Professor
Richard Anderson
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Most Helpful Review
This class is really interesting and generally easy. I hardly read the book with the exception of the definitions outlined in the margins and did well on both the midterms and the final. You will write two papers for this class. The first one, where we picked a book out of YRL, read it, and wrote a report on it which addressed many of the topics discussed in class. I did well on this paper because I sort of planned it out as I was reading. The most daunting part of it, actually, was the 2500 word minimum requirement. The second paper was a lot more difficult because the prompt was so broad and unclear that I--and many other students, from what I could tell from the massive amounts of email that Anderson sent out--struggled to even start the paper, let alone fill up 8 pages. Professor Anderson is good at presenting sides of an argument that you may not have considered in order to force you to think. His exams are very fair, testing mainly broad concepts, but the wording tends to be the hard part. If you can access past exams somehow, do so!
This class is really interesting and generally easy. I hardly read the book with the exception of the definitions outlined in the margins and did well on both the midterms and the final. You will write two papers for this class. The first one, where we picked a book out of YRL, read it, and wrote a report on it which addressed many of the topics discussed in class. I did well on this paper because I sort of planned it out as I was reading. The most daunting part of it, actually, was the 2500 word minimum requirement. The second paper was a lot more difficult because the prompt was so broad and unclear that I--and many other students, from what I could tell from the massive amounts of email that Anderson sent out--struggled to even start the paper, let alone fill up 8 pages. Professor Anderson is good at presenting sides of an argument that you may not have considered in order to force you to think. His exams are very fair, testing mainly broad concepts, but the wording tends to be the hard part. If you can access past exams somehow, do so!
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2016 - 163B. Absolutely terrible professor. His lectures consist of rambling nonsense which goes off topic most of the time. The class was 3 essays that doens't seem too bad except that he didn't grade two of them until the end of the class and there is zero feedback. The final paper was on his book which is actual gibberish. It may as well be written in another language. Unless you plan on going and getting to know the professor on a personal level to get a good grade this class is a waste of time, money and brain power. Also textbooks for this class cost upwards of 200.00 most of that for the professors own book, are you kidding
Spring 2016 - 163B. Absolutely terrible professor. His lectures consist of rambling nonsense which goes off topic most of the time. The class was 3 essays that doens't seem too bad except that he didn't grade two of them until the end of the class and there is zero feedback. The final paper was on his book which is actual gibberish. It may as well be written in another language. Unless you plan on going and getting to know the professor on a personal level to get a good grade this class is a waste of time, money and brain power. Also textbooks for this class cost upwards of 200.00 most of that for the professors own book, are you kidding
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2018 - Dr. Anderson is absolutely my favorite professor in the whole political science department. I went into this class not expecting much, but it changed my perspective on so many political science topics. I really recommend going to class and reading the slides carefully when writing the paper (there is only one paper worth 100%). Anderson is the most intelligent and caring professor who is willing to help his students in any way that he can. He takes a really interdisciplinary approach to this class which is unique in the political science department. 100% recommend this class.
Winter 2018 - Dr. Anderson is absolutely my favorite professor in the whole political science department. I went into this class not expecting much, but it changed my perspective on so many political science topics. I really recommend going to class and reading the slides carefully when writing the paper (there is only one paper worth 100%). Anderson is the most intelligent and caring professor who is willing to help his students in any way that he can. He takes a really interdisciplinary approach to this class which is unique in the political science department. 100% recommend this class.
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Most Helpful Review
TAKE A CLASS WITH THIS PROFESSOR. He could probably beat out the most interesting man in the world for his title. I took him for two upper divs, and I loved his classes. The material is really interesting; he makes you think in ways that other professors can't (or don't care enough to). There is no midterm, and the final is a 20 page paper. Honestly I was really scared by that too, but as long as you have a pulse and go to class there's no way you won't pick up his argument along the way. Once you get the point down the rest of the paper isn't too time-consuming. Do the readings and speak up in class when you can cause it'll be to your benefit. He tells you exactly what he wants and expects from you, so listen when he talks! You won't regret it
TAKE A CLASS WITH THIS PROFESSOR. He could probably beat out the most interesting man in the world for his title. I took him for two upper divs, and I loved his classes. The material is really interesting; he makes you think in ways that other professors can't (or don't care enough to). There is no midterm, and the final is a 20 page paper. Honestly I was really scared by that too, but as long as you have a pulse and go to class there's no way you won't pick up his argument along the way. Once you get the point down the rest of the paper isn't too time-consuming. Do the readings and speak up in class when you can cause it'll be to your benefit. He tells you exactly what he wants and expects from you, so listen when he talks! You won't regret it
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