The lectures are important, but it takes personal devotion to truly know the material.

You don’t have to read the textbook to get an A, but you will need to spend some independent time learning in some form (Organic Chemistry Tutor FTW)

Deifel is really funny, and he really keeps the class engaged. Although it is my hardest class this quarter, I always look forward to coming to class.

His review sessions before tests are a godsend. If he didn’t do those, succeeding before tests would be a lot harder for me. The tests are hard, but he puts his best effort into being a highly valuable resource to you. Thank you Deifel!

Deifel is one of the best teachers I’ve had. It is clear that he genuinely cares about each and every one of his students. He makes himself available for all his students to address any questions or concerns. Deifel is funny, engaging, and made me excited for the 8am wake up (I know it’s crazy). He is incredible 10/10 experience.

I took 20L with him Summer 2025 (maybe I'll transfer this review once he gets a 20L page), and it's safe to say that Deifel is quite literally one of the most caring and loveable professors I've had here. He's funny, overshares (in my opinion, a charm) about his life, and genuinely engages with his students. I've never met a professor who cares so much about his students' success. Yes, he challenges us, but fairly. He has literally 10+ office hours a week, which I HIGHLY recommend taking advantage of, because you get to know him well and get to understand his personality and course content.

Since our class was small, Deifel was also our lab section lead as well (as opposed to a TA), and those were so memorable and fun, despite labs being stressful.

However, more about the class, it's a fair class with not too much work, given that 20L is a gen chem lab. He often does things his own way, which can sometimes be confusing, but just communicate with him, and he'll understand. He is also super chill, so I would try not to stress much during this class, especially if you put in the work to succeed. This is not a class you can slack off in, but definitely a class that is manageable if you are taking multiple classes (during summer).

One thing about this class I loved: it was so collaborative! I genuinely felt like working with the students in the class, as Deifel fostered that community. I never felt more supported by peers, especially when I was confused about lab write ups.

Anyways, just take this class with Deifel if you can! Or any class with Deifel, to be honest. Deifel Deifel Deifel!

Professor Deifel is hands down the best professor I’ve ever had at UCLA. I’ve now taken three classes with him (Chem 20B, 30B, and 30AL) and each time, I’ve come away learning so much and actually enjoying the process. He’s incredibly passionate about chemistry, and it shows in the way he teaches and interacts with students. He makes challenging topics approachable and never makes you feel bad for asking questions.

What stands out most is how much he cares about his students’ success. He’s super approachable during office hours, always happy to re-explain concepts or just chat about chemistry and life. His lectures are engaging and filled with helpful insights that connect the theory to real applications. Plus, the labs are structured in a way that you actually understand what you’re doing rather than just following steps.

Even when things get hectic or disorganized (which is common in any lab course), Deifel is always flexible, understanding, and willing to adjust deadlines to help students. If you ever have the chance to take a class with him, I cannot recommend it enough. He’s truly one of those professors that makes a lasting impact on your education.