HIST 3352

This was the first semester that the class on World War One was offered, and it was a real shame. Very disorganized, and you could tell Professor Thompson didn't like how it was going. However, where I think she could have tried to salvage it midway through, she didn't. I'm sure she is a brilliant woman, but this class just really wasn't one that I enjoyed or got much out of. Out of over 30 classes I've reviewed, this is the worst.

This class exceeded expectations. I feel like I have acquired a masterful knowledge of World War I and its legacy. Professor Thompson is an expert with the subject matter and is passionate about doing this course justice at the war's centennial. She wants her students to be excited and covers a broad swath of the war's history. The first half of the semester covered the military and political history of the war, with the second half consisting of case studies regarding the war's impact on Europe and the wider world. Grades consist of an in-class midterm (IDs and essay), a short paper on reading done independently, and a final exam (in-class IDs, take-home essay). She assigns an overwhelming amount of reading for the class- almost all of which is tertiary source reading- and hardly any of it is necessary to do well. The teaching is structured interestingly, in that objective facts of the First World War are taught in lecture, while readings make arguments regarding the sub-topics. Most classes are straight lectures, though some are split into a lecture at the beginning and a discussion at the end. She will usually announce these discussions ahead of time, and it is useful to skim the readings for these discussions for the sake of participation points. All in all, this class was fascinating and informative, was well-structured for a new course, had an excellent professor, and (in my opinion) did justice to the war's centennial.