Gregory Caldeira - The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Professor: Gregory Caldeira

Department: Political Science

College: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: POLISCI4135
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If you aren't considering law school, or you don't have an interest in the Supreme Court, DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE. That said, Caldeira is brilliant and highly regarded, look at his CV. He's extremely kind and helpful in office hours. Lectures are rough, he will lecture AT you for 80 minutes without stopping. Read every case and BRIEF THEM.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: 4135CONSTLAW
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Material is interesting, but there's a lot of it. Professor Caldeira makes pretty confusing Powerpoint slides that don't help much, and will sometimes breeze through confusing concepts without clarifying or connecting them to broader ideas. Read the text before lecture to get the most out of his class.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: 4135CONSTLAW
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Caldeira's lectures might be the cure to narcolepsy. He definitely knows his material but has no idea how to convey it. His notes are filled with acronyms that you will have no idea what they stand for when you go to prepare for his exams. He also uses terms that he does not go over and assumes you know what he's talking about.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: 4135
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Worst polisci class I have taken at OSU. Like every1 says on here, multiple choice exams in which 1 word makes the difference if you get the ? right. Lectures, textbook, and online notes, are not helpful. attendance is a part of your grade (you will be board). If it was not for the curve, many students would end up with D's and F's. AVOID HIM!!!!!!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: 4135
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

The material was tough, the lectures were not helpful at all but attendance is mandatory. He takes attendance on this website that you have to pay $20 for. The 3 exams, which make up your course grade, are extremely tough. Sometimes one word can be the difference between a right and wrong answer. Textbook not necessary. Make study guides of cases.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 4135
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Worst class I have ever taken. Clearly knows his stuff,but can't communicate that with the average student. He's also a law school prof and teaches the class like we're all about to pass the bar tomorrow. To pass an exam is to have an angel on your side. Do yourself a favor and pick a different class, or drop while you still have time.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: 4135
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

As an aspiring law student, his tests are multiple choice and extremely unpractical. Exams are on Carmen, which tends to glitch and mess up your answers. It gives you no room to make your case like an actual law exam. He uses this STUPID attendance taking software called Tophat that you'll waste $20 on. Don't waste time. Find a better class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 4135CONSTLAW
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Terrible professor in a sense that he is VERY BORING. Exams are open booknotes, but WATCH OUT ! He'll put a lot of questions with: A,B,C,D, All of the above, none of the above, BC, AD? the answers will sometimes come down to a single word that makes the difference. Unless you plan on going to law school, there is no benefit in taking this course.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: POLSC520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Extremely knowledgeable professor. Knows everything about every Supreme Court case ever. Textbook not essential, but does help. Only made it through about half of the scheduled court cases so not a terrible amount of work. Exams are specific but you get to use cheat sheets.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: POLSC520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Has extensive knowledge on the material, but he doesn't appear to know how to communicate any of it. Caldeira looks starkly similar to the Doctor in the 1992 children's movie, Beethoven. He makes it pretty clear that he'd rather be doing something other than teaching.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: POLSC520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Useful class but so boring you'll want to die. Tests are HARD despite being open book. Prof's notes are posted online but are extremely disorganized. Final exam looked nothing like the midterm.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PSC520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Ridiculous multiple choice exams, but they are open notes so make a table or contents or something before hand because all it is is a looking-up fest for an hour and 48 minutes. I didn't read the book and I highly doubt it helps, so don't bother, just use the notes. The curve is large so if you can look stuff up you're fine. attendance required.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: PS520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

kinda boring, we just reviewed court briefs and that's it. there are three grades: exam one, final exam, and attendance. exams are open book and open note, but don't let that fool you; they are incredibly hard and often the difference between two potential answers for a question is a single word. there is a curve, but you may need all of it.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PS520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The class has mandatory attendance and is incredibly boring. Tests are open note, but they are somewhat difficult. Nice sized curve in the class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PS520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. This guy is HORRIBLE. No interest in teaching whatsoever, exams are horrible...AVOID.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PS520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

We covered less than half the syllabus, a little dissapointing. Dr. Caldiera himself seems like a nice person but individual lectures themselves were dry and didn't explain overall legal reaching principles. He explained case after case but did not link or attempt to teach the court's overall case law approach. His class is survivable despite this.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: POLISCI520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Caldeira's a nice guy and everything but we barely covered any material. The class was a lot less challenging than expected, which can be good or bad depending on if you're in college to learn or not. He gets distracted easily and seemed to prefer one-on-one conversation to actual teaching. Maybe winter quarter is not a good time for him?

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: POL520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Extremely nice professor and very helpful...bring a pillow to class because his lectures are very boring. Seems very interested in the topics covered but he's the opposite when it comes to teaching...open book/note tests

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: 520
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Intelligent, well dressed, easily distracted from lecture topic-- clearly no interest whatsoever in teaching.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: POLISCIH596
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Hardly came to class and never responded to e-mails. Seemed completely uninterested in teaching