Steven Holdcroft - Simon Fraser University

Professor: Steven Holdcroft
Department: Chemistry
College: Simon Fraser University
Rating # 1
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: A-
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
A good teacher who knows how to explain concepts. Lectures contain many example questions to illustrate concepts. Lectures also contain some live demonstrations which are always fascinating. The lab is long and sometimes tiresome but does make sense and ties in with the rest of the material. Exams and marking are straightforward and fair.
Rating # 2
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: B+
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Prof Holdcrofts lectures are nice because he explains things very clearly and orderly, and on top of it all his English accent makes it all sound like a peaceful therapy session and not a hard General Chem course. Midterm is agreeably hard, but some of the hardest question I know has a similar style to the txtbook questions, so pay attention.
Rating # 3
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: Not sure yet
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
His midterm is the reason so many people are going to have to retake this class, it was ridiculously difficult (good luck future students) and had an average of 50% (which he said was normal?????) FIRST OFF that should NOT be a normal average if you want your students to succeed. Only good thing about him was his in-class experiments
Rating # 4
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: Not sure yet
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
Stevens a nice guy but he really screwed us all over with the midterm, it was INSANELY difficult; he said it was going to be similar to the practice but it was absolutely nothing like it and around 300/650 students failed it (average was 50%); the questions were NOTHING like the textbook/homework/practice test or anything we had covered in class
Rating # 5
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
Holdcroft is a good professor with an nice accent and the topics covered in the course are complex so I'll give him credit for explaining things well. My biggest issue was how hard the midterm was. The practice exam was said to be the same level of difficulty but that was HUGE a lie. If the class average is 50%, the students aren't the problem.
Rating # 6
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: B+
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
A great prof for first year chemistry, light hearted, funny, and incredibly nice. There is quite a bit of homework for the course but that is constant whether Holdcroft or Warren is teaching the course. His explanations are clear, he is passionate about chemistry and focused on making sure his students succeed.
Rating # 7
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: Not sure yet
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
The prof is one of the best that i have had so far, he is good at explaining and makes chem fun (never thought i would say that). the material gets harder by the week and there is a LON CAPA due every Saturday and there is a lab which is mandatory which also has another LON CAPA that is need to be completed before each lab.
Rating # 8
Overview:
  • Course: CEHM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
It's been a little while since I took 1st year chem with him. But now that I reflect back he really sets you up for success. News flash, grades don't come easy. You have to work HARD if you want that A. 1st test gave me a taste of reality and I learned to pull it together after. Really helped my future study habits. Do your practice problems kids
Rating # 9
Overview:
  • Course: CEHM121
  • Grade Received: B+
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Passionate, knowledgeable and clear. That being said it is a very difficult course you really have to work and utilize everything, especially the practice questions and his office hours time. For a content-heavy class he explains it well
Rating # 10
Overview:
  • Course: CEHM121
  • Grade Received: B-
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Funny guy especially with the British accent. Lots of material in class so it's hard to stay focused. Went to his office hours and he was super helpful, explained everything perfectly.
Rating # 11
Overview:
  • Course: CEHM121
  • Grade Received: B+
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Great prof, hard class! Keeps you entertained with experiments and then goes over examples and does a practice midterm to help. Really knows his stuff. You have to put in the effort to do well. Review, attend lecture, do the examples and you will succeed. Given the course difficulty he's great at explaining that much material. Prepare to work hard!
Rating # 12
Overview:
  • Course: CEHM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
He's cool
Rating # 13
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Would never take it with him. Funny guy but you learn nothing. Avoid at all costs!! Take Chem 121 with Mund instead! Now that guy knows how to teach!
Rating # 14
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Funny guy with a nice accent. He goes through examples extremely quickly and sometimes you cant read his writing. Read the textbook before lecture. Also attend tutorials because some TAs can explain a lot clearer. Midterm was fairly difficult; had to know the formulae because there is no formula sheet. Demos were entertaining.
Rating # 15
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: A+
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
Good prof; clearly explained all concepts, midterm was very fair (similar to examples he went over in class & the practice midterm he posted). Experiments during class were entertaining (although they didn't really contribute much to learning), and his notes were very straightforward and clear.
Rating # 16
Overview:
  • Course: CEHM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
His exams were tough but fair. His lectures were engaging and thought-provoking; he not only goes over useful practice questions, but also shows their application in the real world. I would not recommend his classes as GPA-boosters; however given the amount of material covered, he explained the concepts very well.
Rating # 17
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
So many ppl failed the midterm. It was killer. Unfortunately b/c the large group of ppl who are way smarter than B avg students bring the avg up and create a very positively skewed distribution which masks a big part of the class (the "normal" students). Tips: Read textbook and do the end of chapter q's (pretty much same as lec slides),do lon capa.
Rating # 18
Overview:
  • Course: CEHM121
  • Grade Received: A+
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
He has a lot of demos in his lectures which are fun. He gives good explanations of each concept but to succeed in his exams, you need to make sure you go to tutorials and do lots of practice questions.
Rating # 19
Overview:
  • Course: CEHM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
His lectures can be quite confusing, and he seems more interested in finishing the lectures over conveying the actual important concepts. Be ready to learn lots of them on your own if you want to do well, and expect that the midterm will be at least twice as hard as the in class problems.
Rating # 20
Overview:
  • Course: CHEM121
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
attend tutorials and do as many questions from practice exam and textbook as you can. forget the lecture if you want, he talks about other stuff and does useless experiments anyway, 33 MCQ midterm in 2 hours
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