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.

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.

ms girl is so passive aggressive when you ask questions like... and her tests had curveballs like sometimes it deviates from what she says but shes not horrible I'd choose to learn from her compared to some of the other professors.

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.