This class was boring but easy compared to some other history GEs. The lectures were very dry even though Geary tried to crack a few USC jokes. The midterm and final were very difficult to study for because they covered so many chapters, but ended up being easier than expected. The essays were pretty straightforward but your grade depends entirely on your TA. Geary is extremely hands-off and basically just lectures and tells you when the tests are. Not the worst class you could take, but also not a very interesting GE.

The guy tries really hard at lectures and tries to crack a few jokes and make the class as lively as possible. There are just way too many kids in the class to pay attention at lecture, and I usually ended up dozing off. However, the times I did pay attention, I realized Geary's lectures are very thorough and he goes through a lot and makes sure he teaches you more than enough for the midterm and the class. However, for the midterm you only study two chapters, but for the final you need to know six, which makes no sense, because you spend five weeks on the first two chapters, and five weeks on the last six. I got an A-, but it all really depends on your TA. My TA would take off points if I didn't write my essays in the format he liked. Which meant five paragraphs with an intro and conclusion and three body paragraphs with three supporting details in each. It was like writing a middle school essay. If you want to have some creative freedom, go ahead, but it will almost certainly result in you get marked down a letter grade or so. The reading is very interesting, and it isn't difficult to read at all. I urge you to take the class, but make sure you follow every rule your TA puts out there.

Took this class after reviewing the comments here. Not as easy as it was laid out to be. For a lower div survey class, the grading was much harsher than I expected. While I didn't put massive effort into this class, I ended up devoting more time to it as it quickly began to drag me down grade-wise. The IDs are graded individually on a 5-point scale, and if a TA considers only perfect answers for 5s, then otherwise 'good' definitions get 4s and 3s (or B-'s and D-'s), which can negatively impact the midterm grade. Unfortunately, thorough answers were difficult to procure as a majority of the class, including myself, did not finish the midterm in time; only ~45mins is allotted for either the essay or the eight 5-part answer IDs. Final is identical in length but offers 3 hours for answers.

Final grade: B

For a lower-division class packed with athletes and non-majors, Geary did a really good job lecturing. The lectures are not the most exciting in the world, but you can tell that he tries, which means something to me. Easy class, two papers based on primary source documents, straightforward midterm and final. You can either attend lecture and neglect the textbook or bail on lecture and read the book carefully--either way you'll do well.

One problem with this class is the TAs :( Most of them were harsh and I felt like grading was really uneven across the spectrum.

Final Grade: A

His lectures were somewhat interesting and kept me going most times, although if you miss one its not the end fo the world, but he provides important info. You can read the book for a more complete history, but its not completely necessary. Luckily all you need to know is what he gives in lecture as far as facts and discussion is vital for main themes, literature, and topics that you write about in essays for class and exams.

He is an adorable old man professor that I want to adopt as my grandfather and miss having as a professor. A fair and straight forward grader, you do your work, you get an A.

Though his lectures could be dry, he did a good job of keeping them interesting enough to warrant paying attention. The work in sections was some of the best work I've done in history classes; we read selections from our sources for homework, then we would carefully look through excerpts to be able to find the historical significance. (It was also good preparation for the final, where we had excerpts from various texts and had to write about what information we could understand from them.) The end result was that it made learning history more engaging than simply discussing facts. We were all challenged to learn how to take a historical document and make hypotheses about the historical significance. I would recommend Geary to anyone interested in history.

Theres one midterm, one final, and two papers.
Professor Geary was very kind, and tried to crack jokes during lecture so it was nice to see that he tried. He seemed to really care about his students which was a plus. HIs lectures are kind of boring though... so I never went. He says that the topics he goes over in lecture will most likely be on the test, but then he says that anything in the textbook is fair game. Once i heard that, I stopped going to lecture and just read the damn book. THe midterm and final are the exact same format. You define 8 out of 12 terms and then write an essay on the documents you analyze every week.

I dont know why everyone says this is an easy GE. Its only easy if you actually do your work religiously.
This means that you read one chapter, along with defining the terms, and analyzing the documents (usually at least 30 pages) EVERY WEEK.
Your TA will also add on some work or preparation for section as well.

I thought the terms were ridiculous. There were like 300 I had to memorize for the final.
The textbook is easy to understand though. Its just like the 10th grade AP World History book.

**** DO NOT HAVE SECTION AT 8AM if you can't wake up that early.
attendance is mandatory..... and section is 2 hours long.

If you're lazy and don't like to read- don't take this class.
If you're interested in history- this would be a great class to take.

Geary is an excellent professor.

My final grade was a B.
which is pretty good if you consider the fact that i didn't read any of the chapters after the midterm.

Professor Geary is extremely intelligent and knows what he is talking about. He cares about his students and giving them the opportunity to succeed in his class (get an A) if they are willing to put forth the effort to learn the material. His midterm and final are not difficult whatsoever and there will never be any surprises on either test. The primary source readings are the heart of the class and the texts are engaging. I enjoyed reading the Old Testament from a historical point of view. Lectures are somewhat of a bore. He complements his lectures with intriguing photos and a brief outline but what he says is the bulk of what is important. Luckily, the textbook is extremely well written and easy to follow. The information is presented in a coherent fashion and the material should not be hard to grasp. That said, it is a lot of history crammed into a tiny quarter so be prepared to read and if you can't bring yourself to stay awake in lecture then be doubly prepared for reading the textbook. My TA was excellent and she was enthusiastic and informed about the subject matter. That said I got an A on both papers, the midterm, and the final. My final advice for doing well: Listen in lecture or read the textbook extremely well, READ THE PRIMARY SOURCES, and write good papers. The tests are a breeze so just know the important terms that are stressed in lectures and the textbook.

Pros of Geary:
* Really nice, very intelligent, and convenient office hours.
* The midterm and the final are REALLY straightforward
* His lectures are very informative
* He is really well organized

Cons of Geary:
* Getting the motivation to get to class is hard sometimes
* He can be a little monotonous
* Sometimes it's hard not to fall asleep.

Overall, I learned a lot in the course, which was great. I didn't have to go every day, which was nice. I suggest taking notes on a laptop though.

Professor Geary, cares about his students. He truly wants them to do well. In that sense, history 1A, was a huge class of 300+ and for me it really sucked going to class, and having a hard time hearing him. He is a little monotone, and talks slowly. the material was tough to grasp only bc it was dry and i found it somewhat boring. Some of the readings from the reader though were cool. PAT, the TA really helped a lot. He's a good guy. Geary was cool, but what i really hated was the hundreds of terms we had to know for both the midterm and final. He doesnt give a study guide, or mention possible terms, except the day before thanksgiving, where he gave out two that were for sure on it. Honestly studying for that many terms was a pain in the butt, and you should start memorizing them way ahead of time. reading the book helps, but remembering the dates is easier said than done. Remember the century! BCE OR CE! anyway, PAT helped a lot. so go for it, if you are ready to work, or have no other choice.