2.2
Quality4.3
Difficulty28%
Would Retake87
Reviews28%
Would Retake
87
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
87 total ratings5
6
4
12
3
14
2
29
1
26
What Students Say
“He is smart, but very rude”
105 - 2.0 rating“Be prepared to never have a life when taking this class”
CHEM370 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
23%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.60 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM371
5.0
(2)CHEM370
3.8
(5)CHEM105LAB
3.5
(2)CHEM103
3.0
(4)CHM370
2.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
371
5.0
CHEM105106
5.0
CHEM003N
5.0
CHM370
5.0
CHEM370
4.6
Reviews (86)
He's terrible at explaining things. He thinks that if you are confused, you are "learning", so its okay if we are all confused he's doing a good job. He's such a jerk. Makes me feel stupid, and doesn't seem to care at all. I could go on and
I felt that Prof. Gutow was a fair teacher. He always made time for me to come in to clarify questions that I might of had in class. He was a little dorky in class, but had a lot of enthusiasm for the subject matter. I really felt like he cared about me.
Yeah.. he is one of the funniest teachers EVER. Pay attention to his sweaters everyday, and how he trips everywhere. If you study for the exams, you will do well. If you don't, you'll still pass, just go to class ;)
Dr. Gutow is very smart and knows the subject very well and that is the problem, he knows too much for lower level classes. He is extremely hard, however his grading criteria makes it easy to pass the class. Well organized class and fair grading.
Horrible Professor. Teacher purposely uses his classes a weeding courses. He intentionaly makes the class difficult for students by teaching methods and material that are unneccesary and pointless to the class. Never helps, only says "Read the book"! In my opinion, the worst teacher I have ever had.
Worst professor I ever had. Teaches material that is not relevant and should be taught in an upper level course. In lab he says that every college is now having students design their own labs, but I took chem 106 at another college and he is wrong! My advice, take it somewhere else during the summer
Expects alot from an entry course. Seems too smart to teach at this level. Should stick to the higher level chem classes. If you work hard and go to lab you can get a good grade.
Meticulous is the first word I think of.I took an AP test and skipped out of chem 105, but I still got As on all of his tests and had best grade in the class. Labs were hard;made me so upset I cried.Very approachable and eager to help.I got help on all my lab reports so I got A+ on all them.I studied a ton,but actually I study alot for everything
I didnt understand alot of the concepts and i asked for help regualarly...he does explain things very well and expects you to kno everything...
He makes he students freel stupid. He also expects way too much from a intro class.
openly admitted that he does not know how to teach topics in more than one way. if you don't understand the material he is teaching, you are pretty much screwed unless you can get help from someone else!!!
not clear about material, hard tests!
Doesn't explain things well, tests are much harder than lecture notes, discussion and quizes. AWFUL TEACHER! Failing all exams is an average grade in this class.
Horrible professor. Feels that the only way students learn is by making them struggle...a lot. Lectures, labs, and discussions will leave anyone with little to no knowledge in chemistry confused and frustrated. Studying is a must if you want a C. Expect average exam grades to be in the fifties and sixties.
Dr. Gutow isn't everyone's favorite, but we do a lot of practice problems in class which do help for me. His tests are hard, but this is a university science class for mainly science majors, we have to know it.
Hes a hard teacher, but also very fair. Studying is a must expecially for Chem 105. The materila can get hard and you just have to stick with it. He doesn't make some things understandalbe sometimes, but hes not the worst teacher on campus.
He made you feel dumb. Never made lecture interesting and is not willing to help you with your grade. STRICK grader! Expects too much from a intro class.
"Dr. G" as he likes to be called makes his students feel dumb. He spends lecture time going through processes and formulas only in the end to tell us that they are unneeded, while he rushes through other topics he expects the class to fully understand. Also horrible sense of humor.
No Comments
had him for p-chem lab. very tough grader, but has made me a much better lab report writer. if you dont feel like putting any effort in, he's the wrong professor for you.
he is very nice but at a 105 course he thinks it is a 300class. he also has a sweet pair of purple jeans!
Very hard! I would not take him even if someone paid me!
Funny guy who really cares about teaching his students. Intro to Chem is a HARD class, extra effort is required. But Gutow is friendly and very ready to help if you ask.
Don't go through his class unless you want to feel like a complete idiot. Not only does he make it so that that the class averages on his exams are in the 50's and 60's but also he does not make the material in his lectures comprehendible. He should not be teaching a GENERAL chemistry class.
Dr. Gutow is extermely smart and he likes you to know it. He is an awful teacher. He teaches his intro. class as if it were an advanced level or graduate level course. The average score on an exam is 60% and he does NOT use a grading curve. I don't reccommend that anyone take him as a professor.
Hard to follow
Good teacher for the most part. Do not put things off make sure you study because if you do you should have no trouble.
He is a HORRIBLE professor. The notes are all over the place and the equations he does become very confusing. His tests are very difficult with the average scores in the low 60's which is a CD close to a D. Horrible!! Dont take his class if you want to understand the material!!!
Dr. Gutow is bad at explaining the essentials of chemistry in class, and nothing is organized. He will not explain in great detail what is expected of you. To understand him you should already have a PH D or doctorate decree.
He is the hardest teacher I have ever had!! He knows what he is talking about but doesn't know how to teach it to people who don't!!
B.A.D. For a 105 class he made it way to hard. His explination's are horible. If you must take him make sure to sign up for the other prof's disscusion and lab. They are all awesome, and so helpfull! I got an AB in this class.You must do extra work!!!! Outline the book and read each chapter twice. Don't take any more then 8 other credits.
Knows the material but does not teach at a comprehensible level, expects you to learn half the material on your own.
Had him as a lab teacher. Not very good and graded really hard on pointless things. He took off a point for me not using the word "the" in a sentence because i shortened it. Doesn't teach much and is very stressful to work around. He walks around watching over your shoulder constantly and doesn't explain questions well if you ask them.
I disagree with everyone. Chem is not a fun class, but Gutow is pretty funny if you get to know him. I would take him over Hawi any day because he actually knows what he is talking about....
Thought he was okay as a lab professor. He kind of rambles and goes off on tangents. He's willing to help answer your questions, but often times I felt like he was insulting my intelligence. He's not very organized as a grader - He took off points for not having data (I got them back) but then lectured me to organize my lab notebook better...
Dr. Gutow is a pretty cool guy. The class was difficult as all hell, but it was pchem. So that's to be expected. He's always willing to answer questions, but you are expected to learn a lot from the book and he has really high expectations when it comes to lab reports and such.
Be prepared to never have a life when taking this class. Gutow is a very tough grader, usually talks down on you and insults you. Homework is due every class period and lab reports are extensive. He takes points off on everything and grading is not consistent. Good Luck!
This class was challenging. Assignment due dates concurred with exam dates, and required daily work. G-man was helpful if you expressed interest in the class, and asked questions. Contrary to the myths, you CAN get the grade you want; take excellent notes, understand how ALL the concepts work, learn how to use the lab software, and invest the time!
Awesome personality
Its not supposed to be easy! You want to get a degree in the hard sciences; well this is the gauntlet. You will spend hours even days on a problem. Dr. G is always available to guide you. There are some condescension issues but it comes down to personality. At the end of the day he wants to make the course better but still challenging for you.
Gutow is a great guy. He does a good job explaining things and he will make time to help you if you ask. The material for pchem is very demanding. You will have homework due 3x a week and it will take you 2-4 hours to do. Do homework and follow his guidelines for writing lab reports because this is half of your grade.
Dr. Gutow expects a lot from you, but that doesn't mean he isn't willing to lend a hand. When you are turning in work he views you as a colleague so you need to make sure your work reflects that or you will be docked points. When he gets flustered he can get a little condescending, so it's best to talk to him calmly and clearly.
Expects you to do homework before teaching you the material. Is often very condescending and expects you to have the mathematical prowess of a math major. Requires you to do a lot of homework using programs that he has made himself which require you understand computer coding in Python. Very unforgiving.
He is smart, but very rude. I took an intro class for Chemistry and he always assumed we knew how to do everything. He would insult you if you made a mistake. He made a lot of mistakes of his own, and had the other discussion professor correct him constantly. If you looking for a professor that will respect you, enroll with a different professor.
He is a bit condescending to students who don't have a lot of background knowledge (which is unfortunate seeing Chem 103 is an intro class). You need to take time to understand the homework which means at least 2 hours per assignment 3 times a week. He loves science and gets really excited when teaching about it. Exams are pretty hard so study!!
Honestly he was terrible for taking an INTRO chemistry class. I was terrible at chemistry in high school and even more terrible in college. My advisor recommended I take the class, big mistake. The exams are extremely hard, I never know how to study for an exam, and the lectures are pointless. If you don't already understand chemistry DO NOT TAKE!
This professor is awful at explaining things. I took and got great grades in high school chemistry AND CHEM 101, and he managed to confuse me so badly that I un-learned everything I thought I had down. If you have this professor, get ready to spend a lot of time in either the tutor lab or your books.
Either you like him or you don't. I've enjoyed him since the first day of class. If you've taken chemistry in high school and have done well, you should do fine in his class. His exams are difficult but he wants you to improve your critical thinking skills and he wants you to use your understanding rather than trying to memorize the material.
He wants each and every student to know background information that only a graduate student or someone who has a chemistry heavy background would know. Tests are extremely hard. He is not understanding or helpful in lecture or discussion. Get a tutor and go to SI to pass his class with a decent grade.
This class is tricky to begin with and he made it worse. He expects you to know what he knows and isn't good at explaining. The only thing that helped me get a decent grade in this class was the Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader. You should know that you are graded on homework before he teaches it. So, get ready to learn everything on your own.
good luck charlie
He's a smart man but cannot teach. It's said this is a general course but you should definitely have background and GET A TUTOR!
You must come to this class with background knowledge or you will not pass. You can tell he is chemistry smart, but he does not teach or explain it very well, especially in a way that students can understand at an introductory level. Get ready for hours of homework. You learn more from the online homework system than you do in class.
This professor was definitely not my favorite. He recently added Aleks to the class as homework. He makes you do topics that are not even relevant to the exams, so you end up doing hours of useless homework. His lectures are messy and his exams are fairly hard. The only good thing about him is how excited he gets about the material he teaches.
goes way too in-depth for an entry level course- confuses students all the time; only reason I passed was because I had a tutor; often really rude in discussion, so not exactly my fave; don't bother asking questions unless you want to be treated like a 4-year-old; aleks will be the death of us all but he thinks it's the best thing ever invented
I hate this prof, avoid him at all cost. He talks to you like you're stupid, always contradicts himself/aleks/si/tutors. You will be doing chem every single second that you're not doing other homework. Don't ever ask him a question because he talks to you like you are three years old. GET A TUTOR AND GO TO SI cause this prof can't explain anything
He assigns way too much homework you don't have time to do anything else LITERALLY, can't explain concepts to students expects you to know chemistry before entering, very mean talks down on you when you ask for help, do not choose him
Ended up having to be stuck with taking Chem105/106 as a Nursing major because Chem 101/102 wouldnt fit into my schedule. Told my friends and family he is the worst professor I think I will ever have. ALEKS doesnt help as homework because it is either way too easy or way too difficult. SI can help sometimes but also left more confused on some stuff
This professor was terrible, I would ask him questions and he'd explain it in words that I would not understand and when he asked if I understood I'd say no and he would repeat the same thing he just said, like maybe then I would understand him. He talks about a lot of unnecessary things and assigned WAY to much homework.
Dr. G was an okay prof. I really enjoyed his enthusiasm for the material and he was very funny in lecture at times. However, he can be very hard to follow especially if you don't know a ton about chemistry already. He did get frustrated and even yelled at students in discussion if they didn't understand something. Use the online book and go to SI.
He is very clear and helpful in lab, but in lectures he tends to talk about more advanced material that you don't need to know. He's a very smart guy and it seems like it's hard for him to explain things for entry level chem classes. would take for lab again but not lecture.
I really liked Dr. G! He is always very excited about chemistry which usually makes me excited about it as well. He does try to make his class more challenging than some others, but it's still very much possible to get a good grade if you put in the time and he's always happy to help. Does a great job teaching the important things in p-chem!
Good luck... your going to need it. A minor mistakes on an exam question and you will be lucky to get 1/2 credit. We started the semester with 7 people in the class, by the time the final came around only 4 people were left. The homework takes up all of your time and ends up having a negative impact on all your other classes.
Dr. G is helpful, but sometimes either isnt clear or makes things too difficult. He also tends to talk to us like we are kids, which doesnt help make things less confusing. He takes off points for the tiniest mistakes. I only had Gutow in lab. If you have him in lab, ask him questions. It will save your grade because he will tell you how to do it
I only had Dr. G for Lab this last semester, and I read these reviews prior to getting to know him which scared me because many of these are negative. However, after this semester I will say a few things: He makes you work for answers on questions you ask him, but it helps you learn. He is accessible outside class, and he is willing to help you!
I had Dr. G in lab. My advice is, Ask questions, most of the time he will give you the answer he would like in the labs because if you don't do things the specific way he expects them, then you get points taken off. He makes you work for the answers to questions, and sometimes makes you feel stupid but in the end he makes sure you understand
I loved having Dr. Gutow for lab, but not so much for lecture. He just shows examples of the material over and over again, yes we do need the practice but he kind of works through it on his own and doesn't explain very well. A ton of ALEK homework and it is not very helpful all of the time. Sometimes it was overly easy and sometimes it was hard!
Dr. G clearly is very smart and passionate about chemistry. However, his level of intelligence is very stressful for a general chemistry class. His lectures are filled with overly complicated tangents and he's very condescending during one-on-one conversations. If you're not up for a challenge take another professor.
Avoid taking this man at all costs, ESPECIALLY if you're not a chemistry major. He holds this intro-level course to far too high of standards when grading labs & acts like teaching a lower level chem class a waste of his time because he's clearly smarter than you. His examples are unreasonably convoluted & he's stubborn when you ask questions.
Dr Gutow honestly made me hate my life. Lectures are dead boring and confusing. The tests are awful. I strongly suggest getting help outside of class cause you wont understand anything in class. My prayers if you have to take this class with him. Honestly try to find another Professor. I have nothing good to say about this man.
he dont care for you or your grade. if you get confused good luck because he will talk to you like you are an idiot the whole time and if you dont answer correctly the in class for clicker questions he will yell at you for being dumb. good luck if you get him
Actually the worst prof ever. Belittles his students when they don't understand or answer questions wrong. Made me cry in discussion. Don't take this guy if you can help it. Cares more about chem than his students success.
His lectures where okay but when you ask him for help on labs and exams, he would always say "read it again" like I haven't readit 10 times already before asking about it. When he does explain, it made no sense. I literally taught myself through the whole class and our class average was always about 10% lower than the other professors class.
He's nice if you get onto his good side, other than that he is too smart to be teaching an intro level chem class. Goes way to far into depth that you don't grasp basic concepts. Is very condescending when you ask a question, only good thing was that lectures aren't mandatory and you can easily ask other people for the notes.
You might be reading a lot of bad reviews about this Professor, take them with a grain of salt, he's fine. This is an intro level course that's meant to get people in the mindset of college. Dr. Gutow is incredibly knowledgeable in Chemistry, which makes intro topics challenging to teach. Do the homework, you will do fine.
This lab was a nightmare. He would get frustrated when we didn't understand how to do calculations or parts of the lab. He would explain things that had no meaning to the lab whatsoever, which made me and my lab partner more confused. We would ask him if parts of the lab report look good but end up docking points for it because we got it wrong??
Dr.G is truly an inspirational professor. His lecture is straightforward, and lecture notes are clear to read. Take advantage of the office hours to talk with him. He also provided exam review slides, which were very helpful to the exam. Textbook has a free online version. If you study hard enough, you'll ace this course.
Dr. G can be a tough grader with the lab reports. I suggest talking with him during office hours or asking him during lab time.
This professor pushes you to try and learn I have experienced good and bad things from him. If you want to pass this class,talk to people, do study groups, DO THE HW. It will help you Dr. Gutow is a smart man but he is not easy to pass, my recommendation is try your best and try not to associate so much negativity with the class/Stay positive.
The overall course is made much harder than it should be, so make study groups!
With all respect, Dr.Gutow is a very hard grader. I have for Chem106 lab and he wrote, "Weak." on my lab and went on a tangent about how it can be better, but when you get the A Okay from him. He will take off points regarless and say that it's not great and needs to be better. Advise: Good luck and got to class. Note that C's can also get degrees.
Tough professor. He likes to be extremely specific with his labs, and his tests are hard. I recommend getting a tutor if you're struggling. DO THE HOMEWORK! READ THE TEXTBOOK. This class was hard because his lectures were a little disorganized, I recommend taking him if you're a premed student because his class DOES prepare you for the MCAT.
take other ratings lightly. Dr G is a great guy who wants to help you and is actually relatable and funny. Yes the class is hard and there is a lot of work but if you try you can get a good grade. lots of these other ratings are misleading
Good person, not so great teacher. Obviously very smart, but seems to struggle getting concepts across to students. Not very helpful, he just expects you to know what he's talking about. Doesn't always seem willing to help and doesn't seem to care about you if you're doing poorly.
I will say professor Gutow killed my love for chemistry, as a freshman taking CHEM105 he made the class so difficult to understand. His lectures were always worded in the most confusing terms, he has this know-it-all complex about him, where you feel stupid to ask questions. If I had him for lab I would've failed entirely, do not recommend.
Dr.Gutow is pretentious. That's all it is. He does not care about making you learn. He will not answer your questions. He is smarter than you and he goes out of his way to prove it. If you can take a chem class with a different professor, do it.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
23%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.60 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM371
5.0
(2)CHEM370
3.8
(5)CHEM105LAB
3.5
(2)CHEM103
3.0
(4)CHM370
2.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
371
5.0
CHEM105106
5.0
CHEM003N
5.0
CHM370
5.0
CHEM370
4.6