Blue Fier - Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA

Professor: Blue Fier

Department: Photography

College: Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: AHIS52
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Long boring lectures and hard quizzes

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHOTO52
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The professor does not put lectures or any notes on canvas. I would not recommend taking a course that involves him teaching because he does not put any emotion or hint of care into his vocal lectures. Literally one third of the class would usually fall asleep. Very rude and unhelpful. Lacks emotion and any sign of care in his voice.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: AHIS52
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Wouldn't recommend taking as online class. There were a lot of lectures to listen to, and they're hard to keep track of. Every unit lasts two weeks, and there was an assignment for each unit. There were 3-4 timed essays, and 3-4 quizzes. I didn't use the textbook very much. Overall very smart and creative guy. Make sure you stay on top of yourself.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: AHIS1102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His tests are straight forward its based on the lectures and readings. He also gives study guide and extra credit opportunities. I havent had any trouble reaching out to the professor. Read and study lecture and you will pass the class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHOTO52
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class is the worst class ever. Terrible professor and don't recommend this class to ANYONE. He barely replies back to emails, awful learning environment, Test is extremely hard, not guaranteed help from him. He is extremely rude when you ask him for help.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: AHIST52
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

There's a lot of information compacted in 6 weeks. I was basically studying almost every day for this class. I ended up getting a B. The essays I think are fairly easy. The tests are what hurt my grade. Questions on tests aren't all conceptual. You really need to dig into details with photographers so pay attention to small minor details.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: AHIS52
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The worst class ive ever taken. His lectures slides are filled with a ridiculous amount of information that doesnt need to be there, and he has an audio for every slide which is just him saying every single word. Doesnt add anything new, just says the words. Crazy amount of reading and incredibly difficult tests with questions that are irrelevant.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: AHIST52
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Everyone here is just whining. I am by no means a straight A student and took this class online and still got an A. Let me remind you that I was working 12 hour days at work and still managed to study. This isn't an easy A, meaning you must take initiative to do whatever is needed to pass. I made flashcards and studied daily. But that's college...

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHOTO52
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

By Quiz 3 my grade dropped to a B. His lectures are so dense and he assigns so many pages from the book to read its ridiculous. I can't remember in less than 1 minute if the photographer who took this image was an immigrant from Europe who preferred the dry waxed process over the autochrome process! Timed quizzes and tests are so stressful.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHOTO52
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Be ready for A LOT of lectures and A LOT of reading. Not a hard class but definitely need to make sure to take notes on the lectures because that's what your tests are on

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: AHIS52
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

As an AHIS major and avid photographer, I looked forward to this class but it was literally the worst one ever! Blues lectures are insanely tedious & painful to listen to; his test lack any thought-evoking concepts and are merely a series borderline trick questions about minutia involving personal events in random photographers lives. Terrible!!!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHOTO52
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Took his PHOTO 52 class online and I do not wish my worst enemy to experience this. I am an A student but this class made ridiculously hard to keep it that way. crazy unimportant anecdotes on quizzes which based on nonsense facts like "which photographer's kid was friends with X sister and what city did he live in when he was 5". STAY AWAY!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: AHIS52
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The best thing about Blue Fier is his name. It's the only good thing I can think of to be honest. He is very boring to listen to when he talks for 1,5 hours twice a week, and then makes you read excatly what he said, because he is mostly just reading during his lectures. His quizzes are hard and you have to know every photographer and their work.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: AHIST52
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you don't like photography or are trying to get your pre-req done, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!! I'm not an art major or photography major and I was super lost in what was happening in the class. I don't reccomend this class for anyone who isn't an art or photography major.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHOTO52
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Good Teacher, Hard Class..A lot Of Material and memorizing.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHOTO52
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

For anyone who is not 100% into photography, past, present, and future, do not take this class. His tests and quizzes are very hard. He'll give a 30 min limit for 30 questions, leaving no time to recheck answers. Questions he asks don't really have much to do with photos themselves, but random ones about the photographer. I didn't enjoy taking

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHOTO52
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took him fall 2014. Very great class plus he is very funny. The class is easy as long as you always attend. The final project is tough but fun to do. The tests are not difficult.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: AHIST52
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class is absolutely ridiculous. I am a straight A student. I work hard and enjoy school. I absolutely hated this class. I dropped and received a W but it was totally worth it. The amount of time I spent per week for ALL of the readings, 73 lectures in total, and projects/assignments with only a 75% to show for it is beyond me. He is nuts.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: AHIS52
• 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:

Interesting class but 73 lectures within a 6 week winter session was overwhelming. Material is all memorizing since its art history but flashcards don't help for quizzes/finals since he puts questions about the smallest least relevant detail. Getting an A on all papers and reports AND doing the extra credit doesn't help since exams kill your grade

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: AHIS52
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The class itself was interesting, but the professor has such a monotone voice. It was hard not to fall asleep, and if you do fall asleep you will not pass. All the info for quizzes and finals are in class, so if you miss class you don't have the info. You need to study a LOT. Papers are easy A's, finals/quizzes are very hard.