Awesome class, enthusiastic, funny and smart. Hard class but so worth it, I like chemistry because of it!

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Excelent teacher modeartely hard but fair. Very helpful.

Awesome professor! Always very enthusiastic and exciting. You'll both have a lot of fun, though it's of course, hard work. :-)

Best class I ever took (metabolic biochemistry). He is intense, peaceful, and you should see his layout to catch a disc. You eat well if you know him well.

He's so enthusiastic about chem that it will make you like it. I had this class at 8 in the morning for two hours, and it went by so quickly. Spencer is AWESOME.

Great Teacher

Toughest classes I've ever taken in my life; his exams are intensely difficult. He's a great professor, though, so if you like math, science and studying your ass off then I'd definitely reccommend the honors chem series!

Great teacher!! I failed my first exam in Chem 115, but with extra help from him during office hours and lots of hard work I managed to earn an A in the class and went on to minor in Chemistry. He was extremely knowledgeable, helpful and kind (and very patient). I would highly recommend him.

Very clear about his expectations- what he said he wanted you to know in the syllabus is what he will ask about on exams. Really! Expects a lot of his students, so keep up on reading and assignments. Very helpful in Office Hours.

Very helpful, very approachable. Pretty tough so, definitely not the easiest. He expects a lot out of youu, but he helps you as well greatly.

Tough, fast paced class. Spencer is very clear, intense and articulate in lecture/labs. He has a passion for chemistry and it shows in everything he does...exams are tough, but he has very generous office hours and is clear about what he expects. Best science prof I've had in 3 years of college.

He is more of an upper-division prof. Very tough for gen.chem but you should take him if you are majoring in chem. Otherwise there might an easier way... Very helpful, will help any time you see him

I hear he mainly teached the honor series and that he didn't change the tests very much for out regular class. :) He was so awesome! Helpful, interested in chem, fun, and down to earth. How can you not like a prof that wants you to call him by his first na

He's on a sabatical right now in England, sooo you won't be seeing him until fall 2006, but he's amazing. if you get a chance to take one of his classes.. do it!

Very enthusiastic and dedicated to his class

He's a great teacher, and explains things in several different ways to make sure that everyone understands the concepts. He's really fun, and enjoys Boundary Bay, so if you're 21 he'll probably buy you a beer!!!

WOW. i completely disagree with the people below me. he is an amazing teacher and a very nice guy. i dont know who those people were talking about, but it couldnt have been dr cahill

Spencer is a great teacher. He said it the first day of class "I'm going to push you harder than you think you can go, but I'll be there to help you through it" Difficult class, but go often to office hours. Do the book problems and the practice tests.

The class is hard. Its hard to make Biochem easy...but he's helpful and personable, esp. if you go to office hours. Lets just say, that out of the prof's that teach this class... I would choose him over the other any day.

GREAT

He is a helpful teacher. And he may come off as a little arrogant but there are much worse teachers. Nice guy. Tests were tougher than expected, but overall not too much work given.

I love spencer!!!!!!! he is so nice and approachable! he will explain things to you until you get it! loves students and is always willing to go out of his way to accomidate to you! Take this professor!

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spencer is an entertaining and great professor. he was able to illustrate examples in a mannor very fitting to individual student interests. he is also just a very cool and intelligent guy, i give spencer my highest recommendation. even if you struggle with chem (like i did) if you work hard spencer will recognize your efforts and improvements!

Spencer was a great teacher. He mainly teaches off Powerpoint, but still manages to make it interesting. He addresses all questions and is constantly trying to ensure that everyone understands the core concepts. It is a difficult class and you definitely have to work hard, but it was interesting. I'm taking Chem 122 with Spencer; he's worth it!

He was a great professor who is willing to help you no matter what. His tests were really hard but he cares about you and wants to help you improve. Also, in a class with 150+ students, he knew EVERYONE'S name!! Very cool!

Nice guy, tough class. If your not good at chem start going to office hours at the beginning of the quarter, if you get behind you're screwed. I went to the tutorial center and still didn't do well, so make sure you go to HIM for help too! Learn from my mistake, next quarter will be Chem 121 Take 2. And the online hw takes a while- don't put it off

He is amazing. He is so funny and really helpful. HIS CLASS IS REALLY HARD! He expects a lot of his students, but he works hard for you. If you have questions, he will work with you until you understand. He is very fair and a great professor. I highly recommend him, but be ready to work. A lot.

Oh man I spent so much time preparing for all his tests... this class was supposed to be really hard, and it was. But he is VERY helpful and VERY nice and an AWESOME professor.

Spencer's the man!

Good teacher! He is extremely helpful, go to his office hours if you need help. He is avery nice guy. Read the book, attend class and do all the practice work! Its a hard class, but he is fair and will help you understand it.

Spencer puts a lot of work into teaching the class and preparing. The same is expected of you. The material is hard, there is no way around that. He puts in a lot of time to be available and has a lot of real life input that is valuable. I actually learned a lot about chemistry and more about myself.

Probably one of the most challenging classes I have taken. If you don't pass the class its probably because you didn't ask for his help. He is a very generous and fair grader. Really nice guy. I am sad he is not teaching 122:(

Fabulous prof! Easy class, offers generous partial credit on written section of exams.Labs and online Homework are also very easy. Great, funny, charming guy!

Incredibly hard class that requires a ton of outside of lecture studying. However as a professor, he is incredibly helpful, thorough, and a fun guy. If you want to work your butt off, I would recommend doing it for this guy.

On the sharp end!

very organized and clear what to study! He is the best biochem teacher!!!!!!!!!

One of the best teachers I have had at Western so far. Personable and caring and REALLY knows his stuff. He made sure he knew everyones name in the class and graded not only on points from tests and labs, but took into consideration improvement, which really saves your grade if you aren't a big chemistry person.Only Bummer is class is at 8am

The best chem instructor at Western! He is super helpful and cares that students like chem and understand it. A+

Anthony-Cahill is fantastic. It was a really difficult course; I got above 80% on everything but its graded as grades are MEANT to be, where the class average is a C, so I therefore got a C+. His grading is very fair, though, and he provides tons of practice exams and answer keys. Great Prof.

Professor Anthony-Cahill was the best chemistry teacher I've ever had. The material is challenging and you have to spend a lot of time studying, but as far as the teacher goes, I'd have him for any class. I plan on getting a C because his tests are challenging, but I still feel like I learned more than any other class.

I had him for Chem 121 and 122 and really enjoyed both. I recommend doing the recommended homework problems in the book, because sometimes there are similar questions are the tests. He is very friendly and helpful and cares about the students. I wish he taught 123 next quarter!

Aweome teacher! He makes an effort to know everyone's name, and is very observant. If he feels like a concept wasn't clear to the class, he'll explain it in a different way until the class did understand. He's a fan on the, answer-your-question-with-a-question method. One complaint: He's not teaching Chem123! Hard tests, but good grading system.

He is an amazing professor, as long as you do the work. CHEM 121 isn't easy, but he teaches it well and it does an amazing job! He expects that you do the work, so if you want to slack off, don't take him. Otherwise, I would recommend him to anyone who is willing to put in the work!

Great teacher in every way. He is helpful, and utilized class time well. He is great at explaining confusing things.

He is an awesome professor! He is really good at explaining things, and his enthusiasm makes it more interesting. He is very good about answering questions and giving alternate answers. Would HIGHLY recommend him, wish I could finnish the Chem series with him!

Class is hard, chem series in general is hard takes a lot of time but if you put in the effort it pays off. He was great though, great great great professor, I wish we was teaching the rest of the series. He was tons of enthusiasm. I would highly recommend using office hours though

crystal clear in teaching style. you have to work hard, but he's willing to answer any questions you have. he's biochemistry concentration fyi. loves his nerdy jokes.

My favorite professor in the science department at Western. His lectures were engaging, well structured, and very clear as to what we were supposed to take away from them. He is patient and understanding his office hours and is generally just a nice guy to be around. Also, if you can make it to one of his band's shows, do it.

Probably the best prof I had while at Western. His tests are hard, but that's because he expects you to learn the material (he curves). He held lots of OH where he was always helpful and pleasant. In 472 he held study groups before tests. He seems to genuinely like his students and I enjoyed the class despite the difficulty.

A great biochem teacher, assuming you put the work in. Either be smart or study hard and youll do just fine. do the reading. He is super clear, literally wrote the textbook, and overall a great teacher. Take 471 with him.

He is clearly passionate about biochemistry! You can ask whatever questions you have, even if they seem stupid, and he will still clearly and respectfully answer you and clear up any misconceptions he knows about.

Spencer is such an amazing professor. I have learned so much. His exams are tough as can be, but nothing should be a surprise on them. He knows his exams are hard and has a generous curve to accommodate that. Always available for office hours and is glad to schedule appointments. Very easy to talk to and cares a lot.

The best and hardest professor I've had a Western. His lectures are engaging and clear. He expects a deep understanding of biochem on exams but knows how difficult they are and is generous with curving. If you show improvement, he takes that into account. I wish I had him for more classes!

I have taken many hard science classes at WWU but this is by far the hardest I've ever taken. Tests are ridiculously hard and long but Cahill makes his averages an 80 regardless of the low test averages. However, Cahill is one of the best profs I've ever had at WWU and he will do his do his best to help you succeed but you HAVE to work for it.

Class is very hard, which is expected for any 400 level class. His tests are difficult, but if you spend a lot of time with the material and visit him in office hours you will do good. He curves the whole class to make the average a B-, so as long as you are getting average on each exam you will pass.

Spencer was by far the best professor I have had at Western. Biochemistry is hard no matter how you slice it, but Spencer knows how to really explain biochem to its core. 100% recommend over any other biochemistry professor (or any other subject, really) out there.

I've never met a science professor whom is both brilliant in their field and in the 'real world' - deeply cares for his students & their well-being as well as helping them do their best. Once, he held a review session (rare these days) on a Sunday. On a SUNDAY. That's how much of a compassionate person he is. Lectures are informative; tough exams.

Dr. Cahill was one of the most amazing professors I've ever had. While he presents material in an intense and fast-paced way, he assigns textbook problems that help will understanding of concepts and is always available to help you one-on-one. He has very high expectations for his students, but gives you all the tools you need to succeed.

It's pretty rare when you encounter a professor like Spencer. He is the second author of the textbook; with that you may take away that his knowledge goes deep and he will have high expectations of you. I would say take a lighter load if you can, but you're there for a reason. Go to his office hours, do the reading. Good luck!

As a transfer student to western i was undecided on how I felt about finishing my studies here but Spencer sealed the deal. Biochem won't be easy with any professor, but plain and simple this guy has been teaching it for a long time and knows how to reach us., take the series w/ him

Spencer is a great teacher. The class is only graded by homework and tests which can be scary, but the class pace is VERY obtainable, and Spencer will give very fair test questions. The test Qs are either identical to the practice exams, textbook problems, or something that should be obtainable if you know the concepts. He is also just a great guy.

I took this class during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spencer was incredibly accommodating during this time and took the time to understand the difficulties his students were facing. We still learned and got through the material, and tests were HARD. But he did all he could to help us, and even took time to talk about science and inequity. Nobody failed

I took this class online during the pandemic, lecture was over Zoom and included group problem solving which he was available to help with. Dr. Anthony-Cahill handled the trying circumstances of the pandemic with great care and his love for his students showed through. He's an encyclopedia of chemistry knowledge, and I would highly recommend him.

The lectures were very clear and accessible as you can watch a recording of the lectures if you miss class. 60% of your grade is exams. The average exam grade was about a 75% for any given exam. Fortunately, he drops your lowest exam, hw, pre lab, post lab, and in-lab scores. A practice exam would be nice but his study guides are comprehensive.

Great guy, Im just realizing how in depth his lectures were after taking 163 which has horrible professors. I would choose Cahill for every one of my chem lectures if I could. occasional errors on tests, but was very quick to fix them

Biochem is a hard topic, but Spencer provides you with the materials to succeeded. He reccomends the textbook but I didn't end up using it because there were so many other resources. Lectures in class, as well a pre-recorded lectures helped with repetition. Homework assignments, quizzes, and helpful handouts really helped me engage.

Biochem is HARD. If you're going to do it, do it with Cahill. His teaching style is very "throw-you-in-the-deep-end" but his classes learn to swim much better than the rest. You have to trust the process! He is accessible, friendly, and helpful. Maybe avoid him for gen chem because he's less in touch with it but you'll need him for biochem.

My favorite professor so far at Western, he is funny, clear, and knows his Biochem. I highly recommend taking his classes. They are tough, but he breaks everything down so it is so much easier to understand. Don't procrastinate on homework as it takes a while to complete, but it's mostly just because you have to think about it for a while.

Cancer Bio with Spencer was one of my favorite classes at Western! Very informal, graded as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory... Was basically just him giving an overview of the current state of the field and us asking him piles of questions. Especially loved the guest healthcare speakers. 10/10, so happy to have taken it before he retires!