3.0
Quality3.8
Difficulty39%
Would Retake95
Reviews39%
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
25
4
19
3
14
2
20
1
17
What Students Say
“Basically he started the semester out with a negative attitude and that shows throughout”
CHEM121 - 1.0 rating“His slides have a few typos”
CHEM121 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
59%
Textbook Required
58%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.44 avg changeRatings by Course
121
5.0
(1)INORGANICCHEM
5.0
(1)CLAB103
5.0
(1)CHEMLAB
5.0
(1)PHYSICS
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CHEM121122
5.0
CHEMISTRY
5.0
CHEMALL
5.0
CHEM02
5.0
CHEM
4.5
Reviews (95)
exlains the material well
Said he would not teach us because he is not a teacher, he is a professor and would only be professing his knowledge. We are to teach ourselves. Communication issues.
Don't bother renting the book, unless you're that kind of learner. Don't miss class, and ALWAYS do his online tests. They are a very good reflection of the real tests.If there's something on the online test you don't understand, feel free to ask!
Best professor in chemistry department.
I like him a lot--he explains things very nicely and makes sure we understand. He is always willing to help you in the lab with your experiments. He is a good teacher.
No Comments
His class is so difficult!!!! too much information. To pass his class you pretty have to study every day or else.
This is a very difficult class. It seems that it didn't have to be like this, but I guess when you sit in a class and are expected to take the whole hour and 15 minutes on one test. It seems to be bothersome. Tests are inappropriately long. No curve, no mercy.
Enjoyed his lab, and they were fairly easy. He is a great person.
VERY GOOD TEACHER AND I WOULD RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE. HES LOUD SO YOU CANT FALL ASLEEP LOL
i took his class this past summer and recieved a B,i thought he was a great teacher although the material is tough to learn, he doesn't curve so don't expect one yet he is funny in class and he keeps you interested in the subject...believe it or not
LOVED his labs, he lectured a little much, but labs were so easy, no lab reports, and ALWAYS got out earlier than expected, just study for midterm and final and youll do great!
No Comments
Great teacher! Don't miss class though. Tests are very straight forward! Would definitely take him again! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
I hate his class. His tests are so hard. He says one thing won't be on the test so you don't study it but when it comes to the test, boom there it is. You have to study every single thing he tells you. Don't miss class!!!
He is one of the coolest professors that you can take. The class is strait forward and note taking is easy. His topics are easily understood. But, when you get the test, BEWARE. You will see problems that you did not even know existed. If you have a weakness in the material, he will somehow exploit it. Study long...Study hard. Its do-able.
His delivery of the content was entertaining, however, his slide shows were confusing if you happen to miss a class. Alot of reading was involved, and absences really screwed you over.
Good teacher but tests are awfull. They have nothing to do with the lecture and are tricky! Beware!
Dr. Parkinson is a very good chemistry teacher. One of the best in the department. He is very animated so he keeps you awake in the class. His test and quizzes are no walk in the park. Study hard and he is open to questions so dont be afraid to ask. Recommend to anyone.
quiz on once a week, test are hard. the first and second test is hard. Overall, he is a good teacher. It was hard I admit. All the test are hard, but if you study you can do it.
Great teacher. I graduated 6 years ago and can tell you that after working in the industry for this time, I definitely learned alot from him. He has interesting lectures, explains well, and will test hard.... but how else would you rather a professor. Definitely worth taking!!
Great teacher. I graduated 6 years ago and can tell you that after working in the industry for this time, I definitely learned alot from him. He has interesting lectures, explains well, and will test hard.... but how else would you rather a professor. Definitely worth taking!!
puts notes on blackboard and just reads from them in class! Test are easy and dont have to go to class! he is very funny
He is a very funny guy and makes the class very fun. One gets to play with cars in one of the labs! He provides his own chapter notes (2 to 3 pgs) You fill in a sheet from the exp and that's your report. Has a quiz every week that come straight from the experiment. gimme points. The midterm and final are straightforward from the notes and quizzes.
He was a fun guy and a good teacher! He has powerpoints as his notes and posts them on blackboard. Attendance was not mandatory but he gave bonus points for attendance towards the end of the class. The tests were usually very clear and didnt include information that we did not cover in class. He gave 5 or 6 tests and that was all. Pretty easy A
This class was horrible. His tests were very hard, even if you went over your notes. Quizes are not hard, but the tests will kill you. I have to retake this class and I lost tops.
I took his TV class due to lack of schedule space - big mistake! He does NOT respond to emails (literally none I sent) and his tests are very difficult. He has ruined me on TV classes due to his lack of communication. If you take him for the TV class you must be extremely self-motivated because you basically do not have a teacher! Good Luck!
i took 102 online and it was a mistake. i made an A in his 101 lecture, but in 102 he doesn't respond to ANY emails whatsoever. he's really slow about grading assignments he still hasnt graded my last 2 from a month ago. the tests arent absolutely ridiculous, but when you cant communicate with the teacher its pointless.
Very difficult. Test are rediculous. Will help you in office, but will NOT return emails.....
This professor was okay. Of course it's going to be a little difficult for anyone who doesn't understand chemistry, but he's an okay teacher; and the test were not hard. You really didn't have to study for them, but just look over it an hour before the test
I took him for chem 102 on TV b/c some of the previous ratings made him sound ok. Well, he is NOT. He does not respond to emails, he makes up his own chemistry rules, and takes FOREVER to grade tests! I made an A in the class, but only b/c I had a good foundation in chem and I basically taught myself the stuff. He's also not very friendly.
Goofy professor :) I thought he was funny and cool. Haha, he even blew up something in class one day. Classes are slightly boring, but his tests are pretty easy. He puts his power points on blackboard, and his tests are pretty much straight from those. All-in-all I'd recommend him.
This man had hundreds of slides after slides after slides that he would read verbatim. You basically teaching yourself from the slides. He doesnt use the book. His test aren't that bad if you reviewed your slides.
Dr. Parkinson was a very good teacher in my opinion. He goes over his slides in class, and as long as you study them you will do fine. I slipped up and made a D on one of his test because I didn't study, but I still made a B in the class. You must study, but you have to study for all classes.
I had Dr. Parkinson for Chem 102 and had to drop it. He teaches directly from the slides, which don't make any sense on their own. I studied like crazy, got a tutor and still failed the first two tests. The only points are the five tests. Only take this dude if you are good at Chemistry and good at teaching yourself.
I had Dr. Parkinson for Chem 101, and I am now taking him for 102. You either hate Dr. Parkinson or you love him. Personally, I really like the way he teaches. He posts slides and practice problems (with solutions)on blackboard, and if you ever have a question, he will gladly answer it. He has a great personality and I would recommend him to anyone
For a chemistry teacher he is very easy compared to the rest I have had(I WAS a chemistry major). He tells you how to work the problems in the lab book and very willing to help. Very cool and non-nerdy so you feel comfortable around him. Talks a lot (1 hour) before even going to lab so it does get a little boring until you get to lab.
I don?t care for Dr. Parkinson at all. When you go to his office he acts like you?re bothering him; he?ll answer questions in class, but doesn?t seem to like students going to his office. During one particular lecture he explained how to work a particular problem, but on his help page (same problem) it had to be worked a different way or it was mar
Dr. Parksinson isn't a good teacher. When you go to his office for help he asks like you're bothering him & he's constantly making mistakes when he lectures. When students ask questions during lecture he never really provides an answer. He's entertaining, but I'm not paying tuition to be entertained, I want to be TAUGHT!
Took him for chem 101, 102, and chem lab 104. I like him and his style of teaching. Others say different but i made an A in 101 and have A averages in 102 and 104. He goes out his way to explain things. you must go to class to understand. his tests come straight from the notes and practice problems. i suggest him if you have a good chem background!
On several occasions he's made the comment that he wouldn't be able to pass his own exams..then how are we supposed to pass when he's teaching?! Be prepared to teach yourself & he isn't much help when you go to his office. For 2 exams he said he wasn't going to ask about certain material, but he put it anyway & it was worth a total of 40 pts!!
great for chem. b/c he is not a phys teacher he explains it in a way i understood. i knew nothing and could keep up. yes, his slides have some mistakes but b/c he is so good at explaining the students can point them out. phys is hard. must study/practice problems. very straight forward about what is on tests. no bonus. summer is fast!!!
must go to class. must study. the material is hard. he moves around alot to help us see what is happening as well as explaining. he doesn't expect u to know the stuff before u take the class. he goes over everything u need. he is not too good at 1 on 1 help. teaches on my level. like his style.
This class is ideal for students who know a lot about Chemistry prior to college. He doesn't care if you go to class. The only plus about going is him telling you what isn't on the test. Tests in this class are very hard. Class attendance will not affect your grade. His slides are online, which is all he reads in class. Very scattter-brained.
Took him online for the lecture and found it very easy. If you are good in math and at least ok in science you will love his style. However, I also took the test run of the online lab and I am the only one left. Got an A, but I don't recommend it because it is very hard to do on your own. I am allready signed up for Chem102 online next semester.
Dr Parkinson is a great teacher! I had him for 2 online courses and 1 lab. Everything you need to know is in his lectures, but you HAVE to study! I even had a scheduling conflict and he allowed me to take my test at another time. Really great guy and he definitely gets excited about chemistry. If chemistry bores you, take Dr Parkinson!
All he does is read his slides. He does practical problems but he just clicks through them and doesnt explain how he got the answer. You will put in some serious hours in this class studying just to pass. I have taken it twice and Im still failing (3.3gpa). His tests are very very hard, you have to love chemistry to understand his instructions.
He teaches from slides that are full of mistakes and don't cover test material at all. His definition of a mole is taking a handful of water and tossing it at the board. If you want to do well in this class you HAVE to teach yourself. He'll tell you the textbook is useless, but it's the only reason I am passing. His grading is inconsistent at best.
Oh, Parkinson. He's like an ESPN announcer mixed with a Chemistry professor. He really knows his stuff, brilliant man, but he really isn't so good at teaching the stuff to you. I only had him for the first Chemistry, so it wasn't so hard to just teach myself and pull out an A. I wouldn't recommend him for a higher level course, though.
not a person to recommended to other students
Hard but fair professor. He gives you the notes, gives you the material, lectures you on all data pertaining to what you are learning and then some. If you make anything lower than a B in this class it's because of shear laziness. Read the good comments before you believe anything. Dr. Parkinson is amazing.
he is a great prof. but you have to study. his help page is the must useful tool to study for his test. you have to work to get a good grade!!!
He knows Chemistry and his personality makes the lectures easy to sit through(although he rambles on at times). His slides have a few typos. His help page is very helpful. This class will require a lot of study time and effort outside of class. 6 Tests and that's it. No homework, no extra credit, no quizzes, no test drops. Not an easy class.
He is a really cool guy. As far as chemistry professors go, he's probably the best at southeastern. Tests are hard, but use the help pages and you should be fine. I got an A, but I studied like crazy.
This is hands down the hardest class I've ever taken in my life and the homework makes me cry but somehow Dr. WIlliam "Wild Bill" Parkinson makes it the most interesting thing ever. Hell, I'd gladly fail the class as long as he keeps being entertaining as he is. 10/10
Dr. Parkinson is one of my favorite teachers. He explains the concepts in a way that is easy to understand. He is easy to approach during office hours for extra help. Also he is hilarious. Make sure you go to class and pay attention. Keep up with the material as you go along, as in study after every lecture. Do the practice problems.
He is a good teacher, brings the history of chemistry to life and tries to relate to students with jokes. He is very strict on his cheating policy and will send you away if caught for sure but I loved his class
I took Dr. Parkinson at SELU as a guest student in the summer, and it was a great decision! Dr. Parkinson is great at explaining EVERYTHING. I wish he taught at my home university because I would take him again for any class in my curriculum. He has a great attitude, and makes going to lecture 10 times more bearable. I will miss having his class!
I didn't like his "teaching" style of reading off of a PowerPoint without working out the problems. No homework, quizzes, etc so tests are your only chance for points. The tests are multiple choice but the answer choices range from A to Q instead of A to E like most tests. So... be prepared for this if you choose Dr. Parkinson as your professor.
Dr. Parkinson's class is not easy at all. If you want a good grade, you will almost certainly need to put way more effort into studying and preparing than any of your other classes. He is funny, but can sometimes come off as a jerk. There are only five tests that will make up your grade. No quizzes, homework, or any other points whatsoever.
This class was one of the toughest classes. The lectures are long and boring. Tests are SUPER tough. He reads off of the power point so there is not much explanation of any kind. He comes off as and is a jerk. The first day of class he said "if you expect me to teach you, you should just get out now". i definitely would NOT take him again.
This class is based on 5 tests, no final that is cumulative so that helps at least. However, he teaches it as if he expects you to know what's going on already. His tests are in like 8 pt font and unreadable. I put a lot of time into studying for each test, and got B's and C's. He is sadly one of the better teachers in the chem dep at selu.
I am a 4.0 student and this class was beyond miserable. I received A's on the first few tests by studying night and day for weeks. After the material got more difficult and I did worse I went to see him and he showed no care whatsoever. He made a rude comment and I never asked for help again. DO NOT EVER TAKE IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR GRADE.
Dr. Parkinson is a decent teacher. His classes are lecture heavy and he goes along with power points so it makes it a little easier. His tests are 10 pt. font with no spacing and the multiple choice questions have choices A-Q instead of A-E. You have study like the week before a test, not the night before. His help page really does help so use it.
Parkinson started out the semester saying that he is a scientist and not a professor, but being a professor is what pays the bills. Oh and he won't use the textbook because the real scientists that wrote it are apparently morons and he could write a better one. Basically he started the semester out with a negative attitude and that shows throughout
He explains stuff in class. He lectures although he rambles also. Beware asking questions may lead to rudeness, non caring and disrespectful answers and responses. If you need help do not reach out to this instructor.
I took Dr. Parkinson this summer and was nervous because I am terrible at chemistry. I like the powerpoints, I think they're helpful. Him on the other hand.. not so good at answering questions. You'd think you'd be in luck with a mult choice test, but his answers range A-M sometimes. Trick questions always appear. Use the help page!!!!!!
A real cool guy. His lectures are entertaining and make chemistry interesting. You will never have to open the textbook. Between studying his powerpoints and help pages you are set. He can come off as rude but no big deal.
I will not lie I didnt really study for the first two I made a 32 on the first and 42 on the second and the one I actually studied for I made a 52 I wouldnt take him again he only give 5 test no extra credit work nothing and his test are in 8 pt font and multiple choice range from a-m
Horrible professor. It seems he has had the same attitude about teacher for years. He doesn't like teaching, so why teach? His test are extremely had and tricky. I spent a lot of time studying. I felt good going into the test, only to bomb the test. Wow Southeastern, can you hire a good Chemistry teacher that actually wants to do his/her job?
I took the TV class so we only went to class to take the tests. You have 7 tests throughout the semester. One every two weeks. The tests really weren't hard and he also provides help pages to practice. You have to study because its chemistry and of course its hard. He's a really great professor in my opinion.
I took him as an online TV class and it was great if you watch the lecture, study PowerPoints, and use the help page (he provides it and its wonderful) you will be fine! It can be a lot of work but he is one of the best professors for chemistry. 7 test which was a lot but it give more opportunities to bring your grade up!! Final gradeA
I found it very hard to listen to his lectures. He reads right off the powerpoint and rambles. Even the math problems he just reads off the slide. You definitely have to study for his tests and work for a good grade. I am usually a straight A student and ended up with a B.
Very much does not care about his students. If you inconvenience him in any way UNINTENTIONALLY, he'll get mad at you. A very cold-hearted person. Also if you don't do things his way, he'll take off points. Tests are unreasonably long. Overall just a jerk. He gives out slides and talks about them in class. Slides are pretty much the test.
Easy class, almost everything that you need to know is on the lectures. He willing to answer any questions and is available during his office hours and after class. Goes a little off topic every now and then. He offers a lot of practice problems, examples and has a help page. I would have gotten an A if I didnt wait till the last minute to study.
Dr. Parkinson is a real gem in the chemistry department. He is very straightforward about what you need to know for tests and provides ample practice problems on his help page. He expects a lot out of his students, but grades exams fairly. All exams are curved and about 5 or 6 points are added to each grade. Tests are not cumulative.
Dr. Parkinson is good at explaining the material, though there is quite a bit to fit into each test. The tests themselves are difficult, but do-able if you devote enough time to study. He has a help-page that is very helpful indeed. His lecture style is pretty relaxed though informative and often he can be quite funny.
He opens the first lecture by letting you know he is not a teacher. I do not believe he cares for his students & is only there for a paycheck. He does have a help page, but not all of the questions are similar to how he asks them on the test. I would NEVER take him again. Sadly, SLU's Chemistry Department is not full of amazing teachers, goodluck!
the first day of class he told us "I usually have about 5 A's, a few B's, and everyone else fails or drops". Very discouraging....... do not take him. you will learn nothing unless you teach yourself. attendance isn't mandatory because all he does is read exactly what's on the slide and moves on. no side explanations. you must memorize everything
Dr. Parkinson will not carry you through the course, so I'd recommend him for someone who is interested in chemistry and is willing to show up to most classes. He'll give you all the information you need, you just have to pay attention to what he says. Tests usually follow multiple choice/written format, there's no study guides so use his help page
PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. His class is very hard and extremely boring. There is no other grades besides 5 exams which are very hard. Atleast 2/3 of the class dropped because it was almost impossible to even make a C.
He's really sweet and has that geeky chemistry humor. He has 6 lab reports, 6 quizzes, a midterm and final. Midterm and final are basically combined quizzes. If you ask him, he will let you review your quizzes (review and write down everything!) so, if you get a question wrong, bring it to him and he'll work it out for you.
Taking him for lab last semester was really easy and I made good grades, because all you have to do is follow the instructions for the lab report and the only tricky thing was the quizzes, sometimes it would be easy to confuse things, but just print out the slides and look at them or use your lab manual and you can easily get a good grade.
Do NOT take Dr. Parkinson!!! You are only graded on tests, so if you fail one, you are doomed from the start. He doesn't care about his students, & it shows. Don't expect extra credit & don't expect to learn anything from this class. For each test there are 2 parts, an insanely difficult online portion & an in person test. STAY AWAY FROM THIS CLASS
DO NOT TAKE DR. PARKINSON! He only give tests as grades, no homework or quizzes, only tests that are insanely hard to pass. He does not care about his students and he will straight up tell you that. He tells you in the beginning that very few will pass and its true. No extra credit or curves or anything to help out because he DOES NOT CARE!
I only recommend this professor if you are willing to put the time in to study. His test are not hard, you just have to study. Only has test, but all the information you need is on his powerpoint and his help page. Textbook was not used. He does curve test grades.
do not take this man!!!!! if youre willing to teach yourself everything, then by all means, take this class. if you are wanting to actually learn something, stay away from this class! TAKE IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE! like other people said, he doesnt care about his students. he wants people to fail. he also gives no feedback on anything
STAY FAR AWAY. you have been warned.
STAY AWAY FROM PARKINSON! 5 tests, no homework, no possibility of extra credit. he DOES NOT TEACH, expects you to either already know it or learn it completely on your own. will never review tests in class. he does not care about teaching or his students. a majority of my class dropped by the end of the semester. save yourself and your GPA
Dr. Parkinson wasn't a bad teacher. I would recommend printing out the PowerPoints and taking notes on what he discusses. He does take attendance and he curves the exams (it helps a lot), so don't worry too much. Study the notes/PowerPoints and you'll be fine. Reminded me of a high school class.
Dr. Parkinson is a good person but the way he teaches and the material is very hard. He's not a bad choice but have a plan A because this professor is plan B. The tests are very hard but he does curve them but even with a curve a lot of people are still looking at a C or D in the class. Also utilize the in class tutor because they will be helpful.
The GOAT 'nuff said
He reads off slides and gives good examples. His tests pretty much come straight off his slides with a few questions based off things he says during the lecture. Show up to class, take notes, and study the slides and you'll do well.
Parkinson's class is challenging, but engaging. Attend lectures, use the help page, and study diligently. Unstuck study can be a great supplement to prepare for exams. Overall, a rewarding experience for chem enthusiasts.
I would chose him over the other chem lab professors. Weekly quizzes but if you practice the material from his powerpoints they are easy. Midterm and final, but you are allowed to use your lab manual which helps alot!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
59%
Textbook Required
58%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.44 avg changeRatings by Course
121
5.0
(1)INORGANICCHEM
5.0
(1)CLAB103
5.0
(1)CHEMLAB
5.0
(1)PHYSICS
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
CHEM121122
5.0
CHEMISTRY
5.0
CHEMALL
5.0
CHEM02
5.0
CHEM
4.5