GREAT PROFESSOR, very clear, understanding and smart!!

His classes are so interesting that getting out of bed is actually worth it.

i'd get up at 8 anytime for him! he shows us movie, tells us funny stories, his class is interesting, and he's hot to boot! who could ask for more?

Wonderful prof, makes the class interesting and understandable, shows an interest in his students & what they have to say. definitly worth waking up so early!

very interesting class,very malleable & comprehensive grading scheme(for those of you who suck at multiple choice, you can write optional papers for up to 50% of your grade) and most important, he looks and sounds just like steve from sex and the city!!!

Super nice, yet shy and humble. very intelligent uses real life examples, mc exams tricky but he gives optional papers to make up. Excellent class and prof! Sounds just like steve from sex and the city

Great Prof.! Articulate, intelligent, and approachable. He engages his students and delivers thought-provoking lectures.

Fascinating course/approachable prof. Don't let his anecdotal lecturing style lull you into thinking the exams won't be very detailed and demanding. Optional papers on interesting subjects. Supports students' autonomy but once you've choices, that's it.

great prof. Interesting, practically useful material, engaging lectures. His exams are like every other psych exam though. Bends over backwards to keep us motivated and interested. Tries to apply what he teaches within the confines of Mcgill's requirement

i loved this class. very nice teacher who presents the material in a stimulating way. Useful things to know...

He says it at the beginning:he's a nice guy and the material seems straightforeward, but social psych is always decieving in that way. The exams are tough. Great guy! Fun classes.

Super good prof. Funny, good lecturer. This class is hard though. Its very ineresting but exams are rediculously specific and hard to study for. I think it all works out in the end but it's frustrating at times... class is really worth the work.

He reminds me of a teletubby character. Big Bird...no, Barney! The exams are too detailed, but he's the coolest prof you can find in psych. Out of all cool profs we have, he's the coolestest. Barney the coolestest.

best class I've ever taken in my life. Will definately reread the text in the future. The prof is also amazing. He presents the material in a fun way. Helped me keep my new years resolutions (for at least 4 months).

Amazing prof, best course I have taken at mcgill in 3 years. Worth getting up for at 8:00 in the morning. The material is extremely interesting, and his lectures are very entertaining. THe exams are not easy but not difficult, and he gives you many, many ways of improving your mark.

Amazing professor; he totally doesn't mind making fun of himself, which is great. The lectures are always lively and fascinating. The midterm was a bit hard, but at least he curves up the grades (unlike Lydon). Gives opportunities to bump up your grade. Don't leave psych without taking his class!

Amazing Prof! Hes incredibly funny, always shows video clips, and keeps class interesting & fun with his personal stories! Highly recommended!

Such a great class! One of the best I've ever taken. He's awesome and the readings are good. Do the optional papers...well worth it!

Koestner is just plain awesome. I always appreciate a guy who can be self-deprecating. Midterm was specific but highly do-able. TAKE THE CLASS and you'll learn a lot about yourself and those around you!

Koestner is an amazing prof. It was an interesting course that you really taught you something about yourself. Exams were stuff, but the lectures made it worth it.

Teaching cannot get better than this. This class is SO interesting that the work involved doesn't really even feel like work. I learned so much about life in this course and Koestner makes the material clear, interesting and very funny! It would only be YOUR loss if you don't take this course!

he's like steve from sex and the city

This prof is AWESOME. Even though I didn't do as well on his exams as I thought I would (they are kind of tricky), I have learned so much from him already and the semesters not done! I tell everyone what he taught us about tiger woods and his insipirational father. He's class is so interesting and I wish I wasn't graduating and could take him again

I had zero interest in this course at first but my friends kept badgering me to sign up so I decided to attend one class just to give it a chance... and I was HOOKED!! Prof Koestner is the greatest, greatest prof ever. I felt like I was in first grade again. Studying for this class doesnt even feel like work. Psyc-471 was like my break for the day!

this class is really interesting and the profs great!it would be a shame if a psych major didnt take it.he isnt so easy as one would think...but its not too hard to get good.basically-take this clas..u wont regret it

The best course and the best prof I have ever seen in McGill. Exams are detailed, but he is fair. Gives chance to raise your mark with the 1.min comments(you can get upto FIVE %) and the optional paper. He's very nice and open to student's opinions. To person below: just because u didn't do well, you shouldn't turn such a nice prof to a bad guy

I loved prof Koestner but the exams were really tricky and sometimes the questions were unreasonable, very very similar to Don Taylor's exams. If you can, I would recommend taking this class purely for fun, with a S/U option. The material is really interesting and Koestner is hilarious!

very good prof that really knows how to be autonomy-supportive to his students. he is perfect in every way and he also has a sense of humour. his only problem is his exams. the questions on his exams do not test on motivation but trivial details that has nothing to do with motivation. you really need to read every single word of the readings he giv

Motivation was my favourite class at McGill yet. Prof Koestner makes the lectures really interesting with tons of videos and personal stories. Memorize the material well and it is not too hard to do well.

This prof made university fun and has made my first term enjoyable! I actually look forward to the lectures but I am still learning a lot. He tells lots of stories from his own life which act as good examples and are really amusing. The midterm was detailed but he scaled it to make if fair. I definately reccommend this class!

Very smart and interesting

This class is by far my favourite class. The prof tries to make this class interesting, while I've heard at most schools they make intro to psych as boring as possible to weed people out. Tries to maintain interest by choosing topics that we can relate to, and throwing in his own stories. Amaaazing class, and awesome teacher!

Though I understand why some people might complain that his lectures are too "popular" (ie. on dieting, marriage, depression) I think it is an excellent introductary course. You actually learn a lot from his lectures, and the textbook goes into detail about more scientific concepts. I would definitely recommend this class, Koestner is great prof!

Overall he's a really nice professor and it's an ok course. He tried to make lectures interesting by showing many film clips, but his pace was quite slow...I prefer to just listen to the recording. The text is extremely long and the exams aren't easy. There are many detailed questions. You definitely need to memorize a lot to get a decent grade.

He thinks he's hot and his exam is idiosyncratically detailed with whatever he wants to put into the exam.

I love this class. The material is interesting, and Koester does a great job explaining the material and making it interesting and applicable to everyday life. Grading is more than fair, especially with optional assignments and weighing your test marks differently to give you a good mark. Despite what the other reviews say, it's a must take!

amazing course. I didn't even feel like I was studying. I enjoyed lecture and reading.. ! very enthusiastic about his research and teaching students about his field. totally worth the time and effort and tuition.

I took Human Motivation with him this semester and it's by the best class I've ever had at McGill. He's a GREAT professor. He makes his lectures extremely interesting & informative, he's got a wonderful sense of humor, and he's very approachable and helpful. Yes, the material is difficult, but it's a 400 level class, so what do you expect?

Awesome prof - he's really engaging. the lectures were a lot more interesting/entertaining than the readings, which weren't even that bad.

Great Prof - so engaging and fun. I love how he tried to make everything interesting. It's also pretty easy. Yes, the exams are detailed, and you have to memorize a lot, and the text is a separate entity from the lectures-but this is how psychology classes work. Welcome to University!

LOVE this course and teacher! Class was always interesting. Funny videos! Lots of reading but if you're willing to put in the work, class should be a breeze. Papers are optional and the prof tries his best to give students a chance to boost their grade.

Practical, applicable course that's taught by a hilarious and charismatic prof. lots of fun videos. the readings are all dense, but interesting papers. that being said, the tests aren't as hard as say, lydon's, but are madly detailed. memorize EVERYTHING he said in lecture no matter how irrelevant it seems and know the papers' concepts inside out.

Fantastic professor, great sense of hunour. Lectures are entertaining, uses different mediums, engaging for the whole class (with 600 students). reading textbook necessary separate from the material covered in lectures, lots of reading. exams 50/50 lectures and textbook. know the lectures better for the exam better than you think you have to

The best prof I've had at McGill so far. I actually look forward to going to his lectures because he keeps them so interesting with many examples from his own life as well as video clips. He is also probably the cutest man EVER!! I don't think I've sat through one of his lectures without saying "OMG he's soo cute" 3 times.

Very challenging but interesting and useful materials.I found the tests really challenging though. So make sure you are on time with the readings and be up-to-date with the lectures as well. Koestner is an awesome teacher though.Charismatic,awkward but in an adorable way.He knows his stuff and makes it really applicable to us.Overall, great class.

Great prof! Makes the material really interesting, has a great sense of humour, lots of funny anecdotes. One of the best profs I've had at McGill! I would definitely recommend him.

AMAZING prof, i love this guy. Lectures are entertaining and he addresses relevant and interesting material (leaving the more boring stuff to the textbook), so GO TO CLASS or else you will just be stuck reading the text book, which is not interesting. Lots of reading in this course, but the midterm was not difficult if you studied thoroughly.

I LOVE KOESTNER! He is SO funny; cute (in an uncley way) and delivers his lectures with a lot of humorous anecdotes and funny video clips. He likes using The Office :). Both midterm and final are MC, just make sure to pay attention in class as most questions are from the lecture. Lots of reading, but if shouldn't be a prob if you like psych.

He is an awesome prof that makes the class interesting and fun to attend! Take this class!! You have to really know the lectures and the textbook, but as long as you study, it's not so challenging.

He's a great prof. Dedicated and keeps his lectures interesting, with at least one video per lecture and lots of interesting examples. He really tries his best to teach FOR his students, as opposed to just talking and expecting everyone to like what he's saying. As for his 100 exam, be sure to pay attention to lectures and read the textbook well.

I. Love. Koestner. I don't think I'm more endeared to any other person I know. He is an absolutely wonderful prof; so caring, keeps things interesting for his students, is very concerned for our well-being, is able to laugh at himself, etc. Human Motivation is SO interesting - he makes applicable what could be boring material/theories.

Best professor at McGill.

AMAZING PROFESSOR! I am a Science student so this course was really easy for me. I didn't have to put a lot of time into this course. Koestner is great though, his stories and video clips make this course very enjoyable.

Super chill teacher. He talks about his personal experience a lot in his intro to psyc class. You get to watch lots of video clips, especially from The Office. Fun class, but lots of reading. You basically read the whole textbook, minus maybe 2 chapters.

He's very funny and interesting. He was the only professor that I went to almost every lecture for because it was so enjoyable (Psyc 100). Textbook reading is necessary for certain topics which he doesn't talk about in his lecture but if you read regularly it's fine. I've recommended his class to all my friends.

Awesome teacher, interesting class. Asks specific questions, but if you re-listen to lectures, it should be enough to ensure an A

The prof is jokess, really fun & entertaining lectures; I always looked forward to go to his classes. However, believe those that say you need to study hard for exams. There's a sh**load of reading on top of all the lectures. Questions asked can be quite detailed, so read book and remember what he says in lectures, especially examples.

Great professor. Makes material interesting and relevant in lectures. Not afraid to laugh at his own shortcomings. Exams are quite detailed, but manageable. I would recommend his classes.

He is the most amazing professor at McGill. Makes all lectures both funny and VERY interesting. He makes all lectures applicable to the real world. Many marking schemes makes it easy to get a decent mark. Overall, an amaaaazing class.

It was a great class; he made everything clear and interesting. He is just an amazing teacher and he genuinely seems like a great person. I have recommended this class to others. It's one of the best psychology classes I have taken.

love this guy! had him for psyc100 & motivation. he explains things clearly, relates class material to "real life", uses lots of video clips/personal examples to illustrate concepts. class is fun and original. would recommend it to anyone :)

BEST PSYC professor at mcgill- you must take his class! Even if you're not in psychology. He's ammmazing and so brilliant. Knows what he's talking about and will make the course interesting by telling personal stories and relating material to us. for all the girls out there.... he's also identical to steve from sex and the city... he's too cute!

Good prof. Class is fun. He makes it really interesting & quotes the office a lot.

Material is pretty interesting; class and the book overlap, but not completely, so attend class (or recordings) & read the book. He tests on both. The prof is very sweet - sounds like Steve from Sex and the City. Sweet. But his exams are somehow tough - you don't understand how but you never get the good grade you expected.

DO NOT GRADUATE FROM MCGILL WITHOUT TAKING THIS CLASS. Best class I have ever taken and BEST prof BY FAR. I read the readings a twice (at least) but it didn't feel as boring as doing other readings. I wanted to study for this class instead of others. TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!

AWESOME AMAZING INCREDIBLE. I can't say enough good things about RK. His lectures made me want to go into motivation psyc as a career!

Had him for intro to personality and motivation about a year ago. BEST PROF....EVER. No joke. You ARE virtually never bored, he keeps it fresh and is an amazing professor. His voice is SO CUTE. he's probably one of the best lecturers at McGill. With that said, classes are not a walk-in the park. Definitely NOT a bird course. A MUST TAKE!

ADORABLE PROF! Funny, interesting, and totally worth it! His exams questions are surprisingly specific though! Read text/notes carefully!

Great prof, great lecturer. If you're thinking of taking this class, you should! His questions are fair but lean to being a bit specific

He is amazing, I loved his lectures. The textbook is quite boring tho. The exams are very specific so you not only need to attend all of his lectures but also need to know the details from the chapters.

Amazing prof! Must do ALL the textbook readings and write good notes during class; otherwise you probably will fall behind and not do well. Took this in my 1st year winter semester and did very well. The key is to do the work and study well.

My favourite prof at McGill! His lectures are top-notch, and his exams are fair if you study the articles/lecture notes in detail. Material is SUPER interesting - I highly recommend this course.

Amazing prof - very dedicated, approachable, knows his stuff and how to make it interesting for students. His exams are MCQ and quite fair, not hard but you will need to know the details from the text and lectures.

3 books to read, which are extremely interesting. Prof is HILARIOUS (understatement) and his classes are always entertaining. Exams are tough and questions can be very specific and come out of nowhere. Overall, definitely recommend.

Very interesting classes but the exams are strange. The questions are unscientific and vague. He is a good teacher but the interesting classes have a huge lack of scientific background. It is nice to hear about amazing examples - but it is extremely absurd to ask that on exams.

My favourite professor at McGill! Extremely interesting lectures, exams are perfectly fair but you do have to do the readings and attend lectures. Overall, great experience :)

Great class, very fun and interesting. Exams questions are very vague so no amount of studying will enable you to read Koestner's mind and how he came up with them. Overall he's a good prof, but his exams are tricky. Would take again!

hands down the best psyc prof. his tests are really detailed and the questions come out of no where. you'll have to study all the details from both the textbook and his lectures. nonetheless, lectures are crystal clear and he's funny.

He's definitely a cutie but it gets old after a few classes. He is constantly telling stories about himself that are vaguely related to what he's talking about. I've yet to do the exam but the midterm questions were very specific which is not expected since he presents everything in a casual manner. READ TXTBOOK, GO TO CLASS AND TAKE DETAILED NOTES

Richard is a very entertaining lecturer and a great prof overall. His stories are hilarious and are so much more interesting to listen to than lists of definitions and endless studies. His tests are extremely difficult though, while multiple choice the questions come out of no where. Take the class, but be prepared for a hit to your GPA.

A very open and friendly professor, and his lectures are quite enjoyable and hilarious. The subject is fascinating, but the difficulty is not to be underestimated. He does not spend that much time on textbook material even though it is equally graded.

simply memorize the class notes and textbook. As much you memorize, the higher you will get. Good to take as an elective.

He's a good lecturer and the topics presented in class are almost always interesting. His mannerism and humor does it old, though. Exams are all MC and often extremely specific. Make sure you memorize all his personal stories and opinions on studies! Required readings are interesting, but dense. Exam is cumulative, so the final is VERY extensive!

The material is super interesting and Richard is a very engaging prof. He does his best to help students. 50/50 midterm/final with a 15% optional paper to reduce whichever exam was worse. Questions are very specific - memorize everything (even statistics in the slides). Love his enthusiasm and humor. What a great class!! Thanks Richard! <3

Amazing course- Richard is definitely the best prof I ever had. Exams are hard. Take it anyway.

AMAZING CLASS!

He is a very good and very clear prof and the content is extremely interesting, however he does test on ridiculously unnecessary insignificant details (do yourself a favour and get NTCs). Also make sure you get your 2% bonus, I just barely go the A. The 3 books are all really interesting though

Great teacher!!! His lectures are interesting and you don't even feel that you are at school. He only thing is, the MCQs are tricky, since you've got to remember every detail of every books and lectures (even statistics). Don't expect an easy A, even with the optional paper. Still, one of the most interesting class I took at McGill!

Professor Koestner is an excellent lecturer, very clear and engaging. His lectures were my favorite of the whole semester. That said, however, he is not so good at writing tests. He asks questions on the most mundane things, and it is almost impossible to guess. Just memorize every word he says. And the books say.

One of the best professors at McGill. Until the very last course the room is full even though the courses are recorded and can be watched from home. A strong statement about the quality of teaching. Highly applicable and interesting material covered in class and reading assignments. Only negative comment; the mid terms and the final are brutal.

THE BEST course and prof I have had so far at McGill. Lectures are important as the bare minimum of the course material is covered in his slides - but his lectures are worth going to. On top of the interesting course material, he's a captivating lecturer and a funny prof. I highly recommend this course, you will actually learn and enjoy doing it!

In agreement with the rest of the comments -- Koestner is hilarious, easy-going, & his lectures are always clear. HOWEVER, HIS EXAMS, THOUGH MULTIPLE CHOICE, ARE VERY DIFFICULT. The questions are LITERALLY random. Some are things that should be considered brush-offs, there are useless details, his randomly mentioned opinions, etc. FUN, BUT BEWARE.

Like most psychology courses at McGill, extremely interesting and you learn a lot but the evaluation process (exams) is a setup for failure by design. Shameful

Wonderful Professor. I must say that of all psyc profs at McGill, he's my favorite. He demonstrates real interest in his students and gives you many opportunities to succeed. His 2 requested readings were great as well. Take him if you can! :)

I've taken two classes with him, and he is an excellent and engaging lecturer. BUT. His tests are odd and detail oriented, and he also assigns pseudoscience and questionable research for readings - without discussing their problems. He seems to believe what he assigns, and some of his lectures more opinion than research... questionable science.

An absolutely amazing professor! Do not miss the opportunity to attend this course while you are at McGill. If you can take it in pass/fail mode it would be great as the exams are challenging.

Really kind professor! Not only was the course extremely interesting, but Professor Koestner made it even better! Enjoyed every lecture and his stories, pay close attention to the readings for exams!

Great Teacher.

Koestner is an amazing lecturer, teacher, and conversationalist. He's incredibly empathetic towards his students, curious, engaging, and listens well. If you don't take a class with him, you are making a huge mistake. I promise.

Such a good and interesting profesor. He loves to tell life anecdotes that really help you relate with the given topic and it also helps you remember it for the exam. Make sure to study because the concepts seem easy but the multiple choice questions on the exams are hard(ish). Definitely recommend taking this class.

Just an all around great guy. His lectures are captivating and his assigned readings are incredibly interesting. The material isn't difficult to grasp, but you have to REALLY know it. Reading intently is a must, but isn't bad at all as his texts are often New York Times Bestsellers. I've never rated a prof before, but this guy compelled me to.

Hands down, best profclass I've taken at McGill! He practices what he preaches. This class was incredibly motivating. Koestner received the biggest applause I've ever experienced in a classroom when he concluded his final lecture. He is funny, yet humble, and his lectures are so relevant and enjoyable. Definitely take it if you can get in!

Lectures are really interesting & he purposely picks readings that are interesting and easy to read. There is a lot of reading and the tests can be tough, but he's an incredible professor and you will actually want to attend his classes. Has a failsafe option on the final & optional paper to improve your grade. Every one should take this class!

His lectures are recorded, but you would love to be there anyway. The pace and accent of the way he speaks make him sound very friendly. Books for readings are very interesting. too. The Midterm and Final however are VERY detail oriented. Serious study is recommended rewarding.

The lectures are fun to attend, and the readings - though quite much - are really practical: a few academic articles and three books for the general reader. The TAs were sweet, and last but not least, Richard Koestner is probably the most understanding and helpful professor I have come across at McGill. He really does practice what he preaches.

Koestner is the best psychology professor I have had at McGill!! I took both his courses (introduction to personality and motivation) and both were excellent. Instead of textbooks, you get to read novels which makes the studying experience much better. Take him, his lectures are amazing!!

Took both Motivation and Intro to Personality with him, great classes! Very clear, midterm and final, optional paper. Classes are interesting and he really makes them relevant. Material is not difficult, but there is a lot of it. Lectures are recorded. No textbook, instead 3 books and a few articles. Definitely take him, one of the best profs!

amazing amazing amazing!!! you have to take him! everyone says his exams are hard because they are detail oriented but if you do the readings and write down everything he says you will do well (an A is feasible). He is hilarious, clear and crazy smart! Take him. lectures are recorded for both 332 and 471 he is amazing!!!!!

Koestner is AMAZING, one of the best profs at McGill in any program. He's kind, funny, engaging, clear etc! He tries his best to help his students succeed (takes off hard test Qs, extra-credit, supplementary paper etc). One thing: know all his tiny "side notes" from his lectures because he tests on them. Overall, best guy and prof around.

Amazing class. Lectures are so engaging and Koestner is inspirational and brilliant. The tests are super fair, mostly the info is from lectures, some very general details from readings and more specific details from the novels. He is there for his students and we all love him.

Best prof at mcgill - actually uses the psychology he teaches to make the class easily relatable, productive, and interesting. Lots of reading (3 books) but very interesting reads, not textbook style. Finished the one book in two days. Lots of material, but easy to internalize. Definitely recommend. Lectures are recorded

One of the best psyc courses at McGill. The entire course is very interesting and insightful. There's a lot of readings in addition to lecture but all are pretty fun to read. The prof is an engaging lecturer, which makes going to the lectures something to look forward to. Definitely a course you should take if you get the chance!

Richard Koestner is absolutely brilliant. His stories were hysterical, and were still relevant to course material. His lectures were all very interesting, and the course itself is eye-opening. He gives you the option to write an essay if MC isn't where you excel. Tests are tough, and very detail-oriented, but that's common in psych. Great course!

The best class I've taken at McGill! Koestner is so funny and engaging, and his anecdotes are absolutely adorable! His lectures revolve around very relatable real-life examples and the examples really tie in well with the course material and topics. Really makes you learn. A LOT OF READING, AND WRITE DOWN EVERY WORD HE SAYS IN HIS LECTURES.

Definitely the best teacher I've taken at McGill. He's a great lecturer and really funny. The class was really interesting and his method of using novels for readings is great. He offers extra credit, an optional paper AND you can complete these essay questions on the final exam if you think you're going to fail the class. Can't wait for PSYC 332!

Amazing Prof!! Super interesting and helpful. His exams are a little difficult because he asks extremely detailed questions so make sure you study every single piece of info (especially the ones that you think he won't ask.) Took him for both motivation and personality and i recommend his classes!!!

Koestner is by far my favourite professor in McGill. He is funny, engaging and sincere. His lecture material is interesting and he keeps it interesting when the subject is not. He gives books instead of textbooks and you have the option to write essays to count for final more/in case you are failing. Exams are tough and detailed but overall amazing

Koestner is one of my favourite professors. He's so kind and helpful and his lectures are amazing! You can tell that he really loves what he does and you can't help but love it too. He makes the content come alive and really inspired me. I would definitely recommend him! He can be a tough grader but content itself is easy and clear. No regrets!!

I respect this man so much. Amazing professor.

Koestner is probably one of the best profs I've had at McGill (in my last year). His lectures are interesting, engaging, and funny, which helps to really absorb the material. His anecdotes are interesting, he's respectful, and the exams are detailed but fair. If I wasn't graduating, I would take his 400-level Motivation class, no question.

He was a great prof! The Lectures were amazing!! (although it was a 8:30 am class) The readings are super engaging and midterm and final were all MC.

Most inspiring Prof at McGill. Best selling books used instead of textbooks

Koestner's Intro to personality is a harder class in terms of exams than one might expect -- the questions can be quite tricky! HOWEVER, the man is soooo much fun to listen to; his slides are clear, lectures are recorded and the material is SUPER interesting, so it is not a drag studying. I loved every lecture. The class is worth taking!

Koestners classes are LIFE CHANGING. Prepare to read a lot of articles and books, but these are INTERESTING, and I recommend downloading the audio books. You have to work for your grades but I think you will be interested in the material. One of the rare classes I've taken at McGill where I've learned life lessons, thank you Koestner!

Awesome prof

While he may be unarguable the most engaging, charismatic and inspiring lecturer in McGill. It just ain't worth it. The grading is brutally difficult. His multiple choice questions are ambiguously formulated and convoluted, just as much as the choices are. I've encountered some choices where literally A,B,C,D,E could have been the correct answers.

Great professor in terms of lecturing and teaching interesting content. But horrible as far as difficulty level and reasonable multiple choice questions goes. I would suggest to take this course as an S/U elective, or stay away completely.

great prof! Life-changing for me. Lectures are 3 hours long but not tiring at all. He talks in a slow pace and tells funny anecdotes. Exams are all MC. I found them not very difficult but I'm good at memorizing definitions and things.

Richard is an awesome prof. His classes are super well organized, informative but logical and fun too. What I find most amazing about him is how sensible and approachable he is. definitely try talking to him, he takes students really seriously, make you feel good about yourself but also learn a whole lot at the same time!

Koestner's classes will CHALLENGE you & INSPIRE you. By far the best prof I've had at McGill. Both of his classes (332 & 471) are extremely interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking. He's a really nice person, too. *Advice: Take note of his personal anecdotes, they will be tested. Know how to apply the theories taught in class to real life.

One of the gems at McGill. Really sweet prof who puts in effort to make his lectures engaging. Of course it's a 400 level course so the material and exams are challenging, but it all ties in together and is applicable to real life in such an interesting way.

It's true that if you can't stand value judgments, you should probably stay away from this course, but saying that it's valueless is itself a value judgment. I'm not even a member of Koestner's personality cult, but humanist philosophy and self-determination theory are quite important stuff, esp. if you plan to have a career in applied psychology.

If you have an opportunity to take a class with Koestner, do so. He makes personality Psychology so much fun &amp; interesting, adding his lovely life experiences to give examples. He is a very sweet man and is very understand of student's anxiety (he gives a fail-safe paper for students who did not do good on the midterm, and your final can count 90%.

- Amazing life-changing lectures - 3 books to read but they are extremely good: they are self-help psychology books so if that's your thing, class should be easy - Asks exam questions on the stories he tell in class so learn them well, don't just memorize concepts

Probably the best teacher I've had at McGill! His midterm was not easy because you really need to know details and read the books he assigns. Also make sure you know the details of his personal stories. However, he is great at lecturing, makes psychology really fun and class is never boring.

I found PSYC 332 with Koestner to be quite interesting. Although the material can sometimes be boring, he made sure to make it interesting. He is very sweet. Midterm was really easy, but the final was kind of hard; a lot of people complained and he himself said that it was going to be difficult. He ended up curving a lot of people's grades.

Hes amazing. Passionate, caring, and loved by literally every other students i talked to. Make the 3h lectures enjoyable. The exams arent easy and you must engage with the material and take the time to really understand and remember the examples he gave. But worth it.

Koestner's classes (332 and 471) are the best classes you will take at mcgill but you CANNOT half ass it or you will do poorly. Tests are 50% lecture 50% readings material, but 100% of the material is interesting. The reading material is easy if you read attentively, the lecture questions are hard but Keostner gives u all u need to do well

Richard is the best prof. I loves both personality and motivation. Lectures really help you understand the material and are interesting to listen to! He shows a lot of videos and shares personal stories, which really helped me connect to the material and he tries hard to make it relevant to a university student population. Wish he had more classes!

By far best class I've taken in PSYC, he clearly knows how to teach and plans his lectures perfectly, tests are way too detailed on both lecture and textbook material but it's honestly worth it - everything is super interesting and the examples he uses make it easier to remember. Prf. Koestner is simply amazing!

Such a sweet prof! So kind and funny. Makes lectures fairly interesting. The tests are normally multiple-choice. The exams are hard, you really have to take good notes (even on things you don't think are important!).

Professor Koestner is amazing and by far my favorite professor at McGill! He made Pysc332 so interesting, and uses lots of his own interesting personal stories to make the material applicable and easy to understand. His tests are extremely specific, but it's totally worth it!

Koestner is hands down the best prof I've had. You have to know literally everything he says: his own opinions, his life story, the authors' views, etc. It's so worth it even though his exams are super detailed. Not hard to do well if you're really invested in it. The only class I actually remember almost all of the material from.

BEST PROF IVE HAD SO FAR!!! Loved his class! Super interesting, funny guy, great lecturer. He clearly knows a lot about what he teaches about and gives tons of examples and funny life stories to exemplify concepts. Totally loved this class probably will take his other class because of how great a lecturer he is! There is a book to read - 320 pgs.

If you are interested in psychology and not a psych major, I recommend this course, all the material is applicable to life. Some is a bit common sense but it was a pleasure to attend his lectures. Koestner is a good story-teller and he makes the material accessible. 3 books to read, all very informative. Really liked Deci in particular.

Best class ever! Koestner used real life examples and makes the topics very interesting. There's a lot of readings but the books are actually fun and easy to read (but do read them). He also has a lot of grading options to help you As this class

You don't realize how much motivation plays a role in everyone's life until you take this class. The concept is applicable to all areas of life. This was my last semester at McGill and it really made me reflect on life and my education thus far. Enjoyable class, good lecturer. It's not academically rigorous, but it gives you tools to use for life!

I took PSYC 471 thinking it will be as easy as PSYC 332...I've never been so wrong. His exams are way too detailed to the point that even if you study for 2 weeks straight for this class, apparently, you will not have learned enough. PSYC 332 was also detailed but it was focused on one book; this is focused on 3 books, so the details are tripled.

I took Koestner for both Psyc332. and Psyc471 - as long as you do the readings and follow in class you'll do great. Koestner is an amazing professor and his material is useful/engaging. I wish I could take him again - (psyc471 is easier than 322 in my opinion)

Professor Koestner is a really good prof and this was an amazing class. Not only was the material interesting and engaging, but also, getting a good grade was very doable! You have a midterm and a final (which can count for 90% if you want!). Would recommend rewatching the lectures to revise for the exams because he is quite detailed!

Prof Koestner is a very passionate teacher with clear teaching methods and loves to tell stories (which are part of the exam!), which makes the class more interesting. However, his exams are difficult and very detailed. We are required to read 3 books and expected to memorize 90% of the material for each.

The lectures are amazing. He's knowledgable and makes it easy to understand. However, there is a lot of reading (a 350 pages book) and the exams are very detail oriented Still would recommend

Prof Koestner's class was so much fun. I had to climb the godawful hill but I went to every class (even though there are lecture recordings). You'd have to read 3 books and take detailed notes on his lectures but you really learn a lot and it's a great course. Tests are quite hard though. I'll be taking PSYC332 next semester as well!

I loved this class and found the mandatory books really interesting and in-line with the lecture material. Koestner is an amazing prof, he's a great lecturer and uses a lot of personal examples to explain the material (pay attention to those because he will test you on them)

He is the best prof (and favourite class at McGill). He gives a lot of personal anecdotes but the classes are so interesting that I look forward to every single one. I can tell he genuinely cares about all of his students. PSYC332 is a class EVERYONE should take.

Honestly one of the most caring and accommodating profs I've had, really took into account how hard online school/ lockdown/ covid was and has been and reflected that in tests. Need to read the textbook as half of the test grade at midterm and final is based on it, but his lectures are really fun and engaging, and not too content heavy

Nice one.

Professor Koestner is genuinely the best professor I have ever had at McGill. His lectures are so interesting, the time flies by while I'm watching them. The class is definitely reading heavy but totally doable and actually engaging. I can not recommend this class more, Koestner cares a lot and is clearly super interested in what he teaches. 10/10

I can tell he's a very good lecturer, but it didn't feel the same through recordings. He talks VERY slow so you can watch his recordings at 2x the speed at least. The lecture content is easy enough, but there are 3 books to read. His assessments were tricky and even if you think you can, you can't get away without reviewing and knowing the material

Dr. Koestner is an amazing teacher! He was willing to adjust the course outline to the students' needs. Even though there were three books, the books are more self-help books than the usual textbooks given in classes. Therefore, it made the reading a bit more interesting. Overall, it's simple to get an A in his class if you put in the work.

The most inspirational class you could ever take in McGill. I hope I could have taken this course earlier. It's life-changing.

One of the kindest Professors you will find, he incorporates real-life scenarios into his lectures and doesn't just read off slides. Both courses he teaches are fair but favor an overall understanding of the material rather than just memorization. There are many useful takeaways for your own life in his courses.

Amazing!! One of the best profs at McGill! His tests are a little difficult but his lectures make it worth it!! If you study, do the readings and pay attention during lectures you'll do well!

Out of all the classes I have taken at McGill I have gotten the most out of this one. Koestner is such a sweet prof, always includes interesting examples in every lecture, and leaves me feeling hopeful that I can change my personality for the better lol. I have recommended PSYC 332 to all of my friends!!!

A very genuine prof teaching an extremely interesting course!

Koestner is amazing, funny and interesting. Be ready for lots of personal stories that will be tested. You need to know all the lecture material and the book is also mandatory to read. The latter is trickier to learn by heart. Questions on the exam are sometimes unfair, but he is willing to drop some. Overall, very nice, but be reading to work hard

Professor Koestner builds his classes around his life story and summaries of scientific research. Most of the examples he give are about photos/videos/stories of him. He often uses clips from movies/shows. Although his testing was a bit heavy than usual as he also admitted, I strongly recommend taking this class as I learned many amazing things.

This was a super interesting class - you can tell that he's passionate about the subject. One downside is that he tests you on very specific things from the lectures and the textbook, so if you don't know the details, be prepared to lose some marks. I really recommend the class tho!

Most inspirational and real-life-related course I have ever taken. Prof is an expert in his area, and it is hard to get bored during his classes except that he speaks very slow. He regularly supports the topics with videos, which makes the class more interesting and adds to its flow. He also often talks about his own life and relates to the topic.

Professor Koestner is the reason I decided I'm pursuing organizational psychology. His lectures are so inspiring and he is so approchable. He is fair and a wonderful person. If it weren't for Professor Koestner, I would be at Concordia right now. Truly amazing. Take any class of his that you can. He puts other McGill professors to shame.

This class was fascinating and very applicable to real life. The Prof is also one of the best I've had at McGill - funny, engaging and a fair grader. The first midterm was tricky and very specific, but he was really responsive and made the final easier and curved the midterm. He speaks slow so watching lectures in 2X speed is no problem.

Great course to take if you are in your identity search + actively willing to introspect. Lectures were really engaging and inspirational + the book he chose is very interesting. Listening to lectures/reading felt more like an intellectual necessity than a chore. I really recommend if you're willing to put in the work on the course and yourself!

He was a great lecturer! Lectures are entertaining and really applicable to everyday life. Exams can be a bit confusing as they really focus on specific lecture details and the readings, so do not disregard the little details! Lots of content, so expect to be studying a lot. If you do study enough, the exams will be very straightforward and easy.

very interesting lectures (about big 5 model, motives, attachment styles, life stages, well-being, happiness, assertiveness, etc.) textbook is fun to read tho it is heavy. Exams are very details-specific and can be difficult. His personal anecdotes and opinions are testable. But exams are fair imo you gotta pay attention and take detailed notes.

Professor Koestner loves to talk about his own experiences and relate it to the coursework, so if you like a more narrative lecture style his lectures are super interesting! Really enjoyable class are really great guy!

Lectures are very engaging as he relates the content back to personal experiences. Note taking heavy because slides have little information

His lectures are fun and interesting. There are only two assessments -- midterm and the final. He likes to ask details from the lectures and the textbook though, so get ready to read the textbook thoroughly, but the course content is really interesting.

Prof. Koestner delivers very interesting lectures that makes you want to attend class every week. The exams are pretty tough as you have to know the material from the lectures in great detail.

This class was a breath of fresh air! Manageable reading (uses an actual book instead of a textbook which makes the info a lot more digestible), straight-forward exams, and interesting lectures. He speaks rather slow, so I watched the recordings at 3x speed and still enjoyed the content. He makes the final non-cumulative which is amazing!!

Richard is quite literally the heart and soul of the psych department. I have been trying to gatekeep LOL. He is so inspirational, charismatic and overall such an incredible person. He doesn't read off slides which I love because it shows he actually knows his field. He's super passionate about the topics. Lots of reading, only 2 midterms MC q only

471 with Koestner was by far the most interesting and valuable course I have taken at McGill. The prof is engaging and includes personal stories in his lectures to make it feel personal. This class should be mandatory as a psychology student. It provides you with information to better your own life and help improve the lives of those around you.

I'm a CS student and I was lucky to take this! It was a GREAT class and it didn't matter it was 1.5 hours a lecture because it was interesting! One thing is that Koestner has curveball questions on tests, BUT he gives the option to single out question. 3 books to read. One midterm and one final, NON-CUMULATIVE, with an OPTIONAL paper!

BEST PROF IVE HAD AT MCGILL! I'm a u3 psyc major and have taken too many psyc courses at this point... Koestner is my fav prof yet. He makes lectures applicable and engaging, tests are easy if you go to class and listen, he's super funny and frankly quite adorable... total legend and I could not recommend more.

He is an amazing prof and a great person, genuinely the best prof I had at McGill. The course content is very relevant to life, interesting and inspiring. The test content do tend to be a bit more on the detail-side, but as long as you study the lectures and the book(s) you will be fine.

Very different from other McGill profs - if you treat his lectures like storytime you'll always be entertained. The books they were interesting but get ready to study each book for 10+ hours. Memorization is key to doing well as you will be tested on the most random things. Overall enjoyable but I learned more from the books than from the prof.

Prof. Koestner is probably my favourite Psych professor at McGill. Really passionate, funny and caring professor who not only teaches motivation, but also tries his best to motivate his students.

Koestner is my favourite prof. I have taken all his courses and every single one was incredible. Off the bat he deserves so much more credit for his wit - he is hilarious without meaning to be and uses candid personal anecdotes. No courses have ever been so relevant to my daily life as his have. I would listen to his lectures as podcasts

People that rate him poorly a) don't come to class and are butthurt they can't succeed, b) don't engage with the course material aka the one book to read, and c) think studying more than three days is excessive. People complain about his exams, but his top priority is making the exams fair and curving them/removing questions that people didn't like

Everyone everywhere should take this class. If you want to know how to achieve & how to help others achieve, you'll love it. He doesn't cram a million slides into 1 lecture and prioritizes thorough comprehension. He does ask very specific questions on exams, but he warns you. It's a 400-level class; pay attention, read the books and you'll do well.

This is exactly the kind of class I was expecting when I decided to major in psychology. I found the material extremely interesting and eye opening, it really helps you learn about yourself and your close ones. The required reading wasn't a real textbook but I found that to be even better, everyone should read this book. Exams were hard but curved.

This has been by the far, the most important and useful class I've taken at McGill. Koestner makes this class fun and interesting with his own personal stories and you can tell how much passion he has for what he teaches. We were only graded by two exams, but they weren't difficult and Koestner was open to getting rid of questions that were hard.