Howard Whitlock - University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI

Professor: Howard Whitlock

Department: Chemistry

College: University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ORGCH343
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I had him for organic chem 343 in fall 1975. Loved it (was pre-med; got into med school). There were 5 exams; if you got an A on the first 4, then you got an A for the class and skipped #5, the final. I screwed up the second exam (actually missed a whole page!), so took the final. Exams were hard but fair; can't say anything bad about him.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• 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:

Absolutely terrible. I got an A on 2 of the 3 midterms, a B on the other, did well in discussion and lab but still wound up with a B. The normalization of discussions screwed me completely and I was completely turned off by his teaching style (which is based off of tangents). Try to avoid him if possible.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Whitlock is a horrible professor. His lectures made no sense most of the time and he went on tangents. His test may be open book and note but do not rely on your book because his tests are difficult! Do not go to his office hours he refuses to talk about your grade and makes you feel dumb. He is rude and if you're emotional you will cry. TAs help!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Whitlock is awesome once you figure out how to approach his class. First, DO read the book thoroughly and do lots of practice problems. GO to EVERY discussion, and get help from your TA. Do all of his previous exams. If you do that, you can enjoy his hilarious/pointless lectures. His class is like 80% exams, but his exams are open book/notes.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Go to class and pay attention. Goes over problems on exams.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Whitlock is absolutely ridiculous. He's a pretty awful professor, honestly and isn't really even that comprehensive (not covering titration in the acid/base unit? Come on), but his pessimistic rants are often hilarious. Take Whitlock if you want an easy A, not if you want to understand chemistry. Tests are open note and not too hard if you study.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Your test grades have to carry your grade in this class. The normalization of tests and quizzes hurts almost everyone. Read the book, dont go to lecture, prepare for quizzes, and create a cheat sheet of all the important ideas for the open note test. Bring in old, filled out tests during your test. Most TAs are helpful. Whitlock is worthless.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Ridiculously awful. Just say no to Whitlock.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Whitlock is the epitome of an old man set in his ways. I got an A on all of the exams, labs, and quizzes but because he "normalizes" all of the sections and I apparently had an easy TA, I wound up with a B. Don't go to his office hours, try to become his friend, or start to believe that this man has a heart because you will be disappointed.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Terrible teacher. I spent the majority of lectures drooling on my notebook. He goes on useless tangents that dont relate to anything we are covering. If you get Jose Laboy for your TA, the class isnt that bad. Otherwise, do not take his class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• 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:

Whitlock is a horrible, confused old man who has no business teaching chemistry. I got an A, and I think the biggest reason was because I stopped attending lecture after the first midterm.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• 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:

What a terrible, terrible man. The tests may be open book, but he gives no partial credit. Only if you have a good TA will you do well - if you have a horrible one like I did, be prepared to be majorly screwed over in this class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

It's not a hard class: open book exams, no HW, quiz once a week. But he's not a nice person at all. Don't bother trying to discuss grades, he doesn't listen. If you go to his office hours to try and get points, he'll just lecture you about trivial things. Overall, if you study and have a decent TA, you'll be fine.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• 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:

Not all that clear in Lecture and not overly helpful. Doesn't assign homework or tell you which problems in the book to work. No Partial credit on Exams, but they are open note/book and he doesn't test anything he hasn't gone over in lecture. Easy class if you srudy what was in lecture.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very rude man. I went to his office hours once and he basically scolded me for not knowing something and then spent half an hour teaching me about fractions as if I was a 3rd grader. The class is very math based though so if you like math it's pretty simple. Test are open book which would make you think they're hard, but not really.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• 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:

the way to do well is study extremely hard and triple check your exam answers cause he takes off alot of point for little things. posts lecture notes online so dont need to go to lecture but be sure you have a good TA cause that is the only place you will learn anything. do the problems from the book and online, helped alot.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• 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:

There's no easier way to get an A on campus. People have been posting about his "morbid" sense of humor. Not at all. He has many interesting stories to relate to the topics hes teaching. Exams are open everything AND way easier than other 104 profs. After seeing other exams I wouldn't take anyone else.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• 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:

Hardest grader ever! Gives partial credit but it is worthless. ie 7 points off for a small addition error on a 10 point problem.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

After the first two lectures, his sense of humor just gets to you.In three words- bitter old man. Comes to class all scruffy like he just got out of bed, and proceeds to lecture about synthesis of various drugs. Funny at first until you realize nothing he talks about in lecture is actually worth a rip. Lectures are overall pointless-open book helps

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CHEM104
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Refuses to discuss grades. Acts really mean at office hours and I've heard several people say that they almost cryed.