3.7
Quality3.9
Difficulty59%
Would Retake89
Reviews59%
Would Retake
89
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
36
4
20
3
16
2
9
1
8
What Students Say
“If you are just looking to get by then he is not too bad because his curve is generous on the lower side but if you are actually trying to get an A there are WAY easier and better teachers for the grade”
CHEM113 - 3.0 rating“Lectures are very unclear, basically have to self-teach”
PCHEM - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.38 avg changeRatings by Course
GRAD
5.0
(1)NCSI286H
5.0
(2)CHEMHONOR
5.0
(1)CHEMALL
5.0
(1)CHEM561
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEM391
5.0
PCHEM
5.0
CHEMGEN
5.0
THERMO
5.0
CHEM560
5.0
Reviews (89)
Teaches way above our heads, very hard to follow.
Dr. Baumann is the best! His class was a medley of lecture-based and hands on fun!
Extremely inelegant. He is the best
he taught way over my head, but he made class interesting
One of the BEST teachers i have had at Scranton!
very hard ot follow!
Excellent educator: He speaks well and keeps students interested in the material. I have not missed one of his classes.
very diffcult to follow, teaches one thing then tests another, your grade = how many old tests you have, you are graded on a scale with grad students (not good) BAD
He's a great guy and an awesome teacher--even for those of us who hate science!
If given the choice between being slowly eaten to death by maggots and taking his class again, I would have to take the maggots.
This guy is terrible! I think that he enjoys seeing his students suffer through every test. He might know his stuff, but he doesn't teach it. Being in his class was the downfall of my week, and my year. So many people leave his class FRUSTRATED!
Frequently refers to himself in plural.
This man is completely heartless. He doesnt care whether or not his students understand the material. Then he proceeds to make tests that are ridiculously hard and make you want to kill yourself. He is a horrible teacher and has no compassion at all!!!!!!
dr. baumann was a really nice guy. he cares about his students and really takes the time to get to know them. he's confusing when he teaches, the tests are really hard (5 pt M.C) but his curve is awsome
Hi, Dr. Baumann, i know u are reading this. Every equation you can memorize is important. Very difficult and when a curve is based on how you do with grads in the class u are screwed. Cool bonus questions. very nice man, funny and very cool. grade = # of old tests/(# of correct answers + your I.Q.)
Very cool, funny prof who frequently refers to himself in plural! Not always the easiest to learn from, but the guy to take to know the material inside and out
Very cool guy, but tests are incredibly demanding. Quiz grades make getting a passing grade managable, but don't expect to ace this class just because you did well in high school chem - this is a whole different ball game.
Great teacher and an all around great guy. Honestly, i am kinda upset with some of the bad ratings for Dr.B, he is extremely helpful and encourages students to do well and see him in his office. Listen to what he says will be on the tests...
Best Chem Teacher Ever! got a C in first part of Chem and have a A now.....nicest guy ever! TAKE HIM!
The best teacher I have ever had in my life...If a teacher is going to risk his life by putting N(L) in his mouth to get a point across to a class then he deserves the teacher of the year award...gonna miss that class...besides who else will walk around scranton with dead squirrles that are missing paws.take him and have the best class you ever wil
One of the coolest teachers of all time. Down to earth and funny as hell. Tests are hard but the subject matter is too, just get the old ones and memorize all you can. Most important thing to take away from BioPChem: Boltzmann is spelled with two M's lust like Baumann!
Dr. Baumann was a great chemistry teacher. He makes the class fun and teaches you a lot of interesting facts. Do the work that he tells you and there will not be any surprises on the exams, if you don't do the homework I could see the exams being really difficult.
I just really wish this class was more than memorizing old tests. He knows we all do it. He gives us old exams and even tells us to study them. The class is all derivation. The exams are all application. FORGET THE DERIVATIONS IN CLASS! WE HAVE A TEXTBOOK FOR THOSE! TEACH AND SHOW US WHAT THE EQUATIONS MEAN!
I LOVE THIS MAN! one of the best teachers i have had at the u. he has such a great sense of humor. whatever he circles is usually on his tests. his bonus questions are super easy. highly reccommend
Good teacher, hard to get an A, but he is very fair. The final is cumulative for both semesters so that is annoying but it really doesn't affect ur grade that much.
Great teacher!! Loved to teach and was really good at teaching. He was SOO helpful. Manageable to get an A if you put the time and effort into it. The final is cumulative, which is really annoying but works out in the end. Quiz every monday, usually really simple. Bonus points are amazing.
Fantastic prof.
This is bio p chem it is going to be hard no matter who teaches. Would answer whatever questions I had about the class. Yes there are grad kids in the class but they are graded different even though the curve is the same.
Hilarious, great teacher, knows his stuff. Even bonds couldn't imitate their stretching as well as he does. Fantastic guy and adviser. Not just a chili pepper, but a Bhut Jolokia pepper.
He doesn't teach the material very well in my opinion. Just follow the book and do the problems in the green boxes and you'll be FINE. Don't bother with the homework...doesn't help. He curves like crazy and gives extra credit points 1 each week. You have a quiz each monday worth 8 points. and you have the opportunity to drop a test. Not too bad.
Very good guy. Come to him if you need help, he WILL help you. Listen in class, take thorough notes. He tells you a lot of "coming attractions" which are hard, but they don't show up on the tests. He was my favorite teacher last year. The material was hard, but his witty remarks in class make it easy.
Terrible teacher. Every other general chemistry is easier and better than him. Take Mecca.
hard tests but pretty clear when teaching
He legit one of the best professors I ever had. Very helpful, great teacher, very clear, what more can you ask for? Test aren't too bad if you pay attention to him. Curves tests. Able to drop a test. Bonus points. Great.
hard freaking class but you learn a lot with him. killer tests with averages in the 60s, but he curves. tries to lighten things up with his sense of humor. overall, i recommend.
honestly never had to try so hard to get an A in my life. I took AP Chem and still struggled. oh and you think he curves every test? nope, those letter grades mean nothing. your grade on the test is what goes in his gradebook.
It was a good class. Ended up with an A, but it took a lot of work. He taught a little over our heads and tests were demanding. You have to work but he's very fair.
He is a really nice guy, crazy though. His tests get harder through out the semester and 50 minutes is no where near enough time to do them. He grades really fair though. If I studied harder, I would have gotten an A. I loved him, wish he was teaching Chem 113 this semester.
He is who you want to take if you want to be prepared for organic. He is good at explaining things and wants you to actually LEARN chemistry, not just know how to solve problems. Tests are challenging but fair. I recommend
He explains where the equations come from and what they mean but doesn't teach you how to use them even though you're responsible for applying them on tests. Test averages are usually in the high 60s. That should say something.
he's terrible. nice and all, but BAD teacher. does not explain things well at all and will go out of his way to trick you on tests and quizzes. i find it funny how he designs the quizzes to help your grade out yet makes them impossible.
An excellent professor! I actually learned chemistry from him... everything made sense. He is always helpful and makes the class fun with his sense of humor. Quizzes each Monday, usually really simple. Tests are challenging but he curves.
Many people find his courses hard because he doesn't spoon feed you the material.. you have to do a lot of work on your own. However, his teaching style sets you up great for orgo and other classes. Tests are hard and you won't get an A but he is an excellent teacher.
far from the best. does not explain things well at all and very arrogant. most people in the class didn't like him..he's just not a nice person. likes to make you feel stupid in office hours. he should stick to research for the sake of his students.
He's an OK teacher. Lectures can be very unclear and most people left the class frustrated. However, he does his best to make it fun and has a good sense of humor. He is also good with answering e-mails when you have last minute questions. Tests weren't THAT bad- with a lot of studying you can do decent but very hard to get an A on them.
He is the best chemistry teacher. Not an easy class and really hard to get an A but you learn more than you would with any other teacher. He is also very helpful and funny. Take Dr. Baumann!
Truly an amazing teacher- makes an effort to know all of his students and willing to answer any questions you have about the class. Tests are fair, but not easy. If you study hard it is possible to get an A-range grade in his class. Take him if you want to learn and be prepared for higher level chemistry classes as well as the MCATs.
He was the best teacher I ever had. I still keep in touch with him when I can and let him know how I'm doing in my other classes. He is a great teacher and very motivational. I took his class last year and it had me very prepared for the rigors of organic chemistry. If you can, take Dr. B. Very fair and great teacher.
He was alright. I don't think he explained the material very well and he taught over our heads at some points. There was a quiz once a week and the tests are very hard but he grades on a curve. He was very nice and helpful but does not like slackers. Follow along in the book if you don't understand his lectures and you will do fine.
This was the most fun class I ever took at the U. He makes gen chem so fun with his funny bonus questions each week and his sense of humor. In terms of material, I never learned so much in any other class because he gives you the background for each concept so everything makes sense. You still need to work very hard to do well but he is great.
You want to know what a hard chem class is like? Take BioPChem. Tests are ridiculous and on things you never learned- very tricky. I think it's impossible to do well in this class.
Funny, witty, and very cool. Having taken all of the chemistry professors at this school, he is the hardest. With that said, you can still do well if you really put in the work and go see him- very helpful man and easily approachable. His tests are very hard and some questions are on things you have never seen before but he does grade on a curve.
I had Dr. Baumann years ago for general chemistry. His explanations weren't always clear but if you go to him for help he's always willing to help you. He sometimes comes off as a jerk but that's just his humor. My only complaint is he will not bump you up half a letter grade even if he knows you've been working hard. You just "get what you get".
He's a nice man but his class was all derivation when the exams were all application. He'll spend the entire class deriving but doesn't do many examples on how to use the formulas. Very hard. I asked him questions everyday and he refused to give me one point to bring me half a letter grade higher.
Not the worst option for chem but not the best either. He teaches one thing then tests another. He'll derive equations, show random graphs or diagrams, but never works through examples. You have to teach yourself. Tests are long and tricky but an easy quiz once a week to boost your grade. Very hard to get an A... might even be impossible.
BioPChem is a HARD class. The material is unbearable..it's literally the same thing as regular PCHEM. There is calc 3 in this course yet the prerequisite is calc 1. The entire class is derivation and the lectures never correspond to the homework or exams. He's a nice man, very helpful, but a hard overall grader.
This class was a beast. Very hard. Everything he teaches in class has nothing to do with the homework or exams. Exams have nothing to do with lecture or homework. The lab is poorly run and no one ever knew what they were doing (including the GAs). Make sure this is the only science class you're taking and you better remember your calculus!
Awesome teacher. Funny, witty, down to earth, and very helpful. Tests are hard but that's PChem. His door is always open and he's always around to answer any questions. Definitely recommend the class if you're smart and have a good background in chem.
Horrible teacher- teaches way above our heads and no one can ever follow him. Everything he teaches in class has NOTHING to do with what you'll be tested on. HW only helps so much. This class was a nightmare- do not recommend unless you want to spend weeks studying for tests that you'll get a C on anyways. Hardest science course this school offers.
Dr. Baumann is not an easy teacher but if you plan on going into any sort of Ph.D program, he's the one who will prepare you the most. He teaches and tests at a challenging level but it's to your own benefit.
If you haven't taken calc 2 or 3 you will have difficulty with this class guaranteed. BioPChem is a very difficult course- moves at an overly aggressive pace and tests are a nightmare. You're also graded on a scale with grad students which already puts you at a disadvantage. Other than that, he is always around to answer questions and help you.
The tests are very hard, especially with no equation sheet. But if you look over them once, you'll know them for the tests. The final is another story... I'd rather have daily colonoscopies than endure that final again. Maybe I'm using hyperbole a little here. Yeah, that's hyperbole and understatement in the same sentence. But Dr. Baumann is great.
Dr. Baumann is a very nice guy, but a terrible teacher. He teaches physical chemistry like a math course without explaining any of the chemistry behind it, so you learn nothing. Everything taught in class has nothing to do with hw or exams. He is very strict with grading too so effort doesn't come into play with your final grade. Avoid if possible.
His grading sucks. If you are just looking to get by then he is not too bad because his curve is generous on the lower side but if you are actually trying to get an A there are WAY easier and better teachers for the grade. He purposely makes the class competitive meaning you basically need your classmates to do bad so that you can do good.
Baumann makes class very entertaining. He kind of goes a little fast at times when he is doing problems on the board, but if you're confused he'll makes sure you get what just happened before he moves on. Weekly quizzes that aren't too hard can replace your lowest test grade if the overall quiz grade is higher than the lowest test grade.
Lectures are very unclear, basically have to self-teach. Regular exams are hard, but doable. Final is impossible no matter how hard you try. He's helpful when you seek it but is a very strict overall grader. If you don't have to take the class, definitely don't. If you do, get the old exams and get ready for a stressful semester (or year)
Very tough class but found it worth it in the end. Dr. Baumann is a hard teacher and sets the bar high but contrary to popular belief you can actually pass and do decent if you study and work hard. P-Chem is a REALLY hard subject and there is a lot of math involved but he'll help if you see him. Very helpful, exams are very hard, but you'll learn.
He is definitely the smartest one in the department. Literally this guy knows everything about physical chemistry. The class itself is very challenging though. I know people who put hours into each day and only got a B-. That's not his fault though the material is just really hard. Calc background helps and is necessary for the quantum portion.
The class material is hard, he doesn't make it any easier though. Do the homework and old tests to be prepared for the exams. The exams are hit or miss.. sometimes not so bad other times impossible. They are 5 questions. Nobody gets an A, most get a B, some get a C. He's funny and makes class very entertaining and willing to help in office hours.
Chris is the man. He is a hard professor, but he really cares about his students. He's also not a sore sight on the eyes.
Dr. Bauman knows what he's talking about all the time. He's easy on the grades and even easier on the eyes.
This was by far the hardest yet greatest class I ever took when I was at the U. His door was always open and he would bend over backwards for any of his students. Do the homework, get the old exams, and keep up with the course. I had a large sense of accomplishment after taking this class and learned a ton. Got an A- in it so it is doable!
Dr Bauman is the mann. Don't get the textbook, just follow his notes and go to his office hours.
Dr. Baumann is the best professor at the University. He is so funny and is always available to help you with any problems. Getting the old exams is key. This is the best class and best professor. Cant wait to take the 2nd half of this course! Did i mention he is the best professor ever!!!!!!!!!! This class is magical!
Arrogant, enjoys hearing himself talk. Terrible class with no useful information.
For the amount of work involved, you truly learn nothing useful in this class. It is called "biophysical chemistry" but it is basically just p-chem. He teaches in the most confusing manner possible and the exams do not align with what is emphasized in class. Do NOT recommend and this is coming from someone who did well.
Dr. Baumann's class is one of the most difficult classes for chemistry majors but definitely rewarding. Highly recommend the class for the experience and the satisfaction that comes from the hard work and vast knowledge that you'll obtain in each lecture.
I took Dr. Baumann for Chem 112 and 113. I took a terrible schedule for 113 just to take Dr. Baumann. He is amazing and takes the students out to 'freeze day' at the end of 113. He's harder than most other professors, but treats you fair, helps you learn, and cares. Well worth the extra effort.
Dr Baumann is an amazing gen chem teacher. He knows his stuff, and makes his class fun and educational. As a freshman, he knew how to make us comfortable, laugh, and learn the material. His exams were fair, and you should definitely study his old exams for practice. CTLE drop in tutors help as well, or ask Dr Baumann. Hes the go-to for gen chem.
This is by far the most difficult chem class in my life and Baumann doesn't make it any easier. Lectures are very dry and never be in the exams. Hilarious in class but you'll get nothing about material. If you have to take him, prepare to read the whole book.
Will make you laugh in class and cry during exams. I loved him as a professor, but loathed the exams he made. If you don't have old exams, ask grad students or him. Without them you will fail. Lectures are deriving equations, and homework is using them. However, he curves his grade scale so its not impossible.
Dr. Baumann is an interesting man! He is a great professor. However, he seems to want to trick his students or in my opinion challenge them. Lectures are intense but it is on you to review them. He is always willing to help and has his door open in case anyone has questions. Very fair with grading and loves giving partial credit! He is also funny!
Tough professor. He lectures AT you and does not offer many helpful tips on succeeding. Having taken AP Chemistry, this class already contained content I have learned. It was just to a deeper degree. Without having this base knowledge, I cannot imagine having to try and genuinely learn these concepts. He is a really funny guy though.
Dr. Baumann is definitely a professor you have to grow into. At first his lecture set-up is difficult, as he mainly does problems in class and doesn't use anything but the blackboard, but as long as you read the chapters and do the problems you will do well. Curves everything and really gets to know his students. Super fun to joke around with.
He is nice and funny but when it comes to the teaching, he only uses the black board. He tends to go off topic a lot. It is a difficult class so a tutor is recommended if you take his class. But he does have nice curves built into his exams
He's a great professor. The class materials themselves? Not so much but Dr. Baumann makes it bearable. Great and funny guy! About 2 exams and a final (pretty sure it was cumulative). Get ready to memorize a lot of equations (cheat sheet isn't allowed) but he does provide pages of fun facts (they consist of constants and a periodic table).
Dr. Baumann only lectures through talking and writing on the chalkboard, you basically have to teach yourself everything and always tries to trick you on the exams. The only grades you get in the class are the exams and the exams are DIFFICULT.
He wasn't a good teacher and liked to self entertain himself. I personally struggled hard in his class due to the fact he just rights random $hit on the board and expects you to get it. The ONLY benefit/good thing was the fact that a 40% on an exam was like C+. Do not take the class
Dr. Baumann is a sarcastically funny and straightforward professor who makes class enjoyable but challenging. Without prior knowledge or reading, concepts are tough to grasp as he focuses on solving problems in class, not explaining theory. Grades come from 3 exams, 10 quizzes, and a cumulative final. Tests are tricky, but the curve is generous
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
43%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.38 avg changeRatings by Course
GRAD
5.0
(1)NCSI286H
5.0
(2)CHEMHONOR
5.0
(1)CHEMALL
5.0
(1)CHEM561
5.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
CHEM391
5.0
PCHEM
5.0
CHEMGEN
5.0
THERMO
5.0
CHEM560
5.0