3.5
Quality2.8
Difficulty38%
Would Retake153
Reviews38%
Would Retake
153
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
153 total ratings5
74
4
17
3
15
2
18
1
29
What Students Say
“She consistently reminds you that "you don't know the material if you're in my class" and when she asks if someone has a question, she immediately states "We don't have time for that, we have to move on, come to my office hours"”
MATH171 - 3.0 rating“Literally the worst professor I've ever had in my entire college career”
MATH161 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.36 avg changeRatings by Course
172
5.0
(2)MATH230
5.0
(1)MTH205
5.0
(2)CALCFORMANGT
5.0
(1)MATH319
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
101
5.0
01
5.0
MATH140
5.0
MATH171
4.5
10194200
4.0
Reviews (152)
She's a horrible teacher, doesn't give notes and very unclear.
No Comments
class seemed eady...but i didn't gain anything from the class
see listing in engineering
she is horrible
One of the best math teachers I have ever had! Very fair on all tests and quizzes. Everythng is explained real well.
The best teacher I ever had. She explains things really well and answers all questions
Great teacher. She really helped me understand the course. I wish I had taken her the first time through.
No Comments
She's an awful teacher and doesn't explain the lessons clear enough. Not to mention, she gives unexpected problems on quizzes and tests.
Very nice but sometimes a little hard to understand. Is a good person to take just make sure you have a tutor on the side to explain things if you don't understand.
very nice
so helpful and if you ask questions, she will answer them. shes never snotty
She's okay, but goes really fast and doesn't explain certain things well. I found better understanding of the subject at the Academic Support Center.
Hard course but she made it easy and understandable.
She is the best math teacher I've ever had! She helps you whenever you have a problem and it's the first time I actually got an A in math. Just do your homework, show up to class and take notes and you'll do awesome on the quiz's and test's! She really is a great teacher!
Great course. She explains things really well and her tests and quizzes are fair.
I tell you- shes not worth having as your teacher. I feel sorry for those of you who enroll into her classes. Her notes, lectures, assignments, tests, and quizzes are HORRIBLE. She even gave out handwritten tests. Who ever does that? Not worth it.
No Comments
Worse professor I have ever had. She doesn't know what she teaches and has on occasion taught things wrong and holds everyone responsible for it. Don't take this professor if you dont already know the material or want to get through it with minimal effort. trust the book and never her. doubt everything she says and check any lesson against the book
She was a great math teacher! She explains things very well and will keep explaining until you understand. She teaches assuming you don't know any of the information she is going over which is only fair so of course its going to be boring for those who know it already! I've never done good in math but I've earned 90s on all the tests so far.
great teacher. very helpful and supernice! If you struggle in math she is really good at explaining stuff.
very helpful
Eh, not bad. Nice teacher. Very easy with grading and tests. But dont rely on her teaching skills. Make sure to do homework so you know whats going on for sure.
She is not bad as she is cracked up to be. Very nice, sweet. She does a -decent- job of teaching the material but learning via homework is sometimes necessary. She can be flaky with myCourses but is very organized in class. Tests/quizzes are easy and she is very forgiving as far as they go (miss a test? get your final exam grade for that test).
She is like a high school teacher. Very nice and helpful.. and clear.
Professor Timberlake is very nice, but the fact is that she is not a paragon of teaching excellence. Her tests are easy, though the software generated review sheets that she distributes may lead you astray if you've been slacking with homework. Class _can_ be stimulating at 8am. Work every night on your homework and you'll do well.
She is more than willing to help, anyone that has suffered through Dr. Long is grateful to have her, I guarantee it. Very kind, comes off as a person instead of a robotic teacher. I personally adore her.
Doesn't explain material very well. Failures to give enough time for quizs/exams, and her answer to help is "Go to the math lab"
great teacher. Explained everything really good. Answered all questions. Take her
She is a truly amazing teacher - a rare breed of person - always willing to help. I would highly recommend her over any of the other math teachers especially if you've come through one of Longs classes a little shaken up
I personally felt like i was in a kindergarten class the whole time. She speaks down to the students and if you ask a question in class, for the rest of the class she will single you out to ask if you understood what she just said. Very condescending.
One of the best math teachers I have ever had. Very helpful and encouraged questions. I am taking her again next quarter.
This is the second course that I've taken with professor Timberlake. She is great. You can understand the material and her tests are not hard. Do the hw and you'll get bonus points.
A great professor. Explains things real clear. Always helps with your questions. Take her if you can.
Very nice lady-- picks and chooses which HW assignments to collect so make sure you do them. Also takes attendance randomly so it's important to show up. The tests and quizzes weren't too bad- she really wants to see her students do well. The workshops make for an easy grade too-- sometimes a bit tricky but manageable.
She assumes you know a considerable amount going into the sequence. Grades you on things that you don't know yet; overall, a very presumptuous and bad teacher. Also, she's one of the ones that follows the mandatory attendance policy, so if you already know the material, you're out of luck.
A great teacher. We are going over review that we should know. Since there are prerequisites for the course, but she still wants to make sure that we know the material. Very helpful, just go see her and she'll help you with any topic. I've only had her for a few weeks but I think she's great.
Extremely nice, and very helpful. Gives fair tests and quizzes. Had her Q1 for calc foundations i, and could really tell that she cared about how well people did in the class.
This is my second course with professor Timberlake. Very easy to understand. Lots of good examples. She is always willing to help you. Take her if you can.
I just finished the course. I learned so much. I actually took this course before and failed. I wish I had taken Prof. Timberlake first. Awesome teacher.
I thought she was a wonderful teacher. I really hate math but I thought she did an awesome job. I would really like to take her again
I took 4 calc classes with Timberlake; she was amazing. I'd made attempts at some of the classes with other teachers and failed. She will hold your hand if you need it, and gives partial credit on tests, etc. Highly recommended.
She is a great teacher. This is my first quarter here and she is great.
Great class. Hard topics made easy. Took discrete 1 and 2 with Timberlake. She is very helpful in and out of class and very easy to talk to. I recommend her
Awesome. She is so nice and helpful. Do your hw and come to class and you'll do great. I have really learned a lot so far this quarter.
The best math teacher i've ever had. makes it so you can really understand it.
I got put in her class by accident because of a goof-up in the offices after I got a 4 on the AP exam....I know all the material and work faster than everyone else in the class by proxy; she's great if you have no or little experience in the subject but if you're coming off an AP, and you already know the material, you're in for 10 weeks of boredom
She is one of the best calculus teachers I have ever had. I hope I can take her for calc 2. She takes the time to really answer your questions.
This was my first math class at RIT. She was such a great teacher. Lots of patience and really made sure you understood the material. I'm taking her next quarter as well.
I had a correct answer once, and she totally would not accept it as correct. She lost my respect at that point, then she had to go and say 'impute'.
The best. I wish I had her for discrete 1.
Holds office hours, answers questions very thoroughly. Biweekly group sessions in which we had to solve 4-5 problems were always a little hectic, though. I did all of the test reviews she gave us, but still didn't do well because the reviews don't really cover everything :( you have to dig through older material / really understand the homework
She was the best calc teacher I've had here at RIT. I wish I had her in my earlier clasees. Very helpful and nice
Took for her Discrete2 for tech. Very sweet lady who really cares about what you're learning. I would take her again in a heartbeat if needed. She thoroughly explains material and is nice with grading. Attendance not mandatory, but it can boost your grade if you're borderline.
Great teacher and very sweet woman. She is very clear in her teaching style and is extremely willing to help after class. She treats you a little like you're in elementary school, but she's great if you don't know the material. Otherwise class can kind of drag.
A great calculus teacher. Take her if you can. Fair grader and always willing to help
A relatively simple teacher, but she teaches what she likes, not what is really useful to computing. She does make the material pretty easy, but will take a while to deliver your grade to you. Lastly, she barely uses MyCourses so be prepared to take a lot of notes.
I love this teacher. She is sweet and very willing to help students. Her class had an easy pace and I found it very easy to follow topics.
Good professor who gets her point across without going too far out of her way. Compared to the other professor I had last quarter, she is an amazing professor for discrete math.
She is the best. Very helpful and clear. Great notes all of which are posted online. I wish I had her for discrete 1. Take a course with her, you won't regret it.
Easy teacher, but you need to pay attention. The class is basically impossible to fail because she drops your lowest test and replaces it with your final.
The best calc teacher I've had. Failed it before with another teacher. Timberlake made it so easy to understand. I wish I had her first. Take her if you can
She is a great professor. Always ready to help. I have her next quarter too. Do your hw and you'll get good grades on the tests
GREAT TEACHER. GIVES A LOT OF HW, THOUGH.
Her students' success is important to her. She always makes sure the class knows what's going on, which is helpful if you're a little lost. Tests are fair and often a bonus question is provided that can boost your grade. As good as a calculus class gets.
She was a fantastic teacher. Very approachable and always trying to help. One of the best math teachers i have ever had. Her tests are not the easiest but she drops your lowest grade. She wants you to do well in her class
Great teacher, very clear friendly and willing to work with students.
She is legit one of the nicest people ever and a great teacher. If you can not get a passing grade in this class you're probably lazy and don't do anything
She is the nicest teacher that I have ever had. Very helpful and wants to make sure everyone understands what is going on. Drops the lowest quiz and test grade. If you fail her class you seriously must have been trying to do it on purpose. Highly recommended!
Clear, friendly, and fair. Afraid to push the class to a high school or college math level. Often insultingly easy. But I blame the math department more than Timberlake.
Nicest professor ever. She is the best, by far my favorite professor so far. Any thing you are unsure of she will go over until you understand. Take a class with her you wont regret it!
The best Calculus teacher I had this year. I wish I had her for my other calc classes. She explains everything really well and will help with any question. Take her if you can.
Nicest professor I have! Really helpful, wants to make sure you know your stuff, and wants you to succeed. I had her for Calc for management science, but I already took calc in high school so the class was extra easy for me. But even if you've never taken calc, you shouldn't have a problem as long as you listen to her and follow her examples.
I honestly don't like her. She's one of those teachers who teaches out of the book, and not by knowledge. I feel she knows her stuff but doesn't know how to teach. She also keeps reminding you that "If you're in her class, then you don't know the material" in a condescending way. It's INFURIATING coming from her.
Nice lady - seems to know enough to teach the class. Math will be math.
One of the best math teachers I have ever had. Take her if you can. Her classes fill up quick. she explains everything really well and is willing to help you with any questions. Very patient and has a great teaching style.
the best math teacher I ever had. Sign up for her class if yo can get in. they fill up quick. She explains everything really well and will work with you until you get it.
Great teacher. If you go to class and do your hw. you will get a good grade. Collected hw.
The best professor I had at RIT. Very helpful and you learn a lot
Loved her. She made the class easy and understandable. You have to go to the class otherwise you get behind. Homework nearly everyday, my class had MyMathLab which was frustrating at times. She drops the lowest quiz grade and replaces lowest test grade with your final exam grade. Loved the way she teaches.
She consistently reminds you that "you don't know the material if you're in my class" and when she asks if someone has a question, she immediately states "We don't have time for that, we have to move on, come to my office hours". She only spends one class on some topics once the class falls behind schedule, and blames us for not know the material.
She makes the material very easy to understand through her use of practicing problems in class. She drops the lowest test grade and makes practice tests for every test. We get homework every class on MyMathLab, but it only takes about 30 mins.The only thing that I'm not a fan of is the fact that the homework usually isn't posted until 11pm.
Great professor. Very easygoing and helpful, always very kind and really wants to make sure students succeed. Always makes herself available for extra help.
She talks like she is the busiest person in the world!
She did not teach anything. She is the worst math teacher I have ever seen. I took her because it said she was easy on here. DO NOT TAKE HER IF YOU DONT UNDERSTAND MATH. DO NOT TAKE HER. PLEASE. FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY
Worst teacher hands down, seriously
This class is the same as any other math class, if you sit with the right people who help you rather than distract you, ask questions, AND you do you homework, you'll be fine. She is a fairlenientreasonable grader, gives bonus points if most of the class doesn't get a problem right. If you don't pass this class it's your own fault...
The best math professor at RIT. Take her if you can
Timberlake is a great professor. She really wants her students to do well. She will help you with any question. Go see her in her office. You have to work but I learned more in her class than any other math class. She knows her stuff
Quite honestly the worst teacher I've ever had. She treats those in her lower level classes horribly. Had a family emergency. She made it quite difficult to get an incomplete, and when I finally was able to do the Final, she left out half of the questions without telling the proctors. Her response to this? "You should have used half the time."
Awful. Just awful. Stay away. She can't explain anything. But I don't think she even understands Calculus enough to be able to explain it. I had a friend in another profs class let me borrow his notes.
When I reached out through email she rarely responded, and when she did it was days later. She talked down to my class very much - not sure if that is because it was PreCalc or not - but I felt like she talked to us as if we were 6. I did appreciate she would drop low scores though.
She was extremely nice and laid out everything required. She was always willing to give you leeway in regards to group work in the second-half of the class. She gave a quiz every Friday but took questions from the homework, so DO THE HOMEWORK. Tests weren't hard and applied everything you learned in the previous weeks.
Overall good teacher. Fairly easy to do well on the tests. Gives points back if numerous students missed a question. Drops your lowest test, lab and homework grades. No complaints.
Best Math teacher I ever had. She is so willing to help
Literally the worst professor I've ever had in my entire college career. How this woman got a teaching job I will never understand. She doesn't teach just puts you into groups to make you "figure it out" on your own. Never comes to office hours, disorganized and full of excuses. Rude. Very unhelpful. Very lazy.
She is one of the worse professors i have ever had at RIT. Does not know how to teach at all. Math class was for students who are not good at math & made us self teach. If you had a question you had to ask your group who was just as confused as you were. She gave group projects on things she never even went over in class. Rude, lier, just horrible
She is one of the best math professors that I have ever had. Take her if you can!
I have her for calc B and I wish I had taken her for calc A. She is the best professor I have had at RIT. She explains things really good. She is awesome. Take her whenever you can you won't regret it.
This professor will constantly ask the class before she teaches a new subject whether or not if they have learned this already. If one person raises their hand she will automatically assume that the entire class has learned the material and teach as such. Dont bother asking her about grades, because she wont know who you are and she doesnt grade.
I went in to makeup a quiz and she gave me a test for a different class. She didnt know my name or what class i was in. It was week 9... awful teaching style and is not flexible/willing to work with students. She wouldnt know what good teaching is if it slapped her in the face
The best math professor I've ever had. Come to class and do your work and you will learn a lot. I wish she was teaching calc C
I had her for precalc 5 semesters ago. She wouldn't explain much of anything, and after she approached me to email her when I could set up an appointment, she ignored my initial email, and the email I sent 2 weeks later. Doesn't seem concerned with the progress of all students.
Great teacher, but very blunt. Will sugarcoat nothing.
Prof Timberlake really wanted her students to succeed. She would go out of her way to make sure her students understand the concepts. Definitely go to her office hours if you find something hard, but come on, it's Calculus. I would definitely do another class with Prof Timberlake.
Prof. Timberlake really explains everything. She helps you if you don't understand. I wish I had her for more of my math classes that i have taken. You have to do the homework but she is a very fair grader. Take her if you can, you'll learn a lot
She is the best math teacher I have ever had.I hope I can take her for Calculus next semester
Amazing math professor. Really focused on helping her students succeed. Very open to helping students in any way she can, as long as they put in the effort.
is difficult and gives a test every week. but tries to be nice.
This class was possibly the worst class I have ever taken. She did not teach us anything. We would get into groups and work on our math problems then when we had questions, she refused to help us. She would test us on things we never went over and was extremely rude.
Probably is good in-person, but can't stand her online. She goes over the theory and what we need to do in 5 minutes expecting us to memorize it. Group work every week is awful online as one person has to write & submit. Also partially on me being unable to pay full attention to boring subjects online for over 5+ mins at a time.
Super long and boring lectures. Was not at all enjoyable to be in class.
Helen is a sweet professor who cares about her students and ensures to cover all the material necessary for the homework and exams. Even in an online setting, she attempts to know her students' names and encourages participation. Working through practice problems as a class proved to be very helpful. All the homework assigned is from the textbook.
If you don't understand a subject when it's first introduced in class, expect to have to dedicate time outside of class to learn it. She will present a new topic, dismiss any questions due to a lack of time, and expect you to be able to do the practice/hw questions. Content is taught at a very fast pace without regard for students' understanding.
She's alright, but there are better options. She is a really nice person and wants to make sure you understand, and she's fine with going slower if you need it. She is straightforward on tests. The only thing is that she's not very lenient with absences, even when they're justified. If you get injured or sick, it is difficult to get labs exempted.
Agree with many of the other ratings here-- lectures are often fast paced and uninteresting, and she'd avoid answering questions that engage at any depth with the material, as if because it wasn't explicitly on the lecture notes it was unworthy of being discussed. Class felt impersonal, disorganized, and like I'd have learned more from YouTube.
timberlake is by far the best math teacher at this school. Although none of her notes are ever on mycourses (which sucks if you miss class) being in class and taking notes makes it super engaging (IMO) and she makes sure you understand the concepts during workshops if you dont get them during the lecture. she likes if you get extra help if needed.
Seems very passionate about teaching her students, is great at explaining complex concepts in a way that makes it easy to understand.
Terrible teacher who poorly communicates topics and gives barely any help during lab half of class. Grading is very slow and expects the other students to teach their lab group if those students do not know the material instead of helping them properly learn. TA did everything and was the only redeeming quality of the class.
Professor Timberlake was degrading toward students if they didn't immediately understand the material, she would tell them to go to office hours where she taught the material the same way as she did. She made things more confusing. The Organic Chemistry Tutor will be useful...Feedback: Slow Down, fewer problems in each situation more understanding.
Overall a solid professor. I found her method of teaching clear and her use of multiple examples was very helpful in illustrating concepts. At times however, she seemed uninterested in addressing questions, and sometimes became frustrated when the class wasn't grasping a concept quickly enough.
I had Professor Timberlake for CALC 1, and she was outstanding. She was pretty flexible with grading, and always open to changing a grade if you talked to her about it. She's always ready to breakdown any problems that give students a hard time, and she prepares you fully for the final if you keep up with the lectures.
Her class is very lecture based so she doesn't really like taking questions, but she explains things pretty well so I don't usually have any. She is very blunt in her feedback but she does care for her students and wants us all to pass. Quizzes every week. I enjoyed taking her but if you find math difficult, you might want to reconsider.
Professor Timberlake has very disorganized and inconsistent notes. She often brushes off questions that she does not want to answer. She gives little to no explanation of the material, then proceeds to give 4 example problems before moving on to an entirely new subject. She literally gives you 2 minutes to solve them. Does things on her own time.
Notes and organization of the class was a mess, there was no solid structure to the learning. Most of everything is expected to be known or understood within a line of explanation. Questions were a hassle for her to answer, instead she recommended office hours which are limited. Sarcastic and aggressive at times.
Would not recommend to anyone-especially those who never took any Calc before. She teaches as though you already know the material and when she asks the class for questions, she answers them in a super condescending tone. She spent most of the class complaining about her knee. Absurd amount of points taken off on tests. Tutors hate her and her hw.
Professor Timberlake teaches very well. But the tests were difficult.
The entire semester was a struggle with her. She always moved way too quickly doing problems, and even though most people knew what was going on in terms of content, she somehow made it more complicated to understand some of these concepts. She disregarded questions or didn't answer them, and it was not a fun learning environment.
If you even think for a second that Helen Timberlake is a decent professor... please think again. God forbid you have a question that you need to ask in class, she'll just shut you up and tell you that questions are only for office hours. She also enjoys pretending that everybody in class has already taken Calculus 1 in some past lifetime. Horrible
I don't know why she has such a high score on this website. The reviews that were written most recently are more accurate to how she actually is. She doesn't care about your questions that you ask in class, is downright rude, and refused to allow one of my classmates to take a quiz at a different time because he was sick.
Professor Timberlake seems to have severely fallen off because many older reviews give her lots of credit. The lectures will likely not cover the material sufficiently to grasp it. Practice tests are notably easier than the actual test and will leave you caught off guard. In short, watch Organic Chemistry Tutor YouTube videos instead of class.
Not a bad professor but there are better ones. The course outline isn't clear, no syllabus and heavy on tests and quizzes.
This was my second time taking MATH182, and I learned the material a million times better with her. She actually taught the material and took the time to answer questions, and just an overall amazing teacher! Very accommodating too
Professor Timberlake rarely responds to emails including important messages regarding test accommodation with DSO. Her notes are mostly paper worksheets done in class and the keys and worksheets are almost never posted making it extremely difficult to study. She also is requiring we know a subject she never discussed in class for the final exam.
A brick wall would teach calc 2 better than Helen Timberlake. She prides herself on "Being available outside of class" despite canceling her office hours half the time and not showing up the other half of the time. The exams and quizzes are designed to make you fail, and she never even bothers to learn your name. Take any other prof. MoleRat>Helen
Not the best teacher, unhelpful. Not willing to make adjustments for students. Works quickly.
she doesnt really teach and is hard to get in touch with. lots of just writing and assuming people know things.
No bueno. Takes whole semester to grade test.
Assumes everyone already has experience with calc, barely covers topics during lecture, takes almost 2 weeks to grade anything, needlessly snarky, and originally had an exam scheduled during Thanksgiving break. Lol. If you haven't taken calc before you'll have to rely on outside help frequently to actually learn and understand the concepts.
She is quite condescending and passive-aggressive. She teaches it like you should already know how to do it. She rarely answers emails and cancels her office hours half of the time. Try to avoid her as a teacher.
Super condescending and rude in class, acts like you should already know everything and it's just review. Every time she'd ask a question nobody would want to answer because she's really rude when you get something the slightest bit wrong. Takes forever to grade quizzes and exams.
Timberlake can be hit-or-miss, but if you stay engaged and use tools like unstuck study, you can succeed. The coursework is challenging, but attending class and using the textbook go a long way. Overall, a tough but rewarding class.
For my class, she rushes through topics in class and lets us out early because of appointments, and when you ask a question she often is snarky. If you have not taken calculus DO NOT TAKE IT WITH HER. If you have accommodations for tests/quizzes DO NOT TAKE WITH HER she often gives quizzes with such short notice you can't schedule accommodations.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR IF YOU HAVE ANY ACCOMMODATIONS, EVER. You will be going back and forth on your own needs and she refuses to implement them in the classroom. Assumes you've already taken calculus. She will work with you if you need something worked out but generally assume that she feels like she's judging you for not knowing.
Avoid calc with timberlake at all costs especially if you use accommodations. She refuses accommodations and views them as cheating. She's incredibly non-communicative and will ghost if you email her or occasionally respond with a non-answer. On top of that she just doesn't lecture well, you're better off learning off youtube videos
Save yourself from the emotional drainage that this woman has to offer. Lowkey feels like she degrades her students for not knowing the material despite saying that it's okay not to know. You're probably better off using other academic sources to help you or enrolling in a slower paced class (i.e Math 171)
Shes appears happy and nice on the outside but when it comes to actually teaching horrible. Doesn't answer ?'s. Went to Office hrs and was told my ? wasn't worth her time. She doesn't answer emails ever.I emailed to set up a meeting and 9 weeks later, no answer. She has a way of slipping in mean comments and cackling after. She needs to be fired!
I don't know what the other people are talking about. Yes, she's not the best teacher but she always asks if anyone needs more help before moving on. Her homework is steady but quizzes are unexpected. Assessments overall is easy if you already took the class in high school. She does not seem discriminative among accessibility.
prof Timberlake is a very nice professor as long as you put the time in and participate it will be good. she wants you to do well just put the time in
Professor Timberlake confuses me. She seems to genuinely care about her students' success, and encourages questions, but then sounds offended any time someone gets anything wrong. She knows what she's talking about regarding math, though. I would describe her as nice every other day. Requires WebAssign/Cengage.
She'll take points off on tests if she doesn't like you. She probably won't even have a valid reason for disliking you. Also, she can be really condescending when you ask questions.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.36 avg changeRatings by Course
172
5.0
(2)MATH230
5.0
(1)MTH205
5.0
(2)CALCFORMANGT
5.0
(1)MATH319
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
101
5.0
01
5.0
MATH140
5.0
MATH171
4.5
10194200
4.0