2.3
Quality4.0
Difficulty17%
Would Retake245
Reviews17%
Would Retake
245
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
40
4
31
3
30
2
38
1
106
What Students Say
“Take any other professor”
HIST130 - 1.0 rating“It was my last GE class and it was harder than my major”
HIST130 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
88%
Textbook Required
48%
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Predicted Grade
B-
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-1.39 avg changeRatings by Course
1352
5.0
(1)ENG1
5.0
(1)HST501A
5.0
(1)HST
5.0
(1)HISTORY150
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
HIST001C
5.0
HISTORY001C
5.0
HISTORY1B
5.0
HISTORY101
5.0
HISTORY12
5.0
Reviews (245)
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Great teacher, really prepared, keeps class interesting!
She is one tough teacher, but she is well prepared and makes sure her students understand the material.
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Very nice. Can always go to her for help. I finally like History now
By far one of the best teachers I've had. She lectures as if she's telling a story and keeps everyone interested. Her tests are very straightforward, not too confusing. Incorporates music into the topic of discussion, which is very cool.
this class should be called Hollywood History 101, as this teacher's knowledge and course matterial is based on old movies. It's not how good an instructor you are it is who you are married to. drop this class now and regester for any other instructor
She is convinved of her own superior intelligence. I got tired of her bull after the first week and only showed up when necessary. Still got a C but she really turned me off to history.
good teacher. kinda sexy for an older lady...boderline ****.
She will not give you the benifit of the doubt. I tried hars, talked to her regularly, and she gave me a d+. dont take this professor, she sucks.
The fact that it is a survey course necessitated her covering topics quickly, but class was usually very interesting. Challenging class, but not *too* challenging. Good teacher.
Good teacher, i used to hate history adn she made it interesting. but the tests were hard, there is a lot of material to know and limited time. Good teacher, but hard class at the same time.
Her tests are the hardest I've ever taken. She asks for too much detailed information that really is not relavent. Definitely too hard for just a GE class!!!
Never went. Got a C. Boring lectures and she seems concieted. I like hostory but she turned me off
this class was easy if you attend class. I personally didn't like her too much, she seemed vain and "above us". She did keep the lectures somewhat interesting though, and she puts together a booklet for the class with everything you need for an
Boring lectures. If you can stay focused, they're informative, but that's very hard to do. Likes to remind the class how smart she is by talking endlessly about why she teaches the way she does. Avoid taking her if possible.
doesn't seem to be able to answer many questions. test questions are very vague and confusing. she's not very helpful when it comes to answering questions about the tests or class content.
I thought her lectures were intereseting because she presented the information in a way I've never heard before.I really worked hard for a good grade in that class and I came out knowing a hell of a lot more than I ever did.Recommended if you attend class
teaches general education classes, but she does not treat them like that. Her quizzes and test will all be essay, and she grades very hard.She knows what she wants to hear.
Thought she was a great teacher. Enjoyed her class so much I took another one that she was teaching. Not to hard of a class and quite informative. Recommend if you are a clear, good, and precise writer.
No way to do well in this class. Lectures are very boring. Her reading assignments are horrible. Tests are very very vague, and she never tells you how to do anything. One word of advice, do your 4 quizes right away.
lectures very easy to understand
Nice lady, appreciates student enthusiasm, and offers a unique and interesting approach to US History which focuses mainly on the social aspect. Do your reading, however, and be sure to keep up on quiz assignments.
Pretty boring, it's very hard to stay awake in class sometimes. She does have a cool habit of putting a spin on somethings to make them somewhat bearable. Goes off on tangents.
bad teacher!
Excellent class for freshman who are new to the college experience. Class is terribly boring and run at a painfully slow pace.
This babe is awesome! You will walk away from her classes knowing that you have learned from the best. She incorporates music and social /political ideas in innovative ways. She is very nice!
Very interesting class, hard to stay awake at times...she's very clear of what she wants, gives good outlines and notes, very helpful and approachable.
Although the class can be boring its what you make of it. If you read and get involved its actually interesting. She is very fair and a wonderful person. My favorite teacher so far!
It just seems like another filler class to me. Very boring but i guess an overall average class. The whole class is quizes and identifications, so get those done and you'll do fine. Full note packet though, so you don't have to take any notes ^^
Her class is difficult, but she teaches her students how to study.
Every time I'm in that class I feel like going to sleep, it's really hard to stay alert because she's boring. Don't get me wrong, she's a nice, but boring. I probably wouldn't take any of her classes again.
This teacher is unbearable. Not only is her class boring. I can't stand to hear her lecture. She feels that the only way one can suceed in life is to use her style of teaching.Her important feelings with herself tend to get in the way of her teaching style. I would never take a class from her again.
Meh. She kinda makes me angry when she walks into the door, it seems to me she's really into herself. Maybenot. I dunno. But somethings in her class don't really relate to US History, like the Development of Department stores and how Anal Sex was considered taboo during the 18th century. Class wasn'
Uh she was alright. I fell asleep a lot. It is hard to have this as an early morning class...She offers a lot of help and is clear.
Pretty easy, all lectures but you don't have to take notes, she gives them to you in the beginning but you still have to go to class. It was kinda boering though
She's pretty cool. She gives you all the lecture notes ahead of time. She has you do these "IDs" (you'll see if you take her), write a good paragraph on those and you should be fine. Read the pages with your doodles and study those, because thats where she spent the most time. zzzzz.
She seems like an ok lady, if i were to hang out with her outside of class, which i would never do. I usually love history, and she talked about some interesting things, but i just didnt enjoy the class. She admits she is a feminist and it totally shows in her LONG PAINFUL lectures, kinda annoying.
Very good for first year students: gives study tips. Fair grader if you attend class you will do well on the test. Loves having students come in and talk and gives chance for extra credit. Interesting and helpful lectures. Likes to incoporate music.
pretty good teacher, do the readings and go to class and you should be fine.
I thought her class was very boring..and it was hard too. The studying for the test was unbearable..just too much information. I passed with a C..don't know how I pulled that off!
WORST TEACHER EVER! Teaches the material AFTER she tests you on it. I would not recommend her to ANYONE! She is a cross between Clueless and Legally Blonde. She does not teach fact she picks out documents that are subjective and takes only what she feels is fact from them to test you on! Grade: F-
I really liked her teaching style. She focused on parts of American history that doesn't always get covered, like social aspects of issues and women's history. plus she brought in fun stuff like music and movies. Just LISTEN during lectures and you'll be fine!
Very hard teacher. She crams in way tooo much stuff for all tests, and will still test you on something if she never got around to teaching it. She was always late to class but still did her entire 50 minute lecture making us late for our next class. She is not very nice and is a bad teacher.
She is the worst teacher in the entire school. Tests are extremely hard and you don't have enough time to finish them. Don't like the way she teaches. If you want to earn a good grade don't take this teacher.Not recommended. not!
She is HORRIBLE!She tests mostly in essay style which would be ok if she actually TAUGHT the material before she tested on it.She rarely makes eye contact with the students and says, "OK" so often it's almost funny.I counted once and she said "OK" 36 times in 12 minutes!AVOID HER AT ALMOST ANY COST!
This class is way too much work for a lower division class. Lectures are disjointed and confusing. Midterms and several quizzes are take-home, nebulous essay questions and very time consuming. I know we are in college, but come on. This is more work than a graduate level course.
Go to her office hours. If you do not suck up to her she will NOT give you a good grade. She really does test then teach. She feels only her oppinions are the right oppinions. She seems nice, but don't be decieved. SHE IS EVIL! FIND A DIFFERENT TEACHER!
I don't think she expects you to agree with her, nor do I think you have to suck up to have a chance at a a good grade. The class is just very difficult and the written quizzes and the midterm are too much work. She tries hard to be helpful, but the subject matter is just too broad for one semester.
Karen is really nice, but really hard. Lots of reading documents, and hardly any focus on the text book you have to buy. Def not an intro class, you need background history knowledge to understand the documents and write her essays. Grade= 10pt papers every week ..use office hrs to write/pass.
Nissen is NOT a good teacher. Let me rephrase that: avoid this succubus at all costs, including your own life. Her style of lecture can only be defined as...disjointed and mind-numbingly dull. She structures the class to include more coursework than most upper-division classes. Her grading is akin to scholastic Russian Roulette. Stay away.
No Comments
um.....she is also a PE teacher which makes her completely pointless and foolish in my book. she loves to make analogies to the gym, and reallly is a very boring person. avoid her at all costs. she seriously made me want to drop out of school.
I loved her! Do everything and do well on the tests... Write all the key terms out over and over again!
She is one of the worst teachers I have ever had. A lot of essays, and if you don't write exactly what she tells you to think, she fails you. If you value having your own life where your opinion matters, DO NOT TAKE HER!
It's pretty boring..
She is very sarcastic and assumes that everyone is a dumb teenager who doesn't appreciate american history... it's kinda funny, but the class isn't hard. As long as your not lazy and read the small amount of reading, you'll be fine.
I took her about 9 years ago, I was not impressed. She seemed like she was in over her head, and didnt really know what she was doing. She was pretty nice and not very difficult, but I just was not impressed with her knowledge. Maybe it was just because the subject matter was remedial, but she just didnt impress me, plenty of other professors out there that you can gain much more from.
she is good. she is interesting and fun and light hearted. i liked the class and that is pretty rare. I also got an A
she was one of my favorite professors yet. she is clear of what she expects from her students and gives plenty of hand outs and reading. i thought that i was going to get behind but it was all very interesting information, which made her class very rewarding. she has high expectations, but not hard to do well and maybe even learn something!
I really liked her class. The subject was very interesting and she explained everything very well. You have to attend every class or you'll fall behind but besides that, her class was very enjoyable.
WORST TEACHER EVER. IF YOUR TRYING TO FAIL A CLASS THIS IS FOR YOU.
she is really easy and alot cheaper on the pockets since u only have to buy the social fabric and her packets from mr kopy. she doesnt take the ususal boring route through history. she talks more about the interesting things and makes history more fun in general. if you go to class and do at least half the reading then ull do fine.
she is a great teacher. just sometimes she bounces from present to past like no other and its kind of irritating but you learn to cope. she knows her stuff. GO TO CLASS!! IDs are really important, they saved my butt on the exams. you should study those the most. but the best advice i can give you is go to class, seriously.
Did not like her teaching style. She taught history in the most confusing manner. Please teach in a more linear fashion, not jumping to different points in history over and over again. Also it seemed she never answered certain people questions. She would stare at a student that was raising his/her hand and just wouldnt call on them. Study just the
This Teacher is just completely awful. She reminds me of many of my JC teachers only worthless. She is preoccupied with a chart that I have never seen anyone use and I am a graduating senior. If you want a general 7th grade overview of history take her class, but other than that i would advise against taking her at all.
She gives a lot of papers, and weekly quizzes.Lectures sometimes are kind of interesting but hard to stay awake.Have to buy textbooks, only 3 were assigned.
Nissen is really good at her office hours but is one of the toughest graders for 100 level courses on campus ever. She has a a tough time remembering that she is teaching a 100 level course and grades as hard as graduate work! Avoid taking both here classes at the same time (101 & 103)it is extremely tough!!!
very hard class. the first time i have ever gotten a D in my life. not a good teacher. has no special qualities. the tests are way too long and hard to complete in the time given
I really like her!!! Yes its a lot of work but its all easy work if you pay attention! She is more than helpful if you need her and i learned so so much from her class.
I loved Karen! Yeah she's hard, but this is college people. She is completely clear in what she expects and if you do what she says you will get an A. I took her 101 and 103 at the same time and got an A- and B+ (Attendance is important, it brought me down in that one). All in all, loved her and learned so much
She is a riot! I really like her! I have heard from people who took her class a while ago that it was hard, but i think she toned it down a lot. Honestly I have learned so so much from her!
She is so much fun! I laugh so much in her class. But yes it is a lot of work for a 101 class. I have heard that she has eased up a bit so that made my semester with her good. She likes people to speak up i discussions. She spells the class out for you. just do it and you will get a good grade. Have fun with her and she will have fun back!
I thought her class was going to be hard based on previous ratings but it's not that bad. It just depends on whether you are willing to take the time and do the readings she assigned or not. She DOES assign more readings than my other professors but like she pointed out, we're learning about thousands of years in one semester! Can be rude though.
Do not sign up for this womans class
She is a very very hard teacher. She spends all of her lecture time going over what we had done in the previous lecture, or what we would be covering the next week. She assigns a ridiculous amount of reading, and her tests are impossible. Even her take-home quizzes are impossible. She grades them really tough. Outside of class, she is nice though
She is a great teacher and really knows what she is talking about. There is a lot of work, but if you take the time to do it you will really learn a lot. She is really helpful if you just ask her questions and is great about her office hours. I liked her so much I looked for her again for History 102.
One of the worst teachers I've ever had, and I LOVE history (history scholar in H.S.). She spends most of the time going over what we've done in the past classes, and even when she teaches she does a terrible job of it. Really annoying just in general. Makes you spend a ton on books, lecture notes, etc (Around $150 for one class!) DO NOT TAKE IT!
I didn't like her at all at first. But then I realized that she is actually a good professor. She knows what she is talking about and goes over everything that will be on the test. you just have to listen & take notes. Her class gets a little monotonous though, because all she ever really does is lecture. But I definitely learned a lot.
HORRIBLE woman. One of my least favorite professors. So rude and grumpy all the time. Lots of work but as long as you keep up with it it's not too hard. Don't take her, though. Anyone else would be better than her. Oh, and she takes role and has a SEATING CHART! wtf
Hands down one of the best professors I've had at CSU Chico. Yeah, she's hard. If you want to learn, then it will be a blast. If you're sluffing for an easy A then you're going to be hating life. The tests and quizzes were simple if you followed the syllabus.
Her class is definitely a challened but if you're up to it, it's really informative! Don't take her class if you're not one for reading, and don't like going to class. She grades tough but spells out exactly what she's looking for. Exams are also tough, but if you study thoroughly, you'll do fine. Great professor, I'd take another course of hers.
WORST TEACHER EVER. One of my least favorite professors. She is very rude and grumpy all the time. Lots of work but as long as you keep up with it it's not too hard. DO NOT TAKE HER.Anyone else would be better than her. Youll also be buying multiple books and packets. Just not worth the trouble. If you need this class take Professor Nice
She has high expectations but I feel more college professors should be this way. You actually HAD to read, participate, and learn - not just skate by like I could in so many other classes. Highly recommended if you want to learn history in a meaningful and interesting way - especially to future teachers!
great class learned a lot
She is unenthusiastic, difficult, and not easily approachable. I will not be taking another class with her.
Mrs. Nissen is absolutely amazing. She provides you with the information you need to succeed. Her study guides fit her exams and she is very helpful. She is a great professor. If you follow the readings, study for the exams, and try you will succeed. She has very high expectations but this is what pushes you to work harder.
Great lecturer. The course is easy if you go to class and put in the effort. She can be very grumpy and treat students as though they are in elementary school which is annoying. Besides that, I learned a ton and did well.
Prof. Nissen was very hard on her students. She was rude and acted like she hated coming to class. I personally would not recommend her unless you want to spend hours after class deciphering her lecture notes.
Professor Nissen's class is fairly easy AS LONG AS YOU STUDY. She gives you the lecture notes and all of the material you need, including study guides. If you go to lecture, do you study guides and ask fro help when you need it, you will pass the class with flying colors.
She is not nice, always complains, and is hard to understand her 'connections' to topics. The quizzes she gives out are very hard and time consuming.
Professor Nissen is a terrible professor. I recently graduated with honors from the history department at Chico State and she was by far the worst teacher I had. Her class is insane and she is one of those teachers you must avoid. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS!!!! Take anyone else but her it will make your life and college career easier.
She's among the most hated teachers @ Chico & for good reason. Yes.If you study really,really hard, never miss, AND have her look over your ID's the week prior you might get an A. But seriously, it's Hist130. You can learn just as much from any of the other professors and have a better experience overall.If your gpa matters at all DO NOT TAKE!
She is by far the worst teacher I have had at Chico so far. Super confusing and hard on you. DO NOT TAKE HER. TAKE ANY OTHER TEACHER. I am in her class and I am going to have to take this class over and my roommate who has another teacher is enjoying her class.
Worst Class ever. She is the hardest teacher and treats her whole class like children. Where lectures are easy to understand but her quiz and test are ridiculously insane to pass. If your GPA matters dont take this class. her average class passing rate is a low C-.
It was a drag going to her class. I didn't like how she presented her lectures at all. It did not make any sense to me, even when I went to her office hours and get help. Her textbook was put her herself so it was a copied machine textbook, which was sloppy. Her tests were hard, and doesn't make sense to any of the lectures.
A lot of people find her confusing but if you keep up with the readings and lectures you will do fine. This class is review of US history in hs so if you know a lot about us history it will help. Good class overall just study and go to class and you will be fine! And pay attention it helps !
The one thing I liked about Nissen is that I actually learned history when I paid attention. The one thing I didn't like is how she "organized" everything. It can get confusing. Also her metaphors and lectures took too much time and dragged on. And her grading didn't make sense.
The worst instructor I've had. You have to buy course materials at mr. kopy (non refundable) she talks about working out ALL THE TIME, and even though I go to every class and study like crazy I still only got a D on our first exam because I don't learned anything in class. If you have time to teach yourself all the material then go for it.
Worst teacher I've ever had in my entire life. Such confusing lectures, she bounces around and never stays on topic. All material on her crazy exams are nothing she discusses in class. Had to teach myself everything for the final exam, and never got higher than a C on every exam. Worst teacher ever.
This class is hard. I am an overall A student, and struggled in this class. I attended every class, but she lectured very quickly and if you missed anything you are basically in hot water. Her exams are very hard. She would give you a chance to earn up to 5 points extra credit for each exam and that is it, no more extra credit options at all.
Avoid this teacher at all costs! Boring lectures, and the "textbook" is just lecture notes which doesn't really help with exams. The office hours aren't helpful. You must buy your own scantrons to take exams, the exams are long, and questions are worded in a strangely. No matter how hard you study for this class, you'll still end up with a C-
Theres no textbook. Every single class you have to record what she says for an hour. The lecture is everything, and the tests are very difficult.
Course is based on her lecture every class period. There isn't a textbook. So studying is nearly impossible.
Took this class for general education. She doesn't offer a textbook its just lecture notes which aren't useful when going to study for the exams. Her exams are very difficult. She lectures all class every class. If you don't write down every single thing she says you'll miss something for the exams. She moves very quickly through the material.
No textbook, just lecture notes which aren't useful. Beware the lectures are what she bases her tests off of.
Definitely the worst professor I have had at Chico State so far. She is extremely rude when students ask questions and you are required to use her textbook for the course, which is actually lecture notes. Her lectures are long and boring. If your GPA matters avoid this teacher, class average on our last exam was 63%.
terrible teacher. don't take class
She's terrible. No textbook. DO NOT TAKE THIS IF YOU WANT AN EASY GE CLASS
I HATE the name Karen because of Karen Nissen now. She is the worst teacher I have ever had in my entire life; she calls her a class a "gym" and you need to work out. She is not receptive to students, dress very awkwardly for her age, and will mention her syllabus DAILY. I am not joking with you or just being lazy, AVOID KAREN AT ALL COSTS!!
The "textbook" for this class are her own written "lecture notes" you must purchase from Mr. Kopy. There's hardly any detail in this "textbook". Her tests are mostly based off of her lectures which aren't always clear. Going to her office hours barely helped. Having a great history tutor still didn't help due to her VERY difficult tests. AVOID HER!
This class is hard, but what she teaches is interesting. All her tests are based on the lecture notes. There isn't a text book, but you have to buy the lecture notes from Mr. Kopy. If you study and do all the quizzes you'll do fine. If you have a poor work ethic I wouldn't recommend taking the class. You have to have a good work ethic to pass.
DO NOT HAVE HER AS A PROFESSOR. Tests are composed of 15 geography sites that you have to identify on a blank map (in 15 minutes) and explain the significance. Then 70 multiple choice questions that are insanely specific. I am a straight A student and barely have a C in the class. She told me I don't know how to take notes. oh.
Theres no textbook. Its her notes which makes studying impossible if you don't copy down everything she says in class. She lectures every single day and is extremely rude. This class is difficult for a GE class. AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Attendance is taken daily, but make sure you initial the correct line because she will not fix it if you don't. Most of the students think she is rude, but sometimes they ask dumb questions based off of something she just had on the board. I can see why she has the attitude that she does because I would not be able to teach a class full of freshman
Karen is the rudest, most hypocritical professor and person I have ever met. For someone who is 5 minutes late every single day, she sure throws a fit when you arrive late or leave early. Prepare for a class that has a complicated structure set up for students to fail, and a cold hearted teacher who truly could care less about her students success.
She is really passionate about what she teaches, she will try really hard for you to understand what it is and the best ways to study. The Exams is where it gets you though, you must study an excessive amount of time to do good on them, especially the geography. Overall if you like history or even if you dont I'd recommend her.
My biggest complaint with Karen is that she treats the class as though we are high school freshmen. Yes, I understand it's a lower division class but we don't need to spend the first two weeks making sure we understand the syllabus. She expects a lot from her students but it's doable if you put the time in.
She is by far the worst teacher I have had at Chico state. She often compares her students to her son, who is Mental handicap. Her tests aren't difficult, but her lectures skip around a lot! avoid if you can!!
Beware of lots of US and World geography. She makes you purchase $45 lecture notes and a little book of historical documents to take quizzes on. If you miss class then you definitely won't do well on the tests. The tests are mostly based off of what she says in her lectures and won't be in the lecture outline.
Geography is a huge part of this class, if you do not do well with geography do not take this class with her. The test are very specific, I felt I had to be a historian to pass this class.
Tough class! I would only recommend if you love history. Gives tests every two units and they are hard! You need to attended class because tests are not just based on notes, but also things she says in class. If you love history you'll enjoy the class. If not you'll be miserable. Don't be afraid to ask for help! She's there if you need it!
Pay attention in class and do all of the timelines, charts, and anything else she says for you to do, it will be difficult but it will be worth it.
She taught this class in a way that she understood. She caters to her learning style and not to that of the class. If you are not good at memorizing, you already did bad on half of the test. DO NOT TAKE HER! She makes you buy her lecture notes, and a book to read to take quizzes. No real homework, so make sure those are done. Many tests.
Probably one of THE worst teachers I've had! She doesn't have a textbook, but she makes you buy her lecture notes. There is almost nothing different from her lectures than the notes. She'll spend all of class talking about corsets or how people use to drink a lot of whiskey. Her tests are incredibly specific, and on material that was never covered
One of my least favorite teachers that I've ever had the displeasure of taking. Her tests are extremely specific and worded in ways that seem to try and trick you. I do not suggest taking this teacher. She has no sympathy for anyone and has lecture notes that only make sense to her. She makes you conform to her learning style, not vice versa
Awful teacher. Her lectures are very confusing despite that she reads directly off her notes. Everything is scattered and not in chronological order. She always strays from the lecture notes only touching the surface of huge topics like foreign policy.
DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS!
Highly recommend never taking her class and if you are already enrolled I would just drop it and wait until another teacher has opened a class.
Expects people to be at a Master's level. I am a straight A student and have earned only two B's in college. I have never felt like a teacher is too difficult, but Professor Nissen doesnt care if you devote 20 hours per week to her class & get an F. If I were you, I would take a different teacher...
I actually like history, but the way she words her questions on tests makes them so much harder. I knew the material, but somehow always did so poorly on the tests because they were so long and hard. The geography portion of the tests are very difficult because it requires a lot of memorization. This class could be way easier with another professor
She is passionate about her subject and has interesting lectures. She expands well on the history that we learned over and over throughout school to make it interesting. She is well organized and is clear about how to do well in her class. It was a good class for a starting freshman. Be proactive about studying and it should go fine :)
In my opinion, don't take her. She is extremely unclear during lectures. She will bounce back and forth between different topics. Does not explain information well. She is a really tough grader and will doc points for any little mistake. (it could even be a misspelled word)
She's does her best to work with the class. She puts more than enough effort but unfortunately its all based off on her lectures. Her lectures are very hard to follow along to. She talks about everything in one sitting so make sure to attend her class!
I honestly was horrified when I got placed in her class because of these reviews, but after the first week that fear quickly dissipated. She totally redid her teaching style and prints out all her notes so you won't fall behind.I even procrastinated on all my HW and she only tests on 2 units so way easy to study for. I would take her class!
She tries to fit an entire unit into 1 lecture. She words questions specifically to confuse you. Often leaves out things that are on the test and then blames you for not coming to office hours. The class material isn't difficult and she's knowledgeable and tries but I would take this with someone else.
Her lectures are unclear and her entire tests and projects are reliant on the notes you take from her lectures. There is no textbook, just printed out incomplete notes.
She rushes everything and sometimes tough to learn. She can be rude. I don't recommend at all. I did more writing in that class than actual English class
She gives iclicker quizzes every class for attendance & points towards your grade. Very tough grader and long, BORING lectures. Hardly covers the material in her lectures and expects you to know every little detail. Many people fail her class, and she's kinda rude. Doesn't care about her students! Do yourself a favor and get a different professor!
If you take her class then you need to study the most for this class out of all your classes. She definitely puts lots of effort into this class and puts lots of detail into her grading. I always got As in high school history classes and this class i barely passed even though i attended all classes and did all the homework
Alright so most of the exam questions are not from the powerpoint slides or the 2 books she makes you buy. It is from the lecture, but here is the thing she talks ALOT and most of the time you wont know what you should write down. The exams are extremely hard and her lectures are not really helpful and the books wont help. Chose another professor.
You have to buy her book and her notes. Neither is needed. Some of the quizzes are from the reading, but mostly it's lecture or online video. Note packet is the lecture slides as bullet points. Save money and buy a notebook instead. Takes too long to get to the point during lecture.
Karen Nissen is the embodiment of EVERYTHING that is wrong in the world. She is a true demon, don't take this class ever, even if its the absolute only thing keeping you from graduating, don't do it. Take any other professor. I learned more about history in my second grade class.
Bad teacher. she lectures on and on and half the class falls asleep, then her test are about 120 questions that you have to do in like 80 min so its more than one question a min and more than half of those are things she hasn't even talked about. Then on the test 90% of her questions are everything but ...
no matter how many hours you study, sit in class, do homework, go to office hours DO NOT BOTHER YOU WILL FAIL! but don't worry you are not alone everyone else fails too. Honestly she is rude, very unhelpful, and expects you to perform at grad student level even though it is a GE level 100. She makes up everything as she goes. HORRIBLE CLASS
worst teacher. she gives you an assignment and makes you turn it in completed BEFORE teaching it in class because is teaches you how to "critically think".. if i wanted to learn critical thinking i would take a CT class.. makes you "learn" read and take notes HER way bc its the "right" way. 100 level class is harder than any 400 level ive been in.
10/10 do not recommend. shes very rude and teaches like your grad students and then complains about how majority of her students are failing. like if everyone is failing that should be a reflection of YOU as a prof. assigns one thing after the other and the complains how she has soooo much stuff to grade and how its such a burden on her busy life.
GE class feels like a 600 level class. her tests are very hard and she is trying to confuse you. she gives you 4 answers which are all right but which is the MOST right. doesnt care if you fail that is actually her goal, because it makes her feel so smart for knowing the stuff none of us understand because
Let me just start of by saying i probably worked harder for this class than Anatmomy and physicology combined. Her Journal assignment she assigns are super specific and grades tuff. Her test are which of the following are not format. It wasn't till the final when i realized i had to memorize all her notes and i made flashcards. So be ready to work.
I had to retake this class and unfortunately got stuck with Nissen again. Even with the University asking her to reformat the course, it's still difficult. Her exams did not change a bit they're still in "Which of these are not" formats making it difficult to memorize every detail. Do yourself a favor and look for another professor.
Karen is not as bad as the reviews make her out to be. There is a lot of reading assigned for journals, but they are pretty straight forward. She changed her course format so there was only 1 writing assignment aside from journals. Attendance is taken through iClickers. If you get used to the routine (lecture, journal, test), you'll pass.
She is the worst teacher I have ever had. Her teaching style is all over the place. She is mean and rude toward students. If a student asked a question, she would make them feel stupid. Tests were difficult. Nothing like the study guide. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
Business major with straight A's, recieved a C in this class and history has been my strongest subject growing up. This class brought down my overall GPA. This teacher tells you to buy a textbook that you will never use once, homework is very difficult and irrelevant to tests. Tests are made to trick you. This isn't learning karen. Very sad.
Although it was better than my last hist130 class, Karen teaches in a way that I really didn't like. She tries to make students comform to how she learns, rather than the other way around. She constantly uses the whiteboard, drawing clustered timelines and boasting about how great timelines are all the damn time. Exams are multiple choice, not bad.
She is a condescending professor who would spend half the time in class lecturing you on how you should be taking notes her way and doing you homework her way because it is the right way and wouldn't help students at all. Her exams have a lot of questions based on which of these are not ____. It was my last GE class and it was harder than my major
Karen isn't a bad professor at all. She does have a specific way of teaching, but it's because it really does help you learn. She isn't rude, but straightforward. She gives lots of extra credit opportunities & even gives study guides so you can do good on the tests. She wants the student to pass, but you do have to put in the work to get there.
Awful teacher. Would not take her course again. Talked about herself half of the class.
You need to show up to pass the class as most of the tests are on what was covered in the lectures. Reading assignments are time consuming but get easier as the class goes on, the first two are the hardest but after that its smooth sailing. She relates the topics to current day making some of the units enjoyable to learn about and shes nice.
There are a lot of bad reviews on Professor Nissen, but I took her course and it was not as difficult as others are saying. You get a reading quiz every 2-3 weeks, and it will take you about an hour to read and an hour to take the quiz. The exams are short, and she offers extra credit to those who want it. Show up and do the work, and you'll pass.
The class wasn't an easy A but the homework isn't bad and she offers extra credit for tests and lots of office hours. I didn't do well in the beginning but I got the hang of it. Always show up to class.
Rambles on and off during lectures, always goes off topic about her personal life, but at the same time you have to note everything she says because it will be on the test. The tests are based 1/3 lecture 1/3 journals 1/3 assignments. Hard class, not impossible to poass but the professor makes it way more difficult and painful to experience.
You don't necessarily get a lot of homework, but the reading quizzes are tough. Big chunks of reading, but her lectures are very easy to follow!
Karen is a great teacher if you enjoy history. She is very passionate about what she teaches and tries her hardest to work with you to pass. Going to class is a very good idea because she is both lecture heavy as well as through the textbook. I highly suggest getting to know her more and going to her office hours for help.
Literally one of the worst teachers I have ever had in my academic career. And that is coming from someone who attended 2 four year universities. Lots of pointless fluff to the class. I attended class every day and did not enjoy nor benefit from the songs played at the beginning of the class. Exams are too small print. Would never recommend.
Avoid taking Karen if possible! Lots of reading, online quizzes every week that are tough, a lot of material to memorize for exams, and she goes off on tangents during lecture. We were always let out late and you cant leave on time because she has an iclicker quiz at the end of each lecture.
Goes off topic a lot and ha slicked fights with students in class. Not very nice or caring at all. You will be let out late everyday and there is a quiz at the end of each class. Dont even think about sharing a different opinion than hers, she will go off. Take another teacher if you want to pass.
While she is a great professor and knows her stuff, she is very rude! does not give students a break and embarrasses them if they are tardy/miss class (this happened when I had the flu and she wouldn't let me make up a test). Avoid her if you can but if you can't you HAVE to go to class, tests/quizes are based off of mainly lectures!
lectures are EXTREMELY informative so if you miss class thats a portion of the test you're missing! Clicker quizzes at the end of each class so must attend. She thinks her analogies make sense when she draws them on the board but honestly she makes very bad timelines and makes her own abbreviations so she's just very CONFUSING overall. Don't take.
If I were you I would not take her class, she's a rude professor. I came to office hours and ive never had a professor be rude to me. She straight up about thing but she'll cross the line. Hard instructor, no way to even do extra assignments, i was sick for a week and had doctors notes and she still didnt take them nor would do makeups.
Karen is a tough Professor. It is not impossible to do well in this course, you just have to work for it. She gives online quizzes for every unit, and in my semester taking it there was a total of 5 tests. Tests are straightforward but if you dont go to class you wont do well on the tests. Lecture heavy but she tries to make it interactive.
Karen is an amazing teacher! If you are ready to learn then you need to take her, she is there to help and teach you and does a great job at it! If you are lazy and don't want to read the material or show up to class then you won't pass, if you do all is expected of you, you will get an "A" no problem!
Boring and rude
Not a fun class in any means. Karens delivery is very unenthusiastic and dry. Shes been teaching for too many years and it shows... shes just going through the motions. Assigns so much reading/hw. Very detailed questions. She gives life lessons nobody asks for. I never show up to her class excited and never leave feeling great either. Dont take
Karen Nissen is easily the hardest prof I have ever had. She is really nice and helpful but her tests are insanely hard. There are five tests a semester (1 for each unit). Don't expect to get an A or even a B unless you study literally everyday. She tries to trick you in questions so you have to know the material in and out. Wouldn't recommend.
I know there is a lot of hate on this professor but if you listen during the lectures and do the homework you will do completely fine in this class. She is really nice and if your struggling in anyway you can go to office hours and she will explain it to you clearly. There isn't a lot of homework just weekly quizzes that aren't too hard.
She took a subject I'm usually interested in and made it boring, dry, and tedious. Weekly reading quizzes that she grades very harshly and a 5 page paper due at the end of the semester. Would not recommend.
Karen is easily my favorite/the best professor I had this semester. As long as you go to class, pay attention, and take notes, the class is a breeze. She offers at least 3 extra credit points for each unit that she applies to your unit exam score which has significantly helped my grade. She's very straightforward but she cares about her students.
Karen nissen at first came off as a hard professor, I really thought I was not going to pass the class and wanted to drop considering I suck at history as it is. After cheating on every quiz and getting by on every exam I passed with a B! She makes you buy two self made notebooks I paid $50. Online quizzes every unit and a total of 5 exams.
The most boring and unreasonable professor I have ever had. I barely passed the class.
After 4 years at Chico state I have come back to write this so I could say Karen is still the worst professor Ive ever had. Unreasonable and extremely tough when it comes to the readings. Avoid at all costs
I have come here to defend Karen! Literally show up to class and take notes. Her tests were so straight forward and she offers probably way too much extra credit. Some quizzes and extra credit required a little bit of reading to write a small essay. Go to office hours. She cares and will take notice of you if you do go and ask questions.
It just isn't worth taking it with this professor... Not only does she constantly complain about how much work she has to grade, she doesn't allow bathroom breaks during class, doesn't make it clear when assignments are due and often changes due dates, and whatever extra credit she does give doesn't do anything for your grade.
Karen does not know how to assign work. The sources she supplies are generally bad, with the worst being a 8th grade history report that she assigned us to watch and write a paper on. I thought this was college. She also will fail you for not reading and citing the sources, and yet the sources have little cite able material to use.
This teacher is the worst. History130 is not supposed to be one of my hardest classes but she gives quiz after quiz and exam after exam with no breaks. She grades tough and expects written work for all the tests. SWITCH OUT I wish I did so bad.
Karen is in fact the worst teacher I've ever encountered. She gives vast amounts of reading that is quite hard to pay attention to and gives 1 to 2 quizzes a week. She gives multiple exams and during a pandemic doesn't even record her classes let alone make them asynchronous.
So many quizzes and exams, thats all she assigns so good luck.
She gave horrible feedback of you should use the study guide more when I was getting a C average on exams. Never gave useful feedback. The extra credit feels like it's a joke meant to waste students time. Watch to many videos in the class. Should not ever be allowed to teach an online class maybe she's better at in person classes.
I see a lot of bad reviews about Karen on here and there's no doubt she's a tough teacher. I enjoyed the class, but you will have to work for your grade. Do the readings and pay attention to the lectures and you should be okay, but put work into the quizzes and test. If you want an easy A this isn't your class, the class takes a lot of effort.
Do not take this class if you want to pass history. When I took this class a few semesters ago, more than half of the class did not show up to the final exam because they knew even with those extra points that they were not going to pass. I feel bad for anyone taking this class online, it was hard enough in person.
This class should not be so writing intensive. Karen only assigns quizzes and tests for a 50/50 for your grade. Makes history unenjoyable, tough grader do not expect it to be graded in a timely manner either. Would never take again.
Karen is a literal Karen. Complains about grading and how she has so many classes. Says she will give you a weeks notice for assignments but never does. Assigns A TON of reading. Uses a stupid 1/4 point grading system and if you miss one word you will be knocked down. WHEN COUGHING/SNEEZING SHE PULLS MASK DOWN THEN TOUCHES OUR PAPERS. (HIST- 341)
This is an introductory History course taught at Graduate level difficulty. If you are looking for an easy going teacher for a Gen Ed this is not the lady for you. Her tests are worded confusingly , there is not an organized reading source, you cannot study old quizzes. The extra credit is worth peanuts , do it all and get 0.02% total grade increas
She teaches this class like we are hist majors. Avoid this class at all costs if you want an easy class. She is capable of having interesting lectures. Prepare for constantly having a heavy test every couple of weeks. Complains about having lots of things to grade yet gives out so much stuff to do.
Karen is a good teacher if you are looking for a rigorous work heavy history class. She is also never in a good mood and made me dread going to class. Her weekly quizzes take over an hour and her tests and essays are hard.
She is definitely knowledgeable and is capable of having good lectures, but usually her lectures are long and boring and hard to sit through. She has almost weekly quizzes, and they usually take an hour. She treats the class like they're history majors, when the majority are taking it for G.E.
Be ready, if you want an A put in about 8-10 hours a week. Reading are long and set up a group to figure out what it was about. Have never had problems with classes. However, found this one very challenging.
In all my years of existence I have never hated a teacher so much. Her monotone voice makes it excruciatingly boring. Her grading system is pathetic and quite biased to if you show up to her class and participate. If you want to work 8 hrs a week and hate your life this is the professor for you. I STRONGLY recommend you STAY AWAY from Karen!
DO NOT TAKE!!!!! Worst Professor I have ever had. Late every single class, lectures make no sense, SI does not help because the tutor never knows what the material is. Worst course, Office hours are a total joke because she just sits there and tells you your grade and says nothing to support you. did not learn one thing.
Late to every class, complains and will talk poorly about other classes. Always late to class and will spend the first 15 or so minutes complaining about her life or berate the class. I went to every class did every assignment including extra credit and barely passed. SI is offered but the tutor does not know info, Nissen not follow study guide
I do not recommend this professor. She was late almost every day, if you missed a single class you would lose so many points and miss entire sections that she would not go over again. While she was available for office hours, she had a lot of classes so there were always a ton of students and it took up a lot of my time.
She was horrible, I went to every class on time and did all of the assignments plus the extra credit and barely passed. Is very judgmental, shows up late often, complains about other classes, does not follow study guides, she recommends going to SI but the teach doesnt know info or follows study guide Nissen does not follow. Overall horrible teache
I really like Nissen as a professor, the way she teaches this class was extremely beneficial to me. All the answers to quizzes were in the reading which made it easy to get 100%. Exams are more difficult you really have to study to get a good grade but that's just because there very specific.
Strange grading criteria. If you do not touch on EVERY point made in each individual reading and video when you are taking a test she will dock points
She is the worst professor I ever had. She dont care about concept she just want you to memorize the whole readings and video. Because she gonna use the same wording not concept. Would not recommend her. She isnt perfect but by assigning a lot of work she tries to be perfect.
Karen was the worst teacher I have had in my entire college career. She assigns way too much reading and gives intense quizzes and expects you to write every important detail without overwriting at the same time. Put more hours into this course than the rest of my courses combined and barely squeezed by with a B-. Would not recommend her to anyone.
just not a good person
She is the worst professor I ever had. She has no idea what she is doing assign a lot of homework and quizzes and change due date the same day the quiz is due to act nice. Office hours not helpful at all. She doesnt want to help you at all. She just learn some old school teaching methods and kept going with that. Chico state need to fire her.
Ironically, studying how to be a teacher has made me all that much more aware of the many ways she falls short of such an important title. Talks too much about herself. Tries to train students to learn how she does. Belittles students and gets easily impatient/irritated. Assigns a lot of work and then complains about having to grade. Lacks passion.
Karen is one of the worst professors i've ever had. She makes up half of the material discussed so when it comes time for exams you will not pass unless you wrote down her stories. She makes it clear that she is uninterested in any questions you might have and complains about having to grade assignments. I don't recommend taking any of her classes.
Syllabus says we have one week to complete quizzes but really, we have until the next class. Gives a quiz everyday then says it will "slow down" - it doesn't. Gives 3 midterms and if you don't include every detail you will get half credit. Every assignment is a quiz so prepare to study. If you do not show up to class, you will not pass the class.
She forces you to learn the same way she does. She does not care about the students and always goes over lecture time. 3 midterms, you have 1 hour to do 50 multiple choice, 5 geography, and 2-3 essay questions. If you do not put every little detail without writing too much, you will not get credit. DO NOT TAKE HER!
Although she is not the best professor and her class kind of sucks, it was manageable. She tells you exactly how to succeed in her class and you just have to take her advice. The exams were terrible because she would make you write a ton of 1 page essays. If you put in the work and don't half ass the class you will get a good grade.
hope you're not working one or more jobs to try and afford all this because you'll have at least 4 hours of homework from this class alone.
Lectures and slides are confusing and any valuable information is hard to grasp with teaching style.
The lectures during class are horrible, hard to follow and make no sense. Unless you plan on writing down everything she tries to explain then you are in over your head. The teaching style is difficult because she doesn't really explain what she wants, it was very inconsistent and not throughly explained. I went to office hours and left confused.
Terrible lectures!
Nissen has the strictest grading criteria I've ever seen. She refuses to give a good score for any assignments, even if her feedback offers no suggestions for improvement. Long videos assigned in tandem with lectures. 2 videos in one week were over 90 minutes long film-length supplemental videos! Take this class with anyone else but Nissen...
Probably the worst teacher I have ever had in my entire life. Do not ever take this course, otherwise you will be sad and miserable.
The worst teacher I've ever had in my life. It's almost like she tries to make her students' lives miserable. If I could go back and drop this class I would so save yourselves and DO NOT TAKE HER.
She is actually the worst teacher ever. Boring lectures at 9 in the morning and gets mad when people are slightly tired. She gets unnecessarily mad when people go to the bathroom (nobody was being rude or doing it too often). The tests were so hard and you also had to write a long essay each time. She grades the essays insanely hard. The worst.
Awful, do not take. Never received full credit on any assignment(I usually receive A's in classes). Would spend 2 hours completing her 4 question quizzes. Course load is impossible to keep up with, expect to devote many hours a week to her class
It is extremely hard. You have to read her History readings we have to buy and if you don't like to read goodluck. She is very smart and is a good lecturer, she knows what she is doing which makes for a good professor if you are the studious type. She is definitely old fashioned so she won't just let you off with a good grade.
Lacks compassion, grades harshly without giving appropriate feedback on what to improve. All I can say is C U Next Time.
probably the worst teacher I have ever had. Doesnt help her students and gives attitude when ask for help. comments on ID's were NOT helpful even the tutors didn't know how to help because she was left everything for us to read. Usually good in school and gets As but she makes it impossible.
Professor Nissen has a very specific teaching style that can be challenging, but staying on top of the work and using tools like Unstuck ai for study prep can help you get through the class. Expect a lot of assessments and attendance is a must.
Nissen was an amazing professor. The class was lecture heavy but it was to be expected since there's a lot to cover and learn. She provides plenty of opportunities for growth and strongly advocates for tutoring in this class, which saved my grade and understanding in this class. You can't get by with being lazy in this class so just study!!!!
I honestly would rather eat a block of cement than ever take this class again.
The toughest grader I have ever experienced, went as far as taking away/adding a quarter of a point. Gives extensive feedback and makes a long feedback video for almost every single assignment you complete. Canvas page was extremely unorganized.
Karen sets expectations given to us day 1 in the syllabus. Yes, there is a lot of reading and videos, but at the end of the day it helps you succeed in the class. Lectures are followed like stories, so make sure to show up to class and at minimum listen (you get points for showing up).
ton of reading and quizzes
she needs a life
She seems very knowledgeable, but her lectures can be very confusing, and the several very difficult quizzes have nothing to do with them or the homework. It is passable, but as a straight A student, I never received full credit on anything. It should probably only be for History majors, as she expects a high level of understanding coming in.
This teacher is extremely difficult, her quizzes take me about 4 hours to complete which are weekly, her paper exams are harder than a hardcore English class and I haven't gotten my midterm back yet and finals are next week. I am a straight A student but she makes it impossible to excel in this class. She makes you feel stupid for asking questions
Quite literally the worst professor I have ever had. I have never met someone who lacked so much empathy. She teaches the way she was taught and expects everyone will understand. Insane grader. Lacks a heart. Avoid at all costs seriously.
The worst professor ever!!! she literally doesn't care about the students and if they pass or not, she never answers questions and you have to do it her way or you'll get a zero, protect your peace and don't pick this professor!!
Avoid at all cost. Expects you to understand and remember every fact of the boring material. Gives poor grades if you don't understand the prompt or word it to her liking. Be prepared to write extremely long responses to confusing, and complex prompts. Way too much for an elective we are forced to take. Most of us aren't history majors!
shes actually so mean for no reason
I'm just coming back to say how awful this class was. That's all. Thank you.
she'll tweak out if you go to the bathroom
holy cow I've never been so lost in a class she rambles and is not a great lecturer and will get mad at you for absolutely no reason, like going to the bathroom in class she will quilt trip you and make you feel awful about doing basic human actions.
Do NOT take ANY class with Karen!
Where to start. Class had way too much homework. Worksheets and quizzes took hours each week. It is almost impossible to receive an A because of harsh grading. Subject is one that I was excited for it ended for me as a terrible work-to-learn ratio. Final Exam was a max 9-page essay. How much time we got? 6 days. She owes me money on CatPRINTS.
I actually really like her as a prof. & person. I see what people mean when they say she seems... rude. Even I notice it, and I'm like, the only person from that class that is still in defense of her. But still, I like her.
just wanted to say after leaving her class for the last time today i've never struggled with a professor more than her. she seems to hate her students and her job and has an attitude at all times. doesn't round grates even if you're at a .9 and claims she offered extra credit when in reality it was one extra credit. literally save urself
By far the worst professor I have had in college .
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