This class really prepares you for a career in research. I enjoyed taking this course and I learned a lot. I thought Alex was a great professor and formatted the class very well so the class was never boring. He's very helpful and he was always available to help us. The oral presentation was a great (but nerve wracking for sure) experience for me but I did learn a lot from that experience and I do think I do a better job at presentations now. There proposal was another learning experience for me. I became way more comfortable with reading scientific literature because of it. Extra credit was offered in the class and also pizza rumors are true! I highly recommend this class to anyone that wants to go to graduate school or anyone that is interested in research in general.

I loved taking Chem 171 with Spokoyny. Over winter break, he had us read a book to get us interested in the different elements we would be learning about in class. The book was very interesting and got me excited for the class. Spokoyny kept every lecture very engaging and was encouraging for providing help outside the designated class periods.

Spokoyny's course was structured differently than the other 171 course, but his course is way more engaging and I definitely learned a lot of material.

Alex is just simply amazing! He's a very effective presenter, funny, an absolute genius and a nice person in general. He was very approachable and the OHs helped me grasp the material better. I think listening to lectures and studying the slides are the key to a good grade in this class. None of the questions in the midterm or final were "out of nowhere" type of question. I think 95% of questions were straight out of lecture slides and 5% were based on lectures but required higher level thinking. Also there is a ton of extra credit offered in this class which is nice. I felt like I came out of class with a vast knowledge of inorganic chemistry and a passion to continue learning about this subject, in spite of not being a huge fan of it prior to taking this class. I have recommended this class to many of my friends and I believe it was the single best class that I've taken at UCLA.

Spokoyny gives you slides ahead of lecture, but you have to attend lecture because the notes by themselves aren't that helpful. His wiki project is all or nothing points, so just make sure you do it on time and put in a decent amount of effort. He also offers extra credit (you have to make a video related to inorganic chemistry). He gives you a lot of options for it. I wouldn't wait until the end of the quarter because it actually takes some time. The more creative/fun, the more points you're likely to get.
The tests aren't too hard, as long as you have some chemistry intuition. He does make you remember some small details, but you have a cheat sheet so just write those facts down.
I would recommend this class.

Professor Spokoyny is a very good professor and really does his best to get the students to really understand the material.
The Wikiproject is not bad at all. It easy points. Just don't leave it to the last minute.
If you have time do the extra credit project! It totally helped save my grade.
As for the midterm and final do his practice exams, super helpful.

Spokoyny is an AWESOME professor! He is very laid back, which makes him super approachable. He had office hours on Friday, but he invited students to stop by whenever and if he's available, he would welcome them.

He structures his class for the success of his students. It is really simple: if you do the work, you'll get a good grade. He offers extra credit, and a cheat sheet. No reason to fail! Take him!

Wow, so much to say about Professor Spokoyny. For one, I absolutely loved his class. Not only were his lectures engaging, but they were full of neat facts regarding inorganic chemistry that really changed my mind on the subject. Outside of class, he was very helpful and patient in explaining concepts in greater detail; he really cares about you learning and enjoying the material. If I could take another class with him I absolutely would.

I took this class in Winter of 2016 and I can say that it has probably been the most enjoyable upperdivision class that I have taken at UCLA. Alex (prefers to go by first name) is funny, engaging, and incredibly smart with the lecture material. The only downside is the fact that his tests are difficult, and they can literally test on ANYTHING. His slides are vague as well, so if you don't go to class, thats on you. If you do better on the final, you can actually replace your midterm grade with it. I got about a 70% on the midterm and a 92% on the final, and so i had a 92% on both categories. My numbers may be a little off but he also does offer an EASY extra credit project which can boost your grade up by 5-10%!!! Take advantage of that and you should be fine. Just be prepared to ask questions, and write down EVERYTHING on the cheat sheet that he lets you take into the test.

My recommendation is to go to OH when you have questions, they help a lot. I would definitely recommend his class for Biochem majors who need an upper div elective.

This is a fantastic professor. You will learn so many interesting things in any class he teaches. This was one of my favorite classes at UCLA!

This class was awesome. Professor Spokoyny is a really good dude with an incredibly refreshing teaching style. The course was laid-back and interesting for every lecture. I learned a ton of really cool historical chemistry that has proved valuable in my experiences outside the classroom. Prof. Spokoyny himself is very easily to get along with and makes his expectations very clear. That said, he is very hands off and expects you to participate in your own learning. Participation is really paramount -- do not miss any lectures and attend OH any time you have any questions. If you attend lectures and pay close attention (stay off your phone, don't talk, take notes, ask questions, etc.), you probably won't need to study for the exams. Also, from talking with other students, this class with Spokoyny is a hands-down better experience than taking it with other professors. If you are enrolling in this class with Spok, you're making a good move. Good luck!