Michael Saler - University of California Davis

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Michael Saler - University of California Davis

Professor: Michael Saler

Department: History

College: University of California Davis

Rating # 1

Overview:

Course: HIS146
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

His lecture are soooooooooooooooo dense and so are the readings. Power points also do not have much to offer which makes it hard to follow. Also repeats himself a lot? which makes following him even harder

Rating # 2

Overview:

Course: HIS147
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 1.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Do not recommend. Overall a very strict professor and demands a lot from the students. I was able to receive a relatively good grade in the class but only because I have to work extra hard. Lectures are dull and boring, and he sometimes mumbles and slurs his words which makes you hard to understand. Also no experience in online teaching, was a mess

Rating # 3

Overview:

Course: HIS004C
Grade Received: A+
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I absolutely loved this class with Prof. Saler. His lectures have a lot of passion and energy behind them and the material seemed very relevant despite being a history class. He prepared us well for the exams, which were done via blue book and were generally in an ID/short essay format. Tons of reading, but it was all interesting in some way.

Rating # 4

Overview:

Course: HIS147B
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Really a fantastic professor. An expert on cultural and artistic history, and gives inspiring lectures. Probably the most reading I've done for an undergrad course, but the material is so edifying that I didn't even mind. Prompts are difficult but take good notes and go to lecture and you'll get an A. Funny and accessible outside of class.

Rating # 5

Overview:

Course: HIS004C
Grade Received: B-
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Took Michael Saler in Fall 2017 for HIS 4C. He was a good lecturer and most of it went over the readings from the textbook. You can pass the class if you read or go to lecture. Weekly quizzes based on readings, essays based on novels assigned and connecting them to certain topics on the class. Easy if you put in the work.

Rating # 6

Overview:

Course: HIST147A
Grade Received: B+
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

He's an amazing lecturer. Incredibly intelligent and insightful, very accessible and caring. The class was difficult, though. We read a lot of really dense material. Lots of novels. Lectures can feel a tad long some days, but overall he's a great professor. It's just a lot of work. Essay prompts are really broad, but he gives you a study guide.

Rating # 7

Overview:

Course: 147C
Grade Received: A+
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

What people say about inspirational speakers is definitely true of professor Saler. His lectures just hooked me in. They are definitely heavy, and he goes through multiple points in one session, but they are extremely interesting. He is very responsive to emails and is always attentive during his OHs. I would definitely recommend him.

Rating # 8

Overview:

Course: HIS147C
Grade Received: B+
Overall Rating: 3.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: No
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

interesting class, but it's easy to miss the themes/key points of lectures because he goes so fast. Weekly reading responses, midterm and final submitted online. Midterm was 2 essays and 5 term id's in class, while take home final was a 10 page paper for which he gave us 10 days notice (the nine days were the weekend before finals and finals week!)

Rating # 9

Overview:

Course: HIS4C
Grade Received: A+
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

His lectures are interesting and you have to attend them to understand what's going on in the class. Your grade pretty much depends on your TAs though because they will be grading your papers and exams.

Rating # 10

Overview:

Course: 147B
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

The workload is intensive, but I got a lot out of this class. The lectures are really intriguing but there is a lot packed into each one, so don't hesitate to stop by his office hours to flesh out ideas. The reading and lecture material was engrossing, and Professor Saler himself is very personable and talkative. Highly recommend.

Rating # 11

Overview:

Course: 147A
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Prof. Saler is the best lecturer I've had at UCD. He has genuine passion for intellectual history and does an amazing job conveying the information. His lectures are very old school but very effective. I could listen to him talk about Hegel for hours! Reading is heavy and the grader you get will determine the overall difficulty of the class.

Rating # 12

Overview:

Course: HIST4C
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Saler is a very engaging lecturer, but he speaks very quickly so you have to pay close attention. Grade was based on 2 essays, 1 midterm, 1 final, and online textbook quizes. He gave a very generous study guide for the exams, which are bluebook. The class involves LOTS of reading, around 5 books plus the textbook--so be prepared to read.

Rating # 13

Overview:

Course: HIS147C
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 4.5
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Any history student at Davis needs to take a class with Saler. He's such a great lecturer and he teaches cultural history, so it's not just about dates and events. His paper topics are hard, but they really prompt you to think and really apply what was learned in class. He's extremely approachable and easy to talk to during office hours.

Rating # 14

Overview:

Course: 46661
Grade Received: INC
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I absolutely love this class... I am a total history nerd but even if I wasn't this would still be my most interesting, mental challenging courses. Saler is hilarious and you get to learn random cool history facts at the same time. It it a challenging course but part of the midterm is like an AP Euro FRQ. Saler is the best.

Rating # 15

Overview:

Course: HIS4C
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

professor saler was very engaging and passionate about what he was talking about. he was considerate about the students' concerns. there was way too much reading, but the class was manageable. the class was interesting, and saler is brilliant. he really made his4c an interesting class. he talks fast though, so don't doze off or you'll miss things.

Rating # 16

Overview:

Course: A04HIS4C
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 2.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This professor is absolute crap. Granted he knows what he's talking about. But if you enjoy political history don't take this class. All he ever focuses on are the cultural and artistic aspects of history. I am a history major and I will never take a class from this professor again. He wastes time explaining his own opinion and is super confusing

Rating # 17

Overview:

Course: HIS4C
Grade Received: A-
Overall Rating: 4.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Great professor! Very clear lectures, and I loved the way we read literature that went along with the time period we were studying. It is a lot of work to get a good grade, so make sure to study a lot before the exams, and to spend a lot of time on the essays. Participate in lectures and do well on quizzes, because they can be huge grade boosters.

Rating # 18

Overview:

Course: HIS147
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He's a brilliant instructor, but his grading (or maybe his TA's) is rather harsh. Study a lot, do all the readings, go to class, and you should be fine. His class is a lot of work, but it was interesting and I learned a lot. His sense of humor is unique, but very funny.

Rating # 19

Overview:

Course: HIS004C
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 2.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is a skilled, engaging lecturer, but he makes his TAs do all of the work. The reading was outrageous for a history class (too much, and not of the right subjects). I personally did not like him as a professor, but I wouldn't suggest avoiding his classes. Just keep these things in mind if you're considering him, and if they bother you or not.

Rating # 20

Overview:

Course: HIS4C
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 2.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I really loved the way he lectured. Very captivating and he really knew his stuff. Interesting class. A lot of reading, but interesting stuff. I thought I was going to get a worse grade but I ended up getting an A. Definitely recommended :)

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