Glenn Smith - University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Professor: Glenn Smith

Department: Political Science

College: University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: POLI104A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Lectures were so monotone. It was very unclear what he is looking for on exams. Take this class with a different professor if you can.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: POLI104I
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Whats really cool about him is that his passion for law rly radiates in his lectures. The content was super interesting so that was an added plus. Make sure you do EVERY SINGLE READING b/c although his exams are open-note you genuinely have to understand every aspect. Go to lecture if youre confused-- he pinpoints exactly what he wants you to know

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: POLI104A
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Grade: 40% midterm 60% final. Whatever you do, I have one word of advice: READINGS. DO ALL OF THEM. The open-note exam policy is pointless if you haven't grasped the concepts Prof. Smith wants you to pinpoint and how they are relevant to cases. Read EVERY page he assigns and make sure you understand. He is reachable during O.H. if you're confused.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: POLI104D
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This was a very challenging course for me. Graded on few things and the final is worth 60% of the grade (cumulative exam). Very caring professor though, pretty hilarious, and easy to get ahold of which is key for difficult concepts. Cool guy. Podcasts his lectures so I never had to come to class, but WATCH. Also, OPEN TEXTBOOK EXAMS, BUT NO E-BOOKS

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: POLI104B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I enjoyed this class overall. Prof Smith is funny and nice, although lectures can get dry after a while. I actually read the textbook and thought it helped me on the tests. The midterm and final were reasonable, just make sure that you actually study because you will not do well if you rely solely on your notes. Test questions are at times wordy.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 104B
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class was a lot more in depth than I expected. If you plan on going to law school, you should probably take this class. If you are not, then probably avoid this class. 90% of grade comes from two moderately difficult tests. Smith himself is a nice and funny guy.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: POLI104A
• 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:

Attendance is not mandatory - as he podcasts everything. The class is graded on one midterm (30% of your grade) and one final (70% of your grade). Both are in class assignments, short essay form, where you answer questions based on hypothetical laws or legal arguments. They are open book and open note (no electronics though).

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 104B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Smith is one of my favorite professors at UCSD! He literally wrote Constitutional Law for Dummies - there is no better professor to take a course about constitutional law. His courses are detailed and difficult, as he teaches them like he teaches is law school courses. If you are a POLI major, I would highly recommend!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: POLI104A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I was warned not to take Smith but I decided to do it anyway and it was a mistake! His lectures are so long and dry and makes the material more confusing. The final is 70% of your grade and sometimes it's unclear what type of answers he's looking for. Avoid and take this class with a different prof if you can !

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: POLI104A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Probably the worst professor I've ever had. Very inefficient and unclear lectures. Don't think he actually knows the material very well himself. Test questions seem easy but it's impossible to predict what he will demand in terms of answers.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: 104A
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Glenn is great. The only thing is that no one likes 3 hour lectures. He is funny and really good at explaining concepts. He prepares you exceptionally well for his exams.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: 104A
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I went in to Smith's Constitutional Law course as Donald Trump, and came out as Barack Obama. He is insanely knowledgeable and challenges you in the right way. He is very funny in a dad joke kind of way. Midterm and Final make up your entire grade, and are both open note. DO THE READING. I have taken multiple courses from him, he is amazing!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: 104A
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Smith is super funny and you get to really learn a lot from his lectures. But, if you don't do the readings, gg for you.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: POLI104D
• 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:

I loved his class. There were lots of reading but he goes over it in lecture. I like his jokes and he is so knowledgeable. He is also incredibly nice. The midterm and finals are open book open notes so that's a big plus. Overall, it's very very doable if you are familiar with the reading

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: POLI104D
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

His lectures were pretty boring, especially if you did the reading. I stopped attending after a few times. He seems like a very nice guy. There's only a midterm and a final, which is a little scary, but as long as you do the reading (and have a good grasp of it) it is possible to get a good grade.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: POLI104A
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Glenn Smith is a professor who has a deep understanding about all things constitutional law. 104A is basically a class that covers a few topics, but is extremely deep within those subjects. The class is graded only by a midterm and a final, but are open note and open book. You should review a day before though. Lectures can be dry to some.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: POLI104I
• 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 Smith is an absolutely amazing professor. He is so funny and humble for how intelligent and knowledgable he is. It was a joy being in his class this quarter and I learned SO much. I know so much more about law than I did a few months ago. He is one of the most genuine professors. I can't wait to take another one of his classes.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: POLI104B
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Under 20 pages of reading per week and no papers and you can learn a lot about constitutional law. Great professor!!!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: 104A
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Glenn Smith is a good teacher and he knows what he is talking about. He gives a lot of examples for everything he explains (sometimes can even be too much), but he does it to make it clear and easier for everyone. The classes are very long and you can get distracted easily but if you do the readings and listen to him you will pass. He is pretty fun

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: POLI104B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are SO LONG. It's really hard to stay awake sometimes Readings are recommended BUT not required because he basically goes over them during lectures ( I personally didn't read that much but got an A in this class) It's open notes exam so make sure you take good notes and definitely go over those court cases (oyez is awesome!)