3.0
Quality4.3
Difficulty50%
Would Retake91
Reviews50%
Would Retake
91
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
22
4
22
3
12
2
15
1
20
What Students Say
“Her exams are beyond hard and she never curves”
MATH218 - 2.0 rating“Schwell is by far the WORST professor I have had at CCSU”
MATH119 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
60%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.18 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH210
5.0
(2)CALCA
5.0
(1)MATH366
5.0
(1)MATH228
4.3
(4)MATH22102
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MATH220
5.0
CALCA
5.0
MATH70
5.0
MATH 119
5.0
MATH119
4.7
Reviews (91)
TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TEACHER!!, she is sooo meticulous with grading tests and quizes ITS REDICULOUS!, sometimes she doesnt even give u the notes u need in order to do the homework!!, sometimes she doesnt even teach the material right!!, CONCLUSION: DO NOT TAKE HER UNLESS U R A WIZZ AT MATH I REPEAT DO NOT TAKE HER....THE CLASS IS A JOKE!!!
Whoever wrote that stuff in the previous message was obviously not a math major. I think she gives plenty of credit for tests and quizes. She also teaches at an advanced level. If your in college you should be able to look in the text to find an answer to a problem you have. The lesson shouldnt be handed to you anymore like in grade school.
good teacher
great teacher
Really good teacher. Easy to understand, willing to answer ANY question, and her grading is not based solely on your work. If she sees you understanding the material but making some stupid arithmetic errors, she'll still give you a good grade. While she does have graded HW and quizzes every week, these are easy if you've been paying attention.
Shit is sooooooooo rediculous! do not take her!!!!!!! stay away!!!! If you want to waste your week doing her hw that takes hours for 3 question so be it! Good luck on her impossible tests! There is no need for her homeowrk or studtying.. her tests are nothing like what is learned in class!! AVOID!
Great professor, very helpful. Yes, class is difficult, but take good notes and do the homework and you will do fine on quizzes and tests.
EXTREEMLY EXTREEMLY HARD. I attend every class and take every single note and still do miserably on exams. covers topics very fast and online hw takes forever. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS.
If you are good at math or you aren't, you are going to find Schwell annoying. She can be difficult for people not good at math cuz her worksheets are tough and if your good at math she takes points off for not showing your work even if you answer is right. However, I got a 100 on the final and an A in the class. She's pretty good.
She is a decent professor. She teaches the material well enough to understand it however, she is very picky with what she expects in your work. This is a portfolio base course and she picks out every single grammatical error. She goes out of her way to destroy your work. But overall she is alright.
Awesome teacher, extremely patient and helpful, do the homework and you'll do fine.
failed
Overall , if you need to pass this class. I advise you to STAY AWAY !!!! Take a course that will allow you to honestly understand the course and all it entails. She is very neat and organized but her attitude portrays that she knows everything and teaching is not a luxury. DO NOT TAKE IF YOU WANT TO PASS !!!!!!
She is a wonderful person and teacher!
Nice teacher, TOUGH class. Only take this if you NEED it for your major. She is willing to help, but you have to be willing to learn.
Super super nice as a person. Tough but fair at grading. Passable as long as you show up, do the hw, and ask questions when needed. Super super sweet teacher!!
Very organized, expects you to remember everything. Does not give easy problems on the tests.
she grades extremely hard its not fair. She takes major points off for very minor errors
EXTREEMLY EXTREEMLY HARD. Run for ur life.
really tough course, though she's often nice and helpful
Deceptively difficult, even with plenty of help. No homework is optional, you should really do it all if you want her to give you a good grade. MAKE SURE YOUR PHONE IS ON SILENT!!!
She is more concerned with "getting to the next chapter" than if you actually understand material. Make sure you know trig before you step foot in her class. You will need it.
Worst teacher ever!! I've had many bad teachers, but she doesn't even qualify as a bad teacher. She hands out a handout and expects you to teach yourself while she just sits down. When you ask a question she gives the wrong answer because she doesn't know it. Her grading is VERY unfair, if you do everything right shell find a way to take points off
She is very nice although grading is strict and students are forced to teach themselves because she does not teach the subject but rather gives you a packet and watches you fumble around trying to figure it out.
Online homework assigned every week, with unlimited attempts. Quiz on every Monday, very short. Exams are straight to the point, shes never trying to confuse you. Very helpful in class and explains subject matter exceptionally well. Favorite math teacher thus far.
FInal average hopefully a C. I've never struggled though learning before like I have in This Math 119 Class. Dr. Schwell and the book have an unconventional way of learning the material. Basic formulas that most know already are different. I've been to the math lab twice every week this semester. I had a B but now she is doubling out workload.
Nice woman. Class is very difficult though. I am an A student and only managed a B+ in this class, and it managed to drag down my other class grades because its so time consuming.Doesnt use class time well, lectures WAY too fast and then puts students in assigned groups to stare at a worksheet for 45 minutes. Also wish she treated us like adults.
She is a great really nice person but her exams are difficult. We had a quiz or exam every week. Homework were really really long and hard. She is organize and knowledgeable. You must be good at math in order to do well on her class.
Great Professor! Lessons are discussed so well I never had to do use the book. Very helpful and I have always learned lots in her courses. If you want to take a math course to actually LEARN math, take it with Prof. Schwell. CCSU is lucky to have her!
i think she's enthusiastic. The homework was great, but she is a HARRRRRRD GRADER. she grades the tests(which are 42% of your grade) VERY hard! She's very very picky on what she wants. I studied for hours and hours for one test and still failed it. I feel her grading DOES NOT reflect the student's actual knowledge of the subject
She is a great teacher. If you want to actually learn math, I would recommend Dr. Schwell. She relies more on group worksheets than teaching because she wants you to figure it out and learn it rather than just copy it from the board. The homework is done online, which is kind of annoying, but the tests and quizzes relate to the course material.
You take a class with Professor Schwell if you want to actually learn something. If you listen in class and put in some effort, you'll do fine. Ask questions! She'll never say no to helping a student. She's helpful, friendly, gives a clear lecture, and just expects the best effort you can give. She's my favorite math professor.
very nice but not a good teacher. doesn't lecture the material. Instead hands out a worksheet at the beginning of class and then makes you figure it out with other students. Also the homework is online and there are always issues with it. If you have twenty hours per week to put into this one class... Go for it. Otherwise stay away!
Do not take any of her classes. She does not teach any of the material. Instead, she just teaches the intro and gives online homework due next class along with a quiz. She goes over no examples. you get graded on hw after the first time you try it, she does not wait another day for questions. Her quizzes happen after material was just intro-ed
she is just plain awful. she refuses to go over any examples in detail. YOu will have to do the work all by yourself and present it in front of the class. In addition she offers no feedback as to if its correct or not
she only intros the material and expects you to learn it yourself. quizzes are given right after the next class. the only thing good about schwell is she speaks english well in comparison to the foreign better teachers
professor Schwell is one of those teachers you should avoid if you need to see how a problem is done. She will only vaguely go over how things are done verbally and not do the problem on the board. It's sad that teachers like this are allowed in at Central.It's as if she thinks students are only trying to short-cut learning by asking for her help.
STAY AWAY IF YOU WANT TO GET AN ACTUAL GOOD GRADE. she is really hard and unhelpful
IF you are planning on taking calc 2 please be warned: she is not good at going over the material and will make the class twice as challenging.
Professor Schwell's philosophy is " to get accustomed to searching your mind for answers rather than the chapter or notes for a similar example." In other words she expects you just to know how to do it without ever seeing it before. She will not go over a problem, she will look for you to do it. this makes her unhelpful and very difficult.
This is the worst teacher ccsu has to offer in math. She skates over the material and doesn't go over anything. I don't understand how I am paying for her to teach and she is doing such a poor job at it. Do not take her class unless you want to struggle teaching yourself and fail. she is really harsh at grading her tests which are not like the hw.
This woman is by far the worst math teacher I have ever had. I am majoring in math education and since I had her I realized everything I do not want to be as a teacher.
She's nice but doesn't want you to do well in the class. We had mainly all engineering majors in our class yet only one person got an A-. This lady will kill your gpa. Expect no help and to struggle studying as she doesn't provide much time between quizzes each tuesday. Her quizzes are hard but her tests are nothing like the hw or other material.
I had Dr. Schwell for Discrete math and loved her. She didn't "lecture." You had to work in groups, read through packets, and give presentations. I personally love group work and enjoyed this method much more than staring blankly at a board like I do in statistics. She was very helpful if you had questions and really cared about her students.
This class was taught with the modified Moore method. The Moore method was not my favorite, but the class is possible. However, when you understand something, you really get it. Dr. Schwell is so intelligent, and she's always willing to help. If you do well working in groups, this is the class for you.
Run. Don't take her unless you absolutely love math already because she REALLY loves math. This is the opposite of an easy class. I've never worked so hard for a C in my life.
Dr. Schwell is by far the WORST professor I have had at CCSU. I had to withdraw from the course because staying in her class is setting yourself up for failure. DO NOT TAKE.
Despite giving very explicit and detailed feedback on assignments, the class was not formatted so your grade reflected how much was actually learned. My advice for any student taking Dr Schwell is to not be afraid to ask for help when working in groups, because she will not lecture very much if at all, and you will be on your own with new material
I took her class awhile ago, and have stayed away from her ever since. My class started with 32 students, half dropped, and of the remaining 16 only half passed the class. She is my only C. Wasted my time in this course. AVOID HER AT ALL COSTS. Also, she is the only professor I've ever had to give a pop quiz if someone's phone rang. Bad. Bad. Bad.
Above average senior seminar. Consisted of discussion online, student presentations of proofs, group activities in class, and a final project. Work documented with portfolio. Sometimes unclear with expectations for assignments and the syllabus, but she valued student input. Gave great feedback and really made you think and grow. Learn LaTeX too!
She's really bad and not helpful at all. Sometimes you wonder how she got Excellence in Teaching Award. I regret taking her class.
Dr. Schwell is really great and helpful when you are willing to work hard and learn the material. But that is what a student is supposed to do, no?
Stay away from this professor. Seriously, she's nice and everything, but exams are extremely difficult and NOTHING like reviews, she gives weekly quizzes, those of which are hard just as well, and, for having a "teaching award," she's very academically disconnected from her students and treats in-class learning like it's just review for herself.
Love! She was the first professor I encountered in my Math major that actually began to teach me to be a problem solver rather than just a sponge. I recommend her, because she is one of few who teaches you what education is really about. Being a sponge will get you to CCSU, but in order to have success afterwards learn to learn from Schwell.
I've taken her twice and got A's twice. I'm not super smart, so here's my advice. Work hard to understand the HW/LEARN the material and ASK questions when you're unsure of things. The workloads kind of heavy but you just have to suck it up and push through. You end up really learning the material because of the work you put in throughout the year.
This class is hard. And I mean HARD. But she teaches you to appreciate the struggle. Must say that I've gotten a lot out of this class, and she really teaches you how to learn. So if you're up for a challenge, this professor is for you. But if not, stay away.
Dr. Schwell is an amazing professor! She explains all the concepts really clearly and is always willing to provide guidance whenever any of us get stuck. I learned more about writing proofs in this class than in all my other classes combined (including when I took Discrete.) I highly recommend taking her if you actually want to learn mathematics.
If you consider sitting on your butt and giving students packet teaching, then why I am paying her? She did not go to the white board to teach once this semester, makes the students do it. Her exams are beyond hard and she never curves. She is a nice women but I have taught myself everything I know about discrete- that is not how it should work!!!
Dropped the class, it was too difficult to handle with a full class-load personally. Fell behind very quickly and had a hard time reading the notes she made for the class instead of using a textbook.
Schwell is a very tough grader. The homework is harder than any other material, so make sure you pay extra attention to them. Despite being a tough grader, she is caring and gives you the help when it is needed.
Professor Schwel is such a sweetheart !!!!
Good luck. I worked my butt off and got a C. I knew the material really well too. She is so mean and her tests are insanely hard compared to what she gives us for review
Dr. Schwell is an ok teacher for real analysis. Some classes she makes you do worksheets. She will sit there and see you struggle and get frustrated to the point of tears, and still refuse to get up and help you out. Her exams are extremely difficult. Try to take it a different semester with someone else!
She won't tell you anything; tries to get you to conclude things by yourself, but she's bad at it. It's a never ending story where she doesnt know how to help you & you dont know how to read her mind. She takes a lot of points off for algebra errors and other small mistakes. Not getting out of this class with a B< unless you pay for it in stress.
If you are expecting to have her explain every little detail on how to do a problem, she won't. You will have to figure most of it on your own. That is what good teaching is! She will guide you though. If you are still carrying the high-schooler within you and are used to getting pampered through concepts, then you will probably not like her.
This is the worst teacher I have ever taken in my life. She does not teach her class and gives problems only extremely good mathematicians can get. You will not get an A in this class. Her tests are ridiculous and nothing like the review sheets she gives out in class. Her teaching style is hand out a sheet and watch you struggle for an hour.
atrocious class, exams are impossible, homework is a disaster, good luck charlie
Horrible professor, do not take her she wrote every single good review about herself. She is prob the worst professor i have ever taken in my life. Avoid at all costs and if u are still in the drop period do it now or you regret it. The tests are absolutely impossible and she wont show you how to anything but the simplest of problems.
Rachel Schell is the mathematical gavel.
I would never ever take this professor again. During class you get put into groups to go over problems. There is barely any teaching from the professor, you could be doing something completely wrong and not get any feedback for like 20 minutes or a couple days. Homework is very frustrating you are graded on a scale of N, P, M .
Dr. Schwell is an excellent professor! She's fun, cheerful, and won't criticize you for things you don't know. Our class was small, so she was able to individualize some of the lessons. The group activities at the end of class were especially helpful.
Hardest class of my life. In highschool I took AP calc I and AP calc II so Im pretty good at math but I had a very hard time in this class. I tried my hardest, did all the hw's and studied a lot but still had so much difficulty in this class. I got a D and it sank my GPA bc it was my first semester. DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR, most strict grader!
After reading the reviews on here I was pretty nervous to take Dr. Schwell's class. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this class. It is true that there is a lot of work, and that she expects you to figure things out on your own, but this is just for your benefit. She is always willing to help, so take advantage of it!
If you except to pass the class solely from the in class lectures and homework, you WILL NOT pass. She goes over 2 easy problems on the current section then gives you homework that is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. If you ask for help she'll tell you to get a tutor. Without Youtube lectures... good luck.
Dr. Schwell, while brilliant, doesn't care whether or not the entire class is grasping the concept before quizzing us & moving on to the next one. She expects you to figure it out on your own outside of class. It's extremely frustrating. I appreciate her dropping lowest quizzes & homework but I for one feel very unprepared for calc II.
I don't even know how Dr. Schwell is considered a teacher or even has a doctorate. Sure she's a smart individual but she cannot teach a class. Be prepared to be given a packet of definitions that you have to figure out homework questions by yourself. Although she puts you in groups that doesn't help. She does NOT care if you do well either
Great professor. If you love math I'd take Dr. Schwell class. While you must devote at least 5-6 hours a week to this class, Dr. Schwell will foster you into a great math student. You'll be expected to learn and read mathematics which a great skill to develop for a math major at a lower level class. My experience was great! Dr. Schwell was awesome
Some of the reviews are missing the point imo. It's more-so about getting the student to arrive at the answer organically than "showing you how to" do it. In this course you're not applying formulas or solving questions, you're proving something is true beyond doubt. Golden advice: packet is your bible, when in doubt, read the definition again.
Goood Teacher
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. Her teaching and grading style is abysmal at best. She basically gives you a packet and expects you to figure everything out on your own. Her homework and quizzes/tests are impossible as she expects everyone in the class to be a mathematician genius. If you need these classes, take Perdomo he is an excellent teacher.
My favorite professor at CCSU! She is very intelligent and makes sure you understand a concept if you're having trouble. The courses she teaches are fairly difficult, but are necessary to understand the concept completely. Her courses are very proof/pure math based. She can be a stickler at times but it will help you perfect your craft. 10/10
There was a lot of group work and independent learning, but now that I am back to a standard lecture-style, I truly realize how much I learned from Schwell's method. The final (if you do it over portfolio) is just 10 homework-style problems. BE PROACTIVE! Though it sucked at some points, I honestly loved this class. Go Schwell!
This class was difficult but it would have been better if she taught the class. Some liked the work sheets she gave but it was more confusing. Personally if she lectured I would have had a chance and more people would've stuck the class out. Nice person though.
She's very nice and a really good math professor. She has checkpoint quizzes every Monday, where all but the 2 count towards 20% of the grade. Imo, quizzes are more for the students to understand what they do and don't understand. Heavy lectures, but she makes sure every student who asks a question understands what is going on, no judgement
Professor Schwell has a great style of teaching that encourages group work. Calculus II is an incredibly hard class and her style of teaching helped me learn it better. Homeworks are hard, but they prepare you better for the exams. She also drops the lowest two quizzes +homeworks so that helps your grade.
For her discrete math course she does not teach she just place you into groups and you have to teach yourself. If you have a choice do not take her courses.
This class requires figuring things out on your own. Solving math problems on your own. You work in groups to solve the problems. They are helpful, but may not always be helpful. And the Professor may not explain everything in full sentences. Not inspirational at all. Discouraging in fact.
no quizzes no exams but hw due weekly. grade is dependent on hw, presentations, and portfolio. need about 20 hours to complete portfolio. look at syllabus very carefully for points. hard to get an A but not impossible. group members are helpful tho in explaining stuff. laid back atmosphere but takes a lot of brain power. prof is nice and caring.
Professor Schwell teaches this class in a "flipped classroom" style. She will rarely spend time lecturing at the board and instead leaves it to the students to work together with a packet. You are graded on homework problems, presentations, and the final/portfolio. I appreciated this classroom style for this topic and would take her class again.
I have really good math experience, and let me start off by saying that calculus II is not an easy class. This professor is great because she is there to help you understand the problems. Confusing sometimes but you really just gotta put in effort to pass. Use youtube videos to help you & go to her office hours. Great professor but difficult class
zero. theres a midterm and a final now w/ no review. she does not teach at all, she is not helpful, doesnt care about your grade, she grades tough. she accuses everyone in the class for using "outside sources" but its hard without it, you cant even use youtube. dont take her shes not a good prof. more to say but it violates the second guideline. no
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
53%
Textbook Required
60%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.18 avg changeRatings by Course
MATH210
5.0
(2)CALCA
5.0
(1)MATH366
5.0
(1)MATH228
4.3
(4)MATH22102
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
MATH220
5.0
CALCA
5.0
MATH70
5.0
MATH 119
5.0
MATH119
4.7