CHEM 3410

Professor Egorov is not a good lecturer. He is really smart and knows what he's teaching, but he speaks to the board instead of to the students and has one of the most horrid handwriting I've ever seen. I didn't really learn anything from the course but then again, I want to say about 90% of the class had no idea what's going on. He gave us 3 problem sets, a midterm, and a final. They are all take home and open notes so it's not hard to do well grade-wise. I just wish I actually learned something. I hope you guys have a good TA because Viranga saved my life. Not that anyone would take quantum for fun but would not recommend unless it's required.

Taking this class with Egorov had its pros and cons. Egorov is clearly smart, but not the best professor. He talks incredibly quickly and can scribble equations on a chalkboard faster than anyone I've ever seen, so it was very difficult to follow him during lectures. However, the class was much easier than it could have been. All the problem sets and exams were open book, notes, and internet, and they were graded fairly easily as well. Collaborating with classmates on the problem sets and going to office hours for help worked well for me. To be honest, I think a lot of students were getting good grades in the class, but it was clear from discussion, office hours, etc. that most people (including myself) didn't really understand the material. If you just have to take this class for a CHEM major/minor requirement and want to get it over with, Egorov is fine, since the class itself was very doable and not too much work. However, if you actually have an interest in Quantum Mechanics, I would try to take this class with another professor.

Would not recommend taking this class unless it's required. The lecture is unhelpful and attendance was ~15-25% for our section. The reason for this is that Prof. Egorov just copies prewritten notes from a piece of paper onto the board at lightning pace and explains them at lightning pace before erasing them at lightning pace without stopping the entire lecture (He has the fastest speech and chalk writing skills I've ever seen). Due to these, it was impossible for anyone to understand his lectures at all and everyone attending resorted to taking screenshots of his notes with their phones.
The TAs definitely carried this class during discussion and everything students learned was during this time and/or by reading the textbooks. All the homework and exam problems are open book/open notes/take-home and directly taken from the textbooks, so most students get a good grade without really learning the content.

Honestly, this is the worst class that I've taken here at UVA. Professor Egorov, while an intelligent guy who is very sweet, is not a good lecturer. He speaks mostly to the board and mumbles at best so trying to understand what he is writing on the board, and decipher what he is saying is near impossible. The grade is made up of three categories: problem sets, midterm and final. The problem sets are easy enough. Word for word, everything can be found in the textbooks. The midterm and final are more difficult but everything is open book and open notes so it is more manageable. I was never able to understand the content of the class, and even though the exams are open notes, that can only do so much good when nothing else makes sense in the class. I cannot say much about the other class, but if understand lecture is very important for you, then Harrison might be a better option for you. I only took this class because of my CHEM major but if I could, I would avoid it entirely.
#tcFF23

This was the worst course I have ever taken at this university and the only course I have ever failed in my life. NEVER take this course with Professor Egorov. The material is generally difficult among both course sections, but you stand a much better chance of passing with Harrison. Just look at the stark difference between grade distributions among these two professors. No matter how much work you put in, there are no resources to help you succeed. Regardless how determined you are to learn the content, no one cares. Even if you reach out Professor Egorov directly, there is a very very small chance he will respond or give any other advice other than go to office hours. It is such a shame that you can learn so much more from a 10 minute YouTube video from TMPchem than you can from three class sessions in this course. There is no one who can help you when you inevitably struggle. The TAs assigned to the course may be able to help, but they are incredibly limited in what they can do, and most of the time, they clearly don't want to be there. Very little is actually learned in class; lectures are entirely unhelpful. We spend full class periods watching Professor Egorov derive equations instead of learning what they mean and how to apply them. While deriving, Professor Egorov does not explain what he is doing, and if he says anything, it is mumbled into the chalkboard so no one can hear it. There are no clear expectations for the class either. The syllabus is one half page in total. It lists the chapters we will cover from the textbook, the professor's singular office hour, and the name of the TA. The syllabus also says there will be a number of problem sets, a midterm, and a final, but no due dates are given for these assignments and the grading system is never explained. Numerous times, I reached out concerned about a grade or passing the course, asking if there would be a curve or another problem set, and I was always told "just wait and see." I cannot express how disappointed I am in this class. For years, students have said similar things about this class, but it appears nothing has changed. Professor Harrison may be more open to change, but it seems Professor Egorov is not. Do not take this class expecting things to be different than what you've heard or read. Physical chemistry is hard, but this instructor makes it impossible. If you can teach yourself out of a poorly written textbook, you may stand a chance, but good luck getting more from this course than that.