3.3
Quality3.1
Difficulty48%
Would Retake235
Reviews48%
Would Retake
235
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
76
4
47
3
35
2
36
1
41
What Students Say
“She is very unreasonable and tries her best to seem like a good person, but likes to give trick questions and mislead students on the quizzes and midterms she has”
COG1 - 1.0 rating“When she's singling out students in class, she will ask them loaded questions about her teaching”
COGS107A - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
29%
Textbook Required
63%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.35 avg changeRatings by Course
COGSCI1
5.0
(1)COGSCI
5.0
(1)COGSCI11
5.0
(1)COGSCOGS
5.0
(1)COGSMON
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
COGS107A
4.1
COGSCI1
4.0
COGSCI11
4.0
COGS001
4.0
107A
4.0
Reviews (235)
she's very un-helpful and kind of mean.
Really great and fun teacher. She's cool and the class is really fun and interesting.
this can be a very challnging class if you don't do the readins, but it gives you a broad spectrum of the entire cog. sci. feiled, and an opportunity to meet a lot of professors.
she's cool, nice, and a lot of other stuff. 30% quizzes 35% midterm 35% final. take good notes and DO THE READING and you'll be fine.
material and lectures are interesting. she was even nice enough to give a make-up mid term for the students who failed it the first time. it is necesary to go to lecture.
She's very enthusiastic about the subject matter. The reading is often difficult and there's a lot of it, but if you do it you'll be fine. Interesting class, and it covers a lot of ground.
Dr. Boyle is a really nice professor who gives the opportunity to meet many professors through lectures. The class is pretty hard and she's kinda hot.
She's great, one of the few teachers that actually cares about her students.. classes very interesting although if your non science you can be at a disadvantage... altogether very interesting class andgreat professor
Class was a bit biased to materialist standpoint, VERY few modern arguments for dualism, all stemmed around the outdated cartesian model. The professor moved very quickly, strongly recommended that you take cogs1 before this class.
Midterm is 5 ?'s(all short answers),weekly sxn quizzes based on lectures & readings (which are pretty interesting),a paper,& multiple choice final. Make sure to go to lectures even though notes are posted online or else will have a hard time understanding them. Outgoing prof. & interesting class!
Professor Boyle is seriously an awesome professor. She's really helpful and a lot of fun to talk to. She really cares about her students. You should get to know her if you can
This professor is amazing!!!! She's so energetic, caring,and funny. (she was the only professor that did an April fools joke on us....) Her notes are very easy to follow (powerpoint) and her tests are very clear and easy. Just do the required readings and assignments and this class is a breeze :)
she is so awesome!!!she is a lot of fun and the class was super interesting. her tests are fair i would say, but there is a lot of material that requires good understanding. she makes the class so much fun and not boring, she makes you want to go to lecture. take her she's great!!!! one of my best y
omfg. she's such a great teacher! nice, helpful, and very passionate. i love her tutorials for the assignments. theyre so clear. EVERYBODY IN THE SCHOOL NEEDS TO TAKE THIS CLASS: you WILL benefit from it greatly. assignments are easy and about 5 quizzes plus a final - easy A, for sure.
Mary Boyle tries very hard to keep her students engaged in the discussions. She uses helpful powerpoint presentations and does a good job of trying to understand the student's point of view. When i took the class (Spring 2006) she changed the format a little, so the quizzes and assignments were a little harder. Good overall
She tries very hard during lecture to keep you interested. It is hard to reach her by email. Her powerpoints were interesting but her homework assignments were very confussing...which is really bad because homework is worth 50% of your grade. So you have to attend section to get help on the assignments or you are screwed. Her quizzes are difficult.
pretty good prof overall. lecture can be a bit dull, but you learn a lot in the class. loved the part on xhtml, glad i learned how to use that. the assignments arent too bad, but make sure you do them cuz their 50% of your grade.
Prof. Boyle is super chill... If you put a little time into the HW assignments (even tho they can be a pain in the butt sometimes), you wil be rewarded. Most, if not all of her lecture slides are online... quizzes are mostly from those slides. No midterms, just quizzes... Final is exactly like quizzes... Very generous grader on top of that!
As long as you do the hw assignments you are fine (50% of final grade). Take advantage of the earlier quizzes cause it does get somewhat harder down the line. The final is multiple choice which was pretty easy. Basically, i spent a couple hours a week in the computer lab doing the hw, studied right before the quizzes and final, and got an A+!
shes pretty coo- Just pay attention and go to the lectures AND discussions and you'll do ok. First midterm was easy---fyi
I loved this class and I usually don't like any of my classes. Easy and interesting but you have to read because there are weekly quizzes. She wants you to learn so there are opportunities for extra credit if you don't do well on the midterms or final. Her power points might be hard to understand if you don't write down what she says.
BEST COG SCI PROF AT UCSD!! She could teach ANYTHING and make it interesting. Ya, she gives weekly quizzes, has 2 midterms, and a final; but that's how you learn it. You work for it, you get it. And she makes sure of that. I'm taking her again next quarter. Can't wait! HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended!! Michael and Emma are awesome TAs too!
TERRIFIC actualy kept me awake at 8 am. she can teach anything and make interesting. increadible how much you learn and how easy she makes it. it does require some work but its all worth it. actually ENOJYED CLASS SO MCUH!!! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED even if you dont need it. do the reading and take good notes and you have a guaranteed A/B+
The most AMAZING professor I've had. Go to office hours--even just to talk. GREAT professor. Not only can she teach, but she actually connects with her students. She's a very interesting person, too--for someone with an undergrad degree in Finance, it's amazing how she became one of the best neuroscientists and professors at UCSD.
Lecture is not mandatory. That is good since it doesn't help for the hw. Hw is online and is step by step. Going to lecture helps because she tells you what will be on the quiz.
I really enjoyed this class. Professor was great and made class interesting. Assignments are online and are step by step. They are 50% of your grade so get them done on time. There are 2 quizzes, but only 2 counted. Go to lecture, she tells you what's going to be on quizzes. Got to learn a lot of new things, like php & javascript. Really fun class
this teacher thinks she knows what she is doing but her quizzes are made by students and she is ridiculous at her lab projects, their so long an the ta's grade it they dont tell u theres a time stap but there is teacher is hell forgetful and she sucks i am not being bitter b/c this should be a easy GE, i am being truthful take this class if you wil
Her assignments are long and confusing! but if you turn them in online then you can get a bouncha bonus points to COVER your quizes. The quizes are always hard and confusing, but don't worry about it, the bonus points can cover them. so do finish the homework no matter what!
I don't know what some of these other reviewers are whining about. Honestly, if you can read this sentence, you can get an A in this class. Weekly step-by-step computer hw takes 60-120 min. each. Obviously turn it in on time (not that hard) and show up for the quizes. Hw uses Word, Excel, PShop, PHP, JavaScript, and XML, but it's all very basic.
One of the best lecturer at UCSD with the ability present complicated stuff like neurons and action potentials easy like reading comics. Though provoking assignments, fair midterms and finals. Loads of possibilities for extra credit. Take her classes, wont regret it!
teacher is nice, great to talk to, quizzess are esyyyy, just look at lecture material, 1st midterm.she gives the questions out, 2nd midterm, preety esy, just study the notes, final ..a lil harder, one paper, and gives lots of ec
Professor Boyle is great! She's one of my favorite professors I've had so far. She is largely responsible for helping me decide to pick up a CogSci:Neuroscience double major in addition to my Human Bio major. She's funny and keeps lectures interesting. She really cares about her students too! She offers LOTS of ec opportunities too.
Re: the comment below about her being "retarded" - first of all, if you remember at all, our 1st midterm was 4 short essays; our 2nd was all multiple choice. OBVIOUSLY she could have MP graded MUCH faster (i.e. with a MACHINE not by HAND). She's SUCH an amazing professor. Yes, class is definitely important (as is the reading), but she's AMAZING!
not bad, very easy class, some parts get complicated and she's not that great at explaining it, but no need for the book, just look through her slides, and midterm and final were extremely easy especially if you went to class. good gpa booster, pretty good professor.
overall an easy class, lectures are very interesting and keep you awake. Almost all material is seen again in quizzes and midterms.
Really interesting class and the assigned books were so good I couldn't put them down! Tests/quizzes test whether you read and are very straightforward. Study the lecture material and pay attention to things she is interested in, because they will appear on the midterm and final. Overall super fun and interesting course.
The best professor I have had. Very interesting class, she will keep your attention the whole time! The books for the class are fun to read, tests not hard if you go to lecture and section. Boyle is a fun teacher!
Enthusiastic - never monotone, keeps things interesting TA's give weekly quizzes on material, but those are fairly easy. (they review the stuff on the quiz right b4 you take it) Only 1 midterm - blue book - if you do the reading and pay attention in lecture, you should be fine. Posts lecture powerpoints online so you can always refer back and fi
Great professor. Her speech is extremely clear but she goes really fast in lecture. Weekly quizzes in discussion are EASY as long as you do the reading. First midterm was 4 questions, short answer format and it was easy. Just pay attention to what she and the TA stresses and you'll be fine.
She's okay... the problem with her is that her lectures are EXTREMELY UNORGANIZED to the point that an otherwise straightforward topic will look like a mess in your notebook afterwards. However, this is an EASY CLASS. Shotgun absorption of info, and then regurgitate. The quizzes are easy, you just regurgitate what the TAs just told you.
Driven by the countless Monsters, she has a lot of energy. You won't be able to sleep in this class. Tests are rather straightforward as long as you have done the readings (they aren't that bad). She will remind you of a soccer mom. She truly cares for her students as if they were her own kids.
The class is irritatingly annoying because lectures are not posted prior the lecture day. Will say random things, review for the test not very helpful. Quizzes are sometimes vague and confusing even though I read the lectures. Worst teacher and I should not have taken this class. Giving a freaking stress. Never going to take her again.
Easy class. she dresses like a soccer mom and is entertaining to watch! The assignments are very time consuming but they are very easy. An easy A just make sure you follow the directions exact. Quizzes were a little tricky. Make sure you save hw in the exact folder she asks with the name she asks.
VERY VERY VERYYY EASY CLASS! I bet everyone got an A. Assignments can be a little confusing and very long but you won't die. Quizzes are okay. Just review over the assignments for the final and you'll get an A.
The subject is very interesting indeed. However, the professor is extremely unorganized and teaches material far away from the core of the subject. Quizzes were easy depending on your TA but midterms seek little specific details and even material she said would not be on there. I am interested in the subject, but very disappointed in the teacher.
Awesome subject, awesome books, but horrible professor. Her lectures never coincide with the readings for the week...as a matter of fact, she never really talks about the reading, so you are kind of left in mid-air. She goes very fast in lecture, and she doesn't explain half of her slides. But her tests and quizzes are very easy.
Very interesting class. Slightly unorganized lectures. Readings are very interesting. Midterms aren't that bad. One is multiple choice and the other is a Blue Book Essay, She gives out study guides which if you follow you'll be fine. Take her!!!
Awesome professor!! She is very knowledgeable in the field and always keeps her slides interesting. The assigned readings are discussed in section and are super enjoyable. Tests are straightforward-if you study, you'll do well!
interesting class etc. but this professor is not that great. final was pretty straight forward though
The subject is pretty interesting, but the professor seems to focus her lectures more on the philosophical ideas of the course, and not so much the science part but her exams are all science based. Her readings hardly relate to the lectures, and she tends to go off on random tangents a lot. I recommend the class, not the professor.
The class material is interesting and I would have enjoyed it if it was taught by a different professor... I think she made things more complicated than they needed to be through her incoherent lecture slides and convoluted homework assignments. No midterm, final was just like quizzes and fairly easy.
Very energetic but some lectures can seem a little scattered. Friendly, approachable, and reasonable. Definitely do the reading and know the science (it's not very difficult if you're a science person) behind the philosophy for the multiple choice questions. Section is boring but mandatory (quizzes given in section). I recommend the class.
Don't take this class if you just want to satisfy your GE requirement unless you really enjoy learning about the brain. She's a nice, caring lady, but her class is a lot harder than I expected. I got my first C ever in my entire life because of this class. I'd take SIO 35 instead if you just want to fulfill your science requirement.
Wonderful teacher. The class itself is a little difficult- ideally it would be split into two different classes. If you go to her office hours and talk with her you wont regret it. Unlike most professors she is very approachable and always full of insight. I've heard many people say they have changed majors to COGS b/c of her and now I know why.
Professor Boyle is a great professor because connects well with her students. However, she tends to get behind on grading. We didn't get our second midterm back until we took the final. Personally, I had alot of fun in the class and the topics we discussed really interested me
She's amazing! I loved her class! She jumps all over the place but I loved all the topics we covered! Her midterm (1 MC;1 essay) were tough but not if you studied! The final was easy if you studied the study guide! She's so approachable and she really takes an interest in everyone's life. Go talk to her in OH; I'm a Cog Sci major b/c of her (:
If you have an interest, take this class! Dr. Boyle is a good lecturer and an amazingly sweet woman. Go to office hours, you will not regret it.
Her lectures were super boring and never went to any. Though that's probably why I didn't do too well on the two midterms. Takes forever grading, especially the quizzes in sections. But gotta say the quizzes are a piece of cake.
Assignments virtually done for you because of step-by-step directions. Professor very funny and personable. Highly recommended you go to class. Professor posts notes, but doesn't always include things said in class which will also be on the final. Also says in class what to watch out for especially on tests. Also gives lots of extra credit.
If you're into the biology of psychological topics you've got the best prof to teach it to you. Relates current events and research into the class. Midterms are 1 MC and 1 Essay (Possible Qs are provided before) Final: MC. Personable, Funny & Knowledgable. Boyle is the best prof I have had at UCSD.
Professor Boyle is the best professor I have had at UCSD. I had had horrible profs before her and had begun wondering where my money's worth was going, but she changed my entire mindset. If I had taken this class as a freshmen I strongly believe it would have become my major simply b/c of her.
Prof. Boyle is a great professor! She knows her material very well and is always enthusiastic about teaching the class. Highly recommended!
Classs covers WIDE range of material via guest speakers. Weekly quiz in sections make you go. Midterm 1 month into qtr isn't terrible. FInal not comprehensive, however, you have 2months of material on final which is hard since questions get specific and there is WAY too much material to memorize. Boyle is kind/clear and a good prof overall.
For her computing class, it was a bit time consuming for each assignment, however they were each pretty fun and if you like programming, you'll like this class. The final was pretty detailed this year and it's hard to believe it was a joke in the past quarters. Only downside, last part of last assignment was put up hours before it was due week 10.
Originally not my favorite subject but the prof. made it my favorite class. Boyle is a sweetheart, she made me look forward to her classes. Very upbeat and knows her stuff. The assignments are straightforward, keeps you step by step so you can't go wrong. She is also understanding and helpful when you get stuck. Assignment each week, easy A.
She isn't always very clear about what she wants and she isn't the greatest professor out there, but I think she realizes that and makes up for it in extra credit. No midterm, just 4 "pop" quizzes (she tells you beforehand). Homework takes A LOT of time, several hours a week. Final was tricky but not difficult. I would recommend.
Really nice professor, seems to care for all her students. Lectures can be a bit unclear and scattered but she does post them online. Quizzes are given every week during section but they're generally not too hard. Tests were a bit hard but still fair. If you're interested in cognitive science, take this class.
Offers slides online and podcasts. Two midterms: one multiple choice and one extra credit. Offers extra credit for participation in discussion forum, and for experimetrix.
Class is fairly easy, even if you have no computing experience beforehand. Boyle explains concepts well and respects all questions asked, no matter how elementary they are, something more professors need- esp. with computer-related classes. If you attend lecture, hw should be simple. She gives a lot of hints as what to do for hw. Pretty good class.
This class was pretty easy.It was just a lot of busy work. The only con about this class is that she will mess up your grading. On TED I had an A,but for some reason I got a B+. Tried emailing her, she never replied. Went to her OH, but she was never there. My friend did the same. SMH.
Easy class, but very time consuming. Professor is sometimes unclear in her instructions for hw assignments, which gets a lot of students a little frustrated. There was only two TAs.. So they struggled to help all the students and they were slow with grading the hw.. There was one midterm and a final. Both were easy if you went to class and studied!
PROS: Podcasts audio only, lots of extra credit, nice woman. CONS: Required reader-changes every quarter=no resale value, tests not reflective of material learned, tests have a lot of all of the above/two of the above, large range of topics to cover can be confusing, no real textbook=must rely on lectures to explain anatomy, which do a bad job
Great professor!! I took this course a few years back during my freshman year and loved it. I went to every lecture, studied her lecture slides + my notes, used the textbook for reference, and got an A. I also took COGS17 with her and got an A. I'm a bio major and thoroughly enjoyed the COGS series. I highly recommend taking this course with Boyle!
HW takes time but is doable. Whenever her instructions were in powerpoint slides, they were very unclear and hard to follow. Notes did help but not entirely because half of the lectures she just wrote stuff down on her empty slides which was difficult to comprehend later when you wanted to study on your own. I wouldn't take this professor again.
Boyle is amazing! She's witty and interesting, but she tends to talk really fast because she's very passionate about the course. She tries to make everything relative and digestible. Lots of extra credit opportunities. I even got extra credit on the midterm which I did not know was possible. Overall awesome class.
Take advantage of office hours because she's really fun and cool. The class itself is very interesting so I recommend it. Her tests are tricky but fair. Study everything, especially the small details.
She's a funny professor and the materials are quite interesting. 50% comes from homework which may take a lot of time if you are not familiar with computer stuffs. Her exams are pretty fair. I only read through all of her slides for 2h before tests and still got A's.
I did not really like this class. Boyle is very knowledgeable, but she went WAY too fast and didn't explain concepts very well, especially for those who were new to COGS. Midterms and final were hard, they had lots of tiny details. Bought an expensive reader that I didn't read because it was too hard. Still got an A though.
Great teacher, very nice person. Relatively difficult material if you aren't familiar with programming, but she gives plenty of opportunity to get an A, which really isn't difficult if you give some effort.
Mary is a great professor. I had no experience in the cogsci field but it was a really interesting class and I learned a lot. Unfortunately the homework is worth a lot and as you get farther into the quarter and busier with other classes, her assignments get tougher and worth more. Tough but put time in, you will be okay
Professor Boyle wants to and tries to make her class interesting and clear. However, homework that should have taken an hour took 4 hours to complete with a TAs help due to missing/incomplete steps. Also, unclear on what would be emphasized on midterm/final: certain topics had more weight than others. Overall, class is easy when she's clear.
WORST CLASS EVER! So much work that you are expected to know how to do on your own when she barely goes over the basics in class. TAs get frustrated with you when you don't understand something. Homework assignments take multiple hours and are very confusing. Too hard of a class for a GE. I took this class hoping it would be easy but it is not.
This is the worst prof ever! She teaches the class as if everyone has prior experience w/ coding so it's SUPER confusing. Neither her nor the TAs have a clue what's going on. So disorganized. Weekly assignments that take hrs to do! Spent all of this quarter in the comp lab.Doesnt prep you for tests either. i don't recommend her or this class at all
This class was not what I expected. The assignments did take forever to do and the only TA that was helpful was Alvin and PK, but I learned some things from labs. Other than that, it's hard! The midterm was ridiculously difficult and I assume the final will be too. Her lectures go by so fast and aren't clear. I don't learn anything from lectures!
This class is too much too fast. Most of us have no idea what is going on. I am completely lost and spend 8-10hrs each week doing hw. expected to learn way too much in 10 WEEKS ..remember we have NO PRIOR CODING EXPERIENCE. harder than my uppdiv classes, by far
DO NOT take this class. Hours everyday of hw, unclear instructions, and she assumes you know already know about computers even though it is supposed to be an intro class. Nice lady but NIGHTMARE class
Professor Boyle is a very good professor, but be WARNED this class can be difficult if you have absolutely no experience in computing. I earned an easy A because I had some background with computing so I was able to fill in some of the blanks that are unclear with some assignments. She gives ALOT of extra credit but this class demands a lot of time
Lectures aren't very helpful for finishing assignments but definitely helpful for the midterm and final. She highlights certain things she expects you to know for her tests. As for assignments, they are a tedious but if you put in a few hours per week completing them, there is no reason you shouldn't get an A since they're a majority of your grade.
the class was only about lectures by guest professors so she only taught two lectures. the TA taught the material in 40 minutes in discussion so that was the only reason why it was easy.
The class has just about two quizzes every week. One for the lectures from the previous week and one on a pre reading assignment. Both quizzes can be tricky, but she offers extra credit to help give you a better grade. Most lectures are from other professors, so sometimes they're interesting and sometimes not. Exams are worth most of grade.
DONT TAKE CLASS WITHOUT PRIOR COGS KNOWLEDGE! That being said, the class is just random professors and researchers coming in and giving lectures on a topic they wish. Background knowledge is rarely provided and hardly any of the lectures connect. Disorganized and didn't learn much. Only easy because TAs practically tell you all answers to quizzes
Class was extremely interesting and very engaging. But Boyle is a terrible professor. She started off the class with a speech of how science people were smarter and better than liberal arts people. I quit going to class because I felt dumber after sitting through her lectures, which were unorganized and hard to follow. Thankfully class was easy.
Extremely rude and insensitive. Worst professor I've had. She expects students to know the answer even though this course material is very new to a lot of these students. She is very unclear and vague with her questions. She gets irritated when you don't answer correctly, even though she says "just try answering, it's ok if you get it wrong."
Class starts out smooth & pretty easy though assignments are mostly time-consuming. Sharp transition halfway though, things pick up pace AND get harder so prepare. Lectures can be confusing because Prof Boyle tends to skip slides, making it unclear what you need to know, but it's better to go - learning the stuff on your own will probably be worse.
In the beginning, the class was relatively easy (HTML). But halfway through, she threw us JavaScript assignments where she really doesn't teach you anything and expects you to be fluent in the new language. In class she expects you to be there and answer her questions even though she didn't even teach the material yet. Worst professor ever.
Do not take this class. The homework starts out ok, but then it gets really hard, and she is not very helpful.
AVOID THIS CLASS! This course is way harder than it seems especially if you have no prior knowledge. She moves way too fast and expects you to know everything when she doesn't/hasn't explained it.
You will definitely enjoy going to the lectures if you're even remotely interested in Computer Science. Be ready for an assignment every week, though...
not a science person but i LOVED this class and boyle. almost all the readings were super interesting. weekly discussion quizzes, weekly class EC quizzes, 2 midterms (one multiple choice and the other is an essay) and final that's also multiple choice. read the textbook or it'll impossible to pass the exams. there are a lot of EC opportunities.
Quizzes in discussion are poorly written. Many of the answers are similar and are frequently deceptive. Not a true indication of the student's knowledge. Sometimes would read and relisten to the podcasts and still get a bad grade. Other times, I didn't study and got 90%+. Plus, the quizzes take away from time where we could be learning.
This is the second class ive taken with professor Boyle and both of them changed my life, its very hard to find a teacher (especially in the UC system) that channels the inspiration she feels for the subject into her classes. She actually knows how to teach and spends her time making sure students are actually learning the material.
Her first lecture, she said her "reputation" was not deserved. Her reputation is under-exaggerated - very deserved. Midterms are not representative of lectures. Be prepared to apply things not discussed in lecture. Be prepared to have both lecture and discussion be mandatory. Upper division COGS 1XX classes are MUCH easier and enjoyable.
1% extra credit for four (4) SONA hrs, 1% for several hundred pages of reading + quizzes, 2% total. The reading quizzes are separate from the discussion quizzes, and you're quizzed before you even discuss the material. Many questions on midterms and quizzes are misleading, very similar, or taken from very specific passages. AVOID her.
The quizzes and tests are extremely poorly written and it seems to me like they're meant to deceive you, and the way the class is designed makes it extremely difficult to study for. The kicker is that I know people who've taken the class with other professors and loved it. Would not recommend.
This professor gives great lecture. However, Cogs 1 is teaching by several gust speakers. The material are fragmentary and materials are sometimes boring. This course takes a hour and a half which u will never stay focus. Not recommend this professor. Hard Mid terms and quizzes every week.
COGS1 with her gives quizzes weekly, on obscure information pulled from lengthy reading material and droning lectures. Came in expecting an easy A for a GE course, after hearing what a breeze the class was with past teachers. Would not have taken if I knew how she would handle it instead.
Can't say much about Boyle because COGS1 is lead by guest lecturers everyday, but this class was hard in terms of the amount of studying that's needed for an introductory class.. LOTS of quizzes and reading, but honestly, it paid off in the end. If you put in the appropriate time to study and read and not be lazy, this class is doable for an A
The readings give very minimal information. Every week, there is a guest lecturer who lectures on random topics either not giving enough detail or using too much detailed language. The extra credit is extremely difficult to get and requires a lot of effort. The tests and quizzes are the hardest I've ever taken! I should've taken pass/no pass.
The class was interesting but the way it was structured made it hard to get good grades.
Lots of hard quizzes and midterms. many labs. grades extremely hard. lots of textbook reading.
Calls on students the entire time. Very critical grader with ambiguous instructions. Baited students with false leads on test questions. Included questions from other chapters on tests that weren't on said chapter. 20+ hours on labs and studying minimum. Rude to students whom show exhaustion from overworking. D average class wide on midterm 2.
Oppressively heavy workload. Calls out students in a way that sometimes does not promote learning but only creates a sense of anxiety. Very spunky personality, very reasonable when you talk to her outside of class.
She doesn't prepare for lectures, grades on random passages that are irrelevant to actually understanding the key concepts of the material, and overall is a terrible lecturer. She spends more time trying to learn the students names, and asking them questions they obviously don't know. It doesn't promote learning, just proves to them they don't know
Study the textbook hard and read ahead - she calls out students at random during class, which is stressful. Exams are fair if you study the book and her slides carefully. Lab reports are UNREASONABLY long and tedious (hand-written whole blue book long!). Prof. Boyle is such a warm, smart, and kind person - one of the best professors I've ever had!
Took over the summer & learned a lot, probably the most I've learned in any class but that's because you're forced to, which could be both great & bad. Midterms are all 15 questions, short essay format. I found the labs unnecessary busy work, taking about 6 hours to handwrite. Reading the textbook is an absolute must. Hardly slept this month
A huge amount of time in lecture was lost to her small talk, together with her playing with or disciplining her untrained, distracting dog, and singling out students for questions (to which she often admits she cannot expect us to know the answer). When she's singling out students in class, she will ask them loaded questions about her teaching.
Puts more effort into seeming likable than preparing lecture material. She has no idea how insane her workload is and doesn't care. Tests on chapters outside of those we were supposed to study. tells you exactly what to study and then puts entirely diff diagrams/info on tests. Her IAs would have done a better job teaching the course without her.
I took COGS11 with her during a summer session, which she teaches differently than during a regular quarter. For summer session, however, I would 100% recommend. She is very caring and entertaining and explains the material in ways that is relatable and interesting. Loved this class!
Too many labs.. each take us about 4-6 hours to do on a confusing program where your first lab is risked out of a good grade for you not knowing how to use the program. Peer review grading of labs some students are mean. As a person, she's fine but as a professor still seems like she's trying to find the best way to teach these things.
I love Prof. Boyle she is one of the only professors I've had at UCSD who genuinely cares about students learning the information! The information itself is difficult and the labs are extremely tedious but she truly does want us to learn, and she's a great person.
Put in work and you get the grades. In short: do the readings the week that the topic is taught (before is better, but who has time for that), review slides at the end of the week, start labs at *least* 3 days before they are due, and find peers to study for exams with. Overall great, engaging, lectures, but it's a test of endurance to stay focused
I took COGS 107A during fall quarter. She is a great lecturer - very fun, engaging and she clearly knows a lot about what she's talking about. I loved taking her class but you should definitely be aware of the work load that comes with it. There is a lot of info and the labs are time consuming. The podcasts and EC help. Would recommend!
Professor Boyle is my absolute favorite. I looked forward to coming to lecture because she makes it so fun and interesting. Honestly sad the class is over. Highly recommend her. Midterms and final aren't too hard, most of the readings are very interesting and not too long. Ended with an A. She also brings her adorable dog to class every lecture!
She was pretty nice, and could be a great friend, but unfortunately, not a professor. If I were to "ratemyfriend" here, I would definitely give her an A. However, her lectures were so bad that I even barely attended the class. It's just a waste of time. She has lots of unrelated small talks which could be fairly annoying, and
This was Professor Boyle's first time teaching 107A. She had to revise the syllabus a few times and made the BIGGEST mistake of giving us FIFTEEN HOUR+ labs EACH week. That took away from reading and reviewing time for me. It was hell. However, she was nice enough to give us enough extra credit to make it fair. I cant believe I got an A!
Her lectures were fun to go to. It's tough material to master in one quarter so be easy on yourself if you have a hard time. Go to office hours, read the book, and listen during lecture!
She is very unreasonable and tries her best to seem like a good person, but likes to give trick questions and mislead students on the quizzes and midterms she has. The only good thing about the class are the ta's who actually provide you with information about the quizzes, which the lectures and reading do almost nothing to prepare you for.
I would strongly recommend taking professor Boyle over summer. Its a smaller size class that she runs differently than during a normal quarter- a bit easier. Her lectures are laid back and very engaging. Several readings due every class but they are not bad at all and are actually very interesting! Everyone in our class received an A or a "Pass"
I've never had to work so hard for an intro class. Beware taking this class with her because in order to do well you're required to invest a lot of time and energy into doing the weekly readings and preparing for the midterms and finals that the lectures (mostly) don't prepare you for. Avoid taking this class with her if you can.
boyle is a GREAT professor for this class, so don't let the bad reviews scare you. she's very caring and warm but doesn't take any bs. i only really recommend her to cogsci majors tho. yes she's more work, but since you have to put effort into the exams & readings & quizzes to get an A, it helps you really get to know the cogsci major/department
Took her for 187A during summer session. It's a project-based class; grade is based solely on the project, so no tests/quizzes. As long as you and your group members actually do your project, it's pretty much a guaranteed A. Can't really talk about her teaching skills since there wasn't much to teach really. Easy class and fun class though.
This particular class has been extremely hard. The lectures consist of actual neuroscientists explaining very advanced concepts. If you skip class, you can podcast, but the podcast has problems. The powerpoints have little info. The review questions dont relate to the quizzes. I have no idea what to study or what's on the midterm.
The quizzes ask the most specific questions and they're pretty tricky. She gives a "review" but it's honestly no help. You just gotta reread and watch the podcasts on repeat to do well. It's so much work for an intro class.
Boyle's lectures are really interesting(to me at least)! There's a lot of readings to do, most of them can be long and daunting but tbh you can skim through and get a good grade on the weekly quizzes. There's a ton of extra credit opportunities.
Awesome professor! She has a PhD in neuroscience, but doesn't act like she's above her students. This class is involves a lot of biology, philosophy, and critical thought. Putting effort in and reading the material will be enough to pass this class, but it will also drive you to study more because of how rewarding it can be. Not just for the grade.
Hardest intro class ever!! Her class is a bunch of guest lecturers but she tests on the hardest concepts. I was lucky to pass. Her quizzes are weekly and are very specific
I got this class waived for a couple of quarters and have taken several upperdiv COGS classes prior to this and this class is honestly tougher than some of my upperdivs. The class is VERY broad and covers all fields of COGS. Can't say much about Boyle b/c class is taught by guest lecturers, which results in inconsistent lecture formats.
Very inspirational. Quizzes help for the midterms and final exams.
Interesting class. Go to section! The TA reviews material for 45 mins & for the last 15 mins you are quizzed multiple choice. Pretty straightforward if you pay attention. Attend lecture & rewatch the podcasts. The entire class had access to a single google doc where everyone compiled their notes to help study for midterms. Also, lots of E.C. given.
Got a C on the midterm and a B on the final, and still gave me an A. Weekly quizzes are super easy though, and they're 25% of your grade. Textbook IS expensive and it IS required. Readings can be very entertaining. She's funny, caring, and an amazing lecturer! 10/10 would recommend.
Overall very nice and caring professor. Clear grading standards and A LOT OF extra credit opportunities. Materials are easily available. Though her lectures could be a little bit confusing sometimes, her passion and kindness still make COGS1 a great course.
Avoid her. I got > 95% in all her exams but I received a B. The homework is 50% of your total grade and is PEER REVIEWED; I spent 14 hours on the lab reports EVERY WEEK and got only 70% in homework. FOR THOSE COMMENTS ABOUT COGS1: they think she's good because they have NEVER tried cogs1 taught by other professors. Look at earlier posts instead.
Boyle is a great professor. She rarely lectures in the class. This class is mostly based on guest lecturers from different departments. However, she is very caring. The class includes quizzes every week. The quizzes are often very specific! However, it is pretty decent.
Really enjoyed this class. Guest lecturers was great exposure to other potential professors and teaching styles and very inspirational to have all these great professors at UCSD. Quiz and exams very straightforward as long as you did the reading and paid attention in class. Professor Boyle was very accessible outside of class and gave great advice.
Took her Cogs1 in the first quarter and it was really difficult to follow.. and then I dropped it before week3. Later took her Cogs1 in the second quarter and Prof said she is making it easier. It was actually a lot better, got an A with 2 hours studying per week. Midterm was pretty easy and a lot of extra credit! Prof Boyle is really caring!
Dr. Boyle is such an amazing lecturer and her level of expertise is super impressive. If you are considering studying cognitive science, take COGS1 with her if you can. You will learn SO much. If you are aiming for an A or A+, get ready to work, but it will be so worth it! She is also a very warm individual, and welcomes office visits.
She inspired me to change my major to Cognitive Science Neuroscience. This professor is amazing. Go to her office hours and talk to her, she treats you like a normal human and not just a student. She's passionate about what ahe teaches. She definitely takes pride in it vecause she mentions her mentors from UCSD.
She never really taught but when she did I was always so intrigued and it's easy to follow. I wish she could have more lectures instead of having so many guest lectures. There's a quiz every week which isn't too bad honestly, but it's on specific things within the lectures. Attendance isn't mandatory and there's podcasts as well. Not too difficult!
go to class, it will help you get an A
Professor Boyle is the most amazing teacher/lecturer/professor I have seen so far. Her class is so interesting because of the way she talks (with humor) and simplifies material for us to learn. There are so many examples she has taken from her life, I feel like there's no way your attention not to be naturally attracted to her teaching. Very caring
Quiz every single week, lots of reading, all multiple choice on midterms, need to take notes carefully for preparing for test and memorization is the key.
She's an absolute sweetheart and she really knows the material. Helps to get a knowledgeable TA as well.
Great professor to have. Lectures and material for the class was interesting 9/10 times. The midterms weren't difficult and neither was the final. You have to read for the weekly quizzes and to do well on exams but other than that this class should be a breeze.
Loved this class! Every lecture is, usually, a different presenter, but Professor Boyle gives a couple fo the lectured. Weekly quizzes, but they aren't difficult. Test Questions come directly from reading and lecture.
Prof. Boyle is, simply put, not a very knowledgeable professor for a web development course. I came in this class with quite a bit of knowledge about web dev, and it was clear to me in a lot of interactions that she wasn't quite sure about the things she was teaching. She's a poor lecturer. I would have really struggled without prior knowledge.
Mary Boyle is a good lecturer, I enjoyed her lectures but I did not like the way the class was run. It's guest lecturers the whole quarter which is suppose to give you a broad picture of the cognitive science department but it sucks when you are not interested in the topic. The midterms(3 midterms no final) are fine, you need to do the readings!!
Great personality, terrible educator. Lecture is messy and filled with unhelpful stories of her personal life. Occasionally, she will make a comment on what exactly she expects us to know for the midterms. These comments are the only reason to attend lecture; otherwise, lecture is a complete waste of time.
This course is a hard one in cogs lower div. And she makes it even harder, especially for students without a bio background. She's an energetic lecturer, but not clear enough, hard to follow. Probably because of her "beautiful" hand writing slides and graphs, it is hard to do the review.
Boyle has a great personality. She's energetic, caring, open, funny... However, her lectures are not clear, and I am not sure if she knows well beyond the material. You often get lost in what's being discussed. Confusions in general. The good class from her is Cogs 11, but other classes are not recommended.
The labs are really difficult
She doesn't actually teach most of the class, there were guest lecturers. There are weekly quizzes and midterms (no final) about the material, which are way harder than what is actually taught. Focus on a lot of small details that aren't emphasized during review. Your teacher for COGS1 doesn't actually matter, except for tests.
There are 3 midterms, no final and the midterms aren't cumulative. She is very energetic and her lectures weren't boring. She gives extra credit every week starting week 2 for reading quizzes. Also there are regular quizzes every week based on the previous weeks material, but they're pretty easy. Midterms are fill in the blank with a word bank.
She only gave about 3 lectures (restguest lecturers). She gives good visuals in lecture, but some of the processes weren't laid out very clearly. Only graded on 3 midterms (no final) and weekly quizzes (w/ extra credit canvas quizzes). Third midterm didn't cover important material. there were some other issues i dont have the space to say lol.
exams are hard and unreasonable, because you only get to choose words from word bank and there is even a choice "none of the above", confusing people.
She clearly knows a lot about neuroscience, but she's pretty poor at making things easy to understand. Her lectures are informative, but the tests require you to have really good understanding of the material that you can't get from just lecture notes. She gives up to 7% extra credit, which is nice. If you study well, the class isn't terribly hard.
I loved Dr. Boyle! She's very eccentric and her teaching style takes a bit to get used to, but she is hilarious and makes lectures entertaining and fun. She is very knowledgeable and explains difficult concepts in a very simple way. Overall relatively easy class. Labs are annoying, but easyish. Exams are basic, but detailed. Lots of extra credit!
Boyle is notoriously unorganized. Has a short attitude with students, and puts a lot of grunt work on her IAs. I feel bad for them bc every problem her disorganization causes, they have to deal with. Prepare to struggle with installing NIA or making time to go to a computer on campus. Just read the book, you will get an A if you read and do labs.
Currently taking this course online due to the ongoing pandemic and all I just want to say is utterly frustrating. A lot of instruction for assignments, lectures, and material is all over the place and rather disorganized. It's like she doesn't even care and handing all work off to IA's which is a burden for them and to us students.
avoid taking this class if you don't want to write a 6-10 page essay for midterm and a 8-12 page essay for the final
Not only are the lectures disorganized, but she also goes through the slides way too fast. The lectures only cover a part of the material that will be tested on the quiz. If you want to have a firm grasp of the materials for this class, be sure to read through all textbook chapters, attend sections, and possibly do some self-learning after class.
Lectures are extremely disorganized and she handwrites most of them in all caps, sometimes even sideways so they're extremely difficult to read. Goes through lectures and slides way too fast and doesn't connect concepts together, only way to pass is to read the book. Also forces you to handwrite 10 page lab reports.
Lectures are SO messy and disorganized. She insists on using her messy handwriting and never speaks clearly, which forces you to replay lectures over & over. Piles tons of work on students and TAs. Gives lots of extra credit though!
Very great lecturer and nice person, but speaks very, very quickly. Lessons are very content-heavy too!
Not recommended her class at all. The slides are really messy, and the quizzes are too detailed. Really boring with her class, also:(
Terrible class... Lectures were a mess and quizzes/exam were hell. Ridiculously detailed and a miserable class altogether. Avoid this class if you can
The class itself shouldn't be hard but her lectures are deplorably bad. She explains new concepts with difficult course terminology at the speed of light so you have to go back to take notes on what she said. This is someone who thinks that explaining things in a difficult, "high-level" way makes them look smart. In reality, she's a bad teacher.
Terrible organized class. Only one of the several TAs cared enough to give us communication via a class Discord. Prof/TAs never responded on Piazza. Assignments are graded nearly a month after they're turned in. You are forced to use old, clunky software streamed via a UCSD website that doesn't work half the time. This class is an embarrassment,
I stopped showing up to class because there was no point. I couldn't for the life of me understand any of the lectures online or in person. Her presentations are a mess and incredibly disorganized. The NIA labs are tedious and time consuming. She teaches too fast and expects you to know prior concepts. Your best way to learn is with the textbook
Very kind a knowledgeable professor. I went in worried because the bad reviews, but found them to be unwarranted. Yes there is some disorganization but nothing a good student cant work around. More work than my other classes but I enjoyed the material. So much extra credit that not getting an A means you just didn't try or care.
Best Professor! Love the lectures. NIA is hard but doable. Start early, talk to TA, go to the office hours, and take notes.
Completely dependent on the TA you get because only the TA helps you. Professor Boyle is honestly not helpful and you would be fine taking the class without a professor. The only problem with this class is the server you have to upload your projects to and there is some projects that involve heavy coding that you aren't taught at all.
I usually like to be nice in my comments and Boyle gives some good lectures but this supposedly introductory class is TOUGH. Weekly quizzes test you on the readings, lectures, and podcasts she posts that are confusing and difficult. She also talks a lot about complicated neuroscience stuff and expects you to remember them in the quizzes.
Boyle is fine but I was disappointed with this class. Cogs1 is supposed to be an intro to cogsci, but she loves neurosci, so this class turned into an "Intro to neurosci" Asked detailed q's abt the brain in quizzes and took up half the quarter focusing on neurosci. I hear she's okay for other classes but I def do not recommend taking cogs1 with her
Boyle's exams are confusing and cover material that was not in any lecture. I relied more on notes from previous courses to pass exams. Not the hardest, but definitely not clear what you should study to prepare. You also never get answers back to anything, so you don't know what you got wrong and should focus on for the next exam.
The grade is entirely based on quizzes and tests. The weekly quizzes are hard to get a good grade even though there is one extra credit question for each quiz. Some of the questions focuse on details in lectures that you wouldn't remember at all. The overall content is also heavily on neuroscience, not an intro to all aspects of cogsci equally.
her lectures are fine but her exams are way too specific. Like you are expected to remember some minor detail that was mentioned once in lecture and that was gonna be on the test. Also her slides are not helpful at all and she does not upload any lecture notes, so if I miss a lecture, which i often do bc I have to work, im completely done for.
Boyle shines in an engaging & personality-rich lecture style w drawing. She forgoes organization in favor of old-school, in-class student experience... think pre-CANVAS, socrates-style, aka my way of learning. Learned more than I ever have at UCSD. If you prefer slide copying, organized material, & clear grading criteria, you'll prob b stressed out
Very nice person and passionate about cog sci, but unfortunately oversimplified concepts and made it too boring. Really hoped for more in-person guest lectures but only had online pre-recorded lectures (covid's fault). The lecture slides had just images which was not helpful. The quizzes had a ton of sus and unnecessarily specific questions.
I took COGS187A with Professor Boyle during the summer session. We basically learned how to build applications and prototypes. This course is graded on group projects heavily and there are few individual works. (So tbh maybe drop the course if your group is not doing well, but literally our class average was 4.0 and everyone got A's)
Nice prof, gives so many free points and extra credit. Labs take forever though, all day every Sunday working on them. TAs are helpful though so use them to cut down the times the labs take. Easy class for a GE other than the Sunday time commitments. Love her energy. Overall good prof and class.
For cogs 1, she lectures for the first two weeks or so and then other professors take over and lecture on their specialty within cogsci. In terms of prof Boyle, she's really nice and energetic when she lectures. The class as a whole is pretty easy and the only assignments you need to turn in are weekly quizzes and discussion section answers.
Nice professor in lectures, but there were multiple weeks where she did not post the notes or podcasted lectures for the week. This impacted my grades for the weekly quizzes, as they would sometimes have very specific questions, that were hard to answer even though I went to the lectures based on those questions.
Prof. Boyle is so energetic and caring ! Do not let the reviews fool you. Super easy and fun class. The class consists of weekly quizzes, 11 multiple choice, 40 minutes. No Midterm No Final, b/c we had high attendance, so make sure u show up !!!
Friendly professor and easy to access outside of class. However, not very online savvy. Occasionally she would forget to post lecture slides/recordings which would affect our ability to study for quizzes. Her attendance policy was mandatory in-person. She was reasonable about it though if you got sick or had an emergency.
One of my favorite cogs professors. Waived our midterm and final because of high attendance, so make sure to attend. Lectures are very interesting, she's super fun, and gave us more than enough opportunities for extra credit. Still remember everything from her class!
Best professor at UCSD! Makes lectures interesting and funny. Always open to questions and appreciates participation. If you put in the time you should get a good grade.
10/10 Prof, lectures aren't mandatory but you are really missing out on some of the best lectures i've experienced. Very clear, wants students to learn, discussions are mandatory but genuinely stimulating, very cool person.
Content was good and the assignments were good but the questions were just very specific! Would recommend to really make sure you understand the material. Grades thing fairly late!
her lectures were super fun and interesting. There are weekly quizzes (online & open book) on assigned readings and lectures but they're short and interesting so as long as you pay attention in class and read for like an hour before the quiz, you're good. We also need to write an article as a final but it's on whatever you want so it's fun.
completely acted out of proportion over a small issue with a student. Wouldn't recommend since she suddenly takes her anger and troubles out on students. She may seem caring, however she should know with ask her cognitive knowledge how to talk to students. Her yelling and telling students horrible things on a random day is not ok.
Don't recommend, didn't feel comfortable in this class. The attitude was for what? only caused me as well as fellow students to feel overwhelmed. As a professor, taking things with a less aggressive initiation responsibility would have been better. Yelling at students with aggression shouldn't be done even without a warning, be aware.
Grading criteria is completely unclear, as she barely posts a syllabus. She throws so many things at you that it's difficult to even get into a rhythm of the class operations. Manages to make concepts as confusing as possible. Has her favorite students and shows it. Overall, frustrating class experience.
Professor Boyle is the BEST professor I have taken in college thus far! She is so motivating and she genuinely cares about student's experience in her class and making sure they truly understand the material. The content is difficult and the labs can be confusing at times but this class is really what you make it. She gives MANY resources and EC!
She is genuinely the most disorganized professor I have ever taken a class with. Her lectures are all over the place and impossible to follow. She expects so much from her students in terms of assignments, but doesn't teach us well enough for us to complete the assignments so they end up taking ridiculous amounts of time and are still impossible.
Terrible. Snoozer lectures, unengaging & horribly paced labs, way too much homework, AND completely MIA when it comes to responding to emails. Run away as fast as possible. Syllabus looks dumb too its artsy for no reason and explains nothing.
Professor Boyle is one of the best academic professors you can take for this class. The class has so much homework though - like many lengthy labs and 2 lecture quizzes per week. The last 3 labs are also really annoying since they're so long and they're very particular. At least she gives a lot of extra credit and the final exam isn't too hard.
There is a lot of EC options. The labs make no sense and are more busy work then they are useful, but you are given plenty of time to finish them. Be prepared to do a lot of learning on your own, the in person lectures are hectic but the pre-recorded ones are great. 100% watch those before lecture to succeed.
This is the best class to take with Dr. Boyle. Lectures are all over the place but you will learn plenty from her on the topic. Most of the grade comes from the pre-class quizzes, they are easy and set your up for that days lecture. Also post class reflections, which are very easy. There is a group presentation, but it is not stressful.
There's so much work but tbh, it'll pay off at the end! She offers PLENTY of extra credits to make up for it. If u engage with the material, that knowledge would stick bc of multiple exposures to it (beneficial for future classes fs). We got "in-class" quizzes (take home), weekly quizzes, 4 worksheets + 2 labs, no midterms, and a final online.
Professor Boyle's class is challenging but rewarding. Engage with the material, watch pre-recorded lectures, and use resources like Unstuck ai to succeed. Lots of extra credit available.
Initially enrolled in the class to fulfill a GE req but ended up absolutely loving it. Prof Boyle is so passionate and personable. You can tell she loves teaching and interacting with students. When I took it there were no midterms or finals. Could change tho. Grades were completely dependent on the online homework quizzes and discussion sections.
WORST PROFESSOR EVER! Knows so much but CAN'T explain things. The work outside of class is HUGE. Her main TA, is the meanest person who does not consider that we are students and are JUST LEARNING about the topic. Don't become a professor if you don't know how to explain and can't teach properly. This class is so much work and it is not worth it.
Probably the worst class I have ever taken. Had 6 labs, 2 in class quizzes per week, 1 weekend quiz and a lab quiz a week. The workload was insane, final was in person for no reason. It was so unorganized and the final was way too difficult with wording being confusing. We were not allowed a calculator or a cheat sheet for the in person final.
Probably the worst class I have taken at UCSD. So much work per week, everything is incredibly unorganized, and the lectures are just her doodling on her iPad. She did not answer emails, same w her TAs and labs were pointless to go to. The in person final was incredibly difficult. Try to take someone else because this class will consume your life
Information heavy on lecture slides and lot of material due every week, but she is very passionate and knowledgeable. TAs and IAs aren't the best at grading on time and are harsh graders sometimes. No midterms and the final exam was easy if you studied for it and stayed caught up. It's easy to fall behind though, and the labs are hard.
The in-class quizzes are easy. The weekly MP quizzes are easy. Even the final, although held in-person, wasn't that bad. The labs however are an absolute nightmare; the program is washed, grading takes forever (that goes for all assignments btw), they're 30% of your grade, and the last 3 are extremely tedious. Lots of extra credit given out though.
As an instructor, she always explained things very well! However, the structure of the class is very confusing. TAs will grade things very late (I didn't know what grade I would get in the class at any point in time), and can be very harsh graders. Not very accessible outside of class. Labs are VERY unclear, despite being worth 30% of your grade.
Her workload is massive, and the grade is distributed by different assignments. Take this course If you are generally willing to dedicate time and effort. She talks so fast & the final was in person 100 mlq. I never understood how lab works explanations or learning were not provided in lectures nor sessions. Insane class with 4 weekly quizzes+ 1lab
This was by far the worst teaching performance I have ever witnessed. She acts all nice but is actually rude and combative. Lectures are incomprehensible. Assignments meaningless busywork. She uses class as a platform for her own options, like spicy food killing tastebuds. Godawful class materials. Embarrassment to the department and university.
Avoid her at all costs. This was by far the most confusing and stressful class I have ever taken. She is incredibly disorganized, awful slides that are impossible to take notes on, and gives nonsensical explanations. The labs are painfully tedious and nearly impossible to get good grades on. I thank god every day that I am done with this class.
BEST professor I've ever had! She makes neuroscience uniquely fascinating and she's the only professor to use NIA for labs which allows us to model neural signaling. Her class is difficult, but the topic should be and it made me realize I could more than I had thought possible. She's an amazing person and going to her OH opened doors for me ❤️
Lowk I thought it was gonna be an easy A, but you have to work for an A. :( If you are pre-med, try to take another professor. I will not end up with an A anymore.
JUST GOT OUT OF
Just got out of the final and there's no way I passed because I swear I could only be confident on 10 questions out of 125.
Although Boyle is passionate, engaging and caring, her lectures are way to dense with necessary content. I understand her 7-step process to help retain info but it is a lot. NIA was fun but challenging. The final exam is ridiculous- in person 125 questions. Mean score in the class was 76.4. That's gotta tell you something.
honestly everyone dogs on her but she truly is not as bad as people make her out to be. she genuinely cares about what she is teaching and as long as you score decently on the quizzes + the article you should be fine. there were no midterms, no finals, just an article. i will say read the rubric for discussions but other than that you will be fine.
Her lectures and topics were quite interesting. I liked the extra credit for coming to lectures and the medium essay was fun.
Professor Boyle is really kind! I took her class during the summer and as expected, it was vey course-work heavy with the labs taking me around 6 hours to complete. However, she goes over them in class and has pre-recorded lectures that walk you through the assignments. Just make sure to follow the rubric exactly as they are strict on grading.
While I enjoyed content that she taught, sometimes it felt like she was being redundant in her lectures and it'd be hard to track what I should explicitly know for the online quizzes that we had b/c the notes were meant for discussion. However, the content itself was interesting & easy with an article being our final which I enjoyed.
Her teaching style made me genuinely look forward to attending class. She often ended class about 15 minutes early, and she offered the option of writing a medium article instead of a traditional final exam such a refreshing choice. The midterm was exactly like the discussion worksheets, so preparation felt straightforward and fair.
She's funny and cares abt her students. The discussion format is stupid though I didn't gain anything from them. Lecture attendance isn't mandatory but discussion attendance is. There's weekly quizzes to encourage attendance to lectures but if you have ChatGPT or CTRL + F for the required readings you'll be fine.
The class content isn't too bad and the content is interesting, but you have to pay attention during lectures. The lectures aren't podcasted, and the slides are basically just pictures, so they're absolutely useless. If you miss something she said, good luck, cuz it's next to impossible to find it. It's honestly a hassle for a dei requirement
Attendance isn't mandatory, but the slides don't say a lot so you have to go to lectures if you want to actually learn. Quizzes are online and discussions are easy. For the final, were offered the option of writing a Medium article or taking an in-person exam.
She's very kind and genuinely tries to keep class engaging. But the slides are mostly a few vague bullet points—she explains the real content verbally so fast it's hard to take useful notes. I went the first three weeks, studied for the midterm, then stopped going since the final is a short article you could write using early-quarter content.
Ngl I didn't really attend lecture but when I did, what she talked abt didn't really have to do much with the projects. The weekly lab and quiz basically makes up your whole grade. They are pretty simple. Go to discussion if you're confused. She does attendance by if 80% of the class shows up for lecture, everyone gets full credit. Easy course
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
29%
Textbook Required
63%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.35 avg changeRatings by Course
COGSCI1
5.0
(1)COGSCI
5.0
(1)COGSCI11
5.0
(1)COGSCOGS
5.0
(1)COGSMON
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
COGS107A
4.1
COGSCI1
4.0
COGSCI11
4.0
COGS001
4.0
107A
4.0