David Sobel - Brown University, Providence, RI

Professor: David Sobel

Department: Social Science

College: Brown University, Providence, RI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CLPS1680
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dave is a delightful professor and he really knows what he is talking about. Just make sure you do the reading!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CLPS1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

It wasn't a hard class. I got an A having done literally none of the textbook reading (although I went to every class) but honestly I went to office hours for help and he was really unpleasant and condescending.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CLPS0200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Sobel is the most inconsiderate, unapproachable, condescending, and insensitive professor I have ever had in my time at Brown. I have chosen to take a class I am uninterested in to fulfill a final requirement rather than take a more interesting class with him. I would rather take a class and be bored than suffer through another one of his classes.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: COGS42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's a very good teacher. If you attend classes daily, you will understand the material, and it's extremely interesting. However, he initially makes it feel like he's pretty chill for grading: only later do you find out he creates (at least for the paper) a curve. 85 = median, +/- 8 standard deviation. And he believes in tests more than he claims.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CG10D
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I've had Prof. Sobel for intentionality (freshman seminar) and CG42. I was a bit miffed at some of his grading criteria, but in general I thought Sobel was extremely detailed and thorough in discussing every aspect of the topic at hand, and offered me an extremely comprehensive introduction to psychology generally.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: COGS1180
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

His class was not bad; he knows his material, lectures were efficient and pretty good on the whole. That being said--and it's hard to over-emphasize this--I really can't think of a worse person to take a class under. Condescending, illogically inflexible, bureaucratic, self-absorbed. Don't come close to him unless you absolutely have to.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: COGS0420
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Sobel is enthusiastic and clear. He has been nothing but helpful and friendly all semester. Not to mention, the class is pretty easy.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The 5/14 comment says it best. His standards for grading the research paper seem arbitary and based on unimportant factors, such as whether you emphasized irrelevant details at the expense of content. My sense is you need to kiss his ass to do well.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

His grading standards are strict but he refuses to adequately explain/clarify them. Apparently you're supposed to be able to read his mind. If you miss a cutoff by .5 pts, he won't give you the benefit of the doubt. He is in general unpleasant in every imaginable way. Worst teacher I've had at Brown. It's too bad, because the class could be good.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Explanations are a little simplistic, but he has a dorky enthusiasm about the subject that makes it OK.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CG0042
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

he is so mean and not clear with the final project...if you take the class hope and pray for a TA to grade your final report

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

easy class. he is an ok professor, a little rough around the edges, but not a bad guy.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The class is easy, and the material is presented in an easy format. He seems a little full of himself, but that can be amusing at times. I didn't mind him at all.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

If you ask him a question, he is rude and automatically assumes you weren't paying attention and that otherwise you would not have this question. Overall, he's just a mean person that thinks he's a great teacher and deserves to be quoted on the jolt.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Unwilling to help clarify outside of class what he thinks should be learned in class, not flexible, self-inflating.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CG63
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Miserable man. Rude and condescending and boring. Couldn't think worse of a teacher.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CG42
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

**** who resents students. Thinks he is better than everyone and sneers a lot. Just generally not nice and presents the material in a way that does not encourage you to THINK - ironic, too, since it was a class on cognition

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CG63
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Lets not start!!!!