very passionate about his work, kinda hard cuz he's very deep in his explanations.

Tests are challenging but, very clear with such a deep subject, tests are from book and lecture. Got an A

ver hard teacher. if you want to learn take him. a lot of reading, test are very hard.

this guy is a nut for his work, no spoon-feeding/handholding in his cognitive psych class, best class ever almost as good as philosophy of language.

I attended every class, read the book, and made an A. The lectures were interesting even though they didn't seem to help me for the test. He is a pretty entertaining character. I would take him again.

very hard material makes for a long, hard and boring class. a good prof b/c he knows what he's doing, but tests can be confusing.

At first, I thought he was confusing, but upon reading the chapters prior to class and applying lectures to the readings, the class became MUCH easier. He is a little quirky, but overall a good prof. Seems to go off topic, but info really does relate to subject matter.

Ryan knows his stuff and he tries his best to get you to do the same. Work hard cuz it is tough. his tests are very applied, be ready for that. great guy

Ryan is an GREAT teacher! This class isn't easy, u have to read & attend; if u do this u will pass. Everyone gives Ryan a hard time, but u should have seen the attendance, classes would be empty & tests would be completely full, this is the head of the psych department people, dont expect a bird class. Im taking another of his classes nxt semester!

awesome/brilliant professor! makes concepts relevant to real life. although it seems like lectures are unrelated to the concepts being taught, go to class and listen well. his teaching style is unique, but amazingingly effective. i think he induces understanding in his presentation of material; i'd go out of my way to take a another class with him

Took Dr. Ryan for Cognition and Psychology of Thought and he is a great professor. He is definitely energetic and shows a true passion for the subjects he teaches. His tests are not too difficult if you attend class and read the book. I would recommend him and would take him again if he had other classes.

I liked him.You really have to study and answer the focus questions but he was a great guy.I would definitely take another class from him. It seems as if what he says in class has no relevance but then during the tests his lectures make sense and if you paid attention you will do well. He loves his job and that makes him a good teacher.

A wonder professor! Dr. Ryan is very intelligent and it really comes out during his lectures. It's great being able to be taught by a professor who got his Ph.D. from Stanford (rated highest school for psychology).

This guy is a really good teacher. Sometimes in his lectures you feel like you are not learning anything, but listen anyway because when you get the test you will know all these concepts and things that you did not know that you knew. I still remember most everything I learned in his class.

You will learn more than you ever thought in his class. He lectures about topics in a mannor that seems abstract but he does connect the dots. He gives daily and chapter focus questions which help alot. Do the work and attend class and you will learn so much.

Dr.Ryan is the ONLY professor I've had that challenges his students... refreshing. If you attend class and read the book, his tests are reasonable, but you have to think.

great teacher. teaching technique is unique. Its hard to catch on at first, but eventually you catch on and understand what he is trying to say very helpful and nice to talk to outside of class. Hard class, and he does challenge is students, but its a nice change. Definately reccomend

Psyc of Thought: Ryan is brilliant and interesting. I was never bored. The information is complex, careful reading + note-taking is required. This course really helped me improve my study habits. There are 5 tests, and every test has a few bonus Qs which help boost your grade. Challenging but definitely worth while!

Dr. Ryan is a very good lecturer -- one of the top three I've had so far -- but it's the *material* that makes this class worth it. You learn about learning, about naive theories of learning, and about methods and techniques that should actually result in a dramatic improvement in your overall gpa by improving your skills as a student. Take it!

I took him for health & psychology. His class is pretty easy as long as you go to class and take notes because half of his test was over the lecture. He also gives study guides for every test which is very helpful. Overall he is a great professor.

5 tests; highest weighted 25%, lowest only 15%, all others 20%. do the reviews provided and it's an easy A. lectures are good, designed to abstract material to real life situations and practical applications. only homework is reading the book for tests.

Dr. Ryan is great! Attendance is mandatory because half the exam is based on the lectures and the other half is based on chapter questions he provides. So complete the chapter questions and take good notes, and you will get A's on the exams and a final course grade of an A.

Dr. Ryan is the best! Yeah, his class may be hard, but its just because he wants his students to start thinking like psych majors! I definitely recommend him for anyone interesting in learning! If you find it to hard, then you should probably reconsider your major, because this class is what psychology is all about! Thinking in an abstract manner!

Short little man but cute! He is really nice and keeps you interested during lectures. READING is a must!!! First test was hard but I got the hang of it. Joined SI and upped my grade alot.

Very intelligent prof. tests are 1/2 from book and 1/2 from lectures; lectures are very informative and interesting but you MUST take good, in-depth notes. good notes + doing the study guide for the text=A. his classes only have tests--no participation/hw/essays

He is a great professor and loves teaching cognitive psych. Love this guy he really knows the subject but the class is a bit hard. Make sure to go to class and do the study guide really helpful.

Dr. Ryan definately made this class a lot easier than i thought it was going to be. He is really funny and kind of quirky. His tests were pretty easy, they come straight from his lecture and the reviews he gives you. Definately a professor i would recommend

Love this professor! He loves his subject and teaching! He is not monotone at all and is very respectful and well mannered. Read the chapters and do the topic questions and you will be fine! He is also one of my favorite professors!

Great Professor. Hard subject but if you read and go to every class you will make an A. Focus questions are a must and so is SI sessions.

MUST ATTEND CLASS! and take really good notes and read all chapters assigned to get at least a B. class isnt easy but its possible if you just put in effort.

Great professor. Must Must Must go to class, or don't complain when you get a low grade. His lectures don't just repeat the book, but add on to it. So going to class shouldn't be boring, if you've done the reading- otherwise you will be confused.

Go to class, read the book, and you'll get an A. Plain and simple. Exams are really easy if you read the text (which, by the way, is an easy read). He does tend to ramble in class some, but he is very passionate about what he is doing, and a lot of what is says is extremely helpful.

To some people his lectures may sound boring or dull, but he is a fantastic professor. He makes you think and work hard. You HAVE to read and ATTEND every lecture. His tests are 12 questions from the book and 12 questions from the lecture. If you are majoring in psychology and you don't enjoy his lectures then you should switch to another major.

Many, many students complain about his exams being difficult and hard to understand. Yes it can be, I think if you pay attention to the lectures, follow along with the book in class, read, and learn to think critically about the material you will be fine. Key is to understand the terms and concepts. He is very nice and will help. Just ask!

This is a class for students who really want to learn. If you want to learn a little bit and make and easy A, skip this one. If you're willing to put in the effort to broaden your understanding of how we think, learn and remember, this is a must-take course. Read for understanding and pay attention to the lectures and you'll be fine.

I really enjoyed Professor Ryan's class. Although the tests are multiple choice, they're not easy, but definitely passable. It is essential to read the text and take extensive notes. The lecture information is like clarification; the meat is in the textbook. I really do not recommend falling behind and definitely do not try to cram for this class.

Dr Ryan is a great professor for teaching cognition. He understands what he's talking about and knows how to explain it in many ways if you get confused. He gives quizzes before starting a new chapter, so read ahead. He grades test on a GPA scale so you only have to get a 3.5 which is about an 85 to get an A in the class.

This guy was a very good professor -- you could tell he knew what he was talking about, and enjoyed educating his students. There are only 5 grades for this class, all of which are tests. No final. Kind of boring lectures, but they're a lot more engaging if you read the material beforehand.

Dr. Ryan is a true expert within his field. I thoroughly enjoyed his class and would recommend him to students who really care about learning the material. Certainly not the easiest class I have taken throughout my college career, but an A is obtainable if you show up for class and use the book to answer his chapter focus questions.

Many are intimidated by the challenge that Dr. Ryan presents, but if you care about learning the subject, he is the best to take. His lectures are deliberate (ALWAYS RECORD HIS AGENDA POINTS) and the questions for the textbook chapters are necessary for the exams. He is an authority in the field, and can truly share valuable knowledge. Worth taking

I've had Dr. Ryan for both Psychology of Thought and Cognition. The format of his class is pretty clear, he has 5 tests. No final. His lectures can be a bit confusing, some are really great, and others not but read before class, do focus questions and you should do absolutely fine. You have to put in work to get an A.

Dr. Ryan is great. His lectures are a bit boring but he does his best to keep your attention. I recommend going to every class as the test are not just based on the textbook but also the lectures. It is 5 exams but it's only 2 chapters per exam and no final. If you don't like to work towards your grade this is not a class for you. Not an easy A!

Most of the comments on here are entirely unfair. Dr. Ryan is a fantastic professor. If you're a psych major and actually care about excelling in your field and being successful, you must take Dr. Ryan's courses. They aren't easy, but you shouldn't rate a class based on how easy it is. This course was substantive, interesting, and challenging.

I love professor Ryan. His classes are not easy but he knows his stuff. Do not take him if you're looking for an easy A because you for sure have to work for your grade. He is pretty straight forward on what is needed plus no final.

I think Dr. Ryan is an awesome professor. I love the way he shouts when he gets passionate about the subject matter, it's funny! He's extremely good at what he does, but get ready to work! It is not easy!

Definitely a hard class due to the exams, but I learned SO MUCH. Dr. Ryans lectures are interesting and very informative on the subject, but probably wont help you really understand the exams.. my method was to just read and listen and do the minimum because oddly enough I did better on the tests then, than when I studied for hours on end.

Dr. Ryan was awesome! That being said, it was a really hard class, but only because there was a lot of complex information that really made you think. There was no "busy work", just tests but he gives you a strategy for answering questions. USE it! If you're looking for an easy A, don't take this class. But if you like the subject you'll love it.

Awesome Prof! I was scared to take his class because everyone around me was saying how difficult he was! I am not a pysch major and I got an A on the first two exam. The rest I got B's... only because I started slacking off. His class is not difficult. You do have to show up to class, most of his exams are based off of his lectures

Going to Dr. Ryan's lectures + reading every word of the textbook is crucial for succeeding. That being said, his class changed my life & helped me get all As in my other classes. Dr. Ryan is an extremely intelligent and sweet man. I recommend going to his office hours; he truly cares & is a wonderful professor to chat with when you get to know him

Yes it is a difficult course, but hes teaching a course on how to teach/memorize/learn, so I would say he knows a thing or two worth listening to - given youre a student. Hes a great professor and he knows what hes talking about. If youre taking this course with him he will make you work for it, but I doubt you will you forget what you learn.