This class was very interesting, however as great of a guy as Fridlund is, he spends most of his time reading the lecture verbatim. In order to get an A extreme effort is required. Attendance is not required for lecture or section, but recommended for section.
I absolutely loved Psych 1. Professor Fridlund is engaging and comedic. It's a good idea to sit towards the front of the lecture in order to not lose focus. The lectures are MANDATORY and 70% of the tests come directly from the lectures. I highly recommend taking this course.
Great prof love him a lot
The layout of this class makes no sense; one often gets the feeling that Fridlund wants to make it as difficult as possible for students to access and synthesize the information. Lectures are absolutely useless, you won't learn anything that pertains to the current topic, or even to the course overall. Readings are digital and painful to navigate.
Alan is a fantastic teacher. I really enjoyed his lectures. He made the subject interesting. However, he expects us to know way too much material for the midterm and final. Sections weren't helpful as they just added more subject matter that didn't tie into lecture. Unless you're a psych major or have a fairly light class load, I wouldn't take this
Ernest and hilarious. Willing to push unpopular opinions for the sake of a more well-rounded learning experience. Passionate about the material, but also hella chill. Not too challenging a course, but extremely captivating lectures.
Professor Fridlund is quite the character. He jokes around a lot during lecture and can sometimes be rude. You occasionally have to try not to take what he says seriously. I find that he makes the lectures more interesting and he tends to sway away from topics and tells stories.
An amazing teacher that exposes students to new ways of thinking. Everyone should take this class even if it's pass/no pass to get the full experience at UCSB. The tests are really hard but the class is worth taking even if you get a low grade.
Prof Fridlund is very interesting and passionate about the topic. But, he goes off topic for almost all of lecture. The midterm only covered parts of the fair game sheet so was a waste of time trying to learn everything. Questions on the test are super confusing. Not an easy class even if you do all the readings, study and go to all the classes.
Prof Fridlund is a funny guy who really cares about teaching engaging material. His tests are not hard as long as you know all the topics on the fair game sheet. Read the chapters in the textbook if you want an A+. Loved this class.
Loved this class! Midterm and final are pretty difficult not to many people do well. He gives you a fair game sheet about a week before the tests. Sections are long but interesting. You watch videos most of the time. Funny guy would definitely recommend to a friend and would take this professor again.
Fridlund is the man. He's funny, smart, and a great lecturer. Beware: his tests are hard if you don't know how to study for them. Literally go through the fair-game sheet and use his lecture slides, posted on GS. The slides are the key.
Great class and professor. His tests are pretty hard but if you study lecture notes and skim book you can do very well. Attendance is not that important because he posts everything. However, he says things in class that are not online.
His lecture sessions are lengthy but filled with important information, so make sure you attend lecture. Use the book and complete the fair game sheet. He has one midterm and a final.
Fridlund's class was by far my favorite class I've taken here at UCSB! He is very clear and descriptive about his subject so the material wasn't super difficult to comprehend if you're new to this subject (like me). The only reason I got the grade I got was because I didn't study as much as I should have so that was my fault. Overall, he's great!
I see a lot of reviews talking about how tricky he is, and he's really not. Super straightforward questions. He's lecture heavy, so if you don't go to class or be really good friends with someone that does, you won't do well. I paid attention most of the time, skimmed the book, and memorized the fair game sheet. Easy 96%
Very funny and engaging during lecture! I did not do any of the reading and just attended lecture and pulled a C+ while also barely studying for tests. If you put the effort into it you should be able to pull a good grade.
Hardest class ever. Difficult and confusing tests - it's like he purposely sets you up to fail. Condescending during office hours too. You follow and do the study guide? Not helpful - You'll do average at best in the class. Expensive book by the way and MAKES you get the current and school edition.
He is charming, funny, but the test is very tricky. I though I did fairly well, but in truth, I got a pretty low grade.
GREAT PROFESSOR, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!!!!! I would definitely recommend this class, I never experienced a single boring moment. Fridlund is very passionate and makes the lectures fun. You can tell he genuinely cares about his students. Although a little tough, amazing class overall
You really do have to study for this class. Make sure to study the fair game sheet for the midterm and final. Overall, this was one of the best classes I've taken so far at UCSB.
My friends and I absolutely loved Fridlund. He was always interesting with his lectures, and it wasn't too hard to stay awake even though it was an hour and fifteen minutes long. However, his lectures are more like long stories rather than things pertaining to the tests. You HAVE to read the book - lecture isn't really that helpful.
I loved this class! He is my favorite professor at UCSB, but this is not an easy class. I studied very hard for the midterm but got a C- on it, I then studied like crazy for final and got an A. Go to lecture, he explains everything so well and gives very useful and memorable examples. Don't just memorize defs, his tests are more on application.
Didn't go to more than 3 or 4 class which I now regret only because he's interesting and funny. Also I missed a few sections, didn't read the book, and starting studying the weekend before the midterm and final. MAKE FLASHCARDS for everything on the fair game sheets even though he tells you not to. Get a previous year's test. HE REPEATS QUESTIONS!