This teacher ROCKS! He makes the class interesting and is very helpful!

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Very good teacher. He knows what he is talking about, very inspirational. He is a great person to talk to in and out of class. He is a very admirable man.

Jim is awesome! He really cares about his students and is always there to help. He makes subject matter that is normally boring very interesting. I would recommend him to anyone

Great teacher! Grades speeches a little harshly, but is very clear about what he wants.

Jim is one of the greatest professors I have had in college! The class is challenging, yet a lot of fun. I definitely recommend taking any speech class from him.

Bonstein is an articulate and well spoken man. Not bad to look at either

He makes boring material rather fun to learn, with great projects and fun group work. the guy is an awesomely smart teacher.

One of the best classes I've had here at Merced.

Mr. Bonstein was one of the best professors I've had. He is very professional and really knows his stuff! I would highly recommend taking required communication classes from him. Lot's of time working on preparing my speeches, but I really feel I earned my grade.

Great teacher. Helps you overcome your fear of public speaking. Would definitely recommend

Great teacher. I had an 18 min speech adn still came out with a C so I would say very fair. Good guy, good humor. take his class. Not terribly hard but surely fun and rewarding.

GREAT TEACHER, VERY NICE LOOKING WHICH KEEPS YOU INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT.. VERY CLEAR WHEN SPEAKING.. HOWEVER TEST ARE A BIT CONFUSING IN THE WORDING..WOULD RECOMEND TO TAKE HIM!!

This guy is a no bull-crap teacher who just "gets it." He reminds me of Jim Rome from ESPN's Rome is burning and 94.1 talk sports radio; he also really looks just like Jim Rome.

Awsome teacher. He allowed us to understand communications by participating instead of leturing the whole time. I recommend him

Despite him failing me in my first semester, I would have to say that Jim Bonstein is the greatest Communications teacher ever. I took Hobbz, I took Bergquist, I took most all of them- I suppose I would know. You only have to do two speeches and they are so paint by number that you can't possibly fail yet you learn so much. Oh and yeah, I did a kick arse "How to make a Dental Dam" speech. Jim gets my highest recommendation EVER. EVER. EVER.

This guy knows his stuff! I hate public speaking, but all he requires is two major speeches so how bad can it get right? He helps you get over your nerves and he gives you all the essentials to be confident in your speech. Plus he'll keep you laughing in class so it never gets too boring!

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He really helped me get over my fear of public speaking! He will help you in any way he can! I usually hardly ever show up to a class if it's that easy...but I made a point to go every morning because I loved that class so much! I'm so thankful I took that class! I'm not saying the other teachers aren't good, but he is probably the best to take...

great guy. very funny, very intelligent. had him for comm 1 and i had a blast. great guy!!!

Great Fun. Has a sense of humor, and is easy going, but expecs great things.

Jim is the reason I decided on Communication as my major. Insightful, approachable, intelligent, articulate, (insists you refer to him by first name-if you are comfortable) as well as comedic. I have since left Merced College and still remain in contact with Jim and respect and admire him for all that he does for his students. Keep it up Jim :)

Great Teacher, loved the class and the course work. We created a game in a group and presented.

This class was fun. If you are nervous about public speaking you may not want to take it. There is a lot of work, but if you put in the time it is fairly easy work. The challenge is just getting in front of everyone.

Good guy! Great teacher! Makes class fun!

JIM IS AN AWESOME TEACHER IM CURRENTLY IN HIS CLASS AND ITS SUPER EASY IF YOU DO THE WORK.ATTENDANCE IS HELPFUL HE DOESNT REALLY STRESS ON IT MUCH BUT IF YOU DONT WANT TO READ THE BOOK GO TO CLASS HE GIVES ALL THE INFO THERE, NOTE TAKING IS LIGHT.DO THE WORK & YOU WILL BE FINE. CLASS IS FUN HARDEST PART IS SPEAKING IN FRONT OF EVERY1.SO GOOD LUCK!

Grading criteria is specified and explained clearly before hand and he only grades on those specific points. 2 Major speeches and 5 easy quizes. Points are deducted for long speeches. Very helpful.

Bonstein is hysterical and brilliant. He's fair to his students, especially to those who are making an honest effort to learn his material. The class is fun, it's comfortable (except for presentation day). But don't argue with him. His words can burn you to a crisp! :)

Good teacher, explains good and he makes it easy to learn. By having him record your presentations and giving the video back to you is really helpful so you yourself can see your presentation. Easy to get a "B" but extremely hard to get an "A" in his class.

I thought he was a good teacher with a lot of jokes and made the class fun! Worked on all my speeches the night before and got B's on the major ones. Haha!Easy class, last speech was supper entertaining and fun haha.

Excellent instructor. Super hilarious. Constantly joking! Keeps class laughing and entertained. Clear on assignments & his grading. Quizzes are simple. Speeches are a lttle nerve racking but it's interesting. Teacher was great. I'd totally recommend him to anyone^^

he is a great instructor. there are group projects that are a lot of your grade. the material is difficult to understand and you may need to ask for clarification. jim knows his material though. the tests are very hard and a lot of studying is required for them

Entertaining and funny, but I guess he should be considering his field of work. He's surprisingly compassionate and willing to work with you if you are dealing with personal issues. Always willing to help as long as you ask. Quizzes are easy, but its very difficult to receive an A on a speech.

u need to study the text really good to pass the class u have a few papers to write but the tests will make or break u ur final project is to create a BOARD GAME with a group u have to meet alot and ur group will affect ur grade in the project u have to put up with some students that dont care and will affect the project in a negative way

Loved this class. He's so funny

I loved taking this class with him. I was interested in it, but still nervous about public speaking. He makes the room inviting and he's funny. You do have to read the text, which is used for all tests and quizes. He's really helpful and very nice.

Jim is an amazing teacher. He can capture your attention and keep it. The speeches were easy for me to get an A but the reason i got a B was because i didnt study to much for the quizzes. The material seems very simple but Jim makes the quizzes a bit tricky.

Summer "2012" 3 weeks class fast pace. 2 Major Speeches which included research. 3 Minor speeches. 5 Quizzes. 2 writing assignments-self critique and a pre-speech assignment. Need to buy the book, helps with the quizzes and writing the speeches. Overall the class wasn't hard. Time consuming writing the speeches. Felt like a English class.

Jim is such a good teacher. I used to get extremely nervous speaking in front of people to the point where I would stop breathing! But he makes you feel really comfortable before the major speech and it helped a lot.He is always willing to answer any questions you have! Take him and only him for public speaking!

Jim is a great instructor. Very helpful and very knowledgeable. I would not miss his class because he makes it interesting and the time just flies by! :)

very good

Jim is a good instructor, he makes the class entertaining. He does a very good job at preparing and making you feel comfortable to stand in front of the class and give a speech. Especially for night students who work during the day, he's a great teacher who will keep your attention and really does his job "teach".

Great teacher, keeps me from daydreaming. Didn't want to miss class because I actually liked it. Learned a lot about public speaking. He kept us entertained and interested in the course.

He is unfair on his grading, it is very difficult to get an A in his class and will probably bring your gpa down. He makes his class seem so difficult when it is not, he just makes it super hard to get an A. I would pursue a teacher that wants to reward hardworking students with an A, not discourage their efforts simply to make the class hard.

Good professor, very easy

Jim Bonstein is such a great teacher! He has a sarcastic sense of humor, but it is honestly so great! This is a class where the teacher genuinely cares about you and he will make an effort to know your name by the second week. If you can get him, you should!!

All of you complaining it was hard getting an A in this class, good luck at State or UC once you get to university if you plan on transferring lmfao.

Jim was very funny and appreciated the students who put the time and effort into his class. I learned a lot and really enjoyed his class!!!!

Mr. Bonstein was an awesome teacher! I was very nervous about taking a speech class, but his sense of humor made us feel comfortable. He is very straight forward and lets you know what exaclty he expects!

He is great instructor explains well. The quizzes are pretty straight forward so I did not really need the book. Lectures are fun the time flies by quick . He is funny and he is very helpful probably one of the best teachers. Just show up prepare for speeches and you will be fine

I'm taking him this semester. I admit...I was not looking forward to taking this class at all. However, this class is fun and it's so mellow. He's a really funny guy..I always love his stories! 2 major speeches and 3 minor ones. As long as you do well on the speeches you will do fine. Quizzes are easy as well. Overall, great class!

Comm.01 Overall a great professor. Attendance is important. He explains and is clear on his lectures. Easy to follow. He makes public speaking less of a fear. I learned a lot.

took com 4 which is group com most of the time we just met outside of class with our small groups he put us in to work on a game group project which was due at the end of the semester. rarely took notes because we barely had class except for test and maybe 1 slide of notes then group work. overall good teacher but knicks you on the small stuff

Honestly one of the best professors at Merced College. If you need this class, PLEASE TAKE BONSTEIN! I get excited for class! That is how exciting his classes are. This man loves his job and is very passionate about it. The vibes from his passion generate throughout the class and it makes the class that much more entertaining. I recommend him!

He gives good feedback on speeches and is clear on what he wants you to do. Just study for quizzes and put effort into your speeches. I would take him again.

Mr. Bonstein is AMAZING! I was so nervous taking this class, but Jim made it so easy because he makes the environment so much fun. Granted no matter what you will be nervous on speech day. Just take notes and read the chapters and you will pass with an easy A. All tests are simple and straight from his lectures and chapters. Final is a lot of fun!

Professor Bonstein is the best! I was scared to take this class but this turned out to be my favorite. I at times forgot I was in class because he makes it so fun its like its story time with Jim. Best Comm professor take the class with him and if you don't you will regret it. 3 minor speeches and 2 major ones and quizzes you will pass if you try.

The group project is to design a Board game. This teacher is kind to students with disabilities.

Professor Bonstein is probably one of the best professors I have had at Merced College. His level of passion for communication is remarkable! If you're looking for a great professor who you're actually going to learn something from, i recommend Bonstein. He challenged us to be passionate about what we communicated to our audiences. Loved his class!

One of my favorite classes! Never thought I would say that about a public speaking class. He will tell you exactly what he is looking for in speechesC and is ready to answer any question and help in any way he can. Just pay attention and put in the work and you'll be golden in his class!

He is the best teacher you could possibly have for a communications class! He understands the anxiety that comes with public speaking & really helps you break out of your shell. His goal is to give you confidence in speaking. Personally, I don't hesitate to speak anymore & presentations are no longer a dreadful experience. TAKE HIM! Thanks Jim!

I took him for summer school it is 11 days . Although he is tons of fun and a great teacher, you have to do two 6-8 min speeches with 6 references. If you are taking him during any regular semester that is not a heavy work load however for summer not so much the case. So get ready to work you butt off for those 11 days. Final, there is no final !

First off, he looks like Dr. House and he's hilarious! Hands down one of the best professors I've ever had here, he speaks loud and clear. He's easy to follow (easy to take notes) and you definitely won't find yourself falling asleep during his lecture. He works hard to create a comfortable and friendly environment to help with your apprehension.

Mr. Bonstein is one of the legends at MC! I had a situation where the registration office failed to register me in his class, however, even with a full class, he was very understanding and managed to get me in. The class I took was a 13 day condensed class, and it was one of the hardest things in my life! Be prepared to work on the 4th of July too.

I was so nervous about public speaking but Mr Bonstein makes it fun and easy. He is one of the best professors at Merced College from his funny personality to his compassion for his field, I highly recommend Bonstein for any Communication class!

Professor is definitely easy on the eyes lol. I learned something in this class that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and that is how to communicate. How to stand up in front of people and say what I need to say. He is inspirational and just an all around awesome guy who loves what he does and motives all of his students!

Gave a better, universal understanding on public speaking. Bonstein really guides you, so as long as you do the work you should pass.

Great professor, does notes on PowerPoint. Easy A if you take notes when he tells you too. Everything on notes is on exams. You have to do a semester board game in groups and a final presentation. Last day you just play board games. Great class !

This professor is so funny and you will enjoy everything in his lectures. He is worth your time and makes class time fly by.

Bonstein is very funny. He is clear on what he expects from you. Hes very good looking too which made paying attention that much easier.

I loved Mr. Bonstein! I was so nervous on taking this class because I hate public speaking, but it turned out great since you are with a group and you only have like, 2 presentations which is nothing. Mr. Bonstein made class super fun, he's super funny and he makes class go by super fast. Also, make sure to read the textbook before every exam!

Professor Bonstein is hilarious. He shares his experiences with the class about his journey to public speaking. He definitely guides students in the class who is willing to learn. He's a great professor!

Professor Bonstein shows you how to become more confident about speaking in public. His humor makes it easy to talk to him and to pay attention during lectures. Great professor to take if you can get into his class!

Mr. Bonstein is by far the funniest professor Ive ever had. He makes a terrifying subject, like public speaking, really fun and enjoyable. Hes really clear and easy to understand when explaining things. The wasnt a single time the class wasnt laughing during one of his lectures. Definitely recommend!!

Professor Bonstein is a great communication teacher! There is 5 quizzes and has lots of true/false questions, which im not good at! But they were still easy. I got B's on all my quizzes. There is 2 major speeches, and he records you on the first major speech. I love to talk, but not infront of people I don't know. But it wasn't bad.

Mr. Bonstein really made me understand why I chose Comm as my major! His class was always interesting and he was super funny! His lectures are great and his quizzes are solely based off his lectures and a few things in the textbook. He will tell you the day before the quiz what will be on it!

I took Mr. Bonstein for a once a week night course that was from 530-820pm. He is super funny, the class is so easy. Has like five quizzes which he specifically goes over prior, otherwise two minor speeches and two major. So pretty easy. Only negative is he is SO REPETITIVE. the class could easily take less time but he goes over everything repeate

Mr. Bonstein is a GOAT. He seriously has such a calm demeanor about him, hes super chill & really helped us prepare for our performances. I was super intimidated when I enrolled into this class, but it easily became one of my favorite. Hes very clear of his expectations & had a way of calming us all down about performance apprehension.

I was so impressed with what I learned in this class. The content is very beneficial, Mr. Bonstein's classroom lectures are impressive and there is never a dull moment in class. This is one class where you won't be bored. I strongly recommend this class to someone that wants to be challenged and have fun. Great feedback on student work!

As a comm major, I've taken quite a few comm classes, and Bonstein by far, is one of the top professors I've taken! He is funny, real and very inspiring. You definitely leave the class with more knowledge for personal and social life settings.

took his class for the summer. very fast-paced but very organized class, he is clear on what he expects from his students and in their speech. funny and caring prof. truly cares for students who is in a hard situation. textbook required for quizzes and for speech. 2 major speeches: informative & persuasive. nice and honest professor.

In my case, this course was a month long online course. Because it was such a small amount of time, the coursework did feel heavy, but if we had more time, I wouldn't have an issue with it. The lectures were easy to understand, overall a very good professor you can talk to.

I had a lot of apprehension coming into this class. Public speaking is not easy for me and I worried about doing well. Professor Bonstein is straightforward about his expectations and provides ALL THE TOOLS necessary to earn an A. The only reason you will not do well is if you don't try. Read the material and text and listen to the lectures.

Professor Bonstein is a wonderful professor because he actually cares about what you have to say. He is also so understanding and great at communicating, obviously.

Very fair instructor. Not that many assignments and all are fairly easy, hes accommodating as long as you communicate with him.

Professor Bonstein is one of the best teachers I have had. You will only have two major speeches to do throughout the class and he ensures that you have all the right tools to succeed. His lectures are also very engaging and funny which is hard to pull off with an online class. Definitely recommend his class!

Such a great professor, I always had many questions about our speeches (we had only two), and he went above and beyond to help. He gives great feedback, but is also considerate when things go wrong. He's definitely a professor you can trust and talk to because he doesn't give monotone responses. Take Bonstein if you are given the chance!

Every class was hilarious. Professor Bonstein is good at unpacking material, I feel as though I learned a ton. Be ready to put a good amount of time, research, and practice into speeches. Besides the speeches, the class doesn't take too much free time away. I would highly recommend this class.

Really nice and interesting guy, he clearly enjoys the science of communication and he's very in-depth within his lessons. He provides numerous examples that relate to his lesson and is very receptive and understanding of any questions or concerns.

I highly recommend taking Professor Bonstein's class. For all introverts, please don't be reluctant to take this Communication class; he allows you to record your speech and upload the assignment onto Canvas at your convenience (within the deadline, of course). He gives excellent feedback and responds quickly to emails.

GREAT professor! Recommend 100% he is very easy to talk to he is very clear makes things nice and simple for students to understand. Depends on YOU, if you're going to put an effort in your speeches and if you study for quizzes. There are only like 5 quizzes the entire semester and they're multiple choice!

This class was great. There wasn't a lot of work and as long as you studied, you would get good scores on the quizzes. In addition, the speeches (you only have two) were fun and the professor gives you a lot of time to prepare and plentiful examples to get inspiration from. He also gave amazing feedback.

This class is for public speaking; taking this course online is NOT the same. If you want to improve on your public speaking, grow up & take it IN PERSON in front of a REAL AUDIENCE. Don't weasel your way through this course online. It's very easy to record & delete your speech videos until you think it's good enough. In person is the real deal.

Easy class great teacher. Lengthy lectures but funny. Def not the same online. Clear instructions and easy to talk to. He wants you to pass, assignments are to help you prepare for speeches and make it easier to present. Can be scary, but easier to present alone than have to depend on random people in group comms where you'd still have to present.

Easy class, it's smaller so it's more focused and flexible. Mostly independent work but he wants to see you do well and help where he can. Good feedback. Can only miss 3 classes. Great professor. Gives all of the answers in lectures to help the written portion, and gives feedback on performance. Easy to talk to and reachable, super understanding.

Great teacher, he is funny and will help you when hes free. He responds quickly to emails and will help you as best as he can. when he does test reviews he goes over 50% of test stuff then the rest is on your own. His clas is great and it is SIMPLE!

Not really any homework other than to read, but if you don't, you'll be ok. The lectures can drag a bit because of his stories, but they're funny, so it's worth it. Do good on the quizzes, they'll help you out and they're not hard! He emails you back quick and offers great feedback. I don't think he's too tough on grading. Anyone can do great.

I didn't receive an A but that was hands down one of my favorite classes because the Mr. Bonstein was so excited to teach and had the most awesome stories to tell us. This is hands down one of the best professors I have ever learned from at Merced College. I highly recommend him for anyone that wants to take a communication course.

Clear instructions and interesting lecturer. Gives good feedback. I look him for public speech and oral interpretation. If you put in the work, you will do well. Would recommend.

From someone who HATED public speaking, I am so glad to have taken 2 comm classes w him (oral interp./ public speaking). Course calendar is a life saver, gives great examples with past students as well. Pretty laidback and talks about his personal life but still stays on track. Will stare u down if your late. would not recommend missing classes

- He gives great feedback on assignments and speeches - Properly prepares you to succeed in assignments, quizzes, and speeches. - Precise and clear on what he wants - All-around great professor and is very accessible to get in touch through email or class messages.

If someone told me 18 weeks ago I would successfully deliver multiple speeches in front of a classroom. I would've never believed them! But this class helped me face that fear and very glad I took it. If you want to pass make sure to attend lectures and take good notes. He is a quick grader and replies fast to emails.

He always had funny and compelling stories to tell during lectures. Grades assignments pretty quickly and provides helpful feedback on speeches. He understands how dreadful public speaking can be and he helps to relieve that nervousness. Overall, he's an amazing professor, and I highly recommend him

Professor Bonstein grades generously. Start working on speeches 3-4 days beforehand and you'll be good. The grading system is different. Every assignment affects your grade the same meaning your grade is based on overall points. Every assignment matters because of it. Prioritize quizzes (5 in total) and majorspeeches (2), they have the most points.

Professor Bonstein's COM01 class is a great option for improving public speaking skills. While the lectures can drag at times, his feedback is excellent and the assignments are manageable. I found Unstuckstudy helpful for speech prep alongside the textbook resources.

This is a good professor to take if you want to improve your speaking skills. He does not offer extra credit, so don't miss out on points by not turning assignments in. Tests are from lecture and book chapters. You will give 2 main speeches (6-8 minutes)and 2 short (1 minute). If you show up, participate(and read the book) you'll do good.

Amazing professor! Very funny. Gives helpful feedback and provides helpful advice when you're struggling. There's very few assignments for the entire semester so make sure you try your best in all of them and you will pass the class.

He's a professor who knows what he is doing. All of his assignments/quizzes are easy with clear instructions, just have to do your research and study. Do not miss lecture, he will drop you if you do not have a valid reason. 2 minor speech (1 min) and 2 major speech (6-8 min). Really entertaining way of giving examples in lecture.