2.4
Quality3.6
Difficulty33%
Would Retake83
Reviews33%
Would Retake
83
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
7
4
15
3
14
2
18
1
29
What Students Say
“His assignments are very general which leads to very unspecific answers and bad grades”
POLS202 - 2.0 rating“Sandweiss is a Terrible teacher”
POLS202 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
31%
Textbook Required
17%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
PS202
4.0
(2)POLSC230
4.0
(1)POLSI220
4.0
(1)POLS201
4.0
(1)POLYSCI
3.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
HIST101
5.0
POLS220
5.0
POS202
5.0
POLSC203
4.5
POLIS202
4.3
Reviews (83)
No Comments
ugh, his classes were long and hard and tedious. but he wasn't all bad.
No Comments
The lectures can bore you if you're not into political science. I found them interesting--but only when other students were engaging. Steve is fairly laid back, and his hybrid online classes are definitely worth a look--but ONLY if you have fun learning about Gov't.
Very unorganized teacher, assignments and tests not graded for long periods of time.
I took this class online with him. It wasn't that hard, you just have to be disciplined to get online everyday and do the work. No boring lecture to sit through then either.
He let me retake the midterm that i missed, very understanding and interesting. Had a good class that debated when people showed up...i was one to miss a day or two now and then...
He was fairly easy (at least for OL), you can use resources on tests. The exams/quizes wernt hard, and discussion was pass/fail. its easy to get an A out of this class. Oh, and dont work too hard on the final (its a paper on anything political, your choice
No Comments
No Comments
Definitely ready to help if you ask for it...nice guy
I do not reccomend at all. Is a poor communicator/speaker....
his class was alright, dont like the subject, though. He is horrible at getting assignments graded and handed back. Does grade until end of quarter. He's farily easy, though, but you still learn, which is a good combo
I took his online class. He was always very willing to discuss when I walked into his office. I had a good experience.
He lacks real teaching abililty. I wouldn't recommend him to anyone.
Took international relations. Fairly interesting class, not always most exciting, but wasn't too difficult either. I didn't like Sandweiss as much at first, but towards the end after I talked to him a couple times I realized he was very approachable and a pretty nice guy.
He is a horrible college professor. Extremely lazy. He does not provide grades on work submitted until weeks and sometimes months later. The class seems to run itself on cruise control.
I liked the class, but not the way it was ran. We took the quizes before we discussed the chapter in class, it diddnt make much sense to me. He is a pretty tough grader too. The tests were essay questions, and I dont think he gave anyone full credit for an answer.I like polisci and I like him as a person, buti wont take n e of his classes again.
Does not take atttendance but you should show up becuase all his test questions are on the lectures. He knows his stuff and is very smart. No homework, just 10point quizzes and discussion questions every week. Great teacher. If you have an interest in political science you will like this class. Pretty laid back
Sandweiss is a Terrible teacher. Takes at least a month to grade work. Completely ignores questions and contact attempts. Inconsistent grading, incomprehensible instructions. Avoid at all costs. Note that this review is from someone who received an A+ in his class.
nice, but hard
He is the worst teacher. His lectures are practically incomprehensible, and all of the test questions are from his lectures. His online tests are timed and are all essay questions. I would not recommend this teacher for any student.
American Government is great course, but Sandweiss is a terrible instructor! If possible take it with someone else! He never, ever responds to emails or calls. He grades rediculously difficult so it's impossible to get an A. It took him 4 weeks to return a 5 question short essay quiz and that's the only thing he had to correct the entire quarter!!
Very boring teacher. I didn't feel like I learned a lot from his class like I wanted to. His lectures weren't very clear, and he was very boring. He graded pretty tough too.
He repeat half of the previous class in the next one, none of the tests were over the material in the book, condescending to students if they did not have the right answer, and would not work with students when situations arose.
He tries really hard to make the class fun and interesting. Replies his student's email really fast. Fun and sort-of- easy grader!
Very frustrating class. Quizzes were given upon reading in the book, and then the day after he would discuss the subject - not very beneficial! Luckily attendance didn't count, but his class was basically a pointless political forum that bored all who weren't interested in the subject. I didn't learn anything the entire quarter.
I had him for both Politics & Film and International Relations. He's pretty laid back and I really enjoyed the discussion based lectures. It's way more interesting to incorporate multiple perspectives rather than a monologue from one person. Unfortunately, the discussions were typically dominated by the same people. He welcomes perspectives different from his own and offers thoughtful responses. If you're interested in government or politics, I would recommend him enthusiastically.
I took him for polsci 202 and 203 hybrid online. His 203 (international relations) class was laidback, weekly quizes were easy and he his tests and essay very lenient. Theres a major presentation project that is worth a lot of points but if you have a good group you are in luck. Although, his 202 (American Government) class was hard.
Will NEVER take a class with this man again. Does not return emails in a timely manner, if at all. You cannot have an opinion in this class. He needs a new job...that he likes.
Most disorganized online class I have ever taken.He is rude & insulting,& does not respond to emails.Several times I doubled checked answers I got wrong on quizzes with the text only to find that they were right.Also class is writing intensive,but this is not stated in the schedule as it is supposed to be.I wouldn't recommend this prof. to anyone.
I love politics, but this class nearly killed me. I almost dropped it halfway through. The quizzes stressed me out to no end. Midterm and final were in timed essay format. I'm just thankful I managed a good final grade. I did learn a lot, but I wouldn't do it again.
His lectures are very engaging. He's super nice but I can see how if someone isn't into political science could find him boring and the course difficult. Very understanding and forgiving instructor. His exams are a bit challenging but he grades fair.
I took this course on line.I am a 4.0 student. It was very hard. The Tests and Quizes are all over the place. You can study all you want but he throws stuff in there that isn't on the study guide. I got an A but it was hard! If you have no other classes you will be fine. he never emails back,does not respond.
Weekly quizzes are extremely hard and all over the place. You are timed, but it is so hard to figure out the answers even if you read the chapter over and over and take notes. Midterm and Final are 3-4 essays, not tests. Very hard. He never emails back. Expectations unclear. Grades hard/Takes forever to grade. I do not recommend him. Avoid him.
Quizs are extreamly hard, too much work and very useless material. Will never take classes with this instroctor again
honestly the worst professor ive ever had in my years of attending tcc. his online quizzes are so difficult & have nothing to do with the reading. he talks literally throughout the whole class and then says to read two chapters by the end of the week. dont believe him when he says the best way to contact him is by email. he never checks it. ever
Sandweiss is a very nice man, but his educational standpoint is mediocre at best. Every day of this 50 minute class was a 50 minute lecture, with an occasional 50 minute video thrown in. Tests were spontaneous and plenty. Sandweiss seemed like one of the students with how lazy and behind he was. Didn't post things online promptly.
Really disconnected from students, there are so many quizzes and very many trick answers that are extremely close to being the right answer. No lecture only reading (2 LONG chapters a week). Research assignment is kind of tough.
Seriously dry lectures and material and I love political science so... If you don't say exactly what he's thinking the answer is wrong and he makes people scared to speak in class. Very condescending and not enjoyable.
I think he should spend more time on this course than he already does. His assignments are very general which leads to very unspecific answers and bad grades. He answers questions somewhat reasonably, but get used to begging for mercy. The size of the class was cut in half after the first week of school.
This professor is the epitomey of hatred and pain. All is suffering when you enter Sandweiss's classroom. Tests are very subjective and hard to answer, his lectures are boring and open-ended, and his projects are cancer.
Really hard. I never missed a day of class and i put my time in doing the homework and still only managed to come out with an A-, which messed up my 4.0. If you have the option to not take him, do not take him. Long lectures will make you want to fall asleep in class.
Lots of reading and long lectures/class discussions. grades kind of easily. Answers questions and is straight to the point. overall a nice teacher. DO NOT WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO WATCH THE WEEKLY MOVIE AND WRITE THE RESPONSE PAPER!
I went in to this class being really scared because of other reviews on rate my professor but the class really was not too bad. There are a lot of readings but you can filter through to find what you need to read. His lectures are actually fairly interesting but his assignments are really boring and tests take a lot of time.
Honestly, this was not a rigorous class than I expected. I was scared to take this class because of this website but it was not bad at all. If you know the very basic of American government from your poli sci 101, you will do fine in 202. If you have a friend who needs poli sci credit, then take it with them, it will make your life so much easier
I took the online class so there were a good amount of essays and weekly discussion posts. There were also 2 chapter quizzes each week. Seems tough from syllabus statements on late work, but I was able to get short extensions.
There is a LOT of reading, and it's not always entirely clear which portions are important or what you're supposed to be getting out of it. There's no textbook, so the reading is all online. Because there's no feedback and the grades take a while to be posted, you could be completely off and have no idea until weeks later.
His teaching style is based mostly around lecture and note taking, as well as open source readings online (no book purchase!). Weekly online responses, 2 film papers, and a midterm and final, both of which are take home essays. If you keep up with the reading, its not hard and really enjoyable. He covers material relevant to current politics.
Does not enter grades throughout quarter and expects you to do a discussion post and two quizzes every week.
Posts long lists of articles for you to read, some of which don't work or aren't accessible, doesn't post grades throughout the quarter, "quiz" questions (they're essays) don't have the same material as the readings . Uses different terms than the readings & posts open-ended questions then grades on super specific rubrics you don't see until after
I had him during winter quarter and I have him again spring quarter. If you love politics and you identify as a democrat and hate trump this is the class for you. he throws SHADE at the president at least x50 a class. If you are in support of Trump he will do everything to sway into being a Democrat.
It is obvious he has a bias but it is not especially apparent in his lectures. He does his best to be respectful and open minded. Do NOT take this class if you plan to ignore Trumps misdoings and are severely republican, I dont doubt youll get into your fair share of arguments. Only take his class if you cant accept politicians downfalls.
He is an okay professor in international relations. But he talks a lot about Marxism, communism, and all the other far far left ideologies. There isnt many quizzes but there is a research paper as well as a long final. I wrote my research and come to find out we had final, much like our research paper.
professor sandweiss is a really hard teacher that gives a lot of readings for weekly discussions. hes a really hard grader too and its hard to keep up with class if youre initially not that involved in politics. his lectures are boring and incredibly long.
Steve makes it clear he doesnt like Trump but his lectures are still fact based. He is very condescending and does not like running start students. He is a VERY hard grader on the mid term and final which are both essay style answers. Theres is only one discussion post a week which are a little difficult but graded on completion.
Class discussions and quizzes were easy and simple, graded very fairly. Although, papers were graded very very tough and were majority points, you must closely CLOSELY follow all criteria to get B+/A- on paper. Also, didnt grade anything until 7/8th week of class, expect to be anxious. You MUST be able to do good essays to do well in this class!
This class made me regret my existence, especially his final papers. His class was the most frustrating thing Ive ever done. He didnt grade anything till the last day and when he did, it made no sense. Online, he has two, ten-minute lectures and everything else Is self-taught. If youre thinking about taking his class- dont.
Although the class is relatively easy, the professor seems quite disinterested in the class/teaching. I took only online classes because of covid-19, so I relied a lot on email as source of communication, Sandweiss will reply to emails, but if you have a specific question, his answers are pretty vague and not that helpful.
I took Sandweiss for Political Science 202 for an ONLINE, VIRTUAL learning fall quarter at TCC. Very blunt, makes you kind of scared to ask questions or reach out if you are a shy student. I was very interested in learning about the government but this class made me dread it. Readings and lectures are pretty boring too, quizzes really frequent.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS: -never posted grades until the week of finals -very poor communication -rude with students -vague instructions for assignments -self-taught class -posted assignments a couple days/the day before they were due and didn't extend the due dates -not flexible or understanding -no rubric for the final
Fall quarter 2020 at TCC. I did not like Sandweiss AT ALL. Extremely vague, blunt, provides long (boring) lectures but everything else is self-taught. A final, a midterm, and a research paper all of which he grades incredibly hard even if you have good writing abilities. Is incredibly unspecific and his demeanor makes you scared to ask questions.
I took Polisci with Sandweiss online. I will never take another class from him again. Very tough grader and not lenient with grades. When emailing him personally, he was rude and blunt. He didnt end up grading everything till the last week of the quarter. There are many articles that are very lengthy that you are required to read each week.
Prof Sandweiss' class was probably the hardest I've taken so far... He grades really heavily and does not allow for expression of your own political views. If you do not answer a question with his political view and do not write a paper his way, then you will not get a good grade in this class.
A lot of reading and quizzes each week. The final paper is fairly difficult but not too hard once you get into writing it. The midterm and final exam are also difficult but if you do the readings and watch the lectures then you should be fine. The professor isn't nearly as bad as everyone else made him seem.
I have been roped into taking his class not knowing the previous reviews, however when taking the class I seem it to be somewhat relaxing. Its like English but with articles hating Donald Trump. His lectures are the vague run down of each week. His grading methods are simple as long as you do it unless its exam or film paper. Those are tough grades
You're required to do discussions and quizzes weekly. Worst part of this class is the essay grading where he fails to provide feedback so you can improve. His grading is tough and you will not understand why you received the grade you did. Don't take this class by him.
He is a professor that is passionate about the material he is teaching. If you apply yourself appropriately you will succeed, but if you attempt to sidestep the learning process you won't succeed.
Awful. He grades very hard and is very vague about what he expects from you. It makes you feel like he is purposely setting you up for failure. Very essay heavy. Be prepared to write.
If you don't say EXACTLY what he wants on an exam, you will lose points. But the rubric and criteria for those exams are so vague, a 100% is impossible. Barely grades, doesn't respond to emails, makes assignments due 1 day after they're posted without any notification or announcement. Lectures are awful too, just incoherent. He clearly doesn't care
Don't take anything with Professor Sandweiss unless you *absolutely* have to. He does not grade as the course progresses, and I didn't get any feedback until the 4th week of class. His essays are so frustrating to write and the thought process behind his grading is convoluted. You'll be chastised for not expounding enough in a 2page max paper.
Would rather take any other professor rather than this one. He graded everything at the end of the quarter and gave out an additional paper due the week before the final paper was due. 0/10 do not recommend this professor.
I cannot express this enough, do not take his classes. It is that short and simple.
Do not take this class by this professor unless you have plenty of spare time to write, he includes weekly discussions along with three essays. He also is a tough grader and only grades your discussions in the middle of the quarter and at the end so you don't get any feedback. Definitely my least favorite and most difficult class I have taken.
Really clear instructions for all assignments, responds fast to emails. Three big papers due throughout the class, but not hard as long as you stay on top of your work.
I really liked him and he's a nice guy. He wants substance in your writing, so he can be a tough grader for those who are more general or broad in their work. He does auditory lectures (no ppt), but it's easy to follow along. Has timed quizzes and some require you to write (take notes). He gave us 30 extra credit points at the end of the quarter!
Be prepared to write an essay for each questions. Not allowed to use any notes. So many information. A lot of reading and discussions
Be ready to do the exams in class without using any notes, and no multiple choice answers, just an essays for each question
the class has weekly discussions and homework readings, with a midterm and a final. i didn't think they were complicated and the weekly discussions are pass/fail. it is clear he has opinions towards "certain" political groups so most lectures and assignments are around that. kinda slow grader though, but a easy class!
You will need to read, a lot. He's a good teacher and does amazing lectures. My only issue is that when he gives essay assignments he does not give clear feedback. Lots of writing and reading but then again this is a poli sci class.
gonna be honest this guy is such a tough/ hard headed for him teaching a surface level class. the fact that the final & research paper we did, he ended up giving not one person an 100 (crazy) he brags about rarely giving out a's so if you are just wanting to pass, you should take the class as it is easy but getting an actual good grade is unlikely.
Lots of coursework, 6ish hours of readings a week plus quizzes (in textbook) and 2 discussion posts. Few reminders about work, only puts in grades 1-2 times a quarter, easy to get behind. For exams, DO THE STUDY GUIDE! They are very similar to the actual exams. Decent lecturers, tough grader, not as bad as these reviews suggest if you work hard.
Mr. Sandweiss was very nice i would say he encouraged conversation and questions with the class but most of the time during lectures he would just go with his own flow. I do recommend if you take his class to read the textbook chapters ONE DAY before class bc that is this lecture topic for the class. There is weekly discussions and lots of reading
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
31%
Textbook Required
17%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.24 avg changeRatings by Course
PS202
4.0
(2)POLSC230
4.0
(1)POLSI220
4.0
(1)POLS201
4.0
(1)POLYSCI
3.3
(3)Difficulty by Course
HIST101
5.0
POLS220
5.0
POS202
5.0
POLSC203
4.5
POLIS202
4.3