Gainer is a chill and approachable guy--I went to office hours just once but should have probably went more. The labs themselves are straight forward and simple, but quizzes were difficult and midterms were okay. Definitely read the associated text (both Mohrig and Bruice) to do well on exams. Overall not a bad class.

He gets his lecture material right out of the book and his tests are NOT HARD IF YOU STUDY. His grading is fair and basically gives a free 17% of your grade an A with homework and clicker points. Do the book problems, actually do the homework, and you'll get a good grade.

Good professor. Genuinely cares about the students and is more approachable and easy-going than Bruice. Gives more difficult exams than Bruice. Reading the book is IMPERATIVE to doing well in the class.

Dr. Gainer is a new professor and it shows. That being said, he cares about his students and his tests are predictable. Just read Bruice's text and you will be fine. REALLY read the text and do the problems though. That's the only way you will do well.

Gainer is a really nice guy. He wants his students to do well and is really approachable. His tests were a bit difficult but if you did book problems and read the book you would be fine! Go to class!! You get participation points for using your iClicker.

Gainer is a good lecturer - he actually lectures! He is interested in not only teaching the material, but also making sure students understand it. You need to read the book and go to class for iClicker and notes (no powerpoints). His tests are really difficult, but you get extra points from homework and iClicker, so overall it's not too bad!

Gainer is a wonderful lecturer, and is very passionate about chemistry. He is extremely thorough and will take time to answer questions in class. What I believe people fail to understand is that they are enrolled in an upper division chemistry course. Work outside of class is crucial however Gainer is there to clarify, for that he is awesome.

What I believe people fail to do is read the material BEFORE lecture. Of course you're going to be lost and confused if you have no prior understanding to the material! Gainer is very helpful and lectures well. His tests are lengthy, but fair. People who don't do well obviously don't put in enough work or effort.

Gainer is extremely nice, helpful, and fair. Lecture itself is pretty dull and not as helpful as reading the book. I skipped half the lectures and read the book and got an A. Just read and to the practice problems in each section, you'll be fine

I have taken 3 classes with gainer and I think he is terrible. He lectures word for word from the book so if you don't like the book or find it confusing then you're out of luck. Also, he doesn't use powerpoint so you spend class watching him write mechs from the book. His exams were difficult seeming the class avg was 48 & 50% respectively.

Gainer actually lectures unlike most professors! He makes sure students understand material. MUST READ THE BOOK (preferrably before class) and go to class notes (no powerpoints). His tests are really difficult and way too long, but there are extra points from homework and iClicker. There's also a pretty big curve because averages tend to be so low.

Gainer is a great professor! As long as you pay attention and don't get behind, everything he says is very clear. The midterms weren't too bad for me, but the averages were about 50%. There's A LOT of information, and the final was cumulative, long, and difficult. He curves though, and Bruice doesn't. GET THE BOOK. It's basically my bible

New professor. For his first time teaching (109A) he really struggled but for 109B he was awesome. You have to read the book and work out problems until you understand. Organic chemistry is not supposed to be easy; it takes a lot of work. If you put in the work, you can get an A. Don't bother emailing him, but definitely utilize office hours.

I didn't like his teaching style at all and found his tests to be really difficult. There was a generous curve though. If I could take him again I wouldn't. Memorize the book to do well in his class.

Gainer sticks pretty closely to the book, so it is important to review material ahead of the corresponding lecture in order to fully utilize lectures. Very cute and friendly in my opinion.

Class averages on the exams were between 50-60%, so they're definitely not easy. If you end up ~20% above the average, you'll get an A. Book problems are a must, but the book itself can be pretty difficult sometimes. He's crystal clear in lecture, pretty much reiterating the book more clearly. Hard, but worthwhile professor

Gainer really knows the material, this is obvious as he knows how to teach it crystal clear. You MUST read the book before attending lecture, it's the only way you'll fully understand it. Online hw doesn't really compare to his tests. Test are extremely hard, do book problems and go to CLAS!!! Take Sarah for CLAS, she's the best!

Treat the book as your bible and you'll be fine. Gainer is a great professor, and he definitely knows his material. You'll only fully follow along to his lecture if you've done the readings ahead of time. He's also pretty attractive imo. TBH, I relied on his lectures&CLAS (yay Sarah!), then read the book later. 66% overall w the curve got me a B.

Loved him. Hes a passionate teacher and wants you to learn. He does iClicker quizzes every day so you have to go to class, but it's helpful! Tests are LONG! I didn't think they were hard, but you gotta be QUICK and know your stuff!! Go to lecture and CLAS, and do EVERY homework problem in the book. I ended up with 77% and got an A- after the curve.

Gainer is a fantastic lecturer. He's engaging and allows for students to ask questions. He follows the textbook closely so you can and will use the textbook a lot. Get the solutions manual if you can. CLAS is great, I had Rachel she was great. The tests are challenging. Memorization from textbook won't get you an A, practice lots of problems

Morgan Gainer is a must-take for pre-meds. Yes, he is challenging, more-so than Bruice is, but he will make you learn O-Chem until you can recite every mechanism in your sleep, which is good for the MCAT. He will help you learn, and the book is my 2nd bible. His curve is MASSIVE, the rumors are true. Don't take him just for the curve. My 77% A-

You have to go to lecture because all the quizzes are based off of what he says. He is very enthusiastic and helpful though.

He is a very clear lecturer and his tests are precisely what he lectures onwhat he tells you to cover in the book. If you do the book problems and read the chapters you will do fine, even if you feel like you are failing, because his curve is really high. I think he is a much better teacher than Bruice having taken both professors.

Dr. Gainer is by far the best ochem instructor at UCSB. His lectures are very clear and organized and he's always willing to help. I didn't have him for 109A and 109B, but you wish you did! He also makes video tutorials, which are helpful in reviewing the chemistry. Definitely one of the amazing professors at UCSB.

Ochem is hard no matter what, but Gainer gets you through it. Very dynamic lecturer and really cares about his students. 2 midterms + final, and online homework. Definitely preferred over Bruice.

Chem 109C was not my favorite class but I managed to get a B. The first two midterms were very easy, I got an A on the first one and a B on the second one. The final was very difficulty. I failed the final but got a B in the course. Be ready to do HW because those questions show up on the midterms sometimes and do book problems because they show up

Dr. Gainer does a really good job but there's just so much material that it's impossible for him to cover it all in class. Read the textbook and do the problems! Going to class will help you (especially those i-clicker points) but it's basically just a repeat of the reading with some clarification of hard parts. Tests vary from difficult to insane.

Anyone who says Gainer is a bad lecture-er just didn't read before class. And that's the thing about Gainer -- you need to read the sections BEFORE coming to class or else you won't know what he's talking about. His midterms are do-able if you do the book problems and the final is tricky, expect averages around 50-60%. Tremendous beneficial curve.

Midterm exam was so much easier than the final exam. The class is not as scary as everyone makes it seem. The labs are very easy and repetitive and the class is graded on a heavy curve. Quizzes are pretty difficult, but there are a lot of components that comprise of your grade (quizzes, lab reports, miderm, final, lab work, lab practical).

Dr. Gainer was the best OChem professor I had. He gets a lot of hate because his tests are hard, but he, unlike the other teachers, wants you to actually UNDERSTAND the material, not just memorize it. If you take the time to understand ochem, there is very little you actually have to memorize. His lectures were organized and he is well spoken.

I really enjoyed Gainer's lectures because he has a very systematic approach to working through ochem problems. You will not learn concepts in class, you must read before lectures. Don't memorize, it won't help, the trick to ochem is knowing all the exceptions to the rules, and that comes with practice problems. Large curve, 80% got me an A.

he's awesome truly.

Gainer is an incredible teacher. He teaches a tough course but I learned more from him in one Ochem quarter than I did the entire year with other teachers. I think I lived in his office hours and it truly paid off, he for sure bumped my grade. He wants to see an effort and if he sees you are trying he will really help you.

Took for 109A and 6AL too, but 109C I took with him online. Guarantee he'll be better next time on timing out quarter better, but don't sleep on online classes. You'll be in a paradox if you like online classes the whole quarter, but its Gainer at his best and honestly am glad I had him for OChem, as hard as it can be.

Gainer is incredible. If u have the chance to take him for ochem, DO IT. What I loved most about him is that his lectures follow the textbook but present the material in a different way thas easier to understand (unlike other ochem professors who's lectures are the book verbatim...) his tests are hard but fair, lectures interesting and VERY CLEAR

Fantastic!! Expects deep understanding of the material but encourages questions and coming into office hours. Tests are free response and critical-thinking orientated but very fair in terms of difficulty, but only if YOU put in the time to study diligently! My favorite professor at UCSB! Made me appreciate and even to enjoy my OChem classes...

Dr. Gainer is a respected guy. He is somehow similar to Dr. feldwinn, a professor of gen Chem. They both have difficult tests but want students to really understand course materials. The average of final is 86 OUT of 200; I got 130, but received B because of my midterms. A really great teacher.

Gainer is an amazing professor; he's super friendly and explains concepts very well. His lectures are very interactive, with iclicker questions every lecture. He does use the chalkboard a lot so he goes at a reasonable pace, and wants students to ask questions. His exams require good time management and deep understanding of concepts, but are FAIR!

Dr. Gainer is a real gem of a professor! At first, his lectures were super confusing, but doing the readings beforehand made his lectures easier to understand. He gives explanatory feedback on exams and during office hours. In hindsight, the answers to his exams were pretty simple. Do the book problems, read the book+ class notes, and STUDY HARD.

best chem professor at ucsb

This class is way harder than it needs to be. Most of the difficulty stems from the TA you have. The lab reports are graded unfairly I think. So many things I would do differently in this course. Gainer is a pretty tight dude and he definitely does a better job teaching this class than any other professor would.

Overall he's great! Dr. Gainer expects deep understanding of the concepts, needing to know the why behind it. His curves are extremely generous, I didn't do too hot on the second midterm but absolutely killed it on the final and ended with an A.

I took Chem 6AL and 6BL with Dr. Gainer and I thought the labs were a lot of work definitely, but also felt like getting an A in both came pretty naturally with a proper amount of effort. The curve is very generous and you can tell he truly cares. This isn't a class where you can scathe by not knowing what's going on, but it is very fair.

Dr. Gainer was super helpful and gave very clear lectures. The labs were also well-organized, and I can tell the purpose of what I was trying to learn from each lab. The quizzes, lab reports, and lab practical were all very fair but the final was super hard. You are graded based on your section, and the average is curved to a B.

Gives clear, easy-to-follow lectures. Explains things without overcomplicating them. The videos he posted on gauchospace were very helpful for studying for quizzes, which were pretty hard but manageable once you get a hang of what type of question likes putting on there.

Best teacher at UCSB, wants all the students to do well and very helpful at office hours. His tests are really hard but fair and with a big curve. CLAS also helps a lot. More work that other teachers but his lectures are great and its a rewarding class

Lectures informative and straightforward. Weekly quizzes are quite tough, make sure you watch the Techniques videos he provides! Your grade in the class is mostly dependent on the TA you get. Did a lot to boost grades this quarter. Gave a short and cumulative final, worth much less than a normal quarter. Good and generous guy.

He was able to adapt to online much more quickly than most professors amidst the pandemic. Watching the videos is really important and the weekly quizzes were kinda okay- open book doesn't make it easier!! Pay attention to what he emphasizes because it's usually quizzed on. He's purposely difficult to get you to learn a lot, especially 6AL and 6BL.

Gainer is a great professor overall, his content is simple and he makes the class easy to understand. The notion of Ochem lab being a really hard class kinda dies down with him lecturing and hes really helpful and caring which was shown throughout this pandemic. The only downside was the terrible TA I had and his silence on the issue

This review may be biased, due to the temporary shift to online instruction. The lab class was enjoyable, and I learned a lot, even though I could not be there to do the experiments. Dr. Gainer clearly tried his best to accommodate the CHEM 6BL students. Be sure to go to office hours to address any concerns about grading or lab concepts.

I had Gainer for 109C and for Chem6AL. I thought he did a really good job transitioning the courses to online learning on such short notice. Both classes require a lot of hard work, but he was always willing to answer questions. Lab was only miserable because I had an awful TA. I have had Bruice, Read, and Gainer and Gainer was my favorite.

6AL is a hard class but Gainer does try to make it easier for everyone. There are tons of prerecorded videos to explain challenging concepts more in depth and there are weekly lecture meetings for even more practice. Your grade mostly depends on your section; as long as you get 10% above the average you'e going to get an A.

109C is a TOUGH class. Taken summer of 2021, last online quarter due to the pandemic. The class was graded by weekly quizzes, 1 final exam (worth 2 quizzes, and same difficulty), HW, and class participation. If you spend the time to READ THE TEXTBOOK/watch lectures, you can do well. Gainer is fair (not easy), and available for many OH. Small Curve.

Everyone gives Gainer a bad rating. OChem is just a really hard class, and they are mad they are struggling. Gainer is a great teacher, incredibly approachable and knowledgable. He won't give you anything you didn't earn. If you read the suggested readings, do the end of chap problems, and attend lecture, you will most def get an A.

Gainers tests were very fair, although this is to say that they werent difficult. For honors ochem, he was a very good professor and explained the material very well. He makes sure you actually understand what you are learning rather than just memorizing.

Gainer is good at making things clear. He's very patient cares every individuals.

Gainer is really great at explaining confusing topics and making ochem as accessible and easy to comprehend as possible. His notes are hard to understand without attending lectures. He is also helpful during office hours. This is a difficult class but Gainer doesn't assign busy work and his worksheets/quizzes are straightforward.

Gainer has given fair quizzes and final, which was adequately challenging to give me some incentive to put in effort while not ruining my grade. His curve was surprisingly PHAT - got an A+ with an A- raw score. Forming a study group is kind of important in this course.

I had a good time in the class, but expect the material to be hard! It's similarly difficult to non-honors ochem but the curve is phat (my 89.2 went to an A+.) Quizzes/final were difficult but manageable if you read the textbook and do extra practice beyond what's assigned. Overall had a good experience and excited to have Gainer again for lab.

Tough class obviously, Gainer's lectures are pretty good though and the quizzes reflect the material. Class is still a pain but could be very much worse.

This is my 2nd time taking Gainer. I lost my A+ this time because there's a super knowledgeable student in my section. He gave fair quizzes and lab final, and made them as college-level as possible. TA was super helpful that she proofread my lab reports every week in the office hour and offered helpful comments on how to improve. I liked Labflow.

Gainer does his best to make this class as bearable as possible. He's a decent teacher who definitely has a passion for teaching. CHEM 6BL is seriously the most difficult and time consuming class I've taken. I highly recommend taking a light course load with this class, cause it's seriously a time-sink. Go to TA office hours and ask for help.

Gainer is fantastic - if you read the textbook (ALL of it), you will get a fantastic grade. Due to most people not reading, curve is massive. Makes the class easy.

My boy Gainer was a king, but if you do the work, and put effort in you will succeed. This is technically an upper-division class, so it shouldn't necessarily be a walk in the park. Everyone has said it, but DO THE READINGS and ALL the book problems. Seek him in office hours if you didn't understand something in lecture or in the book. He will help

Not bad. He wants students to succeed and is kind. However, the most concerning thing about the class is definitely the "class environment" since the class grade is curved and on average only 3 people can get A in the class. Every student in the class is a potential competitor of you.

Highly disagree with the bad reviews. Amazing chemistry professor. Super approachable and gives plenty of resources. JUST DO THE RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOK PROBLEMS, they are recommended for a reason. Slower paced than other chem courses. Take ASAP after finishing prereqs even if you don't like the lab time. The final was the only rough part. Lab is fun.

Professor Gainer is super kind and I enjoyed taking his class. It wasn't super easy, as the ochem classes are typically not, but he was easy to communicate with and receive help from. I recommend any class that he is teaching especially since they made me excited to learn more about ochem and the field.

This class wasn't as hard as people say. I'm glad I took it as a 4th year so that I could focus on it more. Barely anyone ever went to his office hours which is weird bc I found them to be helpful. He is nice and will help you if you ask for it. He's not condescending like other chem profs can be. Gainer makes tests very difficult though so study!

Morgan Gainer is my favorite organic chemistry professor among all that I met at UCSB. He may not be as knowledgeable as Dr. Lipshutz, but his teaching is way better. He is the best evidence that UC treats the employees so awfully. He deserves to be tenured more than many of his colleagues in the department.

When I started my degree at UCSB, I was told by everyone that Gainer was the worst and 6BL was the hardest class ever. Obviously, the class is not easy and requires a lot of time and work, but Dr. Gainer's expectations are reasonable and he makes himself available outside of class. Work hard and you will get an A.

I honestly will 100% put him up there with Scott Price because they are that good. Chem 6AL by far, most work I ever had to do for one class but not impossible. He is such a clear lecturer, FUNNY and is SO nice during office hours (very understanding). He explains the concepts so clearly and I looked forward to his class sm! I also had a goated TA.

Chem 6BL workload is too much but Gainer is extremely helpful in office hours. Just ask him questions, and he'll tell you the answer for lab reports. Quizzes are TA dependent, but office hours really help for the final. (Nice professor but I'd never want to take 6BL ever again, make sure you have the time)

Study for the final - it basically determines your grade in the class. 6AL is not too hard except for the final. Gainer is really nice, but becomes a new beast on test days.

Lemme start off by saying chem is not my strong suit. However, Gainer is such a goat. Yes there is a lot of homework, yes you should do the readings, and yes the concepts are hard. However, he is a really good professor. As long as you come to him with where you are confused are what you don't understand he does an amaz job trying to get you there

Gainer's classes can be challenging, but engaging with the material and using study tools like unstuck study can help you succeed. The final is tough, so focus on the lab reports and quizzes. Overall, a worthwhile class if you put in the effort.

Definitely feels like a heavier class than other lab I've taken. You have to go to lecture or you will be soooo lost. A lot of grading depends on what TA you get but overall if you put in the work it's doable.

Gainer was a good lecturer overall and explained concepts pretty clearly. The midterms were pretty fair and doable, but the final is a lot trickier and harder and basically determines your grade, so make sure to study a lot for it. Lectures are mandatory and it's pretty pard to catch up if you've missed one

I love this professor. He is so helpful in office hours and will help with lab reports and study for the quizzes. But this class takes a lot of time and effort which is equivalent to what I feel like is at least 2 hard STEM courses so plan your schedule accordingly. Concepts are way more interesting than in 6AL. Lab reports are graded harder.

y'know what? smash.

6AL and 6BL took a lot of effort and lab reports took forever, but also some of the most interesting, fulfilling, and rewarding content and classes I have EVER taken. Everything Gainer says really clicks. He's a great lecturer and amazing person to ask questions to. Absolutely adored him and ended up really loving these labs.

Dr. Gainer is a super nice guy who has pretty useful lectures and is available for help if you need it. This class was not easy, but I think the difficulty of all exams was very reasonable. I HIGHLY recommend the book problems for practice! Labs themselves are TA dependent, but most of the TAs want you to succeed. I really enjoyed this class.

Professor Gainer is amazing! Everything he says clicks and it really stays with you till test days. This class is heavily dependent on TAs and how they grade. My TA was Ms. Bashir, and she was ridiculously impossible to work with and just a mean grader. Do not sign up for Friday 8AM with Bashir!!!!!!

Gainer is a very approachable professor, very nice and willing to answer questions. However, his lectures are not the most organized and are quite disconnected from the textbook. Ask for a classmate's notes if you missed a class, do not waste time reading the textbook. The final is pretty tricky, but doable.

Gainer was a good lecturer, but the tricky thing was the fact that there was lab + lecture. TA makes or breaks your lab portion. Try to do well on lab reports, because they can help cushion your exam grades. Do all the textbook problems before exams, they helped me do really well on the exams compared to the average. Curve can help by section.

Gainer is very passionate about his work and shows that he actually cares about his students. I took this class over summer and Gainer once spawned behind me and asked me a question, he's funny.

As long as you try to understand the fundamentals of the lab techniques and put effort into learning IR/NMR/Mass Spec, an A/B is pretty much guaranteed. Gainer gives you enough resources to succeed in the class. I'd recommend doing all the book problems, and showing up to lecture/labs so that you can drop the lab practical for your lowest lab.

Gainer seems like he genuinely cares, and I will say that the actual labs didn't waste my time like the gen chem labs do; we learned relevant skills we could take into industry. He also curves to a B, which is very fair, and the tests weren't that hard. However, I don't understand his rationale for the impossible final.