The best aspects of this course included the labs and the overall general chemistry refresher it provided for students. The ALEKS system was a great online resource for students to practice until they had a complete grasp of the information. The worst aspects of this course included the often unguided pre-lab questions and time-consuming assignments on the ALEKS online program. The class would improve if the labs and pre-labs were clearer, and if the professor personally assigned homework, instead of assigning homework from the repetitive ALEKS system. Many students would have also preferred more access to lecture notes and slides to help them understand the concepts. Prospective students should know that this course wil refresh their knowledge of chemistry, but may be overwhelming and time consuming.

The best aspects of this course included the professor, whom multiple students described as friendly and passionate about the topic. Some students had issues with the organization of the class with some feeling that important topics were rushed through or not thoroughly discussed in the lecture, while others felt lectures would jump around without a clear structure. Suggestions for improvement included changing the pace of the class as well as providing student with additional resources such as lecture recordings and additional practice problems. Prospective students should know the class was fast paced and a background in Chemistry prior to taking the course was helpful.

Students broadly praised the course for featuring interesting laboratory experiments that gave students hands-on experience. Perceived issues with the course varied, however many students described the course as unfairly stressful and time intensive for a one-credit class. Suggestions for improvement varied with some students requesting a significant decrease in the course’s workload while other students said they asked for more support and instruction on how best to complete experiments and figure and do post-lab reports. Prospective students should know that students described this lab-focused course as time intensive and that success required students to be precise in their lab reports and pay attention to details.

The best aspects of the course were the lab experiments, lab techniques learned in class, and the Aleks computer system which helped students review concepts. The worst aspects of the course included the hefty workload which consisted of pre-lab, lab, homework and many other assignments. The Aleks computer system also had glitches from time to time. The course would improve if the work were to be reduced and if more time were to be spent on teaching some of the subject. Prospective students should allot plenty of time for this class as there are lots of homework assignments and lab write-ups.

The best part about this course was the professor’s approachable demeanor and desire for students to succeed. This course was intellectually challenging and fast paced. Some students found the grading system confusing and the exams difficult. This course could be improved by providing PowerPoints before lectures, assigning more practice problems, and having labs better enforce concepts learned in class. Prospective students should know this course has a manageable but difficult workload. Students are encouraged to stay ahead of the material and seek help as soon as a topic is confusing.