Professor Farmer is a really sweet person but when it comes to teaching, she can be dry and boring. She makes conclusions about the reading she expects you to immediately understand which make the class difficult. An essay counts as your midterm. She lets you know what to study for the final. You must read and attend the discussions.
Textbook use low, focus on primary sources. I think her lectures are fine, she gives you lecture notes beforehand. Not inspiring but not terrible by any means. Sets up events like rare book exhibits outside of class, which is cool. Everybody complaining about religion: the classes are about the history of Europe. There's gonna be a lot of religion.
just wanna say that she's not nice and doesnt really care, I had to miss the first day of class for my grandma's funeral and all she emailed me back when I emailed her was "send me evidence of the event SF". I may be biased because that totally turned me off, but this class was a waste of time, more like Christian studies than history class
she's incredibly boring, I slept through most classes. I was pumped for the class subject but its proved to be my least fav. history class ever. shes not a very good history teacher, she likes people and religion, but really bad about facts and actual historical events, her essays seem open but if you dont tell her what she wants you wont do well.
While she can get caught up in her lectures and become difficult to understand it is clear that she is passionate about the material and presents it in interesting ways. Reading the primary sources is a must and the papers, midterm and final are relatively easy.
Oh, c'mon people! The subjects are by their very definition difficult. Don't blame it on the professor. yeah, she's not the best, but she doesnt make class "miserable". She gives lectures like any other professor I've ever had. She's not the most exciting lecturer, but she's not difficult to listen to by any means. Her lectures were cohesive.
So boring, talks wayyyy too much about religion since it is suppose to be a HISTORY class! Lectures are all over the place jumps from one time period to another and then back again. Grades papers way too harshly, tests are okay. She doesn't seem like she wants to be there, seems bored and removed. Will never take her again!
She was the worst professor I've ever had. History was one of my favorite subjects and she mad it the ban of my existence for the quarter.
she does not give guides to midterms and finals
This lady rambles and is all over the place in lecture. Her tone of voice is so annoying and makes you never want to go to her obscure lectures. Slides are so informal and distractive in trying to grasp basic concepts of medieval history. She couldn't make this class any more miserable.
funny personality, sarcastic and dry humor which i appreciate. loves the phrase "sugar daddy." maybe acts like she doesn't want to be there, but face it, most of us don't either. abstract lecturer. you can't just memorize dates and events, must know bigger picture of things. LOTS of notes, go to lecture. textbook unnecessary, but reader is essentia
brilliant and helpful but can get distracted sometimes. better in upper division courses. I don't understand why so many people in 4B complain about her because I thought her lectures were usually clear. she just relates better to a smaller group
She is a good teacher if you just listen and give her a chance. Take notes because she wont test you on something she doesnt mention in class. Unlike some other teachers, she wants you to come see her during office hours. I like her as a person and I felt her teaching rocked.
Man, nice lady but boooooring lecture (and I'm a Hist major!) This class was like Popes on parade. How can you teach Medieval history and ignore the black plague, witch burnings, the 100yrs war and all the cool stuff? Wanna know? Take this class.
I really enjoyed this class becasue of the subject matter, not the prof. She wasn't horrible or hard, she just was dull. Deep down she is a good person.
Test and paper topics were fair, and she was very understanding when I was sick and couldn't take the midterm on time. However, her lectures are very unorganized and she seems to have no interest whatsoever in teaching.
She seems to me to be the kind of brilliant professor who got into the profession so that she could study alone by herself and write books. Incidentally, I've read a couple of her books and they are quite good. Too bad her teaching isn't.
Horrible teacher. She is a dull and boring lecturer. She has little tolerance for questions and will give them condescending answers. She tests on things she didn't really cover in class.
i hated her. i hated going to lecture because she hated giving them. i never understood a freakin word that came out of that woman's mouth. horrible, horrible professor. she should find herself another job. the way she talked even annoyed me.
Very unorganized lectures. Farmer looked like she wanted to be someplace else during lecturs. Not difficult, but you will have no idea what to study.
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A good TA makes all the difference...she's obviously VERY smart, but clearly doesn't like teaching large lecture courses. Exams are fair, mostly info from lecture.
40 minute lectures every week in an hour and fifteen minute period. This is a woman who clearly hates her job and hates you. Ask a question and she will make an a** out of you in front of the class. Ask her to slow down, get the evil eye.
Horrible class...