[Lois]

This was one of my favourite courses in undergrad. As the title of the course indicates, it's about sensory processes, in particular vision (colour, depth, binding) and hearing.

Prof: Ullal: He is one of my favourite profs at Mcmaster. He's always willing to answer any questions that a student may have and doesn't rush through the material. Make sure you know all the syndromes and diseases, he likes to ask test questions on them. Finally, it's very important to attend all the lectures.

Course breakdown:
Two midterms (20% each): MC & SA. The short answer tends to be difficult for some students.
Two assignments (either 10% each or total... I can't remember): You're given a piece of primary literature and you're asked questions about the article. Fairly easy.
Final Exam: MC & SA.

The assignments are 10% each

I have to take this course at some point, hmm. Does Dr. Ullal focus more on his lecture notes or on the textbook?

It's all lecture notes. He uses the textbook as a reference so if you don't understand part of his notes then you can look it up in the textbook. But all his test material is from lecture, there's nothing that he didn't mention in class.

Would you reccommend buying the textbook for this course, or is it really not needed?

Originally Posted by feonateresa

I have to take this course at some point, hmm. Does Dr. Ullal focus more on his lecture notes or on the textbook?

It's all lecture notes. He tells you that you don't have to buy the textbook to get an A+, and it's definitely true. =p

I really liked Dr. Ullal, but sometimes I had trouble understanding his accent. Textbook helps fill in the gaps sometimes; or you can just ask him for clarification... (but who wants to do it daily T_T)

So is the general consensus a positive one for Dr. Ullal? I'd actually heard some pretty negative things about him from others, specifically about how he tests you on the most random details.

Is there any truth to that?
And how would people who've had him recommend studying for his tests?

oh lol
i agree with him testing you about the most random details; as in his tests can be very difficult if you do not write down the little things he says in class

the absolute truth is that everything he says in class is fair game for the test, the textbook is irrelevant, and sometimes its hard to take note of everything he writes if you're not used to his accent

best way to study for tests is to go to lectures, pay attention, and ask questions for clarification...

but Dr. Ullal is a wonderful prof in a sense that he is passionate about the subject he teaches, he knows his stuff, he is very open to questions, and he is just very nice.

Dr. Ullal is one of the best profs at McMaster, imo. Sure, he has an accent but you can definitely understand it. He's very friendly and he always wants students to do well in class.

I don't write down everything in class, but I did well in the course. Don't bother with the text, study from the lecture notes. If you don't understand something from lecture notes, go to his office hours or look it up online.

How to study? Know the syndromes and information related to it, sometimes random details are tested but they're typically in multiple choice where which question is worth 0.5 :\ Not a huge amount.

Does the professor use powerpoint slides for his lecture notes, or do you just write/type as he teaches?

He has powerpoint or pdf lecture files you print out before the lectures, and fill in your own supplementary notes as he teaches.

is the assignment group-based work?

It's individual. You have to read a scientific paper and answer questions.

What is the required text for this course?