John Ellis - University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Professor: John Ellis

Department: TBD

College: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1061
• Grade Received: D+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor started the semester off by telling us 1/4 of us would fail. Your grade is determined entirely by 3 hard tests. Professor goes off topic often and is hard to follow during lectures. Extremely boring to listen to.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CHEM 1061
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are a joke because he's so scattered and unclear, but he's charismatic and his demos are super fun. Honestly I barely learned anything in this class. Use his practice tests to study for the exam and you'll do fine.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Extremely knowledgeable. Does fun experiments to illustrate concepts. Do practice problems in the book, even though it is not turned in.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: 1061
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Class averages at C so even if you need to do at least 20 points above average to even hope for an A-. Lectures are pointless.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: 1061
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Ellis is a really cute old man who loves Chemistry and is very encouraging. Long story short, he means well. However, he's one of the worst lecturers I've had. His lectures skip around a lot and don't flow. His explanations make little sense and I've largely had to teach myself from the book. If it weren't for his past exams, I'd be failing.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• 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:

Ellis is a great teacher. The marathon night lecture can be tough, but he is a good showman and does lots of demos to keep things interesting. He clearly loves his subject. Having no homework is nice, but encourages laziness. The practice exams are good guides.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Ellis is by far one of the best chemistry professors in the department. He explains all the information that he will test you on in class and in addition to that he is online very often and responds to email very quickly. His exam problems mirror the practice exams, so acing every exam shouldn't be a problem in this class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Not helpful whatsoever. Lectures are completely pointless. Very off topic and goes off randomly on gongs without explaining them at all. you pretty much have to teach yourself everyone. I do not recommend professor Ellis whatsoever.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

doesn't stay on topic, and his test averages are C where as other professors are A/B. He doesn't explain very well and he doesn't teach anything that is on the tests!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Ellis means well, he's very nice and approachable, and makes class fun especially if you have the night class. He's always blowing things up and doing experiments, but he is also very difficult to follow and does not explain things well. He does however put class notes online which is nice and the practice exams help a lot.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• 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:

Ellis' notes are difficult to follow, this is perhaps his biggest flaw. The best part about course I took with him was that his tests were very similar to the pretests given for practice. By nature of the material it's a stressful class and takes a lot of work if it's new to you, but certainly manageable if you put the time in.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• 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:

Mad scientist indeed. Great demos designed to interest even the most non-science-geek type people. I, being a science geek, enjoyed his class immensely. A 3 hour night lecture was kind of a drag sometimes but it was also nice to know that after one night a week I was done til next week. I highly recommend John Ellis for anyone taking CHEM 1021.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is the guy who is always energetic, and I, as myself, is totally enjoying his class. Hoped that he could teach me for Chem 1022. He actually is the person who fortified my will of becoming a chemical engineering. He did a lot of demos in class, and sure he is a science maniac~

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is so cool and cute. I totally love his enthusiacm in class though I was not always listening to him. If you want to have fun in the lecture, just go there and you won't be disappointed.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I found this class extremely dull. Luckily, Professor Ellis posts all lecture notes online so I didn't actually have to pay attention in class, which is impossible when the lecture is three hours long and he is lecturing. The tests have too specific of questions sometimes based off of something he briefly mentioned in class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• 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:

Dr. Ellis is one of a kind. He's an entertaining, "mad scientist" type who keeps lectures interesting and entertaining. Sometimes he rambles or is a bit scatter-brained, but that's part of his charm. Gave me a huge break on one exam. I hadn't taken a chemistry class in over ten years and wound up doing well in Ellis' course.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• 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:

Ellis is just about the nicest professor there is at the U. I wish I could have him for all my classes. I took his night class so to make sure we stay awake he pops Hydrogen balloons with fire. He does a lot of demos, so make sure to attend lecture. To do do well in his class just make sure you understand his practice tests.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• 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:

very kind and helpful guy, willing to answer everything you have to ask. Uses slides in classes instead of the textbook, but if you listen closely it would be fine.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1021
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

real nice funny energetic guy. keeps nite lectures fun and ppl awake. tests are pretty standard.