James Starkey

POLISCI1 · POLSC1 · 39 lifetime ratings

AI rating: 36/100
RMP rating: 2.4/5
Take again: 33.33%
Difficulty: 3.5

The decision

if you can attend closely and follow directions exactly; many students advise avoiding him.

Best fit · Self Taught ProLecture-heavy examsInflexible on life issuesOpen-note quizzes sometimesPolarizing chill or harshTest-heavy grading

Many call lectures boring and
, and poor email response
A minority recent reviews , and easy if you show up

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

FairEffort

52/100

Some sections feel easy with open notes and light work, but nitpicky directions and .

Recent online and ; older and angry reviews report hard fails.

Is the course easy?

Standard

55/100

Material is intro government level; difficulty comes from lecture note-taking and rigid policies more than concept depth.

Both formats are standard content; online can feel .

Is attendance flexible?

Varies

40/100

Some say attendance is not mandatory while .

In ; online still punishes missed live-linked quizzes.

Is this professor recommended?

Avoid

33/100

and and unclear testing.

A cluster of recent positive reviews softens but does not overturn the .

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

32/100

, and little forgiveness on finals or missed quizzes.

Format shift

Strictness appears in both formats; .

Workload

Moderate

55/100

Homework is often light, but quizzes, discussions, and .

Format shift

Online has more readings and writings; in person can .

Teaching experience

Poor

38/100

Critics cite boring long lectures, off-topic talk, and poor responsiveness; supporters praise humor and care.

Format shift

Recent in-person reviews are warmer; older and online reviews are harsher.

Assessment method

FocusOnExams

78/100

Quizzes and textbook search quizzes rather than heavy projects.

Format shift

Online mixes quizzes, short writings, and discussions; in and lecture based.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

24 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

In person splits between angelic funny open-note supporters and , and tests only his slides.

Main concern

and exams based only on his lectures, not the book.

What students said

“He's an angel. if you have a problems and is always willing to help.”
POLSC1

“He dropped me out of the class with no warning all because I didn't submit 2 assignments”
POLSC1

“ his screen.”
POLSC1

Remote format

Online

15 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Self Taught Pro

Online is often described as quiz- and , and little compassion for missed work.

Main concern

, and harsh zeros for small misses.

What students said

“This class is very easy, and you can get an A with minimal effort.”
POLISCI1

“he dropped me with no communication.”
POLSC1

“Watch out for . Its timed (45 minutes)”
POLISCI1

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exam friendliness varies from open-note lecture tests to rigid timed finals and .

Open-note exams in some sectionsLecture-based questionsTimed finals onlinePop quizzes from live recordingsSlides deleted after about 14 days

Assessment risk

Standard

58/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

lectures; you must write everything down because slides may disappear.

Open-note examsLecture-only test contentSlides deleted every 14 daysLeave early after finishing quizzes

“ his screen.”
POLSC1

“you must write down word per word and because he deletes them every 14 days.”
POLSC1

“The but they are open note so make sure you write everything down!”
POLSC1

Online

Online includes textbook quizzes, short writings, discussions, and sometimes a ; .

Textbook search quizzesTimed final about 45 minutesPop quizzes via live recordingShort writings and discussions

“Read a chapter of the and search for answers), and post an easy discussion post.”
POLISCI1

“Watch out for . Its timed (45 minutes) and if you cant research fast and write faster you are in trouble.”
POLISCI1

“He specifically puts out random pop quizes that you find out about in a live class recording”
POLSC1

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice
“ .”
Voice snapshots generated from 39 reviews across online and and recent positives. Credibility rating: High.

😬 Low Overall Recommendation

33/100

“ .”

📝 Lecture Notes Decide Your Grade

58/100

“ his screen.”

🚫 Inflexible on Real-Life Issues

32/100

“Doesn't understand that people have a life.”

🙂 Some Call Him Chill and Kind

70/100

“He's an angel. if you have a problems and is always willing to help.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

lectures the ENTIRE class
Love his sense of humor
I think lectures are interesting, he's entertaining around current events

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

This class is very easy, and you can get an A with minimal effort
you must write down word per word of everything he teaches
It's honestly an easy A... it's just people do not know how to read directions

Theme 3

⚠️ About Policies and Support

He dropped me out of the class with no warning
Took forever to answer my emails
he dropped me with no communication

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

Recent reviews read by the AI

Lifetime ratings

82/100

Evidence confidence

Thirty-nine reviews over many years show a stable pattern of and low flexibility, with a smaller positive recent counter-cluster.

Inside 39 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 57

4 out of 53

3 out of 56

2 out of 57

1 out of 516

Course coverage

POLSC125 reviews

POLISCI113 reviews

717701 review

Reported outcomes

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

29 reported outcomes

A range

A+ 4 · A 2 · A- 1

B range

B+ 4 · B 3 · B- 1

C range

C+ 1 · C 4

D range

D+ 1 · D 1

F

F 2

No letter grade reported

Drop/Withdrawal 2 · Not sure yet 2 · Rather not say 1

James Starkey

x x x if you can attend closely and follow directions exactly; many students advise avoiding him.

Four answers before you build your schedule.

FairEffort

Standard

Varies

Avoid

See how this professor fits your week.

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

In person

Online

See what students actually said.

😬 Low Overall Recommendation

📝 Lecture Notes Decide Your Grade

🚫 Inflexible on Real-Life Issues

🙂 Some Call Him Chill and Kind

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

⚠️ About Policies and Support

See exactly what the AI read.

Quality ratings

Course coverage

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

A range

B range

C range

D range

F

No letter grade reported

if you can attend closely and follow directions exactly; many students advise avoiding him.