William Jenks - Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Professor: William Jenks

Department: Chemistry

College: Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CHEM331
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Fantastic professor, wouldn't have been able to succeed in this class without his lectures. Walks you through what he's thinking and does his best to make sure everyone is on the same page. Refers to the textbook but you don't need to do anything with it. Lectures aren't mandatory but there is some credit involved with it (12.5%).

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CHEM332
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Jenks is a beast. He's as real of a professor as you'll find. He knows his stuff really well, almost too well as he can at times spend too much time explaining where the book is wrong. His tests are really really hard, but he grades generously and allows you to show what you know on the exam. If you put the work in you'll be rewarded.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CHEM332
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

OChem 2 was by far one of the hardest classes I've taken, but if you put the work in and really sit down and go through the notes he gives, it will make sense (eventually). I worked almost everyday on this course whether it be re-writing notes or practicing with homework/ past tests. I didn't find his lectures as helpful as the notes he posted.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CHEM331
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Jenks really cares about your grade as well as your success and future career, and that comes through in his lectures. He does an excellent job of making the class fun and is really passionate about what he does. He's pretty high up in the chemistry department and only teaches one class a semester, so if you can get Jenks do it!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CHEM177
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Jenks was by far one of my favorite professors so far. Chem 177 is the general chemistry class that is taken by many and designed to weed some kids out! The course is a lot of review from high school for the first two months, but later it gets more challenging. Dr. Jenks always gave great help, homework, and practice to help make sure you pass!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CHEM177
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Pretty great guy, lectures are interesting and VERY IMPORTANT. His exams are fairly straightforward, and he didn't use the book at all. Tests are fairly difficult and different than the other classes because he writes his own. Do not expect to get an A, you have to work for a B.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CHEM177
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

GREAT PROFESSOR! Definitely tough and the chances of passing with an A are slim to none. He makes it a competitive classroom and we all think the curves should be bigger, but in the end, he keeps class interesting and is a real human being, not just a teacher. Jenks pushes you hard, but its worth it, especially if you are going further in Chemistry

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CHEM177
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Jenks is a great guy, but has a tendency to go onto tangents and get off topic. There are a lot of clicker quiz points so showing ups to class to get those is important. Accuracy is important for those points. I used the book quite often to clarify topics.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CHEM177
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

He is supposed to be teaching higher level chemistry and I feel like he assumes that we know a lot before classes, for which he skips basic parts a lot and jump into hard and important parts. But his tests are not hard, as long as do homework, watch videos on confusing topics, getting a good grade is not that impossible.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CHEM332
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Class content is very difficult but he makes it manageable, if you go to class regularly and SI you can do well in the class without very much time spent outside of the class itself.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CHEM231
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Once you get past his weird antics, (random stretching and stories) he's pretty cool. He makes lecture go by really fast cause he packs so much information in them. You will miss so much if you sleep or don't attend. His tests are very fairly graded, but get much harder as the semester goes on.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CHEM332
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I took this course with Jenks during the summer and I thought he was an AMAZING teacher. I struggled through 331 with Kingston. Though I didn't get an A, he's tests weren't very hard (for O Chem) and I actually understood Organic chemistry with Jenks. He goes a little slower and asks easier clicker questions then Kingston did. Highly recommend!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CHEM332
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I think he did an awesome job at teaching a difficult course. I enjoy chemistry, and enjoy a challenge, so I did well. Definitely a difficult course though. I studied for about 45 minutes a day and got an A. It went well.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHEM331
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

he is a good professor, and he makes exams really easy. The best thing I like about him is that he did not use ppt to teach us, instead, he use notes. He wrote notes on whiteboard, and its easy to read and follow if you sit in the front. I really like him. but, still , without reading the book, you can nvn get an A.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHEM331
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Good teacher. He was clear and answered all questions in class. Uses the OWL online system to assist in teaching. His exams were relatively easy even tho ochem is ridicles.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CHEM331
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class is hard and Jenks doesn't make it any easier. His tests are very different from the usual. He has mandatory clicker questions which are very tricky. Take him only if you love O-chem!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CHEM331
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

A lot of memorization, but he slims it down to just what you need to know. Jenks presented the material very well for a tough class. Homework points are easy points if you do all the assignments. Clicker points are helpful so be sure to attend lecture. His notes are online, but mostly for reference. He did a good job.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHEM331
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Organic chem is a hard subject, but Jenks does a great job of organizing his notes. Study and understand his notes! The book helps but not necessary- however you need it for the OWL assignments. Only bad thing is that Jenks can be condescending if you ask a question in class. Otherwise he does a great job of explaining things.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHEM331
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

every one is saying class is hard and not jenks.. jenks makes it hard! really is not a good teacher and exams are anybodies guess there could be anything in there. he has clicker questions in the class and even if 90% of the class misses it he still counts them. also makes the lab quizes and post labs extremely difficult. dont take him

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CHEM332
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Fabulous teacher, knows his subject very well. Class is hard, not Jenks.