Like others have said, the material is so interesting and I genuinely learned so much that is applicable to real life. The lectures could be a little long-winded which left me disengaged towards the end, but I would just go back and watch the lectures again since they were recorded.

Regarding exams, I don’t think they were as difficult as people are making them out to be. Maybe that has to do with how I studied, which could be a lot for some. I took detailed notes in class for whatever wasn’t addressed in the slides but said by the prof, rewatched ALL the lectures that would be covered on the exam in case I missed anything or didn’t understand something the first time, reviewed the exam jeopardy that was given out by the TAs in the review section, and took the practice exam posted by the prof. I also made quizlets with key terms and all the studies we went over, but I never actually studied it, just created it. With all that, I was able to get As on both the midterm (with 3 freebies given to everyone) and the final (2 freebies). Don’t overthink and don’t add implications to the questions that aren’t there.

She was also generous enough to make the exam you did better on weigh 50% and the other 30% to make up the 80% of your grade that exams are worth. There’s also the option of extra credit just from answering polleverywhere questions in class and SONA. Overall, not as bad as people are saying. Put in the work and you’ll get the grade you deserve!

Like others have said, the material is so interesting and I genuinely learned so much that is applicable to real life. The lectures could be a little long-winded which left me disengaged towards the end, but I would just go back and watch the lectures again since they were recorded.

Regarding exams, I don’t think they were as difficult as people are making them out to be. Maybe that has to do with how I studied, which could be a lot for some. I took detailed notes in class for whatever wasn’t addressed in the slides but said by the prof, rewatched ALL the lectures that would be covered on the exam in case I missed anything or didn’t understand something the first time, reviewed the exam jeopardy that was given out by the TAs in the review section, and took the practice exam posted by the prof. I also made quizlets with key terms and all the studies we went over, but I never actually studied it, just created it. With all that, I was able to get As on both the midterm (with 3 freebies given to everyone) and the final (2 freebies). Don’t overthink and don’t add implications to the questions that aren’t there.

She was also generous enough to make the exam you did better on weigh 50% and the other 30% to make up the 80% of your grade that exams are worth. There’s also the option of extra credit just from answering polleverywhere questions in class and SONA. Overall, not as bad as people are saying. Put in the work and you’ll get the grade you deserve!

I really liked this class! She records her lectures which is very good so you can always go back, and she offers up to 2-3% of extra credit. I got a B because I had missing assignments from my discussion section. Discussion is 20% of your grade so it is a big deal. Other than that she is very funny and has very engaging lectures. I highly recommend it.

The professor is great at teaching the content in an engaging way and constantly checks in on the students during lecture to make sure that we are understanding. She’s also very generous and she provided the opportunity for 2% of extra credit! The one hard part was our grade was 70% tests (midterm and final) but the tests weren’t hard if you made sure to study how to apply the content (not just definitions).

This is my favorite class so far at UCLA. I really like Dr. Smurda's interactive style of teaching. She really cares about her students and the topics covered are some of the most interesting I've come across in psychology. Her tests are fair, but you do need to study because I wouldn't say they are easy. I would highly recommend this class, but I would also suggest attending lecture and doing the reading. It's totally worth it.

I really liked her as a professor! She would always make me feel heard when I asked a question and would dance with my abstract thoughts with me. A lot of this material is applicable to real life, which has definitely made me think about how I interact with other people. However, do not take that lightly. Her tests are not hard, but they can be tricky if you did not study. I would highly recommend attending lectures and taking notes because it does help your thought process. There are a lot of research studies to remember, but you do not need to know the names. You need to know the concepts.

Dr Smurda is a really nice lady who cares about the content of what she's teaching. She also cares about all the students. Although she reads more (off her slides) than other professors, I didn't find it a hindrance to my enjoyment of the course and materials being presented. She is very relatable, has a good sense of humor and certainly prepared everyone for the exams. Social Psychology is a fascinating subject. There's a lot in it. Like most Psych courses, the subject matter is expansive. This is a great course. Really interesting. I would recommend taking any course with Dr Smurda. Get to know her. Get to know all of your professors. They are all really interesting people!

Dr. Smurda is such an engaging professor and this class is pretty easy. There's a midterm and a final - no papers. Her final isn't cumulative and I honestly only studied for five hours total for the final and it was so easy. Her slides are super clear and just make flashcards for all of the studies she talks about and you're good to go. You don't need to know names or dates for the most part and the studies are so interesting that I remembered them without studying anyway. I had a really good TA too (David Pinsof) and discussion was really fun. The 'textbooks' are just chapter books and they're all super interesting and easy to understand. TAKE THIS CLASS WITH HER

Her class is really fun and it is pretty simple to get an A in the class.

one of the best UCLA classes I have taken. prof. Smrda was clear, exhibited very deep knowledge of her subject, was always very complete and patient in her answers to questions raised. she obviously liked her students and liked to teach. I would not hesitate to take another class from her.