Michael Riff - Ramapo College of New Jersey

Professor: Michael Riff

Department: History

College: Ramapo College of New Jersey

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST329
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Professor RIff is a great Professor. He tells funny stories and tries to get and know you on a personal level. In addition, you will learn a lot from him

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST264
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took Jews in 20th Century Europe over the summer as an online class and I'm glad I did. Not the most interesting topic in the world, but all you have to do is read over his powerpoints and you'll be fine. There are I think 8 discussions, 4 primary source analysis papers, 1 historiography paper, and the final. Easy but do not slack off!!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIST329
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Professor Riff is a kind, caring, and interesting person. He genuinely wants to have a discussion about the topics he is teaching. Sometimes, he can go on and on in lectures, but the topics are meaningful. His assignments are also easy, just participate in the discussion posts. Definitely take him!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIST329
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Riff is a very informative professor and passionate about the subject material, but his lectures are very long and goes on long tangents. Not a difficult class at all. Very easy to get an A . Just show up to class and do the homework and you will be fine. He is there for any help and the 16-20 history paper at the very end is not hard at all. Take!

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: AMER309
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

There are a lot of assignments but he's very lenient with the due dates. As long as you hand in the papers at a reasonable time and put effort into it, you will get a good grade. He is very willing to help and is very passionate about the class

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: AMER309
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Professor Riff is SO unhelpful. His assignments are all on Moodle and they are very unorganized. Doesn't explain any assignments yet expects them to be turned in a certain way. He is also horrible at responding to questions. I emailed him about an important assignment and he didn't get back to me until I emailed him AGAIN the day before it was due.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST329
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Boring lectures, but such an easy grader. You can do minimal work and will still get a good grade. If you want interesting, engaging, lectures skip. If you want an easy A, go for it. You will learn a lot if only from the research you do for your final paper. Really nice guy too

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST410
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Yes, he goes off on tangents, and some of the material is hard to follow, but he is very nice and is extremely knowledgeable about his subject matter. I am really happy I took him for seminar, as I heard horror stories about other professors!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: AMER309
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Holocaust & the Media. Very nice professor, really passionate about his work, will go off on tangents but i think it was because of his enthusiasm for what he was teaching. Paper due every week regarding the movie you watch, so thats really nothing to complain about. You watch a movie and go home and write a paper. Easy/interesting class.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIST329
• 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:

I took riff this semester for paradigms of genocide and i loved the class hes very helpful a nice guy there is a 16 page paper but if you're a history and even remotely interested in this subject hes a must take

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HISJEWS
• 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:

I am currently in professor Riffs class now and the class is pointless. I am a history major and the class is Jews in 20th century Europe. I thought i would be interested, but he makes it boring to the point where i can potentially fall asleep in class. We have papers due every other week and we have a final due at the end.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIST410
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

i had professor riff for history sem and he was great really helpful and hes such a nice guy if u need help for papers or just anything u could see him! make sure you do the posts and he knows who u are and u have it made with him!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: AMER309
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Riff is a great prof. For Holocaust and Media, we watched a film per week and wrote critiques. One major critique and term paper. He's extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He doesn't use the textbooks at all.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST221
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

seriously, if you want an A in holocaust in the media, take him. He gives 90s to everyone on there papers I dont no why people are saying hes a hard grader. Hes the easiest grader ive ever had. I just sleep in class and my average right now is a 94 so trust me...even though this class is boring, ITS A DEFINITE A

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST264
• 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:

This class was pointless. All the homework was conducted on moodle. So when class time came, all he did was lecture about random stuff and get off topic easily so we didn't learn anything in class. Don't take this class unless you like history and boring rants.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: AMER309
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Riff is a passionate professor who tries to make his class interesting and engaging. Yes some of the movies he showed were very dry, and the books are not used at all, but he is still worth taking if you want to learn a lot about the topic.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIST329
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I am sitting in the class right now.... I can warn you right now the only reason I am still awake is because I am determine to warn people how absolutely boring and irrelevant this professor is... DO NOT TAKE HIM

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIST264
• 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:

He is an extremely smart professor,teaching mostly about Czech, not 20th century Jews. The course was mostly focused online,not fully pushing away teaching in the classroom.It hurt the class tremendously!If you like computers you may be interested in this study,not Jewish history. We may have learned more if he taught the subject assigned.

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

He is a great teacher! he is interesting and understanding! all the assignments are reasonable and he is very clear with his directions! i would recommend any of his classes! i learned a great deal from his lectures and stories he told the class!!!!

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Very nice, approachable professor. Watch films every class. He does make you buy 3 books for no reason. Kind of a tough grader on writing. Make sure you proof-read a lot on papers. 6-pg movie paper, 8-pg resrch papr, and a essay final on stuff you didnt really learn. Just read the "Holocaust" book you buy for it and you will do good on it. Great guy