CHEM 1810

Harman. Greatest professor I've ever had. Really made sure you were understanding his lectures. Amazing grasp of the subject, and you can really tell that he really enjoys what he does. Problem sets are designed to make you think about the material, but they're not bad at all. Also gives you exams from prior years to practice. Awesome guy. Awesome course.

Harman explains material in an intuitive and concise manner through example-based lecture instead of providing lists of terms and facts to memorize. He also gives many interesting applications of the material we learnt. The class is reasonably fast-paced and filled with many desperate pre-med students.

Harman is fantastic. I recommend always going to office hours and DO THE PRACTICE TESTS. I didn't do the practice tests in time and it really hurt me. For me, it worked best to complete the practice tests to the best of my ability before the review sessions and then get clarification there. This class was great and he curves generously, but the lab is awful. I would honestly be continuing the series if it weren't for the lab. Did I mention that you should always do the practice tests?

Harman is easily one of the best professors at UVa. Yes, this class is very difficult, but Harman makes it worth it. Definitely show up to class ready to pay full attention, take good notes, and DEFINITELY do the readings in the textbook, they will help supplement the lectures. The tests are difficult, but he allows test corrections, so you'll be fine. Only take this class if you are a chem major and are willing to put the necessary work into it. The more work you put in, the more you'll get out of the class.

If the class wasn't at 8 am, I honestly think I would have payed attention more. Harman is an excellent teacher, I was just too sleepy to listen to him. He gives you half the points that you missed back if you do test corrections, which kinda tells you what kind of teacher he is. He wants you to learn and understand the material. He's not trying to fail you. Harman's office hours are very helpful and I would definitely recommend going to them to help clear up any material you don't understand. It's like having another class, except not during 8 am. lol.

Dean Harman is one of the best instructors I've ever had. He is engaging, encouraging, and always willing to go the extra mile to help students understand the course material. Don't be fooled, however, this class is very spicy. You'll learn quite a bit, but seeing people pull A's while you come to grips with your first B's or C's (before the test corrections worth half credit and the generous curve are thrown in) can be hard, but the class is still worth it in the end. Like others have said, be sure to go to office hours and use all the study materials he gives for exams.

Speaking of exams, he always includes some random information on the front page of his exams. Anything from trivia to cheesy jokes is up for grabs, and they make all the exams slightly less traumatic.

Back to Harman now. This man is God's gift to chemistry students. I slept through half a lecture one day, and after desperately failing to copy down all the notes on the chalkboards, I went to his office hours where he taught another student and me the entire lecture all over again. I would take How Hard Can Harman Punch 1211 if it meant another semester with the GOAT.

If you take this class with Harman, you will not regret it. He is by far the best professor I have ever had, and he explains everything in a way that is understandable. If you want to be a chemistry major, you need to take this class. That being said, it is not easy, and you have to put in the hours outside of class to study. The only grades you will have are 3 curved tests, and 3 problem sets, so it is hard to make up points if you do poorly on one test. Don't let that discourage you though, Harman is the best you will have.

Professor Harman is a great professor himself, but the material he teaches is very complicated. Do not go into this course just because you think you did well in AP Chem in high school or because you have a big ego. Go into this course because you want to be challenged and would rather gain a deep understanding of the material and compromise that premedical GPA. This is a great group of people to be around because almost all of them genuinely care about chemistry and want to help their fellow students pass the call. Expect low exam grades but corrections are allowed on both of the midterms. The final does not have corrections but there is a curve for the final grade of the course. Not as much calculations as the other chemistry courses but considerably more conceptualization. Good luck.

I wasn't the best student in this class because of how early it is, so I kept dozing off or zoning out. Hence, few days of grinding hard before the test. If you think you understand the material after the lecture, you are mistaken. I'm not criticizing professor because he is great. What I mean is that, you actually need to practice harder questions than the class material, because otherwise you may be doomed for the test. I got a mediocre grade for first test (just about the average) but still pulled A, so don't feel bad after "bombing" your first test...

This is a great course for people who are truly passionate about Chemistry! Dr. Harman is amazing; he truly cares about how much his students learn and does not want the difficulty of the exams to have a huge effect on your grade in the class. The amount of work is extremely reasonable, the problem sets are very effective in preparing you for the content on the exams, and while the exams are meant to be challenging and get you to think out of the box, the grading is also incredibly fair. Your performance/grade in this course will be very much dependent on the amount of initiative you take; Harman does not baby you and check in on you every day to make sure you understand what is going on. It is up to you to watch the videos/do the readings on time, pace yourself with the problem sets, and make sure you understand the material before the night before the exam. If you are passionate about chemistry or if you are leaning towards majoring in Chemistry, this course is definitely for you.