2.4
Quality4.2
Difficulty40%
Would Retake103
Reviews40%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
16
4
14
3
14
2
19
1
40
What Students Say
“If anything it made most avoid asking questions so they wouldn't feel belittled”
CHEM1412 - 2.0 rating“Bell does not know how to communicate to students”
CHEM202 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
57%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.49 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM101
5.0
(1)CHEM220
4.0
(1)CHEM4329
4.0
(1)CHEM2123
4.0
(1)CHEM201
3.8
(5)Difficulty by Course
CHEMISTRY
5.0
ORGANICCHEM
5.0
CHEM530
5.0
CHEM030
5.0
CHEM1312
5.0
Reviews (103)
Bad. Very Bad. Unclear communication, poor test preparation. (No previous test material to inform students what kind of material this Doctor will automagically conjure for his exams).
A difficult and unclear teacher. Online homework is the worst.
Total ****bag!!! Cant teach at all, has a hard time remembering what hes doing, sometimes even forgets when we had a test.
He has the information so drilled in his head that he cannot teach it to anyone, he expects that we'll automatically understand it if he just writes it out on the board, also there are no reviews for tests.
you really need to know what you are doing if you want to pass his class. I recommend you study at least an hour everyday of the week if you are thinking about even passing, if you want to make an "A" the amount of hours, of studying per week, will increase exponentially as your grade approaches 100
Not good at explaining things, just writes examples on the board and expects you to get it. Tests are nothing like the online homework and there are no study guides. I think he makes up the tests 5 minutes before class...
Had him for 105 and 108, both were an easy A. Just come to class and do you homework and you should be prepared for exams. If you can't pass after his generous curve, please stop wasting tax dollars and money from your parents - you aren't college material.
No Comments
No Comments
was not helpful what so ever! very poor attitude & rude about helping with problems
Very, very helpfull. If you make the effort in class and out of class you will do fine. He is an excellent instructor and has no problem helping you out of class. All you need to do is seek help if needed and do your lab work. Then the information is not so hard. Dr. Bell is a excellent instructor.
Holy crap. The man speaks in a monotonous mumble that is hard to understand /from the front row./ He's not very bright. Me pointing out he rounded a .5 down led to a full 5 minutes of basic math on the board, wherein he discovered .5 rounds up no matter which way you do it. And he's teaching a college chemistry course. Dropped the class ASAP.
would not recommend this prof..he does not do a good job teaching the material goes off on random rants, tests somewhat complicated..going to class does not help much. find another prof to take!
Inconsistent. never know what to expect from him. Doesn't always follow the syllabus. Moody also. Gave us a test over a weeks worth of material when we spent our weeks studying something else. Took 20 min of our final time to print our final. Extremely innapropriate in his speech.
The tests are a little tough, but if you study the examples he does in class you'll be fine. DEFFINATELY go to SI bc class wasn't enough for me. He's kinda boring, but if you show that you're working hard he'll help you and you'll be fine.
Pretty fast- paced. he sometimes gets off subject but you need to be able to pay attention in class, take good notes and read! I prefer his teaching to Walters
I was extremely disappointed by this teacher. I learned more from the book than anything else. I would have been grossly unprepared for the final if I hadn't studied from the book for so long.
I loved his class - he was helpful and very nice. I also had a huge crush - I enjoyed seeing him on the racquetball court as my class ended and his game began. :D
Great prof. helps students who asks. he expects you to read the book and work the suggested homework problems he assigns...you'll see them again on tests.
Dr.Bell has to be one of the best chemistry teachers I have ever had. He's very intelligent and his test are super easy. He's a way better teacher than a lot of the other Chemistry professors, ESPECIALLY Dr. Low. By the way don't take DR. Low for ANY chemistry class!
Unless you already understand chemistry, I recommend finding a different professor. He does not take the time to explain anything. He does problems on the board and realizes he did something wrong but doesn't bother to go back and fix it. This has happened multiple times. If you ask a question, don't expect to get a relevant answer.
I do not recommend anyone take Dr.Bell as a teacher. Throughout the semester he has been careless with his teaching skills. He constantly makes errors in his notes and does not go back to fix them. His tests are absolutely nothing like the review or the homework. If you are not a Chem major DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS.
he is very hard to understand. it is really easy to fall behind.
The class was difficult to keep up with... unless you understand Chemistry and Mathematics do not take this class. He was very fast-paced, and I couldn't understand anything!
Dr Bell is a great teacher if you have a prior knowledge of Chemistry. However, if you are a slow learner or depend on a lot of in depth explanation, this class is not for you.
GO TO CLASS!! Although attendance is not required, you will get behind if you miss a class. And go to SI if you have one, if not- read the textbook. His lectures are okay, and his exams follow what he goes over in class. Don't worry too much about MasteringChemistry, since it is NEVER on the exams. Overall, he is a good teacher for chemistry :)
I would not recommend him if you are not a science major (if you are, then pick him). He gives exceptionally good information and he knows his stuff, but is a tough tester. He may seem rude, but he loves joking with his students in a good natured way.
Loved this class! Didn't do so hot in 105 and 108 (took those with different prof) so I was worried for o chem. turned out to be super easy! Bells a good teacher and he likes to joke around sarcastically! Go to si! It helps a lot! I liked him because he made jokes during class. So it was easier to focus.
He's a great teacher. Went over several examples and made the problems seem easier than expected. GO TO SI! My SI had taken the class a year ago and she used the tests she took as our test reviews. It helped A LOT! Attendance is not mandatory, but if you do skip, make sure you go to at least one or two si's to know what yall did in class that week
I think he is a pretty decent teacher. I mean I took him for o chem so it wasn't like it was going to be an easy class. He makes a lot of jokes which I like cause it obviously lightens the mood but it helps class not drag on. He doesn't require the book but reading on your own really helps. Tests CAN be tricky, depends on his mood.
Dr. Bell is a pretty cool guy when you get to know him but during class he can be a little rude. He goes pretty fast but does examples and will answer questions. Wants you to answer his questions fast and expects you to know a lot. Tests are hard but not unreasonable. Go to SI for help. Attending class definitely helps.
GET THE BOOK! It will be your best resource. The class is difficult but if you take plenty of time to study, read the book, and understand all of the mechanisms and products, you'll be fine. Has quizzes once a week that add up to a test grade. Will answer any questions you may have but expect to teach yourself the majority of the material
Bell does not know how to communicate to students. He does not care if you pass or fail. Bell's class is very difficult and easy to fall behind. No walk in the park by any means. Do not take his class unless you have to.
On the first day of class he told us right off that he won't answer questions. He skims through the material without making sure everyone understands. Going to class is pointless because you will just end up teaching yourself from the book anyway. Avoid if you can.
Great guy - much better at the upper level than the lower level.
Absolutely need the book to pass and it was extremely helpful to have the solutions manual. Do the homework problems and know them well and you will do fine. Start studying at least a week before exam to give yourself enough time to get through all the material. Final is comprehensive.
The biggest issue I had was he was not very helpful at all. He used the phrase, "If you struggle with this then drop the course." a little too often. That does not give students confidence. If anything it made most avoid asking questions so they wouldn't feel belittled. I definitely do not recommend this class to anyone.
He is honestly one of the rudest teachers I have encountered. If you go ask for help he makes you feel stupid because you asked for help in the first place. If your not good at the subject he already dislike helping you. And if your prevet or anything and aren't good in his class don't ask, he will tell you your wasting your time.
If you have to take ochem 2, take ochem 1 with him. Do the homework and you'll do fine. Live by the book (hw). Don't study the night before ONLY. Make sure your in class, questions that he asks and students don't know get put on the test. Fun class, makes you laugh. Almost made me change my major to Ochem. More fun than calc. pH & pka (gen chem 2).
Bell was actually a sub all semester for my Gen. Chem. professor. He was not BAD per se, and I have heard that he is much better at upper level than lower level; he just was not great at explaining things for the non-science people in this class. I understood. He is not very helpful. "If you struggle with this, you should probably drop the class."
He was awful, he was subing for a different prof, but it shouldn't have mattered. He never explained things well. I love chemistry but I got a D because I never understood anything, even the SI wasn't helpful because she was confused on what he was saying. Never take him!!
His tests are tough! You have to pay attention and study with good time. Bell is really not a bad teacher, he just expects a lot but you will learn! Do the homework for practice questions, he will test you over EVERYTHING y'all have gone over. I have seen him be helpful to other students as well.
He is a confusing teacher. HARD!!!
Mr. Bell is a great chemistry teacher. I didnt do so hot in the class but thats because of my own mistake and being terrible at chemistry. He does an excellent job of making clear a very foggy subject. He doesn't fly through the material and makes sure that you know what is/is not as important for you know for his exams. He'll be my chem 2 profes
Bell is a good chemistry teacher. I had him for organic chemistry 1, and honestly it is just hard material to understand. This class needs to be your number 1 priority if you want to pass! Go to class because most of the examples that he writes on the board are on the test. If you speak out and show you're trying, he tends to like you more.
Had him for Organic Chemistry II. He wasn't bad in lecture, you just really need to study the material every day if you want to be successful in the course. Because the course itself is quite difficult.
Be prepared to make this class your top priority or else you'll fail! Bell does examples from the book in class, study these since the tests barely have a multiple choice question. He went fast through the lectures at the end which made it hard and skipped through stuff we needed to know. He expects you to work problems before helping you out
This class was very tough. He does many examples from the books and the notes are based on the textbook but aren't very detailed. The tests are very hard, and he is a very tough grader. So you if you plan on taking his class, be prepared to have sleepless nights studying and working very hard.
Awful! Tough grader, if you fail one test its over. Be prepared to teach yourself, not helpful at all. Take Organic Chemistry some place that isn't tarleton.
One word. Awful.
He does not go easy on you and expects you to learn a lot of the information on your own. You can ask him questions but not for the answer, he won't just give it to you. His test are pretty straight forward if you study and pay attention (I recommend reading the book).
Honestly he is one of the best chemistry professors I've had at Tarleton. Organic chem is hard, but honestly I paid attention in class (never slept) and really focused on what he was teaching. If I was confused I would search for a video on youtube to help. He had really funny jokes during class, and doesn't make you feel bad for asking questions.
As far as organic chemistry teachers go, hes pretty awesome. Yes, you need to study, and yes, you need to attend class to fully understand what the material. But this is a upper-level class, and the people in it are hoping to be vets, nurses, doctors, and the like. Its not supposed to be easy. Put in the effort, pay attention, and you can pass.
I really hate this class; I would not take this class if I did not have to. I recommend study, study all the time, even if you think you get the material. Do not depend on the teacher for help. This is kind of a self-taught class. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY! If you have an SI, go to all the classes. The teacher is fun and hilarious, but his testsare hard.
Bell was a great teacher, I just sucked at taking tests. In the first few weeks he talks softly because he doesn't know how he can mess with the class yet. He tries hard to have you understand the material and is understanding that O Chem is tough. I suggest you ALWAYS go to class and attend as may SI sessions as possible.
Peter is amazing. The way his sparsely coated scalp shines just is so distracting It's hard to focus. I bet if he didn't get a hair cut I would've finished that example problem on the grignards. Dang grignards. We need to discuss the fanny pack. Enough said. If you're a left handed person, you will be shamed; jokes at your expense
Challenging, to say the least
Was the most challenging class I have ever taken. Very little in the way of support from the professor, you are on your own.
Excellent upper lvl chemistry class. Prof knows his stuff.
I love Bell! He's a great professor. He really isn't bad! I heard such awful things about him, but he's really nice and helps you when you really need it.
Bell is my favorite person in the entire world. He's awesome but really hard so you need to go to class and you really need to study for his tests . He cracks me up in class and genuinely cares for his students. Best professor at Tarleton
Doesn't really care about students unless you are an A+ student in Chem. Ask for help and gives very minimal response. Not a very approachable professor to ask for help. Does lecture off power point but doesn't give you time to write it all down. Plan on retaking class if you take this professor. Take O Chem at a different institution if possible.
Dr. Bell truly cares if his students pass his class. As long as you show you learned it on the final your grade will not be too bad. This allows a little room for error on previous tests. Pretty funny in lecture to keep things light on a heavy subject like ochem 2 is. Ochem 2 is no joke you will be putting in hours of studying.
I took Dr. Bell for OChem 1 & 2. He really knows his stuff and wants students to do well, but it's tough to make an A. His tests are usually graded out of less than 100 points, so missing a few problems can dramatically affect a test grade. Use textbook problems, WileyPlus resources, and tutoring services provided by Tarleton.
Hes very quiet and blunt. Lectures are extremely hard to follow because it seems like he just rambles on. Sometimes, students will catch him wrong on examples hes doing. Doesnt really seem to know what hes talking about sometimes. 5/10 recommend.
He does not care about ALL his students only certain ones. He does not listen to if you have any problems or work outside of school that may cause you to ever miss. He goes through his PowerPoints expecting you to already know the answer. And he is very rude when you dont even though you are trying. Worst time Ive ever had in college.
Bell is a funny guy and makes the class interesting but he literally skips so fast through the PowerPoints and doesn't really explain anything well he normally says, "IT IS IN THE BOOK". His test are normally out of 30-50 points so one thing missed can drastically affect you. Studying is a lot especially in this class because it's extremely hard.
Dr Bell is a very smart professor but this class is a nightmare. He makes it harder by not giving out study sheets, or emphasizing material that you must know. I studied 8+ hours a week. And I still did not pass. It seems impossible especially since he never reviews in class for exams or likes to be asked questions to explain problems further..
Dr. Bell tests over lecture material so you won't fare well if you tend to skip. Practice the assigned problem sets several times over until it becomes second nature. Pirate the solutions manual. You need to put in hours of studying to succeed in ochem. You cannot rely on memorization alone, that will only set you up for failure down the road.
During lecture, it is easy to see that Dr. Bell knows what he is talking about. His lectures are tough to follow due to him rambling on about material he refers to as "jargon", rather than staying on topic for what we need to learn. His examples he works through in class will not prepare you for his tests. His exams wont prepare you for the final.
When I've gone to ask for help he's told me to figure out myself. He is not a good professor at all. I've never failed a class and a very good student but I am most likely going to not do well in this class. I would never take him again if any other professor taught it, but he is the only one who teaches it.
Organic chemistry is not an simple topic, and Dr. Bell teaches it as such. To do well in this course you must attend class, work problems in the book, and STUDY. If you put the time and effort into this course you will do great. Dr. Bell provides interesting lectures, and is ready to help if you have good questions. One of my favorite professors.
This has to be the worst professor I have ever had. Not only does he not clearly answer questions students ask over the material, he often answers with "it's in the book" which doesn't at all help. His tests are very heavily graded (they range from 30-50 points). He doesn't give any quizzes or study material to help with the tests.
Dr. Bell is very intelligent, but he is the WORST instructor. Your tests are the only 4 grades and VERY heavily graded. I would spend HOURS studying material, and still felt blind. Lectures are a little helpful, but not much and dont even think about asking him questions. Youre better off watching YouTube instructors and going to the SI sessions.
I recommend taking Organic Chemistry online or at another university. Bell is rude and not helpful. Doesnt care if you learn in his class. Doesnt offer any extra guidance. Very blunt. Avoid him at all cost.
Ive never failed a class before until I took his Ochem class. I went to class everyday and studied for every test but still failed everything. He does not give partial credit on tests! The only grades are the exams that more than half the class fails nothing else. AVOID THIS CLASS!!!
Did not seem to care much about the class but clearly knew what he was doing. Never used the online system so we could see how our test grades affected our average. Hand-writing is difficult to read and is very vague on telling students what will be on a test. If you have to take him I highly suggest going to S.I sessions. Good luck!
has a very antiquated cell phone policy, will take points off entire class grade anytime a phone goes off, which is very frustrating and disctacting. Has a very dull presentation and personality, doesn't really seem to care too much. He has four exams as his only grade, and his content does nothing to help you practice for the content. Dont take
Hes so rude, blunt, & does not care at all about your grade. He only grades test and grades them hard. His lectures are very boring and he is late to every test without giving us extra time to finish because of HIS delay. The only reason I got a decent grade was because I went to the SI. Good luck
Professor Bell gives you all the information needed to pass your homework and tests. Pay attention to the examples that he gives in class, as well as the reviews that he offers. I personally found it daunting to listen to lectures at some points, but that stemmed from trying to process the intricate information he offers. He explains well. Study!
Dry and boring lectures, however he explains exactly what is on exams. Gives test reviews almost identical to the exam. Homework does not help much however it is related to lecture content. Very particular about phone policy however.
Its ochem, its going to be difficult, so you need to put effort towards it and not just expect an easy A. Bell does a great job of explaining mechanisms and answering questions. I enjoy his lectures and he is one of my favorite professors at Tarleton. Make sure to review mechanisms and PRACTICE and APPLY the material using the book he recommends
Prof. Bell is okay! Not the best. Lectures can be confusing and unorganized at times. He certainly seems passionate about chemistry. He answers questions and feedback very well. Lots of knewton assignments. Defiantly pay attention and take good, organized notes. Overall very nice professor just not consistent with lecture. Very helpful and mindful.
I took Bell for chemistry-1412 and I really recommend taking him. He uploaded exam reviews which help a lot. Exams were pretty similar to the practice problems that he posts in modules. Show up to class and don't slack off and you will be good. One thing is that he will not help you find the correct buttons to use on the calculator.
Anytime I missed class and emailed asking what I missed he ignored me and didnt tell me, I know this because if I emailed him about anything else I would get a response then. His teaching skills are meh, every day after a lecture Id have to go on YouTube and find someone else to explain stuff. As a person fine whatever, as a prof he was not good
I had Bell for Gen Chem 2; he was a fair professor and I received an A. However, Ochem 1 was a total nightmare with him. He went through the material too fast, he would insult the class if we didnt understand the material, and he seemed to not care for the low test averages. Would not recommend.
Please do not take Bell. There is better chem prof. at tarleton. He reads right of slides and makes corny jokes that are not funny. The SI helped tremendously and is a lot of memorization. Some of the tests are short answers and require reaction and mechanisms. Not my fav professor
Worst chem class I have ever taken. I am pretty sure he did not make any of his material and would get extremely off topic in class. A lot of the time we did not even finish all the lessons before the test and expected you to look over them on your own. The textbook is not necessary to pass this class. Honestly study on your own and you'll be fine.
I emailed him once and never responded (like always!). The next week, he said out loud in front of every1 that someone (me) had emailed him a question and asked who it was, and then never even answered the question! If u really want to succeed, use Youtube. I did that and finished with a B. Ironic since he said if u do that, u won't succeed.
Dr. Bell's Organic Chemistry lab is a nightmare. There were multiple times when he disappeared for the majority of the lab, did not follow safety/waste protocols or provide guided assistance, and would be absent when lab accidents occurred. He also seemed frustrated when students asked questions. Please take any other chemistry professor.
Dr. Bell does not care if you understand the material or not. He is also not willing to answer questions or respond back to emails. He often disappears from lab for extensive amounts of time and seems irritated when there are questions. homework and tests DO NOT CORRELATE be ready to get a tutor and attend SI
I had him for OChem 2 lab. He seemed annoyed when people would ask questions, seemed to not enjoy being in class and would leave the class alone for periods of time during the lab. He doesn't follow chemical disposal methods which was a shock and was regularly unprepared for class. Extremely test heavy and communication is slow. Take anybody else.
I have mixed emotions about Dr. Bell. He's not a bad professor, very intelligent man but his teaching methods suck. Every exam was opened ended WHICH WAS HORRIBLE. He would also fly through material which led to almost learning 3 chapters of organic chemistry in a 50 minute class.
he is so rude. if you ask a question he belittles you and makes you feel dumb. he is condescending to everyone. he has a horrible attitude towards his students and is disrespectful. he voice is also quiet and muffled. even if he is shouting so the room can hear him his voice is naturally quiet so its hard to hear him/understand what hes saying.
I would recommend another professor unless you want to be teaching yourself. He does not teach the material, only does examples and rants during lecture. Attendance is not mandatory so not point in going. Tests are mainly multiple choice, which is helpful but be prepared to teach yourself the content.
If Chemistry is not your strong-suit DO NOT take Bell. He is very all over the place and it is really hard to follow along. When doing practice problems in class he does simple math incorrectly so it is confusing
If you have any other options for your chemistry professor that are somewhat better, take it. Bell does not teach the material well and rather gives practice problems that he expects you to learn complex subjects from by doing over and over. He is terrible at lecturing and explaining which is quite ironic considering all his classes are PP lectures
Dr. Bell is a tough professor, but if you put in the work and really learn the content, then he's great. I went to him a lot outside of class and he was extremely helpful, especially when something during lecture was confusing. Put in minimal effort and you will suffer.
I had Dr. Bell for my Ochem 1 lab and he was actually pretty good. Definitely pay attention to what he says in his lectures before experiments, it'll help on your post lab quizzes. Make sure your lab reports are done correctly, he wasn't very strict on them tbh. He would shorten our procedures sometimes which got us out earlier.
I had Dr.Bell for Ochem 1&2 labs. If you have Bell make sure to sit in the front! His voice is naturally very quiet and it is hard to hear him over the fume hoods. I asked for help several times and he said he just "couldn't help me". Would definitely recommend a different professor.
He just expects you to know the material off the bat and belittles students for not knowing answers to his questions and seems annoyed whenever a student asks him questions. He was not understanding when I had a death in my immediate family. He was very rude to me during that interaction to the point that I withdraw from the course.
N/Aaaaaaaaa
POWER POINT teacher, and they were straight from Pearson, not even his own. Doesn't make content easily understandable and doesn't appear to plan practice problems before class. Tests are difficult and were curved up to 20 points which says just how bad they were. If you can avoid Dr. Bell for Chem 2 or any Chem class I definitely would!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
57%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.49 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM101
5.0
(1)CHEM220
4.0
(1)CHEM4329
4.0
(1)CHEM2123
4.0
(1)CHEM201
3.8
(5)Difficulty by Course
CHEMISTRY
5.0
ORGANICCHEM
5.0
CHEM530
5.0
CHEM030
5.0
CHEM1312
5.0