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Comments:NSC 3356 - Only four people got an A in this class during the semester I took it, so it’s admittedly hard to get an A, but not impossible.
Overall: He calculates grades using Z scores, meaning you’re competing with your fellow classmates. Don’t let this discourage you from forming groups and asking each other possible short answer questions because it is beyond helpful to performing well on the exams. Especially since he goes of on (somewhat related) tangents during lecture. I recommend reading the chapter before lecture to understand his often very entertaining anecdotes. DO NOT pack up your notes before he stops talking. He mentioned plenty of SA questions at the end of the lecture as people were packing up. Pay attention. So long as you do the reading and get into a study group, you should do just fine.
Exams: Exams are multiple choice and short answer. Personally, I read the chapter first, then took notes (so I read it twice), and then I would go over my notes in my group before the test, for a total of three readings. Also, my notes were riddled with post-its of possible SAs. Please don’t guess on the SA. He gives negative points. Stick to what you know and leave it at that, even if it’s a blank.
If it isn’t hard enough to make an A/B+ on every exam, you must also write a somewhat extensive research paper with which he can also give you a negative grade. Without a paper, you’ll remain at a B+, which I recommend if you don’t have the time/effort to put into a paper.
- Grade In Class:A |
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Comments:NSC 1305 - NSC 1305 (Introductory Neuroscience) was a team taught course. Patton was the first instructor and he did his job well. By the time the first two or three weeks of the class got over with, nearly a third of the students had dropped. He speaks of nothing but himself in class, and as a result, I remember more about his dog Pablo and his Native American heritage than I do about the material itself. He comes off as very self-important, and as a result I did not respect him very much at all. However, he did, along with the other NSC professors, give us adequate warning about his test, and tried to make sure we prepared ourselves. I do think he has made so major advances in his field, and he's a brilliant man, but I really don't think his gifts lie in teaching. Also, grade is not the course grade but the grade for his test, as we had four professors. We get to drop one and this was it for me. I would not take him again personally. - Grade In Class:C+ |
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Comments:NSC3356 - After taking Intro, I planned on putting off Neuropharm as long as possible. I hated his unit, his teaching methods, and he just seemed scary. After finishing 3356, that could not be farther from the truth.
Most of his "lectures" do not come from powerpoints, they are essentially him talking, telling stories, etc. They are important, but the book is also very important. Read the book. Take notes from the book. Take notes from his lecture. Combine the two to get an overall view of what he could test you on. He doesn't write the multiple choice test questions, but he does write the short answer questions.
His tests are brutal (and longer than you could ever imagine). He will scare you by making blanket statements about the class, but if you are a good student, trust that he is not referring to you. He cares about his students, he just wants his students to care about the class. He knows who is passionate about neuroscience and who isn't, and he doesn't want people who are not.
There is no homework, so it is very easy to blow off the class until test time. Study hard. He curves based on the highest test grade. - Grade In Class:A |
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Comments:1306 - Introduction to Neuroscience... This class is hard if you don't know how to study for college classes. This is a Psychology/Neuroscience major's first TRUE test at Baylor University. YOU MUST READ! You must read with confidence, otherwise you will be on the lower end of the spectrum of this class. Patton is the first teacher of the 4. He knows his stuff but doesn't know how to get information accross effectivly. He talks about himself all the time and tells the class random stories. Listen to his opinions! They will help you study for his test. When I took his test, there were questions that were worded "according to Dr. Patton..." Best way to study for his test: Listen to his stories/opinions, go to Lab that helps a little, TAKE NOTES ON THE BOOK!, and always read the lecture book inside and out. To make a A in this class, it takes dedication, hard work, sweat, tears, and usually some headaches. It is worth it. The information you learn is some of the best at Baylor. After each test, you can review it at the professor's office. Do this! (even though there was almost no questions off the old exam on the final.) Patton is on the lower end of the 4 for me. Specifically 3/4. If you have questions just ask him. Good luck studying for this class! It will take a lot of your time up if you are willing to work for a decent A or B. - Grade In Class:A |
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Comments:NSC 1306/3355/5330 - An open letter to Baylor and JH Patton,
Dr Patton will forever be one of my favorite professors. I understood, retained, and learned more about science from his classes more than any other. I learned enough pharmacology with him to converse with physicians and scientists at a very high level of professional sophistication straight from Baylor undergrad. During my tenure in his classes he led me to introspective insights of my psychology, biochemistry, and metaphysics that have greatly shaped the way I view my existence in this world.
Patton’s classes are tough, and his tests are maddeningly difficult. But his testing method and grade evaluations are straightforward, not dumbed-down or unnecessarily ambiguous or confusing, which a good student will appreciate. You will curse his name, the night before a test or paper is due, but you will hold him in very high regard when you graduate and go on to post-graduate education (M.D., D.O., Psy.D., Pharm.D., Ph.D., …etc.). If you are not planning on going to post-graduate education, change your classes to the Hankamer building (because that’s where all the money is anyway).
Patton’s Lectures are the most enjoyable experiences from his classes. He is very funny. Sometimes his jokes are subtle and witty, other times shocking and awful. If you have a healthy sense of humor, you might just pee your pants from laughing so hard. He receives the best crowd responses to his lectures. After you leave his class…every other class you sit in will seem like a funeral home.
Like a great comic, his jokes are honest and thought provoking. Sometimes you’re not sure if he’s really telling the truth, other times he is so brutally honest about his personal experience you know you’re witnessing a pure and unadulterated public catharsis.
If you put yourself on a reading schedule of 1-2 chapters per week (memorizing the chapters in their entirety) you will do well on his tests. If you’re in 1306 memorize the notebook too, there is material on the tests not in the book. If you’re in 3355 know ADME before day one, or you’re doomed. If you’re in 5330 pursue readings with reckless abandon for your mental/physical health and personal relationships, and maybe you will make it out alive.
If you’re interested in the man himself, this link provided below can shed some insight into this man’s brain and his thinking about human psychology. However, when I think about Dr. Patton, I like to remember the episode of the “big bang theory” when Sheldon, decides that his academic career in physics is moot, so he decides that the only contribution to society he can make is to move home to East Texas, to teach evolution to creationists for the remainder of his natural life.
Cheers Ya’ll…and sic’em
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=WjgPfD-tgEMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA262&dq=%22jh+patton%22+psychology&ots=C9rNqR0vra&sig=TCiL3XGoTSNMkN2yPxBmmIQm8TQ#v=onepage&q=%22jh%20patton%22%20psychology&f=false - Grade In Class:A |
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Comments:Intro to Neuro - Just like everyone else says. His lectures weren't enjoyable and he didn't stay on topic. I had to learn Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 5 by myself, which, by the way, IS what college is about after all. Nevertheless, I've never heard of a man more full of himself in my entire life. He prides himself in a low test average. So beware. But know, despite his conceit, his test is easier than the next one. I got an 84 on his test, after a week of hard study. - Grade In Class:B |
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