2.5
Quality4.1
Difficulty20%
Would Retake102
Reviews20%
Would Retake
102
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
102 total ratings5
16
4
11
3
19
2
25
1
31
What Students Say
“Definitely wouldn't recommend”
HIST103A - 1.0 rating“Inflexible and uncooperative”
HIST103 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
72%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.30 avg changeRatings by Course
HIST380
5.0
(1)HIST300
5.0
(1)HIST480C
5.0
(1)HIST253
4.0
(2)HIST280P
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
HISSECT
5.0
HIST380
5.0
HIST300
5.0
HIST480P
5.0
HIST103
4.7
Reviews (100)
No Comments
She's a visiting professor contracted with the university for a few years. Very strict and stern. She's not very helpful when you ask questions after class. The work is very demanding for a intermediate level course. She doesn't engage the class and at times sounds very condescending. I currently avoid her like the plague, even after getting a "B"
Don't take her!!!! The work is tooo much. She breezes through material, you basically have 2-3 classes to finish reading a class book, there were about 5 in total: Pocohontas, Sam Patch, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Southern Lady, Yankee Spy, in addition to to in class text books...please don't do it to yourself if you want to pass.
No Comments
DONT TAKE THIS CLASS. Her midterm and final consists of a list - 70 + identifications and about 10 essays in which she chooses 10 IDS and 2 essays. You have to memorize all that crap for her tests. She also assigns about 3 essays in which it comes down to how easy or hard you TA is. DONT TAKE THIS CLASS.
She has you read about 7 books total, and it's not that hard. They are all comprehensible and written at a middle school level. If you know anything about American Hisotry you should be able to get an A. The papers aren't so bad either. Diane is very approachable and made class fun, she wasn't too demanding, dressed well, and LOVED her personality!
if you want someone to teach you history, DONT take this class. she might be knowledgeable, but you have to read all the text yourself and depend on your own. A very strict prof, and you wont enjoy her classes..
She talks every minute of lecture and makes you write papers that are pointless in history like prostitution or the Life of John Winthrop. The books change every year so you have no help and when the TAs grade you work she just lowers all the grades. My grade went from a 93 to an 80 on the midterm.She definately takes this class very seriously
This professor must not realize she is teaching a 100 level course. She may have it confused with her 300 level. 6 books, quizzes almost every week, and papers. Chill out. Would not recommend this professor.
She is the founder of the anti-curve. She felt that the TAs were too generous on the midterm and therefore took points off of everyone's tests. The class is very difficult, you must read 3 books at once, and lectures are boring and useless.
From the premise alone, this is a very daunting class, covering American history from 1492 to Reconstruction. That being said, Sommerville is very clear and good at getting through all the material. Not an incredibly difficult class, but reading the text book and attending the lecture are both musts. (Much material is covered in each lecture.)
Sommerville is a bore. Not interesting in the least even though its the Civil War and only an hour long class. However the grade in the class does depend on the TA more so than on Sommerville herself. If you read you'll do fine.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! This professor is boring, and her exams and papers are completely useless and overly difficult. I had an 89 raw score for my grade, and it was dropped 12 points because she felt my TA was too easy? Give me a break - this professor is THE worst on campus by far!
I loved my 103a class so much that i took her 380c class. She's a great professor who's very knowledgeable and provides lecture outlines. Just go to lecture, do the reading, and attend discussion. You will have to work hard for her classes. It helps to have a good TA
Wow. Professor Sommerville takes this class WAY too seriously. Not only does she assign an obnoxious amount of reading per week, but her tests are completely impossible no matter how much time you spend studying. She picks the most obscure IDs on the tests and you barely have any time to write the essays, which are usually hard too.
Dr. Sommerville is one of the best professors at Binghamton. She really knows her stuff, spends a lot of time putting together her lectures, and makes everything easy to understand. She expects a lot, but you get a lot out of any class you take with her. She assigns a lot of reading, but you have to expect that in college.
Ok, admittedly her class is hard, you have to work and do the reading, and write a coherent essay. You have just enough time to do the exams she gives, etc etc. But she is a GREAT prof. one of the best I've had. I def recommend her.
Her tests/essays are difficult, and she is a hard grader, but if you do the readings and attend lecture regularly you should do fine. She gives you an outline to each lecture prior to attending the lecture and it is really helpful. She follows it amazingly! Great Professor!!
This is the worst history class ever. Professor Sommerville is an extremely feminist teacher who turns american history into womens history. there is an obsurd amount of reading and the books are opinionated and uncaptivating. The tests are difficult because grading is very subjective. Stay Away From This Course
She's a good lecturer and keeps to her own outlines, no deviation whatsoever but very clear. TAs give you most of the grade but she does have input. If you're a good writer/reader you'll do well in this class. Know your TA well because discussion section participation counts.
Does she think all we do is go home and read for her class? assigns tremendous amounts of articles, chapters, books. then expects us to write about them each week on top of it - with a paper included! attendance is mandatory. readings are out of control. she's a good professor, however.
Obviously the people who posted negative comments for her weren't aware that they were taking a 300level class. Yeah, this class was hard, but this class helped me to develop better study and reading habits, which I would use in grad school. Anyone who can't handle this class should just drop out because you're not gonna survive other classes too.
Great professor! Excellent lecturer and very organized. She gives out the paper questions at the beginning so you can get started. Her syllabus is very good and she sticks to it. She can be tough but its worth it for this class. And yes, its reading heavy but its a 300 level history class. Expect it.
The class itself is generally interesting, but lectures can be quite boring. Her style of providing the basic outlines on Blackboard is very helpful for note taking. I'd recommend this class for Gen. Ed. requirements if you're at all interested in History, but don't expect an eccentric professor. Very standard, looking forward to the class endin
Terrible teacher. Can't convey anything and makes lectures boring as hell. She doesn't know how to teach students, and she sure doesn't know how to peak anyone's interest. Midterms are ridiculously hard compared to my other history classes which I actually enjoy, and she just makes this class all the more terrible. My TA was the only thing I liked
Excellent! Lectures were clear and engaging and the discussion sections were fun. I highly recommend her for anyone needing a gen. ed. Made me consider becoming a history major.
Nice professor and the class was somewhat interesting, but she is an extremely tough grader. Make sure you do ALL of the readings, and take good notes in class. If you do EVERYTHING she asks then you should be okay. Also do not skip classes, she is VERY strict about attendance!
She is a great professor. Lectures fly by and are filled with interesting facts that incorporate the readings. I took 103 and 354 with her and both were great classes. She expects a lot from her students and can be pretty tough but if you go to lecture and read the documents and monographs you will do ok The workload was worth it I loved her class!
Okay, so before this class I had no interest in history, but this really caught my attention. Sommerville herself is very nice, and she teaches with enthusiasm and really does get your attention. Had her TAs teach their own lecture every now and then, and they were great. Additionally, John Riley was a great TA: very friendly and interesting.
Great professor. She is excellent in lecture and makes sure that the TAs are at the top of their game. There is alot of reading and writing. If you do the work and seek extra help there is no reason why you can't do well. Dr. Sommerville is highly recommended.
Extremely engaging lecturer and present interesting subject matter. There is a lot of reading but they are usually interesting, and paper assignments are relatively short. Incorporates great guest lecturers and the TA's are very helpful
Professor Sommerville is very passionate which caused me to have a lot of respect for her. It's definitely a fair class, I did pretty well putting in moderate effort and barely reading anything except to study for the final.
Attendance is not mandatory but definitely recommended. Her lectures are pretty clear, but she doesn't allow laptops or cellphones. Expect a lot of writing from homework and exams. Overall a fair class, you will get the grade you worked for.
DO not take this at any cost. Easily one of the worst professors at Binghamton, unreasonable and extremely pompous professor who thinks her writing is something special. She will intentionally go out of her way to demolish your writing and you'll easily get 7-8s on the writing assignments for NO reason at all.. Make sure you do the readings
I don't know how she managed it, but she made U.S. history even more boring than it usually is. Pretty easy class, but the readings are god awful.
Lectures are interesting sometimes and she has a deep knowledge. However she is very strict in many ways and this is not an easy class. There are tons of readings, boring homeworks and assignments. Discussions are hell.
This class is tough, but if you put in the work you'll definitely get a good grade. Overall it's difficult, but made bearable by Professor Sommerville. You can tell she really loves what she does and she has this sort of command over the room when she speaks. She's also super nice and pretty available if needed.
I love professor Sommerville! She is so passionate about the subject she is teaching and really knows what she is talking about. She gives readings every week, some in the textbook and some online. They aren't mandatory but I would recommend reading them and taking notes for the midterm/final. She is so inspirational and truly a great professor.
Sommerville is extremely passionate about the subject and was eager to tie in historical events to current day issues, which I really enjoyed. The class was composed of lots of reading and writing every week which became tiring as the semester went on, but ultimately it helped a lot when it came time to take exams. Not super easy, but not hard.
Will not take. It is an easy course with simple readings but she goes out of her way to make it hard for students to get a good grade. Inflexible and uncooperative.
Somerville is clearly very passionate about what she teaches. Your ta takes attendance in lecture and discussion, there are two papers. She tells you she is a subjective grader so if you show improvement throughout the class you could end up with an A (happened to me and I got a B on the 1st paper and midterm) go to her or your ta for help w/ paper
Definitely wouldn't recommend. The class itself is easy enough, but Somerville's cocky personality is kind of annoying-she was constantly trying to promote the articles she wrote, and quizzed us on it. Also, she assigns a lot of unnecessary, busy-work type homework which takes away time that could be spent actually studying for the course.
I really tried to like Dr. S, but I couldn't connect with her. I wouldn't recommend HIST103A to anyone who is taking it for a GenEd requirement. LOTS of homework, which are completely unnecessary. Discussions are awful -- if you don't "participate", you're doomed. She's a good lecturer, but the amount of work for this course was unnecessary.
Homework was due weekly (and was completely unnecessary because you aren't even tested on it) , pop quizzes all came from the textbook and were very specific, pretty hard to get a good grade, but I think a lot of that depends on your TA . Lectures were deadly but the more lectures you attend the more bonus points you get at the end of the semester
Loooove Dr. Sommerville, took her for a seminar this semester. She gave a chapter or so of reading a week which wasn't bad and then there were weekly writing responses, not hard if you know what the reading focuses on! gave greta feedback on paper assignments and her lectures were so interesting! very passionate and loves to teach, funny too!!
Honestly lectures as if she wanted to be a Sociology professor but never got accepted, teaches a Civil War class but consistently incorrectly taught the dates of the battles and focused entirely on the North and writes tests with atypical 'gotcha' questions. Paper assignments will be vague, confusing and difficult. Don't take if not required.
She assigns an inane amount of reading which is only occasionally useful for the tests. I did all the readings for the first half, and I got a B on the midterm because it was mostly lecture based. The Major Problems textbook she assigned was only useful for quizzes, if that. Her lectures were the majority of what I actually needed to study.
Civil War class that hardly talks about the war at all. Professor is too self absorbed to care. Some quiz/test questions specifically designed to lower your grade such as "Who was the author of insert article here? when you read 10 different multiple page articles that week. 2 essays that are vaguely explained and inconsistently graded.
I've taken Sommerville before, and she was much better that time. The grading criteria for the essays were strict, and her tests were surprisingly hard. She expected a lot of reading to be done for them, and lots of elaboration, which was frustrating with so little time. Her lectures were okay. Only a couple weeks were spent on the war itself.
Sommerville is a good lecturer. However, 2 papers required in the class are harshly graded, along with the midterm and final. The class and material is very interesting, but the workload in regards to reading and test prep is overwhelming. I didn't have to take the course, but i regret doing so because I could've received a higher grade elsewhere
The class I took was Sex In American History and she is a passionate teacher when she teaches history. Her lectures are great and informative. However, the downside is she assigns like at least 3 articles and textbook reading within the week and by the end of the week you had a quiz. There are three papers throughout the semester.
Gives out an absurd amount of readings with quizzes on them every week. During my time in her class she stopped lecture multiple times to call out people looking at their phones. Don't take her classes unless you have too, much more trouble than they're worth
Professor Sommerville is very strict - not even laptops allowed in class - but she is brilliant and knows what she's talking about. Make sure to study for her tests well, they are very writing-intensive and require attention to detail.
Professor Sommerville is very knowledgeable in her field, and theres a ton you can learn from her. She can be very strict (no laptops allowed), and assigns A LOT of work, but it is worth it for the learning experience. Work hard, and youll benefit from her class.
way too much work for a 100 class. some material is interesting but most of the time, her lectures are extremely boring and she assigns way too much work for one week. not worth it at all!!
This class is my most stressful class. It is very lenient since they give a week for homework and textbook readings, but at the same time the workload is not considerate of the students. Also, the professor is not really involved in the students performance and it is all handled by the TAs. These TAs are very strict and not generous graders!
Don't take for a GenEd!!! Lectures aren't that bad. The catch is that the homework amount is way too much for the course material. There are two assignments each week and she grades hard. Essays have to be specific to her liking and the TAs grade hard. Also, rejuvenation days mean nothing to her. But discussions are alright.
all her lectures she would post would go for much longer than an hour. 2-3 hw every week- all writing assignments & need to mention every source to get full credit. you get 6 freebies from homework during the semester but I got seriously sick in the middle & end of the semester & wasnt allowed any extensions even tho im w students w disabilities
Save yourself the work load. The professor herself is not terrible in her lectures, but they are long! Along with those long lectures, you are expected to watch and read other articles, along with the textbook- all for homework and discussion. Two papers along with a three-part final!! DONT TAKE THIS CLASS
Dropped this class because I was literally on the verge of failing. Im in 300 level classes and have all As but my grade in this was a D?? Something isnt adding up
This was one of the hardest, most stressful classes I've taken. The amount of work we get in this class is the amount of work I usually have in all of my classes put together. Definitely would not take again.
I don't know why there are 26 small essays and three papers in the 100-level class. This class is for those who are history majors and only take one class/semester.
Don't take this class. It's not worth it, there is so much unnecessary work for a 103 class. I go to every lecture and discussion and do all of the readings she assigns and I am still doing horrible. Not very helpful outside of class and the TAs are just as bad and condescending.
As a 100 level gen ed, this course requires far too much work. 2 4-5 page papers, exams that have no multiple choice, quizzes every week containing super specific questions, and mandatory discussion section attendance make this class a living nightmare. Also, if you don't read the textbook, good luck trying to follow along in the lecture.
Prof. Sommerville is passionate abt history, however, her class is WAY harder than it has to be as an intro-level hist. course. She assigns at least 5 readings and textbook pages that easily add up to 100 pages a week. Keep in mind that you also have to study your class notes for weekly (super hard) quizzes. I studied and still did poorly on them.
I think there's something wrong. This is a GEN ED class and she makes it the hardest class ever. I don't think she realizes it's a 100 level course. The grading is insanely harsh, class is mandatory, and you will be reading for hours a day each week. The TAs are no better. If you're thinking of taking this class, I beg you not to. It's hell.
I never had no much work for one class, ESPECIALLY a gen ed class. There's a million supplemental materials to read each week. There's a quiz every week and the questions are so specific I go to every lecture and read everything and have been getting 6/10 on all. Participation makes up 25% of discussion grade and it's graded harshly. DO NOT TAKE.
Take HIST103A with Prof Riley instead. You need to read 50+ pgs of docs + the textbook outside of class each week or suffer on quizzes. She DOESN'T ensure fair grading across the TAs. Her lectures are unhelpful since her slides contain almost no information. She posts NO exam guides. Speaking in discussion is actually 25% of your overall grade!?!?
Do NOT take this class with Sommerville. She quizzes students every single Friday on 60+ pages of reading that she assigns every week along with that week's lecture content. She makes this class extremely challenging for a gen-ed class. When Sommerville isn't around, the TAs will even admit to students how challenging she makes it.
This class is the worst thing I've ever experienced. I have never taken a class this hard with a professor this awful. Some of the TAs are just as bad. There's so much reading and homework and your participation in discussion is 25% of your grade. If you don't like history, good luck passing! She put me through hell. I think I need therapy now
For a 100-level history class, Sommerville gives out way too much work. Expect 4-10 readings per week, not including the textbook chapter and possible podcasts that you have to listen to. Every Friday there is a quiz about the readings, podcasts and the lecture material for the week. It is impossible to pass without doing a crazy amount of work.
Took this class and even though this professor can be friendly, she is not the friendliest grader. First thing she told us in class was not to eat, drink or leave lecture hall because it "distracts her". Her T.A's are pretty bad they act like they are professors already. You can't retake missed test, I've read a 60 page article for a test. ABORT!
Class isn't mandatory but things said in lecture are on tests (She found a loophole). You have to read articles for class weekly and some aren't just 5 pages (20+) T.A's act like they are the professor yet always seem lost with what Summerville wants. Missed a test because I had a stomach bug and wasn't allowed to retake it.
I have never been so thankful a class is over. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. LITERALLY TAKE ANY OTHER CLASS THAT FULFILLS THIS CREDIT. Too many readings for small quizzes, but it is necessary to read them in order to do well. TA was unhelpful, vague, and condescending. Made an error in grading & took weeks update my grade. Not worth the time or energy.
have mixed feelings on sommerville and this class. don't take it if you're looking for gen-ed credit, there are quizzes in discussion every week and easily 60-80 pages of reading each week. sommerville is a good prof, but her decisions regarding coursework for a 100-level class are questionable. only take if you're interested in the course content.
The lectures in this class were sometimes interesting, but it's not worth it for the amount of work. She wanted us to read at least 50 pages of the textbook each week and 60+ pages of documents, which were needed to do well on quizzes. TA's graded papers and tests very harshly. Definitely too much work for a 100 level class.
Way too much work for a gen ed. She gave so many readings and a quiz every single week. If you took APUSH in high school, it isn't too bad because you will already know a lot of the material. But I would recommend looking for an easier gen ed before taking this class if you can.
Professor Sommerville would spend all of the lectures rambling on and on about the topic. She would include information which you don't need to know. Rely on the textbook for content and make sure to SKIM ALL the pdfs she assigns. She will randomly select pieces of text to respond to every Friday. They are always short responses. Never 3/3 partici
Prof. Sommerville is pretty passionate when it comes to the course. However, theres a lot of reading that goes into the course. Every quiz was based on lecture and readings. But if you really put the time to understand the outside readings you'll do fine. Theres quizzes, papers, midterm & final
Prepare to read your eyes out. For the entire semester, she probably assigned close to 5,000 pages of reading, with five required books in total, and other readings/articles due twice a week (sometimes up to 150 pages from Tuesday to Thursday). Attendance was mandatory, and she's not an easy grader, so be prepared to do lots outside of class.
I came into this class nervous and not knowing what to expect due to this being my first semester here and I can honestly say that this is probably the only class that I enjoyed this semester. I actually learned a lot from Sommerville and you can tell that she is passionate about what she teaches. Just be sure to stay on top of the readings!
In one respect, she's overly strict (no phones, can't leave class, etc.), gives A LOT of work, weekly quizzes, and just generally has an inaccessible class. But, she's so knowledgeable in an already interesting class. In all, stay clear if you want an easy A or want more sympathy from a professor, but it's super fascinating.
Relies on the TA's almost entirely and is incredibly rude to them. Attendance mandatory only for discussion section. Gives a quiz every week in discussion that's based on a ton of readings, but the midterm and final have way more lecture material. Won't let you use the bathroom during lecture?? The actual content of the class was phenomenal though.
do not take a class with. i was actually going to take HIST 362 (not 356) but the 24-page syllabus made me drop it. what's more, apparently you can't go to the bathroom during lecture or you will not be let back in. you also can't use electronics whatsoever, which is great since some of us learn best that way + are paying for the class. sheesh
It's not even halfway through the course yet, but I must say, her civil war lecture is perhaps the most enjoyable, engaging lecture I've ever been in. Yes, it's annoying that you can't use technology or the bathroom, but this leads to a more attentive experience. HW is fair, essay actually enjoyable to write. Only take if CW history is fun for you
A lot of readings and come to class if not then you get taken points off for attendance
Sometimes the readings were too dense and time-consuming, which was annoying. However, if you find the material interesting, it's pretty easy. The content isn't hard, there's just a lot of it. No computers are annoying, but I learned more because of it. My only viable complaint is that there's too much content to go over week to week and for tests.
There is so much reading. 103A is intended as an introduction to history class, yet some weeks, you will be assigned up to nearly 100 pages of reading, split between textbooks and websites. Reading is mandatory, though, because a random reading may be selected as a writing topic for your quiz. Just a very harsh course for an intro-level gen ed.
Straight up mean old hag. All her tests are based on historical ID's of events because she doesn't know how to write test questions after 200 years of teaching. unnecessarily condescending to students that take her level 100 class, has most likely turned 100s of Binghamton students away from history with her poor lectures and poor knowledge.
Way to much work for an 100 level course.
So much reading, very hard quizzes, graded harshly, extremely challenging research project. Class is essentially self-taught from the hundreds of pages of reading she assigns a week.
Her lectures are useless and she's so passive aggressive. You could take perfect notes during lecture and study them and you WILL bomb the quiz. The only thing that could prepare you for her quiz questions is the hundreds of pages of reading per week. The research project is so impossible, not academically awful, just genuinely so dreadful to do.
very harsh grading, lots of work
Assigns a ton of outside reading between textbooks and miscellaneous documents so the course is way more time consuming than you should expect. Doesn't allow any devices during lectures so typed notes are not an option. Will take it upon herself to interrupt lecture and personally call out a student if they are using a device or talking.
Demands an ungodly amount of time outside lecture. Doesn't seem to recognize most students are earning this grade on top of 3 other 4 credit courses. You'll likely end up forgoing most assigned readings in order to stay afloat, coming from a STEM student who took this course for attributes.
if youre looking to take this class for attributes PLEASE STAY AWAY. a level 100 course should not be so time consuming and draining outside of class it seems sommerville tends to undermine the amount of other classes students are taking and the work they. Quiz and essays every week is completely draining and ruined my liking of history courses.
**Continuation of review** FOR A 100 LEVEL COURSE. AND THEN THE FINAL IS LITERALLY ON THE LAST DAY AT THE LAST TIMING. 8-10PM on the last day of finals. Who does that???
Unreasonable expectations for a gen Ed history course. Strict no technology policy and does not update grades throughout the semester leaving you blind to how you are doing in the class. Easier classes exist to satisfy gen ed requirements. Would not take again or recommend.
Sommerville is strict during lectures, but she is clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about history, the lectures are interesting and informative. There is an unreasonable amount of reading assigned, but you only have to read the chapters assigned if there's an upcoming in class paper or quiz. Tests are easy, but hard to get above a 90 on.
There is a ton of reading and the course is extremely time consuming. Somerville also requires attendance and daily participation. However, you will learn a lot.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
72%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.30 avg changeRatings by Course
HIST380
5.0
(1)HIST300
5.0
(1)HIST480C
5.0
(1)HIST253
4.0
(2)HIST280P
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
HISSECT
5.0
HIST380
5.0
HIST300
5.0
HIST480P
5.0
HIST103
4.7