Chemistry 14B has a lot of difficult material and is definitely a lot more challenging than 14A. With that being said, Dr. Lavelle lectures in a way that a lot of these topics seem much simpler than expected. You will definitely need to put in work in order to be successful in this class, but it is very doable. Dr. Lavelle is extremely clear about what is going to be on the test. If you go to lecture you will know what to expect and will not see many surprises. There are many resources for help including UA sessions, TA office hours, Dr. Lavelle's office hours, and chemistry community. I highly recommend utilizing all of the resources that Dr. Lavelle provides. If you seek help when you need it then you will be successful in this course. Additionally, 10000% be sure to go to Lyndon Bui's office hours if he is still a UA for the upcoming quarters. Lyndon's sections provided a lot of clarity for me during confusing sections. He explains things in a simple manner and provides excellent practice worksheets.

Dr. Lavelle is absolutely amazing. He is so clear, funny, and enthusiastic about chem. He always says he wants an “100% success rate”— he really cares about his students and wants them to succeed. He has so many resource: from chemistry community, to office hours, to his step-up and peer-learning sessions. If you want to get an A in this class, you can. I would absolutely take this class again— I wish he taught 14C and D. Live, love, Lavelle.

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Very organized learning environment and office hours are always very helpful. I would recommend taking this class!

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Selling Chemical Principles textbook, solutions manual, course reader, and Introduction to Organic Chemistry. Pick-up on campus available. Please email ************* for inquiries.

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Holy Shit this class is hard!!!!
I studied an average of 100 min a day, tooks through notes, read the book, went to UA and OHs, and did at least 50 practice hw problems, and I found this class very challenging, but VERY REWARDING if you put in the time and humble yourself with what you might think is hard. The four concepts we cover are challenging but VERY INTERESTING. I did this and aced every single quiz 40/40 as they were straighfoward but VERY FAST-PACED but I definitely did strugle with the midterm and the final.

My recommendation is to do as much of this as possible to familarize yourself with each concept and prepare yourself arithmetically (be able to solve basic problems flawlessly and as fast as possible and you should ace the quizzes and apply those knowlegdge and skills to the ridiculously hard problems on the final).

*DISCLAIMER*: I am a UA who taught for Dr. Lavelle for 5 quarters (5x Chem 14A, 2x Chem 14B) but never actually took his course. However, having attended all lectures and holding office hours, I feel like I can talk about the course at least semi-accurately.

Dr. Lavelle takes characteristics from the epitome of the classic college professor with that of a sweet, understanding, caring uncle.

First, his course is structure just like your other lower div. chemistry classes. 1 midterm, 1 final, 4 quizzes throughout the quarter, and some graded homework. Lectures are informative, to say the least, and while they may be fast paced, they certainly help prepare any incoming student what's to come in later chemistry classes. Additionally, his course reader is a carbon-copy of his lecture notes, so it's very easy to follow along and catch-up on anything you may have missed (especially since lectures are podcasted).

As I mentioned above, Lavelle is the epitome of a college professor and as any incoming freshman should know, his course gives you your first opportunity to learn how to teach yourself. Often times in lectures, Dr. Lavelle does not explicitly outline how to solve specific problems, something you'll find as a common theme in most, if not all of your chem/math/physics courses. This certainly makes the course more difficult but as compensation, it's most definitely rewarding, especially for those looking to take the MCAT in a couple years.

Outside of lecture, Dr. Lavelle couldn't root for your success more. He's always moderating Chemistry Community and always more than happy to hold office hours for his students. He's super friendly and extremely approachable and will never give a snarky or mean answer when questioned. While his course may be challenging and demanding, his course is well worth the time if you want a strong chemistry background to help with future coursework/the MCAT!

To anyone reading these reviews and getting scared:
This class is not as bad as some reviews below make it seem. But, yes, you have to study hard. This is chemistry, and the majority os us are pre-meds. This class is here to prepare us for the MCAT, or other pre-health entrance exams. Go look at some sample questions in the inorganic chemistry section. They are not friendly. They are hard. There are curveballs... many of them. Come into this class as a pre-med student looking to get a great foundation for the MCAT, because that is exactly what Lavelle is giving us. Do not come into this class for an 'easy' chemistry course and/or GPA booster. Chances are that, with the former mentality, you will get a grade you desire anyways. With no chemistry courses taken in high school, I got an A+ in 14a and an A in 14b, and I now feel comfortable answering many MCAT sample questions in the inorganic chemistry section. Thank you Dr. Lavelle.