2.8
Quality4.2
Difficulty42%
Would Retake192
Reviews42%
Would Retake
192
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
33
4
38
3
28
2
39
1
54
What Students Say
“Bad teaching, worse prep”
CHEM102 - 1.0 rating“Puts material you havent learned yet on tests and expects you to answer E) Not enough information”
CHEM102 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
62%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
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Predicted Grade
B+
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-0.46 avg changeRatings by Course
CHM102
4.5
(2)CHEM105
3.0
(1)CHEM102
2.8
(188)CHEM104
1.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CHEM104
5.0
CHM102
4.5
CHEM102
4.2
CHEM105
4.0
Reviews (192)
He will make sure everyone fully understand's whatever topic you guys are covering and then he moves on. Class gets a little behind at first.
I despise chemistry with all my heart but somehow Dr. G makes this class seem interesting and not too bad.
Terrible. Teaches a weed out class, but believes no one should be left behind, then has to increase the pace of the course to twice that of other classes in order to catch up. Puts material you havent learned yet on tests and expects you to answer E) Not enough information. Goes off on random tangents about how he is doing this for your benefit.
Pretty cool guy but the material you end up being tested on is near impossible to fully study whether out of the book or past exams (which there are very few). He rarely curves and just taking notes from his lectures will not prepare you for the exams.
Thought i got a 12% on the 2nd exam, and he was extremely helpful.. found out 5 days later i got a 60% instead. He is very lenient extremely professional and he loves helping students. Hes very considerate of your progress in his class. Exams arent impossible, and he is very straight up about exam difficulty. Recommend him highly
terrible. impossible to understand his trains of thought in lecture, and then half the exam has nothing to do with anything that was covered in lecture or from worksheets- and you're supposed to just know it, OR occasionally mark E on the scantron if it was something he expected you to not know!
Great lecturer, sometimes goes off on tangents though, tries to be fair in terms of grading, good amount of extra credit opportunities.
Honestly one of the greatest people you can talk to. Cares about all his students even though the course itself is very difficult with a very low average GPA. Lots of people complain about the pace of the course due to it involving a lot of various topics, but honestly very manageable as long as you work hard.
Strongly recommend. Very caring about his students. Has many extra credits. Great review session before final.
Dr. G is one of the most caring teachers I have ever had. He always puts his students first and is super nice during office hours. I will say through that his tests are quite difficult and sometimes the material on the exams is not thouroughly covered during class. Overall a solid prof. but get ready to work for the grade
Dr. G is an extremely caring fellow he bent over backwards for his students. I do not regret taking him over Hummel. If you can take him! Loads of wiggle room to ensure you get a good grade. This does not mean he is easy, though. Watch out for his midterms after the first one! They get tricky...
Dr. G is an easy A. If you put in the work, it will directly reflect in the grade you receive! Tons of extra credit, nearly impossible to fail. Also, significantly easier than all the other chem 102 teachers!
He is very caring and wants everyone to do well but his lectures make absolutely no sense. I can't follow his train of thought and most of the time left lectures more confused than when I went in. He has a lot of office hours so use those but beware of his tests that are never even close to the review guides especially the final.
Dr.G is not a great teacher. His lectures were basically useless and they never helped me in discussion. I often felt like it was my first time seeing test question on the test. His quizzes are near impossible the first time around but he does do retakes. The only reason I'm going to pass the class is bc of all the EC. If you can take Hummel do it.
He is a genuinely nice person who really cares about his students. HOWEVER, his lectures are the worst. He doesnt explain things well and I always leave lectures more confused than ever. He gives out curves, but I really had to study a lot on my own to get the grade I did. At one point I stopped taking notes because it was impossible.
Don't have anything to say
His lectures were extremely convoluted and at sometimes seemingly philosophical. He does not explain the material on which he tests on because he expects you to understand the "story" behind the content and assumes that most of his questions can be solved using basic logic.
Reads off slides which he copies straight from the textbook. But then he puts in useless anecdotes and train-of-thought concepts that make no sense and makes the class nonsensical. His exams are twice as hard as any homework, quiz or online assignment. Bad teaching, worse prep. Also no retakes - not close to as good or lenient as other professors.
His tests are very difficult and dont match the content we learn in lecture/discussion at all. Despite students doing very poorly on his tests, he simply tells us that were not thinking hard enough, and looks down on students who do poorly. It seems that the positive reviews are from previous years, when his class was much easier.
He has a genuine desire for his students to succeed. However, the class is very difficult. The quizzes and practice exam questions do not adequately prepare you for the tests. Be prepared to do a lot of additional practice problems and reteaching yourself the concepts.
Hes very condescending when students do badly on his difficult tests, even though he admits to making them hard on purpose. Also, aftee a student said he used too many stories/metaphors in his explanations and it was confusing, he started to use even more stories.
One of the worst professors I've ever had. Do everything you can to make sure you do not have him if you want a good grade in chem. Tests are almost impossible and are nothing like the practice exams.
His lectures were sometimes confusing if you don't read the chapters ahead of time, but he always offered to set up appointments for office hours if anyone needed help. Of course, you have to put in the work to get a good grade. His tests are reasonable as long as you study and read the questions carefully during the test.
Dr. G is a great professor. Chem 102 is going to be hard regardless but he makes it OK. He tries his best to help all his students and understand the concepts. If you put in the work to understand the topics and do extra practice, you will get an A in this class.
Lectures don't give enough information about the content. The exams are rarely curved and brutal, filled with various twists to the point where it's less about content and more about reading past intentionally poorly worded questions. He does want his students to succeed, but he makes it extremely difficult to do so. Avoid if possible.
Nothing to say
He is a very good guy who genuinely cares about his students. The tests are very hard and challenging including the finals but he curved them at the end to adjust low grade. A solid choice over Tina Huang because he teaches well. He makes you suffer in the semester but pulls through in the end. 9/10 would take again.
This class was pretty hard. What he teaches in lecture seems easier compared to what's on the exam. His analogies are helpful sometimes. He's a pretty new professor, so some exams can be easier than others, but overall they are pretty hard. At the end of the semester, since almost EVERYONE failed the final, he added a bunch of extra credit points.
CHEM 102 is not an easy class, regardless of who is teaching it. However, Dr. G is a professor who makes it enjoyable and understandable. His lectures can be very confusing. However, he does have open door office hours and responds to requested office hours very quickly. He often helps you in office hours on what to study for the exam.
Chem 102 is a weed out class, but Dr. G is likely to be your best option. Lectures are decent, but you want to go to office hours for an A. Tests frequently are just different enough from the class material to really kick your butt. Good news-I averaged a 60 on midterms and finals, and ended with a C+. It might not be pretty, but you'll pass.
This was the hardest class I ever took - and no matter what professor you'll have, it will be hard. Despite what people say about him, I genuinely think Dr. G isn't as bad as everyone thinks he is. Actually make effort for your grade. Going to office hours really does help. He explains better during those times and preps you for the exam so GO!
Dr. G definitely has a very challenging Chem 102. Although it was incredibly challenging, it was so helpful and made every other chem class so much easier. I learned so much in this class because you actually need to learn the concepts and understand the why. Office hours are a huge help because he takes the time to offer lots of guidance.
Good lectures, basically tells you everything you need to know for the midterms. It's not an easy A, but he will tell you everything you need to know for the test.
This is a hard class, and Dr. G makes it harder. He is harsh and unapproachable. It seems he has no regard for the mental health of his students. His exams are extremely difficult, and the phrasing of the questions makes even relatively simple questions indecipherable. Don't take his class if you don't have to.
Dr. G's Chem 102 class was the hardest class of my life. If you can test out of it, do it, otherwise be ready to study like your life depends on it. If you want to succeed on the tests do as many practice tests and past exams as possible, they are the closest to Dr. G's style of questions (which are incredibly complex and confusing at times.)
Dr. G is a good professor, regardless of the common word that he makes things difficult. Those who complain are just narrow-minded and can't accept the difficulty. His lectures are very easy to pay attention to, if you read the content before going, as you're supposed to. Most people are used to slacking off, which are the same people who complain.
Honestly do all the practice midterms and you should be fine (engineering majors)
absolutely terrible! chem 102 is already relatively hard as it is and dr, g does absolutely nothing to help his students succeed. he has no care for if you have other priorities outside of class. as someone who has always been good at class i can honestly say the content isnt that hard but his exam questions are nearly impossible!! do not take!!!
Great and intelligent guy but awful at explaining things. Dont go to lecture without knowing what hes talking about beforehand or just dont go at all. Exams are full of trick questions and not straightforward at all like other chem exams. I got <55% on every single test that semester but curve brought me to a C+ in class so thats good I guess
Dr. G is amazing because he really wants students to be successful in his class. He offers up to 25 extra credit points and has lots of office hours and appointment times! Chem 102 is hard no matter the professor. Dr.G just makes you really work for it. Tests are tricky and hurt your grade the most. Lazinessbad grades. Proceed with caution :)
One of the worst classes I have ever taken. I went to office hours, lectures, did all the homework and still got a grade that was less than acceptable. He claims he is there to help students mature and grow, but I don't see how that's acheived by watching them struggle. If the class averages are consistently low, theres an issue with the professor.
He is a very knowledgable professor, I'll give him that. However, his ability to explain material is very poor. He did make me laugh during lectures but I felt like I wasn't learning anything. He expects us to know more than what we are taught. His exams are very tough so beware if you get him as a professor. I would not recommend his class.
The only reason why I did well in CHEM 102 was because I took AP Chemistry in high school. While I don't think Dr. G is terrible, sometimes his lectures are a bit confusing, and if I didn't already have a strong chemistry background, I would have been very confused.
He is available outside of class, but his tests are very difficult and they bring down your grade. His explanations of lectures are very confusing and he uses analogies that don't make sense.
Dr. G does care about his students. He is flexible with grading and lets you argue back points. Do this bc midterms are often unfairly tough. He curves but not enough for most. Lectures aren't good. Prepare to teach yourself a lot of material. Take notes, do his practice problems, get a good TA (Daniel Gray), and be prepared to work for your grade
Lectures are heavy, you really need to focus to understand the material from him during lecture and thats only possible if you are on Adderall. Exams are really tough so get ready to spend countless hours of self-learning. Personally, I didn't learn much from him it was mainly through book, youtube, TA and worksheet. Avoid him if you can.
His class is really test heavy. If your not getting perfect scores on your homework and quizzes go to office hours and tutoring do whatever you can to get help because failing those test will hurt your grade.
I would avoid Dr. G if possible. He is rude to students who ask questions in class (& during lecture with 300+ people, he called out students by first and last name when they got the wrong answer). His exams are not relevant to his practice problems. The only reason that I didn't fail was because I took the merit portion with a great ta.
He makes things more complicated than it needs to be. There are simple concepts that he makes confusing. But if you practice doing his past exams, it is pretty much the same question outline with different numbers. You can argue for points back. It's a pretty easy class if you have taken AP chem before but otherwise, you need to learn on your own.
Hes not a bad person but the only thing that got me a good grade in this class was the fact that I watched Hummels lectures to learn the content from my friends laptop. His lectures are not helpful. He expects you to read the pre-lecture slides but theyre so disorganized. The exams arent hard but the wording sometimes isnt correct English.
He is an excellent professor and his course is organized extremely well. But because he asks questions that require you to really use your head, students believe he is being unfair to them. This kind of attitude not only holds you back from learning but from enjoying this class - and really was enjoyable for me! ALSO he has a beautiful voice.
If you value your mental health and sanity, do not take a class with Dr. G. Although his lectures are fine, his exams have much harder questions that are nearly impossible for people who have not taken AP chemistry or an equivalent to that. He also takes pleasure in students getting answers wrong and laughs when he tricks students with his trick qs
DO NOT take CHEM102 with Dr. G unless you are ready to learn all of the material on your own time. The grade you get in this class is extremely exam-heavy; you'll spend more time studying his test formats vs. the actual material. Get ready for trick questions and zero good study material. Not even the assigned quizzes help w/ exams.
If you have hopes of going into Medicine or Engineering, DO NOT take this professor, take this course later if you can, or take Chem 101 if you need chem. Taking this professor will ruin all your chances, so please look for a different option. I am saving you the trouble now. Or take the class for credit/no credit if you have to with Dr. G.
Dr. G's Chem 102 class is challenging and rigorous, but so is every other section. Chem 102 is a weed-out and overwhelms many students. But Dr. G does his best to help students whenever possible. He is extremely available, provides many practice tests for each exam, gives helpful homework and quizzes, and curves and gives bonus points.
I had him for the CHEM 105 Lab and a few of the questions on the prelab assignments were impossible to the point that even the TAs didn't know the answers to some of them. He seemed like a pretty chill guy though, one time my experiment data was wrong because the TA made a mistake and he just gave me full points when I explained what happened.
Time and effort is needed to succeed in his class. I was doing fine with an A until the final(got a C) which brought my grade down to a B+. He curves all tests, but the last crap he did had no effect on my grade whatsoever. Lectures are not the best, as he explains crap we do not even need. Get ready to cry and curse Mutha after every test.
Dr. G is one of the best professors I've ever met at UIUC. He is so caring that students can have 30-minute individual office hour meetings with him. His past/practice exams are extremely similar to his real exams. I have even got a full score on a midterm. He also offers curves to boost grades on each midterm exam and even homework/quizzes.
I sent him an email about a test question (linking the lecture slide with it) and then he accused me of not reading the lecture and called me a disappointment. I didn't have many hard feelings toward him though, just overall that event sorta made me dislike him. His lectures were really hard to understand, but the tests were very predictable.
Dr. G gets a lot of hate because the class itself is pretty challenging and is a lot of work. However, Dr. G was always there to support students. His lectures are informative and he is extremely helpful during office hours. He is also very flexible and if you email him with an issue he will try his best to help you. Do the practice tests!!
Dropped a quiz for us and a homework at the end of the year when he didn't have to. He was funny asl too
Dr. G is a very knowledgeable professor. I would say, however, this class was extremely challenging for me. I recommend reading the textbook and taking the practice exams. The exams have extremely similar questions but with twists. When emailing him a question, I always received a well-detailed answer. For this class, I would study a bit every day.
Dr. G is the worst professor I think I have ever had here at UIUC. Sure, he likes to tout that he is expanding your mind, but he doesn't extend any kindness to his students that need the most help. Go with literally any other professor.
If you value your sanity do not take this course. Dr G claims that students should have no complaints about him since he makes himself available for help, but accuses them of trying to cheat when they ask questions on assignments. His lectures do not correlate to assignments or exams and he gets frustrated when people ask questions during them
Just be on top of everything, read the pre-lectures, and go to office hours when you can. You do not want to fall behind in this class.
I HATE CHEMISTRY MAKES ME WANT TO RIP MY HAIR OUR OF MY ROOTS.
Great lectures where you can study the slides for exams. Exams are not hard at all if you study for them and do ALL the practice exams. The workload is not too bad. Curve a little in the end.
Chemistry is already difficult, and sometimes you have to do mental gymnastics to figure out what he is asking for instead of just applying knowledge. Sometimes makes you feel dumb if you don't know something. Way too many assignments and homework is often incorrectly coded. Seems like a nice person, but I was overall unhappy with this experience.
Very hard class so you have to be willing to put in the work. From the lectures, Dr. G will seem like a mean guy but if you go to his office hours you will see that he is willing to help you. If you want to succeed on the exams, you HAVE to take/study the practice exams. Also lowkey a funny dude outside of lecture.
Chem 102 is a hard class. Yet, the way Dr. G teaches is great. He distributes the points across homework, quizzes, and tests. The homework genuinely helps you understand what going on. His lectures were not the best, but he went above and beyond to always help in office hours if you were prepared with questions. A very nice man.
Some of the answers in the homework are wrong, definitely wrong. Exam doesn't match what taught in class.
He's a terrible professor who doesn't respond well to criticism and refuses to correct incorrect answers to online homework. Additionally, he gives very convoluted problems that do not test knowledge, but the ability to see through his terrible writing. I would not recommend this professor to anyone and I would drop this class if I received him.
He is a very nice guy, and chemistry is a difficult subject. The course load is a lot and you need to do more than show up to class. If you didn't take AP chemistry in high school don't take chem 102 with Dr. G your first semester, start in 101 or find a different professor. He tends to talk fast and you get lost in the lectures.
Dr G. is a nice guy, truly, but the teaching does not prepare you for exams. He teaches in constant analogies and never will answer questions directly. Moves very fast in lecture. He specifically claimed in class that he believes his job is to stump and trick his students. Find another professor pls
Makes very good analogies that explain advanced topics simply. Lectures are entertaining and very informative. Test questions can be tricky; make sure to read them twice and double check units
He reallyyyyyy likes to use confusing analogies to explain things whenever you ask a question in lectures. Also, the structure of the class is set up to make you fail. Avoid at all costs unless you're a masochist.
Might be one of the first professors that tests how well you actually know the content of the course. I feel like I taught myself more than what he taught me, but then again, he made the worksheets. I loved taking his tests. I would love to take him again and speed run the course. Take your time and do what he suggests
i swear idk what this dude is on...
Exams are tough, timewise. However, Dr. G does his best to teach the core concepts in a way that students can not only understand but also apply to real life scenarios. His use of experiments and analogies serve to make lectures entertaining as well as informative. Office hours are great for going over tricky questions or reviewing before a test.
Exams are tough, timewise. However, Dr. G does his best to teach core concepts in a way students can not only understand but also apply to real life scenarios. His experiments and demonstrations make lectures entertaining as well as informative. Office hours are great for going over tricky questions or reviewing before a midterm, as are past tests.
When comparing Dr. G's class to a high school chemistry course, it is easy to see that the level of difficulty is extremely elevated. However, it is important to complete pre-lectures and really study the mock exams, as Dr. G's exams include a twist on them that can trick you. Overall, this class is not as scary as a lot of people can make it seem.
I like your analogies :)
Great professor, go to office hours if you do not understand concepts, he will also take time to meet with you one on one. He is willing to work with you and give you points back if you make the effort. His class is challenging but what do you expect this is college,don't be lazy and apply yourself.
Dr. G is my favorite professor!! He is very helpful in office hours, gives plenty of practice exams, and demonstrates many fun experiments in every lecture. If you actually put forth effort in his class, you should do completely fine. Highly recommend!!!
Dr. G is fantastic!!! He gives a lot of extra-credit and lots of practice to prepare for his exams. Highly recommend him over the other Chem 102 professors!
Does not know how to teach whatsoever. Ruined my whole year.
He doesn't teach very clearly and it is a lot of teaching yourself. He does give extra credit and curve but it mainly helps those that already score higher. If you do poorly on tests you're screwed.
This course is meant to weed out people who aren't prepared to be caught off guard. If you have the time management, organization skills, and will power to learn chemistry, then you will be fine in this class. Expect to watch a lot of Organic Chemistry Tutor on Youtube to understand almost everything you're going to need to know in this class.
Cares about his students, very much. Tries to follow the rules, and as well as that he also tries to be fair for all. Lucky to have a professor to care very much, but because the tests are hard expect to put extra effort in this class. it is to be expected.
Dr. G is the best. He's cares about his students and can answer pretty much any question you have. His analogies are really helpful and should definitely be used across all chemistry teachers. 10/10 recommend Dr.G!
Good professor but the class was way too hard.
Dr. G is a good professor if you are willing to put in the work. Going to lecture is a must- even though he posts all lecture slides, it's impossible to learn the content without his explanations. His exams are difficult but if you study his previous exams and ask questions then they are predictable.
Dr. G is a pretty good professor. Chem 102 is a hard class.
Dr G is a funny guy. For me, his lectures were really enjoyable, but I know a lot of people didn't feel that way. If you take his class, be ready for the weirdest analogies that may help you or make you more confused. His tests are also a really big part of your grade, so make sure you use all the resources he gives: practice tests. Overall good.
Tooooooo difficult,
Disrespectful towards students, and overall not a nice or helpful professor. Very heavy workload and unnecessarily fast lectures. Material needed for the completion of assignments is rarely taught in lectures.
Dr. G never stops or slows down when asked, and he speaks so fast you cannot understand let alone write notes. He asks if everyone understands when clearly people are too focused on keeping up to ask any questions. He expects you to read the pre-lecture and even if you do it rarely prepares you for his lectures.
Pulls out the wildest of trick questions to "make you think" when he just wants you to get the question wrong. I wouldn't recommend him to anyone who values their sanity and doesn't enjoy having to listen to corny jokes to make himself appear as a nice guy. On the first day of class, he claims he is fair but tricks students repeatedly.
Literally do not take 102 with him, out of my 4 years of undergrad at UIUC he was the worst professor I ever had.
Literally had to sell my soul to pass this class. Worst semester of my time here, and it was because of Dr. G.
Avoid at all costs. His lecture questions are convoluted and often trick questions. He is not helpful and is unable to accept any type of criticism. Pre-lectures are disorganized and rarely prepare you for the actual lecture. Exams are extremely difficult and barely curved. Worst professor I have ever had.
Dr. G is a funny guy and his lectures are very enjoyable. He gives up to 5% extra credit for your final grade which is definitely useful. Sometimes, it's hard to make sense of what he's trying to say and he likes to use analogies that may or may not help you. He also gives you a lot of practice exams with questions similar to the exams.
I took this class in the fall and the reason I marked it as inspirational is because it truly inspires me how impossible he made this class. I attended every lecture, read all the prelectures, and sought outside help but I still struggled. Truly he has some of the toughest questions that are designed to confuse you and make you get it wrong.
CHEM102 is not an easy subject, to say the least, and Dr.G made it somewhat understandable. Sometimes questions were a little too confusing, but overall, if you did the worksheets, and paid attention a decent grade is possible.
Gets mad when people don't ask questions but is rude when he thinks it's a stupid question. Rambles on and on without letting anyone actually catch up during his lectures.
All of the work you do for this class is for accuracy which makes it very difficult to stay afloat sometimes. I wish there was even just one type of assignment that we regularly have to do that is for completion and the rest stays for accuracy to help cushion the blow of a bad exam somewhat. That is my one big critique of the structure of the class
Chem 102 is a tough class, but I thought that Dr. G did a good job of explaining concepts. iClicker points during lecture are all bonus points which end up really boosting your grade. He also curves exams, so even though the course can be hard, there are a lot of places to get points back. He's a pretty nice and funny guy during lecture.
It is just really hard to get a good grade if you have a hard time taking exams, or god forbid test anxiety. Wish the exams weren't like 80% of your final grade, because it makes it really stressful all semester.
Chem 102 is tough and Dr G didn't always explain background, which is why I'm glad I took Chem 101 before. But, he does a good job building on base concepts and does many example problems during class, which is how you get participation points. He likes using metaphors (especially bicycles), which was helpful. Quizzes and homework can be hard.
Dr. G is clearly a nice guy and means well, but the exams are kind of evil. I get it that he wants it to be "application based" but it ends up reading more like a logic puzzle than an exam. Content isn't too difficult if you put time into studying and doing the work. Also offers lots of bonus credit and curves tests.
Personally, I think Dr. G is a very underappreciated professor in the chemistry department. He is a good lecturer in a way that he uses interesting analogies and examples, breaks down questions well, and doesn't hesitate to answer students' questions. His exams can be really tough, though. Beware of trick questions and the fast pace of the class.
DR. G is very understanding and is always willing to make time to help if needed outside of class. The material is tricky, but it's going to be hard regardless of the professor. I appreicated how he had paper tests which to me is a lot less intimidating than going and doing an online tests. If you study YOU WILL BE FINE!
Lectures are a little iffy, but Dr. G clearly knows how to teach chemistry. If a student asks a question, he has a clear answer and analogies to help explain. Very understanding of students' concerns and holds respect for his students. Gives TONS of practice for the exam, so if you study that, you should have no issue on the exam. Would take again!
Dr. G is a fun professor, he's not relaxed but he has a good sense of humor and is fairly engaging. With that being said, he explains everything in the most complicated way possible. You need to be diligent about learning the topics on your own since he expects you to have a basic understanding before lecture and he loves trick/complex questions.
Dr. G is actually a pretty good lecturer, however it feels as though he designs his exams to make us fail. Questions are purposefully confusing and much harder than any of the content covered in class or on practice exams. A class average of 58% on a midterm tells you all you need to know. When the whole class fails it is the fault of the prof.
Dr. G's class is hard just because the exams are very tricky. Lectures were hard to follow sometimes (because I never read over the prelectures). He is so good in office hours though and he will make himself available to help you if you email him. The textbook is also really helpful. He gets a bad rap but he is actually an amazing teacher.
I highly recommend not skipping lecture so that you get the bonus iclicker points. This class is hard but do the practice exams and go to his office hours, he explains a lot and sometimes he drops hints about the exam questions. It was tough but he did a nice curve in the end which helped graded a lot.
Dr. G made this class much harder than it needed to be in every way possible. Exams often had typos and did not always correlate with the practice exams provided, especially on the final exam. Had to put countless hours in to get a good grade in this class but he did do a very generous curve at the end. If you can get hummel do it & save yourself
Dr. G is a really nice guy, but I'm rating him 3/5 because I thought his lectures didn't adequately teach us the course material. However, the material easy. The exams are fairly challenging, but there are curves and iClicker points to make up for it. Nothing is waited, so you can earn up to 50 iClicker points that will make up for exam scores.
He makes the exams way more difficult than anything you do in class. I truly believe that he wants you to fail on the exam. Just save yourself the trouble.
Dr G said he didn't want his rating to be too high because that would mean he isn't doing a good enough job (He is a cool guy). Here you go Dr. G! (Hi Dr. G, I know you read these!)
This is the worst professor ever.
Lectures weren't very helpful, He talks about how he's very available outside class and antagonized the class for not getting help, but he doesn't respond to emails in a timely manner. Only reason he's not getting a 1 is because he made it so a lot of people didn't have to retake exams at the end. Not the worst class ever, but take this with Huang.
I took chem 102 with Dr. G in spring 2023. His lectures are fast-moving and the work is tough, but it is mostly because the subject is just really challenging. If you took Chem 101 and you put in work outside of class you will be fine. The tests are also very hard but he curves nicely. He knows his stuff and he's a good guy.
id pray on the morning of each exam we took and im not even religious. im glad its over. dr g is a nice guy but the midterms are so difficult and nothing like the reviews he provides. its a tough class but u will definitely have a good understanding of chem by the end of it. dont skip lecture, the iclicker points will save u.
Defended this man way too much for him to not curve the final(average 60%) and for his very generous class curve to be 5 points. Couldn't do good on his exams no matter how hard I tried, and I did have a good understanding of the material before each exam. He barely curves the midterms despite 2 of the averages being Ds. Keep your expectations low.
It's a hard class, Dr. G will not hold back on letting you face that difficulty. BUT, he wants students to succeed, and does what he can to make that happen. Practice tests tell you the topics on the test and their order, without being copies of the exams. Curves are the same for all students, but cutoff at the end of semester can turn a D into a C
After he promised to give a bonus to me, he refused to do it when giving the final grade. He chose to forget what he promised to students and did not care about the feelings of students.
I was often confused during and after lectures. However, going to office hours really helped me understand the material. The exams can be difficult, but he gives helpful reviews that shows exactly what will be on the test. Tests are also curved as well as your final grade at the end of the semester. Extra credit iClicker points are also helpful.
Every time there is a midterm, Dr. G takes an enormous departure from the course material we learn in discussion sections and homework assignments. Multiple times I have went to the CLC to get help studying and TA's have been baffled at his exam questions. If literal chem TA's don't know what you're talking about, how could your students?
Dr. G is a good professor who cares about his students, but beware that his class is challenging. The way he writes test questions can be pretty confusing but he provides plenty of resources to prepare. He curves but not that much. Make sure to turn in all discussion worksheets and homework, they will save your grade.
This class was extremely challenging and I average a C on all the midterms/finals. The final curve brought me up to an A. The tests are difficult and hard to predict, so make sure to use all the practice tests to prepare for the midterms and use all of your attempts on homework/ quizzes to get those points. I clicker points will save your grade.
While for most of the semester I defended Dr G for his funny but in depth lectures that actually helped me, all three tests of the course felt like a tough maze and mental gymnastics, asking complicated questions that left me stumped and guessing on several questions each exam.
It's difficult but in a good way. Inspiring.
Tests were absolute trash and even though I didn't think the content itself was hard nor should have been hard, his exams were so convoluted that I quite literally could not grasp them.
Dr.G has a very different style of communicating info which made it extremely challenging to learn. The professor designed his exams to be complicated in terms of understanding what he wanted, rather than the actual material itself being challenging. Because of this, the amount you studied didn't exactly equate to the grade you would receive.
The class is challenging but worthwhile. Leverage all resources, including the free textbook, office hours, and study tools like Unstuckstudy, to stay on top of the material. Attend every lecture - participation points can make a difference.
This was my most difficult class of the semester. Dr G is a decent professor but the content itself is also difficult. He lectures incredibly fast for 45 minutes straight and then does a random experiment at the end of class despite everyone being incredibly confused by his lecture. He is a nice enough guy but his class is very hard.
I enjoy Dr. G's personality, he's a really funny guy and I found most of his lecture's amusing, but the content is difficult and I would suggest going to his office hours or your TA as soon as your confused with anything because if you don't understand one concept, the rest will be just as confusing since all the content build's off of one another.
Dr. G has a nice personality, but his teaching style is iffy. He speeds through the lecture concepts, making them a little difficult to understand. Tests are difficult but the curve is typically good and you're allowed a retake. Requires a lot of studying and fully grasping the material. He's extremely helpful during office hours.
Dr. G is a fun and nice guy, but he lectures so quickly for such difficult content. The exams are often rather convoluted, although he does drop some assignments, offer one exam retake, and curve both the exams and the final.
This class is poorly managed by UIUC. Dr. G has a very odd way of teaching and writing exam questions, that's all I'll say. No concept in 102 was hard to grasp for me, but I found myself freaking out before every test after realizing that you can understand every aspect of the material and still do poorly on one of his exams. Lectures too fast.
Terrible experience. The content handled in this class is mostly easy in difficulty, yet the professor makes it his life mission to make the test questions as convoluted and unclear as possible. The problem for me was that it was more so logic being tested than the actual material. Also, terrible lecturer.
Although Dr. G is super awesome in lecture, I still hate. Where he looses all my respect is the tests. The questions are almost worded as riddles and are meant to trick you. He does not prepare you for the tests at all. He does give you past exams and extra credit with I-Clicker questions, but the exam average is around 50-60% so it dosnt even help
A- SUPER easy. Get all 50 clicker points for bonus EC. 100% every ONLINE quiz and homework. Exercises and sheet homework only take off like .1-2 pts per/1000 total pts so try your best on those. When it comes to midterms, I FAILED 2 of them w/ below average, B- on the final too, still got an A-. I got 850 SAT so not smart, if I can do it you can to
Very good professor. I really enjoy his lectures. But it is just that the lectures are going pretty fast so you have to frequently review and go to that clc once you got any questions. Extra credits are super important so definitely go to his lectures. Exams are hard but if you do all the practice exams and the review exam you should be ok.
pretty good professor, however, midterms and exams were insanely difficult and gave a lot work with worksheets, two types of quizzes, and homework every week.
I thought he spent too much time talking about random things rather than chemistry, considering we only had 50 min for it. Even though I took AP Chem in high school and got a good score on the test, this class still took it out of me. Do the work, read the book (I didn't), and go to office hours (also didn't do this), and you MIGHT be fine.
I feel like Dr. G's class isn't bad when it comes to the tests and overall formatting of the class, but I feel like he is really bad at lecturing. He uses a bunch of analogies which kinda do not help at all. If you didn't take AP chem in HS DO NOT take this class, take chem 101, even if the placement exam says otherwise. (ALSO ICLICKER POINTS HELP)
His lectures move very fast, but he keeps class very entertaining and engaging. Midterms are difficult but bonus iClicker points can help save you a bit. Understanding practice exams very thoroughly and all their concepts are necessary for both the midterms and final.
Dr. G was a very funny teacher, but the lectures moved very fast. Make sure to read prelecture material. Sometimes to pay attention we would count the number of times he said "Are you with me on this, guys?" (183 times throughout the semester). Dr. G was a fun teacher, but he prides himself on the difficulty of the class so be prepared for that.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO AND HAVE PRIOR BACKGROUND. Rushed lectures, thick accent, and poor analogies. His workload is ridiculous. The discussion homework is not always relevant to the exam or the current topic. Looking at the exam was like reading a foreign language, not matching the study guide/ class examples. (1/?)
Expect to be drowned in homework every night, get very familiar with the CLC. Continuously taunted the class about how hard the upcoming exam would be with the stated intent of dropping our grade by one letter. Hope you have a TA that is informative. He uses a bell curve that, in my case, barely helped. Only 1 retake between the 3 exams. (2/2)
lectures are confusing, a lot of self-learning. Tests will have difficult questions even on topics that were briefly skimmed over in lecture. I recommend take advantage of the iclicker points.
Actually a no no. Worked my ass OFFFFF the entire sem and grinded my soul. It is my fault for not doing better on final but having an A+ all sem and then getting a B+ because of a singular bad exam is just not. This man is hateful. If you liked to be played then take it w him. I am a changed man bc of this.
The tests are the worst part of the course. Dr. G designs the questions in a way to trick you so you have to read everything carefully, but it's still really easy to mess up. My advice is do the I-clicker since the extra 5 percent will save you. Get prepared to hear the phrases "zigma bonds" and "are you with me on this one" a lot
Do NOT take this class if you haven't taken chem in a few years, regardless of what the placement test says. This class is very difficult and takes up so much of your time. Dr. G is a funny guy but not a good lecturer. He spends too much time off topic and then rushes through the lecture and it is all so confusing. Pick a different prof if you can.
I was optimistic going into this class, especially during the first few lectures and exam. Then it all went downhill as his lectures got less and less helpful and exam questions got more ridiculous. He made an introductory chemistry class way harder than necessary for no reason.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking his class. Lectures were a bit fast, however he was more than happy to answer any questions. I loved his office hours and would frequently attend. PLEASE go to lecture; get those extra credit i-clicker points. Do tons and tons of practice problems!! Funny guy and would definitely take his class again. You got this!!
My advice for freshmen: do not trust this teacher. learn by yourself.
Dr. G isn't as bad as portrayed on here. His lectures are fast so prelecture is 100% worth it, but if you ask a question he will ensure you understand. Tests always have D or F averages, but if you pay attention to what he says and the info he gives you, you'll be fine. Take advantage of your TA, lecture slides, and practice tests and u'll get an A
My advice is LOCK IN. Dillydallying won't get you anywhere. Make sure you have a really good TA because you'll probably leave the lectures with lots of questions. Reach out for help: CLC, office hours, study groups etc. He moves fast and enjoys tricking us but he's eager to help and it's not impossible. The curves and misc points help a lot!!!
DO NOT TAKE HIM. I looked at rate my professor, and saw the low rating, and I thought to myself, oh maybe these people weren't putting in the right amount of effort. THEY WERE RIGHT. He doesn't actually TEACH you, you have to teach yourself the material and his class is like a review. (A bare minimum one at that). Just take that early class.
Dr. G was not the best at explaining concepts, I went to office hours and felt like it made my understanding of the material worse. I honestly feel like he makes things hard on purpose, and he wants to be difficult. He made concepts confusing for no reason. Ive revisited concepts from Chem 102 in 104 and understand them way better now.
Overall, this class was hard. His lectures were sometimes really helpful but other times I would leave more confused than before. His extra credit is really generous, and while lectures aren't mandatory, you get so much extra credit by answering the iclickers that it made no sense skipping. Tests are hard, but he's better than other 102 profs imo
Class is difficult, but Dr.G is always available outside of class to help. You are allowed one retake for each exam and are allowed to "fight" back points on exams. If you took Chem 101 and are a hard worker, you will most likely pass the class. One con is that the past exams given for practice are very old and not accurate at times. Good luck!
Dr. G has been an amazing professor. I have needed many accomodations and he had helped me with all of them. He has been with me one-on-one for office hours. I think he is a caring profesor and really wants us to succeed. This course is definitely difficult but it is better than I thought it would be. I think that Dr. G is funny as well!
One of the best lecturers I've had up to this point in the sense that his lectures are well prepared and usually easy to follow along AS LONG AS YOU AT LEAST SKIM THE MATERIAL BEFORE LECTURE. Its easy to get lost in his lectures if you don't already know some of the material. Exams are pretty hard, but he gives good prep in review lecture
I feel like if you failed, its because you didn't put the work in. It does require a lot of work and sometimes i feel like students are so lazy and just don't want to do anything. Go to office hours, ask for help and watch youtube videos. Overall, it was a great class and he is so funny and nice. I also never felt dumb whenever i asked a question.
He tells you the topic of each question, and the exact order they appear on the practice exam. He then adds as many twists and trick questions as he can. It's like being told someone's going to punch you in the gut if you walk through a door, so you cover your stomach as best you can, just to get socked in the jaw. He's funny tho, Solid 2/5.
DR G IS MY GOAT. IDK WHY EVERYONE HATIN
I loved Dr. G! He was extremely personable and I could tell that he really cared about his students. He was really helpful and always took the time to make sure I understood everything and was happy with how I was doing.
Lectures are difficult to follow but he's a funny guy. Prepare for really difficult exams and definitely do a lot of practice problems. Exams are brutal but the curve usually makes up for it.
Took the class after having a good background on Chemistry because I took chem 101. Attended office hours once, it is literally just him there so the most you're getting is one question answered. Tests are literally terrible and nothing like the review. His curves do nothing. Would be failing if it was not for my TA or extra credit iclicker points.
Dr. G's class is fast-paced and challenging. Review his pre-lecture slides or you'll fall behind. Expect weekly quizzes, worksheets, and lots of homework. Exams are tough, timed, and full of tricky details. Stay on top of things or you'll struggle A LOT.
everything you have heard about him is true. he does nothing. going to lecture doesn't do anything in this class. he stands at the front and talks about everything other than what you're learning and then put the world's hardest questions imaginable on the tests. It is common to take his class and get below a C-.
Okay, I genuinely think he gets a bad wrap... he's not a bad teacher. I think he genuinely enjoys what he does, but I also think he gets a kick out of making questions more difficult than they need to be. For anyone who has him in the future, get help when you don't understand and try to stay ahead of things.
Honestly, Dr. G hate is so forced. While I 100% agree his class is tough, it's definitely doable if you've taken CHEM101 (if you haven't, you may be cooked). His grading was so generous, and you could earn up to 50 extra credit pts by doing the i-Clicker questions. He isn't a great lecturer but if you're willing to put in the work, you'll be fine.
The lecture was okay but the course was test heavy and if you don't study then it would be complicated to pass. Also, the study guides aren't the best study method. You should study the past exams and take notes during lecture.
If you go to lecture for extra credit iclickers and go to office hours, you will do well in this class. Dr. G gives a huge curve at the end of the semester, so don't worry if you land on a boarderline grade. If you use the study guides to study for exams, the familiarity with exam questions will help make the curveballs on the exam less stressful.
I will say his classes are hard but he is very generous in his curve and if you study for the papers according to the practice exam you should be ok. Also spam organic chem tutor on youtube
The lectures were very fun to attend, but the tests were very difficult and you did not learn from the lectures enough to do well on the exams.
Dr. G was a very rough professor. He expected his students to read pre lecture slide, which is reasonable, however his exams are what make you hate his class and him. He gives you a practice exam which sounds great. However, on the actual exams, he adds as many tricks and mind puzzles as he cans which causes his exam averages to be 50%-68%.
Dr. G isn't a terrible professor, but he's also not a great professor. His lectures are occasionally hard to follow, but that's not the most challenging part of this class. His tests are really hard, and he spends a lot of time trying to trick you. Tests are less about the course content and more decoding what the curveball is on each question.
I really liked Dr. G. Attend the lecture, do all the homework and quizzes, and you should be fine. People complain that Dr. G is a bad professor, but I found him hilarious and fun to listen to. He also gave a bunch of extra credit and curved really well. It is a challenging class, but it's easy to pass with at least a B if you put in some effort.
terrifying. expects you to commit all your tome to his class only and still yell at you
Is a really easy class in the beginning, super funny teacher and a lot demos in class. But his tests are extremely hard and he does not like to ease them at all. When it is close to test time he can be mean and condescending
Has a very big ego and believes only a few students deserves an A. His lectures are fun but not helpful at all and the only reason i attended was for extra credit his curves do nothing anymore so dont rely on that at all
do NOT take this professor. I would rather mop the ocean than take this class. funny in class but cannot lecture well and just skips through the slides. very condescending when it comes to exam reviews in class. just get ready to be su1c1d@l when you take this class. also his “curve” at the end is BS.
Students will need to know the ins and outs of general chemistry to succeed. There's always plenty of extra material (practice exams, worksheets, the textbook hmw, etc,.) to use, however, and from my experience he's always communicative through emails. Exams are tough, but manageable with studying. Highly recommend having previous chem. experience.
very stressful class imo . go to class, get the extra credit there. the tests are super hard but they're basically very similar to the practice tests so study those very hard and do multiple runs thru them. also u can retake one test for full credit at the end so dont worry too much. and ask ur TA for help!
Dr. G is a good guy and pretty funny, with some practical demonstrations during lectures. There is ample extra credit opportunity, which is much needed given the devastating nature of his exams. Dr.G aims to have a test average of 60%, which makes it difficult to have an A. However with good effort a B is easily achievable in this course.
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