PSYC 3410

Profesor Coan is awesome! Tests are very hard though; know exact percentages. There were a few questions regarding the Axis system (which is obsolete) that he denied were on the test; this was annoying as he did not give back credit. Reading the textbook is very necessary; also take notes on the clips he plays at the beginning of every class.

This class was one of the most entertaining psych classes I have taken mainly because of Professor Coan's anecdotes and nervous laughter. I would recommend this class to all psych majors. You have to read the book and memorize the powerpoints- especially the percentages. If you put in the work you will do well in the class.

Professor Coan is probably one of the best professors at UVA in terms of his enthusiasm and his down-to-earth attitude. He will try to make the class fun (and usually succeed) even though some of the material that we talk about can be sensitive to some people. He likes to crack jokes and poke fun at himself and some surprising information to lighten up the mood.

The class covers A LOT of information by the end so take it from me when I say you should keep up with all the reading. Not only that, go to all the classes because the tests will have information that is not in the book that he will discuss in class (i.e. important experiments). The topics that are discussed are very interesting topics so try to enjoy and think critically about them.

The class has three tests during the semester and a final at the end. He drops your lowest test grade of the three semester tests. The tests can be very difficult as it can ask very specific questions like specific frequency of disorders. You also have to be able to know and understand the diagnosis for certain disorders as there are questions where he will describe a situation and you have to diagnose the disorder. Read everything and never assume anything is irrelevant. There will be material that is not on the book or not directly on the powerpoints. Don't solely rely on the powerpoints either as there will be specific book only question as well. Most importantly, read questions very carefully as the nature of these disorders is base on very specific principles so one word can change a lot. Overall, the tests were fair as there won't be anything that was not talked about.

As for grading, Coan will not "curve". He does however grade the tests out of the best score rather than the total score. For example, a 50-question test with the highest score only being 49 will be treated as if it was a 49-question test. The cutoff for an A is at a 95 and above so attaining an A is actually quite difficult. An A- is significantly easier. If you study hard enough, you will do well.

If you are a psych major, you MUST take this class. Coan is brilliant! He keeps the class tone light while discussing some pretty heavy topics. Tests are fair, but you definitely need to study. I wish I could take this class again!

Coan is the nicest most fun professor I have ever had the pleasure to have. Class is easy and interesting too.

Prof Coan is fantastic. He's funny, and really makes the material interesting, which is no small feat because it's actually somewhat dry. The only strange thing is that he bursts out in random nervous laughter a lot. For exams, make sure you read the book (especially for random statistical things), but they are mostly based off powerpoints.

Makes the class very interesting. Awesome professor.

You have to work for your A in this class but once you put in the time you would be fine. Do all the readings and go to class, his exams cover material from both and are very specific.

I absolutely loved this class. The material is interesting though it can get very tedious to learn sometimes. Make sure to read and understand the slides and what he is trying to get at for the exams which are fairly straightforward.

This class is really interesting and Prof. Coan is really nice and funny and very laid back and down to earth. He is basically that professor that doesn't look like a professor when you first see him. The material is challenging and there are a lot of percentages and symptoms and such but he definitely tries to make it fun. I would recommend this class for anyone with an interesting in Abnormal Psych. The tests are straightforward like all the Psych classes in the dept. So read the material and go to lecture!

By far the greatest class I've taken. Great professor with a lot of very interesting stories. Very worthwhile.

Coan was enjoyable, but I wasn't completely sold on the class. Anecdotes from his personal life were always enjoyable to listen to, but the actual material was somewhat dry and formulaic--learn about the disorder, identify symptoms, learn about causes, etc. and then you do that for every disorder. His tests get very specific.

Like the other poster from Fall 2010 said, I expected to be blown away by this class, but those expectations were overly high. However, I won't go as far as to say it was 'mediocre'- in fact, it was very interesting and mostly enjoyable. Some days are less bearable than the others (usually when there's a lengthy, wordy powerpoint to go through). The specific format of going through each type of disorder gets old and predictable, but it's really the only way to go about it. His stories are great at breaking up sometimes-dry lectures and he clearly has a ton of experience. Coan does well to get opinions of students in (usually successful) attempts to start a discussion about the topic, which is commendable for a large lecture-style class. I can imagine working in his lab would be a blast, even if it's very serious research that's being done. Definitely an easygoing dude who cares about teaching as much as research

Prof. Coan's a nice guy who loves laughing at himself, but the material itself is kind of dry, and he tends to read off the slides. I was a little disappointed because the previous reviews made this class sound like a must-take, but I honestly found it mediocre.

James Coan is the MAN. He's hilarious, albeit awkward when you first meet him. He also really knows his stuff and made almost every lecture enjoyable, whether it was through an article, some NPR, or YouTube. I loved his class, and I would tell anyone who had a chance to take it to do so.

Really great and interesting class. Professor Coan makes the topic easy to understand and if you do the reading you will do fine on the exams. Definitely recommend to all students, psych majors or not!

great class

Professor Coan is the best! He makes you want to come to the lectures. Keep up with the reading and pay attention in class and you’ll be fine.

This class was one of the most interesting and worthwhile classes I've taken at UVA. You'll find yourself diagnosing your friends

If you keep up with your reading and attend lecture, this class should be very easy! Coan is a great professor--very energetic. You can tell that he truly enjoys what he's teaching. Definitely a class worth taking!

Fantastic class! Really interesting lectures that keep you awake and excited to go to class. Professor Coan is crazy but its fantastic!!!

great class, teacher is very energetic. The class is not hard when you pay attention and skim the readings.

Simplest assessment: Jim Coan is amazing. Midterms/finals aren't too difficult, reading is interesting and relatively light, and lectures are enjoyable.

I'm a non-major and I would highly recommend this class. Coan is knowledgeable and at times downright hilarious - plus the material covered is generally quite interesting and the tests aren't overly difficult.

Read the summaries of the chapters, because most of the things you're going to learn are from lecture. Dr. Coan is a crazy awesome free associating bucket of stories, from working with Ted Bundy to the assortment of patients he's helped. I don't know if he teaches any classes for non-majors, but if you can get him, do it.

Coan is an awesome professor. He's lively and fun and has an amusing chuckle. The class itself was great, and the material was very interesting.

ps although powerpoints may get you by please don't neglect your book. mommy and daddy didn't shell out the benjamins for a paperweight and plus some questions on the tests unfortunately were nowhere on the slides.

This class is really easy. Coan stresses how coming to lecture and reading the book is very important, but this isn't really true. You can get by with the powerpoint slides and still do well on the test. He tends to just read off the slides a lot, so class isn't always that interesting.

This is one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken...prof coan is great, a lot of fun in class, and knows his stuff too. the exams are not too difficult, best 2 of 3 midterms, and a final. absolutely take this class with coan.

Coan is funny and nerdy. He likes to laugh at himself and how wacky he is. The material of abnormal is interesting, so it would be hard to mess it up. He does a good job though, and the tests are fair.