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really funny in a dorky way

he made orgo fun

definitely made orgo worth learning.

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Ruttledge was really cool and always willing to help his students.

Awesome!

He is the greatest!!

He made orgo understandable and easy to learn....and dare I say, fun? The man is nuts about chemistry, but its great to have someone so enthusiastic!

He changed my life completely!!! I am one year away from my PhD in Organic Chemistry. And just so that you I do think he is incredible handsome

I was dreading Orgo, but Ruttledge's craziness made the class fun and interesting. One of the best professors I've come across, though his tests are pretty tricky.

Very funny guy, nice, and helpful. Easy to talk to, lots of weird stories.

Ruttledge is Awesome!

I love Dr Ruttledge! He's so awesome =)

tough grader ... but, i love him, love him, love him!!! Sean is great too!!! :)

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Great Teacher. Jokes are pretty funny, but don't forget the class is really really hard. He is very clear and seems to love teaching. Awesome guy.

Enthusiastic, interesting professor

The class is quite tricky. I say lectures are most useful so you know what part of the text book you need to and don't need to read. But to be fair, he is very helpful and friendly. Pretty good prof, if he cuts back on the jokes a bit.

hard as hell but makes class enjoyable. insane

my superhero!

Contrary to the myths you might have heard. This is by far the easiest class at Cornell. Easy A+, no work, don't even gotta go to lecture. You don't even need 207-208 knowledge for it. I took AEM 101 and cooking in the hotel school, and those were 100 times harder than orgo.

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Nice guy. If you make an effort to seek help we will provide it. While he does tell a lot of jokes in lecture, he does it so that he does not go over the material too fast for students to be able to grasp everything that he is saying. Nonetheless, his tests are very hard and purposely deceptive.

Good teacher, is pretty entertaining. One minor complaint is that he singles out a few students in class that he knows to try to make the class more personal, but it instead works against him because of issues (ie: favoritism). Overall, gives great lectures and is pretty entertaining.

Hard exams. At times went through lecture material too fast. So-So notes. Practice prelims were not as helpful as they could be because never posted solutions, would not be a problem if class was smaller. A nice guy, although stange sense of humor. Tried to make material interesting.

Ok, this class is not easy, only relatively easier than other orgo classes. His lecture's lack depth, but is uncannily to the point. I can't judge how he teaches. I CAN tell you that you will be laughing your butt off for at least a month. He's the funniest guy on campus, and it helps u concentrate.

Ruttledge is great. His jokes may make you roll your eyes but he makes organic chemistry as fun as it can be. He was awesome about grading things fast. And he underestimates your grades on prelims which is a nice suprise at the end. Loved him. Organic not so much.

Orgo was one of the few classes I looked forward to going to, not for the subject material, but because I never knew what to expect from Ruttledge. You don't have to love his sense of humour, but at least he didn't put me to sleep. Lectures are clear, he emphasizes what he wants you to know.

Take from someone who normally hates chem, Ruttledge is the best professor I've had at Cornell. He made organic my favorite class of the semester. Now that I am in 358, I hate orgo and want to go back to 357.

best professor ever in every way.

ruttledge is awesome. his stories are a welcomed distraction and he's very helpful, and funny, in office hours. exams are difficult and long, but they make you think. great class.

By far, the best professor I ever ever had at cornell

omg i love ruttledge. def the best prof i've had at cornell. his enthusiasm for organic inspired me to major in chemistry.

Tom is the reason I stuck with chemistry. He wrote a brutal exam, failed me, talked me down from the bridge, then whipped my butt until I got an A on his final. Anyone who claims he doesn't care about his students has shared only superficial encounters. If this man could bleed orgo into your brain, he'd be pricking his fingers for you.

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lectures.....really entertaining...but useless especially if you could use the extra sleep..go to his office hours, he explains things much better there....and beware of his exams...he like nomenclature too much and reaction mechanisms involving steriochemistry maps...booo

Great guy whose humor takes the stress out of orgo.Hard class but fun,He could be more serious at times,but definitely not as bad as hie rep makes him out to be.Always happy and willing to help, but exams are impossible to finish in allotted time, and really make you think.Orgo is a tough experience but Ruttledge is the man, and makes it fun.

Some think he isn't funny, but the jokes get you throught orgo

Ruttledge got me through orgo. Sure his jokes make you want to squirt him with a powersoaker sometimes but they kept me awake (which says a lot). Do the practice problem sets and all the practice problems from the book; skim the book chapters and GO TO LECTURE because he covers stuff not in the book. Great professor.

Great Prof. really loves what he does, cares about student. But the course is definitely a lot of work but everyone knows that going in.

Good at managing large class size. Tests are ridiculously difficult.

Took us into the light and stopped feeding us crap.

Prof. Ruttledge is one of the most fluid and impressive lecturers at Cornell. He knows his stuff cold and expects you to as well. He is not lying when he says his exams will "push you a little bit." Excellent professor overall. I highly recommend him for students who legitimately want to learn Organic Chemistry.

A great course for those students who go to lecture and enjoy the subject matter. He doesn't really follow the book, but the textbook acts as a great supplement to the course. Practice problem sets and practice exams prepare you well for the exams. He seems to know his material through and through, which is refreshing.

Professor Ruttledge's exams are full of quicksand, land mines, and tiger pits. He is also one of the best professors I've had at Cornell. He puts real effort into getting students to grasp orgo. Work hard, go to every possible review session, do every possible problem, and you come out of the class, covered in quicksand, and a smarter person.

Entertaining lecturer, keeps you interested and prevents you from zoning out, but sometimes gets a little off track... STUDY for prelims, are difficult, but manageable. He's not kidding when he says he will push you, but if study enough, tests are manageable. Textbook complements lectures EXTREMELY well- be sure to do the reading

great lecturer. knows exactly what he's talking about. his exams are hard though and you will work your ass off to get a b-. make sure to actually study for the exams and go to office hours AND do the suggested problems.

Prof. Ruttledge is the hardest teacher I've ever had at Cornell. He's also the best one I've had. His exams are brutal but I learned more than I ever thought possible. Organic chemistry is a million times easier after taking his class. To do well, make sure you understand the basics. Go to office hours frequently and do all the problem sets.

Good Lecturer, willing to help students (even holds many extra office hours and about 2-3 review sessions before exams). Orgo isn't really that hard if you take advantage of the optional problem sets, the office hours and when you actually pay attention in lecture

Has great enthusiasm. He'll make you work for your grade but he'll make you feel like the effort was worth it. The best teacher or professor I've had since pre-K.

I thought he was bad when I had him since his tests were difficult, but he was a really good teacher who wasn't boring at all. I realized how good I had it when I had Sogah second semester for 358 who sucked a lot. Ruttledge is good, study and do well when you at least have an interesting teacher.

My favorite professor at Cornell. I was absolutely TERRIFIED of organic chemistry last year, but Ruttledge made the subject entertaining and comprehensible. He pushes you to your limits and exams are difficult, but you come out of the class with such a solid foundation that'll benefit you on the MCAT. You might hate him, but you'll miss him.

Hands down the most entertaining professor out there. He makes two hour lectures feel like 30 minutes. He's very funny and very clear. I've heard rumors of organic chemistry being very hard, but Ruttledge is able to make it seem extremely simple.

He's the best teacher I've had at Cornell by far. Go to lectures, do all assigned problems and you'll do okay. He's extremely helpful and funny. Give him a chance!

Was a very interesting professor. While the material is very hard and the tests push you a lot, Ruttledge is willing to help out his students. Go to office hours! He will clear up lots of confusing concepts and provide you with tips and helpful tricks. I had a much better experience than I anticipated with orgo, and it's because of Ruttledge.

He was an amazing professor. I was dreading taking the class but he made me enjoy it. Take the orgo lectures over the summer and you actually learn everything. Great Professor.

This was the best prof I've had at Cornell. All I did all was the assigned problem worksheets and attended his (fun/amusing) lectures I never thought that Orgo can actually be fun and easy, but he had entirely achieved this.

Professor Ruttledge is an amazing professor who clearly understands the subject material of his course and inspires great interest in those who are taking his courses. Also, he makes a conscious effort to understand his students on a personal level. He is the best professor I have had at either university I have attended.

He is, by far, the best professor in the chemistry department. In addition to having enthralling lectures, he was a presence in the lab and helped whenever asked, and oftentimes before asking. I wasn't a big fan of orgo in general, but I couldn't have loved orgo lab any more.

You'll never have a boring lecture in any of Ruttledge's courses. His lectures are fun to go to, and if you pay attention you'll do great on the written test. As for the practical make sure you know what you're doing during the weekly labs! Ask Ruttledge questions when he comes into your lab too, he's very helpful.

He is a great Professor

orgo lab lecture was the highlight of my week, too bad I suck at all things chemistry-related. Ruttledge is definitely 1 in a million.

He is the man. His lectures are always really funny and entertaining, and if you actually go to them then its really easy to get an A. I would suggest taking any course with him as the professor, hes really smart and interesting

Easiest class at Cornell but there's no way to learn if you don't go to class cause its ALL lecture based. 3 prelims and a final are the only grades and they are very easy and curved very well. Material is interesting and he is garaunteed laugh out loud funny. If you take good notes and cram for like a day before its the easiest A ever

I loved Ruttledge! He is a comedian and always makes a ton of jokes that make lectures enjoyable (just remember: carbocations are prostitutes). The lab practical wasn't bad, just stressful. The worst part was the final since it was the first written exam of the year. But he always stops by your lab section is is ultra helpful!

Fantastic professor. Some may find him a bit vulgar though.

So crystal clear! I wish I'd taken this class last semester. He makes IR spectra super clear, and he and the TA's make mechanisms waaaay easier that Ganum ever did. Everything seems so much easier when Ruttledge explains it. Also, his grading policy is more than fair. I loved this class (and hate orgo)

Ruttledge is a pretty funny professor and good lecturer. The lab practical went ok for me, but you have to be VERY careful. Final was ok, but I think it's a lot better if you take it with or after orgo 2 (makes studying for this easier). Lab Report grading was highly variable, depending on your TA. Overall, it's a decent class.

Incredibly charismatic lecturer and definitely one the more amusing professors I've had in Cornell. The material itself is not difficult esp if you took orgo I but can be overwhelming if you don't know how to multi-task and organize your time well. I suggest scheduling the lab after lecture bc stuff taught in lecture are very useful for lab.

His lectures are easy to follow and make a lot of sense, so his final seems a lot like a punch in the teeth. He is great for seeking anwers during office hours and has interesting ways of explaining difficult concepts. Also, very funny

Every single lecture, is presented in a dynamic thoughtful way. You will enjoy going to class. Sprinkles a sassy amount of humor to keep class fresh at all the right moments. Not an easy grader.

Dr. Ruttledge is extremely self-absorbed, which bothered me on a personal level. HOWEVER, he does give engaging lectures, and he knows his stuff. Lab practical will make you poo yourself because its somewhat out of your control. Final is not that hard if you actually study the lab mechanisms. I got an A on it and I'm an avgbelow avg chem student

It is absolute that you have to take this course after taking 2510 or otherwise you will suffer from two lab periods week and more challenging labs. But still 3010 was much more fun than 2510. Less competitive and relaxed atmosphere with much more interesting and engaging experiments. More skilled TAs and less people in the lab.

This man gives good exams that actually test your understanding of the material rather than regurgitating exams from past years. In reality there are only a handful of mechanisms he can ask, so it shouldn't be an issue for someone who's taken 2 semesters of orgo already. If you've only taken 3570 then it's a little extra work but pays off in 3580.

Engaging lecturer. Practical and final exam were very difficult, but reasonable. I appreciated the focus on understanding WHY rather than pure memorization of the material. I found office hours helpful, though he makes you work for answers. I feel like he really cares about students and their success, but certainly wants to challenge them.

I really thought I'd be the last person to like organic chemistry, but Tom made me love it. He's brilliant, funny, engaging, and loves to teach. He's so passionate about all things, and I loved his tangents about travel and politics. I used the think I wasn't capable in science until Tom taught it the way it should be taught. Difficult but worth it

Tom does not believe in easy. He wants student to work hard for their grade, and it shows. He tries to help student by being tough but sometimes it backfires. The grading of the class rests on the TA mostly. Don't worry about the practical because there will be a review session and lots of extra help. It is also helpful to take 3580 for the final.

I had Tom for CHEM 2510 and CHEM 3580 in the same semester. He teaches the material very clearly, but sometimes digresses to tell you about his latest trip to Paris or tell you a joke about his mom. However, I think he does that to keep your attention. He will test you on conceptual knowledge and not memorization. Overall, he was a great professor.

On the first lecture, Tom will have a pep talk on how to do well in the class, office hours. A good amount of people show up to his first few but only a handful end up going regularly. Be one of those few that go consistently, it's a great way to stay on top of the material, and he is the nicest most sincere person who will make sure you learn orgo

Omg i love this professor!!! I wish more professors had his intense personality. For some reason the way he teaches boosted my confidence a lot. He makes things so clear and straightforward and I don't feel dumb. Not at all arrogant. I felt alive and happy in his class. Better experience with him than the other chemistry professors.

Go to Class! All tests are based entirely on the lecture notes & the class grade entirely off of 2 prelims & a final. Overall I just showed up to class, PAID ATTENTION, studied maybe 1-2hr for each prelim, & got an A- w curve. Professor Ruttledge is super passionate & really really nice. Does his best to make the material less dense. Fav prof. LOVE

Loved this professor's class. Really funny, interesting material, and an extremely generous grading curve- it is literally impossible to fail this class. You do need to come to class, since all prelim material is covered in class and there is no textbook. Would recommend for anyone.

Go to lecture! The textbook is useless: frequently has mechanisms contradictory to Tom's, and Tom gives way more than enough practice. So go to every lecture and pay attention and write down even stuff that isn't on the board! He explains mechanisms a lot verbally and those explanations may help you understand the material. Do practice problems!!

Really recommend that you take this along CHEM3580, or after CHEM3580 if you can. He's always behind in lectures. Study the prelab very well and make sure to complete each objective to get the lab notebook points in the end. This course will take so much of your time so if you can take it in the summer I highly advise you to do just that.