Laura Sinnett - Grinnell College

Professor: Laura Sinnett

Department: TBD

College: Grinnell College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PSY225
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Sinnett is an unreasonably difficult grader and does not always explain concepts in a clear and concise way. Moreover, she is hard to approach for help as sometimes she gets frustrated easily. Teaching: lecture Grading: unreasonably difficult, but timely returns Assignments: homework questions (essay-like), essays, and lots of exams

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PSY315
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Advanced social psychology is a must take. Prof. Sinnett is great at facilitating discussion and this was probably my favorite course I've taken at Grinnell. The reading is also very bearable. You can actually do all the reading before class without much worry. Grading is also fair and Sinnett is very accessible and helpful in office hrs!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PSY225
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Sinnett is possibly the best professor in the psych department. Her lectures are clear, structured, and thorough. Tests and papers can be tough but it really pays off if you work for it ! Office hours are a great help.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PSY225
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

She is the one i will rate the best clarity, wonderful lecturer. Extremely tough grader, but her classes are so informative that I really felt like I have learned many remarkable things, useful for the rest of my academic life. She is encouraging, I got a D on my first assignment, and felt life dumbed. but after that I got progressively better

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PSY225
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I almost couldn't continue to be a psychology major because of this class. It is hard, she is cold, and almost ruined my entire academic career at Grinnell. if I did not have the chance to retake it with Lopatto. Definitely take it with someone else if you can.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PSY225
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This was a difficult class! I had to study a lot, attend mentor sessions, and meet with Sinnett regularly to secure a decent grade. She is not an easy professor, but she is helpful and seemed to appreciate hard work. I learned a lot overall.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PSY225
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I love her. She's definitely my favorite prof at Grinnell so far, and can be absolutely hilarious. She takes and interest in student lives, and all of her assignments are reasonable and clearly show concern for overall workload. She can be a tough grader, but fair. Everything she marks off for will be a legitimate mistake. Truly a pleasure.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PSY214
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Sinnett was my favorite professor at Grinnell. I took Social and Personality with her and was thoroughly challenged by both but absolutely loved them. Her lectures are very engaging with just the right amount of reading coverage that you get the gist if you didn't make it through all the papers but you aren't bored out of your mind if you did

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PSY214
• 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:

One of the smartest professors I have ever had. She's engaging, funny, real and fair. She is the reason I am taking personality now, after taking social last semester because of her. She can be a hard grader, but everyone should take her if you do not mind that.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PSY225
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Also wrote comment below: Extremely strict about APA style. Exams are short answer, quick, fair. Tough for some. Gives a study guide. Exam expectations can be unclear so write everything you know. Good lectures. She clarifies concepts from the book very well, and includes content from outside the book, so attend class (attendance is graded).

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PSY214
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Very good teacher. Gives exam questions a week before exam. Has high and broad expectations, so write down everything you know. If you take detailed notes, you won't need the book. Too much focus on individual research articles, but many liked that. Grades attendance. Very approachable (and sarcastic). Clearly intelligent. Highly recommended.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PSY225
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

She is one of the most difficult professors out there with her grading. You have to take her, though, and otherwise she is really nice. You must do the work, though and SHOW UP. She does not respond well to those who do not. If you do what you're supposed to, you will get along, not necessarily do well, but get along. Scary grader.

Rating # 13

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Her courses are challenging but I got a lot out of them. If you like your profs to be super nice, approachable, and easy graders, do not take her class. If you want to be challenged and are okay with disagreeing with your prof, you will learn a lot and Sinnett will eventually respect you.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PSY214
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took social and advanced social with Sinnett; people who don't like her are just whiney. Sinnett IS a hard ass, and she isn't the kind of prof to just like you because she's your student. You have to prove yourself, but if you need help and you ask for it- SHE WILL GIVE IT 100%. She's reasonable and you HAVE to be clear in your arguments.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PSY200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Nasty streak if she gets irritated watch out. Can be funny in a sarcastic, cold way. Otherwise boring. Avoid unless you think you'll become a favorite then she can be nice to you otherwise she can just say mean things to you. She hasn't to me but to others. Cold like others said.

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Cold, rude, condescending. She can't stand it if someone disagrees with her which makes her condescending. Unapproachable. I hated this class even when the material was ok she made it horrible.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PSY213
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

All psych majors have to take Research Methods, so it sucks that such a cold, inflexible prof is the only instructor available for this course. You will learn a lot - you have to - and you'd better not miss class even once or you'll fall behind. One of the least approachable professors I've ever had at Grinnell and definitely the most difficult.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PSY220
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

She is a hysterical person. Don't take her. Her class is incredibly hard and boring, and her exams always have something that she does not mention in her class, just to get you. I totally hated her and her class. Don't recommend, unless you are really into social/personality and hence have to take those classes.

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

She is intelligent and knows a lot about psychology. Not the best lecturer because she does not cover enough in class. Still though, I learned a lot from her class. She is sarcastic and I found her to be quite funny but I can understand why others might not agree.

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

She's just ok. Her lectures aren't particularly interesting, and the labs are torture. She's a reasonable grader, though when she tries to make jokes it just comes off as kind of creepy.