USEM 1580

I really didn't enjoy this class. I came into it with high hopes, as the subject sounds really interesting, but each class was typically around 20 minutes of discussion followed by an hour-long tangent by Tolczyk, which was frustrating. In the end, it wasn't difficult, but the two hours each week felt pretty brutal.

The class was alright. The books are actually pretty interesting if you take the time to read them. Some people don't read at all, but I found I got a lot out of the class at least skimming the material and reading it.

I found there to be a giant tradeoff. The material itself was interesting, and the class was simple, but the lecture was gruelling. The two hours consisted of a lot less discussion than I expected, and for the most part I was just bored out of my mind.

Interesting, not hard yes, but I would probably take something else if i had the chance.

Workload for this class: a small book per week (I would suggest at least skimming through them, they present different perspectives about similar experiences and are interesting to read and compare), a group presentation (2-3 people) during the semester, and a 8-10 page final paper (not so hard to write if you paid attention to his class and/or the readings). It's a relatively easy A although it is probably not the most fun class you will have.
Professor Tolczyk is very knowledgable and approachable, and if you listen and take notes in class you would be able to learn a lot about the topic. He has a cute Polish accent (he also teaches intermediate Polish) that does not affect understanding. Many people complain about the lack of discussion, but in fact there is discussion time and the professor throws out good questions for discussion. If you are genuinely interested in the topic, you would not be bored. I had no problem surviving the two hours every week and personally enjoyed his class. I take about two pages of notes every class-- not necessary for every one but I simply wanted to record all the new things we learned. I went to his office hour before my presentation and we ended up talking for over an hour about a lot of social issues beyond the class material itself.
Overall, it's an easy class and the level of "fun" simply depends on how interested you are in the topic and literary critique and comparison.

I really enjoyed this class. Professor Tolczyk is incredibly knowledgable about the topics, and he provides you with a number of interesting books for discussion throughout the semester. If you enjoy reading and/or 20th century history then I would absolutely recommend this class to you. That said, if you can't commit to actually reading the books and attending class regularly then I would take another seminar. The value in this class comes entirely from doing the readings and participating in discussion. If you can't be bothered to do those things you won't get anything out of it and it will end up being a waste of your time. I know a lot of people take this class because it has a favorable grade distribution, but if that's your only reason for enrolling then I would again encourage you to take something else. There's a lot of valuable things to be learned in this class and you are doing yourself and Professor Tolczyk a disservice if you aren't truly invested.