Bruce O'Brien - University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA

Professor: Bruce O'Brien

Department: History

College: University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST341
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Welcomes questions. Lets too many students waste class time with irrelevant talk/play time. VERY helpful one on one. Personable, realistic, good at explaining things.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST341
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I LOVE O'Brien. He is incredibly smart and knows a lot history. This was my first class with him, but I hope to take more. The class can appear a bit scary because our paper was 50% of the grade. However he was very helpful with ideas, providing sources, and feedback. In this class we focused a lot on primary sources and did not use the book often.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIST341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's a bit of a loon but really funny. And you'll learn a lot from him. He is difficult but he is always available for help and his jovial demeanor makes the atmosphere in the room much more relaxed....but you will have work to do ;)

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• 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:

Awesome professor. Passionate about his study and likes people that are interested. Spoon feeds you final and midterm hints. Discussion questions are a breeze. Just take notes! And laugh at his jokes. He likes that. And yes, if you think you just heard a sex joke from him, you did.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He takes attendance every day, but if you have to miss class he's really understanding. He assigns so much reading in the book. As long as you do the blog posts and show up to class you could get a C. The tests are really hard but all multiple choice. His lectures are so boring and I never knew what to write down as notes.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

hes passionate yes, but he goes off on tangents. i had to teach myself most of the material. Most of the class never shows up, and almost all of the class failed his midterm. I love him, but the class is just a waste. I feel like I've lean red nothing this year. I've had better.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is very knowledgable, very passionate about the material, and really wants you to get a good grade. Honestly, the only way you can complain is if you don't like learning, which is kind of the point of going to any University. I hope you would want an educated professor who has seen things, that's what you pay for. Its history, lots of reading.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• 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:

hes a nice guy, but the class is so boring. he goes off on tangents, i fall asleep half the time. 90 % of our class failed the midterm so he had to curve it so most at least got a C. reading the questions at the back of the chapter help a lot, discussions aren't too bad, I'm dreading the analysis paper we have to do though.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Awesome class!!Lectures are a little boring, but take good notes.No tests, just a mid term and final. When you read the chapters, there are questions at the beginning and end.Highlight the answers, and study those for the exams.I can guarantee a passing grade.For the responses,use citations from the source and don't over think the questions.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Ok all of UMW's Western Civ classes are unrealistically hard for gen eds but O'brien is probably your best bet. Easy to pass, but hard to get anything better than B

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Friendly, approachable, helpful guy. Usually takes attendance. Lectures can get a little dry, but he knows it and frequently jokes around during them. Homework is not extremely difficult but still requires effort. Midterm is very hard if you don't read the ($100) textbook. Take for gen ed only if you also find history interesting.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Seems like a nice enough guy but the class is hard. Lots of reading (30-50 pages per night) and the tests require that you know every page. Attendance is required but its a nice boost to your grade.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIST201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

O'Brien is a wonderfully intelligent teacher, just do your reading and be prepared to be mentally engaged in his classroom. He's very snarky, but willing to help and has a great sense of humor.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This class was so much fun. he has a great sense of humor(if a little nerdy) and really knows his stuff. He reminds me of what Robert Langdon from Dan Brown's books would look like in real life. the class is pretty easy, i studied for the two exams the night before and got A's. study from the book and his lectures though

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST121
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I liked O'Brien before this class, but I have to say this was not his best. The class was dry and impersonal. He'd often get hung up on evaluation of sources rather than content. When asked a question, he had a way of making me feel stupid for asking. He's such a nice guy, I know he wasn't doing it on purpose, but it was still off-putting.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ALL400
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I studied under Dr. O'Brien in the early 1990s and found him to be a great professor. Sounds like he hasn't changed. He may take a certain approach on religion, but I found that despite being a pet issue for him, (sorry Dr. O') it only strengthened my beliefs. Great classes, very engaging. Worth taking for the serious truth-seekers out there.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIST341
• 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:

Learned nothing in this class. It's good he never gave us exams bc his lectures are harder to follow than Prof. Blakemore's. He assigned a lot of pdf documents full of many pages of incomprehensible material. Don't do any readings for the class except those for which he asks questions or of its relevant to the 10-page paper he assigns.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIST341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I love O'Brien's class. It's probably the highlight of my week. He's very relaxed, funny and interesting. I liked him so much, I made sure to get into another class of his next semester. :)

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIST341
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

O'Brien is a great professor. Lively, interesting, with a snarky sense of humor. So technologically challenged, it's endearing. Class is extremely laid-back and easy, no exams. Very little reading, only a page or two at a time. Very interesting and relaxing class with a good professor. If you need a low-work high-interest class, take this one.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HIST451
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Bruce's classes were always insightful and entertaining. Be prepared to write "often and well," particularly in seminars, if you expect a decent grade. Encourages you to develop opinions, and a well-argued and documented point will receive consideration, even if a little crackpot (trust me on this one.)