2.1
Quality4.0
Difficulty24%
Would Retake217
Reviews24%
Would Retake
217
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
23
4
19
3
29
2
35
1
111
What Students Say
“Exam averages were in the 50s-60s but there was only a 5 point curve to the final grade”
GOV310L - 1.0 rating“When discussing this with Professor McDaniels he responded with a "Too bad, so sad" attitude”
GOV310L - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
66%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.03 avg changeRatings by Course
GOV370
4.5
(2)GOV371F
3.0
(2)GOV310L
2.1
(199)GOV370L
2.0
(3)310L
1.5
(11)Difficulty by Course
GOV370L
4.7
GOV371F
4.5
310L
4.4
GOV310L
4.0
GOV370
3.5
Reviews (217)
He was a really good professor. You definitely need to study for the tests but they're easy. I think there was extra credit too. The classes were kind of boring probably cause it was information-heavy.
So boring. Listening to his lectures is like watching paint dry. I would never take another class that he taught and I wouldn't let my friends either. He is rude when students ask questions and doesn't give anyone room for mistakes.
Nice that it was online, so I could refer back to lectures once they've been uploaded. He & Prof. Albertson are very nice and funny and are really trying, but it doesn't always work. The class chat was useful as well. Interviews seemed completely pointless. Quiz every Monday, at the beginning of class. (MW classes). Occasional comedic breaks nice
His lectures were fairly boring and lasted a long time. McDaniel would sometimes prioritize information, but generally just read off the slides.
There was a lot of confusion on due dates in this class. The course website stated assignments were due on a specific day (say July 6) but failed to clarify that was at 12:00 AM. So the REAL due date was July 5. When discussing this with Professor McDaniels he responded with a "Too bad, so sad" attitude. So 10% of my grade in the toilet.
Absolutely terrible! The worst professor I've had in at UT. Reads off slides in online lectures and frequently says things like, "You have heard of this in your AP class." As an international student, If I had taken the AP exam, I wouldn't be taking this course. Difficult and specific questions on MCQ tests and VERY curt on the online Q/A page .
Exam averages were in the 50s-60s but there was only a 5 point curve to the final grade. Listening to lectures was a waste of time as the exams didn't cover overall meaning but instead on obscure facts in the slides and readings such as names, quotes, dates and other numbers. Are we here to learn government or practice game show trivia?
Without a doubt the most unprofessional professor I have ever had. If you're ok with bad humor, borderline inappropriate comments, and having to hear "allright?" every 15 seconds then this is the class for you.
I understand the complaints that other students have about McDaniel, but I don't think he was that bad. I thought he was hilarious and told students how it is. When you have a class of 800, there is bound to be a lot of students who don't pay attention and annoy the teachers. He's not an easy grader, but him and professor Shaw were an awesome team!
his online class with professor shaw was fine, pretty funny comments in lectures, but the one annoying part about it was the students asking all these ridiculous questions each week that could easily be found on the syllabus
Bad professor, wish I had checked his rating before I decided to take him. I have no clue how he has tenure... because it'd be a pleasure to fire him. But hey, Donald Trump is our president so I guess anything is possible. Opinion based questions on some of the tests. Also on a side note he says "ya know what I'm sayin" every other sentence.
If you work hard, engage in the class, and meet with him in office hours you will really learn something about the topic he is teaching. He seems gruff at first but he really isn't. Don't act like a spoiled, entitled baby and work hard and you will be fine. His class is tough but these topics aren't easy and should be hard to tackle.
He's a super funny guy, but the class can be really overwhelming at times. There's a lot of material covered very rapidly. Stay on top of the work and it's completely do-able.
Solid lecturer who I thought was pretty funny and engaging. I recommend him for the online course at least. Lots of online textbook reading but open note tests.
Would not recommend this class even if you're a government major. Way way way too much work for such basic concepts.
Professor McDaniel is an entertaining lecturer. His tests contain some specific and obscure questions from lectures or textbook readings, but overall this class is not extremely difficult if you put in some effort. Professor McDaniel could get off track during lecture sometimes.
This professor degrades his students at some points during the semester. One student was yelled at for yawning (keep in mind this was a 9 am class). His tests are pretty difficult, although they are multiple choice. I managed to pull off a B- without reading the textbook very much. His personality is really what scares students away, not the course
Professor McDaniel is funny and knowledgeable. I think some take his jokes to heart when he jokes about people who aren't paying attention or falling asleep, but honestly it's not that big of a deal. His lectures can seemingly go on forever, but you can always ask questions or for clarification if necessary. His tests are hard, but I was a bit lazy
This class is pretty easy. McDaniel basically set up the class so that as long as you do the homework, and get at least a 50 on each test; you will pass. The tests are really hard, and require you to know specific details that he doesn't really cover during lectures. Make sure to follow the syllabus and read for a good grade.
It's clear that he knows what he's talking about, but his tests were super hard and specific. There was a lot of material to cover and it was just hard to know what to study. He was pretty funny in lectures, though, especially when someone fell asleep in class. Even though I wouldn't choose to take him again, his class was a decent experience.
Eric McDaniel suuuuucks. He talks way too fast, he covers material that is just not useful at in learning about government, he is extremely sarcastic during reviews and not helpful, and he simply does not seem to care about the students. His co-teacher Mr. Shaw should teach the class by himself. He is so much better.
By far the worst teacher I've ever had at UT, his score should be a 0. DONT TAKE HIS CLASS. He is so rude and sarcastic to students, asks questions that can't be found anywhere in lectures or readings, and is overall just so mean. I am really mad at myself for taking this class.
Took McDaniel's online Gov class and absolutely hated it. McDaniel lectured with Prof. Shaw for this class and although his lecture were better and more indepth, the amount of information for every test was overwhelming. During lecture and reviews, McDaniel was extremely rude and sarcastic to students, while quickly flying through the information.
Mcdaniel seems angry to be there!! Shaw teaches the class quite well but as soon as Mcdaniel starts teaching, you need to write down everything & he is sarcastic &annoying. Although he does try to explain things well and repeats them, but again, doesn't seem passionate to be there. Shaw is the one replying all mails etc. Quite hard for intro
The idea of McDaniel being this offensive, sarcastic guy is way overblown. His lectures sometimes seem a little pointless when talking about government compared to Shaw, but he at least is a little funny. The exam format is difficult though, and they grade especially tough on the essay portion of it, which is nonsense. Oh well.
He does not fully understand what he is teaching. He never goes into depth about his content, and repeats information way too much. He goes through information extremely quickly and half of it is not even useful. Although the tests are open note, they do not give you enough time to finish it, and they grade way too hard for the time given.
McDaniel is NOT a good professor. His lecture slides are nothing but an outline. He talks too fast, and is highly repetitive. He does not go into depth about anything he teachings and barely brushes the surface. Watching his lectures make me mad because it is a waste of my time.
He would inadvertently call us stupid when he was talking about how students would come to him or email him confused. He also claimed at one point that we don't listen to him because he is black and then continued to lowkey slander light skinned poc. (only a couple of examples) Just a bad attitude. Not what you want in a 900 person online class.
Prof McDaniel was a decent professor but he was overshadowed by his co-professor, Shaw. His notes consisted of just headings and that was hard when you wanted to study without watching his entire lecture. This class wasn't easy but if you make good notes and do all the ICAs, you should be fine.
I love government but this class was difficult. If you are stuck taking this class, go to office hours (TA'S). Your Ta's will tell you how to take notes and manage time for your exams. I wish I had gone earlier in the year. Both professors lecture differently. McDaniel talks about the material and doesn't have notes to fall back on.
He is hilarious, easy to watch his lectures, and good analogies.
I had Professor McDaniel for an upper-division government elective, politics of healthcare, in spring 2019. It was a lot of work, and he won't coddle you, but his class was very informative and I'm a better student for having taken it. He has high expectations for his students, but if you're motivated, he genuinely cares about your success.
Online class so you get what you get. The lectures are long and really boring but if you pay attention and study well for the tests you'll be fine.
Doesn't give any kind of help in office hours because he just repeats exactly what he says in lectures. If you don't understand something, you won't learn it at all. He expects you to know everything because it's an online class but there is honestly so much material it's hard to remember every single little detail. If you can avoid this, avoid it.
This class was one of the worst classes I've taken at UT so far. They give around 20 videos of lectures every week plus like 50 multiple choice questions from the book, and then to top it all off a short essay. All this is due every Friday by 5pm. There is no study guides for this class and the tests are in person. I really don't recommend
I encourage any self-motivated and organized individual to take this class. It is really nice to be able to complete the weekly lectures and work at your own pace, as the videos are on-demand and can be re-watched . Pay attention to the lectures and take good notes. A vast majority of the test is lecture based. Just don't fall behind on the work!
Take McDaniel's in-class class, not the online version. I hear a lot of crap about the online version, but I took the class 310L and it wasn't bad. You just have to go to lectures cause the test questions are based on hw and lectures too. He's pretty funny sometimes too.
Attendance isnt mandatory but you miss a lot of info when you do miss. Tests arent too bad you just have to make sure you take good notes and read the textbook. Theres no final! You have outside activities to do which are pretty much easy As. Your overall grade will pretty much depend on how well you study for the 4 exams.
I took online gov with him and Shaw. Not a fan of this class at all. McDaniel's lectures are extremely confusing because he cannot effectively communicate information. He stutters a lot, slurs words, and just doesn't give much insight on anything at all. His lectures also do not have power point slides while he's talking so it's hard to follow him.
Not bad, cool dude. Apparently a lot of people found this class challenging but I had no issue with it. I guess it's because I am a STEM major...
The Politics of Healthcare was the worst class I've ever taken at UT. Dr. McDaniel was arrogant, rude, and self-centered. He was incredibly stringent on grading and overall not a pleasant professor.
Prof. McD is very wordy has a tendency to take a single sentence or thought and repeat it in different ways for an entire lecture. If you don't understand what he says the first try, it only gets harder from there. It can be very hard to follow his lectures and really is saved by Prof. Shaw's explanations and the textbook. Avoid this professor!
I got a low grade because I never watched any of the lectures. I gave up halfway through it because the course was so annoying and just kept the D so I wouldn't have to retake the course. There are easier teachers for this course. Please do yourself a favor and don't take him.
Professor McDaniel is very funny and responds to emails/concerns in a timely manner. You will have to keep up with material to do well in the class but he keeps his lectures to the point and interesting.
Professor McDaniel is the least helpful one between him and professor shaw. His lectures are dry, he just repeats himself over and over again. Also, when asked questions on Piazza he is very stubborn in answering questions, as simple yes or no questions turn into multiple sentences about where you can find the info. Avoid him at all cost.
Dont take this class. It is so awful. The number of lectures you have to watch is ridiculous, then the tests have the audacity to be extremely difficult. Your final grade is based on a point system, so every point you miss on any assignment brings your final grade down. Worst class I have taken at UT without a doubt.
Professor McDaniel is the lesser professor between him and professor shaw. He is very rude when asking any sort of question, he gives these attitude responses and is very unwilling when it comes to helping us get a good grade in the class. Graded by only 3 tests, 2 essays and webtexts. Dont take his class.
Don't take his class unless you are actually interested in government. So much work
Professor McDaniel is awful. His lectures are very dry and he repeats himself over and over again. He is also very rude in office hours and in review sessions when asking questions. I do not recommend this class. Take it with another professor.
I am highly dissatisfied that I paid money to be taught by professor McDaniel. Reminds me of those teachers in high school who are coaches that don't actually know what they are teaching. Very verbally negative, rude, and clueless. Seems very unacquainted with the material, stutters and repeats himself non-stop. UT should consider firing.
Do yourself a favor, and do not take Professor McDaniel for any classes. He is awful and very rude. His lectures are very dry and unhelpful; additionally, his lecture slides are just what the topic is - no information at all. He is carried by professor shaw. When asked questions, he gives these very rude responses. Don't take McDaniel.
Literally the worst professor I have ever had in my four years of college. He is just so unwilling to help his students and he is very rude when asked questions. Please do yourself a favor and listen to myself and the other comments, dont take McDaniels class, he is horrible.
Extremely Rude Professor. Don't take GOV 310L with him and shaw, the course is a complete mess.
Prof. McDaniel would ALWAYS passive aggressively tell students to rewatch lectures when asked a conceptual question. (What is the point of asking questions, then?) Did not like the class' structure, never once spoke to the Prof's and it felt very impersonal. No extra credit. VERY slow grading. Exams similar to lecture slides. Lots of reading.
This class poorly accommodated its students during the covid pandemic. McDaniel was very unwilling to answer students questions, didn't offer any extra credit and overall just sucked. In lecture, McDaniel seems like he has no idea what he is talking about. Don't take shaw and Mcdaniel for gov 310L, it is awful.
Professor McDaniel is a great guy. He tries to make lectures interesting, and cares for the success of the students. The class, however, is a very difficult class and requires very thorough and specific notes, as well as hours of studying.
Absolutely terrible, dont take one of his classes. Very rude and smug professor.
McDaniel is occasionally funny. Most times, he's rambling through dry, dragging, stutter-filled, repetitive lectures. Hosts "review sessions" in which he rudley shames students for asking questions about his useless lectures like a passive aggressive teen. Prof Shaw carried this class. Can't believe I actually had to pay to hear McDaniel lecture.
All he does is talk in circles in his portion of the lectures. What is a 40 min video could be 15 minutes if he didn't keep repeating the same points 47 times.
Professor McDaniels is hilarious at times .However, for majority of my time in this class, which was about my whole day, I wanted to break down. Videos are ridiculously long. Tests aren't so bad. However, this class does waste A LOT OF TIME!
Prof. McDaniels lectures are WAY too long because of how he talks and keeps repeating himself. He also can be rude to students, especially with everything going on in the pandemic right now. I wouldnt take him again, he is so hard to reach out to and hard to understand in lectures.
Professor McDaniel's lectures are interesting, but are so hard to take notes on because he doesn't have good power points to go with his lectures. I constantly had to rewind and rewatch his lectures to take good notes. It was also pretty annoying that Shaw's and his lectures were outlined in two completely different ways.
IYKYK. I had him for a Low-D and I made an A but he was a bit of a jackass. I think he calms down a bit when interacting with Up-D students cause it's been a different experience this time around. Not sure why this class doesn't carry a writing flag because *every* assignment is written. Work hard, it'll pay off. Slack off, it'll easily show.
I took the self-paced version and I liked the format of it. There's a good amount of reading and homework. The lectures were super easy to follow! He did have an attitude during review sessions. When students would ask questions, he would often respond in a rude tone like they were stupid to ask. It was strange. But the class itself is good.
A lot of the reviews on here are overdramatic. The class has about 2 hours of lecture per week, plus one chapter of reading). McDaniel's lectures are a bit harder to follow than Shaw's because he doesn't put much detail on the slides and repeats himself a lot but he's pretty funny sometimes and way nicer than people on here say.
Mcdaniel seems to genuinely dislike teaching and all of his students. He openly ridiculed and made fun of a student for asking what he saw as a "stupid question". His lectures were typically him resaying a simple concept multiple times, using useless sports analogies. If it weren't for Professor Shaw, I would have absolutely hated this class.
Super super rude Professor. I have never met someone as condescending as Professor McDaniel. I honestly do not know why he offers review sessions, if all he does is just belittle his students. Also, his lectures suck. If it werent for Shaw, this class would be so painful to take. Avoid McDaniel.
This is a lecture heavy class. Lots of content is covered between him and Shaw. However, if you suck it up and do the work you'll pass with flying colors. Be aware, 4-5 hours of lecture a week. Don't fall behind because this is an asynchronous class.
Took class in Fall 2020. Lectures were helpful yet sometimes a bit too extensive. If you want to get a full understanding, the lecture recordings are the best bet. Good at reviewing for exams. Very responsive to student questions and emails. The grading criteria are fair. Exams are too challenging based on the level of difficulty of the course.
I took this class online, and the course material was extremely heavy. The grading expectations for the exams were unclear, and the tests were so rushed. McDaniel added some funny comments to his lectures, but they were still very long.
McDaniel was probably the worst prof I had so far at UT. His lectures are too long and he never seems to show slides that has the info (it's always just an outline of what he's going to read out loud). Sometimes he talks too fast that I don't know what to write down. you really don't get time to study for exams. maybe that's why exams are open note
Prof. McDaniel is great! His classes are really interesting and allowed me to learn and grow. The essays for this class are kinda brutal, but he provides really good feedback that facilitates your ability to do better in the next. Highly recommend!
Professor McDaniel is a great government professor. He explains things thoroughly and makes government easy to understand. The class itself is not hard, JUST BE SURE TO READ THE TEXTBOOK.
I loved this class. Professor McDaniel is extremely understanding. Don't be afraid to go to office hours, as it can lead to great discussions and feedback. Professor McDaniel is very passionate, which leads to great class discussions.
Professor McDaniel is a wonderful teacher. He is really passionate & knoweldgeable about government and has a wonderful sense of humor. There are weekly videos but only 3 essays & a few activities overall. He cares deeply for his students' success and is willing to help you achieve an A if you're willing to work for it. I would recommend his class!
Lectures were extremely boring, dry, repetitive, and painful to sit through. What could've been said in 15-20 minutes was dragged out into several 40+ minute lectures because Professor McDaniel repeats himself without saying anything of substance. Please do yourself a favor and don't take this class! Worst class I've taken at UT.
Grade was based on just a handful of essays which were graded unreasonably harshly. The prompts and expectations were extremely vague. The class averages were between 65-75 for the essays. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS it will ruin your GPA- please listen to the warnings on here!! We are trying to help you.
Yes, all the reviews on here are accurate, he is THAT bad. Our take home essays have consistently had failing averages, and you will get a poor grade even for discussing the question. In class he constantly speaks about how much he does not want to be there. Also while lecturing he tends to go on long rambles. Please, DO NOT take his course.
Ive genuinely put time to write a good paper in his class but this guy is so backwards in how he operates. The 3 Essays that are 60% of the grade do not come with a rubric and the instructions given beforehand are mediocre and the reason people do so bad on them. He's also very rude and unforgiving and does not want to hear complains. Fire this guy
Your grade in this class is dependant on 3 essays, so far the averages have been in the 60s and 70s. Graded ridiculously harshly by the TA. Talks to us like we're stupid. Worst professor I've had by far, Half of the class time is him scolding us. It would be funny if the class wasn't ruining my GPA.
This class was unnecessarily hard for an intro level gov class. Teacher constantly yelling at us during class and dismissing students' questions. Your grade is based on 3 essays, which were the hardest essays I've ever had to write in any college class. If you're just getting your credit out of the way PLEASE take a different teacher.
He is very knowledgable about government and if you're a gov major you might enjoy this class. However, if you are not interested in government you can find an easier section to take.
I took this class after ignoring the bad comments on here."it can't be that bad"well.. IT IS THAT BAD. He does not care about his students. said " i don't give a sh*t if you wanna go to dental/ medical or school". student asked a question: , he goes " don't do it and find out". Please please save yourself from taking this course.
The most rudest professor and the harshest grader. I regret not listening to these reviews and not taking this class. Worst class and worst professor. DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS unless you wanna have a C.
Terrible. Just terrible. do not take it unless you wanna feel like shit and feel stupid everyday. I know all the material ad can even teach it but still fail the essay exams. DO NOT TAKE. that's all I have to say
Terrible class with terrible professor and TAs. Avoid.
The course is lecture heavy, with three essays as the basis of your grade. Do not even go to McDaniel's office hours or seek extra help as he will most likely criticize you for not looking over the material or class syllabus. Use the TA as a resource. Very understanding and patient, she gave specific insights on what to include on essays.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Such a waste of time, and he's a HORRIBLE professor. I learned that you can test out of this class with the American Gov + Texas Gov CLEP exam ---do this instead. You only need to get a 50 to pass the class and get 3 credits.
I should've listened to the reviews before I took this class - it really is that bad. Save yourself and take this course with someone else.
Don't take this class with this professor
I took GOV310L with professor McDaniel and professor Shaw. They are clear about what they expect. The homework is not hard if you read the chapters. Quizzes are assigned every week (5 questions each), but they aren't hard if you're paying attention. Exams are not cumulative and are open notes, but I highly suggest you study regardless.
Don't do it. Take someone else. I took him with Daron Shaw, don't take him either. Save yourself the suffering.
There is so much information jampacked into this course and they expect you to remember it all. I went through THREE 70 page journals of notes for this class. I'm sure there is an easier way to take notes but there is just so much info and they quiz you on the most random stuff. Exams were the hardest. Its passable, you just have to try hard enough
GOV 310L is by itself not a difficult course. The material is fairly straightforward. My singular problem is with McDaniel, who for some reason only focuses on abstract concepts and theories from random political scientists. He also speaks VERY unclearly and I found it VERY difficult to take notes during his half of the lectures because of this.
Incredibly Difficult grader and lectures were extremely long. If you're taking this as just a basic to get out of the way because you're in a different major, take a different professor!
I took GOV310L for my government requirement. This is NOT a basic government class, more of governmental theory class. Definitely difficult, barely scraped by with an A. Despite long lectures that are hard to follow (majority of lectures are only verbal), the class is manageable. I recommend rewatching any parts you don't understand before exams.
Super easy class. Webtexts were a breeze. Didn't pay attention in lectures, and still got good grades on the pop quizzes (online). Didn't study AT ALL, just downloaded the PowerPoint slides, and copied and pasted the webtext into a PDF file and used Ctrl + F during tests.
I took this class in Spring 2021, and it wasn't that bad although I took it just for flag requirement. There are lots of notes to take, and professor Shaw and professor McDaniel collaborated each other pretty well. His lecture contains more theoretical stuffs than professor Shaw's. I personally enjoyed In the News Quizzes talking.
McDaniel just read off the slides for all of lecture and was super redundant. The class was easy, but his portion of the lecture was harder to understand. He tells you the information that you need to know for the exam, it just won't be super interesting. You also have to read a lot (for a grade), but if you space it out, it's not bad.
The course in itself is fine if you know how to work independently and write good notes. However, Professor McDaniel was not very clear in the way he taught. Most of the information he said went right over my head and it made no sense whatsoever. Moreover, the things he says are not on the slides.
Terrible quality of instruction. Slides often did not contain enough information or contained way too much information. The content was extremely dense and intense for a core course. If you can wait another semester for a better professor, don't even hesitate in doing so. This class is extremely hard for someone who hasn't studied government before
The lectures were dense and quite theory-based. Webtexts and quizzes weren't difficult and it's easy to get 100s on them. The tests, however, require a SERIOUS amount of time management to complete in the allotted time, so be aware of that. Overall you can get an A, you're just gonna have to put some effort into it.
Speaks a little quick which doesn't allow you to take notes live but lectures are recorded. Funny but the course itself is quite difficult: take notes on everything including readings to do well (you can use notes in the exams)
McDaniel can be intense and a little unapproachable. The tests are not horrible as long as you pay attention in lecture and read the book. TAs grade pretty hard on the tests. Tests are half multiple choice and half written response.
He talks kind of fast but the lectures are very conceptual and he repeats himself sometimes. You can always rewatch the lectures too. Overall the class is pretty straightforward but the exams require you to really be able to think and type fast. Time management is essential to doing well in this class.
He's super funny and entertaining. He'll crack a lot of jokes during lecture. However he's quite a fast talker and his slides aren't exactly what he says, so you'll really have to take good notes. The class however offers a lot of easy ways to get a good grade. I didn't pay much attention and I still did well.
He is an amazing professor and has a great sense of humor. I feel like people can sometimes have a hard time separating the material from the professor, which is why his ratings are not the best. both professors taught it in a good way. they had really good slides and lectures, its honestly just a lot of info being taught which makes the class hard
clearly highlighted the parts in lecture that we needed for our written assignments. difficult grading but that was the TAs and Im sure help was provided in office hours.
If you're taking GOV310L with him and Shaw, respectfully choose someone else. God awful class. All the negative reviews exist for a reason. The University should look into these two.
If Eric McDaniel has 1,000 enemies, I am one of them. If he has zero enemies, I have passed. Do not take his class. Just do not and I got an A+
Takes weeks to get online multiple-choice exam grades back, unclear instructions for every assignment, limited ways to directly interact with professor during lecture.
This class is fine, although the workload is A LOT so you really have to be on top of things. Prof. Mcdaniel can speak fast in lecture sometimes so it's hard to keep up with him at times. He is very funny though. The tests are fine as long as you take detailed notes. TAs give good feedback but tests can take up to weeks to get back.
Shows random videos during class, always off topic, very unclear grading, TAs are unhelpful, expect to teach yourself everything, lectures are very dry but you have to pay attention because there's no material on the slides. grades take forever to get back. not too much work just really confusing and hard to stay motivated.
If you want a discussion about government, its citizens, and its relationship with world politics, find something less dependent on the memorization of specific actors and events. Very detail heavy class, often skipping broad themes in favor of trees of memorization. Somewhat avoids how international events are used as a political tool.
his lectures were so unhelpful. is teaching style was bad, I gained nothing from the lectures, so many instapolls, and the tests had nothing to do with anything we actually learned, he says you don't "need" the textbook but if you don't get it you're basically screwed.
Eric Mcdaniel is probably one of the worst professors i've ever had. His lectures consist of him literally babbling, and this babbling is on topic, but it's like he is babbling about government concepts but doesn't know how to articulate it right so that students understand it. Also, he is stingy with extra credit points & the lectures are very dry
Most of this class was just a weekly grind without absorbing or caring about any information being taught.
Prof is a great guy. Love his lectures and he really is funny. The class doesn't require too much work, just here and there short essays and 3 exams. Everything is open note, so you really just have to listen in class and read the Webtexts. Overall not a hard class.
Dr. McDaniel's lecture are probably one of, if not the most boring thing I have ever experienced in my entire life. There are always random videos like school house rock, why am I paying for tuition at UT to watch School House freaking Rock. He seems like a nice guy but his TA's are not the best and their feedback is crap. Easy A though.
Do not listen to the bad reviews! Professor McDaniel is honestly the one of the chilliest professors I have ever had. Only five 400 word essays, three exams (MCQ, open note, easy if you have common sense), and a couple easy career-related exercises (like just uploading a resume).If you don't leave this class with at least an A-, that's on you lol.
Avoid this class/prof if you can. It is based on only a handful of heavily weighted assignments, that are harshly and subjectively graded by TAs. The lectures are confusing and all over the place - he overexplains some things and then briefly mentions others. The readings are long and only needed for about 5% of the exam questions.
The only thing good about this class is his personality. He speaks very fast and with poor diction, so you sometimes lose track of what he's saying. Essays weren't graded by the rubric. Exams are easy and open note. A on his class is totally achievable, but it's definitely harder than it should be. If you can take another professor, do it.
He is really funny. The tests are easy and are unproctored. You have to write 5 essays but they are easy because you can use the same topic every time.
This class was frustrating, he is unresponsive and takes forever to grade. The lectures are boring. The tests are fine, they are open note and not proctored but lecture content heavy. He also never provides clear instructions for writing assignments and that will be reflected in your grade, but he won't answer you to figure out what went wrong.
mcdaniel was funny and you can tell her knows a lot abt gov. but lectures are so long and fast paced that it can be hard to stay focused. grades were mostly based on essays and tests, which are graded by ta's. i think the hardest part is actually paying attention in all of the lectures, and getting in contact w him or the ta's.
While I do think Prof. McDaniel is funny and doesn't want to see students fail, I had a really hard time putting up with this class. His lectures (which are live streams) are hard to follow and talks in circles about topics that don't end up on the tests. Would not take this class again, but I think some of the other reviews are a little dramatic.
Dr. McDaniel's GOV 310L: American Government - Teaching style is heavy on lectures, yet each session is packed with valuable insights that truly enriches your understanding of American Government. Yes, the multiple essays demand dedication, but they serve as incredible opportunities to delve into critical thinking and apply what you've learned.
Dr. McDaniel is a hilarious guy and actually a pretty good lecturer. I know some people have complained that the tests aren't exactly from his lecture all the time, but I would disagree and say that as long as you take good notes, you'll likely ace the exam. Even if you don't, there's plenty of opportunities to make up points through assignments.
TAKE THIS PROFESSOR! To be successful be prepared to fail the first content application - most people do! Then you get an A for the last 4. He provides TONS of Extra Credit opportunities - DO THEM ALL. Attendance is mandatory-ish - once you meet Instapoll requirement you don't have to go anymore if you don't want to.
McDaniel is a chill, funny professor, but his humor is not for everyone. Grade is based mostly on tests (open note) and essays (which you get little to no feedback on) that are graded harshly. Do the extra credit because, no matter how good you're doing, it's very generous and you'll end up needing it. Don't neglect textbook readings (they help).
In my time of using RMP I have almost always generally agreed with the rating of the prof i currently rating. In this case I have NO IDEA why Prof McDaniel is rated so poorly. Even tho I am not a Pol major, I found his lectures quite fun and interesting. He is an awesome professor and the assignments/exams felt pretty straight forward.
This class is a lot of work, but it's entirely manageable. He gives so much extra credit and exams are open notes (if taking online), so if you put in the work then it should be pretty straightforward to get a good grade. He's definitely passionate about the material and will give you a good understanding.
Prof is funny and lectures were easy to follow and as interesting as this subject can be to a non gov major. Class was well organized with many EC opportunities to make up for my TA being a harsh essay grader. Lots of reading and memorization necessary to do well. I actually liked the class being online and had no trouble with lack of engagement.
McDaniel is a great professor! He's funny, engaging, and explains the material well. However, the class itself was difficult. Government was never my strong suit, so taking this class online was not wise on my part. The papers weren't bad, but the exams were torture for me. The only reason I got a B was because of all the extra credit he offers.
McDaniel was a wonderful gov teacher and I hate government classes. Online class. Assignments were easy and straightforward. For tests, skimming/reading online textbook definitely comes in handy. Tests are not proctored and 80% of it is on Quizlet or comes from your lecture slides. Cares about his students and is willing to regrade if you ask him.
His lectures are SO boring. The textbook as essentially USELESS and the lecture slides had one picture and one word on it so it had no information at all. YOU HAD to actively pay attention every lecture because the exams were word for word based on what he said. Also he always sides with his TA's regardless of how harshly they grade.
One of the worst classes I've taken at UT. Graders are unspecific on why they docked points (they take large amount of points for one singular reason) and treats the class more like a weed out class when it should be a core class that everybody has to take. My ECE classes are easier to understand in comparison. Only positive thing is extra credit.
McDaniel spent the entire semester telling us to "calm down" every time we got a bad grade when his grading policy was extremely hard. He will not curve your grade, and he grades with points. There is one extra credit opportunity so that helps a bit. If you want an A, you will basically have to get 100% on everything.
I once asked through email if I could meet him outside of his office hours and I was met with a degrading email asking "why I was so special that I get to meet him outside of the office hours posted on the syllabus" as well as telling me that I should explain myself why I would ignore the syllabus. All I asked was a question! Really rude!
The course is hard to focus because he does not add any effort to keep students engaged and expects extremely deep knowledge of the content beyond the lectures in his content applications. He sides heavily with his TAs and they are very strict when it comes to grading. The only redeemable quality of the class is the amount of extra credit.
This class is required by ut for my graduation. I am an ECE student and this class was more demanding than my ECE courses. I am not the best at writing and the writing assignments were so hard and unclear. He sides w TAs a lot and they are harsh on grading. I am planning on Q dropping this class as a result. DO NOT TAKE HIM.
This class is extremely difficult for no reason since everyone has to take it to graduate. I am an ECE major and not the best writer but this class was more difficult than my engineering courses. For what??? More than half the class receives poor grades and he does nothing to change that. I think I probably will drop this course.
McDaniel is a decent professor but those Content Applications are horrendous assignments and my TA, Bridget Wu Isenberg, is even worse. She is unhelpful, condescending, and is a significantly harder grader than the other TAs in the course. Professor McDaniel repeatedly suggests that he understands our struggles but offers very little to support us
Grades are all based on a few exams and short writing assignments called content applications. The exams aren't too bad and are pretty easy to study for if you take notes, but those content applications are brutal. For an entry level core curriculum class, McDaniel instructs the TAs to grade them like doctoral theses, and has confusing criteria.
Funny guy but his class sucked. I'm an Aerospace Engineering major and this class took more time and stress out of my week than my engineering classes. The content applications are an extremely rigid (and vaguely defined) format where you lose 25% each time you deviate from it slightly. Tests are very lecture heavy and lectures are very boring.
I'm an engineer and this is by far the most stressful class I have, his classes besides being boring and repetitive don't help at all when reviewing for homework, he keeps on talking and talking about how it's our fault and if you try to complain to him about it, o brother, he'll just say "read the syllabus" as if everything we needed was in there
McDaniel is so sassy and destroys any that asks him questions. He claims to give us lots of opportunities to ask him questions or get extra credit but gets defensive as soon we actually asks a question. The TA's are also really hard graders, but the rubrics for our content applications are extremely broad. Do not recommend McDaniel.
Seems he told his TAs to grade the entry-level papers like a graduate thesis but with added confusing guidelines. The TAs will justify grades using the grade distribution around 50%. I had a 4.0 until I took this class and got a C. When asking for help on the writing get ready to hear "This is the hardest part of the class" (McDaniel, 2024).
I don't even think Professor McDaniel's teaching assistants understand the guidelines for his Content Applications and are just instructed to subtract half of your grade if it does not directly match the instructions. Apparently last semester, the class was too easy, bc look at any of his reviews before and after January 15th. Why did he switch up?
Class is way too hard for very simple material. Unnecessary amount of work, and the content application guidelines are very messy. Useless TA help, and condescending TA's as well as Professor McDaniel.
Awful teacher, he doesn't care about students in the most minimum and is incredibly sensitive to critisism, he is only a keyboard warrior that as soon as he gets critizized for his methods blames the other part without really looking into what is being complained about him
don't ever take this teacher, he is probably the worst there can be for an INTRODUCTORY class
Professor McDaniel is unaccommodating & makes a simple intro gov class horrific. Unclear expectations for assignments, unprofessional TA's and no feedback is given to improve your assignments. STAY AWAY
the most annoying theacher I've had to date, realistically speaking this class made me switch to A&M
Mc Daniel is without a doubt the epitome of everything wrong with college. Their teaching methods are as disorganized as their grading criteria, leaving students in a constant state of confusion, it's abundantly clear that he has no concept of what constitutes fair assessment, as their grading seems to be based more on their mood than anything else
To anyone who gives this professor a good rating, you're either a glizzer for professor McDaniel or you're just not well mentally, his classes are some of the most lackluster things ever seen at the university, if you need to take government, don't take McDaniel, take literally anybody else, hes a bad professor
This is honestly the worst teacher I've had, he was so bad, like realistically speaking as an engineering major htis class was worse than thermo just because his grading criteria was so bad, honestly speaking don't trust the good ratings, he isn't a good teacher and if somebody tells you otherwise, he probably bribed them to do so
His classes were unclear, he has a very bad sense of humor and if you don't agree with your grades then tough luck, as he will only listen to his TA's and disregard everything you say to him, I seriously believe that he gives himself good ratings because no one likes him and he knows it
Honestly speaking I have to agree with what the people here say, even though I personally don't like to slander teachers, this one is just not justifiable, he is a bad teacher all together, I won't give him a 1 but I can't lie to myself and say he's a good professor, just take McDonald he is the upgraded version of McDaniel
Honestly, I had a great experience with this professor. My lower grade was just because I personally did poor work on my own (I will admit my laziness). Overall, the lectures are very clear and straightforward. A lot of extra credit opportunities are available if your nervous about the final grade. Clear about deadlines and expectations. 10/10!
Don't take this guy, he's probably the worst Gov teacher there is at UT, anyone who disagrees is probably him using one of his many accounts to lie about himself, he used to do that in twitter and talk trash about students in there so just don't give him the chance to bring you down, take anyone else
I won't even bother writing here, just look him up on reddit and you'll see just how awful people think of him
Best Professor I've ever had!! He is genuine and really clear on what needs to be done to do well. Exams are straightforward from lectures, take good notes and they are super easy. Content Applications are slightly harder but not bad. Anyone who has left a bad review must not have paid attention, he is a great lecturer. 10/10
I won't say my name, but I went to his office hours and saw him both claim his account and start giving himself good ratings, I guess he is insecure about the fact that students don't like him and gives himself good ratings to compensate for it.
He is actually the worst professor I have ever take in my entire college career. The content applications were incredibly difficult, and it literally took about almost a month for them to be graded. DO NOT TAKE HIM, I MEAN THAT WITH ALL SERIOUSNESS.
So even though the class itself was hard, he does offer a lot of extra credit making it easy to manage. Also my TA Gustavo was amazing and helpful with giving feedbacks on the Content Applications.
Don't take this course he was hard to reach, and also the TAs would take weeks to reply to emails. I completed my Homework and assignments but don't understand the grading. I tried hard and even reached out to TAs and followed their advice grading was unfair.
Whatever you do, DO NOT TAKE GOV310L W/ MCDANIEL. He is a good professor, but why is a class I am taking - because I HAVE to - the HARDEST CLASS IN MY SCHEDULE? There are various papers and getting an A on them is so difficult. The TAs grade harshly. I recommend taking this course async or online with easier professors. NOT WORTH IT.
This teacher is the worst I've had to encounter as of yet, he jokes around and assumes that if his students are struggling is their fault and not because he doesn't explain properly what the grading criteria is, and may god have mercy if you have a problem cause he'll just say look at the syllabus as if it had all the answers
Bridget Wu Isenberg strikes again, maybe the Gov department will take notice and hire better TAs, particularly for introductory courses. I don't understand how someone can go to both the TA and the professor's office hours, get advice from them (both gave contradictory advice btw) and then still not fulfill expectations. Terrible guy, worse TAs.
I cited content from the textbook and was told that it wasn't connected to class content, getting docked eight points out of twenty, so that's pretty fun. Otherwise, your average government class. It was not particularly amazing, but I do know a lot more about the United States government now. It does exactly what it is supposed to do.
I am not one to hate usually, but this was the worst class I have taken, the lectures were extremely long and dense. What really adds to this class experience is that if you question something McDaniel is extremely quick to assume you are spiteful, but his TA's are the worst people I have met. Not all of them, but some are not helpful at all.
He is an alright professor, nothing special, but his grading system for an entry-level core class is insane. He tends to be somewhat rude. If you can take a different professor, do it. Also, for assignments, there are never clear instructions on what you should do, so you ask him, and he will tell you to look at the syllabus, a never-ending cycle.
Some people are lucky to have helpful TAs who aren't condescending, but most of us are not. Content Applications make up such a significant part of the grade but they are so hard to do well on. Dr. McDaniel is also combative and rude, the whole teaching team could use an overhaul tbh. I have to emphasize, these TA's are some of the worst people
Don't trust the rating, McDaniel is asking his TAs to rate him higher, in the last days his rating went from a 2.1 to a 3, he is an extremely sensitive teacher who gets offended on the most minimum thing, he sides with the TAs without hearing out the student's complains and is incredibly condescending, also Bridget Wu is the worst TA I've had
McDaniel spent all the semester saying "calm down" whenever we got our grades back, the mf knew he would tank our GPAs and he was acting as if it was our fault, there is a special place in hell for these type of people
Extremely assignment-heavy for a 3-hour credit course. Most of the lecture was comprised of quotes in archaic English from historical figures, making it unnecessarily hard to digest - especially given the size of what we were expected to learn. Professor McDenial was also generally unpleasant and excitable, unprofessional towards kids half his age.
Quote from a classmate: "I have finally found a UT faculty member that I dislike more than Jay Hartzell". This is by far the most unnecessarily hard class I have taken, including upper-division courses. The content itself is not difficult, but the lectures are unengaging and the essays due on the same day as exams are graded horribly.
McDaniel is potentially one of the worst professors at UT. This course was very disorganized, and I couldn't tell you what I learned from it. His TAs are very tough graders. I once cited McDaniel's lecture word for word in an assignment, and his TA said he didn't know what I was saying. If you HAVE to take this course, don't take it with McDaniel.
Overall, I had an awful experience in this course. This whole semester, we were only given three extra credit opportunities. When the first content application grade averaged about a 9/20, we were told he doesn't curve. If I had known the class would be like this, I would've taken it with a different professor, and I advise others to do the same.
By far the worst professor I've ever had. His lectures were unclear, his grading policy was unnecessarily harsh, and he was repeatedly dismissive of student concerns. His Introduction to American Government class is harder than any upper division course I've taken at UT. Difficulty would be acceptable if I learned something, but I did not.
I really don't mess with this professor or his TAs. He teaches us about the unnecessarily tedious beauracratic process and does the same so that students don't ever challenge their grades. TA's are terrible too, insufferable people, it's a shame that UT has someone like him teaching intro classes. But UT's not doing great either so....
It doesn't matter if you like online courses, whatever you tell yourself this is NOT worth it. Please take the surplus of awful reviews seriously, all he knows how to do is be condescending, read off a slideshow, and complain about people not reading the syllabus, even if their question is founded and genuine. Evil, evil class, truly.
This guy has a lot of critics, but he covers his ears and pretends that if you don't like him its because you have something personal against him, well I can assure you McDaniel, you've got a lot of opps here at UT, don't ever come to McCombs
I liked the previous comment, you've got opps in COLA as well, if you show up imma go goblin mode
I'm in engineering and honestly speaking even if this class wasn't as bad as some people paint it to be, I can't stand that victimizing attitude that professor McDaniel has, nobody cares about you enough to have it against you, why are you so self centered to believe that we have time to dedicate to you besides your boring class, you're a nobody.
If McDaniel has a million haters, then I am one of them. If McDaniel has ten haters, then I am one of them. If McDaniel has only one hater then that is me. If McDaniel has no haters, then that means I am no longer on earth. If the world is against McDaniel, then I am the world.
I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct We hate the Jokes you make, 'cause they confuse themself with real jokes And notice, I said "we," it's not just me, I'm what the culture feelin'
This man is a menace to society. He finds joy in crushing souls. You may be able to scrape by, but at what cost. Haven't smiled in months due to this man and his class. The world around me goes dark when I log onto his class. When I finished the last exam, the sun emerged from the clouds for the first time in months. Life was worth living again.
exams are pretty straight forward. he has five content applications and the ta's grade so hard for no reason. theyll literally fail you just because of one or two reasons. its ridiculous. makes an entry level class so hard for no reason. take someone else.
If there is another option other than this class, take it! This class might seem straightforward, but the TAs will determine your grade. The lectures are McDaniel going around circles, essentially explaining the bare minimum. What is most strenuous is that despite everything else being doable, the content applications will lower your grade.
I don't understand how this professor gets the same criticisms every single year, continuously saying that he doesn't want to make anyone fail, yet changes nothing. This really shows the laziness on his part to change the grading criteria that would not only take a burden off the students but also him and the TAs.
McDaniel is a great prof IMO however some TA's could be harsh on grading, my TA was fair tho. He genuinely wants students to actually LEARN about government and prepare you for the real world. Is this the easiest class at UT? No. But his class is straightforward and educational. He's funny and chill, don't get the negativity that he's recieving :/
McDaniel you've got supporters, don't listen to them, whoever likes you is in the minority, and because you're in government I'll break it down for you, they're the outliers, and when looking at something you exlude said outliers, you're a disgrace to UT and to the GOV department, not one of the people I've talked to about you like you.
To the people who say he gives extra credit, don't even bother replying, he gives at max 20 points of extra credit, which once you consider that the average content application is docked 11 points on average means that you're still getting a bad grade regardless of the supposed "extra credit" don't be delusional and don't give people a wrong idea
If it wasn't for his class I would've forgotten that teachers are awful people, McDaniel is probably the worst thing I've come to experience during college, I don't mean to be rude, but his classes consited of him reading a powerpoint and playing videos, nothing of what he said had any substance, should be a highschool teacher not a college one
Don't take his class, he is a sad man who just wants to make everyone around him miserable, and in a simmilar manner, the TAs he has are some of the most insecure and egocentrical people I've met, they don't help they hate without purpose and don't give any helpful advice, I'm talking to you Bridget
McDaniel honestly what else can be said about him that hasn't been said before, he's a depressed guy and honestly I'm sure he knows no one likes him which is why in an attempt to become the center of attention and give his life some meaning he gets his students to hate him, don't let the good reviews fool you, he's giving himself good ratings
This guy once joked that the students that complained can always switch to A&M well, why don't you switch to A&M then, oh wait you're still hoping that you'll get noticed and get Tenure, you won't you're not qualified to get tenure at UT which is why your career has been stuck for years at this point, and it's the reason you teach an intro course
He made me want to jump off something tall and land on something sharp. I have a theory that he harvests the tears of his students so that he can drink them and have eternal life. That being said, I have never seen a better looking human-pig hybrid, his catch phrase being "read the syllabus"
McDaniel whoever likes you is probably you just you using a different account (I know things about you) and experiencing your "class" certainly explain why this is the case, you are bad in ways that honestly should be worrysome for the future of UT. Instead of focusing on the protests, Hartzwell should instead focus on getting better GOV professors
I didn't have that bad of an experience in this class tbh, he can sometimes be rude or sound condescending but it didn't bother me much. Each class has about 3 graded IP so you can't skip. 5 major writing assignments, hard at first but you get the hang of it. 3 exams which are very easy and a few career prep stuff. Pretty average, nothing special.
Professor McDaniel is funny but has insanely high expectations for students' understanding of content, especially since most people in this class are not government majors. If you fail the content applications (like the majority) you would have to complete the extra credit assignments and score high on the tests to get an A.
In my opinion, he's an okay professor it's just the coursework that is awful. I did amazing in the three exams but the content applications do more bad than good. The TAs are condescending or not in their office hours as the syllabus states. This is a class that requires a lot of time and effort to pass. Reading and lectures are important.
I don't understand why McDaniel is getting such harsh reviews. I thought the class was fine, nothing special, but ok. I got an 8/20 on my first content application, but I managed to make up for it pretty easily (make sure to cite from either the webtext or him!). He's also pretty funny even though the content is boring.
His TA's way of grading assignments is purely based on personal preference. Additionally, the course itself is simple enough but his lectures are god-awful. Very little factual evidence, and like his TA's he relies on his personal bias. The only pro is the extra credit opportunities, but his class requires way too much, more than actual major. 0/10
Heavy amount of coursework, Content Apps graded harshly, exams pretty easy Pass on it
I thought McDaniel was a good lecturer and really funny. Each class was packed with content so beware. The TAs sucked. They waited so long to grade content apps which made it impossible to attend office hours to fix your corrections in time for the next app. Exams were easy and extra credit was simple. Would take a class w/ prof again, but no TAs.
Professor McDaniel's lectures can be dry, but his class has ample opportunities for extra credit. With effort and utilization of resources like Unstuck ai, one can earn a solid grade.
Professor McDaniel and his TAs were horrible. The papers were extremely hard to complete because of the poor instructions, horrendous feedback, and relentless grading. The exams were also difficult to prepare for because he blatantly refused to provide any resources or review. I only got an A because of the extra credit opportunities.
The worst teacher I've had the displeasure wit coming across in UT, not only was his class incredibly boring and redundant, the grading has probably been the harshest I've had, keep in mind this is an intro class
Be expected to watch slideshows before class and come into class reviewing the exact same thing word for word bar for bar. While his first couple of classes might be “ok”, he tends to show attitude and sassiness after the first couple of weeks and then goes full throttle. Passed with an A tho! #didmytime
Everything he could've taught was taught in a mediocre way, from the class material all the way to the tests, unnecessarily harsh expectations for an introductory course, and not only was he a bad person in general, he he was self entitled and victimized himself whenever he got criticized
Interesting content but the format of the class was hard to follow.
He is tough. You have to try. be prepared to read. Very rewarding
I took this class first semester at UT, he made this class much harder than it supposed to be, a lot reading and a lot assignments, a lot content need to know in a short amount of time, no exam review and exams are hard as an international student who know nothing about Texas government. i was able to get A because 1 point extra credi
The assignments are simply graded terribly by the TAs and he explains extremely monotonously in his lectures. TAs not accessible outside course and the exams are very material heavy. Take someone else for this course it will be much better for you.
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