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!
Sylvester is great+funny, but this class drained my soul like a fifteen-year-old laptop's battery. She curved after the final, but grade was based on two midterms and a final (+ALEKS completion). So if ur like me & don't test well, sorry ur screwed. I would rather breastfeed a snapping turtle than ever go near this class again + ALEKS is hell
Very good at explaining the material. Homework and practice tests prepare you well for the exams. Not difficult as long as you pay attention and study a little bit.
Great professor, only downside is the weird questions that come up on the exams. her practice exams prepare you for the midterms and final, but only for 85% of the actual test, cuz there will always be one problem that you've never seen and have to think critically on in a way you haven't really if you want that A.
I really liked how she taught by writing notes on the chalkboard--it made it much easier to follow along and process what we were learning. If you only do one thing to study: DO THE PRACTICE EXAMS (posted on Canvas); the tests are usually very similar. Do them until you understand all the problems and you'll be successful.
This was my first-ever chemistry class, and she made it easy to follow along. The class isn't bad at all because if you don't understand something in the lecture, the videos will also help explain the lecture again. Her sarcasm is pretty funny and she doesn't make the lectures boring.
Sylvester is honestly a solid professor in the chem department. I don't really see why people have given her a hard time in the past. She tells you what to do to succeed and even posts study plans. The practice exams are ESSENTIAL to studying, as she does pull from those as well as the textbook occasionally. Her class is very doable.
Very nice professor who makes an effort to relate to her students. I didn't love her lectures, feels like she simplifies things and moved too quickly at times. Homework is much easier than the tests so be ready to study a lot on your own from the textbook.
Beware of taking this class async during the summer!! Recorded lectures from COVID era, so probably little time and resources for Sylvester to prepare these then. Handwriting and videos can be hard to understand, a couple things not taught that were on tests. Overall seems like a nice person, but definitely take this class in person if possible.
She was clear about what to do to be successful. That is, take the practice exams. However, I did find that her lecturing wasn't all that clear. I recommend Joseph if you want to feel like you thoroughly understand the material. Sylvester just gives a very simple explanation without the nuances that sometimes appear on exams.
I took Chem1A and B with Joseph and 1C with Sylvester. Personally I like Joseph's lecture style better than Sylvester's, but frankly speaking she is also definitely one of the best gen chem lecturers. Very organized. Although she talks very fast, so it takes some time to adapt to it. Midterms are very easy and the final is significantly harder.
Love her. She's great, easy midterms but insanely hard final. Super kind and funny person. Hard just because it's Chem, and there's wasn't really a curve because our midterms were so easy (80&86 avg).
Her lectures are organized and there are videos posted online which is nice. The midterms were chill but the final was significantly harder so be prepared for that (do the book problems!). The final can replace your lowest midterm score and the class is curved at the end which is nice. If you put in the work, you can be successful in this class!
She teaches very fast, so I recommend skipping lectures and just watching the pre-recorded ones on the Canvas page. The first two exams are easy and exactly like the practice tests on Canvas. However, the final was unnecessarily hard, and unlike the first two midterms. I had an A coming into the final, and ended up with a B+ which sucks.
Professor Sylvester is probably the best intro-chem series professor that the school offers (which is not saying alot). Her lectures are extremely well organized and she provides a lot of resources for you to succeed. The course is just extremely hard, so be prepared to log many hours studying.
makes chem pretty easy to understand and gives practice tests that are suuuuper helpful to prepare for exams. i never did book problems and i was fine just do all the practice tests and watch the vids if u miss lecture
I took chem 1a with two different professors (Jospeh and Sylvester) and I found that I loved Sylvesters teaching style a lot more. Jospeh focuses on slides, while Sylvester works it out on the board, and I found that to be really helpful. She is also less strict on tests and relies more on practice tests for problems. Would take again with her!!
In my opinion she is one of the top chem professors at UCSB. If you have the opportunity to take her class, I would.
I was a fan of how she taught! Pretty straightforward.
love her. teaches very well, and will explain things to you if you don't understand. It's obviously hard, because it is chemistry, but she makes it so much more bearable. her tests are pretty easy and straight forward if you do the practice exams.
Sylvester is honestly one of the best chemistry teachers. She bases her exams on the book problems versus pulling random stuff you've never done. Watch the lecture videos and do all of the practice exams and you will be fine.
I actually enjoyed sylvester as a professor, many of my friends did not, I understood almost everything she said in lecture, I thought she was very clear. Tests exactly like the practice tests, but definitely do not procrastinate studying.