AI Rate Professor

Chemistry

Theodore Fickel

CHEM51 · CHEM060 · CHEM051 · CHEM101 · CHEM068 · CHEM102 · 131 lifetime ratings

AI rating
48/100
RMP rating
3.2/5
Take again
50.94%
Difficulty
3.4

The decision

Prefer in-person or hybrid with him; unless and master sig figs.

Best fit · Self Taught ProSig fig sticklerSelf-taught onlineTest heavyKind but strict graderEnd-of-term curve
  • In person and hybrid students , and clear if you follow his arithmetic rules.
  • Online chem is frequently described as and averaged multi-attempt scores.
  • Many still pass with an A or , but majors needing .

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

58/100

Curves and searchable or online quizzes can yield As, but sig-fig precision and .

Some online students report easy As with curves; .

Is the course easy?

Challenging

35/100

Chemistry content plus strict calculation rules makes the course feel hard, especially without strong lectures online.

In person is more manageable with ; and stressful.

Is attendance flexible?

Varies

62/100

Online meetings are often optional or recorded, while and .

; hybrid reviews say lab and .

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

48/100

About half would take him again; , and tolerance for .

; many online and older .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

32/100

Tiny rounding and sig-fig differences can mark correct chemistry wrong; multi-attempt work is often averaged.

Format shift

Harshness shows up most online; some in-person students still call him fair with an .

Workload

Moderate

48/100

Labs can be light, but quizzes, exams, lab reports, and modules add steady work, especially in short sessions.

Format shift

Online compressed terms feel intense; .

Teaching experience

Average

52/100

Kind and knowledgeable in person, but many online students say they taught themselves and got little usable instruction.

Format shift

In-person teaching is often praised; online teaching quality is frequently rated poor.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

, and finals, with labs and discussions secondary for many sections.

Format shift

Both formats are test heavy; online fill-in answers raise the stakes of each wrong digit.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

23 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

In-person and hybrid reviewers often praise clear , and fairness if you stay consistent with math rules.

Main concern

Strict arithmetic/sig-fig rules and .

What students said

“Dr. Fickel is a great chem professor, zoom classes were easy to follow and in .”
CHEM051
“he does SUCH a good job of explaining concepts that would otherwise be so confusing!!!”
CHEM51
“The professor is very fair in grading.”
CHEM051

Remote format

Online

27 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

flexible and sometimes easy A with curves, but many report no , and self-teaching.

Main concern

, and little instruction leave many unprepared for higher chem.

What students said

“Self taught majority of subject 2. .”
CHEM51
“this is a as you please. Not a good professor at all.”
CHEM051
“I managed to go to tutoring but the and it consists of all the .”
CHEM51

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams are often online and precision-graded, with but .

Online quizzes and examsStrict sig figsFill-in answersEnd-of-term curveAveraged retakes

Assessment risk

Strict

38/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

Hybrid and and exams with strict arithmetic rules; some finals were in class.

Online examsStrict arithmetic rulesIn-class final in some terms
“Quizzes and ; he has a .”
CHEM051
“ , but they are all online. Very specific arithmetic rules must be followed.”
CHEM051
“The in class mid term and the in !”
CHEM101

Online

Online exams and quizzes are frequently fill-in or , and graded with very strict answer formatting.

Online examsStrict sig figsAveraged multi-attempt scoresLittle post-test feedback
“Answer 132.01 VS 132.02 is wrong.”
CHEM51
“if you repeat them, your score is average, which honestly doesn't better your score based on the average.”
CHEM051
“the and !”
CHEM51

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“If you are planning on taking him please think again... You will be stuck doing the lessons on your own and even when you answer right he will grade you down.”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting key themes in , and format differences. Credibility rating: High.

⚖️

32/100

“Professor wants the answers a specific way, even if your answer is correct.”

📚

40/100

“If learn the material on your own.”

👨‍🏫 In-Person Strength

75/100

“if you're lucky enough to have him for ... he does SUCH a good job of explaining concepts”

👍 Mixed Recommendation

48/100

“Take this professor if you need a flexible schedule.”

Theme 1

🧮

  • Beware the sig figs my friends! Beware!
  • while rounding
  • .

Theme 2

💻 About Online Learning

  • this is a as you please.
  • NO
  • and .

Theme 3

❤️ About Character

  • He is a and caring person.
  • Never condescending.
  • He gave me extra .

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

131

Lifetime ratings

88/100

Evidence confidence

50 reviews over many years with detailed, recurring themes about , and format differences.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 545
4 out of 524
3 out of 513
2 out of 524
1 out of 526

Course coverage

CHEM5117 reviews
CHEM05114 reviews
CHEM10111 reviews
CHEM0605 reviews
CHEM0682 reviews
Show 1 more courses
CHEM1021 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

47 reported outcomes

A range

24

A+ 7 · A 15 · A- 2

B range

13

B+ 4 · B 9

C range

0

No reported values

D range

1

D 1

F

1

F 1

No letter grade reported

8

Drop/Withdrawal 1 · Not sure yet 7