PSYC 3480

One of the best classes I've taken so far at UVA, and one of the few where I was actually excited to go to lecture! The content is so interesting and relevant to our experiences as college students: could find something to apply to my own life in every lecture. Allen always keeps lecture interesting by supplementing content with examples from movies and TV shows. The class is overall not difficult: grading is based on 3 midterms and a final, and you can drop the lowest midterm. To get an A I just showed up to class everyday and completed the readings (while there are a lot of them, they are very interesting.

Grading: 4 midterms and an option 5 page paper, 1 final. You drop 2 of lowest grades of midterms and optional paper. The other 2 are worth 33% each. Can't drop the final, which is worth 33%. Each midterm is 40 multiple choice and 1 open response which is easy. The final is worth 100 multiple choice.

The exams are pretty straightforward and the multiple choice are taken from the lectures. Don't waste your time with the textbook reading and the outside readings, but take really good notes in lecture.

Prof Allen is awesome. He's really knowledgeable and entertaining and includes a lot of movie clips in class to show examples.
The class material is very interesting to any psychology major and anyone interested in the ideas and influences of being a teeanager. Focuses a lot on effects of parenting, school, peers on teenagers and how this causes their internal and external issues. Also touches on social issues of race, gender identity, etc and effects on adolescence.

LOVE DR. ALLEN.

Such an interesting class and so fun to go to. He does outlines on word that he puts up on the projector and sends out prior to class, so easy to follow along. 3 midterms and an optional 5-page paper, takes the top 2 grades of all of these. Cumulative final you have to take.

Do the readings but skim, he will ask exam questions about them

Take this class, it is so interesting and Dr. Allen is amazing

#tCFF23

Joe is hands down my favorite professor ive had at UVA. He genuinely cares about his students and this is especially obvious if you go to office hours, which I had neverdone before but Joe is so casual that it just feels like you're having a normal conversation. Overall, the class wasn't hard: just study lecture notes, skim the textbook, and read the extra assigned articles for the big picture ideas (because those are on the test) before exams and you'll get an A. Super interesting content, most of which is sourced from his own research lab here at UVA.

Great class. Professor Allen is extremely knowledgeable, and he's conscientious of his teaching. He engages the class well with interesting videos, poll questions, etc. despite the large size of the class. And the content is fascinating, especially because it allows you to think about how your adolescence went/goes in the context of all the info you're learning. You're guaranteed to learn something about yourself. The textbook readings were a little annoying because you had to wade through a lot of unnecessary details to get to the important stuff. But the lectures were great. And the exams were about the right level of challenge. But make sure you can answer those short essay questions. Overall, highly recommended.

This course is super interesting, well-taught, and not very difficult. The lectures are great; Professor Allen is such a kind person and a great lecturer. Since I'm a psych major, this class wasn't super difficult for me, but I studied hard for the exams and I know some smart people who got B's on the exams. I didn't do most of the textbook readings and I did fine on the exams, just make sure to do the extra article readings he assigns because he does test on those. Your grade is made up from 2/3 midterms that you take and the final exam.

This class is honestly the best class I've taken at UVA. This class looks into the backgrounds of what the adolescent period means, and why adolescents act and think in different ways as well as touching on a lot of subjects where many people have different views and experiences (school, work, peers, family, transitions, delinquency, abortion, racism, ethnicity, ethnocentrism, mental illness, etc.). Prof Allen was wonderful at describing many views objectively and separating myths from facts and from speculations. He creates a welcoming and respectful environment for all students and focuses on the learning and education of life (rather than stressing about grades). He is one of the best professors in the department!
The class has three midterms, of which one is dropped and the other can be swapped with an optional paper and one final. It's an in-person lecture-heavy class with a lot of readings. If you stay on top of the work and give enough effort, you'll be fine.

Loved this class, learned SO much and looked forward to lectures. Not very hard and lectures are not mandatory (but they are very helpful for exams).

This is the best course I have taken at UVA so far, and Prof. Allen is an amazing professor. I can tell that he really enjoys teaching and he cares about what his students learn. There are three exams (40 multiple choice questions and a short answer essay question) and a cumulative final (100 multiple choice questions). There is an optional paper that can replace one of your exam grades. The lowest exam grade gets dropped. Even though this course was online this semester, I felt like I was really engaged with the material. Prof. Allen is passionate about what he teaches, and it's definitely refreshing to have a professor that genuinely cares about the students. I really loved this course, and I would definitely recommend this class to anyone.

Taken online during covid. Three closed-note tests and a cumulative final. You could drop your lowest non-final test grade, and also replace one of them with an easy optional paper. Classes were synchronous but recorded, and participation wasn't required. He did pull some test questions from readings, so you have to do those, which was probably the biggest downside of the class since they could be kinda dry. I definitely recommend the class overall, though! Prof Allen is super passionate, nice, and knowledgeable about the subject. Lots of people showed up to the synchronous lecture even though you could have just watched the recordings later, which I think goes to show how many people actually wanted to be there.

This has been my favorite class that I have ever taken at UVA. Professor Allen is the best professor, and the material covered in this class is so applicable to real life. There are plenty of opportunities to make your grade better- you can drop your lowest midterm and replace another one with a paper. This class is amazing

Professor Allen is so nice and thoughtful and makes the class incredibly intriguing. The exams are more difficult than they should be, but Professor Allen gives plenty of opportunities to improve your grade and that's why he's so thoughtful. But if you have any interest in psychology definitely take this class!

It was completely my pleasure to have Professor Allen as a teacher. He oozes charisma in every sense of the word. The material lends to be engaging, as the topic is basically the past 6 or so years of our lives, but Allen's lectures are what truly make the class. The ways in which he approaches the class makes it feel a lot less like pure memorization like how some other psych classes can feel. The readings aren't incredibly short but very manageable. I could not recommend this class enough, even to non psych majors.

TAKE THIS CLASS!! Professor Allen is an amazing man. Great lecturer and really knows his stuff which makes going to class enjoyable. Attendance is mandatory unless you find a buddy to share notes with as he only provides outlines before each class. Exams are fair if you read the textbook and pay attention in class; multiple choice and a relatively easy short answer for the midterms. I highly recommend this course.

I recommend this class to everyone. Joe Allen is obviously passionate about this subject, it shows in every lecture he teaches. Lectures are a perfect combination of discussion, questions, lecturing, and the occasional video. Reading will definitely help you on exams. There's multiple choice and free response for those. I really cannot recommend this course enough.

I would give this professor a 6/5 if I could. Joe Allen is the most humble, compassionate, intelligent professor I've had, and I'll miss this class so much. The insights into adolescents, parenting, and social issues like race and poverty could change the way you see the world forever.

This was one of the best classes at UVA. Prof. Allen is easily one of the nicest, most approachable people ever. His lectures are incredibly relevant and entertaining, to not only psych majors. I always paid attention with ease for the whole 75 minutes. The tests are harder than the final which I found easy and I didn't really keep up with the reading. Also, you get to drop one test and have the ability to drop another one if write an option paper and score better on that.

You learn about a lot of interesting stuff which makes this class worthwhile in itself. Lot of reading, put the time in and you can get a good grade.

Professor Allen is great! This is an amazing class. I wish there was another class to take with Professor Allen. He definitely knows what he is talking about. The information is so relevant to life. The tests can be difficult, but as long as you do the reading (he definitely pulls questions that we don't discuss in lecture) and come to class, you should do fine!

I have never heard a louder or longer applause at the end of a semester. Allen absolutely loves what he teaches and you can tell. This class is extremely interesting and very relevant. He takes the typical topics that you learn about in other psych classes and makes you look at them from a completely different perspective. The tests can be tricky, but this class is definitely worth it. By far the best class/professor I've ever taken at UVa.

Professor Allen is AWESOME, to say the least. I am definitely not one to get into a class but this one I did. The information is so interesting and everything is relevant to life. The exams are not easy and you must read everything. However, it is worth working for in this class! I recommend it to everyone. Professor Allen loves what he does and is so knowledgeable.

Interesting material, solid lecturer. He provides examples and videos to illustrate points, which helps make the class go by faster. To do well on the tests, you really need to read everything. There are always a few questions that were only covered in the reading and not in class, but the tests are definitely fair and comprehensive.

Lectures were very interesting, and Allen is an excellent professor and also approachable. However, the exams were very difficult, and even if you attend every lecture and do the readings (which are essential and detailed), you will not be guaranteed an A. Recommended if you don't mind putting effort into doing many readings and taking notes during lectures; not the hardest psych course, but definitely not easy. Most lectures are quite interesting, though.

It was a good class! I actually liked the material and the reading wasn't that bad. Its interesting to see how our childhoods shaped who we are now and to also see the parents' side of view of adolescence.

Great class. You can tell Professor Allen really knows and loves what he talks about, and he's interested in you really learning and understanding the material rather than just getting an A in his class (although it is not difficult to get a good grade!). Really great lecturer.

Very good class and the teacher is great

This subject is definitely Professor Allen's forte and it shows in his lectures. Very friendly guy as well who is open to your questions if you need him. The video clips he shows in class are great! Definitely recommend this class.

I absolutely love this class. Exams are reflective of lecture and reading. Prof. Allen is friendly and shows lots of videos during lecture. Awesome class!

This is a great class and a very interesting topic... even at 9:30 in the morning. Allen is a very clear lecturer and shows video clips in just about every class to emphasize what he's talking about for the day. The midterms are fairly easy (multiple choice and a short essay), but the final was a little tricky (all multiple choice) because there was so much information on it. Overall one of my favorite classes I've taken at UVA. I would definitely recommend taking this class!

"fluffy" class but still enjoyable

great course, very interesting.

Prof Allen is amazing and very approachable. Lecture isn't a bunch of slides you're rushing to copy down, it is outlined and open for class discussion (despite the size). Tests are fair and include both essay/M.C. Review sessions were very helpful.

This is a great class, and professor Allen is very cool. It's a lot more theory-based than other classes in the department... take that as you will. Professor Allen's research on attachment theory is really exciting... and he does a good job of bringing it in to lectures in an un-pretentious way.

Professor Allen is one of the coolest, most down to earth people I have ever had the pleasure to meet (or take a class from). His other job is counseling adolescents, and he really knows his stuff. While discussing topics that many other adults or researchers tend to take a very biased view on (such as on alcohol abuse and sex), he is always able to present a very reasonable, logical, and refreshing perspective. You will enjoy this class and maybe even laugh occasionally. Tests are not meant to trick you, just read or skim and pay attention to lectures.