I really liked this class, I learned a lot. The essay topics were interesting and topical, including the final project. The content is difficult to absorb and can be time-consuming, but if you're interested in the subject you will greatly enjoy this class.

Very good lecturer. Clear that she is well-educated, especially on the topics she teaches. Always easy to follow, engages very well with the class, and is very kind. Will answer questions in depth and make sure students understand. Readings are assigned weekly, but she breaks them down in lecture so that we truly understand. Highly recommend.

Professor O'Connor was great! Super sweet lady and is very passionate about what she teaches. The lectures were always super interesting and meaningful. Some of the assignments can be a little difficult, but overall not too bad. Remember to stay engaged during lecture and section, everything you learn in this class is very valuable. Loved it!

If you do take this class get ready for lots of random weekly readings and if you want to know anything that's going on in the class going to lecture is something I highly recommend. Class is purely graded on 3 essays and the final project which was confusing. I took this pass/no pass because I knew this wasn't going to be an easy class.

Very eye-opening class and would recommend!! Best current events class I have taken. Has changed my outlook on the world and its processes.

Class was okay. Never really interested with her, just with our TAs. Lots of readings and lectures every week, class graded by 3 essays and class participation pretty much. Extra credit offered but I dont think it was worth much. Wouldnt take again tbh :/

Professor O'Connor chose really insightful topics and material to learn throughout the quarter. However, the class was really not too accommodating during the pandemic. There are three essays with really confusing prompts. Lots of reading every week. Mandatory Zoom section. Definitely not my favorite class.

Not much interaction with O'connor herself, only sections once a week with TA. My TA graded very hard but was helpful during section and office hours. Heavyyy reading but lectures aren't too bad on 2x speed. Grade was based on basically 3 essays, participation, and some EC offered. Probably wouldn't recommend remotely.

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!! This is by far the worst class I have ever taken at UCSB. It's so unnecessarily hard (especially for a LOWER DIVISION GE) and caused me MULTIPLE mental break downs. The essay prompts are complicated and confusing and the TAs grade extremely hard. Don't take this class unless you want it to consume every second of your life

This class was definitely my favorite I've taken at UCSB so far, but also probably one of the hardest. A ton of assigned reading each week, but a lot of it you can just skim and O'Connor goes over most of them in lecture. There are three papers, and the midterm and final both include an in-class essay. It's a hard class but you learn so much!

This is one of the best courses Ive ever taken. Im not normally a history person, but this course opened my eyes to how informative and impactful bottom up history can be. O'Connor was very available to meet and willing to help me with more than just course material. She is extremely educated and passionate, making the lectures genuinely exciting.

Professor O'Connor is such an amazing, passionate lecturer! She expects a lot from her students, but she teaches everything you will need to know. This has by far been the best class I've taken her at UCSB. However, I would only say take it if you're interested in the subject because you have to read and write three papers.

This class wasn't the worst but definitely not worth it considering it doesn't fulfill any GE's at all. There were 3 papers (you don't get a writing credit), a ton of reading, and the lectures were really boring in my opinion. The midterm and final are essays and short answers and were both pretty difficult. Also the papers are graded very harshly.

O'Connor clearly knows a bunch about what she teaches, but the class asks a lot of you for one that meets no G.E. requirements. There were at least 60 pages of reading each week, we had 3 papers , a midterm, and a final (both written). Overall, if you're passionate abt the subject, I'd recommend it, but it's not necessarily an easy A.

Professor O'Connor is a passionate lady, who is very knowledgeable in what she teaches. Yet, the class itself was rather complicated. A lot of the info you needed previous knowledge, and she talks as if we are already familiar with many of the concepts. There were 3 papers, a midterm, and final, all of which were extremely broad. Section was useful

Great person and scholar who truly cares about her students. Doing the reading and paying attention in lecture really are necessary, if you want to do better than a C. Paper prompt was a little vague, otherwise she is totally clear about her message and her expectations. Definitely recommended for hist majors and others interested in the subject.

Definitely, a lot of reading in this class but the professor is nice, the material is interesting, and the essays aren't too bad. Would definitely recommend it for a History major but maybe not for someone who is not especially certain in their essay writing abilities.

I loved this class! Professor O'Connors lectures are socratic, which I like, and utilizes slideshow presentations. She really cares about her students but is also a great teacher!

Professor OConnor really made this class enjoyable and I loved learning about current events. While the class is graded on 3 papers, the prompts arent too difficult. However, there is a bias woven throughout lectures and readings that can be difficult to respect since both sides are not argued. All in all, a great class!

Pre-recorded lectures. Biased "Historical," information. Very, very left-leaning. Echo chamber. Disagree with perspectives in class and prepare to be the outlier. Safe space in college used to mean something. That is was safe to take risks and to learn in a (safe space) to then be prepared for real life. Not anymore. The class is 100% lecture.

I feel like she purposefully writes her essay prompts to be as ambiguous and confusing as possible. In multiple cases, my TA had to verbally rephrase the prompt because the written one made absolutely no sense. Also, O'Connor is very bias. Her lectures are very one-sided and she lacks understanding of other people's viewpoints.

I'm on track to get an A but this class is very pointless. The only purpose of this class is to indoctrinate students with progressive left-wing ideology. The readings were pretty good but her lectures are almost unbearable. She spares no expense in any of the lectures to bash conservatism and provide surface-level analysis on any of the topics.

Got an A, but still don't get the point of this class. The whole lecture is an echo chamber that keeps resonating intolerance of other opinions and providing single-sided interpretation. Although EVERY professor is politically biased, I've seen professors that deal with their biases in lecture halls with class.

Prof O'Connor is passionate, spunky, and really knows what she's talking about. There is quite a bit of reading for this class (from an expensive reader) and the midterm and final required a TON of writing in a short amount of time. This class isn't super history-y (if that makes any sense) but it's good to know what's going on in current events.