2.6
Quality4.2
Difficulty44%
Would Retake217
Reviews44%
Would Retake
217
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
48
4
33
3
20
2
35
1
81
What Students Say
“This class is straightforward”
CHM101 - 5.0 rating“This cute little Asian lady loves chem, has a pretty strong accent, and clearly likes teaching”
CHM227 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
37%
Textbook Required
22%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.27 avg changeRatings by Course
CHEMISTRY101
5.0
(1)CHM227
3.1
(73)CHM101124
3.0
(1)CHE124
3.0
(1)CHM224
3.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHM101102
5.0
CHM126
5.0
CHEM101
4.7
CHM224
4.5
CHEM112
4.4
Reviews (217)
Such an unclear professor. Can't understand her at all, makes exams more difficult than they should be, and goes through the material as if she's teaching people that already know the material. AVOID.
Difficult class but she gives lots of examples in class and that helps. She's very helpful and nice in office hours. Just do the examples and the homework and you should be fine.
Rushes through the material, rushes through explanations, fails to explain anything clearly. Her accent is hard to understand at time, and the class puts you to sleep. If you are like me and your major requires Chem, just take Geldart or McGreggor.
worst teacher I have ever had
Easy class. Exams same as her examples in class. Got an A.
Worst professor I've had at URI. Very unclear and not willing to help when I asked for help. She needs to scale her exams higher if she keeps making them impossible to take
So hard to understand, on top of the fact that she doesn't understand that we don't go into this class already understanding the stuff. Just get mcgregor.
Although she is somewhat difficult, she wants you to understand the material. Her examples in class are just like the exams, and if you can understand those then you should do fine on the exams. Her notes in class are very thorough too. Gives a few bonus points which help. Overall good professor who has lots of knowledge in what she teaches.
She doesn't scale enough to make taking this class worth it.
Absolutely awful, by far the worst, and least understanding professor ive ever had.
I would not recommend this professor if you have the choice. She is good in her office hours and helpful there but her lectures are very ineffective. Extra credit saved my grade. After taking BCH 311, CHM 103, CHM 124 the exams STILL killed me! Good luck.
Lecture is straightforward. Just do the examples she does in class and the connect ones. Dr. Ngo is very helpful during office hours and she even explains things by email before exams. Class is not easy so you have to put in lots of work.
This is not an easy class but if you do the problems, you'll do well in the exams. There's one dropped exam, bonus pop quizzes. Lecture slides are clear and helpful. I feel I learned a lot.
Lecture is dry and straightforward. If you can do the examples in class, you should be fine since questions are similar (sometimes exactly the same) and she gives lots of partial credit. I failed the first exam so I talked to her and followed her advice. She expects a lot from her students so be prepared to do lots of work.
Horrendous!!!
Dr. Ngo is not as bad as everyone's thinks. The trick is, sit in the front and understanding her will be no problem. Her exams are fair and I learned a lot from her. She gives so many bonus point added to you exam grades which is a plus. I don't suggest going to her office hours though, the two time I met weren't worth it at all.
avoid this woman at all costs! she reads off the slides directly. gives examples, but you will never see one that easy on an exam. exams are much harder than needed. inconsistencies with grading exams. NO PARTIAL CREDIT. in class pop quizzes along with sakai pop quizzes with inconvenient time limits. gives more hw than any other chm 101 professor.
Great professor!! With her, you get what you give. If you put the time in to study, you will succeed! Her notes are so helpful too.
She gives out a lot of homework and the exams are pretty hard but she only counts the best 2 of 3 exams and she curves your final grade at the end of the semester.
This class is one of the hardest and she doesn't help with that. Very unclear, rushes through everything, impossible exams. If you have an opportunity to take it with someone else do it or do not take it at all.
It's organic so it's difficult but Dr. Ngo made the course manageable. She's strict with the basic stuffs like drawing structures properly but in the end, that helps you. There are extra credit points in exams and the online assignments. I enjoyed the class and learned a lot. Wish she's teaching organic 2 as well.
She is an awful teacher. She cannot teach or talk to her students. If you ask questions she gets upset. The exams were over the top for an intro to chemistry course.
Easy course.
good teacher and course, she gives lots of extra credit but its a lot of work
Do not take class ever. She does not speak English and reads straight from a powerpoint.
SHE IS AWEFUL
I took both CHM 101 and 124 with her, but certainly not by choice. She doesn't go into much depth in class, other than what is included in the power point. On the exams, she really makes sure you know your stuff, much better than just what is in the power point. Very helpful if you go to her office hours though. Curves 124 exams by a lot.
Professor Ngo is an Asian woman with an accent. Her lectures are directly from the powerpoints, but you need to read the book because it goes more in depth. She gives 3 homework assignments per chapter, and it is imperative that they get done in order to pass the exam. Overall, if you read the book and do the homework problems, it should be easy.
She reads off of her powerpoints & doesnt go into detail! Three long, hard, online assignments due a week, and the exams are hard! She DOESNT drop any of your lowest grades, so if you fail one of her three exams, you've failed the entire class. No second chances! Not necessary to attend class, she posts copies of everything online.
There's a special place in my heart for Silvana Ngo. This cute little Asian lady loves chem, has a pretty strong accent, and clearly likes teaching. She especially loves orgo, so she made the class more enjoyable than gen chem, especially with her quirky sense of humor. Her tests are hard, but her grading is super fair. There is online homework.
She reads off of a powerpoint every class and does not do anything to help you understand the material. While she does do example problems in class she goes so fast you have no time to absorb what she is doing. The amount of online homework makes it hard to do the hw and study
By far one of the best and nicest professors I've ever had at URI. Great at teaching and really explain things well. However, she makes you earn your grade... which a lot of students seem to have a problem with! As long as you go to class, take good notes, and study, you will be fine and might even enjoy the class
Definitely try to take with another professor, for a 101 course very demanding homework wise and each exam requires multiple days of prep. Very easy to fall behind after not understanding one topic, exhausted almost all of high school chemistry knowledge after second week
She might be great as an ORGO teacher, but not CHM101. Everything I knew about chemistry was covered in one week. The class was hard, moved fast, and took hours of study prep. She is unapproachable, confusing, and grades hard. Terrible lecturer, she reads off of her slides. HW is unbearable. Exams are rarely passed. Doesnt drop lowest scores.
She just reads off the slides and the exams are nothing like the practice or homework. The only reason I survived this class was because I took AP Chem in high school. If you can avoid taking chem, do it.
At first, I did not enjoy her class because there were about 3 online assignments due per week, but as the semester progressed, I realized that I was really learning a lot and understanding her material. Her slides are posted online, but go to lecture for the examples because often times there will be a similar (probably harder one) on the exam.
She knows what she is talking about, she just doesn't communicate it well. Anticipate going to tutoring when taking her class. Lectures directly from the powerpoints.
She can be hard to understand at times, and much of the time the classes felt really long. However if you review the material and do all of the homework you'll be fine. Absolutely take note of the examples in the lectures, they help a lot on the exams.
Hard to understand. Way too complicated for a 101 course. I had to take it for engineering and it was a very painful experience. 2 online assignments per week plus one extra credit assignment per week. Tests include much harder versions of examples shown in class. This class will suck the life out of you.
Dr. Ngo does have an accent but the trick is just pay attention and you should understand her fine. Lots of work so you can't be a slacker. You'll learn a lot if you do the work. She's super nice too when you go for help.
This class is straightforward. No tricks. Lectures are clear and exams are similar to her examples in class and her old exams. Dr. Ngo gives a lot of chances to earn extra credit which really helps your grade. Very helpful too during office hours. Highly recommended!
Loved her! Free chocolates when you pick up your exams.
Took Dr. Ngo for intro to organic chemistry, she's not very helpful and not all that clear. She throws up a powerpoint and reads from that.... Not a great professor, take someone else if available otherwise you'll have a difficult time in her class.
It's hard to understand her but if you read the book do the homework go to SI and read the slides you should be okay. It's a hard class so it takes work but it is doable
This class requires a lot of work but it is doable. Just make sure you know how to do the example problems she does in class and you should be fine. The exams are basically the same problems. Dr. Ngo is also very helpful in office hours.
If you are taking this class over the summer, be prepared to devote your life to it. Especially if you are doing the lab combo. She flies through material without explaining anything, and there is very little outside help available over the summer. You will need to do a lot of work on your own to understand the material.
Can't understand anything she says. Goes to fast, so that you have to worry about writing down everything she says rather than actually learning the material.
Could not understand her accent. Nothing made sense. When going to SI, there were far too many people there to actually get any help. MISERY
Tough professor and course. Dr. Ngo expects a lot from her students so you have to work hard but she's always helpful if you go to office hours. Don't miss class and do the problems and you should be ok.
I had to take CHM 124 twice before I finally passed it but I slacked off majorly when I took her the first time. Didn't care for her much. Felt like what most of these comments are saying. After taking her the second time I utilized everything. Owl and her office hours. Passed the class with a B. Also really scales the grading system. Overall great
Organic chemistry is not easy to learn and it is not easy to teach. Dr Ngo is straight forward when it comes to exams. They are almost exactly the same as the examples she does in class. You need to devote a lot of time to this class. That's just the way it is, no matter what teacher you have. I worked my butt off to get an A... its not impossible
All chemistry classes are difficult and require hard work and a lot of time to study. This has to be one of the hardest classes i've ever taken. Its really hard to follow her at first but after a while I understood her class.
She will do examples in class that are relatively easy to understand. Same case with the homework (online). But the exams are so much more difficult!
Very frustrating professor. Examples are seemingly easy to understand and do in class, but when you go home to do the DIY problems they are 3X more difficult. Same thing with exams, the examples seem do-able but the questions on the exams are significantly harder. Also does not give partial points where they are deserved.
Very tough class. She's hard to understand sometimes and doesn't explain things clearly. Extra credit is offered on OWL, homework is definitely a grade booster. Wouldn't recommend her unless you absolutely have no other options.
I like her lecture style. She teaches a topic and then gives an example and a DIY. Dr. Ngo is straight forward but you have to do the problems to do well in exams.
Although Professor Ngo has a poor reputation around campus, I did not think she was a bad professor at all. The Owl assignments def help your grade so make sure you do them. Ngo gives lots of office hours and is always willing to help if you need it. I never went to class but as long as you study the powerpoint and do lots of examples you'll b fine
Her PowerPoint are straight forward and filled with problems you complete as a class and do-it-yourself problems. Doing them doesn't really help (the questions on the test aren't like the ones we practice). Homework is given every week - most of the material on the homework we don't learn until after it is due. She is also very hard to understand.
DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS you will be on your own to teach yourself very hard material
absolutely terrible
one of the worst teachers/professors i have ever had. difficult to understand in class and has a hard time explaining concepts in more than one way.
I studied hardest for this class than any other. It's not an easy class but Dr. Ngo prepares you for it. She posts lecture slides and extra info in Sakai. Her slides are very clear and helpful. She does make you work for your grade but as long as you do all the examples and DIY problems you'll do fine. Exams are based on her lectures and examples.
Dr Ngo made me love ochem! I learned a lot in this class. Her lectures and slides are really clear and useful. She provides a lot of resources and extra credit for students to do well. I read the book, took notes in class and did all the examples and review problems. I also understood her fine and she's actually quite funny. Just pay attention
Not a good teacher. Had to teach myself all the material but the material was easy for me to understand once i got the basics down. Avoid taking this teacher at all costs, take this course with Brittain instead.
You really need to buckle down and make her class a priority. Don't wait until the last minute to do the online assignments, you will regret it. I would recommend that if you do have her as a teacher, write down the notes from her powerpoints before class and then just follow along making small notes and do the examples.
Do No take this professor if you do not have to. Failed her class had to take it again
Professor Ngo is very organized and has great PowerPoints, however she is a very tough grader on exams. Her exams are extremely difficult. I would suggest reading the textbook and doing lots of example problems- also make sure to do the extra credit assignments! They boost your grade significantly. If possible, take this course with another prof.
I would strongly suggest not taking a course from her. Tests were very difficult! She is hard to understand in lecture & office hours because of her accent. She is not very helpful at her office hours and wouldn't explain content in depth especially if it's on contact we were expected to already know. Doesn't seem to care for students success.
I'm taking the CHM 126 lab directed by her. The lab TAs are ok. But they grade everything so harshly. Get ready for C averages on lab reports and lab quizzes and prelabs if you miss tiny tiny things.
Dr. Ngo gets a bad wrap around URI and I'm not sure why. She gave great resources and was really understanding when I reached out to her with personal problems affecting my attendance. Her class got me back on track in my degree and helped me to enjoy empirical sciences again.
DO NOT- I REPEAT- DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH THIS PROFESSOR. Exams are way harder than any material we go over in class. TAKE THIS CLASS SOMEWHERE ELSE AND SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY.
Dr. Ngo is a very intelligent lecturer. She gets a bad rep because people wrongly blame her for doing poorly in the class when they should be blaming the difficulty of the subject material. Her notes are very organized and easy to follow - you can teach yourself. Key to doing well is reading the material ahead of lecture. Tests are tough but fair.
No matter who teaches organic chemistry its a tough class. Dr. Ngo is a good professor, she gives you powerpoints and practice problems to understand the material. If you don't understand a concept go to her office hours and she will explain it to you very well. Need to study a week in advance on exams or will not do good on them!
This teacher makes test that are ridiculously harder than necessary. She says she gives partial credit but she will give you like 1 point if it was worth 5, and takes of points for any little thing she can find like spelling. Her lectures are not easy to understand so its a lot of teaching yourself to prepare for the super hard tests.
Dr. Ngo is a good professor. People say that she is bad just because they do not try hard enough in the class. You have to go to class and put the work and effort in if you want to do well. The material is tough, but feasible. You just have to try.
She doesnt explain anything, all she does is examples in class but expects you to understand all complex topics. Hard to understand as she has a hard time speaking English. She reads off her slides and doesnt explain anything about any topic.
Worst professor Ive ever taken ever. She is the toughest exam writer(very unfair). You will go into the exam knowing everything after weeks of studying and still get a 20. Do everything in your power to not take this class unless you wanna cry.
Demanding material but she emphasizes everything you need to do to pass. Take it seriously from the beginning. Prereading the chapters helps but most efficient to preread slides, attempt on own before class, do homework, and watch organic chemistry tutor videos; Pause them and draw on your own, check work. Helpful in office hours.
Ngo understands the material really well, which makes it kind of hard for her to understand when you don't get it. she does provide really organized notes and example problems though. Orgo is a really tough class but she makes going to class enjoyable. the exams are really difficult though so you have to study and prepare for them well in advance.
Dr. Ngo moves very fast, pay close attention to the material on the powerpoint slides. Be able to do any and all examples she provides, and feel comfortable with the homework problems. Exams are tough, so take plenty of time to prepare. Do not skip class, or else you will fall far behind. She is really nice in the lecture hall and in her office.
I have never studied so hard for a class in my life and felt so bad about the grades I received. Even with using all of the resources she gives, both in class and online along with finding my own, the exams were still the most difficult things I've ever done. If you fall behind for one day you will play catchup the rest of the semester.
CHM227 with Dr. Ngo was not easy but she made it very doable. She provided a lot of resources like slides, work sheets, study guides. Lectures were very clear and she tied everthing together in the end. She really made sure you know the basics. I'm reviewing for the mcat now and I'm really thankful I took this with her.
Dr. Ngo has gotten a bad rep. because the class & exams are very difficult, but she gives tons of resources for you to study & extra credit. She teaches you a lot, but very well. She is constantly in her office for students (even after office hours) and she is super friendly. Shes adorable and BY FAR BEST ORGO PROF. LOVE HER! BUY MOLECULAR MODELS!
Dr. Ngo is great. Yes, the course is very difficult but she makes it more manageable. Use ALL of the resources she gives you. Buy molecular kit, go to lectures, go to tutoring, her office hours to pass. She teaches the material very well but the exams are much harder than HW. Shes a sweetheart and wants to help, you just have to ask for it.
Dr. Ngo is a fantastic professor! Although the content is difficult, she gives so many resources for you to study and is happy to sit down and help you. She makes lectures as clear as they can be and her examples are very similar to ones you see on the exams. A lot of people bash her, but she is one of my favorite professors.
Dr. Ngo is a great professor. She provides a lot of resources to help you do well and is always ready to help in office hours. CHM 227 is extremely difficult to begin with and she makes it a lot easier to understand. She is also really good with partial credit (you can get an entire naming wrong and she'll still try to give you at least a point)!
This class was tough, but then again its orgo. She was actually a good teacher for this course. Although the material was hard, she gave us a ton of examples to practice with and posted all the lecture notes online. She was also available for office hours to answer any questions you may have. She gets a bad rep just because the class is hard.
This was the hardest class I have ever taken you might as well just teach yourself organic chem at home and pass on spending the 1000s on the class. The tests are ten times harder than what she teaches and she simply reads off the slides and does not explain the why's or how's of anything. I would spend 20 hours studying and still fail the exams.
Awful class and awful professor. This was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken at URI. You pretty much are better off just teaching yourself Organic Chem. Never want to be in this class ever again.
Read the book before class, ask question in class, reread after class. More than enough practice problems and goes out of her way to help those who help themselves. Go to office hours with specific questions. If you sit in her office and say "I don't get it" be prepared to be told to get out. Tests are graded hard but fairly, lots of partial credit
Professor Ngo is good overall. She posts slides which are usually 80+ slides per chapter and covers material in class. Be sure you print them to do in-class problems with her. The tests (60%) are fair but can be challenging. Hw (24%) is done on WileyPLUS. This class has A LOT of material and requires memorization, visualization and dedication.
Just dont do it sis.
Dr. Ngo is a great professor for students who put in the time to learn organic chemistry. This course is extremely difficult, and one must read the textbook, complete all of the practice problems possible, and visit office hours frequently. Initially she seems difficult to approach, but she is passionate to help students who show genuine effort.
Very tough subject, but she is clear and concise about what you need to do. Go to class!! take down all examples. Ask questions and study. Not as bad as everyone makes her out to be, she is nice and cares, also very organized which helps. Wish I had her for all other chem classes. Not bad at all! Take for Orgo !!
Dr. Ngo is a really good professor. Many people don't like her because organic chem is hard. However, if you print the notes before class, follow along with her examples, and do LOTS of practice problems outside of class, it's very possible to do well. Her exams are very similar to the example problems so do those and problems from the textbook!
Dr. Ngo is very organized, and knows her what she's talking about. The class is definitely hard, but putting in the time and practicing a lot will help you out. She is very helpful when you reach out to her, and will always give detailed feedback and advice to improve. Her tests can be very hard, so make sure you attend lectures and reach out.
Dr. Ngo rarely answers emails and is hard to contact. Her exams are very difficult. She does not really help her students. Within the chem department she is the worst I have had.
Goodluck! she doesn't help you if it is not on her terms. Quizzes are very difficult, this class is textbook heavy course. Often doesn't know the answer herself as she copies a note pad next to her. She is very intelligent but she doesn't respond to emails. There is no curves and extensions in her class and it all is one big joke
This course is hard and a lot of work but Dr. Ngo gives you lots of resources to do well in it. Lectures are clear and she works through lots of examples in class. Do the DIYS as they are similar to exam questions. She will answer questions by email if you're confused about somethings. Overall a good prof but you have to do the work to do well.
This is the hardest class I've ever taken. However, Dr. Ngo helps you it. She's very generous with her time and will explain concepts by email. The exams are fair and always have extra credit points. It is possible to do well in it if you take it seriously from the start. The recorded lectures were really helpful.
Dr. Ngo is very clear in her lectures and in what you need to do to pass. Organic Chem is a very difficult class but she provides examples and homework to help you understand. Studying every night is vital to passing the class. She is very helpful in office hours with solving problems you're stuck on
Single-Handley killed my passive for chemistry.
I wrote a 3500 character review of how bad this teacher is but I'll sum it up in the 250 i have left; Her class has a 50% pass rate and I bet its even less this semester. On EVERY email she puts this policy "no extensions or redos will be given regardless of reason". She REALLY means it too. Should show you who she is. She hates her students.
Organic chm isn't easy so I joined tutoring for it and honestly, that is the only reason I passed. The lessons that she posts are sooo long and it also made no sense to me so I watched youtube videos on the topics. The quizzes are also hard and that's the biggest thing you are graded on
I had her for CHM 227, completely online asynchronously. I emailed her multiple times during the semester and she did not respond once. I barely passed the class with extensive outside help and a private tutor. If you have to take 227, take it with a different professor or at another college.
I don't think I have ever had an instructor that I genuinely dislike this much in my entire life. She does not email you back if you ask questions, and if you ask questions in class she will scold you for not knowing the material. She posts lectures last minute. Sometimes only giving us 3 days to go through 100 slides before an exam. Exams are 75%!
I like her! There are extra credit points in each exam and the group work is like the exam questions. Dr. Ngo gives plenty of helpful resources. I esp like the lecture videos since I can stop them and rewatch the parts I'm confused about. She answers homework questions real quick altho she usually just give hints and not the answers.
Avoid this class at all costs; take OCHEM at CCRI if you can. Dr. Ngo's gives a total of 8 exams and they are every two weeks, worth most of your grade. They are VERY hard, dong the DIYs helps but even when I studied a total of 20 hours I still failed exams. This class drains you mentally and my other class grades were starting to suffer, just dont
If possible go somewhere else for this class. I found it very difficult to understand how she explained the material. Theres only 8 exams that are worth most of your grade.
It's not an easy course but Dr. Ngo made this course very doable with a lot of resources like slides, videos, worksheets, guides. She expects you to work hard though so make sure you do everything that she suggests. There are extra credit for exams and the final is optional. And most of all, I feel very prepared for orgo 2.
She is possibly the worst chem professor I've ever had. She just reads off the slides and if you do your DIYs wrong she doesnt even give u any feedback on how to help you. Tests are worth most of your grade and its not easy to get extra credit on her tests. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS.
This class will be better if she does not grade the exams do heavy, she does not care about your daily work like hw, or work sheet. Bc the exams are 70% of you grade, I have a difficult time understanding the material and I did all my hw and by this point I had 40 of 85 points for this class, it is no fair she have to relax w/exam
Dr. Ngo is a very caring professor, and she is extremely intelligent. She encourages students to ask her questions, and when you do, she takes time to make sure you understand the concepts. This class is a lot of work and Dr. Ngo tells you what you have to do to pass the class. If you don't put in the work, you won't pass, simple enough.
If you want to do well in organic chemistry, take it at another institution. Dr. Ngo is a terrible professor who is hard to reach outside of class. Every time I have interacted with her she has been extremely rude and condescending. I am not sure how shes still teaching as people have always struggle to pass her class and the average rn is a D.
Dr. Ngo has no respect for other classes we take. Yes, we are college students, but coming from a med student, she prioritizes this class ONLY and acts like this is the only class that matters. My other grades are terrible because I have to spend all my time on her class, she rushes through the slides and says I leave it you to know w/o teaching
Plan to spend a lot of time on this course outside of class. I recommend taking this course with a lighter course load because it consumes so much time. Also, study hard in the beginning because every chapter builds on the previous content.
I took two classes with Silvana here at URI, gen chem 2 and orgo. I literally changed my major and withdrew from orgo because of her. She has no idea how to teach, and does not care about the well being of her students. I would literally give her a 0 if I could.
A very demanding course but it's very organized and you have to do averything Dr. Ngo suggests to do well. She's really helpful with the DIY and answers emails quickly. Exam questions are similar to the examples, diy, worksheets so make sure you do them. And there's always extra credit in exams.
The A I received in this course was by far the hardest I've had to work for compared to any other class, but it's possible! Dr. Ngo is very knowledgable, and she is willing to help students if, and really only if, they're willing to help themselves. Group projects graded hard, Wiley hw takes a while, tests fair and LOTS of extra credit. Tutor helps
One of the worst professors I've had yet. While she does go over examples, she rushes through them and doesn't really take the time to explain anything to the class. All lectures are just her reading off a powerpoint and not explaining anything. You're not even allowed to use a laptop despite her going at a fast pace. Be prepared to teach yourself.
She doesn’t really speak English well and she moves very fast, so it is difficult to follow. You are basically getting all your info from homework or your friends if they are in another class.
This is the worst teacher I have ever had in my life. Not only was she difficult since when explained no topics and just did problems with zero consideration for those lost and falling behind, but she was extremely rude and condescending when I asked for help. This class was beyond horrible and URI’s chemistry department needs help.
A good grade is attainable in this class if you put in the work. Attend class, do all of the practice problems she recommends, even if not required, and go through the study guide questions she posts. Recommend taking notes with the book. The key is to email her or go to office hours if confused, she is very helpful when you ask questions.
Her class was one of the best classes that I've took in URI. Her exams are super fair, as long as you solve GW and example problems in her slides, you get at least 80 or above. She gives tons of extra credit for each exam (Like 12-27pts). She is very caring and responds to emails at least in 24 hours. You will learn a lot from her class.
I found Dr. Ngo to be a fair professor. The exams are very fair for organic chemistry. Do all of the practice problems in the slides, worksheets online, and redo the GWs before exams to prepare. I found her to be helpful via email and she always replies quick. This is a hard course, but she really isn't a bad prof.
This class is graded off a few things but the most important are the 4 exams worth 60% of your grade. She hates when being asked questions always looks annoyed. First day of class she said she would be giving absolutely no extra credit ever and ended up giving extra credit for the 3rd exam because everyone is failing her class.
She is the bare minimum as far as a chemistry instructor goes. Lectures move very fast and material is never revisited. Surface level understanding of the later course depends on bulletproof fundamentals, so you need to go to every class, especially early on. She can be pretty rude answering questions and seems to not like us. Would not take again.
60% of ur overall grade is exams, so when u fail exams there is nothing you can really do to bring up your grade, bc assignments like discussion posts are worth 1%. In addition, she just reads off the powerpoint in class and when completing examples she frequently messes up, so students are even more confused. Although, she does answer emails quick
You MUST know chem 101 if you have Ngo. She expects that you know everything and are on top of everything. There is also a ton of work and she told students once about a reoccurring grade and didn't put it on homework due for the week so it was easily forgotten. Not willing to help students..
Organic chemistry, being the monster of a course that it is needs a better professor. She's rude, has a horrible grade policy, and won't let you make up an exam even for a funeral, which I HAD TO. Used a tutor and still barely passed. Only reason she's still at URI is because she curves the grades at the end so everyone's not failing. -10/10
Recommend printing out lecture notes ahead. She uploads videos of previous lectures. PAY ATTENTION to the practice problems, the homework is great way to practice problems. Each exam builds off of all the previous chapter, basically each exam is cumulative so it is important to build a strong understand very early in the semester.
I got a 54 on the first exam. I barely studied and just thought the exam wouldn't be too bad. After that, I studied with everything she said. I did extra problems and would study for 2-4 hours everyday during the week before the exam. After that, I got 95 or above on all the exams. She is helpful and provides good things to study with
Organic chemistry was by far the hardest class I took. There is a lot to learn in such a short amount of time and people often tend to blame it on Dr. Ngo. Do the DIYs and example problems and you will be fine. There are lots of extra credit opportunities in this class. Your grade will reflect the amount of effort you put in.
Very hard to pass this course, no partial credit on exams which makes it hard to pass this course. Exams make up your whole grade.
HARD class and Ngo doesn't make it easier. Great practice problems but you really have to know everything which involves mostly outside resources, which she could add more of. Hard to read but kind and caring heart.
I love Dr. Ngo! She is so amazing. NOT an easy class by any means, but she gives you the tools she needs to succeed. Online lectures, practice problems, and excellent slides galore. Do all the DIYs, do well on the group works, and you'll be successful.
You can do well in this class but you'll need to put in the work. Dr Ngo has a strong accent that's hard to understand and makes many mistakes when doing example problems. She posts lecture slides and videos that are helpful in preparing for exams which are in person. I probably wouldn't take another class with this professor if given the chance
during her lectures, she read exactly what was written on the slides and did not elaborate on the topics, but she would work through all the example problems on the slides in class. she was honestly really organized and everything was very easy to find. definitely watch her lecture videos. STUDY THE GROUP WORK FOR EXAMS!!! almost exact same set up
Her slides were jam-packed with information. Honestly, I have no complaints. Watch the videos, study the slides, do the examples and group work, you should be ok. I like that she always checks for questions. Hard course but she makes it possible for her students to do well.
Please do whatever you can to try and choose another professor, especially if chemistry is not your strong suit. Ngo grades very strictly and she doesn't give many assignments (aka: bad overall grade). Her lectures are dry and most times hard to follow. She doesn't even allow notes to be taken digitally. Snag a tutor for yourself quickly for this!!
This class is extremely difficult no matter who teaches it. Dr. Ngo is well organized and provides an abundance of resources and materials that correspond very fairly with the content that you are tested on. She builds in 10+ points of extra credit into each exam. Definitely study by practicing and following along with examples she does in class.
I loved Dr. Ngo! She receives a lot of hate but she honestly gives students so many resources. Exams are a lot like the practice questions! Study her notes, and the practice questions and you'll be fine
Avoid at all costs. She is the worst professor I've ever had and its not even close. She makes very many mistakes in her lecture practice problems and it gets in the way of teaching. She is also needlessly irritable and unhelpful. Group work is part of EXAM GRADE.
Orgo is not easy, but its even harder when your professor does not always know how to explain what they're doing. Dr. Ngo gets problems wrong on the class work constantly and needs to be corrected by students. If you are taking her class, work hard and study the group work too. Her videos are usually more helpful as she always gets the work correct
I like that she asks questions during lecture instead of just droning on and on. It makes you think and for me, it shows how to solve the problems. My whole group seems to be doing well since we study a lot. A couple of people have averages in the high 90s.Myself am in the high 80s. Class is fun, lots of resources. Can't ask for more.
Loved her! Difficult course but you will thank her when you get to the next chemistry course.
She goes over her slides like review and does not fully explain a single thing. When you ask for help she will tell you that you should already have that knowledge even though...this is chem 1 and there simply is no pre-req. She said like a month in that she's no longer answering emails... which she fr won't even if its actually important.
HORRIBLE. she was so unhelpful and cancelled all her classes for review the week before the final exam and exam 4. she also cancelled her office hours that week. so unhelpful.
Easily one of the worst professors at URI. Does not care about students at all and for a 101 class acted like we were med school students. Only graded on 5 exams and rushes through lectures like its review. Have to teach yourself, only reason to go to class is for practice problems she doesn't post. Taking her class is like having a second job.
Honestly, I think that Dr. Ngo is a good professor, considering the difficulty of chemistry courses. She provides lecture videos, and the homework, group work, and in-class problems prepare you well for the exams. Dr. Ngo can be hard to contact outside of class, but if you are diligent with the homework and studying, the class is manageable.
Dr Ngo was very organized and provided lots of resources for us to do well. A bit stand-offish cud be why many don't like her. She was kind & helpful & answers emails quickly. Not one to take bs so don't even try. I'm excited to take orgo with her.
Dr. Ngo is not the best, nor the worst professor I had. She actually provides a lot resources such as online practice problems to help her students get a broader understanding on the subject. She doesn't really assign extra credit, but she does assign group work that'll save your exam grade (depending on how many answers you got correct).
Honestly writing this review bc Dr Ngo gets so much (undeserved) hate in my opinion! She is a fantastic lecturer, if a little quiet. If you sit near the front and answer her questions you will learn fine. I also took her for 227 and she is just as good. Always helpful during office hours-- if you do the leg work, you will do well.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS. If you are not good at chemistry, you will probably fail. Her exams are EXTREMELY difficult and requires more than what you learn in lecture. All the good reviews are probably because they spent hours and hours learning her material and got a good grade. Ive had her twice now and failed both times. I cannot be more clear AVOID!!
This class is a LOT of work . Dr. Ngo goes through the slides quickly. do notes on the slides before class. She gives 2ish weeks to complete each homework assignment, each problem gets 10 tries. DO THE DISCUSSION POSTS. The exams are difficult but the group work counts for extra credit. She provides a LOT of resources to help you succeed.
Worst teacher ever. Cant understand her during lectures exams have nothing to do with what is taught.
If you value mental sanity and GPA, avoid her at ALL COSTS!!!!! She is a bad lecturer who has no passion for teaching. She reads off the slides very fast and monotone, leaving no time in the lecture to take notes, her exams are painfully difficult, and they have content that is not covered in the lecture so you have to teach yourself everything :)
If you care about your GPA don't take. Expects you to watch the entire lecture before coming to class. Has discussions worth 5% of your grade but doesn't have any guidelines nor does she mention anything she expects in them. Makes no less than 3 mistakes per class when doing examples and has to be corrected by students.
Dr. Ngo provided a lot of resources to help us succeed. You just have to use them. Exams are tough but fair since the group work and examples closely reflect what you're tested on. Keep your notes. You'll find them very helpful in orgo 2. She's very fair and you know where you stand at each stage.
Thank you! I finally understood acid base math.
Whatever you do I am warning you from the bottom of my heart to not take a class with this woman. I have literally never failed a class in my life and her teaching style has taught me failure. She's so hard to understand in lecture and her class is basically based on exams. If you do have her you need to prepare to teach yourself.
Doing well is possible but you will definitely have your work cut out for you. Be ready to spend hours outside of class time learning the material because the lectures don't\ prepare you for her exams. Group work is part of the exam and closely resembles the format, and material you will see on the actual exam. Good luck, you'll need it.
I've done well in this class, but I've put in HOURS of studying to fully get the material. Ngo is a decent professor & paying attention in lectures & watching her videos pays off. Orgo is a tough subject; struggling can't be fully blamed on her. However, her tests are v difficult & you only get 50 minutes. Practice a lot & you should do well.
This class is easy once you realize that the exams are the group work she assigns. To ace your exams, make sure to retake notes on the lecture slides and watch her videos; that will help you do well on the multiple-choice; as for the FRQ section, your group work is almost an exact copy of them. She's not a good teacher, tho + exam-heavy grading.
Phew! Hardest course I've ever taken and you really have to study to pass this course. There are a lot of extra credit points in exams and the group work helps as well. Dr. Ngo answered emails quickly & even late at night. A lot of students hate her but I like her and I feel I learned a lot.
Phew! I worked the hardest ever for this course. It is rewarding though & I feel I learned a lot. The group work is counted as part of the exam score so that helps a lot. All exams have extra credit. Dr. Ngo really set if up so students will
The connect hw can be submitted late but other than that, Dr. Ngo is very strict with deadlines. Exams are hard but are similar to the group work so if you can do those you should do well in them. I like the videos and the many ways you can increase you average (groupwork, DS, extra credit). Overall you can succeed if you put in some work.
Kind and generous. Questions on part 2 of exams are long with 4-5 parts each. If your answer is wrong due to an error on a previous part, she takes off points for the first error only and then credits you the pts for the latter ones if your solution is correct. I really appreciate that. Watch the videos to understand the lecture better.
Pleasantly surprised and enjoyed organic chem with Dr. Ngo. She asks questions during lecture so prepare for class and pay attention. Don't believe the negative comments. Go to office hours prepared. Dr Ngo is patient as long as you show you've done the work. Can't ask for a better prof for this course.
Took 5 points off a 25 point assignment because we put the file name as GW3-Group#14 instead of GW3-Group14. Then when we went to talk to her about it she said "if you're mad, that's not my problem"
Barely can understand her and expects us to know how to do problems without her going into detail explaining them throughly. She forgets she actually has to teach us how to do the problems and not just start doing them. Also not helpful when asking her questions and makes you seem dumb for not knowing anwser.
Organic chemistry is obviously a difficult course and there are many concepts most students struggle with. Still, Dr. Ngo is not the right fit for this course. Her lecture style makes it very difficult to understand the flow of the material and I basically taught myself everything. If you put your FULL effort into this course, it will reward you.
SHES TERRIBLE!! Never ever take her. She will not pass you despite how close you are to the passing mark. RIDICULOUS AND UNFAIR.
The course is difficult (hey, it's orgo) but it's very possible to get an A. I ended up with 115 points since all exams have over 100 pts. The trick is to keep pace with the material, otherwise it might get overwhelming.
her lectures are full of her doing example problems incorrectly and students need to point out to her. exams are like 80% of your grade but make sure you get 100s on the hws and you should be okay. Definitely a teach yourself course. she's also super unapproachable; she's a nice person at times, but terrible professor. she needs to retire
What an unfair human being, a sorry excuse of a professor...shall I continue? DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS W/ HER. Nothing will prepare you for her horrible teaching style. Words can not even allow me express what a terrible this class was. Thank you for absolutely nothing.
This isn't a terribly hard class but you do have to put in a lot of work. I must say Dr. Ngo makes it all possible though with all the materials she provides. The exams are very similar to the worksheets, examples, diys, and groupwork. I feel I learned a lot and enjoyed this class to boot.
Although a very challenging course (to be expected), it is very possible to pass if you keep up with the material outside of class and put in the effort. Do well on the group work and study it in order to prepare for the exams. The exams had extra points that increased my grade a lot. I went for extra help often and participated, which was helpful.
I, for one, am glad I took this course with Dr. Ngo. There are tons of resources and regular reminders in Brightspace. The groupwork and extra credit in exams really helped boost my grade. That being said, you do have to put in a lot of time outside of class studying and practicing. Best thing is I feel very prepared for for orgo2.
She is not good. Do your best, but just don't expect much. Try your best to teach yourself and DO THE GROUPWORK. The exams are very similar to the group work. She includes bonus marks sometimes and won't tell us, but because of that she doesn't really curve.
Highly recommend not taking a course taught by her; you are graded on very few things (only exams) and she is a very hard grader. Most difficult course I have taken yet so far.
I'm an older student so I appreciate the strictness. You get points off if you don't follow her rules but this was the most organized course I've taken and I did learn to love organic chemistry. My 2 cents, keep your notes and slides, they'll come in handy when you prepare for the MCAT (which I'm doing now).
I'm confused on how she is getting rates of higher than a 1 here. She is a terrible professor. Reads slides at lighting pace with little to no elaboration. The slides are also awful and unhelpful. In order to pass, basically forget you have a life and abandon your effort for any other classes. This is your time now.
Terrible professor would not recommend
She's a nice lady when you speak to her one on one. Honestly her teaching style isn't favored by a lot because it's a bit outdated. She reads off the slides but also explains BUT when she does she's so quiet and a bit fast. You do have to teach ur self the material on ur own. I will say the GW carries ur exam grade by a lot.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH HER!I suggest taking it over the summer.This is the toughest, heartless person I have ever met. I talked to her a few times about my grade; she never seemed to care about anything I said.She takes points off for no reason.She genuinely is the worst professor I have ever had or met, and her teaching style is awful.
Absolutely not. Very quiet, rushes the slides, takes off points for the slightest things. I cant keep up
Dr. Ngo gives a lot of resources to help students succeed. It's not an easy course by any means but you can do well in it if you prepare for class, exams, hw. I felt her class prepared me well for orgo 2. Wished she was teaching it as well.
She talks so quietly, does not give help when students ask for it. I went to her office hours to see what I could do better for preparing because im not a good exam taker and she was rude straight to my face and did not offer any help. tests are completely different structure than any homework/group work/class work given and don't prepare you atall
Never again. This professor speaks SO quietly, she RUNS through slides to get to examples of questions that she then proceeds to do for the entire lecture in a robotic manner. Her exams are near impossible to finish on time, and are HARD. Exams are at the worst times - first day after spring break, and the last day of classes before finals.
Love her!!! I took both 112 and 227 with Dr. Ngo and I believe my success in them is due to how she structured the courses. It's straightforward so if you pay attention and do the work, an A is very possible. Exams are very similar to examples in slides and the group work. She's very helpful in office hours if you go and show you've done the work.
Decent prof. I blame myself for not putting in my all but I just hated the accent. She just droned on and on so much so I was having nightmares with her voice barking "draw the bond to the atom!", "start the arrow from the electron rich species".
I don't understand these comments about her accent. In fact I find it really gross how ppl are so comfortable saying that about someone. Her lectures are a lot but it's only because she whispers. Orgo is hard, she's not terrible but the class did stress me out.
This professor was horrible. Every exam was extremely scary with not enough time to take them. This is my second time taking her course. Attending her office hours, she expects you to know things so that's a waste of time. She doesn't curve or offer any extra credit. If you can take this course elsewhere please do!
The comment about not being smart of enough for this course is gross. Don't get it twisted, she's an awful professor. I took the class at another university and received 50+ more points on each exam because the teacher is actually a good teacher. Plain and simple. I went from not understanding to quickly understanding. Ngo is the problem, not you.
Professor Ngo definitely got way more hate than she deserved. marks you wrong for spelling error, lectures are really boring, strict grader, tests are not that bad because they match the group work. She is quite strict, and not fun to be around sometimes.
Absolutely horrible. So barely assigns any work to practice, and the exams are exponentially harder than anything we learned, with questions we have never gone over. She is very unapproachable and rude.
Exams are long but it's not hard since the questions are practically the same as in the examples, Diy, group work she gives. The course requires a lot of work which isn't unusual since it's organic. You just have to do a lot of the problems over and over again.
She is very specific about what she wants and will take off points for silly things. Also do not email her or she will post a passive aggressive message to brightspace rather than email you back.
This was supposed to be an in person class but we switched to zoom lectures which I don't think was fair. She takes off a lot of points if you name a file wrong or if your drawing isn't picture perfect.
Ngo makes an already difficult course even harder. The homework assignments take forever to complete, and the exams are difficult. I only fully finished one exam on time. She does offer lots of points through group work, but they are lengthy, and she takes points off for silly things, like the color of your pen. Take another orgo professor.
One of the worst chem professors I've taken. Forces you to do group work for a couple extra points on your test. For practice questions she forces you to help her for the answers and you have to wait on her. Exams aren't graded until weeks later after your next exam started. She told us to look at YouTube videos as she won't teach the whole unit.
genuinely the worst professor that ive ever had. do not take her if you want to keep your sanity. she doesnt follow the syllabus for assignment deadlines makes up her own stuff needs help on example problems all around an awful teacher. if you can take literally anyone else for this course, orgo is already to hard for the stuff she pulls
Not going to lie, this course was hard. Hardest one I've ever taken but there are a lot of resources for us to succeed, lecture slides, videos, worksheets, groupwork points, and tons of extra credit in exams. Go to office hours, Dr. Ngo is very helpful, but she's very rigid with rules.
Actually, the worst class I've ever taken, and I love the material. Silvana is the worst professor on uri campus PERIOD. She is this frail, miserable woman who has no passion for teaching and takes it out on her students. If you can, take orgo anywhere else!!!
She reads right off of the slides and in my opinion does not do as many example problems as you should in orgo. She is pretty unorganized and a very slow grader. Honestly this class was really disappointing, and if you have the opportunity, take it with someone else.
Omg this was absolutely horrible. Doesn't grade exams until after the next one is taken, very rude via email, and decided to put this class online after the second week. Exams are 80% of your grade and difficult to finish on time. Sometimes I would leave my candle on overnight in hopes it would burn down my house and I wouldn't need to take this.
Exempted from the final exam!!! Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you Dr. Ngo. Hard earned A but totally worth it. Pretty sure I'm so so ready for the next course chm 228.
absolute disaster of a class and professor. exams are incredibly challenging however with the group work points a good grade is attainable. ngo is rude and cannot teach to save her life. she gives resources to practice. a good grade isn't impossible but this class will destroy your sanity and mental health. all i will say is thoughts and prayers.
Yay. Me too! Nothing beats not having to study for the final exam. I hated the group work though since i ended up doing most of the work. That's on the group not Dr. Ngo.
I'm very surprised at the rudeness comments.Her emails were direct and more formal than other professors which is fine by me, certainly, not rude.
this is the worst professor I have ever had. she is very rude, she told us on the first day that "your parents may call you special, but you are not special, you are just the same as everyone else." she is very disrespectful, and not helpful at all.she wasn't even having in person lectures for 90% of the semester due to her not being able to walk.
Dr. Ngo is a very sweet old lady, but this class is extremely challenging with the amount of work and the lack of time you have to do it if you are taking any other class at all. Her videos are pretty helpful, but I would seek external help. The content gets easier if you dedicate time, but I didn't find her to be rude like a lot of others say.
Exams are worth basically your entire course grade and she heavily grades them. She deducts points off for little things on both group work and the exams. For group work, if you even mis title the document she takes 10 points off from it. She is unfair and a rude teacher. If you ask for help she gets mad at you. Would not recommend this professor!
organic chemistry is already a tough class - and paired w ngo... i learned more through YT than her lectures/slides-mind you, she speeds through every example/slide with no explanation and she could care less about being approachable- the fact she needs 30+ extra credit points on her exams says a lot about her.
Personally, I think people are way too harsh when describing her. Is she the best professor? No of course not, but she's far from the worst. She is not hard to understand at all and offers ample extra credit. It is very easy/ possible to get above an 100% in this class. Orgo is a hard topic no matter who's teaching it, just stay on top of the work
People need to quit the entitlement. She doesn't have any patience for that. She is direct, but helpful if you show you've done the work. I emailed my work on all of the additional diys and she always gave very detailed observations. I liked that she gave hints to help me figure out the answers myself when I'm stuck and not the answers outright.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
37%
Textbook Required
22%
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