Firstly, you will need to thoroughly read the text (with note taking to really soak it in), study the lecture slides, and I recommend listening to the lectures again if you have time. If you do all this (it will take about 4 days of serious cramming if you wait till before the exams like I did), you will do great.

There are tricky questions on the exams (there is one clear answer if you did the reading though) and only two exams (no final!), so you really need to know the material. People say there is not enough time, but those people probably didn't read the book (or just skimmed it without notes. The two assignments were very easy and discussion is simply showing up on time. There is also an extra credit research participation option.

I took intro to cog sci the quarter before this class and it really helped (got an A+ in 120a). The slides cover material that is not all in the book but on the exam. Also, the exam has some things not in the slides, so definitely it will require what I mentioned above, if you want an A (he does not curve).

As a professor, he is passionate about the material and very engaging. This may make the class seem easier than it is, until the exams. Don't get caught off guard! I highly recommend him, but it won't be an easy class.

To do well in this class, it's of utmost importance to read the textbook thoroughly and take notes as you read. His slides tend to be very vague in their contents, so it's essential to get clarification during discussion, or polish your knowledge with the textbook. His exams, although quite difficult, were doable if you REALLY knew your stuff. Lectures are audio podcasted, and there's only one lecture per week, 3 hours long.

Just read the chapters he assigns THOROUGHLY and pay attention in lecture. his exams are fair if you do this and you will get an A+ as long as you study.

Selling the textbook Cognition: Exploring the Science of the Mind (Sixth Edition) , price is negotiable . Text me at (818) 297-8010

Easiest class I have taken in my 4 years in undergrad and I mean the EASIEST class I have ever taken, seriously. The content is really interesting and the workload is nonexistent.

This class was pretty good! Castel is a kind and knowledgeable man with a Canadian accent. The quarter I took it, lecture was once a week for 3 hours on a Friday afternoon; once Castel got through housekeeping announcements at the beginning of class, it was pretty easy to zone out because his voice is a bit monotone and the class was so big. The material was very interesting with intriguing demonstrations that related to our everyday lives, and I took a lot away from the class personally. Section was just a summary of lecture material and attendance was mandatory (with one grace section). I had to study well for the exams which were a little tricky. Would recommend this class with Castel!

super easy class, just show up and write 2 mini papers for hw over the entire quarter and that's all.

There are quizzes to 6/10 of the lectures and they usually take half an hour in class to complete. They are worth 50% of your grade. So you really have to study for them before every lecture. It took me approximately 1 hour to go over the slides from the last lecture every week.

There is a newspaper-style short paper assignment that is worth 10% of your grade. Castel is pretty tolerant about them.

There is also a final research paper and it accounts for 30% of the grade. 6-page double-spaced. You can select your own topic as long as it's relevant to the class.

Selling a PDF for:

Cognition: Exploring the Science of the Mind (SEVENTH Edition)
Very cheap price. text me at ********** for details

Take this class with Castel! Although the lectures were 3 hours, they were podcasted so you didn't have to stay for the whole time or even show up at all (I went to 2 total). Discussion is mandatory but actually helpful because you get practice quizzes (only count for participation, not for your grade). Kudos to Castel because he has to lecture for three hours but somehow isn't monotonous or even boring. He throws a few jokes in here and there and genuinely does seem really interested in his teaching. A lot of the studies talked about in this class were actually conducted by him so that's pretty cool. As for the tests, they are NOT memorization based, you have to know how to learn/apply the concepts that are taught to scenarios. In addition, you often find yourself choosing between two answers that both seem very correct. Trust your gut! Overall, definitely take this class with Castel. As for the textbook, it's not very necessary. Maybe a few things came directly from there, but all the ideas were covered in class so you're totally fine if you don't read it or even purchase it. Before the exam, just re-listen to parts of the lecture you missed or are unclear about, and go over the concepts/terms thoroughly and you'll be good!