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He's excited about teaching the class, although he's kinda wacky

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he does talk to us like we are in kindergarden...but he's funny at least..

enjoyable

Best teacher i have had so far, love how he teaches

cool. funny jokes, good notes, kinda loopy sometimes-good explainations though

good teacher, a little nutty though

...the guy cracks me up

MR. NEURON

I don't know how, but he managed to keep my attention without anything sticking

Good Prof - a little dull @ times, his notes make up for what you doze thru!

He's good. Keeps it interesting

Organized, Tries to keep it interesting-PINKY AND THE BRAIN

Really good teaching skills, tests were fair and his notes well organized.

Best professor ever, he is a god of neuropsych, and so cute!

Great Prof, but FITB test Q's are way too word specific.

awesome notes, fair tests, nice guy

best biopsyc prof at UVic. 215--easy...323--must study harder and longer...tells you what you need to know...encourages discussions..don't bother w/ Bain

He's a lot of fun in class and does a great impression of a rat.

very organized prof but gives very little explanation of concepts, just tells you what pages of text to read...not approachable or encouraging.

very good teache, fair tests if prepared. Regrding last comment1/4of class failed that is not that much some classes such as biochem 300 had 60% of class fail, welcome to the real world!!

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You wanna know the secret to getting an A in this course? 1. Never ever miss a class. 2. Always (and I mean always!) read ahead before coming to the class.

Some of his trick questions make you feel like: "What is the point in studying?" Sometimes there are right answers but sometimes even better answers. Arghhh!

Read the text, summaries and know the diagrams and you should be okay. Corny jokes, but whatever. You can get by with a B if you study.

Good teacher in class, but don't surprise him with a question he's not expecting, he'll be hard pressed to give you the right answer, and DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go see him after class. He is a ferocious bitter man who will attempt to bite your head off.

I HATE him. He does explain things thoroughly, answers questions BUT HIs tests ARE IMPOSSIBLE, picky guy, Like the other person said, you could study your head off and you might still end up barely passin his tests. Get somebody else to teach u 215.

Tests are quite difficult. MC and fill in the blank. Easy to cheat in class...shhh. You need to study the bolded words. His jokes are funny to some...

Again, the FITB questions are a little ridiculous at times, but I found the notes to be quite useful. His examples were terrible, but as long as you ignore them and keep up with readings, it all makes sense. Only harsh when students had stupid questions.

Not hard to succeed in his class if you read text and show up to lectures. He teaches and tests major concepts, not details, so you have to know the material.

i've had him for all possible bio psyc courses, and if he was SO bad, i wouldnt have taken the courses. he's a smart guy, and even though he is a slow marker, he tries to be fair about what he messes up on. oh yeah, and he's actually a pretty nice guy.

This prof knows his subject very well, and what he doesn't know, he will research. He's not the best at answering the class' questions, but many of the questions were dumb and asked 8 times. The tests are a bit more detailed than he suggests, but not bad

I think he's great. he's funny enough it doesnt get boring and he has great analogies to keep it easy to remember things.

Gonna go against the grain here, but I think he's fantastic. Tests are hard BECAUSE they actually test knowledge of course material, unlike in other classes. Lectures are clear and effective, if you keep up in readings and attendance.

His classes are tough but he tells you what is important. Also, gets you to think for yourself -this is difficult at first but worth it in the end. Rather have this kind of prof than someone who 'spoon feeds' you.

There's no H in Okay. Right?

What more do you people want? Tells you exactly what to know and what not to know. Is pretty funny in class "Hokay" kinda sounds like Tony Montana, reviews key concepts constantly, so if you're crying its really your own fault, not his. Stop

Skelton is an awsome professor. He does give difficult tests/exams but the class is biopsych. His attempts as humor are great because they provide some relief. He was always available for extra help outside the class. Ask yourself this. Do you still remember the material in more advanced classes?

He is "hokay"! I had a really difficult time studying for this class, but after all, all those efforts are requited; other courses started to seem vety easy, and the knowledge actually helps a lot! Thanks, Skelton!!

Here's an interesting guy. Hard to get along with no doubt, but hard to argue with someone who knows their stuff so well. Very organized & to the point. Hard tests, but you end up knowing a ton of info at the end...plus it stays with you!

He's awesome. If you don't like bio but have to take the course for your degree, do his class! He's very organized and tries really hard to make the material interesting. You learn a lot and it sticks with you.

Don't even bother buying the text. All you need to know are his lecture notes which are complete and posted on his website after every lecture. His tests are fair. His lectures put me to sleep.

All you complainers: you are just sour because you got a bad mark. Sure he's a hard marker, but this is university! Skelton is a great teacher, who obviously enjoys sharing his knowledge. I recommend this class to any bright student!

Skelton is a great teacher. He gives concise lectures that are interesting! He lays out exactly what you need to know and even gives you homework to practise with so there are no surprises on exams. The only people who are complaining are those that didn't do the homework and come to class.

I think he is rude and unhelful when asked questions outside of class. In class he's fine. His tests are hard but they DO help you retain the info way longer and improve understanding. I would definately take another class from him. i feel like I'm actually learning something for once.

The course content is interesting, & he knows his stuff. Definitely bitter. Instead of congratulations for high test scores, he convinces himself that people were cheating. Watch out: he claims he tests on core concepts but asks for stupid details. Study hard. Not horrid, but will make you angry.

Can't stand this man, but despite his condecending arrogance hes a good teacher. He offers tutorials on his own time so i think that shows hes pretty commited. His tests are a little intense but his online notes help. Its not cheating if your going to provide the fill in the blank answers in class anyways! he's crazy

The worst class ever...he is paranoid about people cheating. Way too many terms to memorize...soooo boring.

Ok, he isn't the easiest teacher out there, but retaking his course, I've found him very informative if you listen and figure out the underlying facts. He is very nice if you talk intelligently and he gets annoyed over mediocre students who has to be spoon fed with info. To be honest, Dr.Skelton teaches better over summer, maybe due to better mood?

Interesting analogies.

he is a good lecturer and if you study from his notes mainly, you'll do well on the tests. But you do have to study. The multiple choice is harder than the fill-in-the-blank section which is dead easy. He has some helpful analogies and mnemonics but basically this class is a lot of memorization.

Great lecturer, really makes the material accessible. Tests are tricky almost to the point of unfair.

Best prof going. Don't listen to those who couldn't handle him. Just because his tests are hard, it doesn't mean he's a bad teacher. In fact it's the total opposite. If you actually want to gain something from a class, this one will blow your mind.

An excellent and dynamic prof. His lectures are clear, and while he even says that his tests are hard, they're not that bad. Lecture notes are clear, complete and relevant.

What a guy. Be prepared for hilariously bad jokes nonstop, which most of the class won't pick up on. People get angry because they don't read the questions properly. Honestly, very very fair prof. If you are predominantly science then take this class because the biology in this class is grade 11 equivalent. Class takes little work to get an A+.

The best prof. I've had at UVic in three years, hands down. Has really worked with the course material to present it in a pedagogic way. If you have ANY problems understanding the material all you need to do is ask him at the tutorial. His tests really aren't difficult. I really don't know why some people complain so much about 215A. :S

Best prof I've ever had in UVIC. He makes you think (a lot). Tests are more than fair, lectures are well organized and entertaining. Class was a lot of work, but I've never taken away so much knowledge from any other course. Great prof if you're prepared to put in some effort.

You will love him or hate him. If you are ok with actually using your brain, and thinking before you speak in class then you will love him. If you want an easy A and don't really care about learning the material then his class will probably be a frustrating experience. His classes and demos are fun. Exams easy if you do summaries.

I really enjoyed his classes. Fascinating lectures; explains concepts well, has a great sense of humour. True, tests are in-depth and tricky, but he gives fair warning and tells you exactly what you need to know; if you don't know it, it's your own fault. Don't take his class if you want an easy A, but you will learn a lot and retain most of it.

If you are at university to use your brain rather than simply to get a piece of paper then you will enjoy this class. Dr. Skelton set aside a lot of extra time for help. Posted comments regarding getting the exact wording are misleading. He expects you to know what words mean when you use them. Don't expect an easy Humanities A.

A prof you will either love or hate. Take him if you want to challenge yourself and learn something interesting. Don't take him if you are lazy. Also don't make stupid comments as he wont play nice. All being said, really enjoyed the class.

Rare among professors, Skelton actually understands the point of undergraduate courses and teaches accordingly. Expect to work hard in his classes - there are two assignments each week and a set of written exams that give no quarter. The exams were fair and reflect the hw. Each question on the final was an abridged version of each of the lectures.

Really cool class, especially if you plan on going to grad school. It is challenging course, so don't take this class if you want to get an easy A doing the same thing as every other class. Basically, this class is what school should be like and is a nice break from flaky psych classes.

challenging course & professor, but brain surgery is challenging as well & this course leads to difficult careers like that so deal with it! Worth taking.

Eh, everyones giving him a bad rep, but he ain't that bad. Learn his testing style, and know the material, their standard issue university skills.

People complain about the tests being difficult or him being unapproachable. perhaps he is unapproachable to students who don't attend class? He's very approachable to the 50% of the class who attend lectures. If you don't understand because you don't attend class that's your problem. Tests straight out of notes. Personal responsibility, peeople.

Skelton has little respect for student questions but his lectures were pretty tolerable. After the first midterm you get to know his teaching style and the class gets easier.

Not an easy class but it's definitely possible to do well if you are willing to put in the effort. Dr Skelton makes himself available for extra help in tutorials and never seemed disrespectful provided you actually showed some thought for your question instead of asking "what's the answer?" VERY clear in expectations. Awesome prof!

The class is not that difficult compared to other science classes, and he does a good job ensuring you know what's being taught. But he is rude, and comes off quite arrogant. It's tolerable though. His notes are fairly clear and very complete.

I literally went to 5 lectures the entire semester and I came out of it with 94%. Everyone needs to stop their complaining, just memorize his disorganized lectures, morph yourself to agree with his opinion, and do the fill in the blank review at the end of each lecture. Sure, he's inappropriate, but damn is it easy to do well in his classes.

I thought he was a great prof, funny, and he tells you EXACTLY what he wants you to learn. If its not plain enough, then you probably shouldn't be in university.

Easy class for science students.

He isn't a bad instructor. Just show him you give a crap and that you have free thought about the content. He doesn't want to teach the next generation of robots. All the years I have been at university he is the only one to provide regular tutorials, he cares more than you think.

Although he's not the nicest guy out there, he is a great prof. He teaches material so that you will understand it and remember it, not purely memorization. If you study his notes and understand the material instead of just memorizing it, you will do great! Tests are really straightforward.

Makes an effort to relate concepts to things easily observable in real life. He's available for questions and discussions, and is (generally) respectful and pleasant. Issues I had in this course were with the course itself (wanted more bang for my buck, a little basic for someone in Kines/ Bio) not the prof. Would take a class with him again.

Yes, he can be rude and direct, but if you attend lectures and fill in the blanks when you take notes, it it easy to do well. Develop a thick skin and you'll be fine.

He can be a bit rude and bit arrogant; however, he is incredibly knowledgeable and he has excellent notes! If you study these notes you will do great on his tests! I definitely recommend taking his class because you will learn a lot of interesting info and you will do well as long as you take the time to memorize and understand his notes!!

Skelton is great. His analogies are a bit annoying and not always the clearest, and his humour beyond dry, but he is straight forward in telling you key factors to study. If you go to class and actually listen, you will do well and learn lots. For BIO students anyways, I highly recommend Skelton.

Super easy course, he explains everything in class. Never opened the textbook and he gives students who arent late a bonus 3%. Final was hard, but he scaled everyone up about 15%. People who say Skelton is bad, honestly have not taken a real science course.

Contrary to many people posting on here, i really enjoyed Skelton's class. His dry humour is lost on many (I personally loved it), but you can tell that through his gruffness he really wants everyone to succeed.

He gives a good overview of the subject matter but he can be rude and the procedures surrounding the test are old fashioned and anxiety provoking. He would be a great teacher if he didn't make everyone so nervous!

He's a little grumpy and can come off kind of mean but he does his best to make things easy to understand. As someone who isn't in Sciences I thought he did a great job explaining everything. Test aren't easy but I had much worse. Only complaint was how long it took to get our final exam marks back (not until we came back for second semester!)

I loved the way his lectures/notes/tests are put together. He is extremely clear on what he expects at the beginning of the semester and reminds people throughout. I found that the people who dislike him were those who didn't follow his very basic rules. Highly recommend!!

This guy is hilarious, gives you bonus points for showing up to class and participating. Don't bother getting the text book never readit and got an A+, just study his notes. Test can sometimes be a little tricky but honestly this course is easy as far as biology courses go.

For the first 2 months I couldn't stand him. His tone was rude and aggressive and deducted "attendance marks" if you were late and he just reads off his slides during lectures. Once I figured out how to study for his test I was able to do well. Go to office hours if possible, hes super helpful and do the experential learning...easy 10%!

Skelton is a wonderful prof. He explains exactly what he wants from you and doesn't throw any surprises at you. The tests may seem like memorization to some people, however they are simple questions about important concepts he explicitly explains in class. If you listen you will do very well.

Skelton is a good guy once you get to know him. He does have his moments tho as I'm sure other people have indicated.