Richard B Kaner
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
AD
4.5
Overall Rating
Based on 57 Users
Easiness 2.4 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.4 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.1 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.6 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Engaging Lectures
  • Would Take Again
  • Tough Tests
GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS
42.2%
35.2%
28.1%
21.1%
14.1%
7.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

45.5%
37.9%
30.4%
22.8%
15.2%
7.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

41.5%
34.6%
27.7%
20.8%
13.8%
6.9%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

32.9%
27.4%
22.0%
16.5%
11.0%
5.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

36.4%
30.3%
24.3%
18.2%
12.1%
6.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

39.1%
32.6%
26.1%
19.5%
13.0%
6.5%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

48.1%
40.1%
32.1%
24.0%
16.0%
8.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

45.6%
38.0%
30.4%
22.8%
15.2%
7.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

33.9%
28.2%
22.6%
16.9%
11.3%
5.6%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

34.6%
28.8%
23.1%
17.3%
11.5%
5.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

24.3%
20.2%
16.2%
12.1%
8.1%
4.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

30.4%
25.3%
20.3%
15.2%
10.1%
5.1%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

ENROLLMENT DISTRIBUTIONS
Clear marks

Sorry, no enrollment data is available.

AD

Reviews (47)

4 of 5
4 of 5
Add your review...
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 21, 2009

Take Professor Kaner for Chem 171; he is probably one of the best Chem professors I have ever had. His lectures are very clear - if for any reason you have a question, feel free to ask; as someone mentioned earlier, he does not mind answering the same question over and over again.

He's a very kind and fair person; when I took him for Fall '08, a lot of us bombed the midterm (not enough time, not because it was incredibly difficult). He said he wanted us to actually learn the material, so giving us another chance, he said he would replace the grade we got on the midterm with our grade on the final, if we did better. Pretty darn fair and generous, don't you think? I ended up with an A in the course.

Attend lecture, buy the lecture notes from the student store (the book only helped me out a few times), do the problem sets, and you're set. :)

If he offers Chem 189, take it! Greatest time spent in a class ever (no midterms, no quizzes, no homework, just an easy 5-page paper at the end).

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 16, 2008

Professor Kaner is a great chemistry professor. His exams are based on his lectures and are very clear. My only concern was his final exam because it was pretty tough. Everything that I thought would not be there, was. Very detailed exam. Besides that, he is great. You just have to know all his notes very well and his handouts are also very important even if he doesn't stress it that much.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 22, 2007

He is a very nice professor . There are two midterms and final exam. In order to do well in this class, you need to pay attention to all his lectures and make sure you understand everything he said in lecture. If you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask him. He will explain to you very well. He wouldn't mind answering the same question over and over again. I highly recommend Dr. Kaner for Chem 171.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 18, 2007

Professor Kaner is very enthusiastic. He is punctual and he tries to make the lecture as interesting as possible. And he connects the chemical knowledge to real life things. The most important thing you need to remember to get a good grade is that you have to attend every single lecture. If you miss Monday's lecture, you will spend the entire lecture lecture on Wednesday to figuring out what he is talking about. Everything that he says in lecture counts. It's gonna be a good idea to bring a voice recoder. His tests are not easy at all. And it's VERY LONG. You should be well prepared to score high. Regarding the discussion section, you don't need to get any pressure to attend it. Only when you have any question, go there and ask. Basically, some TA's deliver wrong infromation. I think some of them are not capable. They pretend they know something, but actually they do not.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 21, 2007

i am a former chemistry major. i took this class after not taking chemistry after a year. I love organic chemistry and kaner made inorganic very approachable. It tok studying and communication with your peers and you will definately get an A. He is upfront with his practice exams, but gets tricky on the actual exams. Every lecture counts, anything he says in lecture is possible on the exam remember that. Other than that, I changed my major to sociology and I love it, but if i were to take another chemistry course it would be with kaner. Cheers and remember sociology has a place for you too!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 20, 2005

I thought Dr.Kaner was one of the best chemistry professors I have ever had the fortune of taking for a course. He makes the subject very interesting, connects it to real life, and eliminates as much of the fogginess of reality by establishing set rules for problem solving. This is may be a great and a bad part about his teaching style... while he makes the subject simplified and easy to understand those who want to know everything feel disapointed. For these people I suggest they go to his office hours and ask questions because he is great in his office hours. His exams are mostly everything in lecture with some odd problem solving questions which test your ability to reason with what you have been taught. I highly recommend this professor for anyone who enjoys chemistry especially material science and I would not recommend anyone to take this class because they think it will be easy. This is not an easy class, but if you truly enjoy the material and are intrigued it becomes easy in a way.

I recommend reading and rewriting your notes daily, buying the lecture notes but still taking your own, asking questions in lecture no matter how redundant they are, attending all office hours, joining the honors section because it was a great experience, attending every TA session atleast once so you can find the best TAs, understand every concept even if you think it is too easy, and understand the "easy" stuff to the greatest detail possible because that is what is really important for the exams.

If you are disabled and have special exam needs please work with the professor in great detail in advanced to prevent problems.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 14, 2005

Kaner's "effectiveness" is way overrated. I don't think he's a good teacher in any way. Maybe people think he's good because of all those silly models and boring demos. He doesn't explain very well, and tests on really random stuff.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Jan. 10, 2005

This is the best chemistry professor I have ever had at UCLA. I loved his class, and if you don't like chemistry, he'll make it very interesting and fun to learn it. The class is just moderately difficult, not too bad if you study for it. But he really cares about you learning the material, and is not out to get you or anything. Take him if you can and you will enjoy it for sure.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 11, 2003

A really good professor, and a really nice guy. Make sure you go to all his lectures and really pay attention, because he tests you on everything.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 26, 2003

Professor Kaner's class was one of the most enjoyable classes I have ever taken at UCLA. He is very knowledgeable in what he teaches and applies his lectures to the many faucets of chemistry in our everyday lives. He is very relaxed and very approachable. He does throw out a lot of information during his lectures so write fast or bring a tape recorder. The book is simply a reference to the lecture (and much less interesting!) and most test material is in the lecture. In addition, attending discussion sections really help out a lot. Omar and Julia are GREAT!!! Good Luck and enjoy the class!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 21, 2009

Take Professor Kaner for Chem 171; he is probably one of the best Chem professors I have ever had. His lectures are very clear - if for any reason you have a question, feel free to ask; as someone mentioned earlier, he does not mind answering the same question over and over again.

He's a very kind and fair person; when I took him for Fall '08, a lot of us bombed the midterm (not enough time, not because it was incredibly difficult). He said he wanted us to actually learn the material, so giving us another chance, he said he would replace the grade we got on the midterm with our grade on the final, if we did better. Pretty darn fair and generous, don't you think? I ended up with an A in the course.

Attend lecture, buy the lecture notes from the student store (the book only helped me out a few times), do the problem sets, and you're set. :)

If he offers Chem 189, take it! Greatest time spent in a class ever (no midterms, no quizzes, no homework, just an easy 5-page paper at the end).

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 16, 2008

Professor Kaner is a great chemistry professor. His exams are based on his lectures and are very clear. My only concern was his final exam because it was pretty tough. Everything that I thought would not be there, was. Very detailed exam. Besides that, he is great. You just have to know all his notes very well and his handouts are also very important even if he doesn't stress it that much.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 22, 2007

He is a very nice professor . There are two midterms and final exam. In order to do well in this class, you need to pay attention to all his lectures and make sure you understand everything he said in lecture. If you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask him. He will explain to you very well. He wouldn't mind answering the same question over and over again. I highly recommend Dr. Kaner for Chem 171.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 18, 2007

Professor Kaner is very enthusiastic. He is punctual and he tries to make the lecture as interesting as possible. And he connects the chemical knowledge to real life things. The most important thing you need to remember to get a good grade is that you have to attend every single lecture. If you miss Monday's lecture, you will spend the entire lecture lecture on Wednesday to figuring out what he is talking about. Everything that he says in lecture counts. It's gonna be a good idea to bring a voice recoder. His tests are not easy at all. And it's VERY LONG. You should be well prepared to score high. Regarding the discussion section, you don't need to get any pressure to attend it. Only when you have any question, go there and ask. Basically, some TA's deliver wrong infromation. I think some of them are not capable. They pretend they know something, but actually they do not.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 21, 2007

i am a former chemistry major. i took this class after not taking chemistry after a year. I love organic chemistry and kaner made inorganic very approachable. It tok studying and communication with your peers and you will definately get an A. He is upfront with his practice exams, but gets tricky on the actual exams. Every lecture counts, anything he says in lecture is possible on the exam remember that. Other than that, I changed my major to sociology and I love it, but if i were to take another chemistry course it would be with kaner. Cheers and remember sociology has a place for you too!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 20, 2005

I thought Dr.Kaner was one of the best chemistry professors I have ever had the fortune of taking for a course. He makes the subject very interesting, connects it to real life, and eliminates as much of the fogginess of reality by establishing set rules for problem solving. This is may be a great and a bad part about his teaching style... while he makes the subject simplified and easy to understand those who want to know everything feel disapointed. For these people I suggest they go to his office hours and ask questions because he is great in his office hours. His exams are mostly everything in lecture with some odd problem solving questions which test your ability to reason with what you have been taught. I highly recommend this professor for anyone who enjoys chemistry especially material science and I would not recommend anyone to take this class because they think it will be easy. This is not an easy class, but if you truly enjoy the material and are intrigued it becomes easy in a way.

I recommend reading and rewriting your notes daily, buying the lecture notes but still taking your own, asking questions in lecture no matter how redundant they are, attending all office hours, joining the honors section because it was a great experience, attending every TA session atleast once so you can find the best TAs, understand every concept even if you think it is too easy, and understand the "easy" stuff to the greatest detail possible because that is what is really important for the exams.

If you are disabled and have special exam needs please work with the professor in great detail in advanced to prevent problems.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Dec. 14, 2005

Kaner's "effectiveness" is way overrated. I don't think he's a good teacher in any way. Maybe people think he's good because of all those silly models and boring demos. He doesn't explain very well, and tests on really random stuff.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Jan. 10, 2005

This is the best chemistry professor I have ever had at UCLA. I loved his class, and if you don't like chemistry, he'll make it very interesting and fun to learn it. The class is just moderately difficult, not too bad if you study for it. But he really cares about you learning the material, and is not out to get you or anything. Take him if you can and you will enjoy it for sure.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
March 11, 2003

A really good professor, and a really nice guy. Make sure you go to all his lectures and really pay attention, because he tests you on everything.

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: N/A
Grade: N/A
Feb. 26, 2003

Professor Kaner's class was one of the most enjoyable classes I have ever taken at UCLA. He is very knowledgeable in what he teaches and applies his lectures to the many faucets of chemistry in our everyday lives. He is very relaxed and very approachable. He does throw out a lot of information during his lectures so write fast or bring a tape recorder. The book is simply a reference to the lecture (and much less interesting!) and most test material is in the lecture. In addition, attending discussion sections really help out a lot. Omar and Julia are GREAT!!! Good Luck and enjoy the class!

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
4 of 5
4.5
Overall Rating
Based on 57 Users
Easiness 2.4 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.4 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.1 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.6 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Engaging Lectures
    (19)
  • Would Take Again
    (18)
  • Tough Tests
    (16)
ADS

Adblock Detected

Bruinwalk is an entirely Daily Bruin-run service brought to you for free. We hate annoying ads just as much as you do, but they help keep our lights on. We promise to keep our ads as relevant for you as possible, so please consider disabling your ad-blocking software while using this site.

Thank you for supporting us!