3.1
Quality4.0
Difficulty57%
Would Retake266
Reviews57%
Would Retake
266
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
59
4
59
3
49
2
48
1
51
What Students Say
“Makes hilarious jokes during class”
CHEM0110 - 4.0 rating“More like Margaret Swine”
CHEM0110 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
50%
Textbook Required
2%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+1.11 avg changeRatings by Course
0110
4.1
(8)CHEMO110
4.0
(2)CHEM0420
4.0
(4)CHEM0120
3.2
(87)CHEM11O
3.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEM0120
4.1
0120
4.0
CHEM0110
3.9
CHEMO110
3.5
0110
3.5
Reviews (266)
She knows what she is talking about... just tends to confuse her words and makes mistakes while teaching. Doesn't really use courseweb too well. Tests are a bit insane.
Very nice and knows what she is talking about however homework out of the book and it doesn't prepare you for the test. Her tests require you to think in a different way but the homework is basically plug and chug. I don't mind having to work for my grade but it would be nice if she would give more practice problems that are more like the test.
I think the best way to describe Dr. Vines is incompetent. She does not understand her weaknesses and surely does not play to strengths. She tries to make up questions impromptu in class and then confuses herself while trying to teach. She doesn't utilize OWL at all even though its an amazing resource and should be used for hw instead of the text.
Dr. Vines often seems very lost during lectures, making many mistakes and getting sidetracked. Her spelling is atrocious, but that's beside the point. She's very willing to help, but an absolute mess at the podium. Tests are often fairly tricky. Do not take her chemistry class.
Yes, Professor Vines was not always the best at communicating the information, however it was her first time teaching in a long time and she was VERY helpful during her review sessions and office hours. She is very funny, knowledgeable about chemistry, and a great teacher, take her!
It is true that she may not be the easiest Chem professor out there, but she is extremely helpful if you go to office hours and really cares about her students. Plus, she is pretty funny and tries to keep lecture engaging. She's big on the real life examples which I find to be a bonus.
She's okay. Can be a little flakey at times. Lots of examples. Test difficulty is not proportional to quiz difficulty at all.
Margaret Vines? More like Margaret Swine. This person really has no idea how to properly teach students, let alone herself. She is unclear with many concepts, and doesn't really care about the students. Her tests are made 10000x harder than the practice questions that she gives out. ps one time I asked her a question, and a booger fell out her nose
Vines is a sweet woman, I really like her as a person, but when I went to her for help she was no help at all. Her lectures felt like they were 3 hours long when they were only an hour and fifteen. And on top of that, she makes so many mistakes during class, she's an absolute mess. If you're looking to learn during lecture, it ain't happening.
Dr. Vines is clearly knowledgable and cares about her students, she just is incapable of teaching. It's actually sad to watch because you know she is trying so hard. I don't even go to lecture anymore, just learn it all in your recitation and lab. Tests are all over the place so there's no way to know what you're in for.
I thoroughly enjoyed Professor Vines's Gen-Chem 2 course. The material is interesting, it's taught well, and all things considered, if you do the work and find the material interesting it is a wonderful experience. Take Prof' Vines because you want to learn about Chemistry, if you want an "easy A" though, you should look elsewhere.
I had Vines for chem 0110 and being someone who struggles a little bit with chemistry, it was difficult. Her tests are harder than her quizzes by far. I learned more from my recitation TA than her lectures really. Great lady though, she was helpful to me in office hours but unclear in lecture. Wouldn't recommend if you aren't strong in chem.
I taught myself using the textbook the entire time. She teaches class using examples and doesn't teach you how to actually do it so if you come to class having never taken AP Chem it is very confusing and hard to follow. I do not recommend her unless you already know Chemistry.
Vines is a funny teacher and I would say that her class is pretty fair. She doesn't grade too hard, and the tests leave a lot of room for partial credit, which is always helpful. Although the tests aren't brutally hard, lectures are not very helpful because she is very scattered, and is constantly making mistakes and then laughing about them.
She's funny during her lectures, always cracking Chemistry jokes. She can be scattered at times, but it isn't too hard to stay on track with her. TA's grade her tests but you're allowed to submit it again to her for re-grading. I enjoyed her lectures, was never extremely bored by them. Lectures are basically mandatory, she writes on chalk boards.
Very knowledgeable and ample opportunities for help. Notorious as one of the tougher profs here, but if you require orgo in the future consider this a light warmup. Some topics were a bit unclear in lecture. The final was not difficult, but was long (too long for me). The midterms require more than plug-and-chug. The study materials were helpful.
She's incredibly confusing and constantly making mistakes when teaching that does not help you when your trying to learn something complicating. Her practice exams and homework are nothing like the real test. She does give bonuses though.
She moves way too fast in lecture and office hours aren't much help. I tried going for clarification on a topic and she just confused me more. The only way to pass her class is going to get help from UTU's or TA's. If there's any possible way to take a different professor, do NOT take Dr. Vine's class.
I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about Vines, but I enjoy her class. She can be a tough grader and her tests are difficult, she also tends to move through her lectures very quickly.
I had Dr. Vines last year for CHEM 1, and although I didn't have the best chemistry background going into the class, I still managed to do well. This was mostly due to the fact that I read the textbook thoroughly and went to the TA sessions. I strongly recommend that you get the worksheets from those sessions. Her teaching can be very disorganized.
Dr. Vines class, although usually hated on, was not too bad. She gives notes outlines for every section, and although moves kind of quick, is still not to hard to follow along with. Definitely not the best teacher if you struggle with chem, but as long as you have a relative understanding, you will get a fine grade. She mega curves her tests.
Margaret Vines is absolutely the worst teacher I have ever had. She is literally dumb. I don't know how she became a professor because she literally never knows what the hell she's talking about. Do NOT take her!!!!!!
Dude... She gave an exam with 5 questions that no one knew anything about. I got a 47 and now I'm scared I'm gonna fail.
Wonderful teach if you put in the work. You study hard for this class and you will be rewarded for it. Tests are incredibly fair (anyone who says otherwise is just lying to themselves about how much they studied). Chemistry isn't an easy class, but she does her best to make sure you get it. Also, going to class isn't so important so thats a plus
Dr. Vines is a good teacher for upper-level chemistry. For General Chemistry 1, I would not recommend her unless you have had experience with Chem in high school like A.P. courses. If you are new or rusty to Chem, she is not helpful with learning things. She goes through the slides very quickly, talks very quickly and her tests are difficult
Vines is fine if you are taking upper level chem. There's no doubt she's knowledgeable when it come to chemistry, but explaining the general concepts is not her forte. Gen Chem lectures are confusing if you didn't take AP Chem in high school because she starts in the middle of a topic instead of quickly explaining the basics.
I would not recommend taking Vines as her tests are a lot tougher than what I've seen from other professors. My TA, at least, was not helpful in the slightest during recitation. Basically, you're on your own. The test questions are not anything like problems assigned for homework nor in class problems.
Like her a lot as a person, don't like her as a prof. Doesn't seem to understand that some people just don't 'get' chemistry really easily, but on the plus side she DOES give partial credit on exams. Lectures aren't very clear and tend to drag. Long exams that are very tedious. Great sense of humor.
WORST professor I've ever had. She's very knowledgeable, but definitely not good at teaching. I do everything I can to succeed in this class and understand the material, but I am still doing poorly. Her exams are nothing like the practice tests. Lectures are all over the place and very difficult to follow--you're on your own! Avoid her if you can!
Vines is a very interesting person, nice lady but terrible teacher. Very unorganized and spastic, doesn't show you where numbers come from. Tests aren't fair and are super hard. Only 3 tests & final is 1/3 of grade. If you don't have a strong chem background do not take her
sweet god dr vainness the worst, almost as bad as grabowski, bur she gives like 20 points of extra credit , i guess it helps, not really. her exams are god awful they are so hard no matter how hard you study if you aren't good at chem in general do not take her for gen chem 1 she's the worlds slowest grader and she makes os many errors AVOID HER
If I had to take Chem 1 again, I would try not to take Dr. Vines. She moves very quickly and assumes a strong background coming into the class. That being said, she is very nice on a personal level and very helpful if you ask for it. Her tests are very concept based and usually very straightforward but hard. In the end the class is curved.
I have to start by saying that Dr. Vines is an incredibly nice and funny person. However, she's a hot mess during lectures. She does assign frequent homework from the textbook and online. She also offers numerous review sessions. Dr. Vines is helpful one-on-one in office hours, but during lectures, it is a different story.
Vines moves very fast through her lectures. She also gives very easy examples in her lectures and in her homework and tests, uses hard problems. You need to study out of the book often, because some of the concepts that are on her tests, she does not go into detail in her lectures. She is a nice woman to talk to and helpful in her office hours.
There are usually only 2 tests and they make up most of your grade so if you fail, chances are you won't pass the class. The tests are EXTREMELY difficult and lectures aren't helpful. The tests consist of problems that aren't explained in lecture or in the homework. There are quizzes and homework for every recitation. Would NOT recommend this prof.
If you are good at chem and enjoy it you will like Vines, she is fast paced and won't bore you, and her exams will prove a challenge that will only make you a stronger student. However if you have no background in chem she will be awful for you, she will assume you already know the basics and her exams will seem impossible. Take at your own risk.
Lectures are clear & she makes them engaging. Tests are a bit hard but she provides ample opportunity for extra credit
Would not take her Chem 1 or Chem 2 class unless you took AP Chemistry in high school or have a strong chemistry background. The class is basically determined by two exams and then a final. She does curve, but only at the end when all of the points are in. She will give some bonus and tests are fair but can sometimes be tricky.
Don't take Dr. Vines for Chem 2 unless you had really good AP Chem teachers. If you did, her class is extremely easy. If you haven't taken chem before do NOT take Dr. Vines. She assumes you have a strong background and hardly explains anything. Her lectures jump around a lot and a re really hard to follow.
She tries, she really does, but she makes mistakes on exams and is often confusing. The final sucked, noone had any idea what they were doing. The exams are open ended and leave room for BSing, but I don't feel like I learned much, even if I passed.
Had her for general chemistry 1 and 2, hardest teacher i had freshman year, definitely have to do a lot of work to get a good grade, i don't a good amount of work and still only got a B-
I found her exams to be extremely hard and her teaching method is just so erratic and unorganized. I took this class positive that I would ace everything in my way since I took AP Chem in high school too.
She blows through material quickly, sometimes a little too quickly, but she's thorough. Vines is smart, but so smart that she doesn't realize how hard she makes her exams! Very open ended, abstract, and mind-numbing questions. Don't be expecting text-book questions from her. If chem and math is not your thing, find someone else.
She literally just reads of the powerpoint. makes lame jokes all the time, as if thats gonna distract us from her horrible teaching. Don't take this class. I took AP chem in high school and this was still hard. Theres a bunch of other profs who'll do a way better job than she ever will.
Dr. Vines continuously makes errors while trying to do example problems in class that have to be corrected by her students which confuses the process all together. She gives extremely difficult exams that are not even close to sample tests and has admitted to going out of her way to make exams challenging instead of sticking to what we have learned
Dr. Vine is a very nice as a person. She respects students and answers all questions during lecture time. However, her exams are SO HARD!! Our average on the first exam was 60. However, she offers many extra credits and makes grading criteria easier. 60% of the test counts as B. So, take this class if you want to learn stuff. It is not too bad
Dr. Vines is a really nice person, but her class is exceptionally difficult. Our tests were significantly harder than the other sections. I would not recommend. Definitely do not take unless you are a strong chem student and took AP Chem
She was VERY unclear about what would be on her exams. The practice tests she would post online for review very rarely helped prepare us for the actual exams, and would often have incorrect answers and/or work. If the work on our actual tests looked anything like the work she used to explain concepts, we would all get 0s. Avoid her if you can.
She's not as bad as many people describe her to be. Yes, she is tough. But if you put in the time to take notes on the chapter, do the HW assignments legitimately, and ask questions in recitation, your grade will reflect the effort you put in. She offers a lot of extra credit. She also curves the class.
She gives exams that are much harder than any "practice" exams that she says the tests will be like. Seriously was the most stressful class for my freshman year first semester. Quizzes or in class excersises every recitation but they actually help you understand the material but it all depends on what TA you get.
Believe it, Dr. Vines is the worst Freshman Chem proffesor at Pitt. Her exam score averages are the lowest out of all classes (low 60s), and she is horribly bad at teaching. She assumes everyone coming into the class has taken AP chem so she skips the basics. If you are excellent at chem already you'll be fine, but if you're rusty at all beware!
Vines is one of the worst professors that is at the University of Pittsburgh. Her lectures are the most pointless thing that you can go to, the difficulty of her in class problems do not compare to her tests. Oh and by the way you have two tests that make or break your grades. The average is in the lower 60s and the curve is not large enough.
Grade dependent on two tests and a final. Test questions are full of errors and are not representative of what was taught in class.
This satanic woman is the reason I have anxiety and heart problems. tests are not ever on the subjects. hated her analogies. she doesnt realize what its like for us plebs to cram so much chem in such a short time.
Dr. Vines is a good choice for chem 0110 if you have already has chem in high school. If you did not you will not pass this class. Her tests are designed to test the concepts being taught so be warned that they are quite tough although there are plenty of opportunities to earn bonus points. Very accessible outside of class too.
Vines is very messy in lecture, prepare to change an entire process of solving a problem at the very end because she messes up ALOT! I recommend never writing notes in pen. Her tests are almost impossible, the practice tests she gives are definitely fake. The curves are huge, a 44 is basically a C-. Only take if you're confident with Chem basics.
If you don't have a super strong background in chemistry you might want to find another professor. Lectures were fast paced and confusing to follow. Personally I feel like I had a decent understanding of all the topics we covered but when taking the exams felt very confused and lost due to the difficulty and confusing wording of the questions.
As everyone else has said, her tests were unclear and way harder than the examples that she did in class. Although her may not be the best lecturer, I still enjoyed her class. She provides mang opportunities for one to get extra help, like the UTA sessions and her curves are very generous. If you aren't too familiar with chem, be prepared to work!
Margaret assumes that you have a solid background in chemistry coming into her class. She explains concepts quickly, but to the extent that they need to be known for the exam. Her exams are very challenging, but her class is not difficult if you take the time to study the material. Makes hilarious jokes during class. Wonderful woman.
Difficult exams
She was made me dislike Chemistry. I didn't truly learn in this course. She overkills OWL assignments, which make students less motivated to complete book work, which is where she pulls exam questions from (supposedly).
Do not do it. She is messy and her tests are not even close to the example problems she gives out. do not do it!
Dr. Vines' class was definitely a hard one. Her sample exams were way more complicated than the actual test. She assigns both book work and online homework. To succeed, you need to STUDY and make sure you COMPLETELY get the topic.
If you're planning to take any Chemistry class with little to no Chemistry background, avoid her at all costs. Seriously, her exam averages were so low and I hardly learned anything from her. Take Chemistry with another teacher, it's a much better decision.
Her homework and practice exams are not indicative of her tests whatsoever. Her tests are so difficult and the grades are so curved that you never really know where you stand in the class. Her only redeeming quality is the fact that a 75% is a B-.
Make sure to stay on top of your work. Do the problems in the back of the book every night. If you put around 2 hours of studying just chemistry in every night, her class is a breeze.
Her exams definitely are not good measurements how much you know. It's all badly worded questions. She does a lot of extra credit but I don't think they helped too much. Her lab TAs aren't the most helpful either. She really nice, but I don't like her at all as a professor. You have to know how to play her "game" in order to get an A/B in class
Controversial professor. Some love her, most hate her. I liked her. Very difficult, but if you want to really know the material and are willing to work hard- definitely take her. You will work hard, but I think it pays off. Go to lecture. Do extra credit. Do well in lab and recitation. READ. PRACTICE PROBLEMS. Do better than average-she curves alot
Coming from a current junior that had her for Chem 1 my freshman year, Vines is still the worst professor I've ever had and my B in that class is the worst grade I've ever received. To give perspective, I got an A in both Ochems after her. She expects you to come in with AP chem knowledge, and she's easily the most disorganized prof. I've ever had.
Margaret is not as bad as I expected. A lot of students hate her. She definitely lives up to her reputation for difficult quizzes, but they are not impossible. She really does try to help her students understand. If you really want to challenge your Chemistry knowledge, then I definitely recommend her. However, don't if your GPA means anything.
Do not take Professor Vines if you have not had AP Chem. She expects everyone to know the basics. I heard her refuse to answer a question in a review session from a student because he "should have already known that." Ridiculously long tests that you only have 50 minutes to complete. Good luck to you if you take her!
If you have not had a chemistry course before, do not take Vines. Her exams are tougher than other Gen Chem professors and lecture is very fast paced. That being said, if you did take AP Chem and did well on the exam, definitely take her! There are lots of extra credit opportunities, the class is HEAVILY curved, and she is an engaging professor!
she's a good lecturer, but a bit unorganized
I love Dr. Vines! Her lectures cover a lot of material but it is very manageable. I didn't take AP Chem in high school and did very well in her class. Overall, her exams are extremely tough but if you go to office hours and do the practice exams, you'll be fine!
Dr. Vines is a mediocre teacher. I took Honors Chemistry at a fairly good high school and struggled in her Chem 1 class. Midterms are challenging but doable so I recommend not listening to her and just doing practice problems from the text book. Curve is big and she has buy back bonuses which help.
Dr. Vines is known to be a hard professor with hard exams. I personally did well in her class, but I would not recommend her unless you have a good background in chemistry. Most of her exams were too long to finish in the time given, but she offers bonus. She also curves the class. I will be taking Vines again this spring for Chem 2.
After being warned by several people who had already taken Vines NOT TO, I regrettably did. You cannot prepare for her exams with any amount of material. During my final, we were in a room with another chem class and their professor said "Make sure you get my exam, you will NOT pass Vines' final." He was right.
Her exams were difficult and long, but she gives a decent amount of extra credit and a nice curve. After taking a different professor for Chem 2, I miss her lecture style and powerpoints. If you pay attention during lecture and actually do the homework, it's manageable. She gives a lot of opportunities to get extra help outside of class.
She is a very tough professor. Her tests are far more difficult than they need to be. She curves and gives extra credit, but it is really hard to get the extra points. Examples she gives in class are easy, but the tests are ridiculously hard. If you can, choose a different chem professor
Margaret is super nice and caring but does not know how to effectively teach chemistry. I basically had to teach myself most of the content or else I would have done a lot worse. She does give a lot of bonus though so I would highly recommend doing them.
Vines flies through material and asks if people have questions (in which case they raise their hands) and then she ignores them and keeps going. She is a horrible teacher. She will give bonuses, but most of them are very difficult. DO NOT RECOMMEND.
she is not my favorite professor, but she is definitely not as bad as people make her out to be. If you ask questions and use the resources she provides you with, you will do okay. Her exams are harder than in-class questions, but she gives buy back bonus and curves a lot at the end. If you don't plan on studying on your own a lot, don't take her.
After taking AP Chemistry in high school and doing excellent in the class, I expected her class to be tough but still earn a decent grade. Her lectures were extremely confusing and did not prepare you for her exams. You have to read the book to teach yourself. Her only redeeming quality is that she gives partial credit on exams.
I had Margaret for Chem 0110 and willingly took her again for 120. Yes, her exams are challenging , but she is also one of the nicest and most understanding professor's I've had so far. She gives lots of bonuses and curves her tests. If you put in the work, you will do fine.
Dr Vines is one of my fav professors at Pitt. Yeah, her exams are tough but she gives out a lot of bonus to make up for it. She always keeps her lectures interesting (as interesting as a gen chem lec can be). She is really great at TEACHING topics, and is always willing to help. You can tell she really wants her students to succeed.
Vines' lectures were often confusing. I would usually go back to my dorm with more questions than I came with. She is straightforward with her points (understandable) but is vague with what's truly important and what isn't (frustrating). This entire class was a huge question mark for me -- not because of the course but because of the professor :/
Vines is hard, but you will learn a lot. Her homework is manageable but long. Gives practice worksheet and practice exams. Very understandable in office hours. the recitation leaders are normally useful too. You cannot expect an A, but you can expect to learn
Don't.
Dr. Vines is one of my favorite professors at Pitt. I had her for chem 110 and again for 120. Yes, her exams are challenging and long, but she makes a curve after those and gives out extra credit to the points you've lost in the exams. She really made chem lecture the most interesting it can be. If you really put in work you will do fine.
Her tests were super long and no one ever finished but it is super easy to pass her class because she gives so much extra credit. I failed every test and still got a C plus. She gets a bad rap but overall she is one of the better options for Chem 1.
Dr. Vines may get a bad rep, but she's an amazing professor. The first unit is very difficult and will be a shock, but her lectures get much better as the semester progresses. Despite the exams being very difficult, I enjoy knowing that I have a better understanding of chem than others. She gives out lots of bonuses to make up for low exam grades.
Dr. Vines gets a bad rap. Yes, her tests are hard, and yes, she teaches quickly. But, she also provides opportunities outside of class where you can take the initiative over your own grade. Help sessions, office hours, and chem tutoring are all ways to help. Vines teaches a hard class, but she expects work out of her students. Also, buy back bonus!
Overall, it was awful, but it wasn't great either. Only take her if you have an AP Chem background. You'll be lost otherwise.
Fast paced. Inefficient teaching method. Poor teacher-student contact (blew me off 3 times during scheduled office hours!). Hard tests! The only good thing is the extra credit, but you end up spending more time trying to answer her EC question than actually learning the process! If you want to take Chem 0110, DON'T take Vines!!!
Your only lifeline in this class is the extra credit. She gives quite a bit, so don't be careless and lose those points. She often focuses on things that are really not that useful and not on the exams. Speaking of her exams, start on them the second you get them because they're really long (and application heavy) and you won't finish.
I took Vines not having any background in chem except for 1 class I took in 10th grade. Vines' class is challenging, yes, especially her exams - but they are doable if you work hard. I had no knowledge of chem entering this class but through working hard and utilizing resources, everything was fine. Vines does not make/break your grade, you do.
Dr. Vines is an amazing professor. Her exams are hard, but hard sciences aren't meant to be easy. Study, do every bonus, and GO TO HER OFFICE HOURS. She's very approachable and will do anything to help you as long as you're working hard. I didn't take AP Chem and I was fine. I would NOT have taken anyone else. Gladly taking her again for Chem 120!
She is a nice lady and respects her students. However, if you have never taken chem or it's been a while, avoid her. She lectures with slides that are hard to follow. Her exams are extremely difficult and a lot of people get very low scores. After taking her, I do not have a good understanding of chemistry whatsoever.
Margie Vines is incredibly sweet and talkative especially during her office hours, and will take a genuine interest in her students. That being said, her class was extremely confusing and it often felt like she made easy concepts overly difficult. Tests are long and very stressful. I never knew what my grade was going to be until the semester ended
Don't. Lectures are confusing, you can't even study it yourself since her slides are empty. You will have to understand those confusing lectures. Her Top Hat questions are also confusing, you will have to keep notes from previous lectures in order to finish questions for this lecture.
I regret taking Dr. Vines and I wish someone had told me not to. I think she really cares about students. However, it seems like she overcomplicates the subjects and makes the material to difficult to understand. Questions on her exams are always taken a step further than what was done in lecture. Compared to other prof., her exams seem impossible
Margaret's a sweetie, but her tests are ridiculous. seriously like I study so hard, but still don't do well on the multiple choice of the exams. she likes to make tests impossible & for the class average to be around 65%, but she gives you opportunities to get points back. you have to pay attention in lecture or you won't know anything for exams.
She's a really good professor who is extremely passionate. The only problem about her tests are extremely difficult. But even if you do poorly on her tests, you can still do well on the class. She gives a LOT of extra credit, and I mean, A LOT. Attend UTU hours, pay attention in class, and you'll do perfectly fine in the class.
Vines is definitley a tough professor but she really does give you all the resources to pass her class. I actually think shes a very good professor and cares a lot about teaching. I never take AP chem and I still ended with a good grade. Listen to the UTU and UTA because they definitley help you the most esp. before the exams
Dr. Vines is a very kind person. However she is not a great lecturer. It is clear that she is extremely smart, but her lecturing style is not conducive to learning. She confuses herself, and what she writes on the screen and what she says are often different. Prepare to teach yourself most of the content. Study as much as you can bc exams are rough
Dr. Vines teaches in a very confusing/fast paced fashion & doesn't upload her notes, so if you look away for a sec, you miss a whole section. She also does not teach examples like the ones on her exams so you end up doing very poorly. She does give you a chance to get points back, however you most likely won't actually learn anything for the future
This is my 2nd semester w/ Vines and I enjoyed it again. As long as you put in enough effort studying and do it correctly, you have a solid chance of getting a good grade. She gives tons of extra credit and curves total grades, which makes up for her very difficult exams. She goes fast and can get annoying during lectures, but I still recommend her
Ok, so Vines get a bad rap, but honestly.. it's not that bad. Sure, it's difficult, and I had to work harder than I ever have, but I was able to learn so much about myself as a student as well as build upon a lacking work ethic. Vines, WILL help you. Just be ready to work hard!
Dr. Vines is pretty tough, but if you're willing to put some effort into this class you will be fine. She gives lots of bonuses throughout the semester and gives buy back bonuses after every exam. There is also a curve at the end of the class. She is a very smart lady and is very good at teaching! I enjoyed this class a lot.
Vines is definitely one of the harder professors to take chem with but you will learn a lot from her. Her exams are hard as hell but if you put in the work you'll do fine. Plus, there's a lot of extra credit. Downsides include not putting full notes/powerpoints online. Lots of blanks slides so attending lecture is mandatory.
Vines is known for being one of the hardest professors in Pitt's Chemsitry Department. She keeps lecture lively, but sometimes can speed through important topics. Her tests are so much harder than they need to be. She tries to make up for the low averages by offering a lot of bonus, but you have to get it all correct or you do not get the points.
Vines is under academic probation after Spring Term 2019-2020. Not a good teacher at all- she makes her test averages "65%", although you rarely get to a 65. Test averages are extremely low throughout all her classes and her lectures are hard to understand- she pulls numbers from thin air and expect you to know what she's doing. Would not recommend
I don't know why Margaret is so hated among students. She is a very nice person and a very good lecturer compared to other gen chem professors. Her tests are extremely hard and do not really match up with the difficulties of her lectures. But if you do all of the homewor and study and get the average, you will do fine. She gives a very nice curve.
If you really want to learn chemistry, TAKE HER. I had her for both chem 1&2, A is doable. Dr. Vines is a really nice person and good lecturer. Her test is difficult but attend lecture, do all the practice questions she assigned, and read through notes, u will be fine if u put on effort. Therere also lots of bonus, trust me, ull want to do it.
Although I was REALLY struggling in Dr. Vines' class during the semester, after looking back, I'm glad I took chem 2 with her. She's super engaging and is like a mom to many students, but beware because her exams are impossible. Extra credit is given more than any other professor I've had, and the curve at the end is quite generous as well.
She has three midterm exams and a final, none of which are curved. She curves at the end but in my case it was less than 5% of the total grade which is a little ridiculous since there was no curves throughout the semester. Overall she is a horrible professor so don't take her if you have an option.
Had Vines for CHEM 0110/CHEM 0120. Grades heavily dependent on 3 midterms (class avg 60), none of which are dropped; extra credit can make up for 1 'bad' test. Lab is weighted. Cumulative half letter grade curve. Both courses were challenging but entirely doable as long as you regularly practiced the concepts taught. Good choice for pre-med.
You truly get the grade that you deserve in this class. If you go to office hours, do extra credit problems, and do textbook practice problems, you can finish with an A or B in the class. Before every exam, make a list of types of problems taught in that unit and then ask Vines if this list is comprehensive, and then know how to do those problems.
Vines is an overall good professor. Her lectures are great, and she's very caring and genuine. Her exams are difficult, but she curves the overall grade at the end of the semester. It can be frustrating because you don't know what you're going to end with because she doesn't tell you how much the curve is. There is bonus every chapter that helps
Vines is very unresponsive to her students so prepare to teach yourself more than she teaches you, as her lectures are spent doing example problems that only scratch the surface of the difficult problems she litters on her exams. Then she throws curves and extra bonuses that are near impossible at you to make herself seem like less of a villain.
Her exams are difficult; however, she prepares you well with lots of practice problems and very engaging lectures. She also offers lots of bonus points, test corrections, and a sweet curve at the end to help counteract her rough exams.
You can tell that Dr. Vines enjoys what she does a lot. She is also a very kind person and is willing to help. However, her lectures are disorganized and she rushes through important concepts and expects you to understand them immediately. Her tests are long and challenging and she is a somewhat hard grader but she does curve and give bonuses.
If you are pre-med, TAKE DR. VINES. She may be difficult, but you will truly learn the material and will be extremely prepared for CHEM0120 and upper level science courses. As long as you put in the work (UTU sessions, office hours, bonus problems) you can get an A or B. Dr. Vines wants you to succeed, and her passion makes lectures very enjoyable.
She is a very good prof in my opinion. You can tell that she has a love for chemistry and she shows it in lectures. Only complaint is that she speeds through concepts very quickly so you might have to read the book to fully understand everything. Also Sapling will become the bane of your existence but it helps a lot with exam prep
Moves very fast in lectures and posts blank slides so if you miss class, you miss notes. Sapling is managable. Does buy-back bonus on exams so you can get some points back. Also gives bonus and in-class assignments frequently. Grade is very dependent on exams. LOTS of out-of-class teaching since she merely scrapes the surface of material in class.
Do yourself a favor ignore all the bad reviews of her. These are from people who didn't want to work for their grade and wanted the easy way out. Dr. Vines is the best teacher if you actually want to be prepared for more advanced topics. Sure her tests are harder than the avg. Gen chem test, but youleave knowing your stuff. Def taking again Chem 2
As Dwight schrute once said, "How dare you all attack her like this. 'Margaret is your superior! You should be bowing down in front of her". Yeah, she is amazing like that.
Dr. Vines really is not great. She knows her stuff but isn't good at conveying her knowledge to students so they have to rely on the textbook, which is only basic material. She gives lots of extra credit but the exams are worth so much of your grade if you don't do well, you're basically screwed. They're always harder than she says they will be.
She is such a tough grader and her tests are kind of unreasonable. They are super long and you don't have nearly enough time. She is easy to get in contact with but that is where the positives end.
You will benefit most in this class if you participate directly in lecture. You're free to ask Dr. Vines about any of the content she's lecturing on and she will do her best to answer your question. Do keep in mind that she's like a 7 out of 10 with spelling which can be annoying and her use of grammar on her assignments is questionable at best.
Dr. Vines is extremely energetic and holds my attention unlike other professors during lectures. Her explanations are clear and easy to understand, and her examples are the right difficult. Overall, her exams are difficult but luckily she gives lots of extra credit opportunities in worksheets and redo exams.
Though quite generous with bonuses and class activities she is not really a good teacher, at times it is hard to understand what she is saying mostly because of her wording.
Dr. Vines was a very challenging professor. Her exams were wayyyyy too long and extremely hard for 50 minutes. She would skim over the material as if I already knew it. The book was very helpful for me, because I had to self study a lot for the exams so the book was great. She gives many bonuses but they're way too hard to complete. Didn't like her
Dr. Vines is definitely not the easiest chemistry professor at Pitt, but if you do all the extra credit and take the time to attend office hours and ask questions you will do well in the course. She provides a lot of practice material that is similar to the tests. I would recommend taking her if you already have a solid background in chemistry.
She is very very unpredictable and very unorganized. Her power points were too simple and she skipped a lot of slides such that she talks about slide 1 for now but the next slide she talks about is slide 20. sometimes her tests show something she never taught. If you plan to take her, be sure to catch the extra credits.
Ngl, I loved her in class and will miss her personality but her exams are difficult for no reason and you have to put in a crap ton of work to do well in her class. She runs through material extremely quickly and the examples she uses in her slides only scratch the surface of what will actually be on the exam.
Very easy if you took AP or IB Chem in High School. Should still attend lectures though.
I have nothing but respect for Dr. Vines but her class is HARD. She is very caring and patient and will do her best to help you if you reach out to her. She has high expectations (I.E. heavy work load and hard exams) but genuinely wants you to succeed. She gets a really awful rep, but she's a solid choice, I'm retaking her for chem 2.
Margaret is a bit notorious, but I made it through gen chem 1 and 2 with her with A's. It definitely helps if you have an ap chem background, but it isn't necessary to succeed. She loves what she teaches, and she also recycles the same types of questions between lectures/recitations/bonuses and her tests.
would give her a 0/5 if I could. do not take her for any reason - it's not worth it at all.
Don't shy away from taking Vines. She is a great lady, and really cares about her students. Lots of extra credit, interactive lectures, and frequent office hours. TA's are great too. The exams are tough, but she knows that and tries her best to have you prepared. Lots of in class activities and extra credit opportunities. Great test reviews too!
scratches the surface of what you actually need to know. tests are too long to do in the amount of time given.
I LOVE Dr. Vines. I literally had zero background going into 110 and 120 and ended up with an A. However, you have to work so hard in her class to get an A. It was by no means easy. My advice is to get to know a UTU and attend each session every week. The UTU worksheets are harder than the examples she gives you in class, and are great practice.
Vines is a really nice professor however, her test are hard and too long for the given class time. Her bonuses help a lot though
Overall, Margaret is an ok professor. Her lectures keep you engaged and she explains concepts well compared to my previous chem professor. Be warned, however, her exams are EXTREMELY difficult and often she asks ridiculous questions. If taking this class, always pay serious attention and try do the in class activities by yourself if you can.
Vines's class was definitely tough. Her teaching style is amazing and she explains things thoroughly and clearly, you'll feel like you understand everything. However, her exams are nothing you've ever encountered before. You will have to apply everything you've ever known about chemistry and be able to justify it. Long tests little time.
Dr. Vines really wants you to do well in class. She understands the course is hard, and if you put in the time in studying and getting the help you will do well. If you go to her office hours she tries really hard to make sure you leave understanding.
chem 1 and 2. overall was ok. my friends with no background in chem struggled a lot. explanations aren't clear, doesn't really explain how to do homework problems in class, but is very helpful and sweet and caring outside of class. ta's and uta's are helpful. tests are extremely long and draining. gives ec but is very minuscule in overall grade.
Dr. Vines is a great professor! Although her class is tough, you learn a lot. If you are motivated to self study, use the textbook to do additional practice problems, you should be fine. Her exams are very hard but if you study, you will do okay. She gives up to 25% of the questions you got wrong back if you do exam corrections. Very funny prof!
Vines is really energetic and keeps my attention during lecture. She makes the lecture more enjoyable but comes with much harder exams than she practices. The current textbook, Openstax, lacks difficult problems that mirror what she tests on. My advice, study and understanding the bonuses she gives (many 1, 2 point ws)
I had Vines for both 0110 and 0120; she makes you work for your grade! But, she is an amazing professor and I genuinely feel like I have learned chemistry. She will provide a "Curve" (BBB) each exam and will grade on a different grading scale (adds ab 5-10% on final grade). Beware exams are tough, but she is always willing to help & inspire.
Dr. Vines is one of the best! She really cares about your success in her class even though you have to work hard for your grade. I took her for chem 1 and 2 and I have really learned the material she presents. She curves and provides a bonus for exams which greatly help your grade! Her exams are tough but she will help you succeed and do well!
I had Vines for both Chem 1 and 2 and she is extremely difficult and definitely my most stressful class! However, after two semesters with her, I can say shes so caring and will help you if you are really struggling! She is very easy to approach and even though the tests are super difficult, her curve is amazing and she offers so much bonus!!
Horrible teacher only take her if you have a degree in chemistry, she doesnt care about her students, shes just there to watch u struggle and fail.
Somehow Dr. Vines managed to make exams so deceptively difficult that the one exam I thought I was doing pretty well on, I got my worst grade on. She flies through notes faster than you can write them down, leaving students praying the equation they missed wasn't important. Doesn't post her notes online for you to refer to later either.
She is nice and funny. had a great time in her class. She know the material well and gives a lot of bonus assignments. I would definitely take her again if i could. she respects all her students and will try her best to make sure they understand.
Dr. Vines is a fantastic professor. She really helps you get an in-depth understanding of the material. Exams are tough but practice problems help prepare you. It's a hard class, but an A is possible if you really work and the curve is generous. Only complaint is that her grammar is awful, sometimes there are grammar/spelling errors on the exams.
Dr. Vines is a good choice for Gen Chem 1. I retook this class after having Sean Garrett-Roe and I did so much better with Dr. Vines; Dr. Vines actually worked through in-class activities with us on Zoom and genuinely wanted you to learn the material. However, she is definitely hard to get ahold of outside of class through email.
Half virtual bc covid. You won't pass alone. TA/UTUs help w/EC. (don't think a good prof would need as much EC as she did) She suggests different textbook: USE IT. Get as much bonus/lecture pts as possible. No shock if exam average 65. Once I used all tools SERIOUSLY, exam inc a LOT. Grade curved at end. Give this class 100% or take another prof.
Dr. Vines class requires attention and work input outside of class to get a decent grade. I had her for Gen. Chem 1 and 2. Take advantage of all extra credit opportunities. Most likely, IF you can solve EC w/o help then you will be set for the exams. If you are struggling, ASK FOR HELP! Go to her office hours or go to TA/UTUs.
Literally one of the worst teachers I've ever had. Her lectures were impossible to follow and when I went to see her or her TAs (so many times), I was always told to be better at chem, no real help. Her curve is insane because she can't teach and everyone fails. She prides herself on being hard and never once showed that she cared. Don't take her.
Dr Vines cares about you so much and wants you to succeed. She is tough, that is for sure, but she is incredibly fair. If you do the work and work hard you are bound to succeed and learn a lot. Additionally, she VERY much welcomes you to come and discuss questions, grading, etc, and she LOVES to give points back when deserved. Solid choice for chem
I had Vines as a TA for Lab since everything is online right now. She prides herself on being a dream crusher and likes to take points off on labs for the smallest issues. I have not gotten a perfect on a lab once. However, whenever she goes over the material we had in lecture that week, I find it quite helpful. She is clear when she explains.
Her microphone sounds like if you shoved a blowtorch up a horses rectum. She is rude to people who ask questions, she moves through slides at the speed of light, and she doesn't respond to emails for weeks. You can't even cheat on her assignments because she writes all of her own questions. If you're reading this, good luck Charlie.
Professor Vines doesn't care about you as an individual. She prides herself on making you not succeed and being a dream-crusher. She is way too fast during her slideshows, she doesn't explain anything super well, and she makes you feel stupid for asking questions. Horrible professor.
Dr. Vines provides lots of resources and bonuses. Her lectures are very informative and she is a genuinely caring and fun teacher.
took her a year ago, but still had to mention this... she still scarred me and made me question ever taking another chemistry class. I'm in orgo now, but her class made me wanna quit life :)
If there's one word that describes Professor Vines, it's inconsistent. Sometimes, she taught the class in an understandable, informative way, and I would leave lecture feeling prepared for the homework/test. Or, I would leave lecture with more questions than answers. If you use the materials she gives you, like her Ponopto vids, you'll do fine.
If you care about your gpa DO NOT TAKE HER!!! Worst professor Ive taken at Pitt. Gets angry when asked questions during lectures. Your final grade is heavily based on 3 exams plus a final. Everything she gives you is written by her so good luck trying to find online answers. If you post it on chegg she will hunt you down (which someone did)
Dr. Vines is a shell of a human being. Her sheer lack of human decency is baffling. She refuses to provide disability accomodations, and is constantly irritable over her students failure or inability to attend class or require extra help during a global pandemic. She prides herself in making you fail exams. Class averages are around 46%.
If you arent strong in STEM classes or struggle when profs have really poorly organized Canvas pages- Dr Vines isnt for you. She teaches at the speed of light, isnt very receptive to questions, and writes her own exams. This isnt a class to take if you dont think youd be able to teach yourself chemistry. Dr Vines will throw you to the wolves.
Really nice professor but class was hard
Easily the worst teacher I have ever had. I never really knew what my grade was in the course because of her bad grading organization.
Margaret Vines is a hellstorm of a prof. Be ready to work your ass off.
I wish I could give her a negative 5. She promised a curve the whole semester, and only gave it to the failing students, and those who are in the B range were not curved at a fair level. Her tests are extremely hard, and getting a high mark on them takes hours of studying. I studied for 10 hours for each exam, and did not get higher than a C+.
Don't be scared off by the negative comments- it's 100% possible to do well! She goes quickly through notes, so take pictures and review later. Tests are hard, but I redid all the homework and in class materials before the test and did well each time. She also gives lots of bonus points (even for simply signing your name you get 3 points on tests)
I did not have Dr. Vines for lecture, but I had her as a lab TA for genchem2. I do not know how she is as a lecturer, but for our labs, she was a saint. If you have the power to pick your lab TA, PICK HER!!! She will make sure you get your lab done, will walk you through it, and she is very helpful with recitation materials. Labs graded nicely.
Textbook completely useless, homework difficult, class is just overall really tough. However she does have decent lectures, takes notes off ppts. Has lots of resources for help, and will help when you ask. TA help is 100% going to be necessary. Lab was boring and top hat assignments were unnecessarily difficult for no reason.
You HAVE to study, and do extra problems. Redoing the ICA's and homework problems covering the main topics. Outside problems as well. She tries to give resources and she does tell you what you NEED TO KNOW if you ask her. Office Hours and TA assistance is extremely helpful. I wish I had more time to study, my grade would be higher. Tests are hard.
Dr. Vines gen chem is doable, but as a freshman in my first semester it was a lot. My biggest tip is to study as you go and watch lots of youtube videos to explain things better than she does. She's very nice and approachable so don't freak out at some of these comments. Just study hard for exams and do well on grade boosters and you will be fine.
Vines has a lot of bad reviews but I thought she was a great professor! She is very accessible and cares about her students. She even started a chem workshop to give students another opportunity to review lecture material with her and other TA's. If you put in the work you will be fine.
Dr. Vines is a good professor. She is easy to reach, almost always in her office. My favorite part of this class was the bonus that she offered to her students to give us the chance to redeem ourselves. She hosts workshops outside of class that dive into topics deeper in with a group of other students. She also has in class activities with the UTAs
Overall, I felt like Dr. Vines was a very solid professor. Her class is definitely hard but once you figure out how to study effectively for her class you can do well. She offers many extra resources for help and cares about her students. As long as you put in the work, you will get a good grade. Lots of extra credit and generous curve.
Shes a fine person but she makes everything way harder than it has to be.
dr. vines is an alright instructor and does give a good amount of resources for you to be able to succeed in her class. she is not accessible outside of class whatsoever. this was especially difficult to me since i was struggling in her class due to personal reasons.
Dr. Vines is great but she moves FAST. The exams were somewhat challenging but she curves. There are weekly quizzes but they aren't difficult and actually helped to go over the material.
Vines is good but her exams and quizzes are pretty hard. Sometimes the tutors don't know how to do her questions. You have to attend the lectures because she does in class work, additional stuff and doesn't record her lectures. I think she will help set you up for more advanced classes but it's pretty hard. Lots of homework you get graded on also
Amazing professor. Gets really into her lessons and makes it easy to pay attention at 8 AM. Allows group work. Quizzes are simple and easy.
If you care about your GPA, do yourself a favor and avoid Vines. The class consists of three HEAVY exams including the final. Quizzes are ok but still difficult. Her TA's don't know a thing. Tophat just hurts you rather than benefit you. She gives TONS of work that she won't grade and she is rude and sarcastic when you don't understand the material
Dr. Vines's class is very difficult. The tests are stressful and there are only three this semester so it makes up over like 45% of our grade. That part sucks, but in all honest, she isn't a bad professor. She is actually very helpful outside of class and accommodates any needs, especially taking exams or quizzes on different days than scheduled.
Nice person. Horrible teacher. Be ready to go through lectures at lightspeed. Tests often do not reflect class material or study guides. Often glances over hard concepts and just expects students to "know it". Office hours can be helpful, and the curve is decent. TA's can often be unhelpful.
Honestly the worst professor I've had at Pitt. She can be snappy/rude and speeds through poor quality lectures. When you ask her TAs for help, they clearly don't understand either (I've been told countless time "uh ... im not sure either"). It's a very test heavy class which is TERRIBLE since the averages are around 60 and she doesn't curve. Avoid!
Vines made this course way harder than it should be. Quiz every week, and lowest doens't get dropped. On top of that there are two exams and the avergae is 60. Ta's don't know how to solve her questions and the exams don't get curved. After bnuses she makes the exam out of a 120ish, which defeats the purpose of a bonus! Hard to get a good grade.
I got a 95 on the first exam, had a 98 in the class. Got a 72 on the second, grade went down to an 83. Super exam heavy and those exams aren't easy, quizzes aren't either. Her lectures don't explain the more difficult concepts super well, but I like how they're power point outlined. Her voice is kind of annoying.
Dont understand why Dr. Vines has such a low rating and would say she is one of the better chem professors. You will be fine taking chem with her but make sure to stay on top of everything. Her tests are also similar to recitation worksheets and she gives frequent bonuses!
I had Dr. Vines as a Lab Instructor and recitation TA and I don't understand the low rating. She is one of the best professors in the chem department. Always patient and available to help. I learned more from her than from my lecture professor by a lot. Can't speak about exams since I didn't have any from her but I can promise you will learn chem.
I was initially a bit wary of Dr. Vines when looking at her RMP reviews. However, she is truly a good professor. Her exams are tough, but as long as you prepare well and review her past materials, quizzes/ICAs you will be fine. I found it more helpful to go to her office hours one-on-one. This course is intensive, so make to keep on top of things.
Tough, but doable. Vines is brilliant and will help you, but she does not give any mercy to students who don't slack off. Meet her halfway, and she will help you succeed. Extra credit is plentiful, so DO EVERY EXTRA CREDIT YOU'RE GIVEN. Tests are hard, but they're mainly based on her homework assignments and in-class activities.
Dr. Vines is very approachable and engaging during lecture, but the problems on exams and quizzes are worded in a way that makes them way harder than they need to be. The info given in exam problems tends to be way less than the ICAs and homework, making it tough to figure out the needed steps to solve. Probably not the worst choice but very tough.
I don't understand the low reviews here. Chem 1 just isn't an easy class, no matter which professor you have. Dr. Vines gives a ton of extra credit to help with your exam scores, and she curves overall grades at the end of the semester. She's very sweet and approachable, so go to office hours and ask questions!
I had Dr. Vines for Chem 0110 Lab and she was the best lab TA option. When doing the labs, she would always set up stations making the lab run so much smoother and help us with questions that were literally the exact same in the post lab, so it made it a lot easier for me compared to my other friends. If you can choose a TA, pick her.
I had Dr.vines as my recitation and Lab TA for Chem 0110 and I made it through it because of her. She is so organized with her labs and prepares you so well for the post labs. The post labs would be impossible without her organization. She is very knowledgeable and cares about her students. If you can take her Lab, do it.
dr. vines was my lab instructor and by far the best one. helped us out sooo much and gave good material study. so much better than a normal TA. told us everything she knew about exams/quizzes and was very helpful with lab itself & post labs. highly recommend trying to get her as a lab instructor
Had her for lab. She will get you ready for the labs and even your lectures by providing you all the knowledge necessary. Amazing
LOVE DR VINES. Don't understand her low ratings because she is such a great teacher and lab instructor. If I could give her more stars I would. I learn more from her in recitation than in my normal prof's lectures. Only bad thing is she is inaccessible outside of class and doesn't respond to emails but her stellar office hours make up for it.
I had her for the lab portion of my chem 0110 class. She is good but is a tough grader on lab reports, however she gives great feedback. She made brownies for us on our last day!
I stan Dr. Vines
She was my recitation and lab TA for pete bell's chem 2. she is amazing, you wanna have her if you can. She reviews quiz material just before we take it and is very accessible outside the classroom. She's really funny and engaging, and genuinely cares about you getting a good grade. 11/10, absolutely amazing TA.
i failed chemistry with dr. spore (badly) despite putting a ton of work and study time into the class, but dr. vines really saved me, she is very understanding and will work with you. lectures were helpful and she cues you in on what to study/what will be on the tests. definitely recommend taking her if you struggle with chemistry a lot
I loved Dr. Vines for my lab TA. She was so nice and prepared me so well for the weekly lab quizzes. When the class did really badly on the quizzes, she found a way to curve the quiz a little so we would all do better. She creates thorough slides and instructions for the lab reports for lab flow. She is the best TA you can get for chemistry!
Awesome TA who helps you with the lab, did everything in her power to help us get a good grade. Taught me more for chem than Dr. Michael.
Take Her. It doesn't get as simple as that, she saved my chem grade, and taught me more than Dr. Michael. She is very helpful and cares for her students. She is an amazing TA.
Took as a summer course. Lots of extra credit and in-class work, + in class demos. Made sure to prepare you for exams. Was still a difficult class, but she was very nice, approachable and supportive, and made sure we understood the material. I learned much more from her than other chem profs. Would gladly take a chem class with her again.
TAKE DR.VINES!!! I had her for lab and rec and she was amazing at explaining topics. She made everything seem so simple and is the reason I did so well in the course. She is also incredibly helpful in lab. She wants everyone to do well. She sets you up for success. She also cares about her students. Dr.Vines is the best possible option.
I didn't feel these comments were representative of her class. I took her summer chemistry course (she was a lecturer). The course has daily homework, and the tests are similar to the homework. She gives a TON of bonuses, so it's attainable to finish with whatever grade you want. Overall, great teacher, and the tests were fine
Dr. Vines is an amazing professor who makes chemistry a breeze. With daily homework, generous bonuses, and thorough exam prep, she sets you up for success. I found Unstuck study super helpful for extra practice too. Definitely take her class if you can!
Vines is such a great professor. I have her right now and she is wonderful. You do have to put a decent amount of work into it, however. She offers a ton of extra credit opportunities and chances to do test corrections. UTAs are great too! Definitely one of the best options for gen chem 1.
She is a really nice person, but generally a terrible teacher, I feel as if I had to teach myself all of the material. She is not the worst choice, but choose a different professor if you can. She purposely words the questions in a way that makes it harder than it should be, and she says this directly.
Ignore all the other ratings, I love her so much she's so sillyyyyy! She truly understands what's like to be a student and can be very lenient with quizzes. Very approachable for questions, and provides a lot of resources and bonuses for students. 10/10 would take again.
Dr. Vines is a lovely woman, but not the best professor. She has relatively detailed lectures but skews tests to be a lot harder than they should be based on the material in class. There are tons of opportunities for extra credit which can help boost your grade. She is passionate about this subject but doesn't teach it the best.
Dr. Vines is an incredibly kind and understanding person. She gives plenty of bonus opportunities, both for the overall class and for exams, that are constructive and useful for practice. She also explains the concepts very clearly in lecture and outside videos. However, her exams are very difficult and hard to prepare for.
Dr Vines is an awesome professor. Extra credit opportunities and intros to lectures on canvas so when you come into lecture you already have an idea of what is going on. There are weekly lecture and recitation quizzes and worksheets, in class assignments, and homework which really help prepare for the exams. Exams are difficult but not impossible.
Dr Vines is a caring person and very helpful if you talk to her outside of class. Her lectures are a bit fast paced, but all of the information is posted in videos on cavas, so if you watch those and take notes before class the pace of the lectures is not a problem. Grading on tests was tough but not impossible, and she gave us tons of bonus points
Super tough grader with very intense exams. However, she is genuinely the sweetest professor I have met here. I genuinely loved her. She is available for office hours throughout the week, which were super helpful to me. Her lectures are very fast-paced and require your full attention. Homework is not too bad- weekly worksheets pen and paper.
If you are a student who has very little to no chem knowledge, she is definitely not for you. She was incredibly hard to learn from as she complicated each process in lecture. Be ready to learn completely on your own. No partial credit on tests, which can kill grade. She was definitely personable,but very hard to learn from and respect as a teacher
Overall pretty good prof. I sucked at chemistry in high school and failed one of the mid terms and still ended up with a B+. If you go to class and pay attention, the ICAs and extra credit will make up for any bad grades. Super nice lady too.
Vines is the GOAT. Tough BUT I am confident that I know chemistry after taking her. Extra credit opportunities are plentiful (although to counter low avgs). Would take her again (and I will for chem 2).
Don't listen to what other people say, Dr. Vines is THE BEST Chem 110 prof you can get. She offers so many resources including worksheets, in-class activities, homework, quizzes, and bonus problems. She is also one of the only profs who actually teaches you the materials, plus she has panopto videos you can watch to review info.
I would not recommend this class for someone that does not already have a good understanding of chemistry. The class average for every exam was a 60, but luckily she does curve at the end of the semester. Her lectures are kind of all over the place and don't really cover exam material that well. Lots of unnecessary online homework
If you haven't taken chemistry in a long time, I do not recommend taking Vines. The in-class lectures are very unorganized, and the practice problems are not relevant to worksheets, quizzes, or exams. Exams are very difficult and have no curve (class average is a 60 right now). Bonuses are the best part (it's cause everyone is failing).
Dr. Vines is my dawg. Her tests are difficult and lectures are disorganized but she's genuinely an wonderful person and I love her. She does care and always makes an effort to be funny. Between the extra credit, insight on the exam, and other practice resources it's not a class that makes you wanna rip your hair out
She really needs to update her Panopto videos. The constant coughing is super annoying when trying to take notes with headphones on, especially when I have to re-watch to fully understand the material. Plus, her average test scores for a class of 300 students are usually around 55-60%. That speaks for itself.
Professor Vines was a great lecturer and she posts so many resources for you to use to be successful. She literally posts lectures on Panopto, old tests, practice problems, old quizzes, and offers a really amazing amount of extra credit. She is also really approachable and has a great amount of energy. The tests aren't too difficult if you prepare
Loved Dr. Vines. She was very energetic and entertaining during lecture. She does go too fast sometimes, but posts panopto videos for pre class that really help. Her exams were very fair and she offers a ton of extra credit. Amazing professor and would recommend for Chem 1!
I liked Vines even though I struggled which makes sense,I still passed as someone who hasn't taken chem in 3 ish years, she gives lots of extra credit on exams and your overall grade and curves generously! yes her lectures go quick but TA were great and she's also available too! I think she's a great choice for a professor!
Dr. Vines is a super sweet woman and wants her students to do well. The one issue is that she's not a great professor: she doesn't explain things very well. She does hint at what will be on upcoming exams and provides many bonus points, which all count towards the final exam. She is definitely better compared to some other chemistry professors.
Dr. Vines is a generally nice person, and I can tell she cares about us doing well. However, her lectures are very confusing at times. Also, if you aren't naturally a fast thinker, prepare to study A LOT outside of class. There's not a lot of time to do all questions on the exam if you don't know exactly what you're doing. Lots of extra credit tho.
Dr. Vines speeds through material in lectures and skips over steps that would be important for beginner learners. The class itself is very difficult, and the material during lecture is already explored in the videos we watch pre-lecture. This class is what made me choose to switch my major, but if you invest a lot of time you will do well.
Of the professors, she is definitely not the worst option. She curves the class at the end and makes the class average a B-/C+. She is super nice and wants you to succeed def way better than other profs.
Vines is one of the better professors in the chemistry department at Pitt. She formatted her class similarly to a high school course which allowed her to really focus on her students individually despite have large attendances. She does not do homework through ALEKS which is NICE.
Dr. Vines is the sweetest professor I've met and one of the best in the CHEM department. You need to work hard, but she offers extra credit, curves the final grade, and TAs give great review sessions. She skips some details, but gladly explains if you ask. I got an A after retaking Gen Chem 1. Highly recommend!
I took vines for my SUMMER CLASS as my retake and i dont have my final grade yet but i will probably get a A or a B. i really liked her. i went to all of her office hours where she clearly explained all the concepts to me. i took tara meyer the first time i took this class and hated it. she makes all her own exams and made practice ones
Just took Vines Gen Chem 1 for the first 6 weeks of summer 2025. Her teaching method was great for me, she genuinely cares, and she gives a generous amount of bonus. You're given anything you could possibly want to prepare for exams!
Just took Dr Vines session 1 of summer 2025. This was a retake this summer after receiving a D last fall. Only needed a C for my major requirement and she was such a great choice!!! There are TONS of extra credit opportunities and she drops the lowest exam. She is genuinely there for you and willing to help, highly recommend!!
Everyone taking gen chem 1 at Pitt should take Dr. Vines!! Seriously! During lecture she is very energized and fun. There are plentiful bonuses and she generously curves at the end. Plus, her class is a great TA opportunity. Vines provides many study materials on canvas; from recitation worksheets, homework, and even exams from years prior.
I love Dr. Vines, she's so fun! Gen Chem 1 was never going to be an easy course, but Dr. Vines was very accessible. Even if you can't make it to her set office hours, you can email her to find a time that works better. Definitely go to her office hours if you are struggling, or just to chit chat.
Dr. Vines is a great professor, although very difficult with avgs in the 60s. Although I can't say she doesn't prepare us. We have worksheets, bonuses, 4 exams (drop 1), cumulative final, and deep dive recitation worksheets which are cool. She's so nice 1 on 1 and wants everyone to succeed. I recommend but be prepared to work.
I had no issues with Dr. Vines as my chem 1 professor. Work was graded fairly, lectures were straight forward and she released lecture slides ahead of time. Pre-lecture videos are graded on completion, would recommend watching them! Overall her class was pretty simple.
Dr. Vines is an amazing professor! She always has so much energy and really cares about her students. Midterms are fair and she always offers bonus points. It is not her fault that chemistry is hard but she tries best.
Vines is honestly the best professor I have had so far. She communicates so clearly and can actually teach complex chemistry topics and explain them well. She is very fair and it is easy to do well in the class. She provides so many materials for you to prepare.
Dr. Vines is very passionate and caring about her job and Chem in general. Lectures were the same thing as the required videos outside of class each week, but I still went to each one. 4 exams, 1 drop. Exam averages were low 60s and high 50s, pretty bad. Dont know how much they are weighted but every other assignment was very very easy. love her
I loved how caring and encouraging Dr. Vines is. She probably checked up on me more times than my mom (which im not sure if that says more about my mom or her but its worth mentioning). She is a difficult professor but she gives a ton of bonus and practice to help you succeed. Panopto videos and lectures are very thorough. Would take again.
I took dr. vines for gen chem 1 and 2. Chemistry as a subject made me crash out a lot (as expected), but never because of dr vines. Very funny, sweet woman that cares a lot about her students and is straightforward about what she expects. Only problems I had was her exam content. People honestly don't give her enough credit.
Maragaret vines is just a mean person. She will make you feel stupid if you do not understand it to the same level as her. Her lectures are pointless, and she simply can not explain steps to anything she does which is pertinent in chemistry. She assigns pointless homework and will give you a bonus quiz with material no one has seen before!
Attendance is not mandatory as all lectures are posted on Panopto. Dr Vines is a caring professor, and if you are ever having trouble, her office hours are very helpful. Lots of opportunities for points: in-class activities, bonus activities, etc. She also gives a buy-forward bonus for each exam, which is basically a study guide for 6 bonus points.
Didn't have Vines as a student but worked with her as a UTA. One of the best Chem 2 (and overall) teachers—very passionate and for the students. Class is hard, but attending lecture, doing homework, going to office hours, and using TAs/UTAs makes it manageable. Very approachable and genuinely cares. Highly recommend
Dr. Vines was a good teacher! Granted, I came into chem 2 having already taken AP Chem so the material wasn't completely new. The bonus quizzes usually have a lot to do with bio/medical stuff which is difficult for a lot of people. Panopto's/video lectures are great for studying material. Exam averages weren't great though...
I had a tough time in her class (flipped classroom) where you had to teach yourself. She had lecture videos outside of class that she would just go over again in class. 50 minute periods were too short for her class. She was rude to many students at times but caring at times kinda. Very hard final exam but good curve at end. Barely answers emails.
i'm not a chemistry person and struggled, and vines did not help. absolutely impossible to reach outside of class. had a flipped class with video questions due before, but lecture was just what she said in the videos. 4 exams and an insane final, but she did offer extra credit. seriously scared to see my final grade - average grade was a C...
She was solid. If you don't like going to class you can just watch her videos which I really mess with. She also gives a good amount of test review which is always nice. However, I do not like how she does her recitations. She be doing way to much. It's like 3 different worksheets and there's no drops. Overall, pretty solid though.
Dr Vines is such an AMAZING professor! She posts all her lecture videos before class starts (Flipped Classroom Style and free quiz-style questions at the end). She is also EXTREMELY accommodating. I was able to meet her so many times outside of class to take exams and discuss content. I struggled a LOT in the beginning but got a 95% on the final!
not too much on mother vines on here... she was definitely one of my favorite professors in the chem dept. lecture and test heavy but you get to drop a midterm + she curved final grades which was extremely generous and not a lot of chem profs do that. very caring and answered all my questions i had throughout the sem.
One of the best you can get for gen chem honestly. Wish I had her for chem 1. Flipped classroom, posts lecture videos. Clear about what's on exams (4+final, many chances to improve). Chem is an incredibly hard subject but she makes it bearable. Generous with bonus points. Recitation structure (worksheet hw, in-rec worksheet, then quiz) wasn't great
Her exams were difficult but mitigated by a curve at the end of the course. She is enthusiastic in her lectures and has activities to help you with your understanding. She offers a small amount of bonus on every exam. Overall, the structure of her class was built to help as many people understand chem as possible, even if your grade isn't the best.
Overall, I would say Dr.Vines is a fair professor: she has many extra credit opportunities and genuinely wants her students to succeed. Nonetheless, she doesn't explain course content that well and has lengthier exams that are difficult to complete on time. My advice, go to lecture, take notes, and do plenty of practice problems.
I really loved Dr. Vines as a lecturer. I did not feel that my final grade reflected my understanding of chem 2 though. I put in a lot of time to understand the content and got above the average on every exam but didn't do well on the cumulative final. Her exams are HARD and lengthy! Great lectures though. Hardest class I have ever taken at Pitt.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
50%
Textbook Required
2%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+1.11 avg changeRatings by Course
0110
4.1
(8)CHEMO110
4.0
(2)CHEM0420
4.0
(4)CHEM0120
3.2
(87)CHEM11O
3.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEM0120
4.1
0120
4.0
CHEM0110
3.9
CHEMO110
3.5
0110
3.5