No Comments

great orgo teacher! went the extra mile to help outside of class and always held review sessions before tests! the only way to take orgo.

No Comments

he's the only reason I'm still a chem major!

Baldwin is the man.

He was an okay teacher...just don't take him over the summer...you'll go through chapters a day.

best professor i've had at duke so far. great teacher and a nice guy

rockin'

baldwin's a great guy- but he's really overrated. while he's willing to help you if you have a question, he's quite dry in class and his grading policies are very very sketchy.

Baldwin is a fabulous teacher and easily the reason why so many students survive orgo. Please note: regardless of how great the teacher is, this is ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: it'll never be easy. Truth be told, all the orgo teachers at Duke are good.

Dr. Baldwin is one of the best professors I've ever had. His lectures were succinct and very comprehensible. Most people came to class, probably because he's hilarious. And he makes himself really accessible through office hours/appointments. Not an easy class, but Dr. Baldwin makes it doable.

A little monotonous but his notes are really organized. He wants to give out As, and he's pretty willing to meet with anyone to talk over tests or problem sets.

Fantastic professor. Teaches clearly and is well-organized which is key to being successful in orgo.

Its orgo so you're gonna work hard any way you slice it, but if you read ahead (yes nerdy and almost always unecessary but for orgo it'll help you immensely), then what he teaches in class makes sense, and you find yourself anticipating what he's going to say next cuz u've read ahead.

Very clear lecturer, even if a little boring at times. He keeps to the course material, and what he feels you need to know; no extraneous stuff. His notes are very well structured, so they help tremendously come finals time.

Very good teacher. His lectures are clear and his test questions are systematic and predictable. Study the lecture notes, the old exams and do the book problems.

I'd agree with everything below. Can be a little boring...but its orgo and he teaches the stuff very well and in an organized fashion. Definitely study old tests.

Although, yes, he can be very dry during lectures (enough so to put you to sleep) he's kind of kooky at the same time... Teaches straight-forwardly and his tests are nothing unexpected if you study.

I love Dr. Baldwin. His lectures are easy to understand (well, as easy as orgo can be), and he cracks the occasional dry joke that is really funny. His tests are straight-forward; he doesn't try to trick you so no surprises if you study and look at his old exams. My favorite professor at Duke so far.

I agree.The guy does a great job lecturing and his tests are straightforward.Orgo can be tough, but don't take it with anybody but Baldwin.He's also very willing to talk outside of class even outside his office hours.

Yes, the tests are very easy, but for a top 5 school in the country he makes his class a joke. Getting an A is not tough, but will in no way help you for further chemistry, especially 152. While he may give high grades (class average over 80's on first two exams) this leads to no grade seperation and a high dropout rate for the next semester

Did a great job keeping the lectures as interesting as possible. It's hard to teach chemistry to such a large class, but he does as good a job as is possible. Study the old exams, because many of the test questions are the same format as the old test problems. I Got better grade then I thought I would, which was nice

Dr. Baldwin has got to be the BEST teacher in the Chem department. Clear, organized, and above all he is a human(UNLIKE Most). I will strive to take a class again.

Best professor I've had thus far at Duke. He genuinely cares that you get it. He's clear and organized, his tests are fair (though study for the final, it's tough)-- averages were 100+/150 on exams usually. He's funny too, he makes the goofiest noises and like voices when he's drawing molecules... I hope to have him again!

Great professor. Made chemistry fun, well, chemistry is always fun, but usually chem professors make it seem otherwise. He's a funny guy who is willing to help, and will answer every question. Class moves a little slow at first, but then it picks up.

The material itself is pretty tough and he lectures kind of expecting like you've read over the chapter already, so it might be a good idea to do that. His actual tests are strikingly similar to the practice ones, so absolutely do them, and he's a very reasonable teacher overall. Don't be fooled into thinking its easy though.

Great professor. Really helpful, go to lectures! Explained everything clearly.

Baldwin is pretty much my hero. Not only does he know the material cold, he was also very accessible and cares a lot about the class. Holds at least 2 review sessions before each midterm. Very funny guy. His humor is subtle, but keeps you paying attention in lecture. Practice tests are very helpful for figuring out what material is important.

Baldwin might be the best chem teacher at Duke. He makes class as interesting as o-chem can be, his tests and overall grading are very fair, and he really wants his students to succeed. Holds review sessions before all the tests as well. You'll definitely want to go to class though, it really will help a lot.

Professor Baldwin rocks. Though the class is still incredibly difficult, he teaches the material very well, is very engaging, and humorous. Also, he is accessible outside of class, and enjoys interacting with students.

Baldwin's a good guy. Tough, tough material, but he does a good job of keeping things light and interesting. Explains well and is really helpful.

Baldwin is a baller. Unfortunately, there is no ranking on this site for off the chain. If you can, take orgo with him. He explains concepts clearly and (believe it or not) wants his students to actually succeed. His tests get harder as the semester progresses, but they are relatively straightforward and you will do fine if you study hard.

Probably as good as your gonna find for orgo

baldwin is a solid lecturer, although i got more from the book than lecture (i have severe problems staying focused in lectures). the most important things to do are the in book problems and his practice tests. his tests are pretty straightforward and deviate very little from his practice tests.

Interesting lectures, funny, dry sense of humor. Made Organic Chem not a pain to learn. Really helpful in office hours, looks for way to give you points back on tests. Tests aren't too hard if you learned your stuff - doesn't rely on book often. Tests are often exactly similar to practice exams. An overall great professor, would highly recommend.

Probably the most straight-forward orgo professor you're gonna get at Duke. Baldwin's lectures were easy enough to follow so that the textbook became unnecessary (besides for practice problems). Very interesting guy too, we spent 5 minutes after class talking about lacrosse.

Dr. Baldwin was obviously a hustler back in the day. And NICE at ball. Because he is NICE at teaching orgo.

Dr. Baldwin is a very clear, straightforward lecturer and used dry humor to keep the class involved. Just had him for summer sesh and he waited more than 30 minutes after class every lecture to answer questions, ontop of his normal office hours. Tests were easy (because he prepared us well) and fair; GREAT teacher!

This man is amazing. Always willing to help, if you can take his class...do it by all means!

This man is Legen...wait for it...dary

He's awesome. Nothing less than awesome. The nicest Professor ever, incredibly helpful as well.

Dr. Baldwin is as good as you're gunna get for orgo at duke. He reminds me of my grandfather and he says funny things on occasion, hes a true baller. His tests are straight forward and fair. I rarely went to lecture but just by looking at previous tests I knew what to study in the book. I got an A, take him.

great, organized lecturer. has really helpful outlines and posts lecture materials and old exams on blackboard. definitely do the old exams. is really good at q&a sessions, extremely patient and approachable. clearly a former badass.

Baldwin is an incredible professor who knows just about everything there is to know about Organic Chemistry. The class is difficult by nature but Baldwin will go out of his way to help you in any way possible.

Fantastic teacher. Best I have ever had. Go to class and take advantage of office hours. Great lecturer. Best test prep is to do his old tests

Dr. Baldwin is the epitome of the perfect lecturer. Lectures are clear, organized, and straightforward. Exams are fair (and similar to practice ones). He holds review sessions before exams. He replaces your overall grade with your final exam grade if it helps you.

It's organic chemistry: It's not supposed to be easy. But, Baldwin's lectures are incredibly helpful - he's the only chemistry class at Duke I felt guilty over missing. He may come off as boring, but attentive students note that he's actually a funny lecturer (he's got some interesting stories). His exams are hard, but they are similar to old ones.

Dr. Baldwin is amazing! I hated orgo before having his class, and he made it much easier to comprehend. His tests are not easy, but if you study for them, you'll be fine. He's also very easy to access. His notes are organized and follow the book. He also hints at what will be on the test if you attend class, so going to class is helpful!

Baldwin is literally the perfect professor. He is an amazing person and really wants you to succeed. Makes orgo a BILLION times easier. If you have the opportunity TAKE HIS CLASS. plus he's a total boss so ya.

Baldwin is my favorite chemistry professor ever. He is so easy to understand and helpful and really cares about his students. Made me love orgo, which I never thought would happen!

An A is definitely attainable with Dr. Baldwin. He's the man! His lectures are great--study from them and run drill problems and the tests will be doable. His exams are hard, but fair. He's a blast in office hours too! Hands-down my favorite prof at Duke.

Baldwin is an awesome orgo prof and an awesome man. He teaches well, office hours are extremely helpful/fun, and he is a very fair grader. His students love him. TAKE HIS CLASS, DON'T MISS OUT.

Professor Baldwin is hands down the best teacher I've had at Duke so far. He's really funny, insightful, and his lectures are crystal clear and really make the book unnecessary. His tests are very fair and this class is honestly a pretty low time commitment compared to Orgo I

Professor Baldwin is hilarious and an excellent lecturer. He makes the lessons easy to understand. It goes without saying, though, that orgo is one of the hardest classes at Duke, so doing problems from the book, his problems sets, and sample exams is absolutely mandatory.

Professor Baldwin is the best professor I have had at Duke thus far. He is very approachable, and loves to talk with students during office hours and after class. Don't hesitate to ask him questions. He is very clear in lecture, and does his best to make the material understandable. Go to lecture, read the book, do problems and you'll be fine.

Dr. Baldwin is very nice and approachable. Going to lecture is important for knowing which mechanisms to remember and which reactions to focus on. This class is HARD and tests are stressful (averages usually in the D- range) but it's curved and in the end it was worth it. If you are ever confused about a topic, going to his office is helpful.

Fantastic lecturer. Very organized, with clear expectations for the exams. That being said, this is not an easy class. You will need to put in the time and effort to avoid falling behind. If you do, it'll be well worth it -- I was one of those people who never "got" orgo until taking it with Baldwin. One of the best chemistry professors at Duke.

Baldwin is the man. Great lecturer, very fair, extremely helpful. Obviously a very difficult and competitive class, but if you're interested in really learning and understanding the material, this class is fantastic. Wish I would've had him for Orgo 1 as well.

decent

Baldwin is an exceptionally clear lecturer and a great guy. I highly recommend the class -- he made the material tractable and had very fair exams. The review sessions are helpful. If you put in the effort and study / work problems consistently, you'll do well in the class. There are no tricks.

Baldwin is AMAZING. He knows his stuff, he is clear, he is super helpful, he is everything that a professor should be and more. He has a great sense of humor, and his tests were much easier than Qiu Wang's (from 201) except for the final. Do book problems, do practice tests, go to review sessions. Clearly outlines grading procedures, etc.

He's amazing! Genuinely cares about his students.

'Uncle Steve' made the second semester of organic chemistry survivable. He presents the material very clearly, and has extremely organized notes that will prove immensely helpful when studying for exams. The class wasn't easy, but it was very fair. One of the most dreaded classes at Duke turned out to be one of my favorites, a view I still hold.

Great dry humor makes lectures entertaining, and he's been teaching long enough to a) know his stuff and b) explain it so people understand it.

Tests are not easy, but if you go to lecture and read the book you will be fine. The multiple choice on tests are always very tricky and based of specific details. Office hours help!

This class is one of the hardest I've ever taken. His tests are amazingly hard. You could know the material front and back, but Baldwin finds a way to make an extremely hard almost impossible test.

Baldwin is very clear in lecture. That said, class is SO HARD. Prepare to work to get a halfway decent grade. UGH orgo is hard and Baldwin is a cool guy but dang that was some pretty hard stuff. Intellectually stimulating but you need a little genius to do well

GO TO CLASS. Read the corresponding textbook section after you hear it in lecture and orgo will make a lot more sense. Be absolutely sure that you need to take orgo before you suffer through it though. Baldwin is definitely the best professor to have

Baldwin is an incredibly nice professor who is always rooting for you to succeed. Organic chemistry is really hard, no doubt about it. But his relatively reasonable exams and chance for corrections (in case the graduate students make a mistake) make it as enjoyable as possible. Definitely recommended!

Baldwin is the absolute MAN. You can tell that he has been teaching for a while and knows exactly what he is doing. His lectures are clear, his grading and expectations are fair, and he genuinely wants those who put the effort in to succeed.

Baldwin is probably the best chemistry prof out there. He made organic chemistry, an incredibly boring subject, actually interesting and clear in his lectures. His grading criteria is also very clear, and he lets us replace our entire grade if we do well on the final. Watch out though-his final is significantly harder than his midterms.

Orgo2 won't be easy no matter which professor you have, but Professor Baldwin is awesome. His lectures (while dry at times) are very clear and if you can pay attention, you'll do fine in the class. He's also a surprisingly funny guy.

Dr. Baldwin is probably one of the best Organic Chemistry professors at Duke. He explains concepts fairly clearly and his hour-exams are fair representations of the lectures, with some exams focusing heavily on one concept. His lectures can be dry, but he usually throws in a mix of witty and silly humor to lighten the lectures. Final is hard.

He's a great teacher just be sure to study hard. Nothing at Duke is especially easy but if you prepare for orgo 2 you will be ready for the tests. Also make sure you do the practice tests so many times hat you memorize how to do those problems

Dr. Baldwin is one of the best professors at Duke. His lecture can be a bit dull, but he has a great sense of humor. He is also very clear and a fair grader (most people got points back on regrades). His midterms are fairly straightforward if you do the practice tests, but beware, that man sure does know how to write a tough final.

I loved Baldwin. I hated Orgo 1 with Canelas, but actually really liked Orgo 2 with Baldwin. He writes everything on the chalkboard so it's really easy to follow along. I recommend going to the weekly CMA Orgo sessions because they are way more helpful than Baldwin's Review sessions. Studied really hard and did well.

I took orgo 2 with baldwin and it was surprisingly not bad. His lectures are clear and he's always willing to help outside of class.

Baldwin made orgo way easier than it could have been, but it was still VERY hard. Lecture is mostly examples, not instruction, so reading the textbook is very necessary if you want to do well. Funny professor, 10/10 would recommend.

Orgo is hard. There's no other way to put it. No matter how amazing of a professor Dr. Baldwin is, some people just aren't meant for orgo. Make sure to do the problem sets and read the textbook before the tests. 10/10 go to office hours just to talk to Baldwin because he is awesome even though the subject matter is not.

Professor Baldwin is a great professor. Orgo is super hard, but he makes it manageable. READ THE TEXTBOOK. That's a must. Also, go to recitation--it's super helpful. If your TA isn't helpful, just go to one that is.

A very firm but very fair class. Unlike some chem 201 professors, there are absolutely no "gotcha" style problems that intend to trip up students. He cracks joke during lectures and makes them pretty worth your time. That being said this class is all about independent study so make sure NOT to put if off until the night before.

So much fun to listen to in lecture. You should attend every lecture and take super good notes to pass the hour exams--definitely take advantage of the vintage hour exams when studying.

If youre taking orgo, this is the prof you wanna take it w/. Hes really funny and thus keeps students engaged during lecture, despite how dry the material is. His three hour exams are 100% fair. The last two are challenging, but everything on there is stuff that he went over in class - no surprises. He made orgo 20x less miserable.

Baldwin is an awesome professor. He's got a great dry sense of humor and he makes sure to keep students informed about test scores and curves. Would definitely take a class with him again.

Baldwin is one of the better orgo 1 professors at Duke. His lectures can be a little dry and it's easy to get lost, but once you read the chapters and actually understand the material, you realize that his lectures are very thorough and he focuses on what he will test you on. Tests can definitely be tricky, but I think he is a fair professor.

Just go to class and take notes. He's a great lecturer and tests what he goes over in class. Every orgo 1/2 class is hard people, no professor is gonna be easy cuz orgo is just plain hard. You want Baldwin for either orgo - his exams are very predictable just like is past exams so do those! Class curved so mean is B and above mean is A

Know how to do every single problem in his practice exams and you will be fine. Also summer orgo1 is objectively the move.

Absolutely amazing professor. Lectures on the important information from the book and adds some of his own information not from the book so 100% go to lecture. He tries to help his students to the best of his ability inside and outside of class and is extremely intelligent. Tests were very fair although hard and requires a thorough comprehension.

This man is a gem of a professor: amazing teacher, hilarious, and gives VERY fair exams based on material. Would recommend taking notes before class and going to lecture to just learn the material you need for the exams. Overall, makes orgo an enjoyable experience.

Dr. Baldwin was an amazing professor who somehow made Orgo an enjoyable experience. Like the previous reviewer attested, he hands out extremely fair examinations. Do his old hour exams that he posts, as those tend to reflect the styles of questions that'll appear on your exams. The final is essentially an amalgamation of his hour exams but harder.

Extremely extremely hard course but Baldwin makes it better by throwing hilarious jokes in the middle of his lectures. Def have to work for it, but his midterms are just like the past hour exams so study those really well. Lots of hours need to be put in outside of class to really understand the material but very rewarding in the end.

Yes orgo is hard, but Baldwin is very fair and really wants you to do well. His hour exams were difficult, but there were no surprises. The final is considerably harder than the hour exams. I found that lecture wasn't as helpful as just reading the textbook and working practice problems, of which he provides plenty. He tries to make you laugh.

orgo is one of the hardest classes at duke but baldwin makes it manageable. when he lectures everything somehow makes sense. read the textbook and do past years exams because his exams are pretty much the same. also go to discussion and review sessions, they really help.

Orgo 2 is A LOT harder than orgo 1! But Baldwin really wants you to do well! He is so accessible outside of class and is really fair. He's been doing this a long time, so he knows what he's doing. Don't skip lecture and go to his review sessions. Make flash cards!

Orgo II is not even fractionally as difficult as it's made out to be. Baldwin is a great professor even if I skipped like 60% of his lectures. He makes fair exams. My semester, a bunch of kids were found cheating so he made a tougher third exam from scratch to differentiate those who knew chem from those cheating. If you get the theory, easy A.

Good Professor, but Orgo is definitely a teach yourself kind of course.

A great professor

Baldwin is who you want. He makes orgo clear, concise, and simple, as long as you're willing to put in the work on your end. Everything you need to know is covered in lecture; textbook's good for reading more on things you don't get and for practice problems. USE THE OLD EXAMS TO STUDY!

Dr. Baldwin is an amazing professor because not only is he very intelligent but he also makes the material accessible. He is extremely clear and answers questions thoroughly. Also, he discusses interesting applications of science in society and has a great sense of humor. The practice tests and problem sets help a lot.

He's a great professor who makes it abundantly clear how grading works. Lectures are a direct reflection of tests, which are basically identical to old tests. Not impossible if one works hard.

Had his for Chem 201 too. It's a curved class guys - just gotta do better than the mean. Book problems are stupid. Study from his past exams and ask friends for theirs too. Orgo is inherently hard - it's a lot of material to memorize and that's up to you. Baldwin explains notes very well and tells you exactly what you need to know.

He's kind of funny if you pay attention to his side comments lol; his lectures are pretty clear. The exams get progressively harder and they are challenging in general because it's orgo: if you put in the time to understand everything (also study old tests), you can do well, you basically just have to do a fair bit better than the mean.

Probably the best prof for Orgo 1 other than Gooden. Pay attention in lectures. Skim the chapters before class. Really fair tests. If you understand everything really well on practice tests, you'll do well. Exam 3 is definitely the hardest so be ready. You need to above .8std to get an A, so make sure you do a lot better than the mean every time.

Baldwin can be a little dry sometimes, but you gotta embrace the dry humor because he's generally a good lecturer that is good at breaking down ideas in straightforward ways. Orgo is always difficult, but his office hours were very helpful and lectures were very informative (personally didn't need the book). Definitely take orgo with him

One of the better professors for orgo 1. The lectures can be boring but he talks about everything you need to know in there. Textbook is for extra background. Textbook problems are useless, just do the practice midterms and PS. Wish we had more practice problems though, since your grade basically comes down to the midterms and final. Lab/HW easy.

Baldwin's lectures are helpful and exams are generally reasonable. He's not very accessible by email, and he's definitely been one of the less forgiving professors wrt online learning/covid, students don't really get the benefit of the doubt. Grading can be harsh, nevertheless, orgo is hard and he's a pretty good prof.

Professor Baldwin is widely respected and a very smart professor. His lectures are a little dry (2x speed is not fast enough); however, he knows his stuff and his tests are pretty fair. If you are planning to take this class, do the problem sets and practice old exams. More could be done to account for cheating; however, Baldwin is a great prof

I really enjoyed having Dr. Baldwin for this class. The lectures are a little dry and slow, but he throws in jokes occasionally that are pretty hilarious. He was very approachable during our Zoom meetings as well. Labs and HW were pretty easy, just make sure you do them. You can do well on the midterms by using the old tests to prepare.

Dr. Baldwin and his TAs (especially Toby) were really accessible outside of class. His jokes in the lecture videos made me laugh sometimes (NaOMe jokes), and about the lecture videos, he is very concise and well-summarized. Discussion problem sets and past hourly exams are really helpful to prepare for the midterms and finals.

Baldwin is a good teacher. There is nothing wrong with how he conveys the material, and if you pay close attention, he's actually pretty funny. Beware of the third exam's almost overwhelming amount of content. Your success becomes independent of Baldwin. You can pay as much attention as you want, but it won't help if you don't know your reactions.

Make flashcards, review them daily, and do not skip class. It'll save you stress, time, and your will to live.

I took the graduate "Organic Reactions" class as a sophomore and the class was honestly amazing. Dr. Baldwin introduced interesting reactions and mechanisms and cited seminal works in the development of some common modern organic chemistry reactions. This class was not test focused and instead centered around discussion and review of literature