APMA 2120

When I took this course in Fall 2015, Professor Spencer was only just beginning to teach. Although she is clearly smart, well-intentioned and hard-working, she wasn't a great teacher. If you spend time teaching yourself, you'll do fine. I've heard people say she has improved a lot, though!

Professor Spencer's lectures could be a bit dry sometimes, however that is just calculus. However she is incredibly helpful in office hours, and all around a genuine nice and helpful professor. She really wants her students to succeed. She is also a very fair grader. If you are okay with having to read some by yourself or go to office hours for extra help she is great. However if you know absolutely nothing about calculus it is very easy to get lost quickly in her lectures. Homework wise there is the online assignment standardized among all the calc 3 professors, which can range from very east to very difficult. She also gave a weekly written hw assignment followed by a quiz. These were difficult but doable. The midterms were also standardized across classes and not terribly difficult.

Odds are you wouldn't take this class unless you need to. DEFINITELY TAKE IT WITH A DIFFERENT PROFESSOR. Spencer is young, new, and doesn't know the material very well. She comes prepared to lectures the majority of the time but there were a few lectures she would come significantly late to and not really have a plan of what the lecture would be about. You will end up doing most of your learning by reading the textbooks and doing the homework that is coursewide. She also gives additional written homework weekly which is incredibly difficult - beyond anything you are expected to know for the weekly quizzes, or the three midterms or final. Only take it with her if you are desperate.

Professor Julia Spencer has her drawbacks. She seems very nice but has trouble enforcing the important points in a lecture and she talks softly so you just end up not paying attention. I would not recommend her unless you are very motivated and able to pay very good attention. Take Hui Ma instead.