I think that a lot of people take this class who are just trying to satisfy general ed requirements, and aren't actually interested in psychology. If I had a psychological problem and needed a psychiatrist, I would want to go to Dr. Maxwell. She's obviously extremely intelligent, and if her class gets boring sometimes, it's probably because she's been teaching the same tiny pieces of this subject for a million years - and it's never boring for long. Her soft-spokenness isn't terrible, and she's always willing to repeat anything you may have missed. One thing I really value in her is her obvious concern for her students' success - she'll help anyone out who needs it, she's very prompt in returning phone calls, and she'll do everything she can to help you pull your grade up, if you need it. She encourages class participation, which is necessary for this area of study, and the immaturity level of some students is just astonishing! (I feel that these students are probably the ones giving her terrible reviews.) The tests have no surprises whatsoever, they're straight from her lectures (which she actually prints out and gives to you each class session, so you don't even have to take many notes.) The tests are only hard if you DO NOT STUDY. I didn't study for three tests and got 3 Cs. I studied for about an hour for two more tests, and got As on both. There is also no outside homework, so there's no reason for someone taking this class to not just buckle down and study for a bit! Plus, there is extra credit provided throughout the semester. If you want to take a psychology class in which you simply learn vocabulary and write papers regularly and have absolutely no interest in pursuing this profession, don't take this class. If you have an honest interest in psychology and feel that you might either pursue it as a career, or be an avid psychological intellectual for the rest of your life, I really recommend taking a class with Dr. Maxwell.