2.4
Quality4.4
Difficulty36%
Would Retake106
Reviews36%
Would Retake
106
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
17
4
12
3
17
2
20
1
40
What Students Say
“Avoid at all costs if you are not a poll sci major”
POLISCI172 - 1.0 rating“Doesn't help even if you ask for it”
PO172 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
95%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.19 avg changeRatings by Course
USGOV
5.0
(1)POL
5.0
(1)POLITICALSCIEN
5.0
(1)PO400
5.0
(1)INTRO
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
LO548
5.0
INTROAMGOV
5.0
INTROTOAMGOV
5.0
POLI399
5.0
PO400
5.0
Reviews (106)
his class was very hard. i think he was a hard grader, but i don't remember exactly.
Can be a tough grader, but gives you a lot of help if you ask.
Great teacher. Explains things and responds to questions very well. Does go EXTREMELY fast. Be prepared to take a LOT of notes. Your hand will hurt!
Very intelligent prof. Also easy to get along with and sincere. Study for his class and you should do ok
This guy knows his stuff back to front, left to right. Rarely uses the $100 book we paid for, but is very concise and energetic!
Goes very very quickly and hand will cramp from writing, but very smart and easy to understand. Fair and knowledgeable.
this class was very hard.. i dont understand politics well and it was too hard to catch up.. he does know his stuff though, he was just too hard. ease up
Prof. Serra is a great Prof. He gives study guides for the tests. He wants you to get a good grade. He goes extremely fast. I was interested in the subject matter but found it difficult to study for his tests because of the huge load of work put on me by my so-called history professor.
HORRIBLE TEACHER DO NOT TAKE!tests are SO hard. everyone failed his tests and had to give us 10 points to pass. teachers REALLY fast and isnt clear. canceled class alot but never came to his "review" for the final or the final. he sent in his grad students! DO NOT TAKE HIM!
study guides given out for the exams, still not easy. Had to study alot to get a B.
EXTREMELY hard class...he gives reviews for the test ..there are maybe 2 questions from the review on the test! you really have to know what ur doing to pass!!! If you dont like to study do not take this class, its veryyyy hard
No Comments
Kind of a dry subject. Would like to see more relevant discussion than just spitting back what youve read. Test difficult but he gives you a study guide before hand that has the questions on it (the test just has less questions than the study guide). Once again test, measuers ability to memorize. Ok class, not great, not horrible. Large paper
I have never met a man so into himself. He is the most cocky man I have ever met. Has no regard for students what so ever, and there is no understanding with him either. He ruined political science for me
His class requires TONS of reading, and lots of class participation. He allows you to choose 3 papers you wanted to write, but didn't give you anything specific to write on, and then criticized you for not writing anything that pleased him. He grades WAYYYY too hard. If you can't memorize the EXACT relation between congress and the president, RUN!
Read the text, participate in class, study for exams...it's that simple. Dr. Serra is passionate about American government and politics. He is clear and concise. His no nonsense approach to learning this material does not make him unapproachable. And...he really wants you to do well!
Worst professor I have ever had. If you want to know what to study for the test, don't waste your time looking at the study guide. Bring a dictionary to class because he seems to forget it's a 100 level not a graduate level class.
BSC Class of 2000. I had Dr. Serra for my Senior Seminar and would rate him in the top one per cent of educators at BSC. Yes he challenges his students; yes he makes you work, and yes you will learn. Let's remember one thing: education costs money. Don't waste it because you have to put forth some effort.
Dr. Serra was a great professor. Lots of work is given, but if you read and speak up in class you will do wonderfully. I had no prior interest in politics, but taking his class as a GER taught me quite a bit. He seems scary and mean, but he is actually a decent guy. Take his class if you want a good professor, not a "slacker" class by far!
DO NOT TAKE HIM! I don't know why this guy has a smily face! Even if you read the book it does not help. he talks in another language and you can't understand him, and he wonders why people don't answer his quesions. When i went for help he made me feel like an idiot i wanted to cry! The study guide is USELESS! DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS YOU WILL FAIL!
WORST TEACHER!!!! WARNING! DO NOT TAKE!!! If you want a D- then take the class if not I would suggest not taking his class.
The worst class I ever took at BSC. Tests were really hard, study guides totally useless, to the point some students upon seeing the exam had to ask him if he accidentally gave another classes exam. Only a few people in my class passed the first test most failed. During the course evaluation he laughed and said none of what we said mattered.BEWARE
HORRIBLE!!!!! STAY AWAY FROM THIS TEACHER. My friends and I have him, and we studied for our final, read the book, (studied from the study guide that was about 12 pages...) and almost less than half of what was on the study guide was on the final.. HE IS USELESS. He thinks he knows everything and maybe he does but he can't teach it to students
HE IS SO BAD! He can not teach. He is so mean, you go and see him for extra help and he makes you feel stupid. There is no way to get a B let alone a C+. The smartest kids have trouble. This is a HORRIBLE teacher. STAY AWAY. No one should every have to take this class with him.
doesn't care about the students, into him self. 1st day of class he told us "I consider myself to be highly interlectual"..what and we're not? He tells us to make a differnce in the world. If you have an issue go talk to your congressman. Well I have a problem with this teacher. And if everyone else has like I, lets do something about it.
HORRIBLE TEACHER. He cares about no one. First day of class, he walks in and says: "I consider myself to be highly interlectual". He has an ego problem...Tests are ridiculous. He made someone i know cry when they saw him for extra help. There are deft. better proffesors. He claims "there is no way that we can get him fired" STAY AWAY!!!
Dr. Serra's classes are laid out in a very logical way. Read the books, then discuss in class, then take a test. he does give you EVERYTHING THAT WILL BE ON THE TEST in a study sheet beforehand, so its not that u have no idea what's on there, but the thing is there is usually a good amount of material. He's is so clear and organized though. If you'
this guy is an unfair professor. he only gives three tests so theres little room for error, his tests are like riddles, and he has no concept of teaching. stay away if you can
guy is a joke. Worst teacher ever. 80 percent of class below C. One B+ so far. Do the Math 60 students 2 classes. No A's. 2 B's. The Rest Below C. Teacher talks like hes done something successful in life. But hes Just all talk. More of a teacher who didnt make the cut to be a lawyer. So expect to see him make you look dumb so he can feel better.
Possibly the hardest class i have ever taken in college, just to fill al requirement !?! 3 tests and 10% participation,has a ego problem. My friend and I took his class and pulled 3 all nighters studying and only got a B-. He just throws information at you and expects you to understand it...You will suffer for an ENTIRE semester if you take him..
I didn't know I signed up to take a class taught by a Glenn Beck wannabe. Don't bother trying to formulate a logical argument against his viewpoints because he will just deny any of its validity while shoving his opinion down your throat.
This guy is horrible. He only gives 2 tests and a final and his study guides don't have anything to do with the material on the tests... he doesn't like to help and not to mention his tests are extremely difficult. DONT TAKE HIM
if he should decide he does not like you. You should consider dropping the class. Do not take him again and leave the political science department entirely if you can. He has ruined that department.
Dr. Serra is the type of professor who will demand a work ethic from his students but it is nothing out of the ordinary: reading the books and coming to class well prepared/ready to discuss is expected. There is a midterm and a final. He gives you the ENTIRE exam to take home & prepare before hand. Your grade will reflect the work that you put in.
If you read through any positive serra comment on this board they all appear to be written by the same person. Serra so sad to be sitting in your office filling out positive responses about yourself and wondering why students won't enroll in your classes at this point in your career. It's really quite simple to bad you can't figure it out.
Worst teacher I have ever had. Expects whole books to be read in a couple of days time. Doesn't realize people have other classes to do work in. No clarification on assignments when asked. No class time to prepare for group presentations. I understand that it is an upper level course but this class has caused a very high amount of stress.
Basically, He believes in reading the chapter at home and be ready to discuss the reading and take notes during class. The work can be overwhelming and stressful. He does give you study guides before a test which does help to a point but I still only got away with a C on every test. He expects a lot out of his students.
Class was extremely hard for anyone who was taking it as a core requirement. He gave study guides but the material wouldn't be on the test. He has a huge attitude and told my class not to "Waste his time" when we weren't getting the question he asked right, then dismissed class. Avoid at all costs if you are not a poll sci major!
READ the book! Serra highly expects you to read the chapters and he doesn't go over exactly what you read. He expands on the book. "It doesn't make sense to repeat what the book tells you otherwise there would be no reason for me to be up here." There is way too much information to retain. I felt I had to already know about the subject before hand.
I am an older student and I found him to be completely unhelpful. Ask him 3 questions, you might get an answer to 1. Expects you to know the information without actually teaching it to you. Avoid him at all costs. No way to pass his class. Very surprised to see Poli Sci major if they take his class.
He is probably one of the worst professors I ever had. He writes all his notes on the board and has the worst handwriting so you cant even read what he writes! He talks way too fast during lectures that you cant even write down what he says let alone interpret it! There are a total of 3 tests so if you do poor on one your screwed..
I was having a hard time writing down notes and listening to his lectures because he talked so fast. He only gave 3 tests, which meant if you did poorly on one test, you would get stuck with a C or lower. He wrote down his outline of what he was going to talk about on the board. His handwriting is tiny and messy, and I sat in the front.
Overall I though he was a good professor, a lot of notes and readings expects you to know about U.S political history.
Dr. Serra is always in a bad mood. He never comes in to class with a smile, which is sometimes beneficial for a student that is confused in class. His tests are nearly impossible to pass unless you are a genius, and in order to pass, you have to read the text.
Tests are INCREDIBLY hard. They have nothing to do with that is put on the study guides. He gets angry at the class when everyone does bad on the tests and when you don't read the book. Ruthless when it comes to reading the textbook.
He is a very hard grader. Not clear on what is expected. Make sure you don't ask questions, or question his opinion. I respect him as a professor and a professional.
Only gives three tests throughout the term. They are multiple choice questions, but very specific. Most questions were never discussed in class and were not in the reading. Gets very mad when everyone fails the test, but does not scale. Avoid him and the class at all costs
He is a very knowledgeable teacher but the three multiple choice tests he gives are very difficult and require studying both the study guides and book profusely. If you fail one, he advises you to drop the class, as not to bring down GPA's. He is helpful when you ask, but the class is still difficult and a lot of memorization.
George Serra is little to no help. He has three tests the whole semester and there impossible to pass. The tests asks questions out of the book that seem like stupid details. Writes down an outline for his lecture but does not follow out- he jumps all over the place. I would never take him again.
Condescending! He expects clarity, yet is far from educational.
Doesn't help even if you ask for it! Do not ask question's! He is a tough professor! I would never ever take him! I don't know why he is even able to be a professor!!
He seems like a nice guy and all you have to do is to be sure to keep up with the reading. However, no matter how hard you study it is hard to do well on his tests because he asks questions that we never went over in class and were small things in the book. Only 3 tests that count for 90 percent of your grade so bad test takers won't pass.
Dr. Serra knows his subject matter very well & that is easy to see. He does go through the material in class fast so it can be hard to follow. You have to do the reading and go to class in order to pass. Gives 3 tests that are 90% of your grade but he does give you a study guide. Very nice guy and does want you to succeed. Offers Extra Credit
Dr. Serra is an amazing professor. I honestly wasn't very interested in politics or government before taking his class, but he made the topics interesting and has since sparked an interest I never had before. Keep up and do the readings as you're told and you will have no issues in his class.
You will learn many things however if you don't go to class or don't do the reading you will be in a real rough place. The key is that if he says anything twice in a lecture its on the test and every minor detail given in the book matters. Also you really have to study, you might feel really confident until you get a bad grade on one of the 3 tests
Really tough. There are 3 exams worth 30% of your grade each and then participation is the last 10%. These exams can cover anything he says during the lecture, writes on the board, or that is in the textbook and sometimes there are questions on really random things, so take heavy notes on lectures and on readings. Good extra credit opportunities.
This class was so hard for an intro class. He was rude, huge ego, talks down to his students, and argues with you if your opinion is wrong. Kicked out my class for because some students didn't read. Avoid taking this class unless you need it for a requirement. Only gives 3 tests all semester and they cover questions we never went over in class.
He split our class into groups and each group would basically teach the class about specific chapters in the book and he would comment and fill in the blanks. It was presentation heavy, but I can honestly say I learned and retained more in his class than any other poli sci class at BSU. If politics is your career path you will learn a lot from him
Rudest professor ever. If you don't read you will not even have a chance to pass.
You take 3 exams, they're 30% of your grade each. Participation makes up the other 10%. Be on time. It's a challenging course. I thought I had a pretty decent understanding of politics until I took this class. He definitely knows what he's talking about though, which is good. He's intelligent. Just make sure you read each chapter! Ex cred available
Intro to politics is mandatory, and this class is tough! Mainly because you get 3 tests that make up your entire grade, and the tests are multiple choice but so hard! There is also a 10% participation grade which is easy to get if you ask a lot of questions during lectures. The study guide for tests covers a ton so you have to STUDY!
The course is based off of 3 tests(30% each)and your participation(10%). Personally, I think there should be more opportunities for success since most students are not poli sci majors. If this class is not required in your major, dont take it, it will ruin your GPA. The tests are hard- half my class failed exam 1. Take an 8am over this class.
If you receive an A in the class then transfer to Harvard because this class is no joke. Great teacher, and very smart but it is impossible to do as well as you may be hoping for/expecting. You must read and study but even then I personally have not scored higher then a B. Participate in class and listen I have learned the most I ever have from him
By far the worst professor I have ever had. His intro to government class was like trying to understand quantum physics. You only have three exams throughout the entire year, and that is your only grade, so kiss your social life goodbye because if you want to at least pass the class, your face better be buried in that textbook 24/7.
Awesome professor who's extremely knowledgable in the field. His lectures aren't super long, but are quite dense. You really need to pay attention and take good notes to be prepared for the written exams. You're also required to give a group presentation based on specific textbook chapters. If you don't want to learn, you won't enjoy his classes.
Professor Serra was a decent professor. Hes a little cocky given his position at BSU. He does want student success. But he is TOUGH and he will tell you to drop his class. I took every extra credit opportunity, great very detailed notes, studied, read everything and barely passed the course. BUT if this is ur major youll learn a lot from him!
I am not one to complain about professors, but if the grinch, the devil, and scrooge had a baby it'd be him. He doesn't teach anymore, he expects people to know what he's talking about, and when you ask him a question he'll dodge it and ignore it. The lack of professionalism shows up in his personality as he teaches. Would rather die than be there.
Don't pay thousands of dollars to take to this class to be spoken to like you're stupid. If you send an email asking for clarification on a quiz question, you will get a rude, not helpful email, something like "its simple" then give you the same exact question. He is also very defensive and passive aggressive. 0/10 recommend find a better professor
The course as a first semester freshman online consisted of only weekly quizzes and no other grades. You meet once a week, he goes over the chapter the quiz for that week is on, and grades it as if it were an essay. As long as you demonstrate a clear understanding of the chapter (in essay form) you'll get a 100. Tough, but he wants you to learn.
He was rude and inconsiderate. He gave me a 0/12 for not including an introduction in a quiz. I typed a 2 page assignment and he still gave me a 0. I emailed him my concerns and he responded by telling me to follow instructions next time. There were no exams or a final, just a 2-3 question quiz every week.
Professor Serra is a tough instructor. Before completing the first quiz, read the syllabus!! If you do not do the exact layout he wants, you will receive an automatic 0 on your quiz. The quiz's are usually two questions that end up turning into a four page paper. The quiz's are during the weekends! Do not take this class if you work on the weekend
To put it simply; George Serra is the personification of total order. If you don't do an assignment EXACTLY how he wants it, you will get a zero! One assignment nearly my entire class received a zero, which is huge because he only assigns these weekly quizzes. I received the worst grade in my college career due to this intro course. AVOID HIS CLASS
Professor Serra is quite unhelpful and will often respond to students' questions rudely. He changes the syllabus and doesn't announce it and then gets mad when the students don't have the material prepared. More than half my class failed the first and second exams which says something about the way he teaches. I was in the top 4 with a B-.
One of the worst professors I have ever had avoid taking his class at all costs. His lectures go way to fast to even learn or write anything down and his tests are so difficult they barely relate to what is in the textbook. Participation is 10 points and he makes you work for it the rest of the grade is 3 exams. He is very degrading and rude!
READ. He is a fair man, never was mean-spirited at least in my opinion. BUT, your entire grade is based on 3 tests. I had to withdraw from this class after the second test because there was no possible way of me passing. I did all the readings and took notes, never missed class. take that as you will
I don't think I've ever met a worse professor, genuinely so careless and is so rude to every single student, I also wrote 4 pages worth of work and he said I show no effort or that I've learned anything. no professor has ever made me feel so bad about my self. bad personality and even a worse teacher. you won't learn anything I promise
Finally, a professor who is unbiased about politics and the world around us. He is tough and demands the best from you, but I promise you will learn more from him than any other professor. 3 tests, each 30 points of final grade and 10 points for participation. Be prepared to read and take extensive notes. This is college, be prepared to work for it
This dude is tough, be preapered to work for your grade. You have to study for hours upon hours if you want any chance of passing. Half my class has withdrawn. Perhaps he should not be an intro-level professor. It really is not fair for non-polisci students. He is really, really tough but incredibly educated in the field and you will learn.
A nice guy, hated his style. Especially since this for a prereq, many non-poli students. Read, lecture, test, repeat. There are things are on the tests I've never learned. Yeah, unbiased in politics, but idrc about that. not a good style for a lot of people & hard to follow. Talks like you already know everything even tho its an intro level prereq
You have to do a lot of textbook readings, and only a note outline is given. Speeds through lectures, no power points or notes on the board; only talks. Some questions on the test were not even mentioned in class. I studied for this class and still struggled to keep up.
Serra is too hard on students. This was supposed to be an introductory class and he made it super tough. Wouldn't recommend especially for non Political Science majors.
Youre graded on veryyyy few things, so if youre not good at taking tests then dont take him. I went to his office hours before each of the tests, which helped with my participation grade.
you HAVE to attend lectures. Can never skip or you will fail. He's a good guy but should be more understanding of the fact that not everyone taking the class is a poli major. Tests are multiple choice. I got covid and he gave me an alternate assignment for my final which was really nice of him, but also the only reason I passed the class.
Class is very heavily lecture-based for everything that you will be tested on. Very passionate and experienced in his field with loads of knowledge regarding each topic. Tries to promote class participation but is also very technical in the way he presents material which can make it difficult when you are unfamiliar with the subject.
If you don't do the readings you will fail. Lots of memorization in this course, and only graded on 3 exams (and participation). He's tough, but he's fair and I liked his lectures a lot. Don't take if you're a bad test taker.
Class is extremely lecture heavy. You need to go to every class, read the book, and write down almost word for word what he says or you won't do good on the exams. The only grades you receive are 3 exams and a participation grade. If you know your American government and are a good test taker, you'll probably be fine.
He is a kind person, but when it comes to assignments, he only assigns 3 tests, and usually on the tests is almost nothing like we studied for. Me and other members of my class would do serious studying, like practice quizzes in back, study key terms, and study the chapters, and only like 4 out of 50 questions.
3 tests for grades, he does not have study guides, or give any retakes or extra credit. In his office hours, he was very condescending saying you should've known that & that was pretty straightforward. I couldn't even look at my original test 1 on 1. He also seemed to have a bias against the women & have no problem if the men disagreed with him.
Only had 3 tests, and did not specify what was on the tests, just that it could be anything that he talked about.
Professor Serra is genuinely a nice man, but avoid his class at all costs. His exams are near impossible to pass as the questions are about minuscule details that he barely discusses and are not included in the textbook. There are no study guides or any direction on what to study. The only grades in the course are the 3 exams and participation.
I loved Dr Serra! His lecture were very organized and fun (I had a small class so discussion was very interactive and engaging) you have to study for his tests and he tells you where to find the material. He also is incredibly helpful if you attend office hours. I can understand why some may not like his grading but he is an incredibly professor!!
Extremely rude and seems to speak his mind whenever he seems. Nobody in the entire room liked him never mind the other professors he loves yelling at so much!!
So rude to people for no reason and only thinks his opinion is right.
Graded by 3 tests with questions that are a mix of lecture notes and chapters. You have to read the full chapters to know the info (which is a lot of reading) - do not skim!! That was my mistake and I got a horrible grade despite studying. He always offered exam review during office hours which was helpful.
Got emotional often
Textbook has all the test material, but study in advance because it's memorization heavy. He's pretty kind, willing to repeat material, and genuinely wants you to succeed. He's made a few questionable comments during lecture, but he means well and is very easy to approach. Not great with accommodations
I think Dr Serra has tenure so I don't think he cares about teaching anymore.All these robot giving him 5 star need to look in the mirror and wonder was it worth it.AVOID CLASS! BSU is not for Dr Serra,maybe a psych ward.He kicks my class out for not answering him. If you fail one test you will only get a C. Gives questions, he doesn't talk about.
Grade is entirely dependent on exams. I you don't do well in one exam chances ae you will fail this class. Textbook is unecessarily expensive and i got it used. No extra credit.
Dr. Serra is one of the most knowledgable Professors that I have ever had. He truly wants you to understand the content and interact in classes to gain a better understanding. The course is difficult, but that is because the content itself is a lot. I found that a lot of students complained but it was moreso that they did not want to do the work.
An expert in his field and lectures are consistent. He breaks up the course in a way you understand the concepts. Lot of reading - don't skim(!!), and take notes. I received a B-, my lowest grade in College. But I'm happy! You earn your grade. Participate. Don't hesitate to ask questions. Helps with class participation grade which is 10%.
I had Dr. Serra for an Intro to U.S Gov class. The textbook was expensive, even used. We were expected to read and take notes on the chapter at home, and he went over it in class-- however, the lectures only connected to the test content half of the time. He only grades on 3 exams and participation, and so bad test takers beware!
I should've dropped his class when I had the chance. Don't bother asking him questions about the test lecture and he'll just dismiss them or say “it's in the textbook” the way he words his questions on the test makes absolutely no sense. So if you think you've studied enough…you didn't. I feel like a lot of his teachings are biased. Good luck
Professor Serra runs a tough course, but engaging with his teaching style pays off. Studying the textbook and using resources like unstuck study for test prep is key to doing well.
Dont take this class
Professor Serra is incredibly knowledgeable and challenges students to think objectively and remove their personal biases. He has high expectations but outlines them clearly and grades fairly, if you show up and pay attention you'll do well. Honestly think the poor reviews on here are from people unwilling to question their own beliefs and biases.
Just absolutely horrible do not take no matter what.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
95%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.19 avg changeRatings by Course
USGOV
5.0
(1)POL
5.0
(1)POLITICALSCIEN
5.0
(1)PO400
5.0
(1)INTRO
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
LO548
5.0
INTROAMGOV
5.0
INTROTOAMGOV
5.0
POLI399
5.0
PO400
5.0