CHEM 30B
Organic Chemistry: Reactivity and Synthesis, Part I
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Enforced requisite: course 30A or 30AH, with grade of C- or better. Second term of organic chemistry for Chemistry, Biochemistry, and engineering majors. Properties, synthesis, and reactions of alcohols, ethers, sulfur compounds, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and carboxylic acid derivatives. Organometallic compounds. Organic spectroscopy, including mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
1 of 2
Most Helpful Review
Great professor. One of the few professors in UCLA who takes his lectures seriously: no wry jokes, adequate material in each lecture, fluent, organized. He does bombard students with a lot of information per lecture, but all is clearly explained. Gives much extra credit to the class (though i never earn them) Exams are challenging though, but doable as long as you really really really really understand the material (btw an exam is supposed to distinguish able students from others rite). I got an A- and thinks the hard work required worthy...when you turn around after the intriguing final you'll find you've digested 70% of the textbook, and that's a great achievement... If you really want to learn Org Chem take him Those who take the class just for getting a good grade without much understanding better avoid him.
Great professor. One of the few professors in UCLA who takes his lectures seriously: no wry jokes, adequate material in each lecture, fluent, organized. He does bombard students with a lot of information per lecture, but all is clearly explained. Gives much extra credit to the class (though i never earn them) Exams are challenging though, but doable as long as you really really really really understand the material (btw an exam is supposed to distinguish able students from others rite). I got an A- and thinks the hard work required worthy...when you turn around after the intriguing final you'll find you've digested 70% of the textbook, and that's a great achievement... If you really want to learn Org Chem take him Those who take the class just for getting a good grade without much understanding better avoid him.
Most Helpful Review
I had Dr. Chang for 30B, and he is literally my favorite professor that I've had at UCLA. He knows his stuff, but more than that, he knows what will be complicated for students to understand and is able to break it down very easily. Also, he has the best sense of humor and is a great lecturer- so class is actually fun AND you learn things. I really wish I could have had him for more than one class!! Hands down a great professor and a great person! Tips: do the practice midterms, and if you don't understand it ASK during office hours and the tests will be super doable!
I had Dr. Chang for 30B, and he is literally my favorite professor that I've had at UCLA. He knows his stuff, but more than that, he knows what will be complicated for students to understand and is able to break it down very easily. Also, he has the best sense of humor and is a great lecturer- so class is actually fun AND you learn things. I really wish I could have had him for more than one class!! Hands down a great professor and a great person! Tips: do the practice midterms, and if you don't understand it ASK during office hours and the tests will be super doable!
AD
Most Helpful Review
Dr. Chaterjee wasn't bad at all. She has an accent, but it doesn't really get in the way. Chem 30B is quite challenging. There are many quizzes and tests -- but please see each of those as an opportunity to up your grade. Now you really have to study for this class. I know some people who took it at a junior college and had a much easier time. But I'm also a transfer student, and I dropped Organic chem II at the JC I attended, cos I could never click with the professor's teaching style. Odd, but after taking chem with Chatterjee, I revisited my past exams in organic chem from JC, and I could have easily gotten A's in them. Or maybe because I studied more as a UCLA student. Anyway.. I'm telling you now, Chatterjee's tests are not easy, and her average is pegged at a B-. Usually the average dances around 55-60%. It depends on the performance of the class. She, however, is quite a nice lady. She appreciates a student's line of reasoning. TA's did all the grading of the exams, but if you think you were close enough to the answer and received too few points, go to Chatterjee's office hour and discuss your exam with her. She may give you back points if your reasoning is valid. If you do well on the final, she will likely pull you up one letter grade higher.
Dr. Chaterjee wasn't bad at all. She has an accent, but it doesn't really get in the way. Chem 30B is quite challenging. There are many quizzes and tests -- but please see each of those as an opportunity to up your grade. Now you really have to study for this class. I know some people who took it at a junior college and had a much easier time. But I'm also a transfer student, and I dropped Organic chem II at the JC I attended, cos I could never click with the professor's teaching style. Odd, but after taking chem with Chatterjee, I revisited my past exams in organic chem from JC, and I could have easily gotten A's in them. Or maybe because I studied more as a UCLA student. Anyway.. I'm telling you now, Chatterjee's tests are not easy, and her average is pegged at a B-. Usually the average dances around 55-60%. It depends on the performance of the class. She, however, is quite a nice lady. She appreciates a student's line of reasoning. TA's did all the grading of the exams, but if you think you were close enough to the answer and received too few points, go to Chatterjee's office hour and discuss your exam with her. She may give you back points if your reasoning is valid. If you do well on the final, she will likely pull you up one letter grade higher.
Most Helpful Review
He did an okay job. I think he could've gone into the hows and whys more than he did, but it's a lot of material to present in ten weeks. His notes really just serve to focus you on the material that he will cover on his exams. You do have to study a lot on your own, but isn't that the case with any ochem class? Don't ever fall behind!! Spend time going over the mechanisms yourself. He touches on them, but you really need to organize your own thinking about the material. This is not a class where you'll be spoon-fed the material just to regurgitate it on the exam. His exams aren't bad...and he gives a lot of opportunity for extra credit. I had time to go back over my exams each time. It's a just putting in the work and organizing your own thinking about the material, using his notes to focus you.
He did an okay job. I think he could've gone into the hows and whys more than he did, but it's a lot of material to present in ten weeks. His notes really just serve to focus you on the material that he will cover on his exams. You do have to study a lot on your own, but isn't that the case with any ochem class? Don't ever fall behind!! Spend time going over the mechanisms yourself. He touches on them, but you really need to organize your own thinking about the material. This is not a class where you'll be spoon-fed the material just to regurgitate it on the exam. His exams aren't bad...and he gives a lot of opportunity for extra credit. I had time to go back over my exams each time. It's a just putting in the work and organizing your own thinking about the material, using his notes to focus you.
Most Helpful Review
Keep up with all the web supplementals he posts on the web! And PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE as many problems as you can! Chem 30B this qtr was re-organized, so there was a greater emphasis on spectroscopy which wasn't fun. But Hardinger lets you know what he expects from you and doesn't pull "a fast one" on you on his exams.
Keep up with all the web supplementals he posts on the web! And PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE as many problems as you can! Chem 30B this qtr was re-organized, so there was a greater emphasis on spectroscopy which wasn't fun. But Hardinger lets you know what he expects from you and doesn't pull "a fast one" on you on his exams.
AD
Most Helpful Review
i took him for both 30A and 30B, he is a nice guy, lectures are straightforward and his powerpoints are exactly like the book. Best way to study for this class is by making lots of flashcards with all the reactions. If u can memorize all the reactions and mechanisms then his tests are a piece of cake. His finals tend to be easier than the midterms probably cause the averages were really low on the midterms. I honestly don't understand how people do so bad on his tests, i found the class easy but it does takes time to memorize all the reactions. Even tho people say that u don't have to memorize, you really do need to and it will make everything easier!!!
i took him for both 30A and 30B, he is a nice guy, lectures are straightforward and his powerpoints are exactly like the book. Best way to study for this class is by making lots of flashcards with all the reactions. If u can memorize all the reactions and mechanisms then his tests are a piece of cake. His finals tend to be easier than the midterms probably cause the averages were really low on the midterms. I honestly don't understand how people do so bad on his tests, i found the class easy but it does takes time to memorize all the reactions. Even tho people say that u don't have to memorize, you really do need to and it will make everything easier!!!
Most Helpful Review
Oh, Prof. Lam! I was pretty devastated after taking my first midterm (knew nothing and the class average was in the high 20s-low 30s) but he held a workshop for us to go over the midterm and the second midterm was much more doable. He goes at a good pace and is very clear in his teaching style. I'll echo another reviewer in saying he is the best o-chem professor I've had.
Oh, Prof. Lam! I was pretty devastated after taking my first midterm (knew nothing and the class average was in the high 20s-low 30s) but he held a workshop for us to go over the midterm and the second midterm was much more doable. He goes at a good pace and is very clear in his teaching style. I'll echo another reviewer in saying he is the best o-chem professor I've had.
Most Helpful Review
By far THE WORST TEACHER I had ever had at UCLA. I took her class because I trusted the rating of the idiots who said "she is fair... She only test what she covers..." Awww shut the *&*(( up you morans. She was horrible. the average for the second midterm was like 40. For the final 107/200. How the F%#$T is that what she covered you idiots. This crazy woman is a typical UCLA faculty. She is there to do research not to teach. I sent her couple eamils regarding a mistake in grading my paper, her response was, well nothing. She ignored my email by sending a general email saying that I recieved too many emails and since I'm busy can't answer them. The grades are what they are. AVOID THIS B*&$*
By far THE WORST TEACHER I had ever had at UCLA. I took her class because I trusted the rating of the idiots who said "she is fair... She only test what she covers..." Awww shut the *&*(( up you morans. She was horrible. the average for the second midterm was like 40. For the final 107/200. How the F%#$T is that what she covered you idiots. This crazy woman is a typical UCLA faculty. She is there to do research not to teach. I sent her couple eamils regarding a mistake in grading my paper, her response was, well nothing. She ignored my email by sending a general email saying that I recieved too many emails and since I'm busy can't answer them. The grades are what they are. AVOID THIS B*&$*
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - I'm not sure how Merlic is during a usual quarter when things aren't remote. However, if you have the chance to take this class with Merlic during remote learning, do NOT take this class. He was extremely unaccommodating during the pandemic and made the class harder than a usual quarter. Instead of having two midterms, our class had 3 midterms, one of which was the Friday before Week 9. His justification behind this was to give us a "progress report" on how we were doing, but nobody knew what they had in the course since the class was graded on a curve. The averages for each midterm were extremely low, usually around a 50% or a 60%. The exams themselves are already quite challenging to complete on time; however, we were also expected to scan and upload the exam within the given 1 hour time frame, which wasn't required for the in-person class. Merlic also made the exams more difficult and longer due to our ability to "look through our notes", but in reality there isn't any time to skim through your notes since you're rushing to complete the exams. For the final exam, Merlic gave us a sample final with 11 questions on it and ASSURED us that we would have plenty of time compared to the midterms. However, he placed 16 questions on our final, many of which required written responses which consumed a decent amount of time. In addition to his ridiculous exam formats, Merlic is extremely disorganized with his homework schedule. The first few weeks we were given a homework assignment each week; however, near the middle of the quarter we didn't have one for nearly three weeks. Towards the end of the quarter he would assign a homework assignment every 3-4 days under the excuse of trying to fulfill the 10 homework assignments for the class. There are also quizzes in this class during discussion, but those don't mirror Merlic's exams too well. Overall, I would never take this class again and I highly regret having someone as unaccommodating and ridiculous as Merlic for a professor. One last note, Merlic likes to sell himself as a "nice guy", but don't fall for this as he is usually highly sarcastic and lies about his schedule and exam lengths. Good luck to y'all!
Fall 2020 - I'm not sure how Merlic is during a usual quarter when things aren't remote. However, if you have the chance to take this class with Merlic during remote learning, do NOT take this class. He was extremely unaccommodating during the pandemic and made the class harder than a usual quarter. Instead of having two midterms, our class had 3 midterms, one of which was the Friday before Week 9. His justification behind this was to give us a "progress report" on how we were doing, but nobody knew what they had in the course since the class was graded on a curve. The averages for each midterm were extremely low, usually around a 50% or a 60%. The exams themselves are already quite challenging to complete on time; however, we were also expected to scan and upload the exam within the given 1 hour time frame, which wasn't required for the in-person class. Merlic also made the exams more difficult and longer due to our ability to "look through our notes", but in reality there isn't any time to skim through your notes since you're rushing to complete the exams. For the final exam, Merlic gave us a sample final with 11 questions on it and ASSURED us that we would have plenty of time compared to the midterms. However, he placed 16 questions on our final, many of which required written responses which consumed a decent amount of time. In addition to his ridiculous exam formats, Merlic is extremely disorganized with his homework schedule. The first few weeks we were given a homework assignment each week; however, near the middle of the quarter we didn't have one for nearly three weeks. Towards the end of the quarter he would assign a homework assignment every 3-4 days under the excuse of trying to fulfill the 10 homework assignments for the class. There are also quizzes in this class during discussion, but those don't mirror Merlic's exams too well. Overall, I would never take this class again and I highly regret having someone as unaccommodating and ridiculous as Merlic for a professor. One last note, Merlic likes to sell himself as a "nice guy", but don't fall for this as he is usually highly sarcastic and lies about his schedule and exam lengths. Good luck to y'all!
AD
1 of 2
