I fucking hated chemistry. For 20A I had Baugh - don't even get me started on that motherfucker, but let's just say I walked out of that class having retained almost nothing except how to bullshit my way through a south campus exam. For 20B, I had Peter Fucking Felker - He was boring and I never went to class. Whatever. For 20L, I had Pang - an improvement, most definitely, but still a bit of a drag to wake up for in the morning.
But then there's this fucking guy. I like him. This guy's great. His passion for chemistry will always resonate in my mind as the driving force for my wanting to learn it - and, I'm glad to say that I did. I learned more in Harran's class than I did in all of general chemistry, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that I actually WANTED to due to him. His lectures are very clear, though sometimes he has the tendency of going a bit too fast. He's very helpful in office hours, and is very open to helping students in need. His sense of humor has the ability to light up CS Young Hall, which I thought was pretty fucking impossible considering how much time I've spent contemplating suicide in those damn lecture halls due to every boring-as-shit lecturer I've encountered in them. His exams are hard, but what the flying fuck do you expect? His final was absolutely killer, but totally fair (still waiting on results!)
Though difficult, I suggest you take this class with Harran if you really want to gain an appreciation for chemistry, which I'm glad to say that I now have.

If anyone is looking to buy the 30A-30C book for cheap, I'm selling my 5th edition I used. Email me at ************* if interested.

Really good professor overall! His examples are super helpful and well explained. Ochem is challenging so don't expect otherwise but if you attend lecture and read the book, everything is pretty straight forward. He has his TAs take roll in discussion so be prepared to go every week.

I took Professor Harran in Fall 2010, for Chem 30A.

Overall, fantastic professor. He has powerpoints, which are honestly useless, but his notes, examples, and presentation are excellent. He expects quite a bit, as his exams are analogous with those of Dr. Craig Merlic. So if you want good practice, simply study Merlic's exams, and you will be a-okay. Office hours are great, though at times he may get a bit impatient. However his office is posh, so that may be a motivator - overall, a great professor, with a passion for organic chemistry.

Exam Averages: 1 and 2 around 60, final around 55.