Enjoyed his class but exams were difficult.

I took his class 18 years ago. I changed my major to OChem, got a PhD, and still work in the field. He teaches to the top of the class, for sure. But if you're there, he's great.

took class awhile ago. his class is straight forward. notes are from his book, just highlight what he mentions in class. tests are just variations of past tests. fairly easy. other premeds are annoying.

Vollhardt is the man! this guy is freaking hilarious and super smart. loved his lecturing style and his textbook is great too.

had two classes with him so far and he doesn't seem so bad. in fact, i think he's funny and interesting. he plays soothing music in the morning, shows video clips, and i haven't fallen asleep yet. a good sign. lectures are straightforward and follow the textbook, which is well written and makes sense.

I took his class 10 years ago and absolutely loved it! It was at 8 am and I never once fell asleep or felt sleepy. In almost every other class I've had, I've nodded off, but not this one. He is very entertaining and made learning enjoyable. I looked fo

I haven't taken any midterms yet, but his classes are very thoroughly entertaining. I actually don't go to class (I'm too lazy to walk... hehe) but I always watch the lectures online and it's really easy for me to stay focused even though I'm at home.

Very straightfoward and has a great lecturing style. The people who give negative comments don't know what they're talking about! I would definatly recommend this class.

Love the lectures! Very clear and organized. I definatly recommend this class! Sure the material is hard, but most undergrad sciences are.

While he did write the textbook, his class is very predictable. Everything that's on the tests is what is to be expected (from his book!). He puts on some hard chemistry, but better that than random tid-bits of information to trip you up. Practice with problems and you'll be able to tolerate this class! Power pt makes lecture so much better!

He's a nice guy and tries during lecture. His power point slides and his videos are nice. The 2nd midterm isn't the easiest thing ever but just do a lot book problems and you should be fine.

Funny guy and enjoyable in lecture. For tests, simply memorize old exams and do as many possible book problems and the class is a brezze. Beware, falling behind in this class is a horrible mistake, stay up to date and no worries!

excellent lectures. Tests very consistent with book (of course, since he wrote it) and old exams. don't be scared, if you work cansistently and study the book, you'll be fine.

DO NOT GET BEHIND! Keep up with the reading, do problems from the book, and go through his old exams. His lectures are very clear, and since he wrote the book, doing the book problems will help to prep you for the exams. His tests are very challenging, but you should be okay if you prepare properly.

i remember i initially came into chem3a terrified from those comments ppl make about o chem but after taking it, it's not as bad as ppl claimed it to be. i'd hafta admit that it is time-consuming so don't procrastinate. do as many old problems as you can. practice is key!

I HIGHLY recommend going to SLC study groups. I thought I was a hot shot A student and didn't need them, but when the 2nd midterm rolls around--Trust me, you'll wish you would have gone. The tests are pretty hard, but no worries -- The class is curved and everyone will do just as badly as you will. Expect to get whatever grade you normally do.

His tests are straightforward just like his old exams. The curve is usually in the spectroscopy. Everyone that says he isn't helpful doesn't go to his office hours. Be consistent and study everyday and you will do fine.

Lectures are ok. Tests are very predictable. He drives a farari and he's hot

Seems a lot harder than it is. As long as you don't get caught up with thinking how hard it is, and do all the practice tests, should be fine.

got a 250 ->scrapping in the red drop top f150

Go to lecture, read the book, do all the problems in the book, and do the practice exams. It's a lot of work, but, if you do all that, you'll find his exams to be VERY EASY! His exams are fair and straight forward. Watch out for spectra questions, because they end up being bizarre rxns. Read ahead of time and go to lecture! Don't webcast!

Vollhardt isn't as bad as people say he is. His exams are fair.

Vollhardt is a good professor, but regardless of the professor, this is a class that requires a lot of studying outside of class. It's not difficult to understand at all, but if you're not going to study, then you're not going to get an A.

Vollhardt's course was a straightforward class. How can u be lost if he follows his book?Know the "vocab" of ochem and mechanisms and you'll at least pass the class.Lectures are boring/hard to follow if you don't read ahead. Making reaction keys & road maps are helpful. If you hear that he's hard, it's probably cuz the student didn't study enough.

The key to success in his class is to do every single practice problem you can get yours hands on; I agree that you can pass without ever attending lecture but that's because his slides are really clear and detailed. so word of the wise, study the slides!

Great Professor! I loved the class. I used the book all of the time. The tests are fair and exactly like his old exams.

Lectures were not that exciting. However, this class does require a lot more work compared to chem 3a. The second midterm was extremely hard and included so many new reactions. Final had a few questions straight from practice exams.

Vollhardt teaches with powerpoint slides, which may not be as helpful as writing on the board. However, his midterms are straightforward. The second midterm was the hardest- it covers many many mechanisms. The final had a page of problems that were the same as the ones on the practice exams he posted online. Good luck!

His lectures helped in the sense that it tells you what is and is not on the midterm/final. I highly recommend doing problems in the book and working the mechanisms on a chalkboard. Tests were not hard, but you need to study to do well. Do the most previous tests to prepare.

He is very lazy and gives you a pack of his old midterms/finals. The tests he gives are very similar to the ones he gives you. It is better to just go through and know all the material in the slides rather than go through the book. Tests only on material in his slides.

Prof. Vollhardt is a cool, knowledgeable guy. However, he puts almost no effort in his lectures. To get an A, go to lecture to know what will be on the tests. READ THE BOOK and understand it. Do all the problem sets and the most recent practice exams. He wrote the book so many of the test questions are very similar to the problem set questions.

Prof Vollhardt is a great teacher. His lectures focus on the most important aspects of his book and thus ochem itself. His OH are excellent b/c he is very willing to help and he is a very personable person. His tests are easier now than in the past. to get an A- know the important reactions and do PRAC tests. Give him a chance- you wont regret it.

Professor Vollhardt is definitely no where near as bad as his reputation. His lectures can be a bit hard to follow, but he is very helpful and approachable in office hours. To do well in this class, read the textbook to understand concepts from lecture and do as many practice problems as possible. Tests are challenging, but fair.

webcast is great!

Most people hate on Vollhardt because 3b is a challenging class to begin with. But if you go to lecture and review the book, his tests are extremely straight forward. He releases a lot of practice midterms, which helps too. In the end, Vollhardt does care about his students and, even with such large classes, makes an effort to answer questions

he's good. tests are straightforward. refer to the book and take his practive mt's.

Chem 3B is definitely one of the harder courses at Berkeley. However, Vollhardt really tries to encourage students to learn. He's hilarious and really, really loves chemistry. Tests are not easy, but manageable if you study (would recommend a study group).

Straight forward, take practice tests and read the book

I really enjoyed Vollhardt. Although his lectures can be confusing and he uses powerpointsgoes quickly, he is extremely knowledgable and impressive as a chemist. His stories are hilarious, and seems to genuinely care. Tests are pretty challenging, but if you take practice tests, you should be OK. I had to do a lot of practice outside class.

Since he wrote the textbook, he pulls all powerpoint images and bullets straight from the book. That being said, if you read the book, understand concepts, and then do hws and practice exams before the tests, you'll be fine. His tests are VERY similar to practice exams, so do as many as you can! Memorize reagents & rxns THOROUGHLY!

Vollhardt is a pretty great lecturer, he is very clear but also goes pretty fast so be ready to rewatch the lectures and read the book. The tests are pretty hard though so be ready to ride the curve

Great Teacher, go to his office hours, and study his past exams. Overall, he gives hard test but very predictable.

Vollhardt is really funny and engaging during lectures although the material can be difficult to follow. First midterm is easy and straightforward, second is hard, and the final is difficult but fair. He gives out all his old exams which are the same format of his tests so they are good to study from. He wrote the textbook so it can be helpful.

He is very knowledgeable (he wrote his own OChem textbook and he's been teaching chem since at least 1995.) He says exactly what mechanisms won't be tested in lecture and he posts all of his old exams. There are no tricks on his exams. He tests lecture material only and not details from the text (I never even bought read the text.) Fantastic!

I absolutely adored Prof. Vollhardt. Sure, the material he went over was hard and could be boring at times, but if you worked really hard and read the textbook (which he wrote) and do the problem sets, everything will be fine. Plus, he throws in all those jokes unexpectedly which makes class more exciting. 1 St. Dev above all tests is an A.

Overall solid. Teaching is good but not amazing. Great jokes. Webcasts lectures. Pretty much teaches off PowerPoint which itself is based off textbook. Watching the lectures is like listening to an audiobook of the text. LOTS of old exams make it clear what you need to know, tests predictable. Subject is hard, teacher is not. Better pass the tests.

He will give you a layout of what you need to do in order to do well in his class. Follow it and you'll be golden

Professor Vollhardt is very funny during his lectures and he sometimes give some practice problems on the board. Those questions usually include main points he would test in the exam. He provides bunch of past exams which is very good since the test formats are very similar.:) Textbook is also important because it supplements the lecture.

I love Vollhardt. He totally changed how I feel about chemistry--turning it from a dreaded subject into something manageable and fun. Lectures are webcast and he posts dozens of practice exams and recommended practice problems. I got an A, just read the book, watch lectures and put in some work! He's also hilarious and inspiring.

love his music difficulty level of exams is consistent.

I personally really liked Prof Vollhardt. You should go to lectures so that you won't fall behind. He explained things very well, but a bit fast but you can always review at home. I LOVE HIS TESTS. They were very very fair, no surprises. Study his old exams! SLC study group was amazing as well (Jeff was the best!).

You HAVE to attend lecture and really understand what you're doing to do well in the class. Go over his power point slides over and over again until it is stamped into your brain. I really enjoyed 3A with Vollhardt, and I actually recommend people to take it with him. Tests are hard, but if you actually put honest effort in, you will do well.

He goes into more detail than other professors so you learn a lot more in his class. I personally only went to a handful of lectures, but for the ones I did attend, I found them very interesting. He also webcasts his lectures if you happen to miss them. I found that the study groups hosted by the SLC were what really helped me to get the A.

I have such fond memories of Vollhardt. The material was difficult but fair, and attending OH and SLC sessions truly helped. Get him to talk about his childhood and his hair.

I enjoyed lectures moreso because of Prof. Vollhardt's humor than the actual course content. Lectures were often empty and those who skipped often struggled. Vollhardt gives you everything you need to succeed with flying colors. I followed his study advice and did really well in the course. Review the life out of previous exams and you'll succeed!

This class is tough because there is a lot of content to get through. He wrote the textbook, so lectures are straight from the book. He gives you a whole bunch of practice exams and they are very consistent from year to year

Tough course material but what do you expect, it's ochem. Exams are tough but he gives you all his past exams so there's no bs. Just get at least 1 std above the mean on all his exams and you're guaranteed an A basically.

Vollhardt is great. He jokes around and is the cool professor who tells us to enjoy college life outside of his class. He can be a harsh grader but his test are definitely doable. The tests' format don't really change year to year so you are set for an A if you are diligent, reading textbook and drilling practice tests.

Professor Vollhardt is a great professor! Hes hilarious, wise, very inspirational (full of stories)! He loves his field of study so lectures are always a blast, and cares about his students lives/success outside of academia. Exams are challenging but not impossible if you do his practice problem sets and use his materials necessary to succeed

He's funny & has a clear passion. Lectures agreeably fulfill their purpose - providing requisite tools (that you have to practice applying on your own) along with chemical insight to understand & remember them. Pace yourself with work & really think through each step. Memorization may help to a limited degree but understanding far outweighs.

Vollhardt is a very entertaining lecturer and very clearly knowledgeable about ochem. He releases about 600 pages worth of practice exams which are helpful and all you need to succeed in the class other than watching lectures / taking notes. Course staff are also great. This class requires a lot of studying but is very rewarding.

I am a bit disappointed that he simply re-uploaded course captures for this online semester. His lecture slides are still great though; I didn't have to use the textbook at all. Exams are tough, but he gives a lot of practice exams that are similar. The grading was very unclear, but it worked out. However, overall, he's a living legend.

Vollhardt has taught this exact class since the 90's. Definitely do past exams as practice. The style of questions is extremely consistent. His lecture's are charming and he has an interesting sense of humor. Your grade is pretty much the exam scores; the quizzes are easy. He loves selling his textbook and basing questions off of material from it.

Honestly a pretty good professor! He's clear about important stuff like grading criteria and what's going to be on the exams (in fact, he gives us all previous exams and the exams are fairly similar). Lectures aren't bad either. He wrote the textbook so make sure to use it since lots of the exam/lecture is based on it

Although the course is tough, his lectures are very informative and gives you a broad overview of the concepts. The textbook he wrote is actually really helpful. Exams are reasonable, he releases all the old exams so I suggest doing them beforehand since they are similar each year. Overall, great professor. Also, very helpful during office hours.

Professor Vollhardt uploads lectures from spring 2019 each week and collects his check. While this is a major downside, Peter is a charming and engaging lecturer (On 1.5x) and is very passionate about what he teaches. Content is difficult, but if you spend time to understand the content on the practice exams, you will do well.

Professor Vollhardt was an amazing professor. He was always extremely clear on what he expected from his students. He wrote the textbook he uses for 3A, so there is no ambiguity in what information is required for the class. His previous exams were available to his students, and the exams he gave out were virtually identical. Great prof overall.