backman's amazing

Professor Backman's amazing!

This guy's the reason I'm a history major! Funny, energetic, and the kid's cute

Made class lots of fun! Energetic is the word!

An amazing professor,he's especially good helping you one on one.

A lot of fun and really interesting, but he doesn't put very much effort at all into teaching.

Fun in class, but doesn't seem to care a lot about the students as a group. He's great and very helpful on an individual basis though. He's also full of wacky stories.

Backman is God!

Backman is awesome!! By far my favorite prof, history class is always interesting. Very friendly too, going to office hours is a big help.

Simply put: the best professor.

Professor Backman is awesome, but the material was really hard.

I think that he's a really great professor. The discussions tend to lack strcutre, but his knowledge makes up for that. He's also incredibly understanding, and just a cool person.

This professor has been amazing. The lectures don't always flow in a traditional order, but that's because he takes student questions whenever they pop up in class. Definately my favorite class... he keeps it interesting!

this guy rocks, seriously.

Backman is my favorite professor! Genuinely loves what he teaches, and it shows in his lectures. Always willing to help. Take his classes!

awesome teacher!

He is a great guy. Though he often forgets your papers at home. Discussion is great if you can get a chance to speak your ideas.

He's an awesome teacher, simply put. He'll help you with anything, loves what he teaches, and you can actually learn from him with ease.

Good professor. Great guy. Enjoys teaching the material. Papers are painless. No midterm.

Great professor! This class is really a lot of fun. It's a great view over the Crusades. Those folks interested in Medieval History should definitely take it!

Backman is AMAZING. He's so smart and really helpful. He never prepares for class, and I loved that, becuase things were always interesting. I would take any class of his that I can get into

Awesome professor. I have taken a course with him every semester at BU and I'm still going. He knows what he's talking about, he really tries to get involved and he is willing to put the extra effort into teaching.If you like history AT ALL take his class

Great professor- knowledgable on the topics covered in class, always very accomodating to student's needs and genuinely wants students to do well and learn the material

Fantastic man. He's a great teacher; very personable, always willing to lend a hand, very open to student's concerns and questions. He also tells great stories.

He teaches great classes on the Crusades, general medieval history, and a seminar on Saints, Monks, and Friars. All are great, intereasting, and engaging. He knows his stuff! Plus his Viking impressions are awesome.

Prof. Backman is an awesome teacher and an awesome guy. Has an interesting take on things, and integrate real-life experience well into discussions. And is totally hot! ;)

I really liked the class...got tiresome by the end but Backman is awesome anyway. He had great stories and the tests are painless- The papers are even easier. It is kind of hard to met with him in office hours because there are so many people, but that just shows how easy he is to talk to. TAKE H

Although the class can be dull, Backman makes an effort to encourage class discussion and seems genuinely interested in student opinions. If you have to class, try to take it with Backman. He makes it painless.

This man has to be one of the greatest teachers at BU. Not only did he make my 4 years fun and interesting, the man wrote a reference that literally got me into 3 of the top grad schools. Thank you, sir.

This man is the best professor I have ever taken. His tests and papers are painless but he still manages to teach a lot in his class. Take him. Period.

Class was utter enjoyment. 10 pg paper at first seemed daunting, but Professor Backman was a merciful grader and the paper proved to be very helpful in the end. You'll learn a lot in a pain-free way. He really isn't out to get you, at all. One of the nicest persons I've ever encountered.

Professor Bachman was one of the best professors that I have had at BU. Very helpfull, extremely fun and full of knowledge. He made a class that had the potential to be utterly boring and made it awesome. Take him.

Backman rocked! Even if you don't like medieval history he made it interesting. And his Monty Python references only made it better. Am looking forward to any other classes he's teaching.

Professor Backman is incredibly interesting and well-versed in his field. His office hours are fun and entertaining and he is available for help on papers or explaining class. Tries to make everyone's contribution to the class important. Willing to talk to students about anything. Loves baseball

He is a very smart man, but doesn't always seem to put in a lot of effort into his teaching. Fair grader and wanted everyone to do well. Did not penalize students for material not covered in class on final. Assignments fair as well. One of best core profs.

He's fun and has wonderful stories!

He's a wonderful professor, very funny, and keeps class interesting. The only problem is I took his 308 (history of the crusades) class, and he seemed to be less interested, and the first quiz was horrendous, so I dropped it.

Every class taken with him is fascinating. He's not afraid to ask questions as well as answer them and start a good debate. He's very well versed in medieval history and has a great knack in sparking interest in the topic. Especially wonderful: he loves and encourages creativity, which keeps the course from getting dry.

Amazing professor. Really knows how to spark an interest in the subject. His lectures were always enjoyable and topics were explained very clearly.

Great Teacher, really knows how to make the usually boring subject matter interesting, and the grading is very fair

Great teacher, really enjoyed the class. At times the class dragged on, but for the most part he made history interesting.

A fantastic teacher...he never read from notes in the medieval history class, as its obvious he is passionate about the courses he teaches. His teaching is captivating and he makes the material so interesting, as if he took us all back in time.

Amazing professor! Makes history perfectly clear AND interesting. Made it worth walking across campus for a 9:30 class with him. He gives you every chance to succeed. His assignments/tests are VERY fair. As he says himself about grading papers and creating/grading tests..."Professor Backman is not a ****". Says some very funny/quoteable things.

LOVE him

great professor. i look forward to his lectures - they're interesting and informative; he's great at explaining concepts and topics. the tests were pretty easy if you just read over your notes. one of the best professors i've had. if you have any questions, he's very helpful during office hours as well.

He is a great professor, and his lectures are always interesting and entertaining. Discussions were boring, but count for 20% of your grade. Overall, class was easy and painless.

great teacher! even tho history is a very boring subject, he teaches it in such a way as to engage you in the material. definetly take his class. u not only will get a good grade but u will also actually learn something!

i took hi101 and 102 with him and liked both, he's GREAT for 301; one of my favorite professors. good books on the topic even though i didn't have much interest in the topic. not many assignments given, attendance mandatory, and gives a lot of leeway and room when it comes to the final essay. DEFINITELY TAKE HIS COURSES!

Best class and best professor EVER. very interesting, very stimulating. I felt like he would tell us a story for an hour... and we were learning european history.

Great teacher. He would tell interesting engaging stories that would make you want to come to class. He would not teach directly from the book, but instead gave wonderful comparisons to help you understand why the events had occurred instead of what the events actually were.

Really great professor. So interested in the subject and it comes through in his teaching. Excellent class and lecturer.

Second class with Backman. Incredibly nice guy and great lecturer. Always wants to help. Loves his subject. Easy to do well if you TRY.

awesome. prof backman knows what he is talking about. he doesnt even need notes or slides but can lecture cold. but his lectures arent boring. it was the fastest 90 min class i have ever sat through and it was never boring or tedious. great stories (ask him about larry and the rat)!! defintaley recommend him!

Awesome class. Kept my interest the whole time.

Backman is one of the best history professors at BU. His lectures are entertaining and his stories will keep every intrigued. He is a great and kind guy

backman is the best professor i've ever had at BU! i make sure to take at least one of his classes every semester!

Great guy, entertaining lectures. Hardly feels like class.

Great teacher or greatest teacher? C.B. may be one of the finest teachers at BU. Sweet, sweet man, very available, charming, funny, and brilliant (he knows at least 6 languages)! Exams are pretty easy, just be clear with the papers and you'll be fine. He is simply a wonderful human being and I recommend the course to ANYONE.

Awesome professor! Definitely my favorite so far at BU. Explanations are always crystal clear, lectures are straightforward and easy to follow. Never boring because he is funny and likes telling us stories. Don't have to read the book to understand what's going on. Only 2 papers, a midterm, and final exam. I definitely recommend taking his classes!

LOVE LOVE LOVE. Best professor I have had at BU. Lectures amazingly interesting- my favorite class, the one I look forward to each week. I definitely recommend taking a class with Backman if you can.

Very enthusiastic- good guy- will help out if get into trouble with the class.

Very enthusiastic- good guy- will help out if get into trouble with the class.

Have taken many classes with Backman and loved each one. He's a really good teacher and is willing to explain anything you don't understand. Def go meet in him office hours- overall great person. Helped me with advising four million times more than any of my advisors and inspired me to become a history major.

Prof. Backman is unbelievable. His lectures are unlike anything I expected (in all the best ways) and he's just a great person to be around. He loves his subject and it shows; his enthusiasm makes the class more fun. Very fair with grading, but leaning toward the generous side. Great guy and a great class.

Best professor/teacher I've ever had, hands down. He is entertaining and interesting. Lectures are always great, can make the most boring philosophy relevant. He's really easy, yet I still learned tons.

You'll either love the lectures or hate them. Fortunately, they are optional. Discussions are mandatory, but they are so interesting the hour flies by. Kathryn is the best TA I've ever had. She makes everything interesting. Backman gives the general idea - you really have to read the book to get specifics.

He is the best professor ever! He actually makes history fun! I learned a lot from his lessons! Make sure you take him!

Professor Backman is the reason I got into every grad school I applied- I was flat out told so by one school. Cares about every student he has, and knows what he's doing.

Awesome professor. Sincerely cares about his students! Lectures are interesting and never boring. Best professor I've had at BU thus far. He makes me want to be a medievalist! TF Christine is the best(and wears the cutest clothes)!!!! =]

Honestly, I have never met such a kind teacher. He is unbelievable to his students and really cares. His lectures were interesting, he makes history fun and I don't think I can express how much I loved having backman as my professor. PLEASE TAKE HIM!!!!! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. And Christine the TA, biggest sweetheart! She was unreal. 5 stars!

Great class. Easy and interesting at the same time. Clifford is a little out there, but his lectures were entertaining. The TA Christine is ridiculously hot. Overall one of the better classes I've taken at BU. Tests are ridiculously easy, attendance not mandatory.

Took his summer class. Very knowledgeable, makes class interesting. Very friendly and approachable, fair grader. This summer he gave only Take-Home Exams. Claims he'll never do anything else. Regardless, DEFINITELY take his class! Cares more about thinking than how many facts you can memorize. Highly recommended.

Amazing professor. Enthusiastic, passionate, interesting. He renewed my interest in history. I highly recommend his class to everybody. And Kate the TA was extremely helpful and approachable.

One of my favorite professors! Incredibly enthusiastic about teaching and makes history very interesting and fresh. A funny and approachable professor who teaches about thinking about history rather than memorizing it. A great starter class, very easy, but very informative and fun.

Def my favorite professor here for far! He is hilarious and extremely interested in the subject. Class is easy, no tests, just midterm/ final papers. I recommend this class to everyone!

Probably the most engaging professor on campus. Students who sign up for his class and don't attend are really missing out. Best classes i've taken at BU...or EVER.

Backman is a funny professor. A little boring in lectures, but he makes the class easy and is always trying to keep people entertained. If you aren't a history major, this is the best class. Keeps the workload low and really just wants you to learn the material. Also - half of the exams are Take Home! Easy to pull off a B without remotely trying.

He was great! I could actually pay attention and learn things with him. He was funny and showed he was a real person. This class is great for a history requirement.

My FAVORITE professor at BU - nice, easy-going and funny. Take his class!!!!

Professor Backman is by far the best professor I have ever had. Go to office hours, get to know him, he is extremely interesting. Motivates students and is extremely helpful

He is one of my two favorite BU professor, take him if you can!!!!!

One of my favourite professors! He made learning history fun. Managable work load. Three take-home exams plus 3 small quizs. Highly recommend!!

If you need to take a history class due to a requirement, and aren't looking for something overwhelming, take Prof. Backman. The tests, which are comprised of multiple choice and a take home essay, are very easy if you possess a basic understanding of the material. He's also an entertaining speaker, and seems to love what he does.

Backman's a really great professor - he's easygoing, enthusiastic, and entertaining, which made attending lecture worth it. Grades consisted of two multiple choice quizzes and two take home essays, both of which were relatively easy. I loved having Backman, and I plan on taking more courses with him in the future.

Really clear. He knows that most people in the class are taking it as a requirement, but it ends up being really interesting. This is history, and he teaches it as exactly that... a story. Great guy, super understanding. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Best Professor I've met at BU! He makes me love history. Assignments are quite easy but You'll learn a lot if you do the readings and put efforts in papers.

The BEST professor I've met at BU. He made me love history. Assignments are easy but you'll learn a lot if you to the readings and put efforts in papers.

Prof Backman is SO chill. On the first day of class, he pretty much just told us it didn't matter whether or not we showed up. He doesn't record attendance or anything (this is a MET class) - HE'S AWESOME. He actually just wants you to learn the material and he's really laid back.

Prof B is a GREAT teacher and pretty funny guy...2 exams with paper...breeze; -no HW just read to understand. The bottom line is you cannot mess up taking both series of his classes unless you don't do the work

I always go to his office hours, and he is really helpful. Nevertheless, this course is hard for me as an international student. I had devoted all of my arduous endeavors reading all the assigned readings and preparing for 3 exams and 3 papers thoroughly, but 5-6 questions out of 25 in the exam isn't taught in lectures and the grader was tough...

CLIFFI ROCKS!!! Seriously if you need to get the history requirements out of the way he is the one to ask. Sweet, caring, and actually cares about his students passing. I'm not a big reader so I just didn't read and got a B+. BEST BU PROFESSOR AROUND!

I had Prof. Backman for HI202 (Medival Philosophy) and 204 (Crusades) for my history minor. His lectures are amazing - the man has no notes, he sits on a desk and practically tricks you into learning. Go to his office hours, he'll be thrilled to see you. I think he's the single best prof. at BU.

Professor Backman's lecture includes both historical events and thought-provoking comments and conclusions. No final, three quizzes and three papers instead. Better attend the lectures because almost all quiz problems are from them. Lectures are also fun.

I have had Professor Backman twice now, once for 214 Piracy and also for 204 the Crusades. Backman is honestly my favorite professor here at BU. He is funny, his lectures are amazing, and his classes are honestly super easy. Even without doing any of the readings (though you should because they are great) you can easily get an A in his classes.

I've now taken two classes with Backman and got a flat A in both. You don't even need to show up, or do the reading. The class consists of 3 quizzes accompanied by 3 essays that are really essay and always based off of a chapter in a book. I've never even done the reading for this class and the essay's are still super easy. He's super funny too.

Backman is a great professor! He assigns a lot of reading but lets the class pick the test questions so reading isn't really necessary. He is a pretty easy grader and respects his students. Class ends 1/2 an hour early and is very interesting. Would recommend the class to anyone who needs to fulfill a history requirement.

He is a great professor who is great at teaching history to both history majors and non-history majors. Overall, he is a really interesting guy and he knows a lot about history.

take him for your history electives!! i took my 2 required history classes with him. one class had a TA grading the essays so it was harder to get a flat A (I got a B+) but the second Backman graded himself and he is a generous essay grader. Three tests each semester with a take home essay for each.

Made discussion interesting and fun. Provided great background information on the texts that weren't provided in lecture oftentimes. Easy A in the class, he just cared about how passionate you were in talking during discussion. Didn't even need to talk a lot, just needed to believe in what you said.

Cliff is wonderful. He genuinely cares about his students. Go see him during his office hours, he will be excited to see you and he has some pretty cool stories. Wants to get to know you. He's a good lecturer. Go to class and participate. Relatively easy grader but you still need to try. Hands out most Fs in the department so do your work. Love him

Professor Backman is a very funny guy who makes lectures interesting and fun with his humorous banter. There are three tests and three essays during the semester. As long you attend class and take notes, you should be fine.

Stop reading this and go sign up for Professor Backman's class Seriously go

Prof Backman is definitely a great lecturer. He asks us to send him quiz questions and he picks the question from what we send to him. However, sometimes he doesn't follow his syllabus and some questions in the quiz are too specific to answer. If you have a good memory and want your history course to be interesting, take class with him.

I love this guy! He makes what could be a boring class so interesting and engaging. He's hilarious, and a very nice man! Attendance isn't mandatory but I'm telling you, you're going to want to show up to class just to listen to him talk. Awesome guy!

Amazing! Took him for my first semester of my freshman year and I don't regret it at all. He was a great lecturer and the material is easy to understand. The tests are straightforward (just take notes in class and I read the textbook) and the essays were pretty easy to write.

Prof Backman is the best! He makes lectures interesting with anecdotes, analogies, or reenactment of a historical event, etc. Asides from teaching, he is a very nice person and is willing to help you on virtually anything. His only drawback is that he sometimes forgets or confuses a fact. Took 3 classes with him and is taking one more this semester

Professor Backman is a great professor, attendance isn't mandatory, but you won't want to miss lectures. I loved this privacy course. You really only get graded on 3 quizzes and 3 essays, and the class creates the quiz questions. It easy to do well in this class, and if your struggling Professor Backman is available in office hours.

One of the best History Professors in Boston. He doesn't teach through repetitive Powerpoints and handouts. Instead, he brings History to life through stories and events. Lecture is not mandatory, but if you like history you will happily show up. Not many teach like him, and I'm lucky I got a spot in his class to learn from him.

Backman is the best professor at BU. If you pay attention to his intriguing lectures and skim the readings, you will have an easy time writing the essays he assigns. The class itself has interesting material, but Backman takes it a step further and makes you look forward to class everyday. I can't wait to take another class of his in the future!

This is my second class with Prof Backman and I don't intend on it being the last. He teaches the class in a way that is thoroughly enjoyable. If you pay attention and take notes, you will have an easy time writing the 4 essays. He is the most caring, kind, and understanding professor I have ever had. I cannot recommend him enough!

Professor Backman is the greatest professor at BU and is such a great guy. I thoroughly enjoyed every lecture. I declared a minor in history solely because I could continue taking his classes for credit if I did. Hes also a really easy grader, he even told us that he was getting in trouble for giving too many As and said he didnt care at all

Love Prof. Backman's course. If you are really into history then definitely take him. He has great knowledge and would share his opinions on the subjects with the students. His lectures are casual and interesting and you would feel his passion for the topics even via zoom! Only 3 papers with 33% each. Manageable if you did the readings.

This is my third class with Backman and I'd take more with him if I could. He's an amazing professor & a wonderful human being. Go to his class, take notes, and you will do well on the papers (three 5 page essays each for 33% of your grade). I truly believe that he is the best professor at BU! I recommend every single one of his classes.

Professor Backman's class is a joy to be in. He is hilarious but also very intelligent and offers interesting commentary during class discussion. Absolutely recommend Professor Backman.

HE IS TRULY THE BEST!!! His lectures are entertaining and educational. Attendance is not mandatory (he said so himself). But if you goto lectures, he would literally mention the content of the essays (4 essays in a semester). The essay topics are super easy if you just read the textbooks. Highly recommend taking his class.

Professor Backman is one of the best professors at BU. His lectures are extremely engaging and interesting, and you can tell he is passionate about his work. He is relatable and funny, and a really nice chill guy. He is also really understanding. Class is graded based on 4 essays and that's it. 10/10 would recommend.

Backman is simply the best. This was my 2nd class with him & I wish I could take more. He's my fav prof. I've ever had because he takes a subject that he is an expert on and breaks it down to make it interesting for both history and non-history majors. On top of that, he is relevant, caring and truly funny. Just show up to lectures and its an ez A

Backman was a great professor who manages to condense a lot of history in a digestible way. You only have to write a few papers for the class, so it's not too stressful.

A lovely and inspiring professor. Going to his office hours is great to ask clarifying questions regarding the class or to just have a chat regarding history in general. Reading is quite light and helpful for the 4 papers assigned. Casual and engaging lectures. I highly recommend taking one of his classes!

Professor Backman is a very sweet and funny guy. He does an excellent job at condensing millenniums of history into one semester. He assigned four essays, all very relevant to his lectures and the class materials. Definitely not impossible, definitely not a waste of time, definitely not uninspiring, and definitely not negative.

Prof. Backman is one of the most caring and friendly professors at BU. He tries so hard to get to know all of his students and I would definitely recommend visiting his office hours for some fun stories! He is very understanding if you feel behind in reading or if you need to turn in an assignment late. Would HIGHLY recommend him, especially for CC