HARD class!! But VERY manageable. At first I was really scared having to take this class, but it wasn't that bad. Go to class, read the book (2 times), and go to office hour to clarify the lecture notes. He is actually very helpful and nice during office hour. Tests are tricky, so go to O.H for discussion. Just study and it's doable! :)

He's a great lecturer and the reading assignments in the book are short and succinct. However, the reader is insane at times, and his tests are worded very, very specifically. Read every word of the question before you think about answering them.

The class material was very interesting, but the tests were insanely hard. If it's not required, I wouldn't recommend taking this class. If it is, good luck

i don't understand why people think he's hard. he's a really funny professor, and his tests are funny. if you're not a greek who just wants an easy a like creveling, and who actualy wants to learn something, you'll like taylor. and his kids are adorable.

His tests are really not all that bad..if you go to class and actually pay attention and read the material, you will do well. He is also very funny and approachable

super funny, every class is enjoyable. doesn't post notes online, so you MUST attend lecture if you want to do well in the course. tests are difficult, but he always curves. i would definitely take him again.

He is my personal favorite in the CMN department. You can get an A in the class if you study.

Very enjoyable lectures with lots of relevant material. Encourages student involvement and keeps the class entertained. A very nice person and a quality teacher.

Great professor! Helpful and entertaining. Midterm/Final were tough, but not impossible. Fair grader. Very approachable guy! Loved this class, as well as the Media and Health class I took from him.

Best professor I've ever had in the CMN department.Don't get me wrong, the others are good, but Prof Taylor's the first teacher to actually challenge me to be a better student. If you're looking for an easy A, don't take him. But if you strive to become a better version of yourself (and to get your tuition's worth), then he is the best out there

Professor Taylor is probably my favorite professor at UC Davis. He's very intelligent and his lectures are always entertaining! Make sure you read every night, since there are pop quizzes on the readings, but he drops the lowest one (or two). His tests are really hard, but he makes them that way so there's a great curve. He wants you to succeed! =)

Professor Taylor is the best teacher I have had at UC Davis. He makes you want to try your best and come to class. I enjoyed his lectures not just because he is funny, but because the topics are relevant. CMN 165 with Taylor is definitely a class all communication majors should take. Just note: his tests are extremely difficult, but he curves!

He's a funny guy, but his tests are kind of hard. He curves though. Class is mandatory because he doesn't post his lecture slides and there are surprise quizzes on the readings. He drops the lowest one or two quizzes. He's really funny though, so the class time is somewhat entertaining. If you read, it shouldn't be too hard.

He might seem intimidating but he's really a great professor that cares about his students and wants to challenge them. This class isn't an easy A, and there's a lot of reading required. You should go to class and READ THE CHAPTER SUMMARY because that's where he gets the quiz info from. I didn't love my grade, but for sure learned a lot.

The prof is very engaging in his lectures and likes to keep the material interesting and stimulating by adding videos and interesting discussions. He is very knowledgeable and clear in his explanations. There is a lot of material that he covers and it's very intricate in detail which is why the midterms are extremely difficult, but curved.

The tests are all multiple choice, but they're pretty difficult. Luckily he curves them so I ended up with a decent grade both times. You really have to pay attention in lecture (and read things that aren't covered in lecture) to be prepared for the tests. But that's not too hard because his lectures are interesting and he's a pretty funny guy.

Prof Taylor is one of my favourite instructors at UCD. Come to class interested and engage with the lecture and you'll learn a ton. Taking notes on what he said, not just the powerpoint, was very helpful, and keeping up with the readings will set you up to succeed on his exams. Very funny and cool guy!

If you go to class and do the readings and actually study you will be fine. Dr. Taylor's test aren't the easiest but they're fair. Some questions are worded weirdly so you have to pay attention. I thoroughly enjoyed having him as a professor. He is very helpful and answers questions both in class and at office hours.

Dr. Taylor's lectures are always interesting and he's a pretty funny guy. This class is a bit harder than 140. Make sure you understand the key points from the readings and class isn't mandatory but basically is since there's no textbook. We had 2 research papers (5 pages each), 1 MT, and a non-cumulative final.

Really knows what he is talking about. LOve how he onvolves the class. His exams are not hard if you study HIS LECTURES and the TEXT. GO TO CLASS, paying attention to class is key. Material in interesting so that shouldn't be hard. He doesnt podcast or post lectures. Awesome professor and really helpful! Loved the class!

Taylor is a funny professor. Lectures can get boring at times but attendance is absolutely necessary to do well on tests. Reading the textbook is also important. Make sure you have pretty good writing skills in order to do well on his 2 paged paper. Overall I'd say great professor.

His lectures are super interesting and he doesn't just talk at us, he engages the students. The topics are also super relevant. However, his tests are really hard, but the huge curve allows most people to pass (I'm assuming). We had a 10 page paper due (just turned it in) and he seems like a very hard grader and very strict about citations

entertaining. show up and do the reading, and you can totally get a good grade.

I absolutely loved this class. Prof. Taylor is hilarious and makes lectures engaging, fun, and encourages discussion. You need to go to class and read the book since tests are half and half. One short paper (3 pages), 2 midterms, and a final (which was basically a midterm), all multiple choice. Tests were tricky but the curve definitely helped!

Intro to Comm. This course was hybrid so lectures and quizzes were online while discussion was with TA. Had different professors for each lesson. Taylor was never there except in group chat, at first discussion, and on final day. His curves on tests are pretty sweet and are the only reason why I did well. Class can be an easy A if you study well.

He is just an all-around great professor. The best. :)

Professor Taylor is such a nice and caring teacher. On top of that, his lectures are interesting and doesn't stray off topic like some teachers. His test questions are kinda tricky, but if you read his book and go to his lectures, you'll be fine!

I really enjoyed this class and the professor! He has an awesome lecturing style and he encourages class discussions. Do attend lectures and it helps to read the assigned chapters before class so you don't fall behind. Overall, a really enjoyable class and I would recommend this professor and this course any day!

honestly my favorite prof at this god forsaken school. so genuinely passionate about what he teaches and makes lectures funny without even trying. enjoyed him so much he's the hero we need but don't deserve. he really knows what he's talking about and is so excited about the topics. i would take him again. tests aren't bad and i suck at studying

I am not a reader. Never once read the book, just went over the lecture slides and finished the class with a high B. Must read a novel, but it is an easy book and must write an essay on the book. It does help your grade though

I love Laramie so much. His exams are the easiest exams I've ever taken in my time in Davis. I got an A and I barely did the readings (I only read my friend's outline of them). Just go to class and listen to what he says. You have to read a young adult novel but its an easy read. He makes class fun and entertaining! Never had a boring lecture tbh.

I really enjoyed Taylor. Great personality and I learned a lot! Theres a lot of outside reading you have to do to do well on the tests as it's different material than what is covered in lecture. Grade comes from two midterms, a final, a paper, and discussion assignments. The multiple choice is hard, but if you study you can do well. Recommended!

The lectures are fun and relatable. However, he grades the papers very harshly and the tests are difficult. He's approachable but the class is harder.

ahhhhhh laramie is soooo good HE'S FIRE

Professor Taylor is really funny and intelligent. The tests are pretty textbook and lecture heavy so make sure you do the readings. The tests are multiple choice, short response, and long response.

I want to second the comment below likening Laramie to fire. Take his class, u won't regret it. That is all.

You have to REALLY study for his tests, figure out the big picture of his lectures and readings. Every week is 2 topics of lecture and a few reading links. Weekly quizzes on readings so make sure you take notes. Two essays 5-6 pages that need 5 minimum empirical sources. He's passionate about his work, highly recommend going to his weekly meetings.

Taylor is a passionate, funny, caring professor. Throughout the quarter he was asking us for feedback to see if he could do anything differently to help us succeed. Our tests were 40 mcq and 1 short essay (that he gave us the questions to before). We had 2 essays but they were graded fairly. Highly recommend this class and prof!

Dr. Taylor is a really good professor who explains concept very clearly, and is a tough, yet fair grader. If you want to be successful in his class, go to his lectures, go to his office hours, and ask his TA's for help. I found study groups to also be very helpful, and if there isn't a class discord, make one.

He stepped in to teach after our original professor had to go on a medical leave. All of his lectures are clear and full of information and being in class WILL help you succeed. No, he doesn't provide study guides, but after disciplining myself and putting in the work too lock in and study, I am very happy with my grade in the class. He is Awesome!

Great lecturer, however seemed more interested in maintaining attendance than helping his students succeed as no lecture mats were shared. Midterm exam averages were consistently below a C. No clear feedback, TA sucked, but prof was fine. Would take another class by him if he maybe changed his policies. I ended with an A after a lottttt of stress.

Very nice! Laramie is very kind, supportive, and easy-going.

I liked him, he was always sweet (he bought candy for our class on halloween), had lots of class examples that were fun and engaging. Study the practice quizzes to do well

Professor Taylor is awesome sauuce. The rest of the students complaining just don't wanna read and are TikTok-brained. Just start prep a week before tests and note all the readings, you'll be fine

Dr. Taylor's aim is to prepare students for graduate school. He makes it a tough course, but for the right reasons. He also makes sure anyone can pass. Do the practice quizzes (literally word-for-word test questions), always show up to class, study in a group. You can't fail. Lack of effort from other students caused huge ~15-20% curves.

This course is hard don't get me wrong. But as a professor he is amazing. The course is very test heavy (60% of grade) and lectures are not posted (SO GO TO LECTURE). If you go to lecture and pay attention, you will be fine. He truly cares about people passing class. He surprised our class with treats every once and a while. He's such a caring guy.

Prob my favorite prof. Go and pay attention in every lecture and you'll be fine. Very engaging lectures with clear expectations of what will be on exams. Sad I've already filled reqs for the class he's teaching next quarter, I would love to have him again. Def don't take him if you skip lects though.

Dr. Taylor is a cool guy. Got a decent grade in the class probably a C or potentially a B once the final is put in. Slides of lectures are not posted, so you must come to class to get the notes for the slides. He's a very good lecturer and his lectures are always funny. Spend your time studying the material and you will be chilling. :)

Great guy. Lectures are not posted,so if you skip them, I would not take this class. You can tell he cares for his students, and he's a funny guy. BTW, he practically gives the midterm and final answers on the practice quizzes. So, DO THE PRACTICE QUIZZES over and over again, and you will pass the tests. Like I said, cool and interesting dude.