As a history major focusing on the history of the United States, I was very nervous going into this course. Not only had I not taken a world history course since my sophomore year of high school, I don’t think any of my courses have ever gone as far back as 500. That being said, Von Glahn is an amazing professor. Sure, he has very high standards and packs what could be a week’s worth of material into a 50-minute lecture, but he also makes himself available and willing to help students. Go to his office hours—he answers all of your questions and is extremely friendly! His exams are fair—he releases a study guide with topics that you should focus on, and everything on the exams is in some way related to those topics. Pay attention to his lectures, especially the last two minutes, as that is where he ties everything together and makes his “thesis statement” for the day. Overall, I came out of the class a lot more interested in world history than I came in, and I owe that almost completely to Von Glahn. By no means an “easy” A, but if you’re willing to put in the time to read and think critically, you’ll learn a lot and have the opportunity to receive a decent grade.