Good teacher, grades on a "scale" fair grader and funny sometimes

Brandnew teacher at OCC. He is a great teacher, helpful, funny, and so kind. Tests are really easy: straightforward, with the order of each chapter. Group activities are definitely easy enough for you to take 10/10 pts. A Is it good enough for you to get an A? If not, do extra credit. Be with his class, you'll brighten your GPA. Sure!

Very nice and a good teacher.

Great professor. The class is intimidating at first, but stick with it because Dr. Smolin is an excellent professor. Alot of group work and very helpful with your projects. He's very fair with the grading and i wouldnt say the class is easy but he really gets you to learn and involved.

I took his stats class, and at first I was very intimidated of the class b/c I hate math, but i ended up with a B in the class b/c he is so helpful and nice. Tests are fairly easy...he even lets you have a page of notes for the tests too!

HE IS AN AMAZING PROFESSOR!! EVERYONE TAKE HIM TRUST ME YOU'LL LEARN SO MUCH IN A FUN AND EASY WAY. GIVES ALOT OF EXTRA CREDIT AND LETS YOU TAKE QUIZZES IN GROUPS OF 5. HES VERY HELPFUL AND PRETTY FUNNY. EASY TO TALK TO AND NOT BAD TO STARE AT. ; ) IM A PSYCH MAJOR AND I KNOW I'LL BE GOIN BACK TO HIM FOR ADVICE ON MY OTHER CLASSES!

He's such a nice guy! His class is super easy too... as long as you come to class and take notes :] and he also gives LOTS of extra credit [so nice!] The tests are REALLY straightforward too, just go over the definitions, class activities, and your notes and you're good.

This is a hard class but Smolin is very helpful with projects. I was going to drop it until I talked to him and I ended up keeping the class. He is easy to talk to and very understanding.

Very hard class. But he is a very nice guy and always there for help. Lots of reading and must study a ton

I LOVE THIS CLASS....he's such a great teacher! he gives a lot of extra credit too...he really wants everyone to get a good grade! TAKE HIM he's goood!

HE'S AN "OK" TEACHER. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IN CLASS AND I'M REALLY LOST. BUT I SOLVED THAT PROBLEM BY STUDYING BY MYSELF. QUIZZES ARE IN A GROUP AND HE'S TESTS ARE SEMI HARD AND EASY. JUST STUDY AND PUT GOOD INFORMATION ON THE "CHEAT SHEET" THAT HE ALLOWS FOR THE TESTS.

Boring! I could not listen to this guy. But he is pretty easy, a lot of extra credit. Tests pretty easy. Takes attendece but there are no points for it.

little hard to follow but a great fun guy and very helpful when you ask for it.

He's a great guy and a great teacher. Always lending a helpful hand with the project and now i know how to write in APA style. But just the class is 3 1/2 hours long twice a week. You have to love psych to be in here. Lots of extra credit. But he wants you to understand it better. Have to be there everyday to get the points and turn in the hw.

Passionate, intelligent & brings his own experiences to the class, films & class discussions. If u read the chapters b4 coming to class u will not be lost when he lectures. he's very helpful thru office hrs. & e-mail. Grades on a curve. If psych is ur passion this is the professor to learn from, grades on a curve.

What a wonderful professor! He is inspiring! It's evident that he is passionate about Psy. and he passes that to his students. He is more than helpful and funny too! I was a little intimidated at first because he has a Ph.D, but he is not pretentious at all. I wish more instructors were like him.

Mr. Smolin is very cool. The class was extremely intimidating at first, but he helps you any time you need it. The course itself is very challenging. There are three major exams, three major papers and a large group research project but as long as you come to class every day, show the effort, and ask a lot of questions you will learn a lot!

good teacher. you need to attend all the classes to get all the points and in this class, points are CRUCIAL! you want every single point that you can get. overall he's a good teacher, he can get boring at times but what teacher isn't boring at certain times? pay attention and take notes in class and you'll be fine.

Great guy. He's very understanding and considerate when it comes to understanding college students. The class is really not so bad. If you use the study guide workbook for each chapter the tests will be a piece of cake. Read the book, use the study guide, and go to class (quizzes) and you will most def. will walk out with an A or B.

seriously the EASIEST class that has ever been created. WOW. take it. get 105% in the class. if you need to get credit for taking a stat class take this class!

SMOLIN is awesome! Probably one of the best professors on campus. I REALLY recommend him, a true motivator and dedicated with the teachings he provides to the students. He is very informative and humorous.

SMOLIN is awesome! Probably one of the best professors on campus. I REALLY recommend him, a true motivator and dedicated with the teachings he provides to the students. He is very informative and humorous.

Good class! I thought it was going to be so much harder than it was. Just be able to know how to do calculations and you'll do good in the class. Funny sense of humor, but made me laugh :D

cool and understanding teacher.the subject is a lillte boring but not hard.there is a lot of group activity in this class. dont miss class because u losse points final was hard!

No homework. Quizzes once in a while but usually pretty simple if you pay attention. Great professor- lots of experience/knowledge. 3 exams- if you use the study guide you'll get an A. 1 take home test- easy A. Most of the multiple choice questions are very similar. Quiz questions appear on the test. He is very straight forward and easy to follow.

Smolin is the freakin man. He's funny. no homework. If you attend his lectures and do the readings you will do excellent on the tests. I would highly recommend him to anyone he's one of the best teachers i've ever had and one of the best at OCC!

He's a fun professor, who tries to make you do well. He doesn't want to see people fail, so he will make adjustments to help the class boost their grades. Awesome and great teacher overall. Awesome professor overall.

Smolin was alright but his lectures were a bit boring. I found myself looking at the clock alot. You do have to study for his tests.. there are only three and that is basically your grade...aside from a few minor in-class writing assignments.

Wonderful teacher. He was fun and interesting. He loves to use the simpsons as examples.. He takes notice of the students who make an effort and does whatever he can to help you out. I registered for another one of his classes next semester :] Highly recommend this teacher. I am taking psych class just to better myself and i learned so much!

This class was so much fun because Smolin made it so. His lectures are not hard to understand AT ALL, and in the whole class, theres no homework, only three tests, and if you're there (which I recommend you attend) there are in-class activities that boost your grade. He is so nice and easy to talk to, TAKE HIM!! Great guy, funny too.

Dr. Smolin is a funny interesting guy who tries to bring a sense of humor and fun to his classes. His teaching style for this class was groups for everything which wasnt my thing, 3 major tests, labs everyday almsot, lots of lecture but reading helps especially if you dont pay attention, there is also one huge paper that he will grade meticulously.

I love Dr. Smolin! He is so nice, and he wants to help his students in an way he can. You won't believe how knowledgeable he is - he's like a walking encyclopedia of psychology info. He works hard to keep his class interesting, and if you come to class, take notes, and study, you will do fine. He is an all-around great guy : ).

He doesnt offer anyy extra credit, no study guide for tests, so be prepared to read a lot and make sure to study hard for his test because at times they can be worded tricky. Yes you learn a lot in this class, but you HAVE to put in the effort to get a good grade. I put in the effort and im ending up with a C.

hard class, difficult subject. read the book, study his notes. 1 research paper-hard and 3 exams. he is well educated in psychology and an amazing teacher, very dedicated as well! i learned a lot about APA format and writing APA papers! Need both the textbook and APA manual and don't miss class!

His lecture notes are a little vague, so you'll have to take down notes from what he says as he elaborates. I learned that the hard way, of course. If you study and pay attention, an A is possible.

He is the best teacher I've had at OCC! It is clear that he cares about his job and his students. As long as you go to class and read the text, the tests are easy. He doesn't give many grades though so you have to do your work for the tests.

Funny guy. Very helpful, I learned a lot in his class and I enjoyed going everyday which is important. Use the notes to study, read the book. I recommend making flash cards on certain things. Very enthusiastic teacher.

I LOVE this teacher!! seriously he is the happiest, brightest light of a person i've ever met. he is obviously so passionate about psychology and is one of those teahers that inspires you and makes you excited about knowledge. the class is extremely difficult but so fascinating because of smolin. highly recommend!

Great teacher, but B-O-R-I-N-G. Quite disappointing. His lectures are very slow and monotone. If you work hard to keep up, however, you will do well. The tests aren't so difficult, but they require good note taking, and if you aren't in class, a lot of reading. But that is very manageable, just time consuming.

Bad reviews on Professor Smolin are most likely from Students used to classes to which you put out the minimal effort, and pass with an A. OCC is home 2 many of those. Reality is you take notes, and use them as a study guide with the book, you pass easily. You don't like to read? Take perfect notes and you won't have to, you could get a B, no book.

Such an awesome teacher. One of those people who genuinely loves to teach and wants us to succeed. I thought the class would be impossible/hard, but he explained all papers and assignments. Have several research papers, labs, and stuff in class. Great teacher, splendid class. Loved it!

He is such a wonderful teacher. Like people in the past have written, he truly loves what he does and you can tell that by the way he teaches his class. I would recommend him as a teacher for anyone. He is a great teacher!

I took the class a couple quarters ago and from what I remember the test are very challenging you have to read your book carefully and pay attention but like the other comments say he is a great teacher who is very smart and knows what he is talking about

You need to spent a lot of time to study to do well on the tests, and while it's not an easy A, it's very much possible. I was impressed. He really knows his stuff. It's all lecture and note-taking. I recommend this class to people who are serious about getting an in depth understanding of abnormal psychology and not an easy A. I kept my notes.

Smolin is awesome. He's funny, interesting and he very thoroughly describes the topic.His powerpoints are very useful and he makes sure you dont have any questions before he moves on. His tests are based 95% on his lecture so you have to be at all of his classes but he doesnt give homework and only a few quizzes. Just dont text in his class!

He's an awesome teacher. Attendance isn't mandatory, but he does random in class assignments which can affect your grade if you miss them. He also covers tons of information in class. I was so confused most of the way through this semester, but he does tons of extra credit and "incentives" to help people pass. He really doesn't want anyone to fail.

HE is probably the best psychology teacher i've had thus far. he knows what he is talking about and really enjoys doing what he does. all his tests are based on lecture notes. so study hard. you only need the book for homework assignments. OVERALL, really great professor.

Interesting class. writes the tests more difficult than necessary. 3 tests, periodic five question quizzes, some open note, decides the day of the quiz.no extra credit offered on syllabus.Personally,I would not take his classes if I had another good choice of instructor based on his crazy test style.

He bases his tests pretty much only on lecture and answers anyone's questions, no matter what they are. He is a really good teacher. However, if you are looking for an easy a this is not the class for you. At the end of the semester there were only 5 people capable of getting an A, and only by getting a high A on the final.

VERY HARD CLASS. I would not miss a lecture because his test are mainly on lecture, but his test require critical thinking. Overall class was interesting and the information is useful if you want to work with people.

He is a gifted professor with lots of knowledge, experience and compassion in his field. I wish I "have" his brains. He is very helpful and when you listen to his lectures and his guidance you cannot go wrong. His lecture's are very important and taking note and listening to his tips on study skills is fab. He know what he is doing!GREAT GUY!

Took him for intro to counseling and abnormal psych. Great teacher, very helpful and knowledge. Definitely one of my favorite psych teachers. Worked my butt off and got B's in both classes.

Of all the 40 people in the class, I was the only 1 who got an A. With that said, he's an old school prof who actually makes u use ur brain on tests, although they're MCs, guessing is failing. Pay very close attention to his notes and to what he SAYS. 3 tests, UR notes r the study guides, read book about topics discussed in class to get more info.

Pay attention and take great notes!! You need to actually care about this class but he is a very thorough and great professor.

Great teacher. Notes are his study guide, he makes that very clear. You come to class to take the notes, and read at home more in depth. Very smart man, and he is what I ideally want to become,passionate about my work,and knowledgeable in the field to help others. Fantastic teacher,the epitome and a human manifestation of Psychology. A255,A220

I recommend this class; however the readings are LONG. If you don't have time to dedicate a couple hours to this class you won't pass. 3 Test100 pts each. Multiple writing assignments50 pts. Extra Credit Attendance & If your test score is higher. (EX: 1st 75 2nd 85 5pts EC) TEXTBOOK IS ESSENTIAL! NotesStudy Guide 13 People with an A.

I have much respect for Dr. Smolin & am happy I took this class whim! You need to attend class and take thorough notes based on lectureppt; these notes will be foundation to study guides. You are expected to review info in detail using textbook. Make sure u can distinguish concepts VERY well as that is the difference btwn A & B Grade! Good luck.

Very good teacher. Always seems like he's in a good mood when he shows up. Extremely helpful, will take just enough time to answer any questions you have and he also has office hours. Only 3 tests, and he is extremely fair when it comes to grading. Just don't have your phone out during class and you should have no problems.

Great mood at all times, genuine and legitimate care and regard for students, always patient and polite. Great professor and a great start to Psychology. Definitely would take again.

His lectures are useless and a waste of time. You basically just need to memorize the book to get a passing grade on the tests. The only thing I really liked about him was that he offered a lot of extra credit on the test. At one point he gave everyone an extra 15% but that's because everyone did poorly

Very clear with what he expects. Will not do well on tests if you do not read. Lectures are based off readings. Tests are tough but if you read, you'll be fine. Very willing to help and never changes deadlines or accepts late work.

He's funny and genuinely cares about his students and what he teaches. I always almost fall asleep in my class before his, but being in class causes me to wake up and want to learn. Hard tests, but if you have a textbook and study, you should be fine. Attendance is important because he gives random assignments. Overall awesome guy who cares.

Excellent professor! He genuinely cares about students and gives plenty of opportunities to raise your grade. The tests are out of the book for the most part but also from the lectures. He gives extra credit opportunities and is honestly a really nice person.

The class is graded on 3 tests and about 5 writing assignments. The writing assignments are all only one page long and on very easy topics. The tests aren't too bad but you have to put in more work than just showing up to class. Toward the end there were plenty of EC opportunities and u can tell he wants you to do well in the class.

3 tests, 5 take-home writing assignments (1-page each), there is some extra credits PROS: Easy writing, read the book then you will do well on tests CONS: Tests worth too much (300/350), lots of reading

Makes sure you understand the lectures. Gives plenty of opportunities for extra credit. Very respected and I would love to take his class again.

Great proffesor. Cares for his students. Must read. Test are difficult; READ and TAKE NOTES. Offers plenty extra credit. Multiple choice questions. 3-5 written assignments worth total of 50pts. Attendance is crucial. Absolutely no phone or lab top in class.

He gave us a lot of extra credits.

He is funny, give out a lot of extra credits. You won't get an A unless you read textbook.

an excellent professor, but you really have to work hard for your grade. his exams are exceptionally difficult as many of the questions are obscure, but if you're willing to devote a good amount of time to this class then an A or B is definitely a possibility. interesting subject, he's very understanding and good natured :) lots of EC opportunities

Amazing class. I would love to have him as a professor again! Gives great feedback about tests and writing assignments. Very well respected, lots of extra credit opportunities, and helps you understand the lectures.

Very difficult class. READ THE BOOK! He says on the first day "the tests are based on lecture" but I'm here to tell you its all in the book. However, he is very lenient when it comes to grading. He curves every test by a lot and he gives extra credit for attendance. He is ALWAYS positive, like everyday which is amazing, + he is so kind to students.

Dr. Smolin made my first psychology class extremely enjoyable and interesting. He is always happy to answer questions/help out whether in person or via email. I definitely recommend taking his class, he's very knowledgeable in the field! Best professor i've had by far.

Smolin is a great professor he helps you and makes class interesting. He gives Extra Credit opportunities and has random topics for written responses so attend class because you never know when he will assign a page written response usually Thursday's. Study Study Study for his exams 3 in total. And you'll pass.

Give many extra credit opportunities and easy tests.

He gives so many extra credits opportunities for students. My grade would be a B- and I got a solid A by doing extra credits. You have to read a lot, before and after the lecture but I found the materials quite interesting and informative that can be applied to your life, so it is worth reading! Textbook is a must.

Hecis an energetic ball. I really enjoyed his class. If you read book and listen to him, you will be fine.

Professor Smolin was by far the best professor I've ever had during my JC career. He gives fantastic informative lectures and is always encouraging. There's tons of extra credit opportunities and his teaching style is very fair. He truly cares about his students and is willing to do anything for them. Take his class you will not regret it.

He is one of the most passionate professors I've ever had! I took two of his psych classes because I enjoyed it so much even though it isn't my major. Go to every lecture and he will round up your grade. He is so smart and really knows his field.

He is a very good Professor and really funny. He makes lectures better and textbook is a must.

Dr. Smolin is a great teacher. He is very kind and funny and his lectures are never boring. He's pretty generous with extra credit but you have to work for it. I would absolutely take his class again. My best prof this semester!

Awesome professor! One of the best out there in my opinion. Took him my first semester at OCC and fell in love, I would go talk with him all the time during office hours. Extremely fair in grading and tests, 3 exams, opportunity for a fair amount of extra credit and a few group assignments in class. All in all of my favorite professors at OCC.

Dr. Smolin is one of the best teachers I've ever had! He knows so much about his field and is very passionate to share it with his students. He is very helpful and wants you to succeed in his class. I wish I could take him again! Tough class, but you will walk away feeling well prepared and very educated! Very worth the work.

James is by far my favorite professor at OCC so far. His lectures are very informative, and as long as you study for your 3 major tests you'll do just fine (I recommend flash cards). WARNING DO NOT HAVE YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTER OUT DURING HIS LECTURES!! HE HATES THAT! He is great at giving feedback and his grading system is clear and concise.

One of the nicest professors I've ever had and the only class I would pay attention from beginning to end. He is so funny! However, this class takes a lot of work to get an A. I kept up with the chapter readings and went to office hours before tests. Tests are multiple choice but if you don't know small details you could easily get a bad grade.

I loved this class so much. It had the average amount of coursework but he offered extra credit as well. I liked the class because of the professor. He is a really nice guy and cares for his students.

Dr. Smolin is the best professor I've ever had. He is always upbeat and positive. He calls the exams learning experiences! He is so knowledgeable and passionate and it comes through in every lecture. I LOVE how he makes sure no one was on their phone during class, that's so annoying when you're there to learn. Can't wait for his next class!

I loved Prof. Smolin's class. I loved him as a teacher. He's funny, relatable, and he's super helpful. You can tell he has a real passion for psychology, in addition to his extensive experience in the field. I'd love to take another class with him! If you read, attend lecture, and understand the material, you'll do great. Clear grading,

I like his teaching method. Very funny and straight forward. But his test will be hard if you skip class and if you skip class, you will also miss 5 in class assignments that he does randomly to keep his students to attend but attendance is not madatory. You'll just lose 50 points cuz u are not there for the in class assignments.

Professor Smolin is really great. He lectures a lot but he's not boring and he basically outlines what will be on the exams. I suggest not missing class and taking detailed notes because that is pretty much your study guide for exams, it also helped me to go over key terms in the book. He's available outside of class and genuinely wants to help you

An amazing professor that truly cares for the best of his students. He lectures with a passion and it really shows how much work he puts into staying on top of his teaching game. He helped me out through a rough week and gave me lots of helpful career and life advice. Definitely a gem at OCC.

Dr. Smolin is a real gem to OCC. He has a strong passion for Psychology and that passion is present throughout all of his lectures. He is incredibly caring towards his students and his lectures are inspiring. Read the textbook in detail over what is covered in the lecture, pay attention, and this class will be incredibly enjoyable for you.

Smolin is awesome. his lectures are your only study guides for exams so be sure to take good notes. gotta read. most of your points come from exams. no extra credit but he offers exam improvement incentives and if your attendance is good then he will raise your grade at the end of the semester if you're borderline to a better grade.

I had heard good things about Professor Smolin from other psych majors and I'm very glad that I took his class. His class was challenging but not unfairly so. He is very passionate about the subject and that inspired me to get excited about the material. The majority of your grade will come from tests.

online class. really enjoyed his lectures, he obviously is a total nerd about this stuff. make sure you use his lecture information AND the textbook information for quizzes and exams. lowest exam grade dropped.

his lectures are really informational. however he doesnt lecture a lot about whats actually going to be on the exam. his exams are extremely difficult (you'd really need to study) & there are weekly quizzes & discussions. hes a rly great teacher just pretty difficult class!

Dr. Smolin is a great teacher! Although the class was quite challenging since it was online, his lectures are very informative and are useful as study guides for exams, BUT YOU HAVE TO READ THE BOOK. If you read the book and write extensive notes from the lectures then you should be fine. I suggest printing out his lecture slides!

His class was online because of COVID. No zoom but recorded lectures. youre not required to watch but they are helpful in understanding the material. you do have to read the textbook! grades are based on discussions and quizzes so dont skip out on those. The material is a little difficult but he makes it as easy to understand as he can :)

Smolin makes a lot of typos. However, hes good with questions, so ask them! In addition, its a good idea to take notes on the definitions, tables, lecture slides, and what he SAYS.

Dr Smolin, has clear grading criteria with one lecture a week, one quiz, and one discussion post. His lecture are interesting and keep you engaged. He is a dimly grader with personal feedback. Put effort into your work and you will see the pay off. The book is not necessary but great add on for more information on the lectures. 10/10 reccomend

Smolin makes a lot of typos. However, he's good with questions, so ask them! In addition, its a good idea to take notes on the definitions, tables, lecture slides, and what he SAYS.

Great professor. The class can be a bit tough if you don't pay too much attention but professor Smolin makes the lessons be really entertaining.

Discussion + 5Qs quiz every week(easy if you study). Exams can be difficult if you are not prepared- take a ton of good notes from the book (I didn't really focus on the lectures, I just sped through them). Make sure you thoroughly follow instructions for discussions !! Pretty easy, it takes like 2-3 hrs a week.

He is very caring about the students' futures. Grades come from 3 things: Discussions, Quizzes, Exams/Final. Quizzes & discussions were easy if you read the chapters The grading for discussions was a bit tough. You have to be very precise. The exams & cumulative final were my only issue. They are VERY tightly timed.

Overall, a good class. 4 Exams, lowest dropped. Chapter quiz each week, sometimes there are discussions as well. Lowest quiz score dropped, will provide one additional discussion as extra credit. As long as you read the book and take good notes from the book, you should be solid for each quiz, discussion, and exam.

Overall, a good class. 4 Exams, lowest dropped. Chapter quiz each week, sometimes there are discussions as well. Lowest quiz score dropped, will provide one additional discussion as extra credit. As long as you read the book and take good notes from the book, you should be solid for each quiz, discussion, and exam. Book is more concrete than 220.

Amazing professor! The lectures for this course were very interesting and had me looking forward to class. Take notes on things discussed in lectures because they will show up on the exams. Three exams and one cumulative..the exams are difficult, but if you pay attention in class and study using the textbook you should do fine. One exam is dropped.

Took Hybrid Abnormal Psych. Recorded lectures can run long but all the info is in there. He has a lot to say but only 1/5 of the info you need. 4 Exams lowest dropped, he writes exams based on what he covered in class. Quizzes are straight from book,13 total and lowest dropped. Study the info he gives and exams will make sense. Caring & Respectful.

His lectures were pretty entertaining. I really liked the way he explained the content. The tests are difficult if you didn't read the assigned chapters, so it's best to study.

Engaging lectures, but a lot to cover. Exams are tough - study the book thoroughly and take great notes. Unstuck AI was a game-changer for me. Overall, doable with dedication.