Western Kentucky University / P / Hugh D. Phillips
Averages:
Overall Rating
OKv
Grade Received
Bv
Course Difficulty
Difficultv
Quantity of Notes
Overkillv
Tag Summary:
True/False: 3
Multiple Choice: 37
Matching: 2
Essays: 50
Mandatory Final: 44
Cumulative Final: 10
Textbook Required: 14
Extra Credit: 25
Attendance Required: 7
54 Total Evaluations
HIST-120 : - Posted 5/11/2011
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Phillips has dry humor but he is funny. This class is hard with any professor you have. I really don't think he wanted to be there. He rambles and rambles but he is effective. At the end of the semester he takes a look at all your grades and if you have improved throughout the semester he will give you the grade you deserve!!
HIST-120 : - Posted 9/21/2010
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I believe that Hugh Phillips is the easiest teacher at WKU. He is hysterical and a very sweet guy. I hate history and I dreaded taking this class. But if you just make sure to come to class every day and study for the few exams then it's no biggie. You don't have to do any reading in the text book...He says everything you need to know and it's much more interesting than reading the book.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 7/14/2010
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Don't buy the book if you will attend class everyday. He gives out easy extra credit when there is hardly anyone in class. I made an A in the class because I had a friend with the old tests which are basically the same. If you have copies of his old tests, you will be fine. He has a dry sense of humor which can be very funny. I am glad I took Dr. Phillips and got this class over with. P.S. He is obsessed with Russia.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 4/16/2010
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
Dr. Phillips is a pretty nice guy but is one of those old fashioned professors that isnt very helpful outside the classroom and doesnt take excuses. He does not take attendance, which is very odd for a Western Civ class. If you go to class you dont need to read the textbook. You have 3 exams and 1 paper, the exams are 29 multiple choice and 1 Essay, and theyre pretty easy. I am a History major and compared to my 119 class, this was very easy. If you dont mind his sometimes sour attitude i would take this class
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 12/16/2009
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
This class is always a struggle no matter who you take but Hugh Phillips makes it possible. His tests are fair but the multiple choice is extremely tricky in my opinion. He is an older man with a dry, very dry sense of humor but he will help a student out who wants to do well. He appreciates effort.
HIST-439 : 20th Century Russia - Posted 10/22/2008
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
Dr. Phillips is one of those experiences that every history major should experience. He is hateful towards students and academically arrogant, but he does it in such a tasteless manner that it is--for lack of a better phrase--excellently badass. He is naturally funny in this way and totally knowledgeable about the subject. This class was genuinely interesting, but I wish that he would include more discussion and primary sources. His lecture is the whole of the class outside of a few movies and the lectures do not disappoint. It's worth noting that he takes so long on the period from Bolshevik revolution to the death of Stalin that we had literally an hour to discuss post 1953 Russia, which is a little nuts. Take this class anyway.
HIST-120 : - Posted 9/20/2008
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 8/11/2008
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Phillips is a great teacher with a good personality. He has a good attitude and very funny. I am not a history major, I am a science and marketing major so I don't care anything about history and I received an A for the course. He is always late for class. He makes you take alot of notes, but the notes are exactly whats on the test. This can be an easy class if you put in a little effort. Overall great teacher!
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 7/9/2008
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I studied more for Professor Phillip's class than I did for all my other classes combined. He gives tons of notes in class, but he jumps from one subject to another so quickly that its hard to make any sense of your notes when you read them later. I did almost all of my studying from the textbook (he said 99% of the test material you can get from the book), but he still had questions on the exams like "Who was the only person to not look like an idiot during the Crimean War?" which you would obviously have to come to class to find out. He makes you think that the tests will be pretty easy; they're half multiple choice and half essay, and he tells you all the essay topics beforehand. The multiple choice questions are a pain, though (most of questions are about little nit-picky details, and every single one of them has "none of the above" as an option). Overall, the class was alright, it was just a lot of work. Attendance isn't required, but it you want to pass, you better come to class and read the chapters from the textbook. Good luck!!
HIST- : - Posted 4/27/2008
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Not Specified
Comments
HIST-1137 : Hist 120 - Posted 12/27/2007
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS ENTIRE PARAGRAPH.... IT GETS BETTER AT THE END!!!
Bring tons of paper and extra pencils, or better yet if you can, bring a laptop! Be prepared to take tons of notes and he does talk pretty fast. BUT, Phillips has a dry sense of humor and he makes jokes every now and then to lighten up the mood. There is a lot of material to cover in this class, but he makes a smooth transaction between everything. Occasionally, you will watch a movie, but most of the time, the TV never works.
He tells you from the get go that you do not need to come to his class because most people find history boring, but TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YOU THIS, you really need to go! At the end of every class, it is a promise that you will have 2-3 pages of notes to show for it. That sounds scary, but all of his tests comes from his lectures. The class before the test, he will tell you which subject will be essays and multiple choice. He tells you how many of each will be on there and how he is going to grade them. He even does that for the final! Phillips is a funny guy who wants to help you understand history in a nutshell and actually grasp it, instead of having it forced down your throat against your will. I recommend you take his class if you want to get a better, funnier understanding of history.
HIST-120 : Western Civ After 1648 - Posted 12/16/2007
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
History is a HORRIBLE class and I absolutely hated it!!!! But Mr. Phillips is a pretty humerous guy and can make the subject a little more interesting. Although he does talk about 100 mph from the time he hits the door till the time he leaves, he is a pretty good professor. I brought my laptop to class and typed the notes he gave us (which is just him talking, so type fast!) and usually for each test we had about 30 pages of notes (Yeah, that many!) It pretty much sucked. Mr. Phillips used to teach at Vanderbilt, so he was constantly downing WKU and talking about how great Vandy was. But I agreed with everything he said, Western does not have good supplies for their history classes. You will need to bring a scantron for the tests because there are 29 multiple choice questions. He will allow you to miss 4 questions and still get the full credit of 50 points. Then he has a list of essays in 2 columns you will choose 2 subjects from one column and 3 subjects from the other column to write about. He is a lot more generous with his essays than his multiple choice, I thought. The multiple choice were extremely hard!
Any history class is a pain in the butt, but if you have to have it, take Mr. Phillips!
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 12/16/2007
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Professor Phillips is a very nice guy. The class is kind of hard to keep up with because I took at least 2 pages of notes every class session, but he tries to make it as fun as he can while teaching something thats quite boring. He has a very dry sense of humor, and it's something you'll have to get used to. You don't really need to buy the book as long as you keep really good notes! He teaches well and always answers any questions you may have. The only downside is all the notes!
HIST-120 : After - Posted 11/2/2007
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
At first I thought I would just die if I had to sit in his class all semister! But after awhile I got used to his rambling and his way of complaining about everything! He has an Alabama accent, which for me is bareable..but for others it may not be.I had to take alot of notes for this class, I never opened my book once, so dont bother buying one...he descusses everything in class. I had to study for long hours for his test..but I did better than most of the other people around me. Take Phillips if you can! Very fun
HIST-120 : Western Civilation Since 1648 - Posted 8/3/2007
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Few/None
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Prof. Phillips will tell you on the first day that a textbook isn't required because he doesn't go by it. I took alot of notes during his class but the weren't worth nothing. You have to be a fast writer to keep up with him. He also gets off topic alot and he will also tell you some piece of history and then when you ask him to repeat it he'll say "but you don't need to know about that." In my mind why bring it up in the first place if you weren't going to go into detail about it. The test are hard in a way but I'll tell you straight up that I past the test by guessing. I had no real knowledge about almost nothing on the exams or the final and yet I still past this class with a B. I just basically guessed my way through the class.Prof. Phillips is a funny and nice person but not a great teacher.
HIST-120 : After - Posted 6/12/2007
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Phillips is a stand up and lecture teacher. Every minute of every class is filled with his notes and the only things that he writes on the board are words that are hard to spell. His tests are easy if you go to every class meeting, the book doesn't give most of the background that he does. I recommend the class to those who actually attend class.
HIST-438 : 20th Century Russia - Posted 5/15/2007
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr.Phillips is quite possibly the most hateful person that I have encountered at WKU. He constantly complains about his job, the administration or anything else that crosses his mind. It is obvious that he does not enjoy teaching at WKU and should look elsewhere instead of wasting all of our time and money.
His lectures are difficult to follow as he jumps from one decade to the next without rhyme or reason. You will write three to four pages of notes per class. He is often rude with students and sarcastic to the point of annoyance.
Being positive, Dr.Phillips is extremely knowledgeable of Russian history and could be a great teacher if he cared. He gives all of the questions to his tests in class prior to the test date but since what he's looking for on tests is a mystery, that will not help you. He also gives an easy paper assignment that will boost your grade.
Russian history is an extremely interesting subject area but one would be better off studying it on their own than by taking a class taught by Phillips.
HIST- : Russia - Posted 5/8/2007
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
The man is a nutjob. Unfortunatly he will not get fired no matter how many bad evaluations he recieves. He has an awful temper and his style is just atrocious! he gets frustrated way to easily and you have to badger him for grades! if you wait long enough you will recieve a passing grade whether you deserve it or not! don't take him unless you absolutely have to!
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 5/2/2007
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr phillip is an good guy, Alot of students find this course hard. I didn't study for 1 test so, it dropped my crade from a B to a C Im going to tell you how to pass the class
1) take notes!!! Although getting side traked is VERY EASY when it comes to history don't doodle, talk to friends, or email and IM people
2) every time he gives a test he gives out a study guide STUDY IT write the essays out before the test, and then go over your notes to help with the mutiple choice.
3) if you're not doing so good go talk to him he's a a COOL guy, plus he wants you to PASS
HIST- : Russian Hist To 1900 - Posted 12/10/2006
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
this man knows his shit, and he has a great sense of humor that most people don't get.
i personally dont like how sets up his tests. there's only 2 and then a final with a book review thrown in.
it consists of 2 parts.
Part A is a four page essay worth 50 points.
Part B is 5 short answers that are worth 10pts each.
there's a lot of information to cover in this class. don't take it if you want something easy.
also, you dont ever have to go to class really. maybe a couple of times. you can do the tests with the info straight out of the book and you can email him your tests.
HIST-438 : 20th Century Russia - Posted 5/21/2006
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
I felt bad for Dr. Phillips this semester considering that he had to have prostate surgery, dropped a large book on his foot that inhibited his walking for several weeks, and then had his office burned down in the Cherry Hall fire. As such, this class resulted in a few cancellations and having one of our midterm test grades dropped since he knew the class was getting thrown off due to his complicated schedule.
With that said, though, I found Dr. Phillips to be an effective instructor. I felt bad for him on days when people wanted to get loud and talk over him but he does know a ton about Russian history and is very sarcastic which can create lots of funny moments in the class. Due to his bad circumstances we only got to the rise of Stalin but I learned a lot about the Russian Revolution and Stalin's consolidation of power which is the main reason I took the class in the first place.
All of the tests are take home and consist of five identifications (you get to pick the 5 from a list of 8) and has one essay. You can only use four pages for the ID's and four for the essay so you have to write succintly and cleanly because since it is take home grammar mistakes do count against you.
As far as grading goes you have two midterm exams worth 25% each (he dropped one of ours as I said above and the one that counted was out of 50%), you have a book review over any book concerning Russian history since around 1894 that he has to approve of and only has to be 2-3 pages double spaced and if you look at his sample reviews its easy to write and its worth 20% of your grade, and then a final exam worth 30%.
Overall, while this class was limited it wasn't very difficult to get a good grade in. If you showed up every day, took down the notes, and showed an interest in the class Dr. Phillips ws always helpful and you'd have enough material to ace the exams. Definitely recommended for history majors everywhere.
HIST-120 : Western European Since - Posted 4/13/2006
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Well Dr. Phillips is a great teacher. He knows what he is talking about. He does not insert his political views into class like a lot of these professors do. He will come off strong at the begining, but he isn't bad. My biggest complaint was that he was normally late for class. At the begining of the semester it was 10 mins tops, but at the end it was 30-45 mins and he wouldn't follow the 15 min rule. Granted he had major health problems my semester, so that may have been the issue. You do need to go to class, but can pass if you miss a couple days.
HIST- : Western Civ - Posted 1/26/2006
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
Withdrew
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I thought this course was hard! I was, and still am a really good student, though history isnt my favorite subject. I always made B's in it in high school while the most of the rest of my grades were A's. I think the quantity of the material is what makes it hard. For the 2nd test i had 48 pages of notes typed in 12 font! it was definitely a time consuming class, and u should consider purchasing a tape recorder for it. Prof. Phillips is nice and he will explain anything again, but its just a lot of material. There are 25 mult. choice questions and 10 essays which u choose 5 to actually write. I ended up dropping the course, cause otherwise i would have gotten a D in it! if ur good at history then he's fine....if its not ur favorite then dont do it. Some ppl do fine in the class though....like my roommate got an A! we had the same notes too, so i dont know what the difference was! either way, good luck!
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since - Posted 12/26/2005
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr Phillips really knows his stuff. Likes to talk about Russians getting drunk on vodka. Overall pretty easy class. Gives study guides telling what to study and tells you what part is multiple choice and which is essay. Essays are 5 short essays.
HIST- : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 11/4/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Phillips was pretty good. He's very sarcastic and seems very depressed. He has a very sick sense of humor when it comes to the brutality of history, which appealed to me. His tests are not easy, but they aren't hard either. YOu have to put in a lot of time studying. He really knows his stuff. Overall I would have to give him a good rating.
HIST-120 : Western Civ From 1648 - Posted 8/30/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
Hugh Phillips is definitely the MOST sarcastic man I have ever encountered. Some may feel intimidated by him, but he is a good instructor who knows his material and crafts the course for the freshman level. He gives out extra credit quizzes on a whim. Hugh is a Russian history expert, so prepare to learn a lot about Russia (and he lets you know that up front). There is no required reading although he suggests using Spielvogel's Western Civilization textbook to supplement the lectures. All in all, he has my recommendation.
HIST- : 20th Century Russia - Posted 6/23/2005
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
The main problem with this guy he is still stuck in the 60's and wines and complains about Veitnam and other non important issues. He also wines and complains about the way his students write and acts like it is such a hard job for him to take the time and grade and return teast in a timely manor. He does know his stuff well and you can respect him for that as a professional but as for a personal stuff needs to be keep out of class and just tell us what we need and help out his students more. instead of being in a bad mood all the time.
HIST-120 : Western Civ After 1648 - Posted 6/20/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Due to the fact that no history professors are cool/laid back/ funny, Phillips isn't that bad. Western Civ is bad all together, but Phillips made as many jokes about it as he could. I don't mean he is really funny or a jokester, b/c he is still serious all the time, but he can be funny if you understand his jokes. Don't make him mad, he's not to be taken lightly. but he is funny and the class is definetely not as bad as it could be. When you take this class, try to get him. The tests are NOT hard if you study what he tells you, and neither is the final. Sure you have to watch some boring movies here and there, but you'll live.....I did.
HIST-438 : 20th Century Russia - Posted 6/2/2005
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Phillips is a very sarcastic teacher as has been said. He has his take on things and can get on tangents, but overall he effectively covered the material. After the first exam, he was disgusted with handwriting on the tests and made the other two take home, including the final. Since take-home exams can be very long and graded difficult, I was not pleased. But it turned out to be ok as my grades got better on those up to the A level. The only other grade is a book review that must be less than 3 pages long when you type it.
As for the material, I found it to be interesting. He shows many videos if you like those. It can be depressing though because Russian history is quite sad at times with Stalin and such. He tries to make light and interest, but his joking can go a bit far. Phillips himself is unusual and somewhat sad because he seems to not be the friendliest guy and has had alcohol problems. So, might be wary there.
Anyways, pretty easy for an upper level history class.
HIST-120 : West Civ Since 1648 - Posted 5/22/2005
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
This is a difficult course and you WILL take a lot of notes. Attendance is not taken but I recomend you don't miss because you will get behind. It is not an easy undertaking but you will learn a lot during this class. If not interested in history do not take.
HIST-120 : Western Civ. - Posted 4/13/2005
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Professor Phillips is interesting. He'll come off as being mean and senile at first, but after a few classes you'll appreciate his humor. Attendance isn't required, but it's really the only way to pass because he purely lectures and doesn't use any type of over-head or powerpoint as visuals. At most, he might write a few key words on the board. The tests are all essay (dept. requirement) and he grades pretty hard. If you're just looking for an easy A in a gen. ed. course, don't take him. If you actually want to learn some history, he's your man.
HIST-438 : Soviet Russia - Posted 12/8/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Good class. He gives hella notes, but the tests are reasonable. Plus, he assigns a book review, not an all out research paper. So, this class is great for history majors.
HIST-338 : Russia To 1900 - Posted 12/8/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
It's a really interesting course. He gives a lot of notes, but the tests are reasonable. Plus, he assigns a book review, not a full-fledged research paper. So, this class is kind of like a savior for history majors.
HIST-120 : Western Civ. Ii - Posted 12/8/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
It was a good class. He gives a lot of notes, but the tests are fair. Overall, anyone can do well in this class if they put some effort into it. Plus, his dry sense of humor keeps you rollin.'
HIST-119 : Western Civ. I - Posted 12/8/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Good class. He gives a lot of notes, but the tests are fair. Plus, he has a dry sense of humor that keeps you rollin.'
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 11/10/2004
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Professor Phillips has a dry sense of humor that can be hilarious sometimes, and you can tell he loves history. However, he talks nonstop the entire class and your hand will fall off taking notes. You have to learn his way of talking though, because most of the stuff he says is on a tangent and won't be on the tests. The important stuff, he'll focus on and write important names and such on the board for you. He doesn't care about dates. The tests are entirely multiple choice except for a couple essays. The essays are just a list of topics and you pick 2 or 3 to write on. He shows lots of movies in class and gives you extra credit to write about them afterwards.
HIST-120 : Western Civ - Posted 11/6/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
I would not recommend Prof. Phillips to anyone! all he does is lecture and never puts anything on the board for you to write. I taped the class, took notes, and Studied days before the test and I think I passed one! He is a good man and Very understanding, but teaching to him is just a job! He is an expert on Russia and that got real boring! Good luck if you have to take him!
HIST-120 : Western Civ. Since 1600 - Posted 5/6/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
Dr. Phillips was a wonderful teacher, from my point of view. I am an independent learner, and it was very easy to study for his tests. All you do in his class is take lecture notes every day, and sometimes watch movies. There are 2 tests and a final, all set up the same way, multiple choice and essay. He tells you the main topic for the essays, and gives a study guide for each test. If you cannot pay attention taking notes, this class would be horrible for you...but i liked it a lot; Phillips has dry humor that brings entertainment to history. I recommend his class.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 4/19/2004
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Hugh is a very sarcastic teacher and he says from day one that he doesn't care if you come or not. There are an insane amount of notes to take, so missing a day (although I did often) means you've got some catching up to do. He does show movies every once in a while, and will give small quizzes to "bolster" your grade, but I don't think they really do anything. He knows TONS about history, but loves to talk about Russia. We pretty much only covered up to WW2. The content on the tests is pretty widespread, so be ready to study. If you get the chance to take someone else, do so. But it's not so bad you want to kill yourself.
HIST-438 : 20th Century Russian - Posted 3/18/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
The class is not hard, but he grades his tests very tough. Also most of the class is spent talking about current events and not about what you will be tested over. It's also hard to take notes from his lectures.
HIST-120 : Western Civ. Since 1648 - Posted 2/5/2004
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Phillips has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor that may take awhile to get used to. He'll make smart-aleck remarks about whoever he's lectoring about and sometimes it's really funny. I thought it was a good class. I learned a lot of history that I'm glad I know now, but the exams were pretty stressful because they were worth so much of your grade. You definitely have to study, but other than that, you just sit in on the lectures and take a lot of notes.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 1/5/2004
Overall Rating:
Poor
Grade:
D
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Dr. Phillips assumes that we all know everything about history and aced all of our history classes in highschool and remember everything we have ever learned that has anything to do with history. If you do not fall under this catagory then you are screwed. He pretty much tells you the first day of class that you will not recieve an A or even a B for that matter. He told us that we aren't really even qualified to be taking his class as freshman. You will take notes everyday of the entire semester for the whole 50 minutes or however long you are in there. Occassionally there will be a movie but you have to take notes for those too because he will sometimes ask you to write a paragraph after the movie for a little bitty bit of extra credit that didn't really even affect my grade. His tests are extremely hard and almost impossible to study for. The only people who did good in the class were the ones who sat on the front row right in front of him and recorded his every word. He doesn't care if you show up for class but if you miss class then that could cost you because of how much he goes over every class period. I don't recommend him but if you do take him then good luck...you'll need it!
HIST- : Western Civ After 1648 - Posted 12/8/2003
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
Just pay attention and take notes and you cant go wrong in this class. He is fun and throws in some cool facts.
HIST-120 : West. Civ. Since 1648 - Posted 11/20/2003
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
Prof. Phillips was an OK teacher as far as his personality but his exams surprise you. I studied for our second exam for 4 nights, confident that I would make a B or C......nope, I made a D. I would recommend someone else as a professor.
HIST-121 : Western Civ. Since 1648 - Posted 11/9/2003
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
He's a pretty good teacher overall. He tends to be scary the first week, but after that he lightens up. You only have 3 tests all year, and they can be kind of tricky but if you study your notes you'll be fine.
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since - Posted 5/13/2003
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
C
Quantity of Notes:
Few/None
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
Dr phillips was my second try at western civ and it was much easier. He doesnt like his job doesnt see to like students and isnt terribly helpful, but if you go in there take your notes and do the tests youll do fine. Not an interactive class at all but a class you have to have might as well get through it. Hes not a hard or a bad teacher but not one you really get a chance to know. God bless
HIST-120 : Western Civ After 1648 - Posted 4/19/2002
Overall Rating:
OK
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
It was hard to pay attention in class, because it was a constant lecture. Prof. Phillips was a good teacher. He made a study guide for every exam so the class would know what material to look over and study. He also gave the topics of the essays, this helps a lot!
HIST-120 : Western Civilization Since.. - Posted 12/18/2001
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
At first I thought I would hate this class, but Phillips is an awesome teacher. He will explain if he needs to and he tells you what is on the test. If I have the chance I would take him again!
HIST-120 : Western Civ Since 1648 - Posted 12/17/2001
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Moderate
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
This class is of course all lecture that is why you have to take so many notes. If you go to class and study what he gives you on the review sheet you will do fine. His exams are half multiple choice and half short essay.
HIST-120 : western civ since 1648 - Posted 4/2/2001
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
the class is not hard at all. you just need to come and take the notes every class. he explains things well and has plenty of smart-ass comments. i liked him. he tells the essay before the test and there is 25 multiple choice questions. not that bad.
HIST-120 : Euro Hist After 1500 - Posted 12/12/2000
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
B
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Easy
Comments
Everyone at WKU dreads their HIST 119 or 120. Prof. Phillips made history not as bad as most of my friends told me their HIST 120 classes were. There were three tests and no other grades (30%,30%,40% of overall grade). They were hard tests, but if you go to class 90% of the time and study with classmates for the tests, it's pretty easy really. There were 25 MC worth 2 pts. each, then he gives you two essays of which you choose one (given to you BEFORE the test) worth the other 50 pts. He's a good teacher, sometimes dry and boring, but better that others I've heard of.
HIST-120 : Western Civ after 1648 - Posted 8/29/2000
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
I think it's tough to find a really good HIST 119/120 instructor. Phillips class is pretty reasonable. There are only three tests. 50% of your test grade will come from 25-30 multiple choice questions and the other 50% will come from one long essay, but he tells you what the essay will be and gives you two topics to choose from. Take VERY GOOD notes and you will be okay! There's also some opportunities for extra credit. He also shows some videos.
HIST-120 : Western Cive Since 1648 - Posted 5/19/2000
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
Not Specified
Quantity of Notes:
Overkill
Difficulty:
Difficult
Comments
HIST-280 : Techniques in Historical Resea - Posted 4/13/2000
Overall Rating:
Good
Grade:
A
Quantity of Notes:
Not Specified
Difficulty:
Moderate
Comments
Dr. Phillips did not want to teach the class and who can blame him. The class was so unnecessary for upper level students who already had research experience.