Paul Kershaw - University of Virginia

Professor: Paul Kershaw

Department: TBD

College: University of Virginia

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIEU2061
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Kershaw is really passionate about what he's teaching and that makes the course exciting. I found his Birth of Europe class interesting so that helped and I also had a great TA who was basically just a carbon copy of this guy with worse hair.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIEU2061
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Great lecturer, but I'm not sure how much fun it is for people who aren't really interest in the time period. That being said the grading is pretty lenient and both Kershaw and Anderw Sorber (the TA) are great guys who really care.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIEU2061
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Hated this class. Birth of Europe was interesting, but the papers and exams were impossible unless you already have a general knowledge of european history in the 1st - 10th century. It says no pre-req, but honestly, without knowing anything before this class is pure hell. Readings were insanely long and you Had to read them or fail

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: 2061
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class is ridiculously difficult for the course level. Kershaw is entertaining, but his lectures are all over the place. There is way too much reading. In general, Kershaw's expectations are just ridiculous. This is one of the hardest and least enjoyable classes I've ever taken. Which is a shame, because I really wanted to like it.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIEU2061
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The class is great and he's obviously passionate, but my TA was a very harsh grader and it was a lot of work to figure out what he was looking for in my essays and on tests.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIEU2061
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

BEST. CLASS. EVER!!! I loved him. I absolutely loved the class!! There are a lot of readings though, so you need to enter the class with an interest in history. Once you got that, Kershaw will fascinate you and make you want to attend lectures because of his enthusiasm. Grading is done by TAs though and the course involves 4 mandatory essays.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIEU2061
• 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:

Fun, relatively easy class. Grading is done by TAs; he doesn't really do any of it. Lectures are entertaining, he's one of the people that is passionate about what he's teaching and it shows. He keeps it interesting and makes jokes to keep your attention.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIEU201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I'm long gone from UVA, but this guy sticks in my mind to this day as a fantastic lecturer and professor. If you go to his office hours, he'll talk about anything with you. If somehow a passion of yours comes up, he'll want to know about it, even if it's unrelated. Really awesome guy, wish more people in academia were like him.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIEU2061
• 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 Kershaw is exciting. He explains the material in a way that no one could find boring. he makes jokes all the time. unfortunately he plays a small role in the grading of the course so your experience in this class will probably depend on the TA you get.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIEU3141
• 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:

Kershaw is really excited about the subject. BUT, his lectures are a bit disorganized. He hops around from subject to subject and because he has an accent and speaks sooo fast, it's hard to hear what he's saying and there is definitely not enough time to type or write it all down. Also, there is a TON of reading for this course!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HIEU2160
• 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:

Mr. Kershaw radiates a love for history, and infects us all with it. He looks like a Spartan, has an amazing accent, and is tons of fun. Very interesting class.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIEU306
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's an energetic lecturer who kept class interesting. Lots of reading. Essay topics are only vaguely related to lectures, tho - he gives a few extra hundred pages of "suggested" reading for each essay topic that you basically need to do to get a decent grade. TAs split up the grading, so you had no idea who was going to grade your paper or exam.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIEU306
• 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:

Kershaw is a fantastic lecturer, but make sure to go to discussion and have a good TA as well, because they grade everything.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MSP308
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

kershaw is probably my personal hero. end of story.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIEU314
• 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:

One of the best professors in the department and at UVa in general. Amazing.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIEU314
• 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:

Kershaw>You

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIEU314
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Awesome class, engaging lecturer. This really is one of the best history classes I've had. I'm not even interested in Medieval history a whole lot and I still enjoyed it. That being said, it is challenging. HIEU 314 is quite a bit of reading and writing. Not an easy A, but fun and fair assignments.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIEU314
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Kershaw is God.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIEU314
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Professor Kershaw is far and away the best professor I have had at UVA.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HIEU201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Class is extremely broad, covering Mesopotamia all the way to the Renaissance superficially. Discussion sections are mandatory but extremely useful. Test format is very fair and include term and sources identification. Papers are graded hard but are eventually fair. Go to class so you won't have to read so much but be prepared to memorize for the A