CHEM 14C
Structure of Organic Molecules
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisite: course 14B with grade of C- or better. Not open to students with credit for course 30A. Continuing studies in structure of organic molecules, with emphasis on biological applications. Resonance, stereochemistry, conjugation, and aromaticity; spectroscopy (NMR, IR, and mass spectrometry); introduction to effects of structure on physical and chemical properties; survey of biomolecular structure. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - If you want to regret ever becoming a STEM student, take this class. I would rather repeat my junior year of high school (with SAT stuff, AP classes, and college apps) and relive the whole of quarantine a hundred times than take this professor again. TBH Ochem is not that hard of a subject but teachers like this make it extremely difficult for students to pass the class. How is the midterm 5 pages for 2 hours but then the final is 14 pages for 3 hours including upload time? It's not adding up. In the last two weeks of class, he merely glanced over the biomolecular stuff without any concrete examples and that made up 60% of the final. He is very nit-picky with answers and sometimes it's hard to get partial credit. If you want peace of mind and a decent grade, save yourself and take someone else.
Fall 2021 - If you want to regret ever becoming a STEM student, take this class. I would rather repeat my junior year of high school (with SAT stuff, AP classes, and college apps) and relive the whole of quarantine a hundred times than take this professor again. TBH Ochem is not that hard of a subject but teachers like this make it extremely difficult for students to pass the class. How is the midterm 5 pages for 2 hours but then the final is 14 pages for 3 hours including upload time? It's not adding up. In the last two weeks of class, he merely glanced over the biomolecular stuff without any concrete examples and that made up 60% of the final. He is very nit-picky with answers and sometimes it's hard to get partial credit. If you want peace of mind and a decent grade, save yourself and take someone else.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2019 - I don't even have Professor Pham, but WOW this man can teach. He served as our guest lecturer this morning; throughout the lecture, students were just messaging in our class group chat about how AMAZING he was. He was funny, explained things in ways my 12-year-old brother could understand, and was super engaging. As everyone left the lecture hall, I saw countless people with their jaws dropped and basically screaming to their friends about how they couldn't believe they just experienced such a quality lecture. I'm pretty sure people even begged Professor Pham to continue "guest lecturing" for the rest of the quarter.
Fall 2019 - I don't even have Professor Pham, but WOW this man can teach. He served as our guest lecturer this morning; throughout the lecture, students were just messaging in our class group chat about how AMAZING he was. He was funny, explained things in ways my 12-year-old brother could understand, and was super engaging. As everyone left the lecture hall, I saw countless people with their jaws dropped and basically screaming to their friends about how they couldn't believe they just experienced such a quality lecture. I'm pretty sure people even begged Professor Pham to continue "guest lecturing" for the rest of the quarter.
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2018 - I enjoyed Prado's class so much! Unlike the reviewer before me, I felt this class was really challenging, as I had no background in organic chemistry at all. Though I struggled to get down the many new concepts, Prado was definitely the best teacher to guide me through them. Her pacing through the material was perfect, and I had time to understand what I was learning through the many Khan Acadmey videos, Sapling homework assignments and readings she posted! She gives super helpful tips that she used as a student, and I still use them in 14D! It is true that this class relies heavily on memorization, but a lot of organic chemistry bases itself in rules that must be memorized. That is just the nature of this course, and as a person who sucks at memorization, I had to practice and practice and practice to get this stuff down! Though 14D is a whole new level as it has to do more with reaction mechanisms, I do feel Prado has given me a solid grasp of the fundamentals necessary to understand and do well in the class. I never knew such a helpful, knowledgeable, and compassionate teacher existed at UCLA!!!
Winter 2018 - I enjoyed Prado's class so much! Unlike the reviewer before me, I felt this class was really challenging, as I had no background in organic chemistry at all. Though I struggled to get down the many new concepts, Prado was definitely the best teacher to guide me through them. Her pacing through the material was perfect, and I had time to understand what I was learning through the many Khan Acadmey videos, Sapling homework assignments and readings she posted! She gives super helpful tips that she used as a student, and I still use them in 14D! It is true that this class relies heavily on memorization, but a lot of organic chemistry bases itself in rules that must be memorized. That is just the nature of this course, and as a person who sucks at memorization, I had to practice and practice and practice to get this stuff down! Though 14D is a whole new level as it has to do more with reaction mechanisms, I do feel Prado has given me a solid grasp of the fundamentals necessary to understand and do well in the class. I never knew such a helpful, knowledgeable, and compassionate teacher existed at UCLA!!!
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