3.3
Quality3.8
Difficulty59%
Would Retake97
Reviews59%
Would Retake
97
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
39
4
11
3
11
2
17
1
19
What Students Say
“She just does 1% of final grade E”
CHEM1A - 2.0 rating“Worksheets, quizzes, and exams frequently contain errors”
3A3AL - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
90%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.94 avg changeRatings by Course
5286
5.0
(1)CHEM3B
5.0
(2)CHEM0295
4.0
(1)CHEM42
3.6
(23)CHEM60
3.4
(42)Difficulty by Course
CHEM0301
5.0
Chem3AL
5.0
CHEM1B
4.3
CHEM0295
4.0
CHEM3B
4.0
Reviews (97)
she is almost too smart to teach this class. she just came from doing cancer research and has phd from yale. lots of set lectures, but she is VERY passionate about chemistry. she will help you out if you go to her office hours
I went into this class expecting the worst and am actually doing pretty good. She explains things well and answers questions. Just don't make her repeat herself too many times. It's annoying for everyone. I'm definitely more interested in Chemistry and kind of disappointed that she's not teaching Chem 1A next semester.
Took Chem 42 with Dr. Meprathu. This class is completely possible to get an A in but expect to work for it. She moves quickly and at times does expect you do know things that I felt was unfair to expect of beginning chemistry students but she will help you anything you need as long as you visit her office hours.
Very knowledgeable about chemistry, but not a very good teacher. Accent is difficult to understand. Exam degree-of-difficulty is inconsistent and exam layout is confusing. Would not take this teacher again.
TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE!!!!!!! that is the only way to explain this instructor. her standards are to high for a intro class and she expects so much of the class even though she treats the class like were all idiots. there is no structure to her lectures and she can be very rude sometimes
The bottom line: she is too smart to be teaching intro chem. She does cover most topics, and by the end of the year I had forgotten she had a thick indian accent. This actually helped me because it was different, so I didn't loose interest. Slacked off the later portion of the year, but if you want the A, she will help you to get it. Its up to you
I have had Meprathu for Intro and General Chem(summer)... It is possible to get an A in the class, but it takes more than just going to class. If you take her, make sure you read before class or you tube ideas you don't understand. You'll pretty much get an A if you put a little work in. She is also always willing to help outside of class.
She is incredibly rude. She argues with students if they ask questions.She has called us "children" multiple times (which highly offended me as I am almost 40)There is no point to going to the lecture because she flies through it. The first exam average was 67%. I would not take her again and am actually considering dropping the class because of he
She is a very smart woman, and knows her chemistry, but would be much better suited for advanced chem. She's not the best at explaining things in simple terms and makes you feel stupid when she does have to explain it. Would not recommend for any intro class.
She's a great teacher and she really knows her material. If you try, you can get a good grade. She puts on mainstream music during the labs which made lab a lot more chill!
Absolutely by far the worst teacher I have ever had. Thankfully there was a book to use to teach myself from otherwise I definitely would not have passed.
Ugh, where do I even start? You have to practically teach yourself with the book, her and her lectures are scattered. The whole class agreed that she is horrible and we had to ask her for a study guide. She puts trick questions on her exams and we had to beg her for a study guide. Stay away! Worst teacher by far.
I am a reasonable and fair person, with this said, I would like to state that in all my years going to college, this teacher is by far the worst one of them all. She is totally ambivalent to the students, she rambles during lectures and does not cover a tenth of what we need to know. She grades arbitrarily.Too sum it up "STAY AWAY FROM THIS TEACHER
She is not a good teacher. Very frustrating. You learn little in class, and I have begun skipping class and self-teaching due to her poor teaching. I get As and Bs on her tests, but class average is 66% on the last test. I am putting in a ridiculous amount of work self teaching. But the SRJC chem department is lacking.
I don't understand what everyone is complaining about? If you read the material before class, do your labs correctly, do the homework, and study for exams, you will get an A. Yes, any 5 unit chem class is going to be extremely difficult! Expect to work hard for a good grade. I think she's a great teacher.
She's not a good teacher, very discouraging and does not enjoy teaching. However, she fudged my grade up after I stopped caring near the end. I should've got a D or a C and I got a B. She's a nice person, and wants to be liked, but shouldn't be teaching something she isn't interested in (anymore?).
Do NOT take Meprathu. She is an impossible teacher. Her lectures are completely useless. Everything I learned in this class I had to teach myself.
BigB is very engaged in the subject and her students. She will patiently clarify anything you don't understand if you ask, in class or out. It is a hard class that requires a lot of work for a good grade, she grades tough but fair. Pay attention in lectures and lab, do the online hwk. I don't use the textbook very much.
She's great if you go see her during her office hours, however during lectures I could barely keep up with her not to mention she gives a lot of homework.
She isn't clear, very harsh when you don't understand concepts the very first time she explains them, usually she doesn't explain anything, instead she let's the textbook teach and she just randomly asks questions or talks about subjects she deems "beyond" the class then scrutinizes you for not knowing them.
She expects the textbook which changes every semester to teach you, and that you'll magically understand everything. She would rather not have to explain how or why things happen in chemistry, and when you do get her to answer it is either because I said so or it's too advanced for you to understand Don't take her, She's rude to students.
I can't believe it ended. This teacher was super duper amazing! She is very funny and hip. She tries to fit in with modern teens and makes so many jokes about it. She is super clear and easy to understand. Sometimes she has pop quizzes, but their easy. Homework? Yes, but its online and easy. Test are easy as well. Labs are very easy. Most inspiring
She is a clear teacher during lecture, and if you don't understand something she is more than willing to spend her office hours explaining things. The tests are hard and long, so you need to study a lot. In lab she plays rap music and is very helpful in clarifying lab procedure. If you don't do well on tests, labs will save you.
Come in with a good knowledge of chemistry and you should be alright. If you study and work for the grade you want then you'll get there. She emails the lectures beforehand, but they're not very helpful. Going to class and reading/doing practice problems at the end of the chapter worked best for me. Allowed redos on some parts of the test sometimes
Take chem 42 before this class. Use all available resources: office hours, tutoring center, and the book. She is very knowledgeable but not extremely good at communicating the info. With hard work you can pass, but you'll have to do exceptionally well to get an A. Good about giving partial credit on exams, tough grader on labs.
This class was very enjoyable and fun. She cares about her students and is very apporachable and relatable. What you give is what you get, she can be unclear at times when lecturing but she does her best and is always willing to help . You must study outside of class or utilize office hours to fully understand the difficult topics.
Taken in summer. She just does 1% of final grade E.C. (never more). She's a very hard grader. Group pop quizzes are 10% of grade. Tests & labs are the bulk of the grade. Final is 12% of grade. No homework. Questions can be tricky on quizzes & tests. Read chapters and get familiar with end of chapter problems before the lectures, and you'll do good
very tough grader, her test are long and very hard. Do the labs and it will save you. As a teacher she is horrible and very unclear about the way she is teaching, but as a person is awesome and like talking to her and listening to her humor. Everyone in my class except for a select few do bad on the test. overall really hard teacher.
Bigg B is one of the toughest instructors I've had but her lectures are informative and thorough! You have to really really read the textbook and do the hmwk in order to do well in her class. Her tests tend to be long but they are doable if you studied the material to its core. She is a tough grader on both her tests & labs (every detail matters).
BiggB is one of the best professors at the JC. She is very clear about her syllabus. Her lectures are very clear and she makes sure that everyone in the class understands a topic well before moving to a new question. If you pay attention during lectures and follow through the example problems, you will pass the class with a good grade.
Exams are way too long. Acts like she does not want to be there. Tests on stuff that were not lectured in class.
Get ready for a hard class. BiggB has really high expectations for her students and it shows with how fast the lectures go and how long the tests are. Her favorite saying is, "You don't need to memorize anything, just understand all the concepts". Only take chemistry with her if you are a chem major.
BiggB has high expectations of you. Why would you want a teacher who doesn't? She's funny and passionate. If you pay attention in class, do the assigned home work and practice problems, you will pass the class. She helps with lab calculations.
She's great! Super nice.
Lectures are not informative (she goes way off topic and is confusing sometimes). She has very high expectations with labs but will help if needed. She doesnt do a good job at explaining things. Just be ready to read the textbook and basically teach yourself the material. Be beware of pop quizzes. Would not recommend her class.
I would not recommend taking this course with Meprathu especially if you are a beginner chem student. she is a very smart teacher but definitely needs help with explaining and really getting her students to understand. The homework is online. The homework is online from generated questions and she doesnt even know what we are being asked.
I DO NOT recommend this professor. Please stay away. In the beginning of class I didnt think she was too bad and was confused by the bad ratings on here, but soon learned that she is terrible at explaining things to the point she makes it more confusing, belittles students for not understanding something, and has unreasonably high expectations. :(
She expects more than she should from intro level chemistry students. Her lectures are very difficult to follow and don't correspond with the homework which is done online and doesn't follow the textbook at all. I started this class in love with chemistry and ended the class dreading it. I would not recommend this professor.
As smart as she is, she has a hard time explaining things in an efficient manner so it's hard to follow what she is saying. She is probably on staff to do research most of the time because she has no business teaching a college course with her poor english. Her tests are too hard for this type of course and you never have enough time.
In the beginning she was okay, lectures were fine but the move online was horrible. If you are taking her online course PLEASE dont. She didnt do zoom lectures and uploaded short online clips to supplement reading and maybe will do a 30 min recorded lecture every once in a while which doesnt help AT ALL. Relies on you to read the book.
BiggB was clear about what you need to learn in Chem1A even with online shift. She makes sure doubts are clarified and "your foundations are solid". She's a tough grader and will go through your lab reports with a magnifying glass. If you keep up with the reading and take the quizzes and you're on time with lab reports, you'll get a good grade.
Love BigB!!! There is a lot of work to be done even if Chem3B is online. Almost weekly quizzes. Mid-terms are based on quizzes. Homework for extra credit. Weekly lab reports. Some labs were in-person. BigB really cares that you learn the correct technique and will spend the time to teach you. Awesome class!
Took this class over summer. It was organized clearly. BigB has high standards for you. Quizzes are given at the end of each chapter. Homework optional. Tests are long but easy. Sometimes she lets you retake the test for credit. Labs are fun but a lot of work. You have to read the textbook. Good class!
BiggB is amazing. She really cares about her students and wants to see us succeed. Brought us candy after halloween and communicates with us about due dates of take home quizzes to make sure that her class doesn't cause extra stress. She responds to emails and is very eager to answer chemistry questions/explain concepts to you
Her lectures are disorganized, confusing, and leave out necessary information. Worksheets, quizzes, and exams frequently contain errors. Trick questions on every exam, doesn't respond to emails, will refuse to return points for errors, will tell you to solve a problem one way before an exam and another way after, exams are 2x too long, and more.
I'm lucky I only had BiggB for lab as most of my classmates suffered through the mountain of lecture content launched at them. She is very practical and will prepare you for scientific field, which means she WILL nit-pick your work. She helped me structure my notebook more coherently, and like any JC instructor she's way over-qualified. Very sweet.
Her lectures are disorganized and confusing. She gives out a large number of worksheets and quizzes of which at least 50% have glaring errors. Doesn't respond to emails, will refuse to return points for errors on assignments, can't explain how to answer her own questions on quizzes. Literally every single exam had at least one trick question.
Great professor for this 4 unit class! Made learning Chemistry fun and relatable. I kept up with the schedule of reading and homework and did fine.
Will fail you in lab if you are missing 2 reports, even if you have a B. Throws trick questions on the exams that are impossible to get. This includes adding a word into a quote from the textbook just to make the statement false. She also adds questions that were never mentioned in class, nor were part of the sections the exam was testing you on
I took Chem 42 with BiggB past fall and I had fun. Lectures are fun and engaging. Doing the assigned home work problems and quizzes helped with the exams. I picked up good study skills in this class. Talk to BigB and she'll clear up any confusions. I wanted to take Chem 3A with her but she wasn't teaching it this semester
Meprathru is a nice person but she is the worst teacher I have had by far. Lectures are confusing and disorganized and she does not cover half of the information you see on exams. Exams are way too long and she does not give you enough time to finish. I have never been more frustrated in a class. Do not recommend.
Easily one of the worst professors I've had. Over-explains easy topics to death and glosses over hard topics and expects you to know the info already, is condescending when you ask any question, harsh grader, and will blame you for doing badly when most of the exams are things she did not cover in class, more than half dropped. Would not recommend
I'm surprised if these students attended the same chem 60 class I did. Homework was assigned from the textbook. Quizzes and exams had questions from the textbook. She gave us extra time on exam though I did not need it. She's a great fun professor! No surprises. She's passionate about chemistry
Dr.B was one of the best chemistry professors I have taken! Textbook problems were assigned for extra credit. 4 midterms and 1 cumulative final. She made accommodations for me when I could not take the exam on the scheduled day. Very kind and funny! Lectures were close to the textbook. There is a lot to study in this class! 5 hours per week
BigB knows chemistry well and is passionate. She gives a quiz at the end of each chapter. Exams are based on the quizzes. Homework is optional but you get extra credit. She's kind. Labs are fun but she's a tough grader of lab reports. If you want to learn chemistry, take her!
This was a difficult class but BiggB works hard to make sure you get it. Quizzes at the end of each chapter. Exams are fair. I read the book and did the recommended homework and did well. She makes learning fun
She is caring and will help if you see her during office hours. Labs make up 25% of the grade. Very picky about sig figs. She is thorough in her lab demos and makes it fun. Plays music in lab which makes it chill Homework for extra credit and that helped. Quizzes are online. Exams are similar to the quizzes.
I was afraid going in to learn chemistry after a long time but Dr. B made it manageable. It takes a lot of work. There's quizzes after each chapter and four midterms. Homework is for extra credit. She responds to email and willing to spend the time to answer questions after class. It went by fast!
Dr. B ran a tough class. Homework from textbook is assigned for extra credit. Worksheets are good practice. Exams are tough but based on quizzes. I enjoyed the lab. Chill lab vibe! I learned a lot from her.
Best professor for this class! she teaches mostly on the white board. Makes problems funny! I started doing the suggested homework and did well.
I really enjoyed this class! There is a lot of work but BigB will help. Grades are based on midterm and labs. 10% quizzes which on Canvas or in-person group quiz. I just took notes in lecture and did the homework. Textbook isn;t that great
while she is not a bad person, she is not a good professor. She is unnecessarily a harsh grader and will take points off of sig figs. She is also unfair with tests, and is not accessible during her office hours. She dose not give you any support or recommendations of extra practice problems to prepare for the test even if you ask her.
She has no clear expectations for assignments and is an unnecessarily tough grader. There is not enough time in lectures and she is consistently unclear. Expect to teach yourself or know everything before you start the class.
I have worked so hard for my grade. BigB knows her stuff and will help if you have questions. Doing the homework problems which are extra credit helped me a lot. Quizzes and tests are based on the book. Recommend
She teaches you what you need to know. If you stick with the study guides they help with the exams. Quizzes too help. Some quizzes are taken in group and some are take home. Organic chem portion is a kicker but she gave us practice quizzes for that. Labs are fun and chill
I took chem 42 lab with BigB. She makes the lab chill and prepares you well for the next chem class. Very detailed in explanations. Lab reports are sometimes worksheets and some calculations. Strict about lab notebook. Walks around during lab and gives helpful tips for technique. Loved having her for lab
Every little details counts! I have lost points in sig figs and units. But once I was careful with that I made good grades. She cares that you understand the matter. Do the extra credit homework they help with exam. She makes jokes and is a nice person
Professor Bindu is a nice person, but a harsh professor. Her lectures were confusing, she gave lots of homework/worksheets, and she can be passive-aggressive when you ask a question about the material. She is a very tough grader and expects a lot from her students.
Has no passion for teaching. Does not do things unless they are "within her contract", such as helping you outside of class or office hours. Does not care if her students pass or fail. I had to spend all my free time in the tutor center trying to learn the material since she does not teach it. Lectures are very hard to follow with no structure.
Bindu is great, she cares about her students and helps you understand the material. She was always available for me outside of class and we worked on many homework problems together. She is not easy but you will be challenged to learn. She gave lots of homework but those are optional and exam problems are usually from the textbook
This class is pretty tough, lots of homework and all kinds of assignments. Exams aren't a huge part of your grade. She's a pretty decent professor, the lectures are mandatory. The chapters go by really fast so you have to keep up with her reading schedule. She's a really strict grader, isn't lenient. This class should be taken by itself.
This is a very difficult class, and BigB makes that known. While she can be a little hard on her students it is all out of love and the hope they can succeed in this course. Participation is SOO important in order to fully grasp the material. I feel as if her lectures were very good as well.
BigB gives extra credit for assigned chapter problems and that helped me so much in my test grades. Ochem part was so hard and I spent a lot of time practicing it. Don't skip the lectures. You can tell she likes her students and wants them to succeed
I only had her for the lab portion of Chem 42 so I can't say how she is for lecture, but she made the lab pretty fun. She definitely tries to joke around a lot which made things entertaining. Lab is easy but she's a really harsh grader who takes points for any tiny mistake which got a little annoying but overall a good option for a lab instructor
Professor Bindu is an amazing teacher, a fair grader, and during the quizzes you are allowed to talk to one another. You are also allowed an index card during the exams.There are chapter readings that have a lot of information, but it is all about time management. I would also say to take advantage of office hours; she is always there to help.
I absolutely loved BiggB and the SRJC is so lucky to have her! She gives extra credit for homework, allows you to work in groups for quizzes, and allows an index card for tests. This class is not easy and you must put the work in to do well. Go to her office hours, pay attention in class and participate, do the homework, and study everyday!
This was a tough class in general, but BiggB made it doable. She gave extra credit opportunities and in-class quizzes where we could talk with our table group and discuss- which was great for some non-quiz credit. The exams were difficult (but it's chem, so it was expected), and she allowed notecards which saved my grade.
I had BigB for Chem42 lab. She had good energy and was a likable approachable teacher. She can grade a tad harshly but her expectations tend to be clear after a few assignments.
If you can take chem 42 with Dr. BigB. I loved how she explains the chemistry behind each experiment. Lab reports were straight forward. I lost points on sig figs in the beginning but soon caught on. This was a highlight of the week for me
BiggB is a nice person and skilled when it comes to her knowledge of the topic. Her ability to teach is lacking. Lectures are hard to follow and cover topics very briefly she then tells you to go home and review by yourself. Can be passive aggressive when answering questions. This is the only class I've gotten a C in and my class average was a 65%
I went in thinking it'll be a very hard class but BigB made it fun. Her lectures are engaging and she gives good examples of current work. I did the homework and reading assignments and i had a good study group. Quizzes are group so you take it with your table. Find a good group and keep each other going. I learned a lot from her.
Bindu Meprathu isn't the greatest professor I've had. Her lectures are quite unorganized and very hard to follow. Exams don't cover what is learned and class and I'd argue go beyond what was taught. Additionally, Meprathu can come off as passive aggressive and isn't the most understanding professor. I wouldn't recommend her by all means.
I enjoyed this summer class with Dr. Meprathu! She took the time to go over difficult concepts and I feel so much prepared for 3B. She cares that you understand and not just memorize. She would ask questions in class that made me think beyond the textbook concepts. Group quizzes helped prepare for the exam. It was intense but fun chemistry
I took chemistry and anatomy together. I was able to do well because of BigB. She is passionate and she loves it when you participate. When you ask her a question in class she does not give you the answer right away. She'll ask you questions to get a feel for what you know and then lead you to the answer. I learned so much this way. Recommend!
Her lectures dont really cover anything but she is the sweetest lady. She offers a lot of extra credit homework is only extra credit other than that there is no homework other than some worksheet then and there and studying. BTW she does not allow notecards for exams anymore sometimes she makes exceptions. You also teach yourself by doing the HW.
She's cares that you learn the material. I love her style! She's straighforward and smart. I only listen to her lecture and did the worksheets.
General Chem60 is challenging, but with this teacher be prepared to study BY UR OWN, as the professor won't teach enough in class her organization is lacking and she's not flexible with absences even for personal reasons. exams sometimes cover material not clearly taught in class. she's very strict when grading. I'd never take this professor again.
Things to know: If you are absent, she will not let you retake any quiz or exam unless you have a valid medical emergency. Quizzes are given without notice, so attendance matters. No notecards on exams, and study guides often follow info not on the exam. She never answered any of my emails. Be prepared to teach yourself for 18 weeks.
She was kind but not an effective professor. Attendance was mandatory, and missing class often meant missing quizzes with no makeup. Lectures didn't cover the material well, exams were difficult, and study guides weren't helpful. Be prepared to teach yourself much of the content. I wouldn't take this professor again if you want to pass chemistry.
Bindu is very respectable, and it is clear that she loves what she does. Attendance is not mandatory, but there are pop quizzes. Lectures are all over the place sometimes; be prepared to teach yourself. Though she doesn't mean it, she can come off condescending when answering students' questions. She wants all her students to do well.
I learned so much in this class! It was fun and I loved everything about BigB! She cares for her students and wants them to succeed. Exams are a large par of the grade. Quizzes and worksheets help prepare for the exam. One of the best professors at the JC
BiggB is hands down the best professor I've taken! She's funny and knows her stuff. She allows notecard for the exam. I don't know why the other students are making things up about notecards. She also always got back to me by email or in class. Take her and you'll learn chemistry.
She talks very low and very fast. Very minimal extra credit is offered. The extra credit she did offer( +1% per chapter of homework added to exam grades) took me so many hours to complete it left me with very little time to actually study. Teacher would shame students with low exam scores publicly. Grader made multiple mistakes on exams.
It's a hard class, so don't expect it to be easy. Lots of studying and homework. Bigb answers questions when asked and is nice about it. She gives extra credit for homework. I'm glad I did those as they helped me with the exams. She is a fantastic professor!
BiggB is patient and works hard to make sure the whole class is engaged. I have a hard time with math. She broke down problems and we solved it as a class so I felt better. Exams are based heavily on quizzes and homework problems. She is very understanding and accepted my late work because I spoke to her about my issues.
This course was extremely difficult and stressful from start to finish. Exams were very challenging, and assignments were constant with no real breaks throughout the semester. The workload and pressure stayed high at all times, making the experience mentally exhausting and demanding strong discipline and resilience.
She is the best professor I've taken at the JC. She is passionate about chemistry and she wants everyone to do well. She is prompt in answering emails and she got back to all my questions. If she was not able to reply via email she made sure to reply in person. I'm going to miss her class. Do the homework it helps
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
90%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.94 avg changeRatings by Course
5286
5.0
(1)CHEM3B
5.0
(2)CHEM0295
4.0
(1)CHEM42
3.6
(23)CHEM60
3.4
(42)Difficulty by Course
CHEM0301
5.0
Chem3AL
5.0
CHEM1B
4.3
CHEM0295
4.0
CHEM3B
4.0