HIEA 2031

Amazing class. Prof Reed is a fantastic lecturer. Information is very interesting and relevant. Definitely recommend taking this class!

Professor Reed was amazing, and intensely knowledgeable on the material. Extremely appraochable and always willing to help during office hours. Grades consisted of a midterm made up of 5 IDs and 1 essay (all of which were given a week beforehand), an 8 page compare and contrast paper, a final with the same format as the first midterm except with one additional essay, and discussion grading. The TA-led discussion grading caught me off guard, as it did with most others, because they were lower than we all thought they would be, so always speak up during discussions, even if the thought seems trivial. Exam grading was fair and based on knowledge drawn mostly upon class and discussion. Overall, would recommend this class to anyone, including 1st years, and I look forward to taking other classes with Professor Reed in the future.

I took this course my first semester, first year and I'm so glad I did. Although I wish I'd kept up with the readings more, this was an incredible class with an incredible professor. I was so sad for it to end and it's made me 100000x more interested in China. I now want to do foreign affairs in China because of this course. Dr. Reed is so knowledgeable and passionate. Definitely do the readings (Out of Mao's Shadow is an amazing book) and study a lot for the midterm and final. Dr. Reed sometimes brings his dog to class (his name is Leo) and it's great. I HIGHLY recommend this class to anyone and everyone.

Great class. You can skim through the readings but pay attention in lecture because he brings up interesting topics. There's one paper but it's pretty easy to BS. And cram for the midterm/final and you'll do fine.

I loved this class. You'll learn a lot about Modern China, as Professor Reed is very knowledgeable about the subject and an amazing lecturer. He even tries to connect with his students in lecture at times, which can be intimidating but isn't too bad. He's a very nice man and a good teacher. I took this the first semester my first year.

There may be 50-100 pages of reading a week from a textbook and a book of primary sources which will be talked about in the discussion section. However, they aren't that bad, and if you skim or skip a few you will still do fine. The discussions aren't bad either, just try to speak at least once. The essay, midterm, and final are all doable, just consult with your TA about your essay if you're unsure. He gives a study guide for the exams, ID's and essays which will actually be on the test, so do those and you'll be fine!

One of the best classes at U.Va. Reed is one of the best lecturers you'll ever have- he basically has the entire history of China memorized and incorporates some really cool personal stories from his time working and living in China in the 80s. 2 BlueBook tests (which are easy to cram for) and an 8-page paper. It helps to do the reading but by the end I stopped doing it and was still able to cram well for the Final. Decent class for first years too

I took this my first semester first year. For one, I hated history in high school, but being Chinese, I wanted to learn more about my culture and past. I read really good reviews about professor Reed before school started and decided to take the course. I can say that I really enjoyed this course. Professor Reed is amazing at lecturing ,and he always makes sure to keep the lecture interesting. I rarely ever felt bored during lectures and it was a relatively big class.

Weekly work load: There are like 4 books required for this class, and each of them are used at some point. The most important book (in my opinion) was Schoppa - it's the textbook and provided a lot of extra information that Professor Reed may not have gone over. The textbook is definitely the most useful. The next most useful book is Cheng - it has a lot of primary sources that can be useful when taking tests/essays. The other two books - stories of Lu Xun and another book (I don't know what it's called, I never read it) - aren't really used much. We spent like a week reading some parts of the Lu Xun novel and the other novel we were supposed to read, but it was never tested.

Discussion: I had Zach Hoffman as my discussion TA. I think he's better than the other two TAs as he has TAed for this course before. Really chill, cool guy. One thing about discussion: on the first day Hoffman said that if you dont talk at all, you get a check minus for the day. If you talk once or twice, you get a check. If you talk a lot, you get a check plus. The grading for discussion is pretty arbitrary and unclear, so just try to talk as much as you can, even if what you want to say isn't particularly analytical.

Tests: There are only two tests, both very fair. About a week before the test, Reed puts up a study guide with all the info you need for tests. Tests are split between IDs and essays. All the IDs are already on the study guide (he chooses 4-5 from the study guide, which has 20-30). The essays are even based on the study guide. Honestly a very fair test policy, and as long as you study, you are on track for a B+/A- at least.

Essay: One essay (6-8 pages) around middle of semester. This was the hardest part of the course. We got the prompt two weeks before it was due and I only could work on it the weekend before it was due. The essay ended up being my worst grade of everything in the class, mainly because it wasn't clear what they wanted/what they expected from the essay (as it was the only one).

Overall awesome class, awesome professor - definitely take it! Hope this review helps anyone on the border.

Brad Reed is an incredibly engaging professor. His lectures felt like story time, they were linear and they were incredibly interesting and I enjoyed them. The tests are incredibly fair because they give you everything you need to know on a review sheet about 1.5 weeks ahead of exams. I memorized those review sheets inside and out and was able to get a low A on both tests. Unfortunately, I became frustrated after the 30% essay. Reed graded my paper personally and had some less than constructive criticism to give back. He also challenged a lot the citations I used even though I took quotes directly from the book. I did not receive a good grade on that paper. In the end I was able to get an A-, and despite my frustrations, do recommend the class. Just hope one of the easy TA's grades your paper

Prof. Reed is very engaging and intelligent. He witnessed key events in Chinese history and clearly cares about the topic. Writing this review a semester after I took it, I can say that the information I learned has been useful. This class is one that most students should take as understanding where China has been and where it is going is very important.

Took this class as a first year based on other reviews here on CourseForum. I have to say, not enjoying history in high school and worried about the college reading I would have to do, I ended up loving this class. He is very engaging and has spent a lot of time in China, so his personal anecdotes really draw in the class. He gives a midterm, paper, and final, and you are given a study guide for the midterm and the final. I went into the class knowing nearly nothing about China...and came out feeling a lot more worldly and interested! Take this class! Even if you are not going to be a history major (like me), it is definitely worth while!