Dr. Raker is an AWESOME ORGO professor! I would definitely take him in any chemistry course. He makes Orgo very understandable and tries to teach it in the easiest way possible. Wish I had him for Orgo I.

Beyond great professor, I would highly recommend taking him over any other Orgo professor at USF. Really cares about the way students perform in his class.

He is a fair professor. His curve is like Fields where an 80 and above is an A, but his approach is very different. Cares about student's performances and tests are fair as well, if you study his powerpoints and do the review. A word of advice, go to class!

Raker is so chill, helpful and clear. Three tests, 3 written homeworks, 3 online homeworks and some bonus quizzes in lecture. Do the suggested problems, read the ppts and go to class! good to go! Material is still hard. But he makes it easier!

Hands down the best orgo 2 professor at USF. He's new but he knows what he's doing and he knows how to tech. Study super hard for the first test since its the easiest and will help boost your grade. The hardest test is the last test. Print out the lecture notes and use them to prepare for a test that is 50% conceptual, 25% memorization, 25% other

Dr. Raker is the best Organic professor at USF. He genuinely cares about his students and is helpful and approachable! He even opened up extra office hours and let us vote on when they would be most convenient for us. Truly student and learning centered and a very kind person. Take him, take him, take him!

Best Orgo prof at USF by FAR. Loves teaching, is easy to understand, and very fair. Study written HW problems (Wiley not nearly as helpful), rec. problems, and practice exams and you'll do great. ACS final sucked but he graded fairly. Adjusted class grades at the end to fit a bell curve (grades raised even above syllabus grades)

Best Orgo professor at USF. It was about time for a change to the Chemistry department. He REALLY cares abt you. Go to class, go to his office, attend review sessions, ask questions, study ACS booklet along the course and you'll get an A. His work is his passion ( to TEACH).

Hands down THE best organic chemistry professor one can have. (Don't get be wrong, I am not saying easy A, its Orgo!! You HAVE to earn your grade). I cannot stress enough how helpful going to the lectures is. VERY VERY specific about what we need to know for the exams. Do the practice problems, go the help sessions.

Dr. Raker is the best. Period. If there were like buttons here, I'd be pressing them over ad infinitum. He cares sooooo much for students and explains things in the simplest ways. Also, he gives lots of homework which helps a lot with solidifying the material!

BEST PROFESSOR EVER.. lOVED THIS GUY TO DEATH I CANT BELIEVE HE IS LEAVING US :'(

Dr. Raker is an amazing professor. I came into the class thinking that I was going to fail because it was Organic Chemistry but he completely changed that idea of thinking. The class is not easy but it is do-able and he gives you multiple ways of studying and practice. I wouldn't take any other teacher.

Gives you TONS of work to do! Online hw, written hw, textbook hw, clicker questions, powerpoints, and practice exams. Also requires attendance. If you take him, make sure it's the only tough class you're taking or else you won't have time to do all the work and study for the exams. Also has a ton of office hours and is always willing to help you.

Dr. Raker is an angel. I don't think I would've been able to pass Orgo with any other professor. He has so many office hours and lots of assignments for you to earn points. Clicker questions every class but you should be going to his lectures because they are super helpful. He really cares about his students, best professor I've ever had.

Great professor who cares about his students. He offers office hours twice a week to answer any questions that you have and optional recitations. He does give extra credit. Clicker questions and weekly assignments, one based on completion the other 25 online questions. Orgo isn't easy but it's easier with a professor who wants you to succeed.

One of the best professors you could take Orgo 1 with. Be prepared to work for your grade. Every lecture includes clicker questions so you need to go to class. After every lecture he'll give you suggested problems to go over. DO THEM! They help you understand the material and prepare you for his exams.

Dr. Raker is by far the best professor I have had at USF. He offers so many opportunities to do well in this course. He gives clicker points, bonus quizzes, written and online homework, suggested problems, office hours, and practice tests to help you do well. I enjoyed learning the material and his lectures were never boring. I certainly recommend.

Extremely helpful! One of the best professors I have taken at USF! You can tell he really cares about his students.

Organic Chemistry is not easy to begin with. Dr. Raker wants to teach you, and he takes pride in his teaching skills. His office hours are more like TA sessions, informal and non-intimidating, which help enforce concepts. He gives plenty of additional practice, and his practice problems and homework are on par with his tests.

If Dr. Raker is teaching take him, seriously. He is by far the best professor I have had so far and I'm in a major where professors are decent to great. Go to his office hours even if you don't have Qs because he's an interesting guy.

TAKE HIM NOW. BEST ORGO TEACHER EVER. he actually makes orgo enjoyable. it is not this annoying that he give to memories, he actually explain everything. the exams are understanding more than memorizing . KEY GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS and easy A if u go to class and office hours

Dr. Raker is awesome! He works very hard to help students during lectures and outside of lectures. He provides the students with many ways to learn and do well in his class like office hours, practice exams, and written homework. If he is teaching organic chemistry for that semester, take him!

Took this class with 13 other science credits & working 30-40 hrswk. With nearly no study time, I still pulled a B. Only because Dr. Raker is incredible. Go to lectures; do the suggested problems and all hw; & go to office hours, even if you don't think you have any questions. He is hands down, the best professor I've ever had.

Awesome dude, 10/10

Dr. Raker is superb! He really wants everyone to do well and provides the necessary means to do so. He streamlines the info and teaches it in a way that is actually understandable. It's orgo so it is NOT an easy class but dr. raker is hands down the professor to take it with. PRACTICE Go to class, watch the vids, do the prac problems,and prac tests

Dr. Raker is an AMAZING organic chem professor! He does research on how to best teach organic chemistry to students nationwide so he tries a lot of new things in class to see what helps us best. Go to his lectures! He makes it fun and easy to learn this tough subject. His tests are exactly what he teaches in class, no surprises. I recommend him!!!

Awesome Dr. Raker is AMAZING!!! He did the seemingly impossible: he made Orgo easy. A massive contribution to mankind.

He did the seemingly impossible: he made Orgo easy. A massive contribution to mankind.

Im so glad I took orgo 1 with Dr Raker. He does his best to communicate everything to you. There's still A LOT you need to do on your own, but this is the case with all orgos. His grading is fair, but be prepared to work. This seems obvious, but its probably the biggest reason people dont do well. Try not to take a busy semester with the class.

So far I am enjoyng (as much as one can) Orgo 1 with Dr. Raker. The class is not easy, but he does all he can to ensure that you are as prepared as possible! The class is half lecture and half peer-led. I did not like the peer-led aspect at first, but it really helps you learn the material yourself. You'll have to work, but he is a great professor!

amazing teacher this is my second time attempting to take orgo and the first time i was so overwhelmed and lost it was like learning a new language but Dr Raker definitely cleared it all up for me He is truly passionate and wants the best for his students he doesn't want anyone to fail, he managed to make this class enjoyable as long you put inwork

Awesome Orgo teacher. Still a tough subject but he presents material in an easy to understand manner. Very organized and prepared for class. Interactive lectures every week.

Dr. Raker was an incredible professor. I was terrified walking into Orgo 1 but now after having him as a professor I really have a true appreciation for it and I relatively good understanding. I am not as worried about Orgo 2!

Professor Raker is so passionate about teaching and truly wants all of his students to understand organic chemistry. His lectures are great and he puts everything in an easy-to-understand format. However, half of the class is peer led and I wish he would just lecture on those days instead, I feel as though my time would be better spent that way.

Generally very helpful. Reasonable office hours and he provides various resources for his students to succeed.

Organic chemistry is a hard course already, but Dr. Raker takes the time to explain the material to his students and wants them to succeed. USE THE OFFICE HOURS. He makes it very clear at the beginning when his office hours are and those are the best times to ask him questions. Highly recommend him.

Raker is not the professor for you if you do not understand the material when not explained in person. The material was not very difficult at first, so this teaching style worked well. For the last two exams, I would have liked to see more lecture on the topics because half the test items were never discussed & the videos only helped so much.

Honestly as a professor he is very good. I think when he teaches he does a good job of explaining basic material and it make sense. My problem is his class He only lectures on Monday's. By this i mean that on Wednesday's he gives us a worksheet that we are supposed to be able to do on our own with help of peer leaders. I can't learn Orgo alone.

Orgo is tough period. Raker understands that and uses a fantastic grading curve. If you work and study and put in effort, an A is easy enough and a B goes to everyone else. Go to offices hours, even if you don't have a question. It'll give you an opportunity to understand him.

Very good at explaining concepts - but you'll need to put in a lot of outside work to get an A. Which, btw is an 85%!! And he gives around 24 points extra credit toward your final exam, AND drops your lowest exam grade - very doable class!

Dr. Raker is one of the best professors I've had at USF (tied with Dr. Sandi). His lectures are very enjoyable with music, examples, and thorough explanations. He offers extra credit towards the final, and an A is an 85%. Orgo is hard, so don't expect a cakewalk. Also, study for the first two exams, as the last two are hard and you only get 1 drop.

Dr. Raker wants students to succeed, but is not willing to give grades. If you want an A you must be willing to put the time in. I studied about 5 hours/day, read each chapter, all info is not covered in lecture. Go to recitation, every peer leading, do ALL suggested HW and even when you want to give up DON'T! Hang in, it will get better I promise!

Dr. Raker is a cool dude, and great instructor. Everyone likes to complain about and how he only teaches one day a week then peer led. If this style does not work for u, don't take him. his specialty is chemistry education and he KNOWS what works. The structure forces you to learn by doing problems. do hw and videos and work hard and you will ACE

To get an A in Raker's class you need to do ALL suggested problems, online WileyPlus homework, and attend every lecture, worksheet day, and recitation. On top of that, you need to study from the book and make time to go to his group office hours. No dropped tests, ACS cumulative final, 25 bonus points if you assist with his research.

Let me start off by saying that this is Organic Chemistry, ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EASY! Dr. Raker does a great job in helping the students become strong independent learners. He also does research on education so he knows what methods are most effective. If you give full effort and do the HW and suggested problems, you should get a great score!

Dr. Raker is a great Professor. If you are planning to just come to class to learn what he teaches, you wont pass. His teaching forces you to learn much more than what you would if he was just lecturing. Also, what really helped me was doing Dr. Fields worksheets, they are much harder and will prepare you well! Work HARD and you'll be fine!.

I took Orgo twice, first with Fields then with Raker. I had a better overall experience with raker because he followed a routine (I didn't love his routine but there are no surprises once you learn his pattern). He wants you to pass but there are no freebies. The class is not hard you just have to PRACTICE until you can do the rxns in your sleep

Organic Chemistry is not an easy course and it is no different with him. This class requires dedication and time to understand the material and he tries to make it a smooth process as much as possible. Exams were fairly difficult but that is expected. That being said, there are plenty of opportunities to get bonus points which help tremendously.

A lot of people will complain about him and the reason is, Organic chemistry is a hard subject. People want someone to blame. Dr. Raker is a good teacher and he has the easiest tests in the department, and he gives a lot of extra credit. Make sure to go to class because he does include lecture specific questions. Definitely the easiest orgo teacher

He gives every opportunity for students to pass and is very accessible for outside hours. Students who don't pass his class with high grades are LAZY. He gave students 105 questions that were IDENTICAL to the final and I still got questions on how students should study! Orgo is hard. You will only come across teacher like him once maybe twice.

Dr. Raker is wonderful! He truly cares about his students. His research is in chem ed, so his teaching methods are effective & he offers great advice on study tips. Exams are fair & straightforward. STUDY! Its organic chemistry, you have to work for your A. He is an awesome dude, and his office hours were very helpful & it was fun to be there.

Raker was challenging but extremely fair. His weekly practice exams are really helpful in preparing for the test. I suggest taking a light course load with this class, as it is a ton of work and studying. His exams are hard, but there are no surprises or trick questions. The extra credit he offered amounted to a 5% final grade bump. I'd take again.

Raker knows how to teach and explain material. No curve, but practice exams, quizzes and pre-exam surveys helps to bump up grade. Requires reading, taking notes and practice a lot. You will get at least B in class. Wiley plus homework is optional ( extra credit). Tough grader, but fair. Allow regrading exams. Be prepared before class (fast lecture)

Organic chemistry is a hard course, especially if you do not know how to study for it. Raker is not a bad professor; he is tough, but it is a tough course. Do not underestimate it. Go to lecture, hand write your notes, do your work, and study continuously. Do not study a few days before the exam, or try to memorize the material or you will fail

Of course, orgo is a very difficult subject, but Dr. Raker does his best to help you succeed. He gives ample opportunities for extra credit towards homework and the final exam. He also does help sessions in the library for those who want extra practice or have questions. He explains the concepts well and is fun, but his exams can be a bit tricky.

What I would recommend to get an A: 1) Attend all lectures, take notes, + focus on what he emphasizes 2) Study at least a couple hrs a week. Study as if your exam was the next day. You have a quiz every week so that should motivate you 3) Do the HW he gives out and make sure you REALLY understand 4) Read 2nd language 5) Practice problems! 6) & more

Dr Raker knows his chemistry & it is clear he wants his students to succeed. He relates everything youre learning to other classes and material you know to help understand the big picture. Do the suggested textbook problems, attend lecture and take advantage of the extra credit opportunities & youll do fine. He offers lots of office hours too

Dr. Raker is, in my opinion, the best organic chemistry professor at USF. If you listen to lecture and do all the sugessted practice as well as extra credit opportunities you will receive a decent grade in his class. Moreover, he is an extremely approachable guy and is open to feedback. The only reason people complain is because they did not pass.

Dr. Raker was one of the best professors I could've asked for. He loves to interact with the class, but unfortunately that made some lectures drag a little. Orgo 2 is not an easy subject whatsoever, but he was great at breaking down concepts and is there for his students! Oh, and lots of extra credit opportunities!

Dr. Raker is the best organic chemistry professor I've had. He has a great way of articulating exactly what you need to know to do well on the exams and his love for teaching is also very apparent. He holds office hours every week and is very kind and helpful, answering homework questions and explaining things in more detail.

I had Dr. Raker for Orgo 1 in Fall 2017 then Orgo 2 with him for Fall 2018. His grading changed dramatically and his exams are fair. His TAs are a great help. Do the homework problems he assigns you and you'll definitely pass!

Dr Raker was an extremely good professor. He explained everything very clearly and made Orgo a very easy subject. His exams were extremely fair. Study the slides and understand the concept and you'll do great. He adds a 5 point bonus on each exam if you do a survey which really helps bump your grade. Really recommend.

Perfect professor for O-Chem. He makes lectures fun and engaging. With any professor, this is the one class you need to actually put consistent effort in. He always makes himself available, he gives extra credit surveys, and his teaching style makes the material easier to understand.

He is one of the most caring professors I have ever met. He goes to the library every time we have an exam hours before to help you with last minute questions, he will walk around the second floor helping out with anything you might have. His homework is also are very helpful for the exam.

Amazing and friendly professor, however as Organic Chemistry is a heavily conceptual course, be prepared to open your online or hardback textbook, and practice extra-curricular problems to gain a full understanding. Raker did not oversee the course, another prof did. Be prepared for this eventuality by reading and studying after class, I did great.

Dr Raker is a great guy. He is very caring and cares about student success. Orgo 1 is a difficult class though so you need to do alot of work on your own.

Orgo is hard af but compared to the other orgo professors at usf, raker is the best by far. His exams are so much easier than exams from other orgo professors because he tests different concepts not just everything tied together which i love. Even if you dont necessarily understand everything, if you understand enough you can still do well on exams

He was an amazing professor! If i could give him 6/5 i would, there is no better teacher at USF for organic chem, its a very challenging course so that is to be expected. But he is fair and kind

Raker really cares about his students and is very understanding when it comes to personal issues. Orgo 2 is a hard class with a lot of memorization, but he doesnt try to trick you on exams. Raker is a very verbal professor and doesnt provide written powerpoint notes, so i often found myself learning from the book more.

Dr. Raker is a pretty good professor. He does however sometimes not explain things thoroughly enough though. He posts another professor's lectures on canvas which is very helpful in explaining things. He is very kind and makes lectures interesting, but he will sometimes rush through slides and not really explain the concepts as much as he should

In general, the class is difficult but the amount of practice and office hours they provide are very helpful and will prepare you if you make use of them. Professor Raker's teaching style did not suit me but he posts another professor's lectures which are helpful. He explains the concepts rather than writing it out.

I like his teaching style, especially those anecdotes he spoke along the lecture, which shows you how much he loves Ochem. & it also makes a highly technical lecture more lively and close to our everyday lives and making learning fun. His lecture focused on understanding, rather than memorization. & he's easily the best Ochem prof I'v had in USF.

Raker is an amazing lecturer and cares infinitely about student's success. He has a good understanding of different students' learning pathways and explains everything from an alternate perspective.

The content is hard but he tries his best not to trick you on exams and keeps things straight forward. Overall very accessible as well.

The course content is difficult but he tries his best to make it fair and as easy to understand as possible. He kept the class engaged during lectures and all around seemed to have a lot of passion for the subject.

Great Professor. Genuinely knows what hes talking about in class, and is passionate about the subjects he covers. Historical Perspectives will be a mandatory class for some majors in the future, and his class is an A as long as you put in the work.