Leon Botstein - Bard College

Professor: Leon Botstein

Department: Not Specified

College: Bard College

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: FYSEM100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Leon Botstein is at best a sham of the enigmatic character that he wants to be. He mistakenly believes that his encyclopedic mind will compensate for his challenged conducting and poor musicianship. In rehearsals, he tends to cry infantile outbursts of displeasure when challenged, particularly by those he believes are his subordinates.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: FYSEM100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Although he had a lot of interesting views on our FYSEM readings, he only came to 5-6 classes out of a million. The professor who mainly teaches this class, Michelle Hoffman, is a tough-grader and gave us pop-quizzes second half of the semester. She doesn't give our essays back on time and had a hard time coping with the class.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PRES101
• 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:

Leon Botstein is one of the great minds of his generation. Period. If you want to feel inspired, talk with Leon. I was fortunate enough to learn from him and work for/with him and he is as fine a man as he is brilliant. If you ever get the chance to take a class or sit down to lunch with him, do it. You'll be amazed.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: FYSEM100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He LOVES the sound of his voice. He will make fun of you if you disagree with him. By the way, he claims to be a conductor, and does know a lot about conducting, but he can't conduct.

Rating # 5

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

He is a pleasure in the classroom when he shows up but unfortunately he often doesn't come to class and the other professor is very inadequate. She grades all the papers and she is a very easy grader. She also is chill with handing in papers very late. Botstein is intimidating but after a while you get used to it.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: FYSEM117
• 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:

Visionary in his own field, however he is helpless when it comes to explaining. I've never seen a more attractive professor the way he controls the class gets me going.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: FYSEMA
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He expects you to think before speaking. Like, really THINK. Not some jackass comment you thought up as you read sparknotes. Because he is the president, he is harder to get ahold of outside class. Listen carefully to everything he says, the man is a genius and every thought carries a massive amount of wisdom.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: FANCLUB
• 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:

<3 (and o, the bow ties!)

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: FYSEM111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Some classes you can't stand him. Other times he will blow your mind with his brilliance.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: FYSEM100
• 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:

He is an amazing professor, but tends to be extremely demanding and emphasizes class discussions more than anything else. You do learn a lot about the books read in the First Year Seminar Class. Some of the intricacies of the readings will be illuminated by his way of teaching and knowledge about the books that one will miss if in another class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Superlatively Awesome

Rating # 12

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

he sucks. don't do it. value your life.

Rating # 13

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

If you can shove your ego down your throat long enough to really listen to Botstein's lectures, you will learn more than you ever could've imagined. This man does not f**k around. If you disagree with something he says, argue it out with him, but you'd better have some good reasons or he'll just b**chslap you. SMARTER THAN GOD. Yeah. I said it.

Rating # 14

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

leon.is the worst techer at bard.he will put you down,in an out of class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

he will not help you.

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: FYSEM
• 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:

He is a Machiavellian teacher...you love him because you are terrified of him. In a period of 1.5 hours he rips open your mind leaving you awestruck. He is intimidating if you allow yourself to be intimidated. Just always remember, if you are going to say anything be prepared to defend it.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: FYSEMINAR
• 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:

He is at first intimidating, because he tends to put people on the spot. Aside from that, he is an amazingly intelligent man. I could literally listen to him for hours and still be captivated the whole time. He tends to rub students' shoulders while speaking, so be prepared for those strong hands!!!

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

This was the best class I've ever taken -- it changed my life. Worth that semester's tuition all by itself.

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Leon taught half of this class.. and man did it suck. I like leon.. and i like his philosphies (kinda) but man did this class suck.