2.9
Quality2.4
Difficulty42%
Would Retake97
Reviews42%
Would Retake
97
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
17
4
18
3
27
2
20
1
15
What Students Say
“EASY A-B Showed up To class only during exams”
PSYCH210 - 5.0 rating“The semester is almost ending and I have not learned”
PSYCH415 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
37%
Textbook Required
38%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.51 avg changeRatings by Course
415
5.0
(1)PSYCH101102
5.0
(1)PSYCH102
5.0
(3)PSYCH341
5.0
(1)PSY441
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PSYCH415
4.0
415
3.0
PSYCH341
3.0
PSY333
3.0
PSYC415
3.0
Reviews (97)
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Monotonous, boring, short attention span. However, very easy grader, very simple tests, sticks to lecture material.
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BORING class!! Prof. doesn't have a good grasp of the material and is short-sighted. DOES HE EVEN have a PhD!? And from where and how?!
Marcus is weird. I felt uncomfortable around him. He is very disorganized and never follows through.
Great Professor. Boring subject matter but he made it ok. Very helpful, gives study guides and will give the essay question in advance so you can prepare.
Nice teacher. Will stick to material said to be on tests. Very personable.
One time my friend and I counted how many times he said "and like" during the hour class, and it got up past 50.
He was terrible. He couls not teach at all. He never looked at his students and I thought he may have been afraid of us. I not sure about this guy at all. Beware!
I truly dreaded going to this class everyday. Very boring. Easy grader, for the most part. He seemed to know a lot, but just did not know how to present it well or teach it to the rest of us. No one ever talked in class. Very dry. Monotonous. I would steer clear of him if you can help it.
He is a really smart guy and knows his stuff but his teaching/public speaking skills are not so good. He is really shy and disorganized. He should be a researcher and/or writer, not a teacher.
It's true that he appears to be nervous and shy, but I thought he was an interesting professor. He had good examples and above all his exams are extremely easy. I would take anything that he is teaching just to get an easy "A".
I was excited for this class to begin with, that is before he opened his mouth. I neve have any idea what in the world he is talking about, b/c all he does is ramble, his directions are ambiguous and he contradicts himself, I hated this class.
If you get an "C" that is still consider good, because he's so confusing your lucky if you pass.
Boring class!!!! He is kinda really weird and disorganized about his teaching. Not so tough with grade, so stick to the powerpoint slides that covers class materials, study guide, attendence, and papers.
Not a very good professor... seems to know a lot about psychology but appears to be very confused over his own lectures and notes, as well as the overall content of the class... Exams are fairly easy though and feature multiple choice & essays. Does curse grades if necessary and provides extra credit to the needy.
Very nice professor, fair grading on the exams, he do give out bonus points! I would recommend anyone take this class. A+
He doesn't seem interested in teaching at all and classes are very boring, but if you can stick it out for the whole semester, you might do well.
He knows the field but can't engage anyone's interest in it. Nice guy though.
Got an A-...boy, talk about EXCESSIVE NOTES that never end. I fell asleep many times IN class...he cannot teach for crap!MONOTONE. You basically learn NOTHING from the lecture. If you have a good memory when you study..LIKE I DO...you'll do good. Final was a paper=cake!!
he is so nice...very educated..he is fair and he explains things over if you need him to..take his class he is great ...i took two classes with him...did great in both...he gives a study guide for tests..maybe one paper
A wonderful, sweet, incredibly interesting guy. I am in group dynamics (CCDE nightclass) and I couldn't love it more so far-he doens't condescend or try to impress, just gives the info and interesting, applicable research. Definitely give him a chance, I'm looking forward to this semester
He is a very nice and personable teacher, and always has a smile on his face. However, his method of teaching was not the best for my learning style. This class lacked enough structure for me, and I didn't feel engaged (although he did try). The material isn't terribly interesting, but unfortunately it's a requirement. But the class isn't hard.
Great prof...some info is repetitive watched movies one paper mideterm and final he basically told you everything that was on them did not care if you passed things in late awesomee def would taKe him again
Unlike the previous course (Psych 230)I did take with him, this was definitely a blast for me. In fact, I kinda enjoyed it during 08 Spring. After all, I guess he is a fine professor.
Seems like a nice, educated guy but unfortunately this class has 60+ students and 90% of the time I can't hear him/have no freaking idea what's even going on.
Seems like a nice, educated guy but unfortunately this class has 60+ students and 90% of the time I can't hear him/have no frigg'n idea what's even going on.
Great guy good material, I had taken research methods prior to this and he made it seem like something knew the final paper helped me put it all together and get it. I would recommend this professor!
I learned pretty much nothing from this course, Patterson seems like a really nice, educated guy but doesn't seem to have the drive to engage students or hold their interest at all.. wouldn't recommend this to any Psych major or someone who bores easily. If you can somehow manage to take notes on what he says/shows you you'll do alright.
funny, knowledgeable, would take again!
If you are the kind of student who doesn't show up to class, this is the class for you. It lacked structure and he didn't explain half of the material. Very spacey and his tangents and ramblings were distracting. Everyone always left the class confused. A sweet and honest professor, but teaching is not for him.
soo boring prof goes on and on rambling about things we wont be tested on. Doesn't grab the students attention, Not recommended for students who get distracted easily.. People always leave in the middle of class attendance not required
He is a good-tempered professor. However, this Professor made a lot of apologes, because he didn't keep the promise that he made to the class. Everything was delayed. The tests was easy. All are about the basic concepts. If you take his course, you may lose your interest on psych someday.
This was an online Summer course. I feel the workload was perfect and most of the material was actually very interesting and easy to talk/write about. Assignments were given far ahead of time and were graded more than fairly. Professor was a little unorganized but did respond to all of my questions and worked with me.
class is very boring..professor seemed very unorganized but very knowledgeable...recommend taking notes since most of the tests come from his lectures..little outside work is required for his class...curves grades when necessary and gives extra credit..this class is an easy A
Comical guy. Class was pointless, you can skip somewhat regularly. Very little work outside class. Tests were multiple choice. I didn't do any work and got a B. If you need an A, you can get it with minimal effort
Nice, funny guy. He obviously knows his stuff, but he is not a good teacher. Learned absolutely nothing from this class. Attendance is taken regularly, but if you miss a class, it's not a big deal. Extremely boring; an interesting subject made dull.
I like the subject, so I enjoyed the class. Really wants the students to engage and think critically on their own. Helpful, fair, intelligent teacher.
I only went to his class about a dozen times during the semester because I like to sleep in, but I earned an A because I already knew the material (psych, IS my world). He is very agreeable and fair. Read the book because he tests from it. He will talk to you after class too. A really cool guy, and quite youthful. Participate in class and study!
He was a really great professor. Smart, funny, knows what he's talking about. He likes to engage students and bring in articles that he feels the students will respond best to. Very personalized. I recommend taking him in a smaller class as he gets more of a chance to really teach instead of go about the boring 101 requirements.
Professor is really knowledgeable. The class was fairly easy if you read the textbook. Only difficulty was the clarity on the assignments, this needed a little more work. but hey isn't all psychology a little gray. Overall a great class and would take him as a teacher again. Fair warning I like ambiguity in a professor...
Had him for psych 230,300,330, He is quite easy but voice was sooooo dull and very boring. Had him for a Saturday class for 3 hours! it was soo boring!! but I think he is great overall. He loves to give papers though. I recommend him but watchout for having him for a 3 hour lecture at a time !
The worst professor I have ever had at UMass Boston. He was almost totally unfamiliar with his own syllabus, he was disorganized, and would routinely interrupt his own lectures in order to send or receive text messages. He's nice enough fellow, though, and pretty knowledgeable in matters of psychology, but he's a lousy teacher.Easy grader,though.
I thought this class was easy until I took the first test. He didn't orally cover half the material! To be fair, though, everything came from the book. READ THE TEXTBOOK and you'll do fine. He only assigns a handful of assignments and 1 paper. Interesting prof, knows his stuff, very friendly. Study for your exams and this class will be an easy A.
Professor Patterson means well and you can clearly tell he has a passion, but he rambles, rambles, rambles. He often confuse himself in his lectures, very hard to follow for class notes, because he flies through slides and is often unclear on the ones he explains. The exams are fairly easy as long as you study the key terms you cant go wrong.
Took group dynamics with him in person, and social psych with him online. People say he's easy, but he isn't easy at all. His grading system and classroom policies are not at all clear. His lectures aren't organized and the syllabus is super general, but when you ask questions after class, his answers are vague and unhelpful.He's a nice guy though.
Be prepared to work!! 10 tests covering hours of readings (about 50-100 pages) and lectures online. There was almost a test every week, on top of discussion posts, online chats, 2 papers and a final. A lot of work, but a good course.
He is the least organized, and most demanding professor that I had ever had to take a course from. Smart guy, bad professor. Thumbs down from me.
His classes are fairly easy, attendance somewhat mandatory. I took personality and social with him. He's funny and nice but is always getting off track with discussions and is always behind on the syllabus. It makes it sort of boring. Taking Trauma with him this semester, hopefully its better than 300 and 330 with him.
i don't recommend this professor, boring, won't want to pay attention to him, so disorganized, assignments are very unclear
For such a fascinating subject, I was surprised how often I fell asleep in this class. He's a nice guy, but constantly goes off on tangents that are painfully boring. Assigns a LOT of reading and writing, yet somehow remains very unclear about how he wants them done. Smart guy, knows his stuff, but way too stubbornly opinionated for a professor.
Engaging lectures, respects students & speaks to the class as equals, interesting topics, lots of assignments but not overwhelming to do, discusses current events, encourages participation, interested in what students think, responsive to requests for assistance, very approachable, wants students to succeed and will help them do that.
Professor Patterson is extremely knowledgable and is clearly passionate about the subject. He is not a firm believer in the textbook, but rather bases his lectures on classroom discussion an interaction. Exams are extremely fair and extra credit is offered several times throughout the semester. Would definitely take again.
I took an online class with him. The book was very dense and difficult to understand for me personally. We had lectures with him speaking that were +1 hour, usually. Tests were weekly as well. I found them difficult.
Some students think he's unorganized or unclear but he's a really great professor. Just email if something is unclear to you and he will answer your questions. He's passionate about the subject and wants you to explore your own interests within psychology. Take him for a 400-level class if you can, not an intro. Lots of work, but very fair grader.
Horrible professor Unorganized Grading system makes no sense Don't take it Tests are confusing even though material is easy My first ever C+
I like Professor Patterson, he is a very nice person. He is very passionate about the subjects that he teaches. I took few Psychology classes with him and I really enjoyed all of them. He provides a lot of extra credit and he is a fair grader. His test are multiple choice and are based on everything that he covered in the test books.
I Love Patterson, Easy tests, easy papers, extra credit studies options, You can miss a few classes or a bunch and still do well. EASY A OR B
He is a great professor who has experience on the field. He has conducted researches before and he is very dedicated to his work.
EASY A-B Showed up To class only during exams
Prof. Patterson is an amazing professor! His lectures may be a little boring at times but he definitely knows what he is talking about.
If you want to actually learn about psychological trauma, do NOT take the class. He does not teach, he constantly rambles and he is very scattered. When it comes to midterms and finals (which are papers) you have to teach yourself. He is extremely disorganized and does not make things clear. The semester is almost ending and I have not learned.
I had high expectations for this class but it ended up being the worst class ever. He is very disorganized, doesn't give notes, rambles and looses track during lecture, and expects you to be an expert in psychological trauma. His midterm and finals are papers but asks for too much, when we didn't learn anything. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH HIM!!!
Prof. Patterson courses offer a unique type of experience that you can rarely find in college courses, his way of teaching makes you continuously engaged & eager to learn more. He is VERY passionate about the subject and always provide the latest news related to the topics in a fun way with movies and videos. And he's always helpful & resourceful!
No, just don't do it. Psych415-Trauma may be the worst class you will ever take at UMass Boston. When I read these reviews I figured, how bad could it really be? BUT ITS REALLY BAD. All he does is ramble and this makes it impossible to take notes. He never has a power point and never writes anything on the board. Awful grader and public speaker.
HORRIBLE! He does not teach, all he does is read from slides,DUDE WE CAN READ! He also gives test question review that looks NOTHING like your exam. He is impersonal and dismissive, he is also not present, Rmeaning, he isn't all there, he seems to be in his head a lot. Please, DON'T DO IT!
He's an okay professor. You can tell that he's passionate about what he's teaching. However, he tends to ramble so it's easily to get distracted and dose off a bit. Thought that I'd need the textbook, but it was a waste of money since he posts the key terms that will be on the exam in advance. He doesn't give hw, classwork, or take attendance.
Prof. Patterson's exams are a bit difficult. It is recommended to read the textbook - in order to grasp the content and pass the exams. Lectures are a bit dragging. His voice tends to put people to sleep; very monotone. Although, he is helpful and answers any questions (esp. via e-mail). Attend class, listen, and take notes, and you shall be fine.
Prof Patterson definitely knows what he is teaching, but he seemed to have a hard time actually teaching it. His assignments and exams were confusing and hard to follow. Lectures were disengaging, monotonous, and unnecessary to attend. This course will be easy for anyone with previous psych experience. I wouldn't sign up if you want to learn.
He is a good professor and is very kind. Attendance is not mandatory because lectures are posted online. There are three exams with one online, two solo papers and one group paper. The exams are very straight forward if you study for them and he gives you a very good study guide for everything you need to know for the exams.
He really was all over the place. His "discussion"is basically him rambling and confusing himself in the process while everyone blatantly stares at him. I probably only went to class when there was a test that day. Otherwise I never went and still got a decent grade. I heard his online classes are ok though
I absolutely love this guy. He got me through my psych degree. Easy classes, attendance was optional. Tests are easy and multiple choice. Make some good friends, have fun and get your degree whether it's a minor or major in psych. I've taken 4-5 Classes with Patterson, online classes included. EASY A OR B
People say he's a rough professor, but he's really engaged in the material he teaches. I took him for upper level classes, 477 (this semester). He really cares about the information you absorb and is willing to stay after class to answer any questions. I look forward to taking him again, because of his genuine care in wanting to help you learn.
Does not respond to your email in a timely matter. Online blackboard was out of date and showed assinments from prior classes so it was very confusing to know wether or not we had an assignment due. Not helpful. A bit of an attitude as well.
Mixed performance- he is very knowledgeable on the topic and you can tell he has various ways to explain the content. Sometimes he speeds lecture and other times hes really slow so youll likely be behind compared to the actual syllabus. Hes flexible with grading and gives some extra credit. Ive had worst professors, but hes pretty good.
had him for 230 and 415. 230 had slides, physical content on blackboard, study guides etc. 415 was a verbal lecture and that's it, no blackboard content nothing to actually learn from aside from dozens of long and complex readings. His verbal lectures are all over the place, the entire class is lost on content. Afraid for my GPA bc of this class.
Patterson knows his stuff and you can tell, but he rambles a lot. Attendance is not mandatory, but I still went. His study guides are just term deffintions, so look it over, and you'll past the tests. He gives extra credit a few times, which is very helpful to your grade. He is overall a very nice person and will always help you outside of class!
This is my 2nd time taking Professor Patterson. Class straight forward and the work is doable. Exams are pretty straight forward and all the information you need will be provided on slides, and he also gives study guides and key terms. Only thing is I find his lectures to be a little dry and he can be hard to reach at times. Have not used textbook.
Class lecture notes are essential.
Okay so here's the truth. You do not need to attend class except for exams and the group project about 8 classes all in all. He posts everything on blackboard so you have to be sure you check it on a regular basis to be sure you don't miss an assignment. Papers are Important, and there are a couple due throughout the semester, leading to the final
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. The worst professor I have ever had. It takes so long to submit a grade. Has his TA grade the most important things (we have never even met the TA). Tests are hard but he scales them a ton. You don't have to go to class but if you don't you won't know anything and will end up failing.
Probably one of the worst professors I ever had. He talks too much, and most of the time, seems very confused with his own slides. His very knowledgeable, but has no idea how to teach his students. I can guarantee you will be lost for most part of the class. The only good thing about his class is that attendance is not mandatory.
Hes okay. He talks a lot. For an in-person class you literally don't have to go. The only thing you need are the slides he provides. Dont get the textbook its a waste of money. He isnt confused with his slides, just tells you half of the information doesnt matter because its all extra but part of curriculum. Barely any assignments.
just teach yourselves... He's kinda unorganized in a sense the he goes on tangents ...
One of the easiest classes I've ever taken. Lectures are boring but not awful. There are three exams throughout the semester, a few "question of the days" on Blackboard, one group project, and one final paper. They are all spread out evenly so it's not too much. Just put your best effort into your assignments and you'll pass.
Didn't love his class, there aren't many assignments so they are worth a lot. I missed one assignment near the beginning of the semester after reading the deadline wrong and my grade never really recovered after that. Pay attention to deadlines on blackboard, attendance isn't mandatory but you won't really learn anything if you don't go.
He's really nice, but he's extremely disorganized
Dr.Patterson is such a caring sweetheart professor. I would take him again if he got more organized. I really did enjoy his class and he is a great teacher but just needs to be more organized and encourage more attendance. I felt bad because nobody came to class and I mean nobody but he is insightful and deserves more. He is also a jokester :D
Patterson is a good professor, but it seems like he's kind of just floating through. attendance isn't mandatory and he records all the lectures so you can catch up easily. Only a few assignments and the exams are easy if you use the study guide he provides. For papers and QOD, it's basically just a participation grade.
The professor was not the worst but not the best. He is very nice and accommodating but it is hard to follow his lectures sometimes. Graded by very little things, and some are due at 10 am with no ability to turn them in late.
I have taken Prof. Patterson before & I am glad I got to take another class with him before I graduate. He's a great professor & really cares plus he adds valuable insight to class. People take advantage because he's too nice. Very sweet professor & make sure you're keeping up if you don't go to lecture. Simply engage in discussion & follow along!
Professor is very caring and sweet but his class is extremely difficult to follow and understand. He essentially just reads from the slides and does so very slowly. Attendance is not mandatory but nothing makes sense if you start to miss. 3 exams and a summary paper. light work
Good professor but skims through slides. Textbook required but I didn't really use it. Just search for a free one if you feel you'll need it. Not too many assignments. Attendance not mandatory but you'll be lost if you don't go; join virtual if there's the option until he says otherwise. He kinda gets smart with you when answering questions.
The man is very intelligent but was not meant to teach. Should've retired a while ago as he seemed lost sometimes. He even started teaching lectures from a different psych course other than the one I was taking several times until someone reminded him we are a group dynamics class and not his social psych class. Repeated himself frequently.
Not very good with Tech, took 25 minutes to get the pro
Patterson is a decent prof, but lectures can drag. Attendance is a must, though slides are posted. Exams are easy with the study guide. Unstuckstudy was a great supplement for prep.
He's a nice guy and responds to any queries BUT TERRIBLE at teaching. He goes on and on about the same topic and tests are almost ALWAYS moved to a later date due to his inability to complete stuff on time. Tests are online, automatically graded, and you cannot go back and check ur answers so be sure before you move to the next question.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
37%
Textbook Required
38%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.51 avg changeRatings by Course
415
5.0
(1)PSYCH101102
5.0
(1)PSYCH102
5.0
(3)PSYCH341
5.0
(1)PSY441
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PSYCH415
4.0
415
3.0
PSYCH341
3.0
PSY333
3.0
PSYC415
3.0