He seems really nice and tries really hard. Unfortunately the class is really boring...but go to lecture or you will regret going over the podcasts the week before the exam.

Though it's true that Prof. Trainor is not the most eloquent speaker, he tries his best to explain. If he doesn't do it quite well the first time around, he'll go over it again the next day or during the review session, or both. He has very realistic expectations. None of the tests are dropped, but the final can replace your lowest midterm score

Brian is a pretty cool guy. Although he seems nervous while speaking, he gets the information out. If your confused, he'll re-explain something. Overall, this is a pretty easy class. Go to class, study the notes, and you'l definitely pass with an A.

It's not as bad as the other reviewers say. It's an easy class. Can't ask for too much else.

Brian is an intelligent guy and demonstrates enthusiasm in his field. He makes sure to go over key material that will be on the midterms. For a bio psyc class, it is pretty interesting-a lot of animal studies used as examples. Study your lecture notes and go over the podcasts- you will get an A.

Honestly, I don't know what people are talking about when they say he is too hard. When things get too complicated, he stops going any further. The class is EASY. Do not buy the book! I never opened it once. Just go to lecture and study the notes and you will be good. He's a good guy; kinda nervous, but he's willing to help you if you don't get it

I'm not sure how knew of a professor Dr Trainor is, but his apparent anxieties impede his teaching to some degree. However, he cares about the class and the students and has a love for the subject matter (mice in particular). His lecture notes are available prior to class and podcasts are available afterward. There are three midterms and a final.

LOVED this class. A two hour class will get a little boring no matter who the prof is but its better to attend than listen to a two hour podcast. Dont buy the book. Essentially need to memorize the slides to do well on exams because he picks little details from his lectures to ask questions. He is really interested in what he teaches

extremely helpful and receptive to questions. know everything from the powerpoints and you're guaranteed an A. no textbook used. very straightforward, overall a very good professor who cares about his students' success. definitely recommend!

Had him as part of a team for psc 101. He was my favorite prof of the team. He did not really use the textbook and all you need to know for the tests are the slides. But know the slides word for word. His questions are set up very similar to those on the practice test. Would recommend.

Obviously the previous poster did not attend the lectures as stated. There are practice exams before every test, and the TAs also hold review sessions to go over those exams and any additional questions on the material.

Trainor's a good guy, super passionate about his work, and extremely helpful. Lectures can be a little intimidating, but relisten to the pod casts. Hearing the material twice makes a world of difference. If prepared tests are cake. Know the slides, No book required, so far I'm enjoying the class.

Tests are pretty difficult and he likes to ask trick questions that you must be there for lecture. He posts audio podcasts and slides, but there are some illustrations that are only in class - so I'd recommend to attend lectures. If you go to lectures and then listen to the podcasts, you shouldn't have a problem getting at least a B.

I LOVED this class. Such interesting material. Brian does explain things well, but when people ask tangential questions he doesn't tend to go into detail. Tests are worded trickily, but know your stuff. Know EVERYTHING on the slides.

I enjoyed his lectures quite a bit. He's probably stepped up his teaching from previous quarters if anyone's going off those reviews. Tests are quite straightforward. Just know the slides and you'll ace the tests. Don't bother buying the textbook.

The best professor I've had so far. Don't even need the book; everything in the tests was in the lecture slides. Attendance wasn't mandatory but there were illustrations that can only be seen in class and were included on the exams so it's a good idea to go just for those. Basically, easy B+/A for sure if you study the lecture slides thoroughly!

If you have ANY confusion GO TO TRAINOR. He will help you. Everything he tests you on is in Lecture. He does Podcast but some illustrations and demos that makes attendance necessary. He also has you read one article per midterm and turns off the podcast for that. Don't buy the book unless you want it for background info for other classes.

Not the hardest psychology class I have taken. No major complaints. One minor complaint though: It is ridiculously pointless to take the mandatory final when some students like myself have averaged an A based on the 3 mt exams. Make it optional! Make it a student's choice. Such a waste of time.

Trainor is very excited about this subject. To get a good grade, you need to study hard and know your stuff. I studied hard for my B+, but I thoroughly enjoyed this course. If biology is not your thing at all, I wouldn't take this class. He is very friendly and approachable and wants you to do well. Just go talk to him :). Your effort = your grade.

Super awesome teacher! No, the class is not one for slackers, but if you go to class and study, it's not bad! Plus Trainor gets so excited and into what he teaches that even for a BA Psych major like me (who has zero interest in biology) this class is engaging. Fantastic teacher.

He is my absolute favorite professor by far!! His class is interesting, the exams are based on his lectures and the exams are straight forward. He answers all questions and is very easy going.. not to mention funny!! I wish I can have him for all my classes. Its bitter sweet to end this quarter because I truly enjoyed his class.

Overall great class! Prof is lively and clear. Material was really interesting, though overwhelming at times. 3 midterms + final (drops lowest midterm or averages all of them together). Very doable if you study well - No need for book. Take good notes and just focus on his lectures/study guides and you'll do fine. (And he really loves mice!)

The material is pretty straightforward. Trainor seems passionate about the subject but thinks he's funnier than he actually is. Diagrams are really important to know in the class, and the study guides are really helpful. It's not an easy A, but if you do the study guides and show up to class it's not difficult.

Well, your grade is basely entirely on 3 midterms and 1 final. His final is cumulative and its NOT optional. Material covered is difficult. I am a psychology major with 3.7 gpa, and i found is class really challenging. ADVICE:If you are not good at bio take this class for PassNo Pass.

Really easy class. Final replaces lowest midterm but is NOT optional. Lectures are really long. Some studies he talks about can be pretty unclear. Office hours are amazing. Final was really easy because he reuses questions. He gives study guides. Overall, great professor but I do not know how much this class will benefit me later on.

I thought this class was going to be harder than it actually was. Professor Trainer made biology an interesting subject, and also made lectures entertaining. Study guides and practice questions were very helpful as well. As long as you go to class and read your notes you should do fine. (No textbook required)

Good professor! Podcasts all of his lectures and posts study guides before each exam. You have to work pretty hard for an A but it's not impossible. Since lectures are 2 hours long it gets pretty boring but he is a solid professor. Reminds me of Ben Stiller haha.

This class was not meant to be fun but he adds some interactive elements to it to keep you awake. Has online office hours before exams (helpful). Lectures are long so try not to miss class or you'll have a lot to catch up on. Exams are tough but not as bad as you'd expect. Know the case studies well for exams.

He's passionate about the subject and if you ask a question and he doesn't have an answer, he'll research it for you. He's funny. I'm a BioPsych major with a background in bio so all of the mechanisms for ions, receptors, etc. weren't too hard. Reading the slides (carefully) before class is a good idea. Little details may show up on the exams.

Trainor is great! He's very approachable, and he uses the right amounts of lecture slides, videos, diagrams, and research papers in his lectures to keep things interesting. Make sure you understand all of the concepts and experiments in his lecture slides and you'll do just fine!

He's a cool guy and a good teacher. Much nicer and easier then the other teachers who teach this class. The one down side is that he's a bad test writer. Questions are phrased badly and don't test you on what they should. Don't need a textbook, just go to class and really know the powerpoints and drawings he does. The drawings are VERY important.

Trainer is a great lecturer and this class is easy if you go to class and pay attention. He usually draws out diagrams and adds hand written notes during class which is extremely helpful. Exams are very straightforward and not difficult.

Great professor, very knowledgeable, and funny at times. Have lecture notes accessible during lecture because additional information and drawings are given and will be tested on. Understand the lecture slides completely, so set aside 1 hour for studying daily. The book is unnecessary because the exams are based solely on his lectures. Study hard.

Trainor is one of my favorite professors at Davis. He is very good at explaining things and I would take him again in a heartbeat. If you memorize the lecture slides super well, you will get an A. He doesn't make you buy a textbook.

He is awesome! You will ace his exams by going over his lecture notes. The questions are so fair and he never throws surprise questions or anything to trick you. As long as you study his notes you'll be golden! He doesn't offer extra credit but your final exam score can replace your lowest midterm score which helped me out a ton. He's so nice too

Trainor is awesome. I learned a lot of cool stuff in this class. Tests weren't too bad, everything tested was covered directly in class. There was a lot of information but nothing unreasonable. Take him, not an easy A but definitely doable.

This guy cracks me up. Although the class material was not my cup of tea, he made it interesting and fun to learn about. His tests are tough and you will need to study to do well. He podcasts, so attendance is not mandatory, although, I recommend it, since he teaches about the most difficult material via overhead projector. No textbook needed.

Very fun teacher. Very personable. Fun class!

Dr. Trainor is awesome! His classes are interesting and he does upload podcasts, which helps. Tests are pretty difficult, especially if you're not very familiar with biology. I recommend attending every class, listening to every podcast, and going to office hours. Make sure you understand the material very well

This class is an easy A if you go to class and pay attention. 3 midterms and a mandatory final. However, the final can replace one midterm grade if you do better on it than one of the midterms. Trainor gives hints about what will be on the exam and what to focus on during lecture, and really cares about his students understanding the material.

Dr. Trainor is the best psychology professor I've had at Davis! He explains the material SO clearly, and he is always willing to answer questions. Show up, because the lectures contain a lot of information that incorporates scientific concepts. I didn't use the book and I got an A by taking detailed notes and studying hard.

Professor Trainor is funny, kind and REALLY cares about his students (he's always dropping hints on what may be on the exam and is always willing to answer questions). Behavioral Epigenetics isn't the most interesting class, but he makes it bearable.

This class is super difficult for someone who is not very familiar with biology. However, Professor Trainor makes this class interesting and he is always happy to answer questions. iClicker points were an easy 10 points, and he gave the option to get 3 extra credit points by either going to all classes or answering an extra question

He's fairly easy if you attend lecture, and re-listen to podcasts. Clicker questions count as extra credit if you go to a certain number of lectures. Tests are multiple choice and open ended. He loves his studies, so make sure to really get the outcome and what was being studied. Overall not too bad.

This professor is awesome. He's super dorky when trying to be funny and really makes class fun. He makes the subject matter interesting and funny as well. He posts his podcasts but requires you to come to class to get some info you otherwise wouldn't. You don't need the text. Just take good notes and his tests are entirely from the study guide.

He's an entertaining professor whose class material centers mostly around animal studies. There's no book required, only lecture, so take that as you may. Attending class is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED but not mandatory, as he does podcast his talks. He's very friendly and open to questions, so get involved!

Professor Trainor is honestly one of the best professors I have had at my time in Davis. If you are taking his PSC 101 course, be prepared to attend every lecture as all of his exams are based on the lectures and especially the diagrams. The exams themselves can be difficult, but the study guides are super handy. Overall a challenge, but fun!

Professor Trainor is amazing. He is very passionate about his research and it shows in his lectures. Attending class is very important because he switches from PowerPoint to a projector to really go into detail about a specific topic. The course isn't necessarily easy but if you go to class and actively listen, you should be fine.

Great professor who has a superb understanding of classical and emerging neuroscience techniques, communicates complex topics clearly and effectively, and cares about his students. Highly recommended.

Go to class. He draws out the diagrams on topics that is 100% going to be on the test. Study them. He's very clear on what is going to be on the test and his lecture powerpoints are very well organized.

It's extremely refreshing to have a prof who genuinely cares about the subject he's teaching, explains everything so well, and makes his requirements incredibly clear. As long as you go to lecture or watch the lecture videos, you're guaranteed an A. I finally switched my major to CogSci because I enjoyed his class so much, and it's so interesting.

Trainor is an amazing professor! He has a really great sense of humor that keeps the class engaged and also explains the topics really well!! The study guide really helps on the exams as well as rewatching the recorded lectures. Exams are very straightforward. No required textbook or outside reading is also a plus!! One of my favorite classes taken

The material was very interesting and his lectures were entertaining. If you do not have a background in bio, this class could be a bit overwhelming (all the jargon and whatnot), but is very doable. Unfortunately your grade is 96% exams. Luckily his lecture slides, and lecture capture, made preparing for the exams straightforward. I recommend him.

This class challenged me, but I LOVED it. I took the class pass/no pass hence the lower grade. Trainor made the classes so interesting because of his passion for the different topics. 4 exams (3 Midterms, 1 optional final), lowest grade dropped, and attending class is super important to understand graphs and notes only in class! 10/10 recommend!

Pro-tip: go to class and make sure to record what Professor Trainor writes down; there is a high probability of those concepts appearing on midterm. Overall clear grading scheme: 4 tests, your lowest grade is dropped. Each test is worth 1/3 of your grade - there's no extra credit, so make sure to study accordingly. Interesting class overall!

Professor Trainor structures the class logically so that concepts will flow and coherently. Biopsych is a complex and difficult class regardless, he makes the concepts easier to understand. He posts podcasts and lecture notes, slides. Review sessions and study guides. Very approachable and understanding. 4 midterms, no hw, drops lowest score.

Tip to pass: listen to his podcasts, write down the main result of an experiment that he goes over on the projector, and STUDY HARD! PSC 101 is quite difficult but Professor Trainor makes it easy to understand. 4 exams (lowest is dropped), exams are very detailed but a memorize the concepts and main results of experiments

I thought Dr. Trainor was sooo funny in the lectures! Super knowledgeable and integrated in psychology research. Pay attention to lecture, study hard, and you should be fine.

Excellent note taking and lecture comprehension are key. Extremely nice and knowledgeable but the random tangents would have had me failing this class in person, strong A for now. Pause option is a lifesaver. 10 quizzes (20 min max time), no discussions (thanks) or extra assignments. Highly recommend if taking online. In person, good luck.

Professor Trainor is great especially if you like biology and psychology. His lectures get into some complex concepts, but he knows it's most people's first biopsych class, so he makes sure he's not confusing people with jargon. This quarter he's doing one quiz per week, but that doesn't mean it's not hard work. You must go to lecture to do well.

dr. trainor is SO understanding and accomodating!! idk about in-person, but his online class for psc101 was manageable . your grade is just based on 10 weekly quizzes on the topic covered in the previous week. he is very passionate about what he teaches

I'm only writing this review because I want everybody to know about how great of a teacher he is. He's extremely motivated, very understanding in general, and grade in class is solely dependent on 10 quizzes. They are open note and open book, and quizzes are exactly from lectures(pre-recorded) and he drops a quiz grade. Amazing teacher, 10/10.

An absolute angel. Youll get to learn about a lot of different psych studies. This quarter there was no final, only 10 quizzes (lowest one dropped).

The class was based on 10 weekly quizzes, drops 1. Make sure to go to the class/watch the recordings, and to take detailed notes on the experiments. He was so jolly and caring, everyone greatly appreciated having him teach us biopsych. Lots of passion for the subject too.

He's hilarious and I actually learned a lot from his class! He grades based on 10 open-book quizzes (1 per week) that have 7 questions and you're given 20 minutes. He also provides study guides for each quiz so be sure to use those! Just go to/watch lectures and study your notes/study guide and you'll do great!

I can't believe how underrated Professor Trainor is! He is the sweetest, the funniest the nicest professor out there. Coming to class was absolute joy. The material was extremely interesting and Brian is really passionate about teaching. Graded on super easy weekly quizzes which are open notes, open book. I learned a lot and had fun doing it

Took psc 101 fall quarter 2020 online & prof. Trainor was so amazing for this class! Only graded on weekly quizzes and they were easy to do if you watched the lectures and paid attention. Highly recommend taking this course with Trainor!

I absolutely loved Professor Brian's class. He is super funny and is able to make his 2 hour lectures interesting. He drops one quiz and gives you hints for the next quiz to help you out. You just have to make sure that you either go to lecture or watch the lecture videos, take notes and review! Highly recommend

Hands down the easiest class I've taken. Attended only 3 live lectures the whole quarter, the rest i watched recordings of right before the quizzes.He is super clear and organized. There are no major exams, only 10 quizzes every two lectures, 8 questions, open note- failing is literally not an option with him.

The class is only graded on 10 quizzes. this seemed stressful at first but actually was really nice. Sometimes you had to go back and watch a bit of the material again. otherwise super easy and comprehendible. He even drops hints during lectures on what the answers are going to be! I think this is a super complicated subject but he makes it easy.

Trainor is an amazing lecturer. He is very passionate about the subject AND teaching, which comes through very clear when you take his class. By far one of the best professors at Davis. He wants his students to do well and aims to inspire their further scientific endeavors. Take his class!

Perhaps one of the best professors I have taken at UC Davis! He truly cares about his students succeeding in this class. Grades are only based on 10 quizzes but it's truly not that hard. As long as you watch the lectures and take notes on what he says, you're going to pass the class. I honestly wish he taught every psych class on campus.

One of my favorite professors so far. Class is graded on 10 quizzes of 8-10-ish questions each with the lowest dropped. No hw, no midterms, no final. Seems easy but it actually really motivates you to learn, not like the other PSC classes at UCD that are just based of Steve Luck's templates and all over Quizlet. Got a lot out of the course.

The only assignments in this class are quizzes, no finals or midterms. He's a great lecturer since you can tell he's super passionate about the things he's teaching. Despite all of the information being fed to you, he make it bearable by adding in "pet of the day" or specific lectures, and sometimes he even brings his dog which always made my day.

I really liked him. He was very organized and the topics he touched on were interesting. He liked cracking a lot of dad jokes and would oftentimes bring his dog Calvin to class, which was enjoyable. He was accessible during office hours, receptive to feedback, and extremely empathetic. 12/10 recommend!

Graded on just 10 quizzes, one is dropped. No midterms or finals! Pay attention to lectures and try to understand them well because quizzes are based on them. Overall, a great professor who is passionate about what he teaches!

Incredible instructor and person! If you are feeling nervous about taking Biological Psych, like I was, I highly recommend taking his class. Class is graded on 10, 8-question quizzes. If you pay attention to lectures and take notes (write down what he writes down, because if he does it is important to remember), you will do well. :)

The class is based off of 10 weekly quizzes with your lowest one being dropped. The lectures have a lot of information but Professor Trainor clarifies the main points and gives hints for the weekly quizzes. He is very passionate about what he teaches and makes what could've been a difficult subject understandable! Totally recommend, great class :)

Dr. Trainor is a great professor and he clearly loves what he does. The quizzes are deceptively hard (timed) so I would take good notes and study for them even though they are open note. No midterms of final which is awesome. Overall he was a great instructor and made class interesting. Definitely take him for Bio-Psych. :)

I was dreading this course but prof Trainor made it manageable! His lectures can be tough because he skips around on slides a lot and I had a hard time figuring out what I needed to be writing down and I would miss a lot of information. Quizzes are tough but if you write down the notes he takes on his slides it'll help a lot.

The class was graded by 10 online quizzes (one a week) and nothing else. Easy A and really interesting! Great lecturer. He is VERY clear about what the questions on the quiz are going to be about. If you rewatch the lectures before taking the quiz at 2x speed and UNDERSTAND what the studies were about, you should get an A.

Graded on 10 quizzes, one is dropped. The class is do-able but its unforgiving(slip up on more than 1 quiz and your A is gone). Everything on the quizzes is covered in lecture or made special note of during lecture which is nice so take good notes on the lectures before the quiz. Lecture were pretty entertaining too. No EC or curve.

Take this class! No homework, no textbook. The least stressful class I've had at Davis so far. Trainor wants us to learn and he is very passionate about it! Weekly quiz which is open note, he drops the lowest one. If you like bio take this class if you don't like bio take this class. You'll learn lots and he uses cool examples too!

By far the best and easiest class I've taken so far! I'm someone who strongly dislikes biology, but this class was actually so interesting. Quizzes are online and open-note and your grade is only based on these quizzes (which are pretty easy). There are 10 quizzes and 1 of them is dropped. No attendance/participation grade and no textbook!

Although I don't particularly enjoy bio, this class was pretty chill. Trainor is a great lecturer and despite not requiring attendance, the lecture hall was at a decent capacity all the way through to the last lecture, a testament to how engaging his lectures are. 10 quizzes(slightly tricky at times), 1 per week with the lowest one dropped.

Dr. Trainor is such a great professor! I highly recommend taking him! His lectures are really engaging and he's really funny. The class is based on ten online open note quizzes, with the lowest quiz dropped. He makes it very clear what he wants us to take away from the lectures. Also, the research his lab does is really cool :)

Professor Trainor's PSC101 class is a surprisingly manageable bio course. Weekly quizzes can be tricky, but his engaging lectures and clear guidance make it doable. unstuck AI was a helpful tool for quiz prep.

if you like psychology, take him. any other reviews that complain didn't study for their midterms lol (just read the slides + watch lecture recordings, everything he tests is on there)

Best professor I've had so far at UC Davis, he cares about his students and definitely wants us to succeed. He's a pretty funny guy and super wholesome. Attendance for lectures isn't mandatory, but they are super engaging and time goes by so quick. The only downside is your grade depends only on 3 midterms and 1 final. No extra credit.

Very fun teacher, attendance is only mandatory for exams. 4 exams including final, lowest score gets dropped. He saw that most of the class struggled after the first so he allowed us to use an index card and holds study sessions. During lectures he always highlights what will be on the exam and gives out some answers for free.

honestly, I would recommend this class! it was fun & engaging. Exams are not hard, just study and he offers a cheat sheet as well

Brian is a fantastic professor, I took his Behavioral Genetics course and he was always available to help, along with providing great lectures. I learned a plethora of information in his course. Thank you, Dr. Trainor!

One of the best profs I've had! Dr. Trainor really cares about the stuff he teaches and makes lectures interesting and relevant. TAs were amazing too! There is a fair bit of content in this class, but if you put in the effort and study well, you'll do fine. Grades were based on 3 midterms and 1 final. I would definitely take him again!

He is a GREAT and passionate professor, lectures are very interesting and you can learn A LOT! He is Make sure you take notes and do the practice questions. His TA Ali is extremely helpful!! You are graded on 3 exams, lowest grade dropped if you take the final. This class is NOT HARD if you actually put in effort, don't performative study.

this class was VERY intimidating as a psc minor, a lot of the content is bio heavy and requires a lot of memorization, p complex. but prof trainor is super approachable and tries to make everything as digestible and easy as possible for a broad audience. graded by 3 midterms + optional final to drop lowest grade, 1 notecard allowed. awesome prof :)

lecture-based midterms. no final if you did good on all 3 midterms. prof explains concepts super well and provides summaries often during lecture. entire grade is based on tests. you'll be fine as long as you put in effort on studying.

Professor Trainor is a good professor. He really cares about the students and tries his best to help us out by making the test easy. As an econ major, it can be hard with the different science terms, but overall the class isn't too hard. Office hours are very helpful. Solid class

There are 3 midterms and 1 final. The lowest of the four will be dropped. The final is cumulative. That is all you are graded on for the whole class. If you study the basics from the lecture, I believe you can do pretty well, but you do need to spend a little time studying. He allowed us 1 notecard after people did badly on the first test.

You're graded on 4 in person multiple choice exams only with lowest knocked. Study hard and go to office hours and you'll be fine. We were got a notecard for the last 3 exams. Office hours are super helpful and so are review sessions. Tons of memorization but you'll learn a lot and professor is very passionate and understanding. Would recommend.

3 Midterms 1 Final, In-Person on scantron. It was a hard class for me but studying a lot helped me in the end. If you have test anxiety I would try another professor with more assignments to balance your grade.