CHEM 2410

Orgo is hard. I'm not going to lie to you. It is a hard class and requires a lot of time and effort outside of class to understand the material and be successful for exams. Professor Stains is pretty awesome and I really liked his teaching. He was never annoyed about answering questions in class and while I did not go to his office hours, I heard that he was very helpful during them. He made a conscious effort to teach us and make sure we understood. He was also very encouraging throughout the semester and made sure to remind us that our grades would not define us. He's a lovely person and I am thankful to have had him. The TAs are also pretty knowledgeable and helpful in my opinion. The only thing I did not like about Stains' class was that his grading scale is 66% exams including 2 midterms and the final. There are 3 midterms total and your lowest gets dropped. He also gives extra credit. I did decently well on the two midterm scores that I counted and got a B on the final, which is really good for an orgo class in my opinion. But, because it was worth so much, I didn't do as well as I hoped in the class despite doing decently on the midterm scores that counted. I really hope he changes this for the future. Obviously, a B in the class is not bad; in fact, most people get B's. However, if his grading scale were different, getting an A would be entirely possible and also extremely likely. Besides that, if you read the textbook and dedicated time outside of class to studying, you will be fine. Orgo is a weed out class, but you will be okay if you are dedicated. You don't have to be smart, you just have to work hard.

#tCFF23

Dr. Stains is one of the nicest professors at UVA, rivalled only by his lovely wife, Dr. Stains. I went into organic chemistry thinking I was gonna have to take the L but he almost made this class enjoyable. He's very enthusiastic about teaching, all the time. So he's more than happy to answer stupid questions, repeatedly if necessary. I will say that we had concerns about learning different material from the other sections, but I believe Dr. Stains just switched up our order a bit. We got one dropped exam, guaranteed 100% on the homework since you got like 10 tries per question, and an extra grade boost from PollEverywhere. The discussion section is kind of a waste of time so I didn't stay the full two hours most weeks. Since I haven't taken the second semester yet, I can't speak on how well this class prepared me for that. However, I can say that Dr. Stains is THE GOAT. Wonderful man. Absolute delight to have.

Professor Stains is one of the kindest people I have met. He genuinely cares about his students and emphasizes learning conceptually. If you want to succeed in orgo 1, take Stains. I am not a fan of chemistry but he made me genuinely like this class. I ended up finishing with a B-, but I felt incredibly proud of myself after completing each assignment.

The readings are helpful sometimes, but not necessary in my opinion. Most of the figures in the textbook you need to memorize but my best advice is to use flashcards for this class and GO TO OFFICE HOURS.

This is a hard class, but Stains makes it easier and doesn't treat the students as less than.

Great professor. If you are going to take Orgo I, take it with Stains. He genuinely cares about his students, and will learn your name if you raise your hand a couple times. Also, the TAs that work with him are all super helpful. They will do what they can to make sure you succeed. It also helps that he is a naturally interesting and talented lecturer. He also cancels classes on days before holidays when he knows many students won't bother coming.

Now, this is still Organic Chemistry, meaning it is going to take quite a bit of work relative to other classes. I studied about 90-120 minutes 5-6 days a week, and managed to get an A. I filled a good bit of this time by doing the practice problems he gives -- he gives a lot of practice problems. With that though, a lot of these practice problems aren't for a grade, so there is not pressure to do them. However, you really should be doing them. Once you're done with his practice problems, go online and find other supplemental videos (such as JoeChem and Leah4Sci). A week or so before the test, start ramping up your efforts a bit, and do the practice tests he gives -- they are really reflective of the actual test.

Lastly, his grading system is harsh in some ways but really good in other ways. For instance, the TAs will nitpick really small mistakes on the tests and quizzes. This will cause you to lose some points. However, he does drop one of the three midterms. And for reference, I only got an A on the first midterms -- I got a B and C on the other two, but I still managed to finish with an A. Long story short, if you put the time in, you can get a good grade, and you don't have to get As on every exam or quiz to get a good grade.

This is the best Orgo I prof.

If you are going to take Orgo I, Stains is your best option, by far. He clearly defines how to succeed and provides you with everything you need to do well. While you still have to put in the work and effort, his exams are fair, and TAs and discussion sections are the most helpful things ever. Stains will genuinely look out for his students, he is your best chance if you want to enjoy chemistry.