3.0
Quality3.8
Difficulty45%
Would Retake243
Reviews45%
Would Retake
243
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
89
4
20
3
17
2
27
1
90
What Students Say
“The worst professor I have encountered”
POS2041 - 1.0 rating“I ended up falling by”
POS2041 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
61%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.86 avg changeRatings by Course
INR2500
4.7
(3)INR2002
4.1
(17)INR2041
3.0
(2)POS2041
2.9
(216)2041
2.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
INR2041
4.5
POS21370
4.0
INR2500
4.0
cpo2001
4.0
INR2002
3.9
Reviews (243)
Funny and he made government interesting to me.
He knows the subject material and is very effective at relating it to current events to help understand it more. Hes very funny and does a lot of things with music and videos. Only downfall is that he assigns daily readings and is pretty lazy and takes a while to grade things. 4 exams plus a midterm, final, and 8 page paper. would take again.
Study your butt off for his tests, even if you go over it 100X you'll still look at it and think "we didn't learn this" bad grammar, even the outline for the 8 page paper we had to do had grammar issues. Honestly would not recommend this professor.
I HAD to take this class as requirement so I was afraid because I HATE politics, but I ended up LOVING the class. Lectures always involved current politics so I feel informed now. I totally recommend him.
Good professor, interesting lectures, the class is a pretty easy A. I don't know why some people complain so much. If you don't attend the class and don't put any effort-don't even cry about having a bad grade in the class!!!!! he is fair with his grading and gives plenty time to write the paper. Only 2 tests required the midterm and final.
This class is very entertaining for someone looking at polysci - but beware, he will tell you he wont take attendance but it is a lie. He will dock your participation points for not attending class. And expect to read A LOT!! You have no choice but to take him. He is the only one who teaches this course. Very soft spoken also.
Dr. B is AWESOME! Very knowledgeable and its clear he cares about politics. He even made me care about it too! He wears the best ties. Snoopy! You HAVE to take his class! He also teaches international politics which is even better than american politics.
TAKE THIS CLASS. Dr. B is THE best professor I've ever had.
One of my favorite professors I've had so far. Lectures are interesting and fun to participate in. Even though attendance isn't mandatory make sure you still show up for class because participation is a decent chunk of your grade and if you don't show up that will go down relatively quick. Also make sure you participate in discussion here and there
Prof. Baltodano could not be cooler or more enthusiastic.
I took both American National Government, and Comparative Politics with Dr. B. He is extremely knowledgable on the topic of politics and keeps the class interesting. Yes, be prepared to read and discuss the chapter, but the online quizzes are very easy and the answers are online. He is an excellent professor who genuinely cares about his students
I had Dr.B and his class wasn't hard or easy he tried to make it fair. He even admitted it saying he doesn't want to make a quiz to easy or to hard. He is willing to work with you if you give him a chance. There is a 1,500 word term paper at the end of the semester. If you take INR it should cover the cultural diversity courses at the universities.
Dr. B made me care about politics, and I used to hate it. Online quizzes are easy, exams are harder but if you go to lectures and take good notes you'll be okay. Term paper was tough but only 1500 words.
He's funny and all but not a very good teacher. He goes off topic A LOT making the lecture kind of fun but then you know nothing when he gives his tests. Participation is a HUGE part of your grade and is very specific on participation you can't just answer a few questions you have to basically have a discussion with it. Overall bad teacher.
Isn't a hard class but isn't a walk in the park either. He hardly teaches because he's always off topic but when he does it is thought provoking. Keeps hella track of attendance and a participation is a HUGE part of your grade and is hard to bring back up. Tough grader (highest grade on the essay for the midterm was a 4 out of 10).
He is very good
Overall he wasn't a bad professor. If you have to take him READ THE SYLLABUS. He uses it for everything. Don't take the assigned readings lightly he will want them read or like he did for us cancel class and reduce our participation. Participate regularly that is how you will be graded. He is stringent on what you say (no to option comments) GL
He cares about what he teaches, but his class was very challenging. He didn't give study guides or much guidance on what to study for tests... and they are hard. Participation IS IMPORTANT read the chapter before class understand the concepts and be able to discuss it in class. If you don't your participation will suffer. I wouldn't recommend him.
Great lectures, be sure to do the readings!
Dr. Baltodano's class is very engaging, and the group discussions are great, but participation is graded to heavily. Also, beware that there are no study guides for midterms or finals and since he goes off topic often, those tests will be littered with things that students don't know. It's disappointing for an A+ to drop so low because of the final
Hardest class
If you take good notes every class and participate in the discussions, you will do well. The online quizzes are easy and most of the answers can be found on quizlet if you look hard enough. I only had to write 2 papers and take a midterm and a final so a majority of the grading is on the quizzes and CLASS PARTICIPATION!!
I learned a lot more from this class than I thought I would. He is a good professor
Makes you work for it but, I gotta tell ya, I liked him as a professor.
Great class. I looove politics, but even if it is not your thing you should be fine. Curves all exams which helped me a lot.
Class is graded almost solely on participation, weighted even more than tests. Have to do A LOT more than go to class to receive a C or higher in that category.
Baltodano isn't a terrible guy. He is passionate about politics, funny, and not very opinionated. But he is an extremely tough grader. Participation is weighted higher than the midterm or final. Do not take the readings lightly, he will cancel a class or two if no one shows they have done the current reading. I personally do not recommend him.
Online quizzes are easy, midterm and final are tough and lectures are awesome. I recommend him, no doubt.
Dr. B's class was the first class where I was challenged and had to seriously work to get a good grade. He was my first college professor and I am glad because I left his class knowing that I learned something. You have to do the readings and participate but, I recommend him. I am taking his international relations class next.
PARTICIPATION heavy. Homework for every chapter makes you read textbooks. Tests were hard
His lectures were interesting, but the reading was terrible. I suggest listening to the book & taking good notes in class. Ch quizzes are on quizlet, but make sure to study those ?s for your midterm/final. Participation is crucial, and you actually have to put effort in. There are additional readings, DO THEM. He will cancel class, if no one has.
Most of the work is reading the textbook yourself. Youre expected to read every chapter before the next lecture. His pace is a little too quick granted we went through half the textbook in a month. His lectures are a little sporadic, he expects everyone to speak out in class if not your grade will suffer. He doesn't review with the class for exams
Dr. Baltodano is a very intelligent professor. For his teaching style to have a real effect on you, it requires you to pay attention, participate, and show up. Make sure to read the textbook as well, because tests have parts from the lecture and from the textbook
He is an amazing person and very devoted to his job. The class is so much fun and he is hilarious. He is so smart, I recommend him if you want an awesome professor!
Midterm and Final combined are 40 percent of final grade Hard Term paper 15% Difficult Discussions 15% Easy Online chapter quizzes 30% Piece of cake Easy class to pass. Difficult to get an A. I reccomend it
Dr. Baltodano gives LOTS of extra credit opportunities and this is an introductory class, not the hardest subject, do the work and you will get a good grade. I don't know why some people complain about the class participation grades, the midterm and the final are worth a lot more. I recommend him.
Easy class, gives extra credit, funny and engaging lectures.
Horrible.
Best class I have ever had in college. I highly reccomend Dr. B.
I participated as much as I can but I was docked off points for not contributing "enough". I would say his lectures came in handy but reading the required readings were helpful to understand class material. His teaching style was alright. He used PowerPoint during lectures but his handwriting is terrible.
the way he teaches is really complicated
This class is hard, he knows his stuff and the lectures are great, but be ready to read the textbook(some of the chapters are long too), the paper is pretty intensive but of you work hard you'll get an A, I was worried because I bombed a test, my advice, check the answers on the tests, because nobody neglect and you can get a better grade
Participation is an extreme must, but you need to say what he agrees with or don't bother. He is one of those who doesn't believe in giving an A. The class tended to have a very negative vibe and was very demanding. He seemed unorganized a LOT.
Awesome class.
Lectures are hard to follow but are a big part of whats on both tests. Raise your hand to earn credit for participation, if your views oppose his dont even bother speaking. This class isnt challenging, his teaching style just makes it impossible to earn a high grade if speaking isnt your strong suit. Take him at your own risk.
Do NOT take this professor. Worst professor i have ever had by far. only two exams for the whole semester. grade mainly reflects participation, if you dont raise youre hand often he gives you no credit. not even a difficult class, hes just poor at lecturing and makes it impossible to get a good grade. take any other professor!!!
if youre shy and dont like to talk in class, good luck getting anything above a B. Your class participation grade will drop every class if you dont add something to the discussion. As for the other grades, there are very few and the majority of them are very heavily weighted, as well as poorly explained and harshly graded.
Horrible
The worst professor Ive had. He is unorganized, and is late to class every time.
Worst professor by far.. basically graded you on participation, and 2 exams with a mid-term and final.. read a bunch of pages in the test book only to take a little quiz for homework.. be prepared to work hard for your grade
Best professor ever.
15 at-home quizzes worth 30% of the final grade. One midterm and one final, each worth 20 percent of the final grade. Term paper and class participation each worth 15 % of the final grade. Do the work and youll get an A. Good class. Great professor
Strong class. Emphasis on current news. Chapters are easy
Fun class, I learned a lot. I highly reccomend it.
Good, not easy class but good. My favorite part was the daily discussions, gave me a chance to earn easy points for final grade.
First day of class I have a C for participation. I came on today, left after class was done and paid attention. That is all i am gonna say about him. Dont take his class. Not worth your time. Trust me.
Do not take this class, its a waste of time participation is graded heavily. Not everyone can participate since he doesnt let everyone speak , the class is the worst Ive had.
My favorite part of this class, from the beginning was the class discussions! 15% of my grade from talking in class!
This class helped more than any other class I ever took in college. I'll never forget Dr. B. He is a gem.
Debates and discussions in class helped me the most.
Awesome professor!
Extra credit points for every exam that amounts to one full letter grade. If you don't get a good grade, it's your fault.
Professor B is a really nice man. However, if you don't like talking in class find a different professor. Class participation counts for 15% of your grade. If you don't talk much he gives you a 50%. Zeros for not attending. Lots of easy quizzes but he gives 100 question exams that aren't the easiest.
Nice professor, but not too organized. Class is quite structured, but participation matters too much in this class, especially since sometimes it's hard to participate. Socially awkward/anxious students beware. Not suitable for chronic class skippers. Clear communication to students can be a problem at times.
Classes are engaging and discussion heavy. Dr. B really cares about his students and pushes you to be your best. If you're looking for something bland then this isn't for you. Extremely rewarding as long as you put in the effort.
Best. Class. I've ever. Had. I learned soooo much more from this class than any other college class." The best part were the discussions in EVERY class. Just speaking my opinion gave me points.
My grade went up from a B to an A just because of class participation!
Learned a lot. You gotta do the readings and talk during class. I reccommend him.
He was a great professor, great character but if your not into politics at all or you dont know what international relations is, I wouldnt take it. It was hard keeping up with the excessive readings and he doesnt hand out study guides for exams. Only advice is pay attention to his lectures and engage on discussions for participation points.
I loved this class. My favorite parts were the class discussions.
I came in late to the final exam and he stayed an EXTRA 30 minutes just to give me time to finish. I would have failed if he hadnt let me take it!
Did not like this class. His class was very competent and forced you to participate for grades. The test makeups are the worse. Definitely would not take his class ever again.
Prof B knows a lot. However, he fails to know how to deal with diversity. He expects you to do what he needs you to do without offering any support. If English is not your primary language, do not take his class. he is very strict with participation and lateness. He needs to reconsider how he teaches, and work on educate the students better.
Bad, bad, bad, but very bad professor. Save you GPA! Do not take this Professor!
Professor B is very knowledgable in all aspects of political science. If you're like me and learn through notetaking and listening in on lectures, then this will be a pretty solid class. However, there were some required readings that I didn't do and he docked my participation grade for it, which was understandable. Overall a pretty average prof.
I really loved the class, the class discussions were very beneficial. Some people complained, however, they were also students that did not regularly participate. I will be taking classes with this professor again.
the worst professor! <3
He has possibly the biggest ego I've ever seen with a college professor, not to mention one at a community college. This man cares more about failing you then actually helping you succeed in class. He is more worried about upholding his imaginary reputation than helping the student succeed. If absolutely anything happens to you he will not help you
After the corona virus epidemic, Dr. B has been very helpful. I could not have passed his class without his one-to-one guidance. I highly recommend him
Worst professor I've ever had. I've emailed him many times asking for help and he is rude about it and doesn't help me. do yourself a favor and don't take this guys classes. Giant ego.
he's the worst and absolutely does not care about if we pass or not. He makes it impossible.
After the corona virus emergency, Dr. baltodano was very helpful , I could not have passed the class without his help.
Worst professor Ive ever had, makes a mandatory class (American government) hard for no reason. No extra credit and not willing to help you get a good grade. Never actually explains why you got a bad grade on an assignment. Would definitely not take him again.
I hate to say this, but he is one of the least helpful professors I have ever had. Do yourself a favor and try to find another one. I had high hopes for him. He seemed funny and nice. But his lectures hardly covered what we needed for the quizzes or exams. In addition, his emails were rude and he would not care if a student asked for guidance.
The worst professor Ive ever had! ��If you enjoy taking hard to pass exams NOT worth your hours of studying, this ones for you! Hes not helpful at all and grades harshly to a ridiculous extent. Would definitely recommend this professor if youre trying to ruin your gpa and waste your time stressing over a class not worth it.
Easily the worst teacher Ive had in my 14 years of schooling. Grades on participation but good luck getting more than a C on that. Any writing assignments you will never pass. Refuses to help if youre in need of any. If you miss even one class youre likely to fail the course. Do not take this professor under any circumstances.
This was an extremely horrible experience. If you want a decent participation grade then you have to talk for probably every second of every class meeting and even then you probably wouldn't even get an A. Made you meet a 1000 word requirement for each question on test for questions that could be answered in 50. I do NOT recommend this whatsoever!
I read the reviews and took the class anyway. Big mistake! Random grades, some perfect and some abominable and I have no idea why. The feedback made no sense. Felt like he was rolling dice, not grading. Nothing worse than not knowing where you're at or why.
This class was the hardest classes I have ever taken. This is the Model UN class so be prepared for work. You will have to write a position paper for Harvard MUN and expect to read the assigned chapters and KNOW the content or else you will fail. It was an amazing class though and opened my eyes to international relations! Dr. B is Da Bomb!
Dr baltodano is an awesome teacher. I recommend him, no question. Be sure to read the syllabus and directions for essays and ask him for help.
One of the best professors I've ever had. He makes you want to do better because of how much he cares about the work he does. I love having Dr. B as a professor and would definitely take a course with him again if I could.
Dr. Baltodano is by far the best professor I've had. He clearly states what he expects out of you. Online quizzes on the readings from the book are EASY. His exams are on the class discussions and the readings so you need to attend class. He is passionate about what he is teaching, that makes his lectures interesting.
This is the best professor I have ever had. Dr. Baltodona actually cares about the students and teaches the material in a way where you understand it and is not boring. The class felt like a family and safe place.
Dr. B is by far the best teacher I have had, he opened my eyes to so many things. I've taken all of his classes and I highly recommend him. He clearly loves his job and cares about his students.
Class was an easy A. Ms. He is super knowledgeable about the subject and overall highly intelligent person. No homework besides the occasional online quizzes. Not necessary to purchase the book but it helps.
Had anxiety just walking into the class, it was impossible to get better than a C on the participation. Horrible, and was not helpful AT ALL. Whats on the test is not from lecture, class was the worst.
Super cool professor and accommodating when you let him know that you need help. Laid back for the most part, just a bit strict on doing the daily readings. Obviously knows his stuff and presents material clearly. You will enjoy this class.
professor Baltodano was my favorite professor at FSW. You need to be show up for every class in order to discuss each lecture to understand what she's looking for on tests. Highly recommend!!
This class was very enlightening. Class was always started by discussing what was going on during current times which was almost always a window into the lesson. You do have to participate in discussion if you want to get a good grade, which isn't hard if you just use a vocabulary word in context. He encourages you to speak and does not show bias.
He was an overall great teacher! Dr. B has a great sense of humor and is very helpful. Always makes the class enjoyable. And he is a great educator. I would recommend any of his classes.
Very unclear grading criteria! Grading completely random.
One of the best professors I've ever had. His energy is contagious and the more personal feeling of class discussions was awesome. Lectures are educational, insightful, and fun. Loved this class!
He is a nice guy but his class is difficult. You have quizzes from the book every week and he expects every student to participate in the discussion. You are graded for participation. Sometimes his grading was very hot and cold. He didn't ever have anything good to say about my discussion posts and left long messages as to what I didn't do right.
Dr. B is a great professor, very inspiring. His grading may be confusing but it's very hard to fail his class, she give extra credit for EVERY EXAM .
Best professor I ever had. Politics is not my thing but at the end of the semester I feel like I have something to say and that I am better prepared for my upper level college classes. I reccomend Dr. B!
The professor was pretty tough but fair. He was quite nice and very knowledgeable in his field.
Worst professor ever. I did not learn a single thing in that class and he was rude! Do not take his class if you want to learn.
Dr. B is an amazing person and very devoted to his students. This class is so much fun. He makes sure that all the students know that he is there if they need any help. I learned a lot in such a short period of time. I recommend him if you want a helpful teacher.
Took him for American Government, one of the best professors and classes I have ever taken. Very knowledgeable about the material, and shows a passion about the students. Any people who have a passion for learning should not look any further than Dr. Baltodano. Not a lot of homework other than easy online quizzes.
I loooved this class and I am sooo thankful for this professor. He used the class participation grade to round UP my class from a B to an A and that was the difference of me getting into UF!!! I reccomend his class.
This class is easy, just speak up during lectures, online quizzes are easy, essay is easy, you need to prepare for exams but they are not super hard.
This class isn't exactly difficult although at the end of the semester you are given a news article essay. After waiting three weeks for a grade I was given a 50% after emailing professor Baltodano he was extremely rude and it almost seemed as if I bruised his ego. I ended up falling by .7%. That's right point 7 percent.
Dr. Baltodano was by far my favorite professor at FSW. Not only did I learn more about American Government, but I left feeling excited about things like voting. He genuinely cares about you and your grade. If you can, please take his class!
I loooove Dr. B! I needed an A in his class to transfer into my next university and, after submitting my final essay, he rounded up my grade from an 89.5 to a 90! That 0.5 was the difference for me!
Dr. Baltodano is great, he was a very patient and passionate professor. Its clear he really believes what he teaches. Show up to class, pay attention and take notes. Take pictures of all of the slides and notes he draws. You need to work for your grade. I WILL take him again.
Awesome professor and great class.
He is an amazing person and a devoted professor. His class is a lot of fun and he is hilarious. I recommend him if you want a helpful teacher.
The worst professor I have encountered. His rudeness, disrespect, and attitude are so poor. The guy clearly has issues and needs some help. Do not take his class unless if you want to experience his poor grading skills.
He is amazing. Show up to class, pay attention to the notes. You need to work for your grade. Great prof.
Pay attention in lectures, speak up during class discussions and do extra credits. You will get an A if you do that.
Professor Baltodano does not care about you OR your grade. He continuously passed over me in class when I had questions and wanted to add to my participation grade. Even when I was allowed to participate, he would give me grades no more than a 50%, the bare minimum for attendance for even showing up. VERY rude, seems he wants you to fail. DONT TAKE
This was by far the WORST class I've taken at FSW... This professor or DOCTOR will participation is a big part of your grade, he will give you a zero every class even if you participate and its not to his his standard.. His tests are literally 100 questions long. He does not want to help his students, don't take this class
Dont bother asking questions. Response to every question I had was Its in the syllabus. Very strict no excuses. Lectures in class were very interesting. Must speak in order to get participation grade. Must speak like 2-3 times to get 100%. Absences affect you drastically.
One the best profs I have had at FSW. He woks hard to help you do well in the course. What I liked is that he backed up theory and concepts with real-life experiences and stories. This made US government more understandable. But you must study to pass!
I loved him and this class. Great discussions and the additional readings really make you think! I enjoyed his teaching style and the classes were always great.
I love this Professor he is very knowledgeable and easy to learn from!
Professor Baltodano respected people of all beliefs and backgrounds, hard to find that anymore, very much appreciated that and his ability to overall teach.
WORST PROF EVER! Can't grade correctly, gave me 50 for participation every class even when I participated 3 times. Expressed my concern to him and he did nothing. BIG EGO! He THRIVES on having control over students. Exams are 0 of lecture. He threatened to give me a 0 on 200 pt assignment due to my TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. NOT UNDERSTANDING!!!
Dr. B is incredible! He is extremely knowledgable in his field and utilizes real life scenarios in order to put course content into perspective. Yes, he expects participation and for his students to put forth effort. Given that it is a college course I do not believe that is too much to ask, especially due to the rewards that accompany the work.
While funny in class, homework is easy to do, everything else is a con. Even if you list the rubric requirements within your paper, you may get a random grade. Same with participation grade. Had to reschedule a test due to a death in the family and was told that I should have informed him ahead of time? How would I know? I don't recommend.
professor b's class was the best i've ever taken and he helped to do well
I had INR 2500 with Dr Baltodano. I loved this class. This was a small group, so each student was able to express their opinion. It gave the students a great perspective of politics.
Professor Baltadano was tough but he was fair. I worked hard but earned my grade. In the end I felt that I had learned a lot.
Dr. Baltodano is a great professor whos lectures always had me excited just because of how eye-opening and interesting things are! Attendance is 100% mandatory as you are graded each class for how much you participate/if you showed up. Expect to read from the textbook and take the at-home quizzes before each class.
Dr. B. is amazing. He can relate to students and is is very laid back. Love the way he teaches! He is the best prof I've ever had. Strongly suggest taking his class!!!!!
I love being a student in Dr.B class. He encouraged to be free to express ourselves while respecting others. His topics is something that is a reality and you will use in life. He will touch on topic that are relevant . If you take this class get ready to learn and educate yourself! Amazing teacher !
I was totally misled by this professor's awesome reviews when I first registered for this class this semester. I can 100% tell you this is not the place you want to be if government isn't your thing and you need the credit. All tests are 100 questions w true and false, multiple choice, and fill in the blank and are worth almost your whole grade.
3 exams for the whole semester which are extremely hard. He usually gives out a list of topics that will be on the test but then will make the questions about the smallest detail in the textbook. you'll need to put in a lot of work to maintain a good grade.
I never thought I would be interested in politics but Dr. B made it very interesting!. The readings and videos are relevant. He posts all the assignments the first day of class so you can plan everything out ahead of time. His lectures made understanding political terms and issues easy.
He is very strict at grading if you dont speak the whole entire class you wont pass. His exams are ridiculously hard and nothing to do with what he teachers. Dont take this class with him you will regret it or drop out.
Such a rude and subjective professor. Class discussions are dominated by a few students and others are not given the ability to speak. Reading textbook is a must, almost your entire grade depends on the tests, in which his list of concepts relate nothing to the questions. Good luck on the term paper, he will find any way to fail you on it. Horrible
You must contribute heavily to lectures to even get a half decent participation grade. This is hard because the lectures are ran by a select few students that always get to speak first, making it difficult to bring up anything that hasn't already been said. The exams are very difficult even if you study. And good luck on the term paper. Impossible.
Hes a nice and funny guy but I wouldnt recommend taking him. You have to talk during EVERY SINGLE CLASS to get a good grade (which is hard when theres about 35 other students). His tests are almost impossible even if you study. And forget about the term paper. I spent weeks on it, perfecting it, thinking id get at least a 70. I got a 40.
I enjoyed his lectures and he was kinda funny but I wouldnt suggest taking his class. Participation grading is a joke, his test are somewhat confusing even if you study and affect a big part of your grade, and the term paper is basically graded as a 400 level comp class and not for the actual thoughts and information submitted.
Dr Baltoano is amazing. Even if you are not interested in politics this is a great class. You have an easyy paper to write. If you do bad on quizzes you may do another to replace the grade. A LOT of home quizzes and just a few exams. Participation matters. Great class.
Professor B was a delight to have as my professor. His lecturers are never boring, and Ive learned so much because of him. He has a nice sense of humor, and hes overall a very sweet and caring professor.
You must contribute heavily to lectures but you get a high participation grade, which is 1/3 of your final grade. The exams are tough but you just gotta do your work and study, he gives a list of concepts which helps. And the term paper is pretty straightforward.
Dr.B was a wonderful professor. Taking him as a freshman first semester definitely was a wake up call, but in the best way possible. He is very clear on how you will be graded in his class. Participation is very important but not hard at all. The lowest grade I ever received was an 85 and I knew it was coming because I had an off beat day.
I am a nontraditional student. This is definitely a college course not high school. Dr. B is my favorite professor. He encourages you to think. You must participate in class. He allows everyone to speak (even the shy ones or the stoners). If you think you can skate by you're wrong. He is very accessible and has lots of office hours. Not for lazy
Participation grading is unfair. Im a student who's not very confident with my english speaking skills since its my 2nd language and although Ive improved a lot on it, I still need time to form my sentences. I try so hard to talk in this class but as soon as I'm ready to talk, everyone already expressed my ideas or already moved on to a diff topic
For an immigrant student like me, it is awesome to have Dr. B as a professor. VEry kind and understaning teacher. I reccomend him.
Read the assignments, ask questions during class, do the extra credit projects and you will earn a good grade and learn a lot. Professor B is funny, full of knowledge and a caring person. I reccomend him.
His participation grades are the worst. He gives low grades for attendance. Run away.
Boring and awful. I would never take him for anything.
Although able to keep his lectures interesting, his form of grading attendance requires participation, or else you receive half credit. As someone with a long history of speaking anxiety, this made his class very difficult to recommend as my attendance grade suffered from fear of speech. His study guides are also very broad with very narrow exams.
For this class, we had to purchase three separate textbooks!!! His lectures although funny, were kind of boring. Sometimes his grading for participation is inconsistent. He's okay though, he offers extra credit.
His lectures were funny and engaging. I recommend him. I can't wait to take more classes with professor B!
EASIEST TEACHER EVER!! I HAVE GOTTEN 100% ON ALL MY EXAMS. HE GIVES LOTA OF EXTRA!! IF YOU WANT A SUPER EASY A, TAKE HIM. OTHERWISE TAKE A MORE CHALLENGING TEACHER.
Prof. B is one of the best teachers you could ask for; He's a bit long-winded, but he still finds a way to turn an otherwise long and tedious lecture into a thought-provoking and genuinely interesting conversation. You'll wish this guy taught you for every one of your classes.
Dr. B has been a huge inspiration to me. He is a great guy and very engaging. There will be about 3 exams, 16 open-book online quizzes, class discussions and extra credits so you will be graded on a number of things. Lots of opportuinties to improve your grade.
I loved this class. Great discussions and they really make you think! I enjoyed his teaching style and the classes were always great. There is a textbook, you will need it to take the online chapter quizzes and pay attention during class and you'll do fine.
You expected to participate.Lectures at times could be boring somewhere very interesting. Participation is really important I cannot stress that enough. Chapter quizzes you can take online. 3 100 question exams study really hard on those and one term paper try your best on that as well.He rounds hope your grade based on your participation!!
Awesome class to take for credit AND learn about politics that affect your life (wow, information you can take into the real world!). Easy going class, online chapter quizzed aren't proctored and the professor is super nice and understanding. Do all the extra credit assignments!
I totally loooved this class. I can't wait to take another class with professor Baltodano
Participation in class matters. Text book is certainly required in order to complete the quizzes. Exams are closed notes. Good luck
Not understanding, even with documentation. Do not skip class. Study for exams. If your class gets converted to online, reach out and ask questions regarding exams and other assignments. I wish you the best of luck.
If your class gets converted to online, reach out to him asap for any clarification on assignments. He is not an understanding professor at all. Email the dean if you have issues AFTER you have communicated with him. Things were going OK until the class was converted to online, even then class was sucky.
ugh just be prepared
Very humble and sweet guy. You are expected to do the readings, but you agree to do that with every class you enroll for. I only put the level of difficulty at 4 because the readings tend to be long and somewhat complicated. The class is fun and the people are even better :). We have great conversations and the professor is very down to earth.
Worst Professor. Participation matters and is heavily graded. Attendance is mandatory (no "excuses"). Graded all of my work at the end of the semester (2 mon for essay), grade went down tremendously because of a lack of feedback on assignments. Uses APA format instead of MLA (huge difference). The most time-consuming homework out of all my classes.
Gives feedback in a harsh and negative way, he goes off topic when "teaching". Doesn't explain assignments thoroughly. He has good powerpoints, but wouldn't explain them very well.
Graded all assignments at the last second, he also uses APA instead of MLA. Gives terrible lectures, all he does is ramble on about things not related to the topic. Wouldn't recommend this professor at all.
AWFUL professor. Graded and responded to everything at the last minute so had no time to improve on anything. Used APA style on essays but gave no guidance at all and gave awful feedback. Accused me of plagiarism even though I correctly cited in-text and references. Dropped my grade so much. DO NOT EVER TAKE HIM!!!!!!
He quite literally put a rat in my backpack on April fools and it ate half of my calc notebook. He also set an orphanage in Africa on fire!
I would not recommend this professor. He grades based on participation and is very harsh on essays and discussions. He graded everything till the last minute towards the last week of the semester and did not give much feedback throughout the time the course became online. Even in person he was strict with participation grades.
Professor waited until the last week of the semester to grade everything, so you did not get feedback. You must participate in class. After the hurricane he gave out MORE essays, which honestly made zero sense. The quizzes are pretty easy, and the lectures are interesting though.
Terrible professor. Participation is forced in lectures that don't always need it, and it heavily impacts your grade if you don't participate. Will accuse you of cheating if you take your online quizzes "too fast". Big ego. Grades at the last minute. Don't take his classes if you don't have to.
Terrible. Absolutely do not take if you value your mental health or GPA. Grading is influenced by his personal political views and if you agree with them as well as his massive ego. Avoid. The material is not difficult, but he makes it clear that he wants you to fail.
Participation is mandatory, you literally have to be talking the whole freaking time for him to give you a nice grade. Hard tests and quizzes. Too much to read and he doesn't even use the book in class. Like you want me to read 25-35 pages per chapter and remember everything but can't read with us and encourage us to use our books in class?? NO.
Not an understanding professor, even when classes were changed to online. For in-person classes, participation is graded. remember that you can email the dean after you've communicated with him directly.
DO NOT TAKE. This is an HONORS class mind you. we have 3 professors and all three professors' grades are different. But he is the worst offender when it comes down to it. he has no set rubric which misleads. I was not his student but 1 day with him and got dropped a whole letter grade. Nothing was done to correct it.
Prof. Baltodano is a nice guy with lots of knowledge about his topics. Pick him if you really want to learn. You'll have to read at least two chapters of the book per week. Participation matters a lot. Read carefully you have to go into the details and really understand the subject. If you participate, read, and study you'll get an A for sure.
He is a very tough grader, and you have to be ready to talk the entire time during class. He won't give you a good grade unless you use certain keywords he likes, and you receive your exam grades VERY late. I feel incredibly dumb and embarrassed in this class but I like him as a person and his ideas and experiences are interesting and worthwhile.
The exams aren't questions or answers straight from the book. His exams are hard if you choose not to attend the lectures, or do the homework/readings, but other than that, just honestly TRY. Utilize his office hours if you are struggling, but don't wait until the last 2-3 weeks of class. Also...take notes for your benefit!
This professor is very strict and has high expectations for every student, although it's an elective class.
Most of the test material were things mentioned in lectures. He wanted a professional & deep understanding of the material, when it is an entry-level course. His exams are very specific, and he is a very strict grader. His lectures bounce between interesting and engaging, to dull and boring.
This professor is incrediblly hard to work with and very close minded. He is one of the most difficult professors to work with and he never helps students out.. Teachers are supposed to be helpful and inspirational but he's far from that. If your willing to talk more than 15 time in one lecture to receive decent participation points take his class!
Dr. B is a very tough professor to rate. I came into this course with good knowledge on American government, which I believe is the only reason I passed this course. In order to pass this class you are forced to talk like 5 different times in a class of 30 students. The participation grade is ridiculous as I found myself rambling for the grade.
Lots of extra credits. Easy to earn discussion points, just say something. Different types of assignments, essay, T/F multiple choice, discussions. I highly reccomend him.
Extra credits in every exam and at the end of the semester, easy to earn class discussion points. I am taking him again next semester for two classes
the worse professor ever on the earth
Easy assignments with plenty of time to complete them. There is an extra credit short essay you can do at the end of the semester for extra 5% points added to the final grade in the class. I don't know how some people fail this class.
Great class! Dr. B rounded UP my grade at the end of the semester!!!
Exams and papers use a lot of information from lectures. Book for the paper was easy to read, loved the class. Out of professors I reccomend i put him at the top.
after taking this class I decided to become a polisci major, I never thought one could discuss politics wihtout getting angry but professor Baltodano was good at guiding discussions and was fair to all
I consider my self a good student that studies but this professor is tricky.
One of the best professors I've ever had. He makes you want to do better because of how much he cares about his students and what he does. I love having him as a professor and would definitely take a course with him again.
the worse professor ever. I urge you to take a different professor for this class
VERY harsh grader. His instructions are always unclear and he follows up with unhelpful comments telling you to fix a problem without saying how. The rubric to each assignment is not helpful and looks middle-school level, yet the assignments are much more difficult.
Never had such an issue with a teacher or professor my entire life. Instructions for assignments make no sense, poorly formatted assignments, unless you can read his mind on exactly what he wants you are not getting a good grade. Not enough words to explain how difficult and unprofessional this professor is. Do not take. Worst class of my life.
Will never choose him as a professor again. He cherry-picks what he wants to take seriously and grades incredibly harshly while his work is adolescent. Many errors in assignment definitions, constantly has issues with grading and you have to message him to correct things. 0/10.
Instructions often unclear, and grades on outdated statistics.
TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE! Any review you see on this teacher, higher than 1 star, is fake. This professor is an incredibly harsh grader with unclear instructions and a poor attitude. Any comments he leaves on your assignments do not help clear up any mistakes made and he takes off an unnecessary amount of points. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
Throughout my entire time with this professor, I attempted to give him the benefit of the doubt but even failed with that. By far the worst teacher I have had in my 15 years of schooling, very bad grader and unhelpful. Would give zeros due to his pickiness. For example, you would get a 0 because your source is from a gov website... in a gov class?
I took this professor's summer course despite bad reviews, He claims to offer extra credit, but despite my efforts, I never received any. Missing the word count by a few words cost me 65 points. He was overly strict with sources, even giving me a zero for citing a government website. If possible, take this class with another professor.
Picky. Every time he graded it triggered my fight or flight. Gives EC, but rarely. I received 66/60 on multiple discussions for "mature responses." Also a short paper worth 5% EC. I took his summer course. Do that. Less than fall but moves fast. Nothing is proctored. Quizzes hve CRAZY time limits (24 Qs 20 mins, w/ open response.) PRIORITIZE
The professor sets high expectations but lacks clarity in instructions. While challenging, using Unstuckstudy and the textbook can help navigate the grading system. Take this class prepared to put in extra effort.
Had required readings from our textbooks and sometimes additional chapters from outside sources. Class participation is graded and is a decent portion of the grade. Would def take again
This professor is very picky on sources and if they are cited properly. Little instruction on assignments and will give you a 0 without an explanation, you have to read between the lines on instruction to understand what he is asking. If you follow directions he will give you good grades but is a very tough grader and picky on what you do well on.
Do not take him , he is not the best history teacher and his exams are very hard with no study guide or proper material to study and not clear or concise
Dr. Baltodano has been the worst professor I've ever had in college. His exams account for 45 percent of the final grade, and you will have three exams during the semester, each consisting of 100 questions and covering 8 chapters. If you fail one exam, you will probably fail the class. He doesn't provide any extra credit.
His lectures are boring, and he doesn't explain the material very well. One day I missed a quiz, and as a make-up, he sent me to the testing center to complete two essays in 15 minutes, which is unfair. For these reasons, I recommend that you never take a class with this professor.
He requires participation in class discussions, but if you don't participate, your grade will go down. You will have a 25-question quiz for every chapter, with only 15 minutes to complete it. Also, most of the material in the exams were not covered in class.
One of the worst professors I have ever taken.He takes so long to grade things. we are currently on module 11 & he has only graded up to module 4, which was almost 2 months ago! When he does grade he grades SUPER harsh & unfairly especially when it comes to citing sources, which he is INSANELY picky about. he does not respond to emails either.
The only good thing about this course is that quizzes make up over 40% of your grade and you get 3 attempts. You're expected to do 3 assignments per week, 1 quiz and 2 that require at least 300 words each. He takes FOREVER to grade and grades things weird and inconsistently. My friend took the same class with a different teach and had no problems.
Took over 2 months to grade assignments. Since I didn't receive the constructive feedback earlier on, I was still writing my papers the same way throughout the semester. My citations were not up to his standard, and I ended failing many assignments. Feedback is essential for learning and improving, and none was given in a timely manner.
This has been the worst course i have taken this far in the semester. He is very late with grading, extremely picky with the way he wants the citations written. As a result, my final grade average (C-72%) will take a negative toll on my GPA. I wouldn't recommend anyone from ever taking this course, as your GPA will be at Jeopardy.
I do not like giving professors bad ratings because I can tell he is passionate about this subject, but I am going to say what everyone else is saying about him. The fact that he grades so late is an issue because you do not know if you are doing everything to his standard until you've submitted five papers that way. Just remember to in-text cite.
I took his US National Government online class, to commence, I initially thought I was doing the assignments and discussions correctly, and I had no reason to believe differently because I was receiving no feedback, he was a very slow grader and incredibly critical. Follow all directions and check all rubrics. He is a tough and slow grader.
One of the hardest classes I've taken due to lack of timely feedback. Grades and comments came too late to improve which affected my grade terribly. The professor is also very slow to respond to emails and is extremely strict about in-text citations, which are a major part of every single assignment.
This professor is extremely strict on citations. He also doesn't review assignments in time for you to fix/tweak them before the due date, which can be frustrating because doesn't accept late work.
This professor lacks communication and offers little support. Course materials are often unavailable, and he doesn't assist just refers you to tech support. No lectures, only videos and papers with minimal guidance. Harsh grader with unclear, typo-filled instructions. I recommend choosing another professor if possible.
Unfair unjust. Will not take accountability when he drops the ball on providing the appropriate materials to succeed. Will penalize you and move on. Takes forever to reply to emails and is always "out of town". This is 100% a self taught course. Be prepared to write ALOT of papers.
All I will say is read all these comments through and make your decision based on them. They are on here for a reason.
The class itself was not hard and the coursework was easy to handle, however the professor was very inconsistent with his grading and focused a lot on proper citations. I received many 100s and the only time I had points taken off was for "improper citation formatting," even though I had been consistently citing the same the entire course.
The participation grade in this class matters A LOT. If you show up to class and raise your hand once or twice, he gives you a 50% in the gradebook. You have to be answering every single question he gives you during the lecture if you want a good grade.
Must have same opinion as him or will poorly excuse deducting 50+ pts, just how he poorly excuses taking weeks to grade. Justified an F by contradicting White House archive w/ a news article. Don't take him. If you must, you can always file an academic grievance. There are better profs w/ less work who grade objectively rather than subjectively.
Look, he's really not THAT bad; he's strict when it comes to proper citations, and on some assignments, he wants you to have the same opinion as him, or he marks it wrong. BUT, he's also got a lot going on at home, so you've gotta cut him some slack. Grading may get slow at times, but his feedback is great, and he's helpful when you need something.
Only take his class if it's the only class you'll be taking at all. Assignments take hours upon hours to complete. Do not add stress to your schedule if you have anything else going on. Choose a different professor.
He focuses a lot on whether your citations are correctly formatted rather than the actual content of your paper, even if you wrote a great paper you will lose over 10 points just for forgetting a citation or forgetting the page number in your citation.
Do not take him what's so ever!!!!
Even if this teacher was the last resort, do not take the class. He grades heavily even if your paper is perfect and will deduct points just because you didn't do what he asked. Don't bother sending an email to resubmit the paper because he doesn't take late work OR resubmissions. Honestly just pray when you submit that paper.
Horrible teacher, someone needs to call the district and complain. Actually insane. Unfair unjust and ridiculous behavior
This professor is extremely biased. He favors other students who share the same idea as him. He always docks points if a small thing is wrong. He doesn't even bother to help if asking. Overall he is a horrible teacher, someone needs to call the district and complain. For other students I would say pick a different Prof. while you still can.
Take this class if you want to fail guys...
- very difficult grader, is extremely strict on APA formatting and WILL take off points for the smallest things. - harsh with the submission comments - three assignments a week: nonproctored quiz, an assignment, and a discussion board (all 300 words minimum). - final is not proctored overall a manageable class but not enjoyable whatsoever
I took this professor for my online government class. He is a tough and slow grader so you can't make changes to your work if given a bad grade. I got an insane amount of points taken off for not having my citations done correctly but never actually got any help to fix them, I was just referred to a website to figure it out on my own.
Takes awhile to grade and doesn't give good feedback at all. He provides a link to learn how to APA cite and if you continuously get points off of APA citing he will just send you the link and not provide any feedback on how to fix what you did wrong. Emailing him about it also doesn't matter because he will just send you to the link.
I would not recommend taking his class because he's a tough grader. He deducts points for the smallest things, and his submission comments are harsh. Every lecture requires participation since class discussions are graded each time. Overall, I suggest avoiding taking him.
Professor Baltodano is a great teacher who challenges you to become a better student. He knows we are all capable of giving more, and that is exactly what he expects from us. If you're lazy or not interested in improving your learning skills and knowledge, then his classes are not for you.
if i had to mop the ocean or take this professor again pass me a mop
YOU'VE BEEN WARNED There aren't enough characters provided for me to really give a thorough review so let me just say this: -Professor is not helpful or attentive at all -Only cares about Citing and grades HARSHLY on it -Doesn't accept late work or give extra credit If you care about your GPA or even your mental health, find another professor.
he is super biased and has favorites in the class. Participation in his classes are mandatory, and you will receive a 50 if you don't talk. Every test is 100 questions with only an hour Todo it. Accuses students of cheating when they don't do good on the first test when they make good grades on the OPEN note quizzes. Horrible don't recommend
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
61%
Textbook Required
0%
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