Great teacher, funny, tests are challenging but not too bad if you study some

I've taken a few of his classes. His Humanistic Psychology class was one of the best classes I've ever taken. Likes to keep you on your toes. Very good lectures.

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Gen. Psych., humanistic, and social psych., great professor, keeps you motivated, very helpful all you have to do is ask

One of the best Professors I've ever had.....very nice and knows what he's talking about. He's also always there for his students. Passed his class w/an A!!!!

Really liked his intro to psyche, his classes are easy enough to pass and he really respects his students and does an excellent job getting to know each and every one of them.

Best professor I've ever had. Enthusiastic about material, makes a sincere effort to know every student, very helpful but still challenging.

Best teacher i have had yet here at shepherd college! His lectures are VERY interesting! I learned so much! GREAT teacher!

Fair but very annoying. He is like the Susan Powter of psychology. Take his class early in the day after several cups of coffee.

really found the class interesting and found him to be respecful and helpful towards students, a model to other professors.....Darboe take a lesson here!

knows his material VERY well. A great teacher makes class interesting. Gives out optional HW that is definitions from book. Exams only cover a couple chapters. Final Exam covers one chapter. A tad bit annoying sometimes but great guy!!

He is an awesome prof. Test are pretty hard

Without a doubt he is the best teacher in Shepherd. If only more teachers were like him then maybe more students would be motivated to do better.

Dr. Merz is a very clear, well stated man who helped me find love for psychology. He is very enthusiastic about psychology and related fields. You will not lose interest during any of his lectures and he will help you to succeed!

Excellent professor! Great attitude, great motivator. Knows his stuff really well, brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm into the classroom. Expects hardwork, but is fair and worth it! Will hold class outside sometimes, grades alot on attendance!

Good teacher, not really easy, but if you study it is good. If you love Psychology just as much as him, you'll love the classes.

great prof. Sexy too...

One of my favorite Shepherd profs. Very enthusiastic. His tests can be hard, but he generally gives you a synopsis of what to study. Just be prepared to take many notes during lecture and you'll be fine.

history and systems of psychology taught by the mafia. always thought my tests would come back marked F and with a note..."it's not personal, it's business" cool guy though. definitely in my personal top three. darboe, webb, mccoy...take not

AMAZING PROF! Really excited about his field and a great motivator. Makes the material really interesting. It's true that his tests (all multiple choice) are hard, but if you pay attention and take good notes, you won't have any trouble passing.

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Very 'psyched' about psych!! Loves to lecture and expound on his coursework. Tests are TOUGH, TOUGH, TOUGH!!! He commands respect by his passion to teach!! If you want to consider Dr. Merz for a prof. Be prepared for an experience not just a class!!!

Prof Merz is definately by far the best prof @ Sepherd and by far the best looking too! His tests are really difficult but if you work hard, study hard, take good notes and never give up passing won't be an issue.

Great class. Merz, as always is a huge pleasure. Watch out for the group project though. Read book, take good notes, study study study and you'll do fine.

Professor Merz is one of the best-rated professors at Shepherd for a real reason. he gets to knoe the students, and he does not simply give grades, but makes the students earn them trhough study. He still says hello, even after i left Shepherd and come back to visit

Merz is excited about psychology and keeps the class moving. Study well--test questions are often ambiguously written. Expect several questions on each test from chapters not covered in class. Many of Merz's students are slackers, so expect to prove yourself before you earn his respect.

He is a great teacher.He is willing to help in any way he can.The material for his classes may be hard but he is willing to help you understand if you have a problem.He is a great professor & a great person.

Very good professor, love his classes.

Good teacher, but watch out because he picks his favorites. Learned a lot in thei class though.

Very cool guy, keeps things interesting

cool class, very interesting, great stories and lectures. There were too many students in his class and not enough room for all the desks.

awesome

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Excellent knowledge and extremely helpful. The course is hard, but well worth the grade you get from it. As long as you take notes, do the exra homework and show up for class you will pass. To get a good grade however, you must study for tests and take time to read each question on them. If your interested in psychology Merz is the best at Shepherd

Very excited about teaching Psychology. A little scarry at first, but knows his stuff. Good teacher overall. Just don't sit in the front row unless you like people getting in your face.

I'm glad to have taken Merz's class. He loves what he does and brings that to the table every class. He cares about how his students fare and rewards effort and attendance rather than penalizing for a lack thereof. Tests ARE tricky even if you know your stuff, but you'll do well if you show him you're dedicated, even if you don't ace all the tests.

Merz gives very interesting lectures, and he talks about sex, drugs, and fighting a lot. He also likes to talk about himself. The tests are very hard, but if you study (a lot) you can get a good grade. You can also get a fair amount of extra credit. Take this class.

I have taken all of Dr. Merz's courses. He is a wonderful professor with a passion for teaching. He is very hyper and will definetly get in your face if you're in the front row. Although his classes are fun, his tests are not easy... study ALOT. I wish that Merz taught more classes, cause if so, I would probably be taking one right now.

Very hyper... but hey he's a New Yorker so it's expected! Gives a LOT of material so you'll write your hand off... and he knows you will. Very interesting class. I thought it would suck but it is pretty cool. Tests are a bit scary though b/c the whole test rides on your essay. Overall he's a cool cat and teaches a fun and rowdy class.

dr. merz is one of my favorite teachers. his class was the only class i actually looked forward to going to, very fun and interesting. there are 4 tests, all the info is given in the notes so u have to go to class. he does offer extra credit which helps in studying alot. over all a great teacher and a great class.

WHAT? I thought he was a very funny teacher. Although sometimes he scared me! He taaalks LIKE this SOMEtimes!! And he HATES tardiness so never be late and try not to miss, he really notices that and it can reflect in ur grade. As long as u come, and write ur hand off every class u will have everything u need to study!!!

Merz is always excited to be teaching. He expects his students to: BE ON TIME, avoid missing any classes, prepare for class, NEVER be disruptive, and to always pay attention. Really, he isn't too bad, you just have to work for the A. I reccommend getting the workbook that is offered with the text book because he accepts that as extra credit.

I have had Merz for both Intro and currently Social. Interesting material and he is a decent human being who genuinely wants his students to do well. A fair grader, though studying is recommended and essential if you want to do better than mediocre. Very enthusiastic and fun about psychology.

Dr. Merz thinks he is the most fantastic person in West Virginia, but his upbeat attitude makes students feel happy to be in class. He tells funny stories about his NYC life. DO NOT be late to class or he will throw you out. His tests are not as hard as he says they are, and he gives extra credit.

Dr. Merz is the type of person that you either hate or you love. I loved him, he knows what he is talking about!! Don't be late to his class, he does hate tardiness! He can be loud at times, but he makes learning fun and he tells great stories!

Very interesting, entertaining, helpful man.

Dr. Merz is great. He truly cares about his students. I had him for 101 and got a B, so this semester in Social Psych I was determined to get an A. You must come to class or you will miss valuable notes. You must read the chapters, and you must study hard! Upper level class exams include essays which he gives you in advance. He wants you to do well

I love Merz! He is really interesting and he knows his stuff. As long as you show up, pay attention, and study you'll be fine. I also think he looks like Al Pacino!

He is a great person. Very opinionated, which is great!! Just don't be late, he really doesn't like people coming into class late and he will let you know it. You do need to study your butt off for his tests, they are a lot of memorization.

Merz is a dedicated member of the Shepherd community. He is a great professor who truly cares about all his students and seems like the kind of guy who would give you the polo shirt off his back. Take any and all of his classes. He knows how to make it interesting.

Merz is an amazing professor. But he does not hand out good grades for nothing. I worked my ass off and earned an A. Anyone who says he is a bad professor is simply lazy!!! Study hard, take good notes, and cram for tests. This guy is an "in your face" professor who will prepare young adults for the real world. I simply can't praise him enough!!!

I can't say enough good things about this professor! I was sad to leave at the end of the semester. Read the textbook, take good notes in class, show up everyday, and there's no way you'll get less than an A in his class! Buy the study guide too!

Very eccentric and i loved every second of it. Go to class, write down every word that he says, and study a lot for the tests and you can get an A or B. Expects "content-rich" essays, but if you respect him, he will respect you in return. I highly reccomend every class that he teaches.

He is a good teacher. His test are hard, very hard. He gives a lot of notes but its not ridiculus. He is a very fun, professor, he has stories about everything he teachers on and there very interesting. He's had a lot of field work and tells you all about it. i recomend him if your interested in psychology, and willing to work.

Dr. Merz is by far the best teacher at shepherd he knows how to inspire people .Very helpful He knows how to prepare students for the real world. "Foward Movement is most sure when it has something to push against"

Most definitely my favorite professor on this campus. he inspired me to major in psychology. always around to help you. go to class often and participate and he will love you. his test are hard but not impossible. study hard for them and you will get a B but its very hard to get an A. gives extra credit. take him!

He is favorite teacher. I have never had a teacher so interested in his students.His tests are hard so you will have to study but worth every min.

Amazing guy! Really wants you to succeed in his class. Love how he uses life experiences to help you better understand things. Doesn't try to answer questions he doesn't know, not misleading. Helps you do the best you can, gets to know everyones names, makes everyone feel included. Great guy, all around.

he is amazing!! you won't regret taking him!!!

If you're willing to meet him halfway, you will get a good grade. I have learned more from him than any other prof on campus. His material has stuck with me and helped me in all of my other psych classes.

Fabulous teacher! Wants everyone to succeed. Great stories! Tests are relatively difficult, be sure to study lecture notes and textbook. I would definitely recommend him to anyone!

First off, Merz is a really cool guy. Tests are really not that bad if you sit down and put some studying in, but for God's sake don't try to wing it. Papers are creative writing oriented and class notes are clear and easy to understand. One of the best Professors I've had in my life.

Incredible professor!! Great stories. Interesting class. He's quite a character, too. Tests are easy if you study lecture notes and assigned book chapters. Take him, you'll love it but you NEED to come to class.

Dr. Merz definitely has a passion for psychology and for teaching. He shows a lot of enthusiasm during lectures. You must attend every class because he tests on both textbook and lecture notes. He keeps class interesting with personal stories that can be pretty funny.

Had Dr. M from 2003-2007; took all of his classes because he is such an amazing professor! He loves what he teaches and it shows in his lectures. Attendance is crucial to be successful in his classes since all test questions come from lecture notes and chapters assigned. Dr. M WILL help you if you go to him-he does not want to see anyone fai!l

Awesome professor. He really wants his students to succeed and shows it in his willingness to answer questions and meet with you. Tests can be tough, but if you attend class, take notes (he tells you what will be on the test, so LISTEN), and study definitions, you will have no problem. He's quite a character. Best professor at Shepherd, hands down.

Dr. Merz is very knowledgable in the field, he's friendly, and he cares. However, his method of teaching and giving the material is solely through reading his notes to us. It gets a little tiring and repetitive. His tests are very hard. Make sure to read the text book thoroughly for details and take good notes for the essay! Very detail oriented.

Dr. Merz has the best classroom delivery Ihave ever witnessed. You never give a wrong answer so you are free to speak up. Be sure to attend class, pay attention--you will learn something and it's an easy A that way.

I took Dr. Merz for a few Psyc classes about 2001-2003. I can honestly say that he was one of the best profs at Shepherd and probably still is. It was so refreshing not to have an outspoken crazy liberal (my way or the highway) professor at that school. And if you were in that "crazy" camp, he still treated you with upmost respect. RockNRoll

Even though you pretty much learn from writing down what comes out of his mouth every class, I think thought it was a very insightful and awesome class. Take impeccable notes (he talks slowly so it shouldn't be hard), and study them for tests. Only sure fire way you'll pass. And read the text when he tells you too!

Good guy. funny to listen to. Seems to be a bit redundent at times. The tests aren't that hard and as long as you pay attention, do the workbook you'll pass easily.

Dr. Merz is the greatest professer that i have ever had. His lectures are interesting and he uses the students names and likes to engage them in the class discussion. He makes sure that his students underatand the material and he give study advice to students that are struggling. I would definitely reccommend him to anyone!

Really enjoyed Dr. Merz's class. He learns his students names and keep things interesting. The test are fairly easy as long as you take good notes and read the textbook. Make sure to do the workbook for extra credit.

I'd like to say that I'd recommend Dr. Merz, but I'm angry about getting a B when I was so confident about an A... But I liked his class. He's an interesting character lol. He talks really loud and shouts at times, but it made me pay attention. WRITE DOWN EVERY WORD HE SAYS. And read the textbook.

Joe Merz is undoubtedly one of the best professors on this campus. He respects all of his students, which is truly a rarity on this campus. History and Systems was interesting and a class that is one of a kind within the psych department. If you like history I highly recommend this class. Take notes and pay attention and you will do fine.

I took this class my first semester at Shepherd in 2011. His class was so interesting I actually switched my major from Sociology to Psych. I highly recommend all of his classes. His suggestion of going to his office to get essay help is key to getting A's on all of his tests. Go to class, take notes, and participate in class and you're golden.

Dr. Merz is by far my favorite professor at SU. His exams are hard but as long as you study over the lecture notes you'll be ok. Homework is voluntary. At the end of the semester if you've went to class, participated, did homework, and worked hard, he will most likely bump you up by a letter grade. He is very interesting and tells a lot of stories

I enjoyed Dr. Merz class a lot. He was extremely helpful and was always available during office hours for help. You NEED to study vocabulary terms to pass the test, pretty much memorize them. Also I did all the extra credit assignments from a work book which helped me learn along with the sample test.

Dr. Merz is a great guy but his teaching method is hardly teaching. He reads off his notes and expects you to right them down word for word. He also expects you to remember which researchers talk about which subjects--which is a lot of pointless memorization. He's a funny guy and really loud but don't expect this course to be smooth sailing.

Okay, Merz just reads lectures off of 40 year old legal paper. He refuses to learn how to use technology to improve lectures. You end up with a block of text that has to be organized or it's hard to study later. He knows his psych though. Tests are hard. For midterm he gives a "blanket" grade he doesn't use any sort of rubric for grading either

Merz is my favorite prof at shepherd. He's hilarious and I am taking him again next semester for an elective just because I liked his teaching so much. He does lecture right off of the old yellow legal paper, but it is what is in the book. Read the book, come prepared to class, and write practice essaysbullets for the tests.

Dr. Merz is by far the best professor I have ever had anywhere. He is without a doubt the most caring professor on Shepherd campus. If you make an effort, he will recognize it. He is very understanding with work schedules and life outside of class. If you show up and take notes you will be fine. He gives you everything you need to pass the class.

By far the best professor I've ever taken. You realize after taking his class that you can't judge a teacher based on how easy they are. Tests are tough but he does cover every single thing that he tests you on. Full of interesting stories. There whenever you need him. Knows everyone by name. Awesome guy. Don't miss his class and take good notes!

I haven't been in a class like Dr. Merz's Intro to Psyc in years. Very glad to have been a part of it. He is the kind of person who understands human potential, and will give you plenty of good lectures and gestures in the right direction. Ultimately, it's up to you to earn the grade. Would not have had it any other way. Can't recommend him enough.

He's incredible!

He tells personal stories that make the lecture interesting. His tests can be difficult but as long as you read the book and take good lecture notes you should be good. Also showing up to class can make a big difference when it comes to your final grade.

Joe Merz is the man. He begins his Intro to psych classes with his life story, where you can see his credibility. His class is linear and interesting - listen to his lectures, write it down, study, and you'll pass. He is also a great guy in general, very respectful and knowledgeable. We have arranged to have a beer when I turn 21. Take his class.

Dr. Merz is by far one of the best professor's I've had at Shepherd. He relates a lot of the material in lectures to real life experience. Attending lectures is crucial! Attend class, study your notes, and read the textbook and you'll be fine. There are only 3 tests in his class and only voluntary homework. I highly recommend him!

Awesome teacher! As long as you take good lecture notes and read the book, youll be fine! Also, you dont want to miss class because his lectures can be very long with a lot of information. I would also recommend doing the voluntary homework assignments. They really helped me!

Dr. Merz was great! He is a funny teacher. His lectures are long, and you just basically take notes on the things he says while he sits in a corner and discusses topics. You must read the book and take notes in order to pass the exams. If you miss class, youll regret it. If you try hard and study for the class he will recognize your potential!

Dr. Merz is one of the most interesting professors at Shepherd University and really makes learning content enjoyable despite his heavy research based lectures. Begin studying early for his tests and read the text for additional notes.

I loved having Dr. Merz! I had him during COVID-19 via Zoom and he always made the zoom classes super fun and enjoyable. I really like the way he talks about his life and connects it to what we are learning about. He also cracks pretty good jokes throughout class and makes everyone laugh. I would totally recommend!

Easy-going professor and is a relatively easy class. Just actually study and don't try to skid by and it's an easy A.

Dr. Merz is by far the best psychology professor at Shepherd. I had him for psychology 101 freshman year. At the time I was a biology major, at the end of the year I changed by major to psyc. He is very straight forward and makes learning fun. The biggest thing is he never made me feel stupid if I got an answer wrong in class.

Surprisingly good at answering emails and doesn't mind if you miss class for a good reason. Class is mostly taking direct notes of what he's saying. Gives voluntary homework for extra credit. Tests are worth a lot of points. Get the text book!! Class is fun if your'e interested in what he is talking about.

I have enjoyed Dr. Merz Intro to Psych class. It is lecture heavy and requires a good bit of reading. But he can have very entertaining lectures and will go back/ repeat himself to ensure you get the information you need for exams.

Dr. Merz was probably one of my favorite professors this semester (Fall 2022). He is lecture heavy, but throughout his lectures, he takes the time to know his student's names. Participation is key in this class! Also, invest a good note-taking system because you will be taking a ton of notes!

Great Professor

The only grades for the class are the midterm and the final so there is no way to pull your grade up if you bomb one. However, if you really connect with him, see him after class to chat, then he will turn a blind eye into making a D into a C.