CHEM 1410

I came into this class expecting to get wrecked- but it was not that bad in all honesty. You just have to be proactive in learning outside of class. Use ALEKS to your learning advantage to stay ahead, and definitely do the practice problems he posts online. When the tests come around, start reviewing early and do try to to figure out the concepts behind each of the problems! if you do this you'll definitely be set for at least an A-, just do make sure to do your work outside of class. So much people talk crap bout this class and Leung but it's nooowhere near that bad.

I LOVE TERRY LEUNG!!! Forgot all these comments about him being an awful professor, if they didn't do well in the class, that is all on them. The way Leung sets up the class is so that it is basically impossible to get below a C in the class, so you are guaranteed to pass if you do the minimum. He also adds a lot of padding for your grade with clicker points, weeklies and ALEKS, including bonus points! Reading the textbook is not necessary tbh and you can get away with just lecture notes. Leung is also very approachable for office hours and his TAs are generally helpful. Even at the TA office hours Leung always props in because his office is right next door. Do not get behind in ALEKS, 3-4 a day keeps the mileposts away! Leung really emphasizes doing a little bit everyday, so do your ALEKS, pay attention in class, do the weeklies, and you should be fine. I would not suggest Metcalf, most of my friends who took this class with Metcalf became so frustrated they started coming to Leung's lectures. Get to know Terry! He's a hilarious man and if you're going to take Chem 1411, take it with him. Also, for you premed folk, Leung helped write sections in the MCAT so that's a fun fact. Team Terry!

TORTURE. DONT TAKE UNLESS YOU HAVE TOO. Terry means well, but he destroyed chemistry for me. There is a reason this is a weed out class for premeds. The tests , or "quizzes" as he called them, were extremely tricky and almost impossible to do well on. I went to the TAs office almost everyday, did ALEKS everyday, read the textbook, and went to lecture. I still ended up with a terrible grade. He's a funny guy and completely willing to help, but the tests will kill your UNCURVED average. I did not know of one person who got an A/A- in the class. Good luck to any poor souls who decide to take the hellish class.

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Honestly, I did not think the class was nearly as bad as people said it was in some of these reviews, but do not take it unless you think you want to major in chemistry or biology or go premed. Terry does care for his students. The real killer about the course for me was Aleks, which required hours of work per week. It does, however, force you to learn the material. I also took AP chemistry in high school but did not take the AP exam, but I ended up with an A. Also, most people I know, in both arts and sciences and the e school, did decently. If you actually do the work, you should at least get a B. It is the most time consuming class you will take 1st year without a doubt.

I'd like to state that I took this course the first semester Professor Leung was at the University. It sounds like the Chem department has added a lot more work for you to do for the class since then. However, even with any possible changes, you need to understand that his is intro chem at college. You're likely a pre-med if you're taking this course. If you actually want to be a doctor, this class should be in no way be a weed out class. This is the lowest tier in difficulty, and it's only going to get harder. Understand that you'll have to start working at college to get good grades. If you get "weeded" out here, well honestly you never deserved to call yourself a pre-med. Don't complain, you have to grit your teeth and work through it. Just keep a level head and study somewhat decently, and you'll do well.

This class was very daunting in the beginning, but it really pushed me to become a better student. The professor and the TA's are there to help you succeed as long as you put in the outside work that is necessary. Do all the reading the professor tells you to do, go to office hours, read AHEAD, and do your ALEKS ahead of speed. Everything in this course is built for you to succeed as long as you do the work. That being said, the material in this class is extremely difficult, and the exams teach you how to think in a different way than most people are used to. A very beneficial course. Also, don't take it if you aren't really passionate about what you are planning to study.

I am going to write a brutally honest review, and I hope this gets some attention. Although Leung is not teaching in the following year, I believe this can apply to any of the professors that are teaching gen chem. There are many mixed reviews for this class but my overall impression from the class was positive. The majority of the negative feedback from this class in my opinion comes from the fact that many students taking this class are fresh out of high school and think they are on top of the world and can get a good grade without trying. However, this is not true anymore. With this being said, these first years come into the class (probably the hardest class they will take for the semester) and continue living their high school years and do not change their work ethic and end up messing up at some point. Other students think they will be able to get by because they have taken AP chemistry in high school, and even though they did not pass the exam to receive credit, they think they know everything about chemistry. I took this class as a second year student and here is my recommendation to the students that are wanting to take general chemistry:
Do yourself a favor and actually do the reading. They don't tell you to do it because it is useless. Many of the topics are well explained in the text and if you actually put the time in to at least read over the material in the class, you are already ahead of the majority of other students. Usually Leung would fall behind in his assigned reading but I always did the reading that was scheduled in the collab site.
Do not skip the class. First of all there are clicker questions, which for some reason people think do not matter. However, since this is a difficult class, make sure you attend and get all the points you can. I am not sure what the next professors will do, but Leung liked to take the clicker questions and phrase them in a different way and put them on his weekly quizzes and tests, so it is useful to pay attention.
Another thing that Leung emphasized is to not get behind on ALEKS. Although I never really got behind on ALEKS, I was able to get each week's topics done by just sitting down and setting out time to do them. Plus, you can easily manipulate the system because most of the questions are repeated.
Lastly, if you are a premed student like the majority of the people who are taking this class are, realize this isn't a free class. They don't accept stupid people for a reason, and if you aren't willing to put in the work to read, then do not bother signing up. I find it really difficult to believe that the people who leave bad reviews actually did the work for this class. I had no background in chemistry besides honors chemistry in high school (I am pretty sure the hardest thing we did was stoich) and I received an A in this class. Was it easy? No. Was it made easier from actually doing the work? 100% yes, and it was actually rewarding seeing my grade compared to others.
Good luck to everyone who signs up for this course.