CHEM 2421

I know a lot of people run from this class due to its reputation as a grade-wrecker. I think justifiable- if you are pre-health.

Professor Hunt is actually very friendly- he has a crusty exterior.

You really need to crush the final to do well in this class, honestly it might take up to 2 straight weeks of studying to be fully prepared for the final. Uninterrupted weeks.

Just keep pace with lab reports, obviously put effort but don't worry to much about your rank. Just make sure that you are understanding everything- crucial for the final

Also, you may want to record, transcribe Hunt. I feel like its helpful!

This class was honestly one of the most difficult ones I've ever taken, mostly due to the sheer amount of time and effort required to receive a good grade. The actual chemistry itself was quite doable, but many of the concepts were covered in lab before we saw them in lecture, which could be confusing. Every week, there are a lab report and post lab questions due. Some of the post lab questions are challenging, but if you go to office hours with an honest effort, the TAs can help you with the answers. Based on your lab report and post lab grades, you are ranked within your lab section, although I'm still not sure what kind of bearing this has on your final grade. The final exam IS hard, but if you study hard (aka start before exam week!) you'll be fine.

I ended up getting a good section rank and final grade in this class. I know that I personally like to read these reviews, so here's my advice on this course for anyone who is interested. First, go to Professor Hunt's lab lecture every week and take notes on everything that comes out of his mouth. When writing lab reports, go through these notes and make sure everything he mentioned is addressed in your report. This will ensure that your lab reports are high quality, which can help you secure a good rank in your section. Second, go to TA recitation! It can help you see the big picture of the experiment, and there's usually good tips on what to include in your lab report. Third, hit up as many office hours as you can every week to get help with the post lab questions and lab reports. Fourth, when studying for the final exam, make sure you know ALL the mechanisms, and practice writing them out multiple times for every experiment. You will be tested on it! For this class, it's not what you do in lab, but what you do outside of lab that counts! Everyone is good at chemistry, so it really boils down to who is willing to do the work. Good luck!

Professor Hunt's lectures are hard to follow because his monotone just put you to sleep. A lot of people didn't go to lectures because he posts everything online but I thought they were helpful because he mentions things that aren't on the notes but is relevant on the postlabs or lab reports. I would definitely go to your TA office hours because they're the ones grading your lab reports. You don't get the rubric for the lab reports (ok a few TAs gave them out) so you have to go to office hours to see what they want included in the reports. The post labs aren't too difficult because it's always based off of Hunt's notes but if you go to TA office hours, they will basically tell you the answer/tell you how to do it. I also went to the head TA recitations which I thought were helpful in understanding the material. You also get a rank in your section and I don't really know what the purpose of this is. BUT none of this matters because the final is basically like 95% of your grade. Even if you're bottom rank, you can get an A in the class if you ace the final. The final is REALLY REALLY DIFFICULT. That final is probably one of the hardest exams I've ever taken in my life. Make sure you memorize absolutely EVERYTHING from the semester, and I mean EVERYTHING. Every intermediate, side product, reaction mechanisms, what reacts were used, etc. I actually really enjoyed learning the material in this course but the final ruined everything. I did okay in the class but his grading system is set up so that 50% get Cs and below so good luck. Absolutely do not take unless you're a chem major.

HARD, NOT IMPOSSIBLE. If you go to lecture, TA office hours, and dedicate 10ish hours to your report every week, you will likely succeed on reports and post lab questions. If you STUDY EARLY and understand and memorize the experiments as much as humanly possible, you have a good chance of beating the average on the final. This course is a huge time commitment and can be a pain, but hard work pays off. It will not wreck your GPA if you work to make sure it doesn't.

Tip-- record Hunt's lectures and then listen to them and type out what he says as you follow the notes... it makes for a great report outline

I'm going to be honest with you; this class sucks. I found it to be easier than first semester lab just because I was used to writing the lab reports. However, there are significantly more mechanisms to memorize and the lab reports are heavily focused on the mechanisms. The only positive is that the reports are less "concept" heavy and more straightforward. I did below average both semesters on the final exams and managed to get b+'s. This is how rank plays a part - as having a higher rank DOES impact your final grade. If I could do this class again, I would try and study the mechanisms after each lab and review them throughout the semester. Trying to memorize them a couple of weeks before the final is not long enough - especially with other finals. Review the mechanisms!!!! I cannot stress this enough. Also, Dr. Hunt really is approachable and sweet. If you have questions or need help with mass spec, go to him. He is more than willing to help. My last bit of advice is to find someone who has the rubrics from their TA's - it will save your rank. Other than this, good luck!