CHEM 17
Chemical Principles
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Introduction to chemical principles: numbers, measurements, chemical calculations, gas laws, solutions, acids, bases, and salts, molecular structure, and nomenclature. Collaborative learning and problem solving; introduction to chemistry laboratory practice. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2020 - This class itself was alright. Gober tries his best to be funny during lectures and comes across as corny, but he really is a warm guy and cares about his students. He was featured in NELK's vaping prank video but handled the situation well. His midterms can have some pretty ridiculous questions (with equally ridiculous answers), but he does grade on a lenient curve. He also usually tells you what to study ahead of time for the two midterms and finals as well. This quarter, due to coronavirus, Gober does have to administer the test online. His lectures are mainly based on slides he posts ahead of time online, and you're not any worse off just going off the slides and textbook alone to study. (Textbook can be found for free online at Z-Lib). Discussion is basically an hour long block of TAs explaining homework answers (you have 7 assignments out of the textbook). I personally found my TA hard to understand and he often went off-track a lot, and the whole discussion period was more or less a waste of time for students who know how to do the problems and just need to turn in their homework.
Winter 2020 - This class itself was alright. Gober tries his best to be funny during lectures and comes across as corny, but he really is a warm guy and cares about his students. He was featured in NELK's vaping prank video but handled the situation well. His midterms can have some pretty ridiculous questions (with equally ridiculous answers), but he does grade on a lenient curve. He also usually tells you what to study ahead of time for the two midterms and finals as well. This quarter, due to coronavirus, Gober does have to administer the test online. His lectures are mainly based on slides he posts ahead of time online, and you're not any worse off just going off the slides and textbook alone to study. (Textbook can be found for free online at Z-Lib). Discussion is basically an hour long block of TAs explaining homework answers (you have 7 assignments out of the textbook). I personally found my TA hard to understand and he often went off-track a lot, and the whole discussion period was more or less a waste of time for students who know how to do the problems and just need to turn in their homework.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2019 - This class is much more difficult than what it should really be. Papazyan makes learning basic highschool chemistry very difficult. Unfortuntately, he is not the best at explaining basic chemistry concepts. Although the course requires a textbook, Papazyan discourages students from learning from the textbook. Instead, he suggest using his slides that he posts on CCLE. However, his slides are extremely confusing. You are better off learning from the textbook. While his weekly quizzes are graded generously, they are far more difficult than what they should be.
Fall 2019 - This class is much more difficult than what it should really be. Papazyan makes learning basic highschool chemistry very difficult. Unfortuntately, he is not the best at explaining basic chemistry concepts. Although the course requires a textbook, Papazyan discourages students from learning from the textbook. Instead, he suggest using his slides that he posts on CCLE. However, his slides are extremely confusing. You are better off learning from the textbook. While his weekly quizzes are graded generously, they are far more difficult than what they should be.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2024 - There are truly no words. I LOVED Chem 17 with Professor Reslan!! As a psychology major who’s about as non-STEM as it gets, I was terrified. But Reslan, the TAs, and the LAs somehow turned this class into one I actually started looking forward to?? Which is so strange.... But, yeah, I could not recommend this class more. If you study and put the work in, you'll ace it! That's for sure. As for logistics, lecture attendance isn’t all that necessary—I skipped a bunch towards the end, crammed hard the weekend before each exam, and still aced them. Discussion, though, is an absolute godsend. Granted, you’re required to go anyway unless you’re okay with losing participation points (she allows one absence). But section was so helpful--every single one. There's also a mini lecture in the beginning of each section so if you're lucky and get a good TA (Kathryn was amazing), you can survive off of these lectures and youtube videos. Yeah, if you're thinking about taking Chem 17 some other time with some other professor, don't. :) It's the best decision you'll ever make!
Fall 2024 - There are truly no words. I LOVED Chem 17 with Professor Reslan!! As a psychology major who’s about as non-STEM as it gets, I was terrified. But Reslan, the TAs, and the LAs somehow turned this class into one I actually started looking forward to?? Which is so strange.... But, yeah, I could not recommend this class more. If you study and put the work in, you'll ace it! That's for sure. As for logistics, lecture attendance isn’t all that necessary—I skipped a bunch towards the end, crammed hard the weekend before each exam, and still aced them. Discussion, though, is an absolute godsend. Granted, you’re required to go anyway unless you’re okay with losing participation points (she allows one absence). But section was so helpful--every single one. There's also a mini lecture in the beginning of each section so if you're lucky and get a good TA (Kathryn was amazing), you can survive off of these lectures and youtube videos. Yeah, if you're thinking about taking Chem 17 some other time with some other professor, don't. :) It's the best decision you'll ever make!
Most Helpful Review
Ruiz-Silva is an awesome professor. She lectures everything that is expected of the student to know. The problem is, she lectures at a rapid pace. At times during this course all I did was write but not understand. Other than that I would recommend her. She always has hand outs and she is always willing to help if you need it.
Ruiz-Silva is an awesome professor. She lectures everything that is expected of the student to know. The problem is, she lectures at a rapid pace. At times during this course all I did was write but not understand. Other than that I would recommend her. She always has hand outs and she is always willing to help if you need it.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2018 - Chem 17 offers a lot of help for first timers in Chemistry, but also is insanely quick. Scerri covered 11-12 topics in the 10 weeks and, in truth, missing a class or dropping out of focus for a minute can put you behind. I heavily recommend attending his office hours (the ones he holds in the morning I found work best for 1 on 1 time with the professor). The classwork is light, with four online quizzes that are open everything (book, professor, classmate, internet, and can be taken three times with the highest score being in the gradebook) and two graded homework assignments from the textbook. There is one midterm. If the pace scares you, I still recommend taking this class. It absolutely helps with understanding the subject and opens doors for attending professor and TA office hours.
Winter 2018 - Chem 17 offers a lot of help for first timers in Chemistry, but also is insanely quick. Scerri covered 11-12 topics in the 10 weeks and, in truth, missing a class or dropping out of focus for a minute can put you behind. I heavily recommend attending his office hours (the ones he holds in the morning I found work best for 1 on 1 time with the professor). The classwork is light, with four online quizzes that are open everything (book, professor, classmate, internet, and can be taken three times with the highest score being in the gradebook) and two graded homework assignments from the textbook. There is one midterm. If the pace scares you, I still recommend taking this class. It absolutely helps with understanding the subject and opens doors for attending professor and TA office hours.
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