middCourses
with Kristina Shrestha2 months ago

This course is important for anyone wishing to pursue the sciences. It covers the foundations of chemistry, which means that you will explore a wide breadth of topics but only scratch the surface of each individual concept. There were a lot of homework assignments (you always seemed to have another one to do), and they were somewhat difficult. If you study well, the exams will be approximately as difficult as the homework (i.e., most questions are straightforward, with some extra tricky curveballs). Professor Shrestha was very kind, understanding, and intelligent, but she was not my favorite teacher. Her lecture style is a bit jumbled and confusing, and I often left the classroom feeling a bit more puzzled than when I entered. However, if you do the homework and read the textbook thoroughly, you will be alright. A strong high school background in chemistry will prove very useful. Lab was enjoyable and straightforward (Professor Simpson is a gem!).

This course is important for anyone wishing to pursue the sciences. It covers the foundations of chemistry, which means that you will explore a wide breadth of topics but only scratch the surface of each individual concept. There were a lot of homework assignments (you always seemed to have another one to do), and they were somewhat …Read more

Fast-PacedDifficult ExamsLots of Homework
6hrs / week Very difficulty Extremely high value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha4 months ago

Professor Shrestha gets a lot of hate which is definitely understandable. I came into CHEM 103 with a fairly good background in chemistry so it wasn't necessarily difficult for me to understand the material. I can only imagine how difficult it would've been for a student with little to no chemistry background. The achieve homework assignments were very time-consuming (taking hours and hours each week), but the canvas assignments were not bad at all. The exams were fair, although the averages seemed quite low. I loved the lab portion of this class but the lecture was very ineffective.

Professor Shrestha gets a lot of hate which is definitely understandable. I came into CHEM 103 with a fairly good background in chemistry so it wasn't necessarily difficult for me to understand the material. I can only imagine how difficult it would've been for a student with little to no chemistry background. The achieve homework as …Read more

Fast-PacedLots of Homework
8hrs / week Some difficulty Low value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha6 months ago

I really enjoyed this course with Professor Shrestha! Honestly, the students found any reason they could to drag and blame her for not themselves not understanding the concepts and the lab professor would also make comments every now and then that felt condescending. I do wish the lecture and labs synced up at all because the lab work was confusing and it felt like every week was the same lab but in a different font with harder math. Since this is basically beginner's Chem there is too much information to go through that the professor couldn't really spend too much time on any one topic. But Professor Shreshta would always try and be as clear as possible and if you went to office hours she would break it down even further and was just super helpful. Loved the professor, hated the students' attitude towards her, and am kinda average towards chem.

I really enjoyed this course with Professor Shrestha! Honestly, the students found any reason they could to drag and blame her for not themselves not understanding the concepts and the lab professor would also make comments every now and then that felt condescending. I do wish the lecture and labs synced up at all because the lab wor …Read more

Fast-PacedConstant ReadingFair Grading
5hrs / week Some difficulty Average value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

Where do I even start with this course. The basis of Gen Chem 1 in itself is not hard nor impossible but when taken with Professor Shrestha it is. She is obviously very passionate about chemistry but she should never have stepped foot into the classroom as a professor. She fails to teach the class daily, relying only on power points to teach the class. Her first exam left the class with an average of 70% but a standard deviation of 21%, she refused to curve or even show the exam. She refuses to meet students needs regarding most things and only recently has started to show any effort in improving class grades and morale, we currently have 3 weeks left. The class has become so discouraged that you would be challenged to find a lecture at 40% capacity at this point. Do take this class, but don't make the mistake I did and take it with her.

Where do I even start with this course. The basis of Gen Chem 1 in itself is not hard nor impossible but when taken with Professor Shrestha it is. She is obviously very passionate about chemistry but she should never have stepped foot into the classroom as a professor. She fails to teach the class daily, relying only on power points …Read more

Fast-PacedTough GradingDifficult Exams
9hrs / week Hardcore difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha4 months ago

This course is not hard if you try. All the info seems pretty important for a baseline chem class. There are lots of TA hours available if you have any trouble understanding content. It makes sense that exams are not curved since it is a "weeder class" and honestly the averages are not that low.

Fast-PacedFair GradingEasy Exams
4hrs / week Low difficulty High value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha3 months ago

I really enjoyed the lab portion of this class, but found the lecture portion challenging. I went into the class with very little previous chemistry knowledge and found the content itself manageable: the homework was not too bad and the exams were about as difficult as the practice materials. It is necessary for this class to follow the textbook/outside of class materials because I often found myself confused after lectures and would have to self-teach the content.

I really enjoyed the lab portion of this class, but found the lecture portion challenging. I went into the class with very little previous chemistry knowledge and found the content itself manageable: the homework was not too bad and the exams were about as difficult as the practice materials. It is necessary for this class to follow …Read more

Fast-PacedFair GradingDifficult Exams
4hrs / week Very difficulty Low value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha4 months ago

Kristina is very nice and is trying her best. If you go to her office hours, she is very helpful. There are 3 exams, which felt do-able. There is homework and the achieve can be time consuming and hard, but her canvas assignments are very short and straight forward and graded for completion. Honestly, this class could've been a lot worse and I think she gets more backlash than she deserves.

Kristina is very nice and is trying her best. If you go to her office hours, she is very helpful. There are 3 exams, which felt do-able. There is homework and the achieve can be time consuming and hard, but her canvas assignments are very short and straight forward and graded for completion. Honestly, this class could've been a lot w …Read more

Fair Grading
2hrs / week Very difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha4 months ago

I think Shrestha might get too much hate, as I found her lecture fast-paced but it is beginner chem and there is a ton of material she HAS to cover. If you do the textbook readings before coming to class, it gives you a much better overall understanding so you don't have to rely on lecture alone. I took a bunch of chem in hs, so I did have a good background going into it and found it very manageable. However, if you have no experience at all it might not be the right class/professor for you

I think Shrestha might get too much hate, as I found her lecture fast-paced but it is beginner chem and there is a ton of material she HAS to cover. If you do the textbook readings before coming to class, it gives you a much better overall understanding so you don't have to rely on lecture alone. I took a bunch of chem in hs, so I di …Read more

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
4hrs / week Low difficulty High value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha5 months ago

I took CHEM0103 because it is premed requirement. I enjoy math a lot, so the class was not overly difficult. The exams were in person and I thiught they were graded fairly. The lectures were basically just read off the slide so attendance is not really necessary.

Chill and RelaxedFair GradingEasy Exams
2hrs / week Low difficulty High value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha4 months ago

You get what you put into the class. You will do good if you spend time doing extra/non-assigned practice, but if you don't, the class is extremely difficult. The exams itself are not horrible, but the range of scores are from 10% to 90% and demonstrate the difficulty of the class. Exams are not curved/scaled.

Fast-PacedFair GradingEasy Exams
8hrs / week Extremely difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha5 months ago

Professor Shrestha is very intelligent and clearly cares about her students. However, she is often a unclear during lectures. It is a packed course, and in order to be an effective instructor, you have to be very organized. She isn't. That said, she is helpful in office hours and very approachable.

Fast-PacedFair GradingDifficult Exams
7hrs / week Very difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha5 months ago

I think this was a valuable class for me to take as it is necessary for most stem classes to have a basic understanding of chemistry. I found the concept to be fairly easy, though I found I understood more from reading than from lecture as I conceptualize most of it differently then Professor Shrestha. The professor is very nice and is very useful in office hours if you don't understand. I knew most of the content from high school chemistry so found this class to be fairly easy all things considered.

I think this was a valuable class for me to take as it is necessary for most stem classes to have a basic understanding of chemistry. I found the concept to be fairly easy, though I found I understood more from reading than from lecture as I conceptualize most of it differently then Professor Shrestha. The professor is very nice and …Read more

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
4hrs / week Average difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha4 months ago

Shrestha seemed like she really cared about her students, however, she was to be completely frank, awful at teaching the course. Her explanations made little sense, and she would often just end up making things more confusing rather than less. If you are prepared to study the textbook/alternative sources by yourself, then this course is manageable (although the tests are still quite difficult), however, if you are looking for a well-taught class you have come to the wrong place.

Shrestha seemed like she really cared about her students, however, she was to be completely frank, awful at teaching the course. Her explanations made little sense, and she would often just end up making things more confusing rather than less. If you are prepared to study the textbook/alternative sources by yourself, then this course …Read more

Difficult ExamsFair GradingFast-Paced
7hrs / week Very difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

This class has caused me and other Pre-Med students to reconsider their future careers. The professor's teaching style is disorganized, and test averages were VERY low (70%). She refuses to curve as well. Students tend to leave class wondering what they actually just learned. There is also not much help offered during office hours.

Fast-PacedTough GradingDifficult Exams
8hrs / week Very difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Rick Bunt7 months ago

Mr. Bunt is an excellent chemistry teacher. Not only is he incredibly enthusiastic about his work, he also genuinely cares that his students do well in his class. I can easily say that I found a new passion for chemistry after taking Mr. Bunt's class — just be ready for some hard work!

Fast-PacedTough GradingDifficult Exams
7hrs / week Very difficulty Very high value Would take again
with Rick Bunt7 months ago

Mr. Bunt is undeniably an exceptional chemistry instructor. His profound passion for the subject is evident, and he genuinely prioritizes his students' academic success. Personally, I've found myself unexpectedly captivated by the world of chemistry under his guidance. However, it's worth noting that the course demands a substantial amount of dedicated effort.

Chill and RelaxedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
6hrs / week Some difficulty High value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

Professor Shrestha is clearly very competent, and I feel confident that she knows what she is talking about in regards to chemistry. With that being said, I feel that her lectures are not effective in teaching the material, and I have had to teach great deal of the material to myself. There are weekly homework assignments, some of which are graded on accuracy and others on completion. These homework assignments are the most reliable way to make sure you understand the material. Also, the exams take several hours and the average scores on them have not been good, and thus far she has refused to use a curve.

Professor Shrestha is clearly very competent, and I feel confident that she knows what she is talking about in regards to chemistry. With that being said, I feel that her lectures are not effective in teaching the material, and I have had to teach great deal of the material to myself. There are weekly homework assignments, some of wh …Read more

Fast-PacedDifficult Exams
4hrs / week Average difficulty High value Would not take again
with Rick Bunt11 months ago

There’s not much to say other than Professor Bunt is a great professor. He worked hard to mold the material into a cohesive and accessible whole, which he achieved with strong lectures and a good read on the class’s comprehension. Gen Chem was consequently very enjoyable, and I recommend it with Bunt to anyone wishing to fulfill a distribution requirement or learn more about Chem.

Fair Grading
9hrs / week Average difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Rick Bunt11 months ago

Chem 103 is an excellent foundational course necessary for anyone pursuing chemistry or biochemistry. The course reviews material from AP chemistry courses in high school. However, now the content is being applied to a lab setting. Professor Rick Bunt is amazing!!

Fast-PacedFair GradingDifficult Exams
6hrs / week Some difficulty Extremely high value Would take again
with Cole Dovey11 months ago

I had not taken chemistry since sophomore year of highschool so thinking chem 103 would be easy was very innacurate. Dovey is a young and relatively new professor and I am sure he will become and awesome one. That being said, I learned the majority of the material on my own. Dovey was friendly and enthusiastic and there wasnt too much to complain about. It just could have been alot better

I had not taken chemistry since sophomore year of highschool so thinking chem 103 would be easy was very innacurate. Dovey is a young and relatively new professor and I am sure he will become and awesome one. That being said, I learned the majority of the material on my own. Dovey was friendly and enthusiastic and there wasnt too muc …Read more

Fast-PacedDifficult ExamsFair Grading
10hrs / week Extremely difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

I think Professor Shrestha is a great at teaching. She is very clear and you can tell she's very knowledgeable. Her exams are straightforward, she is not trying to trick you. Sigfigs are important, so make sure you know that. There is a lot of material, and many students have no chemistry background, therefore she hasn't been able to cover every material, so you also may need to learn on your own but it's not that much and she is very helpful during office hours. People just don't want to put any work, and expect to do well. If you study even moderately you will be fine(I had no chemistry background).

I think Professor Shrestha is a great at teaching. She is very clear and you can tell she's very knowledgeable. Her exams are straightforward, she is not trying to trick you. Sigfigs are important, so make sure you know that. There is a lot of material, and many students have no chemistry background, therefore she hasn't been able to …Read more

Tough GradingFast-PacedEasy Exams
4hrs / week Low difficulty Very high value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha4 months ago

Kristina gets a lot of unfair hate, she is enthusiastic and if you go to office hours, she is very helpful. It is however a lot of self-teaching, as the lectures are not more insightful then simply reading the material on your own. The combination of weekly achieves, canvas assignments, and canvas quizzes was difficult to juggle, and one platform for practice problems would have perhaps made it easier.

Kristina gets a lot of unfair hate, she is enthusiastic and if you go to office hours, she is very helpful. It is however a lot of self-teaching, as the lectures are not more insightful then simply reading the material on your own. The combination of weekly achieves, canvas assignments, and canvas quizzes was difficult to juggle, and …Read more

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
5hrs / week Very difficulty Extremely high value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha4 months ago

Chem 103 is manageable if you put in the work. It is definitely a lot of material, but the concepts are not overly difficult. Professor Shrestha is a very nice person and helpful in office hours, but sometimes in lecture she will spend too much time on easy concepts and then rush through the more challenging ones. Overall, the exams were fair, and if you put in the effort, you will be fine.

Chem 103 is manageable if you put in the work. It is definitely a lot of material, but the concepts are not overly difficult. Professor Shrestha is a very nice person and helpful in office hours, but sometimes in lecture she will spend too much time on easy concepts and then rush through the more challenging ones. Overall, the exams …Read more

Fast-PacedFair Grading
6hrs / week Average difficulty High value Would take again
with Kristina Shresthalast month

I was nervous about taking CHEM but tbh, if you go to her office hours she is super helpful and during exams, she is very good at answering your questions. The homeworks are super helpful and the exams match up to the homeworks pretty well.

Fast-PacedFair GradingDifficult Exams
5hrs / week Average difficulty Average value Would take again
with Kristina Shresthalast month

Very helpful with homework and working through problems. Office hours are valuable. Hard to understand sometimes but she grades fair and is very nice and clear. Tests were fair and went perfect with the homework

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
2hrs / week Very difficulty Extremely high value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

I personally did not enjoy this class at all. The lectures were very boring and I often felt like I never learned anything from attending them. She also gives very hard tests with no curve or opportunities for extra credit. Class averages on tests so far are around 70% which clearly indicates that her teaching is ineffective.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkDifficult Exams
6hrs / week Extremely difficulty Very low value Would not take again
with Rick Bunt11 months ago

Professor Bunt was very accomodating and understanding of students. He taught very enthusiastically and made the class fun, making sure to insert jokes and fun commentary. If you don't understand a topic in class, make sure to visit his office hours!

Chill and RelaxedEasy GradingEasy Exams
3hrs / week Low difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

There are a couple of assignments every week that can be a bit overwhelming at first, but they really help with being able to understand the material. The course can be a bit challenging as it is faster-paced and can be very confusing at times.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
4hrs / week Some difficulty Extremely high value Would not take again
with Rick Buntlast year

This course was awesome for my first semester. I really enjoyed the way that Bunt taught this course. He was enthusiastic and informative with all material and many times related rather mundane information to interesting real life scenarios. There is a lot of great built in support for this course in terms of tutors and TAs so definitely take advantage of your resources! I recommend always doing the practice exam problems and you will be fine. Overall super interesting and a great intro chem class.

This course was awesome for my first semester. I really enjoyed the way that Bunt taught this course. He was enthusiastic and informative with all material and many times related rather mundane information to interesting real life scenarios. There is a lot of great built in support for this course in terms of tutors and TAs so defini …Read more

Chill and RelaxedLots of Homework
2hrs / week Average difficulty High value Would take again
with Rick Buntlast year

I really enjoyed this intro class and the professor. He is very nice and makes class enjoyable. The pace and material was straightforward and laid a good foundation for my chemistry knowledge. Weekly quizzes really helped me say on top of the material and the tests were all on your own time and take home. Lab was also very fun and not too stressful. Overall, loved this class for my first semester!

I really enjoyed this intro class and the professor. He is very nice and makes class enjoyable. The pace and material was straightforward and laid a good foundation for my chemistry knowledge. Weekly quizzes really helped me say on top of the material and the tests were all on your own time and take home. Lab was also very fun and no …Read more

Chill and RelaxedFair GradingEasy Exams
4hrs / week Average difficulty Very high value Would take again
with Rick Buntlast year

Bunt is very knowledgeable and effective in his teaching. Occasionally, the way he explains things is a little weird, but he's very good nonetheless. If you want to do well, you need to be willing to set aside time to do practice problems. Other than that, the reading is pretty minimal. Tests are specific, but if you practice, you should be good.

Fast-PacedFair GradingDifficult Exams
6hrs / week Average difficulty Extremely high value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha6 months ago

Let's start with the positives: Professor Shrestha is clearly very knowledgeable and cares about her students. However, I do have a number of critiques about her as well. Firstly, she is just not good at teaching. She is very confusing and does not explain the material well. It often feels as if she is talking in circles. Additionally, she often shows up 5+ minutes late to a 50 minute lecture -- over time that definitely builds up and hurts the students! Her exams are tough, not because she is giving us unfair exams, but because many students just haven't been able to learn the material because she hasn't taught it well. Overall, if you had a strong high school chemistry program, this class may be manageable for you. If you have very limited experience with chemistry, you will definitely be putting in a lot of overtime hours to learn the material.

Let's start with the positives: Professor Shrestha is clearly very knowledgeable and cares about her students. However, I do have a number of critiques about her as well. Firstly, she is just not good at teaching. She is very confusing and does not explain the material well. It often feels as if she is talking in circles. Additionall …Read more

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkDifficult Exams
5hrs / week Some difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha5 months ago

I enjoyed this course but felt like there could have been more of an effective lecture style. I wish we spent more time in lab doing problems that we would actually be seeing on the exam. The exams were long, but I found that the grading and questions were generally fair. The lab component of the course was fair and good introduction to college level laboratories.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
8hrs / week Average difficulty High value Would take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

This is a fast paced class. The professor is fair, but you have to make sure to keep up on your work. There is usually two different homework sets (one on canvas and one on achieve) that you have to do each week. Going to tutoring and office hours is helpful. The homework can be a lot at times but it is really important for understanding the material. There are three exams, and they are not curved. You have to pay about $40 for Achieve (a homework platform) which is a bit frustrating but the textbook is free online. Professor Simpson, the lab professor is great and very approachable (thought there is a lab report each week).

This is a fast paced class. The professor is fair, but you have to make sure to keep up on your work. There is usually two different homework sets (one on canvas and one on achieve) that you have to do each week. Going to tutoring and office hours is helpful. The homework can be a lot at times but it is really important for understan …Read more

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkDifficult Exams
4hrs / week Very difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Mary Jane Simpsonlast year

Professor Mary Jane Simpson was very helpful when it came time to doing individual labs. As chem 103 is the very first chemistry offered as well as the lab to go with it, I felt that the lab served as a great introduction to what future lab experiences should hold in other courses.

Fast-PacedProject-HeavyFair Grading
3hrs / week Some difficulty High value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

I found Kristina's teaching to be fast-paced and a little difficult to follow in lectures. However, she is very helpful during office hours and takes the time to go slowly and teach the material. The labs are time-consuming but not crazy difficult. Homework is not tedious and is actually quite helpful in preparing for the exams.

Fast-PacedFair Grading
5hrs / week Some difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Rick Buntlast year

Professor Bunt is awesome, super engaging, nice, and funny. He is always willing to help in office hours and tried to prepare you as best you can. His exams were mostly take-home and not extremely difficult but definitely relied heavily on consistent reading and lecture notes.

Fast-PacedConstant ReadingFair Grading
6hrs / week Some difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha5 months ago

Kristina was fine, but very scatterbrained and made a lot of mistakes during lecture that made it hard to follow. Lab was great but lecture made it a little hard to enjoy. It was easy enough to follow along, and the material itself was not difficult.

Fast-PacedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
4hrs / week Average difficulty Above average value Would take again
with Michael French6 months ago

French was a good instructor but Sandwick was the single worst lab professor I have ever had. I wish I never took lab with him. He should not be teaching. One of the worst experience in my Middlebury career.

Fast-PacedTough GradingDifficult Exams
25hrs / week Very difficulty Average value Would not take again
with Kristina Shrestha11 months ago

Exams are not given back to students and you have to go in to office hours to look at them. There’s no curving and the lecture does not include many practice problems due to how fast the course is paced. Lecture can be very hard to follow.

Fast-PacedTough GradingDifficult Exams
6hrs / week Very difficulty Above average value Would not take again
with Rick Buntlast year

Professor Bunt is really easygoing. He explained the materials very clearly and did interesting experiments during the lectures. All exams are take-home and not timed, which do reduce much stress. The lab instructor Professor Simpson is awsome too!

Chill and RelaxedFair Grading
4hrs / week Average difficulty High value Would not take again
with Michael Frenchlast year

Pretty standard intro course, not difficult conceptually. French is not the most enthusiastic or engaging prof but gets the job done. Pretty boring lectures, lab is very easy and chill - no formal lab reports.

Chill and RelaxedLots of HomeworkFair Grading
4hrs / week Low difficulty Low value Would take again
with Mary Jane Simpsonlast year

Professor Simpson was very approachable and you could tell she wanted the best for her students. She truly wanted us to succeed in the class and help us succeed through her constant support and accommodations.

Chill and RelaxedProject-HeavyFair Grading
5hrs / week Average difficulty Average value Would not take again