Great professor! No attendance policy but she does take notice to how many days you skip which will have affect on how lenient she will be. 3 small papers, one final research paper, and one teaching assignment (don't have to teach, just write a syllabus or lecture) is all she bases your grade on. Easy to get along with. Great to look at too!

One of the most intelligent professors I've had at USC. Grading is a bit difficult. The primary sources she makes you read are somewhat hard to follow since they were written you know, 1000 years ago or more. I like her though. Take her at least once.

LOTS of reading. very interesting topics, and a lively class. take plenty of notes, b/c she gives out tons of info. no tests... but lots of writting, and she grades tough, but she offers to help you GREAT teacher.... if u want to learn and have some fun take her... and just to let u know im taking her again for a 3rd time

Dr. Ames is by far the most enthusiastic professor I've ever had- especially for History. Impossible to sleep in her class. Attendance isnt required, but GO TO CLASS bc online slides are not detailed. Extra credit paper, section attendance isnt required either. TAKE HER if you can!

Go to class! she posts the notes online, but they are very brief. 6 discussion questions, and 2 exams. Your grade really depends on your TA, who grades your questions and exam essays. Not too hard, but not an easy A either. No need to buy the text book or read it, only the source book, which I strong reccomend reading all the assigned works.

for the love of god, GO TO CLASS, DO NOT TALK, DO NOT SLEEP, DON'T DO ANYTHING BUT TAKE NOTES! She will not hesitate to ask you to leave/wake up in front of 200 people. Which is fine with me! Great professor, grade mainly depends on your TA, I had Rowe, she was great. Weekly discussions are super easy. Tests are a little rough just take good notes!

Class information was okay...but the tests were essay. You have to go to six discussion sections and answer five to six questions. Overall an okay class. The teacher makes the information interesting.

took ames for 300,306,385, and 497 (sr. sem). Love her. She is awesome. It's a lot of reading and a lot of work but so worth it. You'll get so much out of any of her classes.

I really enjoyed this class. Most people hate Historian's Craft because it's mandatory, but she made it fun. She is really approachable and gave assignments that were more than just boring research papers. No attendance taken, but I do think she kept a mental note of who was coming to class and who wasn't. I got an A and would take her again.

Not that hard of a class if you go to lecture and read the primary documents. No attendance, but it does help on the exams. Makes the material fun, she's really interested in it.

Her lectures are really good and I enjoyed her class. However my TA was terrible and made section miserable. The tests are difficult even if you attend every class. Do not ask her for help or question her grading she will NOT be nice about it.

Very interesting lectures. Save your money and do not buy the book. You do need to read the primary documents for sure but the book is available in the library. GO TO CLASS and take good notes to ensure a good grade. Do the extra credit assignments when offered because they are few and nonnegotiable. Enjoyed the class a lot. (am a Bio major)

AWESOME TEACHER. Made class as interesting as possible! Tests were moderately easy & as long as you attend class, you can pass! Don't buy the textbook, only the discussion reading book. Awesome teacher, I'd recommend her to anyone!

This class is reading and lecture. What class isn't? But, the reading isn't that bad and her lectures are chock full of info so you may not want to miss class.

She is an awesome professor! Her lectures were not mandatory but they were incredibly informative and enjoyable (as far as lectures go). With that said, she has no qualms about calling people out who are clearly not paying attention. Her exams were not particularly difficult and reflected material covered in lectures and the discussion sections.

sooooooo many notes. MWF 50 minute class, came out of there with at least 4 to 6 pages of notes. enjoyable class, just a ridiculous amount of information.

She can lecture for ever if you let her I've never known anyone who knows so much about something they could literally never stop talking about it. I'm a finance major so I'm used to power points and I was very impressed. Also shes a middle ages movie buff for all the film geeks out there. I would recommend and take more classes of hers if I could.

Long lectures, and you have to go to the library to read journals. NO TEXTBOOKS. fun to be around. We've ran into her at some of the bars in the Vista

Awesome professor! Really knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the middle ages, plus she makes tons of "Game of Thrones" and "The Walking Dead" references. Not the easiest professor, but not the hardest either. As long as you come to class and pay attention you'll be alright. I definitely recommend taking her class.

Dr.Ames is a really good teacher, very helpful. Lecture the whole time though. No homework. mid-term & final. 3 five page papers. I would defiantly take her again!

She knows a lot about the subject. Grade consists of a midterm, final and 3 papers. Grades fairly easy, I made a B+ on everything and expected worse, made a B+ for the course. Just don't cause a distraction in class like looking at your phone as she will awkwardly move around in class to stand next to you until you stop.

really good lecturer but thats all her class is! to make an A you MUST read the book along with them or else its really hard. she is a really informed and smart teacher though, its just a LOTTT of information.

Prof. Ames is a very intelligent woman. She really enjoys history, maybe a little too much. You have to do 8 different sets of discussion questions which are due once a week. They aren't too bad bc you only have to do them 8 weeks out of the entire semester. The first test was pretty hard, then they got easier. you have to take notes though.

Excellent professor. Class is not mandatory however you should go because all the information is from the lecture and she is very interesting and makes it easy to follow. The TA's make discussion kind of boring but after the class is over you realized you learned soooo much.

She makes going to class kind of fun! You can tell she loves teaching history. It's better to read the section before going to class. But you should definitely go to class because she tells you exactly what you need to know. Only 3 exams, 5 lecture summaries(easy), and attend 8 discussion sections. TAKE HER!!

She makes the class very interesting and going to lectures fun. She is also an extremely difficult grader. I worked my tail off on all of the papers and got a 70 on each one and gave no feedback as to why. Also the test I studied very hard for and knew all the answers but still managed to get an 80 on it with no explanation as to why

One of my favorite professors at USC, she's an absolute genius and her lectures are fascinating, but you she makes you work really hard. 3 exams, non-cumulative but lots of other assignments for section so be prepared to put work in. If you do all the work it will compensate for test grades. Go to every lecture and take really good notes

Professor Ames is a really tough grader but is by far the best lecturer I have ever had. Attendance is not mandatory but you probably won't pass if you skip a lot. But she makes the lectures very interesting and it really isn't too bad to go. I have taken two classes with her and never seen anyone in the class get above a 90 on anything.

She uses every minute to lecture and doesn't really leave room for you to ask questions. Does post notes online which help you follow along. You do have ano assignment due about every week but you only need 8 and only 5 lecture summaries. DO NOT ASK FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAMS!!! THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING!! Exams are short answer but make it easier.

Dr. Ames is the toughest history professor i had but i enjoyed her class. There was a midterm and a final exam as well as at least 4 3-6 page papers that were due every two weeks. My only complaint was there were no outlines and she jumped from topic to topic only giving maybe two bullet points on a specific topic.

Ames is truly a wonderful speaker and she is clearly passionate about history. However, for a 100 level history course the content is pretty extensive. Each exam covers about 9 PowerPoints. Exams are mostly short answer. In discussion section you have 4-6 readings every week and answer questions about them. Great professor, so much work.

Professor Ames is one of the best teachers I have ever had! She makes history interesting and relevant, especially for non-humanities majors like me. She is funny and a very engaging lecturer. She doesn't take attendance but it's a good idea to go because she doesn't post all of the notes. I would definitely recommend her & would take her again

Professor Ames is a historian and really knows her stuff. She attempts to make it interesting which is nice. However, the class isn't an easy A. I was only in the class because i needed a history. The tests are hard and for someone not interested in history, I wouldn't take it again.

Love professor Ames, her lectures are great. Attendance isn't mandatory but you won't pass if you don't go to class. Hilarious and interesting. I would take her again.

Ames is an amazing professor, she knows a lot about history and that shows when she starts explaining the materials. doesn't take attendance, but you won't pass if you skip class. print out the lecture slides and take notes on each slide she talks about, and you should be good for the test. Be ready to do work.

Was a big class: she didn't do the grading; Lectures are entertaining, doesn't take attendance, and posts her slides online; Would recommend taking for this class and others.

AMAZING I loved her as a teacher she knows her stuff and is great at explaining events. However just do not do homework form another class in her class. She will call you out.

She is a wonderful history professor who is hilarious in lecture. She makes history fun to learn without making the class an easy A. You have to put a good amount of work into her class to earn a good grade, but the work is not difficult. I liked that we took the time to learn the material and she puts lectures online which helps if you miss class.

She's one of the funniest lecturers I've ever had. Her lectures are interesting and never boring. She will make you work, though. Her tests are not difficult if you attend class, which isn't mandatory, but they're 100% essay questions. Also, get ready to read! I wrote three, five-page papers throughout the semester, but I enjoyed the class.

Solid class, lectures bounce around from topic to topic not necessarily in chronological order which can be hard to pick up. Final was super tough but the essays throughout the course are pretty easy. She's super nice and is very understanding about missing class if you are sick.

Professor Ames is a great and knowledgeable professor! Read the syllabus on day one! She is adamant about no phones and laptops in class as well as no reading and sleeping in class. Prepared to be called out if you do these things. She makes the criteria very interesting and even uses pop culture references! Great teacher!

Her lectures are very good! She really knows the material. Her tests are tough though. They're usually comprised of multiple choice, short answer, and short essay questions. I did a Maymester and it was A LOT of material. Her homework assignments usually took me a few hours to do as well.

Dr. Ames really has been the best professor I've ever had. She knows her stuff, which makes the class and the material super interesting. Pay close attention in class and take as many notes as you possibly can and you will be fine.

Dr. Ames is an amazing professor who knows what she's teaching like the back of her hand. I'm not a history fan, but I had no problem paying attention to her lectures about ancient history. I would highly recommend taking her, especially if you're not a fan of history and need someone who will hold your attention.

I loved my class with professor Ames. She is so animated and really keeps the whole class engaged. She posts the PowerPoints online, but only the main points. So you need to go to class to really be prepared for the exams. The exams aren't super easy, but with a few days of studying I was able to do well. I would take her if history bores you!

Very nice and funny, knows her stuff, but sort of hands-off and leaves grading to TA's. I was horribly unprepared for exam 1 because nobody had any clue what it would be like, & it was kind of an unfair test. I do very well in the other assignments but be prepared to be a little lost on the first exam. Very clear expectations everywhere else though

Whatever you do, DO NOT cite her in papers. She will say you can use her/her lectures as a source. DON'T DO IT; other than that I loved this class

class was easy. kids complain about the weekly discussion papers but they are honestly really easy and require very little critical thinking. she usually will tell you the main point of that particular lesson in lecture, and if you emphasize that in your paper you'll do fine. exams are short, if you study you'll do fine. interesting and nice TAs

You need to attend class if you want an A. Overall super easy although the TA who grades your papers can contribute the this. Class was lecture based with weekly discussion assignments based on reading primary sources which took time but were easy. She is super passionate and has interesting lectures. This class is not all memorization.

Good professor who knows her stuff and is pretty funny. Lectures bounce around but they're engaging. Only a few grades so do WELL on papers; give her full drafts to review. Tests are wild cards on what you'll get so studying is rough. Attendance isn't mandatory but missing them is bad idea. Interesting class, good prof, but harder than you expect.

She loves the Crusades and is a great professor. But get ready to put in at least 3x more work than a normal class, you will have to grind this class. Only 2 exams and 3 papers.

grades really hard, tests are on really obscure things from class so be ready to remember everything

Incredible professor! Easily one of my favorites at UofSC. Took her for HIST 327 and 385. Very knowledgeable, but she expects a lot out of you as a student, so this are not classes where you can skip or zone out during lectures. You will learn a lot, but It will not be an easy A. Still, I cannot recommend enough, if you like the material, take her!

Classes were really interesting and engaging. Only grades are 3 papers and 2 exams. Reading the sources she gives you is only necessary for the papers. Her exams have some weirdly specific questions. She doesn't take attendance but if you aren't in class and taking notes for all but a few days, you won't do well. Responds to emails quickly.

Dr. Ames is arguably one of the most unique professors I have engaged with. I have had her for both HIST 306 and 327, both of which were interesting classes. She does not post any of her lecture material so beware! She is the hardest grader I have ever had by far but is incredibly willing to help out students when they reach out.

This class had the most content I have ever experienced in a history class. Lectures are fast paced. Grade is based on about 3-4 harshly graded assignments. Tests are no joke; you have to study. However, the lectures were really interesting, and I will be taking her again. If you do not go to class, you may not pass. I learned that the hard way.

There's many reviews that this class is insanely difficult, but it's doable. I took it in 3-weeks in summer, so I'm not sure how it would be during a full semester. Definitely stay organized and stay on top of lectures/actively take notes. For the reading response, write as much as possible and overaddress the question. I always did well with this.

Professor Ames is a fantastic lecturer, I genuinely enjoy going to class and listening to her. She's a tough grader but once you figure out how she grades, it's not bad. Grade is 3 papers, a midterm, and a final. The midterm and final are tough due to amount of content and some annoying trick questions I still enjoyed the class and learned a lot.

I took 101 as an accelerated summer class. A lot of people complain about the very specific exam questions, but all you have to do is watch the lectures and take notes. The lectures are short and actually very interesting, and I learned a lot. You will not find answers on quizlet, but I watched the lectures and made a 100 on the final.

Dr. Ames is extremely brilliant and her lectures are super engaging. She has a great sense of humor and I always looked forward to class. She grades very harshly but gives good feedback. If you're interested at all in medieval European history, take her because you will learn SO much.

Amazing professor who is very hands-on with her students; she truly wants you to understand what you're learning and how to analyze history properly.

Ames is tough but she's a good lecturer. No phones rule, she takes it seriously. Powerpoints on their own aren't super helpful, so attending lectures is important. TAs do most of the grading, but the tests can be tricky. Pay attention to the big questions she asks on the slides and assignments

Her online course was very straight forward, just follow the syllabus. Easy grade for carolina core.

Class grade is more on your TA's grading style. Talks a lot, pretty loud. Literally just write down everything she says that has importance to the lecture and study that. 20+ pages of notes every exam, but its easy if you try to study whole pictures instead of individuality of notes. Weekly papers based off readings, I never read and still cooked.

For a 101 class, it did seem like a lot of work. She's very educated on her lectures though and knows what she's talking about. I personally had to study a lot for her exams because it was quite specific about what she wanted from us. I would recommend her if you enjoy history because she's passionate about it.

Great professor overall! She does a LOT of readings, but most of the material can be found online for free or is provided by her. Very interesting subject matter and you can tell she is very passionate about the material

Dr. Ames is very passionate and knowledgable about Medieval and Early Modern history. She cares deeply and wants to impart her love of history to her students. I was worried at first based on other reviews, but if you go to class, put thought into all the discussion papers, and pay attention to specific questions in the slides you will do great!

Ames is awesome. Her lectures are so engaging and funny, and chock full of information, so you really can't skip any classes. Three papers based on primary sources, a midterm, and a final. The only required readings are primary sources, but I only read the ones I used in my papers. Lots of info on the exams, but if you study, you'll be fine.

She was a good professor but she tells no one what is on the tests, not even an inclination. So much information to study and memorize, and even then it's a gamble. Mostly the TAs sucked though, at least the one I had. Very tough grader, discussion questions had very specific guidelines that would tank the grade even if the answers were correct.

I loved the course, and Dr. Ames was great! She doesn't provide study guides, which can seem scary, but you'll do fine if you attend lectures, understand the discussion readings, and thoroughly review all the slides/ your notes before the exam. Be sure to understand the artifacts and artwork from lecture as well! TAs were super sweet and helpful.

Loved the class due to the material and professor. Attendance isn't mandatory but if you don't show up for the lectures you will struggle as the content is mostly based on them. Just take some good notes and listen and you should do fine in the class.