Decent professor. Conservatives beware--he is prone to launch ad hominem attacks.

The readings are interesting if you get into them. They are also very necessary to do to survive in this class. This Prof. is very good and easy to listen to.

Great professor, interesting lectures, friendly guy, thought-provoking readings...

Mika was one of the best profs I have ever had. I took a seminar with him. He is very clear in what he wants and will grade on whether you give him what he wants. Great Prof. His jokes make class more interesting and indirectly make you question yourself.

Mika is a great prof. I guarantee that he will be one of your best profs at UofM. He loves the material and is very funny and animated. His classes were some of few I always looked forward to going to, regardless of the difficulty.

This was the only class I looked forward to going. He successfully clarifies the readings, and hes set up a podcast so if you dont want to go to class you dont have to. The readings are very interesting and thought provoking. If youre too lazy to use your critical thinking skills, then don't waste your time with this class.

reallllllllllly boring but i think that might just be the class in general not just him...his lectures are clear though and his tests aren't so bad...he started doing a podcast at the end of the year so i didnt have to go to lecture and i could fast forward him...has a funny accent i dont know where hes from not that thats relavent

Interesting course. Expectations were made clear at the beginning. Never had any issues with office hours; however, when you go, be sure you have specific questions to ask. This way you can get more than just a general answer.

Interesting professor, lectures well, is amusing. Unfortunately section is where fifty percent of the learning goes on for the entire course, and I don't have such high praise for it. Also, some of the readings are really just awful - boring. Not all, but some.

Interesting, reasonably informative lectures, but nothing spectacular. Has a good sense of humor. It's really too bad that the reading for this class is so terrible. Discussion was useless - I often fell asleep - but your mileage may vary. A lot of the readings are really awful, though. Burke and Marx... no thanks.

mika is very entertaining... i loved him :)

Very knowledgeable, entertaining prof. Lectures are very organized and interesting (for the most part). He posts his slides ahead of time, and also podcasts his lectures, which is very helpful. Tough on grades, though.

His lectures are decent, but he takes attendance, so it's hard to not attend. A lot happens in discussion, too. Unfortunately (for me) the grading on exams is more focused on the ability to regurgitate definitions and what he said in lecture than on actually understanding the material.

Interesting and funny professor.

Great lecturer; his class is very entertaining. He also has a very clear outline and a way of explaining things. However, he's not super helpful in office hours.

Really good lecturer - makes complex texts much more accessible.

Made a new rule to make attendance at lecture mandatory! Funny on material and tried to get student comments in lecture! Section sucks, though! The only interesting topic in section is when the GSI asked the class if it's ethical to use a prostitute!

Best professor I've had at Michigan.

Real funny guy. He just started doing lectures online so you do not have to come to class and he encourages a lot of technology. Grading system a little abnormal (no exams/final) but works. Decent amount of outside reading but he really sums it up.

Great professor! USe of technology makes this class much easier! No need to attend lecture, it's online. DIscussion was awesome, the GSI I had was super understanding and amazing. LOVED this class. WOrth the minimal effort to get a good grade.

Good teacher. Makes lecture available online, meaning you don't need to get out of bed to see it. Course blog an especially interesting and unconventional part of the course.

I loved this professor! Lectures are available online, so I watched it from my futon, but was still able to participate and learn the material. He's also a really funny and relatable guy that doesn't believe in exams. "B for effort" is his motto.

No tests, just short essays either about the readings or "arguing" for the grade you deserve. Discussion sections twice a week is unnecessary and annoying, but the lectures are online and he makes it all very clear. His jokes are lame, but he's enjoyable to watch. Take 101 with him, it's the best.

This class has made me consider majoring in political science. The readings, while sometimes tedious, were pretty interesting. He managed to get most of my class interested in the material in spite of the lack of exams. Course blogs, group projects, and essays were helpful in reinforcing the different ways of interpreting one's views.

Can be interesting, especially if you're into political theory. Very informative, knows what he's talking about. If you want an easy A, this is also a good choice. No exams, a weekly easy quizzes, etc. Participate in discussion and do well on the assignments you choose to do and you'll most likely end up with an A.

If you are considering writing an honors thesis, this is the class for you. It is challenging but very rewarding. All assignments are group work with the exception of 2 short writing assignments and a mid-way group evaluation. The prof is willing to help students and clearly has a deep interest in the success of his students. In short, amazing.

Fantastic Political-Science Prof. Made complex political theory straight-forward. Values lecture participation but will tell you if you're wrong. 'Unique' grading policy. B for effort, class is about learning and not testing, which I love. I highly recommend him.

Easiest class ever.

Mika is the man. Discussion is mandatory; lecture can be watched online. Hard to get A's on papers-but, if you try-you can get an A in the class. I am going to take one of his 300 level courses next semester. Highly recommended!

Mika is a great professor. As an introductory course, Mika makes it relatively easy for students to learn. Materials in textbooks are pretty interesting, some of them are hard, but all in all, they are not too bad.

Mika is a pretty cool man. His introductory course is very interesting and easy to get an A. Materials are classical, definitely masterpiece. Enjoy!!

Awesome, entertaining, student friendly teacher. Do what they ask and you will get an A. Don't have to go to lecture, you can watch on your computer, but you should, he is so funny and so entertaining. Take him!!

Easiest class of my life. GO to discussion and participate and you are guranteed the A.

Wonderful professor. Tech savvy, you can watch lecture from your dorm room. Easy class, just do all the (pretty easy) activities and you will get at least an A-. The material itself is pretty dry, even for a poli sci course; without Mika this would pry be a terrible class. He makes it worthwhile though.

This class is unlike any class you will take at Michigan. If you show up and put in some effort, you're guaranteed an A. Your grade is entirely in your hands, as you can pick how you want aspects of your grade to be weighted. Mika is a great professor and a smart man, you can tell he is passionate about his subject and loves his students.

This was probably the best intro to polisci course I've taken at UM. Professor Lavaque-Manty finds ways to make the lectures engaging and mostly worth attending. He is cogent and insightful, and is very willing to help students in need. The grade was heavily dependant on GSI, which is of course luck of the draw.

This class requires a lot of individual work, but you get to pick your topic, so you get out of it, what you put in. That being said, I really enjoyed this class, and Mika as a prof. He helped guide us through the research process, and was always willing to help. I would def recommend this class! Esp if you want to go to grad/law school

Political theory is not the most interesting field, but Mika made the class interesting and fun. The class is not an easy A, like many people have posted, but an A is definitely doable. It really depends on your GSI, which is a downfall. But Mika is a great teacher! Highly recommended!

Political theory is not the most interesting course topic, but Mika made the class fun and interesting. It is not an easy A, like many people have posted, but an A is definitely doable. It really depends on which GSI you get, which is a bit of a downfall. Mika is a great prof though! Highly recommended!

Political theory is not the most interesting course topic, but Mika made the class fun and interesting. It is not an easy A, like many people have posted, but an A is definitely doable. It really depends on which GSI you get, which is a bit of a downfall. Mika is a great prof! Highly recommended!

It's true, the class is pretty boring, but Professor Lavaque-Manty makes the lectures interesting and beneficial. Grade depends entirely on the luck of the GSI draw, but let's be honest, there's not a whole lot of effort required.

Prof. LaVaque-Manty is awesome! POLSCI 101 is an easy A with him if you aren't lazy and do the work-no exams though. He is one of the most approachable professors you'll ever have. Go see him in office hours; he's really great. Awesome professor; highly recommended.

He is a very good professor. Gives very deep philosophical analysis of texts. Funny guy. Charismatic.

Mika was a great lecturer and instructor, and the class had a very interesting and useful grading system. But I absolutely hated the class. This is not political science at all really, but a philosophy class.

I really didn't like the material that this class offers, but Mika was an awesome lecturer. This class is definitely easy A as well. Coming into the last week I thought I was getting a B- for sure and I ended up with an A-. There really isn't a whole lot expected of you.

Mika is an awesome lecturer, and you really do learn a lot in this class. He's made me think about things in a completely different way. An "A" is definitely possible, but don't go in thinking it's an easy A as many people have posted. The readings are difficult, as are the paper topics. But he does curve grades in the end. Smart, funny, cool guy

Great professor and I learned a ton. It counts for the Upper Level Writing Requirement, so there was quite a bit of work involved.

I now know that "however" is a conjunctive adverb but NOT a conjunction, and I can probably form at least 3 quasi-intelligent sentences about Foucault. Mika truly defines what it means to be a passionate professor. Oh and he replies to emails in about 46 seconds.

Mika is one of THE best Professors here! If you are a Freshman, take this class! NOT BAD AT ALL!

Great teacher, he is very enthusiastic about Political Science and it shows

You get to pick your route of learning, don't have to do all the reading, pretty easy as long as you keep up on your work.

Mika is a great professor. You will learn a lot from him! Choose your Kaptial wisely, and you are sure to get good grade. Do not stress out too much about this class, just have fun!

A really nice guy with good intentions, but the organization of the class is dysfunctional. Everything is about "beating the system;" if you're not into that, I suggest to look elsewhere for an effective professor.

This class is presented like it's a video game: you start with an F and have to work your way up to an A by accumulating points. Some like this, I just found it irritating. You do get to choose what types of assignments you do for the bulk of your grade, but beware of choosing the Boss Battles, they are harder than you might think. Good lecturer.

This class is really cool. If you're thinking about it, I suggest looking up the syllabus and youtube video because it's very unusual. Mika is a really cool guy though and makes the material very interesting. You get out of this class what you put in. It's a lot of work and little things, but if you put in the effort, you will get an A or B.

mika's a great lecturer who has a lot of passion about the topic. the class is odd, as i'm sure you'll see in other reviews but you just have to figure out how to beat the system. blogging is awesome and group projects suck. nearly impossible to fail the class

Mika is a fantastic professor and a great lecturer. Class is very fun and interesting. Odd grading system, you pick the assignments you want to do. Point based class and pretty easy to get an A if you just do the work.

One of the most supportive, creative and thoughtful teachers at UM. He accommodates students of all learning styles. Respects students and wants to learn from them. Really can't say enough good things about Mika. His class is what college is about. Be prepared to learn, teach, be challenged and laugh. Definitely take a class with Mika! Great guy.

I didn't find the course to be particularly interesting, I did well in POLSCI 101 because of the setup of the course. To get an A I wrote 6 blogs, commented on several others, and took a few open note quizzes. This was in addition to completing simple tasks like reading quizzes etc. Honestly I didn't matter how well Mika taught-- but it was easy

Intro to Political Theory Class was pretty easy. I did all my assignments and went to class but didn't work too much harder otherwise, and got an A. Mika is also a good professor and genuinely nice guy. Enjoyable class.

Grading system is weird, but it makes it relatively easy to get an AA-. Lectures are long and boring and it's not even necessary that you go, although I would recommend it.

Really nice and smart teacher. Felt like I got a lot out of the class more than just a good grade. Great class to take as a freshman or someone who wants a basic outline of political theory.

such a kind and funny teacher, very easy class that is great for freshmen

Best 1st year writing requirement for someone who does not like English.

Knowledgable guy, interesting class. Great grading system with Gradecraft.

Show up to class and get easy points.

Mika is a pretty solid prof. He truly wants all of his students to succeed, and he uses unique teaching styles to make sure this happens. He is pretty comedic while also savage at the same time; he has made the entire class laugh a couple of times. For this class, his grading style made it pretty easy to get an A as long as you put in the effort.

Mika's class was lit. He really does care about students and did his best to make us not stress out. He had some funny jokes during lecture and overall this class was a great class for someone who doesn't like english. all you have to do to get an A is put in the work.

Mika's class is interesting and super easy. I personally didn't love the points-possible grading system Mika uses, but it was beyond easy to get an A. At times the course felt a little disjointed, but its a good class to get your FYWR and social studies Honors Core. No tests, too. Overall, Mika was a solid professor and it was a cool class.

Mika is probably one of the most accomplished people I've met, which can sometimes come off as a little arrogant. He's also super hilarious and tries to make lectures as engaging and interactive as possible. The course is not as political as I anticipated, which made me love it even more. Also, GradeCraft makes it very easy to get an A.

"Games" is a great class. The grading of assignments can be tough but it doesn't matter. The system is such that you can get an A with pure effort. Such a well designed class. Mika keeps students engaged with his well prepared slides and activities, as well as his knowledgable lectures. Best FYWR out there.

Best prof I've had

If you're planning to take PolSci 101 take it with Mika! His lectures were always designed to keep students engaged. There were a lot of readings, but you would go over them in class. There were reading quizzes due before each lecture, but you get 2 tries so very helpful. Gradecraft is used & is confusing at first, but the grade predictor is great!

The best professor on this campus! He is very thoughtful and helpful and engages the class. Very funny and relatable!!!!

Read, go to class, go to discussion, and you'll get an A. He gives you options on how you want to be graded. I chose Boss Battles (online tests you can take with classmates) and essays. This was an easy, non-time consuming, and informative polsci course. Highly recommend.

The structure of Mikas class was very cool. He is very modern and unique. I wish that he taught more courses so I could take them all. I highly recommend!! He has great lectures and explains material effectively and concisely.

All around great guy. One of the only professors in the School of Music actually committed to students learning. Also the only professor in the School of Music that tried to eliminate a teacher-student hierarchy. If you have a choice for a theory professor, choose him.

Mika is seriously one of the coolest profs out there. He understands that grades are overstressed so if you plan well, it's hard to not do well. He genuinely cares about his students and his lectures are engaging and interesting. I'd 100% recommend talking to him outside of classit doesn't have to be about political science.

I took his class during the pandemic, and Mika responds to emails SUPER fast. This is really helpful for me because we are freshmen who don't know exactly what's going on. I appreciate his humor, and he is a easy grader. He is also very inspirational and his advice and insights are really helpful. He is truly amazing.

Mikas awesome, simply put. Always willing to engage with students and take learning to new levels. Make sure you reach out and ask question during online school, it can be confusing but hes right there to explain-just ask!

Super funny and nice. The lectures were fun and I didn't dread going to them. He made me excited to learn and the homework was actually interesting and helpful to learn about. I wish I could take this class again next semester. 100% would reccomend

Mika is a great professor, and I enjoyed taking HONORS240: Wellness. Lectures were interesting, and the readings, essays, and projects felt relevant and applicable. The class is very self-driven, and it gives you the freedom to decide which assignments you want to complete (since the grading scale is set up so you can only gain points).

Mikas lectures were always interesting and engaging. I didn't get to interact with him much, but I could tell that he cared about the class. The grading was a bit harsh, and the one time he personally graded a project of mine I felt that some of his feedback was unhelpful. I would still recommend taking a class from him and overall enjoyed it.

Wellness is something else... It's hard to describe Mika. There was a class where he spent at least 10 minutes explaining why he HATES pi charts. I don't know exactly what I learned but I feel like I'm more aware of my mental health after the class. If I could take it again I would. Your GSI also matters a ton and can make or break the class.

I liked this class! Attendance is optional but he did 5 random attendance checks and in lecture activities that count for points, but there are so many other ways to get points if you miss those. The class is really flexible to what you want, you can choose between three different major point assignments. Def recommend for a good intro to polisci

Mika is a fantastic professor! He uses Gradecraft (gamified learning) so there are a ton of ways to receive an A. While his lectures are large, he does a great job of making the class fun and engaging. We had a scavenger hunt one day in class to find our GSI and clues. One of my favorite professors so far!

Mika is a professor that truly loves the work that he does and has an understanding of the importance of a life outside of studying. Mika may come across as intense, but he is truly a caring and approachable professor who will give great feedback, if you ask for it. His lectures are insightful and make connections over time.

Wellness is amazing! Highly recommend taking classes with Mika. He is very engaging and he makes his grade scheme very clear from the beginning. Easy A class and great professor.

One of the best professors. Genuinely passionate, funny, and made the grading system clear from the start. Lecture and discussion attendance are mandatory for points, so although sometimes tedious and boring, 240 was an easy A class and a MUCH better writing course than Great Books or Westworld. Highly recommend.

Mika is great and really funny, but the class was a little bit weird. It was pretty all over the place, and the lectures were pretty boring. Discussion section could be a lot of fun though because the topics lended themselves well to discourse. Overall one of the easiest As I've had and a great blowoff class.

One of the best profs I've had at umich! Easy class, grading is super clear, and I genuinely looked forward to going to lecture! Mika is an absolute icon, and I definitely want to take more classes with him!

This class is amazing and Mika is the best! He offers a unique grading system that alleviates a lot of stress from students. Grading is clear and there are a lot of different ways to get an A as there are many different optional assignments. Mika's lectures are fun and relatable. He makes learning confusing political theories easy. Highly Recommend

Mika is a wonderful professor. Sometimes he can be somewhat of a tough grader but he and his GSI always give great feedback. He is super flexible with office hours if you can't attend his set hours. He also works with the honors department so he is a great resource if you are interested in the honors major at all!

Engaging lectures from the professor, but the class felt scattered at times. GSIs were hit-or-miss, but using Unstuck ai and other study tools like ChatGPT really helped me stay on track for the easy A.

Literally BEST prof EVER. I actually took this class last year and was cleaning out my email and found the personal email he sent me saying such nice things about me. It was the sweetest thing ever! The class was also so much fun and I thought he was hilarious. Take a class with him if you get the chance: One of the best profs at umich FS!!