Excellent teacher, only stupid people fail his classes.

Had him a while ago. Easy to talk to, very approachable...but make sure you really try hard at understanding the material before going to his office hours. He doesn't like people who wait for him to hand them the answers. Make sure you keep up with the reading.

He is the worst professor I have encountered at UCSB. Instead of teaching the material, he would mock and insult his students if they were unable to answer one of his questions (this was in a class of approximately 250 students). Overall, he turned me off to organic chemistry.

He's a decent teacher, but if you're fairly studious. Avoid his classes if you're either not a chem/biochem/premed student or you're not already slightly familiar with Ochem. Both his tests and his personality are vile and evil.

No Comments

This is the class you have to go to office hours and put absurd amounts of time and effort into. Take CLAS, consistently put in at least 3 hours a day, and you won't even have to really study for the midterms and final.

challenging class that reqires lots of work. pettus will tell you everything you need to know for the tests but you need to be on the ball the whole quarter or you'll get lost quick. good way to study for tests is to do book problems.

Hard class, pettus can be harsh but seems to want people to learn. Go to class every day. Tests are tough.

THIS WAS THE WORST CLASS WITH THE WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER TAKEN MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE. All he wanted was for us too fail, at least is how I felt. He shouldn't be teaching, or he should learn how first!!!!

Damn hard course. Of course ochem is going to seem simple after working with it for half your life and teaching intro courses every quarter. Good luck with the final.

Pettus- You are the devil incarnate. You have no compassion, and get pleasure out of ridiculing students. I have never met anyone so inconsiderate and rude in my life. Oh and if you believe that the book has errors in it, write your own!...

guy jumps around in lecture material, talks fast. but his test is not too bad.

the class kicks your ass but if you can hang you'll learn a lot

Dr. Pettus: Teaching is not about watching students struggle and thereby boosting your ego. It's about helping, sparking interests, and making students see how cool O.Chem can be; three qualities you are seriously lacking!

really really hard but you learn a lot