Carmelo J. Rizzo - Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Professor: Carmelo J. Rizzo

Department: Chemistry

College: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Good lecture notes, reading the TB, and doing the suggested problems are key to doing well in this class. No graded HW/quizzes. Work heavy and challenging but very manageable. Exams are difficult but fair-know material conceptually. He is very accessible and cares about students. A sense of humor if you get him talking. Much better than gen chem!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The key to this class is doing all the homework problems and meeting with Professor Rizzo when questions arrive. He makes a considerable effort to make himself available for review sessions and with his office hours. Lecture can sometimes get a bit dry, but Professor Rizzo does hit you with the occasional funny joke.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Rizzo is an overall average teacher. He's mellow, teaches material thoroughly, and helps you out (curves you) if you work hard. If you can take this class, definitely do it. It's much easier than gen chem. Overall good experience for freshman organic chemistry.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He really wants you to do well: his lectures are helpful and he has lots of office hours. His exams aren't nightmarish, but to do well its good to do all the problems he assigns and take the class seriously. His lectures were funny for me, but his humor is a dry variety. He's really sweet and helpful even though the subject is a bit difficult.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Rizzo is a caring professor - he wants you to succeed. He's available during office hours and sit and answer every question even if it's past office hours. Tests are fair and doable but it's easy to lose points on the MC. Easier class than all the craze organic receives.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Solid Professor. Lecture was very boring but somewhat helpful, although reading the textbook and doing the problems is way more helpful. Tests are fair but still pretty difficult, probably an 8/10 difficulty especially since the MC is worth a lot of points. He is a very helpful and knowledgable guy though and will help you if you seek him out.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Rizzo's lectures are easy to follow even if the topics are complicated. As long as you take good lecture notes and look at the textbook, you'll be able to understand the content pretty easily. Doing his suggested HW problems really helps. Tests are hard but fair. Beware of MC questions! They're tricky and worth 4% each. He's also a hilarious chap

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Rizzo is really nice. He is definitely a great organic chemistry professor he knows what he's doing. He also tries really hard to be accessible to students. He doesn't always give the best advices, but his lecture is well planned. Super funny. Take lots of notes, and review regularly. Be prepared, though, because it is not at all easy.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Rizzo is great! If you got a 5 on AP Chem, take orgo with Rizzo. He is super helpful and teaches difficult material well! Homework problems aren't mandatory but do them and you're ready for the tests!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

All around just a great guy. Tests were very doable, and very fair. Final was very comprehensive and challenging, but manageable. He is extremely kind, helpful, and never gets mad, even when some kids ask ridiculous amounts of irrelevant questions each day in class. Really enjoyable guy, and overall great experience.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CHEM220A
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Class is fair and manageable. Didn't go to class much but read the book thoroughly and did all the problems and ended with an A-. Be sure to read and do all the problems and you will get good grades.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Excellent professor who made material that is traditionally considered to be difficult easy to understand. Tests were quite fair.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Super nice guy, got us candy. Everyone loves him, but his lectures can be a little dry. The key to this class is reading the book and doing the problems that he suggests on his website. Very easy class for the hype that organic chemistry gets.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Had him for first-semester orgo. WAY better than taking genchem, for all you incoming freshman to Vandy reading this who got a 5 on the AP absolutely take this class. Doesn't give lower than a B unless you completely don't try, no mandatory homework, optional weekly review sessions. Rizzo also brings humor to the class every so often.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Rizzo is just a genuinely friendly guy, and the whole class liked him. He actually brought candy bars for everyone on Halloween. The material is dry and there's a lot of it, but he explains things clearly and throws in funny little sidebars sometimes. Definitely not an easy class, and the only grades are 3 tests, final, and discussion session

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Rizzo taught my first semester of freshman orgo and I would highly recommend him. Each lecture was the same but he made fairly difficult material easy to understand. He gave helpful examples and the tests were very fair. Read the textbook and do the practice problems and you will do fine.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2212
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Rizzo is a really cool guy, and is a pretty good lecturer. He covers all the mechanisms very well, and is always ready to help (he has extra study sessions every week and right before tests). Throws some humor into the class to make it palatable. Tests were kinda tough, but not too bad. Do the homework and you'll be fine

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very good at explaining various mechanisms in organic. Classes are always the same, and there are basically no other grades besides tests and finals. Tests aren't confusing but easy to make mistakes on because of how complex the material can be. I went to office hours lots, and he was extremely helpful then. Also makes jokes every now and then

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHEM2211
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great professor! Had him for freshman orgo and hes fantastic. Tests are a little tough but not someone completely unmanageable.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CHEM 2211
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Rizzo taught my freshman-only Organic Chem class for one semester and did a great job making sure we understood everything. He stops regularly for questions and always sticks around after lecture for any remaining questions. Tests are straightforward, no curveballs. He can be pretty funny sometimes too. Take him if you can get him.