3.7

Chet Defonso

History - Northern Michigan University

3.7
Quality
2.7
Difficulty
67%
Would Retake
97
Reviews
3.7
Quality
2.7
Difficulty
3.6
Helpful
3.8
Clarity

67%

Would Retake

97

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

36

4

34

3

10

2

13

1

4

What Students Say

THIS CLASS IS SO EASY

HS105 - 5.0 rating

Read the text, take notes, go to class, take notes

HS105 - 3.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

20%

Textbook Required

50%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

92% confidence
Based on 14 grades
Most common grades:
A (4)
B (4)
Not sure yet (2)
Grade Distribution
A(4)B(5)C(2)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(3)
Based on 16 reported grades
A: 4
B: 4
Not sure yet: 2
B+: 2
Common Tags
Get ready to read (6)
Lecture heavy (6)
Graded by few things (4)
Respected (3)
Participation matters (2)
LECTURE HEAVY (2)
Amazing lectures (2)
Test heavy (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.22 avg change
Sep
Jan
Feb
Sep
Nov
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

63

5.0

(1)

HS101HS

5.0

(1)

HS316

5.0

(1)

HS116

5.0

(1)

HSWESTERNCIV

5.0

(1)
+26 more courses
Difficulty by Course

SEVERAL

4.0

HIST101

4.0

HS200

3.3

HS201

3.2

HS101

3.0

Reviews (97)
5.0
2.0
HS101HS
Apr 25, 2002

Good, clear explanations, and makes class interesting and different

4.0
2.0
HS101
Jul 10, 2002

Quirky, kinda funny at times, occasionally rambled. Easy to understand.

4.0
3.0
HS100
Sep 8, 2002

Easy tests

5.0
2.0
HS316
Nov 11, 2002

Chet is da man! I have had him for almost every class in my minor; he is great!

5.0
3.0
HS102
Jan 12, 2003

Taught an interesting and entertaining class. Tests were pretty straight forward

5.0
1.0
HS116
Jan 15, 2003

This man is a riot. Strangely giddy and definitely derange, but still awesome!

5.0
2.0
HS102
Jan 29, 2003

OMG! Hilarious... and completely ****.

5.0
2.0
HS102
Feb 18, 2003

Chet's the bomb!!! Total energy, hyper--funny!

3.0
3.0
HS101
Feb 28, 2003

No Comments

5.0
2.0
63
Mar 2, 2003

Great teacher! Taught with an organized structure and explained things well.

5.0
4.0
HS101
Mar 17, 2003

I didn't get a very good grade in the class but I learned a lot of history.

5.0
1.0
HS101
Mar 18, 2003

This was the BEST class and teacher I have taken here yet!!!

5.0
1.0
HS102
Mar 18, 2003

Knows his history! Classes are a blast! He is soo funny and keeps you interested in what he is lecturing on.

4.0
3.0
HS490
Mar 22, 2003

Very nice and encouraging. I enjoyed the class and did well in it. He treated us as equals.

5.0
1.0
HS102
Mar 26, 2003

great class....got an A easily...

5.0
2.0
HS102
Mar 26, 2003

Simply Hilarious! Makes me laugh every class. Thinks the Lusitania was an American ship, and has trouble pronouncing German, but is still a blasts.

5.0
3.0
HS314
Mar 27, 2003

OMG! He's great! I have so much fun in his class. He's got an interesting personality but I think thats what makes him such a great prof! He can really capture your attention.

5.0
1.0
HS102
Mar 31, 2003

he is extreamly happy all the time??

5.0
3.0
HS101
Apr 7, 2003

totally hyper...keeps your attention. I would not reccomend taking any other teacher for European History. He accepts challenging questions. DOES NOT SIMPLY EXPECT YOU TO REGURGETATE THE INFORMATION YOU LEARN...YOU LEARN IT!!!

3.0
3.0
HISTORY
Apr 23, 2003

Do you know any other words that mean CHEERFUL?HA!

4.0
5.0
HS101
May 16, 2003

I know I had Western Civ, and Dr. Defonso had the coolest voice and he was so little and so funny! He was a great teacher, even though not even he could get me to learn anything about History!

3.0
3.0
HS102
Oct 21, 2003

No Comments

4.0
3.0
HS102
Oct 25, 2003

He's a solid teacher. Nothing spectacular, his tests are easy to pass but hard to ace.

5.0
2.0
HS102
Nov 18, 2003

Good Teacher! Exams on mainly on lecture Go to class and take notes Easy A!!!

5.0
1.0
HS102
Dec 1, 2003

Great Teacher....Easy Class!

5.0
1.0
HS101
Dec 7, 2003

He is an awesome teacher--I love history now and want to learn more!

4.0
3.0
HS315
Dec 17, 2003

Was disappointed at how the course turned into more about literature than history. Tests were all about random triva in the notes/books.

4.0
1.0
HS102
Mar 23, 2004

No Comments

4.0
2.0
HS102
Mar 28, 2004

easy to learn from

5.0
3.0
HS315
Apr 3, 2004

Good natured personality and good lectures. Tests can have trick or weird questions. Does a very good job.

5.0
3.0
HS102
Apr 25, 2004

He is an awesome prof! Such a passion for teaching!

3.0
3.0
HS
Aug 29, 2004

Not pleased with his classes. Very opinionated which is a plus, but at times makes those who disagree or have differning views, feel inferior. Some interesting lectures, but overall not a comfortable classroom setting.

1.0
4.0
HS101
Nov 10, 2004

He was way worse than any high school teacher I have ever have. His lectures make no sense, he bounces from one thought to another. Thoughts are very unclear.

4.0
3.0
HS102
Nov 16, 2004

He does his best to make the material interesting. He's usually bright and chipper and jokes with his students, but he's also serious and passionate about what he teaches so it's best to pay attention. A lot of note-taking but a decent class and fairly taught.

5.0
2.0
HSWESTERNCIV
Nov 16, 2004

LONG LIVE CHESTER!!

5.0
3.0
HS102
Dec 2, 2004

I think Chet is so great. He is interesting. All you have to do is take notes and study them a bit. He's humorous and good at answering questions. Just don't talk while he is or he will call you out. No chance of a good nap in his class, he sees all of it.

3.0
3.0
HIS102
Dec 5, 2004

I would like Chet better if it was a different class. I just dont like the way he teaches it

4.0
2.0
HS110
Dec 20, 2004

Sometimes he would get fact, figures, names, dates or chronological order messed up when lecturing.He had problems with Greek mythology. He told some stories incorrectly, gave wrong answers to some questions, etc. Although I would say he got 98% of it right.

2.0
5.0
HS200
Jan 9, 2005

Is a English class more than a history class. Lots of papers/writing.

2.0
4.0
HS101
Jan 24, 2005

Attendence didnt factor in on your grade, but you better get the notes from someone b/c it will be on his test. Tests were pretty tricky. And you better know the smaller texts that are required to read back to front! Or get cliff-notes, which are hard to find online. Wouldnt take it again!

1.0
4.0
HS101
Jan 29, 2005

I think you all are crazy for thinking he is a good prof. He was worse than any elementry school teachers I have ever had. He finds certian people that he likes to be extremely rude to, and he keeps it up all semester. For sure NOT called for!!!

5.0
4.0
SEVERAL
Grade: A
Feb 11, 2005

I've had Chet for three seperate classes (Canadian, British and Gay and Lesbian History), and I found the classes enjoyable and his teaching style went well with them. I can see freshman as not caring for him, due to his heavy work loads, but he's excellent in upper level classes.

3.0
3.0
HS101
Feb 15, 2005

His tests are very tricky. You have to read all the material because he picks out little words that are not bold keywords to define on all the tests. Make sure you take notes becasue all the material is on the test. and sometimes he makes you turn them in to make sure you are taking notes.

5.0
4.0
HS102
Feb 21, 2005

Great Teacher! IS very helpful and wants his students to be successful. He will help you anyway he can.

5.0
2.0
HS295
Mar 27, 2005

Chet is so much fun to be around. I took the 1st Gay/Lesbian history class Chet taught. It was so interesting cause everything in it was somewhat hidden from society. I highly regret my one day of absence when Chet read Allan Ginsberg's Wolf out loud. I was told it was hilarious.

4.0
1.0
HS102
Mar 31, 2005

It's not really necessary to read the book to do well in this class. You just need to go over the key terms. He is a nice/funny guy, but I did not learn as much as I thought I would in this class.

5.0
4.0
SEVERAL
Sep 10, 2005

Dr. Chet is one of the best professors I have ever had.......including 3 universities.

2.0
5.0
HS102
Oct 13, 2005

No Comments

5.0
2.0
HS102
Dec 14, 2005

DeFonso is the reason I declared a History Education Minor. He is one of two teachers who have ever made that subject fascinating. He's such a know it all, but not in a stuck up way. It's amazing.

2.0
1.0
TOOMANY
Jan 16, 2006

Dr. DeFonso might be a nice guy but he lacks several essential skills when it comes to teaching. First and foremost, Chet has no training in building teacher-student relations. He utterly neglects to communicate objectives, assist students who are in need of clarification or help, and completely fails to meet his teaching responsibilities and requi

5.0
3.0
HSABUNCH
Feb 15, 2006

Chet is one of the best teachers I've ever had. I've taken his for EVERy class I can. He's awesome and really loves what he's doing.

3.0
3.0
HS102
Mar 18, 2006

Dr. Defonso knows his stuff and hes entertaining, but, he isnt very helpful to students who are struggling.

4.0
2.0
HS101
Apr 21, 2006

Chet, is a great guy, knows his stuff and is very entertaining. However, he doesn't appreciate any interuptions during class and will kick you out if your phone rings during lecture. Other than that hes a great professor and if you go to class you'll be set

5.0
1.0
HS102HS273
Apr 26, 2006

If I hadn't filled up my Humanities already and if my minor allowed it, I would take his history of Canada and his imperialism class. Sadly, though, I cannot take those classes. But Chet is awesome. He's amusing. He's open. He's really awkward as a person, but I found him helpful. I'd follow him through every course I could because he gets me.

2.0
5.0
HS102
Nov 13, 2006

Lectures bounce all over the place, shotgunning through different ideas/concepts without any context. He doesn't make history a story, rather a bundle of seemingly unrelated ideas that the student must puzzle over while studying for his rediculously hard tests. He is energetic and knows the material, but a very poor teacher/communicator.

4.0
3.0
HS102
Nov 28, 2006

Great teacher who knows his stuff. His class can be kind of tough if you don't put effort into it. Kicks students out for tiniest interruptions, but otheriwse a good guy.

1.0
5.0
HS102
Jan 31, 2007

i couldnt believe how unclear this man was.

4.0
3.0
HS102
Mar 31, 2007

Chet's notes can be a bit rough, and his lectures a bit rambling. Also tends to not use the book later in the class. However, amusing prof, and the tests, with some studying, were not difficult. He's a straight-shooter.

2.0
3.0
HS200
Oct 28, 2007

I really feel like the class is pointless. You write a lot of papers, but really don't learn anything. He is not very helpful. He is not good at responding to emails.

4.0
2.0
HS102
Nov 8, 2007

This class was pretty easy as long as you paid attention (which I know is easier said than done). He gives you pretty much everything that you need to know and the tests are not that hard.

4.0
2.0
HS102
Jan 6, 2008

Easy class as long as you can get in the hang of his lectures. Great teacher who's passionate and gets excited about his subject but, at times, difficult to understand if you aren't paying attention. I highly recommend reading the chapters before tests (mostly multiple choice BUT make-up exams are all short answer)...it helps clarify your notes

4.0
2.0
HIST102
Apr 4, 2008

Fairly interesting prof. He can get pretty chatty sometimes, and his lectures occasionally don't match what's being said in the book. Do NOT get caught texting or sleeping in his class. The paper kind of sucks because he doesn't remind you about it until a week before it's due, so watch the syllabus!

4.0
3.0
HS102
May 2, 2008

I would recommend him to anyone. He's an outgoing teacher. He tends to babble. I agree with the last post, do NOT get caught texting during class I learned that from experience(he took mine for the class period).

2.0
4.0
HIST101
Mar 10, 2009

Poor Lectures

2.0
1.0
HS101
Mar 18, 2009

terrible professor! either read or go to class. don't do both. you won't get anything more from his lectures than you will from the book. he might as well just read straight from the book.

4.0
3.0
HIST102
Apr 19, 2009

yeah chets definitley an interesting guy, he babbles on quite a bit. His lectures dont really involve the class in the discussion though its just him talking the whole time

4.0
2.0
HS314
Apr 22, 2009

Class could have been better organized, and the paper questions were so incredibly broad that anything you turn in feels like complete and utter BS. Great class if you're up to reading a TON of mater and don't mind writing all those repetitive papers!

3.0
5.0
HS101
May 8, 2009

Hard Class..... Book had NOTHING to do with the lecture. Never missed one class and pulled an %80 percent; Barely. Very nice guy though... topics were cool

4.0
3.0
HS363
Oct 5, 2009

I love Chet! Honestly, all you haters are either not on his level or don't get his humor. He is so entertaining. I've taken him three times.

5.0
2.0
HIST102
Oct 29, 2009

Adorable. 5 out of 5

5.0
1.0
HS102
Nov 3, 2009

A true "lecture" course, albeit an easy one. Dr. D is a fantastic speaker who stays on topic quite well, representing material the material as well as I've ever heard in a lecture. The exams are certainly NOT difficult, but you must show up for class (I never missed - easy A) and take good notes. Be sure to look over the practice questions online.

4.0
4.0
HS102
Nov 6, 2009

Need to show up to class to do well. Doesn't use textbook in class but you NEED to read the chapters to do well on the tests.

4.0
2.0
HS102
Feb 9, 2010

He FREAKS about texting in class!

5.0
4.0
HS102
Apr 12, 2010

Take notes, read the chapters, and stay off of facebook and you will get an A. Fun guy, made the lectures fun. Tests are easy as long as you have read the chapter.

4.0
2.0
HS315
Apr 26, 2011

Defonso is a fun guy, he is pretty good at lecturing besides the figiting. He makes history really interesting. The class is pretty easy if you read the books and take notes. The research paper can be time consuming though, but not too hard. His exams are essay questions. I would take any of his classes again and I am a Biology major!

4.0
4.0
HS102
Jan 15, 2012

Dr DeFonso is an awesome Professor. He makes the topic interesting and is really good at presenting the class material. However, there was one time where he missed class a few days in a row, when he came back we had an exam on material that hadn't been covered. That made me pretty angry, but other than that I have no complaints.

3.0
1.0
HS102
May 17, 2012

OK teacher, pretty easy. Go to class and you'll do fine.

4.0
1.0
HS315
Dec 23, 2012

Dr. DeFonso is a great instructor! He is the best history instructor at Northern. His tests are almost like trivia on what he talked about in class, so pay attention to details (people, places especially). What might seem like a minor detail is frequently on tests (which are curved). Go to class & take good notes and you'll be fine. Read the books!

2.0
3.0
HS273B
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 18, 2015

He makes everything we learn way to personal and it is really hard to actually pay attention.

4.0
2.0
WS105
Grade: B+
Nov 22, 2015

I have him for world history right now and all I do is go to class and read the chapters and I pass the test with an A. He will curve the test of its nesessary. Make sure you know the key terms that are on the sheet he gives you and you will do really well on the test. Be prepared to write a lot of notes, but he gives you plenty of time to write

5.0
1.0
HS105
Grade: B
Dec 11, 2015

THIS CLASS IS SO EASY! literally just read your chapters and go to class for pop exercises and you'll pass, and if you miss anything except the final and he'll be super flexible about it! would take class again!

3.0
4.0
HS105
Grade: A
Jan 8, 2016

You definitely have to put in work but getting an A is within reach. Read the text, take notes, go to class, take notes. Review a lot and often. I did fairly well and I honestly learned a lot. He is very passionate about the subject which helps to make the class more enjoyable even if you're not crazy about history!

4.0
2.0
HS202
Grade: A-
Nov 2, 2016
Would take again

Chet is rad. He seems to really love China and Llamas. If you go to class and take notes it is a pretty easy class. He is great about make up work.

Respected
Participation matters
LECTURE HEAVY
4.0
2.0
HS201
Jan 22, 2018
Would take again

easy and fun. lectures got boring but he's funny. says things like "youtubes" and really likes morgan freeman. i would take the class again. lots of reading from the text and showing up makes the exams easy

Get ready to read
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
4.0
HS201
Oct 4, 2019
Would take again

Dr. Chet is very kind and entertaining, certainly a unique man. His lectures are long but engaging and fun. Chet's history class covers lots of material making it somewhat difficult. If you do not study or work hard, you will not come close to receiving an A in his class. Good guy all around though, he is a lot of fun to be around and listen to.

Respected
Amazing lectures
Lecture heavy
5.0
4.0
HS315
Apr 30, 2021
Would take again

Chet struggled with the online format this semester, but he is a fantastic person. Take him for history if you can, but try to take him for an in-person class instead of an online one. He feeds off of students' energy, which is hard when he is staring at 16 black screens.

Respected
Graded by few things
Hilarious
4.0
2.0
HS200
Nov 17, 2021
Would take again

The Lectures aren't hard to follow; even if writing on paper or computer. Homework was simple & easy, but the textbook was required to do the homework. Lots of reading.

Get ready to read
Amazing lectures
2.0
3.0
HS202
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 3, 2022

Class is only lectures, and most don't really make sense. A lot of rants and videos, makes it hard to stay engaged in my opinion. There are very few assignments, but the ones that he does have you need to read the book to do good on and he doesn't grade them til way after they are due. It's halfway through the semester and nothing is graded

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
5.0
2.0
HS130
Grade: B+
Jan 17, 2024
Would take again

The subject of the class itself wasn't my favorite, but I thoroughly enjoyed being in this class with him as a prof. Passing with a good grade is easy as long as you attend class and do the work. He is not a tough grader. I did use a couple of the books that we needed for class, but there was one or two that I did not open.

Accessible outside class
4.0
3.0
HS201
Grade: B
Apr 30, 2024
Would take again

This man LOVES history, and he's not ashamed of how much he loves teaching it. It's refreshing when you've had professors that know how to make a class snore. While the workload isn't too heavy, you really have to know your stuff if you want good grades. Reading the chapters of the assigned book is crucial for passing, so be prepared for anything.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
2.0
4.0
HS201
Grade: C+
May 4, 2024

Would not take again. Heavy on test and lectures. He doesn't explain things well at all and forgets a lot of things. Says he will do one thing then does something else. Doesn't explain lectures well and his lectures barley help with the hard tests he gives us. He doesn't help much ether. I asked for help multiple times and his "help" never helped.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
4.0
1.0
HS130
Grade: A
Sep 27, 2024
Would take again

He'll go on and on about the topic you're talking about but everything is available online so the courses are rather easy.

Caring
Graded by few things
1.0
3.0
HIS102
Grade: C
Jan 2, 2025

Doesnt do anything but lecture off of google slides. Doesnt ask the class questions or initiate discussions like my other History professors. Tests are on paper and sometimes has info that we didnt even go over as a class. Needs to retire as he cant connect with the students anymore.

Get ready to read
Participation matters
Lecture heavy
4.0
3.0
HS201
Grade: B
Feb 26, 2025
Would take again

Professor Chet is a unique character who really loves history. His lectures are engaging, if a bit long. While the workload isn't too heavy, you'll need to stay on top of the readings to do well. I found Unstuckstudy and ChatGPT helpful for preparing for exams.

4.0
3.0
HS201
Grade: B
Sep 20, 2025
Would take again

He's very lecture heavy and little to no discussion but honestly I liked his class. He also has a lot of videos and photos and visual aids which I really like

2.0
4.0
HS202
Grade: B-
Nov 10, 2025

Chet is very nice, but he seems to be slowing down with new technology : Word documents like you're in high school, asking for 2-3 sentences on terms from the textbook No discussion-based aspect to class, lectures Does not respond to emails Exams are not scheduled on EDUcat Get ready to read, his lecture is only about 50% of the exam Best of Luck!

Beware of pop quizzes
Lecture heavy
2.0
1.0
HS120
Grade: A
Dec 26, 2025

Professor Defonso class is heavily based on the YouTube videos he searches up that day. Be ready to have a ton of handouts with the four easiest questions for your hour and forty min class. I do give him credit for still teaching, as he has been for a while, although I think it affected his ability to put many students grades in correctly.

So many papers
Graded by few things
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

20%

Textbook Required

50%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

92% confidence
Based on 14 grades
Most common grades:
A (4)
B (4)
Not sure yet (2)
Grade Distribution
A(4)B(5)C(2)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(3)
Based on 16 reported grades
A: 4
B: 4
Not sure yet: 2
B+: 2
Common Tags
Get ready to read (6)
Lecture heavy (6)
Graded by few things (4)
Respected (3)
Participation matters (2)
LECTURE HEAVY (2)
Amazing lectures (2)
Test heavy (2)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.22 avg change
Sep
Jan
Feb
Sep
Nov
Dec
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

63

5.0

(1)

HS101HS

5.0

(1)

HS316

5.0

(1)

HS116

5.0

(1)

HSWESTERNCIV

5.0

(1)
+26 more courses
Difficulty by Course

SEVERAL

4.0

HIST101

4.0

HS200

3.3

HS201

3.2

HS101

3.0

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