Pretty good teacher. I've never liked Chem though. She does prepare you well if you follow the hw and practice exams

No Comments

No Comments

good teacher

She's a decent teacher. If you study and come to class, you should be alright on the tests.

Good teacher... gives very helpful and easy to understand notes... I didn't have to pick up the textbook once

She is a pretty good teacher. She uses examples that help you get the problems needed for the test done. Her tests, however, are hard, so be careful when deciding on the correct answers. I do recommend her for this course.

Good teacher...gives many helpful examples. Quizes and tests are hard...but thats chem for you

I don't mind her. I think she's a good teacher. If you go to class and pay attention and do the assignments she gives you, you can definitely do well. It takes time, but if you want to do well, that's all you've got to do.

Tests are very VERY tricky,but she is a good teacher

Pretty good teacher. I've done well. Chemistry isn't an easy subject, but she explains it fairly well. Gives detailed notes you can look back, but you have to do the assigned homework to maintain a good understand and grade in the class.

i like her & think she's funny. i'd recommend her

Great

She is a very good teacher. She explains everything well. Compared to her husband she's a real jewel.

The only good thing about this professor is her sense of humor and she speaks clear. I think she is the most tricky professor ive ever had because the questions on the test dont match the questions she gives in class. She gives quizzes every friday too.

She is a great teacher I would recommend her to anyone

Gives very good notes right from the book and is very helpful whenever you ask for her help. I really enjoy this class and learn alot.

She is very easy to understand. Class isn't too hard as long as you take good notes. Quizzes and tests are fair. She is a pretty good teacher.

she is a great teacher. explains material in easy to learn ways. tests and lab are a piece of cake. plus she teaches 112 too so if you are going on she only teached you what you HAVE to know for 112 (doesnt go into much detail)

Her tests and quizzes are easy. All you have to do is go to class and take notes. She explains thoroughly everything you need to know. I would definitely recommend her.

Pretty good teacher...was better than I expected

Labs are no joke, take ur time. Do the HW and test and finals are easy. You'll be taking alot of notes, but shes pretty easy goin in class, good fun positive atmosphr. I got an A in the class and failed two labs and 3 quizs.

All you people that complain its probably because you are too lazy to try and learn. If you do your homework problems almost all the questions on the quiz comes from them. you have to try. its not always up 2 someone else 2 make everything easy on you. shes the easiest chem teach you will find @ WVU

Her class is VERY easy if you do the homework, most test/quiz questions come from the homework. Shes extremely nice and will always take time to help you out

Good teacher if you are prepared to work. She does write a lot of notes on the board, but if you keep up with them and study, you should be fine. I failed a few labs and quizzes, got a C on the lab final, but did pretty well on the exams and was able to get an A.

Quizzes come directly from the homework problems and tests are all multiple choice. If you do your work and go to class you shouldn't have any problems. She is a very nice lady w/ a wonderful personality, however she is a little disorganized and sometimes gets confused. She is very enthusiastic abou

She can get a little confused at times, but not too much to make the class all that difficult. Shes pretty nice and she is enthusiastic about teaching. Shes pretty good at explaining things.

AWESOME!!! She has lecture handouts and tests right from them. If you have an ounce of common sense, you can easily pass this class. If you don't pass this class... you are stupid. :)

Seems to really want to make sure you understand the material. Not afraid to do problems in class.

Very good teacher.

She did a lot for the class. Tests were sometimes hard. Doesn't Curve! But a very good teacher

Prof Ratcliff is very helpful and a very good teacher. If you ask her questions she is always willing to answer them. She is very nice and always helpful, in and out of class. If you get a choice, take her!

Great teacher, always willing to help, really care about the students unterstanding material

excellent

she is always willing to help you and will work with your schedule to help you recieve assistance with something.

A bit scatter brained while lecturing. She gives you a worksheet to fill out as notes for the class, which is both somewhat-helpful and confusing. If you can catch her she is extremely helpful 1 on 1 and will work with you until you understand. Exams seem easy yet there are tricks, be careful. Throws chalk at people who text in class=hilarious!

She's a nice lady and a good teacher when she tries

She wasn't as bad as her reviews make her sound. Her notes are quite useful and her assigned homework is an easy A. It's true that she did make mistakes occasionally during the summer session -- but the class was so accelerated [being only 6 weeks], it was hard for anyone to keep up - even her. My rec would to not take chem 116 during the summer!

The class was hard -- but general chemistry is hard. period. It took a lot of studying and the homework takes awhile (but is fairly easy). She provides very useful note packets which are quite nice. I ended up with an A in the class. If you put forth the effort, you will pass - no problem.

She makes mistakes in calculations a lot, but usually catches them by the time she gets to the end of the problem. She isn't too good at answering peoples' questions; she is easily confused.

She makes a lot of mistakes while teaching But she really isnt that bad!she knows what shes doing. tests are fair & you have the opportunity to bring your grades up at the end of the semester, which helps everyone. U have to go to class and study. She gives homework that is really, really helpful. I would not mind taking another one of her courses.

She's awesome! Don't believe what you read, always very helpful and easy to get along with. I wish she taught upper level classes.

She is a good teacher and nice lady. She made this class worthwhile for me.

The class was not the bad she was a nice woman and made the class interesting. However, the tests were weeks ahead of the other classes she really likes to cram as much stuff on the tests as possible

she is really really good. but not very good at maintaining our attention span

Betsy is a great teacher, her notes are very well organised. She explains the material very well. And her test are not too bad as long as you do your work

I absolutely LOVED her class. I would definitely recommend her for anyone. I would take her for 116, too bad she is not teaching it this fall.

Took this class in the summer. Great teacher, her exams consist of the exact same problems from her notes. She is very reasonable and doesn't try and trip you up with little details, she cares that you are actually learning the chemistry. No book use whatsoever. Highly recommend her.

This class is designed to weed out anyone who doesn't have the desire to dedicate 90% of their life to chemistry. The classes consist of 50 minutes of relentless note-taking at an incredibly fast pace. The tests are harsh and the questions are often trick questions. Homework is a joke. If you don't need to take the course, DON'T DO IT!

Excellent teacher! I was retaking this class from a previous semester and she was totally the better teacher! She explains concepts extremely well! Her tests are totally fair. Just go to class and you are guaranteed a B if you try hard. Totally recommend her... NOT MINGMING..

I did decently in Ratcliff's class and plan to take her again. Important note-- chem 115 is not an easy class, period. No matter what professor a lot of effort is required and a lot of material is covered. DO NOT miss class it will ruin your grade. Also do the online homework on time, it's an easy portion of your grade if you do it.

Despite a lot of negative comments, I found Dr. Ratcliff to be one of my favorite teachers. She was quite energetic during lectures and would crack the occasional joke. ALEKS is awful, but you can't pin it on her; it's departmental. Exams were pretty tough, but her class certainly opened my eyes to a true college level course.

I really liked Ratcliff. I was able to learn the material well. Just print out her lecture notes and follow along, most questions on the tests are similar in format to her notes. Labs can be difficult as we were behind in lecture and weren't able to do any post labs because we hadn't learned about the concepts yet.

Professor Ratcliff is a great teacher. Unfortunately, WVU placed me in 110 as a mistake as I placed higher on my QRA placement test so I dropped before withdrawl period ended. If you do the homework, you will never have a problem on her quizzes. The grading system is weird for Chem 110. I would take her again if she offered the class I needed.

Everyone dislikes her because the class is difficult but you have to work for the grade that you want. ALEKS sucks but it's helpful if you use it to your advantage. Her tests are semi-hard but you have to know the material. Don't ever skip class. Don't buy the textbook. Her notes are wonderful. She's scatter-brained but a good teacher.

very unorganized and makes constant mistakes, but she is a great teacher.

Very tough course in general, be ready to spend a lot of your time. Be prepared for the lectures, otherwise they will be confusing. Betsy Ratcliff is a good professor, definitely recommend you. Even though she might seem disorganized, just be patient and do your job. Ask questions, Betsy Ratcliff can greatly explain you a problem.

Great Teacher. Ratcliff has all of the notes online at the beginning of the semester, and you can print them off and fill in the blanks in class. The homework, Aleks, will make you learn! Do your homework and stay on top of it, and you will not only get an A, you will have a great understanding of the material years later.

She's a tough prof, but also, she teaches chemistry which is tough enough in itself. She's very willing to help even if she is scatterbrained and needs to catch up with the technology of the 21st century. Love her as a prof.

Very helpful in office hours. Pay attention and the presentation of the concepts makes perfect sense.

Dr. Ratcliff rewards individuals for actively participating in their education. The lecture notes that she gives before class help to make the information received in lecture easier to understand. Homework is a must, but it helped prepare for tests. If you need help in this class do not wait to ask for it.

I really liked Dr. Ratcliff. She liked to crack jokes during lecture and would stop often to ask for clarity. There were extra credit assignments given throughout the semester. Just go to every class, take good notes, and study the practice exams she puts on her website and you'll be fine. :)

A teacher that was very passionate about her class. She cares that the students get the material, and tries everything in her power to help. She has online videos showing how to solve problems. She may mess up in class a little, but that is because she is so preoccupied with the material that she may fly through some details. She is a GREAT teacher

Ratcliff is Excellent for CHEM 116. The lecture notes are already printed out and she covers concepts/ practice problems in class. She wants to make sure that you fully understand the concepts, which is vital when preparing for the MCAT or other standardized tests. You have to study, but you will understand the concepts much better . I reccomend

At first her lectures seemed all over the place, but once I got used to her, she was not hard to understand. She gives a really reasonable amount of homework especially compared to some of the other 116 professors. She obviously cares about if the students are learning or not and is very helpful if you ask questions outside of class.

Ratcliff is the professor to take for 116. She gives you previous exams as a heads up for what to expect on tests. She may come off as a bit of a loon at first, but you'll get over that quickly. Rather funny during lecture and will crack jokes often. Never had to crack open the book and still understood every bit of the material.

Dr. Ratcliff actually gives you formulas for tests! Anyone who took Battin knows what a pain not having those can be. She's a little all over the place but it's really not that bad. Tests are pretty difficult if you don't study/chemistry isn't your forte.

A little scatterbrained but teaches through practice problems in class. She won't surprise you with anything on the tests you haven't seen before, either. I think the people that struggle are those who either don't have prior chemistry knowledge, don't study, or a combination of those two. None of the material is especially difficult, as she supplies plenty of practice material and practice problems on her website. Overall, great professor imo.

Definitely an interesting professor, always keeps you awake during lecture. Fair about tests, if you can show her why your answer could be right, can give points back. Doesn't take anyone's crap, especially in lab. Don't skip class, do all the homework, don't just copy and you'll do fine.

You will expect to do homework twice a week, it not make up a large percent of your grade but it help a lot for prepare for test. Test is decent but some time there is a few mistake in formula sheet or question but she will fix it. Not my favorite prof but not bad. She is substitute for my prof half semester.

KInda scatterbrained very good professor

Dr. Ratcliff is a pretty good professor. Yes, she goes fast but she is really good at explaining things. Also, she posts old exams on her website to practice which are really useful. She can be a bit scatterbrained at times, but overall she is a decent professor. Homework is twice a week and the exams are all multiple choice.

Very intelligent and helpful professor. Yes her class is rigorous, yet you truly do understand the material if you show up to class and do the homework.

Definitely had to change my studying habits! This is a course that you have to actually learn; you can't just memorize some stuff right before the exam. If you put in the effort, you can definitely pass this class.

work hard/pay atention

This professor has heavy lectures but little explanations. She knows a lot about what she is teaching but is bad at explaining things.

She was easy to follow in lecture and was always ready to answer any questions no matter what! She was also easy to get a hold of out side of class

Very attractive, great professor, explains very well, gives a good amount of extra credit.

Took her Chem116 condensed course over the summer. Since this was a condensed version of the full semester we had to move pretty quickly through material and understandably so, the material was difficult. Betsy would slow the class down when students let her know they needed clarification and she made herself available to students daily.

Took this course over the summer and due to the quick pace of classes the material was rather difficult. Professor Ratcliff slowed down to go over material and always made herself available during office hours. She made a point to help each student that showed up to class.

She is really passionate and works hard to explain some of the more difficult topics in chemistry. She provides clear examples that can be followed later during homework. Many students feel the need to point out when she makes small mistakes and it flusters her and she will proceed to make more mistakes. Dont hold it against her!

The class is majorly centered around the ALEKS program to really teach you the material other than that the class was extremely fun. The professor is all over the place in a good way.

I can understand mixed reviews on Dr. Ratcliff, but in my opinion, she's a good professor. She can be disorganized, and the class grade was test-heavy, but Dr. Ratcliff made herself available outside of class, and she cares about students a lot. She gives helpful study materials, too. As long as you attend class and participate, it's a great class.

She's really great. I had her for honors chem 115, and her lectures made a lot of sense. She also gave us good supplementary materials that helped us understand the harder subjects better.

A bit disorganized but fun and passionate. I struggle with chem but she was pretty good at teaching and and reteaching things. Exams are straightforward, always added a few extra points on too. Was more than happy to set times to meet during out of class time for group help. Always do any extra practice exams she puts out!

She really took the time to get to know her Honors class and formed meaningful connections with the students, but she can be unorganized at times

As long as you pay attention to lectures, you will be fine. She is also super helpful if you approach her with questions you have about topics or the lecture.

- little unorganized in lectures and intimidating at first (VISIT HER AT THE CLC CENTER DURING OFFICE HOURS) She is always willing to answer questions. Class: Weekly quizzes, exam heavy (60% of overall grade) PRACTICE PRACTICE all available problems (PSVs) *the exams text very similar skills* ***Talking from experience (last exam got 95%)***

I disagree with the other reviews. Prof. Ratcliff is very willing to bring clarification to any questions, even outside office hours. She gives bonus points on exams and even during class if you participate! She's very nice, homework isn't extreme, and tests are fair with no curve balls. Advice: STUDY! Prof. also provides A LOT of practice material

Lectures are disorganized and hard to follow along with. However, she has lots of resources on ecampus to study for exams and is very willing to help you if you're struggling. Homework is reasonable, the exams match what she is teaching in class, and she gives lots of extra credit. Go over your exams because there are usually errors in grading!

She is a very disorganized professor. Every single class something would go wrong and she continues to use technology she is unfamiliar with. She gave a lot of bonus points and your exam grade will probably change because she makes so many mistakes and expects her students to find and fix them for her. She seems to genuinely care about her students

Her notes are guided note sheets that are so easy to follow and fill in the blank. To study for each exam she would give you nearly 50 practice problems on top of 2 practice exams. There were ZERO curveballs on the exams. If you could do the practice problems, then you were fine for exams. I got a 90% in Chem 115, but a 99% in Betsy's 116. Please

I was worried going into the class due to other ratings I had seen. They seemed fairly valid through the first exam, but after that, the class was so much easier to me than what I was prepared for. Definitely be wary for the first exam, it was harder than the final imo, but other than that, pay attention and do the practice and you should be fine.

Prof. Ratcliff is a great professor. She can certainly be disorganized at times or a little vague when explaining how she arrived at an answer. However, she cares for her students and is willing to help. She also provides plenty of practice material for each exam. If you do the SAQs, quizzes, and watch her videos, you will have no problem.

I took Chem110, but I liked her class a lot. She was very helpful when you asked questions and her notes were very easy to follow. She gave lots of help and examples in each chapter. People who complain about her either don't take the pre-tests or don't ask for help. This material isn't hard if you fail it's on you. Lots of bonus points also.

Absolutely amazing professor she is very blunt so many take offense to that, but if you can get by that she's definitely worth taking in my opinion. Anyone complaining about certain teachings didn't put in the effort it takes for a chemistry course.

She's super blunt & I was lowkey really scared that she was going to be mean at the beginning of the year. But after attending her office hours & seeing how gracious she is with the students, I realized she for sure has chaotic energy but actually really cares about her students. Definitely be respectful, politeness goes a long way with her.

Honestly I really liked this class! If you show up and try, you'll get a good grade. She is always willing to help and answer questions. The people that don't like her are the ones that don't show up or don't pay attention. She does a lot of practice in class and usually gives you time to work on homework in class so that she can help you!

She always gave sample questions pulled from her quizzes. Attendance was mandatory to get a grade as well as getting the notes. Her homework assignments were very long, often averaging around 60-70questions, they weren't hard however, just time consuming. Overall, she was a good professor, if you need help, don't hesitate to go to her office hours!

I don't know how anyone fails chem 110. The professor provides tons of materials to help you succeed in this class. If you fail, that's your problem, not the professor's. She provided lots of homework and plenty of time to complete it. The homework is designed to help you study. Betsy was a great professor! Go to class and learn, that's it.

Personally, I loved this professor. She is a bit scatter brained but that's just who she is. The tests and quizzes almost constantly were annoying and stressful, although they made sure I actually understood the content. This professor is really caring when it comes to accommodations, and lectures well. She also will answer any question you have.

Ratcliff gives you notes to annotate and tells you what to write on them. This class is not hard, you just have to pay attention. Meeting her in person is not scary despite her outward demeanor. She is so kind and honest.

Professor is intelligent and cares about her students. Every opportunity to succeed is given.