2.8
Quality3.5
Difficulty44%
Would Retake109
Reviews44%
Would Retake
109
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
30
4
15
3
17
2
16
1
31
What Students Say
“DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS”
CHEM26300 - 1.0 rating“First off, she is ridiculously hard to understand”
261 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
29%
Textbook Required
57%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.36 avg changeRatings by Course
ORGO00
5.0
(1)ORG263
5.0
(1)CHEN261
5.0
(1)CHEM263
4.8
(4)ORGO261
4.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
CHM262
5.0
ORGACHEM261
5.0
ORGCHEM261
5.0
ORGANIC
5.0
ORGO0234
5.0
Reviews (109)
she's very clear during lecture. notes are detailed and she throws in a little spice to include any applications. she's a very animated person, so there wouldn't be a problem with keeping awake in her class.
This professor is the Best for Organic. Go to class, read the material, and go to the workshops. Then, you'll be O.K.
She is great!! Wonderful lectures, organized, willing to help students if you do not understand any concepts or material in the orgo 1 class. Great individual if you get to know her!!
She is a good professor. her notes are very clear. has an accent but it grows on u. if u get to know her and go to her office she's really nice. If u read the chapter and pay attention in class and go to her workshops, you can get an A.
HORRIBLE !!!!
Wow she's the most amazing professor i've ever had, she is very clear and organized, she is very smart!!! Her exams are right from the lecture examples and workshop problems plus homeworks. I ENJOYED HER CLASS, oh and of course she's made me laugh. i recommend her to anyone who wants to take orgoo
uhhh really dumb class. Seriously, it might be fun to have the same questions as sample exams and workshops, but how much do you really learn? I've taken other chemistry classes at other colleges and this class here at CCNY is a disgrace.
This is the lady to take if you want an easy A. While you are obligated to read the book and understand the material, you basically need to know material given in workshop and questions that she does multiple times in class. She'll give the same questions over and over. Take advantage of it!
Studied extremely hard, went to every workshop, did well on all the quizzes, did all of the packets, completed all of the recommended questions for each packet and got the A+ in the class.
For people who are used to memorization, this is the Prof. to take. If you really want to learn and are the kind of student who studies by yourself and do all the reading (from book) you'll more likely be wasting your time. More than getting an A, WE WANT TO LEARN, RIGHT????
She loves mechanisms,and electron movement. thus, you will end up learning what you need for 262. Great proffesor. Learn the workshops and book problems.
I can't understand a word she says. Heavy accent. poor english. Bad attitude to students
class is a joke. If anyone has her old exams and is will to make some extra bucks, email me at [email protected].
Material can be followed with ease
this is the worse class i have ever taken in ccny. if not for the old exams, i don't think there will be many students who can pass her course. i do not understand her at all! terrible!
Studied extremely hard, went to every workshop, did well on all the quizzes, did all of the packets, completed all of the recommended questions for each packet and I'm set to get an A+ in the class.
knows her stuff. Do all the problems at the end of every chapter, attend workshop and dont miss class. Definite A grade for the class. She's not hard just do the work and your set. Exams are straight forward and her explainations her good. :)
She is a horrible prof. don't take her. She is not helpful at all. Those students who thinks she is easy and easy to get an A in her class, MUST BE KIDDING. Believe me she is HORRIBLE!!!! DON'T TAKE HER. I drop her class after the second exam. Guess what next semster I took the course with Prof. Salame and got A+. This's wrost class I took in ccny.
She is horrible , don't take her
Professor Balogh-Nair was the worst professor I've had at CCNY.I would like to comment to all the people who have said the class is an easy A as long as you attend every lecture,go to all the workshops,study all the old exams,work out every problem,etc....you've all memorized the book by default and anything you actually learned was on your own.
Can't understand a word she says
To pass her class attend the workshops and memorize all the quiz, if you cant make it to the workshop too bad...i think she needs to open a dictionary and look up the term "TEACHING" before trying to do whatever she does in class!!
terrible lady, nasty attitude, doesn't explain, kiss up to her if you want at least a B. memorize every problem she gives in class it will be on the test. get there early where you sit on the first day is your seat all semester.
Surprise! Orgo is hard and you have to study A LOT. Yes you can get an A+ with other Profs, but she actually wants you to understand the material. When she says do all the problems, she means it. Go during office hours with a specific problem and she'll explain. She teaches at a high level: take the bridge course offered by the premed office.
She works hard to go through all the required material thoroughly. She emphasises the necessity to not memorise but to understand the problems. The workshop is incredibly helpful and the leaders picked by her have all gotten A's from her. Some people complain that the class is tough- but it's organic chemistry! Read the book, people!
Where did they find her?!! OMG- :( :(
Worst teacher ever. She will ruin your GPA! This woman works against her students, knowing that Orgo 261 is a hard course already. She DOESN'T curve, or give partial credit. Her accent is hard to understand. Her teaching methods are inefficent. Overall - a truly bad teacher.
shes the best. Good prof., doesnt give partial credit which is awesome, she makes ur chemistry strong...and the best she only curves if there are no 100's. She only gives ur exam back if u get 100's ...which is very good....great teacher
Worst teacher every she tells you to drop after the first test nt even trys to encourage you to try a do better. I thought teachers are suppose to help with make you a better student
No Comments
There's no room for stupid mistakes on her exams; the slightest error will get you a 0. However, when she's understandable, she's very good at explaining concepts relating to O-Chem.
This class is very difficult because you have to spend a large amount of your time studying for it. My best hint would be to try to copy all the problems from her slide because those same problems tend to show up on exams. the final exam is all 3 exams combined so make sure to perfect all errrors before then.
horrible
No Comments
She really makes you work for your grade. If you pay attention to class, you will get an A. She is very helpful if you come to her office and ask her about something you don't understand.
She has the emotional intelligence of a doorknob. Her exams are pointless so long as you get a hold of old ones or just listen in class (Same questions over and over and over...) If this woman approaches you for anything related to research, SAY NO!
No Comments
Attendance is mandatory. Wherever you sit on you first day is your seat throughout the semester. If you really WORK HARD, you probably be able to pass her class. She helps you if you go to her office. Some people might find it hard to understand her during the lecture. It is barely possible to copy all her notes that she put on the projector.
This class is a weeder. By the third exam 1/3 of the class was left. After taking this class the first time and failing I have panic attacks when people talk about ORGO. I am taking it the second time, and dont know if i can pass it. No partial credit. Not enough time to take exams. BTW that pic must be 20yrs old cause thats not what she looks like
she is horrible dont take her
keep yourself awa the morning class!
She is one of the best professors I have had at city college. Not only did i comprehend the material totally, I developed a good relationship with her, and she was always there to assist and advise. I had an A+ in her class n that was because I worked hard. If you'r ready to do the same, trust me, u would find her interesting
Best professor I have ever had. Conveys material clearly, doens't put anything she didn't teach you on the exams. Makes you work for your grade, and makes sure you don't pass the class without understanding Organic Chemistry. CCNY should hire more professors like her.
awsome professor
She is a great professor - explains well and knows a lot. But her grading is too tough for an undergraduate course. You either are an impeccable "big fat cat" and understand EVERYTHING, or you'll get a "big fat C" and kiss your future and medical school goodbye. Sad but true :-) Don't take her if you want a good grade. Life can be easier.
Awesome person to talk to, a bit old fashion teaching style, but goes through everything thoroughly, if you want to do well in her class, you have to keep up with the work and showing up to workshop always help! Study what she teaches and do the problems, there will be no surprises on the test, orgo is learning how to predict behaviors! she's good.
Simply amazing, made me work hard for my A, but so worth it! Take her if you're ready to work hard like do problems from the book and be in class everyday. She's also very helpful and very fun to talk to outside of class.
SHE IS THE WORST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HAD... BY HEARING PEOPLE GIVING HER A GOOD REVIEW MAKES ME A BIT SCARE OF THIS WEBSITE...TAKE HER IF YOU WILLING TO WORK HARDER THEN EVER, TAKE SALAMI IF YOU WANT TO PASS.
Heavy accent. There is NO way she can actually teach you something. She creates this fearful environment in the class, where if you answer a question wrong, she takes 1/2 pt away from your final class grade! Definitely not a learning environment. I do NOT recommend her. It's a shame that you pay almost $700 for 3 credits + books and you get her...
Best professor for organic chem. you learn so much and she keeps you on ur toes and also gives helpful workshops.
omg this lady is horrible!!! heavy accent, very discouraging. she has a nasty accent and she moves through the lesson really fast and refuse to put her notes on blackboard. she is impossible. she is a waste of tuition!!!
So, you study very hard, you spend a lot of time in the calsses, workshos, in the library, and after all she NEVER EVER gives u a partial credit. if you are genious, good luck. if u are like everybody else, DO NOT take her class.
If you are not afraid of learning and actually go to class you can do well.
Don't listen to the haters. They are just complaining because you actually have to study to succeed in Prof. Balogh-Nair's class. Her accent really isn't that bad, and she will happily help you after class or during her office hours, if you just ask. One tip: sign up for and attend the weekly workshop on Wednesday afternoons. It is a huge help!
Agreed, don't listen to the haters. Though a challenging class, she is very clear and cares about her students progress. If you can, TAKE the bridge to orgo class that runs between semesters. It will rock your world, and make you a shoe in to get that A : )If you want to learn something, take Balogh-Nair's class
Don't make the mistake everyone makes by not going to her workshop. You MUST go to workshop to do well. It is EXTREMELY helpful and also if you can take the bridge prior to taking the class you will do well. She is harsh at grading but she tells you exactly what she wants to see. YOU MUST GO TO CLASS AND WORKSHOP or else you will fail.
IS VERY KNOWLEGABLE but, very heavy accent. difficult to understand, doesn't use blackboard, goes way to fast in class, no partial credits, either you know it or you don't, long wait for office hours (like 3hrs+) then see her for 5 mins cause she rushing. not student friendly. Wkshp - no help. must read & understand text & have fantastic tutors.
Prof. Balogh-Nair is an intelligent, sweet and funny professor who likes to give hard exams. She does not give partial credits...so BEWARE. She is indeed a wonderful teacher and you will enjoy her class, but you will enjoy it a million times more if you actually study the material and GO TO WORKSHOP!!
she is horrible. she loves fat cats...
She is an extremely difficult grader. NO PARTIAL CREDIT! Either your right/ wrong! Do ALL problems in the book. She goes through slides, solves minimal amount of problems. Questions on exam are tricky. If you miss a dash in naming a compound the answer is wrong. With a lot of prayer and eating/breathing your orgo book, your guaranteed to pass! GL!
If she's not the worst, she's definitely one of the worst educators I have ever had on any level of education. She is unclear, and makes you rely on memorizing her examples. Inordinate time commitment for 3cr class. Has pet subjects she loves and neglects other important material. Take with another prof or e-permit and take Orgo elsewhere!
OMG, please avoid this professor. She is very nice but she can't teach at all and it's hard to hear her because of her heavy accent. Unless you're planning to read the textbook and learn on your own, I would avoid her.
will never forget and forgive this lady the reason i will not be going to medical school .. trust me i studied like i have never studied b4 in my life.
I can see how she could be very difficult in the lecture, but in lab I enjoyed her and found her clear and helpful. There are plenty of quizzes, for which you MUST read the upcoming lab and MUST have written up the past week's lab, but nothing on them is unfair or inordinately tricky. Study the quizzes for the midterm and final.
Tests can be tricky, but reasonable. The tests are open book, open notes, and heavily curved. You are usually told the exam questions in advance so you can prepare. Take good notes!
SHES GOOD!!
I don't know who posted on 5/22/11 but she does not have open note, open book tests, and is not curve generously. this is an erroneous post and should be removed as this information does not apply to this professor.
Great Professor!!! So helpful and exams were right out of the work book.
I hate this professor. I've always been a good student and thoroughly enjoyed the classes I've taken, but I can honestly say I hate her teaching style. Her quizzes were ridiculous. When people said her accent was bad, I didn't believe them until I took a course with her. Whoever said she's a good professor, lied to you all. AVOID.
The tests are just like the hw's. Do the problems at the end of each chapter and the HW guide and its an easy A. She really is not hard at all and gives 5 bonus points to your average just by answering questions during class. Just put the time in, the material is not difficult or overwhelming.
Straightforward, do the question packet that she gives you on the first day.
Do not be intimidated by this course or this professor, she is not that bad. If you are taking Balogh-Nair next term the best advice you will ever receive is: DO EVERY PROBLEM IN THE BLUE WORK BOOK. TRUST ME it is a godsend in this class. A lot of the problems on her exams and her quizzes come from it. Also go to workshop!!its worth it.
The professor isn't bad at all. You have to learn how to study for the course. In her class, doing the blue book problems along with the problems from class is essential if you want to do well.
AWESOME PROF!!! before going to the class I was so scared from what other people said but she is great. Just go to workshop(it is extra credit) do the text book problems and the blue book problems!test come straight from there. She is very strict but she makes it clear as to what she wants. Study hard and you will get an A++
Orgo sounds hard. In reality it is hard unless you try to understand the concept, not memorizing it. For balog-nair whatever reaction she does and the handbook know it well. 90% of the que will be frm them. specially, her review.
Loved Balogh-Nair! First two exams were more difficult. Last exam was better. Study, study, study class problems. Simply study old exams for the final. I would take her again in a heartbeat!
Just amazing and lovely personality! Beware she could be very tough though. Make sure she likes you and know you well and attend every lecture, she loves students to get high grades. Recommended
She's amazing! some students just make her made and in fact she does not like when a student get a bad grade! Avg for the class was almost in 90s for orgo2 for spring 2013!SHES AWESOME!! LOVED HER!
save your energy and time, she's very confusing. be prepared to work your butt off!
It's all black or white with her. Even if your answer is 99% correct, you will get a zero for the question and lose the entire 4 points. There is no winning with her. Avoid at all costs and get a more modern teacher willing to go half-way with your efforts.
Very awesome professor. She is great for chem 263 and exams are very easy and straight forward from her slides. Do not hesitate to take her, she is the best.
Strict beyond measure. Attendance is strictly enforced. No partial credit on exam. If your answer is 99.99% correct, too bad, you will lose all your 2-4pts the question was worth. Doesn't like to use office hours to answer topic questions. Tells you to get tutoring. Huge accent, hard to understand. Repeats SOME class problems on tests but thats it.
I absolutely loved her class. Three exam, drops one and the remaining two are worth 60%, final is 40%. She gives amazing review sessions that cover pretty much everything in the exam. She gives bonus point for answering random question is class that will be added to the final grade. I will take her again in a heart beat. Highly recommended.
Her tests literally come from her lecture notes and review notes. Sure she can be abrasive and sometimes boring but her tests are what counts and are the same as lecture notes problems.
AVOID. She is confusing in lecture you're on your own. Especially if you plan to take organic 2 i recommend another professor. NO partial credit on tests at all.
She is the professor to take for Ogro.She will not mess up grade like the other professors.You want an A in Orgo, take her.
First off, she is ridiculously hard to understand. Between her accent and the fact that she refuses to use a microphone when asked, it's almost impossible to know what she says. She doesn't give partial credit on exams, so if your answer's wrong you should hope it wasn't worth much. You will have to teach yourself the material. Terrible professor.
Indeed a tough professor, but you can still pass the class if you do your part. Exams are fair. She does a review in class before the exams. The questions she goes over will most likely show up on the exam. Her grading can be harsh, but it makes sense. Outside of class, she is very friendly. do NOT use flash when taking photos of her slides!
Tough on concepts, but gives partial credit contrary to popular opinion . Straightforward exams. I recommend her for those who want to do well and learn Orgo. For reference I would have a tough time picking between having her or Professor Salame. Keep up with the material, don't take pictures with flash (PLEASE APOLOGIZE IF YOU DO).
Amazing professor! Makes you work for your grade but an A is possible. Her accent isn't that and. Take photos of her slides, without flash! Her slides are worth gold. Review questions are almost identical to exam questions so be sure to review them. Made me love Orgo. Participate as much as you can to get those bonus points. Will miss her in Orgo 2
Her accent's not the worst among organic chemistry professors. If only people decide to skim through the chapters before lectures, they'll be fine. Her review sessions covered 50%+ of the actual exams. Half of the class still got grades below 60s. You wonder why. NEVER beg for a grade. She hates it. Show that you care, and so will she.
She needs "EDU 101" in her Life!
This is orgo, so don't expect an easy course. You should be able to manage an A. Her grading scale is forgiving. Problems from review and lecture usually show up on a lot of the exam with slight modifications. Answer lot questions for bonus points. Don't be shy. you have to be aggressive to get all 5 points offered. Do text book problems
You have to study a lot on your own or with groups. Her review sessions are great as she is practically giving you questions from the exam. She gives bonus points added to your overall grade if you're the first to answer her questions in class so be aggressive.
shes a okay teacher. a little unclear but if you go to the workshop you can get an A easily. she gives a review before a test which is literally the same questions as the test so i dont understand why students score less than a 90 if she gives ALL the answers. got hundreds on all her tests. her accent is a little unclear however but workshop is key
She can't teach but yet expects students to get 100 on the exams by teaching themselves. Her accent is horrible which makes it 10x hard to understand. No partial credit. She is a joke and students that got As cheated there way there. I read before each lecture, took notes, took pictures of her slides, watched videos and continuously struggled.
You basically have to teach yourself everything if you take her. Her lectures aren't that useful but she does put the same problems on the exam as the ones she does in class. Also, workshop with chris is extremely helpful. GO TO THE WORKSHOP!!!!
In the beginning you will have a difficult time understanding her because she has a thick accent. The course material is not difficult but you have to spend time on it and practice. her review is sometimes the test so pay close attention bc she also doesn't give alot of partial credit on exams. shes very specific.
Look at the powerpoint closely. It is more helpful than textbook. Go to recitation. For me, it is an easy class because i work hard to understand the powerpoints. You need to study on you own because orgo is hard. Easy pass, but what good is a C? Get all the partial credit. It helps...
Her review sessions are gold so don't miss them(take pics of the ques)! Her exam questions are the same as the review questions!! I taught myself the whole semester of orgo 1 since I really didn't show up to class (her teaching style isn't the greatest). If you do show up, try answering her questions since she gives bonus points(max 5pts). Easy A.
not sure why she has such low ratings! shes a great professor who may seem hard at first but she's not! you have to put very little effort to get a good grade. just read orgo as a second language and go to workshop and you will be fine. don't know why people do bad on her tests because 70% of her test questions come from her review. Take her!!
One of the best Orgo professors I've taken. The only issue people had was her accent - which is understandable if English is not your first language. I recommend you take her as a professor. I hated the subject before I took her and now I thoroughly enjoy Orgo.
Terrible professor. Cannot understand a word she is saying. Got an A in this class but big deal, anyone with 2 neurons to rub together can do it. She repeats all her exams. Attendance is mandatory for the first month. After that, go to her amazing recitation leader and learn Orgo from him. He saved us and taught us Orgo. Go to her review sessions.
This teacher doesn't care if you drop dead in class, she just wants to get through the notes as fast as possible. It got to the point that kids stopped taking notes because she goes through her slides so quickly we barely had enough time to take photos. She gives ZERO partial credit and her tests are hard and easy to mess up. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
The only way I got an A+ is by having the previous exams. For the final she puts all 3 exams together. The only way to get an A is through memorizing the answers. I studied for the first 2 tests, got an 80s b/c of her ridiculous no partial credit (for small things like forgetting a pos. charge). Then got an A+ by memorizing her review + past exams.
The only way to get a good grade is if you get her old exams. Dont just memorize her old exams. Actually know your stuff because she changes it up a little. Sometimes the exams could be very similar, but dont take the chance. Shes a nice lady and always tried to joke with us. Shes not too great at teaching, but shes the best choice for orgo.
Gives extra credit if you participate. Just speeds through slides. Workshop too slow paced. Read the textbook BEFORE lecture! NO PARTIAL CREDIT!! Exams are similar to review but you don't always get review! Accent not that bad, Boson's is worse. Does not TEACH. Skips important practice and slides if no one participates or comments during lecture!
Very sweet and kind professor. She's also old school in that she doesn't curve and grade is based on exams only. If you get her past exams you'll be fine for the class, but you'll have to work harder to make sure you're prepared for MCAT or other organic classes. Participate in class and she'll love you, kitty!
Horrible horrible horrible. If you are pre-med/dental do not take her class or come to this school. She does not speak English, so learning chemistry from someone who native language is not English makes it 10x more difficult. She does have office hours but that makes things worse. Test are difficult, and lecture is a waste of time
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
29%
Textbook Required
57%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.36 avg changeRatings by Course
ORGO00
5.0
(1)ORG263
5.0
(1)CHEN261
5.0
(1)CHEM263
4.8
(4)ORGO261
4.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
CHM262
5.0
ORGACHEM261
5.0
ORGCHEM261
5.0
ORGANIC
5.0
ORGO0234
5.0