General Chemistry I
Recorded 2026-10-14 Spring 2027
General Chemistry I
General Chemistry I covers stoichiometry, states of matter, thermochemistry, atomic structure, bonding, and lab skills.
offering recorded4 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 No instructors listed
Summary
1 / 6
Past student reviews · Jeannine Szczech, Stephen Block
Past students reported that Dr. Szczech’s tests were very difficult, while Dr. Block’s labs took over six hours to complete and were described as unforgiving and poorly managed.
What you’ll be able to do
Construct models of atomic, ionic, and molecular substances that account for interactions between particles and energy flows between system and surroundings and use these models to explain trends in physical properties.
Construct models for atoms or ions that highlight the probable locations and energies of all electrons and use them to explain atomic-level phenomena (e.g., periodic properties or light-matter interactions).
Construct and use appropriate three-dimensional bonding models that describe the probable valence electron distribution in a molecule and use these models to explain structural observations and chemical behavior.
Conduct, modify, and analyze experiments in the laboratory pertaining to stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and spectroscopy while developing fundamental safety, measurement, and sample isolation techniques.
Articulate the rationale behind experimental results in verbal communications and written assessments.
Calculate, evaluate, and rationalize quantities relevant to stoichiometry and thermodynamics, e.g., amounts in moles, mass, concentration, energy changes.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗ average GPA
52,86552,865 letter grades
A25.8%25.8%
AB14.1%14.1%
B27.0%27.0%
BC11.6%11.6%
C15.2%15.2%
D5.1%5.1%
F1.3%1.3%
All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapMATH 112, 114, 171, 211, 221, or placement into MATH 211 or 221. Not open to students with credit forCHEM 109 or 115
- take one
- not eligible with
“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
GILBERT NATHANSON is recorded teaching in Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2024, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
JEANNE HAMERS is recorded teaching in Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
JORDAN SCHMIDT is recorded teaching in Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2020. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
LEA GUSTIN is recorded teaching in Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
LINDA ZELEWSKI is recorded teaching in Fall 2009, Fall 2014, Fall 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
MELISA M. CHERNEY is recorded teaching in Fall 2007. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
STEPHEN BLOCK is recorded teaching in Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 002 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 256 | 0 |
| DIS 327 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 328 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 627 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 628 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 332 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 632 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 321 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 322 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 323 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 621 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 622 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 623 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 20 | 0 |
| LEC 001 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 315 | 0 |
| DIS 301 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 302 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 305 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 306 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 307 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 601 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 602 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 605 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 606 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 607 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 329 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 629 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 311 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 611 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 312 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 612 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 308 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 608 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 309 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 310 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 609 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 610 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 331 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 631 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 324 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 624 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 315 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 615 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 316 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 616 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 325 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 625 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 303 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 603 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 326 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 626 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 20 | 0 |
| DIS 304 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 604 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LEC 003 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 217 | 0 |
| LAB 645 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 647 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 648 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 345 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 347 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 348 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 341 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 641 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 21 | 0 |
| DIS 342 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 642 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 343 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 643 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 344 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 644 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 346 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 646 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 313 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 613 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 330 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 630 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 349 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 649 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 350 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 650 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 314 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 614 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 333 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 334 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 633 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 634 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 351 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 352 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 353 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| DIS 354 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 651 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 652 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 653 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
| LAB 654 | Classroom Instruction | 0 / 22 | 0 |
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Gilbert Nathanson, Linda Zelewski
Students described the course as demanding, with one reviewer noting that Professor Nathanson brought energy to lectures while another found Professor Zelewski’s teaching unhelpful and too fast-paced.
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 2.98 GPA, 38.1% A/AB (n=750 letter grades); Fall 2025: 2.99 GPA, 40.3% A/AB (n=2204 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.01 GPA, 43.4% A/AB (n=761 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Jeannine Szczech, Stephen Block
Past students reported that Dr. Szczech’s tests were very difficult, while Dr. Block’s labs took over six hours to complete and were described as unforgiving and poorly managed.
Past student reviews · Jordan Schmidt, J.R. Schmidt
Opinions on Jordan Schmidt varied; one student found his lectures clear and interesting with grade-boosting assignments, while another found his slides difficult to take notes from.
Topics
- Stoichiometry and the mole concept
- Behavior of gases, liquids, and solids
- Thermochemistry
- Electronic structure of atoms and chemical bonding
- Intermolecular forces
- Chemistry laboratory skills
Skills
- Constructing models of atomic, ionic, and molecular substances to explain trends in physical properties.
- Conducting and analyzing laboratory experiments in stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and spectroscopy.
- Calculating and evaluating quantities in stoichiometry and thermodynamics.
Grades
Historical instructor
Spring 2027 · Projected
Before grades are releasedApproximate 80% prediction interval
0.04.0
About this estimate
The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.
The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.
8 earlier forecasts · 0.08 GPA average error.
Grades over time
Through Spring 2027
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Where this course fits relative to
Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels
Higher than
Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range
More recorded grades than
Typical course in this group:
About this comparison
1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.
Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.
Sources & history
UW–Madison
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
Raw records
[
{
"run_id": "20261014T203208-0851c9a1",
"semester": "1274",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
"offering_id": "1274:224:002749",
"course_id": "CHEM 103",
"course_uid": "course_c6c64d7584708e58ca90e23d",
"term_id": "1274",
"source_course_id": "002749",
"source_subject_id": "224",
"title": "General Chemistry I",
"credits_min": 4,
"credits_max": 4,
"typically_offered": "Fall, Spring, Summer"
}
]Rate My Professors
Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Madgrades
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesDataset & model
View the dataset on Hugging Face Recorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
{
"model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
"model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
"task_version": "17",
"output_id": "b61e5fe54797eed2a2ab0afcaab72158afed9c2d3f58f7cdc79c798cdfbc6007",
"requirements_status": "needs_review",
"dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}