2.8
Quality4.2
Difficulty30%
Would Retake100
Reviews30%
Would Retake
100
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
21
4
17
3
18
2
13
1
31
What Students Say
“When you register for Chem, avoid this professor at all cost”
CHEM105 - 1.0 rating“This professor is rough”
CHEM105 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
16%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.85 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM14
4.0
(1)CHEM105
3.1
(45)106
3.0
(2)CHEM106
2.8
(41)CHEM-105
2.6
(5)Difficulty by Course
105
4.8
CHEM105
4.3
CHEM106
4.2
CHEM14
4.0
CHEM-105
3.8
Reviews (100)
He does go over problems in class and you can get plenty of assitance form the tutors but he doesn't have the best personality in the world
First off the Chem department at this school is nuts. Ott is an alright teacher. Probably one of the easier ones in the department. He emphasizes what will be on the test, though it doesn't help much (brutal tests). Don't let the cute story about his Dad's license plate fool you, he has the same thing on his (copycat ott)!
He wants to help you, better than the other chem teachers
Favors the smart kids, hates the dumb ones. Totally not fair in my book.
I love the way he lectures. A lot of hands on application. Teaches clearly and wants to make sure everybody understands. The only problem is the tests. Very difficult. Lot's of unfamiliar material on the tests.
He really doesn't have a personality. I read the ratings on him before I took this class, but though aww he can't be that bad. Well he is. His tests are hard because thay cover material that he hasn't emphasized or covered. His favorite thing to do is put the camera on the book and project it so everyone can see what he is reading.
He was a really good teacher, he explains things well.
He was a decent chemistry teacher as far as chemistry teachers go. His tests are a joke. Only 20 questions long but really REALLY hard! They contained material that he covered but spent absolutely no time emphasizing.
He has made the course as easy as possible. His quizzes are cake. Time is not an issue at all. You have ten mintues for each one-question quiz, and they are extremely predictable. The write on portion of his tests are difficult, but they are fair.
A much better professor than his counter part...Cullen! I enjoyed coming to class, and never once thought I would fail.
This class is hard no matter who you take it from. I've spoken with about 15-20 people about different chemistry teachers and I've heard Ott is the easiest. I really enjoyed him. I rarely read the book, but did one thing very well: I took incredibly good notes. I got an A in the class, and many people failed. Study for 1 hr a day & you'll succeed!
I've never felt so unprepared for a standardized final in my life. Bro. Ott throws the most random things in his tests that he doesn't even mention in class. I'd take Cullen even though he's harder, you'll actually learn the material.
Bro. Ott teaches all of his lectures from powerpoints, which I personally liked because they are made available for our use. To succeed in his class go over the powerpoints and problems a few times before the quizes and tests. I recommend Bro. Ott I got A's in 105 and 106 from him.
This class has to be the hardest class I've ever taken in my entire life. His tests are harder than the tests that the National Chemistry Board writes. It is nearly impossible to get a good grade the first time in the class. I wouldn't recommend this professor to anyone. His tests are simply to difficult.
This class is just hard but Brother Ott helps a lot! I had a B in the entire semester because of him! He is a great teacher. Sometimes he does go fast but he will slow down if asked to. He has quizzes every Monday and Friday. That is nice because it helps your grade when the tests don't go so well.
Bro. Ott is the best Chemistry teacher at the school for students that aren't going into actual Chemistry majors. This is because he explains things to you very clearly. I had never taken any chemistry classes ever and I am doing okay in this class. His tests are VERY hard but he has other assignments that you can do to boost your grade.
HARD CLASS. he goes fast and assumes you have already read the book. he's a nice guy and tries to make class fun. if you have to take it, take it from him.
This class was ridiculous. I aced this very same class in high school-learning almost no new material, and got a C+! The homework and everything was cake, but he didn't prepare you for the very different (and difficult) tests. No personality. Unfortunately, I don't have anyone to compare him with, so someone else might be better or worse.
If you need to take Chem 105 take it from Bro. Ott! He is a great teacher who explains things in ways students can understand. Chemistry is a difficult class but it is much easier if you take it from a good professor like Bro. Ott.
Like drinking from a fire hydrant, Bro. Ott uses Powerpoint only. Optional homework never really helped me and his tests are VERY hard. But, I think he's a good guy and wants you to suceed. So just be ready, I would still recommend him...
He is a fantastic teacher with clear explanations and detailed descriptions of chemistry. His tests require you to know and completely understand everything that he has taught. Homework is optional. If you are willing to study hard for the tests, you will do well.
Bro. Ott was a very rude man. He marked all my e-mails as spam. And when my mother in law was dying of cancer and I went to take care of her for a day. He was unsympathetic and didn't let me turn in any assignments. He told me that I should have foreseen it. Don't take a course from him, he obviously doesn't care.
This class was unfair, he gives ridiculously hard tests. He even admits he doesn't teach some of the material on them. He marked one of my questions that was right wrong on the test ALL THE TIME! Horrible teacher don't go near him!
Here's the thing about Ott. He gives off a vibe like he doesn't care, when he just is a little dry. He really tries to help you out. This is chemistry, the class isn't a cake walk. He is an excellent teacher, but his tests are difficult. Realize chemistry can't be memorized it has to be conceptualized. Now how to do all the hw and youll be goo
No homework required but you need the practice/info for the tests which are hard. His teaching style is good though if you want to prepare yourself for more Chemistry and the MCAT. He is a goofy guy and engages the class.
He Was a Very good teacher, but his tests were VERY hard, and he didn't curve them at all. He?s willing to help you if you go and ask. If you have bad self esteem I wouldn?t recommend this class.
Ott Was not the best Chem teacher. His tests are very hard, he does not curve, and is very picky on how he grades. He was rarely in his office during office hours and was not at all helpful to the students outside or during class. Will be re-taking this class from a more helpful teacher in the future.
Brother Ott can be really rude and sarcastic. I would not recommend him. His attitude in class was super cold- not a conducive learning environment for me.
Unforgivable testing. VERY rigorous class pace with very little explanation. Tests not accurate representation of studied material. Horrible teacher; teaches very fast but talks very slow and monotonously.
Great teacher and he really helps his students visualize concepts. However his tests are extremely hard and some problems are not a fair representation of material and homework problems discussed in class. Multiple times throughout the course, I felt that he was trying to trick his students on tests.
I liked him as a person, and as a teacher. He helped me every time I went to see him (wasn't often). His test are fine IF you take VERY good notes!!!! Notes!!! Basically, write down every thing he says.
Good Guy,except he docs a point for every question you get wrong. A quiz is 5 point might consist of 20 questions you get five wrong you get a zero on the quiz. He showed us the grades for past classes they were all F's or B's. I would only recommend him if you are an A student and are happy with getting a B other wise you will get an F.
Bro. Ott did a great job making class lectures interesting (once he brought in doughnuts to teach about the mole). However it felt like quite a bit of the stuff on the exams were not always covered in class. If you want to pass, it requires you to take and review class notes, do the homework ahead of time, ask questions, and actually read the book.
Bro. Ott's exam grading style is very subjective which from looking at my own and others scores, I would say drops each exam score by 10-15%. He took forever to return grades. On a positive note, he does give specific notes on what will be on exams. Just be aware that his definition of "showing work" is very different from other teachers.
Tests are ridiculously hard. He doesn't assign homework. Your entire grade is quizzes, tests, and labs. It's really hard to do well in his class. But you learn a lot. He's good at explaining things, but you have to listen because he doesn't repeat himself.
First of all Chem's NOT supposed to be an easy A even if it's just general chem That said hes a really good teacher he goes through all the material very thoroughly but if you dont ask questions he wont go over it more than a few times People complain about the tests being hard but if you put the time needed you can pass the tests/class easy enough
Brother Ott is a nice enough guy. He had some fun lab demo's and would make some jokes. I'd suggest taking someone else though, as his class was extremely hard. Chem is hard in general but he didn't make it any easier. Tests were extremely hard. He graded hard as well. His two quizzes he does each week were RIDICULOUS!! Study like mad in his class.
Great teacher! I had no previous chemistry knowledge and got a great grade. His class is hard but all chemistry classes are. People that say he is unfair didn't try hard enough and blame Bro. Ott. I would definitely recommend him for chem 105 or 106!
I love Brother Ott! His class is hard but very manageable. He has a great sense of humor that makes the class really fun! He's great!
He seems nice, but very unreasonable and very hard to deal with. His tests also go over things you barely covered that he expects you to remember. I am someone who usually gets a's in classes and studied hard for each test and no matter how hard I tried I'd fail.
This professor is rough! For those of you who appreciate prayers in class, he doesn't. If there was ever a class I wanted to pray in, it'd be this one and we couldn't. Confusing, unreasonable, definitely meeting a quota.
He is very passionate about chemistry, and it shows. He knows a lot about science. However, I think he makes his tests specifically to fail students. The homework and tests are nowhere as hard as the tests, which will usually include material from the textbook that never gets talked about during lecture
I love professor Ott. He's a fun teacher and he says everything very clearly. Although he likes to make things difficult on the tests, he tells you the things he'll try and trip you up with. YOU GET INTO THIS CLASS WHAT YOU PUT IN! The answers are all there, but if you want a good grade you need to work really hard and memorize a lot.
Not for the faint of heart, but Brother Ott really is a kind person who will care about you and try to help you learn how to solve long math complicated math problems. I have learned more about hard math in this class than any other! Recommended if you like teachers who love you enough to challenge you.
This is definitely one of those classes where you have to teach yourself.
He would test on obscure things that he would briefly mention during class. This is a hard course, regardless who is teaching, however; he seemed to make it even worse. I would not recommend this teacher.
Professor Ott has become my favourite teacher ever. He has changed my life in so many ways. It has been a while since I have loved chemistry, but thanks to Professor Ott, I am now in love with it again. I found him hilarious. He is a tough grader, but if you do all the readings and take good notes, you will do well. He is willing to offer help.
Brother Ott does not show interest in the success of his students, he does not excuse extenuating circumstances, and he will not help you when you need it. He does, however, push his responsibility as a professor onto the tutors. Absolutely the worst experience I have had with an instructor in my 5 years at this university.
breezes over topics expects you to know what he thinks is the right answer. teaches from power points which are unclear if you are to ever go back and look at themthey are obscure and dont make sense unless in context of what he teaches in class. tests are hard and often not on what topics you think. poor teaching ability funny guy
The main reason people don't like Ott is because he doesn't let off easy or spoon feed you. Well, welcome to chemistry. It's supposed to be hard. He knows the material well and you will learn a lot, as long as you put forth the effort. Admittedly, his tests are very hard, and he's a hard grader, but if you ever need help he'll be there for you.
He knows what he is doing but teaches as if everyone were a chem major. He is willing to help which is good. But for example after a lot of people did bad on a test he put up three questions that were on the test and asked us to do them. When students had given the right answer he went on to the next topic. Did not teach anything about the problems
When you register for Chem, avoid this professor at all cost. He brushes over material, not taking any consideration whether the students are learning. His tests don't cover anything that is taught in class. He will say attendance is optional, but gives quizzes almost every day. Went in loving chemistry, but now dread it because of Professor Ott.
If you don't put the time in to study you will not pass.
If you want a teacher who does nothing and teaches nothing. then by all means take chemistry from him. Some people here are saying most people don't like him "because he is hard." No. The actual reason is that he is unhelpful, his instructions are impossible to understand. And when he grades he grades on an exceptionally ridiculous level.
I love Ott, you ott to as well. I willstate that I like a challenge and he gave mr one in chem 106. If you are just carefull when you do his labs and prepare carefully for his tests by reviewing his slides. Best teacher I've had in the chem department.
Brother Ott is one of the most unique professors I've had. I think he is a fantastic teacher, he will teach you exactly what is coming up on the tests. The quizes are easy each Monday if you just review the material from Thursday and Friday sometime in the morning. Every single word is on the test that he lectures, his lectures are a bit short.
I loved having Brother Ott. I had previously taken AP Chem and Chem in high school so I do think that made the course easier for me. He was willing to answer questions and was very helpful. There are quizzes every week, but it's just on what you learned last week. He gives great lectures with lots of examples for how to do the problems.
I really enjoyed having Brother Ott. He does a great job with his lectures, incorporating a physician demonstration in almost every one of the, making the subject matter seem much more interesting. He is open to questions and enjoys humor. He is also very patient and does not berate students whatsoever. Tough class, good professor.
I emailed him asking if I could take his lab offered on a Friday rather than on a Thursday so I could still attend one of my other infrequently-offered, mandatory classes. I HAVE NEVER HAD A TEACHER RESPOND SO RUDELY IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Very unprofessional and belittling response from him.
Very effective in teaching
Brother Ott was easily the worst professor I've ever had. His lectures are boring, very hard to follow, and don't represent the tests at all. He spends the entire lecture working through problems that are completely different from what he tests you on. He doesn't explain the material very well. I would heavily recommend not taking him.
Brother Ott goes fast during lectures. It helps to have his slides on your laptop so you can go back at your pace. Ask him what which sections will be covered each day and read those sections before class. Bold and underline the random facts he says. They will always be on the test. Weekly Monday quizzes on material immediately before weekends.
You need to put a lot of work out side of class. He briefly covers the material. One-on-one with him is a bit harsh than other teachers here, its like he doesn't care. However I think he's like that. If you ask questions, he'll help you, and everyone in class. If you DON'T, he will skim through it. ASK QUESTIONS! the exams are pretty hard.
Brother Ott can be funny at times, but the lab was not great. You have to print out a lot of papers to turn in. The quizzes are based off of the lab experiment and the pre-lab quizzes are a bit difficult because some of the questions are not mentioned in the video lectures. You only take the pre-lab quizzes once, so get a good grade on it.
Stephen Ott is the worst teacher I have ever had. His lectures were boring and not insightful, he couldn't teach clearly, his weekly quizzes seemed to contain trick questions. He gives off a vibe that he doesn't care if you learn. Do not take Stephen Ott if you actually want to learn something in Chem 105. I wish I could give him 0 starts.
If you want excellent preparation for the amount of studying and the kind of studying you need to do to get an A in organic chemistry after passing general chemistry, Brother Ott is the professor you want to take. If you're a good student and study well, you will get an A in his class
Ott expects things but is not the best at verbalizing things. I took his lab and even his TA was confused about where we could lose points. He would bluntly call you out for not following his expectation, yet many times there was no explanation prior that I was supposed to do said thing. Smart man, knows his stuff, but hard for a non chem major.
Brother Ott is a great guy but a horrible teacher. the class average for the fist test was 60 the second 63, the third 50,and others. He doesn't explain things the way they should. I took Chemistry in high school, but didn't help he will thoroughly test you on things he just mentioned in class. If you cant study 3hr a day then don't take bro ott.
Tests are super heavily weighted and it's hard to get a good grade, but he makes you learn the material. It's worth taking it from him cause he teaches you what you need to know, but do pay attention to the textbook outlines cause they really tell you what's on the test!
Brother Ott has been teaching chemistry for a long time now, and you can tell by how well he explains and teaches difficult concepts. Ott is always willing to make time to meet outside of class. His class is hard. But, he gives you the tools you need to be successful and own the material. He might make you think he doesnt like you, but he does.
Chemistry 105 is a hard class, but Brother Ott's textbook outlines tell you everything you need to know in order to do well on his exams. He expects you to study outside of class, but thats just how college is. He lectures well, but extremely fast. If you read the section before class you'll do well. Prepares you for Chem-106. Great professor!
Yeah this dude is the worst. Not willing to help his students. Shows up to class, HAS NO POWER POINTS OR READING MATERIAL. Quickly shows you how to answer a few practice problems and turns you lose. Once marked 3 point off my test for answering "2.5 E-5" Instead of "2.5 x 10^-5".
Bro Ott explains and teaches very well, you understand what he trying to teach. Just know that the exams are terribly difficult, if you have the material down expect to get a C on an exam. You have to master the concepts and equations otherwise the tests will be the bane of your existence.
Brother Ott is a nice man. Not an amazing professor. He does not take any time to help review topics before a test. He always teaches new material, even on days before tests. He always expects every student to remember the some things that he will mention for only a moment in class.
Ott is honestly one of the worst professors I've had here. He babbles about anything except Chemistry, doesn't answer questions, talks to the students like their stupid, and is hardly available outside of class. His exams routinely include questions about things that he never mentioned in class or may have said once. Never take Ott!
Brother Ott is tough. He isn't the best teacher, and he doesn't answer questions very well. He teaches from his PowerPoint slides which are okay, but that's about it. His tests are hard because they are a little different from the problems you see in the classroom. If you take his class you aren't doomed, but you're in for one tough semester.
He is very inconsistent when it comes to grading tests. The first test he is really lenient on showing work, The second he will be hard and the third is impossible to get better than a C- the fourth he doesn't care about work then the 5th he will grade like you have a doctorate in chemistry. And the final feels like he didn't teach you anything....
It was a tough class
Prepares you very poorly for the exams. Does not teach in class. Simply goes over your prep readings and shows you the exact same powerpoints you had already looked at. Very picky about the way he grades the quizzes. Exams are not like the homework or stuff in class. Absolutely no curve on exams even if majority fails.
I took this winter 2019 my 2nd semester. Take what I say with a grain of salt. I think this teacher's study/teaching method was not for me. It's really up to you to study and learn the material. Don't procrastinate on the weekly assignment, you need to do it throughout the week. Also, the Tutoring Center will be your new home.
This guy must be preparing for retirement soon. I tried approaching him about a flaw I saw in his grading for quizzes and he was too prideful to see that his quiz question was not specific enough. I got the right answer on a quiz and he marked it low because of something he did not specify. His lectures are boring, barely preparing you for tests.
Professor Ott does not explain anything about the material. He only goes through the powerpoints without solving any doubt and he is too prideful to kindly answer a question. You could easily pass the class without the lecture because it is not useful at all, especially if professor Ott is giving it.
He doesn't thoroughly teach at all. He just goes over a list of topics and throws stuff at you without any direction and expects you to understand. I learned more from doing my homework one night than I did from his lectures. He's so specific when grading that you lose points unfairly. Don't get me started on how he does attendance. Avoid his class
Overall the class is ok. The textbook he recommends you read is hard to understand and take notes off of, especially when he just ends up teaching it in class anyways. The tests are very difficult and make up the majority of your grade. He sometimes dismisses student questions and ignores them. If you don't show up to class you are bound to fail.
Maybe his style is just different, but this professor was an awful match for me. I hardly passed because he didn't explain really anything important in class. We'd do simple equations in class, then have homework questions no one could complete because of their difficulty. I've never struggled so hard with a professor until this guy.
Brother Ott doesn't seem to really care to check for understanding we've barely gotten into the semester and I don't think I've even once heard him ask "Does that make sense?" or "Do you need me to explain this again?" He goes through chapters like a kid goes through candy. Don't forget to take a map, because you're going to be lost in his class...
I usually get dropped an entire letter grade over minor formatting errors, even when my work is good. If you want an A, don't take this professor.
It’s virtually impossible to get above an A- unless you are perfect on the tests and quizzes. If Brother Ott is your only option for taking chemistry this semester just wait and take it a different semester. I wish I did, and I got a good grade in the class!
Does not give clear expectations. Not helpful when assistance is requested.
I don't know how hard other teachers CHEM 105 are but they have to be better. I have a 4.0 up to my 3rd semester here but this class will break that. It is very unclear what he wants you to know and what to study. Prepare for a lot of random memorization. He does what is easiest for him. Know what allotrope causes organ pipe for test 1.
This professor single handily destroyed my GPA. His tests are nothing like the homework. I will never take one of his classes again. Don't take unless he's your only choice, even then I'd recommend taking it a different semester with a different teacher.
He is by far, the worst teacher I have ever had. He does not clearly explain things, he just follows presentations and doesn't explain anything clearly, and then he expects you to take an insanely difficult test over some stuff he never went over. If you have to take Chem 105, take someone else, anyone but him.
Professor Ott is nicest little man; however, his tests are BRUTAL. You could completely understand the homework and lectures, but feel a bit lost when taking the tests. The questions are written to be tricky, which makes preparation difficult. That being said, I did learn a lot in his class, but prepare to put in the work and ALWAYS go to class!
If you read this , never take this class with Brother Ott. He doesn't explain anything.
Hard tests without a curve or adjustment, takes credit away if you do not have a proper calculator. No retakes, or opportunities to improve grade.
If you want to improve your letter grade a whole letter, take any other chemistry teacher besides Brother Ott.
Good teaching skills and he is super understanding
Brother Ott makes things very visual and shows how it applies to life instead of us just knowing equations. He is a very tough grader. Our class average on every exam has been a D and he isn't even mad about it. You will get points docked off if you do not show every single piece of work on exams even if you get the answer right.
You have no idea how much I recommend Brother Ott. The class is super hard... LIKE HARD but Brother Ott is fantastic. Please go to his office if you need help. He is super kind and will help you out. He is one of the most understanding professors on campus!
I was failing the class, spending hours of study before each test - pouring soul into the textbook and I had an D. Brother Ott went on a rant one day and he said 'Students do not take enough notes!' So I stopped reading the book, I stopped my hours of study, and I came to class every day and took notes. That it. Take notes. A. Very easy. NOTES. A.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
16%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.85 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM14
4.0
(1)CHEM105
3.1
(45)106
3.0
(2)CHEM106
2.8
(41)CHEM-105
2.6
(5)Difficulty by Course
105
4.8
CHEM105
4.3
CHEM106
4.2
CHEM14
4.0
CHEM-105
3.8