2.3
Quality3.5
Difficulty40%
Would Retake112
Reviews40%
Would Retake
112
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
15
4
10
3
17
2
28
1
42
What Students Say
“Worst teacher I have ever had”
CHEM1A - 1.0 rating“He's the worst professor I have ever met”
CHEM1A - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
80%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
OCHEM
5.0
(1)CHEM1AAND1B
5.0
(1)CHEM10
5.0
(1)CHEM1A1C
4.0
(1)CHEM
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEMISTRY
5.0
CHEMIA
5.0
CHEM1A1C
5.0
CHEM1AB
5.0
1A
4.3
Reviews (112)
Most of the teachers are either hard but good, or easy but bad. However, he is the worst and most difficult teacher who i have ever met. He should retire
I don't recommend anyone to take him...NEVER. ever in my life.
He's the worst teacher ever! no passion for teaching whatsoever. Cracks the dumbest jokes, and tries too hard. Seems to loathe teaching. DO NOT TAKE HIM. More than 1/2 the students drop & the ones who don't are passin with a C or below.
I will not recommend anyone to take his class, neither lecture nor lab. He doesn't care if you're understand or not, and he will scream at you if you make any mistakes. I only got a C in his class. undoubtedly, he is worst in the UC De Anza.
No Comments
Goes off on too many tangents during lecture. Doesn't provide adequate background info in Organic series. Not recommended.
He gives u a Super Boring Lecture. Everyday and every second B.S. during the class.Please Don't take any Chem Class w/ him
No Comments
refer to the other one
His teaching style is just rotten. He never explains in a way that you can understand, and he tests you in material he never went over in his lectures. His lectures are long and boring, and he goes off topic too much.
I think this teacher is great. If you know how to study you will be able to take any class. He is nice to me too. I disagree with most of the comments. jack
No Comments
his tests are somewhat hard, but when asking him questions, be prepared to here him ramble on about other subject...hes is somewhat knowledgeable, but his teaching style is quite unorthodox...so be prepared to visit him in his office to clarify the unclea
This man is so knowledgable that he incorporates world & national history into his lectures. Approach him if things aren't so clear. He really strengthens quantitative analysis approaches that are extremely helpfful when you transfer.
This guy is a monster. Worst and meanest teacher I have ever had. He forces you in assigned seats and yells at students when they ask too many questions. He knows when you are out of your seat and will yell at you to get back. Hard and unclear. MONSTER
He's unmotivated to teach. He thinks the class is full of morons. If you can be polite and on his good stern side, ur OK. He will make you have low self-esteem though. Good luck.
No Comments
My name is Jack and I think he's a great teacher!
worst teacher always talks off topic i got a F grade tests are hard.
this sure KNOWS a lot of stuffs and I can tell. but he's suck at labs in general chemistry. he really doesn't care about what you're doing. he does not go over the directions before lab. you are expected to have some ideas before lecture or lab.
had him over summer, he's the most retarded teacher ever. always late for class, never enough time for tests. he acts like everyone knows the material already. take tong or yolles, this guy is on crack. oh yah, stupid jokes. it's not funny old man!
For those who support this teacher,why not just tell us what kind of damn grade you got from him?Don't just say,"Oh,he is nice and makes you learn everything."Yeah,you learn everything,but you just got a C or even worse.
always late for class. i hate his stupid jokes. class ave. of midterm was 53.5%. he would not stay on one Ch. he doesnt even finish the meterials. we had to go to other rooms to take quiz or lab test, just cuz that he was late always!!!!
omg i hate this guy soo much, why is he always late, i bet i'll end up with a c or something. they guy can't teach and he mummbles. DONT take him, rather, form a boycott and get him fired. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE!!
I really don't understand why everyone thinks he's such a monster.. Yea, he's late often but hey.. you can't tell me you're never late for your class.. He's been teaching for over 40 yrs.. so he must be doing something right.. Nice man.
So far this quarter, we have had one quiz. 2/3 of the material he did not cover and was not in the assigned reading chapters. He is consistently late, but tests us on everything he SHOULD have lectured on during the class time. He is non-responsive to questions and evasive when asked about the above
He's really bad at explaining things and goes off on a lot of tangents, hard to follow
this is a bad teacher. He does not explain stuff good. He doesn't cover everything that will be on the test or quize. He goes off on random stories, and keeps talking about monkeys.
His grading is easy though, but i have to admit that he is the worst instructor i've ever had in my school life. Don't expect to get any thing from him. You are assumed (by him) to already know everything.
This is the worst teacher on De Anza. He mumbles, talk about how units only cost $17 and how good it is for his student to be busy with school, because it keeps them of the streets. Don't expect to learn anything from him. Oh yeah, and his midterms will be harder than you expect.
Poor instructor. Follow his instruction you will never get the correct answers. Never take his class. !!!!
Consistently late, mumbles jibberish upon entering. Class usually starts 10-15 minutes late. Poor lecturer; does math problems all day long. You could do that reading the book. When challenged about an answer/method, gets upset. Relies on student notebook to lecture.
He is always late for class, and mumbles. He tries to make class fun, but I hate his teaching style. Always he says "17 units bucks, monkeys.." You must study hard, and do not expect from him.
Come on guys, this old man is cute. He gave everyone extra points (5-10pt) on the quizzes and midterms that the class over all did badly, which showed his sympathy ain't it? Although his lectures aren't working at all, it is not hard to study on our own; exams aren't really that hard.
I just finished my G-chem series, and notice how everyone that posted below me just took chem1A, they just weren't expecting it to be that hard. In my opinion Calgher is good for lecture, not so good in lab lecture or helping out in lab.
WORST TEACHER I'VE MET IN YEARS! Boring lecturer, keep rambling on about how to do simple arithmetic in a flat tone. Always late, unhelpful in lab, doesn't care about student at all, unfair. Never notice student asking question, might be intentional. If u ever have to take him, don't take his lab.
This old man is the most boring, unhelpful, and grumpiest teacher I had with no sense of punctuality at all. His lectures are unclear and misleading that will cause you anxiety. Never, never, never take him because there isn't one thing you can learn from him. This monkey has 2 retire from teaching
in lab,leaves students to fend for themselves;99% of the time, he's late; only speaks loud enough to hear himself talk; very unhelpful+ unclear+ mean+ grumpy; very neglectful in lab (he leaves the lab room and is MIA a lot!!!);seems to find any opportunity to embarrass a student when he can
He's grown on me. He's straight forward. Tells you what needs to be done and how to do it. He is MIA a lot from lab, however. Take this course with a friend and it can be fun.
This is stupid teacher! he acts like he knows everything, while in his class, he always looks his notes. in lab, he does not care with the student, always leave the lab after he explain something. His way of teaching is hard to understand, makes all the things complicated. Don't take him!!!
Avoid this teacher if possible. No matter how hard I studied it felt like I would never be fast enough to finish exams. This class is hard. If you like an extreme challenge be my guest. Just be sure your not taking 19 units.
He is just like a piece of rubbish. Extremly unhelpful, extremly lazy. He never answer your question. Tests are hard. He never explains the materials. RUBBISH, GARBAGE
Horrible! If you like to stress, study on your own and ruin your GPA - take him! He is perfect!
Dr. Calgher isn't that bad for lecture. I got an A in his class and it wasn't as horrible as other posters made it out to be. He does give extra point when the class did bad. And his lecture isn't bad either. He just happen to test you on stuff that he doesn't teach you in lecture. Therefore, you should do some outside research.
I kindda agress with previous posters even though i got an A in his class. Make sure that you are a diligent student when u take his class, since u'll have to fend for yourself by reading the text and do all the hw problems(not only assigned problems)
Below these people might not study hard for this class cuz I took his class even though most of my friends said he is suck. But he is awesome and so helpful. But he often came class late. If you feel he is difficult and suck, you don't dream that transfer to UC or higher level college. You should study!! Evaluate him after study hard.
No Comments
I feel Calgher would like to help students if the students ask the questions after they study the materials. It is true that his explaination is not always so clear. He gives extra points when the class average is lower than expectation.
HE is sooo stupid YAH STUPID and he makes u feel stupider! he wears weird clothing and yells at people before their tests. he is wierd cause he writes numbers on the tables
I took AP chemistry in high school, so I am not not learning anything new from Mr. Calgher. What is troubling is the way he treats students. He is so crass, disrespectful and unreasonably unprofessional . I do not know how students can learn anything in this kind of intimidating and demeaning environment.
hard teacher for not a hard class. my biggest gripe are his tests and quizes. the wording on the questions are confusing and no matter how much you studied there will be questions you have never seen before. he is however helpful when you ask him questions. lectures are useful for studying, but tests are mostly from the book and do the homework!!!
Mr Calgher is the most unprofessional teacher I've had. He is often late to lecture and then yells at us if we are late. He does not come prepared to lab & yells at us when we ask questions. Office hours were not successful either, I taught myself from the book. He is very disrespectful and not concerned with seeing his students succeed.
study hard at least u will get a B.
Great teacher, just come to lecture, basicly tells you whats on the test. EASY CLASS
he is always late and very grumpy. I've been studying and doing all the homework from the textbook.
his class was the most boring thing ever.Came to class late EVERY SINGLE DAY.Has seating charts, which makes you feel like you're back in preschool.Drones on and on.Has a wierd sense of humour and kinda laughs at his own jokes. He isnt interested in teaching.he just likes the money he makes "u only get that for $17/unit." WHY BECOME A TEACHER THEN?
study hard and you will pass
Good teacher. Dry sense of humor. English skills a must. Very straight-forward. Tests on what he teaches. Have to read up before you come to class for sure bec he knows his stuff and sometimes doesn't realize he's taking shortcuts (doesn't do every step of problem...assumes you will stay up w/ him). Sometimes goes a little fast, but is very willing
well... u MUST do the HW!! the midterms are based on the HW question. If u do it, u can get at least a B in the class !!!
late EVERY time, so we've gotten used to it. be attentive during lecture and make sure u do all the HW problems. quizzes are pretty easy but be careful of midterms. he tells u what u need to know before every test w/ a checklst and he's usually really patient w/ students. i've also noticed that if u have no accent, he'll be happier to deal w/ u.
Mr. Calgher is a very compasionate chem professor, and just an overall nice guy. I thoroughly enjoyed going to lecture, as do most of the students who've had him. Though he goes through the material quite fast, he teaches it in a way to make sure you understand it all. Thank you for getting me interested in chem Mr Calgher.
He explain clearly in class but his exam is very hard although it is M.C.
I'm not the least bit sorry to say this, but how can they allow incompetent fools such as Calgher to teach an upper division class? It boggles my mind to know that this man holds a pharmacy degree from UCSF and can't teach for crap. Looks like he he's prescribing his own meds and that is definitely evident during lectures. Pray for a C.
Really bad teacher. He's horrible at explaining and is constantly going off subject. I've never disliked a teacher soo much. He is rude and intimidating. If you really want a good understanding of chem don't take him, you won't do well in 1B unless he teaches it and you can pull it off. REALLY don't recommend him.
I don't know what everyone is talking about. It's a hard class to be sure, but Prof. Calgher is always willing to help you uderstand what he's teaching. He might not always have the clearest explanations, but he'll keep working with you until you get it right. Probably one of my favorites!
Calgher is a really entertaining man. To do well in this class you have to do things his way, which is not trying to learn the material but memorize methods and apply them. He can get moody, but he is actually a really nice and funny person. He is also very generous grader. He curved the A down to 82% AND he gives extra points like theres no 2morow
Calgher isn't clear when it comes to explaining concepts or letting the class know about due dates. He also doesn't return a lot of work so you're never sure you have in the class. His exams are similar to the checklists he hands out. You are definitely on your own for this class, so I suggest throughly reading the textbook and getting a tutor.
Awesome teacher! Multiple choice exams, super friendly during office hours. Excellent sense of humor. Lab is pretty simple, not hardcore on lab reports. Open notebook Lab Midterm! I mean, he was just awesome :D. Some of his midterm material comes from his notes. Honestly, excellent professor for Chemistry.
To tell the truth, last quarter he was super nice and so different from him before. Overally, very easy to get A as long as you keep your eyes on the checklist. However, you won't learn a lot. He is nice and willing to help, but i guess it confuses you more!!
It's a bad idea to take this class. You wont learn much, not for $12 a unit. oh, btw, you will hear that all the if you take his class. a bunch of monkeys could do his calculations. and he hates stanford
dont take him if you can. he's mean, and moody. boring. confusing. old. smelly breath. always talking about "food old times". 1958. at a pub. some dude talking to him. just boring. his exams r ok. you have to study on your own tho. bt this is chemistry anyways. yeah, dont take him if you can!
This guy.. Unclear in lectures, most of the things taught in lecture doesnt help on the exams. Does not give you enough time for the tests.Dull and quiet (hear mumbles if you sit in the back). Messy unorganized writings (I get lost with what he's writign if i look down for a sec).BTW we pay $13 a unit, not $17, and others pay $200+! Not recommended
His tests are multiple choice, but they are hard. Lab exams are open notebook, but are extremely hard. His lectures are boring and confusing. However, he is a nice person and is helpful. If you want to do well in his class, get a tutor in the beginning of the quarter so you don't get lost.
I might've just as well bought the book and studied on my own. He teaches straight out of the book. He seems to get lost in his own thoughts. He's a little moody sometimes. He never checks hw. But what makes his class that much better is that he gives a sheet that tells you exactly what will be on the tests.
I took him for chem 50 and really liked him. Yes, he does drift off topic now-and-then but he's easy. It really helps that he gives review sheets for each test.Take him for chem 50 if u can. OH I MEANT TO GIVE HIM A 5 FOR EASE...MY BAD.
this is my second quarter taking Calgher for chem (cuz I had no choice). If I describe him in one line, he is "The Worst Chem teacher ever". Its past time for his retirement, I don't know why hes still here!! He is not helpful, and gets annoyed very fast. Your totally on your own. GET A TUTOR and read the CH you might get a B hopefully.
Class wasn't "hard" there are questions on his MC tests/quizzes that are meant to trick you. Horrible lecturer, so class notes are useless as study material; rather, they guide you what to study. READING BOOK IS ESSENTIAL. Oh & I got an A on EVERY test/quiz except 1 lab exam and somehow ended up with a B. Asked for final exam grade to no avail.
really really boring...and he can talk for a really long time on a random topic no one really cares for (generally about different chemistry departments around the world) while a few people will wait over a half hour before simply leaving to ask him a simple question after class ends, pretty easy class though
easy class
I don't understand why a lot of people dislike Prof. Calgher. I actually really like him. His tests are easy. Oh, and some of the answers in his tests are really obvious. Just study his lecture examples, and follow his checklist and you'll get an A. If you don't understand something, just ask him and he'll gladly help you. Lab is so easy too! :D
Difficult to learn from since hi lectures were not helpful. He gave study guides for exams and finals except if we had one on a Wed, he gave it to us on Monday. Some of us have other classes and work so getting the study guide that close was not helpful. Nice guy though!!!!
Don't take this teacher. Period. You will regret it. He's a horrible lecturer, his tests are hard, and he's insultive to his students at times. He's ornery in his crude jokes and manner. If you want to be well-learned in chemistry, take another teacher if you can help it. If they are taken and he's the only one, skip this quarter. Don't take him!!!
Worst. Teacher. Ever. Lectures are useless because his notes are all over the place. VERY unclear with his instructions in lab. ALWAYS late. Tests are ridiculous b/c he gives you no time to finish. Overall, do NOT take this teacher. I had a 99% in Chem 50 before this class and I had to drop chem 1a because he's THAT bad. BEWARE!!!!!
Smart guy,really knows his stuff. vague in lab but does all the calculations on the board. Tests are fair, just do lecture examples and follow the study guide. He is very generous with extra credit. over half my class dropped, but it's b/c they didnt study and expected to be spoon fed info, man up and study and you will be fine. he's great.
You have to mostly study on your own to get good grades and he's not inspiring at all. Hard to listen to his voice.
couldn't understand what he's teaching. never return lab reports, lab notebook. he doesn't check email. nevertheless, he cares about his students and gives lots of extra credits. got an A but didn't learn anything.
He's a little hard to hear so it may seem as though what he's saying isn't important, but it is. Listen intently and ask questions! You'll see things on the test that he'll only say once, but they're fair. You might have to bother him a little to give stuff back. P.s.very funny guy
I love chem! But OMG this teacher sucksss!! He talks about the his life most of the time and wastes ur time. He does NOT explain well. FML! Don't take him! If you really wanna take chem and pass, I rec. David gray or Homer Tong who are way better in explaining stuff! david is hard tho and tong is alright (not hard)..tests are fairly well balanced!
I love chem and he is the worst teacher for it.
i took chem 1b with him and he really is the worst teacher u will find. like some ppl who commented before, im also a chem major and love chem and i agree with them. if u are not good in chem, u like fail. i passed thx to the AP chem i took in high school.
Calgher is awesome! His lectures usually cover a lot of the material that will be on the test so make sure to take notes in class. He gives study guides before each test, which really help, as long as you follow them and study everything they say.
i actually liked his lectures. Prepares very well for CHEM 1A.
Ok the bottom line is he has good intentions and obviously knows his stuff, but can't teach effectively. He is really hard to understand, and I feel like SO MUCH TIME is wasted. He takes 50 mins to explain something (still unclear) that my previous instructor could in 10 mins perfectly. If you are stuck with him, read the book well and... yeah. GL
He knows Chemistry more than any prof I know, but that's not the case with his teaching. You need to study by yourself, literally. Tests are hard, but not impossible. Not recommend if you're not science person or not excellent in Chem
This professor is disorganized, unclear, and generally unhelpful. His lectures devolve into tangential discussions about his yard or his college experience, and often eat significantly into lab time. His tests are ancient and still contain a number of errors. His study guides describe his tests in detail, but his wording can be problematic. Avoid.
who said he is not good?? he is the best teacher ever
He is a good professor. He gives out study guides that focus to what's on the test. His labs are also easy and he gives a lot of extra credit. His lectures and answers are unclear even though he's willing to help when you ask questions. Must read the book and do the exercises there then you'll be fine.
If you can avoid him, do so. He lectures about one certain topic for a week and tests us on twenty other topics that he never covered. Unless you can self-study, he is not the best professor.
It's very frustrating that he passes students when they should not be passing. I received a C/D/F on every exam but ended up with a B in 1A and a C in 1B. Yes it sounds nice but now I'm taking 1C at Foothill and am failing.Now I wish I could go back and retake 1A/1B so I understand 1C but the state will not allow me. I'm reteaching myself all 1A/1B
I took him for Chem 10...he's really fair made me learn & make sure I knew what Chem was all about :)) hes fair he can explained good.......
He's nice. But nice isn't going to teach u anything. Taking his class will for sure fck ur sht up. Building a foundation for urself in Chem is crucial which is why it is really important to get the concepts down before moving onto 1B, 1C,12A, 12B, and 12C... do you get it? It's not worth it. I'd advise you to skip a quarter if you must.
Best teacher I've ever had. He has some weird rules in class but he is always there for you.
Although he definitely has the knowledge required to teach the class, he's a very ineffective teacher at times. Plus, his grading criteria is all over the place and really confusing. In short; if you have absolutely no prior chem knowledge andor can't teach yourself the material, avoid him at all costs. He won't prepare you for other chem at all.
Learn by yourself. He is too old to teach. Don't take his class, you will regret for it.
He's the worst professor I have ever met. Don't take him!
Worst teacher I have ever had. Doesn't explain what he's teaching in lecture and is often late to class (even on tests). He gives many questions on exams with very little time (approx 1.5 min a question). Curves grades oddly by adding a few extra credit points for everyone. Expects you to memorize many tough constants and formulas. Labs are okay.
For DSPS students he does not get the papers on time and is late to lab for section 2 so we start late and then we have long assignments so he does not give us extra time plus for the lab test he did not provide a periodic table
30 questions on an exam where about 80% of the questions need at least 2 minutes is not doable in a 50 minute timespan. Quizzes are several questions about 1 equation so if you mess up one coefficient, you get everything wrong. Final contains mostly easy questions. Lab exams are decent, but still too many questions in not enough time.
He's a terrible chemistry teacher it hurts. He does not go over important criteria, talks about off topic things, and tests students on stuff he doesn't really go over. He doesn't take questions well. Unless you're really good in chem and have prior knowledge, I do not suggest you take his course.
Just try your best to avoid this professor, if you can wait then wait, this teacher kills chem for you.
He's an easy teacher but not good at explaining concept. You need to teach yourself to understand the lecture. His exam isn't hard and is straightforward. He also offer many extra cre. If you're struggling in his class, you might think if you're able to follow chemistry or not. Overall, he's a nice professor who is willing to answer your question.
He'll do everythin n anythin to make sure u pass the class. Tests r on material presented n class or the non-graded homework. HE ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T WANT U 2 FAIL. Annoying parts: Lect hard 2 follow. Will help outside class time n outside office hours, but don't help. Tells u wat he wants on due date. Wants u prepared but changes things day of.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
80%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.04 avg changeRatings by Course
OCHEM
5.0
(1)CHEM1AAND1B
5.0
(1)CHEM10
5.0
(1)CHEM1A1C
4.0
(1)CHEM
3.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEMISTRY
5.0
CHEMIA
5.0
CHEM1A1C
5.0
CHEM1AB
5.0
1A
4.3