2.9
Quality3.0
Difficulty41%
Would Retake127
Reviews41%
Would Retake
127
Reviews
Rating Distribution
127 total ratings5
35
4
7
3
3
2
11
1
44
What Students Say
“Nazanin Saidi constantly loads you with work, she thinks if she calls you out she is thinks she is embarrassing but nah, she is rude on a high level, she is snobby, if she thinks she the best, why does she work in nvcc, btw shw hates the other architecture professor, she is rude, annoying, bossy, has no manners, but i think cause shes from iran”
ARC123 - 2.0 rating“She's not the best teacher, but I wouldn't say she's the worst”
ARC200 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
19%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.96 avg changeRatings by Course
ARC134
4.5
(4)ARC124
4.0
(11)ARC201
3.7
(3)ARC20001N
3.5
(2)ARC225
2.9
(9)Difficulty by Course
ARC121122201
5.0
ARCH123
4.0
ARC123
3.8
ARC124
3.7
ARC20001N
3.5
Reviews (100)
she is the most amezing teacher iv had in NOVA. she wants you to succeed and she will push you to the brink. I have had her every semester since i started at NOVA which was two years ago and I have got 3 As and 1 B. pay attention to what she says, do your homework and ask question( not dumb once...she hates dumb questions) you will get an A
She's very, VERY rude. She criticizes your work to the entire class, rather than individually, by calling the class over so she can make fun of your work. She's immature, and arbitrary on the rules. The class material is fascinating, however she ruins the experience.
During my college experience, if you ask me which professor has changed you the most I would definitely have to say Prof. Nazi. She turns you into a critical thinker and brings the best out of you (as long as you are interested). She loves architecture and does very well at spreading that love to us
Be prepare to draw. A lot
she helps you alot! but you have got to get her to like you, and if she does your life will be so much easier in the class, but if she dosnt like you u might as well drop the class
She never follows curriculum timing. She starts class before time and ends it after time. She is full blown scary. She doesnt ever give you enough time to finish a task and constantly complains about how inefficient you are for not understanding. It is difficult to keep up with her during class because of her fast paste explanations.
She's the type of person who believes she can take a simple glance at a student give out a final grade after the first day of class. If she DOESN'T LIKE you, drop the class,If you're BLACK, drop the class and if she ever cause a SCENE in front of the entire class. DROP THE CLASS. I cannot make it anymore easier than it is. DROP HER CLASS.
She have no idea what's she doing!
Goes through the material WAY too quickly and will insist that you should be able to keep up with her speed because it's a"university level"class(it's a beginner's class);WILL ALWAYS cut you off when your talking and can be extremely rude.She also reads the comments here and will also deny any negative comments about her.tldr;DON'T TAKE HER CLASS.
She is very very hard teach. I swear I hate her in the first class but later on, I realize that she brought the best out of me. Amazing teacher. Take her class if you are serious to what you are doing. I mean it is your job and you need to be responsible to that. No complain, be focused on what she say, she will like you :)
She teaches way too quick for the class to keep up. Also, she can be quite rude to her students, often cutting them off when they ask questions. During quizzes and sketchbook checks, she tends to grade pretty harshly. She will often show a students sketchbook in front of the class and showing whats wrong with it causing unnecessary embarrassment.
She can dish out criticism but can't take them. If you ask for her to slow down, she will insist that it's your fault for not being able to keep up (which is an IMPOSSIBLE task, let me tell you). There is absolutely no getting through to her.
She knows her stuff, and wil. Her lectures are fast, but not that hard to follow. You just have to work at home to catch up what you missed in class. The people who say that her class is hard say that because they're lazy, and they expect every class to be super easy. She is not a tough grader if you do study and show some interest.
There are weekly quizzes. On black board she specifically states what material will be covered on quiz 12 hour before the quiz. That gives you a chance to review your notes. It is a good reminder as well. She covers the material really well. She allows for class participation. don't miss quiz.
I learned a lot. We learned to draw plans, sections and elevations. We did framing and wall section. We made models. We explored design. If you work hard, she lets you know. Do not take anything that she says about your character in a bad way. She is actually trying to help you. I will recommend taking ARC 123 with her.
I checked ratemyprofessors before taking this class I saw so many bad feedbacks but also saw some good feedbacks And sound was lazy students hate this professors on the other hand if someone really wanna study arc and learn something he is gonna love taking class with her My brother and I are very happy to take this class cuz we learned!
probably you will hate her at first day of class, and you will be loving her when you start learning something
I love how she teaches, would take again!
She's not the best teacher, but I wouldn't say she's the worst. This professor really does expect a lot out of you. We are cramming into finals week in these next couple of weeks and she expects us to do like 10 sketches each night. That may not sound like a lot but it takes a lot of time into them. She can be quite rude to her students.
Nazanin Saidi constantly loads you with work, she thinks if she calls you out she is thinks she is embarrassing but nah, she is rude on a high level, she is snobby, if she thinks she the best, why does she work in nvcc, btw shw hates the other architecture professor, she is rude, annoying, bossy, has no manners, but i think cause shes from iran
Get ready to work! Very smart and passionate teacher, but she'll overwhelm u throughout the semester. Most people feel intimidated because: She will call u out on spot if you are chatting/on your phone/distracted. She speaks fast. She expects a lot from u. But tbh, she cares a lot about her students and I've learn a lot in all her classes.
I've never had a teacher that has been more passionate about her students, and what she teaches. I've learned so much in her classes, and she even goes out of her way to help students transfer to other schools and get scholarship money. She demands work, but if you are willing to put the time in you'll learn a lot. You won't be disappointed
she seems passionate but she doesn't even know the basic history, islamic and sasanid architectures is influenced by byzantine architecture not the other way around but she seems confused and take wrong information from wikipedia, and she is the professor? also her writing is so tiny and sloppy that i cannot even see and she is too fast paced
YOU HAVE TO TAKE HER!! If you actually want to learn something! Amazing teacher! Just do your work! And listen to her! Dont miss class! She is a pusher but she really cares about her students! Also she is very easy to talk to and understanding! Take her if you want an easy A! Amazing class!
ARC 134 the weekly tests are good to keep up with material and to get an A. ARC 200 12/11/2017- note is NA- Islamic Architecture and Persian architecture are not part of the course description in ARC 200. The focus is Western Architecture with some review of Byzantine - radial design.
lots of work but great for portfolio for job and transfer. Work in the class and after and have fun doing it. It is actually fun. first 3 weeks is hard then easy then a lot of work but so worth it
Starts slow about third week it gets faster and it is really fun when you start to do the 3d . She works with you but you have to be on time. She is caring and enthusiastic. She has lots of stuff on line. Take advantage of that
group projects are strange but fun and you learn a lot. Presentations prepare you for work and transfer
you want to transfer? take this class with her She is inspirational. She helps you understand concept which is hard to get, She is one hour early for each class. Take advantage of it
Tremendous prof. Honestly cares whether or not the students understand the subject matter. Demanding but very fair.
She is one of the best pros. She puts her work on YouTube so you follow. She knows her material. She makes you think about connection of columns to rafters and how the curtain wall is done. She connects classes and makes it all worthwhile. I got a chunky scholarship because of her 124 class. uses Revit and that is plus when you transfer and jobs
You have to do the work for her to comment. Remember to not take it personal. When you learn to listen you can do better. She will try 3 ways to comment. She will lecture. 1/2 kids dont pay attention. She will sketch and again they dont pay attention. Then she works with you with software AutoCad , guess Revit now. learn from all 3 methods
This teacher suffers from severe cases of ADD and OCD which prevent her from putting a coherent thought together. Avoid her like the plague, you will regret taking her class.
This teacher is a full time teacher and and not a practicing architect. She gave an overwhelming amount of assignments which seemed like free thought experiments. She then had very specific expectations no one ever met. Being in this seminar was not a pleasant or even a learning experience.
I really wanted to like her, but the longer the semester went on the more confusing everything got. She's all over the place during lectures and it can be difficult to understand what she expects from you. She makes little to no sense most of the time. It seems like the material being taught comes from her interpretation rather than actual info. :(
I am overjoyed this monster will no longer abuse her students because all classes are now online.
hardest class if you want scholarship it takes hard work 5 people out of 12 in our class got scholarship above 10000 dollars ha ha i got 12000 She is the best Local schools and firms know her and respect her and she becomes your long term friend
Every time I think about this monster I cringe. I am surprised some people have positive experiences, anyone you talk to will tell you this teacher is bonkers, a verbally abusive nut job. Take at your own risk.
She likes to hang scholarships over students all semester long, claiming that if you comply with her irascible and abusive attitude she will write a recommendation. Students work hard, show their talent and some do get scholarships. Sadly, everyone knows the truth. You will hear it whispered in class at some point: ignore her, she is crazy.
Teaches 1970s architecture and drafting, tries to use revit but barely knows how. Everything she teaches is from a Ching book but has never designed anything real. Ask her to show you her buildings or houses. There are none.
I have two recommendations for those who want to take the class with this professor. If you are a full-time student and want to find a job or transfer to University, I recommend enrolling in her classes, otherwise, if you are working or for any reason, you don't have enough time, Don't take her classes. Too many assignments give you stress.
She gives us too much homework, but I learn a lot from her. Make sure you have enough time to take her classes.
Hands down the worst professor I have ever taken. She is interested in hearing herself talk incoherently and give assignments that make no sense. There are many other profs I would recommend over her, pretty much everyone else in the department. Go to Alexandria if you have to, it's worth the trip to avoid her.
First, it's not a hard class at all, just a lot of disjointed class work and lots of rambling. She teaches architecture from the 1970s as if it was cutting edge. She has mental health issues which are hard to deal with because she tends to get nasty with her students. All you have to do is ask around and everyone will tell you.
Solid good teacher. Helped me get a job with Fairfax County with one year of the program. Take ARC 123, 133, 134, 124, 225. She will help you get a job. She invited professionals from various agencies and helped connect the subject with real world. She is knowledgeable and supportive. helps with transfer as well
4 effective projects. Each one is designed for a different goal. She helped me get a job. Stay focused. Do the weekly projects. don't fall behind. Go to her virtual office hours and ask questions. Record her lectures in small sections. She is great Take ARC 123, 124, 134, 225 with her. She helps you land a job.
She helped me get a job and prepare a pathway to transfer as well. She has 4 units. The first unit is super practical. the other units help with different goals and objectives. She helps you with job and transferring. Take ARC 123, 124, 134, 225 with her. She has helped so many to get a job and to transfer. She is great.
She pretends to be nice but her crazy nasty side eventually comes out. Don't believe the reviews here, ask former students they will tell you the real story.
I wish I could write a fair review but I had such an awful time in her classes. If you are thinking about dropping her class, don't hesitate or delay. Please ask anyone who interacts with her, secretaries, other teachers, former students, they will ALL cringe and make a funny face. She's by far is the nastiest teacher I've ever had.
This is a polarizing teacher, some people hate her, others like her. She humiliated and bullied us and treated the class like little kids. There were days when she came in a bad mood and took it out on us, we all hid in our desks. If you don't like teachers in your face messing with you don't take her class.
She was majorly rude to us, doesn't respect her students but demands the most respect. If you don't want someone in your face don't take her class.
Dropped her class, best decision i ever made.
I wanted to like this class but she is a frustrated failed architect who takes it out on her students. The assignments are all over the place, she doesn't have any rules for herself and seemed to enjoy humiliating the class, rules for thee and not for me is her motto. Every class was full of cringe worthy moments.
Outstanding teacher. transferred and got credit for my classes because of her. she celebrates diversity and is delightful. The campus was empty... no other teachers, secretary but her lights were on the two days on campus and two days on zoom helping lots of people. She is wonderful. Oh 4 of my class mates got jobs because of her.
ARC 201 was not offered. She taught it for free. A group of us attended regularly. She is great connecting the classes from drafting to structure to history. I took ARC 123, 124, 134, 225 with her and got A. She is positive and helps you stand on your two feet. really cool teacher.
Ms. Saidi is completely disorganized, rude, & passive-aggressive. She asks students to answer a question & gives them another task to complete at the same time. She interrupts students when they ask a question & insults them for not understanding her manic explanations. She confuses herself. She has no syllabus or assignment outlines. Avoid!!!
she is one of the best. Her Canvas page is organized with lectures and assignments. Her syllabus is posted with an assignment. She knows her material. She is systematic. Sends announcements with topics and assignment due points. Her assignments are clear and detailed on canvas. She links the class to real world and transfer.
Former student: just emailed and thanked her for helping. Got a job with one her students. She is well respected, kind and helpful. if you look at the program there is no ARC 121. Her office is in a pod with no secretary. Each teacher has their office. Her courses on Canvas professional with syllabus, lecture outlines and assignments.
Overall a bad professor. Classes are through zoom, and she requires everyone to have their webcam on or shell mark them absent. There are no tests but there are 2-3 major projects due weekly. She does not respond to emails and she is far behind on grading assignments. Like the past month and half worth of assignments havent been graded.
This was one of the most stressful classes I've taken at NOVA. If you take this class, expect a work load of 2-3 projects a WEEK that take about 4-5 hours EACH. People in my class couldn't keep up with the work so she would lecture us about turning in our work every class. The only good thing about this class is that there are no exams.
Hands down the worst professor I ever have had. Every week consists of 2-3 major projects that take anywhere from 5-8 hours to complete. With one week left she said we had one final assignment. She then posted an additional three final assignments. The workload is insane.
She requires you to keep your webcam on and if you do not she will keep making comments or threaten to mark you absent. Every week consists of boring lectures and a crazy work load. There are no tests, however, there are multiple projects due weekly. Each project takes hours of research and sketching. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
I never been more stressed during an elective than with this class. The workload is intense. I have spend more time doing homework on this class than my other 3. Do not take this class it is not worth the stress!!
Taking this class was the worst decision. I thought it would get better over time but the work load just increased. 3-4 huge projects that take hours to complete. Not worth the headache and stress.
During a lecture on the structure of a building she compared the students of NOVA as peasants for going to a community college and the students at Virginia Tech as upperclass. She degrades students.
Professor gives an insane amount of homework and unrealistic deadlines. When asking for help and clarification, she is often reluctant to assist the class. I would not recommend taking this class.
This class was insane. There were so many assignments and more and more were added with 24 hrs of work a week expected to be completed. If not required, do not take this class.
I feel so accomplished when I look back at my assignments. She cares about us. Go to class with your assignment shell. Turn Webcam. If you are lost or bored ask questions. Work on shell when she is lecturing. Sketch with notes. Check Canvas announcements. Your hard work pays off. Wait till you get your final grade she is fair. Her class is like
The rules for Prof. Saidi's class were very straightforward, and it seemed like she was passionate about what she was teaching, so I enjoyed the material quite a bit. Her grading can be unpredictable; you could put in a lot of effort and still be forgetting something. To do well in her class, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!
Got an A. I thought I was going to get a C. If you have a solid C, with extra credits, you can pull an A. Do the weekly assignments and follow her guide. Liked the last group of buildings the most. Oh .... attend and have your webcam on.
The teacher was disorganized, all over the place, doesn't know what she wants in the assignments, when you turn them in she judges them as if she was clear. Sometimes she came in pissed for no reason and took it out on us. What kind of teacher does that?
You will have PTSD, I regret taking her classes. She is a very insecure lifelong administrator, HAS NEVER PRACTICED ARCHITECTURE and takes it out on her students. She constantly says "EYES ON ME!" and forces you to look at her. So cringe!
If someone else says how respected she is I'm going to hurl. Very few know her outside of nova and those who have do not take her seriously. You kind of have to do architecture to be respected in architecture and she doesn't, so there's that.
Took ARC 225 without the pre requisite last year. Don't do that. The professor still met me outside of class and helped me. she is organized and has lots of material to help you. Got a B in ARC 225. last semester I took ARC 200 and Got an A. go to class and ask for help if you need it.
I took art history and site design with her. This woman is clueless, she does not know her arch history and does not know how to use revit, uses it for drafting. If you want to learn how to be a draftsman, her site design class is for you. If you want to be an architect or engineer, look elsewhere.
She's a hater. If you have talent, she'll tear you down. If you have none, she'll remind you every class and build you up and then tear you down. She regularly tells women and poc in the class that they don't have "it." "Coincidentally" she always loves the work of white male students, until she feels the need to, you guessed it, tear them down.
Rules? There are none, at least none she follows. She makes up rules for the class as she goes along and changes them whenever she feels like it. Assignments too, change every day.
I took many ARC courses with this professor. All i can say is shes an alright but HARD professor. She teaches us to be professional with our projects and work. But, keep in mind: she's very quick. get ready to take notes and draw in a light speed. Also ALWAYS record every single class you have with her. I promise you'll need it. KEEP CAMS ON!
This professor is a unique professor. She challenges and motivates her students to reach their full potential with extensive and extremely rigorous work efforts through an understanding of practical working standards. Which, I completely see as helpful for any inspiring Architetec.
Professor Nazy is one of the hardest professors to "rate." You need to understand that she has good intentions. She is perfect for you if you like challenges and enjoy learning through practice. If you easily get off track and are not ready to work crazy hours on your projects, don't take her. Classes are hard but worth it. Bonus -helps with jobs.
This was the worst professor I have ever met in my life. I was luckily able to get a refund, due to her blatant discrimination based on disability, but if you're seeing this review, RUN. She is disorganized/erratic as a professor and has shown blatant bias against minorities and the disabled. She also publicly puts students on blast for questions.
If it was possible to rate her 0 on this scale I would. She should not be a professor anywhere
She is a dangerous teacher because she put down our creativity due to her own insecurities, which she projected onto us all the time, making us feel like we didn't belong in the field. As a life long career administrator, she has never created anything important or beautiful.
Miss Niazi is one of the best professors very caring and knowledgeable. I learn a lot in Miss Niazi's class. giving reasonable time to complete assignments. I recommend to students take Miss Naizi's class.
There are a million things I could say but instead I'll give an example of what to expect. This is a quote from her syllabus: "The notes in the pdf files are not readable on purpose to increase your listening ability" I was excited for this course but have no interest in a teacher that purposefully makes it harder on her students to learn. Refunded
If you're seeing any "positive" reviews about this professor, be warned, I'm pretty sure she has made fake accounts to boost herself. She is insecure, and tears other students down for their work because of said insecurity. I have also witnessed her being blatantly offensive towards minority groups during her infamous rants, which was often. RUN.
Taking this course was a waste of my time. I gained absolutely no experience and very little knowledge from this class. The teacher frequently cuts off student's questions, doesn't answer emails, intimidates students, and blames her students for her own incompetency. Her curriculum seems made up and her grading criteria is impossible to understand.
Initially I struggled with this class but meeting with the professor one on one really helped a lot. The class lectures can be a little hectic, and this was definitely my hardest class. Attending every class, attending extra sessions, communicating over email, and being very conversational will get you a good grade.
took like 4+ of her classes back in 2020. in summary shes ok. Heard her say islamaphobic stuff a couple times. If u wanna pass her class:participate,communicate, and complete all assignments PERFECTLY on time. never miss ONE assignment.& ignore her mean comments, youll be fine. She's ok because she taught me discipline and critical thinking.
I took ARC 200 in FALL23. I am an older student and first time back after many years. I love drawing and thought I could draw. WRONG!! Nazi is a fantastic artist and her experience shows through her drawing. My drawing skills were definitely improved and now I am able to conceptualize layout, profile and different view points. Great Instructor!
Super engaging professor! Very clear about grading and very lenient about late work. I would recommend attending the lectures as the whole class is projects and you can get a lot of work done towards your projects in class with the help of the professors sketches. Falling behind can be hard but she is great with late work and very understanding.
Can't speak English
She is all over the place and not clear at all. if you have hard time focusing DON'T take her class !trust me you will be lost! she assigns multiple assignments each class and expects them to be done by the next class. Not to forget to mention that her rubric is never clear! . she keeps on going off topic
This professor is very disorganized and insists on students showing up early or staying late. Routinely goes on highly opinionated rants that are nonsensical and incoherent. Course content is laughable and honestly sounds improvised and made up. Nothing about her lectures are informative about architecture, and consist entirely of her opinions.
She is really terrible, she cannot slow down fro one bit. IF you miss a single class, she won't help you to get caught, she'll tell you ask your classmates for help, but they're also lost as well. All she does is give a giant lecture is you're a single minute late. Do NOT take this class with her
She's OK! I took 5 of her classes. Lots of Assignments, includes PowerPoint with sketches. She can yell at you, belittles you, kills your confidence, but you get to learn a lot of things in a short period of time. Just make sure to submit your assignments and avoid her as much as possible because she can be unbearable sometimes.
Honestly she can be very caring towards the people who actively engage with her even just talking to her separately before or after class, you just have to meet her she really cares for students. she can be a bit much sometimes but that is how she is. Just get on top with your work,
This class was a rollercoaster! The professor has high standards, but if you put in the work, attend every lecture, and use all available resources like Unstuck ai, you can succeed. The projects are challenging but rewarding.
She will give you an A if you copy her presentations, but just word it different or add onto your PP. Also make sure you draw your own sketches otherwise she will take points off. She makes a ton of additional credit assignments at the end of the semester in case you have a bad grade, just ask for help. She can seem tough but it was an easy class
I took 3 classes with her. Got all A. I don't recommend her she is insecure.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
19%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.96 avg changeRatings by Course
ARC134
4.5
(4)ARC124
4.0
(11)ARC201
3.7
(3)ARC20001N
3.5
(2)ARC225
2.9
(9)Difficulty by Course
ARC121122201
5.0
ARCH123
4.0
ARC123
3.8
ARC124
3.7
ARC20001N
3.5