2.2
Quality4.1
Difficulty26%
Would Retake183
Reviews26%
Would Retake
183
Reviews
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183 total ratings5
19
4
17
3
33
2
30
1
84
What Students Say
“Try to avoid her class”
CHEM134 - 1.0 rating“She is a great professor”
CHEM134 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
86%
Textbook Required
49%
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CHEM121
5.0
(1)CHEMLAB136
4.0
(1)CHEM101
4.0
(1)CHEM136L
3.5
(2)134
2.8
(5)Difficulty by Course
13102
5.0
CHEMISTRY
5.0
CHEML34
5.0
CHEM134L
5.0
MCALQAISI2020
5.0
Reviews (182)
Horrible. Beyond human belief.
Worst teacher the world can offer.
She is the worst professor at UMD. From 3 worst teachers at UMD= Alqaisi>Lawson>Smith. They are all horrible, and unqualified to teach. This is my approach : If a professor can't write an exam, they should not be teaching. I hope all3 of the instructors read this. You guys are horrible, and I transferred out thanks to you guys.
She is definitely one of the worst professors at the university. Only take her if you want to teach yourself the material by reading the book. her lecture is 100% useless.
She is the worrrssst. lol, i dunno how the "university" hired her in the first place, she shouldn't be teaching an already difficult course with her difficulty communicating properly. i am soooo happy i dropped the second day of class. i continued to attend a few of her lectures tho, and she really is the worst prof ever
Ok so whoever is commenting below me must not be science majors, if you are then don't worry! Dr. Al-qaisi is a good professor, she knows what she is talking about. 4 exams, labs, etc. Show up to class and pay attention, do the exercises, do the hw, and the extra credit. She helps you out alot if you ask!
SHES THE BEST. professor al-qaisi is really nice and even though she is easy to understand. If you ask for help she will give it to you
hands down the best professor i have ever had. Never had a professor talk so crystal clear. She is a picture perfect professor
Saying this class was hell is an understatement. She never answered questions in lecture; she would just brush them off. Even on the rare occasion of her answering, you couldn't understand a word. She didn't let us use laptops because she said her notes were online. They were also 30+ pages and didn't always match up with her slides in class.
I'm begging whoever is reading this to NOT take this class unless you wish to shoot your GPA. Seriously, wait a semester if this is the only professor. Even when I got a tutor he told me her questions were written wrong or made harder than needed. I tried going to see her and she was available but rushed me and the meeting was useless.
Very hard to understand. She knows chemistry but she has a bit of a language barrier problem which limits her teaching a lot. Take it in the summer or fall with Dr. Bandhyopadhyay if you can, otherwise be prepared to teach yourself
take her and you will regret it ! shes not teaching shes actually testing In the exam, she asks questions about things she does not cover in the lectures because she has it in the syllabus that " its your responsibility to understand everything " If you dont understand a topic,u wont be able to go back and review it because shes going so fast
1. many quizzes every lecture, many recitation quizzes,exams,recitation homework,online homework, lecture homework,and everything is very long and hard. in addition to the report,summery,and quiz that you have to do every lab. 2.you may do fine by spending more time on teaching your self if you dont have other classes or things to do except chem
the hardest and unclear teacher I've ever had .... tests are so long and hard ... no matter how did you prepare for the exam you wont do fine ... and thats the most silly part of the class ... you keep practicing studying but your grades keep going down!
She's really not as bad as everyone is making her seem. If you actually pay attention, come to class with your notes, and most importantly go to her office hours when you don't understand something, then I guarantee you'll get a good grade.
I really liked Prof. Al-Quaisi for lab. She gets a little irritated when a lot of people ask her the same question but get on her good side and ask her nicely and she will help you out. Make sure you read the WASTE section on the lab reports and the introduction because thats where she gets her prelab quiz qs from most of the time
I hate blaming teachers because it seems childish, but I can truly say that Mrs. Al-Qaisi is the worst professor I have ever had. horrible at explaining things and all of her lectures are powerpoints she got online which she flies through really fast. Avoid her at all costs. If you do get her, sit in on other professor's lectures
By far the worst professor I have had IN MY LIFE! literally just run, I had to teach myself the material and still struggled to keep up with the pace she goes at. Upon asking for further explanation she said, "there's nothing else to explain" and moved on. She couldn't care less about how well you do and she makes it nearly impossible to do well.
1)She does not answer questions well, and usually just skims through them. 2)She makes completely rude comments to her students if they ask too many questions. 3)Her powerpoints are terrible, and give a lot of false information within the true information. 4)She makes you do mastering chemistry online but refuses to help. Do not take at all costs.
Probably one of the worst professors that I've ever had. She goes through the material very fast so be prepared to teach yourself almost all of the material. Unwilling to explain student's questions and doesn't clarify the material covered in the lecture. Be prepared to take lecture quizzes every class. Just don't take her at any cost.
This is by far the worst class I have ever experienced, I have never gotten less than an A in any class. I have gotten an A in calculus 3, and a C in this class. My major was biochemistry now I'm changing it to biology. I'm saying this for future students DO NOT take it no matter what the reason is. My friends major is chemistry and has a C +.
Do not recommend at all. She's very hard to understand and zips through powerpoints she didn't even make. Seriously avoid her class
Geez, all of these comments are just from whining, overwhelmed freshmen. Yes she goes through the powerpoints at a decent pace, but if you have taken a chem class before in your life and read the textbook you will be fine.
She's okay
A very easy subject made into a hellish nightmare by her awful teaching and even worse tests. The material in Chem 1 is not hard at all but she makes her tests unnecessarily confusing just for the sake of doing so. I probably spend more time converting between units on the test than I do actually solving chemistry problems
This class is confusing for someone who already has had a chemistry class. Al-Qaisi is nice and knowedgable once you get to know her, but otherwise she is a bit rude and confusing. Tests are not hard if you study on her practice exams. Clicker quizzes. Expect to dislike this class. It is not as horrible as everyone makes, but still bad.
horrible.
I got A in her class. You have to attend class participate in clicker questions and study her lecture notes. She explains the material and always asks if students have any question
Prof. Al-Qaisi is a great teacher. I like her way of teaching. she teaches you how to study. She work on many examples in class. she is fair to all students and ask students to work for their grades.
Horrible teacher who complicates the topic and doesnt make the class enjoyable whatsoever. avoid if you can.
She's literally awful
I am still so relieved to be done with that class. She is the most unclear professor I have ever had. Take stewart instead. If you are unfortunate enough to have Al-Qaisi, I would recommend going into her office because she is actually pretty good at explaining one-on-one.
RUN AND DO NOT LOOK BACK.. HORRIBLE PROFESSOR
SHES HARD! she doesn't give short notes instead she gives lecture slides from the publisher which are a lotttt of slides to study and very tiny(u can't make em bigger). your too busy copying notes that u don't have time to pay attention and she goes too fast through slides. no study guides, long tests with lots of conversations and very little time
DO ****NOT**** TAKE HER!!! her tests are BEYOND IMPOSSIBLE! each problem contains atleast 20 random conversions and theres no time to think which conversation to use or to even convert a single problem all the way. Tests are timed and she grabs them in the middle if u are not done when the time ends. u can barely finish 15 MC out of 24 n thrs 10 fw
Do NOT take her! I repeat DO NOT TAKE HER. Her exams are 1% easier than stewart but the problems are longer n its impossible to finish in time. She gives 24 MC and 10 free writes. U finish only 10 multiple choice in time if u are lucky. No time to finish exam. No practice exams. U hav to b a genius to figure out the conversions on the test
She needs to realize tht students need a practice exam exactly like the test, which all other professors give. We r not psychics to kno which conversions to kno for the test and what kind of problems to be prepared for. She refuses to give the Practice exams. do not take any other classes when u take this class n study every second of the minute
While she was a terrible chem 134 lecture professor, she is GREAT for lab. She is very picky and a tough grader but she is very helpful, nice, and cares about her students. Seems like a completely different person than when I had her for lecture
Idk why everyone finds her difficult. She makes her point well in lecture and is always helpful outside of class. Her tests aren't too bad, and the book + practice exams help. Overall, she's a very nice lady. You have to try in the class to get a good grade.
Horrible do not take her
She was really bad at explaining the material and acted as if everyone knew Chemistry extremely well. She zipped through the powerpoints and didn't answer questions with clarity. Thick accent and overall confusing personality. Do not take her for Chemistry at U of M Dearborn. Major disappointment.
I had her for Recitation and lecture. DO NOT TAKE HER! Her recitation quizzes r nothing like the practice quizzes n she assumes u already kno everything. U R BOUND TO FAIL. She does not go over the work for rec and u lose points. She also takes off extra points for no reason
She does not care about the students' grades or give them enough time on the recitation quizzes or Lecture exams. She is terrible. DO NOT TAKE HER. U WILL REGRET. She acts nice but she doesn't care. Her practice material has nothing to do with the actual quizzes or the actuarial exams. RUN! DO NOT TAKE
Hands down. worst professor ever. Save yourself. Her material is very different from what she gives for practice & u hav no clue wht to study for so theres no way to pass. A lot of people had to drop at the end of the semester. She seems easy but her tests n quizzes r hard to pass. she will not agree to give u material relevant to quizzes n exams
She did move fast in lecture and was sometimes difficult to understand, however if you go to her for help during office hours she is more than willing. I went to see her before my final and she helped me drastically.
DO NOT TAKE HER! Her practice exam is nothing close to what she teaches or what is in the book. Awful lecture skills and timing, she also treats you like you're in middle school. The only good thing is the lab, the are somewhat fun.
Al-Qaisi can't explain things clearly & also treats students like they're in middle school. HW is online & required. Sometimes the answers to the hw probs make no sense, so WATCH OUT! Be prepared to take quizzes everyday. The tests are hard & require mastery of the topics included. Don't expect to skip class and still get a passing grade.
People are being too harsh on her. Yeah it's chemistry, its going to be difficult to get a good grade. Shes an average professor. She can be difficult to understand at times though. If you ask a question in class, she will be sure to answer it before moving on. Her exams have 107 possible pts, but your grade is out of 100, so thats a free 7%
I understand where people may criticize her, she is awful when it comes to lectures, however, she is very nice in person, gave me a bonus 2% on an exam when i met with her in person. The ONLY WAY TO PASSGo to the SI sessions, completely turned my grade around, she is not very clear in lecture, but a nice lady in person.
I'm not sure how to rate her. She is fine. Nothing special. I will say that people complain about her too much. My only complaint is that she goes WAY too fast in lecture to actually write stuff down and sometimes her explanations of things aren't very good. But she does put all of her slides online and she's willing to answer questions. Funny too.
I don't know why students are harsh on her. She is a very good professor, always willing to help, after lectures and in her office hours. Coming to class is important since exams are mostly problems really close to what we do in class. Would take her again. Her exams are not tricky, you should know the material we do in class. Extra points in exams
Do NOT take her if at all possible! I am a Pre-Med who is very knowledgable in the sciences. I did not enjoy her class. She made an easy class very difficult with her teaching style. She is decent if you meet with her during office hours, but a very poor lecturer.
Chemistry is hard, you really have to work for it. If you're not invested, you'll be frustrated. That being said, I thought Al-Quaisi did a great job; she explained what she expected out of us, she gave us plenty of practice material and I thought her lectures were fine. I heard we got the hardest final though. So that did a number on my grade.
straight up the worst. I'd give her zeros but ones were the lowest choice. Way too fast, skips a ton of slides, hard to understand, annoying, crazy strict, the list goes on and on... Don't take her. You could get a better grade if you take a different professor. People call her Al-Qaeda. Enough said.
Horrible teacher. Easy class, but when you can understand her, she doesn't know what she is talking about. Just read the book and ignore her completely.
Hardest I've ever worked for a grade, ever. Prof. Al-Quaisi is an extremely nice lady one on one. If you don't understand something, you will have to talk to her during office hours. Practice questions at the back of each chapter and you'll be fine.
Professor Al-Quaisi is a nice lady, but it was challenging learning from her. She teaches at a fast pace and it's sometimes hard to understand her from her thick accent. You have to work really hard to get a good grade in her class.
She is a great prof in my opinion. She isn't as bad as some people make her seem. She may be hard to understand at first but you will get used to her accent. She gives quizzes almost every lecture so you must attend class. If you do the homework and listen in class, the tests were no problem.
Get ready to fail this class as well as the whole course
She was pretty good. Her accent makes understanding a little difficult, but if you pay attention in class and do all your work exams are a breeze.
Gives lecture notes and practice exams which is nice, however she is impossibly difficult to understand and I have difficulty drawing comparisons between her exams and the lectures. Take good notes but don't rely on what you get from the lectures, you have to read the book as well to do well on the exams.
Impossible to keep up with her at the pace that she moves through material, and her accent does not make it easier. She speaks quickly and trails off at the end of her sentences, which is HARD TO UNDERSTAND in a huge auditorium. When she is doing practice problems she blows through them with illegible handwriting. AVOID.
Lectures are pointless to attend because you won't understand anything either way. You have to teach yourself everything. Her class will take up most of your week. Exams are super long and hard with barely any time to complete. Her accent will make it very hard to understand and she talks very fast and expects everyone to know the material like her
She pretends to care about her students but she really does not. Avoid her at all costs. She will make your college experience terrible, especially if you are taking the class as a freshman. DO NOT TAKE. You will regret it. You will not understand anything coming to lecture and you will be forced to teach yourself; she clearly does not do her job.
I don't understand why everyone makes her out to seem like such a horrible professor. I have her right now, and she's very helpful and actually CARES about her students' success. Notes correlate perfectly to the exam, she helps go through problems during lecture. It's a college class, you have to teach yourself sometimes. Get over it.
She is a great professor. Offers extra credit on tests, grading scale is curved, extends homework deadlines and a lot of homework points. She is more than willing give extra help if you need it. Practice exam covers much of what is on the test. show up to class, do your homework and your good. If your still struggling go to SI and you'll get an A.
had to study over 20 hours for the final, still did not do that well.
For lab, she takes off as many points as she can and her pre-lab quizzes are impossible. For lecture I was off by a pt. for an A and wouldnt round. When you ask a question her responses are unclear. I wouldve skipped lecture if it weren't for the pop quizzes since I taught myself throught the course. Only reason I got an A- was b/c SI. Don't take.
She's a really tough grader! like seriously her pop quizzes are not only random, but those points add up. She's very systematic and everything has to follow a certain order, otherwise your grade is at risk. I never had enough time to finish the exams and chapter 5-7 were not explained well. Would never take her again, and now I must repeat theclass
Overall, this professor is decent. The material is challenging, though I feel that she tries her best to explain all aspects thoroughly. You definitely have to invest time into this class; which may or may not be a good thing depending on your major. Tests are curved, expect pop quizzes, mastering chemistry mandatory(helps your grade a lot if done)
Goes through the lecture and notes extremely fast, and her handwriting is unreadable. Exams are too difficult without much time to take. Refuses to slow her pace and can bebvery rude to students. Would not take again.
Tough but nice. Gives a curve on the tests and there are a lot of points available to help your grade. She is very sweet and cares a lot. As long as you actually try you will get a good grade
So many of these reviews are unfair. Obv chemistry is a difficult course and you need to invest time. That being said, she is very fair. Everything in her study guide is on the exam. Read chapters ahead of lecture and do her practice exams a few days before the exam and ask her q's in class. She gives so much ec on her exams. Put the effort in!
Dr. Al Qaisi, not Al "Quaisi", is a great professor! She is very lecture heavy and you basically print dozens of pages of notes, and take notes as she presents with the notes projected. She goes pretty quick, but with SI, and good studying, you'll do just fine. He tests are pretty standard, and I hear they are easier than Lawsons exams...
Dr. Al-Qaisi is a savage. She is really harsh on all her students. Her explanations aren't clear at all. She goes through notes really quickly. You will not learn anything in her lecture. Her notes are worse than my notes from AP chem. Try to avoid her class.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
A great professor. Very kind. Always willing to help. Engaging lectures. So glad I took her.
Always available for her office hours. Nice lady in person. its a hard class in general but people need to study and practice!!!!! On their own.
Would definitely take again with her.
Pros: 1. Organized & grades quick 2. Can make lecture interesting by performing experiments in class. 3. Tests arent really that difficult-just actually study. EC on each exam; class is curved at the end of the semester. ITS YOUR FAULT IF YOU CANT SUCCEED. ITS GENERAL CHEMISTRY. Cons: 1. Pop Quizzes Overall: Take her- an easy A if you study.
Chemistry is a tough subject so I wish I had a better professor to introduce it to me even though shes kind. I felt lectures were useless because it was so unorganized and I really needed it to be helpful because I had a hard time understanding material in the first place. My advice, dont get the physical book, buy the online book with the code.
I am going to be completely honest. she knew the subject but it seemed as if she thought we were all geniuses. yes chemistry is hard but there are better ways to explain things the way she did. her exams did have extra credit but were still very tough. average exam grade in my class was a 74% I dont recommend her at all. try to take lawson instead
If you cant pass this class it is your fault. This is an easy class for those who are actually smart. I was hesitant to take this class cause the rating was low. SMART PEOPLE YOU WILL BE FINE. If you are doing premed and you do bad in this class DONT DO PREMED.
basically you're going to cry but she's such a nice person you won't be able to blame it on her
The professor is nice but this class was way too hard for a beginner's level chem class and for people who are not even majoring in chem in the first place. You'll literally have quizzes twice a week and they are timed. I get that she wants her students to learn but a 100-level class shouldn't be this hard.
Honestly, she's a strict professor, but she's a great lecturer and knows how to teach her material effectively. The subject itself is difficult, but she does a great job teaching. Going to lecture is essential since she gives great notes!
Quiz EVERY class. Her tests are a little easier than Lawsons but this teacher is just annoying. Treats the students as if they are in high school. If you dont take notes, walk into class late, even smirk, get ready to be called out by her in front of your entire lecture hall.
Do not take this class with this professor. I attend class every lecture, I attend tutoring sessions, I email her for questions, but the class is very tough for a general chemistry class in the 100 level. She's very nice but her lectures are long and doesn't explain tough very thoroughly. Expect that you'll teach the stuff on your own.
This class is way too tough for an intro class.
One of the worst teachers I have ever had in my life, does not consider each students learning strengths and weaknesses, all she cares about is the notes on the board and stopping to yell at students who are not watching her. She drags on with these horrible comparisons and makes herself laugh. Would never consider taking her again. Rate her as 0/5
I think she doesn't mean to be mean, but she is. The material is not that bad, you can read the book and teach it to yourself. But the prof decides to stop teaching for half an hour just to yell at students for not looking at her!!!!
ok, shes a extremely nice human being but has nothing to do with teaching. she tries to be understanding but her expectations are just too high. she doesnt curve or give extra credit AT ALL. you really have to study in your own way and teach yourself concepts and go to si. again, its clear she wants best for us but her exams are hard.
She's a good person and really cares about her students. She goes through her lectures very fast but has SO many resources for you to use in order to pass the class. So if you fail this class, it's because you really didn't try. This class is not a blow off, you actually have to put in a lot of effort to get a good grade. Focus the whole lecture :)
She is such a nice person but that will never make up for the rushing of notes and crazy level of difficulty for a 100 level class.
Samia is a very passionate person about her job as a lecturer. She identifies with the students, but does not and will not lower her standards. The high standards are what you need to keep up with. Be sure to go home and re-read your notes thoroughly or you WILL struggle. Always go to SI (it helps!!!!) A effort will get you an A.
These reviews are overdramatic, shes very nice an explains concepts well, theres lots of material. She creates note packets & students just have to follow along. Anyone complaining probably thought they were going to be handed an A. This is chemistry, work for your grade. But, I found her practice tests a bit easier than her normal tests.
This is by far the worst teacher I have taken at UMD. She takes a level 100 class way too seriously, she also points you out if you you're not doing whatever shes saying. Please do not take this class i do not recommend anyone to take this class. If you end up only picking this class to take chem just take the L and move on.
Encourages questions but doesnt actually like to answer them. Good at teaching but very inconsiderate and rude at times.
Nice outside of class, not so in class. She will call you out for resting your head on your hand or not looking at her. Lots of bad analogies/metaphors she thinks are the key to learning. Very intelligent but her lectures are barely helpful. The SI sessions were much more effective. Not recommended.
I've had mean professors before but she is just beyond rude. She gave a whole lecture once because she asked us to give feedback and she didn't like what everyone said even though she asked for us to be HONEST. She gets mean if you don't understand something. Don't take her if you just need the credits.
She isn't the WORST. As a person, she is caring and willing to help you during office hours (which are not ideal), but during a lecture, she rushes, has a weird attitude towards questions, and is rude. She also has favorites so be ready for that. The helpful part is that she cares to a certain degree and gives packets. Would not survive without SI.
She doesnt care about if you have other things to worry about. She is not understanding and is really rude. When i had an issue accessing the online homework she wouldnt even extend the deadline and said its not her fault and i got a 0. She knows her material but is very bad lecturer. Theres other professors dont take her. Regret not dropping.
DO NOT take her. Just dont do it. She is beyond horrible. I took ap chem in high school, my teacher taught the material much better than she did. Get ready for pop quizzes. Also another important thing is make sure you do the SLC modules ON TIME they are worth alot. You only have a month after the class begins so make sure to get them done.
She is the worst professor at UMD she is honestly bad. DO NOT READ THIS and think you will be fine she is useless in the lectures. Her voice gets annoying after a few lectures. The final exam is the real deal focus more on doing the practice exam rather than the study guide. Only 50% of the content on the study guide makes it onto the final exam.
She is available outside class at all times and responds to emails quick. Besides this she is the worst professor at UMD. Its amazing she drives an hour to this job just to be bad at it. Honestly if your enrolled in her class just switch it now while you have time. She makes it way to difficult for a level 100 class.
She says "chemistry is hard only because they told you its hard' Excuse me its because you cant teach. She treats students like our lives revolve around this class. She is awful. Switch out if you cant Im telling you the first test is easy so take advantage of it. The third test is he worst. Take time on this one.
I am good student so I was able to study on my own time and get an A on all tests. Cause she is useless when it comes to being a Teacher. She just does problems. For the first two tests practice the notes and you will be fine. For the third tests if you only study notes you will fail. Go to the online book, watch videos, read each section.
My level 400 physics class feels much better than this one. Samia makes this easy indroductory chem 134 class feel like its a level 300. She takes things seriously, im a good student and if you are too, then this class should be a breeze but I higly reccomend a different professor. I mean we are paying to go to class and learn not teach ourselves
Get ready your going to have to teach concepts to yourself. The other chem 134 lectures offer some extra credit. Samia does not. She also will not give extensions on homework. For the actual class you will be fine if you put in work. I still recommend not taking her because she makes this class feel difficult when its really not that harsh.
She gave ridiculous tests, and got angry with the class if we did not get an average up to her standard. Accent was thick and hard to understand at times.
Al-Quaisi is very good at teaching the material but is very adamant about her "no excuse to miss a test policy" and is a very tough grader. My mother passed away the morning of the final exam and I still had to come take my final that day because of her policy. In all honesty that left a bad taste in my mouth but I still wouldn't recommend her.
If you haven't had a chem class before, don't start here unless you want a real challenge. I coasted through HS never having a chem class thinking I'd never need it for an an engineering major. This was the only chem class i needed for my major and it was an enormous pain having no background.
Professor is relatively good at explaining the simple steps of chemistry but fails to help students make the next step in the chemistry world. After meeting with her after a test to go over what I could have done better on an exam I was asked why dont you know that. After that I was left with a stale taste for her.
Everyone complaining thought they were gonna be given an A on a silver platter. SURPRISE, you're not in high school anymore. You have to do work outside of class. That means, use her class notes as a SUPPLEMENT. Pay lots of attention to the MasteringChem and Rec problems. She assigns them for a reason. Tough class but doable. She's very caring
Compared to the other professors, she is way harder. You can definitely get an A if you show up to every lecture, do all the practice problems, go to office hours, go to SI, and PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING SHE SAYS. If you're a freshman don't take her. You won't know how to study for a class this hard. Take Dr. B if you can. I did not get an A.
Professor Al qaisi is a gem and she really just wants her students to do well, but she expects you to work for your grade like any other professor would. Her lectures are good and she gives out practice exams to study with and has a lot of material to look at. You can always ask her questions and see her for help. Decent class, just need to work.
Dr. Al-Quaisi moves very fast during lectures. Do not hesitate to ask her to slow down. She is very helpful during office hours, JUST GO!! SI sessions are also a key aspect to passing this course. The leaders are outstanding and help to explain the material in a new way.
She is really nice and a great professor. Show up to lectures, fill out the note sheet as she's doing it and you'll be fine.
I had Al-Quasi for 134 and 136. She made everything more difficult than it had to be at every possible opportunity. Her lectures are difficult to understand and she never answered any of my questions. She does not listen to students, she blames them. Taking her class is like getting sued because you got hit by a car. It doesn't make sense.
Dr. Samia is a decent professor. She does give you a sufficient amount of work but gives a lot of time to complete assignments which makes up for this. Her lectures aren't too helpful but can somewhat lead you in the right direction. She is a little strict with things but you can tell she cares.
horrible don't take her class ever.
NEVER TAKE HER EVER! Horrendous professor. Does not care about her students what so ever. I did not listen to the bad ratings and gave her the benefit of the doubt. Doesn't listen to anyone, only cares about herself. Says she is understanding but then fails you. Rages at you and makes you feel bad & dumb for asking questions. MENTAL BREAKDOWNS 134
oh no. Do not take her class unless you want to suffer. I have never studied harder for a class and yet I still dont do good in this class. After attempting to talk to her several times she just shuts me down and blames me instead. Shes disrespectful and doesnt treat students like actual people. Dont take her.
Lecture notes, mastering chem problems, recitation problems, and practice exams are your best friend. It's def a difficult course, but she is a very knowledgeable and reasonable professor! Go to SI or her office hours if you need extra help, she is very nice. Nothing on the exams were ever a "surprise." Work for your grade, don't blame the prof!
This professor is one of the worst I've had. She is rude and unwilling to accommodate for students' struggles, which makes the class especially difficult in an all-online format. She expected us to learn almost everything on our own and was aggressive when asked questions. I will never take a class from her again and definitely do not recommend!
amazing prof
She's the worst professor I've ever had. Super inflexible and unaccommodating when it comes to students' needs to an unnecessary degree. Makes you feel scared to approach her about reasonable concerns/questions. Blames you for everything, and generally creates a hostile learning environment. She says she cares, but her actions don't reflect it.
This professor is the worst professor Ive ever come across. Its like she strives to make your life so difficult. Homework is not horrible, the problem is her quizzes and her tests. She doesn't care to help and blames everything on you. Doesn't care what you have going on at home she will not accommodate for anything no matter what! DO NOT TAKE HER!
Very very bad . Awful she would always blame it on the material that it is hard in reality she is very bad at teaching. She never take a critic for improvement. She is always available for office hours but you dont get any thing out of them just wast of your time and she get paid for it. Never rated a professor before she is really awful
Never. Ever. Take a class with this professor. Absolutely terrible. Tests are terribly difficult and nothing like the poorly explained lectures. Extra help is available but you wont get anything from it. Terrible.
Prof Al-Qaisi has been one of my favorite professors in college. She is very knowledgeable and always gives the best help when needed. Her lectures are very easy to understand. This class is difficult and she is unforgiving sometimes but its for the better. If you know what you are doing, she is a very good choice as a professor.
If you're thinking about giving her a chance, don't. Without exaggeration, she's awful. There are so many lecture videos and they're hardly helpful. The worst part about taking her class is that she is NOT accommodating at all. Any issue that a student experienced (slow internet, website down, etc), she would blame the student and give no help.
She is one of the worst professors I have ever had. The amount of lectures, homework, and tests you have EVERY WEEK is an min of 8 hours. She is a terrible communicator, condescending when you ask, and often just tells you to refer to the notes when you have questions. She is the professor who prides herself on the lack of good grades in the course
By far the WORST professor I have ever taken. Everyone warned against taking her, but she is the only Chem 136 professor. She is the most unsympathetic person, you will have a tough time understanding her teaching, and she is too proud to take criticism. Please UMD add another professor for this course.
i have no words
Get ready to meet someone who could turn your gpa upside down. Her lectures aren't helpful as shell finish a chapter in one lecture. Don't ask her questions, ask google instead. Her grading system is confusing as hell, you'll pass the midterms but will end up failing because al qaisi has other plans. Even Newton himself will start to question her.
Al Qaisi is easily the hardest professor I've come across. Her lack of communication makes this class very hard and she does not care if you don't pass the class. Each exam has had a failing class average and she makes homework and lecture assignments completely different from quizzes and exams.
Al qaisi is the best professor ive ever had. She helps so much on tests, and her lectures are top notch. Her practice tests are similar to the exams in such a way where the class average is super high. She answers questions with kind. A lot of opportunities such as extra credit, exam curves and much more. Overall grade is always updated each day.
Never in my life have I been more lost in my life. You study, yet you question yourself, am I the problem. So many different study strategies, yet it almost feels impossible. Just don't do it, take chem 136 with another professor, or wait till someone opens up and take it next time. Don't rush into this decision. You'll regret it come December.
By far the worst professor and teacher I have ever had. She doesn't like criticism and everything is always your fault not hers. Tests are NEVER like the homework and practice problems. Picks favorites. Also, she does not input grades until after the final so you are unaware of your actual grade. Do not take her.
Awful awful . Never in my life seen someone like that. Teachers are their to help and understand their students . Thats what the role of a teacher is . For Mrs. Al-Qaisi ,its just about making sure she is finishing what she suppose to finish without even taking into consideration who gets it or not. Awful lazy she dont put grades in canvas.
Lots of homework. Not the best professor for chemistry
The absolute worst professor ive ever had in my life. She constantly accused me and my classmates of cheating and not working hard enough. She constantly invalidated the challenges we face as college students and stated that she had it harder when she was a student.
all assignments graded on accuracy, most don’t give multiple attempts- have one attempt to get the problem right. little hard to get used to at first but u get the hang of it. doesn’t like phones in lectures but u can get away w it. overall a good teacher as long as u pay attention. not an easy class in general so be prepared to study
AVOID AT ALL COSTS. I genuinely believe that all the positive reviews are written by her because I had yet to hear even one good thing about anyone who had ever taken her class. Even my counselor said he didn't recommend her. This is the first and only class I have ever had to drop and it was torture.
Professor Al-Qaisi is honestly a nice person. You can tell she means well. However, she is disrespectful towards many students and doesn't allow absences even with a documented reason. She will also dock you point if you miss class. She is not the worst at teaching chem, but she definitely goes way too fast to understand everything.
she always tries her best to make you understand the material, she gives clear lecture notes, and she always gives practice exams so you can know the type of questions in the exam. She's inspirational, motivational, and smart.
I feel the most people on here gave unfair reviews about her, or at least wrote things based on their feelings. Her lectures are a bit difficult at times and a lot is required of you, but she is sympathetic and gives everyone a fair chance to succeed. This is a 4 credit course, so that means roughly 12 hours per week (hw/class), not because of her.
Professor Al-Qaisi is the WORST Professor ever. I am a student that is majoring in Biological Sciences and I am a top-student in all my classes( where I receive A's) but this class was IMPOSSIBLE! She is a tough grader, her exams are nothing like the mastering chemistry, or material taught in class. Just wait to take CHEM136 with a good professor!
Terrible teacher incredibly rude and condescending along with having a terrible attitude towards others and never acknowledging her faults. She prides herself on her degree and when the class does bad overall on an assignment instead of contemplating what she could've done better she berates the class and says the students are the problem.
Al-Qaisi has the best notes BY FAR out of any chem prof I've heard of. Every exam problem is a problem from the notes or Mastering Chem/Book. Tells you exactly what she expects from you. Can be strict but honestly cares. Definitely curves your final class grade without telling you. Very knowledgeable in what she teaches, owns up to her mistakes.
the class did bad on a quiz and she spent half an hour lecturing us about our poor performance while taking no responsibility. made us write a note about what we did wrong and what we'd do different next time. overall, she's very condescending. she repeatedly told us throughout the semester how she views us as her kids, not her students.
Keep in mind this is an INTRODUCTORY science course. Qaisi cares for her students, but is a no-non sense teacher. That is, don't use your phone in class or do stupid things and everything will be fine. Most of the people giving 1* ratings are just lazy in general, and that's not going to fly in engineering or medicine. Qaisi prepares you for it.
I don't even know why I was so much of an idiot to take this class with her despite the reviews. At first I thought to my self that she cant be this bad and I gave her a try and that was my biggest regret.
she's the worst
It is clear that teaching was not her passion. She will find ways to blame the class for poor grades. The only reason anyone does ok in her class is from the amazing SI leader. She does not allow for you take pictures of the finished work that are meant for the class to keep. No matter what happens, anyone that does bad, it is 100% their fault.
Avoid at all costs, very rude an unprofessional. Treats the students like they are in middle school, not as adults paying to be there. Condescending at every opportunity that she gets. Be prepared for her to be delusionally paranoid during tests as well.
Terrible
The professor seems to have turned a new leaf based on the other ratings. The lectures are good and she is not that bad. The material is hard and the professor has high standards, but it will prepare you for grad school and testing. Provides supplemental material and available for office hours if you ask. Questions on exam are like practice ones.
Her notes were a bit messy but very detailed, i preferred just sitting and listening to her since her notes were posted. Used good examples. teaches from the book so you can always refer to it. Exams weren't hard, worst was the final, great curves. A bit rude but if you showed effort she was willing to help you out.
She would help a little but would lecture you about reading the lab manual and how you should be prepared, even if the issue you were having was technical. Lab quizzes had weird questions, made you feel stupid if you were having problems. If she didn't know how to fix something, you were on your own. Good for lecture but take someone else for lab.
Even though Dr. Alqaisi isn't the friendliest, her lectures are top-notch. She provides guided notes that match the exams closely. If you stay focused and put in the effort, getting a good grade isn't too tough.
never take a class with her she's a very hard grader, especially for labs labs quizzes are tough also. I don't recommend her
don't take her
D o n t
Avoid taking her she is so mean
One of the worst
Take any other professor if you can. You'll have to rely on the book to learn a lot of the concepts. Avoid her for lab as well. Her lectures were boring and all the information she was reading was available as filled-out notes. Worst part about lectures is that she would constantly stop class if someone stopped paying attention even for a second
I needed therapy after this course.
Very easy course. You have to ensure to follow her steps when she solves problems during lectures. Her exams are mirror copies of the problems that she solves in-class.
dambbbbbbb
HORRIBLE TERRIBLE
Prof Al-Qaisi's lectures are thorough, but her grading can be tough. Stay focused, use the textbook, and try Unstuckstudy - it helped me prepare effectively.
She wasn't horrible, she is definitely better than judith bazzi.100% i would take al-qaisi over bazzi. bazzi is not worth it. al-qaisi is okay. she goes through problems in her lectures and writes out how to do them. that did help a lot, but al-qaisi just wasn't available outside of class
She's not great but she's not bad either. If you take the initiative to actually seek help whether that be visiting her office hours, or even asking her questions during/after class she will help you. P.S that's bonus points to get her to like you more if you show up to lecture. The ICE's are random (normally on Thursdays) don't hold me to that.
Professor Al-Qaisi is a tough grader with exams, takes full points off for full errors. Her practice tests are helpful, but her lecture and the textbook homework info differ.Lectures are pointless, and although attendance is mandatory she does unannounced class learning exercises that are heavily weighted. She is a very nice person, but very strict
barely teaching, rereads whatever is on the filled lecture notes. Lectures how we should be doing better in her class acting as if it's not her fault. Keeps telling the whole class that we are like her kids claiming she cares about us and wants us to pass, but clearly doesnt. Insanely paranoid during exams by following students to the bathrooms.
I like her as a person and she cared, but I wouldn't take her again. I barely went because the lectures didn't help me. But she was clear on what we needed to know. I used her notes which were actually helpful and The Organic Chemistry Tutor on YouTube. In the end, you have to put in the work yourself no matter how good or bad the professor is.
avoid her at all costs, I would rather repeatedly bash my head against the wall and sleep outside in freezing weather with a thin blanket and no pillow instead of taking her again. Blames everything on students even if the whole class seems to be struggling. Save yourself the trouble and just dont. She destroyed all happiness this semester.
she's like the grinch when it comes to stealing Christmas but instead for marks.doesnt help in any way.Kept on telling us she wouldn't give out "free points" as if it's taking away from her years left. Actually ruined my whole semesterthought about dropping outin the end a lot of people got extra marks and many didn't.justdontakeher PLEASEDONT!!!!
Considering therapy after this class. She would lecture us about how bad we were at being students. Lectures were unhelpful and confusing. Tests felt like a hostage situation. I relied heavily on YouTube- mind you I paid for the course. Avoid at all costs for your own sake :( BEWARE
All she does is read off her lecture slides and then says got it? She does random In class Exercises (ICE) and takes attendance randomly too. she is Kinda nice but she just doesn't teach properly, attending the lectures are just a waste of time.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
86%
Textbook Required
49%
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