Love Dr. S! Her office hours are always fun and she cares about students. Welcoming and makes herself accessible. Invites questions. Funny. Clear lectures and very organized and succinct slides. Explains concepts in a very understandable way. Highly recommend! 10/10

Dr. S is awesome! She's an awesome lecturer and I love the memes that she has at the end of every slideshow! She made 3AL a pleasant and even enjoyable experience. The workload for the course was super reasonable and Dr. S did a great job of teaching content! I'm sad that I won't have her for 3BL over the summer! She's great! (and also super funny)

Well designed course with very reasonable workload. Dr. S gives great lectures and is super nice and helpful in office hours. I learned a lot each lab and really internalized the information well because she made the material so accessible. I dreaded lab in Chem 1AL, but in 3AL I had a pretty awesome experience!

The workload is fair and I loved that there were no post labs after. Once you finished lab for the day you didn't have to worry about more work (except for the prelab quiz and prepping the notebook). The final was hard but she curves the class A LOT. Just remember to write all of your observations down to get full credit.

Dr. S is an amazing lecturer. I am currently enrolled in her Chem 32, which is pre Chem 1A for students who were unable to be exposed to chemistry in high school. her lectures make sense, and you're prepared for exams because homework is a lot more difficult than the exams. Go to office hours, she is super helpful and genuinely cares.

I had Dr. Alexis for both Chem 32 and currently for Chem 1A this semester. I have found her to be a very kind, caring and wonderful instructor. She has gone above and beyond to make sure I am successful even at times where I was really struggling like the previous semester. The tests feel fair and she is always very responsive. She's amazing.

Although I do not love the interactive format, Dr.S has shown that she wants what is best for her students. She does not assign any homework which is nice, but you do have weekly quizzes. She has been really supportive throughout the online school process and is quick to respond to emails.

One of the best teachers I have ever met, but there is no perfect teacher. Pro:veryyyyyy considerate, accessible, committed. Want you to gain the most out of this course. Good at explaining concepts. Con:interactive format(not for everyone); class is hard if knowing nothing about chemistry; but you will do great if you really put in hard work

She is a great lecturer, very clear easy to understand. BUT THE MIDTERMS ARE MADE MOSTLY OF MATERIAL THAT IS NOT TAUGHT. I get it, stem classes all require a lot of work, however at least allow it to be things covered in class.

Dr. Shusterman was a pleasure to learn from. Chemistry in high school was the first subject that had made me feel worthless and stupid. She performed witchcraft and reversed that. Chemistry with her has made me love the subject. She is compassionate, clear, fair and explains things in a way that allows you to understand things fundamentally.

Dr. Shusterman is a wonderful teacher. I disagree with other comments that say that her tests are unfair. Chemistry with her has been extremely enjoyable this year and she provides a human touch to normally sterile STEM classes. One critique would be to give more math-oriented practice problems. But she's is truly a gem and confidence booster.

I feel like other ppl's assessment of Dr. S is pretty unfair given the COVID situation. She is super accessible and open to help, and in my opinion I do like the INTENT of her interactive lectures, but it needs to be improved with perhaps answer keys for students who still feel lost. Her weekly quizzes are annoying; lots of trick questions asked!

Prof. Shusterman is a really kind person and is receptive to questions. She's young and lively and definitely knows what she's talking about when it comes to Chemistry. While I am definitely not the best at the subject, I still have no ill will towards her because she's very nice. On all of her Piazza posts and emails, she puts smiley faces :)

Dr. S is the best STEM professor I've had at Berkeley. Her lectures are engaging and though her interactive classes take a while to get used to, I found they really helped me understand the material and make friends in class. Her exams are difficult but fair; she focuses on concepts rather than formulas. Overall, super kind, caring, amazing prof.

A lot of people have been complaining about the interactive format the first half of the semester. I didnt think it was bad but preferred the lectures, as she is a talented lecturer. Dr. S is genuinely caring and compassionate. Her midterms were very fair and her final project was extremely generous. I always felt like she wanted us to succeed!

Dr. S really made chemistry fun and teaches complex topics in a very understandable and practical way. Her exams are very fair but you have to really nail down the concepts. I had a horrible chemistry background in high school but ended thoroughly enjoying chemistry after taking this class.

Some of y'all are being way too harsh on her, saying that she didn't help much in light of the covid-19 situation. She let us completely redo the second midterm, making it untimed and letting us receive help from other classmates. She also scrapped the final exam, giving us a project instead which required little to no studying.

I took Dr. S for Chem32 and loved her. So, I decided to take her for Chem1A however she sadly tried to do interactive lectures which explains the native reviews. We also have quizzes every week, a bit difficult. Because of the COVID-19 situation, she has allowed us to redo our second midterm and replaced the final exam with a project.

Dr. Shusterman is overall a very kind and caring professor. While this class was an easy A for me, I had a hard time learning from her "interactive" teaching style and had to learn a lot of the material on my own. For me, however, her kindness towards students and her flexibility in the onset of the pandemic made me really appreciate her a lot more

Alexis was super nice and approachable. She had a great ability to answer questions in a way that was understandable. If I wasn't understanding her answer she was able to change the way she presented it. I know a lot of people did not enjoy the interactive learning style but for someone with little to no chem experience it felt less intimidating.

Dr. Alexis is one of the best professors I've encountered at Cal. I have had her for more than one semester, and she has always been available for her students. She is understanding, accessible and has a very fair class. Furthermore, she has always been receptive to student's input and her grading is also very fair and listed in syllabus. Take her

Prof shusterman is one of the nicest professors I've had while at Berkeley. She completely understands that some students (me included) have very little chem knowledge and is always helpful and patient with our questions. If you're struggling with the material I can't stress enough how helpful her OH are for questions and reviewing concepts

Dr. S is one of the nicest professors I've had at Cal. However, she reads directly from her lecture slides and labs can be very difficult if you didn't come in with a solid understanding of chem 3al. It could've been worse but she was very lenient during covid and was very accessible outside of class.

Pass/No Pass prep class, but this prof's lectures made attendance worth it. I lost all basic Chem knowledge in high school, but retained everything I need to know for my major's Chem requirements. Really sweet and great at answering questions, and is very accessible. Immediately signed up to take her Chem 1A class next semester!

Professor Shusterman is a very understanding and intelligent professor. Her lectures are very clear, and she tries her best to answer all questions and concerns on Piazza.

Dr. S is a wonderful professor who is hilarious, witty, yet insanely knowledgeable in teaching organic chemistry lab. She understands that people do not come in with extensive ochem lab knowledge & she is great at helping us understand! Even in the online semester I took the course in, she was amazing & truly wanted students to learn! Recommended!

Dr. S is an amazing professor who is hilarious in classes but also extremely good at teaching. She understands that not everyone is coming in with extensive ochem lab skills and she teaches them extremely well. She knows how to teach hard concepts and gets her points across well. Make sure you attend all the lectures and you'll do great!

Dr. S is such a fantastic professor. Her lab lectures are clear and she doesn't really assume we know anything coming in (ie she goes over all necessary knowledge needed) and her labs are fair and relevant. She also posts office hour recordings which are so so helpful for understanding prelabs and confusing content. Really kind and energetic!

LIVE LAUGH LOVE DR.S ! Her lectures are concise and clear, and her office hours are very helpful; she's super receptive to any and all questions. Chemistry is hard and the exams aren't easy (three midterms), but if you watch the lectures and complete all the extra practice sheets/exams she provides, you will do well.

Professor Shusterman is a Wonderful chem professor! Her lectures are clear and relatively interesting and she offers a lot fo resources for her students to do well. The exams aren't impossible but you definitely need to study for them! She provides study worksheets, practice exams, and always answers her piazza questions for her students.

I absolutely love Dr.S!!! She is such a kind, fun, and energetic professor. Her lectures are clear and always to the point. If clarification is ever needed, she is very approachable during office hours. The exams are not difficult if you study the material beforehand. Her cheerful attitude was very refreshing during online learning.

Dr. S is one of the best chem teachers I've had. With online learning, I think she made the best of a bad situation, she explained the topics clearly, textbook available online for free, and she was just funny, caring, and really wants her students to learn. It's more tedious than it is hard if you've taken a chem class before, but she teaches well

One of the best & passionate teachers I've had! The night before our final, she stayed up until late at night to answer student's questions on Piazza. She is ALWAYS available. Her lectures are clear & interesting. Esp as someone who didn't take AP Chem & only took HS chem freshman year I learned SO much this semester & she's very fair. TAKE HER!!

Chem 32 and Chem 1A online. Dr. S is fair and understanding, always trying to encourage students. She's quick at answering questions on Piazza. The course was moderately challenging for me personally. Pay attention to the lectures, go to office hours and review sessions. Most of the readings just restate what we learn in lecture.

Although the course was undoubtedly challenging, Dr. S was extremely considerate and kind, and always went out of her way to help students. Her lectures are solid and there are lots of resources inside the class like study sessions and review worksheets that are very helpful. Dr. S has definitely been one of the best professors I have had thus far!

I absolutely loved this class! Dr. S explained all the concepts in such a clear way. She also was really accessible to all her students, which is really impressive for such a big class. Also, make sure to go to team time if you can, I learned so much there.

If you get a chance to take Chem 1A with Dr. S, take it! She explains concepts very clearly, is quick to answer questions on Piazza, has clear explanations in office hours, and offers lots of practice material. I recommend going to Team Time (not sure if this was only a COVID thing) and forming a study group to go over all of the practice material.

Dr. S is a really kind professor! CHEM 1A is known for being tough (and this class was tough for sure). However, having Dr. S made everything easier, as she was always caring and available on Piazza. You can really tell she cares about her students! She also took into consideration the pandemic and did adjust grade bins. She's a solid choice!

Dr. S is the best chemistry professor to take 1A with; she is extremely clear, and lays out material and the steps taken to understand + apply it very skillfully. This class will give you the confidence to take future chem courses and is even fun enough to take as an elective. If you are a chem or biology major/pre-med, TAKE 1A WITH HER.

Incredible teacher, please take her! P.S. No written lab reports!

Good and clear lectures, no lab reports!!

I absolutely adore Dr. Shusterman. Her lectures are clear and easy to follow; she's understanding and extremely approachable. This lab class was really fun and engaging; the pre-lab quizzes aren't bad and there were no post labs (you just had to finish a short worksheet by the end of each lab). Highly highly recommend. Final wasn't bad either!

I love Dr. S! I feel utterly inspired by her lectures and demos (which can sometimes be amusingly shocking). She truly cares about her students and gives helpful feedback. There are some confusing moments about the topics but you just gotta work through the PS sets, go to OH, and keep practicing. In the end, everything is extremely rewarding!

Dr. Shusterman is great, she is really good at explaining content and is easily accessible with office hours. Chem 1A is a difficult course no matter what, but she makes it doable. She doesn't curve exams and says she MIGHT curve at the end of the semester, which is stressful from not knowing your grade. Otherwise, she's great!

I was intimidated by Chem 1A but Prof S made the course digestible. She engages you in the material. The quizzes are graded on completion, you get points for iclicker q's, and the exams are fair. As long as you keep up with the lectures and pset's and do the practice exams, you will do just fine :) Attend office hours!

Dr. S is so accessible and offers lots of extra credit! The extra credit opportunities are also fun as well (i.e. a career panel). She responds promptly on Piazza and in great detail. She also is very fair on exams--lots of partial credit and if you are penalized once in a "serial" question, then you won't get penalized twice. Go to office hours!

Professor S explains the material very well and is very caring. I could've tried much harder in the course but I learned so much with her. The exams are fair if you keep up with the class. She genuinely made me interested in chemistry even though it isn't remotely similar to my major. The grade bins were also generous! I highly recommend her! :)

Professor S was amazing! She explains things very clearly and wants to make sure everyone understands in her class. However I would say this class was difficult but definitely not impossible to pass. I personally could have tried harder. Besides that I would definitely recommend taking chemistry with Dr. S!!

Dr. S. is extremely kind and a great lecturer! CHEM 1A is a hard class but she offers a ton of support. I would recommend going to her OH as they are extremely helpful and stay caught up with lectures and concepts

Definitely accessible outside class. Her tests are hard! Walking into each midterm I would feel ready to take them and would just be left feeling confused afterwards. Nonetheless, I love her teaching style and her lectures are engaging and interesting to watch. Attendance is mandatory but you get 10 dropped attendances. Good luck if you take her!

Amazing teaching style. Her lectures were clear to follow and she loves answering questions, so don't be afraid to approach her! Midterms were a bit difficult but fair overall. Can tell she genuinely cares about her students.

Top tier professor. From entertaining demonstrations to clear and concise lectures, Shusterman prepares students well for exams and future classes. Shusterman goes above and beyond, often posting about research opportunities and workshops, and throwing in information about the research going on in Berkeley that relates to lecture concepts.

I took Chem 1A spring 2022 and I loved Dr. S. It was obvious she cared about her students. Her lectures her engaging. And, she connected the course material to real world concepts at the end of each module so well that I would leave the lecture hall thinking to myself "holy cow, I am learning some cool stuff." Definitely can't go wrong with Dr. S.

Super sweet- excited for chem 1A with her in the spring!

Homework was to watch lectures, and lectures were full of completing problem sets. VERY easy class, the TAs really carried as they had office hours and would help you individually. I didn't take any chem classes in hs, but after Chem 32 I'm looking forward to Chem 1a with her again!

Alexis is an awesome lecturer and professor -- she's clear and makes slides that summarize even the most difficult concepts with pictures and concise sentences. Her lectures are engaging and the assignments she gives are good practice. She offers a lot of practice material and is overall very talented at teaching hard ideas in a graspable way.

Actual GOAT. Makes every lecture entertaining and engaging, if I could have Shusterman for every class I take I would attend every lecture.

Professor Shusterman is amazing! One of my favorite professors at Cal! Her lectures are very well organized. She explains difficult concepts very clearly. There are several EC opportunities throughout the semester too! She is very active on Ed discussion and is extremely helpful during office hours. Please please take 1A with her!

Dr.S is the best professor I've had so far! Her lectures are very organized and she responds super quickly to any questions on Ed discussion or email. Super approachable and her office hours were very welcoming and insightful. Dr. S also prepares you really well for all the midterms and final. Highly recommend taking chem 1A with Dr. S!!

Professor Shusterman is very passionate about her work and helping students understand. She is always available on Edstem and is very approachable. Overall her lectures are very organized and she always makes time for people to ask questions. Her homework is reasonable, just requires time management in order to not get overwhelmed.

I would absolutely recommend taking Chem 1A with Dr. Shusterman! I found myself actually looking forward to her lectures in the mornings. Dr. S is extremely organized and clearly outlines resources available to students. Her grading is very fair and she comes across as approachable and genuinely cares about her students.

One of my favorite professors/teachers I've ever had. She is an amazing woman who not only respects her students, but is easy to work with when dealing with family or other issues that come up. She was very supportive and despite Chem 1A being a difficult class, she makes it understandable and helps you throughout the way. The textbook is online.

Dr. S is a brilliant professor! As someone who had never taken "real" chemistry before, I thought this class would be incredibly hard, but Dr. S was a very kind and understanding to those like me and her lectures were amazing! The exams were very fair-- as long as you do the practice midterms/finals and go to office hours (or Ed) you will be fine.

Decent professor. Lectures were reasonable, but had to be watched multiple times to really understand the concepts. I recommend building a strong foundation (DO THE PS) and understanding of the concepts right from the beginning or else you'll regret not doing so like I did. Studied two weeks in advance for the final, ended with a B with the curve!

Professor Shusterman truly cares about student learning and wants you to succeed in their class!! Engaging and fun lectures & makes Chemistry accessible to everyone :)

I came to the course with a weak chemistry foundation. Her lectures were very organized and she made a great effort to keep things straightforward while relating concepts to everyday life. They were the highlight of my day. Staying on top of the material, taking practice midterms, and the problem sets prepared me for her (very) fair exams.

Shusterman teaches concisely and her power points are easily understandable. She is entertaining and clearly cares about student success. She is prompt in responding to ed questions and has clear grading criteria with fair labs, lab assignments, and finals. Recommend this class (and chem 1a as well) with her as a professor.

Amazing Lecturer!

Basically everything on the tests is from lecture which is nice. She is also very fun and engaging during said lectures with demonstrations, real world connections, and songs/jokes. Clearly cares a lot about student success and makes herself available outside of class.

I am a non-STEM major who took Chem 1A just to fulfill a breadth requirement. Dr. S explains everything very clearly in ways that make sense to everyone, and she just seems like a very kind and caring instructor.

she cool

Professor Alexis is amazing! She engages the class and makes concepts she's studied for years easy to understand for students. The class is tough itself, but having Professor Alexis is a great way to study Chemistry in Berkeley!

She's super engaging and kind. Breaks down difficult concepts and makes them easy to understand. Answers all student questions. Also, having the option to attend lectures over Zoom is super helpful.

Professor Shusterman is very organized, caring, and clear in her lectures. Attendance is mandatory, but you can participate via Zoom. Class is structured to help you learn - weekly quizzes on completion, check ins throughout class, weekly homework, etc. As someone who didn't take AP Chem, the class was hard, but Shusterman and GSIs were helpful.

SUPER nice/fun professor. Although this class is not an easy A you definitely can get one!! Tests are difficult but there are a lot of resources available. Light HW, no projects, no quizzes. In person or online attendance is mandatory. be ready to pay a mandatory $42 for the "textbook." Overall great class!!

she is such a sweet lecturer and made me love learning chemistry. her tests were all based on the lectures. she made sure to never include things that she did not discuss during lecture. you should not fall behind though, make sure to go to office hours to ask for help.

Dr. S was an amazing professor. Her lectures were quite clear and understandable, while also incorporating some real-life examples and humor. Her exams were almost always relevant to the course material, and there are many resources for you if you get stuck and need help.

Dr. Shusterman was my best professor in my first semester at Cal, and one of the best teachers I've had in my entire life. She was effortlessly able to make convoluted subjects very digestible. Her exams were a bit tough but fair.

While attendance is not mandatory for your grade, there is are online polls that happen during class that count towards your grade. This class is easy as long as you pay attention. I had no chem background and have done pretty good in the class, just need to take the final. Dr. S has always been able to clarify my questions and provides great help.

Very kind and helpfu

Lectures are helpful, tests are fair, easy to get help when you need it w/ lots of resources. Would recommend

I LOVED HER CLASS! She explains the concept so well, and everything makes sense when she presents her material. Even though her exams were difficult, it was somewhat doable, and when reviewing the exams with the notes, things clicked. Whatever she taught in lectures was reflected in the exams. I WILL TAKE HER CLASS AGAIN IF I CAN!

Best professor I've ever had. Professor Shusterman is so enthusiastic and excited about what she's teaching and her lectures are amazing. Great visuals on her slides and she always has little anecdotes to help us remember concepts. Very accesible and very caring! Don't think twice about taking her for Chem 1A, she's the best.

She'll keep you awake in the morning with her interactive lectures though! She tends to oversimplify things during the lectures and uses more technical terms on tests. In retrospect, I wish I studied for the midterms as intense as the final because the questions are pretty fair and not meant to trick you at all.

Best professor. She is super kind and caring, and has so many office hours. She is so passionate and is very concise in her lectures. She provides multiple practice tests that are similar to exams. She uploads her slides the day before for you to review. And, she made chemistry so fun to learn. I wish I could have her again.

Dr. Shusterman is amazing- I never took a proper Chemistry class in high school, however; as soon I stepped in to this class- I consider General Chemistry as one my favorite classes to take in Cal! Yes, the content can take some time to digest, but working with the GSIs and getting help early on makes a huge difference. Dr. Shusterman is awesome:)

She's a good professor and a very good lecturer. Her exams are a bit harder than the practice exams she releases (and she releases a lot of them, so that's helpful). She is responsive to student's needs and I would say her workload isn't too bad either (a homework submission every week + a effort-based graded quiz).

Dr. Shusterman was by far the best professor I've had so far at Berkeley. Her lectures are very concise and engaging and always incorporate a bit of humor. She is also always willing to offer support outside of class. Overall, she is an excellent professor as long as you make sure to put in your fair share of effort through studying.

Great lecturer. The class is hybrid and I attended most lectures via zoom yet the lectures were still incredibly comprehensive. Homework wasn't too difficult and there were always office hours available. There were 3 midterms and a final which was kinda exhausting but with consistent studying and lecture attendance, they're not too bad. Good class.

I came into Chem 1A knowing 0 chemistry. By attending lectures, doing the readings and her practice tests, anyone can succeed. She reuses the format of her exams, responds to ed discussions actively, is open to feedback, is fantastic at breaking down topics into their elementary pieces, and most importantly ensures students are set up for O-Chem.

MY CHEMISTRY HERO!!

pretty much everyone likes her, and for good reason. she really cares about her students and does everything she can to make sure everyone understands what she's teaching. we cover a lot of content, but it doesn't feel fast because she walks us through everything. genuinely one of the most caring and well-versed professors I've met.

She is really nice, and she tries really hard to make her lectures clear and understandable. She really breaks everything down, and she wants to make sure everyone understands the content. There is a weekly homework assignment. Also a weekly quiz, but you get full credit for just taking it, and they're very helpful. She's very organized.

Shusterman made classes super engaging and lectures much better then other professors. The class is hard even if you've taken AP Chem. You will learn everything you learned in high school in 3 weeks just a heads up. Tests were difficult but doable if you studies at least a week in advance. Final was not reflective of homework and previous years.

She would just teach and wouldn't assume we know anything. Very nice and had a lot of office hours. We only needed 75% of attendance and homework and quizzes was also at a percent we didn't have to do all of them. She would sing to help us memorize I enjoyed waking up early to go to her class. Class is offered online and on zoom.

My fav. class last sem. Never took chem in hs and got an A+. The lectures were fun & easy to follow, especially with pre-lecture preps. Dr. S. and other staff/students replied quickly on Ed discussion, so questions were answered effectively. Tests were completely covered by the lectures, but required flexible application & connection of concepts.

Great professor. Class is not hard unless you skip lectures. She is a very good lecturer and makes the material make sense. Go in person to lectures and you will do well. Tests can be tricky but are very fair and generally are extremely doable if you take good notes and go to lecture.

Prof Shusterman was a pretty good teacher and would explain concepts well. I did not have a lot of background chem knowledge coming into this class which I think was my downfall. Moves pretty quickly through material. Exams are difficult, but not too crazy

I thought chemistry was hard and boring before taking her courses, yet she proved me wrong. She is a great teacher!

Awesome! Amazing lecturer.

Not too difficult of a class. She does require you to pay for a subscription on an app in order to answer questions in her class.

Very good teacher for this class. Actually makes lectures interesting and makes fair exams for students. Overall made Chem 1A not a terrible expereince.

Had her for 32 and 1A, extremely enthusiastic and talented professor throughout both classes. It's unbelievable how much time and effort she puts into responding to questions on Ed. Highly recommend using Ed Discussion to answer questions, she provides detailed and enthusiastic responses with very short wait times in the days leading up to exams.

Shusterman is the goat best gen chem professor there is

Great, updated slides and always showed up enthusiastic. I genuinely enjoyed going to this class. The practice exams were always close to the exams given. Difficult class but definitely possible to get a high grade. Make sure you stay on track as many topics are layered on top of one another. Greatly recommend this professor!

Great lecturer, extremely helpful, & very compassionate person

Dr. S makes her lectures engaging with tons of songs. The practice exams are super useful. The class quickly ramps up in difficulty in acid-base chemistry and quantum so be super careful. Use the textbook, it's more advanced than her lectures but will prepare you, since she sometimes doesn't lecture at the necessary depth.

I loved taking Chem 1A with Dr. S! Her lectures were really enjoyable and she was easily accessible outside class through Ed Discussion. As long as you understand the concepts, do the homework and go to office hours, you will be good. Make sure to do the practice exams several times if you want to ace the actual exams! :)

Brilliant. Generational teaching talent. I had Neuscamman (Neuscamid) for 1A a few weeks last year and the stark difference in teaching ability is staggering. Shusterman WILL make you succeed. She made every topic seamlessly connected. I wish more lower div lecturers were like her. I could've gotten an A but slept in and missed half the final LMAO

Took this P/NP. I love her teaching style, and she made some of the most confusing ideas digestible for the class. Exams are similar to past exams so study those to understand what she expects of you. No surprises, she makes herself available during office hours and ed stem. HW is through Aktiv, need to buy that, unlimited attempts. Great class!

Shusterman addresses topics in a very simplified way. Readings help if you want a deeper understanding of the topics, but they weren't necessary. Discussions felt boring but were helpful. She releases practice exams from previous semester, which are the most helpful for understanding the material you will see on the exams.

Take the practice exams and really study them before midterms/final. The actual exam will be very similar to the practice. Very clear lectures that can be rewatched online.

She is such an amazing professor and so witty in so many way. She does not grade the quizes and if you attend discussion you get full point. However, the exam were pretty difficult but she does provide practice exams, do them and you'll be fine.

If you took AP Chem in high school, this class is not very difficult. In fact, we did not have to know the exceptions to rules and I personally felt like I was doing a lot less memorization than in AP Chem. The last unit was the most difficult, but it was still doable. Dr. Shusterman will hold your hand and guide you through Chem 1A.

She is the most lovely and funny, energetic professor and I'm so glad I got her! She was always explains concepts in fun ways and making sure we get main points. You definitely have to study for tests since lecture covers concepts well, but much of learning calculation requires office hours and tutoring, homework was pretty reasonable.

Honestly, the exams were extremely fair and her lectures were super easy to understand. I only have very limited amount of chem background (took 8th grade chem), and I fumbled on the final exam, but having a clobber as well as 3 midterms helped a lot. I think honestly you don't need to study much, her content is well reflected on the exams well.

Responds to EdStem rapidly, great lectures, fun professor that seems to care in her students and her subjects. Knows how to engage with students well.

The goat, easy exams that reflect lecture, very clear lecture in general, and overall good vibes. Would love to take again! 😊

Exciting and engaging lectures that are easy to understand. Would highly recommend this class.

awsome professor

Shusterman is an amazing professor - her lectures are super engaging and she breaks down even the trickiest concepts. While the exams can be challenging, studying past practice tests and using resources like Unstuckstudy can really help. Definitely take this class if you can!

Dr. S is AMAZING! For the midterms make sure you really study the practice exams she gives you not for memorization but for understanding of the concept. She is super sweet so if you don't understand anything make sure to go to office hours or post on Ed discussion. She makes herself super accessible so take advantage of that.

Responds quickly and clearly on Ed, which is awesome. Very upbeat professor who never fails to bring a smile to students' faces and inspires us to become better chemists. Tests are straightforward and are similar to the practices she gives us. Would highly recommend attending lectures and talking to her before/after class.

She is amazing. She teaches well and at a good pace with animation. Knows how to teach an intro class correctly. Love her so much.

Shusterman does their best to make sure students have a strong understanding of the course topics and cares a lot about not only having the students succeed but also helping students build connections with faculty for possible internships.

Dr. Shusterman such a great teacher. She bring a great energy to class and explains things really well. My favorite part about her was how quick she was to answer my questions on Ed Discussion. She explained everything that I was confused about so well. She was even answering questions on Saturday and Sunday, which was really awesome.

Probably the BEST prof ever! I did not like chem going into this class, came out LOVING it!!Not exaggerating when I say she is so talented in making students feel engaged, heard, and just helping them over all.She was on top of the Ed which is just a platform for us to ask qs outside of class.She also puts effort into knowing names of students:)

Super nice teacher. Very active on EdDiscussion (question answering software). Prioritizes students learning and gives helpful ways of remembering course info. Don't think I've met anyone who dislikes her as a teacher.

Dr. S clearly explained and broke down topics in Chem 1A so that literally anyone could understand. I would never get lost in lecture and felt on top of all the material in the class when she was teaching. Her exams are also very similar to practice exams. She is quick to respond on Ed with detailed answers and really cares for her students!

Going into Chem 1A with no prior chemistry knowledge, I was worried about falling behind, but Dr. S explains concepts clearly and truly cares about her students. Shes very responsive on Ed Discussion and took time to learn students names in office hours. The course is challenging, but Dr. S made it worth it. I'd love to take more classes with her!

Dr. S is my favorite professor at UCB! Make sure to attend OH's and don't be afraid to ask anything you don't understand. She you will work to explain it to you in anyway possible. Dr S wants students to succeed and that's what makes her amazing. Also do practice exams the real ones are similar!

Compassionate. Understands the different levels that students come into CHEM 1A with. Presents material in a comprehensible manner. I felt more than prepared for almost every midterm that she taught. Glad to have taken this intro chemistry class under her instruction.

This was such a fun class and I would totally recommend Shusterman as prof!! Really enjoyed chem because of her and she really explained the content well! Just be sure to do the practice exams and you'll be set for the actual exams. Lecture isn't really mandatory but really recommend going!

Dr. S is a talented lecturer + super engaging and kind. She breaks down difficult concepts without oversimplifying, and is accesible on Ed, after class, and during her office hours, which I highly recommend attending. Her passion for teaching and care for students is evident! She also played the ukulele in a few lectures which was entertaining:)

Excellent lecturer. Explains concepts in an easy to understand and engaging way. She's super helpful outside of class as well and is an all around nice person. As someone who had an awful chemistry teacher in high school and hated chemistry before coming into college, Dr. S. completely changed that.

Dr. Shusterman is a wonderful professor! I loved going to lectures, and it was pretty clear that she cared a lot about the subject and her students. Exams were fair, and the practice tests helped a lot. Definitely could have done better in the class, but that was entirely my fault. Very accessible through OH and Ed as well. Recommend!

I loved her! I went into Chem 1A with nearly zero chem experience so I was a bit nervous but she made all the content so easy to understand. The class was taught by her and Professor Neuscamman but her teaching style was far better to me. Practice exams are same as midterms and final. One of my favorite professors!

Very clear lectures, explained concepts in ways that are easy to understand. Homework and office hours extremely helpful!!

amazing lecturer, explains chem concepts in a way that makes it easy to understand, seems very sweet and patient, lectures are very engaging, sings great also

I love Dr. S so much. Her lectures were very easy to understand and her office hours were so helpful. She also would make sure to answer everyone's questions on Ed discussion. Her practice exams were exactly like the midterms/final. I definitely recommend taking chem1a with her!!

such a good lecturer, make everything super clear and was willing to explain everything. made lectures super engaging and make chem actually fun to learn

She is a very engaging lecturer. Sometimes I feel like she treats us like kindergartners but it's fine because she explains concepts really well and makes things easier for us to understand.

Dr. S was such a great Chem 1A prof. She was super enthusiastic and clear in her lectures. She sang us songs to help us remember concepts and wore goofy costumes on holidays. She was flexible in her explanations and was always able to pivot if I still wasn't understanding. She was very approachable and her office hours were great!

Really nice and knowledgeable professor. Class is tough but if you study be as bad

Dr. Shusterman is an amazing lecturer, and genuinely cares about her students understanding an success. Make sure to keep up and understand the homework problems, but she provides excelent resources for exam prep and is very accessable outside of class hours.

Best professor I've had here at Berkeley. She truly cares about her students and is very approachable with any questions you have. She uses Ed Discussion a lot and she gives you paragraph length explanations. She is truly one of a kind and a great teacher to anyone no matter your background in chemistry. I will miss her.

Get ready to sing.

This was my first technical course at UC Berkeley and while I didn't appreciate it then (took this class Fall 2023) I do so appreciate Professor Shusterman. She is dedicated and passionate. Her lectures are clear but the course is definitely challenging. There's not much homework so be sure to read up on the content and you'll do very well.

i hated chemistry in high school but this professor made me realize it wasn't the material, it was the teacher! she's so good at explaining topics and so helpful during office hours. she makes herself very accessible and her classes were so interesting. i wish i could take the class again!

I hadn't taken Chem since 3 years ago, but this class brought me up to speed and well beyond the level of high school. Expectations and grading is very clear and fair, lectures were very worth going to! Lots of demos of experiments, walking through problems, and also singing!

Super cool and kind professor! Her lectures were always very understandable, even if it was a hard topic, and she made them super entertaining (with jokes, songs, a little history of chemistry segment at the end of each class, etc). Exams were sometimes tough (as to be expected), but she was a fair grader.

Super solid professor. Very clear explanations, slides, and super accessible via Ed. Midterms were not particularly difficult either, and final was super easy. Only complaint is that the slides uploaded to Bcourses are not the full versions (which makes sense), but it would be nice to have those somewhere.

Dr. S teaches you chemistry as if you were a child, but not in a condescending manner in a way that's easy to understand and follow. She clearly explains concepts, but always leaves rooms for questions. She makes you think in lecture with her polls and homework is very helpful. Do past exams it's very helpful. You will enjoy this class!!

Dr. S is extremely nice and makes lectures worth showing up for. Her interactive lectures and homework was good practice for understanding the concepts. The midterms were much different from homework and were a bit difficult, but there's enough practice exams to do well. My friends who took AP chem did very well, but studying hard will get you far.

Dr. S is one of my most favorite professors. She is extremely engaging in class and her slides are easy to follow. I wish she taught all semester and not just half. The exams were pretty difficult in my opinion but they reflect how much studying you put in.

She's super caring and a great lecturer. You can tell she really cares about her students and wants them to succeed. Her lectures are very intuitive and help you build a strong foundation in chemistry. Highly highly recommend!

shusterman is an amazing lecturer, she manages to keep all her lectures very engaging and interesting. the topics at the beginning are quite simple but it tends to be a little bit a harder concept-wise towards the end. midterms are pretty similar to the practice ones, just make sure to fully understand those

Dr. S is genuinely one of the greatest professors I've had. Her lectures are amazing and she truly cares about her students. If you go to class and DO THE PRACTICE EXAMS you're golden. Her grading criteria is also more than fair and she even lowers cutoffs at the end of the semester. You will do well if you put in the effort.

What an absolutely GOATED professor. I have never taken chem before, and Professor Shusterman made the content so simple and so understandable. More professors need to be like Professor Shusterman. One of the best classes I have taken at Berkeley simply because of her. Extremely organized class by the way, and extremely helpful lectures.

She really helps students and wants to help them succeed.

She was such a great teacher! Gen chem can become difficult if the information gets jumbled, and she did an amazing job of presenting information in an engaging and fun way. She was very approachable and supportive outside of class.

Why do birds, suddenly appear, every time, you are near. Just like me, they long to be, close to you.

She is very kind and understanding. She is a good listening ear and gives incredible feedback. She is a very sweet person. Uses very understandable terms and overall amazing teacher. The class itself is difficult and so is the content. When she teaches its much easier to understand.

Great instructor! Lecture are really enjoyable and understandable. Honestly they tell you how to pass the class. PUSH UPS!!!

incredible professor, her lectures are clear, easy to follow, and she breaks down such complex topics into understandable lessons. shes much better than the other professor (Dr. N) and i wish she taught all units. i scored the best on her two exams

❤️❤️老师我喜欢你老师❤️❤️❤️🥺🥺🥺🥺I luv her.

She is truly one of the best professors I've had while I've been here. Knows how to dumb complicated topics down enough to where its comprehendible and straightforward. Super helpful and accessible outside of class as well.

Professor Shusterman is an excellent lecturer and I would I highly reccommend taking courses with her. I've never met such a caring professor like her. Now keep in mind Chem 1A has 1500 students, so she doesn't really know everyone. During office hours she takes her time learning your name and addresses you by name. She really is amazing.

one of the kindest, clearest, and genuinely caring profs ive ever had. dr. s's teaching quality is so rich, and she explains complex chemistry topics in a very digestible and beginner friendly way. shes super active on ed and will always give detailed and informative replies, i wish she taught higher level chem!!

LOVED dr.s. clear and informative, easy to understand lectures and genuinely seems like a nice lady.

Very engaging, with very clear explanations

Really good at explaining concepts and genuinely seems to care about students. Responds super fast when you have questions in ed discussion.

Very manageable if you attend lecture

she is an amazing professor! expains nicely and makes concepts more approachable. there is a big amount of content to cover though, so exams can be pretty tough. enjoyable class!

kind professor with good slides :) she is very well educated and provides concise lectures!

She's a great lecturer and it's very easy to ask questions after class or during office hours. She wants you to succeed and is very sweet, but exams are pretty conceptual. Would recommend taking 1a with her during the spring rather than fall because in the fall she co-instructs with Dr. N

Dr. S could make any topic seem simple, her lectures broke things down perfectly and gave a more intuitive understanding of Gen Chem. Her units taught were significantly easier to wrap my head around due to her style of teaching. Also a wonderful resource via office hours, and a genuinely fun person during lectures.

Alexis was an amazing professor, she was very passionate about what she taught and always showed emotion and passion in her lectures. She was very easy to understand and made material very memorable through demonstrations, hand movements and references. Very passionate professor and made a difficult topic interesting.

Dr. Shusterman is an amazing professor, she makes the Chem 1A material very digestible and accessible and created a great environment in the class. For the most part, I felt (and heard other students agree) that Dr. S is easier to learn from than Dr. N, so honestly if you can, take the course in the spring with only her, not Fall with both of them.

Funny professor who makes the material easy to understand. Explains things intuitively. Her class is pretty chill if you've taken chem in HS, but it's not a cakewalk, so even the strongest students will be slightly challenged. Overall I highly recommend her. Definitely one of the top professors at Cal.

all hail queen shusterman!!

Never took chem before and she made it understandable. Quizzes are technically participation based. Try to take it in the spring because she teaches without Neuscamman (he's much more confusing than she is). Go to all her OH's Participation: 5%, HW: 9%, Quizzes: 9%, midterms (3) 17% each, Final: 25% (final can replace lowest midterm)

I took AP Chem before taking 1A with her and Dr. N, and it made the class very easy. I found Dr. S genuinely incredible in the way she delivered complex material in such an understandable way, and the exams over her units were very fair. Highly recommend taking 1A in the Spring so you don't have to deal with Dr. N

Explained things thoroughly and it's clear that she cares for her students and wants them to learn. 3 midterms and a somewhat culminative final were the only things that really counted towards the grade since hw, lecture attendance, and discussion attendance were easy to do. I had no prior experience in chemistry and was able to do well.

Dr. S is a phenomenal professor, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. She teaches with so much passion, breaks down super difficult concepts in easy-to-understand bites, and really cares for you. Attend office hours and be proactive and you will succeed in this class with no prior chem experience. Just try to take in the spring to avoid Dr N.

The class is not curved but Professor Shusterman is so passionate about the subject that if you pay attention to her lectures you are bound to do well on the exams for the units she teaches.

She is good at explaining concepts and good at explaining, although she did struggle a bit explaining and breaking down Unit 3 (Acids and Bases). She gives good study tips and seems like a caring person. Of course, as with chemistry, some concepts require self-studying even after being explained in lecture. Overall, she is a good professor!

Simply amazing professor. Lectures were so fun to watch and she explained things so clearly and well!

Very great professor her lectures were some of my favorites and her explanations are clear and easy to follow

Dr. S is a great professor. She explains complicated topics clearly and creates a very supportive environment. Her office hours were extremely helpful, and she was always willing to repeat or rephrase things. Her lectures are visual, well organized, and high energy. However, some of the abstract concepts in Unit 3 could've been emphasized more.

Shusterman taught units 1 and 3 and she was very entertaining and straightforward! The unit exam grades for her exams were also higher than Neuscamman's. For the class, your grade is 76% exams (420 of 550 pts) so def focus on those most, but she does curve your grade at the end of the semester by a few % I think!

Very very good lectures, and super accessible during office hours! She genuinely wants you to succeed. During her last office hour before the final, she stayed an extra ~1.5 hours to answer questions. Content was hard but she breaks it down very well for us in lecture, which is recorded. My GSI Ry was also amazing! Use Ed Discussion for questions!!

Great at teaching Chemistry and is very nice and understanding. Definitely worth attending lecture.

Dr. S had the most entertaining lectures I've ever attended (she sings and dresses up as Wario). She made sure students scooted to the centre so you could get a seat without stepping over 50 people, which I appreciated. The units she taught were relatively easy, but I do think prior knowledge is required to do well in this class.

She is a great professor and explains the material very well. The class is pretty tough and fast-paced however.

She explained everything very clearly and presented information in a way that would help us understand and remember it for tests. Everything was very reasonable and she made the class entertaining. I would definitely recommend her class.

Dr. S was amazing. She can clearly explain complex chemistry topics in simple terms and analogies, and her office hours were very helpful. Her bubbly personality is uplifting and I am very grateful to have been able to have her as my professor this semester.

Chem 1A was very simple and easy, especially the units she taught. All of the exams have 5+ practice exams and the questions are very true to the actual difficulty of the exams. She has a very lenient grading scale and drops your lowest midterm score in replacement of your final grade.

I don't say this a lot but she is a great teacher!! Very engaging and explains things well! Can do AKTIV polls from home and watch online lecture recordings instead of going to lecture. Very light hw. Exams are difficult but practice tests are VERY similar. Quizzes only graded on participation. I never went to office hours so idk if they're helpful

Dr. S is a great professor! She is VERY CLEAR about what she teaches (my friend compared her to a kindergarten teacher). Outside of class, you can ask her questions during office hours or on the way to office hours. I love her style of teaching.

Friendly and easy to follow lectures! Most people seem to like her more than Dr. N if you take the course with both of them in the Fall, but be aware her test questions seem harder than his. Really organized class.

Great explainer, go to her office hours.

Her enthusiasm during lectures made the topics very easy to comprehend. Although there wasn't a lot of homework to give additional practice, she posted multiple practice exams before the test. Additionally, while attendance isn't exactly mandatory, there is mandatory participation.

Although she may have oversimplified a few things, she made gen chem digestible and straightforward. In her class, I was able to maintain an A by simply attending lecture, completing homework, and taking an hour or so each week to review the class topics.