PSYC 2600

This class was okay. The material was interesting, but lectures were so boring (I stopped going to them after the first exam, and still managed to do fine). Make sure you keep up with the textbook readings because they pile up pretty quickly, and make flashcards to memorize the definitions. A lot of questions on the exams are about the studies discussed in the textbook, so review those. The cutoff for an A is a 95, but it's really easy to get a B+/A- if you just study before the exams and read the textbook.

This course is by far the WORST course offered at UVA. The professor is one of those 'academics' that thinks they are much smarter than they actually are and thus compensates by making the exams tricky. He has said multiple times that there will be multiple correct answers and you should choose the "best" correct answer. It is impossible to do well unless you are good at deciphering what he wants you to answer. The only real way to study is to memorize vocabulary words and it feels like you are preparing for a 3rd grade vocabulary test, yet it really doesn't help. DONT TAKE THIS CLASS!

The lectures are pretty much verbatim coverage of the textbook, and they can be a little boring at times. I would recommend still going, because every now and then he'll throw in something that isn't on the textbook or cover something that is on the textbook in much greater depth. Mazurek himself is hilarious and engaging, as well as very reasonable when it comes to exam content. That being said, don't let the exam drop policy make you complacent. They get harder as you go on, and the final is especially tricky. If you keep up with the reading, you will do fine. Make flashcards in the way he recommends in the beginning of the semester (term on one side, definition form textbook, definition in your own words, and example on the back). There is a reason psychology profs recommend this method- it works really well for retention and will serve you well on the exam.

The readings are kind of long but very enjoyable because they are so relatable. The textbook gives you most of the knowledge you need to know so lectures aren't necessary as long as you take notes from the powerpoints he posts on collab. He goes more in depth on certain theories and studies in lecture that definitely show up on the exam. The exams this term were online on collab but you had to be in class to take them. The professor is nice and energetic, but spends too much time on tangents in class.

Professor Mazurek is a really cool guy that really cares for his students. I really liked this class and thought that I learned a lot from the professor. You have to do the readings because there are some gaps that you only get from the readings. The class is graded based on only exams, but one is dropped which is super clutch. I really recommend taking this class because of the flexibility that he has, but if you are looking for just an easy class where you don't really have to try, maybe find another one.

This was supposed to be my easiest class but ended up doing the worst in it this semester. Don't get me wrong, Mazurek is a very nice man and great professor, and the course material is very interesting. There is also minimal homework besides reading the textbook (which I enjoyed) and doing outside psych studies (which are just time consuming but not hard). However, no matter how long I studied the vocabulary and concepts I managed to do worse than I would have expected on every exam. Not awfully, but some questions are designed to be tricky and always tripped me up. So this class is an easy B+, not an easy A. If psych is interesting to you, I would definitely recommend this class, but if you have a lot of other challenging classes in the same semester I would maybe choose a class with easier exams.

LOL nice to see some things never change. This class is definitely an easy A. you just need to take the time to memorize the definitions and pay attention to the case studies that are gone over in lecture and you are golden. There were some questions from stuff talked about only in the book which I'm sure Professor Mazurek asks to make sure we read the textbook but honestly they are pretty easy to deduce the answer because a lot of psychology principles are exactly what they sound like. So its really up to you if you want to read the book, definitely wouldn't pay for it though, not worth the money. The exams were like 25 multiple choice, 10 fill in the blank and 3 short answer with 3 different parts. The class itself was kind of disappointing where we didn't really get to the interesting stuff (in my opinion) until the end, but for all you psych majors who need it as a pre-req you can relax, this should be a breeze. #tCFfall22

Mazurek is a terrific lecturer and overall a great guy. I was a bit worried going in as his grade distribution is a little lower than other teachers' typically are for this same course, but that's not indicative of his personality or class, just the fact that the class is based on exams only (he drops your lowest one). But class is interesting and worth attending, homework is just some pretty basic reading, and the exams weren't too bad in the end. Definitely a solid way to knock out that gen-ed, or a fun class if you're interested in psychology. #tCFF23

You need to read the book, and go to lecture with perfect attendance if you want an A. From what I found last semester, the students who were most successful created their own study materials. Such as making quizlets, not simply studying them. Even the brightest students had to put in a great deal of effort to achieve in this course. He does not intend for it to be an easy A. And I personally would not call it as such. If you attend most lectures, and do most of the reading however, you likely won’t have a problem getting a B. At the end of the day, the professor is interesting, the book isn’t too bad - or too long, and you truly do learn some very insightful and cool things that are very valuable as a human. I would recommend this course to a lot of people, but don’t do it if you are looking for an easy A, there are better options.

Summary: Engaging content, the memory-based exams are pretty easy, lectures compliment the textbook well, Mazurek is a great guy!

For anyone who took AP Psych in high school, expect more of the same in PSYC 2600. The content is as advertised, you learn everything about how humans interact with one another and perceive their environment. If you can grind out flashcards/quizlet and memorize 40-50 terms for each midterm, you'll think this class is an easy A. But you really do have to read the textbook and come to lecture, which some students obviously fail to do. My friends and I, who did the proper prep, found the course super rewarding and applicable to our lives!

Response to Mazurek being dry in lecture: he doesn't speed through content if that makes sense, he leaves that to the textbook. He goes more into deep examples and studies, which some people like, some don't.