She is the best poly sci teacher. willing to help all students. tests from notes

great prof, great study guides

Tons of reading, not a tough grader though

interesting class discussions, lots of reading but the class is well worth it

No Comments

Losts of Extra Credit, do HW

Interesting discussions, lots of reading

I usually don't listen to professors, but I actually found her very interesting.

she's a wonderful teacher, really makes you think! not too hard...

She is a nice lady, but you do not learn very much

smart lady, lots of reading and paying attention

You have to go to class! You will be screwed if you miss class.

awesome prof. grades REALLY easy

great teacher! makes you think. surprised at how much was learned.

Very nice and a great techer. I learned a ton!

she is hard at first, but a great teacher, very helpful and understanding.

No Comments

great lady and very interesting i wish i could get her for 102

Awesome teacher, easy to understand, great personality-best class first semester

Comes off as hard at 1st, but then class gets good. Great teacher, lots of e.c.!

Grades the Midterm & Final essay easy. Learned a lot. Great Teacher. Easy B

blue book and scantron for all exams. lots of group activities.

Very easy if you go to class. Be warned, she is very liberal

gREAT LADY, YOU ACTUALLY GET SOMETHING OUT OF THE CLASS

she comes off as hard at first but shes an easy essay grader.boring lectures tho

wonderful class, learned alot very easily, very clear in explanations, the best

lots of reading but awesome professor, interesting lectures and lots of EC

totally nice, a really passionate teacher. she knows what she is talking about.

She knows her stuff and teaches it well, but some is trivial and is alot of work

Comes off as witch but in the end she is a good teacher, A is not impossible

Great teacher, makes you thinks alot. You will walk away feeling accomplished.

great teacher, really good class, work hard and you will learn a ton

Wonderful person, inspiring teacher with good class content.

Great teacher! Intimidating at first. Stay on track, should be a breeze!

Pretty hard class, lots of work. She seems mean at first but actually is a pretty easy grader.

Boring class. Huge paper at end. Not very welcoming professor and not very understanding.

Way scarier at first than she is. After tests can argue if you think unfair and she'll change it. Class asked to move back date of paper and she did. Just talk to her.

Very good teacher that really knows what she is talking about. Don't get intimidated at first.

great professor, be driven to get to the answer, she likes that

I took her for 101 and 102. Easy class just keep tabs on assignments and due dates. She offers a lot of extra credit. Nancy will intrigue you on many levels. She's fair, liberal, yet slightly unorganized. This works towards YOUR advantage. easy tests

Really good professor. Tests are do-able but make sure you study and go to class. I learned a lot from her. She really knows her stuff. Seems intimidating at first, but she's actually pretty nice. Don't be afraid to ask for help!!

She knows her stuff...tests are not the easiest though. HAVE to study...TA Cyrus is great too. Definitely a good class to take!

She is a very liberal teacher. 2 Quizes on a Book, 2 Papers on 2 different Books. Vocabulary test on about 100 Poli Sci Terms. Sounds bad, but it's not work is evenly distributed, nice, good lectures, a lot of group work. not bad

go to class and pay attention, she's smart and organized, you can definatly gat at least a B with a little effort

HARD class. YOu have books and due dates ahead of time but requires a lot of reading, willpower, and no procrastination...not a teacher to take if your new to poly sci.

You should only take this class if you're really into politics. She's a good teacher- she really knows her stuff and she offers a lot of extra credit.

Speckmann is really intimidating until you actual go into her office hours and talk to her one on one. She offers alot of extra credit and is pretty awesome once you get to know her! Dont be scared!

good teacher who is very smart. go to class and take notes and read the books and u should do well in this class. be prepared to read 3 books.

Boring class, but it's pretty easy if you go.

interesting lectures but lots of work. glossary test,2 book test(hard),2 easy papersand essay final. i wouldn't suggest taking her.

She has a very annoying tone of voice. Teaches like we're all 5th graders but expects college level input from us. Her TAs are the best though...exciting lectures from them. Good for an easy A.

Good teacher but has you read books that she NEVER talks about and test you on! The tests are tricks and haven't been changes in 5 years. I wouldn't take her again too much reading that is not relative.

Highly informative class that forces YOU to think. Tough, but great class to take. She has a definite political stance, but never forces you to take her side. The reading is not the standard, boring text. They're books that you wouldn't want to sell back.

she is a great teacher! alot of reading, but it's not that hard. tests are kina easy.. you have to study though. she gives out alot of extra credit too

Very nice lady, is there to help, but it's up to you to approach her. Demanding class: intense vocab quizzes in the beginning, tests throughout, and a 10pg paper. Fair grader, allows you to contest what she marks wrong, very liberal.

Great teacher. I had a rough semester and she helped me out. Make sure you do well at the beginning of the semester b/c it will help you out in the end. Go to her for help... she's awesome!

LOTS OF WORK! I would take the class again. She makes sure everyone understands the coursework. it isn't that difficult it is just a lot of work. very time consuming

she is fun, realistic, and knows what she is doing. if you know the basics you will do fine! she was the best teacher i had at state, she gives you everything you need and all you have to do is keep up.

gives a lot of reading. reading exams are hard. she expects you to know every little detail. lectures are clear. essays, multiple choice, papers. great prof.

Wonderful, wonderful teacher! Made my summer school worth a while. Not an easy class. You do have to study. But it's a lot of fun. Very clear, very intelligent and amicable person. Thank you for a great summer class, prof. Speckmann! :)

This woman is an incredible teacher...she's not easy, but that doesn't matter...Every time I sat in her class, i was completely engrossed in her material and her lectures...she's a brilliant teacher and knows everything she is talking about...Take her!!

interesting class. cyrus, the ta, lectures a lot in the beginning. seems like the lectures don't relate much to the tests. hard class, lots of work, lots of reading.

TOOOOOOOOO HARD... TOO MUCH READING, HARD TESTS, EXPECTS US TO KNOW TOO MUCH FOR AN ENTRY LEVEL CLASS...VERY NICE, JUST VERY DIFFICULT IF YOU TRY FOR A DECENT GRADE

I easily got an A in this class. You just have to participate in class discussion. Didn't even buy the book. Grades on writing ability and ability to convey your point effectively.

she is awesome...ya there is a lot of reading..but the information is brought across very clearly. She is more than willing to make sure that you ndertand the subject matter, and if you as kher she will go over the information again and again. She knows her stuff too. She is awesome...

Great teacher. If you take anything but option 4 you are stupid, since its pretty easy to get an A. This class had the best reading selection of any class I have ever taken. By the time the final comes, you are so well prepared that you don't need to study much to do well. Wonderful lectures too

The class involves a lot of essay writing and tests if you are shooting for a good grade. I highly recommend going to Cyrus's review and Speckman's office hours. If you have problem making due dates, talk to her, she might help. Take good notes, start reading books in advance.

Pretty easy class. you should definetly take option four because an A is pretty easily attainable. the essays are easily graded and tests go smoothly because of speckman's knowledgable lectures. learned a lot...not too difficult.

shes a wonderful teacher, make sure you pick option number 4 an A in the class does take a lot of reading and hard work but if you put in a little effort into it, it will be a piece of cake. The essays are long but shes a fair grader Make sure you go to all the reviews because they are very helpful

Shes really nice-- an awesome prof. As for her class, its a ton of flippin' work. I chose the CR/NC option and quit going midsemester cause you could just as easily get the CR in another class for half the work.

Lots of work if you want a letter grade. My friends that were attempting an A had to work their butts off. I took the class for CR/NCR and it wasn't too bad. The final covered a lot of stuff we never talked about.

She is a very easy teacher. She's lazy and disorganized but its okay because she likes to give you full credit on assignments and not make you do them because she is lazy. The work you do is very easy but her exams can be kind of hard because she likes to pick one random topic and make 50 questions about it so make sure you know everything.

This class was very interesting. I learned a lot from Speckmann. She'll even debate with you after class:)She gives out a few papers, a lot of tests, but if you come to class and do your work than you're guaranteed at least a C+ or a B-. I gotta B+, Im satisfied. (And I actually learned something in school for once)

Take the option to get an A. Yea you have to right a 1- page paper but I basically put random quotes together and got a 95%. She has so many students that the papers are not graded too harshly. Midterm and Final is all her lecture. And her tests throughout the year are all book and those questions are random and very specific! Do extra cedit!

Decent Teacher. Stick around and do well on the Glossary Exam and then its down slope from then other if you do your work. Books: Textbook and 3 novels. 2 essays including a 10 page essay: easy if you read and if you BS well..otherwise you are screwed. Exams are extremely easy and the Final rests on your shoulder. TAKE GOOD NOTES!!! AND GO TO CLASS

Great teacher. 2 or 3 hard essays with hard tests too though. Many extra credit opportunities though. I ended up with a B and I didn't even read any of the 3 books she assigned. Very interesting class to come to and discuss politics if you are into that type of stuff

Great teacher, can't spell to save her life. A LOT of info to absorb, sometimes too much too fast. Think Ms. Frizzle of the PolySci world. HARD class, but interesting. 4-5 books to read, 3 midterms, a paper, and a final (paper or test), 10 EC points, & that's all. Don't take this class unless you're committed to working hard, but I'd reccomend it.

the class was awesome! she pushes you to do well and is passionate about what she is teaching. the way she teaches makes you want to learn. at first, she throws a lot at you, but honestly the work all slows down eventually! if you listen in her lectures and take good notes you should do fine.

This class was really interesting and super easy coming from a person who doesnt know much about politics. Take it as a letter grade because you will regret if you dont. The 3 tests are all on lectures and the 10 page final is really not that bad. Easy A if you pay attention in class!

At first the class seems really hard, but it slows down. Each midterm gets easier and easier. Not to hard of a class. Consider taking it Credit/No Credit

she's not great, but i hear she is better than the alternatives...class is not too bad, but it is absolutely ridiculous that you have to write an extra 10 page paper to get an A as your final course grade on top of the other 3 tests and 1 paper...recommend taking this class for CR/no CR

easiest class i have ever taken. very interesting too. i took for credit/no credit and really regret it. 4 tests and one essay that is all. no small busy work nothing its really good class highly recomend it and she is a good teacher.

She may scare you off in the beginning with all the work you are going to do, but she is very easy. If you take her, take her in the afternoon classes and ask people who have her earlier what the test is going to be. I barely read but pass the class with a B.

She is a very good teacher. She is very professional and she knows what she is talking about. The lecture is very interesting, but there are lots of reading required. The tests are not hard, but highly recomment the lecture. She makes me interest in Politics and thinks in different perspectives now.

lots of reading in the beginning but not as much in the end. first test is hardest one after that its simple. easy grader on the 1 essay you have to write for the whole semester. lots of models but interesting videos and lectures. read notes and you will get a good grade on the test. i definitely recommend her.

Lots and lots of reading assigned, but it is more of a scare tactic. She is a very good professor and knows a lot about political science. I didn't do most of the readings and barely went to class, just to the review sessions, and got a C.

She teaches this class as if her students already know the basics of poli sci even though it's an introductory class. Her TA did everything except lecture... he basically should've been the professor. She can be a sarcastic b**** sometimes too.

Finally --a political science teacher that doesn't FORCE her students to think the same way she does! You can disagree, but she will still give you As. S makes the class out to be very difficult for the first month, but after that it is easy! She has easy tests, barely any homework, and goes to great lengths that you understand the material.

This class is an easy B if you actually study and go to class, but if you want an A you have to write a ten page paper. I got a 93% in this class but only got an A- so the grading scale is a little messed up. I thought this class was really interesting and helped me in other classes as well.

Yes she will scare you like no other in the begining but if you just relax you will have no problem in the class. the only hard party is that if you want an A and you are eligable you have to read a extra book and write a paper on it but it was not hard at all, and you dont have to take the final. She is a great teacher and has TA's to help anytime

one of the best prof. i've had at state so far! her class is very interesting and she makes you think about unusual topics which is kind of cool. I would def. recommend to take her

Best class/professor I've had so far. Very informative and helpful. Only problem is if you want to get an A you are required to do an alternate final of reading a book and writing a 10 page paper about it and I hate reading so I settled for a B+.

she at times is to liberal for my personal liking and tends to assaing lagre ammounts of work at the same time. she is a very smart professor just i think she would teach upper division better than teaching a 101 class. take her if you like to read!!! you will be doing a lot of it

No Comments

Speckman was a pretty good prof. she really knows her stuff and wants you to learn it too. there are two 5 paragraph papers which end up being like 3 pgs and one 5 pg paper. TAs are pretty lienent on papers. tests are pretty easy as long as you've been paying attention. if you miss a class you miss alot. gives opp. for lots of xtra credit.

good teacher, passionate about what she teaches. keep the class interesting. exams are mainly based on the reading and some lecture. three papers, graded by her TA's, so grading isn't always fair, just tell them what you think they want ot hear.

She is a very smart teacher, but doesn't know how to teach. She goes in depth on the material during the lecture, and then never covers it again. So if you understand it the first time around, you should do well. TA's are EASY greaders, so as long as you complete the papers, you will get a good grade. Tests are hard, many questions are unexpected.

Speckmann is one of the most brillant profesors ever!I know she had some family issues going on which is maybe why the class was a little harder at times, she curved the midterm as a result!! THIS CLASS WAS BY FAR MY FAVORITE IN THE SEMESTER! go to reviews because cyrus is awesome. DEFIANTELY TAKE IT just dont slack off

Best teacher at SDSU! She is soo amazing with the information she teaches. You actually learn a lot from this class and take what you learned with you. Her first test is near to impossible but everything after that is a piece of cake. Just study all night the before and take GOOD notes in class.... dont take credit no credit because youll regret it

Very good teacher, but unclear prompts. Tough grader but does offer help. The less effort i put into essays the better i did. Just read, write down what she says, and study. Very tough A but a should be a good decent B.

She is incredibly in depth with her discussions and is hellbent on making everyone involved in politics. She offers a ton of extra credit throughout the semester which is really easy to do. Her tests are relatively hard,but if you go to class and dont study, or just study and dont go to class you'll generally do ok and pass.

SUCH INTERESTING MATERIAL. Hard class but the teacher is awsome...she lays it down for her students. I loved the class...I skipped a concert just to go to class. Her night class is good.

I loved her class, she opened my mind into politics. She is a very caring teacher always wiling to help. She always sends e-mails for due dates and extra credit, she is a wonderful teacher. Take her class it might seem hard at first but it is worth it. And Cyrus reviews are great he is so fun!

She gives you a midterm two weeks into the class which is impossible to get a good grade on. I basically learned everything from a guy she has to give us reviews see Cyrus and pass the class. The 10 page paper she goes on about is EASY i didnt read the book and got a B+.

She is a wonderful instructor! Her lectures are insightful and you really learn a lot about your beliefs in that class. She does not try to convert you to her beliefs, rather she provides options for you. If you study and ask plenty of questions, the class will be easy for you. And the review sessions with Cyrus are outrageous but interesting.

she's really nice and understanding. very intelligent woman.

This class wasn't that bad. it is crucial to attend class because you learn most from her lectures. she offered a lot of extra credit opportunities. her tests aren't that hard but she has her TA grade the written portion and the TA SUCKS!

there is a BUNCH of reading that's needed for this class. the things she has you read has nothing to do with her lectures but you need all of it for her exams. she keeps the room really hot! i don't know why she does that but i always fell asleep. i hated going to this class, her hand writing was so hard to read!!!

MAKE SURE to do all of the extra credit, seriously no joke, only reason why I passed. DON'T miss any movie days she takes off a ton of points for everyday day you miss. Request Cyrus Review for every midterm and final or YOU WON'T PASS.

really a great professor. demanding but after taking this class you will have a great base understanding polysci which would be useful to anybody. if you attend class and the reviews you will do fine and will learn quite a bit in the process. if you have any interest in the field her class is necessary. if not but you want to be intelligent take it

I got an 97% in her class. I realize most students taking her are Freshman and as a Senior I know that is what made this class VERY easy. As freshman realize that you choose your grade in a class. If you want an A, you will get it and if you don't want one, than you won't get it. Think I'm wrong? Wait till your a senior. Speckmann is great, & helpf

Specmann's class is really scary at first, but once you get past the first week, it's not so bad. It's tough and challenging, but interesting enough and very clear. And this is comming from someone who hates Pol Sci. My advice is go to every class, grab a seat in front, hang onto her every word, and read the texts. Do the work and you'll do fine.

I didn't put in much effort and earned a B+. The only reason why I didn't earn the A in this class was because of the incompetent T.A. He likes to take points off for no reason...jerk. Speckmann's a great professor, though.

Amazing! Within her material, the underlying message she is trying to convey is about life and all the lessons one should learn throughout their lifetime. The kids who hate her are freshmen who don't value good teachers who actually consider their students being independent and fully capable of learning the material by READING it.

The first exam will kill you, but she does it on purpose (before the drop deadline) to weed out the slackers. Her lectures sometimes had nothing to do with the exam but they were interesting. If you have an open mind then you will have an interest in this class. Her reading assignments were a little much, but she drops one test score which helps.

No Comments

Really good teacher. Just be sure to do the reading when its due or you will be totally lost on the test. The test is about 50% book, and 50% lecture. She want everyone to do well. She even sets up great study reviews with this guy named cyrus who is a genius

EZ class. These people reviewing her are DUMB. The first exam is a breeze but the second exam is pretty hard if you study the night before (which i did the whole time and got an A-). The paper is nothing - sparknotes PEOPLE. Take her, theres also TONs of EC

From what I've heard about other Poli Sci professors, Speckmann is of the better ones on campus. She seems scary at first, but she's just trying to help you if you put the work into it. The second test will murder you and she knows it. Go to class, write a legible paper, you'll be fine.

In all honesty if you attend class, READ the book and take away a greater understanding, there is NO WAY you will not get at least a B in this class. TONS of extra credit so its hard to fail. Do the paper before the night its due. Seriously, she practically hands you an A.

This is a difficult class. You MUST take LOTS of notes and read! review sessions highly recommended. Extra credit highly recommenced. READ book for essay. She expects a lot from a 101 class. She is a good instructor though. Interesting lectures. Makes you really think. Tests are easy as long as you really study. Put a lot of effort into this class.

She is intimidating at first but a really great teacher! Her perspective really makes you think...definitly one of the better teachers at State.

great teacher! I love the way she teaches and everything on the test is from the readings. You want to read thoroughly and be attentive during class and this will get you a good grade. I had the highest test scores in the class. The test were not that hard.

She is very nice. A lot of reading,but manageable.

This class requires a lot of time. There is a ton of reading, especially for exam #2. 3 tests, 1 paper. Class is taught like an upper division class and is more difficult than a intro level class should be. The TA graded way too hard on tests and for the paper. Unless you have a lot of time take this CR/NC if you decide to take it at all.

This is a hard entry level class, but it is interesting. There are 4 tests which make up most of the grade, the final is not cumulative. THere is a term paper, which is easy if you dont wait till the last minute. If you study and do the readings before the tests you will do well.

Way too hard for a 101 class. the amount of reading is massive and she does not lecture on the readings. she stands and talks with no visuals so you better be a fast writer. TA's grade everything and they are absolutely ruthless and horrible. she's a fairly nice person but her TA's are NOT. dont take this class unless you have tons of time.

i really enjoyed her as a teacher, i think her lectures were very interesting and she was always open to questions and office hours were great, she is very willing to help students and she is nice and funny. her class isn't super easy but i think you benefit a lot from the way she teaches and you learn a lot of things in her class. she was great.

This class is WAY!! to hard to a 100 level class, she does no notes only lectures by mouth so it gets difficult if you cant keep up or miss class, very boring and hard her test are usually 1/2 essay and they aren't graded easily at all. I liked the teacher but dont take this class its not worth it for a simple Ge.

I really enjoyed her class. She is a really good teacher and lecturer, and she made it interesting. I took her Monday nights for 3 hours, and I would recommend NOT taking it all in one day--only because it can be a little tiring. Other than that, great teacher. would reccomend her to everyone i know.

I really enjoyed her! she was so much fun! but she really started sucking towards the end of the semester, so i stopped coming.

Good Professor. The class wasn't hard but it wasn't easy, as long as you come to class and TAKE notes you'll do fine! Most of the class notes/discussions are on the test. First test is EASY, second test is take home but hard (just work with other people) and the last two tests were okay but you have to study.

Very very introductory level class. Information is presented for freshmen. Lectures provide most information needed to excel on tests. In depth book report from selected books due near end of semester, but overall fairly straightforward and passable with an average amount of work.

I hated going to this class because it really is a 101 class. She treats you as if you just came into school for the first time. The material is really easy, just have to follow it and make sure you get your reading done because not everything from the test comes from lecture. Oh and take advantage of the extra credit... it helps

Due to furloughs, she showed films A LOT. I think we had a total of 4 lectures that she actually spoke. 3 exams + 2 papers + 1 California exam. Offers A LOT of extra credit, so there's a way to make up for a bad grade. Answers emails very quickly. She doesn't grade anything, her ta's do. She also has a ta review for every exam, and go to them!!!

Very liberal but I didn't mind. Her TAs grade unfairly- I had gotten As and Bs on all the exams but Cs on every paper. It was lame. She furloughed too often where you'd have to come and sign in and watch a film. I feel like I could have learned a lot if she had at least shown up more.

It seemed like she had 20 furlough days! Way more than 10%. I never bought the book and did fine without it. Her grading on papers can be unfair because it's subjective. I got a 79.3% in the class and she have me a C+ (I missed 5 points because I didnt show up to Inconventient Truth, like I really wanted to see that movie again for the 238520 time)

She's an AMAZING professor, offers a lot of ec. More than a college professor usually does. She's very passionate about what she teaches. No ppt slides but when she lectures she says "for your notes..." & then proceeds to say what is important for the test. Her exams are not difficult but they do prove if you did your job as a student

I just realized I rated Speckmann incorrectly... I was rating my other pol sci teacher in another window (also beginning with an S *ehem*). Speckmann was ridiculously simple and super helpful. I loved her. Take her class for an easy A.

If you know how to take lecture notes, easy B. People who rate her low need to stop complaining. Her extra credit is simple and the TAs reviews are a huge help. Simple, material gets dull but not necessarily hard. Bring your laptop, she talks way too fast to write notes.

She knows way too much about political science, but it is helpful. If you attend class you should be able to get an a or b. Many extra credit opportunities. Breakout sessions are VERY helpful, I did not start going until the middle of the year but I wish I had started in the beginning.

Pretty fun teacher. Do the work and extra credit opportunities (which there are a lot of) and you should do fine. You MUST read the book. It will really help. Make sure you talk to the TA and have him/her look at your essay before you turn it in! Only problem I had with her is that she expects us to know pretty much everything to do with Poli-sci

Speckmann was a great decision. I first took political science for the American Institution requirement and just wanted the A. However, Speckmann made the subject really interesting for me. There are a ton of extra credit opportunities- use them! If you listen and understand in class, you will do fine.

This was a great choice. One midterm (hard), one essay (hard) and one final. Tons of extra credit opportunities. Moral of the story: do the work and get an awesome grade. Her TA is lame, but she's fun to listen to and very knowledgeable. Recommend if you are up to listening and being in class. You like to cut? Find another professor.

She made the class really interesting, no powerpoint slides or handouts or anything. I never read the book until the final and I got a B, do well on the take home exam. For the essay go to office hours they basically grade structure. Best teacher ever :)

Class is not bad. Take advantage of all the Extra Credit Opportunities-they save your grade. Go to class because she doesn't use PPT and just talks in her own way. Take advantage of the TA office hours to have your paper looked at before turning in. Don't miss the Review session for the final exam-because she test you on everything, don't miss out.

She's retiring this semester. class was easy; just need to read and study before midterms. Her lectures (no ppts, notes, visuals) are pretty interesting. Great professor who is very knowledgeable of the topic.

Great professor, knows what she's talking about. I really enjoyed the class and learned a lot. 3 tests, subjective and objective. Too bad she's retiring after this semester.