This course is considerably more intuitive and easier than CHEM 111/121/141, but tests very different skills. Algebra skills from last semester once again play a role in physical chemistry, but spatial reasoning and geometry are also crucial for the organic chemistry section. Though the lecture section is very well-designed, the laboratory component is not so much, with the experimental procedures being difficult to understand as the directors do not hold office hours, meaning students receive little real-time support.

This course is divided into two parts: physical chemistry (further divided into thermodynamics and kinetics) and organic chemistry, overall focusing on reactivity. It is very useful for anyone in biochemistry or chemistry specializations, as future BIOC and CHEM courses build on content from this course heavily. For this course, the only content from CHEM 111/121/141 you really need are VBT, resonance structures, and Lewis structures, but this course also draws on CHEM 11/12 content heavily, including equilibrium, Bronsted-Lowry acids/bases, and organic nomenclature.

Dr. Cooke was a great prof, very approachable at office hours and light-hearted in lectures. She often shared her fun little mnemonics with us in the class, which I found silly at first but turned out very useful on the exams.

Midterm 2 is considered by many to be the hardest part of the course. This exam is doable, but focus on efficiency when practicing.

Liked the class. Made me like chem more making me choose a major that was very chem inclusive.

One of the best profs I’ve had in first year. I do believe having this prof led me to liking chem more.

Do all the practice problems weekly and don’t wait until the end/near exams because it is easy to fall behind.