She's very accessible outside class if you book for her office hours. Barely went to the classes but read the textbooks and lecture notes in blackboard, and the test wasn't hard. You could drop one of the 3 midterms + finals, which is great. She's super nice and caring. Just study for exams and write papers and you'll be fine

Her midterms were all super straight forward! Super nice and actually wants you to succeed.

Dr. Berntsen is the best lecturer I've ever had! The content is all relevant, accessible, interesting, and important. She approaches everything in a careful and appropriate way and I very much admire how she delivers it. She is so cute and quirky on top of it. There is 'a lot' of work, but I literally don't mind because of how interesting it all is

Easy and clear lectures, even more straightforward exams. She drops a lot of assignments/exams, so it's fine if you mess up once. A very non-intimidating introduction to Psychology, and a great option for a GE D.

Dr. Berntsen is one of the best professors at SC. She is so kind and keeps the lectures easy to understand and pretty interesting. She likes to relate her material through articles and modern analogies via tv/film examples. Her exams are very straight forward. Read the textbook, and her lecture slides. Take her class. Other prof. aren't as good.

Professor Berntsen is an amazing professor to take for Psyc 100. She genuinely cares about her students and wants them to do well. She tries to include as many pop culture topics and wholesome articles in her lecture as possible. The class is a decent amount of work for a GE but you are allowed to drop lowest grades for exams, quizzes, labs, etc.

Professor Berntsen is the sweetest professor I've so far at USC. You can really tell she cares a lot about psych and her students. She also incorporates a lot of videos and activities in her lectures so they're engaging. The class has 3 midterms and 1 final but there all multiple choice and she drops an entire test grade at the end. Take her!

Amazing Professor! She is literally the best psych prof Ive ever had. She truly cares about her student and wants everyone to succeed. Always accessible outside of the classroom and theres no reason not to get an A in her class because she teaches well and she also drops one of your lowest exam score!

Dr. Berntsen is the best professor I have ever had at USC. I know that tends to get overstated, but it's the truth. She is extremely clear about her assignments and how to do well in her class, so if you're not doing well, its probably on you! Make sure you dedicate enough time to complete the readings and show up for lectures! She's the best!

Dr Berntsen is probably the best professor I've had so far. I've taken her for PSYC336 and PSYC360. She's very clear about what's expected, includes a lot of safe guards because she gets that life is messy. She's very accessible, sweet, and wants everyone to do well. Definitely take her if you have the chance

Prof Berntsen is fantastic. She offers amazing real life examples during lecture that make the material really engaging. Her "choose your own adventure" class structure lets you focus on what you find interesting, making the class more of a learning experience rather than a scramble to get a good grade. Definitely one of my favorite classes at USC!

She's so nice, accessible and truly cares about her students. I don't think I've had a professor who tries so hard to make sure everything is explained as fully as possible. You'll definitely know the material. Lots of assignments, but they're all pretty simple and straightforward. Definitely a great science GE.

An angel fell from heaven on to USC's campus in the form of Prof. Berntsen. I've had her for Abnormal and Developmental, and both experiences were amazing. She drops your lowest 3 quiz grades and your lowest exam. Just do good on the first 3 exams and you don't even have to show up for the final. She actually cares about you. The queen of USC.

She is so nice! I would say the lectures can be a bit boring and repetitive at times but she is a great teacher and so nice. She drops the lowest exam grade and if you are having any trouble at all she will help you out. Really wants you to learn and grow. Highly recommend taking her for any psych class you can. She is very understanding and easy

Professor Berntsen is an amazing professor and all teachers should adopt her mindset/teaching practices. She is extremely understanding and offers several opportunities for you to get your grade up. Lectures aren't mandatory but labs are. She's super approachable and makes tests manageable, unlike some other psych professors. Definitely take her!!!

She is one of my favorite professors at USC!! Her lectures are super fun and engaging--she always uses real-life examples from TV shows and the news to help us relate with the material. She is also very clear on what we'd need to do to get a good grade. This class got me interested in psychology even though I took it as a GE. Highly recommend!!

Do anything you can to be in her class. She makes the curriculum interesting and applicable to your own life. She created an awesome way to do online classes. She is super organized, personally cares about you, and the kind of professor that will keep helping you even after the semester is over. Take her class even if it's outside your major!

Genuinely one of the best professors AND PEOPLE that I have ever met. You can tell she really wants students to not only succeed in class, but use what they learn to become better people and help others. Easy A, yet I found myself looking forward to watching her lectures. 48-hr "write your own question" tests that you can ace if you're competent

This is a 10/10 professor. Lectures are filled with fun examples and Prof Bernsten's passion. There are 2 mandatory presentations, but they're only 2 min. Otherwise, there are quizzes you can retake, 3 short papers, and 3 mandatory tests. By far the best professor USC has to offer, I wish I could take this in person! Such an awesome class and prof.

I love professor Berntsen. If you can take her then I 100% suggest that you do. 360 was online this semester and she did not require you to show up to any of her classes unless you needed help. Weekly quizzes were super easy, two 700-1000 word papers, and 4 exams which asked you to come up with questions of your own. TAKE HER!!!

Professor Berntsen epitomizes what every professor should be. She's funny (check out her Twitter memes!), interesting, relatable, understanding, reasonable, etc. She made the transition to online learning incredibly feasible. Exams were open note, lowest grades in each category are dropped, and lectures were optional. TAKE HER! You won't regret it.

Absolute gem. If I could design an ideal professor from scratch, it would be Dr. Berntsen.

Professor Berntsen is the absolute best!! Had her for my first semester of college during the pandemic and she made it so easy. All the lectures were asynchronous and the tests were super easy and open note. She gives extra credit at the beginning of the semester and easily accessible outside of "class". Would 100% take again no matter the class.

Great class! For online, the lectures were asynchronous and actual class periods functioned like office hours. Professor Berntsen was super friendly and explained things well, both in person and through lectures. Assignments were clearly explained, and exams and quizzes were straight-forward.

Professor Berntsen is amazing! She is so sweet and nice and really caring. She is very understanding given the fact that the class was online, people live in different time zones and that it's a pandemic. Class attendance was not mandatory. She gives extra credit and is very helpful. Due dates aren't that important. Overall an amazing teacher.

The best professor I've had so far. She genuinely cares and wants you to do the best and gives you so many extra chances to do so. Her lectures were very interesting and you can tell she cares about what she is teaching. I would love to have her as a professor again.

Really awesome professor. Her recorded videos for COVID times are quite engaging - there are a ton of them so you will likely fall behind if you aren't diligent about keeping up. Grading is generous and help is available if you go to office hours but there are a ton of students so don't expect too much individual attention. I learned a ton!

Highly recommend psych majors to take this course even if you have credit to skip it since this class is an amazing refresher class. Prof Berntsen is an amazing teacher and her lectures are actually quite entertaining. She is very understanding and has adjusted her class to be easier as a result of COVID. Tests are EXTREMELY EASY.

Brilliant professor. Relatable lectures. Incredibly caring person. I'm watching lectures I skipped even though the class already ended.

Professor Bernsten is super nice and very understanding about due dates and attendance. All of her lectures are recorded and posted if you are unable to make it to class. She gives really clear instructions and detailed rubrics for every assignment and makes it super easy to get a good grade. Definitely recommend!

by far the best prof I've had at USC. I've been in two of her classes and loved both of them. For both classes I've been in, she assigns two short papers (3 pages) and four exams. she is super caring for all her students and if you ever struggle in her class she is very accessible and willing to help. highly recommend taking her class

She is so amazing, her lectures are engaging and interesting. She is definitely the best professor at USC, at least in Dornsife.

Leslie was AMAZING. Took this class as a GE and literally it was 10/10. She is so kind, so thoughtful, and makes the class no-pressure. I truly feel like I learned the most from her class just because she made the material fun.

Take this class and do not think twice. Amazing professor. Labs were interesting and fun. Fun use of references to make the material more interesting. Quizzes were fair and easy, writing assignments gave lots of options, tests were great, too. Best GE I've taken at USC and I only have one left.

She did her best to optimize the learning experience online. Her classes were asynchronous and she just posted videos weekly. She gave us 3 papers that were 2 pages long and you can finish them at practically any time. BEST PROFESSOR EVER! Her lectures are amazing and I really enjoyed them.

Professor Berntsen is an amazing choice for PSYC 100. She cares so much about her students learning and only wants everyone to succeed. If you only have to take one life science class I highly recommend her!

SOLID CHOICE!! She is an amazing professor! I am taking her again!

Genuinely enjoyed this course. Dr. Berntsen is one of the most dedicated profs I've had so far at USC. She was understanding & caring. Assignments were manageable and it's not hard at all to do well on them. HIGHLY recommend taking PSYC 100 with her if you get the chance! Likely the best GE choice for life science. TA's were awesome as well.

BEST PROFESSOR I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! I ADDED A PSYC MAJOR BECAUSE OF HER AND I CAN'T WAIT TO TAKE PSYC360 WITH HER IN THE FALL

I love Professor Berntsen! Very nice and caring. Her lectures are very interesting with so many real life examples. Due to COVID, we can do them on our own time. Easy weekly quizzes, 2 small presentations, and 3 writing assignments. Super easy and as someone who is new to psychology, I appreciate her style of teaching. She wants the best for us!

I love Professor Berntsen. I took her PSYC 336 class last spring and loved it so much I took this one with her too. She is so approachable, caring, and accommodating. She works hard to ensure everyone is keeping up and not overloaded with work. The content is interesting and class as a whole is generally easy. She is a real gem.

Amazing and super caring professor. She always makes sure that her class is not stressful for her students. All the assignments were graded very leniently and all quizzes/tests were open note. Easy A and very light workload. It's a great choice for a GE.

Leslie is one of the best professors at USC. This semester her lectures were prerecorded lessons but there were still very clear. She is very understanding of any situation and is willing to give extensions. There are only 3 essays you need to write throughout the semester which are really easy. The exams are super easy so I highly recommend!!

Easiest A you could ask for in a GE class. Very few assignments, and they're graded pretty leniently. 3 exams and a final, the final exam is all questions from the weekly quizzes for each unit

Professor Berntsen is by far the best professor I have ever had. Her lectures are extremely engaging and teach you the topics in ways that make content seem like common sense. The course has 4 exams (with one dropped), some easy lab work, some fun papers, and online weekly quizzes. If I could urge you to take one prof at USC, take Leslie!

She is absolutely amazing! She makes her content relatable, comprehensive, and conversational. She truly cares about her students and if you have the opportunity to take her, you certainly won't regret it. Her assignments are really manageable and her exams are very similar to her quizzes. Her TAs are also just as amazing!

She is probably the best professor at USC. There are two writing assignments, weekly quizzes, and four exams (your lowest score for an exam gets dropped). Very accessible outside of class.

One of the few professors I've had that actually cares about your mental health. Lectures were pre-recorded and lecture time was used as Q&A. Super funny, relatable, and flexible with deadlines/assignments. Quizzes and extra credit help buffer exam/paper grades. Could not recommend her more and I wish the class was in-person!

Dr. Berntsen is a great lecturer & is always very understanding. She cares about her students, is "cool and in with the kids", and gives opportunities for extra credit. Course quizzes are not difficult, and exams are very fair. I would definitely say that Leslie is one of the best professors at USC. Take her classes!!

Dr. Berntsen really tries to make this class accessible and easy for everyone. As long as you do the minimum assignments outlined in the syllabus and show up to lab, you should get an A. Prof. and the TAs are really just looking to see that you are trying and they are SO accommodating!!

She was seriously the best Professor EVER! Her class was so doable online. She answered any questions with a helpful attitude. The material is so fascinating so it makes it very very easy to understand. You make your own multiple choice test I actually learned a lot that way. 110% recommended Prof Bernsten!! (I got a 99%)

This class is very easy to get an A in, but I still found it very interesting and learned a lot. Berntsen is very caring and wants her students to succeed, and the assignments and test style actually teach you. I think what you learn will be based on your effort put into the class. She is a great teacher and was helpful when I asked questions.

Amazing lecturer even through prerecorded videos! Weekly quizzes can be taken multiple times. Discussions are fun! Everything graded lightly. She focuses on the students learning, connecting with the material , and fostering an open class environment even online. Amazing online, probably even better in person!! 10/10 recommend!!

Prof. Berntsen has to be one of the best and most caring professors at USC. She really does make sure every one of her students does well and genuinely wants you to succeed. Even though because of COVID everything was asynchronous when I took this class, her lectures were very interesting and engaging. Do yourself a favor and take her class!!!

GREAT professor and class. Super easy because she drops the lowest grades of exams and assignments. Super interesting and answers to HW quizzes are online. Leslie is super sweet and I loved learning from her. No real exams, you write your own questions and explain the right and wrong answers. TAKE IT. great GE or psyc course.

Best prof I've had in college

Best class I've taken at USC. So easy as long as you stay on top of the assignments which are all super straightforward.

So easy and so nice. Very very very understanding tading, definitely take this class or any of the classes she offers!

This is my second time having Leslie and she is still the best prof at USC. She makes the class accessible for everyone and her lectures are genuinely interesting. There are 4 exams with the lowest one getting dropped, and the two papers are super easy and the goal of them is to make science easy to read for the public. Definitely take her!

BEST PROF EVER! You can do the class at your own pace (as long as you meet her mandatory checkpoints) and everything can be turned in up to 24 hours late with no penalty. TA's are easy graders and they're really good at answering questions/emails promptly. No complaints with this class at all. Just make sure to stay on top of SONA credits.

Best professor one could ever ask for

This is the best professor you will ever have at USC. Labs and lectures are fun and interesting. Do everything you can to take her class.

BERNTSEN IS AMAZING! she is the kindest, most understanding, most wonderful professor i've ever had. really accommodating, ACTUALLY TEACHES (!!!) (unlike other profs), and wants you to really understand and absorb content. all assessments are fair. she's truly the best

MY FAVORITE PROFESSOR AT USC.

The exams are very difficult

Exams are application based & open note. It is not difficult to get an A, avg exam score was around 85%. Class switched last minute to online at beginning of sem to accommodate prof's disability, which is fine but when you're expecting an in person class it can be a little upsetting. Allows unlimited retakes on weekly quizzes and lab is super easy.

I really enjoyed Dr. Berntsen's class! Even though it was online, she made the lectures very engaging. I will say you have to watch the videos as the content on her exams are examples from her lectures. The exam format wasn't my favorite, but I really appreciated how flexible she was with assignments and the exams.

I'll let the other 5 star reviews speak for themselves. Take this class.

Weekly quizzes, average 10 questions. They'r online, not timed, and allow multiple retakes. There's only 3 writing assignments (2pgs I believe) based on the unit YOU chose, ta's grade super easily. Allows a 24hr blanket extension for uploading assignments, AND for all EXAMS! Lectures are interesting, although yes there can be fluff. Exams are hard!

I see a lot of bad ratings lately. Honestly, the tests can't be done unless you study since they are real-world example based, and you need to use logic. But she is beyond accommodating, and if you watch all the lectures (I did, a night before the exam each time) and take notes, tests are very manageable. Everything else is easy money in the class.

I took a flipped class. Initially, I was very hesitant about it but worked very well. The class was great and its clear grading criteria made it easy. The only issue was I felt the professor wasn't very easily accessible and that became a bit of a problem.

i put in almost zero effort into this class during fall 2023 and received an A without having to take the final (exam scores were B/C/A). prof & tas are so accommodating idk how you would not receive a high grade in the class. there's a reason why this class is hard to register for!!

Class is extremely easy. Lecture "sessions" are asynchronous over Zoom and completely optional, although they usually cover materials that come up on exams. Labs almost every week for once a week, but you can miss up to 3 of them no questions asked. Easy A.

so easy, reverse lecture format means you don't have to attend anything besides lab, which only meets for like an hour. exams are take-home, quizzes are unlimited retake. awesome low pressure class

If you did badly in this class, that is completely your fault. The class is set up to be hybrid, and all of the lectures are available at your discretion. The tests are very reasonable: it's online, open-book/open-note, you can work with a partner, and you have 90 seconds per question. This couldn't be more fair, and Prof. Berntsen is so caring!

this class is the easiest class that could possibly be offered at a university. but easy does not mean stupid, I learned so much and feel like the content was so valuable.

Berntsen is a pretty easy professor with the caveat that the way she structures her classes are weird. Labs are in person, everything else is online and you kinda have to teach yourself how to learn the material. Other than that, it's pretty easy and if you put in like 3-6 hours of studying before each exam you'll be fine.

Dr. Berntsen is one of the most sweetest, caring and FAIR individuals I have ever met. No course taken at any other professional institution would give us the red carpet for an A. She truly cares about her students and their mental health!

A lot of these reviews are skewed, I thought Leslie was cool. you just need to go to flipped sessions and get a lot of feedback if you're struggling. Although, yeah, people have a right to be upset, I think you should self-judge : if you're good at writing and memorizing, you should be fine. The papers are actually not bad at all, j different