hardest tests

his tests are quite difficult. he makes sure only an A student will get an A. hes good if you want to continue in chemistry but NOT if your taking it as a requirement.

teaches class well, but does not allow enough time for exams and exams are very hard.

Ugh. So impatient, don't take him. Take Scholefield. He freaks out if someone asks a question that's slightly off topic, or if it's jumping ahead a little. Very anal retentive but seems like a genuinely nice guy if you talk to him outside of class.

Dr. Lavallee is one of the best instructors I've had at SMC. His lectures are clear and easy to understand. He is very patient and always willing and available to help. I would definitely tell others to take his class.

Good Chemistry teacher, but his tests are way hard. If you are thinking about taking him its not a joke. The lecture he gives when passing out his syllabus is true. You must study at least 8-10 hours a week if you want to take it with him. Very picky

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Very devoted instructor that gives you your grades back in a timely manner. If you do the homework,attend the lectures, and not arrive late you should do fine.

very good teacher . relly helps you if youre having trouble . chem 11 seems like review because of the everything he taught us .

He is a fantastic teacher. Always available and for questions. Grades fairly. Wants his students to succeed. Taking his class has made Chem 11 much easier. I highly recommend him!

clear lecture,response to questions,fair in grading,yet the tests are a bit harder than other instructors.he's nice overall,cause i got a straight A with a snap.

explains everything clearly, gives you help if you need it, and his course is extremely well organized. just dont slack off and you'll do good.

He's funny, interesting and you'll learn. Do the work, practice, and youll do fine. But you have to put time to the class and to study.

Truly a great teacher. This guy knows his stuff and knows how to teach it. He goes over the tiniest details. If you attend class and do the assigned HW you can get an A. I learned a whole lot in his class. In chemistry practice makes perfect. Good teacher

He is a really nice guy! Good at teaching, responsing, willing to help!!! take his class!

he is a demandind and challenging teacher . very very good teacher . do not take him if you want to get a garaunteed A , but take him if you really want to learn the material. I sucked at chem in high school because i did not understand anything. This teacher really made me understand the basics .

he is such a hard teacher but he teaches really well. but the way he is grading is horrible. he takes 4 points off of your labs for just 1 minute late. his grading is awful. but im saying agian that he teaches really well. if you dont care about your grade take it with him if not never even try

a very well-organized teacher.his lectures are very clear. his quizzes and exams are standard. as long as u understand the material well, u'll absolutely get an A. pay attention to him in class and that's what u need. just imagine it, i rarely read the textbook and i still got an A.

he's not all that bad. i agree with the previous rater that he spends too much time covering the obvious, but at least he's clear and he does a good job simplifying hard concepts. however, you'll fail if you miss 2 labs. i just did <)

well,he teaches easy concepts very well but his lectures are nothing to do with his exams. He picks on things that are not important at all and totally he is very bad grader in compare to other professors in SMC. I recomend not to take Chem11 with him at all.

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He is a very memorable, AMAZING, helpful professor. SMC is very lucky to have him. He is very passionate about Chem, it's contagious. He really wants you to learn and succeed. I ended falling in love with Chemistry. Getting a study buddy the 1st day of class is a MUST.

awesome teahcer. as long as you put your work in, you will get an A. he's very supportive and helpful and he makes hard concepts easy enough for everyone to understand. very clear in his lectures and demands. makes SMC a better place. really, he's perfect.

Chem 10 is a walk in the park with him, but come Chem 11 the honeymoon is OVER! Lectures and homework are easy, while his tests will leave you snivelling in a corner w/ your chem book. Nitpicky on labs and graded work. Very nice and approachable but NOT EASY. If you're going into research, take him. Otherwise, beware.

This guy is fanatical about chem. If you want to do well, you have to go beyond what he asks you to do in class. Do as many HARD problems in the book as you can, even if not assigned, KNOW ALL THE CONCEPTS FROM STUDY GUIDES, he will expect you to reason using them. The degree of study for his class is not for the faint of heart, but you WILL learn.

VERY HARD TEACHER! YOU WILL LEARN A LOT! DEMANDING< HELPFUL< WONDERFUL! VERY FRIENDLY !WILL MAKE YOU LOVE CHEMISTRY! MUST WORK YOUR BUTT OFF THO!

This man is truely evil. He is one of those professors that got stuck teaching undergrads and gets his pleasure out of torturing them. He is very nitpicky about every little thing. His tests are about 10 times harder than the other teachers tests even though its the same subject and grades very harshly for sig figs!

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Dr. Lavallee got me liking Chemistry which I think says a lot about him as a teacher. He is NOT easy but he is patient, kind, helpful and respectful. Its really what you put into it here. Ask questions! He's never berated anyone and no question is stupid in his eyes. Really study his notes for exams. If you're careless and late a lot...no go!

i loved this class! made a former chemistry-hater LOVE chemistry! very clear, explains everything thoroughly with fun anecdotes. TESTS ARE EASY !!!Anyone who doesnt think so , shouldnt be out of chem 10. EASY! JUST TAKE NOTES!

OMG do NOT take this teacher. he is incredibly difficult and trust me, you wont pass this class with an A not a B, unless you take this class and make it your life, which, ev en that probably wont help. He is way too hard, lectures way too fast and grades like a killer. DO NOT TAKE HIM!

Absolutely AWESOME teacher!! If you're solid on Chem 10 and interested in the subject, you'll have a fabulous time without much stress. It's true, the pop quizzes screw up your grade. I only studied before the tests and missed an A by a few points (failed all the pop quizzes). I could listen to him lecture for hours....

So it seems everybody struggled with him in Chem. 11. Either way, he was GREAT for Chem. 10. I HIGHLY recommend him. He isn't the easiest teacher, but his tests are fair and his quizzes are fair. I took him over winter, and he's a great lecturer. He's organized and responsible. He gives a LOT of partial credit. And he's nice and sweet! He's good!

I loved him..he explains very slowly and makes you love chemistry. he has a lot of patience and doesnt mind answering the same question. he teaches you chemistry and makes you appreciate it. very interesting. winter class with 4 hours daily has never been better, especially in the morning. and he has a sense of humor.love him

don't understand why some are complaining. this guy is amazing. before his class chem was my biggest enemy and he simply made me fall in love with the subject. i ended up getting an A in his class simply by showing up and practicing at home. he is so sweet and supportive. an amazing person n teacher. can't imagine taking it with any other teacher

I loved him! Took his class about two and a half years ago and he still remains my favorite teacher. Yes, you'll have to practice at home if you want to do well, but he is so kind and sweet. He'll explain the same concept over and over again, in a private setting if he has to, just to make sure you get it. Wouldn't dream of taking chem without him.

This professor is wonderful in every way. He loves Chemistry and love teaching and it's just too bad that he seems to always get the weakest students. Only smart, dedicated people who are willing to work and want to learn should take him. Plus he is very cute. I wonder if he is married.

I didn't realize how good this class was until way later when I was still able to remember the majority of the criteria including details. This isn't an easy class, but the lectures are thorough and clear. Whenever I had a question he made me sound rediculous for not already knowing the answer. Also, he doesnt give enough time on tests

Chemistry is a hard subject, but I think Dr Lavallee provides all the tools you need to get through the class and do well if you just use what he gives you. He is much better than other Chemistry teachers, but do not miss the lectures!

He is very helpful when you need it however I think his tests are much harder than the work he gives us in class. If you are good at Chem this is a good class to take you won't need much help if you are bad at it make sure to read ahead of the lectures and you should be ok.

Gives very good notes but his tests are really difficult and not fair! He expects you to know every little detail. Make sure you have a little background in this subject before taking this class. Be prepared to study hard if you want to get an A!

very good lectures. very great class ONLY if ur a chem major. otherwise ull surely be eating, sleeping, and craping chemistry for the rest of the semester. he expects u to have no life. starts his lectures BEFORE "internet time". more than 3/4 of the students drop by the end of sem.

Great professor hard howeverf he really caresabout his students and wants you to pass

The most helpful teacher I've had. Urges you to ask questions. VERY ORGANIZED AND DETAILED with lectures. Expects alot because he gives alot of himself. If you do your part, you'll do well (he is hard but a B or A is possible, depends on your character). If you want to learn, TAKE HIM! If you want an easy A take someone else. He's for serious ppl!

He is very thorough and clear, but his grading policies are ridiculous. You can do great on an exam except for 1 question and its over. Labs are the same. Nice guy but I would take someone else.

Yes, he expects a lot from his students but let's face it, this is a hard subject. He's very knowledgeable, fair, and energetic. He admits that he teaches at a UC level expectation but this is GOOD if you want to master the subject and are willing to actually put some effort in. If you want to really KNOW chem then take him, but don't expect easy A

Take good notes, do all the homework, be careful, ask questions, be serious, don't expect easy A. He's a very good professor I've ever taken.

Professor Lavalle is the best! I don't understand why his reviews are so bad.. If you study really hard, you'll learn more in this class than in any other class, but you HAVE to study. So if you're looking for an easy A, this one isn't it. If you're looking to learn a LOT about chemistry and get prepared for Chem 11, then this is your class :]

Great teacher. Clear lectures. great attitude. Don't listen to the Chem11 students, because he didn't even teach chem11 for fall 08.(check schedule yourself!) He keeps lectures focused on the material with minimal "personal" injections. Provides plenty of resources. He is strict on sig figs, but chem is precise. We're not measuring roads here.

dr. lavallee knows what he's doing! he expects alot from his students but it's also an intense course! he is very clear about what will be on the exams, homework will only help your grade, but he grades the labs like a nazi! he offers alot of his time to help his students and genuinely seems to want everyone to do well. prepare to study!

Richard is my favorite teacher and I find his class very helpful. He knows material very good, and his lectures are full of information that you might need to study for tests. Well, my suggestion is that if you care about learning chemistry and not running for a good grade without an effort , he is your teacher!!!

He is a great teacher. if you really want to learn chemistry take his class other ways you better think about someone else.

He is a very good teacher. explains thing very clearly, gives very good notes on the board and clarifies everything. He is always open to questions which helps a lot. After all this effort he makes, he expects us to be perfect. Homework is online and very helfpful conceptually. He has 5 exams in total. good luck!

The class moved pretty quickly, so don't take it if you want to kick back because its not that kind of class. However, Dr. Lavallee is pretty laid back, willing to help, and fairly flexible. He's a bit of a hard grader but he's a nice guy and he really knows his stuff.

Awesome Prof! I was scared of Chem, but got an A because he is so helpful, brilliant and fair. He is tough and a hard tester but knows how to teach Chem so you learn it! Best prof at SMC so far...

To succeed in Lavalee's class: Attend & RECORD every class. Memorize what he asks BY the end of the week. Read every chapter & COMPLETE EVERY PROBLEM after the chapter before Lavalee speaks on it. Complete the prelab the DAY it's assigned. Bug the professor to post webassign ASAP & then do it the day it's available. This may take 30 hours per week.

i'll have to admit, i miss his class the most. Awesome teacher and very nice too. Pretty challenging class however, but he wants us, students to succeed.. so PLEASE study. If he's doing his job, why not us?

This is a very challenging class but if u put effort you'll get a good grade..you have to do the readings but his lectures make so simple..he's very organized when it comes to his lectures and are crystal clear..if you're ready to work hard this is ur kind of teacher..he's very helpful though

Nice guy, easy course. He taught it pretty well and I feel like I have a very solid understanding of the basic chemistry concepts

he is a very good professor. like it is said below he is very organized with his lectures and is crystal clear on the material being taught. Simply paying attention during lectures, completing the aleks activities, and showing up for class will almost guarantee you a satisfactory grade.

He is a great teacher.He brings a different twist to his explanations that complement reading the textbook wonderfully. I definitely would recommend him even though you have to put in a lot of time preparing and studying.

dr. lavallee is the best teacher at smc! he is very consistent with his exam questions and grading system. he is very fair and answers all questions thuroughly. he offers alot of his time to help. you MUST come to class EVERY lecture, study hard and do all the homework! i got an A but i've never worked so hard before. wish he taught chem 11

what a wonderful teacher! hated chemistry, but he made it enjoyable. he is a hard grader, so be prepared to work your butt off. worth it if you are interested in actually learning something. wish i could take more classes with him. he is amazing!

A great teacher that always goes that extra mile. Very friendly and so incredibly helpful. Challenging class, so be prepared to work hard. Privately tutored who ever needed extra help during his office hours. Not an easy class (!) but you do learn a lot. SMC is lucky to have him.

I'm a 28 yr old new college student. Great Professor & nice guy. This class is fast pace & difficult. Prof. Lavallee outlines very clearly of what is required from each student from the start. Follow these simple guidelines & you'll be fine. A lot of work, but you actually learn a lot. I'll be taking his CHEM 11 class next term.

Great class Great class, though he si pretty strict. The class is not hard, but he pay more attention on whether the students have a correct and good study attitude, so u'd better go class not to late,especially the lab,and ask his more question. He is the best teacher. His class will teach u how to study science courses good,not just chemistry.

Lavallee is a great Prof. He teaches from his heart. I definitely recommend to take him, got an A, but its hard to get it if you don't take notes. Very strict, come on time don't forget your goggles. He made me LOVE Chemistry.

Not an easy teacher, but definitely very thorough. He'll push you to really know your chemistry, but his tests can be a bit tricky - not hard, though. He's very fast-paced and expects all work to be done A.S.A.P.

I took this Prof in Fall 09. Im in chem11 right now (sprng10)and feel very prepared. Lavallee wasn't easy, but it is paying off right now. A lot of work, but he gives you opportunities to thro away one exam, quiz & lab to improve your grade! No excuses, so put in the effort and you get A/B

Great teacher. Very passionate about Chemistry and makes it interesting. Most students found his tests difficult but if you read the textbook and study lecture notes you should do fine.

Great professor, but also a very hard one. His test do not come from the hw or from the book, and it's why his test can be difficult, but he does provide you with a lot of examples & previous test that will prepare you. You really have to work hard for your A. He will DEFINITELY prepare you for Chem11! A great class for science majors indeed!

Very fair, humble professor, excited about chemistry. Strict grader on labs/pre-labs, so make sure you get all your sig.figs correct. Come loaded with questions!

I am in my last week of the winter session in chem 11 and i absolutely love this class. Although you are required to learn most of the material yourself, he is always available to help you fully understand any concepts. He is a really tough grader but I promise if you take this class you will master it. He leaves you no choice.wish he taught chem12

I just finished the class, I barely got an A, but it was the toughest class I have taken at smc. If you enjoy chemistry I can't think of a better professor to take. Dr. Lavallee is a tough grader, and a great lecturer. I never find myself bored in his class. If you want an easy A, don't even show up the first day, because you are wasting your time.

This was a very difficult and challenging class..i went home and did a million practice problems everyday. The webassign hw should help a lot. if you study the tests he puts on the website and REALLY apply yourself, you can pass. GET TO CLASS ON TIME! or risk getting grade dropped. do prelabs carefully. helpful at office hours. I got an A!

Honestly, little bit challenging class; however, he prepares you for any other chem classes. I have taking chem 11, but I feel like I'm taking review class. BTW he grades lab report pretty hard. So, good luck with that.

He's pretty strict and can be a bit condescending, but I'm now in Chem11 and feel super prepared. Prob not the person to take if you don't need more than Chem10. Put in the work and you can get the grade you want. I messed up on the tests, but got all the Labs and HW correct-got a B in the class. Could have gotten an A if I tried harder. Recommend.

I understand everything in his practice exam. But it turned out bad grade on the real exam. Real exam is hard, and he will pick small details to deduct your point. Lab is also overwhelming. He deduct my points vary from forgot goggle, late for 5 mins in class, wear sandal...he will deduct for 3 points and each lab is only worth 10 points. :(

His class isn't necessarily easy, but if you do your work and study, you'll pass! I definitely had to dedicate a lot of time to get my A. He is an excellent lecturer in my opinion, and definitely the best science teacher I have ever had. Any tips? Stay ahead of the lectures by reading the chapters before the lesson!

Can be intimidating to those who are easily intimated and are unsure of themselves...have some faith in yourself and take his class...you will learn something and if you get to know him the class becomes that much more enjoyable...ps dont disrupt his class...he is old school when it comes to resepct...which i agree with

I'm not sure why this professor has such low ratings. He's very enthusiastic and clear about his lecture. He encourages his students to frequently ask question. His exams are on point with his lecture. The only problem with this professor is how strict he grades the lab.

Very Hard class! He is clear and thorough but you have to do the studying!He is very intimidating but ask him questions and he will answer. The lectures are interesting and helpful sometimes fun but his tests are so dang hard! If you are planning to take this class make sure you are serious and don't slack off!

LOVE HIM but he is HARD. doesn't joke about how much you have to study. I'm an A student and received a B, but that was my fault. always available during office hours and will answer ANY question you have and is VERYYYYYY helpful. I'd retake him again if I needed another Chem class even knowing how hard of a teacher he is.

While Lavallee is one of the more difficult professors, he is incredible thorough. You MUST attend lectures and labs if you want to receive a good grade. I also highly recommend reading through the chapters BEFORE he lectures on them, and maybe once more after you have received instruction as this will really help to solidify the material.

Lavallee tells you at the beginning of course to read chapters before class, so you will not go in and see material for the first time. Exams are fair. To pass exams, you must show thorough knowledge of material. He is pretty strict about sig figs.

As everyone is saying, the class is HARD, but impassable? No. I know some people who got an A (I, of course, wasn't one of them). You have to be seriously committed and not slack off. Read the book, do the practice problems, do the homework, and show up to class!!! Be consistent, overall. As a professor he can be really strict (really strict!)

Honestly, the comments about him being a hard teacher are probably from people who expected a chem class to be easy, and chemistry is not easy. I've taken chemistry classes at university level didn't do that well, that's why I'm at SMC, but I can honestly say that I'm learning more from Lavallee than I ever did at the UC I went to. Just study.

Moves fast and assumes prior chem knowledge. Our section was at least a chapter ahead of other sections of Chem 10. Feels like he is mostly presenting information and not so interested in whether the class is actually understanding the material. About two-thirds of the class dropped. Really uses online homework as a grading crutch. Very accessable

I had Lavallee for Chem 10 and found he was a very fair professor. The lectures are indeed very fast, but still manageable. The exams are very tough, but if you pay attention in lecture and practice at home you should do fine. If you're stuck, ask him questions and he will help you out. Very supportive teacher and I highly reccomend his class.

Pushed me academically & inspired me to pursue a science major This is my favorite class so far. He may come off as rude but he from what I can tell it's just a miscommunication. He is very passionate about helping students. Very open to answering Qs once you get over thinking he is intimidating. Not an easy A, but very possible. Loved the class

People don't give him the credit he deserves. Chemistry is tough. He is very clear on what you need to go over, he is a harsh grader, but if you are putting in the time to study, you will be just fine. He tells you from the beginning that it will be a tough course, and to read the chapter before coming to class and again after. Nice guy, though!

Friendly and clear. Tough grader but not unfair. If you prove something is wrong he will correct. Does not ridicule anyone and encourages questions at all times. As a business major, loved the class. PAY ATTENTION and study! Chem is mostly logical stuff once the tools are learned. He is always available to help. No late work accepted! Very strict.

Yes, he's hard. Chemistry is a hard subject overall. I had him in an accelerated session and I thought he was a great professor. He knows his stuff. Don't take him if you aren't too familiar with prior material because, like any college professor, he expects you to either know it or learn it if you're unsure. You have to study and show up to class.

Great professor. After taking his class I wanted to major in chemistry. He is tough, but it is a 5 unit STEM course. He prepared me EXTREMELY well for chem 11/12/chemistry research courses. He may come off as condescending but that's not his true nature. Went to office hours and he is very helpful and caring. Not an easy A class, but worth it.

Professor Lavallee's classes are tough, and he can sometimes be a bit hard on students. But you will gain a solid ground for chem if you just can keep up with him. Solve all of the practice problems, and attend office hours! He will help you a lot if you just reach out to him. He is great for people who are a bit of an overachiever/loves challenges

You will fail exams if you don't do the extra practice he provides. Watch ALL the lectures and take notes. My best advice is to attend office hours and do all the extra practice. This professor gives no extra credit but he will drop the lowest exam, lab and 3 HWs. If you are not willing to put in some effort, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS.

On the first day of class, Dr. Lavallee made it clear that this class would require between 20-5 hours a week to do well in this self-paced class. It's a large workload of learning the material, doing 80 or so questions a week, and taking the occasional exam. I was able to communicate with the professor and ask any question via email.

He kindly answers students' questions. The lecture is not difficult, and if u do ur homework and tests carefully, u can get A. He checks only the highest HW and Lab, and also he gives three chances to do HW!!

Keeping it simple. Chemistry is hard.. This class is hard.. But if you actually put in some work and do his homework assignments, and his practice problems which are all online, with answer keys. You will honestly do fine. I havent taken classes in 10 years. Coming back to this course was scary.. but because of him i actually understand chemistry.

I LOVE this class. If you're going to take Chem 10 as just a requirement, then I probably wouldn't take him because this class is difficult. On the other hand, if you are going to pursue chemistry, then I couldn't imagine a better professor to take. I feel so prepared for my future in chemistry because I took this class.