Professor
Spencer Unger
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Most Helpful Review
I had him for both Math 61 and 131A. _____ For Math 61: I had friends who both liked and disliked this class. I personally thought he was clear, concise, and effective. I think the issue with Math 61 is that the class generally is full of CS majors-- who in many cases are better at math than math majors, for whatever reason. So the competition was stiff, which rubbed some people the wrong way, particularly since Math 61 has a reputation for being an easy math class for a lot of people. I studied a fair amount for tests but kind of half-assed most of the homeworks, and ended up with a B+, which was generous considering I did average on almost everything. _____ For 131A: I was warned beforehand that 131A was one of the most challenging math undergrad courses. It certainly wasn't easy, but taking it with Unger was a smooth ride the whole way through. Honestly, he has a knack for explaining more abstract concepts or complicated definitions in a way that almost anyone can understand. I think I was able to appreciate his skill as a teacher more as a student in this class, compared to Math 61. He also didn't hesitate to draw diagrams to help explain certain things, which was always helpful. _____ In both classes, one cool thing he did was post study guides for tests so that we'd know exactly what was being tested, and to what extent we had to know certain things. Exams in general were always moderately difficult. Usually a range of easier questions (sometimes just definitions) to more difficult (asking you to extend your knowledge beyond what you studied or apply it in some way). Nothing totally out-there though. Oh yeah, he's a pretty friendly guy too, which is always a plus. Overall, I'd definitely recommend him. Go to class, and put time/effort into the homework, and you'll be fine.
I had him for both Math 61 and 131A. _____ For Math 61: I had friends who both liked and disliked this class. I personally thought he was clear, concise, and effective. I think the issue with Math 61 is that the class generally is full of CS majors-- who in many cases are better at math than math majors, for whatever reason. So the competition was stiff, which rubbed some people the wrong way, particularly since Math 61 has a reputation for being an easy math class for a lot of people. I studied a fair amount for tests but kind of half-assed most of the homeworks, and ended up with a B+, which was generous considering I did average on almost everything. _____ For 131A: I was warned beforehand that 131A was one of the most challenging math undergrad courses. It certainly wasn't easy, but taking it with Unger was a smooth ride the whole way through. Honestly, he has a knack for explaining more abstract concepts or complicated definitions in a way that almost anyone can understand. I think I was able to appreciate his skill as a teacher more as a student in this class, compared to Math 61. He also didn't hesitate to draw diagrams to help explain certain things, which was always helpful. _____ In both classes, one cool thing he did was post study guides for tests so that we'd know exactly what was being tested, and to what extent we had to know certain things. Exams in general were always moderately difficult. Usually a range of easier questions (sometimes just definitions) to more difficult (asking you to extend your knowledge beyond what you studied or apply it in some way). Nothing totally out-there though. Oh yeah, he's a pretty friendly guy too, which is always a plus. Overall, I'd definitely recommend him. Go to class, and put time/effort into the homework, and you'll be fine.
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