HIEA 2031

Professor Reed could not be more knowledgeable about the subject he's teaching. His lectures were super interesting and engaging. He's the kind of professor who hardly needs notes. The tests and essay are tough but doable if you go to class and listen and read.

Professor Reed definitely engages the class with his lectures, although there was a fair amount of reading to do with this class (as with most history courses). I felt that the class was graded a bit too harshly (TAs and Reed looked for a lot of information/dates), but overall pretty interesting. If you want to go with the easiest Non-Western Perspective, this probably isn't it, but I still highly recommend it.

This was my first and probably only history class at UVA and I can't think of a better one. I took this class because I wanted to learn more about my parent's upbringing in China and because China is obviously super relevant on the world stage today. I appreciated Professor Reed's engaging lectures and his use of multimedia. I think the class is what you make of it, cause I made it through by only attending lecture and occasionally doing readings but definitely would've learned even more if I did the weekly readings. Really enjoyed the book Young China that he had us read about the post-1990s generation of young Chinese. Also, take the class with TA Stephanie Lawton she is the BEST!!! #tCF2020

I'm currently taking Chinese and thought that in order to learn the language I should probably learn more about China's history while knocking out a history requirement as well. Taking a history class at UVA definitely made me nervous, I am not that confident in my writing skills and I heard history classes can be very writing-heavy. This class consisted of 1 midterm, a 5-7-page paper, and a final. Both the final and the midterms consisted of 5 identification questions and an essay (2 essays for the final). This class is definitely doable, professor Reed is an extremely engaging lecturer (just make sure you use his lecture outlines to follow along). There was a ton of reading assigned and at the beginning, I tried to read it all but it proved to be almost impossible unless you were willing to spend over 4 hours a week reading. The readings are necessary to participate in discussion but not required to know on exams or anything like that, mostly they just help reinforce what Reed talks about in the lecture. Overall I would definitely recommend this class! I came in knowing absolutely NOTHING about Chinese history and I mean nothing! and now I feel a lot more confident in my abilities to take a history class, write history papers and learn something that I know nothing about!

Dr Reed is my favorite professor at UVA thus far. His lectures are extremely engaging, and he manages to tell a story in his lectures while sticking closely to the outlines he provides. The readings for this class can be pretty intense at times, yet as long as you pay attention to the lectures, you can skim the readings and still do well. There was one paper, but it was fairly easy and my TA (Calhoun) graded it leniently. The exams were online and timed but simple and very doable in their time limit. Overall this is a great history class and gives great context to understanding China today.

Professor Reed is a very engaging lecturer and I very much enjoyed his class. I wasn't sure how much I would like this class going in, but I learned a ton and this class definitely changed the way I view China and gave me a much better understanding of the country's culture and governing style. The only three grades in this class are a midterm, essay, and final (and a participation grade for discussion). Professor Reed makes the midterm and final easy to study for by giving detailed study guides (the midterm and final are both open note as well). My essay and final were graded by my TA (Jake Calhoun), while my midterm was graded by Professor Reed. Reed is definitely much harsher in his grading but he will definitely not wreck your grade. Readings for this class take quite a while to complete, although it isn't necessary to read them in their entirety. The only concern I had was about how Mao was covered - sometimes Professor Reed was far too generous as he tried to separate Mao's ideas from his actions. Mao was responsible for the deaths of millions of people - largely due to his faulty ideas - and that absolutely should not be downplayed. Overall though, I really enjoyed this class and I learned a ton. Definitely recommend if you're trying to fulfill a requirement or have extra space in your schedule.

This course was so informative and interesting. Professor Reed is so knowledgeable and interesting. I really respect him and loved his class. You learn about the reality of a lot of misconceptions we have about China as Americans. Professor Reed has spent a good amount of time in studying in China so it doesn't just feel like one of those classes where an old white man rambles about a foreign culture he doesn't really understand. I really trust his perspective. There is kind of a lot of reading but I didn't do all of it and ended with an A- (I also had a lot going on this semester outside of school). If you are into history I think this is a really great class to take.

The professor is a great lecturer and the information is interesting, especially if you didn't know a ton about Chinese history beforehand. My advice for this class is to make sure to take very detailed notes during lectures, since those will be helpful during the open-note midterm and final. The midterm and final, being open-note, were not too difficult, especially since we got a list of potential IDs and practice essays beforehand. The paper was also not too hard. The readings were pretty short, maybe 2 hours a week. I definitely recommend doing them though to be able to participate in discussion. I really enjoyed this course and learned a lot. I highly recommend this class even for non-history people.

My favorite professor this semester, good sense of humor and manages to make his lectures very engaging. He is well-versed and passionate about the material he is teaching which pushes you to care as well. No homework aside from the readings and a discussion section. Overall would highly recommend the course.

Professor Reed is immensely qualified to teach this course and makes lectures enjoyable. He moves quickly so it is easy at times to get lost in lecture but if you keep up with the readings it makes things easier to understand. The class isn't super easy but it is a class where I have learned a lot. Professor Reed gives interesting perspectives on China and the readings were really interesting. A lot of your grade will be dependent upon your TA, but as long as you actively participate, they will at least understand who you are and where you're coming from and generally be more lenient. I recommend this course to other history majors, but not necessarily people who are just filling a requirement and expect that the class will be an easy A.