Contu, Francesco  

Chemistry and Biochemistry

2.85/4.00

117 evaluations


CHEM 111


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2017
I love this guy. His class is by far my favorite.

CHEM 124


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jul 2016
We were supposed to learn in less than 5 weeks the material that is normally covered in 10 weeks. Contu did an amazing job helping us in class and in office hours. He helped us during some weekends as well! Extremely approachable and knowledgeable. Quizzes and exams were hard but fair. Highly recommend.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2016
Contu helped me understand a subject that I have always dreaded. He also made the class a fun experience.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2016
This professor was amazing! He made the class really fun and interesting by telling you how chem. applies to real stuff. I ended up being more curious about chemistry and now I want to take more classes. He is super approachable and nice and he uploads tons of material and problems on Polylearn for you to practice. Tests are hard but totally doable and he is very fair with grading. Best class so far!


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2017
Although Contu is probably not the worst professor you could take, he is definitely not the best. He is very arrogant and not very helpful. I always felt that we were multiple sections behind the other chem 124 classes, this was a problem because there is a common find for chem 124. Ultimately I was not prepared for the final, however this was my own fault. With Contu as a professor you really need to be able to take the time outside of class to study and learn the material independently. Cont would often ramble on about unrelated matters. I would not recommend taking Contu.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Jan 2017
whoever talks shit about Contu is a spoiled prat. Contu is an amazing professor and does a great job helping and preparing you for the common final. Do what he tells you to do and you won`t have any problem with the common final. Yeah his accent is fun and totally understandable.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2017
Contu was great!!! He is patient, funny and clear. his slides are very helpful and he posts a lot of problems for you to practice the material. He cares and he is always available if you need any help. Do not be afraid to ask 'cause he will be on your side. I had no problems with the final exam and I wish he was teaching my class this quarter as well!!


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Mar 2017
Going over these reviews, I was freaking out and very scared, but I was instead so freaking happy to discover how amazing Contu is. He knows everything; he presents the material very clearly; he is super nice and approachable and he is super funny too! Best ever so far!


Freshman
F
Required (Support)
Mar 2017
Dont Take Contu. Just Dont.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Mar 2017
I would take Contu a million times!


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2017
Hats off to the amount of work that Contu puts into helping us learn the material. Never had a professor willing to help as much as Contu does.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2017
Amazing professor, explains content well and is very helpful.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
May 2017
Professor Contu is amazing! Very knowledgeable man. He is chill, funny and super approachable. The material he posts on polylearn is great to study and practice for quizzes and midterms. I heard he would be great and helpful, but he turned out to be better than that!


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
May 2017
He is very nice but he absolutely can not explain anything. He is very confusing and I was always very lost. I ended up studying my butt off for all his tests from online videos and memorizing terms and being fine but it was a miracle i got a B


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Jun 2017
Great professor, better guy.


Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Jun 2017
This professor should be giving much more gratitude than Poly ratings is giving him. I failed CHEM 124 before and had to retake it and he made my fear of CHEM a lot better. He may not be the best at presenting the material but honestly CHEM is boring so give him some credit. He has an accent that sometimes can come across as rude but DO NOT take it personally and you will be good. If you don't go to his office hours and ask questions (if you don't understand) then you are a fool. He is so understanding and he wants his students to do well so he WILL help you if you go to his office and get to know him! Also hint hint.. do the practice problems. Love this professor would take him again for sure!


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Jun 2017
Thank you Contu for the amazing quarter!!


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jun 2017
Contu is a super sweet guy, but not the best lecturer. His lectures are pretty boring and his lecturers don't have much formality or direction to them; he kind of just rambles. Every quiz is online, all multiple choice, and it takes your best grade in two attempts, so that's really good. I feel like he doesn't really help with labs; he'll give like a 3 minute explanation of what you're going to do then you're supposed to figure out the rest on your own and with the TA's help (the TA's we had were really helpful and graded nice so that was a plus). His midterms are pretty challenging but if you go to his office hours he'll give you back lots of points if you explain your thought process on the short answer parts (my first midterm grade got raised by 9 points). I feel like he didn't really prepare us well for the common final; midterm two is held in week 9 and he barely leaves time to cover all the material on the common final. Most of the helpful information I used came from the TA's study sessions. And while he is very lenient with curving your grade at the end of the quarter if you need it, all in all, I feel that the Cal Poly chemistry department has better professors for you to take.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Aug 2017
I really don't have anything to complain about when it comes to Contu. I thought he did a really good job of minimizing the memorization aspect of chemistry. He explained the physics behind what was happening, so many of the things that you would normally have to memorize became intuitive. He was also funny and made class fun to go to. He had the most entertaining accent (from Sardinia) and that generally just made everything he said and did way funnier. His tests were very representative of what he taught in class, and there was never a question on them that I felt he hadn't covered. He posts an online quiz every week but usually gives multiple attempts. There are also lab reports and prelabs due every week or two but they're nothing that would take more than a couple hours usually. The common final felt very similar to Contu's tests, and again, I felt like everything on the common final was covered in class.


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Aug 2017
Contu is sooooo nice and goes out of his way to help his students. He is always available, very understanding, personable and funny! He explains chemistry in a way that is both interesting and entertaining. He posts online quizzes on a weekly basis. He gives plenty of practice problems and never surprises you with questions that come out of nowhere in his midterm. Absolutely the best professor so far!


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Nov 2017
you can't spell chemistry without contu!!! Love that man


Junior
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2018
Anyone who doesn't like Contu is a square. Take him. He's really funny and his class isn't hard.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2018
Contu is a homie. He's hilarious, sassy, and like maybe 3 feet tall and he has a funny (and easy to understand) italian accent. He goes on 30 second tangents here and there about how to say or spell different things. Although i had to rip through 3 cups of coffee before this class to not fall asleep, it was still cool. Chem blows chum for money, but don't get me wrong, Contu rockx. His exams weren't toooo bad but definitely study for at least 2 days. DO HIS PRACTICE PROBLEMS ON POLY LEARN they are extremely helpful. If you don't understand something or if you miss lecture he will thoroughly explain it at office hours. He's just a really nice guy and 10/10 would adopt him as my dad. probably.


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Apr 2018
I never liked chemistry, but Contu changed my mind. He made chemistry easy and interesting at the same time. Loved it!


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
May 2018
HE ROCKS. Here's why: -he knows which topics we should KNOW KNOW -- important things people usually mess up -- and makes sure everyone (who wants to understand) understands -he breaks down hard concepts until they make sense -because of ^^ some people think he goes too slow but idk why that's a complaint bc if you already understand it then that's chill time in class -he's super understanding of our schedules and is willing to compromise if you have a hectic week -he prepares you really well for the COMMON FINAL! his midterms are very similar to the final = prepared [his sections had the highest average out of the other sections the quarter i had him] -he's funny and entertaining Contu is a great professor; 110% recommend taking his class! If cal poly had a minor in Chemistry, I would take it. because of Contu.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
May 2018
FOR PREVIOUS POST: I thought those were going to be formatted as bullet points lol. sorry it's hard to read. but take contu


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Jun 2018
I think Contu is a really underrated professor, I really love this guy. He's always super funny during class and he knows when the material is a little on the boring side, which is when he tries to lighten the mood with his jokes. During labs if students are having trouble, most of the time he will come over and do the lab, and demonstrate what is happening. His quizzes are online and you get 3 TRIES. Midterms and final were pretty easy. I don't get all the hate this professor gets, maybe its his accent, but overall would take again. 10/10


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2018
Dr. Contu is quite the character. I am definitely going to miss his humor. Besides being a genuine guy that cares about his students and chemistry as a whole, he prepared our class extremely well for the midterms and the common final. There are no in- class quizzes just weekly poly-learn quizzes that are not too difficult. His midterms where straight forward and reflected verbatim what we learned in class. If you put in a little effort you can learn a lot and end up with a decent grade. Take him, trust.


Sophomore
Credit
General Ed
Dec 2018
Took this class as a GE for a lab, credit/no credit. Contu is a great guy, very humorous, and honestly cared about his students, offering plenty of office hours, and even helping students even after office hours for the day had ended. I was taking this class CR/NCR, and consequently didn't really try too hard in the class, so I can't speak to how easy it is to get an A or B in the class. I barely studied for the exams and ended up with an 80 in the class, so if you work hard I'd expect an A grade achievable.


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Dec 2018
Contu is a great professor! He is fun and he covers everything you need for the common final. He uploads lots of practice problems and he is always available to help you out..even over the weekends! It is great that he assigns online quizzes and his midterms are straightforward and fair. Great job Contu!


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Feb 2019
His arms, man. (*〇□〇)……! So-so at class teaching but extremely talented one-on-one teacher. If you don't understand coursework, go to his office hours. He will explain it clearly, and concisely. Or just look at his arms.


Freshman
C
General Ed
Mar 2019
I love Contu. I hate chemistry so I didn't put in enough effort to get better than a C, but if I had put in the work Contu would have undoubtedly helped me get to an A. He is a super nice guy and he makes a ton of jokes to keep the class somewhat engaging (its chem so that's a pretty hard thing to do). I would take Contu again any day. Don't trust any of the bad reviews on here. They just don't understand that Contu is a diamond of a professor lodged in the mucky sludge that is the Cal Poly Science Staff


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2019
"JEEeeEeSSssS"- Contu, where do I start? He is a funny, peppy, short italian guy with the best accent ever. His class is a mix of weekly labs, online quizzes, and, of course, lectures in which he gives a good amount of examples to help explain concepts. He jokes around a lot too and although it may not always make sense, that's half of what makes him so funny. He really cares about his students and wants you to learn and going to his office hours really helps (he even helps on days he doesn't officially have office hours, so just swing by). If you really do not understand the concept and/or the assignment ask him for help! Contu is very understanding and if you seek help before something is due, he will most likely give you a little extra time because he would rather have you understand the material than turn in something in on time that you do not understand. I transfered into Contus chem class as a last attempt at not failing chem. I was getting F after F in my other chem class and Contu helped me tremendously and now I think I will probably pass chem with a high C or even a low B! He gives out worksheets for practice (most are optional) and does not rely heavily on the book to teach, unlike my old chem class. His midterms were a good reflection on the class examples/practice problems (class average was above a C) and they lined up with the final well too, so nothing should surprise you if you go to class. You will NOT find a better Gen Chem professor, so TAKE CONTU!!!!!


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
May 2019
I LOVE CONTU! take him if you can, he's a really great professor. Both good at teaching and cares for his students and you can tell he really enjoys his job :)


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2020
This man is the funniest chem professor you'll ever take! His thicc Italian accent makes everything so much fun! TAKE THIS BEAUTIFUL MAN FOR CHEM IF YOU CAN!!!!! The man helped me plan a date with his TA...

CHEM 125


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Dec 2015
Cocky idiot that can't teach. 125 material isn't that difficult, but Contu makes it impossible. I don't understand why he wants to teach college students when he hates them so much.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2016
Avoid if you can. If you already know a lot about chemistry then you'll be fine, but he can't teach at all and gives little to no examples of problems and automatically expects you to know them. You'll have to learn a lot on your own to pass this class.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Feb 2016
DONT EVER TAKE HIS CLASS. LISTEN TO THE RATINGS. I didn't and now it's killing me. Not only does he not teach well, but I leave class being waaaaayyy more confused than when I came. He's rude to students when we ask questions and makes us feel bad for asking them and he blames us for low class averages on quizzes and stuff. His class is always my least favorite part of my day. I study so much for this class and I'm still not doing well and I'm a chem major that got 97% in chem 124, so if anyone could succeed it should be me. STAY. AWAY.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2016
I tried to stay positive and ignore the ratings, thinking that Contu was just struggling to adapt to teaching at this level since he was new last quarter. However, that viewpoint was dropped really fast. You will quickly learn that although he does know his stuff, he will never teach it to you. He constantly yells through his lecture, and aggressively asks if you know what he is talking about when no one does. When you actually work up the courage to ask him to explain something again, he sighs and yells at you for not understanding it the first time. It's emotionally exhausting being in his class especially at 7 AM. If you are forced to take this class, know what you are in for and try your hardest to teach yourself the material. Don't rely on his lectures to get you anywhere. He gives lots of practice problems but in my experience, they have not shown up on any of his quizzes so it leaves you to BS answers based on things you've barely learned. I realize that this review might sound scathing but please don't write it off.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2016
Fuck this fugazi fuck. He litterally isn't even that bad of a teacher, but his quizzes are fucking horrible. His grading has about as much sense to it as a nine year old child attempt to compose a classic mozart piece while on shrooms. He claims to be the italian wizard, but really he is the mafia with some specialty in electrochemistry for god know what reason, probably to find ways to electrocute his little innocent american students. He says "only god can help you" when you don't understand his material, and his tests do you dirtier than a long friday night at Pike. If I were given the choice on whether to remove my testes with a rusty spoon or take this class again, I would have them cut off by my own mother and shipped straight to his office where he can laugh at all the misery he has caused me. At the end of the day, I have spent many late nights studying the material only to fail his quizzes and see him call me an idiot. He straight had a D average on his midterm and is just as happy failing his students as passing them.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2016
I am not trying to rip on the guy but there is not one good thing to be found with him when it comes to teaching. I am in his class right now and he literally word for word called us all "idiots who can't learn." The motherfucker only teaches 12 hours a week so you know he spends his free time devising different ways to convince kids to drop out of college and go into serving burgers. He rants about one small concept, goes back on what he says often because he confuses himself, and then provides like 200 slides and 300 practice problems a week all for a 4 question quiz that never pertains to any of it! I am with the other guy below, I would rather ingest warm burnetts vodka every morning with my bagel and cream cheese than have to attend his class. I don't care how who you are or how much you try, you will end up exactly like 99 percent of his class, with a barely passing grade and a newfound hatred for Italians, chemistry and most likely your family because somehow he will find a way to ruin your life in all ways forever


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2016
If you had to play fuck one marry one and kill one with contu, Donald trump, and a 53 year old rural meth addict with a very questionable sexual health record, I would marry trump for he is more reasonable than contu and I would take the meth dudes penis so far up my ass that I could finally match how much this class fucks me. As a naive young cal poly freshman, I enrolled in this class with a bright smile and a passion to learn. However, within seconds I could tell that a dark ominous cloud of fear and deposition would consume me with the swiftness of Joey chestnut consuming ballpark dogs. I have broken 5 bones in my body, I have been told to my face by my own parents that I was a mistake. But I have hit a new low when I walk in and see his harsh sarcastic smile as he hands me the quiz of death, which can only be passed with sheer luck as his quizzes pertain more to a Barbie dolls bodily dimensions than they do to chemistry. I would rather let an Alphi Phi samurai chop me in the coccyx than be within 400 meters of him.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2016
Contu makes me want to eat my roommate's flip flops.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2016
if i had a dollar for every time Contu asked the class the question "do you get it ?" i would have enough money to pay for the new UU AND pay my tuition. after asking this question, Contu pauses for half a second and then continues to "lecture" before anyone can even gather their thoughts to see if they do actually understand the material. which they probably don't. the class's "lectures" are composed of him sloppily writing notes on the whiteboard and computer. the entire class is set up to fail the majority of the students since he clearly does not realize that this is a 100 level class full of students who will hardly ever touch the subject again. does contu get it ? does he realize that his entire class is failing ? does he care ? it seems like this school doesn't care that he fails his classes either. if you're desperate to get into a chem class, just take a quarter off and don't take this teacher; its not worth the gpa drop


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Feb 2016
These reviews are very harsh... Dr. Contu is a smart man, it's just the way of conveying information that isn't the best. If you are confused, go to his office hours and ask him, and eventually he will clarify things for you. His quizzes are a little rough sometimes, but he will recognize what a class is struggling with and spend more time on these subjects. His powerpoints are useful, so read them before/after his lecture to clarify topics, and do the homework and reading he assigns. All of this will help you do well in the class. He makes a few grading errors so review your quizzes and midterms carefully, and you may be able to get some points back. Also he is understanding and can throw a curve on the midterms. Don't slack off in his class. Stay on top of you shit and you'll be fine.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2016
What`s going on with these reviews? Most of these comments are crazy. Contu is a brilliant man who knows chemistry really well. It is easy to follow what he covers. He uploads tons of material on polylearn, including great slides and plenty of problems with keys. He is always available to help you, even outside office hours and he is also super approachable. I have learned a lot of new stuff and I would definitely take him again.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2016
Worst professor alive and he sucks


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2016
WAT


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2016
Contu has so much going for him that other people seem not to see. He is certainly the most approachable professor I have had at Cal Poly so far. He is also really concerned about how the class is understanding the material. It is true that he asks, "do you get it?" a ton. But all you have to do is be a proactive participant and say "No, can you explain the last 5 minutes of lecture step by step." And he will. Even if you stay after class, he will stay and explain something, or even whip some chemicals off the shelf and demonstrate a concept right in front of you. He is also constantly asking if the class thought the quiz was hard. In fact, just recently, he let us take back a quiz and correct it for more credit. The point is, he is not like some professors who take pride in making the class challenging. He really wants you to understand the material. What he lacks in the ability to explain something very clearly, he makes up for in his desire to have kids understand and pass his class. Bottom line, work with him and be a proactive participant in class. I agree with some other reviews that recommend to take advantage of the online material he posts. There is a never ending supply of it!


Freshman
D
Required (Major)
Mar 2016
Contu is really smart and knows a lot about the subject but the way he presents material can be a little confusing. I do not think anyone should avoid his class because of the ratings but if you aren't willing to go to office hours and really put in effort for the class you will struggle. He wants all the students to succeed and will explain the topics multiple times to you if you need but you have to ask for help and stay on top of everything.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2016
Great guy. Anybody talking shit about him is a jealous hater and probably lives in Fremont.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2016
This guy has unreasonably low ratings. He deserves at least a 2.5 if not a 3.0. He is super nice, very approachable, and maybe isn't the best teacher in the world but makes up for it by being so helpful during office hours. I would 100% take this professor for any other class if I had the option. I ended the class with a B which is good considering the chemistry department is out to get everyone's grade lowered, and I am not even that great at chemistry.


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Mar 2016
Contu knows his stuff but he hasn't found an effective method of teaching. The good thing is that he had PowerPoints posted on PolyLearn so you can refer back to something. The powerpoints alone are helpful but they can have some mistakes. But when he presents the powerpoints, he jumps back and forth so it's kind of confusing. He has practice problems with the answer key but sometimes the answer keys are incorrect but they can often be found online. Overall, you really have to study your ass off for this class. Do the readings, take notes on the powerpoints, and go to office hours and you can pull off a C or a B.


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
May 2016
I freakin' love this guy. He made Chem so fun and entertaining, he's very approachable and helpful during office hours, and as long as you show that you're interested in doing better, and do the work necessary, he'll help you with the rest. His sense of humor is impeccable, he calls himself the "Italian Wizard", and "Shrek", and never fails to make the entire class laugh when he tries to pronounce the word squirrel. I'm so glad that I was in his class and would take another class with him if I could! My recommendation if you have him: Don't judge him the second you walk in, he might be a little rough around the edges but he truly does care about all of his students.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Nov 2016
Professor Contu is not just a professor, he's a lifestyle. He is King Julien, we are his little California quails, and he takes care of us. In all seriousness, Contu really cares and as long as you can focus in two hour long lectures, you'll do fine. Check his polylearn page every day, multiple times a day, because he will upload things you have to do before class at random times and he won't email you or anything.


Junior
N/A
Required (Support)
Nov 2016
Professor Contu is always available, knows his stuff and makes chemistry classes interesting. Funny guy with a great sense of humor.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Nov 2016
I aspire to be Contu in life. His flamboyance and hilarity are rivaled by no one and coupled with his thick Italian accent makes this class something to look forward to. He is King Julien from Madagascar, plain and simple. Same accent, same sense of humor. I am proud to be one of his "California Quails". All you whiny-ass children need to calm the fuck down and grow some thicker skin. Contu is NEVER aggressive when people ask him to explain something, yes he might say, "I just taught that, why are you asking???" but it's super obvious by his tone of voice that he's just faking being exasperated and is just trying to be funny and entertaining and the best thing to do is just go along with it. He talks to you like a sassy friend who likes to playfully give shit to you but doesn't mean any of it. You have to just go along with it. Class participation is super key, too. He will repeatedly ask, "do you get it??" And if people aren't responding at all that's when he'll start to get irritated because everyone is just ignoring him, which honestly is pretty rude. Just say yes or no... This class is not hard. Pay attention in class and go over the powerpoints and you'll be fine. If you think a quiz question was unfair, politely tell him! He is super understanding and will give points back if you make a fair argument. Basically, if you're a sensitive little shit with no sense of humor who looks down on people who are different, don't take this class. On the other hand, if you're smart enough to realize when people are giving you shit all in good fun and actually have a sense of humor, this class will be one of your favorites. It's definitely one of mine.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2016
Contu,aka Quail masta C, is pretty much the best professor you can get hooked up with in the chem department. 9/10 would recommend,11/10 with rice. He's one classic young fool that won't do a very good teach job but will pull out his pitch fork at a moments notice. As long as you already know chem you'll me fine. Protip: get a computer that has the screen facing away from the front so that you can watch netflix with subtitles on during class. overall a total 6/7 class with some work, but not too bad. The only homework is lab write ups so I'd give this class a 13/15. Oh! i almost forgot, there are weekly online quizzes,that happen every week and are online which suck. Protip: get chegg account. This course although has it's flaws I would give it a rate job of 33/38. Real talk though, if you get him you'll be fine;chem just sucks. LOL @ chem majors, aka yellow team, 0/10. Btw I'm typing this out in his class rn.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Jan 2017
Contu really isn't that bad of a professor, he can get a little caught up on some topics but overall he does a good job presenting all the material you need to know. He provides a ton of practice problems with keys. Review these problems, because these are the exact problems on his quizzes and the multiple choice portions of his tests. If you can do these problems and you kinda listen to lectures, you will be good to go. Contu is also super accommodating, he will let you take midterms or final exams in his office if you can't in class. The dude has the funniest accent too.


Senior
A
Required (Major)
Feb 2017
If you had to play fuck one marry one and kill one with contu, Donald trump, and a 53 year old rural meth addict with a very questionable sexual health record, I would marry trump for he is more reasonable than contu and I would take the meth dudes penis so far up my ass that I could finally match how much this class fucks me. As a naive young cal poly freshman, I enrolled in this class with a bright smile and a passion to learn. However, within seconds I could tell that a dark ominous cloud of fear and deposition would consume me with the swiftness of Joey chestnut consuming ballpark dogs. I have broken 5 bones in my body, I have been told to my face by my own parents that I was a mistake. But I have hit a new low when I walk in and see his harsh sarcastic smile as he hands me the quiz of death, which can only be passed with sheer luck as his quizzes pertain more to a Barbie dolls bodily dimensions than they do to chemistry. I would rather let an Alphi Phi samurai chop me in the coccyx than be within 400 meters of him.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Feb 2017
To the hater above, we do not need to know how sad your life is. Contu is a great professor and sick people like you should seek the help that they need.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2017
Contu was interesting to say the least. First of all, he is a very cocky little italian man who loves weather and would rather talk about that than teach any information that we actually need to know. He gets so far behind because he goes off on complete tangents everyday. Then, because he got behind and didn't get to teach us the information, he will give you online quizzes (which sound nice at first until you randomly look on polylearn and there's one due in 15 minutes) that you have yet to learn. This class is excruciatingly painful. He somehow makes chemistry, a class that I once enjoyed, make my want to claw my own eyes out. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. You will thank me later.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Mar 2017
Let`s see....and why should we listen to an idiotic liar like you? First of all, it is not Contu's fault if you look at polylearn randomly. The quizzes you are talking about were always posted and open every Saturday morning and they were due the following week....on top of that, Contu was always willing to reopen the quiz to give you an extra chance if you happened to forget about it. So, if you waste your time with your desperate life, do not blame it on others. And who is the cocky little idiot here??? Contu has been the nicest person you've had around here and if you find it excruciating to sit in his class, just bang your empty head on a pine tree (after clawing your eyes out off course) to wake up. We want to hear reliable information here, instead of the bull shit coming from freaks like you….and yeah…. Contu’s stories are also nice and funny to listen to. Get lost.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Mar 2017
I cannot thank dr. Contu enough for all his help during the quarter. Amazing person and outstanding professor!


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Apr 2017
Contu was an excellent professor with a great personality. You certainly do not get bored in class. Extremely patient and approachable as well.


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
May 2017
Contu made chemistry entertaining and interesting. Awesome professor.


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
May 2017
Contu was great at delivery information. He was funny and chill and, thanks to him, I am now prepared very well for the classes that I am taking.


Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2018
WORST TEACHER EVER HE IS PERSONALLY DEMORALIZING IF YOU HAVE HIM RN DROP HIM I WISH I DID


Sophomore
C
Required (Major)
Mar 2018
BEST TEACHER EVER HE IS PERSONALLY AMAZING IF YOU HAVE HIM YOU BETTER STICK WITH HIM


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
May 2018
I wish I had Contu in all my classes


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Jun 2018
Best experience ever with Contu


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Jun 2018
This guy exceeded my expectations and I was very happy with him.


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Jun 2018
You certainly can't spell chemistry without Contu! He is the best.


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Aug 2018
I had Contu for 124 and wanted to have him in 125 too. No regrets! Great person and awesome professor.


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Sep 2018
Contu turned out to be great. Online quizzes are great, he uploads lost of problems to practice and midterm are fair. He is very personable and funny too, so no complaints.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Sep 2018
I had Contu in 124 and made sure I had it again in 125. No regrets. He is very clear, fair and funny.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Sep 2018
Folks say that Contu in a great professor and they are right. I loved him!


Junior
A
Required (Major)
Feb 2019
Love you Contu!


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2019
Contu is easily my favorite professor at Cal Poly. He makes sure everyone understands the information, holds plenty of office hours, and even heavily guides you in the right direction on big tests. His online weekly quizzes are a straight gimme, he doesn't care if you cheat because they are only worth 10% overall and you're only cheating yourself if you don't truly understand the information on the quiz. He held impromptu office hours on a saturday and a sunday (different midterms) before the midterm which was a straight godsend because it was an easy way to make sure you knew the information the day before the test. He really cares about the success of his students and I would 100% have him as my teacher again if I could.

CHEM 127


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Nov 2015
I am going to do my best to be fair with my critique of Contu, but honestly this is the truth.... Contu is a very smart man and I give him full credit for knowing his information inside and out. However, he lacks the ability to teach. He assumes the students already know what he is talking about, and goes very fast. He does not give many example problems, which makes the midterms difficult because you have no idea what to expect. When teaching, he explains things in a very weird way and it took me a while to get used to his style of teaching. For my to be able to pass the class, I honestly spend 13-20 hours a week, just on this class. I read two textbooks and watch videos from other professors. So basically I am teaching myself chemistry - which is a very difficult class. My biggest frustration with Contu as a teacher, is his rudeness. He says it is just his accent and that he speaks loudly. But in my opinion, when a student asks you a question and is response was "I already went over that, so why would you even ask that!"...It does not matter what tone or volume you say that response in, it is rude. Contu is not approachable because frankly, I am scared he will yell at me if I say something stupid or ask a dumb question. He made me feel stupid in the class. Highly do not recommend taking his class unless you are ready to teach yourself.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Nov 2015
Contu is an extremely smart man, but completely fails when it comes to teaching. From the very beginning, his class was so disorganized and confusing. There was a point when I wanted to ask questions but I was so confused I didn't know what to ask. He gets angry when people don't understand things, which makes him super unapproachable. For the midterm, he didn't count the points on my test correctly and I had to go into office hours to correct it. Overall just terrible. Zero out of ten.


Sophomore
N/A
General Ed
Nov 2015
Like many others have said, I am teaching myself how to do Chemistry at this point. Extremely unapproachable teacher. I've seen him yell at students when they ask a simple question for clarification; he gets upset when asked about things that he expects the class to already know. He also gets VERY flustered in front of a large class. He speaks very quickly, and if people start asking questions he starts getting angry and short with the class. Never gives us practice problems to work through in class...he just rambles on and refuses to slow down, even if the majority of the class is extremely lost and confused. Really frustrating class to be in because I am really teaching myself everything. AVOID THIS PROFESSOR AT ALL COSTS!


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Nov 2015
As all the other comments have said, Dr Contu definitely knows his chemistry. However, that does not make him a great professor. If you are taking any other demanding class the same quarter best of luck to you, because the few people who will be getting a B- in this class either spend a minimum of 20 hours a week studying for this class specifically or have taken AP Chemistry recently. He spends half the class arguing with the TA and the other half of the class scolding us for not understanding material  he's supposed to teach us. I never thought I'd see a TA leave in the middle of the class out of frustration. I will admit chemistry is not my strong suit, but taking this class with Contu makes everything that much more difficult. His first midterm was all free response, with no partial credit. He also made many mistakes while grading the midterms. There is no curve on his midterm. And in case you were wondering the class average on the first midterm was a 60%. Studying for his midterms is impossible because he doesn't give practice problems that match the difficulty of his exam. I seriously believe that his class may have triggered my test anxiety. Overall, if you are an honors student or trying to switch your major and you need to keep up your GPA, don't take this professor because he's a real GPA killer. If you are already taking two really demanding classes and don't have much more free time to study, don't take this class. If you accept the challenge that is this professor, props to you. All I know is that most likely the majority of the class will be taking Chem 127 again, with a different professor.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Support)
Nov 2015
I'm only writing this review because I thought it's just that important for other students. DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. He presents material in an extremely confusing way. I'm not exaggerating here: I actually got more confused after someone asked a question and he tried to explain it again. As other people have said, I'm having to teach myself for this class. He gets very frustrated, flusterd, and seemingly angry with the class when they don't understand something. When the class is confused, he'll often say (or almost yell) things like: "You need to know this. This is extremely important. If you don't understand this, you're going to fail.", but then he moves on, doesn't clarify things, doesn't allow people to ask questions. His tests are very hard to prepare for since he doesn't give us practice problems that reflect what will be on the test. You don't know what to expect. He also doesn't curve and doesn't give partial credit. He certainly knows chemistry, but he cannot teach.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Nov 2015
DO NOT TAKE HIM OH MY GOD I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. I have failed both midterms after studying my ass off all week. He fucks up on all of the grades. My first midterm? I went into office hours and I got 18 whole points back on it because he messed up on grading. So if you have no choice but to take his god awful class, make sure you do nothing else in your life and don't take any other classes so you can sell your soul to pass this class. And definitely go into office hours and check your tests and quizzes so you don't get fucked on your grade. He's also quite aggressive and yells at you. He's super condescending and told me I don't try and that I'm not as motivated as other students. He has no understanding or compassion for things you're going through in your personal life and only cares about how you're going to study. Also his teacher aid, who is still a student, can teach the class way better than he can and I would rather pay her personally to teach. He can never give a straight forward answer and makes everything super confusing. He literally gives me anxiety and makes me want to drink at 7 in the morning. Which is also another god awful aspect to this class. He knows Chem, but he can't teach for shit, which is his job, so fuck this guy


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Nov 2015
Prof. Contu is not actually a terrible teacher it is more the material in the beginning that is difficult and most of the other chem 127 teachers had a hard time in the beginning too. He is extremely helpful in his office hours and one of the rare professors to hold office hours and study sessions on Saturdays for those who need the help. He puts a lot of effort into the class but his communication is sometimes a little rough. I liked him as a professor even though I definitely had a really hard time with the class. I would suggest printing out his note slides ahead of time so that you are not lost in lecture because he tends to skip around. In the end, he is a great teacher and funny if you get to know him but does tend to not present the material as clear as some other teachers do.


Freshman
C
Required (Major)
Nov 2015
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS! He yells at you when you do poorly on tests and when you ask questions. If you ask something he deems easy to understand he will be upset and and ask "why would you even ask that?" It is difficult and confusing to follow his lectures and when you say he is difficult to understand he make ask whether or not you are making fun of his english. He excuses his rudeness on the basis he is foreign but he is simply an unapproachable, rude teacher. If you want to teach yourself chemistry and still struggle when you spend hours studying, this is the class for you. However, I don't believe anyone truly wants to deal with contu's bullsh!t.


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Nov 2015
Do not take this course. This professor is completely inept and has no business teaching first quarter freshman. I spent the majority of this class completely unaware of what was going on. If you take this class be prepared to learn the material completely on your own. The 4th year who taught the workshop that I was in was far and away a better teacher than Contu. Take a 7am class before you take a course taught by him. This class is extremely frustrating and is the worst academic experience I have ever had. Not only is this teacher hard to understand due to his heavy accent but he is condescending, rude and gets angry when anyone asks questions. Every time I have asked a question he has belittled me and my classmates. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2015
If you're stuck with this professor, please consider adopting a religion because you will need to pray for a miracle just to get a decent grade in the class.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2015
If you are looking to maintain a high GPA than I would NOT take this course. I spend more time studying for chemistry than all of my other classes and have taught myself the lectures the whole entire quarter. I currently have a B+ and that is from dedication to excel in chemistry. The only things that Dr. Contu is good at is creating lecture slides, uploading on Polylearn and sending emails with suggested problems. In class he made me very frustrated because he would go back and forth between subjects making his teaching style very disorganized. He always seemed flustered and would imply that everyone was unintelligent. If someone asked a question, he would just say that he does not understand and move on or say something else making everyone more confused. I found him extremely unapproachable and would instead ask my workshop leaders if I needed help. He came off as extremely rude, saying that you do not understand the material and every time I went to office hours, I did not find them helpful because he would cut me off if I was trying to clarify something. He does make challenging test because he approves it with the chemistry board and because Cal Poly is highly ranked, they encourage him to make them harder. That is why the test averages are so low. The class material is not too hard but he is the one that makes it hard. Do not expect easy questions because he wants to see if you know it conceptually.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2015
He knows chem, but he cannot teach it. He is overwhelmingly confusing and is extremely condescending when he talks to you if you dont know the answer to something. Do not take this class if you need to actually pass chem to get into 128 or to get a good GPA all of the other chem teachers give partial credit and curve the tests but not him. He said he doesnt care about what all the others do because this is the way he does it even if it sacrifices your grade and you fail the class and have to retake it. So thanks to him I not only dont get to move on to 128, I get to have a terrible GPA and retake this class which wastes my time and money


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2015
Contu is a very smart man but can become flustered easily. This was his first quarter at Cal Poly which made it hard to get his bearings. Although he wasn't the best teacher in the beginning he really wanted to improve and even asked his students what he could do to improve his abilities and at least tried to tailor his class to what we still needed to understand. He was very helpful in office hours. Go to him if you have problems and always go over your tests and quizzes with him if you have questions. This is college, you are going to have to do some learning and understanding on your own. I would suggest taking a workshop for this course. He's a better teacher than he was at the beginning of the quarter. Do the workbook problems, he pulls a lot of quiz questions from there. Don't expect an easy A. But if you put the effort in you can do well, just maybe take this with an easier workload of a schedule.


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2015
He is extremely helpful in office hours and has gotten so much beter throughout the quater. In a year or two I think he will be a very good teacher. If you are willing to put in some extra time and talk to him after class it is very managable.


Freshman
C
Required (Major)
Dec 2015
Contu is actually an alright guy. He is a new teacher and really doesn't have a lot of experience teaching. He does however, want to get better a teaching. He is bad at explaining things. Go into every lecture with a general understanding of the subject matter or you will get lost fast. Contu is very helpful during office hours. Anyone who complains about Contu being mean, just doesn't get that he has crippling autism spectrum disorder, like a ridiculous percentage of other STEM professionals. Not an ideal professor to take, but he will work with you.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Dec 2015
I understand why some people do not like him. This was his first quarter teaching and there was definitely a learning curve for the both of us. He is a brilliant man but can have some issues understanding the fact that some of us do not understand chemistry initially. However, his office hours are extremely helpful and he truly has the student's best interest in mind, he even held office hours on Saturdays specifically for us. This class was by no means easy, but he forced us to think at a level unlike many others. Yes it was hard, but I feel that I will truly be prepared for 128. If you're looking for an easy class, look elsewhere, but if you like a challenge, he is the one for you.


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Dec 2015
Professor Contu is very smart and clearly knows the subject matter, he is a great teacher and person and needs more credit than these people are giving him. The learning curve at the beginning of the year was a little bumpy but by the 3rd week of the quarter, many students understood how to do well in his class. His tests are very strait forward and easy to study for. Contu was able to cover more material than many other chemistry professors this quarter. I felt much more prepared for the common final than my peers in different classes.


Freshman
D
Required (Major)
Dec 2015
I would like to preface this review by saying that if you have the choice between drowning to death while burning alive, and taking Contu's class, choose the former, it'll save you a lot of pain and suffering. If I'm not being clear enough, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! Unless you're taking this class because you already know the material, and want to see how well you'll do in a class where the professor teaches you NOTHING, stay as far away from this class as humanly possible. As other reviewers have said, Dr. Contu does know Chemistry. Unfortunately, he is the epitome of everything bad that could possibly exist in a professor. He is completely unapproachable, and gives the impression that anything you say to him, especially if you don't understand something, will result in you being yelled at. He never hands any of the assignments back in class, forcing you to go to his office hours to retrieve him (made even more difficult by his complete lack of approachability). Further more, if you don't go to his office hours, you will most likely be the victim of heinous grading errors, such as receiving zeros for labs that were turned in, and not being able to believe your test grade, despite hours of studying. I have had to teach myself chemistry this entire quarter. Dr. Contu has no discernible lesson plans, he just talks over seemingly random powerpoint slides, and when asked a question, usually succeeds in confusing the class further with his answer. This may be due to the fact that he is Italian and it is his first year at CalPoly. This is unfortunate but I don't feel us students should suffer because the teacher is new or has a thick accent. Dr. Contu has completely destroyed my sense of academic confidence and enjoyment. The stress, anger and frustration that this class has produced in me has made me dread going to class and hate studying. If you value your sanity and your GPA, stay the fuck away from this class.


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2015
Contu is a very knowledgeable professor when it comes to chemistry, however like stated by several other students he can become flustered in class. My suggestion to everyone who takes him, always come prepared to class. If you have questions go to his office hours or ask to meet with him privately. He is more than willing to help anyone, and is very approachable. He is very interested in getting to know his students if you every want to sit down and talk with him. If he sees you have improved in the class (ex. started with Fs on everything and made your way up to a B) he will also take that into consideration when finalizing your grade. I know he is teaching 125 next quarter and is also making a file which contains what you should know before taking his class to better prepare you. This is his first quarter, but he is working hard to improve his teaching methods and become comfortable here at Poly. Good luck!


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Dec 2015
Honestly this class started off rocky. I had no confidence in him as a teacher and thought I was doomed to fail, but as Contu figured out the Cal Poly culture he grew as a teacher. Contu is very knowledgeable about Chemistry and if you go to his office hours he truly is a wonderful teacher. He does a really good job of posting additional recourses on poly learn and his test and quizzes don't have any surprises. He does a really good job of preparing you for the common final. His issue is that he doesn't fully understand American culture. By this I mean that he has a tendency to make his students feel shamed when they ask questions, which keeps them from asking. However, if you show him that you're confident that it's his job to teach you and you're not ashamed of your question he is really understanding and helpful. To get an A in this class I recommend attending all the lectures and doing all the practice problems. I honestly only needed the book for practice problems because his lectures where so through. Also, he's talking so loud because he's passionate about teaching, not because he's upset. Good Luck.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2015
He is very helpful in class and outside class. If you take him you will learn chemistry.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2015
Professor Contu is still figuring things out here at Cal Poly, but I will be honest and advise people to try and get into a different chemistry class. He is not very good at explaining things, and his tests are very challenging. I studied more for this class than any other class I have taken so far. Granted I ended with a good grade, but it came with plenty of sweat, stress, and tears. Just try and save yourself the headache.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2015
Contu struggles to teach the class clearly and can be confusing during lectures. I highly recommend taking a workshop and GOING TO OFFICE HOURS. Review his lecture slides and ask all and any questions you have during office hours. If you try hard enough and fully dedicate your effort to this class, you can get a good grade. However, I DONT RECOMMEND choosing to take him but if you do happen to find yourself in his class study all lectures (he skips around during class) and study the labs and all possible formulas. I started the class with an F and completely flipped my grade around by doing everything I could to teach myself the material outside of class.


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Jul 2016
Great professor

CHEM 129


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Aug 2016
Super knowledgeable and great person. Highly recommend


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Nov 2017
Finally I understand chemistry. Thank you Contu!


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Nov 2017
Contu is awesome! I love how patient and understanding he is. This man is super helpful and approachable. The material is difficult, but he does a great job helping you throughout.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2017
Thank you for an amazing quarter Contu!!


Junior
B
Elective
Dec 2017
Dr. Contu is by far the best chemistry professor I have had at Cal poly. Warning: he may not be the most articulate at explaining things because he has an accent so i get where some students get confused . However he is very passionate about chemistry and about teaching and throughout the entire quarter he consistently showed interest in helping me understand the material. I consistently got C’s on the exams but there’s nothing to worry about because the online quizzes are weighted just the same amount so they help accommodate. His exams are extremely straightforward and there was never a surprise problem. He gives a ton of practice problems to work on and if you go to office hours he helps a ton!!!!!!! I was super confused about the material but he is very patient and even offered office hours on weekends which no professor that i have had has ever done. He deserves way more credit than what most people give him. I was going to drop the class after the first exam and because the labs were so confusing for me but he really prepares you well for the final.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2017
I had the best experience with Contu! He is super chill and understanding. His lecture material and practice problems are very helpful and I thought he was really fair. This was my third chem class and, by far, the class where I learned the most.


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Dec 2017
I had a great quarter with Contu. The labs were excellent. He gave us really good handouts to understand what we were doing in the lab and the material uploaded on polylearn was great to prepare for midterms and quizzes. He is also very patient and nice no matter how dumb your questions are. Good Job Contu!


Junior
N/A
Required (Major)
Jan 2018
Contu was the best alien ever


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2018
Contu is the best chem professor ever!


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Jun 2019
Contu explains all steps of the lab tests in great detail and that helps make sense of each procedure. I also had a great time!


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Jun 2019
Amazing lab instructor!

CHEM 331


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Dec 2017
I had Contu for 331 Lab. It was his first quarter teaching 331 lab so at first I was concerned about how scatterbrained he appeared to be. Ultimately, he was great. He always gives you all the information you need to know before the lab as to why the procedure requires certain things and how to do the calculations after. I found it easy to follow his instructions. Quant lab is stressful but just be meticulous and read the lab before class. I honestly think Contu probably graded our lab section easier that Immoos did with the other labs. Nonetheless, Contu is a cool guy and I enjoyed taking lab with him.


Junior
B
Required (Major)
Dec 2017
Contu turned out to be way better than other professors I had.

CM 816


Junior
C
Required (Support)
Nov 2016
This is the first C I have recieved in my entire life. I hope that says something to all of you out there watching their GPA. Do not take him--this class was a nightmare!