2.6
Quality3.8
Difficulty17%
Would Retake181
Reviews17%
Would Retake
181
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
44
4
23
3
19
2
22
1
73
What Students Say
“Chemistry version of Hell's kitchen”
CHEM136L - 4.0 rating“She is very rude and sarcastic”
CHEM136 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
71%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.82 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEM124LAB
5.0
(1)CHEM146
5.0
(1)CHEM136R
5.0
(1)CHEMCHEM
5.0
(1)CHEM134L
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GNCHM2
5.0
CHM136
5.0
CHEM135
5.0
CHEMISTRY
5.0
CHEM2
5.0
Reviews (181)
No Comments
She is horrible and mean to students
She is always available to help out . . but you have to be willing to work
She's got major mood swings.
Has a bit of a temper, but other than that she is a very good teacher.
No Comments
One of the worst teachers ever, she has a ph.D and its useless because no skills what so ever
Can be moody, but is a good teacher.
Dr. Smith is happy as long as you remember she is DOCTOR Smith, not Ms. Smith. Sarcasm aside, she's very very helpful. She answered every stupid question I had, and didn't mind re-explaining when I didn't get it.
She's definitely a mood swinger... but if you get past that and don't pose a threat to her ego, she can be very very helpful
really blune, big ego, kinda helpful, very unapproachable, talks down to you, good knowledge, stubborn, beware!
what a real ****! she is the moodiest person ever, her southern accent does not help matters. She thinks she is a GOD or something and she thinks all students are complete idiots. If u ask her questions she tells you that she wwont help you casue its too easy, and her gradind is terrible.
YO YO....This Professor is so cool srsly shes very helpful and str8 up she tells you what she excepts from you. Just dont act like an idiot and ull love this lab...Hmm what else her grading is very fair and shes very helpful so if u have any questions b4 you turn in ur lab report she helps wit u it
I liked her class a lot, her class isnt boring thats for sure! Shes very helpful in helping students understand the subject. Her grading isnt that bad. I recommend.
DO NOT, i repeat do not get STUCK in her lab section. She keeps you in the class untill the last few seconds. He makes fun of students calls them stupid and takes points off everyones lab for no reason. I wish someone had warned me not to take her. She's hick from the south.
Why is is it that when some people get bad grades, it's the teacher's fault? All the material is in the textbook. The exams have exactly what she says will be on them and she publishes keys to the assignments on the web. Grow up and take a little responsibility for your own self! You're in college now.
SHES VERY HARD
She isnt the easiest teacher but she is very fair and is always looking out for the STUDENT's best interest. she doesnt want you to fail. She was a great lecturer and a great overall person, she is highly recommended. She is also very helpful and available to talk to during her office hours.
BORRING TEACHER, she cant teach, shes better than lawson but still a bad grader...
shes borring, so i stare at her the whole hour, southern accent
she's a little bit crazy, but i love her lectures and she's way better than lawson
No Comments
She knows her stuff damn it!!! Its a long class but shes a really good teacher and is pretty clear on what shes talking about. She is way better than Lawson (even though hes hot)
Very very very easy for lecture, haven't had her for lab so don't know. Would highly recomend for lecture tho, she is very easy and test are exactly from homeworks, she literally copy and paste it. Make a little effort and do your homework by yourself to get easy A in class. Problems that arse not from h.w are way easier than h.w. Don't miss her.
I heard so many bad things about her, and i read a lot of bad stuff in here as well but for my suprise it was the opposite. I really enjoy her lecture and she is very clear. I find the exams more easy than Lawsons. This is a hard subject so for you who do poorly dont blaime it on her, blame it on yourself.
She is an awesome lecturer, she acutally had me interested in the material. Her tests are way more str8 forward than Lawson's, no tricks. Shes really fair. If you make the effort, u can get an A. However, shes a bit intimidating on surface, so just dont get in her way, and keep a low profile.
Best Teacher on Campus!
Best teacher on campus, and I am not kidding... all teachers should bow to her... The clas is so interesting..
okk,listen, im probably the only person to tell u the truth in here,,, shes good at teaching, class is fairly easy(study everything), however, shes a ****, she is veryyyyy mean, for real
She did explain the material well, but if you ever went to her office outside of class and asked for help she was very rude and nasty about answering questions. Shes also kinda arrogant when she has no reason to be...
i hated that class. her computer randomly picks students in lecture to answer questions. Puts you on the spot. I had her for rec/lab and lecture. doesnt help a lot in lab...and you can't leave early from lab...you have to leave at the time lab is suppose to end. her tests are ok..there from the webassign and the practice exams that are on webassign
ok, this lady is soooo funny, not hard class, just studyyyyyyy,
She is a great professor, I used to hate chemistry but now chemistry is my favor. u have to work hard to get an A. I highly recommend her.
Dr.Smith is very smart, a perfectionist.This leads her to expect a lot from her students.Don't let her intimidate you though.She is clear in her lectures and good at teaching.She gives extra credit opportunities and curves many aspects of her class (this helps ALOT).Final was really tough, all conceptual. Overall, she is fair,generous,& clear. A+
oh stop complaining. prof. smith is so funny and cool, dont even read the book, her lectures are very good, i didnt even open up the book once, only read my notes and paid attention in class and got an A+
Very hard and strict but secretly very nice. She's a great insructor, intimidating to ask questions to. Don't take her class in the summer unless you have no life.
She could be a good teacher if she didn't hold grudges against people. Never take her class if someone related to you took it before you. She hated my cousin so she took it out on me in her class. She like to make her students go the extra mile so be prepared to have to learn this chemistry and more advanced chemistry too!
She was an excellent professor, and showed a variety of ways to solve the problems. She was intimidating but if you can get past that you can learn a lot form her.
arrogant professor, and is one of the worst I have met on campus, I swear. class is not that difficult, but she has an attitude like no other, and her "curve" that she promised was non-existant. some of her exams were fair, but others were completely unfair and hard for nothing. she needs to chill out and learn a few manners and people skills.
I was nervous to have Dr. Smith after everything that has been said about her. However, I would LOVE to take another course with her. Her lectures are amazing and you get lots of easy in-class points. The webassign is very difficult, but her exams are very fair. She is very funny and provides lots of online resources.
At first Dr. Smith may seem VERY intimidating. However, she is one of the most helpful and organized teachers I have ever had. Her lectures are always enjoyable, she jokes around and is always clear in what is going to be on exams, or how a certain equation should be solved so that it's easier. I would LOVE to take another class with her.
Prof is extremely intimidating. She continually talks down to her students. The respect that she demands from her students, she does not give in return. I did well in her course, but not because of her ability. I spent a lot of time studying and seeking outside sources for help to fill in the gaps.
Professor Smith was very intimidating at first. But once you get into the class and attend her lectures she becomes an amazing teacher. I went to her office hours a few times and she can be very mean about answering your questions, but in the end she helped me to understand the concept on my own terms and I knew it because I found it out myself. I
I had her for recitation, she can be very mean at times and she tends to intimidate people and take offense when somebody honestly doesn't understand something. However, she happens to teach very well and the best way to put it is that lecture teaches the material, and recitation gives it deeper. Good team with Stewart-Smith
She's a great professor, and really knows how to teach something so you can understand it. Get over her sarcasim, it's funny. She's amazing and I wouldn't have gotten a good grade without her.
the 3 minute clicker quiz every class are hard. 22 out of 80 get it right, all or nothing.
she is very moody and hard to deal with
She's an excellent professor, I don't know why so many people say otherwise. Chem is a hard subject, it's not her fault if you did bad, it's only yours for not studying hard enough. Study hard, read the book carefully, you'll do fine.
MOODY MOODY MOODY.... she's a good teacher but mannnn her exams and webassign will kill you. She's nice only when you go to her office but in class she will make you seem stupid. Needs to realize that some people have other classes, work, kids, and a life other than her stupid class.
I would have to say that this was a hard class, but well worth it. She is a good teacher and an even better eye candy. I know it is rather crazy to like your teacher this way but I have to admit I would tap that again and again. I can't believe she is single.
Sheila Smith is the best science prof I've had so far at UMD. At first I was really intimidated by her, but she is strict because she wants you to pay attention and learn. She's challenging because she has high expectations of her students. Stay on top of Mastering Chem, read the book before lecture, go to SI or her office, and you can get an A-/A.
BY FAR the worst chemistry professor ive came across in my life.idk wher the positive ratings come in frm,but this is THE laziest professor i hav seen yet.She dsnt make her own exams n dsnt even give a proper lecture:only 30% of material frm da exam is coverd in lectur.Unorganized, unprepared, n lab is a disaster. I PAYED WITH EXPECTATION TO LEARN
And im not done yet. If it wasn't for the clicker quiz, i wouldn't attend lecture, and would use my precious time to study. Real talk, this professor took the fun out of chem. N if ur intimidated by her, u need to grow out a pair. And wait until you ask her questions, she won't know the answer. She doesn't even know what she's teaching. USELESS
Easy on the eyes:)
Great Professor, Knows what she's talking about, likes to get the students involved, only problem I have with the class is the Mastering Chemistry homework which is by far one of the worst homework systems I've ever used.
Great lecturer, always lively and never dull. Clicker quizzes are underestimated, but designed to teach. Tests are "fair", mulitple choice are designed to bring out every niche of a problem individually. Everyone saying negative things are, what a suprise, lazy and put the burdens of their lacking grades on her, but one of the best profs. ive had.
She is the worst professor. She obviously leaves herself these good ratings.She NOT fair. The online homework only to kill time, thats it. Her goal is to fail students.Class avg is 55. She purposely tries2 confuse the students by making VERY simple SO complicated. Theres an ez way n there is an hard way to do chem, she wants to just fail students.
This professor brings shame to UMD. Loads of unnecessary homework like this is high school; Does not teach anything. This is college, not high school, Sheila Smith. College is a place where you go to lecture, learn, and take exams. Homework is counterproductive to keep kids busy. This woman pizzed me off, and everyone who just wants to study.
This professor seems to have big issues with students, and likes giving bad grades. She just seems to throw a ton of really unnecessary work at the students, leaving the students with no time to study. If you're going to take 136 with her, just make sure you don't take any other hard classes, because you have to teach urself chemistry.
taking the class with her is a real nightmarrrrrrre. DO NOT TAKE, will fail you. Very inconsiderate, and not willing to help students, instead she gets aggravated. she should not be teaching
i would not recommend this teacher. her class may be not so hard, but she is a bad person. she is very hard to deal with, and gives a worthless unorg. lecture. the only thing you really need to do is read chapter SUMMARIES, redo the practice exams. homework does not help, just get solutions manual for answers. also she psychologically disgusting.
This is one of the cockiest professors at the university. Quite frankly, I don't see a reason for her to think shes above all of the staff and students. I thought I would have been done dealing with people like this in HIGH SCHOOL. She is not helpful at all because she'll just shove you off, thinking she's got you all figured out. She's a cow, too.
I did not really enjoy this class or her lectures. She wasn't as bad as some say. Honestly, just do the mastering chemistry and take it seriously, because all the test questions are pulled from there. Also look over old tests, many repeats on the final. Got a B and never went to class, its definitely not that bad.
This woman is crazy. Don't take her class. The homework is pointless. If you're gonna take her, just bear the hell. Make sure you redo the old exams, becuz thats the only thing that seems to help.
she has no respect for her students, and her ultimate goal is to fail everybody she can. she also teaches in a way to confuse the students, so the students fail, and have to repay the tuition. i would not recommend her for anyone any major. she just uses a test bank which you can also find. the worst class of my life as a umd alumni.
I dont know who leaves these good ratings im guessing its the teacher herself. after taking this class, i feel as if its the end of a long dark tunnel. she is an awful professor. definitely take it with ANY other professor besides her. she just wastes the lecture teaching one small thing out of a hundred, and lagging out until the end of lecture
this is the worst professor. everyone who is leaving her the bad ratings is right, she dos not know how to teach and her tests are not related to any material in lecture. on top she give us quizzes every day even in lab to put our grade down. alot of people fail this course but she is not a good teacher.
This is one of the worst professors on campus. Most of the class cheated through her class by memorizing answers to her old test banks. Seriously, if a professor can't write up their own exam, they shouldn't be teaching. She finds one small thing and takes up the whole lecture talking about it. Only 10% of exam material is covered in lecture.
this is one of the worst professors. she talks to the students in a very condensing way, as if they are children. her lectures do not correlate much with exam material. despite the fact that many cheated in her course, and got away with an A, her grading is not fair at all. also the online hw is a waste of time. she just wants to fail her students
I had her for lab and she was great! She is a little arrogant at first but warms up to you quickly. She is extremely passionate about chemistry, with that being said she isn't easy by any means. You do need to try, but she isn't impossible.
I did not like this professors effort at trying to teach the course. Not enough topics were covered in lecture that definitely should and could have been covered. She needs to talk faster, this is genchem 2 for godsake. She might have a PhD, but I know more chemistry than her. But its ridiculously easy to get a B, just take ur time on MasteringChem
took her last year. She missed days when we had to learn the most important stuff in class. I wish I could say she's a good teacher but idk tbh. I got an A-, and I had no clue on what was going on during all the acid base crap and equilibrium and titrations. heck, I didn't even take any math prior to this class. Very easy
I know quite a few people who don't like Dr. Smith, I on the other hand thought she was great. I thought she was very helpful and I went to her office hours for help instead of my lecture professor's. Her class isnt overly challenging but it isnt easy either. Ask for help she's great at explaining.She also appreciates hard workers, don't slack off!
Very good at explaining chemistry! I had bad experience with chem 1 and I'm glad she was my professor for chem 2
Shes a great teacher people just dont like her personality which is understandable, there is allot of work and time needed to be put into the class. She gives you every possible way to succeed. Her tests are no trick and just like the practice test. If you have a pulse you will get atleast a B, her class is everything you put into it, So dont slack
To the people that are saying she is easy, yes she is, ONLY if you have the test bank which would give u an unfair advantage. There is some major cheating going on in this class, and the professor is unaware. You will need to cheat for sure to get an A. B is possible though. If she didn't use the test bank is the only way this class could be fair.
Dr. Smith might show an attitude towards her students sometimes but that's just her personality. She really is a nice teacher and really cares about her students. I f you really wanna learn the subject and get a good grade in the class, take her, you wont regret it.
Dr. Smith is fantastic! She expects you to put in the effort to get an A in her class, but she is more than willing to help you if needed. Exams are not impossible, but there are a few questions on each one that require you to think beyond plug & chug equations. I highly recommend her. Class is also very entertaining since she is sassy and fun!
Great class, solve every problem you can get your hands on and chem will begin to make sense, great hw questions, fair test questions, highly recommend
Great class, input equals output
I felt that the class would be a lot less annoying if lab/rec was more organized. DON'T take lab/rec with Ali Bazzi. Her lectures are pretty good IF you read the book. Book is a must for this course. Also, she should give unlimited attempts at the online homework. It would mean a lot more learning and less cheating.
She was an ok teacher. Her exams are supre hard but study her guides bc they help a lot. I worked my butt off and manged to get a B- she can love you and you can be .2 away from an A or B or grade change and she wouldn't do it. Good luck.
too much work, yes this is college but she makes you do homework, in class assignmets, clicker questions, rec quizzes each week, a couple exams, final, and lab quizzes and reports.. she thinks we only have time for an intro chem. its a challenging course if you dont pay attention, and dont even think about a grade change, not gonna happen good luck
Not really that hard. And believe me, I had much MUCH harder professors teach me Ochem and Genchem1. She doesn't really teach anything, just gives an overview, no complex examples given in class. I would NOT recommend her if you plan on taking the MCAT. And if I'm paying thousands of dollars for tuition, I personally expect a WAY better lecture.
Super helpful
Class is difficult simply because she is perpetually behind. I taught myself most of this class. Typically, you do not understand the purpose of a lab until about a week or two afterwards- when you finally get to that aspect of the class in the lecture. Remembering C134 is also essential.
neither the material nor exams are difficult. it's just the fact that she gives extremely poor lectures, and assigns tons of counterproductive assignments, which lead to students not having enough time to study for the exams, which ultimately ends up seemingly failure on the students behalf. the root of this is that she can not teach.
She is always willing to help as long as you put effort into asking her. Office hours are helpful if you know what you need help in. A great teacher and her lectures are easy enough to follow and she makes sure everyone is understanding. Good idea to take lab with her as well. Tests are alright, pretty exact with practice exams.
Dr. Smith is a great professor. She wants all her students to understand and do well. She got me thinking about chemistry through out daily activities. I recommend her to everyone just be ready to put in 100%. I have not taken a chemistry class in 8 years and she helped me through the semester. Thanks Dr. Smith.
Professor Smith is a really nice teacher, idk why people are intimidated by her. If you go to lecture and pay attention in class you will do well. Her exams are not hard and she gives study guides that are helpful. She gives 3 exams and one final and she replaces one of your exam grades with you final grade if its better.
Smith may be intimidating, but she's a great teacher and will always help if you put the effort into asking her. She's really good at simplifying chem and really does want you to succeed.
she was hard but a great teacher. i had her for gen chem 2 and mastering chemistry was annoying but she explained the material great
A nice person, but not a great professor. She gives unhelpful assignments, doesn't teach things as they are seen on the test, and doesn't give helpful exam review. She makes mistakes on the board almost every day. Doesn't connect well with the book. Fortunately she gives lots of participation points for in-class assignments.
I'd like to note, she isn't a biochem professor, but a chem one - and you can tell. So far, she has done nothing but teach us gen chem. If I wanted to take gen chem again, I would! But Smith, we're in a biochemistry class, not general chemistry.
I'm not sure if she knows what she's teaching. I leave this class knowing nothing every time. Lecture is a waste of time because the stuff isn't on the exam, it's all textbook; so you have to read it. Her exams are very hard and a few questions have nothing to do with biochemistry, but general chemistry (which she is a professor of). Awful class.
Shes amazing at bchm obviously. Class is kind of tough, way more conceptual than repetitive memorization in biochem classes. Its fair I think. Shes nice, approachable, and helpful. The only way I can imagine her being intimidating is by how much she expects, which isnt a bad thing, but the thought always lingers that she's super knowledgable.
Her uploaded notes r jst pics, not useful at all. Doesn't use text, but I found w/out text i wasn't learning from her. Her email replies r indirect. (I asked her wat ch.'s r on the test bc we weren't following the syllabus, she said go listn to the class recording (40+ mins) again) Only Pro: gives past yr's tsts & its similar to the test she gives.
Her uploaded notes r jst pics, useless. Dont use book, but if u dont read book u wnt learn. Wrst thng is her emails, she nvr ansrs directly, always sends u somewhere. ex: I asked what ch. will be on the exam bc we werent following the syllabus, she said go listen to the recording (40+ mins) again. Pro: gives past yr's tests & its similar next test.
She is insanely rude. Anytime you ask her a question or email her she simply replies with read the syllabus, which may not even answer your question. Her first two exams were super easy and exactly like the practice, the third was ridiculously hard and not even comparable to the first two. she is EXTREMELY rude. Only explains basic concepts
She's not very helpful, and is obsessed with making you find the answers in the syllabus. Her lectures are almost useless, and most of the test is always based on the book. The tests aren't too hard, but she doesn't teach most of the material that shows up! She does, however, post practice exams, which are pretty helpful and similar to the exam.
She is intimidating. She knows what she's talking about, but in her class there is a such thing as a dumb question. She tries to keep everyone involved with a random name generator, but it just makes class scary. Class time is normally spent on one topic beaten to death, leaving you on your own for the Mastering Chemistry.
Here's how to get an A w/ Smith (like I did): READ THE BOOK, do all the Mastering Chem (google for the sol. manual), brown-nose, and show up to lecture for the participation points. Exam 3 + the Final are the hardest, so study especially hard for those. She'll replace your lowest score w/ the Final if you do better. She curves your final grade, too
She is intimidating. She knows what she's talking about, but in her class there is a such thing as a dumb question. She tries to keep everyone involved with a random name generator, but it just makes class scary. Class time is normally spent on one topic beaten to death, leaving you on your own for the Mastering Chemistry.
This class was like gen chem with a bit more detail. She was really understanding and was always cracking jokes, plus the material wasn't difficult. It involved a lot of visual learning, though. If you are in to physics concepts without all the math, this is a great course.
It is possible to get an A in Dr. Smith's class, but you really have to be willing to put in the effort for it. Her exams are tougher than what she conveys in class, so doing the homework and extra practice on your own time is important. If you need help, make sure to talk to her, although she can be hard to talk to and is occasionally patronizing.
She is very tough and comes off as rude sometimes when you answer questions incorrectly (Uses random name clicker). Little correlation between lectures, homework, practice exams and the exams you receive. She seems like a nice person but has a lot of trouble conveying course material well. If you have the opportunity avoid this Professor.
Dr. Smith is a overall an okay professor. Her first 2 exams were nothing like the practice. Overall, there are 3 exams and the final. She lectures at an elementary level leaving you kind of clueless when it comes to the homework. As long as you read the book, you should be okay. Dr. Smith is great 1 on 1, so go to her office hours if you need to.
AVOID AT ALL COST. Worst professor I've ever had. Exams are difficult.
Only really knows general chemistry, doesn't know her biology and had to have the TA and class help her out multiple times. She even bragged about failing organic chemistry multiple times. She doesn't like to discuss grades and isn't willing to give partial credit on minor mistakes. Definitely is more lenient to some students. Won't ever take again
She really doesn't know the material when it comes to teaching. Sure, she might be knowledgeable but she does a poor job explaining things, and there have been times where she literally does not know how to explain it. I felt that it was a complete waste of time going to lecture.
there is no point in attending any of smiths lectures other than the fact that theres clicker quizzes,which i feel she uses to force her students to show up. You will NOT learn a single thing in lecture, teach yourself its the only way you have a chance at passing. just avoid this professor
Crazy tough professor. Talks down to students. Berates you in emails. Has clicker quizzes in class to force you to come, and has really tough exams on info that she doesn't cover in lecture. You're better off teaching yourself from the book, but you still have to go to lecture.
She is very rude and sarcastic. Is super nice until the drop date for classes pass, and than she gets more rude. If you ask a question be prepared to be made fun of. Her test are like a foreign language and even reading the text book doesn't help completely. If you value your grade DO NOT TAKE HER. END OF STORY!
Gives clicker quizzes at beginning of each class. Online homework every week. Online homework half the time is based on stuff she won't teach you. Teaches part of the chapter and expects you to learn it on your own through the book. Almost every question on the test requires computation that can take time. Expect reading the book. Don't take.
Sheila Smith is not a bad professor, she just gets off topic really easy for some reason. She may be a little mentally delayed if you ask me. But all in all, she will help you and encourages you to ask her for help if you need it. She is pretty nice and tries her best to make sure you understand the material. Go the her office hours. That helps.
She is a really good teacher in the beginning. After those first two tests you pretty much get screwed. Gets off topic too easily. The third test and the final are nothing like the two. Dosent really put grades in so you don't know what you got. Lab was ahead of lecture so was really confused when it came down to what I was learning. DO NOT TAKE
She is a really good teacher in the beginning. After those first two tests you pretty much get screwed. Gets off topic too easily. The third test and the final are nothing like the two. Dosent really put grades in so you don't know what you got. Lab was ahead of lecture so was really confused when it came down to what I was learning. DO NOT TAKE.
She's funny. Go to office hours. Buy clicker. Go to classes to do clicker quiz. Do question correct. Pass.
She's changed bio370 a lot over 2 yrs. Students do a lot better now, and her exams are more doable. Usually you know what to expect because a lot of things are based on the homework. She gives a lot of hw/in-class assignments but it helps balance out bad exam grades so it's a good thing. Overall, show her ur a hard worker & she'll be fond of you.
I would suggest her for recitation rather than lab. She enjoys the lab though which makes it fun read the lab before coming
Chemistry version of Hell's kitchen
So many people failed the class that the university had to offer students to repeat the class for free. I've never experienced such a rude professor in the 4 years I went to this school. She really needs to reevaluate the way she talks to students. If you have to take her, study the handwritten/sloppy notes she posts for each chapter.
She's funny, but she can be a bit of a bully. Makes us look and feel stupid for asking questions infront of 100+ people. She expects the prerequisite for her class to be her class, so she flies through content. She says she cares about us, but her actions and choices don't agree. SI's taught the class, not her. I would recommend utilizing the SLC.
Get out while you still can. Absolutely incompatible with any other course loads you have that might be time-consuming.
Dr. Smith is an incompetent professor, who will often mess up in class and mix her words until the students get tired of it and decide to correct her. During lecture, she goes off on tangents, she's very slow-paced, and then she will complain about us being behind and post 40-min videos for us to watch later. Be able to teach yourself.
Terrible. Awful.
Run dudes and dudettes
Hot mess in class. Cant keep her presentations together. Has clicker quizzes at the beginning of each class, but often doesnt know answers to her own questions. Cant write up her own exams, let alone proofread them. Falls behind entire chapters at a time, but doesnt let recitation professors know that. Avoid at all costs.
Terrible. Avoid at all costs. Her lectures were a whole mess. She doesn't know what she's talking about and she doesn't know how to teach.
Really disappointed in how this class was run. She didn't seem prepared for lectures often and fell behind by whole chapters resulting in her not even finishing the course to prepare us for chem 136. She took forever to upload grades too. Just read the textbook to teach yourself and go to class to get the clicker points.
STAY AWAY. Amazing person, horrible professor. She saved all the grading till the last possible minute and 60% of her lectures were hour-long videos she puts on canvas because she never gets to them in class, because she gets off topic alot. Did not learn anything in this class. Chegg taught me more than she did.
Waited until the last minute to grade, graded charshly. I admit to using Chegg to do a homework problem for me, someone with a Ph.D responded- she gave me 0 points. She has an ego, and she doesn't try to teach you- she tries to fail you. The University of Michigan should investigating her in my opinion. She also lies, and has unreal expectations
If I had to chose between dropping or taking Sheila Smith again, I am pretty sure I would pick the latter. Her goal is to fail you. Unorganized, scattered, unfair, rude, dishonest, and unaccessible. As a student who pays a lot of money to attend U of M, I would expect a better teacher.
Very very RUDE professor. As an assignment the first week had us come to her office hours to meet her and know where her and she yelled at me because I was polite and waited for the student already in there to be done instead of just going in
She can be caustic, but that doesn't bother me. But she's just not a good teacher. Very little of the lecture was ever useful; she spends excessive amounts of time on innocuous things. Her grading is spectacularly behind. Grades take 2-3 months. Seriously. She's a poor lecturer, hard grader, Never Accessible by email or canvas. I would stay away.
Pros: Can get help during office hours and only mastering chemistry as home work. Cons: Super slow grader and your probably gonna have to do a little extra studying on youtube.
avoid. at. all. costs. You wont know your grade until a weeks after the semester, impossible to reach and do not expect a response. Gives long exams with short period of time making it impossible to complete. DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR
Avoid her like the plague. Terrible person, very rude, very unreasonable. Hard to get through her ego. The university needs to fire her.
I've never complained about a professor in my life. However, I came here to warn you before it's too late. Do not take this professor at all costs. She is by far one of the hardest grading professors at UM Dearborn. She will test her students on things she didn't teach. Her tests are on an article that has nothing to do with what you are learning.
Rude and incompetent
Never ask a question in her class because she will belittle you and make you feel dumb. She thinks she's better than everyone and is extremely mean.
Get out while you still can. She makes her exams impossible. On the first day of class she said "20% of you will drop my class during this semester because you will be failing my class".
If I could go back in time to change one thing I would of never taken this class with this professor. She has made online learning a nightmare. Endless amounts of homework and reading. Her exams are extremely difficult.
Her lectures are literally awful, she reads right off the power points.
If you want to keep a high GPA, don't take biochem with her. She makes sure people don't get A's in her class.
Do not take. Avoid at all costs.
Nothing good to say at all.
Not sure how her rating is a 2.7 that is too high.
Terrible. Horrible and every other negative word you could think of.
Rude.
I didn't want to take my covid vaccine so that I would get covid and won't go to her class anymore. Literally the WORST professor. Avoid at all cost
The worst professor there could possibly be. Doesn't respond to emails and doesn't grade any assignments until weeks after the semester has ended. Very inconsiderate and rude. A 2.7 rating is kinda high
Don't say you weren't warned don't take this class.
The reviews don't lie, she was awful. Graded all the assignments one week after grades were due. She messed up my grade and refused to change it.
Brings politics into every lecture always talking about how great Biden is. Sends us Bidens lectures and makes us do a discussion post about it. She promotes the vaccine every lecture and talks about the wage gap so much. Like just teach us about biochemistry.
Did not give us a syllabus on the first day. She lectures for only 5 minutes and made us do assignments for the rest of the lecture with classmates. The assignments had nothing to do with the exams. Extremely difficult class and shes very rude. DO NOT TAKE!!!
Such a tough grader and dont ask questions she will embarrass you in front of the whole class. Also sometimes she calls on students randomly during zoom lectures and asks them hard questions.
I dropped this class midway through the semester because it was too hard. She gives exams about research articles that have nothing to do with what we are learning in lecture. I shouldve listened to the reviews before signing up for her class. Dont make the same mistake.
She talks about politics too much. She made us do an assignment regarding Bidens speech talking about immigration policies. With that being said, her exams are extremely hard and her lectures are pointless.
Never rounded up my grade at the end of the semester. All I needed was 0.3%. Overall, the class was very hard and she struggles with meeting with her students out of office hours.
Her exams consist of research articles she finds on google. The exams have nothing to do with what we learned in lecture. Very difficult class and her teaching skills are abysmal.
Exams were very hard because she makes them about very difficult research articles that have nothing to do with what we learned in class. On top of that she is very rude and never accessible out of class hours. Never answers emails and always cancels office hours.
I asked her a question in front of the class and she told me to go read the syllabus again. Extremely rude
She is never accessible out of class. I emailed her multiple times about my final grade and she ignored all of them. She's very unprofessional and her teaching skills are subpar.
Refuses to actually teach us, she just makes us read the book. Never ask a question she will embarrass you in front of the whole class. On top of that her exams are extremely difficult. Take someone else!!!
She will give you exams that have nothing to do with what you learn in lecture. It is primarily about extremely confusing research articles she finds on pubmed. Felt like I was taking the MCAT every time I took her exams. Everyone in this class did poorly, do not take this class if you care about your GPA.
I got Covid in this class and she said she wouldnt excuse the exam for me. After emailing the dean, she changed her mind. Extremely evil professor who doesnt care about her students. I hated this professor with all my will.
Never gave us a syllabus in the beginning of the semester. Her exams are brutal and they have nothing to do with her lectures. On top of that she graded all our assignments and exams one week after the semester ended.
She has a habit of calling students out randomly during lecture. She called me out in front of the whole class and made me cry. Shes truly evil!
Her exams are on research articles that she does not discuss in lecture. Class was extremely difficult! DO NO TAKE AT ALL COSTS
She gives us exams based on literature papers that usually have nothing to do with the lectures and expects us to get every interpretation, she doesn't reply to emails, she saved grading until the last minute and messed up grading, the average on the final was a D, she tried to teach cellular respiration in the very last week of class, bad lecturer
Dr. Smith is a very kind person but her lectures can get all over the place sometimes. She genuinely cares about her students and always gives you a chance to succeed. The homework is straight forward with an assignment due about very week. Her exams are ok and there is a chance to get over 100% because of extra questions. Her lectures need work.
wallah the worst prof on this earth doesn't grade, can teach, very unorganized
Amazing prof! Gives you a list of course objectives detailing what you need to know for the exams. The literature papers have to do with a topic on the exam. You can put whatever you want on them. If the paper mentions "amino acids," you can write down ALL THE STRUCTURES ON YOUR PAPER! Biochem is hard but she literally tells you what to know.
Believe me or not . This professor is the best at UMD . Her way of teaching is amazing .she will curve the exam with 50 points off . You can lose 50 points . Simply take her . You learn a lot and you will love her
Most incredible professor ever. People told me that Gen chem 2 was hard, but this professor made it miles easier than chem 1. She would always crack jokes before an exam started and the exams were beyond fair. Awesome professor with tons of extra credit HW and so many easy points. If you dont take smith for chem 2 your doing yourself a disservice.
class averages were so high, which is insane for a chem class. even if you failed a test, you would still have an A bc of all the ec. she made gen chem 2 way easier than gen chem 1. tests are exactly like worksheets we do in class.
she reads off the slides and jumps steps so much the entire class gets lost, but she lets u get 3 mc wrong on tests with no penalty, and gives extra credit. you have to self study, no chance in learning from the professor. test heavy but doing bad on one exam can still get you an A because of how much ec she gives. probably over 50 points
She's a good teacher I don't get the hate she goes over a lot of practice problems in her slides and gives out a lot of extra credit. Also very nice too.
A great professor, the reviews don't show the full truth. She is caring and is always open to helping students.
If it wasn't for Dr. Smith I wouldn't have graduated this semester. I will forever be grateful for everything she taught me and for the opportunity she gave me when she knew I needed to pass to graduate AND when she saw I was really trying. If you're expecting to pass without putting in any work then she's not for you. You need to put in the time!
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
71%
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