Thomas E Cole - San Diego State University

Professor: Thomas E Cole

Department: Chemistry

College: San Diego State University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Honestly feel like he mostly gets bad reviews cause the class is just really hard. he really cares about his students learning the material. At review sessions he practically tells you what is and isn't going to be on the exam. I got very high scores on exams because the review sessions were so helpful. Definitely one of the best ochem profs

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Not my favorite teacher ever, tends to be very dismissive/ discouraging towards students. He refuses to listen to student feedback and will not post his ppt's or allow recordings. However, he does curve the class (below a 40% was a D). If you study and prepare well you can get an A (read and do q's!), but don't expect to cram and get good grades

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CHEM520A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Cole's a cool guy, but it doesn't seem like inorganic was his speciality. There were a few things he wasn't able to explain well nor know it. Stuff he emphasized in lecture and problems sets were essential to doing well on exams, so take good notes and do the homework and you're set.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CHEM232
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I was a Chem major until his class. The first time I showed up for help he locked us out of his office for an hour then angrily proclaimed that he had "been waiting!" Any questions I asked were met with derision instead of answers. You can't really avoid the class, I would recommend hiring a tutor (and preparing to pay for that on top of the text)

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CHE232
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Grading is vague and unclear. Tests are not written especially well--the difficulty of the questions make it hard to sep average students from poor students. Requires a significant amount of work to keep up and do well. I ended up fine, but felt like I has to live orgo for a semester.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CHEM232
• 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:

Professor Cole is a very knowledgeable professor, he knows his stuff. The problem is that the tends to go way too fast during lecture and we end up learning things on our own or office hours. He tries to be as helpful as he can by providing us with review sessions and some office hours. He gives us optional homework and mandatory quizzes online.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CHEM232
• 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:

Professor Cole is very smart, and really tries to teach this stuff to students. He had extra review sessions, lots of office hours. O-chem is infamous for its difficulty, and you really need to do all the problems to be successful

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• 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:

Best chem professor I've had at state. The class is hard if you don't read the book and do the book problems but if you do you will be fine. Go to his review sessions!!! They are very helpful and will prepare you well for the midterms as he does not give study guides or post lectures online. Quizzes are straight forward if you go to class. Make study groups on your own to reinforce what you learn on class. The final is a little tricky though. I managed to get an A but I worked for it :)

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• 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:

the first test is hard. The rest are somewhat easier than the first. Quizzes are easy. You only need to pay attention in class, and the quiz material is usually in two previous lectures. I got A- because I didn't study for final:S

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: OCHEM232
• 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:

He is a great lecturer, I definitely recommend him for this SUPER hard class!! He uses the book A LOT. 1. Read the book. 2. Take good notes and StUdY them. I remember that some questions he did in class were in the test. 3. Know your material. In order to do well in this class, you MuSt know what you are doing. If you get lost(like I did) get help!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CHEM232
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

the material is extremely hard but he does his best. Read the book and pay very good attention in class and you should be fine. the quizzes are helpful and the tests are fair. He can be vague if you arent clear on what you want him to explain. grades on a curve =)

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• 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:

Hard material. Thats the bottom line. I think its impossible for a Prof to get a good rating here while teaching one of the hardest classes you can take. Cole is a pretty decent guy. He gives you all the help you can mustard. He wants you to learn. Its just hard material and lots of info...

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Cole is a pretty good teacher, but sometimes the class time is wasted with pep-talk. Also, office hours aren't always helpful because he can be vague. The exams are fair and an A is very doable if you make sure the read the book and do the homework problems.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• 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:

Cole is a good ochem professor... he is willing to help and there are no surprises on his quizzes and tests. HE TEACHES THE BOOK VERBATIM, so read it, understand it, and do so before the tests! He gives a tricky final though....

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great ochem professor. Tests and quizzes are hard, but thats expected. Come to class! Cole is great at explaining and always answers questions. Study the notes extensively and its not too hard to get a good grade

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Cole was pretty tough. He is extremely helpful and actually wants to help. One thing that's difficult is that he swears all reactions are the same and are easy to remember because they are so close, but it's hard for everybody else to see the similarities. He is helpful, but the class is just tough. Review notes more than book. Tests are tough.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I do not recommend this teacher. My last ochem teacher gave use examples at the end of each lecture and those examples were great practice and would show up in almost the same way for exams. Cole does not give examples for the reactions, this is a critical mistake. So exam day you don't know how to recognize reactions. This course is ALL reactions

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHEM432
• 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 chemistry takes work and this class is no different. He comes off as being intimidating in lecture, but if you to office hours and the study sessions he does anything to help his students. Do the homework, since it is good practice, and the lectures are right out of the book. There are four exams and quizzes in class (use those to study).

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHEM431
• 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:

Look this stuff is not hard at all you just have to go to lecture and takes notes. Look them over and start doing a bunch of problems. He was an awesome teacher and I loved him especially in his office hours! He's very helpful when you ask questions, but you obviously have to put in the work to recieve the grade! TAKE HIM HES GREA!!!!!!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CHEM431
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I like to say that this was one of the worst teachers you can take at San Diego State. If you are about to take this teacher, wait a semester for others that are better. I hope Prof. Cole reads this so he can change his teaching style or try to just focus on research instead of killing hard working students' grades. Quizzes are the only things tha