Western Kentucky University / T / Jack W. Thacker
Averages:
Overall Rating
OKv
Grade Received
Bv
Course Difficulty
Difficultv
Quantity of Notes
Overkillv
Tag Summary:
Multiple Choice: 1
Matching: 2
Fill in the Blank: 1
Essays: 62
Problem Solving: 1
Mandatory Final: 49
Cumulative Final: 3
Textbook Required: 23
Extra Credit: 2
Attendance Required: 13
66 Total Evaluations
HIST-102 : - Posted 10/28/2014
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Ok, prepare yourself for a VERY old school teacher, all he does is talk and talk. although he does know what he is talking about. He does not use technology he thinks it's "the evil of learning" he doesn't even use his email. The only thing your graded on is tests and the final.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 4/22/2013
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker is one of the best teachers I have ever had. Yes his class is difficult. However, if you show up every day, take good notes, and go to the study sessions, you pretty much have it made. In the study sessions, he gives you a GOOD idea of what is going to be on the test. His tests are essay format, but you answer something like 2/5 essay questions. The short essay needs to be roughly 1.5-2 pages while the long essay is 2.5 or longer. If you do not want to put forth an effort, don't expect a good grade out of this class. He is a little fast-paced for notes, but the best thing for his class is to get a voice recorder and then type up your notes. Easiest way to make an A in his class.
HIST-120 : Western Post 1688 - Posted 2/16/2013
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Knowing the content is not the measure of a teacher; conveying knowledge is. He has one good point and three bad.
GOOD: casual and wants to help
BAD: 1) Roughly 50% of what he says is either distraction or over-complication. 2) He'll spend too much time exploiting his authority to project his backward politics. 3) Does not break down information well.
The only people I know who like him as a professor are non-historians from ROTC. They are meat-heads who share copies of Thacker's old tests (they haven't changed in two decades) and make it a point to talk positively about the military for a better grade. Thacker is Fox News.
HIST-491 : Holocaust - Posted 12/13/2012
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Thacker is, without a doubt, the most intelligent man I have ever met. I cannot say enough good things about him. This class was a topics course over the Holocaust and was my favorite class to date. His class consists of straight lecture each and every day. You will read, in total, 6 books in the class (3 required, 3 outside of class). The grade breakdown is very simple: 40% midterm, 50% final exam, 10% subjective judgement/term paper. The exams are all essay and come straight from the information you get from his lectures. He won't take attendance but once in a blue moon but you can't do well if you don't attend class and take good notes. The term paper is 12-20 pages over any topic related to the course and you use 20 sources. He is such an amazing teacher. Anyone who is a history major should take AT LEAST one of his classes before graduation. I just can't say enough good things about my experience in this class. It was outstanding!
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 10/26/2012
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
First off let me just say that Dr. Thacker doesn't believe in computers. He told our class on the first day that he doesn't use them and won't use them so it was very difficult to get in touch with him. He is a very knowledgeable man, but I feel like he almost knows too much. He teaches everything from memory and basically rambles about everything. He will start talking about one subject and end up switching over to the current state of politics. He expects us to write down every single that he says and he will want to know the most random things for the tests... The exams are all essay based. You will get a study guide with a long list of people and events that you have to know, but only ten of those will actually be on the test. For being a gen. ed., this class is very time consuming and you have to put in A LOT of work to get a good grade. I would suggest that you take another teacher unless you feel like challenging yourself. Oh, and one more thing... He is very conservative and right-winged. And he will let you know on multiple occasions what he thinks about how the country is right now.
HIST-120 : History After 1648 - Posted 1/19/2012
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
This teacher knows his stuff, but that just makes the class that much harder. There is no BSing in this class you have to try hard. There are only 3 tests including the final and each test has at least two essay question that need to be 1.5-2 pages long. You will walk out of his class with a shit ton of new knowledge but you will have to bust your balls to get a decent grade.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 7/13/2011
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I took this as a summer class and it was a lot of notes but our grades depended on 3 tests and a paper (which I prefer to a lot of homework). I had to put in quite a bit of study time but it paid off and I got an A in the class. I'd definately recommend Thacker he is very interesting and very old school. I didn't even bother with buying a textbook and I'm glad because repeatedly he'd tell us the text was wrong. Attendance is not mandatory but I couldn't imagine missing more than a class and staying caught up.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 12/18/2010
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Thacker is probably the best professor at WKU. Although his class is difficult, I highly encourage taking this man if you have the chance. He is the longest tenured prof at WKU so he's very old school. He knows his stuff and if you take good notes you should be fine on the tests.
HIST-426 : Hitler And Nazi Germany - Posted 12/15/2010
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
While collectively this is probably the smartest teacher I have ever met, and he expects a great deal from you, I have never here at my time here at Western experienced a teacher quite like Dr.Jack Thacker. He is blunt, though not in a rude way, difficult, but not impossible, a genius, but doesn't tell you about how smart he, or how many publications he has. While Hitler and Nazi Germany is by no means an Easy A, if you have any interest in one of the most tumultuous eras in history then there is no reason to avoid this class. There is one mid-term, term paper and a final, and I can't imagine that any other 400 level history class would be easier. I highly recommend Dr. Thacker.
HIST-426 : Hitler & Nazi Germany - Posted 12/20/2009
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker is one of the best, if not the best, history professors at WKU and if you are a history major then you should definitely take one of his classes before you graduate from the university. This class, as its titles implies, covers German history from World War I through 1945 and discusses the political, social, and economic forces that were alive in Nazi Germany. This class is usually only offered as a night class but Thacker doesn't keep you the full time every night and his lectures are very interesting. He covers different interpretations of the events that you study which history majors and grad students should find very interesting and it shows you that there are multiple ways of looking at the same subject.
The textbook is not required for this course, but if you are not good at spelling German names or have a hard time following his lecture it may not be bad to get it. As previous evaluations have stated, Dr. Thacker lectures at a pretty brisk pace and you have to be able to keep up. The best strategy is to write down everything you can and don't worry about spelling the names correctly (he won't spell them all out to you or write them on the board). What I did was to just make my best guess on the names and looked them up after class and that worked out.
The class breakdown is typical of any Thacker class. 25% is your first exam (midterm), your final exam is 40%, you have a 12-20 page term paper on anything you want to write about over the Nazi Germany period which is 25%, and 10% is subjective. To get this subjective grade you need to be attentive in class, show effort, and be in class. As he says the first night, he expects you to be there. Thacker only calls roll the first 2 class periods but he'll know if your there or not (and especially if you sneak out of class halfway through class while its on break). The essay exams usually constitute 3 essay questions (grad students have a special section where they have more thought provoking questions) and you get 2 hours. Believe me, your hand will be aching when your done.
Also, students are required to read 3 books over the semester and he will ask you for a list of books that you read on the last night of class to turn in with your exam. Grad students have to read 5 books and submit a bibliographical essay of no more than five pages on the last night of class.
Overall, very enjoyable class from a very intelligent and respected instructor. I'd definitely recommend Dr. Thacker for anyone looking for a challenge at WKU. It's not an easy class, but it'll have you think more than other classes at the university.
HIST-119 : West. Civ Prior To 1648 - Posted 8/25/2009
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I am three quarters of the way through his course. I respect and admire his diligence and committment to instilling knowledge in his students. I worry over any test, so I intend to give him and his test my best. It is not the grade that matters -- it is the knowledge you gain and retain. He intends, through his extensive essays to teach you history, and writing, which Western students, in my experience dearly need. If you want it -- this professor can teach you a lot.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648. - Posted 5/15/2009
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
This is a difficult 100 level course. Like the other reviews state: you better be able to paraphrase and be able to point out important details. He lectures straight from memory and is very knowledgeable in that sense. There are 2 book reports that you have to do over a book of your choice, and his exams are very difficult. Still, if you study hard and take good notes, its not impossible to get an A in his class, as I did it. He does drop the first exam and with good reason, 2/3 of my class failed the first exam...one person got a 0/100 on it. Jack is a sexist, prejudice, racist professor and does not care. He is EXTREMELY conservative and canceled class the day President Obama won the election... he said "enjoy the end of the world." Take him if you really want a challenge or if you want to experience what college is really like. Also, I didn't even bother buying the book and did fine without it so save yourself some money.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Hist 120 - Posted 5/15/2009
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
D
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Jack Thacker is probably the most intellegent history professor ever. He knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING. But this DOES NOT mean hes a good teacher. When taking notes he rambles on about every event that happend during that time period. From Napoleons great battles to his ex wives cousins sister and her life also (seriously). This guy metions EVERY DETAIL of everything!! and never pauses to stop; you will never get all of the notes nor know actually whats goin to be on the exam or whats not. He then gives you a study guide with about 200+names and events and about 5 practice essays and expects you to remember all of this. Although only 10 of those names/events are on the exam, you dont know which ones and you have to know the "who, what, when, where, and significance of them" so good luck..And in between those discussions, he never fails to bash the democratic party. He jumps from socialism in england during the 17th century, to blaming obama and our doomed future, to how stupid clinton and biden are- Keep in mind none of this is on tests so he wasting time...Obama wasnt in the white house for 100 days and he blamed him for dooming our future, i guess he forgot about the past 8 years...Overall, if you LOVE history and is willing to sit through this pain and torture- take this class, otherwise stay far away because your guranteed to drop your GPA with this guy....
HIST-299 : Military History - Posted 4/20/2009
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Thacker is very knowledgeable, but you will struggle through his lectures. He tends to get off topic with his lectures and rarely returns to the point where he left off. Once you get used to him, it gets a little better though. His exams are hard if your notes aren't good. The books may help, but I did not need them to still get a B. ROTC cadets (such as myself) are required to take this course, so if you are a normal student be prepared to feel somewhat behind when Thacker discusses battle tactics. If you are an ROTC cadet, I suggest waiting until after junior year to take his course.
HIST-299 : Military History - Posted 11/17/2008
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
D
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
DO NOT take this class unless it is REQUIRED. If you are one of those kids who likes writing long papers, taking LOTS of notes that are hard to follow because the lecture is hard to follow, and drawing battles, then this class is for you. Diagraming battles will become your best friend. Especially because you have to write a 12+ page term paper about a battle!! His test are hard, but not impossible. It's a hard class to study for.
Have fun.
HIST- : Hitler And Nazi - Posted 4/11/2008
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Great Professor, If you get tired of hearing the liberal bias that the majority of College professor preach than Thacker is a nice change of pace. The class is very interesting and he grades pretty easy. You have to write a paper between 10-15 pages. I turned mine in knowing it was crappy and I receved a low B on it. Honestly, it was rather pathetic. Class is one day a week and attetedance(sorry cant spell) it not mandatory. If you need a upper level class to get 3 hours of credit for this is the one. Even if your not a History major you will be fine if you just show up and pay a bit of attention. Highly Recommend!
HIST-426 : Hitler And Nazi Germany - Posted 12/14/2007
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr.Thacker is one of the most knowledgeable, friendly and helpful professors that I have had the luxury of having at WKU.
Hitler and Nazi Germany consists of two tests and a term paper. The term paper has to be 12-20 pages but I wrote 8 and still received a B. His tests are essay and long but are not overwhelming, I did not study for the final and got a B (he thoroughly covers everything in lecture.)
It should also be noted that I had to miss a month worth of class due to work and still received a B on the midterm by studying the material in the book. While Dr.Thacker offers a wealth of information that the book doesn't cover, the tests come directly from the reading. Nothing tricky.
While I've given the impression that this is an easy class, it is challenging. There are a lot of notes and the reading is often long and tedious. The good thing about it is that Dr.Thacker is understanding, nice and its impossible not to learn something from him.
HIST-426 : Hitler/nazi Germany - Posted 12/8/2007
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker is probably one of the most intelligent professors on campus, and while his classes are quite difficult he always manages to keep it interesting. There are two tests and a term paper but as long as you attend class regularly and take good notes it is not that bad.
HIST-120 : - Posted 5/11/2007
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Western Civ is going to suck no matter who you take. So when I gave him a poor rating I was rating the subject. I haven't heard of anyone saying Western Civ is hard.
Back to Thacker. Well he really knows his stuff. Teaches from straight from memory. 3 tests...all essays. The first two I studied like none other and made an 84 and 81. The final I'm about to take to tommorrow. He makes you do two book reports which is really mandatory extra credit. How you do really depends on how committed you want to be. If you arent self motivated and cant b/s....probably not the class you for.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 5/11/2007
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I have taken Dr.Thacker's 120 class...quite frankly it sucks! He rambles on about nothing and expects us all to pay attention and know all of the material for the exams! There are 2 tests, 1 final, and 2 papers...and the papers are not incorporated into your grade, but if you fail to turn in one of them he will take off points(from where I am not sure)! He never makes any sense and is VERY right winged! Granted I am a republican as well but he kills it! His handwriting(when there is some) is not usually legible, and it is in no order. He does not follow any kind of pattern so you can never find where he is in the book in order to study! It is horrible. Yes he does have study sessions, but they are at 2:30 in the afternoon on a Wednesday and he only gives about 2 days notice as to when they are! Most everyone in my class cannot make it either due to other classes or work. He knows his stuff but is a horrible teacher! DO NOT TAKE JACK THACKER!
HIST-120 : Correspondence - After 1648 - Posted 4/30/2007
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I made the mistake and signed up for correspondence study - History 120. I later found out Dr. Thacker was the professor. There are 16 assignments that count 50%, and the final test counts 50%. The assignments take forever to complete. I turned in 5 assignments and received a B on every one. Each assignment I turned in contained no less than 15 pages of single spaced type written material. It took hours upon hours to finish one assignment. On some of the assignments (in addition to the identification and essay questions), I had to draw and color maps. I was wondering how I could ever study for the written test with so much material. I finally called the correspondence studies office and told them how ridiculous this is and they were kind enough to let me switch to another correspondence class, which is great. This history course is a 100 level and the class I switched to is a 300 level. The 300 level takes approximately 1/4 of the time to complete an assignment. I hate to be so negative, but I strongly advise not to take this course.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 4/19/2007
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
D
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker knows what he is talking about in class. It can be pretty interesting to hear what he has to say, especially from his right-winged stance. Test Material is overwhelming. You will recieve nearly 50 topics and the test will consist of 10 of the 50. You will have a pretty good idea of what they will be, but the Tests are not easy. There are then two more in-depth essays. Dr. Thacker is a good professor if you like notes and overwhelming tests.
MIL-299 : Military Science - Posted 3/19/2007
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker is a good ol boy. He has strong conservative views that are often funny. The class is not overkill in difficulty but does require some time for studying before test. If you decide to take the test their is a book in the library called something like "100 Greatest Battles" that highly recomend. Just ready about a few battles that was covered in class and you will be good to go.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 1/30/2007
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I will admit, this class is hard, and you take mounds of notes. But, Dr. Thacker was a wonderful teacher, he is one of the smarted people that I have ever met. I learned more in this class, not only about history, than in any other class I have taken. It was by no means an easy class, but I did enjoy it a great deal.
HIST- : Military History - Posted 12/16/2006
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Where to begin. Military History is a ROTC course that is also available to non-babykillers.
I will give Thacker credit. He certainly does know his military history. He talks quite fast and becomes surley if you ask him to slow down or repeat something.
His tests require several days preparation and are also too difficult. I say they are too difficult because this is Western, not Centre. The main objective is attaining a degree, not to break your back.
The absolute worst aspect of Thacker's class is his political views. He's constantly talking about the looming threat of Chinese invasion and how terrible Bill Clinton was. I guess that goes over well with the ROTC tools. He also loves to talk about morals and values, but it's pure hipocracy. Thacker's current wife is a former student. He left his wife who had born him children for some bimbo. The moral right indeed.
I feel a bit of vindication in exposing Thacker for what he really is. He'll break your balls and your back. Needless to say, I definately do not recomend Jack "Asshole" Thacker.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 10/17/2006
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I loved taking Dr. Thacker's course. He was a really hard teacher and loved cracking jokes on clinton and the democratic party. His tests are pretty difficult but if you know your stuff you'll do okay. Don't take Dr. Thacker if you are a strong democrat or like Clinton.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 7/12/2006
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
1st the good: He is a great teacher that seems to enjoy what he is does. He makes the lectures not only a learning experience but they are actually interesting.
2nd the bad: His class is alot of work. He only has essay tests and expects you to have a good knowledge of the material, and grades accordingly.
Overall: I would recommend anyone to take him. Although it's alot of work he is a great teacher.
P.S. Don't miss class if you can help it. Sometimes what he says isn't in the book and will be in the exam.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 5/11/2006
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I realy liked this class. History is one of my stronger subjects though. Dr. Thacker is a very interesting man. He has taught at West Point, different places in Europe and he is a senior professor at WKU. His class is not easy so don't take it if you expect a cakewalk. You MUST attend class if you hope to pass. He does not use a book. He will recommend that you get a western civ book but dont buy the one he suggest. Buy an older version for 5 bucks and use the Internet to look up anything you can't find in it. Rarely is a book used in this class unless you are filling out the study guide. You can fill most of the study guide out if you take notes. The test are hard but GO TO THE REVIEW SESSIONS. He will tell you what is on the test. Write out your essays and memorize them. My only knovk on him is that he does not have a computer. Therefore if class is cancelled you have to walk al the way to the top of the hill to find out.
HIST-120 : Western Civilization Since 1648 - Posted 3/19/2006
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Thacker is awesome. You will have to work, and he gives alot of notes. There are two book reports, which are really like mandatory extra credit, and three tests. He gives study sessions before the test, in which he goes over the essays and tells you exactly what to write. He's fairly generous as well, most of the class failed the first test (I recieved a 66) but he scrapped those and if you did better on the second test you recieved that grade for both. This class will really prepare you for upper level classes (especially history majors).
I'll admit, he sometimes gets off topic, but the information he presents is so facinating, it usually doesn't matter. Techinically it's not mandatory to go to class, but if you don't, you will regret it.
Go to class everytime, take notes, go to the study sessions, and you will be fine.
When you read most of the other evaluations, a lot of them are upset that he expresses his conservative views (he is EXTREMELY conservative). I'm more of a moderate conservative, and I don't like listening to exteme liberal views, but I don't bash a professor because of it. I get my views squashed all the time by liberal professors, but I don't hold that against their ability to teach. Anyone who does is simply immature, and if you can't stand for someone to go agianst your views, you're the person who is an "idiot" and "closed minded".
HIST-120 : - Posted 12/29/2005
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
Professor Thacker is awful! He puts his political views into class, so if you're even moderatly liberal you'll be upset within the first week. I dropped him after the first week because he was so bad.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 12/28/2005
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
D
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Thacker is one of those teachers that picks his four or five favorites in the class that receive As or Bs and everybody else passes with a D or fails. He gets off topic all of the time, the majority of the classes are spent bashing liberals, talking religion (and only his is right), and his pick up lines are deplorable.
His tests are entirely essay, and my final was Friday from 8 to 10am and he had all of the tests graded and posted online before 10:30am, so I have a hard time believing he really read them.
I suggest anybody who has Thacker be very quick to drop this course.
HIST-425 : Modern Germany - Posted 12/16/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
WOW, that's all I can say after taking this class. Dr. Thacker is a pure GENIUS and his knowledge of European history in terms of its political, social, economic, and military areas is simply remarkable. He may be conservative and make jokes about liberals in his class (which I liked because I am conservative), but dang it if liberals can control 90% of the department then I can have my 10%.
Thacker doesn't use a textbook to teach the class and recites most his knowledge from memory. If you suck at note taking then this isn't the class for you. You don't have Power Point slides to tell you when he switches subject so you have to have an ear for those changes and for tests you don't get a study guide. However, the exams are fair and come straight from the notes he gives in class.
For grades you have a midterm exam worth 25%, a term paper over anything dealing with Germany worth 25%, a final exam worth 40%, and Thacker has a subjective portion of 10% which can help you or hurt you. You also have to read five books if your an undergraduate and submit a list of those books at the end of the semester. Thacker grades a little on the picky side, but with a knowledge base like he has he has a right to. If you do extensive research on your term paper and study well for the exams (including lots of names/events/DATES/etc.) then you should get an A.
While there isn't an attendance policy, Thacker expects you to show up. He won't call role after the first two classes, but he'll know if you show up or not. Believe me, he's not sympathetic to people who turn in late work or who whine after they've missed excessive amounts of classes.
I believe Dr. Thacker might be retiring from WKU either this year or next year, but if you love history THEN YOU MUST take this man, you'll never regret it. You want to learn in his class because you don't want to let him down and that's the sign of a damn good instructor in my opinion.
A+++ all the way and thank you Dr. Thacker for giving me a totally new perspective on history
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since ... - Posted 12/8/2005
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
This class was the worst i have ever taken. I am up for a challange, but this is more like Survivor History 120. I think i would rather spend a month in the wilderness with no food or shelter than take this class again. Thacker teaches from memory, so the book is compleatly useless. He talks very fast, and he gets off topic all the time. He is extermely conservative going as far as to say that the Hurricane was Gods way of punishing New Orleans; telling us that black poeple arent stupid, there just lazy; and that there are three things women are genetically designed to do, cook/clean, make babies, and shop. There are only two tests and a final, and he dropped my class's first test because out of the whole class there was only 1 A and 90% of us failed. Im a 4.0 student and i got a 54 on the first test. The tests are five identifications out of a choice of ten, and two essays. When he says essays, he means it. He is VERY detailed oriented. I do NOT reccomend this class.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since1648 - Posted 11/16/2005
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
If your are a history major, this class is for you. I failed the first exam. His exams are in 3 parts: 1 part identification that has about 10-15 people, places, things, historical figures to identify, then part 2 is a large essay, and part 3 is a small essay. If you take this class be sure to attend his study sessions before the test. They will benefit you a great deal. But, if you can take another teacher, I am telling you to.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 9/15/2005
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
I dropped on the first day when he told us that the only way to get by in the world today was to be a white man from the west. Total asshole.
HIST-120 : West. Civ After 1648 - Posted 6/25/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Thacker is a pure genious. This man knows everything about the history of the world, and for that I give him props. He is also a very strong conservative, which is also why I give him props. I would like to see him get in a political argument with Dr. Anne Onyekwuluje of the Sociology Dept. because he would make her look like a complete retard. I have the utmost respect for Dr. Thacker and his opinions about life, mainly because he is right about everything. Dr. Thacker, I would personally like to thank you for everything you have done and hope that you continue to be the great professor that you are. I definately recommend anyone take one of his classes
HIST-490 : World War 1 - Posted 4/12/2005
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I absolutly hated this class, not because of his views either. The lectures are more like rambles and its extremely hard to follow what the man is talking about. He also goes through these foreign generals names never stopping to spell them out. Also he grades (in my opinion) too hard unless you kiss his butt everyday. So do that. Dont take him unless you haveto, unfortunatly i do again
HIST-299 : Military History - Posted 12/8/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Everybody should take this class. You learn a lot, and Dr. Thacker is a riot!!! If you're pro-military, Republican, and Christian, you'll enjoy his rants. If not, hold on to your hat :) All said, I'm a history major and this class has been my favorite thus far.
HIST-120 : Wesern Civ - Posted 10/29/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker is a great teacher but this class is hard. I am a history major so I am used to all the tough essay questions. He does have a review before the test in which he tells you some of the essay questions that will be on the test. I would suggest you take him if you like history and if you are tired of hearing the liberal agenda from all the other professors.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 10/26/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker is an excellent professor, but one should not take him unless they are prepared to work for their grade. you learn a ton of information, and if you just really like a challenge he's the one for you. Thacker is a great guy and you simply have to gain some sort of knowledge before leaving his classroom.
HIST-120 : Western Civilization - Posted 9/29/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Professor Thacker's classes are solely based on notes! You have to do 2 book reports, 2 exams, and 1 final. He jumps around on his notes and you can't find where he is at in the book! TOO MANY NOTES! I recommend the class for upperclassmen not for freshmen
HIST-120 : Western Civ After 1648 - Posted 9/26/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
D
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Okay so I HATED this class. Mr. Thacker talks so much and cuts off sentences by fading his voice making it very difficult to take notes and understand everything he says. When he DOES write on the board his terrible handwriting makes it difficult to understand WHAT hes writing.
With ANY teacher anyone can like or hate the teacher. When it comes down to it you should sign up for a class and go to it the first week of school THEN decide what you think about the teacher. At that point you can always drop the class. Just a bit of advice.
HIST-494 : Us Military History - Posted 5/13/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
WARNING!!!! If you're a Liberal, Dem, Don't like Opposing ideas or are looking for a hand out. DO NOT take this class. However, if your Hard working Conservative that believes that you deserve what you earn, and are interested in Military history then this is the class for you. Dr. Thacker is a Brilliant individual who really knows his history. His lectures are very informative and his "free infomation" is usually on the mark 100%. The tests are all short answer and essay. I loved every moment in his class. Don't be mistaken though, It is not easy by any means, it is challenging and makes you think. Exactly what a 494 level class should be. It requires that you read on your own time, show up to class and pay attention to the lecture. If you are not willing to do this, or are looking for A's for effort then you need to do 1 of 3 things.
1. Don't take the class
2. Seek out the usual Prof that will hand you extra Credit for just showing up, so that you slack off and still pass.
3. Drop out of school now, Because life only gets harder.
Anyone looking for a challenge, and a breath of fresh air from the standard college liberal propoganda, this is definately the place to be. On that note, let me Say that after 5 years it is about damn TIME.
HIST-120 : - Posted 4/15/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
Jack Thacker is the most ignorant man on campus. I cannot believe somone with so much education could be so incredibly stupid. He spends all of his class time trying to mold everyone into little model conservative christians. This guy has a serious America fetish. It's creepy. He actually told his class that Joe McCarthy's witch-hunt was justified. It is sickening that this man believes he is enlightened. He spends more time beating the bible and berating liberals than he does teaching. He is a disgrace. If you are in ROTC, you should definitely take this course, because no matter how braindead you are, he will basically pin a big friggin medal to your chest and send you home with an "A" after he sees you in uniform for the first time. What a joke. I sure hope his proctologist finds his head soon.
HIST-426 : Hitler And Nazi Germany - Posted 1/22/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
Dr. Thacker is an absolute joke. Take his class if you need a training course on how to be a horrible prfessor, but if you want to learn about the Third Reich...go somewhere else. This class should have been informative and interesting, but instead he spent most of the time talking about his own political agenda. He dilberately makes derogatory statements about democrats, going so far as to call them "idiots." We talked more about how he supported the current "war on terror" than we did WWII. He made me feel uncomfortable to be honest.
HIST- : Western Civ. After 1648 - Posted 1/10/2004
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr.Thacker is a great teacher although his class is extremely difficult. In order to pass this class you have to take a bunch of notes. His lectures are hard to follow because a lot of the time he gets way off topic and his tests are very, very hard!
HIST-120 : Western Civ. - Posted 12/27/2003
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! I and many of my classmates had to withdraw from his course. He talks way too fast and expects you to catch every detail he says. He gives you no help and his tests are rediculous. His class is impossible to stay awake in and you have to be able to pay attention.
HIST-120 : Western Civilization - Posted 11/4/2003
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Mr. Thacker tries to be a good teacher and sometimes it's funny to listen to what he has to say. Overall, he can overly express his Republican opinions and he cracks lots of Bill Clinton jokes. This course consists of 2 book reports, 2 tests, and a final. That's it! So you have to work hard to make good grades. The book reports aren't so bad, but the tests kill me they are all Essay-it's tough.
If you take this course beware that you need to attend every class b/c the tests are over his lecture. He never follows a book or guide, he teaches from memory. I suggest you steer clear of this class because it is no A for effort grade.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 10/14/2003
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker is a walking textbook. He knows more about history than anyone I've ever seen. He's a nice guy, but this class is very hard. His entire class is lecture everyday. If you aren't good at taking quick notes, don't take Dr. Thacker. Your grades are based on exams which are complicated and on a short time limit.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 5/17/2003
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker is a very smart person, but a horrible teacher, he teaches straight from his memory, and goes really fast. He bad mouths Clinton from the first day to the last day. His tests consisted of 2 essay and 5 identify, if you go to the study session he will tell you the essays. The identify come from the review sheet he hands out, but there are like 100 and you only have to know 5. Dr. Thacker is a genious and expects you to be as knowledgeable as him, TAKE HIM ONLY IF YOU ARE A HISTORY MAJOR!!!!!!!!!!!
HIST-120 : - Posted 4/23/2003
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker's class was hard. Be prepared to know all the specifics for the tests. Who, what, when, where, why, ect. Just knowing the basics will not cut it. There's quite a few notes, take them all and definately read the book. I withdrew from the class after my first test grade came out to be a 48. For comparison, I made a 93 on my first test in Hist 119. I would not recommend taking Thacker's class, it is really rough.
HIST- : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 4/22/2003
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I hated this class!! Dr. Thacker rambles on and on and you have no idea what to write down. You have to study for at least a week for his test. He gives you a list of at least 100 people and on the test you have to pick 5 out of 10 to describe. His test are insane. I would recommend anyone besides Thacker as a teacher!!
HIST- : Western Civ.since 1648 - Posted 11/7/2002
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
F
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Where should I start? This class was extremely difficult! Dr.Thacker often got off subject and went to fast, you never knew if what he was saying was important information or not. The tests were all essays, and if your essay wasn't longer than 2 pieces of paper for 1 question, you might as well forget about getting credit for it. He is a very wise man, and knows to much information for his own good. He expects you to know everything when he doesn't even cover half the stuff on the test. A good thing about him was he did drop the first test grade if you improved on the next test. A bit of advice: PICK A NEW TEACHER!!
HIST-120 : Western Civ. After 1648 - Posted 5/25/2002
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Okay, I'm just going to be frank here. I would NEVER recommend Dr. Thacker to anyone. A lot of people don't seem to mind him, but I spent seven weeks in his class and had a serious problem with his "teaching" and method of grading. He goes quite fast, often gets off the subject, and he is a die-hard conservative (aka quite biased). I've had a 4.0 all my life, he gave me C's, and I concluded something was wrong when he admitted that, out of the 42 students in our class, he only gave one an A. He can be funny sometimes, but also quite rude. I strongly advise you to avoid this man.
HIST-426 : Hitler And Nazi Germany - Posted 5/22/2002
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
One of the best teachers on campus. Lectures are informative and fascinating; the material sticks with you long after it is over. Very approachable, very nice, and very funny. I wish I had taken a lot more classes with Dr. Thacker.
HIST-120 : Western Civ. - Posted 5/12/2002
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
He knows his stuff, but is really hard to follow. He skips around too much and it's hard to get all of the notes. There are only 2 tests and a final, and then you have to do 2 book reports. If your not a good note taker, dont take his class!
HIST- : Hitler/ Nazi Germany - Posted 3/11/2002
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Thacker gives clear and understanding lectures. Specifically his knowledge of Europe during the Third Reich 1918-1945 is excellent. If you are looking for insightful letures and challenging exams, then Dr. Thacker's Hitler/ Nazi Germany class is perfect. I also recommend his Holocaust and US Military History classes as well. In his class you will want to learn.
HIST-120 : Wester Civ After 1648 - Posted 1/19/2002
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
F
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
GO TO THIS CLASS! Don't miss a day! You don't need the book. He goes his own way. Great teacher. Don't mind my grade. Thats what you get when you do not show up. Pay attention. And take the notes. He knows his stuff. STUDY FOR TESTS! go to study sessions. I actually recommend you taking 119 with Crowe. Its a lot better and you actually have fun in class. But if you want to take 120. Take thacker.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 1/4/2002
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I enjoyed this class. Dr.Thacker is very nice and extremely knowledgeable. He makes his class very interesting and I learned a lot from him. This class should not be 100 level though; it takes a lot of work. Despite what it seems like at first though, it IS possible to do well in his class. He even dropped the first test grade for people who did bad on it.
HIST-120 : Western Civilization Since 1640 - Posted 8/20/2001
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
F
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
This was an extremely enjoyable class. The amount of note-taking did make my hands hurt, however. Even though you are constantly taking notes, Dr. Thacker's lectures are almost never boring. The only reason I failed the class was that I was unprepared for the sheer volume of work required, and I thought I could just breeze by. However, I learned a lot in that class. This is a good course to take if you are prepared for a challenge and are willing to put effort into making the grade. If you don't like working, or are used to just sliding by in a class, I would advise taking another course, however.
HIST-491 : World War I - Posted 6/7/2001
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Thacker really knows his stuff! Hey, if you like history, and all of the stories behind the story, take him. Plus, if you show up to class, you will do well on the exams, his questions are straight forward.
HIST-120 : � - Posted 6/6/2001
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Thacker is difficult, but you will learn a lot in his class. His sometimes sarcastic humor makes the class enjoyable, and I highly recommend him.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 4/2/2001
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
If you do take Dr. Thacker's class, be prepared for a lot of note-taking and hard work. The class is great, he is a great teacher, but don't expect it to be pathetically easy. You must work hard, and devote a moderate amount of time to the course.
HIST-120 : Western Civilization - Posted 3/26/2001
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
D
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Some people are doing well in his class, but I have studied and get worse grades than when I don't! I would reccommend taking any other professor but him for Western Civ!
HIST-120 : Western Civ since 1640 - Posted 4/27/2000
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Every day was notetaking and I looked forward to his bashing of Clinton because it meant I didn't have to listen for ten min. His tests are awful too!
HIST-426 : Hitler and Nazi Germany - Posted 4/13/2000
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
He knows his stuff and doesn't mind sharing it with you to the MAX!!!!! Too much information that is not necessary for the test...BUT it is fascinating and keeps you interested. Bring lots of paper for a ton of notes. Requires reading outside of texts and one research paper. If you like this period in history you'll love Jack Thacker! He is passionate about this subject.