4.4
Quality3.4
Difficulty88%
Would Retake101
Reviews88%
Would Retake
101
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
70
4
20
3
8
2
2
1
1
What Students Say
“I've never seen somebody so passionate about the brain, and he passes this love on to his students”
PSYC311 - 5.0 rating“Amazing proff and class”
PSYC311 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
71%
Textbook Required
36%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.35 avg changeRatings by Course
PSYC310
5.0
(1)BRAIN
5.0
(2)HCOGBRAIN
5.0
(1)COGNBRAIN
5.0
(1)HUMCOGNITION
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
COGNBRAIN
5.0
PSYC310
4.0
PSYCH311
3.9
PSYC311
3.5
BRAIN
3.0
Reviews (101)
Knows his stuff and lectures are fun! Great class!
No Comments
Very entertaining, charismatic, genuine, and makes it interesting
he's cool, and he reminds me of my big fat greek wedding. And there you go !
Lots of fun, repeats himself a lot but that's very helpful because the material is extensive. Uses visual metaphors to great effect. His accent is great. Wish more profs were this good at teaching.
errr...i didn't find this class easy AT ALL. It might be easy to do well in it, because of the material presented to clearly, but...by no means was it an easy class!
His impersonation of a neuron is very funny. Ask him to do it!
He's a fantastic prof. I'm weak in biology, but his explanations are crystal clear. Very friendly and lively during class. Makes cute sound effects. The midterm was straightforward, but the final is a KILLER.
Gives very clear lectures, which is asbsolutely great given that the subject matter can be complicated. Very lively and funny. He really wants students to understand and learn the material. Absolutely wonderful, I highly recommend this class.
made love to him! he is soo hot
One of the best McGill teachers that I have ever had. No bull****.
I wish everyone could teach this well. I would voluntarily go to his lectures he's such a great speaker. It's not an easy class but he makes it fascinating.
Incredibly concise and clear! Anybody who listens will immediately understand the material he is teaching.
I loooooooooooooooooved this class and looooooooooooooved Dr. Petrides.Actually didn't mind waking up and sometimes didn't want the class to end. Definitely worth all the studying that needed to be done.
has an uncanny ability to brig over very difficult and complex subject matter in a way anyone - really anyone, can understand. requires a heavy amount of study but is so interesting... the TAs are also very wonderful
very hard class, took it in summer. teacher was extremely interesting and nice..
i laughed so much during this class. he's one of those people who's funny even when he's not trying. aside from that, he's also an amazing professor.
Very good prof, very, very passionate, I m now doing my PhD in Neuropsych in part because of him!!!
the perfect teacher, the perfect course
great course, really interesting (but challengin), he explains things so well, and he's such an approachable professor (more so than any I've encountered at mcgill). he's adorable too.
I say he is 'hot' because to say he is 'not' would be ridiculous. But this is a professor who doesn't flaunt his knowledge with sex appeal and manipulation (like some others in the dept), but with excited commitment and expertise. And he's still hot. You'll love your brain! Don't miss it!
One of the best courses I've taken at Mcgill. Loved the material, loved the professor, but his final exam came out our nowhere. I was certain I knew the material backwards & forwards, but it was multiple choice and really tricky (every answer e is "none of the above"). Great course, but beware at the end, that's all...
No Comments
Very well taught...although he's notorious for being late to class, the S.O.B! The final is indeed tricky, but he's a neuropsychologist, so of course he'll play with your head a little. Don't be phased by it, just do the readings and get the big picture, my boy!
the exam is tricky cuz most of it is based on the readings. make sure u do them and make sure u know all the expts and what parts of the brain they test. other than that, awesome class!
He is a good prof and he explains things very well.His exams are hard though so beware...if you are not a science student you will have to work a little harder to get a good mark but its not impossible.
I love Dr Petrides. His lectures are entertaining and he is clearly brilliant. However, it was by far the hardest class I've ever taken - possibly b/c I'm an arts student with no physiology/biology bkgd whatsoever. Word to the wise: Start reading immediately, and study hard, cos the tests are BRUTAL. But it was by far my favourite class this term
Really really really entertaining class. I loved his lectures. His exams are really hard though, with lots of "None of the above". I felt that they didn't test my knowledge appropriately, as I feel I have learned A LOT in his class despite getting a bad mark.
Awesome material, but LOTS to learn, very hard final exam.His TAs (Penelope and Jurgen) are wonderful, but take this class SERIOUSLY or drop it.Like comment below, I learned a lot even though my grade did not reflect it.If you like brains, take this course and study study study!Petrides is not as approachable as the TA's though & confusing at times
Super duper great class...helps if you have a neuroanatomy background. The readings are super important, and you need to get the big picture in EACH reading. The final is tough, but with a 92% in the class, it certainly is not impossible to ace the mofo. Enjoy the class, and work hard, all you young marvels of tomorrow...go get 'em
lovable space cadet. brilliant dude, entertaining lecturer, occasionally confusing as hell. exams are all over the place in terms of clarity and expectations, at the end of the day you have to know everything inside out. excellent class but difficult.
This class was the best I've taken at McGill. Dr. Petrides is an enganging and challenging prof who combines precise neuroanatomical and cognitive learning with fascinating anecdotes. Granted the final is killer, but you learn a hell of a lot.
funny, warm, intresting, responcive,kind, intelligent, simple
Restored my faith in why I'm doing a psych major. A breath of fresh air from fluffy social psych classes. Instilled an awe in me about the beauty of the brain and our humanity. Super engaging. exams are challenging, but there's no irrelevant detail or tricks. just have read the questions carefully and don't be afraid to put "none of the above"
Flippin' hard class, OK it's straight forward but there's so much friggin' material, ANAT 321 is its equivalent for many higher level courses and a lot less material is covered in that class. TAs are amazing, a whole lot of work but I loved the class, it was really really interesting... READ READ READ!
It's really hard, I received a D in this class, but somehow don't regret it!
Very interesting but very difficult to get a good mark!
World's greatest psychologist! I loved this class!
Really great prof. It's not hard to get an A if you've taken a psych class in the past, especially behavioural neuroscience or perception. Do the readings when he indicates that the entire article is relevant but not when he says to 'know what was covered in lecture'.
Love him! He's hilarious, interesting and informative all at once. The material is fascinating and he does such a good job of presenting it. It's not too challenging if you're interested in the subject and listen in class. Wish I could take it again!
Inspiring! One of the best classes I've taken at McGill! Previous to taking his class, I wasn't interested in the material, and now I want to take more classes in his field. Not easy to get a good mark, especially if you're an arts student. The final was very difficult. I didn't do well, but I still think taking it was totally worth it!
Absolutely amazing! He really cares about his students, more than any other prof I've seen. He would stay until 1 hour after class answering questions and stayed during our entire exam period to answer questions. also a fantastic and funny lecturer. FANTASTIC!!
Fantastic professor, he works at the MNI and really knows his stuff. He's interesting, animated, and very good at keeping your attention. Classes aren't recorded since they take place in the MNI. His exams are fair, tricky though -- most of my answers on the final were e, none of the above. Know your stuff.
Great teacher. Even those with no psych background can succeed in human cognition and the brain, and experienced students will still learn new things.
Great class! As long as you attend every single lecture and make detailed notes you will do fine.
Wonderful, competent, interested and gifted professor. Not only brilliant in his field and passionate about science, but also invested in the knowledge and understanding of his students. I would most highly recommend the course and this professor.
AMAZING!!! He's never boring to listen to + he's always very clear. He really knows the material like the back of his hand. He answers EVERYONE'S questions in class, and he never goes too fast. He goes at a reasonable pace. I leave every lecture in amazement because ALL his lectures are super interesting! TAKE THIS CLASS! You will not regret it!
Very interesting guy. Makes the hour and a half lecture go by very quickly because he is so engaging. Very funny too. Overall, good class! Exams can be tricky though.
One of the best teachers I have ever had. He is so clear and rarely goes too fast in the lectures. He is also very engaging and funny. It was a great course.
This prof is one of my favourites at McGill. He is highly regarded in his field, and also makes topics very clear and easy to understand. Midterm exam was straight lecture, but final is a little more tricky, with more focus on the coursepack readings. Highly recommend this class. Love Petrides!!!
Petrides is one of THE best professors I've had at McGill. He is funny, ALWAYS willing to answer questions, very charming and engaging. Rarely goes too fast through the material and emphasizes what is important. Classes MUST be attended since lectures are NOT recorded. Midterm was very fair, final a LOT harder. KNOW YOUR NEUROANATOMY AND LESIONS :)
THE best prof. I have ever had at McGIll ! His lectures are clear, compelling, and interesting. He is brilliant ! Knows his material backwards and is always willing to answer questions, even if it means staying 2 hours after class ! For me, the midterm was a lot harder then the final. Know your terminology !!
amazing prof! makes class fun and interesting. don't miss class - the textbook is just a few readings that are barely covered in the exams. take good notes, the exams are tough. they're fair, apart from a few incorrect questions that, if you notice, the TA will take away & give extra points. such a nice and charismatic prof & fascinating material.
just take the course
Great prof. One note for future students, do not be fooled by the lack of textbook/readings questions on the midterm. There will be heaps on the final, so study them well, and that refers to all readings not just the ones after the midterm. Midterm - high average. Final - ha.
Amazing prof! He made my fall in love with the human brain! His lectures are simple and interesting! The midterm exam was ok: straight from lecture.The final was extremely tricky *53 MC questions worth 70% of the grade). do the readings and remember them in DETAIL). The grade I will receive will definitely NOT reflect how much I learned.
FASCINATING. He has worked with some of the most famous scientists in the field of neuroscience, and yet is unassuming and passionate about the basics he teaches us.
Class consists of midterm and final. Extremely helpful, fascinating and amazing prof. Would definitely take another class with him teaching it. Must study HARD for the exams- midterm was easier and final was killer.
Simply comes to class with chalk and starts lecturing. He's extremely knowledgeable and presents his lectures in an interesting fashion. Know your anatomy for the midterm and then know all the functions/pathways for the final. Midterm was straight forward, final was difficult. Take this course early if you're a psyc major. Helps a lot!
Brilliant professor! Explains concepts clearly, and although his exams aren't that easy, they ask relevant and reasonable questions. See his lectures to the scientific community as well if possible, to get a glimpse of non intro level neuroscience presented well!
THE BEST. He is incredibly passionate, and he always comes to class in a good mood. He explains everything very clearly and will go over things multiple times to make sure you understand. Midterm was super easy, final much more difficult. Don't be fooled by the lack of reading material on the midterm.
No lecture recording, so go to class and take detailed notes of what he says, then sort them out at home as he makes mistakes sometimes.Don't buy NTCS. Midterm ok (some textbook, lecture, and coronal sections). Final very hard (All on lecture and book. KNOW the articles, and diff btwn lab results). Get an anatomy course before this one if you can
I absolutely love this class and this professor! I thought the material was pretty easy as this is my 7th psych course, some readings were harder than others. The final was tricky, but if you come to class and do the readings, it's not too bad. He's very knowledgable, his lectures are clear and repeats concepts until everybody understands. TAKE IT
I wish I could love anything as much as this guy loves the cerebral cortex. Passionate prof, you're gonna love learning about the brain. I don't know if the material's easy or if Petrides is just that good at teaching it. No matter what faculty you're in, you'd be a foo not to take this psyc 311.
This is the best professor you will ever come across at McGill. Went into the course not knowing much and came out absolutely in LOVE with the topic! Classes fly by and he's very clear! Have to know the anatomy for the midterms and focuses on the lectures AND A LOT on the readings for the final- attend class & read the articles! Very fair exams.
This is the best psyc course I've taken at McGill so far! Petrides is very knowledgeable and tests fairly on what he covers in class. The first articles freak you out but you don't have to know all of it! Take very detailed notes, pay attention in class and make sure to read the articles and you'll do well. The material is super interesting!
Professor Petrides is amazing. Just take the course. Promise you won't regret it.
Great prof, probably one of the best at McGill! However, he constantly repeats: learn the anatomy, which of course is important, but there were barely any anatomy questions on the midterm and ZERO explicit anatomy questions on the final (of course you have to know it to answer other questions but he doesn't test like he said he would all semester.)
He is so passionate about what he does and it shows when he lectures. I loved going to class. However, sometimes he would repeat himself, or go off track and could be confusing. What saved me was going to the tutorials each week- SO Helpful and the TAs were amazing. More readings on final, more anatomy on midterm.
Great lecturer, very smart and helpful. But there aren't really any notes, lectures AREN'T recorded and he spends half the semester on anatomy and asks no questions on it on the final. Go to the conferences. The one I went to (Trisanna's) saved my ass. I knew going into the final that it'd be hard so I was ready and did well but it really IS tricky
Dr. Petrides is a passionate, engaging professor. I went in not knowing anything about the anatomy of the human brain or the functional aspects and came out LOVING it. The readings are interesting and fairly easy to understand. Best class I've taken at McGill so far.
Probably one of the most respected profs in McGill. Very knowledgable and helpful, but at times even confuses the TAs. No resources at all on MyCourses. Must invest time in compiling notes and going to conferences (only times when things are explained clearly.) If you approach him personally however, he is super friendly and patient to explain
Petrides is wonderful to listen to, although at times is more confusing than helpful, but truly a fantastic prof. Midterm is mostly anatomy and lecture material, final is mostly problem solving based off of lesions and experimental results, which are based off of both in-class and reading material. Go to the tutorials - Trisanna is fantastic.
Great lectures and fascinating material. Make sure you attend every class since lectures are not recorded, READ the textbook, and learn the material as you go along, otherwise, you'll be lost and you'll have no idea what the prof is talking about. Keep in mind that this prof loves tricky questions and puts many "none of the above" in tests.
The class that made me believe in my major again. Recommend to anyone w even a passing interest in psych (esp cognitive), phgy, nsci, neuroanat. Great intro to neuroanat. READ. GO TO CLASS. Yes, midterm covers lots of anat, but in application to lesions (don't just memorise where things are). Final heavy on readings. Trisanna best TA 3
Dr. Petrides loves the cerebral cortex more than most people have ever loved anything, and it comes through in his lectures. He's a darling, and although he can get carried away and winding up contradiction himself andor confusing the audience at times, he answers absolutely every question duringafter class. Just make sure you attend lectures!
best class Ive taken at mcgill!
Don't get what the hype is for this guy. His lectures are rambling and confusing. There is a LOT to memorize. The material is interesting enough, but not so much more so than any given psych class. An average professor and class overall.
Not sure why everyone recommended this class. The topics are not very interesting, he rambles on during class and scribbles random things on the board. The readings are difficult to get through and rather dry.
He is super unclear! writes random stuff on the board. no powerpoints, no notes. complicates easy concepts.
The readings actually contradicts the lecture material, and they were written decades-old, full of uncertainties due to the science at the time. Lectures not recorded, no notes posted on MyCourses, professor speaks out of his head without structure. You have to make your own notes for lectures and reading. Other than that, good luck )
Tough exams, tons of readings but in a good way. It's impossible not to learn a lot from this course.
best MCgill prof I had He makes everything so easy to understand, I had zero science backgrounds but he made me interested in anatomy and neuroscience! Tests are super clear and easy, the final is a bit tricky but I still got A no need to fuss to much over readings, classnotes are a must!
Best teacher I've taken at McGill so far, this class made me believe in my major again. This is a class that is worth taking
Straightforward and easy to understand even if you have no science background.
Amazing proff and class. Extremely interesting material and very passionate and entertaining. He repeats stuff/stories sometimes but it helps you remember and gives you a little break from note taking :D BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ^the sound of him imitating the sound a neuron makes
very very interesting course. The prof's passion is evident through the lectures. There is a lot of material to learn but it is very interesting and relevant to life and other cognitive sciences of course. by far one of my favourite courses
It was very interesting! I'd say study hard for the readings in the final because it's a bit tricky. Ended up with an A because I did very well on the midterm.
AMAZING prof. Petrides is such a sweet man - he is always smiling. I've never seen somebody so passionate about the brain, and he passes this love on to his students. If you're not a PSYC major, like me, get ready to work hard. It's worth it, so interesting. If you're willing to put in the time, 15/10 would take this course again.
Here's clearly top in his field, so super inspirational. He loves his subject! Although he is pretty difficult to understand so focusing in lectures is hard. His TAs are amazing so if you go to the conferences you're saved. The class I took had NTCs too which are INCREDIBLE. Would take again but be prepared for what you're in for.
The content was interesting and (definitely) challenging, and Petrides clearly loves what he teaches, but the way the lectures are organized is just kind of all over the place. They aren't recorded and powerpoint slides aren't uploaded onto MyCourses, so I HIGHLY RECOMMEND 1) going to class and 2) keeping up with readings. (Don't make my mistake!)
He is a fantastic lecturer, that makes the content extremely interesting, honestly one of the most entertaining courses to take. Sadly, the exams are VERY reading based, which is annoying as the questions will often focus on small details. The exams are fair-ish but you NEED to read all the articles and take good notes to do well.
Honestly the best professor at McGill and clearly the best neuroscientist in the world at the moment! Very inspiring and enjoyable course! He has an incredible, unique way of making difficult concepts easy to understand even if your major is not PSYC. His passion for the brain is infectious. Be prepared to study hard for the exams. TAs are helpful.
Best prof I've ever met at McGill. You can feel his passion and love about what he teaches. TAs' are really helpful when preparing exams. Midterm exam was lecture heavy, whereas final exam was mostly from the reading. Recommend buying NTC and reading notes, but don't forget to attend the lecture and do reading on your own as well. Good luck!
Professor Petrides was interesting during lecture, but the midterm and final exam were very difficult and didn't cover much of the material taught in class. The readings are long and required for the final, which was basically all readings. Trisanna and her powerpoints were my saving grace. Lots of work, but interesting content.
Very passionate prof, goes over material multiple times in class. You have to read the assigned readings from the coursepack, since they're tested, but it's honestly not that bad a trade-off given how low-stress his lectures are. Exams are straightforward, and the TAs are great if you're lost.
He is such an amazing and passionate professor. Lectures are really funny, and he is so cute! Really inspirational and kind. Even though he repeats himself alot, sometimes a little confusing, and there are two many dense papers to read, I really recommend it!
Not a good course. Previous post must've been deleted. - Professor is better as a researcher than a teacher. - He is very passionate about the topic & it really shows. - But passion does not always translate into good teaching skills. - Not really accessible. - surprised there are so many + ve reviews. Do Not take it if you care about your gpa.
This is a fascinating class! Professor Petrides is truly passionate about his field and can take you from knowing very little about neuropsychology to having a great foundation in the subject. No slides or recordings, but if you really listen in class, not too much work is needed outside of reading the coursepack (mandatory). Exams are very fair.
Fascinating professor! His way of teaching is kind of like storytelling, he always has a lot of energy and sounds truly passionate about his field. Reading-heavy but most readings are really interesting, and the TAs are super helpful; lectures aren't recorded but most of what you need to know is on the conference slides, which are crystal-clear.
Prof Petrides is great!! Sometimes the class feels a little disorganized but it's worth taking it in the end :)
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
71%
Textbook Required
36%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.35 avg changeRatings by Course
PSYC310
5.0
(1)BRAIN
5.0
(2)HCOGBRAIN
5.0
(1)COGNBRAIN
5.0
(1)HUMCOGNITION
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
COGNBRAIN
5.0
PSYC310
4.0
PSYCH311
3.9
PSYC311
3.5
BRAIN
3.0