amazing! great course - very interesting - he loves soc and knows his stuff

I prefer Seary. But Brain is lighter . Good instructor though.

more suited to preschool

Dr. Brain is honestly one of the best teacher's I've ever had. Charistmatic, interesting and most importantly, he actually knows what he's talking about!

Brain is an awesome teacher! His jokes may be childish and lame, but at least he tries. We're laughing at him, not with him, but he gets us to laugh all the same. I highly reccommend him.

great interesting light hearted teacher who's use of examples to identify concepts makes the class fun, take good detailed notes and be prepared to write a fairly long exam

Great prof. Knows how to keep the students interested. I look forward to his class everyday. His tests are not hard if you do go to class and do the readings. High class average of C+ to B. He is understanding and fun.

Very enjoyable class. Something to look forward to in the morning. Should have been in Monty Python. Tests are a lttle tough but you'll be ok if you do the readings and study your notes.

Very enjoyable class. He's good teacher but he does get off topic sometimes..

he was a blast. He's so much like john clease its scarey. his teests are ok but he always puts in a couple questions to stump you from the little boxes in the text that noone reads. sometimes its hard to take his class seriousse and work hard for though

I had him for Soci1121 but this class seemed so much easier. I absolutely love this class. Class material is very interesting & you get to watch videos every wednesdays. If you attend class consistently and take good notes you will do well.

Very clear, interesting, and funny.

very funny

very nice and funny. class is really slow though. i've heard he's better for upper level classes. will always say 'hi' in the hallway.

He's a very nice, funny jerk. Some tips to get good grade from his exam: write down every single words he says in the class. his exam is 80% from his notes, and something from the maps in the textbook- what's the largest or smallest province in canada.

funny, smart guy. jokes all the time. take him

I think he's great - I'm a mature student and have no issues with him - grow up! Funny and ties the points of the text together with helpful annecdotes. Likes participation instead of bumps on the log - who doesn't???

he is funny.jokes all the time. take him,you'll have fun!

Rad, English, Prolific, and Nuts.

hmmm well he is different. i've never had a prof that tries to undress me with his eyes...i've learned a lot of history but compared to previous soc profs i haven't learned much soc in his class. if u don't need the course to continue then go nuts!

He's got a weird sense of humour and is a little over-sexed. Also, for days on end he kept lapsing into this incredibly annoying impression of a newborn baby crying. I did not like that. His teaching style did help me retain information though.

Very hilarious, like watching monty python everymorning. Odd British chap that always talks about his asian girlfriend. One of my class mates bumped into him at wreck beach which explains why he wears really short shorts every single day of the year.

great, funny man. Test are very reasonable, no suprises. I wish I had more classes with him. He puts you in a good mood for the whole day.

The craziest **** to teach you and teach you well... He will put his reputation on the line to teach you a point. He can make even the dumbest students learn and he make everyone laugh... Teacher's like him are few are far beyond!

One the most hilarious professor. However, exams can be tacky if you don't study in depth. If you're not a big lecture fan, then don't take him because he overlaps on both lecture notes and the tectbook

Dr Alan Brain is an outstanding teacher. he really wants you to learn the material, instead of just teaching to get paid. His sense of humour makes potentially very boring subject matter quite entertaining. He spells everything out very clearly so its very easy to pick up on. Start the paper early

what a funny guy. easy tests, good marks( i cant believe some people complained).

Great teacher. Good stories. Clear, consistant, relatively helpful. Dont discount the random stories, they come back as exam questions.

very funny, easy class. Dr. Brain is great. And explains everything clearly. I recomend this class.

Ah, Dr. Brain - one of my all-time favourite teachers. Everyday was like a Monty Python sketch, with a lesson in there somewhere. All teachers since have paled in comparison. I still remember your stories and how they related to the subject matter. Do you still have the cute mustache?

fun, easy instructor. Even if you are not interested in soc you will like his class.

Very good prof - intertwined the material with jokes, made it very interesting to learn, and a pleasure to be a part of. I'd recommend this class to anyone who wants a semi-interesting course taught by a very good teacher who makes it interesting. I'm surprised to see so many negative responses...

fair grader. tests + lectures are easy. if you're serious in sociology, don't complain about brain teaching irrelavent crap. if you can't apply yourself and the theories into everyday life by yourself, consider yourself braindead and can't think. you should reconsider your major in sociology.

A good intro Sociology course. Alan's lectures are extremely basic but he's engaging and ensures that they're never boring. He does dock marks if you don't show, so that's a bit of a drag. Fair exams and he's a reasonably easy marker. Very flirtatious and charming British chap, loves women, always friendly outside of class. Recommended.

if u hate memory theories and defination.take his class. exams are fairly ok. doesn't expect u to know all the detailed stuff.he likes all his student and very nice in and outside classroom.some says u can't learn anything from his class. that's wrong.soci is that u learn everyday.he encourage u to apply what u learn to really life.only 1 hr final.

This is a great teacher who truly loves his job. I looked forward to this class every day. Lots of energy and a great sense of humour. Very knowledgeable, too. He understands a wide variety of topics, and includes them in his classes while applying them to everyday situations. You barely notice how much you are learning because he makes it so easy.

Dr. Alan Brain is the best teacher! He is so interesting & engaging; he makes class enjoyable & fun to go to! He relates course material to real life so students can understand better. I wish there were more instructors that knew the art of teaching like him! He has a tremendous amount of knowledge about sociology. Take his class, you will love him

alan is a very nice teacher. he tells us stories to explain sociology terms, which made it alot easier to understand. he marks fairly, and he doesn't make it hard on students. as long as u study his materials and the text, there's nothing tricky in his exams. I recommend him everyone who wants to take sociology.

ez IF you do the readings and show up

if you show up and listen to him and do the readings you should get a good mark. He keeps the class entertained with his stories

Funny guy in a "roll your eyes" sort of way. Class moves a bit slowly because he is very thourough in his stories and explinations. Tests are not hard if you pay attention in class. He is quite mindful of those who are ESL. Good instrutor to take if you are new to post-secondary. Those with more experience may get bored.

finally someone with a sense of humour. if you are stiff dont take his class simple as that. tip: go to class and you will do v. good on tests. he is very inteligent.

Dr. Brain is a mentor. He catches one's imagination and turns your head with offbeat quirkiness. Tests are true to form and preparing for midterm we were warned in advance on WHAT would be examinable. As a mature student I know he doesn't discriminate on age, perhaps on stupidity of student.... but then that's deserved!

I don't understand how people can't like him! Super entertaining teacher, really knows his stuff and teaches it CLEARLY! You do need to go to class every day, but if you already do that then get ready for an easy A.

Very good teacher. Very organized, very clear in his explanations and very fair tester and marker. Less "entertaining" in his upper level class than his introductory classes. Much more serious. Show up in class, have genuine interest in the subject and you'll do just fine. I recommend all his classes.

Brain is definitely unique. Described as "a jocular fellow who wears shorts" by a fellow professor, he's particlarly good at driving home important points, and allows for creativity on exams (which is refreshing in the soc. sciences). Essay topics were way too broad, and exam questions based on the text infuriatingly random, but he's recommended.

Awesome prof! Entertaining lectures that drive in the point. To that 4.0 student... did you go to class? Did you read the text? Try it, and you shouldn't have any GPA problems in Brain's class. I don't know where you went wrong. His midterm/final are set-up like he says, 1/2 class 1/2 text. I highly recommend him. & yes, he wears shorts.

His lectures are engaging and he cares. The only negative thing I have to say is his exams can be a bit silly. Case & point he asked for the EXACT year women received the right to vote in Canada. On a test out of 20 marks you can lose out on marks that way, so pay attention in class. He puts questions in just to see if you've been attending class.

Brain is above and beyond the BEST prof. at Langara. Classes are entertaining and informative. He goes out of his way to make sure everyone understands everything thoroughly; most of the time you don’t even realize you’re leaning! He is hilarious and makes learning fun. His exams are uncomplicated and fair. I encourage everyone to take him once.

He is nice as a professor and simply as a person. He will make you learn at least something. He reviews at the beginning of each lecture the material from the previous day. I found it annoying at the beginning, but later realized how helpful and good it was.

he makes everything so interesting, and his lecture is very VERY FUN!~ if u are ESL student, dont worry, he will make sure u understand. his notes are very clear!

Easy to get a B if you attend classes and read the text. Notes are clear and easy to memorize with his stories. Funny Guy. Good for a beginner class (he teaches in a high school style which "guide" you to think a certain way, which is the bad side of him). He purposely ALTER historical events, religious beliefs, world condition to fit his teaching

he's very funny

He has a great sense of humour which can sometimes go overboard. He's really interesting and easy...just attend his classes, take notes and read the txtbook. I actually got an A without putting too much effort. His concepts were easy to remember because of his weird examples!! One of the best profs i ever had! I really had a great time in his class

a very good teacher. His lectures are very interesting.

GPA killer??? some of you must be joking. he was the easiest A ever. Funny, interesting and smart guy. I loved his classes.

He is the funniest prof ever! his classes are entertaining and he always makes sure everyone understands! sure sometimes he can go off topic but it usually does teach a sociological lesson! Honestly those who do not like him are just up-tight!!

Seriously, Alan Brain has got game

He is such an awesome professor!Best recommend!So nice.I enjoy his classes.very funny and i could learn a lot.

I loved his class, he's a bit crazy, but that's what make the class all the more fun. I had an awesome time learning. The language he used was pretty casual which made learning a breeze. For sure I'm going to be taking his second year courses!

Great teacher! Take his jokes & humour with a grain of salt. If your offended by him you really need to loosen up alot! He is such a great prof who really cares about his students and makes sure they understand the material. Extremely reasonable. Attend classes/Participate in discussion. Study class notes. Read text. You'll get a grade you deserve!

Very good instructor. Tries to make it interesting by using stories to illustrate what he is teaching. At times he seemed to go too slow. Yes, he made occasional inappropriate comments, but he wasn't perving on anyone. You must go to class (Duh!) and read the chapters to get an "A". All in all it was an interesting class and not too hard.

BEST TEACHER SOOOO FUNNNY very interesting class and really easy to get an A other than that people should not be offended by his jokes because hes JOKING duhh

The people that didn't enjoy his class are uptight! He does go off topic quite a bit, but gets the material across. Such a fun class, recommend!!

Funnest, Funniest, most entertaining prof at Langara. Some lectures are so lively they make you wanna jump outta your shorts :)

very funny. has a hilarious teaching style, wears shorts shorts. very liberal. good guy. short answer tests.

He has a very different style. Will talk about seemingly unrelated stuff, like conflicts with his wife, or parties where they try to recruit for cults, or will spend an entire class on a fairy tale. At first it seems dumb, but in the end, every story illustrates the topic he is teaching. Just gotta think a little to make sense of it. Great!

you are going to LOVE sociology when you take this class with this professor. Alan Brain is so helpful, funny teacher, He explains everything in a very interesting way. you are going to enjoy this class.

Alan seems to be a rather polarizing figure; he's either loved or hated. I've taken several classes with him and have grown to appreciate his laid back style. The theatrics are usually done with a purpose in mind and are meant to help make often dense concepts accessible to those who may otherwise find them challenging.

Amazing teacher, very underrated. Tells a lot of very entertaining stories from his day to day life - by the end you realize they tie in to the subject matter. Very quirky guy. If you understand his sense of humour you'll realize he's quite approachable and very fair. Great class.

I'm a senior at UBC. I've never bothered to rate a prof from my days at Langara. I suddenly recalled A.Brain today and decided to check out his ratings; shocked by all the haters here! A brilliant (eccentric!) teacher! Can never forget SOC concepts because of his subversive style and hillarious lecture! Teases everyone; he's an equal opportunist!

His midterms are ok if you take down the notes he puts on the board and read the textbook. The essay is easy, but you need to be detailed and focused on your topic of choice. His short shorts are gross and he makes pervy jokes aimed towards women.

Don't miss class because his exams are based on his lectures. He tells a lot of stories that he tests on, some that relate to the material and some that don't. Very entertaining prof and his exams are quite easy as long as you have attended lectures and paid attention. Some exam Qs are based on definitions in the text, review the ch. summary pgs

Alan is a wonderful instructor! His enthusiasm is contagious plus he is so friendly! He knows each person's name, which I find amazing. His lectures are interesting, and his exams are mostly based on them. Overall, I recommend this class!

If you don't have an open mind, it will be very hard to put up with Alan. I learned A LOT from him- not just for the exams but also society.

Alan is an amazing prof. Yes, he wears short shorts and makes some crude jokes, but it's all in good fun. He wouldn't be the same without them. Go to class, and listen tentatively. His lectures are NEVER boring so I've always looked forward to class. If you have a sense of humour, you'll love him. I'd recommend him to anyone. AMAZING!

THE BEST PROF!!!!

ALAN IS SUPER AWESOME!!!Though his tests are a bit tricky, just make sure to jot notes and study every detail he mentioned in class then it will be an easy A!Alan likes teasing ppl but I still love him so much :) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

An average prof. He tries to make the lectures as interesting as possible, but maybe the material is just boring to me. His tests are REALLY hard, so attend all classes, take good notes, and read the text. Also is very hard in marking papers.

Alan is a great professor and takes the information from the text and lectures the material clearly. You must attend his classes for the material on exams are based on his lecture notes and the text. Show up for class, listen to his stories, study your notes and you will do fine. Normally 2 exams, one final and one term paper.

Alan is absolutely lovely! He takes meaning of sociology and breaks it down for you in order for you to clearly understand. Attend all classes, listen to his lecture stories, read the chapters and you will breeze through his course and you'll actually learn sociology. Thanks Alan for a wonderful term.

He's funny, interesting and somewhat of an easy teacher. We had two tests and one essay. If you study the notes but mostly the book then you should do fine. Also, attend class since he puts questions on the test that are directly from the class. One of my favourite professors.

Wouldn't take it with this prof. Yea hes funny in class but his notes are short but his essay is ridiculous. Also his midterms are confusing, don't no what hes asking. Hard marker. Take this class with his if you wanna laugh but grade wise, watch out. Plus he wears short shorts to class everyday.. jus thought id mention that too

Show up to class, participation counts and if you miss too many, you will fail. Midterm and final are fair, mostly lecture-based, 20 short-answer questions. The essay is very tricky though, so be aware that the expectations are high here. While he is funny and entertaining, he definitely has an edge.

He's very funny and not that hard marker at all! His exams are all short answer questions (20 questions). Just make sure you attend all his lecture classes and write down every little detail he says because you never know whether it's gonna be on the exam or not. Reading the textbook is also recommended! But mostly, his exams come from his notes

FANTASTIC teacher!!! The best I've had so far! It's no easy A but it's a hard F! You have to be stupid not to attend his classes. Great guy, tells awesome stories. Fun and relevant.

He's a really funny guy! pretty old and loves to wear shorts. His exams are all short written questions and all information comes from his class and textbook. Make sure to pay attention in class cuz he'll ask some very specific questions he said in class. Also make sure to read the chapters thoroughly!

He is actually a really nice prof. His tests including the final exam are short answer questions, but they are very easy if you just attend his lectures and skim the book. He is jokes around a lot but I don't share his sense of humour at all (beware though, cause some of his little stories show up on the exams.

He is a good teacher.

Dr. Alan Brain!! He has a genuine passion for sociology and you can tell by the way he goes about it. He has a contagious sense of humor. If you dont study his notes, you wont pass his course. His 3 midterms are worth 30% each and are all based off short written questions, 10% participation. We also get cookies if someone's phone goes off! :)

(1120 + 1121) Alan made otherwise boring material very entertaining. His personal anecdotes/stories are not irrelevant - they're terrific pnemonic devices! I still remember all the concepts from his classes, years later. (And he still remembers my name! Very nice guy.) If you're smart/good at studying for short-answer exams, you'll do just fine.

I actually look forward for Wednesdays. I love his lectures. They are funny, but they are a very easy way to learn sociology. The only important thing is to take notes, since many exam questions are based his Lecture. If you take notes, then read the book before exams. Then you're good.

He is a really awesome professor. Teaches in an amusing way. And is really nice and helpful.

He was my favourite. I still remember his funny anecdotes to illustrate the issue. I took his class in early 2000's. Does he still wear shorts all the time?

Always makes me laugh!

Always makes me laugh! Great lecturer. Make sure to take notes.

if yer unaware of sociological concepts he's the best prof u can imagine; if yer working toward a sociological degree he is amazing at getting u started on yer way but has to spend enough time making sure everybody is on their way that u don't learn quite as much as u'd expect as he teaches now, he is an amazing starter teacher. could teach higher

Alan is a best instructor. his classes are fun. I just love his lectures. if I will get chance I will definitely go back in his class. easy to get marks and he give bonus marks too just for free.

Lecture notes + stories are critical. Tests can be very difficult to score / study for an A+ if you don't know how to listen/take notes for Alan's testing style. Genuinely interesting lecturer. He always wears shorts btw--even in the cold. Pretty cool! Participate! Study the textbook too! He is very cordial. I would only take SOCI with Alan.

Dr Brain was one of my favourite all time professors when I attended Langara. Once you knew how he graded his exams you understood what you needed to study. He is very charismatic and his stories were hilarious. I took a number of his courses and because of him Sociology was my major.

Tests were based 1/2 on the textbook and 1/2 on lectures, so take good notes on what he's saying! I actually really liked him and thought he was funny. If you take good lecture notes the tests should be easy/straightforward for you.

i took a class with him about 17 years ago. after all those years and couple of universities, he is still my favourite prof. take a class with him, just for fun.

He is so funny, make up his own examples. The stories he tell in class will come in exam.