Elizabeth Highsmith
Mathematics - Northern Virginia Community College (all campuses)
2.4
Quality4.2
Difficulty29%
Would Retake110
Reviews29%
Would Retake
110
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
110 total ratings5
17
4
13
3
16
2
26
1
38
What Students Say
“Terrible instructor, looks down on students”
MATH163 - 1.0 rating“She was very rude to me and was constantly hostile”
MTH163 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
85%
Textbook Required
57%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.95 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH3
5.0
(1)MTH01
5.0
(1)MTH4
5.0
(1)MATH161
5.0
(1)MTT4
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
MTH002N
5.0
MATH241
5.0
MTH0161
5.0
MTH241
4.8
MTH161
4.5
Reviews (109)
Good instrcutor, easy to follow
I highly recommend Math for Liberal Arts 1 with this teacher. She's fair about grades and scores and quite prepared for class with multiple lessons and a good sense of humor. Any points lost on a chapter test can be regained if you see her with the corrections during her many office hours.
great teacher, well spoken, explains everything. very helpful
BAD TEACHER! SHE JUST WRITES ON THE BOARD AND DOESNT EXPLAIN ANYTHING! DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GET ANOTHER PROFESSOR. AND SHE IS MEAN, ALWAYS PUTTING PEOPLE ON THE SPOT. I ONLY GOT AN A IN HER CLASS BECAUSE I GOT A TUTOR BEFORE AND AFTER CLASS TO BUST MY ASS STUDYING FOR HER CLASS! DO NOT TAKE HER. OH, AND SHE BLAMES EVERYTHING ON HER KIDS...
I dropped this course with two other professors because I wasn't learning and spent way too much time trying. This is Prof. H's first term teaching PreCal, and she is doing it better than the very experienced professors I had before. I highly recommend her to those students who need clear instruction in math. NOVA needs more math teachers like her.
She's a good teacher, but if I were to go back in time I would choose another professor. She's very critical when it comes to grading and you must follow her directions carefully. During one test I got marked down because I didn't follow her 7 steps to solving this one problem. I got the right answer, but I didn't get full credit.
Great Professor!! Very helpful, takes time with her students. Availability is great! I highly recommend her!!
She is the worst teacher I've ever had. It seems like when you ask her a question she doesn't want to answer it. Hard grader. DON'T TAKE HER FOR 163.
She is one of the worst teachers I've had, she is big on motivational videos/quotes but when you ask for help the general message is "help yourself".Her grading is whack, w/ practically ALL of your grade based on tests with not enough questions to give you a fighting chance at success because there is too much content covered in a short time frame.
I found this teacher really lacks compassion. If you have a difficult time with math, this is not the teacher for you. I wonder how many students drop out of college because of math when they had her as their math teacher... I tried and tried and gave up. I wonder if NOVA cares, or if they just like taking my parents money.
Worse teacher. she doesn't explain and doesn't help at all. all she does is write stuff on the board. DO NOT TAKE CLASS with her. I wish i could switch my teacher. She really sucks
Alright teacher, DO THE HOMEWORK. Thats honestly all that will help you. if you don't understand something she's rude when explaining or kind of like you should know this stuff. or be prepared for class. don't recommend her..
Fantastic teacher, loves what she does and does a very good job explaining the material, and is always willing to answer questions and provide resources for additional assistance when necessary. It's math, so you have to work at it, but she makes it very simple. Quite honestly one of the best math teachers I have had.
I've should have considered the reviews about her. I've never experienced intimidation and frustation with a professor.I feel discouraged as student after taking her class.I had been an A/B student with hard work, but she left me demoralized.Perhaps she can be good instructor to fresh high school students, but not to students who struggle in math.
Prof is very good at explaining and her notes are very helpful and easy to follow. Will need to dedicate some time outside of class to study! Prof is not always the nicest and you learn to be scared to ask a question after watching others do it. If you are willing to put in the work and are okay in math, take the class. If not choose someone else.
This professor was SO clear and organized. Although her tests were hard she gives you pre made notes that help so much. She really cares about her students and is so so helpful if you see her during office hours. Spending one on one time with her was really beneficial. She isn't mean just act like an adult. Go to ever class or you'll fall behind
Professor Highsmith is an awful teacher! She works WAY TOO FAST. I'd rather WAIT FOR ANOTHER CLASS/TEACHER for another semester then to take her class again. She may seem nice in the beginning but don't let that fool you. Don't walk away. RUN. Her exams are 40-50 questions and you only have a class period to complete it. Class average was a C. RUN!
ALL I CAN SAY IS DO NOT TAKE HER!!!
I am over 40, slowly working on my degree for the last four years. Almost to transfer stage, and had straight A's until this class, where I received my first B. Ms. Highsmith talks down to her students, even us older ones. She discourages questions with her demeaning answers. I found her abrasive and defensive with students. I don't recommend her.
Professor Highsmith has to be one of the worst professors to ever teach. She discourages questions, every time you ask her a question she will tell you to ask her after class or that it is pre requisite material and you should already know it. Lectures go way too fast. No extra credit. Grades consist of 4 tests & homework. DONT TAKE HER.
Shes OK and very well organized with a good notes. Although, her test is really hard but usually she nice enough to help you when you go to office hour or appointment hours so, I advise you might not take her.
This professor was beyond difficult, they didn't provide that in the rating scale, because she would have received a -1 on the easiness scale. She does not take the time to answer questions in class, and moves through the material way to fast. If you have time to go to her office, she will try to help, but don't show up unexpectedly. BEWARE!!!!!!!!
DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS!!! SHE IS THE WORST TEACHER EVER! I HAVE NEVER FAILED A CLASS IN MY LIFE AND THIS WAS MY FIRST ONE!!! ALL SHE DOES IS BLAME THE STUDENTS FOR NOT PASSING HER TESTS WHEN SHES THE REASON 22 STUDENTS GOT AN F ON HER TEST!!! TAKE SOMEONE ELSE!!!
Basically i took her for a development math so spent most of the time on mymathlab online. but if she see you are trying your best and seem to still have troubles she would try to help you out.
first semester in college, and already failed a class. never seen a a math teacher that just does the problems without having students practice any, homework is useless. students are even scared to ask her questions. her tests are super hard, no extra credit. just DO NOT TAKE HER.
You won't need the textbook but you do do all the homework online using MyMathLab but if you print out all the notes and go along with them and write everything down, you'll be pretty much set. The tests got gradually harder but I think that's just how math classes are. She was super helpful even after I finished the course.
I had to drop this class. She is a strict grader. I want ALL of you to do yourself a favor and NEVER EVER EVER EVER TAKE ELIZABETH HIGHSMITH. Her policies are blunt, and if you are struggling and math, be prepared to take an F or withdraw
SHE LAUGHS WHEN SHES MAD!!! That's all i need to say to convince you guys lol
The reviews on this professor could not be more accurate. Avoid her like the plague. I guarantee that your love for math will diminish if you take her.
Her class consist of 4 exams and homework!! The exams are very difficult and is different from what she teach in class. 60% of the class didn't show up for the finals!! If your not good at math don't take her class
Don't take this class with her if you're not already good at math. She's not very good at explaining things. The exams differ from the homework, but are similar to her practice tests. I didn't really like her teach methods but like I said, if you're good at math, you'll be fine.
This class was mostly online and the online tools are pretty bad. The video lectures are not good at all and do a poor job of explaining difficult concepts. If you ask for help in class, you will get a condescending lecture on how to access the online videos. Literally worst math class.
ITS 99.9% ONLINE!!!!! I DIDNT PAY FOR AN ONLINE CLASS!!!!!
She is a tough grader and all the work is online. If you wait till the night before to do the online homework then you will fail it. Every time you ask her a question she will answer you with sarcasm and attitude and will say "look at the notes". Her tests are super hard. Its awful. DO NOT TAKE THE CLASS. YOU WILL REGRET UT
One of the best teachers I've ever had. Made note taking super easy - print off blank notes on blackboard, fill in during class along with her power point. The notes are in fill-in-the-blank format. There is homework every night online, but it will be exactly the same material that was discussed in class and usually only about 30 problems.
TAKE HER CLASS IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A MATHEMATICIAN. OTHERWISE DON'T TAKE HER CLASS OR YOU WILL REGRET IT! HER TEST IS THE WORST PART FOR THE COURSE. I HAD TO TAKE HER BECAUSE THERE AREN'T GOOD STATISTICS PROFESSORS IN CAMPUS. TOUGH GRADER, AND NO EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU MISS THE CLASS, YOU ARE PRETTY MUCH DONE FOR THE SEMESTER.
If math is not your strong suit, do not take this professor for any of your math classes. I did, and regretted it. Her pace is pretty standard, but if you are confused and don't ask you will get stuck - she will try to mash two or three chapters in one class lecture, if she needs to. Her exams are hard, especially if math isn't your strong suit.
Take her for MTT. She is very willing to help you out as long as you show some interest in the class. You have to invest a lot of time into this class to pass. If you set up the problem correct on the paper but don't get it right, she will most often times give you partial credit. One of the main reasons I was able to finish. Take her for MTT
She gives 4 tests And 800 mymathlab problems. Don't you dare make crossing out or scribble sign. She docks 20 points. If you get the answer right she still counts it wrong. No extra credit. No chances. You work really hard and maybe get a D. I normally get As and Bs but this class was too difficult for a lower level class or at least she made it.
The material itself is not too hard yet most of her students fail. If you take her class, 95% chance you will fail.
Extremely hard teacher, even for Grade A students. All homework is online and each section varies from 30-50 questions (there are 18 sections). There are 3 tests and then a Final. At least half of the students in the class failed, while the majority earned a D; she emails the number of students who earned what grade after the testsfinal. AVOID!
Professor Highsmith was in my opinion a good instructor. I found it convenient that she posted her lectures online rather than just lecturing us all class. It gave me the opportunity to watch the video over and over until I understood the topic. You literally get what you put. If you make one simple mistake she takes a lot of points, be cautious
Is straight-forward and organized with her teaching. Expect much homework and strict grading of tests. Posts printable notes that you fill out in class. Attendance isn't mandatory, but you won't pass the class. No need for book, uses mymathlab. Will help if you ask or visit office hours.
Professor Highsmith is a great professor. She puts up all her class notes on Blackboard, and you just have to bring them to class and fill them out there. Her tests are not necessarily easy, so do expect to work hard if you want a good grade. Pay attention in class, and study well ahead of time before tests. If you are struggling she will help!
Some people just shouldn't be professors. More than half the students get D's and below. She gets angry at the class when the majority does poorly. No redemption. No second chances. Never feels at fault. There are better professors to choose from.
Mrs. Highsmith is very clear when she teaches, however her tests are extremely hard. I care about my classes so I study hard to get good grades but in this class was impossible. She is very strict and even though she says that she cares about the success of her students, she have no compassion when its about second chances. I DO NOT recommend her!!
after the second week of class the whole back row dropped out. A lot of homework, barely any lectures but then again I did take her hybrid class. Mostly group work and had quizzes every class. online notes that she checks every class. She is helpful though, as long as you ask for it and make time.
DO NOT TAKE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I could do good in her class but I was wrong. Take someone else for Statistics!!!
she cray. cant fade. she doesnt know how to talk to students. calls you out and gives you the hardest times when you ask questions. her voice is brutally annoying and she tends to smile and look like a snail with glasses. DONT take her. she a cray white lady. how is she married and im single af. not a good professor at all.
Horrible teacher! Do not take her!!!!! She will mess up your gpa!!!
It is honestly not that bad. You take your notes and do MyMathLab homework at home online. Very specific notes and the MML is quite easy. Then in class she reviews the notes you were suppose to take and you get into little groups, go over problems, then take a quiz at the end of group time. Quiz every class then chapter tests. NO midterm, but final
I regret taking Statistics with her. Do not take her!! Avoid at all cost!!!!
Horrible teacher!!!! She is the worst teacher that I have taken at Nova. Do not take her!
Extremely rude. Does not respect her students and insults them. She has no patience and makes students very uncomfortable if they do ask. She couldn't care less about her students, she should not be teaching.
worse math teacher i have ever taken.
Took 163,241-Hated163 format(didn't watch videos, still got A)241 is lecture, class is spent copying down/filling out guided-study-notes from BB, which can be boring. Did not use textbook, but need to buy it for online hw. I found her explanations easy to follow and understand. Save tests to study for cumulative final. Must memorize all formulas.
There is always a quiz every class and if you don't show up then she will give you an F for the missing quiz. She is a tough grader, always takes away little points for tiny mistakes. The way she teaches is good because it makes you teach yourself and it really helps. I would recommend this teacher, but you have to work hard to get a good grade.
For me this class was a disaster. If you're GREAT in math you'll be fine, but if you have been struggling in this subject before DO NOT TAKE HER you will go NOWHERE. The structure is class: You take notes from her video lectures before class. Mini review at start of class. Work with group on some problems. Quizes? Yes!! it's EVERY. SINGLE. CLASS!
she is an okay teacher, not so bad not so good. For me, i like the way she teaches and if you just study, you'll do fine on her exams
Took her class online and she didn't do ANYTHING, let MyMathLab and multiple choice exams do everything for her. Not even discussion forums were available. She clearly doesn't care about her students' successes. Do not take her class if you want to learn anything about statistics.
This was a tough class and she made you work for your grade. If you had questions, she was always available to take them. Most people poorly rating her clearly never asked for help or didn't do the homework. Don't expect an A if you don't expect to do any actual work besides just showing up.
ehh if you study and do what you're suppose to do, you'll be fine. I like the way she teaches though
Disrespectful towards students, fast paced and gets frustrated when you ask questions. Dont take this class
The class itself isn't very difficult. The tests are where she screws people. She is the toughest grader I've ever had. Try to learn EXACTLY what she wants or she'll count the entire question wrong. Easiest math class with the most difficult teacher. Don't recommend for anyone.
Only 5 people out of 41 passed her class. She's rude when you ask questions and gets frustrated easily. lectures are clear but her tests are very hard. The tests are nothing like the examples she has in class.
Not a bad teacher but requires a lot of effort and work to pass the class. She runs a flipped classroom where you take notes at home and do homework in class. Expect lots of small quizzes (one every class besides test day) and difficult tests. She teaches well but expects you to put in a lot more time and effort than other teacher's I have had.
I usually do not rate a professor unless they are professors that should not be teaching, and should be given attention by the school. This professor by far has been the worst one I have ever had. She underestimates your abilities and treats her students as if they could do better even if they put their best foot forward. Save the money, don't take
This is the worst teacher ever! She grades hard and the tests are nothing like the examples on the notes. Have to write exactly what she tells you in tests or else will count as wrong. Don't take her.
She is extremely picky on her tests about wording and will not hesitate about taking points off your tests. She makes no exceptions, she is tough, and doesn't actually help the class understand and if you ask her personally for help she comes off rude and gets frustrated if you don't understand. I would not recommend her.
Three Words. DONT DO IT. Has Complex. Tons of needless sixth grade quality rules that are simply a distraction from what you are trying to learn. Possibly the WORST EVER.
Honestly, she is the most disrespectful teacher I have ever had. This is a reliable source because I did get an A in her class yet I am still complaining. She was very rude to me and was constantly hostile. I would not recommend her to anyone. She took off 10 points from my test just because I "scribbled" a line across an equation. A to a B!
tough class. if you don't like fast-paced teachers, she's not for you. and like everyone says she is very picky when grading exams. But, i actually like her teaching style. Just go to class and be attentive as you can
Terrible instructor, looks down on students. Has no clue on how to advise students. Only there to collect paycheck.
Oh where do I begin.... she's hands down the worst professor/teacher I've ever had in my life. I got awesome grades in her class thanks to YouTube. She herself only knows how to be hostile to students. She looks down on her students and are extremely rude and annoyed when being asked with a question. Please.... please... PLEASE TAKE SOMEONE ELSE.
She really makes you work for it. Shes super tough on the grading and she lets you know. Super detail oriented and will mark a huge chunk of your grade for tiny details. She says its because her students are future engineers and doctors. Idk man if you work really hard you can succeed at this class but for me, an average college student, twas hell
She is very specific example you have to use (THE DATA ARE) because the term (data Is) is wrong. She teaches like we're majoring in statistics , while we're just taking it to fill our requirements. The online homework doesn't match to how she teaches. This class made me cry, use to love math now 'm not sure.
Do not take this professor. She gives you huge amounts of homework each class and is very detail oriented when grading. If there is a tiny mistake, she will deduct so much. She does not even let you use pens during exams. If you use a pen, you get points deducted. If she sees any scribbles on the paper, you get points deducted. Save your money.
She's definitely going to make you work for it, but it's worth it. I've always done really well in math but she kept it interesting. You do the learning on your own and ask for help in class. I really enjoyed this class.
every class starts with a quiz from what u learned last class but she can barely teach. she's one of those ppl who r so smart so they don't care much to explain things thoroughly. She rushes through class and u never catch a break. "this class is not for the faint of heart" that's legit what she says. id never recommend her, not even for smart kids
I have always been a fan of math and I still am. She is a smart person but expects everyone to be as smart. She will go over parts of a chapter and you will have to learn the rest on your own. If she misses class she expects you to prepare for the upcoming quiz on your own. Good luck doing that because her videos are just as bad as her lectures
No formula sheets are allowed during tests!! Doesnt care if you pass the class. Replies to emails about a week later. Tests are nothing like the homework or notes. One time I said data is instead of data are and she took off points because apparently, saying the data is is wrong. Would not take her again or recommend to anyone.
attendance isn't technically mandatory but she assigns quizzes every class. didn't go over all of the material for them in her lectures and expected the students to already know what she was teaching. don't take her
First of all, I'm in shock with the negative feedbacks she is getting because she is really nice and always wants her students to succeed. YES she make you work for it, but her only objective is to make us ready for the future. There is literally NO homework in this class except studying and watching her youtube videos. 5 tests nd 3-4 QUES. QUIZ
she is amazing
GUYS YOU WON'T REGRET TAKING HER! I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I WENT TO HER CLASS SHE WAS VERY WELCOMING AND VERY NICE! SHE IS STRAIGH FORWARD SOMETIMES DELAYS QUIZZES OR TESTS! I WISH I COULD TAKE HER FOR CALC 1 AS WELL!
I have been waiting forever to have a teacher like her. Shes an example of how much it matters to have a good teacher for math. She expects the best from her students- To attend every class and to understand the material before class too. But she writes feedback on your quizzes, and she loves to help anybody outside of class. She is divine.
Very hard and didnt care that you were struggling. A good amount of students failed or passed with a D.
She is a wonderful professor who cares deeply about the success of her students. She is a little picky about showing your work and using pencils, however its for your good in the long run. Shes very attentive to questions students ask. If you like to move quickly in a class, she is not for you. She is very detail oriented in her lectures and notes.
She teaches the material well but has little grace for her students. She is also incredibly rude and arrogant, scoffs at questions and takes off points for things like failing to put a date on a test. Her tests are much harder than the homework worksheets. She speaks down to students constantly. Each test was worth 30% of your grade--harsh.
This woman took 10 whole points off from my exam for scribbling... Yeah... I didn't have an eraser.... and I got the final question correct. All of the homeworks are based of off 100 and she grades absolutely everything you write down. If you're late more than 4 times you get 10 points taken off your test.
She is also incredibly rude and arrogant, She thinks your stupid for asking questions and takes off points for things like failing to put a parenthesis. If you fail the first test it will take you a whole semester to get back up. She goes off track a lot, to talk about her family. She told us the textbook was maditory, yet we never used it.
4 tests that are heavily weighted if you fail 2 of them your not passing. No study guides or formula sheets overall a picky grader and showing all work is required. She has very high expectations and makes that known. Personality wise minus a few outbursts she's not that bad. She also talks fast and will mark homework off if you're a second late.
If you are not ready for someone to critique your thought process, or not be robotically nice to you 100% of the time, dont take her. She is fair and she will answer questions and is harsh with wasted time, but wherever youre at, she can find a way to help.
Shes a smart person, she just kinda lacks human empathy sometimes when she interacts with her students
She's extremely intelligent, but talks down on her students. She gets annoyed if you ask questions she finds "stupid." She throws out rude comments. If she doesn't like you, she'll pick on you for the rest of the semester. Takes off points for silly mistakes, like scribbling. You'll pass if you work for it, but I wouldn't recommend her.
She is rude to her students. She never accept any makeups and late work like if you are in a emergency she does not care you will get zero for doing your work and turning in late for like 2 or 3 minutes. Too much homework a worksheet given in class, my math lab (6-7 topics) and book problems (like from every chapter sections 1-111 odd problems).
she is not the nicest and she gives really tough criteria and if you meet all the requirements, youll only get a C. shes all over the place and her tests are all over the place as well. she does go through the problems realllyyy slow when explaining if that helps
Directly from one of her postings on blackboard: Do not ask me for extra credit. If you are looking for someone to blame for your lack of success, look in the mirror. Do not ask me for special treatment as that is a form of academic dishonesty. You must earn a C or higher. You will have to re-take MTH 161 if you earn an F or a D.
She is a good professor and a good person. Gives a lot of bookwork for homework, but it helps.
She is a very rude and nasty person. I expect teachers to demonstrate integrity, impartiality and ethical behavior. I do not recommend her. She will not help you, she will just make you feel stupid if you ask any questions. It's a shame she is a teacher. I think she chose the wrong career.
She is super kind and helpful and is always trying to put a smile on everyone's face. She explains concepts super well and will ask the class if she needs to slow down or show more examples to make sure everyone is understanding the unit. However, it is a heavy taught class so you need to make sure you show up every day and do all the homework.
Will take off points if you dont clearly explain your work on a test/quiz. Will judge you if you ask for further explanation on something she already explained. Tons of hw & doesnt accept any late work. If you dont do well on a test, its very hard to pick your grade back up.
I think she needs to take a look at herself in the mirror. She's a terrible teacher and extremely rude. She has some issues, lacks empathy and humility. The way she speaks and lashes out on her students.. Mrs. Highsmith if you're reading this, I think you need some counseling; that behavior is not normal...
Mrs. Highsmith was an amazing teacher -- fully reccomend.
She saddens me.
saddens me quite a lot
pretty good teacher! I recommend! easy
gross how did she even get hired
She is biased towards her students. If you have an A you are the favorite student but if you dont have an A ur legit her worst student.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
85%
Textbook Required
57%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.95 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH3
5.0
(1)MTH01
5.0
(1)MTH4
5.0
(1)MATH161
5.0
(1)MTT4
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
MTH002N
5.0
MATH241
5.0
MTH0161
5.0
MTH241
4.8
MTH161
4.5