I plan on taking Ch221 (Organic) and was wondering if any of you guys have had canelas or novak for organic before and can give me some feedback. The school tool does not have much about novak... and i have never had either of these teachers for any other chem classes before so i don't know. Thanks!

4/25/2006 2:52:24 PM

novak is an awesome teacher. funny and is really helpful if you need anything. that said...he is a very hard teacher. but you'll def. learn. i had him for 221 and have him now for 223 and he is def. one of my fav. teacher's at state (regardless of the fact that i hate chemistry)...

[Edited on April 25, 2006 at 3:27 PM. Reason : .]

4/25/2006 3:27:12 PM

I have Canelas now for 101, and will be taking her for 221 this fall, she is a great chemistry professor, explains material very well. Fun class.

4/25/2006 3:40:42 PM

I have had experience with both Canelas and Novak for Organic. I had Dr. Canelas for 221 and now I'm in 223 with Novak.

I really enjoyed Dr. Canelas's class. Her tests are very fair, not ridiculously difficult. The webassigns actually helped for the test which is more than I can say for some chemistry classes I have taken. Her final is hard though, and thats where the grades will diversify. I really dislike chemistry, and am not very good at it but I manged to keep a B+ average in her class. Take the class with her.

Dr. Novak however is a very different story. I feel that Novak's tests are very very hard and nearly impossible to be prepared for despite his review sheets. He gives very little homework, which does not motivate most students to study or practice. He's made no mention of a curve however I hear he does at the end of the semester. Despite this, I still dislike the class. He will make jokes of students in class, and unless you are a very confidant person you could be offended by this. He also seems to be sexist, based upon several observations. He's even on Facebook...and invites females in his classes to be friends with him. He even goes a step further and states that he has "hooked up" with some of them. Personally I dont find him to be very professional. His favorites in the class seem to adore him however.

I learned plenty in Canelas' class, without her making things really hard on us students. I'd also advise you to take my advice, not bragging, but I definately have the best perspective here because I've had both for Organic. Canelas all the way...and shes funny too.

4/25/2006 4:23:42 PM

^wtf

i loved dr. novak
he was always receptive to questions and i thought he explained the material very well
i was expecting organic to be difficult but he made it really easy
i never thought he was sexist or biased... the only way he ever "made fun" of any of the students in my class was that he gave a lot of people nicknames like "scribbles" or "fish hook" but i don't see how that is offensive

i didn't have any problems with his tests and thought his review sheets were very helpful. i also thought it was cool that he put little jokes and things throughout the review sheets so when i was getting bored i would find something and get a laugh out of it

he is probably one of the top 10 teachers i've had at state (meaning i liked him AND i learned a lot!)

4/25/2006 5:04:54 PM

^ i agree with you ^^ i don't know what you're talking about. dr. novak is a very fair man, funny, and it absolutely helpful if you go to him for it. he's not sexist at all (trust me...i had a sexist professor for 201 and that was incredibly annoying). and his jokes...they're all in good fun. i've never once heard him say anything to a student that wasnt in a blantently humorous tone with the exception of once last semester when he told 2 guys to shut the hell up, which they totally deserved. so ya....quit bitchin about stupid shit.

[Edited on April 25, 2006 at 5:29 PM. Reason : .]

4/25/2006 5:28:50 PM

Definately not "bitchin about stupid shit." lil_lotus asked for people's opinions, and that's what you get on the wolf web. Maybe some of these people like Novak so much because he "hooked up with them in Spring 06" *FACEBOOK*

4/25/2006 5:46:14 PM

nope. never hooked up with him. not even friends with him...although he does have a very cute bernese mountain dog puppy.

4/25/2006 5:59:06 PM

I had Novak for 221 and I thought he was a cool teacher, good sense of humor. I didn't go to class much, but he explains things well in class and the webassigns reinforce the material if you take your time on it and absorb the concepts. His tests aren't bad if you understand the material; review sheets are helpful. Now that I think of it, it was weird he knew a lot of the chicks in class by their first name. And once I went up to his office to get a test back and he was crammed in a small room with 10-12 fine ass girls, helping them "study."

4/25/2006 6:12:06 PM

Novak all the way
Tests are hard as hell, I echo the "lack of HW causing students' lack of motivation"--but he's an awesome dude. I think only the most sensitive people are offended by some of his comments but they are in fact, all in good fun.
He is the most helpful prof I've ever known and will go out of his way to help you understand. All you have to do is take the first step--ask him for help.
I have not yet taken this first step and my test avg is about 60. But I do enjoy his class, even though I pretty much hate chemistry.

4/26/2006 9:51:49 PM

I am taking CH 221 next semester, and I chose Dr. Novak. I heard a lot of postive things about him, and he also teaches organic 2. It will be nice to have him again for org 2 (that is, if I like him).

4/26/2006 10:31:49 PM

while I have never had either.. i can say

organic is for pussies.. try quantum with this this guy

he will make you wish electrons didn't have different spins.



[Edited on May 2, 2006 at 11:23 PM. Reason : d]

5/2/2006 11:22:28 PM