Love this class. Material is interesting and super relevant to your personal life. Every assignment has a purpose to it, and grading is very fair. No exams, but lots of smaller assignments and small group discussions. Readings are mostly short science journalism pieces, and you can choose from different options based on what interests you. It's a very low-stress environment, where students feel safe sharing personal stories and opinions. The professor genuinely cares about her students and makes an effort to get to know you as a person.

Jessie Stern is not good at her job. Her lecturing isn't compelling, her discussions are dry, and her slides are generic. She doesn't allow computers or phones to be used in class and attendance is a huge part of the grade. The course material is AP Psych but with even more outdated articles and patronization. If you want an engagement with not too much work and you're good at zoning out for an hour and a half, then this isn't the worst of all of the courses. But Jessica Stern is a disappointment.