Would 10/10 recommend taking his New One course both in the fall and winter semester. The class is small which allows for great discussions on the lecture topics and the course load is not heavy at all. The best thing is, though, that he gives deadline extensions without us even having to us!

I definitely would recommend taking any course with Dr. Whissell! I am in his New One course and absolutely love attending class every week. The class is particularly small so there is a lot of interesting discussion throughout. The assignments are not overwhelmingly difficult, and he is a fair marker. You can tell he wants his students to succeed!

Dr. Whissell gives excellent lectures that are informative and concise. Marks fairly, clearly lays out what he expects from students on assignments & tests. He cares about his students doing well and provides opportunities that help students succeed. Made learning behavioral genetics interesting and fun :) thank you Prof Whissell (P.S. v spicy ��)

Great lectures, very knowledgeable about behavioral genetics. Marks fairly and provides clear expectations for grading. Provides helpful study guides before tests and exams. Easy to approach, really funny and cares about students. I would definitely recommend Professor Whissell's class to anyone

This class is an easy 4.0, especially if you're interested in the subject! If not, it can be quite tedious, seeing by the amount of people that elected not to take part II of this course.

He is an amazing professor! He truly cares about his students (also doesnt require textbook because its too expensive) and gives you all the help you need in order to succeed in his course. Be prepared to work hard, even though midterms and final are based on lectures solely you still need pay attention in class. Hes a refreshing young prof.

best prof ever!!!!! absolutely loved him!!!

Dr. Whissell is definitely one of my favourite professors at UofT. He was entertaining, great at explaining content and answering questions. It was clear Dr. Whissell cares about his students; he went over assignments thoroughly, provided study guides, and made himself available outside of class. I highly recommend taking Dr. Whissell's courses.

Highly recommend!! Dr. Whissell is very enthusiastic & passionate about concepts he teaches. His lectures are easy to follow, straightforward and well-organized. He posts exam study questions (very helpful!), is great at inspiring students to take interest in the subject and is always willing to elaborate on concepts you want to learn more about.

Best teacher I have ever had at UofT. Doesn't require a textbook for this class and engages the audience extremely well.

Amazing prof, interesting content in HMB200- challenging questions in the tutorial quizzes but helps prepare for midterm/final!

Funny, approachable, open-minded, caring, interesting. He evaluates critically what is best for students instead of following the "typical professor" mould; he fosters a close relationship with students; he always tries to relate content matter back to students.

Dr. Whissell was one of the best profs I had in UofT. Just finished the final, it wasn't that bad. The midterm was super easy so we all expected a tough final. He had a ton of office hours leading up to the exam and answered my billion emails.

Great course!! The lectures are dense but very interesting and easy to follow. The quizzes are open book, the midterm was soooo easy and the final was detailed but not that hard. Super easy compared to PSY100 and PSL300. Go to the office hours!! Prof Whissell literally spent hours answering my questions. Great with email as well!

Very clear lecturer and provided helpful study notes. The midterm was fair and the quizzes really encouraged you to review your notes. But beware that the final is quite challenging, he told us that the questions on the final would be in a similar style to the midterm but they were wayyy more difficult which caught many students by surprise.

Great professor. Lecture is really enjoyable. Take home quizzes are pretty tricky, but the midterm is a piece of cake. If you take PSL300 before this you should knock the course out of the park. The final is harder than the midterm for two reasons. One, the content is more difficult. Two, the questions are trickier, but not as tricky as the quiz.

Had Paul Whissell for HMB200. The material didn't get the depth it deserved but this is pretty unavoidable for an intro class. Weekly quizzes were very easy when I connected with the other students and worked through them as a group. The midterm and final were fair. Paul was great at office hours and gave me a bunch of cool articles to read!

Had Paul Whissell for PSY654. Lectures were detailed and concise. The assignments were tougher but a lot of time was given to get them done. The midterm and final were both fair. Overall, the course was taught well.

Professor Paul Whissell is an amazing professor who I look up to. Contents of his lectures and assignments are rich and interesting, and he makes them engaging, fun, and clear. He happily explains and answers students questions. His gradings are fair and clear. He provides sincere supports and care for students to learn, improve, and succeed.

He did a really good job of making the course interesting and informative at the same time. He is happy to answer all questions you have during office hour and answers emails very quickly. One of the best professors I have ever had!

Nice, answers all questions and extremely responsive to emails. Fair tests and assignments.

I took this course in the summer and enjoyed every lecture as Dr Whissell made them fun and engaging. A super hardworking and caring instructor who makes himself available for his students, also being willing to assist students in their journey beyond his class. Understand the concepts, remember what's necessary and you're good to go!

Paul Whissell is hands down the best and most caring professor I've had at UofT. Having taken PSY100 and HMB200 with him, I can say with confidence that his lectures are always clear, organized, and relevant to the topic at hand. Exams and quizzes can be a little tricky but they're always fair.

Prof. Whissell is super helpful, really nice, and extremely passionate about what he is teaching. This sort of dedication made learning in the class so much more enjoyable! There were times where i wasnt able to attend lectures, and I found that the slides he gave were sufficient for reviewing test content! I give him an 11/10!!

Amazing professor. 3 Words: recommend, Recommend, RECOMMEND!

Prof Whissell is my favourite professor at UofT. He is extremely approachable and caring of his students, especially during office hours/email. He offers a lot of knowledge in the material he's teaching, making his lectures engaging and interesting. I can't wait to be in his course again this winter!

I don't believe in bird courses, but the reason why I would consider this course as a bird course is because Dr. Whissell makes it so easy to learn. His material is heavy, but I am always intrigued by the topics we went over. Fair marker.

I was Dr. Whissell's student in 2016 and was able to excel in this course because it was so intellectually engaging and stimulating. During this course, I learned the positive effects of meditation on the brain. I was deeply inspired to incorporate meditation exercises in my life and further help others who struggle with emotional dysregulation.

The course content was interesting and Prof Whissell connected it to real life examples. He created a very welcoming environment. He really went above and beyond with making himself available to answer questions and review assignments and tests. Make sure to do the lecture review questions, they're critical for test prep.

The material is dry - but he makes it fascinating, he lectures well, and he goes out of his way to accommodate students.

He is a very good at explaining concepts; he simplifies a hard concept into a way that makes it easy to understand. One of the few profs that truly care about his students. Best prof at U of T.

Saint of a man. If study, you will get a good grade.

Dr. Whissell is a great prof, he explains difficult concepts in very clear ways, and always makes sure to help you understand. This course is challenging, but you'll do well if you ask for help, which he is happy to offer! Assignments are straightforward and interesting. Tests are challenging, but not if you actually go to class and study

One of the purest and nicest profs at U of T. Tests are fair- Beware of quizzes tho those are sneaky

Professor Whissell's class was my favorite of university so far. He cares about the success of his students and is really engaging during his lectures. I recommend this class for anyone in science or just taking a breadth requirement in first year.

Dr. Whissell is very clear on what he expects students to know for tests. That being said make sure that you plan ahead and study for the final exam. The final is more challenging than the rest of the course. All lecture material is fair game (pay attention to details) and it is in your best interest to know how to apply to course content.

Great class, I highly suggested taking it. Make sure to do/know the study guides. His quizzes are tough so take your time and make sure to attend the lectures so you have the notes.

Such a great prof! I found his lectures very interesting and he does a great job displaying the important information to know and provides good explanations. His lectures can be a little dry, but he does his best to keep the class engaged. If you pay attention in class (he gives hints regarding tests) and study lecture slides, it's easy to do well!

Dr. Whissell was an incredible lecturer for my PSY396 course: Neurochemical Basis of Behaviour. His lectures were very well organized and linear. He took extremely complex material and made it interactive, accessible, and applied the material to real-world scenarios. He truly cares about his students and wants to see them succeed! Highly recommend.

I had Dr Whissell for NEW335 and thoroughly enjoyed his class. I had 0 knowledge of meditation going into the class but the class really cultivated my interest in meditation to the point that I'm currently looking to do research in the use of meditation in clinical settings! Also, he is super caring and always there for career advices!

Dr. Whissell was an excellent professor! He made lectures interesting and almost always finished the 3hr class in 1&1/2hrs. He was clear as to what information would be on the tests and provided great instructions for assignments/essays. He is very caring and approachable, easy to talk to, fair with grading, and focuses on student's understanding.

Dr. Whissell is great! His lectures are fun and interesting, and he's just a really chill guy overall.

Dr. Whissell is as good as his reputation says! Makes lectures very interesting with well-structured slides and brings in relevant guest lecturers. Answers emails quickly, and provided study guides for midterms and exams. Overall a great professor.

He's an amazing lecturer. Hilarious, in-depth, and knowledgable. He expands on whatever he can while keeping the lecture concise, even letting us go early (PSY100). The tests are very lecture heavy (which is great, because he's such a good lecturer. Attending is important and fun), going so far as to have in-class poll results as test questions.

Dr. Whissell is a really nice professor. He responds emails quickly and his lectures are super fun!! Will absolutely take more of his courses. Do the practice questions! And you'll surprisingly find some same questions in the exams!

The kindest&most caring professor that I've had. His evaluations, while challenging, are always fair. He is available in office hours for extra help, and supports students' learning. His grading criteria is VERY clear and he outlines exactly what he expects from students in each assignment. If you work hard in his classes, you will do well.

NEW335 combined neuroscience, medicine and mindfulness to explain the effect of mindfulness on the body. Dr. Whissell was an excellent professor who was open minded, incredibly encouraging and understanding. I remember he encouraged us to meet with him in office hours to discuss our interests in research. I highly recommend him as a professor!

Assignment heavy course with project proposal and two presentations. Project proposal is split into multiple smaller assignments so although there is something due almost every week, there is opportunity to improve. Dr. Whissell is VERY helpful through emails and during office hours and gives great feedback!

He is such a caring professor. He's super clear, provides practice questions, and SO much support for exams and quizzes. Never had a prof this involved in a class.

Dr. Whissell was the most caring professor I had in first-year. He is super approachable and really timely with emails. He was thoughtful and caring regarding any assignment issues, and his lectures were very clear and interesting! Highly recommend taking a course with him.

Dr.W was my favourite professor in my first year. He took the time out to review tests with any students who needed it and made sure to keep the class engaged by making jokes and asking questions. His course and practice questions guarantee a 70, and doing better doesn't take much more than reviewing lecture notes thoroughly.

Super nice prof! Actually listens to student feedback. Took PSY100 in the summer and he even took out the textbook since he knows its a ton of reading for a 6-week course. Lectures aren't mandatory since he mainly reads off the slides, but they are very helpful since he explains it in a good way that helps you remember.

Best prof I've had in first year for sure! He is very caring and goes out of his way to help his students. The tests are very fair and only cover material from lectures and things he specifically goes over. The slides were very detailed so even if you don't go to lectures you would be fine, but I recommend going because he explains concepts well.

I've taken 3 classes with Dr. W. One of the most incredible instructors at UofT - his passion for not only his field, but for teaching itself & the success of his students is so genuine and honestly unmatched. Readily available to help, offers incredible insight & feedback if you are intrinsically motivated & work hard. Truly a gem in the system

Dr. Whissell is a wonderful prof! He's very caring and super accessible outside of class for questions during office hours/over email. Lectures were always engaging and clearly explained. His slides tend to be very detailed, but it helps to attend lectures to get explanations for some of the more challenging diagrams/graphs. Overall a great dude :)

Overall a great prof!! The lectures were interesting and he was very engaging and enthusiastic. The two midterm tests and one final exam were all multiple choice, though they make a lot of the questions quite difficult in the sense that you need to know each aspect taught in its entirety (all contributing factors etc.) + understanding the wording.

Dr. W is an amazing prof. He responds to emails very fast and is always available for office hours. Very approachable and truly cares about his students. I've personally had long conversations with him during office hours and I can say with confidence that he is by far the best prof at U of T. Highly recommend his classes!

EXCEPTIONAL lecturer. His lectures are very clear and easy to follow, and his style of teaching is one of my favorites (he uses simple analogies to explain difficult concepts and helps me remember). Exams and assignments are very fair, and he's always available via email and office hours. If you put in effort, you'll get the results in his courses

This is my third course with Dr. W and I have to say he is THE BEST professor I ever had! He laid out information clearly on the slides and explained them thoroughly during class. The expectation was clear and the marking was fair even for the psychology course. Very nice and accessible through emails! His class is one of the "HAVE TO" at UofT!!!

This was an excellent course! Students had the opportunity to choose their topics for their presentations and had the chance to write a literature review, which was scaffolded incredibly well! Dr. Whissell really cares about his students, is super supportive, and is accessible outside of class! Lots of feedback was given for all assignments!

This was a really interesting course (the content balanced biology and psychology really well) and Dr. Whissell went through the content at an excellent pace. The assignments were clear and the tests were fair! Dr. Whissell really cares about his students and it shows through the way he answers questions in class and outside.

Dr. Whissell presented the content of the class in a really interesting and applicable way. His slides were cogent and concise, his tests were very fair, and the assignments were clear. He provided study guides for the midterm and a detailed outline about the final's format, which was really helpful! I definitely recommend this class!

Prof W. is a great professor, lecturer and human. Very friendly and caring, thoughtful and analytical, organized and diligent.

Dr. Whissell is the professor that UofT needs and this course definitely proved that. He teaches very interesting topics with such clear, digest-able, and clever delivery while getting students to genuinely think critically about mindfulness and neuroscience research. Very intelligent,genuine, caring, AND down to earth - rare gem at UofT!

Dr. Whissell is one of a kind - professor at uoft. He really cares about his students and he wishes his students to success. He will answer your 200 emails a week with no problem, and he is also very accessible outside of the class. He is very reasonable when it comes to marking and lecture schedules. This is NOT a bird course - though manageable.

Dr. Whissell is a super engaging professor who makes lectures interesting. He truly does care about his students as he provides weekly study guides in all of his courses, replies to emails quickly and is also really approachable! His testing format is also clear and straightforward so long as you study, you'll get the grade. Take his courses!!!

Take him any chance you get!! Psych is already fun and he makes you want to go to long lectures. Funny and explains so clearly

One of my top professors at UofT! I had him for NEW200 too. His lectures are clear and he includes funny, personal stories that really engage his students and make his lessons more interesting and memorable. He genuinely cares for the success of his students and offers SO much help outside of class. Hard work is rewarded. 10/10 would recommend!

Dr. Whissell gave organized lectures that were easy to follow and explained the biology and psychology aspects of meditation very clearly. I really like the study notes he prepared for us to review before exams. He always encourages us to ask questions and are very accessible through emails or in his office hours. He really cares about students!

Take this man's course. That's it. Being a student in Professor Whissell's class has been a fantastic experience: he is an awesome lecturer, his classes are informative and interesting, he made huge efforts to make everyone engage in his class, and he truly wants his students to succeed. Wonderful prof and an awesome human being.

You get to do A LOT of writing which may sound very intimidating. You also get to do academic presentations on articles. But dont you worry. Dr. Whissell makes everything so bearable because he will do everything to make you succeed in the course. I would 150% recommend this course. Take this if you want to learn how to do scientific writing.

Paul is so so nice and truly cares about his students! His lectures are more enjoyable than other lectures and he always makes funny side comments or jokes. He's very approachable and always wanting to help in any way he can. Overall, very good prof highly recommend !!!

Dr. Whissell is a very knowledgeable and caring professor. His lectures were interesting, informative, and presented in a very clear and concise manner. The tests were challenging but fair. I highly recommend taking this course with him.

Cares a lot about his students and making sure they understand the material and that it's reflected in their grade. He encourages going to office hours and asking questions and is overall a great professor and genuine guy!!

Professor W. is genuinely passionate about teaching. He is always accessible outside of class, and willing to help with any questions you may have. He allowed for success in his class if you were willing to try.

He is a very respectful person and enthusiastic in his teaching. He tries his best to engage students. The only problem I have had in 3 courses that I had with him is his tone that it might be a bit dull if you are sitting in a big class. Other than that, he is very knowledgable specially in Neuroscience.

He is an amazing professor. Extremely engaging lectures, even when they're online. Any class would be fun and interesting with him. You have to take his classes!

He's a really nice and interesting prof. He shares personal experience during the lecture and he treats his students fairly. Our mark got increased after he found some mistakes in the test. This course is quite test heavy including 2 midterms and 1 final exam. You don't need to write any essay tho.

Took PSY100 in Winter 2020. Whissell is a gem and I recommend attending office hours to clarify content as hes very clear about what will be tested. Hes super accommodating and cares deeply for his students, however the short answers for our final were toughbut not impossible if you knew the content well.

by far the best prof I've had throughout university. He clearly cares a lot about his students and wants them to succeed, he answers emails typically within 2-3 hours and is always extremely helpful. He grades FAIRLY, I put in the work and got a 92 overall but the average was mid-70s so if you put in the work, you're set up to succeed.

I absolutely LOVE this class! The lectures are super interesting, well organized and funny (if you're into dorky dad humor ;-P). Awesome scientific take on meditation with a nuanced discussion of actual data. The tests are easy if you use the study guide and go to office hours. Dr. Whissell is approachable and super helpful. BEST prof at UofT!

Second time taking PSY100 and boy am I glad to have Whissell this time. Dude should start a podcast, I would tune in every week! Super clear, easy to follow lectures and the personal stories are hilarious. He answered all my billions of emails and was real nice about it. It's a tough course but Whissell makes it way better. 10/10 would recommend

i really really enjoy his lectures. although theyre long, its like listening to a podcast. it feels like a nice break from all the other work i have to do. hoping i get to have him again in the future.

First year has been brutal but Whissell is one of the bright spots. Extremely knowledgeable and attentive Prof! This is the only course where I went to office hours because he is just so great at answering questions and explaining the material. Tough course but he makes it fun!

Lectures are very straightforward. All the information you need are on the slides. He uses the time in class wisely, properly expanding on the more important or complex concepts to ensure students are able to understand the lecture.

Amazing lectures that are very straightforward and to the point. Willing to expand on concepts being taught to ensure student understanding. Featured guest lecturers to expand on class topic. i.e Guest lecture on Mindfulness Meditation to enable students first had experience and to apply what they have learned from the lecture.

Student focused as it is heavy on presentations promoting peer learning. Prof. Whissell's unique teaching approach enables a new level of learning and understanding of the topics, by teaching their peers, students consolidate the information with higher clarity. Prof. Whissell is extremely supportive and more than willing to help students.

Throughout the courses I have taken with Dr. Whissell (HMB200, PSY390, NEW335 NEW432), he has consistently been an excellent lecturer, providing all the information you need for fair tests, and making the experience enjoyable. He gives great feedback on assignments/tests and is readily available after and out of class in office hours. 10/10 prof.

We have a test for this course today so I probably should be studying but I just wanted to comment how awesome Dr. Whissell is! I sent him SO many emails this week and he responded in like a day. He does everything he can to help you do better. The lectures are fantastic with an emphasis on actual science! I'm switching to Psych because of him!

Despite a couple of the previous negative reviews Paul whissel is a gem. He is the best professor one can ask for. While his lectures are heavy and long they certainly have anecdotes that make it easy to follow and being a previous student at UofT he is certainly understanding. He has certainly influenced me and answered about a million questions.

If you are a psy student the course might seem neuro based at times but imo its a good amount. Amazingly accessible compared to other courses and lectures are like podcasts. They're long and slightly repetitive but he does it for emphasis and clarity. Def not a bird course but very manageable and you can tell the prof is passionate and caring!

Dr. Whissell is a great lecturer! He makes dense material engaging and easy to understand, and is extremely approachable if you have any issues. Its easy to do well if you really pay attention to what he says in class - record lectures if you can so you dont miss anything. Overall a really great prof! Also a BIG cutie which never hurts��

I genuinely enjoyed taking this class (never done psychology before), the content was easy to follow and the work given was not that much.

I have not had my final grade yet (A) until now but the most amazing prof- a true gem in this hectic online semester year. The first prof on my first year of uni but seriously amazing. I've never expected a prof with 1500+students respond to all discussion board posts, allow people to email him, talk about your major or problems. BEST PROF!!

Best ever. Very accessible outside of class. Makes his lectures engaging and memorable with his funny anecdotes. Tests are extremely fair if you prepare in advance. I believe there's only one person who's writing all the bad reviews because every single post mentions how there's "too much neuroscience". There's a reason psych is a "life science"!

Dr. Whissell is an amazing lecturer. He goes over everything on his slides and makes sure everyone understands the concepts. He provides study guides for each class and if you go through them you can learn the material easily and ace the class. He is also very accessible outside of the class and helps in any way possible. Overall highly recommended

Great Prof

This guy is truly the best professor. If you study in advance you will get a high grade. Everyone that's saying its "too neuroscience", duh, it's psychology. That's not his fault, it's the course itself. If you're more into the non-brain aspects of it, take soc100 or a psychology seminar. It's not a "bird" course you can ace without studying.

2ish hour lectures every week, 3 tests throughout the entire semester, no assignments or quizzes. As long as you keep up with the lectures and study for tests you'd be fine. I personally was fascinated by most of the things taught in the lecture. Made me want to take more courses in psych. Overall great prof, office hours were nice too

Very understanding and fair. Always answers questions. Very accommodating.

I always enjoy Professor Whissell's lectures. He makes the material interesting and his personal anecdotes are actually relevant to the corse and funny. You can feel that he genuinely cares about his students.

Dr. Whissell is a great professor who really cares about his students. He makes sure to review all assessments to look for ambiguous questions or increase points if he felt that the grading wasn't representative of overall student abilities. He is super responsive via email or office hours and keeps lectures interesting with funny stories.

Dr. Whissell is an amazing professor who is super accessible via email or office hours. He is a very caring professor who is willing to help you in any way he can. After PSY390, I took NEW335 just so that I would have him as a professor again. He keeps class entertaining and is fun to be around.

Had him for my first semester in university and had to take PSY100 for my major in yr2, now the course isn't easy. I would say the course requires quite a bit of work and understanding but whissle was one of the best profs I ever had. The man is fun and just a perfect prof, I wish I can have a class with him again in the futre.

Lectures are really engaging and concise

Great prof. I took the course as an elective but the content was very interesting. Very chill, funny, knowledgeable and accommodating guy. I'm sad that the course had to be online this year due to covid because he must be awesome if the classes were in-person.

I took psychology in my first semester at university. Professor Whissell truly is a master in his field and knows how to make the course interesting as well as intuitive. He gives outstanding lectures and always maintains his tone in a warm and relaxing way which for me increased the attention I was giving to his lectures. Truly inspirational

Professor Whissell is awesome! His lectures are very interesting and easy to engage in. Your grade is entirely composed of tests tho (with 4% coming from SONA), so it might be difficult if you're not a good test taker. I personally procrastinated watching the lectures, but as long as you study well and take good notes, you'll do well.

I can say without a doubt Dr. Paul Whissell is one of my most memorable professors from UofT. He truly is one of a kind. He is very approachable in class. If you have questions, he will immediately address them. He is funny and his style of lectures will certainly keep you intrigued. Most importantly, he is supportive and wants to see you succeed!

Prof Whissell is very accomodating and is always answering questions whether on the discussion board or through email. Not birdy for a non-sci student but I put in a lot of effort 3 days before the midterms, attended one to two office hours and came out fine.

I have had Dr. Whissell as a prof for several classes and he has always been very accommodating, accessible, and approachable. While his courses are relatively test-heavy, the test questions are clear and unambiguous and he marks fairly. He genuinely cares about the subjects he teaches and his students. I would definitely recommend his classes.

Complaints about neuroscience are exaggerated - 1 lecture out of 10. Amazing prof, super dedicated to his students. Tests were open book, and he'll clarify any confusing questions for you mid-test

Dr. Whissell is funny, friendly and approachable. Great lectures and office hour sessions. Make sure to attend pre-test tutorials and Q&As as he gives out more details about test questions there. Not a bird course.

What a great prof! Super nice, really interesting lectures, and responds clearly to questions.

I took this course as a breadth requirement and it was a lot more difficult than I had expected but I ended up enjoying it. The lectures are very long and can be a bit dry at times but the prof is super nice and funny and is clearly passionate about the topics. The class isn't easy and you really have to work for your test grades.

I took the online asynchronous lecture as a first year student during lockdown times and even though it's just a recording, Prof Whissell made the lectures interesting because he explained everything very clearly and sounded genuinely interested in what he was teaching.

Prof. Whissell was funny and caring. He teaches with interesting examples. However, the course materials were heavy and it really takes time to study. If you don't spend plenty of time on it, you will feel like you understand the materials clear enough but will screw up when it comes to tests. I would say this course is harder than I expected.

I took PSY100 and I really enjoyed it. Prof Whissell was very nice and was very helpful. He explains concepts clearly and if something isn't clear to you he'll take the time during office hours or on the discussion board to really try to help you understand. Not for anyone who wants an easy A. Advice for tests: make sure to read the q very well!

It's incredibly obvious that he genuinely cares about his students. He is very accommodating and always available for office hours or by email. Also has very engaging lectures (even if they are quite long).

Amazing prof! His lectures are pretty long sometimes, but you get what you signed up for. Obvious he cares about students and explains things so you don't need much of a science background for this course. The powerpoints he posts are contain most of the course content.

Amazing lectures! He made me feel genuinely interested in the topic. The content was always clear and he explained them well. The slides provided were also very useful especially during exams and midterm questions are likely to pop up again during the final exam (worded different but same idea) so js...

Professor Whissell was amazing throughout the course! He brought in interesting guest lecturers and each topic was very interesting. The assignments were manageable and actually pretty fun. However, if you're not into participation this might not be for you as participation is a huge mark of the course.

He's one of the few professors I've come across at this school that genuinely cares for his students and wants to see them do well. He is very accessible through either email or office hours. This course is content-heavy, but Dr. Whissell is very fair when it comes to tests and assignments.

Amazing lectures, super cool material, would take him again, seems like a super chill down to earth dude.

I really enjoyed this course. I learned a lot about the effects of meditation and Dr. Whissel was a great professor. I would definitely take another course with him because he engages in a way that is more inclusive and practical.

It's clear why Dr. W is one of the most loved PSY professors at the University of Toronto. He puts effort into his work and is very supportive of his students. However, don't think that means his classes are easy. From my experience, it takes a significant amount of work to achieve an 'A'. That said, he is very approachable. 11/10

An incredible prof to have in first year! He was exceptionally caring toward his students, you know he really wanted everyone to succeed. He gives you feedback on your assignments before they're due so you can end up with a good grade. With only 25 students, his class really helped me ease into university. Definitely recommend his class/New One!!

The best prof I've had. His voice sounds very soothing to me.

the course was well put together, clear course expectation, straightforward midterms/exam and he never tries to trick student with weird wordings. if you have a problem with the grading, he will review the tests. take advantage of his office hours and connect with him. Dr. Whissell is a supportive, knowledgeable & enthusiastic professor!

I really liked Professor Whissell. Though it was online so I don't know what he's like in person, he was funny and genuinely seemed to care about us as students and help us learn the info.

Great prof. Very heavy on the lectures; no readings required. Easy A if you work hard enough. However, he told me he would regrade my midterm after a technical error but never came around to it :(

prof. whissell is a good professor and more importantly a good person. took his class during COVID online he was understanding and genuinely wanted students to succeed-- which is hard to find with life sci sadly. very down to earth and personable was there to help me when i needed it

Such a greater lecturer and a humble soul! Never talks down to his students and showed great respect to other researchers he cited in class as well. It is a shame that I am only taking his classes in my last year of study in an online format so I'll probably never get to meet him in person.

One of the best professors I've had so far. Professor Whissel's lectures are engaging, and were one of my favourite parts of the week. If you put in the time to study for tests there is no doubt you can do well. You can tell he really wants students to succeed.

I took HMB200 with Dr. Whissell in Winter 2018. It was an extremely interesting course as an introductory Neuroscience course, and the tests were pretty fair as long as you kept up with the material, which was a bit dense towards the end. Dr. Whissell himself is a gem though, one of the friendliest and most approachable professors I've had!

I LOVED this course! It gave me a fantastic foundation and helped prepare me for other PSY courses at UofT. Prof Whissell's lectures are long/detailed with lots of bio & neuro but that's exactly what you need to understand psych! It's a science course for a reason people! Amazing and caring prof that helps prepare you for success.

One of the best profs at UofT. He's extremely caring and accessible - always answers emails in a timely manner and is extremely detailed and knowledgeable. He even provides study guides, which is super kind of him and shows how much he cares about his students.. UofT honestly needs more profs like him!

Lectures were super long (up to 3 hours) and grade was determined solely by long tests. Despite this, Whissell made the lectures really interesting and drew me to pursue psychology in undergrad. Really approachable, tries to answer as many emails and wants you to do well. He was also there when psych did the kahoot to review and was really nice

I'm a CS student who's never taken a psychology course, and I really enjoyed this course especially due to Whissell's amazing lectures. I am now looking into minoring in psychology and hope to take one of his courses again.

Prof Whissells lectures were amazing. The material was clear and well explained, and everything was backed up with examples. Hes also hilarious, and I would watch the lectures as Id watch a movie. The tests are a bit heavy, but not hard if you study the material. Would definitely take another class with him.

He didn't assign a course textbook because he assured us that his lectures would be enough, which was a huge weight off our shoulders. His lectures, although very long and FULL of information, were very well delivered. He spoke clearly and gave real world examples to explain concepts. Take the lectures seriously. Tests aren't easy but v manageable.

Literally one of the best profs at this university! His lectures are always engaging (even online) and his anecdotes are so helpful. I didn't do so well in the course because I'm not good at memorizationthis course is VERY memorization heavy. There was a lot of bio involved and it was hard to understand as a social sci student. VERY FUN THOUGH!

Prof. Whissell is fantastic. He is concise and deliberate when he lectures, is willing to go above and beyond for his students, and is a wealth of knowledge. You can pretty much ask him any question during office hours and he will have an answer for you or point you in the direction of an answer.

Amazing professor. Only one that I like at soft.

Whissell was a great prof! His lecture style was laidback but really concise and well-explained. The course was somewhat challenging, but definitely manageable with a bit of extra effort. He gave everyone the tools to succeed and he genuinely cared about the success of his students.

Our class was at one of the worst lecture halls at uoft (the one fused with a subway station where a train shook the walls and grounds every 2 minutes) and at a worst time slot imo (6-9pm) but Whissell actually made classes enjoyable. He's a good lecturer, and very understanding in grading and marking scheme overall.

Dr. Whissell is an amazing prof whose lectures I look forward to. His tests are fair and test content actually taught. He is very easily accessible outside of class & accomodating to any difficulties. Taken multiple classes with him already & can't wait for more

Although this course just started I've taken multiple courses in the past with Dr. Whissell & they have all been amazing. During course enrolment, I specifically go onto the timetable, filter courses to his name and then shortlist those courses. Amazing prof with great lectures & super nice. Class so far seems interesting & fun too!

Very nice professor, thorough explanation of the course content, always gives fair tests. Basically all u need to do is to listen to his lecture recording once a week, notes some notes, which in total takes me about 3 hrs a week, and make sure to review before tests, u will get a good grade. Textbook is optional, u can read it as supplements.

Definitely one of the best profs at UofT! Lectures can be info-heavy, but were always engaging and interesting! You can tell he has a passion for the field. The tests can seem difficult, but if you really study the study notes and ask your questions beforehand (replies to emails quickly) you should do well in his courses. Great & caring prof!!

Created an account just to give this guy a 5. The best psychology prof at uoft. Lectures were engaging and you can easily pass just by doing the review questions. I never took notes and did well. Textbook not mandatory. Plus he really cares about his students.

I had him for PSY493 and PSY390(behavioral genetics, in person). Although I don't like biology, I enjoyed both courses because his lectures were interesting and engaging. He was clear in his explanations and provided slides filled with all the information you need to know. He is very nice, very fair and approachable outside of class. I recommend.

Simply put, excellent teaching. Exams are fair. Good accommodation. Caring and considerate personality plus scientific rigor. Best stuff in a professor as well in a person.

One of the best professors I have had, extremely knowledgeable and truly cares about students HOWEVER this is a very very difficult course. Super science based rather than humanities. I found exams quite difficult as well, that said I learned a lot from him and would love him as a lecturer again, but for PSY101 take Ashley Denton for a higher grade

Prof. Whissell is the best prof I've had in UofT. I took his course in the previous summer with an asynchronous format. The lectures are long but very well-explained and you could listen to them throughout the week. He knows his stuff and is very caring and makes an effort to make accomodations as much as possible. Highly recommend the course.

Paul's lectures and this course were both very well structured. He made content very easy to understand no matter what academic background you come from. Tests were fairly easy as long as you took thorough notes throughout lectures. Amazing prof! Take any course you can with him.

Professor Whissell made lecture content interesting and explained course concepts thoroughly and effectively. I really appreciated how approachable Professor Whissell was with respect to any course questions or concerns, even those last minute questions! He was extremely helpful and knowledgeable!

such a nice prof!

his lectures are soooo clear it's amazing. i never feel confused because he breaks everything down and clarifies it all. his voice and speaking style is also very clear and concise so even just watching the lectures over and over again is so effective because he explains everything so well :) he's also pretty funny and nice

i love u prof whissell....beautiful voice and beautiful personality....

Lectures are super easy to follow and his tests are more than reasonable. Such a nice prof!

Absolute W professor, his tests are purely on you if you messed up as he provides many resources to prepare you for the material on said tests. Overall would recommend this prof as someone who will get anyone interested in psychology 11/10

THE BEST PSY PROF IN UOFT!!!! He gives good lectures, fair assessments, curves up students, answers your questions and even searched some papers for your question!!!

Dr. Whissell gives really good, interesting lectures. Also makes sure there are breaks, and keep the lecture as short as possible. But his exams are hard cuz he wants very detailed answers, so really gotta pay a lot of attention and work to do well in this course.

Awesome lectures and fair assessments.

Even though this was an online course, it was easily my favorite class I had all year. Prof. Whissell is engaging, explains things clearly, and makes the class entertaining by giving personal anecdotes. Sometimes the test questions can be vague and a little confusing, but the course was manageable overall.

Incredible professor and kind person. While a little long, his lectures were straight to the point and engaging. He genuinely does care about his students and will respond to emails. Tests are fair and on the easier side. If you take good notes and are interested in the material, you will perform exceptionally well. He made me love psych.

Glad to have had him again. So kind and taught things I could apply to other aspects of my life; teaches you want you need to know and do to be successful in research/grad school. Free rein to choose a topic/field you are passionate about to do term project. Reviews work one week before deadline and gives feedback you need to get high grade. Great!

Lecture content was straightforward and outlined on the slides so that written material was always available as reference when studying for tests. The course was comprised of two major tests and a final exam (with 2 additional quizzes). Did not do as well as I had hoped in this course but this course was fair at the end of the day.

As someone who took PSY100 twice to get into my program, Dr. Whissell is the better prof, in my opinion. His lectures are a bit long but if paced right, it's doable. He's well explained and clear, and so are the tests. The final criteria was clearer than other psy100 profs. He gives lots of review material for tests. Take his class if you can.

An incredibly clear and genuine professor! He took time and added care to ensure that students understood the material well. I appreciated his tone and attitude as it brought a great deal of joy and levity to the foundational material. While the tests were challenging, the expectations and material covered were very clearly outlined.

Dr. Whissel's lectures are quite long and dense, but the information is very clear and he keeps the lectures engaging. The course itself is pretty light, as there is no homework other than one essay. The rest of the marks are all exams, but they are only on 3ish units each so it's very doable. 10/10 would take again

THIS MAN IS FANTASTIC

Doesn't have a textbook, respects your time, respects you, great lecturer, great slides, probably about every positive thing I could say about a prof.

He is the best professor at uoft.

An amazing prof! I'm a 3rd-year student but this was my first PSY course in uni. A genuinely great guy and lecturer. Super empathetic towards students and it was obvious how and what to study. Applies actual psychology, ex: lectures were 3 hours, but finished 30 minutes early and took breaks every 30 mins. And no textbook, readings or tutorials

The most caring and inspirational professor I have ever had at UofT! He answers questions patiently during office hours and is very humorous during lecture. You will never be bored attending his lectures!

Slides are well-prepared and don't require students to buy a textbook. Have to memorize a lot of details for tests, but efforts pay off if you are willing to do the work. Also, the professor cares about his students and genuinely wants people to do well. He is really helpful during office hours!

Paul Whissell is great. I have taken 3 classes from him by now and every time he is funny, caring, enthusiastic and kind. Great lecturer, and makes the material digestible in class despite the long hours of lecture. His slides are very organized and flows. If you are interested in the material, for sure take a Whissell course in your time at UofT.

funny guy

This is an apology, I regret two of those comments I made earlier, they came from personal anger and laziness. This is in response to u doing mean tweets in class, Keep on being awesome Prof. Whissell!

I felt so bad for the bad comment read out today and where nobody defended him, well here I am defending my fav prof. you are awesome! I love the lecture slides, very concise and colourful! Your voice is not monotone. I always feel engaged and interested listening to you! This was the best class I have ever taken in my entire life! I love you

Though it's true about his monotone and talks extremely fast, prof. Whissell is definitely one of the most amazing professors, and the course was just so interesting in every aspect.

amazing prof, his tests are super fair and he keeps the average high. this class has hella content but thats not on him. lecs are long but thats the tradeoff for no textbook (love him for this). he always ends early god bless. he replies to emails very fast and is very accessible and accommodating. he also emphasizes important concepts. i love u. x

Prof Whissell is a really good professor who genuinely wants students to succeed. However, this is real life - no more spoon-fed answers with minimal studying. Lectures are long and he talks fast but there are recordings. His tests are very fair (only tests lecture material) but every detail matters - as it should.

Love his classes! He stays back to answer questions and talk one-on-one. Great personality! Very down to earth and is willing to help and ensure his students succeed. Be sure to attend his section if you get a chance.

the goat

He is the best psy prof I've ever had, like seriously I wish all my psy prof can be like him.

Dr. Whissell is the best professor among my three years of study at UTSG and Rotman Commerce. I took PSY100 for a credit course and never regretted it. Light course load, no homework, fun lectures, and a clear study guide.

Great professor in PSY; Lectures are interesting and enjoyable. Though multiple choice questions in term tests and the final exam are TOUGH and CONFUSING, Whissell is still the greatest psychology professor at u of t! I will highly recommend to take PSY100 with Prof. Whissell! As long as you memorize his lectures, you will do fine in those exams.

Concise and efficient teaching style; lectures will not waste your time.

My all-time favourite prof. This was my 2nd class with him; his course structure is perfect. There's no textbook, no required readings, and while lectures were 3 hours long, they would always end early and never dragged on since he took breaks and is an enthusiastic lecturer. Tests are weighted high, but I prefer this and learned a lot.

Great lectures. Love this prof

Great prof, last review was terrible, they are wrong

amazing prof i had him in the summer

Professor Whissell is an amazing teacher. Although the content he tests on can be hard, he always prepares you well and you know exactly what is going to be on the test. He never tries to trick you, but you do need to put in the work to learn the material.

I took both PSY100 and HMB200 by Dr. Paul Whissell. I enjoy how he uses storytelling throughout his lectures which not only makes the lectures engaging but easier to remember. Rigid academic research is often tedious, but Dr. Whissell breaks the research down into engaging narratives that keeps your curiosity peaked.

better than jordan peterson amazing replacement!!! (all jokes aside was a very engaging professor and made learning very interesting. Perhaps went a little fast sometimes but everything is recorded so we could just go back and review later)

Incredible professor, the funniest professor I've ever had. His lectures are super fun and engaging. His tests and assignments are reasonable and it's obvious he cares about his students. I went from dreading, 0 interest in the subject to loving behavioural psychology because of him. 100/10. Go take his courses he's honestly the best.

Probably the best professor I had throughout the entirety of my undergraduate career. Legend.

Best course for BR requirement. Easy quiz for 35% free mark and online midterms. Take it for CR credits!!!

W prof

Absolutely love him, definitely one of my favourite lecturers at UofT. He teaches well and cares about how students actually learn the content instead of trying to give us a hard time on tests and assignments. Quite a content-heavy course tbh, but extra reading is not needed, all testable materials come from lecture slides.

Best course experience ever!

Absolute chad of a professor. 1-1.5 hour lectures. Dr. Whissell is clearly incredibly passionate about what he is teaching and it reflects in the quality of his lectures. He's funny, engaging, and is extremely thorough about his grading expectations. One of the best courses I've ever taken.

I was told to take psy100 with Whissell (even tho I've also heard good things about Waggoner Denton) and I'm so glad I did! He makes his lectures, although they may feel a bit long at times, fun and interesting. The material is presented in a memorable way, and if you study the material well (not crazy hard) the midterms were a breeze. Love him!

Completed it in the summer semester which was exam-based (multiple choice), with no assignments or papers. Content heavy class but everything that was going to be tested was on the slides. Engaging prof. lectures were easy to follow. Overall, the class was straightforward and interesting

one of the best professors at UofT for sure

the final was a hate crime

one of the best professors ive had at uoft so far if not the best! his hmb200 lectures are very clear and the midterms/final were very fair. I was initally worried about having a fully written non- mcq course including a 45% final but I found it way easier! Definitely taking more courses with him! Hes so funny and makes lectures so interesting:)

He was a great prof that had very entertaining lectures and as a first year who wants to get into neuroscience, I hope I have more classes with him. Loved the course and he made the three hour lecture in OISE bearable!

I think he's an amazing lecturer. Very entertaining and knows how to keep the class engaged. Rated 4/5 because the 2 term tests were extremely different in terms of difficulty. The final was fine.

absolutely love dr whissell, he's incredibly helpful with difficult concepts and goes out of his way to help student understanding. my midterm didn't go great but with his help I was able to get my grade to where I wanted it. plus he's very approachable for questions and general wonderments, genuinely don't think I've had a better prof at uoft

During summer the lectures were quite long, but there were breaks so it was manageable. Sometimes the professor would speak a bit fast, but the lectures were recorded so I could go back and get anything I missed. The lectures were long but informative and relevant to the exams. The professor took care to explain things clearly and fairly in-depth

cool dude, perhaps, kinda too cool, stared into my soul a few times. Needs to hit less arms and more shoulders tbh. Take his classes its fun. Only bad thing about his classes were the wanna be therapist-people self diagnosing every second.

He is a very cool professor with awesome voice, arms, and a sense of humour. I do think his ability as a lecturer is slightly overrated because his voice and humour gives unmatched aura to his speech and make the content sound better than it is. Still a great option because there are plenty of bad lecturers with bad voice...

Professor Whissel has been a great instructor for HMB200! I would say that this course is quite lecture heavy if this is not your learning style, but I thoroughly enjoy his teaching method. Though there are many lectures, the slides and content is very clear, concise, and includes everything you need to know for exam material.

I LOVE THIS MAN!!!!!!!! Such an amazing professor, he's so passionate about what he teaches and the lectures are so engaging. Hope I get to take another class with him :( One of my favorite profs for sure

If Dr Whissell has a crowd of admirers, count me in. If he has just one loyal supporter, it's me. My pals and I are forever Paul Stans. If he ever finds himself without a fan, then my friends and I have unfortunately passed away. For clear expectations, great lectures, and someone who wants you to succeed, Paul. He should really start a podcast.

All the great parts about Dr Whissell's teaching - engaging, personal anecdotes, fun facts, etc., worked great in HMB200. For this class, he's a great professor and very passionate about his work. Decent grading. However, I also took his class for PSY100. His teaching style was engaging but academically confusing. Tbh just skip PSY100 if u can.

Professor Whissell's lectures are engaging and memorable. The material is presented in an entertaining way, making it easy to learn. Attendance is mandatory, but well worth it. unstuckstudy ai was a helpful study tool alongside the free course materials.

Answers emails really quickly and is really good at lecturing!

Seems like a great guy who cares. Tries to go through too many topics per lecture and doesn't explain them in detail and sometimes things seem unrelated. His slides are a bit unorganized and sometimes he quickly talks about smth, then talks about smth unrelated and then goes back to the 1st thing. Midterm focused on a lot of small details.

I'm going to mirror what a lot of others have said, in essence. He's just great. This is my first time actually rating a prof. He makes ideas extremely accessible without insulting your intelligence, and he makes himself available for students in the fullest sense. It's rare you find such a dedicated professor. U of T is lucky to have him.

Amazing prof, he made me excited about psychology! Lovely slides with pictures and without excessive text, extremely engaging speaker. Tells funny stories. I wish the tests were less memorization-based and we went a bit deeper into the material, but it was an intro course after all. Would take again!

He makes me want to commute for the 6pm-9pm lectures. That explains a lot.

Prof. Whissell is overall a very good prof. The course is like 96% tests, which is a lot, but the grading scheme is clear and simple. Tests are generally speaking pretty difficult and include a lot of obscure facts from the lecture, but overall they are fine if you study for them. His jawline is crazy tho.

VERY inspirational.

Great and comprehensive lectures, especially considering the sheer amount of content we had to get through. Very fun and personable, one of my favourite profs this year.

Dr. Whissell is one of the best profs I had, he is inspirational and is passionate, his lectures are so entertaining no matter the topic, the course is challenging for sure but he is a very good instructor and if you do your part of the work you will receive amazing grades. His tests are challenging, but nothing outside of lecture materials.

The course can be easy for some, daunting for others. It is nice because he is accessible for questions after class, and he posts video recordings in case you can't make it to lecture. I liked how we didn't need a textbook (other prof did), but you are only graded by 2 midterms and 1 final. All in all, he is engaging and is a overall good prof!

I just hate psychology... But can't deny that prof Whissell is an amazing professor.

Wonderful professor!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love him! Caring and nice!

Whissell was a great prof for this course. Though the tests in this course were more difficult than what I've experienced with him in the past, they were quite fair. Both assignments were completely doable within a relatively short amount of time. I genuinely felt like I learned a lot being in PSY396 with Whissell, my only critique is the 45% final

If you take this course with him, make sure you attend the lectures as much as possible because the exam questions usually emphasize on what he focus during the lectures. Neuroscience is usually heavily memorized, so make sure to get used to remembering complex jargons like the brain areas and their neurological functions .

mainly memorization, one essay assignment

Great prof. Accessible. Lecturers are recorded, slides are integral. Some memorisation necessary for success. Lateness/location of lectures only issue.

highkey goated

His lectures were amazing and an overall fun guy to have as a professor!

Dr. Whissell is super funny and nice. His lectures are really interesting, and his own passion about the topics is infectious. He likes to integrate small anecdotes into his lectures which makes understanding about concepts that much more pleasant. His slides are clear and details are highlighted. Great prof, even if you dont love the subject.

Humorous and knowledgeable. Prof. Whissell understands the concepts being taught and teaches in a very clear manner. As per the examinations, he doesn't try and trick you. Everything tested is in the slides and is straightforward. One of my favorite professors at UofT so far.

The 1.0 and 2.0 ratings people made are just cope. Short answer format isn't hard at all, and all of them can be found in the lecture slides and are BOLDED terms. If you really understood the course material, you wouldn't be complaining. Your post is more of a reflection on your own study habits than of the professor. Look at yourself in a mirror.

He's really caring when it comes to helping students. The lectures are quite heavy, but still manageable. The final was worth 45% though. His tests can be extremely hard, as they consist of fill in the blanks and essay writing questions. If you know your stuff, you'll be fine. He borderline gives us the test questions in the test study guides.