I don't ever want to hear about monkeys ever again!

I never understood why everyone complained about this professor. I loved her class and thought she was great. Very informative and interesting. One of my best experiences at UCSD!

Chris was my favorite teacher ever. I was her research assistant for 2 quarters after taking her Bonobo internship 2 quarters. She was the nicest, most intelligent professor at that school. Learn everything you can from her.

Very good teacher. Expects a lot out of you and the tests are hard, but the lectures are really good and you get to go to the zoo and sea world. Definitely worth taking

One of the best class I've ever taken in college. She expects a lot on the exams and papers but materials are so much fun to learn and her lecture is very interesting. It's definetely worth taking if you love bonobos and dolphins :)

seriously one of the best professors i've had. she really knew what she was teaching and she taught it well, which is rare. the tests were difficult but she gave so much extra credit it made up for it.

What a wonderful professor. She is truly one of the best... because she loves what she does, and points out her biases so you are aware of them. It was very difficult, not an easy A, but a FAIR A. Easy to earn if you actually try. A lot of assignments, but all worthwhile, as you will learn SO much that you could probably teach someone!!

Johnson's lectures are hands down the best lectures you will ever have. She still uses overhead projector, but her illustrations are clear, concise, and even better than the book's. She gives out note sheets for each lecture as well, so you can just sit and learn instead of feverishly copy everything.

Great class, just make sure you go to lecture - when you miss stuff on the tests it's always because you weren't there, the projector stuff is critical. If you go to class you will get an A.

She gives handouts each lecture so you know exactly what to listen up for, and she offers extra credit. She's a really great professor, but you need to work for your A. Use the help of the TAs too.

This class is very hard, especially the tests. There were two midterms, a final group project, and a ten page final paper. But the subject matter was very interesting, and you get to go on field trips to the zoo and Sea World, worth 50 points each.

Great professor who is dedicated to helping her students learn. When I took her class it was her first time teaching so we were basically her guinea pigs. tests were pretty fair but there are a lot of concepts & definitions to know. If you take this class be prepared to spend at least 10+ hours a week (even more as weeks go by)and work in a group

Professor Johnson is really great. She's a great lecturer. I think the 3 midterms 1 final were fair, but it might be a little hard considering it was a lower division. Her test prepares you for upper division for sure. She's amazing! It's a lot of work, a lot memorizing, but you really get to understand Neurobiology.

Fairly easy class, material was somewhat interesting but most of it I've learned in other cog sci/biology classes. TAs were TERRIBLE with grading, took a month (3 days before final) to find out our 2nd midterm grade. It's past the deadline for grade submissions, & grade in the class is still not posted. Laziest TAs I've ever had.

This class in itself has a lot of information. She provides you with detailed-typed notes which she goes by during each lecture. She really works hard in order to get students to understand concepts (she uses cut out pieces with the over head projector, old school but you can tell she worked hard on them). Great Professor! Highly recommended!

(Sp '11) Class is challenging because there is lot to cover. Prof. Chris made it rewarding and fun. Great lecturer. Handmade circuits and diagrams were neat. Midterms and Final are really straightforward, but semi-intensive; again, because of all the material covered. Simple opportunities for E.C. are available. Great class, great Professor!!

Nice prof, she uses an overhead projector and old school transparencies for all her lectures. She also hands out notes at each lecture, which help A TON. I used these and not the book to study for each test, and I got an A overall. TAs sucked though, messed up on both midterms, took a month, and the prof had to redo all of them. Mandatory labs!

Her notes were basically the test. I started off reading the corresponding sections in the textbook, but quickly realized that I only needed to know the notes, especially the underlined/bolded terms, she really makes it easy! There was a lot of material to cover though, so going to lecture and keeping up with the material was important.

Had her for COGS 101A and 143, and loved her. Her lectures are extremely straightforward and clear- lots of examples and diagrams, etc. Gives you hand-tailored notes that she systematically goes through every lecture, so if you memorize it, will guarantee you an A. She's also really engaging, fun, and likes to joke around!

great lecture notes. ucsd needs more professors like her.

Lots of material but it can be learned. Professor prints out all lecture notes for you so no need to take additional notes. Tests are fairly straightforward. DO NOT waste money by buying the textbook.

Relatively easy class. However, when she submitted her grades the night before they were due, she applied a downwards curve. Going from an A to a B+ is quite a disappointment, and she never told the class, nor did she even bother telling the TAs. Her outlines are very helpful though.

The class itself is pretty difficult. Professor Johnson is a good lecturer, but boring at times. You'll have to put in A LOT of effort to memorize everything. We never used the textbook or study guide (we got notes). I'd recommend this class for those with a strong interest in neuroscience. Look for another class if you plan on taking cogs as a GE.

She has high expectations and covers a lot of info (new topic each lecture, from vision to dreams). There is a lot to memorize, but it is learning terms AND concepts (not only memorizing terms). It was hard for a GE, but worth it. "A" requires work. Often relevant/cool info. She is clear and straightforward (provides thorough notes). Def recommend!

This professor is great. She is kind, really cares about her students, and knows exactly what she is talking about. HOWEVER, this class was so difficult. There is no reason this class should be a lower division. So much material it's almost impossible to memorize. Take my advice, either avoid this class or TAKE IT PASS NO PASS!!!

I wish someone would have told me to take this as pass/no pass. There is *SO MUCH* information to memorize, from functions to specific ions. Since she gives you all the lecture notes there's really no reason to ~fail~ but also gives way to procrastination... I could have done so much better if I put in the time.

The class was difficult, but she was a great lecturer. She's passionate about what she does and it shows. The material is extensive and an A is hard to get. Only take this as a GE if you plan on putting in 10+ hours a week for studying. You have about 300 terms to memorize. It's interesting, but almost too thorough. It's a rewarding class.

Unless you have to take this class for a grade, don't. So much information thrown at you. The final was around 225 questions. If you're good at memorizing stuff then you'll be good. It is an interesting class and she is a good lecturer though.

Way too much information to memorize, so take it P/NP if you can. Dr. Johnson is very nice though, and she does a great job of illustrating processes in the brain with her hand-drawn diagrams. Know everything on the printed notes she hands out and you're set. If you study, exams aren't bad at all. (DON'T BUY THE BOOK. I NEVER OPENED IT ONCE.)

It is so hard

The tests are very long. A lot of memorization but its not difficult to memorize and she gives out printed lecture notes with EVERYTHING you need to know on the test. As long as you read over it a bunch before the test you will score well. You learn a lot and the info you learn makes the first half of mam phys a joke.

BEST PROF EVER. Content would be admittedly hard for a non-science major, but for me I LOVED IT. BEST lecturer on campus hands down. DON'T buy the book. She hands out notes and hold reviews and cares very much about her students and teaching well. She does not accept BS. I plan to take her other classes. Some of her facts are outdated. TAKE IT.

The professor is amazing, and the class is great. This is hard tough. I would take it again.

Johnson provides everything you will need to know for tests through lectures and papers with all the information on them. She should keep your attention since she dishes out so much information during lecture. The class is pretty much all memorization so be ready to spend some time studying. You should be fine with enough effort.

This class was unbelievably easy, being a good crammer and always attending. Given all the notes you need (seriously don't get the book), the only homework is a perfect cramming sheet 3 times a year. She taught clearly with tons of visuals and easy to follow notes (complete notes). Also, she could answer all kinds of cogs questions, smart chick.

I love this woman, she is amazing. She is a very clear lecturer and has very visually engaging powerpoints. I bought the book and didn't even open it, so don't bother getting it. She's super fair and gives you pretty much everything you need, she posts slides and her own notes online. Be prepared for memorizing and cramming and you'll be fine.

SO. MUCH. INFORMATION. Cogs17 requires rote memorization. That's it. If you can do that you will pass. The problem is the amount of information is so large that I couldn't do it with my other courses. Would do better if I took again but it was a little overwhelming. Johnson is perfect though. Teaches you everything you need to know. Don't get book

She's a brilliant woman and wonderful lecturer. However, the amount of material you're required to know and memorize is overwhelming. It would be better if she focused more on concepts, and I would definitely gain more from retaking this class. However she does a wonderful job at presenting the material and is very kind/caring to students.

Professor Johnson is an amazing lecturer and shares a real passion in the field with her students. She is also super caring about how well her students are achieving in class and actually provides help through the TAs. The class is very lecture and notes heavy however, need to get super familiar with them to pass!

Great, caring professor who is passionate about and very knowledgeable about the material. She puts a lot of effort into making the lectures and giving you everything you need for the tests. COGS17 is tough b/c there's so much material but she made it interesting and I ended up enjoying the class.

She's a really great lecturer who tries hard to make it understandable for the students. Lecture is technically not mandatory but definitely recommended. There is so much to memorize, if you don't start early you might struggle. She's great but if memorizing isn't easy for you it could be a really hard class. 2 midterms, and the final is 2 tests.

Dr. Johnson is overall an amazing Professor, she is really good at lecturing and explaining many concepts in depth. Lectures are not mandatory, but you should go because that is when she thoroughly explains these concepts. Tests aren't too difficult, you just need to find time to study because there are so much terms to memorize.

Really loved this class! I wouldn't take it unless you have to or are planning on devoting HOURS studying for it unless you're a good crammer. LOTS of information. but she explains it all so well! Study nothing other than the notes and you'll do fine

Love Professor Johnson. She can be a little cranky sometimes, but COGS 17 was the most rewarding course I've taken at UCSD so far. It's very difficult, but then when you get to Upper-Division 101 series, everything is absolute cake-walk. They should consider this class upper-division.

Extremely rewarding. Dr. Johnsons lectures are interesting and jam-packed with information. Get ready to to take notes and devote a decent chunk of the quarter to studying since there are so many terms to memorize and understand. She provides notes and slides online but lecture is where she goes over it all. Dont bother buying the book.

Lots of information presented in class so attending and taking notes is a must, but Johnson presents it in an interesting and easy to absorb way. Probably the best professor I've had at UCSD.

Her class is amazing!!!!! I really like her. You can tell from her lecture that she really enjoys her job.

Dr. Johnson is one of the best professors Ive encountered thus far at UCSD. She is very passionate about what she teaches and explains everything in great detail. She makes even the most complex content easy to grasp. Two midterms and one cumulative final which are all direct representations of content from the class.

She is an interesting professor. For COGS 17 just be prepared to memorize a lot. She provides all the required information and gives good homework that helps a bunch on exams.

Johnson is an AMAZING lecturer but I wouldnt underestimate the difficulty of this class. Its not hard but its definitely not a cake-walk. This class requires you to memorize a TON of information/vocab/definitions. If memorization isnt your thing and youre considering taking this class for a GE, take another class if you can.

Dr. Johnson is the best prof I've had at UCSD. She knows everything and the COGS 17 class was an amazing class I highly recommend it. I took COGS 1 after 17 and people in there were struggling because they didn't know material, so 17 goes over basic material as well and she's better at explaining things. Pay attention in lecture and you'll get an A

This class WILL beat you down if you don't do the homework properly. Even if you just rope learn them on Quizlet and have a basic understanding of how things work together, you will perform vastly better. ATTEND LECTURE to understand the concepts you rope learn.

Johnson is an engaging lecture. Intimidating woman but she really does care about her students. Don't talk in class, leave early, or get on her bad side. She gives printed lecture notes out and holds review sessions for test. Final is a group project, a research proposal. Stay on top of the readings. Memorize key terms. Labs are a waste but go.

BEST COGS PROFESSOR IN THE WORLD!! Memorize the terms, be able to explain the concepts, and youre set for an A. Lectures are a smorgasbord of say this to sound smart at your next party terms, but you also learn APPLICABLE stuff like how SSRIs work and the stages of sleep. You have to memorize a lot of material, but your hippocampus can take it.

This class should tell you if cog sci, at least neuroscience, is the right major for you. Johnson explains everything clearly and interestingly. You need to memorize a lot of material, which isn't bad if you find it interesting. MEMORIZE ALL the notes on her website for an A. Pro-tip, check out 2-minute Neuroscience on YouTube for extra practice.

This class is really hard tbh but it's SO interesting. There's a million terms to memorize and they all kinda sound the same lol. But she includes everything you need to know in her lecture notes and if you skip lecture she has everything posted on her website. She's pretty funny without trying to be, so I was usually entertained.

She's a super fun lecturer despite teaching one of the hardest lower div COGS class. I feel like I genuinely learned some stuff in her class. Highly recommended

This is the right choice for a science (biology) GE. Lectures aren't mandatory but helpful, prof is very knowledgeable, TAs are helpful, memorization is key but if you took any AP science in high school you'll already have a head start. Not only did I learn a lot but I actually had fun, and that's saying something for a GE. 10/10 take this class!!!

Professor Johnson definitely knows what she's talking about and is clear during lecture. Anything written on the study sheets she makes from the lectures is fair game for the exam so just study that and you'll be good. The lectures aren't mandatory but are super helpful to understand when studying the notes and piecing together concepts.

She deserves 5 rating 4 difficulty, no other way to say it. She will really drill concepts but I was able to stay awake 3/4 of the time because of how she moves and her voice is very clear. I was most impressed with how fair the tests were, esp if you review lecture guides. To get an A you really have to earn it but her class allows it.

Prof. Johnson is the best. She is very lenient on extra credits this quarter. The exams are hard but is pretty fair. She works very hard and very helpful in review sessions and answering emails.

Professor Johnson is one of the best i've had. Her lectures are fun and engaging, and her passion for teaching and her subject is evident. Her assignments aid learning a lot. You can get a high grade as long as you put in effort.

Cogs 17 with Dr. Johnson is honestly a hard class mostly because of tests. She gives little homework, but it's helpful for studying. She does go over time often, 20-30 min is the average, however, you can tell she cares about what she teaches, and really tries to make complicated material be easier to understand. Just take rlly good lecture notes.

This is a class you must attend lectures and pay attention in because not doing so will put you at a disadvantage. If you need help in this class, don't be afraid to reach out to either the TAs or Professor Johnson because both were infinitely helpful when it came to any struggles in class.

Prof Johnson is amazing! Her lectures always keeps me engaged, she answers any questions during her office hours very clearly, and her notes are extremely helpful! The exams were all open book this quarter, which made it much easier to get a high score, though you will still need to study a lot. She does go over time but it's worth it!

I really enjoyed this class, in person sessions were completely optional so the entire class could be done ASYNC. She definitely tends to go over time in LE, so I recommend watching her ASYNC videos regardless of going in person. The lecture notes provided were super helpful, but especially midterm 3's HWs and exam really diverted from lecture.

She is the greatest professor I've ever had if I don't want to say that she leaves a great impact on my career solidification. She is a very devoted, considerate, and professional professor. She explains well every concept, make a very easily-catching, interesting, and organized canvas, give you all materials and tools to succeed in exams, quizzes.

Great professor, really engaging and fun, also great at helping students with questions understand, class is understandably somewhat hard though as it is a neurobio course.

She is AMAZING. I am stunned. She makes the content fun and interesting in my opinion, and she is very clear and understandable. There are no tricky questions at all.

Amazing professor :)

Super interesting course, and not difficult at all. Homework is good prep for exams and lots of extra credit is given

3 midterms + final was online/open book (at least for S23 quarter, idk if that will continue), very engaging/knowledgable prof but course is very heavy on memorization bec there are A LOT of terms/concepts to know but she posts lecture notes with key info. interesting course but an abundance of specific things to memorize (esp. if exams in person)

Good professor. Class is heavy on memorization but everything you need to know is available in the notes.

Prof was a good at convey the material clearly, making things that were not simple in the textbook easy but do prepare yourself for the 3 midterms :'), they will define your grade. I ask for accommodations last minute for a serious issue where I needed the approval of OSD (did provided proof) but not approval and she was very understanding.

Professor Johnson is a very knowledgeable instructor. She covers a lot in her lectures so sometimes it can be difficult to pay attention throughout, however, she posts the slides as well as detailed lecture notes which can be studied from. The exams (3 midterms and 1 final) makeup a majority of the grade but are manageable.

Prof Johnson is amazing. The class has 3 midterms + final and weekly homework (unlimited attempts). It is challenging but everything you need to know can be found in the notes provided. All you have to do is show up to class and then look through your notes and slides. Open book exams!

Average professor, but very easy class. All tests and quizzes were online and open note. Only bad part about the course was that there were three midterms... Overall pretty easy to pass the class.

She is very organized in terms of materials. Literally everything for the whole wuarter is posted before the quarter starts. She grades only based on exams and homeworks but they're all online. I went to very few lectures but she's really sweet and caring

the professor is really good and goes into detail with explaining the stuff, the course is mostly online ie the papers etc , so you can do it on your own pace

she's literally the sweetest. if you have an accident or something that prohibits you from taking one of the 4 online exams, she will work with you and figure out another way. all of the information for the class has been organized into the lecture notes. class isn't mandatory to attend or discussion. overall great prof who makes it interesting.

Creating mnemonics was very helpful for me, be sure to have all the relevant notes on one google doc for the exams.

She's a queen. She goes very fast, but teaches the concepts very good. Cogs 17 is just very fast-paced and has a lot of memorization. Grades were just Exams + Homework. Weekly homework but online and unlimited attempts. The Midterms and Final were also online and open-note but they were like 100-ish questions in 80 minutes so still study for them!

Took this class as a gpa booster. All homework is online and available on the first day of class so you can do it at your own pace. All exams are online and open book - she even organizes the lecture notes according to the midterm so you literally have to do nothing.

This course is content heavy but it does a good job of preparing you for 107A. She is very passionate and it shows in her lectures which makes the topic more enjoyable. Her lecture notes are amazing, for sure use those for quizzes/the final and you will do great.

Really nice professor, you can tell she's been teaching for a while... really good educator. There's a lot of content but the online format makes it doable. I never went to class, just watched podcasted lectures. I never studied, just went over notes before exams. Exam questions can be a lil difficult. Overall easy for me, but I know some struggled

The class expectations were clear and overall easy to follow. Lectures are podcasted and she gives a lot of resources/extra credit for you to do well in the class and on exams. Use the lecture notes and homework to study for the midterm and you'll be solid.

Dr. Johnson makes this course extremely accessible as all lectures are podcasted and the 3 midterms + final are all online. She also provides detailed lecture notes for each topic which is helpful for the tests and homework. She tries to make lectures interesting and funny at times which is appreciated as they are very content-heavy and move fast.

Personally, I loved her. Her lectures are very engaging, she uses humor, and she enjoys what she is teaching. While the lectures are long and sometimes repetitive, I love her teaching style and there isn't too much work, The exams are basically like the hw (pretty straightforward) and they're open note!

She's super passionate about teaching, makes her lectures engaging and fun! Lectures can be very long & repitive, but she tries her best to keep it short & sweet. Attendence isn't mandatory but highly encouraged; lecture heavy. HW is very easy, exams are easy, all are open book/open note. She provides pre-written lecture notes for all lectures.

nice professor but lectures got boring very fast. All lectures are recorded and all slides and lecture notes are available. theres three online midterms that are divided by chapters and as long as you keep up with studying and material, you'll be fine. final exam was comprehensive focusing mostly on first midterm. lots of extra credit.

All exams are online and open-book. You can do your homework over and over again until you get perfect score (which contributes to ~28% of the total grade). Offers ~3.5% extra credit. Both lectures and discussion are optional and lectures are recorded, so you can basically study on your own.

super sweet professor and you can tell she genuinely cares about the success of her students. attendance isn't mandatory & midterms/ final is online & open note. however the test are like 73% of the grade and the online homework is the rest, she gives a ton of extra credit

Professor Johnson's COGS17 class is a content-heavy but manageable course. While the lectures move quickly, her online exams and unlimited-attempt homeworks make it doable. I found unstuck AI really helpful for preparing for the tests.

Attendance is not mandatory but it's helpful to go since the notes and slides are unclear alone. Lectures are content heavy. Sometimes not everything in the lecture notes are gone over during lecture, which is the only thing that is confusing about this course. Homework and exams are based on the lecture notes.

Professor Johnson is very knowledgable and makes the class relatively easy. All exams are open-note and can be taken online. The homework has unlimited attempts and despite the density of the information, Professor Johnson makes it manageable.

Most of the content/lectures were pretty interesting and she does her best to be an engaging lecturer. Generally easy class considering the online quizzes/tests. Even without them being online, they're really straightforward with duplicate questions from homework and quizzes.

Professor Johnson is very knowledgeable and caring. Attendance is optional but I still recommend either going or watching the lectures because it helps you understand more clearly than the notes she posts. The midterms and tests are online, but some questions are similar/repeat of the homework. For how content-heavy it is, it was relatively easy.

lecture could be boring most times due to the length of the class and topics if you're not too interested in them. homework can be endlessly retaken for full points and acts as a good studying tool. exams are open book and asynchronous with not too hard content (multiple choice questions).

Honestly, great professor, she really knows her subject and makes learning fun. Lectures are engaging, and her slides/notes are very clear and useful. Tests are open-note and online!

so sweet. hw, midterms, and finals on canvas and open note. posted all notes and slides for quarter before first lecture.

A lot of material, but compensates by unlimited attempts on canvas homework and online, open note exams.

Homework every week, three midterms, and a final. They were open notes, but worth most of your grade. Lectures are recorded, but hold so much information that it's crucial to review outside of class. Attendance for the class and discussion sections was not mandatory, but it's easy not to understand a topic, so just go to the lecture.

You must take a mid-term final and a cumulative final 10 minutes apart on the same day. This was very tough. Mid-terms are a misnomer in this class. There are 3 midterms. The final is cumulative, graded on a curve. Students are testing at 90+%.

Many things to learn, which for sure makes the course tough, but the lecture is engaging and she gives clear notes and slides to help you overcome the exams. It is the first biology course that I spend most of the time understanding instead of remembering. Homework is annoying but just do not use tools so you can learn much more.

The lectures were boring a few times with lots of information thrown at you. But, it was an easy course because everything was online and open note. Ensure to take good notes and you'll do good in exams. There was also homework every week but they were similar to midterm/final questions. Discussions also weren't mandatory.

amazing professor. the lecture content is clear and the pdf is extremely helpful for me to understand everything she tried to explain.