Listen. If you can get an A in this class (ridiculously hard), you could get an A in Bruice with way less effort. If you can get an A in Bruice, you might barely get a B in this class lol. This is way harder professor, 0 old exams or practice exams, way harder exams, and require way more knowledge. He is not an amazing lecturer, and goes fast.
Hardest course I've taken so far. Get the e-book and bring your computer to the class since Gainer is basically repeating the book and his pace is way too fast to write everything down. The average for tests is 53% and they are long & hard. I ended up getting an A with overall 79%. Just feeling really lucky since it shows the curve is not too bad.
I took 109C during Summer 2015 and it was okay. I like him better than Bruice but Aue is still the best ochem prof. in my opinion. I feel like this class was more chill during summer and he even offered extra credit. I did a little above average on both midterms. I thought the final was easy & straightforward but I didn't really study so I got a D.
Contrary to what people say, Gainer really isn't that great of a lecturer. He spends the first 2-3 weeks reviewing things we know already from Chem 1A/B/C and then whizzes past new and complicated concepts at the end of the quarter - by the end of the quarter, nobody ever understood anything he was talking about because of the pace of the class.
Anyone who says Gainer is a bad lecture-er just didn't read before class. And that's the thing about Gainer -- you need to read the sections BEFORE coming to class or else you won't know what he's talking about. His midterms are do-able if you do the book problems and the final is tricky, expect averages around 50-60%. Tremendous beneficial curve.
Do not pick Gainer over Bruice. He is not an amazing lecturer at all. He moves extremely quickly and expects you to study a lot on your own. His exams are way harder than Bruice, and you'll be expected to know a lot more. Don't listen to the lmao just need to know concepts, when ppl say that it means u have to know inside and out, to barely do well
He lectures so fast it's impossible to keep up, writes on the board and then erases it, so if you miss it it's gone forever. Work on your speed writing skills if you wanna pass this class. Offers no resources or help for preparing for test, completely blindsides you with questions you've never seen before. Pray for that curve
Dr. Gainer does a really good job but there's just so much material that it's impossible for him to cover it all in class. Read the textbook and do the problems! Going to class will help you (especially those i-clicker points) but it's basically just a repeat of the reading with some clarification of hard parts. Tests vary from difficult to insane.
idk what half the people on here are talking about. Gainer isnt the worst professor but hes not the best thats for sure. His lectures are so fast and he constantly messes up his own notes that CLAS tutors had to always correct him. Midterms not that bad but his final was completely absurd. His final is the reason I got a D in the class
Chem 109C was not my favorite class but I managed to get a B. The first two midterms were very easy, I got an A on the first one and a B on the second one. The final was very difficulty. I failed the final but got a B in the course. Be ready to do HW because those questions show up on the midterms sometimes and do book problems because they show up
Ochem is hard no matter what, but Gainer gets you through it. Very dynamic lecturer and really cares about his students. 2 midterms + final, and online homework. Definitely preferred over Bruice.
Literally worst OChem teacher. 1010 would not recommend. His tests are so hard and random.
Dr. Gainer is by far the best ochem instructor at UCSB. His lectures are very clear and organized and he's always willing to help. I didn't have him for 109A and 109B, but you wish you did! He also makes video tutorials, which are helpful in reviewing the chemistry. Definitely one of the amazing professors at UCSB.
He is a very clear lecturer and his tests are precisely what he lectures onwhat he tells you to cover in the book. If you do the book problems and read the chapters you will do fine, even if you feel like you are failing, because his curve is really high. I think he is a much better teacher than Bruice having taken both professors.
You have to go to lecture because all the quizzes are based off of what he says. He is very enthusiastic and helpful though.
He is a pretty good professor but his tests and quizzes are pretty tough. He is extremely handsome. Those blue eyes are to die for ;)
Morgan Gainer is a must-take for pre-meds. Yes, he is challenging, more-so than Bruice is, but he will make you learn O-Chem until you can recite every mechanism in your sleep, which is good for the MCAT. He will help you learn, and the book is my 2nd bible. His curve is MASSIVE, the rumors are true. Don't take him just for the curve. My 77% A-
Gainer is a fantastic lecturer. He's engaging and allows for students to ask questions. He follows the textbook closely so you can and will use the textbook a lot. Get the solutions manual if you can. CLAS is great, I had Rachel she was great. The tests are challenging. Memorization from textbook won't get you an A, practice lots of problems
Loved him. Hes a passionate teacher and wants you to learn. He does iClicker quizzes every day so you have to go to class, but it's helpful! Tests are LONG! I didn't think they were hard, but you gotta be QUICK and know your stuff!! Go to lecture and CLAS, and do EVERY homework problem in the book. I ended up with 77% and got an A- after the curve.
Treat the book as your bible and you'll be fine. Gainer is a great professor, and he definitely knows his material. You'll only fully follow along to his lecture if you've done the readings ahead of time. He's also pretty attractive imo. TBH, I relied on his lectures&CLAS (yay Sarah!), then read the book later. 66% overall w the curve got me a B.
Gainer really knows the material, this is obvious as he knows how to teach it crystal clear. You MUST read the book before attending lecture, it's the only way you'll fully understand it. Online hw doesn't really compare to his tests. Test are extremely hard, do book problems and go to CLAS!!! Take Sarah for CLAS, she's the best!
Gainer is definitely a tough professor. His exams are long and difficult because they test for complete understanding of the material. Most aren't done with their exam until the very end of class. But there is homework and iclicker points to boost your grade. Also a pretty nice curve.
Class averages on the exams were between 50-60%, so they're definitely not easy. If you end up ~20% above the average, you'll get an A. Book problems are a must, but the book itself can be pretty difficult sometimes. He's crystal clear in lecture, pretty much reiterating the book more clearly. Hard, but worthwhile professor
Gainer sticks pretty closely to the book, so it is important to review material ahead of the corresponding lecture in order to fully utilize lectures. Very cute and friendly in my opinion.