Professor Zhao is a very intelligent man and focuses on helping his students excel in his classes. He tries to make his classes student centered which means a lot of effort by the student. He won't just spoon feed you information through powerpoints like most professors do. He's always available and willing to help students who are respectful

Course was poorly planned/organized, 1st half was heavy on mediocre student presentations- what did we know after only a few weeks? That said, highly motivated students will do fine. Don't avoid him for upper level courses just because he's frustrating for freshman, you'll be missing out. :)

I have no idea how anyone could think this course is that hard. I took it as my first polisci class and I got an A. His accent can take some getting used to but what you need to know he writes on the board. He takes his exam questions directly from that. No other professor wants his students to do well as much as he does. He is brilliant.

He is a great professor He is very friendly and one of the nicest professors I have. He really is passionate about political science and I think he has interesting insights. I understand everything after he explains it. The exams are extremely easy. You just need to come to class and put in a little work and you will pass easily. Do not drop!

I liked Professor Zao. He seems a little awkward while teaching which always makes it more funny for the students. He's normally pretty clear, and if you ask questions you always answers you. Tests and finally are easy as long as you look over the reviews. Overall, would want him as a professor again.

Professor Zhao is very nice and really tries hard to not let his accent confuse students. He is very passionate about his subject and likes to make jokes during class. All information on exams are straight from review outlines he compiles- almost word for word. I probably wouldnt recommend the class to non-majors since you need background info!

Funny, easy going, but serious and focused. Knows his stuff and really trys to include the class. Very willing to meet outside class. There's not that much of a language barrier like I thought there would be. There were sometimes when it was a bit difficult to comprehend what he was saying but it usually didn't reflect class material. Awesomeguy= )

I really like Professor Zhao. I had him for a few poli-sci classes and they're hard, but interesting for a major. The guy is very intelligent and knowledgeable, I can see where non-majors or freshmen might not like him, but for a poli-sci major he's a great professor. A little hard to understand at first, but will clarify if asked and he's funny

I personally loved him. I took this class with him when I fisrt transferred from GRCC. & I know their were people in my class who disliked him but they were generally freshman who seemed more concerned about their social life than class material. serious students poli sci major or not will enjoy him.

Really nice guy. His accent is occasionally overwhelming but I never missed anything because of it. Very good class.

Zhao is a very nice guy with some interesting stories. Sometimes his accent makes him hard to understand but he's more than willing to clarify if need be.

First off, don't pay attention to the older reviews, he's apparently changed since then. While his accent is there, he's aware of it and is more than willing to clarify. Very nice guy, and willing to help if you ask for it. He doesn't go easy though, if you're in his class he assumes that you're a PoliSci person. I loved him. One of my favorites.

Prof. Zhao is a very knowledgeable man and has a well organized course. His accent is a struggle for the first half of the semester, but it gets easier to understand him as the year progresses. Loved the class, even if the lectures were very boring. This class has a lot of group activities, and a decent amount of outside work. Overall, great class!

Good professor. His lectures are interesting if you are into the class and he has good stories and experiences to go along with the topic. The midterm and final exam were somewhat easy, the only hard part of the class was the 10 page book report but gives you plenty of time to work on it.

Really tries to keep his students on track. Can be hard to communicate with at times, but is a really good teacher and is good at helping you retain the information

Professor Zhao presents the material in a really intellectual way. You can tell that he is very smart and knowledgeable about the subject. He is very clear and helpful on what will be covered for exams. Exams are pretty straight forward and have take-home portions.

I loved professor Zhao! At first I was a little worried that his accent would get in the way, but you get use to it. I highly recommend you take this class. He knows exactly what he is talking about and answers questions immediately. He makes class so much fun. Just keep up with the assignments. They aren't difficult, just time consuming.

He does have an accent but he does his notes on the the whiteboard in a very easy to understand manner. He tries his best to make it very clear. Quite a bit of reading but not to bad. Group projects get annoying at times but the tests are pretty easy if you just follow his study guide he gives the day before the exam.

Prof Zhao is a great guy that knows a lot about the subject. Attendance is not required, but the notes from class directly correlate to what is on exams. The midterm and final exam are heavily weighted but are word for word from the study guides he gives you before them. If you aren't afraid to read a little and take notes, you'll be successful.

Professor Zhao is very intelligent & so adorable! I almost dropped this class after the first day because I thought it was going to be hard and boring but it ended up being my favorite class! There's weekly readings that require a short summary but he's a very fair grader. Tests are easy if you pay attention and study the outline. Learned so much!

He is such an amazing professor. He provides everything you need to succeed. I took PLS 103 and loved him so much that I took PLS 283 even though I had very little interest in the subject and I ended up really looking forward to the class. He is very understanding and really cares for his students. He has weird humor which is fun! Take his class!

Prof. Zhao is a true asset to GVSU. I am a Political Science major, so I may be a bit biased, but this was a great class. I found the information to be fascinating and informative. If you ask for help and make a genuine effort to succeed, you will do well. There is quite a bit of homework (1 reading summary/week and often times other assignments).

I've taken professor Zhao's classes three times throughout my four years at Grand Valley and I always enjoyed his class. His lectures are extremely boring but he makes it interesting sometimes and always tries to get the class involved. He can be funny sometimes and his class really isn't that difficult. He is concerned with his students' success.

He really cares and makes sure you understand. If you read what he has on the lectures you should be fine for the exams (there's like 2 besides the final). I liked this class and it wasn't too difficult and I really like him as a teacher. I would definitely take him again.

Excellent knowledge of China. Deep understanding of Chinese governance structure and presents information clearly. Subtly funny. He's passionate about this topic and makes you question outstanding stereotypes about China.

One of the most respected professors at Grand Valley. While this class can be difficult to handle at times, his personal stories and great feedback help students' ability to get a good grade. Provided a whole new perspective on China and its history.

Knowledgable professor that helps make this intro-level class go by smoothly. While the material isn't necessarily difficult to understand, you must know specific details to succeed. He tends to drag-out lectures and if no one participates when asked, he will wait until someone answers his questions. Make sure you know the material prior to class.

Prof. Zhao definitely runs this class to cater to freshman. Everything is spelled out and easy to understand. Reading/homework is mandatory as your grade includes reading summaries and preparations for class. He gives a study guide out 24hrs before the tests and his test come directly from these guides. NO surprises. Easy if you do the work.

Dr. Yi Zhao is a great professor. He had us do reading summaries befofe our lectures which he would basically go over what we were supposed to read before the class on that day great method of teaching. Exams are very straightforward. Debates and class discussions are useful.

He structures this class for freshmen. He really sets you up for success and cares about his students. I learned a lot in his class and enjoyed it. You are graded on participation so get ready to speak in front of the class often. There is a group project that is a big chunk of your grade.

Prof. Zhao is great. Best prof. Ive had at GVSU. He explains things very clearly in class, homework/assignments are very easy, you just have to do the readings. Class debates and discussions are also easy, participation in them matters a lot. Exams are multiple choice and super easy. He is a tough prof. But appreciates hard work.

Dr zhao is a great prof. This class is kind of hard and boring. He relies a lot on participation. Hardly any hw just a couple easy assignments. The group paper is a pretty rough process that lasts a while. Class consists of two exams only which are matching and written. I would take Zhao again, this just isnt a fun class.

Zhao is a great prof. Class was pretty boring though. I feel like it could have been structured better and been more interesting.

Dr. Zhao is a great professor. There's one group paper that spans over most of the semester so it isn't too overwhelming. His lecture notes are very clear. He posts exam outlines that are extremely helpful for studying. There are class discussions and debates that are part of your grade, but they're really laid back. Readings are short and easy.

One of the best professors Ive ever had. He gives you one of the best study guides ever. Do the study guide it will help greatly. Participating matters so do it. He will work with you if you have issues that come up.

Professor Zhao was very understanding and didn't assign too much homework. His online exams were open-book and very easy! There's a lengthy group paper, so choose your partners wisely!

Nice professor, but can be confusing sometimes when he tries to explain or clarify things. His lectures are super boring. Exams are easy and are based word for word from the notes. Final group paper and presentation at the end of the semester, make sure to pick your partners wisely!!! Textbook is required for reading summaries.

Professor Zhao was very understanding and is very forgiving as long as you show good work ethic. There is about 1 reading summary due per week, and maybe a debate as well. Overall not too bad of a workload if you know how to allocate your time. Only downfall would be the group paper/presentation, I did not have a good group which stressed me out.

He is nice once he gets to know you but doesn't put grades in until after the final exam

He has a hard accent to understand and he's very concrete minded. He grades everything my 0.2 points so you don't get many points in the grade book. He makes test questions difficult to understand. Funny professor and person, it's just a hard course!

Does a great job, but lectures are hard to get through. He talks a lot, but the info is good. The hard part is that the exam doesn't have much to do with the lectures. Answers are entirely from his slides so it makes it easy, but the lectures seem irrelevant after the fact.

Overall, Professor Zhao is a great teacher, and he's often times very funny. He's not always clear with his directions or with grading, but overall, he is understanding of his students and his class is fairly easy to manage. There are quite a few group assignments, but they aren't that difficult, and he does provide some help on these.

Professor Zhao is very traditional: show up to lectures, do readings, take notes, etc. Must be in class to get a good grade. He's extremely knowledgeable. A bit of an accent but not hard to understand. The group project is huge in this course, so make sure you pick a good group. My only gripe was most grades didn't go in until end of semester.

Professor Zhao is very kind and knowledgable about what he teaches, however the biggest assignment for this class is a group paper. My class had groups randomly assigned and I was stuck writing a 12 page paper by myself when my group slacked off. Zhao is understanding of medical needs and makes good accommodations. He will help if you reach out.