Oh boy, where do I even begin. Do not take this course if you do not plan on majoring in psychology or do not need it. You HAVE to read 600+ pages to pass this class no matter what. Exams are fill-in-the blanks that are VERY specific and it's ridiculous at times. The course material itself is definitely interesting and he makes the lectures interesting but the exams are just plainly bad.

Worst class ever. I honestly think Professor Smyth did not want us to do well. I studied a lot for every exam and never got higher than an 80. The questions on the exams are EXTREMELY specific and can come anywhere from a line in the textbook, something he may have mentioned in class, or something he just expects you to know. I felt like I did not have the opportunity to really demonstrate everything I had learned/understood. Do not recommend this class at all. Save yourselves.

DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE WITH SMYTH. Smyth is incredible condescending and patronizing, especially if you're an upperclassman taking this course. The majority of lecture was filled with activities that were an enormous waste of time, but you have to go because he has graded clicker questions. This class is setup for first years, babying them as if none of the students were capable of learning from a lecture class on their own. It's so structured that it forces you to complete assignments before every class session, an incredible waste of time for students and the TAs who have to grade them. **This was the worst course I've ever taken at UVA**

Do not take this class with Smyth. The class is incredibly and unreasonably hard for an intro level course and the exams are strenuous and extremely petty. It's not a difficult course, it's just a considerable amount of dull reading and difficult exams (you can study all you want to, you're not getting above a 90).

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS YOU WILL HATE YOUR LIFE

Don't take this class with Smyth!!! His lectures can be interesting but his tests are extremely detailed and hard. I studied a lot for every test and still felt like I knew nothing on the exams because he tests you on specific details from the textbook and what he says in lectures/videos from class. His clicker questions are hard and he also calls randomly on people during lecture. He knows his stuff but I found it extremely difficult to do well on his tests. He also makes you read around 40 pages for homework every night and if you don't do the reading, you won't be able to answer the clicker questions correctly. Take this class with Dodson, not Smyth!!!! You have been warned

This class is not easy! Smyth requires you to know every small detail from each chapter of the text book rather than overall concepts. And you have to read the entire textbook cover to cover if you want to do well!! The tests were only a few questions with ridiculously specific and random facts. Not sure why people are saying he is an interesting lecturer, the lectures are extremely boring and do not help prepare for the tests at all. The material is still interesting, so I advise to take it with another teacher. The other intro classes did not have half as much reading as Smyth did.

Smyth is an amazing lecturer. His exams are tough and require you to really know the material though.

The content of the course was extremely interesting. Some cons of the class with Smyth are that: you aren't allowed to take notes on a laptop (which was really inconvenient for me), he doesn't drop any test grades (other professors who teach this same level do), and the lectures can be bit dry. The textbook was interesting, though.

Smyth is fantastic. He really cares about the subject and wants to connect with his students and does so by learning names. He doesn't forget, either! That aside be warned that this is a reading-intensive class. Exams are very fair when it comes to the material, be it in lectures, video clips, or the book. Take really good notes in lecture and while reading the book. Also make sure you read well for the clicker questions. Don't pass up on the chance in lecture to randomly answer a question on the microphone; take the bonus chances you're offered. Every so often, Prof. Smyth will talk about UVA psychology faculty and other researchers affiliated with UVA in the past who have revolutionized their field. Made me think UVA had the best psych department ever. This class and Smyth made me want to continue studying to the point of a psychology minor. Highly recommend if you're interested in psychology.