PSYC301 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
David Yager PSYC301 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 07/09/2020	If you love neuroscience and the brain, you will love this class. Yager is sooooooooo funny. Even if he SOUNDS dry, listen to the words that come out of his mouth; he's hilarious. I was in love with every single topic which motivated me to study my ass off. With all the extra credit, I ended the class with a 101%. Getting a good grade is definitely possible if you study well. Do NOT take this class if you are not interested at all in brain science; it requires a certain level of interest and passion to do well. Yager is super nice and helpful, but do not rely too heavily on email communication. It is best to talk to him right after class, but usually, there is a long line, so I always sat in the front to get to him pretty quickly. This course changed my life and confirmed for me I wanted to do neuroscience. So much love to this man.
David Yager PSYC301 Expecting an A Anonymous 04/16/2020	Excellent teacher and fascinating course. It requires an interest and a dedication to do well in this course, but it is rewarding. Dr. Yager is very helpful in such a way that you do receive help or advice, but do not get out of work or a free pass.
Anna Li PSYC301 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 01/01/2020	Dr. Li is a great teacher! the lectures are interesting and she explains the content well. She uses a mix of media forms (videos, diagrams, brain models, etc.) and she seems like she genuinely wants her students to succeed. That being said, this class is difficult. Would not recommend if you don't have at least a moderate grasp of biological concepts. Strong bio background helps a lot. Some of the concepts are pretty abstract and challenging, and on top of that, the course material is very dense (but interesting and has a lot of practical use). Our class would fill out study guides for the exams and they would be 20+ pages long despite being only 80-90% filled out. As far as homework, there really isn't anything except for the readings and weekly pre-class reading quizzes. (5 points each, you get 3 attempts to take them, no time limit, and she drops a few of them). I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TAKING NOTES ON THE READINGS. The course text is immensely helpful and you HAVE to use it. most the time, I only read the book enough to get a 5/5 on the quizzes which I now regret doing because maybe I could've ended with an A in the class. I also don't recommend skipping lecture. You're allowed to skip 5 without it impacting your grade, but every class there are clicker questions (based on participation) and sometimes in class essays (also graded on participation). But aside from not wanting to lose points, I recommend going because the slides alone won't tell you enough information to do well on exams. She does post lectures on panopto but the audio isn't great and sometimes you can't hear what she's saying (ran into this problem while studying for exams). All in all, Dr. Li is a great professor. If you're interested in PSYC301 I'd take her. DO NOT take this course if you're expecting an easy A, but if you're willing to put in the work you will do well.
Anna Li PSYC301 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/27/2019	Dr. Li's a pretty fair and knowledgeable professor--lecture was mostly powerpoint slides and notes, and a couple of clicker questions every class. I found the content to be interesting, so I enjoyed the class. Exams are difficult, especially the second and third ones, but if you study hard you should be fine.
David Yager PSYC301 Expecting an A Anonymous 07/15/2019	I took 301 my first semester at UMD after transferring. Not so smart of me but I had no clue what I was in for. Be prepared to work your ASS OFF. The information is really interesting and I find myself thinking about practical applications of it even after the class ended. I got an A (94) but it did not come without very hard work. I went to every weekly review session with the TA, every review session led by Yager before exams and only missed one lecture throughout the semester. I also studied for 10+ hours (not exaggerating) for each exam. That being said, this class can be really interesting if you are prepared to work hard.
David Yager PSYC301 Expecting a B+ Testudo17 06/06/2015	Okay, I'd just like to clear the air regarding the Biological Basis of Behavior. This class receives a lot of negative attention that it doesn't receive. I won't lie, this class is VERY challenging and you have to work your ass off if you even want to break a 80%. Yager can be a little dry at times, but overall, I enjoyed going to class. The material is very interesting - then again, I love the brain. With this class, it's very B.S.-geared and not very B.A.-geared; it really depends on what you're trying to do in the psych field, so take that into consideration. He offers extra credit, but lets be real, it doesn't do shit. EC is offered in the form of little weekly lecture quizzes on ELMS that you have unlimited attempts to score a 100% on. If you get a 100, you get 1 extra point on the exam. But in reality, when you only have about 3-5 quizzes per lecture exam (and the exam is already 130+ points), 3-5 extra points don't really make that much of a difference percentage-wise, especially since the quizzes aren't easy. Okay, so the big thing is exams. I swear sometimes he's trying to kill you in these exams, but they're not impossible. Getting an A is doable, but you better know that material like the back of your hand. The good thing about exams is that he drops the lowest score and they're all curved. I got a 85, 63, 84, and a 92 on the final, and that ended up giving me a 88 overall in the class (B+), when in reality, my uncurved grade would probably be a B-. Oh yeah, and your grade is just based on tests. There are no other assignments, but that being said, getting a B in this class is not impossible. Hard, but you can do it if you're motivated and put in the work. You really get the grade you deserve in this class. SOOOOOO takeaway: it's hard, but don't listen to the people that defame Yager and the class in general. Most of these people try to put off studying until the night before and think that they'll pass and then end up failing and/or they're not interested in the material, and misattribute their bad time to bad teaching. It's bullshit. I highly recommend this course for anyone in the B.S. track. It'll really help you in the long run.
David Yager PSYC301 JohnyCumlately 04/04/2014	If you are concerned with getting a good grade, I would suggest taking another professor for this course. I took this class last semester with Dr.Hall and got A's on first two exams before I had to drop course for personal reasons. Was not easy but if you study hard and make sure you know all of the study guide, you should do well. This semester with Yager, I got a very low E on first exam(lol). His material is different and focuses more on what seems like training to become a doctor. I think his tests are unfair with irrelevant or miscellaneous questions. However he is very knowledgeable and very interesting. If you take his class, pay a lot of attention in class and take extremely good notes.
David Yager PSYC301 Expecting an A+ synaptic-gap 07/11/2013	While I will not say that this is an easy course for most students, I had taken a graduate level neuroanatomy before and helped the students in my section with review sessions. Greg is helpful, but he doesn't go over the material a second time and neither Dr.Yager nor Greg will give you hints to memorize things. I still have my notes/review guides if anyone should need them, and if anyone needs any help, feel free to reach me!
David Yager PSYC301 Expecting a C nkiankho 06/10/2013	This man knows what he's talking about. Awesome, interesting class...no doubts about these statements. But if you want an A you better know that material INSIDE AND OUT. Very conceptual course, not detail oriented. His exams are very hard. Koofers helps out a lot, but do not fully depend on it. Usually he uses the same diagrams and short essays as koofers, at least. Going to class and paying attention is a must if you want to fully understand the material. Dont ever underestimate his exams. I made this class my main focus and still received a C. If you enjoy neuroscience or are used to taking courses in the physical sciences, it clearly is much easier. Bottom line: one of the most interesting courses you will ever take, but involves an immense amount of effort. Although i received a C, i do not regret taking this course. Yager is awesome.
David Yager PSYC301 Anonymous 01/10/2011	For Psyc301 you HAVE to go to class because his slides are just pictures and he just talks for the whole 65 minutes. He is a good lecturer and knows his stuff really well, but as others have said his exams are definitely rough. The multiple choice had an answer choice for a, b, and c, choice d was all of the above and choice e was answer choice a and c. Definitely know everything he puts on the review sheet and try to look at things in the big picture. It's a hard class, but the material is actually really interesting. Also, I would suggest using Terpnotes from bookholders because someone took amazing notes that are very similar to what he teaches now. I heard that is first exam was on koofers too, but I'm not sure if that is true.
David Yager PSYC301 Anonymous 05/25/2010	Yager was good in the sense that he knew the material well, but he's the type of prof who's only there for his research. He doesn't really care as much as he should for his students. I went to him several times for help and it didn't help at all. His exams are horrible, like they come straight from hell. It doesn't matter if you know everthing he said in class. You HAVE to know extra miscellaneous stuff and have to know how to apply your knowledge to the bigger picture. He really knows his stuff...that's why the exams get so hard. Overall, he's not worth it. He might be able to explain stuff in class, but he won't help you a lot during reviews and the exams are HELL. Don't do it to yourself.
David Yager PSYC301 Expecting a B jrobin 04/19/2010	Dr. Yager is an excellent and knowledgeabe professor! He communicates the information well and makes the class interesting. You MUST attend every lecture though since the tests are extremely hard and lecture based. You have to work really hard to pass this class but it's definitely worth it if you're interested in biopsychology.
David Yager PSYC301 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/28/2009	Dr. Yager is an excellent professor. He is very knowledgeable in his field and explains concepts very well. He says A LOT in class, so you'll need to be ready to take good notes and write down everything he says, but the book is just supplemental, he never tests on anything from the book that he didn't mention in class. There are 3 tests (you can drop the lowest) and a cumulative final, but there are no papers or other work. Tests require a lot of studying, and you need to be able to expand on what you know. He also holds reviews before exams which are very helpful. Fascinating class, difficult, but very satisfying.

David Yager
PSYC301

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
07/09/2020

If you love neuroscience and the brain, you will love this class. Yager is sooooooooo funny. Even if he SOUNDS dry, listen to the words that come out of his mouth; he's hilarious. I was in love with every single topic which motivated me to study my ass off. With all the extra credit, I ended the class with a 101%. Getting a good grade is definitely possible if you study well. Do NOT take this class if you are not interested at all in brain science; it requires a certain level of interest and passion to do well. Yager is super nice and helpful, but do not rely too heavily on email communication. It is best to talk to him right after class, but usually, there is a long line, so I always sat in the front to get to him pretty quickly. This course changed my life and confirmed for me I wanted to do neuroscience. So much love to this man.

David Yager
PSYC301

Expecting an A
Anonymous
04/16/2020

Excellent teacher and fascinating course. It requires an interest and a dedication to do well in this course, but it is rewarding. Dr. Yager is very helpful in such a way that you do receive help or advice, but do not get out of work or a free pass.

Anna Li
PSYC301

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
01/01/2020

Dr. Li is a great teacher! the lectures are interesting and she explains the content well. She uses a mix of media forms (videos, diagrams, brain models, etc.) and she seems like she genuinely wants her students to succeed. That being said, this class is difficult. Would not recommend if you don't have at least a moderate grasp of biological concepts. Strong bio background helps a lot. Some of the concepts are pretty abstract and challenging, and on top of that, the course material is very dense (but interesting and has a lot of practical use). Our class would fill out study guides for the exams and they would be 20+ pages long despite being only 80-90% filled out. As far as homework, there really isn't anything except for the readings and weekly pre-class reading quizzes. (5 points each, you get 3 attempts to take them, no time limit, and she drops a few of them). I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TAKING NOTES ON THE READINGS. The course text is immensely helpful and you HAVE to use it. most the time, I only read the book enough to get a 5/5 on the quizzes which I now regret doing because maybe I could've ended with an A in the class. I also don't recommend skipping lecture. You're allowed to skip 5 without it impacting your grade, but every class there are clicker questions (based on participation) and *sometimes* in class essays (also graded on participation). But aside from not wanting to lose points, I recommend going because the slides alone won't tell you enough information to do well on exams. She does post lectures on panopto but the audio isn't great and sometimes you can't hear what she's saying (ran into this problem while studying for exams). All in all, Dr. Li is a great professor. If you're interested in PSYC301 I'd take her. DO NOT take this course if you're expecting an easy A, but if you're willing to put in the work you will do well.

Anna Li
PSYC301

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/27/2019

Dr. Li's a pretty fair and knowledgeable professor--lecture was mostly powerpoint slides and notes, and a couple of clicker questions every class. I found the content to be interesting, so I enjoyed the class. Exams are difficult, especially the second and third ones, but if you study hard you should be fine.

David Yager
PSYC301

Expecting an A
Anonymous
07/15/2019

I took 301 my first semester at UMD after transferring. Not so smart of me but I had no clue what I was in for. Be prepared to work your ASS OFF. The information is really interesting and I find myself thinking about practical applications of it even after the class ended. I got an A (94) but it did not come without very hard work. I went to every weekly review session with the TA, every review session led by Yager before exams and only missed one lecture throughout the semester. I also studied for 10+ hours (not exaggerating) for each exam. That being said, this class can be really interesting if you are prepared to work hard.

David Yager
PSYC301

Expecting a B+
Testudo17
06/06/2015

Okay, I'd just like to clear the air regarding the Biological Basis of Behavior. This class receives a lot of negative attention that it doesn't receive. I won't lie, this class is VERY challenging and you have to work your ass off if you even want to break a 80%. Yager can be a little dry at times, but overall, I enjoyed going to class. The material is very interesting - then again, I love the brain. With this class, it's very B.S.-geared and not very B.A.-geared; it really depends on what you're trying to do in the psych field, so take that into consideration. He offers extra credit, but lets be real, it doesn't do shit. EC is offered in the form of little weekly lecture quizzes on ELMS that you have unlimited attempts to score a 100% on. If you get a 100, you get 1 extra point on the exam. But in reality, when you only have about 3-5 quizzes per lecture exam (and the exam is already 130+ points), 3-5 extra points don't really make that much of a difference percentage-wise, especially since the quizzes aren't easy. Okay, so the big thing is exams. I swear sometimes he's trying to kill you in these exams, but they're not impossible. Getting an A is doable, but you better know that material like the back of your hand. The good thing about exams is that he drops the lowest score and they're all curved. I got a 85, 63, 84, and a 92 on the final, and that ended up giving me a 88 overall in the class (B+), when in reality, my uncurved grade would probably be a B-. Oh yeah, and your grade is just based on tests. There are no other assignments, but that being said, getting a B in this class is not impossible. Hard, but you can do it if you're motivated and put in the work. You really get the grade you deserve in this class. SOOOOOO takeaway: it's hard, but don't listen to the people that defame Yager and the class in general. Most of these people try to put off studying until the night before and think that they'll pass and then end up failing and/or they're not interested in the material, and misattribute their bad time to bad teaching. It's bullshit. I highly recommend this course for anyone in the B.S. track. It'll really help you in the long run.

David Yager
PSYC301

JohnyCumlately
04/04/2014

If you are concerned with getting a good grade, I would suggest taking another professor for this course. I took this class last semester with Dr.Hall and got A's on first two exams before I had to drop course for personal reasons. Was not easy but if you study hard and make sure you know all of the study guide, you should do well. This semester with Yager, I got a very low E on first exam(lol). His material is different and focuses more on what seems like training to become a doctor. I think his tests are unfair with irrelevant or miscellaneous questions. However he is very knowledgeable and very interesting. If you take his class, pay a lot of attention in class and take extremely good notes.

David Yager
PSYC301

Expecting an A+
synaptic-gap
07/11/2013

While I will not say that this is an easy course for most students, I had taken a graduate level neuroanatomy before and helped the students in my section with review sessions. Greg is helpful, but he doesn't go over the material a second time and neither Dr.Yager nor Greg will give you hints to memorize things. I still have my notes/review guides if anyone should need them, and if anyone needs any help, feel free to reach me!

David Yager
PSYC301

Expecting a C
nkiankho
06/10/2013

This man knows what he's talking about. Awesome, interesting class...no doubts about these statements. But if you want an A you better know that material INSIDE AND OUT. Very conceptual course, not detail oriented. His exams are very hard. Koofers helps out a lot, but do not fully depend on it. Usually he uses the same diagrams and short essays as koofers, at least. Going to class and paying attention is a must if you want to fully understand the material. Dont ever underestimate his exams. I made this class my main focus and still received a C. If you enjoy neuroscience or are used to taking courses in the physical sciences, it clearly is much easier. Bottom line: one of the most interesting courses you will ever take, but involves an immense amount of effort. Although i received a C, i do not regret taking this course. Yager is awesome.

David Yager
PSYC301

Anonymous
01/10/2011

For Psyc301 you HAVE to go to class because his slides are just pictures and he just talks for the whole 65 minutes. He is a good lecturer and knows his stuff really well, but as others have said his exams are definitely rough. The multiple choice had an answer choice for a, b, and c, choice d was all of the above and choice e was answer choice a and c. Definitely know everything he puts on the review sheet and try to look at things in the big picture. It's a hard class, but the material is actually really interesting. Also, I would suggest using Terpnotes from bookholders because someone took amazing notes that are very similar to what he teaches now. I heard that is first exam was on koofers too, but I'm not sure if that is true.

David Yager
PSYC301

Anonymous
05/25/2010

Yager was good in the sense that he knew the material well, but he's the type of prof who's only there for his research. He doesn't really care as much as he should for his students. I went to him several times for help and it didn't help at all. His exams are horrible, like they come straight from hell. It doesn't matter if you know everthing he said in class. You HAVE to know extra miscellaneous stuff and have to know how to apply your knowledge to the bigger picture. He really knows his stuff...that's why the exams get so hard. Overall, he's not worth it. He might be able to explain stuff in class, but he won't help you a lot during reviews and the exams are HELL. Don't do it to yourself.

David Yager
PSYC301

Expecting a B
jrobin
04/19/2010

Dr. Yager is an excellent and knowledgeabe professor! He communicates the information well and makes the class interesting. You MUST attend every lecture though since the tests are extremely hard and lecture based. You have to work really hard to pass this class but it's definitely worth it if you're interested in biopsychology.

David Yager
PSYC301

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/28/2009

Dr. Yager is an excellent professor. He is very knowledgeable in his field and explains concepts very well. He says A LOT in class, so you'll need to be ready to take good notes and write down everything he says, but the book is just supplemental, he never tests on anything from the book that he didn't mention in class. There are 3 tests (you can drop the lowest) and a cumulative final, but there are no papers or other work. Tests require a lot of studying, and you need to be able to expand on what you know. He also holds reviews before exams which are very helpful. Fascinating class, difficult, but very satisfying.

Reviews for PSYC301