2.6
Quality4.0
Difficulty33%
Would Retake294
Reviews33%
Would Retake
294
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
36
4
51
3
52
2
84
1
71
What Students Say
“she teaches at a 5th grade level and tests at a doctoral level”
CHEM121 - 1.0 rating“Good luck passing if you aren't experienced in chemistry”
CHEM121 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
43%
Textbook Required
34%
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B+
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FUNCHEM12
5.0
(1)GENCHEMISTRY
5.0
(1)CHEMISTRY2
5.0
(1)FUNCHEM
4.5
(2)CHEM132
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
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5.0
CHEM16
5.0
CHEMGEN
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Reviews (294)
Fundamentals of Chemistry II. Gave a quiz one each chapter and had 2 tests and then a final. Very straight forward teacher.
Quizes every chapter, 3 exams and a final. Study her notes and do the homework and it's not too bad
Excellent teacher, straight forward. If you take notes and keep up with the assignments it's not bad at all.
First semester was pretty easy, you may not even have to study much. 2nd however required you to take the notes and study for a decent grade. But it was very straighforward.
Excellent teacher. Willing to go out of her way to help any way she can. Study her notes and do the homework and it is not hard to get a good grade.
Chem is tough... Paterno is a good teacher. Very clear in lecture and lets you know what you need to know and what's coming up next.
Way too easy examples in class, but super difficult ones on the exams. Doesn't exactly prepare us well enough to do well on her exams.
Excellent teacher. If you do the assigned homework, work the example problems in the book and read the chapter, it is easy to get a good grade on the exam. She clearly states what she expects from us. I totally love this class.
She is a very good teacher!!!
Like now way does she screw up the notes and she has a built in curve that is described in the syllabus. She does have high expectations but she should because we are in college. She is more than fair.
Her notes are good, but the examples given in them are horrible. The material learned is not very difficult though. Prepare yourself for a ton of math and enjoy the tests!
Class is awesome!.....if your a terminal loser that has nothing better to do than sit in the front row and stick up for the worst teacher ever. she cant teach and i dont have time to deal with her nonsense.
Like we will see who is the terminal loser... THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS...She is a great teacher so don't defame her just because YOU don't do well and defamation of people who sit in the front is childish. Grow up. She expects people to work hard ..gues you wont cut it..ha ha ha.
Multiple Choice on exams is freaking ridiculous.
she is horrible and very unhelpful!!! she neeeds not to teach... and the people in the front row get a life go out, and start being normal!
No Comments
Gives easy examples in class & expects you to apply the concepts to incredibly tough problems. There is a built-in curve, but it doesn't do much when half of the class fails all the tests. Very unhelpful when you have webassign questions. Don't take her class if you can avoid it!
Evil. Often gives wrong info in class.
Horrible teacher
The best part of class is when she stops teaching.
Worst science teacher ever. She is evil...don't take her as your teacher if you don't have to; take Dr. Kahn! He's awesome and you will learn so much more from him
She is the worst teacher I have ever had. Doesn't explain the notes and students have to teach themselves. Tests are impossible and she tries to make kids fail. Stay away from her if at all possible, you'll regret it if you don't.
Very difficult professor. She doesn't like to explain notes and might as well need to read the book 4 times to get the information. Memorize forumlas as you will need them for all tests. Tests are impossible.
If like feeling as if you are back in 1st grade, go ahead and have her as you professor.
The multiple choice part of the test is awful. The completion part is not too hard...but way harder than the challenge problems and webassign. "Let's get started!!"
Dr. Paterno is a very good professor. She explains concepts well and does many practice problems in class. She expects alot of the class - but that is the way it is SUPPOSED to be in college. Those in the class that have a problem with her need to grow up and stop being lazy!
Grow up you guys, she is nice outside of class and the stuff we do is hard itself (not because of her)
No matter how hard you work, you still get screwed. Basically teach yourself and listen to your TA. Paterno means well but she can't write a fair test. The problems she gives in the book don't correlate with the test and occassionaly webassign fits in. Good Luck and study you a** off!
Paterno, I think she tries, but it's not working too well. Her exams do not correspond to her lecture material, the textbook or webassign. While I understand that Gen Chem is supposed to be hard, she really needs to change her teaching methods, as proved by the massive drop rate of her class.
The course is rough. At first I hated her and just went to the tutoring center when i needed help. Mid-2nd semester I went to her and she was really helpful, I don't know why she doesn't explain things like that in the first place. If your not lazy u should be ok.
She is a difficult teacher, but chemistry is difficult, so what do u expect? She expects a lot but with a lot of studying the class is not unbearable
the coarse is hard, Paterno is not always clear in lecture. Test questions are not in-class examples. She expects you to combine and draw from the material to solve impossible questions. WORK HARD for an A
"Okay, Let's get started" is something a student should get used to hearing every day during the beginning of lecture. Her tests can become almost impossible at times. She is hardcore annoying, too.
No Comments
if you thought you were smart before you came to school, you'll feel dumb when you take this class. she crushes many people's hopes and dreams.
Terrible, Horrible, no good, very BAD!
Good professor is you actually do ur work
It feels good to be back in 2nd Grade. The best part - the class is as easy as 2nd Grade! Aced the class with 100%, no problem! Tons of bonus and the material is easy.
i WAS excited to take this class since i'm pre-med...but the teacher is HORRIBLE!!! you want help.. you wont get it from her. her exams are ridiculous...doesnt matter how much you study and practice. she has a massive droppout rate and a high F rate. take Dr. KAHN instead, his class is fair and you CAN earn an A!!
No Comments
ridiculous. if it wasnt for the learning skills center, i would never have passed cuz the tutor taught me EVERYTHING
I actually didn't think she was that hard. My high school AP chem teacher was waaay harder and if you fail the class you're either not studying at all or not that great at science. I screwed up on the first test and I still ended up with an A-. At the end she gives bonus chances. Not the most personable teacher but she's not that bad.
She made my first semester miserable. I ended up dropping the class and switching majors. Yes she ruined it for me that much
She seems like the the nicest teacher but when tests comes around... she pretty much bends you over and you get my drift. Able to pass but still a real hard class. Chances for bonus at the end but other then that it is hard.
She shot down all of my hopes and dreams. I went to almost every class, studied hard most of the time and still mamaged to fail a bunch of tests. She goes to fast her tests are insanely hard and webassign is stupid...5 points for like 15 of the hardest questions ever...it will seriously take you hours to complete
Examples were easy in class but she killed us on the tests with stuff we've never seen before
She is the worst teacher ever. I started using the book in chem II and she just waters down the book for class and even uses the exact examples they ALREADY have worked out in the books that we spent how much on? She's just one of those "teachers" that have their own agenda and just aren't that helpful. The class isn't that hard though..
If the class does well on a test she will make the next one that much harder to "curve" exam grades. She fails a certain number. Even if the previous material is easy and the next is hard she will still beef up her test. Webassign is a nightmare. TAs knew their stuff u learn mostly from them. GO TO RECITATION IT HELPS. I got her husband he isbetter
You guys are being way too overdramatic. No she isnt easy...but this is college not high school. She knows her stuff and is a good teachers. Just because you had to work hard in her class gives you no reason to hate her. Her tests aren't easy but she does prepare us for them, she does NOT have random information that we didn't go over.
she doesn't test what she teaches. What does she want us to know verses what does she want us to learn??? Not approachable, she says it is not her responsibility. Than whos responsibility is it???
Didn't like her attitude. Not one of the best teachers theat I have had, but also not the worst. Isn't very personable, but can be on a good day. You really won't like her if you hate chemistry. She does make you work, but that's what college is about.
Dr. Paterno is a very friendly instructor, and she is also helpful most of the time. The problem is that she is not really a great teacher. She gives you the easy examples in class, but then presents the hard questions on an exam. Further, she'll put questions on the test related to something you did in lab. That is unfair because lab is not a part
I had her last year and she almost entirely ruined any love I had for chemistry. Very nice woman outside of class but not a great teacher. Like everyone else says, her example problems are easy and exams q's are hard. Do good on your recitation quizes and you will do fine. Stick with it because Dr. Johnson is an amazing o-chem professor!
Dr. Paterno is an excellent teacher. Shes constantly asking the class if there are any questions and always answers any that there are. If you do the homework and webassign her class is reasonably easy. Shes also very personable and available after class. Her tests are NOT unfair and contain problems with the same level of difficulty as the HW&WA
one of the worst teachers in my entire college education. she goes way too fast during lecture.. she is completely innaccessible. her tests are ridiculous. and webassign is worth 3.99999 points for all this hard work. most fail or drop/withdraw from her class. DO NOT TAKE HER!!! you will regret it!
Can be very unclear. Expert in chemistry, not at teaching. Test averages range from 62-75% but passing the class is still feasable.
She's not that bad of a teacher! If you took AP Chem in high school, first semester is pretty much a breeze. Webassign sucks and often takes up a lot of time. FYI some problems are like the red problems in book and soluntions are in booklet. Quizes often in recitation. Study some, I pulled out with an A. PRS are easy points -go to lecture.
I took 7 courses at CCAC before I went to Duquesne I KNOW HOW TO PASS A COLLEGE COURSE! I did everything I know how to do to pass her course. My strategy worked in my Calculus class, but it failed in her class. It is true that students are responsible to study, but there is a point where the instructor must take some blame for the student's failure
She has a really organized teaching style and the slides are fairly easy to follow. Some of the info is not presented clearly & when going back through it might be hard to figure out how to do things like molality of particles, webassign seems worthless for those 0.2 points but a must do! PRS helps. Never opened book except for values. Study!
I really struggled with chemistry more than anything in my entire life, first and only C of my college career (I'm a Junior now) She is a good teacher, the class is just very difficult, especially if you are rusty in Chemistry. Webassign blows, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
She honestly is unfortunately the worst teacher I have ever had. The only way to do well in the class is if you spend so much time teaching yourself the textbook and stealing study time from your other classes.
She tries and tries hard, but she is still extremely difficult. Like others said, her examples are simple, yet her test questions are near impossible. She needs to give easier question on her tests.
Dr. Paterno is out of touch with reality. She has no clue as to running a fair class. Assignments required ridiculous amounts of time and yielded little points toward our grade. Exams were extremely difficult with averages always in the low 70's. Avoid her at all cost or you will be truly sorry.
Really hard teacher. Makes in class examples easy, and test questions almost impossible. It requires at least a week before the test to start studying or you will be lost in the info. She is not very helpful when you go up and ask her questions, so don't count on that. Webassign.....enough said. :-(
Dr. Paterno has the distinct disadvantage of teaching students who don't realize they should not be science majors yet. She is nice outside of class and gives powerpoints for help...if people think this is hard wait until an upper level chemistry class.
I do not know how this woman still has a job. Easily the worst teacher I've ever encountered, and also will make you miss your grandparent's funeral to take a test. No punishment is severe enough for what she deserves.
gives really simple examples in class but you will fail the exam if you dont study a lot. go to the class to get the prs points. webassign is time consuming but is a must for the points. the prs and webassign can really help boost your grade at the end. i had no prior chem knowledge and was able to scrape a b. she shouldnt be teaching college level
Paterno really makes you study hard, but if you take time to know how to do each problem in the notes, on webassign, and on the practice exams, the tests seem much more managable. Students who complain about paterno should reconsider their decisions to become science majors. Just wait until organic chemistry...
Everyone complains about her, but honestly the class is not bad at all. She might not be the best teacher but she's def willing to help all she can. Lots of free points, making it pretty easy to get a good grade, even if you bomb one test. If you study the hw problems and slides and stay in recitation it's a really easy class.
She just outlines the book. Doesn't teach at all. None of the lectures are engaging and her structure of the course is the worst: The labs are 1-2 chapters ahead of lecture, the lecture is 2-3 chapters ahead of the quizzes, and the exams overlap so much that you don't know what to study when they come around.
There is a very bad rep for Dr. Paterno for some reason. She is not as bad as everyone makes her out to be. It is hard at first but then you settle down and get used to her method. Study her lecture notes not the book. She is a very kind lady who offers to help. She does pretty well considering how difficult concepts like equilibrium are to teach.
no reason for the tests to be as hard as they were. there were at least 15 out of 100 points on every test that you would have to be a chemistry prodigy to know. i know its a weedout class but there's no need to make a freshman's life miserable like she did.
Her tests should not have been as hard as they were! Lectures were not bad, just way too many students to be teaching. Grading was appalling and inconsistent. After completely aceing the first course at a different campus, I failed this course completely. After making it up somewhere else, an acclerated course...I aced it. Be prepared!
tests: unfairly difficult Lecture: topics unclear, boring quizes: difficulty varies from recitation to recitation. one group may have it easy and another may fail completely. grading is inconsistent and unfair. just an overall TERRIBLE teacher!
Dr. Paterno's test cover material never presented in class nor seen in webassign etc..especially when you reach chem II. Webassign alone is hours apon hours of work. You get my point, this class sucks along with a techer that sucks. She ethier can't teach, or the university is giving her some heat to weed student out!
If I didn't take AP Chem before this class, I would have done a lot worse. First semester wasn't bad, but second was ugly. Webassign is ridiculous, other schools get much more credit for those assignments than we do (8 points for how many problems/hours?). I guess it is a weeding out class..
She fails to keep the class interesting. Her in class problems are much easier then the test questions, and her tests are very difficult.
She seems uninterested in helping her students. During class easy questions will be reviewed but then on tests and quizzes much harder questions will be asked; I feel that this is because she does not want to take the time or effort to explain things over again.
If you are willing to put in the effort...you will succeed in this class. At times, she can be confusing or rush through a topic but overall she is an excellent teacher. I especially like that she puts notes online prior to class. There is online assignments and recitation is mandatory but overall it is one of the best intro chem courses I have had
What she taught in lecture was a lot easier than what were on the exams, in which a lot of students did poorly on. She needs to focus less on giving us so many examples and focus more on teaching the material to make it understandable. I would not recommend this professor.
You might as well start seeing a tutor or utilizing the study center because that will probably give you a better understanding of what is going on in the class. She is the worst Chemistry instructor I have ever had. If you must take Chemistry, take it over the summer or I suggest transferring into Duquesne after your first year. She is terrible.
This teacher is horrible. She didn't help me with any problems I had and just couldn't teach well.
If you took AP Chem in high school, then you'll be fine, if not you're going to have a lot of trouble. Dr. Paterno would make a great kindergarten teacher though!
She is by far the worst teacher i have ever had. her grading is ridiculous on tests that are even more ridiculous. Webassign was an insane amount of work for ver few points. I advise anyone who has to take gen chem 1 & 2 do so in the summer when you have a chance of doing well. She could care less how her students do in her class.
Chem 121 and 122 are both taught by Dr. Paterno. In all fairness, she is a tough teacher. She is not going to baby you through. Yes there are times when she can be confusing and Web Assign is a pain, but she attempts to make a boring subject interesting. This is a class where studying and learning the material on your own is essential to doing well
Paterno teaches at a high school level and tests at a college level.
She is the hands down worst teacher I have ever experienced. She does not explain anything ans the examples she uses in class do not represent what is on the exams. Very Poor teacher.
Paterno's general chemistry class is hard work but it will help prepare you for your future classes. Work hard for an A. Go to see her if you have questions. Practice lots of problems to understand the material.
Horrible teacher. Everything she explains make things more confusing. Do the web assigns, they're a pain but they actually help (her tests are very similar to them). Read the book, the notes she gives are at a high school level, and the tests are very difficult.
Dr. Paterno definitely does a good job preparing students for their future college careers. She gives rough tests, and the Webassign can be difficult at times, but all in all, I'd say that she did a good job.
Completely unhelpful. Did not care about students who were trying to help themselves. Saw her multiple times and she blew me off constantly. If you don't get it it isn't her problem!
She helped me any time that I needed her, whether that be after class or during office hours. She is a very nice lady. Her teaching is straight from the book, so reading is a good idea. Do the WebAssign and the book problems and you should pass. The class is difficult though.
Don't listen to the majority of these reviews. I had a terrible prior knowledge of chem before this and still managed an A on every test. Study her last exams and do the web assign and you will be fine. The reason most people complain is because the class is meant to weed out science majors.
Exams can be hard but you have access to previous exams which are helpful. i never opened the book once and still got A/B's. she basically gives you all of the textbooks in her notes that you need for class. overall she wasnt bad
Overall the course was not as difficult as I would have thought. I looked at comments before I had Paterno and thought I would have a hard time. However, she is a very nice professor who tries to teach at a level that everyone can understand. She normally puts a few of the same questions from previous tests on your exam so make sure to study those.
Paterno is an easy teacher. She spoon feeds you notes, and all you have to do is look at the old exams. As long as you somewhat pay attention and attempt web assign by yourself, there is no reason you can't get an A or a B.
Dr. Paterno was such a good teacher. Her notes were helpful to give a good background. The Web Assign problems were also helpful in studying and learning the material. Be sure to do the practice tests!!!!! Sometimes the test questions were almost exactly like them.
Paterno's class is a pain. She lectures at a high school level but her tests are extremely hard. 2nd semester is easier than 1st, but you get tired of her incompetent TAs, inconsistent grading, and tedious WebAssign work quickly.
You probably don't have a choice in taking Paterno or this course. Only advice is be prepared. Her exams are impossible while she teaches easily. Book is not necessary to buy. Do webassign and attendence cause you will need any point you can get. Chem 2 is much harder than 1 but both are difficult.
Hardest class I have ever taken. The notes are extremely easy and the tests are impossible. Do the practice tests and webassign.
Welcome to the Pharmacy class of Duquesne University where you have no choice but to have this lady as your professor. Good luck everybody. Redundant teacher that goes through power points. That is all. Get a study group if you want a good grade.
Dr. Paterno isn't the worst teacher. She teaches at a basic level, but her test are at a higher level than most problems she assigns for homework. Hit your books and do the online homework and good grades can be possible.
gives examples in class that are incredibly easy and then put questions on exams that are impossibly hard. do well on the quizzes and recitation and stay in recitation because that is the only place you'll actually learn. gives bonus at the end of the semester I heard. talks to you like you are in kindergarten.
Worst prof ever!!! Do not take her if you can avoid! Went in for help and instead of answering a question told me to study more and to get out of her office
Absolutely horrible teacher. Talks to students as if they were kindergartners. Does not explain anything just reads off a powerpoint. Tests are EXTREMELY HARD. Going to her office is a waste, she just told me to go and study more. Avoid her if you can.
Paterno was one of the worst teachers I've ever had. Many other reviews are accurate in saying that she teaches on a much easier level than she tests. She gives an excessive amount of work (between text problems, ALEKS, and lab), and is not personable at all. On the first day she introduced herself as "strict and mean". She's the worst.
Dr. Paterno does teach at a basic level, but her class is honestly not that hard. If you study her practice exams you will do fine. I do not understand why so many people complain about her. There are way worse professors.
Terrible. But to elaborate, her tests are awful. very unrelated to the teaching from lectures. Only thing that saved me was recitation. I'd rather have my TA teach me instead of her. Terrible at explaining. I don't know how she still has her job because she is that bad. Sadly, you have to have her. Best advice, good luck.
Dr. Paterno seems very uninterested in what she is teaching. Paterno treats her students like kindergarteners and shows a great deal of disrespect. The first day she introduced herself as being strict and mean. She gives basic examples during lectures and creates impossible tests. Unfortunately, I will have her again next semester. Best of luck!
Worst Teacher ever, lacks clarity in explanation. she seems very confused about the material. God knows who gave her PhD. Duquesne University should get rid of her.
Dr. Paterno does teach at a basic level, but her class is honestly not that hard. If you actually put some effort into the class, you should be fine. However, her examples,practice problems, and practice exams are not as difficult as her actual exams. I am personally not a fan of her but she isn't the worst professor.
The examples in class were a lot easier than the questions on the exam but with a little studying and regular attendance to recitation, a good grade is possible!
She teaches on a middle school level and then tests on a graduate level. Her notes vary in helpfulness. She seems very uninterested in her work and is condescending toward her students, especially when they ask questions in class.
If I could give her a 0, I would. Prob one of the worst teachers on this campus. Very rude, condesending, and seems very uninterested in students or class. Not sure whats worse, the class or the teacher. Just a horrible person really, not sure what happened in her life to make her such a miserable person. Stay away at all costs, honestly.
Awful professor. Useless. The tutors at the chemistry dept may get you through the class, but don't expect anything about a C. Unfortunately you'll probably have to have her. Good luck. You'll need it.
If you took AP chem you will be set if not. You must do all homework problems, attend recitation, do practice exams,start studying early, and do Aleks. If you do what you are supposed to you will do great!
Dr. Paterno is my favorite professor this semester. I do not understand what everyone's beef is with her. Maybe she does treat the students like children but she gives a fair amount of work. If you do the work she gives you, you will be fine. Her tests are challenging, but definitely fair. Its college, they are supposed to be tough. Good teacher!
Dr. Paterno is a very difficult professor. Honestly the material is not rocket science, but if you do not put in full effort in chem II you will suffer. I am not saying this to scare incoming students, I am just giving a fair warning.
Dr. Paterno's class is tough. Simply, those who did not put in the work didn't do well in Chem II. Study extra hard for the quizzes, the points add up. Exam 2 was very hard and many failed, but she offered a 26 point bonus quiz. She is not out to get anyone and wants her students to succeed. She is helpful if you go to her office hours.
You won't learn much in lecture once you get into Chem 2. Go to her office hours, read the book, and do the book problems. I was failing halfway through, once I started working on the class my grade shot up.
Not as bad as everyone says. Just find a good method for studying and you'll do well.
Everyone who says this class is impossible just did not do what they were supposed to do. Yes this class is difficult, but its completely manageable. If you study for the quizzes and exams and do the text book problems, its not difficult to get an AB.
Good luck passing if you aren't experienced in chemistry. She flies through lecture and doesn't really care if you don't understand. Good luck taking her course.
i never took chem in high school and ended with an A-. If you go to class and do the assignments you'll be great. study the material. i wish i would have studied more and could have gotten that A+. A lot of the students just aren't up for the amount of work she gives, but they don't realize how much that work can help them, so do it.
Alicia is a very understanding and accommodating professor. As long as you utilize the practice exams that she puts on the internet, you will pass this class. It is not a difficult class if you put in effort. The students that complain about this class are not the brightest students. So don't be worried at all if you see Paterno is your teacher.
IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE HER CHANGE MAJORS! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
Be afraid. BE VERY AFRAID. Save yourself the painstaking agony and avoid Alicia.
People make her sound extremely bad. If you had taken AP chemistry in high school it will not be that bad. If you do the practice exams (seriously do them), go to class, go to recitation, do ALEKS, and study you should be fine. I never even looked at the practice problems and managed to get an A in the class. Just do the work and you're fine.
Prof. Paterno is very nice person and I understood most of the material done in class. However, you need to really do your hw even if it not graded to get get good grades in the class. Overall, not a bad class.
Paterno overall is probably not the worst professor you will encounter. However, her teaching style is very basic, while her exams are very hard; which they should be for a college level class. Her teaching style should just match. A lot of work needs to be done too, so it will take up some of your time. Gives a lot of bonus though.
Dr. Paterno's exams and quizzes are significantly harder than in class work or homework. She puts past exams online, so use them! Most of the material will be similar or identical on new exams. Go to class and do the PRS questions and she gives a small bonus at the end of the semester.
She expects you to work a lot on your own. Do the textbook problems, she will use similar problems on exams and quizzes. The lectures are helpful but she expects you to apply a lot of what you learn so spend time on the material. She is very helpful at office hours though she can seem cold in lecture. She's tough but fair.
Awful professor. Does not explain the material well, the tests are entirely different than the study materials, her grading system on the tests is garbage, and she is not helpful in the least. Doing the online homework is the only way to pass unless you come into the class already a wizard with Chem.
absolutely the worst professor i have ever encountered at duquesne. there is a difference between "weeding out science majors" and just being a generally awful professor. she's helpful if you go to office hours but she's very cold and standoffish. avoid her at all costs.
People say that Dr. Paterno's class is hard - it's not. She is an excellent professor. She BABIES her students. At the beginning of each lecture, she states what you need to be working on for the (optional) homework, as well as what you should be reading. If you do the homework and do the practice exams, her class is not as bad as people say.
I mean this class was hard, and I failed the final completely. But I still got an A because I did decent on most of the tests, and studied for those recitation quizzes which really help or drop your grade. This class requires a lot of work, and ALEKS takes a lot of time, but if you work hard it's possible to get an A. GET A TUTOR!
DO THE FREAKING PRACTICE EXAMS. THEY ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE ACTUAL EXAM, expect when she's moody and decides to make it unbelievably ridiculous. She's extremely nice and offers help if you need it, but she literally drowns you in work. STUDY hard for the quizzes they will seriously effect your grade and ALWAYS keep up on ALEKS. good luck. (-:
Dr. Paterno makes covers the material at a relatively good pace, making it very easy to keep up. She gives plenty of opportunities for extra credit, and also gives previous years' exams to help you prepare for yours.
She really babies her students and goes through each step to the problems in lecture. Her tests are a lot like the practice exams but she also throws in questions from the optional homework so you have to do that if you really want to get an A! she wants her students to pass but she also wants them to know the material!! just study!!!!
She does not understand that simply reading through the slides like we are in HS chemistry I and doing problems in class that are even easier does NOT help students. She tells you "oh just do ALEKS and the homework problems" but they do not help at all. If you haven't taken chem II in HS, good luck. That's the only reason I have an A.
She really cares about her students and she is a decent teacher. Not the best teacher but she still cares about everyone passing, she wants her students to succeed. But she doesn't explain everything all the way, she gives you pieces of the puzzles and expects you to figure out some of the rest by putting all the little parts together. I like her
THE WORST PROFESSOR EVER. She expects WAY too much and believes her course is the only course you take. The textbook problems she assigned are not helpful. ALEKS is ridiculous and she takes it very seriously. Her lectures are super easy and she just reads off the slides but her tests are 100x harder than her lecture material. AVIOD THIS WOMAN
She is pretty terrible. Had to learn the material on my own time because she certainly wasn't teaching it.
Dr. Paterno is more than willing to assist students if they have questions, and she truly cares about her students' education. Her exams are difficult, so keep up with the material. Many people gripe about Dr. Paterno, but those people usually are the ones who don't study or put in the effort it takes to be successful in a college chemistry class.
You get out what you give to this class. I personally didn't do the homework problems or study too much and my grade suffered. I highly suggest going to office hours and TAKE THE QUIZZES SERIOUSLY. The final was the hardest test I've ever taken in my life so far. My advice is to use all of the study tools she gives to you. Good luck.
if you do the practice exams and the ALEKS you should be ok. study really hard for the first exam to boost your grade so you have some room to spare for the other exams.
Dr. Paterno is an amazing professor and she cares so much about all of her students. She teaches tough material so she can't just make the class easy. If you're willing to put in time and effort into the class, you'll do perfectly fine.
She doesn't teach. The test are 10x harder than what she goes over in class. The textbook is for some homework problems, but they don't help because they aren't difficult. Go to class for bonus points. ALEK's is online homework which does not help. She grades off of work shown & ALEK's explanations are opposite. She is hard to communicate with.
The lecture material is cake and the exams are awfully hard. The textbook homework is also very tough and being a pharmacy student I don't have much time to visit her during her office hours. The lectures are elementary and the exams are outrageous. Definitely one of the hardest classes I've taken so far in college.
Dr. Paterno caught me doing a jigsaw puzzle during class and was not satisfied. She does not like when make rumors up about her and will not let the subject go if it comes up. Do not click other students clickers, be on your phone or take pictures of her in class because she will call you out in front of everyone and stare you down.
Honestly, 350 characters isn't enough to talk about the wonderful human being known as JoePa. With her eagerness to teach, empathy towards her fellow scientists, and all around humorous mole jokes, JoePa never seizes to amaze me. I never knew a college professor could explain concepts like buffers and titrations with such class and clarity. 1 3 u.
Dr. Paterno's class is not bad if you do all the homework problems, ALEKS, and the practice exams. This is a college chemistry course, it's not supposed to be easy. The examples she gives you in class are pretty much useless, as other people have said, the exams are so much harder!! Definitely study for the quizzes, they have a big impact on grade
Dr. Paterno is a nice professor who is willing to help you succeed. Sometimes you'll love her and sometimes you'll hate her, but how you do in the class is up to you. Exams are difficult but Dr. Paterno always posts practice exams that are great study tools. Try to do as many book problems as you can. This class is tough but not impossible.
Pattern starts off nice and easy in lectures. But thats the problem. She teaches you as if you're in elementary school, with baby problems and then tests you with seemingly impossible problems. She doesn't explain the material well in class, and she uses an online homework system called ALEKS. ALEKS counts for your grade but doesn't teach the same.
This class was somewhat difficult for coming into college not knowing what to expect. Expect a lot of homework from this teacher. She thinks this is your only class . Doing the practice exams before the test will help you out greatly.
listen, i get that we're in college & supposed to be working hard and studying hard but this class was an absolute nightmare. she teaches at a 5th grade level and tests at a doctoral level. she is very condescending when you ask questions & she's just a generally unpleasant professor. avoid her if you can.
Despite what everyone on here says, Paterno is a nice person and a decent professor. While it's true that her tests are quite difficult, you'll be more than prepared for them if you do the book problems and old exams she gives you. Yes, some of the in class problems are too easy, but who cares? If you do what you're supposed to do, you'll do well.
She may seem mean but she's a good teacher as long as you put the work in
Having taken AP Chem in high school, I will say that there was very familiar material for the first half of the fall semester but you cannot rely on any chemistry background. YOU MUST PUT IN WORK FOR THIS CLASS! Just don't get discouraged at any point. You will have ups and downs but once you make it to ochem, you can finally breathe a little more.
She's impossible. Her jokes are funny sometimes, but I can honestly say that I despise that class and it will be my demise. If I didn't have to take it, I wouldn't.
She was unhelpful and didn't seem to care about the success of her students. Her tests and quizzes were impossible with low averages. She takes a "weed out" class to the next level.
Honestly the worst class I've ver taken. Forced to take it for my major and she's the only one that teaches gen chem. I work on homework problems everyday and have a tutor but am still not doing well in the class. Don't recommend
She teaches at such a simple level and then the exams will butcher you. The practice exams definitely help but they're still difficult. The quizzes are hell and have low averages. There's a lot of homework but not all of it is mandatory. Definitely read the textbook and do the practice problems. Attendance isn't mandatory though she claims it is
The tests are not bad if you attend lecture and study a bit. It's the quizzes that can trip people up. If you took AP chem, this class should be a breeze. If not, you might struggle, especially if you are not good at math. Do ALEKS, it may be annoying but it is easy points! Paterno and her TA's are regularly available if you need help on material.
Super tough
I really liked Dr. Paterno. Yeah her tests are challenging but if you use the practice exams, go to lecture, and study, you will do well. She is also a great teacher and teaches slow enough for everyone to learn.
I would not even want my worst enemy to take this course. I spent time twice a week with a tutor and still didn't succeed in this class. She likes to constantly blame the students for their shortcomings in the class, which is ridiculous considering she just reads from slides and gives easy problems in lecture, while on test the questions are insane
She is a horrible teacher. She messed up in the middle of lecture and a student had to correct her after ten minutes of her talking on the subject. I would never ever want to take this course again with her. Avoid at all costs.
Her lectures are taught at a very reasonable pace and she explains very well. All clickers are bonus points. ALEKS really does help a lot even tho it sucks. Tests are exactly like previous exams she posts online. The homework helps if ALEKS isn't enough for you. Tough class but overall Dr. P is a good teacher. Tends to baby students a little
Dr. Paterno's Gen. Chem. class was the toughest class I ever had to take. The quizzes were ridiculous and sometimes things would appear on them that we hadn't learned. I worked really hard and still struggled. If you have her for this class find a tutor early and memorize the practice exams like the back of your hand and do all the ALEKS homework.
Tests consist of stuff you haven't learned; her and the TAs are tough graders, partial credit is given very conservatively. She teaches lecture at a 5th grade level but the exams are very difficult. If you want to do well, you have to go to tutors quite often because her teaching is horrendous. Plain awful teacher. I dread going back next semester.
Dr. Paterno makes herself available outside of class to assist you when you need help. Grades are really heavy towards exams but the quizzes and ALEKS points do help boost your grade. Don't skip things that you think aren't worth enough points because it could be the difference between two letter grades at the end of the semester.
If you wanna pass this class, u better put in the work and effort otherwise you will definitely fail.
Dr. P. is not a good professor, she only reads from her powerpoint slides and has you fill in the blanks to "learn" the material. I did not need to read my textbook, but I also had taken AP Chem in high school. You need to attend the class before an exam because she will give out extra credit for that. Be prepared for difficult quizzes.
Dr. Paterno really is not that bad of a professor. I never really took chemistry in high school so absolutely all the material was new to me and I managed to get a B without ever studying for tests more than 3 days in advance. If you do all the ALEKS assignments and prepare for quizzes, there is no way you won't get at least a C.
Paterno is a nice person, but her class was the most difficult thing I've ever endured. It's easy to mess up on the quizzes but she drops the lowest one. Always do ALEKS. DO THE PRACTICE EXAMS!!! They will certainly help but her tests are still difficult. I would recommend tutoring because her lectures are too easy for the material & its confusing.
She will read straight from every slide and give easy problems in class then test problems can be up to 20 points for just one! I would definitely recommend tutoring I went twice a week and still found the course difficult. I learned more through tutoring then lecture. Do your Aleks for sure, get good grades on the quizzes or youll be way behind.
She goes pretty slow in class to make sure everyone understands. You can always go to the study center or her office hours, both of which are very helpful. If you have a good background in chemistry then don't buy the book, but if this is your first time taking chem you should buy it for the extra problems. Do the aleks and go to reviews for bonus.
Dr. Paterno's class was not the easiest one offered. She thinks she is funny(she's not) but laugh at her jokes. It makes class more enjoyable. I recommend going to every class or you will feel even more behind than you already were. Definitely do the practice exams because they are just like the real deal!!
There are 3 things you have to do in order to do well in this class 1. attend classes 2. do the homework assignments 3. do the practice tests before the test You will get a least a B if you do these. It's a lot of work, but it is college chemistry. She is always pro-seeking help and has many available hours
A lot of people don't like Dr. Paterno, but it seems that this is because she challenges her students. Whether you've had multiple years of chem experience or this is your first time taking it, you can experience success. Her notes were my main medium for studying. Go into this class with a good attitude willing to work hard and you will learn tons
Dr. Paterno's class wasn't as terrible as some reviews seem, but it was no walk in the park either. I studied the most for this class and frequently went to her office hours, but the tests are manageable since she posts the previous year's exams online. Her lectures leave a lot of gaps, so seeing her outside of class was important.
I do not care for this professor. Her lectures are extremely easy, then you get to the test its so hard. do the practice exams, they help. there is little partial credit given but each multiple choice question is worth 3 points, no partial credit. missing a few of those sends the test grade down the tube. avoid at all costs
Many students do not like Paterno because of her personality; however, that does not mean she is a terrible teacher. She tells you exactly what the class entails and exactly what's expected of you. The notes are fill-ins during class so regular attendance would be helpful since she does step-by-step examples as well. Pay attention and study hard.
I thought Dr Paterno was a wonderful teacher. She challenges her students but does a clear job of explaining the material. The Aleks homework can take a lot of time, but that does not make her a bad professor
THIS WOMAN IS THE WORST. Not only does she not care about your wellbeing, she could care less about whether or not you've taken chemistry recently. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS. I'm a bio major and I have not been able to focus on bio bc of chem. IT IS THE WORST. AND theres an online part with HOURS worth of work due every Sunday and Wednesday. DONT DO IT
She does not respond to e-mails very quickly and is not prepared for lectures.
Dr. Paterno has caused me so much stress. Her lectures are easy and everything makes sense with the examples she gives you and then you get to the exam and you get blindsided with questions you have never seen before in your life. The online homework is so much work and added onto that you need to study for weekly quizzes. Good luck my dudes.
Dr. Paterno isn't as bad as a lot of the reviews make her out to be. Her tests can be very difficult, but if you do the practice exams and ALEKS you should be fine. ALEKS is a huge grade booster at the end of the semester, so stay on top of it and try to get assignments in on time. The quizzes are a grade booster too, so take them seriously.
I really don't understand why everyone says they hate her. I failed the first exam, got a C and a B on the next two, and a D on the final and I still passed the class with a B. She offers a lot of help outside of class and throws a lot of OPTIONAL practice problems at you. Also throws extra points for going to exam reviews.
Dr. Paterno isn't the worst professor out there but she makes you work for your grade. Make sure you show up to class as notes are fill in the blank, and on the days before exams she holds a review session and offers extra credit. Do your ALEKS ahead of time, do the homework questions, and take the practice exams and you should be in good shape!
This teacher is just bad. Her lectures are pointless bc the exams are like 17395929485839382 times harder than that. The tests are not great either but do the practice tests. Work very hard to be okay. Try to get ahead on the hw cause it doesnt seem like a ton but then takes forever. The worst part is that you have to take her in the spring too
Dr. Paterno made Gen Chem 1 extremely difficult. She does not teach, she simply fills in the blanks of her slides and gives 1-2 examples that no where near compare to how difficult exam questions are. The homework is optional, but it somewhat helps to do it. ALEKS (her online chemistry homework) is time consuming and pointless. Avoid if possible.
Dr. Paterno is a great person, but a terrible professor. She has you print pages of notes that you go to class to fill in the blanks. She reads right off of the slides. She has a few examples in each example that do not compare to what she puts on the exams. You basically have to teach yourself through ALEKS and through the suggested book.
Alicias voice is very annoying to listen to during lecture, but you really dont have a choice of another professor for general chemistry. As long as you study the practice exams youll do fine on exams. The final is very hard beware.
She gives you all of the resources to do well in General Chemistry, but you do have to work hard for a good grade.
You dont need to go to Dr. Paternos class, however, the learning environment was inadequate. I overheard her degrading her students because it was their fault they had to ask a question during an exam b/c they didnt know how to approach a titration problem on the 3rd exam. This is why people many do poorly; the very fear of judgy educators.
Second semester is MUCH harder than first semester gen chem. The class is definitely pass-able if you do all of the ALEKS, webassign, and optional problems. Take the quizzes seriously and start studying for the exams FAR in advance.
Chem 2 is a lot harder than chem 1 and i thought chem 1 was terrible tbh. Paterno doesn't teach but has enough time to make exam seating charts based on whether you failed the last exam or not (i.e . you sit in the front if you fail because you're more likely to cheat). In class problems are NOTHING like exams
Dr. Paterno is a great professor! She definitely makes you work for a good grade, but it is not hard to do. Her lectures are very good at providing a good understanding of the material. She is always willing to stop and answer questions in class or at office hours. There is a lot of homework, but it all prepares you very well for the exams.
Dr. Paterno really isn't as bad as everyone makes her sound. Her exams are pretty representative of the practice exams she posts, and she's very willing to answer q's. ALEKS takes a lot of time, but it's 120 free points at the end of the semester--more than a test grade. Just go to class/recitation and do your hw, and you'll do just fine.
Dr. Paterno really isn't as bad as everyone makes her out to be. In lecture she covers the basics of problems, but expects students to attempt homework problems that are more likely to be on the exam that are challenging. Do the worksheets in recitation for the weekly quizzes and you'll get a B. A 67% is a C so show some effort and you'll do fine.
Dr. Paterno makes her exams extremely challenging, but she truly wants her students to do well. She is very nice and helpful in office hours and offers a lot of extra credit to help students' grades. Overall very knowledgeable about the subject and can teach it well.
You'll have get used to her annoying voice, but the class overall isn't bad as long as you study using the practice tests she posts online via blackboard. Other than that, good luck with ALEKS (the required homework), because it may cause mental breakdowns on certain topics. Also, try to work ahead in the class, it will truly help in the long run
Lots of chances for extra credit points if youre willing to put in the work. Reviewing old tests is extremely important, her tests are 50% knowing how the question is being asked
Dr. Paterno is not as bad as she sounds. While she was not my favorite teacher, and the class required alot of work, I have learned gen chem. Start the practice exams early before an exam, and ask questions. Also, do the hw extra credit it substantially helped me on my second semester!!
Shes not the best professor however she provides you with all the materials you need to succeed in her class. It is a lot of work and a lot of the learning is down outside of lecture. She offers a lot extra credit points. There is either an exam or quiz every week so be prepared. Utilize teaching assistants for help if needed.
She's a nice person, but as a teacher she assigns so much work! There's ALEKS hw due twice every week, Chem 101 problems, and she assigns extra credit homework problems from the textbook (there are some other bonus opportunities too). Her exams are difficult unless you really understand the material- read the textbook and do practice problems!
Be prepared to spend every cent that you own...
You have to be at class because she takes attendance and get your wallet ready because she will make you buy $200 worth of material. In lecture, you only fill in notes. You will actually apply the notes and practice in recitation, which is also mandatory because you have quizzes. There is a lot of grades though that help and you can pass if you try
She IS as bad as she sounds. Be prepared to work your hardest for the minimal passing grade. Sometimes you'll lose points for doing things "too" correctly. Grading is insanely difficult and no matter how well you know the topics, it's hard to succeed.
If you've been introduced to AP Chemistry or other higher forms of the subject, you should be okay if you put in the work. If you haven't really had a chem background, good luck. Your days will be spent doing textbook problems and ALEKS, and it never ends. Even though lectures are not mandatory, DO NOT SKIP. You will fail.
The amount of homework she assigns for gen chem 1 & 2 makes you want to throw your laptop in a blender. Strongly recommend going to her office hours. She is very sweet and is willing to help, but the class itself is torture. It will really test your anger management skills. Beware of Exam 2 in chem 2.
Outside of class, she is nice and will answer questions. Other than that, she is very difficult. Her exams are nothing like the lectures, since she usually only talks about the basics of the subject. There is a lot of outside work that is required. It is frustrating, especially if you do not learn that way. Overall, do the work and you'll survive.
Gen chem II is significantly harder than gen chem I. She said that if you were happy with your grade 1st semester to continue with the same habits but thats not the case. 2nd semester contains much more difficult material. Highly recommend doing all the homework and visiting with TAs. It is worth it to do the extra credit.
Exams are fairly difficult, get harder and harder as the year goes on. Homework in the class is online and tedious(answers are on websites that need paid subscription) if homework is completed it doesnt help grade much, but incompleted hurts the grade a lot. In lectures Paterno rushes through slides. A LOT of time is needed outside of class to pass
this class was the worst experience ive had in college so far. the exams were terribly hard, the online homework assignments got so heavy and rapid that i had nightmares about them. my stress levels during this course were at an all time high. its just so intense for a freshman level chem class. and she plays favorites, and the lectures sucked
Really difficult class with many hours of homework a week. Combined with her lab, I probably spent upwards of 30 hours a week studying and completing assignments. Grading criteria often was not clear or seemed inconsistent. Lectures often were not helpful or felt basic compared to the difficulty of the homework. Exams were not terrible.
Alicia is a nice lady and you can tell she does care about her students, but her lectures are way too easy for the difficulty of her tests. She reads right off the powerpoint slides and one time it got messed up and she couldn't even continue teaching off her knowledge. Get ready to spend your money because you will want webassign for bonus
Professor Paterno is amazing. She does examples of each type of problem. There is also so much extra credit that is easy to do. She also uploads previous years' exams, so make sure to check those out before the exams.
do webassign! it is so worth it. overall, dr. paterno's exams are very predictable. they do usually cover a lot of material but her exams are not bad if you review the notes and do practice problems. quizzes are very hard and in my opinion are harder than the exams.
Very difficult class. Puts stuff on the exams that was told was not going to be on them, study guides dont help because she changes the exams a lot. Its definitely passable, just dont get behind.
Shes so horrible. I cant even express how horrible this class is. Online homeworks have so much content that they dont even help with what youre learning in the class. Exams are extremely hard and quizzes are ridiculous. People say she might care for her student, but she does not care if you fail.
She is honestly the laziest person I have ever met. She will push all of your work to her TA's or to an online software so her lazy ass does not have to grade it. She obviously does not know the material that is being taught because she cannot teach without her filled in notes. Be prepared to spend hundreds of dollars so she can do the bare minimum
Dr. Paterno is very intelligent, and she's the right person to go to for chemistry help. Unfortunatly, chemistry is a challenging subject, and she doesn't make it any easier by constantly having Chem101, ALEKS, and WebAssign due. It feels like you can never catch your breath. ALEKS is a must if you want to pass the class. Also read the textbook!!!!
horrible. She gives you old exams to study from that will be very similar, then yours is completely different. literally doesn't grade anything, the TA's do it all. lecture is strictly her reading from the notes with very little detail. her lectures are very easy, then exams and quizzes are super difficult. prepare to spend money if you want bonus.
Extremely tough grader. Not lenient in grading exams, quizzes, or labs. Leaves everything up to the TA, good luck if you get a TA that is especially strict or cannot explain material well. Get ready to pay extra money for extra credit and spend over 150 hours a semester just doing ALEKS.
Her tests are the most difficult exams I have ever taken. She does have follow along notes which are helpful but then they are not relevant to the exam material. She is an extremely hard grader, and the online assignments she gives us on ALEKS are demanding and pile up fast if you aren't careful.
This was the hardest class I've taken. There is an abundance of work, that starts in the summer before school even starts. I had to drop the class because I couldn't keep up. There is a lab, lecture, and mandatory recitation each week, which all have their own assignments and grades. If you are taking it, good luck, and study HARD.
insane amount of work to balance and 5 meeting times per week. gives extra credit through web assign but makes you pay for that separate
Her lecture powerpoint are AMAZING. I didn't realize this until I started org. chem. this year and I miss having good clear powerpoints--you don't need to buy the textbook. Her lectures are cut and dry but she's more personable and helpful in office hours. Tests are easy if you prepare with all the practice tests she gives you. I hate ALEKS :(
While Dr. Paterno is a nice person outside of lecture, this class is awful. As a freshman it made me feel like I was incapable of doing college work and that I was unable to handle schoolwork. The other homework assignments (aleks and webassign) were completely unhelpful and caused so much more stress than was needed for the class.
The only reason to buy the book for this class is to get a WebAssign code which you get extra credit for doing. She posts old exams to practice with and the questions are super similar to the ones you'll see. ALEKS is pointless but it's easy points. Review the quizzes, review the exams, do the WebAssign, and you'll be fine. Not as scary as it seems
Paterno warns you that she is not trying to "weed out" freshmen but she really is. The amount of work is absurd but for me, comparable to any AP class in high school. DO NOT BUY the textbook package from the bookstore. I never used the book. You just need the web assign but if another class you have uses CENGAGE you will be fine. FLIPPED CLASS
Dr. Paterno was a very kind person. However, this class was not meant for her to teach. She relied on online homework to teach us and it was an INSANE amount of work. The exams were not too difficult, but some things she never went over. Her lectures were bland and hard to sit through.
Dr. Paterno is a nice person. The reasons her ratings are low is because she teaches a beast of a course. Whenever I needed help I went her office hours and got it. My only complaint is that her tests & quizzes do not allow students to go back to questions to check their answers. Take advantage of all that she gives you and you will be fine.
Dr. Paterno is so smart, that she has no idea how to dumb things down and assumes we know everything already. Doesn't review in lecture, only makes us do Chem101 and lecture notes are done outside of class. Have to spend a ridiculous amount of time outside of class on homework. Will not listen to class feedback. Nice woman, not a great professor.
Dr. Paterno does not care about what grade you get. She told us it was our fault that everyone failed an exam. She offered an opportunity to get one point out of the three points, but that was not enough to save my grade. There is no partial credit and she tells you to go to your TA if you have any problems, she can't bother to deal with them.
Of all the professors and teachers I've EVER had in my 16 years of academia, Paterno comes as no surprise at the rock BOTTOM of the list. Flipped lecture learning style, I might as well have paid my tuition for this year to a tutor as I learned genuinely nothing. The tests make the SAT look like a children's book. All the books to buy are useless.
Dr. Paterno is a nice lady, chem 2 is just a scary course. DONT buy the textbook, but you will have to buy subscriptions for Chem101, ALEKS, WebAssign, calculators, lab notebooks, etc ugh. Don't even expect exam 2 to go well. ALEKS makes you want to cry :( go to office hours if you need help
Dr. Paterno has a reversed style of lecture where you NEED to watch the lecture videos before lecture and during lecture you barely go over the content and go straight into practice problems. This style of teaching is pretty hard considering how content heavy the course is. She spends little to no time reviewing the content in the videos in lecture
Paterno's class was terrible. She switched the style of class so you have to watch the lecture and take notes on it before the class, and during class, you just do practice problems with no/ little review of the lecture. The test doesn't allow you to go back and double-check your answers so you can't use good test-taking strategies. AVOID HER CLASS
Dr. Paterno is an AWESOME professor. She is so helpful and caring. Her strictness encourages me to keep going. No matter how challenging the course may be, it teaches me to never give up and to keep going. Im forever grateful! Study hard and you will achieve so much.
This class is absolutely awful. She relies WAY too much on online homework and assigns way too much of it. It is almost impossible to focus on other classes because of how much work she assigns. Avoid this class if you can.
The lectures were nothing to write home about. My main issue with her is that it feels like she relies almost entirely on ALEKS to teach her curriculum. It is easy to get frustrated or overwhelmed with the amount of ALEKS and the improper preparation for it. She seems out of touch with how much work it is. Any other website would be preferrable
This class is hard. I spent so much time on her class. I never had time for my other classes and I had to study weeks in advance for all the material. Don't skimp on the quizes, know the material for those really helps with the exams. Always take the practice exams if you have time and always do the ALEKS. Go to her office hours and ask questions.
Lectures really didn't help with learning the material at all. If you fall behind in the first few weeks, you may as well just drop the class. ALEKS is the worst learning style too. I'd rather have her class everyday than have to do the ALEKS assignments. They can take up to 10 hours a week!!
I have been failing the entire course since exam 1, and will have to retake it next semester. She relies way too much on ALEKS assignments as her way of teaching rather than dumbing the content down during lectures so that we know what we are doing. Anyways, avoid this class at all costs unless its necessary.
she rushes through notes and does not explain a single topic. went to her office hours and did not explain her notes. Lied to lab TAs about teaching the topics when she did not
I find the rumors about Paterno to be untrue. This is a tough class, but she does a great job with it. You need to expect a change in teaching styles compared to high school. Paterno provides interactive notes, practice exams, and opportunities for extra credit, which I didn't expect in college. Have realistic expectations for a chemistry lecture.
Paterno is going to grade heavily on exams and ALEKS. ALEKS sucks, everyone hates it. However, it gets you to learn. Do ALEKS early and know when the deadlines are. If you really pay attention in lectures, study for the exams/ quizzes, finish the ALEKS, and do the chapter homework- you will be okay. However, this class is a LOT of effort.
People say her class is hard. It is. Yes ALEKS is bad, she relies heavily on it and the quizzes given are seemingly harder than the tests. Her notes are too wordy and give no insight to the test material. The saving grace is that there's so much extra credit. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. It's a hard class. If you put in the effort, you'll do alright.
Dr. Paterno is great. I think many people don't like her because she teaches a very hard subject and it's easier to blame the professor than accept how hard chemistry is. She sometimes doesn't explain things in as much detail as I would've liked, but overall she was a good lecturer. Very fair about grading and always willing to help; very friendly.
Dr. Paterno relies VERY heavily on ALEKS as a teaching tool. Know coming in that you will learn through a website.Paterno is a nice person, but she doesn't teach.This class has many opportunities to perform well if you take advantage of them. There's a lot of extra credit; finish the ALEKS PIE!! She also posts the old tests, which is very helpful.
Dr. Paterno gives a lot of "grade boosters" to her students through the ALEKS problems and the exam reflections. It is also really easy to get help because of the chem tutoring center.
You will learn this material through Aleks basically-she does not teach. Gen Chem 2 was a very discouraging as I got a B in Gen Chem 1; and I even got a A+ in Organic Chemistry the following semester-which is said to be the hardest course to take in college. Honestly never finished Aleks because its a nuisance
She is decent at interacting with her students; however, she does not introduce or explain ideas very well. She assumes that equations will explain her repeating of slides verbatim.
People hate Dr. Paterno for the basic fact that they are lazy and don't put the time into the class. There is a lot of online hw, but if you do it, you will be fine. The practice exams are just like the actual exams, so do those before the exams. Gen chem is not the easiest subject, but if you put in the time, you will succeed.
if u don't like paterno, u did bad in the class. if u put in the time and are willing to, it will pay off. content is a lot from ap chem, and is only difficult if its ur first time seeing it. offers so much extra credit opportunities!!! such a sweet lady especially if u go to her office hours, honestly tries to engage with her lectures, adorable
I just did not like this professor at all
I think I learned more chemistry in high school than she ever taught me. The lab and lecture don't relate at all and they very easily can be related at least half of the time, but there not. Lectures fast. Gives an unnecessary amount of homework on a website (ALEXS) that is very particular with answers.
Most people give her a bad review because they got a bad grade, but she is truly the nicest and sweetest professor. She gives plenty of review material and tells you exactly what will be on the test. You also get a lot of extra credit which helps boost your grade. The Aleks are annoying but help with studying and are a good buffer for the exams.
Dr. Paterno's class would be difficult if I didn't take AP chem. There's really no way to avoid taking her class but drop into the intro class if you dont have a basic understanding. Honestly, I've found that the way that she teaches makes it more confusing than it needs to be. However, I do find ALEKS to be helpful even though its annoying.
Students often felt that they should not bother going to office hours because TA's could not answer lecture questions (because they were not attending lecture) and Dr. Paterno often did not show up to her office hours (which she emphasized attending to ask questions). There is a lot of homework and the quizzes are difficult to excel on.
Dr. Paterno is a really sweet lady and really personable during office hours! She provides fill-in-the-blank lecture notes, which I really appreciated. She does usually rely on the slides heavily. ALEKs was the bane of my existence, but the TAs are super helpful in the chem study center and so is Dr. Paterno!
I took Dr.Paterno for both chem 121 and 122 she was very helpful throughout the entire course. Sure she seems hard to approach at the beginning but she is really sweet and is willing to help when she has time. My friends and I talk with her all the time and she is always willing to strike up a conversation given she has time.
I actually didn't mind Paterno much. It took me like 3x the amount of effort to do well in this class compared to my others however. As someone who had little chem exposure, the class was definitely difficult. The Aleks can be quite annoying, while sometimes it is good practice other times it just feels like busy work to get the assignment points
I get that chemistry is a hard course and she only has so much time to teach us everything, but man she did not do a good job of it. Relies on ALEKS way too much, got behind on lecture and blamed us for it, yet somehow always blows through materal really quickly without actually explaining it. I'm sure she's a nice person, but terrible teacher
Paterno's class can be challenging, but she provides plenty of support. The ALEKS assignments are a pain, but they help with studying. Utilize the free tutoring center and take advantage of the generous extra credit opportunities. Unstuckstudy AI was a lifesaver for preparing for exams.
she actually makes me feel like I want to cry I don't think I want to be a biomedical major anymore she is ruining my life I actually think I am going to drop out of school I am sitting here doing my aleks cause she doesn't know how to teach
As a person paterno is nice. Her class is awful though she doesn't teach well at all and she's the reason I am switching majors. The stress she puts under me is horrible and I'm up almost all night doing the work she assigns us. She goes through the notes super fast and half my notes are not even filled in.
On exams, mental gymnastics will be taken if you don't take the previous years' exams.
Bad professor and relies completely on ALEKS where she gives a ridiculous amount of work. This class took up all of my time including the lab because I was constantly in the study center (where they barely help) or doing ALEKS. I along with many others failed the first exam and she blamed it on us and would not curve a 60% average. Had to drop.
The only thing people can complain about is the fact we had to do aleks all semsester, but that was our only outside of class work besides studying. And aleks isn't even that hard, its just because people wont do it and get behind and blame it on her. If you have the opportunity to take a class with her, DO IT!!!!!
Seriously be aware freshman! She will assign soo much aleks every week where you have to prioritize her class and not your main classes. Genuinely the tests were hard! Aleks assignments would be about things we haven't even talked about. don't get me started on lab, a waste of time and too much stress and tears was spent. Overall too much work.
Dr. Paterno is one of the best professors at Duquesne. She definitely has a passion for chemistry and makes it interesting for her students. She gives so many practice problems for tests, extra help, and bonus points so you'll do well in her class. And the ALEKS isn't bad if you just get it done on time. Go to her office hours!
This was my second time taking Paterno after dropping the class last year. ALEKS is not the worst part, but definitely the most time consuming part of the class. As a double major and someone who hates to fail, her class took a toll on my mental and physical health. Would not recommend, especially if you have not taken chemistry recently.
She is smart and can help you but there is so many ALEKS assignments that just take up so much time. The final exam was ridiculously hard. She also got behind her schedule and rushed so bad at the end. The weekly quizzes are a nightmare and recitation is a joke. She is a nice person but just overall gen chem sucks. Lab is also a bunch of busy work.
Took Gen. Chem 1 and 2 through Pitt as a 10th grader. Dr. Paterno does a better job explaining the processes and ways to work through chemistry in gen 1. Gen chem 2 was completely different, absolute nightmare. Shoves formulas down your throat and calls it a day. You spend 2 times the course material cost to unlock the exact same software lmao.
I previously took AP chem so the material was not hard. Offers practice exams that are very similar to the exams, lots of extra credit opportunities. Very heavy on homework, two online homework's due a week. There is a weekly quiz in recitation, and online in class questions that is $30 per semester. Offers lots of practice questions and very nice.
Dr. Paterno genuinely cares about her students and sets up office hours to help but the material is difficult. The ALEKS was the complete bane of my existence and there was a lot of assignments outside of class.
She really does care. But to be honest if you don't already have a good foundation in chemistry you'll find yourself just playing catch up all semester. I also probably averaged about 8 hours a week alone on ALEKS if you actually do it.
She is a very kind professor, her class is hard but it is not because of her, it is just the material. She is very good at teaching and helps students remember certain things with phrases. She has lots of opportunities to meet outside of class for help, and she includes lots of resources for help with tests. ALEKS does suck though.
She is nice but when you take a final and there is material you've never seen before on there, it doesn't matter. There is still Aleks, not helpful in the slightest TAs make the quizzes and just pick problems...unfortunately, these problems are not like anything done in class. Every Friday she shows a chemistry cat meme, so I guess it balances out.
You need to attend lecture to pass. She doesn't take attendance, but the class is difficult if you aren't there. There is a lot of homework with strict deadlines, but there are some bonus opportunities. The grades are clear in the syllabus. If possible, do work ahead of time. There is a "mandatory" textbook but she never used it once. 121 is easier
Class is easier for kids who took AP chem. For them it's a review. If you didn't, like me, good luck, don't take if you like having free time
Dr. Paterno relies on ALEKS and the TA's to teach her class. She will teach things that contradict the picky ALEKS algorithm making homework take forever. She comes off as condescending and uncaring at times. I felt the workload as well as some exam questions were unfair. However, there are plenty of bonus to make the class is passable.
Dr. Paterno truly cares about her students and wants to get to know them on a personal level. Lots of opportunities for bonus and she really wants you to succeed. Always willing to meet people outside of class for extra help. 10/10 recommendation
Her teaching style is awful. She uses ALEKS to teach all the topics and then speed runs her slideshow during lecture (does not post filled in notes online). You will spend a ridiculous amount of time on ALEKS and labs that are not related to the class.
Freshmen have trouble with this class so they rate her poorly, but I promise you'll look back in a couple years and wish you had the same bonus and homework opportunities. Late work was accepted and exams were pretty easy. Lots of partial credit on exams. Do not take Eric Chartier for recitation though you will thank me later.
The professor gives a lot of busy work, there is a quiz every week, lectures consist moslty of the professor reading off the ppt. presentation slides and some problem solving. Attendence is mandatory even though not always the most productive thing you can do.
spends the first 10-15 minutes of class talking about NOTHING and then proceeds to rush through the rest of the lecture. attendance is mandatory, but not always worth the time, literally just reads off the slides. assigns so much homework that will make you question your existence. lots of extra credit tho!
I wish this class was not required. Worst teacher I have ever had in my entire life. Spends a quarter of class talking about absolutely nothing, and is constantly behind. Not helpful outside of class, and assigns way too much homework. Test are way harder than anything I did in class, and she frequently teaches problems wrong.
I actually really liked Dr. Paterno! if you do what your supposed to (like studying and homework) you will do just fine in her class. honestly, I don't know why everyone doesn't like her. while she is not available all the time for office hours, she has TA's that are just as wonderful as she is. she also gives note sheets to help you follow along!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
43%
Textbook Required
34%
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