Physical Chemistry I

He is fun outside of class. However, the way he taught this class made me regret being a chem major. He punishes you heavily for making mistakes. There is little room for practice and growth beyond the homework and staring at the math on posted lecture notes that he never taught in class. Exams were never also representative of lecture content.

12/23/2025

Worst professor I have ever had at WashU. Lectures are disorganized and the order did not make sense. He spent little time and made many mistakes on important topics and took lots of time on random details. Exams are insane and he gives little if any partial credit for anything. I would rather drop out than have to take another one of his classes.

12/20/2025

Professor Okuno is a nice guy and can be quite funny but that's about it. Lectures are highly math-focused, barely conceptual, and completely different from the lecture notes posted. He also gets confused during lectures even though he has lecture notes in his hand. Exams were crazy different, it's pointless to try and study, better luck guessing.

12/16/2025

Very funny and nice guy, but this class was so frustrating. Problem sets, practice exams, and review sessions did not reflect what was covered on the exam. The concepts he spent the most time on and the ones we practiced the most were the ones that didn't show up on the exams.

12/15/2025

It is not clear that Dr. Okuno understood the material he was trying to present. So, instead he lectured on mathematics he did understand. Then he tested on the quantum, which he did not understand and he could not explain to us, even after the exam. I would love to know where he got those exam questions from, cause he did not create them.

12/8/2025

I do not get him or the class. He presented one thing and tested on another. I understand teachers want us to think, but he tested us on unrelated material. Where in the world would we have learned how to do any of those problems.

12/8/2025

Dr. Okuno is a really funny and great person outside of class. However, he has the talent of making a difficult class even harder. His handwriting is completely illegible, and his published notes often don't follow the lectures well. The exams were extremely difficult and the practice exams/problem sets given were not even slightly comparable.

12/5/2025

The lectures were often very confusing, and sometimes he didn't know what was going on. I understood more if I didn't go to the lecture and just read the lecture notes independetly. What was covered on the exams was not very reflective of the problem sets and problems that were discussed in class. The average for the 2nd exam was 38 :(

12/3/2025

Okuno is the worst. He spent the first 3rd of the semester going over math concepts, but then said he changed his mind, and we won't use all of it. The 2nd 3rd we started doing 111 material, but somehow he made no sense. I had to get help from my undergrad TA, who for sure knows more than Okuno. The 2nd midterm was impossible and confusing.

11/19/2025

Had Loomis last year for Quantum, and it was so challenging. I am now in grad school, and I am just realizing how much I learned in his class. He makes you work, but you learn so much. just so good.

11/12/2025

Prof. Loomis is the best at WashU. He knows how to present material and assign problems to ensure we learn what the material means and what it can be used for. You start thinking wth, but after you digest it a bit, things fall into place. I am so thankful I could take Prof. Loomis 2x.

5/28/2025

Loomis gets it. He is hard, but very fair. You will have to work, but you will learn a ton. Just one of the best at WashU. I will miss him.

4/17/2025

Hands down the GOAT. His courses are challenging and 401 is no exception but he is great. He works very hard to ensure we learn the material. At first I wished there was less HW, but doing it and being graded on it made us learn the material. The exams were tough but fair if you did the HW. Grading was very reasonable with no curve.

1/16/2025

CHEM401 or also known as MATH401 or Physics401. This is a hard class so review and ask questions. He cares a lot and does whatever he can to do to answer your questions and he will challenge you, but you will learn a lot. He can really teach for sure, but you have to put in the effort or the class will consume you.

1/14/2025

2-4 hrs/week

Really interesting class. It helps a lot if you know math. Definitely very doable, I learned so much and loved the content

1/12/2025

What a journey. 1st 2 weeks I was wtf. Then, the math started making sense. The last 1/2 of the semester the quantum started making sense. Stick with it and trust Loomis. Such a rewarding class.

12/19/2024

Incredibly challenging class, incredible professor. By far the most difficult class I've ever taken. You'll have to work hard, but Prof. Loomis works equally hard to help you succeed. Passion for the course material is apparent in every lecture and humor makes learning the content tolerable. I'll never forget Pleft spectra.

12/19/2024

THE BEST CLASS I have ever taken. hard material but i had so many lightbulb moments. i do wish i would have taken 401 my sophomore year as it explains gen chem material and organic would have made so much more sense. brush up on calc and don't be afraid to ask questions if you miss something.

12/19/2024

First day he joked "this course should be called math 401" and then started lecturing... he was right. He's incredibly supportive tho, good at explaining tough concepts from different angles till you get it. professor=understanding, material=very hard. Lectures available on zoom, receptive to course feedback.

12/18/2024

Loomis is a goof ball. This is the most difficult class I've taken, but if you put your nose to the grindstone you can do well. Through all the anxiety he'll still make you laugh. He's very fair when it comes to grading, though his exam are tough. I love the guy. What sets him apart: he will sacrifice everything to make sure that you succeed

12/18/2024