2.7
Quality3.7
Difficulty15%
Would Retake88
Reviews15%
Would Retake
88
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
20
4
9
3
18
2
17
1
24
What Students Say
“If there is a super inflammatory review, ignore it”
CHE201 - 2.0 rating“Nice guy, awful in lecture”
CHE202 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
36%
Textbook Required
29%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.42 avg changeRatings by Course
ORG
5.0
(1)CHEM201
5.0
(2)ORGANICCHEM20
5.0
(1)ORGANIC
4.5
(4)CHE201202
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHE201202
5.0
CHE101
5.0
CHE121
4.3
CHE633
4.0
CHEM121
4.0
Reviews (88)
Very good prof. If you study a lot, you can get a high A in his class. I ended up with perfect scores on most tests, but you have to put in the effort. He is also very willing to help students out if he sees that they care.
requires alot of studying but if you put in effort will pay off plus he gives a good curve.
very helpful...tests are not that difficult...attend the review sessions!! org. w/ him is not too bad :) (but do study!!)
Holds Saturday review sessions and is very approachable - he really wants students to do well and is very helpful. Exams are a little challenging but he gives a good curve (and extra credit questions on exams!) You can not go to class, read the book, and still get an A.
nice teacher. easy eaxm. big curve.
This class is a very difficult class, but he is a very easy teacher to understand and is willing to help any student who is confused. There is a curve at the end of this class, so no worries for those who are at average with the rest of the class. DO need to read the book to keep up with the course material.
He is the most moditoned and un enthusiastic teacher I have ever encountered
So yeah, he's a great teacher... if you're willing to dedicate your life to organic while you have him. Otherwise find a teacher that gives easier tests because even with the curve you have to study your butt off to keep up with him. Read the book and attend lecture, it helps!
Very nice teacher, and very approachable. His exams are very straightforward and easy to understand, unlike Savino's. Richard is by far better than Savino, so I don't understand why Richard receives lower ratings. Great teacher, wonderful help!
in this class an a is definitely attainable it takes hours of dedication. Richard's exams are difficult but fair if u've REALLY have studied. u'll want to rip your hair out while taking the class but u'll walk away knowing a lot. great curve at the end too. bit unapproachable at first. keep going and u'll find him very helpful and nice
Do not like him at all. Never helps when you need it. BORING Not good curve at all and no extra credit!!!!!!!!
Richard and Hangauer were the only professors available this semester for Organic. Richard's old exams from when he taught 3 years ago are NOTHING like the exams he currently gives and he doesn't teach the way he gives exams. Put in 10x the effort and studying than Hangauer's, earn half the points b/c Hangauer has a ridiculous curve!
Pretty bad teacher. He knows his stuff but expects everyone else to know it also. Goes way to fast. No extra credit and is never around to help. try to avoid taking with him.
This is the worst class I have ever taken! I've always been a good student who goes to class but not with this guy. He's a horrible teacher and you learn nothing! I would say maybe 15% of the class still bothers to go. His tests are also super hard. I did well last semester with Gong but this guy is impossible! Avoid him!
Richards is a terrible teacher. Don't listen to anyone else on this website I got an A in organic 1 and he is so much harder than any other professor. He does not teach at all and his exams test on material he blatantly never taught. He never tells you what the curve is and usually more than half of the class fails.
Honestly, most of the people below me are idiots. Richard's is tough, yet predictable. He takes his exam questions right off of the lecture notes. It's just a matter of how well you study them. I did and got perfect scores on most of the exams, and just received an A in the course. Definitely recommended, and he speaks good english!
he hardly ever shows up to class and instead sends subs who cant speak english . when he actually attends class he doesn't teach anything and just reads off his slides. tests are extremely unfair and include material not covered in class. i got an A first semester of orgo and when i took him got a B! BEWARE HE DOES NOT CURVE. avoid at all costs
stay away
Use the powerpoints from online and the book. Don't just memorize. Understand everything. He's not the warmest guy. Lecture is crazy boring. He's not friendly during office hours and doesn't seem all that interested in actually teaching. It's hard material regardless, but put the work in and DO WELL IN LAB because it's a quarter of the grade.
Read the book AND his notes online. Don't just memorize them, understand everything so you are not tricked on the exams. The material is difficult, and he is a hard teacher. He's not super friendly and doesn't seem like he's all that interested in teaching. Make sure you do well in lab because it is 1/4 of your grade. Don't slack.
Organic is a very difficult class and him being a terrible teacher makes it twice as hard.
Organic is THE toughest class-it aint Psch 101 so you gotta work hard on it! Lectures are helpful, text is awesome. Work lots of problems and do well in lab. His TAs are lenient almost to a fault in grading exams. Mechanisms are the key to the final...
Caring and helpful instructor
Read the notes and do problems before you go to lecture if you want any hope of understanding the slides after the first exam. I would go to my TA to ask questions before I would go to him. He's mean and makes you feel stupid.
Organic Chem is A LOT OF WORK. Read every chapter, do as many problems as possible do the practice exams, and go to TA office hours. Dr. Richard's test are hard but the curve is crazy and he is the most boring teacher I have ever had.
83% was an A...81.5 was A-...80 was B+ and 70-79 was a B. Easy class to get an A in if you do work (premed prepharm should have no problem if you were going to make it anyways)Had As in 101 and 102 and honestly thought organic 1 was my easiest chemistry A thus far. Great guy, fair tests, fun to make fun of. Book is absolute must.
Review sessions are very helpful. Tests are not too difficult if you read his lecture notes and do last years exams.
i dont know what the deals are of the people who posted above me but it was a fair class taught by a great guy. his emphasis on how important mechanisms are really helps in CHE201. the people who commented poorly about this guy must have been stupid. by the way, i got an A in his class.
Great professor. Hard to understand if you sit in the back, front three rows are definitely suggested. Explained things very well in slides alone and lecture was an even better supplement to them. Awkward guy, decently helpful in office hours, but very open to questions during class. Relatively hard class, but best out of the 3 professors by far.
For Organic Chem, it could have been a lot worse. My only complaint about this guy is that his voice is very mumbled (especially over the mic). I highly suggest to read the book and do the book problems. They help more than I thought they would. Good luck =)
It's in general a hard course, he does his best to help, but It might just be because he's old and doesn't hear well that he never really answers the question like you want him to, but he really is there to help. Tests were fair and so was the curve, it's just hard material, can't help that. Oh, and you can barely understand him over the mic.
I often had difficulty understanding him because he had a tendency to mumble. I was disappointed to realize that the weekly review sessions mentioned in the syllabus did not occur. Text book and online homework were very helpful, but exams were still difficult. His curve is fair though. Reading the book and doing those problems is very helpful.
I wouldn't say that teaching is his strong suit. Literally he put the EXACT diagrams from the book up on a power point slide, and mumble about it for a few seconds. Nice man, and his curve is fair. Obvious that he wants students to do well, but honestly he's not going to teach you much, so if you are a good book learner he is ideal.
It's a hard class regardless of the teacher, but Richard really doesn't help anything. I went to class every day but I doubt it made a difference. He just talks about what the textbook says and doesn't elaborate. His review sessions are also useless-I always left feeling more confused. Study the book like it's your job.
Lectures are clear, and help explain material from textbook. Richard trys to let students understand what is expected for exams. Felt well-prepared for every test and received an A for the class.
Dr. Richard was a wonderful teacher. He understands that the material is hard so he does not give any surprises on the exams. Study the notes and especially the textbook and learn the rationale behind the material and you are golden.
This class is not that bad. Do not let the comments scare you. Richards will help you and he wants you to do well. Read, memorize, and understand the text as well as the problems (there are tons do all of them and understand your mistakes). It is time consuming but it pays off.
Reading is a MUST for this class. Richard tries his best to lecture but regardless, the material is still difficult. I couldn't stay awake during his lectures so I skipped class. Read the textbook/go through his ppts and you'll do fine. His exams are fair and straight forward. The curve is consistent with previous semesters. I Got an A-.
Do not rely on the curve. It really did nothing since the graders consistency was so poor. The other teachers class was a lot different then ours. So go with them. You can't understand a thing he says with the microphone. Hard course, poor teacher. And remember what a dative bond is :)
Everyone who is writing poor reviews is just mad because they did not do well. The class is no joke, it requires a lot of work, but ANYONE can do well in it. Richard makes fair tests and that is all anyone can ask. TO GET AN A DO THIS: book problems, book problems, the practice tests, and book problems.
It really doesnt matter who you get for organic chem. It all comes down to memorizing the textbook. Dont go to class if you want, but spend that time reading, if you put in the hours you'll do fine.
Insanely easy. I've seen plenty of other old tests and tests from other universities to see that I was fortunate for having Richard. Hardly no mechanisms and mostly multiple choice on tests? I'm wondering how this school even accredited. Honestly.
honestly, I didn't fail his class nor did I receive a bad grade. Orgo is just too rough when you take 19 credits. make sure you put all the material in your long term memory from summer or winter break (a break before taking this course). it is pure memorization and nobody cares how much mechanisms you know. all they care about is a final answer.
The only reason to bash Richards the way other people did was if you didn't put the effort into the class. Since it's a college class, the professor isn't suppose to hold your hand through the material. If you read the book his teaching style is perfectly clear and material is manageable. Richards really does care and was always willing to help
First of all, organic chemistry is NOT about memorization. It's completely understanding what is happening. That's why in this class you should do every practice problem available to you. Lecture wasn't completely necessary, but I always went. Tests were fair, always easier than expected. Read and practice and don't blame the teacher for failing!!!
TA'S are the oompa loompas of the university.They rule and the grades are all in their hands.I hate that part so much.Richar was ok,but everything is in the TA's hands.ndthey dnt care at all.In fact they rather you failed.My TA kept saying Richard should have harder exams nd that they all gave us lower grades but Richard made them be more lenient.
For this course, professor Richard is super nice and willing to help. So please ask questions during lectures if you have no ideas during the classes, and try to do all of book problems, and practice exams. He is bit old, and hard to understand but he is good professor. Even though I didn't do that well compared to GenChem but it's orgo seriously
People need to chill hes not a bad prof for me he was perfect, i had no trouble understanding him, curve was pretty amazing too above 800 was an A- and above 839/1000 was an A so not bad you just have to put some time in don't totally depend on the hw and practice exams you really should practice the book problems after each lecture that'll help
If there is a super inflammatory review, ignore it. Orgo is known for causing butthurt, and kids exact their revenge via reviews. Attending class was not helpful, but reading the book thoroughly was. Tests were fair, but not easy. Ultimately, the professor doesn't matter in orgo, but your willingness to give up your social life is.
I will admit that I really did not find Richard useful. I did not attend lecture because I could not understand him much. He is also grouchy and he doesn't like "stupid" questions. But no matter which teacher you get, getting a good grade depends only on you (and youtube!)
Do the work and you can get an a, don't and don't expect to do well. Not that bad of a professor considering the material of the course is suppose to be difficult.
He is wise and smart enough. and enough knowledge about orgo. but sometimes maybe it's hard for him to explain well. The exam is not that hard. just study , then you would be fine
He is a very boring teacher. i stopped going to his class because it was so hard to focus. Read and make the textbook and you will be fine.
He is a nice guy, who loves people although very quite. He is willing to help you if you need him. He can be very patient enough with you. A great guy with a fair exams that often is standadized with minimal errors. He does not aggressively apply that fairness principle to destroy millions for the few.
He is an excellent teacher who cares a great deal about people. He knows his subject very well and does his best to present his knowledge to the students. He is fair and wants the students to learn and do well. I would recommend taking this class. He is a distinguished professor.
Nice guy, awful in lecture. He did not even look over the exam before giving exam reviews (he specifically said that one reaction was not important when the second exam question was a paragraph about that reaction). He did not look at lecture slides before giving lectures. Orgo is a hard class anyway, taking him will put you at a disadvantage.
Come to class, read book, study for exams and the course is no problem,
Idk how he has a better rating than clizbe's rating.
Prof. Richard is a great prof who genuinely wants students to learn. Reading the text along with the lectures really helped. He was very accessible and held office hours a couple times a week along with being available via email. Organic Chemistry is a hard class, but put some effort in and you'll be fine.
Pretty bad. Most kids don't even bother to go to his class. UB doesn't offer much choice for this class.
This man really can not teach. I dont understand why he has a higher rating than clizbe. He constantly gets practice problems wrong so Im convinced that if he took orgo tests he would fail too. Either way youre screwed but just read the textbook and watch youtube videos and become best friends with the Lord bc youll be doing a lot of praying
Go to Clizbe's. Or just rely on the book. Or online videos. This man is very nice however cannot teach. It is very hard to understand him, and when I do it just doesn't make sense. Class went from 200+ people attending the first day to like 30 people now.
Horrible professor. Refuses to regrade papers even though students have answered questions correctly, and takes way too long to regrade them so that a student can't ask another professor to regrade if they go to him first. Could've gotten 15 pts back on a test.
Doesnt even show up to his own office hours.
This is organic chemistry. Very, very hard class. Professor taught from powerpoint slides and explained a little. I studied like crazy for this class. Very demanding class. Lots of studying. beware of the third test with nitrogen. Final is ACS standardized test. He was ncie after hours and helpful. Richards was above average at UB.
Dr. Richards does not have a great delivery of his subject matter, whether undergrad or graduate level. It is awkward and stilted, at best. He is, however, humble and knows physical organic chemistry without question. He genuinely wants every student in his class to succeed and makes himself available after class.
Has little to no empathy for students, and seems to overall hate teaching. I'm not sure why he chose this profession. He once told a student during a live zoom review session to "google it" when the student asked a question. I'm not sure how more useless you could get as a professor. (Organic chemistry I and II)
Lack of respect check. Doesnt teach well check. Laziness check. You can tell he doesnt want to teach or have empathy for students. Your better off taking other chem professors or teaching yourself.
You know there is an issue with the professor when the average for all of the exams have been 54% (not to mention the quiz that had an average of 12%). I have relied solely on CrashCourse and the textbook. I wish I did not have to go to class but I fear his pop quizzes more than death. May God watch over those who must take this class.
He does nothing but read slides. This is expected, but there is no explanation to anything. Gives homework that either wasn't taught about in class, or has nothing to do with the upcoming exam. Better off staying at home and teaching yourself the slides, but you can't since he does pop quizzes! Knows about chem, but can't seem to answ my questions.
While the teacher is a nice man, he cannot teach whatsoever. Every lecture is essentially him reading off a PowerPoint that may not even be his. The course is very test-heavy with pop quizzes having the power to drop your grade. You're better off reading the textbook than listening to him talk for an hour.
Guy has no clue how to teach. Only thing he does all class is read off a powerpoint he doesn't even understand. Good luck skipping since he gives pop quizzes throughout the semester. Has homework's that don't relate to the lectures and questions aren't even on exam. Better off reading the textbook front to back and making one on one tutoring times.
Has only actually taught me something maybe twice. I stopped going to class and just look at the powerpoints and textbook on my own. I study but still don't do well on exams. It was his first time teaching this chem course specifically, so i'll cut him some slack but definitely not a memorable teacher. Take a different chem if you can
He was so bad, I wanna give him a zero. But thats not possible, so I give him a 1.
Deserves a negative grade. Absolute worst professor I have ever had. Once told a student to google the answer when they asked a question. A student also caught his mistake and said, "Oh you might be right but I think this is the answer, I dont know." He reads directly from the slides and does not help out. He also half of the class would fail.
Very tough class for me especially because I had to teach myself this material. It was a required class for my major so I had to take this class. The class gets dull and participation is not much needed. The class is large so if you are someone to ask questions, sit in the front or else he may not be able to hear you. Passed with the curve.
Honor Organic Chemistry is hard, but he sets the requirement very clear. Still got an A in the high 80s. Even though theres no attendance requirement however stop attending his lecture will highly resulted a F. Also keep reviewing his Mastering Chemistry Homework as a source for practice to prepare his exam. Lastly, he is very lenient in grading
Dr.Richard was an okay professor who seemed to not care. Has straight-up said "I don't know" (as in did not attempt to figure out those questions) and skipped questions. I struggled to conceptualize ideas presented in the lectures, but google and TAs can make those ideas click instantly... He's not a bad guy at all, just not into it.
Exams are not that bad if you learn every PowerPoint. No textbook is needed. If you spend a weekend and go over every PowerPoint before the test, you will get at least A-. Review questions are pretty helpful.
Very difficult teaching style. Basically just reads off of slides for the entirety of the year, not really going into any detail about any of the concepts. Class average was horrendous. If you're taking this class, good luck. Also had such low attendance in his classes that he does pop quizzes now.
Attendance isn't mandatory, but he doesn't let you make up missed pop quizzes. READ THE BOOK. 4 tests not at all related to the slides. Openly says he doesn't know answers to questions. ask the TA for help!!
He literally just reads off of outdated powerpoint slides. Don't even get me started on the TA she ix extremely rude and condescending. She cancels her office hours very frequently also. A lot of the material is not even taught to you. You just have to pray that whatever you didn't learn isn't on the frequent pop quizzes. Terrible prof.
Intent for nursing students will most likely not have a choice on whether or not to take the class but please, please, please, get a tutor asap! This professor forgets what he is teaching, he can't answer questions, he just reads the slides, and the textbook barely helps. The pop quizzes are as awful as they sound.
Ya'll are so lucky this is this man's last semester teaching. I never wanted to give up more in my life. Man does not know how to teach and regularly forgets how to do something. Like how am I supposed to learn if you're reading off of slides and calling it a day. He deserves a zero.
I wouldn't say he is unbearably awful, but the man can't teach very well. Honestly, as long as you read the textbook and go through the PowerPoints, you will be fine. His exams are pretty straightforward, but I dreaded his pop quizzes. Just be prepared before every class. Also, the homeworks can be annoyingly tedious since they are on achieve.
Mumbles. A lot. Can't understand a thing. Had to watch lectures of a different prof and teach myself. UB chem departments is one of the worst.
People would ask if something would be on an exam, and he'd LAUGH say "I guess we'll see". Would refuse to answer simple questions. Couldn't understand him when he did speak. The 2 days his TA taught us were the only days anyone learned anything. Exam averages were in the 40s. Could not possibly have cared any less about helping students succeed.
Does not respond to emails. Couldn't care less about student success in organic chem. It's already a tough course. Don't take it with a professor that makes it even more difficult.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
36%
Textbook Required
29%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.42 avg changeRatings by Course
ORG
5.0
(1)CHEM201
5.0
(2)ORGANICCHEM20
5.0
(1)ORGANIC
4.5
(4)CHE201202
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHE201202
5.0
CHE101
5.0
CHE121
4.3
CHE633
4.0
CHEM121
4.0