I had Professor Lavelle for both 14A and 14B. His classes were pretty challenging. Like many people said, his voice during lecture makes you fall asleep whether you want to or not. For 14A, I would say if you have taken AP Chem or know a good amount of chem from high school, you will do pretty well in his class. 14B was harder since he focused a lot on the concepts behind the calculations rather than just doing the calculations. Also, he would definitely throw one or two curveballs on midterms. I found that his practice tests were easier than the actual exam, and sometimes even totally different.
However, it is not impossible to get a good grade. Do all the homework problems and know the concepts behind them very thoroughly. Also, a good TA sometimes makes all the difference; I had really great TAs and I actually learned more during discussions than in class lectures. Go to review sessions!!! Prof. Lavelle's sessions are extremely helpful if you are confused on any of the concepts he taught, and if you know what TAs are good, go to their review sessions as well.

I took Lavelle for Chem 14A and B. The majority of the course reader was pretty worthless. I took my own notes on a pad to follow his calculations. Get the quiz book for extra credit and as a pad for points. Check with friends.

However, the course reader is important in that you get a bullet-pointed list of all the skills he expects you to be able to do on an exam. That being said, be sure to do all (or very close to all) the homework assigned in the course reader to get enough practice. There are people who get a 5 on the Chem AP test and do poorly in his class, so don't be complacent. People do mention that his tests are difficult, but it's not too bad once you realize what he's looking for.

Between 14A and 14B, Lavelle changes substantially in his style. In 14A, he goes over one to two calculations per concept. Follow those and follow them well. In 14B, you don't have that luxury of learning by example as he spends more time on derivation of formulas. Speed counts for quizzes in order to finish on time, but they're generally not too difficult if you're prepared. On the midterm and final know the concepts assigned in the reading but not covered in lecture, as there will be a point-heavy question that tests on a difficult concept.

Overall, he's not bad the first quarter and a little more difficult the second. I did better on the second quarter, but received A's on both quarters. Overall, know the pattern behind each concept so that you know exactly what to do for each question.

Hey!
So I'm really excited to write this review...because 1.) I just looked at my quarter grade 2.)I actually have stuff to say 3.) It's spring break and I'm bored...so why not help all those future lavelle students, right?
Sorry if I do a horrible job, I'm just going to try to be honest :) Ok, so here goes.
Things I wish I had known this before I took 14A/14B...
- WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ANYONE WANT TO CAPITALIZE EVERYTHING HE/SHE SAYS?!?! IT'S SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO READ THINGS THAT ARE ALL CAPPED!!!!I THINK THAT THE ATTENTION SPAN OF AN AVERAGE CHEM 14A/B STUDENT ENDS HERE. *zzzzzzz* OH I STILL HAVEN'T LOST YOU? LET ME SWITCH THE PAPER OUT FOR THE NEXT ONE WHILE I REPEAT THE SAME THING I JUST SAID *zzzz* The point is, it's really hard to actually read the course reader, so why not take your own notes during class to keep you awake? I wish I had. (You should still buy the course reader, see below) I actually found that physically being in class helped me, regardless of whether I somewhat slept through the class or not, but it's entirely your decision on whether you want to attend the class or not. There's always podcast and stuff but whatever works for you, right?
- It's actually been a pretty long 2 quarters,studying for those quizes, midterms and finals but seriously, WTH does he have so many examinations?! It just stresses people out more, he should just do 2 midterms and a final each quarter...the only good thing for 14B is that the workbook replaces one of the two quizzes.
- I felt like it really didn't matter where you sat...it's all the same lecture. But it sort of does matter which lecture you attend. I tested out all the lectures (and podcast) but lec 1 was definitly the most "entertaining" for me :)
- Tas ARE your best friends!!! They grade your quizzes and workbooks and actually go over things during discussion so make sure you get a good one. Like, a.) speaks english without an foriegn accent b.) that actually goes over good problems and the concepts during discussion.
- Covel tutoring is a definite plus (like +VE):it's almost like an extra discussion so why not? some people might not find it helpful but if you are really having a tough time with the homework/don't really feel like reading the whole book, it definitly helps.
- There's actually no need to buy a new course reader, an old one is just as good because lavelle uses the same notes again and again and again...it's the tests at the back are updated each year so if you buy it off a 2nd year, it'll not only be just as useful(you can always ask them for their old tests) but also cheaper ;).
- VOH is great if you have a couple of questions, but it's easier asking in person after class/after discussion/TA office hours.
- There are some people that I know that have had bad experiences with the class and stuff, but once you're in it, its not exactly like you can drop without it affecting you somehow. It would probably be better to stick it out and take a hit(even if you get above a 50%, you get a C) and retake the class over the summer or something than drop it.
- You should probabaly obtain and read the organic textbook and do the problems(it's not all in caps)...that's really useful because the ochem portion is huge on the final. Also, it might be useful to use the model kit as well for naming/isomers and stuff.
- Lavelle is rather monotonous lecturer, and I would never take him again by choice, but he's like a "meh" professor. He DOES give a lot of resources for success it just requires so much time. Maybe if you set aside the time and do the work, it'll pay off? I don't know because I've never gone to his office hours but I've heard mixed reviews of helpfulness of his office hours,mainly because it's so crowded. so just go and check it out for yourself. He does an ok job on the organic chemistry section when building the models and explaining,and when he has his "analogy" moments, but for the rest of 14B the conceptual stuff is just sort of confusingly explained. For 14A his tests were really fair, but for 14B his tests were rather difficult. It's also because there is a certain way he taught 14A concepts that made them easier to understand and visualize..14B is like physics with the thermo portion- calculating the energy/entropy/free evnergy of this and that and stuff like that and sort of hard to visualize. Most people will find kinetics easier. In my opinion, organic chem was just sort of thrown in there, it should have been with 14A when discussing the hybrid orbitals and molecular structures and stuff like that.
- Solid background in chemistry is a must! Seriously, most of the 14A material is covered in AP chem with minor additions here and there. For 14B, AP Chem never went as in depth into thermodynamics/kinetics but having a good background in chemistry in general and some physics knowledge definitly helps...but then again, this will only help you pass and doesn't guarantee you the grade you want. It does take work on your part to get an A or a B, but investing time into doing hw problems/officehours/all that can only help boost your grade for sure. It's unfortunate that students who don't have the chemistry knowledge are pushed into the same class because it's unfair to them with a harsh curve and all. In terms of the curve, just try and stay above average. It'll probably be best if you don't have prior chem knowledge to do some chem studying over the summer somehow just to get a basic idea of the concepts and stuff. You don't have to drive yourself crazy but just come in with some sort of foundation because Lavelle is not really going to be "teaching" you anything from A to Z, he might be starting at M.
- And, GOOD LUCK! Work hard, play hard and be prepared to step it up. It shouldn't be too bad hopefully and the feeling of satisfaction of completing the courses and moving on in the series is great, believe me. All the best! ;)

I feel that a lot of the comments on Bruinwalk concerning Dr. Lavelle are rather callous. Having Dr. Lavelle for the past 2 quarters in Chemistry 14A and B has been both challenging and enjoying. I came into his 14B class knowing no shred of chemistry; my high school chemistry teacher was not the best. But I very much enjoyed Lavelle's class. There are multiple ways to pass this class. You can skip lecture and just read the book or you can take initiative to work hard, go to office hours, talk to your TAs, and make study groups. Lavelle's class is very challenging. And if you look at the evolution of his tests throughout the course reader in the years, they do get more difficult, which can be a pain when studying. This past quarter, both his midterm and final were very difficult. And to tell you the truth, to those incoming freshman that are going to read this, you are competing in this class with a bunch of premeds. Things will be tough, but you have to take time and the initiative to learn the material, through any of the above methods. Take advantage of Covel tutoring if you are able to get it as well. It's a lifesaver. And seeing that the TAs change every quarter, find out through word of mouth who the "best" TAs are and go to their office hours and their review sessions. Lavelle provides his students with as many opportunities to get help. Sure at times his lectures can be long, and his voice will initially lull you into slumber, but again, initiative is key. I was initially turned off by Dr. Lavelle when i read all of the comments on Bruinwalk, but the key point really is, opinion is really based on the experience. You have to actually make a decision for yourself. My opinion is that he is a good professor, not my absolute favorite, but definitely very good at what he does.

Meanest professor you will ever meet. He doesn't do anything. He doesn't even answer the VOH questions himself. The TA's do it. His exams are pretty impossible and look nothing like the ones in the course reader. Each year, he gives out less A's and makes the exam harder. 2010 was impossible. If you are considering this class after 2010 Winter, you will probably get weeded out if you're not a genius. Oh yeah, getting a 5 on AP Chem and an 800 on the SAT II doesn't do anything for you. I still got a C in the class. If you don't click to his learning style (only like 20 people do out of 1000) you won't get an A. It doesn't even matter how hard you study.

"Hey you Asian who has aspirations of going to med school, yes you! You're going to get a C in this class, it's inevitable. Hate to break it to you. You'll do well if you cheat and are a dirty asian like you probably are."

Just so you know, I am an Asian and I got an A in this class. You're just going to have to accept that there are many people, both Asian and non-Asian, who are intelligent and that you clearly are not one of them. Sucks for you. The fact that you have convinced yourself that those who are doing well are cheating is pretty pathetic but until you can come to terms with the truth, I suggest that you keep telling yourself that.

(Courses taken: CHEM 14A/B)

Effectiveness: Lavelle's system is very effective, and if you take advantage of it, you'll definitely walk away from the general chemistry series confident with the knowledge you've learned.
Difficulty: Lavelle doesn't make the subject any more difficult than it already is. You need to know the material to get an A in his class. Go to lecture (or read the book) and work through the problems he suggests and you should have the material down. I'm not sure where other people on here are getting the idea that he tries to trick people on tests, but all his tests and quizzes are very straightforward. If there is some kind of "trick," its only to test a very important concept.
Concern/Availability: Its clear that Lavelle tries to make times for his students, and the VOH definitely helps, but his office hours are still generally packed due to the sheer size of his classes.
Overall: Professor Lavelle is a great teacher to have for general chemistry, and his methods definitely work.

Very doable, but since homework isn't turned in, you can get very lazy and behind. The fact that lectures are sleepy doesn't help either. But I'd rather take Chem with this guy than Scerri.

I took chem 14A and 14B, and his lectures were ridiculuosly boring yet efective. For his midterms and finals you basically need to be able to complete the practice quizes in his course reader. Recommend taking him if you are willing to study, I got an A- in 14A without any trouble.

A lot of reviewers have stated that Prof. Lavelle is a caring teacher, etc, and he's just received the school's highest teaching award, but honestly I think he's just "popular" because he gives you resources (i.e. lecture guide). His lectures are pretty bland, and it's very easy to fall asleep in class due to the dulcet tones of his voice and accent, but he is not a very kind man. If you've ever gone to his office hours, you might know what I mean. If you don't know exactly what you are talking about when you go in there, he gets very curt and rude. My overall impression of office hours was that Lavelle was very arrogant, which okay, he's a brilliant mind, but still, as a professor he could be more courteous towards his students. If you talk to him before/after lecture he is seemingly nice, but seriously, he is so rude during his office hours; maybe it's because he's not in front of the entire class.

Use the course reader, it's all you need. Even if you do all the practice tests, the actual exams are going to try to challenge you (although next quarter's class will probably think your test was easy, just like how you thought all the exams in the reader were pretty easy). My final wound up being NOTHING like the previous exams, buuut I did well on the midterms so it all turned out great. Oh, and he has a retarded way of curving the class: all the lectures take the same tests/quizzes, yet each lecture had a different curve...which makes no sense. So pretty much if another lecture happened to do worse than yours, people in that lecture who got lower scores than you might end up with a better overall grade, just because they were lucky enough to be in the class that did worse.

I personally, do not like Prof. Lavelle because he came off as very arrogant/rude when other people weren't around, but it's not too hard to get an A. Just be diligent and make sure to keep up.