Western Kentucky University / D / Robert Deitle

I took the Honors course and yes, he is one of the most difficult professors I've ever had (and I'm in my last semester). He doesn't require you to show up for class, but if you don't, you're completely lost. The midterm and final tests are supposed to be the 5-paragraph essays, and you have to do 5 of them within the class period (this is where I had trouble: I don't write fast). Still, he came to me, and said that I seemed to know my stuff, and offered me all kinds of extra credit. I got a "D" on my midterm, but I wrote a paper, got an "A" and he switched the grades for me.

He is the most interesting teacher I've ever had (he WILL talk about the sex practices among Spartans) and he knows how to joke. So, if you want to LEARN something take him, and just make sure that you talk to him if you're having problems, and talk to your fellow students, too. He will assign 50 pages of reading to be done between Monday and Wednesday, but my class basically switched off (one group reads the first 10 pages, the next group reads the next 10) so that discussion was constantly going and he was never angry with anyone for not reading. If you are just trying to muddle through a gen. ed. take someone else.

I took the honors version of history 119. It was a difficult class, but I feel that I left with a lot of valuable information. Deitle is a considerate and helpful professor. He does not discriminate and is quite the amusing character. He is a mack daddy in all respects.

This was the hardest class that I have ever taken. Ya, I'm not the greatest student in the world, but this class I poured every oz. of studying I had into it to get a C. Every Wes. Civ. class is difficult, but this professor was impossilbe. Our first assignment on the first day was to read the Iliad. Have you ever seen the Iliad?? It's about a 60-80 page document (depending on what book it's in). That was due to read and to take notes on for the next class session. I give to you this advice, which I wish someone would have infomed me, take this class... BUT WITH A DIFFERENT TEACHER. Every test/exam you take is essay question, and I mean EVERY test/exam. Extra Credit is random reading notes if you do them. He lectures everyday, nothing else. I'd say on average 7-8 pages per day. OUCH it hurts. He takes attendance everyday too, without fail.

Deitle is pretty tough, but it's within reason. You have to read a lot of material, so be ready for that. He gives you extra credit opportunities, though, and he is a good teacher. Not the class to take if you want an easy A, but it's good if you like history.