You have to be solid with the prerequisites before you take this one. Most of my class didn't know the difference between an IV and DV - shameful! He also goes over new research. If you want to actually learn something, take this guy. I saw no difference between how hard this class was and others except he expects you to know basic psychology!

Very helpful. He kept the class interesting with his slides. Very goodlooking teacher!

Yes, Dr. Gerkens can be a little unorganized and confusing, but he really tries to make class as interesting and easy as possible. Very nice guy. If you're confused, just ask him and he'll help you. Do the online practice tests! He takes questions directly from them for the tests. Puts tons of extra credit on tests. I found this class to be easy.

Don't trust ratings by students who don't know how to spell their professor's names and don't know what course numbers they've taken.

Dr. Gerkens is not a hard professor, he just expects you to understand the material in the class. He is more than open and willing to help students with questions. Read the book (very easy to understand) and do online quizzes and you WILL get an A. Its a hard subject...and he is knowledgeable and very helpful

Good teacher, very knowledgable. Tests are very detailed, hard to just pick an answer since options are similar. I think this professor was rated unfairly.

Dr G is a good prof. He can even be funny at times. He presents material in a pretty interesting manner & he gives study guides. You really need to attend class to understand everything for the test. Reading isnt a MUST but it will help! 3 exams,1 final that is cumulative:( & a paper that he reduced to 2pages. i learned alot and i enjoyed the class

I really enjoyed taking Cog. Psych with Dr. Gerkens. There is plenty of material to study, but he presents it all very clearly & will help you out with any questions. Read the chapters & review his powerpoints before class so you can ask questions. Very straightforward. You get what you put into it.

3 exams, 1 cumulative final, 1 paper. Reading and attendance is required to do well on exams (some questions only pertain to lectures or text). Topic isn't very interesting, but lectures are clear and easy to understand. Simple 2 page paper and short power point. Not an easy class but very passable. Know the capital of Australia...

Cognitive psych is a very dry subject but he makes it kind of fun. He's a nice guy and very smart. He gives you many, many opportunities so you can get as many points to get a good grade. Even at the end of the semester, you have a chance to do a 3rd draft of an old paper (if you're on the border of a grade). Final is cumulative and very HARD.

Easy class without much outside work besides studying. You NEED to attend class to understand the powerpoint notes. They're not clear unless you listen to him explain it. The book helped to better understand the concepts. He's nice and willing to help, but not very clear with his teaching. If his class fits your schedule dont trip and just take him

Great professor! His powerpoints are very vague so you have to attend class to understand them but he uses great examples to get you to understand the concepts. He goes through everything many times if you don't understand and his study guides, although long, are VERY helpful. I would definitely recommend him!

Dr.Gerkens is a challenging yet fair professor. It's not a class you can get by without putting in your full effort. He provides all of the tools needed to pass the class, you just have to make sure you utilize them, otherwise you will have difficulty passing. He is always accessible via email and has consideration for his students.

Great professor who is always ready and able to help students. Answers every question you have without making you feel dumb or incapable of learning. Highly recommended. If you are the kind of person who misses every class and doesn't do the reading then this class isn't for you. This is a hard subject so it is necessary to be there to understand.

A bit scatter-brained and disorganized. Although he may be unclear about some parts, if you ask, he will go out of his way to help you to understand without making you feel like an idiot. ALOT of work, so don't expect an easy A. Really nice, understanding professor who does his best to teach and help you LEARN, not memorize. Go to his office hours!

ON-LINE course. Well constructed ppts and videos, it felt as real as a classroom. A lot of material, presented in several different ways. Exams items were exactly as the way the info was presented. Must study the textbook items many, many times to do well. Before exams, review textbook items several times, this is the key.

Dr. Gerkens is a very nice professor at CSUF! His course may required a lot of work, but it only help you. If you work hard and study hard, there is no way you'll fail. Dr. Gerkens cares about his students, and always there to help, and answers your questions within a couple of hours. Highly recommend!!!

It is a hard class especially if you take it online. However he puts a lot of tools up to help you learn, ppt, videos, diagrams ect. You will need to get the book if you want an A.

Great professor. He's funny and understanding. The subject is tough but he makes it much easier with his demos and powerpoints. Take him!

Gerkens is an awesome guy. The subject of cog psy is a hard one and he def. knows what he is talking about which makes class sometimes a little hard to follow but he is so great at rephrasing things and really cares if you are getting it or not. He also makes class very interactive with movie clips and tons of examples to clarify. GREAT teacher.

Rated him hot cuz he's a good guy and SOMEBODY's got to. lol. He's really helpful, but don't take this class if you're afraid of hard work. Although I hope you're challenged by that statement, because you'll learn so much if you are. This field of psychology is fascinating once you understand it. Before this class I had a GPA of 3.02 and I got an A

Dr. Gerkens is the best professor I ever had. If you are looking for an easy A, this is not the class for you, but if you are looking to learn and have a genuine understanding of cognitive psych, this is your guy. He recognizes hard work, is always helpful, and responds quickly to any questions you have.

2 Exams 1 cumulative final, however, they were not easy whatsoever. Especially the final as there was so much information to know. Very specific on what he expects and how he will grade. Gives easy participation points for in class assignments. He is really passionate about the subject and the lectures are informative. Highly recommend this prof.

This subject is tough all on its own but Dr. Gerkens is a great professor, even online. Looking back, I wish I took this class on campus; it's a bit too much material to take online. Nevertheless, you learn so much in this class. Not an easy A at all but being unchallenged is boring! A great professor trying to teach students a tough subject!

Don't mistake a hard class for a bad professor. Dr.G was great and was very helpful throughout the semester. 3 exams, maybe 1-2 discussion boards a week, 9 online activities, 1 paper, 2-3 quizzes/week. He responds fast, is very open to helping students, and is very passionate about the subject. A lot of work, don't take for an easy A

This class was so hard, so much information, but I loved it! It is definitely not an easy A, but it was such an enjoyable class. Dr. Gerkens is really helpful and you can see that he loves teaching this class. I would definitely take him again, I just wished I took this class on campus rather than online.

He is tough, and this includes reading assignments, practice and graded quizzes, and midterms/final. His TA, Phoung, was so helpful! Dr. Gerkens and his TA had office hours before and after class, so if you cannot make it to one, you can see the other! Final was cumulative, half of it was from midterm 1 and 2 (so review it with him!)

Read the book. Print out the PowerPoints and bring to class. Focus on practice quizzes, some will be on the exams. Get together in groups, I know that helped me. Visit his office hours. Hard class, but doable. He's a tough grader for the paper, so put effort and again visit his office hours. Buy the book and highlight the important parts

Tough class, but so worth all the hard work! I learned more from this class than I ever expected. I often find myself referring to things I learned in this class when in other classes or even in casual conversations. Study the book and the videos and you'll be fine! Tests reflected the quizzes. I highly recommend him if you actually want to learn!

Make sure you read the chapters before class( like every other class mandates you too) and he will go into the main points in class. He provides videos and pictures and explains the studies, which will be on the test. The class is very informative, but if you read and pay attention in class you will do great and get an A.

This class is intense, and a lot of information. The quizzes and tests are difficult. Like any other class, you HAVE to read. One paper, which was graded pretty kindly. Took online, so didn't have much interaction with the professor, but he seems nice and approachable. He held a review session when the students requested.

Cognitive psych is a hard class regardless of who teaches it but I love Dr. Gerkens. He is a great instructor and is always available to students. The tests are hard but I think any cognitive psych class would have have hard tests. Make sure you read and pay attention to the quizzes, some questions are included on exams. Beware of cumulative final.

Dr G. is one of the best professors at CSUF. He cares about every single student and you can tell he enjoys lecturing. 305 is hard but Dr G makes the material easier to understand and has many in class activities and chances for points. Theres 2 exams and 1 cumulative final. They are challenging but doable. Read ahead, take good notes.

This is the only professor I've had that is actually interested and passionate about what they are lecturing! It made lectures much more enjoyable. The class was pretty simple but the material can be difficult at times. He has great office hours and has plenty of opportunities to review exams. One very short paper that he gives great feedback on.

You can tell Professor Gerkens has a lot of passion for his content. The material for each week is well organized and easy to absorb with lots of interesting related material. He thoroughly reads and responds to each written assignment. The final exam is super rough and cumulative and largely application based questions based on scenarios.

Hes a good guy and I would recommend him if you are able to make the commitment to an online course. His class is not easy but you will learn a lot.

This class is VERY difficult, but he's a good professor. Lot of information, NEED to study hard for the exams, but it is manageable. There's 1 paper, 2 midterms, ZAPS assignments, online quizzes, and the reading will really help. The final is cumulative so be ready to study for a week. This is a choice for one of the psyc requirements so take him

The material was challenging but you have to be willing to work hard and take initiative. Reading and attendance are required to understand the concepts as well as active participation in class. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his field. If you don't understand something attend office hours! I can't stress it enough!!!

I would not recommend taking this course for winter/summer - 3 modules a week; daily reading, quizzes, ZAPS, with some discussion posts. There were 4 exams online, with the final being cumulative/in-person. 1 paper assignment. Professor is great but the pace is intense, so be prepared to work for your grade! You will retain a lot of info, tho!

The professor is great; he is a bit unorganized, but everything is pretty straightforward. I would not recommend taking this class as an accelerated course because the material is very dense; it's better to have it spaced out. Make sure to read and do everything listed in the outlines he provides because it helps with understanding the material.

Each assignment was due before each exam. 1 exam = 3 chap. approx., but the prof is legit, so chill on due dates, which makes up for the content load. The quizzes are study tools for the exam; study (Quizlet+active recall). Deadlines are clear; read the syllabus, y'all. His final exam is easier than his unit exams (IMO). 5exam+1grpproj. YAY GL :D