Daniel Trifan - Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO

Professor: Daniel Trifan

Department: History

College: Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, MO

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIS340
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Trifan is a fantastic teacher, but you must approach one of his classes with the right attitude. If you're bad at note-taking or don't pay attention in class, you WILL do very poorly. Expect to sit down, then listen and write for the full class. However, Trifan turns his material into a straightforward linear narrative which is very interesting

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Trifan is clearly very passionate and knows a lot about history. This class is tough if you aren't very interested in history. He just writes names and dates on the board randomly during lectures and tells the material in a story-like format. The material on study guides did not reflect what was on the tests. Non-history majors beware.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Trifan is clearly extremely passionate about history, you can read his dedication in his face while he lectures. However he has seemed to not correlate his vast knowledge of the subject and apply it to teaching. He is very unclear about what will be on his exams, and there is zero online notes. Meaning if you doze off in lecture good luck

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIS339
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took Trifan for 339 and 230 and I loved him. If you don't like history and just need a credit, don't take him. If you're a history major, definitely take him. His lectures are old-school, he doesn't use ppt or have an outline, so he's just up there talking. In order to do well on tests YOU MUST STUDY. Trust me!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIS210
• Grade Received: F
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I have never failed a class in my life and i guess it's true that there's a first for everything. Class is super hard. If you don't like history DO NOT take his course. Book is irrelevant in his course. Make sure you write down EVERYTHING in his course.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Trifan is very old fashioned. The only notes you will get from this class are what you manage to jot down as he talks. That being said, his lectures are fairly interesting and there are extra credit opportunities.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is defiantly really passionate about History. Although he is difficult to follow at times. I suggest recorder would be best to have and review it right after to clear things up. It is hard to raise hands in class and questions usually have to be asked at the end of the class. Tests are difficult. Some Textbook material is pointless.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

If you enjoy history, TAKE TRIFAN. You won't have to use your textbook if you just show up to class, and can retain the information. Some of my less history-inclined friends had trouble because they weren't interested, but if you have the slightest interest in history, he brings it completely alive. Could listen to him for hours!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Loved him

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Most knowledgeable person I've ever met about history. No note cards, no nothing. He knows exact dates of every single person and event. Hundreds of them. Book is not necessary, but useful for essays. You will only have five grades. Three exams and two essays. Exams are tough. Write down everything he writes on the board. Lectures are interesting.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: JUST210
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Great story teller, real cool dude! Test are extremely hard

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HON395
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Trifan is amazing at history. He obviously loves the subject, but it's become unfortunately obvious that he has lost his passion for teaching itself. His requirements for tests and papers are not very clear. He offers little to no feedback on rough drafts or in discussions. He wanders in lectures and taking notes can be very difficult.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIS240
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Daniel Trifan is a great example of what a history professor should be. Knowledgeable, engaging, and above all, interesting, Dr. Trifan teaches history as if he is telling a story he has told a hundred times before. While his class is entirely lecture-based, all that is required for success is attention, good note-taking, and attendance.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Trifan is a very nice guy and a great story teller. However, he does not use powerpoints or an outline of any kind so notes are hard to keep. Take this class if you are good at studying notes but if you are not good at learning by listening I would not take this class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIS210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Excellent "story teller". Tests are challenging but if you attend all the classes and take notes and spend sometime studying, they aren't a big deal. Text book was completely unnecessary, I never opened it and got an A in the class from listening to lecture alone.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIS210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Trifan is brilliant, unbelievable smart and is crystal clear. The test reflect the lectures, and there is no need to get the book for this class. I recommend a recorder & stay on top of the recordings & study the notes. Pay attention to what people did instead of dates. Tests are hard.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIS210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If you have no interest in history, don't take this class. The tests are incredibly hard and detailed. The only thing saving my grade is the essay due with each exam. He's nice, and passionate, but this class is way harder than any general studies class i've taken, including physics. Maybe it's because physics at least remotely interests me.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIST130
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He made the class very interesting and was very clear.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIS230
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

AWESOME GUY!!!!! If Missouri Western's not paying him as much as they can... they should! Trifan is a bad ass! I loved this class! I'll be taking more of his classes in the future. This guy new his stuff! I'd like to see more professors like him! Not hard, but not easy. Take notes, read them, and you'll do fine.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HIST130
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Hard gen ed course. Never had a C or below in my LIFE and got a D in his class. Good story teller but just rambles and writes names on the board and you have no clue what he's talking about.