3.3
Quality3.0
Difficulty65%
Would Retake85
Reviews65%
Would Retake
85
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
18
3
21
2
13
1
9
What Students Say
“She also gives A LOT of extra credit”
CRIM230 - 4.0 rating“Both classes were simple and straight-forward”
SOC100 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
76%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.36 avg changeRatings by Course
SOC106
5.0
(1)SOC225
5.0
(1)INTOTOSOC
5.0
(1)SOC100106
5.0
(1)SOC
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
230
5.0
SOC100CRJ230
4.0
SOCSOC
4.0
PSY225
4.0
SOC210
3.6
Reviews (85)
had for intro to soc. and marrage and family. very easy to pass the class, and informative to real world situations. excellent story telling skills!
Had her for both criminology and sociology, and both classes were very intersting. Great story teller but study for the tests (they can be difficult)
Didn't really understand the class. She was very intelligent and full of opinions. She has a lot of class involvment which is a plus.
Not helpful at all. Even though her syllabus says you can make an appointment to see her, I tried because I have classed during her office hours and was told oh well she couldn't do anything for me. Her tests are horrendous. Nothing she says makes sense.
This teacher get horribly off track. I enjoyed her class and all but I feel like I really didnt learn much the entire time I was in it. She does provide for an interesting discussion< I just didnt feel like I gained much from attending her class.
i had her for sociology... she has good stories but study for the tests! i only had her for half the semester because she was in an accident... but she was nice and helpful!
She is ver funny and she has great stories to tell, and she doens't give out homework but, her tests are very hard!
She is someone that will tell you to see her after class, yet won't see you after class. her tests are really hard and i can't believe that i got a b in that class. her projects take about 3 hours to do...each, and you HAVE to do 3 of them. i recommend her to anybody who is a soc major
she is something else. she doesn't get to know you, and she really doesn't care. her tests are really hard, and they are all applications. she acts like as if you are disrupting her "office hours" time if you see her. you work for 3 hours for one project, and you HAVE to do 3 of them. dont take her
Very interesting. She isn't the easiet teacher ever, but she makes sure that you leave her class knowing more about life.
Though good to look at, not much between the ears. Terrible teacher too.
She's really socially conscious and cares a lot about the world, and teaches about what matters.
Good teacher and very nice person. Strong suggestion though: Listen carefully in class and read material thoroughly - tests are not easy. Hint: Do those projects and the extra credit, makes a big difference!
Good teacher. At times can be boring, but she always have interesting stories and pics to go along with them. She's not easy. Do all the extra credit. It works. She's very understanding and shows her students mercy. She's very active in the school(s). Does a lot of behind the scene work. She truly worked and earned her degree. Very humbled woman.
Dr. O'Brien knows her stuff and has some interesting stories, but all she does is lecture and for the most part it's pretty boring. Her tests are very hard and cover the textbook, which is read purely outside of class, and nothing from the lectures she gives every day.
Dr. O brien is a smart lady, but she is not fair on her grading. All she does is lecture, and you do not learn anything which makes the tests impossible to pass.
One of the most interesting lecturers I have had. I learned so much politically from her class that couldn't be found in a textbook. As stated before, her tests are very difficult (if you've ever taken your real estate license exam...the questions can be ambiguous like that). DO THE EXTRA CREDIT AND DO IT EARLY IN THE SEMESTER.
Very uninteresting teacher concerning the subject. Very bias on her political views, is a liberal and makes it plainly obvious in class. Mostly just lectures on things that don’t pertain to the class and if they do it remains brief and hardly covers all the subject matter. Encourages open debate yet only encourages her bias rather than equality.
O'Brian lectured all class. Didn't care about others opinions. She taught like she was superior and her students were dumb. Tests were very hard.
Lets get his straight, Dr. O'brien was an awesome teacher eventhough her tests were pretty hard. The tests comes right out of the book. If you bomb a test, she gives you plenty of extra credit to make up for it. I think i earned like 70 points extra credit.
She was really stuck up and was deeply offended and became angry if you didn't address her as "DOCTOR" O'Brien. The course material forced you to do projects that might be against individual thought.(she would force her ideals down your throat and you better eat it up or she will flunk you) a hard woman to get along with.
I really thought her lectures were very interesting. I'm not so sure that they pertain to the test but I enjoyed coming to class everyday.
I actually wanted to go to her class. She was bias but it didn't bother me too much. I would like to take her class again if I could.
I had Dr. O'Brien for SOC 100 and she was pretty funny. She is definatly experianced in her field. However, she is extremely biased and tells a lot of interesting stories that don't really relate to the class. The tests were extremely hard, hardly anyone in the class got higher than a C, but she does curve your tests.
Cool teacher. Learned alot
Where to begin about "mrs. o'brien." Let's just say i never knew sociology required much emphasis on government, politics (liberal), and random tangents of nothingness. The tests were quite the joke...i even found myself laughing at some of the questions while i was trying to recall unlearned information in the classroom. What a waste of a class.
very difficult, exams are nothing like material, DO NOT take her
Mrs O'Brien was a lot of fun. The tests weren't answers straight out of the book, or lectures. She wants you to put what you learned to use in the tests. The assignments were not bad at all overall she is pretty nice, and she is not that hard of a grader. I enjoyed her class. She takes attendace EVERYDAY but doesnt take off points.
Dr O'Brien is one of my favorite teachers. She tells it like it is and is very funny. Tests are a little difficult but if you do most of the extra credit (she gives a LOT)and do all of the very few assigments that are given there is no reason you should get a B or better :)
Typical sociology professor... material is somewhat interesting, but I lose a lot of respect whenever a professor sneaks politics into the discussion. There's a big difference between getting students to think and getting students to think your way. Professor O'Brien needs to focus on the former.
I took SOC100 as a telecourse. There is A LOT of reading and you have to watch the videos. The test covers both... and still it is difficult. I didnt do too well on any of the tests but there are plenty of extra credit opportunities... TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. The extra credit assignments are the only reason I got an A in the class.
The lectures do not pertain to the tests at all, so read the book. If you want a class that you can just take notes in class, do not take this class. Do the extra credit early in the semester, especially the Project Menus.
Obrien is a great teacher. Pay attention in class, use common sense, and you wil do fine on the tests. Homework is easy. Basically just do what Pat asks and you will be fine. Not hard to get an A in any of her classes. She is not just a teacher but has a lot of experience in the field and stories to tell. Very down to earth with a great sense of h
Great teacher. Her class is a breeze if you are not an idiot. Easy tests. Easy homework. Nice woman. Experienced. You should have an open mind though before signing up for this class.
She is a nice woman, and relates a lot of what we learn to her life. Which can seem bias but she is just trying to make the material more understandable. Tests are hard unless you read the book but her notes are helpful. This semester i enjoy this class more than any other
will never take a class with her agian!!!!
I took the telecourse and did pretty well. I had to knock out the extra credit to get the A. If you are a procrastinator definitely DO NOT take this class. I took all test before spring break and then worked on the paper and extra credit after spring break. A lot of students waited around and did not do as well.
Amazing teacher love her. Knows what she's talking about,and very passionate, great stories,and you learn a lot, shows different views, and never want to miss a class!Tests can be hard, but it more common sense, not much homework, except for projects due at the end of the semester, but you have all semester to work on it, and a bunch of extra credi
I took the telecourse and she provided nothing. It was basically watch the video, read the textbook and take the test. She didn't provide any powerpoints or handout to help you understand. I don't reccomend her if you plan on doing the telecourse and u don't learn from videos and readng the txtbook.
I loved her! I took this class over the summer it was a 5 hour class 2 days per week. I would definitely take her again. She tells stories that help you relate to the material she is teaching. If you pay attention and attend every class you can get a good grade!
She has a lot of pointless stories that don't relate to anything. Her tests are hard and her notes have nothing to deal with the test, so don't bother reading or taking notes. You're on your own.
Nice lady, but her tests are hard. She makes this intro course harder than it should be. She likes to talk a lot. The only thing that helps is the extra credit,otherwise it's tough getting a high grade..
Great stories and I loved how she questioned society's ideas and decisions. Completely changed my outlook on pretty much everything. The projects were time consuming, but it was very easy. Tests were not hard at all, mainly memorize definitions and recall stories/examples. Loved her
I live this teacher. She has great stories and makes me laugh. I would definitley take her again. She is a great lady who has seen and experienced a lot of things.
Not a good teacher at all. All she does is lecture with powerpoints and random stories that have absolutely nothing to do with what's on the tests. You might as well not even come to class.. Her tests are very difficult and the only thing you can do to hope for a good grade is the extra credit.
She definitely knows a lot, and has a way of teaching where she can relate her topics to reality. :) Very funny; I would recommend taking her class. not boring at all.
Very funny teacher, but her powerpoints dont help with the exams she gives. But shes a good teacher, relates to us a lot. we dont use the textbooks what so ever, shes a good teacher but you wont get a high grade unless you do extra creit and do great on the exams.
Tests are VERY difficult. Although her class is very interesting! Bearly any homework, she gives lots of extra credit and you have to do three projects. Interesting class but test are HARD.
she is a really interesting teacher, and she is really funny. in class, she makes a lot of sense, but when you get to the tests, what she said in class has nothing to do with the book, nor the tests. her point system is weird and i would prefer if it was a normal grade scale system. this class is really hard and even with studying its hard to pass
Her tests really are awful. There is no way to prepare for them. Read the book, although she seldom references the book. It is a take home final which is quite helpful. You will never be bored she is quite a character. Very elegant lady, great knowledge. Expect to do a lot of extra credit to pass the class with a good grade.
She talks most of class and has some super interesting stories. She lets her students give opinions and stories which is good but her tests are terrible. They feel like they belong to another class. She is pretty good at replying to email.
Awesome teacher! If you fail this class it's because you're lazy and deserve to fail. You earn the grade you want, all you have to do is work. Would take her class again just for fun! We need more teachers like her, I learned SO much!
Pat is an exceptional teacher that expects her students to work. Yes, her tests are hard because they're practical application tests. Not easy to study for. But if you read the text, take notes, and do the assignments you will earn an A. She goes above and beyond for her students.
I took soc 100 online, the tests were very challenging. The book didn't really help, I just watched the videos instead. There were 5? tests and a paper. The paper was worth a good portion luckily.
Very nice, very helpful if asked, provides lots of extra credit, lectures are way off topic, lectures dont correlate with exams, lectures consist of story telling. Overall exams are very hard, homework is very easy. Wouldnt recomend this teacher.
Very nice woman, but her tests have zero to do with what you learn in class. The book doesn't help either. She forces the students to rely on extra credit, and even with that, it's hard to achieve an A. Tests are way for a 100 level class. I would not recommend this teacher at all. I'm a very strong student, however this class makes me feel lost.
Dr. O'Brien is a wonderful--and very underrated--professor. She is incredibly knowledgeable about sociology and is very helpful and accommodating. Dr. O'Brien's lectures are both insightful and engaging. Her tests are "Practical Application" tests, meaning that students need to really understand the material--not just the textbook definitions.
Would not reccomend this professor. She took THREE weeks to email me back about a simple question about due dates. The DVD's were a waste of money as almost all of the information comes from the textbook. Tests aren't too bad as long as you space out the material.
Dr. Obrien is the sweetest at ECC! She is fun and keeps the class laughing with her funny stories. She is very nice and understanding. The only thing that might throw you off are her tests, they are a bit different, other than that she is great!
Pat is the sweetest one! She is very nice and knowledgeable. She keeps the class laughing with her funny stories. She goes above and beyond and gives lots of extra credit to help you get that A. Her tests are different so make sure you are there everyday and take good notes. Listen to everything she says-it might be on the test.
The material that shows up on tests can be derived from almost any arbitrary source, number, or study that was covered in class or in the reading. She gives students no direction regarding studying of the material. Worst of all, especially considering the class dealt with human sexuality, she is very condescending.
She is an amazing person and teacher. However, her tests are hard and sometimes don't relate to what she lectures. She gives a lot of extra credit so make sure to do them! You'll need all the points you can get.
Pat is awesome! While she does say some things I question and think may just be for shock value, she is entertaining and makes class fun!
Test are impossible! The test, book, and lectures have nothing to do with each other. Lectures are her telling personal stories and trying to relate them to what you are learning. Would not take another class with her.
Pat's a cool person but I don't enjoy her teaching style. I never felt like I learned anything afterwards, and yet if I skipped I felt lost. We crammed too many chapters at the end bc we ran out of time. Figure out your paper topic EARLY. It won't be mentioned again until a month left of class. I had to do researchwrite it in only a WEEK.
Dr. O'Brien is sarcastic in a hilarious way. Her lectures were always interesting and I always enjoyed going to them. Her tests are pretty tough, but she gives a lot of opportunities for extra credit. It's pretty easy to get an A if you try in her class.
Pat was an extremely liberal professor. I took marriage and family expecting to learn about the sanctity and history of marriage, but instead was lectured some left-wing agenda about how terrible marriage and religion is. She lectures about how terrible traditional marriage is and none of what she says in the lectures are on the test. Bad teacher!
Shes a good teacher
Professor O'Brien is a really fun teacher and this class is really easy. There are a lot of short writing assignments but they don't need to be longer than a page, they are mostly your opinion, they are your only homework, and you usually get about 1 of these a week. She also gives A LOT of extra credit. Be aware that she is very opinionated.
Hands down the best professor I've had yet. Attendance really matters in this class and her lectures are in-depth and if you listen you'll do great. Not much book use. Gave my class 120 points of extra credit opportunities. Professor O'Brien also cares, I had a family problem and she worked with me a lot.
Really easy class. You get a bunch of papers but they are based on your opinion which she gives you an A on every time. The test are all multiple choice and the final is a take home! I recommend her !
a lot of extra credits. Never hands out study guides so you never really know what to study. Her lectures consist of many personal stories which sometimes makes the powerpoint notes hard to undertstand.
I took O'Brien over the summer for both SOC 100 & SOC 210. Both classes were simple and straight-forward. She tells you what she expects and grades based off of that. There are discussion posts due every week and quizzes, but if you read the book for both they should be straight-forward. There is one big paper due for SOC 100 and 3 small papers 210
I took SOC 210 with Professor O'Brien over the summer. It was a little packed but it was doable. There are weekly discussions and she clearly explains what each post should look like. You have to post a detailed initial response and then respond to at least 2 of your classmates. She provided a lot of extra credit which is why I got an A.
Overall outstanding professor! Shes clear cut and lets you know what she wants from you/expects from you. The tests were pretty difficult because there were no study guides ever, but she gives out tons of extra credit to make up for it! Plus, the final is take home. She tells a lot of personal stories as well, but it makes it all the more fun!
Talks a lot and tests have nothing to do with lectures.
DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT TAKE HER !! she goes over powerpoints every day but THEY WILL NOT HELP FOR TEST. she literally tells you that they do not matter SO WHY DOES SHE GO OVER THEM, nothing there is on the test.... everyone failed the test in her class , she goes off topic and always talk about a book she wrote that has nothing to do with class..
Super easy to get in touch with and cares about her students. She goes get off topic at times but what professor doesnt? Lots of PowerPoints, at the end of each chapter you have a response to turn in, and lots of extra credit opportunities.
Dr.O'Brien definitely knows a lot about sociology but be warned that she will get talk off topic A LOT and she's kinda passive aggressive. The book isn't used at all except you'll need it to write three papers. The tests are long but her she does power points online and she does respond to emails relatively fast.
Teacher does not reply to emails even after multiple times sent.. not sure why. Seems rude..
(Recommends) Took an online sociology class during the summer session. Everything you need to know is clearly laid out for you. Homework is due at the end of every week. You will know what your final paper is right off the bat so you have plenty of time to complete it. Feedback from instructor is minimal. Discussions are graded and fairly easy.
she is an ok teacher when she is actually teaching. rants a lot and is Extremely ANNOYING, makes annoying sounds and talks in obnoxious voices. she is also very opinionated and makes that very clear. she is very leftwing and if you disagree with her good luck don't make it known. heavy on homework but a fair grader. would not recommend.
Biggest problem with her is that she doesn't really let you know what to study for exams, she might have a 10 question kahoot thats it. I failed two exams and so did a lot of other classmates. But she offers alot of extra credit and project menus which can also count as extra credit if you do 4+. Shes not the worst but certainly not the best.
I wouldn't take this professor as she holds grudges/ is passive aggressive. i emailed her regarding a discussion board i completed but did not receive credit on. She then updated my grade to an A for that post, but for the rest of the semester she gave me a C on all discussions regardless of the length or depth i put into said discussion.
One of my favorite professors at ECC, I thought she was pretty funny lmao. If you have a negative attitude towards school you might not like her. Honestly, I wish I could take a class with her again. Class wasn't that hard, 10-25% the difficulty of chemistry or accounting.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
79%
Textbook Required
76%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.36 avg changeRatings by Course
SOC106
5.0
(1)SOC225
5.0
(1)INTOTOSOC
5.0
(1)SOC100106
5.0
(1)SOC
4.5
(4)Difficulty by Course
230
5.0
SOC100CRJ230
4.0
SOCSOC
4.0
PSY225
4.0
SOC210
3.6