2.5
Quality3.7
Difficulty22%
Would Retake118
Reviews22%
Would Retake
118
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
14
3
13
2
21
1
46
What Students Say
“You will get used to his accent”
HIST3382 - 5.0 rating“Professor Gurkas was an awesome professor”
HIST1112 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
40%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.81 avg changeRatings by Course
HIST4XXX
5.0
(1)HIST3382
3.7
(20)HIST1101
3.2
(14)1101
3.0
(2)HIST2110
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
W02
5.0
HISTMENA
5.0
USHIST1101
5.0
HIST4497
5.0
HIST2111
5.0
Reviews (118)
Mr.Gurkas is a great teacher. He is authentic and is always available to help.He genuinely cares what his students think, and as long as you can get over the fact that he is a little hard to understand,his class is definitely worth taking. He's a really nice guy, and I felt I learned a lot from this class!
He does care about his students, but he is a poor teacher. He is difficult to understand and does not present information in a clear, logical order or manner. He improved a lot as the semester went on, but I did not enjoy his class and retained very little information.
Mr.Gurkas honestly tries, but he is not a good teacher. He seems like her knows a lot about his subject, but cannot relay the info in a logical way! His tests are very easy if you just use lots of examples from the texts/notes, but I feel completely unprepared for the next class. You're always on the edge w/ his random grading system though
Dr. Gurkas is an outstanding teacher. I'd take another class with him anyday. You must absolutely read to do well in his class, but that's what we should do anyway. His approach to history is very sociological; which makes him different but very interesting.
I thought he was fantastic! I love the way he teaches with the socratic method. I recommend him to anyone.
HORRIBLE TEACHER!! He is very unclear and when you ask him questions, everything gets even harder to understand. There are three tests and two film reports. The tests are hard and his grading system is very off. I got an A in the class but worked my butt off. I would not recommend him. He doesn't have a clue what is going on...
Mr. Gurkas is a genuinely nice person and he is a talented teacher. His lectures are interesting and he is very knowledgeable. A lot of people complained about his accent, but he's really not that hard to understand. Do the readings, and listen in class and you'll do fine. This class is definitely worth taking, I feel like I learned a lot.
The accent was not too hard to deal with, but the grading system was. Tests were full page essay answer along with maps and a small fill in the blank. Not recommended for the faint of heart. It is possible to get an A, but you are going to work your tail for it.
He is hard to understand at first than you get use to the accent. He love when students participate and ask questions in class. Very nice and you will get an A if you want an A.
If you want an A you will get an A. Very helpful when you need to improve a grade and he loves questions to be asked. He has a turkish accent but once you can get over that...he is great!
He is a nice guy and a pretty decent teacher. However, after a few classes I found out that you might as well read the power points and the book and not bother going to class. I actually got confused going to class. He basically teaches straight from the book though which makes it better.
I love history but this class was a huge disappointment. Understanding this professor's accent is incredibly hard and frustrating. I was expecting to learn a lot from this class, however I ended up teaching myself because I simply didn't understand a word he said the entire semester!
It is not true that this professor can be boring or there is no sense to visit his lectures. I have to admit I had some problems understannding him at the beginning, but once you get to know him...he is great!Must read book! He is more then willing to help you if you need help, advice, guidance or just want to share your suggestions with him.
He was intially hard to understand, but tests are based on assigned readings not lectures. Class participation is huge, exams were online & timed (difficult but if you completed study guide questions it made it easier),fifteen page research paper, & several short reports on mandatory lectures. Sounds like a lot of work, but really not a hard class
great teacher..alittle hard to understand but u'll get over it. read ur sections n study the powerpoints n u'll be fine. quizes r easy n tests vary if u haven't gone over the material.
HE is a very hard teacher. You really have to work your butt off to get an A. I would not recommend him at all
Dr. Gurkas is a very nice man however, he is not very clear about his expectations on assignments nor does he clarify his intentions for the assignment very well when you ask him to. I was very excited about this class but now find it to be aggravating and generally boring despite it's potential. His accent is nearly incomprehensible at times, too.
Very nice guy, however cannot understand him and lectures can be EXTREMELY boring. He gets confused with his thoughts and one day could not even point out where Texas was on the map. Sometimes late to class yet always willing to help... tests are hard unless you read the books in-depth. If you can avoid do, if not... you're not completely screwed.
I took him for Central Asian history, which was ultimately too tame for a upper level course, with no paper being required. It should have been more rigorous, but given the lack of desire and caliber of the students, most of whom were stuck there because of other classes being closed, one really cant fault him. Accent is thick but comprehensible.
not the best teacher. extremely difficult to understand. be careful of your talking if he catches you once he decides your a distraction to the entire class and threatens to write a report on you. don't take this class if you enjoy your life. awful.awful
Honestly, these other people didn't put in effort into his class. He literally places an A in your hand with elementary map quizzes and one page double-spaced discussion papers that require no thinking, you can just copy the words out of the book. On top of that, you get extra credit any time you write a paper on one of his lectures. EASY EASY EASY
Seriously, if you didn't get an A you didn't try. Awesome Maymester, made 2 weeks of intensive history bearable!
Shakey start but a really nice, FUNNY guy!!!!!!! FAIR and gives lots of options for extra credit.
WOW, I thought I was doomed by the ratings... but I got an A just by listening to him. Tough accent at first, but if you listen to him... you will pass. Xtra credit is everywhere!!!!!!! I think he wants you to do well as much as you do!
I got a C, took this in maymester along with another course. I hate history so it didnt come easy for me, you have to know your stuff in order to do well. Do the extra credit if you have the time!! Not a bad professor but hard in a maymester. Accent is STRONG and THICK!
I'm not done with the semester yet, but I must say a few things: HE is BORING, hard to understand, and can be a prick; but at first seemed like a nice and funny person. His class is basically reading the book. HE TEACHES YOU NOTHING YOU CAN'T GET FROM SAID BOOK.
staaaaayyy awaaaayyyy!!! im horrible at history, but with him its worse. the semester isnt over yet but i dread his class. thick turkish accent. lectures are not txtbk based. lots of reading. some extra credit. hes a nice and funny guy, but i dont think hes teaching material.
STAY AWAY! unless you understand THICK turkish. He will have a fit if you even try to take out a laptop or phone. Attendance eventually isn't taken anymore. Tests are SUPER HARD because you can never understand his lectures! Fun fact: He ALWAYS wears a sweater vest. Literally ALWAYS. Total dork professor.
Ugh, this class is awful. He seems to know what he's talking about, but none of it is easy to understand and none of it will be on the test really. Study everything! Quizs, notes, powerpoint and the book. He does give extra though, thank goodness!!
His accent is really not that bad. Great prof and an A is easily achievable if you really try. Took him for Central Asian History. Yea you gotta read the book, but this is a history class.
I had him for a hybrid class and I've never made a C before in a class, but I had to withdraw from his! Nothing he does connects so you basically have to study the entire book! Along with that you have at least one module per week to answer and sometimes an entire continent to memorize places for!
Run while you can. This professor is extremely nice and willing to help but don't expect high grades unless you put in serious time. I read the reviews and thought that students were lazy and I would do better. I was wrong and made a C even after lots of time spent. Some people did well in this class but most didn't.
Good teacher. He gives alot of extra credit. As long as you study the tests and quizzes are easy.
This professor is HORRIBLE! I could have missed every class and gotten the same grade. It was pointless going because with his accent, nothing was understandable anyway. I wish that I had dropped out the minute I decided to take his course. DO NOT TAKE HIST WITH HIM!!!
Dr. Gurkas is a great professor. He is very helpful and nice. His exams are not that difficult, he gives all the materials that can possibly be on the exam. I would recommend taking his class!
Great professor who keeps class interesting with his jokes. He does have an accent, but it's really not that hard to understand and this is college... If you put in effort, you will be fine. 2 classes with him and two As.
Took this course online. I'm a junior and I'll say this was definitely high-level for an intro course. However, he's clear on what he wants/grades & responds to questions lightening fast. Map quizzes and tests require HEAVY memorization skills. A few posts that are easy. Be sure to touch on all points with weekly journal and hit word-count.
Excellent Professor! There is a good deal of reading. This class is very interesting! The class is structured and straightforward. You will learn a lot just follow his instructions and you will do well!
Throughout the course he changed several dates of quizzes, which resulted in me missing several. All you do is read the textbook and write weekly journals about what you read. Boring, time consuming, and frustrating overall.
This professor uses lock down browser so if you're expecting an easy online class, look elsewhere! The quizzes and tests are only open for four hours on one day. Exams are even worse you have an allotted time per question and are not allowed to go back and check your answers once they're saved. Good Luck if you're stuck with this one!
His online class has more work than any of my upper level classes. He is extremely rude when replying to emails. Also, we had proctored tests on Saturday mornings! He never graded or even looked at anything we handed in. This is one of the worst classes I've ever had to take.
Gurkas has been, thus far, the most rude and condescending professor I have even been the pleasure of speaking to. He could careless if you are failing the course and if you want any help at all, forget about it. Tests worded weird. And the Map Quizzes were ridiculous. You basically have to memorize every inch of the world.
AVOID!!! Very confusing and very unclear what he expects. very harsh grader. most students made C's on film review. he gave a chance to rewrite and changed C- to C+. waste of time and added extra stress that no student needs. Even if you love MENA, avoid this class at all cost. You will regret. most of the class dropped at midterm. I should have.
This class is horrible. He is very confusing and never stays on task. His notes are a mess and he never explains anything. His is a very hard grader and his tests are a mess. I regret not dropping this class because. I'll be lucky to make a C in this class. His accent is so difficult to understand and his grammar and spelling is awful. DO NOT TAKE!
The hardest class ever. You will study on your own. No help from professor. The subject was very interesting but the teacher made this class so awful. 3 tests during the semester.Writing so many papers and wasting time and he do not even read them.The comments were copy and paste. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
Dropped his course and took it on campus. Didn't seem helpful or responsive.
Weekly essays over chapters covered- Waste of time. Doesnt speak fluent English-even in emails. Material covered in a "world history" course consists predominately of Islam and little more. Worst professor thus far.
Very enjoyable course. Professor is extremely knowledgeable and demonstrates a passion for the subject material. Challenging tests, but other doing the work allows for a decent grade.
The amount of work required by this professor didn't allow for learning. You find yourself just trying to get it all completed by due dates. Daily quizes, daily journals, short essays, high use of the textbook and more. He gives you the material to work with. I wouldn't recommend him until he changes the structure of his class.
Worst professor ever! I am use to getting A's on most of my papers for other classes, and I got all C's for his class. This is my first class at KSU and I'm really questioning if I picked the right school to transfer to..
He is the worst professor I have had, and I'm a junior. This is a 1000 level class but the work load is at a 4000 level advanced course. There is no way to adequately learn in this class with the level of work. It's only too bad that KSU doesn't know.I have had close to 15-20 online classes over the last few years, and by far he is the worst.
Dr. Gurkkas would always reply to my emails and questions and he offered extra credit! Never had an online professor do that!The tests were complicated but he gives plenty of chance to study.
Worst class I've ever taken. This was an online class and he was not clear about ANYTHING in the slightest. Assignments & instructions were all over the place, LITERALLY. He treated this BASIC entry level class like an UPPER level course. And his final was ridiculous - he set us up for failure. Cumulative test over 27 chapters with 0 guidance.
Avoid taking him at all cost! I'm a senior and this is by far the most difficult and one of the most useless classes I've taken. His English is difficult to understand and all he does is lecture. This creates a huge problem! Also, test questions are meant to trip you up. He does offer some extra credit but grading on this and papers is ridiculous.
I registered for his class during adddrop. I haven't even purchased the book 3 days after the start of the semester and we have a paper due and multiple quizzes. Thank god it was still adddrop. I dropped him. DO NOT TAKE.
Horrible, never engaged. Tons of work that doesn't involve any critical thought yet he grades you tough. Geography tests in history class? Fill in the blanks on tests that have to be in a certain order to be correct, even when you're right?? I'll take the W on my transcript. FIND SOMEONE ELSE!
He's amazing. Extremely smart! He's great at facilitating intellectual discussions. He does have a thick turkish accent but it's easy to pick up. Weekly journals and discussion posts, book paper, film paper, and 2 tests. Sounds like a lot but it wasn't bad. He has quiz questions (not for credit) that you can practice with. He uses those on tests.
I took the online class with him. Although I did make an A, I was one of very few. There was no lecture since everything was online but the final had to be taken on campus. There was no final study guide, nor was there any direction to go in. Students felt like they had no idea what was going to be on the final. Question were way out of left field.
I took world history online. He lays out the entire semester of work out in case you want to work ahead. Nobody in our class was able to since he assigns so much for each chapter. Every day, you have to read the chapter, and then turn in 4 things for that chapter. I am normally an A student, but AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS. Do not recommend!!
Online class. Hope you have nothing else to do. So much work the class is so overwhelming. Geography quizzes, Journal entries, write, write and test, test!! Guy thinks you have nothing to do but study. You will need to in order to pass the class. Do not take him. Find another professor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can tell Gurkas genuinely loves what he teaches and that's what so great about him. I had him for modern world history and he gives you all the resources you need to be successful on the tests and in his class. You just need to use them. It may be time consuming if you leave everything until the day before the test but even then it's doable.
Very easy course! Just take your multiple choice quizzes each week and use those for both tests and you will pass! Tries to be funny and really cares about his students. Lectures can get boring, but that goes for most class. Super easy. Attendance isn't mandatory but can get you extra credit if you show up most days.
Great professor! Offers plenty of extra credit, class is interesting & fun!
Super nice guy, but he expects a lot out of this course. You have to write two papers, and he makes sure to take off points if you do not use MLA format (as if it's an english class). There is a bit of a language barrier, he can be difficult to understand. Lots of homework due throughout the semester.
If you have other obligations outside of school, I would recommend taking another professor for this course. There was so much work! I took this class online, we were required to complete a chapter a day. From reading, journal entries to quizzes. It requires ALOT of time and is difficult for those who have jobs or Families. He does give EC though.
Online Class and it's been great; You're going to get an easy A if you do the work. Sidenote: He does use a lockdown browser so you can't look offscreen during tests, but they are only Multiple Choice
Professor Gurkas is a cool teacher. You can tell he is passionate about what he teaches. The language barrier was tough at first, but you get used to it after a while. Only a midterm and a final and 2 papers as well as multiple choice quizzes online for every chapter. Very easy. If you study the MCQ's for every chapter you will do very well.
Do not take his class. He expects over a chapter a night of reading, he is rude to students who have a different opinion of hi, his accent is VERY thick and his class was a waste of my time and money. One of the worst professors at KSU
He was a good professor. He has a decent accent so be prepared for that. If you do the readings and the multiple-choice quizzes, you will do fine. He also gives a lot of extra credit.
Dr. Gurkas as is a very nice guy. His class, however, is boring and he is a very tough grader. I am a straight A student and never made higher than a B on any of the writing assignments or either exam. The quizzes are online though and you get a 100 if you make an 80 or higher. Its not the worst class, but be ready to work if you want an A.
Professor Gurkas was an awesome professor. He has a Turkish accent so be prepared for that but overall he was an awesome professor. He gives a lot of extra credit and genuinely wants everyone to pass. If you just do the things he tells you on time, this class will be an easy A.
Professor Gurkas is easily the nicest and most accommodating professors I've ever taken. He will help you with making up work, gives clear feedback on essays that will improve your writing, and despite what some say, he does give you study guides. You will get used to his accent. I've taken two of his classes and I'm currently taking a third.
Do NOT take!! Unless you have nothing to do in your life but study for his class. He assigns a chapter a night, as well ass an essay every week. The class isn't hard unless you do the work. However he's a tough grader. He takes off for the smallest mistakes. I have yet to receive a A on anything I've turned in.
I had him for his online class and Ive never had to do so much work in a CORE class my whole life. Im not a bad student I try to keep up with my work and its just very hard to do in this class. Not to mention the tests are lockdown browser and webcam. Do not take him. Save your time and sanity.
He gives you the information you need to succeed, but he doesn't give out easy grades. You will have to work for it but it's nothing that's impossible. Weekly journals (easy grade) and two tests and two papers (hard grade). He grades on participation so be prepared to talk when you come to class. Very nice guy and will help you succeed if you ask.
If you have a choice, don't take his class. There's only the midterm, final, and weekly paragraph writing that determines your grade. If you're bad at history DON'T take this class. Extremely lecture heavy. I did not learn a single thing the whole semester because of the way he teaches.
Very tough class for a gen ed History course. Weekly discussions, 2 writing assignments on the chapters (these are long & intense, and he really is specific with these) WEEKLY, Tests he uses lock down browser so can't use any notes or book. I really didn't think I would pass this class. He does allow extra credit! He is PASSIONATE about History
Took this class online and there was a LOT of work. The lockdown tests were extremely difficult, and many people did poorly on them. This being said, if you put the work in and do everything, an A is definitely doable. There is not only a curve on the entire class but there are opportunities for extra credit.
This class is a lot of work, man. Exams (3 total) are monitored, so you gotta study hard on a ton of information that's given to you. Every week I take notes on 2 lectures, post on two discussion boards (long, thoughtful, cited posts), and do the weekly journal (takes forever). Not recommended for a stay-at-home-mom taking online classes at night.
I wouldnt suggest taking this class during the summer. There is an excessive amount of work assigned. You will read a chapter a day and submit discussion Q&A. Weekly journal entries will be summaries on every chapter read during the week, 200 words per chapter. Exams also cover a lot of information and no notes are allowed. DO NOT TAKE IN SUMMER!
I had him for my Intro to World History class online over summer. I had a 4.0 GPA and received a C in his class, only because he curves. I am no History genious, but for this to be a core level class, it was HARD. Discussions due every night, 800+ word papers every week. VERY hard tests. I would save yourself the hassle and opt out while you can.
Took it over the Summer and every night was writing mini-essays for the Journals due every week plus the daily questions. Missed worked and vacations for this class. I worked my butt off and did get a good grade, you will get C's on the test so most of your work goes to the Journals.
Don't take him for an online class. Little to no communication. Continued to pump out assignments despite the entire class being behind and unable to comprehend the powerpoint lessons. He did not teach at all.
no study guides for midterm and final- completely overwhelming unlimited attempts for quizzes but only takes the grade of the first attempt (I did not know this so I bombed almost every quiz as I would open a quiz to know what to study). One hour window to talk 2 days a week (during my working hours). Paper every week- my first B and I am a junior!
He isn't the best at communicating when it comes down to assignments and due dates. His course schedule is not helpful at all. He gives random map quizzes without covering the material, and the study material given is partially helpful. You are definitely going to need to be on top of everything if he is your professor.
skip him if you want a peaceful semester. The tests are really hard . He is not an easy grader. His lectures and presentations are not helpful at all
You definitely have to prepare to read- everything in his lectures is in the textbook. However, his lectures do a good job of compounding the knowledge and reinforcing the explanation for why things happened. He WANTS you to pass! Just do your job like in all your classes and you'll do great.
All you need to know- READ. He's a wonderful professor and is very sweet and understanding- I accidentally submitted wrong documents a few times and asked foe some extensions and he cut me lots of slack. He's super lecture heavy, but the textbook helps a LOT. It is easy to understand him for the most part, too, so no worries there. He's wonderful!
The Gurkster is a nice guy, as a person he is great. However, he is not clear on what he wants, is the TOUGHEST grader I have encountered, and Ill get As or Bs on the quizzes but the 60s on the weekly journals. Tests are extremely difficult as well. I am a junior and this is the first time I may fail a course. Good guy but skip his class.
You only have 3 mandatory assignments of each category (3 map quizzes, 3 weekly journals, 3 discussions), and all the rest are extra credit. However, being able to meet his standards for each assignment is very time consuming. His exams are hard, and he is VERY strict about webcam environment checks. I do not recommend him to my fellow STEM majors.
Dr. Gurkas is a very nice and understanding professor who cares about his students. My class was super quiet (it was a 9 am), and Gurkas really tried to encourage participation and collaboration, if you participate he really notices and takes that into account when grading. Lectures are long and passionate, but not boring. Definitely reccomend!
Gurkas was a nice enough guy, but he never gave proper instructions for any of the assignments and refused to post rubrics. I usually do very well on written assignments but I never did well on his because he didn't tell us what he actually wanted from us. He also gave incorrect due dates so I missed a few assignments. Take at your own risk.
TERRIBLE!!! Do NOT take him unless it is your last option.
DO NOT take his class given the choice. He is a very tough grader and there aren't many assignments ATT ALL. There are extra credit assignments due every week. If you don't want to do schoolwork, definitely take this but make sure you are prepared for the final and midterm. Lockdown Browser with Webcam. Would not recommend.
This professor is absolutely terrible. He accused me of cheating for writing a well discussion post even though I had requested assistance from the SMART center. He never provides feedback or tries to help. He truly wants all his students to fail. He does not care for his students and does not even teach. I hated it and would not recommend!
I was in this class for 2 weeks and withdrew from it because it was so difficult. We had an assignment due almost every day. The map quizzes are open ended (You have to label and spell the names of the countries/landmarks correct). Everything is locked down browser/webcam. Do not take this course.
DO NOT TAKE HIM! His online class was awful. There were only a few required assignments and a bunch of extra credits, but he would grade the extra credits so hard they would drop your grade more than if you just didn't do them. His lecture videos are 2 hours long, and you're expected to watch those as well as read a lot of the textbook in a week.
Professor Gurkas is passionate about the lectures, but the class can be challenging. Doing the readings, participating actively, and utilizing resources like unstuck AI can really help you succeed. The grading is tough but fair - be prepared to put in the work.
Does not read emails. Not attentive and hypocritical. "Trap-like" grading practices (eg. giving the same grade on extra credit assignments, but giving tougher grades for graded assignments with same guidelines, omitting certain feedback until later weeks as if to keep grades consistently penalized) This professor will stress you more than class
This class is unnecessarily stressful, and since it is upper level--dropping it will likely put you behind in graduation. He rarely gives feedback, and its useless when he does. He grades so tough for no reason. Just don't take him. One week he recorded a two hour lecture and the quiz has nothing to do with it.
Do not take this man. He grades harshly with little to no feedback and does not even follow his own rubrics. Avoid him at all costs. Im serious. Heed my advice.
Do not take!! Very few things are actually graded and a lot of extra credit! Grades very harsh and only have two exams. Midterm and final and they are both lockdown browser with webcam. This was my most stressful class of the semester and it's suppose to be a prerequisite. Do not take at all!! He will just cause more stress than it's worth
If you can, please avoid this professor!!!! Dr. Gurkas is knowledgeable on the material but he often provides little to no feedback and is not very understanding of his students needs or concerns. He's a tough grader and even when you do follow his instructions, he will still be a tough grader. This was my most stressful class of the semester.
Given that this course has no pre-req other than 30 hours, it's rough. Tons of prerecorded lecture material and loads of content to learn. Gurkas is undoubtably knowledgable about the subject, but the work expectation is a bit insane. It's possible to get an A in the class, but the difficultly doesn't match the idea of it being an intro course.
Don't take this guy. Lectures are lazily prerecorded from years ago, meaning there will be no improvements to this course. expects you to memorize 3 maps before you even begin learning history, so be prepared to either memorize geography, or start the course with a 50. Requires expensive texbook that he won't even bother putting in the D1A program.
RUN! He is so caught up with integrity that he doesn't do anything else in the class right. He literally makes the environment check for the lockdown browser a part of the exam grade.
Gurkas seems knowledgeable on history but when grading he just marks your answer wrong with a negative comment with no insight. The point of the class was for him to teach lesson(s) and he doesn't share that knowledge in his feedback to really "learn". Also, loves to ding you on citations and other petty things cutting your grade in half.. avoid
DO NOT TAKE THIS GUY! Strict grader when all he cares about is the environment check on your lockdown browser, nothing else. He takes forever grading assignments only to give you 0 feedback. You're basically teaching yourself in this class, it's not worth it at all.
No Clear grading criteria.
A horrible professor who expects all students to write at a PHD level on simple discussion post. Failed me every discussion without any feedback one semester. Took his class again because I know I can pass and he failed my first discussion and accused me of AI since my writing was better.He also rambles in class so you can't even take proper notes!
He seems like he knows a good bit on world history but his explanations and directions are not good at all you have to find out everything on your own
I never thought taking an online class could be so stressful until I took this class. One of the worst and inappropriate teachers I've ever encountered as a student. Drop the class and take the W before it's too late
He's very strict about formatting, citations, and writing style. During the semester, I was accused of academic dishonesty because my writing was flagged by a detection system and I couldn't immediately recall a chapter from two weeks earlier during a conversation. It was really stressful and discouraging, especially since it was a misunderstanding
This class is tough. Each week we have a full chapter to read or two long lecture videos to watch. The discussion boards and journals require textbook citations only, but the professor grades harshly. If over than 15% is cited, you can't get above a B. It's a lot of work and hard to meet his expectations.
Professor Gurkas' presentation allowed me to make wider, deeper connections in the world and global systems.
Dr. Gurkas is the most unhelpful, unkind, and inconsiderate professor I have ever had. He makes it incredibly confusing and convoluted to access any of the course material, and intentionally disables features that are designed to make online classes more accessible for students. Accused me of cheating with no basis and ghosted me. DO NOT TAKE HIM
Very strict. You don't really learn, if you love to read and watch videos of him talking and teach yourself then go for it. Nice in emails, not many grades. Only 2 assignments worth a grade. Lots of quizzes and tests for grades.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!! Heavy reading from the textbook, prerecorded lectures from 5 years ago, slowest grading EVER and accuses you of ai if you blink. Wants weekly journals to be in extreme detail so explain EVERYTHING and cite correctly. 3 required map quizzes, 2 required WJS, 2 required Q/As, a midterm and final.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
40%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.81 avg changeRatings by Course
HIST4XXX
5.0
(1)HIST3382
3.7
(20)HIST1101
3.2
(14)1101
3.0
(2)HIST2110
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
W02
5.0
HISTMENA
5.0
USHIST1101
5.0
HIST4497
5.0
HIST2111
5.0