2.8
Quality3.8
Difficulty42%
Would Retake173
Reviews42%
Would Retake
173
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
47
4
20
3
22
2
13
1
71
What Students Say
“I disagree with the comments saying Prof M wants you to do well”
CASPO111 - 1.0 rating“Avoid like the plague”
CASPO111 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
16%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+1.01 avg changeRatings by Course
PO516
5.0
(8)PO505
3.8
(4)POC301
3.5
(2)CASPO303
3.5
(11)PO301
3.1
(30)Difficulty by Course
PS301
5.0
CASPO111
4.1
POC301
4.0
CASPO303
4.0
PO505
3.8
Reviews (173)
The class was alright. The exams are tough (midterm and final), put the two papers help make up for it. Easy enough class and there is a curve, but the lectures don't go into too much detail and you need to read a lot of the reading to do well on the exams.
Lectures are vague and do not convey the information she uses on her tests. Makes hard tests that are almost impossible to well on. Is not responsive, tends to come late to classes and give an enormous amount of reading which she does a poor job of covering in her lectures, if you want to learn something and save your GPA don't take her class!
Reading is imperative for this professor. Unclear, pretty much useless lectures, and if you want to pass you need to read everything twice. Also tends to come to class late regularly.
She honestly has no idea what she is saying. This class was a joke, you learn this stuff in 5th grade social studies. Avoid. You know that video of the old man saying he has no idea what he's talking about? Yeah, thats her. Doesn't know where New Hampshire is on the map for crying out loud.
The class is pretty dry, but it's not Mattioli's fault i.e. if you're smart enough to get into BU and have lived in America for 5+ years, then you probably know all of this material already. But other than that she's knowledgeable about the subject and tries to make it interesting.
I LOVE PROF MATTIOLI. I am a senior, and she is by far the best professor I've had. She is young/relatable/funny, but more than that, she is INCREDIBLY intelligent. Her seminar-style classes (which I've taken twice) are discussion based and I have never been so challenged to develop and think about my opinions/beliefs.
Don't trust the negative comments! Mattioli is adorable, funny, and fair. I've taken both 505 (a small seminar) and 301 (a large lecture) with her, and while she definitely teaches them differently, she's super accessible and genuinely wants students to learn and do well. Attendance isn't graded but she keeps in mind who she sees a lot, so show up.
Her lectures get pretty dry and boring. Gives an ambiguous understanding of what is to expect on the test. Tests are very detailed and contain things you would miss even if you read the article 20 times. It almost feels as she wants to fail her students. Acts very mean and at times aggressive.
Rudest Professor ever. Makes it impossible to learn. Does not help you understand the readings which are very dense and Tests you on irrelevant details and wont tell you why you got the grades you did on papers. Also not helpful outside of class. BU really dropped the ball with her.
Best professor! She really knows what she is talking about and is available outside of class. Be sure to participate.
BU needs to fire her! Terrible Professor, save your time from taking this boring class with her! Does not know how to tech, gives very dry lectures after which you have to study on your own since no information was acquired during her lectures. Tends to go on tangents that have nothing to do with materials being studied.
Prof Mattioli has good intentions and she is a funny person. She says attendance isn't mandatory on her syllabus but she does take attendance so be careful with that. The class is composed of going over readings she assigns and then not really using them for anything else. You will gain a lot of knowledge, but the final grade is mostly the paper.
A good discussion leader and an intelligent person with a lot of knowledge about the judiciary, but the class felt very disorganized with a lot of readings that didn't apply to anything else and late grades back on assignments. A little distant during office hours but somewhat helpful. She takes note of who participates frequently.
I really enjoyed taking PO111 with Professor Mattioli. She made the lectures interesting, and she was always willing to answer my questions. She is very funny and tries to make the class relevant to everyday life. I would definitely recommend taking this course.
Professor Mattioli is extremely knowledgable and friendly. Also, teaching this course online is much more difficult than in person. However, she was routinely late to class despite a mandatory attendance policy, the class didn't allow for discussion, and she didn't post some of the necessary materials on Blackboard.
Prof. M, Pros: Is passionate about the subject matter Con: Long time to grade work and then NO comments (FRISTRATING) 3 hour class with no recordings and bare minimum PPT provided. Whole class was an exercise in futility for a subject I love.
I thought she was a really reasonable and accommodating professor. She is knowledgable and explains concepts clearly. She makes topics entertaining! She made some funny jokes sometimes too.
I have taken two classes with Mattioli, first PO 111 and now PO 301. The actual content of 301 is intro-level and overlapped with 111 a lot. There is a lot ofl reading, as expected with this level class, but she rarely talks about the reading in class and there was no discussion between students. She does not give feedback on tests or papers.
Great lecturer, but her exams make you feel like you forgot how to read.
It is clear Professor Mattioli is very passionate about the subject matter of the course, but the class is all over the place. Exams are incredibly long and difficult - despite being open note.. The papers assigned were more complex than they needed to be and she provides minimal feedback. Nice professor, poorly structured class and assignments.
Very confusing grading; friend got docked an entire letter grade for neglecting to include a word count on an assignment.
I dont want to sound harsh, but she might be one of the worst professor there ever is. The course materials are really useless and doesnt get to the core of issues, which is about strategy. She was supposed to be this intelligent person from Princeton, yet it seems I would teach better than her. BU should consider firing her
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I promise I am not one of those angry resentful people who comes on here but this class made me second guess my entire major. I went to the professor multiple times for extra help from her or the TA and she said "that would not be a good use of resources". She also did not provide any clear grading criteria or guidance.
Can't imagine why Professor Mattioli's rating is so low - it almost scared me out of taking her class. I took intro, so I can't speak to upper level courses, but she was great. She made dry material during a summer course entertaining and digestible. The lectures were well organized, and she is funny and engaging. Can't recommend her enough!
She is one of the worst, if not the worst Professor in the entire Boston University, or any Professors that one could conceive from any Universities or high schools. The course is a total waste of money and effort. Her course brings almost no value to students whatsoever. It is interesting because she graduated from Princeton, it is a mystery to me
Do yourself a favor and don't take this class. The grading criteria was all over the place and the feedback provided was very discouraging. The things we learned in lecture did not prepare us for the class. This class was wayyy more difficult and exhausting than it needed to be.
Terrible professor, avoid taking the class.
professor mattioli is a very intelligent, well educated professor. she often comes across as blunt or curt, but i think its more of a matter of personality rather than attitude. if you connect with her outside of class, she is very genuine and interested in the wellbeing of her students. just dont talk or use your phone in class!
The class itself was pretty boring with long lectures and lots and lots of reading. She can make the long lectures somewhat interesting and she seems like she knows what she is talking about. My biggest problem with this class is that the only graded assignments are the exams and they are pretty hard
AVOID AVOID AVOID. Prof. Mattioli has no empathy for her students. She prides herself on being a harsh grader, and despite the averages for exams being in the 60-70's, she does nothing. She blames it on our lack of studying but fails to consider her poor teaching style, or excessively harsh grading tendencies. Worst professor I have ever had.
DO NOT take this class unless you are a PRE LAW fan.. even then, be careful. She prides herself in grading students low and offers NO SUPPORT outside of class. If you're a polisci minor like me THIS IS NOT THE CLASS FOR YOU. So many easier, much more interesting classes available. Only take if you have a passion for and genuine understanding of law
You really have to pay attention and take good notes to get a passing grade let alone an A. This is by no means an easy class.
Good lecturer, very engaging.
Not the nicest when you go talk to her. I knew a lot about the subject coming in but still had to study for tests. She gets better as the semester goes on; I would've given her a 2 at the start of the semester. She will say to buy the latest edition of the textbook; don't waste your money. Grade: 30%/exam (90% exams overall), 10% participation.
Intro to American politics is the biggest joke of a class ever. You can either read the textbook or go to lecture but you don't have to do both - it's literally the same thing. The fact that I had to buy a textbook for this class absolutely ridiculous. She talks down to her students and it is clear that she thinks she is smarter than everyone else.
She gives the hardest tests for no reason. Im a senior political science major and I have never experienced such a horrible Professor for grading and content. Her tests are intentionally meant to trick you and she acknowledges it. Do not take classes with her.
This intro to American Politics class taught by Professor Mattioli was definitely lecture-heavy. The class is solely based on exams so if you fail those good luck! Material is explained vaguely, so plan on a lot of outside research. Professor Mattioli is a very nice person, exams are just difficult.
Definitely avoid taking a class with her. The grading is extremely tough and there are only a few assignments and tests which makes it extremely hard to succeed. She prides herself on extremely low averages on her tests and it is common to get points taken off for poor handwriting(!?). Study guides are hundreds of terms long with little guidance.
Mattioli is a genuinely nice person with an interesting teaching style, but for a class where each test is 30% and discussion is 10%, the grading is much too harsh for the amount of instruction given. She does try to be understanding and help you out when you have struggles, but the grading is really hard. Take for upper level courses, not intro.
She can come off as a bit harsh or blunt, especially to students who answer incorrectly-- but she's actually very nice and approachable one-on-one. The class is tough and the studying required for the midterm and final is no joke, but I learned a lot. Don't let the reviews scare you if you're not afraid to put in the work (and really put it in).
She can come off as harsh, but she truly cares about her students. I learned so much in her class. Her lectures are at a nice pace and she really does love what she does.
I didn't read a single full chapter from the book, so I can't complain about getting a B lol. Mattiloi is great though. She's a very funny woman, and makes the lectures fun and interesting. That being said, she is a very tough grader and will dock hella points from your short answer/essay questions if you make small mistakes.
I came into the class really excited to learn the material but she was very discouraging. After attending office hours I found she was not caring towards her students and is a hard person to connect with. She knows the material well but seems to not enjoy the teaching aspect of her job.
Im a senior political science student and she was one of the most miserable professors I have ever had. Very rude to students in lecture which makes participation tough. Does not care about her students. Lectures move quickly. I struggled to keep up I cannot imagine taking this class as a freshman outside of political science. AVOID HER
Prof Mattioli is generally engaging in lectures and will tell plenty of jokes. Intro to American Politics is graded on just a couple of tests and they'll include things gone over in lecture/discussion, so it's best to go and you'll be fine. She very obviously enjoys what she's lecturing on and gives thorough answers to questions
Test material is based on lectures only. She's a new professor so she's still learning.
One of my first upper level political science courses at BU, and easily the best course I've taken here. Mattioli expects a lot from her students, but if you keep up with the readings and pay attention in lecture, you can do well, plus the lectures are super interesting. She explains cases really clearly and the exam questions are straightforward.
Mattioli is a very blunt straightforward person, honestly, I kind of liked it but if that's not your thing then definitely avoid her. Her grading is very difficult. If you are looking for an A I would avoid her. However, if you are genuinely interested in learning the material (like I was) then it is very doable. Do the readings and be thorough.
this class was majority reading! i missed a lot of lecture for personal reasons and was able to do completely fine because the lecture is just building off of the textbook. the discussion section seemed a little pointless most of the time and it felt like i was learning on my own. she was so funny and brought life to the course.
This class is hard but you will learn a lot!
Prof. Mattioli can come off as tough and strict, but she is an amazing professor with a lot of passion for the subject. She's always funny during lectures and helpful outside of class. This class is not an easy A, but is very rewarding if you put in the work.
not a fan, would not take 111 i took it because i thought it was a good intro transition class. but would have been way better off taking comparative politics or public policy.
She does not how to lecture. She reads from her notes the entire time. She is never in a good mood and will ask if you have any questions but will never be excited to help you with questions when you do have one. Lectures are everything from the book. Test questions make no sense and makes the class impossible to pass.
Professor Mattioli is really knowledgeable, but sometimes her lectures can seem long. Take this class if you are genuinely interested in American politics, not for an easy A. Her tests are pretty straight forward but she is a hard grader and looks for certain things in exams. You do not need to read the textbook as long as you come to class
Prof. Mattioli is great and absolutely hysterical. Tough exams, but otherwise, really good professor.
Your grade is based on 3 exams for this class and the TAs are told to grade very vigorously. The test content does not always line up with the lecture content. Lecture slides are way more surface-level than what you're actually expected to know. Mattioli is also very pretentious and frequently ridicules her students if they answer incorrectly
Good lecturer. Tough grader but enjoyed taking the class.
she is a normal professor with normal lectures, great presentation slides, and your only grade are 3 exams and discussion (like almost every other professor at BU). don't listen to some of these other comments, they just don't respect women who know what they are talking about. she was a fine and knowledgable professor who did her job.
Professor Mattioli is a good lecturer. The class goes over basic political science concepts. 90% of the final grade is based on 3 exams, but the material is not that hard. As long as you show up to lecture and try to go to discussions, you should get a good grade.
It's pretty clear Professor Mattioli is very knowledgable and cares a lot about this subject. However, her slides are so unclear and vague, so if you miss a lecture, you need to get the notes from someone else, or suffer. Reading is unrelated. The tests are really hard, she had to add 10 points to all of ours because the average was so low.
She is such a tough grader, unreasonable in her grading
I liked Prof. Mattioli. She's very obviously knowledgeable and she was trying her best to make the material interesting and easy to understand. She allowed for a surprising amount of participation for a large lecture. She makes an effort to learn students' names and faces. Definitely recommend for a poli sci major
Mattioli is great. I've taken two classes with her and wish I could take more. Lectures may run a little dry at times but the actual coursework is moderate and her grading criteria is clear and fair. I found her to be a much easier grader on papers than on exams. Her exam multiple choice section is famously difficult beware.
If you don't read and don't pay attention, you won't do well. As long as you pay attention in lecture and take notes, there's not reason you shouldn't get an A.
Mattioli's one of the sweetest professors I've ever had. We had a rough day and she got us cookies and we watched tv and stuff. 10/10
All time favorite professor in the Political Science department. Dr. Mattioli has high expectations but truly wants the most out of her students. She fostered a caring and supportive environment to grow and learn and I would recommend her to anyone in Political Science.
Professor Mattioli is the most caring professor I've ever had at BU. She genuinely loves to hear about our lives and is an amazing lecturer. The Gender and Politics class has hefty readings but she guides conversation very well. She is incredibly knowledgeable about her field and I plan on taking another course with her next semester!
Professor Mattioli is an incredibly smart and kind professor. She will tell you when you are wrong, but you will be better for it. My favorite professor at BU!
I loved this class!! Mattioli is a great lecturer and is clearly very knowledgable. She is super accessible outside of class and wants to see all of her students succeed. She has a really funny and sarcastic sense of humor during class which is fun. She loves participation so definitely do the readings and you'll enjoy the class.
Fantastic professor, learned so much. Amazing mentor, I feel so supported by this professor.
Dr. Mattioli is by far one of my favorite professors. Very kind, easy to work with, and is so caring for their students.
Amazinggggggg
Very clear, easy to understand, and insightful lectures. Dr. Mattioli is an excellent professor and inspires me to go deeper into the works of both gender and American politics.
One of the best professors out there!!!
This course was awesome. Mattioli is so knowledgeable about American Politics and extremely accessible outside of class. She is also very kind and understanding during office hours so I recommend going. One of BU's best professors!
Mattioli is wonderful and so was this course. She truly has fantastic content and readings and she makes everyone's comments and discussions in class heard. The kindest professor I've had at BU. I'm done with my major credits but I'm still taking a class with her next semester because I enjoyed PO516 so much
I have taken multiple classes with Professor Mattioli, and I plan on taking more with her in the future. Her lectures are super interesting and engaging. You can tell she cares about the subject and makes sure her students understand. Her classes are challenging, but not overly difficult, and very rewarding!
Professor Mattioli is a wonderful professor. Her readings/prep-assignments are informative and keeping-with the times. Her classes can be reading heavy but it is manageable. Her syllabus is great and clear, plenty of assignments, and her finals assignments leave room for students to explore subjects that they care about.
Horrible professor, the average grade for the course is a B-
Avoid this course, very exam heavy
Very tough grader
extreme hard exam and extreme harsh grader.
She only grade on a few things and the grading criteria is tricky, be aware you may get a very low grade.
Unreasonable hard exam and it is very hard to get full credit on her questions. Too hard for a introduction course.
She is such a tough grader, unreasonable in her grading. And she test lots of things not on the slide.
Just avoid this course, it is hard and the grading is really tough.
Your grade is based on 3 exams for this class and the TAs are told to grade very vigorously. The test content does not always line up with the lecture content. Lecture slides are not helpful at all
There's a flood of one stars because everyone just had Mattioli's first midterm, which yes, is infamously difficult in the multiple choice section. She is an amazing lecturer however and as someone who's taken two of her classes, your grade is reflective of the effort you put in. Mattioli WANTS you to succeed. YOU have to make that happen.
ignore these 1 star giving babies. they're freshman who didn't expect a midterm to be hard. mattioli wants you to succeed, and is very understanding and open to helping you when things aren't great. she may be a tough grader at times, but she wants the best for you, truly, and that's not smth i can say abt most other BU professors
I like Professor Mattioli as a lecturer, and she certainly has character. However, as a poli sci major, I find her class to be more difficult than other intro classes I've taken. Avoid this class if you are taking it for Hub requirements or seeking an easy A.
She is actually just mean and does not care about her students. She actually calls people out during class for asking eachother questions and then will give you an incredibly passive-aggressive response when you ask her the same question. People just don't show up to her classes. She says 'uh' every other word.
The class isn't impossible, but you def need to put the work in. The TA's are helpful-ish in discussion. You need to do the readings (mostly the non-textbook ones, since she goes over a lot of textbook content in her slides) and pay attention. Mattioli is funny/witty, albeit a bit passive aggressive. Don't talk during lectures & you'll be fine.
I disagree with the comments saying Prof M wants you to do well. It seems she cares more about her reputation of being difficult than helping students succeed. She encourages asking questions, but always responds to questions or comments passive aggressively. The material is interesting, but she is not a nice teacher and makes the class miserable.
Has good energy and makes material interesting, but is aggressive. She shuts your questions/thoughts down more than lifts them up. Even when I did readings,discussion,lecture, I still did poorly on her exams. Study guides are unhelpful and exams ask questions on things we never talked about or mentioned ONCE. Hardest intro Polly sci I have taken
Do not take this class unless it's specific to your major. It's a lecture-heavy class and the professor isn't particularly approachable or nice when it comes to asking for help. She is also particularly blunt and unexpressive, which doesn't provide a welcoming environment, especially for first-year students. Exams are hard and she is a tough grader
3 tests in the semester entirely based off of lectures. you don't have to read textbook at all and can get an A. if you skim the non textbook readings and take good lecture notes you will be fine. its true that she sometimes makes passive aggressive comments, but she's entertaining and makes lectures funny so it doesnt matter. i loved this class!
I really had high hopes for this class but sadly it disappointed me. Test do not match up with what you learn in lectures. The slides do not help. She is very passive aggressive and expects you to know material she does not go into detail in lectures. I wish I never took this class. If you're a poli sci major take any other core class.
This was my least favorite class this semester. Her class is graded mostly on exams and a little bit on discussion. The exams were hard and never matched the content of lectures well. She is very passive aggressive and doesn't offer a welcoming environment to students who need extra help outside of class. Do not take this course unless you have to.
While professor Mattioli was a engaging and knowledgable professor, success in the course was entirely dependent upon the 3 tests we had throughout the lecture. Thankfully, the tests were curved slightly. There was no need to read the textbook, however the lectures provided were informative towards succeeding in the class,
Generally contemptuous of her students. Incredibly passive aggressive and fails to create a welcoming environment in lecture. Lectures drag on and are overly quantitative. Avoid like the plague.
The class was based on three exams, which I wasn't the biggest fan of. I would have enjoyed projects in discussions or some other form of work besides the exams. If you don't go to lectures at all and just read the textbook, you'll get a good grade on the exams.
Mattioli is undeniably intelligent, but in lecture... Yikes. She is passive aggressive, brushes over each topic and almost only discusses what you can already find in the textbook. TA's grade harshly, abt half the test questions are extremely niche and seemingly random, lectures are rarely engaging. Had high hopes, emerged feeling defeated.
genuinely the worst professor i've had. passive aggressive for no reason inside and outside of class. for an intro level class, funny how she prides herself in low averages with exams that are very niche and graded harshly. regrades are not fair at all there's no consideration she just marks your grade lower out of inconveniencing her time
Disappointed with this course and the professor. The lectures are boring and the professor doesn't seem like she cares for people to be engaged with the material. She also says "um" after every sentence, which is very distracting. Course content is useful and somewhat interesting, but not worth taking it as a poli sci class.
So much reading, which she does not go over in class at all. The exams have barely any content from the actual lectures it is all just hyper specific information from the readings. avoid this class and mattioli at all costs.
Is PO303 hard? Absolutely. With 100+ SCOTUS cases to consider for each exam, you're going to spend some time in the library. That said, Mattioli excels at breaking down convoluted legal concepts so that anyone can understand them. She is also feedback-heavy and wants to give you a great experience. She's a hard professor, but she'll teach you well.
Super hard course with a mean professor. Avoid her at any cost.
Her teaching skill is very poor. You can really not learn anything from her lectures. Just avoid her
you literally learn nothing in this course. and she is such as harsh grader that make you feel bad. And she is passive aggressive to make you deny yourself, but the real problem is on herself.
Tough grader, not understanding of personal circumstances, rude and unprofessional
I agree with what the person above said. I can clearly feel that she doesn't want you to do well. She consciously makes the questions difficult and barely curves your grade. she tries to be funny but actually she is not
I was quite optimistic about this course initially, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a letdown. The exams don't align with the lecture content, and the provided slides aren't useful. I regret enrolling in this course. For political science majors, I recommend choosing any other core course instead.
Just simply avoid herbs, please
Her exam is very difficult and there isn't a good way to prepare for it. The TA's grading policies are very strict, so you should do everything possible to avoid taking this class, especially if you are a political science major and really care about your grades.
The grade is based on 3 exams all of which he graded harshly. She basically gives everyone B or B+ so getting an A is hard despite being well prepared. The content is not interesting and her lectures were scattered and felt long.
Worst professor I've had at BU
If you want to find a person who can inspire you to drop out look no further than her. Run.
If there is any person in the world that thrives on seeing me fail its her. Avoid at all costs
Her tests (worth 30% each) lean heavily on non-textbook readings as well as random facts she drops in lectures not found on her slides. TAs grade the written responses and often nitpick on the smallest things. Her study guides are useless and basically tell you to study everything. Prof. Mattioli is the definition of grade deflation.
This class is based off of 3 tests, each 30% of your grade. They are made up of 25 mc, 5 short answer, 1 essay. They are graded incredibly difficult and the multiple choice questions are comprised trick questions or questions in which we had never even discussed the answers. She makes a study guide but there are 100+ terms and court cases on them.
This person will make your life miserable. Don't take any of her classes. She is harsh and rude. Her lectures are very boring and hard to follow. She is especially rude during office hours. Don't take her and if you do I am so sorry for you.
Ive been a 4.0 astute student all my life. Ive never seen a teacher with such eagerness to ruin someones grades and make ones life difficult. She is a very harsh guy. Her methods of teaching. awful. Exams couldn't get much harder. This person is ruthless. She couldn't care the slightest bit about you or how well you do. Her reviews match. All true
I got an A but this class was just hard
Other reviews (made by salty & lazy students) give Prof Mattioli a bad rep she doesn't deserve. The tests are easy if you do the assigned readings (there's a lot, tbf) and study for an hour or two beforehand. She isn't rude unless you're talking loudly to a friend during the lectures. She posts lecture slides and adds comedy into her presentations.
I strongly disagree with what below said. She is mean and passive aggressive. Her teaching style is poor even though she think she is funny. Her exam is very hard and she intentionally make it very hard to curve the whole class down. TAs are told to be graded harshly.
Avoid her at all costs
She just does not want you to do well. There is no reason for you to take her class
This course is so hard. The average grade of the course is b-.
If you care about your gpa, please avoid her course. If you really want to her something, just do not take her course
Test heavy and lecture heavy. She only grade on 3 exams and they are super hard
worst professor ever
do not take her class
If you take this course, be prepared to know everything in the textbook and her slides and the extra readings. You will never know what she will test on and you will never know how hard this course is.
The easiest way for you to fail in a class is taking her PO111
She will make your life miserable.
You need to work hard to do AVERAGE in this class. Keep in mind the class average for Fall 2023 was a B-
Never ever take her course
Shes good you just have to know the content
Avoid this course
Pay attention in lectures and you will be fine.
Tough grader. Cannot explain things clearly. Passive aggressive.
Teaching style: used slides for each lecture and went into depth about content during lectures, hence why it is important to attend classes. Grades were based solely on the three exams, each not being incredibly difficult if you're willing to study the content she puts on her study guides. Good prof, rounded grades up for people at end of semester.
Professor Mattioli was the best Political Science professor I had at BU. She is incredibly caring. Though she is a tough grader, her higher level classes were some of the most engaging and enjoyable classes I've taken in my college career.
If you're the kind of person who doesn't understand why people struggle with test taking and would always raise your hand every 2 seconds in highschool, you'll love Mattioli. Otherwise, stay away.
she's very rude and not understanding at all. her syllabus is wrong bc tells u attendance is optional and tells u ur gonna fail
she is a very knowledgeable professor and extremely smart. Really nice person, will take time out if you need help, stays after class to answer questions. she is actually pretty funny. only complaint I have: the exams are extremely difficult and are not what you expect. HOWEVER: she does take advice to improve her exams. harsh grader
Tough class with an unclear grading system. Lectures are difficult to follow, but using resources like the textbook, study tools like unstuck study, and attending office hours can help. Attendance is mandatory.
Yeah her score on here scared me at first but if you have any semblance of intelligence you'll be chillin'.
Mattioli's a good lecturer, she adds jokes in the middle and keeps class light and not so serious. However, There are only 3 exams and no presentations or papers to write. The Exams are a hard due to time restrictions but if u study you'll be fine. She hates when people are talking in class and absolutely no phones
As long as you show up to class and do the readings, you will be fine. Professor Mattioli is very knowledgeable on the course and does a great job at explaining the concepts. Her grading is very clear and she provides study guide outlines before the exam and rubrics before papers. Recommend for PO111 and PO301
An absolute tough professor, not flexible at all, invalidates you when you have a concern about your grade, and exams are a major part of the course. If you can, please don't take this class or don't take it with her.
While it is true that Mattioli's tests are hard, if you go to class and glance over the readings, you will be fine. She wants you to succeed and is very accommodating if any personal issues arise. Also, she gives out a lot of extra credit. As a person, Mattiloi is a very passionate professor, extremely knowledgeable about her subject, and funny.
#1 MATTIOLI DEFENDER STOP THE MATTIOLI HATE!!!!! genuinely so nice, funny, and generous. tests accurately reflect the lectures and non textbook readings. just DO THE READINGS!!! I have never had a bad experience with this lovely woman. she may seem intimidating but if you have a one on one conversation with her, you will realize she is amazing
literally such a good professor, idk what people are saying about her grading but its literally very clear on the syllabus. first exam was a little tough but once i understood the expectations, it was fine. she also takes feedback on the structure of the exams and alters them according to votes. so funny shes the best
Epic teacher
Professor Mattioli is funny in lecture and her lectures taught me a lot! Attendance wasn't mandatory, but I still tried to attend every one. I was a little intimidated to talk to her at first, but she's relatable and kind once you have a conversation with her! The tests are hard so you have to study, but doable, and she takes feedback on her exams.
If you pay attention in class and at the very least skim the readings this class is not hard. She is a great professor and often very funny. This class was very entertaining and I learned a lot. This was my second class with her and I don't understand people saying she's mean she is very nice.
I don't get the Mattioli hate. She's one of the best professors I've had. The tests are fair, grading is clear, and she hints at exam topics in lectures. Just do the readings and attend class. She may seem intimidating, but she's caring, straightforward, and an excellent proff who manages to make lectures pretty interesting.
One of the best political science professors in the Department. Makes lectures engaging/funny. Very understanding and explains things in different ways to help understanding. Midterm and Final are challenging but not overly difficult if you attend lectures. People who complain about such a normal standard should not be in college and are whiny.
She was a bit condescending to those who asked questions but weren't necessarily correct -- and the tests were basically everything in the textbook, so not that difficult but made lectures redundant. Didn't feel like I learned much.
Professor Mattioli is extreme knowledgable and cares a lot about this topic. he is an excellent leacturer but she talks very fast and covers a lot of information every class. Her slides are minimal powerpoints so ou have to attend class. Readings come up in exams heavy but rarely mentioned in class. The tests are really hard.
Somewhat passive-aggressive but isn't really a problem if you just show up to class and take notes. You don't need to read the textbook. Just take notes in lecture and on the non-textbook readings (TF went over them in discussion) and study and you'll do fine.
Don't listen to anything that all these negative reviews say about Dr. Mattioli. She is extremely nice when you get to know her via office hours and very understanding. The class was very manageable and all you really needed to do to study for an exam is review and annotate your lectures notes a week before.
Mattioli is one of three professors at BU that I've taken more than once, and she is the only one whom I actively sought to take a second class with. She's *that* good. Her instruction is very engaging, and the topics are interesting. Admittedly, PO301 is easier than PO303, but in both, her expectations were clear and obtainable with proper drive.
This was my second class with Professor Mattioli. Her lectures are extremely engaging and she is a great professor. The midterm and final can be difficult but she provides a study guide and if you pay attention to lectures it will be fine. Don't pay attention to bad reviews from kids surprised that college classes actually required effort.
Her lectures were very engaging and funny, mostly graded on midterm and final, which you have to study rigorously for, but she offers study sessions and is very accommodating during office hours. As long as you will pay attention, you're fine. She truly does care about her students and wants to see you succeed. She is my favorite PO professor.
The only grade I ever got at BU that I truly felt was unfair. Absolutely ridiculous grading criteria -- docked me and my classmate down to C's on a flowchart assignment for having it horizontal instead of vertical (she didn't specify that it had to be vertical on the rubric or in person, as far as either of us recalls).
This was one of the worst classes and professors I have ever had in my 3 years at BU. Mattioli does not care about the students success and literally stated that if you come to her for any type of regrade there is a very high chance that your grade will actually drop and not go up, and she calls out students in class and has the hardest exams.
Pay attention in lecture, do the readings, and you will do more than pass this class. Professor Mattioli is hilarious and a very kind person. Her papers make it very clear what you need to do to succeed and she is always willing to help.
The worst grade of my collegiate career (B/B+ nothing devastating) despite maximum effort but would take this class a thousand times over. Mattioli is very tough but she is brilliant. Clear, funny, and interesting in lectures; incredibly kind and helpful in office hours. Wants you to succeed, must work very hard to do so, but she is SO worth it.
Some people are surprised to learn that they are expected to read in college. Prof. Mattioli is great and has a sense of humor (mostly rare in professors), and of course incredibly knowledgeable about the institution of the presidency. You can learn a lot in this class.
I was pleasantly surprised by Prof Mattioli, as I felt her grading was a lot kinder and more fair than a lot of people are saying. She has a great sense of humor, but I will say it is hard to try to participate in class as she can come off very judgy. Definitely a good amount of readings, but I would say focus on their main ideas for the tests.
She's very funny and her lectures are never boring. Lots of readings and the exams are heavily based on them. Take detailed notes and you'll be okay. For essays, follow guidelines CLOSELY. She scales the exams as needed. My only complaint is that the readings and lectures are dense so it's sometimes hard to pick out the important takeaways.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
16%
Textbook Required
0%
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