Very nice and helpful. Fun and interesting class.

Dr. Merck is very interesting and knows her material. The class is very boring and since attendance isn't mandatory, it was very hard to make it to class. She rambles a lot and it is kind of unclear on what to study for the exams. Major paper due in the middle of the semester along with 2 other short papers. Extra credit too!

She has really interesting stories about patients she has worked with. The tests aren't hard and she curves them if students do badly enough. If you come to class, it's an easy A. If you skip, an A is still likely. She takes attendance on day when a lot of students are missing, mainly Fridays, for participation points.

great professor! not a lot of structure but I preferred the non-conventional approach to learning, I guess some people just don't ;) learned a lot, great speakers and if you read both the books assigned you'll learn a lot AND pass the tests easily.

Absolutely love this professor! She is vey likable and tells interesting stories that help students understand different disorders. Tests are extremely easy if you read the book. Offers 15 points extra credit and does not require attendance. It seems impossible to make less than a B in this class unless you try to fail. Take her class!

If you read the text youll be fine

She makes it really interesting and has a lot of experience in the field. No attendance, three exams that are easy if you READ THE TEXT**. Offers a lot of extra credit. Pretty easy to make an A. Overall, a really good teacher.

Hardly ever went to class and got a B+. We had 3 books to read, tests on 2 of them and a book report on 1. Other easy minor projects. I did not read any of the books, so if you do I'm sure you will make an A easily. Very funny teacher but lectures were pointless. No attendance taken.

I love Psyc and I care that I learn and retain as much info about it as possible. I learned a lot in this class and had fun! The test are not hard if you have read the text. The lectures are entertaining and not random if you have read the chapters before class and are prepared! There is no PowerPoint to give you all the answers! Get over It!

This class was vey interesting. She takes attendance sporadically, but you will want to go to class to get the notes anyways. tests were easy if you do the reading.

Great class. Attendance taken sporadically. Attend lecture and read books and the exams are very simple. Hilarious professor. Highly recommend.

Great class and great professor! Read the novels and come to lecture most of the time and you should do fine.

This was a great class filled with lots of great stories. You have to read the book also but the lecture is entertaining and gives a better picture of what the illnesses actually look like. She is awesome! Read the book and go to class and you will be fine!

The best. This professor made my semester. She is very knowledgeable and has a million-and-a-half stories for every single chapter. Her exams are kind of tough, but she is crystal clear in explaining why she grades the way she does. Very easy on her papers. Attendance is not mandatory, but you will go because you want to go. Every single day.

Loved this teacher and the class, she is very interesting and the class is fun. Go to class and take notes and you will be fine.

very cool and funny professor. Her exams are pretty difficult if you don't READ THE BOOK since most, if not all, of her questions come from the book and not really from what she says. But she makes class fun and interesting

Awesome teacher! Very interesting. Tests can be difficult though. Gives extra credit

Great class and awesome teacher, as long as you do all the assignments you will get full credit. her tests are based off the two books you have to read for her class and if you read those you'll do fine on the tests. her final exam wasn't that difficult and she gives extra credit.

She is literally the best teacher I've had at USC. She loves her class and it is super apparent. Attendance isn't required but you'll want to go to every class. Tests come straight from the textbook so make sure you do the reading. 1 paper also but if you follow her instructions , it should boost your grade.

This class is so so interesting and you can truly apply what you learn--I just took it as an elective. She gives extra credit. There's only two tests. Also she is very funny and has some great guest speakers.

She is an interesting and very friendly teacher but her lectures don't really connect to the tests. She just talks about funny stories from her old jobs; it's entertaining but it means for tests you have to STUDY and actually use the textbook! None of her test questions are from class except for the test essay. There's 1 research paper to write too

Really nice teacher! She lectures from the book, tells funny stories but I recommend thoroughly reading the chapters because test are derived from the book. Going to class doesn't really help because only the essay questions come from lecture. There are reaction papers to video clips, a research paper and 3 test.

Great teacher! If you read the syllabus, the requirements for the paper are located on there. Reading the book is necessary because test questions do come from there. Class is very fun because she makes it fun and funny. I definitely recommend taking her. Typically I've only seen people who did not put in much effort do poorly in her class.

Dr. Merck is a very enthusiastic and sweet lady. She truly enjoys teaching this class. I don't know how she is with her other classes. I really enjoyed this class and I learned things that I will definitely use in the future and when I'm married. If you don't like to read books, then this class is not for you. Other than that, easy A.

I love Dr. Merck! She's so funny and her class is not hard. I literally missed probably half the lectures but her tests are not that hard and she gives you a lot of opportunities to make up the points. I don't know how I made an A because my effort was less than spectacular but that should tell you guys something!

Dr. Merck is very interesting and funny. I recommend taking her. She gives a lot of extra credit, she offered up to around 37 point. I used the book to study because her tests pretty much come out of there. Her lectures aren't very relevant to the tests but are really interesting!

Dr. Merck is an excellent teacher! Tells great stories and is great at helping you understand the material. Read the textbook, as she will ask random questions from it during tests. Take her if you can for any class!

Dr. Merck is a great teacher! Her lectures show the material's relevance in real life situations. READ THE BOOK because the majority of her test questions come from the book. The only people I personally know who did not do well in her class were those who did not read the book. She is a very interesting and great professor.

Dr. Merck is honestly one of the coolest professors at USC. Very laid back, easy to approach, and funny as hell. Plus she's a very lenient grader and she treats you with respect. The class itself isn't too hard, just show up and do the assignments and you'll do fine. There are 2 tests (MC and essay) and a book review. If you can do so, take her!!

I had Dr. Merck for both psychology of marriage and developmental psych and I really enjoyed having her for both. Dr. Merck made a new syllabus for her PSYC 420 class this semester and it was pretty easy to make an A. Not sure if she will keep it for next semester, but either way she's still great! I plan on taking her for abnormal.

Dr. Merck is a great teacher. Do the assignments and attend class and everything else is breeze. She doesn't use powerpoints, all notes are taken by ear. You have some short stories to read. I just came to class and listened, didn't read any books and made an A. She also spared me an extra point to make an A in the class! Take her if possible.

Dr. Merck is the best. I loved having her for both 301 and 410. She has interesting lectures and knows how to connect with college students. Although her exams are hard and she takes attendanceexpects people to pay attention thoroughly, she is a great teacher and one of the best I have had at USC

Merck is by far my favorite professor I've have at USC. Not only was abnormal psych interesting on its own but Merck made her lectures fun! I never skipped this 830 class because I was so interested in hearing her lectures. There is one research paper page limit is 7 pages. Test are not hard but you do need to study for them.

Never attended a boring lecture with Dr. Merck. Her exams can be a bit tough, but there's only two the whole semester and the extra credit will save you, even if you don't do so hot. Easy, fun, interesting class. Go to class, do the work - especially the extra credit, which saved me AND helped me get an A! TAKE HER!

Absolutely love Merck. Attendance is taken randomly and you don't need to attend the lectures for the test, but you HAVE to read the book to pass test. 1 long research paper and 2 reaction papers. Up to 20 points extra credit which allowed me to get an A!

Forget the ratings that say Dr. Merck's lectures are boring. If you're a psych major and have any interest in abnormalclinical psychology, this is the perfect class. Dr. Merck has a great way of teaching the material while keeping it interesting. Shes very down-to-earth, kinda quirky, and very willing to help anyone. Favorite class at USC!!

The class is not hard, a little studying and pay attention in class you'll be fine. Books are required but cheap. Merck can be snappy and rude but she doesn't realize it. She is not terrible but I would not take her again. Attendance is taken randomly so it is best to show up. notes are not always clear and test come mostly from books.

This was my second time taking professor Merck. Her lectures are always interesting. No boring powerpoints . She barley writes anything on the board so write down what she says. Exam material is straight from the book. Gives 15 points worth of extra credit. Can turn in papers early for revisions. Is super understanding and helpful! Take her!

This is my third semester with Merck! She is my absolute FAVORITE professor here at USC. This semester was her first semester teaching Personality and I thought she did a wonderful job! I always enjoy her lectures. If you know Merck, you know she does not do PowerPoints. If you can't handle that, then do not take her.

One of my favorite professors. She makes the informational easy and understandable because she's interested in it. IT IS a lot of info & she does require a research paper. No power points, funny AS HELL, & genuinely cares about her students doing well so GO TO OFFICE HOURS -she will help. She helped me figure out grad school.

Dr. Merck is by far the coolest professor I've ever had. Go to her office hours because she is super helpful. Her tests are based on the book and the essay is based on the lecture so if you want to pass you need to buy the book. Definitely recommend her. She makes it so interesting and gives hilarious stories about some of her experiences. TAKE HER

I love Dr. Merck! So interesting! She has so many examples from her experience and it really helps you understand the material (plus they're entertaining). She's willing to give some slack if you need it. Attendance not mandatory, but the exams have essays based on lectures, so you need the notes. I always looked forward to her 8:30 though!

Dr. Merck's tests were tough, but you can get a good grade if you study. Tests come mostly from the textbook and not her lectures. She takes attendance almost every day, and it can really help your grade in the end even if you're not doing well. Provides a lot of help when it comes to the research paper.

She is a hilarious professor. She isn't clear about what her tests will be on and she doesn't do study guides, so actually read the textbooks. They're cheap, so that's good. Pay attention to her lectures and write down whatever she puts on the board (you'll be happy you did).

Dr. Merck is by far my favorite professor. I had her for Abnormal Psyc and I took her again this semester for Personality. So funny and her projects were entertaining. She is easy to talk to in her office hours and she gives tons of extra credit. If you don't have the book you won't pass. TAKE HER!

Dr. Merck is an awesome person and psychologist but not the best professor. She tells stories the entire class then tests you on the most specific things that were not mentioned in class or were mentioned very briefly. The book is a necessity, get read to read every word. I would recommend her as a psychologist but not as a professor.

Most applicable class I have taken in college! Dr. Merck is so fun and her classes are so interesting! You need to read the books to do well on the tests and be there for class because she takes all of her multiple choices from the books and her lectures. I wish I could take this class again, it was the highlight of my week every time!

Take Merck! She is amazing! For the exams, be sure you actually read the material, write the reaction papers (they really aren't hard) and do the extra credit. She does take attendance and that affects her participation grades. Can't wait to take her again!

Loved her!! The test was a relatively fun and interesting class. The only thing I would have to complain about is that A LOT of the material that was on the test we did not go over in class so you must read your book! Grading was very fair and she did her best to give students extra credit towards the end to help boost their grade.

This class was great. Dr. Merck is awesome and funny! There are 3 short papers, a long paper, a midterm, and a final. Attendance is also mandatory and counts as participation, which is a huge part of your grade. No study guides for tests so they were rough but take notes and read the (cheap) books and you will be fine. Would definitely take again!

I LOVED MERCK! She is totally awesome and keeps the class fun with all her stories. I wish she could teach all my psychology classes. There are 3 tests, 1 LONG research paper, and 2 reaction papers. Exams are mostly multiple choice questions coming from the book so READ, essay questions come from lecture. First exam was the hardest.

I loved this class, she is an amazing professor. She gives very interesting lectures and uses real examples to teach the material. She has a great attitude that just wakes you up in the morning for her class. She is very understanding and you learn a lot from her class.

Merck is awesome and really cares about her students. Her tests are hard but her papers are an easy A and her final was online open-book. She takes a attendance randomly but overall she's a great professor and wants you to pass!

As a PSYC major, I found this very interesting as a class, but it's a tough one for sure. Her exams are based on mostly textbook readings, and partly lectures. So studying for exams is tough as you must get your info from the book, but it's not impossible to get an A. She offers lots of extra credit to help you out and is a fun lecturer.

Dr. Merck is HILARIOUS. That being said, she is a very tough professor and you really have to work for an A in the class. 3 tests and one huge research paper basically constitute the meat of your grade, with attendance and smaller papers being a small part. If you don't read the book or come to class you will not pass. She offers 15 points of EC.

Dr. Merck was awesome, her experience in the field makes her lectures very entertaining. She was a little disorganized, but overall a great professor who wants to see her students succeed. If you go to class and read the cheap books, you can't do poorly. I'd definitely take her again, great teacher, even better person.

Class was 5 wiki assignments, a 7-10 page paper, a group project, and an open-book final exam. Second semester I've had her and while she is a tough grader and expects you to work, as long as you put in effort an A is easily attainable. She's also hilarious and has great stories, and really cares about your learning. 100% recommend.

BEST TEACHER IVE EVER HAD. I have taken every class she teaches, and she is the absolute best. Makes you work for your grade, but I have learned so much from here. TAKE DR MERCK!!!

Her lectures are much more of a discussion than just listening and taking notes. This was honestly one of the most applicable classes I have taken in college. She makes the class very interesting and is open to answering basically any question or hearing any opinion. I absolutely loved her as a professor.

Merck is a very intelligent woman. She is hilarious and really knows how to engage the audience. 440 required "wikis" every other week, which has no page minimum or maximum, but I would usually write between 6 and 12 pages. They are really easy assignments but be ready to write! By far the best class I have had at USC.

Dr. Merck is the best professor I have ever had! She is so nice and cool. There were no tests and only 5 wikis and a group project that took the whole last month of the semester to present. She is caring and will always help out. She never gives rubrics but as long as you try... you'll get an easy A. I definitely recommend taking her.

Had her for Psychology of Marriage and loved the class. She makes it interesting and while you should definitely show up to lecture, its not the end of the world if you miss a few. Would definitely take again, she's is funny and interactive with her students and good at making lecture something you look forward to.

I love Merck. I've taken at least 3 classes with her and I'm bummed that I probably won't get to take more. She is just an all around great person. Very open, intelligent, and funny. She is a little quirky and her stories are always interesting, even if she does repeat them sometimes. She dislikes tests and likes to have wiki & project based grades

This class was very informative and the usual Merck set-up. Tests come from the book, but no essay questions like her other classes. There is a group project, but it's fun and not difficult. The 7-10 pg paper is pretty easy, too. She let the TA grade almost everything this semester and made the final online and open-book. Would recommend.

I love Merck, shes great. Its the second time i take her class. Great prof, really knows her stuff and her test for this class came from the books test bank so they werent too hard. Big group project but she grades it easy. Loved the class learned so much. Im Taking another class with her this semester. Take her you wont regret it shes great.

I love Dr. Merck! I have had her for 3 different classes and I have truly loved all of them. She is fun and witty and so creative, I have learned so much from her about psychology but also just about life, she is incredible, if I could have her teach all of my classes, I would.

READ. THE. BOOK. I had Dr. Merck for psych 301, I loved the class SO much but failed my first test because I didn't read the book. She makes class fun and enjoyable but make sure you listen to her when she says things are important, because they'll most likely be on your exam! Dr. Merck is caring for all of her students and wants you to succeed!!

All you have to do to do well is actually read the books. They actually are interesting once you get into them. Her lectures are very deep and interesting. I remember writing a good bit of papers, but over all she was a good professor. She even allowed a dog in class once so that was cool. Very caring and motivational. She is also super funny. A+

Dr. Merck is a really cool person, but she's not the greatest teacher. She claims to not care about grades, but she makes her exams extremely detailed and doesn't go over anything important during class. Lectures are basically her telling stories about her past patients, which is interesting, but it doesn't help on the exams.

I absolutely love Dr. Merck. This is my third time taking her and I'm actually sad I won't be able to take her again since I'm graduating. She's so intelligent, funny, and just an absolute joy. By far my favorite professor at USC. Class was 2 tests, a genogram, and a major book review. Read the books and go to class and you'll do fine!

Dr. Merck is a great lady, but kind of an unorganized professor. You'll have a lot of papers due, but she's a very easy grader. Her descriptions for papers are very vague, so that's kind of stressful, but it gives you more wiggle room. Exams are lecture and book heavy! But honestly if you use quizlet to study, you'll do fine. The class is worth it

Love Dr. Merck!!! She's such a great person and tells so many stories that relate to the topics. Exams aren't that easy, so definitely TAKE NOTES and read the books, thats the only way you'll pass. However, papers are graded fairly easy. Attendance is mandatory, but you'll wanna go!!

Dr. Merck's class is extremely interesting and she has a great personality, but I wish she would be more clear on what to study/what would be on exams. I took her for psych of marriage and I learned a lot of useful information. I would definitely take her!

Dr. Merck is THE best psychology professor at USC. She tells the greatest stories and is so relatable and down-to-earth. I took all 3 classes she teaches and I wish I could take them again, shes that amazing. As far as her tests go, theyre challenging... but if you read and go to class, you should be fine. If you can, take her class(es)!!!

I freaking love Dr. Merck. She's by far the best professor I've ever had. I enjoyed every minute of her class. She's super funny and knowledgeable and tells a ton of stories from her experiences as a psychologist and she genuinely cares about her student. One paper, and three tests (which are super easy if you read the textbook)

You'll be hard pressed to find a professor as good as Dr. Merck. She gives the best stories and lectures which are relatable to the content she goes over in class. Her tests can be a little challenging unless you read the book and take careful notes about the chapters. I highly recommend taking her!

the goat teacher at USC

Merck's a really cool person, but her lectures are more about her patients or her life. They usually relate back to psych but it doesn't really help any on exams. She also doesn't do powerpoints in her lectures which did not work well for me. There are two big papers (6-10 pgs) and a group project at the end. She put the final online for our class.

Merck is a really awesome person, but her lectures could usually be sent in an email. For our class there was only one test, the final, 3 reaction papers, and a project to go off of. She also takes about a month to grade things, but she is an easy grader. Her lecture/this class is really interesting though!

Great lectures. Be sure to read the textbook because that is where most of the test questions come from

she. is. a. GEM! I love her because she gives real life advice and makes her class interesting. she shows cute little videos that make my morning. She does reaction papers which you pick what you want to do them on in class, she gives lots of extra credit. there is only two tests which are non cumulative - I struggled on the tests a little.

2 exams, 2 essays, and one group project. As long as you show up there is literally no reason you don't get an A in the class. The tests are a little hard but you can get up to 15 points added by doing extra credit through the psychology department

I absolutely love her and her class. No technology is allowed, but she always made class very interesting. This was a fun class to take, even though we had quite a few longer papers. Easy A as long as you come to class and all her tests are online.

I love Dr. Merck! Her class is super interesting and engaging and does not throw any curveballs. I do want to mention, however, that the class is only about 500 points, so if you do not do well on one test, it is really hard to still maintain a really high grade.

Merck was an amazing professor. I am definitely taking from her again! She makes the class very fun and open. There isn't a textbook, but there are regular books that are assigned to read. I would definitely read the books for the exams, but they're also really interesting and easy reads. One of the coolest and greatest classes I've ever had.

Trust me, just take her. She's an incredible professor who is so knowledgeable in the field. I had her at 8:30 am M/W/F but was never ever bored in her class. She is an amazing lecturer and really cares about her students.

I LOVE HER. interesting and often entertaining lectures; she tells a lot of stories from her training and experience as a therapist. a must-take class at USC, even if you're not a psychology major or in a related field, since mental health/illness is a super important and current cause.

Dr. Merck was super interesting and told a lot of stories related to marriage counseling. There was no textbook but there was some required reading. The books were interesting though and you can choose one of them. There weren't too many grades (4 papers, 2 exams) but if you went to class and semi-read, you'll be good.

Dr. Merck is very real and open and distinguished in her field which allows for a lot of funny stories. Her assignments aren't hard, but you do need to be a good listener and note-taker, as her lectures aren't really Powerpoint based. We got a lot of useful relationship advice; the class was very applicable. Just be sure to read the books a little.

I loved her class! She is a great professor with a lot of knowledge and experience on the subject. Her lectures are super interesting too. The papers are not bad and I did not find her to be a tough grader at all. There is a midterm and a final which were kind of hard. I would definitely try to keep up with the textbook to do well on them.

Professor Merck is a wonderful professor and I always went to her class even though attendance was not mandatory because she always made it interesting. My only complaint is that her video lectures are mostly anecdotal and tests are almost entirely textbook based, which I was unaware of until the day of the first test.

This class literally changed everything I thought I wanted to do professionally. I switched majors and on track to be a therapist. Merck cares about your questions and misunderstandings, and grades pretty easy. Her papers are long but they're on topics that's easy to write a lot about. I'd definitely recommend her for this course

Such a fun class! Highly recommend it.

I took Dr. Merck's Psyc 410 and Psyc 440 courses. Even though, she was not expecting to ever teach online, anyone could tell that she worked through it because she cares about her students. Her lectures are chill, and her experience is insightful. If there is only one psyc professor that I could recommend, it would be her.

Dr. Merck has been the best professor I've ever had. I've taken her for 3 semesters in a row and I adore her classes! She's an incredibly brilliant person, her classes have taught me so much.