i really liked this class. in fact, it was my fav class last quarter, made it almost easy to wake up at 8 (tho, not all the times). but prof chou is exactly what everyone else says. he's a really nice and friendly guy and always tries his best to answer any questions asked. on that same token tho, he gets off track a lot and usually winds on about something not relevant to the class. aside from that tho, i learned a lot and very much enjoyed this class. the tests are very straight forward. out of the notes, memorization and the essay questions are just regurgitating with a mix of thoughtful analysis. nothing too difficult, and he gives out extra credit to everyone who attended discussions at the end.

The textbook for Chinese 50 is ____, you can totally get away with not buying it. Just share with another student. Otherwise, Professor Chou tries really hard to make his lectures entertaining. He always will make time for questions, though it will eventually cause him to go off track into long-winded discussions on a totally non-relevant subject. Organizationis not his strongest suit, but if you listen, you'll realize that he is a super intelligent man who knows insane amounts on the subject which he teaches. His door is open to any discussion, so I would definitely recommend visiting his OH, if you're looking for a letter of rec.

ps - for chinese 50, shu farmer is the best ta to get.

i had professor chou fall 03 and i think he's a great professor, though sometimes his accent can be misleading. he makes an effort to make sure that the students understand what he is talking about. not only does he write the concepts in english, but also in chinese for those that are more fluent in chinese. the class is absolutely easy. there was only a midterm and a final and a book report on "china's roots" which i have to admit was incredibly boring. the ta's give out handouts in discussion and most of the time, the questions from the handouts appear on the exams. i would definitly recommend him to anyone looking to take an easy g.e.

If you read through the reviews below you will find that a lot of people complain about how they never learned a thing in Prof. Chou's class. I come from a Chinese background, but being raised in America, I didn't have a slight clue of Chinese history. After taking this class, I've learned more about Chinese civilization/dynasties than I've ever imagined. I think the reason people claim they didn't learn anything was because the professor does make things especially easy and never assign homework, but if you go to his lectures and read his handouts, you will learn more about China than you ever thought possible. Overall, this class taught me about my background and was an easy A, I dont know what else to ask for. This class is highly recommended.

I was a bit disappointed of Chinese 50 because it didn't focus on China in the 20th century. But both Professor Chou and the TA (A.Miller) are very good teachers. Personally I thought Prof. Chou's lecture style is a bit slow and somewhat too....Chinese. But he's very helpful during office hours.