Review:
This is an excellent introduction to college-level chemistry, although not recommended if you haven't taken an advanced chemistry class in high-school. Professor Dewald goes through the concepts thoroughly but quickly, so going to recitation is vital to understand how to apply the concepts to the homework.

The lab part of the course consists of easy, straight-forward, "follow the handout" type experiments with a little write-up afterwards. Rarely do they take the full time allotted.

The best about this class are the guest lectures every week from members of the chemistry and physics faculty and grad students. Generally enjoyable and sometimes inspiring, the lectures will really give you a feeling for what a career is chemistry will mean.

Although daunting at first, Dewald is a fairly endearing old coot who periodically sways into his experiences as a chemist during the Cold War and his passing friendships with Nobel Prize-winning chemists. He and the recitation leader are generally available when you need them. Easily the hardest chemistry class you will ever take, but well worth it.

Workload:
Basically, the workload consisted of a ten-question problem set every week or so, three long exams and a final - plus the lab section of the course. The textbook wasn't particularly helpful with respect to the homework and exams but helped underline the concepts. If you have trouble, you are best off bringing it up with the recitation leader or the professor.

Unfortunately, the problem sets are generally brutal but the only thing that will prepare you for Dewald's exams. The exams are math-heavy, rather than concept-heavy, so it's easy to make simple (but costly) mistakes.

review a class you took with Robert Dewald - help your classmates make informed decisions!

Review:
Professor Dewald is a good professor to have if it's your first exposure to chemistry. Since he only teaches one or two classes in a given semester, he makes himself extremely available for questions. I have been told that some students find him difficult to understand but I never found this to be the case. The class is a bit dry because Professor Dewald doesn't believe in demonstrations or media. He does, however, have a good sense of humor and plenty of funny mannerisms to keep the class amused. He is extremely knowledgeable and was a researcher before he was a teacher so he can usually draw from his personal experience.

Workload:
About one problem set a week. You should read the book as it can be helpful for gaining understanding. Tests are long. Sometimes real LONG. But the grading is fair and he returns tests in a very timely manner.

review a class you took with Robert Dewald - help your classmates make informed decisions!

Review:
This class is not that bad at all. The tests are not that bad, even though there's always one "challenge" question that's almost always impossible to solve unless you're a genius. However, the worst thing about this class is that it's so incredibly boring which is even worse since it's at 8 am on two days. But it's 1.5 credits and if keep up with your stuff and go to recitations, you can definitely get a B or an A.

Workload:
Problem sets assigned every 1-2 weeks. Reading the book is not that important especially since I didn't open it once during the entire course and still managed to get an A. The labs are not bad and usually last only 1.5-2.5 hours. Go to recitations, they help. And for problem sets, it helps if you space them out over a few days rather than spending 2-3 hours the night before it's due.

review a class you took with Robert Dewald - help your classmates make informed decisions!

Review:
Professor Dewald has to be the best professor I have ever had for the sole reason he is most accessible person. I took this course without taking AP chemistry (which was the pre-req) and still got a B+. The single most important thing to him is that you learn the material. His grading is very fair. He is very casual about lectures. He teaches the material well, though at 8:00am it's hard to learn anything. The best part was his stories and rants about politics. The man knows a lot. A whole lot. And he wants you to know a lot, too. He even told the class to call him at home before the final to set up a time to meet and ask him questions!

Workload:
We had weekly problem sets and three exams (+ a final, maybe?). The problem sets are tough, but they are good questions and it is possible to do them alone, which I did. From my friends' complaints, my problem sets seemed much better than the chem0001 problem sets.

review a class you took with Robert Dewald - help your classmates make informed decisions!