PSYC 3200

Professor Cang and Professor Erisir were very prepared even though this was the first time the course was taught. The class is definitely set up so that you do not fail. The readings are pretty long, but the tests and content we are expected to know are only based on the lectures in class. There are weekly take-home, open-notes reading quizzes. The ones that Professor Cang provides are fairly straightforward, approximately 10 questions worth a total of 2 points. If you get 1.2/2 points, you get full credit (but this really shouldn't even be a concern because the questions are really manageable). A lot of the questions are recycled on the tests and Professor Cang clearly communicates what is expected and what is not. The tests are a mix of multiple-choice, select-all, and short answers. There are also up to 2 points of extra credit on the tests and extra credit on the final that can really boost your grade.

One of the things I appreciate the most about Professor Cang's lecture style is that he makes sure to slow down and go over the areas that need more time and clarification. Don't get it the first time? No problem. He'll probably go over it three times if it's important enough. It's never about rushing to get through the necessary content, but rather understanding the truly critical areas. Professor Cang is especially knowledgeable about the visual system, and several of the experiments and findings in the textbook come from his work, so that's pretty neat! The content is interesting (especially if you're coming from PSYC 2200 which never went into the depth on the mechanics; I definitely learned a lot more through this course) and the course structure/grading is really tolerant! Overall, I would highly recommend this if you're looking for a relatively straightforward and not too difficult neuro course.

#tCFspring2022

This class is your standard STEM big lecture course with readings assigned to every class (not mandatory), lecture given in class based largely on the reading, attendance not taken and grades basically depending on exams. There are 4 midterms that are all cumulative and no final and no drop, and they are each 20% of your grade. They were honestly pretty difficult so studying is a must but the TAs were very helpful and created study guides for most of the exams. They also held a review session for each exam. Other than exams, there are a couple of quizzes due throughout the semester that were based on the readings but were easy to do since you only needed a 6/10 for it to count as a 100%. Lectures are also video recorded and slides are posted to Canvas.
I would say the lecture content is pretty interesting, but as a Neuroscience major who took Cognitive Neuro and Cell Bio the semester before, it was VERY similar and was basically a combination of these two classes. Therefore, if you haven't taken either of these before the class will be much harder. JC also says this for people who haven't taken Cell Biology. Also, in order to get an A you need a 94 which is doable but pretty difficult. I ended with a 93.8 and he doesn't round scores so that's great.

#tCFS25

I loved JC and this course! I've always been passionate about the topics in this course, so I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about them from an expert. JC is a great lecturer, he always spoke eloquently and explained the topics thoroughly. He specializes in the visual system, and I could tell based on how enthusiastic he was during the visual system unit. It was inspiring. The main drawback of the course is that the textbook readings are long and dense, but it's worth it to gain a deep understanding of the course content. Your entire grade consists of weekly quizzes on the readings (which you get 100% on if you get a 6/10 or higher) and 4 midterm exams (one for each unit). I will say that as long as you do the textbook readings and understand them fairly well, you should do just fine on the midterms. JC is very kind on the exams, just looking for general understanding. He only wants you to understand the general principles of the content, and while he goes into depth on the principles during lecture, he does not expect you to have mastered that level of depth for the exam. I have a great level of respect for JC and his course. It truly has been my favorite course at UVA so far. Highly recommend!