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Excellent lectures, Prf. Clemens really knows his stuff

Challenging in a good way, makes you think, REALLY FUNNY! best professor i ever had

Professor Clemens is one of those profs who not only has a passion for his subject, but takes the time to get to know his students personally. He is a ubiquitous figure of the campus - you are not a true W&M student unless you've taken Clemens.

Great professor... I learned a LOT. But he's hard

Challenging, definitely makes you study for an A. Very funny and knowledgeable, and sincerely takes an interest in his students' success. One of those great profs who remembers what it was like to be a student. A must-take, even for non gov-majors.

Probably the best teacher I´ve ever had. The class requires a lot of work, but you learn a lot. He really knows what he´s talking about and can help with just about any problem at W+M.

Great guy, pretty funny. Very helpful, and the course is certainly worth it for any govt or other majors. Somewhat hard, but if you study what he tells you to you should be ok.

Great professor, one of the best at W&M, definatly should take his class while your here, or go talk to him.

Great guy. Makes things clear, relates everything to real life cirsumstances, and usually has great guest lecturers. Great presence on campus and an enormous asset to W&M

This man is a W&M institution! He cares a great deal about his students and is approachable and easy and fun to talk to. Engaging and informative lectures, a tough yet fair grader, and fantastic sense of humor!

Don't see what all the hype is, seemed overrated to me. Nice guy but only once you get past how unapproachable he comes off. The lectures were very well put together but incredibly boring. He is a very fair grader on the easy side. Tough tests.

AMAZING... EVERYONE must have clemens at least once before graduating!!!

He's about powerpoint lectures, but it is great to listen to him, very entertaining. He's tests just get harder. Read and study the theories of integration intensely!

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I HATED THIS CLASS. a lot of work and not a very interesting subject. tests are very difficult and there is a lot of reading.

he is the coolest teacher at william and mary... take his class, a lil tough but he is the MAN

A legend. He is an organized lecturer, papers and tests are challenging and graded fairly. A great person with a sense of humor, one of a kind.

Great prof... a little tough on grading, but still one of the best. A must, especially for Gov majors.

great class, interesting material. he's a really clear lecturer. things you can't put on SIN - Clemens is really hot. keep that in mind before you actually take the class, it can be kind of hard to concentrate.

Best Professor in Govt. WANRING tests/multiple choice are difficult. You may want to take this pass/fail. He is easily my favorite Professor, as he can keep lecture interesting.

I have never worked so hard in a class and felt so rewarded with a B. Clemens is super smart, witty and fair. He is the reason why I became a government major.

kinda like donald sutherland in 'animal house', even he can't make plebiscites or single transferable votes interesting. he does well with the subject material given, though. very hard multiple choice tests!

Dude, Clemens is the man! He is a rough grader sometimes, but he knows all. And he's hot too.

great class, always cracking jokes and makes coming a pleasure. Tests can get tricky due to how specific he gets on multiple choice. awesome out of the classroom as well, always up for a drink at the delis.

soooooooooooo fun

What professors are supposed to be like. Really knows his stuff, incredibly clear, funny, helpful, and knows how to make a 1h20min class fly by. Really take him if you get the chance, for whatever class.

Clemens is a stand up guy, he runs a solid class, totally learn a lot, tests multiple choice can be tough but most of the answers are straight from the power points, overall great teacher

Great guy, good class. Take him... doooo it!

Definitely the hardest professor I've encountered. He's an amusing guy, but he's an incredibly tough grader, and no amount of studying will guarantee you an A in the class.

Very good professor. He teaches beyond the subject material and helps you become not only a better government student, but a better student in matters of all fields.

A good grade is hard to find, but free donut holes and obscure Simpsons references are virtually guaranteed.

one of my favorite profs-- I was sad when the semester was over! Material isn't always easy but he makes class engaging. Don't take his class if you aren't interested in govt or if you're looking for a slacker class-- he has high (but not unreasonable) expectations. If you're up for it take as many of his classes as possible!

I'll admit that I probably wouldn't have taken his class had I known how hard it was, but I probably learned more in this class than in most of my others. An excellent lecturer, notes are clear and well organized. MUST read the textbook for tests...which are slightly impossible. Take pass-fail if you can, but overall I think it was a good class.

Not a bad teacher, lectures are fairly clear, but don't pay attention to power points, most of the time they are just pictures or unnecessary data. Reading is must in order to do well and reading the discussion questions will make the class a lot easier.

AMAZING professor. Favorite class I have ever taken at WM!

Good lecturer, approachable and helpful. Material is interesting, and he's passionate about the subject. HOWEVER: tests border on the ridiculous. Tricky multiple choice. On free-response portions, asks for short, concise answers and then takes off points when you leave out minute details. Class average on midterms below 80%.

I cannot say enough good things. Prof. Clemens is entertaining, informative,and seems to really care about his students. His lecture style is a little crazy, and if you miss a class here or there, you can still do fine on the exam. He's very good about answering questions during and after class. I worked hard for my A-, but it was worth it.

AMAZING PROFESSOR! yes, his tests can be tricky, but you CAN do well! plus, he gives out bonus pop quizzes (which can earn you up to a 10 point bonus on your final grade.) this was definitely my favorite class at wm...he is really entertaining and knows his stuff. TAKE THIS CLASS!!!

I cannot say enough good things about Professor Clemens! He always presents the material clearly, and while his tests cover a lot of information, they are pretty straightforward. He is also extremely helpful outside of class, and if you are lucky you might even get to meet his golden retrievers!

Amazing class! One of my few regrets at W&M was not being able to take more classes from Clay. Take his classes, learn, and be better for it!

UNBELIEVABLY BRILLIANT! You will learn more in one semester from Clemens than you will from most all of your other classes combined. He makes you do the work, but you ENJOY doing it for his class. Worked my tail off for an A, but I learned SO MUCH. Very open to questions and willing to help, so go to his office hours (you may get to see his dogs).

Best professor I've had so far. Made comparative politics into a really engaging seminar, especially as a second semester freshman. Difficult, but absolutely knows his stuff.

He is such a great teacher! He is so obviously passionate about politics that it made me want to be engaged in class. He also has a great sense of humor and even invited us all over for pizza at the end of the semester. He is a little weirdly obsessed with his dogs though (although why not? they are too cute!)

Participation points really brought my grade down a full letter grade. He says in the beginning of the year that it matters, and you will find out 3/4 of the way through that speaking once per class is not enough, which cannot be remedied at that point. Would have appreciated sooner criticism.

BEST PROFESSOR IN THE GALAXY! That's all there is to say :)

I love Professor Clemens. He's by far the best professor I've had at W&M. Such a wonderful teacher and a genuinely good guy...great sense of humor, too.

a great professor! very clear and interesting lectures and always accessible beyond the class time. Grading is fair, but the multiple choice problems in test could be tough. Anyway, highly recommended!

Best professor this semester. Incredibly difficult and definitely wants you to speak in class and not just stare at him. Participate, read and at least look at the questions. I'm planning on dropping something to take another class with him next semester. Oh. Multiple choice is REALLY difficult. But he's great, super intelligent and engaging.

Engaging lecturer. Very knowledgeable on the subject matter and expects frequent class participation. Difficult exams, but a decent grade is attainable with the proper preparation. And yes, the multiple choice is absurd.

Great professor. Very knowledgeable and very good at explaining it in ways that intro students understand. His class is not easy (I had to work very hard to get a B), but he knows this and curves accordingly. I really recommend doing the reading in this course; it's valuable to keeping up and a lot of test questions come straight from the book.

Very good prof and you will learn a lot. His tests are very challenging though. For each chapter, you get 40-100 discussion/essay questions that will be exactly on the test. If you dont have time to read, then its very challenging. I pulled allnighters for all tests and got a C+/B- that he bumped up to a B somehow. Lowest govt grade I have.

Good professor, obviously has a passion for the subject and knows virtually everything about European Politics. The class was tough, but he makes that very clear at the beginning of the class. GET THE BOOK YOU'LL NEED IT!!

This class is for those interested in party politics. Germany is his area of expertise, so he brings a lot of enthusiasm to this class. You work for what you get. The test questions are very similar to those that go along with the readings. So, if you read and take notes, you should be fine. He's a really nice guy and pretty accessible, too.

He's a great lecturer, and all our our out-of-textbook readings--the journal articles and current events clippings--were really interesting and well-chosen. However, class discussion relies far too much on the textbook and his exams are too dependent on memorizing and regurgitating answers from the book, which is boring and terrible.

Probably one of the best classes I've taken at W&M. He's a smart professor, makes the material interesting, is a pretty fair grader, and is very nice and helpful inside and outside of class. Assignments were not hard, but tests were very reliant on textbook and memorization. Hard work and effort will get you an A (answer the test DQs as you read).

Had a small seminar with him which was interesting, but not as engaging as it could have been. He lectured even the small class. However, he was quick to lend a hand to assist us with any obstacles we had. He's challenging, and I would recommend taking his class.

Great

Somewhat difficult course, but nothing a person could not handle. He is very knowledgeable and organized yet he does have a lighter side. Random funny videos before class. Do the work and pay attention and you are fine. I haven't been doing so, that's why I don't think it's not too easy.

Can't say enough great things. Clemens gives fantastic and stimulating lectures, he is funny and approachable, and incredibly bright. DO THE READING AND STUDY QUESTIONS, and the tests will not be hard. But you HAVE to put in the work, and it's a lot. Totally worth it though, because he brings the material to life. Take his class!!!

Awesome and hilarious professor. Class is challenging in the best possible way and you'll know your stuff by the end. Three exams (drawn directly from textbook material) and a research paper that he breaks up into manageable pieces. Only downside is that you'll feel much less witty/articulate after hearing him lecture all semester.

Took "Digital Citizenship". Still not quite sure what the class was. Nonetheless, Clemens is a good guy and a good professor.

Professor Clemens is great! He isn't easy, you do have to work to get a good great, but he really knows his stuff. He's super nice and approachable, and he always shows fun videos before class. Definitely recommend!

One of the most respected professors at WM

I loved this class. Lectures are interesting and the textbook is clear. Reading is absolutely mandatory in order to do well though. Participation, quizzes, and tests all consist of answering questions about the textbook. Quizzes are just a completion grade! It was a lot of work, but as long as you put in the time it's definitely manageable.

Engaging lecturer but literally all he does in lecture is talk about what you already read in the textbook. He doesn't expand at all, and so coming to class was a complete waste of time. He is totally dependent on the textbook for content, though he is generally able to link it to the real world.

Clemens is a funny, engaging lecturer. Most of class discussion is based straight from the textbook, but he makes sure to also connect theory to current events around the world, which I find very interesting. There is a lot of reading and online quizzes, so come prepared and he'll reward you with funny dog videos and donuts.

Clemens is one of the most incredible professor here at The College. Clear, engaging and funny. He applies all of the concepts we learn in class to the real world. He definitely makes you work for your grade, but it is so worth it because his class is incredible. He has reading quizzes that apply the content we learned in class to the real world.

I had Prof. Clemens for a Coll 150 class, Canadian Politics, this fall. He's a tough grader but is very engaging with his lectures, and I knew he really wanted us to succeed in class. You definitely don't want to miss class if you want to pass though.

Even though the class may be difficult, it is definitely worth taking. It is obvious that Clemens knows the material. His lectures are clear and he is able to answer any question you throw at him. There is a lot of reading involved but he clearly outlines what you need to know. Also, his dogs are adorable.

Clemens definitely shaped my first semester at WM for the better. He's clearly passionate about what he's teaching, he wants you to understand, and he has a decent sense of humor. He had our class over for dinner twice this semester! Grading can be tough but as long as you're a good writer you'll get an A with relative ease.

Nice guy, has nice dogs.

Clemens is an amazing professor that you will definitely learn a lot from, however, he gives quite a bit of work and you have to study a lot for his exams. That being said, he gives you all the questions that could be on exams throughout the semester as HW questions, so if you put in the time to study you will get a good grade.

Prof. Clemens is a great professor who is clearly passionate about what he teaches. His tests/quizzes are hard and often extremely vague, but all of the questions he will ask you on tests and in essays are given to you in the homework - word for word. Do your work and see him outside of class and you should do fine. Hard class, but worth it!

Professor Clemens is an exceptional professor who really cares about the students and the subject matter. Quizzes and test questions were sometimes unclear, but short answers and essays followed his reading guides word for word. Prof. Clemens is extremely accessible and his office hours really help if you are lost in class. Great class.

Clemens is a great professor in class. He knows how to make his lectures hilarious and interesting. My only issue with him is that he is not the most lenient grader but his grading is not arbitrary either. So you're gonna have to put a bit more effort to get an A, but I recommend him.

Fantastic professor that really makes you work for the grade. Convinced me to be a GOVT major and remains the hardest I've ever worked for a class. All worth it though, as I learned a lot and was happy with the work I did.

Very good professor. Lectures usually cover readings and doesn't mind answering questions about material. Reading quizzes felt more than fair. His work for a COLL100 class feels like a lot, but it is very rewarding provided you make an effort in the projects. His class was excellent for freshman transitioning into a more mature environment.

Definitely my favorite professor for my first semester at William and Mary. I took the COLL 100 Revolution class with Professor Clemens, and it was the most interesting class I ended up taking that semester. Attendance is recorded every day so do not skip class! I never found myself bored during any of the lectures because they are interactive.

Clemens definitely makes you work for his class but I learned a lot about both the subject material and how to speak/present well. This class pushes you out of your comfort zone but Clemens keeps it interesting and is very accessible. Would definitely recommend for any freshmen looking for a COLL100.

European Politics with Clemens is quite difficult. He has high expectations for his students including the reading quizzes, tests, and research project. He also expects you to understand the readings before class. The class takes a ton of time and effort and will make you earn your grade. He's still very intelligent and I learned so much.

Clemens is a wonderful professor and a very intelligent man. His class is difficult, you have to do weekly quizzes that can sometimes take hours to complete because you have to read a lot in connection with each question. That being said, Clemens is very accessible to answer questions (over email or in person, about any of the assignments).

I took the freshman COLL100 class Revolution with Clemens last fall, and he was an amazing, intelligent professor. Come to every class prepared to participate and ready to ask questions, and do good on the quizzes (hard). The class material was very engaging, interesting, and you learn a lot. I would definitely take a class with him again.

His eaching style is all lecture-based, but if you do the reading beforehand you can follow the class easily. Participation is 10% of the grade but never makes you participate. Assigned one research essay; get a writer's manual because structure/grammar is graded as heavily as content. Figured out I don't want to major in govt but would take again.

Professor Clemens was one of the best professors I've had, but also one of the hardest. He is extremely knowledgeable in his field, but his class felt more like a lecture than a seminar.

Professor Clemens definitely expects a lot out of you but is very fair. His lectures are very clear and engaging, but participation definitely matters. He is also pretty accessible outside of class and is very helpful if you go in to see him (plus, his dogs are in his office!). Get ready for tough reading quizzes for HW, but they are curved fairly.

I couldn't care less about history, but I really enjoyed the COLL 100 Revolution with Professor Clemens. He is engaging and passionate about the material. You have to apply yourself to do well in the class, but he makes doing so very rewarding. Highly recommend

I took professor Clemens for both semesters of my Freshman year and he was easily the hardest class I took. Despite the crazy reading and grading so harsh he requires his own scale, the classes are incredibly interesting and I always felt that I had learned something after. As long as you do the reading and proofread your essays, you will do well.

Clemens is a tough grader, thats not really up for debate. Dont attempt to fluff up your papers with him because he will find it and mark it down. (Just for context, he was the only professor who gave me less than a B+ on a paper in all of 2019-20.) I thought class was good and he knows his stuff.

Clemens is certainly a difficult prof.- there's no mistaking that. His reading quizzes and exams can be tricky, and he's a tough paper grader (LOVES concision). BUT he's very knowledgable, accessible, & a great professor. He has an adjusted grading scale because HE KNOWS his classes are hard. Put in some work and you'll do fine- and learn a lot.

I took Revolution with him and this class was definitely a lot of work: we had quizzes before almost every class, multiple papers, group projects, presentations, and more. He is also a tough paper grader- be as concise as possible and pay attention to grammar. However, he curves and it isn't that bad. Discussion classes, but overall comprehensive.

Like any college course, you have to really work for a good grade, and Professor Clemens' class is no exception. He's a rigorous grader, his tests are really tricky, but taking his class just makes you a much better writer and student by the end. I would highly recommend taking a class taught by him, but just be prepared to work your tail off.

Professor Clemens is REALLY difficult. He is really nice but doesn't grade nice. You really have to work for your grade in his classes. If you arent passionate about the subject, I wouldn't recommend taking his class. Otherwise, he is a great guy and leads really engaging lectures.

Professor Clemens quickly replies to emails and he accepts questions of thequiz before submission. However, you have to be very passionate about material and work very hard to get high score. If you attend his office hours more than 5 times and send him email 10 times more, it did help the grades of paper and tests. He is strict with outlines more.

Professor Clemens is a great guy and really loves to teach. His classes are challenging enough to keep you occupied but not difficult by any measure. He is very well informed on politics around the world! The only reason I do not give him a 5 is because I found that his feedback often makes little sense, and you don't know what you did wrong.

Prof Clemens is a gem in the Gov Dept. While I admit his COLL course can be tough for someone who isn't a gov major, he makes all the effort to be accessible and explain concepts. His lectures are well-thought-out and his witty old-mannered enthusiasm is present, adding so much positivity to the experience. I would take him again in a heartbeat.

Professor Clemens is a great person and a great teacher. His quizzes and exams are pretty tough but his grading criteria for the final course grade is pretty fair. Lots of reading and quizzes before every class but if you're passionate you'll absolutely love it and you won't even notice the work load. He's super passionate and knowledgable too!

I took European Politics with Clemens and loved it. He is a tough grader and assigns quizzes that can be confusing. However, he is easy to contact outside of class. If he gives you a writing assignment, I recommend sending him a draft before the due date - he is particular about grammar & conciseness. However, he will make you a better writer!

Professor Clemens was excellent this semester! He was a fantastic lecturer and he cared about his students outside of class and wanted to see them succeed. The only thing about this course is that it is more lecture heavy than discussion-heavy. For a COLL100, it was slightly more difficult to perform the oral assignments.

Prof Clemens has a warm personality and is an excellent instructor. He also has a really cute dog! Canadian Politics is an engaging and challenging course. We were toughly graded, but he was fair. He gives excellent feedback. Participate and go to office hours.

Professor Clemens is a tough grader with difficult quizzes. Although he tries to make lectures interesting, sometimes the material is a bit dry. He's a tough essay grader, but he has writing pointers on BB. His quizzes are IMPOSSIBLE but they're combined with participation. Midterm and final are based on study points from each week so go over them!

Professor Clemens is very friendly, and an excellent teacher. He asks a lot of you, and grades tough (especially on papers), but you'll improve as a writer. Quizzes are notoriously difficult, but if you do the reading, you'll be fine. If you're willing to put in the effort, I definitely recommend taking his course!

Clemens is a nice guy but he's a hardass. Get ready to read a lot, and the reading quizzes are extremely difficult. He'll tear your papers and speaking apart. He's a tough grader who hates wordiness, but he cares a lot and is willing to work with you. Use the resources he gives you and go to office hours. Raise your hand in class.

AVOID GOV100 AT ALL COSTS IF YOU'RE NOT A GOV MAJOR! This class is straight impossible if you don't like history/government. Don't get me wrong professor Clemens is a great guy, but his lectures are soooo boring and useless for the class (even tho attendance matters) since all the quizzes are done before lecture. DO NOT TAKE FOR EASY COLL

Clemens gives interesting lectures, but be prepared for a TON of reading assignments. He grades pretty harshly but gives lots of feedback. No technology was allowed in his class and attendance was mandatory.

Prof. Clemens is such a kind old man, and he obviously cares about the material and knows SO much. But! He is such a tough grader, really harsh on written work, and gives daily Bb quizzes on the reading that are actually really hard. He takes attendance and grades on participation. Def only take it if you're REALLY into gov

Hard to dislike Clemens's personality. Lectures aren't the most dynamic (slides are pictures, not text), but he has a reserved yet endearing humor that I like. Get ready to work! Tough writing standards, textbook is essential (untimed yet frequent reading quizzes), challenging exams (use the study guide!). Grade won't come easy, but rigor -> growth

Clemens is a friendly old man. His class is not nearly as challenging as people say-- if you pay attention to the lectures and take notes, it is not hard to pass the open book reading quizzes. He is a tough writing grader, but is happy to help you draft. He is unmatched in clearly explaining grading criteria and test material in advance.

If you are lucky enough to end up in Clemens' class, make the most of it. You will learn so much from this man if you are ready to put in the work. Do the readings, talk in class, and go to office hours, it's worth it!

I love Professor Clemens, but his class will definitely push you. If you're not a good writer, don't even bother taking the course. Be prepared for multiple pre-lecture quizzes per week and be ready to raise your hand in class. I've learned more in this class than any other, but I had to earn it. Super sweet guy and easy to reach!

Clemens gives very clear and helpful ways to study and read the textbook, and if you read it and take notes, the daily quizzes are easy. However, the quizzes must be completed before class, and so you come to class already knowing everything that is about to be covered in class. Very tough essay grader. Midterm/final very specific.

Professor Clemens is incredibly knowledgeable, but his class requires a lot of work. Detailed readings, tough quizzes, and harsh grading. Still, Unstuckstudy proved helpful for studying and preparing. Overall, a challenging yet rewarding course.

The difficulty of 311 is overstated. The weekly quizzes can be tricky, but if you read closely they aren't bad. Instructions for the research paper are very clear and specific. Clemens is particular about grammar/style but his expectations are fair. Great professor overall and very easy to contact outside of class for writing help.

Unlike another reviewer, I found this course tedious and occasionally frustrating, not because of the professor but due to the intricate complexity of European politics and the challenge of covering all of Western Europe in one semester. The quizzes were also frustrating. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're truly interested in the subject.

Clemens was my advisor while he still full time. Absolute GOAT. Easy to reach and talk to, gave clear expectations. Lots of reading and quizzes take effort, and he's a tough grader on writing and exams. One of the kindest and wittiest (in his own dry way) professors you'll ever have, highly recommend.