1st post is very wrong, i must of been in same class since she only tought one BSC2011 class last semester, she spent 2-3 weeks teaching evolution and never talked about religion. She writes EVERYTHING u need to know on the board, go to class and get a A

She was a good teacher. Ignore dumb asses ratings..

Loved her! Challenging tests but you learn a lot! Go to class, study and make an A. She curves, too!

Very nice, but class is pretty hard. Reading the book is a must. Tests are very difficult and you need to know everything! Some questions come out of no where and labs are hard. Disection lab exam is excruciatingly difficult. Learned a lot, loved teacher.

She is a great teacher. Her class is ok. The test are hard if you don't study, but she is helpful and a nice teacher. she seems to really care about the student. i tool her for core biology. the labs are very cool they were my favorite part. well take her she is great, but you do have to go to class

She is a really good teacher that knows the subject inside and out. Her test are really challenging, but her lectures are easy to follow. A good teacher all around!

She is a great teacher. Her test are very hard, but she gives you all the imformation you need for them in the notes. reading the book is good. she speaks on evolution. the people who wrote that crap are bumb. She is great ask for her help is will help you. SHE IS GREAT TAKE HER!!!!!!!!!

She is not a very easy teach but her lectures are great. As a side note, get her talking about religion and you wont have to cover as much stuff because she will run out of time.

I got an A in Core Biology. What more can I say?She is awesome

She is awesome. She is religious, yes, but if that bothers you, ignore it. Everything on the test is in the notes on the blackboard. I did not open my biology book this entire semester but I got an A. She really knows the biology and if she does not know something she will find out for you.

Great teacher, she really knows what shes talking about and has never once mentioned religion in class. Her test are easy as long as you study the material she goes over and know the termonology. Shes great but you have to come to class because the lectures are important

She is fair and she offers bonus questions on the tests along with Extra Credit Projects. She didn't insert her personal opinions in class and last time I checked this is America and she can wear any pin she wants.

Very good teacher. She explains things well, and the tests go with her notes, so you have to be in class. She's very helpful in the lab.

She is the best bio teacher hands down. True her tests are hard but if you study you will do fine. But you cant just read over your notes take like 20 hours and you will get a B or better. Her lab practicals are nice and easy she gives you review sheets for everything and lots of extra credit is offered.

great professor, everyone should take her

Core Bio made easy and fun. Energetic and clear, she is a great teacher. You DO have to read the book- at least use the CD to do well on her tests. But she tells you that! No surprises. The tests are m/c and part essay. Labs are good. Core Bio ain't for sissies, but it's a Pre-med pre-req! It's SUPPOSED to be hard. She's a fantastic prof! A+

She is an amazing teacher. I was nervous to take core bio but she made everything easier. She will explain something to you until you get it. Her tests are kinda of hard if you don't study. You need to come to class because it helps you remember things by her examples. Labs are neat and easy. Some extra credit. Overall-I loved her and I got an A

She is an amazing teacher! Her tests are challenging if you dont study. If you don't understand something she will explain it to you until you get it. She is very helpful. You need to come to class so you can hear her examples and little activities she does. It is really helpful on her tests. Lab is easy and fun. I am taking her for core 2. A+

Very clear professor, no power points all hand written notes. Her labs are right out of the book and she is a very helpful teacher. She really knows what she is teaching and is willing to help you as much as she possibly can. Tests are compiled from a word bank associated with the text book and can be very tricky.

This class is hard, but she is an awesome teacher. She's funny and most of her tests are based on her lectures. I read the book for clarity or when she briefly covered a topic and told you to read the text. She is very helpful and easy to talk to. She loves teaching Bio and it shows. Her test are hard but if you study hard you will pass.

This class is tough and it is MANDATORY to attend every class. I suggest you read the text book and not wait to study the night before because the tests are very challenging. She is a great teacher however, her lectures are interesting. I would definatly recommend her.

Great teacher. Very enthusiastic. Clear lectures and not too difficult considering the subject. Felt like I was bothering her in office hours, though. Great class and tests were pretty easy if you are interested in subject and study. You are kind of on your own in lab. Not very clear or helpful in lab. Very nice lady, though.

Very good at writing notes on board. Take notes, don't miss class, and I promise it will be easy. She passes out review sheets before each test that are optional, do them. She's very nice, and if you pay attention, it will be easy!

Great teacher!! YOU MUST COME TO CLASS because the notes are strictly on the board. The materials she presents on the board are easssyy, yet I fail to see that some students think it's hard. Her exams are applied material from the notes. Do not expect to study only from the notes if you are not good in biology. Read the textbook, it's fun!

This teacher is haaaaaard! Be expecting to study everyday. You will be reading the texkbook, A LOT, if you want to pass. Your grade comes from the tests. If you pass the tests, you pass the class. Overall, she's an awesome teacher, just extremely hard!

Continuing from 3/4/08, I passed the class with an A. Your grade is based on 3 lecture exams and 2 lab exams, and the final. I made an A on the final (no extra credit), even though I had B+s on my other exams. She gives extra credit on almost every exam (not the final). There's a HUGE extra credit that is worth 10%. No dropping lowest test grade.

She really is a GOOD professor, the class is not hard at all. Attendence does help your grade so it pays off to come to class. Her tests are pretty simple she doesn't ask off the wall questions. All you have to do is study the notes and read the chapter and you'll do ok. She gives you a chance to do extra credit to help raise your grade.

I'm the same person who took her for BSC2010 (below) and she's the best bio prof at SFC! BSC2011 is DIFFERENT from BSC2010! There's a hell more of memorization like kingdoms and phyla. (The same goes for the lab exams, too). Her style is the same with the note writing on the board. She gives you extra credit like on every exam so it's hard to fail!

DO NOT, absolutely DO NOT, take this class online. It's okay, but every other day you take a quiz on a whole chapter, and once you get done with 3-4 chapters, you have an exam. I would have much rathered taking the class on campus.

Continuing from 11/5/08, I passed the class with an A. PRO's: offers a more in-depth knowledge to the material, notes on board, fair exams, cakewalk final, EXTRA CREDIT! CON's: doesn't pass back exams to review, isn't up to par in the lab (students on their own - but usually easy), no dropping grades. If you want to learn or go to UF, take Ventura!

Her online class is pretty meh, its really consistent. Its usually 2-3 quizzes per week after two weeks there is an exam. Its still an easy "A" though. just read the chapters and the powerpoint presentations she posts and you'll do fine.

Took it online, read chapters and you will do good on quizes, study hard for tests time sneaks up on you. over all-fairly easy

i love her shes the best and she gives great lecture notes and she also reviews before the test, if put in the effort than u should get an A.

This professor is hard, but she does care about the students comprehension. If you study for her class, you will succeed. If you goof off, there is no doubt you well do poorly. I love this teacher!

Best Biology teacher at Santa Fe. I have friends in other bio 1 classes that are miserable. She is so helpful and wants evryone to understand what shes teaching. You must put in time to study or you wont get a good grade, 3 tests and a final, she offers extra credit too!

She is a GREAT professor!!! Her test are a little hard. But she is a great help! If you have any questions she is always willing to help!! Probably the BEST Biology professor!

Smolenski is BY FAR the best teacher I've ever had at Santa Fe. She writes all her notes down, and although Core Bio is just going to be complicated, she makes sure she breaks it down as much as she can and is endlessly helpful. TAKE HER CLASS. You won't regret it.

Best bio prof!! Writes all her notes on the board and shows lots of images in class. Exams aren't that bad, but lab exams are pretty difficult! Must read the book and although attendance isn't manadatory, you def need to attend class! Interesting lectures. Extra credit opportunities. Great,funny, and nice professor!

All around excellent professor. Passionate about her field, great personality, very well paced, perfect notes, handouts for every test. Not an easy A class, but bsc2010 shouldn't be. I highly recommend reading the chapters if you want to get the most out of this class. Combined with her lectures and a little studying, you will enjoy the class.

Best bio professor EVER. She is so passionate about her field and everything is set at a perfect pace. Core Bio isn't going to be easy no matter what professor you take, but Smolenski makes the course as easy as possible, and the teaching style is very effective! I'm taking her again for Core 2.

Smolenski is my favorite teacher BY FAR. She's so helpful and even offers an extra credit sheet once you get to genetics. Be warned, Bio isn't easy at all and your grade will be comprised of three tests, the final, and lab. But Smolenski makes the class as painless as possible. TAKE HER.

She was the best teacher I had at Santa Fe. Makes the others look like amateurs. The lab exams were tough. The lectures are an outline of the book and lots of questions come from the pictures in the book. Once you learn the sorts of questions she asks from the first test, you can do well on the rest of them.

She is an excellent teacher! Ms. Smolenski is very kind, easy and helpful. I would recommend her for everyone.

Biology is a very hard class so you will have to study...A LOT! but she makes it at easy as it can get. She grades very fir and labs are just participation grade so if you do all of them you will get a 100% on that portion. She is very clear and helpful so i reccommend you take her!

She is a great Prof. I took her online and did great. Just make sure you keep up with the reading and you will do fine. She is very reasonable and will help you out if you ever get behind. I have taken her for biology and genetics.

A really awesome teacher, I would take her again. She is extremely nice, very helpful, And just all around cool. She knows her stuff. I wouldn't recommend missing classes, it's easy to get behind, study every day and keep up with it daily. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HER!!

She is a great professor, but her class is hard. She writes everything on the board that you need to know, but if you really want to understand it, you HAVE TO READ THE BOOK!! Its not a class to take lightly. Always go to the lectures to take notes. Her Essay questions are to be followed to the letter for maximum points.

Labs are interesting and not difficult. She's an engaging lecturer and is clear and concise. She gives study guides for exams. Extra credit questions at the ends of tests and 1 extra credit assignment othere than that. She has a fun personality and works to help you understand. Take her!

I had a lot of trouble and barely passed. This is a HARD class and she often moved way too quickly. There were only 3 tests & 2 lab tests, but she always gave extra credit questions. There are no other assignments, so you HAVE to study super & pass the tests. Read the book! You won't pass without it.

This class is HARD. A lot of in-depth material is covered in a short amount of time. She is really nice & makes class fun, but sometimes she can move a bit fast. You HAVE to read the book & study. If you don't, you will not pass. There are 4 tests & 3 lab exams, plus a cumulative final. She also gives a few easy extra credit assignments.

Yes, I failed this class. No, I do not blame her. She is a great professor and she gives you a LOT of resources to pass. She's very helpful and will answer any question you have.You cannot pass the exams if you do not study, and you need to REALLY read the notes and the book.She uses the board, gives a lot of handouts, and offers some extra credit.

She is a very good professor. I took for Core Bio 1 and 2 and would definitely recommend her. The class is a lot of work, but this is to be expected for Core Bio 2. She is very clear about what you need to know and her notes are layed out very well.

Mrs. Smolenski was great. Her test 2 sucked no doubt, but she offered enough extra credit to bump up your grade if you took advantage of it. Everything on the test is talked about in lecture, your responsibility is to go home and study it. Tips: Try to see all the processes in 3d it helps. masteringbiologyCom, register and you wont need the book.

She is a great teacher who really cares about her students. I would definitely recommend her.

Best core biology teacher at Santa Fe. I had her for core bio 1 and core bio 2. If you're serious about about getting into medical program i would recommend you taking her class. She does offer some extra credit on exams and other extra credit work. Also she does move exam's date if she find students are having hard time understanding the material

I have personally known her my whole life. She's very caring and helpful. She's happy to answer questions and is thorough with her explanations. You're going to have to read the book, study your lecture notes and pay attention in class to get a good grade. There are 3 lecture exams and 2 lab exams that make up the majority of your grade. Take her

For a Core Bio 2 class, this was very easy. She gives out LOTS of notes. If you study them, you should easily pass all the tests. Labs are easy, she isn't a tough grader. Everything on the tests comes from the lecture notes, so if you know those, you'll pass with no problem. Definitely recommend taking this teacher.

Took this class for Bio 12. Love it ! Great class! Definitely something you work hard for but the hard work pays off. She's nice and easy to talk to too. Loved her clear cut notes and she didn't speed thru ppt instead she writes what needs to be known on the board. This class requires studying. Her tests are tough but you'll know you study perfect

I had her for Bio 1 and she was such a great teacher. Every time she gave notes, she would say them aloud as well as write them on the board. After every section, she would ask if anyone was confused. Only down side is that her tests are HARD. Her study guides don't correlate to the tests and she expects you to know 6 chapters per test.

I finally understood a biology class, she made it very understandable. She writes her notes on the board, uses pictures to further explain and continuously asked if anyone was confused. Exams are tough but the material is tough so can't blame her. Reading textbook helped further understand lecture notes.

LOVE HER! three tests are super hard, but after the 1st one you should pick up on her testing style. Follow her study guides and you'll succeed! Very clear and always asks if anyone is confused. Extra credit offered and the final is only worth 10% of your grade! ill be taking her for sure for bio 2!

I've never rated a professor on here before, but professor Ventura-Smolenski deserves it. Yes, this course is extremely test heavy and the exams (no matter how hard you study) are bound to give you a headache. However, I have never had a professor who was willing to work with me so much. She is compassionate and caring and will help you pass.

Great teacher for core bio 1. Pay attention during lecture and record all the notes. Study straight from the notes and graphics from textbook.

I took Mrs. Smolenski for both Core Bio 1 and Core Bio 2, and would take her if a Core Bio 3 existed. If you come to class its an easy B, but if you study its a do-able A. No HW, only Tests and online quizzes due before tests. She gives handouts that you fill out in lecture with her, so she is very specific about what she will test you about.

Great professor. She gives you all you need to succeed. However, it's a tough class with lots of information covered. There are 4 unit exams and 3 lab exams that make or break your grade so studying is a must.

One of the best professors I have ever had! She does not use power points, she has hand written notes that she writes on the boards and explains thoroughly. Offers plenty of extra credit, even on exams! Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't miss class, because the information she goes over she does not put online. Labs are an easy grade.

honestly i love ventura. She genuinely loves what she teaches and it shows! Her lectures are interesting and informative. Dont skip class. Tests are based roughly 80% on lecture and 20% book. You do have to work your ass off for an a but you will learn so much! 10/10 recommend, shes funny and is always willing to extend hours to help!! take her!!

i took Ventura for bsc2010 and bsc2020. I honestly love this woman so much!! Shes always willing to help and lives what she teaches. This class is HARD. it is a lot of studying!!!

Very good straight forward professor. She does a good job getting you the info needed during lectures and does an adequate job during the lab for this class. She is willing to help and wants you to succeed. Biology is a tough class with lots of material but she makes it manageable and offers extra credit.

I think I can say without a doubt that she was the best teacher Ive had during my time in Santa Fe. Her lectures give you all the information you need to do good in tests and gives clear study guides of what will be tested before every exam. Grades depend a lot on test grades but she gives a lot of bonus point opportunities so theyre very doable.

A very straightforward class. 3 exams and about 3 quizzes in between those. Extra credit for each exam gets added on at the end of the semester. All I did was read through each PowerPoint, review quizzes, and the extra credit and that was enough to get at least a B on the exams.

The lectures are easy to follow. Literally just read the notes and it's exactly what youll see on the tests