Philippe Brunet
Data based on 18 reviews.
What kind of test questions does this teacher use most often (choose one):
Multiple ChoiceIs the teacher available for extra help during study halls, lunchtime, before or after school, etc.?
Almost AlwaysThe teacher responds to emails promptly. Do you...
Strongly AgreeThe teacher posts in-class materials online for reference (slides, etc.):
Almost AlwaysThe teacher lets us know at the beginning of the course and along the way how much each part of the class (homework, papers, quizzes and tests) counts towards our total grade:
Strongly AgreeHow much homework does this teacher assign?
Way too muchThe amount of writing required in this class is:
Very HighThe teacher allows us to use technology in class (e.g. laptop, calculator, smart pen, etc.)
Almost AlwaysHow much memorization is required to do well in this teacher’s course?
Very HighWhat advice would you give yourself if you were just starting the class now?
Class of 2025
Make sure to review all the slides and the practice problems thoroughly otherwise you will not pass the class.
Class of 2026
Do the practice problems. Sometimes he straight up puts some of them in his exams. Try not to fall asleep in his class too.
Class of 2026
You need to do all practice problems and ask questions each time you have any. Also, do NOT skip class and do NOT think that you can pull off the exam by studying 2 days before. Trust. Very chill class as long as you stand on business, content is interesting. Downsides is that it is costly: you have to print out your class notes and you are not allowed ipads/pc in class.
Class of 2024
Do the practice problems
Class of 2022
It's important to follow along with the explanations in class, but the practice problems you will do on the slides do not reflect the material that will be on the tests. DO THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS HE POSTS; anything else is not worth your time (in the practice problems there will be questions which were not discussed in class but which you need to know, because they will be on the tests/quizzes). Oftentimes it's hard to understand what he's saying in class, because he often interrupts himself and goes off on tangents, but taking notes are important if you want to really get 100% on the tests. Books aren't used - you don't need to buy one - and while the slides are good to reference, they often contain mistakes because many teachers have collaborated on them, so if something seems wrong, it probably is; send a MIO or bring it up in class and a corrected version will be posted. There is a quiz almost every two weeks, so about 4-5 per semester... they're not worth too much, but it's still good to review for them, and they're helpful to evaluate your understanding of the basic concepts you were quizzed on. There are 3 tests on average and all of them are counted (the lowest mark is NOT discarded). There are about 12 questions per exam, and they oscillate between hard and moderate in terms of difficulty. Write your units EVERY TIME. Even while doing the calculations; it's not enough to just add them at the end. Significant figures and units are super important in this class, and you will lose points if they aren't accounted for. Nearly every week there will be a lab; reading the procedure beforehand is useful to save time, and if you have any questions during the labs the teacher is always available (usually circulating in the room). Print out the required data sheets beforehand or make a PDF that you can fill out during the experiment, because you'll be asked to submit a picture of your collected data at the end of the class. For full lab reports you'll generally have two weeks to complete them, and for labs that don't require a report (only data) you'll have about a weekend to work on it. There are no assignments, only the labs and practice problems (to do on your own time). Teacher is friendly and approachable, but a strict grader. If you feel you deserved a higher grade on a test or quiz, you can talk to him about it, and he will listen and might improve it if he finds your argument is valid. Teacher is usually available in person but has one day where he's available online (on Teams), so you can always ask him a question then and he'll try his best to help. He's pleasant as long as people don't bother him too much. Laptops are allowed in the class (only to take notes or open slides), but phones are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. He takes attendance, and arriving late is not tolerated (there is a three strikes and you're out policy).
Additional Comments
Class of 2024
I had him both for Chem of solutions and Food & drugs. He himself is very sweet and always available if you have questions; he doesn't mind doing zoom calls if you can't make it to the office hours, so make sure you take advantage of that. Attendance is very important and to ensure that, he usually makes fill-in-the-blank notes, or in the case of f&d course, he would pop questions on the test that were only discussed in class. He doesn't like technology in his class; sometimes he lets you use laptops and rarely tablets, but no phones. For chem of solutions, MAKE SURE YOU DO THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS. The only way you can do well is to do these questions. The slides are merely enough for you to get the basic ideas, but the practice problems are what better represent the tests (especially for acid base chapters). You might get away not doing them for the first few chapters, but for acid bases you have no other way but to do those questions. You will probably have 2 full lab reports. No prelabs. Make sure you are precise with your wording in labs. He is one of the few people who actually cares about the entirety of your labs (does the data make sense? Are the results precise? Is the writing good? Does everything make sense? ). Try to use simple words and sentences that deliver the concept instead of using big words and complicating it for yourself. You will for sure lose marks if he doesn't understand what you're trying to say. He is a very good teacher if you put in the work.
Class of 2022
If you like chemistry, this teacher is awesome. He teaches with the aim to make sure you're thoroughly understanding rather than just memorizing patterns. His classes are dynamic and he's always willing to help answer your questions. Highly recommend.
Class of 2021
By far the best chemistry teacher I've had. His notes are clear, organized and he goes over each topic in depth to ensure your understanding. He provides a variety of suggested problems, and if you do them all and ask questions when you don't understand, you will succeed the theoretical part of the course (85+ guaranteed). As for labs, because of COVID, it is more complicated, be sure to ask questions and to ask for help, and you will succeed the lab portion of the course. He has office hours every week and he replies to MIO's during the week. In order to do well, the teacher will expect you to reach out and communicate with him. I definitely recommend to take him and as long as you get your things together, attend class, stay organized, and do the suggested problems and ask questions, it is impossible to fail.