Barry Levy - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Professor: Barry Levy
Department: History
College: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Rating # 1
Overview:
  • Course: HIST331
  • Grade Received: B+
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
His lectures will put you to sleep. His PowerPoints are useless. He doesn't use moodle. He writes random words on the chalkboard that don't help you follow the lecture or take notes at all. Easily worst professor I've ever had. He is, however, a fair grader on his papers. So there's that.
Rating # 2
Overview:
  • Course: HIS330
  • Grade Received: A-
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
Mr. Levy is the man, he has the deepest understanding of the topic at hand. He presents the history and then his thesis, and it is up to the student, who should be able to think critically at this age, to formulate their own thesis for the 3 papers assigned. There are 4 grades and your best paper counts twice.
Rating # 3
Overview:
  • Course: HIST392N
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: Yes
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Professor Levy knows his material intimately. He's at his best (as are most professors) in smaller class settings, where there's a chance to have a dialogue with him about the topic. His breadth of knowledge about the subject allows him to make the history really come alive to a degree that younger professors sometimes struggle to match.
Rating # 4
Overview:
  • Course: HIST360
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Very dry, repetitive lectures. The grading is based off of 3 essays, all of which require you to argue for Prof. Levy's ideas, which he presents in class and in his book (which he makes you buy).
Rating # 5
Overview:
  • Course: HIST360
  • Grade Received: B+
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 1.0
  • For Credit: Yes
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: No
  • Attendance: Not Mandatory
Comment:
He rarely prepares for lecture. He just, kind of, shows up and talks on whatever subject he teaches. He talks a lot about his research, it seems as though he'd rather be doing that.
Rating # 6
Overview:
  • Course: HIST594AA
  • Grade Received: A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Great, kind, professor... a pleasure to be in his class...
Rating # 7
Overview:
  • Course: HIS330
  • Grade Received: A+
  • Overall Rating: 2.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: Mandatory
Comment:
Do NOT recommend. While he was funny and knowledgeable, he cannot lecture. He spoke quietly and used "umm" about every three sentences. Most of the lectures are pretty much the same, too. The only reason I stayed in the class was because of my interest in English history. With papers, he's a fair grader and quite helpful.
Rating # 8
Overview:
  • Course: HIST330
  • 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:
Literally the most boring lecturer I've ever had, speaks to softly and too many "umms." That being said, he is an excellent and fair grader on essays, and gives a surprising amount of specific feedback. Though I did'nt learn much from the lectures (each one was basically the same thing) I learned a lot about how to write for history.
Rating # 9
Overview:
  • Course: HIST360
  • 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:
Nice professor, a bit boring, not a great lecturer but the whole class is based around argumentative papers which makes it entertaining. I would recommend his class again.
Rating # 10
Overview:
  • Course: HIST330
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
SO. BORING. Quite literally the worst professor I've ever had. Before I took this class I was REALLY interested in the subject, until he killed it for me. Dry, boring lecturer. Says 'um' and 'uh' ALL THE TIME. Avoid this class like the plague.
Rating # 11
Overview:
  • Course: HIST331
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 1.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
I litterally did not do any of the readings and attended maybe 5 classes all semester and I got an A-. He is super easy, really nice, very willing to help you out of you need it. He is a little boring but I would recommend his class.
Rating # 12
Overview:
  • Course: HIST330
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
this class was an easy A. minimal class attendance and reading, and very few assignments. levy was disappointing; came to class unprepared often. knew little about the overall tudor/stuart history, just wanted to focus on his middling class primary sources. was a very specific grader though, and not easy to ****. overall though, he was blah.
Rating # 13
Overview:
  • Course: HIST330
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 1.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: No
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Prof. Levy is a really nice guy. Unfortunetly his lectures are dry and boring and he often repeats himself. The work load was something like 3 papers that were all really easy. No tests, no homework made this class an easy A. Attendance is not mandatory, even reading the books is not important.
Rating # 14
Overview:
  • Course: HISTORY150
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.5
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Ok, I took the class in Spring of 2002 but I will never forget it. I learned everything from my discussions. The lectures are so dry and boring that Prof. Levey even forgets what he's talking about. I spent more time in my TA's office hours than in class it seemed. The paper topics have little to do with lecture. I worked my ass off for a B.
Rating # 15
Overview:
  • Course: HIST646
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
While Prof Levy does have a very dry, soft-spoken lecture style, I've found him very knowledgeable and helpful, for the most part. He certainly does inject opinion, but in my experience, he does so less than is par for the course at UMass Amherst. For those who are seriously interested in early America, I would recommend him.
Rating # 16
Overview:
  • Course: HIST330
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
emphasizes primary sources and papers. lectures uneven, but often good.
Rating # 17
Overview:
  • Course: HISTORT330
  • Grade Received: C
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
OH MY GOD! Worsdt teacher EVER!
Rating # 18
Overview:
  • Course: HIST330
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Dry dull and bad lecturer. When he wasn't rambling off topic he was spouting the same boring themes repeatedly. Couldn't clarify points of confusion. Avoid!
Rating # 19
Overview:
  • Course: HST330
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.5
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
So bad. Uninteresting lectures made me fall asleep almost every class. Goes off in many different directions and you are at a loss about what to write your papers on since it never seem like anything worth writing about is discussed in class. Mostly have to use readings for all necessary info.
Rating # 20
Overview:
  • Course: HIST330
  • 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:
Bad lectures. He irrelevantly incorporates his political bias into class, albeit amusingly. He contradicts himself at times and usually has no new material. One time in class he said 'ah' 175 times and 'um' 75 more. Never quite sure what to write on papers since lectures are vague. A really nice guy
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