2.4
Quality2.7
Difficulty42%
Would Retake154
Reviews42%
Would Retake
154
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
21
4
25
3
24
2
29
1
55
What Students Say
“A great teacher will inspire and care about students”
POL1 - 1.0 rating“Quiz and tests aren't related to his "lectures"”
POL1 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
87%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.09 avg changeRatings by Course
POLY101
5.0
(1)POLSCI
5.0
(2)POLSC01
5.0
(1)POSC1
5.0
(1)POLSC1000
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
POLIS2
4.5
3172
4.0
POLSC2
4.0
PS101
4.0
POLSC3005
4.0
Reviews (154)
great teacher to take in the summer!!
good teacher interesting, did not like community service project
Fun and good teacher to take during winter!
He is rather boring, and gets frustrated with student questions. Loves to lecture, then asks for comments, but does not listen to more than one, does not teach so much as show videos.
Awful. Worthless class. Repeats himself and has a hard time keeping the class focused on the topic at hand.
He is understanding and tries to make things versitile, but that sometimes makes it difficult to understand what he wants
I NEVER REGRETTED ANYTHING MORE IN MY LIFE THAN TAKING THIS CLASS. HE TALKED ABOUT HIS FRIENDS SELLING CRACK IN THE 80'S. HE IS EXTREMELLLLLLY BIAS AND LEFTIST. I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS SAYING BECAUSE HE KEPT FORGETTING WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE teacher- if you want an education don't go to him. No structure to his classes- extreemly wierd hard to follow his line of thinking. I agree with the person below me who rated him bad. However I spent very little time getting an A.
This guy doesn't know how to teach. He expects you to learn everything from CD lectures and videos. He tries to have in class discussions but most people are so unsure about what he's talking about that the discussions go nowhere.
I am surprised this man is a professor. He is extreamly unorganized and it's hard to follow his lectures. I'm not sure if he understands the material himself. However, very easy to get an A.
This guy is horrible teacher. I mean I never felt like I wasted my time and money in my life. I still don't know what Political Science is about and I don't recommend this guy to anyone.
Fun,not clear.Don't ask questions you may get a bag of donuts thrown at you. Yes this did happen.Nice guy,appears confussed.
I didn't learn anything. Once I think he mentioned somthing about "political science"
don't take his class... oh... no~ i hate thinkwell stuff....
Get another Teacher
he's a very cool teacher and easy to explain, if you do your quizes and study them you get good grades. he's cool and funny....
No Comments
He's a cool professor. tells how it is.
The only + in this professor is that he is nice. Other than that he is completely unorganized and he doesnt teach. Instead he makes you watch videos of lectures of other professors online.
Prof. Woods is a really nice person. Unorganized, and u have to do the thinkwell stuff. But u can get an easy B in his class. Just show up and do the assignments and u'll do well.Easy class and fun professor.
Finally a teacher who makes you think. He will not spoon feed you, you actually have to participate, do your reading and study for the exams. If you are looking for an easy class, keep looking. A nice challenge for once.
No Comments
He is a horrible teacher, he is scattered all over the place, forgets assignments and quizes, he is very unclear about everyting. and he dosent seem like a very intellegant person.
EASY EASY EASY AND FUNNY AT TIMES. TAKE THE CLASS DO STUPID VIDEOS AND A A A A A A A. HE IS VERY KNOWLEDGABLE, YOU JUST GOT TO MAKE EFFORT. VERY NICE MAN. EASY,BUT A TOUGH GUY WITH FAIR VIEWS. IF YOU ARE A YUPPIE WITH SOMETHING UP YOUR ASS , DON'T TAKE CLASS.
He's very easy but very unclear. He does not come off as an intelligent person and he seems to want to get some heated class discussions going, but whenever you say something he doesn't understand he just changes the subject. Easy A, but you'll learn nothing.
may be a little scattered, but a nice guy.
Really nice guy! But absolutely no help during lectures!! With all the different (although interesting) sources to study from, not one of them really sync up with the class or each other! Everything's scattered so unless you have political structure knowledge down pat beforehand.. don't bother!
Bad, disorganized teacher...never seems to explain things with any sort or clarity or organization. Instead of lecturing, he shows videos. Instead of answering questions about the class, he tells you to ask a peer. If you are at all interested in learning polysci, I would not recommend this class.
BAD teacher!!!!!! never explains anything. He is using cd-rom text books big mistake also half of class is online
he is disorganized and unclear. goes off on tangents during lectures so much that you can't even tell what he is trying to teach. you won't learn anything in this class unless you teach yourself from the text(s)...which are unfortunately online. hes "nice" but sarcastic. horrible teacher.
These people are HATERS! If you are looking for a teacher that will give you an "A" or "B", take the class. Half or his grading is from online qizzes. The comments expressed on this site were peobable from cheaters that could not guarentee themselves a good grade. Nuff' said.
Don't take this class if you hold conservative political views. His teaching is left biased. I prefer more balanced views. Not a great teacher. Take this class if you like cheating. He let people copy off my exam. He's disorganized and passive aggressive. He's not a happy camper. He's not helpful.
horrible teacher! cant teach his way out of elementary. randomly pull things out of the air and talk about. everyone in the class cheats and hardly ever comes to learn.
These people are all crazy. Woods is perhaps the best teacher on the entire campus. Come with an open mind, expect to work a little and you'll learn things your not going to learn anywhere else, not at UC's not at the Ivy Leagues. Woods is just as open to people he agrees with politically as the people he doesn't.
No Comments
ok. i took this class for spring. during the beginning he just annoyed me cause he would talk about nothing related to the class. but as you go through, its really easy. the quizzes come from the back of each chapter. and the assignments get boring but theyre pretty easy. he is more to the Left. it's interesting and easy. easy A.
Show up to every class, get the answers to the weekly quiz- the questions are at the end of the chapters and the answers are availalble in the online book, read or at least skim the assigned chapters BEFORE you come to class so you are familiar with the discussion material & you will ace the class. Talk to him. He's brilliant and he's funny too.
No Comments
I thought that Woods was the most confusing and disorganized teacher that I had ever had. He has a syllabus that he never follows, decides to do assignments out of the blue and then doesn't give a due date, and never goes over what the correct answers on tests are. When you do confront him with a question, he acts like you're dumb for not knowing what's going on. I ended up getting an A, and yet the whole semester I had no idea what my grade would turn out to be. By the way, I never learned a thing!
horrible teacher i have no freakin idea how this moron, is teaching , im a poly science major, a teacher like ofier is incredible gets you invovled but woods, i have no ideawhich street corner he bought his degree from stay away. especally if your a poly sicence major
we are not haters, it is simply true that this teacher is horrible. i dropped the class after the first session. when he talked NOTHING made sense. he tried to be cool by pretending he was a student in the beginning of first class. SO uncool! not only is it not worth taking his class, he shouldn't be teaching at all. big time left wing propagandist
So disorganized!! Never stuck to the syllabus, major assignments made no sense, and discussion was totally random. But pretty easy if you do all the work and go to class regularly. Not for people who like organized thought or clear, well explained assignments!
confusing, disturbing, disorganized, amateur, radom, unclear, flurried... not recommended unless there's no seat in other pol sci classes
worst teach i have ever had in all my life. no joke.
I actually like this teacher! He is not monotonous and boring, but he surely is smart and knows his field subject! I recommend this class to people that are ready for college work, and don't need a chaperone to remind them of what is the homework on a daily basis! High School is over kids, SMC is hard work!
I really liked this professor - so I wish I could recommend him more highly, but his lectures are disorganized and he's only interested in his own point a view. He is a rabid socialist and most of his lectures are, as others have noted, just him spewing propaganda. He'll mock you or openly discount you if you offer an alternative point of view.
This professor is highly opinionated. I consider myself a liberal - but next to him I look like a conservative. Don't even TRY to disagree with him. He'll rake you over the coals in front of the rest of the class. Just keep your mouth shut (unless you also identify as a socialist) and do your homework, and the class will be pretty easy. I perso
Okay this class is easy.With that being said he was one of the two worst teachers I had at SMC. He's so disorgaized. I never read the books, (but I was familiar with the material since I took the soc. eqivialnt b4) Just talks about random s*&$. midterm. EZ responses. Final ez project. Take soc 34 with del piccolo instead or ps21 w/ thalvidaran.
He's a nice guy, but he was disorganized, at times. Sometimes not. He is liberal, and open about it, so if you're not you may not like him or his class. But it's an easy A if you do the work and read the book. But was unclear on what our first exam was going to look like...but its pretty much what you read from the book(s).
directions are unclear. hated the discussions.
SUMM'07. A software CD with videos and clear notes to each chapter makes the class so much easier. HW includes: quizzes (3 attempts), long but easy assignments, and discussion threads, worth 25 pts each. 70% of exams is HW quizzes, and the rest 30 is several articles you have to read throghout the course. It's up to you now if you want an easy A.
boring class. doesnt teach well. but a decently nice guy
VERYY EASY TEACHER
So nice and helpful. So the reading and you will pass for sure! A lot of the answers come straight from the book. I took this class online...
I really wanted to like the class because he seems like a good descent guy outside of the classroom but I just couldn't. I did not enjoy class one bit. You will need the book to understand anything about anything. I still pulled an A however so if you do your work it is easily possible.
the first few weeks of class no one had any idea what the hell he was talking about the whole time, but once you get going it all comes together. He is really everywhere but if youre actually there and participate it's a very interesting class. He was not in your face about his opinions but more interested in the classes. I recommend.
Well this teacher right here he is very disorganized, but a cool guy. This teacher would not change your grade if you missed by one percentage. Its an okay class to do good in this class just do the homeworks and read the book.
Assigned law cases for homework. My parents are both lawyers and they were shocked by my homework. My father teaches law and said he wouldn't assign what Wood did to a second year law school student. Blatant spelling and grammar mistakes on the assignment pages themselves. Class was boring beyond belief. I love this subject, yet learned nothing.
My class had two professors, him and Finkel. It was a really boring class. Woods wouldn't really talk much and we barely had any assignments. Easy but boring.
So confusing! Not Helpful. Gets mad if you as questions. You have no idea what is going to be on the test. It is better to just study the book because you will learn wayyy more.
I liked him. I though he was fun. Amusing.
Good guy but really disorganized!!!! Not much use of the book mostly showed videos from online. Test- multiple choice, but never know what to expect. No HW either just 3 exams and Prop. Paper. I do not recommend him.
He is a good person and tries to teach us something! He is disorganized-that's true!If you read the book you'll get an A 100%!I wish I learned more from his class...However, it is an easy class and an easy A!
Professor Woods, was a very helpfull Instructor. I took his Fall 2009 Political Science1 class, you only need to participate and try your best at the threaded discussions, and for the exams if you did the reading you will be fine. This class although you need to read and participate its a class that a dedicated student would easily pass.
UGH! This MAN!where to begin? he has no clue what he is talking about! A complete mess!You will learn NOTHING in his class! Yes its open book and notes but doesn't help! the only thing that helped was the ONLINE STUDY GUIDES print those and put them in your notes most of the time their the same. I got a B but i wouldn't take him if you paid me!
People dissing Woods just aren't at that level to understand what he is saying, IT IS A GOVERNMENT CLASS, CRITICAL THINKING IS A MUST with any teacher. He is truly one of the most real teachers i have ever had, and says it how it really is. Learned SO SO much from his class. Just do the reading,(it's interesting, anyways)Take him take him take him.
WOW. I have had no idea whats been going on in this class. Everything is so unclear you just kinda drift... He's a nice guy and gets along well with the students. Which makes it hard to say how truly horrible of a teacher he is. I would never take this class again, and I suggest you follow this advice.
He became our prof, when our regular prof had to leave due to illness. He is a nice guy, very cool. However, he is an awful teacher. The class became so awful I never wanted to attend, and I cared about the class. He only respects his opinion, and cuts others off while they are talking to him. He doesn't give clear directions, for assignments. Bad!
I have never in my life come across anyone so talented at not answering questions. You never get any answers, even for the simplest questions! A truly horrible professor. Sitting through class felt like a punishment.
He has a different method of teaching! He goes over the material...this is a college class so you must read on your own, and come to class to discuss....he is not going to hand you the answers!!!!we did not watch any dvds or youtube videos! he is very nice and willing to help.
I actually liked Woods' class. Got to take quizzes and test online. Final was an outline of a prop of California and we turned it on. Each person had a group that they had to present a chapter in the book with.
I adore political science, and appreciate Woods as a person but even that could not ameliorate how horridly he conveys class material. Despite being a personable albeit somewhat insecure therefore inadvertently rude man with a PH.d, he seems entirely incapable of providing relevant answers to simple questions. Sadly, the class is a complete mess.
To be honest, this class is boring. Some days I really did not feel like attending but I did enjoy some of the class discussions Finkle and Woods had. Woods loves to talks so have your ears prepared. No book was needed so saved money this semester.
I didn't know what to expect. I took a summer class at SMC to get transfer credit for U.C.L.A. I have to say, this teacher really got me interested in Political Science and government. He deviated in the usual teaching manner, and pushed the students to actively participate in discussions about current events. He gave quizzes online!
This teacher sucks he is unorganized, he puts students on the spot, he doesn't like to b proven wrong(even though he say's he doesn't mind), he makes things more complicated than they should; his test open notes! And you have to do a presentation but basically he interrupts u nonstop. If you want to learn then don't take. If you just want an easy A go for it!
David and Ventris both taught this class. The beginning of the semester you think its going to be fun to have politcal debates, and hands on with two teachers. David likes to hear himself speak, and Ventris likes to challenge and pick your brain. However the class is BORING. REALLLL EASY A. Show up late, sign in, leave early. Stick to syllabus.
Great teacher! Makes you very interested in the subject. He's very clear, very funny. Open notes. Great class. Surely recommend him.
As a political science major I initially came to class really interested, but I have to say he was the worst teacher I've ever had. He rambled on and on, taught us nothing valuable, and got personally offended when any student tried to add to the discussion. I left the class knowing nothing new. I would not recommend him.
I'm currently taking him and so far he's been a great professor. Most people don't show up and the ones that do just sit in class mindlessly. Honestly just read the chapter, participate in class, and take good notes. The tests are open note and it doesn't get much easier than that!
This class is basic/straightforward. Syllabus was clear and allowed for planning ahead. Dr. Woods strives to create a discussion linking current events to the class topics. He creates an environment where students must be devoted to their own learning, like the real world, and then supports/encourages the depth of your interest. Open note exams.
A very horrible professor. His lectures are always different from the previous day. The project he will assign will confuse you. Doesn't like answering questions. Goes off topic. This semester he stopped using the textbook questions, so dont expect to get the answers for the tests from the textbooks anymore. Even with your notes you will fail.
I decided to take this professor to get rid of my Poly science requirement and I regret it. This bad professor keeps changing the syllabus, he never likes helping or preparing students for the quizzes and he goes off topic during his discussions. The book is does a better job of teaching you and keeping you interested. Avoid this professor!
I was very eager to learn about poly sci and ask question when I was unclear about topics, but it is close to impossible to get a straight forward answer out of the guy. Whether you're taking the class for your major or to fulfill a requirement, I strongly advise you not to.
I am a Pol. Sci. major & was really looking forward to this class. I learned a lot from both teachers Woods & Finkel. Woods is more current and likes to use the internet to make his point. The only problem is he can be all over the place & not explain everything in a clear way. Whereas Finkel is old school & more organized. Overall good class.
Half online (quizzes) and monday night classes. He can be confusing and all over the place, but he helps you out for the finals by using notes so take good notes.
Dr. Woods was a great pro. I see people saying he is all over the place but if you keep up with your reading you will understand what he is referring to. He gives you every chance to get an easy A. He just wants you to read and learn how pol sci relates to today.
Talk about an inconsistent, confusing professor. He is all over the place, and when presented with questions he doesn't even seem to know the answers. Make sure to read the book, do your own research before you get to class. I always left feeling more confused than I felt prior to class. Received an A, but would never take his class again.
Just use the online textbook and do the doc sharing stuff he asks and you'll be fine. The tests were open note but I took this during the summer, so might be different in the fall/spring semesters
Took Poli Sci 1. Honestly this is one of the easiest classes you can take, but dont expect much help from the professor. His go to for any question you'll ask "Don't trust me, google it".... Im not kidding this guy has no clue
If you want an easy A, this is the class. Tests are open notes. If you're looking for a class to actually learn a lot, not really the class for you. He knows his stuff but he is all over the place and unclear of what he wants exactly unless you ask him. Ask questions to clarify what he wants.
Professor Woods was possibly the most disorganized professor I have experienced. He does not lecture on tested material. The syllabus schedule was subject to change weekly with no warning, and although he allows you to use notes during quizzes and exams, there is no clear outline on what material will be on tests.
Dr. Woods is a phenomenal professor. Unlike most professors, Woods consistently uses outside material to engage the classroom. This makes the class relevant to today's world. His assessments are fair. He will notify students on what material to study and there are no surprises at exam time. Basic google skills are required.
I recommend him but I was very lazy when I took the class. Really friendly but he is all the place and tends to get distracted really easily. He is a fantastic teacher! Totally recmmend him. (make sure you read or else you will do badly in quizzes)
He is a great in that he is inspiring to understand. HOWEVER, the fact that he is disorganized makes the material that he covers extremely difficult. His exams are easy, knows his subjects, but tends to forget in almost all classes what material he covers in order for students to study prior to the test. did not learn much
Took this class in the winter. We had 4 tests and a group project. It was pretty easy; just read the book, take notes, and pay attention.
He is so unclear and is not helpful at all. I struggled to understand what was going on and If you ask a question he gets upset. I would never recommend anyone take his class. He is 100% the worst professor I have ever had.
Profesor Woods is all over the place. His lectures really make no sense, and he skips from one topic to the next. He has three exams, and 3 projects. His exams are open notes, but because his lectures are so confusing it doesn't really help. He is a really nice guy and interesting, but kind of hard to follow.
Does not have a good open line of communication. The professor does not respond back to all emails & grades ridiculously. If you proof to the professor that you answered every part of the post he does not reply or change your grade. The professors requirements are unclear often and when you email still does not clarify. I would not recommend
He'll start talking about something, you'll get out your book, He'll pause when someone asks a question,turn to everyone else, and say "make a note of this" and then everyone will write down the name of the website he said to go to to get the answer to the question. He just talks a lot, and you're not sure what to write down, or what is going on.
Prof. Woods is a funny guy & very passionate about PoliSci. He really digs it & just wants students to take a second to consider what's going on around us! However, his lectures have next to NOTHING to do with the material on the tests - which are all multiple choice. BEST BET: stay on top of reading textbook & eCompanion docs, go to office hours
Professor woods is a funny guy but I would not recommend taking his course. He is really unorganized and very easily distracted. He does not follow the syllabus and is constantly changing something on it. His tests are very hard because they are not from the issued text book. We started with a full class and ended with about 15 students. Retake4me!
His class is pretty much exactly how people describe it. It's somewhat boring, and very confusing at times. He uses a lot of links in order to be helpful but only makes things worse. He's better one on one. Class material isn't hard if you took us gov. in high school you should be okay. There's a couple of quizzes and 1 midterm paper.
350 characters is not enough to describe the absolute disrespect woods shows towards education. Santa Monica College should be ashamed for employing him. By the end of a semester, a decent teacher will leave willing students with some knowledge of the topic. A great teacher will inspire and care about students. Woods disheartens students.
burning question at the end of this semester: so what is political science? don't except to learn the answer through this teacher (don't expect to learn anything).
horrible experience. I thought I was stupid at first, because I did not understand anything he was saying. Then, I found out that the class was in the same boat as me. He makes no sense, is inappropriate, and does not lecture on what he "tests" on. Quiz and tests aren't related to his "lectures". He rants about irrelevant things. Teaches nothing.
Don't take this class at all,
He can be perceived as being a jerk by most, but you just cannot be scared to ask a question in his class for the fear of being ridiculed. As he says, you pay to go to school. Ask the question(s). He has a personality to where if he disagrees with you on something, he can hang onto it though the next class. Stand your ground.
Woods was honestly a really good teacher. I didn't pay attention at all but STILL got a B in the class because his homework assignments were straight from the book and his quizzes were basically the same thing as the homework. You literally have to not do anything to fail. Just don't be lazy and you'll grow to like him. He bumped me from a C to a B
Woods is a good guy. I didn't learn a lot from his class, but I had a good time. There was work, it took time, but it was easy. If you are looking for something that doesn't require too much thought and attention, his class should serve you well.
Professor woods is an excellent professor ! I took his class during the winter session and it was awesome he is very funny but a great teacher and will help you with anything you need. He made political science fun ! I'd take his class again if I could
Honestly he is a helpful teacher but is so rude and sarcastic. He's not helpful his teaching style is childish and horrible and he cuts you off and in a way be little yous when you ask a question on answer a question. I wouldn't recommend anyone to take him unless you don't care about sarcasm.
I moved to L.A. in August after living and going to University in Mexico for a while. Even though I studied in English through high school, I stopped practicing it for a while. This was a great class to jump back in! He's really nice and also let us re-take one quiz at the end of the semester. He also gave us a very interesting extra-credit assgmt.
Wouldn't recommend. I went into class excited to learn but came out of the semester frustrated & feeling like it was a waste of time. Every single time fellow classmates and I would be confused & annoyed to have yet another class filled with lack of structure & literally no lesson plan. He is a nice man, but an awful teacher. You've been warned
Mr. Woods is a good guy easy to talk to, but I admit he isn't a good teacher always off topic. Ask simple questions and he doesn't answer it, It was very frustrating being in his class and being able to learn the material. I was so excited to finish this class one pointer if you take this class you have to self learn yourself.
Horrible! Sucks at explaining and forgets everything, can easily cost you your grade with his constant insomnia. You basically teach yourself all semester cause he doesn't teach at all. Don't take him its not worth your time or grade!
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!! Woods doesn't know how to teach or lecture. He constantly jumps around from random irrelevant topics. He's a very lazy teacher and constantly makes mistakes grading tests and quiz's. He uses textbook quiz's and tests. He's also not open to hear opposite political opinions in his lectures. AVOID THIS GUY AT ALL COSTS!
This was a very horrible class Ive ever taken. Professor Woods get frustrated when you ask too many questions. He does not know ow to lecture which leaves you very confused and tends to stray from the topic.
Took this in the summer. Class decided to have one test, the final. He is approachable, friendly, and conversational. IGNORE anyone complaining about him cutting you off mid sentence or having a back and forth with you in the middle of the class. If you're going to raise your hand, have some BACKBONE. Final exam was hard, take VERY THOROUGH notes.
Prof. Woodss lack of organization and, possibly, comprehension of the material is reflected in his lectures and assignments. The lectures consist of rambling over scattered topics with little or no fluidity. Assignments are usually difficult to understand as theyre worded very poorly. You dont need to pay attn. Just read the textbook and do hw.
Horrible professor. He is very unorganized and so rude. He does not teach he just rants. You will come to this class very confused and frustrated
Woods is the worst professor I have ever had!! He should not be a teacher. He hes rude, youre not allowed to ask any questions during class, hell make fun of you if you dont understand - and trust me you will not understand. Woods can not communicate the subject what so ever! KEEP OUT and stay as faaaar away as you can from Woods!!
Woods is a very rude and disorganized professor, I dreaded going to his class because of how he treated people. Doesn't really make sense, and the assignments are not clear. A group of us stopped going to the class after awhile because we all hated it so much.
He sucks i got a B in the class Ill tell u how. I failed alll the tests but got 100% on all CPA and extra credit he says they r extra credit but if you dont do it it jeopardizes your grade. He takes attendances and his syllabus says If u are absent i take points away but i was absent like 9 times and he didnt mark me points. Do PNP if u take him
OKAY, here's the real tea. Woods makes the class very easy! It is really up to the student. He allows notes and outside sources for the tests. There's really no reason to fail. My advice: read the book + write down notes on it and bring them to the tests. He also is happy to talk to you! Easy class
SO MANY UNNECESSARY information on class. He doesn't know how to teach clearly. His lecture is very disorganized, and his test is no related to the lecture AT ALL. Even though he say something, nobody can't understand anything b/c he answers different things. Is it on purpose? Oh, also he will be annoyed if you ask something. THE WORST, HORRIBLE!
the reviews on here make me feel bad. but they arent a lie. he is very hard to learn from and the tests are open note but so so so hard!!! hes an intresting person to say the least but only take this class if you have to or already know info. his test r hard i failed every test & 100 on the hw and barely got a b and im a straight a student
Directions for assignments/discussions can be confusing/unclear but you just have to be proactive and ask during lectures what specifically he wants. Assignment due every other week, 3 tests in syllabus but we only took 2 bc COVID online transition. Just read and do assignments, you'll learn what u need to that way. Not terrible or difficult.
Ventris Woods is the worst. He doesn't know how to use Canvas, his assignments are so confusing, and the tests are essentially the worst because his lectures are so unorganized, that the test questions seem to come from other classes. I highly recommend you take another class because this headache is not worth it. HE'S THE WORST.
Despite all of the negative things said here about Professor Woods, he's actually a nice guy. He's very understanding and his work is not as confusing as people think. In the beginning, I was super lost and it was hard to hear him on zoom but he does care and is really trying. It's not that confusing once you get the hang of it.
His class was "ARRANGE - 9 HRS" but it turned out not to be. His morning zoom calls weren't mandatory, yet he announced crucial info about the assignments, due dates, & exam specifics during those meetings. His syllabus was all over the place, he would rant on and on, & the final exam had questions that weren't even on material we covered :(
Alright. Everyone seems to be really harsh on this guy, but I have to say his class was surprisingly easy. His instructions, however, not so much. They are all over the place and students really had a hard time figuring things out. The hws are easy. He is a nice guy, but don't talk to him when he goes over the previous homework in class. He bites.
At first, he was pretty complicated but then I got used to him. His instructions sometimes didn't make sense. He's not that terrible! He's honestly pretty chill. The workload isn't so bad. Just don't talk when he's talking.
Prof Woods is flexible, talk to him- show interest in the material, he will work with you!
Easy class. He rambles a lot and it doesn't make any sense. No need to go to class you can do everything online. Easy to reach in canvas. Homework is really easy but exams are hard. Sometimes the directions though don't make sense and sometimes aren't accurate because he changes the directions after he's assigned it.
All the bad reviews are from snowflakes, If you have a sense of humor and a backbone the class is very enjoyable. Woods is hilarious and always full of energy. If you choose to answer a question in class you better have reasoning otherwise he will call you out.
He rambles excessively, I didn't learn much, his assignments aren't clear, and is honestly rude sometimes. Is it an easy A? Yes. His tests are open note, he doesn't grade on attendance, and if you just let him ramble, he'll like you. Don't take this class if you actually want to learn about politics but want an easy A.
He often rambled excessively in lectures, and would get easily distracted. Overall not a great teacher, but he was very understanding about late assignments and was a light grader. I wouldn't take him if I had a passion for Poli Sci, but I would if I just needed the A with an understanding professor.
One of the worst teachers I've come across. Does not know how to use Canvas, so his posts are extremely cryptic and confusing. When you try and ask for clarification, his direction is only more confusing. Nobody in my class knew what was going on the entire semester.
Professor Wood is the worst at SMC He will give you an attitude if you ask him a question about any assignments and he mostly rants instead of teaching One time I had got a 5 out of 10 on a discussion post which I followed the instructions and I told him and he gave me an attitude and said what do you want me to do about it DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS
His canvas assignments were mazes of links and questions, and the directions were vague. He would force us into group work, and complain when we mentioned the ambiguity of the work assigned. He didn't teach the material, but would reference it. He expects students to be self taught through the textbook on their own time. He didn't teach.
Honestly the negative comments are being dramatic, he can give off attitude but he does want you to understand the material. When first starting the class everyone was confused on what we were doing but eventually everyone got it once he explained 5 times, the homework is easy, notes allowed for the tests but its a lot of self teaching, funny guy.
The professor can be a bit tough, but if you engage with the material, use the free textbook, and leverage tools like unstuck ai for study prep, you can do well. Attendance is required, but the tests are open note. Not the easiest A, but manageable if you put in the work.
The professor would get very upset for no reason when you would ask him questions about the assignments given . He mostly talks a lot over lectures that have nothing to do with what we were learning at all. He was asked if you could bring a friend over and said sure but next day of class if you did he would kick both of you. He's horrible.
Easy A. If you were to ask me what I learned I wouldn't be able to tell you. I spent most of the time doing stuff for other classes and still passed with an A. If you're looking for a GPA boost take his class. His assignments are confusing but he still gives them A's if it's wrong. If not fear not he lets u redo them no penalty.
Professor Woods is a great and understanding guy. If you have an assignment that is late he will allow you to submit it for full credit. Attendance was not mandatory and he gave you the option to join the class via Zoom. His instructions were very unclear. Homework assignments were very confusing and he did not lecture. Still a great guy though
Nice professor but really lazy when it comes to grading and communication. I would prefer another instructor over this course.
Woods is the worst Professor I ever had. I had took his in the Summer of 2024 and it was horrible. He would have an attitude if you ask him for help or questions about any assignments. One time my friend had asked him to bring a friend to class and he said yes, than the next day he kicked my friend and her friend out. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS GUY!!!
PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS! woods was so awesome. sweet prof, just read and listen and you'll be good!
if you enjoy being lost, take this class. he rambles on and on for hours without covering class material, he changes his mind about assignments hours before they are due, and the organization of this class is nonexistent. if you like a treasure hunt for your homework, he's the professor for you. easy A if you pay close attention though
Their passion for the subject and dedication to students truly set them apart. Every lecture was engaging, clear, and thoughtfully organized, making even complex topics easy to understand. Not only did I learn so much academically, but I also felt inspired and motivated to push myself further. I always looked forward to this class
Actually so bad. If you need this class desperately then I guess take it. But he doesn't teach anything, talks about nothing & each yourself class. Me and everyone in my class was genuinely confused all the time, he'd randomly switch what we had to do ALL THE TIME. Then when given criticism, he ignored it and acted like we were dumb.
The 1 star reviews are actually dramatic. Professor Woods is passionate about Political Science, and I've had an overall great experience in class. My advice is to print out the slide notes. My only critique is that the structure of his assignments in the Canvas modules can be confusing. Highly recommend!
His comments on your assignments don't make any sense and are too vague to even try and fix your work. If he doesn't understand one word in your replies in the discussion posts, he won't give any points for it. The canvas layout is horrible, and the deadlines online are not correct because they are reused from past semesters.
He's a funny sarcastic guy. Some people get it, some don't. Assignments were confusing at first but just follow it step by step like listed. The assignments were typically 1 weekly discussion post. He allows you to redo them for a better score. He's understanding with late work, just communicate with him. Attendance is optional. Tests are at home.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
68%
Textbook Required
87%
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