4.7
Quality2.6
Difficulty93%
Would Retake87
Reviews93%
Would Retake
87
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
76
4
6
3
1
2
1
1
3
What Students Say
“Vance is an incredible professor, would recommend for any course”
2186 - 5.0 rating“Great prof and lecturer”
1810E - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
19%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.11 avg changeRatings by Course
2186
5.0
(4)HIS0271
5.0
(1)HST127
5.0
(1)HIS127
5.0
(1)HIST125
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HST231
5.0
HIST2201
3.5
HISTORY2186
3.2
1810
3.0
HIST512F
3.0
Reviews (87)
Great Prof
great prof
Great guy, it's funny that he loves NASCAR
An interesting lecturer. Has a knack for telling great side-stories and little-known but cool trivia. (Also a decent historical writer in his own right).
Great prof. Great course. Easy to do well in.
Boring as watching mold grow on my wall.
The best...and he doesn't teach 231 and never has. So I don't know what the last guy is talking about.
Very interesting...loved his voice
One of the best Professors I have had! He has a great sense of humor and uses different assignments and approaches to discussion questions to keep class interesting. He marks fair and always makes time to help his students out even though he is really busy. Will likely be one of the best teachers the UWO history department has ever had!
No Comments
WWI with Vance, what else can you say? He is a great prof. Extremely smart, and at the same time really laid back. One of the best Canadian historians out there! The only downside to this class was how big it was.
One of the most amazing professors I've ever had. Cleary loves and is interested in what he teaches. Had him for the post-Confederation part of 2201. Really knows about the wars!
Best prof I had this year, hands down. Truly makes history interesting by incorporating stories and anecdotes amongst facts. An outstanding prof and I look forward to taking his classes in the future
Best professor by far! His lectures are informative, funny, and interesting while still getting all the material across. You can really tell he's passionate about what he teaches. I really liked how he told stories to make the "boring" sections more interesting. Definitely take a course with him!
One of the most amazing educators I have had over the course of my undergrad career at Western. If you take a class with this Man you will NOT regret it. He is funny, insightful, helpful, and genuinely cares about students. He wrote me grad school references that I'm sure played a role in each of my acceptances.
Very insightful and interesting lectures. Very helpful and nice to talk with/email if you have questions or concerns. His lectures are very easy to follow and are never boring. He really knows his stuff! Would recommend anyone interested in Canadian history to take one of his courses!
very knowledgable, interesting lectures. I actually looked forward to attending lecture with him. Id definitely take one of his courses again
Enteratining, funny, knowledgable, and interesting. I would plan my weeks just to attend this course. Fantastic teacher.
one of my favourite profs by far. very knowledgeable and makes lectures interesting. I actually looked forward to going every week!
Great prof and lecturer. I loved attending his lectures every week, and having him as a tutorial leader is even better. He is a pretty tough marker, but he is very helpful and accommodating.
Professor Vance was awesome. He knew what he was talking about and he was very clear about explaining everything. He was easy to talk to, easy to get along with and easy to understand. His exam was fair, but long. He was one of my favourite professors.
He did not post much words on the slide, hard to keep up with typing and what he was saying but he tells his lectures almost as if they are a story to keep you interested! Great Prof!
Best class during my entire undergrad! This class is a must!
History 2186 (Zombie Apocalypse) was a brand new course that was offered this year. Vance is an amazing prof, he makes the lectures interesting and even includes movie trailers. The only time we discussed about zombies was the last lecture in the course, however the course as a whole was interesting and easy. Recommend 100%!
Zombie Apocalypse was by far one of the most interesting courses I have ever taken- still talk about it months later. Vance is an incredible professor, would recommend for any course. Zombies is a super easy course only if you go to class and take notes, if you don't you will probably fail as the mid-terms and finals are all on topics from class.
Prof. Vance is well-versed in history and makes the content fascinating. He easily puts history into perspective. The main assignment was to research a WWI postcard; a unique and fun experience. Nothing stopping you from doing well in his class as long as you pay attention in class and engage with the material
Awesome prof! Very interesting classes that we worth going to (I am a nursing student). I would recommend going to every class and making sure that you listen to each story he has to say during his slides - very important for the midterms and final. Also for readings, I never did them and still did well by just studying his class notes. Easy 80.
Engaging lectures, not a chore to attend. Information concentrated yet easy to keep up with not taking.
Professor Vance really stands out as one of the best professors I have had. He lectures in a way that tells a story... I found myself genuinely enjoying his lectures and looking forward to going to class each day. If you are taking a course in history, you are missing out of you do not have Prof. Vance!
I had him for HISTORY 1810 in first year. Great prof, but very tough marker, and he expects a lot. Also, if you ever take a class with him, and you get a T.A. by the name of Maksym, DROP THE COURSE IMMEDIATELY!!! You will suffer, painfully, if you have that guy as your T.A.!
This is the second class I've had with prof. Vance. He is a very engaging speaker and makes the content seem more like a captivating story. I feel that I learn a lot from hearing him speak, and the assignments are made to help consolidate what you're learning. Would definitely recommend this course to anybody, regarding of one's major.
Prof. Vance was awesome! Super interesting lectures, he makes them enjoyable to go to. However, it's not an easy course. I studied lots and only ended up with a B! It's easy to do okay in but tough to do super well, everyone I know got between a 70 and an 80.
Very interesting lecturer, and always willing to answer questions. Easy to reach outside of class, just stop by during office hours. Only real complaint that I had was that the course was supposed to be about wars that changed the world, and his lectures on the First and Second World Wars largely revolved focused on the British and Canadian views.
Vance is an absolute legend. If you can take a class with him, I highly suggest doing so. I received a concussion right before midterm season, which sucked but he worked with my TA to make sure I could make everything up fairly and with enough time to also work on second semester's work. He genuinely cares about his students. Absolute 10/10
I very much enjoyed this class. Prof. Vance is very funny and makes the 2 hour lecture fly by. because it is a 0.5 credit the tests weigh more, but he allows you to pick the one you did better on as the test that weighs more. Super easy to get a hold of via email and gets grades back by the next week.
Vance was such an amazing professor. I had him for the zombie apocalypse course and I attended every lecture. He made a 2 hour class go by very quickly and he was incredibly interesting. His lectures were so amazing we have him a standing ovation the last class. I highly recommend him!
By far my favourite professor. Reminds me of how high school teachers would treat you, he genuinely cares, makes the effort to know your name, wants you to succeed, offers tons of extra help, answers emails extremely fast and grades fast too. Honestly the funniest older man I have ever met, he has the personality of a 19 year old. Love this guy!!
So compelling, definitely changes my view of history for the better! Will be taking the apocalypse course next year!
I loved the class and Vance! He is super funny and his lectures are amazing. 10/10 recommend. The course wasn't super easy, but high 80s to low/mid 90s are doable if you do all the readings and seek help from your TAs for the papers.
Vance is an amazing storyteller and he ALWAYS finishes on time. The readings are more important for the tutorials than the lectures. It's definitely not an easy course but your mark depends more on your TA. Some mark easy, some are tough af. There's no consistency but the prof himself is great and makes even the driest parts of history palatable.
My favourite professor! Super funny and makes lectures very entertaining. Grading depends on your TA.
Prof Vance knows how to keep his lectures entertaining and interesting! Quite a few assignments so you have the chance to adjust your grade throughout the year. Although he doesnt post lecture notes, he uses pictures on the slides (key concepts) which you can go back and easily refer to as long as you attend lectures/understand the main topics.
Vance was easily my best prof in first year. Incredibly interesting and engaging. His lectures do move very fast. He puts no writing on the slides, so if you don't attend class, you're not going to pass. He tries to tie in some more interesting topics to the material, such as pop culture, etc. The readings were very simple
Vance was by far one of the best profs I had. His lectures were always so interesting and fun. He's very passionate about the courses he is teaching and his students. Would definitely recommend taking his class.
Great prof with amazing lectures. Would highly recommend for anyone interested in history.
Prof Vance is easily the best prof I have ever had. His lectures are so fun and engaging. His projects are also interesting even the group project. I had Vance during covid but I wish I could have had him in class! Only gripe with the class is the tutorials, material is ok but it depends the TA you get. I would recommend this class to anyone.
Seriously deserves more than 5 stars, not only has he done an amazing job adapting to online but he is a kind teacher who is passionate and works to make history interesting. I switched in late and he emails me checking in on the transition, not difficult information and the most amazing professor and kindest man.
I love Dr Vance sm. His lectures make my week and he presents everything in such an engaging way that it doesn't feel like work. Assignments relate to the course and are so cool - so far we've done "Joan of Arc: the Musical" and WW1 postcard analyses. Amazing prof, amazing lectures, 100000000000/10 stars!!!!
Goes out of his way to make his lectures interesting and engaging and wants to see his students succeed (is also super funny). He also remembers every student's name who bothers to introduce themselves, which I think is really cool. I've taken every course of his that the university offers, and I wish there were more.
If you can, take a course with Professor Vance. I like most of my profs but he is hands down the most amazing professor. He cares genuinely about his topics and his students, always answers emails and with the utmost respect. He deserves the best in life and you will NEVER regret taking a class with him. True king
Very understanding when I had a relative pass away, which may not seem like a lot but other profs did not react the same. Lectures were fun and enjoyable to watch, and would 10/10 take another one of his classes.
Great guy, great course, take any class by him.
Great professor
Best prof I've had at Western so far. His knowledge and passion for the subject makes all of his content so engaging. I looked forward to his lectures every week. He is also hilarious and adds creative spins to historical ideas. I will be taking his other courses from now on. Vance is THE BEST.
Best prof at western hands down.
Vance is one of the best professors you will get. I would recommend anyone thinking to take any of his courses to go for it! If you do the work you will get a decent grade. His lectures are fun to attend and you may even get a chance to meet his adorable doggo. History 1810 was more than just essays, there were fun/interesting projects as well.
Vance is just an okay prof in my opinion. Sure he's a nice guy and all but his lectures were boring and filled with political propaganda. He doesn't like to answer questions during lectures and gets really annoyed if you do ask him. Term test was hard af and filled with grammatical errors. Vance is the type of guy to say no to covid vaccines.
Horrible course and horrible professor. Took this as an elective and it's currently my lowest mark in the mid 60s. The midterm was brutal and was structured in a very disorganized way. Apparently the course evaluation changed this year because the average was historically very high. I'm surprised Prof Vance got so many glowing reviews back then.
Best prof ive ever had at western. This guy is amazing and actually made me enjoy going to class.
Was a good prof until I sent him an email about unfair midterm grades. His response seemed like he didnt care abt anything. Lectures were very boring, no real substance or excitement to the content. Treats students differently based on who they are (ahem) yet nobody is standing up to someone like Vance. Not a good person and not a good prof.
What a cool guy
Professor Vance is a great professor who is genuinely interested in what he is teaching. He always tries to make the lectures engaging, however, if you don't enjoy history in general you may find it a bit dull. Very accessible outside of class. Since it is a no exam course, grades depend on TAs so if you are lucky you will get an easy-grader.
Very fun professor and class. Would take any history taught by this guy as he can make any dull subject seem interesting in his lectures. As long as you re-read your notes and skim the readings before, it's not hard to get a 75+ on every exam. Again, can't stress how great of a prof he is.
2186 requires some reading, but are fairly interesting and really just to make sure you get extra marks on exams. goes into extensive detail about whats expected. Never met a more accommodating and compassionate prof who actually wants to see you thrive! Taking more history just to be taught by him because i actually absorb the material he teaches.
The absolute BEST prof I've ever had hands down, seriously. You can't say enough terrific things about this guy he made this course my favourite class at University.
Great prof!
Vance is the best! Love attending his lectures and look forward to taking more of his classes in the future.
Vance is an absolute gem! Amazing lecturer, and truly cares about his students. If you have any questions or concerns, Vance is very approachable for questions. During his lectures, he speaks at an excellent pace to copy down notes. I would highly recommend taking Vance's courses!
Really great prof! Hes super good at keeping everyone engaged during his lectures. He's very approachable and accessible outside of class. The only thing is a lot of the TAs for this course are hard markers, so be careful if you want to keep a high average!
Amazing lectures and incredibly funny! I would highly recommend taking Vance's courses when possible. For 1810, be careful which TA you get because they can be really hard markers. Therefore, make sure to participate and do the readings. Otherwise, great course!
The prof was great and had interesting lectures. I liked my TA but he graded the essay really hard so beware of that. Overall you didn't need to take good notes. Just know the important battles and themes he mentions in lecture for the exam and if you want search them on Wikipedia for more info. That's what I did and still got over an 80.
Dr. Vance is an amazing prof. The lectures are fantastic and very engaging and interesting.
Really amazing lectures. Probably my most fun class to go to during my time at this school.
If you get a chance to take this course, don't hesitate. I didn't have any prior history knowledge, but Prof. Vance lectures were so entertaining and I learned so much.
Professor Vance is an amazing professor. The lectures for this class were the most interesting lectures I have taken in undergrad so far. I missed one class this term due to illness and I was actually very sad I couldn't go. He is very funny and you can tell he wants his students to succeed.
Prof Vance's class was my favorite class in my first year. His explanation is crystal clear and entertaining aswl. All the course contents were fascinating and easy to understand. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good professor class.
Vance is so caring and understanding, and I loved the materials taught in this class. However, I didn't have a great TA and had a difficult time with them. I guess it's really hit or miss with the TAs, but I really loved going to Vance's lectures and office hours.
He can make any topic interesting. I never miss any of his lectures mainly because they feel more like entertainment than work. Very fair, and wants students to succeed. Very short readings, tutorial participation matters but easy to prep for. Overall love the way he's structures the course, very fun professor!
Lecture attendance matters as the slides have little to no information on them. He is an amazing lecturer who speaks clearly and is very passionate about the subject. Best class I have been in so far!
Dr. Vance is an exceptional professor. He places a lot of importance on understanding the course rather than making it a perfection competition. He places his students success on a pedestal which is why he is so respected amongst them. His passion & dedication for his work is so admirable. And he loves cats so I mean cmon.
Professor Vance gives the most entertaining and engaging lectures. I learned so much about hisotric wars, and the topics we covered were genuinely interesting. Just be aware that essays and assignments are marked by TAs, and some can be tough graders. It's a great class, but definitely not a bird course.
i cannot stress how amazing of a prof Jonathan Vance is. I am a psychology major and took this as my elective and enjoyed it so much. He is clear, funny, and engaging in lecture. He connects so well with students and you can just tell he loves his job. Final exam was straightforward and very doable if you listen to study tips from your TAs
(this is for 2144 - anarchy in UK). this class was genuinely so engaging and there was no studying or reading that you had to do outside of class, and super fair marking on the 2 online midterms. lectures were super interesting and vance is a gem. couldn't rec this class enough!! dont skip lectures (they're hilarious) and u'll do great in the class
this guy is the goat, if you enjoy history and actually go to lecture not only will you love his class you'll do well his class is what I looked forward to weekly and finished with a good grade. U rock vance
Easily the best professor I had during my first year. He always ties course content back to a bigger picture, making lectures super engaging. He genuinely cares about his students, always willing to help and answer questions. The assignments were creative and fairly graded. Truly an outstanding professor.
Take 1810 if you get the chance, amazing prof and straightforward course.
amazing first year prof. makes lectures interesting and easy to follow along. truly passionate about his work. highly recommend his classes
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
48%
Textbook Required
19%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.11 avg changeRatings by Course
2186
5.0
(4)HIS0271
5.0
(1)HST127
5.0
(1)HIS127
5.0
(1)HIST125
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HST231
5.0
HIST2201
3.5
HISTORY2186
3.2
1810
3.0
HIST512F
3.0