I could teach this class, I knew and completely understood all of the key concepts. I took extremely thorough notes (over 60 pages, single-spaced, typed), watched the lectures multiple times and read/took notes from the textbook. I am by no means a bad test taker either; I am a very good test taker. That being said, I did not do well in this class. I could not dedicate any more hours to studying to this class and even if I could there is nothing more to study. The tests are insanely hard, someone even said the questions asked were questions that maybe PhD students would be expected to know and answer. Also keep in mind that this class is a lower division, intro class, and designed for non-majors. The professor also does not hold office hours. The syllabus says he does by appointment, but that is just a straight up lie. The only way to contact this professor is by posting on the class discussion board or emailing him. However, more times than not he does not even respond to email, he just blatantly ignores them. I was so excited for this class when I signed up and I ended the quarter completely uninterested making me never want to take another psych class and under no circumstances would I ever take this professor again.

I initially enjoyed this class, because it was not hectic. For the most part, you need to look at the weekly videos and take good notes. I would watch the videos every week and copy every little word. Trust me you need to do this, because his exams are complicated. For the first midterm, most people got D's or failed. He was generous enough to drop the lowest test score, but I don't know if this was a one time thing. The last two exams were somewhat easy, but still complicated. I wouldn't recommend this class unless you need to take it or love psychology. There is no extra credit or make-ups. Good Luck if you decide to take this class.

professor was pretty bad during his recorded lectures, there were no assignments given by professor so no way to actually see what you learned. i didnt even know who my TA was. please avoid this class.

The perfect GE. Tests were extremely straightfoward and the content was very interesting and pertinent to our lives. Professor Shirinyan talked about drugs, sleep, the nervous system, existentialism, and a bunch of other genuinely fascinating topics.

Tests were open search engine open note timed quizzes. A word of advice is to digitally type lecture notes as Q/A style flashcards for everything the professor says, this way you are guaranteed 90+. I would take this class again 100%

Professor Shirinyan was kind enough to drop a midterm grade and calculate our final grade based on two midterms with the best grades, but his exams were very dumb. Many questions were very trivial and derived from something he mentioned in lectures very briefly, and I didn’t feel like they accurately tested what I knew. Our grade was completely dependent on two midterms, there’s no homework or required readings, and the test questions are all multiple choice. I’d say the class is somewhat easy if you watch his lectures repeatedly before the exams and take very thorough notes, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it

Selling the textbook required for this course: The Physiology of Behavior 10th edition by Neil R. Carlson. Published 2010. Slightly used condition. $40 + shipping. To purchase, email *************, thanks.

Professor Shirinyan is the best! Even though he was going through a really rough quarter, he was super understanding and always showed us that he cared about his students. Grades are based solely on 3 equally weighted exams. They are non-cumulative, open-note/book/lecture, online exams with 2-3 day windows to take them (but a limited time to take them once you start). There is also an opportunity for a 5% extra credit boost (which is how I got an A+). The exams were very doable as long as you took detailed notes on lectures and decent notes on key portions of the textbook.

Dr. S is one of the BEST professors I've ever had. I've taken class with him in person before the pandemic and online during the pandemic. He is kind, funny and engaging. He REALLY cares about his students understanding of the material. There is a lot of material covered in this class and the exams are tough, but if you work hard and an A is doable.

Selling my textbook Physiology of Behavior 10th ed. Dr. S. doesn't want his students to break the bank for textbooks and doesn't care which edition you have. $40 (includes shipping). Email ************* if you want it.

Professor Shirinyan is a great professor! He is very charismatic and cares deeply about his students’ learning. I took his class while everything was online due to Covid and he was one of the most accomodating professors I had. His class consists of 2 midterms and 1 final and they were all multiple choice and all weighed equally. There were no discussions and no assignments. Professor Shirinyan was very understanding when it came to finals scheduling and very generous when it came to his test questions. Take this class! He does a great job at expanding your worldview on how we ought to think about the mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this class.

PLEASE AVOID THIS CLASS! The professor is not good at all, his lectures are not very helpful and unrelated to his exams. He would state that "he was on our side" but I still have no idea how he was on our side. Also, he asked for Bruinwalk ratings to help the Psychology department? His TA was also useless. His grading scheme was horrendous, because it only consisted of his unfair exams. Do yourself a favor and avoid this class and professor.