CHEM 2410

For my fellow mentally ill students:
I’m not trying to scare you or stop you from taking this class. I just want you to be as prepared as possible. I don’t care if your anxiety hasn’t been a big issue in the past. I don’t care if your previous professors have understood that sometimes you’ll miss class because you’re depressed. Frantz DOES. NOT. CARE. Get SDAC accommodations ASAP before taking this course because she’d rather watch you burn and beg for help in front of her. The only thing stopping her from completely letting her students drown is SDAC. Use those accommodations. And if you can take another professor, PLEASE take the other professor.

Pros:
- good textbook
- Frantz gives up to 50% back of missed points on test corrections
- one test is dropped
- lots of practice in class

Cons:
- 15% of your grade is iclicker/attendance
- lectures not recorded
- least accommodating professor. Frantz doesn’t care if your mom is in the hospital, you’re dealing with medication withdrawal, or you got in a car crash and are in the hospital (all real scenarios from ppl I know!)
- no test makeups (better hope you never get sick)
- insane amount of weekly assignments
- very memorization-based

Tips for success:
- download the student manual to Organic Chemistry by David Klein
- do integrated practice problems from the textbook
- if you ever need accommodations, get official documentation asap from SDAC or your academic dean
- do regular flashcards on things you need to memorize, like pka values
- DONT TAKE THIS TOO SERIOUSLY. Your health, happiness, etc are all more important than this class. Don’t go nuts

And the final? Aha… ha… ha

This class is hard, but doable if you put in A LOT of effort. There are readings twice a week and make sure you do them and ideally also do the practice problems within each chapter. Frantz BLITZES through content so doing the readings ensures that you actually know whats going on when shes moving at mach 5 through the slides. For the exams, the biggest things to study imo are the discussion problems (which are very similar to exam questions), the practice problems at the end of each chapter (especially the integrated problems), and the in class clicker/practice questions. Exams are TRICKY. There are some questions on exams that I am sure that not even 10% of the class got right. She does not go easy on you. But at the same time, the exams are fair for the most part. Theyre difficult, but most of the material is stuff that she has gone over in class and done practice with. The hardest questions usually make you have to take concepts youve learned and apply them in different situations, so make sure you understand why stuff is happening the way its happening. Also there is a good bit of memorization, but its completely doable if you spend a little time with it.

Frantz is a good teacher when it comes to teaching content, but she makes some questionable decisions imo. Like we'll have an exam that ends at 8:30 PM and then have a reading due at 11:59 which no one does bc why would you do a reading thats not on the exam?? Its just more information than youll need to know, and then after the exam you only have a few hours to do the reading. Understandably no one does that reading, and then she gets upset in class that nobody did it. Like ?? But other than some stuff like that shes good.

A lot of the points that go to the final grade are gimme points, but the real make or break points are the exams. You can drop the lowest midterm which is nice, but make sure you try hard on every midterm so you have a good buffer for the final. The final is a BEAST. Its completely doable, but it combines a lot of topics from the entire semester so you really gotta know everything. The key to this class is Study Study Study. This is not a class where you can study the night before the exam and get away with it. But if you do commit to studying, you can definitely pull off a good grade. As hard as this class is, youll get through it. And you may even enjoy parts of it!

#tCFfall22

Frantz is genuinely not a nice professor at all. Most of us are taking it because we want to put in the work and understand how difficult it will be, yet she still manages to make every student in her class feel like they are unprepared and cannot obtain a good grade in the class.

Readings Monday and Wednesday are bearable, and there's quizzes due every Sunday night, Tuesday night, and Thursday night which are also pretty easy. My advice is get FULL points on every homework (due every sunday, 25 questions), every discussion, and every quiz. Really throughout the semester you must keep up on every reading and assignment or you will fall majorly behind. Another lovely thing about Frantz? Even if you have an 89.9, you get a B+. The three midterms are super challenging, but doable and the corrections allow you to get half percent back. With a drop, corrections, and 100% in all other areas, you will probably have an A before the final and feel super proud. That's what I had and was overjoyed since my twelve works of extremely hard work paid off.

Well, buckle in. The final exam will drop you at least a letter. I worked for two weeks and perfected every single topic. I did every problem in the textbook, redid every exam discussion and friday practice, and went in feeling great. Came out of it feeling mediocre but confident that I would pass with at least a 65% to obtain a B+. Received my final grade for the course and? It dropped 10%. Over one final exam (which has an incredibly low average and no corrections). Devastating because after 12 weeks of nonstop effort and good grades, one exam changes it all.

If you have to take Orgo with Frantz, you will be fine. I remember seeing messages about her before enrolling in her class and being terrified. It's doable, but prepare yourself for massive disappointment. She is not encouraging, and will constantly make you question if you should even be pre-med (or whatever STEM major you are). Her lectures are insanely fast so make sure you have notes to add to before class rather than just taking them for the first time in class. Just buckle in and prepare to work HARD. She is kind of the worst ever and patronizes every kid in her class. Don't let this class demoralize you...

I got an A in this course and I wanted to share some helpful information for those going into it. I just want to start by saying don't panic. It will all work out. I broke up the review into the course and the instructor.

The Course:
Grade breakdown:
- Clicker Questions (15%), Warmup Quizzes (5%), Homework Questions (15%), and Discussion (10%)
- 3 Midterms (30%) and Final (25%)

My advice:
- I would definitely agree that if you follow her advice that she gives you at the beginning of the semester you will do well.
- Midterms: Practice explaining why (there was typically always a question that required you to explain), do the questions at the end of the chapter, and re-do discussion questions and understand them
- Final: The final is comprehensive and covers almost every chapter from the course. I was really afraid for this final, but it turned out okay.

The Instructor:
The big question... should you take Orgo 1 with Frantz? I would say yes for Orgo 1 specifically.
She's not perfect and has flaws like every professor, but she also has a lot of buffer grades that helps you get at least a C+/B-. The warmup quizzes are graded on completion, the clicker questions are only graded on attendance, you have drops on attendance and warmup quizzes, and they give us the answers at the end of the discussion. Also, you take 3 midterms and get 1 drop. She is a bit intimidating as a professor, but she's intelligent. Orgo 1 is the foundational course for Orgo 2 and in case you can't get Samonina in the Spring it helps to start with Frantz.

TLDR: It's organic chemistry so of course it's hard. But you will survive! I did! (barely).

Okay, let me start off by clarifying that chemistry is most definitely NOT my strong-suit. I came into this class very doubtful in my own abilities to succeed in this course, especially due to the reputation that surrounds it. I see some other reviews provided a nice breakdown of the course, so I'll skip that part. I ended this course with a B-, close to a flat out B, which I was honestly fine with. On the midterms, my grades got worse over time. I got a B on the first one with corrections, but that slowly dropped with each exam. My biggest bone to pick with this course is the drastic difference between the problems we are given to practice on, and the exams. All of the warm-up quizzes, homework, and even textbook practice problems don't really come close to the open-ended problems on the exams. The only ones that get sort of close are in Friday practices and discussions. I do think that Dr. Frantz is a good lecturer, and attending those often helped to clarify confusing topics. Many people have less appealing opinions of her teaching style, but to be honest I didn't really mind her. My advice would be to get 100's in all the other categories (homework, discussions, warm-up quizzes...) because it does offer a nice cushion. The final is nasty. The other reviews don't lie. However, it is not impossible. I spent many, many, many hours studying for it (probably like 30 hours total) because I needed to do well relatively well in order to not drop a letter grade. I succeeded in my goal, and kept my B. While taking the final, I did not feel completely helpless, but it was definitely very difficult due to the immense amount of material it covered. I do feel like if you have to take orgo 2 with Franz, you'll be better off having taken it with her first semester. It would be a culture shock to come into her class from another professor. Good luck! Orgo is just hard in general so just do your best.

I am not going to lie, I cried a lot during this course lmfao.

This is what I wish I knew going in: This class really taught me how to study. Please start reading the chapters during syllabus week. I waited, and definitely was cramming for honestly the rest of the semester. Do the in-chapter problems WHILE reading to get a better understanding of the chapter, and do this before lecture (I was not perfect at this, and was stressed later-hence crying). Try to also do the practice problems just in general so that you are studying a little bit everyday. I wish I had done that this sem and will be attempting this better in Orgo 2 as I know I'd be less stressed if I had spaced out things a bit more. There is SO much content that you cannot just cram (or you will and not do super well).

The first test is (arguably) the easiest, so please try your best to score as high as you can on it, as for me it was the thing that really held my grade over, as the other exams tend to have a lower trend as they progress (bc they get harder). Try and anki everything she says to memorize, and review content often. Orgo is really a marathon of a class if you are going for the A.

Reviewing old tests, integrated problems, office hours, going over practices in class and discussion questions are very good (and all needed) ways to study to succeed. Try not to cram for this class please, I regret my exam 2 very much because I was not keeping up with content and crammed near the end. This being said!! I obviously was not perfect with my studying and had harder dips with my exams, but I still ended up with an A in the class, so perfection is not needed, just conscious effort. This class did end up messing with my mental health this semester, and I will say with her 50% back corrections and cushion grades a B+/A- is very very do-able even if you are scoring B/Cs on her exams. The final is the big one as it has no corrections, and that can make or break your grade.

Honestly, doing practice problems AND understanding the conceptual elements of this class is the what you need to succeed. You do not have to be perfect in every exam or in studying or whatever, as there are many ways for the grades to be cushioned, but studying every day will decrease your stress by so. so. much, rather than cramming (like I did).

Me and my friends had actual nightmares about the final afterwards though hahahhahaa.
#tCFfall22

Frantz gets a really bad rep, and I came into this class absolutely terrified. I did not do super well in my general chemistry classes, and was thinking I would do significantly worse in orgo because of it. However, I realized from the beginning that it takes a significant amount of work and dedication, and you'll be pretty much fine. She's a tough lecturer, but very straightforward in her explanations which works for me. Keeping up with weekly readings, doing homework with the intent of learning and practicing, attending all the lectures, going to her in person office hours, focusing during discussions, were all things that ended up making a difference as I studied for my midterms. I maintained a 95 overall throughout the semester, and was super proud of myself even though that was not my final grade! I did my absolute best while maintaining a balance with my life, and though I was extremely disappointed with the turnout, I know I did the best I could with what I had.
Even the final was not as bad as I anticipated. If I had gotten just a few more points in each category, I would have ended up with a 90. Unfortunately Frantz does not curve. So if you're me next year, do that one extra practice problem, do that one extra credit problem during discussion, give it your all, and it could end up being the difference between a B+ and an A-.

RUN. I literally cannot emphasize how important it is that you turn around, pick literally any other professor and run away. If you are taking orgo you're either a) pre-med and taking it against your will or b) you are a chem major and should be placed on a watchlist. Whatever the reason, Frantz is not your girl I promise you that. Orgo is obviously a very hard class that covers very very hard concepts that will have you questioning your will to live on just about a daily basis. You do not need to take it with professor who enjoys torturing her students in order to meet her own satisfaction levels of understanding of complex (beyond intro level) concepts. I could quite literally write 5 more pages why this woman has single handedly put me into therapy, but I will just say do not let the retests fool you. You are much better off taking this course with any of the professors who do not spend their free time plotting how to make their students hate themselves. BFFR and do yourself a favor. #tCFfall22

Orgo is one of the hardest STEM classes, that is no lie. I got a B+ in this class and was at an A up until the final. It is true what everyone has said about Frantz's final, but I think people also give her too much hate. I'll start off with what I thought about her and then go into details about the class, plus some advice.
Frantz: I think she gets a lot of undeserved hate. This class is hard, and you know that coming in. She does tell you how to survive her class: do the readings, do many practice problems, do all the assigned work, ask her questions sooner rather than later, and focus on quality studying over quantity. That being said, you will put a lot of hours into this class. I took notes while I read and did many practice problems to study. Frantz's lectures go through content really fast because she expects you to have read/skimmed the reading. She will take the time to answer questions in class, and I felt she slowed down on more difficult topics. I loved how she took the time to get to know students who would introduce themselves to her, including myself. If you introduce yourself to her during office hours, she will remember your name. If you then ask/answer questions in class, she will call you by your name. It made the class feel more personal. Orgo will be hard no matter whom you take it with, but Frantz is more forgiving in points than others have made her out to be. There are a lot of opportunities for smaller points that you should do your best to get near perfect scores on.
Homework: There is a lot of homework, and a lot of studying. There is an assigned reading for each lecture, even right after exams. I recommend you take detailed notes while you read and add to them in lecture. There are many practice problems in the textbook. Get the Klein solution manual in some way. It is worth your money/web search to find a copy and get the practice answers. There is a warmup quiz every night before lecture. The number of questions will vary, as they are adaptive. The more you get right, the sooner you finish. At the end of each week, she has a weekly homework that is harder than the warmup quizzes. If you have the solutions manual, some of the answers are there if you know where to find the question in the textbook. But make sure you can do the homework problems without looking at the answer. I would only use the solutions manual to double check your work. Do not skimp on practice problems.
Discussion: Weekly, mandatory. Hope you get a good team. The TAs go over the answers to those problems, and as long as you have their answers, you're good to go. There is an extra credit opportunity each time. Try them, even if you aren't sure. Little points really add up in this class.
Lecture: She posts old recordings, but I always preferred going to in-person lecture. She has iClicker questions in class that are part of the participation grade. The questions she asks are super easy compared to literally any other orgo question you will encounter. Easy points, take advantage of them. She goes through content really fast on Mondays/Wednesdays. Fridays are practice.
Tests: Hard, but not unreasonable. Do many practice problems, and you should be able to apply it to the exam. Do integrated practice problems. Review the weekly homework and discussion problems because that is the closest you will get to her exam difficulty. Her exams can be challenging, but they aren't things you've never seen before in class. Like I said, she's more forgiving in points than others made her out to be. Out of three midterms, she drops the lowest exam score. She also gives the opportunity for half points back on each exam with test corrections. With her grading policy, she and the TAs give points where they can on the test. If you have perfect scores in the minor categories and average C's or higher on her midterms, you could get an A in this class. Her exams are cumulative in the sense that what you learn in
September will still apply later in the semester, though exam 1 content is not part of the focus in exam 2/3.
Office hours: I found them helpful. Ask her early when you get confused, as opposed to later. Everything builds on previous concepts in this class.
Final: Her final dropped my letter grade from an A/A- to a B+. However, it is the same style of questions as her midterms. There's nothing unreasonable, it's just a lot more questions that span the entire course content. Expect to do around the same/slightly worse than you averaged on your midterms before test corrections. It's a challenging final, but again, if you average C's or higher on the midterms and bring them up to B's/A's you could get an A.
Tips: Do a lot of practice. Study functional groups/pKas, anything she says to memorize. Create a reaction journal and add to it for every mechanism you learn. Know reagents and what they do to a compound. This is a hard class, but you can do it. (#tCFfall22)

I would 100% recommend taking Orgo I with Frantz. Although this class is hard no matter what, she's an excellent professor who really knows her stuff. She makes homework and in-class clicker points a significant part of your grade, which is very helpful to balance out the exams. The corrections for half points back and the one dropped midterm are extremely useful and make the exams slightly less stressful since there's room for error. The best way to study for the exams is to really know the reagents, do the practice problems in the textbook, and memorize everything that she says to memorize (pKas, functional groups, solvents, etc). Orgo is a LOT, but you really bond with your classmates and discussion groupmates over getting through it. The TAs are incredibly helpful, especially when correcting exams. They really know their stuff and can often explain concepts in a more digestible manner in a one-on-one environment. Frantz goes FAST during lectures, and I almost always had to update my notes after class. The only way to make this teaching style work for you is to actually read the assigned sections and take detailed notes before class so that you can simply listen to her and add the few things she includes on her slides that you missed. This is not a class where you can come into lecture without taking notes beforehand. Orgo is one of the most difficult STEM classes, but it is 100% possible to be successful if you put in the effort and study/practice consistently. #tCFF23