2.6
Quality4.2
Difficulty29%
Would Retake185
Reviews29%
Would Retake
185
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
185 total ratings5
35
4
24
3
29
2
47
1
50
What Students Say
“I really really recommend to not sign up for his class”
CHEM121 - 1.0 rating“DO NOT sign up for his class”
CHEM121 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
52%
Textbook Required
86%
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B+
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Reviews (184)
Funny guy, nice person, but he gets his kicks out of confusing the hell out of everyone, is not helpful at explaning stuff, tests are WAY harder than the homework and practice tests.I officially hate chemistry after taking this class.
Great teacher but you have to work
the homework and practice tests he gives do not prepare you for the tests. He acts like a baby sometimes to, he gets pissy and acts like a child, there is no excuse for that coming from a professional.
No Comments
bad teacher, terrible class
Nice guy, pretty hard class though. Material is not very clear. When you ask questions he gets irritated that you don't already know it. There is extra credit opportunities so make sure you know previous chapters. Also check out previous tests.
He ran the class like an honors class, and with very little help. He would present the matter and that would be it. I worked the hardest I have for any class, in that class. Studied eextensivly and still ended up with a D+.
After barely passing and definitely NOT understanding 3 quarters of upper level chemistry classes at a state university I was sure I would never get it. Then I was lucky enough to take Steve Deroy's class where I had a chemistry epiphany. THANK YOU DEROY!
Class is fun. If you take notes and go to class you should do fine on the exams. Old exams are not that much help either.
i liked this class. it was very challenging and i learned a lot. he wasn't very helpful, however, if you didn't understand something. i had to try and figure it out for myself.
The practice tests did not give a fair representation of the actual tests, but if you attend class regularly and take notes, you should do fine. I highly recommend forming a study group, and preparing for the tests. If you learn well from practice problems and examples it will be beneficial.
Threw fits
No Comments
like talking to a wall. majority of class doing poorly, yet he is not concerned with his own teaching method. Lectures cover simple; tests on complicated. Becomes noticeably angered upon questioning his methodology; Steve gets upset when you ask him to do something about a unsatisfactory class.
ITs too bad there is a limit to 300 characters because I could use far more. All in all, steve is not a very good teacher for an Intro class, Im finding my upper lever calsses super hard, and yet im during better in them than in chem 115, and I would blame that on Deroy
As a WCC graduate, I would like to add a comment. Steve is an awesome teacher who knows his stuff. Yes, he is challenging, but I gained more from his class because he required alot. His classes are demanding, but will help to prepare you for the teaching styles you will find in higher education.
If you took notes, he's easy enough to understand. He doesn't answer questions clearly or sometimes at all. If a student does something he doesn't like, he'll storm out of the room unpredictably. Tests don't reflect lecture material very well. Expect questions about things he's not covered in class.
argh! I am a good student, and i get what he's saying in class, but the tests...well, good luck passing them. Organic chem is his fav subject so maybe that's why he isn't so hostile in this class but i still don't feel comfortable asking questions.
Steve is a great instructor. His lectures are clear and his practice tests are exactly like the real ones. He can be intimidating in class, but is very approachabel outside of class, especially if you show how much effort you have put in.
Probably the worst teacher you could possibly have! He is very unapproachable, and is demeaning when you ask him to clear something up. He acts like he is superior because he DOES know the chemistry he presents. On tests he tries to trick students by using foreign terminology and exceptionally difficult problems. DO NOT TAKE THIS INSTRUCTOR,Trustme
Chem 101 was one of the first courses I took at WCC. I slept through the lectures daily, and went to class about 2/3 of the time, and I got an A. All you have to do is, *gasp*, read the freaking book, and you'll do fine. The other people that comment blame his methods, when he tells you to read the chapters.
good luck haha
Intimidating Prof. Very difficult to approach with questions. Seems a bit scattered when lecturing. Gets frustrated when people don't get things right away! I understood the material and still had difficulty with the tests. I was a chem. tutor is high school too! Hope you had better luck than I!
Not very good. I did fine as far as my grade was concerned but retained very little. He is hot-headed and rude. If you have to take him its not the end of the world, but dont expect to enjoy yourself or get much out of it.
Not very good at teaching, he does know his chemistry but seems to forget that we are all still learning. I don't think he is actually interested in teaching, just here to show off his wealth of knowledge. Don't expect a good grade out of this clsss unless you make it your only class and the only thing you do during the quarter.
You must pay attention and try hard to do well in his class. read the book before class, go and see him out side of class with questions!don’t be afraid to speak up in class if you have questions. Steve is very open to doing things different if it is not working for the class, but someone has to let him know.
Steve D. sucks at teaching, and he acts like a baby from time to time. What you will get out of this class besides a C+ is great stories to tell your friends about the horrible chem instructor you had while at Whatcom. His method is "learning by attrition"
Good luck with this instructor.For sure he knows Chemistry.His class is so hard.Even studying the material,you will find his class challenging.He will do everything to trick you on the 4 tests.His tests are so long that sometimes you don't have time to finish them.If you are not good in Chemistry, you won't enjoy yourself.AVOID THIS INSTRUCTOR YUCK
I had Steve for 115 and am taking his organic class. I agree that he is a difficult instructor and in class he can be intimidating, but get over it and ask questions anyway- this will show him that you care! Review the notes and do practice problems and utilize his office hours. I suck at Chem and got an A-. If I can do it, you can too.
This guy sucks as a teacher, he knows his chemistry but i think he should go back to school to learn how to be a better teacher, where, u know, the one's that actually teach. Everytime i would ask questions i felt that he was angry by them, and he wouldn't answer my questions completely. I worked my tail off, and i got a B+. It was very difficult.
Chemistry is easy for me, but this guy made me nearly hate it. He really is a terrible teacher. I could list a bunch of reasons why, but there's not enough room & it would be pointless. Suffice to say, take somebody else.
Mr. Deroy is tough only because he has high standards and is picky about terminology and thorough explanations. My recommendation is this: read the book, do the end-of-chapter questions and practice exams, and most of all, don't be afraid to ask questions in class! He is happy to explain things if you don't get it! I liked him.
He's helpful if you already understand the topics, otherwise, he's not. Also if you ask a question when you don't know the topic, he'll will belittle you.
Steve Deroy's class has been the most challenging I have ever taken, but, the challenge has shown me what I am capable of. He requires students to work hard, but works hard for them too, he is the only teacher I know of to have an up-to-date syllabus.
I am at the end of an 8-week quarter and feel like I've been beaten to death. This is the single most difficult class I've ever taken. Instructor is inflexible; the class tries to develop a rapport with him, but clearly he would rather it be "Instructor versus Student" format. AVOID HIM.
Although Mr. Deroy is a very tough instructor, he is very passionate about chemistry. Don't take this class if you don't feel the same way or aren't willing to work hard. Make sure to take advantage of his office hours with any questions you may have. If anything, your enthusiasm may impress him.
Summer quarter is a tough time to take this class. For an "introductory" class, it was far more challenging than I had expected. Deroy knows his topic well; is clear and well organized; & answered questions readily. However, if you are looking for someone to hold your hand through this class, find another instructor. Tests & pop quizzes are tough!
he is a hard teacher, but make to learn things.....this is the kind to teachers you will see in the universities...he perpares you for that. i didn't like him while i was taking him but now i think he was good.
Chem 115 is a tough class with hard concepts, so you WILL have to study to keep up especially if you didnt take chemistry class in high school. Steve did a great job of explaining concepts and giving many opportunities to make sure everyone understood the math concepts. Tests were straight forward. No tricks, just study and use the sample tests!
This is my 4th quarter at WCC and this class is this first challenging one. If you want an EASY A, forget it. If you want to work hard and learn more than you thought possible, take Steve's class. This is college! Read the material before class, study every day, go to his office hours or a tutor. I am glad I didn't let bad ratings scare me.
His style of teaching reflects what you would expect at a University not a CC. If you're looking for a bird class look elsewhere. However, if you don't mind a little challenge he's not bad. Be prepared to read the text, do the homework, assignments and dedicate some study time to this course.
steve is a good teacher with lots of experience. he knows his stuff and is respectful but his class is really difficult. not an easy grade but a good one! his curricula is really good for critical thinking development. all his tests measure reasoning as opposed to accumlation of knowledge. Be prepared for this class.
He's not as scary as everyone makes him out to be. Pay attention in class, and utilize the resources he provides (ie. the sample tests he puts in the library) and you'll do fine. By no means is this an easy class. He's really helpful if you go to his office hours, or stay to chat after class.
THis class is supossed to be hard so I didnt expect an easy class. He knows his stuff, but expects his students to know it too. (which makes it a little tough when you ask him questions). But he is a good at lectures and you wont fall asleep during class. also expect lots of homework and lots of responsibility
Knows topic too much to explain it in simple terms. Impossible.
Steve knows what he is talking about but he lacks teaching skills. He does good lectures but thats it. This class is extremly independent because he often won't answer questions. His tests are also super long and the testing periods are not long enough. If you want a good grade I guarantee you will have to work extremly hard and seek outside help.
Knows too much about Chemistry to make it clear for the student. HATES CELL PHONES--do NOT use them at ALL in class. Lectures are boring and he talks some info you will need to know. Labs are extremely difficult to prepare for, let alone do. Exams make up for a 1/4 of your grade--miss one and you may be in trouble.
Deroy was challenging, in a good way. A bit intimidating in the beginning but really pushes the student to learn the material thoroughly (which I am grateful for as this class was a prereq for others). Those looking for any easy, lazy lab science- don't expect it here. Those truly interested in the fascinating world of chem, deroy is for you!
Extremely organized lecturer, very clear. But only has 2 ways to teach any concept. If you don't get it, you are SOL. Typically demeaning to questioners, visibly annoyed if you don't get his explanations. Worked my butt off, used used a tutor to translate "Deroy- isms".
One of the best teachers i ever had. He makes people THINK. Thats why i think many ppl don't like him. Thats what makes it tough. Great challenging class. I learned a lot about chemistry and about education.
Very clear lecturer. Never have I seen Prof. Deroy degrade or patronize questioners as I had been warned about. Be prepared to spend hours outside of class on this course. To me the exams were very challenging, and they count for over half your grade. Memorization will not cut it: you have to know the material well enough to apply it to anything.
One of the worst professors I have had. It seemed like he was trying to teach at a higher level than intro to chem.
If you want challenges and learn more than you need to, then take this class. If you don't want those, I suggest you drop his class immediately. I mean, he is nice in person but can you pisses you off to when he teaches. Totally think about it first before taking his class.
He is a horrible teacher. unproffesional. He didn't seem to like me and i don't know why. He would purposely ignore me when i ask a question on many occasions. When his favs in the class asked repetitive questions he would spend 20 minutes talking to them. He would also waste the beginning of classtime chatting with his favorite students.
one of the BEST teachers i've ever had at Whatcom. His lectures are well organized and very easy to follow. He's always willing to answer questions, and i never saw him "ignore" or belittle any of my classmates. His tests may be harder then others, but if your going to take more chem in the future this is your guy. A+++
He is not that great of a teacher. Is lectures lack organization and clarity. If there is organization to his lectures I could not figure it out.
Not a good teacher. Ignores questions or answers them in a bilittling mannor. Fast moving lectures too and no help with test reviews.
An "exam review" in Deroy's class is just students asking questions and he does not actually review the chapters tested! He also lectures on material you won't see on the exam and he tests on stuff not covered in lecture.
He's a really nice person, but I didn't like the way he taught his class. He lectures really fast and doesn't take much time to go into detail, even if you ask him to explain something. If you already understand chemistry then you'll have no problem with him, but if this is new for you, I wouldn't reccommend him.
one of the worst teachers i have ever had. moves too quickley and covers way more then what is needed and doesnt tell you what you will be tested on. you are expected to hear it once and fully understand. not helpful with questions at all!!!
One of the worst teachers I have ever had, he doesn't care whether or not you understand. When it comes to anyone asking questions in class, well he is just an ass and is very condecending. Hard grader and does not cover all test material in lecture.
Bad....very bad. Go take Oranic chem at BTC.
I regret the day that I asked Deroy for a blue slip to get into his class.
His pop quizzes are impossible. Then, he puts some of the same questions on his exams, like because we've seen them before we should be able to get them correct on the exam!
He works a few problems on the board and if there is time left he has us work in small groups. Then, he assigns more problems to work on outside of class! We didn't get it in class! How are we supposed to figure it out when we're not in class!
DeRoys is straight forward. Follow the syllabus and do the work, you will learn chemistry. (Note: I said ?learn?.) I?ve had cryptic professors ? annoying! DeRoy is all business, no guess work or adapting to quirks. I appreciated his instruction and wish I had more prof?s like him.
Yes, the class is difficult, but I had no complaints about the content or Steve's teaching style. He seemed like a pretty nice guy to me. Make sure you actually GO to the lectures, pay attention and take notes and you'll be fine.
This is not a class for students who have no previous background in Chemistry. The lectures are very fast, all the problems you work in the text book don't compare or eveb come close to the ones he makes up on the exams which are NEVER multiple choice. I find his class un-necessarily hard. Every day I left having to self teach at home later.
He is really hard for just a basic Chem 121 class. He is a good teacher but no need to teach us as much as he is just for a basic chem. He has pop quizes all the time and his tests are pretty hard! He's nice and if you are going to go into the chem field he's the one for you if not, take someone else. ohhh and he is a biggg stickler on grading!
Overall,Steve is a great teacher. His tests are hard, and he has pop quizzes at least once a week, but it is always things you should know. If you attend every class, turn in all assignments, and do all the extra homework he assigns, you will do well. He can be difficult to get along with, but as long as you respect him, he will respect you.
Do Not take this class if you have no Chemistry background! Very fast lecturing, grossly difficlt tests, also long, seems like he's just trying to get the day over with. If you miss a quiz day due to Dr appt or even hospital stay, your not allowed to make it up. He should not be teaching Intro Chem. Look elsewhere.
Dressed professionally (not bad to look at) and was very clear in his lectures. Covered a lot of material! The workload was too much for me (I quickly realized) so I dropped it. He has some OCD tendencies. Even had a quiz on the syllabus! If interested in chem. and good at it, I would recommend, otherwise avoid at all costs!!
Steve is very clear in his lectures. I rarely had to read the book. If you have a question he is very helpful, you can ask him after class or stop by his office. All the stuff he teaches is not hard, but expect to spend some time with it.
Not only does he have a syllabus quiz, but the retarded thing is that the quiz has the same questions as a syllabus worksheet he has you do a few days earlier.
Deroy is a great teacher! he is not the easiest you will find on campus, though, but i do recommend him because he is very helpful. be prepared to study outside of class a lot!! gives pop quizes like every 2-3 days. Tests are hard (like 4-5 pgs each) but as long as you review the material and do the hw even though not required, you will do great!
Very fast paced class. Asking a question usually results in a more complex less clear response, which is just sad. This class is very grade inflated so you might get a good grade but wont learn too much about chemistry. He is very autonomous, has a rule for everything. He does have a lot of energy which is quite refreshing.
Very nice guy but not my favorite teacher. His tests are SUPER hard and he's a little overconfident of his teaching abilities. But very understanding and very nice. I just don't neccesarily reccomend him :)
WORST instructor ever! If you ask a question he puts you down, doesn't answer it and moves on. His exams are so hard and long 1/3 of the class isn't finished when the time is up. It's all about his ego. If you must take Ochem do so via UCBerkley online. It transfers to UW for nursing.
He assumed that everybody could follow him, and never really wanted to clarify. Seemed to be frustrated when questions were asked. I never got the help I asked for, really.
Very rude to students.I've talked to several past students that either dropped out or have to retaking the class. Not helpful and not interested in his students leaning. I'm in a study group we meet 2-3 a week and I study on my own at least 3 hours everyday (more on weekends). His tests are 5-10pg. I like a challenge but... this is ridicules.
DeRoy is a needlessly hard teacher. I know 5 students in my class are re-taking him from a prior quarter, and another 3 have to retake the class again next quarter, not to mention the ones that dropped out. Yes he teaches you a lot, but it's really intense. You can know the concepts well and the practice problems, but the tests throw you for a loop
Awful. He makes you feel dump if you ask questions and half the time he will just tell you the date he lectured on that material and tell you to go back in your notes. Tests are ridiculously hard and he is very cocky seeming towards his abilities as a teacher and at lecturing things clearly when he very much does the oposite.
Steve is one of the best teachers I've ever had. He loves chemistry and loves to teach it, but he doesn't suffer fools or lazy people gladly. Read, show up to class, study outside of class, and ask for help if you're struggling and you'll be fine. He wants you to do well but you have be willing to do your own hard work--he won't coddle you.
Nope. Do not take if have any other professor choice. Talked to people who had him 15 yrs ago and they cannot believe he is still teaching. If you ask a question he gets cocky and talks fast. He knows Chemistry, but does not know how to be a compassionate teacher. If you get him: show up to every class, find a study buddy. and SORRY!
Great teacher, very fast paced, you learn a lot and fast. Not a class I would recommend for someone with a low attention span. Tests are intense but if you study and listen to what he says on the review day, you will do fine.
I loved this teacher. Lots of extra credit available on tests and pop quizzes. Knows his stuff. Energetic and fun to listen to.
DeRoy was an awesome professor. I heard so many negative things about him prior to getting into his class but decided to take the risk. One of the best decisions I've ever made! He's funny and actually CARES whether you understand the material, unlike most profs. He is extremely fair with his grading. Overall awesome professor! Would take him again
He's tough and gives odd answers if you ask clarifying questions, but is very clear when initially teaching concepts. If you are in class and you study hard, you'll do fine.
This is one of the most challenging courses I've ever taken. It's extremely math and logic heavy. The exams are super hard and I greatly recommend studying hard for this course. Find a study partner and make sure you absolutely understand the material. Questions can be tricky. The class is fast paced. Steve knows his stuff and will challenge you.
Steve was probably one of the best professors I've had.His classes prepped me for university/grad school unlike most whatcom profs who want to hold your hand! On that note, he was also one of the hardest profs too! Go to class, take notes(dont text), and study your butt off... these classes are fast paced and the material is difficult!
DeRoy is a amazing!! He knows his stuff, knows how to teach. He is straight up.Will help you as much as you want IF you show yourself to be a hard working student. He is also hilarious. I would recommend him to anyone, again ONLY IF you are willing to study and study hard. If you want an easy A, dont even think about taking him.
That class kicked my butt, and not in a good way. I worked so hard, but he didn't see it or care. If you weren't an A student, you might as well have just left the class. I didn't retain a thing from anything he taught. Not the best teacher if you like to actually understand what you are learning.
I believe Steve is often mistaken for being a hard teacher/grader when really, he simply expects students to live up to their potential. Steve isn't hard, OChem is hard, but Steve makes learning it as easy as it could possibly be. The key to doing well in Steve's class is to learn chemistry, and the best way to do that is to work really hard.
Steve is a fantastic professor! He expects you to leave understanding chemistry, basically. If you plan on taking the 161 series, I highly recommend taking 121 with Steve. Just be careful not to get behind, the unit homework and the lecture notes help a ton on exams, but doing the readings is pivotal to your success in the last few sessions.
After a week, I've dropped Chem121. I don't like going to class feeling like I'm constantly (or about to be) in trouble. I don't like to be condescended to. I don't like asking a question and being looked at like I'm an idiot (which I'm not). Avoid Deroy if you're an adult who likes to be treated like an adult.
Really not that hard of a teacher. I had him for intro121 not for Ochem so maybe that is a diff story but i liked him. He gave us an outline for every single thing we were going to do, specific day-by-day instructions and easy tests. What more ca you ask for?
Steve has no patience for his students. His style of communication is convoluted, conveying little meaning through volumes of words. He meets questions with subtle hostility; defending himself rather than explaining or teaching. If you don't intend to have a conversation about the material or prefer a lecture followed by self learning, he's decent
He would be a good upper level teacher, but horrible at teaching to those that don't already know chem. VERY nit picky, makes you feel stupid if you ever ask a question (so most students just stay quiet). Be prepared to spend a lot of time outside of class learning. I would recommend another teacher first.
Steve was pretty awesome, I don't know what everyone on here is talking about. This class was pretty dang easy if you read the book and go to class. He gives alot of extra credit on the tests, & there are 6 tests so they are not very long. Also, no cumulative final. He can be sortof unclear sometimes, and class is kinda boring, but I recommend him
Deroy is extremely rude, has very poor communication skills, and seems to get off on seeing students struggle and not understand the material. I have never been more offended by a teacher. His tests come from out of left field and are extremely difficult. NOT RECOMMENDED!
Steve was the worst teacher i have ever had. His exams were way harder then the material we learned in class and he grades papers pretty tough. When we asked him a question he would act like we were stupid and told us we need to go back in our notes and find the answer. I would not recommend him to anyone that is going to take the class.
DeRoy is a very entertaining lecturer. He gives tons of extra credit. His labs are relevant to the curriculum. He provides sample tests for every exam. He does extensive Q+A before every exam. He is clear on what content he expects you to learn and what will be on every exam. His notes are well thought out. I highly recommend CHEM 121/Lab.
One of my worst teacher experiences at WCC. I took his class having not taken chem in high school and he teaches assuming you know something already. He puts trick questions on the exams. I agree the exams were harder than the material went over. He refers you to the book if you have a question. I read that book so many times and never got help!
This was a tough class, but the subject is difficult, and my course load at the time was heavy. I struggled every step of the way. Steve was approachable, but some of these reviews have nuggets of truth in them. One tip, don't get hung up on a part of his exams. Plow through, then come back. The tests tend to take the whole time allotted.
This was one of the toughest classes I took, just material-wise. And it didn't help that the instructor wasn't very good. He asked trick questions, and made you feel stupid when you asked questions or needed clarification. I would definitely NOT recommend taking a class with him!
I took Chemistry 121 with Steve over the 8 week summer session. He is an excellent, engaging teacher, even jumping over desks to demonstrate catalysts. You can tell he is passionate about his subject; you will be prepared for organic chem and beyond with him as your instructor. If you seek easy look elsewhere, if you wish to learn then take Steve.
Steve assumes that everyone has already had previous Chem experience, tests are extremely hard and even studying your butt off will not help much. Steve says a lot of things that you'll never be tested on and doesn't spend enough time on the stuff he will test you on. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND, worst science teacher @ Whatcom.
DeRoy is one of the coolest guys ever! He is an excellent instructor and always willing to help students even if he's eating lunch or it's not an office hour for him! He is AWESOME!!
This course was unnecessarily difficult. Other chem 121 instructors do not go into as much detail and do not expect such a deep understanding from students. He is kind and helpful as long as you work really hard and only ask questions he feels are valid. While I had a decent experience, he wouldn't have been my first choice.
Deroy is a fantastic chemistry teacher, I had him for chem 121 and the 260 series. He isn't a difficult teacher, just do the homework and you'll be fine. He tells you what he expects from you on tests, and is helpful when you ask. He's also a pretty funny guy, not hard-nosed like other teachers. I would definitely recommend him.
Great teacher. Yes, his class is hard, and you have to put out effort, but that is to be expected. He is very kind, and while he can look a little scary, he's a really nice guy and is always more than willing to help.
Pounded on the lecture table. Covered nothing in lecture but tested us on everything.
He's tough but fair. He pushes you to succeed. What you put into the class you get out of it! He made me work hard for my grade but I remember what I learned.
Steve is a very awkward teacher. He writes his notes from a typed piece of paper, onto the board. I was in his class for a week, and learned nothing. I would not recommend this instructor. He gets very flustered when asked questions by students, has unnecessary nitpicky rules, and is NOT good at communication.
The worst instructor I've had and the only negative experience I had at WCC. Grabbed my phone ( I used as a calculator) during LECTURE and said "THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A CHEATER, EVERYONE!" My mistake for not bringing a calculator, but I wasn't cheating. Was that necessary? Teaches to feel power over people, no help people learn. Disgraceful.
I love DeRoy's Into to Chem class. He is a tough teacher but I learned a lot. Deroy really knows his stuff. He offers a lot of extra credit and helped me after class with harder assignments several times. His class is not easy and I appreciate that. If you want to learn chemistry and not just pass, take Deroy. I'm going to take his classes again.
A teacher should do everything within his power to make sure a student succeeds. And If a student doesn't reciprocate this, then that is on the student. With that being said I don't believe Steve has held up his end as his job requires. This man's teaching style isn't really teaching. Terrible at communication and reacts to questions abrasively.
Did not enjoy his class. All he does if you ask a question is say, "refer to your notes on this date" or "ask a classmate". Not very help full. Tough take-home exam. He LOVES to give out POP-QUIZES. He sometimes like to tell jokes here and there. Would NOT take again.
Deroy is a good teacher if you understand Chemistry, his tests were easy and very similar to the worksheets done in class and practice exams made available. I liked Steve as a teacher, he was really nice and would enjoy other classes with him. He struggles to explain things though and is not helpful if you are confused.
Expects you to know more than intro to Chemistry. Hard test grader. Gives a lot of pop quizzes. Makes you feel stupid asking questions, and if you do ask he tells you to refer to your notes. Not an equal grader among different students.... GOOD LUCK :)
Exam review day. His odd answers to questions. G.P.A. declines
Not that bad. mostly a review of what I learned in high school chem class. Plenty of extra credit. Doesn't give the best examples when explaining. Not a lot of homework. Only uses the top 5 pop quizzes and they have extra credit. One of the tests is a take home test.
You will LEARN.
This class is a 300 level chemistry class (Chem 351,352,353 at universities). So expect it to be hard no matter what teacher you get. Steve is GREAT and he gives easy extra credit on his exams. He makes you work hard and he is very fair. Exams can be hard, but if you do the chapter problems you'll find that the exams are very simila to the homework
You will love this class, say goodbye to math and balancing equations, and hello to big picture concepts which is far easier but more memorization involved. GREAT TEACHER TAKE HIM!!!
Steve is a great teacher. I rate him on a very fair view of point and remember, I didn't pass the class. However, the reason to my failure is far beyond his control as a teacher, and he's given lots of opportunities for us to be successful. One thing I want you to know is that your success is upon your study habits and your time management.
If you have to take Chem121 I wouldn't recommend taking it with him. He was very arrogant in his teaching and when you asked questions he would often refer you to your notes which is the most frustrating thing ever. The class simply felt like he thought he was too good to be teaching an intro class. I began to resent this class. Do not recommend.
"Skip class, you won't pass", but I had perfect attendance and I still didn't pass! He's arrogant, rude, and expects you to remember every detail covered in every lecture. He keeps a record of when he covered something so that if you forget that topic, he will refer you to that lecture day.
Steven Deroy is a disaster as a Chemistry professor. VERY weak on teaching style and illegal immigration, bad for your grade and he wants higher taxes. Say NO!
Anybody (especially Fake News media) who thinks that Steven Deroy is a good teacher does not know the love and strength in R Party!
Worst class I have ever taken and I kinda liked Chem and Deroy ruined it for me. He is very arrogant and expects to you to recall everything hes ever said. Don't take his class. Such a bad experience. I was going to take O Chem spring quarter and I could only take it with him and decided to rearrange my entire schedule because he was teaching it.
Another horrible Chemistry class taught by Deroy. The students of Whatcom will not take much more of this. SAD!
To be honest, he is totally a responsible and helpful instructor, and he knows his job clearly. However, it seems he expects everyone to remember all detailed concepts he taught already. Also, he doesn't offer us to complete the tests when his class finishes, although time is not long enough, and there are a great number of questions on the test.
Deroy teaches in an extremely thorough, conventional way. I previously took Chemistry in high school which is why I did not struggle as much, but he really likes to throw the material at us and figure it out ourselves. He is helpful at times, but it felt like I was re-teaching myself Chemistry.
DO NOT sign up for his class. Not a good professor AT ALL. Horrible. He does not help you solve any problems. I usually have a lot of respect for all my teachers, but not Deroy. He doesn't explain anything; exams were beyond confusing. I'm not a slow learner and I had tough time. I maintained an A throughout the class bc I taught everything myself
I really really recommend to not sign up for his class. LISTEN TO THE REVIEWS. Before I had my first class with Deroy I just laughed at the reviews thinking he couldn't be this bad. But now I know! Take any other Chem teacher but him for Chem121. I liked Chemistry, but after this class I despise it. I resented this class!
He is hard to follow, makes you feel stupid about asking a question in front of the class. A VERY tough grader. I stress more than I learn in his class.
Hard to follow and understand his lectures.
I remember Steve would always use the whiteboard to great effect. His lectures are always clear and easy to understand. He has a great grasp of organic chemistry.
The worst instruct i've ever met, His exams was way too difficult with a big amount of questions which usually can't be finished within an hour. Also he never allow a little extension of time for students, tricky in everything: make you difficult, and don't give you enough time to solve, unexpected pop quizzes.
unexpected pop quizzes are a real surprise
Steve is a very nice guy and excellent teacher. Expect to work for your grade though, if you show up everyday, participate in class, and do all the assigned practice problems you will pass.
The biggest thing is to stay on top of assignments if you just do them and turn them in and pay attention you will pass easy but if your mind drifts you might struggle
Steve is a great guy but a terrible teacher for first-time chemistry students! He would improve his ratings if he had exam study guides and not so many damn pop quizzes. If you are a student who struggles with test anxiety and tough teachers, you might want to take this class elsewhere.
Make sure to read the book and show up to class. Study the material from the day before in case there is a pop quiz.
I Am lucky that I took Chemistry in high school because he is not well at introducing the course. You just have to put in more effort than he does. Sometimes he lectures, other days he does not. Pop quizzes!!!! But the labs are not hard.
This class is not for students who want/need an introduction to chemistry course. Too many pop quizzes. His lack of interest to help the students is not helpful. He is a tough grader. This class is not worth it. Your GPA will go down and your stress levels will be raised.
Worst teacher I have ever had at any school. Extremely tough grader and gives way to many pop quizzes. Do not recommend him for any class especially if youre expecting an introduction to chemistry. I dont understand how he still has a job. Worst experience at WCC ever.
So vague. Teaches well if youve got a degree in chemistry. Instead of elaborating he will slow down and repeat what he already said. Will leave you more confused if you ask questions. Wont grade consistently. Will not and cannot teach to students.
Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that Deroy is with him & does not want to break his promise.
Deroy has never been as deranged as he is today. Deroy is actually the true ENEMY OF CHEMISTRY STUDENTS! But WCC STUDENTS are wise to what is going on!
First of all, screw this so called "professor". His teaching techniques are bad. His pop quizes are annoying as hell (too many/too often). You learn your test material in a 1-2 week period and get tested. Sample exam has 90% of the questions that aren't even on the exam. I made this review to warn everyone about him. Take someone else, he sucks.
If you're driven to get A's, in general, you should have no issues. Plan to show up, every day. He helps during office hours, he is SO CLEAR about what he expects, and the pop quizzes are an opportunity to check your progress. He only takes your top 5 scores out of 12+ quizzes! It's a hard subject, he teaches it well. Ample extra credit. Hilarious.
He cussed out a student for spacing off out the window during lecture. Not even kidding. Also, his teachings are essentially you just reading your textbook. He gives a pop quiz about once a week. If youre stuck with Deroy, I highly recommend getting a group chat going with classmates, thats what helped me the most.
Makes things much more difficult to understand than needed. Hasn't been rude to me personally but he's been very rude to other students to the point of making them feel stupid. The exams have little to do with the text book and lecture. If I hadn't taken the Chemistry & O. Chemistry series @ WWU prior to this class. I would have failed.
He is untimely and will not care about your questions. When explaining things, in lectures or in answering students, he is vague and laconic. During the COVID outbreak, he was irresponsible and failed to actually move everything online while classes were cancelled. Although classes were closed and students were infected, we had to go in to see him.
Does not care whether you learn or not. Puts no effort into the class.
He's a really nice guy and I enjoyed his class. There are some days that he'll lecture all class and other days where he'll leave you with your groups to solve problems, a good balance. As long as you put in a little effort in this class you'll get a good grade, he offers tons of extra credit. Despite a lot of negative reviews, his class was great
I took an intro to chem class in high school, and was hoping that this would build off my knowledge but the whole class moved so quickly through so much information with so little instruction from Steve that I was so glad when the quarter finally came to an end. Also, I do not recommend buying the e-text like he recommended.. over priced and hard
COVID we went online and it's understandable there will be hiccups as we adapt but Steve only gave text problems from a book that sells the solutions separately so we can't even check our answers so teaching yourself is impossible. Won't respond to emails or ideas or contribute other materials. Only grades on exams and no use of calendar. Reported.
Due to Covid-19, we are confined to online schooling- we are only assigned learning and questions from the book. If you send an email asking to clarify, you will be referred to the instructions for the lab or homework questions. You are better off finding a solid YouTube channel to help explain everything.
AVOID. Class online due to COVID; the way he has Canvas set up is hard to navigate. No instruction/lecture component. Unclear on expectations yet grades really tough & no explanation of where/how you've lost points. I'm only passing b/c I've taken chem before & rely on my old notes. If you're truly new to chem, I HIGHLY recommend a different prof.
Not the best idea. Due to Covid-19, we are having to take this class online. Normally instructors adapt to the situation, but not in this case. He will not answer your emails. Graded very harshly and will not tell you how you missed those points. Canvas page is poorly setup and there is no lecture material, just the book.
AVOID if possible! He put in very little effort into moving his class online. He just gives tests and quizzes. He provides no lectures of any kind. The VERY expensive book is all you get. He doesn't know how to use canvas. He doesn't respond to emails in full sentences. I can't believe WCC is OK with this. I think it is unacceptable.
Probably a better bet to take his class in person. Not much of a lecture component in his online (due to COVID) class. I mainly self-taught using the text. Got by alright due to prior chem experience, but probably would've been dead in the water if I were new to the subject. On the bright side, LOTS of EC opportunities & he is accessible for help.
Im cool with this guy but I legit just took one of his lab and the quiz about the knowledge that is required to do this lab IS AFTER this labs due date. I have no problem with him, but from the way he put stuff online is very confusing and it frustrates me a lot.
good luck
In the online class during the pandemic, Deroy struggles to actually teach. He makes recordings of his office hours, provides course objectives and handwritten notes, but that is all. Assignments and exams are not graded for weeks after submitted. Organic chemistry is very hard to teach to yourself, but that's pretty much what you'll do with Deroy,
Took this course with a lot of personal prep because I struggle with chemistry in general. I studied O Chem books for the month prior. Class day one, he did not even introduce himself and immediately had us working on problems with zero teaching. Even the people that just had chem121 were lost. I dropped and will try the other professor.
This guy has to be the worst professor at this school. I spent many years at Whatcom and experienced 75% of the science faculty as a student. This guy does not care about actually teaching students, he only cares about getting through the class so he can get his paycheck. He would be a much more successful cop. I do not suggest this person at all.
I really enjoyed my class with him last quarter. The class content its self is what made it difficult. But, Steven had meeting times and that was really helpful. He is extremely organized and we knew when all the tests and quizzes were going to be for the entire quarter. We were always on track and learning new things! I had a great time.
Great guy but can't teach. All I do is watch Tyler Dewitt's videos to pass this class. Shout out my guy Tyler Dewitt. But Steve is really kind and funny.
He gives a large homework load. He gets angry when he needs to lecture (AKA teach) saying our education is our responsibility... i'm in debt why? expect 1-2 quizzes a day with little to know prior teaching on the subject. homework/prep for class is VERY important. i needed a tutor to get through this class.
Steve is an awesome human with a great sense of humor. He isn't amazing at using canvas, prefers paper copies, which can be difficult, but if you show up ready to learn, he is a great mentor. His classes are hard, but he consistently provides the tools you need to be successful. One of my favorite humans at WCC!
Avoid at any cost. You will have mental breakdown atleast once a week!!!!! -Exams are so tough and there's a strict time limit. -Doesn't teach, everything you learn, you do it your own. - Makes students feel dumb for asking questions or for help -Felt scared to talk to him -Such a tough grader, Give no credit if you round incorrectly
Deroy has been my favorite teacher at Whatcom. We're graded by four 100 pt. exams (400 pts. total), and then labs and an open book quiz for another 175 pts. This is a difficult class, but if you read the textbook, do the practice problems, and study outside of class (ex. YouTube/Khan Academy) then you'll do great. I love ochem, much easier than bio
This was a hybrid class, I was hoping that when I was in class he would teach. Instead he expected us to teach ourselves and work in groups and gave a lot of quizes and tests. When we said we didn't understand he would get mad. A lot of people drop out half way through.
Steve was a nice guy but not the best teacher. He set up his teaching as you teach yourself the night before and get one day in class to practice what you were supposed to teach yourself and then the next day test on it. The exams were very difficult as well as the last exam he did not notify the class that it was accumulative.
Please do not take this class with him during summer quarter. And please listen to the other reviews I gave him the benefit of the doubt but I should have never took it. Basically each day you learn something, and he says you can miss class but he literally gives out quizzes each day. This class was designed to make you fail !!
Steve is a nice guy, but his online CHEM121 class is rough. Minimal instruction - just the textbook. Unstuck ai and Tyler DeWitt videos were lifesavers for study prep. Tough grading with little feedback. Take with caution.
Steve Deroy gives many quizzes (three to four a week) multiple assignments and the exams are very difficult. He made some things make sense but if you get lost at any point you will be lost the rest of the quarter. The one thing that bothered me the most is his lack of understanding for our lives outside of class.
he gave a lot of quizzes but still good and graded easily
Ochem is a difficult class on its own. Taking this professor adds to the difficulty. He makes you feel dumb for asking too many questions. Lectures most class and you have to read the textbook for additional content that will be on exams because he won't go over them. Also an inconsistent grader. Outside of class he's okay to chat with.
An excellent teacher. I took his summer chem course, which is 1.5x faster. Yes, his class is hard. Expect to do at least 1-2 hours of Homework daily on weekdays. Yes, you have to be ready, or you will be lost. This all sounds scary, but if you turn in everything and do the work, it won't be hard. I fluked some tests and was fine anyway, i got an A-
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
52%
Textbook Required
86%
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