Riedlsperger, Max  

Even for a 5 unit class the reading load was backbreaking. He REALLY knows the material, but it still gets confusing. Believe it or not, but he gives too few tests. One midterm, a final, and weekly quizes make up the entire grade. The quizes are what really hurt. Take someone else, his tests are exhaustive and very picky.

Let me say first off that I don't see why some people thought he was a JERK. He didn't come across to me that way at all. HOWEVER, I wouldn't recommend taking this class from Dr. Riedlsperger. Simply put, he relied too much on the Web site outlines for his lecture, he moved along in the outlines much too quickly, making it so that you'd be taking notes on one part of the outline, then look up at the screen, and he'd be somewhere completely different on the page! Also, it seems like we spent almost the entire time this quarter talking about either France or Austria. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but there ARE other countries in Europe, right? The course grade is based ENTIRELY on quizzes and tests. This in and of itself is not a bad thing, but the fact is that Riedlsperger's test questions are so incredibly nit-picky that even if you DID do the assigned reading, you may or may not remember the details that the question calls for. Dr. Riedlsperger didn't leave much time for class discussion, and if a student tried to answer a question that he posed to the class, he might respond with a flat-out "No" (making the student feel stupid) if the answer is not ENTIRELY correct. In short, Dr. Riedlsperger runs HIST 111 as if it were some kind of upper-division course in history--not ideal for a course whose composition is made up largely of freshmen and non-history majors taking the course as support for their majors.

I loved this class. I also love history which could explain why I loved the class. I missed the maximum number of classes he alowed us to miss (3) and I never read anything and after about 4 weeks I stopped taking notes. I took the class CR/NC but I had an A in the class the whole time. The tests are lots of detail, all of which is covered in the very comprehensive lectures. There are quizzes about once a week which I also thought were easy. There were a lot of people in the class who didn't do so well, you need to realize that you will be studying a lot if you can't just remember his lectures come test time. He only teaches one class a year so your chances of getting him are slim, but i highly recommend this class if you have a real interest in History.

Professor Riedlsperg was the worst thing that I'd seen for a professor. He didn't encourage his students, he doesn't help you when needed, and he gets frustrated when you ask him to repeat his forever going sentence. He's rude to students and he's the ONLY teacher that I've ever met that actually insults the student when he doens't get the answer correct. i barely passed the class, and it's a 100-level course--what does that have to say about the teacher. it's a 5-unit class and don't take it with him unless you REALLY HAVE to. He's extremely rude, cruel, and makes you feel stupid if you're not a history major and an ALL-HISTORY brainiac. i think this guy is the worst--oh and he gives you a freakin SEATING CHART---so he can learn your names and note down each time you leave class early:-)--he's just great, let me tell you!

He is one of the worst teachers I have ever seen! His tests are unfair, lectures boring, and study guides useless! You will enter and exit the class without learning a single thing. Even after taking quiz after quiz and the midterm, I had no clue how to study for the final. He outlined the final exam, which typed out (without any notes from the book) was 14 pages, 7.5 font! WARNING: Avoide Riedlsperger like the Plague!

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH THIS TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you do, sit in the back. You can walk outside during the big tests, so figure it out. I am finishing my third year, and this has been by far THE WORST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN, and probably one of the worst experiences of my life. You can wait for the other teacher, trust me. And he's got tenure so you can't even rip him up on an evaluation. FUCK!!! I just took the final, please trust me. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH THIS TEACHER!!!!!!!!!

This guy is like a giant bag of hot air that just won't deflate. Seems like a decent guy to have a pint with in a German tavern, but he is the shittiest professor in Norhtern America. Hot Air. Don't take this course; you've been warned!!!

Whoa! Hold off people, he wasn't that bad. Reading all these evaluations, you'd think he murdered your mothers or something. I'm a history major. I love history. And I liked this class. I guess I'm all alone here, but this guy really wasn't that bad. Last quarter, I had Hiltpold for 110, and I remember HIS tests. Comparatively, Riedelsperger's are nothing to complain about. Here's the secret. Before a midterm or final, gather your books (3 for the course) and go to his website. He tells you EXACTLY what's going to be on his tests. Read the little sections of the book that he annotates next to his lecture notes, and you'll be fine. You don't need to take notes in this class at all, unless you want to. He does the notetaking for you on his website. Be sure to read everything he asks you to read -- if you do what he asks, you can get a "B" even if you don't like history. This class is NOT hard.

Upon enrolling in this class, I thought I was signing-up for Modern World History. However, I soon learned that "world" translated into the same old European / Holocaust schpeil we get in the media and all our high school classes. Gee, I guess brown people don't qualify to be mentioned as part of world history courses save as the evil plotters of destruction and turmoil.

The class isn't really that hard! Just do the reading that isn't that hard, and make the maps that can actually be fun, and you'll do fine. Yes, Max is rude when you talk to him in person or during his office hours, but if you keep asking, he will answer your question. For the midterm, I studied for the 100 point essay question, but I did not expect Japan to be the question. If you are going for the 100 point essays, study everything anyways!

Professor Riedlsperger is probebly the most knowledgable and enthusiastic history teachers I've ever seen. With that said, if you are looking for a GE that doesn't require much work or reading, then this class is probebly not for you. He can be tough. And for a GE, it can be a bit intense. But it is worth it if you enjoy history.

This professor made this class one of the worst classes I have ever taken. The course material was not bad, but he was a very inaffective teacher that made learning difficult because of the feeling tone and comfort level of his classroom. Prof. Riedlesperger is an arrogant man which makes him hard to approach, impossible to get a straight answer out of and he has a way of making you feel inferior if you come in to ask him a question. The homework load is not to bad, you only have to memorize every minute detail of the reading for the 10 point quizzes. He quizzes you on material before he even lectures on it, and then doesn't allow you to see the quiz again after to see where you made your mistakes. He is very vague about quizzes/test and doesn't seem to care about his students success. There were only two tests, the midterm and the final. The final consisted of a map test, 50 multiple choice, and a 100 essay question. He gives you know idea about what the essay is going to be on, so basically it can be on anything on the 20th century. Good luck studying for that one! I would urge anyone considering taking this course that they seriously consider a different instructor.

As a teacher, this guy is awesome. He clearly knows his stuff and has it all organized for presentation. Everything is availiable on his website. If you just read the textbook and other booklet and remember what you read, this should be an easy class. Unless he shows a video in class, his leactures are nice to listen to, but not needed for doing well on the tests. It's just too bad he takes attendence every day. He's great about grading and getting things back on time. He actually gives make up tests before the final.

Quite possibly the biggest douchebacg in the entire western hemisphere. THE GUY HAS ASSIGNED SEATING AND TAKES ROLE IN WHICH YOU ARE GRADED DOWN IF YOU MISS CLASS. I have not had a seating chart since elementary school. His teahing style reflects his attendance policy. He belittles you whenever possible, and is horrible at relating to the students. HE is a smug a**hole and should be teaching at SLO Jr. High or not at all

OKAY HERE IS THE REAL JUICE ABOUT RIEDLSPERGER. EVERYONE else so far, has either loved him or hated him. BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIM. On the topic of history in europe, his knowledge is really impeccable. He knows everything you could imagine and he has a passion for european and world history unlike anyone I've ever seen on any history or discovery channel program. He gives his personal feelings about a certain subject and he tells you the facts about a subject. In teaching, he may be one of the best for the subject matter. HAVING SAID THIS, this may be one of the toughest classes I have taken in my schooling career. You cannot afford to be lazy in this class. If you really love history, this is the class for you. You will gain so much from reidlesperger that you couldnt with anyone else. BUT, if you dont give a damn about history and are only taking it because you HAVE to, this is not the class for you and you will end up trashing this poor guy on poly ratings when the quarter is over. I HAVE A C in his class, so I'm niether doing really well nor doing horribly so my opinion counts far higher than anyone else. If you do take his class, DO ALL THE MAPS, KEEP UP IN THE READINGS, and PAY ATTENTION DURING LECTURES FOR THE ESSAY QUESTIONS on tests. THis guy is a good guy. Dont bash on him just because you guys have a conflict of interest. History Lovers will Love this class so please take full advantage.

Riedlsperger is a very nice guy, but he expects a lot from his students. This is a tough class and is not for those who do not enjoy histroy. I do like history and therefor remember the material better, even with this on my side and doing all the reading I stil got a B. His tests and quizes are very hard. They ae not just remembering facts. You must understand concepts about history. It may be a tough class but I really like the class and learned a lot.

Professor Riedlsperger is quite possibly one of the hardest teachers i have come across in ym academic career. He is by far the hardest teacher i have had at Calpoly. You grade basically will come down to this: you either know your shit, or you don't. in order to succeed you need to go to every lecture because he does take attendence, read all the assigned pages and be able to comprehend them, and basically be a genius of eurpean and world history. I studied for a week straight, culminating in 12 straight hours right before the final and managed a dismal 68% on the final. I feel like in this class you either have to know and love history already, or you are destined for failure. I realized far too late that this class was a mistake for me to take. Overall i found riedlsperger as a person to be rude and condescending, but at the same time i can see how some people may like him. There were definitely a few students that he liked more than others and you could easily make out who was getting good grades in the class and who wasn't. OVERALL: If you can't pass his first two quizzes w/ and average of 8 or better, i highly advise withdrawing. And If this is a GE couse for you, DO NOT TAKE IT W/ RIEDLSPERGER!

This is the best teacher I've ever had!

I understand what Mr. Riedlsperger is trying to teach in history 315 is vital to further understand how a nations government has developed through time. But I don't feel Mr. Riedlsperger gets what he is trying to teach across because (some of students of Hist 315 agree with this)he relies too much on his web page and his video presentations to teach the class. If a student would have a valid question about the reading he put on his web page he would not want to hear it. He would question the students ability to comprehend. Which made some students a little steamed. Also if a problem or inconsistency would occur on his web page he would change it without notifying the students. This would also include his syllabus which a teacher cannot change without notifying students. Mr. Reidlsperger has a lot to teach us but he should not rely so heavily on his web page and his multi-media presentations. He should rely more on himself.

My god, the man is so hard on you. When I wanted to withdraw from the class he would not let me. I had to plea insanity just to get out of the class.

You got to be crazy to take his class. That or stupid.

All my other classes put together is not as hard as his class. And I love history and I failed.

Although I can appreciate the vast amount of knowledge that Dr. Riedelsperger can disseminate, through his own vast experience of the subject, I feel that he discourages learning. The class average was a D during my quarter in his class, and it was the class average the quarter before that. To me, this signals a problem. Many students were discouraged from trying, because they had studied VERY hard only to get poor grades. And they didn't know how to correct the problem. He was often short with students who asked for help. Dr. Riedelsperger doesn't seem to be able to communicate his expectations to his students. Most of us just could not get at what he wanted us to learn. The work load is intense, and his web page is MUCH too extensive, and relied on by Dr. Riedelsperger too heavily. I felt that I had learned the subject very well, and I enjoyed the subject, but his tests claimed otherwise. His tests are hellish!

I really feel I can't add much more than what has already been said in the previous evaluations. His overuse of his website for everything is total crap! His maps are a total waste of time. His tests (multiple choice) ask such specific questions that you would have to read the material 3 or 4 times to do well on them. I understand the need for learning about history but Dr. Riedlsperger delves too deeply into European history for a class of this type instead of focusing on the basics that would make a class of this type more useful and enjoyable. My recommendation: TAKE SOMEONE ELSE FOR THIS CLASS!!!

This professor is extremely cantankerous and uninterested in anyone. I worked my butt off and received a D. His map assignments are very time consuming and his lectures are a monotone bore. Do not take this class. IT IS A DEATHWISH!!!

Dr. Reidelsperger does present a substantial amount of information in his class. However, there IS a substantial amount of material to be covered! I think the best way to tackle a class from him is to first of all, go to class. For the quizes, read the assigned reading. If you have questions communicate with him by Email or phone. I don't think he likes to talk one-on-one. I learned sooo much information from him. The grade is determined by the average score so don't freak out if you don't do well on the tests. Also, when it comes time for the final, make sure he gives you a study sheet. Focus on that and you should do OK.

This class was absolutely ridiculous! I would not recommend it to anyone at all. I am an A student and to receive about a B in the class I had to work extremely hard, beyond the amount of time I would even think of putting into a major class. The professor was extremely rude and condescending toward students. When I went into office hours he was very cold and I felt very uncomfortable even trying to ask questions. I felt like he had so many sources of information that it was impossible to read and comprehend everything.

Dr. Riedlsperger is a very dynamic lecturer. He kept my interest in a class that I thought I would fall asleep in. I don't know his testing style before, but now he offers both multiple choice and essay style on his 1 midterm. Don't mess up on the midterm or you are going to be hating life. The quizzes are hard, and even though I would finish the assigned reading, his questions are very specific. I took the essay midterm and got a 90% which was the high for the essay and the high for the multiple choice was 91%. I think he's a little more lenient on his grading of the essay. Although, for the multiple choice midterm, he gave you the option to explain your reasoning in a blue book if you think there is more than one correct answer. If you think you did a good enough job in your explanation, he'll give you credit. His map assignments are dull and tedious. He does rely on his website alot. I wouldn't suggest taking him if you are the type of person who needs information written up on the board during lecture, because all he does is stand there and speak the whole time. Take Dr. Riedlsperger if you don't have a large class load and you want to learn alot about history. Otherwise, take someone easier.

You just have to be nuts to take this guy. He is the biggest dick. I visited him during his office hrs to see what I could do to do better on his exams and he basically brushed me aside and just said study harder. This class is a FUCKING JOKE. The workload is outrageous, the reading quantities are outrageous. There is something wrong when half the damn class fails and the top score on an exam is an 85. WORDS OF WISDOM--AVOID AT ALL COSTS. I WOULDNT TAKE THIS GUY EVER AGAIN NO MATTER WHAT.

This guy kicks ass!!! His tests aren't a walk through the park, but what SHOULD you expect in a 300 level course. His lectures are subtle but if you pay attention you begin to see the bigger picture.... if you don't know what that means then I'd suggest another instructor. If you're also looking for some professor who spits out book facts onto a wall and you enjoy spending mindless time jotting down information that you can read in a book, don't take Riedlsperger.........However, if you like a professor who grades fairly, tests you well, and has a dedicated, educated , and brilliant mind when it comes to history, Max is your man.

This was my worst class ever at Poly!!! I hated going to class because of the daily quizzes and the most boring instructor giving his web page based lecture. I retook this class with a real professor, Dr. Hall. Do yourself a favor, do not take this guy under any circumstances!!! I got a D, my first one ever by this guy, and I did study!! He gives map assignments that just kill, and his midterm and final are tough! If you have to take this class, do not take it with him!!!!

Contrary to what others are saying, Max Riedlsperger is one of the finest professors I have had the privilege of learning from while at Cal Poly. His class is incredibly interesting, informative, and the professor was a fountain of knowledge. The workload was heavy, the class was time-demanding, and incredibly difficult. There were weekly quizzes, often based on at least one hundred pages of reading(at the end he dropped the one you scored lowest on), weekly or bi-weekly map assignments which took at least 1-2 hours to complete, A map quiz, one midterm with an individual choice of essay form or multiple choice, and one final consisting of a multiple choice and essay section--Lots of work! However, the lectures are so captivating that, even though it was four times a week, I found myself looking forward to class and surprised each day to find the hour was already up. He really inspired a genuine interest in the subject which motivated me to put forth my best effort. I received an A and his class was truly the most rewarding class experience I have ever had. So if you really want to learn about Modern World History and are willing to work your butt off, Dr. Riedlsperger is the man to take!

Dr. Riedlsperger must have written the last evaluation. I read it and couldn't believe it. It's true that you work your butt off. I have a 3.91 average now thanksd to this boring, arrogant Nazi bastard. The irony is that I learned nothing but trivia. I was educated in Europe and know something about history. I know for instance that Riedlsperger is a Fascist. But I didn't need to take his course to know an authoritarian monster. Everyone I spoike with in a large class felt the same. Get rid of him, before he does more damage.

Dr.Riedlsperger is the worst instructorat Poly. It's a pity that he doesn't aknowledge his failed career and simply go away.

This turkey really stinks. He is to the right of Attila the Hun and makes you understand what it is toi live under a NAZI dictator. This was my worst class ever at Poly!!! I hated going to class because of the daily quizzes and the most boring instructor giving his web page based lecture. I retook this class with a real professor, Dr. Foorohar . Do yourself a favor, do not take this guy under any circumstances!!! I got a D, my first one ever by this guy, and I did study!! He gives map assignments that just kill, and his midterm and final are tough! If you have to take this class, do not take it with him!!!! Why does the History Department continue to let him teach? He is an embarassment to the good professors in the department.

This Fascist loving Male Chauvinist Pig is the worst!!! I just saw that he was back teaching. The history department told me that he had retired when I went to complain about his poor methods and overbearing ways. What's wrong?? Can't they hire better people than this self absorbed egotist? Just look at his web page and see if I am not corecct in my asesment of this total failure as a teacher.

After a week with this turkey, I am bailing. I don't know what I am going to do since all the other sections are full and I'm supposed to graduate. I can't bear the boring egotism of this fool who thinks that he is the greatest.

After a week with this turkey, I am bailing. I don't know what I am going to do since all the other sections are full and I'm supposed to graduate. I can't bear the boring egotism of this fool who thinks that he is the greatest.

After a week with this turkey, I am bailing. I don't know what I am going to do since all the other sections are full and I'm supposed to graduate. I can't bear the boring egotism of this fool who thinks that he is the greatest.

I always consult Polyratings but I've never posted anything. Though I thought that it is important to tell everyone, that at least for his Nazi Germany class, this professor has a lot to learn about grading fairly and getting through to students. The man is completely wrapped up in his lecture and leaves NO room for discussions. If you ask a question he makes you feel like you're interrupting everything and wasting his time. This is the same feeling you'll get going to his office hours...how dare you waste his precious time with such things! His reading assignments were extremely heavy, and if you don't do things exactly the way he wants, you'll be graded down. Creativity is not welcomed in this gestapo. We did have fun and learn on the day of the debates, and he really does know what he's talking about. But what was sad was that this educated man took one of the most interesting, shocking and important parts of history and made it BORING! He would repeat himself, and he spent WAY too much time on the Weimar Republic. I'm sorry, but no one took a Nazi Germany class to learn about the Weimar Republic 8 out of the 10 weeks of the course. He also pushed a liberal agenda in his class, which was inappropriate. The guy used to be a know-it-all hippie, and not much has changed, it seems. The good doctor of Nazi knowledge is not worth your time.

I recommend this professor for anyone who speaks German. Personally, I speak English, so the class became difficult when he blurted out German remarks at the class. His Nazi Germany class is more of an experience of how overwhelming right-winged, Arian rule can be than a lecture about Nazi Germany. He is definately teaching the right subject and is enthusiastic(in his own way) in Nazi Germany as he successfully recreates the horrible experience in his classroom.

its a blessing for cal poly and the cal poly history department that this guy is retiring