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!

Here’s a genuine review of this class in my opinion: the class itself is pretty difficult, especially at first. The percentage distribution of test and the final seem nice at first, but the tests are EXTREMELY difficult. IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THIS CLASS DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH TA JAY HE IS AN INCREDIBLY TOUGH GRADER AND MARKS OFF ON EVERYTHING (he’s the TA everyone hates). I definitely could have done better in this course, but I ended up being scored super unfairly on one of the major assessments by JAY. I also wish the final was replaced with a cumulative discussion worksheet like it was last quarter, and I think we should have been able to opt out of it. To survive in this class, you have to attend LA workshops and ask for help otherwise you won’t do good. Dr. Casey is a super great professor, but the lecture content and exam content had a big gap in my opinion.

From lectures alone, sometimes concepts get pretty vague and hard to get, but her extra stuff like PDQ and LBL and Discussion reallyyy help. Also Office hours are amazing.

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!

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.

Dr. Casey is literally the best professor you could ever ask for. She is one of the most understanding and caring professors--especially for a STEM professor! She always prioritizes her students' interests and kept reassuring us throughout the quarter. Her class was extremely fair, and after gaining a low-class average for our first midterm/AA, she gave us two extra credit points to make up for it and ease our anxiety. Although the midterms were somewhat tricky, we had so many opportunities to make up for the points we lost. I must admit, though, that you have to turn in at least 4 assignments each week, so be sure to stay on top of the work and not get behind. I found that the best way to study was to read the book, takes notes, and take notes during lecture,s and actually stay attentive. The weekly discussion worksheets with your group are also super helpful and are great review of the material. MAKE SURE TO GO TO LA WORKSHOPS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO AMAZING, and you get to complete a worksheet that's more challenging and has questions from past tests, so it is definitely great practice. Taking Chem14AE was honestly the best decision as it is a great place to start your chemistry journey as an undergrad.

I absolutely hate this lady. She’s a good lecturer but her exams were SO UNNECESSARILY HARD. Writing the labs was such a waste of time and literal my they graded so harshly on everything even though it was a prelab and it was what I was supposed to use to help ME for lab. I hate this woman who said she would round up scored if she sees significantly lower scores from a TA who by the way JAY SUCKS. He was literally the hardest TA ever and didn’t try to help us, he didn’t care about our grades or our emotional state, I’m so done with this stupid class and will NEVER take casey for anything again.

Exactly like what other people said: great professor, horrible class structure and workload.

This is NOT a 3-unit class; treat it as a 5-unit one! The lectures are pretty useless as they are overly simplified; watch the PSS instead, as it is the only source of knowledge that will get you through the confusing lab reports and activities. Attendance for the sessions isn't mandatory, but you're screwed if you don't go through the practice problems. Piazza contains most of the answer keys, so make sure to check it before submitting stuff.

Besides the horrible class structure, what makes this course extra difficult is the lack of connection between each week's materials. Stuff you've learned from the previous week might have nothing to do with that of next week.

P.S. If you get Wenfei as your TA, try switching out of that section immediately. He is unapproachable, passive aggressive and horrible at replying emails.

HI OH MY GOODNESS TAKE PROFESSOR CASEY IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY CHEMISTRY BECAUSE WOWOWOW SHE IS THE BEST PROFESSOR YOU CAN HAVE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO COLLEGE CHEM! I TOOK CHEM 17 AND THAT WAS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE I LEARNED ZEROOOOO, BUT WITH CASEY I LEARNED SOOOO MUCH AND I LOVE CHEMISTRY NOW! She is a great lecturer and she makes lecture so fun and entertaining. She cares so much about her students and offers several office hours. Go to her office hours if you're confused about anything because she will help you!!! Jay and Natalie were also great TAs and always willing to help us understand anything, so go to their office hours too!!! The midterm and final were taken in groups, but ultimately you can disagree with your group and provide your own answers for any questions. The quizzes were a bit challenging in terms of the time limits, but they are very doable! I do not regret switching from Scerri to Casey at all! My friends who took Scerri said they didn't really learn that well in his class, so if you are someone who would like to actually learn during lecture and not self-teach yourself please take Casey!! I hope I can take the chem labs with her because she is so great <3 !!!

REVIEW FOR SPRING 2020 CHEMAE: Really not sure why there are negative reviews for Professor Casey because she is truly one of the most helpful and caring professors I've had here at UCLA. Chemistry in general is difficult but she breaks it down into much simpler topics for us to understand. If you have the oppurtunity to take the AE class, I would HIGHLY recommend it. Though there is "extra" class time, the extra discussion time is really essential to developing accurate conclusions and properly learning the material. You can think of it as less time needed for studying as you are essentially reviewing the material during discussion. Anyways, if anything I'd highly recommend that you take Casey for Chem14, as the grading is pretty lenient and you can still get an A in the class after a low grade on one either the midterm or final.