3.3

Melanie Cary

Psychology - University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

3.3
Quality
3.1
Difficulty
39%
Would Retake
83
Reviews
3.3
Quality
3.1
Difficulty
3.4
Helpful
3.2
Clarity

39%

Would Retake

83

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

22

4

21

3

14

2

20

1

6

What Students Say

Have we got a class for you

PSY435 - 2.0 rating

Content is pretty random, boring, and sometimes confusing

PSY331 - 3.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

61%

Textbook Required

43%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 20 grades
Most common grades:
A (9)
B (4)
B+ (3)
Grade Distribution
A(10)B(4)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(5)
Based on 22 reported grades
A: 9
B: 4
B+: 3
A-: 2
Common Tags
Lecture heavy (7)
Caring (7)
Get ready to read (4)
Skip class? You won't pass. (4)
Participation matters (4)
Gives good feedback (4)
Group projects (3)
LECTURE HEAVY (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.53 avg change
Apr
Nov
Dec
Mar
Apr
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

331

5.0

(1)

PSY231232

4.5

(4)

PSY331

4.1

(13)

PSY231

3.8

(5)

PSY100

3.3

(45)
+8 more courses
Difficulty by Course

PSY

5.0

PSY4SOMETHING

5.0

EXP4

5.0

PSYCH100

4.0

PSY436

3.7

Reviews (83)
5.0
2.0
PSY435
Sep 13, 2004

She's excessively clear. She goes through material too slowly and treats easy stuff with gestures haughty that make class a little tedious. There are some fun assignments and group activities though.

5.0
1.0
PSY100
Oct 10, 2004

She tries to make class time more intersting and explains the material rather well.

5.0
3.0
PSY100
Oct 27, 2004

Very good teacher, and makes it fun!

5.0
3.0
PSY100
Nov 11, 2004

She was easy to understand/pay attention too in classe, but the test was really tough

5.0
4.0
PSY231
Nov 16, 2004

She is super nice and gives lots of outside help to students if they need it. She is clear, kind of a tough teacher, however very caring to her students.

2.0
3.0
231
Nov 22, 2004

She was unclear about lab reports, expected too much and is a hard grader, she may be better than your other alternative which is Bogart though, belittles you if you dont know the answer, be prepared to work hard and dont expect an easy A. Tests are difficult and essays dont fit in timespan.

2.0
4.0
PSY231
Nov 22, 2004

I think her test is too hard and she isn't very helpful unless you are talking to her about things outside of the class.

4.0
2.0
PSY231232
Dec 19, 2004

Made class fun and was always enthusiastic. Tests were not hard at all and the the lab reports were always clear as to what she expected. Very approachable and helpful.

4.0
3.0
PSY100
Dec 30, 2004

Weird. Plays music everyday as you are coming into lecture. Tries to find songs that match the day's topic. Jumps around a lot, very hyper. Test was somewhat easy

5.0
3.0
PSY100
Jan 21, 2005

She was very easy to follow and was fun at the same time.

2.0
5.0
PSY
Jan 26, 2005

Very fun.

4.0
3.0
PSY231
Apr 11, 2005

Very nice, sweet woman...always willing to help

1.0
5.0
PSY4SOMETHING
Apr 20, 2005

She's very hard. Takes forever to make her points. She sings in class, its annoying, we're not 3 year olds. If you're not a straight A student, she wants nothing to do with you. Disorganized and not a good professor.

5.0
2.0
PSY100
Apr 28, 2005

Very enthusiastic! Easy to stay awake in her portion of class. She played a song relating to what she was going to talk about each day...kind of interesting. She's clear about what she's talking about and has great examples. You still have to study for the test, but it wasn't very difficult overall.

4.0
2.0
PSY100
May 6, 2005

Dr. Cary was very cute and funny...she jumped around the room and MADE you stay awake. Her test wasn't very difficult...still have to study, but her notes were clear and extensive. We had to listen to a song at the beginning of each lecture...nice switch from Dr. Bogart

4.0
2.0
PSY231232
May 10, 2005

She can be very dry sometimes. At times she will seem all spunky, but then when you talk to her she's very flat. She's not awful by any means. If you have to take experimental psych, I would recommend her.

5.0
3.0
PSY231232
Oct 12, 2005

Cary is very helpful and easy to talk with. She is very concerned about her students if you approach her. Today she even gave us candy! :)

2.0
3.0
PSYCH100
Oct 26, 2005

No one has ever annoyed me like this woman does. If you take her you'll know exactly what I mean, but I urge you not to.

4.0
2.0
PSY100
Nov 22, 2005

Some think she is a bit annoying. I thought she was fine and conveyed what she wanted to pretty clearly. If you come to class and pay attention you don't have to study that much for her exams. She knows how to teach so that you can understand what she wants you to. Better than most Psych prof's...

5.0
2.0
PSY100
Dec 5, 2005

She was a drastic (and desperately needed) change coming after Bogart. I found I was able to more easily pay attention, learn, and get a better grade on the exam. I don't read the Pysch book and only study from notes so when you have a professor that doesn't bore you to death, you've got a winner.

5.0
3.0
PSY231232
Dec 30, 2005

Dr. Cary is a very helpful prof if you approach her. She is also very approachable. Her exams are very hard, but then i think that's how all experimental psy. exams are. If you need to take experimental psy. then i would totally recommend Dr. Cary!

5.0
2.0
PSY100
Apr 25, 2006

this lady knows how to teach effectively. she can keep you interested, and you learn A LOT from her. i did the best by far on her unit's exam. she's got a good sense of humor too, which helps a lot. i liked her!

5.0
3.0
PSY100
Nov 30, 2006

Very organized and clear, made class interesting, funny, knew what she was talking about. her test wasn't too bad, but you should read the book and take good notes. by far the best professor for PSY 100.

5.0
3.0
PSY100
Jan 15, 2007

She was byfar the best of the teachers who taught this class, she is fun and very humerous. She will keep you awake in this class and her test was one of the easier ones.

2.0
5.0
PSYCH100
Nov 26, 2007

Read the text for her class!

3.0
2.0
PSY100
Nov 28, 2007

Her teaching style made me fall asleep, and I did horribly on her test and I thought I did well.

3.0
3.0
PSY100
Mar 11, 2008

Avoid this teacher. I think she is on crack. She jumps up and down and makes noises in the middle of class. This is college and we did the "if your happy and you know it . . ." game, like what the hell? Dont take her.

4.0
3.0
PSY436
Apr 27, 2008

Very interesting class. She's a good teacher, but sometimes unclear in her lectures. Overall a good course and a good teacher.

2.0
3.0
PSY100
Nov 10, 2008

SOOOOOO boring!! Couldn't even come to lectures because I couldn't stand her. She might be a nice person and good at heart but she is def. not a good professor. wow.

2.0
5.0
PSY100
Nov 20, 2008

Can not stand her. Talked to us like 4 year olds, yet almost bombed her test. Definatly read the book for all units in Psych or get the study guide that helps too. Never want to take a class with her again, but being a Psych major I probably will have to. Avoid.

4.0
3.0
PSY100
Dec 1, 2008

A little wacky around the edges but overall I actually enjoyed her section of psych. Not my favorite teacher in the whole world but definitely not the worst.

3.0
4.0
PSY100
Dec 3, 2008

gave really good notes. the test was a lot easier than the other sections. i liked her a lot cause she made lectures fun by doing quirky things.

4.0
2.0
PSY100
Dec 4, 2008

Very.. weird. Seems like she should be teaching elementary school, not at a university. The pace of the class was VERY slow and she explained even the simplest things TOO thoroughly.

1.0
4.0
PSY100
Dec 15, 2008

This woman is crazy! She makes weird noises and bounces around the room. None of her stuff makes sense and she doesn't know how to use outline format. Hard test. Tells creepy stories about her children. Not helpful at all.

5.0
4.0
PSY231
Dec 23, 2008

Had Dr. Cary for PSY 231/232 and made extremely boring material bareable. Just a fun lady who tries to make class light and enjoyable with her quirkiness. Clear notes and really helps you learn things. Expects more of you as the semester goes on with the quality of papers. Extremely helpful, wish I could take another class with her!!

4.0
2.0
PSY100
Mar 24, 2009

She should be on What not to wear. She is nice but pretty much nuts. Overall, the material is pretty easy to understand though. But if you have her you need to read the chapters because she does put a bunch of things on the test from the book!

3.0
5.0
EXP4
Apr 23, 2009

Dr. Cary is a wonderful professor. She cares about her students and is willing to help anyone who needs it. The class is extremely hard though. It's impossible to get an A because of the material and she grades tough. Tough and frustrating class, but great teacher

3.0
3.0
PSY100
Apr 27, 2009

She made the lectures very boring which made the material in her section less interesting. Make sure you read the text thoroughly during her unit because she only covers a few of the topics in class but goes into too much detail about them. You have to depend on the text a lot for answers to her questions on the exam.

4.0
3.0
PSY100
May 6, 2009

I would describe her as mousy, or meek. I'm sure the material would've been interesting but I could not pay attention when she spoke. She tries to be funny and is a nice lady but dang is she boring. We also spent about 10 minutes making sure the whole class of 400 had a working iclicker...

3.0
4.0
PSY100
Dec 1, 2009

She was probably my least favorite professor for Psych 100. She is probably a really nice lady, but she was so boring!

2.0
4.0
PSY100
Oct 18, 2010

suuupppperrrr boring, doesn't explain things well at all. I got lost 3 times throughout the lecture. does lots of little activities in class which is the best part honestly. refers to the book, must read. weekly homework.

2.0
4.0
PSY100
Dec 18, 2010

She's boring and her exam is unnecessarily hard (likes to put questions not taught in class).

2.0
5.0
PSY436
May 7, 2011

Awful professor. She is very peppy in class, and that's about the only positive trait. She presents material in a way that's hard to follow, cannot organize a class, does not post notes on D2L, and doesn't even appear to know the material she's teaching that well. She might be better suited to teach 2nd grade.

4.0
2.0
PSY100
Oct 27, 2011

I am not sure what all of these people are talking about. I think Dr. Cary is a great professor. She might not be the most outgoing teacher, but she definitely tries to make class entertaining! I thought she presented the material in a very clear way and was very helpful!

2.0
3.0
PSY100
Nov 9, 2011

Dr. Cary is super boring and her voice irritated me so much I would normally tune her out. The exam does not follow how much she covered in class. She asks questions we barely covered compared to topics we spent whole class periods on. Read the text.

5.0
3.0
PSY331
Nov 27, 2011

One of my favorite professors. Super friendly, likes to goof around, very willing to help, will "hold your hand" through research processes if you need it.Her exams are not bad and she gives a study guide. A fair amount of course work, but that is consistent with all sections of 331. Great professor overall!!!

4.0
3.0
PSY331
Dec 12, 2011

I thought she was a fairly good professor. She's very quirky. I thought she was helpful with research questions. Tests weren't that difficult either. Overall, not a bad professor for 331!

3.0
3.0
PSY436
Apr 22, 2013

Dr. Cary while a very nice person has a very confusing way of presenting notes. For her Psychology of Language class, it was very confusing how everything fit together in the broader picture. The class was kind of difficult because of that; it seemed like you just had to memorize everything for the test without understanding it.

2.0
5.0
PSY331
Oct 26, 2013

This class was not presented in a helpful manner. Dr. Cary was very confusing and I had to retake this class.

5.0
3.0
PSY331
Oct 31, 2013

Very goofy and tries to make class fun. Her tests are tough because she words the multiple choice confusingly or puts two extremely similar options, but the written portion isn't bad. She's very willing to help if you have questions.

5.0
1.0
PSY100
Dec 6, 2013

I liked Dr. Cary. She encourages using the book, whereas the other professors don't as much. The textbook is helpful. There's a reason to have a textbook so I don't see what the complaint is all about. The readings in the textbook are fairly easy too. If you find yourself having a problem about this class, don't be afraid to ask.

4.0
1.0
PSY100
Dec 10, 2013

This unit takes (like the others, but more) common sense, and is put into complicated words to memorize. i.e. Cognitive Dissonance Theory, (basically means): When we have a bad thought, we change our attitude to get rid of that bad thought ..I could of told you that without a PhD in psychology. [There are many examples] Just read the book

5.0
3.0
331
Grade: A
May 11, 2014

She is wonderful. Extremely helpful and is very clear when it comes to the course material.

5.0
2.0
PSY331
May 26, 2014

Wasn't looking forward to taking this class but Dr. Cary made it bearable! Used the overhead for lecture so you had to come to class. The semester-long research project was intimidating at the beginning but she was extremely helpful and walked my partner and I through the entire process. Overall, a great professor for PSY 331!!

2.0
4.0
PSY435
Grade: B+
Apr 19, 2015

Nostalgic for the days of grade school lectures spoon fed line by line via overhead projector? You're in luck! Enjoy spending hours trying to make sense of the material progression in a class? Step right up! Looking forward to learning 6 different models about each theoryconcept, even if archaic and out dated? Have we got a class for you!

1.0
4.0
PSY100
Dec 9, 2015

Cary goes through the material way too slowly. She'll spend 10 min on a subject that could take 10 seconds to explain. You'll never get through all the notes. She's pretty annoying and irritating and I definitely wouldn't consider her a good professor. Out of all of the PSY 100 professors, she was the worst. Also, she goes off on tangents often.

4.0
3.0
PSY100
Grade: B+
Dec 24, 2015

Her lectures were very boring because she spent too much time on simple concepts that could be explained in a minute. Her test was easier than expected but studying is a must. It's easy to drift off during lectures.

3.0
2.0
PSY100
Grade: A
Dec 28, 2015

She tries too hard to be funny, when she's really not. Classes were a joke because of this, but she wasn't that bad of a teacher.

4.0
2.0
PSY100
Grade: A
Dec 30, 2015

Cary is very nice and cares about her students. She sometimes gets off on tangents but otherwise is a great professor!

5.0
3.0
PSY331
Mar 26, 2016

I really enjoyed Dr. Cary. I loved the way she gave notes because it was easy to follow and not rushed. She is quirky and very helpful when you ask questions. Amazing professor and I would take her class and others she teaches over again.

2.0
4.0
PSY100
Nov 15, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Very mundane but very smart. Hard to pay attention as she doesn't present content enthusiastically.

LECTURE HEAVY
1.0
5.0
PSY100
Grade: B
Dec 18, 2016
Wouldn't take again

So boring with dry humor. The worst of the psych professors with arguably the easiest content. So boring, just reads the slides word for word.

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
LECTURE HEAVY
4.0
3.0
PSY331
Grade: A
May 14, 2018
Would take again

You'll learn a lot from her. She's very helpful and understanding. It won't be hard to get an A if you apply yourself.

2.0
3.0
PSY100
Dec 5, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Dr. Cary's exam was much harder than the content we learned in class. It was hard to stay awake during the lectures. Not the worst, but wouldn't take again.

3.0
4.0
PSY331
Grade: A-
May 13, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Content is pretty random, boring, and sometimes confusing. She doesn't put the notes online, which sucks. The study guides are unclear and I felt unprepared for each exam. The semester project is a great experience and she is very helpful with it, definitely do it with a partner. Overall, she's nice and friendly but is unclear with expectations.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
Caring
3.0
4.0
PSY435
May 15, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Dr. C is nice and friendly, but has very mundane/boring/dry lectures. She does not post her notes online & sometimes her content can seem a bit disorganized. Exams have the content that comes directly from notes, but you need to study the notes really super well. There's also a dozen or so online coglabs, which are easy to do.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
Caring
2.0
4.0
PSY435
Nov 18, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Melanie is a nice person, but this class physically pains me to attend. She is the most boring instructor I have ever had, which makes the already dry content harder to sit through. She shows notes on an overhead projector and doesn't post them, so if you don't show up, you won't pass. Her lectures can be super dry, confusing, and unclear at times.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Lecture heavy
4.0
2.0
PSY100
Grade: A
Dec 9, 2019
Would take again

Professor Cary is a good prof, she communicates everything effectively, makes material relevant, and is entertaining. For this class, all you have to do is take the notes and study them. Not too difficult.

Participation matters
Hilarious
Caring
4.0
4.0
PSY331
Grade: C+
Dec 15, 2019
Would take again

Wonderful prof, Dr. Cary is very caring and will answer any questions you have. Lectures notes are never posted to Canvas & lectures/ labs are boring. Not everything on the study guide is on the test- she tells you that it is. Semester project with a partner can be good, but overall project should not be throughout the whole semester.

Participation matters
Test heavy
Caring
5.0
3.0
PSY100
Grade: A
Nov 29, 2021
Would take again

Dr. Cary's lecture content is very well organized - you can tell she thinks about how to deliver the content in a way that facilitates learning. I read all assigned chapters and listened to all lectures. Very interesting content, would take other classes from her. Took this class online. Canvas materials well organized. Open book tests.

Accessible outside class
Clear grading criteria
Amazing lectures
3.0
3.0
PSY331
Grade: A-
Dec 13, 2021
Wouldn't take again

She knows her material and clearly has a passion for her teaching. I did not entirely enjoy the class but she was always helpful and I really appreciated her availability and knowledge for the class.

Gives good feedback
Lecture heavy
Caring
3.0
3.0
PSY100
Dec 27, 2021
Wouldn't take again

I didnt care for Dr. Cary or the way she taught the course. I had 4 different professors teach the PSY 100 course I was in, and out of the 4 of them she was my least favorite. She didnt make class interesting - just read off the powerpoint slides. It wasnt clear what was expected from us as students, or what was expected to be on the exam.

2.0
3.0
PSY100
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 17, 2022

A lot of the examples she used did not make sense with what we were learning and was overall confusing. There were things on the exam that she did not teach us and that I don't remember reading in the textbook. She did long activities, didn't keep me engaged. She didn't explain things very well which made her section of the course more difficult.

Get ready to read
Participation matters
Lecture heavy
2.0
4.0
PSY100
Grade: B
Nov 30, 2022

Her notes were really hard to follow and she was confusing during lecture. She was my least favorite professor out of all four.

Test heavy
1.0
4.0
PSY100
Grade: B
Dec 1, 2022

Professor Cary was incredibly boring and bland. Her notes were hard to follow and I felt like nothing was sticking in my head. I got a way lower score on her units exam than the others. I found it physically hard to pay attention to her during class. Overall, she is not a good professor and I would avoid taking her if you can.

4.0
2.0
PSY331
Grade: A
Dec 20, 2022
Would take again

Dr. Cary is a quirky and caring professor. She was always ready and wanting to help. Lectures could get long and boring, but overall she was great! Helped a lot with semester projects.

3.0
1.0
FYS100
Grade: A
Dec 7, 2023
Would take again

was an interesting FYS class, however, the class just included a bunch of busy work that really had no purpose. Overall, she was a great teacher, and the content was decently interesting. Super easy grading and lots of collaboration with other students.

Participation matters
Gives good feedback
4.0
3.0
PSY331
Grade: B
Apr 20, 2024
Would take again

I really like Dr. Cary. She was a very caring and respectful professor. Her exams are on the more difficult side, so make sure you doing the textbook readings and review the notes very carefully. Besides that, she really does want all of her students to succeed, so never be afraid to ask her for help.

Get ready to read
Group projects
Caring
1.0
4.0
PSY100
Nov 18, 2024

I did not like her at at all. She did not seem to care the content she was producing or her students, thinks she's better than you and does not try to relate. Her examples were not helpful and overall made me more confused which I don't understand because I looked the content up on google after and got a much better understanding.

5.0
2.0
PSY331
Grade: A
Dec 13, 2024
Would take again

She was a great professor for research methods! She definitely cares about her students and wants them to succeed. She gives class time to work on group projects which limits the outside work, and besides one canvas course and studying, there wasn't outside homework that I can think of. Great professor, 10/10!

Group projects
Gives good feedback
2.0
1.0
FYS100
Grade: A+
Mar 31, 2025

Although I know Dr Cary comes from a good place, I just hated fys with her. Lecture feels very long and boring and attendance is 100% required. We read a lot outside of class and then covered the exact same material in class, making it completely useless. She also swallows like shes trying to get a rock down, it's very aggressive and frequent.

Get ready to read
Group projects
Gives good feedback
2.0
3.0
PSY100
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 30, 2025

She is the only teacher i have ever had stop class and yell at someone during a lecture, it was so awkward and definitely not necessary. Hard to stay focused because she is pretty boring.

Lecture heavy
3.0
2.0
PSY231
Grade: B+
Dec 29, 2025
Would take again

Lectures are 98% of all classes and can be boring.

Clear grading criteria
Caring
Lecture heavy
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

61%

Textbook Required

43%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 20 grades
Most common grades:
A (9)
B (4)
B+ (3)
Grade Distribution
A(10)B(4)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(5)
Based on 22 reported grades
A: 9
B: 4
B+: 3
A-: 2
Common Tags
Lecture heavy (7)
Caring (7)
Get ready to read (4)
Skip class? You won't pass. (4)
Participation matters (4)
Gives good feedback (4)
Group projects (3)
LECTURE HEAVY (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.53 avg change
Apr
Nov
Dec
Mar
Apr
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

331

5.0

(1)

PSY231232

4.5

(4)

PSY331

4.1

(13)

PSY231

3.8

(5)

PSY100

3.3

(45)
+8 more courses
Difficulty by Course

PSY

5.0

PSY4SOMETHING

5.0

EXP4

5.0

PSYCH100

4.0

PSY436

3.7

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