Alan Brain - Langara College, Vancouver, BC

Professor: Alan Brain

Department: Social Science

College: Langara College, Vancouver, BC

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1120
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

You need to pay undivided attention in his class. his class isn't hard but his tests are dumb. half stuff from his lectures like stories and other half from the textbook and read it carefully.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: SOC1120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Alan is the worst prof I have ever had. spends an hour talking about one concept and rambles on about things that have nothing to do with the material. Then when it comes to exams, its 20 short answer questions, all worth 1 mark no matter how long the answer has to be. Also the exam questions are super irrelevant and he is a very tough marker.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1121
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

weird humor and sense of style. very kind approachable for q's. def pay attention to class and read the whole chapters bc he makes some of the numbers, anecdotes, and tb insight paragraphs part of the exam cause they're worth a good chunk of the exams. class was slow n boring and easy to the point where it made me not pay attention so beware

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1121
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Lectures are EXTREMELY slow paced-spends first hour reviewing last class. Often goes off on tangents telling personal anecdotes that have nothing to do with the material, followed by exams that test on his anecdotes, NOT the concepts. Has an inappropriate sense of humor, didnt appreciate it. Has a manditory attendance so you have to sit through it.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1120
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Tests were based 1/2 on the textbook and 1/2 on lectures, so take good notes on what he's saying! I actually really liked him and thought he was funny. If you take good lecture notes the tests should be easy/straightforward for you.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Dr Brain was one of my favourite all time professors when I attended Langara. Once you knew how he graded his exams you understood what you needed to study. He is very charismatic and his stories were hilarious. I took a number of his courses and because of him Sociology was my major.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: SOC1120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Can Langara please audit Alan's classes! Why is this guy allowed to teach, someone needs to report him for his behaviour. Literally sits and talks at you for two excruciating hours about his personal life. Take any other class and you will be better off.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1120
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Lecture notes + stories are critical. Tests can be very difficult to score / study for an A+ if you don't know how to listen/take notes for Alan's testing style. Genuinely interesting lecturer. He always wears shorts btw--even in the cold. Pretty cool! Participate! Study the textbook too! He is very cordial. I would only take SOCI with Alan.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: SOC1121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Get ready for a lot of this: "I did my PhD in Africa therefore I know everything about Africa... I lived in India therefore I know everything about Indian culture..." However Alan consistently fails to understand people in the class who have a foreign accent! He is honestly the worst professor at Langara.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Just don't, he is even worse than you think. Inappropriate, unfunny, and brutal lectures. Trust me, don't.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: SOC1120
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Alan is a best instructor. his classes are fun. I just love his lectures. if I will get chance I will definitely go back in his class. easy to get marks and he give bonus marks too just for free.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1120
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Never ever go for Alan. His exams weigh too much and are just from the stories made by him in class and these too are irrelevant to the syllabus.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: SOC1121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

if yer unaware of sociological concepts he's the best prof u can imagine; if yer working toward a sociological degree he is amazing at getting u started on yer way but has to spend enough time making sure everybody is on their way that u don't learn quite as much as u'd expect as he teaches now, he is an amazing starter teacher. could teach higher

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: SOC1121
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Always makes me laugh! Great lecturer. Make sure to take notes.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: SOC1121
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Always makes me laugh!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1121
• Grade Received: C-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Alan is hilarious! He makes the classroom laugh so much during class and I just love his type of humour! He made me look forward to class every week. That being said, as a professor he seems to worry more about entertaining than teaching. He doesnt prepare you well for exams and relies on students remembering all the lecture details. GPA decliner.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: SOC1120
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He was my favourite. I still remember his funny anecdotes to illustrate the issue. I took his class in early 2000's. Does he still wear shorts all the time?

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: SOC1121
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Exam is very tough

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: SOC1120
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

2 midterms, one final, each worth 30%, class attendance 10% (sign in sheet every lecture) his exams are 20 short answer questions. half of his exam q's are lecture based &half of his lectures are personal stories so make sure to take notes on his personal stories because they will come up on the exam. its like he does this to trip us up on purpose

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: SOCI1120
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

The meat of the course is just stuff any humanities student should already know, I put a three for difficulty only because he demands you regurgitate precisely what was said in class and book back onto the tests. Some think he's funny, what I'll say is he tries very hard to be funny. He's always late for class and wastes as much time as he can.