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Hard but fair

Shes cool

she's cool, funny and she brings her dog to class

I like her class and I like the way she teaches and tests. Yeah, it is hard, but if you work hard it will pay off. And, if you take the chance to get to know her she is a very nice person.

entertaining lectures, very fair tests

Bruice's organic chemistry is clear, but there is a decent amount of work involved. The midterms are long, but predictable. There are no tricky questions: if you know the material you will do well.

The best teacher you'll ever have. Lots of work but it's O-chem what else would you expect.

An awesome teacher. You'll have to work hard, but if you do the work, you'll do well on the test. DO ALL THE PROBLEMS! They'll be on the test. Good if you are trying to get ready for the MCAT.

Tests are pretty damn hard, better do all the hw. Exams have lots of problems. Lectures are basically her writing dozens of examples on board with you racing to copy them. Explains material really fast. Actually one of few good teachers in chem depart.. Can get really ****y though...

Sounds to me like the people who rate her poorly do so because they sucked a** in the class. Her teaching style is the best I've seen. She instills the importance of learning the underlying logic of the material so you don't have to memorize a billion things. Highly, highly recommended.

Her book is good, her teaching style is alright, her tests are too long. Went to her office hours once and some premed kooks were kissing her azz the whole time.

Tests are okay...they are long but no tricky questions. don't really like her...she thinks o-chem is so easy that she expects everyone is able to answer her questions in class. but the fact is that she's been teaching o-chem for decades and it's the first time we learn it

made material clear

very difficult class, bruice gives you all the imformation, the problem is learning it all. long tests with practically everything from her crappy book on them. take bruice if you want a challenge or dont have a choice.

If you work hard you will do well. If you dickaround, you will fail. Its all up to you and really has little to do with bruice.

She was really hard but it was the only class where I felt like I really learned the material!!

Good, no-nonsense professor from which you will learn a LOT! Tests are very fair- in fact, some questions come directly from the practice tests at the end of each chapter in the solutions manual. Holds long office hours and seems genuinely interested in her students. Highly recommended!

Tips.... study the book and the problems she assigns. Also come to class b/c you will know what to focus on. If you take her prepare yourself to take long tests. Passing the final with an A or B+ means passing the class even if you did horribly on her midterms.

Bruice is a good teacher, but extremely hard. Be ready to work ALOT. 109B is probably the hardest class at UCSB. You can get in A in her classes, but you basically have to know her entire O-Chem book, front to back, and who just does that? Just be ready to love, learn, live and die for your o-chem book.

The class requires quite a bit of studying but no, it's not the hardest class at UCSB. It's probably the hardest that a Bio major ever takes so bear in mind they'll all be focused on that class. She's pretty good. Don't piss her off.

Prof Bruise is probably the hardest teacher on campus, she expects you to study ochem all day and night. At the same time she is the best. Go to class, read the sections and do the homework~an hour a day~ this will guarantee an A on any test. DO NOT FALL BEHIND as this will lead to your demise. At the end of the quarter w/ her your brain will swell

One of the toughest classes ever. Learned alot. Can tackle anything after passing this class.

BRUICE IS THE MOST ORGANIZED PROFESSOR. TOTALLY PREPARES YOU FOR UPPER DIVISION. TEST IS TOTALLY PREDICTABLE. NOTHING TRICKY AT ALL. MOST HELFUL PERSON WITH MEDICAL SCHOOL ADVICE. SHE IS MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP YOU IF YOU JUST ASK. HAVE FUN.

One of the best professors I've ever had. Makes OChem interesting and enjoyable. Great teaching style. Highly recommended.

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She can be tough, but as long as you keep up with her in lecture and read her textbook and do all the assigned problems, you can pull off an A. Be prepared to study A LOT. This is not a class you can slack off on. CLAS definitely helps a lot. She brings in her enormous dog, Zues, to lecture once in a while, which I think is pretty neat.

Paula Bruice is a great teacher, she explains things well in class. If you listen carefully you can get hints to what will be on the test. Do all the problems in the book and online. She uses her online questions on midterms. GO TO CLAS. clas helps because they give you past exams. SHe recycles her questions.

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She wrote the ochem book so u better know it fr front 2back.this class requires u2 study ALOT,keep doing practice prob,memorize reactions.she goes really fast but as long as u understand the book then ur all good since she tests right out of it.she also takes the multiple choice ?s off the online site. Overall not a bad prof, better than Aue!

She is an awesome professor! She explains o-chem better than anyone else I've taken. As soon as she explains something, it makes perfect sence! She brings her huge dog to class sometimes, which is cool.

Out of the three Organic Chem classes I took, she had the most clear and easy to follow class. She is very excited to help with material outside the scope of the class. Not an easy class but the grade reflects ones understanding.

Professor Bruice is very knowledgeable and teaches the material very well. Her exams follow the book and her lectures, so you can't help but not do well on them. As far as the negative comments go on here, they are from students who either did not like the material or were lazy in nature. As long as you follow her direction, you will pass.

Bruice's class is very demanding. If you read and do the homework and understand why that is the answer you should do fine in her class. However if you fall behind in your work good luck trying to do well. You can't cram for her exams and expect to pass. Going to lecture is a must.

Prof Bruice is amazing! she explains everything very clearly. the class in meant to be hard, so you must keep up with the course work. your grade will reflect your knowledge 100%.

If your serious about learning something take Dr. Bruice. Be prepared to put in some time to actually learn something and it will be a rewarding class. She will instill a logic in your mind to really understand Organic Chemistry. Really great teacher.

Organic chemistry is meant to weed people out of majors/medschool/pharmschool/grad school. Thats being said, while 109ABC is study intensive, the material isn't that hard. PYB is a amazing professor and forces understanding over memorization. Since she wrote the book, if you can do/*understand* the problems in the book, you can get a A+'s as I did.

she requires you to understand the materials and not just memorizing. you have to understand it conceptially. it's a great class and you'll learn to love it. most people hate her because she's hard but if you know your stuff nothing on her test is hard. do probelms in the book.. read the book it's like your ochem bible =]

This class requires a LOT of memorizing... pretty much everything in the book will be on the test (and it's a pretty big book... written by Bruice herself). That said, her tests are very straight forward. No surprises. Her class is very fair.

By far my hardest class during my sophomore year. Don't fall behind your reading or practice problems, always keep up with the book and do the problems from the book since they are VERY similar to that of her tests. It's not required to go to class since she does half a chapter per lecture, but it's good to just see where she stops.

This class has a lot of material, but it's all fairly easy. If you just do the work, you'll be fine. Go to CLAS study sessions. I went to three before every test, and did very well in this class.

She is cool....read the book and you will be just fine! She literally lectures right out of the book. Word for word. Its kinda funny. Anyway, do the in chapter problems. Memorize, memorize and practice!!

Her high ratings correspond more to her textbook than her actual teaching. I dont think there is a single science textbook out there that is as straightforward as hers. As Long as you keep up with the reading and do practice problems you should do fine. Her tests are very predictable. Only point of going to Class is to find out what not to read

One of the best professors I have had at UCSB. She is very helpful and straightforward. Going to class isn't necessary, but she has a great sense of humor, so it is usually pretty entertaining. Make sure to do all of the reading and practice problems and you'll be golden. She's the best.

She's a straight forward teacher. She goes fast but expects you know what she lectured on which is literally right out of the book, cause she wrote the book. The class is tough but with the effort comes the grade. I suggest signing up for CLAS most definitely. Go to lecture and keep up with the reading. The homework is great practice for her tests

I took her class in 1982 after withdrawing two previous times from different profs (different school). She made the material not only understandable, but enjoyable. My first quarter GPA at UCSB was 1.60. After Paula's class I became motivated, raised my GPA, worked hard and earned my medical degree. I am now medical director of a clinic in LA

Not a great lecturer, but wrote the BEST textbook I have ever used. The class is not that hard if you READ the material and do ALL the in chapter problems. It's a lot of work, but if you do it you will never see anything on the test that you haven't seen before. Tests are extremely fair - your grade completely reflects your effort put in studying.

her book is extremely well written so use it. bringing it to class helps

Only reason its hard is because there is so much info to know. Stay on top of the reading and problems, go to CLAS, and you should be fine. She basically just reads from the book in class, so the only reason to go is because she sometimes says to skip some parts of the book. Procrastination will obliterate you in this class!

Bruice is one of my favorite teachers. her class definitely requires you to ACTUALLY read and ACTUALLY do the homework. if you do that AND attend class you'll find this class very simple. ALso, she wrote the book so all the practice tests and questions are similar to the actual tests so you know what to expect. LOVE BRUICE!!

This class was very, very hard. I spent more time on this class then my other 3 combined. However, she is very clear on what you need to know (everything), and if you do all the problems its not too hard to get an A. Just be prepared to put in more time to this class then you ever have before

Easiest A i've ever gotten in any chemistry class. seriously, her tests are super-predictable, and she is probably the most helpful professor i have ever encountered during office hours. you will not regret taking her class. just do all the problems in the book, or at least skim them, and you will ace this class.

For those of you who are pre-med, I was talking to a doctor prior to taking this class and he said Organic Chem does not test how smart you are, it tests how badly you want to go to medical school. This is VERY true. The material is not difficult to comprehend. Expect to do a lot of problems, and put in A LOT of time.

I feel so proud to be done with ochem and to actually have understood most of it. The textbook is the BEST science text I have ever read. It's written in plain everyday language and none of that science jargon. I based my learning off of that, because she just recites from it in class. The problems are sort of fun once you get the hang of it!

Super hard class. It will be you're life. You will live breathe, eat, and sleep ochem, but if you're about the top 10-15 students, she takes you out to lunch! The book is the best book ever written, follow the book, and you will ace her test, and she's really nice!

Hands down best professor at UCSB. Very passionate about the subject and it really rubs off on her students.

So awesome! She is such a good teacher. Only complaint is that she is really short with you during office hours. Other than that, I could not ask for better!!! Of course you will need to study, so in that sense it is 'hard'. But read the book and you will understand it. Simple as that!

Good professor, really knows the subject (she wrote the book, so she should). She goes through the material very quickly because she expects you to read the textbook. Make sure you do read the book and do the problems. It's the best way to study for the tests.

Not a great lecturer, but the tests are fair and are from the book. Reading and understanding the book is essential to do well in her classes. Multiple choice on the tests can be found online from the book website. Definitely use clas if you like taking lecture notes

On her syllabus, she tells you exactly what you need to do to succeed in her class. Read the book, take notes in class and from the book, re-read your notes, and do the homework. There are no surprises on her tests and as long as you work at it a little and study, you should be fine.

Very clear teaching, but too fast to learn things in depth from lecture. Very fair grading system, but three midterms and a final in one quarter can be overwhelming. Textbook = class.

Superb class - Only the strong shall survive. Many students complain about the time commitment required for 109ABC, but then again, many students lack a good work ethic and resent having to work hard for their grades. If you are diligent you will find the class to be very interesting & fairly graded. If not - welcome to the real world, kids!

I really liked her personality and feel like she's a good teacher who knows what she's talking about. The book is really helpful, I learned more from the book. You really need to be diligent and constantly keep up with the material. The final is BRUTAL and she doesn't curve.

The only way to do well in this class is to read the book. It's alot of work but if you read the book and do the problems there is no reason you shouldn't do well. Her tests are very fair.

One of my best professors at UCSB (and I had to retake 109B!). Despite my failings, she was incredibly accessible, fair, and became a mentor to me - playing a large role in helping me turn a 2.4 GPA into a degree with honors. Her courses aren't easy, but if you study hard and read the book you'll be able to nail 'em. Face it, o-chem's rough!

I love her!My favorite professor at UCSB. She made me love ochem! She can go through lectures quickly, but she wrote a great book. Just read the book and do all the problems and you'll be fine. She will recycle old test questions and questions from the book so make sure you do book problems! There's no curve, but practicing helped me get an A!

Best professor I've had at UCSB. LOVED HER! People who rate her poorly were probably the students who didn't put effort into her class. She's challenging in the best way possible. Her tests are completely fair and if you study her textbook and understand the concepts in it, you'll do great on her tests. Highly recommend her!

Excellent professor, but not an easy one. Felt like I learned a ton from this course. Read every page of the first 10 chapters and did all the in text problems and it was reflected in my grade. Very fair, but requires a lot of time. READ THE BOOK

She's a pretty monotone professor, but she wrote the book she uses and follows it to the letter, so treat that book like your Bible, and do ALL of the practice problems. Sign up for CLAS too, that really helped me.

If you really "need" an A in O-Chem (for Med school) Bruice is the best prof to take for this series, since theoretically everyone can get an A (no bell curve). It requires A LOT of effort before each exam, but her tests are simple if you know the book chapters extremely well. If you put 90-100% effort in the series, you will very likely get an A.

Paula is not as bad as ppl say. She covers more material than others, but her tests are easy and require little to no critical thinking. No surprises. Lecture is unnecessary and only helpful if you have read the book. If you don't read the book on time you will fail the course. Her book is the best textbook in any subject.

If you read the book before the lecture and do all of the end of chapter problems you will easily get an A in this class. If you don't to lecture and just go hard on the book you can still get an A in this class.

Great professor, go to lecture and pay attention, then go back and read the book and you should be good. Just take good notes and make sure to ask questions if there is something you don't understand. Test are easy, A's on all of them, final was a littler harder. definitely recommend

Take Bruice over Gainer. Despite what people say, she is a very nice person who is always willing to help & her tests are amazingly fair. She tells you what book problems to do and chooses exam questions from those problems. Read & practice book problems until the material becomes instinctive & o-chem may actually be your least stressful class

I love Bruice. Im so glad I took her for ochem. I wouldve been doomed if I took ochem with gainer. Ochem was a hell of a ride but id say I'm proud of all the studying I did.

Bruice is quite the character, her confident condescending nature is admirable. A tenured professor with a devilishly proud gait; she strolls into class in her all white outfits like some sort of prodigal ochem deity. Don't go to lecture, do the end of book problems thoroughly/multiple times, and do practice tests. Do this 2-3 hours a day for an A.

PYB is the best option at UCSB for organic chemistry. I mean, she literally wrote the book. Figure her system out and you're good to go. Read the book thoroughly , take your own notes. She takes ALL of her questions from book problems. She goes pretty fast in lecture. I go to lecture every day but 80% of kids don't, not necessary.

Not the best lecturer but I don't think she's trying to be one either. Her textbook is great, you can teach yourself ochem with just her textbook and sometimes khanacademy so that's saying something. Her tests are straight forward for the most part, she won't split hair with you on the tests. TAs will deduct points for missing small details thought

Bruice. What a lady! DO NOT BELIEVE everything people have posted about her. Yes, she's not the greatest lecturer ever, but this is COLLEGE. You should be able to pre-read and set aside time outside of class to study OCHEM. What she does in class reinforces the material. She's super fair, and has made my OCHEM experience enjoyable.

What a difference 40 years makes. I took Bruice in 1980. She was one of the most influential Professors during my time at UCSB. In the old days there were black boards and I remember her circling all the chips in the board to memorize so we did not think they were electrons. At the time she received many teaching awards for a very good reason.

Smartest professor at UCSB. Difficult but fair exams

If you want to succeed in OChem with Bruice you have to expose yourself to the information as much as possible. Do all of the book problems at least twice, Go to CLAS. Do her online homework. Understand that if you take this class you will basically be teaching yourself. Lecture can help but its not mandatory. TAs grade SUPER FAST.

Really great professor who is fair in her tests and grading. If you take her, definitely read her book!

Well a lot of people dislike Bruice, so did I in the first couple of lectures since she is so quiet, I had to stare at the ppt and the blackboard the entire time while taking notes. Then I decided to move right next to the podium to hear her better. I stopped taking notes because her lectures were actually great and I learnt than memorize.

My advice is to do well in this class read the book and go to her lectures (if you already read the section) and use that time as a review session. Her tests are super easy (based off book problems).She is actually pretty nice in OH despite her being cold in lecture. Mastering Chem HW was cheggable. Bruice taught me how to effectively self-study

Honestly her lecture was boring and basically she was just reading off her book. But her test was easy

This class taught me how to self study. easy test. If you don't do the work you will fail. if you do the work you will get an A.

This professor was AMAZING for my chemistry classes. She is so understanding and kind. Anyone who has anything negative to say about her is just upset that they didn't understand the material because she explained and taught amazingly. I would say she was one of the best professors at UCSB. She understood how to teach the class efficiently.