Professor
Jennifer Casey
1 of 2
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2020 - FOR CHEM14AE SPRING 2020: From the pandemic to the recent tension affecting our lives and communities, this quarter has been particularly challenging for all of us. While many professors have adjusted their courses and attitudes to fit the obstacles many students are currently facing, few have been as kind and accommodating as Dr. Casey. There is no other class that students are taking in which the instructional team rejoices in class memes, offers office hours on the weekend, struggles with balloons for our education’s sake and understands, uplifts and encourages all of us to succeed. When I look back on how much we’ve learned over the past quarter, we have done an exceptional amount of learning thanks to the dedication of the instructional team. It is sometimes easy to forget, but at the bare core, professors and TAs do not have a specific obligation to care deeply about student wellbeing or pay an extraordinary amount of detail in creating intentional and meaningful coursework, especially for an online pilot class during a turbulent time in our society! However, Dr. Casey and the TAs/LAs have gone above and beyond in purposefully and passionately fulfilling those additional duties this quarter, all while cultivating a positive environment during class. Dr. Casey mentioned some time during the quarter that in the best case scenario, she hoped that all of us would end the class thinking chemistry is fun. Well, after Chem14AE with her, I’m glad to say that chemistry is fun (most of the time)! Although I personally really like the quarter system, this is one of the few times I actually wish we were on the semester system. This class has been my favorite class I have taken at UCLA so far, and I’m actually sad that it is coming to an end so soon. I’ll miss reading everyone’s responses to the opening question, writing sassy responses on the lab worksheets with my team and feeling just a little more happiness in the world when Dr. Casey’s face lights up in fascination from chiweenies, carrots and random chemistry facts. It even gave me the final push to switch my major to something chem-related. What happens in this course truly is the best of UCLA, and why I love going to this school so much. I recommend everyone take this class with her. During a normal quarter, the grade breakdown may be as follows (could change in the future): Surveys 5 points (1%) Homework 50 points (10%) Clicker Questions 40 points (8%) <--you have more than enough opportunities to earn these 40 points Pre-Discussion Quizlet 45 points (9%) <--lowest one is dropped Learn Before Lecture 45 points (9%) <--lowest one is dropped Discussion Worksheets 90 points (18%) <--was made out of 80 points this quarter, there were nine worksheets worth 90 points, you can miss up to 10 points to still get full credit, collaborative with lab group+LA, includes reflections Calibrated Peer Review 30 points (6%) <--was replaced with a group essay this quarter, not too bad, 500-600 words! Quizzes 45 points (9%) <--solitary, timed, closed book/note, lowest quiz is dropped Midterm 50 points (10%) <--collaborative with lab group, open book/note, timed Final Exam 100 points (20%) <--was replaced with a cumulative discussion worksheet this quarter due to academic senate, collaborative with the lab group and class, open book/note, not timed Total 500 points (There are extra credit opportunities provided as well.) This class heavily relies on group work. You'll come to love it and your team. During discussion sections, LAs are placed with teams of four to guide you through the worksheets. This class can be challenging at times if you do not have a strong chemistry foundation, but there is a huge support system and is extremely rewarding. This class covers way more material than the regular Chem14 series but will prepare you for later courses in the series. However, you won't be spending endless hours on weekly assignments, all of which are extremely useful for coming to lecture prepared and doing well in the class. There are less weekly homework assignments than a typical science class because there is an additional hour added to discussions, which might seem terrible on the surface, but you'd rather suffer through the material with help from peers, LAs, TAs and the professor than by yourself late at night. Everything is very intentional and meaningful in this class. You MUST attend lecture. Classes are not recorded. However, you will enjoy coming to class. It's actually fun (even though we were online)! The instructional team does EVERYTHING in its power to try to help you succeed. Don't cut yourself short by not taking advantage of the resources (office hours, study lounges, LA workshops, videos, piazza discussion forum, etc.) they provide. I wish I would have known how amazing this class was going to be (I had zero clue going in), so I could have savored every moment. Good luck!
Spring 2020 - FOR CHEM14AE SPRING 2020: From the pandemic to the recent tension affecting our lives and communities, this quarter has been particularly challenging for all of us. While many professors have adjusted their courses and attitudes to fit the obstacles many students are currently facing, few have been as kind and accommodating as Dr. Casey. There is no other class that students are taking in which the instructional team rejoices in class memes, offers office hours on the weekend, struggles with balloons for our education’s sake and understands, uplifts and encourages all of us to succeed. When I look back on how much we’ve learned over the past quarter, we have done an exceptional amount of learning thanks to the dedication of the instructional team. It is sometimes easy to forget, but at the bare core, professors and TAs do not have a specific obligation to care deeply about student wellbeing or pay an extraordinary amount of detail in creating intentional and meaningful coursework, especially for an online pilot class during a turbulent time in our society! However, Dr. Casey and the TAs/LAs have gone above and beyond in purposefully and passionately fulfilling those additional duties this quarter, all while cultivating a positive environment during class. Dr. Casey mentioned some time during the quarter that in the best case scenario, she hoped that all of us would end the class thinking chemistry is fun. Well, after Chem14AE with her, I’m glad to say that chemistry is fun (most of the time)! Although I personally really like the quarter system, this is one of the few times I actually wish we were on the semester system. This class has been my favorite class I have taken at UCLA so far, and I’m actually sad that it is coming to an end so soon. I’ll miss reading everyone’s responses to the opening question, writing sassy responses on the lab worksheets with my team and feeling just a little more happiness in the world when Dr. Casey’s face lights up in fascination from chiweenies, carrots and random chemistry facts. It even gave me the final push to switch my major to something chem-related. What happens in this course truly is the best of UCLA, and why I love going to this school so much. I recommend everyone take this class with her. During a normal quarter, the grade breakdown may be as follows (could change in the future): Surveys 5 points (1%) Homework 50 points (10%) Clicker Questions 40 points (8%) <--you have more than enough opportunities to earn these 40 points Pre-Discussion Quizlet 45 points (9%) <--lowest one is dropped Learn Before Lecture 45 points (9%) <--lowest one is dropped Discussion Worksheets 90 points (18%) <--was made out of 80 points this quarter, there were nine worksheets worth 90 points, you can miss up to 10 points to still get full credit, collaborative with lab group+LA, includes reflections Calibrated Peer Review 30 points (6%) <--was replaced with a group essay this quarter, not too bad, 500-600 words! Quizzes 45 points (9%) <--solitary, timed, closed book/note, lowest quiz is dropped Midterm 50 points (10%) <--collaborative with lab group, open book/note, timed Final Exam 100 points (20%) <--was replaced with a cumulative discussion worksheet this quarter due to academic senate, collaborative with the lab group and class, open book/note, not timed Total 500 points (There are extra credit opportunities provided as well.) This class heavily relies on group work. You'll come to love it and your team. During discussion sections, LAs are placed with teams of four to guide you through the worksheets. This class can be challenging at times if you do not have a strong chemistry foundation, but there is a huge support system and is extremely rewarding. This class covers way more material than the regular Chem14 series but will prepare you for later courses in the series. However, you won't be spending endless hours on weekly assignments, all of which are extremely useful for coming to lecture prepared and doing well in the class. There are less weekly homework assignments than a typical science class because there is an additional hour added to discussions, which might seem terrible on the surface, but you'd rather suffer through the material with help from peers, LAs, TAs and the professor than by yourself late at night. Everything is very intentional and meaningful in this class. You MUST attend lecture. Classes are not recorded. However, you will enjoy coming to class. It's actually fun (even though we were online)! The instructional team does EVERYTHING in its power to try to help you succeed. Don't cut yourself short by not taking advantage of the resources (office hours, study lounges, LA workshops, videos, piazza discussion forum, etc.) they provide. I wish I would have known how amazing this class was going to be (I had zero clue going in), so I could have savored every moment. Good luck!
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2020 - FOR CHEM14AE SPRING 2020: From the pandemic to the recent tension affecting our lives and communities, this quarter has been particularly challenging for all of us. While many professors have adjusted their courses and attitudes to fit the obstacles many students are currently facing, few have been as kind and accommodating as Dr. Casey. There is no other class that students are taking in which the instructional team rejoices in class memes, offers office hours on the weekend, struggles with balloons for our education’s sake and understands, uplifts and encourages all of us to succeed. When I look back on how much we’ve learned over the past quarter, we have done an exceptional amount of learning thanks to the dedication of the instructional team. It is sometimes easy to forget, but at the bare core, professors and TAs do not have a specific obligation to care deeply about student wellbeing or pay an extraordinary amount of detail in creating intentional and meaningful coursework, especially for an online pilot class during a turbulent time in our society! However, Dr. Casey and the TAs/LAs have gone above and beyond in purposefully and passionately fulfilling those additional duties this quarter, all while cultivating a positive environment during class. Dr. Casey mentioned some time during the quarter that in the best case scenario, she hoped that all of us would end the class thinking chemistry is fun. Well, after Chem14AE with her, I’m glad to say that chemistry is fun (most of the time)! Although I personally really like the quarter system, this is one of the few times I actually wish we were on the semester system. This class has been my favorite class I have taken at UCLA so far, and I’m actually sad that it is coming to an end so soon. I’ll miss reading everyone’s responses to the opening question, writing sassy responses on the lab worksheets with my team and feeling just a little more happiness in the world when Dr. Casey’s face lights up in fascination from chiweenies, carrots and random chemistry facts. It even gave me the final push to switch my major to something chem-related. What happens in this course truly is the best of UCLA, and why I love going to this school so much. I recommend everyone take this class with her. During a normal quarter, the grade breakdown may be as follows (could change in the future): Surveys 5 points (1%) Homework 50 points (10%) Clicker Questions 40 points (8%) <--you have more than enough opportunities to earn these 40 points Pre-Discussion Quizlet 45 points (9%) <--lowest one is dropped Learn Before Lecture 45 points (9%) <--lowest one is dropped Discussion Worksheets 90 points (18%) <--was made out of 80 points this quarter, there were nine worksheets worth 90 points, you can miss up to 10 points to still get full credit, collaborative with lab group+LA, includes reflections Calibrated Peer Review 30 points (6%) <--was replaced with a group essay this quarter, not too bad, 500-600 words! Quizzes 45 points (9%) <--solitary, timed, closed book/note, lowest quiz is dropped Midterm 50 points (10%) <--collaborative with lab group, open book/note, timed Final Exam 100 points (20%) <--was replaced with a cumulative discussion worksheet this quarter due to academic senate, collaborative with the lab group and class, open book/note, not timed Total 500 points (There are extra credit opportunities provided as well.) This class heavily relies on group work. You'll come to love it and your team. During discussion sections, LAs are placed with teams of four to guide you through the worksheets. This class can be challenging at times if you do not have a strong chemistry foundation, but there is a huge support system and is extremely rewarding. This class covers way more material than the regular Chem14 series but will prepare you for later courses in the series. However, you won't be spending endless hours on weekly assignments, all of which are extremely useful for coming to lecture prepared and doing well in the class. There are less weekly homework assignments than a typical science class because there is an additional hour added to discussions, which might seem terrible on the surface, but you'd rather suffer through the material with help from peers, LAs, TAs and the professor than by yourself late at night. Everything is very intentional and meaningful in this class. You MUST attend lecture. Classes are not recorded. However, you will enjoy coming to class. It's actually fun (even though we were online)! The instructional team does EVERYTHING in its power to try to help you succeed. Don't cut yourself short by not taking advantage of the resources (office hours, study lounges, LA workshops, videos, piazza discussion forum, etc.) they provide. I wish I would have known how amazing this class was going to be (I had zero clue going in), so I could have savored every moment. Good luck!
Spring 2020 - FOR CHEM14AE SPRING 2020: From the pandemic to the recent tension affecting our lives and communities, this quarter has been particularly challenging for all of us. While many professors have adjusted their courses and attitudes to fit the obstacles many students are currently facing, few have been as kind and accommodating as Dr. Casey. There is no other class that students are taking in which the instructional team rejoices in class memes, offers office hours on the weekend, struggles with balloons for our education’s sake and understands, uplifts and encourages all of us to succeed. When I look back on how much we’ve learned over the past quarter, we have done an exceptional amount of learning thanks to the dedication of the instructional team. It is sometimes easy to forget, but at the bare core, professors and TAs do not have a specific obligation to care deeply about student wellbeing or pay an extraordinary amount of detail in creating intentional and meaningful coursework, especially for an online pilot class during a turbulent time in our society! However, Dr. Casey and the TAs/LAs have gone above and beyond in purposefully and passionately fulfilling those additional duties this quarter, all while cultivating a positive environment during class. Dr. Casey mentioned some time during the quarter that in the best case scenario, she hoped that all of us would end the class thinking chemistry is fun. Well, after Chem14AE with her, I’m glad to say that chemistry is fun (most of the time)! Although I personally really like the quarter system, this is one of the few times I actually wish we were on the semester system. This class has been my favorite class I have taken at UCLA so far, and I’m actually sad that it is coming to an end so soon. I’ll miss reading everyone’s responses to the opening question, writing sassy responses on the lab worksheets with my team and feeling just a little more happiness in the world when Dr. Casey’s face lights up in fascination from chiweenies, carrots and random chemistry facts. It even gave me the final push to switch my major to something chem-related. What happens in this course truly is the best of UCLA, and why I love going to this school so much. I recommend everyone take this class with her. During a normal quarter, the grade breakdown may be as follows (could change in the future): Surveys 5 points (1%) Homework 50 points (10%) Clicker Questions 40 points (8%) <--you have more than enough opportunities to earn these 40 points Pre-Discussion Quizlet 45 points (9%) <--lowest one is dropped Learn Before Lecture 45 points (9%) <--lowest one is dropped Discussion Worksheets 90 points (18%) <--was made out of 80 points this quarter, there were nine worksheets worth 90 points, you can miss up to 10 points to still get full credit, collaborative with lab group+LA, includes reflections Calibrated Peer Review 30 points (6%) <--was replaced with a group essay this quarter, not too bad, 500-600 words! Quizzes 45 points (9%) <--solitary, timed, closed book/note, lowest quiz is dropped Midterm 50 points (10%) <--collaborative with lab group, open book/note, timed Final Exam 100 points (20%) <--was replaced with a cumulative discussion worksheet this quarter due to academic senate, collaborative with the lab group and class, open book/note, not timed Total 500 points (There are extra credit opportunities provided as well.) This class heavily relies on group work. You'll come to love it and your team. During discussion sections, LAs are placed with teams of four to guide you through the worksheets. This class can be challenging at times if you do not have a strong chemistry foundation, but there is a huge support system and is extremely rewarding. This class covers way more material than the regular Chem14 series but will prepare you for later courses in the series. However, you won't be spending endless hours on weekly assignments, all of which are extremely useful for coming to lecture prepared and doing well in the class. There are less weekly homework assignments than a typical science class because there is an additional hour added to discussions, which might seem terrible on the surface, but you'd rather suffer through the material with help from peers, LAs, TAs and the professor than by yourself late at night. Everything is very intentional and meaningful in this class. You MUST attend lecture. Classes are not recorded. However, you will enjoy coming to class. It's actually fun (even though we were online)! The instructional team does EVERYTHING in its power to try to help you succeed. Don't cut yourself short by not taking advantage of the resources (office hours, study lounges, LA workshops, videos, piazza discussion forum, etc.) they provide. I wish I would have known how amazing this class was going to be (I had zero clue going in), so I could have savored every moment. Good luck!
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Most Helpful Review
Winter 2021 - For this quarter, the workload consisted of: Weekly lab section activities: 90 points (21% of grade). She drops the lowest lab activity. This activity is done with your assigned group during lab. The lab activities were often unnecessarily long amd tedious and graded very harshly. Surveys: 5 points (1%) Team reflections: 5 points (1%) Weekly lab reports: 150 points (34%). Most are done on your own, however some were group lab reports. You work on these lab reports on your own time outside of lab/class. She made the total points worth 170 but would only take 150 points, meaning you have a 20 point buffer to still be able to get 100% in this section. Some of the lab reports were alright but others were unecessarily long. They were also graded harshly. Writing assignment: 25 points (6%). This assignment is grades by your peers amd the grade consists of your rating as a reviewer, the grades given by your peers, and if you "mastered" the oractuce review portions. Midterm: 60 points (14%). She gave 2 hours to do the midterm anytime between 8am-8pm. There was an individual portion worth 50 points. This is taken during the 8am-8pm slot. Then a group portion of the same midterm was to be done and was worth 10 points. The group portion was not timed. Final exam: 100 points (23%). The final could be taken anytime from 8 am-10pm and once startes you have a 3 hour time limit to complete it. It was much harder and lengthier than the midterm. The content itself isn't hard but she makes the material harsher than it should be for a 3 unit class. She gave an 8 point extra credit that was only to be applied to the lab activities section. The grading for this class is harsh, and it's almost as if they look for places to take points off rather than to reward effort. Honestly this class was not worth the time commitment and anxiety, especially during the pandemic. However, Casey is nice and very helpful in OH and engaging in the practice problem sessions.
Winter 2021 - For this quarter, the workload consisted of: Weekly lab section activities: 90 points (21% of grade). She drops the lowest lab activity. This activity is done with your assigned group during lab. The lab activities were often unnecessarily long amd tedious and graded very harshly. Surveys: 5 points (1%) Team reflections: 5 points (1%) Weekly lab reports: 150 points (34%). Most are done on your own, however some were group lab reports. You work on these lab reports on your own time outside of lab/class. She made the total points worth 170 but would only take 150 points, meaning you have a 20 point buffer to still be able to get 100% in this section. Some of the lab reports were alright but others were unecessarily long. They were also graded harshly. Writing assignment: 25 points (6%). This assignment is grades by your peers amd the grade consists of your rating as a reviewer, the grades given by your peers, and if you "mastered" the oractuce review portions. Midterm: 60 points (14%). She gave 2 hours to do the midterm anytime between 8am-8pm. There was an individual portion worth 50 points. This is taken during the 8am-8pm slot. Then a group portion of the same midterm was to be done and was worth 10 points. The group portion was not timed. Final exam: 100 points (23%). The final could be taken anytime from 8 am-10pm and once startes you have a 3 hour time limit to complete it. It was much harder and lengthier than the midterm. The content itself isn't hard but she makes the material harsher than it should be for a 3 unit class. She gave an 8 point extra credit that was only to be applied to the lab activities section. The grading for this class is harsh, and it's almost as if they look for places to take points off rather than to reward effort. Honestly this class was not worth the time commitment and anxiety, especially during the pandemic. However, Casey is nice and very helpful in OH and engaging in the practice problem sessions.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2018 - Dr. Casey really is a godsend. If you have the opportunity to take Chem 14CL with her, do not pass it up! She is so sweet, approachable, friendly, caring, and intelligent. Her office hours are truly helpful, and she'll often go over answers to the pre-lab questions and give very specific help with your post-labs. Make sure to go to her office hours before CPR assignments also, otherwise you will likely lose points. I really appreciate that unlike some other professors, she's really not trying to trick you. Casey will answer questions directly and straightforwardly, while obviously still trying to maintain the integrity of the assignment. Her exams are fair, but really make sure to focus on conceptual content. As in, truly focus on the material presented on the slides, ask questions about things you may be unclear about in office hours, and recognize that the problem sets are math-heavy but her exams truly are concept-heavy. I had a lot of anxiety during the midterm and I completely misinterpreted multiple questions, which made the difference between me getting a ~90% and actually getting a 64%. It was an absolute nightmare, given that I felt like I genuinely knew the material. It was especially traumatizing considering that I'm used to getting 90s in chem. But, don't be deterred because in our class the midterm literally only counted for 9% of the grade. What helped me was definitely that Casey was extraordinarily encouraging. I developed a rapport with her during 14BL when I was generally having a harder time (outside academics), and she literally told me to just set up an appointment with her whenever I wanted to speak to her. After that, she would ALWAYS greet me by name whenever she would see me, and that was so, so sweet. This quarter when I let her know that, as a student with disabilities, who also has phone anxiety, that I was super uncomfortable with making phone calls to ask questions during exams... she really went out of her way to try to support me. We discussed it, and she tried to really emphasize that she wanted me to feel comfortable, so she actually stopped by personally in my separate testing location to help answer questions. Casey really, really, really cares about her students. And she's a truly engaging lecturer also. With her support, and also recognizing that she HEAVILY emphasizes concepts, I was able to get an 87% on the final and ultimately about 93-94% in the class for a solid A.
Fall 2018 - Dr. Casey really is a godsend. If you have the opportunity to take Chem 14CL with her, do not pass it up! She is so sweet, approachable, friendly, caring, and intelligent. Her office hours are truly helpful, and she'll often go over answers to the pre-lab questions and give very specific help with your post-labs. Make sure to go to her office hours before CPR assignments also, otherwise you will likely lose points. I really appreciate that unlike some other professors, she's really not trying to trick you. Casey will answer questions directly and straightforwardly, while obviously still trying to maintain the integrity of the assignment. Her exams are fair, but really make sure to focus on conceptual content. As in, truly focus on the material presented on the slides, ask questions about things you may be unclear about in office hours, and recognize that the problem sets are math-heavy but her exams truly are concept-heavy. I had a lot of anxiety during the midterm and I completely misinterpreted multiple questions, which made the difference between me getting a ~90% and actually getting a 64%. It was an absolute nightmare, given that I felt like I genuinely knew the material. It was especially traumatizing considering that I'm used to getting 90s in chem. But, don't be deterred because in our class the midterm literally only counted for 9% of the grade. What helped me was definitely that Casey was extraordinarily encouraging. I developed a rapport with her during 14BL when I was generally having a harder time (outside academics), and she literally told me to just set up an appointment with her whenever I wanted to speak to her. After that, she would ALWAYS greet me by name whenever she would see me, and that was so, so sweet. This quarter when I let her know that, as a student with disabilities, who also has phone anxiety, that I was super uncomfortable with making phone calls to ask questions during exams... she really went out of her way to try to support me. We discussed it, and she tried to really emphasize that she wanted me to feel comfortable, so she actually stopped by personally in my separate testing location to help answer questions. Casey really, really, really cares about her students. And she's a truly engaging lecturer also. With her support, and also recognizing that she HEAVILY emphasizes concepts, I was able to get an 87% on the final and ultimately about 93-94% in the class for a solid A.
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