2.6
Quality3.9
Difficulty25%
Would Retake99
Reviews25%
Would Retake
99
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
99 total ratings5
20
4
15
3
12
2
14
1
38
What Students Say
“Loved history before this class”
HIS127 - 2.0 rating“If you're looking to get an easy A, this is not the class for you”
HIS127 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.10 avg changeRatings by Course
HIST101
5.0
(1)HIS204
5.0
(1)HIS340
5.0
(1)HIS205
4.7
(6)HIST127
4.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
HIS203
5.0
340MILTARYHIS
5.0
HIST230
4.7
HIST232
4.5
HIS320
4.2
Reviews (98)
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THIS IS THE WORST HISTORY PROFESSOR EVER!!! DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR! HE SEEMS NICE BUT HE'S A TOUGH GRADER!!! HE GIVES HOMEWORK, QUIZZES, A PAPER, THE MID-TERM AND THE FINAL!!!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!He is the WORSE professor ever. He does not know alot about history and his exams are Difficult(especially since they dont pretain to anything he teaches in class). Also, he is one of the most difficult graders in the WOrld..BE Aware of not learning and BOREDOM
Contrary to what people say, he is a very nice professor, he's strict with his work and you have to study,which everyone should do! However he jumps when he's teaching and it sounds confusing, but he's always prepared with his work and always on time. He's very helpful with your work if you approach him with questions.
First off, Prof Epstein has good intentions. He tries to be funny and down to earth. However, he is no where near earth. He uses a lot of baseball analogies, and jumps from one topic to another. It is no use taking notes b/c you will only have the date and class on your paper. Basically, avoid taking this class.
Prof Epstein really try to teach a good class however, he is really boring. Class work and homework has no real connection. He gives homework,mid term, quiz, final, and a paper. also the final was on everything we didn't focus on in class (wtf). Epstein Is a GPA MURDER.
First let me start by sayin avoid this class at all costs. The material is almost impossible to understand the textbook mind as well be written in chinese and his notes are the same way. all he does is talk about baseball and family guy then will give you a test about things youve never heard of. gives midterm termpaper final and about 10 homeworks
He tries to be funny but hi jokes are only funny if you like baseball & Family Guy. His class is boring. His exams are based on nothing taught in class. I would only recommend his class to those who love reading history books in their spare time.
hope you like reading, be prepared for a quiz everyday. also hope u like family guy because ul be seeing a lot of it.
His class is really boring, and not interesting at all. Plus he has some of the worst possible jokes in the world. However he demonstrates a great deal of knowledge of the subject, grades fairly, on time with H.W, quizzes, papers etc. Just do his homework, pass his quizzes and laugh at his not so funny jokes and you will do fine
Great guy,very fair,helpful,cares about his students.Quirky,loves to joke and not your typical Prof.U will read tons, don't fall behind!
i like him .. he was fair...
Nice prof, knows what he's teaching but sometimes shifts away from the main focus and makes a couple of jokes about family gy or the simpsons. Homework and class work have only a little connection to each other. Powerpoint lecture. Quiz every week, paper, and final. Gives you a study sheet prior to final. LOT OF TEXTBOOK USE. Pretty decent class.
Besides his jokes...his class is boring, but is a nice guy and will give you a good grade if you participate and answer questions. (Fake laugh at his jokes and he will notice). Also the simpsons and family guy episodes he plays beggining of every class was pretty cool
He is boring and to passive. Speaks as if he is unsure of himself.
Prof. Epstein is a great professor. I love his class. I love his jokes and to the person that incredulously posted that he gives homework, quizzes, term papers, tests and finals - um that's why you're in college you dumb ass.
He is a nice person, sorta of a dull class test every week and the midterm and final were all blue book material. The paper was fairly easy. However, you must read the textbook, because he likes for his students to know there materials, also the handouts that he gives out. The homework is an important factor in his class, if you do not like beware.
I really enjoyed this course. He might have been boring at times, but he really knows his stuff! Its easy if you actually do the work and study. He's a very fair man, and I actually liked his corny little jokes.
I recommend this professor! I found him very helpful and caring. Of course, you have to study the course and to be present at class, but that's how you learn. Isn't it? I learned a lot of history from this professor. He gives you no midterm,final, one essay per semester, and daily quizzes.
Professor Epstein was great. He knows his stuff and is easy going. Soooo much corny jokes, but it's a small price to pay for a great history class.
Professor Epstiein is sooo cool! I love his class, sometimes I wish his class was longer. He is sooo funny, no hilarious, sometimes I wonder if he is a professional comedian. Tho some of his jokes are soo corny, they crack me up! His super smartness and vast knowledge of global history makes hims super hot and really attractive.
Makes a lot of corny jokes so that makes him bearable. I survived 3 hour sessions all semester, so if I can bear it so can you! Does A LOT of talking. Don't expect much time to talk to the hot classmate next to you. Expect to read all the chapters he assigns you. Quizzes every class based on reading. He's one of those nerdy but loveable teachers.
Great Professor. you can E-mail him and he will get back to you next day. He help me out after class and really knows his stuff. Great professor makes corny jokes but it's not that bad. I loved his class.
Professor Epstein is great, very knowledgeable, I'm not a smart lady, but I found him very encouraging to study, his classes are fun, not hard at all, I'm glad that I took him this semester!One paper, easy quizzes every class and that's all he has!
Great professor. Just do your readings, topic sentences and be on time and you'll get a good grade.
One 12-16 page research paper due 1st week of Oct. One 6 pg paper Due 1st week of Dec. HW due every week. Accumalitive Final. Cons- Teaching style is -BORE U! Not an expert in this field but atleast will get back to you with answers. Pros- Tries to Joke. Overall I do not recommend this professor. Course is exclusive to european military history.
Great Prof. from Columbia University. He knows his Military History well. I took him for WW2 history and it was pretty annoying at first because you have to read pretty much every time you attend class for either a topic sentence, quiz, or 2 pg essay; but you adapt to it quickly. It can be a bit boring though because he reads str8 off power point.
He is the most boring professor I have ever met, he is a very strict grader like come on. He does seem to care a bit about his students however, certain students he takes a liking to. I put all the effort into my papers, especially the final and he gives me a D seems like nothing satisfies this guy. AVOID HIS CLASS!!!
Unless WWII is your favorite topic and you already know all about it, avoid this class. The professor assigns two books,which are both somewhat expansive. He also always reads off the slides,which is very boring just like the books are. The books are mandatory to read,as you will have to bring a particular assignment every class. Tough grader.
reading is a must, 2 paper one 12-16 pages the other only around 6
nice guy, knows the topic very well. Assignment due almost every class but not too hard. 2 page paper and a final.
He grades way too tough. You could have the same writing style throughout the semester and sometimes he would give you a 100 and other times he would grade you really poorly. I would avoid because no matter how hard you work on a paper he'll end up grading it too harshly.
Tough grader all right, but he works with you. He follows the syllabus very thoroughly and helps clarify things. Start the group project as early as you can, separate the jobs between your mates because he is able to see who helps. Other than reading the material and following due dates, it's a pretty straightforward class. Don't slack at all.
He is nice guy but very tough grader. Everything has to be 100% accurate!!!!! like seriously??? Please avoid his class unless you want to study 5 hours in a day. You will get lots of zero in homework and quizzes , which means the same as not being participate.
One of the worst professors I have ever encountered in my three year college career. I used to love history until I met this man. Expect long, boring lectures of talking, talking & talking. Rarely does he communicate with his students. Quizzes every week, assignments due every week, and essays due every other week. Tough grader. Do not recommend.
He seems like a nice guy. However, his grading seems to be unreasonable.
He makes corny jokes, but kind. He's a tough grader, and get ready for a lot of work , 1-2 topic sentences every week, multiple quizzes, 600 word papers every 2 weeks , and looong boring readings. When in class , don't sleep or go on your phone , and he talks a lot, but you can bear with it.
Tough grader with a lot of homework, however if you pay attention to the lectures and do the work it's an easy A
The people below are probably just unhappy with their grades. The only accurate comment I read is that his class is a lot of work, which it is. He also gives you a chance to redo any assignment in which you're unhappy with the grades. He does lecture a lot but he also allows the class to engage as well. I would definitely take this class again.
If you're looking to get an easy A, this is not the class for you. He really cares about what he's talking about, but his standards are very high and he nit picks at every little detail. He lectures and unless you're interested in the subject, it'll be hard to follow. Only take him if you are passionate about the class and are willing to work.
Ver passionate about the material which makes him a very difficult grader. All of his essays are based on the books you are required to have and yes he can tell if you actually read it or not. If you can try to not take this class unless you really are interested in the ethics of warfare, very little actual history of warfare involved as advertised
Your better off with the other professors John Jay offers for this course
Professor Epstein is probably the most knowledgeable history professor you'll ever have. His course load is very fair and manageable. Keys to passing are do ALL the reading to prepare for quizzes and the final. No Midterm. Papers are 600 words max and can be rewritten. Epstein is a fair grader and will give you an extension if you REALLY need one.
In you want to be back in High School than take this class. A ton of reading, assignments due basically every class, and possibly the most boring class I have ever been in my life. The "600" word papers are more like 1200 words if you want a good grade. As other people wrote he nitty picks every sentence you have. Loved history before this class.
Avoid at all costs. Unless your looking to do a ridiculous amount of work and listen to long dreadful lectors I would not recommend. The 600 word papers are most like 1200 If you want a good mark. Too much work for a 100 level course, if your major is not history and you are taking for college option DO NOT take it with this professor.
Professor Epstein was my favorite professor at John Jay for any course. He is the most knowledgeable person I've ever met and if he doesn't know something, he will go out of his way to find out. His sense of humor is great, almost like a big kid. His workload was heavy- a lot of reading and assignments need to be accurate. Took him twice!
His lectures are EXTREMELYYYYYYYY long and in this class it requires you to do alot of work. I honestly wouldn't take this course again because as stated in the previous comment, the work required is drastic for just a 100 level course.
He's not so bad in class, except he goes through the material pretty fast and he is super boring. And for homework and assignments, he grades very hard and you will not get a good grade unless your work has EVERYTHING he wants and EXACTLY how he wants it, but he does not specify neither if those. He also assigns papers 1-2 days before they are due.
He answers questions to the best of his ability and he's a nice guy. But the comment below is 100% true!!!!!
He's a nice guy but a very unorganized. Very easy to get him off topic but he knows his work he just hasn't gotten a good way to teach it yet. would only take this class if your super organized and have time to write lots of papers
He's tough but fair. Really knows his military history. Loves to talk about WWII.
Class is not that difficult. His lectures do veer of course from time to time with Simpsons references and some sports talk but besides that his grading is fair. Be ready to read and write a lot and once the first paper is out of the way you'll have a sense of how he wants the rest of the papers done!
SAVE YOURSELF. THIS PROFESSOR IS THE TOUGHEST GRADER I HAVE EVER MET. I GUESS ITS BECAUSE OF HIS MILITARY BACKGROUND. HIS LECTURES ARE VERY LONG AND BORING. TAKE HIS CLASS AND EXCEPT A LOW GRADE BECAUSE THAT'S ALL HE'S GIVING OUT. THE READINGS ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. PLEASE BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL EVERYTHING I WROTE IS FACTS.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS PROF. He's a really intelligent guy and even at funny at times, but this class was a nightmare. There are assignments due virtually every class, including 600 word papers that usually end up being more like 1200 word papers. He rarely gives any idea of what he wants in the papers, and grades extremely harshly if it isn't perfect
This guy is not that bad. His reviews were not that good but i still took him. Although he tell stories, brings ancient coins and knows everything, none of lectures will be on the essays. You just need to read and cite, and you will get a good grade. Don't be disparaged if you got 0 on the first essay, you will understand what he wants from the fdb
Really awesome professor! He knows his military stuff and is very passionate about it. He is also hilarious and a huge Simpsons and Family Guy Fan and a huge fan of the Mets! Do the papers and you will pass, gives you plenty of time to improve the papers if you were not satisfied with the grade.
Long and boring lectures
Just don't take his class! You will regret if you take his class. This class 100% nightmare.
He is passionate about military tactics but the class is overall boring. Gives paper but is unclear of what he wants in the papers. He is also a tough grader, only gives you one chance to fix your paper. I never got a good grade in any of his papers. Lecture has nothing to do with what you readied. The books you need to buy or expensive.
You have to work for your grade in this class. There are readings for almost every class meeting, a handful of online quizzes, a handful of 600 word papers (will drop your lowest quiz and essay grade). If you do the reading you will be fine, if you're not ready for the reading don't take this class. Did reschedule assignments for Holiday.
Great Professor, knows what hes talking about but supper unorganized. The lecture were pointless because we werent tested on them. And the papers we hand to write based off the information from dense reading. Toughest grader Ive ever had the misfortune of encountering
Took this prof bc i figured "how bad could he be?" well, he's TERRIBLE. i regret taking this class and not dropping it while i can. he will accuse u of plagiarizing when u dont. i've had to reach out numerous times via email to get help bc if u stay after class to as q's, he gives no guidance at all. also the lectures are pointless, no exams.
He has a monotonous voice that makes lectures sound boring but he throws in so many hilarious zingers. He assigns many papers but they're nothing too crazy. Generally 1-3 page essays. He allows you to re-submit them w/ corrections within a two week time frame so you can always improve your grade and get an A!
If you are a masochist and like to get abused and bombarded with papers every week, then take him. If you are a sane human being and don't want to stress yourself from one class then do take him, he is a terrible professor, I don't know he still teaching. Please, please do yourself a favor and don't take him you will thank me you did not take him.
Professor Epstein is an amazing professor many people complain about the papers that need to be written its only (3) papers through the whole course and a final paper and you have plenty of time to do it and get two weeks of extra time to correct and resubmit. I am not a big writer myself but I did end up getting a "A" pretty easily. (HIS 352)
I took this guy's class and I thought he would be simple, at first it was pretty nice and easy. Yet after halfway in he kept on giving tough grades and telling us what he wanted for the papers after we submitted (which made no sense). Even when people did do a resubmission, he would take points off for lateness. Be warned that you will fail.
Don't take this class if you want to pass college, his papers do not make any sense, and his feedback as well.
This class was a nightmare DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!
WORST PROFESSOR AT JOHN JAY and most BORINGGG. He treats his 100 level class as if it was a 400 level course. Gives too many papers and takes point off for EVERYTHING. DO NOT TAKE HIM IF YOU WANT TO BE MISERABLE AND FAIL
Bruhh run!!! I had 5 people from my class drop it mid April, Gives paper but is unclear of what he wants in the papers. 1200+ word essays almost every month. When you email him, he just says "its on the syllabus" Avoid him at all costs if you want to have a decent GPA because he WILL ruin it like nothing.
DO NOTT TAKE HIS COURSE HE WILL GIVE YOU A 0 FOR MISSING CITATIONS AND HIS LECTURES ARE BORING. HIS FEEDBACK AND ASSIGNMENTS NEVER MAKE SENSE AND HE IS NOT HELPFUL DONT TAKE HIM IF YOU WANT TO GRADUATE
You will submit all the assignments and still get a 0. Do all the hard work and assignments for 4 months and waste your time and tuition money. Keeping me from graduating. Stay away
This professor is so boring he reads off the books and not what he is thinking or explaining it. You better know what you are writing in your essay or he will give you a big fat zero (make sure you know all the facts about history).
avoid this dude. he's a HARSH grader who treats 200-300 level courses as if it's part of a masters curriculum. Overall this class is an absolute nightmare! RUN y'all!! Gives zeros on papers and the feed back he gives is completely callous and UNHELPFUL. He accused me of plagiarism and had no proof and took no time to discuss anything with me.
bruh, do not take this class. The papers are ridiculous. "900 words", which are actually 1200+ words. The instructions for the papers are extremely unclear, and the feedback is just as bad. I graduated another college with honors, on the deans list and still failed this class 0/10 do not recommend.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASSES!!! He is a very rough grader, will give you a 0 on papers you've worked hard on. Instructions are never clear. Uses Chicago style format. Teaches through movies and Simpson episodes. It's not worth the headache you'll get
The worst !
ive rewritten such nice papers for him to barely give any points back and he is so vague on what he wants in the first place. i have never had such a low grade in a college course in my life. if you want your gpa to stay high dont take him, ruining my 4.0 over an elective.
Somewhat heavy coursework for an online class but if you stay on top of it its not too bad. Light homework load only a couple papers . Responds very quickly. Final is a test and a paper. If youre not interested in WWII I wouldnt recommend this course. Allows corrections on papers and quizzes are very short. Understanding, will push an assignment
He was awful. Very disorganized and would randomly post on fridays and have assignments due mondays. He took points off for any little thing, and really you are on your own for this course. He is super confusing with directions and his instructions are not clear enough for assignments then takes off points. DONT TAKE HIM. HE IS NOT A FUN PROFESSOR.
When I took this class, I never knew how to cite the essays I done neither add a bibliography, I just did them and barely received any credit. Before taking his course, make sure you think twice!
Awful lectures, you can barely understand what he is saying, and then he expects you to have great papers and know everything. There is so much reading you can hardly keep up. I know he is a kind person. However, as a teacher, respectfully, he doesn't know how to teach. Do urself a favor and dont take his class.
I found the organization of the course material somewhat confusing, and the placement of the assignments at times, inconsistent. There was a considerable amount of reading,as well as 4 papers. That said, this is tempered by the professor's generous opportunities for extra credit, and revisions. Reaching out to ask questions also goes a long way.
This professor refused to change my grade from an F to anything else. He only grades papers and tests and allow rewrites. I rewrote each of my 5 essays 3-4 times and he gave feedback on each one how to improve. I rewrote each with the feedback and it did not improve my grade and stayed at F.
His lectures are boring.
Great professor! He made jokes a lot and loved showing really good movies/shows to teach his lessons. He didn't give much homework, or much to read! His feedback was good, clear, and gave constructive criticism. Gave us lollipops during Halloween too.
the lectures were boring and couldn't understand what he was saying most of the time. He is very kind but in terms of classes I struggled a lot with the assignments because I couldn't understand what we needed to do, the instructions were difficult to comprehend. there are also pop quizzes. I did get a good grade, but YOU NEED A LOT OF EFFORT!
discouraging when grading, very boring lectures, monotonous and too quiet when lecturing.
his lectures are kind of boring. paper heavy, attendance is important. talks lowly and is kind of awkward lmfao.
the class wasn't hard, but he does nitpick a lot when grading papers. his lectures r kinda boring and he mumbles to himself a lot. kinda awkward.
If you're not too great at completing assignments on time, struggle to do them at all, or miss class for whatever reason, I'd say just keep in contact with the professor inside and outside of class, try to build a relationship with him, and I think he'll understand.
He will always find a problem with your papers. His lectures have nothing to do with the papers / can be boring, this was an elective for me and it seemed interesting to me but then as the first couple weeks went I realized I messed up, he's nice but not the best in teaching in my opinion.
this guy is literally epstein hard class
BE AWARE: IF YOU DONT WANNA RUIN YOUR GPA, DONT TAKE HIS CLASS!. Overall, he's a nice professor, but he is very strict when it comes to grading. Lectures are kinda boring, and the work he assigns have nothing to do with the lectures.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASSES! He is the worst professor I've ever had. I decided to give him a chance despite his reviews, and I regret it. Just trust me and avoid him at all costs.
He knows the subject very well. I learned a lot about the History of crime in America, which helps me understand why the country has experienced so many political upheavals.
Professor Espiten has a strong background in history and attempts to keep class engaging by tying topics to The Simpsons and encouraging focus without laptops or phones. Students who show effort are met where they're at through offers of extra credit. My only feedback is to rely less on reading directly from slides.
His class is calm just make sure you do the dissusions and read the chapters you should be fine.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
89%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.10 avg changeRatings by Course
HIST101
5.0
(1)HIS204
5.0
(1)HIS340
5.0
(1)HIS205
4.7
(6)HIST127
4.0
(3)Difficulty by Course
HIS203
5.0
340MILTARYHIS
5.0
HIST230
4.7
HIST232
4.5
HIS320
4.2