I love Dr. Gubser! He is so knowledgeable about 19th Century Europe. His lectures are awesome. The class focuses mostly on documents so it isn't a traditional history course, but definately worth taking. 2 tests, 1 research paper.

His class is really boring, be prepared to take lots of notes. Two papers and a midterm and final. I recommend taking something else to fulfill cluster 2 unless you're really into history, or maybe just another teacher.

Mr. Gubser is a good teacher, new, but very informed. His lectures can be boring but he explains everything in detail and no-one leaves class confused. He's a fair grader, gives random reading quizzes (which are EASY) as a way of taking attendence. You will write 2 papers and have 2 tests, and has lots of EC option. Definetely a good GENED &teacher

Not a bad class for a gen ed. Dr. Gubser tries to be funny..but usually it's just sad. Class is fairly easy a lot of reading, but he explains everything. He doesn't use powerpoint,sometimes an outlin, so you have to go to class and pay attention to get the notes. He's a new teacher, but not bad. Papers are fairly easy, test was 2 essays/short ans

I really liked Dr. Gubser. Hes a really good history teacher- does a lot of lectures but he makes everything clear- not too hard either, definitely makes it very easy to get a decent grade.

Words of advice...DO NOT take this class at 8am! Pretty much the worst mistake of my life. Gubser is a pretty nice guy but very soft-spoken while giving lectures and not very interesting, which makes it incredibly easy to fall asleep even when you're trying hard not to. Not a bad professor overall but he needs more time in the system I think.

OK, so History's not my thing, but I like this class. Prof. Gubser knows his stuff and tries hard to get it across. I respect his enthusiasm though I don't share it. He's a pretty tough grader. If he weren't so cute and intense I wouldn't be able to pay attention this early in the morning.

Really nice guy. Tries really hard to make the boring subject matter interesting. Very knowledgable about what he is talking about so he is able to teach the subject effectively. Reading quizzes are easy, more of an atendence taking method than quiz, and the papers/tests arent too bad if you read and put in some effort in to it.

This material itself is hard, but Dr. Gubser is a good teacher. He is EXTREMELY knowledgable and the few quizzes and papers are relatively easy if you read and listen in class. Try not to take at 8am, as with all classes!

Excellent guy...Lectures are concise and to the point. This is his first year teaching at the college level, but he was formerly a high school teacher. Take that for what it's worth...Pretty easy to get an 'A' or 'B' since the tests, readings, random quizzes, and papers are not difficult at all. No reasons to not take him...

This is a tough class but Dr. Gubser's enthusiasm makes it better. Do all the reading and you're in good shape.

A much better, newer breed of history teacher. Instead of the traditional history class where the professor simply recites facts you read in the textbook, he tries to make it interesting, even resorting to lame jokes. There is lots of reading, but he ties in numerous primary sources that bring the dry textbook facts to life. Highly recommended.

Good teacher, keeps history pretty interesting, easy reading quizzes but there is ALOT of reading

Goofy guy I don't think many people appreciated his quirkiness but I did. Not too hard especially if you already like history. He doesn't spend as much time on Europe and really likes primary documents and reading. Overall pretty good.

I love Michael Gubser. Take his class he will entertain you. He does interpretive dances. For people who want to learn history you will and if you want an easy gened history this is good too. I am going to give this man a hug at the end of the semester.

took this prof last semester, he was amazing!! only professor that wrote me a recommendation for a scholarship.i won $1000 b/c of him. cares about students and teaches well. grades fairly and gives study guides before tests. there is reading but he goes over them in class. take him

Tries to put a comic spin on things. Nice guy and he explains history concepts clearly. I hate history but this guy makes the subject run smoothly. I'd highly recommend him if your a history hater like myself.

Take him.

Nice guy, easy grader. Wants his students to learn and understand. I'm not that interested in history so this class wasn't my favorite, but looking back it could have been a lot worse. Lots of reading, no attendance policy ( except for random quizzes that are 4 questions of multiple choice- more for attendance reasons I think..)

awesome professor. take any class that he teaches.

best history professor i've ever had!

That's all there is to say about that.

and the man finally gets a chilli pepper,so he cant complain anymore! BEST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HAD- BEST CLASS I HAVE HAD WHILE IN COLLEGE! i am so in love with this man, it scares me. if only he wasnt married.

Excellent teacher. Even if you dislike history, this guy is funny and mixes up lectures, so you're never bored. There is almost always a reading of documents or the textbook, but they're really not that bad. 4 or 5 random quizzes throughout the semester to ensure you are reading/attending class. Easy grader, tests not bad, he wants you to succeed!!

Fantastic. I love Mike Gubser he knows his stuff and knows how to lecture. He mixes up texts between novels and textbooks and relates the history to the actual people instead of just reciting dates and facts. He knows how to make connections between events in history, which makes learning the material so much easier. Take him.

gubser is the man. yes there is A LOT of reading but he makes class fun. you basically read excerpts from documents and discuss them during class. attendance not mandatory but it helps to go to class b/c he gives a few random reading quizzes. i would definently recommend gubser. he is very intelligent

GREAT TEACHER. Interesting, funny, and engaging, he's one of the best teachers I've had. Random Quizes but no attendance. Paper - only class, hard grader but fair, and will tell you exactly what he wants. TAKE THIS TEACHER, you will not regret it !!!!

Maybe I should wait till this semester is over before posting, but I have to say that Gubser is just plain awesome. Expects a lot out of his students, and since this is a seminar, he makes even the shy people talk (which is important!) while also letting the rest of us gab away. GREAT prof and he loves the Redskins, which proves his intelligence.

Dr. Gubser is really great, Hes one of my favorite teachers at JMU, this class is really interesting too!

This was a great class. There were a lot of readings, but most of them were VERY interesting.

It was an awesome class... I actually know some history thanks to him, and I am no good at history....

I didn't mind the class so much. Gubser is really helpful with class discussions but he tends to rant a lot. He's hillarious when he's trying to remember your name and isn't too bad looking either!

Gubser is the Man! I'm telling you, if you want a quick-moving look through recent history, take this class. He's quite funny and when he starts singing in class it's pretty entertaining. Note: BE PREPARED TO READ AND DISCUSS. he covers a topic a day which is good for the easily bored. many topics will coincide with GHIST102 as well.

Best class I have taken at JMU thus far, opened up my mind to a world and issues I had no idea about. His class inspired me to change my major twice lol. Really helpful for writing and arguementation advice, very lively class, only one final and a lotta essays, a lot of reading but really interesting worthwile topics!

Greatest teacher I've had! Really makes you intrested, keeps the class talking and helps everyone understand the material. About 6 papers and 1 final plus some reading quizzes. Just do the readings and be ready to discuss... you'll be fine! TAKE HIM!

Gubser is a great professor. He really teaches a lot about writing (most of the grades are essays) and is really helpful during office hours. He is a little bit of a hard grader, but if you're willing to ask for help he can give suggestions that will make your papers better. Also, he's funny and his class is pretty entertaining. Would recommend.

Dr. Gubser teaches a fun class. He keeps discussion going so each class has a different topic from the next, and the readings he gives are usually pretty interesting. Make sure to encourage him to sing before class, he will get the entire class going.

Definitely a LOT LOT LOT of reading, but I enjoyed his class. He calls on people at random to make sure people are keeping up with the readings, so be aware of that. He likes it when people talk, so make sure to participate in discussion. Textbook sucks, however.

you better like to read if you're gonna take this class... AT LEAST 30 pages of reading for each class. not hard to get a good grade though- no tests except final.

Nice guy, way too much reading expect at least 30 pages for each class and thats for one of typically two to three documents.

Fantastic professor. Very interested in what he's doing. Unique approach to teaching. Primary sources, art & music of the time, etc. Cute, too!

Yes he looks like a cool guy and is pretty funny, but all your grades in the class come from written papers and one essay final. So if you do not write well, I would advise you to take another class. If you do write well, then I would suggest his class. He gives me B's on the papers when I would be getting A's if he actually gave a mc exam.

If you are a freshman, you will probably love the guy. If youve been around the block, his style may seem really cheesy. You should be a decent writer if you plan to take this class. There are no tests just papers, and he is a grammar nazi.

Dr. Gubser is a very interesting, knowledgeable man. He enjoys doing things to keep the class interested in his topics of discussion, such as rapping, pretending to speak into a microphone, or playing death metal while working in groups. He's very knowledgeable and is a good professor. Discussion based classes=good if you're not Jackie Jubien. :)

Lots of reading and it pays to keep up. He grades papers fairly and when I get an A I'm pretty impressed with myself. His classes are always very engaging and I look forward to our discussions. He has a great personality and is very entertaining. I like him =)

TONS of readings and too many strictly graded papers. Prof. is really nice and really knows his material but DON'T take this class if you're not prepared for all the reading required because you WILL do poorly.

Love him. There are several easy pop quizzes and good paper topics. Really tough in terms of the amount of reading, but for Mike it's worth it:) He's really good about explaining things, and he doesn't take attendance. But go to class, it's really beneficial for the final and essays.

This class is not the easiest, but Gubser is a very good professor, not to mention, extremely HAWTTT.

Hard grader. Class is very long and boring. He makes you read 2hours worth of material per night. Only 4 papers but 2 of them are only a page. Calls out random people for answers and makes them look stupid. He is a funny guy though who cares a lot about the subject. If you are a bad writer you are going to fail. If good writer u will get atleast B

Dr. Gubser is a pretty funny guy and makes class interesting. 90% of your grade comes from essays (the final is an essay test too), and he is a HARD grader. He's pretty good at explaining things, and despite grading essays quite harshly will do a lot to help you meet his writing expectations. Overall a difficult, but good professor!

Gubser is absolutely hilarious and a great speaker. He makes you think about things totally differently and is awesome at playing devil's advocate. You have to read a LOT, but there's only four papers and then a final, no tests, just a few easy reading quizzes. So much better than I thought it would be. He is a hard grader though- you can't BS it.

Cool guy. Goes off topic a lot and makes it hard to take notes. A lot of reading throughout the semester and it is all on the exams. 2 papers and a midterm and final. Do the readings and you can get a B

I really liked his lectures; they were very eye-opening and the historical connections he made were intriguing. He assigns a lot of reading, though. While the textbook helped to clarify, the documents were overkill. I feel as though they could have been introduced in class. VERY easy B, but if you don't like document reading, look elsewhere.

he's clearly really into the subject matter, so it is kind of entertaining to watch him go on tangents during his lectures. there is a ton of reading and he does give four question reading pop quizzes for attendanceparticipation grades. overall though hes a great guy who really wants to help so long as you meet with him in person (don't email)

Dr. Gubser is awesome. He's really energetic, knows what he's talking about, and keeps things interesting. The class was sort of tough in that there was a lot of reading and writing, but I guess that's to be expected. Dr. Gubser helped though, just by being a good professor.

Gubser is a really nice guy and you can tell he REALLY knows what hes talking about. This class is pretty average for a college course. It is not really easy but its also not too difficult. Also, the grade is primarily based on two papers, a midterm, and a final so if you don't consider yourself a good writer you might want to steer clear.

Excellent lectures--captivating & understood easily. 2 papers, 3 books, midterm & a final. Textbook was useful in obtaining background knowledge prior to the lectures (& getting good grades on the occasional pop quizzes). If the effort is given and you readparticipate, you will pass. His humor is appreciated; he tries to make class fun. Take him!

Dr. Gubser is a great professor, his lectures show that he's truly passionate about what he's talking about. He has his quirks but it makes for an overall good and funny class. There is a ton of reading though so don't let yourself get behind or you'll be lost.

His lectures are fairly interesting, he asks questions and makes the students answer them and some times goes on mini rants. There is alot of reading every night, maybe 50-125. He's an extremely tough essay grader, if you're use to As you'll get Bs. There are 4 essays, but two are a page and easy reading quizzes

Dr. Gubser is amazing! It's A LOT of reading, but it's not pointless, he always refers to it in class and elaborates on it. He expects you to participate in discussions, but if you read it's easy. He is very eloquent and explains things very well and is always willing to answer questions. His class is very well-organized. I would take him again!

He assigns 4 papers and if you're not a good writer, I wouldn't take him. Also, there is a lot of reading for each class, so definitely buy the books. Professor Gubser is really into history and he challenges you to think.

Gubser is a very energetic teacher and knows more about history than anyone I've ever met. He does expect you to have a great deal of previous knowledge though, so if you do not have a solid foundation in history his class will be more difficult for you. If you do all the readings he assigns you will be fine.

Take his class if you can!! Gubsor is a very energetic and funny guy who loves History a lot! He is super knowledgable about whats taught in this course. He does expect you to read a lot. Be prepared for class or else he might make you look stupid by calling on you because he does expect you to participate in discussions. Lots of essays, too!

Gubser is a fantastic professor. Great discussions, funny guy, and just overall awesome. This class (Genocide) was very interesting. Lots of reading, a 12-15 page research paper, and a few essays, so not the easiest class, but extremely interesting. I looked forward to going to this class and classes flew by because of the discussions.

Really funny man! He tries to connect with his students which helped me enjoy the class more. Expect 2 papers and 2 exams, other grades include a few reading quizzes. Readings are ridiculous, but if go to class and listen to the discussions, you don't actually have to read everything. One of the better history professors I've had!

Gubser is one of the quirkiest professors I've had! He doesn't often teach this class, but he made me enjoy German history even more! He changes the syllabus frequently. You have short responses to the textbook per assignment. Three 5 to 7-pg papers throughout the semester, one of which is a topic of your choice. Exams are easy if you go to class!

Gubser is a great lecturer. I had class at 9:30 AM and it was definitely a struggle for some. There is so much assigned reading but important to do the readings to understand the lecture. Since there is only 2 papers and 2 tests it makes its very overwhelming to narrow down what info will actually be tested. He boosts your grade if you participate.

Dr. Gubser lectures the entire class every class for the entire semester. He does not use visuals except for an occasional map or timeline. This being said, I actually enjoyed him connecting all of history together and teaching us the importance of it all. There is a lot of reading, but it really helps understand the material better.

Overall a good professor. Doesn't post grades anywhere so its hard to know what you have in the class. Lectures can be very hard to follow. Makes the test so that if you don't go to class, you won't pass.

Nice, funny guy. I would recommend going to office hours for help with papers. Make sure you go to class because he says "please note" and its literally themes you need to know for the test.

Gubser is clearly passionate about his job and it shows! Super cheesy guy. He tends to ramble outside of test material, but if you write down EVERYTHING that he says, you will start to pick up themes and kind of figure out what you need to study. I never read the textbook and get a 98% on the midterm. If ur comfortable learning on ur own take him!

great! he did an interpretive dance about the ottoman empire for us

Professor Gubser is a great lecturer and a hilarious teacher. There were days when he came into class singing songs from Les Mis. There's only a few things he uses to determine your final grade and he's a though grader. Be prepared to do a lot of reading.

Dr. Gubser is really nice and very funny. His class is super easy because all you have to do is read, and then he lectures in class. The way he teaches makes even students who struggle with history understand it. The best professor for history at JMU.

He was a great professor who sometimes played one of his many instruments for us at the beginning of class. We were assigned reading from the textbook and historical documents before each class, we also read two books and wrote papers on them along with the midterm and final. We also had the occasional pop quiz which was easy if you actually read.

Dr. Gubser is a solid professor, he does a really good job of engaging the class in discussions. However, he doesn't post grades for you to see so it's up to you to calculate your grade throughout the semester and what you need on assignments to get a certain grade. If you have grading anxiety he might not be a good choice for you.

This class assigned a lot of readings from the textbook, articles, and 2 books. Your grade is up made of 2 papers about the 2 books, easy reading quizzes, mid term, and the final. The mid term and final are both essays and he graded pretty fairly. Only down side was how fast and chaotic his lectures were, hopefully you can write fast.

Prof Gubser is a nice guy , but he doesn't post any grades on Canvas whatsoever and many tests are handwritten. The curriculum is pretty dense but his few assignments and tests aren't that difficult. **If he says "note this" in class, WRITE IT DOWN-- he mainly creates test questions based on his main points rather than the textbook.

You will read hecka amounts of books (I think we finished 5 books within the first half of the semester) but overall Gubser is a great professor. He grades papers in a tough manner, but he does ensure learning for sure.

Dr. Gubser is a solid professor. Doesn't post grades on canvas at all so you gotta make an educated guess on what your grade is in the class. 2 short papers, 2 exams (midterm and final), and a "pop quiz" that happens 90% of Fridays, usually on simple questions mainly just to check on attendance. Funny dude, lectures are meh. Easy gen ed.

Gubser is a solid professor. Very approachable and always having conversations before and after class with his students. His lectures are ok and attendance is optional. There is a lot of reading to do outside of class that he expects you to complete. Main grades are from two papers and a final, where prompts are given ahead of time.

Sometimes he talks a little too fast and has a small volume control thing, but aside from that he's very good for HIS300. You'll do a lot of reading but the discussions during class help out a lot and he gives valuable insight. You can tell he genuinely cares about his students and wants them to become better thinkers.