3.4
Quality4.1
Difficulty46%
Would Retake89
Reviews46%
Would Retake
89
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
40
4
14
3
9
2
5
1
21
What Students Say
“Your final grade is based on what you get on the final”
CHE224 - 1.0 rating“Hands down one of the best communicators of any subject I have ever witnessed”
CHEMORG - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
81%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.78 avg changeRatings by Course
ORG2234
5.0
(1)ORG223
5.0
(3)CHE22322
5.0
(2)ORGO12
5.0
(1)CHE223224
5.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
ORG
5.0
ORGOCHEM
5.0
ORGO200
5.0
CHEORGO
5.0
CHE
4.7
Reviews (89)
Ok, she is the best out there. Study her notes and review constrantly
helpful and concerned towards students. study book and her notes
Excellent teacher. Extremely helpful and caring. Just study.
Very good professor. Cares about her students. But you must study hard to get A.
Excellent teacher. The best you'll ever have. Cute too
Extremely difficult, only helps her favorites, don't be a Chem major!
Amazing!!! Pace is lucky to have her!
awful
Totally the best. I truely enjoyed herr class. had to work hard but i learned a lot. A great teacher for Pace. Revolutionary chemist. Love you Cohen!!!
COHEN is a doll. Her class is hard, u have 2 always be on top of things, but overall she's a wonderful professor. PACE is so lucky 2 have her! LUV YAH!!!!!!
Excellent teacher. Very smart, helpfull, and never too buisy for her students.
No Comments
amazing,extremely helpful,her office is always open, just work hard...its organic
I LOVE Dr. Cohen she is the best!!!
Dr.Cohen is the best!!!!One of the best professors at PAce.
Only likes those who kiss her butt. People who put in the same amount of work and don't become friends with her get treated like crap.
She goes warp speed! Got to study your butt off to do well, but you'll learn lots on the effort you put in.
really bad, plays favorites and unfair
Most definetley the best science professor I had at pace.. By no means is she easy; but she is definetley fair and explains everything very well.. If you have any problems, go to her office!!! Made Orgo as enjoyable as possible.
avoid if possible
she teaches well, and she is hot
very strict and hard.....take in the summer
Ripping hair out of head constantly! Hardest class EVER and she is VERY VERY HARD and makes things VERY COMPETATIVE but teaches spectacularly and is EXTREMLY HELPFUL. She knows it is hard material and wont budge. Tests are killer and averages are 55's. Not too hard to get a B but A is imposible
Avoid her, take in summer
Great Teacher for a difficult class, its the material that's hard not her, this class is made to kill students so this is the true test for science students. Go to her after class and ask questions if you don't understand, she will help you; take advantage of it
Worst Class ever, I am getting 7's on test.
fair but difficult
Better than 223. You sure will learn a lot! This course and her and designed to weed people out that don't belong.
She's not hard the class is hard, what else can you expect from Organic Chemistry, The science major weeder. But she does a great job of making it understandable
Great professor, interesting classes. You learn A LOT in her lectures so missing a class maybe detrimental. Exams pretty hard but study her notes and do her assignments [homework questions sometimes may pop up in exams] and you will do well. She also gives hints about what may come in exams during lectures so put a asterix near the point
Great professor, If she ever left it would be devestating for Pace
hard course....awesome teacher....you complain more about the topics than her....she tries to make it fun....she knows her stuff...she moves real fast but that the way the course is...shell def help you if you need it and her tests arent impossible...plus shes hot
She is one of the best teachers at Pace. People complain about the class not her. If you are a chem major you will learn everything you need to know about Orgo from her. she is hard working and clear. The problem with the class is that there is a lot of material to cover and that is not her fault. If you need help she will help you, just go see her
One of the best Professors at Pace. must study though. Not at easy A. She gives you what you deserve.
GREAT PROFESSOR JUST GOTTA WORK HARD BUT AFTER THE YEAR HAS ENDED YOU LEARNED REAL ORGANIC
Unless you did astoundingly in Inorganic Chemistry, don't take her. Even if you did well, think about it twice. Class average for most exams were mid 40's, but you can blame the subject for that. She has her favorites, which science professor doesn't, she's really intelligent...
hard course but great prof
Thank god for the class curve!!!!!!!!!!!
great teacher best chem professor in pace. really care for the students and helps u understand organic in real settings
General consensus was "Thank God I passed."
Excellent professor. Really helpful. Teaches with clarity and emphasizes on what's important for each exam. Gives extra credit. Has a very good curve.
I learned nothing from her, except how to draw scribbles on my notebook. She goes too fast, she needs to lay off the red bull. Yeah she's nice, but I would rather have a good professor than a nice one. I took orgo 1+2 at another school and therefore was prepared for the MCATs and the GREs.
To succeed and do well attend every lecture, take EXTREMELY good notes, and do the homework problems. Shes a phenomenal teacher and very helpful and will go out of her way to help you succeed. Tests are 85% from notes and 15% from homework. She really has a good heart and wants you to do well. She's the nicest professor out there!
THE hardest class in SPACE. ...Nah, I'm juss playin, it's hard tho, cause the BOOK needs to be used as you will have to do practice problems (like 30 a chapter, like 5 minutes a problem). 1 test = about 6 chapters. That's 900 minutes or 15 hours of studying. Good luck. On a lighter note, she's one of the best there is, no holds barred.
This class was extremely difficult; I can't emphasize that enough. It is a class that involves a great amount of studying so don't plan on having a social life. Attendance is mandatory, there are also quizzes. Prof. Rizzo is great in that she helps as much as she can but if you are not a fan of studying do not take the class.
Rizzo is great but the subject matter is difficult and you really need to take the time to learn it. STUDY A LOT and you'll be fine. Take it amidst easier classes so you can give it the attention it needs. AND DO THOSE EBOOK problems! she gets her test questions straight from there. Her textbook is really unhelpful though; wish it wasn't required
she makes passing organic impossible for her students.its like she likes to see you fail. you have to know over 100 mechanisms, no review sheets or reviews, barely gives any partial credit..many people say that it isnt her its the course thats difficult but that is not true!! even though it is a hard course regardless she makes it 100 x harder!
I took Dr. Rizzo a year ago for orgo. Her tests are VERY hard and long. I wish she could make the class easier so this way you can learn orgo for the subject, rather than being stressed all the time for the exam. She is a good teacher though.
She is great. Hands down one of the best communicators of any subject I have ever witnessed.The effort you put into her class if exactly what she will give back to you as your grade. Simple. And if she tells you to study something "ON YOU OWN" she isn't saying that for her health. She's telling you to do it because it'll be on your next test/quiz.
I do not know what the rater below me was taking at the time that they posted their rating, but I will say this-- Rizzo is a great teacher. Her tests are EXCEEDINGLY hard and she does NOT curve, putting an exorbitant amount of stress on the students. The information is fun to learn, but tests are brutal and worrisome.
I'm a crazy note taker (by crazy I mean I was totally literalizing her lecture) and the notes survived me. She goes fast but definitely can make sure you to offer yourself a orgo-bible note. When she says something is GOOD, don't tear with joy, but with dedication, because for her good means tricky. Overall she ROCKS ORGO.
Organic Chemistry is no joke but this isn't a TOTALLY hard class. She does go very fast during lecture but she is an awesome lab prof. take verrryyyy good notes and studyyyy hard to survive this class. she loves putting reaction maps on the final so beware.
Rizzo rocks! Orgo's tough, but her teaching techniques really help you learn the material. She's always available and willing to help you with specific problems and topics outside of class.
So this class is Extremely hard, and I mean it. To be honest you have to study alot to survive in this class but she is really nice and helps as much as she can. She tries to give points on exams where she thinks you could have had the answer. Basically Study, do Ebook and ACE HW.. She is very sweet thought but material is not.
Prof. Rizzo is the best professor I've had so far at Pace. She is a natural lecturer: charismatic, engaging, and funny. She definitely wants each of her students to learn. Her grading system is terribly fair: lab is de-emphasized in order to give you a fighting chance in lecture, and she offers extra credit in exams. Exams are tough though.
Professor Rizzo is hands down one of the best professors I've ever had. Lecturing is second nature to her. She's fair on her exams and you'll rarely find any surprises. I cannot emphasize enough how important doing ebook problems are. She always uses at least 2 on exams. You have to dedicate a LOT of time to the class in order to do well though.
Study, Study, Study..... that is all i can say for this class. If you don't have a nervous break down at one point, you are doing something wrong.
okay okay... first of all just to let you know the midterm will be kind of easy compared to the final. make sure you review all of her notes every day and lab notes as well. do everything on time all the time and to the best of your ability. this class gets hard and confusing make sure you get help immediately. its a 5 cred class don't mess up like
I have a genuine interest in organic chemistry and found Rizzo's methods of teaching to be unhelpful. She will make it very clear verbally to the class that most of the student will not do well. Students will have to learn most of the material on their own and not through lecture. Take the class somewhere else. Avoid at all cost.
I took orgo 1 with Rizzo and did well but without much help from her lectures and recitations. She is the ONLY orgo teacher at the NYC campus so beware! I made the best decision by taking orgo 2 at the Pleasantville campus and learned much more there for the MCATs.
Her thoughts on the final "You will be DIENE", final is full of surprises, However she is very honest about life, education, and her class
Rizzo was one of the best professors I have had. Her tests are hard but if you study a ton, make flashcards!, do the homework, and even go to office hours, you'll do PERFECTLY fine. Show her you are trying and do the extra credit. STUDY STUDY STUDY is key and know how to do every homework problem. GO TO TUTORING! She only wants the best for you!
Actually cares. Won't go easy on you though.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Dr. Rizzo is the BEST professor I have had at Pace. She cares so much about every single one of her students. It is totally possible to do well in this class. You just have to study hard as with any upper level science class. I never had to teach myself anything because her lectures are amazing and I learn so much in them.
Comes in for about 40 minutes to an hour where she'll draw half a mechanism on the board and then tell you to finish the rest at home. Your final grade is based on what you get on the final. Don't believe her when she tries to get you to come to events for extra credit. Save yourself the time, energy, and stress and just take orgo in pleasantville.
Doesn't teach the full mechanisms but expects you to know it. If sixty percent of the kids fail in her classes, it's not them. That's all that needs to be said about her. Would not recommend her! Take at another institution if possible, if you can't then transfer out of Pace immediately. Messes a lot of people's grades up and doesn't care at all.
Her class is extremely hard, if you dont spend your whole life in tutoring ( even though its not that helpful) you wont pass. Her tests are extremely hard almost everyone fails. Her grade is based only on two exams and a final. The recitation quizzes dont count neither does any extra credit. I spend almost everyday hyperventilating. Go upstate
I've taken Dr. Rizzo 3 times now. The first time I took orgo 1 I failed, and I blamed the class for that but I really didn't do the work. I retook it, studied every single day, and got an A & got an A in orgo 2 as well. Do the HW even though it's not collected. Participate and ask questions. It'll pay off, she makes you work for it.
All she does is read you what is on the slides instead of going over mechanisms and making sure we know how to do things. The tutoring center half the time doesn't even help and if you talk to people from other universities they don't even know what we're doing.
Professor Rizzo is a nice person but this class is impossible. She just reads from the lecture slides and goes way too fast. Do not go over mechanisms in class, just tells you to see a tutor. Grading is harsh. Many people from other schools say they don't do nearly the same things she teaches. I would strongly avoid.
Organic Chemistry is a very difficult class, especially since it was offered online for me. However, Dr. Rizzo is very nice and helpful, so if you need a teacher for this class, she is a good option. Offers extra credit opportunities and is very accommodating. She is a genuinely nice person.
Given the circumstances of the pandemic, very understanding prof. and wants you to learn and succeed.
An amazing human being with extreme intelligence. Her mind truly works in an incredible way, grateful to have had her as a professor.
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE! If you have the option please do not waste your time or money on this class! She is genuinely the worst professor I have ever had. Her lectures do not help at all because all she does is read off of slides and for ORGANIC CHEMISTRY that doesnt slide sorry. If you dont go to tutoring multiple times a week you wont pass
The absolute worst Professor at Pace University. She does not teach at all she just reads off of her lecture slides and expects you to spend 4-5 days a week @ tutoring. Her first exam average was 26% which is a direct reflection on her horrendous teaching. She is extremely stingy with her exam grading. Definitely do not recommend taking her at all.
This was the most horrendous course I have ever taken. The instructor was horrible. All she did was read slides. We all could have done that at home on our own without paying thousands of dollars. Her exams were crucial. She graded them very harshly. Most of your time will be spent at the tutoring center. Save your money and time, kids.
Took me 4 whole months to understand how to even approach passing this course and grasping the material and I think in orgo 2 I am still trying; however, this class will make you realize more about yourself academically and mentally than you probably will in your whole life. If you put in the work (tutoring & show progress) Rizzo will pass you.
Dr. Rizzo is great ! Alot of work, but putting in that extra bit of effort makes the difference !
I did very well in orgo and actuallt really love the subject, however Dr. Rizzo made the class unnecessarily difficult and seemed to enjoy students' suffering. She had us buy the $300 textbook she wrote that was full of erorrs and was just loose paper. She is truly proud that so many people fail her class and made me hate a subject I enjoyed.
The class definitely requires a lot of studying and teaching yourself because Rizzo only reads off slides, but she grades very lightly and kindly. I got low test scores but still got a good grade. You just have to be willing to dedicate a lot of time to the class. Rizzo is very helpful if you ask for assistance.
Worst professor ever. She wrote the textbook which is impossible to read. She read off slides and never explains anything. She expected you to figure things out yourself. She gives quizzes every week and then exams are nothing similar. She really made me consider dropping out because I was working so hard yet struggling so much.
I was struggling so much from the previous semester. Her solution was to get a private tutor and pay them $20-25 an hour to later still fail the class. I transferred schools because of her and how hard she made an already hard class. I took such a hit to my mental health throughout the whole school year because I was taking her class.
Toughest class for us premeds! I was able to do well after showing improvement during the semester. Good luck!
Practice, practice, practice!! She's helpful in lecture b/c she answers questions, she DOES draw mechanisms out during lecture, and office hours if you go to her. I went from an F to an A on the test and now have an A in the course overall. If I can do it, so can you. Do not give up too easily based on what you read below. You got this!
Textbook is not good, you will struggle as a student if that is your only resource! Not accessible outside class,will request zoom where she restates to use the textbook. She makes it DIFFICULT to pass her class, it's unfortunate. It's not that organic chem is hard, she WILL make it harder for you. No practice in lecture or recitation,WEED OUT CLAS
DO NOT TAKE - Exams are killler
she really only reads off of the slides which is not helpful. as long as she sees you try you should be fine. recitation quizzes helped loads when studying for the exams. she also knows how hard this class is so she offers numerous extra credit opportunities that you should definitely take.
Teacher that genuinely does not want you to succeed unless you are one of her favorites. Be ready to suck up and have NO life if you take Orgo with her. Be warned she grades however she wants.
If you can avoid taking this class or take it at another school, do it.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
81%
Textbook Required
40%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.78 avg changeRatings by Course
ORG2234
5.0
(1)ORG223
5.0
(3)CHE22322
5.0
(2)ORGO12
5.0
(1)CHE223224
5.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
ORG
5.0
ORGOCHEM
5.0
ORGO200
5.0
CHEORGO
5.0
CHE
4.7