It's a little sad that the only grades are 4 exams and 3 quizzes. But Esselman is an amazing professor.

Esselman is the best. The class is pretty good too, I found the exams to be nothing crazy and everyone gets to skip 1 lab for any reason.

Esselman not only could thoroughly explain tough topics quickly and effectively, but he would say a random one liner about once a month and the lecture hall would erupt in laughter. He was often honest and sometimes brutal, but it prepared you for what was going to come.

Makes me wanna get a Phd in chem even though that sounds terrible. If that doesn't allow you to understand how inspirational and chill Dr. Esselman is idk what will.

Brian is an amazing organic chemistry professor and I would totally recommend him if you are taking 343. Ochem is a difficult subject, so be prepared to work hard, but if you attend lecture and work on the problem sets you will do just fine.

I had Brian as the lab director for chem 344. Labs were disorganized, poorly written, and often questioned us about material that we didn't cover. Tests are harder than any other course I've taken in ochem.

Great professor, great at explaining complicated organic chem topics. Grade was because of course content not professor. Would highly recommend Dr. Esselman for Organic Chem.

Prof. Esselman is one of my favorite lecturers ever. This is a hard class but the way he teaches the content helps immensely, and he is very funny. I am not sure why some ratings say he is condescending, I never felt that way and he is always willing to answer questions. He is also very considerate with regrades and rounding grades.

CHEM344 with Professor Esselman is a challenging course, but engaging with the content and using study tools like Unstuck AI can help you succeed. The labs are time-consuming, but exams are manageable if you stay on top of the material.

10/10 the best professor I've ever had. I came into organic chemistry terrified - I thought I was going to fail, but I ended up succeeding in this class because of him. He's an entertaining lecturer and he explains things extremely well. He's very passionate about teaching and wants you to succeed. I left class feeling like I really understood.

Dr. Esselman is awesome. Ochem is a very hard subject, so don't expect any of the teachers to be easier than the others. With that, Esselman makes the journey through Ochem actually enjoyable if you're willing to work at it. He is very passionate about what he does and has a very dry/nerdy sense of humor that makes lectures enjoyable.

Get ready to take the worst exams of your life. There's no way to prepare (at least this semester) because the exams from past years are in no way representative of what you'll be tested on. He's a great teacher, and a great person, but you're only graded on tests and they're atrocious. If you care about your GPA or your sanity, take Bowman.

total steve harvey moment and released the wrong grades but overall fine

Ultimately seems very distant and disinterested in the class and his students' success. Only method of instruction is videos taken from years ago. Probably very intelligent about the subject but doesn't seem interested in being a teacher, deflecting almost any direct work with students to TAs.

Brian Esselman is very knowledgeable about the content. But I would not take a course with him again because instructions were unclear and disorganized, content never covered in class was tested, and he was belittling to students.

Amazing, example heavy lectures, and Dr. Esselman knows his stuff. Course is structured very well, and the teaching team sets you up for success. They are so many tools and opportunities to get help, I think anyone who applies themself properly can get an A. Lots of practice exams are provided that mirror actual tests fairly well. Use piazza!

This class is very confusing and disorganized. Each week there was hours of lab work outside of class, and each lab required you to know everything about any chemistry class you have ever taken. The TA's would sometimes answer questions, but half the time they would give you the wrong answer and you would get points off for it. Very tough grading.

Brian is a good professor just a hard class overall. He tends to make funny sarcastic comments in lecture which can come off as kind of "know-it-all" but he means well. He was the best professor option for this class and is really passionate about chemistry in general just can be hard to actually understand the class overall.

I love Esselman so much I am taking honors ochem with him next semester. He is very funny (especially in office hours), explains material very well, and is always available for questions. His exams are tough, but just know the lectures and problem sets inside out. Don't need to read textbook, and make sure to start studying early for exams

Wouldn't have done well in this class without Brian (watched his recorded lectures, he wasn't my prof). Amazing lectures, and always available over Piazza. Best you can have for 343. Don't read textbook, watch and rewatch every lecture, and do the problem sets(!!!)

Such a good professor and can explain some complex things. As far as an ochem professor goes, he is really good since he can explain pretty difficult things in a kinda comprehensible way. Once in a while, he goes on a passion tangent where he goes in depth about something we really don't need to know (ozonolysis;epoxide rings).

Hard class but hes one of the best teachers for it. His lectures are paced nicely but BE AFRAID of asking him questions about your grade over email. man will bite your head off

Horribly disorganized, extremely boring and tedious to listen to, super condescending when answering questions. Basically, gets paid to do nothing but tell others to grade. you horribly ultimately wasting your time and money.

Brian gets a lot of unwarranted hate because he comes off arrogant. He is, but he's also a really good teacher who knows the material and will help you know it too if you're willing to put in work. It's not meant to be easy, and he won't kid you in pretending that it is. Good guy, good teacher. Work for it and you'll be fine.

Dr. Esselman overall is a good professor, explain content clearly and willing to help students. Exams are relatively harder than other professors but acceptable because they distinguish those who perform significantly better than others. Would recommend if you are a chem/biochem major because you'll learn more with him than other professors.

The labs and exams in this course were easy enough to understand. Expect two 2+ hour labs per week plus their 5+ hour postlab reports. Grading criteria on these lab reports can be hard to understand - depending on your TA you may lose points for no reason. Much too much time was spent on this class for two measly credits.

Very disorganized course, tons of work each week AND require you to review for 3 exams which are not highly related to the experiments you conduct. Exams and exam grading are unnecessarily rigorous. This course is far more than a 2 credit course (even if you want do average) and avoid taking it with other hard science course.

Esselman's lectures are helpful, organized, and worth the time - and they're recorded and published online for extra flexibility. You have to be willing to put in a lot of work (for not many credits), but this course is very do-able. My only frustration was that the problem sets and practice exams had unclear or non-existent answer keys.

Prof. Esselman is a fantastic OChem lecturer; he explains every very clearly and concisely. Posts all of his notes, previous lecture videos, and current lecture videos online along with a ton of practice material. He writes tough exams, but is a solid teacher and a good choice for Chem 343.

Brian is passionate about organic chemistry and makes you write pretty in depth lab reports, but this makes studying for the exams a breeze. If you're taking 345 with Esselman/Ellison/Stowe, it is 100% worth taking the lab at the same time. The amount of work this course requires makes me think taking this in summer would be mildly nightmarish.

Professor Esselman keeps lectures interesting. However, during his lectures do not hyper fixate on the reactions that he draws out on his slides, but rather what he says about them. A good way to succeed with this professor is to go to lecture, write the reactions, and then later rewatch and listen to what he says about it.

Brian is a very nice guy and is always willing to explain and re-explain hard concepts. His lectures aren't flashy or exciting, but he teaches the material in a solid way and if you pay good attention you get a decent understanding. Attendance, reading, problem sets, all not required but definitely help if you do them.

I feel like he was an alright lecturer and would clearly describe topics with open discussion. My main problem is that the tests are impossible. You really need to focus on explaining the problem in detail with words and without specific words its a 0. I literally bawled during an exam. The practice material wasn't helpful.

Esselman is a good lecturer and I liked what he did with the honors section for the second semester with listening to grad students' research. I hate this class though. It really should be at least a four-credit with all the content that is covered and the amount of time that you need to put into it and I think Brian should know that by now.

Brian Esselman is definitely one of my favorite professors I've ever had. I was in the combined lecture with him for 343, 344, and 345 and I absolutely loved it. He's passionate about chemistry. I had a couple of circumstances come up that made me unable to take 2 exams at a scheduled time and he was extremely flexible, caring and accommodating.

A decent lecturer, explains concepts in class well and seems personable in recordings. However, he is not great at responding to emails and overall doesnt seem to be a very empathetic or understanding individual in person.

I went to his office hour once to get help on an exam question I bombed, and he was rude. I was taking 345 at the same time, so concepts like J-coupling weren't taught to me yet, but were on the 344 exam. He seemed uninterested and uncaring. TAs essentially taught the class. After "getting help", I only asked TAs about concepts.

He is rude and condescending when asking a question. Doesn't show signs of empathy or emotion... If you are highly self-motivated, you might survive. Switched professors second semester and it actually became a manageable course.

Especially with online, he specifically makes the quizzes and exams just about the hardest thing you've ever done. Even if you take all of the practice quizzes, all of the practice exams, every practice problem, every reading, every lecture and discussion, then you'll be mediocre at best on the exam...I'm serious. He makes it MUCH worse online.

This guy is the reason I have severe anxiety and depression. While a good lecturer and explainer, he seems to find solace in the fact that his students are struggling. Talking to him is honestly not worth it. He is quite frankly rude and you will leave more confused than you came. His exams are difficult as well. I would NOT take him. DO NOT.

OChem is very hard overall, but Esselman's lecture videos were easy to follow. It makes sense when you listen to him talk through a problem-- the issue is being able to do it yourself. He held weekly QnA sessions and office hours that were helpful. This class mainly depends on how much extra time you have to study.

Esselman is the best prof I've ever had! He explains all the reactions in terms of the core concepts of the course, so if you understand those you'll understand all the reactions in the course! Esselman's passion for chemistry is really clear in his teaching and makes you want to learn! He's also really funny and makes lectures fun and informative.

The only way to survive OChem is to have Esselman. His lectures are extremely precise and he explains the last bit of concepts. You have to keep up with the practice sets to make sense of the next chapters as the concepts keep piling up!

I personally think he's not good at explaining things to kids who don't get ochem immediately. it takes a while for most people to get it to "click". Textbook is your best friend. Also exams always include concepts from chapters you haven't read yet which is really frustrating. Dont plan on taking any more ochem with him.

I took Chem 343 online over the summer. Esselman wasn't my actual professor but he was the professor whos videos I watched. He made everything so much easier to understand and did a good job teaching. I do recommend reading the book and taking notes so you get info in several different ways so it's easier to understand.

I took him for Intro OChem (343), and he knows his stuff. I ended up really liking the class especially because he made the lectures very interesting because he was so passionate about the material. The textbook is not necessary, just a waste of money. His tests were fair but required a lot of studying. If you put in the work, youll be fine.

Professor Esselman is a solid Organic Chemistry Professor. He lays out the information very clearly in lecture and stays very organized and efficient in order to benefit his students. Ochem is hard but if you put in a lot of work and pay attention in class it really pays off. Make sure to take the problem sets seriously.

O Chem is obviously a very difficult topic for most people, but Brian does a great job at explaining most of the important concepts in lecture well enough for you to figure things out for yourself better on problem sets and practice exams. Performance in this class really depends on your individual work ethic, but Brian's guidance is very good.

Okay so yes the TAs technically teach lab, but Brian is integral to the entire set up. It is a HARD class. Absolutely so demanding on your entire life. Don't let Brian fool you, he's extremely approachable and will answer all of your burning ochem questions. You WILL need to visit office hours to do well in this class. They're there. Use them.

Professor Esselman gives fantastic lectures that stress the important topics usually covered on exams. That being said, going to O-chem lecture and making notecards will not get you an A in the course. Esselman crafts incredibly detailed problem sets and packets; mastery of these along with great notes taken during lecture will lead to success.

Read & take notes on the material that will be covered in class that day, otherwise you'll be lost the whole lecture. 3 Quizzes, 3 Exams and a final: that's it. Posts the lectures online (not right away, tho). He believes that any student is capable of understanding his class, but it's still very challenging material. Wish he was easier to talk to.

Dr. Esselman is awesome. I had him for Chem 343 and had a different professor for 345, and ended up going to his lectures instead because I really enjoyed him. Hard material (obviously) but explains it thoroughly. Tests can be somewhat ambiguous but the class is curved.

He is a very smart guy who has done this for a very long time. He's a fantastic public speaker and explains better than anyone I've had yet. Problem sets are not graded but doing all of them will get you VERY prepared for quizzes and exams. He also has tons of recources from past years.

Esselman teaches a tough subject and may seem cold and distant, but he really makes everything clear. Problem sets and discussion packets follow the same format of the exam. Definitely join GUTS for Chem 343, it drastically improved my test and quiz scores from an F to a B. Do problem sets and work with other students. O chem is a manageable class

Brian is a funny guy and makes 343 entertaining. He explains things well, but moves very fast. His tests however are extremely difficult. The curve is huge, but the tests are mentally, physically and emotionally draining. Definitely go to office hours and do all the problem sets a few times.

Brian has a cold/sarcastic personality that can come off as rude, but he was one of the smartest professors I've had, and explained concepts well. Quizzes and exams make up most of your grade, but you are provided with all of the resources you need to succeed. Take advantage of problem sets, practice exams, office hours, etc. and you will do fine.

Very passionate educator. Explains things well. May appear slightly cold/rude, but that's just his personality. Don't be scared. Great guy to have a conversation with. Attend office hours regularly.

Brian does not care how much you care about organic chemistry. Brian cares that you learn and understand organic chemistry. The only thing that will get you an A in this class is your own hard work. Brian is a good guy, incredible lecturer, and an average comedian.

Nothing on the professor himself as I had zero interaction with him all semester. Lectures were long and not always easy to understand. However, I will say that everything depends on if you have a good TA or not. Go to OH and ask questions in order to learn concepts. Exams were tough but nothing you couldn't handle if you knew the material.

Good lecturer, but lots of quizes. Challenging, but youll learn. Brian needs to get a new pair of shoes though, also kinda looks like the keebler elf.

Honest to God one of the best professors. I was really busy the semester I took him and didn't have enough time to study, and my grade reflected that, but I was given the chance to succeed. He demands mastery, but he gives you the tools to master ochem. He's an amazing professor and a great person to talk to.

the best uw has to offer. the best uw has to offer. the best uw has to offer. he teaches you so many things and you actually retain them. i switched my major to chemistry in hopes that i will be able to take more of his classes, hes that good. easy A if you do all the work. all the grades are exams/quizzes, and they are very fair. hes fantastic

Course is incredibly professional, well-structured, and well-organized, with clear expectations. Brian lectures quickly, clearly, and concisely, with occasional humor. If you can do the problems on the problem sets, discussion packets, and practice exams, you will succeed in the course. Overall, a fantastic instructor and great way to learn ochem.

Great lecturer, but do problem sets, practice exams, and discussion worksheets. Keep up and listen to his PSAs and any advice that he has to offer!

Extremely good professor!! Best I've had at Madison so far, would totally be a chemistry major if I could have him for all of my classes. Posts previous tests before every midterm/exam, so you know what to prepare for. Prepares you for weird/new applications by explaining the chemistry behind the reactions. Would definitely take if you're premed

Esselman is a tough professor but he makes sure that his students master the material. Make sure to do the practice problems that he provides.

I don't understand the recent negative reviews. He is a far better alternative to Jia Zhou. There are plenty of resources to help you learn the material (problem sets, discussion worksheets, practice exams, etc.) Tests are the only grades. All of his lectures are recorded and I recommend rewatching them. He is awkward and hilarious. Best OChem prof

He made organic chemistry interesting. Instead of just writing the reactions out, he explains why they happen. He is a difficult professor, but if you put in the effort he will respect you. He is by far the best professor I've had on campus and highly recommend him. He knows the subject well.

Esselman is by far the worst professor I've ever had at UW. I was surprised at how little he seems to care about his students. His answers to student questions were sarcastic, rude and all around not helpful. I'm disappointed at the university for employing someone like this. The difficulty of his class is not the problem, his attitude is.

Esselman is very tough but very fair. Do the practice exam; the exam is always laid out the exact same way. Make sure you keep up because if you fall behind you'll never catch up.

Esselman is an extremely passionate and enthusiastic professor! He stresses the importance of understanding concepts rather than simple memorization. He provides plenty of practice problems and exams that will prepare you well. This class requires lots of effort and time, but he provides resources that make it doable. You get what you put in.

He really focuses more on the core concepts which makes O chem more manageable than trying to memorize formulas. The class is formatted super consistently so practice exams, old lecture videos, etc. are super helpful in preparing for exams. You get out what you put in. Definitely recommend him.

GET TO KNOW THIS MAN. He's a great teacher and a great person. READ the textbook to prepare for lecture, DO the problem sets, KEEP up. Brian makes the class interesting and fun.

I think he's probably the best professor but definitely not the easiest professor for organic chemistry. He makes sure you really understand it. I didn't get an A in the class but I think he taught us a lot for sure. Personally, probably would not take his class again just because of grades. But he's a good professor.

Esselman is extremely passionate and engaging. I switched into his class from Gellman knowing it was a hike up in workload but also in quality. This class is extremely challenging and he forces you to know the material. Put in the work and you will love it! Also he is quirky and adorable and has great jokes.

For a tough Organic Chemistry course, Brian sure makes it interesting and keeps topic information extremely clear.

Easily the best and most organized professor I've had at UW-Madison. Gives you absolutely everything you need to succeed.

I really loved having him for OChem and wish I could have him for second semester. The practice problems aren't required which is nice because you can get them done on your own time, but make sure you absolutely do them. They are very indicative of what to expect on his exams/quizzes. Tough class, but possible if you put in the work.

Esselman is an amazing prof. His lectures are informative and he has many good jokes to keep you entertained. He does not collect homework but I would HIGHLY recommend doing the problem sets that he provides as these are similar to the exams. His exams are tough but fair. The only grades are exams and quizzes but if you study you should do well.

Professor Esselman structures his class and lectures so you actually learn and absorb the material. I hated gen. chem, but loved O. Chem because Brian actually sets you up to succeed, and make the material feel like it actually means something. DO PRACTICE EXAMS AND PROBLEM SETS even though they aren't graded!!! Exams are completely fair.

He was an incredibly hard teacher, but I learned SO MUCH and everyone who had Esselman was SO PREPARED for 345 (including myself) :) 10/10, he was absolutely fabulous and I am so lucky to have had him for my first ever organic chemistry class.

I felt like I learned a lot about organic chemistry in this course. However, the sheer difficulty of the exams was very discouraging with averages near 40%. In such a hard class to learn and pick up, your grade is ultimately depending on how you do on his exams. Good luck!!!

Esselman definitely makes you work. His exams are extremely difficult and they force you to really learn all of the material, and there's a lot of it. However, he is probably the best teacher I've ever had. Lectures are amazing and you 're provided with so much material to help you succeed. He also records and posts lectures online which is amazing

Amazing guy. Easily the best professor I've had at Madison. Study the material and ask questions.

Esselman is so epic. I feel like he gets a lot less respect than he actually deserves. Once you get to know him, his quirks become more understandable (he's not arrogant, just a little quirky sometimes). He teaches O-Chem for the learning instead of memorization, which is also really cool. I'm delaying 344/345 until the spring to have him again

Professer Esselman gives excellent lectures and posts them on Learn@uw so you can rewatch them if necessary. If you can master the study material that he makes available, then the exams should go smoothly. Be prepared, his exams are hard. I would recommend taking him if you want to actually learn O Chem. Especial if you are pre-med.

Professor Esselman gave us the hardest exam of the semester on the Monday after Thanksgiving. This could have been easily avoided, and the fact that he gave hundreds of students, many of whom live far from home and almost never get to see their families, a choice between spending time with family and passing the exam/class makes me sick.

Great teacher. Online resources extremely helpful. Very specific and strict grading standards. If you work hard you should have no trouble getting an A in this class. DO NOT FALL BEHIND, YOU WILL NOT CATCH UP. DO NOT MEMORIZE, UNDERSTAND. I did not use the text book AT ALL, would recommend not buying.

This guy does not play around. He spent 5 minutes every day for the first 2 weeks of class reminding us that if we didn't master the material, we were "absolutely going to fail." That being said, he's a strong lecturer who's also great at cracking a joke or two, and also helped a bunch by answering questions on an online forum called 'Piazza'.

Through Brian's class I was able to understand ochem rather than just memorize content. Brian is the smartest organic chemist I have ever met! He comes off a little sassy but don't let this scare you from getting to know him because he is actually really nice! Get his blood boiling by incorrectly using ellipsis whenever you can.....................

Brian is an AMAZING professor! His class is designed to test your understanding rather than your ability to memorize content. Expect to work hard but expect the hard work to pay off. He is always willing to help so don't be afraid to knock on his door. He comes off intimidating but he is actually a really nice person if you get to know him!

Esselman is the best professor I've had thus far. Although he may give much harder tests, they really test your understanding rather than memory. The way he teaches made it much easier to study for tests because you have a solid understanding of the concepts beforehand. Therefore, cramming is not necessary. Don't be intimidated! Highly recommend!

Esselman is a great professor. I took him for both 343 and 345. He has an excellent speaking voice which helps in lectures. His exams are difficult so putting in the effort is a must, as well as being able to expand on concepts learned in class. I heard his office hours are very helpful. The class is no joke though, so keep up. Lectures recorded.

Brian Esselman is by far my favorite instructor that I have had at UW-Madison. I took him for both 343 & 345. I came into this course with little interest in chemistry, but his enthusiasm as well as his ability to clearly convey the information made me love organic chemistry. His exams are difficult, but he gives you tons of materials to prepare!

If you pay attention to every single detail in lecture and do every single problem you will get in A. He posts the lecture online so just use those, I never opened the text book and got an A. Just put in the time.

I had Esselman for 343 and 345. I came into 343 with only college-level chemistry in high school. The first few lectures, I understood very little, but I learned to love his lecture styles. My favorite things were probably the tests. The writing style, question style, and difficulty and length made me feel challenged.

Brian Esselman is a great professor. You'd better take him for Chem 345 but having him for 343 will prepare you very well for higher level courses. Recommended.

Brian is by far the best option for 343. He provides a ridiculous amount of resources for his students to work from, and writes exams that are hard but fair. He is adorably nerdy and makes going to class totally worth it. Smart and sexy.

This class was definitely a challenge but he makes it bearable. Material is difficult and you really have to stay on top of the new information or you will become overwhelmed. Do the problem sets and take the practice exams as they are pretty indicative of what the actual exam will be like. Clear lecturer and good teacher

Esselman may have hard tests but they're very fair and worth it to be in his class. He is a great lecturer and very entertaining, and he definitely explains things very well. You do have to put in a lot of work, but no other teacher will provide you with the depth of understanding. I would definitely take him again over anyone else any day.