3.1
Quality3.2
Difficulty50%
Would Retake98
Reviews50%
Would Retake
98
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
23
4
24
3
19
2
17
1
15
What Students Say
“Alteras has a foreign accent and mumbles”
HIST222 - 1.0 rating“No discussion at all, even in graduate level classes”
HIST799 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
30%
Textbook Required
92%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.03 avg changeRatings by Course
160
5.0
(1)HISTORY102
5.0
(2)HISTOFZIONISM
5.0
(1)ACE
5.0
(1)HIS236
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HIS000
5.0
WHATEVER
5.0
HIST0007
5.0
HSTRY102
5.0
HIST116
4.8
Reviews (98)
A very interesting man. He can speak many different languages and is very knowledgable in the subject he teaches. He makes the class fun to be in by adding jokes into his class lectures. For tests he expects you to write back to him what was discussed
His notes ae real good, and his lectures are interesting. But his exams are graded very stricly. And he gives real bad grades, avoid him if your looking for a good grade.
Very knowledgeable professor. Can be funny, can be cruel. Not afraid to speak his mind. Midterm, final. Know your lecture notes backwards and forwards.
his class is easy and straightforward, you dont even need to buy the text. study your notes for the test and spit back everything you heard in class- its an easy A if you pay attention.
Very smart professor. Lectures are very interesting and full of detailed information. This professor gets very excited when teaching and creates a good atmosphere. Speaks his mind on politics and only has a midterm and final, both essays and short answer
wonderful!
I had this professor 20 years ago. And from the comments, I see he hasn't changed that much. No one got an A when I had him. His style was poor. Avoid him if possible.
No Comments
He knows the subject matter very well and gives interesting lectures, but grades fairly strictly. To improve your grade noticeably (and to make his day), try to have a debate with him about the material. Also, make sure you get to classon time.
His is very intelligent. His class is not hard if you attend class everyday. No need for the textbooks. Make sure you take good notes. For the exam, just study the notes.
He is very passionate about what he teaches. It helps you understand the materials more
while the material is very interesting there is ALOT he expectsyou to memorize. his notes, about 5 or six books he expects you to know. plus he wants participation. when you participate you fall, he falls behind, but he doesnt care bc u hafta make it up!
Test is on notes, dont bother buying the books. but the way he grades doesnt make sense at all. and doesnt really care about the student
Great Teacher,just dont ****him off. All notes. Participate wisely, dont get on his bad side.He makes you laugh w/ his odd sense of humor,(and also bec. he laughs at his own jokes and that makes everyone laugh as well)midterm and final,all essays.
boring
He was an excellent teacher. Knew a lot about the topics that he teaches. Dont bother buying the textbooks.
This guy knows his history. You get a midterm and final, thats all. Dont miss class and just pay attention. Dont get on his bad side and participate only when you know what your talken about. Otherwise its really funny when he makes a point and gets loud with you.
Knows his stuff. Test is strickly on notes: take good notes and study you'll get an A. Tests are essays,but he grades very fair. Read the text and particpate in the class discussion, it makes the class so much more fun. Great professor he made the class fun. I got an A in the class by working hard.
He knew his stuff and gave very interesting lectures. He's quite friendly but if you're late to class or disrupt the class in some other way, it's one of his pet peeves, it seems. If you're not going to participate you'd better just stay unnoticed by him alltogether.
Really Really knows his stuff (he did write the book). DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THE BOOKS! Essay Tests. Read the notes and you'll be fine
He is a professor who does not really care much about his students. However, he is a decent professor who really has a love for his profession. Don't even think about buying the book, just take notes and you should get a decent grade.
Difficult to get an A in his class, however, no book needed; if you do the work and study the notes you should get a decent grade. MAKE SURE TO NEVER SHOW UP LATE TOO HIS CLASS; YOU WILL REGRET IT FOREVER!!!
Alteras is GREAT! I really enjoyed his class. He reminds me of James Bond. Sometimes the class can be a little boring, but he is really funny and teaches only what is important. Great class, take it.
very difficult, not helpful whatsoever when it came to preparing for the midterm and final, would not recommend
AWESOME! He really knows his stuff. Come to class prepared to discuss the reading and you'll get the most out of this course. His lectures are funny and interesting. Study your notes well and be sure to add in little tidbits from the reading. THAT is the difference between an A and B in his class.
Awesome...I got an A, just study the notes, show up to class and be on time. Very interesting tells a story.
this professor is awesome. he knows so much and i strongly recommend taking him.
This guy knows his****. He gives all the important info during his lectures. He expects you to read the text, but you really don't need to to if your looking for a B. Excellent teacher, funny too. I am going to try and take some other courses with him because he's that damn good!
Listen, bottom line is if your in college you should know how to study. This man is a genius, and you should take his class. I got an A, and didn't have to work too hard to do it. Just show up to class, and study the notes.
A-Freakin-Mazing I absolutely love him He is funny and knows every small detail on the subject he is teaching Im not even a history major but I looked for other classes he was teaching to try and get in Its nice when you come across a teacher who likes what he does and it really shows through his lectures Just dont show up late He hates that!!
look, bottom line if you want above a B, u need to do some work, little details from book will make the difference! but other than that his class was hilarious! he acts like he is tired but he has these mood swings, very funny! basically if you want to have a good laugh come enjoy an historian who could easily be a comic! LMFAO!!!!!!!!!
He's great, he teaches all you need to do well on the midterm and final. His midterm is about the french rev., and final on bismarck or hitler. The questions are very easy if you know your history and they're essay type. The dates aren't important. He says to read the book to get an A or A+, because without it, you'll get a B.
No Comments
a little rightwing, but a good lecturer. very knowledgeable
His class is interesting but the guy is mean for no reason. He gives grades that do not seem to have any correlation to the level of work that you produce. He is one of the professors who thinks he is above the students and if you do not agree with him he talks to you as if you are a loser. Plus he has bad hair!!
One professor who knows what he is doing. listening to him will make you love history all over
he is one of the most knowledgable people that i have ever met. took two classes with him, and would definitely take another one. if you take notes in class, you should be fine for the midterm and final
Super great, funny, and has huuuuge, I mean huuuge knowledge on his subjects. Read his books.
No Comments
Talz to much b.s. in class. ok he is funny, but he is inconsidrate in grading exams.
2 tests, no papers.Know notes cold + little tidbits from the books so he'll know u looked in the book.Cares alot bout analysis/recalling important facts, as opposed to just writing all u know.When you study,picture yourself putting it into a coherent clean essay with an intro, body and conclusion.Got B on midterm,A on final and got A- on course.
the best man ever. knows what he's talking about. take him!!! only midterm and final. plenty of time to write the essay in class. when writing, please proofread. not necessary to buy the book. i didn't and got an A.
Great teacher-Knows his stuff inside out-He only gives a midterm and a final and as long as you know the notes he gave you in class you are def. getting a good grade (at least b) he is funny and very fair. TAKE HIM!!!
Great professor! Not especially easy, but very ineresting and fair.
Amazing professor who has not only a great knowledge on the subject but also a love for what he is doing. Tests are not easy so be prepared to study but people this is college after all! Prof. Alteras is a fair grader and if you come to class and take great notes you should do fine but if you're looking for an A be ready to do some reading.
Excellent professor. Classes are very interesting and funny. He is not an easy A though. If you know your notes inside out you will get b+/ A-. However, if you want an A you have to read the book. He is the best professor at queens college. Take him, you will learn a lot and never be bored.
Interesting topic, zionism & history of israel, but boring lecture if you don't enjoy history. He's brilliant, but not so warm. just a midterm and final. readings are deathly boring and on top of that, half the final was self study. Good class if you're willing to work hard- don't take it just for the credits.
Classes can get a bit boring. He doesn't leave his chair at all. He sits and speaks his wisdom. Very much a lecture class. Alot of note taking is essential. He is very arogant however when it comes to debate and discussion. Very funny as well. Lots of studying required, A's in the class were limited
professor alteras is very funny and very smart. he can be boring if you let yourself zone out or if you're not interested in israeli history, but otherwise he's excellent. he gives interseting stories about his research and he has a first hand perspective on many of things he talks about. not an easy class, but definitely one that's worthwhile
HA! WHAT A JOKE CLASS!! boring but an easy no work-good grade class ... bring your notes to the midterm n final BELIEVE ME
Very knowledgeable man. Pure lecture, but very interesting man. My only problem is that in Hist 102 is European History from 1815 till present and we only got till WWI, ehich I was kind of dissappointed that he went so slow and therewere questions on the final that went beyond on that.
Prof. Alteras is a good professor and he's interestingly funny.If you just take good notes and do the readings and you have a shot at doing well in his class
bad professor, thinks hes funny i have no clue why and teaches nothing, if you do the essays you learn a little but he just spends class laughing at himself and telling dumb stories. im interested in history not this garbage
MMMM MMM YESS YESSS...IS ALL YOULL HEAR OUT OF THIS FRENCHMENS MOUTH. HES HYSTERICAL, EXPECIALLY WHEN HE SAYS....THE MASSES ARE ASSES, TAKING OVER THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. GREAT TEACHER, UNDERSTANDING, WRITE A LOT OF NOTES, AND BE PREPARED TO WRITE AN ESSAY ALONG WITH 5 SHORT IDENTIFICATIONS. TWICE.
He's a very good lecturer, also has jokes up his sleeve. He definitely knows what he's talking about. Two extra credit papers, two essay on the final and a few paragraph length definitions. For the exam, it's difficult to decipher EXACTLY what he wants because he always gives so much bg info when lecturing.
Not terribly concerned about students. He's lively and has a sense of humor. I found most of his lectures interesting, and I'm not a history person. Don't expect to get past WWI. The tests are all essays and short response, if you learn the material and write for the entire test time you should be fine. Goes into a lot of detail in his lectures.
Who ever wrote that Alteras is a good professor is addicted to illegal substances. To put it short he is confrontational, looses track of thoughts and an extremely harsh grader. You can take classes with him at your own risk but remember this review at the end of the semester. Its your funeral!
He rambles the whole time and laughs at himself. Not the best history professor but he knows his stuff inside and out. He's very biased in his grading so be prepared to present convincing arguments. His accent can get in the way so you'll miss important names and places at times. If you're an European history buff, take him by all means.
Horrible profesor!! All he says is "mmmmmm yeeesssss" and is utterly useless. His grading is extremely biased and half the time he wont even put in the effort to read them. This class is an easy B but he doesn't give out A's. This is one of those professors that have been teaching way tooo long!! AVOID!
This guy has been teaching way too long. From what I hear he used to be amazing but in his old age hes defiantly lost it. He doesnt read your exams, which is evident by his arbitrary comments on the paper. This guy ill really screw your GPA because all he gives out are B's two A's out of 40 people were given. AVOID THIS LUNATIC IF YOU CAN!!
Dont just look at this guys overall rating. If you look at the trend you will see that this guy has been slowly loosing it since 06. He doesnt give out A's so dont expect them. But he gives virtually everyone a B or a B+, unfortunately he doesnt read the papers so it doesnt matter how hard you work its more of a crapshoot. Dont take this crazy fool
A little hard to understand and gives a couple of short 2-3 pg assignments on the readings...Midterm and a final...he grades very leniently so for that reason you should take him, but personally i won't take him again
Very bad experience. Started out strong, and the lectuers seemed somewhat interesting. Got very bad, very fast. Especially after the first test. Grading is extremely difficult, and you're expected to spit out a huge volume of information. He also loses track of his thoughts often, is easily irritable and blurts out in French. He does know his stuff
He obviously knows his history, but his class was close to useless. He rambles on for hours and can get very off-topic. We did not get through WWI but were responsible for information through WWII for the final. He often trails off and starts muttering to himself. The previous comments about his favorite phrase, "Mmmm yesssss," are exactly right
ugh most boring teacher ever, he has an accent and speaks so low you can't even understand him he says "mm yess" after everything and he walked out for like 40 mins durring our midterm .
Not an easy A. Terribly conceited. Terribly boring. Drones on the entire class. Two exams; both essays and identifies. Always wants more detail than you give. (But he did give a few A's). Also course is called Modern Jewish History, but he doesn't get past the Holocaust. A lot of 1800's enlightenment, ghetto emancipation, persecution.
Not as cold hearted as people make him out to be, you don't need to go to class just study from the book and you'll be fine. I went to three classes,didn't do the assignments, barley studied and i got an b had i put in a little effort i would have gotten an a
He's rude and demeaning, and what's more important, seems to have next to no interest in teaching history. Don't take this class for an easy A, or to get a good grounding in modern European history. Overall, not recommended.
I don't know why Alteras has such a bad rep. It is very possible to get an A in his class (I have gotten two from him) if u know how to deal with him. First off, class participation is HUGE. If he knows u care, u are far more likely to do well. Also, don't worry about the midterm. The grade is based almost entirely on the final.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS UNLESS YOU ARE A HISTORY FREAK!!! i ignored the warnings bec it fit my schdule and my requirement and i ended up with a C-!! his tests are essay only and grades them very harshly!! i heard from someone'i wrote down word for word what he said, memorized it & spit it back' so if thats ur thing go for it
Even if you know history better than anyone in the class he will find a way to bring your grade down> you are not going to learn a lot from him, he will talk about everything but the essential. Try to avoid him specially if you care about your GPA
Do yourself a favor, do not take this class. As simple as that....
Alteras, is a good professor. Just don't come to class late you will interupt his monolog and he sometimes kicks people out of class. Take notes, study them along with the books and you will do fine.
He tends to preach about religion sometimes more than teach the subject and if you don't share his opinions he doesn't like you. Just study the notes and you'll do fine but if u don't like history, don't take him hes not clear.
Intense lectures. He likes to make jokes and laugh at them. Overall you'll learn lots of material, although you will probably have to read the text to truly understand it all. His arrogance can get to you though.
not the easiest class ull ever take...u HAVE to study for the midterm and final- no the info! hes an ok grader but def try to stay on top of the notes and reading
Pure lecture. No discussion at all, even in graduate level classes. He expects you to just memorize all the info and repeat it on the exam.
Funny guy. He is really entertaining, but tends to ramble or talk under his breath. Only take Alteras if you don't care about history.
You can never hear him when he talks, he gives you random papers that he doesn't list on the syllabus, all in all don't take him if you want to know whats going on. Oh and he spends half the semester covering about 30 years of the French Revolution and some of Napoleon
This man is terrible. AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!!
Very boring and hard to understand. Skim textbook before midterm and final which are in essay form. Barely took notes and got a B+
His class is not hard, but the way he teaches is extremely boring. He gave me A- even though I aced the midterm and final and attended all his lectures. I guess he is one of those professors who give you A- because he doesn't like you.
Great professor! The book is much easier to comprehend trough his classes. He helped me a lot to get the important key facts and I also enjoyed the class full of interesting events. He is a great narrator!!!
I enjoyed his lectures very much. He is a great narrator and it makes you feel like you are somehow a part of those events as everything is so clearly illustrated. This is a great professor for who enjoys interesting history lectures. Best professor! Totally recommanded
He walks in every day and asks "does anyone have any questions?" Please do the readings so you can ask something. He'll give a really long answer but it'll be helpful. The textbooks did not help me at all, but listening to his lecture did, a lot. I aced the tests with just my notes. He doesn't cover the whole syllabus - less to study! :)
DO NOT TAKE! Boring lectures, gets off topic, and at times hard to understand. Nearly impossible to get an A. HORRIBLE PROF.
Honestly, if you value your GPA don't take this class. I thought it would be an easy A and it was the complete opposite. Had no clue what he was talking about in class, got off topic and grading is definitely not clear.
I took him for summer 2015, this guy was amazing! I took so much notes, not that it was required by him, but for my own knowledge. I was amazed with his lectures, he's very informed. I learnt so much more than this class required, he's simply an amazing narrator. Just don't talk in his class while he's lecturing and take notes to help you with exam
Prof. Alteras is past his prime. Lectures are unexciting, underwhelming, very slow, boring, in fact. Course is billed as "History of Modern Israel," but while a lot of time was spent on origin of modern secular Zionism at the end of the 19th century, we never got past 1948-49, with the establishment of the state and the War of Independence..
There are only a midterm and final with 2 papers. Do well on those and you are set. All you have to do is write whatever he wants to see. He will write your essay is excellent if you have some french terms in there and make it look believable. His lecture is boring, but they really matter. Also, read the textbook if you want at least a B.
If you like lecture, I would def recommend him, but he encourages participation so if you like active discussion, don't be discouraged. He's been at QC for 30+ years. Lectures are really good. He is EXTREMELY knowledgeable. Research paper and in-class final. He's a fair grader. I got a B+ and usually get A/A-. The final threw me off a bit :(
If you aren't a history major, this is not the class for you. Alteras has a foreign accent and mumbles. Gets off topic a lot. Class was supposed to cover 1945-1991, but he only got up to 1962! Midterm, final, and 10-page research paper. Textbooks can be sources for the paper, but you don't need them in order to ace the midterm or final.
Professor Alteras is a very genuine grader. I received all B+ for all his exams and paper. He only requires a 10 page paper which is due at the end of the semester so you do have the entire semester to prepare for it. He does not give review sheets for midterms and finals. Yet his exams are fairly easy. Attendance isnt mandatory
He does not know how to teach! Don't take his class! He talks and walks so slow. And also he says stuff in French sometimes so watch out.
Many complain he is too old and slow. It is a slower paced class but he knows what he is talking about and knows so much. You need patience and love for history for this class. He does expect a discussion but overall it is not a hard class. Show up and write what he says not what google says and youll be fine. he is understanding if you give chance
Class is 2 exams, research paper. The subject isn't that complex, he provides more insight then the readings he assigns so you should probably go to class. He cares about the subject, wants discussion but will just lecture info and complain a bit if it doesn't happen. He won't cover the entire time period so that makes it even easier.
Great professor if you want to understand the early Cold War period. Lectures a lot but has a wealth of knowledge. I found myself learning so much just by showing up to class from his deeply through lectures. He's happy to answer any questions. Maybe be a slightly tough grader
Professor Alteras is a LEGEND He would always say YES YES YES He is very knowledgable with history of the Cold War and can talk about it all day long He would cancel class if he forgets his glasses He sleeps during the class sometimes He comes to the class when he wants and usually late so dont worry about being late He walks slow with his cane
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
30%
Textbook Required
92%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.03 avg changeRatings by Course
160
5.0
(1)HISTORY102
5.0
(2)HISTOFZIONISM
5.0
(1)ACE
5.0
(1)HIS236
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HIS000
5.0
WHATEVER
5.0
HIST0007
5.0
HSTRY102
5.0
HIST116
4.8