2.3
Quality4.0
Difficulty30%
Would Retake119
Reviews30%
Would Retake
119
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
7
4
22
3
23
2
30
1
37
What Students Say
“It's better to self study”
CHEM1331 - 1.0 rating“I attended every single lecture but the class did not really seem to help me very much”
CHEM1331 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
25%
Textbook Required
19%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.28 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM1332
3.5
(2)CHEM1372
3.3
(9)1372
2.6
(8)CHEM1331
2.3
(90)1331
2.3
(7)Difficulty by Course
CHEM1330
5.0
1331CHEM
5.0
1331
4.0
CHEM1311
4.0
CHEM1331
4.0
Reviews (119)
Goes way off topic for the course. He looks like he knows his stuff but doesn't quite explain the material that we need to know. Generally tries to help students who don't understand but his lectures are very confusing to follow. Can't say for sure what my grade is going to end up looking like.
This class is exhausting. A lot of work and exam are very tough. He is a good chemist but a horrible teacher. Probably because he is new, his first time teaching this course. Everyone is getting bad grades so hopefully he curves at the end, otherwise this class is a wreck.
He really does know his stuff and teaches really well. The problem, however, is the grading scale and some questions that we see on the test have not exactly been taught before. Haven't gotten a final grade yet but if he curves I'll probably have a solid A. You should take him though.
Talks himself into circles and lectures have little to do with the tests. He goes off onto tangents about random advanced chemistry which no one understands but him. One good thing is that a 60 is a C+ so the whole course is curved.
Chem is generally not easy, especially if you weren't really good in high school(just like I was). I knew it was going to be a challenge so I entered this class with the intent to rise above my standards. Prof. Smith is really helpful if you pay attention in class and meet him for questions. If you put effort then you will make it. Left with an A
Class was definitely not an easy course. First test 80, second test 60 and third test 40. And there's a final. End with a B-. Grading scale was curved. Review questions not similar to test questions at all. Must read book and completely understand concepts in order to do well on tests.
Worst teacher ever. He doesn't know how to teach. He goes in circles and even confuse himself. Does the wrong calculations and use the wrong formulas. My high school chem teacher is much better than him. Homework due every week. 3 exams and a final. Curves the grade. Give random extra credits as quiz when you come to class
He tries his best but he should understand that all the advanced stuff he teaches confuses students that are simply trying to learn what he is saying. Advice, meet him during his office hours and ask him a lot of questions. Good luck to you
He doesn't know how to teach. I use to come to class very early to sit in the front seat but I learn nothing. Eventually, I skip class, spend that time to learn by myself and get better grade. If you're willing to pay the tuition fee to study by yourself, choose this Prof. And don't come to class, it's a wasted of time.
He's a good professor, but it's hard to learn if you don't sit in the front. Make sure you go to his office hours and ask him questions. If you read the book and do the practice homeworks before the test you'll easily get an A.
This class is straight forward. Lectures are pretty clear and power points help to not read the book. Homework and tests are standardized and somewhat annoying. His practice homework and tests help a lot to study. Gives bonus for going to class. 13 HW, 3 tests, 1 final. Somewhat lenient grade scale. Tests are 90% of your grade though.
If you are not devoted you will fail. This is a difficult class but not an impossible one. The book is a must. There are free PDF versions you just have to look for them. The best way to study for tests are to do insane amounts of practice homework. Dr. Smith is not a very good lecturer, and attending lectures aren't worth it, but bonus credit is.
He is very boring so I had a tough time trying to pay attention. Because of this, I never knew what he was talking about. Here are some things I wrote while taking notes: "These are the dullest lectures I've ever had the misfortune of listening to," and "This class was the catalyst that helped me change majors." I recommend taking anyone else.
Here's the bottom line.... I went to class because he gave quizzes from time to time that counted as a 3% bonus at the end of the semester, not because I thought I would learn something. To study, I looked to the book and the homework assigned online. The reviews he would write up were completely irrelevant to the test. Tough class...
His lectures covered everything that was on the test, and he would go over some practice problems which also reflected the needed knowledge of material on the tests, not all however. Also, his explanations were a bit confusing as he frequently would make small mistakes which had to be pointed out. However, he sincerely cared for the students. B-
I never went to his class because notes were online and his explanations were confusing. Doesn't work out very many math problems, so I had to take workshop because problems got harder towards the end. I read notes and read every single chapter to keep up-book was essential for me. Tests were ok, but the final was difficult-majority of grade :(
You take 3 test for 94% of your final grade. you have 12 homework assignments for the remaining 6 points, and if you fail to pass 3 he kicks you out of the class
This is chem so it won't be easy to begin with but he doesn't help much. He goes off slides that belonged to a previous professor. Does problems off of slides but fails to explain why he does what he does in them. Grade scalecurve set from beginning so you know what you'll get early on. LOTS of self teaching, do as many problems as you can!
Do not take him. He does not know how to teach at all. You will have to read the book and find someone to tutor you. The tests are hard and the practice tests are not that similar to the actual ones. He does not give so much extra credits, only a few.
I transferred into UH and had already taken all my necessary chemistry. Credits didn't transfer, so here I am. This is your classic uni class - all self study, prof is actually helpful with individual questions. AVOID HIM. He is just reads off power points and all tests are at CASA (multiple-guess exams). Take Bott instead since he curves.
Only 2 extra points. And no curve at all. The homework only worth 6%, but you still have to do them, otherwise, you will be dropped automatically. I can't believe I took his class. The lectures are confusing. That class damaged my total grade points badly. I don't enjoy Chem anymore.
You are 100% on your own as far as learning in this class. He does not give test reviews, only online practice exams. Practice exams are randomized and nothing similar to the actual exams. Final exam is worth 34% of your grade and his final exam review is just a list of 10+ broad topics. Everything in this class is a gamble. Best of luck.
Basically you have to learn the material yourself. He's not very good at teaching, but at the end he tried harder. The tests aren't very easy but the final seemed extra hard. Google helps with the 13 hws. There is no curve just 2 extra points for class quizzes and the grading scale is different for the better. For ex. if you get a 72-75 its a B-
Professor Smith is a pretty good professor. The material is tough, but I love chemistry. You have to teach yourself some of the material, but other than that, he is not that bad of a professor as a lot of people say he is. Put in the work, and you will have no trouble passing.
This professor is so useless. I went to class at the beginning of of the semester but I was so confused by his explanations that I started skipping class to study on my own . If you like self study ,take this professor if NOT, RUN as fast as you can from this one.
HORRIBLE. could not teach,said himself that he is not here to teach just to give the material and it is up to us to learn it. read the book or fail or read and still fail!!! fail or miss 3 homework and get kicked out of blackboard,final is worth 33% of grade and is 33 questions so each wrong one is -1 from total avg grade, attendance is bonus
Poorly organized lectures from slides that seemed to be as new to him as to us. Often I came into class understanding something from the textbook only to walk out of the lecture in confusion. His lack of enthusiasm was contagious.
I always try to find something good to say when rating professors, but I honestly can't think of anything. Smart guy but awful professor. Lectures are confusing. He does not explain things. Avoid taking him if you can. If you can't, you're going to be doing a lot of self teaching. Read the book, do practice problems. Lots of work, but I got an A.
Good guy, just a boring delivery in general, get ready to solve problems from the back of the book.
In order to do good in this class and understand lectures, you need to read the book before class. He even says to do this. The tests aren't hard and the grading is clear. Overall, a really, really nice guy and will certainly help you if needed.
I am sitting in his class right now and he's been on the same slide for ten minutes, explaining something that should be easy in the hardest way possible to confuse you. Although he has a microphone, he uses it but it must be cheap so good luck hearing him. In the beginning, class was full and now barely anyone is here. It's better to self study.
I don't hate the class as much as I hate the tests. I understand Chemistry is an innately hard subject, but he's clearly more of a research professor than a teacher. Nice enough guy, smart, but has a hard time relating to the people that don't get t as well.
Worst teacher by far! Makes every topic more difficult than it should. Powerpoints are confusing and he is just horrible. I dont know why he is still even teaching
I had to drop this class after my first two tests because of the grades. If at all possible avoid him! He goes on tangents and offers up so much irrelevant information that it just confuses you! I loved chemistry until I took this class!
Professor Smith is a really nice professor. However, you really need to read the textbook in order to understand what he presents in class. His explanations can be confusing, so I understand why everyone is complaining. But like I said in the beginning, read the textbook and complete the practice problems. If you work hard, you will be fine.
I would suggest that you avoid this class, but hes supposedly is the best out of the other 3 offered. He rambles a lot. I didn't learn anything from him. You have to study the book religiously, and do practice assignments outside of class if you want to pass. May the odds be forever in your favor.
Lecture is completely useless and you'll be teaching yourself everything but the book is extremely helpful. Read and learn from it and you'll do fine. There are weekly homework assignments which aren't too bad. Do the practice tests and practice homeworks and you should be prepared for the tests.
um yeah chemistry is hard, and he does not make it any easier. Most people stop showing up to lecture because it's literally a waste of time. He's apparently the best out of the chem 1 lecturers, so get ready to self study, and UH does offers some resources like the recitations so utilize those they kind of help. GOOD LUCK.
I started skipping class after about a month since the lectures were long and a waste of time. He makes it more confusing. I managed to pass my first 2 test without going to class by studying 3 days before it. READING IS THE ONLY WAY YOU WILL PASS. 3 test worth 60% and the final is 34%. Homework is really easy though.
He makes the textbook even more confusing. LECTURES: WASTE OF TIME. Watch youtube videos/do the practice homework/exams religiously. Hw is counts for so little. The "extra credit" adds a mere 1-2 pts on the final exam. Chem 1 here at UH is terrible. Good luck.
People complaining about Dr. Smith just don't know how to study or their chemistry is not up to par. Great lectures, but I mostly taught myself everything from the textbook. Tests aren't that bad, just study the book and go over lecture notes, and you'll be fine.
Be sure to do your homework, and practice homeworks. Put in the work and work with your peers to take as many homeworks/practice tests as possible and you will end up just fine.
A funny guy, but his lectures over-complicate the concept of chemistry. He will try to relate everything to quantum theory. He will seldom cover things that will be on the test.
All the chem teachers are bad lol. I found this professor to be funny though. He is very smart and makes things harder than they need to be, but he is also willing to help if you ask for it. Don't hesitate to ask him questions. He gives bonus points for participation.
If I were to take chem again I would still take Smith, when compared to other teachers. Chem in general is tough to me, so I had to actually work hard to make an A. Smith is a very intelligent man, but can't teach well, so I stopped going to lectures later on. But hes funny,willing to help, &also very understanding. Top hat extra credit offered!
Lectures were really boring to me in my opinion. Prof would tend to head of off topic and talk about non sense. Homework is assigned weekly, but as long as you do all 4 tries to it as well as the practice homework, then you are most likely to be set for the midterm. Every question on the final/midterm is 1 pt towards your final grade. Hes helpful.
Very bright man, but most definitely NOT a professor! He is willing to see you succeed and offers lots of office time to review completed exams, but it does little help considering exams are proctored at a testing center and he hardly knows what they consist of. Weekly homework due that hardly reflects exam material.
He's a very nice professor and actually wants to make sure you succeed! His lectures are confusing but chem is hard and you have to self study and earn your grade. He doesn't make the exams so he doesn't know what exactly they cover so his lectures do deviate from exam material that's why you have to study and read the book!!!
This class has been a rollercoaster ride for me. I learned a lot (by myself) but I mean hey, all STEM classes are self teach anyway. Apparently he's the best out of all 1331 professors, which are all trash at UH anyway, but he's alright. He gives extra credit for participation. Study hard from the homework and book. Lots of work, but doable
He's a great person. Terrible lecturer. Constantly goes off topic but he will help you if you have questions. Tests are just like HW and practice test so if you go over those multiple times you should get an A on the tests and ultimately in the class. Attendance is extra credit! I went to class twice and got an A. DOOOOO HW and youll be fine!
overall prof. smith is very respectful to students when asked questions and tries best to explain as much as he can. he replied to my emails on questions quickly. tophat bonus points help and grading criteria is clear to understand (on the syllabus). be ready to learn from homework and the book because the powerpoints for all profs are not good
His lectures are confusing unless you read the book before coming to class. You need to take notes of what he says. Do the practice homework because you might see the same question in the actual test.
Smith is a terrible lecturer and lectures are a complete waste of time. Attendance is 1-2 points extra credit though. Get ready to self teach with the text book. Studying homework questions is the best way to prepare for tests. I didn't mind teaching myself and skipping lecture gave me lots of free time.
He is not clear and just reads from his powerpoint.
Mark Smith is a nice guy, but I do not think he is a great professor. His lectures are usually long and unhelpful. I would recommend reading the chapters on your own, and then just doing the homeworks to study from. He is helpful though if you go him with questions.
I literally learned from his powerpoints and made a B+ . You can tell this guy knows about chemistry but does not know how to teach at all. I stopped going to class after the first test and just did the TopHat outside of class. Learn on your own, you benefit more than learning from him.
He's a mediocre teacher at best. I had to self study for the class but luckily I took AP chem in my high school. Tests are 94 percent of your grade. Tests are not dropped, rarely curved. Tests come from the homework and practice tests though so DO AS MANY of those as you can to prepare for tests. Repetition is key in this class!
Awful. The worst professor, no wait educator, I have had in my entire life. If I could give him negative points for clarity I would. Lectures are hard to follow and his slides are so scattered. would not recommend him for anyone and going to class just confuses you even more, self study. Ended up retaking the class with another professor.
Professor Smith posts lecture videos online which are incredibly helpful. The way to succeed is to do a bunch of practice problems. Read questions carefully, and try to keep up. Chemistry is difficult to cram into one night.
No. Skipped class, studied on my own, and got an A. Do the practice quizzes and quizzes bc you may see questions on test. Spends way too much time on information we don't need and he doesn't make his lectures interesting AT ALL. He is the best, bad chem teacher at UH and just enroll in his class to get the A that you self-studied for.
Mark Smith was the reason I fell back one semester behind. He is an awful professor and he does not know how to teach. I am pretty sure he was fired for a year and then he came back, but those are just rumors. I miss Professor Bott. If I could rate less than this, I would. I absolutely recommend any other professor, but this one.
Horrible, horrible professor. I honestly don't know how they could let someone like this teach. He knows what he's talking about, but doesn't know how to teach it. It's almost as if he just stands in front of the class and recites what he knows with no intention of having you learn.
Yes, his lectures are not very good at "teaching". In his defense thats what he says at the start of the semester. However, if you do need him for help outside of class, he has plenty of time during his office hours. He's honestly a nice guy, so I would still take him out of the other chem professsors
You have to read the textbook and study on your own to know the material that is going to be on the test. He'll help you if you go talk to him individually during his office hours. It's better to just go talk to him one on one rather than trying to follow along in class.
This is class is hard, but not impossible. Make sure you take notes on the chapter for the week "BEFORE YOU GO TO CLASS", you will catch a thing here and there, but for the most part you're doing 90% of the learning on your own. Compared to other chem professors he is the best; it will be hard, but he is the best UH has for chem 1331.
READ READ READ, that's the only way you will pass. I went to 3 classes before I eventually skipped all of them. There was basically no point in going since he reads from the slides that are on BlackBloard. Only reason to go is for extra credit(only 1 or 2 points added to the final). Tests are 60% and final is 34%. The class it self is curved. GL.
Don't go to class it's not worth it. This guy doesn't know how to teach. He offers extra credit (1-2 points) so I went to every single class, but even with it my grade stayed the same.
His class is hard but getting an A is very achievable. The main complaint is that Dr. Smith isn't a really good lecturer, but he himself emphasizes the importance of reading beforehand and taking notes from the textbook. The textbook is dope, and he's really helpful in his office hours. Attend class for the 2 points extra credit. Trust me. GL!!
He's the definition of a good researcher but a terrible teacher. Has absolutely no understanding of how to lecture or simplify concepts. His notes are unorganized and hard to follow. Often times comes unprepared for calculations and stumbles in lecture. You WILL have to read the book or study with someone who understands in order to do well.
He's not good at explaining chemistry although he is extremely qualified. Definitely read the textbook, study the practice exams for dear life, come to class and do the top hat quizzes for a 1-2 extra credit points. From what I hear, Gulloy sounds like the best chemistry professor to take for Chem 1331.
THE TEXTBOOK IS YOUR BEST FRIEND! Dr. Smith says that he's there to help process the info, not teach from the get-go. He stresses reading the book and although he doesn't really teach, he is approachable and I heard he is great during his office hours. Tough class (not his fault) & you need to spend more time on it than you think: practice & do HW.
Chem 1331 is NOT an easy class, and Prof. Smith doesn't really have control over the homework/tests like in some other departments. His lectures aren't the best, he gets side tracked a lot. BUT he is extremely accessible outside of class and legitimately wants to see you succeed. He responds to messages/questions pretty fast as well.
I attended every single lecture but the class did not really seem to help me very much. He spends way too long explaining how to do a single problem and tends to overcomplicate concepts. Just look at the powerpoints that he uploads onto blackboard, read the textbook, and do the homework, since the questions for the exams come from the homework.
Boring. Off topic. Staggering points.
He's nice but he can't teach. Period. Enroll in his class & get the grade you self studied for. I'd pick him over the other prof since Dr. Smith doesn't care if you leave during his class.
Chem is awful at UH, the profs have tenure and don't really care. Take it anywhere else if you can. Prof Smith tries to teach but he's not very good at it . HW isn't too hard, but the tests are 5 times harder.
He was alright for me.
Dr. Smith is a great guy who is very flexible with his office hours. The course is particularly test heavy but an A is possible because there is a slight curve in the grade scale used for the class (A- ends at 84 and below). If I have any suggestion it would be to take the homework attempts seriously, and not just get the answers for the grade.
Lectures are crap, chem is hard so the class was hard. he is accessible but i did not go to meet.. be ready to learn everything yourself!
As long as you read the textbook you'll be fine, but you won't learn anything just by going to class since professor Smith doesn't do a good job explaining concepts. Attendance is not required but if you go to class you can earn up to 2 bonus points.
Did not enjoy Dr. Smith's class, wish I had. I loved Chemistry before this course, kinda doubting my major now. He was very knowledgeable on his topics, though. Sometimes was passive aggressive. Pay attention if you want to pass. Final was worth too much!
You can tell he knows his stuff but his lectures are jumbled, unorganized, and overly complicated. You will need to teach yourself in this class. I went to class a handful of times and stopped going. I used the book and supplemental online material to learn everything. Do a ton of homework and you will be ok.
Let me just say that the chemistry department here sucks in general. Smith is the lesser evil of the two but I would honestly recommend taking a workshop class to help you. Test are all just based on luck (which is not fair), so you have you read the textbook(terrible txtbk btw) and watch Bott & Teets vids for a good grade.
He's ok? He knows what he's talking about, he's just not super passionate about teaching Chem 1. I would recommend going to lectures, even if they're kinda boring, b/c the HW is a watered-down version of actual chemistry and you gotta get context from somewhere. (personally, trying to teach myself w/the book always ends badly, but idk about you)
Lectures are useless because he just reads off the powerpoints that he posts online. Only attended class for the two extra bonus points available. Class itself is based solely on the textbook, be sure to READ IT and take good notes. 3 tests and final make up 94% of your grade, so if you mess up on one of them then you're in a difficult position.
Professor Smith is very smart and knows so much about his field. However, his teaching abilities are shoddy at best. He makes very little attempt to convey the information in such a way to allow students to more easily understand it. Reading off of a PowerPoint does NOT constitute "teaching". Must self study. Take notes on the PowerPoint at home.
This class was more difficult than it should be. He's so knowledgeable but he cannot teach at all. For students who took AP chem in high school, u will do better but still tests are 94% of your grade, 6% hw. B/c of this, every question you miss on a test is one point off your final average. This is department policy. Take Chem off campus, not at UH
Um the bonus points did nothing for me. 2 points doesn't make a difference when your professor can't teach. He goes on and on about some complicated chemistry topic and when asked he says not to worry. He's great at research, not teaching. Take it with Carrasquillo or you'll REGRET. And no if you don't make an A in here don't give up premed.
This was probably the hardest class I've taken. Each question on the tests is worth 1 point on your final average. 3 tests 20 points each/ 20 questions 1 final 34pts/questions and 6pts from homework. I made an A but it was extremely hard for me. It doesn't matter the professor the tests are extremely hard as dictated by the chemistry dept.
Freshmen, please understand SMITH is the better choice!!! It is not about who is a good professor, but it is about who is less bad. Personally, I love him and his lectures. However, people have to realize to read the book too. Chemistry 1 is all about concepts, and freshmen expect to get it from a teacher like high school.
He does not answer emails and has some weird coursekey thing for attendance and on top of that he teaches himself.
Smith is not a malicious professor, however his lectures do not nearly prepare you for the tests that you are going to tackle. With that being said, attending class to learn has been proven fruitless for countless students. You are better off teaching yourself the material from the book. Go to lectures for a sprinkle of extra credit.
If you don't read the textbook, don't expect to pass his class. The tests and final are total worth 94% I believe, so it's very test heavy. Read the textbook before hand and you'll better comprehend his lectures. To really pass with a good score, you should try out some questions from textbook to see if you really get the concept and formulas
The dudes really nice but cant teach at all. Self taught class but he gives extra credit
Smith is nice and will answer questions. Read the textbook before lecture. If you're able to keep up with his technical jargon during lecture his teaching style is very straightforward. He frequently connects information with actual laboratory application, which is much more interesting than just the book. Just prepare well and you should do well.
He is absolutely awful. Once I asked him for help through email regarding better preparation for the unpredictable exams and he answered bluntly that I wasn't putting in enough practice, and that "This isn't like high school anymore," even though I have put numerous hours into studying. His lectures are useless & the criteria of the class is awful.
Im gonna be honest I stopped going to class after the second week. The lectures will make you fall asleep lol. My only advice is to read the textbook and look over previous HWs.
As a MechE Student, this class was required. Usually, if you take this in the fall, the choice is Smith or Carrasquillo. I highly recommend Smith especially if you are going to take advantage of the non-mandatory lecture because Smith cares a lot if he tells the students are interested. This class is all practice. Textbook, Practice hwks, etc.
Chemistry department at UH sucks so what can I say here. Mark Smith simply does not care about your grades or participation, he is just there just to see if you can learn anything off of him. Your best bet for chemistry is the textbook and hope you do well on the tests that are each 20% of your average while the final is 34%.
Unlike Mr. Teets, which is a professor I recommend for this course, he spent most of the class going too into depth on every topic we discussed instead of teaching us the steps we needed to solve problems, which is all tests consisted of. He is a scientist so I understand his fascination but as far as teaching a class to succeed on exams... no.
Warning, Chem at UH is not the best! This is one of those classes where you have to teach yourself and be willing to put in extra time outside of class. Smith is honestly one of the better choices, but you have to pay attention during lecture to learn anything.
I haven't taken chem since high school (10+ yrs ago), and I would not recommend Smith for chem1 at the university level. He is VERY smart. Don't get me wrong. But he isn't the type to explain concepts at an elementary level... at all. I'm sure he's a great professor, but he's not for beginners. I got a D+ and am retaking the class with a new prof.
He literally made me hate chemistry so much more than I already did. All he does is read off the powerpoint. Chem at UH is already super hard to do well in, he will make it even harder.
I do not recommend him at all. His lectures are not worth it because you end up having to teach yourself anyway. He knows his material, but does not know how to teach it in a intro class. The only way to do good in this class is to practice. This is the class I struggled most with at UH.
Mark Smith is one of the nicest professors I've ever had, he is very caring and approachable. Although he is a great person, he is not a good lecturer. It would be a better idea to skip his class and just read the textbook and go to tutoring. He gets very offtopic during his lectures and overcomplicates every topic. Would recommend taking elsewhere
Honestly, this class is not challenging if you just read the textbook and look over practice hw/tests. He isnt a great lecturer and I stopped going to class after a month or so. However, by reading the textbook and doing practice problems I ended with an A-.
Horrible Professor and HORRIBLE at teaching. The CASA exam questions are randomly generated so expect really hard ones and some easy questions if you get lucky. Overall, the exams are not effective in testing your actual knowledge and the Mark Smith did not even know how to solve two of the exam questions and refused to give any points.
He sucks. Never once answered emails. Nothing in his lecture slides correlated with what was on those stupids tests. Do not take him or any chemistry class for that matter. Does not care about you at all, only wants the pay check.
Professor Smith is not a bad professor, but the structure of freshman chemistry is very difficult. Your grade will be comprised of three midterms, the final exam, and homework assignments (which make up only 6% of your grade). Attending lectures won't really help for this class; the best way to study is to look over homework problems, or old tests.
Very humorous professor. Professor Smith is very funny and knows how to stop a crowd, using his "Boomer Humor". Professor Smith once said, "there are multiple flavors of hydrogen and carbon, making for a great recipe," commonly referencing the 5 senses, making for a very relatable, yet bizarre teaching which may be hard for many to understand.
Smith is an amazing professor. His teaching style is super informative with simple explanations step-by-step if you ever need it. Also, I think he adopted a different teaching style since he read his reviews over on this site. He's constantly making an effort to make sure the point gets across, and asks the class for feedback for his teaching.
He's a good guy but the chem department at UH is bad. Over 90 percent of your grade is based off of CASA exams which test you from a randomized test bank meaning you could study for days and fail becaus eyou get quesitons no one has seen. If you do go to lecture sit right in front of him and don't get on his bad side because he remembers.
Prof Smith is a cool guy and teaches what he can well. The problem with chem 1331 is that there is a ridiculous amount of content to absorb which isn't really his fault reather the chem departments'. If you wanna do well, make sure you take notes and do practice problems and screenshot them to review later. Don't try to cram, too much content.
The chemistry department at this University is awful. Mark Smith is one of the worst teachers I have ever had. He over complicates everything that he teaches, and only about one sentence from every lecture is actually useful. The only real good thing is that he reviews for the test, but they don't end up being too helpful.
Do the homework multiple times. We are given hundreds of optional problems that are the exact same format as on the test. There is no excuse for not knowing how to do any test questions. Professor Smith gives interesting lectures and has a high tolerance for dumb questions. He is very helpful going over specific problems in office hours.
Took his class and failed, as you can see. I honestly don't know how he still has a job there; his lectures are so theoretical and he never provides ways to solve questions on the hws and tests, WHICH IS WHAT YOU NEED TO PASS. I felt like his lecs were a waste of time so I stopped going; maybe that's why I failed, I don't know. Chem is just SO HARD
This class is quite challenging, but the material is well presented and Professor Smith takes care to mention if you are struggling. Review sessions before exams helped a lot so make sure to attend those. Most of the work needs to come from you he won't hold your hand through showing you the work, but he'll guide you in the right direction.
I dont recommend him at all. Class is test heavy. Dont bother attending lecture because he doesnt go over anything you need to know for the test. I remember during the first week of class he told us he not here to teach us just reinforce ideas. I recommend taking chemistry off campus. I dropped the class because I would failed
Okay, just in general, try to avoid the UH chemistry department as a whole for general chemistry. Smith is probably the nicest out of all chem professors, he does try, bless him, and he can teach to an extent, but nothing he teaches seems to be relevant to what the chemistry department tests us over. Also, chemistry tests are 100% rigged. Stay away
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
25%
Textbook Required
19%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
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Rating Trend
Declining
-0.28 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM1332
3.5
(2)CHEM1372
3.3
(9)1372
2.6
(8)CHEM1331
2.3
(90)1331
2.3
(7)Difficulty by Course
CHEM1330
5.0
1331CHEM
5.0
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4.0
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4.0
CHEM1331
4.0