3.2
Quality4.4
Difficulty29%
Would Retake86
Reviews29%
Would Retake
86
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
20
4
21
3
16
2
19
1
10
What Students Say
“Rambles about concepts best learned from the textbook”
CHEM238 - 1.0 rating“Horrible at lecturing”
CHEM238 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
12%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
237
5.0
(1)CHEM231
5.0
(1)CHEM3738
5.0
(1)CHEM237B
5.0
(1)CHEM239
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
237
5.0
OCHEM
5.0
ORGANICCHEMIST
5.0
OCHEM223
5.0
CHEMB
5.0
Reviews (86)
He is a cool teacher with a unique sense of humor.
lectures are important coz he always goes through hard to understand stuff, quite a funny guy. his tests are killers though
He's one of the best profs ive ever had and he has a great sense of humor, but his tests made me cry like a little girl.
Really smart, really hard. Maybe too advanced for intro Organic. Find a tutor!
He's funny as hell, great as an advisor, but watch out for the tests if you aren't showing up for class, they'll bite you in the ass
No Comments
He was hard and fast paced, but was a good teacher who knew what he was doing.
No Comments
Very challenging instructor, but well worth it.
loved it, awesome prof. super hard tests n quizes tho... but its fun, favorite chem class so far, hes up in the running with dr. reid
I have never study so hard for a class. Study the book wont help because the materials from book are too basic. To do well in his test, you have to study HIM not the book. you have to predict the question he might ask. class average midterm for my class is 30%
Well, his tests are very difficult. But its good because he prepares you for mcats, dats, or that one eye doctor test. I suggest dedicating at least 2 hrs a day, and u should be fine. If u cram, you'll def fail. You have to understand the concept and be able to apply it to the extreme, cramming will do you no good.
cool guy~~
dont take him
Attendance is MANDATORY! Andersen tends to test students based on examples from his lecture notes more so than the textbook. His exams are very hard, but my best advice is to pay close attention to his lectures.
Even though his tests could be hard, I liked Andersen a lot. It seemed like he just re-wrote all his notes for lectures, but I found him strange and interesting so it kept me going to class :-)
Tests are ridiculously hard. Very bad teacher. Don't take.
he's midter m and final is pretty hard and it is not useful,he is not notice some important thing(like reaction),so do not tanke his class.
pretty decent prof. clear lecturing style and was kind enough to put notes online for us. very hard tests but hey, it's not his fault the class has to be curved to a 2.6- blame the chem department.
Tests are very hard but if you study from the lecture notes and quizzes you'll be find. He's a little scattered and doesn't go out of the book so going to class is a must. Great teacher though! I hate chemistry and he made it interesting.
You don't want to take this professor, trust me. Read the other comments. I can pretty much guarantee you that he will sink your GPA. His tests aren't aimed to test your knowledge, they're meant to demoralize you. None of the exams had averages over 45%. If you can, take somebody else for chem.
Niels is HARD, don't get me wrong, BUT, the curve is really low for the class-- meaning you don't have to do well on the exams to do well in the class. he's very eccentric.. i liked him.
This Prof. really focuses on the reactions so if you don't understand reactions you better find someone that does and get help. The tests are hard but the average is usually pretty low so it is possible to do well in the course.
I really enjoyed going to lecture. He went over a lot of examples that were helpful. The tests were hard, but that should be expected. Overall It was my favorite course, and he has been my favorite Chem professor. Just don't cram. Try to study every week and you should be fine.
Andersen definitely knows his stuff and is very smart. However, he does a mediocre job explaining the material in a relevant way. He went off on tangents half the time and would draw structures and mechanisms we didnt need to know. Tests are hard but averages are low. You can do well if you study hard, but the professor doesnt make it any easier.
Funny guy, but not that good of a teacher. The way he presents his material is a bit incoherent, so you have to pay a lot of attention. Very tough exams, some of the hardest I've taken. Stay really on top of your game with this class and you'll come out alive.
Anderson is a hard teacher, but a good one. His tests are very tough, but he presents all the information you need to know to do well on it. The rest is just up to how much time you decide to put in the class on your own time. He follows the textbook very well, and mentions specific sections you can skip. Do lots of problems!! and you'll be fine.
Andersen is a hard professor. It seems like no matter how much you study, he throws completely BS questions on the tests. Frustrating class in general.
Mean teacher gave us a midterm the day before Thanksgiving, WHEN IT WAS SNOWING and everything was frozen outside. Asshole ruins dreams.
interesting guy but he goes straight off his lecture notes that he wrote years ago in lecture and office hours is really what you make of it. HARD EXAMS, seriously you can't overstudy for these. Good luck.
Good Professor. Organic Chemistry is not an easy subject, but Anderson does a great job making sure you know exactly what you have to do to succeed. Uses practice problems on tests, puts lecture notes online, and although the tests were VERY hard (47% averages) nothing was unfair. Looking back, everything on the test was somewhere in the outlines
Imagine a cow chomping away at some cud and you have andersen's speech. He is a good lecturer but sometimes the noise is impossible. He is a very attractive man though, so staring wasn't hard. His tests were VERY tricky
Horrible teacher. Goes off of lecture notes from 2006. And constantly goes back and forth on his notes so you can't keep up. Tests were tricky and the averages were VERY low. Don't take if you don't have to. Way better professors out there.
Test problems didn't look like anything from lecture or the book and were 1000x's harder/more confusing. Extremely difficult class, and his lecture style put me to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I worked my tail off for this class, but the work put in did not show when grades came out. Average test scores never topped 45%
Very helpful.
Ancient notes, lackluster lectures and exams that have material never covered in lecture. Horrible exam averages. I worked my ass off in this class yet do not have the grade to support it. It seems that Andersen has trouble relating the concepts to students, even with his massive notes.
Despite the number of bad reviews he has gotten, I think Anderson is a great professor. Yeah, his tests are hard but that's only because they force you to apply the concepts of what's taught in class. Averages are pretty low, but if you pay attention in class and do the suggested problems, you'll be okay!
I had heard a lot of awful things about him, but I really enjoyed the class. Yes, averages are low (~50%), but that's good for large, curved classes. The people who don't do well are those that think ochem is about memorization, not actually learning concepts and patterns. His lectures are interesting and you can tell he knows his chemistry.
His lectures are "dry" to most people, but I think they were interesting. Exams can cover material from lecture notes. Really glad I took this class because I was definitely intimidated by the reviews here. Tests weren't bad. I LOVE how he doesn't stress on synthesis, more on mechanisms. I hate 5+step syntheses on midterms. Andersens were around 3
His test seems hard but the average is low. The best thing is he takes improvement into account, so if you boomed one test and do fine for the other two, he'll drop the lowest one for you. Go to lecture and do the textbook problems he assigns, you'll be absolutely fine. Go to his office hour, he is funny and helpful.
What ever you do, do not take him. His lectures are boring and he tests concepts that have no been covered in class. He does not follow his class notes and does not review for tests or quizes. Made me absolutely hate Ochem
He explains very well if you listen. He might seem intimidating but is actually very nice and tries to make jokes. The tests seem hard but they pretty much follow practice problems from the book so do those.
Andersen has way too many notes, most of which is disorganized. And even if you can find your way around that, his tests are unnecessarily hard-you're basically are on your own. My advice: use the textbook and listen to your TA. Don't take if you don't have to.
Anderson is such a great professor! He made organic chemistry not as hard as i thought. I strongly suggest you attend his class, print out his lecture notes and bring them to every class.
Very nice, very funny. Kind if you ask him questions, though he tends to think that everyone is as intelligent as he is, which is not usually the case. Do all suggested book problems and fight your way through his notes and you'll do fine.
Good professor. Just look at ALL his old midterms/exams. His notes in class are a little hard to follow so I relied heavily on the book. DO ALL THE SUGGESTED BOOK PROBLEMS. Ended up coming out of the class with a pretty good grade. Definitely do-able.
He is really entertaining in class because he will randomly do something crazy and hilarious or give some completely off hand comment like he broke his hand. While he was extremely smart his lectures go fast and he seems to think everything should already be general knowledge. The book saved my life, as well as the old tests and practice problems.
Andersen is a great prof. He goes through the lecture at a good pace and is very clear about what we need to know for the exams. Exams are hard but if you just do the suggested problems that he assigns you'll be fine! Loved this class.
Hard professor, period.
Very hard prof. His exams are almost impossible to prepare for. Unless u find chemistry interesting, u probably won't do well in his class. Lectures are long and mind boggling. But as far as grading, he's surprisingly a very fair grader!
He doesn't have great ratings from other students (probably because they didn't do well in the class), but I think he was one of the best lecturers I've had at UW. He is very organized, and gives helpful lecture notes. His tests are pretty hard, but as long as you understand the mechanisms and don't just try to memorize everything, it isn't bad.
He's not that bad actually, he is helpful in office hours and his exams are completely doable.
Definitely avoid if all all possible! Lectures are rambling and poorly organized; the tools he uses (none) severely impair clarity. Very unreceptive to student questions- he yelled at a girl to stop asking questions once. Even with studying, tests are hard to do well on.
Andersen is very brilliant, but he also expects his students to be just at his level. The way he explains things often times don't seem to be for an introductory Ochem class and I found his lecture notes to be very hard to understand. The exams were the hardest tests I've ever taken at the UW. I would recommend a different teacher for 237.
Seriously the worst professor ive ever had in my entire life. I had some interest in organic chemistry prior to the class, but Andersen ruined that all for me. I probably would have learned more if I had used all class time towards teaching myself the material. No joke, AVOID THIS PROFFESOR AT ALL COSTS IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR GRADE!
Yikes, I was warned, but had no choice but to take his class, and paid the price. I am a biochem major, a high GPA, but had no chance doing well in this class. His lectures are terrible, and talks about what NOT to do. He is a very smart guy, and helpful in office hours, but the terrible lectures will NOT prepare you for the hardest exams ever! RUN
Hard course, but the best course I've taken so far at UW. Tested your ability of conceptual learning and application rather than memorization. Tests were very challenging but doable if you understand how the mechanisms work, and if you study a lot. Reading textbook thoroughly is a must!
Test's are bloody hard; STUDY HARD! Dr. Andersen is a great and funny professor. His lectures were clear and required attention. Take your OWN NOTES during lecture,as his are just a template. Dr. Andersen is very helpful during office hours. He is a chemistry genius, but don't let his smartness intimidate you as he is very willing to teach you.
I gave up going to class and just read the text. I learned the concepts fairly easier that way. He went through material way too fast so I listened to his recorded lectures at my own pace and only did because he has his own definitions at times. Tests were HARD. Quizzes made by TAs were way easier! Do practice problems for tests they'll be in them.
FAVORITE PROFESSOR YET!!! His tests are hard but they are more than fair. He thoroughly explains everything (some people argue he goes into too much detail). Definitely go to lecture, or watch the podcast - he explains things the book can't. He always uses problems from his suggested problems and his old tests which he provides!! Great class!
He was the best chem teacher I've had!! Hilarious lectures that won't bore you and hard but doable tests if you study the right stuff. He recycles questions now too!
He is a very experienced lecturer. His lectures are planned down to the minute. He is willing to answer questions and is very aware of whether his students are tracking. His exams and quizzes were very straight forward, dealing in material that he had discussed in class. Pay attention, take notes, and get help if you fall behind. I did and got 3.5
Precise and concise in his lectures, his notes are the best thing. He's tricky sometimes and his tests are hard. I can tell he's smart and have a lot of experience in the field and teaching. It's just he can be kind of tricky. Pay attention to his NOTES and LECTURES. He loves NMR, so get that concept down immediately!
His tests are very hard! The average on the exams hovered below 60 the whole quarter. He is helpful in office hours but he is awkward to talk to.
I was high scoring in all of my natural sciences classes until Andersen. Lectures were very confusing and I left class frustrated almost everyday. His exams were VERY HARD and class averages were never more than 60/115, quiz averages 15/40. This was the hardest class I've ever taken at UW. Save yourself if you have the option of another instructor.
Dr. Andersen has a very free form of teaching, even though it is structured. I think for many people, this is their first taste of a hard class, and I think it's a good learning experience for anyone who values that. While your GPA might not end up what you want it to be, the info will stick with you if your attend lecture and REVIEW THE NOTES.
Lectures are a confusing mix of pre-written notes and new scribbles, which he goes through way too quickly. I ended up only using his "notes" as a last resort. Then there are the tests, which are designed to destroy your hopes of enjoying Chemistry. The book's practice problems barely help. Without a key, I constantly had to ask the TA for help.
Andersen is frustratingly disorganized. However, he does outline what you need to know. His tests are pretty tough (37% average on the 2nd exam!), but you do get a 3 x 5 note card. If you're willing to put in the effort and religiously read the textbook, it's pretty easy to get a good grade. Self-learners should take advantage of the low average.
His lectures are very disorganized. His lecture topics tend not to connect to anything from prior lectures. The textbook will be essential to understanding concepts. The tests were very straightforward though challenging. He is very willing to help when asked specific questions.
You absolutely need to read the book, his lectures are awful to try to follow, and really are only helpful for teaching you concepts that are left out of the book or ones that he thinks the book gets wrong. Tests are straightforward but insanely difficult as the grading is hard. Study more than you think you should.
Exams are hard is because he made it hard
Professor Andersen is a great professor. He's very knowledgeable in his field, and he sets aside time in lectures for questions. His exams are tougher than average, but not the kind of tough you'd dread. It's tough in that it necessitates surpassing yourself, and shedding the former shell; if you do hard work, you WILL feel proud of yourself.
He's really funny, but his lectures are really disorganized and hard to follow. You're probably better off reading the text. His tests and quizzes are really hard.
His lectures were very disorganized. Either doesn't explain important concepts well or over-explains. It was difficult to understand what he expected from us and our grades suffered because of that.
His lectures were not very organized. He is very efficient since he responds to your email as soon as possible. CHEM237 is a very difficult class. I would say that this class is more difficult than CHEM 335. Questions on the test are fair since most of them are covered in class or you can find them on the textbook.
One of the best professors I've have in UW. He really cares about his students and answers every single question you have. The tests and quizzes were hard because he made them hard. The average of the final exam is around 79-80 out of 170. You can only solve some of those questions by writing them on the notes card.
funny guy - hard material
Lectures are recorded on Panopto but don't expect it to help. He recycles all his lectures and just points at what he's talking about, without any introduction. Disorganized and not engaging at all. Doesn't use technology much and doesn't reply to emails. His catalyst website is very empty and doesn't update much. Just awful.
Horrible at lecturing. He'll talk about concepts we have yet to learn as tangents, meandering through ramblings about quantum theory and Einstein, then get back to the subject matter at hand, at which time we're all lost. Ochem is already a difficult class, and he doesn't help make it any easier. Avoid at all costs.
Terrific Professor. Challenging material but Anderson makes himself available to you. Tests are fair but again, challenging. Grateful to have taken the course as his Spectro knowledge is spectacular.
Rambles about concepts best learned from the textbook. First test, quiz sections saw the EXACT test beforehand due to a TA mix-up. Andersen did nothing to remedy the situation except arbitrarily dock points from those sections, and they had 3x as many students get 90% than other sections. Chemistry department can't touch him because he has tenure.
Read the book before lecture. I cannot stress this enough. Niels is a funny guy and he's smart and will answer your questions but he doesn't care if you do well or not. He will make time for you, though. You just have to work for your grade; you get out what you put in: a hard earned A for hard work.
Boring lectures, extremely difficult tests and quizzes, old teaching style. The average for class was very low. It's better if you read the textbook and understand the concepts before attending his lectures. His lecture notes are very confusing and disorganized. He's personally a good person but his teaching method is not up to standard.
Worst Instructor I have ever had. Tests are demoralizing at best. Averages on exams barely reaches 55% I definitely would not recommend taking a class with him. Blows through lectures way too fast and recycles notes from previous years.
Difficult tests, unorganized lecturer, tough grader. If you read the text book word for word and do as many practice problems as you can, you will most likely do well. Overall was a tough transition into O-chem.
I failed his 237 and am retaking it with Bryant. Life is so much better. Going to class at 8:30 in the morning was the worst. Hes a cool guy though.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
12%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
237
5.0
(1)CHEM231
5.0
(1)CHEM3738
5.0
(1)CHEM237B
5.0
(1)CHEM239
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
237
5.0
OCHEM
5.0
ORGANICCHEMIST
5.0
OCHEM223
5.0
CHEMB
5.0