3.0
Quality2.7
Difficulty100%
Would Retake103
Reviews100%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
103 total ratings5
29
4
20
3
17
2
14
1
23
What Students Say
“His class is impossible without it”
CHM234 - 3.0 rating“I really liked the way Dr”
CHM234 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
61%
Textbook Required
77%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.22 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM234CHM235
5.0
(1)CHEM235
4.5
(4)CHM237
4.3
(23)CHM234
3.8
(18)CHM235
3.5
(11)Difficulty by Course
CHEMLAB
5.0
CHM157
5.0
CHM201ANDINTRO
5.0
CHEM201
5.0
CHM201
4.5
Reviews (102)
Lecture is kinda boring, but he is willing to help you understand the labs
Great guy, willing to help and understanding.
very nice very approachable(under suspicion if you know what i mean)
No Comments
Labs are easy, tests are not!
No Comments
Difficult to follow, unclear on the course material in general.
No Comments
Very helpful, and will answer any question you have, just as long as you don't deviate him off topic.
Most useless teacher I've ever had. He treats you like it's High School all over again. Horrible, horrible teacher.
This teacher has the maturity of a middle school cild.
nice guy, pretty straight forward
If you took high school chemistry this class will be easy
This class is easy, but he makes it a lot harder than it is. He goes off on his own little stories a lot.
This instructor is hard to understand with his LISP. His internet review sheets don't correspond with his tests. Tutors teach better and I suggest for any students new to chemistry......DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!!!!
He's nice, but not too helpful. Kinda spacey. I took chem in 10th grade so this class was a complete BREEZE for me. Exams are not hard at all. If you did well in high school chem i would recommend him. Otherwise, if you need a prof who can answer ?s , go with someone else.
I cannot believe this guy is teaching at our University.He should not be teaching at all.He is imature,unclear,and has no people skills.Dont take.
This is probably the worst professor I have every seen. He acts like he is teaching a middle school class. Very aloof.
This class is REALLY easy. No thanks to him. He is a very sweet man but he doesnt know what he is talking about. If you took Chem in high school this class is going to be the easiest class you will take in College. If you know chem I would recomend him. If you need help and dont understand Chemistry dont take him.
This class is a joke!Dr. Ott is not helpful and he has no compassion what so ever! He says he states in his syllabus about certain things but its not even listed in it. His teaching structure is very disorganized. You cannot follow what he is trying to say in his notes. You are probably better off teaching yourself from the book if you take him.
Wonderful grading scale. Tests are on recommended book problems. Class was more enjoyable than expected.
Very scattered teaching style. Gave horrible examples that were not relavent to the homework. The saving grace in this class is that the tests are taken straight from the study questions at the back of each chapter, so if you do the assigned problems you'll have no problem passing. Gives extra credit and has a very fair grading scale.
This guy was ALWAYS reminding us that we needed to hurry up and finish, because he had to pick his daughter up from daycare. His lectures were less then clear, his teaching was lackluster, and he pranced when he walked!
Very scattered teaching style and hard to follow.Nice enough guy but I didn't think he was as helpful as he could have been.To be fair, it was the first time he had seen some of the experiments. Questions on the final were not covered in class or in the lab manual.
After taking gen chem I was so scared to take another chemistry class. But after taking orgo 1 and 2 with him I liked chm again! He is very fair, gives extra credit. and very helpful! One of my favorite Professors here!
OTT IS THE MAN! I loved him! If you are willing to put in some effort, you will pull off a good grade. He is very helpful. One of the greatest chem professors at OU by far!
I took CHM 234 with Prof Bull in Winter 08 and I got a 1.4. I took the class agin that following spring with Prof Ott and I got a 3.7 Need I say more?
Very nice, saves you from having to do a lot of work on the lab report write-ups, vast majority of the grade is on your lab results.
He's a really bad teacher. Very very easy A, but you will not learn a single thing. You will hate him and his class. He cannot control the chatter, and he nickels and dimes you grade-wise. He tries to be nice, but gets taken advantage of and seriously should not be teaching a class like organic chemistry, he doesn't even understand the material.
He's a very nice professor. I enjoyed how the class was structured and the grading scale. I'd recommend taking him.
I took Ott for both 234 and 235. He picks favorites, and let those favorites retake the final exam...as if that's fair to the rest of the class. He cant teach and if you want to do well in his class you need to read that horrible book that's assigned. Grades extremely inconsistently and should hire a TA. Not too hard for a 4.0 but not a cool prof
Ott is quite possibly the toughest professor at OU, and knows his stuff. I took 234 with him in the summer and studied day and night. I received a 1.2; I took the class again with Dembinski and got 4.0. I guess he used to be an easy professor, but he's VERY tough now because many professors were complaining that he was too easy. DO NOT TAKE HIM!!
Honestly the easiest organic professor you can find. For those who are saying dembinski is easier come on did you even go to class? You have to go to class to do the in class assignments and stuff but by the end of class all the extra assignments become extra credit. Extra credit in orgo? If you can't pass Dr. Otts class give up...on life
Great Teacher
Wow, Ott was horrible! He's the absolute worst teacher I've taken at OU so far! He's useless when you ask for help. He's never helpful when you ask him a question and forget about going to his office for help. He's ridiculous when it comes to partial credit, it's pretty much all or nothing. Rude? Yes. Helpful? No. Should you consider Ott? HECK NO!!
Used to be an easy teacher but isn't anymore. Class was graded on a straight scale (e.g. 2.0 = 70%), but extra credit was given on a few occasions. Consider taking another teacher.
Very clear of what he expect you to know.It is important that you take notes. Gives a lot of extra credit, group assighnmets, and homework. Do it all because every extra point counts. Attend all the lectures even if it is not mandatory. It was a lot of work but I really enjoyed his class and his teaching style.
one of the BEST chem professors i've ever had. i'm so shocked to see such horrible reviews. he's always willing to help you. yes, he is a bit scatterbrained but if you go to class, do the homework and put in a bit of effort you will do just fine. i did all of these things and received a final grade of a 3.6!
I had Ott in the summer for orgo 2. There was definitely a lot of memorizing involved, but a 4.0 is easily attainable if you study. There is even extra credit. I also had him for orgo lab and again it's easy to get a 4.0. Definitely recommend this professor!
Prof Ott taught my Chem Lab. I am a 3.8 student, I study frequently and I spent A LOT of time on my labs. Ott was completely unfair, provided no direction and was actually scolded by the lab attendant on several occasions. He is a horrific professor. DO NOT take him if you want to have a positive lab experience.
Ott is a complete spaz! He is super helpful and the labs are graded easy. Lab exams are stupid but don't impact grade much (about 25%) of total. Highly recommend him for organic lab
Had him for lab. He is tough when grading lab reports but he will help if you ask for it. His instructions are not very clear so I found myself asking for a LOT of help from him and the TA. The TA was our best bet at understanding the material bc she actually took the time to help me understand it whereas Ott just pointed me in the right direction
Easy class
Very easy lab, and Dr. Ott is a really nice guy, he will certainly help you out if you ask for it. The lab lectures are kind of a joke, and it doesn't really matter if you go or not, they won't really help you (just don't skip on exam days!)
He talks quietly so sit close. he is a good professor and very helpful. Lab grades are highly based off your lab results so make sure you get good results. There are two exams which are worth as much as a one day lab. I found i did better when i went to lecture. A 91% is a 4. Highly recommended.
had him for orgo 2, he went to u of M and northwestern, he knows what he's talking about. Unfortunately his knowledge is downplayed by his teaching ability. He always jumps around and it's hard to take notes with him as a teacher. However, he's much better in the labs. Personally I wouldn't take him again...
Easiest teacher, easiest tests, made me think this was high school. I pretty much bought a 4.0 by taking this teacher. All i did was read each chapter the day before the exam and i was set. I went into the final with a 102%. I'll admit the final was a little challenging. His lectures have no point to them other then him telling you which method2use
He may be very educated about chemistry but based on his teaching this man is absolutely clueless. He makes simple mistakes & bumbles through every example he gives us. I'm more confused AFTER coming to his class than if I were to just stay home & read the book on my own. DON'T take him if you're not previously knowledgeable in chemistry.
very confusing, rambles, dances around questions, very unclear answers, you have to teach the subject to yourself, he is very unhelpful
Horrible teaching methods. Going to class is a waste of time. It's better if you just stay home & study. He is not helpful and is VERY confusing. If you have no knowledge in this subject prior to this subject you will be in trouble. You're basically on your own for this class. I'm very disappointed. I expected to get more out of this class.
This professor cannot teach!!!! He will never give you a straight answer, mumbles a lot, his lectures are very confusing. I stopped going to class and had to rely on the book alone to get through it. DO NOT TAKE
Very knowledgeable about the topic but his teaching methods are terrible. If you do not have a background in chemistry then take another professor because he is not good at answering questions or giving extra help.
If you've taken high school chemistry, you'll have such an easy time in this class. I sat in class and just did the online homework the whole time (there's a lot of it). I got an easy 4.0 because everyone was doing terrible on the exams, which were REALLY easy. his study guides he posts are pretty much the same as the exams. Standardized final.
Ott is a very educated guy in chemistry, however, his teaching methods are awful! He needs to take a class on how to teach. Don't take his class if you have little to no prior knowledge of chemistry. On the plus side, he is an international folk dancer...
He is very knowledgable in Chemistry. However, if you don't know as much as he does you might as well just plan on teaching yourself. He gets sidetracked very easily and often times will skip entire sections because he got distracted and doesn't remember where he left off. I would suggest avoiding any of his lower level classes entirely.
TAKE A DIFFERENT PROFESSOR if given the choice...I always get good grades and I had the most awful time trying to pass his class. He is VERY knowledgeable about chemistry but has no idea how to teach. He gives no clear concepts on how to do problems. he ONLY does examples. I gave up and didn't go to class and taught myself from book
DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! He is horrible. Very smart person but does not know how teach at all. He mumbles and his test aren't mult. choice. If you take this class with him you are asking to fail.
Very HORRIBLE TEACHER Run now Especially if your a nursing student Do not take him I have a overall 3.8 gpa. Never got bad grades. All I do is study & still barely passed. Ott is a very bad teacher. He doesn't know how to teach at all. Class is only helpful for group assignment points. Test are nothing homework .. You mind as well teach yourself .
Professor Ott is a nice guy, and has easy exams. However, you will teach yourself in his lectures. He is better one on one so if you have questions, go to his office hours. If you do not have a good background on chemistry, DO NOT TAKE CHEM WITH HIM!!!
One of the better Orgo Professors I have taken so far. He is clear on what he wants
Great professor, best one to take for orgo at OU! Being a summer course, it was fast paced but definitely doable. Dr. Ott gave us many assignments that greatly helped our grades. He even gave extra credit assignments (3). His exams are very fair and he is a fair grader as well. Helpful in office hours. Read the book & do lots of practice problems!
Hands down best prof for orgo! 5 group assignments, 6 HW and 5 exams and some extra credit group assignments. He drops lowest HW and exam grade. Very fair
Ott was the BEST Organic Chem professor. I wish I took him for Orgo 1 too! He gave you group assignments, homework, extra credit, and exams. You still had to study but he told you exactly what you need to study for the exams. His office hours aren't that helpful though, but still he's better than the rest. Pay attention to his class notes!
Best professor to take for Orgo lab hands down Very nice and helpful in office hours. The experiments are good, not too difficult or long.
Lectures were very confusing and disorganized, I basically just read by myself to pass the class. Only went to class for the occasional surprise group assignment he would pass out. Probably will not take again.
He doesn't really teach very much just kind of give examples, you basically have to teach yourself the material but most of it is self explanatory with the use of your book. VERY EASY GRADING SCALE. Easy tests for the most part, gives make up exams if you miss one. Easy if you have a chemistry background of any kind, probably hard if you dont.
He is very soft spoken, can't even hear him with a mic. Gets distracted very easily and takes his material straight from the book. You can teach yourself. I gave up on his class and stopped showing up except for tests. Nice guy. Knows his chem, but I don't think teaching is his thing. Only attend for group projects.
Excellent lab professor. Wish he taught orgo full time.
Worst teacher ive ever had, i am pretty good at science, but had only taken chem once and found this class diffucult. I'm a good student, but barely passed his class, had to teach everything to myself, only went to lecture to do the group assignments. DO NOT TAKE
I found this class extremely difficult in 104 even with a mic you could still barely hear him it's better in a smaller classroom though. He also knows what he is talking about just can't explain it. He does a lot of examples and jumping around. Trading the book is a major thing to do in his classes.
Ott is a very nice old professor, but he does not explain the reactions that happen in organic chem. He was great for chem 104, I had an A, but for organic chem I will barely pass this class. There are group assignments and online assignments so come to class! I wouldn't recommend taking him for Organic Chem 201.
Was going to take his Orgo 2 class, but then found out he is no longer offering extra credit in either his Orgo 1 or Orgo 2 courses! His class is impossible without it. I wouldn't recommend taking him without the EC!
To the person who commented below, how do you know he doesnt offer extra credit anymore, if you haven't even had him? Did he tell you personally? I think even without it he still is the best, it can't be that big of a extra credit to stop someone from to considering take him..
He's super unorganized and though it's clear he's smart, he is very poor at explaining things. His lectures are sporatic handwritten notes on an overhead that are usually illegible and confusing as he jumps around a lot and mumbles. I got a 30% on my last test with several hours of studying when i usually get 90's without studying. DO NOT TAKE!!!!!
He is keen on taking off points for the most petty blips, if one would even call them that. Does not want his students to do well.
If you have the opportunity to take CHM 201 with another professor, do it. Although I have studied hard and am doing well in the class, the averages on the tests have been in the 50s. He has been offering extra credit to make up for it, but this class is just unbearable. Lectures are essentially pointless, you will have to teach yourself everything
Went into Orgo knowing it was going to be difficult, but was told to take Ott since he was suppose to be the most simple for teaching Orgo at OU. Not sure if something changed with his system but his tests are not easy, NOTHING compared to his old practice exams. Only reason still I'm still in is is because of Extra Credit and homework points.
I think he is the best professor I have ever had. Extremely helpful in office hours. Easiest 4.0 ever. Gives plenty of extra credit. The 5 tests were almost identical to his practice exams.
The class is 56 hws, 45 exams, 5 in class assignments, and the final. The extra in class work becomes EC which is extremely helpful. Ott is not a great prof but his notes can be helpful. I highly suggest that you read the chs., look at the hw in class work, & do the suggested practice problems when preparing for exams.
I really liked the way Dr. Ott taught this class. He didn't focus on mechanisms too much, and he told us which mechanisms to know for the exams. While his notes can be all over the place, I still found attending the lectures to be very helpful. The book is clear and straightforward. Plus the extra credit group assignments certainly help.
His notes can be confusing, but they're exactly what'll be on the tests. Don't bother going to the book unless you need clarification of what's in his notes. Assigns specific mechanisms, memorize them and easy points. Up to 24 points extra credit (3 group assignments). Easy 4.0 in both 234 and 235! Can't wait to take him for the laboratory. 91% 4.0
Ott is by far the best organic chemistry professor at Oakland University. You have to put the time and effort in because organic is a tough class but Ott is reasonable and fair on what he expects. He also adds plenty of opportunity to earn extra points. His notes are a little messy but they follow the book. I highly recommend him!
Gives HW and Group assignments which are helpful for exams. He's not a good professor but his exams are easy and if you work for it you can definitely get around a 4.0. If you attend lecture and don't miss group assignments they count as extra credit which is a great grade booster!
Same format as CHM 234. Homework assignments, group assignments, and exams. He tells you which mechanisms to know for each exam which is easy points and tells you which sections to study. He makes a hard class so much easier. If you have to take orgo, take it with him in the summer.
He tends to take off points for minor things on your lab reports, but the lab reports are a lot easier than the gen chem reports. The labs are pretty easy, but a few take a while. There are no pre-lab or post-lab questions or quizzes, but there is a final exam which is kind of hard so study the study guide he posts on moodle. It's pretty similar.
This was a very tough class, and having him as a professor does NOT help and I would not recommend anyone to take him. He rambles a lot and his notes are scattered with scrap paper and a pen. He was also no help to me visiting his office hours as well, he is nice though. I did very well in chemistry before but taking it with Ott was not a good idea
Tom is THE MAN. I wouldn't take any other professor at Oakland for orgo.
If given the choice take it with him. None of the professors are that awesome but with Ott, if you read the book and do all of the problems it's an easy 4.0 . Trust me, i'm pretty dumb and I got a 4.0 without even studying for the final. Trust me.
He is a really nice teacher and is very fair with his grading. He is very helpful especially in lab.
Ott gives all of the information needed for the tests in his class notes which he posts to moodle daily. The textbook as well as consistent class attendance are not mandatory but can be very helpful as he gives in class group assignments which can upon accumulation, count for extra credit. He's pretty much the lebron james of organic chemistry
Highly suggest taking this course with Prof Ott. He gives practice exams with answers that are extremely similar to the actual exams so it is hard not to get an A. He is mindful of curving grades and will help you if you ask for it. If chemistry is not your strong suite, this is the Professor for you.
I will say this if you do not have a good background on chem do not take him. If you can find more of his old practice exams you'll be fine, and don't skip group assignments because they're what help your grade at the end. And do well on the Labs. The final is horrible but not his fault. But overall he's a really nice guy, but not an easy A.
Worst professor. Would not recommend. OWL homework is a must, there are group assignments that count for a grade so it's hard to skip lecture and at the end there's a big one for extra credit. If you have questions, he won't help you. Did not tell us final was timed, but practice exams are almost identical to the exams.
I think that Ott is the best Orgo professor compared to the ones I had before. His exams are straight forward. Study his suggested problems and you will be fine. There's group assignments and homework every week so attendance is mandatory.
Amazing professor. He's clear as to what he expects you to know for exams. Pay attention and take notes during lectures. His homework and group assignments prepares you for the exams. Do the practice problems in the book and study his notes and you should pass easily. Offers E.C points through group assignments so make sure you attend class.
Use his notes while going through the book and fully understand the material. Group assignments and Hw every week but they really prepare you for the exams. He tells you exactly what you need to know but you pretty much have to teach yourself. this is not an easy A by any means but he is the best choice for orgo. Work hard, the book is a must have.
Ott is a great professor his lectures are okay but as long as you study his notes he posts on moodle you will do great on his exams. He has 8 group assignments and 3 of those are extra credit, 6 homework assignments and drops the lowest grade. If you are taking orgo make sure you take it with him summer 1 & 2.
Had him for Orgo 1 chem 234 and the orgo lab chem 237 in 2008. Orgo lab is easy with him compared to chem 158 lab or chem 157. Had him for orgo 1 and he doesnt prepare you for orgo 2. Most people do well with him and sometimes thats all it matters. At the end, 4.0 is what gets you to the next level in education. Study hard and results will show
Really clear about what he expects. Shows a demonstration of what you should do in the lab. He is always willing to help and answer questions, and he's an easy grader for the most part
Professor Ott is a really good professor, Organic chem is not an easy class he is the best Professor here at Oakland University, He gives 8 grp assignments, 6 homework 1 dropped, 5 tests lowest dropped, and he also gives a final exam. Study hard and work through the problems and you will do good.
Professor Ott is a good Professor. Organic chemistry is not easy by any means but he makes the class doable. 8 Group assignments, 3 were ec totaling like 50 points, owl hw is super easy to get 100, and he gives practice exams identical to actual exams. Hes so nice and very approachable, looks out for your grade too. He handwrites his notes though.
Professor Ott is the best orgo prof. So glad that I retook it with him!!!! 8 Group assigns, 3 were extra credit, owl hw is like automatic 100%, & he gives practice exams identical to the actual exams& curves the standardized final A TON!! Read the book before class bc/c handwrites his notes & doesn't always go in order of the sections
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
61%
Textbook Required
77%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.22 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM234CHM235
5.0
(1)CHEM235
4.5
(4)CHM237
4.3
(23)CHM234
3.8
(18)CHM235
3.5
(11)Difficulty by Course
CHEMLAB
5.0
CHM157
5.0
CHM201ANDINTRO
5.0
CHEM201
5.0
CHM201
4.5