HIUS 2061

I am going to suggest two keys to succeeding in this class. Go to every lecture! This may seem obvious to many, but I am consistently surprised by the number of students who find attending class to be beyond their scope as students. The second recommendation may be uncomfortable for many UVA students, because it's not part of the culture here. Find a handful of students and form a study/exam review group! Compare notes, discuss the key concepts from the readings and lecture. This is a class that requires real thought to succeed in, and sharing different perspectives can make all the difference. I learned this lesson the hard way: I only formed a study group after the first exam, and my score on that test prevented me from getting an A in the class. Also, this is absolutely a history class and while it's on the topic of economics, most ECON students may find it light on economic concepts.

Mark Thomas is a REALLY great lecturer and his class was very interesting. However, taking this class as a first year who only had some interest in American Economic History was a huge mistake. His tests are incredibly difficult (and hyper-specific) and can cover a huge amount of material, so you have to study a lot without knowing what will be on the exam. It is really challenging to get a good grade. If you are a first year/non-history major stay away from this class, your GPA will thank you.

Mark Thomas is a great lecturer and it is clear how passionate he is about his subject. However, do not be deceived in how great of a lecturer he is when you find out about how you are tested in the course. There are 2 mid-term exams (one in September and one in October) that cover the first few topics of the course respectively with each weighted at 25%. Next, you have the final exam which is 50% split into 2 parts a third midterm and a comprehensive portion where you have to write 5 essays out of a choice of 7 in under 2 hours. The format for the midterms is exactly the same for all 3 where there is a part A (known as IDs), part B (source analysis), and part C (an essay out of a choice of 3). Luckily, for those who are interested the exams are curved which is beneficial. I do not recommend taking this course if you are a first year despite it being 2000 level as it is difficult for that level. Only take this course if you are good at memorizing a lot of information and or you are passionate about American Economic History but do not for the sake of the professor.
#tCFfall22

I feel that this course should be titled "A Statistical History of U.S. Economics" or "Historical Research of American Economics" because the course focuses on how different historians have estimated historical economic figures for the U.S. and the merits & critiques of their approach. This is a very traditional class - the professor talking the entire time, you are expected to read many pages of dry historical content, and exams are written in blue books. If you know you won't be able to motivate yourself to read content like that, I advise you to take a different HIUS course. Also be forewarned: the professor will present an approach, everyone will write down what he's writing on the board and try to absorb it as fact, then he states that this approach was all wrong. Everyone kind of groaned at this at the beginning of the semester until we learned to expect it.

This course was a lot of good things and a lot of not incredible things. Professor Thomas is by and far the best lecturer I've ever had. He is so enthusiastic about the most mundane of topics (like wheat and cotton cultivation) and actively is weaving a story, full of twists and turns. He teaches in a way of making sure you don't believe everything he says, because the whole course is basically one big "Well, that's not the whole story". The grading was pretty steep, as your whole grade was 2 midterms and a final. The actual material was a balance between pretty interesting economic relations, the development of infrastructure, and the steepest lulls ever, such as discussing wheat. The readings for this course were extremely dense and mostly uninteresting at times, and he pulls some of the exam IDs from the textbook, as well as all of the quote/idea IDs from the primary source packet, so it's not something you can actively blow off. He also doesn't post lecture notes, use slides of any kind, or basically give any bones on Collab if you happen to miss class, so be sure to get someone who can send notes if you miss class for any reason. The class was very interesting and TAUGHT extremely well. Decently difficult but rewarding

hated this class. don't take it

Pretty fun class, and since the course focuses mainly on history over economics, it overlaps significantly with stuff you've learned about US history since grade school (unless you're an international student of course, in which case this class will be significantly harder for you). Lectures were typically quite interesting, but Thomas does talk quite fast and uses a lot of data, so I suggest taking notes on a laptop if you're a fast typer and then just taking pictures of the board and inserting them into your notes file. 3 exams (more like 4 because the final has 2 separate sections, but they're taken at the same time) determine your entire grade in the class, and (except the second half of the final) are broken down into three sections: term ID (people, organizations, events, laws, etc.), short answers relating to the packet readings, and an essay. The last part of the final was just writing something like 3 or more essays in a few hours.
You'll have to buy a reading packet for this class — don't skip this one, because as previously mentioned, a good portion of the tests cover content exclusively from it and it contains various articles that it'd be very difficult to find externally. However, I almost never read the textbook and still ended up with an A- in the class, which I primarily credit to my study group, which was super helpful. It's probably best to take this class with friends like I did; you can divvy up work (my knowledge of the readings for the final came exclusively from summaries that a friend wrote up for us) and cover things that the others miss.

Professor Thomas is an amazing lecturer and so passionate about the subject. It's definitely a hard class - After spending extra time studying for the exams and meeting with Professor Thomas for paper help, I ended up with an A. If you put in the work and are genuinely interested in the subject, then you will definitely do well in the class. One of my favorite classes at UVA!

Professor Thomas is the most amazing lecturer you could ask for. He is extremely enthusiastic and funny and lectures fly by. There are hefty readings due each week, however, there are only two midterms and a final so how regularly you read is up to you. The exams are mostly reading based so reading the textbook and reading packet are very helpful. The exams are hard but they are curved. Overall this is an amazing class and I highly recommend, but keep in mind its not an easy A and there is lots of reading.

Professor Thomas is awesome. Definitely one of the best lecturers at UVA. He's hilarious and super easy to talk to in office hours. The course material is interesting for the most part. This is a really enjoyable class for the most part, but it's certainly not easy. There is an extensive amount of reading and the tests are all handwritten essay questions with significant time pressure that are worth a substantial amount of your grade. The syllabus says there are 2 midterms worth 25% each and a final worth 50%, but the final exam is split into a 3rd midterm and a cumulative final. If you stay on top of everything, it's definitely possible to get an A, but it's super tough. Exams are 5 ID questions, 3 one paragraph essay questions and a 1-2 page essay question. To prepare for the midterms: 1) Take great notes in lecture. This is essential, because he posts nothing online at all. Your only resources are lectures, readings and his office hours. 2) Read the PACKET readings thoroughly and be able to explain the main ideas, arguments, conclusions, etc. The packet readings are what you're tested on. The textbook readings are helpful, but you have to prioritize the packet readings. The cumulative portion of the final exam was a series of essay questions that all had to be about 2 blue book pages long. You have 2 hours to do it. The questions focus on the broad themes of the course. Honestly, it's hard to prepare for this if you didn't understand earlier material. Main takeaways: 1) Do not miss class and always take notes. 2) Do all the packet readings thoroughly. 3) Write faster than you've ever written before! It's an intensive class, but it's worth it if you're willing to put the work in.

Thomas is a very engaging lecturer. This class is very interesting, but is definitely not a GPA booster. Tests are very difficult and Thomas is a strict grader. Make sure you actually read all the documents in the packet he gives you if you want to do well on the tests.

This class has been my favorite so far. I took this first semester, first year. I randomly signed up for it because my sucky enrollment time didn't allow me to get Econ 201 so I wanted to take something related to economics (intended major). I did not know that course forum existed at this time, but if I had, I wouldn't have taken it because of the low average GPA. It is a blessing that I didn't know about course forum because I loved this class and ended up doing fairly well for such a difficult class as a first year (B+). Professor Thomas is awesome. His accent makes everything very interesting. Just make sure you do all the reading because the identifications at the beginning of each exam will be small details from reading or maybe lecture. Do not skip lecture (you won't want to anyway). If you do have to miss, make sure you get the notes from someone. Also, the two midterms make up 50% of your grade combined and the final is 50% so there is not a lot of room for error. Don't let the difficulty scare you away- you won't regret it... but don't be expecting an A.

Great lecturer, but at times make the subject matter more difficult than it needs to be. Tests are ridiculously difficult. Definitely not a GPA booster.

Keep in mind, this is cross-listed as ECON 2060, but I took at as HIUS. I have to say that I really enjoyed the lectures. Mark Thomas is a great professor and a really funny guy. However, it's clear he really cares about the subject material that he's teaching. While the lectures are great, you have to pay attention and take great notes, because come test time you're going to need it all. There's no other outside work other than reading. It was definitely my most time consuming class considering all the readings and studying for the tests (10 hours+ of studying a few days out; could be daunting for a first-year) Here are some tips that I recommend:

- You may want to consider taking ECON 2010 before taking this course, there's a lot of Econ lingo that he explains, assuming you have no prior knowledge, but it can be tough if you're not Econ savvy and do not have some background in it.
- Go to every lecture and take notes on notes on notes from the lectures and make sure you know the big themes.
- Read and study the packet readings with the same amount of effort as you do the lecture notes.
- Don't bother with the textbook, his lectures are essentially the textbook content and it's a very expensive book (I rarely used it).
- Study in a group after you've gone over the notes yourself.
- Make sure you answer the full question and provide any specific details you can remember on the tests that support your argument. That will get you more points.

Overall, this was a rewarding class, and in hindsight I'm very glad I took it. The tests and final especially can really be stressful, but if you study hard you'll be fine. The grading isn't as bad, just make sure you give them positive things to grade.

Thomas is a spectacular lecturer and professor. On top of that, the classes are interesting and engaging. You feel like you learn something important every time you sit down. That being said, I WOULD NOT recommend this class to any first years. I tried taking this in my first semester and truly regret it. Despite feeling like you've learned a lot, your grade will not reflect it and it is not an encouraging way to start your college career. If you're willing to take on a challenge, go for it knowing you'll be satisfied but be warned that it will be a struggle to convert that knowledge into a grade that will satisfy you. Take it after you've got some college classes under your belt and you're ready to battle.

Fantastic Professor very easy to stay engaged in lecture. Take good notes and do the packet reading and you will do well. Every test will have a few points dedicated to textbook reading but not worth the time in my opinion.

Thomas is very charming and makes lectures as fun as learning about the economy can be. His class is a little more difficult than most because he stands at the front of the room and talks from notes he's made for himself. Without lecture slides it was hard for me to get a general idea for how the concepts fit together. But, I'm more of a visual learner, so if you're into the whole auditory learning thing you should have no problem. No day-to-day homework, so little effort required overall, but he makes up for it by upping the difficulty of the exams. Your success in this class will heavily depend on how much you show up to the lectures and how well you can take notes for yourself. Side note to first years: unless you have previous experience in econ-based classes there may be some terms and concepts you don't understand at first. I'm sure if you take the time to go to office hours you'll figure it out. If I could do it all over I would've waited until after at least econ 2010, though.

Difficult yet rewarding course. The grading comes from 3 midterms and a final (each 25%). However, the 3rd midterm is giving in conjunction with the final, so it is a very exhausting day of test-taking. Mark Thomas is the best professor I have had so far at UVA, and keeps the class insightful and engaging. This class taught me a lot about American history and gives you real insight into the past. Grades are averaged right about an 80, but with a fairly low spread so that there aren't many A's or failing grades. I received a B+, and think it would be very difficult to get an A. All told, very tough but satisfying.

DO NOT take this class if you are not a history or econ major, way too difficult and not worth it in my opinion. The professor is one of the best lecturers I've ever met and the things we learn are actually pretty interesting, but neither of those things make up for how much this class bombed my GPA this semester, and I am not even majoring in history or econ. Tests are very difficult to study for as he does not have powerpoints or give out study guides of any sort. Readings are dense.

Looking back, I am very glad I took this class. For one, Mark Thomas is awesome. Not only is he a great lecturer and really knows his stuff, he is also a kind and interested man who wants to get to know his students. Also, I learned a lot about monetary policy, US history and economic trends in this class. However, when I was taking it, I was not happy. It's a lot of old boring readings and the grading is not too forgiving. Take it if you are interested and stick it out all the way and you'll do fine.

Definitely a very interesting and hard class. The professor has funny British accent and his class is full of logic. It is amazing about how he organized his class. However, it is at the same time very hard because he tested all the details of the reading, and you should organized them well in the essay tested in the exams. There are no papers, only three exams. Overall it's fun

I really enjoyed this class. Mr. Thomas obviously knew his stuff, and was actually pretty entertaining. A word of warning though: every supposition he first offers and backs up with data will be flawed, and you'll take notes on something that doesn't matter for no reason. The second theory he presents is always the correct one.

Disappointed we didn't learn anything about economics within the past 50 years. Skipped economics during world war 1 or 2. Lecture notes were very important. Grade was purely based on 4 essay tests. Not a GPA booster course.

Professor Thomas is absolutely amazing! At times the material can be a little boring but overall its a great subject. 4 Tests each worth 25% adds alot of stress, and you better study hard if you want that A

Mark Thomas is a great professor. Go to his office hours. Whether you have a question about the American economy or your life after college, Professor Thomas is willing and happy to talk. Great class if you like American history. Don't be threatened if you never took econ. Don't be threatened if you have never taken a history class. If you go to lectures, you will do well. Whether you take the class or not, meet Professor Thomas!

This class has interesting subject material, especially if you enjoy early American history. The grading is extremely harsh, however, and the semester I took the class 0 of the 71 students got an A. Look up the grade distributions before you enroll!

Very interesting way to look at history. This course gave me a unique perspective on early American history and led to some surprising conclusions about the character of American wealth at different points in our history.

Very good class, especially if you plan to double major in Econ and History or major in one and minor in the other.

Great enthusiasm, kind of boring but overall not too bad. Make sure you do the readings for the tests.

Great teacher. I would recommend going to his office hours.