Dr. Lavelle is a decent teacher though his curve for an A is definitely hard because of the fact that there is no curve for an A ._. You literally have to score a legit 90% or higher i think to get an A and around 88% to get an A- i think. The 3 quizzes during the course are only easy if you do the problem sets assigned. I actually did better on my midterm and final compared to my quizzes because of the fear of getting a B lolol. Overall, my advice for the people taking this course are
1. Do the problem sets daily. I'm serious, dont procrastinate on it because you probably won't remember everything if you do it the night before.
2. Having a background on chem from high school definitely helps because its all review in a sense. So if you want to get ahead or just want extra practice, just review an ap chem book and you'll be fine.
Lastly, this class is heavily based on calculations so practice makes perfect.

Short review, getting to the point:

1. Lavelle was pretty much what I expected from a college-level Chem professor.
2. He covers both conceptuals and problem-solving pretty evenly in class, but tests are overwhelmingly calculational as opposed to conceptual.
3. All his lectures are broadcasted. I'd advise simply skipping them and listening to them online, as I found myself falling asleep during classes.
4. Do all the work. If you keep up with the work, you'll be fine.
5. Don't take the quizzes lightly. They're less straightforward than the final and midterm since the TA's make them.

Doing all the work Lavelle assigns and keeping up is pretty much the key to doing well in 14A. The materials not too challenging; I got A's on all my quizzes, the midterm, and final, so clearly it's doable.

Lavelle's class was not terribly difficult but it had it's problems, especially due to the grading and the TA. Don't expect an A in this class, I got a high A on the midterm and an A- on the final (96% and 92% respectively) and still got a B+ in the class. Bullshit? I think so.

If the guy actually read the quizzes the TAs made and revised them I'd be okay with this class.

This was my first time ever taking a chemistry class, and I had heard Lavelle's class was incredibly difficult. However, Lavelle's class was not bad at all and everything he went over in class was doable. Lavelle's lectures are a little "too simple" in comparison to his tests, so extra effort (e.g. reading the book and doing some problems) is definitely required if this is your first time learning chemistry. His lectures are also podcasted! So if you miss class or need extra reviewing, you can watch them on bruincast. This is a huge positive.

Also, as a plus, if you've taken AP chemistry in high school, this class will be a piece of cake. AP Chemistry students did have somewhat of an "unfair" advantage throughout the course in regards to the fact that the material is all review, but with extra effort it it possible to catch up to them if you haven't taken it.

However, I have one big complaint about this class: the quizzes. Combined, the quizzes are worth more than the midterm, about 30% of your grade! This wouldn't be a problem if Lavelle issued the quizzes; instead he let's the TA's make them. Most of the quizzes were full of errors/typos and extremely difficult or irrelevant content that was not covered in class or in the book. The quizzes are also timed, so it's near impossible to check your answers. The midterm and final on the other hand were very fair. I didn't do too well on the quizzes but got an A on both the midterm and the final and still wound up with a B+ in the class.

Let me get right to the point: this class is hard, but it's NOT THAT BAD.

I was so scared to take Chem 14A because of all of the horror stories I heard about Lavelle's class. But honestly, honestly, it's not that bad.

Yes, I did take AP Chem (junior year), and I reviewed a little over the summer, so maybe that made a difference. This class was mostly review for me, in the sense that I had seen all of the material before.

However, I still worked really hard, and I'm confident that even if you didn't take AP Chem, you will be just fine. He does give a lot of homework, but you have all of it ahead of time. Actually, he never even collects it, so it's up to you to have the discipline to do it. One thing I like about this class is how structured it is- no surprises.

Just DO THE HOMEWORK, and go into any TA's office hours and/or Lavelle's office hours to clarify any questions you have on the homework. Don't worry about reading the textbook, because I did in the beginning and it's sort of a waste of time. It doesn't hurt, but it goes way too in depth and his course reader outlines the level of understanding that you need to have.

Do the workbook, understand it, do the practice midterms, do the practice finals. I'm not a genius, I'm a sorority girl, and I'm pretty sure I got and uncurved A.

This class isn't "easy," but it's chem.... chem is never easy. It's definitely do-able though, and as long as you stay on top of your work I promise you'll be just fine! Don't be scared of Lavelle! He's a nice guy! And this is coming from a girl that never paid attention in lectures by the way (too boring.. do the homework and read the course reader and lectures aren't that important hate to say it...)

Well, I'm taking 14B with Lavelle next quarter.. hoping I have a similar experience!

Seeing so many mixed responses, I wasn't quite sure what to expect for Lavelle, but this class is NOT BAD. His teaching style focuses on math/algebra, so just know if that's your strength, you'll be ok! If you've taken AP Chem, it definitely helps to transition into this class since we go over so many similar concepts! The only chapters I thought that were pretty challenging were quantum mechanics (first chapter) and titrations (last chapter), but if you take the time to do the practice problems and ask TAs for help (ask around to see who's good for your level; Devon explained titrations in a great straightforward manner), you'll learn all of the tools you need for the quizzes, midterm, and final!

*Note: I recommend buying the Course Reader for your own year and not from past years since you also get practice quiz problems which can override your worst quiz score!

I don't tie my shoelaces before walking to school because I want to die before I make it to this class

I'm selling the course reder for $45, email me at *************

I got the textbook and solutions manual for sale for lavelle. email me at *************

Really straight forward professor. Take him for 14A. I would recommend Scerri or whatever that guy's name is who looks like the evil villan from spiderman for 14B. I had a shitty AP Chem professor, and I still did really well in this class.