Prof B is a gem. I havent had another class, esp 1st yr, where the prof cared so much about improvement, esp writing. First class I ever got a clear sense of what I needed to do to get an A. Even told us how much A students write, so I knew what I had to do. Some students really didnt like that, but you could tell they did not want to do the work

This was a tough semester for me & I kick myself for not getting in touch with her sooner in off hrs, as she kept encouraging us. She so motivated me to engage, even gave personal advice on how to deal with stress (studying as meditation!) She seems a little intimidating in class. If you have real issues, though, shell have yr back. Learned a ton!

Detailed comments on midterm, telling you exactly what u needed to improve. Went from B- to A-! Best writing training Ive had in college, stuff Id never heardspend time on those guidelines! Also cool stuff about European history: toleration was not natural to Protestantism, was result of brutal 30 years war. Unlike Islam, where part of doctrine!

Not a major in polisci, thought it would be boring, yet learned so much. Lots of work, but very clear expectations. Super helpful prof-seems intimidating at first and will not coddle, some students not doing the work complained, but her rules were very fair. If you dont want to be challenged with new things, dont take! Writing advice was awesome

Wondered why prof had to comment on language in these reviews. Wow. I was in that session. Rant? Helped us read awesome feedback on midterm and do better in finaleye opening. & addressed the few obviously overstressed students, reassuring everyone about grade averages. Easily one of the most caring profs Ive had. Makes u do things different tho.

Oh my. Whos writing this stuff? Prof B said a student sent a 900 word anonymous complaint (!) after not doing well on midterm coz they could not write fast. What did she say? To go talk to her before when she can actually help! All this is recorded. Had already changed exam to take-home for us, what more did they want? V responsive prof.

Prof B was great. I've had many classes, but it's rare to find a prof as caring and who genuinely wants you to succeed as she does. Always accessible outside of class, and extremely understanding with any situation. She's tough, it's a university class, but I've always found her to be very fair, and the class to be very interesting.

One of my favorite professors, but isn't for everyone. She's extremely smart, insightful and passionate about politics; a wonderful resource to have. Also teaches you important writing skills. Has high expectations and assigns quite a bit of reading, so if you don't have a good work ethic or care much about politics, maybe choose another section.

I agree. Professor ran polls to get our opinion on class matters, showed us the pie charts, yet often took care of minority opinion. Gave us 8 ways to participate (even emails count)!!! Gave choice of essay on readings or a collaborative project. Made final take home. Major: best writing advice I got, she went thro my writing line by line!

She grew on me throughout the semester. She is so caring about what her students need. There are 8 ways to participate, a midterm, a final, and a collaborative project. There's a lot of readings, but they're relevant; you will need to do them for class! Best writing advice I've had- including UW- and I've grown a lot as a student. I adore her.

I felt like I learned so much in this class without having to do insane amounts of work. If you want more than an average grade, you HAVE to do the readings (at least some of them). Prof Boucoyannis was very sweet and took the class's feedback seriously to make the class better for everyone. Graded on: Participation, 1 paper, 1 quiz, midterm, final

I really loved her. She is clear about grading. If you stick to what she says, you will get an A. There is a good deal of reading but she is reasonable. She cares about her students and teaches this class so well. I highly highly recommend.

As everyone says, dont take class if not prepared to work. No fluff here, cant get by on what you already know. midterm predictable, pointers throughout semester, do the readings, youll do well. Be specific, give facts. Awesome info: on Islam, no such thing as scandinavian socialism, many gems, must pay attention. Editing guidelines the best!

She's great. But she makes you work. And you learn. She will also do whatever she can to help you--as long as she feels you have made an effort and you care. It's an intro class but I learned really cool stuff, I read world news with a different eye now (yeah, Sweden is not "socialist"! Who knew?). College should teach her editing guidelines.

All you need to do to get an A in this class is pay attention to the lectures, take notes, do the readings, and participate. There is a lot of content you need to know and Prof. Boucoyannis' expectations are definitely high, but the good news is that she tells you exactly what she wants to see. Personally, I loved her.

Went from B in midterm to A-. So did my friend. How? We worked the 5 hrs she said! Now I understand what is going on in Chile, why PR is better, that Scandinavia uses regressive taxation and the US a progressive (mind blown!) and that Islam is the only abrahamic religion that prescribes toleration of the other 2. Stressful, but totally worth it.

My most stressful class this semester. Turns out that if you pay attention, you do well. The assignments are just different than the usual freshman class, but if you read the instructions, talk to her, once you do them, you feel youve accomplished something different. Plus her editing guidelines taught me stuff I never heard before. Awesome!

I took this class 2 years ago and I still use use info from the course. I understand other countries governments, I know stuff about the world. And as others said, her editing guidelines have transformed my writing. Shes intense and demanding, you cant fluff your way through, but fair and really really nice if you have issues. Sharp humor too!

She's a highly engaging lecturer and encourages participation. She puts a heavy emphasis on challenging preconceived notions and ideas that you hold. She's a very fair person, highly recommend.

You can get almost full participation points just by doing the Top Hat questions, which is nice if you don't like speaking in class. Lectures are sometimes boring, but always very clear and understandable. You don't have to do the reading to get through class, but do it for the exams. Overall positive experience, especially for an intro class.

Boucoyannis is knowledgeable and honestly overqualified to be teaching this class. All of her policies are pretty clear, fair and organized. It's not that hard to get a B or above if you do the readings and take good notes. But her lecturing style is borderline abrasive

Her editing guidelines have changed the way I write. She was amazingly supportive when I went to office hours because I had fallen behind. Her lectures are packed, you get participation points just for speaking though. Interesting writing assignment on Covid, she changed exams to take home because people (like me!) were stressing out. Great prof

Prof B is the kind of professor that when you email her for an extension she will only say yes if you do more things to make your work better. She just wants you to do well. But you have to do the work. Her writing guidelines taught me more than any writing class. Also learned that Sweden uses regressive taxation and Islam is pluralist by doctrine!

Now that the semester is over, I can really say this was my favorite class at GW. I learned an incredible amount, can read the news & I understand what is going on around the world. Lectures built up step by step. Her feedback is so methodical, u know exactly what you need. Wish I got editing guidelines earlier, transformative. An amazing prof!

This was an intro class, but I feel I earned the grade. You understand how political systems work. You learn real stuff about the real world. She also gets you to reject labels & to analyze things to justify what you think is wrong w/ them. I see the problem everywhere now. Go to her office hours: most tolerant professor of diverse ideas I have had

Prof. Boucoyannis is one of the most qualified people that I've ever had the pleasure to be taught by. Her class leans heavily on participation, answering questions on TopHat, and asking questions. Even easy questions are enough to satisfy this requirement, although it does encourage you to come up with new questions to engage yourself and others.

She is tough & demanding but will help anyone facing difficulty if they show concern. My friend had not even submitted a midterm, she worked with them to get things back on track. I learned more from her Editorial Guidelines than any writing class. Managed to make an intro class interesting, gave clear sense of what to expect & a great perspective.

Great introductory class, variety of assignments, clear lectures, really helpful editorial guidelines. V responsive to student concerns. But you need to spend the time or you'll have hard time following. Lectures are fast, need to prepare. You learn a lot in the end. TopHat too buggy, not her fault, but a problem. Many other ways to participate tho

Professor Boucoyannis really knows her stuff and wants students to think critically. Assignment instructions were a bit unclear, but that might have been because she was dealing with health complications, so the class started out a bit unorganized. She is a professor who really cares about her students and wants them to succeed. I learned a lot!

Amazing slides (also beautiful): make everything fall in place. Very *very* demanding. Can't get by w/ what you know, need to show what you have learned. But you learn new things & you learn to approach writing in a creative new way. She spent 25 min helping me fix 2 paragraphs. In meantime, I understood the readings in a totally new way. Awesome!

I am about to finish this course and wanted to take a second to compliment Professor Boucoyannis. I cannot overstate the amount of care, understanding, and effort she puts in to work with you if you need it or if personal issues come up. Her care and willingness to help me catch up despite personal issues allowed me to thrive and enjoy the course.

She is no doubt a challenging professor and that is what makes her excellent. She goes above and beyond the requirements of what a 1001 professor needs to do. Furthermore, I found her to be a teacher with great respect for her students and humility. She is eager to hear her students' perspectives even after class.

Whoa. All untrue. Prof B is totally fair-no grades yet, midterm was fair, you get an A in participation simply by talking&can make up w/ many easy assignments. Also it's NOT "her writing style"--it's from Univ of Chicago, best writing advice I've ever received, wish I'd gotten it in my 1st yr. Learned more than I expected. Prepare to be challenged!

Not hard to see what's going on here. She is a demanding (but caring) prof, who gets us to do more than we're used to. Her "writing style?" Asking us to think carefully abt the first sentences of our paragraphs, giving great tips to ensure paragraph proves the point! Never had prof spend 1/2 hr with me going over every word. Transformed my essay

Also, I'm a junior, took this as requirement, expecting it to be just an intro course. Proved to be one of my most interesting classes. I learned things I use when talking about what's going on abroad. Has a unique perspective, coz of foreign background. Very funny, very helpful. If you're looking for an easy intro class, better choose another!

Professor Boucoyannis brings an expansive depth of knowledge to the table. Classes are interesting, readings are not too long but make sure to do them, and PowerPoints are helpful. Multiple sites used will seem burdensome but eventually will work in your favor. 10/10

This was a challenging, but rewarding, class! Take this course if you want your workload and critical thinking to be challenged! Get ready to read and write! I remember starting off not so great on the first test, but thanks to professor B (her feedback can be intimidating at first) I became a much better student and got an A on the final.

Professor Boucoyannis is clearly very knowledgeable about the subject matter in class. This translates to an incredibly interesting class period. The readings are enjoyable and prescient. Her assignments are very clear, though she has a dedication to her grading style. Not following her guidelines closely results in demarcation. Be sure to read!

An amazing class with a great non-American perspective on the world. The lectures were very interesting but the readings for hw were super long and it often wasn't worth it to read everything she assigned. I had to pay for tophat but she may change this in the future (also she provides some aid if needed).

Prof Boucoyannis is a great professor. The class is fairly difficult, but very rewarding. It is graded on participation, two tests, a midterm, a final, and a collaborative project. It was a lot at times, but I would definitely recommend. Prof Boucoyannis is caring, accessible, and does everything possible to help her students. Take her class!

Prof Boucoyannis is excellent, and the content is fascinating (more than my friends' comppol classes), but this class is pretty difficult for a 1000 level and by no means an easy A. If you're a first-year, I'd recommend this class only if you are not taking other demanding classes. If you're a second/third year, you should be fine.

Prof. B really knows what she's talking about and has LOTS of experience in the humanities field. However, despite it being a 1001 course, this class is not easy. Be prepared for lots of writing. Wasn't a fan of how the class content was structured. Seems all over the place. Also, prof's teachings had some personal biases that were obviously there.

Prof. B was amazing! All of her lectures were interesting and engaging, and I learned a LOT in this class! Yes, the workload is a bit demanding and she's a tough grader. HOWEVER, she gives you all you need to succeed and expectations are very clear, with everything well organized. You'll get out what you put into this class!

Prof is genuinely amazing! She understands work-life balance and is very knowledgeable about the material and passionate. She is so caring and wants all of her students to do well. A bit more writing for this class than I expected but she helps guide you through it. I would absolutely recommend taking her! One of the better profs out there! Iconic!

Her slides and lectures are extremely clear and concise so you'll never leave a lecture completely lost. As long as you participate in class and communicate with her whenever you're in need of help she always gives good advice and her late turn in policy is extraordinarily generous. Use it if your in a pinch!

i love prof. boucoyannis. i have learned more in this one class than i have in all my other ones combined. she is very straightforward and gives you all the info to succeed. she also is really responsive to emails and class feedback. class is not an easy a, but very fulfilling in the end

Professor Boucoyannis is very knowledgeable on the topic of comparative politics. However, the course is pretty demanding. If you do not feel confident in your writing skills, I would avoid this class. Professor Boucoyannis is accessible outside of class and always willing to answer questions.

Boucoyannis is an incredibly teacher and is so knowledgeable about the course topics. I definitely learned a lot in her class. However, she rushes through a MOUNTAIN of material in one semester, often having to give lectures over zoom because she commutes from Virginia. She also has incredibly particular/harsh) expectations of students' writing.

Her lectures are very engaging and are well-designed. Professor Boucoyannis does a good job challenging our preconceived notions about certain subjects. She encourages people to engage with the material. The primary difficulty comes from her writing guidelines, which must be followed to a tee, or you will lose points, so beware.

Boucoyannis is a relatively strong professor. Attendance is mandatory. Class uses Tophat software to answer questions, etc. Readings are relatively necessary. Lectures are pretty clear and useful. Graded on bi-weekly quizzes, a midterm, a final, and an independent or group essay.

Love this professor so so much, class was amazing, it isn't some walk in the park though. It's a lot of work and it can be hard, but it's very engaging and worthwhile in my opinion. Awesome class, awesome professor!!

She is an amazing teacher who gives great feedback. If you are doing PSC 1001, you should take this class as its pretty easy and engaging.

WONT slow down. Phenomenal professor... hard class but she clearly knows what she's teaching and her lectures are good. Raising your hand to smt in class is 100% awkward though. Its Hard. HUNDREDS of pages (not mandatory) but the tests are online/managable. Assignments are confusing and due dates are often not announced.

Absolute queen.

The class has a lot of dense readings that are hard to keep up with and has quizzes every couple weeks. She does not give very clear feedback and I would change my writing based on her feedback but still not improve. She seems cold but if you participate, email her, and go to office hours she warms up quick.

Prof. Boucoyannis is extremely knowledgeable and her lectures are amazing. MC Quizzes every other week. There is a strong emphasis on writing in this class, including on the midterm and final. There is another paper you need to do as well, which is short and can be collaborative. Demands strict adherence to her editorial guidelines for writing.

Great professor overall. Class is very engaging. You do have to pay for Tophat and a textbook. A lot of material is covered but all you need is in the lectures and make sure to do you readings because they are helpful for the midterm and IDs. Professor loves when you participate, always check notation, and do reading despite how boring some can be!

Professor Boucoyannis teaches this course with a wonderful depth and thoroughness. Although it can be heavy on reading at times, her lectures explain the material well, and a lot of the topics are very interesting to learn about. Would 100% recommend, best Intro to Comp Politics professor

Funny, knowledgeable, and engaging lecturer. Very down-to-earth and humble as well. Tough grader but you'll do well as long as you follow instructions; which, she also gives clear instructions.

A good amount of readings but not unreasonable, and they really help you understand the slides. She emphasizes that everything you need to know is in the class, which makes grading super clear. She wants you to succeed.