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I love her, she is great

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Good teacher.

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hard..but reasonable

enthusiastic about chemistry, she kept me awake

a reasonable professor that keeps things interesting and had an effective teaching technique

Hard, but a good teacher.

one of the best profs. i ever had at umass

Challenging. Enjoyable lecture, kept the material interesting and clear. Good with help outside of class.

Excellent professor...tough but fair.

Excellent method of teaching, exams are not multiple choice so that one may communicate chemistry as she puts it; very helpful, kind, and very fair in her method of grading. Truly, one of the best profs around.

if you have to take a general chemistry course, take it with her.

hard, but EXCELLENT prof. exams were not mult choice as they were in 111, so i actually learned some genchem. one of the best professors i've had at umass

Good teacher. Once you understand her means of teaching it all makes sense. Good professor. Tough but it definetly pays to be in her class.

Botch is the best professor around. I've had her for 111 and 112, and would take another course with her if given the option. She's tough, but as long as you keep up with OWLs and go to class, you should have no problem.

She was a great professor, at first I really hated her, but that was only because I was not doing all that well in her class. She is pretty hard, but she does a great job of teaching the material. She is the kind of person that will help you out if you

I absolutely hated chem before her, but with the owls its so easy and she's got a really good style that keeps you interested. Also she's not a moron about technology.

Botch was a great professor. She made lectures very interesting. She was very energetic and enthusiastic about teaching so the students were motivated to learn. I loved her classes and I did't want to miss a single one for any reason. Just do the owls and prcatice exams and you should be all set!

Botch is very helpful, but when she's lecturing she seems flighty. A good course for science majors, but others seem to have trouble with it. If you can get Botch as a teacher I would definitely recommend her.

She is very helpful but her lectures are all over the place. And her tests are not multiple choice and you have to do all the work out and if you make a mistake in your work even if your final answer is right you get points taken off. Professor Chandler is better.

One of the best professors I've had. She clears any questions you have at the beginnig of every class. People say her tests are hard (since they're not multiple choice) but as long as you go to class, it's easy.

She is an excellent professor. She is only hard you don't go to class and do the homework. Otherwise you'll do well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Clear and straightfoward material, easy to test with. Practice exams are helpful with this professor.

Very helpful if asked. Exams are exactly like the practice exams, so make sure you understand that material and you'll easily pass the course.

Good teacher, when she's together(catch this woman without her seltzer water, it may end up on the demo table...) Will bend over backwards for you in SI sessions. Only main downside is she's got favorites. If you are smart and female, easy A(what I got) but if you are male, or have no interest in the class, take off at least a letter grade.

BBotch is one of the best profs I've ever had. As head of the chem dept., she knows her stuff about advising as well- big plus!!! class is tough, you have to study to get an A. But it is def. possible (I did) and she is an ext. fair grader on tests. She is also very enthusiastic! LOTS of OWLs but trust me you will be glad you did them 4 the tests

TONS of owls, but very good for practicing material if that's how you learn. Exceptional lecturer, she reinforces practice. Compared to Fermann, easier if you do the hw (little hw in fermann), 1 hr exams given 2 hr + notecard (vs Fermann's in class exam w/out notecard). If you're the type that needs lots of practice to learn, she's for you.

The Botchenator is one of my favorite teachers. She wants her students to do well, and if she sees that you are genuinely trying she will do back flips for you. The class is very challenging, however. You are required to do a lot of work, but it all pays off in the end. I still haven't learned as much in any other class. I LOVED BOTCH!

Botch is a great teacher. Very enthusiastic and explains things well. On the downside, plan on spending most of your time studying for this class. Tons of owls, exams are very difficult. Drops your lowest exam grade.

She is one of the nicest teachers i've ever had. Her demo's are interesting and thought provoking. There's a lot of formulas and material covered so you will be studying a while for her class. Very helpful in office hours. Take the time to go to them because she's a good person to have for a reference.

I loved her. Sweet lady. If you put in effort, she will go out of her way to help you. Lots of web homework, which was helpful to me.

Coming to class does not seem to be mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged (PRS is used, but it only counts as 3%). She posts video (you see what appears on her computer writing tablet) of the lectures in Spark (like web CT), so you can catch them any time, which I love. Also, she makes many jokes that aren't funny. Some exam questions are vague.

She is one of the best professor I've ever had. She really tries to help students. However, in this class, you need to put a fair deal of an effort. Read the text and do all the owl homework - they are great test prep. If struggle, go to SI sessions. You'll get at least a B on a test, if you work on the last semester's exams which she posts online.

I thought she was a great teacher. I had barley any chemistry background and she all of the material very clear and interesting. The owls can get tough but she gives you a 24 hour grace period and goes over how to do all the owls before the grace period is over in class. I only studied for 15 min before each test and aced the class no problem.

teacher goes through material at a good pace and everything on the test is covered in class or in the homework. anyone who would complain about this proffesor must not have put in an appropriate amount of effort

I thought Botch was a great teacher. In class, her powerpoints outlined exactly what type of problems would be on the test, and she puts all her slides and lectures online so you can go back to them if you didn't get something the first time. The OWLS really helped, it was annoying to have HW due 2 times a week, but it kept me on track.

Botch has a real passion for chemistry and really knows how to teach it. however, sometimes her class can get a little confusing and owl hw's are sometimes overwhelming. that being said, her tests are VERY FAIR. She doesn't test you on anything you haven't seen in class. as long as you take good notes in class, you'll be great.

Botch is an amazing professor with an obvious passion for chemistry. Her lectures are clear and concise, although the OWL homework an be a tad overwhelming at times (she does drop 10% at the end). Her tests are mainly applied to what she teaches (and can be difficult), but the pyramids help! Overall, she is definitely the professor to have!

She's super funny, and enthusiastic about chemistry, the class itself is juts difficult.

BB is one of my favorite professors ever. Yes, her tests are very difficult, but the homework is reasonable enough to help your grade up. Its no easy class, but then again this is chemistry we're talking about. Over all, she's a fun, quirky, and very intelligent professor that I was glad to have teach me.

I found her enthusiasm totally endearing, though she can be very patronizing. Chemistry is hard by itself. She assigns plenty of homework, BUT it all helps you learn the topics. I barely touched the book, but ALWAYS went to class and did the hw and I didn't score below an 80 on the exams. They are hard, but not if you actually learn the material.

Her class is fast paced and if chemistry isn't your thing, you definitely need to do a lot of studying and practice. She offers many opportunities for one-on-one help but you just have to take advantage of them. If you go to review sessions and pay attention in class, you'll do well on her tests. She's also VERY interactive and keeps me awake

She was very enthusiastic, although her tests were EXTREMELY difficult, which made passing an already difficult class nearly impossible. As brilliant as Botch may be, I recommend taking this class with another professor if you want to pass.

Don't listen to the comments saying she's horrible. Yeah her tests are difficult you have to study and read the book. If you can't do that you don't belong in college. She teaches well, maybe she doesn't always know how to interact with her students, but give her a break! She has to deal with the fact that most people hate Chemistry to begin with

Despite what people may say (personally) about Botch, her teaching is okay. She's clear with the material covered and she has slides during class for notes. She has a lot of SI and review sessions before exams. READ THE BOOK if you don't understand. Sometimes the TA's are no help and confuse you if you don't see their mistakes.

You definitely need to put effort into the class, especially if you're coming in with no background in chemistry. But Botch is definitely willing to help, there are a ton of reviews and her office hours really help . Her tests can be a little difficult mostly due to the time limit. HW can be a pain, but it helps. Her grading is really, really fair.

Before actually having her as a professor I was worried based on the other reviews, as it turns out some of them can be true. However she was also very enthusiastic about the material, she really is a good professor when it comes to explaining material. As long as you keep up on OWLs and occasionally read the book you'll be fine.

If you are bad at chemistry and don't have sound study skills you won't do well in this class. If you are interested in the material, then its a relatively easy course. She's a great lecturer and going to class is actually enjoyable. Yes the class can be tough, but able students should be more than up to the task.

shes not that bad! she posts past exams online and if you can do those then you will do fine on the tests. if you do bad on an exam and do better on the final, then she will drop your lowest test and double the final. the book is online so you dont have to buy it. I never read it and have an A. owls are a pain but they help you study

An awesome chemistry lecturer, very informative and friendly. She will test your knowledge well, but is more than willing to deliver all the help necessary to see you succeed in her course.

She is NOT a GPA killer. She is a sweet old woman who knows what she's doing. You will definitely get a lot out of her class. Just make sure you study well for the exams because they're not easy.

I hurts to see all these bad reviews of Prof Botch. Yes, the class was difficult. But if you actually did the work and studied, she was a phenomenal professor. She doesn't hold your hand and walk you through chemistry, she kicks you in the butt and tells you to do some of the work too. I loved her as a professor, and will miss her class.

She is the best!! She is very helpful and a very nice person

Botch is amazing! Many people dislike her, but I think it's because she comes off as pretentious & goes through the material rather quickly. She presented the material in a clear and concise manner. Her exams are not hard if you do the practice exams beforehand, but be careful: she often puts commonly incorrect answers as a multiple choice option

She is a good teacher, but dont take her class its ridiculous she goes through material way too fast, im half way through the first semester and im about to finish chapter 8, my friends with other chem 111 professors in the same class just different teacher are on chapter 4.... too much homework do not take her class

It breaks my heart to see Botch get such low ratings. She is a wonderful woman who has a sincere interest in Chemistry and seeing her students do well. The work is difficult, dont get me wrong, but she is really helpful. Go to office hours! She loves meeting with students and answering questions. Take Chemistry 111 with her!

Great teacher. She thoroughly explains everything she puts on her exams. The owls can be VERY tedious, but I'm pretty sure every chem class has to do them. Overall, she's a wonderful, enthusiastic teacher and truly wants to help you. It's a tough class, but she teaches it the best.

She spoon feeds you, which some people find patronizing, but I think you need if you're taking such an elementary level. Extremely clear, go to classes, tests are hard but she's really clear in her teaching style.

Botch tends to patronize students during lecture. There is an absurd amount of OWL homeworks, that are often due before she teaches that particular material in class which makes life difficult. Exams are very challenging. She knows her stuff, but as a teacher you either love her or hate her. It's a fast-paced, high-expectations class.

Botch is a great professor who lectures with great clarity. Her exams aren't hard if you are willing to put the time they deserve into studying. This class moves quickly so be prepared to do a lot of studying. The textbook is all online for free using OWL and clicker questions make attendance mandatory. Overall she is the best of the chem 111 profs

good teacher, exams suck

she is a really great professor, and defiantly knows her stuff! she is extremely helpful during office hours and wants to see people succeed, although her exams are really hard...she is nice though because she does give partial credit on her exams for the questions that you got wrong which is always nice...

I love Botch! I was apprehensive about the class going in but she's great. Exams can be tricky, but if you prepare adequately they can be done. She's very quirky. Lots of homework and sometimes it can be frustrating but Botch is not out to get you- she wants to help her students. She can be a bit condescending in class but overall, she's great!

She is friendly but more importantly very clear and prepared. She has been teaching this class for so long that she has all details covered. It's not an easy class, but certainly doable if you put in the effort.

the best teacher ever

I don't know why people keep saying she is hard or mean. She is actually a nice person and pretty helpful. I loved her class. Her exams are easy and if you have time to review slides or take practice exams she posts, then you will be fine. Her class is interesting and she is the best chem teacher..she knows what she is teaching. :D

Really good professor but her exams can be tricky. I had never taken chem in high school but Botch made it very clear.

Extremely tricky exams. I'm pretty sure she purposely does this- I've gotten tripped up on some of the most ridiculous things... However; learned a lot.

If you attend class and study with the old exams you should be fine. The final is just a combo of questions from the other exams in the semester reworded. The only "tricks" are she takes old questions and turns them around, so he have to actually understand them, not just memorize. Worst part of the class is the amount of homework.

Great professor. I learned so much from Botch. Yes her class is difficult; there is a lot of work and the exams are difficult, but she truly tests your knowledge of all areas of the material. She can be very intimidating, but she is passionate about teaching. Be prepared to put in a good deal of time into the class, but you will be rewarded!

Her tests are hard, and she assigns a lot of homework. You'll hate the word OWL by the end of the semester. I liked her overall though, she's a great teacher and really knows her stuff. She's really excited about chemistry so her classes aren't boring. This is coming from a science major though.

Botch is a great Professor! Very clear in her lectures and sums everything up frequently to make sure you understand. There are a lot of owls. The tests are perfectly manageable if you study the past exams and make sure you understand how to get the answer rather than just simply memorizing it. Definitely recommend her. Learned a ton!

Her class is very easy. She always tells you what you need to know. On the tests, there are no surprises and always opportunities for extra credit.

Botch is a great teacher. DO NOT listen to these other ratings saying otherwise; those kids obviously didn't try. Just go to class and pay attention and take notes on the owl homework. I did not understand chemistry at all in high school and I have an A now. There is also a free online textbook that has homework problems.

Botch really knows what shes talking about when it comes to chem. Chem is hard to begin with, but I found that the way she taugt I was able to actually in learn. She gives a lot of partial credit on her tests. In high school I got a D in chem, but in this class I got and A-

Botch is a really good professor. She is very organized and explains the material thoroughly. The class was hard, but if you keep up with OWL and study hard you can do well. Botch gives you all the tools you need to succeed.

She is a great professor. Keep up with the work and you will do really well. She's also really helpful if you're struggling.

Botch has been my favorite professor at UMass so far. She's excited about chemistry every day of the week, welcomes questions at all times, and expects you to have a good amount of common sense. Don't talk or use your phones in her class, seriously. It's not worth it, and respect your lecturer. She's made tons of extra help available. Work hard.

I love Botch! Chem isn't my strong point/interest but I look forward to going to her class every day because she's so nice and helpful. Always smiling. Definitely deserves the Distinguished Teaching award she's nominated for this year!

Botch is an amazing professor; I honestly think those who have given her poor reviews really 'botched' their efforts in class, or overlooked her enthusiasm towards the subject. Just yesterday, she was nominated for one of the most highly valued teaching awards that UMass has to offer. She is understanding and really wants her students to succeed.

if you go to class and study you will do fine. she does iclicker questions every class so you need to go. tests are not bad but you do need to study for them prior to the night before.

Botch is the best professor I've ever had. She makes the class extremely manageable and understandable as long as you do the OWLs. The best thing I did in the class and what Botch recommends everyone do is PRINT OUT THE SLIDES BEFORE CLASS. This way, it's super easy to go back and review for exams. Botch clearly loves teaching- take the class.

Professor Botch is a fantastic teacher who has so much passion for the subject she is teaching. While the exams may be hard, she provides more than sufficient amounts of practice tests to study from. She may be the hardest intro Chem teacher at UMass, but after taking this course you will feel confident going into Chem 112!

Botch is an awesome professor, if you do the OWL homework attentively and pay attention, you can easily get an A in this class. I am horrible at chemistry and I did well in this class because of her. Go to SI sessions as well

She wants to do everything she can to help people. The exams are harder than you probably think, but she wants you to do well. Lowest exam grade is replaced with the final if its higher.

Prof. Botch is a great and enthusiastic professor. She really does enjoy chemistry and is always eager to help students whenever they need it. Attendance is taken and she gives A LOT of homework thru OWL. Exams are tricky so studying is a must. Overall not a bad class, but you have to put in the effort to succeed in this course.

Botch is an amazing professor! She is very clear and very organized. The text is online, so you don't have to pay for it. Her tests are hard, but they are very straightforward, so if you study you should be fine. Not the easiest class, but her enthusiasm for chemistry made it more bearable for me.

She retired... But she was great! if you did you're homework and went to her class then you'd probably get an A.

She was a great professor, learned so much in her class. If you tried hard and wanted to learn could easily get an A. Come back to Umass and teach all the chemistry courses please no professor can compare.