Reviews for Lyle D. Isaacs
Average Rating:| Anonymous Course: CHEM241 Grade Expected: May 7, 2012, 8:18 pm | Even a little preparation before class (skimming chapter) can go a long way. What makes exams difficult are: the difficulty of the material, if you have seen and attempted the questions before and if you know what topics will be tested on the most. Professor Issacs helps students by signaling what names of molecules will be tested and what mechanics are likely to show up on the exams. He also takes problems from assigned problems in the book and synthesis problems from the book and from examples in lecture. Professor rarely goes on tangents but when he does, they contain helpful advice. My biggest criticism of the 'course' book(Organic Chemistry by Loudon) is that in the solutions manual, molecules are not drawn using the skeletal formula. The book has very long chapters so it helps to have a book that will cover the material in only a few pages (Try Schaums Easy Outline of Organic Chemistry). For shorter and more coherent explanation of the topics, (Try Organic Chemistry as a Second Language II - Second Semester Topics). PDF versions of these can be found using google :) |
| Anonymous Course: CHEM241 Grade Expected: A August 22, 2011, 7:44 pm | He teaches directly out of the textbook. His examples in class are just the examples from the book, occasionaly with a n example he made up. To do well, you just need to do all the practice problems in the book a few weeks ahead of the exam, then do them again a few days before. His lectures are pretty boring but you should still go to them. The TA was awful also. |
| Anonymous Course: CHEM241 Grade Expected: A- May 26, 2011, 12:44 am | Dr. Isaacs is the classic textbook teacher. He literally puts problems from the notes and textbook into his exams. Lectures were alright, and the TA was also mediocre. In order to do well in this class, simply do all the book problems in the syllabus then do them again before exams. You pretty much teach yourself and gain a greater sense of independence in this class. |
| Anonymous Course: CHEM241 Grade Expected: B+ June 3, 2010, 5:03 pm | I absolutely loved Dr. Isaacs! In a big lecture hall it's really hard for professors to see individual students, but if you go to him and show that you're putting effort into the class, he will appreciate it and help you. His tests are challenging, but fair. Ask questions, make sure you understand the material. If you put enough effort and time into the course, you will prevail :) |
| sillyputty184 Course: CHEM247 Grade Expected: A April 19, 2010, 2:23 pm | moderately animated. go to lecture, go to disc, read, do problems. I know a guy that works in his lab, pretty neat stuff in practice, not so much in theory. has a naming section, conceptual, box problems, synthesis. Study old exams. I had a great TA which helped a lot. I love orgo because it seems to click for me, the concept questions were hard though. I never seemed to give him what he wanted. that's the only place i really lost points. |
| yii520 Course: CHEM241 Grade Expected: B+ April 18, 2010, 6:14 pm | he is a GREAT teacher, he really knows his stuff. In organic chemistry it is all about reactions and mechanisms, so it is better if you do the work hands on. Isaac teaches the whole class by writing on the board which really helps me to stay focused, it feels like he is taking the notes with us. His exams are really tricky, but here are the keys to pass his class: 1. remember the names and structures of some really bazaar compounds, trust me he's gonna ask a few 2. Do almost all of the suggested problems. it even helps if you just look at the questions and the answers from the solution manual since most of questions 3. attend lecture and discussion. especially discussion... because it's really important although i felt like skipping a few times 4. spread the work out over period of several days, it is best if you stay on task but hey who gets on task all the time? if you wanna cram i suggest you start cramming 3 days before the exam because they usually cover a lot of materials, that way you won't be stressed out. i attend lectures and discussions, take notes and actually look over them later. did most of the suggested problems and i got an A, SOLID A |
| Anonymous Course: CHEM242 Grade Expected: December 9, 2008, 5:13 pm | He is kind of boring in lecture. The exams are not too bad if you know what you are doing. He is away a lot so do not expect his help outside of class. |
| UMDmonkey Course: CHEM241 Grade Expected: A September 2, 2008, 11:11 am | Dr. Isaacs is a very good teacher. He knows what he is talking about and explains things clearly. I really like the way he talks, it is obvious that he tries to make it easy for people to understand a hard subject. You need to work very hard to get an A in this class, but it is definitely possible, because a lot of people do bad simply because they do not show up to class and/or they despair b/c they've heard stories about orgo. This is a very good teacher, and a good class, but you will have to practice problems every night. I recommend Isaacs over any other Orgo 2 professor, because even though his exams are hard, he prepares you well for MCATs, med school, or whatever else you need orgo for. The averages on our exams were right about 50% each time, maybe a little below that. His signature problem type is a "box problem," where he will give you one of the three following pieces of information and you have to fill in the rest: reactants, products, reagants. Other problems on exams are mechanisms (easy), synthesis (more complicated, but fun), ad nomenclature. He always puts at least on mechanism/ synthesis from the book problems on the exam. That is a really easy way to gain/lose 20 points out of 200, which is 10% of your grade. The key is showing up to class, starring problems that he hints at, and doing ALL of the recommended problems before his weekly help session. Ask him your questions at the help session, and you will do fine. And DON'T leave anything for the last minute: learn things as he is teaching them, never take a break. |
| cjsph88 Course: CHEM241 Grade Expected: B December 3, 2007, 1:45 pm | Dr. Issacs is a decent, but very simple professor. His lectues are boring because he doesnt use powerpoints, clicker questions, etc. I feel like the class would have been much harder had it not been for my TA (Bryan) However, with the help of a good TA you can expect a B, or if you work extremly hard an A in the class. Otherwise Dr. Issacs isnt very clear on what you can expect to appear on the exam. Class grades are based on a bell curve, so as long as you do better than the average you have a B. |