Long, Eric  

I spent most of my time working on a paper and midterms for this class and still ended up with a C. This is the first C I have ever recieved in my whole life. All of my other grades dropped too due to the excessive amount of reading and memorization required for this course. He does not know how to teach kids to understand and his tests are by far the most unreasonable I have ever seen. This is suppose to be a GE course. This guy takes his job way too seriously and needs to understand people have a life and other classes besides Political Science. DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER. You will regret it, I guarantee. Take any other teacher than Dr. Long.

Dr. Long is a great professor. It's not hard at all to get a B, but is ALOT of work to get an A. He's a very dedicated and fair professor, and the workload is average. You'll do fine on the term paper as long as you read the goddamn sylabus and follow the damn instructions. He's a really interesting guy and makes a very interesting class in which you can learn a whole lot.

Dr Long is not a good teacher. If you are unfortunate enough get him, you should highly consider dropping the class. I wish someone had told me to do this when I crashed his class. Looking back I realize that the reason there were extra spots in his class was because other people figured this out before me. Dr. Long has a twisted conservative viewpoint that he tries to impress upon his students and his grading is extremely conservative. The tests and term papers are very hard. In addition his goddamn syllabus is confusing and took me until the end of the quarter after reading it many times until I fully understood it. Also it seemed like he purposely withheld the grades from his students so that we had little time to reflect upon how we were doing in his class. If need a class to fill the GE D1 section I would recommend that you take a Liberal Studies class which fulfills the same requirement and is not as tough as taking POLS with Dr. Long.

Dr. Long is a good teacher. The class is very interesting with various interesting speakers. He usually does not go over what is going to be on the test in his lectures, but the tests are not difficult at all. Not only that but you can drop your lowest test score from you final grade. There is a term paper which is not very hard to do, just follow all the instructions on the syllabus. The grading is very fair. The only thing you need to do to get a good grade is read for the tests, which usually only covers one chapter, and do well on your term paper. Not a tough class at all, sure it takes time to read for tests and write a term paper, but it is not all difficult.

This class was simple. The tests are on one chapter, no matter what he says. He'll tell you "focus on chapter __ and then read __ and __" but the tests will only be on the chapter he said to focus on. He drops your lowest score, and his grading scale is simple so you can figure out what your grade is easily. The hardest part of this class is the term paper. But if you work hard on it, you'll do fine in the class. And his lectures seem pointless since nothing of what he says will be on the test, but when he starts talking about special forces, be sure to go because you will have one of the most interesting times learning here at Cal Poly.

This Professor is difficult. The second day of class he already assigns a Term Paper which he returns to you with no marks on it. I got a C on my paper and I went to ask why. He said that i should know what I did wrong. I do not recommend this teacher at all. If you can choose a different teacher.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GET A GOOD GRADE, READ HERE!!! First off, don't take him. If you are unfortunate and have to, then here is what to do. First off, work very hard on your term paper. It's on very stupid questions that will take a lot of research. Secondly, he will announce in class to "focus" on this chapter about_____. READ THAT CHAPTER and try to remember the little details. He will say that the test will be on like 3 chapters, but one he will emphasis. Trust me, just read the chapter he said to focus on and you will get an A. There is no use in going to class because the tests will be on that one chapter and only that chapter. If you can, get out of the class because he is a very unfair grader and won't budge from his stupid grading ways. If you can, get someone else, if not, follow the steps provided to get a good grade. Just READ THE CHAPTER!!!

Professor Long is a good professor. Many of these students must not have put in the least amount of effort because its not hard to get a good grade in this class. His first test was freaking hard but after that they were a breeze. As long as you actually read the syllabus you will do fine. His paper is not difficult, it seems like a pain but if you read the syllabus (once again) you should score a pretty good grade. He may come across at first some what frustrating but if you take an extra minute to actually talk to the guy you will see that he is really understanding and veryintersted in what his students needs are. One example- his first test all his students did bad on so he went back for the next tests and made them easy. I would take him it seems like a difficult class, but in actuality its so easy and the professor is actually a great guy, just take the time to get to know him.

This guy is so nice, just take the time out to get to know him. All these people must not have read the syllabus otherwise the would have gotten good grades. That is the key to success in this class. Yes there is a term paper, but as long as you follow the directions just like he said it is fairly simple, doesn't take a rocket scientist to get a decent grade. He may seem a little gruff, but he is really nice and pretty easy, his tests were cake as long as you read the chapter, except for his first one. Plus he drops the worst of four tests and your final counts as one you can drop. Its easy just read! Plus if you volunteer in class, he will like you. that helps!

In my opinion, Dr. Long treats his students as if he were teaching at an Ivy League school-which does mean that the course is somewhat difficult. The good news is that if you study for tests (more specifically do your reading-which so many of us don't)you should be fine. There is a pretty involved term paper due sometime during the quarter but it is a good opportunity to help your grade. Overall, Dr. Long is a great prof. and he'll teach you some pretty interesting stuff along the way.

he only has one hand and its disracting. tries to scare you in the begaining and does a good job. class isn't that bad though

After persevering in Prof. Long's class for a whole quarter and not dropping out like alot of slackers did I realized that this was really a worthwhile class. The lectures arent just a regurgitation of the book. Rather he puts the material from the book into perspective by discussing current events in class. Also I think that everyone of the previous evaluations that badmouths Prof Long are from people who dropped out after hearing how hard the first test is, or that we had to write an 8 page essay. So if you want to miss out on having a great professor than take their advice, otherwise take Prof Long. You'll have to work hard, but unlike alot of classes you'll be proud of the grade you earn and all of the knowledge you ascertain.

Fuck the lecture. Don't even need to go because he doesn't test off of it. Study just the book and you'll do fine. He tries to scare you by making the first test fucking ape shit...but after that the rest of the tests are easy. Study alot for the first one so you don't have to take the final. You get to drop 1 midterm out of four. The final is the 4th midterm. Wanted to ask what happened to his hand..but didn't want to get kicked out of his class. Study the book.. that's it..

I just wanted to say that all the people that say this class is hard MUST be on something. I am so mad at myself for getting a C, because I totally could have gotten an A. The only reason I didn't is because you have to write a 7-9 page term paper, and I didn't start until the night before it was due, so it was only 5 pages- so of course I got a D, but duh! The majority of the rest of the class got B's on their papers- there was only like two D's, including mine. I don't know why people are saying the tests were hard, either. On the first one, I didn't even finish reading the chapter that he told us to read, and I got a 25/30. Here's how to get an A: treat the syllabus like your Bible! He sticks to it- it's that simple. He does exactly what the syllabus says he will. And the syllabus is not hard to understand- trust me!! And no, he doesn't really lecture on the test material, but it's because he loves this stuff so much that he goes way beyond the test material and brings in spies, and political candidates to speak! He seriously is so nice- he noticed that our class looked nervous when we took the first test, so he played music when we came in for the next ones to try and relax us! He really is nice and he cares. Just read the chapers. He takes sentences straight out of them and all the questions are multiple choice.

The class is easy if you read the book. His lectures usually don't have anything to do with the book (which is probably a good thing, he brings in politicians, government workers, and people from the special forces. He's a bit weird but,I liked professor Long, he mad the class fun. Get ready to hear about the Navy Seals if your taking his class.

Dr. Long is a great teacher. He is enthusiastic about the subject matter, and is specific about the things needed to know for tests. Long loves the special forces and constantly refers to them in his lectures. It is entertaining, and can be really funny. Long brings in a few guest speakers during the quarter, including a green beret. You are required to write a term paper, but the class is worth it.

dont listen to the idiots who whined about the term paper and the tests. the exams come straight from the book, you just have to open it and read it!! the term paper really isn't bad, and gets you to do reasearch and actually learn something about a current event. i thought this teacher was great. he kept lectures v. interesting by bringing in guest speakers and showing us videos, instead of just lecturing on the book like every other teacher does. lots of group work too, this class really was cake. take long if you can..he's worth listening too.

Eric, is the most interesting teacher. He doesn't really teach, but rather has everyone participate in class and learn from experience. The test are based on reading the chapters just the night before. The one downside was that the whole grade weighed heavily on a term paper we had to write. So I got a 77 and was already fighting for a B. I fought and lost and ended up with a C+, but life goes on. All together he is a very interesting teacher. One time I knew we were not going to do anything important but I showed up anyhow because I really wanted to learn about the subject matter of the day, it was the secret service. Eric, if you are reading this, keep up the good work. I think you are a great professor!

this is the class for people who actually want to expand their minds and not just memorize random facts. i enjoyed prof. long's teaching style because he treated us as adults. he did not lecture on the course material, but instead lectured on things that were around what we were talking about. instead of talking about the presidency, he talked about the secret service, etc. he was a very nice teacher and i feel like i learned a lot from him. becareful tho, there is a HUGE term paper which was worth 53% of our grade... so watch for that one because that is the make or break it for the course. other than that, two thumbs up for prof. long!!

Eric Long taught our first class with a method only comparable to the combination of "shock and awe" and "survival of the fittest". If you happen to have ADD as i do, this is really not the class for you. Also if you are in the least passive, this is not the class for you. In a very socratic way mr. Long led us around in circles and talked of just about everything outside the range of what we were actually tested on. We were also punished if we were unable to answer things in class much as one would be in the military. Those that went in to office hours fared much better than others, those that seemed to agree a little more with his philosophies also fared better. The term paper is most important to your grade. You really cant get a grade higher than what that paper will be. The paper accounts for about half of you grade. Also it seems his grading is comparative, I felt my paper was well written, formatted appropriately, and even (by his request) filled with quotes from the authority in the subject... the guy that got the B added pictures and came to a similar determination to that of Mr.Long. Close to impossible to get an A, hard to sit through, and progressively harder to get past the fear that will progressivly build as you go. Avoid this man at all costs.

Prof Long is an incredibly knowledgable man. Despite other people's comments, I highly recommend him. The tests ARE based on the book, and are fairly easy if you pay attention when reading the chapters. Some of the questions are on minor details, but you take notes liek I do when reading, they weren't so bad. He doesnt require a term paper anymore, so the grade was based on three tests (you take four and he drops the lowest score).

This class was not very difficult, but if you are interested in politics then you probably won't like it. If you remember your high school government class and read the book then you will be ok. There are some assignments that make you question as to why you are taking this class, but just forget about them because if you don't end up doing the assignment you will still be ok. The tests are not that bad as long as you read the book and actually attempt to study. It was really nice because the final is just another midterm and you get to drop your lowest test score, even if it is the final. Professor Long seems to know what he is talking about, but the lecture itself is extremely boring.

Professor Long has some interesting stories and guest speakers and definitely keeps lectures interesting with lots of debates, activities, etc. The problem is that almost none of the lecture material shows up on tests, usually less than 10% of the 100 question midterms are from lecture. The rest comes from the book and he rarely discusses any of the readings in class. He is fair, however, in that he grades on a curve, drops the lowest midterm, and gives you a pretty good idea on what to expect on the tests. The key is to study with a group because it is entirely too much information for one person to comprehend. I also appreciated how Eric kept his personal politics to himself, very professional.

This is a pretty easy class. There are three midterms and a final, and you get to drop the lowest one. All I did was read the chapters the day before the tests. Professor Long is really enthusiastic about the subject as well, so the lectures weren't quite as boring as they could have been.

prof Long made class very interesting. there is a lot of reading from the textbook, but the midterms are fairly easy. he lets you drop your lowest test grade, so i didnt have to take the final. i would recommend this class for general ed.

Great Teacher. He makes politics vvery interesting. I would reccommend him. He lets you drop your lowest test grade, so i didnt take the final. I think there was two or three midterms. He made class interesting, by making the students get involved. Definitly a good teacher

He doesn't spend much time teaching, the class is based on teaching each other. It is mostly discussion, current events, educational issues. You will get a B in the course. He doesn't really give A's. Most don't like him, but it is actually an okay course. The only problem is it's 6-8 night!!! The class is based on 1 paper (100 points), The presentation of your paper (100 points) and your final (100 points). Research your presentation topic and stand in front like you know what you mean! He's says it's okay to miss class... but DON'T!

Dr. Long is a nice guy, but it seemed as though he was always trying to get out of teaching by making almost 90% of the quarter presentations that took up the whole class period. Overall I really freaked out about this class because the material was so ridiculous, but it wasn't too bad as I ended up with a B. He pretty much grades normally and really likes class discussion. Overall, it was an o.k. class because there were absolutely ZERO tests and only papers/presentations, but I hated going to it, especially since it was at night.

This guy is a joke. He should not be teaching this class. Anyone who has any prior knowledge of International Relations would know that the way he teaches this class is fucking ridiculous. He obviously failed math in high school; A-'s start at 95%. It is next to impossible to get an A in this class because of his grading style and his emphasis on turning an International Relations class into a god damn recruiting seminar for the Navy SEALs and Delta Force. He never once mentioned, let alone taught, about GATT, the WTO, the EU, or any other international body other than the UN (which he barely said anything about). He focuses more than half of the class on the CIA, NSA, DIA, FBI, ABC, 123, the Pentagon, and every fucking Special Forces group the US has to offer. Man, if the state of the world is actually the way he makes it sound we're all screwed. If you are a POLS major I would definitely consider taking this class with someone who will actually teach it the way the department wants it taught.

Is he the only fair professor at Cal Poly? For comparative politics, we did case studies of the wrold. Tests are based 100% on the reading, so if you don't really learn the information you are screwed. Classroom assignements are based on discussions of the radings. See a trend here? Long is a really nice guy, and presents a balanced approach to politics. Take him if you are tired of learning from faculty with a hidden agenda.

The class consisted of 5 multiple choice tests based directly off the chapters in the textbook. I really liked this class and thought it was nice how he broke the 2 hour class up to make it more interesting than just sitting there listening to a lecture for 2 hours straight. We would start off by discussing an article found in the nytimes and then he might show a video he found interesting then we would take a 10 minute break and come back to break up into groups and discuss questions about the current chapter we were reading. Not only that but we had around 5 guest speakers, one of which was a former national security advisor so that was cool. Overall if you need to take POS 229 i would highly recommend this teacher, as far as how he teaches the other classes though I have heard you could end up with a different experience.

Prof Long's class was really kick-back. I was surprised to read in the other critiques that he's really into military things(Navy SEALs etc). I wish we would have seen more of that side of him in our class! A little Marcinko is just what a poli sci class needs to balance the typical U.N. loving fantasy-world themes often found in college.

Professor Long is a great teacher. He knows his material very well and the classes are usually very interesting. The one complaint I have is that many times he told the class to read 50 pages for a test 2 days in advance. And let me tell you, the textbook material is pretty damn dry, which makes reading even more difficult. Great class, boring textbook material.

This teacher is pretty cool. He really is a nice man but offers horrific amounts of reading. The amount of reading in this class is extremely tedious. My best advice is when you read the text concentrate on the titles for each section of chapters and understand why the title is named like that... also look at the vocab. Have fun... oh yeah... go to the office hours... big help.

Prof. Long is a great teacher, probably one of the best I've had here at Poly. What you need to do to get an "A" in the class is clearly and EASILY laid out in the syllabus. Whoever put that the syllabus was so difficult it took you all quarter to read, I have no idea what the hell you are talking about. He does require more work than most teachers, but its totally worth it to get a good grade in his class. Plus, believe it or not, he's one of those rare teachers who actually cares what you think about his class, and if you make an effort to go to his office hours just once in the quarter it will make a huge difference. Also TALK in class, because if not he'll call on you anyway. Start the term paper early and pick a topic you might actually have a good time researching, and it will be cake. First test was difficult, but you can drop one anyway, so don't stress.

Dr. Long's approach was very unique, but very effective. He didn't lecture straight from the book hardly at all, but rather encouraged the students themselves to be involved in the class as a whole. It's a much more efficient way to retain the material. You will do a fair amount of speaking in front of the class, but it's very helpful. There are three exams and a final, plus a term paper due in the middle of the quarter. It's a very enjoyable class, and I've retained more material from that course than any other GE course.

Professor Long is interesting to listen to, however, his class was a huge joke. I'm still not quite sure what the subject material was supposed to be. He is nuts about the special forces, which constitutes half of what he talks about all quarter. This is cool, but is about the only worthwhile information you'll get. His grading system is ridiculous. 62.5% of your grade is the term paper, and you'd better show him what he wants to see. Don't worry about actually writing a good paper, that doesn't matter. Just follow his formatting requirements like nothing else and you'll get an A, even if you write garbage. His three tests (of which he drops one) are totally stupid. The first one only covered two chapters of the book. I didn't even take the second one. The final was a group oral final. How lame is that?! He didn't even pay attention to our class's answers on it. Basically, I only got tested on two chapters of the book. To top it all off, I don't think he even knows what he's talking about (except for maybe the special forces stuff). He once got in trouble for not knowing how many members there are in the U.N. Security Council. In short, if you want to learn about special forces and don't care about having a joke of a class, take him.

Dr. Long's POLS 325 class this quarter was a trying experience. It was pointless to go to lectures because he did not test on the lectures, but based on the layout of the class he made it seem like it was really important to go to class. The paper seemed to be a joke, since when I got it back there were absolutly no markings indicating why I got the grade that I did. All he ever talked about was special forces, which was interesting, but did not cover important issues that may be tested on later. Overall the stress involved with attending class, fearing that you would be singled out was not worth the class at all.

This was an excellent course--- the most fun I have had with a GE course. Prof. Long can be intimidating, but he's really a nice guy and can be quite funny. He has a lot of quirks but they just add to the class. Pretty much, if you want a decent grade, then stick to the syllabus. Also, check out the term papers he has on reserve, because they are papers that he has given As in the past. Finally, and most importantly, start the paper ASAP!

Alright, this class will not put you to sleep, mainly because this guy is at about the level of an eight year old boy. His idea of global political issues involves ONLY special operations, the navy seals, killing things, and weapons. I thought this class might teach me something about WTO, IMF, capitalization, the World Bank, etc

Professor Long was okay. Very odd, the first day he simply walked in, wrote on the board "Class will start at 15 min after today.", then set up the television, commenting that the last time he did this it blew out the power in the building and then we watched a 20 minute video about the Navy SEALS. He then told us to pick up a syllabus off the front desk and read it. That was it. Make sure you do read it, it is your Bible. All worship the anal details of the syllabus. Spend A LOT of time on your research paper, it is worth 62% of your grade. There are also three tests (two midterms and a final), the lowest of which he drops. The tests which I have been told, but don't believe, are based on the "book". I say "book" because whatever that pompous piece of crap that says nothing over hundreds of pages is supposed to be what the tests are based on. His big theme is "It pays to be a winner", and I suppose it does. Of the class, several people write on each term paper and can only earn a maximum of 90%, 10 bonus points can be gained for giving a presentation on your topic, but ONLY if you wrote the highest scoring paper for that topic. When he tells you to "study your atlas", study where the countries on all the continents are located. There is also a class project at the end where you attempt to solve a scenario that might be encountered by special forces. Good luck with that, he's never had a class solve it successfully yet. Overall, he's rather odd, obcessed with the military and special forces and the paper is the only thing that saved my grade.

there is no reason to go to class. not a single thing said in class is on the test. there is a midterm, loooong ass paper, and a final. midterm and final are curved, paper is not. he is slightly weird and comes up with sick and twisted games. all of the test material is out of a textbook that repeats itself every chapter. the stuff he talks about in class is really cool and interesting, too bad its not on the test. you may think he doesnt have a heart in class, but when grades come around he does.

For the first time, I have to disagree with Polyratings. The posts below mine scared the HELL out of me. I walked in the first day ready to run right out, just waiting to be picked on and humiliated. Well guess what? That didn't happen once all quarter. Professor Long has given me one of the most informative and enjoyable college experiences. Sure he loves the military, but damn is it ever interesting. Lecture stuff is on the tests despite what people say, usually the first 20 questions are all lecture. So ha. Do what the man says, work hard (you'll want to believe it or not) and come out a wannabe SEAL.

This was the only class I had last semester that I enjoyed, and it wasn't because of the material, it was the way it was conveyed. I respect and recommend Long to anyone that needs to take this class.

Professor Long was a...um...difficult professor. His expectations for the 7-9 page paper were not clearly described. If he hadn't let us revise it we all would have failed. I was happy with my grade though. He barely lectures but that was good...you see, having this class right before the primaries and having candidates come to class to talk was great. He saved me a lot of work for researching before I went to vote. Be sure not to walk in late, have your cell phone go off, or lose a debate because you will end up giving an oral report on the LA Times or The Tribune. Overall, the class was ok.

I learned that if I were to take up hunting, I should shoot deer, not bears, because a bear will hunt me back if I successfully wound it. Fascinating! I didnt know that the key to production and operations management was so brutally simple!