2.3
Quality3.4
Difficulty35%
Would Retake216
Reviews35%
Would Retake
216
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
216 total ratings5
19
4
36
3
37
2
34
1
89
What Students Say
“If you need an easy teacher to take POLS 206, this is NOT the teacher to take”
POL206 - 1.0 rating“Lectures are more helpful than necessary”
POLS206 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
21%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.61 avg changeRatings by Course
206
2.7
(3)POLS207
2.7
(3)POLS206
2.6
(118)POL206
2.5
(55)POLS327
2.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
POLS
4.4
POLS327
4.3
206
3.7
POLS233
3.4
POLS206
3.3
Reviews (214)
No Comments
Just go to class and take notes. Only bother reading the stuff he does not go over in class. If you do this it is an easy "A".
No Comments
Not a good prof. Very conceded
I never went to class except for test days. he tells u in the beginning that there is no way to make an A if you don't attend, but i am proof that u can. i hate poli-sci, but i just read the book that he wrote and made easy a's and b's on the tests
very smart. has an ego but has room for it. not sure how fair he is. doesn't always treat students like students. pretty difficult, but that was my first college class.
He's a good professor, but he goes into lots of detail in class that's not relevant for the exams. It's difficult to choose what he says that will be on the exam vs. what is in his textbook. Very interesting though- I hate history, but I actually enjoy going to this class!!
not a good prof for political science
Professor Bond is a very nice man OUTSIDE of class. His tests are ok....only if you read the 200 pages he assigns you to read. The only grades he has are 3 exam grades and that is it. No homework to help boost your score or attendence grades. The final is the third exam, so really only 2 exams and a final. I wouldn't take him again.
Never went to class, just read his textbook (he wrote it) and you'll do fine on the exams. Only 3 exams total and he has a built in curve for each (Example: first exam was 60 questions but the grade was calculated out of 55)
Lecture is a waste of time. Most of it is drivel. He tries to be funny sometimes, and that makes his lecture better. However, this class should be a gimmie and he makes tests unreasonably hard, especially since he usually doesn't cover most of the material seen in his tests.
Absolutely bombed the first test. I thought since he wrote the book, his notes would parallel that, but studying just the notes will get you a D. Second test, I actually read through the chapters and highlighted important things, went over the notes and highlighted topics before the test and made an A. I did the same for the final.
Never liked his class. Still do not like his class. He has the same boring jokes and they aren't funny. Only 3 grades in this class, and all are tests. Wouldn't recommend his class to others.
You need to read the book as well as attend class. His tests are difficult, but study and you will do fine.
This is not an interesting class at all. He talks the whole time and it is almost impossible not to fall asleep. His tests aren't the hardest in the world, but they are difficult to study for. I stopped going to class about half way through the semester because it was pointless.
Worst class that I have ever taken at A&M because of the prof. The material isn't too bad and he basically spoon feeds you material in class, however he is extremely boring and in my opinion a very poor teacher.
I would stray away from this prof. You have three grades the entire semester: 3 tests. And they are all difficult. Reading the textbook is pretty much mandatory for a solid grade. This is because he wrote the book! He expects you to read it all. He is boring and puts students to sleep. The way he teaches is not engaging at all.
You have to read the chapters in order to make the grade. It's not necessary to attend class because he lectures straight from the book. It sucks, but if you read the chapters and study the vocab, you're guaranteed an A.
Read the textbook and take notes from it, take lecture notes. Use the textbook website he gives in the syllabus and go to the study sessions. There are 4 non cumulative exams. Use study blue dot com for references so you see how the questions are worded, test questions can be tricky. Don't underestimate this course. Read!!!
Lectures are so boring!!! He wrote the books just read that.
Attendance is not required. He says you won't pass if you don't go, but if you read you'll be fine. He is rather arrogant. There are only 2 tests and a final, so you HAVE to do good on tests or you're screwed.
read and take notes from book. He gives an overview of the notes in class BUT these are just overviews and studying his notes alone fail. Tests come straight from book. made a 65 on the first exam (didn't read all the chapters) and a 90 on second exam (thoroughly read all chapters) barely went to class. Don't take if you don't like reading.
Dr. Bond takes attendance, but attending isn't required. Lectures are dry & boring, bring a laptop to play games or do other hw on. He uses fill in the blank notes that you NEED for tests. The only grades are 3 exams. The key to an A in this class is YOU MUST READ! Its an easy A if you read, I got a 100 in the class. Also, beware of "quiz day." :P
This class is a very very boring political class. There are lots of notes to take and even more reading to do. The lectures themselves are pretty boring, I find myself messing around of my computer a lot. I definitely recommend taking notes on a lap top unless you are a very fast writer. LOTS OF READING
His lectures are very clear cut and as long as you attend class and read the book it should be very easy to make an A. There are 2 midterms and a noncumlative final. Tests have a built in cushion. He is a very nice guy and posts note outlines online.
There are only 3 test, so be ready from the start. READ or you won't do well! He wrote the book so a ton of his material in lectures and on the test is from the book. If you read and pay attention in lecture you should make an A (Learn from my mistake, I didn't read all of the chapters for Test 1 and got a C and I'll make a B in the class).
He is a really nice professor. His lectures are not really boring. He tries to make it easy for students to pass. He sometimes even says in lectures when something is important for the exam. He is funny in his own way. I would totally recommend you take the class. Read the book and attend class. If you do, you will get an A.
If you need an easy teacher to take POLS 206, this is NOT the teacher to take. The majority of the test he gives out are based on the book he wrote so basically he kind of forcing you to buy his mixtape. The class consist only of test and attendance isn't required.
There's only 3 tests! His lectures are super long. I'd advise you DONT take electronic notes! Writing your notes in a spiral makes a huge difference no lie. its a lot of material to learn! READ THE CHAPTERs or you won't pass. He tries to keep you interested and knows his lectures are boring but he's super nice. Just be ready to work for your grade
READ THE TEXTBOOK HE LITERALLY WROTE THE BOOK AND PULLS HIS QUESTIONS STRAIGHT FROM THE BOOK. I never went to class, like only on test day, and just read the book during the week it was assigned.
How to receive an A in the class: show up, take notes (laptop or notebook), use the book to get all of the definitions for the chapters covered on the test and make note cards out of them. I only used the book to get the definitions, easily 90% of the test was directly from lecture, the other 10% was from a reading assignments. Lecture little dry.
READ READ READ. Go to class and take good notes. Most of the test is from the lecture, and the only grades come from test. He takes attendance, but its not mandatory. BEWARE of "QUIZ" day.
His lects and jokes are dry, his book and lect are the same thing, he takes so long to lect and even at that he doesn't finish what he is talking about. He is a sweet old man but gosh dang is his class difficult (coming from someone who know nothing about pols) the book is big and $$$, take him as a last opt but do not recommend at all
Lectures and tests are straight from the book. The lectures are pretty dry but I would blame that on the content. I would still recommend going to lecture because it helps to hear and read the content as the book is dense. If you are good at reading textbooks I think you could get an A without attending lectures. He's nice and really likes the subj
Took this class for the UCC credit. He's a really good professor and he likes what he does. He wrote the textbook but tells you it doesn't matter if you get the older, cheaper edition. The subject matter was boring but he tried to make it interesting. Only 3 exams and no practice problems given so study a lot. Show up and you'll be fine, don't skip
Interesting lectures in my opinion. He literally wrote the textbook and the tests are heavily based on it but there are also questions specifically based on in class discussion. No graded assignments apart from tests. Has very strong political opinions and he doesn't hide them but I still couldn't tell you what political party he would support.
Only 3 tests throughout the semester. Does not offer any extra credit and the tests are your only grades in the class. Therefore, there is no room for improvement.
Tests are easy and straight from lecture. Only a few questions pulled from the book, which is really well written. Lectures are boring. Exams are graded with a built in cure which basically gives you a letter grade higher, kinda ridiculous but I'm not complaining. If you don't get an A it's because you didn't try.
You should receive and A on every test if you pay attention in class. Don't know why his reviews are this poor, he is the best out of the POLS 206 teachers and knows what he is talking about. He also has an interesting grading method that actually helps out a ton. If you pay attention in lecture and look over textbook chapter summary you'll do well
There are only 200 pts. with the first test worth 55 pts., second 65, and final 80. Tests were difficult if you don't study or wait till the last minute or study only his notes. Use book and notes to ensure an A. His lectures are quite boring but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Lectures are more helpful than necessary. Test consists of very specific questions from book and a few(2-3) questions about in-class discussion. Make sure to read the textbook, you can not pass the class by only going to lectures and doing the outlines. READ THE TEXTBOOK VERY CAREFULLY, DO NOT SKIP THROUGH BOOK!
There are only 3 tests with a built in curve for every test, but no extra credit. He's just an annoying person; loves to hear himself speak. He does do fill in the blank notes. Read the book--he wrote it-- the info will be on the tests. Study hard.
Even though the attendance is optional, I have 100% attendance for this class. Totally worth my time.
Bond is a solid choice for POLS. He has his funny moments, really knows what he's talking about, his lectures are interesting and engaging, and he literally wrote the book you use so everything you need is in there. Lecture attendance is necessary if you arent reading the book. Overall enjoyable and he's helpful with any questions that are asked.
He is the prof who almost made me sleep ever on the lecture. He is an interesting guy but provides a lot of information by saying rather than notes which is very difficult to memorize. Only 2 tests and a final would be there as a part of grading. Read the book he says and you shall succeed.
Ok so I wasn't going to leave a review bur I figured the most recent comments weren't exactly fair. Yes, the lectures are boring - don't go. However, you can easily just read the textbook (which is kind of funny and really interesting) and make a B. I made a C but its because I really didn't come into college with good habits.
Jon Bond clearly is very passionate about his subject matter, but his lectures are long & boring and he often goes off on a tangent. I stopped going to class after the first few and made an A+ on every test by heavily noting the textbook and reading over his outlines. If not going to class, the textbook A. Learn it.
Bond is a decent professor, but rarely gets his point across. His class is solely based on three exams, which aren't the most fair. Getting a B is possible, but you will have to rely on the textbook. Attendance is not mandatory, and in my opinion, they are worthless.
Only three exams with each one worth more than the previous one.
I took his class, hardest class for me. A lot of reading, I mean A LOT!!!! Only 3 exams that have a small built-in curve that can save you a bit they're just 5 extra questions.
Hes not the worst. I dont understand why he bothers to take attendance every class if he doesnt use it for anything. Study from the book. (Which you can rent for very cheap on amazon)
This class is really not bad at all. If you mess up on a test you're screwed tho bc there only 3 test grades in the class. Just read the chapters in the text book and take good notes and your fine.
Be there. Filling in the provided notes is important. They make great study material. Listen for directions on specific sections to read. Tons of reading, but the book (which he coauthored) has "Ten Takeaway Points" and "Key Terms and Cases" at the end of each chapter. In a pinch, you can study just those and do okay. The exams aren't super hard.
most information comes from his lectures but you do have to know definitions from the book as well
Professor Bond was so boring, so many students skipped class because it was unbearable. I would try to get someone else. I have taken other profs and there are a lot better professors than him. If you do take him, read his book.
If you skip the reading, but focus HEAVILY on the key terms and phrases at the end of each chapter you will do fine coupled with class/lecture notes. For grades though, there are only three exams and they are really tough, but this is a decent class all round.
His lectures are extremely boring and his tests are very specific. It's not too difficult to make a C, but you need to actually read the book and go over the outlines if you want to do well. He takes attendance but doesn't use it for anything and offers a small curve on each test. This class was way harder than it needed to be.
Nearly half the class q-dropped. If you dont have good study habits and dont wanna put in 12+ hours before each test, dont take him. You will work for a c or b in this class and dedicate your life for an a
He lectures about surface level material that is not on the test and makes it a point to rant about how idiotic he thinks the president is, but "that's his opinion.." You have to read an immense amount if you want a B or C, and on top of that, I didn't learn anything except political scientists are a joke and the profession is useless for society
If you are ready this, this means you either A. Have Jon Bond or B. Have been thinking about taking him. Either do not take his class. POLS 206 is full of easy content, however he maxes out its difficulty. There are 3 test and those are the only grades. The test are hard and take lots of studying. Get ready to study hard for a B, and slave for a A
I love Jon Bond. His class was interesting and the most educational I have had all 3.5 years I was a student at A&M. He actually cares and really loves the material he is teaching. He loves when you ask questions and is always ready to hear your side of an argument. There were 3 papers, but not to difficult. Exams were a little tough, but not bad.
Goes off on tangents more than he actually teaches, to the point where he didn't even end up having the time to lecture over all of the material and you're just left teaching yourself most of the stuff for the final. Take any other professor if you can.
Your grade is based off of ONLY 2 exams and the final. He adds 5 extra questions to each test for a "curve". He goes off on tangents and wastes time during lectures, but you need to go if you don't plan on reading the entire textbook. He also has made a couple jokes that have made me feel uncomfortable, and rants about Trump any chance he gets.
Jon Bond is terrible. Do not take him. If you do, there are only 3 exams, and each one is extremely difficult. He is a terrible professor and rarely goes over the material you need to know for the exam. I went to him with 40+ PAGES of notes and asked for help and what to focus on. His reply, "You figure it out." Do NOT take him.
This professor is more focused on the textbook he wrote than his students' success. Instead, of focusing on the general overview and purposeful topics in politics he focuses the questions on his tests to be specific irrelevant info from 1 line of text in 200 pages of reading . His class provides little opportunities for helping you get good grades.
He's pretty boring but as long as you actually read the book you'll do fine. The tests have a built in curve that boost you by a few points. He doesn't post his slides either so coming to class at least most of the time is a good idea, but again just read the book and that'll fill in the blanks.
He is left leaning straight off the bat. You must at least go over the book chapters because the only grades come from the tests. The class is pretty easy if you get the formula down for his tests. It really isn't that bad.
Dr. Bond is quite entertaining. However, his class is extremely time-consuming because the exams are based on his book (roughly 4-5 chapters per test, 30-40 pages each).
Very test heavy and tough wording. Must read the textbook
This guy is the worst professor I have taken at A&M. There is no need to make such a worthless class so difficult. The only C I have received in my 4 years. Just CLEP out of this class or take any other professor.
Does not really teach much in class just rants on certain subjects. Expects you to read 200+ textbook pages every test. The only grades are 3 tests.
He is an extremely kind man, but this class was very challenging for the wrong reasons. I don't mind the subject being hard, harsh grading, or even tons of readings, but I don't enjoy going to class and not getting the course material because he didn't talk about it that day. The majority of info I learned from this course was from the textbook.
Easily the worst prof I've had. Always goes off on a tangent and never gets through the lectures, although it doesn't really matter because tests are very specifically textbook based (4-5 chapters each test with 50+ pages per chapter). Only grades are 3 exams, no extra credit. Bond makes this class way more difficult than it should be. DO NOT TAKE!
Basically read the boring book and everything will be fine. I stopped going to class after he used our first test review time just to yell at us and I don't understand what he was even yelling about. If you are a student who comes to class to genuinely learn like me, maybe you would be frustrated he wasted your time too.
This dude is crazy, never have I met someone who is a college level professor who can take an hour and a half to teach a subject such as political science so shallowly and boring. You have to get his book and read if you want any chance at passing his 3 tests, which is literally all he grades. Nothing else. His test questions are misleading.
Extremely long and dry lectures, very long textbook, only grades are three very difficult exams with no opportunity for extra credit. The only two elements of this class are lecture and reading. Bond is not very helpful when it comes to questions asked during class, and the lectures are just reiterations of the readings. Just find a different prof
He doesn't post his class slides anywhere, so you always have to show up to class. He gets sidetracked easily and crams everything in the last 15 minutes of class. Your grade is only based off of three exams. Bond is not a terrible professor but if you have the opportunity to enroll in another professors pols class, you really should.
With most Political Science professors his class was pure indoctrination, it got to a point i started fact checking his lectures because the information was so bad. Questions on assessments are opinion based, and if you don't answer to his opinion its wrong. He through a pop quiz at the class and unfairly enforced it that counted at 1/8 final grade
he assigned us weekly Packback questions without proper instructions for completing them. the assignments started on Sep 6. and we didnt receive instructions until Sep 28. meaning if you didnt do the previous 4 assignments properly you didnt get credit and got 4 0's instead. theyre were only 12 of them and they were 30% of your semester grade
Unforunately because of COVID I wasn't able to meet him in person, but he seems like a good prof. Clear assignments, no surprizes, and easy enough to do well.
Watching the lectures and taking notes is all you need to pass the quizzes, use a quizlet for the Supreme Court cases, quizzes and tests are like the lectures and almost every assignment has at least a point or two extra credit chance. Doing weekly assignments is 30% grade and its not hard to do, but just check your email for assignments.
The WORST Pols professor at TAMU. If youre genuinely bad at history/government DO NOT TAKE HIM. He was very unorganized when we transferred to online. WEEKLY QUIZ thats 11 questions and 5 minutes long. You barely have time to think about the answer without time running out. He gives extra credit but its 1 point on each quiz and 2-5 on an exam.
worst professor i had this semester, unfair with quizzes and exam times. you have to buy the book if you wanna pass, hell make lectures but he just reads off the powerpoint and says to read the book. theres no reviews for anything, youre basically on your own
If I actually tried to describe how bad he is my review would get taken down. He basically started us with 4 0s by not giving instructions on something that is worth 30% of your whole grade which is more than each test. Might not even get ETAM thanks to this clown. Just get a different professor or don't take the class. Also he made the textbook...
Would recommend professor Bond. Lectures are posted to study as needed. Grade is a cumulation of packback discussion board posts (3 a week), quizzes (1 a week), and the 3 exams. Worst 2 packback and quiz scores are dropped. Watch the lectures, take notes, and remember to do the packback/quizzes and you'll be okay. There is some extra credit.
DO NOT ask this man to round up your grade or he will report you for academic dishonesty. Also, I have slept through every lecture that I attempted to watch on Youtube since he is so monotonic and boring, and just reads off whatever the slides say. I would take anyone else unless you wanna be stuck reading his book as your main source of learning..
Don't expect to learn much about political science from Bond. He abuses his class time as his personal political playground to push his own bias and agenda. Waste of time and money.
Do not take this class with Professor Bond. The exams have an astonishingly small time limit (45 mins for 70+ questions), and there is no leniency whatsoever in the grading. This is not a class that's worth taking with this professor.
Read his textbook... didn't like it.
He pretty much just tells you to look at Canvas, you will then be directed to the absolute most boring side of youtube for his lectures, learn how to use the 2x speed feature and it makes it sound like there is a glimpse of life in his voice. 2 weeks later you are given a 10 question quiz with a 5 min time limit. Then exams every once and a while
I would recommend taking Professor Bond's class, it was asynchronous this year so be prepared for that. He sends us lectures notes which are very detailed, but sometimes biased. Each quiz is 10 questions with 5 minutes each. Only 3 exams, but he gives us extra credit. This is college, exams and time limits are supposed to be challenging! Good luck!
I took the class but the lectures are boring. With it being online it was hard to pay attention to the lectures. There are Packbacks you have to do and I was passing just by doing those. By the time of finals that had brought my grade down and I ended up having to retake the class, but with a different professor!
Literally 0 grading leniency, he just pretty much says the class is too big so it's not his problem. He Grades simple assignments extremely hard and time limits on the exams and quizzes make it nearly impossible to finish with above a B.
I am currently in his pols206 and I regret it. I have to have this course and when I enrolled he was the last choice I had, so I should've known. His class is extremely difficult and frustrating. He gives 10 question quizzes with 5 minute time limits, and 60 question test with 35 minute time limits. He is not understanding AT ALL.
POLS 206 is not a difficult class to succeed in if you are willing to do what you signed up to do - attend lectures, work on your assignments, and invest time in studying before tests. Professor Bond gives good lectures and includes many examples of concepts (sometimes through funny stories) to make the material more applicable and understandable.
I currently have Mr. Bond as my pols 206 professor, and he is awesome. When lecturing, he will talk about examples using personal stories or news segments, and explain them further. He also uses a lot of Aggie terms when comparing terminology with the A&M culture.
This is not a challenging class, and it is designed so that you pass. If you put forth the effort, it can be fairly straightforward. Lectures aren't great. For both exams (60 questions) and weekly quizzes (10 questions), you have approximately 30 seconds per problem. Do not take him. It will not be enjoyable.
This class should have be a easy A but,when you have to answer 70 questions in 40 minutes it is hard. 10 question quizzes in 5 minutes. Have to know the question immediately off the top of your head. You take exams online so as each question loads you lose precious seconds. He puts a built-in curve, but it is practically useless. No grade rounding.
If you want a 5 minute time limit for a 10 question quiz every week and a 30 limit time limit for a 59 question TEST, this class is for you! The time limit implemented makes it nearly impossible to get a desirable grade especially if you take a little more time to analyze test questions. It extremely evident that he doesnt care for his students.
Hard to listen to, slow, questions are sometimes very specific. Very limited time to take quizzes and exams. A quiz every week (10 questions with only 5 minutes), a pack back assignment every week, and only 3 exams. Have something come up not covered by the guidelines? He doesn't care.
There is 1 quiz a week with 10 questions on it. You have only 5 minutes to answer those 10 questions. Everyone in my class would get so frustrated because you would usually end up with 15 seconds left on only question 7. He will not change this and is rude about it. The exams have anywhere from 60-75 questions and the time limit is 30 minutes.
Issues I take with prof Bond: impossible quizzes and exams where you are expected to answer questions two per minute, PackBack is required and it's just busywork he doesn't actually read, and requires his own textbook for readings. He also forces his own political opinions on his students which is incredibly unprofessional for a polysci professor.
77 questions in 40 minutes. Does not let you look over previous quizzes. Homework is easy but not useful for learning content. Easy to get a B in but nearly impossible to get an A. Does not round grade either. 89.9 will be a B. All multiple choice but hard to answer fast. Quizzes once a week. 10 questions in 5 minutes. AVOID HIM
Bond's class isn't too bad, its the stupid quizzes that get you. Bond's weekly quizzes are 5min to answer 10 questions, and the final was 45min to answer 77 questions. You have no time to think but have to speed run every assignment out end on time.
i started out pretty bad in this class, the quizzes were hard because you have 5 minutes to answer 10 questions. there are packback assignments every week but they are not difficult. i read the book and lecture notes and started to get A's on quizzes. he does however drop 4 quiz grades. i don't recommend taking him if you want an easy pols class
Government is my worst subject and the fact that I got a B is astounding to me. Yes his quizzes are 5 minutes for 10 questions and the final was 45 minutes for 77 questions, but the same quiz questions are used for all exams. Also the exams aren't cumulative. Go over the key concepts at the end of the chapter and study charts on the PowerPoint.
GO TO CLASS READ THE BOOK... If you are in this class I'm sorry... I spent hours reading this textbook and still barely made a B+ in the class. I was 4 points shy of making an A and the teacher refused to help me out. lectures are important to go over figures and charts, quizzes weekly.
The syllabus tells you exactly what you need to do. Weekly quizzes are the most difficult assignment as they are 10 questions in 5 minutes, however he only counted the best 9 out of 13. The class uses Packback which is an easy grade boost if you do it. The only other graded assignments are the exams which have the same questions from the quizzes.
Very little time to take quizzes and exams. No way of finding out which questions you got wrong/right.
DON'T TAKE THIS GUY UNLESS YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. Honestly, this class wasn't too bad. However, he is pretty stingy when it comes to grades and he won't make exceptions for you. His quizzes/exams are somewhat absurd, 5 minutes for 10 Q's quizzes. Exam 1 has 59 Q's with 35 mins, Exam 2 has 69 Q's with 40 minutes, Exam 3 has 77 Q's with 40 minutes.
I did very well in this class, but most of it was because I went over the posted PowerPoints and vocab outside of class. There are weekly quizzes, and even though they're not very difficult, you're unable to see which questions you got wrong. There are weekly discussion questions which boost your grade, but I wouldn't take him unless you have to.
This class honestly isn't that hard, he's just a boring professor. However, you can honestly manage to pull an A without ever going to lecture. I would recommend taking a different professor for this class. 3 exams and weekly quizzes. You also don't get a lot of time to take the exams (like 77 questions with 45 minutes). I never read the textbook.
Bond's not a great lecturer and he goes off on a tangent. But this class isn't as difficult as the masses say. The time is kinda tight on the quizzes and tests, but they're all in the lecture notes so it was pretty easy. I only used the textbook for vocab. No need to show up to class, just read the notes. This was definitely an easy A.
Lectures are monotone, focused on political bias and barely help with assignments. Be prepared to know the entire textbook because you do not get enough time on quizzes and exams to stop and think about the questions. No curves and no excuses taken by this prof at all. Graded on few things so don't miss an assignment
This class was overall very easy if you pay attention to lectures. there are quizzes every week that are 10 questions in 5 minutes but he drops like the lowest 3 or 4. same with pack back every week due on Fridays but lowest 2 or 3 were dropped. ONLY thing i didnt appreciate was the time on tests was usually very short so you have to read quickly
I enjoyed having Dr. Bond as a prof. There is tons of info on the slides (which are on Canvas) so it's great if you're bad at taking notes. There is a lot of textbook reading, but everything on the exams is taken directly from the slides and book so if you read/ study the exams are pretty easy. There are also weekly quizzes and Packpacks as hw
Dr. Bond was very smart and his class was informative, but lecture was pretty boring. Most of the topics covered in lecture were easier to understand if I just read the slides on my own. He says the textbook is mandatory, but most of the info on quizzes and tests were on the slides. I think I only used mine once.
Dr. Bond knows his stuff very well, but I thought his lectures were a little dry. Definitely a lot of reading if you keep up with what you're supposed to read, but I felt that the quizzes/exams were pretty easy if you just paid attention in lecture and reading.
This is one of the most boring professors I have ever had the honor of sitting though. He is also exceptionally great at going into highly politicized tangents where he spouts his beliefs for thirty minutes to explain a three minute concept. Incredibly boring lectures that are based upon what is a fundamental waste of time.
Complaints: 1. harsh time limits on quizzes & tests 2. annoying pack-backs that don't really correspond to what we're learning 3. very boring lectures- he often goes on tangents What I liked about this class: 1. tests are not proctored, they are taken online on canvas 2. lowest quiz grades dropped 3. attendance not mandatory 4. drops lowest PBs
Don't take him unless you really need the credit. Lecture is boring and you basically need to learn from textbook. Exams are heavy but it's time limit is super shorts. I'm almost failing and my friend is too.
Every lecture he posts is up in Canvas so you dont have to attend lectures. You have weekly quizzes and Packback questions that count for the majority of your grade, but he also drop the 3 lowest of each so you have a bit of a buffer. Not all of the material that the tests and quizzes show up in the lecture, so youll need the textbook.
The class itself is not hard, but Dr. Bond is sometimes hard to understand what he's trying say...
Bond is a pretty bad lecturer. I found myself constantly getting bored while I was in his class. This is an easy A no matter who you take, but if you want a teacher that is actually interesting to listen to then don't take Bond. Also don't buy the textbook. I went the whole year without buying the textbook and still got an A
Dr. Bond may not be the best lecturer I've had but he was reasonably good at what he does. Just keep up with Packback and about half of your total grade is secured, and you do not need to get his textbook to do well in the class.
Dr. Bond's lectures do run on the drier side, but overall this class is fine. He gives plenty of examples, which help solidify concepts, so it does help to go to class. Quizzes/tests have short time limits (5 minutes for a 10 question quiz), but all quizzes/tests are multiple choice, so it's not too bad. Packback discussion posts are quite easy.
Worst prof. Quizzes and test average about 30 seconds a question and closed book. You do not have to go to class, but if you don't, prepare to look over the lectures and READ THE BOOK. Do the packsacks required, it is 30% of your grade. There are a few drop grades for Packback and quizzes, but do not let that fool you. GET OUT OF THIS IF YOU CAN
Don't take him if there are other options. Needed to get my pols credit and normally do well in classes like this, but this class is horrible. His lectures drag and he only reads from powerpoints. He doesnt give enough time for quizzes, which makes it very difficult to succeed.
He has this rule where he does not round anyone at the end because there is "built-in extra credit" for each quiz and test. Ended with a 89.75. Extra credit doesn't matter because you don't have time to answer questions. Had 45 minutes to take 77 question exam. When your done reading you already have to go to the next question. Very frustrating.
Time limits are short on online quizzes and exams, but questions are straight from slides and text book. Half of the exam questions are reused from quizzes and lots of dropped assignments. Lectures were a drag but I never went so that didn't matter. I liked that most of the grade came from exams/ quizzes because it meant very little hw.
Three exams which have a short amount of time for the amount of questions. The final was 77 questions in 45 minutes and most questions were usually lengthy. Has a built in curve on each exam but it's practically useless because it adds more questions to read in the already small time limit.
He was super dull but his class wasn't very hard. His lectures range from really boring to interesting at times. I liked hearing his opinions sometimes. If you just read the lecture slides, you'll get an easy B. I barely went to class and only read the slides and I basically was guaranteed a B as long as you do the quizzes and Packback.
This class was the hardest class I took this semester. The content was easy, it was the time limits. The final was 77 questions in 45 minutes and quizzes were 10 questions in 5 min. I barely had time to think let alone read every question. I recommend taking ANYONE OTHER THAN HIM
The material of the class wasn't difficult, but the time limits were. Every test and quiz is online and you get 5 minutes for 10 question quizzes, and a bit more time on tests but it's still only about 45 seconds per question. A lot of the questions come straight from the lecture and from the definitions in the textbook. The packbacks are easy.
Prof. Bond isn't a great lecturer but he provides detailed notes and the reading isn't heavy. Going to the lecture is definitely helpful but if you're lazy you may still ace the class by just looking at the notes and read the textbook. The quizzes might be the struggling point and he doesn't release the quiz questions by the way.
Teaches at A&M and threatened miss reveille.
disrespectful
Disrespectful to the traditions and students who value the history of Rev. Do not take!
Hates Reveille, which is not acceptable at all!!!
The Worst Bull Imaginable. Miss Rev is our Queen and was disrespected by this guy. Does not deserve to teach at this fine university.
bad bull. no respect for the Queen and no respect for our traditions at this beloved school
No respect for A&M traditions whatsoever or for the Queen. It is unacceptable what happened today, and there should be no reason this should be accepted anywhere on campus. If you are going to teach at the prestigious A&M university, then you should at least know the bare minimum when it comes to the traditions we hold and respect them!
No tradition. Threatened Miss Rev with removal.
*Not in this class* but bad bull. Respect the queen.
Terrible prof, no respect for the queen!!
He didn't dismiss class when Miss Rev barked. "If you can't keep her entertained then you don't get the privilege of attempting to entertain your students either." Keep our traditions or get out.
Not in this class but prof was extremely disrespectful to rev. If you can't respect our traditions don't come here!
I graduated a couple years ago and saw online he was threatening the Queen of Aggieland, Avoid this jerk at all cost!!! He's for sure a 2%'er
Hates rev and disrespects Aggie traditions. Do not take
Complete disrespect for Queen of Aggieland. Would not recommend.
Horrible Prof that disrespected Reveille and refused to dismiss class after she barked. He should be fired immediately, do not take his class.
He grades really tough and does not support A&M traditions.
L professor. He should be fired for threatening to kick Rev out.
Disrespected everything that this school stands for. Nobody disrespects rev and gets away with it!!
Disregarded Revs bark. Threatened to kick out Handler and Rev. The Queen was just trying to get us away from his droning on about random things.
Disrespected the queen herself. This should say enough
horrible
hates rev
fire this man from a&m
bad prof, bad grader, bad everything! If I had it my way no one would ever have to take his class again.
Not good
Disrespected the Queen. Bad bull!!!
bond is by far the worst professor at TAMU. I emailed him for a university excused absence with a doctors note and it took him over a week to get back to me, and only gave me one day to make up my missed quiz and homework assignment. on top of that he disrespected rev and every tradition at TAMU. never take him.
bad bull, do not take this professor.
Underwhelming. Below average. Boring
RMP needs to let me add a negative rating for this prof. My actual rating would have been below 0 for sure. He is one of the worst professors I have ever had. He required students to buy a textbook for POLS 206 authored by he himself (potentially a conflict of interest) and disrespects Texas A&M University and it's traditions on a regular basis.
Awesome professor. I would take him again. I believe he is very unconventional and does not follow all traditions of TAMU. it's fine with me because I pay a lot of money to get a degree not to follow tradition. Wonderful professor.
Even though 4 quizzes get dropped, each quiz is 7 questions with ONLY 4 MINUTES to take the quiz. It is absolutely bizarre. The only good thing about this class is that attendance isn't mandatory and he posts the lecture slides.
You only have 5 minutes to take a 10 question quiz every week, while other profs give you 10 min to take a 5 question quiz. His lectures are long and boring, and he reads right off the powerpoint. He is not clear on what to study and does not care about your grade. The tests are online and non-proctor but still a really short time to take them.
Has tons of experience in the field, definitely knows what he's talking about. The issue is that the way he designs lessons and quizzes, you have no idea what you need to study. On top of this, rather than a textbook, he assigns papers. You'll have to read 50-100 pages a week of info, on top of the lecture.
He only gave 4 min for 7 question quizzes & was way too strict about the AHC. Literally said on the 1st day that if you even ask for a bump/curve, you are violating the AHC. Lectures were just PowerPoint, but he answered questions. An A is achievable but VERY hard. I dropped because I had a problem with my canvas and he refused to accept my work.
Do not take this professor at all! He gives 7 question quizzes in 4 minutes every week, his lectures are slow and he goes on multiple tangents, the exams are 50-60 questions in 35 minutes, and he does not round anything because he has "built in" curves on the exams (the Aggie honor code question and like 2-4 others).
Terrible experience taking this class. All other ratings are not an exaggeration, he really does not care about his students. Extremely tough for material that isn't supposed to be difficult. No doubt he has a lot of experience but tamu needs well-rounded professors that aren't discouraging and unreasonable. Avoid this professor if you can.
Professor Bond's course material would be engaging if it wasn't presented via dry, unengaging lectures. The lectures are information-dense and padded with ramblings that are only partially related to the material being covered/tested, all wrapped in a thinly-veiled disdain for anything remotely related to Donald Trump or Republicans. Bad bull.
An A is definitely achievable but takes A LOT of work. The content on the exams isn't terribly hard, but the time limit is definitely a struggle. There aren't a ton of assignment, so you'll have to score high on nearly everything if you want a chance of an A. He does drop your four lowest quizzes though.
He has very little care for his students and is super disorganized, but the class itself is not difficult. I didn't show up for the last two months of class and just went over the lectures on my own time and still breezed through the material and got an A.
Professor Bond is a very standard professor. He lectures, you take notes, and there is a weekly quiz. Bond speaks clearly but does mumble to himself at times, so it is recommended to sit near the front. Reading the book and going to lecture is not necessary. You could do one or the other and do well. No group work and the tests are fairly written.
1, 1 quiz per week, 10 multiple choice question in 5 minutes, no feedback, no result. 2, the lecture is boring and he do not use microphone during the class and it is hard to hear what he said. There are more than 200 students in his class on first week, and no more than 40 students on the final.
Y'all tweak for no reason, this class is only as hard as you make it. I stopped going to lecture after the second week because I found it easier to just read over the material and take notes on my own. You can get so many free points with packback and as long as you do well enough on exams (put in the required time studying) you should be good.
Unreasonable amount of time is given for tests and quizzes. Doesn't fully teach you material and him talking will make you want to fall asleep.
My response might contradict others but he is a kind guy, the only setback is his quizzes, which have a ridiculous time constraint. Also, he does not let you see the wrong questions. Other than he is a solid choice.
Most of the work can be done online. Textbook is required but I was able to pass without buying it. Time constraints are really heavy, especially when we were given only four minutes to do an 10 question quiz.
Many other reviews for this professor are from people who didn't take the class (he was the subject of some controversy because Reveille X barked and he didn't dismiss the class), so take them with a grain of salt. That said, he's not the greatest professor, but the course is pretty easy. The test questions are the same as the ones on the quizzes.
Extremely unfair test/quiz rules (only 5 minutes for quizzes and around 35 minutes for lengthy exams) Most of the exams I could't even read through all the questions before my time was up. No excused absences either. Extremely opinionated and presented his political opinions into the lecture material/exams as fact. Avoid at all costs- take online.
Amazing professor. Very caring and understanding grader. The class is easy and fun. Easy A where you can learn a lot. I definitely recommend you take his as a professor.
He's old and his name is Bond..Jon Bond. But being for real this professor has 5 minute quizzes with 10 questions to them and 35 minutes test with50-60 questions. His lectures are very boring &he's highly biased upon the republican party..mostly Trump. Actually we have a quiz do today and I find it more entertaining to write this rather than study.
His name is Bond, Jon Bond...... This guy's class was life changing! I'm so thankful I got to sit in here every M W for lectures because he genuinely cares for his students and has very fancy hair.
The only thing I learned from this course was the professor's own political opinions. We were required to purchase an expensive textbook (that he wrote). When people were having trouble with the proctoring software for the exams, he sent out an email to everyone in the class accusing us of procrastination and essentially calling us lazy.
The class was boring but not difficult. Attendance wasn't required & he posted all the slides. Quizzes came from the textbook which could be time consuming to read. Exams were pretty straightforward & questions did not try to trick anyone. Overall I'd take him again but he wasn't my favorite.
You can get by either attending lecture or doing all the reading-- all his quizzes are straightforward and simple. I appreciated his jokes during lecture, he genuinely seems to enjoy teaching.
If you can get past having to buy his textbook and his tendency to be a little biased (which he does at least use data to support his opinions) this is an easy A for your political science credit.
Jon Bond is an incredibly boring lecturer. Ultimately it was so bad that a lecture hall of 300 students was only filled by roughly 20 near the end of the semester. all the lectures are posted online, I would recommend taking them outside of lecture because it took me 1/4th of the time. If you do all your work and study, you should make an A
Jon Bond is a funny guy and teaches a pretty easy class. Really fast paced quizzes and tests but not too hard. You can probably get by perfectly fine by just reading the slides but going to class makes it easier to retain it all. Don't need to read the textbook if you show up. Also #1 Trump hater lol.
I loved this prof, his other ratings are not great but idk why. As long as you read the notes and textbook before tests and quizzes you'll get an A. Also, the packbacks take maybe an hour out of your whole week, it's not bad at all. This was one of my easiest classes this semester. Dr. Bond really knows what he's taking about too.
DO NOT TAKE HIM!!! He only grades you based on quizzes, exams, and a weekly packback. The course is not difficult, but he makes it harder than it needs to be. Impossible to hear him in lecture unless you sit in the front row. Half of lecture is an unnecessary tangent anyways, so you don't need to go.
Professor Bond's POL206 class is a mixed bag. While the content can be dry, he makes it engaging through his unique teaching style. Quizzes and tests are fast-paced, but manageable with proper preparation. unstuckstudy has been a lifesaver for study prep.
There is some extra credit opportunity on every exam. There is a built in curve for all grades. He does not round up grades so an 89.5 is still a B unfortunately.
He's really not that bad, but he does go on little tangents in lecture. There are a few questions on his quizzes and tests that go over things he says in lecture. Not too heavy on the textbook, but there are a good handful of textbook questions. Packbacks are easy, quizzes are 5 minutes max. Honestly he isn't bad, but he could have been better.
People think too harshly of him. Sure, he goes off on tangents, but his material is quite easy. He wrote his textbook, so he teaches right out of that. If you dont want to go to class, you don't have to at all because the information is present in slides and the textbook. Every grade is done online through tests, quizzes, and packback. Its Easy
Quizzes are online and not on lockdown but insanely fast-paced ( 45 min for 70 questions). If you have ADHD or some other learning disability, I would highly suggest taking a different professor.
He's honestly not bad. He also has stories for most topics which is funny. He just has bad reviews because he's very clear with his grading and his standards for exams (and he is very factual). If you pay attention in lectures (sit in the front because he's quiet) and read the textbook, you'll get an A.
It is test and quiz-heavy. He is a great guy, though. Easy A
This class is so easy especially since all of the material you need for quizzes and exams are in his announcements so even if he does tend to go off topic you can easily make an A+ like I did.
Honestly his class was pretty easy, but some lectures were boring.
i went to class like twice... you are graded by packbacks, 3 exams, and a quiz each week. very easy. all the exams and quizzes are at home. VERY easy A.
Professor Bond was a great professor and the assignments were more than doable! There's 3 exams, each covering 1/3 of the topics covered in the course, a packback once a week (1 question abt that weeks topics, 2 responses to other people's questions), and a weekly quiz. For each question(exam/quiz), you're given about 30 seconds to answer. Easy A!
Super simple class, would highly recommend! easy A.
tbh i only went to class once and managed to get a low b. quizzes were easy, exams were easy, packbacks obviously easy. only reason i got a low b was because i forgot to do one exam lol.
I showed up to class 2 times in the entire semester, just studied the slides and the textbook summary and got a perfect score on almost everything lol
Professor Bond knows that almost everyone in his class is taking it just for the required credit, and he makes the class easy because of that. You have to read the textbook and sometimes go to class because there are some details left out of the lecture slides. DO YOUR PACKBACKS. Uses his political beliefs to talk about class concepts.
I honestly don't know why his rating is so low; he's fine, lectures may be a bit boring but he does crack a joke here and there and will tell a story that goes along with the subject. If you struggle with taking quizzes or tests in a short time limit this class may not be for you
Beware that the quizzes and tests have very small time limits. For quizzes, you get 6 minutes for 11 questions, and tests are between 50 to 70 questions with 30 to 50 minutes. It's very doable, though if you actually read the textbook and know what you're doing.
Pretty easy class as long as you read the textbook and study lecture slides. Lectures are really dry and tends to ramble, so I did not show up after like third week. Weekly paybacks were easy. There are times limits on quizzes and exams like 6 mins for 10 questions and 30-50 mins for 50-70 questions but they are all multiple choice so not that bad.
If you struggle with ADHD, ADD, or literally any sort of learning disability...don't take him. Every week: 6 min to do 11 questions and 1 discussion post. Exams were online however, they were just like the quizzes meaning you had 30 seconds per question for like 60+ questions. Most questions come from the textbook that he wrote.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
21%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.61 avg changeRatings by Course
206
2.7
(3)POLS207
2.7
(3)POLS206
2.6
(118)POL206
2.5
(55)POLS327
2.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
POLS
4.4
POLS327
4.3
206
3.7
POLS233
3.4
POLS206
3.3