he's a very cool guy but his tests are a little difficult. you can do it. *hot*

Relatively interesting, and so hot!

He's able to make anything you say sound dumber than a Pauly Shore flick.

Unimaginative and a merciless task master.

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He knows a lot, but lectures are a tad boring. He's young and cute though.

He lectures a lot, I learned a lot

Lectures are full of information everyday. You don't want to miss many lectures or you'll be really behind. Quizes in section everyday can be tough and the first two tests can be challanging. Final is extremely easy b/c he give the exact questions out.

I took this class in the summer. He didn't do much straight lecturing, instead there were a lot of questions and discussions. I enjoy that format and I learned a lot. Great class. It did mean that his tests had questions that were only in the book, though

Very good instructor. Definitely challenging, but he's willing to help. I would recommend taking any classes he offers.

Best Professor in the Department

Lots of interesting info, semi-hard class. You learn quite a bit.

First two tests are hard, rest of class is easy and somewhat interesting

Brian Lai is wicked smart and cute to boot!

Really easy class. He practically gives you the exam beforehand, so just do the review questions and you're pretty much guaranteed an A.

Lai has a huge volume of knowledge. Unfortunately he tries to cram it ALL into one semseter. Lectures feel rushed; the amount of info can be overwhelming. He does make the final easy, but still requires lots of memorization. Be prepared to do LOTS of work. Tough grading on 2 midterms (class average 67), but final was pretty easy.

Very hard class. A ton of reading. The first two exams are real hard, but the 3rd exam and the other assignments are pretty easy grades. Lecture isn't very interesting.

First two tests are hard, rest of class is easy, just show up and you will get a B. Lectures are sometimes interesting.

Very interesting course. Maybe covers too much material - moves pretty fast. Second class with this professor and it will not be my last. Knows his stuff and is a keeps things fun and interesting at all times

Attendance is VERY important to section grade. Lectures are quick with lots of info - if you enjoy reading Foreign Affairs, you'll be interested. LOTS of requirements, can be a lot to keep up with. Busy work boosts grades after hard exams. I had serious personal problems during course - this instructor was very helpful in helping get me caught up.

Just great. Doesn't waste time, doesn't treat you like you're stupid. Great readings and organization.

You really get to control your grade in this class. Gives you everything you need to know for exams. Go to Class, do readings, and study a little for exams and you'll do well. Good professor if you like Foreign Politics.

Professor Lai is a great professor. He doesn't treat you like a child and the grade you receive is based off of how much work you put into his class. The only mandatory thing to do is go to his sections. Get acquainted with your TA, it's key to succeeding in his class. He knows his material. If you have the opportunity take a few courses from him.

Great professor!! Knows his facts and wants to assume you will know them as well. Its very fast based (as in his lectures and speech) but very interesting!

One of the best professors I've had, knows so much and has a well formatted class. HARD CLASS, not a joke at all, must attend class and study a lot for tests

Very fast paced lectures, but helpful if you ask him. attending lecture and section very important. Tests are pretty hard

If you go to your section, you will do fine.

Pretty easy class.

Learned lots, tests can be hard, rest of the class is easy, got an A- after getting Cs on the tests

Professor Lai taught one of the best classes I've taken in undergrad and I am about to graduate. You'll learn a lot from his lectures, which are pure entertainment because you know you're facing a genius. This man is wicked smart, energetic, and gives you all the information you need to know to succeed. Attend all classes and you'll get an A.

Class is good and easy. Prof posted the grade breakdown and something like 30% got A's. I got a B but also did not do well on the two tests. If you like FP, take this class.

Pretty good class. The secret is showing up. Class is easy but you have to show up.

B. Lai is the dude! He's an amazing person and really knows his stuff! If you study hard the class will be pretty moderate but you'll have to study! This is a real fun class and there's only 2 tests with no final!

great class really helpful understanding guy

Professor Lai is one of the best professors I've had at Iowa. He really knows what he's talking about and is really passionate about what he teaches. He makes class go by quickly because he makes it really interesting. If you get a chance be sure to take a class with him! He's the man!

Took this as a GenEd. It is pretty straightforward. Just go to section, otherwise you will be in trouble. Grades in this class are high.

Class is easy. I am not really into politics. Exam questions are given ahead of time, the final paper is easy, but you do need to go to section.

If you are into politics at all, class is interesting. Lots of real politics stuff. You do have to put in the work but it is not hard.

Easy class, lots of extra credit, I am rocking almost a perfect score

Just got my grade and aced the class. You have to go to section but otherwise, very straightforward and pretty interesting.

Lots of info but class is very straightforward. One of the better gened intro classes.

Awesome class. Very interesting. Go to all classes, section, do the reading ahead of time, answer ALL the study questions and go to study session and you will get an A. Take notes on your computer cuz test is 50% lecture. I loved this class and learned a lot and am not even a poli sci major. Dr. Lai is really nice and cool, too. :)

Lots of info in lectures and readings, but tests are not a huge part of your grade. Paper and section are interesting and worth quite a bit. Got a C on first test, extra credit will take me to a B.

Lots of review questions (lots and lots) for tests but lots of easy points from paper and section. Got a C on first test, talked to Lai and I could still get an A-

Lots of review questions and you have to go to discussion section but very clear what you have to do to get a good grade. Learn the review questions and you will be fine. Did that for second test and i think i did much better than the first one.

Not a hard class but not a blow off class either. Need to do the reading and go to section. I know nothing about foreign policy and am doing very well. Some effort and you can get a B in this class easy.

Lots of stuff in lecture but it is a gened class. Clear assignments and tests are easy if you put in a little effort. Not my major but am getting an A

Took it with my friends who are Polysci majors. For me, its a good gened class (I am doing better in this than my science class). have to go to your once a week section, but it goes by pretty quickly.

This class seriously changed my life. Lai is an incredible professor and I looked forward to going every day to lectures. He makes foreign policy exciting and is very animated (even though he talks fast). If you engage yourself you will learn so much in this class. One of Iowa's best!

Lai is a great professor in general. The difficulty that others are speaking about is because it is a Freshman level course. He is the MOST CLEAR professor on what you need to do in order to get a good grade. In general an extremely fair test giver--no questions were asked that weren't covered extensively. Gives lots of extra credit as well.

Professor Lai speaks very fast during the lecture and gives a lot of information that isn't on the slides so going to lecture is important. Very clear and specific grading criteria. Prepare to read a lot for the exams and weekly discussion sections are heavily weighted in grade so attendance is key. Gives out several extra credit opportunities

Professor Lai is a good instructor. He talks super fast though to get through a lot of material during lecture, so taking notes electronically might be a good call. The vast majority of the class grade comes from discussion, so be sure you don't skip that!

Class is pretty straightforward. You have to go to discussion section, not lecture. I am a business major and got ab A in this class. Do the work and you will do well.

Good class for a non-major. I know more about foreign policy now. My friends and I got As and Bs. Lai is a smart guy who knows alot about foreign policy

I am not really interested in politics. I like this gened because it is clear what I am supposed to do. There is a paper and it tells you exactly what to do. Tests are no bueno (are they ever?) but they are not worth that much. You just have to go to section.

Lai is a great instructor. The material is tough, statistics is not my thing but required for my major. Lai makes this interesting and is very helpful. I may only get a B, but my favorite class.

Not sure about some of these other comments, this class is cake. I am getting an A and i put in 5 at most 6 hours a week (3 are in class). The secret is you just go. You know what is going to be on the test and there is a sheet that tells you what to write for your paper.

Not bad for a gened. Prof is into foreign policy, perhaps too much. Talks kind of fast but i had no problem taking notes. We did a week on zombies, tjat was cool. Learned some things and am probably getting an a-

He definitely cares about the work of his students. You can get by in the class without doing the readings. If you're taking this specific class, I highly recommend having experience in Stats. To an extent, he expects you to understand statistics.

A good easy course for a gen ed. The readings can be extremely boring, but if you force through them and go to class its not hard to get an A, esp if you have a decent knowledge of polisci and US history. Grading criteria is extremely clear and the paper was graded super leniently, just make sure you check off all the boxes. and go to section!

He is passionate about what he does which only enhances his great lectures. He was never boring but the guy talks super fast which is bad (you'll get used to it though). I highly recommend taking his American Foreign Policy course, it was super interesting and wasn't too hard. The book is pretty useful but you won't die w/o. DONT skip discussion.

Its an intro class so it is what it is. The good: lectures are clear, what you need to do to get an A is clear, it is not too hard to get an A The bad: if you are not really into politics, this is about foreign politics.

Lai is like your funny younger uncle. Sometimes a little dull and sometimes entertaining. Go to section, we did a zombie one which was fun. Straightforward gened. Lai likes foreign policy.

This class was pretty straight forward. I got above average on my first two exams, a +C on the last exam, and a 100 on my final paper + the quizzes. I also did okay during discussions (-A-ish). Went to lectures, did the in-lecture activities, studied with the questions he provided and also did some additional extra credit work. It was not too bad.

Funny guy, pretty laid back, basically lets you know more than half of the exam to you in section and lecture. as a non-politics major, I enjoyed it.

Best class this semester. Not that hard, we did a zombie simulation, and prof is a cool guy.

Prof. Lai is amazing. I switched my major because of this class and his lectures. He does talk a bit too fast but if you follow through you'll do fine. Very passionate about what he's teaching and cares about your success.

Not too hard a class. Online lectures are not that exciting and have a b movie feel to them but enjoyed it.

Solid teacher, brutal attendance policy. Text book can be found free online.

Prof is cool, fun gen ed, dont care about politics but got an A. Have to go to section but they are cool, half are games.

Nice professor, cares about the material he's teaching and has some funny moments when he opens the lecture up for class participation. TA's are great, offer good feedback on papers. Discussion work can kind of be a lot of reading, but it helps reinforce the material. Discussions can also be fun, and you're required to go, so it works out.

Prof. Lai is one of my favorite professors! His lectures are very interesting and he does an amazing job explaining. He's very student-oriented and it's easy to tell he really cares. A few small assignments and one final paper, with two midterms that were fairly easy as well. You cannot miss discussion though.

Took this in the summer as a 4 week class, easy to follow. lots of stuff in 4 weeks but not too bad. it was all online so hard to motivate myself but i guess that is the covid world

Prof is nice. I was so lost with everything for first few weeks and missed a bunch of stuff. He helped me catch up and was not condescending like other profs. Class is interesting and very easy to follow.

Prof. Lai was decent. Lectures were engaging and got the job done, nothing to write home about but solid, and he was always able to answer questions. TONS of reading. The Honors section was both easier and less useful than the regular sections as we spent the entire semester writing one paper.

American Foreign Policy is a great elective if you are at Iowa. No tests. Easy short weekly quizzes that you can get 100 on if you skim the reading and go to discussion. Lectures are usually 2-4 videos that are 7-20 mins. There are pre-discussion and post-discussion activities, but these are a grade booster. There is a final paper but lots of time

I took his American Foreign Policy last year in person and it was easily my favorite class I've taken at the university. If you study and pay attention during lecture it is an easy A. Professor Lai has interesting lectures and you can tell he has a passion for his class. In person class discussion is mandatory. Would take a class with him again.

Easy GenEd, Liked: clear what needs to be done, open book and open note tests, other students post funny things Not Like: videos could be better, wish i saw some faces

Class was pretty easy, lectures weren't too bad or long. There's a lot of reading but you can get away with skimming. I felt there were too many pre and post discussion assignments but they were fairly easy. No test in this class. Overall a decent course.

I really liked this class and my TA. Only graded on tests (where you get the answers plus he gives a study guide) and on a paper. Don't take this at the same time as intro to IR, i made that mistake and got easily confused. Super easy class to get points in

There is nothing to buy for the class, which was nice. weekly quizzes and short assignments and a final paper. I enjoyed my discussion section, learned some interesting things that I never think about like China or terrorism. probably the most straightforward intro i have taken here.

Easy class, my TA was great. Some TAs not as much. Class was partially online so never really talked to prof but lectures are easy to follow

Lai let me make up bunch of assignments missed bc of covid and family stuff. One of few teachers to meet with me on zoom. Won't have to drop this class bc of his help

Good GenEd to take. Very clear what you need to do. sections with masks were no fun but covid. actually learned some interesting things and am getting an A so it makes me happy.

Go to section. I go to half the lectures and am doing fine. I like my section, it helps that I like my group, the time goes by quickly and I did learn about some things. Lai is a nice guy as well, let me make up some quizzes.

Professor Lai is a great guy! The class is pretty easy and really interesting. Most of the quiz material is on the lectures. He packs a lot of information into his lectures but he makes sure to go quickly.

Great professor and great class! Tons of ways to get your grade up.

Great Prof. His lectures are packed and he talks very fast. Easy weekly quizzes. lectures can be skipped, just go to section. section was fun, great simulations, but often unrelated to the lectures. overall easy A if you do all the work.

Professor Lai is a very chill, laidback, and relaxing guy. You can easily pass his class without going to the lectures. You can skip the lectures as often as you want, but make sure you go to the discussion. I wish he would be direct about the guidelines for the final paper, but other than that, he is a great professor!

Easiest class I've ever taken. Brian knows this is a common gen ed course and makes sure to make it easy to pass. So many extra credit opportunities, I ended the class with a 101.8%. Discussion section is mandatory, but really easy. Gives pop quizzes during lectures, but its usually opinion based and just graded for completion. TAKE THIS CLASS.

Good GenEd. You have to go to section, but it is pretty fun, you do group activities each week, which makes the time go by pretty fast. I learned more in this class than any other gen ed. Lai is nice, let me make up some assignments after I fell behind because of covid.

Genuine guy. Definitely wants to see everyone succeed. I had this class completely online during COVID, and he was so understanding of any technical barriers I had. I am not majoring or minoring in anything that relates to this, but I find politics to be very interesting, and he truly enjoys what he does and wants to see everyone succeed.

Although I took his class as a gen ed, he made me enjoy listening to American history and foreign politics. The discussions and the final paper are a big part of your grade, but as long as you show up to discussion and try on the paper you will be just fine.

overall the class was pretty easy. participation and attendance are mandatory in the discussion sections. I never went to the lectures and still had an A. i'd recommend just managing your time wisely so that you don't miss any assignments.

This class was a fairly easy gen ed. Prof Lai is a good guy who cares about his students, but to be honest I didn't learn a thing.

Good class, learned some stuff about foreign policy. Lai makes it easy to learn, no stress for this class. Let me make up some assignments when I got covid.

Professor Lai gave entertaining lectures and the content was interesting. There is only one paper for the whole semester with check in assignments along the way. You do have to go to section every week but lectures really aren't mandatory. Highly recommend this class for a gen ed or a poli sci major.

Easiest gen ed I have ever taken. Weekly discussion assignments, 4 question quizzes and extra credit were the things I found easy. However the final paper was the hardest thing I have ever had to write in my college life because it involved extensive research. The TA Natasja is so understanding and cares about you so does professor Lai.

Good GenEd. Foreign policy is not really my thing (science major) but this class is good for that. Clear on how you will be graded and easy to get an A. You have to attend section, you do not have to attend lecture (went to half of them). Prof lets you makeup stuff which was great. Low stress class helped me actually learn some of this stuff.

Great professor and guy. Discussions are attendance based but super easy to keep a good grade. 2 discussions and 4-question quizzes a week. Many chances for extra credit

I took Professor Lai's Honors/Research-based FYS, and I loved it. It wasn't as much a "class" as it was time to work on a research project, but he was incredibly nice, helpful, and a great person and resource to talk to, especially regarding poly sci. Awesome guy.

Good teacher. Class is boring, but he does a good job keeping students engaged. Makes it easy for students to do well. Overall great teacher!

Professor Lai's POLI1501 was easily the most straightforward class I've taken. Lectures aren't necessarily mandatory but check ICON frequently. No midterms. No final exam. No textbook. Go to the discussion, though. TAKE THIS CLASS, easy gened, you'll get an A if you put the minimum effort in. I recommend it to all my friends.

If you like politics this is a good first-year seminar. Unfortunately, most seminars go for about 10 weeks, this is an entire semester. He's relatively unorganized, too. Never knew how to prep for guest speakers, and the final project was not explained well. BUT, Lai picks good speakers and it's a good way to dip your toe into governmental work.

EVERYBODY this is ur sign to take foreign policy. It's so easy. The lectures are interesting but don't matter, discussion sections are easy. Only work is small paragraphs, a weekly 4 question online quiz, and one final paper. Literally BEST CLASS EVER, professor is so knowledgable on the topics too. I give it 1000/100

No tests, weekly 4 question quizzes. One final paper but is done overtime. Discussion attendance matters.

Extremely easy and rewarding class, Brian is an awesome guy and professor. Make sure to attend the discussion sections each week, as there can be hefty grade penalties for unexcused absences.

If you don't take this class, you're missing out. The easiest class I've taken so far and they're always willing to help you out in case you miss something, or something goes wrong.

Loved prof lai! He was a very good lectured and brought in guest speakers a few times who were really interesting. This class was really easy (no tests, only open note quizzes) but still informative. Disc was also set up in a really fun way with lots of mock scenarios and teamwork. There is one big paper at the end, but you get to choose the topic!

Professor Lai is amazing. His class is very interesting, and the weekly assignments are not too difficult, even for people who know nothing about politics. The honors section of his course was somewhat disorganized, but it seems like the regular section ran very well.

Class is very easy and consist of weekly quizzez with 4 questions each that are simple to do even without doing any of the readings. Only big assignment is one final paper which is a couple pages but fairly easy.

Sections are fun. Lai is very forgiving of being late on assignments and quizzes. Lectures have some interesting stuff and some less interesting stuff but better than other GenEd lectures.

Class is graded on quizzes, a paper, and weekly discussion activities. I am a business major and this gened was by far easier and more interesting than the ones my friends took. Lai and TAs are helpful and let you turn stuff in late.

Grade is all quizzes, discussion posts, and homework. Very kind professor and actually learned quite a bit in his class, and his lectures are great. No exams and 1 large paper but overall very easy class just make sure you show up to discussion sections that is most of your grade.

lecture attendance isn't mandatory, but discussion section is no final exam, only a final paper easy weekly quizzes and two weekly assignments extra credit quizzes and activities are offered would recommend for everyone to take

Very simple and easy class. I did the honors version, so my discussion was different but was still simple and easy. Lectures are not required, and there are weekly online quizzes. No exams, and one final paper at the end of the semester that has very clear grading criteria.

The class is very easy. Brian gives good lectures, and he is very nice. Take the class if you want to boost your GPA

Brian's great. His lectures are interesting if you like this kind of stuff. It includes a fair bit of history which I enjoyed. He assigns a ridiculous amount of reading each week that you don't really need to read. The discussions were fun if you have a good group, but they were otherwise repetitive and boring, and attendance was required for that.

Professor Lai's POLI1501 is a breeze - easy quizzes, no final exam, and a manageable final paper. Discussions are mandatory but helpful. Unstuck ai was great for prepping the quizzes.

So many extra credit opportunities which I really appreciated but didn't necessarily need because things were graded very easily, could be resubmitted, or had multiple attempts. Overall had a great experience.

one paper, no exams

Theres only 1 paper and all quizzes are online little to no assignments. Discussions are very lowkey.

Fantastic professor who genuinely cares about the material he is teaching and makes it accessible to anyone. American Foreign Policy is an easy class and enjoyable. With minimal effort, an A is achievable

As long as you do well on the essay and go to discussion you will be fine. Super easy gen ed. There are participation quizzes in class with passcodes to unlock to get attendance points, but there are so many extra credit opportunities you can easily miss a lot and still do well.

Might be the best gen ed I've taken at this school. The assignments, quizzes, discussions, and final paper are easy. There is also an overwhelming amount of extra credit points available. Professor Lai is very helpful and accommodating as well. I was in a lot of tough classes this semester, so this class was a perfect gen ed to pair with them.

Easiest gen-ed, best class for a GPA booster. Lots of extra credit available, very clear assignments, you could honestly put this class on the back burner and be fine. Skim the readings before the discussions and show up to the lectures for participation. Final paper is simple. Very hard to do bad in this class.

Easiest class I've taken at UI. It would be hard to get anything below an A. I have never seen a professor give so much extra credit. There is a lot of busy work, but doesn't take long. Discussions are important & include group work. Overall a great guy and I was happy to learn about current & historical politics without being drowned in homework.

Very interesting course, he is very nice and teaches the class very well. I suggest his American Foreign Policy course for a gen-ed here at Iowa.

Fun class for a gened. I am a business major and this is by far the best gened I have taken. Prof lectures are interesting and sections are fun to attend. No exams, just weekly quizzes, short posts, and a paper. Lots of extra credit including speakers I enjoyed even though I probably would not have gone except for the extra credit.

there is a lot of extra credit opportunites, had over 100% the whole semester because of it. Lecture wasn't too bad, discussions were pretty easy. overall easy class with easy quizzes and an essay

I took this class to fill a gen ed and it is super easy. Lecture attendance is not required but discussion is! No exams, weekly assignments, and quizzes which are open note and open book. There is one final paper but the grading is clear for that and he prepares you very well for it. He also offers a ton of extra credit. I would definitely take it!

Lots of work for the class, but nothing unmanageable. Lectures were helpful and entertaining.

Lai was a very good lecturer, and the class was very easy overall. Discussions are heavily graded, so participate and you will be fine.

Very good lectures. Grades come mainly from discussion - MUST ATTEND. Pre-discussion assignments are due 24 hours before your time and post-discussion assignments are due 48 hours after - you have to complete these as they make up 80% of the assignments for this class. Discussion = group work for the entire time and making presentations. Easy class

Introduction to American Foreign policy has got to be the best Gen Ed I have ever taken. I never had to worry once about my grade and put in minimal effort to get around 105% in the class. There are no tests and the quizes are all online and only act as a grade booster.

Professor Lai was very engaging during lectures and kept the topics interesting. I am a business major taking the class for a gen-ed. Some grading could depend on the TA, but mine was very laid-back, and discussions were easy. Definitely recommend taking this course.

Easiest gen ed ever. Love you professor lai

Professor Lai was great and had very clear expectations. Do the assignments and attend discussion and you will be set up for success. There is one big paper but you have the whole semester to do it. TAKE THIS CLASS!

Lai is a great teacher. Lectures are interesting. You have to go to section but they are pretty fun, you do activities in a group. It is pretty clear what you are supposed to do in the class to do well. Easy and interesting GenEd. I learned about the origins of cinco de mayo.

Lai is a good professor. Let me make up some work after I had some personal stuff, unlike some other profs. You have to go to section but they are kind of fun. Class is not that hard. He is pretty funny and a good lecturer.

Lai is a good guy and will talk with you if you have questions. He also lets you make work up. No Exams. You have weekly work, including quizzes and you have to go to section, but it is kind of fun. I know we bombed Iran now.

He's awesome. Lots of extra credit opportunities and very clear expectations for what he's looking for. Discussion attendance is graded, but there are in-lecture activities which are sort of counted for attendance. As long as you do the pre-lecture activities and readings you will be just fine.

Prof Lai is awesome. Attendance is mandatory in discussion sections, and there are "in-class assignments" that are locked with a code, which kind of sucks. If you show up, you'll be just fine. One term paper that you work on over the semester and no final. Lai is great and is responsive via email and helps with any questions you have.

basically all online assignments

Prof. Lai is great. He's pretty nice to students, and is easy to get in touch with. He also assigns a lot of extra credit work. Attendance at discussion is mandatory and there's lecture activities that count towards your grade, but you'll be fine if you go to class. I also feel like he makes grading criteria pretty clear.

Professor Lai is one of the nicest professors I've ever met. His lectures are elementary to understand and very accessible at any time of day for those who want to take notes early. Overall, the class is an exciting and easy course to take! The aspects of the class make it an engaging and accessible course! Definitely recommend doing this class.

This class is so free. So many opportunities for extra credit.

Easiest college class ever! Great gen ed. Only one final paper and no tests.

Easiest class of my life. SOOO much extra credit, ended with over an 100%

Take this class. Very highly recommend.

The lectures can be slow at times, but the course rewards consistent effort and offers abundant extra credit. Brian appears to genuinely care about his students' success. I would recommend this class to anyone considering enrolling.