2.4
Quality4.6
Difficulty8%
Would Retake90
Reviews8%
Would Retake
90
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
15
4
7
3
17
2
26
1
25
What Students Say
“AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS”
HIST101 - 3.0 rating“If you do have an interest it's a great class and I suggest it”
HIST154 - 4.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
93%
Textbook Required
77%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.03 avg changeRatings by Course
32154F
5.0
(1)WCIV101
5.0
(1)INDIAEMPI
5.0
(1)HISTB
5.0
(1)HIS301
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
H
5.0
WESCIV
5.0
HISTORY10
5.0
WSTRNCIV
5.0
HISTORY
5.0
Reviews (90)
No Comments
He's a good teacher, who knows his stuff. He's a Hard grader though
He's a great teacher, he's always willing to help, but he's a hard grader!
DO NOT TAKE HIM
No Comments
Funny guy, but really hard class!
No Comments
No Comments
Worst Teacher of the Century!
He knows his stuff but he is a really hard grader and there are only three grades to base your average off of. I am an A student in literally every other class and I will bet lucky to get a B/B- in his class and i worked wicked hard.
I found him easy. Funny down to earth use to tell guy students rated x jokes.
He's a bad man a very bad man
Pretty hard class, but very funny guy! He said a lot of random stuff that was awesome. Definately one of the most interesting guys on campus
His class was so hard! I worked hard, went to work with him on my paper,and studied really hard for his exams and i still only got a C, i got an A in all other level 100 history courses! if you dont' have time to work really hard dont take his class
I tried and studied really harder in this class than in any other class I ever took and almost failed. It is impossible to please this man. He will scrutinize what you got wrong and forget about what you got right
Outside the classroom he is a very nice person,but inside the classroom he can be very dificult. He gets very angry when his students do not do well on exams. I for one found his class very uninviting and cold.
I dropped his class halfway through the semester because it was so hard! He is a very tough grader and one of my friends who is a history major said that history majors are lucky to get C's in his classes.
No Comments
Extremely difficult and unfair grader, as well as extremely arrogant, insulting to his students. The final exam was to basically write down everything we'd learned all semester, no one in the class got higher than a C+. Universally despised on campus.
Allen is the devil... im a A/B student, and i struggled in his GEN ED class and recieved a D. Not to mention, that one of my friends taking it, who attended every class and worked hard... recieved a straight F. He is ridiculious, arrogant, & unnecessary.
FSC needs to re-evaluate this man's contract and fire him. When a teacher is so hated by EVERY student who has EVER taken him, perhaps there is something with the professor, not the students. FSC, fire this man. He is a terrible, terrible man.
First of all, everyone here needs to calm down. I am a history major, and as an incoming freshman, I got a B in his class. Not too bad for someone who never took a college level history class before.
someone give him a peice of gum! ...if ur not perfect, drop the class...the man is a genious, but soo hard, he forgets that no one knows what hes talkin about...and he wants perfection!! really brilliant guy, EXTREMELY hard class!
He expects a lot out of his students, which is usually fine, but his lectures are completely disorganized and it's difficult to take notes when you don't know what he's saying. he also talks down to just about everyone, especially girls.
This man is the Devil. Don't do it.
This professor is absolutely terrible. Like those before me he have said, he has the worst teaching style, is completely disorganized, expects complete perfection from students, and is very rude and chauvinistic towards women. Bad, class, even worse man.
He thinks he is too good for this college.He is hard grader, no patience with students who don't think like him.He wants the students to know ahead of time the answers to his questions, and he penalizes them for not knowing.It's absurd because we are going there to learn it, not regurgitate material
Hes a JERK, and rude, blames your parents for not putting you through better schooling (you go to a small state school). His 100 level course should be 400, and he is NO help when you go for extra help, he makes your feel like a dumb ass!! i would not reccoment ANYONE taking him!
I really like Professor Allen. He is brilliant, engaging, interesting, and his class is actually CHALLENGING, unlike so many at FSC. Sorry, but I think a lot of the hate stems from the fact that y'all are lazy. I learned a lot from this class. You know how you get a good grade from Allen? STUDY. The class is not hard if you put in some effort.
Extremely difficult. I never got below a B in 4 years at FSC... expect for with Allen, who gave me a C. He is chauvanistic, he does expect perfection, and he is not helpful. Take Nutting instead!
tough class, but i went to him to see if i should drop, when i was failing and he promised if i did the work and showed him i was trying he would make sure i passed, and he kept the promise. good, but be prepared to work
freaking super hard, very strict, but a very good prof, dont funk around in his class
I cannot say enough good about this class with Allen. It's probably the hardest class I've taken at FSC, but his lectures are captivating. I've never had a class that I take 3 pages of notes in an hour and don't mind. He knows so much of the subject and really makes it interesting. Give the guy a break! He's a genius. Milk the opportunity to it's full potential! Professors with such extensive knowledge and such a drive to teach come few and far between in state schools...
No Comments
His classes are ver hard. he demands lots of memorizing. He has alot of knowlege on his subject matter. Be prepeared to work extra hard on test and on papers. He demands that yuo know specific dates so pay close attention to that
Hard class great prof, if you want someone who knows the subject in and out, sign up with Allen
Im a history major, had Allen twice so far (South Africa and Western Civ since Ren.) Neither of these classes went as planned. Killed my GPA. He is widely known as the HARDEST GRADER ON CAMPUS. He is sumwhat interesting, but u miss 1-2 classes and dont read every other day...say good-bye to a good grade. Plus your getting a C on your paper
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! hardest. class. ever. i never felt more like a failure in my LIFE. take someone else.
very hard... you have to be intensely devoted to get a good grade and and/or to have any confidence when you sit down to a test... the final demands u to write 2 essays on top of the test in a short timed slot.
No Comments
Terrible Professor!!! Unwilling to provide any help. Does not care about students or effort. 1/2 of the class withdrew after midterm. Too old school. Does not understand proper teaching methods. This guy is a jerk. Avoid his classes at all cost!!!!
hardest grader on campus no doubt... only a midterm and final with a 5-7 page paper on a novel... really smart guy and willing to help... classes interesting if you like history but only notes the entire time and he doesnt write**** on the board and talks a hundred miles an hour... nice guy though and really intelligent in his subject
I'm a history major and I couldn't pass this class. He teaches the class like a 300 level only without the work...at least with a 300 level you have more than three grades. He tells you what he expects from you on the test and then changes his mind while grading. He is a horrible person and a horrible teacher...
This guy is very smart. However, he is an EXTREMELY hard grader, and because of this, I did not pass the class. You read 6 books (from 40-300pgs) over the semester(although you could use cliff notes, reading them does help). Graded on midterm, 5-7 page paper, and the final. I am not one to use xtra help, so i didnt, and suffered. Good Luck!
he is terrible! there are only 3 grades during the whole semester, midterm which is 20%, term paper which is 35% and the final is 40%. It was the hardest finals i've ever taken. There are two essay, one is worth 60 points, while the comprehensive essay is worth 100 points. He doesn't care about helping his students and the class is extremely borin
No Comments
Yeah the class is really hard and my GPA suffered a bit. But he really knows what he is talking about, and I learned more in his class than I ever thought possible in one semester. That is worth so much more than an A grade to me.
High standards, difficult grader, and lots of reading, but his expectations make for a more mature classroom and well-written final paper. History Seminar should be the most difficult course, and he treated it as such. Fair by me.
This man loves failing people. "This is not High School, this is college". Loves talking about beastility. The whole class except maybe 2 people fail the midterm, drops the midterm if you do better on the paper. His version of better is a D- cuz he is father bunny, final is 10% 30 mult choice, 10% exact dates, 2 8 paragraph essays 80%
great professor. makes you work and he's a tough grader but i had enjoyed hearing him talk. the guy is a genius. might hurt your gpa a little but i'd take his class again
He is the man. Nice guy and is going to make sure you learn what he wants you too. Read the book and take good notes, it will help. He also believes in academic forgiveness, if you bomb the midterm you can still get a B. Great Guy
If you are not a history buff, and even if you are, DO NOT take his classes esp for the gen ed requirements
First year I knew no way gonna pass. lots of notes lots of participation but no ability my fault. second year he encouraged me to attend again to complete the course. fail. under no circumstances should you take this 100 rated for gen ed. go make fire in the woods. go flail and harm yourself at all cost but never and i mean never attend this ever.
This class is bad news. Tests are very detailed and covers way too much material. Anything under a 65 gets counted as a zero, so you could fail pretty easily. Allen's okay at lecturing but is generally arrogant and grades severely considering it's a gen ed class. Get another teacher, definitely.
Dr. Allen is a very thourough prof. the problem is he teaches and grades papers in a Gen. Ed. class like it is your senior thesis. if you do poorly on the midterm he will drop the grade if you improve on the final and final paper but he demands perfection on everything. If you Don't Dream about and Love History DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!! Trust me.
You will get a low grade in this class. It will drop your GPA. For all those people who commented that what you learned was more important than your GPA good luck telling that too prespective employers. DO NOT TAKE WESTERN CIV FROM THIS PROFESSOR FOR A GEN ED.
Whatever you do, do not take this class. The man is obsessed with the mating habits of bunnies and you will know it when you take the test. He will wear his straw hat and look like a bird with his bow tie. After tweeting away at all the bunnies he will take out his pen and fail everyone. Remember he will forgive ur first F with a D-
I took this class as a personal challenge because of all the terrible things I had heard about Allen. Got a C on the midterm (unheard of for me) but brought my grade up with the research paper and presentation. He's a tough grader but very clear and you'll learn a lot. Write as much as you can on the test essay. My GPA didn't go down.
His lectures are Really interresting, but he's not the kind of teacher to write everything down for you or put up powerpoints, a lot of the work is depndenant on you. His tests are really hard, multiple choice, dates, and an essay but he expects a lot of effort in the essay. you'll fail if you don't go to class. go to the class tutor, it will help.
Very tough class. It is interesting but never writes notes on the board so you have to write everything he says. Mid-term, Final and Paper determines grade. He does look at attendence and going to the class tutor as part of the grade (it helps). If your not willing to put the effort then don't take his class
He talks too fast to keep up with while writing notes, gives 40-50 terms to study and still finds a way to include other matierial on exams. No homework is given to help improve your grade and if you fail something it's averaged in as a zero for your overall grade. AVOID THIS PROFESSOR AT ALL COSTS!!!
Hardest class I have ever taken. If you take this I reccommend tutoring that is provided.
Misogynist, misanthropic, an considers himself a scholarship breaker. I took this class as a 2nd yr history major and he flunked me even though my 3 grades (yes, only 3) were a B+, C, and a D-. He offered to let me present a 20 min presentation that, if perfect, he'd give me a D-, and thanks to him, and his antics, my advisor left FSC. AVOID.
I took this class to fufill a gen ed. I had been pre warned by plenty of student and thought well I can handle him, I've had tough professors. I WAS WRONG. The first day he told us women should be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen at all times. I had to drop him within two classes. Hes ****, rude. Try to avoid at all costs or kiss your gpa bye
I took this class to complete a General Education requirement. I will warn you, irreguardless of how smart you think you are, how well you've done in your other classes, you will get a D or lower. He only gives 1 quiz, 2 exams and a paper. He expects you to memorize dates and does not tell you which ones will be on the exams. It's awful.
Honestly, he's not THAT bad. I failed the first quiz and the midterm. I went to him for help around the time of the final and he cleared everything up that I needed and I showed I wanted to improve and I ended up getting a C+. That's not great, but he does give people second chances when he sees improvement!
HE IS BY FAR THE TOUGHEST TEACHER IN FSU. AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS. YOUR GPA WILL PLUMMET IF YOU TAKE HIM. IN MY CLASS 3 OUT OF 25 KIDS PASSED. CONSIDER THIS A WARNING!
He's an extremely knowledgeable professor and can really teach you a lot. His class is tough, so I would not take it unless you have an interest in history. If you do have an interest it's a great class and I suggest it!
Professor Allen does not mince words or accept mediocrity in his students. If you are a serious student, you will learn a lot from him. If you just want to get a distribution requirement, you will struggle. He is a tough grader, but he does it for the sake of a high standard of learning (that is to say, not arbitrary). I am glad I took his class.
I am a public school teacher, and Professor Allen was one of the least-skilled teachers in my entire college and graduate school career. He spouts knowledge but doesn't really teach anything. I would avoid him if I were you.
This class will set you up for failure. There are only four assignments: The quiz, a paper, your midterm, and your final. He's pompous, unclear, and an overall useless professor. His grading isn't explicitly laid out, so it all depends on what he feels like giving you. Incredibly arrogant. I don't recommend taking this class with him at all.
I was a History Major. This was the hardest class I took at FSU and it was 100-level. It was like story time for me, because I was interested in the content. However, you have to take detailed notes AND be able to regurgitate them in essay form on a test. Half the class dropped by midterms. No PPTS and limited board use. Proceed w/ caution.
The toughest professor I've ever had. He'd lecture on and on for a half hour and write two things on the blackboard, so it was very difficult to know what to take notes on. Unless you're passionate about history and can write down everything he says each class, stay away. Exams were nearly impossible. But he's fair, as long as you have the patience
Toughest grader I have ever had. The other Historical Research and Writing class was full so I had no choice but to join his class. Two out of the five kids in the class dropped it and the rest of us struggled. There was no tests but the reading was ridiculous (300 pages a week) The best grade I got on a paper was a C+... do not take him
the toughest grader I've had during my two years at FSU. Ask for help or you'll be stuck wondering "so what's going on?" at the end of each class. SHOW UP AND TAKE GOOD NOTES, that is key. He'll write like 5 terms on the board during an hour lecture. Grades are based on 4 assignments, (quiz, midterm, paper and final). F, C+ C+ C+ were my mine
Despite the harsh reviews, Dr. Allen is an amazing professor. Its HRW and he sees it as one of the most important classes, and grades like it. No interest in History or can't take the hit to their GPA, perhaps you should stay away, but if you want to become better at researching and writing. This class will help you throughout your college career.
Allen seemed like he was going to be a great professor during his lectures. However, his grading is preposterous. He grades mostly on grammar & not on content. His class was THE most unnecessarily hard class I took at Framingham State out of the whole 4 years I was there.
Richard Allen is a fantastic professor. If you don't come to college to learn, then don't bother taking his class. He is a credible historian, and has coined phrases that crack me up. You can tell that he enjoys his work and has been doing it for a long time. As long as you keep up and ask questions, you'll do fine. Do not blow off reviewing!
If you can avoid taking him, do so. He's insanely difficult grader but if you go to his office hours he might be able to help you. Or you'll just end up getting more confused and still get a bad grade. He's not very flexible in terms of letting you explore your own interests which as a major, that's important to me.
I took this class as a genEd requirement and it dropped my GPA drastically. Tests are open book and notes so you think they'd be easy, but they're graded so hard and his lectures are so long it's hard to take notes on everything. You should try and avoid this class.
He is an absolute genius, but a genius does not a good professor make. He should stick to his research. Anything he says is fair game for exams, and he talks fast. There's no PP, and he barely writes on the board. He holds pretty open contempt for the other professors. His coworkers often suggest dropping his class, especially advisors.
He is an incredibly smart man, however he is not a great professor. Students know to avoid him which results in his classes not running. He is very condescending, especially towards the work of his fellow professors. Once again, smart guy, bad professor.
Professor was an extremely tough grader. We were only graded on three tests for the whole course, which was straight up lecture without a powerpoint. For tests he wouldn't tell you what to study, he just expects you to know it.
I had his Modern India class in 1997 and it was hard. Nothing has changed in 21 years. Be an adult and prepare to work. History majors are expected to take 12-20 pages notes per hour so if you're not, then your doing something wrong. HRW is a 100 level class and it was the worst class and grade but every paper is based on that class so suck it up
It is just too funny. The guy basically teaches one class as students are conditioned to avoid him like the plague. Therefore, you will be there with about three other people. He is everything that everyone says he is. Rude, obnoxious, unhelpful and grades like students are at Yale. I hate to even give him zero stars as even that is too generous.
avoid him if you can, you will not get a good grade no matter what
I took professor Allen's class and i thought i was doing relatively well until the exam came, now it was open book and note however the way he words the multiple choice is really bad. There are 4 answers that are very close to each other making the exam very difficult and the book does not help. If you get stuck with this guy make sure, tak notes
While I respect Professor Allen's knowledge of his subject, he seems to lack in the teaching aspect of his job. The class is very lecture heavy and there were three grades submitted all semester. Midterm, Final, and 1 essay. He grades very harshly and expects participation regularly. He is a nice guy and his lectures are intriguing though.
Richard Allen in history does not use canvas whatsoever. He only grades attendence/participation, midterm and final. If you dont show up, you will miss lots of information. Good thing is he allows open note/book for his exams. But its super dreading having this class at 8am.
Terrible professor. Just lectures all class, very uninteresting and hard to reach outside of class. He only gave three grades the entire semester (midterm, final, and one paper), so if you do poorly on just one of these assignments your whole grade is screwed. Would not recommend at all.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
93%
Textbook Required
77%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
+0.03 avg changeRatings by Course
32154F
5.0
(1)WCIV101
5.0
(1)INDIAEMPI
5.0
(1)HISTB
5.0
(1)HIS301
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
H
5.0
WESCIV
5.0
HISTORY10
5.0
WSTRNCIV
5.0
HISTORY
5.0