With registration coming up I thought it would be a good idea to post this. MTH 161 is a demanding course that requires a significant amount of time, practice, and consistent effort, regardless of which professor you have. This is especially true if your mathematical foundations are not particularly strong. Students who struggle with algebra, functions, equations, or other prerequisite skills often find the course considerably more challenging because MTH 161 builds upon those concepts while introducing new and more advanced material.

One of the challenges with MTH 161 is that many students enter the course without having the prerequisite level of preparation they actually need to be successful. In some cases, students may be placed into MTH 161 when they would benefit from taking MDE 60 first, which is designed to help strengthen the foundational skills necessary for success in MTH 161. As a result, the course can have a relatively high withdrawal and failure rate.

It is not unusual for a class to begin the semester with around 30 students and have fewer than 10 students remaining by the end of the semester. Of course, this varies significantly from professor to professor, as well as from semester to semester, and the level of rigor and expectations can have an impact on student retention. However, the larger issue is that MTH 161 requires students to be prepared to work consistently throughout the semester.

If you are considering taking MTH 161, you should be prepared to devote substantial time outside of class to reviewing concepts, completing homework, practicing problems, and getting help when you need it. The course is not one where you can typically wait until the night before an exam and expect to be successful. Regular practice and staying current with the material are extremely important.

That being said, struggling in MTH 161 does not necessarily mean that you are incapable of succeeding in mathematics. It may simply mean that you need additional preparation or support with the prerequisite material. Students who recognize their weaknesses early, take advantage of tutoring and the Math Center, ask questions, and consistently practice can significantly improve their chances of succeeding.

The most important thing is to be realistic about the level of commitment the course requires. If your foundations are strong and you are willing to put in the necessary work, MTH 161 is manageable. If your foundations are weak, however, taking the time to strengthen those skills before or while preparing for MTH 161 can make a substantial difference.

I’m taking BIO150 online and my professor, Dr. Hermoso, has been impossible to reach. I’ve taken tough science classes before, but this level of neglect feels totally abnormal.

Here are the main issues:

• Complete lack of availability. If he does reply, it will be something like “I’ll get back to you later” and never does… I’ve asked about office hours twice and he says he will email me a zoom link after he “checks his hours” but doesn’t.

• Class feels extremely disorganized. He posts every module at least 2 days late, and considering this is an accelerated class that leaves us with less than 2 weeks to prepare for the test. The lab exam was supposed to have an essay question but he didn’t even bother to add one… It just had red text saying “PROFESSORS PLEASE ADD ESSAY QUESTION HERE…. DELETE THIS TEXT BEFORE PUBLISHING”. We were supposed to have a group project and he told us not to do anything until he posted an instructional video. A week and a half later, no video was ever posted on it, nor were groups made.

• Failing class median, over half the class failed the last test. He promised a curve, didnt happen. He promised to take a look at the questions that were missed to see what went wrong and drop those questions. Didn’t. Labs, homeworks, and discussion posts are still entirely ungraded and its more than half way through the semester. Also he said that if anyone averages under a 60% in the exam or lab portion, then they will receive an automatic F in the course no matter what their grades are in the other sections.

I’ve never had a professor just post the module (late) then go absolutely MIA for the next 2 weeks until the next module. Microbiology is a difficult class but it feels even more difficult having absolutely no contact with my professor. Oddly enough, this professor has absolutely raving reviews on RateMyProfessor. Even in my toughest classes, my professors have always answered to emails and offered office hours. I’m doing fairly well in the class now, but thats only because I’ve had to spend a genuinely obscene amount of time on it since I can’t get any clarification on anything.

What should I do here? Should I escalate this?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Edit: the professor’s name is Dr. Hermoso

I’m taking Calculus 1 (MTH 263) in the Spring 2027 semester, and I’m looking for professor recommendations specifically at the Loudoun Campus.

Thanks.

Does anyone know any good Bio 101 teachers?

Would you guys recommend Vincent NG for Micro 150?

Anyone taking Dr H Shaban's online CSC215 class? I am very confused because the practice midterm has questions from later chapters.

Has anyone taken Amber Huffman for Geo 210? If so, would you recommend her? Is there tests in the class? I checked rate my professor but there’s not much there to go off of.

Is All Access worth it? I get that it’s probably easier because most things are in one place, but I feel like I should opt out of it especially since a lot of things can be found for cheaper, what do yall think?

I'm a freshman and have heard people online (from all over the states) say that they've had bad experiences with advisors regarding class/transfer planning. While I know I should also be keeping track of things myself, which I am, I just wanna make sure I can rely on them to know what they're talking about lol... because I don't, and will believe whatever they say

I plan to meet with one this upcoming week to discuss next semester's classes/plans regarding the transfer agreements for the schools I'm looking at. Do y'all have anyone specific you recommend? Or any experiences/info that might be helpful?