Poor

Prof. Dykstra seems to be caring and concerned with her students' well-being, but I have never actually had a personal interaction with her where she didn't make me feel incompetent. She expects her students to know everything already. She also gives a heavy workload and she doesn't even help at all.

Awful

This class requires an extreme amount of work for a two credit class.

Good

Professor Dykstra brings energy to the class, which is hard to do in an Organic Chemistry course. She will do the lecture at a good pace and answer questions well enough. After doing the homework and the practice test that she posted, I knew that I would do good in the exams. It's hard to find an Organic Chemistry professor like her. She will make you work for it though.

Awful

Professor Dykstra is not professional in this class. She can't answer questions clearly. She always said the peak, which she can't answer, is overlap. Plus the tests are way harder than the practice and lectures.

Awesome

Sheryl is my favorite chemistry professor! The practice exams and homework were almost identical, and the amount of extra credit given makes the class fun and not as horrible as expected.

Awesome

Dr. Dykstra is by far my favorite Professor of Pennsylvania State University, science department. Dr. Sheryl and Todd keep the conference exciting and make sure you understand. The practice exams are exactly like the real exams. So, as long as you take them several times and really understand the concepts as well as the mechanics, everything will be fine. I hate chemistry but I love this class.

Awful

I put in more effort for this class than for any other 400-level scientific course at PSU. She is a dreadful person to interact with. Avoid taking this during a challenging semester (or while MCAT prepping). She gives quizzes on the tiniest of details. TAs do not grade evenly, despite what she claims, and some are more helpful than others. People who get an A mostly lived in Whitmore.

Poor

On the outside, Professor Dykstra seems friendly and sincere. However, in reality, she's very inflexible and does not listen to student feedback. She's approachable outside of class but can be condescending in her explanations. However, the lectures will help you understand the material, so don't skip classes.

Average

You really need to put in the effort to earn a good grade. There's a lot of homework given. The challenge is appropriate for a 400-level class. The tests are hard as well. Yes. she's capable of teaching but that's about it. She assumes her class is the only one you're taking. Expect to spend up to ten hours on your homework.