<p>Who's better to take (in terms of difficulty level and effectiveness of teaching)? Portmess, Aponick, or Schanze?</p>
<p>Schanze or Aponick. Aponick looks new. From his ratings he seems like a good enough teacher. I’ve had friends take Schanze and they say he was OK. </p>
<p>Avoid Portmess. He’s a great lecturer, but his test are difficult. His wife and Aponick seem to both use his methods of providing skeleton notes and filling them in during class.</p>
<p>Orgo I is a notorious weed out class, so I would suggest you find a teacher you are comfortable with.</p>
<p>Ochem is going to take a lot of your time and dedication regardless.
I would recommend, if you can, to sit in on lecture and see if you like their teaching styles. </p>
<p>I had Portmess for Ochem 1 and did not regret it. Did well in his class. Sure, his exams are difficult but definitely doable. He is SO helpful during office hours. </p>
<p>Ive heard Schanze is Ok. </p>
<p>I have a friend who wasnt a fan of Aponick. </p>
<p>Again, like the above poster said- find a professor who’s teaching style you like. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>