Peter Samal - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Professor: Peter Samal

Department: Chemistry

College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CHEM267
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

a great professor. He explains everything in details and helps students a lot. Labs are easy.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I love organic chem lab, it's really fun! The TAs are the ones that grades your labs, so a chunk of your grade is from them. The two quizzes were pretty easy as long as you do the owls and know what you've been doing and understand what you've been doing during lab. Lecture only meets 3 times :)!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Samal is very understanding and helpful. He helped me arrange for a make up lab after I missed class for being sick, and personally answered my questions and checked in on my progress. I get the sense that he is passionate about organic chemistry and teaching, and is happy to see his students do well on quizzes and succeed in labs.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The two quizzes were easy as long as you study the handouts and do the owls. You rarely see him when you are doing the experiments, a TA watches over you.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Samal is one of those professors who acts like he believes he is blessed to be able to impart organic chem lab to his students. Extremely enthusiastic and very clear lab write-ups. You won't see him much though (the TAs actually run the lab). The 8am lecture only meets 3 times.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This semester he has done away with the mandatory 8 am lecture for 269. You only have to go to that 3 times a semester, for intro and 2 quizzes. Lab pdf's however can be around 14 pages long on a regular basis, and are tough to learn and write up. Labs can be very long and annoying, but hey, it's orgo lab, what did you expect.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CHEM267H
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Peter Samal is without a doubt the happiest man alive. This guy is absolutely ecstatic about chemistry, and he's really helpful.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CHEMISTRY269
• 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:

This class offers a good introduction to the techniques used in an Organic Chemistry lab. For the most part, getting a good grade is easy with a little effort. Unfortunately, the lecture is not only too early in the morning, but also useless for learning the material. The textbook is also a waste of time to read, as it is quite badly written.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

bad experience with him, very arrogant

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

This lab section was a joke. The lectures were not worth going to unless it was for a quiz. He repeats whatever is on the online slides. I rarely saw him in lab. His quizzes are ridiculously easy if you have taken Gen Chem 111H and 112H. Just a repeat of that stuff.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

At the intro to the semester says he curves the grades at the end...this semester an 87 was a B..tight curve don't ya think?

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

This nice teacher tries to make the course pleasant. The quizzes are a breeze if you come to lectures or quickly review lab notes. Your grade centers on TA grading of lab reports. Thankfully, the grade isn't based on experiment results.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: 269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Was not very sympathetic about the fact that college doesn't revolve around his class. Quizzes were very very hard

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Cool guy, understanding.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHEM269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The lab itself are easy but the quizs are hard as anything

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ORGO2678
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

awesome lab! my fav orgo experience ever

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: 269
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Not as helpful if you are not a chemistry major.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2678H
• 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:

Really cool guy. Helps his students alot.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2678
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very nice, cares about his students.