Professor Spore is one of the best chemistry teachers I've ever had! Attendance is strongly recommanded since you can't see anything on the recorded lectures. He is very interactive and makes the class very much enjoyable.

I went through high school not understanding chemistry, but everything this man teaches makes sense. He incorporates humor into his lectures to make sure his students stay engaged, and his tactics work quite well. Homework is required, but the supplementary practice problems are optional. (Do them for test prep though. They seriously help.)

If you want to not only understand chemistry but enjoy it too, take Prof. Spore!! His lectures are engaging and personable. He makes a lecture of 250 feel like a class of 20. The workload is reasonable and he is accessible outside of class if you need help. He seriously is one of the best professors ever, take him if you have the opportunity.

Prof. Spore is easily the best professor I have this semester. He is engaging, funny, and genuinely cares about students' success. He makes jokes that are usually silly, but they are perfectly planned out to help make content make sense. His tests are fair (though as of right now I've only taken one), and they are multiple choice.

Professor Spore is super nice, funny, and actually makes chemistry interesting. His lectures are engaging and he is very accessible outside of class. If you are to take any professor for chemistry, TAKE HIM!!!! It'll be the best decision you've ever made.

His textbook is available, but its not 100% necessary but it does helps. Dr. Spore explains every single concept that she taught us in HS in the most simple and basic way. He explains conceptually, menaing you understand why chemistry happens. He is funny and trys to engage during lectures, but his TA's aren't as experienced. 5/5.

Prof Spore is the best chem professor I've had and I have now retaken chem 0110 and Intro to chem at Pitt. His lectures are easy to follow and he goes slow enough with the material. A genuinely nice guy who cares about his students. Gives a week for quizzes, and weekly homework. As long as you follow along, do practice questions!

Just want to emphasize that Prof. Spore is honestly the best professor I've ever had. These negative ratings are coming after an extremely difficult exam. Low test scores are a reflection of how challenging chemistry is, not on Prof. Spore. He is extremely personable, provides countless resources, and has engaging lectures. TAKE HIM!!

He is an extremely good chemistry teacher and you can tell that he knows what he is doing regarding both chemistry and teaching. Although you don't have to attend lecture you REALLY should or it will be hard to catch up also DO THE RECOMMENDED practice sets and the homework because if you understand that, you will do well on the tests.

Professor Spore is an amazing professor who always takes the time to explain every concept very well. He uses humor and positivity to engage the class. He designs homework and quizzes to help the students and offers extra material such as optional problem sets if students need more practice.

Very nice guy and knows what he's doing, you HAVE to go to lecture though or you will not be able to keep up with the class. The exams for the class are hard but not the end of the world, you have to put effort into studying for them and take advantage of the problem sets he gives you to see the types of questions for the exams.

Professor Spore is a great teacher. His tests are difficult but in order to be prepared you must do his practice problems. There is a lot of buffer with homework and weekly quizzes, be sure to do all of them as they are great grade boosters. Overall would recommend for a first Chemistry class. Also he never tests on anything not covered in class.

Professor Spore is an incredible lecturer and engaging in class but his tests are ridiculously hard. There's weekly homework and quizzes that can act as a buffer but this class requires ample study time outside of lectures and go to office hours. Based on other Gen chem 1 professor reviews at Pitt, Spore is the best you can get.

Overall, Spore is a very good teacher. He is very funny and makes class interesting. Yes, his exams are very difficult but he gives a lot of practice examples to do outside of class. From talking with other students, Spore is definitely the chem professor you would want to try and get.

I liked professor spore, but I do see the complaints that other students had with him. He refused to curve test grades even when the average was extremely low, explaining this by saying that people got 100s so he couldn't. He assigns at least 4 pages of homework a week which is to be turned in at recitation. Just do the practice and go to lecture.

I really like Prof. Spore. His lectures are super engaging and personable, and overall I feel like I've learned a lot. That being said, this course is extremely challenging to succeed in without a chem background (like AP chem). Tests are very difficult and not curved which can tank your grade. Spore is truly a great Prof though, just a hard grader

Spore keeps lectures engaging via self-deprecating humor, which I found helpful. With the exception of Exam 2 (of 3), the exams were not difficult. He provides a plethora of practice problems, which are written exactly like the test questions, so nothing is a surprise on the test. Pretty responsive with emails and open to questions during class.

Spore is by far the best chemistry prof i have had. He is engaging and spends lot of time in class going over problems that are similar to the exam. Many reviews on here claim he's a hard prof but lot of freshmen confuse a hard prof with a hard subject. Chemistry is very difficult but I promise you will not get a better professor for this subject.

The difficulty of Professor Spore truly depends if you took AP Chem or not. I took AP chemistry and find the course relatively easy and his lectures help build onto the foundations I had previously. On the other hand, the course will be hard if you have not taken a high level of Chemistry before. Use the resources Spore gives and you will do fine.

Just want to emphasize that Professor Spore is the best professor that I have ever had for chemistry. He doesn't deserve all the negative review, just do the problem sets and go to office hours and you should be fine for the tests. The tests are difficult, but he is a really good teacher in lecture.

Dr. Spore is good lecturer and knows how to teach many concepts. Problem sets were easy if you know the concepts, exams were not hard, easily can get 100%, a lot of quizzes but manageable and easy. I don't understand why people complaining Dr. Spore when problems reside on you...

Professor Spore is a good choice for Chem 1. The class is test heavy, but that's college. I ended with an A even with failing one exam; the exams are reasonable. He has a lot of office hours and is available over email. He is also open to meeting with students one-on-one. I think he is a good chemistry professor, and I would recommend taking him.

Dr. Spore gets a lot of negativity, but honestly if you put in the work you should be okay. However, if you don't have a good background in chemistry I would avoid him. He gives lots of practice but the tests are multiple choice and there is no partial credit which really can hurt grades. Overall, it's a good class if you put in enough effort.

The bad reviews about Professor Spore are blown way out of proportion. He gives so many resources in order for his students to succeed. I didn't have a strong chem background at all and I still ended with a B. Just do all of his practice problems and go to office hours and you should be fine with passing the course.

I really enjoyed Gen Chem 1 with Prof. Spore. I don't have a strong chem background, but as long as you pay attention in lectures and use the resources he gives you, you should be fine. There are no surprises on his tests and the class is pretty straightforward.

All of the reviews that say Prof Spore is terrible are exaggerated. I didn't take AP Chem and I thought Spore's class was fine. He was a good teacher who always kept me engaged during lecture. He only gave one mandatory assignment each week. He also provided more than enough practice resources and exam content was exactly what he said it would be.

Professor Spore is difficult but a good take if your willing to put the effort in. His lectures are fun but his tests are difficult and frankly should've been curved. Tests are like quizzes and homeworks, ignore the problem sets their basically useless and his office hours are useful just to attend since he does alot of practice problems

A lot of people shit on Professor Spore, but I honestly didn't think he was that bad of a professor. Lectures were engaging and as long as you stayed on top of the material, you would be able to perform well. The tests were all multiple choice, and definitely a bit harder than they should have been based on the material taught, but overall not bad.

Spore teaches extremely well and has 9 office hours/week & will meet with you on zoom too for xtra help. If you do all the homework, problem sets, redo in class problems on your own, & attend office hours, you will succeed. BUT you have to be willing to put in a lot of work. This class is HARD, but Spore gives you the resources to succeed.

DO ALL THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS. Amazing lectures that are very engaging, and office hours are very helpful. These tests are the hardest tests I have taken in my life. You need to study and do practice problems. I didn't start until the 3rd test and that really screwed me over. Test questions use multiple different concepts in 1 question.

Dr. Spore is a great intro chem professor despite the challenging material. He was a very captivating lecturer so I was never bored in class, which is good because missing class is not a good idea. There were homework assignments due in recitation, and the exams are doable with dedicated time set aside for studying. Do the problem sets!

Professor Spore is a great lecturer and is very engaging. He uses examples that help you understand concepts and always answers any questions during lectures. He offers a lot of office hours and is willing to meet with you outside of class. The only downside is that his tests are weighted heavily and there is no drops or curves.

Because I had already taken AP Chem, I kind of knew what I was doing in his class. However, I think his lectures were good, as he would explain certain topics by using analogies that the students could understand. Although it seems like a lot of work, do the problem sets!

Don't listen to the other reviews. Spore gives detailed, consistent lectures that give you exactly everything that you need to know. He is a tough grader, but he has like 3 office hours each week. All you have to do is show up and study. He doesn't care if you get a bad grade because that means you didn't try, he is there to help you.

Spore's lectures were great--very funny and engaging, and the examples he used made it easier to understand difficult concepts. He was very willing to answer any questions and never made you feel stupid for asking or not understanding something right away. His exams are difficult but manageable, but he won't curve/offer any bonus.

I don't know what other people expect. It's chem and a weed-out course, it's hard. Tests are exactly what he says, but one multiple-choice question is a lot of points (no extra credit). His lectures are good, but you have to go. Lots of problems to work on provided. Pretty funny dude

Spore's lectures are informative and easy to understand. He does a really good job at making sure everyone understands the concepts by constantly taking questions and being accessible outside of class. The exams are more than fair, they are not difficult and similar to homework and problem sets. The format of them are the only drawback.

I was nervous about taking chem for the first time since high school and prof spore made it much easier than I expected. He posts problem set questions after the lecture so you can practice, the questions are much harder than the exam questions, so they're good practice. If you put in the work and go to lecture, it isn't hard to get an A.

I genuinely think Professor Spore is a great person and educator, but his class is challenging. Tests are graded very unfairly so that you can miss 1-2 questions and not get an A. Some questions will be worth 10 points with no partial credit awarded. Overall the class is manageable if you put in the effort.

I thought Spore was a great professor who genuinely cared about the success of his students. While lectures weren't mandatory, I felt I couldn't miss any due to the amount we covered in each class. Exams felt like fair assessments of knowledge and his humor made the class much more enjoyable.

Dr. Spore is one of my favorite professors. His exams are pretty heavily application based, however it really forces you to understand. He's very funny and teaches difficult concepts at a reasonable pace. Its just one of those classes where you get what you put into it. Work hard, do the problem sets, and you should be fine.

Very funny guy who cares about his students. Chem is just incredibly hard regardless of the teacher. You only get 50 minutes to do the test and trust me that's not enough. The TA's for the chem lab are horrible and are the main reason me and my friends dropped it. Don't take if your GPA isnt in a good place.

Spore does not deserve the hate people give him. Chemistry is a very challenging subject, but Spore provides you everything you need to get a very good grade. His lectures are done on chalkboard and are vital because it is what he directly draws from for the exams. Study the notes, practice the examples from class, and give it your all for exam 2.

Professor Spore gets way too much hate. His lectures are amazing as long as you take detailed notes. He gives two homework assignments per week and gives TONS of extra practice problems. So long as you do all the assignments and a bunch of practice problems you will be fine. Exams are tough but not unreasonable and easier than practice problems.

Professor Spore is a very animated lecturer and it keeps you engaged. Chemistry is a hard subject but I think he is a fair professor who gives you everything you need to be successful. Don't skip class because you need lectures to be successful. Stay on top of things; there's no room for procrastination in this class.

I think he has had bad rep for no reason, he's very nice and honestly if you do bad, it's on you, he wants you to do well and if you do all the prep work ( participation) you will pass, or even do very well! Alex is very helpful, take ur time. Must attend class to understand, but it's not mandatory. My only ask is, I wish it was recorded...

Dr. Spore is a great lecturer who teaches everything in a clear and digestible way. He gives many outside resources to practice the material and is very approachable and helpful during office hours. Be prepared to use these resources; studying is a must for his exams. If you pay attention in lecture and do the practice problems, you will succeed.

He always tries to provide his help and support. His chem lectures explain basic concepts. The practice problems are harder than the test. Attendance is not mandatory but helpful (he takes chalkboard notes not digital slides). Office hours are not helpful but if you email him or meet over zoom.

Honestly, Spore is a very solid choice for Chem 1 compared to some of the other choices you have. He presents information in an easily digestable way and his tests are not as horrible as people say. The only thing is weird point values, but they're all multiple choice which imo makes them way easier. Just study and you'll be good!

He does try to let people understand the concepts by holding great, engaging lectures. But I recommend against taking him especially if you are not heading towards chem/bio/chemE/bioE major. Take a different section where exams can be much easier.

Spore was a great Professor. People say he's hard and it is true, but he gives us everything we need to succeed, you just need to put time in. The class is lectures and weekly ALEKS modules. He gives us problem sets and posts the slides but the lecture is necessary, much more info is given then. 3 tests, all same easy format plus a final.

Professor Spore is probably one of the best chemistry professors/teachers I've ever head. I always loved his lectures and I usually left his class with a very clear idea of what we discussed in class. The issue is his exams and the final basically determine your grade, so one slip up can cause your grade to drop--so STUDY.

Gen Chem 1 is hard, a professor can only do so much to help you succeed. That being said, Spore is a passionate and entertaining lecturer who prepares you well for future classes. Doing his problem sets helped me a lot. Go to office hours and ask questions about problems or concepts that confuse you. I think I could've done better if I did that.

Professor Spore is an amazing lecturer and keeps everyone engaged the whole time. Workload is fair. Tests are majority of grade and have pros and cons. They are multiple choice and fair which is nice, however each question is worth a lot of points and they build off of questions prior (aka if you miss one you can mess up the next few).

If you want to do well in this class, put in the work!!!! Spore has great lectures, he breaks the content down in an easily understandable way. Show up to class, take good notes, do the problem sets, and attend office hours if you are struggling. Exams are difficult, but you will do fine if you prepare well.

I love spore! he does not deserve any of the hate he gets. hilarious lectures, super kind and accessible, and wants you to succeed. Taking him again for chem 2! listens to students' feedback and wants to improve, also breaks hard concepts down in an accessible way. Must study and put in the work to succeed! Love as a person and a professor!

Spore is not as bad as everyone thinks he is. He's a good lecturer and provides a lot of practice work for tests and exams. Chem is a hard subject so you'll have to put in the work to get a grade that you want!!! He wants his students to succeed and exams are difficult in order to prepare students for upper level courses in the sciences.

DO THE PRACTICE PROBLEMS HE ASSIGNS. Spore's class is not difficult in the material, but it is "very" harshly graded. His exams are all multiple choice and multiple parts. Because of this, it is very easy to get double and even triple penalized. As long as you understand the material, the exams are pretty straight forward and the class is not bad.

Dr. Spore's class was difficult, but a good grade is achievable if you put the work in. He is very very good at explaining concepts in lectures and office hours. I definitely would use the resources he gives and attend office hours if you want a good grade. His exams are difficult, but you often have other work to help your grade.

Spore is one of the best lecturers and I truly understood the material when he taught it. He's very passionate with teaching. I had a poor chemistry background, but he reinforced Chem topics that I had completely forgotten about. His exams are HARD, but its chemistry what do you expect. DO THE PROBLEM SETS. Pay attention, work hard, and study ALOT.

Prof Spore was the best professor I've had so far. His lectures are interesting and he is a super entertaining guy in general. The class is difficult, but not as bad as people make it out to be. If you study the material and pay attention in lecture, you'll be just fine. He does not round at all at end of semester (I had an 89.57, not rounded to A)

Spore makes his lectures so engaging! Most of the time he's great at explaining things. His office hours are super helpful, go! Especially if smth didn't make sense in lecture. Also, do practice problems he posts. They're harder than the exam questions, so if you can do them, you should be good for exams. Just doing HW is not enough. Take Spore!

Very nice, office hours help a lot. Tests are hard but fair, requires studying but not unmanageable. Homework and quizzes are very helpful study tools.

Amazing lecturer. However he does not record them or post notes on canvas, so you need to go to the lectures. Exams are difficult and there are no drops, but he gives you everything you need to be prepared in the lectures.

Chem 2 is difficult, but Spore is definitely one of the best profs. Yes his exams are hard but weekly homework and quizzes do so much to prepare you so they don't feel too bad. He explains everything really well in lecture and I do think his exams are fair. Plus he's really helpful and funny so lectures aren't a pain to go to. Highly recommend

Great lecturer. His exams are strange as they are all scantron and no partial credit. Most questions are multiple parts, so if you miss part one, you are missing the rest of the page, which is usually 20 points. Make sure to get 100% on homework each week and score high on quizzes as they are heavily weighted in the class.

I had Dr. Spore for gen chem 1 and 2. His problem sets are extremely helpful. His exams are multiple choice but if you do the problem sets and understand how do do each problem you will be set up for all his exams. He wants his students to succeed and is more than willing to talk to you outside of class and via email.

You have to attend lecture or you'll be completely lost. His exams are difficult but manageable, there's always one set of questions worth like 10 pts that everyone gets wrong. He's a great lecturer, but the problems in class are much easier than the exams. The exams are similar to the homework given with some problem set adjacent questions.

His lectures only explain the basic problems. You need to do the problem sets and homework problems to prepare for the test. The weekly quizzes are during recitation and the exam must be completed in class. Attendance is not mandatory but helpful. He makes a lot of interesting jokes during class that keep the class awake.

Professor Spore was funny and interesting. He never replied to emails though. I never did the problem sets since they weren't helpful. I only studied the notes, quizzes, and homework a few days before exams. Exams were difficult and graded harshly but were overall fair.

I took both General Chemistry 1 and 2 with Dr. Spore. His problem sets prove incredibly beneficial. While his exams follow a multiple-choice format, mastering the problem sets ensures readiness for all assessments. Dr. Spore prioritizes student success, readily offering support through in-person discussions outside of class and via email

Exams were overall fair but could be tricky with multi-part questions-- if you do one part wrong, it causes the rest of your answers to also be wrong, with no partial credit. The lectures were fun and the weekly homework and problem sets helped me prepare. I'd say don't take Spore if you're not a good test taker.

I have taken Prof. Spore for the past 2 semesters and I have very much enjoyed his class and teaching style. His exams are very difficult, but study his exam terms and you should be good. His lectures are soo good and make sure to pay attention as his examples really help. I would definitely recommend for Chem 2.

I loved Spore. Lectures were amazing and office hours were extremely helpful. My only thing is that the exam questions are worth a lot of points, so getting 3 questions wrong can get you a C on an exam. If he did partial credit/corrections on the exams, the class would have been perfect.

TAKE SPORE!! His lectures are so engaging and he is such a good teacher. You will learn so much and his exams are fair. He provides so many other options for grades besides exams. Is so kind and understanding to students and would recommend to anyone. I took him for both chem 1 and 2.

Amazing teaching style, weekly homework and quizzes, 3 exams + final, no drops, sometimes spends a lot of time on topics not on exams

Great professor, his lectures are very helpful and outline everything you will need to know for the exams. weekly quizzes can help boost your grade if you study for them. Exam are fair but difficult; he posts practice problems which if you can do will guarantee a good exam grade. He is the best chem 2 prof. lab isnt syncd to class which is annoying

Dr. Spore is one of the best lecturers I have had at Pitt and he provides plenty of practice problems.The exams are tricky as they are graded in a way that can cause you to lose points easily due to how questions are dependent upon previous questions but overall the class is set up for you to succeed if you stay engaged. Highly recommend.

Spore is a hard class in general but a great lecturer and person. 3 Tests no drops, he altered formating by getting rid of online quizzes and replacing them with lab rec quizzes. Tests are very hard but you know what to expect every time. If you put quality work in you can succeed. I had for both 1+2 and would say he is a far better 1 teacher.

Spore was great for chem. His exams could definitely be challenging, but he gave you all the resources you needed to be successful. Weekly homework and quizzes helped make sure you were on track. Only downside was no practice exams, so sometimes it felt like I was going into an exam with no clue what to expect.

Spore is excellent; his class is an actual wakeup call, so If you haven't necessarily adjusted to college just yet and are all over the place regarding how to study for courses, he would not be your greatest option since this class requires you to study the moment you finish the previous test allowing for the best results. TESTS ARE HARD BUT FAIR!!

the BEST lecturer. provides plenty of study material. tests are challenging because chemistry is a demanding subject but they are fair. getting an A is possible as long as you have good study habits. i would recommend spore--he's engaging, accessible, and responds to emails quick

He is literally the reason why I had an absolute blast this semester in Chemistry. Lectures were very organized and he was very engaging. Although his exams are quite difficult, I think they were fair questions. Also, he doesn't provide constant numbers, and we have to look them up on problem sets and homework and that can be very annoying sometim

I had professor spore for chem 1 and 2. His lectures are very engaging and gave me a good baseline for chemistry. Problem sets were harder than the test questions, but if you can do the problem sets then you will be set for the tests. His practice questions in class are easy versions of his test questions. Tests were hard so study. Quizzes are easy

He can teach Chemistry like no one else. Lectures are engaging and interesting even if chem isn't your favorite thing. Tests/exams are hard, quizzes are easier. Biggest advice is don't assume a 100% on a quiz means you'll do great on an exam. The Problem Sets that he releases should be your best friend. Great guy that loves chem and wants to teach.

His weekly quizzes are good practice for tests. Tests are all multiple choice and very fair if you go to lecture. He does lots of sample questions in class, and they are very similar to test questions. Final was harder than midterms, but most tests aren't that hard.

Professor Spore's class is a challenging but rewarding experience. Exams are tough but fair, and the weekly quizzes and homework help keep you on track. unstuck ai was a game-changer for my study prep. Definitely take this class if you're willing to put in the work.

Dr. Spore is really nice if you reach out and ask for help. He genuinely cares but you have to make the initiative; unlike Orgo Professors, since I am now in orgo 2, spore genuinely gave me so many resources and help and sat down with me and went through my exams to help me better prepare for the next one he is fantastic!