He is a fantastic speaker. Super open. Very clear communication about tests and homework.

Dr. Varner is the best professor I've had so far. He ends every email with a meme and usually includes multiple in his lecture slides. He has numerous office hours so anyone that wants to can get to know him. Very nice guy and a very animated, intelligent professor. Explains things in a very understandable way considering I had no Chem background.

He's really cool and funny. The only issue is his tests are really hard to get A's on because they're usually only 20 or so questions. I totally recommend him because I've heard a lot of the other chem professors are worse, but be prepared to study a lot before exams (basically one per month plus the final, so about 4 total).

TLDR: TAKE DR. VARNER. He's such a good professor. He's very good at breaking down concepts and explaining them in simple ways. He's always happy to answer questions and is very encouraging of students in class. He gives helpful feedback and he genuinely wants to help you get a good grade. 100/10 professor. Take his class.

Dr. Varner's enthusiasm and ability to explain challenging subjects make lectures amazing! He is incredibly accessible and I highly recommend attending office hours if you need any help. Exams are only hard if you do not study, and lectures are full of memes and Dr. Varner goofing off for science. He will help any way he can and is very respected.

Accessible, good lecturer, and goes out of his way to find ways of making the content relatable and easier to understand (lots of analogies). Amazing at office hours and genuinely cares about his students doing well. Has the most participation based grading youre gonna get. Just make you sure you learn ahead because Ch102 always runs ahead of 101.

Dr. Varner is absolutely amazing. Though CH 101 is a tough course, he does an excellent job explaining the content. He's very kind and funny, and he truly values each of his students. Having him makes you feel much more willing to go to each class. WITHOUT QUESTION, he's the best professor I could've possibly gotten in my first semester of college.

The tests are extremely difficult, but the webassigns are super easy (i.e 5 submissions for a 2 answer multiple choice question easy). Be prepared for that not to matter, as the tests are very tough. Study for them and hopefully you'll score higher than I did. Varner is probably your best pick for CH101 from what I've observed from other teachers.

Dr. Varner is a great lecturer. He takes a lot of time going over material but the pace doesn't feel too slow. Everything comes with good analogies to make it memorable. He comes into class with a ton of energy and good vibes. The exams are the hardest part of the class, but are fair and mostly multiple choice. One of the best CH101 profs by far.

Such an amazing professor! The lectures are super enjoyable and understanable, so accessible outside of class! SO patience will answer all your questions thoroughly! He is honestly one of the best teachers I've ever had! Super encouraging! For exams review homework and do the test prep! GO to office hours!!

Amazing professor. Trys to learn students names, engaging, office hours are wonderful and accessible. Tests are very hard. 1-3 Webassigns each week, 3 difficult exams, pre-class assignments, and attendance questions each class. No late assignments or extra credit but lowest homework grade dropped. Final replaces one exam if it helps you.

Dr. Varner is one of the few professors I trust and feel confident around. Not only does he have flexible office hours but has a 95% participation grade and is able to overall explain concepts well. His lectures and emails are full of memes and fun acronyms to help us study. He not only reminds us that our grades does not define us. Love Him!!!!!!

I really enjoyed Dr. Varner's class. He is nice, caring, funny, and wants you to succeed. Go to class in person, do the homework, and try to understand the material as you learn it. The textbook problems are also a good resource. Tests are hard, but if you study they are fair. You can tell he's passionate about chemistry and it makes the class fun

Dr. Varner is an amazing prof and I would 10/10 recommend him as the 1st choice for ch101. Explains everything thoroughly with many examples and analogies. Loves when students ask questions. If you study and understand the material, the tests are fair. Ask him any questions after class or in office hours, too and he will gladly help. Pure soul

Coming into college as an inexperienced freshman, I did not pick my section of CH 101 on the basis of professor ratings, but I am so glad my section was taught by Dr. Varner. He truly cares about the success of his students and his lectures are incredibly clear. Take the course with him if you can.

Great lectures and very passionate about the subject. If you can take CH 101 with him you should do it. Usually had good practice tests posted well before exams.

Gives amazing lectures and explains the material in a way that is easy to understand. Readily available for any extra help you might need. Quite a bit of homework but all of it pertains to the lecture material.

Good lectures, posts slides for convenience. Teaches in a friendly and engaging manner although he can fall behind in material sometimes. Tests are not very difficult but can feel very short and there is no curve.

Even though I failed the class, I really enjoyed being in that class :) lol

Dr. Varner had amazing lectures with tests that were pretty hard, but if you studied and took good notes the tests arent impossible.

Professor Varner cares about his students tremendously and wants his students to pass. He is very accessible outside of class, offers amazing feedback and study tools, and does amazing lectures. Lectures are accessible outside of class and he explains the content very well. If you study, you will do well! No extra credit opportunities.

Dr. Varner is very great professor. His lectures can be boring at times, but he is very enthusiastic about chemistry and wants you to be too. His tests however are pretty difficult as there were times I studied pretty heavily and made terrible grades. Luckily his tests don't count as harshly as other professors and is still learning as a professor.

Amazing professor and helped me understand concepts I did not get in high school. Study for the exams and you should be okay; however, there was one where I did study a good amount and still got a C, so do not fret if you do not do too hot on one exam. Dr. Varner cares about our success and is always promoting his office hours and SI sessions.

Varner is a great professor, but overall, a caring person. I hate chemistry, however, with Dr. Varner it just felt like a simple class. If you pay attention in his class, you will be fine for exams. I hope to see more teachers like Dr. Varner in the future.

Great all-around professor. You can tell he really cares about his students and I found his teaching and demonstrations to be extremely helpful. Some people complain because they don't put in the work to try and understand the topics and just blame the teacher but Varner is a great professor and I highly recommend him. 4 stars for no curve on tests

Easily the best professor I've ever had. I was told his exams were hard, but if you prepare for them ahead of time by studying consistently, you'll be fine. He is extremely enthusiastic about the topic, and also very compassionate towards his students, and truly cares about teaching. I usually do awful in chemistry, but he made it make sense for me

Dr. Varner is an amazing professor. His lectures are very engaging and he does a great job of explaining complex concepts through visuals, analogies, ect. He is very passionate about chemistry and genuinely cares about his students. His test are fair and he grades in a way that rewards attendance/participation in lecture and problem sessions.

He gives a lot of resources to the students to use. My averages for the tests were in the 70's range but I ended up with a B+ in the class because I got good grades on the homework and did the pre class assignments on time. Also the last test grade can replace one of the other three if you did better on the final exam (this really helped my grade).

Dr. Varner was an amazing chemistry professor. His lectures were engaging and as entertaining as a chemistry lecture could be. I only did poorly in this class due to lack of participation. If I took this class again I would have no problem receiving an A by taking advantage of all the resources he gave.

Learn from the homework and you'll be fine.

We don't deserve this professor. I don't really care about chemistry but its hard not to let professor varners passion rub off on you. He sends out heartwarming emails, he's funny, and just an awesome professor. If you put in a slight amount of effort, you'll do fine in his class.

great professor wish I had him this semester too!

Dr. Varner is seriously the BEST chem teacher I've ever had. He breaks down really complex ideas into smaller chunks and teaches you how to go about solving the problem, not just equations to memorize. His lectures are engaging and he uses memes in them. Bonus: he sends pics of his dog in his emails. I'm so glad I got him as my chem prof.

Professor Varner is an amazing chemistry professor who truly cares about his students. If you have the opportunity to take his class, I would encourage it.

Answers any questions that you may have. Very clear about material and expectations. It is expected that you read the textbook.

Varner is amazing in all ways imaginable. He cares deeply about his students and reminds us that grades don't define who we are. His lectures are clear and he loves to answer questions. Take him if you want to see pictures of his adorable dog Bourbon

Professor Varner was an amazing professor for chem 101. Lectures were engaging, it felt like he cared about students, and he was very accommodating for students. I would build your schedule around taking his chemistry class because any other professor will make your chemistry experience worse.

TAKE HIM! Dr.Varner is the best chem professor I could have hoped for. All of the kind things said about him are true. He explains everything clearly and gives many opportunities for extra help. He is not only an amazing teacher but an amazing human. He is so funny and kind, and I wish I could take him for all of my future chem classes.

Dr. Varner is an amazing teacher, his lectures are detailed and the homework is pretty easy. He provides ample resources for you and is overall an amazing professor.

You can't submit webassigns late nor will he extend them. I had a difficult time with his exams but I swear he saved me by the end of the semester too. He is very passionate and knowledgeable about chemistry. Honestly not a bad teacher and good lectures but so much information. Study hard for the exams like two weeks prior, I swear. Don't be me.

Though attendance for his lectures is part of your grade and assigns some sort of homework before each class, I feel really lucky to have this teacher because he does a really good job explaining concepts with his real life analogies.

HE IS HIM. He made me consider changing my major to Chemistry. He goes very in-depth with his lectures and moves at a healthy pace. He will use real world examples that will apply to most students, allowing students to get a better insight on the material present. He is by far the best teacher I have EVER had in university and prior to university.

Dr. Travis Varner is truly a national treasure and should be protected at all costs. If you're in a different chem class drop it right now and get in Varner's. He gives great lectures, is funny, and you get to know about his cool dog Bourbon.

Dr. Varner gives amazing, very clear lectures with a clear intent to teach. If you don't understand a topic he gladly takes his time to explain it again and is overall a very positive and nice professor. He gives out plenty of practice problems before each test that are often harder than the test. He sends a photo of his dog with each email!!

Professor Varner is such a caring and enthusiastic professor. He truly loves teaching Chemistry and he does a really great job at teaching. The class is hard because it is chemistry but he makes the class much more enjoyable and easier to understand.

Amazing professor but if you already have an understanding of the topics in this course, you might find it boring because of how slow he goes through some of the topics.

Dr. Varner is without a doubt the best Chemistry teacher at NCSU. He's extremely engaging and he is great at relating new information to things students understand. If you pay attention and get a good study group together, you are chillin.

Varner made chemistry one of my favorite classes. If you pay attention and put in some effort, you'll be fine on the tests. He drills concepts into your head and makes them easy to understand! Loved this class.

Professor Varner is GOATed! He cared a lot about his students and always had to time to talk after class or during office hours about difficult topics or questions. His lectures were easy to understand and he did practice problems with you in class. TAKE HIM! Best Chem teacher at NC State by far.

Professor Varner is an amazing person and teacher. He genuinely makes chemistry a positive experience for everyone and cares about the students. Not only is he super accessible but he loves connecting with students. The class is a bit test-heavy so you'll need to stay on top of the work and grind hard for the exams.

Dr. Varner is somewhat of a celebrity among students. He uses super helpful analogies and pictures throughout the lectures to make chemistry more accessible. The grade is basically homework and test with a little bit of participation, so the grades can be fairly unforgiving.

THE BEST chem 101 professor at NCSU. Makes a challenging course more comfortable and cushions your grade with some other assignments. Homework is worth as much as a test grade and you have multiple attempts on it so its easy to get a high grade. He doesn't take attendance, but has graded in-class questions so you should show up to get the points :)

Fantastic professor! He really cares about what is being taught and wants to see you succeed. The content is difficult, but if you make use of the TopHat questions asked, going to recitation, and participating you will understand the topics much more easily.

Dr. Varner is hands down the best science teacher I have ever had. I was never really a chemistry person but this class made me appreciate chemistry a lot more and I understood most of the topics presented in class.

If I didn't have Varner I'm sure my experience taking Chem would be 100x worse. Varner takes a complicated and confusing topic like chemistry and makes it digestible and easier to wrap your head around. I recommend building your schedule around Varner's class; if you're weak at chemistry he's your best bet at passing. Exams are difficult.

Dr. Varner is one of the best teachers I have had so far. Regardless if you have a background knowledge of Chemistry, he makes it easier to explain harder concepts and goes step-by-step to make sure you understand it. Go to his office hours, it can really help! Of course, you have to put in effort to the class if you want a really good grade.

Dr.Varner is the best chem 101 professor ever. He cares about his students success and is willing to help those struggling. He makes it very known that he cares about his students which I found endearing. He is also just so sweet plus you'll get pictures of his dog with every email he sends! Highly recommend him for chem 101!!

From what I heard, Varner is the best out of the CH 101 teachers. Take him. His lectures are amazing if you listen. Attendence is based on tophat so if you don't go just do the tophat from somewhere else. His exams are not super easy but if you put in the work it isn't that hard to get a good grade on him. Definitely recommend taking him.

Varner genuinely cares about the students in his class, and I can't wait for him to teach more chem! Definitely not great at chemistry but maintained an ~85 average on exams. Has tons of outside resources to study with and is super receptive to questions. Clearly loves his job and loves chemistry, cannot recommend him enough! Not much extra credit.

Dr. Varner is a professor who actually cares about the material he teaches. If you can, take him for CH 101. He gives lots of material to prepare you for the exam, makes the hard stuff easier to understand, and his exams aren't too hard. If you aren't a person who talks in the back of the class, his course should be relatively easy to do well in.

This is the BEST professor I have ever had in all my years of school. He is caring, passionate and kind. He truly cares about you as a student and that you truly understand the material presented as his lectures are very engaging. If I could, I would take every class he offers. Please take one of courses during your time at NC State!!

He's literally the best professor on campus for 101. His tests and home works are really easy. He will put memes in his lecture slides so that you remember important stuff and have fun at the same time. Also, he will attach a picture of his dog at the end of every email he sends to you throughout the semester.

The absolute legend of chem professors, he singlehandedly made chem 101 a dream. Clear about deadlines, material, and lectures were entertaining. Doesn't get any better than Dr. Varner. Highly recommended.

Sweetest professor, engaged with class even though there were hundreds of students. very organized and sticks to syllabus/course schedule.

Varner is by far the best Chemistry prof in the entire department. He's great at explaining concepts and is very open to answering questions in class and during office hours. You can tell he enjoys teaching and wants his students to succeed. This class itself isn't too difficult, plus he makes learning some of the harder stuff easy.

CH 101 is hard, and Varner understands that. He makes every effort possible to make the course material understandable for all. Despite giving hard tests, there is no reason you shouldn't pass this class.

Travis Varner is by far my favorite professor I have had. He wants you to succeed and offers a multitude of resources to help you out. Attendance is through TopHat but not based on accuracy. Exams match class lectures. Homework is given with ample time to complete and there is extra credit at the end of the semester.

Varner is a G! Chemistry is not easy but he's gonna help you through it take him

Amazing lecturer, but tests can be hard since they are cumulative.

Amazing professor!

Varner is great teacher and his class is fun to take. Nice Man and he doesn't make you stress out so much, the opposite in fact. The tests are fair game if you study enough. Homework is easy. Help is always there when needed. Would definitely take this class again.

I would 100% recommend taking Dr.Varner. He truly cares about the success of his students and is an amazing lecturer by being very enthusiastic and incorporating analogies to make difficult material easier. Overall, the class is not too hard if you put in effort. One downside is tests are not curved.

The best teacher ever!!!

Dr. Varner was a great professor and his lectures were always super helpful and illustrated complex topics in an easy to understand way. As long as you do a good amount of practice for each exam, you will get a good grade.

Dr. Varner is super sweet. he made it super easy to understand. As a student who struggled with high school chem in 10th grade, Dr. Varner literally made it common sense to learn. He teaches for a bit and then some tophat questions to test your learning knowledge (not on accuracy) and then teaches for a bit. definitely go to his office hours.

Dr. Varner is probably the best professor I've taken at NC State. I'm not a fan of chemistry and didn't have a good background in it, but his lectures were incredible and I learned a lot in class. His tests are extremely reasonable and don't try to trick you at all, and his grade replacement policy helps you recover from a bad test.

Amazing professor, take at all costs. Very charismatic, caring, down to earth, lectures were fun, he was great at answering questions and making sure you understood everything.

Varner really cares about his students and wants everyone to succeed. Tests are tough but if you pay attention during lectures and work hard outside of the classroom you will do fine. He offers extra credit and allows free 100s in your grading with top hats.

Do the practice tests and make sure you have some basic understanding of everything on there. The three midterm tests are 20-25 questions. Homework was reasonable, and there is an extra credit project too so you can drop your lowest grade if the final helps you. Likes to drill the "grades do not define you" message after every test.

Travvy is hands down the best prof EVER! DO NOT miss the opportunity to have a class with him. I hated chem before I got to his class, and now I love it! He breaks topics down, making them easier to understand & thoroughly prepares you for tests. He wants nothing more than for his students to succeed. Endless chem memes and pics of his dog bourbon!

Dr Varner is both an amazing teacher and cares a lot about his students. His lectures are clear and combined with the HW really prepare you for tests. He is very accessible and will help you in whatever way he can. He also sends you a lot of pictures of his dog.

Dr. Varner was awesome! The tests and homework are based on lectures, which are recorded. You don't need the textbook, and he copies are available in his office. Unlike other professors, Dr. Varner writes his own homework (no webassigns!) and exams, so you know exactly what to expect from exams based on homeworks.

I sound CRAZY saying this but his Orgo class turned out to be my favorite class this semester. Not just because of his enthusiasm, but the stuff we learned! Crazy right? I never dreamed I'd say stuff like that about an Orgo class, but he truly made it FUN & made sense out of topics I thought I'd never understand. Cannot recommend this man enough!

Dr. Varner was an amazing professor! There are 3 exams and a final which each make up 20% of your grade, and then problem sets / HW which make up the last 20% He is passionate about chemistry and very encouraging. He even went as far as bringing his first failing organic chemistry exam when he was in college to class! I wish I could have him again

varner is hands down the best. he encouraged me to become a chem major which i am now doing. he deeply cares so much about his students and understands how scary orgo is. his tests are super fair. the only critic i have is that he is hard to reach out of class since he is so busy and office hours are always packed so little one-on-one help

Dr. Varner is amazing. He truly wants what is best for his students and makes himself available to help them. If you can, take chemistry with Dr. Varner. NCSU, do anything you can to keep this man teaching here.

Varner is a king fr. He is the best chemistry professor. Take him!!!

Varner is so nice and he truly cares about his students and their success. I HATED ch 101 but actually loved orgo because he taught it in a way that made sense and was engaging. Tests are totally fair and are exactly like the problem sets. Textbook is optional. Partial credit on tests (no multiple choice-draw out all mechanisms/reactions for tests)

Best professor I've ever had hands down. This class for me was easier than CH101 and it really had to do with the way that Varner taught. He made it all so easy to understand!!! Problem sets are used for HW and set you up for success on the exams, as the types of questions are similar. Go to class! He's very animated and engaging with the class!

Varner has fair exams and nothing feels unexpected. The final was also fair and he prepares you well the entire semester. Highly recommend to anyone taking ch101 or ch221. he will surely make you love the class

Dr. Varner makes orgo, a hard subject, so much easier to understand and he is very engaging in lectures and office hours. The problem sets are graded for completion and are really helpful as the tests are very similar to them. He really wants his students succeed and even applied a little curve to everyone's grade at the end of the semester :)

Dr. Varner is by far the best professor I have had in college yet. He does anything he can to help students succeed and feel comfortable making mistakes. Take advantage of office hours because the course is difficult but he makes it possible to succeed!

MAKE THIS MAN HEAD OF THE CHEM DEPARTMENT!! No but seriously.. Varner is the best professor and just an amazing person. Its teachers like him that keep students passionate. I have never seen a more caring professor. He takes insanely difficult material and makes it feel easy.

He makes this class as painless as possible. It's a really difficult class, but presents the material in a way that is easier to understand. He is always willing to help and if you need help/want to succeed go to office hours. Definitely take him if you can, I had friends who had other professors and had more trouble than I did.

If you want to take organic chemistry and enjoy it take him. He made it all so easy to understand

This man deserves a raise. Varner is the best professor you will take. I took Orgo 1 with him, his first time teaching. HE IS AMAZING. He makes everything so easy to understand. Study the homework sets for his tests and youll do good. 3 Tests (20% each), HW (20%, graded on completion), Final (20% replaces lowest test). i love varner.

I had Varner for his 1st semester teaching Orgo 1 and he was fantastic. He taught in a very visual/conceptual way and the class was much easier than I anticipated. He will do example problems in his office hours too. Compared to other professors, his tests were a little easier which makes me slightly concerned about being behind in Orgo 2.

Best professor I've had so far at State. CH 101 isn't super easy, but Varner makes it manageable and has office hours all the time if you need extra help. If you have a choice, definitely take him for CH 101!!

He is so willing to teach his students and makes every class enjoyable and easy to learn in!

Dr. Varner changed my outlook on difficult classes. I have never met a teach who cares this much about their students. He truly wants you to succeed and will go above and beyond to make sure his students are taken care of. He truly inspires his students by making sure you know that your grades don't define you after every exam. He is the best!!

Dr. Varner is an absolute godsend! He taught very openly and used a lot of visuals and diagrams that helped make a lot of lightbulbs turn on. He always did practice problems and walked through each one THOROUGHLY! Most professors would broadly walk through practice problems. Not Varner. He took each one slow, which made it so much less stressful!!!

Phenomenal teacher, no other way to describe it. Very clear lectures that make the material easy to understand. Relevant and helpful homework assignments. Recitation was very helpful as well.

Second time taking Varner, couldn't have a better opinion of the guy. He doesn't make you buy anything, homework is graded on completion. Tests are on paper and he gives lots of partial credit. lectures are funny and engaging. Explains orgo based on how things work, not based on memorization. Take his class if at all possible.

My favorite professor at state! I had him for CHEM201 and I was so excited to hear I was having him for 221 as well. He really cares about his students and his lectures are very clear and helpful. I was so nervous coming into this class but he's made it feel like a breeze. TAKE VARNER!!

The absolute goat, helped me understand CH221 and prepared me well for CH223

One of the best chemistry professors at NC State, makes lectures fun and easy. There are pre-class assignments with 2 attempts that take around 5 minutes to complete, easy to do and easy points. Extra credit opportunity at the end drops your lowest test grade for the final grade if it is higher.

Wonderful professor, you will unfortunately never find a better professor at State. He gave lectures that you will actually pay attention to. The pre-class and the exams are perfectly reasonable. You'll wish every professor was like him.

Dr.Varner is quite literally the best professor at state. He is fabulous at explaining the material, and he really enjoys teaching chemistry. He is also super caring and understanding. I have taken him for CH 101 and CH 221, and I am so happy I did. Dr.Varner is the most caring professor, and although chemistry is hard, he makes it fun and passable

Dr. Varner made learning orgo so easy for me personally. He focuses on teaching the thought process behind the chemistry so that even if we aren't sure how to do a problem we can use what we've learned to try to deduce what happens, instead of just memorizing different scenarios. I couldn't recommend him enough!

I had to retake ORGO after taking it with one of the worst professors ever and I went from not understanding the material at all to doing very well on the exams. Varner truly cares about his students and the class he's teaching. He makes the class digestible instead of being all over the place. Take his class if you can, you will not regret it

Took this class a couple semesters ago but just now got around to rating him. An amazing lecturer and chill but interesting guy. Makes the concepts easy to learn and will dive into further explanation if need be.

Dr. Varner is the BEST instructor at NC State. I recommend him!!!!! He gives us homework and is graded based off of completion, not accuracy. He is really enthusiastic and does his job with passion. Problem sets and test reviews are the best way to practice for exams. I highly recommend him!!!! Literally the best chemistry teacher!

Easily one of the best professors I've had at State. Varner has engaging lectures, and is always willing to answer questions during class; he is very accessible outside of class. Varner breaks down topics in a way that is easy to understand and made CH221 an enjoyable class this semester. His tests are very similar to his problem sets.

Dr. Varner is sincerely one of the best professors I have had. He is so caring and really takes the time to let students understand really difficult topics. Hands down the best professor to take for Orgo 1. His lectures are easy to follow with a "fill in the blank" slide format which was so helpful for note-taking.

Dr. Varner is the best professor I have taken here at State. His lectures are clear and enjoyable providing many examples of the topics discussed. If you can take any class with Dr. Varner.

Good professor, goes over material very thoroughly. Went through lectures a little slowly for my liking but he uploads them on Moodle after every class which was helpful. Got an A- without too much work put into it so take him if you can.

Dr. Varner is amazing at teaching organic chemistry. He moves at a slow pace while finding clever ways to explain concepts that make the class easy to understand. He offers practice tests which are very similar to his exams. He also gives problem sets 1-2 times a week which are good practice for the exams as well.

BEST CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR IN THIS ENTIRE INSTITUTION!!! If I can take more classes with him I would not hesitate. His lectures were engaging, fun, very straightforward and clear! His exams were EXTREMELY fair and prepared us well for them. Problem sets were extremely helpful. Did all of his work on his ipad, (much better than chalk board).

He genuinely cares for his students and makes learning orgo the easiest it can be. I didn't do so hot because I didn't take any notes- he's still one of the best professors I ever had.

Super nice professor, loves chemistry and helping students!

Passionate about teaching and learning, makes seemingly obscure and convoluted material almost a treat to learn.

Dr. Varner is amazing! His lectures aren't boring and he's enthusiastic to teach the class. Goes out of his way to answer questions and is accessible and very communicative outside the classroom. 10/10 recommend.

He's fine overall, very enthusiastic about what he teaches. Lets the class ask questions to clarify his lectures.

The goat of ncsu

Goat chemistry professor. Makes everything easy to understand. This was my second time taking chemistry, and if I had him the first time I would've easily passed. Make sure you show up and the material will make so much sense. The only time I struggled was when I missed lectures.

He is rated 5/5 for a reason. Absolute goat. Best chemistry teacher at NCSU. Makes the hard topics so easy and the easy topics easier.

I love Varner. Best teacher ever. Lecture was very clear, but you do need to attend them. He posts them online and every class is paced well.

Dr. Varner is a kind teacher who is clearly passionate about chemistry. I wish that I had done a better job paying attention in class as he really does offer you everything you need to succeed. Some tests are more difficult than others so just make sure to study (I recommend reviewing the homework)

dudes the goat

Varner was a pretty great prof, I will say start the class of on the right foot, beginning is basis of whole class. 3 midterms, 1 cumul. final, HW for each chapter. Advice: Do the extra practice probs. and go to office hours!! He is ALWAYS open to questions, very responsive over email, and easy to talk to. Attendance taken via tophat, 10/10 rec!!

Excellent professor, in every way. Just make sure to check your graded tests and make sure you were given the correct scores. I had to return all but one of my tests because I was given the wrong total score, and I really hope they didn't screw up on my final because we didn't get them back and I definitely did worse than I expected on it.

I created an account just to give this man a glowing recommendation. I accidentally submitted half of my homework assignments blank. He let me resubmit all of them for full credit. I also completely bombed the second exam due to medical reasons, and he let me replace my second exam grade with the final. His lectures are also really engaging.

AMAZING!!! he's very organized in lectures and answers questions very well. actually cares about his students and wellbeing. puts memes in lectures to keep you engaged and is pretty in touch with how to explain material well. frequently adds pics of his dog to emails and will send funny playlists to study to. Would take a million times!!! :)))

One of the best teachers in the chem department. Chem has never been my strong suit but he made it easier to understand always trying to give multiple examples and methods so that every student understands. The extra credit assignment he gives toward the end also helps tremendously.

It was amazing

Very well spoken and explains things super clearly

Attendance not required, but you get extra points for missing 2 classes or less. He is a very kind teacher who really cares about teaching his students. He is very good at explaining the concepts. The homework is for completion.

Great professor, Gives helpful feedback to all students and makes sure to answer questions thoroughly. Gives a lot of homework but it is all in an effort to make the content more understandable.

Professor Varner is one of the sweetest professors on campus. He cares about students and has a lot of flexibility about attendance, retakes, assignments, etc. There are big homework assignments (4-10 pages) due by class time twice a week, in addition to the occasional mandatory cumulative assessments, so it takes a bit of time, but it's doable.

Varner is an amazing professor. His lectures are entertaining and he explains the concepts thoroughly. He is always asking if anyone has any questions and will take time out of his lectures to answer individual problems. He is pretty humorous as well, and I would 100% recommend Varner.

Such a sweet guy that he makes me want to engage in his class. It is lecture heavy so take that in mind but so are all the chem classes. Tests aren't very challenging if you do the study guides he sends out. Was expecting to hate CH101 but he made me enjoy Chemistry. As long as you watch the lectures and check practice problem answers you're good.

Varner is a passionate professor who makes chemistry engaging. Attend lectures, do the homework, and use Unstuck study - it really helps with study prep. His teaching style works well if you put in the effort.

He is probably the best chemistry teacher at NC state. he makes the content enjoyable to learn, and the test are relatively pretty easy. Just do his practice problem homework and review his lecture videos and you should be fine.

Dr. Varner is a good professor! He's very fair and his lectures are pretty easy to follow through. He's one of the best CH101 prof at NC State. Sometimes I felt a bit of disconnect especially when asking him questions, but there are other resources for that. 3 exams & final, final replaces one if attendance thru TopHat > 85%

Amazing professor!! If you have the chance to take CH 101 with him, take it. He does a great job at explaining topics and is very passionate about teaching. Definitely recommend this class.

Passionate professor, cares about his students.

Genuinely take this professor right now.

He is truly the GOAT of NCSU. I would go for it if you could take him for any class. The class is test-heavy, but he makes the tests very simple, and his teaching style is amazing!

I'm not good at chemistry never have been never will but Professor Varner made it make sense. He kept the class interactive and even had a humorous side. He really cares and wants to help students so if you're struggling feel free to reach out. Definitely recommend taking him for CH 101 or any Chem class in the future.

Best professor you can ever get for CH 101. I fell in love with chemistry and all thanks to him I got straight A+ without even studying for the exam. The only thing you have to do is attend his lectures and do the homework and problem sessions on your own. Highly recommend him. He is also accessible via email and gives feedback promptly.

Now my fourth year taking some form of chemistry bc in high school I took three forms of chem over three years. He explains things with analogies that just make sense. Well spoken and has ways of explaining things that I have never thought about that would have made learning chemistry for the first time much more simple, understandable, and fun.

Dr. Varner was an amazing professor. He cares about students and gives great analogies in class to help people learn. The practice exams that he gives are very similar to the actual exams that we have. Overall, his class is fun and easy to learn the base concepts from. The practice problems for homework were graded for completion and easy to do.

Professor Varner is a great Professor! Coming from someone who struggled with High School Chemistry Professor Varner made Chem 101 easy to understand. He has a laid-back personality and is always willing to answer questions or help with struggles. I would highly recommend Professor Varner as a Professor!!

Awesome Professor! Varner really breaks it down and gives multiple useful ways to understand the CH101 concepts. Tests aren't crazy difficult, not much HW and there are so many resources to make sure that you understand the material. Highly recommend Professor Varner!

Made chemistry simple and easy to understand, as long as you go to lectures and actively listen or just rewatch his lectures online after class you will be very prepared for his tests.

I figured I would hate CH101. Dr. Varner's lectures were engaging with very helpful examples. Exams were a little challenging but typically okay if you understand the material (2nd exam is the worst). If you miss < 2 lectures, he'll replace your lowest exam grade with your final exam grade as long as it helps. Do the practice exams.

Spectacular professor. His lectures are super organized, he explains things well, and responds quickly to emails. However, I will say that I believe he requires you to know a deeper depth of knowledge in his class and his tests are also more difficult when compared to other chem professors. The tests were hard for me, but 100% recommend him!

It's simple: If you see this class open, add it to the cart immediately.

Dr. Varner is one of the best chem professors here. He is passionate about what he teaches and gives many demonstrations for better understanding. There were worksheets after every class but they only take about 20 minutes to complete. There weren't any curves on tests but they were very fair. He is interesting to listen to and is very attentive.

Chill guy, knows his stuff, and is really sweet. His tests are like the practice ones for the most part. Do the homework in advance tho and don't rush it. Topics learned are decent and he takes his time to make sure yk what's going on. He's also usually available after class.

Varner is awesome. Highly recommend! He explained each topic really clearly from beginning to end, and I never felt any confusion related to his teaching methods, just general chem difficulty. He does completion based assignments after each class that actually help you to better understand the material. Tests were very similar to practice tests.

He is so sweet and is a really good teacher, lectures were very clear and he gave a lot of resources for review as well. love him

Dr Varner is the GOAT. I struggled in chem during high school, but managed to get A's on every test/HW/assignment in his class. His lectures are fantastic: he makes room for people to ask questions and he used analogies to help us understand hard concepts. HW after every class but it is helpful to do. His office hours are helpful, too.

Dr. Varner was an amazing professor. His lectures were very easy to follow, and the work assigned out of class (homework and problem sessions) were directly applicable to the topics from lecture. Homeworks are graded on participation. You can tell he really cares about the students.

Dr. Varner is a great professor who clearly cares about his students and the subject he teaches. He is engaging during lectures and moves at a good pace where nothing is rushed. As long as you attend class and make sure you give yourself time to study you will do well in his class.

Dr. Varner takes time in lectures to explain the material and stops many times to see if anyone has any questions. I was dreading taking chem but he made it easy and kind of enjoyable! The homework assignments are a completion grade, but they are really good practice if you put effort into them because there is often similar material on the tests.

Gives very solid lectures and tests were pretty accurate to the practice problems. Make sure not to skip more than 2 classes and use the resources he gives you and you'll do well. He offers a lot of resources outside of class and if you utilize them you have nothing to worry about.

Varner was great, turned a scary subject into an accessible one.

Dr.Varner was great! He clearly explained the material but kept it interesting, welcomed questions and answered them thoroughly. Reasonable workload. Exams are fair if you pay attention and study some and multiple choice. However, grade is made almost entirely of the exams as the homework doesn't count for much.

He is great at explaining chemistry concepts in ways that make sense rather than just reading off of slides and expecting you to memorize. He is very caring and always takes time to answer questions during lecture as well as make sure that what he is teaching is making sense before moving onto the next thing. He gives homework that is very helpful.

good professor, exams are a little tricky but if you study you should be good.

Although chemistry is not my strong suit, I owe any success in this class to Dr. Varner. He teaches the content very thoroughly during lectures and has several outside study sources. Tests are a major part of your final grade, they aren't too difficult if you take the time to study the content. Overall he is a great professor.

Dr. Varner was very passionate about his work. He greatly cared for this students. The tests were heavy but not hard. He used to post practice problems before every exams and they were very similar to the actual tests. He is a complete GOAT in the chemistry department! Definitely recommend him!!!!!!!

Favorite class at NCSU. His lectures are fantastic. This is a great introductory course. The content is very easy to understand, just make sure you practice. All of his tests have the same difficulty as the hw. I only practiced the hw a few times before the tests and made a minimum of a 90 on all, including the final. Hw is not hard. Go to class.

He was a great professor! I highly recommend attending all his lectures because he makes every concept easy to understand. Also study his exam overview outline documents for each of his exams!

Dr. Varner is very smart and good at teaching, the only downfall is that his exams are multiple choice. I had a very strong understanding of the material, but I still got an 89 in the class because I got two 80s on tests. The exams make up 80% of your final grade and the multiple choice layout was bad, idk if any other professors don't do mcq.

Varner is an amazing teacher! The lectures can get pretty extensive, but he works to keep them fun and engaging. He cares about learning and will answer any questions in and outside class.

Dr. Varner has a talent for simplifying chemistry so that almost anyone can understand it! The homework and top hat are graded on participation, not accuracy, so I did not have to stress at all. Your grade relies heavily on the exams, but if you earn extra credit, your final exam score can replace your lowest-scoring exam, which was so helpful.

Professor Varner is a great teacher, enjoyed having him as a teacher!

Amazing professor! Great at explaining, staying on schedule, and assigns just the right amount of homework! Loved taking his class. To prove this isn't a bot review: Potato

Professor Varner is AMAZING. He is by far the best one for CH 101 from what I've heard about the other professors. He is very passionate about what he teaches and explains concepts in a way that makes it so easy to understand. Homework is not bad and is very similar to the tests. I absolutely loved Varner and his class.

Amazing overall teacher. I didn't put too much effort outside of class and homework into this course and passed with a decent grade. Lectures are amazing and clearly understood. Most of the homework was for completion and helped with understanding the material a lot.

Very passionate and cares about his students however the tests aren't super easy so you will have to put in work to get a good grade.

Good lectures, but tests are hard. Clearly very passionate about the subject.

I LOVE VARNER. BEST PROFESSOR EVER. If you can take him for orgo 1 PLEASE DO IT!!!

Varner was great! There is a LOT of work tho and your exams are essentially your only real grades (about 85%) so you NEED to prepare well for those. He also grades really harsh on the tests and takes points off when u pick the wrong answer. Overall he explains topics really well and posts the lecture videos after. You can tell he loves chemistry!

Always comes to lecture prepared and organized. There's homework due every class which might seem like a lot, but it helps retain information and it's just graded for completion. Dr. Varner clearly cares about his students and you will do well in the class if you put in the effort!

Dr. Varner is a really good and passionate teacher, the tests are 25~ multiple choice questions so grading is a bit rough, but his class is easy if you pay attention wholeheartedly and study. He is very kind about grading and always states how grades do not define you. 1000/10 teacher.

Great dude

Give this man a raise ASAP. Best professor ever and even though the class and tests are hard, he makes it doable and I'm not even that good at orgo. His passion and dedication to chemistry and teaching students is really inspirational. I wish I could be that cracked at orgo. Take him. Don't even hesitate for a minute.

Hands down, the best professor I have had! He made a "difficult" class very easy to understand. I loved how our only homework was practice problems that were actually helpful. They are due before every class, but they are not time consuming and he has a detailed answer key that unlocks upon submission. I wish every professor was like Dr. Varner!

You've already got the "A" having Dr. Varner as your chemistry professor. All you have to do is go to class. His lectures are some of the most engaging I've ever been in. Really easy going, explains tough concepts well, provides lots of examples. He frequently fits in time to pause class for short question periods. Would definitely take it again.

Dr. Varner is the most caring professor I've ever had. He loves his students and truly wants all of them to succeed, while also understanding chemistry. He's one of those teachers who teaches the course because it was hard for him to understand as well. If you can, I would 100% take him every time.

Best professor ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever

The best chem professor by far at NCSU. Take him if you have the chance.

His lectures are super fun to attend. Homework is due every other day, but it's not a lot. His office hours are very very helpful. The tests were slightly on the harder side but not impossible.

He's the best Orgo professor to exist. Nobody can change my mind about that fs fs. Whatever the department is paying him, they need to double it immediately. Actually, triple it. They need to get him to teach Orgo 2 in the future. Hope and pray you get him or Lalloo because otherwise you might be cooked and end up hating orgo.

A great professor who clearly cares about his students and the subject. Always takes time to answer questions students have in class and gives good analogies for the more complicated topics. Take him for chem 101 if you can!

Dr. Varner was a great chemistry professor. Homework after each lecture but is all graded on completion. Exams are similar to the practice exams he uploads. He uploads lecture recordings too so it's fine to miss class. If chemistry is your strong subject you'll likely get an A+ but if not, you'll still likely pass. Best chem professor I've had.

Varner is the best CH 101 professor out there. His homework is free response and a participation grade as opposed to the WebAssign homework most professors have, which I really liked. Tests aren't hard at all and he has practice tests that are very similar available. Great experience!

This was my 2nd time taking orgo. Dr. Varner is BY FAR the BEST orgo professor I've had. The homework is super helpful and similar to exams, he gives practice exams, and will answer any question you have. I highly recommend him regardless of if you've taken it before or not. He will help you succeed!

Great professor, he explained the topics very well and the problem sets were very helpful. I felt prepared for the tests with minimal studying. Going to lecture and trying on the problem sets helped the exams not be too bad. Great guy overall!

Dr Varner is amazing. He's funny, very understanding and will totally stay behind after class to answer questions, address concerns and give (very useful) tips. Lectures are well organized and he explains everything as simply as possible with examples. Most of the hw is graded on completion and his practice exams are pretty similar to the test.

Dr. Varner is the best chemistry professor I've had. After failing chemistry my first semester, I passed with him the second time. He teaches in a unique way and truly cares about student success. He emphasizes that the class shouldn't be a weed out course and shares his own experience of failing chemistry as an undergrad.

Dr. Varner is caring and took a difficult course and made it easier to comprehend. I can see how he wants all of us to succeed. He is a tough grader but the exams are fair.

Dr. Varner always seemed very passionate about what he was teaching and taught things very well. I'm not sure why I couldn't do well on tests, but my piece of advice would be to use office hours over the Academic Center in the library. Very nice guy!

Organic chemistry is a hard class, but Varner is a good professor. He drops your lowest exam and replaces another, so even though I failed 2/3 midterms, I still ended with a B. The homework is really simple and doesn't take long.

Such a sweet and caring guy. He knows it is a hard class and is very accessible to students because of it. Genuinely a good professor and super engaging to listen to. Lots of homework and difficult tests.

Dr. Varner is the reason I switched to a chem major. He makes the content feel super easy and intuitive even with the reputation orgo has for being a hard "weed out" course. He's always ready and excited to engage with his students and to answer their questions in ways that lead to their individual success.

He is a really great teacher, I would highly recommend his class. As long as you apply yourself he gives you everything else you will need!

He was the goat of chemistry, I took prechemistry before his class and didn't understand much and everyone I knew was complaining about chemistry 101 and when I took it ended up being my favorite and easiest class. I took this Spring 2025 great semester mostly because he woke me up in the morning.

Varner is the only reason I'm passing orgo. He explains content super clearly and seems excited to help students succeed. His tests are graded weirdly as they are "positive grading" which means that you start at 0 and earn points, but you can also lose points on many questions. Besides that, his class is great.

Dr. Varner is the best professor I have had at NCSU. His lectures are prepared in a structured manner, which has time for him to stop for questions built in. Orgo is a hard class, no matter who you get, but Dr. Varner made it so much simpler. The only homework is pre-class problem sets, which usually aren't difficult, and are all participation.

Highly recommend him

EVERYBODY loves Dr. Varner. He makes his own problem sets for homework, and if you complete them taking exams will be easy. He has a knack for breaking down very difficult concepts into easily digestible bites, and you will have a great understanding of Organic Chemistry by the end of his class. This class made me pick up a chemistry minor.

Absolutely amazing professor, taught very well, clear lectures and awesome explanations. 3 tests and a final with short homeworks every night that help reinforce the material.

He is a good professor but if your taking his class, pleaseeee study the practice problems. His tests look a lot like them. I didnt study them for the first two tests and didnt do great, but as soon as I used them I got a 100 on the third.

One of the best chemistry professors I have ever had, genuinely explains concepts so clearly and was always very kind about questions.

Michael Jordan of Chemistry!

He's actually goated, amazing and intuitive lectures, he seems to actually care about the process of teaching and maximizing comprehension.

Dr. Varner's lectures are incredibly engaging which was especially important since the class was at 8:30am. He was very willing to answer questions you had and all his homework assignments except three review assignments were graded on completion and were not on WebAssign. He's a kind professor who I'd highly recommend to anyone in any chem class.

I hate chemistry in general, but his exams seemed unnecessarily hard for no reason. I had taken chemistry in high school and was told 101 was similar, but sometimes he explained things like we were scholars doing only chemistry. Super funny guy, very receptive to questions.

Dr Varner was the GOAT in chem 1 and is still the GOAT in orgo 1. He is hilarious, kind, explains things super well, and makes for an enjoyable class. The only thing is even though he is an incredible teacher, orgo is still a hard class and he grades the tests a little weird which can harm your grade. But ur final replaces your lowest grade!

Dr. Varner is truly the best! I highly recommend you take Orgo 1 with him! As someone who hadn't taken a chemistry class in over 2 years, Dr. Varner was really helpful. Do the problem sets thoroughly and def go to office hours. He replaces lowest exam grade with final, which was a lifesaver.

MY KING FR. he made me love chemistry again and i looked forward to his class every day. take him!! hes so sweet and caring and his lectures are amazing.

Great at explaining concepts, and made me love orgo! However, if you're proficient in chemistry, use lecture recordings for review & learn from the textbook. I went from earning low B's to 100's on the exams once I stopped attending lectures, using the time to do practice problems & reading the textbook. In short, don't rely on lecture for A's!

Good class I am genuinely considering going into chemistry because of him. I will say my only regret is not going to his office hours earlier, they are so so so helpful. His final was a little hard for me so do not expect to have that replace your lowest test grade- my exam scores were 91,91,95 and final-80

I absolutely loved Dr. Varner. If you take him, please attend his office hours, they are so helpful. He is such an amazing professor, I enjoyed every lecture. I highly recommend you take any chemistry class with him.

Ts easy af, he also goated, ask and you shall receive, exams free as hell as well.

Dr. Varner is a caring professor with engaging lectures who clearly cares about his students. All HWs were graded on completion with solutions available after, and almost all were not on WebAssign. He added 1pt to everyone's final grade at the end of the semester. If you are planning on taking chem this is by far the best professor to take it with.

He's a great teacher and it's really easy to understand the material due to his use of analogies and recapping what we did in previous classes. Sometimes the lectures move slowly, but its good if you're behind. All the exams are multiple choice, which is pretty hit or miss, but he does final exam replacement.

Easily best professor of the semester. Lectures are set up super clearly to help you learn the materials in steps. There's a lot of homework but is easy and also designed to help you learn, not busy work. If you do the homework yourself even 75% of the time you're set up for success.