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he the best professor you will ever have in the sociology department or in general.

ive only had him for lectures but totally amazing as a lecturer, funny in a dorky way and very loud, clear and to the point. seems like a really nice person....adorable!

Varat is an extremely hard grader but also an extremely great professor. You will walk away from his lectures knowing the stuff, but make sure you know it for the tests.

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Gives a lot of detail, excellent during lectures. If only he didn't present himself as a pompous ass. Thinks very highly of himself, which ruins the class. Very harsh grader, but only trying to prove himself as a teacher.

He is such a funny guy that he will make anything he teaches in his class interesting. He is always there to help when you need him.

he's really friendly and upbeat. he is clear and goes at a comfortable rate. throws in fun comments here and there and uses good examples for explaining things

His class is really hard but hes just following the department guidelines but he gets through to you and makes sure you understand the material. He is a tough grader, but if you pay attention and go to OH u'll be fine, and hes a funny guy

too COOL for school & too HOT to trot

Great Teacher, Makes Class entertaining. Can be a bit loud, but by far one of the supperb teachers in CGS

he's a hard grader no doubt, but his classes are always fun, and he's a really cool guy. he's a sports maniac, follows a helluva lot of sports, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, golf, and the list goes on...

He's a hard grader but one of the most amazing professors I had. His lectures are very interesting and he is a very nice person to talk to. Available and helpful to his students.

Sort of a hard grader but he is by far the best teacher you will ever have at BU. He is the best lecturer ever and is truly a great guy. He is funny and down to earth. Amazing

Professor Varat is very approachable and understanding. If you come to him with questions or concerns prior to taking a test, he will help you until YOU feel satisfied. Overall very happy so far.

Good guy and a great teacher. You really can't get much better at BU. He likes teaching and is willing to bed over backwards to help you understand. Show up to class and your golden. Made me like russian history... the guy is good.

Prof Varat is easily the best professor I've had in two years at BU. His lectures are captivating, discussions are stimulating, with funny anecdotes, and he is very approachable after class. He is a tough grader, and looks for comprehension of large concepts by using details. In his own likeable, geeky way, Varat makes SS an enjoyable experience.

Varat is the best professor i have ever had!

HE IS THE BEST SOCIAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR. His lectures are so well spoken, while the other professors are less than desired. MAGNIFICENT!!!!

i never met him but i heard from the swiss girl next to me that he's amazing - they don't get much better!

Varat is by far one of the best professors you can get. His lectures are so clear that you do not need to go to JSA. If given the choice to switch teams, I would stay just because I have this ONE great professor. He really is the best.

I think I may be getting a C but I harbor no ill will towards this guy. That should tell you something. He's a nice man and an interesting professor. Rather hard on grading, a bit nitpicky at times, but if you're a history buff you should do fine (I am not).

one of the best teachers ive had. i really enjoy his class. extremely helpful and really nice guy.

Varat is truly one of the best professors I've ever come across. He inspired me to become a history major, and he has probably one of the best senses of humor (especially when it comes to nerdy history jokes). Definitely recommend. I don't know what SS will be like without him...

Professor Varat is my favorite. He explains everything so well, and also has more energy than any person in CGS. He has a great sense of humor, and he makes history fun.

Varat is truthfully one of the best teachers I've ever had. Everything he teaches he makes very clear, and paying attention in class is effortless as he makes the material interesting. He is extremely helpful, always trying to pull the best out of his students. He's also absolutely hysterical!!! He's an excellent professor, he honestly is.

Prof. Varat is amazing he makes the class so much more interesting than it actually is. I had no interest in the class at the begining but thanks to him I became interested in the class. He is the best!!

He is so interested in his class, he is a great teacher, his explanations are so clear! I JUST LOVE HIM

Prof. Varat is the best professor you will ever have. He makes it so easy to learn because he keeps you engaged and interested. When you go back to study it will all come to you easily, and you will understand it more than anyone else in other classes. He is hilarious, makes you feel stress-free, and is ADORABLE!

Professor Varat is not only the best professor i've had so far, also the best teacher i've had to date. He is intelligent and instructs well, but he is also approachable and fun in class. Loves his students and his students love him back. I'll drop by his office occasionally just to say hi!

Varat is an amazing teacher. He is adorable, wears the cutest sweaters, and really does a great job. He is passionate about the topics and makes it so easy for you to understand. All you have to do is go to class and listen, and you will know EVERYTHING, studying is unnecessary. He's a God-makes flawless study guides for exams, and is so sweet!

great teacher. As many have said before the best teacher i have had EVER. probably the best i will ever have. He is a real person who is understanding. If anyone has the chance to take his class i would recommend it 200% you will not regret it.

Varat is AWESOME. I hated history before taking his class, and now am considering it as a major. He understands college kids and makes social science clear and interesting. He knows how to make you understand the readings and topics. Easily the best course I've taken in college so far. Consider yourself extremely fortunate to have him!

Varat is the best professor I've ever had, if you get him you are extremely lucky. He teaches in such a clear manor and makes things interesting too. He is passionate and enthusiastic about all his material which makes class enjoyable. Tests are challenging but he does an excellent job preparing you for them. Really great guy!

this guy can be awkward, but he really means well. he's a nice guy that you can go see whenever you want and is truly helpful. you can really tell he cares about what he has to teach. but he's not an easy grader. you can do well in his class but you really do have to take good notes and study. if you work hard you can do really well in his class

Varat is by far the best prof. He really knows what he is talking about and keeps class interesting. Varat is a nice guy and his fatherly senses show in class. His tests can be hard, but if you follow the reading or just listen in class, you'll be fine!

I LOVE HIM! My favourite professor at BU so far - he makes discussion sections interesting and so relatable. Really knows what he is talking about and says it in a way students can understand. Clear about his concepts. He is a really cool guy and he will be there if you need help. He's a bit of a tough grader but if you study you'll be fine.

Such a great professor, you're honestly lucky to have him! Very understanding, treats lectures like stories to keep you intrigued, and is really helpful during office hours. My favorite professor at BU, hands down.

THE BEST PROFESSOR EVER! So helpful and so awesome.

The bad news: Varat expects the best out of his students and WILL be a tough grader. But the bad news ends there. He is the sweetest most adorable and funny guy and makes his lectures so fascinating. I genuinely enjoy going to his class. Consider yourself EXTREMELY lucky to have him!!!

I've had the pleasure of having Professor Varat for the past two years. He is far and away the best and most passionate professor I've had in college. He really cares about the class and the material and is incredibly knowledgeable. If I could take his class again I would

Varat is literally the best professor I've ever had. He emails back promptly, talks you through any concepts you don't understand (and I mean LONG responses that help, not things that you don't need). I used a recorder in his class to revisit lectures which helps a TON on team exams. Just listen to him, he makes everything interesting and memorable

Varat is by far the most enthusiastic professor I've had thus far at BU. He cares about his students and is willing to help you out as much as he can. His tests aren't impossible but they're a little challenging. Overall great class.

Professor Varat is honestly the best professor I've had at BU. He is so enthusiastic and caring. He mostly lectures though and provides only a little little discussion time, which i like because I'm shy. He will make this class super interesting.

Prof. Varat is such a nice person. You can really see he is really passionate about what he is teaching. In every lecture he is super clear and you dont get lost at all. Overall a great prof. take his class.

Varat is awesome. He is so enthusiastic and really knows what he's talking about. He is very helpful and always asks if you have any questions. There's a lot of reading, but they are interesting, and he goes over all of them in class, which makes them easy to understand. Hard grader, but I don't regret taking his class even for a second!

He is the BEST professor. He teaches so well and explains everything thoroughly. He is not too harsh on exams either. Pretty fair. Not the easiest professor though. Still, he is one of the nicest professors too. TAKE HIS CLASS. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT

Really obvious that he cares about the subject and about teaching it to his students. Always incredibly enthusiastic and his self-deprecating humor isn't forced. Grades fairly - make sure you put all of your effort into what you write for him because he knows what to expect from each student.

He was honestly the best teacher Ive had. He cares about his students, he's very clear, and he has a great passion in his lectures and discussions. He appreciates participation, so make sure to read the work before discussion. The final was really hard, but everything else was reasonably easy.

Bawse. That's the word used to most accurately describe this brilliant professor.

The best professor in CGS and possibly BU! Varat cares about each of his students and makes dull material interesting. I always look forward to his class and office hours because he is so kind. PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION and beware of his tough grading, but it's impossible not to love this guy. And his study guides are amazing! LOVE VARAT!

Varat is AMAZING! Best professor I ever had! Made my experience at BU. He emails back fast and is always more than happy to help and spend extra time. He cares about you as a person and asks about your life outside of the classroom. He is a tough grader, but he made me try hard and I did well.

Literally the best professorteacher I have ever had. He is so passionate about what he teaches and helped me so much with the material in emails or made himself available outside of class. He really wants students to succeed but you NEED to work for it. The most informative and amazing human you'll ever have the gift of learning from.

Professor Varat is one of the best professors ever! He is so passionate about history so he makes learning about social science as exciting as possible. I didn't think I would like the class but Varat made it really interesting. He is so helpful in office hours and tutorials and you can tell he really wants you to do well in his class.

Probably the best professor I've had in college! He is really caring about his students but is a tough grader, so better pay attention! Don't skip class, it's not an easy A. I never thought I would like social science, but having a professor like him is really inspiring. I wish he taught all my classes!

Best BU Professor. Clear, easy to understand way of lecturing about history. Office hours every day and makes an effort to know students. Kindest professor also- he is always happy and excited when students talk to him. I received an A in his class because of how good he is- the midterm all sophomores take was so easy bc our team was so prepared!

Professor Varat is incredible caring and enthusiastic. He wants you to do well more than anything, but won't give you an easy A. If you should show up, pay attention, and participate, the material will be easier to understand. The class covers a lot of material, but Varat is the best lecturer.

Best CGS teacher I've had. It says something that I'm disappointed I will not get to take his class next semester because of high school credit I've received. Always willing to explain concepts and history just makes sense when he explains it. You have to work your ass off for an A, but he makes you want to do well.

He uses the textbook but it's possible to pass without reading. That said, read the textbook because its helpful and there is so much to cover in this course and Varat works crazy hard to cover everything. The Reader won't be used as much though because his lectures tend to get mushed into class discussion. Awesome lecturer and awesome professor.

The man.

Amazing man! hard class but work for it and you;ll be fine. He's a great person!

Love love love Varat! The best professor I've had at BU, and wish I could take another of his classes. Amazing, inspirational, and engaging lecturer and truly interested in helping you. He does talk fast, so get ready to write fast. He's a little tough grader, so make sure your answers are as detailed as possible!

Absolutely LOVED Professor Varat. The best professor I have ever had- and so passionate about his class. He makes it hard to get an A, but simply his lectures and passion, as well expertise in the subjects, make the class well worth it. He is great about office hours and cares a lot about his students and class. Wish he taught all my classes. LOVE!

Easily one of the best classes to take at CGS! If you have the chance to pick your Social Science professor, Prof. Varat will exceed expectations. His lectures are far too amazing to miss, and they're even better when the class participates, so make sure to do the reading. Passionate about material, and super helpful in OH. 10/10 would take again.

I LOVE this man. He makes you want to show up to class. He is so understanding about personal situations and is a real gem of a human being. His class is difficult and doesn't give out anything higher than a 95 but you genuinely learn so much because his lectures are so entertaining. Go to office hours if you can. Only 3 exams and one paper.

Prof. Varat was my favorite professor this semester. He is very passionate about what he teaches, which makes a generally boring class much more interesting and engaging. He gives you a list of terms to know for the exam so you aren't surprised by what you see. He assigns supplemental readings, but you can get by without some of them.

He's the best teacher I've come across at CGS. His lectures are spellbinding and he can make the most boring topic interesting. He's also a very personable guy who's just fun to banter with. His style isn't for everyone though. There aren't slides or visuals. You have to give all of your attention to the lectures if you want to pass.

I have always described his lectures as "bedtime stories," because he makes Chinese and Russian history so interesting and engaging. He doesn't use any slides or notes, so you have to write every single detail down in lectures to get all the information, which can be kind of difficult. Extremely nice and friendly outside of class too. I love!!!!!!

TOUGHEST GRADER EVER, he really wants you to know the material and I've seen some hard graders in CGS. But he grades tough because he really cares and he wants you to learn! He's so passionate about what he teaches it's crazy. No lecture slides, just notes and he will draw on the board. I wish I could've done better in the class, he's amazing!

Varat is truly an amazing professor because of his enthusiasm and motivation to teach, despite being online! He's a really tough grader, and doesn't give out powerpoints so your really have to pay attention in his classhe has two tests, one paper, and a final. Both tests are short/essay questions and final is multiple choice. Great prof though!

Super amazing professor, but tough grader. His lectures are him talking without slides so you really have to pay attention and take notes to understand the information. Super accessible outside of class and always willing to help.

Professor Varat is by far the best professor I have had at BU. He is caring, kind, and genuinely wants to help students learn. His lectures were phenomenal and he made the material so understandable, retainable and exciting! I always looked forward to going to his class. If I could take this class again, I would with absolutely no hesitation!

Fantastic, fantastic professor. Passionate and knowledgeable, amazing lecturer. But this man grades SO harshly he makes you question your will to live. You give your absolute all for a paper and he picks it apart. Yes, helps improvement, but to an extent. I would recommend if you do P/F, otherwise your GPA and mental health is going to suffer.

Such an amazing lecturer, you can see that he really cares about his students and the material that he teaches. Never had a better history professor in my life. He's known as a harsh grader but if you prepare well, submit rough drafts and follow his feedback then you'll do fine in his class.

Varat made me enjoy history again. I have very few complaints about Varat's teaching style or class. The one thing to be aware of, is that you have to make sure you pay attention in class and take lots of notes. Use the notes to fill in the study guide and stuff with that. He is a tough grader when it comes to essays so go to office hours!

I had Prof Varat's class for two entire semesters and it was soo amazing. He's the one who made history and US foreign policy interesting. He would always have a clear study guide before exams and review sessions for you to ask any questions. He's also approachable outside of class. He is always there to discuss any topic with you.

i'm not usually interested in history but his storytelling-type lectures are amazing. doesn't use slides so lecture notes are super important. study guide is pretty clear and straightup like what's on the test. is a fair grader and also cares a lot about his students

History is never boring with this man. He has a magic to attract every student to his lectures. Also grades pretty fairly on exams. For papers, as long as you put in your effort, submit rough drafts, follow his feedback, and go to office hours, you will be fine. He is really supportive in and outside classroom, and is never going to screw you up.

recommend

best professor I have ever had at boston u. Makes history really really interesting, its impossible to not be engaged in his lectures and discussions.

Easily one of the best profs at BU. I'm an IR major & he teaches this course better than nearly all of my Pardee ones. His lectures are engaging & easy to follow, just take good notes. He's a really caring person too, I had a traumatic accident at the start of the semester & he worked with me to make sure I was never behind. He goes above & beyond!

Varat is awesome!! Super nice, funny, relatable, and the lectures are so fascinating. He tells it all like a story where everything loops back together. The one con: SUPER tough grader. Be thorough, memorize all dates, know every name and event that you can possibly think of for the exams. That being said, would still take this class again!!

Prof Varat is a great lecturer and teaches with amazing detail and passion. Super nice and helpful during office hours and gives study guides with the exact terms/essays for exams. That being said, because he is so passionate, he grades tough because he wants his students know the material. I enjoyed the class and social science is not my thing.

I hate history but somehow this guy got me to pay attention in class. He gives amazing lectures and is full of energy. He explains things very clearly and actually knows how to teach. His tests are a bit on the harder side but that's because there's a lot of info. You can go to him to appeal after and he will give you explanations.

I love this man! He is the best lecturer I've ever had at BU. He makes them like a story. So interesting. However, he is a VERY hard essay grader and expects a lot from his students. There is a lot of content to memorize but he teaches so well that it is not that bad. He is so caring and nice I highly recommend

Varat is very kind and a great lecturer. However, he is also probably the toughest grader I've had yet. You will need to know dates for events (month, year, sometimes day) and a lot of the things you're analyzing feel very hard for a general ed class. Take his class if history is your thing, but it won't be an easy A.

Great professor and very interesting. Very difficult compared to other CGS SS classes. Class is 100% memorization and very lecture dependent. Difficult grader compared to other CGS SS profs, I would look elsewhere if you want a A. With tha tbeing said, an A is not impossible, but takes a large amount of effort.

Great lecturer, great to talk to, very accessible for office hours and review, makes content interesting, however grading is super tough and a lot of work goes into achieving an A. In comparison to other CGS SS201 teachers it is a much more difficult which can be annoying.