2.4
Quality4.6
Difficulty25%
Would Retake96
Reviews25%
Would Retake
96
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
16
4
15
3
13
2
12
1
40
What Students Say
“Etzkorn is by FAR the worst professor in the school, let alone the Chemistry department”
CHEM2131 - 1.0 rating“First of all I am absolutely appalled to see a single positive review on this professor”
CHEM2132 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
65%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.11 avg changeRatings by Course
LBST2213
5.0
(1)ORGCHEM
4.5
(2)CHEM2132
3.4
(13)2131
3.0
(1)ORGANICCHEM
3.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
ORGANIC2131
5.0
ORGANICCHEMIST
5.0
OCHEM2131
5.0
CHEM1232
5.0
CHEM4133
5.0
Reviews (96)
Run! Run from this man! His notes are terrible, endlessly talks but gets angry if you dont retain the info right then and there. Tests cover material that was hardly touched on and misleading (expects you to know the slightest details). Only 33% of class passed on first exam. Tries to show off how much he knows! DO NOT TAKE ORGO WITH THIS GUY!
Wow, Where do I begin. Well That person above must have been in my class because he/she is right. 77% failed first test. 25 was the avg. You are better of putting ear plugs in and be blind folded. A comment from him was " I dont have time to teach you people because I have my research to do". Take this class at a community college you will be happy
Y'all are right, more than 70% the class fail the first exam. One word to describe this professor teaching..."terrible". I make a B in Chemistry 1252 last semester. But right now, after two exams, my average is a F. I feel rip-off.
pretty tough. have to really work hard and read the book!! have to stay on top of your game! tests are irrelevant to the problems in the book and to his notes. memorize examples from the book. thats all he really goes by.
Very unclear in notes on board, you need to buy the book and read it, dont even go to class...go to only problem session a week before test (practice test) and know that and the problems from the back of the book
this course it tough, he does not make it easier. sometimes not clear in explaining but go to his office he'll take time explaining and do your reading before the class. afterall he eased up on the final exam and the grade distribution turned out ok. ask questions in class. don't take him if need org 2. unless you'r taking org2 with him again.
The tests always included 2-3 problems from the text.I had to study hard to pass but that is how Organic is!The teacher was helpful in answering questions/clarifying things most of the times.He was better than the other Chem teachers I had.Anybody serious about learning Organic should take his class.He knows Organic Chem well and knows how to teach
I'd encourage taking him if you actually care about learning Organic. Slackers avoid, cause he will call you out for not doing assignments. His tests are doable, but you'll definitely need to study. No "read the chapter for 5 minutes and get it". And no "read the chapters the night before the test and get a decent grade"
Not a good professor if you have difficulty understanding chemistry in the first place. He doesn't explain things thoroughly...definitions are as foreign to him as he is to us. He just rattles off a bunch of crap, confuses you, and then the book can't even help. Good luck.
His test are very hard and he not very good at explaining things.
This guy is hard! He will do everything he can to help you out, but if you are looking for an easy A, you will not get it here. Organic Chem is hard enough, and my suggestion to anyone is to please read the book before taking the class!
he is by far the worst teacher out of all the chem teachers. if you could take Dr. Crosthwaite's class
First of all if you do not plan to take 2132 there is no need to make your life harder. He does a good job explaining the material, even though at times it seems overwhelming, but that's just how organic is... He is extremely helpfull and cares about student's performance in class. The textbook for this class is a must! you'll find answers there.
I wouldnt take him again!!! He makes u not want to come to class.
Effective if followed. Dr. Etzkorn will teach alot of information.
Organic is hard, so I'm not sure if it was him or the subject, but the class was tough. Problem sessions weren't great. I'd recommend a tutor and buying the solutions manual.
he sucks, and so does his english if u cant understand an immigrant dont take him. i had to go to prof. brown for help . so try to advoid him
Great person, IMPOSSIBLE CLASS. I like Dr. Etzkorn, and I finally understood WHY he was so difficult when I took the exam...he made sure to cover everything in detail. I learned ALOT in this class. It's the class that's difficult, not Etzkorn.
Very particular and detailed professor but clearly knows the material. very helpful and nice person. class requires a lot of outside work but it is possible to pass with an A or B. he tests are difficult but will prepare you for the final which will seem easy in comparison
IMPOSSIBLE CLASS! he passed maybe 10 out of 200 people. He is a nice guy and he seems helpful one on one but he makes the class more difficult than it needs to be considering the fact that Organic Chemistry is already very tough to grasp.
His accent was not a problem for me. I agree that the class is hard, but he seems like a good person. However, when I went to him for help, he suggested that I sleep less and study more. I have never put so much effort into a class and I have never done so poorly.
By far the best Organic Chem teacher in the department. He really cares about his students and offers a lot of extra credit opportunities. The subject matter is hard... its Ochem after all. But if read your book, go to class, problem session, and take advantage of homework assignments you can easily make an A or B. Great teacher!
for those of you said he is impossible to pass i feel sorry for yall. cuz that is just excuses. This class is not easy and he cares about ur success. Now how many teacher actually care this day?
Great professor. Extremely helpful. I don't want to sound redundant, but Organic Chemistry is a tough subject, and Dr. Etzkorn is your best bet at understanding. He goes out of his way to help and, as long as you do your part, you'll get the grade you deserve.
Etzkorn cares...to a degree. He can be real jerk when he wants to--huge ego, too. He will look over your shoulder while you take your test and definitely calls on folks in class. If you do not know the answer, he will continue to pester you for it until you look like an idiot. Between him and Ogle, go with Etzkorn.
Not a great professor. Big ego, but he seems to care more than Ogle. He expects you to know EVERYTHING he teaches in class. Study everyday and say a prayer!
If you want an easy A, go elsewhere. If you want to learn this material and be a better professional for it, take Dr. Etzkorn. He is tough and uncompromising. He will probably intimidate you. His class will most likely at times overwhelm you. However... you will learn. His class is worth every bit of your tuition. Good luck.
Couple of Pro-tips for Dr. Etzkorn. He runs an optional review for the test the Thursday before the exam so don't have an evening lab for any classes. He sometimes reviews questions that will be on the test. The test is based a lot on questions in the book or examples that he uses in class so pay attention and study notes hard and go to every clas
RUN!!! Drop It While You Have A Chance To Save Your GPA!!! Calls Out Students In Class. If they dont know the answer in two seconds, screams "WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!"
Professor administers test first week of class, covering Chemistry I and II. When class requested a test review guide, he emails a Chemistry text book TOC, stating "You need to know all of this". I dropped this class!!
If you think you can get an "easy A" in organic chemistry, please, change your major to Poly Sci. ASAP please.
Horrible teacher. Hard to understand. all over the place. YOU WILL FAIL!!!!!
Dr. Etzkorn actually cares about student success. Doing well is certainly possible if you study, ask questions, and come prepared. He is worth every cent of your tuition, and then some. I'm glad that I'm finally challenged in a subject.
Organic Chemistry is not an easy class, and if you are looking to spend less than 14 hours a week studying, change your major. That said, Dr. Etzkorn is a great professor if you are a student who actually enjoys science, has questions to ask, and pays attention in class. If you're trying to float through, don't take him. You will fail.
He is a hard professor but he will teach you what you need for professional test. Best professor for those who need to get the info down pack. I will warn you, he has often only passed 5 of 80 students. Try another teacher if you already struggled through Gen Chem. If he is the only class open I also suggest you wait a semester than hurt your GPA.
If you like a challenge, Etzkorn is perfect. His exams are confusing due to unnecessary wording. He is not the most helpful in class, and makes you feel dumb for asking questions.
Dr. Etzkorn is the hardest professor I have ever taken in my life. Before him, I thought studying 20 hours was a lot. IT IS NOT. I am a chem major, and made an A, but trust me, YOU WILL FAIL. He keeps a box of kleenex in his office because people often cry in there. Doesnt take attendance, but he will know who you are and where you sit from week 1.
If you don't want to spend more than 20 hours a week studying for this class, then don't take Etzkorn. Last semester only 11 out of about 80 students passed his class. He makes his test more difficult than they have to be, he expects you to have "Heisenberg" knowledge as soon as you walk in the class. Save yourself, choose another professor.
You're going to figure out really quickly whether or not you still want to go to med school. This class doesn't have to be a 'weed out class' if you don't let it. Anyone CAN do it, it's a matter of how BADLY you WANT to. If studying an hour or two per day is all it takes for you to quit, then you didn't want it all that badly in the first place.
This was one of the hardest class ive taken. Had a 3.8 coming in to this class, after it was over (took in 2013) gpa went down to 3.4. I dont like his style of teaching. he calls you out. I almost had a panic attack on a weekly basis bc he calls me out and im a shy type of person. he is kind of helpful if you go to his office hours.
Dr. Etzkorn is the best professor I've ever had at UNCC. If you want to learn the material then take his class. If you put in the effort, he will help you. Be prepared to work hard (as in read every chapter & do the problem sets 3 times each) & don't be shy. He will reward effort and participation, but you still must master the material.
This class was extremely rewarding, but you also have to remember that one of the toughest Organic chem teachers is teaching it. You will read like crazy, but the stuff we read is interesting. It's also fun to read about stuff that has such an underrated impact on society. This class definitely had an impact on me and I recommend it.
If you're one of the 6 people in the known universe who actually cares about organic chemistry, take this class. But if you're just taking this class for pre-health professions, take another professor. Etzkorn expects you to know everything and frankly I just didn't care enough to devote 40 hours a week to one class.
I swear this man enjoys making people question their intelligence, he expects students to already know the material, even though orgo is not very self explanatory. He asks questions and points to specific students, putting people on the spot. Gives nothing but tests, so doing well in them is a must. Get ready to learn on your own.
If u have 20+ hours to study u may pass (60 is a C). Only 14/73 made it to final, maybe 12 passed. He teaches honors level. He does not give exam keys or fully review tests in class. If your conceptual Gen-Chem (not just calcs) aren't top-notch don't even try; practice & wait a semester. If u proceed, you must go to his test reviews, & preread!
If you have at minimum 25 hours/week to study for this class, go for it. Otherwise take a different professor. Very hard grader, no partial credit, gives exam 1st week of class, final grade based on pre-assessment exam (VERY hard) and 4 other exams. Be prepared to work and rework textbook problems multiple times to get what you need to pass (60C).
Dr. Etzkorn is by FAR the worst professor in the school, let alone the Chemistry department. He is very rude, catching attitudes frequently when You ask questions. He expects students to know material that we haven't learned yet. He skips chapters 1&2 b/c he thinks it it "Gen Chem" but it's not; it is the fundamentals of orgo. Tests are impossible.
There are a lot of inaccuracies here. Dr. Etzkorn is a great professor, has never once been rude to a student, and absolutely DOES give partial credit. Also, the test reviews usually have occurred at SI sessions the next day, so if you go to SI, you will get the answers to any questions you may have. Just pre-read and work through practice problems
Dr. Etzkorn is hands down the most unqualified professor at UNCC, let alone in NC. His exam questions are meant to confuse the most studious students in the simplest areas of O chem. Its as if he believes the more students think that O chem is hard, the smarter he looks. However it is quite the contrary. DO NOT TAKE, youll thank me later.
Where do I begin? First of all I am absolutely appalled to see a single positive review on this professor. There is not one single inaccuracy about any negative reviews, its only half way through the semester and 31 people have already dropped the class. Only 5 people have dropped the same course tought by the other professor. It speaks for itself
Tells you that you should already know the answer whenever you ask a question in class. Handwriting is illegible. Asks questions on exams that were never gone over in class. Is condescending in office hours and seems to believe his grade distribution is evidence of poor students rather than poor teaching. Entire grade is 4 exams and final.
Do NOT take this course with this teacher. He is incredibly rude and his tests are impossible to pass. I never studied so hard in my life and I was still only getting 20-40% on his tests. One of the smartest kids in class was even failing... Please, I am trying to save you pain. Do not take any of his courses. I should have listened to this reviews
He's tough. I managed to get an A in his class, but I worked hard for it. Study hard and you can make it.
Seriously do not take him if you are like partial credits. There is absolutely no partial credit in his class. My class took 8 quiz so far, highest grade in class is 3/10. But he is damn good teacher. Much easier to understand everything in his class. Id you want to learn but dont care what grade you get, Go for it.
Dr. Etzkorn is in my opinion the best organic chemistry professor that you could have in the entire university. He's interested in teaching you organic chemistry so that you could be a professional in your field, not so you can just pass. His lectures are entertaining and engaging. How can you be a doctor that took organic chemistry just to pass?
The lectures are vague & poorly structured. Assignments & exams have no grading rubric/point system so no one knows what he wants and he takes off excessive points even though you got the answer right. Arbitrary points given. Theory heavy. Rude, moodswings micromanager; gets upset when you don't show up at his office even though you weren't asked.
Every time I walked to his class I would hope that the green route bus would run me over on Craver Rd and end my suffering.
I thought he wouldnt be that bad as explained in all the comments, but sorry to say, he is the worst ever Chem professor. A very strict grader, tests are very difficult to pass, tests are not based on lectures. I am failing this class right now. Will never take him again ever!!! Must read all the ratings and consider them. Save your life!
Worst every professor, I have anxiety attacks in his tests. The tests are purposefully made hard enough for a student to fail. Tests and exams are not related to the lectures at all. Never take him!! DO NOT TAKE HIM!
His lectures aren't structured at all, you have to basically read and teach yourself. Even when you teach yourself and you think you understand, after watching lecture you're back to being confused. His test are extremely hard and he is a VERY tough grader. When he teaches I have no idea where the information is coming from. Save yourself.
literally so bad, i got an A in chem 1 & 2 and well as the labs but this class with this professor ONLINE?? not good LMFAOO super hard, tests are hard to read, doesnt really explain, and is super condescending. yeah dont take
Lots of discrepancies here. You really have to put in the extra work to do well (read text, watch videos, GO TO OFFICE HOURS). He is participation heavy and it helps a lot to talk in his class. He gave three extra credit opportunities, prob due to poor grades. Etzkorn is a hard grader, so you really have to pay attention to the notes and PRACTICE!!
He thinks we know this material already and goes way too fast. New materials are introduced vaguely. Grading is hella tight and tests are not from lectures notes, his tests and lectures does not have anything in common at all.
Start w a good understanding, everything is cumulative. W/ him, a lot of outside practice/studying is required. Some things I had to teach myself, textbook is v helpful. If you can get a basic understanding before class, his lectures are super helpful. You really have to work and participate, he will reward who he sees working hard. 3 extra credit
PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO YOURSELF!!! He is absolutely horrible with a capital "H". All his tests were handwritten and his handwriting is not legible so good luck. Not easy to follow along with whatsoever. You will be lost from beginning of the semester all the way to the end. If you want a class where you teach yourself then take this one.
Hard class. Attend Lectures. Ask Questions. Use the textbook and other resources. He provides extra credit to help out your overall grade. He is a great professor if you really want to understand chemistry I would recommend him. Lastly, despite getting a B in his class, I felt like I had a super-strong understanding of the material learned!
This class was an absolute disaster. I've took my fair share of hard classes in my time (Cal, Microbiology, etc) but this class was more difficult than it needed to be. His 'teaching style' is him writing everything down on white printer paper with a black sharpie. No color, no powerpoint, says to read the book but then says its wrong. DO NOT TAKE!
The most important thing you need to know: DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR UNLESS YOU ARE A ALSO A GENIUS LIKE HIM. Yes, he is incredibly smart/knows every rule of organic chemistry better than the textbook. But, his lectures are designed as if you already know all the material fluently. He does not like dumb questions or giving partial credit on exams
Grades notetaking (about 3 pages per 100 page textbook chapter bi/weekly), grades "sloppiness" despite having illegible handwriting, unclear/opinionated grading scale, makes up lectures daily before class, expects you to know material not taught in lecture/textbook(s), gives partial credit, and not medical/MCAT oriented. Save yourself, don't take.
A bit of a traditional teacher and grades very strictly, as seen with other reviews. Respects effort and hard work from behind the scenes though, speaking as someone still in the class with the majority dropping out after first test. Definitely not a teacher for everybody. Can really only imagine getting an A if you are a genius or chem addict.
Do not take his class! His grading is very strict and he has no rubric. He gives some people credit and others no credit. He expects you to know what to put in your 3 pages of notes from 100+ pages in your text book for every chapter.
Etzkorn generates so much bad karma for students. Respect yourself by taking someone else. He is also not of sound mind and prone to cause distress to countless persons, specifically females, he deems inferior.
Take good notes and try hard and you will succeed, recall that you are in a senior level chemistry and you must study and act like a senior. He is very caring and any effort is rewarded tremendously and I am proud to have taken Dr. Etzkorn this semester.
He forgets about what he said and jumped around during lectures. On the exams, he said you cannot explain "verbally"; you NEED to have the EXACT equations that he expects. 4-hour unit exam;The exams pre-placed before tests;He placed info. from upcoming lectures on the first exam; expects you to MEMORIZE EVERYTHING from orgo textbook
Memorize the entire textbook(and the orgo textbook) if you wanna pass; although 2-credit, study like it's 9 credits. Pro: get practice with IR, NMR, Mass-spec, 2D-NMR, meet more chem B.S. majors Con: tr@um@, waste of time, endless stress, W on my transcript, will make me add a biochem conc.
Gonna inspire you to withdraw
The WORST professor I've ever taken. He's a genius in orgo, but his teaching style is so ineffective: expects you to know complex topics before a lecture, teaches new material the day before an exam, and expects mastery. If you want to pass and not be constantly stressed out by a narcissistic professor, I STRONGLY recommend avoiding this class.
The professor offers no real help and directs everything back to the textbook. Lectures are disorganized, explanations are rushed, and questions are dismissed. This class isn't hard because of the material—it's hard because of how poorly it's taught. If you're not ready to teach yourself everything, avoid this course.
If you care about your GPA, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE ETZKORN. He's the worst prof I've ever taken. He is so negative, degrading, rude, and narcissistic. He NEVER wants to admit when he's wrong. He doesn't put grades on canvas and expects you to figure it out like..?! He's very uncommunicative, discouraging, and sassy in a bad way. READ the syllabus first
Outright terrible and makes you question your sanity. No matter how much you read and do the problem sets, his homework and exams are always harder. if you have no choice but to take him, save yourself by reading the syllabus before signing. This is his class and he makes the rules, so he can do what he wants without any repercussions.
Don't let the negative reviews fool you, I do believe Dr. Etzkorn is a genuinely nice man who cares for his students. Teaching style may seem intimidating at first, but it helps with how he presents his content. He appreciates effort and appreciation and that is shown by him basing final grades not only on raw score, but on other factors.
Dr. Etzkorn is a really tough professor. His test are hard, BUT he does cares for his students and wants them to pass. If you read the material, go to his office hours, and ask questions, then you should be able to pass the class. DO the problem sets in the textbook. Dr. Etzkorn knows chemistry and wants you to really understand it too.
This is a FAIR WARNING do not take him if you care about your GPA or if you graduate this semester. He discards a lot of important questions. He's also very sassy when asked certain questions. He has no PowerPoints just the text book and writes on the board. He expects highly of students when his teaching style sucks. Many people dropped overall!!
This is the hardest class I have ever taken. I have attended each of the sections for this course, and this professor is by far the hardest. His assignments and exams are much more challenging than the lecture and more challenging than the other sections. He doesn't give you your grades on Canvas, and you are forced to calculate your own grade.
Everything‘s on the textbook
Do not take this professor if you are a full time student. He is a very intelligent man. He teaches as if we already know the material well. His lectures are not like his exams. This class because of his teaching style. Those who are saying he's not that bad.. don't listen to them because they are not intended for the majority. Over half dropped.
Wow, what a class and half the class drop and 15 student out off 100. It's very intense like training navy seal. If your military veteran this might be super hard than basic training. It's a lot textbook reading and four day hwk that's start weekend to Monday at 11:59 pm.
His handwriting is illegible and he talks fast and moves on quick in lectures. No powerpoints so other than the textbook, which is dense and long, his lectures are the only resource. Tests are difficult and hard to prepare for due to the insane amount of detailed information. Not accessible outside of class or inside of class. Beware of Etzkorn.
Avoid taking this class if you care about your GPA. Not a single student earned an A, and I was one of only maybe five students who managed to scrape by with a C. Section began with about 40 students and ended with only 18.-3 exams, 1 extra credit project, and a final. Be prepared to dedicate a minimum of 3 hours every day solely to this class.
This professor has a big ego which directly effects the students urge to participate. He claims we should refer to the syllabus however he picks and chooses when to follow the syllabus. The grades were locked the entire class meaning we never saw our grade. Not even our final grade or our grade for the final exam or the grade for the extra credit.
People are not exaggerating when they say he is a very difficult professor. Lecture heavy, memorize all AA's, and plenty other molecular structures like Vit C, ATP, NAD(P)H, and FADH. But honestly, I'd say Troutman will also still be very difficult. Dr. Etzkorn is mostly true to the practice questions and does have a sense of humor! Study for sure.
Grading is not as tough now (2nd professor and a TA grade). I didn't do any readings at all. Even prof doesn't like the textbook and uses a different one for glycolysis. I relied completely on mastering things given in lecture and memorizing things mentioned in practice questions. Study like he|| and you'll pass. Do ALL sample questions given. ALL.
Dr. Etzkorn is the only professor I ever warn people about. You passing this class is based on his opinion, rather than number grades and he ended up only letting one person pass. Other professors even warn people about him. He is incredibly smart but cannot make the information easy to understand and provides no resources.
Unfortunately this professor expects his students to dedicate a ridiculous amount of time to his class every single week, please take this into consideration for your schedule. I dropped the class because of all the homework assigned and his expectation of students to fully understand the material before lecture (then why have class?).
A lot of what is said about him on here is true. His class is very difficult and you are graded essentially on three tests and a final exam (all compose about 75% of your final grade.) With that, you only need a 60% to make a C and, for the students who didn't withdraw, he gave a very generous 100 points of extra credit assignments.
Dr Etzkorn's class is more difficult than other teacher's 2131 classes. If you care about chemistry and want to learn the content, take him. Lots of homework. If you show up to office hours he will try to help you. He offers a lot of extra credit. I spent about 20 hours / week studying and doing the homeworks. Do all the homework, it helps!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
65%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.11 avg changeRatings by Course
LBST2213
5.0
(1)ORGCHEM
4.5
(2)CHEM2132
3.4
(13)2131
3.0
(1)ORGANICCHEM
3.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
ORGANIC2131
5.0
ORGANICCHEMIST
5.0
OCHEM2131
5.0
CHEM1232
5.0
CHEM4133
5.0