Intro Lab Experimental Psych · Psychology
3 multiple choice exams (2 are noncumulative, 1 kinda sorta is but barely), up to extra 3 percentage points for experiment study, no homework whatsoever, just listen in class and memorize slides. No serious need to take thorough notes at all, but feel free to.
3 exams, first 2 are not cumulative, the third is. Optional self tests throughout the course as well as extra credit readings and lectures. A lot of material but it is useful and ties together nicely.
The class is a lot of memorization, I would recommend making computer flash cards as you attend lectures, so when the exams are coming up you will already have them all made and can just review all the bold terms and associated brain regions. 3 exams, 1 final; drops lowest exam, and the final is like 85% questions from old exams, so make sure to review them when he posts them near the end of the semester. Also, do the self tests and experiments for a lot of extra credit, the self tests take 2 minutes and you need only 5 of them.
Light workload. No homeworks, but there are weekly (very short and quick) self-quizzes that you can complete for extra credit. 2 midterms + 1 final (cumulative)
miderm and final. short online quizzes before each class
3 midterms 1 final 1 essay 17 online quizzes
Optional extra credit: self tests, experiment participation. 2 midterms and a final. I spent 1-3 hours a week studying on average (so pretty little), with the exception of the weeks where we had exams, where I spent many more hours on the class.
Mobbs is the man! Lecture is very engaging, light-hearted and exciting. Being from the psychology field, Mobbs knows different tactics to use to keep you interested in the already interesting subject matter. He uses videos, pop culture references, gags in his powerpoints, etc. He's really laid back and nice. Barely any workload, no homework.
Prof. Wiedenmayer was my favorite psychology professor at Columbia. His lectures were always clear, concise, and informative. He had the ability to relate even the most complicated topics to novice learners. Prof. Wiedenmayer had a gift for teaching, and he truly cared that his students learned and absorbed his lessons. His passion for the topic was always apparent, as his love for science and natural curiosity always shined through. In addition to his teaching, Prof. Wiedenmayer was a great mentor to his students. I took two classes with him, and I can say that he is largely responsible for opening my eyes to neuroscience. He will be greatly missed by many, but his legacy as a wonderful professor, a supportive mentor, and a kind and caring individual will live on through all of those fortunate enough to have known him. Thank you Prof. Wiedenmayer for all that you shared. I am truly grateful to have gotten to know you.
I generally concur with the other reviews on here, but want to stress that Dr. Mangels is a phenomenal professor, in my opinion. The course was very difficult, disproportionately so for an introductory level course. However, the material was really interesting, and practical and current - - significantly moreso than in the other intro psych course (Science of Psych)- - and Dr. Mangels is interesting, clear, concise and totally transparent as a professor. You know exactly what you need to do, need to know, what opportunities will help push you forward in the class. Whether you have the time or inclination to actually do them is another issue, but I think Dr. Mangels is the kind of professor who can inspire someone to choose neuropsychology as a future profession - which is pretty powerful and I am grateful that someone of this caliber is teaching an intro level course. The self tests were very difficult but very useful for the exams. There was a lot of anatomy and a lot of memorization in that area, which is rough for some (like me) but doable if you set your mind to it. The first two exams were reasonable and the final was quite difficult, but she gives you very clear review sheets for every exam. Stick to them and you will be in good shape.