Zhao Li
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
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4.5
Overall Rating
Based on 19 Users
Easiness 3.6 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.3 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.2 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.5 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Uses Slides
  • Appropriately Priced Materials
  • Would Take Again
  • Engaging Lectures
  • Useful Textbooks
  • Often Funny
  • Tolerates Tardiness
  • Needs Textbook
  • Gives Extra Credit
GRADE DISTRIBUTIONS
22.3%
18.6%
14.9%
11.1%
7.4%
3.7%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

40.6%
33.8%
27.0%
20.3%
13.5%
6.8%
0.0%
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F

Grade distributions are collected using data from the UCLA Registrar’s Office.

ENROLLMENT DISTRIBUTIONS
Clear marks

Sorry, no enrollment data is available.

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Reviews (18)

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Quarter: Spring 2017
Grade: A+
July 1, 2017

I had Li for Chem 14A during fall and Chem 14B during spring. Just to clarify, my grade listed above is for spring; I had an A- during fall in 14A. Overall, I'd highly recommend Li as a professor. She's so sweet and helpful. Example of this is that she sometimes holds OH on Sunday for additional help. Also she gives you her lecture notes so you don't have to buy a course reader and she provides food at her OH and review sessions. She explained concepts well in both her lectures and OHs. Homework mainly consisted of a few problems and biweekly problem sets, which were not very time consuming. Exams are very straightforward and you should do well if you do as much of her practice material as possible (Problems Sets, Practice Self Evaluations, Recommended Textbook Problems, examples from TA discussions etc.). Even though they don't count toward your grade, I recommend doing or at least looking over her recommended textbook problems since doing so will help you better understand concepts and I've noticed usually 1 problem on the exam that resembles a textbook problem. One possible con to the class might be that attendance is checked in lecture by iClickers and in discussions through sign-in sheets. Also, to get an A, you have to receive at least 95% and the class is not curved.

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Quarter: Spring 2017
Grade: A-
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
June 27, 2017

I had her for both Chem 14A and Chem 14B. I received an A- in both courses. To get an A you need 95% or higher. That being said, it is doable to get an A- if you do all the work and pay attention. To be honest, in 14B, I did not study too hard and got by sometimes. I definitely had study groups and asked questions. I used Chegg to help me and Coursehero instead of going to office hours. Please take advantage of discussion section. Sayoni is the best TA. This class overall is great because Li is the professor. Expect to get an A- at LEAST :). Overall, I'm so glad I had Li for 14A and 14B. If I had Lavelle, I probably would have gotten a B+ and B or B- since I heard he's obsessed with the textbook. Li actually wants you to understand conceptually. If you are a math person and took AP Chem in high school, Lavelle might be easier for you. If you took AP Chem, payed somewhat attention and worked hard in the course, you should take Li for sure.

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Quarter: Spring 2017
Grade: A
June 16, 2017

I took this class for 14B:
This was Professor Li's first time teaching this class.
Professor Li is the most dedicated professor I have ever had the pleasure of taking. Her TA's are great, and she is very organized in lecture. Every lecture, Professor Li provides printed notes and homeworks. Thus, instead of making us buy a course reader she gives it all to you for free. Li holds several office hours a week and even added extras on weekends in cases where we had homework due that Monday. Never before have I had a professor who truly cared so much about student learning. Exams tested your understanding and beforehand students were provided practice exams to help them prepare.

Just my advice: If you have a chance to take Li, do it.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: A+
Dec. 26, 2016

*THIS REVIEW IS FOR PROFESSOR LI'S CHEM 14A CLASS* -sorry I just didnt wanna go through the hassle of filling out a form-

Professor Li is such a kind and hardworking professor. Just from lecture and her emails you can tell she really cares about her students. She even tried to memorize as many names as possible (she would write your name on a yellow pad to try to keep track of who you are if you ever interacted with her at one point). She really wants you to succeed in her class which is obvious through how many office hours she held (pretty much everyday except Saturday's), how many "hints" she'd give during lecture about iclicker questions and the tests, snacks and PIZZA (towards end of quarter) during office hours, review sessions, AND even during the tests (!!) and the cookies she gave out to recognize students DURING lecture who impressed her with their improvement and hardwork . The hints were almost too obvious haha. She's very approachable and usually answers everyone's questions...she always stays after lecture and office hours for thirty minutes just to answer questions. That being said, she is an amazing professor.

Now the class. Your grade is determined by: 30% from your final, 20% from your better midterm, 16% from your worse midterm, (66% just from your test) and 34% from other things like homework, ALEKS, iclicker questions, etc. She also gives out extra credit during TA discussions. Attendance is pretty much mandatory since you sign into discussion every time and have iclicker questions during lecture. Also... I recommend getting a discussion during the week or earlier so you can get your test back faster and don't have to make it up the next week if there's a holiday. I had the very last discussion, which was pretty bad since I couldn't learn material I needed to learn during discussion that'd help me during the test the same day. Professor Li usually teaches the physical chemistry series (this year was her first time with a Chem 14A class) so I feel like she went over a ton of quantum chemistry which was pretty confusing for me since I didn't have much of that kind of background... BUT I always asked my TA questions and tried to read the textbook to understand what was going on. Professor Li's tests are pretty predictable. There are usually 7 questions with multiple parts to finish in 2 h and 30 min, and the MAJORITY of the test is math based, problems you would have gone over during discussions. Make sure you understand and practice the questions the TA gives you because they will be close to WHAT Professor Li gives you. Also Professor Li usually emphasizes on the concepts she goes over during lecture multiple times... to be honest as long as you listen and understand what she's saying and don't zone out during class it's a very easy class.

I don't know if she will teach another quarter of Chem 14A ever again but if she does happen to be teaching SOMETHING I would definitely recommend her!! She's such a nice professor to have and I enjoyed her class! :)

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Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: A-
Sept. 16, 2016

Prof. Li is young, energetic, brilliant, and supportive. A lot of homework and reading. But you will succeed if you invest a lot of time and great effort, as her course material is well organized. Choose her class whenever available.

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3 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: A-
Aug. 13, 2016

Professor Li is overall an amazing professor, I can't stress that enough. She is extremely caring, dedicated, and just a great teacher. She's constantly offering all kinds of help to students and somehow manages to give attention to any student (going so far as sending an email after a not so good grade on a midterm). I had Li for 20A which was more challenging for me because it took me a while to grasp the quantum mechanics which I had never delved into before but 20B, felt like a review of AP Chemistry. Prof. Li gives problem sets which are more difficult and she also gives practice self-evaluations which are very closely aligned with the actual midterms and finals. She provides so many opportunities for help, you have to really not care at all in order to fail one of her classes. If you have the opportunity to take Professor Li for either 20A/ 20B or whatever other class she may teach, absolutely go for it. I think she's one of the best professors at UCLA!!

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Quarter: Spring 2016
Grade: A-
Aug. 12, 2016

Prof. Li just got her PhD in Chemistry and is currently the Teacher-Scholar in the Chemistry Department. In the first class, I thought she was the TA and wondered why professor was absent from the class :) Although I did not perform as well as I could have, I recommend her in the strongest possible terms. You can learn a lot in her Chemistry 20AB classes. (I also took Chemistry 20A from her.)

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Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: B+
Aug. 6, 2016

Professor Li is beyond a doubt one of the best professors I've had at UCLA. She is extremely caring of her students and wants to see you succeed. With that being said, her exams and homework are easy, and even if you don't understand a concept, you could always go to her or her TA's office hours. Book readings were helpful and she has a preview due each lecture. ( In essence these are approximately 2-3 textbook problems) The problem sets are challenging but she gives us ample time to finish them. Her practice exams are GOLD. If you want to do well on the exams all you have to do is really know the practice exam front and back. Didn't study too hard managed to get a B+.

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Quarter: Spring 2015
Grade: A
July 28, 2016

Does anyone know if she will also teach Chem 14b in the winter ?

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0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2015
Grade: N/A
July 14, 2016

WARNING: The person whose review is two below mine is LYING (and I am skeptical of the guy who had a massive rant against Li saying how quote on quote "easy" Lavelle's 14A is on his 14A page).
Professor Li just started teaching last fall and has NEVER taught Chem 14A before Fall 2016.

She genuinely cares about her students and I doubt a professor as meticulous as she is is going to ignore the MCAT and underprepare you for the later classes in the 14 series. Granted she tests you on rather not so hard calculations but I doubt she will kill your GPA. From what I have experienced, you should have a great time with her, and she WILL make sure that you will walk out thinking positively about her class.

Helpful?

2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2017
Grade: A+
July 1, 2017

I had Li for Chem 14A during fall and Chem 14B during spring. Just to clarify, my grade listed above is for spring; I had an A- during fall in 14A. Overall, I'd highly recommend Li as a professor. She's so sweet and helpful. Example of this is that she sometimes holds OH on Sunday for additional help. Also she gives you her lecture notes so you don't have to buy a course reader and she provides food at her OH and review sessions. She explained concepts well in both her lectures and OHs. Homework mainly consisted of a few problems and biweekly problem sets, which were not very time consuming. Exams are very straightforward and you should do well if you do as much of her practice material as possible (Problems Sets, Practice Self Evaluations, Recommended Textbook Problems, examples from TA discussions etc.). Even though they don't count toward your grade, I recommend doing or at least looking over her recommended textbook problems since doing so will help you better understand concepts and I've noticed usually 1 problem on the exam that resembles a textbook problem. One possible con to the class might be that attendance is checked in lecture by iClickers and in discussions through sign-in sheets. Also, to get an A, you have to receive at least 95% and the class is not curved.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Verified Reviewer This user is a verified UCLA student/alum.
Quarter: Spring 2017
Grade: A-
June 27, 2017

I had her for both Chem 14A and Chem 14B. I received an A- in both courses. To get an A you need 95% or higher. That being said, it is doable to get an A- if you do all the work and pay attention. To be honest, in 14B, I did not study too hard and got by sometimes. I definitely had study groups and asked questions. I used Chegg to help me and Coursehero instead of going to office hours. Please take advantage of discussion section. Sayoni is the best TA. This class overall is great because Li is the professor. Expect to get an A- at LEAST :). Overall, I'm so glad I had Li for 14A and 14B. If I had Lavelle, I probably would have gotten a B+ and B or B- since I heard he's obsessed with the textbook. Li actually wants you to understand conceptually. If you are a math person and took AP Chem in high school, Lavelle might be easier for you. If you took AP Chem, payed somewhat attention and worked hard in the course, you should take Li for sure.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2017
Grade: A
June 16, 2017

I took this class for 14B:
This was Professor Li's first time teaching this class.
Professor Li is the most dedicated professor I have ever had the pleasure of taking. Her TA's are great, and she is very organized in lecture. Every lecture, Professor Li provides printed notes and homeworks. Thus, instead of making us buy a course reader she gives it all to you for free. Li holds several office hours a week and even added extras on weekends in cases where we had homework due that Monday. Never before have I had a professor who truly cared so much about student learning. Exams tested your understanding and beforehand students were provided practice exams to help them prepare.

Just my advice: If you have a chance to take Li, do it.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2016
Grade: A+
Dec. 26, 2016

*THIS REVIEW IS FOR PROFESSOR LI'S CHEM 14A CLASS* -sorry I just didnt wanna go through the hassle of filling out a form-

Professor Li is such a kind and hardworking professor. Just from lecture and her emails you can tell she really cares about her students. She even tried to memorize as many names as possible (she would write your name on a yellow pad to try to keep track of who you are if you ever interacted with her at one point). She really wants you to succeed in her class which is obvious through how many office hours she held (pretty much everyday except Saturday's), how many "hints" she'd give during lecture about iclicker questions and the tests, snacks and PIZZA (towards end of quarter) during office hours, review sessions, AND even during the tests (!!) and the cookies she gave out to recognize students DURING lecture who impressed her with their improvement and hardwork . The hints were almost too obvious haha. She's very approachable and usually answers everyone's questions...she always stays after lecture and office hours for thirty minutes just to answer questions. That being said, she is an amazing professor.

Now the class. Your grade is determined by: 30% from your final, 20% from your better midterm, 16% from your worse midterm, (66% just from your test) and 34% from other things like homework, ALEKS, iclicker questions, etc. She also gives out extra credit during TA discussions. Attendance is pretty much mandatory since you sign into discussion every time and have iclicker questions during lecture. Also... I recommend getting a discussion during the week or earlier so you can get your test back faster and don't have to make it up the next week if there's a holiday. I had the very last discussion, which was pretty bad since I couldn't learn material I needed to learn during discussion that'd help me during the test the same day. Professor Li usually teaches the physical chemistry series (this year was her first time with a Chem 14A class) so I feel like she went over a ton of quantum chemistry which was pretty confusing for me since I didn't have much of that kind of background... BUT I always asked my TA questions and tried to read the textbook to understand what was going on. Professor Li's tests are pretty predictable. There are usually 7 questions with multiple parts to finish in 2 h and 30 min, and the MAJORITY of the test is math based, problems you would have gone over during discussions. Make sure you understand and practice the questions the TA gives you because they will be close to WHAT Professor Li gives you. Also Professor Li usually emphasizes on the concepts she goes over during lecture multiple times... to be honest as long as you listen and understand what she's saying and don't zone out during class it's a very easy class.

I don't know if she will teach another quarter of Chem 14A ever again but if she does happen to be teaching SOMETHING I would definitely recommend her!! She's such a nice professor to have and I enjoyed her class! :)

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: A-
Sept. 16, 2016

Prof. Li is young, energetic, brilliant, and supportive. A lot of homework and reading. But you will succeed if you invest a lot of time and great effort, as her course material is well organized. Choose her class whenever available.

Helpful?

3 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: A-
Aug. 13, 2016

Professor Li is overall an amazing professor, I can't stress that enough. She is extremely caring, dedicated, and just a great teacher. She's constantly offering all kinds of help to students and somehow manages to give attention to any student (going so far as sending an email after a not so good grade on a midterm). I had Li for 20A which was more challenging for me because it took me a while to grasp the quantum mechanics which I had never delved into before but 20B, felt like a review of AP Chemistry. Prof. Li gives problem sets which are more difficult and she also gives practice self-evaluations which are very closely aligned with the actual midterms and finals. She provides so many opportunities for help, you have to really not care at all in order to fail one of her classes. If you have the opportunity to take Professor Li for either 20A/ 20B or whatever other class she may teach, absolutely go for it. I think she's one of the best professors at UCLA!!

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2016
Grade: A-
Aug. 12, 2016

Prof. Li just got her PhD in Chemistry and is currently the Teacher-Scholar in the Chemistry Department. In the first class, I thought she was the TA and wondered why professor was absent from the class :) Although I did not perform as well as I could have, I recommend her in the strongest possible terms. You can learn a lot in her Chemistry 20AB classes. (I also took Chemistry 20A from her.)

Helpful?

2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Winter 2016
Grade: B+
Aug. 6, 2016

Professor Li is beyond a doubt one of the best professors I've had at UCLA. She is extremely caring of her students and wants to see you succeed. With that being said, her exams and homework are easy, and even if you don't understand a concept, you could always go to her or her TA's office hours. Book readings were helpful and she has a preview due each lecture. ( In essence these are approximately 2-3 textbook problems) The problem sets are challenging but she gives us ample time to finish them. Her practice exams are GOLD. If you want to do well on the exams all you have to do is really know the practice exam front and back. Didn't study too hard managed to get a B+.

Helpful?

1 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Spring 2015
Grade: A
July 28, 2016

Does anyone know if she will also teach Chem 14b in the winter ?

Helpful?

0 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
Quarter: Fall 2015
Grade: N/A
July 14, 2016

WARNING: The person whose review is two below mine is LYING (and I am skeptical of the guy who had a massive rant against Li saying how quote on quote "easy" Lavelle's 14A is on his 14A page).
Professor Li just started teaching last fall and has NEVER taught Chem 14A before Fall 2016.

She genuinely cares about her students and I doubt a professor as meticulous as she is is going to ignore the MCAT and underprepare you for the later classes in the 14 series. Granted she tests you on rather not so hard calculations but I doubt she will kill your GPA. From what I have experienced, you should have a great time with her, and she WILL make sure that you will walk out thinking positively about her class.

Helpful?

2 0 Please log in to provide feedback.
1 of 2
4.5
Overall Rating
Based on 19 Users
Easiness 3.6 / 5 How easy the class is, 1 being extremely difficult and 5 being easy peasy.
Clarity 4.3 / 5 How clear the class is, 1 being extremely unclear and 5 being very clear.
Workload 3.2 / 5 How much workload the class is, 1 being extremely heavy and 5 being extremely light.
Helpfulness 4.5 / 5 How helpful the class is, 1 being not helpful at all and 5 being extremely helpful.

TOP TAGS

  • Uses Slides
    (11)
  • Appropriately Priced Materials
    (9)
  • Would Take Again
    (11)
  • Engaging Lectures
    (9)
  • Useful Textbooks
    (10)
  • Often Funny
    (9)
  • Tolerates Tardiness
    (8)
  • Needs Textbook
    (9)
  • Gives Extra Credit
    (8)
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