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He is a great professor. He is very interesting and his exams are challenging but pretty well written if you study enough. But there is A LOT of reading. 4 books/long articles worth. But the class is fascinating.

Interesting class. 4 Midterms, almost solely based on the reading (and there's a lot of it) but as long as you follow the reading study guide question for question you should have absolutely no problems in the class.

Go to class and read. Thats all there is to his class. All multiple choice and straight forward. Easy going and interesting lectures. Not a bad choice for upper division GE

interesting class, john is a little dry in his presentations but knows his stuff!

He makes the course very straight forward and hits upon very pertinent and interesting topics. Attend lecture, read, and study from his study guides, and you will have no problems.

Good guy; wears goofy hats

Interesting lectures for an 8am class and he shows good documentaries. But beware-Some exam questions are very tricky. 4 MC exams, each approx- 70% from reading, 30% from lectures.

take as many classes you can with him. He doesn't beat around the bush with boring lectures. He's to the point.

Great Professor and Class! Quite a bit of readings though. If you go to the study sessions with his TA's, they help narrow down what to study. Highly reccommend this class!

Great teacher. Knows his stuff, and very well. Great sense of humor. And is very easy. Best teacher I've had in Davis, along with David Osleger, Norma Lopez-Burton and Virginia Creveling

This guy is awesome! He makes class fun and interesting, trys to relate topics to current events. His tests are MC and easy. Just go to class and do the study guides and you will be fine. I highly reccommend him. Oh yeah, he's funny, too!

very smart, very nice. to the point. tests are easy as long as you do the reading. everything is straight from the book or lectures. a good deal of reading but interesting. if i had to take another 8am id take it with him

This class is so easy and interesting. Just study the review questions he gives to you. His test questions come the review questions, a little bit from lecture notes, and several from films. He showed great films during class. Easy A/B.

Interesting material. His study guides are helpful, but don't rely solely on that... go over lecture notes before the exams. He's a cool guy... verrrry Liberal.

An overall awesome teacher. Made four-hour lectures interesting. His tests are STRAIGHT off the study guide, so very easy. He is an exceptionally clear lecturer, always provides examples, very intelligent, and has a good personality too. An easy and interesting A!

one of the better profs at davis for cmn. to get an A, just do the study guides. very nice and easy to approach. a little liberal, but a very interesting lecturer.

i went to class and did the reading and went over the study guide and i pulled a C. other people that did nothing got better grades on exams! I guess u just need to know how to take his exams (they were tricky). He is a good lecturer and the class was fun and interesting.

study the guides, attend lecture and answer all the questions... you will do fine

Very intelligent professor! Talks a bit fast at times. He is interesting, but it would help if the class was not at 8 am. Use the study guides, answer all the questions, and do all of the reading, you should be able to pass the tests.

He likes to hear himself talk!!! The lectures only slightly suplement the readings, and the readings are 70% of the test material. Do the study questions and you'll be fine.

One of the more easier classes I'll take @ UCD. The tests are derived from the study guides which come from the reading (which was easy & informative). He covers some of the more important stuff in lecture & has videos to show as well. Some videos can be disturbing though.

He's an awesome teacher, and his subject/reading material is very interesting and always current.

His lectures are very interesting, but you can miss every one and still pull a decent grade if you do a little reading. I attended out of enjoyment. Highly recommended.

lectures can be dry, and he sometimes injected his own political bias into his commentary (the class was on media bias), but overall he was a good teacher.

Good classes. Interesting subject material. He does sometimes throw in his viewpoint, but what teacher doesn't? It always comes through one way or another, either in lecture or chosen material. Theobald always has interesting, relevant reading material. I thought his classes were great. Changed the way I view media and our society.

Great Professor! Lectures are interesting and relavent. you learn a lot!! Great class, Theobald rocks!

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Lectures had there boring moments; but he is a good teacher overall. Plus his tests were REALLY easy

He is a great professor. I missed a whole bunch of classes but still got a decent grade (classical notes). His lectures can get boring, but he always cuts class short. Most test questions are fair some get pretty tricky though all questions are multiple choice.

FRS: Science and the News. Class was fun and interesting.

Very interesting way of teaching communications. Makes really relevant and fun off topic ideas and then weaves them back to the goal at hand. Handles everything politically correct but not to the annoying extent. Love his lectures, and even more than he ends them early by 10 to 20 minutes on occassion.

Theobald is an awesome communications teacher. He knows his material and his test are straight forward if you do the readings. I have taken a few cmn teachers and he is one of the best at ucd, in my opinon. He needs to teach more classes so college life will be more enjoyable.

I heard a lot good comment about Theobald before i take him.They are wrong, lectures are super boring and long.His tests are not that easy. you can answer 30 of them in no time but the other 20 require serious studying and attend every lectures. I dont like his class but he is still easier than other cmn teacher except for creveling!

Grow up people! Theobald is an incredible lecturer, especially when compared to his counterparts in the comm dept. The ideas that he presents in class, along with the readings, were refreshing to ... not at all boring! As long as you do the study guide, you can still get a great grade... and you just might learn something too!

Tests were fair if you went to lecture, took notes on both the videos and other stuff. Do the study guides that he provides. However 4 hour lectures are a little too long.

Theobald is the best in the Comm Dept. He presents interesting material that chllenges the way you think, and he is very SEXY!

Some ppl like him and others don't, I did not. When he lectures I can't seem to find the beg to the end. He put bulliets on the board but if you can't keep up with his semi-mono tone you'll get lost. His test are ok I suppose. He's study guides are long and time consuming. Don't take two of his classes at a time.

this guy is one of the greatest charismatic professors around. Just listen in lecture, keep up with the simple readings and do the study guide, and you will come out fine. The presentations help your grade a lot.

My third class with Theobald and he is still awesome, interesting, and a fair grader. Take him, you won't regret it!

taking him for 101 this quarter because i like his way of preparing you for the test. everything is in his lecture notes and study guide--do it and you're fine

A great professor, it's obvious he cares about his students and can relate to them easily. Just go to his classes and you should easily earn an A or a B. A wonderful professor.

easy class. lectures are not very interesting. the study guides give all answers. shows a few films, questions from films are on tests. go to class, do study guides.

Very easy if you attend class and answer his possibly lengthy study guide questions. Exams come quickly (since there is four midterms, no cumulative final). However, he curves fairly and is an easy "A" or "B" if you follow my suggestions above. Very approachable with questions or comments.

This guys has shown pure greatness once again, there isn't once class, that I have taken with theobald that hasn't been great. Make sure you fill out the study guide though..or you will be lost on the test.

He's great: he's very approachable, clear in his expectations, and gives interesting anecdotes and examples. If you want to do well, you must come to class and fill out the study guides. He's genuinely interested in his students and what they have to say. He also always gives credit to other people's ideas that he uses in lecture.

Theobald is a great professor. This class has 4 tests, he gives out a study guide. He is hillarious to listen to and he makes class fun. Take this class! Guaranteed pass

I think some ppl dont like theobalds style, but i personally looove it! he just walks in w/his superfood and starts talking in a way that feels like ur having a conversation. relaxed, yet very cohesive and fluid lectures w/ occassional bullets and main ideas on the board. very interesting material. do the study guides and u'll be fine!

He is a fairly nice man. Freshman seminar was dull, but it was not hard to get a "pass". All we did was watch movies and be bored to death about "peak oil".

He is hard and I def wouldn't take 2 of his classes simultaneously. You have to apply yourself, study, do the study guides and go to class, but it's not impossible to get a good grade. He also grades [almost all] exams on a curve. I'm taking him next quarter again for another class. Fascinating, smart, approachable - & I think he's hot! :)

I find the material interesting, but his lecturing style is stale and boring. Seems like a nice guy but he's just so dull. Fallen asleep in that class like 4 times and I'm only halfway through the class. I mean, he's alright but I don't look forward to his classes. the only time I'm interested is when he plays movies. Interesting stuff, boring guy.

This is one of my favorite professors at Davis. I have always looked forward to his lectures. I'm taking as many classes by him as I can. He makes you try to think differently. Extraordinarily intelligent man. Take his study guides seriously.

I got a C- in the class and I am still giving this guy a great rating. Raises extremely interesting, relevant, and current topics during class discussions. As an engineering student, I just didn't have the time necessary to devote to studying to get a good grade. Midterms and final aren't straight forward. With normal studying, a B is attainable.

took his fresh sem abt collapse. easy. basically just watch movies, and listen to him babel on. one group pres and one essay. both super easy. dont really need to pay attention. if need 2 unit filler, good course for it!

This is one of the best professors in Davis. If you don't want to read your reader and fill out the study guide then don't bother taking the class. If you want to learn and be entertained by an extremely good looking man who is willing to step out of the box and teach you practical stuff... TAKE THIS CLASS. Also he will do anything for his students

Theobald is a nice guy and has interesting lectures about 75% of the time. I don't really feel like I learned much after completing the class but it was still interesting. The 4 midterms are tricky, but as long as you read, you won't have problems.

Study guides extremely helpful for tests. Lectures are understandable and follow a logical format. He is nice and seems to like what he teaches. Understand what you read and make notes during lectures even of videos shown in class.

Interesting class, comfortable lecture style. Tests are heavily based in readings, but he provides comprehensive study guides. With a few hours of studying, and regular attendance, you can easily get an A.

Good class. Theobald is a great lecturer and keeps the 3-4 hours interesting. He tends to focus on the media as it related to his interests like energy and overpopulation. Your whole grade is three 50 question multiple-choice tests based mostly on the reading. Answer all questions in the study guide and pay serious attention to it ...

Very laid back style of teaching. The class doesn't have much discussion, primarily lecture. The exams are based on the readings and class notes. He's not tricky on the exams, but does ask specific questions. Interesting class in terms of understanding the chaos that is happening in the world.

His exams are based on reading! lectures are mainly used for showing movies. Exams are tricky, but he curves!

First 1/3 of the class was the most difficult for me because it focused on politics, but after that the topic switched to campaigns involving environmental issues, which I liked. Attend lecture, remember the titles of the videos he shows in class, do the study guides, and ask questions during his pre-exam review sessions.

Extremely laid back, funny, and very knowledgeable on the media and his favorite subject, peak oil. Go to lecture (mostly movies anyway) and do the readings and study guides, and you'll be fine.

He is hands down the best Communication professor at Davis. You do have to go to class and there is a lot of work but he makes it as interesting as possible. He is extremely clear and so are his exams. If I could take all my CMN classes with him I would.

Intersting fellow. His class is pretty different then any other CMN class I took before. He implements a lot for video into his lecture to explain the material. Gives clear lectures and helpful study guides. Got an A!

Interesting professor....he uses a lot of videos in his lecture to discuss the concepts he is explaining. Liked him a lot. Just make sure you dedicate enough time to study. Got an A!

what an amazing professor. i've taken all of his classes. He is not a typical 'by the book' professor; you have to attend class to get anything higher than a C. he's passionate, which turns some people off. if you want to learn something about life, take his classes. tests are 70% text q's. do the extra credit for a boost.

One of the single best, experienced, professors in the dept.

HES MY FAVORITE TEACHER AT DAVIS! Such a nice, smart guy! Really knows what he's teaching. BEST CMN TEACHER AT DAVIS, learned a lot and even enjoyed going to class!

I love professor Theobald. He's super knowledgable about every class he teaches and gives concrete evidence for concepts. He genuinely wants students to do well.

He is very straight forward. Three exams- 50 questions. Gives 2 points extra credit. He makes the topics interesting. Would recommend taking him! Go to class and read the book and you'll do fine.

I'm not so good about Finance but with Theobald it is very clear. i won't say simple but you can easyly got B

Good class! Although it feels more like economics (without math) than communications. He is interesting and shows a lot of videos! You must read to pass the class. 3 tests and 3 opportunities for extra credit! His teaching style is kind of like he's on a Ted Talk. It's funny when he mentions his ex-wife Virginia. Would recommend!

I love Theobald. He's a great professor and I learned so much from this class. Get ready to read interesting books. I can't recommend him enough.

Read & do study guides - grade is "easy" to get as long as you do the work.

I love Theobald so much. I took 148 with him over the summer and had such a great experience that I decided to take 146 with him fall quarter. I received A's in both courses; just fill out the study guides and take notes in class and you're guaranteed an A. Very easy class and wonderful professor.

NO HW, grade is three multiple choice exams (fifty questions each). He provides study guides, and you must do them to have any chance of passing. The material is very simple, but the exam questions require that you fill them out, and even then, you must have read the books (three total). Overall he's awesome, just don't expect an easy A or B.

Theobald does not make the class very difficult but you do have to do the study guide and read the books he assigns or else you will not pass. It is doable to read all three books. I would highly recommend him as long as you have the time for it because it is not an easy A. 3 multiple choice exams.

This is one of those profs where you have to show up and do the work. If you do, you will have an easy A. He literally gives you study guides with the exact questions he's going to ask about the book reading. Lectures can be LONG but you must pay attention because nothing's posted online. Good lecturer and EASY tests as long as you put in the work.

The class consists of 3 exams, mc & offers extra credit(make sure you do it!) gives you the study guide on the 1st day of class for readings, make sure you do it & understand his readings b/c he doesnt go over them in lecture, its totally on you, must attend lecture b/c itll be on the exam, good class, not too difficult, just READ & STUDY!

Great teacher. I took his four hour class and it was pretty interesting. Tests are based on curves (most of the time) so even if you get a B on the test you might get an A in the class

This class was very simple. Three MC exams, about 2/3 of the questions came from the readings and 1/3 from lecture, and they were usually curved. Exams are easy so long as you thoroughly fill out the study guides he provides. Lecture was long and could get dry at times, but we also watched a lot of movies. Theobald was very nice and accessible.

He didn't teach the class, it was taught by several professors as an introductory course to all topics. Get ready for a lot of lecture watching, quiz taking, and discussion posting. The term project was strange and didn't add any learning value to the course. TA was incredibly helpful. It's fairly easy to earn an A if you put in the time and effort

I received over 100% score in this course so I cannot understand those negative comments. CMN 10V is one of the most useful and inspiring courses that I've taken in CMN major. It can help you gain a basic overview of Communication in different fields and help you find your areas of interest. You will do fine if watch all videos and read readings.

it's a lot of readings. but as long as you do what is asked, you are going to pass the class.

Not sure why so many people bash the professor about how he manages the course. The material is simple and the assignments are clear on what is expected. He didn't give out a study guide, but he clarified what to pay attention to in the readings. Barely devoted a few hours per week and still got near 100% thanks to three easy extra credit chances.

The exams were a bit difficult. The class overall was not too bad just based of 2 exams and participation.

This guy was actually a good dude. Exams were curved heavy because he knew they were a bit challenging. Lots of reading but super interesting topic that I didn't think I would like this much. Not many assignments but keep up with reading.

Nice professor and he always replies to my emails very quickly every time. This course requires a lot of reading, and the exams are multiple-choice questions.

Despite his ratings for 10v and 3v, Theobald’s actually a great professor when he cares about the course. He created this course so he talks about interesting and relevant information while also showing good movies every session. It’s a must take for people interested in journalism. Theobald’s super nice and always easy to reach.

Lots of people give this professor a bad reputation simply because they do not fully read through the instructions he sets for the course. He lays out everything in a very organized matter. The only thing you need to do to succeed is watch the assigned lectures, do the corresponding reading and pay attention to instructions.

Thought this class was pretty well organized and found the material to be overall very interesting. As long as you take notes on the lectures and memorize the key terms from the textbook you will do well. Had an overall good experience in this class! It's definitely a lot of busy work but it is manageable.

He is really not as bad as everyone makes him out to be. His Piazza attitude is just... sour. I spent about an hour each week doing the weekly assignments and skimming the readings, and I was able to do well. The final exam is harder than the midterm so prepare for that.

People complain WAY too much about Theobald for CMN 3v. He answers things very quickly on piazza, is clear about how to study for exams, the expectations of the class are normal, put in some effort, do assignments on time and study. Grading assignments depends on your TA. Bro literally curves the exams so much. He's a fine professor.

The grading was very clear and it was a easy online class that I highly recommend. Very good professor and teaching staff.

Ez class, there are two weekly quizzes apart from the weeks where there is a research article (1-2 pages), and some weeks there's a discussion post. weekly quizzes are based off online lectures and tests are mainly based on the book. dont be intimidated, as long as you turn in everything, watch the lectures and read the books, youre good.

I took him for a seminar, nice guy you could tell that he acted for the job, one group project and some discussions.