Sonia Hirschauer

This professor has taught: CHEM231

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Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a C Anonymous 01/29/2024	I loved Dr. Hirschauer! Orgo is still a really hard class and I definitely recommend self-teaching (watching organic chemistry tutor) and practicing more and more until you get the concepts. But Dr. H turns all that fear you felt about the class and made it a little better. Her lectures are easy to follow and she's really nice. She offers a lot of practice and has open office hours. She's approachable too and gives great advice on how to succeed. She really cares about her students. Would 10/10 recommend to take her.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B- Anonymous 01/29/2024	Really good professor but please go to class she doesnt record her lectures. Gives lots of help, extra worksheets, and practice exams. Exams are fair and she makes a boring subject decently fun.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a C+ Anonymous 01/20/2024	Dr. Hirschauer is the absolute best chem professor yet! She is so kind and really wants to help you succeed. I really struggled in Orgo I and did well in Gen Chem I so I was not expecting to struggle as much but she was so emphatic and caring. Her notes are so clear and straightforward. She does plenty of practice and has so many office hours. You can really tell that she wants her students to do well in her course! I would for sure take her again!
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting an A- Anonymous 01/17/2024	Hand down the best Orgo professor someone could ask for. The best word I could use to describe her is FAIR. Her exams are very fair and they are exactly like her practice problem sets. She is so kind and sweet and has a welcoming open-door office hours policy. Mind you this is still organic chemistry so you still have to put in the work and study but she is very fair.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting an A- Anonymous 01/05/2024	Dr. H is genuinely the best professor I have had at UMD. I hated gen chem and was dreading orgo, but Dr. H made the class so enjoyable. Lectures were easy to follow because of the lecture outlines she provided. She was also more than willing to answer questions during lecture, making sure everyone was on the same page. Lectures were engaging, as Dr. H actually has a personality and doesn’t just talk at the class for an hour. She also provided so many practice problem sets and resources that were very similar to the exam content. Exams were very manageable, provided you did all the practice problems and truly understood the content. Additionally, three quizzes were given in discussion, but she drops the lowest grade. Homeworks were given weekly, but you are given 10 tries for each, and it is very easy to get a 100. She also gave four opportunities to gain max 10 points back on exam two through 5 minute mechanism drawing “quizzes.” Between engaging lectures, fair exams, ample practice problems, and extra credit opportunities, I cannot recommend Dr. H enough. This class does require a lot of studying and practice, but Dr. H provides all the resources for you to succeed. If you put in the work, you will do well. Dr. H truly cares about her students and their success so I highly highly highly recommend taking her class if you can.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a B Anonymous 01/03/2024	Makes orgo as easy as possible by providing practice problems that mimic exams, has open door policy for office hours, encourages questions during lecture, etc. She has extra credit opportunities and multiple attempts for homeworks so that they do not bring your grade down. She is super approachable and genuinely wants you to do the best so you should get to know her if you take her class.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting an A Anonymous 12/28/2023	Dr. H is the best chem professor I have ever had!! She provides so many practice problems and note guides, responds to emails quickly, and has super fair exams. She is so approachable and kind and going to office hours really helped. There are quizzes, which I was skeptical about at first, but they honestly helped to put me on track for where I was supposed to be coming up for the exam and I always thought they were super easy. I would highly recommend her!
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/21/2023	If you want to pass O-chem and understand it, she's the only teacher you should be taking it with! Her positive energy and general clearness/clarity around the subject matter helped us so much this past semester. I genuinely looked forward to going to class everyday since she was so cheerful and helpful whenever you needed it. The exams are hard, but as long as you use the materials she gives you, and use the GSS practice exams you should be fine.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a B Anonymous 12/21/2023	Dr. Hirschauer is the best professor you'll find out of the current chem231 professors. She has your best interest at heart and does everything she can to give you as much practice material as possible. She does not try to trick you on the tests, and will never include anything that has not been reviewed. She provides extensive practice material as well as recordings of how to solve most of the questions. She is also very funny in class and gives pokemon references to help further student's understanding of the material (for those who love pokemon). Understand that a large amount of your success will come from your end, you absolutely must practice the material daily, but once you do, it'll click. You will learn a lot of reactions and they will feel like the same thing, but once you practice, you'll understand the difference and when/how to use their mechanisms. So, with that being said, I recommend making a sheet of all reactions from each chapter so you can be able to differentiate their uses (she also provided us with a reaction sheet and reaction map). There are 3 midterms and one cumulative final. She did not drop any of our tests and curved the class average to a C+. Orgo with Dr. Hirschauer is probably the best way to go, good luck!
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting an A Anonymous 12/17/2023	Dr. Hirschauer is by far one of the best professors I have had within the chemistry department and at the University of Maryland. It is very evident that she is on our side, cheering for us to achieve success in the course. Her exams are not meant to trick students, she always has a positive and welcoming attitude and answers any questions students may have. She creates practice problems for each chapter covered, her homework’s are very manageable, and she offers extra credit problems towards the end of the semester. If you put in the work, you will do just fine. Organic chemistry is hard, but she makes it more than doable. I enjoyed going to class and being in her presence.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a C- Anonymous 12/17/2023	This semester came with challenges for me personally and Dr. H always gave me her all to help me succeed. I cannot recommend her enough. She goes above and beyond for her students and is the sweetest woman you'll ever meet!! Go to lecture, do her practice problem sets early, go to discussion, and you will be set.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/14/2023	BEST Orgo Prof EVER! I unfortunately had to retake orgo 1, and was of course dreading it, but I am so glad I was lucky enough to take it with Dr. H. Dr. H is so organized, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about how she teaches the material that it makes lecture fly by since everyone is so focused. She provides so many resources to help learn and prepare for exams and higher level chem classes (if you need to take them) and genuinely cares for all her students and wants them to do well!! I think her exams are fair and the problems are pretty similar to what we see in her problem sets and homework assignments she gives weekly. Dr. Hs class is very manageable as long as you put in the time and work to succeed as she has all the materials for you.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a B Anonymous 12/12/2023	Dr. Hirschauer is the best! She explains concepts so well in lecture, thoughtfully answers questions, is super approachable in office hours. She absolutely loves organic chemistry but also understands that most students are simply taking it as a pre-rec. She truly understands student concerns so well. Her lecture notes that you can download on your i-pad are golden. They are super helpful during lecture. It takes a little to get used to the format, but they are so helpful. (Although I recommend rewriting those lecture notes in your own words or a paper notebook after each lecture.) Keep in mind that Dr. Hirschauer is an amazing professor, but organic chemistry is still something you must practice a lot to be effective. Her practice sets, office hours, and guided notes are amazing resources, but it is on you to have a study routine and to use them.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a B- Anonymous 12/11/2023	Literally traumatized from orgo the semester before and I took her and she makes this subject so much easier to understand and help with the concepts, her lecture notes are amazing, they are lifesavers, she give practice problems for each chapter and is so organized in her structure. literally couldn't recommend anyone else more. This is a tough class so putting in extra effort is a must, the professor can only take you so far!
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/08/2023	Dr. Hirschauer was hands down the best professor I've had at UMD. She made very hard material super easy to understand, and she really cares about her students doing well. If you have the opportunity to take her for any class, 100% do it.
Sonia Hirschauer Anonymous 12/05/2023	Dr. H is literally the sweetest, most patient professor I've taken at UMD. I was seriously not made to do chemistry so when I started falling behind, I went to her for help and she helped me make a study plan to make sure I was prepared. She provides so much extra resources like Sunday Jam Sessions to prep for exams, practice sets for each chapter, with video explanations, and a open-door office hour policy which are all SOO helpful. She has never made me feel stupid about the questions I ask, no matter how many times I ask it. She also brings cut outs of Pokemon characters and funny pointers to make lectures that much more enjoyable and easier to follow along. Genuinely, such a kind and welcoming professor, I love her!!
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/01/2023	Going into this semester, I dreaded taking ORGO based on my experience with Gen Chem 1. Much to my surprise, from the very first class I fell in love with the material . I strongly believe this mindset shift was largely due to Dr. Hirschauer. She was so incredibly passionate about the material, which only made it that much more engaging to listen to. She provided endless resources (practice problems, explanation videos, lecture guides, and even fun little facts about how Organic chemistry is applied in the real world) and it is impossible to miss how she genuinely cares about her students and wants everyone to succeed. She also replies very quickly to student emails and is always willing to meet with students during office hours. She also had an open-door policy that students could stop by even outside of office hours to have questions answered. Organic chemistry is hard, there is no getting around that; however, Dr. Hirschauer made it feel digestible, understandable, and even fun at times. I cannot recommend this professor enough for any student looking to take ORGO I.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a C+ Anonymous 11/20/2023	Coming from someone who is terrible at chemistry but needs this for graduate school, Dr.H is the best orgo teacher. I've never written a review for a professor but knew I had to for her. She provides extra credit quizzes, practice problem sets, flexible office hours, and genuinely wants her students to succeed. She sends reminders for students, pushes back certain assignments for students to focus on exams, and provides guided lecture notes. Orgo is obviously difficult and requires studying but she gives you all the resources you will need! She checks in often with the class to ensure they are set or if they have questions. I came into this course unsure since it was her first semester at UMD and I am not great at any chemistry but, she is the best ochem teacher! Also, exams are very fair and she is accommodating.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/15/2023	Dr H brings positive energy and makes learning O-chem enjoyable. If you stay on track, you can do well. The PP sets, GSS, discussion, Office hours and Jam sessions are there to help you. If you fully commit to the effort regularly, then you can do well. She truly wants her students to succeed and we see that coming through. Her lecture guides are helpful. The material can be challenging at times, and doable. I am grateful to be learning from such a knowledgable and caring professor.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting an A Anonymous 11/15/2023	I genuinely look forward to coming to class for Orgo. Dr H makes learning O-Chem enjoyable and creates a learning environment where students have what it takes to succeed. Practice problem sets, discussion, GSS and office hours take advantage and you will do well. Exams are fair game, and she will do what it takes to support students to succeed. She brings great energy to lecture, and provides responsive communication. We absolutely love Dr H's teaching style and lecture guides!
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 11/15/2023	Dr H is a phenomenal lecturer, and makes herself available for students. Her exams are fair game, and she guides students with the tools needed to succeed. She wants students to succeed and makes O-Chem fun. She creates a learning environment that truly is the best interest of students. It takes practice like any other course, though if you fully commit to it, you can do well.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/14/2023	Lectures are informative and helpful, we do lots of practice problems and she explains how to do them. Homework is super manageable and reflects the content that we are learning quite well. She is very sweet and it is clear that she cares about her students' success in this class. The exams are hard, but definitely super fair.
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a B+ Anonymous 11/09/2023	Dr. Hirschauer is the best prof I've ever had at UMD. I literally had to make an account just now so I could write her a review and tell EVERYONE to take her! YOU HAVE TO! She's actually changed my life, I can't even describe. She has guided lecture notes, practice problem sets, flowcharts, etc. EVERY resource you could possibly need to do well in this class, she makes readily available. Her exams are also so fair, no tricks. Yes, it still takes studying and determination, but she makes it so possible to get a good grade AND actually understand the material. This is also coming from someone who took Orgo I w/ Friedman my freshman year and had to withdraw after the first exam because I realized I actually didn't understand a single thing that man would lecture about. Do yourself a favor and TAKE HER!!!!
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting a C+ Anonymous 10/31/2023	Dr. H is absolutely incredible!! Take her for orgo, you wont regret it. I dreaded orgo coming in like anyone else, and actually have been understanding pretty well. She is organized and provides you a PLETHORA of resources to succeed in the class. She has energizers that help you connect orgo to real life which are kind of interesting. Her exams are extremely fair to what you learn in class with no surprises. She's so sweet and amazing, love her!
Sonia Hirschauer Expecting an A Anonymous 10/14/2023	She is an incredibly sweet professor. By far the nicest Professor I have ever had at the University of Maryland. She takes the time to explain concepts to students when it is evident the lecture hall is struggling and she has no problem answering students questions during class. She is incredibly understanding and has pushed the deadline of homeworks back during busy exam weeks. She creates a ton of practice questions for each chapter that are very similar to her exam questions. Her exams are very fair. If you have done and understood the practice problems and homeworks, you will do just fine.
Sonia Hirschauer CHEM231 Expecting an A Anonymous 09/21/2023	Super helpful and patient, she is willing to answer many questions during lecture. Also provides lecture outlines which save a lot of time! Overall great professor