great professor who cares about students. Easy class if you know the basics

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Excellent professor. Makes difficult material easy -- if you are willing to pay attention and try. Worth taking this course if you are serious -- if not; you'll probably do very poorly.

If you put work in, you'll get the A, if not, you didn't deserve it anyway. Didn't cover as much material as we did in 112b, but we came away with much more mastery of the things we covered. Best lecturer at covering Bio stuff in the school so far to boot

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Cares about students, cares about his teaching (it shows), nice personality. I am tempted to say that he makes difficult material easy (thanks to good teaching) but I think he might error on the side of simplifying the subject matter too much.

great teacher, who actually knows what he is doing. if you come to lectures then it shouldn't be hard, but you also have to read the book, since he does not cover everything. he gives EXTRA CREDIT questions, and extra credit games, that are played on fr

i had difficulty paying attention to dr. m, mostly because i'd get lost in his deep brown eyes while he explained mechanisms. all in all he was an excellent teacher, easy curve, very helpful in office hours, and a nice guy to boot.

He's an extremely helpful, good-looking prof. He prepares you for the questions that he asks on the final. He explains things that 112A& B didn't make clear and even lets you out of class early once in awhile.

Unless things have changed since I took his class, the 8/9/04 slam seems like someone with an axe to grind. Hard class - some get it, some don't. THe prof is ok in my book, as were the 112B + C faculty.

If you hold the molecular models up to your face and look straight ahead, you can pretend to do work while actually staring at him! Great lecturer too!

It is very apparent that he cares for his students and is extremely fair when grading exams.His final was VERY difficult and nothing like the mds, and he only did that because of the very high means on the mds...he should of warned us, or given us a clue as to how different the final was going to be

Ah.hah.YOU never know what Org. Chem has done to you if you have a chance to sit in front row of EVERY lectures and come to his office hours:) His lectures, help sessions, and office hours are the great resources to help you become successful.Be aware of *STUDY HARD* instead of looking at HIM, YOU d

He's a good lecturer and a very fair grader. I thought all the exams were pretty difficult until it finally clicked for me towards the end of the quarter. If you can keep up with all the hw you will probably do well in the class

He made sure people understood the subject, and his tests weren't too hard. I don't know why girls think he's hot though he kind of looks like a geek

He's really good at lecturing and really instill the basics and fundamentals of ochem into you. the midterms are ez, but the final gets a lil harder but still do-able... just gotta break it down to teh basics. he has a beer belly tho... gonna look like wirz pretty soon :P

Awesome professor, teaches not by memorization and focuses more on concepts. Highly Recommend.

Yes, he will one day look like WirZ. Hard exams and so so lecturer. Have to do homework to get most of the concepts, but not all. I understood more towards the end. Final was difficult and different from midterms. Must use critical thinking skills on exams! Either you get it or don't.

Regarding 1/12/05 comment: "all these structures" ?? You mean, MOLECULES? Dude, the class was Organic Chemistry, not literature... Very organized, very clear, wants students to learn. Exams can be hard if you aren't prepared. Probably fail if you don't understand the "structures"...

Good Lecturer. Fair tests if you study a little. Yes you can call the molecules he draws on the board STRUCTURES. I bet everyone would like to throw their book at the 1/13/05 person. Mr. Smart Guy/Girl...

if you understand the concepts along with resonance this class is pretty easy, very easy to talk to, very understanding, is willing to do what it takes for you to understand the material. He is awesome!!!

Great lectures for visual learners.Teaches through concepts and models, much better than memorizing. Fair midterms with a decent grading scale. lil tough but much better than later ochem lecturers ive had.

A very good professor. He is very good at teaching reactions, and he doesn't go fast. As long as you do the homework and go to lecture, the midterms are gonna be easy. The final is just a little bit harder. However, the overall rating of this class is A+ Take his class, you will be ready for 112B

good lecturer, very organized. final harder than midterms. expects alot, but you learn alot. leaves you well prepared for 112b and 112c.

Looks like older version of Matthew Broderick; made me want to go to class, front row center. Approach to teaching is very sophisticated and easy to grasp. Has alot of office hours. Haven't completed the quarter with him, however, he is a good lecturer and I hear his tests are fair.

the best.

Pros: 3 midterms and a final, lowest midterm dropped. lots of office hours, practice exams, and review sessions. good at simplifying hard topics. Cons: no curve, kinda hard. Overall, he prepares u well. i learned something even tho i hated the subject.

Best O. Chem prof out of all three quarters...truly cares for student's learning and takes the extra mile to assist students...the most approachable and accessible for appts..never complained..Made o. chem seem easy and prepared me very well for 112b,c..earned my first A in a science class with him and after that I have continued to earn A's in sci

Marsella is majorly cute, & his intelligence only adds to his attractiveness, which makes you want to attend class. I had him for a summer session course & he was very helpful & approachable, made difficult concepts clear and simple to understand. He's definitely the best professor I've had at UCR thus far.

Marsella is minorly cute. He seems to be very erratic in his classroom behavior. In fact, I think he accidently bleached his hair after a night of endless drinking *shrug* nevertheless, i will make sure to limit my marsella to a sauce on my chicken.

Honestly, I thought he was a student- He was probably one of the better teachers I had my Sophmore year. He even made me Jelious that my GirlFriend only wne to the class because of his looks.

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He is very clear, very helpful but also very difficult. His exams are hard but he's an excellent lecturer and will prepare you for the exams as long as you keep up with him. He is one hot man too. Always keeps you interested in the subject and really makes you want to come to class. Excellent professor, the best in ochem and one of the best at UCR.

Totally helpful and generous with his time. Go to office hourse even if just hang out - he's totally hot, so cool way to pass time! I got a B+, but had to work my butt off to get it.

No one ever said O-Chem is fun, but he makes it as good as possible. Smart, effective teacher. Dry humor. Agree with others - his office hours are very helpful if you have questions. He really does look like a younger Matthew Broderick.

Great professor. Has many review sessions for each midterm to go over problems on practice midterm. Practice exams are a good way to study. May give the extra credit in lecture to work on. Has 3 midterms & drops the lowest one. For the last two, you can use a notecard & for the final, we were allowed to use a notebook. Again, great professor

As everyone has already mentioned, Marsella is a great Prof. He makes a subject like o-chem interesting. He pretty much sets you up for success in his class. I MEAN COME ON, THIS GUY MADE THE FINAL OPEN NOTEBOK!

Great professor. Holds many review sessions before each midterm. Practice midterms are a good way to study. Allows a notecard for the 2nd & 3rd midterms and allowed us a notebook for the final. May give the extra credit question that'll be on the midterm in class . Has 3 midterms and lets you drop the lowest. Again, great professor overall!

Very Helpful professor !! there r 3 midterms, 1 that he drops. That doesnt mean u shouldnt study for the 1st one cuz this one should be the easiest one. He gives out notecard on his midterm & the final is open book ! isnt he an awesome professor, hahaa

3 Midterms, 1 dropped and a final. Lab is 3% of grade so may not be worth putting all the effort into it but acts more as extra credit to help boost people from a- to a. Midterms are multiple choice so sounds easy but sucks no partial credit. all midterms with note card and final open note. gives out extra credit during some random lectures.

As usual, great prof. Took the summer 112C course-10 weeks into 3 weeks...(so dont slack off). had 3 exams so none were dropped. open notebook for all three though. may give out extra credit during lecture. office hrs are VERY useful!! 1st exam-some didnt do well so he de-emphasized the lowest score and emphasized the highest as an incentive.

Awesome lecturere, too nice of a teacher. Took 112C during summer 3 week course. Class went quick but he didn't go indepth. Catered to students made the class much easier. Unsure about preparation for Biochem. Still great teacher and possibly easiest 112 A possible with Marsella. 3 midterms all open note. Altered grading scale (easier).

Enthusiastic about Chem. Drinks LOTS of coffee, and it probably fuels his fast-paced class. Had him for 112B in spring, and 112C in summer. He is MUCH easier in the summer, probably because the class is so short. OChem in the summer is crazy anyway - take it during the year, or do nothing else but study in the summer.

Had him for 112B in the spring and 112C in the summer. He is a great professor and cares about his students. The previous comments pretty much tell all and I recommend him if anyone needs to finish out the o-chem 112 series.

He is above all else extremely fair. His exams are so easy if you read the chapters and do all the practice problems. I had him in the fall.

hard. hard. hard. well the subject at least. he talks really really really fast and scribbles all over the damn place..which makes it kind of confusing at times. i don't rec. him. at least i wouldn't take him again. lol but that's just me. :)

The best college teacher I ever had. His class is not too difficult but requires some work. He presents information in an easy understanding matter so if you have a hard time reading the book his lectures will help you out. Most of all he is not a boring teacher.

He was a very good lecturer. Very organized and clear. The only time I would miss class is because of the freaking trolley. But yeah dont miss class cause youll be lost the following lectures. Key to success is to read the book > do the hw problems is the ultimate key > make sure you know how to do the midterms after they are taken haha.

I had him for 112A. Probably one of the best lecturers at UCR. His tests are harder than other OChem profs, but he teaches so well, it is hard to do poorly. What I learned in A saved me for B and C. Just DO THE WORK! He looks older than his website pic, but he's still hot! ;-)

i have crush on him lol he tends to jump all over the place thats all

Awesome professor and really likeable. He really actually cares about all students and goes out his way to help us. By nature 112a is a hard class but he makes it easier. Test questions often come straight from homework and notes. Nice curve and lecture sometimes borders on fun.

Does he eve have a bad comment? I can't find one. Nor would I expect to, because he is hands down the most caring professor I've had at UCR. Despite all his research and all he has to keep track of, he makes time for his students. No matter how you do in the class, there is nothing more you could ask for from a professor.

what a cutie. he's really smart and nice and is actually interesting to listen to. but don't be fooled...his tests are tricky and he expects you to have read the book. but he does give open book tests. really understanding and helpful!

OChem was not my favorite class, and he was not my favorite professor, but what he taught in 112A helped me survive 112B. I recommend him for 112A even though other profs are way easier.

Best teacher ever. Took him over the summer so lectures were long, yet he was able to hold my attention. Really makes the material easy to learn. He is funny. Test were incredibly easy and top of allow a notecard. You go to lecture and do the problems he assigns and its a easy A.

Easy Professor and Great Lecturer. If you do the hmw and understand it, you'll get an A. Great teacher. Take him.

BEST PROFESSOR EVER!!! wasn't only the fact that he was easier than others, but he taught the material really well. His MULTIPLE choice test are bomb! Buy molecular models they're very helpful in his class. If you don't take him... you're missing out.

He's a really nice professor, just hard to follow sometimes in class. He's all over the place on the board. Dropped lowest midterm, open notes, redemption on final. What more can I say? Only thing is, his "sample midterms" don't resemble his tests at all. The HW problems he assigns do though, so know how to do those. Not a generous grading scale.

He's one of the best prof's I have ever had. He's clear and makes the stuff fun. Although his tests are hard, they are not tricky. He tells you what to study. My advise attend class and do the homework!!!! It helps alot!

Most amazing organic chemistry teacher I've had. He is very helpful and explains things very well! You never really need the book and he doesn't emphasize mechanisms. Also, you can have notecards on the exams. He is also kind of funny.

A bit disorganized, but an excellent professor. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Go to office hours to work examples out with him. Nearly every exam question came from an example or concept from OHs. Allows note cards for exam. If you can do all HW problems, you're set. Very small curve, but drops lowest MT and has final redemption.

He's a good professor, nice to stare at during class :D , he lets you use a paper for the exams. You kind of never know what to expect with him but he is pretty straightforward, he assigns practice hw and you usually see at least one problem on the exam from hw so do them.

Best professor I have ever had! Marsella can make even the most difficult concept understandable. Very entertaining and helpful during office hours!

KING OF ALL OCHEM PROFESSORS! One of a kind, Hilarious! Who would ever want to miss his lecs? Gives useful info that will stick with u for life! Offers helpful office hrs to allow ppl to work together & form study groups. College ochem life will be enjoyable, guranteed! You will WANT to learn for FUN. WARNING: Dont take anyone else but HIM! TRUST

I would recommend this great professor! He is funny and very helpful! makes class really exciting and even allows you to use notes on exams which are extremely useful. Took him for 112A, 112B, & 112C and passed them all with no problems. Definitely not hard and curves allowing students to pass! Recommend Marsella.... & goodluck to you =)

I had Dr. Marsella for CHEM112A and 112B over the summer. He's a really energetic professor with a great sense of humor. He lets you bring a notecard in to the tests, so it's more about applying principles rather than memorizing. He's very friendly and approachable, and extremely helpful in office hours. Overall, he is an excellent professor.

Excellent 112A Professor. Exams are straight forward material covered in class. Make sure you do a lot of practice problems assigned in the book. They really help and also understand concepts. Curves really well in the end.

He's a great teacher. He made things interesting. He once apologized for giving a bad lecture and redid the lecture. His exams are pretty hard but if you go to lecture and study you should do fine.

Material was tough, but Marsella took his time to make sure we understood it. He simplified things. although the exams are hard, they are fair. and he's so hotttt!!

Marsella is just about the best professor I've had at UCR. I've sat in on the other o-chem professor's lectures, and you will not find a better professor than this man right here. TAKE HIS CLASS! Also, anyone who say his exams are too hard did not work. I can say with no exaggeration that his exams were the fairest of ALL the o-chem professors.

Good prof. Test are really fair. He is easy to approach and ask questions. Lets you bring notecards to the exam. I recommend to make this prof your primary choice when picking a prof for ochem.

he is really approachable and willing to go the extra mile to help his students. Also lets you use notes for the exams, which are already straight forward as it is.also has a decent curve with B- as the average. probably the best ochem professor at ucr

He is a normal professor. Meaning hes not spectacular or he doesn't suck. Everything is fair. Do what you have to do and you'll do fine. A good thing about him is that he holds review sessions like twice a week. No reason you shouldn't do fine in his class.

Marsella is a pretty good professor.He spends an extra lecture on review if a lot of people email him with questions. Midterms and final were fair and were similar to the practice.The only thing that will kill you is time management on the exams. Bring a watch and don't over think a question to save time.

Marsella had the easier exams but Morton is the better & more organized lecturer.

Sure he has the easier test. But I regret having taken him for A and B. I've retained nearly nothing from his classes. He is SO unorganized, and goes at a grueling slow pace. Skims over vague stuff, spends too much time on the easy. Save yourself the trouble. Take the other professor with the harder test. There'll be curves, and you'll learn.

He definitely has the "Easier" exams compared to the professor teaching the other ochem section. He barely curves the A and B ranges. There's about a 15% curve for the C- range. He can be a bit messy on the boards. It was nice that he offered exam redemption this quarter. Do go to his office hours as he gives extra practice for the material.v

Just had him. I think "disorganized" is a bad description - he uses chalk, won't follow the book, and he doesn't use notes or Powerpoint. His scribbles are chemical structures and he draws them too fast. BUT his lectures really do make you learn rather than memorize. If you can't get a B or better in 112A, then change majors now.

Cares about students understanding the material and is passionate about the subject without sounding fake. You have to follow lecture because topics are ordered differently from the book and is reflected in his tests. Read test questions VERY carefully and don't expect partial credit, but easy curve in the end.

Marsella is an easy prof but his exams say otherwise. His third exam for 112A was really hard. People say he is easy, but not really so. You have to put effort in his class. We barely used the textbook in class. He mentions questions that are sometimes not relevant. He gives material on the exam that he did not really go over in lecture very well.

He only uses chalk so you HAVE to come to class and write down everything he writes. He will not use a powerpoint so you can't cram at the end like every other class. But he is very helpful if you come to his office hours. No partial credit on tests and the final is impossible but with a big curve at the end.

I believe he was very organized in his lectures. When he introduced a new topic he repeated it several times for you to learn. He allowed a "cheat sheet." He is very helpful.

Defiantly the easiest ochem teacher out of the bunch.. with that said you need to study hard core and really understand the homework... he's the only teacher that allows a cheat sheet which is awesome, but your screwed when you need to memorize everything for 112c. 2 exams and a al... exams are easy, final is hard and long.. good luck!!!

Great teacher, wish he taught 112c. Really cares about his students. To get a B or an A, you must do the homework! He usually follows the book closely. He puts the homework problems on the exam. Best Ochem teacher out of the bunch by far.

Dr. Marsella is a great guy and professor. He was really helpful when I went to his office hours. Go to his office hours they help! Also, do the homework, that helps too! Overall, I thought he was pretty fair and really easy compared to the other OChem professors at UCR.

I think the other Ochem professors are better and easier. His hands are always shaking. Take someone else! However if u r stuck with him, study the HW probs!

he is not orgznied, he tries to be tho. he is super passionate and will go through the steps very clearly. his lecture r good but not enough problems to get practice. easy easy midterms very hard final. he is also very funny

Dr. Marsella is such a passionate and intellectual individual and professor. He is so sweet and helpful and will do what it takes to help his students. He has helped me so much and explains things in a way that truly make sense to me. He is very caring and helpful and I really love Ochem. And he's a huge part of the reason for that. Great guy.

Had him for A and B. He rocks. Best advice. Realest guy. Go to class and try hard. He does whatever he can to help you- he really really wants all of his students to succeed. He's awesome and I love Ochem thanks to him!!!

This guy rules. One of the hardest classes I've taken for my major here at UCR. But this man made it so much better. Realest and best professor out there. Very helpful, passionate, kind, and understanding. He's one of my faves and helped me so so much.

Dr. Marsella knows his stuff, he's a very nice guy, and very approachable. Although, he is unorganized, you won't be lost as long as you try to do the hw problems. I'd take him again many more times. He's the coolest chem professor at ucr and he's hot for his age.

Great class! Took it on the summer for both 112A and 112B. He was straightforward on his notes and his exams are fair. You are guarantee a pass if you put some efforts into it. His office hours were great as he usually post exam problems on the board. I only redo problems from my notes and I did not too bad on final grade. He's a funny guy as well.

Hes a great professor. teaches well and exams are very fair. However, he never responds to emails.

Homework questions are practically the exam questions. Everything is super straightforward. Although he gives you a multitude of resources to study for exams, don't underestimate it.

Marsella is amazing. He's funny, a great chemist, and a simple guy. He simplifies everything about organic chemistry to the fundamental, most basic concepts without taking away any important information. He prepared me well for 112C and for future chemistry classes I'll take. He's definitely one of the best professors I've ever had.

His lectures are clear and understandable. Tests are fair. Guys, if all other ochem professors are just like him, then our ochem lives will be so much easier. He even allowed us to use a cheat sheet for final. Practice exams and examples are just like the tests. Take him, if you are science major.

Boy was he difficult. Exams are definitely very diffuicult. I did horrible on the 2 midterms and thought I might fail the class (no joke). However, he has a grade replacement policy that replaces midterms if you do well on the final. I studied hard and did well (12 percent above average) and somehow ended up with a B+. Tries to help his students.