3.2
Quality3.8
Difficulty59%
Would Retake95
Reviews59%
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
30
4
19
3
12
2
13
1
21
What Students Say
“ACS average was a 50%”
CHM2210 - 2.0 rating“Accent is awful, she is unsure of her own English”
CHM2210 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
39%
Textbook Required
7%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.63 avg changeRatings by Course
BCHM4053
5.0
(1)BCH4054
4.4
(10)CHEM2210
3.7
(3)CHM2210
3.4
(40)BCH4053
3.0
(29)Difficulty by Course
CHM2211
4.3
BCH4053
4.2
CHM2200
4.0
CHEM2211
4.0
BCH4054
3.7
Reviews (95)
Fresh Teacher. Accent is awful, she is unsure of her own English. Has the tenancy to skip things when she can not explain properly. Her extra credit is tiny, only curves up to a 100 for the highest grade (so maybe a couple points). Power points are pretty awful. Textbook is only hope.
Dr. Gerasimova is an amazing professor! She does have an accent, but it is not bad at all if you just pay attention to what she is saying. If you don't understand anything in class, go to her office hours and she will go above and beyond to help you. Read the book, do all of the practice problems multiple times and you will be well off.
She is helpful in office hours, but her lecture is very cringe worthy. She does not adequately explain in class and usually skips over teaching things by asking if there are any questions (no one pipes up because her explanations are bad). All in all not a great teacher, but a nice enough professor.
This is her first semester teaching Orgo. She is a horrible lecturer, stutters, skips slides and struggles with orgo molecules. We have someone that keeps getting a 100 on her tests (must be retaking this class or eats "Orgo" wheats). Curve is non-existent, best grade is the new A, so the class avg. is D-F. Biochemist should not be teaching Orgo.
Organic requires a lot of effort from the student BUT it also requires guidance and a GOOD Organic professor. This professor didn't even know how to draw the aprotic solvents DMSO or DMF. Do you care about learning and want to do well in Organic Chemistry? Then don't take her. First semester teaching and almost 90% of the class is failing.
Even though I'm doing well in her class and like her a lot as a person, as a teacher she is clearly quite new. Saying the grading is "inconsistent" would be an understatement. Students can give the same answers and get wildly different scores (20/20 vs 16/20). Admittedly the grading is fair otherwise. Curves (SMALL curves) and drops lowest test.
Only test I passed I used none of her study materials. Her powerpoints are a mess, and her lectures are unclear. She holds a good review session tho, if you can make them they are very close to what is tested. She doesn't know everything I would like her too.. End of the story I think I'm repeating this class. I've learned nothing
Terrible professor. She's a nice lady but cannot teach. Not only does she have a thick accent, but she is constantly stuttering as well making it impossible to understand half of what she says. Tests don't line up closely with powerpoints. Most organic classes have some sort of curve but the majority of my class is failing and she won't curve
She is the worst professor that I have ever had at UCF. She refuses to explain anything to you in lecture and in office hours and you better be watching your grades very carefully. She says she gives partial credit but she does NOT! I will never take another class with her ever again. Get the book because you teach yourself!!!
A lot of the class is up to you to learn on your own, but that's expected since its such a dense subject to teach. The first few weeks she did seem nervous, however, recently she seems to be a lot more comfortable lecturing. Overall she is a good professor, just know that the tests are going to be kind of rough! Studying the book suffices though
I don't understand all the harsh critiques below. She explains things in office hours that you dont understand in lecture, goes over your quizzes and tests and gives them as study materials for the final, and really wants you to understand the material. Show up, do all the problems in the book and ask questions. You'll be fine.
She's totally great, easy class. Best Organic Chem 1 professor you can take. I read every night and went through notes and currently have a high A in the class. Just read the book and work on the end of the chapter problems and you will be totally fine.
This was her first year as a teacher so it was expected that she wasn't going to be perfect, I believe she handled it very well. Compared to other Orgo teachers at UCF, her tests were by far easier. Her lectures are lacking a bit but the textbook is very helpful. READ the book. DO the assigned problems. Apply yourself and you will get an A.
Professor G was by far my favorite chemistry teacher. She split the material and simplified her power points to the point that you can simply learn the material on your own and use the lecture for reinforcement. Highly recommend and an easy A.
I had to withdraw because of her. This is the first class I withdrew from. She has a thick accent and does not complete her thoughts. Very confusing.
Great professor, offers many opportunities for students to increase their grade. Test are easy if you try the practice problems. By far one the best teachers I have taken so far
It was her first semester teaching, so her nervousness was expected but shes better now. Her lectures are long and sometimes confusing, honestly you have to read the book if you want to pass. If your lazy you shouldn't be taking orgo. Her tests are easy compared to other profs, go to her review and do practice problems, its an easy A if you do.
You HAVE to be consistent with this course and practice or else you WILL fall behind. She gives quizzes on almost every chapter, some were online. 4 exams and lowest dropped. She most definitely is EXTREMELY caring towards her students and gave us a lot of opportunities to improve our grade. Idk why others complained, probably bc they didn't try.
Professor Gerasimova is absolutely lovely. She teaches clearly, gives fair and well-written tests, and is helpful when asked questions. Before every test she holds a 2 hour review and solves every type of problem that will be on the exam. The only bad thing is that she doesn't teach orgo 2! I highly recommend her.
This is a new professor to UCF. Her lectures are not the most interesting, (confusing) so I ended up using outside tutoring help over the internet.
I really enjoyed her she is nice and gives her own review sessions which are really helpful. She is straight forward and very helpful i wish she taught orgo 2. I liked her better than Daudi, or Miles. She's really nice and not too hard to understand unlike other professors at UCF.
She's not a great lecturer. But orgo is all about teaching yourself. Her grading scale is fair and she gives a lot of drops and Extra credit. Her tests are similar to the book questions and she provides 2 hours review before each test. These questions are nearly repeated on the test. Attend SI, speak to her, and read your book. She is nice!
It's Organic Chemistry so reading and doing practice problems on your own is essential. It is not necessary to go to class, but doing so gives you an idea of the kinds of problems she will have on the test and how she expects you to answer them (she usually just tells you flat out). Nice, nervous. Easy to get an A if you have time to practice.
Organic Chem is a self-teach class no matter who you take. You have to do tons of practice problems and actually learn what is happening cuz you can't have someone teach it to you. She is an awesome professor though. Gave tons of EC, drops 1 test and 2 quizzes. I totally recommend her. Very approachable and considerate. TAKE HER!!! You'll learn
Dr. G is actually very sweet, as professors go, but that doesn't mean you can expect an A. Organic chem is something that you /have/ to teach yourself - no matter how good you professor is - just because of the nature of the material, but she does a respectable job. A little hesitant, a bit of an accent, but she does her best to help her students.
Dr. Gerasimova is a super nice person and will go the extra mile to help you as much as she can during office hours. She also gave plenty of extra credit opportunities to bump your grade up, I ended up with a 94 and had a low C at the beginning so don't give up. Read, study, and PRACTICE, practice practice! It's not on her to pass, but on you.
I think Professor Gerasimova was great! It's clear she is a new professor, and organic chemistry is naturally not an easy subject, but she really cared about students doing well. I went to her office hours for all my questions and it helped so much. Her exams are pretty straight-forward, and she posted all quiz and exam answers which really helped.
She is a great professor! She thoroughly teaches Organic Chem and very helpful in office hours. She gives extra credit opportunities in class and on exams! Not an easy course, but it is possible to get an A. Wish she was teaching Organic Chem 2. Would take her again!
Dr. G is very fair with her exams, the questions are just like the problems in the integrated section of the textbook in class or in her review. She allows a drop test replaces second lowest with final + EC on end of exams. My worry is she doesnt have you learn mechanisms and how that will effect me in orgo 2. Sweet but confusing office hours help!
Has a Russian accent. It was hard to understand and communicate with Professor G. Gives several chances for extra credit. But overall teaching skills were not so good. You have to teach yourself everything with the book!!!
Accent is tough. But best prof for Orgo Chem 1. She cares about her students especially during office hours. She provides test reviews and gives an overview of what will be covered. Her tests are similar to book questions. Orgo is all about self teaching so you can't rely on any professor. Going to SI saved me a lot and SARC tutor. Always ask Qs!
You have to put the time and effort in. Do the practice problems & understand the concepts. She will go over your tests with you. Wish she was teaching orgo 2. Drops one test, & two quizzes. Replaces next lowest test with final if it is higher. And - those that say her accent is bad have not has any other upper level science classes at UCF.
10 quizzes, 2 exams, and a final. Studying for each exam is like studying for a final due to the amount of information. Study for the final exam EARLY because its 50/50 and it felt like studying for 3 finals at once. 50 mins exams, some m/c and 8-9 free response. Be able to WORK fast, it a race against the clock. Quizzes 1 Test grade
honestly, just talk to her. If you go to her office hours you will do fine. She is really willing to help you if you ask. I was not understanding orgo at all but once i started going to talk to her she helped clarify a lot for me. If you're failing, its really all your fault. There are so many options to help you pass.
There were 3 exams ( MC were only 5 pts ea., while free-response questions were 10- 20 pts ea. and comprised 2/3 of the exams), quizzes, hw, and a cumulative final. She gives extra credit, but be prepared to work! Got a C after the 1st exam, then took Clutchprep. Their exam reviews were on-point and I managed to get an A for the course!
Such a good professor! She answers all questions well and is very approachable in office hours. I teamed up with a friend and we did practice problems like nobody's business and we both managed to get high A's in the class. We're not geniuses but her tests are exactly what she says they're on and offers so much EC! Taking her again for orgo 2.
Dr. G is a great professor! She goes over a lot of exercises in class and is always there to help you. Taking organic chem for the first time can be tough but she is willing to help you understand and teach you to the best of her ability. Pace yourself when taking her tests, you may run out of time. I would take her again!
Dr. G is lovely. I absolutely love this professor, possibly one of my favorites at UCF. She is extremely helpful, even though the class itself isn't easy. If I had to take this course again, I would do it with her again. She really cares about her students and how well they do, and she tries her best to help you understand. Take this with her!!
Meh, I guess she was better than the other orgo 2 choices. Basically, the handful of students who got 100s on everything ruined all the curves and EC so it was hard to get by if youre not the best in orgo. I was told she curves, gives so much extracredit, i didnt see it. She gave extra credit but its basically an inclass quiz on stuff you data dump
Do not take her! ACS average was a 50%. Had a 95. Went down to a 79.70 and gave me a C. She isnt very helpful when it comes to the ACS. You can do well on the tests if you study. Take Hashim or Miles instead if you can
Gives EC on midterm exams & an EC quiz after every exam. She is SO fair in giving partial credit on free response questions on midterm exams. The ACS is one downfall that brought my grade down a significant amount, so make sure to do well on all midterm exams if you want to pass! Her grading scale is best out of all Orgo professors. TAKE HER!
I took Dr. G for orgo1 & received an A. For orgo2 I had a low A/high B all semester, but when the ACS rolled around I dropped to the C. I'm a full time student, work full time, commute and hadn't taken orgo1 in over a year. ACS is difficult. Study early. Hopefully she gets better as she teaches this course more. She did have EC which was helpful.
Took prof. G for Orgo 2 got an A. Make sure you read the book and do her exam reviews. She gives extra credits which are very helpful. she drops the lowest test score and substitute your second lowest with the final (ACS) if higher. The ACS was the hardest test that i have ever taken harder than anatomy, so start practicing for it from the start.
Dr. G is great at putting the material in context so you can learn the concepts and not just memorize the info. She tests off her ppts so you don't have to memorize the book. There's still memorization and it's still senior level biochem-it's hard. Ask her to post the powerpoints before class, print them and bring them with you to class- it helps.
Dr. Gerasimova gives 'pop' quizzes, but you can anticipate them. After a chapter is finished, she is likely to give a quiz on the chapter covered. The first three exams are chapter-specific; final is cumulative and can replace the lowest grade. Do the extra credit--- you may end up needing it, and it can really boost your grade.
I have her for orgo 2 now, so far she has sent out a message on webcourses saying we have to teach ourselves ch 16 because she won't have time to go over it, and everything from the book is fair game.... Terrible so far. She flies through the slides and very hard to understand. If you look around the room while she's talking everyone seems lost
Organized-slideshows were put together well, class always started on time and went the whole session, grades were up within 24 hours. She uses pop quizzes. Quizzes/tests were fair, pretty challenging, and somewhat leniently graded. One of the very few profs who will actually listen to your question and give a good answer, or find out for you.
She gives pop quizzes but you can usually figure out when they are if you pay attention in class. Her tests are fair but they are also difficult. She's very helpful during office hours and takes her time to explain things if you don't understand.
AMAZING PROFESSOR! Dr. G is so sweet and really cares about her students. I visit her in office hours whenever I have a question and she is always so willing to help me out. 5 exams, 2 chapters each (which makes it easy to study), holds reviews before exams, extra credit quizzes after each exam, drops one exam. SUPER AWESOME!
Never had such a horrible professor. She never went over problems, never gives time to copy notes, and never explained when students had questions.
Thick European accent. 5 exams + ACS final. Drops two lowest. Expect to study 15-20+ hours per exam. Has reviews for each exam. If it's on the review, it WILL be on the test. Chances for small EC. PLEASE buy the textbook solutions manual. I cannot stress enough how important the textbook problems are for studying. Quizzes are small grade-boosters.
Organic chemistry is a tough class that's just hard in general, but Dr. G does her best to help her students. You have to put in a lot of hours to study if you want to do well in this class. Worksheets & study guides were given, and similar textbook practice problems were on exams. If you need extra help, go to her office hours and get help.
Please just don't take her, save yourself having to take this class again.
Use the book for practice and to keep up with lectures, but handouts/worksheets are provided each lecture (no attendance taken) so go since questions on exams reflect those. The GTA Adam is helpful in office hours and in class. Gerasimova is very friendly, but may have a small language barrier.
One of the worst professors at UCF. Never gave the time of day to explain things to student and was in a constant rush all the time to finish her lecture. Never again.
Dr Gerasimova was one of the best professors I've had at ucf and highly recommend her for any course.. She legitimately cares about her students and is willing to put in time for anyone that is willing to learn.
Had her for Orgo 1 and 2. Organic chemistry is a difficult subject so you will have to work hard. Dr. G is an amazing teacher to have for the subject. She's a kind person so you can always approach her for questions. She knows what she's talking about and is able to clearly explain the subject materials. One of my favorite professors
Yulia is sweet and nice, but she is an extremely poor professor. Her work is confusing, as she makes jumps in her problems that leave you to not fully understanding the concepts and how to solve problems on your own. She only glosses over each subject very quickly, and does an extremely absurd amount of clickers.
Do not take her. First exam average was a 40% and she said that was normal. Don't take professors that play around with your GPA. She talks and covers material too fast, nobody finishes her test, and she doesn't explain what she teaches. She might as well just stand there without talking for the whole semester.
Really nice lady but she's just a horrible teacher and her exams/quizzes are impossible. She flies through material without fully explaining, her lectures and powerpoints are very vague. She clearly stated that her exams were NOT meant for you to actually finish them. You can pass with a 50 but man even a 50 seems like a reach in this class
Horrible lecturer. Exams are not fully based on hw or info given during lecture. First exam she sent an email saying she doesnt expect everyone to be able to finish the exam. She has a nonstandard grading scale where 80 is an A. Should have realized that was a red flag. She makes simple things hard when it comes to calculations. Avoid !!!
Although she is a sweet lady she is a terrible professor. She stumbles through the powerpoints and doesnt explain clicker questions (even when more than half of the class got it wrong). Her exams are not impossible, they are actually doable but you have to be willing to work 3+ hours a day to full understanding this subject.
Dr. G is a kind professor and provides resources for you to do well. Two practice HW wkshts per module with video solutions, 4 exams + final with one drop and 7 quizzes with two drops. However, exams are HEFTY and near impossible to finish within class time. Slight language barrier makes lectures tough. Expect immense amount of studying.
Highly recommend Dr. G for Biochem. Though her lectures were lackluster, she makes up for this by providing a ton of resources for you to succeed in the class (videos on exam topics, review sets that mirror content on quizzes and exams, and review sessions before every test) In addition to this, her grading scale is forgiving with an 80 being an A.
Biochem is a hard subject period; Dr. G does her best to teach it. Plenty of extra credit but beware of long/moderately difficult tests and a very hard final. My advice: use all of the available resources (office hours, review sessions, videos, textbook) and try to come into the final with a solid grade. The grading scale will save you in the end.
Do not take Biochem with Dr. Gerasimova. Full stop. Constantly makes mistakes when teaching an already-hard subject. Lectures are completely useless, as she flies through topics extremely quickly, with little to no explanation. The first week of class, she said "I don't expect anyone to fully complete my tests or get an A." Avoid. At. All. Costs.
Dr. G was one of my favorite professors at UCF. I didn't exactly excel with the material but I still enjoyed the class and the grading scale is quite forgiving. She is sweet and gives lots of resources. She is also understanding of family life, etc., which is rare at this school. Textbook not mandatory but helpful. Her TA also worked hard.
Dr.G is very a very caring professor, but she is not great at teaching. She uploads videos explaining how to do the homework, which I recommend watching each one for the tests. She typically posts wrong HW answers a few times before posting the correct one. Ignore the ppts and book, focus on the hw/worksheets/clicker questions.
Dr. G is the sweetest & kindest prof you could ask for. The class is a combination of Bio & all chem courses so of course it's difficult & requires a lot of time studying & practicing. Do all Hw's to do well on quizzes. Attended exam review sessions to do well on the exams. The final was hard but doable for a C. She'll answer anything @ office hrs
Dr. Gerasimova cannot teach. Lectures felt pointless even with looking at the material beforehand. Took 3 or 4 tries to get HER OWN questions correct, and she expects you to get the same questions right in an impossible timeframe on the tests. Her TA Ryan was great though, he should have been the one teaching the class from the beginning.
The first thing she said was that her tests were not meant to be completed and no one has ever gotten over a 100% on it. I regret not withdrawing and taking another professor. She often gets confused by her own questions and takes several attempts to get it correct. I took her because she was the only biochem prof that semester. I should had waited
Biochem is an upper level class do not expect to get an Easy A you need to study it. Dr. G is one of the best and most supportive professors to have She has long office hours to make sure she answers all questions host review sessions give example test questions, and she makes videos 4 almost every question put in the work and the results will show
One of the most competent upper-level science prof I have taken at UCF. Currently taking her online bc of COVID and although a difficult subject, she very properly prepares her students for all exams. Includes: weekly chapter quizzes, 3 chapters per exam of 5 exams, 4 easy discussions, 3 easy assignments, and 3 extra credit completion assignments.
You must be good at chem to get anything more than a C. I feel as though I barely know biochem. Passed all premed classes (incl. orgo 2) with straight As, taking my first C here. NO OVERALL CURVE. Doesnt release averages. GroupMe poll (25% of class responded) averaged final around a low D. 8.3% curve on that exam. 2.4% extra credit. Not worth it.
Honestly you have to work for the grade because Biochem is hard. She is a good professor, always willing to help and gives a ton of practice quizzes to prepare you or the quiz and exams. Study and ask a lot of questions so you can kill the exams.
lecture zoom was office hours and only did practice problems so if you didnt read the day before you were a lost cause with understanding any of it. Practice quizzes similar to quizzes/ exams but provided no class curve. Low averages. Hard to understand. doesnt remember to put units when working out problems. Very confusing. material is difficult.
Awful. Talks way too fast during lectures and only goes over a portion of the info you actually need. The only good thing about this class is the heavily curved grading scale (a 60-84 is a B). Would not recommend unless you have a very solid background in all of Chem.
Taking for Biochemistry. Amazing professor. does everything in her power to provide you with opportunities to do well in class. It's biochemistry, so you will need to devote a lot of time in order to do well. Exams are fair, all question types are practiced/explained in class, homework, and quizzes. Dr. G really cares and wants students to succeed.
She is a great professor, she gives so many materials and organizes the class info into modules for each exam. She gives videos, textbook summaries, practice quizzes, powerpoints, and extra practice problems. Her class is really fair and her grading scale is extremely forgiving. Biochem is a hard class but she does all she can so we pass. 10/10
Dr.G is a nice lady who really wants to help her students. If you go to her office hours, she will work with you and help answer all your questions as well as work out problems with you. She gives lots of practice material for quizzes and exams. Biochemistry is a hard class in general, so work is needed to pass with an A.
This class is not for everyone. This is a class I would recommend for someone who has a lot of time to study. While I did maintain a B test average, it required two weeks of studying to be prepared as there are no study guides for exams. Quizzes due online every Sunday and 1 exam every month. The class is not as hard as everyone makes it seem.
Her exams are excessively hard and difficult to study for. Her real exams are harder than the content covered on the practice quizzes and practice exams. Exam average for final was 36%. Only upside is that the class is heavily curved with a B starting at 60% and A at 85%. avoid at all costs if you have another option.
I understand that you have to make exams hard when youre taking this level of course but holy, the class average was like a 45 and i only passed because she made it where a 45 was a C. Her slides have no replay value, you have to go to class to even make sense but even in class, with her accent, you dont learn anything. Had to buy Clutchprep.
While I enjoyed this class and Dr. G, it was incredibly difficult. Weekly quizzes were a constant stressor and exams were not easy. I liked her teaching style, even if she did go a bit fast. If you go to her office hours she will be more than willing to help you. I'd say Dr. G is a fine prof if you have the time and brain power for this class.
Dr. Gerasimova is a brilliant professor. Her teaching style is clear and her lectures are engaging. Tests are hefty, but very fair with gracious partial credit given. I recommend doing AS MANY PROBLEMS AS POSSIBLE and becoming a regular at her office hours. Taken for both Biochemistry I and II. I cannot say enough how great she is!
Dr. Gerasimova is a brilliant professor. I took her for both Biochemistry I and II, and would not recommend anyone else! Her lectures are extremely engaging and, while her tests are lengthy, they are very fair with gracious partial credit given. Work AS MANY PROBLEMS AS POSSIBLE and become a regular at her office hours. I will miss her instruction!
Dr.G was an amazing Biochem II professor,her lectures were very clear and I really enjoyed that she explained the reasoning behind the concepts etc since it really allows for comprehension of the the material. Dr.G is very accessible outside of class,and had a lot of online resources that are also very helpful.The class itself is a lot of material
I took Prof G for Biochem 1 and loved her. She was always available after class and very kind and caring towards her students. The class is definitely tough, though, and you need to pay close attention during lecture because she talks very fast, and exams are long and hefty. Lots of extra credit is given out, increasing the grade by about 5%.
Loved Professor G. Biochem is tough but she makes it manageable. Didn't really use the textbook, best friend is the hwk and practice quizzes for studying for the midterms. Readily available to answer questions and give further clarification. Come to class as she does surprise extra credit worksheets which really boost your grade.
A selfish professor who only thinks about himself. Maybe at first she bends under you, but then she sticks a knife in your back. She doesn't have an opinion.
Yulia Gerasimova should be ashamed of her behavior.
By FAR the hardest class I have taken in my life, but Dr. Gerasimova provided a TON of helpful resources for studying, made her expectations crystal clear, and was very kind and responsive. There were frequent graded assignments in class, so don't skip. Extremely memorization heavy and cumulative so do not get behind.
Her exams are a gamble. Half of it's not found in any of the resources she provides or if it's there it's not easy to understand. I learned quite a few topics from the SI leader & not my professor. She doesn't teach, she tells you what biochemistry is which isn't what I need from my professor. it's very normal to fail her exams & she doesn't care.
Absolutely loved taking biochem with Dr. G; she provides a LOT of excess material through canvas so you don't need to buy the textbook. The class is hard, so be prepared to actually work through the material. Lectures are optional but very helpful, though she has a tendency to speed through the math during practice problems. Flexible office hours!
Dr. G was a good professor relative to the overall chemistry department. The class is fairly exam-heavy, but there is a lot of practice material, like the HW, practice quizzes, review powerpoints, and SI material to prepare you. You need to practice those materials a ton, over and over again, to do well. Lectures are good for understanding concepts
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
39%
Textbook Required
7%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.63 avg changeRatings by Course
BCHM4053
5.0
(1)BCH4054
4.4
(10)CHEM2210
3.7
(3)CHM2210
3.4
(40)BCH4053
3.0
(29)Difficulty by Course
CHM2211
4.3
BCH4053
4.2
CHM2200
4.0
CHEM2211
4.0
BCH4054
3.7