2.3
Quality3.4
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake84
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
84
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
84 total ratings5
11
4
9
3
15
2
18
1
31
What Students Say
“His class was so boring”
SOC1 - 1.0 rating“Mackey's (the South Park Guidance Counselor)”
SOC - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.06 avg changeRatings by Course
SOC3
5.0
(1)SOCIOLOGY1
3.3
(6)SOC
3.0
(2)SOCIALDEVIANCE
3.0
(1)SOCIOLOGY35
3.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
SOCIO1
5.0
SOC3
5.0
SOCIOLOGY
4.8
SOC
4.0
SOCIALDEVIANCE
4.0
Reviews (83)
Hard to follow, gets lost in his own little sociological world. Closely resembles Mr. Mackey's (the South Park Guidance Counselor). Time to throw in the rag dude.
though it seems that he makes sense to himself, he's hard to follow. a nice guy, but he should be gardening
has problems communicating. his speaking seems random and seldomly coherent. his writing is worse. don't bother with office hours, he just refers you to the handout he types for you.
The very best sociology class I ever took - including UCSB where I transferred to and am shortly graduating from - too bad more aren't like him.
He is really nice and helpful. I really enjoyed his class. He gives quizes, test and a paper. His tests are multiple choice and he grades really fairly.
No Comments
i couldn't even make sense of the syllabus. he makes no sense at all and i ended up dropping his class due to the confusion. he is very hard to follow and the study sheets are similar to solving algebra equations. he's a sweet old guy, but i think he might want to consider retirement.
Very confusing. Very hard. Very confusing. Very hard. Very confusing. Very hard. Very confusing. Very hard. Very confusing. Very hard. Very confusing. Very hard.
I think understand anything that he talk about and I am all lost. Don't take him! he's very suck.
He's great! Take him.
All I understood was Verstehen!!! Everything else I purposely forgot. He was really nice, but really old and it's hard to follow a lesson when he continously stutters.
He is such a sweet old guy
He was a nice guy but as a teacher he wasn't that good
THE MOST BORiNG CLASS i HAVE EVER TAKEN iN MY ENTiRE LiFE. CLASS MADE NO SENSE WHAT SO EVER AND NEiTHER DiD HE!HE'S A NiCE OLD MAN WHO'S ABOUT 100 YEARS OLD BUT GRADiNG iS TOTALLY UNFAiR! EVEN iF YOU GET ALMOST ALL THE ANSWERS RiGHT ON HiS TEST, iF YOU DO
boring and his assignments were hard and he wasn't very clear on directions
I though that he was a good teacher and he was very nice. Its the students wha are just coming out of high school that make his job difficult. I really enjoyed his class.
Does he really have to bash and attack islam in every class he teaches?
He is a great teacher. i took him my first semester at ccsf. he gives a lot of quizzes, but they are so easy. He is so nice and helpful. i failed the first test and got discouraged, but he let me do extra credit and i ended up getting an A. i'd recommend him..
whoever wrote that is an idiot and shouldn't be in sociology. He uses it as an example. I am Muslim and even I know that. Stop taking things out of context and grow up. He can be difficult and his lectures run on and on.
No Comments
Gives a lot of extra credit, he's a cool guy.
His class was interesting.Knowledgeable teacher,can get VERY enthusiastic at times, which is very hilarious.He is helpful,but I find that he grades unfairly on the mideterm paper.You could do bad on some of the quizzes;nothing below a D though, and do relatively good on his tests,ace his final and you'll get an A.
easy if you just read key terms,and the page their on, and show up for quizzes! him as a person hard to stay interested b/c he is old and the way he talks isn't very inviting and engaging!
i have to say that, Mr. Truitner is not a very interesting teacher, and his class is not even fun..BUT.. i think it is easy to get an A because all you need to do just study the vocab. he gave u, and study his review before the test, and you can do whatever you want in his class, then you will do fine... remember, dont argue with him....
VERY EASY TO GET AN A IN HIS CLASS!!! BUT HE IS VERY EMOTIONAL. STUDENTS CAN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE HE GETS ANGRY EASILY IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH HIM. EXAMS ARE MUTIPLE CHOICE/ QUIZES ARE T/F / ONE TERMPAPER
It's a very easy class...but he has days where he's extremely pissed off at the world and takes it out on one or two people. i was yelled at and kicked out of a test before for absolutely no reason other than he chose to hate me from the beginning. oh and his stutter is ANNOYING. he needs to RETIRE.
This teacher talks for the entire time that the lesson is going, doesn't like to answer questions, and is not a good teacher. Please consider another soc 1 teacher.
No Comments
I'm a sociology major and man, this class stunk. He's not a bad guy and he knows his stuff but he isn't a good teacher. Take Nishimura instead. Truitner goes over class time every day, lectures right out of the book and takes roll on a clip board. I feel like I was right back in high school agian. I didn't learn anything in this class.
No Comments
This is MOST BORING class I ever!! Every class period, I felt that I was wasting 1 hour and half of my life. Majority of the class is completely confused. I did not learn anything from him. I urge you not to take his class
this teacher is hella boring he be puting the class to sleep zzzzzzzzzzz... you dont learn nothing dont take the class
No Comments
No Comments
He's a great teacher! He never gives homework and he gives so much extra credit that you can get a final grade of A from his class after getting 66% in midterm and %73 in the final exam.
Test/quiz questions are tricky, and his explanation for the term paper was vague, resulting in almost the entire class getting low grades on it. BUT he offers TONS of opportunities for extra credit, (participation, attendance, and more). If you do that, you should have no problem getting a high grade, even though the class is boring and tedious.
His class is pretty easy just as long as you listen very carefully because he tends to be confusing and the lessons goes beyond what it's suppose to. Make sure you take notes on everything he says. Review the vocab sheet and there's quizzes once a week with 10 Q's(T or F) some q's are tricky so be careul! JUST READ YOUR BOOK! He gives Ex-credits to
THE TEACHER IS NICE, BUT THE CLASS IS PRETTY DIFFICULT AND BORING. IF YOU LIKE SOCIOLOGY I RECOMMEND IT, BUT IF YOU MISS TOO MANY CLASSES HE WILL DROP YOU. YOU HAVE TO READ A LOT TOO. THE QUIZZES ARENT BAD IF YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
Don't bother. Take my word for it. He is the worse teacher ever. I took his class and received a D. I then retook it and got an A. Professor Jessica Sabalboro is the ONLY Soc teacher that is worth taking. Please take her. You'll definetly learn and love comming to class.
LISTEN ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! You are in danger if you take this teacher. Please, please, please, take the one and ONLY Professor Jessica Sabalbaro. If you don't you will get a terrible grade and most important you will not learn anything. All he does is talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
James Truitner's class is somewhat easy just as long as you pay attention and read the books. His class can be boring at times, but he tries to get the class involved as much as possible. If you participate he appreciates that very much! Although, Mr. Truitner can go off subject at times, he is very passionate about sociology.
Mr. Truitner is great. He structures his class so that you know exactly what's up. I learned a lot and it's incredibly easy to get an A in this class, all you need is a half-way decent brain. He tends to misunderstand students' questions, and is occasionally a bit of a tool. Not on purpose, he's just on a little bit of a different wavelength.
He's a very nice teacher and is very easy to understand since he has all the lesson organized and let you know ahead of time whats going to happen.. I highly recommend that you take his class.. =D
Mr.Truitner is not that bad as everyone is saying. Just as long as you read the books, come to class, and try and participate (given in any class) you can get a good grade. He gives extra credit for attendance and if you participate, he gives you plenty of opportunity for extra cred. All in all, he is cool in my book.
He is nice guy and is very knowledgable about soc. which can make the class a bit confusing. He tests on extra stuff that is not in book and usually does not make it very clear. Lots of opportunity for extra credit. He goes off on things that are not related and makes class frustrating.
I had this guy for just a month until I withdrew from the class, I'd rather take the "W" then learn nothing, and according to other people, maybe even fail the class. He's cranky and goes off on a tangent all the time. There was a day where he just went of towards the class for not knowing a definition of a word, or at least not HIS definition.
I was worried at first because he seemed boring but the subject matter is interesting and he is really passionate about it. He really knows what he's talking about and its a really easy class bc there is so much extra credit opprtunities. You cant sit back and expect an A, but you dont have to work super hard either.
I regret not dropping this class. Truitner needs to have his teaching evaluated because it is horrible. He does not even learn any of his students names and can not relate to them at all. You wont learn anything by coming to class, he is in his own world and will go off on the class for not being there w/him. He doesnt give hw except a research pap
i think this teacher is alright; he gives lots of extra credit if u read the book; but other than that; this class is set up that you HAVE to do well in the exams. term paper; and final. There are a total of 2 Exams; 1 Final; and 1 Term paper.
STAY AWAYYYYYYYYYYYY. if you want more information about him IM me on aim; sighmeoh22; i got a B in this class but i had to work my butt off for it. i would have had a 4.0 GPA this semester if it wasnt for this class.. trust me. stay away
It is not an easy study class! You will have to know the definition within the definition to answer his test questions. I got a C just becuase I was unable to study very much. He gives you points for attendance, participation for Angela's Ashes. And you are able to take make-up test over and over again-know the definition well!
It's a very difficult class. Make sure you study your ass off for the tests. The good thing is that he allows you to retake any test. I got a 67 on my first test but retook it at the end of the semester and got 110. Theres a lot of material, so know your stuff.
I am currently in his class and I do not have a good impression of him at all. Like others have mentioned, his class lectures are boring and he will keep you in class until the last minute. He is aggressive with his students and he told a student today that she could not use the restroom because that is a "game" that high school students play.
I want to major in sociology and this was a bad first step!!! don't know what to do now.. I want to dropp but i can't. The class is really boring and 90% of the time I have no idea what he is talking about, until he refeers to the book then i can follow THE BOOK. We had the first test and I have no idea how he came up with 83 questions.
what's it called when your brain begins to decompose while you're still alive?? this teacher, nice old man, has turned the topic of social deviance into a bunch of indiscernible jib jub. he's pefect for typical lazy, fat college students who want to sleep or txt msg during class. i've only gone to class maybe once every two weeks and i have an A.
This teacher is a joke. pure joke. I also want to major in sociology buy he isnt a great example to follow. He tends to be very bias and ignorant during class debates in which it seems as though your debating with him instead of your classmates. He also has an ego problem. I would never send my regards to this teacher. NEVER!
Dude, I got a B in this class but he has no idea what year he's teaching in. He is not self aware of his ignorance. He knows sociology but he's too into himself. He's trying to compensate the fact that he's a bad teacher by showing he knows a lot. Taking his class was like taking a sociology class taught by Mr Burns from the Simpsons.
I thought Mr. Truitner's class wasn't that bad, but my term paper did screw me over because I was constantly receiving A's and B's on my exams, but failed my term paper because he didn't understand what I was saying, but everything was from what I learned. He's very ignorant, but his exams are all on terms. Easy if you're a terms exam taker.
The man is brilliant. Honestly, my class was overflowing at the beginning of the semester and by the end, we had maybe 10 students. People drop because the class is very difficult, but so interesting! Some would call it boring, but you definitely have to have a deep interest in the subject to really appreciate it, because he can teach you a lot.
Are you kidding me. This guy is a joke. The whole point of being a professor is to teach people, he instead likes to show off how much he knows. Wasted a good three month in his class
awesome subject, awesome textbook, but terrible teacher! if you're really interested in the subject then take the class at another school with a better teacher or just read the textbook since its a text-based class anyway. don't waste your time suffering with this old fashioned egomaniac. worst teacher I have ever had in my life.
nice material met with horrible teaching. here's how to get an A: just memorize the vocab with its relevant paragraph info for quiz / show up to class to get extra credit / just memorize the vocab definitions for test / attempt the essay excr. he grades harshly on essay, but you'll surely get an A this way, just like I did =/
DON'T take this class if u want to learn something. DO take this class if u want to b bored to death, watch an old guy dance around, hear about demons, and have a multiple choice test with 3 answers.
Had him a couple of times. If you belong in City College, do not take him. If you are intending to transfer to a UC school, get used to his style of teaching. They expect you to be motivated, they expect you to take initiative, they expect you to interact inside and outside of class with your classmates and teachers. Do that, and you will learn
BORING! If youre interested in sociology DO NOT take him. Rambles on meaninglessly. 90% lets us out a couple minutes late. Gives study guide with 100+ terms/names but only tests you on less than half. Be forewarned - he will call you out if youre talking, studying for another class, or doing ANYTHING besides paying attn. Good news is %60-79 is a C
most student think he is hard but yeah, if you dont study hard enough,,,the finals is so hard,,,and you need alot of effort to read the book...he's nice,,,but super not really easy...
Easy.... I don't know why people are complaining. You can literally cheat in his class, because he doesnt even watch you take the test. He sits there and looks at his table. Hell, if you're not a cheater, then you can just bs everything, because passing his class with C B or A is very possible. Don't listen to the other fools on this page.
He is very biased and boring. But it's easy to get a good grade from reading the book. Just do'nt pay attention to him he's a grummpy old man, whatever you do do not get into an arguement with him, no matter how right you are.
This class is very easy. Just read the book and you'll be fine. Also pay attention & take notes because it helps on the exams. He grades on a scale. Most of this stuff is basically everyday life stuff with fancy names attached to them.
This professor basically expects you to teach yourself out of the book. His lectures have little to do with his exams. He doesn't teach analysis, but expects you to be able to do it. The grade is 5/6 exams, 1/6 term paper. Some extra credit opportunities, but not much. He's hard of hearing, and confrontational with some students in class.
I got an 'A' in his class my first semester at city but def. rude at times and very argumentative. I almost dropped at one point cuz he was that annoyin. Easy class though..just read the book yourself and prepare for the quizzes and tests and you'll be good. Don't try to go off of just his lectures.
I got an 'A' in his class my first semester at city but def. rude at times and very argumentative. I almost dropped at one point cuz he was that annoyin. Easy class though..just read the book yourself and prepare for the quizzes and tests and you'll be good. Don't try to go off of just his lectures.
stopped going to class cuz he was sooo boring! cant understand ANYTHING this old man says! goes off topic about 95% of class time. easy to pass tho, just sign your name before class on his sign in sheet and read the book yourself. ADVICE: dont take this class if you actually wanna learn sociology!
DONT TAKE IF YOU CAN, I would even suggest going to a different school, if need be. The class started with 50+ people and at the end maybe 23+. I'm not sure why he is still teaching because he is not very interested in helping students. I believe he changes the grades on test to make himself look like a better professor not for the need of students
What a waste of time (both his and mine)! He told the class from the get-go that since the textbook didn't agree with HIS views, we didn't necessarily need it to pass the class. His lectures had nothing to do with the content of the class. Hands out wordy rants in 8pt print that don't apply. ALL OVER THE PLACE!
I walked in his class eager and ready to learn and after a week it was down hill from there. Class lectures were more so on the syllabus than terms. He told me to shut up because I asked for clarification and he dropped me once he discovered I didn't purchase the class book and was sharing, easy class though as long as you have it. Pay him no mind!
His lectures do seem to drag on about a single subject, but otherwise he's a great teacher that challenges his students to learn. Pretty funny guy, gives pretty good extra credit, but he's very set in his ways. Just don't expect him to put up with your BS like sleeping in class. Most of the neg reviews are prob. from high school kids anyways.
He seems to be very set in his ways. I found him to be argumentative and rude. He started an argument with me when I asked for an add code & syllabus! He may have a deep understanding of the field, but that means nothing if he can't translate that to the students without belittling them.
Please stay away from this professor. I got an A in the class only by killing myself every week by attending his class and listening to his lectures. HE DOES NOT TEACH! He thinks he knows everything about the subject and only his way is the right way.
I was ready to hop out the window in this fool's class. I was well out of high school & excited for sociology when I attended and decided to DROP! He just lectured & read long handouts of his free writes on some random topics. He's obsolete. I switched to R. Ancheta on Saturday's at Mission Campus just to get what I knew I could out of Sociology.
His class was so boring! He just keeps talking and talking. His class was somewhat difficult because you have to read the book. The way he explains each chapter is confusing. Take my advise, don't take this teacher!
He will make a student leave the classroom if he catches them texting on the phone. Not recommended for students that easily fall asleep in class, and his lectures can be wordy.
Jim gave me my undergraduate training as a sociologist, converting me from computer science to soc. His office doors are open to all students who wish to ask questions, and his knowledge set is formidable. Read the textbook, apply the sociological concepts while reading the novel, and use his study guides. FYI, Jim won't take your BS in any form.
Class Info
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.06 avg changeRatings by Course
SOC3
5.0
(1)SOCIOLOGY1
3.3
(6)SOC
3.0
(2)SOCIALDEVIANCE
3.0
(1)SOCIOLOGY35
3.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
SOCIO1
5.0
SOC3
5.0
SOCIOLOGY
4.8
SOC
4.0
SOCIALDEVIANCE
4.0