https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter Written below is advice offered by previous PSYC 2270 students about how you can make the most of your time in the course, learn the content, study for quizzes, navigate teamwork, organize projects, and any other advice they could think of. en-us 2022-12-02 20:46:49 UTC 2026-02-26 18:53:59 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411297085 My main piece of advice for this course is to have fun. This course isn't terribly difficult but it isn't easy either. If you come to class, genuinely interested in the material and invested in what's being discussed, you will learn it and it will be useful. Regardless of what field you want to pursue there is at least one topic (probably a lot more) in this class that will be applicable to your future career. Even if it's as simple as a better understanding of how to design your workspace to minimize injury or maximize productivity, there is something in this class for everyone. Don't sweat too much over this class but don't treat it like it's a free grade. It requires work, but it's fun, applicable, and good work.]]> 2022-12-06 21:15:21 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411297085 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411297846 It's not a difficult class. If you do the things you suppose to do, you are good. It is also really helpful if you've already taken PHYC 1101.]]> 2022-12-06 21:16:16 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411297846 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411298203 If you want to get the most out of this course, invest yourself into the lecture material. Engineering psychology is very interesting (especially for a social science) and you can get a lot out of it if you put a lot into it. Don't worry so much about your grade because if you take notes you will do well on the quizzes, and if you put effort into the project then you will be successful. ]]> 2022-12-06 21:16:43 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411298203 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411298933 Stick with this class! If you love psychology and design, this class will be a dream! Professor Dunbar does everything to ensure your success. She is very fair and enthusiastic about the subject. The class is very interactive, which makes it fun and engaging. You'll learn so much from your peers and from the professor by the end of the semester. Don't be intimidated by the large project at the end. Yes, it's a large portion of your grade, but Professor Dunbar will break it down and make it easy for you! All you have to do to succeed is be passionate about the topic and put in some effort. Make sure to communicate well with your teammates and don't procrastinate on your project! It is definitely not a fun one day grind.]]> 2022-12-06 21:17:42 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411298933 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411299156 Take notes on anything mentioned that isn't included in the slides or is personally interesting to make reflection easier at the end of the week. Get in contact with group members quickly and decide on the most convenient form of communication for everyone. Take stock of any notes/powerpoints before starting a quiz so that everything is easily accessible when more info is needed.]]> 2022-12-06 21:18:00 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411299156 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411299274 Don't be afraid to take advantage of grace periods if you need them. Prioritize your physical and mental health. It'll also help you be way more successful overall. ]]> 2022-12-06 21:18:12 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411299274 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411299424 first off, go to class! you will learn the most from interacting with the material live and will get way more out of than just reading through the powerpoints later. invest time in your group project, meeting for 10-15 minutes after each class is much easier than trying to have a 1 hour meeting every 2 weeks. teamwork is how you will succeed so be kind to your team and make communication a priority, plus try and get stuff done early so you have time to look over it. talk to peers about what is going on in the lectures and ask questions especially in the weekly reviews because professor Dunbar will answer them!! study for the quizzes even if its just the day of, review your class notes and look over the powerpoints. this class is a lot of fun and makes you think differently about how you interact with the world so make the most of it!!]]> 2022-12-06 21:18:25 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411299424 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411299461 I think there's a tendency at Georgia Tech to be hyper focused on just getting through a course with a good grade instead of actually thinking about the material. When you take this class, don't necessarily worry about taking incredibly detailed notes, or making sure you're prepared for every possibility on the quizzes. The material in this course is genuinely interesting and cool stuff, and you'll ruin it for yourself if you just treat it like every other class. When you come to lecture, just listen and try to absorb what you're hearing. Sure, taking notes is fine, but don't let that become more of a focus than actually understanding what you're hearing. This is not an extremely difficult class, but it's an extremely cool class, so don't let it scare you, and enjoy the material that you're learning. It's been a very chill time in Engineering Psychology this year, so just relax, don't worry about your grade, and just try to listen and learn. Treat this as a break from normal GT academic life and I think you'll really enjoy it.]]> 2022-12-06 21:18:28 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411299461 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411300130 - pay attention in lectures because the information is very interesting and you can learn a lot from the class
- participate in lectures and activities because it helps you stay engaged
- communicate with teammates and split the work up between yourselves
- look at the slideshows or take notes directly on the slides
- go to lectures so that things on the slides and on quizzes make sense]]> 2022-12-06 21:19:27 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411300130 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411300746 Don't let college become a chore. There will be things you might think are pointless and/or useless in some classes yes, but involve yourself to break up the monotony and use your electives to pick things that sound interesting. Your work will add up and you will feel overwhelmed at times, but that is perfectly okay, you'll get through it. And also, taking a moment for yourself to decompress isn't being lazy. Sometimes sitting there and turning off your brain for an hour is the best thing you could do for yourself in that moment.]]> 2022-12-06 21:20:21 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411300746 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411302353
You are going to expect me to say study, but that is not the key to success for this course. In fact, by studying you are robbing yourself of the true benefit of the course: application. Instead, try applying what you learn. It is a very low risk course, so give yourself the time to learn instead of panic studying. When you create 8 sketches of your system, go home and try it with your most recent software or hardware idea. Maybe if you take a front-end heavy CS class, put Fitts’s Law to use. Best of all, change your lifestyle with the information. When you learn about memory and Multiple Resource Theory, go change your study habits for other classes and allocate your mental resources. Even better than that, by changing your workspace to be more user friendly (using primary reach envelope Or maybe using red LEDs in the dark), you actually become more productive. All I can say to conclude this letter is give this course a shot and really apply the material. You won’t regret it.]]> 2022-12-06 21:22:32 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2411302353 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2415043269 Before coming into this course, I didn't know what to expect. I thought it would be heavily geared around memorization, but I was completely wrong. While this course does require some memorization of concepts, it's more so application-based, a style of education that I think many people such as myself prefer more. The amount of knowledge you gain in such a short period of time is not only interesting but useful since a lot of these ideas can be applied to your own lifestyle. There's also a lot of lenience in the amount of time given for assignments, so don't feel pressured to give up an arm and leg to turn things in on time. This course is going to teach you a lot of different things, and I promise you'll enjoy taking it.]]> 2022-12-09 01:24:41 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2415043269 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2415112972 Personally I really enjoyed this class. This is obviously not going to be one of your hardest classes at Tech, but it’s definitely one of the most interesting. You will pass but won’t learn much if you don’t come to lecture. You’ll learn a lot of concept you can apply in your life and other disciplines. This class will be what you make it to be.]]> 2022-12-09 02:42:01 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2415112972 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2419641535 You might think that because of the word "engineering" in this class the contents may not apply to you, but it has helped me tremendously. I learned so much about making systems so that they encompass different people and to design web pages so that it optimized the usability. Take this course it will help you a lot for the future!!!]]> 2022-12-13 18:47:47 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2419641535 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567597566 Go to class, make sure you turn everything in, work well with you group, make sure you communicate well for projects. ]]> 2023-04-25 17:30:58 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567597566 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567599981 Take this course! It's a low stress, but very interesting class. Every concept is  connected to each other and is very applicable to the real world. While I'm only pursuing a certificate in I/O psychology, this course opened my eyes to how I can use psychology in my future career. You can use the information learned in this course in whatever manner you decide - whether applying the design principles to your next job or deciding to go into a psych focused area. It teaches you a lot of things that many never would have previously thought about! ]]> 2023-04-25 17:32:55 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567599981 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567599998 Get engaged! You get out what you put in, so if you go to class, pay attention, and participate in the discussions and activities, you'll learn some really cool stuff and develop useful skills. Coming from a major with more theoretical classes, this was a great way to practice applying concepts to a variety of industry scenarios. Engage yourself, ask questions, and enjoy it!]]> 2023-04-25 17:32:56 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567599998 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567600495 The most important thing I can say is really work with your team for the group projects... Make sure everyone is putting in the work and if someone is falling behind help them out... Do not wait too long on letting the teacher know about people who are just sitting back and doing nothing, the work is not hard, but if your group is down a member then it can get to be a decent chunk of work... Overall, make sure your team is well coordinated and come to lectures and you will do good in this class.]]> 2023-04-25 17:33:20 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567600495 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567600575 Make sure to attend lecture every day and take useful notes; you'll learn a lot. The course is really interesting, and it may even make you a more well-rounded employee in the future; you'll possess not only the technical skills learned from your other experiences, but also the knowledge of how to apply those skills in such a way that is most compatible with human psychology. 

As long as you do your best, I'm sure the class will be a really fun experience.]]> 2023-04-25 17:33:24 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567600575 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567600945 Personally, I didn't know what to expect when taking this course. However, the content is incredibly engaging, if you choose to engage. Sure, you can scrape by without paying attention to the concepts. However, the lectures I was engaged were super stimulating and really taught me about many concepts. 

One thing I really enjoyed was the applicability to every day life. If you're not a PSYC major, try applying these concepts to your daily lives. You'll notice good and bad design everywhere, and be cognizant on how to fix it.

Overall, this course truly isn't one where you have to "grind" to succeed, but is a well-designed, super interesting course. 

Thanks for a great semester.]]> 2023-04-25 17:33:43 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567600945 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567601669 Enjoy the class! The content is very engaging and interesting if you're interested in engineering and how it's incorporated with the way people view the world. Take notes during lecture and mark things that interested you the most (that will help with the weekly reflection assignments). Paying attention and taking notes also extensively helps with the weekly quizzes. Be prepared to communicate with various classmates and write papers for the course project. Good luck!]]> 2023-04-25 17:34:19 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567601669 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567602395 The most important thing is to communicate with your group. You don't get to choose who you work with so make sure to keep everyone on track and communicate often. Show up to class and listen to the lectures because they can be really interesting and participate in the in class activities. It shouldn't be too hard to succeed in this class as long as you just put in the effort. ]]> 2023-04-25 17:34:50 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567602395 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567603991 Let's make something clear: Just because you see "engineering" in the title doesn't mean that this is a course about differential calculus and physics; this is a course about why the desk you're sitting at feels comfortable or not, why your pen is shaped a certain way, or why your scissors fit so well. The class is one of the most interesting that I've had a chance to take because it considers something a lot of psych classes sometimes don't: how these arbitrary principles work in real life. So, if you attend class regularly & engage with the work you're given (and really engage, not just grade-chase), you'll get a lot of this class. This isn't a hard class, but you're only going to get something out of it if you're willing to put in some effort.

Go have fun.]]> 2023-04-25 17:35:58 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567603991 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567604906 Enjoy this class, it’s going to be something special. I’m a senior and I am glad to have had a nice break from the usual math-focused engineering classes that’d otherwise dominate my schedule. That said, don’t treat it as a throwaway class. Take the opportunity to learn about something that would be interesting, then apply it to whatever you see. The functionality of a mouse has a focus on ergonomics from its design to its adaptability in the human hand.
Whether you take notes or not is up to you, though don’t discount not showing up to class, as then you’d miss out on an in-class assignment and lower your grade from it. Finally, get to know your group mates in your team project, they’ll be really chill people that also want to get a nice, solid “A” like yourself. Finally, have fun, but not too much fun!]]> 2023-04-25 17:36:40 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567604906 https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567606769 Look around you. What do you see? You see that door knob? You see that handle? You see the screen that you are currently viewing? What do you think of the design? In this course, be critical of the designed world and spaces we occupy in. Do you feel there’s a lack of beauty? Or do you feel there’s a lack of efficiency? At the same time, be appreciative. Somebody built that house you live in. Somebody assembled that HVAC system that you use. Critique and learn from a point of love. Living here and learning in this country is a privilege. You have the power of learning what you must learn. If a Georgia Tech student is not passionate about learning how designs affect humanity, then what are you doing?

Enjoy learning in the class. Wish you all the best.]]> 2023-04-25 17:37:52 UTC https://padlet.com/terridunbar/letter/wish/2567606769