Thomas Anderson

I don’t even know where to begin this review because I am honestly so conflicted about how I feel about this class. Professor Anderson is a great professor in that he provides a lot of resources and practice problems that are indicative of his exams. However, even though the practice problems are helpful, his exams were much harder than the homework or practice problems suggested. The point of the practices seems to be to give repeated exposure to problem-solving, but the exams sometimes felt like they expected outside knowledge--almost at a PhD level (jk but not). That being said, I do appreciate his fair grading. For example, when everyone did poorly on the second exam, he curved it, which allowed me to earn a B. Another challenge with his exams is that they are not only difficult but also very long and time consuming. The exams often consisted of many pages and multiple sets of questions that felt never-ending. Even though the first two exams were “take at Bi-Hall” during a flexible window with no strict time limit, it still took me like six hours to complete one exam. This was a common experience for other students as well. I definitely felt challenged in this class…not just because of the exams, but also in lecture. Professor Anderson moves very quickly, covering a lot of material and expecting students to understand it after class. Lectures often felt more about seeing and copying information rather than fully understanding it, likely due to the 45-minute class length. Office hours were helpful at times, but Professor Anderson can struggle to simplify concepts because of how knowledgeable he is. I often turned to my Orgo II lab professor, Rafa, who was able to explain things at a level that made sense to me. He was always available and eager to help, which definitely contributed to improvement in my grades. Overall, Orgo I was definitely an experience. While it was challenging and sometimes frustrating, I think I would consider taking another class with Professor Anderson due to his abundance of resources.

I don’t even know where to begin this review because I am honestly so conflicted about how I feel about this class. Professor Anderson is a great professor in that he provides a lot of resources and practice problems that are indicative of his exams. However, even though the practice problems are helpful, his exams were much harder t …Read more

This course was definitely challenging—which is no surprise, since organic chemistry is a tough subject—but Professor Anderson’s teaching style adds an extra layer of difficulty. He teaches very quickly, and the lectures can feel confusing or heavy with jargon. The exams were extremely difficult to finish on time; it often felt like being in the final minute of a Top Chef episode, with everyone scrambling to complete the last steps before the clock ran out. The tutorials were helpful and provided some much-needed buffer for your grade. The problem sets were challenging but fair, and they reflected the material we covered. However, there wasn’t much grade padding overall when it came to the exams. Professor Anderson posts lots of practice problems and makes all of his notes available, which is great for review and for catching up if you miss class. He is helpful during office hours and genuinely willing to support students when they’re stuck. At times, though, he can be a bit too advanced in his explanations, which makes it harder to ask questions—he’s so knowledgeable that it doesn’t always translate into approachable teaching. There is also a lot of memorization required; you’ll practically be dreaming of reaction mechanisms in the days leading up to each exam. Although the class is curved, I do wish the exams were more manageable within the time given. Overall, it’s a rigorous course with strong support resources, but be prepared to work hard and keep up with a fast pace.

This course was definitely challenging—which is no surprise, since organic chemistry is a tough subject—but Professor Anderson’s teaching style adds an extra layer of difficulty. He teaches very quickly, and the lectures can feel confusing or heavy with jargon. The exams were extremely difficult to finish on time; it often felt like …Read more

Attending lectures and reviewing the content in a timely manner was the key to doing well in this course. Anderson wrote a lot of notes each class so missing class is not an option. The exams were hard, but overall graded fairly and you can do well if you put in the work to memorize the reactions. The lab portion of this course was very enjoyable and not too time consuming. Homework for the lecture was problem sets(graded) and other optional questions that walked you through how to apply the content from lecture which was really nice. Use the TA’s for this class!

Attending lectures and reviewing the content in a timely manner was the key to doing well in this course. Anderson wrote a lot of notes each class so missing class is not an option. The exams were hard, but overall graded fairly and you can do well if you put in the work to memorize the reactions. The lab portion of this course was v …Read more