Very interesting and intellectual professor, while still remaining very approachable. He also gives exams questions well in advance in order to better prepare. My only complaint is that he caused a lot of disruption by shutting down class because of the GA strike.

This guy is brilliant. Has been known to use socratic method occasionally but not in a mean spirited way at all - used more to provoke discussion in quiet classrooms. Definitely definitely take all of his classes...

brilliant guy. class was interesting and engaging. really stimulated interest in the topic.

Yanni is amazing. His lectures were really great and they went along with the assigned readings...also he gives you the exam questions in advance and is more than willing to help you with them. During the strike, I visited him during office hours and he offered me an extra credit assignment because the strike interfered with my grade. Great guy!

fair...gives questions ahead of time...yes...but, don't get on his bad side, cuz he won't forgive you...

One of the best professors at NYU. I am currently in his summer session course and was not at all excited about taking World Cultures: Russia but decided to take it since it was the only World Cultures course offered and I haven't regretted it at all. Interesting class, extremely understanding... I definitely recommend taking a class with him.

THE BEST TEACHER I HAD AT NYU!!!! he is simply amazing.

Take him, you won't regret. Don't miss him at NYU.

He is the best professor I had for my freshmen year, If you just put in a bit of effort, you will do very well. Class is amazing

Great teacher! Keeps class entertained. If you attend lectures you should be fine. One of my favorite classes this semester!

So glad I took my senior seminar with him. We all wrote different papers, but used the same collection of novels- classes were interesting because we all saw the books differently depending on the lens we were writing for. He was so helpful, meeting with us outside of class to personally aid our writing. He's the most brilliant teacher I had at NYU

I think Yanni is a great professor. Really interesting lectures and incredibly engaging. However, what I find problematic is that a large part of one's grade is largely dependent on whether or not you are lucky in choosing a TA. I found my TA overall, unhelpful, irresponsible and unclear providing no clear feedback and ways to improve.

Professor Kotsonis was an amazing professor. His lectures were clear and students always could understand where he was going and what point he was trying to make. He is also very understanding and genuinely cares for his students. If you attend lectures and recitations the class will be a breeze.

Phenomenal instructor. If you attend lectures, you can read up a little bit online and never touch the textbook. Occasionally calls on students in class.

I would watch the Yanni Kotsonis Show if it was on tv. Really smart guy, really funny. Lectures are never boring, and while he does call on students it's never in a mean-spirited way. Not too much reading, occasional movies in class. That said, unless you go out of your way you will mostly be interacting with a TA for tests and grading.

Very clear lectures. Your work is graded by TA

absolutely brilliant lecturer. grading in the class depends solely on your TA, so make sure you choose carefully with that (katya, if she's still around). textbook reading is super helpful for essay exams, but honestly no need to read supp stuff. if you have to take CC, might as well make it one with a good prof, like this guy

Yanni is always engaging in lecture and has a great sense of humor. The only issue I took with the class was the infrequency of graded material, but the exams were never problems if you study notes and readings a bit (I never really did and made Bs and B+s). Even if you aren't huge on history, there is relevant knowledge to be gained in this class.

Great option for the Cultures & Contexts Core, highly recommend. However, lectures aren't posted, you do need to show up and take notes. I didn't really read the textbook except for the final paper, wikipedia was sufficient for the tests. A large portion of the class is based on your TA, but I didn't hear that any were particularly bad.

Great lecturer. I will say that my attention often wandered after 45 min, but only because he would talk about one specific idea or theme to the point of repetition. The textbook's expensive & dull, but other readings were pretty interesting. As far as core classes go, Kotsonis makes his a solid choice, and he's got a good sense of humor to boot.

He is a phenomenal lecturer. He does lecture at you for a solid 1hr 30 mins, but he keeps it interesting. He lets the class choose 10 topics that can come up on the exam beforehand and he chooses 4 of those topics and a picture for the exam. In the exam you have to write any tangible argument regarding the assigned topics and pictures.

Yanni is very passionate and knowledgeable about the subject but his lectures are very dense and sometimes repetitive. There is typically no visual aid; he simply talks at you for the entire (1hr 15min) class. My grade was entirely determined by my TA, as the TA does all of the exam/paper grading.

Professor Kotsonis seemed like a decent guy, and gave good lectures. The TAs entirely determine your grade, so beware of that. From what I heard, all 3 of them were pretty tough. Recitation attendance was mandatory, but no attendance was ever taken at lecture. Readings didn't matter if you understood the material. Solid choice for Core class.

Incredible choice for your Cultures and Contexts class. Lectures are just him speaking for the whole time but are very interesting and entertaining. Course material is really good and comprehensive too. A lot of grading is done by the TAs but I had solid ones this semester.

Amazing professor. Take this class for your core. He keeps the lecture engaging and is very passionate on the subject. Exams are solely graded by the TAs so beware of that. You do receive the exam topics beforehand, so you should be good. If you pay attention in lecture you should be able to receive an A. Readings are not necessary before class

Prof Kotsonis is knowledgable about Russian history and relevant analysis, and a great person to talk. His lectures are dense and useful, and relevant stuff will be tested, so plz go to his lectures. Readings are not that much, usually textbooks and some novels, but they will be tested in the two in-class midterms. BTW, CHOOSE A GOOD TA.

Yanni's a great lecturer, really interesting. But he does go on for the whole hour with little visuals (he'll write a few words on the board, but there's no ppt or notes to follow along with) so u have to pay attention and go to class. TAs do all the grading so try to get along with them. Main complaint is the lack of organization

This is my 2nd core class with Yanni. He gave us really interesting analysis on utopian & dystopian novels. Remember to take complete notes so that you can reflect these points in two papers. The TAs merely determine your grade, so be aware of that. Overall, a great and solid choice for core and one of my best memories at NYU.

Yanni gave one of the best history lectures at NYU. The classroom experience is thought-provoking. He is willing to spend so much time outside of classroom talking with you if you are genuinely interested in the concept. TA completely determines your grade, so tragedy might occur. But it's a humanity class, so it's very subjective and it's normal.

Great professor for Utopias and Dystopias; homework involved reading novels and a short discussion once a week. Two papers, 6 and 10 pages, each worth 40%, and graded by the TA. Lectures were interesting and it is vital to take notes in class. Good guy and very understanding. Would take again.

Barely showed up to class and got an A. You just need to know how to write two papers which are each worth 40% of your grade. A book or two is read per week but you just need to know what books to use to write your papers.

The professor's lectures were very informative and related to the overall course material. He also made it engaging and was very humorous. However, the readings were a lot. If you've read a good chunk of the modern dystopias, like 1984 or Handmaid's Tale, the course will get easier as you approach the end.

Yanni is the absolute best lecturer of all time. Witty, kind, flexible, and always up for a good discussion/debate. Take any of his classes at least once before you graduate. You won't regret it.

Legend. Can't speak for larger lectures since ours was a seminar, and J term was short. He graded fairly and gave quality advice. Take his seminars if you can, you won't regret it.

Prof Kotsonis was fantastic, and taking this seminar over the J-Term was really great. He was understanding with regards to absences, and only really asked that you do the readings to a degree that would enable you to participate in class discussion. 100% would take this course again, and the Professor was one of my favorites at NYU so far.

Great professor who genuinely cares about the class and the students. Expect coursework to be very memory intensive, graded by 2 essays and 2 close-book paper tests.

good selection of books, lectures are funny but veer to tangents unrelated to the book. grading entirely dependent on TA. participation worth 30%. attendance at lecture is taken randomly, which is kinda shady because it wasn't announced at the beginning of the semester. no reason for the final to be 10 pgs long. overall still a solid choice for t&i

Very polite and intelligent professor for utopias & dystopias, probably the best texts and ideas you can take. Course is graded by 2 papers (6 page midterm, 10 page final) and 2 exams. Very memory intensive and reading heavy, hard to get a good grade.

The most caring, tolerant, and funny professor. A great introduction to the material. You can learn a lot without too much pain. It really helps you think and stay curious about Russia and beyond, which is what the CORE class is supposed to be.

Well, I would say that Mr. Kotsonis is the best history professor in this university. He is caring, charming, and humorous. Taking his class is the best decision I have ever made.

King of kings at NYU right here and now. His lectures are INCREDIBLE, THOUGHT PROVOKING. Every time I walk into class, its just story time about pre revolutionary Russia. He is incredibly considerate, extremely understanding, a wildly interesting person. IF YOU SEE HIS NAME, PUT YOURSELF DOWN FOR HIS CLASS!!

YANNIISTHEBESTPROFESSORATNYU. First off, HE'S SO CUTE...Also, his class is so interesting like its a required class and I wouldve taken it even if it wasn't. His lectures are interesting, entertaining, and hilarious. You learn so much from him because he's so knowledgeable so just be sure to reserve your spot in his class if you get the chance

no slides or lectures notes, he just talks for an hour or so, but his lectures are incredibly structured and easy to follow! TA's grade everything but they're all incredibly knowledgeable and overall amazing. not enough lollipops in the world i would trade for taking this class again with this prof!

best professor ive had so far, funny and interesting lectures

Great lecturer - makes topics interesting and engaging. Extremely smart guy who is always down to have discussions/answer questions/support his students.

Amazing professor. Cultures and Contexts are known to be on the tougher side, but I took this class as a freshman and was extremely doable. You only have a written midterm and final essay for the whole semester. The lectures are incredibly interesting and Yanni is really engaging. Get ready to see a lot of lollipops!

Professor Kotsonis is absolutely amazing. His lectures are incredible, and I would recommend everyone to take one of his classes. He cares about his students and tries to keep a light and fun mood when talking and discussing incredibly dense/difficult material. This class had a lot of readings but was very enjoyable!

Not sure if I'll have a professor quite like him again. Really focused on actually teaching you how to learn and analyze rather than the material itself. Though lectures are mostly him talking, he is a great orator and manages to make the content interesting. Take his class, wish I had a full semester with him.

Took Utopias and Dystopias. One of the best orators ever. Lectures were extremely interesting and compelling. Talks a variety of philosophical ideas and opens up your mind to new approaches to the topic. Genuinely the only professor that made me enjoy going to class and listening to his lecture.

Cultures and Context: Russia; Yanni is an amazing professor. He is really knowledgable and clearly passionate about his field (easy on the eyes, too). Lectures usually fly by since they're usually pretty dense (but digestible if you read the chapters occasionally). Recitation instructors grade you; Caitlin was nice but a bit of a tough grader.

Yanni is lovely, his lectures are engaging and interesting (but sometimes are not very relevant to the main class concepts). Assignments are easy and manageable, but grades depend on your TA - Caitlin was confusing when answering questions, a harsh/unclear grader, and makes you wonder if she knows the material any better than the students do.

His lectures were simply the best ones I had during the semester, he just knows a lot about the subject and makes it easy to follow and understand. All the grading is made by the TAs, which I was really lucky to choose the best one (shoutout to Aviv). I really enjoyed this class and would take it again.

I really enjoyed this class and loved Professor Yanni—he was super funny and made Russian history enjoyable. The only downside is that he doesn't handle the grading; the TA does. If you have any concerns about your grades, he will always refer you back to the TA. The class includes just one midterm, which you need to study for, and a final paper.

Prof Yanni is my favorite professor, he is the GOAT.

The professor is perfect, but the TAs are so strict.

The teaching assistants are unreasonably strict, and many students receive Bs or lower. The professor's lectures are very engaging, but be prepared to receive low grades when selecting this course.

Professor Yanni's lectures is intriguing and engaging. However, the TAs at this class are EXTREMELY strict. They are unclear on the grading criteria for participation. There's not too much workloads but be prepared to receive low grades.

B for participation... Not sure about TA's grading criteria

Professor was fantastic however TAs were tough graders. Don't know how you can get past that but good class outside of that

Seeing all the reviews regarding Texts & Ideas made me want to write this review. I've taken both Texts and Ideas and an economic course with professor Kotsonis. By far he is he funniest and best lecturer I have had at NYU, this recent texts and idea semester, the TA's were incredibly strict in their grading, but it shouldn't reflect his evaluation

I took Professor Yanni's Core 500 in summer 2023, and I am taking him again this year. Many negative reviews stem from TA' strict grading, but I don't think this reflects the course. Yanni is a highly caring and open-minded professor—a rare quality in today's society. We shouldn't focus solely on grades; the process is just as important. Take it!

You're grade is 99% up to your TA but Yanni himself is hilarious and makes going to lectures worth it. If he says something is important, make sure to remember and quote him on your essays. Entire grade is made up by 2 essays and attendance.

Not only a good historian, but also a good professor and lecturer. The readings are hard, but the lecture will show the connection with reading and inspire the interesting part of the readings. Some of my views are established and clarified by him and his lecture, and he is so open to different perspectives. I am glad that I take the course.

Course is just as interesting as the name sounds. The assigned texts also get easier as the semester goes on. Yanni is v funny and explains concepts in the text in an easy to understand way. Just write down like 20% of what he says in your papers. Only two papers, midterm and final. Same prompt, second is longer word count. Lana is the goat TA

Super interesting class that gives you the opportunity to read a lot of major works of literature and get history and analysis on them. There are a lot of readings to keep up with though, and he assigns the hardest ones first so people drop the class. Your grade depends on how strict your TA is.

he's so funny but lectures could seem to drone on at times since he just spoke the entire class. your grade depends entirely on the TAs tho