tests on ez end of fair and not saying that b/c i did well (i didn't),always encouraged attending office hrs and always helpful,no curve b/c class overall was avg. but class success depends on u

Dr. Castellano is awesome. Hilarious guy, and he DOES care how well you do. His tests are fair, and he gives partial credit on everything, AND curves. I have no idea what these kids are talking about. I dont think you could get a better teacher.

At the beginning, it was easy material and he went slow.He had to catch up & went fast on the hard stuff.Organic is hard no matter who your have so make flash cards & dont get behind on the hw.He did curve the tests and class a lot.Take him.

Seems to think you should know all the material before coming to class.... instead of actually TEACHING!??

he is a great teacher, his tests are very straight forward. i don't know what the first guy is talking about, he curves huge points, he gave a 20 pt curve on a test that was difficult. 20 pts!!!! he is really down to earth and very funny. best teacher!

Very clear! He goes at the perfect pace. Of course the class is hard cuz it's organic, but he teachs it very well. Tests are very relevent to the material he teaches. Also, very funny. Mentions alcohol a lot :). THis is the best organic teacher at this university.

Dr. C is a good prof. Organic is tough! He teaches u everything u need to know on exams, sometimes with some extra things the book doesnt mention. he is probably harder than the rest of the orgo profs... but u learn alot if u study hard and come to class.. He is funny and a nice guy. STUDY!!!

Dr. Castellano is awesome!! He is really funny and is very clear in lecture. He moves at the perfect pace and doesn't put anything on the exams to trick you....you just have to study and keep up with the material on your own, but he encourges you to do so! Awesome Awesome!

Probably your best bet for an organic teacher at uf. His tests are fair and he's a good teacher but the material is just really hard!

Organic is a very hard class by nature, but I think Castellano is your best bet if you really want to learn the material. The tests are kinda rough, but he doesn't throw on really random exceptions or anything to try to mess you up. If you do all the homework he assigns and actually understand it, you shouldn't have a problem.

Dr. Castellano is a badass. He is a good teacher and is very clear when presenting lectures. Organic is tough and you have to put your own time in too but he provides practice exams and is more than willing to help if you have questions. Returns graded papers faster than I've ever seen.

Good teacher. Very clear in lecture. He is funny and does TRY to come off as a nice guy. Unfortunately he is kind of rude to people who ask questions (allbeit some were stupid ?'s). Never went to office hrs probably b/c i was intimidated but i hear he really helps there. Responds quickly to emailed questions. No EC. No HW. easy quizes TOUGH EXAMS!

Great professor and funny. Delivers the material in an easy to understand way but does not baby you through it. Tests are somewhat tough but put in the time and they should be no problem... He gives relevant practice tests, so use them.

He is a very funny guy... reminds me of Adam Corolla. The tests are not bad if you actually study and put some time into it... use his practice tests and do the assigned problems in the book. Organic is a class that you HAVE to put the time in no matter who the professor is. His notes are very straightforward and easy to understand.

Awesome prof- funny, easy to understand, clear notes...of course it's a hard class but it's not as painful when the professor's a nice guy.

He's a nice guy but he does make it tough on the tests, but hey I would make it tough too if I was a hot shot out of MIT. Good for him.

He's probably the best organic teacher at UF. He is picky with stereochemistry but gives fair tests. He likes to ask some concepts on tests too to make sure you know what you're doing. Take him if you can.

Absolutely amazing orgo prof. I retook organic I to take it with him. Go to office hours. Do the practice problems. REVIEW HIS NOTES for the tests. If you do all of these, you will do great in his class. Organic is hard material, but Castallano helps you to really understand it.

I was lucky enough to get into this professor's class and I'm glad I did. He is definitely one of the best professors to have for organic and he's pretty funny. His exams are hard, but if you do his practice exams they help a lot. Plus he curves according to the average in the class which is always good. Practice as many problems as you can!

Great Professor. Clear and prepares you well for the difficulty of his tests. Make sure to do the practice tests he provides.

Great teacher, he's the one to take. I just think he's kind of sketchy and vague about his grading.

Very effective teacher. However, just going to class is not enough - you need to do all the assigned problems to get an A in this class. Helpful at office hours. Definately the teacher to take.

He's a nice guy, cracks a few jokes at the beginning of class to lighten the mood. Gives a pretty good curve, although like someone else said he's kinda sketchy with grades, esp. final curve which he didn't post. If you have questions about problems, etc. email him too because he seriously replies with lightening speed. Take him if you can!

Go to class, take notes, do the practice problems once a week and maybe once more before an exam => A. I also made notecards for the final and got Schanz's packet of 5 exams for more practice. An "A" is usually 20 points above the average. Good prof, and good luck!

A really good professor. His lectures are clear and he's always available to help in office hours. Just do everything he tells you to do, i.e. study a lot, do all the homework problems (some more than once), do the practice tests...This isn't an easy class, but Castellano makes it bearable.

The class was easy, and Castellano was a decent lector. I got an A.

Dr. Castellano is very clear in what is required performance wise. The additional practice questions he provides prepare you well for his exams. He is very fair. I do not agree with the post below. His personal touch with (1-3 minutes of non-organic discussion per lecture) really meant a lot to me. I wish there were an Organic III with him.

The guy knows his stuff. He is a brilliant chemist, but he's HARD. Prepare to work your butt off. He's helpful to an extent, but you can tell he gets annoyed when he thinks someone has "stupid" question. I'm not sure of my grade yet. I had a B all semester, but I thought the final pretty much sucked.

Very clear, very funny, very helpful. It's organic chem, so it's never easy, but he must be one of the better teachers, b/c I understood everything. Posts notes online, and adds stuff he forgot in lecture, so read the online notes. I lost the book midway through and still got an A. He's harsh on chirality, though. Be specific on tests etc.

Enjoyed his lecturing style. Tests were a bit difficult, but that's expected for orgo. Held office hours 3 times a week. He slightly changes the curve for the grade ranges, but he said our group did better than he usually expects. I'd recommend him for orgo.

For Orgo 1, he made everything as clear as possible. Exams are VERY fair. The time constraints on the exams is what causes most people fall into the classic bell curve. Very helpful outside of class. Tip: Keep up with recommended homework. As with any Orgo class it's non-stop studying. WILL BE TAKING HIM FOR ORGO 2 :)

BEST ORGANIC CHEM TEACHER AT UF! im no chem whiz but he was very easy to understand & made it clear what he expected. very straightforward, no tricks. posts old tests very similar to actual test and curves generously. did not give C- grades! was so scared of this class but got a B+. must still study hard but he is the fairest teacher ive had at UF!

I ended with a C. It's obviously not what I wanted but I can't complain. Read the chapters to clarify things you don't understand and DO the homework problems. The more practice you do, the more you remember. This class requires a lot of memorization. Just don't wait until the last day like I always did.

Excellent Teacher and Class. I had to Withdraw because of personal reasons, and the tests were really difficult. I had him for Orgo 1 before and for Orgo 2 it was way more difficult, as with every Orgo 2 class. He's definitely a good teacher, would take him again if I could.

Good lecturer, but his exams were quite difficult. He curves, but it wasn't really enough for me. Still don't understand how his grading system works.

I had to drop this class but in all honesty, he was a good professor. He really knows his stuff and gives extremely good notes. It's your choice whether you want to do well in the class. His grade is based on OWL and Exams, which is pretty simple compared to other professors. However, I was not as smart as others and never got the average :(

even though all of his lecture notes are online, it's helpful to attend his classes; his notes can be ambiguous unless you're there with him as he explains them. i put a lot of studying into this course, but got an A. had portmess last semester and dropped it,i couldn't stand the way he taught. Great teacher. highly recommend him!

Definitely requires studying (like any orgo class will) but not too bad. He explains things well in class and posts lecture notes online with added info. Study, do the problems he recommends and you should be fine.

I put a 5 for easiness, because for orgo his class will be the easiest to do well in with what he provides you: his notes online, credit for work in owl most semesters, help in office hours give insight on what to expect on the test from his notes and practice problems. Tests are all he taught in class

Excellent course, very fair exams, reasonable attention to detail. Very helpful outside of class. Encouraging. Occasional wry sense of humor, but takes the course very seriously. Lectures really clarified content in the book; I recommend reading the book and starting the OWL problems before he lectures on it. Made organic much less intimidating.

Castellano is probably the easiest orgo teacher at UF. His notes are crystal clear and all posted online. He posts 2 practice exams before each exam and they're extremely similar to the tests. Put in some work and an A will follow

Castellano's exams were extremely fair. When I attended classes, he was helpful with the understanding of the material. If you do not attend class then Tutoring zone is a MUST. He provides the students with practice exams which pretty much mimic the exams he gives. DO THE BOOK PROBLEMS! good luck!

Dr. Castellano is one of the best orgo teachers I have ever met. He writes down his notes in class and then posts them online, so don't worry if you miss a class. But like all orgo classes, make sure you stay up on top of everything! He moves fast, but the way he explains is very clear. He may seem boring but he's actually really funny

He was a great teacher but You have to work... ORGO is HARD in general. His notes where very clear and concise ... good luck

Castellano is the fairest and undoubtedly the most helpful of the orgo 1 teachers that UF offers. His notes are clear and concise and since he posts them online, you don't need to worry if you miss a class. Study Edge weekly reviews are a must for his class and definitely will push students from a B into the A range.

Funny guy, good lecturer, straight-foward, clear notes. Study edge helps a lot too.

Don't take if you just want a good grade. The exams are tougher than those of other professors because you have to apply general knowledge in ways that you probably never thought of before taking the exam. Knowledge isn't enough; practice is essential. Dr. Castellano is deceptively engaging with a dry sense of humor. Take him if you want to learn!

There's a reason they put him in charge of the majors-only section. He's an okay lecturer in the sense that lectures aren't terrible. Went to class 5 times the whole semester and ended up with a decent grade. Exams are very difficult. I studied a week straight for the final and ended up with a C on it. My overall % was a 74% which was a B+.

Really enjoyed this class. Though lectures aren't mandatory, I really enjoyed going to class, and learned a ton from lectures even though I never took notes (he posts all of his notes online). Exams are pretty hard but the grading scale is fair. The material for Orgo 2 is obviously difficult, but i really learned what OChem is in this class.

Castellano is a clear, thorough lecturer with a great sense of dry humor. He posts all his notes online, but go to class if you want tips for the exams. He's a fair grader but not an easy A, definitely use Study Edge to bump you up! It made the difference between letter grades for me.

His lecture notes are very organized and easy to follow. He constantly reminds students to go to his office hours so be sure to take advantage of them. I did not use Study edge and I don't know if it would help. He also provides in-text questions. The tests have a lot of questions in only 50 minutes. Class grade is based on a curve.

Class is solid. He has a dry sense of humor that grows on you.

Castellano is probably your best choice for orgo 1 or 2. His lecture notes are super organized and really straight forward, and he always posts them after class, The tests have a lot of material, but if you know your stuff you should be fine. Grade is curved based, and I would definitely recommend study edge to help you!

Super fair professor and the best bet for passing Orgo. His lectures are clear and organized, and he posts the notes online. His tests are fair and similar to the practice exams. The class is very memorization-heavy and you need to start studying way in advance. I didn't use SE, but I did a lot of textbook practice problems and made reaction maps.

Castellano is very straight forward and understanding. He writes his own notes which are posted online as well (I suggest still going to class though.) Show up to class, ask questions, and do the assigned (optional) chapter problems. The exams were fair for the most part. The only hard exam was the final because it is cumulative.

Definitely give straightforward explanations. Grades are based on test scores. Read, use study edge, study every week (even every day), do all the textbook problems. I really put in some time and had an average of 90% on his exams. When you truly understand the material, it becomes easy. Yes, you will expect some salty pre-med get weed out. STUDY!!

Dr. Castellano is funny and a great lecturer. Contrary to what others have said, understanding the concepts is the key to an A. I ended up with an A- but dramatically improved my test scores (from B- on the first exam to A on the 4th exam and final) by exposing myself to many practice problems from textbook and study edge. His tests are fair.

Absolutely awesome guy. Literally do every StudyEdge review and every problem Study Edge gives you and review his notes from class. Got above a 90 on every exam including the final doing that, and I am not a great test taker. Just stay ahead and things aren't confusing or overwhelming. Castellano is the man and lectures are helpful.

He is great! He has good lectures and is very welcoming for people to come to his office hours. It is a challenging class but he makes it clear that if you read the textbook (which is a great book, it explains everything super well) and do the homework problems, you will do well, even without study edge! Just practice and keep up with the material

He used TopHat to encourage attendance, but he didn't use it often. I used Study Edge so I didn't really use the textbook. He's a nice guy and tries to be funny. I think his exams are fair.

Orgo 1 is always heard to be a hard class, but Dr. Castellano made it extremely manageable. Make sure to do lots of practice and do his practice exams they help so much. If you put the effort in youll get a good grade

Professor Castellano made my orgo experience better than I anticipated, being that its such a difficult class. His lectures were very concise and to the point, and his exams were straightforward and similar to the practice exams that he gave. I didnt find his office hours to be the most helpful, but he is approachable and will answer any question

Dr. Castellano is easily the best online professor I have ever had. While his lectures alone are not enough to give a complete understanding of the material (read the book), he is thorough and makes sure that you understand it. He makes a great effort to ensure that you understand not just how, but why, so that you don't have to memorize as much.

Take the for majors course. He is very reasonable compared to regular orgo and its clear he wants you to succeed. Hes obviously passionate about chemistry and its nice to have a professor whose engaged by the material

Dr. Castellano is an excellent professor for the Orgo for majors 1 and 2 sections. He delves into mechanisms whenever it's reasonable to do so and emphasizes developing an intuition for reactions and using reasoning to help you memorize less. His exams are difficult, but they were graded on in a way that made it feasible to get a B or higher.

Dr. Castellano is my favorite teacher. You can tell that he genuinely wants you to succeed. He is an amazing lecturer who explains things thoroughly and clearly. In CHM2212, Dr. Castellano will teach you a millions different things in an easily digestible and entertaining way, which is something not many orgo professor can claim to do.

Watch the lectures and read the textbooks and you will do well in this class. The exams are extremely similar to his practice exams so as long as you have a good idea about those you should be fine for the tests.

Legit the best professor I have had at UF. His class really is not that hard compared to the other orgo classes and his ability to explain mechanisms and what to expect on tests was clear and easy to follow. He kept it simple and made sure the information on the exams was clearly covered in class.

I had Dr. Castellano for CHM2212 and CHM2213. He's so passionate about Organic Chemistry and is super clear in his lectures. Although the content was hard, I felt that he emphasized what was important and gave good resources for doing well on the exams.