2.9
Quality3.4
Difficulty55%
Would Retake206
Reviews55%
Would Retake
206
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
206 total ratings5
29
4
37
3
58
2
39
1
43
What Students Say
“Louis doesn't know how to teach”
CHE8A - 1.0 rating“Lecture parallels the textbook - read it before class”
CHE002C - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
28%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.40 avg changeRatings by Course
CHE2B
3.3
(32)CHE8B
3.3
(3)CHE002A
3.3
(64)CHE002C
3.1
(35)CHE02A
3.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHE10
4.7
CHEM2A
4.5
CHE010
4.4
CHEM2B
4.0
CHE02A
4.0
Reviews (205)
I'd rather die on my way to school than listening to his class.
He's good at explaining things and is a clear speaker. the midterm was a super easy, almost perfect score without any studying.
He just copies off the Enderle Reader so just buy that and you never have to go to class again. This guy does not try at all f-ing lazy bvtch.
Its nice because he writes down all the notes so you can just mindlessly copy what hes writing and then review it later. The homework due date is also nicely spaced apart which I really liked, and he curved the midterms super well.
He writes his notes by hand during lecture and he doesn't post anything online or record anything. Personally, it was difficult for me to follow along during lecture and pretty much the only reason I went was to take notes and look back at them later. Overall, it was OK.
His lectures are very dry and he simply copies down notes (which he won't post online fyi). He contradicts himself quite often and does not answer questions clearly. I went to his office hours a few times and each time left more confused. His class requires A LOT of self teaching. He seems like a very nice person, but I would not recommend him.
A lot of self teaching. He refuses to post lecture notes or reading and goes off of enderle's reader word for word during lecture. He goes fast so I would recommend buying enderle's reading and not going to lecture. He's kinda rude when approached, the only good thing about this class is his fat curve.
Lectures were not helpful at all and contradicts himself a lot. Get ready to read.
I have a pretty solid background in chemistry, the entire CHEM series was review for me, and after 2 lectures I could tell he did not know what he was talking about. It is obvious there was a lack of review/preparation on his part for going over course material. I stopped going to lectures after first week and taught myself from the enderle reader.
I took him for Chem 2A and he was a fairly new professor. His lectures consist of him writing material that you don't really need to know for the tests. Therefore, you are left confused with what you need to study. One of the worst classes I've attended. Tests are also too long for the time given (50 mins). I would take a different chem prof
Professor Longaker may not be the best at teaching, but he is a super sweet and overall an awesome person that cares for his students! He tried to give the best class he could given the switch to online and students going through unusual circumstances. The tests were quite fair and if there was any mistake, he made sure to correct it! Great guy!
Would not recommend his lectures, he basically just copies from the textbook. Tests are very long and difficult for 50 minutes but he gave some points back. Self-studied from Enderle's reader. Fat curve because the class average is so low.
Wow. Just don't do it to yourself there's a reason his rating is so low. and people say that he curves, but he just announced that an 89 is the lowest grade you can have for an a so no he really doesn't.
His lectures are super boring. His exams were too long and I was almost never able to finish.
Difficult to follow. A lot of self-teaching No curve Super boring lecture
He's a really sweet guy, and really did try to do the best for his students. He held lots of office hours, and most of the time his tests didn't deviate from his lectures. He just doesn't know how to explain concepts. Most of his lectures are based directly off the textbook, so I was able to go back and understand the material.
I didnt think he was well versed enough with the subject
Honestly this class was just a mess from the start ngl
ive never detested a professor more than i detest this man. he wouldnt be able to get a passing grade in his own class. youre doing yourself a huge disservice by taking his class.
i hated this class because of him. i scored 10% above average on both midterms and the final, and ended with a very low grade. Tell me in what world is that fair. My homework, discussion, and lab scores were always 100%. And I still barely passed???? make it make sense.
You can score extremely high on all the exams, final, labs and discussion; but if you do not do the homework you will score no higher than a B. This was the case for me, that 6% for hw makes all the difference b/t a B and a A. He is very responsive to email and very accommodating. However his lectures were not good at all, very confusing lecturer.
Longaker was a pretty good professor. His lectures are easy to follow in my opinion but could be more detailed; sometimes the students had to ask the obvious questions for him to explain the topic. But besides that, he was very caring especially bc of COVID and is always available after class if you need him. I would recommend him tbh
the worst professor i've ever had. don't take him unless your life depends on it lol
Professor Longaker (formerly McCrea-Hendrick) is a good choice for the general chem series. He lectures straight out of the textbook, but that ensured that the test material (mostly) reflected the lecture material. No accent and always willing to answer questions (unlike some other che professors...). UCD Chem department sucks, but Longaker doesn't
I have literally so many texts of me showing my friends all the questions he got wrong even with the answer key right next to him. countless times in office hours to prepare for midterm 2, i noticed that he was literally not able to answer his own questions himself. don't take him.
trust rate my prof on this one and don't take his class
where to start... Louis doesn't know how to teach. Sometimes i wonder if he even knows the material himself. Lecture notes are him copying directly from the txtbk, he doesn't know the answers to simple questions, contradicts himself, fails to make instructions clear, and doesn't seem to care much for his students whatsoever. avoid. at. all. costs.
During lecture he would say stuff but wouldn't be confident which is kind of concerning. In the zoom chat the TAs would correct him and often students also argued with him. He just reads out of the textbook but if you study yourself then you'll be fine. The quarter I took it there was barely a curve as 89% was an A rip. He's a chill guy though
I never go to the lecture and study by reading the textbook. He doesn't really teach. The test is easy though
i just wanna talk to whoever on earth gave him a chemistry degree. what are your barriers to entry, @ucdavis??? he wouldn't be able to pass his own class.
I absolutely despised this class and the way he taught it. He was not clear on what he was teaching as he had trouble answering questions as well, he also made the tests harder. Going to office hours was a waste because he never helped out. The homework and first test saved my grade. Avoid at all costs! You wont learn anything.
Dr. Longaker was a nice professor, however he taught straight from the text. Lectures would be word for word outlined from the book. Office hours were not very helpful because his explanations were often vague. Having him as a prof did NOT prepare me well at all for taking 8B and Im now struggling. Avoid if youd like to do well in the future.
I had Longaker for 2A, and I honestly don't know why everyone hates on this guy so much, I think he is a great professor
He's not necessarily bad, but he lectures STRAIGHT from the textbook, so its hella boring. If you do all of Enderle's practice exams tho, you'll do well. He tends to have problems similar. I don't think he's the worst professor, but he's just kinda boring and sometimes vague.
Here goes very quickly when explaining concepts and doesn't slow down when asked. He has a lot of assignments which help boost grades if you complete all of them. He said he would provide a curve and then didn't. You will do well if you actually study and have notes open during the detests.
He's honestly a pretty good professor. He does lecture material from the text but I find that not to be a bad thing bc he condenses material for you. Though, he's not the best at explaining material to students when they have a question, but I thought he was clear most of the time with solid examples and study materials! I would take him again!
The class material itself wasn't hard but the professor sped through lecture material, which made it hard to tell what information was relevant for exams/quizzes. Often he would read word for word what was on the slide. and wasn't great at answering administrative or course-related questions. He did seem pretty genuine and caring though.
I've seen negative comments about his teaching style, and I do agree with the fact that he teaches directly off the book, almost word for word. But he also goes step by step in the explanations, which is very helpful. He does want to help his students, and I recommend reading ahead of class so you are familiar with the topic.
He simply reads from lecture note. He doesn't go through one topic by logic, but simply through the order that is on his lecture note and copying out every single word without making any connection between. He successfully makes chemistry a boring thing.
Professor Longaker is open to questions but often has difficulty answering them in a concise or understandable manner. I used to love chemistry before I took this class but after listening to his lectures, I found myself going to sleep out of sheer boredom. I then started reading out of the textbook which was much better. Avoid taking!
Longaker doesn't really seem to care about what he is teaching and often has difficulty answering questions students have. He mainly just copies the enderle reader for his lecture. I found it best to learn the concepts from the textbook and take the examples from his lecture. Midterms are very reflective of his practice tests and lecture examples.
I like him, he's mostly clear, can struggle to break things down for students at times. I didn't like that he taught from the enderle reader this qtr, preferred when he taught from his own textbook notes. The reader made material difficult to understand and had no logical flow. The last part of this class was hard and the final brutal.
He is for sure not as bad as people make him out to be. I definitely found his lectures boring, but it's mostly due to the fact that it is a 7:30am. He could improve engagement by not writing on a piece of paper. He's not great, but he gets the job done and his practice problems really reflect what is going to be on the exam. You'll survive.
He REALLY doesn't deserve a poor rating. His lectures are super direct and his midterms are very similar to the practice exams. He has difficulty answering student questions at times, but he's definitely not a bad professor. Also not a fan of paper writing as lectures. Study extra hard for the finals, as they were difficult for our class.
He's not a bad professor at all, and his midterms are reasonable in my opinion. I think his lectures are hard to stay focused on, but honestly, they give good information for both homework and exams. He's fine if you put in the work to study outside of class.
This guy is definitely not bad. He seems super nice and never minded questions during the lecture. But that also does not mean he was the best at answering them. His notes were super useful, they had everything for the midterms. the final was harder than his midterms so study more for the final. overall, solid teacher. not my first choice though.
Took this in Summer 2020. Class is very tested heavy and is only graded by 5 exams and homework. Tests are mc and short answer.
Dr Longaker is a fine professor. His lectures are basically writing from Enderle's reader. So get ready to write a lot!! Homework and labs are easy. If you study the study guides that the Dr. posts, you will do great. So do some practice on the STUDY GUIDES!! He is VERY helpful during office hours and review sessions. I would recommend him.
His lectures are super straightforward and informational. He does a lot of examples that are extremely useful, since some are how the midterm questions are formatted. Lectures can be pretty dry, since they are at 7:30AM and annoying students can insert themselves at any time. He does teach from Enderle's reader, but that's not a bad thing.
The way he delivers lecture online is horrible. He writes on paper & records with some device that shakes as he writes. He reads straight from the book and answers questions without great explanation. The recordings are so low quality honestly just read from the book and youll be better off; hes writing straight from the book.
He's a knowledgable professor who is kind, but his lectures are not on par with the other chemistry professors. He derives his lectures from the textbook, so I feel like a the concepts weren't explained as thoroughly as they could've been. He basically copied the same exam from the previous quarter and changed the molecules, so I got lucky there.
Honestly, he is a good professor. Does not deserve the ratings that he has. He does write on paper which can be hard to see but he also send his notes and the pictures are very clear so it isnt a problem. Reasonable midterms and very nice guy. Take notes, his notes are amazing!
I chose to take Prof. Longaker because he had decent reviews when I was signing up for classes. However, I wish I had gone with a different prof instead. Hes nice, but nice doesnt help you learn. He copies his lecture from the textbook almost word-for-word and doesnt explain at all. His tests have many errors and he is not lenient with grading.
This is my second quarter with longaker and he is honestly not bad at all. I dont understand why his reviews are so low. His lectures are very easy to follow and he uploads his notes. He makes it really easy to ask questions, although he may not always be the best at answering them. His midterms are reasonable. Nice prof. super nice.
The CHE series in general is hard, but Longaker made the experience a little more bareable. I had him for two quarters and I thought CHE2C was fine. He had trouble explaining/teaching some units - the midterms were not insanely difficult, but the final sure was challenging. He's very nice, and I recommend him.
He's not as bad as what most reviews say. His lectures aren't too great though. His midterms are easier than other chem professors but the final is difficult. Practice exams he gives out match up well with what the midterm is like. You mainly have to teach yourself I'd say.
LITERALLY recites straight from the TB which isn't bad but spends too much time going over "fun facts" that are irrelevant to understanding the main concepts & mechanisms, & I felt he didn't really understand the material himself. Both he & TAs were somewhat MIA in terms of grading & responding to emails. Just ride it out if you have to take him.
He was a fine professor. His lectures were straight from the textbook which werent the worst. His tests were very fair and he had a very good curve for how easy his exams were. hes not the most helpful but this class can be self taught if you really need, tho I never did. he doesnt deserve the terrible reviews but hes nothing to write home abt
Personally, I think Professor Longaker's class isn't too hard as long as you pay attention to lectures and spend a little more time reviewing the material. I took his class during summer session and we had weekly quizzes, a midterm, and a final which weren't bad at all. He's a fair professor and pretty nice.
Took over summer, the labs r not that bad - they are through this online program that is cool. Never went to one lecture but did the homework and took the midterm/final (open everything) and I scrapped a C.
I had him for 2c as well and he was way better for this class. However, grading was extremely harsh and the lab reports actually took me SO long to do. He always answered questions nicely and was fun to talk to when doing experiments. Overall, not a bad choice for this class, its just a lot of work for 2 units.
Basically, what Longaker did for lecture was simply read off his notes and solve his own problem examples without any useful explanation He doesn't care wether you understand it or not. Attending his lecture is more like watching him review the knowledge for himself, rather than teaching.
A lab class with triweekly lectures and quizzes. Quizzes are rote memorization based, except for the NMR quizzes. Lab portion is weighted much higher, and can be an easy A with the right TA. Prof is personable and accessible in OH, but they don't seem to understand effective teaching methods. Memorization over problem solving.
Dr. Longaker is a fine professor. He just reads off of Enderle's reader and writes it down on a piece of paper. He clarifies any questions during lectures but sometimes he can come off a little rude. Again, not a bad professor, and his curve for the class is immaculate.
I don't know why Longaker gets the criticism that he does. Although he does read off of Enderle's reader, he goes over a lot of practice problems that are very similar to the exams. He holds review sessions the Sunday before the exam and gives a lot of practice exams to study from.
When I say OK I mean he is just OK. His lecture is problem orientated so can be confusing for CHE newbie. Good thing is his exam is VERY straight and RELATIVELY easy. Time consuming Lab report does not occupy high grade that's excellent. If you have Chem background he is OK. If you are new, take him if you have study group or carrier friend
Luckily, this class was fairly easy since I took AP Chem in high school and most of the material was review. If you've taken AP Chem before, this class is really good because he goes over a lot of practice problems and the exams are straight forward. However, if you are new to chemistry, he does not do a lot of explaining and clarifying.
Professor Longaker is fine for most of the part. Sometimes he can jump the gun and not point things out that are probably necessary to know. The class isnt conceptually difficult, and youll do fine on exams if you study. if you dont do well with chem this probably isnt the class for you. There is a lot of meticulous details to know.
Does a bad job at framing and connecting concepts, very hard to follow during lectures but because the topics that he covers are pretty straight forward it's not the worst. maybe i have stockholm syndrome but he's not the worst ever, just hard to follow
He was an ok Professor. I did not take AP Chem in HS and Longaker was not the most helpful when trying to understand concepts, you'll definitely need to find outside help and resources to be able to teach yourself the concepts. If you have him as a Prof it is not the end of the world, but I would try to avoid if you can.
Longaker doesn’t explain much so learning the material is up to you. He’s not very inspirational and doesn’t answer questions well, but his practice tests match his exams. If you use outside resources (enderles reader and videos) you can do well. Not the best
Longaker receives more hate than he deserves. Lectures and practice tests are designed to ensure that you will succeed on exams—majority of the times people don't do as well as they'd hoped is because they didn't study Never took AP Chem, but I reviewed practice tests and notes to end every exam with an A. He's an amazing guy during office hours.
Professor is okay, not nearly as bad as the reviews seem. He is nice and is accessible during office hours. Materials and his exams were similar to the practice exams. Be prepared to put in a lot of effort and studying for his class however, getting a passing grade was tough.
Definitely gets more hate than needed, but isn't the best choice as a professor. He explains things well enough, but extra studying is essential to succeed. Basically copy and paste of Enderle's reader but will explain questions. Exams are copies of his practice ones so studying isn't too bad. If you want to learn, he isn't a good option.
Not a horrible class. My chemistry background is pretty barebones, and I was able to do okay. Just plan out your homeworks, best to not from them Sunday nights.
Longaker is alright, not great for people w/o a chemistry background. He isnt the best at teaching but most got by. Exams are very similar to the practice exams and lecture examples. Also, hes always willing to take questions in class and in office hours. Overall hes a nice guy, I wish he put in more effort as a professor but the curve was good.
Caring teacher, not a bad lecturer. Always open for help, tests are very similar to practice tests. Makes it a bit difficult to figure out what is due.
Longaker's pretty chill. Regrades on the midterms are really nice. 2 midterms (23% each), final (36%), lab (10%), owl hw (6%), discussion (2%). Labs are relatively easy. He has really nice curves but the grades are locked the whole quarter. Recommend.
Longaker teaches in a clear and concise manner. He uses pen and paper rather than slide presentations which I found to be very useful because the pacing is slower and gives us enough time to take notes. Also his practice exams are very similar to his tests, which helped with studying. His curves are very generous as well.
Overall, Longaker was a pretty chill professor. He said he wouldn't upload lectures but he ended up doing so and lectures were straight-forward but could be hard for somebody without chem bg.
OWL gets very difficult but due dates were spread out well. Labs are easy if you look at the lab videos. The post labs are hard as they don't show how to do something and it reduces points each time you're slightly off. Huge curve (had a 45%) which was a C. Review & practice the practice exams very well and you will do fine with passing the class.
Do not take him. He will not accommodate students and force them to go to lectures in the middle of a pandemic. He does not care about the health of students as he is picky at the emails he reads.
He's an overall pretty good professor. He can come off as a bit uncaring at first but he does try to answer questions and hold midterm review videos. He goes over lecture in pen and paper and goes over lots of practice problems. If you taken chemistry before, it shouldn't be too hard. The majority of your grade is on exams so make sure to study.
I don't think Longaker deserves the hard criticism that he gets. He is decent, but you will do better if you already know chem (aka not like myself). Basically teaches off of Enderle, which is fine. Tests are veryyy similar to what the practice tests are. OWL and post labs are extremely difficult, but not worth much in the final grade. HUGE curve.
Longaker's pretty nice. He can seem a little intimidating, so it might be hard to ask for help sometimes, but he genuinely seems to care about his students. Office hours were good and he even held them during finals week. Overall, he's a pretty good guy. Doing practice tests he posts and from the bookshelf are the best ways to study.
Longaker is a good professor. He uses pen and paper for his lecture which I thought was a solid pace for the course. He gives a lot of example problems in class but the main thing is the practice exams which are VERY similar to the midterms and finals. Put in the effort and you'll be fine. Also, the curve is AMAZING!
Exams are identical to practice exams and he will go into how to solve every problem. I did well because I knew how to solve the problems but I don't think I learned anything tbh. Very nice and can come off condescending but I did well so it didn't matter too much to me lol
Overall, not a bad nor great professor. Taught almost word-for-word out of Enderle's Reader, highly recommend just writing notes and studying directly from there rather than during class. Lectures were a good refresher of the material if you went over it beforehand. Homework/labs were a little difficult but exams were fair, decent class overall.
If you want to study for the midterms and finals, you will need to attend office hours or tutoring. Not sure why he refuses to update practice exams with correct answers-- or even answers at all. He also makes his class as least as accessible as possible, with no lecture or office hours recordings.
He gives lectures with pen and paper, which got messy when he made mistakes and needed to cross things out or rewrite. LECTURES ARE DISORGANIZED; Enderle's reader is a much better resource since it contains the same info, just more logically organized. He doesn't record lectures or review sessions, even though people were missing class bc of COVID.
I felt this class was straightforward and organized. The chapters that were taught were pretty much straight from the textbook. However, going to class is important because he does not record them. He is always open to questions and going over examples, and his practice tests are the same format as his actual tests which was helpful for studying.
Does not record lectures or post notes, so going to lecture is important. Lectures are verbatim from the textbook and disorganized (only comprehendible if you've done the reading beforehand). Practice tests were helpful, but often had incomplete answer keys. Only way to do well is attend office hours or self-teach outside of class.
Mediocre teacher. There's no zest to his teaching. It just doesn't seem to me like he just doesn't enjoy chemistry or teaching let alone both at the same time. Kinda feel bad for the guy.
My fav CHE2 series professor - clear and straightforward expectations, super relatable too. Lecture parallels the textbook - read it before class. He is awesome during office hours so USE HIS HELP - no question is stupid and he will answer the same thing 100 times with so much patience and care. DO PRACTICE EXAMS & LISTEN FOR HINTS IN LECTURE!
we were told to have the test from chapter 3 to chapter 4. when I got my exam 2, there were numerous materials in chapter 5, which was not covered in the announcement for testable topics. awful professor
Professor teaches poorly. His content is straight forward but it can be hard to understand given how little explanation he provides and the way he explains. The good thing though is his exam is very reflective compared to the practice he gives. You will be OK if you can teach yourself or participate a study group or office hour or it is struggling.
One of the best chem professors that I have ever had. His lectures are super clear and organized and he does lots of practice problems similar to the ones on the exam. He is very caring and helpful during office hours. This class requires extra work and lots of effort and people that complain just don't want to put in the work.
The class was pretty interesting and I liked how the lectures were straight-forward. The professor always answered any questions that students had, and the exams were doable if you did the practice exams. Overall a fair professor, you just have to put in the work.
His problem is addressed in other comments. So I will say good things, his lecture is straight forward, he tells you what expected to know. His exams are easy compare to others and are similar to practice ones. Also, the grade cutoff depends on the class so it is not the case that the whole class will fail. If he explains better he will be awesome.
Longaker is straightforward and teaches content clearly. He's not that bad of a professor as the other reviews say; he seems like a nice guy and posts practice exams to know what is expected on the upcoming exam. Also, I don't know why but he seemed very sarcastic during lectures which I found funny at times.
I did not learn anything from Longaker. During our first exam we found out that three of the problems were written wrong, so I spent 10 minutes on a long answer question to find out I had to completely start over. I definitely could have studied more, but I did not think he was a supportive professor so I did not want to try.
Longacker would just reword what was in Enderle's reader for lectures (doesn't explain anything further) so you have to really apply yourself and study if you don't understand. He was very lenient on hw deadlines and the tests were straightforward. We would do lots of review questions in class before exams.
refused to put any lecture material online despite copying lectures word for word from the textbook. Lack of useful study materials for the final exam, and the first exam had multiple mistakes on it and not enough time to complete.
Class is not recorded and lecture aren't posted so make sure to attend lecture and ask for help or go to his office hour.
Just rewrites textbook/Enderle's notes during lecture. Can't answer half of the questions he gets. Refuses to record lecture even for students with covid so I missed 3 weeks. Tests have so many typos the TAs have to fix them mid-exam. Gives unfair hints during office hours. Only redeeming quality is he says bless you when students sneeze in class.
No lecture videos or slides are posted on canvas. Lecture notes are all handwritten and difficult to follow in class. Longaker is friendly but has a monotone voice that makes it difficult to pay attention in lecture. Go to office hours because they're way more helpful than the lectures and hardly anyone shows up.
He is definitely hard, but he has a system to his style. Go to lecture, he specifically points out what will and won't be on the exam. Many of the exams and practice exams are flawed and contain straight up incorrect answers. I had to raise my hand during a test to tell him that a question was wrong, then he told the whole class to skip it.
Doesn't record lecture but his tests are straight forward. There are usually errors to his exams in which he'll give you free points for. Gives a generous curve and does not due - grades so a C- is a C and so on. Practice exams are identical to actual exams and lectures attendance is a must. If you miss lecture you have to read the textbook.
Many don't like that he won't record lectures or post any notes, but he encourages attendance and it pays off going to every lecture. Go to office hours! I sat in even if I didn't have a question and absorbed material. Chem wasn't my strong suit, but I passed and got higher grades than expected. He cares and will repeat the answer to any question.
Stopped attending lectures after the 3rd class just because he lectures off of Enderle's reader and that stuff is cracked. Nothing is recorded ever so if you don't have the motivation to study off the reader you should attend. Practice exams are very helpful. Pretty hefty curve, like 84+ was A, 69+ was B, 51+ was C (depends on the class average).
His class was hard, but super fair. He specifically states what will and wont be on exams if you go to his review sessions. Can come off as a little intimidating but is super helpful in office hours. Practice exams are just like the real exam. Go to lecture, self study, and you can do well. Does not record anything though.
He doesn't go into depth at all so you will not learn as much as if you took Enderle BUT his midterms are COPIED and PASTED of his practice midterms so if you can do the practice midterms its an easy A. Downside is that the final was really hard because it was Enderle's final. The curve is insane, I ended the class with a 69% and still got a B
Great guy, tests are exactly the same as practices and he gives a lot of them to review. He does teach out of the textbook so you know what u r getting.
Doesnt record lecture, no idea why. The notes he does are pretty bad, not a really good teacher. He's a nice guy though. His class is you would expect from a CHE2 class, weekly lab, easy homework. Honestly an easy class, lower division chemistry is not too hard. Practice tests are the same as the midterms and final so thats all you need to do well.
Lectures were pretty straightforward, though he just copied notes out of Enderle's Reader. He also had only one due date for all homework at the end of the quarter, so that was nice. The practice midterms mirrored the actual midterms almost entirely, making them a lot easier than expected, but the final was a lot harder because it was Enderle's.
Lectures consisted of fast-paced note-taking (not even his own notes). He does not record lectures! A lot of time-consuming homework. He did provide practice midterms that were almost identical to the actual ones. He responded to emails quickly.
The lectures may feel a little overwhelming if you don't have a strong background in chemistry. However, if you ask questions, Longaker is always willing to answer them, no matter how trivial. I really respected how present he was for his students. He also did a lot of example problems in class, which was super helpful.
His office hours are super helpful as you literally just ask whatever you need help on including lab questions, and even if you just pay attention in class hes really transparent about what is going be on the test. The practice test are absurdly similar to the exams so if you want to get by, just make sure you know how to do the practice tests.
No recorded lectures or notes, decent at teaching but not the greatest at explaining. Midterms were straight forward and fair but the final was completely out of left field. No practice final and completely different from the midterms & much more difficult. Curve wasn't as great as some other peoples, I ended with a B- (82%) and was curved to a B+
Longaker was great, despite the agony that is chemistry. For the first time, I was able to understand the material taught in CHEM, and I genuinely did well on the tests; I'm not great at STEM courses or taking tests, so that's saying something. He gives plenty of examples in class and I found his style of teaching beneficial. He helped me succeed.
Dr. Longaker is not bad at all; I do not know why people do not like him. Although not the best lecturer, GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS. If you have trouble on a concept, he will not stop explaining until you understand it. Also, study and memorize his practice midterms, because they are nearly identical to his actual midterms (insanely helpful).
He's a good professor. His lectures are not recorded so beware. I do like how he explains the concepts as if he's teaching you chem for the first time. Midterms and final are big chunks of your grade. Don't slack off on homework because it takes a long time to complete. Practice tests are VERY similar to the actual tests, and he curves.
He does not record lectures and goes very fast. Class is very difficult if you don't have a solid chem background. I will say, his practice exams are very helpful and there was a nice curve at the end.
this bloke is a terrible teacher. he only gives you the facts during the lectures without explaining anything conceptually. this sucks because the exams require a conceptual understanding of the material.
Literally had to teach myself everything by watching enderle's youtube and reader. Longaker cannot teach, & doesnt record lectures or review sessions. If you want to understand the lectures, you might as well teach yourself the topic before hand. His notes are straight out of the textbook, I learned more by reading myself than going to class.
This seems to be an unpopular opinion but his lectures were very clear and the amount of practice problems he did was extremely helpful. His practice exams were almost identical to the midterms with a few of the same problems. Although the final was weird but nothing crazy. Make sure you have someone that can send you notes if you miss lecture tho
Longaker is a decent professor for Chem. Lectures are certainly mandatory, with no recordings or posted notes. This goes for all Chem 2 classes, but practice, practice, practice is the only way to get good. He is sarcastic and I found that funny. Otherwise, he is approachable and willing to help. Go to office hours!
Practice exams were exactly like the actual exam (problems even in the same order just w different numbers) so can feel super prepared taking midterms. I liked him and thought he explained things really clearly but just be prepared to go to lecture bc he doesn't record/post any notes that he writes in class
I didn't like the way Longaker taught. Under normal circumstances, he never records lectures or uploads notes. He makes so many mistakes on his practice midterms and never corrects them. One good thing is that his practice midterms are very similar to his actual midterms.
Exams were very similar to practice exams. Textbook is much more clear than his lectures. Does not record lecture, review sessions, or post notes, and would rather send multiple announcements/emails about how he cant do that instead (he can infact do it if he wanted to.).
CONS: Doesn't record lectures. Has in-person review sessions for tests on the weekends and are pretty much useless if you pay attention during lectures. Makes mistakes on exams. PROS: Practice tests are similar to the actual test he gives you. Gives free points if he does make a mistake on the exam. Curves.
ONLY Pro: practice midterms are exactly like the midterms THE MANY Cons: the final will give you whiplash cuz it is nothing like the practice finals or the midterms, severely under prepares you for the final, down curves if the class does too well, doesn't record lectures, goes lightning fast, and does not explain concepts well
Doesn't record lectures or reviews. Lecture notes are word for word from the textbook with little explanation and doesn't give clear explanations. Mistakes on review materials. Midterms identical to practice tests. Final with Chamberlain was SO difficult and unlike anything he taught us in class. Completely blindsided on final, not prepared.
Attendance is not mandatory but he doesn't record lectures. His lectures are from the textbook. His exams are exactly the same as the practice tests. I suggest taking this class or any other class with him only during summer sesh. I took it for summer session 1 and we only had 2 exams, the last one non cumulative. Not that hard.
We never knew what to expect for exams or what content would be on them. The practice tests are useless. Not the best at responding to emails and sending useful announcements on information that would be good for students to know. The curve at the end was generous, but that was the least he could do given the extremely low class average.
After having this man for 3 times, I'm relieved to be done with his course. Take him for che 2c over the summer, as you will have two exams and not have a difficult final written by Chamberlain. All in all study the practice exams, memorize the patterns and the rubric, you will be fine. He is your average lecturer and your typical chem professor.
Literally lectures were just copied down from the textbook word for word. He didn't record lectures but because of this if you needed to skip class you could just read the textbook. Tests were easy, but one had a downcurve that made me get a worse grade than I actually scored. He didn't explain things well when people asked questions.
Notes are being written as he speaks so write fast. Exams can be difficult but just redo practice exams over and over again as they are very similar. Very helpful in office hours. He is very responsive in OH and takes time to answer everyone's questions. He will directly tell you what will be on the exam and what exactly he's testing on there.
The 2 hour lectures always be 1 hour lecture with heavy lecture because he literally just read that presentation . Interesting thing is the homework assigned has nothing related with what he taught on class. I rather choose khan academy to teach me chemistry. Thanks for my sincere online youtube teacher!
I wish I could give him a 0. I took this class expecting chemistry for non-science majors, which is the course description. However, this covers general chem, through organic chem, and not surface level. Quiz every other week, no good practice material. Everyone is failing. Reads off slides, goes super fast. Horrible overall. Avoid!!!
Longaker is reasonable with practice exams very similar to midterms. Clear lecturer who kept a fast pace. Only thing was his final which had material he never taught.
Horrible class & prof. VERY content-heavy for a concept chem class for non-stem majors & covers difficult topics like organic chem (the CHE2 series doesn't). He speeds thru lectures & reads off the slides word for word. Practice quizzes aren't accurate to quiz content at ALL. The avg on every quiz is an F, reflecting the quality of his teaching.
DONT DO IT! He has no personality while teaching and assumes we already know everything so he word vomits all over a sheet of paper and calls it a lecture. I learned everything outside of his class- be prepared to spend 4 hours per every 1hr lecture outside of class trying to sort everything out. Also dosent record but that wouldn't help anything
I thought Longaker was a completely average teacher. His lectures were at times boring, but also clear and straightforward. I thought he was a fair grader, and there wasn't too much homework. In addition, the practice tests he provided were very close to the real tests. Overall, I would take this professor again.
Practice quizzes did not reflect quiz content at all. Treats the class like a condensed CHE 2A even though it is for non-stem majors. He claims to give partial credit but does not when it clearly should be given. TA is not involved at all (does not grade things on time, does not interact with students, no correspondence through email or canvas). NO
He claims this class is supposed to be a "GE" class for non stem majors, but it was basically the CHE2 series condensed into one quarter. There are quizzes every other week and his review quizzes don't even have the same topics as the quiz. partial credit sucks too. Survivable, but would not recommend if you have another option.
Treats the class like a condensed CHE 2A even though we are all non-stem. Claims to give partial credit but does not when it is clearly deserved. TA does not grade things on time and has no correspondence with students. I'll pass but it was insanely difficult for a GE.
Most of grade is tests, but from when I took him, I don't think he's bad. Tests are just the practice & he curves big time. While the lectures aren't very interesting, the example problems are clear and he takes questions. If you need to take 2A, don't be afraid to take him. Make sure to go to class tho since he doesn't record or post notes.
This class should be tailored to non-stem students but it isn't. The average for every quiz (one every other week) has consistently been an F yet he doesn't do anything to help us. Essentially just regurgitates the textbook material in an extremely uninteresting manner. Don't take this class if you want to keep your sanity.
Not sure why this teacher isn't even in the 4.0 range but this teacher exam are a piece of cake if you just study the practice exam, identical to the exams. His lectures are helpful as well, very kind and caring teacher. He really does want you to pass.
Not sure why this teacher isn't even in the 4.0 range but kid you not this teacher is the best at explaining during lectures even though he might look really non-chalant. His exams are identical to the practice exam so that was a piece of cake. Honestly, he the best chem teacher along with enderle! Take him if you can.
For a class for non-stem majors, this class was unreasonably difficult as the content was from Chem 2A-2C in 1 class. There were too many quizzes to absorb the content. The practice quizzes did not line up with the material and most of the class had to be self-taught. He read off the slides for the lecture which were straight from the textbook.
Longaker is just about average, he copied his lecture notes directly from Enderle's reader and never posted his lecture notes. I honestly rarely understood what he was saying in lecture, I had my brother or the internet teach it to me. His practice exams are extremely similar to his practice exams, so I'll give him that.
Not the best lecturer, get ready to spend a lot of time outside of class trying to understand concepts. However, he does a really good job at giving plenty of practice problems. His practice tests are also almost identical to actual midterm/final. Overall, he wants everyone to do well, and is average.
Really bad lectures, only thing that's good are his practice exams, they are identical just changes the numbers etc.
I failed his course 2 times for Che2A. His lectures were not terrible, but to the end he would skip steps when solving problems which is confusing. His exams were just like the practice ones but made more difficult. He was very arrogant and also degrading. Curve was about 8% but not enough to help. Would avoid him if beginner to chemistry.
awful. just awful. lectures are all over the place and he doesn't really explain or go into detail on how he gets the answers he gets - makes going to lecture pointless. you have to teach yourself the material essentially. he's also very hard to reach, the closer you'll get to reaching him is the head ta. save yourself the pain, don't take him.
Longaker is not a good lecturer but his midterms are insanely easy if you do the practice tests he puts out because they are the same just with different numbers. Go to office hours, he is super helpful. The OWL homeworks he assigns are not as long as other profs. I would take longaker but attend enderle lectures so you get the best of both worlds.
Not a bad lecturer but also not the best. The OWL homework was the only thing saving me alongside my amazing TA. His exams are IDENTICAL to his practice exams which is nice. He answers questions in lecture but you have to do all the work outside of class. I now know what to expect going into CHE 2B.
lectures were not the best but the practice tests were identical to the midterms, and still very helpful for the final (harder than midterms). answered any questions and was pretty helpful
Decent lectures, would not record lectures as far as I am aware
Context: I took AP Chem and got a 5 so I had a lot of background knowledge which definitely helped. His lectures were not recorded and he's not an engaging lecturer but he'll cover content. Homework on OWL is pretty helpful and practice exams are almost exactly like the midterms he took.
It was hard for me to follow along in his lectures because he didn't really explain why he was doing what he was doing. Sometimes it felt like he was just writing numbers down with little to no explanation.
Tests were very similar to the study guides. Lectures are fine, but a bit dry.
Lectures aren't recorded so attendance is almost mandatory. Explained material well enough on its own during lecture but was very boring and unengaging. OWL homework was the most beneficial in addition to reading from textbook. Midterms were very similar to practice midterm tests.
Lectures were kind of dry and he didn't post the notes afterwards, but I feel he explained things decently well. The practice for the midterms and finals were the tests from the last few quarters and tests would be exactly the same. Pretty decent curve at the end too
He didn't record lectures or post notes. He made it very clear that you should not email him through Canvas. But after a while he would make me laugh occasionally and the things he talked about in lecture would make sense after reviewing it. The OWL homework was very helpful and the midterms were just like the practice ones. He also curved. A LOT.
Hilariously mid at teaching; says bless you to people when they sneeze in class (a plus); practice exams are exactly (w/ elements/numbers changed) like the real ones; not a very good lecturer (just reads off slides and writes stuff on a blank sheet of paper).
Easiest chem professor. Not best at teaching but I hear he is useful during office hours. Gives practice exams that are the same as the test. Overall, if you want a quality teacher to learn from, choose someone else. If you want an easier A, choose Longaker.
Does NOT record lectures and will not post lecture notes. Practice exams are very similar to midterms. This is my second time taking CHE 2B and I preferred Enderle to Longaker.
Dr. Longaker is pretty average as a professor, but if you learn very slowly then take his class for 2B. I am a very slow learner, so I appreciated the pace of his lectures. Additionally, if you attend office hours he's more than happy to help you! But he is a bit quiet and will not speak to you unless you speak first.
I thought Dr. Longaker was a wonderful professor, and in particular I appreciated his slower pace. We also finished material with time to review though, which was great. He followed Enderle's reader pretty close in discussion, but his practice exams are evry similar to the actual midterms and he is incredibly helpful in office hours.
A 7:30 morning class, without recording, so it is a must to attend the class, or else you have to find others to get the notes. Midterms are extremely easy. Every single question is derived from his practice exam. Please do it or you will regret it. If you care about informative lectures, don't expect to have them from him. He's not bad overall.
Lectures were pretty good, easy to follow. Gave good examples. Discussion attendance was mandatory. Labs a lot easier than 2A. Exams were almost exactly the same as the practices he gave so literally just study and practice those. Didn't have a big curve this quarter though. He's one of the better chem professors I think.
Took AP Chem so I skipped CHE 2A. If you took AP Chem, the concepts in CHE 2B are pretty familiar, just with a couple more details and concepts added on. Longaker doesn't record or post lectures, so you have to go every class or just read the textbook since it's the same. Practice midterms are very similar to the actual midterms.
Midterms were very similar to the practice exams so make sure to understand the practice exams in preparation for the midterms, however beware for the final because there were a lot of questions that were not from the practice final which threw me off. Other than that, the class was pretty good overall.
Chemistry is always going to be hard, but I believe this is one of the better professors. His practice tests are exactly like the exams, except the final because those are created by the entire department and not just him.
He's a super sweet guy but very fast in explaining topics. You have to really commit yourself to be engaged with the material, but he's always very willing to help during office hours. He also answers a lot of questions in class.
Professor Longaker is good and bad. His lecture style is a 6/10 where he presents material comprehensibly, but doesn't do a great job of explaining concepts/ideas; sometimes he reads off the textbook and doesn't answer questions concisely. His practice exams are essentially the same as his exams. He also does not record lectures.
Longaker as a lecturer is just average, will never do too much but doesn't do too little either. He doesn't post the lecture notes nor does he record so show up to class. His tests are exactly like his practice but that means a high testing average which also means the curve is very very light. He's not a bad prof though.
Lectures are basically REQUIRED since he doesn't record/post notes. You could probably pass the class just doing the midterm study guides alone since gen chem weights exams rlly heavy. Has office hours, they can be pretty helpful. Overall exams are the same as the practice ones, not too much of a curve but depends on your class.
He doesn't record lectures, but his lectures are incredibly informative. He is kind and respectful. He is always open to questions and takes the time to get to know his students. His exams are exactly like the practice tests and he almost always hosts in class review sessions to prepare. 6/5 professor
He is a little above mid.
Longaker is amazing
Honestly the best professor of the chemistry department. His lectures aren't boring like what a lot of people say. He goes straight to the point and answers any questions. His exams are VERY similar to the practice exams, which makes them pretty easy. Very little curve but that's because people do so well on the exams. You just need to put in work.
He teaches right off of the Enderle reader you have access to via equitable access so lectures are fairly uninteresting. His exams are fairly straightforward and mirror the practice exams almost exactly. It is not difficult to do well in this course especially if you can memorize questions he may ask later.
Lectures are long but he takes breaks between each "slide", which is really just a piece of paper he writes on, and gives people as much time as they need, his practice exams are very helpful and overall is a nice guy
His lectures are pretty textbook standard, his explanations are kind of meh his favorite phrase is "that won't be covered on the exam", his exams are pretty similar to the practice exams if not a bit more difficult, you might not learn chemistry too extensively but its good enough to be introduced to the basic concepts of 2A.
Dr. Longaker isn't as bad as some say. He cares about his students and loves chemistry. He is straightforward and transparent during lectures--his notes are very neat and easy to follow. Midterms identical to the practice. HOWEVER, he does not record lectures and he didn't cover everything that would be on the final--use Enderle's reader to study.
He simplifies and explains chem concepts very well. His examples during lecture + homework problems + practice exams are very similar to the exam questions. Taking chem 2C with him was the first time i've understood chemistry and got decent grades in chem. I wish i took 2A and 2B with him. unfortunately he does not record/post lectures.
Caring professor, explains things alright however, the lectures are heavy and pretty much the only way to get help.
goat of the chemistry department. super interesting guy who cares about his students. lectures are heavy but he goes slower if you ask him to. Best explanations and exams.
Took chem with Farahat last quarter and failed, Longaker was sooo much better. He's super kind and very considerate of his students. Extremely accessible during office hours and very patient when explaining a concept he's already gone over multiple times (in office hours). I actually learned a lot from him. Great professor but you still have to try
Very underrated professor. Lectures aren't mandatory but aren't recorded. Lectures are enjoyable and you can tell he genuinely cares about the students. His office hours are elite.
Longaker's lectures can be a bit dry, but his practice exams are very helpful. While attendance is mandatory, the course isn't too difficult if you put in the work. unstuck study and the free textbook are great study aids.
Prof. Longaker was one of the best chem professors I've had. Easygoing and actual exams are identical to practice exams. Students often rate him low just because he doesn't record lectures. Answers any questions students have.
Professor Longaker does not deserve these reviews. I thought he was a good professor and provided good lectures while using the Enderle reader, which I think provided a nice structure to the class. His tests were similar to practices. Sometimes he didn't answer questions that well but it wasn't a big deal. He's a nice guy and a funny teacher.
honestly wish I took advantage of him when I was able to. wherever he is now, I miss him. if I had just gone to lecture and studied i would've passed since his tests are exactly like the study guide. please please just to class and OH. You'll be fine. I wish I did. I was a dumb freshman.
Genuinely one of the worst profs at UC Davis.
Just read the textbook and be ready to learn by yourself
Honest person about grading from the beginning. He gives out a good amount of extra credit through homework and exams. His lectures can be long while also not conveying the information well. READ THE TEXTBOOK, this is the key to passing the course. Be prepared to learn by yourself. Pretty easy to pass his class though!
GREAT PROFESSOR!! Professor Longaker really cares about his students and being there to answer any questions they have. I was nervous to take chemistry at first but he made this chem class so fun and easy to understand. You do have to attend all labs to get full credit you also get to use a 3x5 flashcard on exams which made this course even better!
Very lecture heavy and doesn't teach everything that's on the test. You will have to teach yourself a lot of information but he is clear with what will be on tests and cares about his students. He is easy to talk to and clearly enjoys teaching chem. Labs are laidback and fun but lectures are 2 hours of straight copying what he writes on the board
blesses you when you sneeze in class the man is doing his best don't come for him
This man ate my son. At the annual chemistry magic show(picnic day) in 2021, my son volunteered for one of the demonstrations. He was never seen again. I have strong evidence that not only was he disappeared, but that he was in fact eaten. I am heart broken.
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