AI Rate Professor

Chemistry

Maria Somma

CHEM31 · CHEM30A · CHEM1A · 34 lifetime ratings

AI rating
48/100
RMP rating
3.1/5
Take again
51.43%
Difficulty
4.0

The decision

Take her only if you are ready for a demanding chemistry class and .

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerHeavy workloadTest heavyExtra creditCaring but strictPolarizing teaching
  • Reviews are sharply split between students who find her caring and helpful and .
  • The course is intellectually difficult and , and outside practice.
  • , curves, cheat sheets, and deadline flexibility can help, but .

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

42/100

An A is possible through , curves, and persistence, but and difficult tests.

In-person reviews show and , while online reviews make the A feel much harder.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

30/100

Chemistry content is demanding, fast for beginners, and often requires outside study or reteaching.

Both formats describe difficult content, but online reviews are .

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

34/100

Attendance and participation appear important because students say you need to come to class, participate, and use workshops to succeed.

In-person reviews provide most attendance evidence; online reviews mention participation pressure but .

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

50/100

She is recommended by serious students who value structure and support, but many others warn against her because of and .

In-person recommendation is mixed, while online recommendation is clearly negative.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Fair

56/100

, curves, and accommodations help, but many and high exam weight.

Format shift

and flexibility more often, while and little or no curving.

Workload

Heavy

24/100

Students frequently cite lots of , and major test preparation.

Format shift

Both formats are heavy, but , and homework volume.

Teaching experience

Average

55/100

Her teaching is polarizing, with strong praise for patience and examples balanced by serious complaints about confusion, rude tone, and poor lectures.

Format shift

and awful experiences, while online reviews are mostly negative.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

82/100

Grades , and finals, even though homework, labs, and also matter.

Format shift

Online reviews emphasize test-heavy grading, and .

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

31 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person reviews are mixed, with many praising her care, examples, extra credit, and curves, while , and difficult exams.

Main concern

The main risk is a heavy, test-focused course that .

What students said

“Good professor for serious students.”
CHEM31
“There were 3 exams and they were worth 50% (none are dropped), and the final was worth 25% of the grade.”
CHEM1A
“Chemistry is not an easy class by any means and will require a time commitment.”
CHEM1A

Remote format

Online

4 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

Online reviews are strongly negative, , and poor student treatment.

Main concern

Students report needing to reteach themselves and struggling with .

What students said

“her tests are really hard, .”
CHEM1A
“Had to reteach myself after each class.”
CHEM1A
“Grade .”
CHEM1A

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exam risk is high because many students describe hard, heavily weighted tests, though .

Test HeavyHard ExamsFinal Worth 25 PercentIndex Card Cheat SheetCurves Sometimes

Assessment risk

Strict

32/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person reviews describe heavily weighted , and an index card cheat sheet.

Three Exams Worth 50 PercentFinal Worth 25 PercentWeekly QuizzesIndex Card Cheat SheetCurves Sometimes
“There were 3 exams and they were worth 50% (none are dropped), and the final was worth 25% of the grade.”
CHEM1A
“ but allows an index card cheat sheet and .”
CHEM1A
“Few problems on exams are harder than what's done in class; .”
CHEM1A

Online

Online , but do not clearly prove webcam use, Lockdown Browser, open-book status, or proctoring rules.

Hard TestsTest HeavyNo Clear Curve
“ ”
CHEM1A
“Grade .”
CHEM1A
“ .”
CHEM1A

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“Good professor for serious students. High expectations, but it prepares you for the next levels (1A, etc.).”

Voice snapshots generated from 35 reviews, highlighting key themes in , and mixed recommendation; credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

55/100

“ and over again with tons of examples.”

📚 Workload Pressure

24/100

“You will need to spend a good amount of time outside of class to succeed.”

🧪

32/100

“There were 3 exams and they were worth 50% (none are dropped), and the final was worth 25% of the grade.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • Prof. and gives extra examples when needed.
  • She teaches things at advanced level and doesn't focus enough time on the basics!
  • Had to reteach myself after each class.

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • Chemistry is hard but if you do the work you will do fine.
  • Difficulty of class is extreme.
  • She gives lots of but .

Theme 3

⚖️ About Exams and Workload

  • The workload is heavy but , and .
  • Grade .
  • LOTS OF HW questions.

Theme 4

❤️ About Support and Tone

  • and somewhat understanding
  • She can be a bit mean when you make mistakes or don't understand concepts.
  • She cares about student success and .

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

35

Recent reviews read by the AI

34

Lifetime ratings

93/100

Evidence confidence

Credibility is high because 35 reviews across several years give detailed, consistent evidence of a difficult and polarizing course.

Inside 35 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 515
4 out of 52
3 out of 54
2 out of 52
1 out of 512

Course coverage

CHEM1A27 reviews
chem30a6 reviews
CHEM312 reviews

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

34 reported outcomes

A range

11

A+ 5 · A 5 · A- 1

B range

8

B 7 · B- 1

C range

2

C 2

D range

4

D 4

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

9

Drop/Withdrawal 2 · Not sure yet 6 · Rather not say 1