Alison Gopnik - University of California Berkeley

Professor: Alison Gopnik

Department: TBD

College: University of California Berkeley

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Clear, organized lectures with interesting content and developmental studies. Exams are really straightforward, with cool essay topics that you are given beforehand. You are given great guidance for the paper, and the videos required are fun to watch. Good choice for anyone interested in studying psychology, working with children, or having kids!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I don't know why there are so many bad reviews on professor Gopnik but she actaully made become more interested in the field of developmental psychology. The GSIs this semester are fair and I would even say sometimes generous graders. There are weekly quizzes in section which a fairly easy if you have read the assigned chapters.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Gopnik was funny, sweet, and very passionate about her subject. However, she wasn't always available during office hours. Her lectures tended to be a bit disorganized as well. I think I came to dislike the class because of her GSI's. They were unclear, nitpicky with grading, and not helpful. So yes, watch out for them.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Alison Is not the problem. She is sweet and extremely knowledgeable in her field. It is the GSI's that will screw you. They must not be given much guidance because they are close to useless if not damaging to your success in the class. They give cryptic advice on tests an assignments despite their rigid and subjective grading criteria.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I don't know why everyone seems to dislike Professor Gopnik. Her class is fairly easy as long as you pay marginal attention. She is very passionate about psychology and all in all a great professor.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She's alright - but her GSIs are the ones to watch out for, since they are the ones grading your stuff. I honestly believe they are too nitpicky despite the whole fact that they all seem to stress the idea of broad concepts. Be warned.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Currently taking her. I have enjoyed the material thus far. Professor Gopnik is not afraid of being creative with the material she presents (and I can see why this can be difficult for some people) The structure of the class/exams allow exploration and again, creativity and I really appreciate that.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

MCB major here. Was really looking forward to class only to find the absoute worst professor I had at Cal. Disorganized, obtuse, rambling, often late, clearly does not like teaching. Highly subjective grading. Unsypathetic to student needs/concerns. Uses son like lab rat.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Best case scenario: you will have a comedic display of professor incompetence--you wont learn anything, but you can at least laugh at her; worst case scenario: her half-assed teaching style will give you a terrible impression of the Cal psych program as a whole and possibly make you check out of your major all together. Skip it.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took this class a year ago and thinking about her still stings. It was a really horrible experience--you know those prof.s that make you so angry your stomach turns? That's Gopnik. Add the fact that she doesn't prepare a lecture or make clear her grading requirements, and Gopnik can ruin even the best semester.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Just don't take this class. Listen to the reviews--she is ridiculously bad. It'd almost be comical if she didn't give me a B for absolutely no reason.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Absolute WORST Professor I've ever had in my 4 years at Cal. She gives the psych department a very bad name. She is notorious among students and faculty alike as being completely and totally bad at what she does. Its such a shame because developmental psych is an interesting field. I'm not sure why they gave her tenure. Avoid her like the plague

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PSY140
• 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:

No Comments

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

By far the WORST prof I've had at Cal. I feel like I learned more about her family than I did about developmental psychology. She rambles on in lecture about her family and barely touches upon key developmental psych concepts. Grading is completely arbitrary with no expectations given. Gopnik should leave teaching to those who actually enjoy it

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• 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 (mistakenly!) assumes that we are as in love with her son as she is. Many lectures are about how GREAT Bunny is. Made us watch Bunny on DVD. I have trouble staying awake. Sometimes, she also seems on the verge of tears. Not very professional lectures. Does she prepare for lecture much?

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• 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:

She is definitely frustrating to listen to... she has a pretty screechy voice and doesn't cover much in class... just sort of rambles on. I didn't learn much, and most of what I did learn was from the book. There are unclear expectations and the grading is pretty subjective.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH140
• 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:

She is so full of herself. "I'm so happy that you guys get to read the book that I wrote! It's so great, even people who don't know ANYTHING about psychology can understand it! Oh and my son, you get to watch his home movies! Also, I just got done writing a piece for the NY Times..." blah blah blah.. I learned more about Child Development in CC

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH141
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The class was very easy, and to be fair, she presented a lot of material very clearly and I learned a lot. Her attitude was hard to take. In the first lecture, she warned us that if we were 5 minutes late to class, we should not come at all, because she would see us be late and her feelings would be hurt. But she does care about the topic.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PSYCH141
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: 140
• 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:

One of the worst teachers I've had at call. She talks as though she is five. One lecture she sent the whole time talking about her own personal experience of giving birth. She ended on the high note that it was the biggest orgasm of her life because comming out is not that different from going in. The tests are essays and the grading is completely arbitrary. Definitely take a different prof or a different class if you can. And she's got a very disfunctional relationship with her kid, Bunny. Bunny!?!?