The class is definitely difficult, but everyone should take a class with Joel Rogers. He has great experience in politics and sociology and that translates into the classroom well.

Professor Rogers is hands down one of the most brilliant professors at UW. His lectures are packed with insight, challenging you to think critically about American society in ways you never have before. As long as you do the readings and go to lecture, you will succeed in this class.

If you have the chance to take a class with Joel Rogers, do it, this man is incredibly insightful and intelligent. He doesn't just teach sociology; he rewires your entire understanding of American society with a level of depth and clarity that makes you question everything.

While Professor Rogers might sometimes be stubborn and a little bit offensive, if you have any interest in social issues in America, this class is a good class to take. The long lectures are annoying, but you get used to them. Professor Rogers wrote the textbook for this class and is a very interesting man that is very passionate about the material

Professor Rogers can be tough, but with the right prep you can succeed. Read the textbook, participate in discussions, and use tools like Unstuck study to study for the exams. It's a challenge, but manageable if you put in the work.

I took Soc320 with Prof Rogers and it was by far the most disorganized and infuriating class I've ever taken. There was no structure, no grading criteria, and no feedback the ENTIRE semester (the only grade I ever received was on my transcript even though we submitted weekly assignments). I regret not dropping this class.

Take this class if you hate yourself! I also NEVER got my final grade exam back.

I believe Prof Rogers cares about this course and is passionate about the topics in it but isnt the best lecturer. He doesn't create a very welcoming environment for his students and often calls students out/ignores questions. If you read the book you will understand more than if you only attend lecture. Read the book and attend discussion.

He treats students like they're first graders. Anytime someone whispers to their friend or uses their phone he calls them out in front of everyone. I've never seen a professor spend so much time trying to embarrass students in front of the whole class, for things as trivial as whispering or using the bathroom. Felt like he hates students.

Goes on long tangents during lectures and is not easy to understand, and it is really hard to understand what you need to take away from each one. You are graded based off how well you do on the tests and there are really no ways of checking in on your understanding so you just get thrown in the deep end. It doesn't seem like he wants to be there.

Managed to get an A, but the grade distributions speak for themselves. Joel is kinda pretentious and clearly would rather be teaching his upper level classes than lowly freshmen. He also said some things that were somewhat offensive and also somewhat funny but those moments were few and far between in the endless 2.5 hour lectures.

Lectures aren't mandatory, but the discussions were. I believe he really does care about his students but he's very boring and the 2.5 hour long lecs don't help. He has a book which you should really read because half the time you won't be paying attention in class. Most of your grade comes from the 2 tests and the final. Also, go to discussion!

DROP NOW.

read the book throughly, go to discussion and participate, study hard for tests and you'll make it through, but honestly just take a different intro soc class.

Prof Rogers is not for the light of heart. You are graded simply on three exams. He is very direct and opinionated. His lectures are long and cover lots of content. You can skip lectures just make sure you read the book instead. He is slightly pretentious but it's kinda funny. Don't expect much in this class. Take easier soc class if first year.

Beware of taking this class in general. There are so many other options for easier sociology courses. Professor Rogers did not create a welcoming learning environment and many people stopped attending his lectures because of this. Your class grade is composed of three exams and discussion participation.

do not take this class if you like yourself even a little bit.

If you know what to expect, this is easy credit. Otherwise LEAVE IT ALONE. Would be shocked if anyone can survive his lectures. Please skip em, and memorize the slides and every term on review sheets (Quizlet can help) the day before every exam instead. Book is well-written. Prof is very knowledgeable but obviously has no idea how to teach.

I read RMP during first lec and figured it would be fine and that I did not need to drop this class. I want to go back to that day and slap myself in the face. 50% of the class failed the exam and prof is unsure if he is gonna curve it or not, so stressful and unnecessary just don't take it.

RUN AWAY FROM THIS CLASS. This is the worst course I have ever taken in my ENTIRE LIFE. Rogers is a horrible lecturer, rants, goes off subject several times within the 2.5 hour lecture period. Extremely arrogant man, first midterm 1/140 got an A, most people got a D or flat out failed. Does not do curves. Only take this class if you hate yourself.

dont take

Thought I would love this class, but his lectures are awful and useless. The textbook was rather interesting and you can get an A with just reading and going to section. However, if you haven't taken an econ course, the first section is difficult -- I think midterm1 average was a 60%. Only graded by 3 exams and participation.

Prof Rogers is on the drier side. That said, the class material itself is interesting and not difficult at all. If you do the weekly readings and look through lecture slides you'll be fine. Lecture slides are always posted on canvas and he provides a list of terms to know before midterms.

I was honestly really excited for this class, but it ended up being the worst class I took that semester. The lectures were long, boring, and lectures felt pointless. I'd say as long as you read the textbook, you're okay, but I don't recommend this class.

He seems to be quite busy with his more difficult classes. He teaches law students and often doesn't seem available for students in his introductory classes. He doesn't respond to emails. His lectures are extremely long and they are difficult to pay attention in. Only take this class if you're interested in the subject. I didn't enjoy the class.

DO NOT TAKE HIS SOC 125 SECTION!! Graded on Two Midterms plus a Final that will make you second guess your existence. Questions were often vague or did not align with fact. He has a very cynical outlook on student success and is very condescending towards students and TAs. If you dont enjoy watching your GPA set faster than the sun, steer clear!

RUN don't just walk away from this class. Professor Rodgers is so liberal and just preaches up on stage to whoever will listen (for HOURS!) about HIS beliefs. He is way past his prime. Something is off. His mind is no longer with him. He does not care about his students and is truly mean when you try and approach him one on one. DO NOT TAKE!!!

This class sucks. Do not take it. The professor spends the full 2.5 hours rambling about things. He will destroy your hope in the world in every class, even though he claims that he cares about his students. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS.

i am in this class literally right now and am hating my decision to take this. do not take!!!!!!!!!! rambles, is so confusing, and you can read the book and pass.

His lectures are just ramblings that dont pertain to the book (that he wrote). About 1/3 of the class shows up every week and he gives no grades beyond 2 midterms and a final. He yells at kids every class for coming late and takes about 10 minutes on his podium to talk about distractions during lecture. Doesnt care about his students.

Professor Rogers is the worst lecturer I have experienced at this university. He is condescending towards his students and is uninspiring and bland. Skip the lecture, read the book, google some quizlets, and you will be just fine, but in all reality, you are better off taking a different class. Avoid.

You most likely won't retain much information in this class. He reads off of the slide show every class period for 2.5 hours. And the midterms have hardly anything to do with what you learned in class. All of the questions were very subjective and hard to understand. The description of the class is completely false.

I only went to the first lecture because he simply rambles for the entirety of the 2.5 hours. Your entire grade is based on 3 exams, which is why I found it difficult to succeed in his class not being a great test taker. I took this class for the sociology aspect of it, but NOTHING about it even pertains to sociology; it's all poli sci and econ.

Prof. Rogers takes any chance to insult and single out his students. He is rude and his bias in teaching is very clear. Skip the lectures and just read the book. You will be assigned about 100 pages of reading each week. He doesn't even show up to exams to proctor. Exam questions are worded weird and things will show up that you haven't learned.

Prof Rogers is honestly the worst professor i have come across here so far. His lectures are long and all over the place, only uses the midterms and final to grade. choppy teaching. The TAs are wonderful however.

Do. Not. Take. This. Class. I took this class b/c it's one of the recommended classes that could help me get into med school in the future, but it's NOT worth it. You have no idea what you're supposed to remember b/c there are just SO MANY stats in his book! TAKE OTHER SOCIAL SCIENCES! It's all numbers/stats and not sociology like you think it is!

Very econ-based. You most likely won't actually enjoy the class unless you like capitalism, democracy, and more. He speaks the real facts-- statistics, etc.-- but it's hard to stay interested in the readings because you're always looking at graphs. LOOK AT THE SYLLABUS & ALWAYS stay on track w the readings. Hard to catch up once you fall behind

With over 50 years public and private sector management & consulting Soc 125 was an eye-opener. Joel Rogers masterfully organized/delivered material across 3 domains - Capitalism, Inequality, Democracy. He empirically contrasted the American promise with the reality. Should be require course so grads understand the world they will be entering

I took this class during a covid semester and it was terrible. The work load was way too much. We were expected to read and take notes on 30-60 pages, a 40-80 slide PowerPoint, and watch pre-recorded lectures from 2015. Also, your grade is made up of two mid terms, your section grade, and final. Dont take this class its not worth it.

One of Wisconsins best faculty, if not the best. Joel Rogers is a genius and cares about his students. Helps students grow and learn. Highly recommend.

Professor Rogers' lectures were incredibly stale and not useful at all. All you need to do is read the book to get a good grasp of the material, which was mildly interesting. Exam questions were poorly worded sometimes.

Very mixed feelings about this class. Rogers can be funny at times but the lecture is boring and way too long. He also tends to make rude comments towards students. All the lectures are just him repeating what was in the textbook, so as long as you read the textbook and do the study guides you don't need to show up.

Professor Roger's course was very informational, however mostly just his opinion with very little information on counterarguments. A larger issue that I had with him is the seeming lack of respect Professor Rogers shows his students, calling them out frequently in class in an embarrassing, unprofessional, and demeaning manner. I would NOT recommend

The topic is interesting, but the lecture is monotone and 2.5 hours. Rogers wrote the book. It's frustrating bc he alludes to some terms in the text, but he doesn't explicitly name all terms, so you'll have to piece some of it together yourself. The TAs + an econ background will be your saving grace. READ THE BOOK BEFORE CLASS.

2 most important things to know when taking this class 1. lectures aren't necessary, but look back at slides 2. STUDY GRAPHS in the textbook when studying for exams. Rogers likes to be specific on tests. TAs are amazing- GO TO DISCUSSION! Class itself isn't that hard if you read, econ knowledge helps but you can succeed without any

If you read the book (takes probably an hour each week), this class is not at all difficult. Lecture is not needed. It involves extremely basic econ/politics, and most of the people complaining about this are freshman unprepared for college. Presents a leftist viewpoint and ways to strengthen our democracy and in turn our society. Interesting class

do NOT take this class. It's barely a sociology class, its all Econ and gov. If you've never taken an econ class- like me- you will be confused the whole time. The 2.5 hour lectures are him ranting and slides that are word-for-word from the book. you also wont know what grade you have in the class till the end b/c he dosnt post a grading scale

This is my least favorite class this semester. Prof. Rogers is exceedingly liberal and doesn't address the conservative viewpoint at all. He's incredibly rude, going so far as calling people out in the middle of his dry 2.5 hour lectures like we're elementary school children instead of functional adults.

Book is great, but Rogers is absolutely awful. His lectures are long, stale, and the they really aren't beneficial for the exams. He doesn't really prepare you for the exams either, which blows. I highly recommend that you only take this class if there really isn't anything else for you to take. The material is enjoyable, but it's not worth it.

Not even one test into this class and i feel strongly enough to write a review. Nothing to prepare for your tests. Had no idea it was an econ type class. His lectures are pointless and he rambles. Lectures notes are online but also make no sense. AVOID

The lectures were pointless to be at. He just rambled the entire time. The list of review words given was very long and never mentioned in lecture most of the time. His first two exams were fair and pretty easy if you studied the review list, but the final was unfair and extremely difficult. I would never take a class with him again.

STAY AWAY! Rogers has no respect for anyone who disagrees with him and makes it borderline hostile for anyone with differing views to attend class. The lectures are absolutely pointless and you can definitely get by without going to them as long as you do the readings. If you're a slower test taker, avoid because tests are one question per minute.

Agreeing with other reviews on here- do NOT take SOC 125! I took it thinking it would help boost my grade. In the end, despite going to all the lectures, discussions, and reading the textbook, it was my most difficult class. Lectures are incredibly hard to follow, there is little guidance. Basically it sucked. Save yourself- don't take it!!!!!!!!!!

Wow I really wish someone would have told me sooner that this was probably just gonna be a class to hurt my grade. Grade is HEAVILY dependent on just 3 exams.... there is no study guide no practice exams that help you prepare. Exams are just memorizing random stats and graphs in the book AND THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS? lol very pointless take s/t else

He wrote the book, which we had to read before lecture, which he then lectured on. After you sat through a TWO AND A HALF HOUR lecture which was 90% his ramblings about various topics ( that are all common sense) you go and talk about it in discussion. The biggest waste of time. All lecture slides are online so you can just do discussion.

If you have taken any economics class and have a basic understanding of the argument of the left, this class is not that bad. Rogers is brilliant, his lectures are mostly him ranting but if you look past the terrible slides and actually read his book, you will learn a lot. Not to mention my TA, Griffin, is the best TA I've ever had.

Likes to go on and on, hard to focus in lecture especially for two and a half hours on a Monday night. Started the class off going to lecture, after the first midterm stopped going and then got a better grade on the second midterm when I wasn't going to lecture. I align with his ideas but he rambles too much and is too hard to follow.

RUN. RUN FAR AND RUN FAST. 350 characters is no where near enough to describe the misery associated with this class. I can think of about a million other things you can be doing with 2.5 hours every Monday night. DONT.

While I'm not a big fan of Professor Rogers, his TAs make all the difference! 40% of your grade is based on your participation in discussion, so speak up and participate. Tests aren't awful but wording can be weird, definitely study with other people (especially with the few who actually attend lecture). READ THE BOOK AND STUDY GRAPHS

Lectures are more like indoctrination sessions than actual sociology. If you aren't far left of center, you're to blame for the US's woes.

There are only 3 exams, some questions worded poorly but overall pretty easy. Section attendance is a must.

Honestly I felt like I was being indoctrinated throughout the whole class. Rogers likes to ignore facts from the right to justify what he says. He also tells you who to vote for and is extremely opinionated. Class is easy enough if you just show up to lecture most of the time and listen, read the book, and do the section activities. TestsThe book

I took this class because I thought it would be interesting. I did learn a lot, but I felt like his 2.5 hour lectures dragged on. A lot of the exam questions were also random information from the book I would need a photographic memory for. As a few people mentioned before, his attitude towards the TA's also off-put me.

This was a 3.5 hour lecture on monday nights for me. He basically just rambles on about the book he wrote. He is also very one sided on opinions. Very smart man, but some questions on all multiple choice tests are unfair. He is just a bore.

The man in a genius. Sometimes he goes on long rants and his interactions can be odd sometimes, but he really knows what he is talking about. Long lectures but if you're paying attention he gives you the answers to test questions in the things he says. He is an unbelievable man and I learned a ton.

Insanely difficult class. 3.5 hour lecture where Rogers reads from the text (which he wrote) and inserts his opinions (which aren't in the tests at all). Multiple-choice tests that are very difficult and you have to nit-pick through the book for them. Lots of memorization. Rogers and his TAs are rarely available. Would not recommend.

Professor Rogers has one lecture a week and they're extremely long, dry and hard to sit through. Tests are multiple choice and based mainly on his list of terms from his book. Not my favorite class.

I was pretty excited to take this class as someone interested in sociology/politics, and while I found the content itself interesting, the 2.5 hour lectures were ROUGH and essentially felt pointless (since the tests are based on the book he wrote), and often times his attitude was off-putting. Learned a good amount but didn't enjoy the class.

I took Professor Roger's Soc 125 course to fulfill a liberal studies requirement and almost immediately regretted it. His two and a half hour lectures were bad enough without him forcing his political ideals on everyone, passing his opinions as facts. He is condescending despite his class being taught at a seventh grade level. Would not recommend.

I, too thought that this was going to be my favorite class. Quickly, I started to resent the 2.5 hour lectures, Joel's constant pointing fingers at students, and how rude he is to his TA's. He is definitely a smart guy with lots of good ideas, but I found his lectures to be WAY too long, and his attitude is very concerning.

The first day of class I thought I was in for a treat. I had come from a conservative area and was fairly left sided, so hearing a professor gush about social problems made me happy. However it quickly became "Joel Hour" where he would go off rambling about the things he thought. He treated the TAs poorly too, which really rubbed me the wrong way.

All he does is ramble for the 2.5 hour long lecture and discuss how awful Republicans are. His exams are fairly easy, especially if you know the vocab, which you can find on Quizlet. Make sure you know the graph trends he presents in each chapter. Also, you have to memorize the entire Gettysberg Addresss so have fun with that. His class sucks.

Very impressive dude. Get ready to have your world view changed.

The only assignments were discussion participation and exams. The exams are all multiple choice and are based heavily off the book, which he authored. I just read the book and showed up to class and listened; I didn't take notes once.

My biggest advice for this class would be to READ THE BOOK. He wrote it and he makes the tests so if you have a good understanding of the book, you should be fine for the midterms and final. Going to lectures is a bonus, but they're so long I barely got anything out of them. Didn't read the book before the 1st midterm so I had to play catch up.

He's a nice guy, but the lectures are painfully long- 2.5 hours to be exact. He rambles on and on, and is VERY opinionated on the subjects he talks about. I'm a moderate on the political spectrum, and his liberal viewpoints sometimes were sometimes annoying to me. It's still and interesting class and took me (comparatively) work to get the A.

I really regret taking this class :( His exams are insane. He sends out a 3-4 page term sheet for the final and says "if you know all these, it's practically impossible to 'fail'" FAIL? then on the actual exam, only like 1/5 of the terms are on it.. rest is random info from the book. PLEASE DONT TAKE HIS CLASS.

Absolutely terrible professor. Does not respect anybody. Don't bother going to lecture because if you walk in 10 seconds late or get up to use the bathroom at any point during his 2 and a half hour lecture he will make a scene in front of the entire 300 person lecture. Professor Rogers rants for the entire lecture and says nearly nothing relevant

Rogers is arrogant and rude. I was excited for the course, only to be let down. I stopped going to lectures because his ramblings were so left orientated and condescending to opposite views, and he spends most of the 2.5 hours muttering instead of teaching, so tests are a little tricky even if you read. Clearly doesn't want to be there. Avoid!

I would not recommend this class to anyone who doesn't know anything about Economics or Government. Those topics are very heavily discussed and is the main concept of this course. His lectures are very long and confusing, and tests are hard and not curved. Even reading the book doesn't help a lot and you are expected to know A LOT for tests.

class sounds like an interesting until you get to lecture and find yourself staring at the wall for 2.5 hours. prof rogers rambles on the whole time and there's no point in going to his lectures because he doesn't want to be there either. class itself can be easy if you read the dry text an the lecture slides. I do not recommend taking this class

You dont get any homework except to read the book. 2 and 12 hour lectures are long but theyre only once a week. Class is very interesting but professor Rogers is VERY liberal. He is very opinionated and he definitely inserts his liberal opinion into the lectures and the book that he wrote. I enjoyed the class a lot even though he is so liberal.

Understandably arrogant because he's studied at the top schools but painfully so. Usually just rambled about the corruptness of our society in a class that I had no idea was going to be all about political science. I hated this class and I do NOT recommend the professor.

Very brilliant professor who was very interesting to listen to. I read the book, went to lecture, listened without taking notes, reviewed the lecture slides and book and the class was easy. I recommend taking his class because he is highly knowledge about, the class is easy, and the class teaches information everyone should know.

Joel Rogers kind of just rambles for his whole lecture. He likes to show a lot of graphs and spew out of a lot of statistics that aren't even on the exams. The TAs were helpful, but Professor Rodgers was not. He also inserted his opinion into A LOT of his lectures. The material is simple enough, but what you learn is not well reflected in exams.

Very intelligent man and does back up what he has to say but often goes out of his way to prove is political agenda. T.A. gives you what you need to know as does the textbook. Rogers can be rude in class and often clearly doesn't want to be there. Interesting class but will test you're patience and bore you. Tests can be confusing

Enjoyable Subject. Good Teacher. Interesting Opinion.

The class itself was interesting and professor Rogers is very funny. It all comes down to the TA's. They made the tests extremely confusing and didn't test your knowledge of the subjects fairly. Avoid the 2.5 hour lectures too.

Extremely long lectures. Just read the book thoroughly and you should be fine.

All of the tests are multiple choice. No homework, and just read the textbook and you will be fine. The 2.5 hour lectures are long, but the slides are also online.

This professor'e lecture did not help me, not at all and the TA's discussion class also are useless, I don't know why I chose this class, it make me hates Sociology

Very intelligent professor,knowledgable and humurous,! But he throws too much information within a 2 and a half hour lecture; which is kinda hard for me to process. Despite of that, his class is brilliant!

Brilliant, obviously knew his stuff, definitely biased but backed it up and up-front about it. Could be abrasive and a bit grumpy at times, though. Unfortunately, much more of your grade and learning experience depended on your TA. Talk to him about his personal political experience.

Lets just say Rogers should stick to law instead of teaching. Brilliant, yes, but the structure of his 2 1/2 hour lectures are deathly. Even though the subject matter is very interesting, you will have a hard time getting much out of this class when the lectures are that long on a Monday night.

2.5 hr lectures are a living hell. Got an AB only attending half the lectures, did all the readings and studied the book. Term lists are incredibly vague, ask questions early. Extremely leftist, backs most information up but leaves out big chunks of reasoning. Overall, great class that changed how I see the US.

lectures tend to get a bit lengthy, and a good grade can still be achieved without lecture attendance. all tests are multiple choice

Great teacher. The only problem was the lectures could get pretty long but considering it was a 4 credit class, meeting once a week for 2 and half hours didn't seem too crazy. The tests were pretty easy if you actually read the book and studied a little bit.

brilliant teacher. The tests are all multiple choice and pretty difficult. I would definitely take this class just for the material and the way Roger teaches it. Eye opening class in my opinion.

Very educated man who's actually quite well known. The lectures are extremely pointless - if you read the book and go to discussion you'll easily pass. His attempts at humor are very dry and make the 2 and a half hour lecture a living hell. *Bring something - anything - to do if you decide to attend lectures

Quick suggestions: going to lecture is pointless. Read the book, go to discussion and you'll get at least a B. Professor is extremely leftist -- manipulates stats to make himself sound better. But if you're an elitist who thinks Europe has all the answers, you'll love his lectures!