3.1
Quality4.1
Difficulty46%
Would Retake85
Reviews46%
Would Retake
85
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
30
4
11
3
10
2
16
1
18
What Students Say
“There are no lectures”
CHEM481 - 2.0 rating“This was the worst class I have ever taken”
CHEM481 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
56%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
105
5.0
(1)BIO105
4.0
(1)CHEM105
3.7
(38)SCI200
3.5
(2)CHEM481
3.0
(28)Difficulty by Course
BIO481
4.5
CHEM481
4.5
BIO105
4.0
SCIE200
4.0
SCI200
4.0
Reviews (85)
Great guy, teachs well. Homework and labs are easy. Tests are difficult. read material at least two times. Good sense of humor. does not require attendance but if you want a good grade Go. Basically study hard for the tests. Overall great class!
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He is a very helpful teacher, made class very interesting. pop-quizes in class(not hard). Problem sets from the book were assigned. 5 tests, 6 w/final. Expected to read the book, but he was very interested in the success of students. Spent 1-2 hours a day studying +more for tests. Tests hard but doable. Helpful, always there for questions. got a A-
Very good at helping students individualy. Also very flexible, tries to accomidate for teaching errors. Such as, if he feels that the whole class isnt getting it he'll try and rectify for that.
Very difficult class. The average on tests for the entire class ranged from 55-75, mostly on the lower of the two. Makes you question the teacher when the whole class struggles consistently. He's a nice guy and he knows the material but expect to do poorly the way the class is set up.
Not a good teacher at all. He truly struggles in class as he merely reads the captions under the pictures in the book in class. Does not explain well and his tests are extremely difficult. I expected a difficult class and study between 20-25 hours per week and at times still struggle. Avg on test was usually 50%. Look elsewhere.
Hard class. Even worse teacher. Material is helpful for future endeavors in medical field but the teachers tests do not match the material he attempts to teach in class.
There is homework every night, but it is quite easy. Give yourself 100% and you will be okay, even if you don't understand. Which he doesn't care if you do. There is too much group work. Seems like he wants to share his opinion but doesn't want yours. I always get confused about what's going on and he just says look at the slides. Monotone.
worst teacher ever, he stumbles through lecture and makes no sense. his tests are ridiculous and do not reflect what he attempts to teach. He is more useless outside the class room, refusing to help students and being down right rude. He's the only one who teaches this though, so if you need the class, I'm sorry.
Great Class! No doubt one of the most challenging classes at the school. Average is usually 65-70%. Don't worry the class average in the end is about a B. So it is not like you get stuck with that C or D. He just wants you to put in your best effort. Great teacher if you understand anything about BIOCHEMISTRY. Dont worry you will survive!
No matter what teacher you get, this class is ridiculously hard. But Ruebush's way of teaching it is nice, he uses great analogies in class & posts prepare assignments which make a difference. Read the assigned reading, do all the problems & study like mad. Still got a B, but chemistry is something I can't comprehend but now understand better.
Great teacher. very helpful outside of class, and always willing to help. Sometimes in class the material is a little unclear but just ask questions and he will explain.
GOOD GUY
Bro. Ruebush is my favorite teacher. Looks like a nerd but really isn't. His classes are fun, he jokes around and really teaches well. He doesn't assign homework but I would suggest doing it. His grade consists of only Tests/Quizzes/Labs so prepare for those. I enjoyed him and would have him again if he taught 106.
He is extremely boring. When he would discuss and explane something it was difficult to follow. Uses power points (lame) for EVERY class. When I asked him for help he would explane the concept the same way as the first time which DID NOT help. He is also pretty goofy. Over all, not recommended.
Ruebush is the man. He knows his stuff, and is always willing to help clarify misunderstandings.
Tough class. Great teacher. Makes you push yourself academically.
He is very funny and the class is enjoyable. He doesn't go very in depth and the homework is often new material. The homework is not graded, and thus gets put at the bottom of my priority list. Unfortunately all the questions on the tests come from the homework and if you don't understand it, it kills your grade.
This guy is a really nice tea her and knows his stuff, sadthing is though he makes his tests hard to understand and way harder than any of the homework he gives. His labs are fun, but quizes are also very difficult to know what he actually wants, make sure you bug him about ANYTHING you don't understand, He takes weeks to grade anything turned in.
Energy in the 21st Century is THE hardest class I have ever taken. Lots of math involved and equations. It's very difficult to find the information I need to solve a problem. The tests are super hard. He let us retake the first test with our notes and everything on I-Learn. All the answers were difficult, if not impossible to find.
Bro Ruebush is very far and is willing to help in any way that he can. He is an awesome teacher for this class!
This was the hardest foundational class I have taken. It is more of a math class than anything else. So many equations to memorize and a little bit of reading material. I still hardly understand about the class material. Most of what is taught will never be used by anyone outside of a scientific field of study.
Most likely he's your only choice for Biochemistry, but he's an awesome teacher. Funny, insanely smart, always willing to help you with the essay question. If you get 100% on the short, daily quizzes you get extra credit points for the test. The class is hard, but it's Biochem's fault, not Bro. Reubush's!
This class was challenging but all the resources necessary to succeed were available. He will help you in his office. Funny, nice and he CARES. You can get an A if you read and study and do the homework. 1-2 hours a day and you'll be fine. Plus, Bro. Ruebush is AWESOME.
Whoever commented that Ruebush is awesome... Really? Ruebush is obsessed with making everything more difficult than it is in real life, which is difficult already. He hates the availability of information and tries to keep what is expected in his class a secret because he gets off on it. Dont take him. Worst teach I have ever had.
Bro. Ruebush is awesome!! He's always willing to stay after class and answer questions on things you didn't understand or go deeper if your just curious. The only thing graded is tests and lab's. Everything else is extra credit, which if you do it all will bump you up an entire letter grade. If you are having to go further in Chemistry take him!!
Brother Ruebush is awesome! He is a tough teacher and encourages learning in the best ways, he's always available to ask questions and will explain it to you at different angles so you will understand. Only grades tests and labs, everything else is extra credit that can bump your grade up a ton! Wish he taught 106 so I could take it from him!
You get tons of opportunity for extra credit, which you will need. Chem 105 isn't a joke and it can get hard. Choose your group wisely and make sure you read the material. Ask questions and Ruebush will answer them.
Terrible! Essentially he has you read from the book, then gives your problems to solve in class and answers them, not well either. You might as well teach yourself! The tests are incredibly difficult and I swear the material isn't covered in either the reading or class. WAIT AND TAKE IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE!!!!
Bro. Ruebush is a great teacher. He is always willing to help you in and outside of class. He gives tons of opportunities for extra credit (which help tremendously). He goes over whats is going to be on the tests if you are paying attention in class. DO THE HOMEWORK!! It helps so much! you have to pay for it...but it is totally worth it!
Bro Ruebush is a great guy. He loves chemistry and knows his stuff. His Chem 105 class was incredibly difficult for a first chemistry class because he does not help you much and he isnt good at answering your questions sometimes. But if you have a good group and study with them everyday an A is possible
He is fantastic. It is a chemistry class so yes it is hard but he will bend over backwards to help you. I basically lived in his office and every day he would help answer any question and would come up with crazy analogies that you could always remember. If you doing 105 take him
This was the worst class I have ever taken. Each unit you were expected to read about 60-100 pgs of textbook and come to class and take a quiz on it BEFORE any lecture. Then, for the duration of the rest of that unit, classes would consist of "Are there any questions about what you read?" I learned practically nothing. Take it from someone else.
Chem105 is a hard class just by its very nature. However, this teacher is now using a different textbook called Chemical Thinking and it is incredibly difficult to understand. Class can be very confusing because he does not go over necessarily what we need to know or learn before a test to succeed. Choose a different teacher.
I received an A from my two previous chemistry classes and I came into class pretty confident. I am not confident in chemistry anymore. Bro. Ruebush is a fun guy, but his teaching style, which is theoretical and conceptual thinking doesn't click with my learning style. There is barely any actual computing, only theoretical questions. iRats are BAD!
Good teacher has a bad rep because he makes students do a lot of out of work class but that is how the next level will be. Awesome teacher super helpful. I would absolutely take him again. Really open with office time and is always willing to help you outside of class.
He's a great guy, and you can tell he's really into chemistry. But this class is far more difficult than it should be. This was my second time taking chem 105, and his confusing way of presenting the material made it feel like I was taking an entirely new class. Impossible to do well in this class unless you do very well on all the exams.
Brother Ruebush is a fantastic teacher, but his style is radically different than most professors. The class is structured so that you're forced to read the material before any lectures are done on that material. Then you are quizzed (for a good chunk of your grade) based on the reading. After that, he lectures on the material. He makes you earn it
Great guy, but not the greatest teacher. Requires you to read a large chunk of textbook material and learn on your own before you're tested on it (for a large part of your grade). He doesn't lecture, class is basically just him asking if we have questions from the textbook (which is impossible to read). I don't recommend taking it from him.
Worst professor ever! I have been here for 9 semesters, and never have I encountered a professor as arrogant and pompous as Shane Ruebush. Class was a joke! He never lectured, expected you to come to class having read and understood an entire chapter in 2 days well enough to be quizzed on it. Like 15 question read between the lines. Absurd! Avoid!!
This has been the most difficult class I have ever taken. Brother Ruebush is an amazing professor, with the belief that if he spoon feeds his students, they won't learn. And so, he does the opposite, he makes you work things out in your head. Beware of his labs, they are very difficult. He is hesitant to help, because he wants you to figure it out.
I really liked Brother Ruebush. His ways of teaching are WAY different from any other teacher, so adjust quickly and early on! If you want an A in this class, do the following... 1) READ the sections and COMPLETE the activity you're doing before class, this will really help you. 2) ASK questions to get him to lecture, he doesn't lecture. 3) STUDY!
You need to study outside of class.
Bro. Reubush is an excellent person, however he does not actually teach "lecture" he just gives you worksheets and asks you to learn within your group. He is always available to you in his office for questions. The only thing I really did not like about this course was the percentage of your grade that comes from exams, the final is 20%.
He is very inspirational and very spiritual. He is a great man. As a teacher, he rarely lectures. if you participate by asking questions, then he will teach. Other than that, You have to rely on your teammate's answers, Ruebush rarely gives out answers. Exams are hard, so I recommend you prepping with other resources if you are taking his class.
Brother Ruebush gives you the chance to increase your grade based on group quizzes and tests. I really wish he had lectured more. The class went: quiz on reading, three days of activities based on that reading, repeat, test. He rarely, if ever, lectured unless we asked questions. He was very willing to meet outside class, and he is a very nice guy.
Bro. Ruebush teaches very differently. It's all about group work. Little lecture. LOTS OF BOOK READING. This class really taught me how to read a text book and learn for myself, which is what we will have to do in the next level. He is very accessible outside of class and you can tell he wants you to succeed and he love this subject. GREAT GUY!
Doesn't lecture very much but forces you to learn with your classmates. He is very kind and willing to meet you after class. Make sure to look at the FIGURES in the textbook. When he does lecture make sure to pay close attention. Don't freak out, it all works out in the end. Very spiritual and knowledgeable. Good luck!
Be ready to read a ton. I hate this class so much! I majored biology major and I take this class in my last semester and absolutely hate it. You basically teach yourself. He doesn't do lecture! You need to teach yourself which I found extremely difficult. Teacher needs to teach, that is why we call them TEACHER!!!
There are no lectures. You just read the book and are quizzed over it. 10% of your final grade is awarded to you by people in your group based on your effect and participation in their eyes. Tests and quizzes are very difficult and the class is not very well organized in my opinion.
Tons of material. Read a bunch with well structured study guide, take a small preparation test, then class activities before the real test. Brother Ruebush makes it all seem so much simpler than it does in the reading and shares absolutely fascinating applications. Incredibly helpful out of class. Caution: Group projects due same time as test. A+++
He truely shows interest in his students learning, when he teaches he has passion and energy. there is a little bit of reading when preparing for the REXs tests but there is only 5-6 test in the whole semester. if you show up to class and participate it really isnt to bad of a class. i learned a quite a bit.
This class is not easy so if you aren't serious about learning or don't know how to study from a textbook, learn now so you can excel in this class. I highly recommend taking BIO 180, 375 (genetics), 376 (Cell Bio), and 377 (lab for Biochemistry) before taking this class. It will make your life much easier. Class is hard but it is possible
Ruebush never teaches!!! Start semester on Monday, read 100 pg's of textbook for unit 1A before Friday, take super specific quiz on said reading. Spend next week in groups (not being taught!) working on 1A hw - but don't forget to read up (another 100 pg's) on 1B for Friday. Repeat until semester is over adding in regular unrelated tests.
Bro. Reubrush rocks. He leads a good class and has it set up so that you learn a little on your own and practice everything in class. He's very nice and funny, and always has time for out of class visits. All the reviews made it sound like there weren't any good chem teachers but this is a super good class, very easy to get a good grade.
This class was weird. I am a Chem major and I did all of the bio myself. It was tough. But I went into his office like twice a week. He is a great teacher but doesn't lecture.. such a waste. you read everything then take a quiz, then do activities that discuss principles. then the test. It was hard to know what he wanted. Hardest A- of my life.
I don't see the point in coming to his class except quizzes. His group work is a waste of time at best, and you don't learn during class because he only asks for questions. But he's an incredible teacher--if he would teach!!! Only one class has been useful, and it was because he decided to teach from a student's question then continued teaching.
Bro Ruebush gets a lot of crap going against conventional teaching methods (aka lecturing) and it is because no one is used to a flip class style. He leaves the basic understanding for you to get from the textbook, and then helps you with more complicated application in class. It takes work but he is there to help if you go to him & the tutor.
This is team based learning which really is helpful to your grade if your team stays motivated. People who dont like it concern me considering that is how life works. Dr. Ruebush does a FANTASTIC job at explaining and all you have to do is ASK. He will not lecture until you ask him questions, so do it if you need it. Youll do great.
Absolutely loved the class. His teaching style made me take responsibility for my understanding of the material. Learning that degree of ownership in my academic studies helped me tremendously to not only do well in his class but all of my other remaining courses. One of the coolest professors to ask question to. Gets excited about your curiosity.
Its taken me a while to get around to writing this since I took his class a year ago. His classroom setup makes more sense if you read the book Make It Stick. The issue isnt that he doesnt lecture, or makes you do quizzes.. The issue is that he introduces unnecessary difficulties into the learning process through his vagueness.
Everything was done in groups and it makes grading take longer, but boosts your grade. Everyone gets put in even-knowledged groups. Biochem feels more like a biology than chemistry course. His course teaches you to absorb the textbook. Watch AK Lectures on Youtube to also help learn the course info. He offers EC. He's a good guy. Teach yourself.
He was a good guy, he knows his stuff. However, he lacks in his ability to thoroughly explain concepts in class. His tests go by the text book, but some of us really rely on lecture to clarify difficult to understand concepts. How can we ask questions when sometimes we don't know what we don't know?
Brother Ruebush is so eager to be helpful! He's always accessible through email & before/after class. He gives out preparation assignments before class, and during class, you go over the prep. assignments with him and in a group he puts you in. Tests are taken individually, but there's also a group test after the individual. Groups rate each other.
Studying/learning is basically all on your own. He may have read these midway through the semester as that was when he finally gave a lecture. Most times, his response to students' questions is to look it up themselves; I understand he wants us to learn, but also he's also paid to help us in that process, but just expect to do it all on your own
The worst thing about this class is that the teacher gives you zero expectation of what he expects you to know. Refuses to lecture. Any obscure fact in the book is fair game. Just you and a book and a prayer. You can passes because of group work, an A is a 91%, and he curves the 5060% average on the test. Worst experience at BYUI by far. Have fun!
He is a solid choice. The curriculum is difficult, that is normal with this class. He is a good guy.
Professor Ruebush is probably one of the worst professors I have ever taken, sure, he's a smart guy, probably hired to do research, but he has no idea how to teach. He essentially tells you to read, then gives you quizzes - "IREX"s - and SUPER HARD exams based on super specific reading passages. Get ready to memorize everything in the book!
If you can learn well by yourself then this is the class for you! Bro Ruebush doesn't know how to teach in class very well and expects you to memorize every detail from the multi-chapter readings for his in-class quizzes. Honestly one of the most unpleasant classes I've ever taken. If possible I would have taken a different teacher.
My main problem with this class was that there was absolutely no lecturing. Ok, fine whatever I'll try to learn from the textbook and practicing but this makes it hard to expect what he wants you to learn and how he will test you on it. Exams didn't always reflect the "activities" ( which were worked through with other classmates during class.)
Go to someone who has taken the class (or tutor) find the rexes. Check every single alternative, go to the book and learn the paragraph where it is at. He will change the rex question but in a really smart way. Exams are passages from the rex(newly formulated) + activities. He will trick you in rexes so beware. Good guy, I liked office hours.
Ruebush really knows his stuff. Brilliant guy, but he simply does not teach the material. He also doesn't provide tools to study alone. You are seriously just on your own. Biochem is tough subject to understand from just a book. I never knew if I was even studying the right things. Total shot in the dark.
So many people say he is not a good teacher, but in my class he lectured every day and helped us with any questions we had. He was good enough to the point I felt like I should rate him and boost his rating. His grading is very forgiving, it's not an easy class but you have to expect that when the course code is above 300
He does not prepare you for exams. Most of class was doing the quiz then doing the same quiz with your group and assignments. He refused to have a tutor for the class because the tutor would give the students the answers. I went to his office hours a lot which he was very great at explaining material one on one or in a small group.
He is really a nice guy and means well but just doesn't teach in my kind of style. The only redeeming thing is that he is a forgiving grader and eventually posted lectures online. All of his in class activities didn't really do much for me. He just takes getting used to. The material isn't hard but there is so much do sift through.
Most disorganized class I have ever taken. Avoid at all costs.
The class is set up to work in groups the whole semester, rather than him lecturing the whole time. It was a good setup for me, but if you prefer the teacher to do a lot of lecturing then pick a different professor. The class is really hard but he's always available to help and has the grades that aren't tests are super easy to get 100's on
Not a terrible guy but he did not teach at all. His classes consisted of giving out worksheets and telling us to do them. The structure of the class was horrible too, the grade was determined by one pass/fail exam at the end of the course. You had to get a 90% to pass and as far as I know the majority of people in my class failed. Awful course.
Hated this class. Partially due to the chemistry department running of the course. I worked so hard and went to tutoring everyday, still wasn't good enough for the 90% pass fail test. He doesn't teach, he gives you a worksheet to figure out. Lots of ALEKS. However, he is very good at helping you during office hours. Weird but nice guy. Bad class.
Brother Ruebush is amazing! He helped me a lot throughout the semester in class and also was accessible in his office so I could stop there to ask questions all the time. Class is group work, but it wasn't bad, because if you don't understand material, ALEKS teaches you. It's a lot of work to get an A, but I think that's true of any professor.
This class is an absolute joke. The tests and homework take up so much of your time and concern that you can lose track for the rest of your classes and drop those grades. class attendance doesn't exist, everyone halfway in getting a hopeless look, and if you don't pass the final exam you will fail the class no matter what. Good luck to you dude.
With Brother Ruebush there are several things to note. With his class, where you sit is imperative because there is a lot of class work, so try to have at least someone who knows what they are doing. With Chem 105, it is 4 times a week, and my biggest tip is DO NOT GET BEHIND. Once you get behind in this class, it is impossible to catch up.
I'm honestly shocked his rating is low? Ruebush is incredible! Anything “hard” about the course is from the structure of the chem department—it's not his fault. He prepares you for the FRQ very well and the basic can be taken unlimited times. I'm often in his office and he's extremely patient and helpful every single time :) take Ruebush!
Although his other courses ratings seem a little harsh, in Chem105 - Lab, he was pretty good (I didnt take his chem105). He did some fun experiments to interest his students. He always answered questions, gave good explanations, and very laid back. The lab class is a grind and can be stressful/intense. But he always helped clear up confusion
Brother Ruebush's lectures can feel a little dense at times, but outside of class he's very approachable and excellent at explaining things in a succinct way. This class is hard, but he's a great resource when you feel you've reached a roadblock.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
56%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
105
5.0
(1)BIO105
4.0
(1)CHEM105
3.7
(38)SCI200
3.5
(2)CHEM481
3.0
(28)Difficulty by Course
BIO481
4.5
CHEM481
4.5
BIO105
4.0
SCIE200
4.0
SCI200
4.0