2.2
Quality4.1
Difficulty15%
Would Retake109
Reviews15%
Would Retake
109
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
10
4
17
3
12
2
31
1
39
What Students Say
“Pretty is one of the worst professors at Winthrop”
HIST111 - 1.0 rating“He is the worst professor I have yet to encounter”
HMXP102 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.59 avg changeRatings by Course
HSTMANY
5.0
(1)HST560
5.0
(1)HIST101102
5.0
(1)HIST950
5.0
(1)MEXIEUROHIST
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HIST212
5.0
HST211
5.0
HIST548
5.0
HISTEURO
5.0
HIST547
5.0
Reviews (109)
No Comments
Very unclear about what he is talking about. Likes to jump back and forth betweensubjects Likes to bring people out in the middle of class and treat students like they are little kids. Uses grades such as check, check plus and check minus.
Gives ALOT of notes. Reading assignmnets are very long. Midterms are very hard and cover alot of information.
He is very uptight and authoritarian. He doesn't care about whether you fail or not. Has strict principles that he sticks by to the end.
No Comments
Interesting professor. Kinda nerdy, but makes subject interesting. He cares about his students and will give you help if you ask.
he really has issues; he's wears the same jeans everyday and doesn't care; talks about himself and his personal problems in class; his tests are extremely hard; if you can get someone else, please do
He sucks. He's gives a lot of notes, quizes every monday, and a lot of readings. The tests are extremely hard. He has major issues and he's really mean. He's all the time drinking something and I don't really think it's coffee.
He is very strait laced, but full of information. He enjoys his field, and is rather goofy, but fun. The weekly quizes make you stay current on the work, and multiple choice! He also grades on improvement, show effort and it will show in the end.
Makes You Work, But Worth It. Very Good Teacher. You Will Learn Alot. You Get Your Money's Worth. You Will Have To Actually Try To Learn, So Only Take If You Are Willing To EARN A Good Grade.
He's not a very good professor!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are into reading forty pages in a textbook then this is the class for you!
he is hard to follow during lectures and his multi. questions test is REALLY hard, he makes strange breathing noises
he's a pretty good teacher, there are alot of readings and the test are hard. He has some strange policies like no wearing shorts on test dates......he lectures all the time so it's hard to know what's goin to be on the test. If you don't mind reading alot, He's fine.
definatly goofy. but not all that bad. yes, a lot of reading, but if you do read carefully you will do ok on the quizzes. Makes a lot of history jokes that aren't funny and nobody gets.
He's is a really strange teacher and I do not like the way he teaches.The whole time he's in the front of the room lecturing and you can bearly understand what he's saying. Make sure you read because you WILL have quizzes EVERY monday, and you might want to study for the test too, they are hard.
A history teacher. He presents the question, the documents that provide the answers, and the guidelines through which to present your ideas. If you hate learning and just need good grades, stay away. Easy because you can think for yourself and not try to figure what the professor wants you to get
No Comments
Very hard class, but very fun. I'm usually a straigth A student, I got a C in the class. However, the class was reallly interesting and I learned a lot. But as far as a good grade-not for this class, AT ALL. Unless you already are a history buff, then it'll be easy for you.
A decent guy, but DO NOT take if you have zero background in your subject. I had him for 500 level class and after 2/3rds of the class dropped, the general consensus (for those who've stuck around) has been that nobody has learned anything. Weekly quizes on mass amounts of reading..avoid if possible
No structure to his lectures. It's really hard to know what's important and what isn't. Not to mention the ridiculous quizzes every week. Not very fair on grading his exams, either. I will never take a class from him again.
RUN AWAY! Avoid this man at all costs!!! There are pleanty of other fun professors in the department to spend time with, promise.
I'll say one thing for the man- he knows what he's talking about. I learned a lot for him, but could not for the life of me figure out how the man grades. Quizzes will kill you, and the essays have to be exactly what he wants. Not a class to take for the grade boost, only for interest- S/U it.
This guy is a real ass. He knows what he is talking about, but doesn't know how to teach. Stay away from his useless lectures and read. You'll be much better off. I will never take him again and I'm a history major.
YIKES!!! This man is my advisor, never had a class with him before, but if its anything like my advising sessions, all i can say is ARGH!!! Rude and very unhelpful. While he's extremely knowledgable, he's an ass. STAY AWAY!!!
This guy is a dork - wears his pen in his shirt pocket if that is a clue to how he acts! Really weird......you will catch him in the library at the end of the semester trying to find students who plagerize material - a real weirdo.......
COMPLETE ASS! HE IS OBSESSED WITH ONE THING: HIMSELF. DON'T TAKE, BUYER BEWARE!!!
AVOID. Breathes through his nose like he is about to blow his nose or he is acting like Darth Vader. I've dropped him 3 times. DO NOT TAKE HIM FOR ANYTHING.
I took a class in European History and got a semester of Russian History... and Who wants to be a Millionare. Plus the guy only wore two pairs of pants all semester... If you can get around it don't I repeat DON'T take a class from this idiot!
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!
I'll stick up for the guy--he was the first History teacher I had at Winthrop, and I found his class interesting and not too difficult. Pay attention, do the reading, and go to class and you should be okay!
No Comments
Man, Pretty is an oddball but just do your work in the class and your will be okay. I am the exact contrast to his personality and our play on that throughout the semester actually provided for some entertaining class bantar. I've had him twice, both times I never worried about my grade. Just rip on him if he rips on you.
looks like frodo baggins and acts like a huge ass! shoot yourself in the foot before you take him.
AWFUL! Run away as fast as you can! Very anti-Greek, struck me as **** and just an awful experience all around.
very hard and confusing.
A bit confusing, but overall easy class. Quizzes were unclear at times, but he is very direct and clear on class requirments. He gives study guides for his tests and they are on the money, so if you study those you will ace the tests. He also grades everything on a curve so you are bound to at least get a 'B' if you try!
I would not recommend this professor at all. Stay away!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very knowledgeable professor. Students in my class didn't like him because they had to learn the material to do well in the class. His class is very easy though if you study using the study guide! As long as you spend some time the night before the test studying you will be fine!
Pretty is okay. You must read the text and you do have to attend class and take notes and do work. I won't get an 'A' but a 'B' is possible. He is scatter brained and DO NOT visit his office! Only him and God know what's growing in there. He is not an easy 'A' Good Luck!
I do not recommend this professor at all. He is very paranoid and thinks every student is out to cheat. Take another professor and save yourself!
4 BOOKS, WEEKLY QUIZES, DAILY JOURNALS FOR A 100 LEVEL CLASS IS RIDICULOUS. HE IS UNWILLING TO ANSWER VALID QUESTIONS AND HE KEEPS STUDENTS PAST THE ALLOTED TIME FOR CLASS.
If you are nice to him & laugh at his jokes, he's alright. But he is absent minded, messy, and can be a jerk if you have anything negative to say. He requires way too much work for a 100 level class, but he does prepare you for harder courses. great for an honors course, but not lecture!
Look, there's only one thing I can say to describe DeePree. And that can be summed up in a single quotation, that he said himself: "Give me Robin Williams as a genie any day."
So much to say, so little space! Problems for him include: He is heartless, paranoid, & deeply troubled. And yes, he'll take it out on his classes! He keeps us over so we're late for other classes, refuses to answer questions or be helpful in any fashion, doesn't explain what he wants & then tells you you're stupid. Refuses to grade & return work.
Dr. Pretty is a great instructor. He is very ethical and gives clear expecatations. If you want a good grade it is up to you. He does not give you a good grade you must earn it. I truly enjoyed his class.
Worst professor ever. He is mean, evil, angry, hot tempered, and a complete jerk. Never take him. He will yell at you, he will insult you. He is a mean man.
This guy was awful. He gave a quiz each week, which you were required to read a minuim of 35 pages. He assigned huge books to read and his exam was crazy. Avoid him please.
Terrible. Very sparatic notes. Fakes you out to think you are going to do well on the tests, then boom. you fail. don't take if you want to pass as a history major, and if you have to, don't have any classes immediately after his. you will be late.
This guy basically teaches all of his classes the same way. You WILL HAVE TO READ. It will not kill you, you're in college. Anyway, his policies are clear. the worst that can be said about hims is that his sense of humor is odd, and that he sometimes falls behind on grading papers, but if he likes you, you can rip on him in class sans repercussions
Ok, this guy is tough, very tough for a History class. However, you do learn alot in his class and his jokes are funny. He does go about 5 minutes over the time limit.
Despite what many people seem to thinm about Dr. Pretty, I believe that he is a brillant man who is over worked. He knows what he is talking about so don't challenge him. Do the work, read the assignments...IT'S COLLEGE PEOPLE, not pre-school. He is not as mean as everyone seems to think he is.
ISNT HORRIBLE REALLY... READING IMPORTANT QUIZ EVERY MONDAY BUT IT REALLY ISNT A LOT OF READYING THE OTHER DAY I READ PG 145-153 SERIOUSLY!!!... GIVES STUDY GUIDES MY CLASS DIDNT HAVE TO DO THE RADIO JOURNAL I GUESS HE MADE YOU DO IN THE PAST.. LOTS OF PPL IN MY CLASS SAID HE HAS LIGHTENED UP BUT I HAVE AN AVERAGE GRADE IN THERE RIGHT NOW =)
Sure knows his stuff, which explains why he is SO BORING!!!! Completely useless when it comes to helping students.
I really enjoyed Dr. Pretty's class; his lectures were interesting, and he obviously knew the material. You will learn a lot from him, but make sure to read the textbook and study for the quizzes!
You will need to do the reading to do well on the quizzes. His expectations are very clear. As time went on, his test became easier because you knew what he was looking for. He does provide study guides which are helpful. I am excited to take a another class taught by Dr. Pretty this semster. He's tough, but his classes are manageable.
Terrible. I wouldn't recommend him to anyone. His tests are extremely difficult and his lectures don't help. Don't take him
A History Major's History Teacher, if you need an easy out for surveys try to find someone else, but it isn't so back, He can be fun in an awkward way but i think thats cool
Dr. Pretty is the hardest professor in the History Department for survey classes. He is very smart but he will expect you to figure things out on your own. In his 113 class you will have to do more work that 111 or 112. Listening to BBC news at least 3 times a week was 15% of your grade. Overall just take very good notes if you want to do good.
Dr. Pretty is unorganized and is always forgeting his lecture notes. He can be boring and he isn't very clear. I don't recommend him, especially at 8am, and I will not take him again.
He is a teriible professor. Do everything you can to avoid his class.
Dr. Pretty's class is tough. He requires a lot of reading for his weekly quizzes and his exams are almost entirely lecture based so you have to take very good notes in class in order to pass.
Good professor and very fair, but a tough grader. Take his class if you want to learn, not if you want an easy A.
I had Dr. Pretty 5 times during my career at Winthrop and he is by far the best professor I have ever had. He might be tough but he knows his stuff. He may be a little weird, but who isn't? For all you nay-sayers..if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen because you cannot get a History degree from Winthrop without one of his courses. (:
He's very strange. His lectures have nothing to do with the textbook. He complains how the textbook is written. He's always forgetting his lecture notes. Not recommended if you have a large workload already.
Dr. Pretty is great. However, if you get bored or offended easily, you probably won't like him. The reading is a bit much at times. This is not a class for an easy A, but totally worth it.
His way of going about notes was terrible. He would jump from one thing to the next, so it was very hard to take accurate notes. He was always forgetting something in his office or at home. If you don't like to read a lot, don't take his class. Manditory readings with quizzes every week. Not a good teacher.
absolutely horrible! hardly willing to help learn, completely random and the work load is INSANE (i am a junior) for a class most people have to take, it's ridiculous. he won't ever give an answer and will stare at the class until someone finally figures it out. study guides are useless. exams are very intense. avoid him at all costs.
This class could be easy if he'd take the the time to help his students. He's very arrogant and asks you to read the book just to argue against it. He's always arriving late then leaving because he forgot something in his office then he keeps you over to finish lecturing. His test remarks are rude and his handwriting for test feedback is horrible!
He know History, but is so disorganized. We never start on time and get off track for rants or forgetting something. He is not willing to help & asks questions that someone must answer right & if you are wrong he is degrading and belittling. His lectures are all over the place and study guides aren't helpful. Feedback is illegible. I do the work!
Dr. Pretty's definitely not for everybody. He has a very dry sense of humor and if you say/ask something stupid or answer a question wrong he will make fun of you. However he definitely knows his stuff and can be a pretty funny, weird guy. If you can handle that and not get scared by him the class isn't too bad.
Dr. Pretty is a brilliant man who lives on a different wavelength than most of his students, and fellow professors for that matter. Prepare for daily drama about how he lost his notes for class, didn't have enough coffee etc. That being said his classes are not unfairly difficult, and he is very clear in his expectations for exams and quizzes.
Worst professor ever. He's a jerk and he is very boring. I would avoid his class at all cost. It is the struggle trying to stay awake in his class. the weekly quizzes aren't that difficult if you read the bold and slanted words in the book. Hardest history class i've ever taken.
Dr. Pretty is very intelligent and definitely knows his stuff. My only complaint is that he is extremely unorganized. He is difficult, so don't expect to put forth minimum effort and get an A.
Dr. Pretty if you read this, here are some tips for effective teaching. 1. Know where your notes are and get to class on time. 2. Grade papers. Not two months later. No one knows what their grades are because you never grade anything in a reasonable amount of time. 3. Give instructions of what you want for papers. Not the night before they're due.
Dr. Pretty is not the easiest professor to have, but if you like history, and enjoy a professor who can be quirkyweird (in a good way) then he is your man. He knows what he is teaching and he loves it. His classes are challenging, but if you do the reading, show up, and participate then you will have no trouble getting a B in the class.
Dont take him!!!
Pretty is a tough professor. But he is incredibly knowledgeable about everything he teaches. Lectures: well they're old fashioned. He doesn't do Powerpoint so if that's a deal breaker, drop his class now. At the end of the day, his classes are passable if you don't ditch class, do the readings (quizzes EVERY monday), and participate even if wrong.
Dr. Pretty is one of those professors who you will ether click with right away or dread having to see him. He has a personality that just does not fit well with everyone. That being said, he knows what he is teaching and if you pay attention, do the readings, and show up to class you'll have no trouble passing. Master the 5 paragraph style essay!
Dr. Pretty is the definition of unorganized. Never arrives on time. He grades with a check system so you never know your grade in the class until its too late to drop. Very unclear on grades and information in class. I don't mind studying but this class was terrible. Weekly quizzes. He only lectures with no PP so class is boring. I do not recommend
He is an awful teacher do not recommend. Graded papers very harshly and gives no good feedback
Doctor Pretty... oh where do I begin? He is the worst professor I have yet to encounter. He doesn't give A's on the papers you are assigned, and the topics are very hard and confusing. He is inconsistent with what he wants in your papers, and snarky and rude when asked for clarity. He took TWO MONTHS to grade any of our papers. He's awful.
He is incredibly disorganized and unprofessional. He conducts discussion assignments on Facebook rather than on Blackboard and he is always late to these discussions.
Dr. Pretty is one of the worst professors at Winthrop. His grading criteria - which he will explain repeatedly at the beginning of almost every class - makes absolutely no sense. His lectures are complete train wrecks and are somehow still more organized than everything else about him.
Dr. Pretty is the most disorganized professor I've ever had. . One of the assignments is to produce an outline for 2 of his lectures. This was an extremely difficult assignment, since his lectures are like watching a ping-pong match. Grading on the essays is fairly tough. Having said all that; if you attend class and participate, you can pass.
Lectures were sooooo boring! If you have an interest in Russian History then you'll enjoy it. The readings were extremely boring and dry. Assigned copious amounts of reading daily and asked obscure questions on quizzes. Got sidetracked often. Essays were the most important part of the class.
Dr. Pretty is a old fashioned, lecture heavy, professor, and I enjoy every class I take with him. He does not handout grades students do not deserve, and expects his students to work hard. Everyone complaining about him being too difficult needs to consider whether or not college is right for them. Show up, take notes, read, and you will do fine.
Worst instructor within the history department at Winthrop University. He assigns an extremely excessive amount of pages to read in the textbook for weekly quizzes which consists of only 10 multiple choice questions. His lectures and study guides don't contribute to any exams. His grading makes no sense. Very unorganized. late to class most times.
Dr. Pretty's classes are NOT for anyone who learns best visually or hands on. Everything is a lecture, and they're disorganized. No visual aides, no first hand experience for the students. Honestly, you don't even need to read the assigned reading to pass. HIST111 is just 6th grade social studies.
Dr. Pretty is my advisor and Ive had him for 3 classes now. He has stepped in on my behalf when Ive needed a petition for a class. Hes funny, caring, and knowledgable. I dont get why people complain. Read the textbook and youll pass. Best thing I can suggest for intro classes is get a tutor at the ASC. Go to office hours if you have questions.
Overall an okay experience. Probably would avoid other classes if he was the teacher. He is very lecture heavy and uses no notes to go off of so he would lose track of what he was talking about a lot. There are quizzes every week on the reading which generally consists of 30-60 pages. Tests are pretty difficult. Journals have very specific criteria
Out of all History classes Ive taken, this professor is the worst. He is always late coming into class unprepared. His lectures dont have any visuals/ppts, and he always goes off track of whats said or gives painfully long pauses to the point I dont even know what to take note on. The only way I can describe everything overall is disorganized.
Not clear on expectations. Also doesn't like when you email about assignments.
He is really not a good professor. He isn't reasonable or caring. It's like he doesn't want to help students succeed. He gives five minutes for a ten question quiz. He barely replies to emails . But, when he do respond, you can tell he doesn't care. I would not recommend his class ever.
The only enjoyable thing about this class was that he has a very interesting sense of humor. Despite that, his class was horrible. Super rude and snarky personality. Tried to penalize us because WE did not remind HIM to send out the rubric. He is with out question knowledgable, but he sets nearly impossible standards for us. AVOID AT ALL COST!!!!!!
Dr. Pretty is one of the most insincere educators I have ever had. His lectures don't match the 40 plus pages of reading that you have for homework but the quizzes come straight from the book. his power points are literally just pictures and there is nothing specific on them so he just rambles about whatever the picture is.
The only positive I can say about him is he can be marginally entertaining sometimes. He is no doubt knowledgeable about the content but his lectures do not match up with his quizzes in the slightest. 40 pages of reading weekly for a 100 level history course is ridiculous. Avoid him at all costs.
I took this class on a MWF basis my first semester. Every other class I have received an A in, except for this one. Lectures are heavy yet not informative. You skip more than 3 lectures, and he deducts letter grades. Weekly readings that exceed 100 pages at time. Comes off too harsh in communication. And you will hand write EVERYTHING! 10/10 DNR
Dr. Pretty is the worst professor I have ever taken and will take. Unless you plan to S/U the class, do NOT take it with him. He has absolutely 0 respect for students. He has no clear expectations when it comes to grading and doesnt show any grades for the entire semester. His lectures are absolutely pointless and dont even match the curriculum.
I received an A in this class, I did the readings, I put in the work, but it's more than that. Dave Pretty does not foster a culture where learning feels comfortable. The amount of times he yelled at my class for the simplest things unacceptable. His grading was unclear & he didn't use blackboard. I would avoid taking his class at all costs.
Dr Pretty is always late for class hes always unprepared and leaves materials that he needs for the class he is the definition of chaos and ends up getting off topic on almost every lecture he rambles a lot until he finally realizes that he needs to get back on topic there's weekly reading from the book that you're quizzed on do not recommend
He is a very lazy and unhelpful professor who will take multiple days to respond to an urgent email and will be extremely difficult in doing so. If you want help or mercy for something, you better be ready to beg. He takes forever to grade, barely runs the class, and is extremely disrespectful to students.
I would not recommend anyone to take a class with Dr. Pretty. He does not grade assignments or provide feedback in a timely manner. He also does not allow the use of electronics in class and reads his lectures off a piece of paper. He can be very rude and condescending at times and expects you to be an expert in the course.
Does not grade on time and will take points off on the smallest details. Will check your essay late like the last day of exam week and then tell you its wrong and will not response to emails.
Not a lot of people like him, but I really enjoyed him as a professor. If you read and try, you'll do well in his class. He's very available for his office hours, and gives a perfect quiz grade for attending one. He makes a lot of jokes that sometimes help with material.
Avoid taking classes with Dr.Pretty. All throughout the semester we were not able to even know our grade and will grade harshly on weekly quizzes. Also he will take off points if you are late and it will be impossible to catch up if you miss a lecture. He is a technology free professor and will give warnings if you are on your phone.
This man is easily the worst professor/teacher I have ever had. Here are some of his rules: 3 unexcused missed classes and you fail. 2+ tardies and he takes letter grades. 2 bathroom breaks a semester or you're absent. He just makes up rules as we go and he sees what he doesn't like. He doesn't allow any technology ever. Everything is handwritten.
Dave Pretty is the plain worst educator I have ever had, he attempted to take points off my midterm because my romper was an inch above my knee and he even has a dress code for midterms which is weird because Winthrop has no dress code
Prof. Pretty's HIST111 class is a mixed bag. Lectures can be disorganized, but the content is manageable. Consistent attendance and textbook reading are key. For study prep, I found unstuck ai and ChatGPT really helpful alongside the free class materials.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
67%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.59 avg changeRatings by Course
HSTMANY
5.0
(1)HST560
5.0
(1)HIST101102
5.0
(1)HIST950
5.0
(1)MEXIEUROHIST
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HIST212
5.0
HST211
5.0
HIST548
5.0
HISTEURO
5.0
HIST547
5.0