Should I take Orgo with this professor? Need advice!

[Neuronette]

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I am going to take Orgo1 and its the most important class I'll be taking so it's critical that I decide on this first and develop my fall schedule around it.
So I've been looking forward to taking it with a tough but Excellent orgo professor (also sits on the premed committee); however, my friends who have taken his class are warning me not to do so as he displays extreme favoritism and even unfair grading. If he really is an excellent orgo professor, I would not mind elevated course level or tough grading but I am really hesitant about taking it with someone who plays favorites as I have had a very bad experience with such teachers in the past.
For a class as important as Orgo, the professor's competence and knowledge about the subject are critical to learning the material...but it is worth subjecting myself to that sort of learning environment where the professor displays blatant favoritism toward certain students?
Thanks 🙂

 

[OREdwardsJR]

I don't know how the teacher can play favoritism but it sounds like a challengeaccepted.jpg moment to me. I never turn those down but it's up to you. He's on the premed committee so I'm thinking it will be favorable to impress him but ultimately it's up to you.

 

[Rumalum]

no your friends are just stupid and are making excuses

 

[Neuronette]

no your friends are just stupid and are making excuses

No. My friends are rational about these things are are serious about earning grades. They actually studied hard and did very well in the course--but they were telling me things they observed during class.

 

[Rumalum]

No. My friends are rational about these things are are serious about earning grades. They actually studied hard and did very well in the course--but they were telling me things they observed during class.

I'm pretty sure I know your friends better than you do

 

[NightGod]

I am going to take Orgo1 and its the most important class I'll be taking so it's critical that I decide on this first and develop my fall schedule around it.
So I've been looking forward to taking it with a tough but Excellent orgo professor (also sits on the premed committee); however, my friends who have taken his class are warning me not to do so as he displays extreme favoritism and even unfair grading. If he really is an excellent orgo professor, I would not mind elevated course level or tough grading but I am really hesitant about taking it with someone who plays favorites as I have had a very bad experience with such teachers in the past.
For a class as important as Orgo, the professor's competence and knowledge about the subject are critical to learning the material...but it is worth subjecting myself to that sort of learning environment where the professor displays blatant favoritism toward certain students?
Thanks 🙂

Most professors like that tend to make favorites of the students who show themselves to be serious in class, turn in assignments on time, do extra credit, whether or not they really need it and show up during office hours with intelligent questions. Make yourself a blatant favorite.

 

[Insanity4]

Most professors like that tend to make favorites of the students who show themselves to be serious in class, turn in assignments on time, do extra credit, whether or not they really need it and show up during office hours with intelligent questions. Make yourself a blatant favorite.

This. Just don't get to the point where you are pestering the guy. It might end up backfiring on ya

 

[Davidasaurus]

Depends on the favoritism your friends speak of and whether or not you think you'll be able to do well in his class as opposed to taking it with another professor. Don't forget to keep your other coursework in mind in well (Snagging an A in Orgo is useless if you bomb the rest of your classes since you focus all your time and efforts into one class).

One of the Gen Chem Professors at my school is known for showing favoritism to hot girls. To put it in perspective he'll literally stand at the back and stare at girls asses as they file into the lecture hall, and his ratemyprofessor page is full of reviews which blatantly tells girls to show up to his office hours in low cut/revealing tanktops if they want an easy A.

That being said, as a dude, the favoritism ball obviously wasn't in my court, so I took my talents down to South Beach where I joined...wait...so I ended up registering with a different professor with a typical "your grade reflects the amount of effort you put in" rapport.

 

[AestheticGod]

How does a orgo teacher play favoritism? Only teacher that i can say honestly is able to, is english professors.

You have a question and the answer is either A, B, C, or D. Not sure how favoritism can play in this.

 

[TurkeyTurkey]

How does a orgo teacher play favoritism? Only teacher that i can say honestly is able to, is english professors.

You have a question and the answer is either A, B, C, or D. Not sure how favoritism can play in this.

i could see it if the OP went to a very small school and his orgo class only had roughly 30-40 students. The teacher could very easily play favorites then, giving some partial credit where maybe it was not due. orgo is not always 100% cut and dry, for example some spectroscopy problems can have multiple answers based on the level of accuracy you are expected to have in UG orgo.

 

[Insanity4]

i could see it if the OP went to a very small school and his orgo class only had roughly 30-40 students. The teacher could very easily play favorites then, giving some partial credit where maybe it was not due. orgo is not always 100% cut and dry, for example some spectroscopy problems can have multiple answers based on the level of accuracy you are expected to have in UG orgo.

Ugh. I hate how different teachers have different expectations of accuracy. My chem teacher only allowed a 1% deviation from the answer, and each percent you were off from that, he would take 5points off. So frustrating