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Middlebury College, Middlebury VT

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[PSCI 0103]
Introduction to Comparative Politics

Rate This Class

Professor: Horning

Value of Course / Overall Score

Not Much (25%
Average (31.2%)
Valuable (43.7%)

Material

Friendly (18.7%)
Average (68.7%)
Competitive (12.5%)

Class Atmosphere

Boring (25%)
Average (68.7%)
Fascinating (6.2%)

Prep Time Needed

1-2hr (6.2%)
3-5hr (50%)
6-8hr (37.5%)
9-11hr (6.2%)
12+ hr (0%)

Grade Weighting

Harder (43.7%)
Average (0%)
Easier (56.2%)

Adequate Assistance

Yes (93.7%)
No (6.2%)

Would Recommend Class

Yes (37.5%)
No (62.5%)

Evaluation Comments for Horning

  1. Professor Horning is engaging and great discussions were had in her class. However, she's a tough grader and you have to do the readings. If you want to take PSCI103, I'd suggest a different professor.
  2. No Comment
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  11. Interesting, occasionally dry class. Horning is a very nice professor, dealing with a boring class.
  12. If you're actually interested in political science, the course material isn't dry; it's just basic. It's a necessary intro class that I think provides a really good grounding in the discipline. Horning tries really hard--she is not the best prof I've had at Midd, but she's still quite good, and is VERY available during office hours (she loves office visits!).
  13. DO NOT TAKE THESE NEGATIVE COMMENTS SERIOUSLY! This class is boring, by design, but you also learn some semi-interesting stuff. Horning is not bad at all. She's pretty funny, likes to laugh, etc. She expects you to do the reading, but you should be doing it anyway, because you're in college. People say she's a tough paper grader. This is true, but she does give everyone something to read called "Guide to Writing Good Analytical Political Science Papers" or something like that. If you read it, you'll understand why her grading is harsh, and you'll be able to ensure an A. I didn't read it for my first paper, got a C+, read it for my second paper, and got an A. she took this into account when giving me my final grade. Horning is reasonable and nice. Don't be hatin
  14. the material is mmeh. but the teacher is wonderful. many think that she is pretentious, but the woman knows a lot and it is worthwhile to go and see her for office hours if not to just shoot the shit for awhile. a nice, basic, intro class that teaches you most in lecture. beware, she only gives out a handful of As per assignment as a rule, so don't expect easy grading.
  15. Not a great survey class. I felt like I spent a lot of time reading and studying without gaining any great overall understanding of the world's political systems. "Comparative Politics" as a study is also a lot more specific than I'd thought it would be. Prof Horning is very knowledgable, but you can tell she'd rather be teaching about Africa. Discussions are unhelpful.
  16. I am going to sound like a broken record here, but I'll try to vary it up a bit. There are several reasons you probably want to avoid this class with this professor. She is approachable and knowledgeable, however the material was presented in a scattered manner, the readings awful (to a large degree) and the class room atmosphere with her specifically can be quite hostile at times. For example, if a student makes a comment that is not quite appropriate, or expresses a personal opinion of something that is negative, she will remember this for the rest of the semester and continually single that student out whenever an opportunity arises for her to stereotype them. She also makes things personal far too often and her professionalism in the classroom is lacking, most likely in an attempt to put the students at ease. Additionally the discussions are the most painful thing I have endured here so far, although there is a close second. Professor Horning enjoys debates, for example parliamentary systems vs. presidential systems, or my personal favorite, a debate on globalization. The entire class ended up saying the same thing, that there are pros and cons, but instead of being anti or pro, that the problems should be acknowledged and addressed. Some things aren?t meant to be debated. Also, she prefers to remain out of the scope of the discussions, but it doesn?t work well because the readings are so dry or complex we had trouble approaching them. If we asked a question, she often made it seem like we hadn?t done the reading, or turned it around back on us, and believe me, it makes for an unproductive meeting time. Lastly, her papers are absolutely ridiculous. The topics are often very specific about what the subject is, but they are vague in terms of what she is actually looking for you to address as sources or appropriate angles to take. Her comments are harsh, but sometimes very few in numbers so the grade won?t make sense for the feedback she gives. She grades down for lack of thesis and lack of organization so watch out. Basically, there is a great deal of information here that I felt like I missed because the actual class was so hard and if you are not a political science major you may want to avoid the class overall because it isn?t the most straightforward one you could take. It is not indicative of political science at this school or in general so don?t be put off if you end up having to take it.
  17. Horning is a nice person and is always willing to help you out of class, but she doesn't do a good job of presenting the material in an interesting way. Lectures were boring and discussions lacked good topics and debates most of the time. Horning specializes in African politics so she always throws that into the class. Hopefully her class on Africa is better than this one. From what I've heard, comp. pol. can actually be somewhat interesting but you need to take it with another prof.
  18. Ok, alot of people around here like to give Nadia Horning a bad rap. Everyone who has taken this course needs to remember that this course focuses on material that is extremely theoretical. Also, this course aims to cover so much that it ends up being difficult for ANYONE to teach. That being said, yes, alot of the readings can be quite boring, but others are extremely fascinating. The middle of the term, in terms of material, is the best (we discuss democratization, development, social movements, identity). The beginning of the course is very concept and theory heavy, but it's neccesary for an intro to comp. pol. so suck it up. If you don't plan on majoring, TAKE A DIFFERENT COURSE. In truth, I think only people who intend on majoring find the material in this course interesting. Take an elective before taking this class, most poli sci electives dont require prereqs. She is an extremely fair grader, she has developed a system that keeps her from grade-bias and is incredibly approachable. ALSO: her specialty is Africa and is great at explaining many concepts in terms of Africa which is very interesting.
  19. I don't know why people are saying to avoid Horning. She is fun, intelligent, animated, and genuinely enthused and excited about teaching. I admit, the course attempts to cover too much, and some topics were rushed. Considering how much material there was to get through, I think that Horning does an excellent job covering as much as possible. Some of the readings can be extremely dry and boring, but most of them are genuinely interesting and have a lot of value. If you are interested in politics at all, this course is indispensable. If you plan to take this class, take it with Horning if at all possible. Trust me, Esarey is the one you want to avoid; Horning is great.
  20. nice professor, tough on final grades
  21. This is eaisly one of the toughest classes I have taken at Midd. 4 weeks into it we were discussing such esoteric subjects as "citizenship," "the balance of powers," and "democracy." In all honesty, though, this course is a life changing experience; it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, but however you feel about it, you'll never be the same again. (Most likely you will become much more prescient of your imminent death, as you sit, bored, in the classroom, pondering the futility of existence). In all honesty, though, this class blows, so don't take it!!!
  22. Horning is good for upper-level classes like African Politics, but the material she presents in Comparative Politics is incredibly boring. Avoid this class or take it with Mecham.
  23. If you aren't a PSCI major, don't take this class. If you are a PSCI major, take Comparative with a different prof. It is the worst course I have taken since I've been at Midd.

INSTRUCTIONS : Click class or professor names to see scores, Click to submit your own review.

All classes taught by Horning :

  • Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • International Politics

All professors who teach this class:

  • Quinn Mecham
  • Mecham, R
  • McWilliams J
  • Joyce Mao
  • Horning
  • horning
  • Gumuscu, S.
  • Cason
  • Carmola K
  • Bleich
  • Rosenberg D
  • Teets, J.

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