Western Kentucky University / R / Neil A. Ralston

Each week you have to read a chapter from the textbook. The book is pretty small yet interesting, so most weeks' readings are 10-15 quick pages. He frequently gives out short quizzes over the readings, and a lot of class time is spent discussing them.

There are three exams; essays are easy as long as you've paid attention, but the multiple choice ask about details that can easily be overlooked. There is a 6-10 page research paper for which you get to pick your own journalism-related historical figure or subject.

This was a laid-back and easy-going class led by one of the coolest professors in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. Take it!

I enjoyed this class very much. Honestly, this class is cake. All you have to do is show up. If you have to take this course, take Ralston. :)

Mr. Ralston was one of my favorite professors. His class is easy, you just need to make sure you go through all of the notes (which he posts to blackboard). A very simple class, just 4 exams and no comprehensive final. Mr. Ralston makes the class very interesting, incorporating videos into almost every single slide show.

Ralston is a fun teacher. He makes this class more interesting than most professors probably could. He uses technology throughout the entire class. Although the class is kind of large, it's super easy to keep up with your grade and your assignments. All of your homework is posted on Blackboard and you always have a week to do it. The tests can be difficult if you don't go to class or if you don't study but if you do then you will come out with an A.

Mr. Ralston is a pretty cool guy. He tries to make his class interesting by having funny videos for you to watch. You don't have to go to class to pass, but if you don't pay attention in class it means a lot of cramming the day before the test and you don't do as well. I got a B because I came to class and was on my computer the whole time instead of listening.

All of his notes are on Blackboard and he gives you all the answers in his test reviews. He gave about 2 out of class assignments. We had to watch a video online and answer about 5 questions. Easy points! He takes attendance by asking clicker questions, but it's a small percentage of your grade. I missed this class probably 10 times and still got an A. He offers extra credit each time you go to Mass Media and see a guest speaker give a presentation once a week. I reccommend going if you're going to miss class as much as I did and still get an A. It's an easy class and he's a nice guy who will help you out if you need it. Take it.

I loved this class because it was easy but interesting. There is a moderate amount of notes, but he posts them all on Blackboard so you don't have to write them unless you just want to. Dr. Ralston is very laid back and does a great job of keeping his lecture content up to speed with the latest developments in technology/media. He does a review before every exam that tells you exactly what to study. He's also cool about letting you make up missed work as long as you e-mail him before you miss class. It's doubtful you'll miss much classwork, though, because there are only three or four really easy writing assignments that count for a small percentage of your grade. The majority of your grade is based on 3-4 exams, which are cake if you put any microscopic amount of effort into studying.

Ralston's class is extremely easy--most people don't attend this class until the day or two before his exams (usually three or four including the final), and he posts all of his notes on Blackboard.

It doesn't hurt though to attend it--his lectures are usually interesting and he uses a lot of videos and stuff to help spice up the lectures.

Clickers are used in the class to count for attendance. There are only one or two out-of-class assignments that he requires, and those are really easy.

Take this class! =)

This class was really easy for me, Ralston explains things very well and puts all of his notes on blackboard. I usually just studied the notes on blackboard 30 minutes before the test and I got an A on all the tests. We had 3 homework assignments which were really easy. I definitely suggest taking him, he's awesome.

it was pointless to show up to this class. He puts all the notes on blackboard and doesn't take attendance. Not to mention all of the extra credit he offers. When you do show up, don't expect to learn anything. BORING. but its easy. he is extrememly politically biased as well. conservatives beware.

Dr. Ralston is awesome! He is so helpful and friendly! He's probably one of my favorites now! This class was so laid back and fun. You have to write a research paper and do a presentation over it, but thats about all you really do! And he offers to help you all along the way. Take Ralston...he's awesome. He let us have a pizza party on our last day...and he doesn't have you buy books that cost 200 bucks and he doesn't give a FINAL!! Take Ralston. You'll be glad you did.

The class isn't terribly exciting because its just a survey course, but Ralston knows quite a bit and makes it pretty interesting. He doesn't take attendance, and he posts his notes online. However, I found it much better to attend class. Tests aren't terribly difficult. You can attend speeches for extra credit. I recommend taking him if you plan on taking JOUR 201.

This is an interesting class 75% of the time. Of course it is mandatory for the Journalism majors, so enjoy it since you have to go. I had a good friend in this class and we sat toward the front- that helped. I tried to take notes but got lazy toward the end because the notes are online. Just answer his "study guide/"actually oral list of important things before the test. You will do fine!

Dr. Ralston is a nice guy and his class is easy if you attend and if you put forth some effort to study. LOTS of opportunity for extra credit.

Mr. Ralston is not a difficult teacher. His lectures sometimes get boring, but after class he posts ALL of his powerpoints on blackboard. I went to class probably 1/4 of the semester and still received a B. Before tests, I study the powerpoints he posts on blackboard. There are lots of extra credit opportunities available. We never had to write a paper and we only had 3 or 4 easy assignments. There are 4 tests in the class including the final and it is not cumulative. He shows video clips in almost all of his classes and they are interesting. I would recommend him to anyone for an easy class.

I took JOUR 202 my first semester at WKU because I heard it was the more exciting of the two basic JOUR classes. People told me 201 was boring because it dealt with more with journalism history, so I wasn't looking forward to this class going in. Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised. This class is super easy! Not only that, it's even enjoyable. I liked going every day just because it was different from my other classes and was a relaxing classroom environment. Mr. Ralston is a really cool guy, and he knows his stuff. He lectures and gives notes via his PowerPoints, but there's no need to follow along because he posts them all on Blackboard, so you can just print them off later. He likes to show clips from different TV shows, including the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and even the Simpsons, so that's always fun. He takes attendance using Clicker questions at the end of class, so if you're late, don't worry. The tests are always 50 questions, multiple choice, and are very easy. The day before the test, he'll do a review in class that basically lets you know exactly what to expect, so be sure to show on that day! The other grades are a cake-walk. Very easy class that I thoroughly enjoyed. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Honestly I never really went to this class. He doesn't take attendance because it's lecture, and he puts all the power points online. Somehow I still managed to get a C (thank god).