I’ll Really Wish I Had Majored in Econ: Telebears XIII–History
History is one of those subjects you try to avoid for the entirety of your time in school, simply because secondary school teachers like to ram into you many facts. Yes, that brutal bastard Christopher Columbus discovered American islands in 1492. Yes, Lewis and Clark teamed up with Sacagawea for the most successful threesome of all time. Yes, Japanese-Americans did not get the best possible breaks from Roosevelt. We got it the first time around; you didn’t need to hammer it into our heads each successive year until we leave high school.
Surprisingly, a lot of students end up back in history when they realize most other majors are too tough for them. History can be kinda boring to learn, but by this point in life it can be quite easy–we’ve been doing it for so long that there doesn’t seem to be many more tricks left. Here are what these cruising students have to say about their professors.
(Have any memories about professors in this department for a class or in general? Contribute them in the comments.)
History 5, European Civilization from the Renaissance to the Present
Tom Laqeuer, TuTh 11-1230, 145 Dwinelle
“Very informative, somehow ties the theme of dogs (yep) into every lecture, something different. Only problems are his stuttering, disorganization, and missed some topics I think should have been included…he’s just so funny in how he excited he gets about certain topics, spending way too much time there, and trying to still finish the whole lecture in time…an extremely hard class, but worth it if you really like history.”
History 6A, History of China: Origins to the Mongol Conquest
David Johnson, TuTh 2-330, 101 LSA
“I fell asleep in the majority of the lectures. Johnson speaks in a monotone and pauses every few words, and it doesn’t help that the room’s always warm with comfortable seats…one of the worst professors i’ve ever had! bad tempered, picky, boring, speaks in monotone… No in-class final or midterms. Sweet deal. He’s also very nice in office hours!”
History 7A, The US From Settlement to Civil War
Robin Einhorn, TuTh 930-11, 155 Dwinelle
“Only two essays and two exams make it difficult to save your grade by the end, so don’t work on the essays last-minute like I did…She is a bit scary though, so if you try to leave lecture early be prepared for her to call you on it to the point of her flying across the lecture hall and pulling you back to your seat…Some people were simply born with an ability to teach, and Robin Einhorn is one of those people.”
History 8A, Becoming Latin America (1492-1824)
William Taylor, TuTh 11-1230, 101 Barker
Silver and Entrepreneurship in Seventeenth-Century Potosi
“He is very passionate about what he teaches and if you go to office hours he is very helpful…he’s really nice but such a lulling voice! and all the slides… dark room… early in the morning…I would highly recommend this class for those who want an objective view of Latin American history rather that the more common over-romanticized one.”
History 100, Colonialism and Nationalism in Africa
Tabitha Kanogo, TuTh 930-11, 220 Wheeler
, Memoirs of the Maelstrom, Thunder from the Mountains (Africa series)
“Her talk is incoherent and scatter around…She’s knowledgeable and awesome, but just gets off topic a lot…Her tests were fair, and you could definitely tell what was going to be on them…the professor is excellent, especially on one-one basis…Professor Kanogo is from Kenya, and can tell us about life in our homeland firsthand. Alright Professor Kanogo!”
History 158C, Old and New Europe, 1914 Present
Anthony Adamthwaite, TuTh 1230-2, 145 Dwinelle
“His dry wit definitely enhanced the lectures. He picked a great selection of readings, too. As other people have said, his exams are totally straightforward…quintessentially English, yet remains entirely approachable…interesting, but gives lots of reading and is a tough grader…He is way chill and makes funny jokes!”
History 178, History of the Holocaust
John Efron, TuTh 2-330, 101 Morgan
, Holocaust: Problems & Perspective of Interpretation,
“Lectures and material are extremely interesting. Teacher is laidback… material can propel itself to some degree, though oddly the Holocaust portion of the class itself tends to drag..Loses some steam towards the end of the semester, but good class overall….One of THE BEST history professors I have had in my life.”
(Data taken from RateMyProfessors and Berkeley Online Schedule of Classes)
(Image from Social Design Notes)
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