Great teacher, class can be seen as a pain in the rear end, but it's worth it!

Teacher is extremely challenging and assumes that you have a very detailed understanding of the subject before starting the class. Beware her tests! Overall she is fair and you are sure to learn a lot!

I took her class a couple of years ago. I remember her being very helpful and nice. Not an easy class but I've taken *much* harder chemistry classes. When I took her class she used a Mac, was a Trekkie, and was pretty hot... couldn't ask for more! :-)

This is a hard class no matter the teacher. It takes a really good teacher to make you even want to try. Ms. Burns does just that. If anyone thought she wasn't helpful or clear it's because they didn't seek out help. She keeps her office hours in the physical science computer room to be more accessible to her students. What other teacher does that?

Tests are really hard! Other than that, she's nice and teaches well.

Don't listen to folks who say she can't teach or expects too much of you, unless you think that reading the book before lecture is too much to expect. 121 is a tough class with alot of material, Dr. Burns presents it clearly and is happy to answer questions for you, but she will do her best to make you come up with the answer yourself.

Chem 120/121 are very difficult classes, and the professor's most important tasks are answering your questions rather than communicating completely novel information, and grading your work. Dr Burns will show you how to answer your own questions and set very challenging assignments, but if you're dedicated and can teach yourself, you'll do OK.

I don't think people should blame Dr. Burns for the difficulty of this subject. It has a lot of hard concepts and requires a lot of work but Dr. Burns is really good at explaining it and helping you set up your own solutions to problems. Besides the difficulty its a really fun class you become really good friends with everyone in lab!

Dr Burns is an amazing teacher. She explains everything clearly during in her lectures. The only problem is the work load. The homeworks take hours to finish (do yourself a favor and DO NOT procrastinate on the HW). She expects a lot out of her students but unlike some, Burns can actually teach well. If you are weak take an easier chemistry class.

Dr. Burns' class is brutal to say the least. A majority of the test problems are nothing like the homework. Some material was not covered in the book, yet the curveball questions were on those subjects. She had a lab report and a homework assignment due on the day of the final. If you are working/taking other classes, avoid her. You won't do well.

She is a nice woman. She explains everything clearly and is always willing to help students who struggle with the material. I must admit that her class is pretty hard, but you're on the right track if you want to learn more about chemistry.

dr. burns is excellent in all ways. highly recc'd.

She's a sweetheart. This class is extremely difficult. Do not take more than 1 other science class with this one. The workload is tremendous,sometimes I spent 6+ hours a day doing problems,quizes,labs. The exams are too long, however they prepared me well for UC Davis science classes(what others say are long exams here, seem short compared to hers)

If you want to actually learn chemistry, take this professor! She forces you to learn and you will be pro at chem by the end of the semester. She is very helpful and her notes are crystal clear. There's no cutting corners in her class but you will definately learn. Highly suggest making time for office hours you'll need it!!

She is really the hardest teacher you'll get at DVC. She doesn't teach at the community college level which is really unreasonable. You have online quizzes that are always hard on top of having a lot of homework. Her lab write ups are hard too and very time consuming. Her tests are also the hardest thing ever. Do yourself a favor and don't take her

She is an overall wonderful teacher who is committed to getting her students to succeed. Her definition of success includes being able to do a problem correctly and be able to explain why. She has quizzes online every week. There are 4 exams, 1 comprehensive final,and a lab final. Try not to cry because they are very tough. Make room for office hrs

Helpful, caring, patient, and hardworking teacher. She is willing to go beyond the scope of her work to help you. The class is demanding; very detail oriented in both labs and tests. Out of 4 exams the 1st 2 I got avg 67 final 2 avg 76. The Final is easier just study past exams about 85% is from the 4 exams. Do well in the labs it will help alot.

She is a very difficult professor. Tests are challenging and she requires a lot of work outside of class. Lab reports are time consuming and there is a lot of homework and quizzes. However, she is great in office hours and never treats anyone like they are stupid. Very patient and kind. But you will be working very hard.

Dr. Burns is a very good teacher, she will give you everything you need to know. However the class itself is very difficult, the tests are hard and fast paced and you will have to dedicate a LOT of time to this class. She is super helpful during office hours and you will learn so much from her

Dr. Burns is very willing to be there for her students. If you want to do well, visit her office hours and ask as many questions as it takes for you to understand. She's very friendly and patient and you'll find that it's very helpful. She'll definitely push you to work hard but you'll learn a lot.

changed woman no doubt!!! if you want to make your life easy take her!! what more can you ask from a teacher. she gives out pretests that are similar to the midterms helps you as much as she can on the hw and to prepare you for the test. couldnt have asked for a better prof

Class average is a high B, most people are doing well. She explains things clearly and always answers questions so that you won't be confused. Curves and gives bonus points. I really like her and I recommend that you take her.

Dr. Burns is one of my favorite teachers here at DVC. Her class was extremely tough but I have to say she was really fair about her criteria. Her teaching style is clear and organized. Her notes are wonderful and she covers examples that are helpful. She's extremely welcoming to those who need her help during her office hours, so take advantage!

Nicest lady ever and is there to help! She even goes out of her way to come to the study lab to help her students during her office hours. But omg you will work hard! I wouldn't recommend taking this class with any other hard classes because this will defiantly be the load of your semester. Also if you take an 8am lab, don't be late!!!

The most helpful teacher Ive ever had, but also the hardest. DONT take this class with other science classes bc itll take all of your time. Tests are tough. Ridiculous amount of hw plus an online quiz each week. Dont be intimidated, go to her office hrs & make a study group bc itll help a lot. This class def prepared me for future science classes.

Super nice lady. Really cares how you do in the class. Her first test is a little hard then you begin to settle in and know what she expects from you. Homework every week is a bit tedious but probably helps in the long run. I would definitely recommend taking her if you truly are looking to learn chemistry. It is a tough class but totally do-able.

Extremely nice Professor!!! She is always there to help you and have clear grading criteria. Very demanding class work and lab reports, so be prepared. If you are pursuing chemistry-related career, definitely take her.

Yes, this is a very difficult and demanding class. However, she lowers the grading scale so you only need 70% to get a B and she occasionally gave some extra credit. Her lectures are very organized and clear and she is super helpful if you go to office hours. Definitely read the book, do the homework, and go to office hours to get a good grade.

She's extremely nice and caring, but the class is just very difficult due to the amount of material covered in only two days of lecture, while the other two days are lab. MAKE SURE you read the book and do most of the hw because A LOT of stuff not covered in class will be on the tests, of which the average is usually around 50-60% for the class.

her class was the hardest i've ever taken in my life. her exam questions are not similar to the homework problems, but if u have a (read: DEEP) understanding of the material u should be able to do the exam. and she also grades harshly on lab reports. this class is not for the weak, and if your major is not chemistry related, take other instructors.

Great, concise lectures. Take this class if you're a chemistry major and/or what a deep, conceptual understanding of chemistry and chemical phenomena.

Initially, a very hard chemistry class. However, after the first exam, the material did get easier and so did the exams. Dr. Burns is a teacher who teaches very the material thoroughly--if you attended her lectures and did the homework, you really did not need to read the textbook. Very caring person.

She is a very kind Professor. She teaches the material pretty good. But be aware, she is the toughest grader I have ever seen. Your hard work is not worth it, you won't get an A in her class (very rare).

It's the hardest class I've ever taken- but with a chemistry course like this that can't be avoided. You NEED to pre-read lecture material because lecture goes fast. She's really awesome though, and super understanding about personal/home life issues.

Tough but really good teacher. The tests are very thorough and detailed, so ask questions and go to office hours. You're gonna wanna double up on lab hours during qual. Read the text and take some notes on it before class. If you're a STEM major she's a good choice.

"The Dark Souls of Chemistry." I learned a huge amount from Burns. She knows tons about chemistry, is extremely nice, and I don't at all regret taking this class, but I don't know if I would do it again. She makes you do so much homework and her tests are so difficult it can be demoralizing. Still, a very strong professor who will teach you a ton.

She is very kind and passionate, so you will know she really likes chemistry. She gives us tons of homework, but she is very kind to answer every single questions for each student. She always answers correctly and thoughtfully. The course is very difficult but it is worthy for science students to take her class.

Professor Burns is an amazing professor. She is always available to students who are struggling and is very kind an understanding. She really wants her student to learn the material and is very passionate about chemistry. I highly recommend taking her. She will push you to work hard and in the end you will be better for it!

She is very caring. She listens to any voices in the class, which I liked. Her exams are hard, but if you do homework, by yourself, going to office hour, you will be fine. It is hard to get A but you will be skillful and confident about chemistry.

Laura Burns is a demanding teacher. I took both chem 120 and 121 with her; Her tests are very tough, the averages are usually around 50-65%. Her grading scale is 55-70% C, 70-85% B, 85-100% A. I'd definitely recommend her if chemistry is something you NEED because you'll learn a lot and Laura is caring and ALWAYS willing to help. Tough af tho

Professor. Burns is a very nice lady. She listens to everyone in her class and gives very clear explanations on both concepts and lab techniques. She does make you work and think a lot. There is a lot of homework and the exams questions are not easy, but they are definitely related to each other. Show up in lectures and do the hw, you will be fine.

she answers emails regularly and helps you with labs and is super sweet and gave us candy on halloween

Prof. Burns is extremely nice. She responds to emails quickly and does everything she can to help you learn. The average score on exams can be low but that's because 121 is a hard class - the averages are low with every professor. It's possible (and probable) to get an A in her class if you do the weekly readings and homework. I strongly recommend!

She is an amazing professor, if you need this class for your major take her. You will have a solid understanding of chemistry by the end. It is not an easy A, you will spend around 30 hours a week on chemistry but it will be worth it. Tests are really difficult but they're based on notes and homework, so make sure to redo problems before the exam.

Professor Burns really cares about her students and wants them to understand the material. Her tests were difficult and the homework was pretty heavy, making the class pretty time consuming. If you have the time to put in the work, getting an A or B in the class is possible.

one of the best chem teacher I ever had

Dr. Burns is a pretty caring person overall. I found that her lectures were kinda confusing tho. This class is very demanding in terms of work and if you slack off good luck. Exams were pretty difficult and mostly conceptual and word problems. This class requires a lot of persistence and hard work. I think out of all CHEM121, she's the best.

I took Dr. Burns for Chem-121, and although it was a hefty course, she was a very helpful instructor. She understands the material well and can help with any question you have. There is a lot of work, but that's standard for chem 121. Tests are very difficult. She curves the class so 85% is an A, which is needed. Take advantage of her office hours.

As long as you read the book before coming to lecture on the specified chapter, it makes getting an A fairly simple in this class. Make sure to understand and revisit the material given in the lecture and the tests will be easy.

Great teacher extremely accessible office hours, fair and kind, insanely tough tests and assignments.

If you take 121 with Prof Burns, you will come out extremely well prepared for future STEM classes. Very good lectures but be prepared for harshly graded labs and brutal exams. Take her if you're willing to sacrifice time and possibly take a hit to your GPA in order to understand the material much more in depth than in some other Prof's classes.

I had a great time taking her class!! She's the nicest person ever and I truly enjoyed her labs. But her class was very tough, tests are hard and she put time into grading our labs and homework(you should be very careful with writing your lab reports and HW). You'll learn chem in depth with her(don't think it'll be surface-level oreasy). Good Luck!

Amazing lecture Highly available off class. Kind and respectful /TONS of homework /difficult exams Just use office hours as much as possible, and spend half an hour one day before the lecture. You can get an A. Perfect class for people who really want to learn something in depth.

Professor Burns is amazing. This class is HARD. No matter who you take it with bc of the material itself. She does a great job at explaining the material. The exams are hard but its so important to practice in this class. Ask questions, GO TO OH, participate in class and lab. Reading the textbook helped a lot. she is so sweet and caring.

Prof. Burns teaches an intense, in-depth CHEM121 course. Exams are brutal, but you'll come out well-prepared. Utilize office hours and tools like Unstuck ai to ace this class.

One of the best and kindest professors I have ever had, she works with you to make sure you have a strong understanding of the material. If you mess up on the lab, she is there to help you through calculations and fix literally any mistake. Also has very accessible office hours! If you need a strong foundation in chemistry take her!