Really good teacher. Really answers questions well and wants you to do good on tests. Makes history more general instead of annoyingly specific. Highly recommended!!

Not writting intensive by Univ. label, but a very writting intensive class.

Be prepaired for a lot of reading and writing. 6 books this semester & additional reading from the internet. Plus a reading log due each class, but graded at random. The tests were pretty easy, but the micro-film research was insane! A very good class...but be prepared to strain your eyes researchin

Great teacher, great class, very helpful, incredibly knowadgeable, i really want to take another one of his classes, but as a warning, follow his paper insructions to the letter, otherwise he will not hesitate to put an F on the paper, but great class

Wow. Um, prepared to be thurberized. By that, I mean prepare to write your @$$ off. If you talk to him outside of class, he's more than willing to help. If you must take 20th Century, take it with him.

Dr. Thurber is a great professor. If you can take any of his classes take them! He's always willing to help and makes his topic interesting. He dosnt expect you to remember the specifics of events, just main ideas. If you enjoy post WWII American History this guy is the guy to take! Recomended 100%!

Good teacher, tells you exactly what he wants from you. He definitely knows his stuff! If you want to take a history class where you learn more than just what happened in the past, take it from Thurber.

Sometimes he rambles a little, but he's a great teacher. He tests mostly from the notes, but some of it comes from the reading too, so as long as you read you sould be fine.

He is the absolute best. His lectures are awesome, even though he rambles sometimes. He tells you exactly what is going to be on the test. make sure to read the texts because his exam questions have to do with the text reading. he is always helpful.

He is very informative but the assignments are grueling and the books required to read are really boring. He also grades the tests hard.

Very nice guy, interesting class. Tries to make material relevant as possible. Enjoyed talking to him about subject matter in depth after class. Encourages students to participate in class discussions. Be sure to study the readings at least enough to have a basic understanding of "Who-Did-What" as he does test on written material as well as lecture

very clear, good teacher, but he does grade hard

He is the greatest History teacher ever!!!! He makes History SOOO interesting! And he doesn't leave anyone behind, he keep you interested! He is very organized, he puts an outline up before class and address each point in clear detail and lets you know when he's moving on to the next point. 4 exams, One paper (about 5-7 pages) ... he is VERY concerned about Attendance and Tardiness though ... Many days were spent watching movie clips ... Great Teacher! I made SURE to get him for 103!!!

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phenomenal

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Makes the material very easy to comprehend, lectures are clear and straightforward. make sure to keep up with the reading assignments and there'll be no problem.

As long as you come to his lectures, and keep up with the reading. you will do great in this course.

i like the class, but his exams are tricky with the multiple choice, def. NOT BORING, i found him interesting, definitely knows what he is talking about, very intelligent and loves what he does.. the only problem i have are the tests:(

What an excellent teacher. His lectures are very clear and the material is not very hard. There is a lot of reading for the course though, but it's usually pretty interesting. He's not the most energetic man, but I hate history and he kept my attention. This is an easy A-B class if you do your work.

He isn't as hard as everyone makes him out to be. Notes from lecture are the majority of the tests, and the reading is not hard long as you skim through and find the main points of each chapter. Studying the notes the night before a test will get you a pretty good grade

The class is interesting and there are a good amount of small assignments that help buffer a bad grade that you may receive. There is a lot of reading with reading logs, two papers, and three tests. Test are multiple choice and essay. Essays are easy, questions for multiple choice can be difficult. Overall, this is a great class.

he was an ok teacher, just too much reading

he is an okay profesor....u have to study to make an "A" but if you don't study reall hard you will get a "C" or possibly a low B. It requires alot of reading. But i don't like his curriculum because he has about 3 different texts

Great teacher! Really knows his stuff and his lectures are articulate and well prepared. There is a lot of reading and writing with this class, but IMAGINE! In college you might have to read a few books and be able to write when you graduate! Thurber makes US His as interesting as it can be, and his class is really easy as long as you do the work.

very enthusiastic about topics

Great professor and very organized. Despite what some people say on here, his tests are very straight-forward and the only way you could do poorly on them is by not taking any notes during lectures and/or not studying. The reading is not that bad, it's spanned out and you basically just have to understand the main concepts.

Awesome professor i enjoyed goin to his class,yes there is alot of reading for two diff. text and two novel like books that had to be read. But if u go to class take his notes, you will do fine! i learn sooo much in this class.His test were abit hard, but Multiple choice is abit harder for me.

he's ok, loves his history but really i hate all the texts he uses, they are a little boring. i do recommend him though just read all the stuff on the syllabus.

You should def. go to this class! He collects reading logs like everyday. If you don't like history (like me!) you shouldn't take the class. turn everything in on time or forget a decent grade. I got an F--only b/c I never went. Instructions are clear cut, the tests...not so much!i don't know how others studied, i guess review sessions

I was on the C/B borderline and emailed him begging to get a B - he never wrote back and just gave me a C. I did all the assignments on time, took good notes, only missed 2 classes and he wouldnt do a thing for me. If you like history he is really straightforward but if you hate history like me dont take him. you must do the work to pass this cla

TAs were the worst graders of all time. He was a boring teacher. I love history and it was still boring. That is his fault. Got a B. It wasn't too hard, but it wasn't easy either.

Personally, I found Prof. Thurber's lectures very interesting. I appreciated that he discussed ideas and theories that aren't usually discussed in American history courses. But, I do believe that there is too much work for a 100-level history course. Ironically, I didn't study as hard for the final but that's the test I got the highest grade on!

You've got to get the notes and do the homework. Good class if you enjoy history, pretty dry though.

I am one to not fall asleep in classes, but it is inevitable in his. As soon as he opens his mouth, I'm drifting. He doesn't make you memorize dates/places/people, which is nice, just know the concepts.

I recommend his class. His tests are EASY if you go to the review sessions. Notes are definetly helpful, but if you have a nice TA and you go to the review session, it's an easy A. 2 papers, 4 tests. Just skim the chapters, and you should do okay on the quizzes. Tests are very straight forward and from the notes.

This guy has teaching down to a science. You can tell that he's very passionate about what he does. If you go to the review sessions and/or read the readings and take notes, you'll pass the tests. He gives you ample time to do the 2 6-page paper assignments. Everything happens when the syllabus says it will. My best VCU teacher so far.

Great professor, nice guy, but TOUGH class. LOTS of confusing readings, 2 long novels, 2 six page papers, pop quizzes, tricky tests-must I say more? I worked my butt off for a B, only thing that saved me were the review sessions. Lectures are clear, but readings aren't and thats what the tests come from. He is a great professor/guy but hard class!

I came into this class expecting to learn a lot about 1900 to 1990's history and what I got in return was spending a month on civil rights and a DAY on WWII. He didn't even teach on WWII, just popped in a movie on D-Day. He is, however, passionate about what he does and he does give you every chance to suceed, in which I did in his class

Dr. Thurber's History 103 class is a more difficult history class. 2 six page papers for a 100 level course is a bit demanding. The tests are tricky so study a lot. Go to class and take notes and go to the SI sessions. Thurber can easily put you to sleep with his lectures and videos so consume a lot of caffeine. The TA--Lauren, was the best.

This course was VERY interesting.The test were multiple choice and VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.I never got anything lower then a 97.5.Papers took time but weren't hard(it's college people)This class is different than high school history in the sense it is not about memorizing dates and the such.As a history major I plan to take many more classes with him!

Thruber is really cool. He gives one question quizzes that if you were paying attention to the lecture or if you did the reading you will pass. The study sessions are very helpful! Only have to write 2 papers easy topics from the txt books(got B's on both)

Thurber is a great teacher. He is interesting to listen to and knows his stuff! The class is straight forward the reading is important it will help you for the tests and pop quizzes especially the internet readings

Dr. Thurber's HIST 201 class isn't that bad if you listen and take detailed notes, but he really only gives 3 tests and 2 papers so its difficult to get a good grade if you mess up on any of them. The readings suck but they're important. He will raise your grade on a paper if you argue why you deserved a better grade, but it has to be a good argume

Thurber is a professor. If you do the readings and pay attention in class you'll succeed. But he gives 1 Question pop quizzes which you have less than a minute to complete. He's smart and you'll learn a lot but he is just really not likable.

You can tell he really loves teaching on the subject. He's pretty unbiased and looks at historical situations from all angles, which is really helpful. It's much more interesting than your average history class. Show up, take notes, and really listen to him and you'll be sure to get a good grade.

Great professor, my favorite class this semester. He has a bit of an odd speaking pattern, using "filler words" a lot, and you'll get used to hearing "you don't need to know this/write this down but..." hes really passionate about what hes teaching and very good at teaching it.

Essays= Easy if you read through and make a good outline, he tells you what to write. Lectures= Interesting if you like history, if you don't then no. Short quizzes to boost your grade in class, so do the reading. No textbook but three paperbacks

I thought this class would be much more interesting than it was. Lots of reading that your screwed if you don't do some of it. Random in-class quizzes on either the readings or the classwork. Nice guy that means well, just doesn't do a good job of making the class interesting.

gives random quizzes for attendance with open ended question and if proff assistant doesn't like answer you get no credit. otherwise great with topics and instruction. would recommend

His quizzes are a pain, but if you read the online readings you might survive. The papers he assigns are fairly easy as long as you double check all the guidelines real close. his classes arent mandatory but if you miss one class its likely you'll drop a letter because the test are very difficult

This class was really a pain. Before I took this class I was very interested in history, he made me a bit less interested, simply because he's really boring. Be sure to do all the readings online and in your books. Although attendance isn't mandatory he does give pop quizzes. His papers aren't bad, just be as thorough as possible and ask for help

I personally liked Dr. Thurber. He is very straight forward in what he wants and doesn't pull any tricks. There's not much work in the class but you only have 4 grades. You HAVE to do the readings online and read the books he assigns. Go to every class, use the study guide questions online, and you should do fine.

Incredibly in depth and well organized lectures that keep the entire class active, discussing and thinking. requires a ton of reading but usually goes over them in class to discuss the main points of the articles. I accidentally missed the final exam and he was generous enough to let me come into his office and take it. Not the easiest, but good.

Professor Thurber is very brilliant and his lectures are very thoughtful and he never misses a beat. However, his class is very difficult. You must keep up with readings, lecture notes, and article readings in order to do well on his exams. Attendance is necessary because he talks about more information than on power points.

He is a descent teacher, but the lectures are not really that important compared to the daily readings. This is annoying as some of the readings are over 20 pages. There are only four grades: 3 exams and an essay. The exams are almost entirely based on the readings, and the essays are very time-consuming. Nonetheless, the class is quite easy.

PROS well-spoken, good listener, able, knowledgeable, helpful when requested, thorough, engaged, cognitively provocative, plenty of work CONS monotonic, cynical talk to him and you'll find that his cynicism is logical, plenty of work Most importantly, Thurber entices good thinking process, an ability mastered by very few educators.

Doesn't do powerpoints or multiple choice, but show movies quite a bit. Tests are 'short answer' (1-2 paragraphs) and an essay, but the questions come directly from the reading guides he posts and some in class discussionmovies. He gives random in class quizzes on readings or what was discussed in class. Attend class and try not to fall asleep.

Dr. Thruber is a very knowledgeable man. His class is very hard and requires lots of reading. However he is very willing to help you study and write papers. If you enjoy 1900-1945 era history, I do recommend taking his class. However he wants you to take the concepts out of the primary sources you read, not just facts and dates

3 Big tests and one large paper make up your whole grade, class is fairly easy if you pay attention and do the readings he assigns.

I've had Thurber for 2 classes & both were great. Attendance & participation are key if you want a good grade, but it's a fair trade-off for the fun, interesting & fairly easy assignments he gives. Reacting to the Past game was awesome and all of our readings were interesting and very helpful. Would definitely take him for a 3rd class in the future

Professor Thurber is a great teacher who encourages students to examine social issues in American history by studying historical readings and films. His curriculum of brisk debate and writing analyses will help students to thrive in college as well as later in life.

Dr. Thurber is a great lecturer even though he stares at the ceiling when he speaks. You have three essay test along with three books you have to read and write journals and comments (Easy A/B). Dr. Thurber doesn't round up your grade at the end of the semester. I enjoyed his lectures and could have had an A if I would have tried harder.

Dr. Thurber is an great teacher. He presents each perspective of an historical issue or argument, which allows students to analyze opinions from disparate sources. A great class to learn more about men and women, progressives, the causes and repercussions of the Great Depression, and the achievements of politicians from the 1930s.

Don't take this class if you don't like writing, because you'll be doing a lot of it. All the tests are essay based only and there are in-class writings almost every class for attendance. Little to no presentation, its all lecture. Online readings are essential and can be tedious but I do feel like I understand the topic better.

If your not a history major or just looking for an easy A, dont take his class. You will read at least two books and dozens of excerpt readings. Youll write at least two papers and bi-weekly journals. Keep up with the readings. You should be capable of articulating arguments and not just regurgitating answers.

If you are a history major or minor and don't mind to read a lot you should do fine in this class. None of his work is crazy hard as long as you read the sources. He is good at giving feedback and he was good with keeping up with emails and answering questions. The way he grades was different at first but you get use to it. Not a bad professor.

Online class due to COVID. This was my second class with Dr. Thurber. If you want an easy "A" or don't like reading, move on. The videos, two textbooks, and additional online resources made the class enjoyable and well worth the effort. Fantastic professor that offers great feedback. I wish I had taken him more often when at VCU.

This class is asynchronous and is only based off of weekly assignments. There aren't quizzes or tests but you have to keep up with the weekly work because it tends to be a lot of reading but he also has supplemental work that will only help your grade and not bring it down which is great. And has an 8 day grace period for work.

Lot's of reading and lots of writing, you need to put in the work. Dr. Thurber is a fair grader and will give you credit for an honest attempt. Gives clear feedback and clear instructions. Overall a very good professor with engaging class content.

The curriculum was helpful for strengthening history skills! There's a decent amount of work and grading is nontraditional but offers lots of flexibility in how you pace yourself. He's accommodating and respectful if you reach out to him. Grades work quickly and provides detailed feedback. His standard is a C, with additional work to earn an A/B.

Make no mistake, Prof. Thurber has high expectations. An A required upwards of 20,000 words, which was no problem considering the material we covered. I recommend Prof. Thurber to any serious student of History. Seekers of an easy A need to look elsewhere for credit hours.

This class is not difficult in the slightest. Professor Thurber provides clear guidelines for receiving whatever letter grade you want to receive, and provides readings every week that students must write about. It's no small amount of reading or writing, but if you can engage with the texts, you'll have no problem. No tests, no quizzes, no final.