2.4

Jagdeep Bala

Psychology - University of Oregon

2.4
Quality
3.6
Difficulty
16%
Would Retake
121
Reviews
2.4
Quality
3.6
Difficulty
2.4
Helpful
2.4
Clarity

16%

Would Retake

121

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

24

4

9

3

21

2

14

1

53

What Students Say

has she ever answered an e-mail in her life

PSY383 - 1.0 rating

Highly recommend avoiding a class with her

PSY450 - 3.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

69%

Textbook Required

50%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

95% confidence
Based on 60 grades
Most common grades:
B (15)
B+ (14)
A (10)
Grade Distribution
A(11)B(19)C(5)D(2)F(0)A-/B+(23)
Based on 69 reported grades
B: 15
B+: 14
A: 10
A-: 9
Common Tags
Lecture heavy (33)
Test heavy (29)
Tough grader (24)
Get ready to read (22)
Lots of homework (9)
Participation matters (5)
Tough Grader (4)
Graded by few things (4)
Rating Trend

Declining

-1.86 avg change
Feb
Jan
Feb
Mar
Aug
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

PSY438

5.0

(1)

PER500

5.0

(1)

PSYCH304

5.0

(1)

PSYPSY

5.0

(1)

PSYC383

5.0

(1)
+15 more courses
Difficulty by Course

PSYCH433

5.0

PER500

5.0

PSYCH202

5.0

PSYCH305

5.0

PSY433

4.5

Reviews (121)
3.0
3.0
PSYCH438
Apr 2, 2007

No Comments

5.0
2.0
PSY201
Aug 20, 2007

Really interesting class, not especially difficult as long as you can deal with multiple choice. Do the reading, go to office hours if you need help, don't miss any discussions.

5.0
4.0
PSY438
Feb 13, 2008

She is a nice teacher. Her lectures are simple and covers most stuff from the textbook. I like her lecture slides since its not only words but also pictures. Exam is little difficult but study guide really helps!

1.0
5.0
PSYCH433
Jun 12, 2008

Please don't take a class from this teacher! She is very smart but a bad teacher.

5.0
5.0
PER500
Nov 29, 2008

She is amazing!

3.0
3.0
PSY366
May 19, 2009

Very nice, very smart, helpful if you go to office hours. Moves really fast and can be hard to keep up with. Good idea to review notes ahead of class to avoid being totally lost.

5.0
3.0
PSY201
Sep 14, 2009

She has to cover a lot of material in a fairly short amount of time so it is fast paced. You really do have to do the reading and prep to keep up. If you do, it is a very interesting class.

4.0
3.0
PSY304
Oct 3, 2009

At times she was a little overwhelmed with the summer time frame being so fast, but she made fair adjustments when she realized that there were certain aspects of biopsychology that we just couldn't learn in that period. She is a humble and friendly person whose teaching is above average.

5.0
3.0
PSYCH304
Oct 7, 2009

Hard class. Good, fair prof.

3.0
4.0
PSY450
Nov 9, 2009

Very nice lady. Terrible teacher. The material is not present well at all. Very confusing flow. Text book is terrible as well. It is all very hard to follow and there is really no flow. I would not recommend this class unless you are prepared to be very, very focused and dedicated.

2.0
3.0
PSY201
May 26, 2010

She is extremely boring, I am actually about to fall asleep in her class right now. gnight

5.0
3.0
PSY201
Jun 7, 2010

Great teacher! She covers a lot of material but makes it really interesting. She is extremely fair but requires high attendance and you have to keep up with reading.

2.0
5.0
PSY201
Jun 12, 2010

I would not recommend this professor. Lectures were extremely boring and hard to understand. The tests were also extremely difficult, especially if you struggle with multiple choice. She also said she was going to curve our grades, and in the end chose not to which hurt a lot of people's grades.

1.0
5.0
PSYCH202
Nov 15, 2010

One word: HORRIBLE! Her lectures were boring and hard to follow. Her study guides weren't consistent with what was on the exam. Her exams had some ridiculous questions, asking things that we barely went over in class. I have gotten mostly A's in all my psychology classes and I got my worst grade so far in her class. AVOID HER AT ALL COSTS!

3.0
3.0
PSY201
Nov 25, 2010

All her slides are online, a repetition of the book, but she has mandatory attendance with the Iclicker and sometimes when not that many students show up she gives out EC. As long as you read, you'll be fine on the tests; I got an A+. But warning, you want to kill yourself it's so boring.

5.0
2.0
PSY383
Mar 5, 2011

Jagdeep is a really nice lady and a good professor. I am taking Psychoactive Drugs from her, and she really knows her stuff, is down to earth, easy to talk to and willing to help. Definitely recommend taking 383 from her. Makes class fun, and even at 8:30 in the morning.

5.0
4.0
PSY450
Mar 11, 2011

Her exams can be hard, but are not impossible if you study hard! She is a fun professor in class as well, and knows way too much! Its almost intimidating. But anyway, I highly recommend her! Just be prepared to work for your grade.

5.0
1.0
PSYPSY
Mar 16, 2011

She was awesome, funny, and spunky. I would definitely recommend her to anyone. She was very helpful but the midterm and final were a little difficult but her class has plenty of extra credit opportunities as long as you go to class.

4.0
2.0
PSY383
May 4, 2011

She is great! Knows her stuff and keeps the class fun with her sense of humor. She doesn't drill you on the boring details, and doesn't expect you to remember them either. Everything that is on the tests is covered in class lectures. She makes lectures fun and gives many extra credit opportunities. I highly recommend her!

4.0
1.0
PSY383
May 12, 2011

She is an amazing professor! She is so enthusiastic about what she is teaching it makes you want to pay attention! Even at 8:30 in the morning I am excited to go to class! She gives extra credit during classes when students are sparce. All her lecture slides are from the book so if you miss a class just read the chapter.

5.0
4.0
PSYC383
Jun 1, 2011

Good teacher!

5.0
2.0
PSY383
Jun 11, 2011

Great teacher! She is clear about what she wants from her students and grades very fairly. Lectures are interesting and very informative. Dr. Bala also gives numerous opportunities for extra credit. Highly recommended!

5.0
2.0
PSY383
Sep 1, 2011

Jagdeep teaches the material well. She also clear and reasonable expectations.

4.0
4.0
PSY435
Dec 14, 2011

DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CLASS unless you are willing to put in a good 20 hour a week commitment. Good teacher, had her for Psychoactive Drugs. This class MUCH harder, tests insanely hard. Not sure exactly what she wanted to had to know EVERYTHING. Very comprehensive and in-depth material.

5.0
3.0
PSYCH383
Mar 1, 2012

Wonderful lady, cares about students, clear, extra credit, if you go to office hours you will get a good grade. LOVED HER

5.0
4.0
PSY435
Mar 2, 2012

Hard class. Lots of material most of which is only in the reading NOT covered in class. Also this class moves at a very fast pace with lots of material to cover,

5.0
3.0
PSY201
May 2, 2012

Funny

5.0
1.0
PSYCH201
May 29, 2012

There are weekly labs which are only 4 questions, pretty easy. She is a pretty funny teacher for it being a really long class. If you read the textbook you will probably get a really good grade (and go to lecture). It is really basic, not that hard.

5.0
5.0
PSYCH383
Jan 18, 2013

Good professor overall. Nice, respects students opinions and allows everyone to speak, no matter their view. Dr. Jagdeep is an extremely smart individual who knows exactly what she is talking about, but she does expect quite a bit from her students.

3.0
4.0
PSY201
Apr 22, 2013

If you believe that college is a place where you pay money to read a book at you than this is your prof. She has absolutely no presence during class, her slides are very, very wordy. Cannot engage a class of this size, I'd learn better reading the slides on my own in my spare time then being required to come to this boring, molasses-like class.

5.0
5.0
PSY433
May 29, 2013

Jagdeep is an amazing instructor and she wants you to understand the material and will help anyway she can. She also gives extra credit and if she makes a mistake she will fix it. This class was extremely difficult but fun and interesting. I suggest you refresh brain regions before taking this class.

5.0
1.0
PSY201
Oct 21, 2013

She's hilarious and easy to talk to.

3.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: A-
Dec 24, 2013

Her class is really really easy to do well in. I got C's on all the tests but did good on the easy weekly lab quizzes and slid by with an A-. Her lecture notes are all over the place, so just do your reading and its best to do it before the class so you go in knowing what she's talking about.

5.0
2.0
PSY201
Mar 24, 2014

Very funny and nice. Her tests are kind of hard, but gives a TON of extra credit, so you can pretty much get an A or B without ever studying. I would highly recommend her!

4.0
3.0
PSY201
May 19, 2014

No not the one. She is nice, and class are fun and interesting, but the exams are very very specific and detailed which makes it hard, its m/c exams very tricky. I say find another if you want to get a good grade. But she does offer extra credits which helped me rise my grade.

4.0
3.0
PSY383
Grade: Not sure yet
May 22, 2015

She is a solid professor. Do the assignments, show up to class, read and you should be good. She has weekly quizzes, but they are fairly easy if you've paid attention. Her test were medium in difficulty, but if you study smartly you'll be good (she gives study guides though-vague ones). Interesting class, who doesn't want to learn about drugs?

3.0
4.0
PSY383
Jun 17, 2015

There is so much material in this class which can be confusing. She has weekly quizzes, so read and go through lecture slides. She gives 15 pages long study guides and would only use a small portion of it on the exam, which i found frustrating. Do all the extra credits, and participate.

1.0
5.0
PSY383
Nov 6, 2015

has she ever answered an e-mail in her life? students from her classes 4 years ago are still waiting for a simple response.

3.0
4.0
PSY435
Grade: B+
Nov 15, 2015

NOT APPROACHABLE. She makes fun of her students in class constantly. I actually don't understand- I think she's trying to be funny but it's at the expense of her students intelligence. This class was hard, but I was too scared to approach her with questions because she is such a bully.

4.0
3.0
PSY383
Grade: B
Feb 23, 2016

I had a class at 8:30am and only showed up for quiz days (attendance2% of final grade). For her tests and quizzes, I just reviewed the material (slides+textbook) and I was able to pull off a B. If you aren't going to go to class, go for quiz days so you know where you stand grade wise. A lot of material isn't fairly new if you have prior psy knowl

3.0
4.0
PSY450
Mar 3, 2016

Her lecture slides are novels. Way too confusing and too much information on the slides, you can barely even read it. She is not very helpful at all and often makes you feel dumb if you don't know what she is talking about. Highly recommend avoiding a class with her. She is a great person/ also a great advisor but not a great teacher.

5.0
4.0
PSY450
Mar 6, 2016

Love her lectures! Very fair and helpful. Tough tests but study guides are helpful.

1.0
4.0
PSY433
Grade: B
Jun 7, 2016
Wouldn't take again

I have never rated a professor before but came to save people from making the mistake of taking a class from Jagdeep. She doesn't answer emails, her tests are the hardest I've ever taken, her grading is strict, she is rude to students, doesn't speak english too well, her slides are convoluted and cluttered and littered with grammatical errors.

4.0
4.0
PSY450
Grade: B
Sep 12, 2016
Would take again

Professor Bala was a hard grader, but very personable. Her lectures were slightly above average and her personality and willingness to work with students is phenomenal. The subject-matter was inherently difficult due to a the large amount of vocabulary retention required for the course, but she did great. Her study guides were great, also.

Tough Grader
Skip class? You won't pass.
Caring
2.0
5.0
PSY435
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 12, 2016
Wouldn't take again

While the professor is funny and tries to bring fun into the classes, the exams are unclear and worth over 50% of the final grade, but on the final, the average was below 50%. I, myself, managed to get roughly 95% in every other aspect of the class, the exams really brought my grade down. They were poorly written and very confusing.

Hilarious
TEST HEAVY
GROUP PROJECTS
1.0
2.0
PSY450
Grade: A
Feb 24, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Her teaching style consists of dimming the lights to go over super dry content and explain things poorly. All her classes are the same: 6 MC quizzes (drops lowest 2), 2 midterms, and a final plus an easy research paper. Basically just memorize what she says and it's easy, because she just throws facts at you without the context of modern research

LECTURE HEAVY
1.0
3.0
PSY450
Grade: A-
Apr 3, 2017
Wouldn't take again

I will not take a class with this professor again. This class could be really interesting but she doesn't care about teaching at all. She's rude to students and seems super annoyed when people ask questions. It's incredibly difficult to know what's important information to know. Her slides are paragraphs of random bullet points. Super frustrating.

1.0
4.0
PSY305
Grade: B-
Jun 5, 2018
Wouldn't take again

I really did not like this class. I took extensive notes for every class. I got a B- in the class after struggling through each midterm, quiz, and the final. This class made me lose faith in myself. I was trying everything and studied all the time and still felt like a failure. Do not recommend. She makes tests really hard and not lecture based.

Tough Grader
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
GROUP PROJECTS
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Nov 13, 2018
Wouldn't take again

She is the rudest professor I have ever have and will never have again. She is so unpleasant if you come to office hours and makes you feel like you are wasting her time. If shes not interested in answering an email, she won't. Class is unreasonably hard when compared to the same class taught by other professors. Hard tests and HORRIBLE powerpoints

Tough Grader
Get ready to read
LECTURE HEAVY
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Grade: B+
Dec 11, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Her quizzes and exams are very unclear. The material is not too difficult to understand, but she makes the questions unnecessarily difficult and confusing. She takes forever to respond to emails or flat out ignores them. She took an interesting class and ruined it with horrible tests questions.

Tough Grader
2.0
4.0
PSY305
Grade: B-
Mar 2, 2019
Wouldn't take again

The class seems somewhat fine until her weekly quizzes become SUPER hard, I expected to get a C or worse on most of them. As for the midterm, the best score I heard of was a 75% and most people fell in the 50s or below. She reuses lecture videos from past classes. VERY hard to succeed, hardly learned much. Very degrading class and she didnt care.

Accessible outside class
Get ready to read
Tough grader
1.0
3.0
PSY308
Grade: A
Mar 6, 2019
Wouldn't take again

This professor interjects little bits of her arrogance into the lectures weekly. Mentioned she "knows four languages" multiple times and likes to brag about her accomplishments. We are here to learn, not to fuel her ego. Class was moderately challenging, but A is possible with effort. Lots of quizzes, and there is a lot of group work as well.

Lecture heavy
3.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: C-
Jun 4, 2019
Wouldn't take again

I admire that Professor Bala is very passionate about Psychology. But, the course was pretty tough for me. It was very heavy on memorization which is something I am not good at. Lectures were very long and she would often speed through some slides. Exams were very detailed and it was hard for me to pass them. I am unsure if I would take her again.

Lots of homework
Test heavy
Lecture heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Jun 11, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Professor Bala is by far the worst instructor I've ever had at the University of Oregon. Her lectures are nearly incomprehensible. She spends too much time on things that don't matter, and not enough on things that do, making it hard to tell what she was even talking about in the first place. Tests are full of grammatical errors and poor wording.

1.0
5.0
PSY305
Sep 9, 2019
Wouldn't take again

I have never taken a more confusing and downright disorganized class. I never knew what was due, the emails that were sent out were always out of date, and the amount of mistakes through the lectures, study guide, and test were insane. This is the absolute worst class I have taken (and I took the General Chem sequence)

Lecture heavy
Tough grader
2.0
4.0
PSY305
Sep 13, 2019
Wouldn't take again

The lecture videos were often impossible to understand and full of glitches and audio issues. Only the guest lecture videos had the option of captions so if you have issues with auditory processing, good luck. The tests are worded in ways that make this feel a bit like an sat that you didn't prepare for and that's after studying hard. Tough Class

Test heavy
Lecture heavy
Tough grader
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Grade: D-
Dec 9, 2019
Wouldn't take again

This professor was a nightmare. Not only are her classes poorly structured, but she makes simple concepts feel so much more difficult. She makes you contradict yourself (all because it's a teaching moment in congestion), and patronizes her students when they try to answer in discussion. If you like psych, avoid her classes at all costs.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
Tough grader
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Grade: B+
Jun 2, 2020
Wouldn't take again

She's the WORST prof. at UofO. She's disorganized, disrespectful, and can't teach. She released incorrect midterm grades without telling us they were wrong. She forgot our FINAL EXAMS so we had to waste 45 mins of our final. She makes EASY concepts IMPOSSIBLE to understand. And she blames everything on us and doesn't acknowledge her own mistakes.

Lecture heavy
Tough grader
1.0
4.0
PSY305
Grade: A
Jun 6, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Jag as a person is nice and funny, but as a professor she is disorganized and has difficult exams and quizzes. Her quizzes typically have 5 questions, so you can only afford to miss one question per quiz. She misgraded our midterms and did not print enough final exams for us, so we lost 20 minutes of our cumulative

Get ready to read
Test heavy
Tough grader
3.0
2.0
PSY201
Grade: A
Aug 25, 2020
Would take again

This class was an 8-week summer class taken online, and it really wasn't that bad. Kind of a lot of little assignments and average-length lectures but they were fine. However, Prof. Bala never responded to an email that I sent week 1, and I had to instead email the GE (who was very prompt). That was frustrating, but the class was overall average.

Lecture heavy
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Grade: C+
Oct 3, 2020
Wouldn't take again

She is disorganized, doesn't answer emails, and is an extremely hard grader. She also gives pop and reading quizzes which are really tough, even if you read!! UGH. If you go to her office hours, she questions you about why you're having a tough time because she claims her class is "easy" Oh ok then...

Test heavy
Beware of pop quizzes
Tough grader
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Oct 23, 2020
Wouldn't take again

She uses lecture videos from 2014. So much information on the screen and she uses words that she expects us to know but gives no background information on. After I watch her lecture I'm left very confused, but once I read the textbook it's very easy to grasp. She makes the ideas harder then they actually are.

Lots of homework
Lecture heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Nov 16, 2020
Wouldn't take again

She is so unresponsive and her remote learning class is boring and unorganized.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Test heavy
3.0
3.0
PSY201
Dec 1, 2020
Would take again

Professor Bala could definitely update her lecture videos because they are extremely old and fast-paced. I did not have time to take notes so each lecture had to be doubled in duration due to frequent pauses to catch up. You will do fine if you read the textbook along with the class, but I would suggest that you spend a lot of time studying.

Lecture heavy
Caring
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Dec 3, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Modules were easy enough, tests were awful. Her slides are also very outdated and hard to understand. Tests are long and way too specific to actually get a good grade or study for the right information.

Get ready to read
Test heavy
Tough grader
1.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Dec 3, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Her lectures are boring and outdated. Don't bother with them imo. The textbook was more informative, clear, and had more updated concepts and information. I liked the inquisitives but otherwise most of the overall grade comes from tests and the midterm/final. Not that hard for me, but I knew a a decent amount of psych before going in, so.

Get ready to read
Test heavy
Lecture heavy
3.0
2.0
PSY201
Grade: A+
Dec 23, 2020
Would take again

The class itself was pretty easy and straightforward, my biggest issue was the midterm & final which account for 45% of your grade. You are not allowed to go back once you answer a question and are only given 65 minutes for a 51 question test. I felt rushed and like I couldve done better had there been more time or If I had the option to go back.

Lots of homework
Get ready to read
Test heavy
2.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: A-
Jan 19, 2021
Wouldn't take again

This was my least favorite class. The subject is a very interesting but the teaching was lacking. The material she presented was not complimentary to the tests given. I would not recommend taking her classes. The biggest area of improvement would if she made more of an effort to interact with her students and respond to questions.

1.0
2.0
PSY201
Mar 5, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Professor Bala denied my AEC accommodations, claiming she never received an email from the AEC about them (I know she did because I was CCed on the email). If you use AEC accommodations I would avoid taking her class.

1.0
5.0
PSYCH201
Grade: B+
Mar 25, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Her lectures barely make sense, the material is super old and she complicates things so much that it is much easier to just teach yourself from the book. Trying to get an email response from her is like pulling teeth, not mention she will lie about getting them and gaslight you. Her demeanor during lecture was horrid, disrespectful to students.

Tough grader
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: A-
Mar 25, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Im not sure why she tries to produce the most complicated lectures possible, but they are insanely unnecessary. Her lectures and teaching style are hard to follow and make little sense, just stick with the book. Also be prepared to experience disrespect and gaslighting if you email her or ask questions during lecture. Take another prof if you can.

Tough grader
1.0
4.0
PSY305
Grade: Rather not say
May 21, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Literally take any other teacher possible. I could go on for hours but I'll leave it at that.

1.0
4.0
PSY305
Grade: A
Jun 4, 2021
Wouldn't take again

I found this class to be unnecessarily difficult. My biggest complaint is that her recorded lectures (which were from 3-7 years ago as of 2021 and sometimes were recorded "guest" lecturers) usually didn't make sense given what we had read in the textbook. Assignments were sometimes posted in the middle of the week and exams had strict timers.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
EXTRA CREDIT
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Grade: A
Jul 17, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Worst professor Ive ever had. Spare yourself the trouble and avoid Dr. Bala at all costs. She is horrible at responding to emails and is quite unprofessional. I believe this course would have been much less difficult had she not been the instructor.

1.0
3.0
PSY305
Aug 9, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Lectures were recorded 3 years ago and everything is automatically graded except for discussion posts which her TA grades. It is apparent that she does not put any effort into this course which means that the students have to pick up the slack. If you unfortunately have to take this course by her, reading the textbook is more helpful than lectures.

Get ready to read
Tough grader
1.0
3.0
PSY305
Grade: B+
Oct 11, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Literally the worse professor by all means. No feedbacks and takes forever to responds (usually doesn't even respond), tests were heavily graded if you miss a few questions, no chance at an A. She takes forever to grade even the TA so you get no feedbacks to improve or anything. You're basically taking the class on your own with no help from them.

Get ready to read
Graded by few things
Test heavy
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Grade: A-
Nov 12, 2021
Wouldn't take again

By far the most unprofessional and disrespectful professor in the entire state of Oregon. Her lectures make no sense and are recorded from 7-10 years ago. She WILL NOT answer emails or give feedback AT ALL. If you want a response, you have to CC the education chair. She gaslights students, lies, is unorganized, and blames everything on someone else

Get ready to read
Test heavy
Tough grader
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Grade: A-
Nov 17, 2021
Wouldn't take again

By far the most discouraging experience I have had in my collegiate career. Does not reply to ANY emails, is down right rude to students, and unprofessional overall. Lectures are from years ago and are explained in a difficult way. Reminds me of a teacher that I would have encountered in high school, not at a University where we pay top-dollar.

3.0
4.0
PSY305
Dec 3, 2021
Wouldn't take again

As much as I respect Prof. Bala, this class was not great. Her lectures clarify concepts, and the book covers most things, but the exams are incredibly difficult and not reflective of what was taught. Every person believed they had failed the midterm despite studying. She doesn't respond to her emails. Group projects. Not a well-structured course.

Test heavy
Tough grader
1.0
5.0
PSY305
Dec 8, 2021
Wouldn't take again

This is the worst class I have ever taken with the worst Professor I have ever had. She has single-handedly made me hate being a psych major. She does not respond to emails. Her lectures will make u fall asleep. She gives u study guides for the two exams that make up ur whole grade and nothing from the study guide is on the test. Worst class ever!!

Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
Tough grader
1.0
4.0
PSY305
Dec 8, 2021
Wouldn't take again

She is neither effective nor enjoyable. Test questions unrelated to what she's taught and worded awfully. Doesn't respond to emails. Seems too busy to care about the class. Assignments were irrelevant busy work graded by TAs. The course was unorganized and confusing. Not nice to students. Lecture slides don't make sense. Doesn't support students.

Beware of pop quizzes
Lecture heavy
1.0
5.0
PSYCH305
Dec 11, 2021
Wouldn't take again

This is easily the worst class ive ever taken at UO. She NEVER responded to emails regardless of the content. When I confronted her in person multiple times she would pretend like she had no idea, followed by still no reply. The exams are nothing like the study guide and include subjects we didn't learn in class OR is in the book. So disappointed.

Tough grader
1.0
5.0
PSY201
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 6, 2022

Bad. Bad. Bad. AVOID.

1.0
5.0
PSY201
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 6, 2022

Goes so fast in lectures and is so hard to follow, unwilling to work with peoples accommodations, discouraging in class.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
5.0
1.0
PSY201
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 27, 2022
Would take again

Everyone overreacts, she is so sweet and understanding to your needs, everyone is a jealous hater giving 1's

Gives good feedback
Inspirational
Lots of homework
1.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 27, 2022

In my opinion, Bala is an abominable professor, degrading students, bumbling on about comically irrelevant information, etc. On an open-note/book 50-question exam, there was NOT ONE QUESTION FROM CLASS MATERIAL! I Ctrl F'd every question. You'd learn more from staring at a doorknob. Avoid this class at all costs.

Get ready to read
2.0
2.0
PSY201
Grade: A
May 9, 2022

I would easily say Bala Jagdeep is easily the most uninvolved and disconnected professor I have had so far. It appears as though this class is an afterthought. Her mandatory lectures are long and boring, with only a surface level of explanation for concepts that could be taken from the textbook. Not a hard professor, but not an involved one either.

Lecture heavy
1.0
5.0
PSY201
Grade: B-
Jun 13, 2022

Terrible teacher; slides are impossible to follow, reading the textbook is way more useful. Takes as long as possible to grade tests; It has been 10 days and she still has not graded a multiple choice final, while most of my other teachers graded their short answer tests in a day or two.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
1.0
5.0
PSY201
Grade: A
Jun 14, 2022

So terrible. Lectures are a massive waste of time, 90% of it won't be on the exams. Only got a good grade because lectures were online and open note. 5% chance she'll respond to any email you send her, she didn't answer either of mine. Had a valid reason for a missed class that would've bumped my grade to A+, ignored. Didn't even tell me no.

Lots of homework
Lecture heavy
2.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: A
Jul 14, 2022

lectures are really boring, but if you take notes you'll probably be ok

1.0
2.0
PSY201
Grade: A-
Sep 29, 2022

Lectures are mandatory and incredibly boring, most of the material is not helpful for the exams. Teacher has an inflated ego and does not respond to students. Heavily weighted online multiple choice exams that are instantly graded automatically would not appear in the gradebook for at least a week if not longer. Avoid this teacher if possible.

Lecture heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Nov 4, 2022

She does not explain concepts in depth and words questions to try to confuse people. Overall my least favorite professor I have ever had.

Participation matters
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
5.0
4.0
PSY201
Nov 4, 2022
Would take again

Bala is a great professor in my opinion. She will challenge you, hence a lot of the bad reviews, but if youre willing to study and put in the work, her class is absolutely worth it. I learned so much from her and would 100% retake the class.

Amazing lectures
Test heavy
Get ready to read
1.0
5.0
PSY201
Nov 10, 2022
Wouldn't take again

Not a great experience. Test heavy and study materials dont help with the tests.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Test heavy
3.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Nov 17, 2022

She is funny, but lectures are not very interesting. She skims over topics pretty quickly, which makes it difficult sometimes.

2.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Dec 2, 2022

shes not very straightforward. She can be difficult at explaining things. Tests are hard. She can be forgiving at times but its rare.

Participation matters
Lots of homework
Lecture heavy
3.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: A-
Dec 6, 2022

I didn't think she was as bad as some others do, but I understand the low ratings. You can tell she knows a lot and is very passionate about the field, but I don't think she should be teaching an intro course. In office hours she was a lot easier to follow. 201 is quite test-heavy (60%) and the tests are structured awfully.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Test heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY305
Grade: A
Aug 29, 2023

She gives tons of homework that will consume your time forever and she will never reply to your email. Her class is never organized causing more confusion and she doesn't care if you are dealing with a heavy workload or family emergency. If you want to make your life miserable, take her class.

Tough grader
Get ready to read
Lots of homework
3.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Nov 28, 2023

test heavy

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
2.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: C+
Dec 9, 2023
Would take again

Bala was ok. She wasn't terrible but she wasn't great. To pass the class you have to be willing to teach yourself (lectures are pretty much useless). Grading was clear, but beware 60% of your grade is from 3/4 exams given. Exams are multiple choice, so not horrible but still suck. Try to find a different professor, but if you can't you'll be ok.

Lecture heavy
Test heavy
1.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Dec 12, 2023

Not only did she repeatedly not follow my accommodations, to the point I had to report her to the school, Dr. Bala curved my A DOWN to a B+ after final grades were due. She has horrific communication skills; never responds to emails and is very inaccessible outside of class. Lecture and textbook content is irrelevant to what is asked on exams.

Tough grader
Test heavy
3.0
2.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Dec 16, 2023
Would take again

The lectures are long and boring. The homework was not bad, just labs that took max 15 min. and then chapter reviews that do take a while, but I found them helpful for the exams. She takes forever to respond to emails/won't respond. Easy class if you took AP Psych.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
3.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Jan 2, 2024
Would take again

I enjoyed my psych 201 class. It wasn't anything extraordinary. It was about what I expected from a 400 person lecture based class. Professor Bala is not the most responsive with emails, but if you go to her office hours or go up to her after class she will eagerly answer any questions you have. If you took AP Psych then the class will be easy.

Get ready to read
Test heavy
5.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: A-
Jan 9, 2024
Would take again

Good professor strict. Goes through lectures quick and it can be hard to learn from them but if you read the chapter for each lecture before going to class you will understand SO MUCH MORE. Along with that, to effectively learn, read through and take deep notes on the chapters. The class requires a lot of effort but is very interesting.

Lots of homework
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
3.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: B-
Feb 2, 2024
Would take again

Dr. Bala is a very intelligent psych professor, but she went pretty quickly through slides and the tests were difficult. I am a little surprised at the bad reviews because despite her faults, she was very knowledgable and straight-forward.

Lecture heavy
3.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Jan 17, 2025
Would take again

Dr. Bala is a knowledgeable professor, but her lectures can move quickly. To succeed, read the textbook, take detailed notes, and use resources like Unstuck AI for study prep. The class requires effort, but is interesting if you engage with the material.

1.0
5.0
PSY201
Grade: Not sure yet
Jan 28, 2025

She's nice but oh my god what is she talking about 99% of the time. I have a 4.2 gpa and I'm a psych major and I have no clue what's ever going on in her lectures.

Tough grader
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Feb 5, 2025

I went into this class thinking it would be easier since it's an introductory class, but I was so wrong. The lectures are so boring and she usually just goes on a long tangent taking up extra unnecessary time. The exam was nothing like the study guide. Her slides are so hard to make sense of and the exam itself was way harder than it needed to be.

Participation matters
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
2.0
5.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Feb 6, 2025

The workload wasn't hard, but the tests were terrible. It's 40 question multiple choice exams every two weeks, but the study guide includes over 120 concepts, so you don't know which ones to focus on. Most of the questions are aimed to confuse you by having 4 correct answers but you have to choose the rightest answer. At least she's nice?

Get ready to read
Test heavy
1.0
5.0
PSY201
Grade: Not sure yet
Feb 11, 2025

flipped class, slides don't correlate.

Tough grader
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
1.0
5.0
PSY201
Grade: C+
Feb 13, 2025

Truly one of the most awful classes I have taken. I am still currently in the class and just waiting for the day I never have to take a class by this professor again. Your grade is majority test dependent, the study guides are awful and even say they may not help. Inquiz is given 1 day before it's due and must be a score of 1500. Lectures mandatory

Lots of homework
Test heavy
1.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Feb 14, 2025

Lectures are so hard to follow because she talks about nonesense for the entire two hours and you have to teach yourself the material. The exams are incredibly hard and only focus on random niche information instead of material covering the entire textbook. Avoid this professor at all costs

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
2.0
3.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Feb 27, 2025

telling me she's taught for 10 years but doesn't know how to dismiss a class after a test? I waited 30 minutes just tryna turn it in, represents the class as a whole. don't pmo...

1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Mar 6, 2025

Prof was utterly useless when it came to this class. ended up teaching myself the material, my other classmates & I relied on each other heavily for study material as she gives NO HELP for study guides. the lectures are all over the place, and you have to figure out how to pass an exam with info on it that you have not been taught. DO NOT TAKE!

Participation matters
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
2.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Mar 7, 2025

LONG boring lectures, she'll be on one slide for 10 minutes and just go on tangents. Tests are hard but if you study for multiple hours, you will be fine. Homework load is okay. I would only take this class if you have to. Your only going to get an A if you really have a love for Psychology.

Lecture heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: C
Mar 7, 2025

very nice lady but was very inconsistent with releasing study guides and assignments (usually before the day they were due or a couple days before an exam). Slides are all over the place and do not correlate. She has a awesome passion for psychology and is really smart but does not know how to teach.

Lecture heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Mar 9, 2025

This class is extremely lecture heavy and the tests were very difficult. Lectures are very hard to follow and the slides are so confusing. It feels like she is teaching to an audience that is already supposed to understand the material even though it is an introductory class. Felt very hard to study for and get good grades.

Tough grader
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Mar 12, 2025

How to pass the tests: ignore her nonsense outdated slides and lectures, study the textbook chapter's vocabulary+summaries, redo the inquizitives, google anything else you don't know on the study guides, and PRAY. A waste to have an awful prof making an intro course so difficult and ruining psychology for others. If you can, AVOID TAKING HER CLASS

Test heavy
Graded by few things
1.0
1.0
PSY201
Grade: D
Mar 26, 2025

The way she goes about lecturing is horrible. It's like she's talking to you for 2 hours NOT TEACHING. I felt like I learned nothing each class and the

Tough grader
2.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B
Aug 28, 2025

This Prof is smart but not a good teacher her lectures were not helpful at all on the tests and her tests were harder then they should be for an intro psychology class. If I could go back in time and not take this class I would. Prof. Bala is personable and nice as a human but is not a great educator.

4.0
4.0
PSY201
Grade: B+
Dec 17, 2025
Would take again

I think professor Bala has way too many opps on this website. She is considerate, passionate about psych and genuinely wants her students to succeed. The material is not too challenging (especially if you've taken psych classes before this one) but moves very quickly and can be hard to keep up with. Biggest complaint is waiting for test scores.

Participation matters
Caring
Test heavy
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

69%

Textbook Required

50%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

95% confidence
Based on 60 grades
Most common grades:
B (15)
B+ (14)
A (10)
Grade Distribution
A(11)B(19)C(5)D(2)F(0)A-/B+(23)
Based on 69 reported grades
B: 15
B+: 14
A: 10
A-: 9
Common Tags
Lecture heavy (33)
Test heavy (29)
Tough grader (24)
Get ready to read (22)
Lots of homework (9)
Participation matters (5)
Tough Grader (4)
Graded by few things (4)
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