Super great prof. I took AP chem so it was review for me but she really loves what she is teaching. tests are all multiple choice and she posts tons of previous exams so STUDY those and you can easily get an A on both midterms. lowest midterm gets replaced by final score. has old lecture videos posted as well. doesn't go as in depth as other profs

she's nice and all but she doesn't teach very well and isn't afraid to test you on material not included in the lectures

She was honestly a great Chem 1A teacher. Tests are straightforward -- pretty much the practice exams. I didn't do any book problems and put minimal effort into the ALEKS, and still got 100 on all the tests. Just do the practice exams, and you will be fine.

this class is hard but all the information is there for you for tests. tests are like the practice tests. she moves quickly, even though attendance isn't mandatory you should go. definitely go to section and her office hours. do book problems, they are more helpful than aleks is. overall she is really sweet and funny and would take her class again.

Good teacher but lectures weren't very helpful. You have to do a lot of studying outside of class, just going to the lectures alone won't help you get a good grade.

Pretty difficult to get the concepts, she goes really fast. Tests are hard and there's aleks assignments every week. If you're good at chemistry already you'll be fine otherwise it's a little hard to keep up

Kind professor but fast and heavy course, easy to fall behind. Make sure to stay on top.

Had her for both chem 1a/1b, I mean she was okay. Lectures only ever had surface level example problems and her exams always had questions that came out of nowhere, even after going through ALL practice exams and all the book problems. This class is going to be hard no matter but still I feel exams weren't the fairest and set up trying to trick u.

Had her for all three parts of the gen chem series. Lemme say this, she is a great professor and offers many resources however gen chem is just hard. You need to put in the effort to study at least 2-3 hours a day cranking out practice problems. She tries to trick you on exams but as long as you study and ask questions during lecture you'll be fine

difficult to understand lectures. you'll be fine if you put in enough effort though (i didn't)

do all the practice exams 2-3x each because tests are basically identical. but her handwriting is so ahh it's like deciphering code on those answer keys... lecture is useless, do aleks, and self teach the entire course to urself and you'll get a B.

i wish i could take her for the entire chem series. exams are usually similar to the practice problems so do them multiple times!!! (midterms are only 45 minutes) her lecture videos are pretty bad so go to lecture. do book problems (as you would in any gen chem class) and aleks.

Chem1A is hard in general, I think professor Sylvester made it slightly easier. Definitely need to attend lecture but you do have access to video lectures on each topic and practice exams to study. Usually a pretty heavy curve. Practice exams and problems are the only way to pass this class.

Professor did an amazing job of teaching the difficult concepts. Was easy to talk to and made lectures fun and interesting. Exams were difficult but not impossible if you studied and did book problems consistently.

very good lectures. she goes over lots of example problems during them that are similar to what is on the midterms/final. During the example problems provides students the time to do the problem on their own first before she gives the explanation which is nice.

Took her for Chem 1A and 1B. Chill professor, nice lecture. Be ready to do Aleks (which is torturing, but the whole chem department use it...). She would provide tests in previous years on canvas for you to practice, just remember to do them cuz they are SO HELPFUL.

Best teacher I could have for chemistry

Low ratings are because the course itself is difficult, she teaches well. Don't be fooled— ALEKS is NOT optional, the grade boost is a lifesaver. Exams are hard but 90% of exam problems are ~identical to textbook ones. Grind the heck out of those and you'll do well. Her lecture videos are confusing— Joseph has good vids on yt, or just google it.

Sylvester isn't the worst but definitely isn't the best. Her first midterm and final were very difficult and different from her practice tests, although her second midterm was much more easier and doable. She explains concepts at a very basic level so make sure to do ALL book problems more than once as well as the optional ALEKS to pass.

Good prof! Had her for Chem 1A and 1B, wanted her for 1C. Lectures are fast paced & she writes only on the chalkboard, but videos very similar to the lectures are available for review. Goes over easier problems than you'll see on the exam but provides many extra study materials w/questions VERY similar to the exam. Content is hard, be ready.

Very fair teacher, has video lectures and practice midterms/finals that are exactly like the actual exams. Just do your ALEKS and textbook problems and you are set. It's chemistry, so you have to put in a lot of the effort yourself instead of just relying on her lectures. Also heard she was one of the easier chem profs!! VERY PASSABLE CLASS :)

I was lowk a hater earlier in the quarter, but she ended up being a great professor. The lectures can be confusing because she goes through content rather quickly; it just depends on your learning style. The class is passable; you can fail both midterms and still pass if you lock in for the final. Def recommend taking her.

The class moves at a fast pace, and although I got a C in the class, I could have put in more effort to study for the midterms. She is very organized and has everything set up in canvas for you to get help or review different topics that are taught. In order to succeed in the class, you need to utilize the book problems and practice tests.

She's a nice person, but chemistry isn't. Lectures sometimes moved a bit too fast. Her midterms are similar to the practice ones, but 17 questions in forty-five minutes is CRAZY. Final wasn't so bad, it's a combination of all midterms, but just harder. To pass this class, you have to study every day, do ALEKS, attend office hours and go to CLAS.