James Wald - Hampshire College, Amherst, MA

Professor: James Wald

Department: History

College: Hampshire College, Amherst, MA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CSI257
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

He's a good professor but a very tough grader and often his expectations for assignments and volume of reading are a little ridiculous. Often over 100 pages of reading and 20-60 (yes 60) assorted web pages and articles per class. Definitely a challenging class if you don't have the working memory of a computer

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CSI255
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I won't elaborate, since it was an about 15-person class and he'd spot me in a second, but he's pretty much the most intelligent, funny and self-aware professor I've had in the social sciences. You'd almost think he went into math. Way too many papers, though.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CSI219
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Jim gives thorough feedback and is willing to help when asked, but he assigns an extreme amount of work, even for his lower-level classes. He occasionally makes remarks that rubbed me the wrong way but is overall a good professor.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CSI219
• Grade Received: P
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Jim is an incredibly helpful advisor and instructor. He's definitely interested in pretty esoteric stuff, but in class he's very good about answering questions when they come up. He tends to let discussions run their course, only intervening when students get wildly off topic. You should buy the textbooks, as he will have you read completely.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST234
• 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:

Jim Wald is a great guy and selects extremely pertinent readings. This class has been very instrumental in teaching me to relate history to modern day circumstances. If you open up to it, Jim Wald's classes can help teach you how to think extremely critically. He's intelligent, witty and sardonic. And hot.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Good teacher. The assignments are challenging. Very helpful.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST101
• 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:

Jim Wald is critical, borderline offensive, and sarcastic. Though he is open, makes time for students, and gives constructive feedback.

Rating # 8

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

I generally enjoyed working with Jim and got to know him pretty well. Very much an "Herr Doktor" of the old school, warts and all - sometimes prickly and darkly sarcastic. He appeared to strive for fairness at all times. Sometimes assigns material that the average student will be out of their depth with, but he respects those who work hard.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: RENAISSANCE
• 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:

Good guy but somewhat an uninteresting/boring lecturer. Understanding and intelligent.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: 5
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I did my Div III with Jim Wald, and still think he’s one of the more helpful professors I’ve worked with. (Now I’m a college professor)

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: 3OFTHEM
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Jim helped me survive my first year without dropping out or going crazy. He challenged me, but was not imtimidating. His advice is practically sage-like.

Rating # 12

Overview:

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

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Good guy, and intelligent. unfortunately the topics he is interested in are pretty esoteric and somewhat uninteresting, he is a little boring himself and has trouble showing the significance of things like old pots and pans.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: SS275
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

the best. too bad he'll be on sabatical 2004-2005. hopefully he wont ever leave hampshire!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: SS275
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

good guy. really smart and easy to get ahold of too. on top of it. shows up late to class though...

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST240
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

A very intelligent and kind man. He really knows everything he is talking about. A lot of reading but it was mostly from primary sources, which are invaluable in a history course.

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

A truly excellant professor...you'll learn a lot from him.

Rating # 17

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Very organized--I learned A LOT from him. Lots of reading from primary sources in his class. Pulled from different media--computer/internet component, online chats, movie showing. He's demanding and can be a little put-offish, but very good one-on-one.