AI Rate Professor

Chemistry

Kevin Orton

CHEM1 · CHEM1AB · CHEM18 · 1A1B18A18B · CHEM1A · CHEM1A1B · CHEM1B · CHEM18A · 108 lifetime ratings

AI rating
54/100
RMP rating
3.6/5
Take again
47.83%
Difficulty
4.4

The decision

if you want deep chemistry mastery and can devote major weekly hours; switch campuses if you need a safer GPA.

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerExtremely hard chemistryElite STEM preparationTest heavyHeavy homework loadLove or leave him
  • Students almost universally call his chemistry among the hardest classes they have taken.
  • Supporters , and the .
  • many C, F, and and brutal exams.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

MissionImpossible

16/100

Multiple cohorts report few or no As, , and grades that reward only exceptional sustained effort.

Both Online and In person agree an easy A is unrealistic; In person has the bulk of grade evidence.

Is the course easy?

BrainBurner

12/100

General and organic chemistry with him is repeatedly ranked harder than Calc 2 or OChem elsewhere and demands constant practice.

Difficulty is extreme in both formats, with In person comments the most detailed.

Is attendance flexible?

Mandatory

24/100

Skipping is widely described as a death sentence because material builds fast and participation or lecture watching is enforced.

In person skip-class warnings dominate; .

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

48/100

, while the other half urge Woodland or any other campus for GPA survival.

In person splits between lifelong fans and run-away warnings; Online leans more negative.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

24/100

, and Stanford-level exam questions keep standards high even when students work many hours.

Format shift

; some In person notes mention final replacing lowest exams.

Workload

Overwhelming

14/100

, and multi-part exams create a near full-time load on top of other classes.

Format shift

Both Online and In person report overwhelming work; Online adds multiple platforms and notebooks.

Teaching experience

Excellent

80/100

Even critics often say he teaches superbly; fans call him the and deeply invested in student growth.

Format shift

In person teaching praise is strongest; Online quality ratings are more mixed around support speed.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Success hinges on extremely hard quizzes and .

Format shift

Both formats are test heavy; Online also piles weekly assignments and lab writing.

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

43 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In person reviews dominate and paint a consistent picture: brutal tests, huge learning gains, and .

Main concern

curving, so even strong students risk poor grades.

What students said

“Dr O is EASILY the hardest professor I have ever had... However, he knows everything about chemistry and is the .”
CHEM1A1B
“ .”
CHEM18A
“In his class there is NO easy A, it will teach you how to critically think and become a better student.”
1A1B18A18B

Remote format

Online

7 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online chemistry still has , and several students urge taking chem elsewhere.

Main concern

High workload plus limited quick support and .

What students said

“The gentleman changed my life and how I tackle problem solving, his class is the hardest ive come across”
CHEM18A
“Save your soul.”
CHEM1A
“Requires all lectures to be watched from beginning to end or .”
CHEM1A

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams are notoriously difficult, often uncurved, and .

Extremely hard examsTest heavyShort time limitsLittle or no curveFinal can replace low examsNo study guides for some terms

Assessment risk

Strict

22/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In person exams are described as the hardest part of the course, sometimes drawn from elite-school style questions, with low averages.

Extremely Hard ExamsTest HeavyLow AveragesFinal Replaces Lows
“ .”
CHEM1A1B
“he told the class he pulls questions ”
CHEM18A
“your worst exam scores are replaced by your grade on the ”
CHEM1A

Online

Online exams are time-pressured and multi-part, with and heavy weekly quizzes.

Timed ExamsMulti-part FinalWeekly QuizzesLecture Watch Required
“4 exams throughout the semester and a final that is 4 exams with 2 taken at a time”
CHEM1A
“The time for exams and and too many questions for that short timeframe”
CHEM1A

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“If . Orton's classes expecting to be handed an easy A without any effort you will be mistaken. If you actually put the time and effort in to learn the material you will succeed!”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews (7 Online, 43 In person), highlighting extreme difficulty, teaching excellence, and GPA risk. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

80/100

“he knows everything about chemistry and is the . He cares a lot about his students and wants them all to succeed.”

🔥 Course Difficulty

12/100

“Dr O is EASILY the hardest professor I have ever had, and his 1B course is harder than Calc 2 and OChem in my opinion”

🅰️ Getting an A

16/100

“In his class there is NO easy A, it will teach you how to critically think and become a better student.”

👍 Recommendation Split

48/100

“If you care about your GPA/sanity, I recommend taking organic chemistry anywhere else.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • He cares a lot about his students and wants them all to succeed
  • His passion for teaching has significantly enriched my academic journey
  • Orton knows what he is talking about all the time

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • Nobody in my class got an A
  • Most exams have averages of 50% or lower, and
  • grade

Theme 3

⚠️ About Survival Strategy

  • Do not get behind no matter what; it is a death sentence
  • go to tutoring, and actually apply yourself

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

108

Lifetime ratings

90/100

Evidence confidence

50 reviews with long time span, large In person sample, and highly consistent hard-class themes plus detailed grade and workload evidence.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 540
4 out of 530
3 out of 512
2 out of 513
1 out of 513

Course coverage

CHEM1A24 reviews
CHEM18A9 reviews
1A1B18A18B5 reviews
CHEM1B5 reviews
CHEM1A1B3 reviews
Show 3 more courses
CHEM182 reviews
CHEM11 review
CHEM1AB1 review

Reported outcomes

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

49 reported outcomes

A range

6

A+ 2 · A 4

B range

16

B+ 5 · B 8 · B- 3

C range

10

C+ 3 · C 5 · C- 2

D range

0

No reported values

F

4

F 4

No letter grade reported

13

Audit/No Grade 1 · Drop/Withdrawal 6 · Not sure yet 1 · Rather not say 5