Mateo Cruz

group projects and an individual case analysis

Take this class! Honestly, this was the best class I've ever taken at Columbia. Professor Cruz truly organizes the class in a way that allows you to learn more about your learning style. He showed that he genuinely cared about the well-being and personal growth of each and every student in the class. If you keep up with the assignments, there is no reason why you can't do well. He is a generous grader, so grades shouldn't be an issue if you put in the work. If you do take this class though, I recommend not coming in with the mindset of just getting a good grade. You'll get so much more out of the experience if you come in genuinely wanting to learn, instead of just being focused on how many points you have. I was truly blown away at the end of the course. He gave a heartfelt speech that really tied together everything we learned. I never thought I would ever take a course that would make me cry for a reason that wasn't related to grades, but Professor Cruz proved me wrong. My only regret is not going to his office hours to get to know him more as a person.

2 position papers on lecture relevant topics readings for every class; you can get away with not doing most of them, but there are a few that are really important (you'll get it, he mentions them over and over) midterm and final a ton of small group projects 2 group case studies 1 individual case study

This is literally the best class I have taken in my four years at Columbia. Worth every minute I spent learning the material, working on assignments, and meeting with Mateo. If you have the option to take this class, you absolutely should. The two reviews below are accurate 100%: The material is interesting and relevant to life after graduation. Lectures are organized and class expectations are very clear. Mateo's personal interest in every student is strong and he's willing to set up meetings to discuss not only classwork, but future career paths, and life in general. I can't say much else that hasn't already been said, except that I hope Mateo gets a gold nugget soon: he deserves it.

Write two position papers, he counts the better one for a grade Fair midterm and final Lots of group work and case work

Mateo is probably one of the best teachers I've had at Columbia and one of the few who really left me speechless by the end of the semester. His final lecture is incredibly touching and really changed how I think about college and life as a whole. He is incredibly organized and invested in the class. He uses data, examples, and personal anecdotes to really drive points home and is clearly comfortable explaining the material. HIs office hours are AWESOME and he will literally counsel you through life. The material itself is also really interesting. As someone who took this for the Business concentration, this was the best elective choice by far. I'm not a huge psych person, but this was an actually practical application of psych with many real world uses. You will learn a lot. Our TA was also very funny and helpful. Shoutout to Ari Another thing I loved about this class was the incorporation of group work. He really uses the class to make you look introspectively to how you perform in a team. You might get a shitty team which will make your semester hard, but it's a great introduction into real world team work. Take this class, you won't regret it. You also probably won't get it if you're not a senior

Midterm and final. Choose 2 of 4 topics for "position papers" in which you make an 2 page argument on the assigned topic based on the research that's been done. Individual case analysis (you choose your example) and group analysis of a case with recommendations for solving the problems (a written report based on industrial-psych theory and later on, a presentation on the same case from the perspective of the organizational-psych part of the course). Attendance and participation count too. As I write this up, it sounds like there are a lot of different projects- but in reality you get a lot of time in class to work on things and if your group manages its time well it's not a big deal. Honestly, doing work for Mateo makes you WANT to do the homework and do a good job because he wants to see you do well! And it's not busywork, you're learning from it, but in a different style than most classes in this school. The only assignments that caused me any stress whatsoever are the midterm and final- the rest is all kinda fun actually.

I have to leave a review for Mateo just to express how completely awesome he is. Even though I am afraid that if more people hear how fantastic his class is, there will be too much competition to get in (it was already a lot this semester, like 80 people tried to get in and he can only take 35-40). The class is at a weird time (I didn't get to eat dinner twice a week, which was annoying)- but after trying it on the first day I knew I had to be there. And it was absolutely worth it. Any good things you hear about Mateo are well-deserved. He puts his full effort into the class, always looking like he is happy to be there and like he really enjoys teaching. I have never seen a professor care this much about his students and wanting them to really learn and be challenged, to do well (grade-wise), AND for them to be happy and not too stressed. AND he wants them to do well in their careers and their lives and wants to help them get there. Yeah, other professors care too, but sometimes its more like they care in theory, or only for the students who reach out and go to office hours. For Mateo, it's a whole 'nother level, he sincerely cares about everyone and their individual backgrounds and needs and concerns and will help them directly so that they can do well both in the course and in their careers. He meets with students outside class and has a regular meeting for all his students…