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 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)

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.

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

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.

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.

Took her for Chem 1A, and the class was extremely difficult. She talks too fast in lecture and you have like 2 grades that make your final grade. Tests are mcq but if you get one wrong it tanks your whole grade. Didn't enjoy this class.

I really enjoyed having Sylvester, her practice midterms are almost exactly like the actual midterms. Her final is harder and way less like the practice finals she gives you, but your final replaces one of your lower midterm grades if it helps.

goes really fast and doesn't go into detail unless asked, but students are so confused they don't even know what to ask. section definitely helped but that was thanks to the ta.

Hot take I loved her. She was straight to the point and taught what we needed to know. Gave us plently of resources to do well on tests, tons of practice tests, only had multiple choice. Obviously you have to put in effort, especially if your bad at chemistry, however, you have all the resources to do well.

Professor is very clear in both lectures and setting expectations for the class. Though she doesn't take attendance, you should attend all lectures to fully take in all the material. Do all the assignments and study and you should be fine in her class. The toughest part of this course is one midterm score can make or break your grade.

This class was extremely challenging, you must be on top of ALEKS, study every week, and go to lectures. If you get stuck with a bad TA for section, good luck, my TA was arrogant and wasn't very kind to those of us who were suffering. Very test heavy, you must do the textbook problems, they WILL show up on exams. Sylvester is very sweet and funny.

Caring teacher who has clear expectations on grading and curves. The first midterm hits hard if you aren't ready, but the end-of-course curve is really nice.

Sylvester's lectures are a bit fast paced, but she gives you all the tools needed to succeed. Do as many book problems as possible (some book problems are harder than test questions but help you really understand topics), and take all the practice tests (with a timer).

Most of your grade is based on two midterms and a final. She provides practice exams for the midterms and the final, but not all questions are identical. Some textbook problems have also appeared as exam questions. This course can be challenging, but it's definitely doable--ask questions, go to CLAS tutorial groups, STUDY EARLY!