Douglas McDowell - Rutgers - State University of New Jersey

Professor: Douglas McDowell

Department: TBD

College: Rutgers - State University of New Jersey

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

His exams were based on his lectures - which he teaches verbally. He doesn't use powerpoints or anything. I never fell asleep because he was interesting and included corny jokes here and there. He's the reason I became more interested in the field of Sociology.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: SOCIO101
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The quizzes are open book but if you don't know anyone in the class, I would recommend reading the chapters so you wont have to flip through them during the quiz. You can take the quiz with your classmates too!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

A lot of people did really well in this class but for some reason I just didn't do as well as I thought I would. Study the recitation projects, the textbook, videos, articles, and lectures. He averages the first and last exam to replace the first exam grade. Pay attention in class and you should do fine.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: SOCIOLOGY101
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Great class! McDowell's a really chill, nice guy. Went to lectures, took notes and studied 1-2 hours for each exam. Got A's on the first two exams and I was exempt from the final! Easy A if you go to class. Sit near the front because he doesn't wear a microphone.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: SOCIOLOGY101
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

This was one of the easiest classes I've ever taken. The "projects" (group quizzes) you do in recitation are open book so just verify every answer in it and you'll get a 95 or 100 every week. Study from these quizzes, go over lecture notes if you go, and read the definitions in the book. There's 2 exams and a final which the top 10% are exempt from

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 101
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Good intro class. 3 exams are extremely fair and have questions from previous exams. Recitation is mandatory with a quiz in each meeting, questions come directly from the textbook so you must buy the book. Sit closer to front, he does not use microphone and it's hard to hear his low voice from the back of lecture hall.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

McDowell's pretty good overall. Some lectures are interesting, others are horribly boring, but he has a good sense of humor and is a very nice guy. Go to recitation, study your quizzes, read his 3-5 news articles per unit, and pay attention to his videos. If you do all that and know all the basic concepts, you'll get an A without much effort

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

McDowell is a really nice guy. He makes lectures interesting and wants his students to do well. However the class is much harder than I thought it was going to be. There is a lot of information to remember so make sure you spend a decent amount of time studying. Look at quizzes, previous tests, and the textbook to study and you should do well.

Rating # 9

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Great professor but he relies on the TAs a lot

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's funny! The class is interesting. To get an A you have to get the notes from every class but that doesn't mean you have to go to class. ;) Recitation is where you do the most work. A chapter to read from the book, and an open-book quiz-type thing every week. The tests are based mostly on what he says, but also on rec., articles, and movies.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: INTROTOSOCIO
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The exams are straightforward and easy to study for, the top 30 students got exempt from the final this semester, and McDowell is a decent lecturer. The TA's have accents but they do their job fine and they are all helpful when you need them or have a concern. The only annoying part is having to read 5 articles on sakai every unit. Still easy tho!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

McDowell is a very good professor if you intend to take SOC 101. I got an A and only studied 3-4 hours the night before each. Make sure to go to lecture to get notes as they are crucial and you won't be bored since McDowell has a good sense of humor.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: SOC304
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I probably went to class around 50% or less of the time. If you don't go to class then read the book for extra credit (roughly 250 pages). The exams are: the quizzes (he posts the answers to each quiz), the articles(very short), and movies. Finish in the top 10% like me and you don't take the final. Great guy too.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Great professor. Makes the class interesting with his insights on sociology. Lectures are oral so it is useful to attend class. Make sure to watch his films in lecture and read the sakai articles because there's a fair amount of that on the exams. Open book quizzes each week. Exempts top 10% from final (get A's on first two exams and you're good)

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

One of the greatest Sociology professors at Rutgers. His lectures are all talk, so I would attend. He adds humor and adds interest to the class. Take him. Quizzes every recitation but straight outta the book. Exams aren't hard. Study your quizzes. Relatively straightforward class. It's a great class to learn Socio even if you don't like it.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• 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:

Never went to class and still ended up with a B. Not a hard class, exams are all multiple choice and he asks repeat questions from exam one and two on the final.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are relatively interesting, and he shows a lot of videos (which are referred to on the test). Very easy grader. His tests cover a lot of definitions in the book and also supplementary material that appears on Sakai only, so read up! He let the top 8 students skip the final for last semester, and he might do so again.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: SOCIO101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Prof. McDowell has been one of the greatest professors I've had at RU. Very insightful, been teaching Sociology for a lot of years. Material isn't hard. 3 exams, 100 MC each but come almost straight out of book. "Quiz's" every recitation but they're open book and will be on exam. Just pay attention cause he uses no slides, only talks.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Great Class! Professor is nice and adds humor to lecture. Covers a lot of topics. He just talks though so you have to keep up with what he says in your notes. Have to read the book for recitation, but recitation quizzes are easy and you work in groups. McDowell grades by number wrong not number right. Exams are fairly easy, but you have to study.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: SOC101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Very nice guy. Lets you sit on stage if you want