Kenneth Kurtz - Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Professor: Kenneth Kurtz

Department: Psychology

College: Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PSYC356
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

he tends to spend too much time on certain chapters and rushes through others. lightbulbs are pretty useless. his notes are presented in a word document which is annoying. makes things more difficult than they are. the essay portion on the tests makes it pretty much impossible to finish the test

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Do not take cognition with Kurts. He is able to take an inherently interesting and easy to understand topic and make it as boring and confusing as possible. The tests are unreasonably difficult, his lectures are impossible to follow, and even the textbook chapters he assigns are poorly organized and unhelpful. Avoid this professor.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

You dont have to go to class. Everything is in the textbook. Test are hard. Lectures and his voice are annoying. If you dont gl to class get the notes from someone. Lightbulbs are easy just dont overthink them.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Dont trust those (good) reviewers down here. I read the whole book several times and the questions they ask are not as clear cut as they are. Apparently there is no curve implemented this year. multiple choice he asks are tricky and the assignments are full of baloney. this is fair warning to stay away from this class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Most of the bad reviewers were part of a literal Facebook group of people with bad notes or no notes, so take the reviews with a grain of salt. Very difficult class. Have to read. Have to know specific experiments and the names associated w/them. He gives points at the end of semester for participation in class discussions! So ask questions often!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Enjoyed this class a lot. Prof. Kurtz is extremely intelligent and gives people the opportunity to participate and ask questions for discussion. I was intrigued by the material, and unlike a lot of the other reviewers thought this class provided a "desirable difficulty". It made you work, but at least for me I thought the material was worthwhile :)

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

When I chose to take this class, based on the reviews, I knew it would be hard but I didn't really have a choice. And honestly? IT WASN'T THAT BAD. I'm far from being a 4.0 student but even I was able to achieve an A. Read the textbook, take decent notes, and I promise you will be ok.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Really great prof. Very knowledgable and really cares about the field of psych. He's a good man. That being said, this class was very challenging. Material was both abstract and dense. But, if you listen to the lectures, read the textbooks, do the assignments, and go to office hours- you will do well!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class does NOT require you to think critically, it requires verbatim throw up of info. The test questions are about specific findings of studies, not original thought. Curious how the average on multiple choice questions is way lower than the essay average. That means students are being fooled on multiple choice but have a deeper understanding

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I've seen peoples' notes in this course, and it's very clear why they do poorly or don't learn anything: You have to engage in some sort of original (critical) thought. If you want to pass this class: Come to class, ask/answer questions. Go to office hours and talk. This stuff doesn't osmose. This class DOES expect you to know the research studies.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This was a terrible class!! The criteria for assignments is very vague (no rubric of any kind, you either get credit or you don't). The test are also extremely long and difficult and there is not nearly enough time to finish them and feel like you did a good job.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PSYC473
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

He's just overall very unorganized. Gave us due dates and project outlines in mid November that were 20% and 50% of our grade. He doesn't prepare any guidelines or expectations for anything and leaves everything very broad and vague which makes things even more difficult.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

i would have more respect for him if he at least dabs in class

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

The tests are so hard that it Kurtz my brain. *Drumbeat*

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Professor makes everything more confusing than it has to be. Goes super fast. Lectures are really boring. The test material is super hard. Requires a lot of work. Try not to take this class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Some would say love is a strong feeling, but hate is stronger. When I say I hate this class with all my heart, I truly deeply mean it. Hardest psych class I've ever taken and not because of the material. BECAUSE OF THE HORRIBLE TEST QUESTIONS. Kurtz must enjoy torturing students, you cannot convince me otherwise.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PSYC356
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

The hardest psychology class I've ever taken. Bishop's tests has nothing on Kurtz's. His tests are basically memorization of the most random facts from the book. I hope his final is easier tomorrow. If he curves the class, then maybe I'll have a second opinion about him and write another review. So far, his class is pretty bad overall.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

This class is boring. The material can be interesting, & he's not a bad guy, but he doesn't make it interesting. His notes are sparse & require you to listen & type practically everything he says because everything is fair game on the three huge tests he gives, which your whole grade depends on. If you know you can rely on yourself, take it.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I've never written a 'Rate My Professor' review before but felt the need to for this class. The structure of the class is awful. 2 tests and a Final which is weighted extremely heavily. The Exam questions are tricky and the essay isn't much easier. I do not recommend taking this class at all, I personally found it to be tougher than Behavioral.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PSYC358
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

The multiple choice questions on the tests are extremely hard and meant to trick you. And they are extremely long, 50 multiple choice questions and a long essay question. Going to class does not help. You are better off never going and just outlining the textbook. The textbook is your best friend.