Jay Dow - University of Missouri - Columbia, Columbia, MO

Professor: Jay Dow

Department: Political Science

College: University of Missouri - Columbia, Columbia, MO

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PS4004
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Jay Dow is one of my favorite professors at the University of Missouri, as he is engaging and knowledgeable about his field. I understand that many people perceive Dow as a strict, but this perception is most likely from students who he taught in large lecture halls, in which being strict is oftentimes required. In small classes, he is a great guy.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PS1000
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Study and pay attention. He has been doing this for years and hundreds of students have passed his class. It is doable, trust me, you just can't wait to the last minute to study for exams

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: POLSC1100
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

You have to be there for every lecture or else you will miss a lot of notes. I would just skim through the chapters we were supposed to read the day before the test and that seemed to work for me. I think the class had 3 or 4 test, but I can't remember exactly. Almost all questions on the test came from lecture with a few coming from the book.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PS4100
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I like professor Dow's lectures. It was really interesting to take his class while an election was going on, so if you have the chance to take the class during midterm elections, I would recommend it.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dow is very intelligent and gives good lectures if you listen closely to everything he is saying, although it can make you sleepy. He can come off as intimidating, but if you work for a good grade, it's less bothersome. Read the assigned readings and don't skip because all of the exams are based off the lectures, which he doesn't post online.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: POLSC1100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Grade is determined by three midterms and a final, that's it. Attending lectures are important, as a lot of exam questions are taken exclusively from them. Dow is passionate about what he teaches, but this can lead him to fly through the material without giving you any context and causes him to give off an arrogant attitude at times.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are absolutely terrible to sit through and he walks around like he owns the place. Very smart guy, but very arrogant and cocky. Never know what he'll test you over so if you take this class you should study 5-6 days in advance of an exam.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This is a tough class, but Jay Dow knows his stuff. His lectures are interesting and he really is interested in what he is teaching.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's a fine professor, but definitely expects a lot from you. The reason I find the class difficult is because of my lack of interest on the subject. History classes have never been my thing.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: POLI1100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Boring and arrogant. He gives off the feeling that he believes he's superior to all of his students.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: POLISCI1100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Jay is not a cool guy. He is self-absorbed and extremely arrogant. You can tell he feels as though he is extremely superior to the students of his lecture. Disrespectful to students during class and inconsiderate of effort. He doesn't use tegrity so if you are sick I would recommend attempting receive multiple students notes if you miss a lecture.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Very passionate about his research and teaching but overall just a jerk. Jumps right into all the topics and provides us with little background knowledge to help us follow along. Grading is based on 4 exams and that is it. DONT TAKE HIS CLASS

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dow really knows what he is teaching and his passion for the material is obvious. He comes across at tough because he really wants you to learn what he teaches. I use the material I learned in his class frequently, he's a great teacher.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Dow can seem intimidating and uncaring at first, but he is just passionate about what he does. Won't care if you come to class, but should because most material is in lecture and slides are not posted to blackboard. If you need help with something serious he is extremely helpful. If you are confused about materials see a TA.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Funny guy, makes lots of bad jokes but they're usually worth a laugh clearly passionate about what he does. Didn't think it was a horribly difficult course. finished with a B by only going to lecture. Would recommend reading.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

his lectures are almost impossible to understand, but you have to attend because he lectures about things that aren't in the readings that will be on the tests. tests include an essay. whenever I've gone to him for help he wasn't too helpful and treats his students like they're idiots and is super arrogant.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

really knowledgable of the material. lectures are just reviews of the reading. there is a lot of reading but you don't need to read them if you pay attention in class. only 3 test and a final. seems intimidating at first but is just a review of high school government with a little more detail and focus on the constitution. The TAs help more.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

toughest class I've ever taken. do not recommend to anyone

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: PLSCI1100
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

As someone with an interest in political sciences I really enjoyed this class but it was tough. Its very important to go to the lectures and to ask questions for clarity. Dow knows what he is talking about but can be very pompous at times. Personally I did well without reading but thats rare. If you pay attention in lectures you should be fine.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: POLSCI55291
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

if you love yourself and value your livelihood in any capacity, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Only 3 tests and a final exam but the exams cover weeks of info and are only 35 questions and he never does reviews/lets you know what will be on the test. no notes or powerpoint online either. PP slides are vague so u have to be pretty engaged to get good notes