Marlier, John  

In all honesty I have never met a more pompous, conceited, arrogant ass than Dr. Marlier. While he may know his subjet matter, his demi-god like attitude towards students is a real turn off. Do yourself a favor and don't even give him or his class the time of day. Or if you still don't believe me just sit in on a couple of his lectures and I'm sure you may be ready to add a few more lines to this review.

Very good lab instructor. Spent about the first hour lecturing on the material and laying out everything we needed to complete the experiment. Very straightforward and helpful, and also a really nice and funny guy.

I think Marlier has the potential to be a good professor...for a DIFFERENT chem course. I took Chem 127 with him and it was very challenging! He is used to teaching upper division chem courses like o'chem and because he hadn't taught gen-chem in so long, he did a very poor job of explaining things. I hadn't taken chem since sophomore year in high school and he seemed to assume that we were all chem majors, knew the material by heart and needed very little instruction. I've heard from other people who have taken him for O'chem that he was great, but I would not recommend taking him for gen-chem unless you already have a very firm grasp on the subject or can teach yourself the material. He's better suited for those who already have a very strong chem background!

When i take o-chem, im definitily going to take Marlier since he is a straight forward teacher and presents the material very well. But I would not recommend him for general chem. He expects students to know too much (since he is an upper division prof) and he doesnt break down the material enough. Unless you are just coming out of an AP chem class senior year of high school, Marlier\'s class will be difficult and you will need to do a lot of work on your own going through the material and doing problems. BUT! the good thing is he grades on a curve and since people tend to do badly, you can get c\'s on everything and end up with an a in the class.

I really liked Marlier, he was like a great Uncle I'd talk to about random stuff at a family reunion. Weird analogy... moving on. That being said, what has been said about him as a gen-chem prof is true. He is definitely better suited as an upper division teacher. His class is taught on a huge curve though, and in the end he is a very nice guy, and pretty funny at times (with a very dry sense of humor). He actually really likes most of his students (even the dumb ones like me) and you can tell he really cares that his students both enjoy, and learn the material.

I think Dr. MArlier is a great teacher. He is funny and explains his labs very thouroughly. I am definetly taking him again next quarter.

Dr. Marlier is a great teacher! He is a lot of fun in lab- plays music and goes around and talks to students. He explains things well in class and is helpful during office hours. He gives out study guides for tests and quizzes and has review sessions before tests. Has a pretty generous curve and curves overall grades after every test so that you know where you stand.

I liked this teacher. He is clear and grades fairly. he curves the exams, and helps you understand chemistry, not just memorize it.

Marlier = The Man. Organic Chemistry will forever remain the Bane to my existence, but this guy made it tolerable. He curves the class and all exams, which helped me end up with a B in the course (even though I'm 95% sure I got lower than a C on the cumulative ACS exam). He posts his practice tests online and is very thorough and clear in lecture. He is also very helpful in office hours and incredibly patient. Heads up, the final for this class is brutal because it's standardized and cumulative of all three quarters of O Chem. 10/10 recommend the study guide that you can buy for like $20. Overall, I would highly recommend him!

Dr. Marlier is such a great guy. He's become one of my favorite professors at cal poly over the past two quarters of o chem. He presents the info in a really clear and organized way, and he's been teaching for a really long time so he's not one of those professors that's really smart but bad at sharing his knowledge. 100% take him for o chem - no homework, three midterms, one final, all curved, all directly from the lectures. I have nothing bad to say about Marlier - 10/10

I took Marlier for Chem 316-318 and overall I think he is a good professor. His lectures were very structured and his tests were pretty predictable. His test averages were the worst of all ochem sections, but his curve is forgiving. At first he is not very approachable in office hours and often makes you feel dumb, but if you go enough times he will warm up to you. Study the notes, do the assigned (but not collected)problems, and the practice tests and the class is cake!

Marlier is awesome. His tests are exactly like his practice tests and he is more than willing to give you extra help in order for you to understand the material. If you are relying only on lecture to understand the material, it wont happen. Its ochem. its hard and you have to do work on your own but with reading the book and attending lectures, marlier makes it more than manageable

About Marlier...there's good news and then there's bad news. The good: he curves. and he also will drop your lowest midterm and replace it by making your final more heavily weighted. The way he curves is weird though, he just curves the whole class rather than each test and its confusing and hard to know exactly what your grade is. But its definitely a relief to have a bit of a buffer and it the curve is very helpful. He also doesn't have quizzes. Actually, its three midterms and a final and thats it for the class. At first I thought having no quizzes would be nice, only to find out that it is terribly hard to stay caught up and to gauge your understanding of the material in such a challenging subject without them. I would rather he have them. The bad news: His teaching style is tough to grasp, at least for me. I just feel like I stare at the board while he is writing, completely baffled and by the end of class my spirits are broken because I feel like a moron since I cannot grasp a single thing that he is saying. But after reading the book, I usually can understand the topics. Obviously, this is a tough class, extra work must be done to supplement the lecture in order to really grasp the concepts. However, I feel like I would be better off not going to class and just reading, because the lectures really don't clarify or explain things at all (at least for me). Of course I still go to class every lecture and it bothers me how irritated Dr. Marlier gets by students asking questions. He acts like it is a total imposition every time someone raises their hand, and once he even acted all frustrated and annoyed that someone asked him to provide an example for a concept he was failing to explain. I find his resistance to answering questions and clarifying concepts very disconcerting given his career choice as a professor. I believe those are included in the job description. Its also very irritating when he will explain some important concept very quickly and only once, and wont write it down on the board. I'm always struggling to try and remember what he said three sentences ago so that I can write it down. Honestly, i LOVED inorganic chemistry and was entirely thrilled for ochem, but this class has made me hate it like i never imagined possible. The curve is great, but I don't think I would recommend Marlier unless you already understand the concepts covered in this class fairly well.

Reading the below reviews, I can understand why some people have rated Professor Marlier they way they have. Having stated that, I feel that for most people (and for me), in order to succeed in a tougher class like organic chemistry, you MUST be pro-active in your studying. He is definitely knowledgable in organic chemistry and is good at explaining/laying out the important concepts and ideas that you need to know. This is especially helpful come test-time when he write study guides. He might seem a little intimidating at first, but will definitely help you and answer your questions if you seek help. While he may not be the most animated teacher in the world, I don't blame him all that much. I don't even know what type of teacher I'd be if I was teaching introductory organic chemistry to confused students for I don't even know how many years. If you go and listen in class though, he does have a pretty funny dry sense of humor. Overall...he's a good organic chemistry teacher. A real straight shooter. Take him. Haven't tried another organic chemistry teacher, but I'm glad I had him last quarter. Listen in class, take good notes and don't expect to ace organic chemistry without doing plenty of your own studying outside of class and you'll definitely be fine.

Dr. Marlier has been my favorite teacher at Cal Poly so far, even though his class is hard!! Don't expect to just go to class, do the homework, and get a good grade. You will have to work hard to understand all of the difficult concepts of organic chemistry. Dr. Marlier is awesome about giving help in office hours and really wants to see his students succeed. You will probably have to go in to his office occasionally to ask questions, as the lecture moves along very quickly. He is also a great lab instructor and has a good sense of humor in what could be a stressful lab! Marlier has a genuine interest in o-chem and in seeing students enjoy it. He made organic chemistry understandable and even fun, so I would definitely recommend him for all of your organic chemistry classes!

Alright, this is all i have to say about Dr. Marlier. The curve for his tests and final grades is freaking beautiful. I mean 55% on the test could land you a C+ with the curve. And he gets your final grade using 2 methods, whichever is higher is the grade you get. I highly recommend him for this class despite the fact that if you really have to take it then good luck. 317 is like a prison shower scene, but Marlier makes it less painful. Good luck

Marlier is the MAN! I had him for 316, 317, and 318 (lecture and lab)and I couldnt have asked for a better professor. His tests are hard if you dont study, but its organic chemistry, what do you expect? He gives practice tests on line that are very similar to his exams and he also makes time for review sessions before the exams (come prepared with questions though). His grading curve is amazing because he helps you out as much as possible. The guy is great and I would recommend him to anyone for the whole organic series.

The only way I can explain this teacher is... DRY, BLAN, ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES...I hope your getting the point. For me his style did not click AT ALL...he never makes eye contact, is always looking at the roof and is the most mono tone person i have ever experienced. On the other hand if that sounds like you take him but if your a normal person take Dr. K or Dr. Simek. as far as the midterm goes their ok but the final is a KILLER!!!!!!

good luck learning with this guys teaching styles

Dr. Marlier is the best! I've had him for both 317 and 318 and he rocks. He is fair and his tests are just like the notes and the practice exams. It's not that the prof is hard, it's that O CHEM IS HARD. You have to do your work. Period. Study the notes and use the book to clarify what you don't understand. Marlier is awesome!

Some people dont really like marlier\'s lecturing style but I think he was an excellent teacher. He\'s a little dry at times but hes very organzied and trys to keep everyone going with his own sense of humor. He\'s a little intimidating if you dont get to know him but in lab he is extremely helpful and enjoys walking around talking to students. His tests are difficult but they are very fair. Just stay on top of the ball study wise and you should be fine.

I really enjoyed having Dr. Marlier for ochem! I'll admit when I first met him I was a bit scared to take his class because he's sort of dry and intimidating, but once you get to know him he's actually funny in his own way. The class is hard and a lot of work but Marlier clearly presents all the material you need to know for the midterms (3), he gives study guides, he posts previous exams (some of the most important things to study because the questions are very similar), and he is helpful in office hours. I'm glad I also had him for lab too because by the end he would always joke with us and would answer any questions we had. Overall, he is a great teacher and I'm sad I didn't get to take him for the whole series.

Dr. Marlier is one of the best professors i have had at cal poly. He is extremely clear on what he wants you to know for the exams. He even gives out a study guide with a breakdown of what each question will be on. Having said that, his exams are still tough... but then again ochem is tough so you can't really expect any exam to be easy. His lecture style is very organized and easy to follow. He can come off as sort of a gruff old man but if you get to know him he is such a nice guy. In lab I would chill with him outside of the class drinking coffee (8 a.m. lab... coffee was necessary) and we would just talk about random stuff. Really nice guy. The only thing I didn't like was his emphasis on yield in lab. I would consistently get docked a point on every lab because my yields sucked, and when each report is only out of six points it really has a big effect on your lab grade. Other than that the reports are REALLY EASY. All you have to do is calculate the theoretical yield and percent yield and usually take an NMR and IR and you will get all of the points. There are no tricky questions to answer like in the gen chem lab reports. Sad that this guy is retiring soon. He should teach forever! take him.

An absolutely amazing teacher and person. Chem 317 with marlier was by far one of my favorite classes at cal poly. He is extremely clear on what he expects from you in the class, and while it took a lot of studying to get the grade I got, one should expect that from any ochem professor. Lab twice a week was not as horrible as one might think, and marlier makes it much more enjoyable with his anecdotes and short stories. He is retiring soon, so try to take him as soon as you can!

The Clint Eastwood of chemistry. Not only is his dry, sarcastic humor entertaining but he is also one of the most intelligent professors I have ever had. He is the man!

Dr. Marlier is one of the best chemistry professors that I have had at Poly. I had him for chem 129 lab, 217 and 318 lecture and lab. He knows his stuff. His lectures are really interesting and informative, but the material is tough. In lab, he's pretty easy going and goes around to get to know the students. I have no complaints. His tests are very fair and just reflect what was said in lecture. If I were you, I would take him over all the other organic professors. No matter what, o-chem is difficult, but he's a nice guy that can help you out.

So Marlier is an amazing teacher. He presents material very straight forward, gives you outlines before each exam, and is really good about answering questions in a way that makes sense to student. He is not really easy, and for 318 he requires you to have a solid foundation in 316 and 317 especially because your final is the national organic chemistry ACS exam. There is pretty much no way to get around taking that exam though, every prof requires it for 318. I hadn't taken 316 or 317 for almost a year and procrastinated on just about every exam and got a B. If you keep up with the work an A isn't hard to get.

Lots of people think that Dr. Marlier is boring, but I think that\'s just the nature of the course. Chem 318 is so full of mechanisms, and if that isn\'t your thing, you\'ll probably be bored. The best part about Marlier is that you are rewarded for listening intently during lecture - his dry humor is the best! He also curves the tests, so don\'t worry if you bomb something.

I took Dr. Marlier for all 3 of the OChem series, and if you have a chance to take OChem with him then you should do it. His tests are hard, but he is a great lecturer and very straight forward with the material. As long as you go to lecture and pay attention and then do a few problems before tests, you will be alright. His grading also takes into account the difficulty of the tests as well. No homework too which is nice, just have to memorize your reactions and mechanisms.

Dr. Marleir made O-chem lab fun, and I HATE O-chem. He explained the experiments so that I understood what was happening. He is very saftey consious!! Be prepared for the longest ever saftey lecture on the first day. As long as your being safe, he's realy layed back and jokes a lot with his students. He also takes an interest in helping his students further their education.

Dr. Marlier is a really cool guy and knows the material very well. He's pretty animated in lab - he jokes with the students, does voices and occasionally sings along to a song he likes on the radio, but his lecures can be a bore. In all fairness, quantitative analysis isn't exactly fascinating material, but it's not his favorite course to teach and sometimes it shows. He does cover the material thoroughly and willingly answers questions during and after class. His quizzes and tests are challenging, but not impossible, and his grading procedures and curve are very generous. I'd highly suggest taking Dr. Marlier for another course other than Quant, but if you do take him for 331, things could be far worse.

Having had Dr. Marlier for a lecture and a lab, I can truly say he sucks in both elements. In lecture he speeds through the material as if he can't stand being there and God help you if you don't understand or ask a question. In lab, if you don't understand a procedure or just have a general question, he tends to give a resigned sigh and acts as if you're the stupidest person on the face of the planet. Then he will proceed to answer the question in the most annoyed voice possible and as loud as he can so that everyone can hear how stupid you are. It got so bad that by the end of the quarter I would guess on certain procedures rather than ask him. As far as tests and grading go, he is fair enough but his general attitude made the class unbearable.

Missed the first day, went to the second day. Went to the midterm. Went to the Final. Three days of class total. I got a B, easy. This kind of shit gives our school a bad name.