaks very fast and bad writing on the whiteboard. If you have to take SCI110, I recommend you to get past notes and exams papers. He tends to use same questions as previous semesters. Anyway, this is fun course.
I needed a science credit for General Ed. and this class helped me fullfill it! Way easier than other science courses. Has a lot of homework, but he is pretty clear and straight forward. Tells you everything you need to know! Just show up to class! :)
Took short-term, intersession science class. Wouldn't advise it. If you miss a moment, your lost. Lots of homework and quizzes. But, with the effort, well worth it.
Talks too fast and writing on white board is hard to read. Lots of stuff to memorize. Tests are very hard. I don't remcommend this course unless you really like learning about the hist. of science. Did not like this class at all.
Nice teacher but very spacey and hard to follow...use office hours regularly to do better
Talks to fast, writing is very sloppy. The last day before the final he lectured on stuff that wouldn't even be on the final, then he kept us 5 minutes after class while huridley told us what would be on the final.
This guy is very smart however, is very spacy, goes of on tagents, and is very vauge. The major assignments are moderatly difficult, tests are very hard, and grades hard.
What is he talking about!?
Nice guy but a horrible teacher.
pastor & teacher extraordiniare. Tests are almost exactly like practice tests and there are extra credit problems on test. Gives lots of partial credit. "Tangents" refered to in other comments = interesting facts not on test (very relative to to
he is a really great person! i loved his class, he is very knowledgable. he talks fast but very clear. tough course so keep up on the reading prior to lectures. test are similar to reviews. very generous when grading. i learned a lot.
Based on his facial expressions, I frequently wondered who was driving.
great teacher. everything that he lectures about is relevant. He practically tells you what is going to be on the tests. know study guide and you will do fine. show up to class, take and study your organized notes and you should do just fine.
This class is hard at first but hang in there and you'll do fine.He does talk fast but if you ever go to his office with ?'s, he is more than happy to help.Always willing to help you improve your grade if you are willing to make an effort. You WILL need to study but u actually learn something.
Good teacher who knows a lot and teaches well. His class is not easy, but is very interesting. If you want to learn, take his class.
Very easy class. All the tests are take home. Your final is a group presentaion. If you are looking to take a class where there is no studying involved,take this one.
Condescending jackass. Don't speak out unless you know you're right. Bad jokes as well.
DORK!!!!!!!! I worked very hard in this class. I got A's on almost everything then in the end he gave me a C!!!!!!!!!!!!
very nice guy but is condecending when you answer a question in class. he has hard tests but curves the grades. Hard cummulative final
he is helpful when he knows you're trying. once you learn his style, you'll be fine. he is a very intelligent man.
Condescending jackass says it all. He rolls his eyes if you ask a question in lab. pretty good about it in lec tho. It comes very easy to him so he doesnt get why people might have trouble with it. Barely a teacher. He does give alot of partial credit on tests, however, and grades his own labs. He becomes easier to handle as you get to know him.
He's a terrible teacher. His tests are really hard, he was singing and humming during the final, and he's a jackass. Don't take his class!
this class was too easy. only retards could not get an A. his lectures were clear. he gives you info about upcoming exam and the projects are too easy that even high school students can do it. 3 exams, 1 project, 1 biography, and a final, thats all.
I liked him, he's serious about what he's teaching, but he's very clear and to the point. I think he's willing to help you if you approach him and lots of chances for extra credit on tests!
This class is very hard no matter who the teacher is! I thought he was a good teacher! He offers help if you need it. Tests are bascially everything that you cover in lecture. If you put in the hours it takes to comprehend the material, you will do fine!
Yes this class is tremendously difficult no matter what the teachers name, but i found Oakes to be more hindering than helpful. Teaches extremely fast and hates answering questions that arent posed by a genius like him. Will roll his eyes and look at you like your an idiot. he does give much partial credit, though, and outside of teaching he is fun
Although I have a chess elo of 2500+ I had no problems with the class, memory folks. I don't know what the bashing is all about, just do the work and ask questions after class. I got an A and am headed to a major university, Oakes is a very interesting author and professor.
SUbject is hard, but he is a VERY good instructor. Take good notes, review them and practice tests and you will do fine. I got an "A" and only used the text for reference here and there. He is good at teaching so pay attention in lecture!
He would be a good teacher if he cared one iota about his students. Ultra religious and just plain mean and condescending. Take another instructor if you can.
He was arrogant and condscending to the students. The class gets much easier as it goes on but in the beginning it seems tedious and difficult.
Great teacher take him if you can
Went too fast. Good otherwise
He is a great teacher, who is eager to teach, he makes his material intresting. Be prepared to study because the test aren't multiple choice.
If you take the time to actually, oh I don't know, STUDY than this class is EASY EASY EASY. All of his tests come from his lectures. He tells you exactly what will be on tests. A few projects but if you go to his office and ask him questions you are guaranteed at least a B, if not an A. If you actually do the work it's impossible not to get an
Professor Oakes is a good teacher. The class may be hard but he'll try to help you if you ask. Practice tests are just like the actual ones. Lots of extra credit too! Do the homework and you'll be fine.
Worst professor very unclear, goes on tangents, and rude. Does not like to answer students questions. He is conseding. Do not take him he is horrible. In fact, one of the worst professors at Grossmont College.
Yes chemistry can be challenging. More challenging when the professor is unorganized, answers your questions with another cryptic question, nitpicks your work to death, says one thing and grades another, skips over key points and dwells on the easy stuff. Just plain horrible teaching, book doesn't help because he claims the answers are wrong!
Dr. Oakes is a great professor. when you talk to him, you can till that he is a scientist. The exams are exteremly hard, but if you take note during his lecture, you will be fine. I liked him.
One word, AROGANT! He only helps the students who understand the material already. He will help you for one minute and push you out the door. If Chem. is a harder subject for you, I would avoid him and get another teacher.
Dr. Oakes is a great professor. I really enjoyed and struggles in his class. I enjoyed because i was learning a lot of new things, and i struggled because the class is very hard. Overall, Oakes is a great man.
LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of homeworks, tests and quizzes. Never finished the lecture on time. If you want a laid back course, NEVER take any class with this teacher, unless you want to stay busy all semester long doing homeworks.
Be prepared for perfection! Know what he wants in lab discussions and take lots of notes! He likes to talk really fast and loud at time. He's good at giving examples, but tends to tangent as well. Before you decide to ask for help, try and do some of the problem;otherwise he wont help you at all or give you a hint. Oh yea he'll sing & dance in lab
Was not a very helpful teacher. The class was already hard and him not helping made it impossible. Everytime we took a test half the class had a C or below. On the test before the final over half the class failed. Obviously something is wrong here, the class should not be failing if they are showing up everyday and taking notes. He is arrogant too.
WARNING: do not take this teacher! He talks too fast, only helps ppl who already know the subject, expects you to just know it(so dont ask 4 help), if someone knew the subject they wouldn't be asking for help. He's just not a good teacher. Regardless if u study 4 his class n it takes up all your time. He expects to much & is too picky!
The Best chemistry professor in san diego. he is very smart, and it is a bless to take a class with him. it is a shame to compare him with Larter, olmstead, judy and others because they will never be able to be like him.
DON'T TAKE HIM! lets start with the basics: he doesn't want to help you & he makes the most RIDICULOUS lecture notes. you can't even understand them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! save yourself the time and energy and take another teacher.
Good teacher. Tough. Talks very fast. Do the homework and take good notes and you will be OK. Very interesting class
What a teacher? He talks too fast, doesn't give good notes, and his exams are very hard. Don't take him if you want time for other classes. He acts as if his class is the only class that a student is taking.Please never try to answer a question in the class, he is fond of critizing your answer. For grading he is very hard grader.
Tough teacher. Doesn't hand over the answers, but actually makes you work. Take him if you are interested in learning something.
He is an incredibly intelligent man and seems to expect to his class to rise to the level he holds for himself. He also has a tendency to tangent into his personal beliefs which can be quite uncomfortable.
Hard class, but helps me to understand
Very intelligent man, but he can be condescending and patronizing towards certain students. Doesn't seem to take an interest in the student and doesn't genuinely seem to care too much. Unfortunately, he's quite full of himself. READ if you have to take him. And SHOW UP and complete all ASSIGNMENTS.
VERY VERY intelligent man. Can come off mean, but if you get to know him he actually REALLY wants to help. The class is hard so get over it, he gives out a lot of assignments, but come on its Chem...what do you expect? If you take Oakes you will learn the subject, If LEARNING the subject is important to you Take him. Do work the grade will follow
He was tough! I didn't like him at first but now, he is very clear. Just take notes, show up to class, review your notes, he lectures what he quizzes and tests you on. He is a bit condescending, just ignore it.
He knows what the F* he's talking about. Difficult class. Be prepared to be challenged. He can be very rude and VERY condesending...but, hey...what're you gonna do?
This teacher is the worst. He sucks so hard.
Just as awful as Adolfo Velazquez-Dones, minus the accent. Do not take him unless you're prepared to fail.
He is very hard!!! not clear during lectures and his tests are impossible. He is rude when you ask him a question in class and even during office hours. He acts as if we are suppose to know the material already. STAY AWAY from him!!!
This guy is terrible. He is condescending and is not willing to help he is way to picky with labs his philosophy with labs is that take off points for his pet peeves so that we can learn, he does not explain what he wants fo his labs, quizzes are annoying what he says is easy is not.
I had his class with his son. He even failed his own son! If you mention god he might consider passing you.
Oakes is actually a really nice guy, but I don't think he knows how to show it. As for teaching, my only complaint is that he goes lightning fast through the lecture (he even goes so fast that he occasionally makes mistakes and confused the heck out of me). Be prepared to study a lot on your own and spend hours and hours doing lab write ups.
He was a good teacher. Very helpful if you went into office hours. A little confusing during lecture, so be prepared to learn things by using the book and him as examples.
Good instructor. Quite helpful and knowledgeable, but his test are hard.
Absolutely one of the best professors in the buisness. If your looking for a professor just to pass a class then dont take him. But if your interested in pursing a field in engineering or science, he's just for you. And he's quite the hotty ;)
Dr. John rocks my world!
I do not recommend taking this professor!! He's not clear on what he's teaching, speaks way too fast, expects all of his students to know everything, and he is very condescending, disrespectful and rude! I agree, his exams are not easy what so ever! College is supposed to be tough, but I feel this professor goes about his teaching in the wrong way.
The most condescending and pompous professor i have ever had! He makes you feel stupid when you ask questions in class that HE feels are irrelevant. No matter how hard many people worked, they would get quizzes back with F's. His exams are impossible. If you are ready for the semester from hell, take him. If not...STAY AWAY!
Class is hard!but do-able if u put a lot of time in2 homework and studying.on the test n quiz write down all the equations u know n mayB u'll get the write one. he will give partial credit 4 correct equatioss even if u write 10 other wrong 1s.the class started out full with crashers. not even half way thru the semester there was only 1/2 the class
i would recommend him
He is a very helpful Professor. i would take him again for chemistry 142.
I took the science 110 class this fall, and am very happy about it. He's a good teacher who likes to keep things short and simple. Everything that is on the test, he has gone over in class multiple times, so there are never any surprises. He grades things easily, but i still feel like ive learned alot in this class. Thumbs up.
He makes you want to really learn the stuff. He even tries to put in humor into his classes, but they are really cheese. Awesome teacher and best cat story ever. If you take his class you should ask him about it. Overall he makes sure that you know what you need to for his exams and that you know your stuff. LOVED HIS CLASS
He is a hard teacher,lab write ups are longer than other teachers, but I learned a LOT and gives a ton of ex credit. SUPER hard class but he is an amazing teacher and the head of the honors dept. Has awesome pre-tests and works with his students. I got a high A in the class but I did bust my butt for it. Can't wait for 142 with him.
Not a good teacher at all. After 2 1/2 years of being able to adapt to any teacher's style and get all A's I was surprised with how difficult this professor was to follow. I don't doubt for a minute that he knows his stuff but when it comes to the art of teaching, it is definitely not his forte. A bit all over the place and unclear. :(
I don't even know where to start. He isn't clear of what he expects of you, he is a tough grader, he was SO disorganized in his lectures. I couldn't stand him anymore I had to drop. He never understood my questions and when I tried to correct him, he would ignore me and then move on even though he didn't answer my question. Stay away if you can
Seriously, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I would never recommend it to anyone. His lectures are all over the place, his tests are ridiculously hard and they are not multiple choice! I'm praying i'll get out of this class with a C!
I had him for two semesters not and he is an amazing teacher. He gives you a TON of study guides, is available EVERYDAY for office hours, and his tests are extremely straight forward. I'm not saying he is easy (its a hard class)but he really cares about his students. I got an A in 141 with him and am on track for another one.
I personally thought he was an Awesome teacher. I had him for my Honors Intro to Scientific Thought class and left there even more inspired to learn. True his test are all fill in the blanks but you have to respect the fact that he actually expects you to know your work. His grading scale is extremely relaxed and he is VERY intelligent!
Talk about an awful professor. -Inconsistent grading, Can not explain things very well. You essentially need to learn from the book. You will never finish the labs in the 6 hours allotted due to his random lecturing on things yet not explaining exactly what you are doing in lab. Rude to many people (luckily not me). Awful awful teacher
Dr Oakes is a very intelligent man. He tries to make jokes during lecture to keep the class alive, but I don't think people would really get them. His lectures may get off topic but it is some interesting information. Labs can be stressful at times but as long as you read ahead, you'll be good in the class. Don't ever expect to be let out early!
Organic and Biochemistry is very difficult to understand. His lectures are indeed disorganized.. I ended up teaching the material myself. Very hard class.
It was a combined Organic and Biochemistry class so class schedule was setup fast.Hard class but he made it interested by making jokes.Dr Oakes is very intelligent and well experienced of teaching class at college.Read chapter and Lab in head! Use practice questions for preparing the quiz and test then you would be ok in his class.
Yes, he can be very rude. BUT I personally thought he was a very knowledgable professor. Explained things clearly and sometimes interesting lectures. Sometimes his jokes were actually funny. Def read over lab beforehand. you ain't getting anywhere in this class without STUDYING
He is a very interesting teacher. He really does care about his students understanding his information. If you go to his office hours, he is glad to put his things aside and help you. His exams are quite difficult, however he gives practice exams prior which have similar questions on them. Overall, he was very helpful and is a good professor.
He is fairly intimidating at first but thats just his personality. I had larter in 141 and i can oakes test are easier then larters. The grading is faily lax with test and the labs. The first six labs are all formal and will drive nuts but when you make it over that hurdal, it is all down hill from there. Its not an easy A, but im glad i had him.
Did a great job. I looked forward to class.
John Oakes is a fair grader teacher. He doesn't expect you to know everything about sci but does except you to study your notes for exams and do well hon them. He is aware that students are not to excited for sci history and philosophy at times and he tries to keep you alert in class but pinching his words in lectures. He loves science !
This is quite possibly the toughest class I've taken (and I've taken statistics). John is extremely smart, and can sometimes be a little rude, but it's no big deal. Tests are extremely tough (all short answeressay). The key to this class is take great notes as study like nobody's business, and you'll do fine.
John is a great teacher! read the powerpoints! The book he wrote is what his lectures are about study for the exams, pay attention, take notes, and study ! he will tell and give you answers to what are on the exams but sometimes you will have to explain a little further so he'll know that you understand the concepts.
An excellent professor. Sometimes talks too fast, but made the subject interesting.
Dr. Oakes is an excellent professor! You can tell he always knows what he's talking about. His exams are pretty easy if you put in a little effort (I didn't study for hours on end) - the lowest grade I got on any exam was a 95, and he has extra credit. Labs kind of suck but they always do. Pay attention to lecture - quizzes come from there.
This was that most difficult class I took this semester.
He is by far the best professor I've had.
Dr. Oakes is a phenomenal professor. I am excited to go to class everyday because he makes his lecture s son interesting. He's incredibly intelligent and it shows during his lectures. This is an incredibly easy A... IF YOU STUDY!!! Just study, go to class everyday and you will do great.
Dr. Oakes is a great teacher and I really appreciated how well he explained concepts. He wants his students to succeed, and this gives a sense of support other professors don't offer. He is a tough teacher with workload at the beginning of the semester, so prepare to study, write labs, and feel swamped, but it drastically decreases after 5-6 wks.
SCI 110 with professor Oakes was for sure a good class. He keeps you engaged with humour. One project, one group presentation, one paper, and a couple of tests make a good chunk of the points. Study for the tests and work hard on the projects and papers and you will be fine.
Professor Oakes is a very nice guy, and definitely knows what he's talking about. I personally thought the class was very cool. The quizzes are somewhat frequent, but very short, and if you take 5 minutes to read your notes before a quiz you'll get an A. Textbook is unnecessary! All quiz/test material is covered in class. Buy an old edition maybe.
Professor Oakes is a very intelligent man with a well written book for his class. HOWEVER, I felt belittled in his class. His lectures are long, sometimes he is monotone and other times he uses a tone thats hard to describe. It basically makes me feel like I am a second grader and he is annoyed that i am asking a question.
He is a little insulting and turns it into a joke so people would laugh. will argue with you about things and sometime gets of topic. he grades hard but will still help you pass. He expects a lot from the student but very clear about what he wants in the papers, projects and homework.
Don't bother to try and ask any questions. He will make you feel as if he is annoyed you are asking a question and he WILL belittle you. He comes off as rude. Oakes uses his own textbook he wrote for class. You can get away with renting an old version it has same material. His tests are HEAVY and long. Not the best professor I've had.
The first 6 weeks were brutal but it starts to slow down. His lectures are tough to follow at first, especially if you're used to powerpoints (He uses the projector). His tests are tough but gives a lot of extra credit on them.
I am a DSPS student and he is no where near helpful or understanding at all. He acts like he"cares" but he is no where near approachable. He is not ashamed to degrade you infront of the class and loves to say your wrong after asking for your opinion. He is beyond aggressive and condescending, so save yourself the time of day and not take his class.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
80%
Textbook Required
88%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.13 avg changeRatings by Course
SCIENCE11
5.0
(1)SCIENCE
5.0
(1)CHEN142
5.0
(1)CHEM14114
5.0
(1)CHE141
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
SCIENCE119
5.0
CHEM140
5.0
CHEM115
5.0
PSC100
4.5
CHEM14114
4.0