Reviews for the Introduction to Organic Chemistry & Biochemistry course (IOCBC)

**You can also see reviews for Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry from parents and students through AP Homeschoolers here:

https://www.aphomeschoolers.com/course/orgchem/review/index

2023/2024 school year

(What aspects of this course were most useful or valuable?) Definitely referring back to the the lectures, and past assignments, and corrections, when preparing for the midterm, and this final. The ability to get your homework corrected before the chapter test is something I did not use often, but is a feature that I appreciate nonetheless.

(What aspects of this course were least useful or valuable?) I know that doing the organic chemistry labs is hard, especially without the controlled environment of a classrooms, but I felt that the labs for this course lacked a practical component that I have enjoyed in other lab classes I have taken.. Whether that is the writing and formatting of a lab report, or it is doing the data analysis an tabulating it, I felt the labs for this class lacked some of the more hands on approach that allows me to remember the information of the labs better.

(How would you improve this course?) I do not know. I think it is formatted beautifully, and I genuinely appreciate the effort it takes o record and explain all this information without having the reactions of your students to base further explanations on. My only feedback would be the labs, but I am unsure how one would improve upon them.

(What are your overall impressions of the course?) I loved it !!! I have always been fascinated with Organic chemistry and Biology. I have self studied a lot of biology material, and this course helped expand my knowledge and elaborate on some of the studies I researched before this class. An example is the research being done to increase health spans of people, where one of the treatments involves getting NAD+ to cells in the body as you age, because your body has a harder time creating NAD+ as it ages.

(Would you recommend this course to others?) Yes. I loved how many real life examples were added to the coursework, for example the hydrolysis of aspirin, which brought a real life application that is hard to find for many other subjects. Even within sciences it is sometimes hard to justify why we are learning about this small type of tissue that is present in only one part of the body and serves basically no use. You found a way to enhance the course in such a way that I found all of the concepts to be invigorating and genuinely useful information to know.

– Student

2022/2023 school year

Since the class was not live, I am unable to comment on the level of participation that was expected/allowed. While the questions on the midterm exam reflected the material well, to my chagrin, I found that some of the questions on the final exam did not follow directly from the content that had been taught (i.e. the student was expected to think several steps beyond the material that had been presented, which was both possible and a good challenge, but I personally was not thrilled to be presented with such questions). The labs were online, so there were no kit materials; however, for me, the virtual labs were time-consuming and not terribly helpful/relevant.

I appreciated the prompt and easy email communications, and found my email exchanges with Mrs. Schwartz to be extremely valuable. I also enjoyed the amount of repetition provided (i.e. I completed the textbook reading, then the problems, then the study guide, then watched the lecture, then did the homework, and only then took the test); it was very helpful in solidifying my understanding of the material.

(How would you improve this course?) Other than what I’ve already mentioned (i.e. labs and minor quibbles regarding select final exam questions), it’s wonderful as it is!

I plan to pursue a career in STEM, and IOCBC has given me a solid introduction to some of the material I will encounter over the next few years. Thank you for a great experience! I would recommend this course to anyone who has a good grasp on and/or enjoys inorganic chemistry! I truly enjoyed IOCBC, and will sing its praises whenever I can. 🙂 Thank you so much for this course, Mrs. Schwartz!

– Student

2021/2022 school year

i like that the lessons themselves are recorded so i caould watch them when i wanted to instead of on a class schedule      (What are your overall impressions of the course?) really exceptionally awesome you are my most favorite teacher ive ever had, thank you

  – Student

2020/2021 school year

I appreciate the quick responses from Mrs Schwartz whenever I had any questions. She also is very organized.

  – Parent, IOCBC

It was great. I cant think of any improvements. Thank you for a wonderful year mrs. Schwartz. I had fun and learned a lot.

  – Student, IOCBC

It was challenging, but I learned a lot.

  – Student, IOCBC

I found the recorded video lectures especially helpful and almost always answered any questions I had after reading the textbook sections. I also really liked learning about the real-world applications of chemistry, such as finding out how vanilla flavorings are different from real vanilla or why lemon neutralizes fishy odors. It made me think about chemistry much more outside of the course. (Overall impression of the course): I enjoyed it very much and am now (slightly) less anxious about taking organic chemistry in college! Thank you so much for being a great teacher this year!

  – Student, IOCBC

2019/2020 school year

I really enjoyed Mrs. Schwartz’s lectures, as they really helped me to grasp and solidify new concepts. Mrs. Schwartz explained everything in full detail in her video lectures, and I found the practice problems that Mrs. Schwartz worked through in her lectures to be especially helpful.
Also, Mrs. Schwartz’s homework was challenging and fair and helped me to practice what I had learned up to that point. Whenever I had a question, I could email Mrs. Schwartz and she would promptly respond. It was really easy to ask her any question I had, and she would give a great explanation.
The labs were also very fun and helpful in applying all the new information that I had learned!
I really enjoyed this course! It greatly enhanced my interest in Organic Chemistry particularly, and Mrs. Schwartz was so helpful and has set up an amazing course that ensures that every student will succeed. I highly recommend this course to anyone who has some previous chemistry experience. This really is a superb class!

  -Student, IOCBC

Great course. Mr. Peter Moskaluk referred this course to us and it has exceeded our expectations. This course lays an excellent foundation for anyone interested in pursuing medicine in University or hoping to Major in Chemistry.

  -Parent, IOCBC

I enjoyed some of it, but I disliked most of it. It seems to be more memorization than application of prior chemistry knowledge. For some people, it might be enjoyable. For me, it was not. Regardless, you are a good teacher and I can see that you spend a lot of time for your students. 

  -Student, IOCBC

Engaging lectures and live office hours. Very satisfied. I recommend your courses frequently. My student and I were very happy with the organization of the course and the content. It is clear you are knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter. You are an inspiring instructor, and we are so grateful we found your courses.

  -Parent, IOCBC