Could anyone give me some info on how Dr. Hardin is for BCH 451?

Thanks

11/12/2008 7:52:15 PM

Avoid like the plague.

Does Sylvia still teach? Take her, if not her then Knopp.

11/12/2008 9:31:08 PM

^
She's been gone for the past year now on extended leave. Doesn't look likely that she's going to come back at all. It's a shame too; she's the one who made me realize that I liked biochemistry enough to change my undergraduate major to it and even go to grad school in it.

I was a TA for Dr. Hardin last spring for BCH451 and sat in on many of his classes. In my opinion, he did a very good job laying out the material in what is a very difficult course. He was always open to meeting with students who didn't understand the material, even giving out his phone number so that students could call him any time if they had quick questions. Then again, since I was a TA for him I may be a bit biased, but having worked with him for the past year and half, and in addition to being a TA for both Dr. Sylvia and Dr. Knopp as well as an undergrad, he definitely knows his stuff and I say he's just as good as the Dr. Sylvia and Dr. Knopp, with each professor having their own individual pros and cons. He's tough, but if you work with him and your TAs, you'll come out knowing a lot more than when you went in.

No matter who you take it with though, it's going to be like running a marathon. There's a lot of material to cover and only one semester to do it in. And if you need help with biochem, feel free to shoot a PM my way. I'm always glad to help if I have the free time.

[Edited on November 12, 2008 at 10:04 PM. Reason : .]

11/12/2008 9:47:33 PM

^ Definitely have to agree. No matter which professor you choose, it's going to be hard work. If you put the time into it you'll get a lot out.

I had Sylvia two years ago and loved her. She made me love biochemistry, which came as a complete shock to me.

I'm currently a TA for Knopp and like the way that he teaches the course as well. I wasn't a student in his class though, so I can't give any opinions on that.

11/12/2008 10:47:33 PM

yeah, if sylvia was around. def take her. she is really the only reason i went to class. it was hard, not going to lie, but she was there for you after hours and stuff.

the final exam is hard. well for her class it was.

thats true, she made me enjoy biochem also. we ended up just getting drinks at mitchs tavern for the final exam, there was really no hope in trying to study.

11/13/2008 1:43:18 AM

Hahahahahahaha! I *love* how Study Hall will consistently skew any advice in exactly the wrong direction, and the worse the teacher, the greater the praise. Sylvia's fantastic! Best ever! We all had drinks at Mitch's tavern cause it was all so super slacktastic! Warren: the best ever for Chem 201! Read the Warren appreciation thread and take the Great Gazzoooooo! Hardin: fantastic guy! He has a dick--and loves to use it when he sleeps with his students-- but he sure isn't one!

Hahahahahahahahahaha! You gotta love those teachers' pets and those professors' avatars! Kudos to you all of you former on the beautiful brown of your probisci. To the latter: cost of getting a fake name on wolfweb: $5 (or whatever it is now), value of having avatars you can use to praise yourself and drown out any semblance of actual real assessment: Priceless!

Avis Sylvia is easily the most abusive professor I have encountered at this university. In every way she could abuse her authority she did: screaming at students and visitors to the classroom, trying her best to make sure students didn't learn by flooding them with material and overheads that could not possibly be read or absorbed, and taking any opportunity to humiliate both her students and her own TA's for not having the knowledge that she had had decades of time to acquire. If ever there was a professor who received her just karma for the overt malpractice of his teaching, it was this one. No one in her classes was playing with monopoly money, and the total damage she did to students' careers--including those who were fully diligent, but did not have access to the previous exams from which she regurgitated virtually every question, much to the delight of the future idle ruling class of frat boys and their sorority whores, who had archived these previous exams-- I cannot even imagine. Yes, her treatment of her favorites was diametrically opposed to this behavior. She would openly flirt with boys she found cute, including grabbing their asses during hugs, and every semester quickly assembled a circle of her elect, on whom she could not fawn enough. And when these elect compared their treatment to those from whom Sylvia withdrew her "grace," they would decide that the only explanation for this treatment must be that they were very fine students indeed, and this a very fine class, taught by a very fine teacher. (And no, this is not sour grapes from a student that did not do well in BCH 451. I actually earned an A+ in this class.) If ever a teacher deserved to contract cancer for the damage she had done to her students, it was this one. And I mean that literally.

Your specific question was about Hardin. I have not had Hardin, but I took a class in which I sat next to students who were taking him, and every week they would discuss how abusive he was, and also which students he was sleeping with, or had been sleeping with in previous semesters. The strategy is clearly the same: abuse the majority of the students so that the minority you elect feel extremely special and you can then have your way with them.

Knopp certainly likes to power play, but at least he does not engage in flagrant abuse of his position as a professor, as far as I know.

I normally don't bother to post, because most discussions are simply overwhelmed by trolls and self-selecting misinformers. Of course,the same could be said about me, by anyone who has no information beyond this thread. But I simply could not let this perverse praise of Sylvia pass. And as for Hardin, if that's how you want to earn your grade, then you won't be the first. But just remember, those who whore themselves out for a grade in his class are not at all anonymous, and were referred to by name in the discussions that I heard.

11/13/2008 3:08:11 PM

Damn, I guess people hit a nerve. I heard Dr. Hardin was still dating a student that is now in grad school at ECU. Dr. Hardin IS widely abusive to his students as well.

Sylvia, was fucked up, but that is what made the class great. You wanted to go just to see what she would do. But did you really just say she deserved the get cancer? Jesus.

11/13/2008 4:10:51 PM

^" have not had Hardin, but I took a class in which I sat next to students who were taking him, and every week they would discuss how abusive he was, and also which students he was sleeping with, or had been sleeping with in previous semesters. "


WHOA....can anyone confirm this ??? hahahhaha

11/13/2008 4:13:43 PM

^^^

Quote :

"If ever a teacher deserved to contract cancer for the damage she had done to her students, it was this one. And I mean that literally."

Well aren't you a jackass.

11/13/2008 6:42:33 PM

wishing cancer on someone = good way to get instant karma.

11/13/2008 6:46:00 PM

Well unless you are BCH major you can't take Knopp anyways.

Excellent post webtime, glad you said what needed to be said. Haha, great job at pissing off the "teacher's pets" as you called them. ^,^^.

11/13/2008 8:33:12 PM

^

Because being glad that someone got cancer is appropriate if you dislike them?

And you can take it as honors with Knopp.

11/13/2008 8:56:14 PM

Quote :

"I normally don't bother to post, because most discussions are simply overwhelmed by trolls and self-selecting misinformers. Of course,the same could be said about me, by anyone who has no information beyond this thread. But I simply could not let this perverse praise of Sylvia pass. And as for Hardin, if that's how you want to earn your grade, then you won't be the first. But just remember, those who whore themselves out for a grade in his class are not at all anonymous, and were referred to by name in the discussions that I heard."

Wow, sounds like someone couldn't hack it in her class and is letting the butthurt flow forth.

Yes, she's a rough teacher, she does yell at students, but only if the deserve it. She was really big on respect and if you treated her as your professor and not some random old woman teaching a class she would give you the same respect back. Her class was fucking hard, but starting to learn biochem is in general.

11/13/2008 11:10:13 PM

how does compare it to sandberg's organic chems, or gazoo's ch 201?

11/14/2008 12:32:26 AM

^^ I love how you didn't read the paragraph at all. He got an A+ in the class.

I don't care what the problems are with the class. But to "yell at students" as you yourself said, that is fucked up. Worse is that you people are praising her for it. We are in school to learn the material, not to be scolded or whatever. To hear these 'abusive' stories year in and year out, is ridiculous for NC State to keep this professor around for so long.


^ Sounds like I'll see you next semester in Hardin's class.

11/14/2008 1:06:20 PM

Chuck is a dick face. I had him for BCH 452. Take Knopp.... Just take Knopp.

11/14/2008 4:22:24 PM

haha, syliva pretty much told everyone at the start of the semester to find old tests..

i wasnt a teachers pet either, or friends with anyone. i just did what she told everyone to do. memorize the hell out of some structures. thats all.

i went into the final with an A-.. the final was hard, and very hard to study for, thats why we went to mitch's... because we pretty much quit studying.

biotch plz

11/15/2008 2:49:01 PM

This thread is awesome.

11/15/2008 5:05:35 PM

if you got to class in time, and didnt act like a stupid idiot. then she wouldnt yell at you.

i dont blame her for yelling at kids and kicking them out when they are late to class.

you're all pretty much seniors, you've had 3-4 damn years of learning to get to class in time.
their faces were priceless... thinking they can just stroll in. haha

11/15/2008 7:50:19 PM

^

Exactly. The only kids being yelled at deserved it 100%. They just sailed through their first three years and some never figured out how to respect professors and fellow classmates.

11/15/2008 10:32:08 PM

I'm reluctant to join this discussion, however I feel inclined to share my experience with BCH451 and comment on a few of the statements listed above.

First and foremost, BCH451 will be a challenging course regardless whether you choose Dr. Hardin or Dr. Knopp as your instructor. In retrospect, I've concluded that the course is challenging due to lack of rigorous preparatory coursework. I feel that many (but not all) students skate through the introductory courses (CH101, 201, 221, 223; BIO181, 183) relying heavily on grading curves. Consequently, they fail to develop the essential ability to read and assimilate information from textbooks, prepare before lectures and establish a daily study routine. All of these skills are necessary to be successful in BCH451 without undue stress and dependence on curves and extra credit.

The lack of rigorous introductory coursework does more than leave the student lacking study skills--it leaves the student lacking an essential foundation of basic knowledge. If a student passes organic chemistry with a C+ having earned 40's on his exams, he may pass organic chemistry but that doesn't mean he knows anything about organic chemistry.

When I took honors biochemistry with Dr. Knopp last fall, I spent a great deal of time reading the textbook and preparing my notes before lectures. That way I was able to get the most out of my class time and was not rushing to copy every word-- rather I was able to add lecture notes to the margins of my written notes. I earned an A in the course and though it was challenging, it was not altogether stressful.



Second, in reply to webtime-- I find many of your comments a bit disturbing. It is clear that your opinion is based heavily on some deep, underlying resentment... Call me a "teachers pet" if you please, but I enjoy interacting with my professors to discuss coursework, research, et cetera. In the scheme of things, we have a very short window of time in our lives to pursue a full-time university education. Why not make the most of that time? Also, I believe you spelled probisci wrong. It should be spelled probosci. I find it interesting that you refer to the students who obtained copies of old exams as "frat boys" and their "sorority whores". Note that those exams are openly posted and available to all students on the course website. Finally, publicly wishing misfortune on someone is quite uncouth.


Third, in reply to

Quote :

"how does compare it to sandberg's organic chems, or gazoo's ch 201?"

I took CH221/223 with Dr. Sandberg immediately prior to starting BCH451. I very much enjoyed her courses and worked hard in both. As I result, I did well and learned quite a lot-- this made BCH451 much "easier" (i.e. more easily digested) I would say the coursework and time investment is approximately equal for CH223/BCH451. I took CH201 with Dr. Warren concurrently with BCH451. Again, I very much enjoyed his course. I would say the time investment/difficulty of CH201 is roughly half that of BCH451. It is worth mentioning that the material for BCH451 should be approached and studied quite differently than either CH223 or CH201 and as a result its difficult to compare them directly.

11/15/2008 11:38:30 PM

words =p

11/15/2008 11:40:19 PM

Quote :

"I find it interesting that you refer to the students who obtained copies of old exams as "frat boys" and their "sorority whores". Note that those exams are openly posted and available to all students on the course website."

He was talking about Dr. Sylvia's class. When I took her, she did not make previous exams available. So unless you knew someone who had taken her class or you were in a frat or sorority you were SoL.

11/15/2008 11:51:42 PM

Quote :

"I feel that many (but not all) students skate through the introductory courses (CH101, 201, 221, 223; BIO181, 183) relying heavily on grading curves."

I feel this way too. I think the way the instructors choose to teach these classes and labs is detrimental to every student who takes these courses.

11/15/2008 11:57:42 PM

damn you people.

really?

the whole class was memorization. i knew nothing about Borganic or even gen chem. i took those classes, but sucked at them

just memorize, thats pretty much how all science classes are.

11/16/2008 12:38:07 AM

i seriously just read aapriors entire post...idk if she "tries too hard" or what...but i enjoyed reading it...she writes all professional and has good use of phrases(for example "in the scheme of things")...the only thing that i thought sucked was her use of the word uncouth...sounds like she forced it(in my opinion)

[Edited on November 16, 2008 at 1:07 AM. Reason : oh and she bolds/italicized that one part which i thought was cool too]

11/16/2008 1:06:54 AM

lol

11/16/2008 8:11:33 AM

I'm in Optometry School now and I had Sylvia for Bch when I was at State... I surely didn't make an A, but it was the first class at State I actually had to change study habits for. I respected Dr. Sylvia and her class is very similar to how my classes here are now, so if you plan on going to grad school, BCH is a great class to test the waters. However, Dr. Hardin was a total asshole. I had him for BCH 452, I could not possibly respect the man any less. He treated students 1000x worse than Sylvia and not only screwed up my grade at the end of the semester, he told me I was a liar and the TA could not have possibly missed a line on the spreadsheet. I made up all of my old quizzes and lab reports and graded them myself. Seriously, stay far far away.

11/16/2008 9:11:10 PM

I'm in med school now and had also Sylvia for bch451 at State...in my opinion it was completely worthless. I never went to class after she berated somebody the first day and just spent my time at home memorizing the structures of carbohydrates, fats, amino acids, and nitrogenous bases cold. It was a complete waste of time, medical biochemistry is a whole lot more complicated than drawing out every hydrogen. In fact, my only use for that class was one specific question on the MCAT was easier because I knew the structure of glycine...although you could deduce the answer even if you hadn't taken biochem.

As for her playing favorites...I can't comment because I was never in class, but if true that's pretty messed up.

11/16/2008 9:27:19 PM

Chuck sucks

You will probably be better served in life to just drop out rather than listen to his drivel.

But I have no clue if he sucks as bad for 451 as he did for 452, although we had a great TA in that class and she made it possible. I banged an A+ in that class.

11/16/2008 10:56:02 PM

hhahah, it's so blatantly obvious that webtime failed biochem

they don't call it a weeding class for nothing

edit: also, I had her for 451...and did fine. if you're planning on going to grad school it's one that an A will look really good in.

[Edited on November 17, 2008 at 9:34 PM. Reason : .]

11/17/2008 9:30:55 PM

Agree with most of whats being said about sylvia. Her class helped me out bigtime for when i took 2 biochem's in grad school.


Also, I thought it was funny as shit when she would make fun of people who showed up late. Always had hilarious stories too.

11/17/2008 11:05:44 PM