Luis Bohon

School: Cal Poly Pomona
Department: Political Science
Location:Pomona, CA
Overall Rating
rated by 20 students
Helpfulness
Clarity
Easiness
Rating Comment
Overall
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Clarity
Easiness
 Pros: Straightforward
Cons: A LOT of memorization
Hard Papers
So, this class is pretty straightforward but definitely not an easy A. You have to put in the effort. The class consists of 5 "quizzes" (but they're more like tests), with the lowest score being dropped; two papers (very hard); and the final.
The "quizzes" are pretty much information on the power points regurgitated (make flashcards!!!), questions about atlantic monthly articles he assigns, and two quizzes have questions on Gideon's Trumpet and Fahrenheit 451 respectively (about 8 really simple questions).
For the 2 papers the only advice I can give you is: GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS. If you don't you will most likely not get higher than a C on the Letter to a Representative and a D on the editorial. They are EXTREMELY difficult and his instructions are pretty vague.
The final is based on questions from previous quizzes so keep your flashcards!
Overall, this class isn't too hard, as long as you don't slack off (read the articles, books, and make your flashcards). As long as you do well on the quizzes and the final and ok on the letter, you should get at least a B in the class.
Overall
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 Pros: You really learn a lot about American politics, there is no required homework, and if you really pay attention in class you could probably not study that much for quizzes. The only assignments would be the two written assignments - one letter to a representative and an editorial. If you don't want to read, you can still get a B in the class, or even possibly an A if you go in to his office hours and spend a lot of time on the two writing projects. Again, if you focus in class, this will probably not be difficult for you.
Cons: The two written assignments are very hard to get good grades on. I recommend going in to office hours to try and get a better grade on those. The quizzes are pretty difficult. They're more like tests, to be honest. You will need to do a fair amount of reading and pretty thoroughly study the reading if you want to get those questions right on the quizzes. He teaches through PowerPoint and usually affords his students a break halfway through class to chill out. 3/4 of the class is nearly 2 hour PowerPoints and 1/4 of it is quizzes that more closely approximate midterms for other PLS 201 classes.
Near the beginning of the quarter his teaching style was very engaging but over time he seemed to delve more into the banking model. It became a class focused on PowerPoints - not to say that is a bad thing for the sort of learning required to understand American politics. Flashcards (like he says) are absolutely the way to go. Also, when he tells you to not write something down there is still a chance of it being on the test.
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 I really liked Bohon as a professor and glad I took him. He is very knowledgeable in his subject and he made this class interesting. There are two books you need to read, personally I read part of the first book and read a summary of the second book and did just fine on the quizzes. There are 5 quizzes and he drops the lowest score. The quizzes aren't too bad as long as you study your notes and he basically gives you a study guide. Overall I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND this professor.
Grade Received: B-
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 In this class, you must have a lot of self discipline. You take notes in lecture and need to review them and read the assign readings. We get 5 tests (but he calls them quizzes) but do not be fooled they weigh a lot on your final grade in the class. there also a cumulative final. There are 2 essays. Be ready to memorize lots of info. in this class. Professor Bohon is a good teacher but also a hard.
Overall
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 Bohon is a great professor and he is very knowledgeable of the subject. There are no required textbooks, only two short novels which are both less than $10 at the bookstore. There are 5 quizzes and the lowest grade is dropped. The two writing assignments are a bit difficult (I got a C and a C+), but if you do well on the quizzes it should balance out. The quizzes have questions from the Atlantic Monthly articles you have to read. I never read the articles, but I would still get anywhere from a B to an A- on the quizzes. That's only because I studied and pretty much got a 100% on the materials from the powerpoints. Two quizzes will contain questions from articles and the books. The powerpoints are not on Blackboard, so it is highly recommended that you attended every class period. He will give you some numbers and percentages that aren't in the powerpoints. Write them down because they will appear on the quizzes. The final has no questions from articles or books and is comprehensive. It's not hard at all if you study (I got a 97%). Overall, I really enjoyed his class and left knowing a lot about politics and how the government works. He is a good professor, easy to approach even though in the beginning it seems like he's not, and is willing to help.
Grade received: B+
Overall
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 Pros: - drops your lowest quiz grade
- basically tells you everything that's going to be on the quizzes
Cons: - powerpoints/lectures not on blackboard
- best to go to class everyday
-lots of reading articles, BUT you don't necessarily have to read them
there are 5 quizzes, but he drops the lowest one. this class is mostly about memorizing everything he puts on his lectures. he tells you a majority of what will be on his quizzes. READ THE ARTICLES if you have time! the articles are what makes your B go up to an A. there are about 15 questions on each quiz about the reading assignments. there are 2 writing assignments. don't procrastinate and do everything the day before they are due. it's best to go to class everyday, which I didn't do, but if you're lucky and you find a good friend in that class... then go for it. the reason why I advise you to attend class each day is because he tells you some questions/answers that are going to be on the next quiz while going through some parts of his lectures. in the beginning he makes people participate a lot, but as time goes on he just sticks to his powerpoints. I missed more than 5 classes, but I was lucky because I had my friend's notes from last quarter, so I didn't really miss much. his final is basically all the quizzes combined, and he tells you everything that will be on the final, too. you don't have to read any articles for the final. I got mostly C's on my quizzes, and did fairly decent on the writing assignments. grade received: B-
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 Pros: Drops lowest quiz score
Tells you whats on the quiz and final
Easy to approach
No textbook needed
Only 2 novels required
Cons: His online readings are ridiculous
There are 5 50 question quizes and a 150 question final. He tells you what to expect in all of them and will drop the lowest quiz. He has an essay on writing a bill to your rep, which isn't too hard or easy, but suggest you do not do it the night before, same with his editorial on a bill. His powerpoints have a lot of info because he doesn't require a textbook and transferred all the necassary info onto them. The novels are Fahrenheit 451 and Gideons Trumpet, and the quiz has a 20 or question portion, and gives you about a week to read them. The final is cumulative but not hard.
Grade: C
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 Pros: Fun Lectures
NO HOMEWORK
2 cheap novels as textbook material
Lowest quiz scored dropped
Cons: Not an easy GE class!
Difficult reading material
This is what the class will break down to:
- 5 quizzes / exams (50 multiple choices and 25 short answers, more like an exam)
- Lowest quiz score DROPPED
- 2 writing assignments
- 1 Final
2 things that WILL bring down your grade:
- The reading assignments
- The writing assignments
Although class attendance is not required, the majority of the test questions are from his Powerpoint lectures, SO GO TO CLASS! The last 10-15 questions of the multiple choice section on each of his tests (besides the Final) WILL BE ABOUT THE READING which is why it will bring down your grade if you don't pay attention. So read to comprehend. Lastly, he grades the writing assignments VERY CRUCIALLY. Start the assignment EARLY and go to his office hours, and you'll do fine. If not, you will most likely fail the assignments bringing your grades down. I personally averaged a B+ on all my exams and aced my final with a 93%, but because of the writing assignments alone, they pulled me down to a B- as my final grade.
About the professor, he is a VERY FUN lecturer. He may seem intimidating, rude, and mean, but in actuality he is actually very nice. His tone is just his own way of proving a point and a little bit of humor. He really knows a great deal about what he teaches, and I believe he may have been a lawyer, though I've never really asked to confirm. Nevertheless, this class is very informative and you are bound to learn something from it. I would recommend it to those SEEKING A CHALLENGE whilst having a fun learning experience. If you're seeking an easy GE class, this is not for you.
Grade received: B-
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 Pros: great teacher, interesting and funny, no textbook
Cons: exams are difficult if you don't study at all, weekly readings are long
he calls them quizzes but they are more like exams, but they are fairly easy if you take the time to study and make flashcards before the test. Weekly reading are on the tests and will bump your test grade down almost a letter grade if you have not read them. Overall a really good teacher to take for an otherwise boring subject
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 This class is pretty time consuming for a GE... but I have to admit I agree with everyone else that he is very knowledgable about the subject matter and I truly learned a lot about government- and it was all useful information. However, I wasn't a fan of his interrogations to get class discussions started. If you didn't have an opinion or didn't know how to answer a question he posed- he made you feel like an idiot. I wished he would have at least shown enough respect to the class to say "That's a good point but..". Instead he just grills students until they back down from their opinion.
That aside... there is a lot of quizzes that seem more like tests, but the material is really easy to study because he is straightforward with exactly what is on them. Use flash cards! If you write the flash cards as he lectures, it will save you so much time and makes studying a piece of cake.
I thought his assignments were a little elementary school- we have to write a letter to our congressman about a bill, and then write an editorial.
Also, you need to read two books in his class: Fahrenheit 451 & Gideon's Trumpet. You can get a synopsis of Gideon's Trumpet online and get most of the quiz q's correct. Same for Fahrenheit 451 but I thought that was a more interesting read to spend your time on if you can.
There also is no book requried, he gives you articles online you have to read. I found them very interesting and actually learned something from them. It was a good tool- just read them carefully because the q's are very specific, and even though I read all of the articles I found some of them tough to answer.
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 I'm gonna give it to you straight. Take him if you are good at reading and writing. Don't take it if you are not good at both. Here are some pros and cons for this class.
}PROS: you don't need to buy a textbook, lecture part on the quiz is very easy if you study (there is also a reading part), lectures are easy to understand, FINAL was pretty easy, he drops the lowest quiz grade.
}CONS: this guy is an asshole, his readings are RIDICULOUSLY hard to understand, the reading portion of the quiz is RIDICULOUSLY difficult. both of his writing assignments take up a LOT of time and the editorial is very difficult. there are 5 quizzes. he always has weird topics that people get offended by like gay marriage, prostitution, abortion.
}Additional Note: Class consists of 5 quizzes+1 final, one letter to a representative + 1 editorial on a bill. Good to show up to every class meetings because everything on the lectures is on the test. Overall, this class was ok but I absolutely HATED the readings and so did many other people in class Grade Received: B
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 One of the best teachers I have had at Cal Poly. As others said, he comes off as an asshole on the first day of class - tells you to use no electronic devices in class, puts people on the spot, debates to the point where you get frustrated and can't answer. This is just to weed out those who can't handle it and get them to drop. He's very nice after the first day, but still doesn't allow phones or laptops. This isn't a problem because there is rarely a dull moment in the class. He truly makes government interesting with stories, examples, and open debates. As for assignments, there is no textbook which means no homework, just reading. There are five 50-question quizzes, which contain ten questions from Atlantic Monthly articles which he assigns. They are always basic surface questions, no real thought required. Two major assignments are given; a letter to your state representative (easy - class average was a B) and an editorial (much more difficult, C- class average). As long as you take notes, study them before quizzes and do not underestimate the two written assignments, you will do well in his class. Grade Received: C-
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 He can come off as an asshole, but he's not. He's very helpful, during class or office hours. Yeah there's a large amount of definitions you have to remember, there's articles and books you have to read, but it's not difficult. Most of those definitions people have to remember anyways for other classes or even life here in the US...and those books and articles are great! I enjoyed being in that class, I just wished I could have applied myself better at the beggining so I could have got a better grade. APPLY YOURSELF! Grade Received: C+
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 Great teacher with lots of knowledge. However..... he crams a whole lotta definitions & numbers into a 10-wk qtr. Even though this is a lower level course, he expects alot from his students. 1 letter to a state rep addressing your concern over a bill of your choice (worth 200 pts), 1 editorial persuading the public over why or why not this second bill of your choice should or should not pass (worth 200 pts), 4 out of 5 "quizzes" count since the lowest one is dropped (worth 100 pts each and are not really "quizzes" b/c they consists of 50 multiple choice questions + 25 short answers - NO ABBREVIATIONS & MUST BE SPELLED CORRECTLY!!!), and of course, his final exam (which is worth 200 pts with 100 multiple choice + 50 short answer questions). Basically you take 1 quiz every 2 weeks of the qtr and finish off with the final during the last week. Oh, and by the way, his notes are NOT on blackboard & there is no textbook required but you've gotta READ THE ARTICLES & THE 2 BOOKS HE ASSIGNS b/c the last 10 questions on each quiz covers them. That's how he gets you b/c this is his way of telling whether or not you read. So, if you get most of the answers right on his tests but fail the reading section, the highest grade you can pull is a B- or a C. Good luck! Grade Received: B
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 I really like this professor. hes straight forward, but not boring. he teaches a basic government class but he makes it quite interesting. i like him because you don't take useless notes that wont be on the test. he tells you what you need to know and there are no surprises. also, hes very understanding. he's letting me postpone the final because of personal reasons and didn't make me feel like i was burdening him. the ONLY "negative" thing i can say about him is that he doesn't respond to or check emails. hes strict on seeing him before/after class and during office hours...which isn't that bad. sometimes it'd be nice if he responded to emails but its not a big deal. take this professor :-)
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 This professor challenges your opinions. The very first class he pointed at me and asked me what I thought about gay marriage. He forces participation so that we can have discussions, mostly about controversial issues. He requires reading almost every night. His power points are clear and east to read, so if you go over them to study for the quizzes/tests you'll be good. While he goes over the powerpoints he tell you "This will be on the test" so you can put a little star by it to remember when you're studying your notes. He is a really amazing professor. I wish everyone could take his class. Grade Received: B-
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 First day of class he is very intimidating. Said his class was very very hard and you better leave if you can't handle it. I stuck around and personally the class was easy. He lectures off his powerpoint slides for the entire class time. You have to copy EVERYTHING down because nearly everything on the slides are on the test. Don't worry though, the notes are exactly the questions asked on the exams. He even tells you what to focus on, which was awesome because it's free points if you study what he recommends. There is a lot of memorizing but it is manageable. The exam is half straight-forward multiple choice and then short answer fill-in questions. Drops the lowest exam grade and the final is basically review. If you can memorize a lot of notes, this class should be simple enough. Grade Received: A
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 On the First Day of class, I thought he was a complete jerk... 2 people left his class because he mentioned how it's not going to be easy. From the second to my last day of class, he was the best and nicest political science professor anyone could have. He has a way of motivating students to learn the material, and it's really interesting... He assigns readings from the Atlantic monthly, they range from 10 pages to 35 pages. Questions about the readings are on the quizzes; he has quizzes every two weeks. He Drops 1 out of the 5 He gives out. He assigns 1 letter to a state rep, and 1 difficult editorial. One cumulative final. The quizzes are based entirely on the notes, all you have to do is memorize them. This class is easy, but there's a lot of work to do. He is more than happy to answer any of your questions, don't be afraid to ask them during class. I would highly recommend this professor, he's not easy, but he teaches the material extremely well. Grade Received: B+
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 BOHON IS AWESOME. The fellow reviewers do not know what they are talking about. He is a very fair teacher and grader. The grades are 5 quizzes (the lowest being dropped) two papers worth 20% each, and a final worth 20%. It is a very fun and interesting class. I learned a lot of common knowledge that the average American does not know about our political system. He explains concepts well and knows his stuff really well. He makes the class fun and his sense of humor is quite funny. Take Bohon if you want to learn. Grade Received: B
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 Class is extremely straight-forward. Grading scale is as follows: 5 Quizzes (lowest dropped) 400 pts, Letter to politician 200 pts, Editorial on legislation 200 pts, Final exam 200 pts. Total possible 1000 pts. There is no textbook for the class, he wants you to subscribe to his Atlantic Monthly online journal instead. Everyday is the exact same thing. You will come to class, copy down every single thing on his powerpoint presentations, and then leave. Somewhat monotone and boring class, Bohon isn't a bad guy though. This class is a repeat of what you've already taken in highschool. I didn't buy anything for the class, and didn't put in any effort. I showed up everyday to take notes, and made it out with a B. Recommended for engineers, no study time needed!! Grade Received: B

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