Laurence Lavelle
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
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3.4
Overall Rating
Based on 64 Users
Easiness 2.5 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 3.5 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.6 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 3.7 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

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GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS
24.2%
20.1%
16.1%
12.1%
8.1%
4.0%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

28.0%
23.3%
18.6%
14.0%
9.3%
4.7%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

20.3%
16.9%
13.5%
10.1%
6.8%
3.4%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

ENROLLMENT DISTRIBUTIONS
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Reviews (53)

1 of 6
1 of 6
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Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A-
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 23, 2020

Same format as his Chem 14A class. Due to COVID-19 however our final was changed to an online Multiple Choice quiz, which for sure was WAY easier than any 3-hour exam he could have made in person so my grade got kind of saved on it.

I feel like I should have done better for my efforts but oh well.

Grade Distribution I got:
- Chem Community: 100% (easy points)
- Homework: 100% (also, easy points)
- Test 1: 100% (I studied through the pre assignments he assigned over break, only had to review a bit to do well)
- Midterm: 69% nice (STRAIGHT BS for this test, studied really hard on the new concepts... in the end it tested 1 problem from new content covered through class, the rest of the test was Test 1 content but more tricky, CHEM14A material, and THERE WAS NO FOLLOW THROUGH POINTS! Lost 16 points for messing up a calculation on Step 1 even though the concept was right)
- Test 2: 96% (Studied my butt off for 2 days through homework problems)
- Online Final: 100% (blessed that I went to every single lecture, took detailed notes, and had a ton of homework problems done that I can look at and refresh my memory when taking it online)

I Took AP Chem and did really well on that in high school. You need to have a pretty solid understanding of the material to do well. Proceed with Caution but Lavelle is a great teacher and you certainly will learn a lot of Chem material from him! He does do a lot of things outside of lecture to give students resources to succeed, so if you enjoyed taking him with CHEM14A then you should still take him!

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Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A
March 24, 2020

I'm going give you guys a no BS review of Dr. Lavelle unlike the other reviews made here just to sell past exams which btw don't help, because Lavelle changes everything every quarter.

First and foremost, Lavelle's class is a hit or miss which is what I hated the most. Literally luck is 40% of the class. Our midterm was so fucked in terms of content distribution compared to the 2019 midterm. On the corollary our small 50 point tests were much easier. And finally COVID-19 saved us from his brutal paper final and inflated our averages. I believe the class median grade was a B+ to an A minus.

Now on to luck some TA's will be lenient with small mistakes some won't. And remember every point counts. If a TA took of too many points call them out or ask for a regrade. This is a total point system and Lavelle never curves. You need a 465/500 to get an A period!!!!! Midterm is 120 pt. Homework is 50. His chem community posts are 50. 180 pt final and two 50 pt tests. Tests are a joke but don't make silly mistakes. I fucked a quadratic equation in an ice table and got a 47/50. My total score was a 464/500, bt thankfully I argued a point from an old test and brought it up to a 465/500

This class isn't hard, but every point matters and write as much bs on a test as you can. From equations to anything just to pick up partial credit.

This class is an easy to get an A- you just ned a 450/500. Getting an A requires more luck and effort and pray Dr. Lavelle writes a fair test the quarter you are taking it.

Finally, do the fucking homework like you are reading the Bible. Lavelle puts a good chunk of homework problems on the midterm and final which are like 15 points each!!!

Lavelle is a good prof in general compared to the other ones for 14A and 14B. He doesn't expect you to know anything from hs and he doesn't pit students against each other by using bad grading systems.

If you give just one shit getting an A- isn't bad and if you try a little you can get an A

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3 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A
Dec. 19, 2023

14b lavelle test bank available, email me at ************* at gma!l for price

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1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2021
Grade: A+
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
March 23, 2021

I took Chem 14A and 14B with Lavelle through covid, and I have to say I'm impressed! His classes were well organized, and although a lot of them ran longer than 50 minutes, most people just put him on 2x speed. His midterms and finals were not very difficult imo, and very similar to the textbook problems so just do those to practice. I personally read all chapters of the book and this saved me on the second midterm for 14B, but I would say you don't have to necessarily read to do well, just go over textbook problems. He gave a lot of resources to succeed! I didn't utilize TAs that much, but the workshops and review sessions with the UAs saved me a bunch of times. Go to as many as possible! I think Lavelle really adjusted well to the online format and didn't punish students for covid (unlike some professors who made their tests harder). Just beware that the tests have questions that are 10 points each or 5 points, and if you get the 5 point questions wrong, you don't get partial credit while the 10 points have partial credit for a select few answer choices. You can only lose 28-35 points to get an A (depending on total points of the course) so this was VERY stressful.

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Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A+
March 30, 2020

Great class. I had Chem 14a with Lavelle also and the format was identical. I found the content more difficult than 14a, even though I got the higher grade in this class. Make sure to study for the midterm! Test 1 and 2 had very high averages, but the midterm was significantly harder. Our final was online which made it way easier than it should have been.

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Quarter: Winter 2021
Grade: A
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 19, 2021

The concepts in this class are harder than that of 14A, but you can still get an A in class, just attend a UA session weekly, do ALL the hw problems as he puts some on the tests, and don't fall behind on lectures.
Lavelle is actually a very kind professor and he gave us an opportunity to earn 4 points extra credit on both MT2 and the final. (I completely disagree with the review saying he was self-infatuated).
If you put in the work you'll easily be able to get an A, def would take Lavelle again if I could!
STATS: MT1 95%, MT2 96%, Final 93%

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1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A+
March 24, 2020

The class topics were harder than 14A but was still doable. Would advise on studying all topics for the midterm instead of just focusing on thermodynamics in case future midterms are like this years. Selling past tests and midterms at *************

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1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2025
Grade: B-
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 25, 2025

I would never take this class again. IT IS A GPA KILLER and I would rather break every bone in my body ON MY OWN than take this class ONLINE with Lavelle ever again. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a really nice guy, and the material is alright, but his tests are ALL MULTIPLE choice, so there’s no room for you to mess up. I got an A- in 14A, and lowkey thought I would at least get that here, but quite evidently, I did not. He also does not curve, and instead grades based off of a point system, so just know that. If you hate yourself/need this class for your pre major, take it, if not, wait around and get someone better. Professor Lavelle is a great person, just not a great professor, and instead goes over all the theoretical things rather than things that will actually help you succeed on his exams…take this as your sign to NOT take him :)

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2024
Grade: A
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 16, 2025

Dr. Lavelle is truly an incredible instructor. You may hear mixed feedback about him, but I think most would agree that he goes above and beyond every week, and especially (Winter quarter 2025 when he lost his home in a fire!), to assist his students. He genuinely cares about our learning, and does a great job explaining concepts that are honestly glossed-over in previous chemistry courses.

Chem 14B moves very fast and it's easy to fall behind. Dr. Lavelle is also sometimes unclear and teaches content in a confusing order. Still, with all of the resources students have available, I felt incredibly supported at all times and always knew what options I had if I ever needed to improve my understanding of concepts/get practice. He has Chemistry Community (24/7 forum where you can post questions and receive answers almost immediately), review and practice sessions every week, and lots of practice problems. And, there are a large number of points from participation/HW/forum posts such the tests (2 midterms + final) aren't weighted as much as in other classes.

Here is how I recommend studying for tests:
- Every week, attend Step Up sessions and office hours if you have any issues with ongoing content
- Complete EVERY PROBLEM in Dr. Lavelle's syllabus, he usually pulls directly from assigned problems and they closely mirror the test
- If you feel comfortable with the material, do the UA worksheets posted online or attend the workshops since these are more challenging than other practice problems and Dr. lavelle's tests
- Become familiar with the equation sheet and your calculator and use them exactly as you would on the test

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2025
Grade: A-
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
March 4, 2025

Professor Lavelle is a great professor and spends lots of time devoted to helping students understand the content. He organizes sessions with TAs and undergraduate assistants who give practice problems and content reviews. This course is very similar to 14A, and I thought most of the content was easier. However, do not underestimate how challenging thermochemistry and electrochemistry are. In my opinion these two topics, along with Quantum in 14A, are the most challenging topics of the general chemistry series.
There are two midterms and a final that account for a large chunk of the grade, with the rest made up of homework (same grading scheme as 14A).

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A-
March 23, 2020

Same format as his Chem 14A class. Due to COVID-19 however our final was changed to an online Multiple Choice quiz, which for sure was WAY easier than any 3-hour exam he could have made in person so my grade got kind of saved on it.

I feel like I should have done better for my efforts but oh well.

Grade Distribution I got:
- Chem Community: 100% (easy points)
- Homework: 100% (also, easy points)
- Test 1: 100% (I studied through the pre assignments he assigned over break, only had to review a bit to do well)
- Midterm: 69% nice (STRAIGHT BS for this test, studied really hard on the new concepts... in the end it tested 1 problem from new content covered through class, the rest of the test was Test 1 content but more tricky, CHEM14A material, and THERE WAS NO FOLLOW THROUGH POINTS! Lost 16 points for messing up a calculation on Step 1 even though the concept was right)
- Test 2: 96% (Studied my butt off for 2 days through homework problems)
- Online Final: 100% (blessed that I went to every single lecture, took detailed notes, and had a ton of homework problems done that I can look at and refresh my memory when taking it online)

I Took AP Chem and did really well on that in high school. You need to have a pretty solid understanding of the material to do well. Proceed with Caution but Lavelle is a great teacher and you certainly will learn a lot of Chem material from him! He does do a lot of things outside of lecture to give students resources to succeed, so if you enjoyed taking him with CHEM14A then you should still take him!

Helpful?

2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A
March 24, 2020

I'm going give you guys a no BS review of Dr. Lavelle unlike the other reviews made here just to sell past exams which btw don't help, because Lavelle changes everything every quarter.

First and foremost, Lavelle's class is a hit or miss which is what I hated the most. Literally luck is 40% of the class. Our midterm was so fucked in terms of content distribution compared to the 2019 midterm. On the corollary our small 50 point tests were much easier. And finally COVID-19 saved us from his brutal paper final and inflated our averages. I believe the class median grade was a B+ to an A minus.

Now on to luck some TA's will be lenient with small mistakes some won't. And remember every point counts. If a TA took of too many points call them out or ask for a regrade. This is a total point system and Lavelle never curves. You need a 465/500 to get an A period!!!!! Midterm is 120 pt. Homework is 50. His chem community posts are 50. 180 pt final and two 50 pt tests. Tests are a joke but don't make silly mistakes. I fucked a quadratic equation in an ice table and got a 47/50. My total score was a 464/500, bt thankfully I argued a point from an old test and brought it up to a 465/500

This class isn't hard, but every point matters and write as much bs on a test as you can. From equations to anything just to pick up partial credit.

This class is an easy to get an A- you just ned a 450/500. Getting an A requires more luck and effort and pray Dr. Lavelle writes a fair test the quarter you are taking it.

Finally, do the fucking homework like you are reading the Bible. Lavelle puts a good chunk of homework problems on the midterm and final which are like 15 points each!!!

Lavelle is a good prof in general compared to the other ones for 14A and 14B. He doesn't expect you to know anything from hs and he doesn't pit students against each other by using bad grading systems.

If you give just one shit getting an A- isn't bad and if you try a little you can get an A

Helpful?

3 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2023
Grade: A
Dec. 19, 2023

14b lavelle test bank available, email me at ************* at gma!l for price

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Quarter: Winter 2021
Grade: A+
March 23, 2021

I took Chem 14A and 14B with Lavelle through covid, and I have to say I'm impressed! His classes were well organized, and although a lot of them ran longer than 50 minutes, most people just put him on 2x speed. His midterms and finals were not very difficult imo, and very similar to the textbook problems so just do those to practice. I personally read all chapters of the book and this saved me on the second midterm for 14B, but I would say you don't have to necessarily read to do well, just go over textbook problems. He gave a lot of resources to succeed! I didn't utilize TAs that much, but the workshops and review sessions with the UAs saved me a bunch of times. Go to as many as possible! I think Lavelle really adjusted well to the online format and didn't punish students for covid (unlike some professors who made their tests harder). Just beware that the tests have questions that are 10 points each or 5 points, and if you get the 5 point questions wrong, you don't get partial credit while the 10 points have partial credit for a select few answer choices. You can only lose 28-35 points to get an A (depending on total points of the course) so this was VERY stressful.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A+
March 30, 2020

Great class. I had Chem 14a with Lavelle also and the format was identical. I found the content more difficult than 14a, even though I got the higher grade in this class. Make sure to study for the midterm! Test 1 and 2 had very high averages, but the midterm was significantly harder. Our final was online which made it way easier than it should have been.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
COVID-19 This review was submitted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your experience may vary.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Winter 2021
Grade: A
March 19, 2021

The concepts in this class are harder than that of 14A, but you can still get an A in class, just attend a UA session weekly, do ALL the hw problems as he puts some on the tests, and don't fall behind on lectures.
Lavelle is actually a very kind professor and he gave us an opportunity to earn 4 points extra credit on both MT2 and the final. (I completely disagree with the review saying he was self-infatuated).
If you put in the work you'll easily be able to get an A, def would take Lavelle again if I could!
STATS: MT1 95%, MT2 96%, Final 93%

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2020
Grade: A+
March 24, 2020

The class topics were harder than 14A but was still doable. Would advise on studying all topics for the midterm instead of just focusing on thermodynamics in case future midterms are like this years. Selling past tests and midterms at *************

Helpful?

1 1 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Winter 2025
Grade: B-
March 25, 2025

I would never take this class again. IT IS A GPA KILLER and I would rather break every bone in my body ON MY OWN than take this class ONLINE with Lavelle ever again. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a really nice guy, and the material is alright, but his tests are ALL MULTIPLE choice, so there’s no room for you to mess up. I got an A- in 14A, and lowkey thought I would at least get that here, but quite evidently, I did not. He also does not curve, and instead grades based off of a point system, so just know that. If you hate yourself/need this class for your pre major, take it, if not, wait around and get someone better. Professor Lavelle is a great person, just not a great professor, and instead goes over all the theoretical things rather than things that will actually help you succeed on his exams…take this as your sign to NOT take him :)

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Winter 2024
Grade: A
March 16, 2025

Dr. Lavelle is truly an incredible instructor. You may hear mixed feedback about him, but I think most would agree that he goes above and beyond every week, and especially (Winter quarter 2025 when he lost his home in a fire!), to assist his students. He genuinely cares about our learning, and does a great job explaining concepts that are honestly glossed-over in previous chemistry courses.

Chem 14B moves very fast and it's easy to fall behind. Dr. Lavelle is also sometimes unclear and teaches content in a confusing order. Still, with all of the resources students have available, I felt incredibly supported at all times and always knew what options I had if I ever needed to improve my understanding of concepts/get practice. He has Chemistry Community (24/7 forum where you can post questions and receive answers almost immediately), review and practice sessions every week, and lots of practice problems. And, there are a large number of points from participation/HW/forum posts such the tests (2 midterms + final) aren't weighted as much as in other classes.

Here is how I recommend studying for tests:
- Every week, attend Step Up sessions and office hours if you have any issues with ongoing content
- Complete EVERY PROBLEM in Dr. Lavelle's syllabus, he usually pulls directly from assigned problems and they closely mirror the test
- If you feel comfortable with the material, do the UA worksheets posted online or attend the workshops since these are more challenging than other practice problems and Dr. lavelle's tests
- Become familiar with the equation sheet and your calculator and use them exactly as you would on the test

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Winter 2025
Grade: A-
March 4, 2025

Professor Lavelle is a great professor and spends lots of time devoted to helping students understand the content. He organizes sessions with TAs and undergraduate assistants who give practice problems and content reviews. This course is very similar to 14A, and I thought most of the content was easier. However, do not underestimate how challenging thermochemistry and electrochemistry are. In my opinion these two topics, along with Quantum in 14A, are the most challenging topics of the general chemistry series.
There are two midterms and a final that account for a large chunk of the grade, with the rest made up of homework (same grading scheme as 14A).

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
1 of 6
3.4
Overall Rating
Based on 64 Users
Easiness 2.5 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 3.5 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.6 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 3.7 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Uses Slides
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