3.4
Quality3.3
Difficulty71%
Would Retake101
Reviews71%
Would Retake
101
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
35
4
22
3
19
2
10
1
15
What Students Say
“I found Alan Levy to be an excellent teacher”
HIST201 - 5.0 rating“He is a great guy and if you show up and do the reading you'll do fine”
HIST201 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
21%
Textbook Required
45%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
18251900
5.0
(1)USTO1900
5.0
(1)US1900
5.0
(2)20THCEN
5.0
(1)HST203
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HIS202
5.0
HIST306
5.0
HIST152
5.0
US1812195
5.0
HST
4.0
Reviews (101)
The most boring man alive.
Talks entire class, every class.... hard tests.
boring class, no class participation, hard tests
Boring classes, easy tests. I didn't have a problem, but others around me didn't seem to do so well...
No Comments
Boring teacher, but the subject is interesting. Most classes I sit there in a daze, listening yet nodding off.
Very hard professor- is interested in what he teaches, but information taught isn't on tests- good luck if you get him...you've been warned
He is a good teacher, but he covers way too much information. Most of it is never even seen on his tests, which are nearly impossible. Also, be prepared to catch up on your sleep while he discusses the life of Andrew Jackson
Levy is awesome, I loved his class and I got an A! He's very helpful, a little boring at times but he teaches facts that you won't learn in a basic history class. Learn the wars and love Andrew Jackson!
This class is decent as long as you come to every class and take good notes. Make sure you listen to him! He does have his comical moments.
Most boring dude ever, but a decent teacher. He will try to relate to you by talking about NIN as the hot band in 2004 which is pretty funny. You must show up every day to pass. Not impossible but do not expect an easy A.
Very easy if you pay attention and want to learn the subject. Buying the book for his class is a waste, because i have also had him for us1825-1900 and never opened it and got a B. You also need tolerance to deal with his love of Andrew Jackson.
Levy is cool. If you come to class and take some notes, you'll be fine. He likes to make jokes and make class fun. The only tough thing is the essay parts of the test. Good guy.
No Comments
didn't like his class much at all
Probably the best I've had in the college, knows his stuff backwards and forwards, teaches well, and can be approached with anything.
talk to him on a personal level - if he knows who you are, he'll definatly give you a better grade for your final than you might have deserved
he is sooooo boring. this class is extremely easy but unbelievably unintersting. i would like this class if i didnt have a class full of giggling, babbling girls who sat in the front, making the class suck for everyone else!!
BORING! Great guy though, knows his stuff! Test aren't easy to say the least. Gives Info. right from the book so dont worrie about reading! Little hard to follow some times. gets off task alot.
This class is SOOOOOOOOOOO boaring he is such a NICE guy and so into what he teaches he even has different voices for different characters he talks about but the class is extreamly boaring.
Great guy, can be tough but he's cool. No attendence policy really.
No Comments
Ive had him for US since 1900 and 1825-1900. Very clear and clear cut coarses.
Very nice, but not highly recommendable! :-|
Dr. Levy is great. I'm taking him for the 3rd time next semester. He knows it all, and his class is straight forward. All you have to do is show up and get the gist and you'll get a B for sure. I even slept half the time & barely read at all. Those people who have frowns must not be history majors
He is the worst professor I've ever had. He knows his stuff but his lectures are killers. Nobody was able to stay awake in my class. No attendance policy but you still need to go. His tests are IMPOSSIBLE and research project was never made clear. Do not take Dr. Levy for any class whatsoever.
Good guy--really knows his stuff! Grading isnt too bad--esp if he knows you
i didn't care for him at all. smart but not able to communicate stuff to us so that we can understand. so many other profs in the department of history are more worth your time and money. avoid levy if possible.
A good clean cut prof. Can be sort of boring at times, but it is history. Project idea he has is dumb; can be a real ball-buster when it comes to papers. If you get to know the guy, you'll do better as well.
worst prof i've ever had in any subject. he's very full of himself and thinks he's so perfect. stay away from this guy at all costs.
horrible tests with this guy. 25 multiple choice and essay worth 100 points for each test. horrid. don't take him.
I am a history buff, so, I think thats the only way i got a B. Beware of this guy, unless your a hot girl with a low cut shirt and holes in your jeans, then you should pass with flying colors.
Really nice guy. Tests aren't bad as long as you go to class and take good notes. It can get a little boring sometimes. I'd suggest taking him as a MWF class.
No Comments
I LOVE Dr. Levy. He can be long winded, but he knows his stuff and explains it well. If you attend the lectures you will at least get a B. He rips papers apart but he's well published what do you expect? Great professor, I've taken him many times and never regretted it.
Really great professor who really knows his stuff! But beware, you do have to study for his exams!
He is the worst Teacher PERIOD.. Unless you are a hot chick forget about it. He makes me sick.
This class was easy/ hard at the same time. Kinda boring, likes females or smart males. Go to class and get the notes. Tests are pretty hard, but do the group presentation and it will help. I got C's and D's and didnt even do the group assignment and still got a C.
EGO he has a huge one!RUDE! Witnessed him inter-rogating a student w/disability. He doesn't like female students & seems to blow them off anytime they try to participate in class. He insists on being the "star of the show" & acts resentful if a student asks a question. Mr. Personality he is not. Doesnt give any clues as to what will be on test.
He's creepy, very patronizing to women, doesn't take female students seriously, big time misogynist, interrupts lecture to call on male students but waves female students' comments off until after lecture time. Not nice.
hard but easy class. make sure u study for his exams they are hard. but hes a good guy and willing to help after class.
He's a great teacher and cares about his students...even the female ones
Dr. Levy is an awesome teacher, he is kinda boring at times but this man does know is stuff. The fall 2006 semester i will be having him again for the third time. I wouldn't recommend taking him if you don't like to come to class and take good notes.
Decent professor and nice guy. He likes to try to be clever and funny in his lectures, which makes it slightly less boring. Difficult to get an A, but definitely passable.
He's really good. He's the enemy of some of the politically correct, and they've been writing the bad things about him (and telling one another about it). Ignore them
No Comments
No Comments
Hated his class. who cares about politics. it was just an awful experience. i'm a lock for a B so i'm not moaning about my grade. he was just a bad prof in my opinion so avoid him if possible.
He's a fine teacher. A lot of the comments that have been made about him are motivated by some campus political types who do not like him because he is willing to speak out. He's actually rather funney, and they're not.
I found Alan Levy to be an excellent teacher. I love history and learned a lot from him. If you read the book and/or listen to his lectures, tests are fairly easy. He is also extremely outgoing if you ask. I had a problem with my advisor and he offered to help, even though he is in a different department. He also holds Q&A sessions before test
Get real. Bashing others does not make a good professor, no matter what department you are in. And it is not attractive to write your own ratings, by the way.Women should steer clear, as he obviously has an anti-feminist agenda at all times.
This guy is great, probably my favorite professor I've ever had here. As long as you take good notes and read you'll do fine. He is very helpful and a really nice guy!
very nice guy but class is very boring! it's a lecture class, he talks for an hour and 15 min, it's hard to stay awake sometimes.
Dr. Levy is not as bad as most people would say. If you have a basic knowledge of history and take good notes you should be fine! Reading also helps! The hardest part is staying awake through his lectures. His essays suck but he grades them pretty easy! Also he dosent take attendece but def go if you want to do well!
I was hesitant to take after reading neg comments, but I found none of this to be true. In fact, he was careful to say that there are diff ways to look at some things and it's up to you to decide. The material's boring, but he tries to make it interesting with music and pictures. Essays are long but he gives clues in class what they'll be. Listen.
Excellent professor. The people who list negative comments for him are the ones who are either too stupid to get his witticisms and think he is boring and not funny because of that, or the ones who want to get through a class without ever having to write a note or read a book. He is a great guy and if you show up and do the reading you'll do fine
I had Levy for Civil War history in the summer. Class was very slow and he was confusing. Does not give insite to any questions you may have. if you like a teacher that makes you read the entire book, then says " well here is the test good luck," he is the one for you. One goos thing I can say about his, is he grads kinda easy.
Ok - he has controversial reputation on campus, which scared me, but he's pretty cool. Strong believer in students reaching their own opinions. Dry sense of humor, but it's there. Overall, a good guy and good teacher.
I'm a history major so im more rating the man rather then the topic. He's a great professor if you can stand his teaching style, very traditional lecture. If you take good notes, your fine. He gives 4 chances for extra credit and is easy on grading his essays. Tests if you comprehend the ideas, not the facts and dates. STUDY for tests.
My first impression of him was "Oh my goodness, what the heck did i get myself into?" But he's really a nice old man. He's very knowledgable about history, so sometimes he can go a little over your head if you're not an extreme history buff, but for this class, the book really helped me stay focused. His tests aren't bad and theres bonus ops.
Professor Levy is a very nice guy. Be prepared for a period of nothing but lecture. It is important to take notes AND read the text book if you want to do well in the class. He does offer extra credit as well.
Really nice teacher. Hard class! I hate having to pull points from a lecture and that's exactly what you have to do. No powerpoints just pictures of who he's talking about. I don't like the teaching style so I would not take again.
Extremely intelligent man. Great sense of dry humor. Tests are not easy, but he is a very fair professor. Pay attention to the lectures, as you will learn a lot from his incredible wisdom. He speaks of the history that he teaches as if he himself lived it.
Very knowledgible man. The tests can be tricky but he usually ends up awarding some points if you have a valid argument on a question. First test had 5% added to the grade, second had 4%. If you want to learn something he is a great teacher to have.
Very knowledgable and interesting, but you must be able to take things out of monotone lecture. Funny sense of humor and we actually had class outside a couple times! He offers bonus points if you do an oral/written report, but it is optional, not required. He even held review sessions the day before exams, during his off time! Good, caring prof
Dr. Levy is a highly intelligent individual and knows the information that is to be taught in class, but he doesn't do very well in lecturing. It's a hard class to take notes in because he's not very organized and can sometimes get to detailed with is information. However, if you know this information you don't have to worry about going to class.
Dr. Levy is one of the most intelligent professors there are. People who complain that they can not take notes in his class are those who do not understand that they are in College now not nursery school. He provokes thoughts about history. You may not agree with his opinion but he will always give points for a good sound argument!
Dr. Levy is a good guy, and very intelligent. His class, though, can get boring over time and his tests can be difficult. You have to take a lot of notes just from his lectures and he can be hard to follow sometimes. If you're in his class, I'd recommend reading the book often.
He's very intelligent and knows what he is talking about. But, he isn't very clear in his lectures a lot of the time. Tests are all essay and he tears your writing apart. But if you show up to class, take notes, and pay attention you'll be fine.
One of the hardest classes I took by far at SRU, especially since i'm not a history major. Attendance isn't mandatory and neither is the oral report but it does help your grade if its border. I had to dedicate most of my time to study for this class. I received a B, but not a easy B by far. You must read the book, unless your a genius.
Dr. Levy knows what he is talking about. He stresses that you take notes but that can be hard because he doesn't use powerpoint and bounces around. Read the book especially before tests because that will help.
Dr. Levy is a sweet old man, but this class can be challenging. Attendance isn't mandatory, and the only points are from the test. Expect essays, graded somewhat harshly, and the final was worth 50% of the entire grade. Levy is a brilliant man, though, and he's easy to listen to. It's tough, but worth it.
Awesome guy! You'll work hard, but learn a lot as well.
Dr.Levy is an extremely intelligent man who can lecture for the entire time with no powerpoint at all. He clearly knows his history more than any other professor I have had. You will have to write a paper, give an oral report, and take 3 tests. However, none of these are extremely difficult if you put the effort in. He grades fairly.
Dr. Levy is a very nice guy. His lectures can be a little dry and he only uses Powerpoint for visuals. The tests are super hard. Make sure you know about the economic political legislation rather than the social aspects of the time period. Do the oral presentation for a nice grade boost!
Very intelligent, very knowledgeable, but also very tough. The tests questions are more conceptual and ask about the meanings behind things instead of actual facts, which can be challenging. I found that Dr. Levy doesn't often understand where you're coming from when discussing grades or essays; somewhat close-minded about grades.
Dr. Levy is the most intelligent history teacher/professor I have ever had. It helps that I enjoy the subject and class material taught, but I digress. If you put in minimal effort, go to class (not religiously/mandatory). Take the exams, write decent essays, and do the paper and oral presentation for a grade boost you will be fine.
If you don't like history do not take him! All he does is write the name of the person and talk about it for an hour! Even if you take good notes, you won't do good on the test! His test questions are not in the format of what he discusses during lecture!
Dr. Levy has to be the smartest man I've ever met. You ask him about anything or anyone even remotely prevalent and having to do with history and he can give you any information you'd ever need to know.
Levy is a great professor! he just lectures during class and as long as you go to class and take notes the class will be a breeze! personally, history is my worst subject but this class was not difficult for me at all. You only need to write one paper for the entire semester. Great class!
Great teacher. One of the best I have ever have. Passionate about history. Stayed after class to answer any questions I had. If you can take notes, you should be able to do well.
The class is based solely on discussion and student presentations. Take home essay tests and two paperspresentations. He can be very dull and monotone, but seems nice enough. Obsessed with the cultural implications of historical events, so focus on that, rather than facts. Fair grader, but not a ton of feedback. Neither loved nor hated him.
Not the most exciting class to take. Lectures are scatterbrained, long, and dull. There aren't many tests or assignments to get you a good grade, so you really have to work for it.
He is a professor who knows what he is talking about. Has a high vocabulary so makes it hard to understand what he says sometimes. You only have 3 tests overall but are tough unless you study a lot. Overall I enjoyed the class and the professor.
I've taken Dr. Levy for most of my History courses thus far. He's a good prof for night classes. All tests are essay format, but aren't too difficult if you paid attention and took good notes during lecture. It is an upper division so you'll have a research paper, but you can pick whatever topic you want about the time period. I'd recomend him.
REAL smart - like, the most knowledgeable you will encounter at SRU (or anywhere for that matter). Don't be put off by his reputation for controversy - he's a nice man, expects you to work but will help you and respects your effort. Dry humor, but it's there.
Professor Levy's knowledge of history is mind blowing - he gives every lecture without a PowerPoint. Although the content is a little dry, hes nice & tries to make lectures funny, relatable and relevant. He doesn't take attendance, I used history sparknotes rather than the book to study, no HW, he drops your lowest exam score.. just pay attention!
Nice and funny guy but his lectures kill me for how long and boring they are. Hard to stay on track that long. Only slides he puts up are faces so you literally have to listen to every word he says and if you miss a class you are way behind.
The whole class is lectures with no powerpoint so be ready to takes notes. There is three test and that is it. You can do an extra credit paper which really helps your grade. He drops you lowest test score. If you take good notes and study the day before you will be fine. He is super nice and funny too.
Dr. Levy is very knowledgeable and passionate about history. His lectures tend to be boring. The class is fairly easy as long as you show up and take notes.
Smartest prof @ SRU. Expect to work, but if you do, he'll respect you and grade well. His range of knowledge is awesome. Go to class and take good notes. Lectures are full of information but can be a bit dry. Accessible outside class for help.
Dr. Levy is the smartest Professor you will ever take, hands down. Everything he says comes straight from his head. However, this makes it harder to take notes because he does not use PowerPoints, only pictures. Sometimes the lectures can get a little boring but class is not mandatory. He truly wants everyone to succeed and is a great person.
The smartest prof you'll ever have. My only negative about him is that there isn't any note slides, he just simply talks the entire class period. That is sometimes hard for people so I understand why some don't like that. There is no homework, but he gives an optional extra credit presentation that will help your grade. Also drops the lowest test
Levy is all lecture, show up to class all semester and he will talk your ear off from start to end. His lectures aren't very structured and he does jump around but he's a really smart guy and actually knows what he's talking about. Never uses powerpoint, only supports his lectures with random pictures from google. Class presentations optional
100 point tests - 50 multiple choice questions every test (made so that it is very hard to get better than a low C or high B) and a 100 point essay that goes with every test -exceedingly hard to get better than a B.
I would not take Levy again. He is very lecture heavy and his lectures are boring. You can tell he is a really smart guy and he knows what he's talking about, but it is hard to keep up with him. He jumps around in his lectures and he doesn't use powerpoint, only pictures off google. He is a really tough grader. Don't take this class!
Dr. Levy is very knowledgeable of the topics he discusses and he is nice, but this had to be the hardest class I have ever taken. He does NOT use PowerPoint, post lecture notes or anything useful. Lectures consists of him standing there talking, showing you pictures off google and you trying to write down stuff he says. Hes all over the place too.
His lectures can be dry but he knows his stuff and wants you to be excited about it. Loves Russian Opera so beware. His grading procedure is a little weird but if you know the material and can write decent you should be okay. Not a lot of notes in class but the book will help you a lot. Gives feedback if you missed something he was looking for.
Lectures are long and dry if you are not interested in the material. Power points have little text so you have to listen to him talk. It's clear he is passionate about his material and class is tolerable. There was a vibe in the class that made me uncomfortable and hesitant to talk to him. Not many directions so he is lenient about grading.
Professor Levy would talk the entire time during class, the entire 2.5 hour class. He gave us a 10 minute break. When asked if he would give us rubrics he laughed and said, "I do not believe in rubrics." His syllabus looked like you told a sophomore in high school what a syllabus looked like and they made it.
He is a very charismatic guy.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
21%
Textbook Required
45%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.41 avg changeRatings by Course
18251900
5.0
(1)USTO1900
5.0
(1)US1900
5.0
(2)20THCEN
5.0
(1)HST203
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HIS202
5.0
HIST306
5.0
HIST152
5.0
US1812195
5.0
HST
4.0