3.0
Quality3.3
Difficulty49%
Would Retake221
Reviews49%
Would Retake
221
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
50
4
54
3
26
2
27
1
64
What Students Say
“His lectures are good but not necessary to attend easy A if you base your studying off the textbook and the underlined terms in his slides”
PSY1102 - 5.0 rating“Had him for Psy1102 and Psy2174”
PSY2174 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
23%
Textbook Required
57%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.57 avg changeRatings by Course
STATS1
5.0
(1)PSY4391
5.0
(1)HSS2381
4.7
(3)PSYCH1102
4.5
(2)PSY1102PSY2105
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
2174
4.4
PSY2174
4.2
PSY4130
4.1
PSY1102PSY2105
4.0
PSY2116
3.8
Reviews (221)
Funny guy. Makes lectures as interesting as the material allows, and is always open to comments or ideas to improve his teaching. Enjoys teaching and is very knowledgeable. Definitely a good prof - would recommend! Exams can be tricky, as the wording is quite specific and can change the meaning ever so slightly. Be careful and you should be fine.
Great prof; makes jokes during lectures to try and keep things interesting, explains things clearly and is very helpful. The only things is, his midterms and final exam are difficult.
Excellent erudite professor.Provides clear and well organized slides.Open atmosphere in class.Good balance between teaching and amount of humor.Midterm 1 was fair, m.t.2 more fair, but a level to be expected in a university.You'll do well if you study.Has a heart for the students,very helpful.Lot of learning in a richly created environment! A+
Good person, but exams were difficult. I felt that the lectures were very boring...
he's quite good!
Take this class seriously and read the textbook and do the examples. You have to prepare yourself for anything because his expectations are often unclear. He responds quickly to your emails and will gladly meet with you even outside of office hours. He also loves when you ask questions... so don't be shy. Take advantage of this!
He made stats better than it could have been! Although his test questions can be a little abstract & there is a 40min time limit, getting great marks is definitely do-able. You have to work hard and do lots of practice questions! He is a really great stats prof and I am so thankful I had this course with him! He knows his stuff!
1102- Makes things more complicated than needed. Teaches his own crap and then you're unprepared for final by the dean. 2106- Study, study, study the textbook. Take it with someone else. his 40 minute exams suck. no equation sheet. Short answers worth 30 mrks. His grading makes no freaking sense. DONT DO IT or Research Methods with him either!
Great prof! Very helpful.Yes his exams are not always easy, but this is a class at a university level. Be prepared to work and learn; or don't take this class.
Gives 10% to participation but is very unclear about the meaning of "participation". One person out of 60 got 10/10. Everyone else was graded in comparison to that person. 15 people got 0/10 because they spoke very little. Meanwhile the one asking questions and useless comments every 5 seconds gets the highest grade. Dropped from a B+ to a C+.
for such a boring topic, i loved the class! hes really helpful and if you stay ontop of things and pay attention, youll do great. i didnt attend 1 tutorial nor did i take any notes and im nottttt a good student usually. hes simply funny and helpful and makes stats as 'fun' as they can be and i highly recommend him. he talks about toesnails a lot.
Really wasn't looking forward to stats but got Emerson and it was great! Easy exams if you keep on top of stuff, so just don't get behind and don't be shy to ask for clarification cuz it will cost you in the long run. 10/10
Although attendance isn't mandatory, he does take 10% for participation (actually asking questions and answering questions). Very personable outside of class and attempts to make the class funny although the topics are fairly dry. Marking is okay but takes off a lot of marks if one word is missed so be detailed oriented.
Research methods and ethics was a very difficult class when taken with him. He over complicated the material A LOT. He taught us a lot of unnecessary material that other sections of the same course were not covering. He is not friendly as a person and is very condescending. He will not answer questions and participation is worth 10%.
I did not like his teaching style at all. Only 1/4 of the class ever attends lectures. His lectures are just packed with his examples and life stories. I would recommend studying the textbook! I found the midterms specific and difficult but the final is entirely based on the text book
You can get a good mark by not ever going. Exams based entirely on textbook, lectures complete regurgitation of textbook. Boring, not engaging, reads slides word for word, goes off on tangents about his life stories that have very little to do with the class. Difficult to reach outside class hours. Quiet, monotone voice.
His exams were very fair, but he was pretty vague about assignment expectations and the rubric was not very detailed. He didn't seem to like answering questions and was always in a hurry during his office hours which was frustrating. The tutorials were useful.
soooooo boring. ambiguous instructions for assignments. Will teach material and then tell you in the final review class "you don't need to know anything about that except that it exists". He expects you to read the whole book. I did ok in this class (B+), but I feel that I could have achieved a higher grade with a different prof.
Participation s worth 10%. If you're shy or don't like asking questions in front of the class, you're pretty much screwed. He gives his slides online, but they are long and have a lot of irrelevant information that you won't be tested on. The tutorials were kind of useless to me. He's okay, but you can probably get a better mark with another prof.
Although he's a very sweet man and very knowledgeable, his class was really boring. Very easy to pass if you do the readings though!
Easiness: This prof tells you what you need to know if you actually pay attention. Exams are reasonable and easy. Assignments seem difficult due to the way T.A.s grade.. typical. Helpfulness: Willing to go over the midterm with students. Provides forum discussions as an extra option for the class participation grade. Clarity: Exams 5/5 Assign. 2/5.
Overall, a better than average prof. This course would have been very easy if it weren't for the lack of clarity given for assignments. Despite this, the exams were very fair and were almost more of a test of your intelligence than your ability to memorize. Textbook is optional.
Emerson is THE BEST. Not only is he super hilarious and relatable, but his exams are SUPER easy if you attend class. You don't even really need the textbook, everything he tests is on his slides. 100% reccommend if you want an easy A :). Love ya Emerson
Emerson really knows how to teach. He is able to give relatable real-world examples, and will not hesitate to spend extra time in lectures to review a concept. Encourages you to see him in office hours (and I highly suggest doing so!). Marking scheme on exams is confusing and sometimes unfair. Otherwise, very good prof.
Great research prof, midterms exams are EASY. the TA is very hard marker.. they will always find errors in your questionnaires and surveys. A 70% on the assignments is about the avg to good grade and the midterms will help you but there not worth much. YOU NEED TO GO TO THE TUTORIALS IN ORDER TO DO WELL ON THE ASSIGNMENTS.
Assignments are confusing, doesn't do a good job explaining them. Tests appear easy, but he marks them insanely hard, I studied and attended class, half the class failed the midterm. Marks for particpation, unfortunately. He's losing his touch, it was tougher than it should have been?
Really nice guy, and won't put you to sleep during lectures. However, everything is in the book and no additional knowledge is need, especially since the faculty makes the final on the book. Read the book and maybe look over his notes, and theres no reason not to get an easy A.
He's a terrible proff. Do not take him for research methods! His lectures aren't representative of his exams... neither is the textbook. He is condescending, seems nice, however he is actually very difficult as a person. It was more of a non-applicable statistics class if anything. BEWARE of his exams, he is a very tough grader.
Psychology students beware. I had him for Research Methods and Ethics, and let me tell you - I've never experienced a prof that could make such an EASY course so PAINFUL. He has surprise pop quizzes which count for attendance, and his marking criteria for midterms and exams is close to impossible. Start crying in advance.
This prof!!! Is a ridiculous!!! grader!!! Went in expecting a GPA boost and came out with a mild case of PTSD. Do not be deceived by the friendly old man look - say goodbye to your grades. Lectures are dry. Will not help you if you go to office hours. Become good friends with your TA for this class or expect to cry.
Had him for stats and research. He spent an entire class going over the midterm. If you did better on the final he made your midterm worth 10% instead. All of the exam questions come from the samples and tutorials. STUDY THEM. His assignments are vague but you can see him & he'll review your assignment for you. Participation know lecture material
Literally such a good prof. If you go to his office hours he is extremely helpful, and clear about what to do on assignments. People posting reviews otherwise obviously never asked for help. Posts slides and gives sample exam questions that are EXTREMELY accurate to the exam Grading can be tough but mostly fair. Would definitely take him again :)
This was the worst class Ive ever taken... Heard it was an easy A, but from who? I went for help and I felt like an idiot after, not because I should have known what I was doing but because he was condescending... He told me it wasn't his job to help me, but a TA...
Extremely sarcastic but cracked me up all semester. He likes it when you challenge him which I think is fun. It was a required course for me and I was dreading taking it but he made it not so bad.
Might be one of my favourite profs of all time. Funny and always has your best interest at heart. I enjoyed his lectures. This could have been an extremely boring class, he made if fun, interesting, and I actually enjoyed doing the projects. How he managed to do that I will never know but seriously I hope I take another class with him as my prof.
Emerson will teach you to apply critical reasoning skills, be inquisitive about the world and to think 'outside of the fishbowl'. Lectures influence assignments which influence exams. Provides help at his office hours. VERY SPECIFIC MARKER, deducts marks for minor flaws and details in definition as well as for 'misinterpreted questions'.
Awesome Prof! He made stats some what interesting! Understanding and very approachable. He doesn't deal with laziness which I loved. I am very fortunate to have him a second time.
always funny stories!
Emerson is amazing!!! He has the best stories. Keep doing you boo!
You have to basically memorize the textbook in order to pass this class which is a lot. Theres only 2 midterms and the exam, all of which are multiple choice. The classes aren't mandatory because the exams and midterms are based off the textbook, not the lecture notes.
I struggled in this course but honestly he is an amazing prof. Lectures often ended early which was nice. He doesn't drag things out, right to the point. Very funny, made the class enjoyable.
Dr Emerson is a funny professor, and this course is pretty easy but make sure you read the chapters in the textbook!!! The exam is entirely textbook based, and it was tougher than the two midterms. Study ahead of time so you can memorize little details and facts.
Had him for Psy1102 and Psy2174. His lectures are very boring. Class midterms for Psy2174 were appalling, average was 42% for 1 section and 51% for the other. Went into statistics on how it was not his fault that the class did poorly. Exams did not reflect course material.
I guess I just disagree with the general consensus. I thoroughly enjoyed this class, actually felt like he went super slow before exams to force people to try. He would send out emails begging people to send him questions so he could address them. Pretty straightforwards concepts and he really cares about the students.
Professor Emerson is very funny and he's in general a kind man. What i also liked about him is that he would consider the marks you get on the two midterms and assign the heavier weight to the one you did better on. However, sometimes it would be difficult to understand/hear what he is saying. He LOVES when people ask questions. He will pick on you
Found this class pretty redundant, as it is entirely textbook based. I only went to class 3 or 4 times, made notes on the textbook and studied the day of the final and still ended up with a good grade. Easy A if you are willing to put in the time to read the textbook.
Really well organized, no surprises. He has lots of experience with research, so lots of great examples. Conveys the subject matter really well, and takes the time to make sure you understand what is being described. He made a stats course fun!
Statistics is not an easy course and this prof made everything that much harder. You only had 10 minutes to see him during his office hours even if you book an appointment. His lectures are kinda boring, just reads off slides. Do the tutorial questions if you want to pass. Would not take this prof for anything again. Terrible experience.
Just listening to Emerson increases your IQ, no kidding. His grading system is unclear but just make sure you ask him a lot of questions for all your projects.
such a funny guy.. there's no need to take notes. he's very encouraging to ask questions and he answers them wonderfully. go to class with an open mind, don't be afraid to ask the same question 100 times, he'll give 100 different examples.. really amazing prof, 100% recommend!
This prof is old and likes to give examples every two seconds about what life was like in the past. But he shows videos and is pretty hip and i actually love him. On the first day he showed us Eminems music video lol. He goes till about 9:15pm. not all the way to 10 which is good, and you get a 5 min break every hour. Just read the txtbk & ur good.
Very condescending. Lectures are all over the place. Goes over a lot of material very briefly and tests on pointless, specific information.
all his examples are from his personal experience. boring as hell. fell asleep a few times
Dr. Emerson was a great prof. I had him for both PSY2116 and PSY2174, both of which were courses that I was not looking forward to. Dr. Emerson is super knowledgeable in both research methods and statistics. His slides are very clear and his explanations in class are excellent. Just sit back and listen in lectures and you'll have a great time.
You don't need to go to class. Read the textbook and you'll be fine.
AMAZING Prof!! He made stats enjoyable, believe me! Sticks around after class and gives you feedback and goes above and beyond to make sure his students understand the material for the tests. 4 tests and a final, no assignments. All of his tests have bonus questions, so get 108% is a thing! He jokes sometimes to make things smoother, take him!!!!
Very nice and funny prof. He is very well organized, everything is very clear. He shows tons of visual examples and is always making sure everyone understands well. Stats is not at all my favourite subject but he makes it enjoyable and interesting with real life examples so you actually understand where the numbers come from.
He cares a lot about his students and want them to do well in the class. He goes quicky through his lectures, but as long as you read the textbook, practice the equations and do the homework, as well as ask him for help if needed, you should do just fine!
seems like a good prof; but doesnt care about his students. The syllabus had a breakdown for marks that included online quizzes, but nowhere in the syllabus did it say where or what the quizzes consisted of, which I asked him about and he said ask the TA, I know nothing about it was shocked that he did not as he should when he is the prof.
Pretty rude guy, went to office hours to seek help and made me feel like I was a waste of his time. Midterms and exam are all textbook based so read the textbook or you're screwed. Stopped going to the class because he just talks about himself 75% of the class. Read the textbook and you're fine.
if you don't go to any classes and just read the textbook at home, you'll still pass the class with an A. His lectures are extremely hard to follow. I love that he integrates personal experiences, but he reads all the material that is crucial off of the slides and it makes it EXTREMELY hard to focus.
Victor Emerson is such a loveable guy! He actually gives you really good hints on what material will be focused more on the midterms and exam if you go to the lectures, and he usually gives a 10 min break every hour and we end by 9:30, which is chill. Don't need to read the textbook, his slides are enough. Loved his music choices and super nice!
Explained stats so well that I already understood the concepts in the second stats class by the time this course was over. Very helpful during office hours and the exams get easier as the semester goes on
Very dull prof. Never went to a class after the first midterm because he talked about his own stories more than the course content. Finished with an A+ regardless. Just read the textbook and enhance that material with his slides and you'll pass easily.
Overall not too bad a prof. Wasn't a fan of how almost every class was spent talking about really random stuff that we were never tested on or required to write papers about. He obviously loves to teach because he is 70 and still going strong. Very intelligent man. Loved having one on one conversations with him during office hours.
You can skip every class (minus the mid-terms) and only read the textbook and emerge with a good grade. The class doesn't really do much for you besides give you an opportunity to ask questions. He often ends classes early and I wouldn't recommend his 3 hour lectures (they'll kill you). He often gets off topic and tells many personal stories.
I love his lectures. Everything he says is clear.
Maybe one of my favourite prof's ever. Absolutely hilarious... you don't NEED to go to class, but he makes it worth while
He's a good prof, but god help you if you speak in class, he will single you out in front of the whole room. But the course is really easy - a lot of course material to cover, so you still need to study hard, but the exams were multiple choice and the expectations are very straightforward (just learn the underlined terms on his slides).
I went to 4 classes and got a B+ in the course. I personally found his lectures to be interesting, but not worth the time as I could read through the slides faster. Overall though, the course is interesting, and Emerson isn't bad, just not my cup of tea. Would take again, textbook was mandatory for the final.
His lectures are good but not necessary to attend easy A if you base your studying off the textbook and the underlined terms in his slides
The course material is based in the text, so just read it. Emmerson picks and chooses certain points from the textbook to ramble about and provide "personal stories" that feel like a waste of time and and also seem to over complicate the structure and delivery of the textbook material. I would not take his course again, lecture are a waste of time
4 "tests" (midterms, really)+final. Less than an hour for the first test and an hr for the other 3. No assignments or course work outside the exams which I didn't like. No multiple choice Qs. Textbook not necessary, only useful if you need help learning the content (I regret buying). Optional lab tutorial. Would've rather taken with another prof :/
Emerson is very approachable. If you find a problem with anything (ie., the exam time), you can voice your concerns to him. He sincerely wants his students to do well and acknowledges some differences between his generation and ours. I wasn't a fan of the material, but I liked him and found it easy to do well (also he provides sample Qs for exams).
In first year Psy, the final exam is based on only the textbook, so you need to do the readings. Victor puts all his lectures online and there is not a lot of other notes you need to take from lectures as they all come from the slides. Exams are multiple choice and super easy if you just read his lecture notes and textbook. Its an easy A class.
Dr. Emerson has excellent experience and wisdom. He invests in his students and is willing to give generously. He is organized; you need to book an appointment to see him. Attending his lectures will definitely help with grades but will also help you to learn how to apply psychology in practical life.
Lectures aren't boring, and he knows what he's talking about. Has a wealth of stories and seems to genuinely care.
He is a great instructor and he is obviously very intelligent. Even though my class is a 7-10, I go every time because the class is super interesting !
He talks about his life for 60% of the class, which is kind of interesting but not relevant to the course. You have to read the textbook if you want to do well. If you attend his class, watch out! He will call you out for talking or for looking at your screen too enthusiastically. Don't bother going to class.
Very funny and wise man. Favourite prof i've had in university thus far. You don't have to show up to any lectures to do well in the class because the exams are based entirely off of the textbook and he posts all of the slides summarizing the book on brightspace. I still showed up to class simply because I enjoy hearing him lecture.
I actually liked the guy, he's really passionate about teaching and loves what he teaches. Midterms are tricky but manageable. For the final exam, try to read the book chapters to understand some realistic scenarios, because the Psych department gives you scenarios, while Emersons' slides more or less gives you definitions.
Emerson's slides were detailed and are a good summary of the textbook. I definitely recommend taking a class with him. Lectures were a bit boring but attendance wasn't mandatory and his midterms are fair. He definitely has experience teaching however he gets annoyed when students ask him questions which "are answered in the course syllabus"
Professor Emerson does a great job of explaining statistics in a way that can be understood in everyday contexts. He cares about student success and lectures are sometimes funny. I personally found his particular method of presenting stats incompatible. At the same time, expectations are clear - so if you do the tutorials you will be okay.
I thought Prof. Emerson did a great job at conveying the 1102 material in an interesting way, and did a good job at trying to include relevant examples of his own with the textbook material for it to be easier to remember. It's an information-dense course, but he made it clear which parts were most important to focus on and study for exams.
His lectures are way too boring to attend, goes excruciatingly slow and tediously emphasizes points that are pretty trivial. Basic textbook course so all exams were based directly from book, buy it, read it, ace the class. The notes you make yourself from the book are prolly more aesthetic and clear than his. Not a BAD prof, just boring and slow.
20/10 professor. I'm a 4th year student and took this course as an elective. Very entertaining lectures. Probably the most well spoken Professor I have ever had. Very smart man and seems to genuinely care. Makes all of the classes interesting, no matter the content. I highly recommend. Tests are directly related to the course material.
Very intelligent professor, has lots of excellent stories and great taste in music! He includes useful examples from his personal life and years of experience to illustrate the concepts. He treats students like capable adults, and won't answer questions that can be easily answered by looking at the syllabus. Has a very soothing voice.
Prof Emerson is a great guy. He really tries to make the class interesting! The lectures aren't necessary, but I always went because I really liked him. The textbook is a must to read and study because the exams are based on it not the profs lectures.
Prof Emerson is pretty good. His lectures weren't compulsory, but I still attended, and it was worth it. Read the textbook because all the quiz material is in it. There are no projects, just four quizzes and 1 final exam, which is 100 multiple-choice questions. It's a fairly easy class, very interesting too! He is very professional and well-spoken.
Material is so interesting, if you are going into the healthcare field I recommend this class over PSY 1101 (foundations). I went to two lectures the entire semester, and as someone who never takes naps, fell asleep during both of them. 7 online TopHat chapters, 4 quizzes and just a final. Quizzes and final entirely based on textbook not lectures.
No need to show up to lectures though I found the ppt slides nice for review purposes. Self-studied course, didn't need the prof at all.
He is a nice person, could be rude if you ask him questions that are CLEARLY STATED in the syllabus. Using real life example, he did a great job explaining development, social psy and stress and the two chapters on disorders. But, he didn't explain personality clear and that is directly reflected by my quiz mark. Overall, good and easy to succeed.
He is super sweet and as long as you keep up with the textbook, the quizzes are super easy.
This class is so easy now being online, all you need to do is real the textbook on tophat and answer the questions. Literally the test questions are the same as the textbook its a joke. The only hard part is the actual concepts but its easy to learn, if that makes sense.
Victor is a champ. He is so caring and nice and tells a lot of interesting stories. He doesnt read off the slides and tries to make the content more interesting. All the quizzes and exams are based off of the textbook, so no attendance isnt mandatory but his lectures are great.
Prof Emerson is honestly great. He always made lectures interesting by adding in stories here and there, and he makes it clear what will be on the upcoming quizzes. The whole course is based off the textbook so if you don't attend class but read the corresponding chapter you're fine. Quizzes/final wasn't easy but not too hard either
long boring slideshows, tells lots of stories during lectures. nice prof but not great with technology. all textbook material so make notes and read the textbook to pass, all quizzes.
The material for this class is based exclusively on the textbook which is nice. He used the same pool of questions for the final as he did for the previous tests, but did not give feedback on the tests so good luck figuring out what mistakes you made. Luckily the course is very easy and he seemed like a nice guy too.
This course (taken Fall 2020) was based entirely off the textbook and you didnt have to attend lectures to do well on the quizzes (4) and final exam. However, his lectures are good for understanding any difficult concepts and he does tell lots of stories. Hes quite a knowledgeable man and I found him inspirational as well (youll find out why)!
Tbh I did not go to class once. As long as you read the textbook or PowerPoint before each quiz you get an A easily. This professor is impatient, unwilling to answer your question.
Amazing & funny! Victor will not answer emails that have previously been answered in class/ on the syllabus. Just like us, he has better things to do. If you're too lazy to read the syllabus then don't ask a question. It's an easy A, took minimal effort. All you need is the textbook. His lectures help if you are confused about anything in the book.
epic. just need the textbook and youll get a nice, kind, little A+ :)
I stopped attending lectures the day Professor Emerson told us that his lectures were not mandatory. There were often readings with MC questions to do, as well as the heavily graded quizzes. Besides that, when I did attend lectures and paid attention, Professor Emerson always explained everything very well, and also included his own life details.
As he said, his lectures are more of a "give you a different perspective" kind of deal. It's not necessary to watch his lectures to get an A. I don't think it added much to my understanding at all. The textbook is shared by all sections and that's all you need.
I really enjoyed this class and his lectures complemented the textbook really nicely. Everything on the test is in the textbook (TopHat), which is great. I also liked that he told us personal stories and anecdotes in his lectures - made the class more personal and interesting!
You definitely do not have to attend classes. If you just read the textbook, you will be perfectly fine.
I love him, he's so happy it makes me happy. We had tophat textbook questions that were only marked for completion (but were very helpful practice for the test) due every 2 weeks. 4 tests (on tophat) and a final exam. Not a difficult class at all and his lectures are very interesting, 10/10 would recommend:)
I didn't attend a single lecture and still did good. 4 quizzes and a final. 12% of your mark is just for reading the textbook/answering questions and participating in a few ISPR questionnaires. Questions from the textbook don't even have to be right, it's for completion. One downside is you cannot see your quiz after to see what you did wrong.
Lectures were always interesting and enjoyable. Professor Emerson is knowledgable and always has a great attitude. He's quite funny and I always look forward to his personal anecdotes.
I didn't attend any lectures and still received an A. you will need the textbook which is on Tophat and is quite pricey. Overall, I'd take it again it was an easy A.
I loved this class. The prof was very nice and he made the material interesting. I did not go to many lectures because we were only tested on the content in textbook. We had many quizzes and many opportunities to get a good grades.
If you want an A+ you'll need to work for it and read the textbook in depth. It's easy to get an A/A- if you casually read/attend lectures. The course is divided in 4 quizzes, and a final. The rest were participation marks. The quizzes are harder than the final because of the time limit (about a minute per question).
Dr. Emerson really "dumbs down" the material and makes statistics really simple to understand. The only thing is that he is not really available outside of class and that he took quite a long time to return the test marks. By far one of the best math professors I had the chance of taking.
I first had him for PSY1102 (A-) and enjoyed his classes so much I chose him again for PSY2106 (B-). Overall, he breaks materials down to make it easier to understand, is fun and nice. He's a caring professor who roots for your success. Take him if you can
Avoid. The material wasn't too hard but he has a very convoluted way of explaining things. I got an A in PSY 2106 and for this course, I failed the first two midterms. Not even close to enough time for midterms. Class discord talked about reporting him to the department of psychology because we all did so poorly, he also took forever to grade.
This prof is very organized and seems fair with his grading. Theres quite a bit of material, but you only need to read the textbook based on whats presented in class. I didnt love the phrasing of his questions (ex: how would you interpret the following with only 1 correct answer), but thats really the only downside. Not a bad choice!
Most unclear grading criteria I have ever seen. He does not answer emails, or if he does it takes a long time for him to get to them. He expects you to gather additional information and not "simply answer the question" but at an unreasonable scale. He will not offer feedback because he won't let you see your test... Makes this class too difficult.
Convinced all reviews over 3 are Emerson in disguise, I had him for psy 1101 and he was fine, but don't take him for stats
He is a kind professor, I did mostly use the textbook instead of attending lectures since all quizzes were based solely on the interactive textbook. His quizzes and final exam were meh, like it wasn't as easy as my PSY 1101 class, maybe that's just me lol.
If you have the choice I would not choose Victor Emerson as your statistics teacher. A statistics teacher who can barely do the bare minimum to provide for his students. In my opinion, he should retire and become a comedian, his whole class is a joke.
His style of teaching statistics was not what I was expecting (more theory-based than actual calculations) but overall he was a great professor. He was super responsive to my emails and made himself available outside of class within reason. He also provided a lot of opportunities for students to ask questions. Don't bother with the textbook though
I didn't attend the lectures and simply read the textbooks and got an A+ by doing so. You just have to make sure that you memorize and review well and you're on your way to an A+!
Great professor in my opinion. If you just read the TopHat textbook and did the midterms you would be fine. Attendance was apparently mandatory but it was essentially the same thing as reading the textbook except he would explain it in his own words and make it more understandable. Lectures were long but worth going if you could. def would take agn
He is literally so vague. He gives 0 instruction. His lecture contain 0 info. He is also inappropriate at times. AVOID AT ALL COSTS
avoid at all costs. no instructions what so ever on assignments and then wonders why students are failing but does nothing to fix it. though grader and good luck understanding his feedback. also makes very inappropriate comments.
Sends lots of passive aggressive emails. Makes you feel like an idiot. Incredibly tough marker BUT gives really poor outlines on what you are meant to be doing. No rubrics for assignments either. (If the entire class did poorly on an assignment maybe it's not just the students at fault? Just a thought.) Chicken scratch handwriting.
Beware his grading is scary exam1 25% exam2 25% final 50% not much room for error. He's a funny guy though, lots of stories
Surprised that he has so many good reviews. Really nice guy, bad prof for PSY2106. 3 exams, no chances to bring up your grade. Lectures fast, classes would last 20-30 minutes. Promises formula sheets, and doesn't give them. Others who are taking the same class with a different prof are offered cheat sheets, and we were not allowed anything.
A good teacher who wants students to succeed. Sometimes grumpy but loves questions and really wants to help. I would recommend reading the chapters and doing a few problems before class. Then the lecture makes it all make sense. Finish the problems in the textbook after class, practice using the formulas, and you will do well.
Great course - and all of the questions on exams are right out of tophat. He gives really engaging lectures and often tells us funny or inspiring stories about himself. Only downside is that he can be kind of grinchy or unresponsive by email but tbh just ask him in person and he's quite professional then.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROF (I don't have enough space to write it all) - Made this simple class way to hard - Unclear instructions (if any) - Really hard grader - Passive aggressive emails - Lectures we disorganized - Got mad about all the emails asking for our marks on our final assignment so he didn't give them back till after the exam
AVOID. Makes you feel stupid. Insanely hard marker. Doesn't give clear instructions for assignments, then takes off SO many marks. Makes you hand in everything in hard copy then proceeds to write all his comments in chicken scratch so you have no clue what you did wrong. This will be my lowest mark BY FAR. Course content is easy though.
You definitely do need a textbook for this class, all of his lectures are directly from the textbook. His lectures aren't too bad, very simple and straight to the point and he really does help you go through and explain the textbook. He also has some pretty good stories that for once actually do have to do with the class. Overall not too bad.
Took as an elective. Funniest prof I had last semester. All you need to pass, is to read the top hat textbook a couple times and answer the questions in there. He tells really awesome stories and loves to bike lol. Read the textbook chapter before class so you can focus on the hints he gives you for your MidTerm and Final. Would def take again!
His lectures are based entirely on the textbook so make sure you have it, and read the assigned chapters twice over before each exam for a guaranteed A. Exams were all multiple choice which I appreciated, but each midterm is 25% and the final is 50% so keep that in mind. The final is pretty easy if you read the textbook and takes under an hour.
If you have SASS AVOID HIM. He does not give you your rights for accomodations.
Dying
The professor is rude, but the class is easy. As long as you study what the textbook says you'll easily get a good grade.
Pros: He has a good sense of humour and tries to make the class engaging. Cons: Super condescending and rude towards students (called us stupid and boring to teach). No rubric or grading criteria since were "4th year students". Needs to change his teaching style, we aren't in the 1990s!
every student I met has an awful story regarding this prof. When you go to enrol his classes always have 30 seats because everyone knows how horrible he is. he talks about his rate my prof reviews pretty often so I assume he goes on here and writes them for himself. kind of pathetic.
I took this class last term and thinking back, I actually found his style really motivating. Puts things into perspective and explains them clearly. Assignments were practical and interesting to do. It's important to participate and show interest or he misunderstands the quiet for apathy. Read the text and attend the labs. The TAs were great.
I found him rude, unclear expectations for assignments and very unfair grading criteria. Not a good class, take it with someone else.
Worst prof I've EVER had at this university :)
the goat. love this guy. if you care about school and actively enjoy it, youll love taking his class. i could only see people having a bad time if they dont care. amazing prof, chill dude
I found him to be quite rude and not a professor I felt comfortable talking with outside of class. His feedback was quite horrible and his handwriting was almost impossible to read. His guidelines for projects didn't make any sense and his lectures and slides were very confusing. I would not take any of his classes again.
The two assignments are completely unrelated to course content, and the final covers the entire semester. He refuses to give direction on what to study and he is an extremely tough grader. I have got at least an A- in all my classes, but I am on track to get a B in this course. Where's the inter-rater reliability? Avoid him if you care about CGPA.
I would not recommend this professor to anyone. His assignment outlines are extremely unclear, he constantly posts announcements with new information about assignments not in the outlines and unnecessary comments, and everything must be submitted in paper format. If you have a disability of any kind, he will not care nor will he accommodate you.
Lectures are unclear & not remotely related to psych. Assignments are not representative of what's learned in class what-so-ever and he will not provide individualized feedback because he 'doesn't have the time'. Rude and condescending to students, will not provide any info or clarity about the final exam. Rude, rude, rude, just avoid him.
He is a horrible professor who says he could have retired 10 years ago and quite frankly should have. I have accidentally had him for 3 courses and they've all been horrible. I don't know what my grade is right now because he hasn't told us what the assignments are out of. There is no rubric and he grades based on how feels.
funny prof just do readings and youll get an A
Great professor gives good examples about whatever he's talking about to help people understand and his slides are very easy to follow.If you show up and do the work its an easy grade.
Interesting professor, good lectures and cares. Exams are multiple choice, know the material.
HE IS A SWEETHEART, literally such a good teacher.
Funny guy, intresting lectures, make sure you read textbook
This prof is a great teacher, he uses anecdotes and analogies that help to break down the concepts to make them understandable. His exams are reasonable and are related to class content, and his slides accurately reflect what's in the textbook. Overall pretty fair class, if you read the textbook and go to class you'll do fine.
He's great at explaining things in class making it easier to understand concepts. Definitely read the textbook especially if you choose not to attend class. 2 mc midterms and 1 mc final which are relatively easy if you study properly. Don't talk during his classes since he'll stop the lecture to ask you to leave or move seats
As a prof I think he's pretty good albeit kind of boring. Imo the best strategy (time efficient) is definitely to just stick to the textbook and skip the lectures, the MC practice questions in the textbook are really good for practice. The two midterms and final are all MC and the MC questions are based on the textbook.
2 midterms and 1 final, fairly easy class. If you just read the textbook and understand the general ideas you'll be fine. You don't even need to go to his lectures but I'd recommend attending them if you don't understand or need elaboration on certain topics in the textbook.
It makes 0 sense how he has any good reviews.
This man is extremely talented since he was able to make a difficult course even more difficult. He's been reported multiple times to the school of psychology. He shouldn't even have a job. If you have an option, take any other prof.
emerson did not teach a single thing in his class and instead was rude to students who asked questions and talked about himself and his academic accomplishments 99% of the time. i had to go back and teach myself most of the content because i found his delivery not effective.
his lectures were so long and heavy, and during the midterms all of the lectures he discussed wasnt even on the midterms or final exams, its hard to study for his midterms because during every lecture i cant understand the way he delivers the slides. and the slides were so long. take another prof if you can except him
The professor is engaging and makes the lectures worth attending. The textbook is essential, but using tools like unstuckstudy along with it can really help with study prep. Exams are reasonable if you stay on top of the material.
I've had him for two classes now, and he's the worst professor I've ever had. He constantly blames low grades on students' lack of effort, yet none of his assignments come with rubrics or clear instructions. He's very hard to reach by email and dismissive in person, offering no real help when questions are asked.
emerson was the worst prof ive ever had. i had him for psy 1102 and he did not teach the course at all and i had to teach myself the entire thing. it wasnt even worth it to attend his lectures. this course though, the content that he teaches and the content that is covered in the labs is not on his exams at all. Genuinely impossible to study for.
don't understand how he still has a job. literally talks about his accomplishments for 90 percent of the class and is incredibly rude when you ask for help or any guidenece on assignments when all that don't have rubrics. easily the worst prof
His lectures are long, rambly, and unclear. He sends passive-aggressive emails and announcements on Brightspace. He does have a lot of research experience and shares some interesting stories about that, but his assignments and exams are graded harshly. Many people failed the midterm; I luckily did not, but he warned that very few people did well.
Brags about students' poor grades and then blames it on a lack of effort. Really weird guy.
DO NOT take this prof. He has very unclear grading criteria, expecting you to know his expectations, and is rude and dismissive when asked questions. He contradicts himself often, and when I asked him, he just ignored me. Bad attitude and brags about his own accomplishments (even during office hours) and brags how most students are doing badly.
He's the worst prof I've ever had. Run the other way.
worst prof ever. made this course much more difficult than it should be. material for the final isn't even research based but more math based, and it's literally a research class.
He got progressively more rude and condescending to students, bragging about his own accomplishments before belittling students for lack of participation or understanding. He graded particular assignments and tests very harshly with little constructive feedback or clear instructions in the first place. Would not recommend if you can help it.
Horrible. Simply and utterly horrible. I will never, ever, in my entire life, ever, take a class with him again.
DO NOT TAKE A CLASS WITH HIM. I AM BEGGING YOU.
Unclear expectations. Mocks students. Hard marker. Sets you up to fail
Here's the thing: for 1st year classes where he has no responsibility or control over the course he is fantastic. But the moment he has control over the slides + tests + projects he shows his true colours. That of a terrible teacher who seems to feel deep contempt for his students.
He tries to recreate a pivotal moment in his life after failing his 1st year at McGill by ensuring that students also fail so that they can learn a life lesson just as he did. Really weird guy. Do not take a class with him.
He acts like he's such a nice guy but he's really not. "Come talk to me" he says. "My door is always open" he says. But then the emails (plural) you send to book a meeting go unanswered. When you ask questions instead of answering them he rambles then talks about his bike trips for 20 minutes, never actually answering the question.
The worst prof I have had since coming to university.
Is not fit to teach. Should do the whole university a favour and retire.
All this guy does is mock students and talk about his bike trips. Do not take a class with him
Passive aggressive emails. Passive aggressive posts on Brightspace. Passive aggressive comments in class.
Do not take if you have accommodations. Truly terrible, made no effort to help me or do any of the things he is SUPPOSED TO DO per my accommodations.
Inconsistent grading criteria. Would have multiple pages all with conflicted grading criteria leaving you confused as to what you were supposed to do. Refused to answer questions about it in class, claiming that it was "obvious" and "self-evident".
Bad. Just bad. Almost 90% of the class failed the midterm. At that point its not the students fault's, its the professors.
If you're looking for an easy way to bring down your average, then I encourage you to take this class with him.
Seemed as if he almost hated his students. Talk down to his, ignored us, belittles us. Frankly his behaviour was appalling.
Cranky old man that needs to retire.
Do not take this prof. He's rude. He gives you mean looks. I tried to contact him to setup a meeting based on his rubric on how you have to talk to him and he ignored me. He interrupted me when I was talking and said I was robotic. He says questionable things about people. And showed us his photo album of women's feet.
Literally the entire class is failing. In class he said that one specific thing would NOT be on the final, that we didn't need to know it because it was a research course and not a stats course. He told us not to study it, that we didn't need it. Just had the final, and guess what? It was on there. Horrible experience
Overall, I loved professor Emmerson & I really resonated with his personal philosophy of wanting students to be curious. The classes are really dynamic & interactive but the powerpoints are a very word heavy which makes it kinda tough to follow. Assignment criteria is also a bit broad & unclear, but he's super willing to answer questions.
The university releases course evaluations. Check what others have said before taking this vindictive professor's course. He's disorganized, condescending, and arrogant. Assignments lacked rubrics until complaints. The "feet pic" issue is real. He's ruined my semester—terrible teacher and person. Avoid him to protect your GPA and sanity.
A man with a stunning past study&job experience but unfortunately bad at teaching stats. Old-fashioned & strict, you'll have in-class hand-written time-limited exams. Could not explain stats materials in a lay language, only make it more complicated. Consulting the textbook, doing lab questions could be a good strategy.
Be smart and intentional with this prof. He answers emails if you're subject line is clear (class name, #, brief line regarding question) and if you're polite. If he doesn't reply, go to his office hours in-person unannounced and don't be afraid because this is your grade, your cgpa, and your career. Get a study group and study labs.That saved me.
He explains feedback clearly during office hours if you're able to setup some. He doesn't reply to all students on emails so definitely ask questions during class or after if you're shy. He loves questions and participation so get into his good side that way. But I'd avoid if you can because overall he's unhelpful and can be rude to some students.
The tests were unexpected. Unlike some profs who clearly state what to study versus not study, he doesn't do this very well. His study guides are very broad and long but the test itself had 5 questions so you'll overstudy, stress, and lose sleep for no reason... Knowing this, the final was more predictable but still had info that was a surprise.
His lectures aren't boring and office hours helped me understand my mistakes and what not to study. I had a solid study group but students were confused so it was hard to gauge who had it right. Trust any upper years especially with stats knowledge because this was heavy stats. Labs helped a lot because the tests were based on those.
1 test and 1 final exam with a bunch of assignments. The assignments are very easy but he asks for printed so have a printer or befriend a Staples employee. The test was short but unpredictable. His final exam study guide was helpful but overbearing. Most content ended up not being on there. Assignments and labs will save you. Study and ask q's.
Worst professor I have ever had, arrogant and doesn't seem to actually care about students despite what he says. Did everything by hand (no excel and SPSS) if you have a course in the future that is stats based you will end up being behind. I would never take a class by him again I suggest you avoid it at all costs, not worth the headache.
If stats/math is not your strength, do NOT take it with Emerson. 4 tests and a final, not a single lab or assignment. All the grading is from tests. No cheat sheet (which is fine), but he also doesn't provide any formulas for the tests. Test 1 = 10%, Test 2-4 = 20% of your grade, final exam = 30%. Very old school. Only benefit = he's funny.
He has very unclear expectations, complains how students are doing badly while providing little information, condescending and mean. He said you can email him once for feedback in proper formatting for an assignment, and I did, and he emailed back saying email the TA, when confronted, he just ignored me. Brags about accomplishments in office hours.
he's over-hated lowkey. His lectures were a bit confusing but his PowerPoints have a lot of information on it that will help you. His tests aren't too bad just make sure you understand the material. if you are unsure about something, GO TO OFFICE HOURS he will tell you a lot of info of what will be on the test that you will not get in class.
worst professor I have in my academic career
worst professor in my academic career
Victor Emerson is the most confusing professor me and my friends (fellow psychology students) have ever had. A tough marker, unclear, inconsistent, as well as rude, and often unaccommodating. My CGPA has always been good - other psych courses are tough but manageable - but he is so bad, I had to drop due to needing to maintain reasonable grades.
Great prof, pretty straightforward. Textbook readings every week and he expands on the subject during lectures. You don't necessarily need to attend but he gives context and personal stories which help to understand some things. He gives study guides and his exams pretty much match the lectures. Would recommend!
It is my second semester with this Victor Emerson, I have never once enjoyed going to his classes due to the amount of anxiety he gives me with his tests but at this point I cannot think of getting taught stats by anyone else and I am looking to be in more of his classes. I think this is called Stockholm Syndrome idk.
He's honestly one of the best professors I've had so far. The exams are easy, and his notes are great — even better than Top Hat, in my opinion. His lectures are heavy, but he makes them go by quickly.
Honestly this professor has made me uncomfortable, as they had a study about foot photos and demonstrated them to the classroom, certainly breaching peoples privacy. I think that's very unprofessional and shouldn't be entertained in the classroom.
Very chill class, you dont really need to go to lectures and the slides are very detailed. Simple class with 4 quizzes, ISPR worth 4% and an in person exam worth 46%. I didnt buy the textbook because I found all the chapters for the textbook online at StuDocu but the slides are enough because they cover all the content thoroughly.
This amazing professor offers structured lessons with step-by-step calculations. With four tests and a final exam, you have ample chances to earn a good grade. He genuinely cares, encourages office hours and questions. He also helps you prepare for upcoming tests. Pay attention, and you'll definitely get an A+.
i thought he was hilarious and very nice, his quizzes were easy and everything was multiple choice. a lot of his bad ratings on this site seem to come from his statistics classes which maybe are harder, but psy1102 was a cake walk.
According to the primacy effect, my first impression of this man probably won't be reconciled by any future positive encounters (iykyk). My advice: the prof doesn't care much to ensure the exam clock is accurate, so don't try to hand in your exam based on its reading and instead wait for his go-ahead.. you'll be chastised and dumbfounded otherwise.
His teaching style is very old-fashioned but effective. He gives 4 tests and a final which spreads your mark out. He will tell you what is on the test and it's pretty accurate, most of the time. As long as you go to class and do the labs you will be fine. His slideshows are amazing so no need to take notes. Go to office hours he will help you a lot
chill prof, highly recommend taking this class online. four online quizzes, super easy. one in-person final, also easy. lectures are boring and full of rambling, so you're better off just reading the modules. nothing he says is useful; everything is textbook-based. the textbook is great and all you need.
very good, fun,
One of the worst profs at UO. Only good in the first year courses because he doesn't have much say in them. After that it's a mess. He will not answer your questions, his lectures are dry and he didn't have a clear grading criteria. We had to beg him for a rubric that still didn't make sense. He has a really bad attitude in class too. Avoid him.
Grade is based on quizzes, ISPR, and final. I took the class online so the quizzes were online. Final was very easy, just read the sections listed in the study guide, and memorize the info then you're golden. Emerson is a good prof, with clear lectures that reflect the textbook
sassy and lowkey mid with the most evil TAs
I was kinda scared to take a class with him after seeing reviews about feet pics. The people who wrote these reviews probably weren't listening in class as it was not at all inappropriate and was part of a study. He says himself that he's an old cranky dude but he is so funny and has a different perspective on things and I found that so refreshing!
I have no idea how some people rate him well. Arrogant old man who hates "this generation". You'll hear complaints about our generation from the privileged old guy who went to school during a time much more prosperous then ours every class. It would've been tolerable if he was actually a good prof, but his lectures are boring and hard to follow.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
23%
Textbook Required
57%
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A-
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