Allen Galpern - University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Professor: Allen Galpern

Department: History

College: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Galpern was just awful. Don't go to lectures, just go to recitations. If you like history before this class and don't want that to be ruined, DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS WITH HIM AS THE PROFESSOR!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Western Civ. 1 - don't even bother going to lecture. He's pretty confusing and I had it so early I was more fighting to stay awake than following lecture. You're given the exam questions about a week in advanced. Recitations are important cause you go in depth (Maggie is my TA and she's kick ass!). You do have to read a lot.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIST100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Easy class, barely read any of the text, semi-listened during lecture. He is willing to compromise about tests and make ups. Be prepared to be bored to death, he whispers in the front of the class and speaks as if it were an essay. Overall its an easy class at least an easy B.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HISTREN
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very helpful professor - you have to make an effort. This isn't an easy professor but he isn't impossible either. I learned a lot from his class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

useless sums up the course entirely. don't buy the text book. it's a waste of money because i never opened it. don't go to class because it doesn't help at all. go to the recitations they are the only thing that helps. overall easy class though.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: WESTCIV
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

TOTALLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE! he talks about absolutely nothing that makes sense. if you just listen to what the ta tells you you'll do fine. got an A in this class and never once attended a lecture

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Talks very quietly and is often difficult to follow, especially because i had his class at 9 am. Don't get the main textbook, just get the other books he assigns, cause his tests are completely based off of them. Not hard to get a good grade, and he gives you a boost if you show improvement from test to test. Lots of writing (essay tests)

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST123
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Interesting in the discussion format of the honors class. Really challenged my writing style as well as arguments so I definitely improved over the semester. Asks good questions and will really listen to students' arguments. Sometimes I had a hard time knowing specifically what he was asking; he is extremely vague but kind and intelligent.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIST0123
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I took the honors course and found it very interesting. He incorporates primary sources so that the papers you write consist of you actually DOING history. He puts great emphasis on asking the right question, but it's not a great class for the most sequential thinkers.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

literally i felt all he did was give us a bible and ask us to look at it historically. that plus his monotone voice and his emphasizing random words in his lectures made his class horrible. avoid him if you can

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: WCIV0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This class was such a waste. He offers no legitimate historical facts in his lectures. Be prepared to take part in pointless recitation discussions. The only good thing is the exams are easy, but they are pointless as well. I'm a history major and the way he teaches western civilization is extremely disappointing

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIST123
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This class was a joke. The lectures had nothing to do with the grades, he was very unhelpful both before and after grading papers (his favorite phrase was that an argument was "thin"), and when I questioned him about my grade in the course he claimed that he had "lost" my final paper. Stay far far away.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He makes no sense so don't bother going to lecture. He took what could have been an awesome history class about western civilization and turned it into a literary analysis on the bible. Even though I got an A, I am so bitter that my tuition pays for this man. Do yourself a favor and don't take his class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

If it wasn't for the recitation I would be failing this class. Don't bother with lecture at all. Its useless. Horrible teacher.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Talks very quietly, and refuses to use a microphone. Maybe had to open the textbook once, essay questions are given 2 weeks early which in my opinion makes it easy to pass the tests, but lectures have nothing to do with tests. basically u just read novels and compare stuff no point in going to lecture,u can get everything you need from recitation

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very Very boring. I thought i was taking a history course and instead i found myself reading literature. Lectures put me to sleep. He talks very quietly and most of the time I couldnt hear him. Read the books and you'll pass. Would NOT recommend.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: UHC1109
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Though this was an Honors course, Galpern's grading seemed excessively hard. He is a grammar-nazi to the core. Nevertheless, he allowed space for a slight curve if you show improvement. However, my biggest qualm was with the course's pace. Though it was on the 20th Century, we only made it to the 1970s.This was one of many organizational issues

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very boring class, lecture notes have nothing to do with the tests, alot of useless reading.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: WESTERNCIV
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I can barely stay awake in this class...but his essay exams are easy..and the recitations helped alot too..I miss one class a week and got a B on the midterm..if you keep up with the reading you`ll be okay..and he uses a microphone now...

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HIST0100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

His essay questions are hard and confusing...The TA's do little to clarity questions and grade hard even though they don't know the material that well either...I'd like to see them write the essay...Do not take him...It made me angry that I got a C in his class and an A in organic chemistry!