always smiling. he's nice and approchable. the only thing is with the lab exams he was not very clear with what we have to study.

Organized teacher. He keeps the subject interesting. Take good notes in class, and study. You'll do well then.

Great teacher, he makes orgo interesting and hes very helpful. Just come to class and do the homework problems and it wont be difficult at all. I highly reccommend him

This is simply one of the best professors at Montclair. Students here seem to want answers handed to them. Suck it up! This is not high school so go to class and study. Did you expect this class to be easy? I got 2 A's 'nough said.

I took the lecture during the summer, he was a fairly easy but I did have to study alot for the tests. Its not hard material you just need to keep up.

He goes very fast in lectures and wouldn't stop unless somebody asks him a question. He is very sweet and nice though. Available for help no matter what time u ask. Overall he is a genius and 1 of the smartest professors I have ever had. You do have to study alot if u want a nice grade. Curves big.

goes by very fast. just study the equations onthe board and review them in the book. Ask for him to repaet if you dont follow, but be prepared when you enter the class. The first day of school he covered 1 chapter.

he's a nice guy, but dont let his smile trick you, he only does that cuz he knows we dont know what the hell he's talkin about, if you're not a chem major, good luck, he goes too fast, and assumes you know everything already, tests are hard no matter now much you study, different colored pens would help too

Dr. DeSilva was a great professor. Moves really fast during his lecture, but he'll stop and answer any questions people have. Go to his lecture, read the chapter, and do the problems -you'll have no trouble. Also gives a practice exam that is basically exactly what will be on the test, which is very helpful. Very nice and always has a son his face

Good professor, very clear and explains things well.. Just pay attention and study everything he does in class, and you'll be fine. I got an A.

He's great in lecture. He explains what you need to know and answers any questions. Make sure you take down what he writes on the board and explains about it and you will be fine. Tests are quite hard, even if you study hard, but you'll know what to study because he gives you past exam questions.

He is a very interesting guy. He is hard but this is the class to weed out all the people who want to be Pre-Med from the people who can actually cut it. Exams were hard but if you take the notes and memorize all the reactions your golden. Tkae him if you really want to understand the material. The lecture helps the lab very much.

Great Prof. Just study his notes.

Nice guy, tries to help students in class if they're confused, but a bit difficult to understand. Requires a lot of study time to master it. But of course, it's supposed to be difficult and challenging :)

He is the hottest teacher alive. He is also pretty laid back.

He is so adorable! He's so happy, always smiling. Very helpful, answers questions even when annoying people ask the same question over and over. I definitley recommend him, he's definitley one of the best teachers I've had.

Took him for Orgo I and did well. Orgo II is another story because it has a lot more in-depth material. His tests were similar and he taught well. What is going to kill you in Orgo II is the ACS Final. I had a high grade before it and then I took the final which counts as 2 exams. The ACS is a very difficult exam and he doesnt curve it well.

Definitely take Dr. DeSilva for orgo over the other profs. He explains topics w/ clarity. tests can be hard, but hey, it's organic chem. Take him!

This guy is always smiling ...... perhaps an evil smile.... does he teach good... yes.... are his tests hard... yes..... if i had to do it all over again id still take it with him... his review sheets are great... got a B for both orgo 1 and 2.. (Thanks DonDOn<3)he is better then isidor and berger .

Took him for both organic I and II great professor,four tests sometimes curves. Material is crucial and you do have to stay on top of it he goes extremely fast, therefore pay attention and take really good notes because his tests are based on his"notes".orgoII ACS final examis a killer so study a head of time and ask him as many questions as u can

Best teacher ever tests the same as review sheets with minor changes if you cant pass this class then wth a A then your just extremely LAZY... COOLEST GUY EVER

great professor

Dr. Desilva is a great professor.I have taken him for 2 semester both for Organic Chem 1 and 2. There are 4 exams (3 midterms and a Final). Curve is based off of class average. He is very fair and you can challenge him for points and most of the time he gives them to you. Better as a lecture professor rather then Lab. Would definitely take again.

DeSilva is a GREAT professor! I had to retake orgoII b/c I had konas who was a joke! Everything made sense when he lectured it! 4 exams(3 his and 4th is ACS)His tests are exactly the review sheet and he's not out to trick you! He curves at the end which can be nerveracking but he is generous!Take him! Even though orgo is tough he makes it "do-able"

Did research with Dr. Desilva, learned alot of new things and reviewed many old techniques that were important yet somewhat forgotten. He is very helpful and down to earth.

Was a great professor who was always in his office= early and stayed later than office hours. Exams are straight forward and relatively easy because he gives a review guide of questions very similar to the actual test questions. Can't stress more on how great of a organic chem teacher he is. SHOW UP TO CLASS!!

DeSilva is a great professor!

Desilva is a great professor. He takes a difficult subject and makes it straight forward. It's still hard but he does an excellent job. Gives study guides which pulls it all together. He is a man of few words which can be intimidating. Very fair grader.Best chem professor I've ever had.

I really like this professor; I took organic chemistry over the summer in 4 weeks and he made it understandable and was willing to help if help was needed. I would highly recommend taking him.

If you're not lazy, you'll be fine. He isn't "easy" but he isn't too hard that it's impossible to pass. He is VERY clear when explaining things so PAY ATTENTION. I took it over the summer (4 week session) and it was a LOT of information but I managed to get an A. 4 tests, 2 lab quizzes, collects lab notebook, and yes HE CURVES a good amount.

Dr. DeSilva was a great professor. He clearly explained the material and was always available for extra help. He is a hard grader but as long as you put effort into studying, you will be fine! The grades were curved at the end of the semester, which helped a lot. I highly recommend him to everyone.

I think Dr. DeSilva is a great professor and is considerably easy (specially if you're taking his class as a summer course and go to a different school). I took him for Orgo 2 over the summer and I had taken a pretty intensive Orgo 1 course so a lot of what we covered in org 1 was what he taught for the first two weeks of orgo 2 (so it depends on p

This class is tough but he's the best professor @ MSU that teaches it. Much easier than others. Take really detailed notes and study before the quizes/exams. Final is cumulative but he curves at the end. DO THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS, exams are based off them, which means buy the book & answer key. I never used the online text he suggested. Got an A.

This class was a joke. Very easy exams, feel like I barely learned anything. Didn't even need the textbook.

Your grade is based off 3 exams and the final. No homework/quizzes. EXTREMELY difficult course. You need to have a study group. He is the best orgo prof, but it is hard to understand his accent. Will answer any questions you have.

Dr. Desilva is a great professor. He is clear with what you need to know. Orgo is a tough class but if you put in the time you'll be fine. Most people just study the past exams he posts online. But you have to go beyond that to get an A. Watch videos outside of lecture and do the hw problems he gives you, which is optional not graded.

Dr. Desilva is deffinitely one of the best Orgo professor at MSU. Took him for orgo 1 and 2 lecture and lab. Yes, he gives practise problems that are 80% similar to the tests but you need to take notes and know the material well to actually do good. If you keep up trust me it's not that hard. Deff take him! The ACS at the end of orgo 2 is curved gd

I only had Dr. DeSilva for Orgo lab & I truly wish I had him for lecture. While he doesn't explain things well, he does tell you exactly what to study for his quizzes so you can just practice & learn before you take them. He's also the nicest Chem professor ever & I highly recommend him for lab since he's always more than willing to help

Excellent lecturer.

I just had him for Organic Chem 1 this summer and absolutely loved him. He's a very nice man who really wants you to understand the material and helps you to by providing a lot of resources including himself answering questions. He provides old exams to practice from that are basically exactly the questions that he asks on his exams. I recommend :)

Had Professor for Orgo class is very hard but take notes(use differ color pens/pencils trust me) answers have to be correct or he wont give you credit. Very helpful outside of class

Desilva is an EXTREMELY clear and straight forward professor. He focuses on things you NEED to know and rarely goes off topic about subjects you dont .He writes down notes by hand and talks you through step by step. He gives past exam questions that WILL show up on the exams. Take down all notes. One of the best professors MSU has. DO take !!

Professor DeSilva is one of the most respected professors at MSU. Even though the class can be challenging, he tells you where to focus on and his lectures are specific so when the exam comes you have an idea of what to expect. He definitely leads the hard-working students to success and was always available for office hours.

Info may not be relevant due to COVID at the time; His exams were very similar to his previous exams. He goes over a lot of mechanisms, which is lovely because you will be able to know and recognize reagents fast and how they work perfectly. He is focus on preparing you for the ACS final, which is curved well.

Fought to take him again. Orgo 1 is honestly hard if you dont study. Pay attention in lecture, he doesnt mind answering questions. Really nice, homework helps, quizzes and test announced with time to study and complete. Test are easy if you pay attention, do hw and study on own time. (Im lazy and put things off but tried for this class) Grade:B-

Prof DeSilva lectures were very good, and was everything he taught showed up on the exam. He says to read the book, do practice problems, but I never touched the book once. If you want to do well, take good notes (understand the material during lecture), memorize EVERYTHING he tells you, and re-do problems he does in lecture and practice exam.

he is a great professor, his lectures are amazing, is you attend EVERY lecture there is no way you fail. he makes a lot of examples and is great at explaining, his exams are difficult but very similar to the practice ones, he does not answer emails during the weekend even if you have an exam on Monday

Dr.DeSilva is one of the most understanding professors. He goes quick during lectures, but he's available during his and out of his office hours. Attend every lecture and take advantage of his office hours and you will do great. His exams and quizzes are similar to his practice exams. I don't recommend him if you're not going to put in that work.

Took him Fall 2023. One of the best professors ever. Very clear explanations and lectures. Gives about 6 quizzes, three exams, and final. Attendance is not mandatory but they help A LOT. Regret not taking him for Orgo II. Take him because he curves and cares about his students. He wants you to pass.

I took him for Summer 2024. He is a great professor for Orgo. One piece of advice: do the homework if you don't understand, and do the practice exams. The material on exams reflects what he teaches in lectures; using his resources to understand will get you a good grade. Orgo is tough, but Dr. Desilva makes it doable! Taking him for orgo 2.

This class for me was hard. he is very fast at explaining stuff, so the class its very fast paced you need to pay attention. but if you go to his office hours, he will answer your questions. I do recommend taking time during your week to review the material. he does quizzes and exams, and exams reviews that can be very helpful when studying.

Only three quizzes but they are very difficult. He is a great professor and does want his students to pass.

Although Organic Chem is hard in itself, I honestly respect Dr DeSilva a lot, he gave us a lot of take home quizzes and he curved us. He was generous in his office hours and he is a very understanding person. Although he is kinda brutal on exams, make sure to practice and read outside of lectures.

Shawty Desilva our Sri Lankan baddie.

Such a great Orgo 2 professor!! He breaks down rxns step-by-step, draws everything out on the board, always open to questions, reviews every quiz (though only 4/6 would count) + exam IN CLASS (which is super rare for Orgo professors), super fair grader, chill vibe, actually WANTS u to learn. First A in a hard chem class 🙌 highly recommend!!!!

Dr. Desilva is a bit messy with his teaching but he's great! He's a tough grader, but definitely study the quizzes, his practice exam, and old exams and you'll be fine. Make study groups and try to learn as much as you can. Don't stress as much for ACS, there's a big curve! Anyways, he's good if you do want to learn more tho take Sarkar or Bebinton

(took him for Orgo 1 and 2 over the summer 2025) he's my short king i genuinely loved having him. do the optional hw problems and practice exams - the exams are very closely based on those resources. textbook(s) were free and linked on the syllabus. a sweetiepie who will gladly answer questions. don't blame him for how hard the material is :(