Intense! But entertaining, exciting and makes American history come alive

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Incredibly in depth and entertaining lectures...Easy going and comfortably paced...a definite must take for a GPA boost...only one midterm and a few short papers.

Very good class, lectures were very clear and helpful.

just excellent

not that hard to get an A... pretty straight-forward

Very interesting and good lecturer. She knows history and makes it come alive, definitely glad I took this class and am interested in taking more classes of hers.

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easy A

Loved her lectures, very interesting and objective presentations - great choices of videos and supplementary works & not too hard either

Olmsted is an amazing professor. Her lectures are entertaining as well as informed and she has an amazing grasp of the subject that she is teaching. The reading is interesting and the films and primary sources she shows add depth to the class.

A great History teacher, period. If you hate history you will like it after seeing her teach a class. She ges into conspiracy theories and ideas and facts I've never even heard of, and I am a history major. Shes good at what she does.

Very interesting and fun class. She is extremely knowledgable of the subject matter. Great teacher.

lectures are ideal: she doesnt just show you the notes on power point for you to copy mindlessly, but she also gives you an outline of what she is talking about so you cna have an idea were she is, and where she is going. challenging class, but great prof

She's awesome! Her lectures are always clear and outlined but interesting and filled with random fun tidbits! Anyone needing to fill GEs, take this class!

One of my favorite teachers! She's very organized so you'll learn a lot, but she's also very fun and interesting. She knows EVERYTHING and you get to watch movies and slide shows pretty often. I loved this class!!

This class is pretty good considering I'm not very interested in history. The lectures are organized and you do learn a great deal of material. The TA's may grade somewhat harshly though. The professor is great. She makes history a lot better.

She's a great teacher in that she is organized and makes the lectures very interesting. I learned a lot. =)

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the teacher is wonderful and easy but my TA ****ed me over and is going to bring me back on academic probation. her name is julia kehew and she is very very old. me and my friend r going to be homeless now thankx to her

Olmsted is a good prof and if you don't like history she makes it manageable to listen to. Take good notes tho. If you get a bad TA, it's all bad, so if you've got Kehew, get out if you can. She's so not helpful. But Olmstead is a good prof.

S '02. interesting class & readings. she has some great stories about the weirdoes that contact her about conspiracy theories. she's extremely helpful, nice & understanding. great professor!

I always looked forward to lecture even though I had it at 9am. Is a really interesting lecturer, and tests are pretty easy. She really knows her stuff. Take her class!

the first college class where i never missed a lecture despite it being at 9am, she is a great professor, clear, organized, she knows her stuff, and the exams are fair..matthew osbourne is a good ta too

I took three of her classes because she's that awesome. If you have a chance to take your seminar with her, do it! She's hilarious in a smaller class setting.

Loved this class! Never wanted to miss it ever. This was the best class I ever took at Davis. She really made me want to know more about the subject. Take it!

Professor Olmsted was one of the best professors I've had at UC Davis. She is extremely knowledgable on the subject matter, and is able to convey the material clearly. Her lectures are very informative, and she genuinely wants you to do well. Course itself is very interesting. Highly recommended!

I wish she taught more classes at Davis! She made class time FLY by, and makes the subject really interesting. Grades were on a paper (35%) that she gives alot of options on, a midterm (25%), and a final (40%). Gives study guides before exams that REALLY make the studying process painless. Love her!

Very Good Prof recommend her to everybody. Interesting and concise lecturer.

The best! Makes lectures fun and interesting. Lots of reading, but she picks interesting stuff. Take her if you get the chance.

Lectures are very organized and rarely gets off-track. She's also quite helpful if you visit her office hours. Readers graded a bit tough but still within reasonability. There is a bit of reading to do (6 books) but overall the lectures are so detailed that you're probably not going to miss much.

I loved her class, and would take anything else she taught just because she always made lecture entertaining because of her large breadth of knowledge, and by bringing in movie clips and interesting anecdotes.

One of the best professors I've EVER had! Her lectures are absolutely wonderful, and she is extremely helpful and nice to students. Highly recommended! Watch out for the TA's though. Some grade quite easy, however, if you get one with the initials "KH," then, well...good luck.

amazing professor, one of the best i've had, if not the best, at ucd. she really knows her stuff and knows how to lecture too, and shows videos and sound clips that give us the firsthand understanding of what she's talking about. its only been 3 lectures so far and i know i'm gonna love this class!

Took her for nearly all my history classes at UCD. Her teacher really fueled my interest in the subjects. One of the best history teachers at UCD.

This was one of the best classes I've taken at UC Davis. Professor Olmsted made all of the topics interesting and relevant. She used power point, audio, video, and outlines to guide her lectures and none of it felt like "filler". Lectures were NOT slow moving, like a lot of other classes and information was not repeated multiple times. Great class

She is extremely intersting in lecture. The reading isn't exactly mandatory, but an easy A if you do read.

amazing professor. one of the best at UCD. class was interesting, easy tests. she practically gives you the answers for her tests with the study guides. If you want to take a history class, take one Olmsted is teaching.

Fabulous teacher. Lecture is like storytime. The textbook isn't a bad read, either. In fact, I think I'll go read it now

Great lectures. She is very helpful with anything and is always clear.

Prof. Olmsted is extremely knowledgeable, her lectures are interesting and informative, and she is an amazingly nice person both in class and in her office hours. She has written poignant, intelligent books on recent American history, and I consider her to be an expert in her field.

Best professor at UC Davis hands down. Her lectures are so clear and the material she presents is so interesting. How appropriate that we learned about Harvey Milk in time for voting on prop 8 and just in time for the Milk movie to come out. Take her before you graduate!!!!

she's a really good lecturer and uses slides, pictures, video + sound bytes to enhance the lecture. makes US history very interesting. I hated history prior to taking this class, but kathy makes it fun. lots of reading, like any other history class, but its from novels (not txtbk), and readings are HIGHLY interesting. midterm and final all written.

I had no interest prior to the class, but Professor Olmsted made lectures very clear and sparked my interest in History.

It's a no wonder that so many people wait listed for the class but still didn't get in. She's a really, really good lecturer, as you can see in her clarity rating. Amazing. However I must say she sometimes seemed a bit cold when approached by students; she could work to improve her "helpfulness" rating. Has a good sense of fashion.

I have had this professor for two classes and absolutely love her lectures because they were well organized with clear explanations. Throughout her courses she shows little clips from films that are very entertaining. For this class, five books to read but they are interesting and quick reads. There were helpful test study sheets.

I'm a history major so I've taken lots of history classes with lots of different professors and she is by far the best I've ever had. I definitely plan on taking many more of her classes, she's the best :)

Amazing! Very interesting lectures. Go to them, you'll enjoy them and the midterm/final will only be based on these! you don't need a textbook

She presents topics in a very clear manner and goes at a pace that is easy to keep up with, even if you handwrite your notes. She gives you all the IDs ahead of time and gives you broad questions to help you study for the midterm and final. She also ties everything back into what she's already covered. Lectures were easy to follow and interesting.

The class is challenging, but definitely worth the work. Prof Olmsted is one of the best professors I've ever had! Her lectures are crystal clear (with visuals) and the exams aren't impossible. If you go to class, you will hardly need to main text. But beware, there are 5 total novels other than the text, and expect to read them all. Awesome class!

This was a perfectly structured class. You know exactly what to expect from day one. One long term paper, but you're given essay prompts (of your choice) on the first day. She also provides exam study guides for both the midterm and the final. You can get by without reading the main textbook. I LOVED THIS CLASS!

Lecture was a bit too long with only 2-3 minutes break. Your grade is all depend on how your TA grades. My TA (Luci) was helpful and fun, but she grades harsh sometimes. She tries to get everyone talk in class.

Best lecturer I've ever had, I just listened to lecture w/o taking any notes and I learned all of the info I needed for the tests- relevant readings, not that much hw- I plan on taking another course from her

Excellent professor. I highly recommend taking her if you are interested in history. She is very passionate, knowledgeable and interesting.

Amazing professor. Her lectures are incredibly interesting and very easy to take notes on. It was always clear what you needed to focus on for the midterm and final. Section was also very helpful. I loved this class and would definitely recommend it.

This is the third class I've taken from her- she is a greatlecturer, but I feel like she grades very harshly- most people get B's or B+'s, few A's. Definitely worth taking at least one class from her.

Great, interesting class overall really enjoyed it. If you work hard you will do well.

Loved this class. Such a great professor, possibly the best in the history department at UCD. Organized, interesting lectures, easy to take notes. Study guides for midterms and final. Interesting assigned books. Only thing is some the TA seemed to grade the first paper rather arbitrarily. Nonetheless, if you read and pay attention, you can get an A

Professor Olmsted is an amazing lecturer! She is succinct and easy to follow; provides both a midterm and final study guide, which are extremely helpful. Do them and you'll be prepared. Attendance to discussion is mandatory, but helpful. Only used the textbook for references in my essays. Overall recommend!

This class was very interesting. I enjoyed going to the lectures. There was one midterm and a final. She gives study guides for both. There were two essays based on books we read throughout the quarter. It wasn't hard, but the TAs graded the papers hard.

Great Professor! Knows what she's talking about, lectures are important so attend class. Theres reading involved but it is a history so its nothing new. She's so cool as well. Gives you study guides for both the final and midterm not that you really needed if you attended lectures and discussion. Get a good TA!! because your grade depends on them.

She's a great lecturer; I never got bored during class. I took this class passno pass as a GE, didn't do any of the reading, and still easily got around a B+. Your grade depends on your TA with two essays (20% each), a midterm (20%), participation in discussion (10%), and the final (30%). The textbook isn't really needed; just go to lecture.

Her lectures are always interesting and you definitely need to attend them if you want to do well in her class. Overall love her class! its not that hard if you attend lecture and study before the exams, since they are pretty straightforward and she gives you a study guide.

She does a great job making the class interesting! She is a great professor and so generous that she gives study guide for midterm & final. TA grades everything so get a good TA - Stacey was amazing! Textbook is not needed but reading can help get overview of her lectures. 4 papers are what the entire grade is based one, two are based on books read

Prof. Olmsted made the class fun and amusing. She is very friendly and presents the material in a non-boring way (It's not just slides and slides of notes). @ papers, a midterm and a final. Fair grader.

Good overview of US history since the end of the Civil War. Her lectures are always interesting and the tests and papers are about what you'd expect in any other lower-division history class. Make sure you get a good TA, since they're the ones who grade your papers and tests for your discussion section.

Clear and organized lectures. 2 papers, 1 midterm and 1 final. clear study guide. I love her lectures!

Olmsted does a good job of lecture, it is like 50 minutes of story time with her. Exams are very fair and she provides a study guide. I really enjoyed her lectures. However, all the grading is through your TA and I did not have a good one. Took it as a GE and be warned, not an easy A, but easy B/B+

Her lectures are clear and organized. Grades are mostly based on the exams and papers. The exams are based on lectures, so take good notes and ask questions. The papers are based on readings. She's a great lecturer, knowledgeable & approachable. I did better on papers when I showed her an outline or draft first. Take advantage of her office hours!

She's a great lecturer; her presentations are always clear, in-depth, interesting, and relevant. Her grading criteria is clear and concise, with two exams and two essays. The exams are fair and based mostly on her lectures, while the essays are based more on the reading material. She's a good professor, and you won't regret taking her courses.

Co-taught w/ Professor Rauchway for History of the 1960s. Great class & great lecturer. I'd highly recommend her; the lectures are so interesting that you won't want class to end. One my favorite courses of all time.

Professor Olmsted was such a great lecturer, I really enjoyed HIS 188 and felt that it was a class that was fun, not that difficult, and valuable to my education. I did learn a lot and have a clearer understanding of why history is important. Would definitely recommend this class even if you don't like history.

Prof Olmsted is the best professor I've had in my entire college career. Her lectures are so well-done and interesting that it feels like storytime. 4 books to be read for the class, 2 are for the papers, 2 come up as questions on tests. Paper is progressive so you can use the first paper as part of the second, 3-5 and 7-10pgs respectively. 10/10WR

Kathy Olmsted is the best Professor on campus. Her lectures are amazing and inspiring. Even if you're not in the history dept. I would highly recommend taking her classes just because she's awesome.

The class was fun and I actually looked forward to lecture. Had to write two essays, mainly on the reading we had to do in class. There's some textbook reading, but just show up to lecture and you'll be fine. She's passionate about conspiracy theories in the US and I'm hoping to take her seminar on them later this year!

Professor Olmsted was an amazing lecturer! She was very enthusiastic and passionate about her topics and it really helped to make the class interesting. 2 essays to write based on books, but they're super simple 4-6 pages. Exams were short answer, but you should be fine if you attend lectures. 10/10 recommend even if history isn't your thing!

Prof. Olmsted is the best professor I have taken in all of my time at university. She genuinely cares about her students, and their education comes before everything else. She doesn't grade on any sort of BS scale, and doesn't look for reasons to deduct points. She wants everyone to succeed. She's passionate and her passion is infectious.

Great lecturer, you can tell she is passionate about her work which makes lectures interesting. Two papers about books 4-6 pages. tests are 3 identifying key terms, one short answer, and an essay. discussions secs were important for grade.

Favorite professor of all my time at UCD. I took every class she offered. She is a clear, knowledgeable, and engaging lecturer w/ positive energy. Just an all-around friendly and approachable person. I'm a bona fide fangirl when it comes to KO

Professor Olmsted is my favorite professor on this campus, she cares about her student's grades, and wanted each of us to succeed in out research. Although it was a challenging seminar, I walked out feeling accomplished after completing my research project. she was nearly always available to answer questions and help guide my research.

Prof. Olmsted is a great lecturer and super helpful in office hours! HIS 188 - History of the US in the 1960s is super interesting and a was a joy to take.

Each lecture of hers is like a documentary. The way she presents the material is so smooth and her voice is so soothing. She also gets back to emails ASAP and tries her best to accommodate students and help them succeed. Take her if u can

I love Olmsted. So smart and so kind. One of my favorite professors at Davis for sure. She makes lectures interesting.

My fave prof so far! You learn about the history that leads up to America's current political atmosphere of polarization. Graded on 6 reading quizzes (lowest dropped), midterm paper, term paper, and final paper mostly based on lecture w/3 books (which somewhat dense but interesting reads!) for more details for essays. Also, very fast on email.

She gives very passionate, understandable lectures and you can tell she cares about her students' success. There's a few quizzes, 2 essays and then another shorter essay for the final.

Dr. Olmstead is super inspirational, and this class was AMAZING. Take it, take it with her. There is a lot of reading and there are quizzes based on the reading, but the books aren't dry; they're not textbooks. Three papers for this class but she grades them as in-class essays. She loves what she teaches and it shows. Just overall awesome.

She is such a great teacher. The online course was lecture heavy (maybe 2-3 lectures a week around an hour each). 2 (or maybe 3 cant remember) papers and a couple quizzes. She was great responding to emails and answering questions. Also has a weekly zoom for the class. Good choice! I am taking her again.

Olmsted's lectures were very interesting to watch. the lectures were asynchronous and were only available for 4 days each. Three books were required(about 100 pgs. per week of reading ). Readings were tested by 6 quizzes, lowest dropped(25% of grade), one essay based on reading (25%), and Midterm and Final were based on the Lectures(25% each).

Class revolved around two weekly lectures and three books. Lectures were interesting and thought-provoking, and the optional zoom discussions helped a ton. Make sure to take good notes on lectures as the papers are mainly about lectures. Professor Olmstead is a great choice and puts information in a palatable form.

One of the best online classes I've taken so far. Clear grading criteria, TA's and professor give good feedback on essays, and overall a fair class. There's weekly quizzes based on the reading (3 books) and the lectures. which I enjoyed. Besides that the only essays are the midterm and final that you get 2 days to do (1200 words) Would take again.

Professor Olmsted is a solid lecturer. Her lectures were really interesting and informative. The papers are based mostly on the lectures, so take extensive notes. As a STEM major, I thought the weekly readings were a lot, and so probably won't take another class with her again, but if you're a history major, you will probably love her class.

Professor Olmsted is a great teacher. I did what most of us do, go on ratemyprofessor before classes and read reviews. I'm really glad I took her class. Her zoom class is probably the best I've taken, lectures were interesting and she made a real effort to not be monotone. I actually liked the readings she assigned. Take her, she's understanding.

Her lectures are really interesting. She made me switch into a history major. She's really interested in her fields of study and this will bleed through into the course, she will give entire lectures on events from books she has written and her enthusiasm for the subject makes the lecture very fun. The books she chose were really good as well.

Dr. Olmsted is absolutely incredible! She is funny, an amazing lecturer, and so very interesting. She has such an amazing depth of knowledge on so many different issues and explains things so well, you really feel like you are in the time period shes talking about and experienced it yourself. 10/10, amazing professor, take her any chance you get!

Taken with Olmsted and Rauchway. Basically no hw except very easy quizzes on readings. Midterms and the final were essays but the study guide provided was v helpful/accurate. Olmstead made the lectures interesting and funny, loved going to class.

Absolutely amazing lectures. I'd sit in the back and do other homework while occasionally writing something I heard from the lecture. I didn't put the effort into the main paper of the class that would be required to make it a work of art, but I got a B- on it plus solid feedback from Prof. Olmsted. The rubric was very clear. 10/10.

Took HIS 188 with Olmsted and Rauchway. Absolutely my favorite class at Davis so far. Going to lecture was one of my favorite parts of this quarter. Take this class if you get the chance! The way I view history is forever changed because of it :)

Took her conspiracy theory seminar (102M) this quarter. Olmsted is a wonderful professor who is definitely passionate about her work and about helping us as students. Easily accessible, kind, and encourages discussion (obviously, it's a seminar). Offers accommodations for pretty much anything if you need it. Will always recommend to HIS majors!

Please, if you have a chance to take this class or any class taught by Professor Olmsted, do it! This has to be one of my most favorite classes I've ever taken. Going to the class was fun, everyone was so engaged, and the material was so cool! She is an amazing teacher and her lectures are SO INTERESTING. The assignments are easy! She's the best!

impressive course and excellent professor, BUT don't take this class of GE, it's not a easy course

Great Professor and the most interesting course I have taken at Davis. Professor Olmsted's lectures put her expertise of conspiracy theories on display. You have to attend the class and take detailed notes. There are many pop quizzes, but they are easy and based on that days lecture. In class midterms and final, but well worth the time.

His 188 was a great class. Olmsted and Rauchway gave really great lectures that told really engaging tales of the events that took place between 1960 and 1970, with an emphasis on the political, cultural, social, and international world that took place in the US of A. I highly recommend if you like history. 7/7 stars.

Genuinely Professor Olmsted is the best teacher I have ever had. All of her classes are so extremely interesting and her lectures are amazing. I have taken her HIS 174C, HIS 174D, and HIS 188 classes and I cannot recommend her enough. Personally, HIS 174D was my favorite because she talks about conspiracy theories in the US and it is fascinating.

I loved loved loved this class and strongly recommend taking this course! Her lectures are so informative and I'm grateful I was able to be taught by Professor Olmsted

Amazing lecturer and always presents topics in an interesting way. Attendance isn't mandatory but lectures aren't recorded and there are occasional quizzes (they're super easy). Graded on quizzes, 2 papers, a midterm, and a final, all of which aren't too difficult. Overall great professor and great class!

Professor Olmsted is a great professor. She is very understanding and has very interesting lectures that keep you engaged. Definitely would recommend her class if you can take it.

Professor Olmsted has some of the best, most interesting lectures I have attended. The class is graded off two papers, midterm, final and pop quizzes. Overall, they are all fairly easy and straight forward as long as you attend lecture.

Olmsted's lectures are engaging and insightful. Attendance is key, as she brings history to life. Pair that with Unstuck ai for efficient prep, and you're set for success in this class.

Truly one of the best classes I've taken at UC Davis! Passionate and powerful lectures! Class expectations and coursework are straightforward! 11 random in-class quizzes, 2 in-class midterm essays, and 1 in-class final that is also an essay. Honestly, show up to class simply because the lectures are amazing! The 1960s were a wild time!