2.1
Quality3.5
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake123
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
123
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
7
4
13
3
25
2
38
1
40
What Students Say
“While I managed to pass, two-thirds of the class failed”
CHEM1A - 1.0 rating“do the practice exams and go to discussion sections”
CHEM1A - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.84 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM01A
4.0
(1)CHEM01
4.0
(1)CHEM103
3.5
(2)CHEM1
3.0
(1)CHEMISTRY1A
2.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEMACHEM
5.0
CHEM60
5.0
SIINQSIIN
5.0
CHEM1
5.0
CHEMCHIE
4.0
Reviews (123)
Tom was really helpful in office hours and was very accesible. His office hours were always much more helpful than the class itself.
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Lectures are drab, but he's fairly enthusiastic. Lectures notes are posted on the web, you're better off with the Silberberg(?) text, which is great.
got a B+. not bad for a person who rarely went to class (just on midterm days) and didn't read the book. my advice: do all your hw (easy points) and copy his powerpoint slides online.
His lectures were useless because none of the information given were used in tests
he's a pretty nice teacher, he gives it his best. He's really smart so with introductory material, he may not be able to explain as well because he's beyond that level. Which is why the people in the class should ask specific question. Also, he was very nice about changing grades. : )
I thought this class was awful. The only way I got a good grade in this class was because I had a good high school teacher. You're screwed otherwise. Some of the hw questions he assigned were extremely difficult special case problems that even the TA's said where ridiculous.
great teacher
awfully boring, class was a waste of time, you have a better chance passing not going to class and learning on your own..
A lovable nice guy with good intentions, but a bad teacher. Read the book and use your TA's- be prepared to sleep through lectures!!!
might as well just read the class, and save yourself the effort of going to class.
Super easy class. The prof is really nice, has good intentions, but is incredibly boring. The class moves really slowly, good for intro chem students I suppose. Overall, not bad, easy A, but its up to the student how much you actually want to learn.
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He is extremely boring and reads off from his powerpoint lectures, which I've also heard are recycled. And so are his exams. I'd advise to go to lecture if you want to learn about everything EXCEPT chemistry. But if you do want to learn about chemistry you'd be better off just reading the book and taking notes from there.
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He's extremely boring, I feel like I'm wasting my time sitting in a lecture. It's best to take notes from the book or from the power point lecture. That way you don't have to sit through a bunch of his nonsennse.
he's too old to teach. But i do learn from him tho' not the worst teacher on earth.
Avoid this guy if possible. Lectures are pretty bad so you're probably better off spending the time studying it on your own.
i didnt learn anything from him, the lectures are word for word out of the book. if you do take this class take ACE for your section, thats where you learn.
he's a pretty bad teacher. he lectures straight from the book in the same monotonous voice, he doesn't even try to make it interesting. you're better off studying on your own. don't bother going to class. and why does he put pictures of him & his dog at the end of his powerpoints? completely pointless & pretty much useless overall.
600 students(rm 2 watched him on a screen)gave him no choice but to use powerpoint, not an effective method of teaching.I feel like his shortcomings had a lot more to do with the university's cheapness than his lack of caring. Class wasn't thrilling,but he has real concern + is very helpful in office hours. will change test score if u try to learn
by far the worst teacher i have had at this school. lectures are the worst power points in the history of the UC school system. i went to every lecture and learned nothing until i read the book, avoid him at all costs.
I actually took this class over summer school in '05. It was FAR better than it was with 300+ other people during a regular quarter. Even though we covered all the material in such a short time, it was set up perfectly. More tests, but better concentrated on what we had actually just covered, so I easily got A/B's. GREAT CLASS!
Boring, unclear, and difficult would be good adjectives to describe him.
personally i liked Schleich.i thought he was funny guy, but his lectures were boring, all the powerpoint notes were online, and his tests were fair if you studied. overall the class was pretty easy, just study and do the homework.
Pretty much a wasted quarter. Doesn't teach much, although he seems enthusiastic. I've had worse instructors, but you could do better. I'd recommend 103 if you need an easy elective...
Very enthusiastic about chem and very fair on grades and tests. It's very tempting to skip his lectures because he puts them online, but definitely go. Really helps to go to office hrs, much more clear one on one. I was in a 630 person lecture, but knew Tom personally and pretty well. Argue for extra points, if you're reasonable you'll get them
if you can try taking this class during the summer its so much easier than in a regular quarter because you get more of a one on one help IF YOU SEEK IT....he does have ppt lectures that later post them online but i say go to them and go to the office hrs...( this is to all the freshman) its the secret to success in this class and any class.
Lectures were almost pointless. He took forever to explan a topic and often got side-track talking about useless stuff. He often had diagrams of reactions or problems from the textbook. I learned the most from skimming through the book and my TA. Overall an easy class but boring.
SO BORING! his lectures are given through power point presentations which are mostly from the text. It's helpful that he puts them online though. Hardly goes into much detail nor spends too much time on the same topic. very monotone & he tries to make test problems so complex that he makes mistakes making them up. not engaging. heavy reliance on TA
Overall an easy class if you read and study from the book. His lectures weren't exciting but do go over the notes- he uses some problems from lectures on his midterms. Though it's hard, try not to slack off, otherwise it's too much to take during a cram session since it is chemistry and therefore a boring subject in itself.
I didn't go to the lectures (they're pointless) but just from doing the reading and studying the practice tests he posts online I ended up with 85% and 90% on the tests, and somehow got an A+. I don't see how those grades (plus 7/10 on quizzes) ends up as an A+, but bless him for it. Easy grader when it comes down to it.
Tom's a great guy and willing to work with his students.
I took Chem 1A, right off the bat, he was a really nice guy. Then later on through the course you start to notice that going to lectures was useless, because it does not teach you anything. He just has powerpoints of what is in the book. I know a lot of people who just read and pass the class.
material wasnt that hard, not very clear, dont need to show up during lectures. people say his tests were hard but i thought they were close to the homework
Schleich is a nightmare. He lectures straight from the book, he has a boring voice, and he is not clear at all about what he says. Most of what i learned came from the book, not him. He is quite possible one of the worst professors I have had here. Try to avoid him if you can, and if you can't...be ready to be confused.
He's a nice guy, but his lectures are downright boring. Powerpoint slides that take information straight from the textbook, and he didn't really explain them well. I also unfortunately had a first year TA who wasn't very helpful, so I had no help. Hopefully you've had chem before if you have Schleich, he's tough. Tests are insane.
I can't stand this teacher, he is sooooo boring!!! The material's really easy though. I didn't go to class for the last 6 weeks and I still got higher than a 70% on each test. The only reason I failed was because of the attendence and homework. Unfortunately I have to retake it with him this summer :(
Tom is very supportive and always available to answer questions.
Horrible. Long rambling lectures that teach nothing. Exams that aren't on the homework or the lectures. The homework is all evens so you can't check your answers bc he wants you to "rely" on each other, but you're all so confused it's pointless. He needs to retire.
UMMM...Ok so he teaches straight from the book and doesn't elaborate at all. Chem1a should give one a strong foundation in the subject not a nightmare of confusion.
His lectures are boring. But his exams are reasonable. So, as long as you read the textbook and take notes in lecture, you will do just fine in the class.
I found his lectures rather boring and finally decided I wasn't learning from them. I stopped attending class for the last month and a half and taught myself from the book and attended sections and still got an A.
Teacher uploads all his lectures online. Lectures are totally useless. Just read the book. The final was way harder than the midterms, practice tests, and homework. Get a different teacher if possible.
It's tough to do well if you lack a background in Chem. He tries to teach, but lecture is completely useless, and his examples only confuse people. I had to rely completely on the book and my past knowledge. Try not to take him.
Tests are very straightforward, and the practice tests he gives you access to help immensely. Was very helpful when I asked for help. He makes tons of resources availible, but you do have to put in some effort to get a nice grade.
if u had a background in basic chem and u dont like to attend class, then schleich is ur professor. his tests are super easy. practice tests, lecture notes (completely useless unless u want to kno what subject he is on/has covered), and hw stuff are all online. he likes to ramble at the end of lecture about his trips to alaska or anartica...BORING
I'm in his class right now. As he drivels on and on, I have to warn you that he is the worst professor I have ever had. No charisma. Reads his own slides to the class as a form of teaching. Absolutely clueless to the needs and questions of the class. Likes to hear himself talk about his personal life. The book is the teacher, he is useless.
Tom is a very intelligent researcher but THE WORST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER MET. He doesn't deserve the title or position at UCSC. His lectures are useless, he can't explain himself, students ask questions and he simply re-reads his notes. Luckily, everyone does poorly, so the curve is huge. Tom doesn't deserve your money or time so get a tutor now!
Toms lectures are very boring, monotonous, and useless. Thank goodness I have a helpful TA. Practice tests are very useful so use them! If you can help it, dont take his class. It will make you very unexcited about chemistry.
He doesn't teach anything and has high expectations.
terrible teacher, went to 5 classes in all for the quarter (3 were test days). If possible avoid. if not try getting a helpful TA.
sadface sadface explains it all. to the guy who said curve is huge, i agree with ur stuff except no he doesnt believe in curving and never has.
He is one of the worst theachers I have ever had! Do not take his class! Most probable is that you will regret if you do..I know I did. He just doesn't teach, and he's tests suck.
this guy is absolutely terrible. i had him for chem 1a and it was the worst class i have ever taken. he basically makes no sense whatsoever. do not take a class if it is taught by tom schleich!!!!
Real bad, caused me to fail and retake class.. thanks a lot schleich. wasted hella money
A professor who is probably here just to do research in the lab. Went to first week of lectures and stopped going.Learned straight from the book, TA's were just as useless as going to lecture. Just go over practice exams and read the book. That's how I got an A.
READ NO FURTHER... Schleic was the worst possible teacher EVER. Ask anyone, they will tell you that his class is ridiculously pointless. I was never once able to sit through an entire class. When he wasn't blabbing about his kayaking trips with his wife, he was moving waay too fast though lecture slides. A BIG WASTE OF TIME
horrible horrible horrible. Avoid this guy at all cost. His lectures were useless and it was even worse because I had an unhelpful TA. Get enrolled in Roland's class. She is actually interested in teaching / helping her students.
Lectures were unclear, but there was no attendance requirement. He posted old exams, solutions to all the text problems, and all lecture slides, which made it easy to learn the material yourself if motivated. Exams were not curved. 65% required to pass, and the avg. midterm score was 63%.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!! He has got to be the worse teacher. Honestly, read the book and get help from TA's. Professor is useless and extremely boring!! Doesnt help at all.
Avoid this class!!!!! The average on our midterm was a 53% with many people getting 0 out of 100. He wouldn't curve it. He doesn't help you, and his lectures are pointless to attend.
Yeah, hes pretty bad. Doing well in the class depends on not the instructor or even the TA's but going to MSI. (I've never taken HS Chem, so it's doable if you have to take him)
His lectures are boring and hard to listen to. Mostly I learned the material from the book and the lecture notes which are all online. Homework isn't too hard, all answers are uploaded to his web-site. Midterms aren't too bad if you study nothing but chemistry the week before. Very nice person, and very easy to talk to.
Schleich is a terrible teacher, he talks like he is eating something and reads straight off the lecture notes(which are online) and the book. If you read the book and go to section, you'll be fine. I havn't been to one of his lectures and I aced the last midterm. Avoid him at all costs if you can.
Try to avoid this class. I didn't go to lecture after the first couple of weeks. I went to the other chem lecture instead which is what helped me understand what was going on in the class.
Don't even bother going to the lectures. Read the book instead. Do his practice tests because his midterms have exactly the same problems
He reads straight off the powerpoints, which are online, and then he finds a way to rephrase each note about eight different ways before he feels like he's made his point. I got through this class purely by doing the homework and checking it online. The most valuable thing I learned is that "we must be sled dogs."
Useless going to lectures because everything is online. He only reads off the powerpoints. If you have taken chem before, do the homework, and are a good self-learner, you'll be fine in this class. Just make sure you do the homework and practice tests prior to the tests. Tests are taken straight from homework problems and practice tests A LOT.
Lecture = Useless. Homework = Easy, Exams were exact copies of one of the practice exams.
don't go to lecture, and just practice/memorize the online practice exams. if you can do those, you will do well on the tests. also, kenny is an awesome TA; go to his section if you can.
Lectures are useless, you are bette off learning material in section. The homework is graded on accuracy and midterm and finals are almost if not exactly the same as the practice exams online. Study those and you will get a A, not that hard.
Bad teacher, lectures are pointless. He will break you hopes and dreams, and u will never want to take chemistry again. Do not go to lectures, study from book or make study groups. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. HEED THIS WARNING. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
Okay, so, here's the deal. He's not easy. His lectures expect you to have read the book prior to coming to class. But the fact is, he is seasoned and he knows that chemistry is not supposed to be easy. You are supposed to work your a$$ off outside of class. If you have questions, he is there 100% to help you. However, you should still go to MSI.
okay, even though Schleich is boring his test are straight forward and manageable, i've had Randa too and i honestly prefer this class. Randa's test are too long and her class was more stressful for me.
This professor is the worst I have ever had. If I am required to learn the material by book and T.A., I am absent of what I payed to attend a University: an inspiring professor. A professor doesn't tell his students his aspirations (ex: Antarctic excursions), a professor influences his students to aspire. Don't enroll in this class, period.
schleich is not as horrible as people are making him out to be. One thing about this class is never give up. He may not be the best teacher and can be down right confusing, but he is always willing to help you and his TA's are amazing. MSI is a must. Do the practice tests. They're online along with HW answers for a reason. These are key to passing.
He is not very interactive. He uses his laser pointer and points at the slides. Chemistry is difficult to understand but it helps to see how to work out problems, he doesn't do a good job of that. If you need help though go to MSI then go to him if you still need help.
Chem 1a says "high school level chem required" but if you took chem early on in high school, do NOT take this class. Half the class passed because they took AP chem, the rest failed. He never works out the problems on the board, (he shows the steps but never explains HOW TO do them). If you know chem go for it, but otherwise avoid at all costs.
this guy isnt as bad as people make him out to be. dont go to lecture. do the prac exams and youll be fine
He is a brillant man and that is probably his worst thing. He can't dumb himself down to our level. So what makes sense to him doesn't make sense to us and he doesn't explain it to us. You have to teach yourself. Other than that it is easy and can be passed
Schleich is undoubtedly a terrible lecturer. However, having no chemistry backround, I found his class riduclously easy. His lectures are a waste of time. read the book the learn the subject. He puts his old exams online which are IDENTICAL to the ones you take. Very easy A. He is also very approachable and helpful in person at OH.
Although Schleich is impossible to understand and his lectures are detrimental to one's education, reading the textbook and doing the homework will make this class doable. However, he lost my midterm grades, assumed I did not take it, and doing so gave me F's. Stay as far away as possible from this professor.
He's a really nice guy who does care about his student's doing well. It's just too bad he can't help them do that. His lectures were so bad, it actually got to be kinda funny to see him try to explain himself. The problem is that he's so above our level, nobody understands him and when we asked questions, he didn't understand us so he just went on.
The content of this class is difficult but Schleich gives tools to allow ANYBODY to earn an A. He posts his past midterms/finals ONLINE. Ridiculously simple to study for a test, anybody can at least get a B. Just make sure you don't go to lecture and instead refer to your TA's help. Forget that actually, just do the online tests.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH HIM unless you enjoy listening to a grandpa voice talk about absolutly nothing. He is useless, and you will likely get more out of not going to class and reading the textbook instead. Worst teacher i have ever had. I don't even know why they call him a teacher....ONly take if you have prior EXTENSIVE knowledge in chem.
Horrible Professor.
not helpful. don't need to attend class learn on ur own. i got a B in his class by just reviewing his online practice exams. practice exams are similar to actual exams.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS!!! FOR YOU ACADEMIC SAKE...DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! His lectures are completely pointless and he is impossible to follow. Read the book and do the practice tests. Only way to pass. but nonetheless, avoid this professor AT ALL COSTS!!!!!
Unfortunately for me it was too late to take someone and I paid for it. He is hard to understand and the lectures are useless. I walked away from that class without learning a thing. Do not take him.
He was a horrible professor!! i spent most of my time attending MSI and tutoring. Definitely read the book, and get help early otherwise your screwed.
Worst teacher I have ever had. He mumbles so you can not understand anything..if you can manage to stay awake. his tests are impossible and the only way to learn anything is if you do it yourself. AVOID HIM
Worst teacher I have ever had. If you have to have him form chem series wait until some other professor teachs your desired course. You cannot learn chem through powerpoints spent $300 on a great tutor and still couldnt pass this old mans class. DO NOT TAKE CHEM WITH THIS PROFESSOR
You'll fail unless you are a Chemist already!
he is not a good teacher but do the practice exam and read the book and you will do fine
I had him for two quarters because I failed the first and I really wanted to be a bio major. Well, he certainly isn't the best teacher around but since when did students have to rely so much on the teacher? Read read read and practice like there is no tomorrow. His tests are insane. I don't understand how some can pass with flying colors.
DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT take his class. Wait for another professor to teach it. He'll ruin gen chem for you. Do your parents a favor and don't take this class because you'll probably fail it unless you're naturally talented at chemistry.
worst teacher I've ever had....UCSC deserves much better than the like of professor schleich. How is it possible to have a professor for a class that so many people need to take for their majors, that is so horrible at explaining anything chemistry related. His stupid ass jokes suck too, hes straight an ****!
UGH.... failed.. ruined my life! DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS! Unless you already know a lot about chemistry!
Doesn't teach anything in class, then fails almost half of the class. horrible teacher. most people i knew got a B- or C+
Going to Schleich's lectures were useless, he was not very interesting to listen to and all of the information he offered he posted on the website. I recommend going to discussion sections if you want to learn anything in this class/pass the class at all. Not a very good teacher.
Did not explain anything, always ignored my questions when he saw my hand raised, laughed when I said i didn't understand something, too old to be teaching still. i believe he has had a few strokes in his life so he doesnt find his words well. take the class with another professor or be prepared for failure.
Yes he's not the best teacher around... His lectures aren't very useful BUT, you can get great grades as long as you read the text book, do practice exams, do the hw, and study. You can't expect to go to a lecture and learn/ consolidate everything %100, READ THE TEXT BOOK, it's the best teacher there is.
Schleich is a very intelligent teacher,he isn't clear with his examples and sometimes they arn't very relavent to the tests. Most people don't show up to class until the Midterms/Final. I went to every lecture but honestly learned everything from the discussions with TA's. Go to discussions, that's how you get a good grade. Lectures arn't helpful.
do the practice exams and go to discussion sections. i got 100s on the first two exams because of that. his lectures are useless. i learned nothing from them. discussions with his TAs are where it's at.
Lectures are basically useless. Read the textbook and attend discussions regularly. Get a good TA and their lectures will be infinitely more helpful. Don't expect an exceptional grade unless you have a great chem background. Practice tests online are almost identical to real exams. It's possible, don't be discouraged, but you have to teach yourself
Horrible Teacher! His tests had nothing to do with the homework or what he taught! Do NOT take a class with him..you will regret it.
Never went lectures, worst teacher ever. MSI,discussion,Practice exam will save ur life. he might give u one online midterm tho n u gota nail that sheittt.
His lectures were so boring and irrelevant I stopped going to them. I attended probably a total of 10 lectures. Discussions, though, are a must. My TA was Tara and she's the best! Very clear and helpful. The exams are very similar to practice exams, but be careful. He might throw in an online test.
Terrible teacher. Should not be teaching regular chemistry. Only good in his office hours.
Intelligent, but does not know how to teach.
One of the most rude and disrespectful teachers I have encountered. He seems to hate teaching and has no interest in helping the students understand the material. He ignores questions and mocks students who do not understand. Waste of time. But luckily, for science majors, the teaching gets better.
As a person, he's pretty easy going. As a professor, weellll not very good, at all. His lectures are boring and for the most part are irrelevant to the work. READ TH BOOK AND GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS. His class is HARD!!!
And here I thought I had met boring teachers, but Schleich takes the cake. He has a very monotonous voice that puts anyone to sleep. His lectures are based off of powerpoints, so really the only things to copy down are overhead examples. Go to the TAs instead. Still, I was sad to hear that he is retiring by the end of this quarter...
I didn't think that he would be this bad. His lectures are worthless; mainly to his overuse of powerpoint slides. This should be his last quarter. God smiles upon future Chem 1A students.
He's pretty boring to listen to. he skims through examples like everyone gets it. Very nice man. go to office hours with a SPECIFIC question, only way they work. TAs are helpful and MSI does work. Midterms are easy when you know what to study for. very generous grader
He's such a nice professor. He's SUPER generous and smart. Though he may not be the best teacher, his tests are very easy because all you have to do is review old tests. I'm glad I took his class. It forces me to read the book and now I understand chemistry a lot!
Schleich is a better professor than most people give him credit for. A very nice man during his office hours however during class, is very dry. His tests are very easy if you get the right TA. I studied two hours before his exams and got an A in the class.
I took this class and failed miserably. It was all my fault for not studying, going to lecture, or anything. Took the class because i needed 5 credits. Big mistake. Make sure you are chem major. Could not bear to study for it.
horrible professor. Smart but doesn't teach well. I DO NOT recommend this class!!
Not only was he impossible to understand, but he would make obvious mistakes that he would argue with his TAs about. He was completely unsympathetic towards the needs of all of his students. While I managed to pass, two-thirds of the class failed. When people asked questions, he was either unable to provide information or he blew them off entirely.
Class Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.84 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM01A
4.0
(1)CHEM01
4.0
(1)CHEM103
3.5
(2)CHEM1
3.0
(1)CHEMISTRY1A
2.5
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEMACHEM
5.0
CHEM60
5.0
SIINQSIIN
5.0
CHEM1
5.0
CHEMCHIE
4.0