2.8

Lydia Li

Computer Science - Seneca Polytechnic

2.8
Quality
2.8
Difficulty
48%
Would Retake
86
Reviews
2.8
Quality
2.8
Difficulty
2.9
Helpful
2.6
Clarity

48%

Would Retake

86

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official
86 total ratings

5

23

4

9

3

15

2

12

1

27

What Students Say

Doesn't listen or answer questions

DBS201 - 1.0 rating

She is very strict on deadlines and does not give extensions

DBS201 - 1.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

53%

Textbook Required

46%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

95% confidence
Based on 33 grades
Most common grades:
A (9)
A+ (8)
B+ (6)
Grade Distribution
A(17)B(6)C(2)D(2)F(2)A-/B+(6)
Based on 43 reported grades
A: 9
A+: 8
B+: 6
Not sure yet: 6
Common Tags
Tough grader (6)
Group projects (5)
Get ready to read (4)
Test heavy (4)
Lecture heavy (3)
Tough Grader (2)
TEST HEAVY (2)
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.38 avg change
Apr
Jan
Mar
Aug
Sep
Oct
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

OPS650

5.0

(1)

DAT701

5.0

(1)

OPS400

3.3

(22)

DBS311

3.3

(4)

BCI433

3.3

(4)
+7 more courses
Difficulty by Course

IBC233

5.0

DBS101

4.0

DBS201

3.1

BCI433

3.0

DBS211

2.7

Reviews (85)
5.0
1.0
OPS400
Dec 10, 2001

great teacher (i agree)

5.0
1.0
OPS400
Feb 15, 2002

Good Teacher...it helps when ur the dept head.

2.0
3.0
OPS400
Grade: B
Mar 26, 2002

Very hard to understand heavy accent. Can jump from topic to topic confusing you

5.0
3.0
OPS400
Mar 31, 2002

Encourages students to further their education on AS/400.

1.0
5.0
OPS400
Apr 13, 2002

Had no clue what she was saying

2.0
5.0
OPS400
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
May 3, 2002

Very hard to understand! Talk slower, and don't jump around on the topics

3.0
3.0
AS400
May 3, 2002

No Comments

3.0
4.0
OPS400
May 11, 2002

No Comments

5.0
2.0
OPS400
May 13, 2002

No Comments

2.0
3.0
AS400
Jun 21, 2002

can you speak Lydainese?

2.0
3.0
DAT702
Oct 15, 2002

Seneca gets teachers off the boat , Its about money for them no u

5.0
1.0
OPS400
Aug 3, 2002

No Comments

2.0
5.0
DAT702
Dec 9, 2002

it's pronounced: day-tah, not day-ter

5.0
1.0
DAT702
Dec 12, 2002

Easy but boring. Keep repeating the same stuff. Long gas.

2.0
1.0
DAT702AB
Dec 12, 2002

a pre-requisite to this class should be chinese 101

2.0
2.0
DAT702
Dec 12, 2002

DAAAAYTEEER in the MEETADAAAYTEER

3.0
3.0
DAT702
Apr 11, 2003

evenlo ....walever-walever-walever day-ter she says erxcess is da best...Lydia<<<==needs higher heels to be seen!.!aiya!!!!!!!!

3.0
2.0
OPS400
Dec 21, 2003

Shes a Coo Cat, Hard to Understand but helpful, Ez tests and openbook quizzes. Shes a Keeper!

1.0
2.0
OPS400
Grade: A
Feb 24, 2004

extreamly lazy

1.0
5.0
OPS400
Apr 15, 2005

chienese 101 not kidding, this woman cant teach, she knows her shyte, but cant teach it

2.0
4.0
OPS400
Mar 23, 2004

She seems difficult to make her lectures understandable!

4.0
1.0
AS400
Jul 19, 2005

Somewhat hard to understand. Everything she teaches on the lecture is pretty much on the test. She never stops talking though. You'll see yourself walking out of class from time to time and you'll still be on the same question. Very easy proff. Either have her, or Andrea Burns for as400.

5.0
1.0
OPS650
Oct 29, 2005

Ah c'mon people, although she might be hard to understand. A little bit of review is good for everybody. Even though she goes through multiple times doesnt it help you to remember more clearly. Certanly works for me. Going for another A+ with her advanced 650 coruse. Whatever the case is dont take AS400 with Andre Berns, you will get even more lost

2.0
3.0
DBS201
Feb 20, 2007

Her lectures are unbelievably boring. They are a total drag. And when you ask for help, she pretty much assumes you haven't done the reading and tells you to read over and over again. If you think you can handle this class with her independently, she could be a good prof to take.

4.0
2.0
OPS400
May 2, 2007

Lydia is great. I could understand her fine as well. She's super easy. Her quizzes are open book and as long as you make good cheat sheets, the class is pretty easy.

1.0
2.0
DAT702
Jan 14, 2008

Completely useless and incompetent are understatements for this "teacher". She ALWAYS comes in at least 15 minutes late, opens the door for us, and then leaves after 5 minutes. She is never around when you need help, and never teaches a damn thing. We had to learn everything from Allan's website. She's nothing more than an overpaid lab monitor.

1.0
2.0
DAT702
Apr 11, 2010

You won't learn anything; she cant teach a single thing in database. She is the worst teacher I ever had.

1.0
5.0
OPS400
Oct 6, 2010

I'm Asian, so I should at least understand her, even by a little bit, but I can't. Lydia Li's labs look like they were written by a twelve year old. She doesnt update anything. Example, we need to connect to the Zues server, but she has the Odin server listed from 7 years ago. She also took labs and tests from my friend because she didn't know crap

3.0
3.0
OPS400
Dec 15, 2010

Teaches with enthusiasm but moves fast and is hard to follow. Still doesn't mark too hard.

5.0
2.0
DAT701
Jan 12, 2011

ops400 and dat701 ,both good.I sure

3.0
3.0
DAT702
Jan 31, 2011

Always professionally dressed. Fair marker. Sometimes it is difficult to understand her, but most of the time you will not understand her because you want to be spoonfed the answers and not work on the lab problems. Work on your labs, make proper reference sheets and you will do well. Murdoch writes the final exam, so know your stuff!!

4.0
2.0
DAT702
Sep 19, 2011

Good teacher. Has an accent but is still comprehensible. She gives helps whenever needed.

5.0
2.0
OPS400
Apr 16, 2012

great

1.0
5.0
IBC233
Apr 11, 2013

She is a very terrible teacher. If you want to be successful in this course, don't take her!!!!!

1.0
5.0
IBC233
Apr 15, 2013

If you want to fail then she is a good option!!

5.0
2.0
DAT702
Jan 16, 2014

Lydia is great. She is very willing to help, her lectures aren't very long but takes everything step by step so you understand it all. As long as you try, she will help you as much as she can. Go to her class, and don't expect to get spoon fed!

3.0
3.0
DAT702
Dec 7, 2013

She's great. She may not be the best when it comes to lectures but she definitely makes you try and self learn throughout the course. She is quite strict when it comes to grading so always be sure to look over your answers before submitting. TL;DR She doesn't take any bs from anybody, great teacher.

3.0
4.0
OPS400
Apr 10, 2014

I had this teacher, she was hard to understand, definitely knows a lot, and is a hard marker

2.0
5.0
IBC233
Grade: Drop/Withdrawal
Dec 7, 2014

She has an incredibly thick accent which is very difficult to understand. If you don't attend the lectures you will not pass. Her tests are very hard and she is a tough marker. During the lab period she leaves the class for more than half the time, so don't expect much help. Overall bad teacher, I wouldn't recommend taking her class 410

4.0
3.0
DAT702
Grade: B+
Dec 21, 2014

Her lecture material is easy and she's an easy marker, but be prepared to learn SQL on your own. Labs are tough, so get into groups to solve them quickly. At times she could be hard to understand due to her accent.

5.0
1.0
OPS400
Grade: A+
Jan 26, 2016

she is fantastic

1.0
3.0
DBS201
Mar 9, 2016

Course material is easy, but she have below average clarity on her instructions on tests, labs and assignment which will screw up your work so you need to be the Sherlock Homes and figure stuff out on your own because she also is forgetful, absent, no reply to mail and won't even listen to what u have to say. Trump/Rubio March 3rd debate style.

1.0
4.0
DBS201
Grade: B+
Mar 10, 2016

Doesn't listen or answer questions

3.0
1.0
OPS400
Grade: C+
Jul 5, 2016
Would take again

Her English is hard to understand however with DAT702 she will teacher better then the other teachers. for OPS400 classes there are pop Quizzes and they count but its more or less open book so bring cheat sheets. Ones you have the cheat sheets the class is a joke.

4.0
2.0
DBS201
Dec 30, 2016
Would take again

Easy marker for a relatively easy course. Has an accent, but not a big problem. Usually repeats important concepts in lectures, so be sure to attend them. She answers concept-relevant questions in great detail, but may get a little frustrated at times. Overall, if you keep up, easy A.

3.0
1.0
OPS400
Grade: A
Feb 21, 2017
Would take again

she rambles on a little bit. her personality is strict, give the impression of a little elderly woman that stucks in her past. great though funny yet experienced professor

BEWARE OF POP QUIZZES
SO MANY PAPERS
1.0
3.0
DBS201
Grade: B
Aug 8, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Bad with joke. Don't answer question properly and her's explanation sometime makes it even harder to understand

1.0
4.0
DBS201
Grade: B
Aug 8, 2017
Wouldn't take again

If you can't learn on your own well I wouldn't choose her unfortunately she rambles on a lot and her lectures are un-clear. She is very strict on deadlines and does not give extensions. If you are taking her class do not expect help with any projects.

Tough Grader
Get ready to read
TEST HEAVY
4.0
2.0
DBS201
Grade: A+
Dec 11, 2017
Would take again

Lydia was easily accessible outside of the classroom. I emailed her to schedule an appointment and it was set up for the next day. She was patient with my questions and provided detail explanations. You have to ask your questions carefully, however. Her jokes may offend some. An easy A+ if you do your work and show your effort: optics is key.

Gives good feedback
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
Would take again
4.0
4.0
DBS101
Grade: B+
Jan 6, 2018
Would take again

Lydia is so knowledgeable about databases, but struggles at putting it into words. If you directly ask a question, she will be very helpful. She's also pretty funny and has a thick accent. Everyone has had a teacher like her in high school.

Get ready to read
Hilarious
Tests are tough
1.0
5.0
DBS201
Grade: F
Jan 24, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Worst professor I've ever seen. Never listens to you, she has a habit of talking too much but trust me you will never get what she is talking. If you want to fail then take this professor. She is an old lady, her English is too bad. She does not teach anything also she is a tough grader. Seneca should fire this type of lady.

Tough Grader
TEST HEAVY
5.0
1.0
DBS201
Grade: A+
Jul 5, 2018
Would take again

She is very nice and the course itself is very simple. Her exams are very easy and a loose marker. As long as you understand what she is talking about, you should pass this course very easy.

Inspirational
1.0
5.0
DBS201
Grade: A
Nov 23, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Do not take this course She is the worst teacher in this college

GROUP PROJECTS
3.0
3.0
DBS201
Grade: A+
Dec 4, 2018
Wouldn't take again

She is a genuine caring woman, however, her accent does reduce her teaching proficiency incredibly. The first half of the semester was a piece of cake, but when normalization concepts are introduced it was INCREDIBLY difficult to understand her. These concepts are hard to grasp because they're so subjective, and she is very unclear hows it's marked

ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
Hilarious
1.0
3.0
DBS201
May 28, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Lydia is one of the worse professors I've had in Seneca. She puts you on the spot and doesn't provide any help when you try to ask her a question and don't understand something. When questioned why I didn't receive the full marks, she couldn't give me an answer. Unless you want your grades to be determined by her emotions, don't take her classes.

5.0
3.0
DBS201
Dec 2, 2019
Would take again

Lydia is great. Shes knowledgeable, energetic and comes across as a genuine caring person. She can be a tough grader but as long as you do the work its a great class.

Group projects
Lecture heavy
1.0
3.0
DBS201
Grade: Drop/Withdrawal
Jun 12, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Worst prof I've ever seen in this college!

1.0
3.0
DBS211
Grade: A
Dec 6, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Lydia Li reads from Power Point slides only, she did not open database application, she never run any command to show how things must be done. Furthermore, Lydia Li does not show up in lab times for online classes at all. Never take her classes.

Group projects
5.0
2.0
OPS400
Grade: A+
Jan 18, 2021
Would take again

She's funny, knowledgeable and energetic. Shows you everything you need to pass the course, I'd highly recommend attending her lectures. She takes up questions and turns serious when you need to pay attention to something important. Couldn't ask for a better professor to teach IBM's iSeries.

3.0
2.0
DBS211
Grade: A
Aug 13, 2021
Would take again

Lydia is really nice and caring. She also gives breaks during class and makes jokes sometimes. Although it can be very hard to understand her sometimes because of her thick accent. I learned from her, but I think I learned more from my own work and reading the PowerPoints she makes. She can be quick to teach sometimes as well. But she marks easily.

Accessible outside class
Group projects
Clear grading criteria
1.0
3.0
DBS311
Grade: F
Sep 19, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Never reply to student's emails and cannot reach out to her outside class.

Test heavy
5.0
2.0
BCI433
Grade: A
Sep 30, 2021
Would take again

I had Lydia for BCI433. She walks you through every single lab and shows you step by step how to complete it. To submit, you only have to run 1-2 commands for her during the lab period instead of submitting entire documents filled out. She made a tough course much easier for me to complete.

Clear grading criteria
1.0
2.0
DBS211
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 2, 2021
Wouldn't take again

TERRIBLE. cant teach, finds ways to deduct marks for no reason. for the love of god do not taking this sorry of a prof's classes

3.0
1.0
DBS201
Grade: B+
Jan 14, 2022
Would take again

she is good in grading and there are few chances to get plagarised but be aware when you copy from someone, this thing I don't like is that when there is group project she asks you the question in front of the whole regarding the project you worked otherwise she is good.

1.0
4.0
DBS201
Feb 12, 2022
Wouldn't take again

Lydia never gives feedback on anything you hand in. She ignores students asking questions in class. Never answers questions. Makes mistakes when marking so beware. I did well but class was a bad experience and wouldn't take her again.

Graded by few things
Tough grader
1.0
5.0
BCI433
May 1, 2022

Will give grades with no reasoning and refuses to elaborate, as she ignores emails. Makes you present your program live in front of every student and is extremely impatient when doing so, extremely ineffective way of demonstrating knowledge on the content. Avoid her, lazy and does not know how to run a class.

4.0
1.0
BCI433
Grade: A
May 6, 2022
Would take again

Lydia is knowledgeable about IBM and can be pretty entertaining. The subject is dull undoubtedly and the frustrations other students expressed are true: Lydia can be impatient and work is all shown in front of everyone in class. However, she will often give away much of the code in the lecture itself and is very understanding one-on-one.

Caring
Lecture heavy
1.0
5.0
DBS211
Grade: B
Dec 10, 2022

Her quizzes are completely different and they are offline after the class. If you like paying attention to the lectures and studying then she might be good but, If you're like me then there are better professors for DBS. She's a tough grader you rarely get full marks.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Test heavy
5.0
3.0
DBS211
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 17, 2022
Would take again

Lydia really knows database, no doubt. Accent can be difficult to understand at times, but her class notes are sufficient. Her lecture explanations are on point and she provides several examples. Just listen to her lectures and study, you will do well in her class.

1.0
5.0
DBS211
Grade: B-
Dec 21, 2022

The professor is old school . Get ready to write computer codes on a paper sheet . Zero empathy towards students. Doesnt care much about class . Reads from ppt given from the course . Very tough grader

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Group projects
3.0
4.0
BCI433
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 18, 2023

She is lenient and very often just opens up code for your labs which are central to your grades and tests. She can be nice to you if you are willing to learn, however overall I still find the course which is no longer mandatory has many flaws and she doesn't explain things very clearly despite being a veteran. She is OK but we don't need AS400.

Lots of homework
Graded by few things
5.0
1.0
DBS211
Grade: A+
Apr 18, 2023
Would take again

- Pros: 1. Easy grader: friendly for beginner 2. Explain different ways and try to let you understand important but difficult concept 3. Teaches practially useful in working environment - Cons: Directly read from the powerpoint for the basic concepts - Remarks: If you want good grade and skills for working (not specific concepts in depth), take her

5.0
1.0
DBS211
Grade: B+
Apr 18, 2023
Would take again

Choose her. Another DBS professor is horrible. Easy grader.

2.0
4.0
DBS211
Grade: Rather not say
May 4, 2023

Had a terribly hard time understanding her lectures, she never did any lab, she cut a lot of marks for the smallest mistakes.

Tough grader
Group projects
Test heavy
2.0
1.0
DBS211
Grade: A+
Jul 28, 2023

Doesn't give real tests/quizzes + doesn't bother to actually grade work; just gives a little skim in class and gives a mark based the one answer she chose. Accent a bit hard to understand but overall not too bad; real issue is her lack of being able to understand her student's questions and being really impatient overall. Also kind of mean...

Participation matters
5.0
3.0
DBS211
Grade: A
Aug 28, 2023
Would take again

I thoroughly enjoyed attending Lydia Li's lectures; she is understanding and consistently explains the content very effectively.

Participation matters
Amazing lectures
Inspirational
1.0
5.0
DBS211
Grade: C
Apr 19, 2024

Just avoid her.

Test heavy
3.0
2.0
DBS311
Jan 1, 2025
Would take again

Lydia is not bad at all. She's always prepared for the lectures, shows code examples and explains how they work. There were occasional misunderstandings, but overall she teaches well. It's not difficult to get a good mark with her.

5.0
1.0
DBS211
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 10, 2025
Would take again

she is one of the best professors I dont know why the ratings are so low. She is kind and gives you extra 1% if you show up in her class in bad weathers lmao. She is an easy grader and explains every concept clearly with examples.

EXTRA CREDIT
Caring
1.0
5.0
DBS211
Grade: Not sure yet
Aug 7, 2025

Doesn't guide you through anything, expects you to just understand. When you ask questions, she cuts you off midway and doesn't answer it. Got upset with a student for clarifying a word she was saying. She exposes students' labs and quizzes and says what they did wrong. No exam prep at all. Comes off rude and uncaring. AVOID at all costs.

Tough grader
5.0
2.0
DBS311
Grade: B
Aug 15, 2025

she's good but take on your own risk

5.0
1.0
DBS211
Grade: A
Aug 20, 2025
Would take again

Pretty good and hilarious and is very enegetic, although she has some issues with english, None the less very caring.

Tough grader
Lots of homework
Lecture heavy
4.0
2.0
DBS311
Grade: A+
Aug 22, 2025
Would take again

her teaching style is confusing but still ok. in her assignments you have to work hard because she doesn't accept online submission you have to show her in class and explain everything but her exams are super easy.

1.0
4.0
DBS101
Grade: Not sure yet
Sep 15, 2025

I cannot believe this person is allowed to be in a classroom, yet alone teach in it. She cannot control the students that are interrupting the lecture. She cannot speak English efficiently. She does not answer Emails. She was absent the first 2 classes of the semester. And I couldn't change to another professor, as she was teaching in all sections

1.0
1.0
DBS211
Grade: B+
Oct 8, 2025

She missed three classes due to personal reasons. Also, she just reads the materials.

Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

53%

Textbook Required

46%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

95% confidence
Based on 33 grades
Most common grades:
A (9)
A+ (8)
B+ (6)
Grade Distribution
A(17)B(6)C(2)D(2)F(2)A-/B+(6)
Based on 43 reported grades
A: 9
A+: 8
B+: 6
Not sure yet: 6
Common Tags
Tough grader (6)
Group projects (5)
Get ready to read (4)
Test heavy (4)
Lecture heavy (3)
Tough Grader (2)
TEST HEAVY (2)
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.38 avg change
Apr
Jan
Mar
Aug
Sep
Oct
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

OPS650

5.0

(1)

DAT701

5.0

(1)

OPS400

3.3

(22)

DBS311

3.3

(4)

BCI433

3.3

(4)
+7 more courses
Difficulty by Course

IBC233

5.0

DBS101

4.0

DBS201

3.1

BCI433

3.0

DBS211

2.7

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