Eric is a very personable, enjoyable teacher. He is an expert on the Italian Renaissance and Italy. He offers refreshing viewpoints and allows others to do so also. HIGHLY reccommend.

Refreshing views. Good lecturer

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This class was great. He promoted excellent class discussions and deeper thought. Though there was a lot of reading, it was just for the main idea. He is a fair grader and respectful of his students. He sought to help us figure out what world views fit with our religion. His lectures were fascinating. Highly recommended.

Great teacher, interesting lectures... Just keep good notes on the lectures because his tests (all essay) are on the lecture. Readings you can usually find cliff notes for and get an A. Easy, but go to class.

Took his Machiavelli class for Late Summer Honors. You've got to do a lot of reading, but the class itself is very enjoyable. Dursteler is very amiable and shows that he understands what it's like to sit in class for hours by giving time for breaks or having class outside on occasion. Overall, a great experience.

Very clear and interesting professor. Encourages discussion). Clear lectures and good use of multiple book sources. Tests and assignments are essays and rely on arbitrarily guessing the answers the TAs and teacher wants. Most importantly, though, he encourages students to think for themselves and overcome cognitive dissonance.

He has a fun teaching style. He doesn't bore you with dates and abstract facts. He is all about concepts and critical thinking. If you are willing to work hard and think openly you will love his class. It is not by any means easy though. He requires that you do tons of reading. You can read cliff notes but be careful since you need to give examples

He has a fun teaching style. He doesn't bore you with dates and abstract facts. He is all about concepts and critical thinking. If you are willing to work hard and think openly you will love his class. It is not by any means easy though. He requires that you do tons of reading. You can read cliff notes but be careful since you need to give examples

Dursteler is one of the best professors in the history department. He knows his material and keeps class interesting. I have never been bored. He honestly cares about his students. I highly recommend taking his class if you are prepared to work hard. If you do work hard, you will do extremely well.

Good looking and good professor. What more could you want?

You must be ready to work your tail off. The tests are hard, but it is a good class with lots of discussion. Lots of reading, but you don't have to know memorize dates. That is a big plus.

Outstanding Professor. He is able to effectively teach as well as keep students interested. He has a very laughable personality and wants his students to do well. Be prepared to work hard because the work is not easy, but he definetely makes it more bearable.

I had his Machiavelli class for Late Summer Honors and really enjoyed his teaching style. His laid back, discussion-based focus kept me comfortable and fascinated with our material. Make sure to do your reading, though; you won't be able to contribute if you don't.

Information-dense lectures, sometimes tough to keep up with. TONS of reading in many books. TA's did most of grading, frustrating b/c I couldn't satisfy them on certain points; professor reserved the right to grade down if you approached him about a grade, so I never felt comfortable doing that. Amusing professor, liked his approach to history.

Ths was a great class! Learned a ton. Prepare for alot of reading, but you will enjoyed all of the books. Be sure to attend class as notes are required for exam prep. Not a history major, but really liked this class. Tests are somewhat hard, but with proper study you will do fine.

Professor Dursteler had a different and refreshing view of history. There was a LOT of reading though, but if you can power through a few books and take good notes you will do fine in the class. Just make sure you go to every class or the test will eat you up. Only problem is that the TA's seemed rather stingy, I could never satisfy them.

The class was great. He was incredibly interesting to listen to and he has a great way of teaching history. He's very personable and pretty cute too! Lots of reading, but most was enjoyable and pertained to the class. Tests are challenging, but if you go to class and take notes, you'll be fine. I highly recommend this class.

This teacher is great at teaching history and has a great personality. His personality makes the class fun and you do learn a lot from him. He does assign books to read but they are interesting and you don't have to read a textbook. The tests are not hard if you spend time on them, read the material, and study. Overall a wonderful history teacher.

This class was awesome! I enjoyed lectures as they were very organized and thorough. He doesn't have a textbook but assigns interesting books for reading. Very easy assignments. Great professor!!!

Makes class very interesting. He wants people to think and not just come and take notes. There is a lot of reading but a lot of it is also fun. His tests are straightforward essay tests but it is sometimes hard to get an A on them at first. Overall class was one of the better history classes I have had.

Prof. Dursteler is the man!! He makes class really interesting and gets you to think. We don't use a textbook, you do have to read a lot, but its not too bad. Best history teacher here. Class is fun!

Great teacher and class, I don't like history but I liked his class a lot. You will read a lot (and I mean a lot) and put a lot of time into this class, but it's really good. Take lots of notes in lecture and study in groups over most important themes in history, similarities and differences between civilizations, etc. and you'll do well.

Very good teacher. Most interesting history class I have ever taken. First test may be a little surprising because they are a little different, but by test two and three, you should know exactly what is coming. Lots of reading, but pretty interesting readings.

He is a great professor. my writing has improved tremendously and I am soooo glad I got to take this class from him! He is one of my favorite professors at BYU!

READ THE BOOKS. As long as you do this and have a general knowledge of history the class is a breeze.

Professor Dursteler is fantastic! I'm not a fan of history at all, but I enjoyed the class. I took it because the class is a GE, but I don't regret taking the class. Professor Dursteler assigns some books to read and then requires a five-minute, in-class essay on them. He asks very thought-provoking questions during his lectures.

I learned a lot in this class and the books were an interesting read. If you like to skip class on a regular basis do not take this class! The two tests were based primarily off of lectures and were very subjective but were not too difficult if you attend class and take good notes.

Prof Dursteler is great! As long as you pay attention in class and do all the readings, you'll get an A. He hints at the essay questions on the test so that makes it easier. He's pretty funny sometimes and is a nice guy. He knows what he's talking about and likes to engage the class in discussion.

This class is a lot of writing. Not much is done to evaluate that you have learned all the material in class. Thus to do well you need to understand the big ideas for the exams and do a good research paper.

Dr. Durseler was legit. He made things interesting and his tests were cake. You have to do the readings to get a good grade, though. It was just skimming instead of actual reading, which helped. Liked the class and recommend it to anyone.

Dr. Dursteler is great! I learned so much in his history class. He is great at explaining difficult concepts and ideas. He has you do quite a bit of reading, but he just says to skim. He is a fair grader on essays and tests as well. All tests are free response, but the questions are very straightforward and fair.

Attendance is not mandatory but he does little "assignments" randomly for points so it helps to be there, plus his tests are almost entirely from his lectures. Quite a bit of reading, but you don't have to know specifics. Tests can seem daunting since they're all short answer, but if you were in class you'll do fine. I'd take the class again!

I took European History. His tests comes mainly from his lectures, which can be boring but are sometimes interesting. Most days he would sit in front of class and talk but the days he used powerpoints it was more engaging. An unreasonable amount of reading but he seemed okay with us skimming. A good grade is doable but you have to work for it.

He had a great attitude about the coursework, but was rather blunt at times towards students about grading and performance in the course. Had very interesting lectures with inspiring references. He will grade hard, but he will be fair most of the time.

This class made me love history! Professor Dursteler is awesome, he taught me a ton about history and his class was super interesting. You have to attend class!!! It's really doable if you just attend and do the assignments.

Disregard the other reviews! I don't know what people have against easy grading teachers, It helps me learn more. This class was very educationally enriching. I personally love history, and learned a lot from this class. Because of the nature of the class I was more able to focus on learning, and enjoying the material over stressing about grades.

He's vague on what he tests on, he says to learn general concepts. He also doesn't have a study guide for the test. But he gives 4 1 page papers and random points aka in-class quizzes (easy). It's not hard to get a decent grade and he doesn't ask THAT much of you. Start a google doc & get a study group! He's easy vs other civ teachers. GO TO CLASS!

Honestly, I'm not sure where all the negative reviews are coming from: I thoroughly enjoyed taking Dr. Dursteler's class. His lectures were extremely interesting & inspiring, & his breadth of knowledge of history is clear from all the cool trivia he includes. The tests are all short answer though, & you read books from different time periods.

While so many history professors focus on exact dates, he focuses on the ideas that caused the events to happen. Tests were super easy. Only required us to skim read the books. Very helpful outside of class. Super interesting lectures and only tested on what he says in class.

Not boring or monotone. Spoke fluent Italian which was very beautiful to hear. A bit of a tough grader though, but he was so inspirational that I ended up enjoying the material rather than worrying about a grade. I've had a class from him before, and I ended up switching my major to History because of him. No textbook, interesting assigned readings

He teaches history in a totally different way than I'd every experienced before. No date memorizing, not much name or place memorizing either. Instead, he taught and tested on overall concepts and themes. There's a lot of reading that I think really adds to the class, but if you just skim it you'll do okay (again, general themes and concepts).

Dr. Dursteler definitely knows what he's talking about and is super knowledgeable. His lectures can be a little dry, but as long as you take good notes and keep up on readings and assignments, the tests are a breeze.

Dr. Dursteler teaches history the right way. He doesn't try to fill your brain with dates and facts until your brain explodes but rather helps you understand the big picture, concepts, and ideas, and generally tests on those criteria. A few short books and 4 films with quizzes, 2 actually interesting essays, a midterm, and a final. Great GE class!

He is a funny professor and is very knowledgeable. There are 2-3 books read during the class, but try to find the audio on youtube if you want to do it quickly. It's very interesting and fun with no homework other than the midterm and exam. Take good notes and remember what he says during the lecture.

Usually, I hate history classes. But, I actually liked this class. The professor has a good vibe which made me feel less stressed over the class but made me want to put in the work. There are quite a few extra credit assignments that can be easily done if you watch the lectures you should be watching anyway. Also, the tests were open note.

Interesting class, pretty easy. 2021-22 was flipped class, went to class once a week to discuss prerecorded lectures, zoom option in class too. Can skim books but know them for tests. He has dry humor, is nice but slightly conceited. Weekly participat. quizzes for ex cred but will be docked if don't do them. On analyses must include quotes. Easy A

I 10/10 would recommend this class for fulfilling GE credit! I am not a history person and hate GE's because there is a lot of busy work, but I loved this class! Watching the pre-recorded lectures is extra credit and the class is very straight forward. It's an easy A but I I learned valuable information about different cultures and religions!

This class is history done the right way! Pre-recorded lectures are extra credit and tests are open note, so you never have to worry about memorizing little details. I normally dislike history classes because there's lots of busy work, but this class I was able to focus on appreciating other cultures rather than worrying about memorizing.

If you're trying to knock out a GE this is the way to go. Easiest class ever. just watch the lectures/read the books/take notes, and you are set. Dr dursteler is chill and focuses on general themes/impacts rather than specific details. I wish all GEs were done just a little more like this

Dursteler doesn't make this class too hard (he knows it's a GE). You do not have to go to class, but take really good notes during the pre-recorded lectures (it will makes tests so much easier) and this class will be a breeze. Tests are open-note and quizzes are open-book, so you just have to do the work and you will be fine.

Participation isn't required for a grade, but go. Take really good notes! They can be used on the online tests, but the tests are very specific. They are a combination of multiple choice, short answers, and select all. It isn't very hard, but the main focus should be going to class. The quizzes are easy, just get the books.

Pretty good professor. Class is not required but he doesn't post slides, so you should go. Lots of reading, but all quizzes and tests are open book/note. One big paper and one other small writing assignment. Overall, the class was decently interesting.

I liked his class. If you take notes well, you can use them on a test.

Lectures were fun and informative. Could use notes on tests, and no textbook required. A few times he seemed annoyed by questions students asked, but besides that was a good lecturer. Definitely recommend to fulfill your civ credit.

Eric Dursteler has very interesting classes. It's clear that he knows his stuff, and his lectures are engaging and interesting. He does tend to grade harshly, and he takes a long time to grade things. His tests were fair, however, and I would definitely take from him again! Food and history was a fascinating class, and we got to eat during it. Fun!

Exams are harder than you think so take really good notes because you can use them on the exams! There are not many grades in this class so do everything well. He randomly had extra credit in class so make sure you go to take notes and can do those activities. Slides are not posted so you can't skip. He is super chill and easy this is a good class.

I was not looking forward to my history general ed, but Professor Dursteler made it so applicable and engaging, even for a STEM major! There's not a ton of homework, but when there is, it's a hefty amount of reading. There's only one big paper at the end. The tests are all open note, so if you take good notes, you'll do fine. Loved this class!

Professor Dursteler was amazing! History 201 is the perfect class to complete the Civ 1 credit. He's such a nice and caring teacher, and if you go to class, take notes, and do the readings, you'll get an A. This isn't a hard class at all, but it is super interesting and Professor Dursteler's lectures are great. I highly recommend! Take this class!

Professor Dursteler is super reasonable and awesome! The midterm and final are open note, open book. Attendance is not mandatory, but the midterm and final are entirely based on the lectures, so go and take good notes and you'll be fine.

Super great Professor. The class was pretty easy if you kept on top of the readings. ATTEND LECTURE!! He does a ton of pop quizzes and most are extra credit so go for easy points!!! Super great lecture and an interesting class I definitely would recommend Dr. Dursteler.

Dr. Dursteler is one of the best professors I have had at BYU. His History 201 class was engaging and thought-provoking. He cares a lot more about you learning the material and cultivating a love for history than the difficulty of the class. Take it for an easy A, but enjoy learning along the way.

Amazing professor! All of the tests and quizzes are open book and open note so make sure that you take really good notes in class. Don't be spooked by the number of readings, he specifically states at the beginning of the semester to not read them cover to cover, but rather skim them. As a non-history major I recommend taking this class as a GE.

I really liked Dr. Dursteler! He was kind and easygoing, but his teaching style was not my favorite. His slides didn't have much content, so you had to take notes just based off what he was saying, so it was hard for me to pay attention. TAKE LOTS OF NOTES! Open-book quizzes, 2 open note exams, one big paper, and mandatory class events throughout.

Professor Dursteler's HIST201 class is a great option to fulfill your civilization credit. The lectures are engaging, and if you stay on top of the readings and take good notes, you'll do well. unstuckstudy is a helpful study tool alongside the open-note exams. Recommended for an easy A!

Be VERY careful about taking notes. His slides are just pics, so you have to take notes on what he says. The tests are open note/book, but the questions are often worded pretty weirdly. He gave easy extra credit, and I liked most of his class, but some of the material was SOO boring. Overall, he is a funny dude, and the TA's are very helpful.

I do not like history and I LOVED his class. He taught in a way that was easy to understand and kept me engaged. His test are open note and open book so it is important to show up to class. His slides are mostly pictures so you have to take notes on what he says. There wasn't too much reading and the readings that were assigned were intentional.

He was a fun professor and taught interesting things, but it was really hard to focus because he teaches from a few slides. You have to pay CLOSE attention the lectures because that is what the tests are on. It is open note, so as long as you go to every class you will be good. I skipped 1 class and there was a pop quiz, so it was kind of annoying.

Honestly one of the easiest classes I've taken at BYU! There is not much work outside of class, lectures are interesting, and tests are open note. Highly recommend taking this class to fulfill the civ credit.

This class wasn't too hard, but it seemed like it was harder than it needed to be. The reading is due in huge chunks with almost nothing in between, so it was hard when I failed to plan ahead. You need to attend every lecture and take good notes. Also be prepared to write an essay on modern climate change... in an ancient history class

Easy class for the GE but pop-attendance quizzes scared me all the time, they were easy, just showing that you went to class. Everything is open book and open note but you have to write down like everything he says. He doesn't take attendance just randomly checks who's there like 5 times in the semester but offers extra credit.