2.9
Quality3.3
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake169
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
169
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
169 total ratings5
27
4
33
3
48
2
48
1
13
What Students Say
“This is my 2nd semester having him”
CHEM135 - 4.0 rating“Extremely intelligent man”
CHEMTWO188 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
0%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.79 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEMISTRY184
5.0
(1)CHEMISTRY
5.0
(1)CHEMTWO188
5.0
(1)CHEMCHEM
4.0
(1)CHEM135
3.8
(6)Difficulty by Course
CHEM104
4.0
CHEMCHEM
4.0
CHEMTWO188
4.0
CHEM130
3.9
CHEM184188
3.8
Reviews (168)
You get all of the powerpoint notes in a packet at the beginning of the semester and during lecture, he just reads them. He does not respond to emails and the online homework is a joke. The system never works. The lab was easy but the TAs grade really hard.
This teacher is a winner. He cracks nerdy jokes and has a tremendous grasp of the material. If you want to learn chemistry well, do the homework he assigns.
Lectures over the notes you already have. Class is pointless. Homework system is a joke. Doesn't explain what to study for tests. You're on your own for this class, hope you know how to teach yourself.
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His lectures were pointless because you paid for the powerpoint notes with your book. The homework never worked, and the tests did not test the material he taught in lecture. You're on your own, pal!
He is a great professor. He knows what he is talking about in lecture and clarifies a lot of things. The homework helps a lot to study for tests, too.
It is a class of 900+ people. If you can, go to JCCC and transfer it. I dont doubt the instructors knowledge or ability, but I felt that going to class was a waste of time. Fortunately I had a cool LAB TA that helped me with the difficult areas. Beware, you cannot return the book!
He isn't a good teacher and i have had him for two classes now. He doesn't give any review or help before his exams.
Worthless class. I slept through every lecture and do not know why I even went to class. He reads the powerpoints word for word and sucks at explaining chemistry. Elementary level lecture and graduate school level exams. Avoid if possible.
Good grasp of the concepts, nice guy and tries to have a sense of humor. Homework does help prepare for the tests, as do the back of the book sample exams. If you really want to master the concepts be sure to read the book.
All of the previous bad ratings are due to bad students not going to class, or going to class and reading the newspaper. If you are really interested in chemistry, he is a good teacher. But READ THE BOOK and do all the homework; the optional discussion sessions are extremely helpful as well.
CHEM 184 was an absolute joke with 900 people in the class. Prof Hierl isn't a bad teacher but the homework never worked and you could never get a response back when you had a question. The comments stated before are true and I went to every lab, lecture and read the book and I got a D in the class. STAY AWAY!!
Good teacher. He basically gives you the tests in his "practice tests" section of the book. I went to this lecture 3 times and got a B. Anyone who can't pass this class and blames him is just stupid and failed the class because they're an idiot. Just work the practice problems 2 days before the tests and you will do fine.
don't need to go to lecture b/c he gives powerpoint notes. the online homework is tedious and hard--u have to mess with sig figs a lot. to do well on the tests study the main concepts and every type of problem/formula.
I think he is definitely a nice person, but going to class is kind of worthless as he gives you all the slides beforehand and simply reads them word for word in class. He makes his test seem easier than they are, but they are not totally ridiculous. It would be hard to either ace or fail his class, but easy to get by with a B or C if you keep up.
has humor, but is very boring to listen to in 1000 person lectures. tests are VERY HARD! not joking, his tests suck. Read the book to learn.
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I had hierl for both gen chems and I gotta say he is a cool dude in person. Go to his office hours he'll work with you for as long as you need untill you understand. Got two C's on the first two tests and got an A in the class overall!
It is hard to teach an interesting lecture to a 750 person class but he does a pretty good job at it. He is a funny guy and his tests are reasonable. The online homework really isn't bad. If you go to lecture and read the book you will be fine. He even gives extra credit for attendance!
Very understanding educator. His lecture flows together and doesn’t seem forced and rushed like many college classes. Homework is easy to complete and is often pushed back if necessary. Tests are easy with some effort invested in studying. This is not an incredibly demanding class and quite enjoyable.
Tests directly from notes.
great teacher, really posistive.
his tests were really easy
The class is hard, but he allows you to throw out your worst test score, gives attendance extra credit about once a week, holds helpful review sessions, and even though this is probably an early class he always makes you laugh! I think he's so cute too!
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I love Dr. Hierl, I bet that no other teacher will dance for you at 9:00 in the morning, hes adorable :)
Professor Hierl is a cool and guy he can be crazy at times but that is why it is fun to go to lecture. The class is not a walk through class, you do have to study and attend lecture. The TA's are good at explaining things if you have any questions and make sure you do the questions in the back of the book they are from previous exams.
i LOVE peter hierl!
Pete is a VERY smart man. He just isn't very good at teaching the subject matter. He reads directly from the ppt slides. I would learn more if he actually taught, rather than read word-for-word what I have right in front of me.
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Exceptional teacher and brilliant chemist, although I have to admit he is more entertaining to watch when he dances around in the morning sometimes.
Nice guy but worthless as a teacher. He reads straight from the notes that he makes you buy, so there's no point in going to class. Homework was irrelevant to the tests. Overall the class isn't too hard, just really tedious and pointless.
Lectures just don't explain the material that well.
I love Hierl. He knows his Chemistry. I loved his in class demonstrations. He explains the material in lay man's terms as much he can. The tests are fairly easy. The homework is difficult and has little to do with the test.
Lectures are sometimes difficult to understand or hard to pay attention, but Hierl is very knowledgable on the subject and test reviews with him are essential.
downfall is the class seems easier than it is, homework and lab count for a lot of your grade which is nice but don't rely on that i got A's in both. and you get some extra credit for attendence but it is random and the class is super boring he reads right from the notes you have. apply yourself and you will get a a or b..or do nothing and get a c
This guy is good! He knows what he is talking about, and is funny and charming.
Bad teacher. Teaches straight from powerpoint slides. If he is going to do that then he should just cancel lectures and we can read the slides for ourselves. He should do more problems in class, so that the problems on the test don't seem so foreign every time you take the test. Test problems are much harder then back of book problems.
class is hard. but if you do good on lab and homework you will be alright. just study for the tests and pay attention in class
I thought he did a better job at 184 than at 188. He rarely did practice problems when they were needed. So the tests were hard because we did not know what to expect. The homework almost never had anything to do with the tests. The lab and the class almost never coincide.
It's a hard class. I recommend going to the discussions that are offered weekly.
He will definitely make you laugh:) Funny guy, boring lectures...but, however difficult the homework or tests were, he was always willing to help. Attend reviews, work on problems in the back of the book, and go to class. Then you and him will be happy campers
Lecture was a little boring, but that's typical of huge classes. He's smart, often funny, and his "back of the book" problems are all I ever did to get an A. I rarely skipped, but probably should have. He's a great teacher and organizes the class well overall. No complaints.
Easy class, hes pretty entertaining when in and out of the classroom.
very personable and willing to spend extra time helping students
I really enjoyed Prof. Hierl's class. He's a good teacher and an all around fun guy.
Good teacher. Clear and easy to understand in lecture. Make sure to do the practice tests in the back of the book - all of the tests are based off of those questions. Attendance is randomly taken for extra credit.
He has set up the class so well that it takes near minimal effort to get an A/B. Go to class because he elaborates off the slides; he doesn't simply read them word for word. Always do practice problems and know how to simple variations from them and you are guaranteed to do well in his class. He's quirky but he has a dynamic teaching method.
Pretty cool guy. Class takes up alot of your time but if you do all the assignments you should be alright.
His teaching style is very poor. He basically reads from the slides. I taught myself the information directly from the book and only the book. Lab is very chaotic. Overall the chemistry at KU is not that organized. I am an honors student and normally get very good grades but in his class I had a hard time so I cannot imagine how other students made
Had Hierl for CHEM 184/188 and thought he was great. Yes you have to buy a book that you are unable to sell back, but the book has practice problems in the back that he basically copy/pastes for the exams, he just uses different numbers. He has a dynamic teaching style and easily can captivate a crowd at 9 AM. Easy A/B if you try.
The tests were much more difficult than 184. Yes, he uses some Q's from the prac probs in the book, but also the hardest ones from hw. GO to the discussions to get all probs on webasign-Don't slack on webassign/lab its half ur grade. Study for exams with old exams.I got avg 68% on exams, A in lab, A in hw, and B on final and i got a B in the class.
reads directely from slides!!! homework problems in no way do just to the test problems.
This class is not hard if you study quite a bit for it. Tests are multiple choice, but require a lot of formula memorization. Lectures tend to be a lot of just reading from the included powerpoint notes, but occasionally he throws in an extra credit quiz for the people that attended class that day, so attendance is always good :)!
Hierl's lectures were extremely boring. Read straight from the powerpoint slides. GO TO LAB/DO HOMEWORK. That is what saved my grade.Go to class: randomly takes attendance. The lab TA was more helpful than anything. The chem help room was helpful too. class requires a lot of studying. keep up on all homework and read the chapters and take notes.
900+ 9am lecture are rediculous, but Hierl makes class interesting, and he gives extra credit. DO THE HOMEWORK- even though it didn't related much to test. Test are moderate, I got a B in the class.
I thought the class was okay. He reads directly from his slides for lecture so it's pretty boring (I just texted the entire time) but I still got an A in the class.
I usually take note of interesting comments he makes during class and write them down. It keeps me alert and is actually pretty funny.
Super funny!
Hierl was interesting. He had an odd sense of humor but I think overall he was pretty good. Definitely do your homework and go to him if you have any questions.
Great Teacher! Heard the spring semester prof. sucks. Heirl is really an interesting teacher and keeps you awake(in a good way).
He is a funny guy. The lectures are very boring. The labs are worse. If you miss a lecture you will get behind. i recommend reading the text book and attending each lecture.
Great guy. Nice and funny. Horrible teacher. Teaches just enough to scrape by THIS class but for those that have a future career involving fundamental concepts, avoid at ALL costs. I constantly had to teach myself the REAL basic constructs, not the shortcuts that he teaches. Also, Hierl is a HUGE cryptic test maker, being twisted and vague.
Funny guy, keeps you entertained during lecture, gives tons of extra credit. Tests are really tricky and labs are confusing, but all the extra credit evens it out so you can still get a decent grade even if you don't have a clue what's going on.
hard tests. a lot of homework. funny teacher, but very boring at 9am. i slept in class everyday, did the practice problems in the back of the book and averaged a B on all my tests. he's cute for an old man
i loved going to his class. the questions he puts in the back of the books are extremely helpful when it comes to test time. test are moderate and he drops 1. do the homework, and go to lab, also attend class and review sessions because he gives out extra credit. extremely funny and helpful if you go to his office hours.
He is a really nice teacher, but he really doesn't teach anything. The class is not difficult but in order to get an A, I had to teach myself most of the information. I would not like to have Prof. Hierl for a harder class.
Great lecturer, great professor. There was one problem on the test that he was wrong about but he doesn't admit it. I'm not trying to stump the chump. I'm trying to learn and he wasn't very happy being wrong. That's bad for learning. Other than that, it's (almost) an easy A as long as you don't challenge him, even if he wants to hear questions.
I keep seeing comments about the "great" extra credit, ohhh you mean the 26 clicker points added to 1000? Not much help. Attended class every day and got nothing from it. Reading the textbook/online homework/lab-all a must. Hw/lab=nice grade boosters-the tests are poorly worded. Must be able to teach yourself the material, because he won't.
He has a strange sense of humor. Really there was no point of going to lecture since he just reads of the powerpoint slides but it is still advisable to go. Easy A if you do problems at the back of the book and go to class to get the extra credit points from the clickers. Also do well in lab and you will be fine.
The test in this class are ridiculous. However, the lab and homework are worth a large portion of your grade and help balance out the he crappy grades received for test.
the tests are awful. the class was interesting and it is obvious he is passionate about the subject.
Not at all helpful.Tests are so hard.
I read the newspaper everyday during lectures and didn't miss a thing. It was necessary to teach myself the material using the book though. With lab, homework, and extra credit this class wasn't that hard. His tests were very similar to the practice problems in the back of the book, with one or two tough surprises.
Professor was rude when approached with concerns and questions.
Easy A class due to the extra points he gave in class from extra credit, homework, lab. You could get C's on his exams and til get an A easily. His final allows you to have a summary sheet aka cheat sheet. Bad thing about this class is it will not prepare you for MCAT/PCAT whatever you wanna do.
One of the worst teachers at KU. Probably the worst in the Chem department.
Such an easy class. He is more than willing to help people and he's just a good guy. Not grumpy, likes to joke and have fun while teaching bored college kids at the same time.
Easier than 184.
I also took 188 with him. He is a funny teacher and knows what he is doing. I never talked to him one on one. The grading scale isn't too hard if you study and go to class. You also get extra credit for going to class sometimes!
This class is easy, but not as easy as Chem 184. If you understand the webassign and look at tests from the past couple of years, his tests are not bad at all. Funny teacher!
He's pretty easy. If you show up to class on days he takes attendance you get extra credit. Is very helpful at office hours. Homework is easy and if you need help you can go to the discussions held 3 times a week. Lab is easy just do the work. Tests are tricky, but doable.
Lectures were sometimes pointless and unhelpful with homework and tests. The test review is nothing like his tests. Go to discussion for help with the homework and get your hands on old tests, which are a lot more helpful than his review. Hierl is a funny guy, but not a great teacher.
He reminds me of Robin Williams
HE IS JUST LIKE ROBIN WILLIAMS... nonetheless, he is terrible at teaching and that's coming from someone who comes to class everyday, in the front row, and pays attention.
In lecture, he teaches straight from the PowerPoint notes. There is a video thrown in here and there but otherwise, if you can read, there's no point in going to lecture. DO GO TO LAB THOUGH! You will get a bad grade if you don't! The tests are semi-hard. I thought I had bombed the first one but I ended up getting an A. Study!
the tests are pretty hard but he has review sessions a couple days before where you get extra credit for attending. going to class isn't necessary since he just reads off the powerpoint slides but he does randomly take attendence and give extra credit if you're there. definitely go to lab and do the homework to save your grade.
I love chemistry, so I am willing to put forth the effort for the class. If you read the book, go to the PLUS Chem, and study you're butt off you will get an A. Then again, I didn't have a great chem program in high school. Good professor overall.
He seems like a legitimately nice guy, but he's not a great teacher. He has a tendency to make things sound more complicated than they are, and I spend much more time teaching myself than anything.
He talks all class, and sometimes it sounds like gibberish. He's a good guy, and makes jokes. However, actually understanding the chemistry he's talking about is another story
He looks like Robin Williams and is legit.
Make sure to get there early to get a seat towards the front or you WILL lose focus and doze off. He does have some tricky questions on the test but as long as you get a copy from someone who took the class last year you should be fine. It is a class of 1000 people. Overall, you get out what you put in. Not hard but not easy.
I loved Hierl. His class is not the most interesting thing in the world and i usually ended up on facebook and as long as you skimmed the books and the examples you would be fine. He is EXTREMELY helpful in his office hours if you go. Biggest hint. GET OLD TESTS. The problems are always very similar. Besides a semi boring lecture good teacher
Hierl is a great teacher if you want an A but not if you want to learn. He keeps a bottle of booze with him at all times and drinks to the point where he marvels over the existence of his hands (I'm not kidding). Going to class is completely useless and I still got an A.
This guy is annoying and he blames the class of 1000 people for getting bad grades. It is possible to get a good grade but you have to teach yourself. I have taken 184 and 188 with him and I swear that every exam average was in the sixties. I think that that alone is enough to reflect his capabilities as an educator.
A really wonderful prof!! Chem is often not the most exciting topic to sit thru, but he did his best to make it interesting. He was really nice, and seemed genuinely interested in helping students who wanted to learn. Definitely not one of those profs who think they're god. Usually got out 5 min early,or when he could see we were getting restless!
Just like 144 this class isn't that bad. Study out of the back of the book and from previous year's tests and you will do fine. He does ok at the job, but you can tell teaching to 1000 students the fundamentals of chemistry isn't his one and only passion.
Boring, but it's really not his fault, as having to teach hundreds of students basic chemistry has to sap the happiness from you. He could certainly use the textbook more. Tests have harder problems than the homework, but are multiple choice so are overall easier.
He's a pretty nice guy! He will help you with a lot. He doesn't always explain things in the best way but he's doing the best he can. He's very funny.
He seems to know what he's talking about but can't always get the point across. Test reviews he holds aren't helpful because he mixes up numbers and only works problems halfway through. Tests are only 25 questions and quite difficult. I would recommend getting old exams and working through those problems and homework. Study hard and go to PLUS Chem
I had Prof. Hierl for both 184 and 188, I thought he was a good teacher. That is until I needed to contact him after the semester and the "short", snappy response he sent back. He lost some definite helpfulness points, here.
Lecture powerpoints were helpful. Definately read the book. If you put the time into it you'll pass. Go to PLUS sessions!!!!
Okay so here is the thing with Hierl. He is one of the smartest people I have ever met in my whole entire life but he isnt the best teacher. Going to lecture doesn't help but go to his office hours!! If you joke around with him and ask for help he will help you! He is hilarious and can be a smartass but he will explain anything. just lighten up.
He is not a good teacher and even when 60% of our class had lower than a D on one test, he refused to accept the blame on himself. the material isnt hard but you have to teach yourself.
Hes AWFUL. not helpful and has failed almost the entire class of 800
I'm sure he is a very intelligent person, but is incapable of teaching well. His teaching consists of talking through his already incomplete powerpoint slides, and he fails to thoroughly explain many concepts. good person, terrible teacher
If you are majoring in almost anything, chances are that you're going to have to take this class. Peter Hierl is the WORST chemistry teacher. The tests are only 25 questions and many are trick questions leaving little room for error. It's easy to get an A in lab and on your homework, but good luck with the tests! They suck.
Very good teacher. Most students who don't waste their time shopping on websites like Makeupalley.com or pintererst.com tend to learn quite a bit in class. However, I would advice that the students take their time in reading the textbook. Hierl is great teacher, but sometimes very goofy. That in and itself is a great reason to attend class.G Luck
Hierl... How should I put this. He's funny. And he is very smart. But he is not a great teacher. You really have to teacher EVERYTHING to yourself. With that being said, you can get an A, bit just takes work. I studied about 8 hours for every test and always got an A or a high B.
Hierl is an extremely intelligent professor. He does an amazing job of teaching to a massive lecture class of over 750 students. I went in during his office hours on occasion, and he was both helpful and friendly. He helped me work through the problems I was struggling with and I was on my way. He was by far my favorite professor this semester.
Ugh... nice guy, just not the easiest to comprehend. Very brilliant but has a hard time being a TEACHer.
Hierl is a very intelligent man, however, he's a completely incompetent teacher. The class wasn't terribly difficult, but the way in which he lectures was so mind-numbingly boring. He reads straight off his powerpoint slides, so attending class was pointless. He also was condescending towards the class after all ~800 of us averaged a D (no curve).
He is a very smart guy and he knows what he's doing. It's just that his teaching technique is not all that great. Be prepared to put in a lot of your own work and several hours of outside studying time.
He obviously knows what he is doing, but he is a rude man that will insult your intelligence just because your entire life doesn't revolve around chemistry. His test have nothing to do with the hw, review or lecture. If you don't have test files from prior test you will fail the tests.
Professor Hierl does not care about his students as is evident when he appears at nine am lectures hammered and has a D test average with no curve for every test. Read the book because he is an invalid!
This teacher does not care what grades his 800+ person class is receiving. He makes it way too hard to receive an A even if you do well on tests. With an A on the HW, labs, a B+ avg on tests, and a high B on the final, I still got a B. He doesn't teach so theres no point in going to class. He reads straight off powerpoint slides instead
Peter was not a good professor. His tests were very hard. I suggest studying the old tests OVER and OVER and/or having a genius friend that can help you.
Terrible teacher. Doesnt care about students. Is half the time, his tests are the worst no matter what, no curve. This class makes you never want to learn again.
Dr. Hierl is smart but not a good teacher. Basically if you were good at chemistry in high school, you will pass his class.
Just reads off of the power point slides. Tests are awful. Apparntly doesnt care that the class average is terrible.
Class was boring and dull. I loved chemistry before attending his class and now I hate it.
Dr. Hierl is a very hard teacher. Does a lot of things that I would call unfair. Normal tests are 25 questions and you have 2 hours. Normally takes all 2 hours. Final was 40 questions in 2.5 hours and wasn't curved. Lots of that kind of stuff in this class.
Hierl is a HORRIBLE teacher. He doesn't really teach and basically just stands in front of the class and reads off the ppt slides. He gives no examples so you basically teach yourself, as what we do in class and on homework is NEVER on the test. He's sarcastic and rude. I loved Chemistry before but hate it because of his ignorance.
Dr. Hierl is a very intelligent man, however, he is not designed for teaching. He can come off very disrespectful and I personally did not feel comfortable asking him questions. He seems to care little about the success of individual students. The powerpoint he uses are helpful for studying but he does not expand on them. Very frustrating class!
This class and teacher are terrible. I am a science major and had trouble passing this class with a c because of his terrible teaching. Reads of ppt in class and tests are HARD.
Horrible teacher. Homework and tests are very difficult and time consuming. Do well on homework and in the lab and you can get a B. The only way to do well in this class is to read the book and study like crazy for the tests.
Dr. Hierl is a bad professor. I am not sure why he is still allowed to teach. He reads right off the slides he gives you at the beginning of the semester, but the Chem Help Room was the most helpful thing.
He is useless and not helpful at all. for a class with 1000 students, there is no curve and four exams and labs is what will help you to survive. his lectures are full of power point presentations and all of them are useless. I don't recommend him.
Best Advice: Go to lecture, not to learn from a thing but to stay up to date with the material. You can fall asleep in class but at least go. It makes a difference. At least go to see his goofiness. Second, read the textbook like crazy and do the online HW without online solution help. Study for tests with old exams. Best Advice, makes a difference
How possible is it to get an A or B in the class if you are there everyday and actually work at it?
Hated his class. Stopped showing up and taught myself the material. Still got an A, mostly because I studied off of old tests. That was the only reason I did so well. He didn't teach most of the time, but simply read off of the slides.
Thank god for college prep classes. I had close to 100% in this class all year, but only because of my high school education. I recommend waiting until spring semester to take 184 or to get into honors. If you've never taken chemistry before, don't even try learning from him.
This class isn't that hard if you actually go to class everyday, pay attention and study. Peter Hierl is a decent instructor, but he is too smart to be teaching intro chem to freshmen so he breezes through some tough concepts that you'll have to go over when you study. Most people don't like him because they're lazy; you will actually have to work.
He just doesn't show he cares. he seems to take life's problems out on us.
Peter Hierl may be one of the the worst professors at KU. He doesn't care about the students and is too smart for his own good. I recommend using your TA as a source of help or getting a tutor. Also, Webassign homework has NOTHING to do with the tests. Good luck.
Dr. Hierl does not present this material in an understandable way. He is uninterested in the class he is teaching, and often does not come to class in a state of mind that is ready to teach.
He basically goes over the lecture notes we're given at the start of the semester. He's a funny guy! Likeable, but his lectures are nothing special. Study how to work out the problems in the back of the book and the online HW problems and you should do well. I quit going to lectures. Nothing personal, just not necessary to do well in the class.
Lectures can be helpful sometimes, but not always. The material is boring, but once you start to get a hang of the calculations, it's not too hard (even though you teach yourself most of it). Work plenty of practice problems for the tests and you'll do fine!
His use of the Powerpoint slides are sometimes more confusing than helpful. Also not very good at answering questions. Study old test files if possible, they are what helped me be successful on exams!
Extremely intelligent man. Webassign for homework, don't think he likes it either, but hey its a thousand seater course. Study old test, go to PLUS session, see TAs or get a tutor. Lots of material. Back of book test don't really help, so focus on suggested end of chapter probs. Subject is difficult. Lab is timeconsuming, but easy.
If you've never learned chemistry before, DON'T TAKE IT WITH HIERL. Only way I got an A was because of what I learned in high school. Expect to teach yourself a lot and be bombarded with questions on the tests that seemingly make no sense. Definitely a weed-out class for science majors.
He seems super intelligent, which is good for him, but he could try a little harder to pass some of that on to his students. He is constantly putting us down for not understanding the material, yet he is the one not presenting it clearly. This class teaches you to teach yourself. LOOK AT THE OLD TESTS.
Horrible professor. It is a struggle to wake up and go to this class, and when I do go, I feel like I got nothing out of it. He does not give clear example problems and doesn't care about his students at all. I'm only taking this class because I have to. If I could drop and switch professors, I would do it in a heart beat. Help us KU.
I had Hierl for 2 semesters and I know he wants his students to succeed and I used every single resource he provided (suggested problems from the book, past tests in the back of the book, PLUS sessions, did the homework) and I sometimes still wasn't prepared. Do well in lab.
read the book the class teaches you nothing
This professor reads directly off of his power points that you pay for with your book. Then the tests make absolutely no sense. You're better off skipping class and reading the chapters yourself. I started this after test #1.
He just read the ppt which you have. There are more than 800 students in this class. I think KU just wants to make more money. If you want to past his class and get a better grade, PLEASE skip the lecture and read ppt by yourself, then take the old test.
His tests are crazy and confusing. An answer could be 172 but he will round up or down making the correct answer be something like 176.. The homework isn't really anything like the tests, and even looking at previous test I still struggled.
This is a weed out class for a lot of health related professions. If you aren't willing to put in the work don't bother taking this class. Hierl kinda sucks as a professor but at least he is kinda funny. You have to teach yourself and there is a lot of material, reading the book helps, and looking at old tests. It is still possible to get an A
Professor Hierl is very clear on what will be on the test, but you have to know how to do use the equations he gives you or you will have a hard time. Do the back of the textbook quizzes because they are similar to what will be on the test. Also, he is very helpful at his office hours! He explains powerpoint slides in more detail in lecture so go!
Taking time on your own to read the textbook leaves you better off with the class. Hierl did nothing but read off of his slides that we have purchased. I taught myself better than Hierl did. You're better off skipping and teaching yourself.
Not horrible like everyone says, but below average. Not boring or monotone. Flies through PowerPoints quickly. Miss 3/25 questions on exam, you're at a B. You can drop 1/4 exams. Exam questions are much harder than homework or textbook company's problems. Go through the problems he adds at the back of the book because they're worded like the exams.
Hierl is HARD. I felt heartbroken after every exam walking back to the dorms at night. Exams never broke past a B. But never lose hope! Get A's on homework, lab, and final. Lab grade is mostly lab reports. Put intense effort into them to get 40/40. A 13 page report is not unusual. Kill the easy final. I got an A overall (not minus). You can do it!
Hierl's class will not be easy. That said, it is possible to get an Easy C or B in his class. It's tallied out of 1000 points: Homework(200),Lab(300), Exams (300),Final Exam(200). There are 4 exams, but one is dropped. Also, the Lab grade is curved (depending on other classmate's performance). Buy the book from the Store, as it comes with PPT Notes
VERY HARD the good news is even if you do awful on tests you could still end up with a C or B. I got all Ds and Fs on the test except the final that I got a C but still ended with a C+ in the class because your lab grade goes into it. Class makes no sense, defieitly should read the book.
Hierl reads directly from the powerpoint slides that the students buy prior to the class. There is no point in attending class because you learn more from reading the book and doing practice problems by yourself than by listening to Peter talk. Luckily your lab grade goes into the lecture grade, otherwise I would have ended up with a D, not a B.
By far one of the best professors I've ever had. Dr. Hierl is like a father who really cares about his students. Come to class, work the problems and you will do fine! I highly recommend him. He is super easy to understand. His lectures inspire me to never give up. And he has a great sense of humor! I hated chemistry before. Now I'm majoring in it!
Hierl is an awful teacher, was happy the class average of a test was 62% and laughed at the fact that his test had a question only 11% of people the past two years have gotten right is ridiculous. Cant stand him.
Not a good experience at all. I recommend taking the honors section instead if possible.
I don't know what everyone complains about. His test are just off of old test files so this class is pretty easy if you care enough to study
The lectures help some, but not very much. He pretty much just reads directly off the powerpoint which is included in the book. However, if you just look at the problems in the back of the book and previous years test you can easily pass.
THE MOST HELPFUL SOURCE FOR CHEMISTRY IS PLUS! Going to PLUS sessions really helped me to understand the material. Most of the stuff he talks about in lecture is irrelevant for the tests.
Dr. Hierl is wonderful! I had him twice and loved him. He really cares about his students, and it shows through the little things he does. If you can stay awake and pay attention in the morning, you would see that Dr. Hierl is really an excellent teacher! You buy the notes and they have his test problems solved step by step.
Hierl is so chill. He's very smart. His class challenges you in great ways. General chemistry is hard up until the point that you understand the concept, then it's just elementary algebra. Overall, very rewarding. Find old exam problems and take them to his office hours. He'll help you work them out step by step. You could not have a better prof!
This is my 2nd semester having him. Lecture really isn't necessary. Use old test files and problems from the back of the book to study for the test. Also go to plus. He's a really funny guy but he does like to trip you up on tests. He only wants geniuses to get an A on the tests. But, homework and lab will save your grade.
I have a lot of respect for Professor Hierl. He does a lot of things right. He posts the key immediately after the exam and updates your grade even a week after finals are over. He responds to emails very fast and is super polite. Down to Earth in his office hours and will answer any question or just talk with you. I wish he taught all my classes.
In my experience with him, he is not a terribly great professor. However, he is not particularly bad either. For the most part, he simply reads off of the slides and provides minimal additional input. As such, showing up to class is nonessential, but is useful for reinforcing the reading material.
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