Trevor Getz

Trevor Getz must have changed since I took classes from him his first semester. He was quite immature and not really with the dynamics of teaching. I found his lessons informative but on a personal note: I just didn't take to his personality.

I enrolled for Modern European Imperialism already interested in the subject, but I learned so much more than I expected. It is fair to say that enjoying and learning from a class IS all about the teacher & T.GETZ is a teacher above and beyond the rest... Easy-going and brilliant: he is a true TEACHER, not merely someone with a phD & "Professor" attached to his last name. He was always willing to expound on ideas from class during office hours. The books were excellent and his enthusiasm for th etopic was infectious. He was never snobbish or pretentious and always willing to share his knowledge. Lectures were never dull [this says a lot for a 9 a.m. class!]. Definitely be prepared to take notes and don't be shy to ask him to leave notes on the overhead... This class combined with Political Theory-the Reformation to the Nineteenth Century was a mind-altering experience! To read the treatises of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Paine, Burke & James in conjunction with the strategies and means of imperial rule was an intellectually satisfying experience [do it!]....

Mr. Getz is a great teacher and knows his stuff. But the only problem I encountered in the class was the lectures. I fell asleep a lot of times and it's very hard to take notes because he barely puts any on the board for you to copy off of. But hey, that's college. so if you're a good listener and note-taker, you'll pass the class...Although I did pass the class even if I wasn't there a lot of the times. And it was because you would just have to study the book if you missed his lectures. The book is pricy, but it's a life-saver when it comes to doing essays and exams...Just be prepared for those long lectures.

I took Prof. Getz for both Hist 114 and 115. I find his lectures very easy to follow and interesting. He speaks very clearly and the information he gives is always organized in some form. The exams are usually essay with some identification. Before the exam he will go over all of the information and provides you with the questions on the exam well before the actual date. I enjoyed these classes and this professor very much.

Prof. Getz is an excelent lecturer. His lectures are very fast, but this helps you from falling asleep ;). Everyone knows history isn't the most thrilling subject, but he really does get you interested. The one thing I want to complain about is the amount of money I spend on this class. There are two required books (I barely opened either of them) and an I-learn website system (like $40). Halfway through the semester i-learn went out of business, and that money pretty much went down the drain. I had no problem studying for the tests directly from the notes. The tests are essay, and a little bit short-answer. You know exactly what's going to be on it, (the essay question) and you can bring an index card to help you out. So the tests are pretty much a test of your writting skills. The only "homework" there was, were short reports (like 1-2 pages) on a reading. You may have to present in front of the class, but it's really not that big of a deal. Getz creates an open and relaxed environment, and the class goes very smoothly.

Getz is a very knowledgeable teacher. His lectures for the most part are very interesting. His exams are pretty challenging, but if you take decent notes, look up the topics in the book, and attend his review lectures, you should do well. He has a very fun and helpful simulation as a review for the final where you essentially try to take over the world.

Imperialism is a topic that is most often omitted when dealing with history. Getz was able to lay out the complexities in an informative, organized, and intriguing fashion. He is a dynamic speaker; moves around often, great voice projection, and fresh ideas. He enjoys was he speaks about and never digresses off onto an irrelevant period of history (in fact, he admits that he does not enjoy lecturing the strictly European part of the class.) You will learn many "hidden" effects pertaining to imperialism from great historical events.