David Ost - Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Professor: David Ost

Department: Political Science

College: Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: POL140
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Ost is a professor that really wants to know what you're thinking in class so he will call on you but only to get different perspectives. He will give you good grades if he sees you're really trying to work with the material. Sometimes he can get a little distracted in class but he's very approachable and really wants to help outside of class.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: POL243
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This class is absolutely terrible. Having done the readings I have no idea what's going on and it took him three weeks to get us a syllabus. We get no instruction and he grades arbitrarily. wish I hadn't signed up for this class. Also, something that was particularly annoying was that a week in he told us we're not using our most expensive textbook

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: POL140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I would not recommend anybody take a class with Professor Ost. He comes to class completely unorganized, the only way to describe class is as a complete disaster. Rambles on and on causing lectures to be utterly incoherent. Comparative world politics is a great course, Ost makes it a horrible time. Do yourself a favor and avoid this communist herb.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: POL140
• 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:

Good professor, kind grader, classes might be boring but he knows his stuff. Authored some of the textbooks used in his other classes.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: COMP1
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Listen to lectures! Read the books he assigns. If you do poorly it your own dam fault.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PO180
• 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:

He is a intellectual Genius. Pay attention in class, but also read the book. You can tell that he is on a whole other level of intelligence.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: POL140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

brilliant professor, hard grader, knowledgable and experienced. lectures are hard to follow but interesting- rambles a bit, because he has so much to say about everything. class discussion is limited. high expectations. if you're new to political science classes, you gotta keep up with the readings.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: POL286
• 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:

Fantastic professor, extremely knowledgeable of his subject. Not an easy grader, and he will not let you simply get by without doing the reading. One of the best professors at the Colleges.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: POL442
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Amazing Prof. must take his class! Highly recommended.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: POL245
• 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:

He's a celebrity and Poland, yet way under-appreciated on campus. Reminds me of Larry David. Easy grader. Can be a little dull at times, but he's always flexible and helpful. He's the hidden gem of the Polisci department.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: POL140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Intro to Comparative World is a very interesting class. Mr. Ost is a very cool guy but the class isn't an easy A. He gives pop quizes and calls on students when they don't have their hand raised. The reading is reasonable for a history course. He is a very intelligent guy and he is a pretty easy grader if you try.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: COMP101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took his intro to comparative world politics and france and america classes. he was unhelpful outside of class and painfully ambiguous in class and unable to explain what he meant. he lost a few of my papers and refused to admit it.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: POLSECT
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

A lot of reading which is usually dull. Class discussion can be really boring but he is a great guy and is really helpful and open.

Rating # 14

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Prof. Ost is helpful, he does assign both papers AND exams, which can get a bit overwhelming at exam time, however his readings are interesting and class goes by pretty quickly overall. He's a strong Professor at HObart, his door is open to discussion.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: POL310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

awesome guy, really intelligent and helpful. work hard and you will do well.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: FSEM
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Cool guy, chill great for a good conversation!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: COMPWORLDPOL
• 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:

great prof. very helpful. If you work in his class you will do very well. I found him to be very helpful. I am very glad I took his class. Any one who does not like his class is prob becasue they did bad and did no work because he is not a hard grader at al. But he is a good Prof.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: POL140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Comes to class and seems to have no planned lecture. Tests are either take-home or he gives the questions out ahead of time. He is very liberal and always controls conversations with his own opinions. Fairly easy grader.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: POL140
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His Intro to Comparative Politics was ok. He focuses mainly on Russia, China, and Globalization. He can be boring at times, but I think that is because the class was at 8:45am. My discussions outside of the class have revealed a much more interesting man.