Andrew Norris

69 reviews
Get ready to read Skip class? You won't pass. Tough grader Lecture heavy Hilarious Caring Graded by few things Accessible outside class Amazing lectures Inspirational Beware of pop quizzes Participation matters Would take again Gives good feedback Lots of homework Respected Clear grading criteria Test heavy
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POLS189 . 25 Days Ago

I've taken a couple of classes from Professor Norris and he honestly gets a lot more flack than he deserves. He's very passionate about what he teaches and makes his lectures very engaging. There is a lot of reading and most of it is very dense but he does his best to go over the main points. He's also always accessible outside of class.

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PS110 . A Month Ago

ppl say hes condescending but he lowkey isn't. hes goofy asf and anxious about being a good teacher. He answers questions super well and thoroughly. Honestly if you do the reading and pay attention it's not super hard, but sometimes grading is tough. Makes difficult content fun & made me actually enjoy political theory classes. love him!

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PS110 . 4 Months Ago

Prof. Norris is passionate about what he teaches and genuinely wants students to succeed. The readings are dense but usually make sense after lecture. Norris created an optional discussion section when students expressed need for more clarification and keeps class interesting with his jokes. Definitely recommend taking his classes.

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POLI188 . 1 Year, 10 Months Ago

I really loved Norris. He is an engaging lecturer with a great sense of humor. The class was hard and there was a lot of reading, but most of the reading is decently easy to understand. He was very kind and accommodating whenever I emailed him or went to office hours. Essay prompts were clear and easy to write about. He is clear about expectations.

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POLS188 . 2 Years Ago

Genuinely an awful professor. Super condescending when questions are asked, gets sidetracked easily in lectures. The prompts on his essays are very complicated and confusing, and when you ask questions about the prompt he gives very vague answers. I very very rough grader, and his tests are so difficult. Honestly this was the worst experience.

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POLI188 . 2 Years Ago

Take this class if you hate yourself and you have an unshakeable sense of self-esteem when it comes to political theory. Initially, I loved this class but because Norris is a tenured professor he doesn't give a flying fadoodle about whether you stay or go. People who love theory hate this class, that should say enough.

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POLI188 . 2 Years Ago

Norris is a great professor. He cares about his student if you care about the class. Heavy read them and go to office hours a lot. If you try, you will succeed.

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POLS188 . 2 Years Ago

Norris is a great lecturer but presents confusing prompts regarding the papers. He expects a specific argument from the student without clearly stating his expectations. He is also a condescending professor. If you want more structured lectures, I recommend Norris, as he only uses the blackboard and gets sidetracked with questions.

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POLS1 . 3 Years Ago

I literally hate this man. Thinks he is one of the great thinkers and is super mean. Calls you out in front of the whole class if you get a question wrong even if you're trying. Grading criteria makes 0 sense and the TA's he provides are even worse than him. Not understanding in the least. HW is super hard and 0 credit if wrong. Don't take him fr

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POLS1 . 5 Years Ago

I LOVE Professor Norris. He's such a great dude, and his passion for philosophy is awe-inspiring. He's also adorable!! In his class, you'll work hard, learn a lot, and get a solid foundation for political philosophy, which has helped me in life areas other than politics. He's the best!!!!!!!

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POLS1 . 5 Years Ago

Prof Norris is such a nice guy and a great lecturer. Graded on weekly assignments that are not hard if you do the readings, midterm, final paper, and participation. No iclicker but he elaborates on everything in lecture so you should def go. Easy to stay engaged with his lectures, he is really funny. So glad I took his class!

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POLS1 . 5 Years Ago

Professor Norris is amongst my top 2 favorite professors at UCSB. No PS1 isn't easy, but it's enjoyable especially because Norris is so good at political philosophy. His lectures engage with the material enough to understand the material perfectly.

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