3.0
Quality4.2
Difficulty58%
Would Retake84
Reviews58%
Would Retake
84
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
28
4
12
3
6
2
14
1
24
What Students Say
“Gives good notes but he is weird”
CHEM263 - 1.0 rating“Difficulty level is hard”
ORGO2 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
39%
Textbook Required
37%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.85 avg changeRatings by Course
ORGO261
5.0
(1)CHEMLM
5.0
(1)ORGO263
4.4
(5)ORG263
4.0
(1)ORGO1
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ORGOORGO
5.0
ORG263
5.0
ORGO2
4.6
ORGO263
4.0
ORGO261
4.0
Reviews (84)
if you want to clearly understand the material stay away from his class....his exams are extremely difficult and he doesnt do a good job at explaining things.....while he gives a curve his curves are terrible....he doesnt care much for his students and doesnt give students extra chances at doing well....he doesnt even consider hw or participation
I thought that he was a great professor. His approach to teaching is effective, he goes over all the problems in his exam during class. I recommend his highly if he teaches organic again. You will learn something and in a crystal clear way. But don't forget to study, after all it is still organic chemistry :)
His name is Biscoe, not Briscoe. His first test was outrageously difficult and then he had the gall to tell students that if they had just done the homework problems that they would have done better. This is after he admits that 2 questions worth 25 points total were not in the book or explained in class. He seems out of touch with his students.
If you took orgo I w/ Balog-Nair or John and did well, you have nothing to worry about. Keep studying the same way. He is pretty good, clear and approachable. Gives extra points on every exam depending on average. I say one of the best professors from Chem dept.
Tough course; helpful prof.
Biscoe's teaching style is confusing. It's not that he doesn't try, it's that he has a weird way of explaining things. Some days he spent the entire class writing out a single reaction mechanism, and then did not include it on the test. On the upside, he grades on a curve and drops your lowest test score.
He is very passionate about teaching and his notes are very precise. This class is strainuous but he helps out and makes it easier. Take him if you get a chance.
Very good professor. Lots of examples and he is very passionate about helping his students learn the course. He in my opinion is the best chemistry professor in the college. Highly recommended.
His exam questions are straight from the homework assignments, class notes, and past exams. Very straightforward and fair. Study & understand all the above, and you will get a good grade. Exam questions are NOT tricky or complicated...
Fantastic Professor! He loves what he teaches, and he definitely knows what he's teaching. He isn't the easiest professor, but this isn't an easy class. So that's fine. No homework, and his exams are straight forward. He even explains each question before the exam just to make sure.
Gives past exams with almost the exact problem for your exam.Works with you to pass and understand.has mechanism and synthesis on exam. Has this 30pt q w/ diff reactions that u must draw the result and the majority can only be memorized. Would've thought after so many fail that section, he would remove, guess not. Very helpful n i recommend.Gluck
Good professor. You must work hard in his class and do all of the hw to do well. This is key! Keep up with the work or you'll fall flatly behind on everything. He's a decent professor. Sometimes his organization of the material seems incoherent, but just do your thing and study as much as you can.
Very nice and approachable. Willing to go over any problems that he assigns if you have questions. He digresses & gives more info than needed a lot but he'll tell you what he expects of you. DEFINITELY do problems he assigns!
He is VERY clear unlike other organic chem professors. Sometimes he might go off in tangents & provide more information than you need, but he'll let you know that it won't be tested on. He's very helpful during OHs & makes sure that you understand, so it's not like he's trying to get rid of you during OHs. Would love another class with him!
Teaching style is ok (no slides, writes amd projects notes in class), but he doesnt do a lot of examples in class.Gives one sample exam to study from per exam and exams are mainly based on them amd his notes! Take notes in class, he organizes the info very well. Orgo is hard regardless, so if u study and practice and practice u'll do fine.
I am writing this review BEFORE I receive my grade, so that my review will not subjective this professor isreally good. He curves fairly if he feels the need to. He allows enough time for students to copy notes, makes clear what he expects, and teaches so passionately that you can feel it. He gets so excited at times when explaining certain concept
AMAZING professor. Very thorough, super clear, and most importantly HE TEACHES. I highly recommend taking him if you want a fair grade. You will have to work hard and study but he provides you with everything you need to know in his notes. GO TO LECTURE. I am not a brilliantly smart person, but I managed to get an A in his class. So, there is hope
awesome professor, he is really Great and very knowledgeable.
He is a very smart professor. He is a little tough but at the end of the semester you will really know chemistry
This man can teach, but his tests are out of this world!! its mostly theory ( its all about p-orbitals) His exams are loosely based off of his practice ones. His review sessions are just a Q and A session the class before the exam. Some things he says wont be on the exams end up being on the exams...
One of the hardest test makers in school. How are his tests so hard? He explains concepts in class but doesn't go over proper test related examples. Never does hw questions in class except reviews. If you want to fully understand and get a good grade AVOID AT ALL COST!!
He is good but bad tests. Class average is a C.
Lectures were long but he tries to explain. Sometimes a little too much where he goes off topic.
One of the worst. Do yourself a favor and don't take. He makes his own version of an exam. Exams are 10 times harder than what he teaches in class. Really bad professor.
His grading criteria is not clear. Horrible review sessions where students randomly ask whatever question from the book they want and most of the time he doesn't explain. Hard to find during office hours because he is in some building that is difficult to go to.
I don't think he cares about students. He tries to promote his soda company in the beginning of class instead of teaching. I would never take again. The classes are extremely boring because he goes in depth about unimportant things. For example, talking about his colleagues work that isn't relevant for the course.
You should definitely do the home work problems. The professor tries to teach. I wouldn't say the best but not the worst either. Reviews are useless. Class notes are somewhat helpful. His tests are 10 times harder than what he teaches in class. Expect tricky questions. He curves but not like it helps.
Lectures ridiculously long. He lets people out early when he knows there's a Mets game on. Study your notes and you'll be fine. He makes the class harder than it should be. If he tells you not to explain anything in the test where it says explain don't listen because he's going to take points off later.
Picks hardest question off hw so try to get the solution manual.
He tries to make the class think they are doing well and then doesn't curve on the final even though the average is basically a C
Studying alone isn't enough for this class. You need to breathe orgo to do well. His questions are extremely tricky. He fails to make proper questions for a passing average grade. My suggestions are to STAY AWAY from this class unless you are die hard chem student.
Biscoe is the greatest prof. ever. He's very passionate when he teaches. His exams can be sort of tough, but doable. A lot students complain about him, but then again these are the students that complain about every professor and don't even like chem.
Hes alright but need more effort than other classes. If you take him you better get ready to sell your soul to organic chemistry. Watch out for tricky questions because he loves putting those on tests.
Definitely should go over home work. I struggled in this class because of the way he teaches. One advice would be to put lectures up online so attendance is actually mandatory to pass.
He is a very good lecturer. He writes everything unlike Prof. Volaignair who just reads it off the slides. Tests are only related to what he taught. Look in your notes and understand what he taught. He also posts previous exams which sometimes are exactly similar or requires similar idea. Practice them and the class tests would be fine. Good luck!
Difficulty level is hard. He says text books have mistakes because he knows the author. The only good thing is he attempts to teach by writing. However, he does not seem like he cares about what we learn in class because sometimes he lets a 2 hour class leave 40 mins early if there is a Mets game on that night.
Curves tests by few points but not final. Test averages are in the 40s.
Got a B in the class by studying more than what this is worth. Orgos hard but this was intense. A lot of conceptual questions expected. My advice skip this if you want to boost your average. Take it if you can handle hardcore organics.
Long lectures. He writes everything in class to help people understand. Only bad thing is tests are really tricky.
Help is hard to get from this man because his office is in the new research building that doesnt let me in.
Not the best professor here. You need to self study to do well. Come to class and study notes as well.
I had to study on my own a lot. Biscoe's a funny man but extremely off topic at times.
I have never learned so much in one semester and he is by far the best professor ever very fare and can always explain very well so you understand and can apply the concepts not like other proff who make you memorize random stuff, here you will study harder than you ever have but it is worth it! my best class ever! made me love orgo!
Hes ok i guess. Didnt love the class but i passed with some effort
Bad professor. Hard exams. Offtopic lectures. He needs to stop teaching.
Prof. Biscoe is the man. He is really smart and knows how to teach. I learned a lot from him. Lectures are long. He really cares about whether the students are learning or not. Chemistry major should love him because he helps you rationalize the world of organic chemistry. Exams are hard. But the organic reactions become intuition to me LOVE THOSE.
It is not one of those class that you can pass if you study the last minute before exams. He knows how to teach. He makes sure the students understand the materials. Sometimes it is hard to catch up during the lectures because they are long. Take him if you want to ACTUALLY LEARN organic chemistry!!!!!
He is tough, absolutely but honestly it is ORGANIC CHEMISTRY what do you people expect? He response to question through email pretty quick, curves, and partial credit. He tells you what you need to know, give past exams, for you to practice and textbook question. go to class, practice questions, and ask questions and you will pass and love it ;D
Very hard tests and sarcastic personality. Likes to intimidate students
This professor gives good notes but he doesn't care about students. Skip him if you are looking for good grades as a full time student.
I had him as a professor and then moved on to work with him as a research student. Personality wise he is nice but very strict when it comes to grading and questions. He loves to trick you on tests so beware.
Professor Biscoe can be tough, most of his old exams are similar to each other but have changes that can make a big difference. The best way to do well is to go over the concepts, do all the HW problems, and then do the old exams. Use your time wisely and effectively when studying. His class can be a real challenge but it is manageable.
Orgo is never easy. He has a nice personality. Adds some extra points if the average is low which is life saving. NO multiple choice. You either know or you don't. He doesn't repeat old exams (maybe 1 or 2 max). Know the mechanisms in your notes inside-out. A lot of the questions come from it but in a different format. His tests are mind-boggling!!
Dr. Biscoe is THE BEST professor at this school. You have to go to class and take good notes. He goes over everything he wants you to know thoroughly. He is a super nice person and very smart. His exams are difficult but this is Orgo 2! Deal with it. Do the homework, do his old exams which he provides. He gives extra points and is FAIR. He ROCKS!!!
Dr. Biscoe is one the best professors you will have. He is perfect! Super nice guy, crazy smart, fair exams and excellent lecturer. People complain about his exams and they can be tricky but you have to study. No one ever said Orgo 2 is an easy class. You will really learn Orgo from him. I fell in love with the subject matter only because of Dr. B.
Gives good notes but he is weird. This one time in class he yelled out "DIET COKE!" while we were taking a test. I have never met a professor more eccentric than bisco.
Go by this note, do the previous exams over and over again and you will be fine!!! He's a very nice professor. Don't be scared to ask questions. His exams are fair I have to say. But you must study for this class otherwise you will fail as his questions are usually worth a lot of points.
Hated this class. I had to work twice as hard as other org chem students taking class with someone else. Did not learn much.
Orgo is a tough class for most people. Dr. Biscoe knows his stuff. You'll learn some organic chemistry if you take his class.
He needs to stop teaching. Hated this class. Tests are harder than cw.
He needs to teach Org 2!
He is amazing! One of the best chemistry professors. Really cares about students. His exams are very similar to practice exams he gives. If you go to his office hours, he will help you until you understand the concept!
Amazing professor, arguably one of the best. He takes time to really teach you the basics of orgo that will make sense throughout the entire course. Take good notes and review his notes afterward. He posts numerous past exams to practice, has review sessions, and takes problems from the homework on his exam. Take him, and you'll really learn.
Enjoyable course. You have to work hard obviously, but his lectures are extremely helpful and thorough.
The best chemistry professor ever! No surprises on exams. Exam problems come from HWs and variations of past exam questions(which he provides to aid studying). Lectures are crystal clear. He doesnt assume we are all geniuses and goes slow with the material. I learned so much in this course. I would recommend to everyone.
The best chem prof in ccny. His lectures were amazing & wrote his own notes. Definitely read ahead of class and pay attention cause he makes orgo fun and orgo 2 better than orgo1. Do the practice probs, past exams and ask qs. His grading is very fair and HE REALLY CARES ABOUT HIS STUDENTS. He is a sweetheart and the nicest prof ever who can teach.
Appreciate his lectures very much. Always ready for help after class and in office hours. Exam questions are very fair (mechanism questions might be a little bit tricky sometimes). He is definitely the best chemistry professor in CCNY. I really hope I could take him for all my chemistry courses.
He is a great and nice prof who gives very good notes. He makes you understand organic chemistry instead of memorizing. He drops 1 of the 3 lecture exams with the final, each counts 1/3 of your grade. His exams are hard, but he curves the exam average to 73 or 75 for every exam. He assigns a lot of HW, it is better if you have the solution manual.
He is really nice and his lectures are clear. Just do the practice problems and review his old exams (which he posts on blackboard). He is available before and after lecture. From experience, if you have to choose btw Boson and Biscoe I would choose Biscoe because his exams are better and you will have a good chance of doing well.
Man always babbles about his famous book writing colleagues. I'm here to learn not listen to unrelated stories about your life. And why are the tests so much harder than the lecture like you're on a mission to bring people's average down.
A must take professor. He teaches concepts very well, maybe he wont spend enough time doing problems with you as he expects you to do them on your own and show up to office hours for questions. He will give you the understanding you need to do well on his course. PLEASE do the TEXTBOOK problems and and his posted exams if you want to do well.
It felt very confusing at times during lecture due to off topic tangents, there was a lack of structure in the lectures. The lectures would also improve through utilizing more practice questions since the lectures were too theoretical. On some topics he was very succesful at conveying the main concepts such as explaining sterochemistry.
He has deleted most of my ratings because he doesn't want other students to know how horrible of a professor he is. Classes have no structure and exams are extremely difficult. Apparently, everyone taking this class must have superhuman memory. Please check with your doctor before taking this class. Worst professor ever. Good luck to you all.
I highly regret taking this professor. He has 4 exams --he drops the lowest-- which is your entire grade and he grades them so harshly. His lectures have nothing to do with his exams and more than half of his class are always failing.
One of the worst professors I have ever taken. His lectures have nothing to do with the exams and more than half the students withdrew after the second exam because they were failing horribly. The class averages never went over 60.
Very knowledgeable of the material but can sometimes ramble for too long during lectures. If you do all of the assigned textbook problems and look over his past exams, you should be prepared for his exams which he still ends up curving by at least 8 points. If you do really well on the final, he can weigh it more heavily to help boost your grade.
His lectures had little to no resemblance to the exams he gave us. His highest curve was 8 points added to the exam- even though the class averages were always 40-50%. That means more than half the class was always failing the exams and that is an issue because exams are the ONLY thing making up your overall grade.
So sorry to anyone who has no choice but to take him for their major. You cannot focus on any course other than this. Even then, you're lucky if you get a C+
Save yourself the time and energy and take it with another professor. Tests are insanely difficult and you have to commit everything to the class or you won't get the grade you want. He reads off the textbook so you can teach yourself.
Good person. Horrible professor. He teaches the way he learned which is probably decades ago so it doesn't apply to now.
super cool prof. great at explaining concepts and has the patience of a saint when it comes to clarifying topics. just read ahead, do the practice tests and assigned hw set. he picks mechanism questions straightout of the textbook, so I don't know why people act all surprised when it shows up on the exam. put in the effort and you'll learn a lot.
Sorry if you ended up in his class, my condolences.
be organized, do all the hw and ask questions! he likes students that participate
Prof. Biscoe is by far one of the BEST at ccny. I took Orgo 2 before with other professor and did very bad, but with him I finally understood and became really interested in Orgo. He explains topics very clearly, and is always happy to help. He provides old exams for practice which are rlly helpful. Definitely take him if you can, you wont regret!
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
39%
Textbook Required
37%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.85 avg changeRatings by Course
ORGO261
5.0
(1)CHEMLM
5.0
(1)ORGO263
4.4
(5)ORG263
4.0
(1)ORGO1
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ORGOORGO
5.0
ORG263
5.0
ORGO2
4.6
ORGO263
4.0
ORGO261
4.0