Neff, Grace  

Chemistry and Biochemistry

3.48/4.00

71 evaluations


CHEM 111


Sophomore
B
General Ed
Dec 2016
Dr. Neff is very knowledgable and fair. She is nice and presents expectations clearly. She also helped clarify questions about the lecture since there was a lot of confusion this quarter with the new lecture professor. I really liked her and would suggest taking her for this lab.

CHEM 124


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Mar 2003
Everyone needs to understand that chem is tough course, and that most of the "bad" reports filed against Dr. Neff were made by people who simply are not willing to do the work. No other teacher I have ever had works as hard as Dr. Neff does to make this course understandable. First off, she supplies reviews before every test and quiz. Furthermore, she supplies a "work-book" for every topic, which covers everything she wants you to know, which sample problems and questions. These alone, will fully prepare you for her tests, which and not altogether easy, but are extremely fair. I highly recommend this teacher. She will always be there to help you in office hours. If you are a student who is willing to do what is required, this teacher is the way to go. There are NO surprises.


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2004
Neff knows her stuff! she can answer any question you have, and she's always nice about it. Her workbooks are the key to passing. If you keep up to date with those you will have !NO! problem passing the quizes/tests. Make sure to do a good job on labs, eventually they can cause your grade to drop. Other than that, Neff makes chemistry possible!


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2004
Bottom line is that this is a tough class. However, Professor Neff writes out all of the notes you need. If you do a good job writing them down and study them you can pass her class.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jan 2004
Neff is a tough teacher, but she'll make you learn the material. If you work hard enough then you can get a high grade. She really does care about her students and will explain problems very clearly in office hours or reviews. Take advantage of the workbooks and review sheets....the tests and quizes are very similar to those. It can get boring sometimes, but that's more the material's fault than it is her's. She is enthusiastic about teaching. Great teacher.


Junior
C
Required (Support)
Jun 2004
Dr. Neff is a great teacher. This class is lecture and lab combined, and it is extremely straight forward. The only reason I didn't get an A is because I didn't do anything at all. I showed up to class about 80% of the time and did all my required work, but that was it. She is very smart and helpful and grades in a very yes-no fashion: either you're right or you aren't. Seriously, you get the grade you deserve. Put the work in, and you will get an A, don't, and you will fail.


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jun 2004
professor neff is decent teacher, she goes through things quickly, but if you read the book before you come into class the lectures make more sense. she does a good job of trying to teach the material, because there was a lot. very approachable, both in and out of office hours.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2004
Neff rocks because she forces you to work. Most of my friends without Neff struggled through Chem 124 because their teachers did not cover the material well and did not give sample questions for tests. Neff will thoroughly cover the material and will give out hundreds of worksheets to practice on. Chem 124 is a tough class, no matter what teacher you have.It is like a weeder course to see which students will or will not work hard. But, Neff will force you to learn, making your experience in the hell of chem 124 a little easier. She is also very approachable and nice in her office hours. Take her if you can. She is a great teacher.


Junior
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2005
The first part of the semester was a disaster; you need a strong foundation in stoichiometry and chemical nomenclature. After getting by thermal chem the rest of the course was pretty easy; I strongly recommend taking the SI course for help. Neff is a good instructor but expects alot, the courseload is tremendous. She is very helpful in her office hours and I would recommend her if your not taking too many units.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Feb 2005
Neff is a very clear but excrutiatingly boring lecturer, but she is very good at explaining things. Otherwise known as, dont ask a question in front of the whole class. Go up and ask her a question and she'll explain it to just you, and it will all make sense. She's a cast iron bitch in a large group setting, but really very nice if things are one on one.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2005
As stated below, don't epect to learn much from her lectures. Not only does she go too fast, but has a very limited grasp of the subject matter. She knows about as much as a student who passed the course with an A. She's late often and is very unorganized, and very unprofessional. She once told us she wouldn't be there, wouldn't have office hours, and would have to leave early becuase she had a job interview and was having a "busy week." I wonder how she'd have looked upon students who ditched class becuase they were having a "busy week." If you ask her questions, she just looks up at the ceiling and says "I'll look it up," or "I'll get back to you later," and then doesn't. And these are relevant questions, not random junk not associated with chem. And she grades like a NAZI. The book is decent, so just put on some headphones during lecture and read it. Overall, Neff has been my worst experience with the Chem department, and as one person said, in a group, she's a "cast iron bitch."


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Apr 2005
Dr. Neff is a nice enough teacher and she displays her material quite well. However, her tests are the hardest tests I have ever taken and they sometimes don't even test you on the material you have learned. I would not recommend taking this teacher or this class.


Freshman
D
Required (Support)
Jul 2005
Dr. Neff is one of the hardest professors that I have ever encountered at Cal Poly! Not only does she gives lots of handouts, they are quite unclear! The labs are also very difficult, and they take time to finish (since the class is huge). She's not very flexible with her grading, so don't expect to pass on a curve (which actually hurted me, too). Also, she will rush you on quizzes and exams. If you have an option, DO NOT choose this professor!


Senior
N/A
Required (Support)
Jul 2005
Ok, I'm currently taking Neff's 124 class this Summer and it's only the third week and I want to rip her head off. She is HORRIBLE. I mean, she is better than Berber-Jimenez but sooo dull. She doesn't do any experimental examples; that's what we want to see right? Reactions happening!! She lectures on the stupid computer and I look around and I see everyone is so bored, why can't she see this?? When we are doing labs, all she does is sit on her fat ass and play with the computer while her TA and the tech guy (who shouldn't have to help anyway) do all the help with answering student problems. She doesn't follow up on things you ask her to do. She doesn't seem the least bit interested in what she is reciting (I say recite, b/c it is obvious she already has full notes of her lecture which add to the monotone). I really don't even understand why she is a teacher; it seems like she could care less...maybe the money? HA! I can't believe that she leads public school teachers in teaching chem. She has busy times and I guess it's ok for her to fuck up due ot a busy but not us huh? Also, she claims to read this and all she does is bitch about how much the harsh ones hurt her wittle feewings; IT'S CALLED CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM DAMNIT!!!!!!! ps, her worksheets are helpful and read the book!! I doubt this will be my last evaluation....


Junior
A
Elective
Aug 2005
Her lectures are much easier to follow than a lot of other professors and the class is really well put together. The presentation style makes you write down what she wants you to know, and thats pretty much all you need to know. Her website has the schedule and a lot of other stuff you'll never look at. The book is expensive trash, the worksheets are pretty pointless if you listen to the lectures and write down her examples. Just listen to her and do the labs and you'll be fine.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2005
Dr. Neff was an amazing teacher. I would definitely take her again if I have the chance. The course material is tough, but she presents it in a manageable way. If you don't understand something, go see her at office hours... that saved me! Plus, she's the one writing the exams, so seeing her the day before a test is the best advice I can give... she basically lets you know what you have to study. She may seem scary at first, but she's very approachable. She's a very personable teacher too... I'm surprised that she even tried learning our names since our class had so many students in it. I've heard she's the best of the Chem 124 teachers, and I'd have to say she lived up to that reputation.


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Mar 2006
So apparently she cares more about her precious back and ability to walk around or something more than she cares about her students. She ditched us. Grrr. A's across the board for this professor


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Apr 2006
First of all Chem 124 is a tough course. Expect to work hard. Dr. Neff is the best professor to take. She is very clear in her teaching. Unfortunately, Dr. Neff left our class like 4 weeks into the quarter. Most everyone's grades plummeted 10-15% with Dr. Baker taking over. Definitely take Neff, she is much better than any of the other chem professors even though most of them aren't too good.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Jun 2006
She knows her chemistry and gives fair exams. You just need to study a lot and I highly recommend the supplemental workshop for CHEM 124.


Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Dec 2006
I thought the class was way hard. She has two F's in her name and one of them is for you.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Feb 2007
Professor Neff was friendly and helpful. Everything was explained clearly. As long as you are able to do the problems from the labs and from the notes, tests and quizzes should be doable without much other studying, although she throws in a few tricky ones that make you think hard about how to apply the problems you learned to get the answer.


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Dec 2007
She isn't a bad teacher, but when she lectures she goes way to fast and we receive way to many notes.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jan 2008
Dr. Neff is a great professor. She explains things very clearly and is willing to help during office hours. The best part of this course was that she writes down notes with you.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2008
great instructor. very helpful, cares about students. lectures VERY fast, but the course is fast so I guess she has to. Her workbooks are exactly like her tests.


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
May 2008
Neff is a good teacher if you like it when she throws out her back in the middle of a quarter and then you get stuck with the worst teacher ever and Neff really screwed me over because I was getting a good grade (A on both the test and quiz and now with this new teacher I failed both the tests and quizzes)


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2008
Neff is amazing, I came into the class as a freshman and couldn't stand chemistry in high school. I heard how hard Chem 124 was and was extremely nervous, but Neff made it very easy to understand and now I enjoy doing Chemistry and am going to take Chemsitry courses as eleectives thanks to her. As far as the class goes, you have a quiz or exam every week as well as a lab. She helps you as much as you need with the labs and the quizzes and exams are very fair. Her average was usually in the 70s. Also, her office hours are helpful and I would reccommend going to them. All in all, Neff is great!


Sophomore
C
Required (Support)
Mar 2010
Neff definitely knows her stuff. There are several quizzes and the midterms can be tricky. I had a solid B in the class but screwed up on the final which cost me my grade. The final is universal and very difficult so make sure you study for it. Neff is easy to approach and will help you if you ask for it. Also if she makes a grading mistake, don\'t hesitate to ask her about it. I\'d say I got at least 20 points total back on midterms/quizzes just by asking about an answer which was marked wrong. Great professor. Take her


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
May 2010
Excellent teacher. Everything that was on the test could be found in her workbooks. Textbook is not required, unless you feel like you need to study more after doing the workbooks. Just make sure to know your concepts, because the multiple choice questions are worth 3 points each and really hit you hard.


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Dec 2010
neff is really nice and understanding when it comes to grades and rescheduling quizzes. i hated chem and neff made it really easy. her workbooks help alot since the questions are almost the same on her quizzes. i didnt do much studying for this class, but i joined the workshop which helped too, but if you doo the work she recommends you\'ll do well in the class. TAKE HER!!! REALLY NICE


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2010
The class is in a large lab with islands of computers, 2 students at a computer. The lectures consist of her speaking into a microphone and taking notes which are streamed to all of the computers. This makes the class really different than most, but I think it is pretty effective. The labs and write-ups are very easy. The write-ups usually like a 3 page fill in the blank style word document that is uploaded on her website. You download it, type in your data into the pre-made tables, paste graphs in, answer any of the questions on it. The tests and quizzes are very easy if you listen in class and at least review the workbook she provides, as the word problems on the tests and quizzes are pretty much the same as in the workbook with different numbers. There were three tests and 5 quizzes, all on Fridays. The lowest quiz is dropped. The final is an entirely different story. It is written by the college, and ALL chem124 students take the same test. The average (mean) grade on it was a 62%, and the median only a 63%. That mean almost 50% of students fail the final. With this said, MAINTAIN A SOLID GRADE GOING INTO THE FINAL BECAUSE IT IS LIKELY YOUR GRADE WILL DROP....A LOT....after. Also realize that your overall grade on blackboard is not accurate. The assignments on blackboard are not weighted and your actual grade may be higher or lower than blackboard says. The class rarely ran the full 2 and a half hour length, maybe twice the entire quarter. I thought Dr. Neff was a pretty good teacher, and is also very willing to help, and understanding of students\' special situations.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2010
Neff was a great teacher, and was very approachable if you needed some help. The lecture-lab combo was different, not necessarily good or bad. She\'s probably the best Chem teacher, so take her if you get a chance. All her quizzes and tests were straightforward; the common final was the hardest part of the class. To succeed, make sure you do the workbook and take notes. You don\'t need to open the textbook for any reason, so don\'t waste the money on it.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2010
Dr Neff was an awesome teacher! Going into the course I didn\'t really like chemistry, but she did a great job of explaining it and I came to like it. There are 3 midterms and 5 quizzes, and as long as you go to class and do the workbook she gives before each test you\'ll do fine. I\'m not sure about other professors, but with Neff you hardly even needed the textbook. She taught about everything necessary in class, and all the practice problems you need are in the workbook. Grading is totally fair, but be ready for a final that is comparatively harder than the midterms and quizzes.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jan 2011
Dr. Neff is an overall good professor. however she goes over the material very quickly... the only way to slow her down is to ask her questions, so i recommend asking questions if you don't get something. She tends to forget to tell you what hw is due or when prelabs are due, so check your email daily (she notifies students via email). She's good at explaining things particularly if you ask her questions. Her office hours are very helpful as well.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Feb 2011
Neff was great. I had her for Chem 124 lecture/lab combination. Yes, there were quizzes every friday and 3 midterms in the course of the quarter but her online workbook was extremely helpful. Seriously, if you could do the workbook, you would ace the tests and quizzes. She's just so organized. What also helped was that I took a chem study group through cal poly. With that and her as a teacher, I never felt behind and always completely ready for any quiz or test. The final is a common final and i got a C on it, but with the curve, I still managed an A- in the class. Overall, if you can take her, do so.


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Apr 2011
I am glad I took Neff. Notes are easy to take and she goes at a good speed. There are some sort of test every week, so you need to keep up with your work. The labs are sort of boring, but the class itself isn't bad at all. Do the workbook and you'll do fine in the tests.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Aug 2011
Neff is awesome! does a great job helping her students out and she is really understanding. The way the class islet up with both lecture and lab is really nice, pluss you get out early a lot of the time. Just make sure you actually do the work and study for the quizzes and tests.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Nov 2011
she is really nice and will take the time to talk to you and help you out, good with replying to e-mails and she is just the best, like everyone else said, if you pay attention in class, then you really don't need a book, signing up for workshop wouldn't hurt either


Junior
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2011
Neff is a decent professor. I dislike the format of lecturing at the lab stations but all of the professors do that, so you're stuck with it. I also didn't care for her style of presenting material. She had a tendency to teach to the tests more than teach to learn. She was a little bit light on conceptual understanding and heavier on memorizing stuff which I disliked, but in her defense there is a lot of material to cover and a short amount of time. Class info and calendar is online so it's easy to find what you need. Every Friday, there is either a test or a quiz. Usually half multiple choice and half calculations. Lots of lab points and worksheet points and participation points. The good thing is that with all of the points the grade gets well insulated but it also means that mooching is rampant. Overall, reminded me of high school. Although, I hear that Neff is the better of the available teachers for 124 so there ya go. Also, I definitely recommend joining a study group for this class. I learned more there than I did in the class itself. Thanks Anthony!


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2011
Neff is a nice person. Pay attention to the pre-lab instructions she gives five minutes before you start a lab. Take a supplemental workshop. Take. a. supplemental. workshop. Take. a. supplemental. workshop! No need to study outside of that to pass the class. Fun class.


Junior
C
Required (Support)
Jan 2012
neff is the bomb. only way to go as far as chem. the only reason i got a B is because of the final. i recommend actually studying for it


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2012
Neff is an ok teacher. Her notes are really sloppy but the midterms and quizzes are very easy, especially if you take a workshop. Take a workshop and study hard for the final and this class is an easy A


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2012
neff is a great instructor, take her! she might go a little fast during the lecture, but just stop her if you have a question. study the study guides, and workbook for the midterms and the final and you'll get an A.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Apr 2012
Neff is a great teacher. She loves to lecture at a really fast pace, so you have to pay attention. The labs were always easy, while the quizzes and midterms were usually challenging. Neff is always willing to help and she usually lets you before the class ends.


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Jul 2012
Overall take either Neff or Retsek for chem. They base all of their info off of each other. Can't miss with either. Neff is very sloppy when it comes to notes and explanations. Her lectures are fast and you will want to write EVERYTHING down that she writes and quite a bit of what she just says too. I never went to office hours, but she is very nice and will probably help you with anything. Her tests, quizzes, and labs are simple and straightforward. Out of the two is is definately more lenient on these. Do your labs perfectly (which is completely achievable) because they will boost your grade in the long term since they are worth as much as quizzes. If you have seen high school chem before or are enrolled in a workshop you will breeze through neff's class, but you might have to read the book more than in Retsek's class


Freshman
C
Required (Support)
Jun 2013
I actually very much enjoyed Professor Neff's class. I received a C because I have the worst study habits. Not her fault at all! She is very understanding when it comes to other classes and or illness that is causing you a problem. She is literally one of the nicest people!


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Jan 2017
Dr. Neff is a great teacher. She really really wants you to do well and understand the material. She is super helpful in office hours, and will work with you until you get it. Her quizzes can be tricky sometimes but just do the check ups shes posts and you'll be totally fine. 10/10 would recommend Dr. Neff for chem


Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Feb 2017
Dr. Neff structured her class very orderly. Everything we did was organized- first was lecture and then lab. However, she didn't clearly explain the labs which caused some confusion. She was always thrilled to help anyone in office hours which I recommend going to. Dr. Neff has a kind heart and will reward you with an A or B if you put in the effort.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Mar 2017
Neff is a wonderful professor. She tells the material clearly and the labs are pretty helpful. Her TAs are all very good as well! For the class, she posts a schedule and asks you to print stuff beforehand. Id recommend checking that every day and being on top of things for that. Other than that, show up to class and pay attention and the class will be an effortful A or pretty easy B/C.


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2017
Neff is my favorite teacher at Poly. I took chem sophomore year of high school absolutely hated it, but Neff made me enjoy it quite a bit. I was randomly paired up with my lab partner, we became really good friends, and without hesitation signed up for Neff again next quarter to take Chem 125 with. She presents material very clearly, her tests are extremely fair. The only reason I got a B in this class was because the common final wasn't as straight forward as I thought, but that wasn't Neff's fault anyways. She's the best.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2020
Fantastic professor! She is VERY helpful on labs and in class assignments, you occasionally have hw in the form of prep activities for labs which are pretty basic, and her quizzes are on topics we cover in class many times. Lectures are kinda boring because you are just staring at a screen, but they are thorough and she introduces topics really well. Exams are easy to study for and if you understand the basic concepts you will pass easily. I never really liked chem, but I loved Neff and she made it easy to learn and understand.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Apr 2020
Neff is a fantastic professor. She is very kind but can be a little boring during lecture. She does explain everything really well and assigns work and tests of appropriate difficulty. As far as Cem 124 professors are concerned, I figure she's probably the best. Despite most of Chem 124 being review for me from AP Chem in high school, this class was interesting enough and I thought she explained concepts well and did well helping other students when they needed it. 100% recommend her probably for any class of chemistry, not just 124.

CHEM 125


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Aug 2007
Neff is probably one of the best teachers that is offered for Chem 125 and 124. I have heard horrible things about the other teachers so Neff definatly seems the best. She is a hard teacher because she expects you to study ALOT before the tests but she makes it so you can be prepared. DO THE WORKBOOKS@!!!@@@!!!!!! I mean it!! some of the problems from the midterms and quizzes are exactly from the workbook except different numbers. She hands out tons of worksheets so MAKE SURE YOU DO THOSE because like the workbook they are problmes from the test. one of the bad things about he rlec is that she goes extrememly fast so be ready. so basically to study for the tests I used my notes, workbooks and worksheets and I did ok. It sounds like a lot to study from but believe me, you will be glad to have that stuff to study from!!


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Jul 2012
I would recommend Neff for Chemistry 125. She is straightforward and open to student questions. Many students (especially engineers) complain that the class is too hard. The course may be challenging, but the professor is good.


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Jun 2014
Overall, you get what you put into this class. If you want an A, she makes it possible. If you want to scrape by with a C and minimal effort, it's also possible. She's a great professor that recognizes students difficulties very well and will help you with whatever you are stuck on. Posts all of the class notes online, so review class notes, workbooks, and previous quizzes to study for midterms.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Jun 2017
Legendary professor. But the LA was trash


5th Year Senior
A
Required (Support)
Jun 2018
maybe it's because i'm a 4th year, or maybe because i'm a genius or (most likely) Neff is a bomb ass prof, but this class was EASY AF. i didn't do any hw, just looked at the checkups and busted an A-. and i hated Chem 124. she presents the material clear as possible and the quizzes and exams are extremely fair. for some reason i could never get above an A- on the exams, but i suppose if i put in more work that would be achievable. only annoying thing is that there is a lab almost every period. also the LA was cute as hell (shoutout to Megna, you exotic cutie).


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Jun 2018
So, to start... I got a C in Chem 124. To be fair, my course load at the time was more difficult than when I took 125, but I understood very little in that class. The following quarter, I took 125 with Professor Neff and I got an A (not an A-, an A). She explains all the material clearly in lectures, she goes over quizzes and tests after you take them, she's a very fair grader (in my opinion), and she gives you A LOT of time to complete and turn in labs. I went from completely hating chem one quarter to actually enjoying it the next, and I owe a lot of that to Professor Neff. I don't know how she is for other courses, but she is a phenomenal Chem 125 professor and I strongly recommend taking her.


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Mar 2019
Neff cares deeply about her students and will accommodate you in any way she is able to. Do not be afraid to ask for help, extensions, or further explanations. She is knowledgeable and will teach you everything you need to succeed. Expect to study about 6 hours a week for this class and you will do just fine.


Freshman
B
Required (Support)
Mar 2019
This is my second quarter with this professor, and once again I am blown away by how comprehensive the class is. Every piece of information that we are expected to know is given during lectures. Classes are usually one hour of lecture and one hour of lab. It's sometimes hard to do a lab on concepts that we learned that same day, but learn by doing I guess. Neff is very willing to answer questions and explain what labs mean. 10/10 would recommend how clearly she teaches.


Freshman
A
Required (Support)
Apr 2019
Dr. Neff was by far one of my favorite teachers at Cal Poly. She clearly presented the material and was always available for questions during class and office hours. She did a great job dividing the studio class into an hour lecture followed by an hour lab of hands on experience applying the concepts we had just learned. She also projects the notes on everyone's computers as she writes them, making it super easy to follow and copy the material down. I highly recommend taking Dr. Neff


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2019
I did not really understand chem 124 but Grace Neff makes chem 125 easy to understand and even interesting sometimes. She is willing to answer questions before or after class and is understanding if someone needs an extension or extra help with a lab. Neff also does a great job of splitting the class into one half lecture and one half lab so the class never seems dull. The grade is mostly composed of labs and activities with 2 midterms and a final being worth less than other chem classes. Overall, while she might not be the most entertaining professor, I highly recommend Grace Neff for CHEM 125!


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2019
Neff is amazing! She is super chill and tries to make the content as accessible as possible. Her tests are fair but not that easy, so studying is required. And for the final you are allowed to choose which free response questions you want to answer, which allows you to focus your studying on a specific area. There are weekly quizzes, and basically no homework besides labs. Overall, a really great experience.

CHEM 127


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Feb 2003
I think Dr. Neff's great. She doesn't just lecture at us and expect us to write every single word down or to miraculously know what we should write down. She writes down everything we need to know along w/ us. She's very organized. She also really cares that we do well in her class. She provides workbooks w/ problems that are very similar to those on her exams. She holds a review session before each exam, and she's always willing to help us during her office hours. Her exams are fair. She doesn't give us complicated problems that we've never seen before, and she gives partial credit. When the class, on average, does poorly on an exam, she gives us opportunities to do extra credit work. I definately had to work hard for my A, but an A is achievable. Her lectures are sorta dry, but I'd rather have a boring lecture that gives us what we need to know than an exciting one that isn't well organized or easy to take notes on. I would also recommend her for lab. She's pickier in lab, but she's really helpful. I just think she's a great person in addition to being a great teacher. (I have her this quarter for 128 and I'm sorry she doesn't teach 129)


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2005
Dr. Neff is an excellent teacher. She goes out of her way to make sure everyone understands and puts up excellent reviews and problem sulutions on her website. Read the book and do problems and the class is a cake walk.


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Apr 2005
Dr. Neff is a very good professor. Chemistry is one of the hardest subjects to take in college and no matter who your professor is, you are going to have to work hard at it to get the grade. Dr. Neff is very friendly and very approachable for questions. She makes a genuine effort to make her students understand her material and is always willing to help if you are willing to put the effort in. The first test in 127 was very difficult but after she saw that her students weren't doing well, she adjusted the difficulty and the last few tests were much more manageable. Overall, if you are going to take Chem. get ready to work, but Dr. Neff is a great instructor to take for it.

CHEM 128


Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Mar 2002
Dr. Neff is one of the most genuine and sincere professor on campus. In my Chem 128 class, we had 3 midterms and a final. No curve was put on the exams but they were not relatively hard. She doesn't try to put problems on the test you've never seen before. Neff provides you with a workbook and with a key posted on her website for you to prepare for the exams. She always has a study session outside of her class time right before a midterm and a final. Utilize her office hours because she is very approachable and helpful.


Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Jun 2003
Neff is awesome. She conveys the information clearly and concisely, providing workbooks for the students to do as supplemental problems for the text. I didn't even open the book and earned an A; know the workbooks and you'll be fine. The tests were tough and you had to know your stuff cold, but she was great with partial credit. She claimed not to curve but the class avg was a 64% on the first test and 50/70 got a D or lower so I know she did at the end (she gave extra credit on quizzes after that to compensate for the low scores). There were 2 tests, 4 quizzes, and the lab. Go to class, pay attention, and you'll be fine. I know she was good in office hours from other students (I never went) and very approachable. I would highly recommend her.


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Support)
Aug 2003
very helpful and willing to help with difficulties.


Sophomore
N/A
Elective
Mar 2015
Grace Neff was the sweetest and best chemistry professor. She was very approachable in and out of class and wanted all of her students to be successful. There were 10 quizzes and all of them were straightforward. The exams were a bit more challenging. Each week she posts a "check up" sheet and I HIGHLY recommend you complete them that week, right before the midterm and before the final. She also posts extremely detailed study guides for the exams. Some of the questions I missed on exams were my own fault because I didn't take the time to compare the two similar this IE deltaGknot vs. delta G (advice, distinguish between those two early on!) As for the final, the MC were extremely straight forward and the free response were basically the check up problems. Advice for the final, if you feel comfortable with the type of math in the problem, set it up and move on. I definitely learned effective study habits for this class. Good luck, this class was (as a science and math geek) enjoyable and challenging.


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Jun 2015
Hands down the GREATEST CHEMISTRY TEACHER EVER! She gave two midterms and a final and had summary and notebook quizzes every week. Her summary quizzes are fair if you keep up on the lecture material you will do fine. Make sure to keep a good lab notebook with the prelab procedure because most of the time her lab quizzes are "pop" quizzes that take place the day of the lab. Her midterms and final are very straight forward and studying your midterms before the final is really helpful. Go into her office hours she is so understanding and approachable. I really hated chemistry before her class but she makes it so enjoyable. TAKE HER IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY!

LA 170


5th Year Senior
B
Elective
Nov 2016
What else is there to say? Fine person, nothing interesting. Class was meh... Blah, blah, blah... Fine person.