James Shedel - Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Professor: James Shedel

Department: History

College: Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are very dry. He doesn't have a Blackboard or Canvas for his class so the only information written down is on the chalkboard. You can't go back and look at any powerpoints to study. The only notes you have are the ones you take during his lectures so you can't zone out. Class isn't mandatory but recommended if you want a good grade.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• 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:

The teacher himself if really nice but he just assigns way too much work and grades REALLY harshly. The actual midterm and exam questions are not hard, he just grades them harshly. If you want to get an A in this class you not only have to know all of the material, but you have to be an amazing writer as well.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIST345
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Incredibly interesting seminar on European Fascism. Which while being an interesting topic in itself, benefits from his knowledge, guidance and teaching style. The class went quickly, quite a feat for a 2.5 hour seminar, and he was willing to answer any questions on history. Finally, it was a relief to have a prof who tells you when you are wrong!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIST008
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Professor Shedel is very knowledgeable about European History and delivers it in a way that's easy to understand (event after event, how they succeeded each other and how they lead to the present). Lectures are a bit dry but overall, good class and good professor for Intro to European History. Expect 1 midterm, 1 paper, a final and lots of reading.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST008
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are very dry and there is a lot of reading (a book per week for discussion). He can come off as pretentious and condescending, but he is very knowledgeable about the content. If you put in the effort and come to lecture and do the readings, it isn't too difficult to do well. Overall, it isn't a bad intro history course.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIST099
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

provides no resources for his students other than a simplified syllabus, and when you go to ask questions about the exams or even themes he will either repeat specific historical facts from lecture or tell you to think of it on your own. he rolls his eyes when you say something incorrect

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST099
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Genuinely the worst professor I have ever had. He doesn't care about teaching students, only about having them memorize what he says and then vaguely interpret that information on the exam. His lectures are a mere recitation of facts that do not tie into broad concepts at all, not to mention they are boring and no one goes/pays attention.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST245
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are very straightforward and delivered in outline form, which I appreciated. He doesn't grade too harshly on papers. We only had the midterm and final essays, participation, and a 12-15 pg term paper in our grades. Always willing to entertain questions, even if they are tangential. Explores broad concepts more than details.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Shedel's class isn't an easy A, lots of reading (a short book a week + textbook) with very few opportunities to improve your grade (a midterm, final and final paper of either 7 or 10-15 pages). His knowledge of the subject is impressive though. Classes are all lectures. If you love European History, it's a great foundation class that covers a lot.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Insanely hard grader. There were very few grades in the grade book so the few things that did go in mattered a lot. He assumes you should know everything that he does, which is impossible. At least he was highly knowledgeable in everything he talked about.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Extremely dry lectures, grades very hard, and a lot of reading. Would not recommend taking this class.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class was awful. He grades very hard, his classes are very boring, and there is a lot of reading. Do not take this class.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This was a horrible class altogether. The lectures are painfully boring and seem way longer than they are. Do not take this class, find some other class you can take because that will be better. He grades exams and papers very hard, and doesn't give good feedback. If there is any way you can get out of taking this class, do it.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST448
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Oh dear god. Run, run for your life.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Good professor. Lectures are clear and straightforward. Midterm, essay and final. Not a particularly hard grader. You REALLY don't need to read all the books assigned for discussion, as long as do have a basic understanding of what they talk about.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Avoid if possible. Lectures are VERY dry, he makes you read 10 books over the course of the semester (on top of weekly textbook chapters and some of them are completely irrelevant!), and there's basically 3 grades. You can tell he loves history, but it doesn't translate well to the course.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIST007
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Spends half of class writing the topics on the board, but lectures are unorganized. Teaches big ideas, not facts - tests are really difficult if you miss even one lecture. And makes you read an entire book each week just for the 50 minute discussion. AVOID THIS CLASS

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIST008
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

ridiculously hard grader, long and boring lectures, very unhelpful. The TA happened to offer no relief. DO NO TAKE THIS CLASS.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIST008
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Shedel knows and loves European History, but his lectures are long winded and convoluted. Tests are essay based--but more like literary analyses than history tests. I have never been graded so hard on anything. Midterm, paper, final, and participation and a lot of useless reading. Do not recommend, save yourself the trouble.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HIST008
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I have been graded in this course, harder than I have ever been graded before. His lectures contain a lot of information. It is tough to decipher what is important out of all of it (It's European history, there's a TON of information). For an introductory course, it's too much work. Discussion sections are difficult to get credit in even if you go.