Lee Sobotka

2-4 hrs/week

Great way to get better at coding and computational science. Sobotka teaches physics really well and at a high level.

1/12/2025

2 or less hrs/week

The content is hard, nuclear science is not easy but it is so so so interesting. My favorite class ive taken thus far, made me want to go into nuclear physics

1/12/2025

He is accessible outside of class and willing to meet 1-on-1 if you are struggling. His class can require a lot of studying and reviewing outside of class though. He can be harsh with grading but there is also a generous curve, although this does depend on how well he thinks you understand the material. He tends to announce quizzes two days ahead

2/1/2022

He is clearly enthusiastic about the subjects he teaches, but somehow is able to turn the simplest concepts into incredibly confusing ideas. My recommendation, first find a good textbook (For Chem 402 Atkins is a good choice), read the relevant section(s) before every lecture, go to lecture, watch the box videos and then do the practice problems.

4/28/2021

My husband and I both went to Wash U and still occasionally bring up how awful a Professor Sobotka was. He appears to loathe his students, his lectures are incredibly boring and difficult to follow, and his tests cover nothing that was covered in class or the textbook! People were in tears leaving the first exam.

1/18/2021

seems enthusiastic but just unable to teach. Makes even simple concepts seem twisted.

5/6/2020

Most discouraging class I've had in my WashU career. I can study for a week straight and still fail his exams and quizzes. It's hard to know what is important from lectures and notes and if you don't have much experience in thermo you will be overwhelmed. Get ready to study, ask questions, and cry.

3/8/2019

It was a very difficult class, but he was very willing to meet with the students in the computer lab to make sure we were able to understand everything. If you are willing to spend approx 5 hours a week in the computer lab, this is a great class that aids in the understanding of many concepts taught in PChem.

1/11/2007

This man should not be teaching anywhere. He basically does not even make a pretense of attempting to explain chem concepts to undergrads. Compared with Regina Frey (God bless her), they are night and day. Chem is hard, he makes it incomprehensible. If I just wanted formulas, I read book.

3/28/2005

Professor is very enthusiastic but lectures are often too confusing and skips over fundamentals that are integral to understanding the more complex topics.

5/12/2004