CHEM 1811

The class is focused so much more on following how Palmer thinks you should write your reports rather than if you understood the material. It's pretty annoying how the TAs and the professors had a different set of grading standards.

Palmer is not always clear on what he wants. His expectations for the lab reports are different from the TAs', but his are even more subjective and seem to change on a whim. He shows up at a few labs, but his explanations make less sense than the TAs'.

He seems like a nice person, but can be quite tactless when writing comments on your lab report.

This course was really frustrating. You're caught in the middle of molding your writing to fit your TA's style to achieve a good grade but then adjusting to Palmer's grading for the midterm. Palmer gives a weird vibe throughout the semester and it's hard to tell who he is and what he's really like. The labs were really fun and engaging and allowed you to develop your understand for chemistry along with Harman's class. While the lab is three credits, I found myself constantly putting more time into it than all my other classes combined. It's a lot of work but it is easy to achieve a good grade. Palmer makes it so EVERY student can get an A (really though). Make sure to do the scavenger hunt, go to the Sunday review workshops (he basically tells you what he's expecting in the lab reports and even helps to start the writing process), and put time into the DMP (easy grade that's 10% of your overall grade).

Also Lynn was a great TA. She was willing to help anyone and meet on your schedule. Not only did she care about your grade in the class, she wanted you help you overall in your path throughout college, whether that include chemistry or not.

Very confused by this course. You are not graded on your ability to write a lab report but whether or not you can suck up to your TA. The only reason I went to the Sunday review sessions was for the scavenger hunt. Palmer tells you one thing and your TA tells you another, and at the end of the day your TA is the one that grades your lab reports so rather please them.
I can't say enough how important it is to do the scavenger hunt. Easy, easy opportunity to get a B to a B+ or an A- to an A. I kick myself for missing a background check and not getting enough scavenger hunt items to get my A- up to an A but it is very possible for every student to take advantage of this opportunity to help your grade. My advice is to do the scavenger hunt items before reading days because you can't get those back.
The final was bizzarre. I've never heard of a final that asks questions about things you've never heard of but ok. It is a take-home final, open everything and only 3 questions. I spent a majority of finals week on this take-home. I don't even think it was graded, I never found out my final exam grade and if I got a good grade it would have bumped up my grade. I think he just looked to see if it was submitted and then kept your grade the same.
Final summary: do scavenger hunt, kiss your TA's butt, and work hard and you will do well.

I hated the final project with all of my being! But Palmer was very generous with his extra credit options. But the way I wrote lab reports in this class is NOTHING like how I wrote them in organic chemistry labs (1821 and 2811), but it is an okay start.