CHEM 2410

Fraser herself isn't the best instructor for organic chemistry, but her excitement for chemistry and genuine concern for the wellbeing of her students make her the best choice for orgo. Plus, there are test corrections (you get 1/2 your test points back)! There is quite a bit of homework (orgo will take a lot of your time), but it helps you in the end by helping you learn and boosting your grade. Overall, I would definitely recommend Fraser. She is so sweet!

Orgo is hard no matter who you take it with. The benefit of taking it with Professor Fraser is that she pushes you to really understand the concepts and not just memorize. Her class has a lot of components (weekly homework, reading questions, etc.). The faster you become acclimated to the schedule the better. Lecture can be confusing if you don't do the reading first. Discussions and office hours are super important- go every week. She values student input and she wants everyone to understand the material. Her TAs are usually awesome too! Tests are the hardest part about this class, but the regrade lets you get points back and ask questions so you can understand the problems you missed. If you want to really understand Orgo, take it with Professor Fraser!

This class has way more homework than any of the other classes, but that means you have more factors determining your grades. You probably need to end up doing close to every problem in the textbook if you want to do well. Fraser is kind, knowledgable, and approachable. Of course orgo is hard. Duh. But Fraser will make you learn it really well. Also our TAs are the absolute best and should be paid way more.

Professor Fraser is alright.
The pros of Fraser is that she offers test corrections, but the drawback of this is that her exams are honestly ridiculous compared to that of other professors. They were much more difficult and nitpicky, with the class average bottoming at a 33. If there weren't any test corrections, it would be quite bad. The average on our exam was a 50.5, which had no test corrections but I presume it was curved. She does curve grades at the end.

She also does these Real World Chemistry Projects which are really dumb, but they provide a nice buffer to one's grade. You also have the option of doing two for extra credit -- do them.

Fraser isn't a great lecturer. She's such a nice lady, but she gets off topic incredibly easily.

There were four TAs. Two of them were brilliant, one was alright, and one was horrid.

The two that were brilliant are going off to med school. Figures.

Don't let the negativity that often surrounds organic chemistry intimidate you. I thought I was going to loathe this course and it wound up being one of my favorite subjects I've ever taken at UVa. Professor Fraser formats her course in a way that guarantees you ample practice with the material. The exams are difficult, but if you study diligently, you will actually find that they are kind of fun because a lot of orgo problems feel like solving puzzles. I recently decided not to go to med school, but even though I no longer need this pre-req, I am taking the second semester because of how much I enjoyed it. That's a testament to this great prof. Good luck!

Fraser is amazing! Orgo is not going to be easy regardless of who you take it with. Fraser cares sooo much about her students and her class builds this little community. Her test are impossibly hard but she curves and there are so many other things that will help buffer your grade. She is not the best lecturer but the TAs are amazing and discussions are really helpful. Go to class though! She will remember who you are and boost your grade if she sees you put in the work.