2.5
Quality4.1
Difficulty31%
Would Retake190
Reviews31%
Would Retake
190
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
21
4
35
3
41
2
40
1
53
What Students Say
“He does NOT discuss DSM either”
PSY303 - 1.0 rating“He does his best to make you hate psychology”
PSY303 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
49%
Textbook Required
38%
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B-
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4.0
(2)PSYCH330
4.0
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3.7
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3.1
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2.7
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PSYCH303
5.0
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5.0
PSY355
5.0
303
4.5
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4.3
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his lectures are hard to understand if you dont read the text but they are avialable online so you really dont have to go to class b/c you can just read the lecture online and read the text and youll be fine
Nice guy! Funniest prof. I have. If you have a question, he will aswer it and tell you everything else about it! Don't even have to take notes because he puts his on blackboard.
hes okay, i like how he puts his lectures on black board though.
He's a little goofy but he is a good professor.
I loved this class!
BORING! I always fell asleep in class so i stopped going. NO extra credit offered! Experimetrix is worth nothing. Exra long study guides & lectures. Dry Class
the class is boring, but you don't have to go!! he posts all the lecture notes on bb and gives study guides for the exams. The entire grade is based on 4 exams, which are ridiculously easy if you study. Not alot of actual work involved. Perfect for people like me who never go to class and still want an A!!
The Best! He posts all of his notes on BB which account for half of the test material. Considering the material covered, he makes it as interesting as possible. If you don't understand something, just ask. He will make it dead simple and stop class just to explain it to you. Funny guy. Put forward a little effort to stay awake and you may have fun!
BORING CLASS, GIVES NOTHING IN THE FORM OF EXTRA CREDIT, GRADE ONLY BASED OFF 4 TEST AND EXPERIMENTS WORTH NOTHING. STUDY GUIDES ARE POINTELESS AND LONG. TEST USUALLY 40 QUESTION, BUT GIVES YOU 3 STUDY GUIDES AT 25-30 QUESTIONS EACH, PLUS LECTURE NOTES TO STUDY. WORDS QUESTIONS ALL WRONG. NOT WILLING TO REASON.
Not a hard class. Extremely boring. All notes are on bb. Pointless to go. Hate the fact that it is only graded on 4 exams. None are cumalative, tests are worded funny, offers study guides, any questions e-mail him he gets back to you quick.
DULL, DULL and a little more Dullness. Could we get any more Dull.
The most boring class I have ever taken. Exams worded weird, and that is all the grade is dependant on. All he does is present lecture after lecture, I don't feel like I learned any appliable skills for psychology. If you like hearing about studys then take this class.
Nice guy overall but can be boring and not very clear about what he wants. Willing to help. HARD class just because there is so much reading. Does not lecture on what you read, just expects you to know it. Very knowledgeable but this can cause confusion. Know SPSS VERY WELL.
amazing
The class was very different from what I thought it would be. He focuses on SPSS more than the reading. Be prepared to learn the reading yourself, but ask questions if you have them.
Hard class, but there are much worse professors to have. There are 3 papers that account for most of your grade, GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS, it seriously saved my grade. I aced the papers because of it. Exams suck though. I got D's on both but still ended up with a C+ without ever opening the book. Lectures can be boring- print off the powerpoint stuff
Brian is a very smart professor. Class was not difficult as long as you kept up on the readings. Papers were long and boring, but he will help you out if you need it-just go to his office hours! Fun guy, decent class...I would take him again!
Everyone in my class disliked him. May help you on papers but still will not get grade you deserved. Run through material quick, does not do good lectures and tests are ridiculously hard, covering material that was never presented. Did things in class that the psy 400-level students were not doing. Get a better prof if you can!
I FAILED THIS CLASS. I honestly tried to understand what the hell he was talking about but it was so unclear, vague and over my head that I failed the first test. Even if I would have gotten 100%s on the last 3, I still would have failed. Please don't take this class, that's why I'm rating because I want to spare you the misery it put me through!!!
Tests are divided based on lectures covered in class and textbook material. These are two things that rarely overlap and there isn't any discussion of the book during classtime.
He is a knowledgeable and passionate professor. You can tell psychology is what he loves. He is extremely intelligent and sometimes forgets that he is teaching people who don't know much about psychology. Keep up on the reading!
Very boring class. He posts the lecture notes online so there's no need to take notes. However, you do have to go to class because there is a quiz once a week on an unannounced day. The quizes make up 20% of your grade, so its a pretty big chunk. the class itself isn't hard, it's just hard to pay attention.
He is very dry and boring, He does not go over any book materials in class and has quizes once a week on random days. Tests are all multiple choice and are half from book and half from lecture. Does not post notes until an hour before the class which makes it hard to fallow along.
one word....TERRIBLE!!! study guides are ridiculous for 25 questions. His lectures are incredibly boring and you don't even get points for doing the expirements. Get a different teacher! I'm retaking it with someone different and it is so much better!
Pretty hard class. You have to read a lot because half of the exams cover the book, and the other half is lecture. He's passionate about psychology, but sometimes hard to follow because he is so knowledgable. He genuinally cares about his students and is more than willing to help if you take ask.
Hard to understand, not too easy. Cares about students and it helpful to explain though. Better than most PSY 300 I've heard though.
He's the typical egocentric professor that we all dread. He basically told me I'd never get into grad school but there's always social work. He tries to make you feel like obtaining a PhD is an impossible feat for everyone else. Stay away!
He is a hard professor but he knows what he's talking about. The exams weren't easy but he explains the material well and is available if you need help. He has a dry sense of humor and is a pretty good guy.
Very hard, most classmates agreed. Tends to be quite confusing on what to do for papers. Also, I don't think he realizes that he basically tells the class they are all stupid...
Turn around and WALK AWAY. I would never recommend him. His class is extremely confusing and his exams are near impossible. The average was about 45% on the first exam and 55% on the second exam ... he curves them but the average was still a C- afterwards. Very unwilling to help and admitted to the class that he doesn't read the text assigned.
Glosses over questions without actually giving a productive answer. Seems to expect students in beginning class to know advance material.
His lectures are generally easy to follow and the study guides are simple enough from the book but the tests are HARD, they cover everything in a lot of detail which makes studying for them hard, and the random quiz thing is really annoying but at least its easy points
Most of the students were confused about his papers and very stressed out. Assumes everyone knows advanced material. Overall not good.
Lakey was hands down a great teacher. No doubt the class is difficult, but any will be. He has a great sense of humor, and lectures are very clear. Lots of easy points and helpful study guides. You will love him, he is a good person as well as teacher.
Lakey was great! He's so sincere and sweet and he will gladly answer any questions. He lets you go over your tests for as long as you want after you take them. Even though its difficult material, if you go to the lectures and do the study guides you'll be fine. Plus he grades on a curve and drops high scores to make yours better! Loved the class!
worst professor i have had in college. his exams are impossible, he curves them because almost everyone fails, once he curves the average is a C- or D range...his paper is really picky and you have to read long research articles to do it...you have to read the entire book for the exams...ugh don't take him...trust me...
Professor Lakey was by far one of the worst professors i could have got for my first semester. His lectures are boring and his sense of humor is dry and boring. His exams are impossible, he curves them to make people think they are passing the class. The class average on exams is a C- or D. Get out now!
I absolutely hated this class. Everyday we read notes from a powerpoint. Tests were impossible. He was very boring to listen to and expected you to already understand the material.
The class was somewhat interesting but the exams were HARD!!! I would study constantly and got very average grades. He's a somewhat interesting teacher though.
more difficult than i expected. you have to attend class and read the textbook if you want to pass the class. his texts are extremely comprehensive, you can't just know an overview of the chapter to do well. lectures on psych study after study. doesnt relate to the textbook often. if you have to take his class, take it SLA. also hard to understand.
You have to go to class everyday. Exams were extremely hard. Homework was rare, and hes an intresting guy.
He's the reason I am no longer a Psych major. He belittles you and makes you feel like you'll never make it through. He's an absolute jerk. Take Bob Hendersen instead!
Lakey is a HORRIBLE professor that has half of each exam on stuff he has you read in the book but he will NEVER discuss it. the other half is 500000 experiments that he finds is psychology journals and expects you to remember. I would recommend another prof. i dropped it at the deadline date with a D+ and i am an ALL A student.
Teacher was nice, but very hard. Exams were half from lectures, half from the book - which he doesn't go over at all, so make sure you keep up with reading! MUST go to class, he gives quizzes often.
Great prof! He doesn't waste time presenting what's already in the book, read it yourself. He gives study guides to make book reading go quicker. Adjusts grades to take out of highest class score which makes As/Bs easily attainable. Pay attention and attend class - pop quizzes at least once a week. Makes psych applicable to daily life. Great prof!
He was a really cool guy and he definitely knows what he's talking about. Tests are VERY VERY difficult though. My highest was a 75. Quizzes are twice a week and important. There total at the end counts as another test grade. Not too boring, but he's way too knit picky. Again, very hard tests and a lot of reading on your own.
Terribly hard. If you take this teacher do not plan on missing class. He gives random quizzes, he doesn't even know when they will be. Tests are also Impossible. Being a 101 class it seems ridiculous to not cover the basics. Mostly experiments are presented.
ALL LECTURE! nothing else.Tests were over 3-4 chapters and then he gave us about 30 questions for each chapter for a review sheet. The thing is that the tests were only 45 questions all M/C. DUMB! DO NOT TAKE!!
Tests are extremely hard. The class average on an exam is 62%. I think he wants his class to fail. First day of class he warns us, "if you have always gotten A's in psychology, you wouldn't in this class". Not words of encouragement to any student. Would highly recommend another professor.
This professor is hard. His lectures consist of literature reviews, and for homework we read the DSM!!! He doesn?t teach us about mental disorders, we learn from the DSM, and you HAVE to read all of it to do well on the exam. Stay away from this professor, if you value your GPA. No one does well on the exams there is always a huge curve.
He is very difficult. Stay away.
do NOT take lakey! he is an awful prof. I'm a psych major and he was extremely difficult! Even went attending class everyday, he is still impossibly hard to understand. He curved the grading scale, but even after 55 percent of the class was still a D or lower! BAD PROF!
He is difficult, but it is not impossible to achieve an A. He is very intelligent and treats his students as if they are his equals. He assigns readings from the DSM and its casebook so you get to deal with "real world" stuff. There are 3 exams, and 1 or 2 pop quizzes per week that ask questions from that day's lectures.I would recommend him for su
he is veryyyyy difficult.
Avoid Professor Lakey like the plague. He is unclear in his lectures and tends to mumble...A LOT. His exams are impossible and require you to remember miniscule details. He does not teach from the DSM-IV, our required reading, and his lectures don't go along with it.
Taking this course now. Exams are impossible to do well on. I studied all of our in class notes and read the DSM/case studies thoroughly and ended up with 27/50 on the exam. He curved the exam b/c only 2 people out of both his sections got an 82% (highest grade). He does a horrible job at explaining concepts. SO frustrating- I am an A / B student!!
Avoid if possible. Very difficult prof., 1-2 pop quizzes every week. You have to essentially memorize every tiny detail out of the DSM- he does not teach this. There are 3 exams total and a paper. When asking for clarification he is extremely unclear and cannot give a strait answer. DO NOT TAKE LAKEY.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR! His tests are impossible! He expects you to memorize numbers from studies that he presents in lecture. You must memorize little details from the DSM, which he talks nothing about during class.
Very difficult style of teaching, however it was extremely valuable if you're considering research psychology. Almost impossible to get an A unless you are very good with memorizing numbers. Which by the end, you will be. Most challenging class I've had so far, but also the most interesting. Do not take if you aren't going to put in the effort.
This was a really hard class. Not only did we use the DSM as our textbook, but the tests were downright brutal. He also has you do a research paper and analyze data, which if you've done it before isn't bad, but he was asking more than my PSY 400 or 300 teachers were for the paper. Hard to pay attention during lectures. Take it with another teacher
1-2 quizzes per week. 3 Exams cover lecture notes and about 150 pages each from a text which he does not go over in class (but it is a very captivating, well-written book as far as texts go). Exams are hard but he curves. Only focuses on data/research driven work.
Lakey's tests are difficult but his expectations are very clear from day one and he assigns all material that will be covered. Definitely worth the cost of tuition. You won't get an easy A, but why are you expecting one? He is very willing to answer questions very thoroughly in class (if you ask!) or via email. Really interesting guy.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR. Psychopathology was something I was extremely interested in before this class. Brain Lakey has ruined that for me. His exams are extremely difficult. Half are from the readings, half from the lecture. The lecture is studies only, nothing relevant to the readings for the current section. If you want to learn, avoid lakey.
DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER! I went to every class, studied at least 40 hours for each test, and I received a D. His tests are impossible, and he expects to you memorize a 3rd of the DSM + 30 pages of notes + 10 dsm casebook cases for each test. I tried contacting him about my grade and he was unresponsive and sarcastic.
This class is difficult, but it isn't impossible to achieve an A, tests cover lecture and texts, which are completely different, 20 questions come from the book, 5 from the casebook and 25 from lecture, he curves the tests which is extremely helpful, you do need to study hard to get good grades in this class. If you can, take with another prof.
Took Lakey freshman year. HE IS THE WORST! he mumbles A LOT. He is very sarcasticly and tries to be witty, but most definitely is not. Tests are extrememly difficult. I got a C, and I'm an A/B student. AVOIDD!!!
BEWARE...Exams are impossible (granted theyre curved)hard to follow in lecture goes off on weird tantrums. Ridiculous amounts of reading. dont take unless you want to have your GPA drop.
Yes, Lakey is tough. But if you are interested in the area and want the best, take him. He is by far the most organized and well informed Prof. in the department. It's a lot of work, but he is more than clear with expectations. If you are willing to put in the time, it's the best class at GVSU. If not, why are you in psychology?
This class is hard no matter who you have. He tries really hard to help you out. The research project is very well outlined so non-math inclined people can follow. Getting an 80% w/ the curve becomes 95%. There is a lot of reading straight from the DSM. DO THE READING & make a charts of the disorders/research and know them well to get an A.
I feel somewhat irritated about all the negative comments about professor Lakey. I mean, come on this IS a 400 level class. Chances are if you aren't a psych major you won't in this class. If you are a psych major, you should be willing to put in the extra effort to learn the material. Yes, his class is hard, but why would you want it too easy?
This guy takes an interesting subject and makes it look like scholarly garbage. there is nothing practical, useful, or interesting about the materials he uses in class. if you have to take him, prepare to read a lot and learn close to nothing.
Prof. Lakey is a nice guys but not a good professor. His exams test you over random specific stats that you'll never need to know again. He loses his train of thought in lectures so he is very hard to follow. I wouldn't recommend him to anyone except grad students.
Very difficult to understand and follow; jumbled thoughts; worst professor I've had at GVSU
Lakey is a decent prof who is willing to help those who ask. Covers material in detail in class, but can stray during lecture at times. Lots of info, which is expected for a 300 level class, but exams are ill suited at times; asking for specific values, not what they mean in context of a study. While he does curve, his exams need to be reworked.
Half of his tests are based on the readings and are random facts from the book. The other half is from lecture. Tests are very difficult, but he grades on a large curve. There is also one long research paper, but he grades that pretty easy. Overall, I would say he is a decent professor.
Smart, but not a good professor. He tries to make his class exceedingly difficult for an undergraduate. A good part of exams consist of material that should be largely irrelevant in a 300 level class. Bad prof. - good luck.
I was so excited to take this class until the prof opened his mouth. Can't understand a thing the man talks about with all the mumbling, weird tirades and off-topic stories. Avoid him if you can, but if you can't study by going through each of his power points and turn every line on them into an "answer the blank" question. Good Luck!!
He is the WORST teacher I've ever had. His tests don't make any sense. They are on numbers that don't ever matter later. He expect you to be able memorize the notes and stupid little numbers. He mumbles, it puts you to sleep. He is kinda cocky, if you have him, get out as soon as possible because it will hurt your GPA significantly.
I loved his class. His tests were difficult but if you went to class and payed attention they weren't bad.He was really willing to help if you needed it, and really made the class interesting.
One of the most difficult classes I have taken. His tests are hard and you have to spend a lot of time studying for them if you even want the chance to do well. Hard to understand. He gives random lecture quizzes. You have to read the DSM5. If you have the time & don't mind this being the most time consuming class on your schedule then take it.
Attendance isnt mandatory but its best if you go to all the classes because he gives pop quizzes. The exams are based on the lectures and the readings and they are pretty hard but he curves everything.
This prof. is a talented teacher who cares about his students success. His class is hard, but he welcomes any questions that students have. His exams are hard, but he gives you plenty of resources to help you study. Go to class, because he gives pop quizzes to boot your grade, and he doesn't lecture from the book. I recommend this prof. for PSY 303
Worst Professor I've had at GVSU. Tests are over material that has no significant value. Research paper was graded harshly and he left rude comments in responses back to students. Goes off on insignificant tangents during lecture. If you have him GET OUT NOW!
Do not ever take this professor! He is very unreasonable and makes everything harder than it should. You end up having to memorizing notes and not actually learning the material (which isn't as easy as it sounds)
This professor is extremely boring. He gives great information if you can manage to focus enough to retain it all. Lots of studying needed to well. If it is something you're passionate about take the course... but perhaps with a different professor.
Lakey is very good natured and approachable, given time in advance he will help you on research papers with additional feedback and extend exam dates. He likes numbers; remember stats from the slides and the book as well as criteria. He does this to teach student to be critical in judging research's validity and generalization. Hes quirky, but fair
Heavily focused on statistical analysis of psychological studies and concepts. He believes understanding how to interpret research is more important than memorizing an answer. This requires analyzing case studies and understanding how to interpret/use statistical language. Most students take this with only PSY 101 as background, and get crushed
Wonderful person. He teaches with enthusiasm and passion. As far as the material, it's very difficult. I tried to sign up for a tutor, and there wasn't one for his course because no one maintained an "A" average. Quizzes just about every class and exams are worded very strange. Do not skip class. His explanations on the material are more clear.
He's a funny guy in lectures and conveys info fairly clearly, but his tests don't reflect what you've discussed in class. About a third is focused on reading, but you never discuss the reading in class. If you're confident you can teach yourself the book and understand his lectures, then he's great, but I don't feel I gained much from it.
This is by far one of the hardest classes I have ever taken. He has you do a statistical research paper when stats isn't even a pre-req for the class. He focuses mostly on research done then actual disorders. He is a very smart guy, but he can not teach. If you are going to take Psychopathology do not not not take this class.
Dr. Lakey really focuses more on theory than on anything else. His lectures are usually pretty deep but he breaks it down and makes sure you understand the material. He challenges you to think about the course work and when you study for the exams, you need to know all the findings from every piece of literature in the powerpoints.
NOT A CLEAR PROFESSOR WHEN LECTURING. YOU HAVE TO READ A LOT. START STUDYING AS SOON AS YOU GET THE LECTURE. COME IN WITH QUESTIONS. DON'T TAKE, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN EASY A.
Lectures tend to get a little off topic and weren't super helpful to me, however you really need to go to class because he has about 2 quizzes a week that end up adding up to a test grade. Tests are really hard but he adjusts grades so that more people can pass. My last test was 2950 and I got an 80% on it. Need to study throughout semester.
Tough, but fair. Expectations are clear. Really inspires an interest in psychopathology. Go to every class, pay attention, and come prepared with questions. Do not be overwhelmed by the material, the curves are generous.
His lectures are all on past studies, so it gets very boring. The paper is very difficult but if you meet with him he will answer your every question. I was completely lost on the paper until I met with him: ended up getting a 100 on the paper. Studying is a must, reading is a must. Good luck.
You need the DSM book for this class, the tests are based on lecture and reading material. The lectures seem long and he rambles sometimes but you can tell he loves what he teaches. The paper was difficult, don't procrastinate. But if you meet with him he will help you, I got an A on the paper.
I can't believe I paid for this class. I thought I would be learning about symptoms of disorders but it's all about memorizing the data behind random studies. You still have to know all of the DSM disorders but you have to teach it yourself because it is never taught in class. He can't explain things at an undergrad level!
Professor lakey believes that "psychologists are fakers", he will ask you to memorize flash cards because he believes that understanding DSM Disorders are not useful anyway!!! If you are not a native English speaker, please do not talk to him. I asked him a question, he said: "you are a foreigner. Whatever I explain, you will not get it ANYWAY."
I expected to learn about psychological disorders, but instead I sat through lecture after lecture about mundane research behind the studies. It was helpful to learn about research methods, but overall very boring. He is clearly passionate about his job. You have to self teach about all the disorders. Wouldn't take him again.
This is similar to what he emails us for grading --- go figure: "Final scores: After dropping students two lowest scores, the average quiz score was 2.8. The reliability of the exam was .75, which means that the correlation between your obtained score, and your average score on all possible quizzes over the same material should be r .75."!!!
For that good friend here, who posted something on grading! Oh, ya! Prof grades like that. Another example from me.... Prof says: "To verify your score: 1) drop your two lowest quiz scores. 2) Average the remaining scores 3) Subtract 1.2. 4) Multiply by .92 5) Add 1.40. 6) Divide by 1.61." .... Now GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He does NOT teach psychopathology as probably you expect from the name of the course. He does NOT discuss DSM either. He just talks about some statistical data. You have to memorize lots of numbers for the difficult exams. You will NOT learn psychopathology in this class. If you are enthusiastic, read DSM on your own.
Very difficult exams! He will ask very tricky questions, not to test your knowledge but confusing you. His power points have some critical mistakes but he is not willing to listen to others to fix them. He does his best to make you hate psychology! Good luck with his project which is statistical data in Excel. Taking his class was a mistake.
He is nice and passionate about his teaching and research. However, his presentation is boring and passive. If you study a lot and memorize (!) every single detail in his powerpoint, DSM and book, you can get A. Hard work!
The WORST teacher ever! He does Not teach psychopathology - you would think! He just gives you bunch of data to memorize! Absolute waste of time and money! Taking his class is equal to failure!
Very difficult exam! No extra points! He does NOT answer questions clearly! Bunch of data to memorize! Not helpful at all! Drop it if you can! Does not worth wasting time and money!
Plan for failure???? Take his class!!!!
While his class was hard, he follows his syllabus. He gives quizzes on lecture material randomly, so you have to pay attention when he lectures. He said to print the slides before, and that really helped boost my grade in the class. Memorize everything. Small details from the book, lecture, and journals are on tests. He helps a lot with the paper.
Professor Lakey could very well be the worst professor at this school. Definitely the worst in the Psych department. He spends most of his lecture repeating things he's already said. His tests are confusing and you have to memorize every tiny detail of the book and powerpoints. do not take him.
Dr. Lakey is great, but I struggled with him. He's got a lot to say so he can be easily distracted & sometimes kind of hard to follow. He gives 1-2 quizzes/week over that day's lecture & you can miss 2. You need to know specific numbers, like correlations for the studies he discussed, for the exams. Don't buy the DSM, just the case studies text!
He is so brilliant in personality psych, however he says most things in a very grad school way. His class is very challenging, and requires a ton of extra reading. The tests are very specific to what he says in class and what is in the book. You need to know minor details to pass. He curves-ALOT. No projects or papers though. Show up to class.
If you are a Psych major and your mind thinks in a very research oriented way Lakey may be for you. I thought his lectures were confusing and tests went over in-depth information covered in studies. If you take him, good luck.
This professor has a habit of going off on tangents about random things. It is also very hard to stay focused because his voice is so boring. I would not recommend taking his course, most likely one of the worst professors I have ever had here. So confusing. Attendance doesn't matter but the pop quizzes twice a week count as 25% of your grade.
If you're a Pre-Occupational Therapy student, PSY 303 is required. So i would say don't take it but you have no choice. He has a total of 3 tests, with quizzes twice a week. The quizzes are only two questions, so if you miss one... His tests require memorizing the littlest details. He seems nice, but was not a fan of this class.
I am required to take this class for my major and did not realize that he was going to be this hard of a professor. PLEASE do NOT take him if you want to maintain a good GPA. His tests are very hard and you MUST memorize the smallest numbers from random charts durning lecture. Quizzes are twice a week and only out of 2 points.
He talks about information you will not need in the future but only for his tests. His tests are hard and make no sense. I would not recommend having him as a professor. He is a nice guy but honestly there was no point to him teaching the class. There are two quizzes every week on the lectures.
He was one of the worst profs. I have ever had. He gives random quizzes. He expects you to memorize the smallest details. I should have dropped the class when I had the chance. Don't take him, you'll thank me later.
Lakey is a great guy and very approachable, however he's not the best at teaching. His tests are designed in a way that you could pass them without actually learning anything, as long as you memorize the right details. Most of his lectures are very surfacey and don't promote a good understanding of the topic by diving deeply into the material.
it's all based off of 3 tests and quizzes that equal one test (so 4 grades determine your grade). His text books are the DSM and it's Case Studies. He is sometimes hard to understand, and gets distracted. Basically this class was memorizing studies for tests - not what I had in mind at all. Hard. Usually an A- student, this class I got a C-
I really like Professor Lakey as a person and he is a great person to talk about your future with. But I did not like him as a professor. He asked very obscure questions that seemed irrelevant in regard to the big picture. He picked out minute details and worded questions very awkwardly tripping many students up.
Lecture heavy and gets offtrack easily! although class isn't mandatory, there is usually 2 quizzes per week, and he says we could study the powerpoints he posts online and just show up at the last 10 minutes but i was too scared to miss a class. exams are pretty hard, too, as i never knew what to study on.
Do not take this prof. period. He doesn't know what he is talking about at all. I had to drop this class and get a W in it because I couldn't understand a thing he was teaching. He has in class pop quizzes on stuff you would go over that day and more time they are only 2 questions, get one wrong and you already have a 50%.
He is a good professor that presents the material really well. Very lecture heavy but he does a good job at explaining things and as long as you study off of his provided study guides you'll get a good grade. Excellent class!
This review is for those of you that are in the class and are checking rate my professor after a few weeks. What you have to study is very simple. He will post slideshows of all his lectures, and if it is not the slideshow, it will not be on the test. The difficult part, is that you have to memorize the slides. Memorize or you will struggle.
He is a great guy that can be boring at times and assumes that everyone knows what hes talking about the whole time. There are three exams and two quizzes that are two points each, each week, that your grade. The difficult part was memorizing the experiments and who goes with who (majority of exams).
Professor Lakey is a very nice man who cares a lot about his students future in education. He and i discussed my future career path and he was very helpful. His teaching style, on the other hand, was not helpful to me whatsoever. The tests are all memorization of data and insignificant values that are very hard to recall. Grade based on test Grades
I took this class with optimism, and towards the end of the semester, am feeling nothing but irritation. Lakey does not offer extra credit-he specifically wants you to learn his lectures. Each exam covers about 3 lectures (give it take) that are info heavy and also have a lot of statistics to remember. Don't take this class unless you have to.
He gives two short quizzes every week on the lecture material. The only points you earn are from these quizzes and from the exams, which are difficult. He lectures heavily on the studies and statistics of disorders, but not really on the disorders themselves. I regret taking his class, I'll probably retake with a different prof.
Professor Lakey's lectures are very dry and long winded. It is death by PowerPoint and his personal views on the field of Psychology. He tries to correlate his political views into the course content which adds a confusing element to the content. His quizzes are usually 2 questions so if you get one question wrong then that is an F. Tough exams.
The textbook he assigns is A Beautiful Mind and he only asks four questions on it in each of his 3 exams. The only grades in his class are based off of his 2 question twice a week quizzes and his 3 exams, which have tedious numbers and tidbits of information, some of which are his own statistics. He performs dry, long lectures.
Professor Lakey is a very intelligent and funny person, his lectures can be boring but if you actually try and ask questions and participate it makes it all 100x better! The class is not easy, but it will expand your knowledge and he is very encouraging!
Dr. Lakey is an alright professor. He is brilliant and knows what he's talking about, he just doesn't know how to convey the information in a way that college students would understand. If you don't know how to memorize information, I suggest skipping out on him. His exams are very difficult, but to be fair he does curve very heavily.
Honestly one of the worst courses I have ever taken. The material was old and useless. It felt like he couldn't be fired and was calling it in. Absolutely no effort is given by Mr. Lakey. He'll say that the exam will cover x but you'll end up being tested on y. He doesn't know what's in his own course. If you can avoid it i suggest you do
The class sounds cool, but it isn't what you think it is. It's memorizing studies about disorders, not learning about the disorder itself (at least with this prof. He expects you to memorize material that doesn't make sense nor helps with your knowledge on disorders. I do not recommend this class. Test are hard, and lectures make you fall asleep
so, lakey literally has black and white slide shows he reads from during lecture it is EXTREMELY boring ! i would say you dont have to pay attention in class bc all you have to do for tests is try to memorize fill in the blank slides (so many slides it is ridiculous), but you have to pay attention because he has quizzes at the end of each class.
Prof Lakey is a brilliant person but I am not sure he's a great professor. His lectures an be very confusing and his exams are extremely confusing. There is quizzes at the end of the classes but they are only worth 2 points and there are no other assignments available so your grades will mostly consist of exams.
His lectures are all over the place. The study guides are just the lecture slides with words missing. On one exam, after the curve, half the class got below a C still. The 2 pt quizzes are what have saved my grade this semester. Rather than learning about various disorders, his tests focus on the statistics and data from them.
Lakey is an awesome guy and is beyond brilliant, but he unfortunately does not know how to hook and teach a college class. Teaches you the studies behind various mental disorders, somewhat of what they did, and the statistical results, but you will not walk out understanding common mental disorders and some of their more advanced characteristics.
I dont know what the big deal is. This is a 300 level class. Overall lakey is incredibly consistent. The class was easy compared to my science + lab classes. Take this class if youre interested in schizophrenia, depression, eating disorders, and bi polar disorders. He covers everything you should know about them to have a solid base.
He is such a good guy. I love Brian as a person, but this class is so bland. His exams are tough and seems he only teaches towards the people going to medical school. Wish his exams need to be more focused more on disorders and less on the medical studies and statistics.
Professor Lakey is a really cool guy and he really cares about what he's teaching! Sometimes the lectures are confusing but I think that more has to do with the content of the class rather than his teaching. There are a lot of easy in class points from quizzes. He is super caring and understanding of personal circumstances!
Great professor, class is pretty tough and attendance is needed since a full exam is based off of in class quizzes. Overall a funny guy with that hilarious dry humor , definitely would take again
Dr. Lakey is a wonderful psychologist who is very well versed in clinical psychology and is very willing to help his students succeed even after they have left his courses and even the University. If you have the chance to take a course with Dr. Lakey, please do. It may change what you desire to do with your life, it indeed did mine.
I don't know why people rate him so low, I personally loved Lakey! Total sweetheart, responds to emails fast, always has time to set up office hours & talk, and he is very flexible and will always give an extension. His class wasn't the most interesting, but he's a great guy and I would definitely take him again!
I really liked Lakey. He gave me extensions when I needed it and was super understanding. He does have a lot of quizzes. There is a quiz on every chapter you read. % quizzes a week even on exam weeks. They arent that hard though. If you just apply yourself you can pass.
DO NOT TAKE. I was wasting my life away taking the quizzes- they were excessive! I'm in the honors college at GV, so I am used to reading and writing a lot and it says something that this class was unbearable. The lectures were all about studies and data rather than symptoms and treatments. It was a huge waste of time. You retain nothing.
Horrible. The lectures were all statistics and the exams and quizzes were overbearing. Toward the end of the semester he gave us 2-3 lecture quizzes per week (which were 40+ questions) on top of our reading quizzes. Instead of accepting that we didn't have time for the new material he shoved it all together in the last two weeks of class. Anxiety!
Taken as an elective. Worst class taken thus far. For the final 83 question exam, his simple meaningless statistical answers are among more than 720 slides from the entire semester and asked in ways to trip you up. Last couple weeks of the semester he crams multiple long quizzes. 5 classes this semester, 80% of my time went towards this class.
This is the worst class I've ever taken. All the quizzes are long, based on stats that you could never remember, and the questions often don't make any sense. I met with him multiple times this semester and it did not help at all. It feels like he wants you to fail. Despite the pandemic, he found a way to make this class extremely overbearing.
I honestly loved Professor Lakey and I dont get the negative reviews. He is a super nice guy and very willing to work with you if you need an extension or some help. His class is very lecture heavy and is based off lecture quizzes, reading quizzes, and three exams. If you work for it, youll pass no problem.
If you're here to actually learn about psychopathology, don't take this course. Professor Lakey only focuses on meaningless statistics and research that has been conducted on mental disorders, and not the actual disorders itself. He talks at you and does not provide any supplementary materials, no textbooks, nothing. Exams are also VERY very hard!!
Really nice guy, but lots of long lectures. He is very well educated in psych, but this class was less about disorders and more about research studies. Lots abt stats (not math, just numbers) LOTS of quizzes: in class, book quizzes, online lecture quizzes, and 3 major exams. Didn't love, but didn't hate. Understandable work for lvl 300 class tho.
Worst professor ever. Class was about mental illness and all he did was show studies and stats. We had 84 quizzes and 3 exams. His exams are very difficult. He expects you to remember 100+ slides for every exam about 3 different topics that all have stats and names of studies. No study guides. Grading scale is very confusing. Skims your emails. Bad
DO NOT TAKE LAKEY! He is a very nice person, but has outrageous expectations for his students. If you have the time or bandwidth to remember 100+ slides you might be able to succeed in this class. He wants you to be able remember meaningless statistics that you won't retain or learn from. No study guides for exams either, which made the exams worse
He teaches in a way that did not work well for me. therefore, I might have to retake it. He focuses more on studies and meta-analysis more than on the disorders themselves. You have to remember weird small stats from the studies for tests. The tests were hard if you didn't study every detail on 100+ slides.GOOD LUCK!
Lakey as a person is very great, and obviously knows a lot about what he is doing, but the class was extremely difficult even putting in effort I am not finishing with the grade I worked to get. Tests and lectures focus on statistics from studies that range from the 1920s to now, and really nowhere did we dive into understanding mental disorders.
First class that'll benefit my career as future counselor. Stats,correlations,mental health disorders, I couldn't soak it all in fast enough. Provided us the slides necessary to do well. No text, he provided outline w/out having to search text to get it. Lectures/slides relevant to test questions; online quizzes open notes~no reason to do poorly.
Prof Lakey is a nice guy, but this class was awful. Unrealistic teaching method and expectations for students. Be prepared to memorize 100+ slides of statistics/experiments if you want to pass. Exams are made up entirely of slides. Online quizzes are open note- that was the only good thing about this class. Doesn't post grades like EVER.
absolutely do not take him if you do not need to. You take up to 8 quizzes a week, thats more than one a day. All his tests are done on the statsistics and not anything to do with mental disorders or symptoms. He teaches us as if we are in med school.
Nice professor but awful at teaching. I was excited for PSY303 but feel I learned nothing about psychopathology. Lectures/quizzes/exams were about remembering very specific DSM definitions and statistics of very old studies. It was so hard to study for his exams and took up all my time! When asking him questions we just ended up more confused.
I would absolutely not take this course again or recommend. There are many pop quizzes per week. They're usually only 2 questions but all those points add up and ended up hurting my grade. The exams are also weighted for the majority of your grade so even if you do good on the lecture quizzes it doesn't matter much. This course was the most boring.
Very lecture heavy, but all of his lecture quizzes are online and also all of the answers are in his lectures. The only issue that could mess with your grade are weekly pop quizzes. Other than that, he is the most caring professor I have ever had. He allows you to make up exams due to any hardships. He is extremely caring & has such a golden soul.
I was excited about psychopathology, but this class ruined it for me. The books you read for the class are pointless and the quizzes that go along with it are super hard. You don't learn much about mental disorders, just the studies that go along with symptoms and memorizing numbers for the findings. The books you read for the class are difficult.
He has online quizzes but i swear he words his lectures extra confusing on purpose just to f with us. I literally delete words in the lecture just so i can comprehend it better. He adds so many words it makes the concepts hard to follow. Seems nice.
Lakey is very smart and funny, but his exams are very picky and aren't very relevant to the overall concepts. It was more about memorizing a lot of number than it was actually learning. I found the class interesting and managed to get an A on every exam, but the class average was never above a 70%....
Just awful! He is a nice guy but his lectures are awful. Half of the time you can't even understand what he is saying. He has such unrealistic expectations for his students and makes it almost impossible to pass. Exams are word for word from the lectures with a twist, he tricks you by putting 3 possible answers for every question. Memorizing data
His lectures didn't make any sense, his exams were so hard and he was just a terrible teacher overall
Professor Lakey is extremely hard to follow. He tends to go on long rants about old studies in psychopathology and it does not have to do much with the subject, but rather he gives exam questions on random numbers from studies in the 1900s. He is funny, and appreciates questions, BUT do not take him if you are not good with monotoned speakers
NEVER TAKE A CLASS WITH LAKEY.Boring in-class lectures that are hard to understand bc he mumbles. Doesnt put in grades the whole semester. Super long online lecture quizzes that are not even a part of the lectures. On all of the online quizes you can't see the answers you get wrong bc its "cheating". He seems like a nice guy but awful at teaching.
Do not take psychopathology with him. I was so excited for this class, but it was such a disappointment. The only things we studied were research and the statistics in them. The lectures were incredibly hard to follow and he didn't give study guides. You needed to memorize the statistics in the lectures. I didn't learn a thing.
This is seriously the hardest class I've ever taken. When I'm telling you that some things were open note and I would still end up with C's on those quizzes. Ridiculously difficult- learned near to nothing because of how stressed I was. He seems like a good guy, but if you want to learn psychopathology, don't take this professor.
Lecture heavy, but I really enjoyed the class overall. It's clear he really cares and is knowledgeable about the content he is teaching.
His lectures rarely made sense and you have to read two books over the semester. The reading quizzes were obnoxiously specific (like who said what) and the lecture quizzes were long. He's not the worst professor, but I'd recommend taking someone else. There are random in-class quizzes that he takes for attendance as well.
If you want to learn about psychopathology, take any other prof besides lakey. His lectures and confusing and often don't make any sense. All we did in this course was memorize facts and data about old psych studies. If you wanna pass the exams you have to memorize hundreds of data points and everything on the slides word for word.
He is horrible. I'm sure he's a nice guy but DO NOT TAKE HIM. I am an all A student as a Junior and he is the one professor I had to withdraw from. He wants you to memorize studies from the 1900s like specific data points from tables that have hundreds of outdated decimal points. Pop quiz every week. Will not stop taking in the most boring voice.
Worst professor I've ever had. Lakey is the worst lecturer, and teacher overall. He doesn't teach nor does he care about his students. 1-2 pop quizzes a week, grades really slowly and exams are SO difficult. Don't bother with this professor, you'll fail :)
Lakey is a nice person to talk to, make sure you take the time to speak to him outside of class and he will like you. His lectures are not worth trying to follow, study every single line for the exam and you'll be fine. Use your books and lectures for the quizzes. It is super hard to follow along but if you take him, good luck!
I don't know why Lakey gets so much hate on here. If you go to class you should have no problem. Yes, he wants you to "memorize" stats about mental disorders but ... that is the class and everything on the tests are approximate values with very obvious outliers. Two actual books that you read and take weekly quizzes on but they're interesting.
Nice guy. Intentional lectures; class is kinda boring if you are not interested in the material tho... Beware you need to memorize a lot of "useless" stuff for the exams.
Very boring lectures every single class period. 2 questions quizzes 2 times a week on something you learned during that class once. The questions are like trick questions. For the exams you have to know everything he puts on his slides word for word. You need to memorize studies and values, etc.
Lakey's class is no walk in the park, but if you put in the work, you can succeed. His lectures are dense, so use Unstuck AI and the free textbook to supplement. Attend class, take thorough notes, and be ready to memorize details. Overall, a challenging but worthwhile course.
I understand why so many people are complaining about him. I will say that if you put in effort it will come to you. He once said that a lot of us have become too lazy in college and I agree with him. He does focus on statistics too much but I feel like he does teach well. Don't take him if you don't want to put in the effort.
So, this class was designed for intelligent students who want to go into the research profession. If you are neither or lacking in one of those areas you will struggle in this course. If you want to do research this will be an extremely valuable experience/course and it is an honor to learn from him as he is a renowned psychologist.
I was scared to take my psych course after reading previous reviews. Honestly, he's a great professor. Lectures are interesting and have a good sense of humor sprinkled in. You have to work hard to get a good grade, but going to class puts you on a path to success in that regard. Would recommend.
I can handle a tough class but this was something else. 2 question lecture quizzes at the end of almost every lecture worth 25% of your grade. Open note book/ lecture quizzes every week but were so difficult I would still end of with C's. Exams were horrible, no study guide and only around 30 questions even though it was content heavy. Don't take.
Actually, by far the worst professor I have had. I took him in my freshman year and came back here 2 years later to say that no professor has ever been so bad. Lots of reading of one book (so boring) & his exams are extremely hard. HOWEVER, this class is doable, but if you have the option, take someone else!!
This class should've been interesting, but prof. Lakey made it incredibly technical and difficult to understand. He knows a lot about the subject, but automatically assumes that students know as much as he does. Many questions on the quizzes and exams seemed like trick questions, and he didn't seem to care if we learned anything at all.
absolutely no extra credit. he offers very little explanation when you are confused. I am normally a straight A student, so getting such a low grade was very out of the ordinary.
Incredibly disappointed with this class. I am not one to thrash a professor, but I would caution anyone before taking Lakey. He is very knowledgeable in his field, and he loves what he teaches, but he does not teach it well.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
49%
Textbook Required
38%
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