Merlic is a very engaging instructor! Yes, he talks quickly and writes a ton of reactions on the board because there is a lot of material to get through in a short amount of time. One way to make his lectures more meaningful is to go over the material BEFOREHAND, so then you have some idea of what he is talking about and you are not just mindlessly scrambling to copy down everything he writes. His tests are very fair and include a good mix of straightforward and difficult questions. He gives you a LOT of practice problems and a few past exams, so on exam day his test format is no surprise. The one thing that was challenging for me was finishing the midterms within the 50-minute time limit. I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to check my answers, but ended up with high scores regardless because I was very familiar with the material after spending hours on practice problems. This class is very doable but you need to study hard.

I didn't think Merlic was a very good lecturer at all. He is kind of self absorbed, and he stands in front of the board, while writing too fast so I felt like I was always 2-3 reactions behind copying to my notes. I felt like I didn't learn much in his class, and his tests had some ridiculous questions on them. He is not very helpful, and just expects you to know the answers to everything.
I wouldn't take Merlic if you have another professor choice.

Merlic is probably one of the best professors you can get for 30B. He tells you exactly what you have to know and he doesn't make things more complicated than they have to be. In some ways 30B is actually easier than 30A because unlike in 30A you don't really have to think a ton about conflicting reactions. In 30B it's fairly obvious what reaction is needed. That said, the number of reactions you learn in 30B is much higher and Merlic has to move quickly to cover everything. You will sometimes learn 8 or 9 reactions in 1 lecture so if you fall behind you will have a hard time catching up.

The grade is broken down into 2 midterms, quizzes, BACON, and a final. I thought the quizzes and the two midterms were fairly easy although your experience may differ depending on how good at ochem you are. His midterms are around 6 questions with multiple parts and you only have 50 minutes for each of them. If you want to do well in this class you have to move quickly. To better guarantee a good grade at least try to score as high as possible on the first midterm which is entirely spectroscopy. The average midterm score drops dramatically on the second midterm so if you can do well on the second midterm you are in great shape.

Averages for the midterms were high 60s for the first one and 56% for the second one. The average for the final was around 60%.

Overall I would strongly recommend Merlic for 30B.

Professor Merlic is knowledgeable and passionate about the course material. However, since he has been teaching for so many years, he has a tendency to go over some topics really fast. So, to do well in this class, you have to study the material as soon as you learn it. The textbook is quite helpful for learning some of the basic concepts, and then you can focus on the lectures to understand what you really need to know. I think the best way to prepare for the exams is to do all of the practice problem sets and practice exams he posts online (a TON of them). It is pretty annoying to do all of them, but it helps out a ton in the end. Also, try to find a good TA that actually gives out own practice material. The first half of the class is spectroscopy concepts, and the second half is chemical reactions. Try to do well on the first exam, because the reactions can get pretty tough.

I personally did not like Merlic for and I'll give you my threereasons why. First of all after the first midterm he clearly stated that if you didn't do as well as you liked and on the following exams showed progression he would reward that by bumping up your grade. The first midterm I got a 77 with a 68 average which was basically a Solid B but on the second exam I scored an 81 with a 56 average and got an 83 with an average around 59. Both of these scores fell within the top 18 percent of the exams and thus were solid A's but I was not rewarded for my improvement throughout the course as I received an A- instead of the A I desired. Additionally, his syllabus also says if you show up to discussion and take the quizzes that could also boost your grade. I showed up to all the discussions and did really well on the quizzes yet that was once again not even a factor in determining my grade. I could've used that time I spent in that useless discussion studying for the class instead or doing something more important. My last issue with Merlic is his teaching style. He speaks way too fast and draws way too many mechanisms on the board before we are able to copy the one before down and this is mainly because he does not understand that he is a tall person who's body blocks most of the board which makes it difficult to follow when we can't see what he's drawing. He does the same thing in office hours too when he's trying to go over something. I would try to avoid him if possible but if you must take 30B with him do not waste your time at discussion and make sure to do all his problem sets and score well on the first exam which is mostly non-traditional ochem stuff like NMR.

Took his Chem 30B class summer session C 2014. The class has been restructured in recent years, with the first two weeks being spectroscopy/spectrometry, and the remainder being memorizing a lot of reactions.

For the first two weeks, Merlic uses powerpoints (it is hard to teach spec just with a chalkboard), so PRINT the powerpoints from online since you can listen to what he has to say more.

As for the many reactions you have to study, yes, it's a lot but because it's a 6 week course rather than a 10 week it stays in your head longer.

Also, Merlic explains concepts quite well and besides his lectures and podcast, he also gives practice problems from the book and his own worksheets. DO THESE. Even though he writes fast and explains things too quickly sometimes, just make sure you write everything down and go over his podcast-everything will make more sense then.

Also, he gives practice exams and these are KEY to doing well in the class since it gives you a layout of his exam formats, but try to go over everything (notes, worksheets, book problems) beforehand.

Finally, if you are taking this class over summer, make sure that it's the ONLY class you take during that specific summer session. Others were taking physics or ls, and that must have been tough becuase chem 30B is a time-consuming class as it is, and Merlic is no exception.

Overall, I recommend Merlic for Chem 30B, and as long as you stay on top of things and do everything he gives you, and if you go over your notes and his podcast, you should be fine. I didn't go to a TA office hour and only stayed halfway into his office hour once and I got an A, but just make sure that it's the only class you take.

Really enjoyed this class (getting an A helps). He was very enthusiastic making the material relevant to everyday life. He curves the class. I would say go to all lectures and discussions including Merlic's office hours and whoever the TA office hours. All his TAs work in his lab so they are all awesome. This class requires you put in the time, but you will get all the help you need on the way.

Merlic is a great professor. Sure, his tests were challenging, but he makes you want to study organic chemistry anyways because he is so enthusiastic about it. And honestly, making organic chemistry interesting and nearly enjoyable is difficult to do. I highly suggest taking his class! I worked hard, but it paid off, and I got an A.

I can't say hes the worst professor ever, since it was a hard course he was teaching to begin with. He's very nice and approachable and makes an effort for the students to learn. Basically if you pass his class you will for SURE have learned a bunch. You cannot and i repeat cannot get by with less work, you gotta put in the work and your time, i would say about an hour a day, mandatory. He isnt easy, he's hard, so if anybody else is teaching, perhaps you should check out their ratings first before registering with merlic, but if he's the only one teaching, tough luck. study hard, study everyday, MUST go to lectures and discussions, and u will most probably pull off around a B. good luck

Took this class in Summer Session C;

I thought he went incredibly fast. The amount of material that he covers is a little incredible, and because he likes to explain things thoroughly he tends to rush the ends of lectures and totally overwhelm you when you are most tempted to take a mental vacation. He presents some cool applications associated with the chemistry you're learning, which was something fresh and I liked it more than some of my past professors.

His exams are comprehensive. They will cover almost everything he taught you in lecture as well as some things in the book. Best strategy for doing well on his exam is to take all his practice exams. The grading is a little bit lenient and he almost never will try to trick you (e.g. switching up the solvent to stop the reaction from going or something cruel like that)

Professor Merlic is a pretty cool guy and I would definitely recommend you take the class. You'll learn and master quite a bit of material and his class won't be that much trouble.