Strict grader. Lectures were interesting.

Not the easiest class ever, but well worth th effort.

Great lecturer. Tough grader. Friendly guy.

Tough grader, really makes you think why things happened, but is a nice guy.

Make sure to bring all books to class no matter what he says you will need.

This class is worth the effort and thought

Demands a high standard in participation and work, but you become a better histo

Very good teacher. Really enjoyed it. Works you hard but you learn.

enjoyed his class, very funny man, keeps it fun, learned lots

Expectations are fairly high, but I am a better history student because of it.

Tripp is really funny, but he kinda plays favorites.

best prof. i've had, grades hard but fair, participate in class, read book

Tough but fair grader. Interesting classes b/c he is funny and easy going.

He is the Socrates of history. Very hard on papers, but it makes you learn.

Outstanding. Demanding yet laid back. A lot of fun.

Cool guy. Funny, interesting, tough grader

Time conusming class but learned alot, enjoyable lectures,or I just like history

No Comments

Kicked people out of class once for dumb reason, likes to pick on people.

An excellent prof. He's laid back yet demanding.

Yeah he did kick students out of class for a good reason they didn't do the work

very helpful, wants everyone to succeed. great prof.

treats you like high school students, don't recommend taking his classes

made fun of me the first day of class, not very nice, likes to embarrass people

Plays favorites, if he likes you, you'll do well

Great Teacher, hard grader/makes you learn though, you help teach the class

Prof. Tripp is tough but he knows what he's doing. He's doing a great job.

good teacher, I just did not like his pop quizzes!!!

Great professor, makes boring stuff interesting.Keep up on readings!

great prof. grades papers hard but tests are easy, a lot of info, go to class

unfair and biased -- makes fun of students - hard grader

Great Prof. Will learn a ton. Discusses, doesn't lecture. Tough grader.

Class flies by, love his stories, explains thoroughly, essay exams though...

funny stories, rewrite what he tells you in your paper and you'll get an A

He is very tough but he makes class interesting and you learn a lot.

Great Professor - You will learn a lot in his classes. Tough but fair.

Usually quite good, this semester was lacking

No Comments

Really cool guy. Tough on papers, but great discussions. Learned alot without being lectured to. Make friends early on, and don't skip class.

Great class, hard you really have to work. But he's so funny and easy going. I love the way the class is run.

No Comments

He is cool guy. Has a laid back California attitude. Tough on papers though, never seems satisfied.

He is such an awesome teacher. Very kind and wants you to learn. He loves his job and you can tell. Do your readings and bring books to class. He doesn't ask for much, so do what he asks for. Test are difficult-lets you bring a 1 page study guide. :)

His gives you a study guide with the actual test questions. You can't fail

Good teacher, hard grader.

tuff grader, but makes you a phenomenal writer

Tripp is an awesome prof and he will pass you as long as you come to class and take notes!

nice guy

interesting class

No Comments

No Comments

He is a good professor, makes class interesting. I highly recommend

No Comments

Cut me much more slack than I deserved, but that's because he's a reasonable guy, and a good professor. He just wants people to be there to learn. Unlike a lot of profs at GV, the meat of his class comes from his lectures/dialogue with students.

Get to know him, makes a great advisor also. Class made me a history major!

great class and even better prof. he knows his stuff and is the best prof i ve had so far. if u include everything he asks on the written exams its an easy A.

AWESOME teacher!! I hate history, but I looked forward to his class every week, best prof. I have had yet!! If you take good notes and go to class you will do well. Exams are based on his lectures and class discussions. Great class!

He wears really mismatching clothes, and he grades too hard on papers. But he is a nice guy.

I loved this class. He is a really down to earth and kind guy. It is also apparent that he loves what he teaches. His passion and enthusiasm really rubs off. I am looking forward to taking more of his classes and minoring in history!

Tripp is an excellent professor. Loved his class. He is hilarious and very down to earth. Always willing to help with papers and meet outside of class. He is not as bad as everybody makes him out to be. Take Tripp!

He mad this class fun. He is really nice and really funny. You will learn alot and improve as the sememster goes on. I couldnt have had a better teacher for this class. He was wonderful. The homework wasnt too demanding either.

seriously the nicest prof i've ever had. willing to help out with anything. an amazing person.

Paper topics are really vague and he grades hard, but he's willing to work with you. And you get to do rewrites on your paper.

wonderful professor, quite a hard grader but very fair, will meet with you to help whenever he can outside of class, exams are straight off readings and notes and are graded easier than papers, highly recommend for any class

Great teacher! Great sense of humor! If you get the jokes-- you are golden! Hard grader, but open for outside assistance ANYTIME... gets to know his students, and seems to actually care. Great guy, and the class was not scary at all.

While a good teacher, expects a ton from his students. He also can be somewhat inconsistant with his gradings. Has teachers pets. Overall a good teacher though, but your gunna earn that A.

Cool ass dude. Loves to help. Challenging class, but made me a writer. Asks questions the whole period. Puts students on the spot a little too often but other than that he is one of the best I ever had.

Too many books to read.

Awesome teacher... funny and very easy going and laid back. Will teach history with his own flair and make it interesting at that. He is difficult to please on papers, but he is more than willing to work with anyone and everyone and allows rewrites.

This is the second time I've seen him teach and he is clearly one of the most dedicated professors on campus. Clearly under-rated from the students who write-in to this website. Class can be hard but this is college, not middle school anymore. Get for HST

The most inconsistant grader I've had. Jumps all over Civil...wants you to focus on chronology, but he can't do it himself

Goes off on some crazy tangents once in a while. When he comes back he is a really intelligent guy. Good class.

One of the best teachers that I have had. Got my A but I really earned it, he is awesome make sure to take him for your civ. :)

No Comments

Great professor. Knowledgeable, helpful, and very funny. Strict on attendance, like most history profs. Takes papers seriously, and a thoughtful critical grader. Expects student participation. You'll work hard, but he's well worth the effort

Great professor. I've had him for 3 classes and enjoyed all of them. He will make you work but he is by far the most helpful professor on campus! He wants you to succeed. I would recommend him to anyone.

One of the Best Profs I've ever had! He was very helpful and classes were interesting. He expects you to work but I've learned more in the classes I've had with him than any other history class. Take his class if you can!

good prof, very helpful if you need it. i would take him again

Very helpful. Funny. Big on the history of popular culture in America. Not ****.

Tripp is awesome!!! He can be a tough grader, but it makes you a better writer. I learned so much, not just about labor history, but about writing styles as well. He's willing to help you out as much as you want with your papers and sometimes he allows rewrites. Plus he is a really nice guy and he's got a good sense of humor. Take him if you can!

Tripp's not a bad guy. He can be scathing and condescending in class and in his criticisms on papers, but he's genuinely interested in helping you become a solid writer. Surprise quizzes force you to do the readings, but they were inconsistent: the last 3/4 of the class, we never had another. I recommend him, just be prepared to work hard.

One of the toughest 200 level classes I've had, but it was worth it. He expects more than most in terms of writing quality, independent thought, and preparation. But he is also very helpful. He'll go over multiple drafts of your essay....even on weekends!

He is so genuinely interested in his students' success. I am so glad that i had professor Tripp. It made me a much more aware writer, too.

Wow is the best summary for Tripp. The man is amazingly intelligent but not arrogant about it. He allows for students to lead discussions. Tripp has improved my writing significantly by offering effective critiques of my writing. Plus, he is down-to-earth and possibly too damn hot to be 49. Fantastic teacher and an honorable man...

God I miss his classes. Why can't he teach more subjects?

Professor Tripp is a great guy! He is hilarious!!Although I had a lil trouble writing his essays, he is more than willing to help you every step of the way. But if you're a procrastinator like me you better step up your game if you want an 'A'!

Tripp is really good. He is a harsh grader, but is more than willing to help students with their writing. He even let us rewrite one essay for full credit. He is intelligent, humble, and entertaining. Highly recommended.

Steve...He was a Tripp. He was an amazing prof. Get him if you can but be prepared to work. Watch out for the passive voice...it will kill you. This was one of the best classes I have ever taken.

Steve is a wonderful professor-I wish he could teach all my classes. Take him for your honors civ sequence or you will regret it.

Prof. Tripp is an awesome professor and a really cool guy. He keeps class interesting and he knows a ton about what he is teaching. His grading is fairly tough, but he motivates his students to really do their best. I wish I was a history major so that I could take more of his classes. I will miss him!

Tripp is my absolute favorite professor. His lectures are engaging, easy to follow, and help you when you go to write papers or prepare for tests. He is a tough grader but is very eager to do anything he can for you to boost your grade. Very funny and personable. fanastic. :)

Tripp is the man.

Tripp is an awesome professor, very clear in what he wants, and very easy to listen to and understand in lecture. He grades papers tough but if you put the time into it and go into see him for help you'll have no problems. He's a very good prof, would definitely take a class of his again.

Tripp is by far the best professor I have had at GVSU. I do not like history, but found the class to be very enjoyable. I learned more in this class from this professor than in all of my previous history classes combined. He is engaging in lecture and extremely helpul in office hours. Any class he teaches is DEFINITELY worth taking!!!

Great prof! Once you know what style of writing and analysis he expects in papers, they are not difficult at all... as long as you put in the effort. His lectures are always interesting and he really likes student participation (which can make things even more interesting!) Excellent! Take him for your Civ sequence, you won't regret it.

Assume Proff, he truly loves teaching and learning about history. I would take another class with him anytime

Prof. Tripp is a very unique individual. He has many interesting quotes throughout the semester that makes the class laugh. He's a little hard of hearing and speaks very highly of his alma matter, but other than that, he's a great guy.

He is by far the best prof in the GVSU history department

Obviously enjoys his subject area, and obviously enjoys teaching.

Tripp is a great prof. He's funny, he's fair, he'll let you rewrite papers and he'll help you fix them during office hours. I learned how to write SO much better by taking this class. My first paper I got a C on and on my final paper I got an A+. It's tough but if he sees you doing your best then he'll most likely give you a good grade.

Amazing prof! He was funny, interesting and knowledgeable. His tests are essay but you get to use a page of notes. (It's better to write more on the tests.) He loves what he is doing and it shows. I am not a fan of history but would gladly take another class of his! I HIGHLY recommend him.

Professor Tripp is amazing! Definitely take his class if you can. There's a lot of reading and his exams are essay and short answer, but he is a really reasonable grader. He's such a nice/ funny guy and I thought his class was very entertaining!

Good Prof, allows students to correct mistakes for better grades (sometimes). He really tries to keep class interesting and is always willing to help with workload. Lots of reading and papers may be overpowering at first.

Steve was an awesome professor. I highly suggest taking 103 if you hate learning about typical American history. He focuses more on popular culture and ways of thinking in particular time periods. Reading is absolutely required for success, but he only used novels, not a textbook.

Tripp is a nice and funny guy. He cares about his students and loves teaching. His class was rather boring and often we didn?t talk about the readings or it seemed as if we focused on random parts and not the main theme or point of the readings. He was a very nice guy but definitely would have rather not taken this class.

Super cool professor. A little intimidating at first, but he isn't at all. Just go to his office hours as he is a tough grader on papers. By the end of the semester I felt like I was close to him when at the beginning of the semester I wouldn't even talk to him. Interesting class and funny guy. Take him, but be ready to work.

Prof Tripp was great! There were no required textbooks, only novals/biographies/short stories; all of which were fairly interesting. He is witty and keeps dicussion going with ease. Absolutly necessary to read everything required...but do that and yuo should have no trouble.

Lots of reading and intense paper assignments, but if you're willing to work for it then he's willing to help you every step of the way. He's a funny, laid back guy and truly takes an interest in his students. Class wasn't my favorite, but he definitely has been one of my favorite profs.

He is a great professor! He really cares about his students and will really help you succeed! He answers any questions you have! He lets you have a note sheet on every test too! Make sure you read and take not on all of your readings and characters!

Great Professor!!! Send all your essays and even essay answer to tests to him and he will respond quickly and thoroughly. You have to work, but what you learn is well worth it. Use all resources, I emailed him everything and also used the writing center. Nothing less then an A. If you put in the effort you can succeed, he is brilliant.

must go to class. must read that pgs he tells you. you read all the novels he has you buy. he has 3 exams. he gives you a list of 4 events, people, or places then you got to describe importance and then theres an essay part. but he gives you a sheet of 1 pg to write on front and back to bring with you to each exam. send him drafts of ur essays

Tough class, especially for a 100 level. Be prepared to do a lot of writing and reading. Lecture gets diluted by random and irrelevant details sometimes, but he is a nice guy and wants his students to succeed. Almost always available during his office hours to talk and does not hesitate at all to help students with the assigned essays.

I had Tripp for HST 103 and I highly recommend him. He is probably not the easiest history professor, but you will ACTUALLY LEARN THINGS. Tripp is a great guy and begs you to come to his office hours and hang out because he gets bored (and lonely) lol. He switches things up by showing video clips, cracking jokes, and telling stories. take him.

I loved Tripp! He is a great professor and a great guy. He does require a lot of work but it's actually pretty interesting. It's not the history course that we all dread, he uses very interesting parts of history in his teachings. I would recommend him for sure.

Tripp was an excellent professor! I had him my first semester, and he was by far my favorite professor. Just do your reading and pay attention in class and you will be fine. He makes everything really easy to comprehend, and it's all interesting. Probably one of the best history prof's you'll have! Take his course if you can.

I wasn't looking forward to this class at first but I actually learned a lot from Prof Tripp. He's a stickler on good writing and genuinely tries to help improve students essays. He would show us films and ads from the time period and want us to write about them in our essays along with the readings. It was an interesting class.

Professor Tripp was extremely helpful and understanding! You have to do the readings, but most of them are fairly interesting. The tests were short answer and essay, but he allowed us to have a "cheat sheet". If you go to class and do a little studying, it's not hard at all to get an A in his class. Tripp is my favorite professor at GV so far.

So helpful and so nice. He is definitely invested in his students well being. If you miss class from being sick he will email you to make sure you're alright. Do the assigned readings or he WILL call you out. He also likes for students to bring the reading to class. Fair grader, very detailed in critiques. I would recommend him!

Steve goes above and beyond for his students. His expectations are clear, so long as they are met you will do well in his courses. If you feel you are falling below his expectations-- talk to him and he will be an advocate for you and help you succeed. I can not say enough about how wonderful he is. Please utilize the opportunity to work with him.

His class is one of the hardest things I have had to take as a history major. I'm not the greatest writer but I definitely think he is a little harsh when he grades sometimes. That being said, he is a super sweet and funny Prof. I would take him again just to hear his stories and watch him amuse himself. He is willing to help and adjust grades too.

Professor Tripp is great! There are many writing assignments, but they are spread throughout the semester. He makes classes fun with videos and photographs, and he gives great feedback on papers. He wants all of his students to become better writers, and he is always willing to help. I feel that my writing has certainly improved!

No words can truly explain how awesome Professor Tripp is! He is 110% there for his students. Just be prepared to write a few long papers, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask him. Seriously, if you email him at 4 in the morning he just might possibly write you back.

Professor Tripp was one of my favorite professors at Grand Valley. He knows his stuff and pushes his students to become better writers. I thought I was a good writer and he made me even better. He shows a lot of pictures and videos and takes his time talking about the readings. No tests, just papers. Highly recommend!

Prof Tripp has a great sense of humor. He is pretty clear about what he wants. If you follow the syllabus its easy to get a good grade and participate in class. He takes attendance every class so do not miss it. DOES NOT LET CLASS OUT EARLY. No text book, but there are multiple novels to read and course reserve readings he provides. Cares about you

Would take again! I struggled in the beginning of the semester only because I couldn't figure out how he graded. I know most of the people around me barely passed the class. If you pay attention, take good notes, read what he assigns (take notes while reading to use on pop quizzes), and ask questions you'll do great! You get a cheat sheet for tests

Tripp was one of the hardest professors I've ever taken. GO TO OFFICE HOURS. His papers alone could cause mental breakdowns, they were that hard. We moved beyond discussing the history and delved straight into how events/pictures/people of the time symbolized the age and its characteristics. I ended up dropping the latter half of the sequence.

This guy definitely made a 6pm-9pm class interesting. There was a lot of reading, but he warns you of that at the beginning of the semester. I thoroughly enjoyed taking his class and would take more of them if I was majoring in History. You are allowed a cheat sheet on tests too!

Professor Tripp was very tough at the beginning of the sequence, but he had warned us about it. He is very specific in the kind of writing he expects from students, but going to office hours is helpful. He also lets you do rewrites for papers. Second semester honors was way better! I enjoy the class and the books we read are very good as well.

This class was alright but it needed more structure. I selected group projects to describe the prof. because the project we did is going to be turned into a group project. The project took about 3 months to complete and is the basis for the whole class. It was difficult and frustrating at times. But he is a caring man and will help significantly.

Professor Tripp is a great teacher! He really wants you to understand and know the material. That said, he is extremely tough on essays but if you put the work in he will give you the grade you deserve. He is more than willing to meet outside of class and help you. Very interesting & really wants to get to know his students and have them succeed.

Tripp assigns a lot of readings, but if you do them you'll be fine for the quizzes. All you have to do is take thorough notes during lectures and do the study guides for the exams, which were open note for our class and helped a ton. Overall super great class--probably my favorite. Terrible at History and received an A!

Steve Tripp is a wonderful human being and professor. Though his class is challenging and a lot of work, the content is super engaging and it makes you grow SO much in your reading and writing abilities. He also is super hilarious and tells the best stories. I highly recommend this sequence and professor- even if you're not a History person!

Genuinely cares about the students and is always there for help. He will push you to improve and do your best but everything is very interesting!

He is a very tough grader, but is more than willing to work with you to improve your grade as long as you are willing to work for it. He is the toughest professor that I have had so far, but this wasn't always a bad thing. He is very nice and open to working with students, but he is not afraid to tell you how it is.

I hated the assigned readings, especially toward the end of the semester when we had to read an entire novel. Make sure to take good notes because they are allowed on quizzes. The exams aren't too bad and the lectures can be a little dry sometimes. Overall not a bad professor

A lot of reading for class. Lectures are mostly based around power points and reading material. Only 3 exams the whole semester. He tried to make class interesting. Helps if you participate in discussions. If you don't show to class, you have to get the notes from another student.

Tripp is one of the best professors at Grand Valley! I'm not gonna lie, he gives a lot of reading, and you definitely have to earn your A on his papers. He gives a ton of feedback, he is always accessible outside of class, and he does paper re-writes for almost every paper! Also he tells a lot of hilarious personal stories!

He is a tough grader on the papers, but gives quality typed feedback and lets you do rewrites up until the final is due. He is funny and tells a lot of personal anecdotes. Some pop quizzes, so make sure you do the reading. He lets you use whatever notes you take for the quizzes.

His class can be challenging. The lectures are dull at times, and he tends to be a tough grader. But I wouldn't worry too much. He allows unlimited rewrites on every paper except the final. Tripp's an amazing professor. He's funny, caring, and truly wants his students to succeed. At office hours, we talked about fall break and new movies. Great guy

I think that Prof. Tripp is one of the best professors. He is so knowledgable about all of the content we go over, and if you ever need help he's always there for you. He gives great lectures and talks about all the readings in class. It is a little bit difficult because it deeps so in depth about some historical times but he makes the class so fun

Prof. Tripp is a great person and a GREAT professor. All of the bad ratings are people who probably do not try in the slightest because I found his class to be stimulating and not that hard if you just do the work. Yes, there is a lot of reading, but he gives out work that is very interesting (HST 103) and he is always willing to help.

Prof Tripp was very understanding and helpful. He expects you to do the work he assigns, but is willing to help you however he can. If you read and do the homework, you will pass.

Prof Tripp truly wants his students to succeed. Allows rewrites on all papers, no midterm, and we only had one pop quiz. Graded on 4 papers, a couple writing assignments, and a roleplay game (which was hilarious and engaging). He tells lots of personal stories, not much reading, and very accessible outside of class. My favorite professor! Take him!

Tripp can be very harsh when he grades your papers and he responds with an attitude a lot. Definitely have to work hard for your grade. He allows re writes so do them! That being said he was funny and told a lot of personal stories.

Tripp was my favorite professor last semester! He expects a lot from your writing but gives very clear feedback on how to improve. He wants class to be interesting and is really funny. His class definitely required the most work compared to others but I enjoyed it overall. Highly recommend doing the readings and taking notes-its helpful for essays

One of my favorite professors! His class was online and he made it so easy to get in touch with him and allowed for essay rewrites so you can easily improve your grade! Definitely take him if you can!!!!

Steve Tripp is one of the best professors I have ever taken. I have taken him twice and he is very caring for his students. He also does role-play games which are intimidating at first but are fun and better than the traditional way of learning history. If you have a chance to take him, do it!

Very tough grader on essays/discussion posts and will sound harsh in his feedback. Will help if you reach out to him though! Not many lecture's to watch, and if there is a lecture for the week it's short.

Professor Tripp is so laid back and cool. He does not force you to participate but he does expect a lot from your three term papers. He is willing to always help and meet with you outside of class. 10/10 would take again

I cannot express how much I loved having Tripp as a professor, this has been my favorite class I've taken to date. There are weekly readings that can be a little lengthy, and the writing is an adjustment, but he is so willing to work with you to improve your skills. Definitely take his courses, they were interactive and always fun!

Steve Tripp is an interesting guy. His class is hard but he makes it fun in some ways. I would only take American Voices as a last resort- but I would take Tripp if he taught a different subject. If you're a history buff I'm sure you'd love him. He is hard of hearing though so sometimes you have to talk loud or repeat yourself- not usually an issue

I really enjoyed taking this class and would highly recommend him as a professor! Can be a tough grader at times, but always willing to accept redos and give feedback. Interesting content and this class was a very fun lens to learn American history through! Plus he always says amusing things, which kept class entertaining!

Great professor. Very caring and likes when you attend his office hours for questions. He is very good with responding to emails. Doesn't use technology at all. Fun interactive game/project at the end of the semester that's very engaging. He grades his essays very tough, and acts like everyone's a journalism/history major. overall great guy.

Professor Tripp runs an interactive class with fun role-play activities. While the readings can be lengthy, he's willing to work with you to improve your writing skills. Unstuck AI was a great study tool alongside the textbook.