2.4
Quality4.4
Difficulty16%
Would Retake105
Reviews16%
Would Retake
105
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
7
3
11
2
11
1
52
What Students Say
“He literally makes me hate chemistry”
CHEM121 - 1.0 rating“WORST PROFESSOR EVER I WOULD NEVER TAKE HIM AGAIN HORRIBLE NEVER HELP WHEN I ASK AND BARLEY ANSWER E-MAIL PLEASE DO NOT EVER TAKE HIM”
CHEM121 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
71%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.23 avg changeRatings by Course
GENCHEM
5.0
(1)CHM121
3.9
(7)CHEM123
3.7
(3)CHM124
3.6
(9)CHM123124LAB
3.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
123
5.0
CHEMESTRY
5.0
CHM126
5.0
CHEMISTRY122
5.0
CHEM230
5.0
Reviews (105)
he is horrible, crazy and tough. he don't like to give out any A's even if student work their a s s off. He is mentally ill and retard. Don't take him, look for alternatives....
General Chem., by it's very nature has a high drop-out rate because of the intensity of the course. Too many students are not ready. Mr. Rowley provides sample exams you can use to study from, and the questions are very similar to the ones on his exams.
He's mean and i would say he is a horrible teacher-he doesn't like to pass people--he's jus retarded
No Comments
oh man. Can he be any more useless? The fact that he did examples in class was great, too bad he made the class about 100 times more difficult than it had to be. Sorry don't like his personality or his attitude or teaching style..people like that make
Useless is the right word.
Prof. Rowley will instill excellent study habits into those students who take his class. Material isn't easy, has nothing to do with the professor. The reason why many students bad mouth him is because he's great at catching cheaters.
Not very helpful at all. Takes pride in the fact that 75% of his class drops.
He makes chem alot harder than it needs to be. He made me feel stupid, which as a teacher no one should EVER DO! You don't have to be a genius to pass chemistry, but you can't do it alone! Acted nice @ the beginning then became Hitler of Hydrogen.
He does seem to try to trick his students and his attitude isn't the best.He talks down to people but overall he knows what he is talking about.
I don't know why students are rating this great professor this way! He is outstanding!! If you want to do anything in the Sciences, take his course. He was extremely helpful. He helped me get where I am today, which is doing excellent in Chemistry courses and loving it! Chemistry is not easy!
Very anal when it comes to the lab but otherwise a pretty good professor.
Great teacher. He's hard and unforgiving but he's there to help you when you need it. He is one of the reasons why I am doing as well in all of my classes as I am now. I learned very important fundamentals not just in chemistry but it studies from his class. He's a cool guy to talk with too.
The idiots who think this fool is a good professor has to hit reality. He only cares for students that know the stuff.
Don't recommend him at all
Don't take him, unless you took honors chem in hs.
he is a good prof, if u know ur material..heis willingly help..and go slow in class......diff but he is good....
He sucks! The eduspace thing he used, is retarted. You cant follow the lecture notes and his notes. And his exams are hard as hell. U wana fail CHM, take him.
He is the worst prof. ever. He doesn't teach at all and expects you to know it.
This is one of the worst professor in the entire world. He think that everybody knows the material the only students that pass were those that have a big backgrown in chemestry. Hard homework, hard test ,A BAD PROFESSOR IF YOU WANNA FAIL I RECCOMEND HIM
He is the best teacher that I ever had. He is also one of the nicest people I have ever met. Yes, his class is hard but the material is very hard also. Take him if you want to learn as much as you can about Chemistry.
For those people who don't like him and saying that he's too hard.Science is suppose to be hard, and as a student, you're suppose to study hard for the A that you wanted. He didn't give you a F, you learned it yourself!!!
He's a very helpful prof with a great sense of humer. For those who are too stupid to learn in class, and do the homework. don't blame the prof for your stupidity. for your own best interests, do not take any classes!!
He is awesome!!! He has the ability to take difficult concepts and make them simple. You have to do your share of the hmw, but his tests are very easy if you do. He teaches in such a way that i doubt i will ever forget the information.
He is very stupid. In the Labs he even cuts the grade for the reason that there was no patners name mentioned..........Dont Ever take it or either you have to retake the class..... Best Luck
CHEM FROM HELL! Not too bad of a professor but don’t ever be late, or hand work in late. Helpful during his office hours, but limits his time. Treats his students like they’re stupid & invisible. Lab exams are hard lecture exams are tricky. Takes off points very easily. THANK GOD I ONLY HAD HIM A MONTH IN THE SUMMER AS OPPOSE TO AN ENTIRE SEMESTER.
nice prof. i enjoyed taking his class. His test questions are tricky but never hard to solve 'em. He's never rude. He cares about his students. And respond to him while in the class. He'll keep you in mind. Also if you don't have time to read the book, atleast go over the notes that he gives in the class and you'll be 90 % fine. Take him. He's good.
this class incorporates some online quizzes which makes no sense because we a already taking quizzes in the classroom for almost every lecture.
take at your own risk
Great Prof!!!Really interesting class. You need to be really well versed with the HW problems to do well in this class. Didn't have him for lab but heard he can be very fastitdious with regard to lab reports.
What kind of teacher doesn't want to help their student pass? Lots of yelling esp if the majority of the class doesn't know the answer or how to approach the problem..isn't it the professor's job to teach you? Honestly, if you're not going to be a chem major dont take time. SPARE YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good professor if you are a chem major..other than that DON'T TAKE HIM!!very hard and if you miss class,you'll be lost!even if you don't miss it, it's EXTREMELY HARD!!!
If you want to know chemistry inside and out, take him. but its only becuase the material he expects you to know will have to come on ur own study time, in his class something may sink in..but this really is a individual study course. with online assigments that are brutal...get the solutions manual to help you. Dont expect an A.
DONT EVER TAKE THIS PROF. IF YOU WANT TO PASS. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME!!! TAKE SOMEONE ELSE. IVE NEVER GOTTEN A F IN MY LIFE. THIS IS MY FIRST AT MCC, HIGHSCHOOL MIDDLESCHOOL..ETC. STAY AWAY!!!!
There is no room for error in his class. He drops lowest grade but that's about it. Do his homework, if you don't understand something see him a.s.a.p. He will make time for you but all he is gonna tell you is "I explained this in class" (Well somebody doesn't get it for first time). Don't be late not even once, it won't make good impression.
Do not take this guy he is horrible!!!
Dr. Rowley is a phenomenal professor. He is probably not the right choice for those who want an easy A. But, if you intend to take chemistry for higher studies, there is nobody better than him. I had always found chemistry uninteresting till I met him. He is always willing to help you out; he even has an online classroom the day before the test.
Nastiest man I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE! Do not take him, He makes people cry and gets pleasure out of failing people. If you ask a question he will say " you should know that". I wasted my money and ruined my GPA I am changing my major bc of him!!!
Not a good teacher. He goes over simple problems in lecture, has moderate online hw problems, and then makes the tests harder. Flies through the material, grades tests unfairly, Very arrogant since he wrote the lab manual. Def the worst professor i've ever had. First crappy grade at MCC. Avoid taking him if possible!
Awful. Take Dr. Turoscy instead.
Dr. Rowley is far from an easy A, let's get that part straight. If you like to slack off and have no interest in actually learning material in an applicable manner than save yourself the trouble. However, if you welcome a challenge and have a great work ethic he's your man. He is clear, brutally honest, and incredibly knowledgeable.
Well his class is extremely difficult. He's a very nice and interesting guy, just don't be disrespectful and you are good. Tests are ridiculously tough, and he expect a lot out of you. If you are a Chem major I think it's a must that you take this guy; he will really prepare you for tough classes. If you need chem as a prerequisite, I suggest not.
If Dr. Rowley seems tough, wait until you get to a 4 year school where MOST of the learning is done independently. Dr. Rowley and Dr. Conley are two of the best professors in the MCC chemistry dept. to prepare students for actual higher learning. Without these guys, I don't think I would have made it through after transferring out, thank you gents
I'll be honest with u. Dr. Rowley is a nice guy. But his grading is unfair. He overlooks every detail and deducts points. The way he teaches, even though its clear he moves at a really fast pace so if u get lost its over. My advise to u is if u fail the first two exams drop the class it doesn't get better. I would know cuz I stayed.Hope this helped
He's very smart,class is interesting,you def learn a lot.U SHOULD take him for chem if you want to major or move on to a 4yr.BUT know that you will spend 5+ hrs/day doing work for his class.He grades using the 5 Exams, class participation clicker thing,Connect hw AND Learn Smart modules on Connect,w/due dates very close to each other.
Prof. Rowley does a very good job at preparing students for higher studies. His classes are not the easiest you will take but if you keep up with studying/homework (and do a short review of most recent topics just before class), you should be fine. Understanding key concepts behind the equations is crucial for success in his course.
People say he's hard just because they expect chemistry to be easy. he knows his stuff and can explain in a million ways if need be. I took Halasinski and i prefer Rowley. gives less work but it's more efficient. He's very nice. can be strict about certain things but overall wonderful. Hopefully i get a B. easy class :P
Dr. Rowley is great...he wants you to learn and he wants you to do well.. Do all the homework and attend class..and dont be afraid to ask him for help..he is the most helpful teach i had at MCC
Terrible professor. If you wana make this semester harder, you can take his class.
Awful and strict.
Middlesex has several outstanding departments and the chemistry department is no stranger to that. Within the Chemistry department, Dr Rowley is one of the best professors, renowned for his towering intellect and passion for chemistry. If you are truly interested in learning chemistry, look no further. Your real journey in chemistry begins here.
This professor was one of the worst I have ever taken here at MCC. Sure he is smart and knows what he is talking about. However, if he could convey that to his students it would be great. He is not very helpful and is not willing to spend a few minutes in class trying to help you understand. Very bad grader and an extremely bad professor.
He undoubtedly knows what he is talking about; however, he feels that the average 19 year old college student is on the same level of knowledge of Chemistry as he is, where he has been teaching it for over 20 years. PPTs are decent, the book helps a lot, the internet helps even more. Be prepared for some sleepless nights
This guy can get a little angry sometimes but he is definitely there to help you and really knows what hes talking about. He records his lectures and posts them on connect which helps if you miss class. He takes points off for small things but gives extra credit questions. He helps prepare you for the final well.
Professor Rowley is a good professor, he makes the material clear and he really wants you to understand the concepts behind every equation. Although this isn't enough when it comes to his grading and tests. This man leaves no room for partial credit, one minor flaw and you're almost two letter grades down.
Doesn't elaborate well, very boring, strict, takes off points for things like not putting work in the right spot or missing the date, expects a lot and gives little
Extremely strict , never had such a stickler professor . Might know what he's talking about , but her crainly cant convey it to his students . He does not care about his students , and always makes excuses when you go to his office hours . Don't take him !
absolutely one of the worst professors that MCC has to offer. Never have i had such a strict professor. he definitely knows the subject ver well. But he is a TERRIBLE teacher; he cant convey the material and does not care to elaborate on anything. he even shuns his office hours and will make you feel bad if you ask him a question a lot of the time.
Dr. Rowley knows his Chemistry. He's a tough grader in that he expects you to put care and effort into your work. He isn't the professor you take if you want an easy A, but he is the professor you take if you want to learn the material.
Steven Rowley is the WORST professor MCC has to offer. I took him for Lecture and it was a big mistake. If you ask a question, he makes fun of you and doesnt answer, the man leaves ZERO room for partial credit. One mistake will cost you a whole letter grade. Each question on an exam is 15 or more points. If you care about your GPA, STAY AWAY!
If you're a chemistry major, take Dr. Rowley and he'll make your future classes easier by preparing you very well. He is a little condescending at times and makes you feel bad for asking a question. It's a tough class, no partial credit on exams. Only take him if you're a chemistry major or want a real challenge. If not, take someone else.
Exams are out of 100. One question is 15-20 marks. Tough grader no extra credit
So. Science is all about wonder and asking questions. But not with this guy... never ask questions in his class. Hes horrible at lectures, horrible at explaining, thinks your dumb for asking questions. Hes just kinda relle mean. Avoid taking him if u can. There are plenty of other professors at mcc that u cud take instead of him
A horrible person. No heart, yells a lot, confused ur calculator with ur phone... so he yells at yuh and ur forced to put ur calculator away... (not kidding, it happened more than once). He doesnt respect students and thinks one dimensionally when it comes to teaching. As in.. "i teach.. its their fault if they don't get it"-students r always wrong
Where to start with this guy, He goes over the easy simple problems in class and then puts some of the hardest homework problems online i ever seen, the book will not help you. The exams are a joke every question is worth 15-20 points and are as hard as the online homework. If you are a chem major you will run into this guy, he the only prof in230
A highly respected individual, puts a lot of effort into the class and is very well read. He goes into great detail explaining chapters and does several practice problems each class. Is strict but fair, he is the leader of the class. Homework problems help a lot, and doing all the homework gives you five extra points in the upcoming exam.
This guy has no clear grading criteria, he will take off 50 points just like that on lab report out of 65pts; no points for trying. Never seen anything like this before in a human form. Thinks of himself as the greatest and others are like all morons. Take him to waste your time and money, no real reason for taking him; not good at teaching either.
Dr. Rowley is the most incredible prof and human being I have ever met. Wake up people, chemistry is not supposed to be easy. He is brilliant and kind and caring. Constantly available for extra help, grading is clear, tests are fair and he prepares you for them well. Online hw is tough but teaches well. I wish he was my prof for every class! TAKE!!
Very unfair when it comes to grading. Takes a lot of points off if you dont put the date and more points if you forget a unit. AND THEN MORE POINTS if you forget to write in pen. I wouldnt take him ever again. Terrible professor
Way too tough of a grader. Takes off all points for any sig figs off. Beware of how heavy and hard his course is. I went from an A to a C right away.
I promise you, this is the worst professor of all time. DO NOT take this man. I've had a 3.8 gpa for the last 3 semesters straight so I know that I'm not incapable of being a good student. This is the worst decision you can ever make. The amount of work he gives for a 1 credit class is laughable, and if you ask a question, he will be mean about it.
He is the worst professor I have ever had in MCC. He is very rude and unhelpful. If you are a science major and taking Chemistry for credit, DO NOT TAKE HIM. He does not give you credit for your efforts. He is a tough grader. He takes off the bulk of points for a silly mistakes.
Worst class ever! he does not take any of your work into consideration and will take off many points for your lab, his lab exams are very hard and are worth 50% of your grade. Failed all the labs because he takes off many points for small things.
This is the worst professor ever. In terms of teaching, he expects everyone to be a master in Chemistry the second they enter his class. BUT, the most important thing is how rude and mean he is. He's ruthless and doesn't "prepare" you for future harder classes but rather discourages you.
Steven Rowley is one of the WORST professors you can possibly take at MCC. Gives little to no help when someone has a question and gives a huge attitude when there is a question. He expects us to know everything off the top of our head when it has not been taught yet. If you want to help your GPA, STAY AWAY from this man. Cruel and ruthless.
If you are someone who is actually curious and wants to ask questions or wants to understand the topic more easier, then this professor is NOT for you. He is very rude and gets annoyed easily when someone wants to ask a question. He wants to see you fail and is proud of it. Taking him is the worst mistake you can possibly make.
This is the worst professor you can choose. This man is definitely smart and knows what hes doing, but he cannot teach at all. He will deduct a lot of points just like that for the smallest errors you can think of. But the most important part is how rude he is. Never be curious in his class or he will make fun of you for being so. Avoid!!
This guy is the absolute worst professor you can take. I dropped him for the simple fact that he cant teach. Ive tried asking questions about the lecture and he would get upset because I just wanted him to clarify the content more. He gets annoyed very easily. Find someone else to take for chem, not him
Worst professor ever!!! Dont take him if you want to pass chem! He rushes through the lectures and lets you so confused!
Gen chem 2 was an easy course for me because of him. He was able to answer questions the class and gives a lot of partial credit on exams. People will say he's a hard teacher but honestly if you give the effort to learn the material then you will be able to pass this class no doubt. Very accessible outside of the class and will be quick to respond.
Rowley is the worst professor you can take for chemistry. Very unorganized, likes to yell, and makes students miserable. For the sake of your mental health, do not take him. Find someone else
This guy is awesome, hes super passionate about the material and VERY knowledgeable. He gives a decent amount of homework, which is necessary in chem to learn the material. Exams for every chapter, on exactly what he taught. He gives a worksheet for every chapter and you can basically use it as a guideline for what to expect on the exam.
He makes teaching chemistry harder than it already is. Always has technical issues that make it harder to understand what hes trying to say. Obvious favoritism is shown to a few students. Yells at everyone else. Worst class ever taken!
This class was definitely the worst I have ever taken. I never had to drop a class before until I ran into this guy. Do not take his niceness at the beginning of the semester for granted. Right away, his attitude changes. Rushes through material that is NOT easy to learn. DO NOT TAKE!!!
This professor is honestly one of the worst I've ever had, all of his exams were extremely hard and there would be nothing on the exam we had studied, it would just be things he didn't go over. The homework was also just a pain to do if one question was wrong everything had to be redone. I would not recommend this professor at all.
Rowley is the WORST professor I HAVE EVER HAD. I have a 3.9 gpa and I am a great student. He makes it so hard to pass his class. The material I study for is not on the tests and he is a hard grader. I cannot believe how bad of a professor he is. DO NOT TAKE HIM.
This is the type of professor to take off points on assignments and exams just for the sake of taking off points. If you already have a life - with work and responsibilities, save yourself the headache and take a better, more understanding, more realistic, more friendly professor. All in all not bad guy but not fun to deal with as a professor.
Very unforgiving when it comes to grading. It feels like he's looking to take points off rather than check if you understand the material. No real guideline, it's all over the place and won't tell you what you got wrong. I got points off for things like order I handed in a lab report and not including the year when writing the date.
Nice professor who has an affinity for 0, very generous in exercises for which you will have no time to roll ur testicles. As 4 the exams, hardly if you go and answer all the questions. if English is not your language, come and experience the beautiful defeat. You want to resume your session, you are totally on the right track. I wish u good luck!
There was a lot of work in the class, homework on cengage, homework on Canvas that counted as class participation (as well as attendance) and an exam for each chapter (9 in total + the final), but drops the lowest 2 grades from each category (6 total). He in NOT FLEXIBLE AT ALL and isn't the easiest to understand either.
Worst professor at MCC. Even if you study you will fail. He doesn't care about his students at all.
DO NOT TAKE HIM PLEASE!!!! He is a nightmare! I paid for this class just so he can yell at students whenever he doesnt like something. He literally makes me hate chemistry. Dont take his class out of desperation rather wait one more semester cause it is not worth it! I have no idea why Middlesex keeping him around.....
Honestly, it really wasn't that bad, I'm a little confused about the reviews. You'll have to do Aleks and homework but he'll never assign something that won't help you learn. Review the material before tests and contact him during office hours. I'm taking him again this year too.
He was the reason why I dropped out of college. I was not getting anywhere with his mindset and I felt I wasted my time and money just to be tortured. He does this to all his students.
WORST PROFESSOR EVER I WOULD NEVER TAKE HIM AGAIN HORRIBLE NEVER HELP WHEN I ASK AND BARLEY ANSWER E-MAIL PLEASE DO NOT EVER TAKE HIM
Changes term schedule on short notices without updating class schedule costing students huge chunks of their grade and then blatantly refuses to help them out or acknowledge their presence after they respectfully confront his actions. Save your GPA!
His lectures are very thorough which I appreciated. Gives partial credit on exams too. Besides that this class sucks. He discourages people & yelled @ me when I asked for the exam date. I got a B but it was HARD and consumed all my time. You can tell he knows his stuff but his course structure made the entire class more difficult than it had to be.
Clearly can't teach as he lacks sense of respect for his students and fails to hide the hatred he holds for some. Literally confused my answer of phones to bombs when asked what silicon is used for and I'm visibly Muslim, it's apparent from my attire. These sort of people don't belong in post jim-crow world. Can't teach either, should just retire.
Worst prof. i have ever had. AT the end of the semester there was 6 students left. DO not take! if this is the only class available. still do not take. He cant teach, is boring, rude and does not answer any questions. worst prof at mcc ruined my science experiences.
I had Prof Rowley for chem 2 lab last spring and I'm so glad I took him. The class was tough, but if you showed you were putting in effort and understood the material, your grade reflected that. Go to office hours and ask lots of questions! It'll help you succeed in his class.
Please don't take him....just don't do this to yourself. Choose happiness over stress! If you have signed up for his class already, unregister or something, cause TRUST ME you will hate him. Excessively mean for no reason. He would listen to your question, but his reply won't ever answer the question. Doesn't give study guides for tests either.
Definitely in the business of failing students on purpose. Was told general chemistry is a “weed out” class. So he definitely makes it so that you don't succeed, yells at you for asking questions, makes random assignments so that students don't see it.Exam every week. Class started with 24 kids and ended with 6. I taught myself everything
The professor has a specific teaching style, but if you engage with it, the class is manageable. Unstuck ai and the textbook can be helpful study tools. Overall, a challenging but rewarding course.
I do not recommend taking him. A lot of assignments and things to memorize. very stressful.
Gets upset at students when they ask questions in a first year gen chem course. Grading system is exclusively based off of how he feels on that day. Don't take if you have another option.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
71%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.23 avg changeRatings by Course
GENCHEM
5.0
(1)CHM121
3.9
(7)CHEM123
3.7
(3)CHM124
3.6
(9)CHM123124LAB
3.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
123
5.0
CHEMESTRY
5.0
CHM126
5.0
CHEMISTRY122
5.0
CHEM230
5.0