2.3
Quality3.6
Difficulty15%
Would Retake103
Reviews15%
Would Retake
103
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
8
4
17
3
21
2
23
1
34
What Students Say
“I didn't pay all this money for this horrible professor to do absolutely nothing”
Z003744 - 1.0 rating“She didnt show up for more than half her classes”
ZOO3744 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
25%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
ACCT202
5.0
(1)ZOO3733
4.0
(2)CLASS
4.0
(1)NEUROBIOLOGY
2.8
(4)ZOO3744
2.5
(81)Difficulty by Course
PCB4603
5.0
Z003744
4.8
ZOO4744
4.0
ZOO3734
4.0
ZOO3744
3.6
Reviews (103)
Fern is: inconsistent, late to class, moody, unavail (by email or WebCT). Told us to ignore certain things when studying and then tested us on it. Seems like she put ZERO effort into the class, you'll do the same. AVOID THIS WOMAN AT ALL COSTS!!!
I agree that she is an unfair grader (she's got her favourite student(s) and those that are predestined for a lower grade). Also. sometimes comes across as mean...
Very unorganized, unfair grading. She is brilliant when it comes to her field but forgets that students are not at her level.
Considerably moody, seems like she teaches the class cuz she "HAS" to, zero enthusiasm, explains stuff so SHE understands it, tests are worded weird, but if you go in front of M&M Dept, her tests are posted and uses them over and over...
i would rather jump off a 10 story building onto a bicycle without a seat and put tacks in my own eyes than take this teacher ever again. withdrawl immediately or kill yourself.
I fell asleep in her class a lot because she just riffed off her own notes. But, she is pretty hot for her age.
i just took her.. she's really fair, if u go to class shell give u hints on the test.. she tells u exactly what to study..the class recently changed from a 4000 to a 3000 level class so she took some material out from before.. its not an easy class but if u read the book(really easy to understand) and go to class ull do fine..
A little disorganized at first but it got better when the book was used more. It helps you on the tests if you go to class and read the chapters. Not bad overall, she's pretty fair. I don't know why people complain so much...must be slackers.
This was one of the easiest classes I've taken in a while and I NEVER studied. Just go to class and pay attention. There is not very much material on the tests even. I think people who have complained about this class have never taken something like ORGANIC CHEMISTRY or BIOCHEM because this is a piece of cake compared to those classes.
She is such a nice lady. First I thought she is very hard because I read her ratings but she is not bad. She was very helpful and fun. She talked about interesting stuff and made this material easy. Compare to all my classes, i loved her class. Exams are so easy, just study her notes and book. Thats it, you will get an A for sure.
Very good class... Probably one of the most interesting I've ever taken at UCF. Unlike every other "science" professor I've encountered at the university, she's extremely friendly and knowledgeable.
I think she had a huge change in the way she taught the class, because she was very nice and extremely easy. The people who complained must have had her a few years ago, but this class was cake and she was knowledgeable and helpful. Take neuro for an easy grade-boosting elective!
This class is really interesting, and is a must take for pre-meds. Make sure you read the chapter before lecture, and you will do fine on the tests. They are straight-forward and a lot of times she tells you exactly what to study. Overall, an asset to UCF!
shes not that great....shes an ok professor. gotta take her to really judge her urself.
It is hard to classify her into one category (good or bad) because her style is ever changing. She seems sweet but definitely can be very sarcastic. Dr. Fernandez lacks the ability to generate a hard question without making it confusing. Basically I would say she is not hard but her tests can be confusing. The big plus is the subject is very intere
Dr. Fernandez Valle was an ok professor. She was a little disorganized especailly with her lecture slides. She was willing to meet with students to help clarify questions. Tests weren't extremely difficult but there was never a curve. The class itself definetly not easy and not worth taking if it only counts as an elective!
Her lectures were very disorganized, and the online quizzes were very unfair. Most of the class 300 students failed with a D. Nobody gets A's or B's that often. You have study by yourself and learn everything by your own. I dont recommend this teacher.
She seems like she's nice but the class itself is pretty hard. All she does is read the power points and expects you to memorize EVERYTHING from there plus the textbook. She doesn't give out study guides so pretty much you have to remember everything.
Hard? You have to be kidding, Horrible lecture professor, but its an easy m/m elective, extra credit offered but mandatory cumulative final although it was almost verbatim questions from previous tests. It is all memorizing but less so than physio, microbio, or anatomy, read the book 2 days before the final and get an A
She is sarcastic!! And does not care about her students.
Dr. Fernandez-Valle belongs in a lab. She does not have any interest in teaching. She posts the notes half an hour ahead of class so do not prepare for class ahead of time. She is unclear with lectures and does not answer emails. Avoid her if you can. take something with Samsam or Ahangari so you actually learn something
her test are basically true and false. she is too lazy to actually make real question i guess. she test from her vague notes which is so hard to follow because they are all over the place. you need a good attention span because she is SOOOO boring and monotone. but if you study hard enough you can pass..
I was advised to take this class by the M&M department even though I'm a first year student. That was a huge mistake, this class was incredibly overwhelming and difficult. I studied a lot and am barely passing. Only take this class if you're an upperclassman. STUDY THE POWERPOINTS not the book.
Mediocre lecturer but the material is very interesting. Her tests are random (sometimes hard, sometimes easy) but just study very hard from the ppts and read the textbook to understand because you won't understand a thing in class. In the end, the online quizzes and the final, which was very easy, helped me make an A. Attend class because she gives extremely helpful hints on whats going to be on the test and sometimes gives EC for attendance!
Crazy Teacher. No lie, she was all over the place when she was teaching. I don't think she ever prepared her lectures before class and it showed. Otherwise, she's smart about her subject you can tell..but research is definately her thing. An A is attainable, just know the ppt's like the back of your hand because she wont test on anything but those.
great teacher but she is a little disorganized with notes. don't print out the slides before class bc she changes them around. i got an A by keeping up w/the reading and online hw. there's no reason not to get a 100 on the hw bc it's open-book. she really loves neuro and knows it well!
The class itself is interesting, but I would say take neuroanatomy with Samsam instead. She treats the students like they're 5 year olds and doesn't do a great job explaining things. She asked us after the 1st test if we like T/F..everyone said no. The following 2 tests were FULL of T/F. Not sure why she did it, but that's just her I guess.
had to go to class only for attendance points, didnt hurt you if you didn't attend. need book for online quizzes. study her ppts and you'll do fine.
Use the book for all the quizzes and the powerpoint for her tests. Attendance is important b/c it can help your grade at the end.
The Truth about Neurobio w/ Valle: Easy Class!(can study night before and get an A) She tests straight out of the notes, book only useful for online quizzes. The only problem with the class is Valle herself. She knows her material (sort of) but the class was so disorganized that it was painful to go. She should stick to research.
excellent professor . teaches what exactly you need to master to compete for a career in biomedical reserach. my role model and my favourite professor
for next semester she might use the clicker for attendance. do not print ppt ahead since she might change order. she drops a test out of 5 but then the bomb - the final of 200 questions. TA wants to help but never helps since she is very busy. hopefully SARC be available next year.
study figs from book or ppt these are in the test
She's so unorganized, and should probably just stick to research because teaching obviously isn't her thing. A lot of true/false on tests, which blows. 5 tests, but she drops one. However there is a 200Q cumulative final.
teacher is not organized. not very good at teaching should definitely stick to research. knows her stuff but needs to be more clear on material she wants you to know. some students had the old test but she changed the testing format to confusing and hard. which is unfair to people that didnt have the old tests.& GTA was not helpful.
doesnt teach that well. read the textbook, you'll learn more. she gives some extra credit for attendance and stuff. its a cool class though
Most of what has already been said about professor Valle is correct. Unorganized/inconsistent. I was taking molec immunology a 4000 level course at the same time and easily earned a "B", while I struggled to maintain a mid range "B" in Valle's class. That is until the 200 point comprehensive final which dropped my grade ~6pts to a "C". Very unhappy
She's not very good at teaching. Changes the powerpoints right b4 class. She made the exams hard in the middle of the semester!!!Can get a good grade if you work hard.
I don't think I can express how much this woman and her worthless TA infuriated me. While I kept good grades in other classes, this "easy" class ruined my GPA with a C. She is incredibly unorganized and got upset mid-semester when she found out some were using old tests, and made the next test ridiculously hard. Stick to research, Dr. Valle.
Do not take this professor unless you want to ruin your GPA. She is so lazy. She allowed a TA who had a chip on his shoulder to write her exams, the final, and lecture. You pay for a PhD to teach you and you get another student who has no business teaching. This 3 credit elective is not worth taking. STAY AWAY!
Neurobiology with Dr. Valle and her TA was not a pleasant experience. There were frequent grading errors on her exams, poorly worded test questions and just an overall lack of organization and respect for students.
She is completely unorganized and expects her TA's to do everything for her (which really didn't help because her main TA Sebastian sucked too). She constantly changed the powerpoints and never really went in the order that they were given. She tries to get into your personal business like who you can and cannot sit near. (ran out of room for more)
Where to start... she is so disorganized, adds and deletes slides after you've printed them. She says one thing and then later restates it a completely different way. Lets her horrible TA run things... he is so disrespectful. I managed to maintain a B all throughout the semester, but the final brought me to a C. Tests extremely hard- STUDY!!!!
I never knew how whiny and lazy upperlevel students were jeez. Im a freshman and received a B (wish i took anatomy before this class)5 tests w/ 1 dropped, 10 open book quizzes, and 1 not so bad final. Just studied the night before and read the book for tests you must know how things go together! This class will be better next semester! NO WORRIES!!
She should NOT be a teacher, but the class is easy. I did not pay attention, just read the book and slides. I missed the A by 2 pts. People who are complaining about her and her TA are just mad since they were caught studying from her old tests and she changed the test structure. The TA was nice if you weren't an IDIOT who asked STUPID questions.
I made an A in this class but it took some work. The final was very difficult. The professor can sometimes be hard to follow so reading the book before coming to class helps a ton so you have somewhat of an idea of what she is talking about. I learned a lot though from the textbook.
I rarely went to class, never read the book, and only studied her slides 8 hours before the exam for an A. People who complain that her class is hard should consider a new major. She seems nice and willing to help her students. What else could you possibly want?
The class was not that bad overall. The tests were difficult but if you read the text & study her notes you'll be fine. She doesn't have office hours & is never available to meet with students so if you have a question, you're pretty much screwed. The final exam was a killer so do well on the other tests so your grade isn't dependent on the final.
She's not very clear in her lectures, so reading the book definitely helps. Her exams are a bit on the hard side, but as long as you study you can earn a decent grade. The final is killer, so getting good grades on the previous exams will definitely help. She doesn't have office hours but generally answers e-mails in a timely fashion.
Easy for an upper-level restricted elective. Tests weren't that hard. Definitely read the book and go to class because she will tell you what is for sure on the test. Do not underestimate the final though, 100 ?'s cumulative. If you struggle in this class and are a M&M major, it only gets worse...
I was bracing myself for this class because of all the bad ratings and word of mouth. But I ended up pleasantly surprised with how easy this class was. The tests weren't too hard and there were a lot of extra credit opportunities and she even curved the final grades. Make sure to study EVERYTHING for the 100 question cumulative final.
Will Ruin GPA! She should not teach. Her lectures are unclear, slides are disorganized. The test is ridic! Reading the book helps for quizzes. They are easy A's. Although, I feel like reading the book does not help much for tests. Multiple choice test, contridicting questions. d)all the above; e)non the above. Most of class time, students correct h
She is a neurobiologist, not a teacher. She sometimes sounds like she doesn't even fully understand what shes trying to teach. Tests are hard because the slides and her lectures don't really help. Since she is a scientist, she tests on the most specific details, not the general concepts. I don't really recommend the class, pick another elective.
Sorry, I don't have time to comment on Fernandez-Valle... I'm busy saying goodbye to my GPA.
Worst semester ever! There's nothing you can do to prepare for the exam, except possibly using your telepathy to ascertain the information that will be on the test. Otherwise, good luck even maintaining a reasonable GPA.
Everything said so far is true. What shocks me the most is her extremely unpleasant personality. Sarcastic, condescending, and moody. For the final exam, we needed to bring 2 scantrons (for the extra credit questions) and failed to tell us until during the final exam. Then she acted like it was no big deal...People like her can really ruin ur day.
Uh, she's horrible! Last semester I took Clinical Neuroanatomy & Neuroscience with Dr. Samsam (ZOO 4704) which was much harder & got a B. In this class I probably have a C & the material is almost identical! Half the time you don't understand what she is asking on her exams. The quizzes are easy but the exam is nothing like the quiz. & she's rude!
What he said-she is sarcastic, condescending and moody. She is NOT right for this subject. If you have a super extraordinary memory or don't work & DO study ALL the time, maybe you will get an A. But if you are not the perfect 4.0 gifted student like most of us, expect a C or worse. It's like she doesn't realize her students are undergrads.
ridiculous! every exam is about 50 questions & about 5 (10%) pertain to knowing which scientist contributed what to the field of neuroscience. Of all the other crucial brain concepts, what significance does it serve in learning who is who? theoretically, learning who is who is easy, but not when to have a mountain of other facts to worry about
if you must, if you insist on taking a neuro class take it with dr. samsam. i think he only teaches this one over the summer, but in fall he has clinical neuroanatomy and neuroscience, and in the spring he has clinical neuroscience. he is really good at teaching it b/c he is a medical doctor of neurology. this is his expertise, not christina's.
I feel bad. I gave her a bad rating b/c yep, she's moody & seems to not care for her students & has confusing exams, but maybe she does care. I had a high C, like a 79.4 & she bumped me to a B! So I guess she is nice. I just hope she will reevaluate her teaching/testing style for us to focus more on the main points and less on the specific ones
She ain't that bad. I made an A. Class is very much mandatory, as she gives out many hints. Honestly, a combination reading the book thoroughly and focusing and understanding the lecture is key to an A in my opinion. The class itself is hard but attainable with persistence. I'm satisfied.
AWFUL teacher! Ruined my GPA right before I applied to Med School. Brought me from a 3.72 to a 3.56! Nothing she says has anything to do with the exam...and she'll even give you a vague list of study tips from time to time (you'd be better off studying everything BUT that list because I can assure you, it won't be on the test). Good Luck!
Got over a hundred in her class..A on every test.. everyone stop whining..plenty of bonus points...its time to grow up and study ..and study hard
Have mixed feelings about this class. Felt like many of the test questions were irrelevant details. But she did give a bunch of extra credit to help your grade and did drop the lowest test score
The tests are easy if you studied, if you don't do well it's your fault.
She is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. This class is definitely not an easy A, I mean come on it's neurobiology. I am not even a biology major and have only taken one biology class and I have gotten high A's on every exam so far. You just need to really study for the exams. Overall, this is a very interesting class.
There are so many negative things I don't know where to start. She is here for research. The class is almost as disorganized as the physics department. It is beyond a disaster and in dire need of revival. The TAs are useless. No one will respond to your e-mails. My advice: Let the department realize how big a mistake she is before you enroll.
This was a frustration class to take. Her power points are confusing and she puts random pictures on the exams. Dr. Valle made this into a hybrid class so that she could have more time for her research. Dr. Samsam should be teaching this course. Avoid this class if possible.
I agree with the last 2 comments. This class was very frustrating and stressful. Dr. Cristina's power point slides are very confusing, and she was disorganized as well. She will always change things on the slides before class starts. She puts a whole bunch of pictures on the test that didn't make any sense. Do not take her, take Dr. Samson!
Took this as a freshman, my first semester of college. Got an A. She's a terrible lecturer. But the class is mixed mode so most of it is on webcourses and you are expected to learn a lot of the material by yourself which is understandable for this class. You have to be willing to really study to get an A. Tests are difficult if you don't study text
Run away!
RUN AWAY. She doesn't even teach the class, when she doesn't feel like showing up her TA Joel will lecture. HE IS HORRIBLE. He knows his stuff, but he is not helpful, the study guides are useless. Just study the book, PPT are useless. JOEL writes the tests, he might as well be the professor, but he does not like having a lot of ppl get A's on tests
Terrible teacher, wastes lecture time when there is one on tangents; isn't helpful if you have a question. TA writes the test and there are so many errors on each one, they're ridiculous. TA doesn't teach but can be helpful sometimes outside of class. Wouldn't recommend to take this class with her. GPA killer for sure even if you study book&PPTs
I have never had to study so much in my life and still got Cs on all the tests. Hardest class I have taken at UCF. Took it as just an elective for my major and was a big mistake.
Never worked so hard for a C. The TA makes all the tests and it seems like he takes pride in everyone failing them plus they are always full of errors. Dr Fernandez relies too much on the TA's to run the class for her. Took this as an elective for my degree and regret it.
Read the powerpoints then the book. It will make a lot more sense. For tests, study scientists and their experiments, diagrams (not just names, but also their function) and vocabulary. Be able to "apply" what you learned to questions on tests. There should be at least 10 questions on that out of a 50 question test. Know random details!! You'll see.
Very good professor, cares about her students understanding of the material. Gives a lot of extra resources online and in class for studying and learning. Her tests are 50 questions and challenging but if you read the book and understand the material from the HW and quizzes and off her power points it is very easy to get an A. You have to study.
She must have changed because when I first read the comments I was terrified to take her. Honestly this class isn't bad at all, especially if you're a science major because this class is just a review on what you've taken before. Just read the powerpoints. That's all it takes, really. Class once a week, easy online Hw and quizzes. Fairly easy A!
She is obviously knowledgeable about the material however the powerpoints don't help much for studying. If you want to get a good grade you MUST read the textbook. She gives a lot of outside resources but it's all over the place its hard to decipher what would be most important. She seems to care about students but her material is disorganized.
the TA isnt bad, and the professor isnt bad either. its just the level of effort you need to put in. yeah, the TA puts a few trick questions in the tests, and also some questions that are really specific when you are told youll be tested for general concepts. other than a youll be fine if you pay attention
She lectures but I found it difficult to stay focused the entire time. Weekly quizzes and HW but they're relatively easy. Her GTA makes the tests so don't ask her questions about what will be on the test and attend the GTA test reviews. I was hoping to get more out of the class but oh well.
Professor barely lectures even though the class meets once a week. Tests are tough, and the TA is terrible at explaining concepts and making the exams as they are poorly written. Basically read the book word by word, you don't need to go to lectures as long as you do that. Class is such a GPA dropper unless you put the time into studying
Don't believe the people saying that you don't even have to read the book. That book is what will give you your grade. She's a terrible lecturer, and doesn't even come to her own tests. Read that book cover to cover, and make friends so you can study together. I never went to class, and got an A by knowing that book like the back of my hand.
If you can take another teacher I would recommend it. She is just here for research. She only held class once a week. Her lectures weren't very helpful. Her teacher assistants pretty much did everything! The teacher assistants not only graded the test but also made the tests which we're very tricky and difficult.
Horrible teacher!! She is here for researcher. She held lecture once a week. Her lectures were not very clear and went off on unrelated tangents. Her teacher assistances pretty much did all the work. Not only did they grade the test but they also made the test. The test were tricky and very difficult though.
Professor Cristina Fernandez-Valle is a good teacher and I will recommend her class. It is true that you have to read your book and study but you can do well. I enjoy the class very much and learned a lot from her lectures. As long as you listen and do everything she says you will get an A. She gives a lot of extra credit and homework that help a l
Terrible teacher. Class was scheduled 3 days a week but she decided to shrink it down to 1 day a week. This is not an online class and that is against ucf policy since it is labeled as in person. She didnt show up for more than half her classes. Tests are difficult to understand as she does not write them. Last semester so she doesnt care at all.
Is anyone interested going to the dean? I didn't pay all this money for this horrible professor to do absolutely nothing.
worst professor ever.
Two words: Terrible, Unorganized.
She barely knew what she was talking about half the time during lecture & was never clear enough to explain what we needed to know for the exams. Powerpoints provided are messy & barely contain info. Book is required to do well in the class. Tests are hard and don't seem to test the objectives she tells you to focus on. Take a different professor.
Pretty disorganized teaching methods. 10 quizzes + HWs overall, easy. It's definitely more of a teach-yourself sort of thing. Really know everything on the PPTS (even though they're SUPER vague). Skipping her class will not make any difference. Go to SARC + read/re-read the textbook.
This is the worst professor I have ever encountered during my years in school including elementary school. She does not actually lecture, only tells us what she knows. Grades with no rhyme or reason. Tests are very, very difficult, and your final grade depends on exams only.
Do not take this Professor! Your final grade is determined by your chapter exams only !!!Professor does not lecture. You never know what to study for exams. Take another class at all costs.
The class was well-organized online. It was mixed-mode, so lecture mostly functioned as supplemental to self-study via the textbook and online modules posted by the professor. Tests were fair, given the materials. A really good holistic understanding of material is necessary, memorization of lecture notes and textbook information doesn't work alone
Do not take. Class is NOT organized and you have to memorize ALL the chapters in order to do well on the tests. Prof. does not adhere to the course's curriculum. Tests are very difficult and the Prof thinks a "D" is passing so she does not hold back on giving out "D"'s. Take another professor.
Horrible Professor! All of the entries on this page regarding this Professor is true. Nothing else more needs to be said.
Not horrible but be ready to teach yourself. Class expectations are clear, but tests are difficult, even when you study the content you're given. USE THE ONLINE UCF SARC NOTES TO STUDY! Used these to study for the final and discovered they would have been very handy for individual tests. Lectures are pointless.
As long as you memorize and understand the ppts and complement it with book reading; theres no reason not to pass. An A is certainly achievable with solid effort including going to class (shocker), doing the hw and quizzes without help and attending office hours. She ended up curving the class 2% and gave an additional 10 pt extra credit quiz.
Probably the worst teacher I have ever had. All the tests averages were D's, except for one being a 72. Final average was a 62 as well and she barely curved the class after. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS. Very inaccessible and didn't even teach half the class, as well as telling us the only reason she taught this was in order to continue her research.
Very rude, unorganized, shows attitude to students all the time. Shows no respect to anyone.
Probably the worst teacher I ever had. Unorganized. Very rude.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
25%
Textbook Required
86%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.48 avg changeRatings by Course
ACCT202
5.0
(1)ZOO3733
4.0
(2)CLASS
4.0
(1)NEUROBIOLOGY
2.8
(4)ZOO3744
2.5
(81)Difficulty by Course
PCB4603
5.0
Z003744
4.8
ZOO4744
4.0
ZOO3734
4.0
ZOO3744
3.6