Metcalf lectures nonstop from beginning to end of the period. If you ask him a question, he'll give you the most complicated possible explanation. There are few resources to make this class more manageable. Grading policies and test format are pretty brutal and pace is extremely fast.
Grade Distribution
9 Reviews
I hope you like math, because this semester was full of it. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of math, so this was a miserable semester for me. If you keep up with the readings and work your butt off to actually understand what on earth is going on you should at least get a decent grade. Metcalf is a little bland, which makes it hard to pay attention, especially if you have no interest in the material, so do anything you can to stay alert. If you can understand Leung better, take his class instead; he's more animated and tries to explain concepts a little better.
metcalf is alright, very dry. tests are fair, although he still basically just reads off slides/book. pate is better, but he didn't teach for some reason.
The class itself is very dry. Metcalf does all he can to make it fun, but he can only do so much. Class is pretty useless. Just reading and doing loads of practice problems got me the A-.
Metcalf has kind of a dry sense of humor, and after Grisham first semester, I really liked his class in comparison. Metcalf actually tests on the subject material fairly. (The quizzes are actually about Chemistry! Imagine that!) His quizzes are a little difficult sometimes, but if you understand all the topics, you should be good to go.
Bryant is the worst of the gen chem prof. Grisham is far better I had him for 1410 and was a better lecturer.
Metcalf was the hardest of the gen chem professors. Got a B- studying my butt off, but only a day or two before the test. Preparation is the key.
Metcalf can seem boring, but he is straightforward. Honestly, class is not entirely necessary if you are keeping up with the reading in the book. That being said, intro chemistry is difficult, and if you get behind, your grade will suffer. The thing that's good about Metcalf is he does not put random tidbits from the lecture on his quizzes- it is straight traditional chemistry.
Metcalf is the worst possible chem teachers to have. I advise that you stay away from him at all costs. He will ruin your life in more ways than one.