Robert Borgen - University of California Davis

Professor: Robert Borgen
Department: Languages
College: University of California Davis
Rating # 1
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 1.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
He is amazing! I had lots of fun in his class. You just have to get used to it because it may seem a little bit odd.
Rating # 2
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Bad prof, simply put. Thankfully, Borgen is apparently retiring either after this year or the next. Either way, a generation of JPN history students will be spared his horrible teaching ability. Borgen is the epitome of the ineffective, archaic Uni Prof that would rather spend days researching than teaching. Not hard but do not expect to learn.
Rating # 3
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Pretentious, disorganized, rants, and goes off on tangents. Readings were beyond demanding. You have to be smart about what you choose to read. Do not attempt to do all reading bcuz it is both impossible and unnecessary. Exams were hard insofar that if you chose not to do his mindless/useless reading, then you would suffer. Not recommended, EVER.
Rating # 4
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Very disorganized in lecture, does not go into detail when explaining terms, ideas, names, or events, and expects you to read a lot of the material, but never goes over it in class. The reading for the class was a lot, but it is almost impossible to identify specific passages on the test. Overall, an "ok" teacher, but not recommended.
Rating # 5
Overview:
  • Course: JPN101
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Pretentious, scatter-brained, and enjoys belittling students. Asks stupid questions that lead to no critical analysis. Not hard if readings are done though. Avoid if sleeping in lectures is a particular affliction.
Rating # 6
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
A little disorganized at times, but the man knows what he's talking about and pushes for students to get meaning out of the material. There is a lot of reading and the tests are packed, but if you do the reading and go through it again before the test you should do fine - he's a fair grader. I wish he was teaching 194B and not Kim...
Rating # 7
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
The class would have been easy if I had more time to read all the books required. Sometimes his lectures were confusing because he seemed to be all over the place, or jumped back and forth. There was too much to write in a short amount of time for the tests. If you do the readings and remember dates, you'll be fine on the tests.
Rating # 8
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.5
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
He obviously enjoys the material quite a lot and knows all sorts of things that make it more interesting. You definitely have to read the books and be able to take tests quickly. But if you are willing to put in the effort, you will be amazed to look back at the end of the quarter and realize how much you learned.
Rating # 9
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
He is a good guy but there is ridiculous amounts of reading and the tests are extremely difficult to predict. Run far far away unless you have amazing study habits and can read dry material indefinately
Rating # 10
Overview:
  • Course: HIS9B
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Take good notes during his lecture and you'll do fine on tests. So don't miss out on lecture! The readings can be a bit boring, but they get better toward the end of the course. It's a good class overall.
Rating # 11
Overview:
  • Course: JPN141
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
He is very proud of being an "old-school" professor. You just can't help but work hard for this man because you want to say "HA!" to his face. (Though you probably shouldn't). Knows more about old-style Kanji then any Japanese native I know. I would give A+ to this one heck of a professor any day.
Rating # 12
Overview:
  • Course: JPN101
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 1.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: Yes
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Possibly the worst teacher I have had in ANY of my college years. Does not describe anything well, asks irritating rhetorical questions, and is incredibly disorganized. He also makes people feel small and will make rude comments to students. I hope I never have a class with him, EVER again. No one shows up to class because he is so terrible.
Rating # 13
Overview:
  • Course: HIS9B
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
very infectious laugh lecture towards the final are confusing and hard to keep up with because he quotes from book that aren't important. tests are straight fwd although can be arduous to memorize all the info. easy to fall asleep in class as a historian, not that good since he always says 'i'm not sure' or 'i don't know'
Rating # 14
Overview:
  • Course: HIS009B
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 3.5
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Very interesting teacher; his tests are pretty easy.. if you just read the literature, know all the key terms and their significance, and pay attention in class, it's a pretty easy A (for the midterm and final). His lectures are easy to fall asleep in if you're already tired, but if you give a little effort and pay attetion, they can be interesting
Rating # 15
Overview:
  • Course: HIS009B
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.0
  • Course Difficulty: 4.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Of course his tests were essay based, this is a history class! I found Borgen's lectures to be very fun, even if they were a bit overwhelming. This was a good introduction to Japanese history.
Rating # 16
Overview:
  • Course: HIS9B
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.0
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
lets just put it this way: if he was the only one who taught a required class for my major and it was the last class i needed for my degree, i'd change my major. im not bitter, i got a high B in the class, but this guy should not be teaching. he knows what hes talking about, but cant relay it to the students. i stopped going to class its that bad.
Rating # 17
Overview:
  • Course: HIS9B
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.5
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
For anyone who wants to take this class because it suffices three topical breadths, WEIGH your other options first. Lectures are long, reading is huge, tests are essay based. Not too bad if you enjoy reading, but class is not a breeze. Lectures also are very random.
Rating # 18
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 4.5
  • Course Difficulty: 3.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Pretty good class but a lot of reading. The tests are pretty long too. If you pay attention, you'll be fine...which isn't always that easy. Overall interesting and worth taking
Rating # 19
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194B
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 5.0
  • Course Difficulty: 2.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
He's a good professor. I respect his teaching style. I must admit, his jokes keep you very awake if you're not into history. Borgen is a good teacher who is definately interested in the topics he teaches. I think his book he wrote was pretty good, it worked well with what we learned in class.
Rating # 20
Overview:
  • Course: HIS194A
  • Grade Received: N/A
  • Overall Rating: 2.5
  • Course Difficulty: 5.0
  • For Credit: N/A
  • Textbook Used: N/A
  • Would Take Again: N/A
  • Attendance: N/A
Comment:
Lectures don't come up at all on tests but you have to go. Its all reading. Assigns his own mediocre book, along with alot of other reading. Collects questions on reading in lecture, to ensure attendance, and then questions people on their questions at the next lecture, again for attendance.
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