A blessing sent from heaven to Hunter. He truly cares for his students. He's so straightforward with what he wants on exams. He provides annotated lecture slides and problem sets which reflect the exams. He recognizes many of his students and is always there to help them out. On top of that, he is an amazing lecturer. I highly recommend Dr. Astrof!

Professor Astrof was awesome. He didn't try to deceive you on his tests, his tests were very fair and he emphasized understanding over memorization. Completing all the problem sets really helped with the tests and also for understanding the material. His powerpoints were great and he made lectures lively with his jokes.

A true educator! Dr. Astrof is very knowledgeable and humble. He is mindful of the density of content and the difficulty of topics and his exams are fair. Listen during lecture, focus on genuine comprehension of material, complete problem sets and attend office hours whenever possible and you set yourself up to do well in the course.

One of the best science professors that Hunter has to offer. Posts slides with detailed annotations so you won't need to open a textbook for this class. You can clearly tell that he is passionate about biochem and is exciting/uplifting during his lectures. Attend office hours bc he will give hints about what will be on exams. Can't recommend enough

So great. Biochem is a difficult and dense subject, but he's so enthusiastic and knowledgeable that it is enjoyable to attend lecture. Powerpoint slides are annotated and very detailed, textbook isn't necessary. Lots of work, but tests are a direct reflection of problem sets and extra credit points are built in.

HANDS DOWN BEST SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT HUNTER. Dr. Astrofs lectures are honestly engaging and informative and he gives you everything you need to know in his extremely detailed slide notes. Most test questions are solely based on the problem sets that are given during recitation so its really not too hard to get to know the material well.

Dr. Astrof is a stellar professor who CAN TEACH WELL! He communicates dense topics in a palatable manner. His humor & enthusiasm for biochemistry shines in lecture. Just took my first of 4 exams, and it was challenging but fair. No surprises if you dedicate time and attention to each weeks problem sets, attend lecture, and work hard.

Simply put, he does something every science professor at Hunter fails to do: educate. Not an easy A, but an A you can be proud of walk away learning something. Classy dude 10/10

Absolutely best prof at Hunter. There is a lot of material however, he is very clear what you need to know for the exam and you leave this class feeling like you learned a lot.

Such a great professor. I actually learned in his class. His ppt and problem sets are time consuming, so don't procrastinate.

he's a great lecturer, super funny, and you can tell he really cares about his students

Pro: AMAZING lecturer, funny, gives out snacks, extra credit, ppt given with notes attached, problem sets reflect the test, drops hints on what's in the test Con: there are a lot of things you need to know & understand :(, guys memorize the 20 amino acids (name & structure) & know how to make buffers! Ex1(100)Ex2(100)Ex3(100)FEx(150)Rec(50)500

Best science professor at Hunter who really cares about students. He approaches class in an exciting way that justifies why learning about these enzymes are relevant to the real world and always throws in some humor if he can! His exams draw from the problem sets, so if you do those, you'll have a good idea for what will be emphasized on the exams.

Professor Astrof was amazing. He actually cares about his students and will always help you. He gives you powerpoints with notes so you dont really need the textbook. HW and exams were pretty much straightforward if you studied the notes. Definitely take him for biochemistry (Bio280 and Chem 376)

Professor Astrof is the best. He cares about his students and wants us to succeed. Powerpoints with annotated notes were given so no need to get the textbook. Everything was straightforward as long as you read the material. There was a lot of homework but it was manageable. Definitely learned a lot. Must take for bio280/chem376

A real gem of the chem department at Hunter College. All of the materials are easily comprehensible and comes with detailed notes on each PowerPoint slide. Students engage with the class proactively and lots of intellectual discussions going on. Do the problem sets he posts and you will ace the exam effortlessly.

I feel like the same person is writing these negative reviews... Dr. Astrof is absolutely wonderful. He's hilarious in class, cares about his students, and provides so many opportunities for you to ask questions and get help. His PowerPoints and problem sets are super helpful and he really makes the course fun and interesting. Don't be deterred!

Professor Astrof genuinely wants his student to learn. If you are pre-health I suggest you take this class with easy classes because you will have to put in the work. There is NO slacking off. He will go out of his way to help you but the material is very difficult. You MUST have self-discipline. He provides real-life applications to teach.

Dr. Astrof is a stellar professor. Of all of the science professors at Hunter, his passion for teaching and his genuine care for his students are unmatched. Biochemistry is a hard subject, but he explains the material very clearly. Do not hesitate to ask questions; he is so patient and kind. Keeps students updated and connected thru BB and email.

I'm not going to lie the class is difficult. Dr. Astrof is the best professor that I've had because he treats students with respect & admits his mistakes. He will not hesitate to help you if you ask for it. I know that I chose the right major after this class. My grades aren't perfect, but I can say that I've learned more than any other class ever.

This professor is a godsend from the chemistry department. He is caring, compassionate, and an overall amazing person. He is glad to always answer questions, provides you with extensive problem set questions, and is always accessible. This semester during COVID was difficult, but this class was the reason I would get up in the morning.

This professor is FABULOUS!!!! There is no better professor at Hunter! I dont know what the bad reviews are for but I suspect it was due to a difficult test we recently had. Nevertheless, this professor helps you every step of the way, lets you see past test questions. AND even lets you have those past test questions with you DURING THE TEST! <3 <3

Dr. Astrof is one of the best professors at Hunter. The material is hard but that's because it's biochemistry. Dr. Astrof does everything he can to ensure every student understands it. There are countless opportunities to ask questions, learn, and engage with him despite being on an online platform. He wants his students to succeed.

Professor Astrof is an amazing professor. He is clearly passionate about what he was teaching and is always open to answer any questions to clarify. Yes, the course is test heavy but this is a 300-level chemistry class. He gives annotated ppts and problem sets for practice if you aren't willing to put in the work, you won't do well.

Ok. First off: He writes his OWN TEXTBOOK in Powerpoint form. NEVER have I heard of a professor do such a beautiful thing. Second, he is such an interesting, compassionate, and caring person, I am SHOCKED people are hating on him below. He cares about your wellbeing, your grade, and even gives the whole class extra credit if you find a mistake!!!

Yes, the tests make up almost all your grade, but he tells you this in the first day of class! His tests are 100% fair and he is such a sweet person. This is biochemistry, of course it is hard. This is a topic heavily tested on the MCAT, there is no getting out of its difficulty. However, I would never take any other professor than him! Thank you!

We just finished our last lecture today!! We all cried!! It was the sweetest thing. This professor really got us through COVID. He helped us stay sane, taught us some crazy things about biochemistry like why Hersheys chocolate tastes bad. And made us laugh all the time. I love him, my cat loves him, and I bet tiktaalik loves him. So will you!

I'm very confused... Why did he just start getting bad reviews? He is such a sweet man and in all his years of teaching, everyone respects and loves him. All the others have already described why and I want to add that he simply cares. Never have I met someone that cared so much about my questions and understanding of the subject. :)

This man is amazing. Biochemistry is a hard topic and there's no debating that. However, Professor Astrof is really dedicated to teaching. He offers so many resources and is always available to answer any of our questions. He gives us notes to study from which is a godsend. If you need to take biochem, take with him.

I am not sure why there are so many negative reviews... Professor Astrof really cares about his students. His lectures are so fun, there are so many jokes and memes within the powerpoints so that's cool. Biochemistry is hard but he makes it manageable.

This professor made me love biochemistry! He is an amazing professor that cares about his students tremendously. Whenever I had a hard time with something, he made sure I understood everything so that I would do well. I was so excited to go to his class every day. He respects everyone and is very kind.

Biochemistry was definitely a hard class, but Dr. Astrof made it the best class ever. He made the class enjoyable to be in and was SO dedicated to his teaching. He cared so much about his students and made sure they understood everything. I would take this class again for sure. Best Professor Ever!

Dr. Astrof is honestly the best professor at Hunter PERIOD. I've been at Hunter for like 3 years and I've never had a professor who was this damn caring and enthusiastic about teaching. He REALLY puts in the time to make the information learnable while making the lectures very enjoyable. This man is a true gem.

Dr. Astrof makes learning enjoyable. He puts jokes in his lectures so that we would not be bored and could understand the material better. He gave us a lot of resources so that we would understand the material and would help us if we did not get something. He replies to emails very fast and is very dedicated to his teaching and his students.

This class is hard and there is no sugarcoating it. But, Professor Astrof tries to make it easier for us. Several questions from the exams are verbatim from the lecture slides that he gives us. The problem sets are a decent indicator of what the exam will be. This class is not an easy A and you will have to work for it.

Hands down, the best professor I've had for a chemistry course at Hunter! Although exams do take up 92% of your grade, this was made clear from the start. He cares so much for his students and his passion for teaching is evident from the start. Biochemistry is a very difficult course, but a lot of exam material came directly from the slides/PS's!

As a professor, Astrof is amazing. He goes into crazy detail in his lectures and will take the time to make sure you truly absorb the material. He's caring, funny, and fair and it shows instantly. That said, the material is quite dense, the tests are calculation heavy and you WILL have to work overtime to even land in the A zone for this class.

Dr. Astrof is an amazing professor. However, his exams are extremely tricky. He also tends to make mistakes on his OWN exam questions. Also, his problem sets do NOT seem to reflect the exam questions. I wish he provided us with actual review questions. Those are the only cons in this course.

He is the best professor I ever had. I like how he makes the class more enjoyable. People, please stop complaining about the exams and calculation based problems. he gives a lot of extra credits; he gives the solutions for those calculation-based questions too. Ask him at office hrs, ask your rec group mems if you don't understand anything.

Everyone who put a 1 star for Dr. Astrof are straight up lazy and don't understand consequences. Y'all were literally allowed access to slides and a textbook DURING the exam! His problem sets gave a good idea of what he wanted us to know. His lectures were amazing. To all the 1 starrers, welcome to the real world, work harder next time.

Bro I dont understand why mad ppl gave this man a 1 star. ONG hes one of the only professors I've met at hunter that actually gaf if his students pass or not. Man blessed with extra credit points, extra office hrs, and individual meetings so that ppl in the class would be able to graduate on time. DUDES A GEM!!!

Study at least 3-4 hrs a day for this class, and do his problem set. Stop whining about how hard it is to learn 100 lecture slides; this is what you e when you actually do your studying it is never impossible. He's really accessible outside of class through email, as well as during office hours.

Astrof has a good personality; a sense of humor, and explains concepts well. The class is hard overall. I didnt show up to class; used recordings. I didnt like the recitations; it was useless. The class is materially dense; he was unable to finish the last unit. He doesnt use textbooks; do the pset and listen intently to his lectures. Good luck.

Lectures really well, enthusiastic, funny and always wants to answer questions, very approachable, cares a lot that we learn and understand (unlike phys profs). The content is a lot but u need to put in effort to learn it & trust me it pays off. Tbh the exams are easier than the content but always study everything just in case :) good luck!

Prof. Astrof was hands down the best science professor I have had at Hunter. He gives "optional" problem sets which completely reflect the exams. If you don't do the problem sets, you won't do well. Do the problem set questions on pace with his lectures and you will do well in his class.

Amazing person/parental vibes. He is clear about grading and gives partial points. His class is 90% exams but he didnt design the syllabus. His problem sets and lectures are very HEAVY and dense so you cant fall behind. He is transparent and does not show favoritism. Highly recommend but STUDY YOUR A*S OFF!! Messing up 1 exam will screw u over

I had Professor Astrof for both Biochemistry 1 and 2. He is very approachable and wants to help all of his students to do well in the class so definitely attend office hours with questions from the previous lecture. The material is ALOT but doable. You just need to stay on top of the material and figure out how you best study.

Great lecturer and an overall nice guy. His class is very test heavy so if you do bad on one exam, you are pretty much screwed. He gives extra credit on exams but his grading is so harsh that they aren't as helpful. He needs to be more lenient with partial credit tbh. he once took off full credit cause I missed a Hydrogen on an exam smh

This class is a difficult class and it requires a lot of time to study for. It is a good class and you will learn a lot from him. Utilize his lectures and problem sets and go to his office hours! He's a great professor and he loves to help his students outside or during class hours.

Dr. Astrof is definitely the best professor I have ever had at Hunter College. His lectures are very interesting and his exams are fair and include partial credit. He is very accessible for questions and loves talking to students. I highly recommend him for biochem 1 and 2.

Had Astrof for Biochem I and II, and he's a good lecturer and helpful if you ask questions. I enjoyed Biochem I, but don't take Biochem II unless you have to. Tests are difficult, he's not generous with partial credit, and the material is extremely challenging volume wise, and conceptually. Grading system is not forgiving and there's no curve.

Clearly passionate. Great teacher. Exams straightforward and from slides. Issue: Amount of material. Felt rushed. 300+ slides/150 problem set questions per exam. Do every question on problem set. 9 questions on the exam out of 150 set questions. Drops hints as to what is on exam. Make the class your priority when taking it. Only way to do well.

BiochemII is a huge amount of work and a huge amount of material. More work than Biochem1. Astroff is a good lecturer and there are no surprises on exams, but you actually have to know the stuff well. Other reviews say there's no curve - technically true but there are very large score adjustments on exams, often more than a full letter grade.

If you mess up on one exam, it is very possible to recover overall since your best exam counts twice. I was able to recover from a failing grade on one exam. There is extra credit which is a built-in curve plus an extra 10-point question on the exams. Put in the work and do well!

He is an amazing professor and its not his fault that the course is difficult. If you do the problem sets you will do great on the exams. Record his lectures and listen to them before the exams.

Astrof is a great professor. Provides a lot of insights through his lectures and recitation. His problem sets are a lot of help to prepare for the exam. But be careful when reading the exam questions as they could be worded differently. Then again he also gives enough extra credits that even if you fail a exam, the grade could be recovered.

Really great lecturer, keeps you engaged. Genuinely cared about my performance and my ability to do well. Your best exam counts twice. Difficult material but the problem sets help so much. Utilize the time you have with him in rec and go to office hours especially before/after exams. His slides are very detailed. TAs helped a lot!

Astrof's class is challenging, but worthwhile. Exams are tough, but he's fair with partial credit. unstuck ai was a lifesaver for study prep - definitely check it out!

The material in biochem 2 isn't more difficult than biochem 1, it is just soo much more. You definitely don't want to fall behind and make sure to do the problem sets. He is a great professor and very accessible outside of class and it isn't his fault that the course is difficult.

Astrof is a light-hearted and knowledgeable professor, but Biochem II just so happens to be one of the most difficult and dense courses out there, so you'll end up hating the course. Go to his lectures, office hours, and extensively review his slides/problem sets and I promise you'll do good.

Prof. Astrof really knows the material and is very helpful during office hours. His practice problems are great for studying, and he emphasizes mechanisms. A strong organic chemistry background helps, but Chapter 0 reviews what you need. The course is dense, but he truly cares about his students. Make this class your priority while taking it!!

Forget having perfect notes for this class. Made mine based on the problem sets and disregarded anything on pharmaceuticals. Spaced repetition, active recall, and recording lectures while reviewing helped me know what the exam would cover or not cover considering it could cover over 400+ slides, so go to class and it will save you A LOT of time!!!