I'm currently in his Chem 1A class right now and he is absolutely AMAZING!! He's really passionate about the subject and tries hard to simply it the best way he can. It's definitely not an easy A but if you do his homework, read the book, and put in the effort, there's no way you'll end with anything less than a B. Take him!

He's a really great teacher, very helpful and clear. Gives a study guide and always holds exam reviews on weekends before tests--always willing to help anyone with anything. You can really tell that he loves chemistry and his lectures are great, he's funny too. Take him!!

AWESOME professor who is willing to help his students not only learn chemistry,but pass it as well!He provides study guides and has review sessions that help.I find chemistry really interesting but its just not one of my strong subjects so if you're one of those,just work hard, ask him questions,do whatever he assigns and you wont get less than a B

Definitely the kind of teacher who goes out of his way to help students. I have to say he's the most willing-to-help professor I've ever taken. His exams are not easy, but he holds review sessions on weekends,gives study guides,and spends the lecture before lab for more review. He has good humor and his lecture s are never dry. Take him!

Chemistry is not an easy subject, but Prof. Donavan makes it a point to make the subject more interesting and more relatable to the students. He always conducts weekend study sessions prior to exams in order to help prepare the students. Just make sure to do all the homework and other requirements, and there's no way you cannot get an A!

1000 points: 3 quizzes (40 pts each), 3 exams (125 pts each), final (175 pts), rest are hw/lab. Must pay attention to details and do practice hw problems and go over notes extensively. His tests are challenging, but doable as long as you study. Only 10% get A's each semester, but a 75-88% is a B. Hands down one of the best teachers at IVC though

Donavan is THE best, most caring, helpful, enthusiastic, passionate AND nerdiest teacher you'll ever meet. He makes chem concepts very easy to understand and enjoyable to learn. Rest assured, Donavan wants you to learn and cares about his students, and it's almost impossible to get lower than a B in his class. Take him and you won't regret it!

If you go to class, understand every homework problem, pay attention during lab, do all of the extra practice he gives, and ask him questions, you will get at least a B. not an easy A class. The cutoff for A is 88. Extremely clear and makes himself available. Great lectures. LECTURES ARE NOT POSTED ONLINE. he gave an Extra credit quiz day b4 final

He is a great teacher, and works hard to help the student understand the concept. You need to work for the grade, but is a fair grader and provides a lot of resources for the student to succeeded in class. Take him if your serious about chemistry.

What to know: no slides til near end of semester. Good study guides, hard exams. Class average around 50-60%. Quizzes are 8 questions in 25 mins; calculation heavy and a time crunch. Lectures interesting and fun. Don't expect to see your lab reports again unless it is for the practicum. EC quiz class before final. Uses MC, no penalties for hints.

Amazing professor. Cares about his students. Pays attention to which students are putting in extra effort in his class and is very helpful. 3 hour optional review session before each test. As long as you do the work and attend class, you will get at least a B (75%) or A (88%). Took chem 1B and felt very prepared from what Donavan taught us.

Best chem professor at Ivc!

You won't find a better chemistry professor. He cares more about the success of his students than most professors. Chemistry is a challenging subject but he has the ability to make difficult information very accessible. If you want to do well in his class work hard, study, and ask questions. He will go out of his way to make sure you understand.

If you want an "easy A" don't just change professors, change career plans. Chemistry is not easy no matter what professor you take. Professor Donavan makes chemistry as fun an interesting as possible. He is absolutely the most helpful professor you will find. He definitely prepares you well for chemistry classes beyond Chem 1A.

Took him over the summer. Very clear and fair grader. No partial credit on quizzes, but lets you earn back half the points you lost. His lectures slides are very clear, but its not enough to just go off lecture notes. You should still read ahead. Tests are there to test your understanding not to see if you can remember homework problems.

His lecture is super clear, and grading system will always stick to the syllabus. His test is hard, but most hard parts are calculation, you might need to understand the question really well. He offers extra credit for test and quiz correction. Lab is super easy, and just follow the step.

Enthusiastic professor. Grades fairly. Tough class period, no matter what teacher you get. Don't expect an easy A or B. Put in 10-15 hours a week and you'll get there. Would recommend.

I really enjoyed this class. He's a really cool guy and he does want you to succeed. He assigns letter grades on his own percentages because he knows Chemistry is a tough class. So an 88% is an A and a 77% is a B. If you go to him for help he will gladly help you. His tests are tough though they are tougher variations if what he teaches you.

Do not think you will skate by in this class! Roughly half of the class will drop, of those who remain just as many will fail as get a B. I went in not taking this class seriously enough and found myself making a desperate bid to pass later on. The tests are brutal and extra credit will not be offered. His lectures are top tier, take thorough notes

Prof. Donavan is so awesome that he makes chemistry such a fun subject. Quizs and tests are okay; only you need to do is to understand homework thoroughly. A's range is rounded up to 88% which makes it not so difficult to achieve an A so long as you really pay attention on his lectures.

Lets start by saying that Chemistry isn't an easy subject, however, Professor Donavan makes the class as clear as it can get. He really knows his stuff and it can be seen that he is very passionate about it. The lectures were very interesting. STUDY HARD!! I cannot emphasize this enough. Slacking off is a death sentence on your gpa. Fair grader.

Tests were very hard but loved the class! Lectures were fun and extremely helpful. He explains everything so clearly through interesting examples and willingly answers any questions. HW was tedious but helpful, lab was pretty easy, and quizzes weren't too bad. Gotta dedicate hours of studying for an A and do lots of practice problems from the book.

Prof. Donavan is fairly the most interesting professor at IVC. His tests are improved problems from his lectures and assignments; and all the labs are also easily being understood. More importantly, Prof. Donavan is very talented at joking and making his class a place filled with fun. Never regret to take his class:D.

Chemistry is not an easy subject at all. However, Donavan is the best teacher for this subject. You CANNOT miss a class because you WILL fall behind. Study for 30 mins/day if you really want an A. Watch instructional YouTube vids. See him during office hours. He is very clear and doesn't assume you already know a bit of chem. TAKE HIM!

My entire life I have been in a situation where a prof stands up & talks and then you take notes and try to absorb the information as well as you can. All students care about these days are getting an A they didn't work hard for & walk away learning nothing. With Donavan, he made his lectures dynamic and challenged me to do better. Thank you Dr.D!

If you want an instructor who knows what he's talking about this is your man. I took a Biochem class prior to Chem 1A so I've got a basic understanding on what's going on but the way Professor Donavan explains things (he guides you to understand them yourself) blows me away. He knows Chemistry and he'll help you when you've got questions. 10/10.

He is awesome! My chem class was at 8am in the morning. It was kinda torturing because yeah super sleepy in class but he made his lecture clear and easy to follow. Lab was easy. He is very easy to approach to. Overall, great experience . Love him. Have a day for you to go over anything before each exam. Last minute extra credits.

I took him for Spring 2016, and really liked him. He is a tough grader but it is not impossible to pass. Can think of only a handful of times where I needed the book. If there's one thing I appreciate about him it's his interest in Chemistry. He makes it interesting and is a good pick. Study your notes and do the work, you'll pass no problem.

It's actually really funny everyone is saying he's difficult. I'm a rather lazy student and have been slacking so much so that my tests show it (I failed a few of them and barely passed with a "C" on the others.) I still passed with a "C". If I had done more of the work I'm certain I'd have gotten an "A". I didn't take HS Chem. Don't regret 10/10.

All lectures are on powerpoint, and are great. He gives good feedback, and is funny at times. Online homework is great and helps me learn a lot. Tests are hard, you can't just memorize equations. Understand concepts and critical thinking. Study hard for a good grade. His teaching style definetly helps. Labs are good too, i learned a lot.

Professor Donavan is one of the best chemistry professors I have ever meet !! He is funny, his lectures are clear, his tests are reasonable with questions similar to those that you practice in class. He also has quizzes, which are supposed to help you prepare for the exam! Before I have taken this course, I was so worried, because I was never good

First of all if you are reading this just take Prof. Donavan for Chem 1A trust me. Pros: Great, Passionate Lectures Hilarious and Understanding Will help you during office hours Really knows his stuff Cons: Tests are pretty hard, gives you equations but will ask theory-based questions not just calculations Takes a while to answer emails!

Donavan is the best teacher I've ever had. Chem 1A is a difficult subject no matter who you take, but he makes it interesting and manageable. His practice wrkshts are harder than his tests, so it really helps to do them. He is passionate about chemistry and will really work with you if you need help. Great teacher and even greater person.

Very nice professor! He is always willing to help his students. He is very passionate about the subject and is very entertaining to listen to. The class is quite hard, but it's chemistry, chemistry is hard in general but he makes it easier to understand!

Professor Donavan was the best chemistry teacher I've ever had (I've had 2 in the past). He understands that certain concepts are difficult and confusing and puts a lot of effort into using analogies, humor, and visual aids to help you understand them. He's really animated and enthusiastic, and always answered any questions during office hours.

Professor Donavan was a very nice and professional lecturer. His lectures are very entertaining and will keep your attention for the full hour and 25 minutes. Labs are relatively easy. Just pay attention in class and really spend time studying/reviewing your notes and you will do well in his class! I 100% recommend.

Although there's a textbook, I never used it because of Mr. Donavan's informative lectures. So, be sure to always attend class and take good notes because you can miss a lot in one class. Also, be wary of the grading system, because it's all purely point-based. Overall, Mr. Donavan is a great teacher, but you really gotta work hard for that A.

4 exams & 1 final exam; no midterm. Do exam practice problems & HW, attend all lectures, pay attention, try, & you'll do well (Bs or As on exams & in course overall). If you need more help, go in for office hours, not send emails. He isn't guaranteed to reply to emails, but he will really help in office. Quality lecture giver and great personality

Tough grader, better attend his classes and get use to of books. Exams are not easy, you need to work really hard to receive A. He is funny in class and also caring. Alot of homework to do.

Expect to study a lot for his class. If you are taking more advanced chemistry classes. he's awesome and will give you a good foundation for all the basics. Loves teaching and really works hard to make sure his students understand the curriculum. If you want the easy A, you might not want to take Donavan.

I actually enjoyed this class. It is pretty challenging both material and test wise, but that is to be expected with a UC weeder class. Professor Donavan makes himself available to help students and is a very entertaining lecturer. The class is entirely point based so be prepared. Most annoying parts were the Sapling HW and his slow grading.

Highly professional. Incredible at explaining chemistry concepts. Easy tests. Labs are graded very harshly, however, so I ended up getting a B+, but IVC doesn't award any pluses or minuses, so it just shows up as a B. My fault for being a fool on labs. Would take again, if he taught Chem 1B.

Donavan's lectures are truly second to none at IVC. The textbook is NOT needed with this professor; the material is covered 90% in lecture and 10% in online HW, if I were to give a rough estimate. Tough grader, but that is expected of any chem prof. The key to an A is to redo the practice exam questions until they can practically be done asleep.

Donavan is a really great professor. You can tell he truly cares about his students and is willing to help them when they are struggling. Is lectures are very engaging. The labs are okay if you are good at following directions. Make sure you study the material on practice problems and the tip is to look over your sapling homework explanations.

Professor Donavan was the best professor I have ever had. He genuinely cares about students. He went above and beyond to help me with assignments and stayed in his office late to meet with me when I needed help. I ran into him again and he went out of his way to give me his personal copy of the 1A and 1b lab manual when I couldnt afford one.

Professor Donavan is prob one of the best chemistry teachers I have ever had. He explains hard concepts in an easy way of understanding them. He gives lots of opps for practice with the worksheets and the online homework which is extremely helpful for the exams. Quizzes are okay. Start studying for the exam a week before and use the study guides.

Nice and understanding, one of the better chemistry professors. The class isn't hard but you have to study if you want to do well. Online homework through Sapling, posts study guides, lectures using slides (but he doesn't upload any online until the second half of the semester). 5 exams total, 4 normal and 1 cumulative.

Clear, precise, and straight to the point professor which is all any Chemistry student could ever need.

Great professor, always willing to help & cares about students. But exams are extremely difficult. I'd do the homeworks with no problem but those tests were something else entirely. As someone who (thankfully) transferred to a UC, I can still honestly say that his tests were one of the hardest I ever took.

Overall solid professor, but two things to watch out for. First, labs are graded for accuracy of results, not just correct math and logic and he's not afraid to doc half or more of your points if your results are off. Second, his easygoing lectures tend to make you think the tests will be WAY easier than they actually are. Do the practice exams!

Really clear when he teaches and always willing to help students out if they need help. Honestly provides everything you need to succeed but it is up to the student if they want to take advantage.

Really cool guy but some people complain about the difficulty of the exams. I really did not think they were impossible, challenging, yes, but I took chem 1B and my prof was a lot worse. He is just trying to prepare you the best he can and what professor have you met who has easy tests?

He's a chill dude, positive attitude, humor and all that. I gotta say though, I did well in class, but it wasn't easy, per say-- I had a to study quite a bit. I think if you're taking chem for the first time, he'd be a good choice though because his teaching style is clear.

An amazing professor who you could observe, really enjoys the subject. Great lectures and presents it in a way that is both clear and understandable, without deviating. He teaches in a way that keeps you focused; because if you don't it would be to your own detriment. I like professors who present it seriously- interested in Chemistry or not?

Prof Donavan is amazing lecturer , he would always answer your questions. He respects his students and has good, positive attitude. There is 4 tests , 4 quizzes, lab and worksheets, and final. Online homework. A class that requires lots of effort. No study guides. Dedicates entire lecture for exam review which was very helpful.

Prof Donavan is just really the best. He's one of the younger professors at ivc and I think that allows him to resonate with his students a lot better. When you ask questions, it's clear that he isn't trying to hide anything like some profs do and then you find out it's one the test later. He really helps you work through a problem til you get it.

Great professor. He cares a lot for his students and is willing to help. His lectures are interesting as he connects concepts we learn to how it is applied in the real world. He gives partial credit on exams, so as long as you study whats covered, his tests aren't bad. Labs are super easy. Take him if you want to learn, but you gotta work for the A

Professor Donavan is one of the best professors I have had. He truly cares about the success of his students, but you do have to work hard for a good grade in the class. His lectures are broken down well to help you learn the material in its most basic form and he grades fairly. 10000% recommend him.

I struggled at first but then started studying more and the class became easier. Due to COVID-19, the class had to be changed online. I had more time to study and understood the topics much easier. The in-person labs were easy and helped with any questions you had. He explains well in his office hours and would definitely recommend going to them.

it was a summer class, so much work, and homework every single day. but he was really accessible, nice, and caring outside of class. The lectures are well broken down which makes it easier to understand. Tests are heavy but that's on chem, he is a good professor overall and I would recommend him, but you should work hard for an A.

Professor Donavan is honestly an amazing chemistry professor. He is very kind, funny, and knowledgeable. He will help you with any questions and his tets are a bit challenging. With enough practice, anyone can pass.

If you have to take other chemistry classes, TAKE HIM. Chemistry is not something to just study and pass, you should understand it and he really puts effort if you go on office hours, he will make sure you understand!! Test sort of heavy but you can get an A if you thoroughly study and practice. Big help on your future classes!

12/10 chris sutherland vibes. makes occasional jokes about self-depreciation. would recommend. great man.

Wht I really liked about him was he didnt push ppl to do anything they didnt want to. Most profs are so nitpicky w their expectations but prof donavan provides u with everything u need to succeed and leaves it up to the student if they wanna take advantage of it. But anytime u ask him for help, he'll make sure u get what u need out of it. take him!

Gen chem is tough but Donavan is a great prof to take it with. An A is somewhat hard to obtain because of the grading system but nonetheless is possible with a lot of studying and effort. Exams are tough but we had higher averages than other CHEM1A classes. Explains concepts very well and class is enjoyable. Flexible with makeup labs and exams

Professor Donovan was awesome. Chemistry is just a hard class in general but he makes the best of it. Very smart and funny guy, and he's always available for questions both in class and outside of class. Not too much homework, labs were pretty straight forward, quizzes and tests are challenging but not that bad.

Most people dont realize how much of a shock chem1A is, having taken no chem before. But as far as professors go, Donavan is honestly a solid choice. The way I saw him, he kinda leaves it up to the student to decide what they want to take advantage of; Send him an email he'll respond w detail, go to office hours, he'll walk u through the problems.

He's a pretty good teacher most of the exams are lecture-based, final was very hard because it was from the chem district. His grading was fair and he had a pretty good personality. If you have questions he'll explain them pretty well. Chem1A is a pretty hard subject and if you need this class for credit he's a good choice. His class was pretty fun

Labs are graded pretty hard so try to finish it a little ahead of time and meet him during office hours! Although you have to watch his lectures ahead of time online, it was easy to follow along. The problems done in class were beneficial in helping understand the concepts. His review before exams were also incredibly helpful. Exams are tough but

charismatic guy, great lectures! mainly studied just by taking good notes in his classes and actually trying when he does examples on the board. labs are graded kinda harshly so try to get them done early so you can meet him in his office hours. come to his exam review lectures prepared with good questions, goes over them extremely well

Go to his office hours! He's really patient at explaining, and is very passionate about helping. His lecture videos are mainly online so it can get easy to feel behind, but going to his lectures and practicing problems does help. Labs can be a bit stressful too, but he'll answer whatever question you have!

Great Professor! Professor Donovan runs a flipped classroom where you watch lecture videos at home and attend class sessions to solve problems in groups. Chemistry is not an easy subject; however, Donovan did a great job explaining the material in simple layman's terms. Challenging class, definitely not an easy A, but well worth taking!

Professor Donavan's class is by no means an easy one. Don't take lab/worksheet/HW activities for granted and make sure to fully score on them by asking him to check them before submitting. It will help your grade throughout the semester because based on my experience, your mistakes just add up. Aim for 90s on exams/quizzes and you should be good.

Professor Donavan is a great professor but he is a VERY BUSY man with the worst luck possible. Due to these factors he grades really slow, some classes are missed, and our class was behind schedule that we skipped some labs and material. However, he is an excellent professor to learn chem 1a and I can't recommend someone else. And go too his OH

Best lecturer I've had so far. Chem is tough, but he makes it easy to understand. Chris Sutherland vibes for sure. Tough tests (especially final), easy quizzes. Doesn't take attendance. Labs are meticulously graded, so take advantage of office hours! Very passionate and kind about answering questions.

Great professor. His lectures are entertaining and puts an effort to teach. Quizzes were pretty tame as long as you study. Tests are bit hard but still doable. #1 flaw is that he grades super slow. He's very lenient on late HW/Labs. And DONT miss a lab whatever you do, because you cant make it up trust me. His OH was helpful and at convenient times

This man is amazing. He is such a sweetheart and you can tell that he cares about every student. If you want to have a learning environment where you feel comfortable, take his class. I wish he taught more than only Chem 1A because I would definitely take him again.

I have mixed feelings about this class. Chemistry is tough for me, but the professor explains concepts well. I got a C due to having five other major classes, and full time job which hurt my study plan. The final exam is hard, making it difficult to get an A. The professor is fair but didn't grade until the final weeks. Overall, it's a tough class.

i honestly loved him! he explains concepts as if youve never learned chemistry in your life and is a fair grader. labs and exams were fair. definitely go to his office hours if you need help, hes very nice and walks you through everything. he was very busy this semester so he graded everything really late, but overall i would def take him again!

Professor Donavan is a kind and dedicated teacher who makes complex concepts digestible. Though grading can be slow, attending office hours and utilizing resources like unstuck ai for practice make this challenging course manageable.

He was a really good professor and I highly recommend taking him if you truly want to understand chemistry. If you ever need help just go to office hours and he will help with anything and does not make you feel bad for asking a lot of questions. He is a very busy person and was late on grading.

Professor Donovan is a good professor; he can easily break down topics. The only thing is that he had some family emergencies towards the end of the semester, where our class got behind. Otherwise, the class was pretty straightforward.

KEITH IS THE GOAT. He has really good lectures and if you pay attention you will minimally have to study. He also really likes his kids and wife and he is such a cool guy. 10/10 would take again.

This is my first time learning chemistry and I struggle with it but he is sooo good at breaking everything down. Also for our final it replaces every exam grade if we do better so that helps me from falling apart cus gen chem is hard. anyways take him i love him bye

If you need this class for your major I recommend taking it with this Professor, he's caring & helpful. He doesn't lecture in class and you have to watch online lectures.This class requires lots of studying so if you don't need this class specifically for your major I suggest you DON'T take it, it will leave you traumatized for no reason.

He's great at lecturing and he's able to break down difficult concepts into easier ideas! He does a flipped classroom, but spends a lot of time going over the concepts in person. The tests and labs weren't bad at all! He just doesn't grade most assignments till the end of the semester, but other than that is super helpful throughout the semester!