3.3
Quality2.8
Difficulty67%
Would Retake92
Reviews67%
Would Retake
92
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
27
4
22
3
15
2
17
1
11
What Students Say
“Professor Colonna is a great professor”
MATH290 - 4.0 rating“If you ask for help, she is always there to assist you”
MATH203 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.12 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH114
5.0
(1)MATH661
5.0
(1)MATH301
5.0
(1)MATH105
5.0
(1)MATH290
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
MATH661
4.0
MATH108
3.5
113
3.0
MATH214
3.0
MATH113
2.9
Reviews (92)
Not cool to knock her looks...but she is a really friendly lady and helpful when you ask or go to her office hours, but during regular class time she can be confusing--this won't be a super easy class like some make it out to be if you take it with her.
Looks scary, dances a lot, not sure about what she is teaching, But she is the only one teaching the class.
not an easy class--I would pick a different professor. she is a very nice lady but the lectures were just very hard to understand--very hard to make sense out of the math concepts taught in this class.
Very energetic and enthusiastic teacher. She tries to keep the standards high, which is great for those of us who actually need the math and not just the grade. (Writes good rec's too ;)
Dr. Colonna is a brilliant mathematician. She is also an excellent teacher. She is willing to put as much work into you as you are willing to put into the course. She won't just pass you, but if you work hard, she'll work hard to help you.
She spoon feeds you everything in this class. Very easy quizzes-you get to drop the lowest two. She's fairly clear with the material and is so cute. If you ahve any math background you are going to ace this class easily
Dr. Colonna is so sweet and always willing to do whatever possible to help you. If you have a choice of your math teachers, TAKE DR. COLONNA. She has a bit of an accent and at times it can be difficult to understand what she says, but all you have to do is ask and she will fully explain everything.
Great professor. just come to class and take the notes. quizzes every week, but not that hard at all. she's great at explaining everything and 1 test dropped out of 3.
Very nice prof. Teaches concepts in a clear and easily understood manner. Just attend class and put effort in and you can pass with an A!
Her grading system is certainly fair and I don't think she has unreasonable expectations. However, there seems to be a communication barrier between her and her students. She gets frustrated when students ask her questions, which she frequently misinterprets. Sometimes one must teach herself.
She is terrible. I asked a question and got yelled at. She uses shortcuts that nobody understands. She is by the far the worst professor I have ever had at GMU.
Colonna sometimes get frustrated when you ask her questions. Math110 isnt an easy A but its not terrible either. She is helpful in her office hours and grades fairly. She gives partial credit.
Very helpful and straightforward. If you pay attention and go to class you can get an A. If you get an A on all 3 exams then you don't have to take the final!
She's straight to the point and there is no class discussion..she teaches you the material in a very simple way..go to class, take the quizzes and you'll get an A. theres lots of quizzes and 3 exams w/ one dropped + the final. it's a good class for people who go to class and don't like math..i liked her
She can be a little hard to understand sometimes, but it's not too bad. She's a good teacher and straight to the point. I didn't ask many questions but she often got frustrated if people asked to many questions. Overall a good teacher though.
Worst math teacher that I have ever had. She is hard to understand and quizzes more than she teaches. At one point, out of 4 back to back classes I had 3 quizzes and one test. Tell me when you are suppose to learn something in between. DO NOT RECOMMEND.
She gives a lot of quizes and tests throughout the course. At the end of the semester, she drops lowest 2 quizes and 1 test. I rarely read the book in her class because her lectures are clear and easy to understand. Only used book to do more exerices reviewing for test. Just be there everyday and you'll do fine.
On our first/easiest test, I was marked -5 on every question I did not show ALL work for. Even simple addition that I can do in my head, I got marked off even though I had the right answer. (she didn't have "show work" in syllabus or test)The next test, same exact story. I even asked if I could show her in her office, she refused. HORRIBLE TEACHER.
DONT TAKE HER CLASS. CANT UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE SAYS AND HATES IT WHEN TOO MANY PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS. NOT A GOOD PROFESSOR
cannot explain anything, has a thick accent and goes way too much into definitions rather than showing you how to do the equation.
Colonna is the best math teacher I've ever taken a course with. She gets straight to the point during class, and understands that math is about finding the easiest way to do something. She gives great partial credit on test, and treats her students like paying customers. Just do all of the recommended homework and you'll be golden. She's fantastic.
Difficult to understand. I learned more in 15 min of the recitation class than I did in the 2 hours in Colonna's class. Not worth the time.
She Sucks, I had to take math 113 again because I couldn't understand her at all. After each test when everyone did bad she would yell at us for half an hour about how dumb we all were. Worst prof I have had at Mason
This professor is good if you want her to be. Just put in some effort instead of wishing for her class to be easy
This professor is good if you want her to be. Just put in some effort instead of wishing for her class to be easy
This professor is good if you want her to be. Just put in some effort instead of wishing for her class to be easy
Well....finite mathematics is pretty straightforward but sometimes she made things more complicated than they were. She does provide a practice quiz before each quiz and a practice test before each test which is extremely helpful.
This professor is so amazing. She keeps her class very practical and wants you to succeed. Do the homework and take good notes so that her quizzes are easy for you and she gives you a practice final that is closely similar to the final!
It was pretty difficult to understand the material from her teaching style. The only saving grace of the class was the practice quizzes and tests. These made a world of difference, I ended up with an A.
Not a bad professor. She really tries to help. Class is difficult, but she gives practice quizzes so you know what to expect. Attendance is important - she has a quizz almost every week!
Easy teacher! Guaranteed A with all the practice quizzes and test.
1st can we stop all the dumb mofo's from calling teachers easy!! they read these things!!!! 2nd- Dr. Colonna rocks because she actually cares about her students and wants you to learn, Takes her time to make sure you understand and is a relaly sweet lady. For the first time EVER I actually enjoy math. Take her she is the best.
She is ok, but not easy at all, she does explain good, but the test and quizzes are a little bit hard. Look for another teacher if you want to pass.
She is the best math teacher I've had in my life. However, she can be quirky. If you do not know your algebra, don't expect much pity from her. She is very helpful and her notes and practices quizzes/tests are crucial. Book is for extra help, but not needed if you attend class.Likes to prove EVERYTHING...she even proved the derivative of "e".
Great teacher! As long as you show up, do, ask questions, and study the practice materials given; you will get a good grade.
Very organized,tells u what types of probs on tests.Knows her subject well!Explains material very clearly. She actually taught!book only for reviewing and hw.open to ?s,Wonderful public speaker, engages class!math comes 2 life!respectful and sweet.Reaches out to students and it shows she truly cares.best math teacher I've ever had.used to HATE math
Very thick accent that makes material confusing.. She does one example on the board, with little explanation and expects you to know it.. Not very helpful before or after class.. Tests are HARD. I would recommend ANYONE else, unless you've taken calc before.
I DO NOT LIKE THIS PROFESSOR.
She is a very good professor. She tried to make the material as easy as possible for us. Make sure u go to lecture because u might actually learn something! (and she goes over practice tests which are very similar to the real thing)
She really knows her stuff. Very organized and genuinely cares about students. Not an easy A, but if you practice do all hw probs & keep up as you go, you'll do fine.
Wow. im speechless. Basically make sure you buy the book because youll be teaching yourself. She is TERRIBLE. im sorry, i mean she tries, but she just goes through everything SO FAST. and the quizzes and tests have weird directions and like 2 problems so you have no chance to pass. i suggest taking someone else.
she means well but she is kind of all over the place. she has a very thick accent but if you pay attention, attend class, and take the notes that she offers, you will do fine. she often gives practice tests&quizzes that are very similar to the real things. She is a great proffessor but you need to make an effort too.
I had her for linear algebra, and she is extremely smart and I found her to be a great professor. Some students gripe about her Italian accent and her quick pace in teaching, but I'm a math major so it didn't bug me. I didn't write much during lectures because linear algebra is something that I had to read and master a new vocabulary, use the book.
She's kind of all over the place sometimes. Make sure to go to class the examples she does in class are similar to the questions on quizzes. She gives study guides for all the tests which is really helpful so do them and you're guaranteed to pass. Also if you dont understand use her office hours it actually helps.I got an a.
I've had better math professors. Her lectures are difficult to understand. She rushes a lot and jumps from one thing to another. If you have an idea of what's going on you can pretty much learn from the textbook. She does hand out practice tests/quizzes that are similar to the tests. But overall, not the best math professor in my opinion.
Just go to class and study her examples. Use the book and do the HW to help your understanding, but for quizzes and tests study what she does in class more than anything. I only struggled in her class when I was relying on the book more than her notes.
Very good prof. explains sometimes in too much detail obviouse stuff but her practice exams are just like the exam w/ 9 questions only and she gives solutions to the practice exam. She really knows her stuff and is chill
Fair teacher, gives out practice exams that are just like her tests. If you do the homework, and the practice tests an A can easily be managed. Her teaching style isn't for everyone, but her grading is fair. She does look at your attendance when determining grades.
I took class periods to go through the book and teach myself. her Recitation TA is much more helpful and consice than she is.
She knows the material but cannot teach at all. All she does are practice problems without really explaining them. I have her for over an hour but I learn more from a approx 50 minute recitation taught by a TA. Just read through the textbook and youll be fine.
I can see what people mean when they say that she's all over the place, but it's not actually that bad. I found with her that I did a lot better when I stopped focusing on the homework, and started studying the examples she did in class. Her test/quiz questions are exactly like them. I thought she was an easy A.
I took calculus in High School and earned a 3 on the AP exam...so I was blown I had to take this class. It is not very challenging but she is not a great teacher by any regards. I have a great grade but that is because of the fact I have taken calculus already. Do yourself a favor...dont pay attention during lecture and go to the TA's office hours
This woman complains way too much. You make one small mistake and she assumes you're the stupidest person ever. She can't teach and the class attendance gets smaller every week. I am writing this as she is complaining about how bad the class is at basic algebra.
Homework is irrelevant to the class. She gives you practice exams that are helpful but the tests end up being way harder than them. She doesn't use blackboard which gets annoying. She blames the whole class for bad grades when its her clarity that messes people up. Most people did bad on the final. Avoid at all costs.
Colonna is easily the best math 113 professor. I don't understand why so many people complain about her being a bad teacher and hard to understand. She is so nice and the practice test are the exact same as the actual exams but with different numbers. NOTE: the in-class problems are way harder than exams.TAKE HER!!!!
In my experience, she is a nice person that won't hesitate to answer questions or low grade issues. However, she has an accent(not the worst), doesn't use blackboard, and even though the type of problems are her practice test are the same as the real exam, the real exam does increase the level of difficulty by lots. Don't really recommend.
The textbook is not required but I definitely recommend it because sometimes her explanations are way more complicated than they need to be. Also the quizzes each week come from even problems in the textbook. She does hand out practice tests before each exam. Those seriously need to be study. just practice as much as you can before each exam
Decent teacher. Make sure to study the practice tests she hands out during class intensively, as she regurgitates the exact same problems in her exams. You also have to go to class. Also don't even try BSing her computer projects, as she has no problem giving 0 credit to any incorrect work. She's very passionate about the class.
If you ask for help, she is always there to assist you.
Professor Colonna is a great professor. She teaches everything in great detail and tries to help everyone understand to the best of their ability. She's really good about preparing you for the tests so that they'll be a breeze. My only complaint is that she sometimes goes on interesting but disruptive tangents during lecture. She's a good choice.
Dr. Colonna goes in loops with her lectures. I felt like we were learning the same things over and over. She drops your lowest test score and lowest 2 quiz grades which is AMAZING. She really knows her stuff but be prepared to work to earn a good grade. I did very well in this class and I did not take calc in high school.
In my experience, Professor Colonna is a very nice woman who is very knowledgeable about calculus. She just is a teacher who struggles to really relay that knowledge in lecture. I felt that a lot of explanations were very long-winded and unnecessarily difficult. If you want to do well, be prepared to study a lot on your own.
Dr Colonna was by far one of the best calc professors that I have ever taken. As an engineering major I do not say that lightly. She explained things thoroughly, although she was a bit slow and would often repeat materials. She hands out study guides before every exam and final, and even goes over the answers. Go over the study guide, you get an A!
Dr. Colonna was the perfect professor for MATH290. She had very clear expectations on the exams and final. She provided us with a set of problems that we would likely see -- which, in fact, were likely to be seen. 5/5 would take again, probably will take a class with her again in the future.
An accomplished woman whose teaching ability is limited by her intelligence. Her lectures are confusing. She goes through example problems VERY fast. Just copy down what she's writing because thinking will slow you down. Near the end, she runs out of breath and slows down, and this is when you start trying to understand what she's doing and why.
Her lectures were well organized and she took the time to make sure most people understood what she was explaining. Her expectations for what you needed to know was clear. She gave practice tests that were very similar to her actual exams. Her grading was fair with a good amount of partial credit. Would definitely recommend her.
Professor Colona was great initially. However she sped up in her lectures and overwhelmed the class with too much info at once to keep up with other classes. Had to teach myself. Attendance is mandatory or it lowers by one letter grade. She is great as a person and really kind, but not as a professor.
Prof. Colonna is not a bad choice. Some notes : doesn't use blackboard, attendance is mandatory, weekly quizzes worth 10%. I couldn't understand her lectures for my life... but her practice exams were super helpful and actual exams not too bad. Gives extra credit.
Take her for calc 3. Period. The class is easy and the lectures are decent. The tests are exactly like the study guides. Plus there are a lot of opportunities for extra credit on the tests.
LOVED taking her for calc 3. Her tests were just like the study guides and even through the covid online period, her lectures were straight forward and easy to understand if you went through them. Highly recommend!
It wasnt too bad. During online classes she would go over pre-written notes and answer any questions that you would have as you go along. The lecture format is sometimes hard to follow and if you cant focus you have to do more learning by yourself. If you take her class make sure to do the homework and study guides its the same as on test.
Professor calls students a broke because half the class didn't have a printer/scanner. The professor doesn't really care about if you broke, she only cares about your grades and her own self. her setup is in the kitchen yet she calls us broke. Plus the professor expects you to finish the exam within an hour yet her class time is 1:35 minutes.
Colonna's lectures aren't the best, but her tests are reflective of the study guides. Homework is assigned but not collected. The lowest exam grade is dropped unless you get all As, in which case you can take a shorter final. Just read the textbook, attend recitation, and do the study guides, and you'll be set.
Professor Colonna is accessible for the most part over emails, but is very strict. No assignments other than test grades and the recitation had weekly quizzes. I would not have passed if it was not for our TA. Colonna pre-writes notes and just reads them on zoom, not very helpful. Also, forced students to print out the exams when opened.
This woman refused to write a single thing the entire semester. She has pre written hand notes that she upload and just reads from on zoon(horrible teaching style). but I would still say take her and master the practice-exam she gives. It's 95 percent identical. She gives questions in the practice-exam rather than stupid study guide. take her.
A fine teacher overall, my main complaint being that she is rather disorganized. Scheduling office hours can be a pain, and she never followed the syllabus schedule. Tests followed the practice material closely. Her lectures consists of her working though proofs, so make sure you read the book beforehand or you will be lost.
She is good at math, but not teaching. She will solve a problem in front of you but she will not teach it to you. You will need to study everything. Makes 2 - 3 mistakes every class and erases everything to start over so you will not enjoy taking notes on her lectures.
Prof Colonna is a good math professor, I'm so glad I took her. I had some trouble reaching her outside of class but she was very clear about what would be on the tests. As long as you do your hw and go through her study guides, you will do fine. The grade depended on weekly quizzes plus 4 exams including the final.
The professor makes sure that the class understands the material. Going to her office hours is very helpful and if you engage in class and study hard you should be able to succeed in this course.
Only way to tolerate her voice is if you were deaf. Whole semester never understood a single word she said. 3 midterms, similar to her study guide. Has weird obsession with you attending her class, random graded worksheets. Notes are pre-written handwritten on lined paper, that should tell you enough. If you want to test your patients, take her.
I couldn't understand a word she said throughout the entire semester but it doesn't really matter. If you show up for her spontaneous quizzes and do the study guides you'll do fine. She gives study guides (with answer keys) before all 3 midterms and final which are the test questions with different numbers/equations. Goodluck!
Dr. Colonna is one of the best professors you can take. The class is test heavy but she drops the lowest test grade so there's that. She is very welcoming when going to office hours and wants the best for her students. She doesn't assign homework and sometimes to gives extra credits just fro attending her class. Would suggest to take her.
Her lectures itself are very long and she just reads of her notes, but her exams are basically copies of her study guides. She barely changes the questions and really only alters the numbers. She doesn't have homework so your grade is basically 80% exams and then recitation/coming to class. She does give extra credit on the exams as well.
Don't need to show up for class. Just go through the study guide and it will match the test almost exactly. She is very difficult to understand in lecture, and rambles a lot, so plan on self study often. Homework is fully optional, and you don't even need the textbook. She is very kind though, and grades nicely.
While I don't think she's the best lecturer, she does HOWEVER make the class almost impossible to fail. Her study guides are quite literally her exams, which she gives you a week in advance.
Her lectures are her just reading off of notes, she can't use technology so get ready to have an entire lecture hall crowd over a single sheet of paper for attendance. Can't complain though, her study guides are basically just copies of the exam, and she gives some decent examples. No (mandatory/graded) homework.
Her lectures were not how I learned in this class. I would use the book and did the unassigned homework's, then I'd go to her office hours for questions. She is way more effective at teaching you the material in that setting, it could also be just how I learn. She is a nice person, and her exams are generally predictable. I would take again.
Dr. Colonna was overall not a great professor. She was hard to understand and would get mad at people for missing lectures despite not requiring attendance. Her exams were straightforward and there weren't many things that made up the grading criteria.
Very caring professor and gives arguably too much extra credit (lol), however I didn't really enjoy the class due to its heavy lecture style. Attendance is required, but you don't do much in the class besides listening to lecture, which I found unhelpful most of the time. I think this class would've been much better if it was active learning.
Incredibly easy class. Before every quiz and test we were given worksheets that essentially had all of the questions with very little deviance. Lectures were dry and long-winded, and there was a 5% participation on the final grade. If you're okay with a B I'd recommend just steering clear of the lectures and studying up on your own.
Dr. Colonna is actually a really good professor! Yes, the course may be daunting, but she is ready to help you understand the concepts. She also creates the notes herself and posts them in her Canvas page, and you can either follow along in class or do it yourself. I highly recommend going to her office hours to get extra help!
OK prof. Lectures are boring and its hard to understand her at times.The best way to study for this class is to attend recitation and practice from the study guide she posts: change up the numbers on each question and practice over and over again till you can remember the question word for word as the study guide is basically the exam.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.12 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH114
5.0
(1)MATH661
5.0
(1)MATH301
5.0
(1)MATH105
5.0
(1)MATH290
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
MATH661
4.0
MATH108
3.5
113
3.0
MATH214
3.0
MATH113
2.9