Nils is an unbelievable professor who taught this class very well. He is nice, accessible, funny, and a genuinely helpful instructor and grader. I would urge anyone to take a class with him, especially this class; it was my favorite course in my entire academic life.

Nils tried to have me expelled for helping other students prepare for his exam, using materials he gave to the class. The whole case was bogus and dropped by the office of academic affairs. Dude just sucks

Very nice and passionate about his field. Always provided clear answers to any questions in class. Provided useful real life examples. Certainly not an easy class but if you go to lecture, pay attention, and do the readings you'll be just fine.

While lectures can be dry, Prof. Ringe knows his stuff. Focus on the readings, review his sample essays, and use Unstuckstudy for test prep - it really helped me understand the material. The workload is manageable, and the TA's grading is fair if you put in the effort.

This class reading heavy and it is important to not fall behind. Half of your grade is based on a midterm and a final, but other than that it is all reading, no other homework. The professor was amazing and really knows a lot about the topic. The lectures are fast-paced, and can be boring but interesting if you like the class and poli sci.

Some say lectures are boring but I think if you have an interest in poli sci they will be interesting to you. Ringe is very knowledgable, lectures were very relevant to exam material. Readings are important. Exams are important but there are a lot of ways to get easy completion points. I really enjoyed taking this introductory course to poli sci.

Lectures were boring and I had a hard time focusing. The tests were difficult though I am happy they were because it forced me to learn more about the topics and learn how to study. A huge plus is that 30% of your grade in the class is work that you get 100% on as long as you do it and it's super easy. Not my favorite but a good introduction.

Extra credit papers were offered in this class, however, grading was subjective and was not objectively clear. Nils is an expert and very knowledgeable in his area. There was a lack of feedback on assignments. The slides are lackluster and you must attend lecture. Very interesting class but because of how it is administrated I do not recommend.

47% of grade is two midterms and the rest is essentially participation discussion posts and readings, so test prep is important. He gives you a very large list of terms and sample essay questions, which is helpful. Lectures are boring at times but he seemed to know the material well and brought in guest speakers when he didnt.

Two exams worth 47% of your grade, crucial to know topics and significance, especially on the second (much harder) final. Lectures can get boring but are important, he uses metaphors and examples to help understand. You can tell he is really passionate and knowledgeable, but therefor a tough grader. Readings are very important and helpful!

Lectures are informational but boring. Go to discussion and do the readings. Study a lot for the exams and focus on the essay questions - TA's (Irene Tombo) grade pretty harshly. Also, even if they say the second exam won't include topics from the first exam, THEY DO! Just participate and learn/understand the terms and you should be fine.

He's fine. Do the readings, go to discussion and you'll be fine. Lectures aren't too helpful, but Prof Ringe is very accessible. Grading criteria isn't clear. Two exams make up your whole grade and are hard to study for. However, he really knows his stuff and makes an effort to help students, like bringing in lots of cool guest speakers.

I really enjoyed Professor Ringe! his research is on EU politics, so he knows what he is talking about and is super passionate about it. graded on 4/5 things, and the midterms are a lot to study for and are toughly graded. The class is rewarding, but it's hard to get an A for a final grade. Would recommend taking it if you're interested in the EU.

Nils is a great guy, and he's good at explaining things. One thing about his lectures, however is how boring his slides are. Just black background with text on it. The simulation was also super fun. He does have 3 pop quizes about European news, but he makes sure they're on days where most of the class is there (lectures before final exam etc.)

To be honest, not sure what everyone is complaining about. Nils is a great guy, and super happy to answer questions and engage with students. Lectures can occasionally turn a bit boring, but he really makes an effort. Yes, you are graded on reading quizzes, but if you read they are easy! Not sure why people are complaining about assigned reading...

Dr. Ringe moves very fast in his lectures so be ready for that. He uses helpful metaphors and examples to explain things. Midterms are entirely short answer/essay and it's critical to be able to explain the significance of your answer.

Weekly quizzes with detailed answers from readings. Minimum 4 readings a week on top of assignments. Great lecturer and makes himself available outside class; can tell he cares. All essay questions on exams which were fairly hard. Units cover a lot of material but homework and discussions help narrow down what is important. Posts slides on canvas.

Very interesting information in class as a poli sci major. Really need to pay attention to readings since the quizzes are based on them. Really need to pay attention in class and read everything assigned and you will be fine. The pretty good professor, but not the best. Overall, not an awful class for an introductory course.

Very difficult for an intro level course. Weekly quizzes are open note but questions often reference a very small section of the overload of required readings. Tests are about half of your grade and next to impossible to prepare for as study guides are unhelpful and include 125+ complex terms most of which do not end up being on the test.

This was not a good course. There were limited assignments to raise your grade, and your exams took up 40% in total! His study guides were unhelpful with lists of terms- it basically was a class where you could learn everything off of google. I would say the readings are supposed to be helpful, but they are useless and long.

he only grades on quizzes assigned that have nothing to do with course material or readings. he is unhelpful and offers no extra credit or anything of the sort. there are two exams that are basically worth the entire grade, and just like the quizzes are impossible to study for and extremely obscure.

Lectures were long, boring and not updated. Its like he kept the same slides from 2015 and just assigned us 30 page news articles to read about anything that happened since then. Quizzes were hyperspecific and very weird. We were never graded on any big concepts. Exam study guides were just a list of 150 words and he randomly picked to test on.

I was not a fan of the class. The lectures were fine, but its extremely ready heavy. Youre graded on few things. Also, studying for the exams is difficult; given over 100 concepts and terms to memorize and connect. Overall the class was fine, but I wish I would have chosen a different poly sci intro class.

Not a fan, his quiz questions were weirdly specific to a small part of our readings and just did not test on the big picture, lectures were long rambling and bad slides, the class could be taught so much better. Easy class, bad lecturer, pointless readings, weird assignments.

I really liked Professor Ringe!! Readings could be quite heavy and you are only graded on 4-5 assignments. Regardless, lectures are super interesting and he is a super nice guy. Very accomodating. He likes class participation and will ask you to raise your hand a lot, the more you engage the more you will get out of the class.

Lectures are long and rambling with slides that contain little to no-information. He tries to make in 3 hours of info into a 75 minute lecture and assigns a crazy amount of reading

Professor Ringes lectures were often exciting and engaging; however, they often contained much information. Reading is essentially required to pass the class as many quizzes, discussions, and test questions are based on readings and not lecture material. Overall, Ringe is a good and respectful professor who cares about his students learning.

Profesor Ringe is incredible knowledgable and knows what he's talking about. He can be somewhat intimidating, but he is quite funny. He has high expectations of his students, and he makes this quite clear. This class only had three graded assignments - all essays that were graded pretty tough and you absolutely have to do the readings to do well.

Definitely difficult for an intro class; expects understanding of very complex concepts that the class doesn't have enough time to actually explain. Long, dry lectures and lots of readings. 2 major exams, weekly quizzes, and discussion posts make up your grade and they're all unnecessarily difficult. Do a different intro class!

Content is difficult but stay on top of things and it's fine. Ringe is practically an encyclopedia. He's strict about masks and really liberal if that bothers you. Lectures can get long, but if you find the content interesting its enjoyable! I've seen comments about deadlines being confusing... if you read the syllabus it's straight forward.

Overall more difficult than you would expect for an intro class. LOTS of readings so if you take it, make sure you don't have many other reading-intensive classes. Weekly quizzes, 2 exams total (each worth 25% of your grade), and written discussion activities (graded fairly difficult). Not the worst class to take, but requires a lot of effort.

I was excited to take this class, but wasn't warned or prepared for how difficult it would be. He expects 45 hours PER CREDIT, which means 180 hours of work in the semester. I don't have to explain why that's ridiculous. Juggling this with 2 other reading-based classes was impossible, and I don't think he understands why his workload is impossible.

Ringe seems like a decent guy but he wasn't understanding when classes went online. His content is good and he clearly knows what he's talking about, but his lectures are dull and he used recorded lectures from 4 years ago, which seemed kind of negligent for a comparative politics class, given that so much has changed with politics in the world.

An enjoyable class. Content was understandable, and composed mainly of country case studies, while bringing in important concepts from comparative gov. Great intro class, a lot of content while still being enjoyable. Would definitely recommend, very informative.

One of the most knowledgable professors I've ever had. Knows just about everything relating to his lecture material and is great at answering questions. A lot of reading and a lot of essay questions. Essay questions are graded relatively hard. Weekly discussion posts are also not graded easily, so put time into those. Lectures are integral.

I really enjoyed my class with Professor Ringe. He's very smart and his research has to do with the EU so he really knows what he's talking about there. His lectures can be a little dry but if you're interested in learning the content, you'll de fine. The class was graded based almost entirely on four essay exams so that's tough, but its worth it.

While the class is interesting, it is in my opinion far too complicated and demanding for an introductory course. I came into this class with minimal knowledge of comparative politics and am struggling to keep up and understand the content. The course is VERY heavy on reading and lectures. The content is interesting but also very complicated too.

The discussion activities were divided into 2 parts but only 1 due date was listed on canvas. Students would miss the deadline for the first part because of this. Not great considering each professor has their own way of categorizing assignments. I'm not gonna look for due dates in the orientation module if the activity itself is in "assignments"

Professor Ringe is a great professor. His courses, while content heavy, are interesting. He honestly cares about the material he teaches and cares about his students. The class however, is heavy on reading both the text book and other assingned readings which appear in exams so don't fall behind, reading is essential to understanding material.

Ringe is very smart, but not a good professor. Lectures are 75 minutes and very dry. He reads off of his slides for the entire class, which is not captivating at all. Study guide is a very long list of terms, so fully preparing for tests is a lot of work. Not the worst class in the world, but avoid if possible.

Professor Ringe is the dullest, most conceited professor in the Poli Sci dept. His lectures are insufferable and droning, relying on dull articles. His class on the EU was so convoluted and boring. He seems to teem with self-absorption and pride in his "intellectualism", w/ no regard to actually teaching students anything of lasting value.

professor is very knowledgeable but goes too fast for an intro level course. He speaks in terms that may be unknown for many students entering the poli sci field. tests are multiple choice, short answer, and an on demand essay in 75 minutes. Tests are difficult.

Bad study guides. The study guides consist of about 80 terms, and then four essays. Exams are multiple choice, short answer, and then one essay. Some discussions are online though which is nice. Lectures can get a little long and he tries to pack a lot in. There are 3 exams, one of which is the "final" so they are all equal and cumulative.

Prof. Ringe is an overall good dude. He is a little full of himself but he is a nice guy overall. In his class, it is very clear what you need to know and when you need to know it by which I appreciate. Lots of reading but if you do the work that is required, you should succeed in the class.

Ringe should be left to teach upper level classes. He often goes very fast in his lectures, while not explaining things very well. Also assigns so much reading both from the textbook and outside readings that you really need to read to understand his lectures. Don't take this class if you don't have to.

He is structured and knowledgeable in his subject area, and it shows. The lectures get really long, and the textbook was seldom used. He explains concepts thoroughly, and can be fun. There was a single one-off where he got frustrated at students taking pictures of his slides. Beyond that, no real complaints. A very standard professor.

This man is fantastic. I love his teaching style and he is a very down to earth person. He's nice, he challenges you, and above all, he is very knowledgeable of his field. Take his classes and become a smarter person.

He is very knowledgeable on all countries. His lectures can be long at times and there are a lot of notes. It is a good idea to read the textbooks to get a better understanding on the countries. He is also very open to discussions and clarifying questions during lecture so don't be afraid to ask.

Is knowledgeable of the subjects and brings in guest speakers when he does not know specific details. Thorough, straight forward class!

I highly suggest taking a class from Professor Ringe. His exams are fair, and his lectures are clearly organized. As long as you go to lecture and take notes, the class is very manageable. He gives great study guides before all of the exams.

Ringe knows too much about the EU. So much so that he tries to fit way too much into lecture. There's no time to think, only copy slides. Regardless, class is not too difficult and can be interesting, if you go to lecture. 2 typical midterms. A simulation, and a 7-page paper. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Europe.

He is very willing to make time to talk to students even if his office ours do not match your schedule. The honors course is very demanding as far as time but gives you a chance to research something in depth of your choice.

I took honors intro to comparative politics with Nils and loved the class. He was always willing to rip apart someone's work no matter how good it was, but he did this out of legitimate care for his students' education. He may seem dul, but hes a good guy with a german sense of humor i still cant figure out. Fair grader, fair tests.

Tons of information so you must go to class since notes aren't posted online. He goes super fast in class and so you aren't always able to take down all the notes. for the exams study the given study guide. It is impossible to study all your notes and the study guide is exactly what you need to know without any of the fluff.

This class is really challenging given it is 100 level. 25 page term paper and difficult exams. He is very strict and particular. Take it with a different professor.

Great lecturer. If you go to class, take good notes, and study the textbooks you should get in the A-B range. Very worthwhile in terms of learning about other countries and current events. I would definitely recommend this class, but it's not an easy A, nor one you can skip consistently.

Lots of dull information but easy and insightful. Ringe is a fast lecturer, but has a lot of experience. The TA's really prepare you for the traditional 3-part midterms. No final. Most of the readings are not necessary, just pick up hints from TAs.

Pretty easy class, but the material is dull and is hard to make interesting. By the end of the semester, you are going to start hating his voice and everytime he goes "uuuh". Exams are pretty straightforward but you have to study seriously. It's a big class and he has an army of TAs. Pretty knowledgeable of the EU/Germany.

I loved him! He made potentially dull material really interesting and I must say I thought he was pretty easy on the eyes. Would definitely recommend to everyone! Also, get to class early, his music is awesome!

A nice guy, very knowledgeable, and funny, but just plain too hard. Even for a four credit class, the workload is just not equal to the credits you are receiving. Unless you have a significant interest in Political Science, I would recommend skipping this one. Wonderful knowledge, extremely relevant to a view on world politics, but just too much.

You will learn more about the EU than most Europeans know. Although it's a lot of material, I don't think there's too many in the world that know more about European politics, and we are lucky to have him.

I learned so much from this class. He presents materials clearly and gives out helpful study guides for exams. However, the exams are really difficult for an intro class- much harder than my upper level classes. TAs go over the most important readings. He wasn't very helpful outside of class.

I took this class hoping to learn more about a topic I knew little about, and I definitely came away with a lot of new knowledge. Professor does a good mixing of history and current events. The lectures could be a little a dry, but discussion was generally interesting. The exams were graded pretty harshly, but if you go to class you should be okay.

A little disappointed. Lectures were pretty dull. Tests weren't exactly difficult in terms of the questions asked, but getting full credit for any answer required more than he had made it sound like he wanted before hand.

Presents material clearly and in a manner that is easy to understand, but goes very in depth for an introductory level class. Demands a lot to receive full credit on tests. If they were all multiple choice would be very easy, but they aren't. My TA even said that he teaches too advanced and demands too much for intro class.

Lectures mostly from powerpoint, which could be very hard to digest for some, especially if you are uninterested in the material.

Great professor who is very knowledgable and into what he is teaching. Also has a super cool accent and entertaining music before class!

I really liked this guy. The class was sort of hard because you had to memorize a lot of information for the exams, but Ringe was always pleasant and funny. He also played good music before the start of every lecture. :)

Lectures are boring straight from the powerpoint. 2 midterms, 1 final. No need to read the articles or book, he ultimately writes exam questions from his lecture notes.

Ringe was good. I wouldn't go as far as to say great. Get a computer and download the powerpoints if you want to keep up with notes and not get carpal tunnel. Attendance is essential. Discussion is 15% of the grade - go, participate. Study guides are crucial for the exams - know EVERYTHING on them WELL. Do these things and you will get an AB.

Nils is a good guy--fairly boring but he's good. His exams place a major emphasis on writing and there are only a few multiple choice questions. He never asks test questions on the readings. If you go to lecture you'll be fine.

Nils is great! He makes the quite boring content of the course interesting by throwing in some jokes and cool personal experiences that he has had (he is from Germany and has traveled Europe doing research.) Power lectures are on powerpoint and can get a bit tedious, but exams are relatively easy. Overall, interesting course and great professor!!

Exams are a lot of writing, but fair. Gives you a study guide too, and the TAs hold review sessions. Ringe loves Europe, so a lot of the course looks at Europe. Even though he's German you can understand him fine. I wouldn't hesitate to take another one of his courses.

Ringe was great. He was a very personable guy who lectured quite well. His exams were straightforward and he gave very helpful study guides for each exam.

Nils is a very clear and knowledgeable lecturer. Take good notes and you will do well in the class. Readings are useless and either never come up again or repeat lectures. As long as you study the terms well and memorize things you should get a relatively easy AB.

Straightforward, easy to understand lectures, discussions are helpful and exams aren't bad as long as you put in the time to study

Nils is amazing! Personally, I love him. His lectures are incredibly clear and straightforward, with a smattering of personal experience and jokes. My TA was only so-so, but discussion was useful nonetheless. I absolutely recommend this class if you're into Europe and political science. And Nils is just SO German, I love it! Super classy.

Class isn't overly difficult. Tests can be difficult due to the time constraint and the amount of writing that is required. Overall great class. It takes a few lecture to get used to his German accent, but once you get used to it, there are no issues.

Great lecturer, really cares about the subject, and makes jokes every now and then. You didn't have to read the textbooks, just go to lecture and take notes off his powerpoint and as long as you put forth the study time, you'll be fine.

Professor Ringe knows his stuff but always uses slides and it usually is a painful power lecture. For the exams you are completely at the mercy of the TAs. Avoid this class and take a different class for the Poli Sci requirement. Reading the text, going to every lecture/discussion and studying for exams gave me a C.

He clearly knows his stuff, and he says he changes the class each semester based on evals and student feedback. However, I didn't like the class- lectures got boring, essays on the tests were vague, and the discussion sections weren't very useful. It wasn't a super hard class, but it was difficult to stay engaged and interested for me.

This is probably the stupidest class I've ever taken. It was taught just fine but the content is terrible. You can not attend lecture, ever, get the notes online, wikipedia all the terms from the review sheet, memorize them, get an A on tests. This is the most linear, boring, Poli Sci class. I don't think I got anything out of it.

Professor Ringe is great. He kept the class interesting, his Powerpoints were well-organized, his tests were fair and followed the general ideas well. He is easily approachable and the TAs for the class are cool as well.

The class itself is very interesting. Nils is from Germany and an expert on the EU, so he gave great insight to the topics. He's cute and answers questions willingly w/ good responses. I reccomend this class! Tests aren't too hard, just make sure you know the terms and their significances.

I've taken both 106&338 with Prof Ringe. Hated 106. Loved 338. It's all about the powerpoints. It was his first time teaching 106 when I took it. Not great. 338 was fun and informative. But I felt like I tried quite hard in 338 and still ended up with an AB. Disappointing. MUST go to lecture. Textbooks are pointless.

Nils is awesome. He cares about the topics. GO TO LECTURE!

He sometimes loses students by talking way too fast but overall I think he is a decent professor. Study sheets are given before exams and are helpful in determining IDs and the final essay. The 8 page paper is graded easy.

Interesting class. Don't buy the books. Seriously. Study for tests. They're fair, but not ridiculous. Go to lecture. The material you'll be tested on is all there. It's interesting, too. He makes a joke every now and then. And he wants you to do well. The TA's for my semester were great, and many of them teach the class continually, so...

textbooks not useful. lectures taught by bullet-point phrases. exams were mostly short-answer and essay. lectures were somewhat dry and boring. most students brought a laptop and browsed the internet

Very personable but his exams take you by surpirse. VERY DIFFICULT grader must be very detailed on exams! Gives you all the information that will possibly be on the exam which is a lot of information to know. Definitely a class that requires a lot of studying Dahl reading most important but other than that the others are not really addressed.

I never missed lecture if I could help it. He makes lectures pretty entertaining and has an adorable German accent.

This course is challenging, you have to do a lot of reading, but it is very clear cut and manageable if you stay on top of readings. I learned a lot in this course. The exams are not as hard as the TA's make them seem. A little annoying...you will study hours for exams bc there is so much info but most of it will not be on the test.

Great teacher. Best class. Tries to cover up his shortcomings by inviting guest lecturers. Great teacher. Do take him w/o any doubt. Tests are easy. Work on ID's. Just read all the readings that he has assigned and you'll get A.

Basically go to lecture don't by the books memorize the notes he puts up and you will get an A. Nils is a pretty interesting professor and I would definitely take a class with him again.

Don't buy the books. Go to class and be ready for 75 minutes of straight writing word for word off a powerpoint. If you don't like that style of lecture don't take this.

I love Professor Ringe! He's friendly, willing to help in any way, and his lectures were super easy to understand/follow. You know what you'll have to study for the exams and as long as you do the work, you'll be fine. Plus, he's cute and has a funny accent!

GO TO CLASS! Professor Ringe is very friendly and open to questions, esp. after class. Readings not as important; the first few paragraphs and conclusion are sources of a lot of exam questions. Class isn't too difficult but lecture attendance is vital. Very interesting--I'm considering a Poli Sci major after taking this class

One of the worst profs I've had - not knowledgeable and not fair. Class discussions were as uninsightful as he is.

Boo he sucked, the first day of class he basically said he didn't want to be there.

Very interesting subject matter, but I feel that as a European he should've offered more unique insights into European politics. He used powerpoint for lectures, which I know some students like, but I prefer the old-school oral lecture. Tests are fair.