She explains the concepts clearly in lecture, but is SUPER boring. Has no enthusiasm at all, and after the first lecture barely anyone showed up anymore because of it. Grading is pretty fair for labs and the lab exam, and it's easy to get by just by reading the lab textbook.

Meek and quiet professor during lecture, but she knows the material well and goes over the material as clear as possible even for students who do not have a Chemistry background. Even more helpful during Office Hours - she will stay overtime to make sure students understand. Cares about students, including trying to fix scheduling problems, etc.

She's a great professor! Super helpful and super kind. Stay on top of the material, and you'll do well. Doesn't deserve any negative feedback. She works hard and knows her stuff extremely well. Definitely worth enrolling in her class

She is really nice and super helpful. A fan of I-clicker which makes attendance semi mandatory and boosts your grade.

Robak is a wonderful lecturer. A lot of people thought she was boring but I found her lectures to be very informative and helpful. Participation is required and she uses clicker questions but I found them helpful as well. She did assign prelab questions which were long and sometimes annoying but in the end made the lab much easier.

Amazing and caring professor. She was very motivating especially after I did terrible in the first midterm and motivated me to turn things around for the second midterm and final. Definitely schedule one-on-one meetings as office hours can get too hectic. I would definitely recommend taking 3B with her and go to every lecture as its easy points.

As far as lecture goes, a really clear lecturer that is willing to go WAY further than obligated to in the form of answering student questions after class, holding extra OH, and PIAZZA (she is piazza jesus). Fair grader--got an A- after getting slightly below an SD on all tests. No homework, just HIGHLY RECOMMENDED psets. Would take again!

She forces you to go to lecture with worksheets and clickers (free points), but everything you need to know is in lecture slides posted online, so no textbook is necessary. The exams were much easier than the hard questions in the problem sets (just the basic concepts). She curved the class generously at the end. Would take again - very reasonable!

She uses a tablet, which allows her to be very organized in her diagrams. Great visuals, color coordinated, and applies the dry ochem to real-life examples. Tests are fair. You can leave lecture confidently saying you learned something, unlike Pederson, which left you wondering what just happened.

OMG. I feel most grateful to have Professor Robak for OChem. She has turned it into something that is approachable with understanding. With the increasing amount of reagents being thrown at me toward the end of Chem3A, I thought Chem3B will be pure memorization. But no! Her class is heavy on understanding mechanism. I wished I took Chem3A with her.

Professor Robak is the best professor I've had after 3 semesters at Berkeley. Lectures are clear and highlight the concepts that will be important for the class while leaving room for student inquiry. Problem sets correspond to the material taught in lecture. Exams correspond to the problem sets. Leaving this class with a greater love for chemistry

Professor Robak is one of my favorite professors in my entire time of learning Chemistry. She makes learning Organic Chemistry interesting and engaging. Her exams are fair, all from the Problem Sets. She is also very accessible during office hours, and she knows how to be humorous! Must-take!

Robak is literally the best STEM professor I've had at Cal. She cares immensely about her students and their learning, and goes above and beyond to be available and teach well. Chem 3A was a pain for me, but Chem 3B has been so understandable and approachable. If you can, definitely take Chem 3B with her!

Professor Robak is the best professor I have had at Cal. She genuinely cares about the students and wants them to learn. Her class is built for students to be encouraged and succeed. After a poor experience in Chem 3A, Robak's 3B experience has been so much better than I could have imagined. Her lectures are engaging and she is so organized.

After having had Dr. Pedersen for 3A I thought no Ochem teacher would ever live up to my expectations. This changed immediately after I realized how organized of a teacher Prof. Robak is. She cares much more about her students understanding the material than giving out grades. 100% would take again!

I LOVE PROFESSOR ROBAK!! From the very first day of class you could truly tell she cared greatly about her students. I struggled in 3Aand having her for 3B was a complete 180 in terms of my understanding. Granted it still is a very difficult class but I truly thing she made it much easier and enjoyable for her students. Incredible lecture format!!!

She was a wonderfully caring and passionate teacher. I highly recommend reviewing the lecture notes after class, because she doesn't read the expository aloud but it helps a lot in organizing your thoughts. There is a lot of (optional) homework, as for any 3A/B class, but it's well worth it since the quizzes can be challenging but fair.

I took 3B with her and waited 3 semesters to take 3BL with her. She is just that great. Easily one of the BEST professor at Berkeley. Heavy on understanding arrow pushing mechanism (even for the inorganic rxg); thus, you don't have to memorize anything! Her wkst organize the material in a way relies on first principle understanding, not memorizxn

Best professor I had in all of my Chem Career. Assigns long prob sets but they are extremely helpful. She dissects every topic so well. Genuinely cares that we do well. She is like a mom, tough but always looks out for you. If I had her for 3A would have done better and actually understood the material unlike with Pederson. No curve but offers EC!

I wish she can teach all my classes. Extremely caring professor and tries her best to rebel against the competitive nature of Berkeley. Her problem sets are really long, but extremely useful and her lecture worksheets help during midterm reviews. Quiz every week to make sure you don't fall behind. Midterms have nice partial credits - tough but fair

She really cares about her students. She is nice even if she doesn't seem like it at first. Stay caught up because falling behind means many nights of stress.

She is a great professor and I really enjoyed her teaching. She makes chem so easy. her tests are extremely fair.

At first, I didn't really like how she taught with fill in the blank worksheets; however, when webcasting her lectures -- she's a good webcaster. She grew on me over the semester and towards the end she really cared about us. The tests are somewhat hard but fair. You have to be caught up on lectures or else you'll fall behind fast.

A lot of people are gonna hate on Robak because of the grade they got, but I barely passed this class and still love her. Is this class extremely difficult? ofcourse, its organic chem at BERKELEY, which has the #1 chemistry department in the nation, its not going to be easy. with that said, Robak gives you the chance to work hard andsucceed

She made O-chem bearable, and really tries to go against the competitive nature of Berkeley by making the class uncurved. This can be good and bad. I have a feeling she made the final (Fl' 18) super hard because the class average was too high and she needed to tank everyone. Understands student dilemmas and tries to accommodate. Very approachable!

Clear and organized. Keep up with the weekly problem sets and you'll do great. Many students dislike her no-curve policy, but her grading is fair and there is enough extra credit that the lack of a curve is not a problem.

Amazing professor who helps you understand the chemical foundations of biological molecules. LONG problem sets and tough but fair exams. No curve but makes up for it with generous extra credit. Make sure you go to lecture and office hours!

she doesn't curve the class, but this is absolutely NOT because she doesn't care about her students' grades. she in fact cares a lot about her students and their grades and is very clear and accessible in office hours. she places an emphasis on real biomolecules to prepare you for biochemistry and show you how chemistry is relevant.

Every problem that she gives on the exams can be matched with at least one similar problem in either her lecture notes or problem sets, so make sure you do those thoroughly. This class is structured in a way that guides you step by step, not like many classes here at Berkeley where you are left to figure stuff out on your own.

Rather than going through slides or concepts on the board, MaryAnn teaches by providing lecture worksheets with problems that she goes through with you. Like many, I was a hater at first, but gradually realised how useful it is in learning ochem. The tests can be hard but don't worry as if a test was too hard she will give a lot of extra credit!

She's an amazing amazing lecturer and very accessible outside of class. Does a really good job of organizing the material in lectures, homework and past exams. The class is definitely NOT easy, you need to put a decent amount of time and effort and also have a good chem 3A background to do well. She and head GSI do an exceptional job answering ques

Clear lectures and very organized lecture printouts & course materials. Accessible and very helpful in office hours. Sooo much homework, which is optional but essential to do well in the class. Exams were hard but she gave extra credit to compensate. Ochem is an inherently difficult class but she made it less painful! Would recommend Robak!

Professor Robak is great - she's incredibly understanding, and definitely wants you to succeed in the class and do well as possible. She offers up to 40 points of extra credit - I nearly failed her second midterm after slacking off, and she was incredibly helpful for the final. Her one midterm drop policy helps a lot. 10/10 would recommend!

Professor Robak definitely cares about her students and their success. Although the material is rather tough and hence difficult exams, she offers plenty of opportunities and practice problems to learn from mistakes and to improve. She even offered 40 points of extra credit over the course of the semester.

I've taken 3B with her and she is just superb in terms of course organization, lecture content etc. The exams were hard for sure, but she always gave extra credit to make up for all of it! Really really enjoyed taking 3B with her; would highly recommend! Ka (head GSI) was a great great resource as well. Could not have done well without him.

I think Robak gets more flak than she deserves for 3A. Her class is organized VERY well and she gives a lot of extra credit. Robak's lectures are generally clear and easy to follow. The problem sets are time-consuming but super-useful as they are far harder than the exams and reflect the problems on the midterms and final.

One of the best professors I have ever had at Cal. Professor Robak genuinely cares about her students and wants them to succeed. Her exams are in direct parallel with her problem sets and she offers ample extra credit. She is always answering questions on Piazza and she takes time to answer questions in lecture if there is confusion.

Amazing Chemistry professor. She loves what she teaches and is always answering clarifying questions. Also, she is very approachable outside of class. Very accommodating and always puts the best interests of her students first. So grateful to have her for Chem 3A!

Robak is by far one of the best professors I've had. She makes content as difficult as ochem way more approachable and actually pretty fun! Her exams are very fair, and the extra credit opportunities through test corrections were so helpful (both in terms of my understanding of the material and my grade). I recommend going to review sessions.

Professor Robak was an amazing professor, especially in clearly presenting topics using OneNote and in creating very helpful problem sets. I was pretty scared for OChem, but it was a lot better than expected. She also was very receptive and friendly with questions. Her office hours were during a class for me, but I heard they were very good also.

Loved her! All her lectures are recorded, so you can look back on anything you need. Her lectures are truly comprehensive, while still remaining understandable. And if you dont , she is always on piazza or in her office hours trying to make everything work. She sees each student as a person, and wants to help you 11/10! Lots of extra credit too:)

Amazing professor, concise and clear about information on exams. However there were 3 midterms but other than that she was caring and truly interested in improving her lectures. She always asked for feedback and went over quizzes!

While the content was difficult and the class moved fairly fast, Dr. Robak does an amazing job of clearly covering the material needed to do well in her class. Lectures are well organized, and the homework sets correspond closely to the lecture. To do well, all that you need to do is pay attention and put in time and effort into the homework.

Professor Robak is the love of my life! She is incredibly well-spoken, an expert on the subject, super approachable in office hours, and most importantly, very very funny! She understands the struggle of organic chemistry students, so she spices up our midterm with cocaine and viagra synthesis mechanisms. Although course is very hard though...

Professor Robak is a god. Had her for Chem 3A as well and she made Ochem so enjoyable. Chem 3B was definitely more challenging than Chem 3A, and you need to work harder/put in more time, but my learning experience was just as amazing.

Doctor Robak is literally my favorite professor at Cal! She always responded to students questions/concerns on Piazza in less than 24 hours and is extremely clear about her expectations + accommodating to students' struggles in this challenging course subject. Bless her heart, she is representative of Cal's finest! DO THE PRACTICE SETS ON TIME.

Her grading is incredibly generous. She makes lecture fun and interactive. Overall she is amazing, and I am very grateful I had her as my professor.

Honestly, it makes me so sad to see how bad Prof. Robak's reviews were last sem. It was a hard class, but she offered us so many extra resources (multiple daily office hours, review sessions, extra p-sets/readings). If you aren't prepared or willing to put in extra work into a course that is widely-known for being difficult, don't take it.

Ochem is difficult no matter what, but Robak TRIES to make it easier to learn. This class requires effort and work outside of class, but I can't blame that on her. She provides lots of worksheets and some extra credit. The midterms are extremely difficult and are the worst part of the class. If you use the resources, this class isn't impossible.

Maryann was a good professor. I didn't agree with all of her decisions while teaching during the pandemic, but she really did her best. She seems to genuinely care about student comprehension, which I appreciate.

Dr. Robak was kind and caring during the pandemic, but I did put in most of the effort myself (extra readings and problems) to get an A in the course. As long as you use all of the materials she gives before exams, you'll do fine. I'm currently taking Chem 3B with her as well, and she's been consistent and fair. Looks like I'll end with an A+

Clear expectations for what you have to know, expect 2nd midterm to be harder than all other exams in the class. Good professor all around, not amazingly engaging but you can learn the material well with not too much effort.

Professor Robak really cares about her students and would answer questions in great length and detail on Piazza. She's very kind. Although I personally don't like the module video format of classes, she proved to us that she didn't do it because she's lazy (she actually puts a lot of work into teaching) Also, she gives out a LOT of extra credit.

GO TO OFFICE HOURS!! She only did asynch this semester so OH cannot be understated if you want to really understand and do well. She teaches tricks and gives advice that drive home lessons. The class's content is naturally hard but she gives LOADS of practice problems. Pro tip: write down all the mechanisms before a midterm & be familiar w/ them

She is a great teacher and really passionate about ochem! 3B with Robak is a bit tough because there is no curve, hardly any bin shifts, and ochem is just naturally difficult. The best way I prepared for exams was doing worksheets without immediately looking at the answer key (test yourself!). She really accommodated students more than most profs.

TBH, anyone who says this is "too much work" or that Robak wasn't caring and had an "average grade" is all cap. 3A is a class that you have to work your ass off in no matter the professor and offered a fair amount of EC which was further adjusted. She cares but I found the recorded lectures to be boring. Otherwise, the resources are there to excel

O-chem will always be a hard class. Robak made learning it so much easier. Grade is dependent on mainly test scores with a point system & no curves. Does give out almost a full bin of EC. My GSI's made the class 100x better. Doesnt give out any averages but all the test are doable & doesnt have any curveballs. Requires outside work like all classes

Maryann did her best to teach. Her lectures are 3 out of 5 - monotone, somewhat engaging, explains semi-clearly. The class is test heavy with 20% grade coming from hw worksheets. She gives really long problem sets you can practice with. MAKE SURE TO DO THEM and go to worksheet sessions held by GSI, as well as asking ANY questions. NEED TO STUDY!!!!

OChem is extremely difficult, but I really thought Robak had her student's backs - she gave extra credit and was super accessible for questions. To do well in this class: do the problem sets, go to office hours, and do all the EC she gives. She won't change her grading bins at the end of the semester! I'm honestly excited for 3B with her!

Organic chemistry is a hard subject alone and requires a lot of devotion in time. Professor Robak's handouts are extremely helpful in understanding course content, and her lectures are explicit in showing novel reactions. She is a very tough grader and does not do bin shifts, but her extra credit options are generous enough.

OChem is hard! You have to keep up every class. Do not fall behind or it will destroy you. Robak explains concepts very well and tells you how to solve problems beyond just concepts. Also, she is very willing to give help and responsive on Piazza. She gives us tons of practice, which are not mandantory but very useful!

Took both 3A and 3B. Contrary to other reviews, she gives plentiful extra credit, is generous with partial credit on exams, and is a very energetic and interactive lecturer in-person. Does not curve! No textbook required and the only practice required is problem sets she gives, which are similar in difficulty to exams. Tough class, fair professor.

The most organized professor at Cal!! Clear standards and gives extra credit opportunities. She is very fair and accessible through piazza (responds relatively fast). This class is intense and requires lots of studying. But if you do the problem sets and go to review sessions, you should be fine.

OChem is extremely difficult for most people no matter the professor, but Robak is SO organized and clear with her lectures and policies. She gives lots of access to practice problems and her OH are great. One of the best professors at Berkeley and 100% best OChem professor you will ever have. Take 3A in the Fall and 3B Spring!

Dr. Robak is literally the reason I changed my MCB specialization to Biochemistry. I struggled really hard in Chem 3A (online course), but when I came into 3B this semester in-person, suddenly the content made complete sense! Dr. Robak goes very in-depth in her lectures and is *extremely* helpful in office hours. Plus, she's very nice!

Dr. Robak is a solid teacher and very reasonable with all her tests (no curveballs). She also gave a ton of extra credit throughout the semester to push you into the next grade bin. Overall, yes, the material may be hard but you just have to do all the psets and you will do just fine. She's also really organized and fast on Piazza.

OChem is always a considerable time commitment, but Dr. Robak really provided us with all the materials you need to be successful in her class. Her lectures and practice materials were highly organized in both Ochems that I took with her which I really appreciated.

Ochem is a hard class no matter which professor you take it with, but I liked Robak's style of lectures and the way she explained things. I also appreciated her grading scheme with the opportunity to drop your lowest test score (so the final can only raise your grade if you choose to take it).

Professor Robak was amazing and incredibly caring. Organic chemistry will always be hard but she made it as simple as she could. She provided lots of extra credit and grading was fair and clear. If taking ochem I would definitely choose her!

This woman is my savior. She actually wants her students to pass ochem and not be miserable like every other stem professor. SUCH A G but content is hard tho of course.

Lecture heavy but no Ochem class is ever easy. A good professor makes a huge huge difference in your quality of learning. She made me actually like chemistry- coming from someone who swore off chemistry.

If you have to take Ochem, DEFINITELY take it with Professor Robak. She is caring and incredibly down to earth; you can tell she wants her students to succeed, and the entire coursework is clearly designed with that goal in mind. She has lots of resources available for you, so you will basically never be lost as long as you make use of them.

Dr. Robak is super accommodating, generous, caring, and fair (cut out some content, gave ec, allowed drops). Organic chemistry is a difficult class, but if you watch her lectures and solve/understand her problem sets (which prepares you perfectly well for her weekly quizzes and exams), you will be able to do just fine.

Dr. Robak is AMAZING at organizing her CHEM 3A class. Although her lectures were hard to follow, she made up for it by providing more than enough resources to fully understand the hard concepts in organic chemistry. Also, she responds within 20-30 minutes for edstem posts and emails during working hours. AMAZING experience with her!

Professor Robak was a dream! She is very accommodating and really wants you to understand the material. Lectures were fast at times, but there is a lot of content to learn. She gives plenty of practice problems (DO THEM), and her quizzes and exams were very fair (no curveballs). Make sure you understand the psets, and you will be fine. loved her :)

Taking Ochem with Dr. Robak is one of the best things that happened to me (by chance). She is helpful, patient, understanding, and truly thoughtful. She is quite good at explaining difficult concepts, which made ochem so much more enjoyable. I felt very accomplished after the course ended. Get ready for a lot of homework if you want to do well.

I really enjoyed the lecture format because she provides downloadable templates for use to take notes on so we don't constantly have to draw structures and whatnot. She was very understanding and helpful when students had questions in class. Make sure to practice and do problem sets/practice exams to be successful, but be prepared for a lot of work

You have to respect Dr. Robak! She values her students' success a LOT. Yes, her tests are hard. She doesn't really do partial credit the way other profs do. But it's CHEM 3A! It's hard. She adjusted her teaching to make up for GSI absence (on strike)--super respectable. Lots of problem sets. Can drop your final if you did well on the others.

Dr. Robak is an amazing professor. The class isn't curved, there is a point system. She provides lots of recourses in order for students to succeed. Going to GSI office hours is really helpful. She also responds on EdDisccusion (Q and A system) really quick so you can always get clarifications for your work. Definitely take her class!

Explain concepts concisely and explicitly. Really help us understand the connections between different concepts, and chem makes a lot more sense in this way. There are a lot of homework, and in order to do well, you have to take care of that since homework really helps you practice. Also, there will be a quiz each week, so better be prepared

very accessible outside of class (always answers students questions on Ed) and she genuinely cares about her students. lots of homework and quizzes but as long as you put in the work, this course is much more doable than other ochem classes + she doesn't limit the amount of As she gives which is nice

Robak was super clutch this semester! Very fair with extra credit/grading rubric depending on class performance on exams, does things in her students' best interest (such as cancelling lecture to give students more time to study for the midterm, might not happen every year tho). Lots of homework but doing them helps a lot with quizzes. Very caring.

A great professor, and one of the best for the lower division science prereqs. Lectures were so easy to follow and she offers so many opportunities to improve your grade (extra credit on exams). She is super helpful and accommodating to students as well. HIGHLY recommend Chem 3A and 3B with Robak - she makes ochem not as miserable.

I love maryann. She has taken a beast of a class and made it enjoyable. She has detailed problem sets that actually ensure you master the material, she is always available for help/to answer questions, she understands how frustrating and scary this class is and just genuinely wants her students to do well. I am so sad to leave her. Take her class.

In the pool of ochem professors, we were lucky enough to have her for both Chem 3A and 3B. Robak is the reason why I don't understand how everyone says organic chemistry is the worst class in your college career. I will miss her and mechanisms

I was shocked by how dry this class was at first, but eventually it turned out to be extremely rewarding! Dr. Robak really pushes you to UNDERSTAND ochem instead of just memorizing it! Very clear and rigorous. A must-take course if you love science/theory, but would be quite tough if you're just trying to pass it for a major.

I love prof Robak. Best professor I've had at berk so far. Makes ochem understandable and knows how to teach. She made 3B arguably harder than 3A, but I thoroughly enjoyed both semesters. You can drop one of the three exams, weekly quizzes with drops, lots of homework. Problem sets are crucial for grasping concepts. Cannot recommend her enough

If you take organic chemistry with anyone, try to take it with her (or Marsden) if at all possible. The lectures are relatively straightforward and exams reflect the lecture content pretty well. Her class also does a good job at preparing you for mcb102 later on.

Dr. Robak is hands-down the best professor at Cal. All of the homework are great and I learned so much from them. Dr. Robak is extremely caring and especially cares about her students. She gives out a lot of opportunities for students to succeed in class, including extra credit opportunities and such. Definitely recommend her class.

Robak cared a lot about the students success. The exams were hard and so were the weekly quizzes. She ended up giving a lot of extra credit opportunities because of this. Attendance not mandatory (except for quizzes). She posts lectures.

I always dreaded the thought of taking organic chemistry but Dr. Robak made this class so amazing that it's my favorite class this semester. Although her quizzes and tests are hard, she gives a LOT of extra credit and makes sure you are prepared (she gives a lot of practice exams and other materials).

Dr. Robak is a fantastic ochem professor. She is super considerate of her students and gives out lots of extra credit. Although there is a lot of work, it's all extremely beneficial for succeeding in class, and if you hit the point cap none of it is required anymore. All tests/quizzes draw from assignment material. A very fair prof overall.

Very well structured class. She provides you with so much practice and extra credit, you just need to make sure to do everything that she gives you. Don't fall behind you won't be able to catch up. Love her!!

Mary Robak is a great lecturer and is pretty funny sometimes. You'll do well in her class if you do her problem sets and attend lectures. She is pretty good and giving extra credit assignments. Would take again! (Just don't look at someone else quiz during the exam or might give you a moment from Matilda where the teacher screams).

Amazing professor who really cares about her students' success. Plenty of opportunities to gain points and if you have enough after both midterms, you don't have to take the final! Do the post lectures and problem sets, they're so helpful! She made learning ochem so enjoyable and I can't wait to have her for Chem 3B next semester!

Robak is straightforward with what she expects you to know. All you need to do to succeed is put in your part! There is a lot of hw BUT it is helpful to do it, it is equally as (if not more) difficult than the exams. So you know I'm not biased: might not pass this class but still in awe at how good of a prof she is.

An absolutely incredible professor. I am personally not a fan of chemistry, but Dr. Robak had an amazing and engaging teaching style that actually made me enjoy the organic chemistry content. Practice exams and quiz questions provided lots of practice material for actual exams, and there were ample extra credit opportunities.

Incredibly kind & empathetic, truly cares about making sure everybody passes. Wants everybody to succeed & shows it. Very enthusiastic about chemistry, making you really want to listen. Clear with what she wants & will give extra credit.

Robak is very caring and nice to her students. Class is not curved but she gives out A LOT of extra credit

The most pleasurable experience in OChem if that is possible. Take the course with Robak if you can.

Robak is the professor you want to take Ochem with. She gives a lot of homework but posts the answer keys, so you don't have to do it if you feel you know the material. The homework also contains exam questions from previous semesters, so you know exactly what to expect on the exams.

She made this class so enjoyable and she writes exam questions that applies recent research that's actually interesting and very applicable for bio majors. She really cares for all the students, and her class is so well structured and organized. I swear, every 'new' concept we learn, she foreshadows it in previous lectures lmao

- go to office hours REGULARLY, you will make friends n itll get easier dw - FINISH all psets and post lecs by the end of the week - DO NOT SKIP LECTURES!!!!! Dr. Robak is very welcoming, responsive, and caring. Very active on Edstem. Lectures are extremely organized. Best prof ever

I am so glad to have been able to take this class with this professor. I really recommend taking this class with Dr. Robak because she lectures well and cares about her students. There is a lot of homework, and practice material and a generous amount of office hours (that I recommend going to) which can help you succeed in this class.

Literally so good!! Wish i had her for more classes. She broke down the concepts very well, helped us gain a better understanding of thr bigger picture, super open to one on one meetings if you were concerned about your trade, and the method of discussion sctions was super helpful!

Professor Robak's CHEM3A is challenging but rewarding. Her enthusiasm makes the material engaging, and she provides ample extra credit opportunities. unstuck ai was a lifesaver for reinforcing concepts and preparing for exams. Overall, a demanding yet worthwhile course.

Professor Robak's class seems like a lot of work, but once you have taken one of her exams, you will see that all the hard work actually pays off if you properly utilize each resource provided by her! All the GSIs are really helpful and I recommend going to the office hours almost every day. Take a look at the recommended readings before lectures!

She is a good teacher if you put in the work. No room for slacking off, but generally not difficult if you stay caught up.

Professor Robak at times can be hard to comprehend in lectures, but you really have to work hard and spend a majority dedicating 15 hours+ to really get the grade you want. I would say there are some curveballs, and it does get better but really it is more or less up to you to figure out the material on your own.

Although she has tough weekly quizzes in lecture, the way her course and grading criteria is set up makes it so that you can rebound low quiz scores with a better midterm score. Lectures cover much of what you need to know and there is plenty of resources online and in-person. If you do well enough on the midterms you don't have to take the final.

She's a hard but very fair professor. She grades very fairly with leeway to get points for every questions and has a lot of extra credit assignments to boost up points. It is extremely doable to get an A in her class if you keep up with the lectures, she has pre-lec and post-lec assignments so utilize those to make sure you understand everything.

Workload is like 5 unit class. I got 70%-80% on all quizzes, skipped the final, and still got an A. Do post lectures at OH. The GSIs are rly helpful! Do post lectures, discussions, and reflections even if you meet the maximum points. Exams sometimes are challenging, but mostly fair game. Study the problem sets to prepare for exams.

Feel like Robak gets a lot of hate, but its unfounded. Ochem is a tough subject no matter who is teaching it. You have to stay on top of coursework. A lot of material, but she structures it in a way to ensure your understanding. Just do as many assignments as possible for your understanding, as tests and quizzes make up 75% of your grade.

Dr. Robak's class was very reasonable. Exams were difficult, but as keeping up with all of the worksheets and going to office hours made it very doable. Dr. Robak clearly wants her students to succeed, as she gives extra credit and a chance to earn some missed exam points back.

Her class is very fair. All the material on exams has been mentioned in lecture and "hard" questions are not impossible - you can figure them out if you think it through. Lots of extra credit opportunities, GSIs and ed very helpful. You will be great at ochem afterwards and her class is very interesting.

I've heard negative things about her, but she's one of my favorite professors. She really wants you to succeed. All the material is taught extremely thoroughly in an organized way that makes sense - she always foreshadows topics lmao. It became one of my favorite classes, and you will have an amazing understanding of organic chemistry afterwards.

Organic chem is not easy, but Dr. Robak makes it a do-able experience. Kind + effective lecturer. Many assignments, but they're necessary to understand the course. Complete all assignments, go to her office hours, and truly prepare for exams - you will be okay! Very accepting of feedback after exams. Genuinely wants the best for her students.

I really like her and the GSI's. This class is one of my favorites.

She's really good at making sure you gain good organic chemistry knowledge. You will have a great understanding of ochem afterwards!! The problems she gives are also very interesting as they incorporate real world applications. Its actually one of my favorite classes lol

ochem is hard no matter who you take it with, but her grade bins are pretty generous and there's even extra credit opportunities on top of that that are worth so many pts that they can bump you up almost a letter grade. she makes the class interesting and the material is organized in a good way for long term understanding!

She genuinely cares about her students succeeding. While there might be a lot of people at her OH, she takes time with each student and gives really nice explanations without judging your question. She's really easy going and structures the class for students to do well. Tons of extra points and helpful exam review and post lecture WS sessions

Her chem 3 series is genuinely one of my favorite classes at berkeley. As long as you do the work (go to office hours!!) it is pretty much certain you can succeed. She's very clear about grading, exams are reasonable (and if a question is hard for everyone she lowers the pts on it), and this class is pretty fun as the practice prepares you well.

People tend to like marsden but all my friends are scared of asking him questions because he's condescending, etc. Robak is very caring and also active on Ed, she truly wants her students to succeed. She places midterms a bit after normal midterm weeks so that you have time to study for them, which I really like. Seriously a great professor.

Very fair professor, grading rubric is pretty good for exams and I feel like I deserved less points than I got lol. Lots of extra point earning opportunities and she cares so much about her students. Psets/ws are designed well to help you learn the material. You'll do well as long as you put in the work! OH is rlly helpful too.

Robak is an amazing and caring lecturer. Ochem is a hard course. She makes this class extremely understandable and enjoyable. She has solid exams that definitely will test your knowledge, but she prepares you well with weekly quizzes, practice problem sets, and 4-5 practice exams. OHs are a must and she is down-to-earth, and kind in them. Take her!

Do not be afraid to take Organic Chem with Robak! People will tell you she's awful but that couldn't be further from the truth. The content is difficult for sure but of course, its Ochem. As long as you put in the effort you will be completely fine. She gives a lot of EC, drops an exam grade (including the final), and lets you use notes on exams!!

I have no idea why ppl dislike her. She's so caring towards students, answers all questions in OH without judgement, very responsive on ed unlike marsden. lots of extra credit assignments and her exams are very fair! She'll give back more pts if a question is difficult. do NOT fear her, she's literally my favorite professor.

I had Robak for the 3 series and she was great. Going to lecture matters for participation and learning. She's put in the time to make the course thorough, and all the resources you need are there. Tests are very similar to post-lecture and optional problem sets, so do those and you'll be fine.

I struggled with 3A as it was completely new, but 3B with Robak was very interesting. Go to those post-lecture OFFICE HOURS even if you feel lazy. You will thank yourself so much during exams. She offers extra credit for the midterms, which helps a lot. The GSIs are all very nice and helpful. I am gonna miss this class!!!

I honestly was scared to take Robak because of the bad reviews. After taking her class for a year, there's no one I'd rather take OChem with. The worksheet-style lectures are clear and easy to understand. She also tries to make everything applicable in the real world. Her quizzes/exams are fair. Make sure to do ALL the practice materials provided!

Robak provides clear lectures and consistent material and resources to help students. Although it may feel like a full time job, Robak explains things well and truly cares for her students.

Her 3a/3b series was genuinely my favorite class ever. As long as you do the practice, there's no way you fail. Her grade bins are generous, exams are very fair (similar to practice), and she's so caring about students in general. Amazing person to talk to in OH and lots of interesting real-world applications in lecture. Super interesting content.

Chem 3A is a hard class, but I didn't realize until after how well organized Professor Robak is (especially the lectures). The GSIs are amazing and there are ones on the side during lectures to answer any questions you have. All of the office hours were very helpful Unfortunately I was a few points away from an A- and they would not round up.

Professor Robak is truly great at explaining and breaking down concepts, personally I'm not the best test-taker so it was hard in this class but I honestly feel surprised that I did really well in her 3A/3B series. Ochem is a tough weeder course and it will be rough, but for fellow pre-meds anything above a B is solid, so take it easy. Good luck!

Really good at explaining, and very accessible outside of class. Gives lots of opportunities for extra credit that really boost your grade. Class is on a point system with 200 points for exams, 200 for homework, participation, etc. Exams are pretty hard, but extra credit makes it worth it. You can drop your lowest exam score.

Most of the class revolves around mechanisms, similar to the latter half of the Chem 3A class she teaches. Allows cheatsheets during exams which can help a lot. Do well on the midterms and you don't have to take the final. Pretty lenient grading policy.

super organized course and she even allows final to be dropped. SRSLY just do the psets to study for each quiz and then you barely have to study for midterms and you'll also do well enough to skip the final. she genuinely wants the best for her students and helps u build long term understanding/problem solving skills. AMAZING prof.

🥰🥰🥰

Prof. Robak is amazing, and I wish that more teachers were as forgiving and helpful as she is. I hated chem before taking Chem 3A/3B but she was willing to meet with me to discuss my DSP accommodations and help me make a plan to do well in the class. She gives a lot of work but you only have to do about 70% of it for an A. Definitely recommend!

You get what you give from Robak. The material is conceptually challenging and it is easy to fall behind, but her lectures are very well organized, she allows for an exam drop, and gives several opportunities for extra credit. Make sure you study the previous week's material for the quizzes. Do problem sets for especially difficult material.

Dr Robak has a generous grading scheme (many skip the final), so study past exams, homework, etc., and you're cruising at the end of the semester. My only critique is that she usually didn't finish the entire lecture she had planned, and, in turn, worksheets were tough.

Robak is a fair professor who gives out extra credit when the class average is too low. Class is super doable if you do the worksheets and problem sets. Definitely not as intimidating as people say. Policy to skip final is super nice.

If you truly practice and make use of her office hours (she's super patient) and problem sets, you'll gain a lot from this class. If you put in the work, you'll see results. Her test drop policy is awesome and takes a lot of stress off. Her lecture timing could be better, but if that's the worst thing about this class, then it's pretty good!

One of my favorite professors so far. Very clear grading criteria, grades out of 400 points, and 200 of those are basically free if you are willing to work outside of class, while the rest are exams. Lecture timing isn't perfect, but she's aware and adjusts worksheets and quizzes accordingly. If you work hard consistently, you skip her final!!!

went into this course scared and came out knowledgable thanks to dr robak's amazing and clear lectures. lectures use lecture notes that are provided beforehand and are followed up by post lecture worksheets. problem sets and practice tests essential to succeed. prob my favorite professor at cal!

In my experience in 3A, Dr. Robak was a great lecturer who covered a massive amount of topics in the semester very effectively. Yes, you will have to study outside of class and teach yourself some things and yes you need to go to lecture and actually pay attention. That should be expected in an ochem class. I look forward to having her for 3B.

She's super caring and breaks down topics very clearly, quizzes are most similar to PLWS and discussion worksheets. Exams are also VERY similar to practice just make sure to start early and do NOT fall behind. the amount you put into this class is what you get out of it so do your best

She give you everything you need in lecture. Her office hours are extremely helpful. She is very understanding and a great lecturer. She doesn't use a chalkboard. her work load is quite heavy and tight due dates but going to 2 ours of office hour should get you all the help.