Michael Mirkin - CUNY Queens College

Professor: Michael Mirkin

Department: TBD

College: CUNY Queens College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1144
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Terrible Professor. Reads off scripts or notes and is hard to understand. DOES NOT explain concepts or topics, simply writes down what is in notes and writes problems on board but does not explain them enough to understand. Gives a total of 3 exams plus the final and the test material is so much harder than what is taught in class. DO NOT TAKE!!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: D-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I call him a gpa killa and I might not be able to go to medical school thanks professor for not caring one bit

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Hard to understand accent, actual tests are nothing like the practice tests, class average is ridiculously low to the point that you do not know if you will pass or fail until the curve at the end of the semester. If you take him then you have to do ALL the practice problems in the textbook because he will NOT teach you anything other than concepts

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

i feel like this guy was bullied by chemistry teachers/students when he was younger and now he's taking it out on everyone else like 30 years later. hes a garbage lecturer. tests are out of this world. good news is the average is always around 40 so if you get a 50 it's like a B. take anyone else teaching the course.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE HIM. The test is ridiculously hard. He doesn't explain the chapters clearly. The only thing he does is by reading from his notes and copying them on board. Those notes are particularly not that useful because they are only some main concepts not being able to help you answer questions in the exam. DONT TAKE!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Take someone else. His accent is bad, he doesn't even use slides. His exams are insane.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CHE114
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The class is curved based on the average, changes every semester. Keep in mind not every semester someone ends up with an A, all based on curve. For a solid chance at an A, I reccomend 30 points above average. 25-29 a low A if lucky, but probably a A-. 20-24 above avg is more of a high B+. Final is crucial, format very different, study in advance.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If you're stuck with him, you MUST read the textbook because his lectures aren't good. He knows he's tough since the class average is around 45 on the exams so he adds a huge curve at the end to all grades. If you're hitting the average, you're at a C and 20+ points above it, you're an A. Good news, ACS is 30% of the grade. Recite prof grades tests

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Have you ever felt a strong desire to derive the integrated rate law from a rate law using both integrals and derivatives? Ever wondered what it's like to read an entire textbook and still get below a 30? Boy, do I have the professor for you. Mirkin is your man, what a professor- he really puts the "C" in chemistry. I recommend 100%, what a class!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Hard tests, it is better for you to read the test book than go to his class. Strong accent and bad hand writing.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

OLD TESTS are vital. Do each of them repeatedly to get a feel for how his tests will be like. Read the textbook. I scored highest when reading each chpt. 2X. 3 tests, ACS final, Aleks, and recitation are included in your overall score. Curves tremendously at the end. Will do well if you score above average.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1144
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Mirkin is a gamble - it could be the best, or worst thing you ever do. There are many circumstances you must take into account. Big class lower test average better for you to stand out. Small class higher average since Mirkin will be more apt to using one of his old exams. That was the case this semester. Either way, evaluate pros and cons.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CHE114
• 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:

Mirkin is extremely though, but it's doable. Study of old exams and make sure to do both aleks and owl. The Acs is a joke compared to his test. If you are scoring in the 90's, you can practically finish the Acs in 10 minutes. The exams are designed for you to know the depth of the depth of the question. There are no substitutes.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Pretty much what everyone else has already said. If you score about 20 pts above the average & track down old tests, you'll pass. The fact that memorizing his question formats & scoring in the 60s & 70s will put you at the top of the class doesn't really scream "effective teaching method" to me, but what do I know?

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

AVOID IF YOU VALUE YOUR EDUCATION. Someone must have told him that CHEM114 is a graduate-level course, b/c his tests are beyond the class' scope, he wastes time on complicated derivatives when we don't even know basic concepts yet, & test "bonuses" are insultingly hard. I left more confused and w/ a shakier foundation in chem than when I started.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If You're like many other pple who got stuck with Mirkin listen up! 1 You MUST get old tests you will NOT pass otherwise. 2 You MUST read the textbook (twice) don't bother going to Lecture. 3 ACE your recitation quizzes and HW they count for a total of 25% of your grade. He does curve a lot but make sure to get 20-30 points above class average. GL!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The good news is there's a huge curve. The bad news is that the averages are in the 40s.... and that's out of 120 points. His rule of thumb is that if you get 25 points better than the average, you get an A, which is only about 70 out of a possible 120 points. The tests are hard but they're doable. Also, try to get old tests, he reuses questions.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

HORRIBLE... AVOID HIM HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT TEACHING. I EMAILED HIM WITH QUESTIONS AND HE PASSES IT OFF TO RECITATION PROF. HW AND LECTURES AND RECITATION DO NOT REFLECT OR PREPARE FOR EXAM. YOU MUST BE A MASTER CHEMIST TO PASS HIS EXAMS. ENTIRE CLASS FAILED WITH AN AVERAGE OF 43. NO SUPPORT WHATSOEVER, TAKE THIS COURSE AT ANOTHER COLLEGE.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHEM1144
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I got A, but avoid him. Class average was around 45, which means half of class failed (He did curve but not much). You are better of studying alone than going to lectures. His lectures are useless. Read textbook and do questions on the back. Still, his tests are impossible. You have to study ahead to pass. I never study so hard in my life. AVOID.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CHEM114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I would avoid him at all costs! The worst chemistry professor I have ever taken and he doesn't speak that clearly either. His tests are not only hard but majority of the class tends to fail this course. He does not know how to teach the material but if you do take him make sure you get extra help on top of studying the textbook. STAY AWAY FROM HIM!