CHEM 2410

if you are interesting in taking orgo and really want to learn it, mcgarvey is the way to go

Professor McGarvey is a good professor and really tests your understanding of Organic Chemistry. His tests are all free response and the averages are pretty low so there is a generous curve at the end. Definitely take it with him if you really want to understand organic chemistry.

This class is way different than other orgo classes taught at UVA. He tests understanding, not senseless memorization. Unfortunately, wrote memorization is what you need for the MCAT, so definitely take someone else for the second level. For the first level, though, it gave me a great foundation for understanding subsequent material.

No idea how McGarvey ended up this low in terms of ratings. This man knows his stuff, is subtly funny and his lectures are based off of the book so if you miss a lecture you can just read, if you attended lecture you can choose to not read. As long as you do the optional practice problems and attend the review sessions held by the TAs, pulling off at least a B shouldn't be hard.

Not available outside of class. Very boring during class. Curve's a ton though

mcgarveys tests are way too hard for what he teaches in class and makes orgo so boring

McGarvey is great; very straightforward, no frills, with an enjoyable wry sense of humor. Draws chemical structures like a machine without any pauses or annotations, so plan accordingly when you're taking notes. The tests are difficult and are curved accordingly. A B is more than attainable, but you'll have to push a little bit for that A. If you put a little effort in, orgo really isn't as bad as everyone says it is.

mcgarvey doesn't waste any time. lecture gets really boring, really fast, and it's hard to keep up if you are like me and need to get some daydreaming and emailing done at that time of day.
but it's organic chemistry and he got the job done. tests are fair and it's not impossible to get an A but the class can be really frustrating, for sure. Go to the TA review sessions before the tests. They shelled out questions from last year's and they were often the same or similar from year to year.

McGarvey is a really nice guy. Lectures are a bit dry, but that comes with the subject. The material you are tested on comes from the lecture and the book, so if you pay attention during class, you won't be blindsided.

probably the most unfair class I have ever taken. I know it's a pre-med weed out, but what you learn in class and study in the textbook are COMPLETELY different from the questions in the tests. There are 3 "quizzes" worth 20 percent of your grade each and then a 40 percent final. The averages for each were always in the upper 50's and lower 60's. He does the very bare minimum as a lecturer, which is just to copy and paste everything that is in the textbook for that chapter onto the chalkboard for 50 minutes every class. Expect to see things on the test that you have never seen before, even if you study for hours and hours. Apparently he applies a pretty big curve at the end, but this was hands down the worst class I have ever taken