Joe Chaiken - Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

Professor: Joe Chaiken

Department: Chemistry

College: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CHE346
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Chaiken is actually the worst professor I've ever had. He accused the class of cheating so he made us use scientific calculators on the last exam and the final. He is very disrespectful and his lectures don't teach you anything. All I did was find the formulas and did the homework and that's how I prepared for the exams. He screwedoverthewholeclass

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CHE103
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This class was very easy, he was very clear. However it isn't for chemistry or STEM majors in general. If you're looking for a very easy science class with a lab, this is it! Also just make sure you study, the tests aren't difficult or long but if you don't study it will be very hard.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CHE103
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

20% for participation in a 50-75 student lecture. He takes breaks from his long lectures that make no sense to have kids ask the stupidest questions just to get a grade. Tests aren't that hard (25 multiple choice questions, 3-4 tests), but man they suck. Take this class if you want a semi-easy grade for lab, but don't want to learn anything.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CHE103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Chaiken's CHE 103 class is a good, simple course to get a lab credit out of the way. It's advertised as "Chemistry for non-science majors." However, the grading structure sucks. 20% of the grade is participation in a lecture of over 50 people. It makes the painful lectures even worse, because people ask stupid questions to get credit.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CHE116
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

DO NOT take his class. The material isn't hard as long as you read the textbook. Lectures are boring and he does a poor job of teaching the material. The worst part about his class is that he intentionally changes what's covered on each exam from the syllabus, so if you don't attend every class you don't actually know what's covered on the test.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CHE103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

very boring lectures. marks down participation

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CHEM103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Did not explain concepts thorough enough. Went way too fast and had little consideration for students to take notes.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CHE116
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I failed this class, because the tests count for 90% of your grade and each one is 25 multiple choice questions. No partial credit. he puts all the lectures online, but NOTHING in the lectures is on the tests. Also you can study the book, but nothing seems to be on the test he taught. I got a B in chem 1 and failed this

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CHE116
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Do NOT take this course. For all 3 exams the class avg was a failing grade. Tests have nothing to do with lecture/MasteringChem HW. Lectures are textbook generated, I could teach myself. He is indeed a great guy, but never has a class stressed me so much or made me so miserable. DO NOT TAKE THIS

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CHE117
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE WITH PROF. CHAIKEN!! He is a great guy and genuinely loves chemistry, but he makes this course incredibly more difficult that it needs to be. Exams are the polar opposite of the practice exams and he incorporates problems that havent been covered to ensure that no one gets a hundred. Great guy, Poor Profe

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CHE116
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Chaiken is not the instructor you want to have for this class. The sample exam are no where near the actual exam. He throws in tricky question on stuff that we did not spend time on in lecture or in the text. Test are very hard, the first one was fair and similar to the sample exam given but the rest were nothing like it. Do not recommend.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CHE116
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's a really nice guy and he tries to make lecture interesting but I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PROFESSOR. Take Korter instead. Chaiken's tests are insanely hard and he tests on material he didn't even go over and things he told us NOT to study for. I usually get A's in Chem because I took it in high school, but definitely not in this class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CHE106
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Although the class was boring and attendance was not mandatory, professor chaiken tried really hard to keep the lectures interesting and he was extremely passionate about the class. He always started the class by asking "do anyone have any questions about anything?" and sort of woke everyone up for that 9:30 lecture.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHE116
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Worst professor I have had. He jumps into problems without thorough explanation of what he is doing. He has a rather stupid way of giving out participation and I think it wastes time. He will purposely make a mistake when solving a problem and expect students to realize his mistake on new material. I DO NOT recommend this class/professor.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHEM103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Supposedly an easy science but if you do like I did and not go to every class it becomes much harder. Chaiken in my opinion is one of the worst professors at SU. He doesn't explain any of the material and flies through slides and then tests you on material he didn't teach....and don't get me started on the TA's.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CHE103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Chaiken is the man. This is the easiest class SU offers by far. Take this if you need a GPA boost, I promise.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CHE103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's not the nicest guy... Enthusiastic, but not very nice. Still, totally worth taking CHE 103 with him, because it's the easiest science class ever. Fulfills all the requirements nicely. You just have to do decently and you're guaranteed an A. Labs were labs I did in high school- Awesome for people that don't like math/science.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHE103
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

this class is such a joke. He's a really nice guy...but his TA's are terrible and basically ruin the class. I just took it because I had to fulfill a lab sci credit...but if you have any interest in actually learning something and feeling like you're getting your money's worth at SU, take a different science.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHE116
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

he likes to play games especially during exams. he has trick question on exams.... so read questions very slowly....besides dat he is a good man... grade on good curve and a great teacher loves wat he do and he knows it vey well.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CHE117
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I love this man!